Understanding the Kingdom of God (Concepts and Precepts)

THE PRESENT SPIRITUAL REALITY OF THE KINGDOM At the very beginning of Jesus ministry in Mark.1:14-15. we read “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Within the 31/2 years of His earthly ministry, we are told in Luke.8: 1 “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him” When He commissioned the Apostles in Lk.9:1-2. We read, “Then he called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick” Even to the man who gave the excuses not to follow Jesus because he wants to bury the Father, He told him in verses 50- 60.. “And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God”. To Jesus, the kingdom message is a priority above any social or paternal obligations. In the prophetic declaration of the signs of the Fall of Jerusalem and what we can apply as the End of the Age, He said in Mathew 24: 14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” It shows that ‘The Gospel of the Kingdom’ getting to all hooks and corners is a major sign of the end. But I wonder if the Church is aware of this, such that they have to commit themselves to it. In Acts 1:1-3. In what we can called the post- resurrection message of Jesus the Christ, for forty good days while He walk on the earth with flesh and bones, (Lk.24:39) we are told in Acts.1:1-3.“ The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: There was nothing more central, passion driving and life consuming for Jesus than the message of the Kingdom. It must be noted that, things like healing and the casting out of demons were all the integral part of the message of the kingdom. Jesus never classified them as a ministry of their own. The Lord’s pattern in ministry reveals this “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them”.Math.4:23-24. Surely enough, Jesus has left for us an example to do ministry. The emphasis is ‘teaching’ and ‘preaching’ the ‘Gospel of the knigdom’ and the rest things follow. Don’t forget, doing what he did, preaching and believing what he preached, will grant us access to both the Father and the son. Or else we will become orphans and be without God in the world, though we are still running with signs and wonders in the world, only to be told, for “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”.Math.7:21-23. The word ‘iniquity’ is anomia, which means illegality, i.e. violation of law or wickedness; transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness. It means, no matter the nature of your ministry, or the signs and wonder following, if it is done out of the contents of the will and purposes of God and without the true communion with him, then you have no place in His kingdom. It also means doing a thing that is not in line with the will of the Father whether it be ministry is simply ‘unrighteousness’. The only statement awaiting us at the end is ‘Go Away’. You better watch it! .Acts.8:12.Philip the Evangelist message was the kingdom, “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women”. Paul’s Message was the kingdom of God. Acts.19:8. “And he went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God”. Acts.20:25. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Acts.28:22-23. 22 “But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not”. Acts.28:30-31. “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” The kingdom Message was central in the Gospel of Paul.