The Christ Sessions Continue!

Hello everyone, here are the links to our two most recent Bridwell Bible studies. I pray these will be a tremendous blessing to you...

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=5109
http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=5107

Bridwell Bible Study 5/20/2014

Hello everyone!  This week we continue in our ongoing series in Bridwell Bible Study: The Christ Sessions. Last week's actual lesson will not be posted due to poor recording quality, but the notes are included in the handout for this specific lesson.  This is lesson one, part two of the third session, and it takes a fresh look at some vital ingredients of the ministry of Christ, including the anointing, as well as five major avenues through which that anointing flowed.  To listen, simply click the link below, and then feel free to follow along the handout note directly beneath the link.  Feel free to send any comments or questions you may have, I hope this lesson is a blessing to you!

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=5047 

-LIFE AND LESSONS OF CHRIST-SESSION 3: FOUNDATION FOR MINISTRY-

LESSON 1 – OVERVIEW OF PURPOSE

Quick Review of Previous Lessons (Session 2, Preparation…-Wilderness: WORD, WORSHIP, WISDOM, Identity, (VIP, Sons of God))

Main Text: Luke 4:13-21 KEY THEMES: PURPOSE, MINISTRY, KINGDOM, ANOINTING, CHOSEN – JESUS THE PROTOTYPE OF THE KINGDOM.

5 FOLD ANOINTING

-Your purpose is revealed in the purpose of the anointing. Anointed means “chosen,” set aside for a purpose. Synonyms: consecrated.

***FIVE FOLD GOSPEL***

1. – To heal the brokenhearted.

2. – To preach (announce) deliverance (release) (liberation) to the captives.

3. – To preach (announce) recovery of sight to the blind. PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL (Matthew 4:13-16)

4. – To set at liberty (send forth) those who are bruised (oppressed.)

5. – To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Jubilee!) (Pentecost) (1-2-3, 40, 7 - !)

5 FOLD DEMONSTRATION OF THE KINGDOM

These are avenues by which anointing is activated, purpose is practiced, and the kingdom is revealed. (notice the recurring theme of his power, authority, effectiveness)

1. PREACHING – Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15

2. TEACHING – Luke 4:15, 31-32

3.  CASTING OUT DEVILS – Luke 4:33-37, 41

4. HEALING THE SICK – Luke 4:38-40

5. GATHERING DISCIPLES – Mark 1:16-22

BRIDWELL BIBLE STUDY 4/29/2014

Hello readers and listeners!  As some of you know, my wife and I have the privilege of hosting a home group Bible study at our home every Tuesday evening.  I am now going to make these lessons available here on "Musings" for the benefit of those that are absent, or for those that have prior obligations on Tuesdays but would still like to hear these lessons.

Tonight we continued our series entitled "Life and Lessons of Jesus Christ."  We are actually in Session Two, which is all about 'Preparation For Ministry.'  It is in depth teaching on the events preceding the start of Christ's earthly ministry, including his baptism by John, and his encounter with satan in the wilderness.  I am happy to bring you Lesson 2.5 of Preparation For Ministry, which examines how Jesus overcame the third temptation of satan with good old fashioned WISDOM.  If we are going to prepared for ministry, we must allow the wilderness and God's Spirit to teach us wisdom.  My apologies for beginning these broadcasts in mid-series (if you need any of the handouts from previous lessons, feel free to ask and I can get you copies so you can catch up!)

I am attaching a copy of the handout from tonight's lesson so you can follow along -  for those of you that did attend tonight's meeting I have actually added an additional scripture (which will be emboldened so you know which one it is)  to the section on knowing when to keep the ol' pizza trap shut, which (and I'm sure any preacher reading this will understand where I am coming from here) I am kicking myself for skipping over during the actual teaching.

Wisdom!  It is not God's will for you to do things to yourself or others, though you may have scriptural precedent, that could do more harm instead of good - to hear the audio please click the link below!  Below the link are the handout notes, plus one additional scripture, feel free to follow along - we welcome comments and questions, thank you for reading and listening, I hope this is a blessing to you all.

