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CRY OF HIS SERVEANTS # 2 KINGDOM OF GOD

As we look at the Kingdom of God, we heard what John the Baptist spoke to usher in the Kingdom and then we see Jesus making His entrance into the present kingdom age. In Matthew 3 John makes a direct statement and declares “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand”.

The next thing we see John speaking out against the so called authority of his day, declaring to the Pharisees and Sadducees, John speaks to them and said “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? John did not submit to the authority of that day. Neither did John submit to the government or the so called king Herod (ungodly people president- via state, county, wicked rulers of his day), but John speaks out and calls for all people including the ruling so called authority to Repent. We also see Jesus Christ, Yeshua the King who also spoke out against these ungodly rulers, and in Matthew 4 we see Jesus being tempted by the ruler and prince of the earth who offer Jesus all the kingdom of this world, and Jesus did not submit to satan or the ungodly government of his day.

Let me make one thing clear, that I am not saying that we should not live by the basic law of the land as long as it does not go against the Bible, like i.e., obey the speed limit, stop at the red light, things like that. We know it is wrong to murder, the Bible states “Thou shall not murder”. So, when the babies are being murdered according to the law, well that is against God’s law and His word, therefore I would tell the law- makers, the judges, and all those who had anything to do with making it law, to Repent of their wickedness.When the people of God understand Kingdom authority, who they are called to be, and understand that the one with all authority, Jesus Christ has given us all authority over all things on this earth, then we will see the earth shake and people’s lives will be changed. We can put to death the works of darkness, and stop the murdering of sixty million babies, you say no we can’t, Oh yes we can. That was the problem in the first place the Church sat silent and let the wicked lawmakers pass the laws to kill those babies. My question is, how much of that blood is on the Church’s hands. You say not me, He will ask one day, be ready.

So, as we go on, and take a look at the kingdom of God, we take a look at a simple over view at what Jesus did on earth and what we as the church should be doing to be the people He has called us to be. We are to do battle to defeat the works of darkness. It is very important that we as the Church walk in this each and every day, if you want to have victory in your life, that does not mean that things won’t get worse, in fact they will. But if you don’t, then you are powerless, and the enemy will have a field day with you and your family, to sift you like wheat.

We see the Gifts, of the power of the Holy Spirit in operation, in Jesus. As I searched the Gospels to learn more about the gifts, I discovered another significant point: Jesus always combined the proclamation of the Kingdom of God with its demonstration (like casting out demons, healing the sick, the dead were raised and many other things. Scripture indicated that this demonstration authenticated the Gospel. We are to Point people to Jesus, to His word that they may hear the good news of the King. No wonder Jesus was so effective in evangelism. He spoke the word and demonstrated the power. In 1979 when I came to the Lord, being born again and later was baptized, I saw the hand of God, and started to bring the kingdom of God to the streets and in the Church gatherings. We started to pray for people everywhere we went, and began to see people getting healed. At that time I was in Germany. By 1982 I learned that the gifts were for today, not that I did not know back then, I just had not really studied that subject. Because I had seen Jesus heal people when I prayed for them, I thought that it was the norm for Christians.

In 1981when I came back to America, I did not see Jesus in the Church and I did not see people getting healed in the Church, and I just wept I asked Jesus. “Where are you Lord Jesus?” I did not see Jesus in the Church in America. By 1982 I moved to Colorado and went to a Vineyard Church. I learned a lot and John Wimber was teaching about healing and spiritual warfare. Later, I saw a lot that other men were saying but I could not find in the Bible. Long story. I Came out of Vineyard and the Kansas City prophetic movement in 1992. Ref. Letter # 1 Cry of His Servants

So, as we go on, I knew that it was very important to know that the gifts were for today, I also found that it was very effective for evangelism combining both the proclamation with the demonstration of the gospel. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is at Hand, repent and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15. Thus the heart of Jesus message was both to proclaim God’s action about the Kingdom is near and the demand for a response from all who heard - Repent and believe.

As we see the demonstration of the kingdom of God we see Jesus healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. Every act of the power of God was miraculous and had a purpose, to confront people with his message that the kingdom had come and that they had to decide to accept or reject it. All Jews anticipated a day of salvation, a time of fulfillment. But the Kingdom of God meant something different to Jesus and His listeners; Jesus many times spoke in parables and privately gave interpretations to his disciples. Christ transformed what was commonly accepted about the kingdom of God in his day. To understand most first century Jews in what they hoped for about salvation, we must look at the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament.