Click here to listen: http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=4989

-LIFE AND LESSONS OF CHRIST-SESSION 2: PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY –

LESSON 2.5 “The Wilderness Test - WISDOM”

Main Text:  Luke 4:9-13, Proverbs 4:7 – JAMES 3:17

KEY THEMS: WORD, WORSHIP, WISDOM – PREPARATION FOR REAL MINISTRY

Note on James 3:17: wisdom always incorporates humility and mercy in its judgments; looks beyond the letter of the law, into the heart of the law. (weightier matters of the law) – (Matthew 23:23, Isaiah 28:10-13, II Tim 2:15)

Without wisdom, the word + worship tends to produce Phariseeism. (Matthew 5:18)

-Dr Carson surgery story-

V9-11 – 3^rd temptation: using scripture, or your identity, as a license for reckless behavior, to act foolishly or fool heartedly with scripture as a licence (out of context scripture) Romans 6:1-2;

V9 – what a dumb idea. (the devil is full of dumb ideas)

V.12- DEFENSE #3 – WISDOM

-Psalm 111:10 – “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” – “God is not mocked…” Galatians 6:6

Examples: Woman caught in the act of adultery: John 8:2-11 (note wisdom vs Phariseeism) – grace not a license for sin OR the maltreatment of sinners;

-Wisdom is often demonstrated as a filter of mercy and humility for the passing through of light and truth, and holiness, and justice, and righteousness.

-WISDOM: Sometimes you need to shut your big pizza trap. James 1:19-26; PROVERBS 11:12-13

-moving from mere knowledge to wisdom in spiritual and scriptural matters, such as prayer and fasting (see Matthew 6)

-Suffer the little children, and consider the weaker brother (Matthew 19:14; Romans 14:3)

-Those that seek to be wise, will open to be taught by anyone, be they children or a weak brother – the foolish will heap teachers, having itching ears…(II Tim 4:3)

-the mark of spiritual maturity is not knowledge, but wisdom (see “tools of the trade”)

Thou Shalt Recover All!

Greetings readers!  I am pleased to share with you a message that God and Pastor Holley gave me the honor of preaching at Life Tabernacle recently.  We have all gone through times of loss in life where it seems the joy and peace we once had has been suddenly, and sometimes violently stolen away by life situations.  It is my hope and prayer that this message will encourage you to do as David did and pursue the recovery of what you've lost - just click on the link below to listen, and my notes from the sermon are posted below so you can follow along - God bless...

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=4724

Text: I Samuel 30:1-8

“And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”

Title: Thou Shalt Recover All or The Revival of Recovery – or something…

I. – The Despair of Loss

Background: -

-Ziklag was given to David by King Achish of the Philistines in 1 Samuel 27 when David was run out of Israel by Saul, it was his own personal city of refuge for him and his family (out in the country because he told Achish he really wasn’t worthy or interested in staying in the royal city of Gath)(kind of a low point for a man that was once anointed to be king to shy away from royalty), and his band of 600 mighty men; located at the southern end of Judah;  a military base, a place where many came over from Saul’s Israel and sided with David, no doubt a place of regrouping – the Bible says David and his men dwelled in Ziklag for a year and four months prior to following incident…

From I Samuel 29, David was ready to go fight WITH the Philistines against Saul and Israel.

-Philistines princes convinced King Achish (who had a soft spot in his heart for David, and a great deal of respect) to send him back home to Ziklag (because they didn’t trust David – this is the same David that took out Goliath, single-handedly gained a dowry of 200 Philistine foreskins for Saul’s daughter Michal’s hand in marriage, killed his 10,000s and so forth – who could blame them)

-v1.) – Amelekites (what Saul kept alive) raid Ziklag and burn down the town.  It wasn’t much, but hey it was home. 

V2.) – women, all, great and small taken captive and carried away 

-the frustrations of everyday losses (keys, cell phone, five dollar bill…losing the car in the mall, a certain article of clothing)

- Things you may have lost: focus, passion, joy, financial security,

-see also lost sheep.

-if we’re not careful, we’ll allow satan to convince us that what he stole is rightfully his – (Judges 11)

V4.) weeping until they ran out of tears – when what you’ve lost is so great that it drives you to deep sorrow, anguish, regret (if only I had been home to protect the city, if only, if only…)

V6.) just when things couldn’t get any worse (it didn’t start out that bad for would be king)

-his own king Saul turned on him, became a jealous madman

-Philistines didn’t want him because they couldn’t trust him

-Amelikites sneak attack his last consolation in life and burn down what was left, and took his family away – no Israel, no king, no Philistines, Amelekite problems that could have been prevented had Saul obeyed God, his family, his wives and kids, and his stuff is gone, he doesn’t even have a house to go to because its in ashes

-well, at least I still got this motley crew of 600 mighty men…but when he looked up for some comfort and and some encouragement from his fellow soldiers they all got stones in their hands getting ready to excommunicate the man that nobody wanted-

-it was probably right around this point in time that David was thinking to himself “I don’t want to be anointed anymore…”

-anybody ever been there before?

-we’ve got a promise of recovery from our God!  This is the season to get back what you’ve lost…

II. – The Promise (and command of) Recovery (Thou Shalt Recover…)

-Definitions: RECOVER: “1. To get back, regain.

2a. To bring back to a normal position or condition, b. RESCUE

3b. to gain by legal process

5. – To find or IDENTIFY again (speaks to a recovery of lost identity)

6b. – To save from loss and restore usefulness (reclaim)

To obtain a final legal judgment in one’s favor – “now are ye justified” “declared righteous”

-Everyday examples…

- You MUST recover…

-Recovery is a matter of spiritual life and death-

-II Kings 20:1-7

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,

3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.

6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.”

I Kings 1:2-4

-“And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

4 Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.”

-YOU will not recover if you’re leaning on the wrong god. (money, education, you’re intelligence, you’re pedigree – none of that has the ability to get you’re spiritual stuff back…

-for every apostolic that’s too exhausted to pursue, God will send us an Egyptian to help us…

-You can recover, because you’ve got a God that’s in the recovery business.

-Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…”

John 5:9 – “Instantly the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked. But that happened on the Sabbath.”

-recovered strength to walk again

- (Mark 16:18) “lay hands on the sick and they shall RECOVER” (we need to have a pursuit and recovery of the miraculous among the apostolics)

-ex. Christ marches into hell and takes back his keys…

-you can recover, because when there is loss the law of exchange kicks in

-Heaven gained a Bro Millstid this year, there must be an exchange in the earth – seven more churches!

III – The Necessity of Pursuit

-YOU WILL NOT POSSESS WHAT YOU DO NOT PURSUE!!

-you will NOT recover if you do not PURSUE- your stuff is not coming back on its own…you have to pursue!

-It’s easy to lose something when it moves forward and you stay put…(pillar of cloud by day, fire by night – the pillar moves, you move or you get yourself lost… - “led by the spirit”

-definition: to follow after in order to overtake, capture, kill or defeat

-to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish: seek (ask, seek, knock)

-proceed along (keep moving forward)

-CHASE, to go in pursuit of…

HEBREW WORD: radaph – RUN after (usually with hostile intent) – “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force…” chase, put to flight, follow, HUNT

-the frustrations of everyday losses (keys, cell phone, five dollar bill…losing the car in the mall, a certain article of clothing) – you will stop your day in your tracks to find these things…what will you do when you lose something that’s vital and internal, and eternal; what are you willing to do to get it back?

-van story

-You can pursue, because you’ve got a God that is in the business of pursuit…

-According to Luke 19:10 - Jesus “came to seek and to save that which was lost…” (possibly move this to section 2 (a God that is in the recovery business area.) – am I willing to go through a cross to get my stuff back?

-(really feel this part out, don’t kill the message. ) – Saul recovered his vision because 1.) he pursued obedience to God’s word to go into the city and 2.) because Ananias, against his better judgment pursued Saul…

-The established church must pursue ministry connection with the new ones IN SPITE OF THE INHERENT RISK INVOLVED.

-we cannot afford to be territorial; the fact of the matter is, Ananias, when I get through with Saul, he’ll be the one preaching the conferences and planting the churches – and WE HAVE TO BE OK WITH THAT

-It’s not the Sauls I’m worried about, it’s the Judaizers.

-Matthew 6:33 -  we must pursue the kingdom and “all these things shall be added” – the kingdom isn’t just people that look like you, dress like you – help me Holy Ghost right here – we will not RECOVER the miraculous until we PURSUE the KINGDOM

-Naaman recovered in II Kings 5 because 1. His king pursued the prophet Elisha, and 2. Because Naaman pursued the river Jordan (obedience)

-HOW DO I PURSUE?!-

1. PREACH TO YOURSELF – “David encouraged himself in the Lord…”

2. PRAISE GOD ANYHOW – “bring me hither the ephod…” “garment of praise”

3. PRAY – PRAY –PRAY – “David inquired of the Lord…”

-If we do not preach, praise, and pray, we will NOT recover what was lost!

-“covet the best gifts” we have to want the spiritual bad enough to go looking for it…

CONLCLUSION – It’s Time To Recover What You’ve Lost

-restore sevenfold…

“And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

-now the enemy has David’s wives, kids, and his stuff; his joy, his peace, his family…

-It’s high time that we cancel hell’s party…crash hell’s party – “the gates of hell shall not prevail…” against a church that is in pursuit of what its lost…

-let me try it again, you need to march into the hell in your life, in your emotions, in your mind, in your relationships, in Jesus’ take  back what God gave to you

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

-all joy, all peace, all finances, all ministry, lost loved ones…etc, all passion, all dreams

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.”