Political Kingdom, for most of their history, the Jews lived under the domination of foreign nations and foreign kings. After the wilderness and the conquest of Canaan, the Israelites achieved their national independence and unity under King David. Upon his son Solomon’s death, the nation divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. For two hundred years they saw civil war, and threats from foreign kings. And many other things, during this period the Jews longed for a time in the future when God would restore the Davidic blessings of the past. Then arose the longing for the Day of the Lord. The prophets refer to this phrase, by which people understood a time when God would restore His people, Israel’s Salvation meant the return of a single, strong Jewish nation, as in the days of King David (see Isaiah 11) but, the prophets proclaimed a flip side of salvation, they spoke of Judgment. Judgment of the nations and even Israel.

The story goes on about the history of Israel and the promised of the Day of the Lord. Still the Jews never stopped looking for the Anointed One, the Messiah, who they thought would lead them to a renewed political glory. They were looking for this at the time of Christ and that is how they understood Him, when Jesus was speaking about the Kingdom .John 6:15 clearly supports this, the people wanted to make Jesus King of Israel by force. Even the Disciples after being with Him, they longed for restoration of Israel. (Acts 1:6). The prophets presented the kingdom of God what they called the Day of the Lord - as a kingdom of this world, peopled by Jews, It was not a spiritual and other- worldly kingdom; it was the dream of Jewish nationalism.

Caught between two ages, But this was the popularly accepted understanding of the Kingdom of God in Christ’s days.

During the intertestamental period Appox. 200 B.C. to the New Testament the time in which the apocalyptic literature was written, the term “kingdom of God” came into widespread usage. As was true for the Day of the Lord, hope was prominent. The hope of the prophets was for a political kingdom, but the apocalyptic writers saw an end coming to the present age, after which God would create a new world in which all evil, demons, sickness, and death would be defeated.

The kingdom of God in the New Testament, Jesus spoke and used some Old Testament terms like the “Kingdom of God” and “ages” to explain why He came. For example in explaining the parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus uses terms like the “sons of the Kingdom,” “sons of the evil one,” “the end of the age,” “and the righteous will shine

like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” ( Matt 13:36-43 see also 1 Cor. 2:6 , Gal 1:4)

He taught the disciples that like the Old Testament prophets He too saw a Day of judgment soon coming for the nations, the Son of Man being the Judge. Like the apocalyptic writers, he too foresaw a swift end coming to this present age and its replacement by a future age. “ the Kingdom of the Father”.

This explains some of the Kingdom of God and the present evil age we live in. The Authority of God has come to claim what is rightfully His. The future age, the Kingdom of God, Invaded the present age, the kingdom of Satan.

The twofold pattern between the two Kingdoms explains Christ’s ministry, repeated wherever He went: first proclamation then demonstration. First Jesus preached repentance and then the good news of the Kingdom of God. Then He cast out the demons, healed the sick, raised the dead- which proved He was the presence of the Kingdom, the Anointed One. The Church is also the instrument of the Kingdom. The Disciples not only proclaimed the Kingdom, they demonstrated the works and miracles of the Kingdom. Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell will not overcome (the Church) Matt 16:18. The gates of hell are the strongholds of evil and death, satanic powers that seek to destroy us

(Eph. 6:10-12) As servants of the Kingdom of God as instruments of Christ, we war against these strongholds, replacing their dominion with the Kingdom of God.

To confirmed this, Jesus the Messiah commissioned the twelve ( Matt. 10:5-15) The seventy -two (Luke 10:1-20) and now commissions us ( Matt. 28:18-20 ) During the forty days between his resurrection and ascension, Jesus spoke to the apostles about the Kingdom of God ( Acts 1:3) In Samaria, Philip “ preached the good news of the Kingdom of God”

(Acts 8:12) and Peter, James, and Paul all mention the Kingdom of God in their letters.

The Gospel of the Kingdom, Proclamation of a faulty gospel will produce faulty or, at best weak Christians. Such is the case all too often today. Instead of a call to the Lordship of Christ and membership in His Kingdom people are hearing a gospel that emphasizes self; come to Jesus and get this or that need met, be personally fulfilled, reach your potential. This however, is not the costly kingdom gospel that Christ proclaims: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the Gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35)

The enemy follows no rules of war. Satan considers nothing unfair; he is not a gentleman. The sooner Christians understand this, the more serious they will become about being equipped and properly trained for the kingdom of God. Prepare for war and be ready to battle. We know that Satan attacks on many fronts; through the flesh, through the world, the church and by direct assault. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, and he will attack your mind and your body and all that you have.

You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as soldier. (2 Tim. 2:3-4)

To fight effectively, we must correctly understand power and authority. In the Kingdom. In Luke 9:1-2 we read that He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to heal the sick and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God. The one thing we as the Church must do, that is we must press back into Jesus Christ and His Holy word. To hear the voice of the Lord God and be led by His Holy Spirit. In short Jesus said I only do what I see the Father doing

John 14:12

Above all things love one another, just as Jesus loves us.

His Servant, Feb. 18, 2008

Matthew Stephen VMI – Publishers

509-496-9740 www.propheticwatchmanvine.com