Laws of the Kingdom - Chapter 2

Hello again readers.  I am submitting for your review and enjoyment the draft of the second chapter of "The Laws of the Kingdom."  Please note that this is a draft so there is still some editing to do.  If you have not read chapter one, you may want to do that first.  I think it is so vital that we as the church of the living God preach the kingdom of that living God, and that is the premise of this second chapter.  I hope this is a blessing, please feel free to comment or provide feedback -

Chapter 2 - The Preaching of The Kingdom

As God’s church in the earth, the body of Christ, we must have a kingdom mentality.  Everything that we do, everything that we preach, and everything we are from the standpoint of corporate and individual identity must flow from and fall under that mindset.  I have heard it said many times by many preachers that “you get what you preach.”  In other words, if you want your church to be holy, you must preach and teach holiness.  If you want your church to be passionate about winning souls, then the pastor of that congregation must preach frequently on the subject of soul winning and evangelism. There is a power in preaching to change the mindset of a congregation as well as an individual believer.  In light of that, we must preach the kingdom of God.

            The preaching of the Kingdom of God was the primary focus of the New Testament Church.  This should highlight for us, especially preachers, not only that the pursuit of this Kingdom must be our priority, but also that the preaching of the Kingdom should be central in the messages that we are presenting to our congregations.  In the following pages, you will see with me that these mighty men and women of God blazed a trail through the pages of the New Testament with one central message: the kingdom.  Not only will we see that they preached the kingdom, but with their preaching they demonstrated what they preached.  These were not services where cold words were spoken and every one simply went home back to their regular daily lives.  These were words accompanied with the power and demonstration of the Spirit in a variety of ways.

“And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them],”(I Corinthians 2:4 Amplified)

“For our [preaching of the] glad tidings (the Gospel) came to you not only in word, but also in [its own inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction and absolute certainty [on our part]. You know what kind of men we proved [ourselves] to be among you for your good.” (I Thessalonians 1:5 Amplified)

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”(I Corinthians 4:20)

            Before we move much further, be careful not to misunderstand these passages.  Neither the Bible nor the Spirit of God is against us using words in the literal sense.  God has given us the gift of language and words in order to communicate His spiritual truths.  The Bible itself is called the word of God.  Christ Himself was the Word made flesh.  What the scripture is showing us is that words from a preacher’s mouth don’t need to be merely hot air.  It is not God’s will for the preacher to spout forth hollow words ringing from the recitation of a dead letter.  These texts are indicating that the word that is preached should be accompanied by apostolic power!  What we preach should be something that can be demonstrated and experienced.  It is this type of preaching that is the hallmark of a man of God with a kingdom mentality.

            In this late hour, when souls are perishing, people are sick, and families are broken and without hope, we cannot afford to water down our message.  We cannot preach philosophy.  This world doesn’t need more good advice.  They need to hear the real word of God preached, and I would say far beyond the necessity of having our doctrine correct, is the need that what we preach is demonstrated and experienced.  For example, when we preach healing people should get healed.  Sickness should depart.  This won’t be possible without a kingdom mentality.  The kingdom is reality whereas religion is abstract and even at times theoretical.  Sick people don’t need theory, they need healing.  They don’t need merely to understand that the Jesus in the Bible healed the sick, but they need to be persuaded that they can be healed by that same Jesus now.

            In this section it is my goal to persuade you that John the Baptist, Christ Jesus, and the early church had this very mentality, and that mentality fed their preaching with the power necessary to demonstrate what it was they were presenting to the masses.  We must pursue the kingdom, and we must preach the kingdom.

John the Baptist Preached the Kingdom

            The preaching of the Kingdom begins with the ministry of John the Baptist.  It is true that the Old Testament preaches the Kingdom in a typological sense, but as far as directly preaching the kingdom, you will see with me that it emerges in the pages of our New Testament.  In observing these passages about the preaching of the kingdom, many truths about the kingdom will begin to unfold which will be very helpful in our pursuit of that kingdom.

           

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”(Luke 16:16)

            One great recurring truth in scripture is that when it comes to different dispensational periods, God has always had a man to bridge the gap between dispensations.  Here Christ makes a powerful statement about the ministry of the John the Baptist.  This is in retrospective, but look at it again: “the law and the prophets were until John.”  Looking back on the Old Testament, we have the books of the law and the books of the prophets, and they point the believer forward.  The Old Testament does in a sense preach the kingdom, but it is hidden away.  There are great truths about the kingdom of God, but they were in the prophetic shadows, pointing forward to some great happening in the future.  Oh, we can see it now!  The Old Testament viewed through the revelations of New Testament truth reveal much about what the law and the prophets were speaking of.  The law and the prophets were the best guide the world had until John. Something stopped and something started with the ministry of John the Baptist.  His ministry bridged the gap between the testaments.  Here is how the Old Testament ends:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6)

According to Christ, it was John that fulfilled this prophecy.

“And if you are willing to receive and accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come [before the kingdom].” (Matthew 11:14 Amplified)

            These are staggering statements!  The ministry of John the Baptist reached back over four hundred years of silence and grabbed hold of the final prophecy of the Old Testament and literally fulfilled it.  Not only did he fulfill that prophecy, he closed the gap between that final Old Testament prophecy and the ministry of the Savior.  God will always find a man to fill in the gap!  In light of these revelations about John’s ministry, we search the holy writ to see what preaching came from this ministry.

“And saying, Repent ([a]think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2 Amplified)

            John’s ministry message was that it was time to change.  Why was it time to change?  The kingdom of God is at hand, or near, or arriving in this period of time.  John was preaching the kingdom!  His boldness and persuasiveness was rooted in his conviction that this was the time for the kingdom of God to be manifest in the earth, and that God wanted people to be ready to enter that kingdom, lest they miss it!  Not only did John preach the kingdom, but he got results. 

“This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness (shouting in the desert), Prepare the road for the Lord, make His highways straight (level, [b]direct).

4 This same John’s garments were made of camel’s hair, and he wore a leather girdle about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the country round about the Jordan went out to him;

6 And they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:3-6)

Please do not misread this following statement.  As preachers in our day we must have the understanding that John’s ministry was not conventional.  His ministry was not birthed in a bible school or seminary somewhere.  It was birthed and bloomed out of a barren Judean wilderness.  He didn’t come out of that wilderness in proper preaching attire, but clothed in camels hair, munching down on locusts and honey.  What he lacked in proper orthodoxy, he made up for in the results in his ministry.  Verse three indicates again for us that this was a prophecy fulfilling ministry.  People came to him in swarms and repented of their sins and were baptized in water.  The bible records no specific number, but it must have been in the thousands.  Why were they repenting of their sins?  Why were they being baptized in great numbers?  I believe it was because John was preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand!

I would like to establish this as a great model for our preaching.  I don’t think we need to necessarily live in the woods (although all my hunter friends may disagree,) and I do think we need to dress respectably (though I long for the day that ties are no longer required.)  We need to pave the way for the second coming of the Lord.  We need to turns the hearts of men back to God.  We will only accomplish this by preaching the kingdom.  Our greatest challenge lies in the following verses.

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?

8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!” (Matthew 3:7-9 Amplified)

The greatest challenge that lay ahead for any man or woman of God, any church body, or any organization that decides to preach the kingdom is ruffling the feathers of religious hierarchy, as did the ministry of the both John and Christ.  If we are to bridge the gap between the church age and the millennial reign of Jesus Christ we must stand bold in our pulpits, our homes, our jobs, and even on our street with one unified message of Christ and His kingdom!  This will not sit well with some, because it will demand change and commitment.  It will not sit well with others, because it will require sacrifice.

John’s ministry successfully introduced the world to God manifest in the flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, and this was done through his preaching that the kingdom was at hand.  There was a fateful day that came in John’s ministry where the torch was passed to the next man that would preach the kingdom. This was more than just a man, this was the God-man.  Jesus Christ not only, as we will see, preached the kingdom, He was the very kingdom He preached.  John baptized Jesus in the Jordan, the Father voiced his approval from heavens, and from that point Christ headed into the wilderness.  He was there for forty days, fasting, being tempted by satan, and overcoming His adversary with the sword of the Spirit.  When Christ came out of the wilderness, He began to preach.  Note carefully with me, what our example preached, and the results of that preaching.

Jesus Christ Preached The Kingdom

“Now after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God,

And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ([k]have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel).

16 And passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net [to and fro] in the sea, for they were fishermen.

17 And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and [l]be My disciples, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:14-17 Amplified)

            Jesus has good news for His hearers!  The kingdom of God had arrived.  This text highlights how He continues the message of repentance that John preached.  They preached repentance, a turning away from sin because God’s kingdom is not defined by sin.  It is defined by righteousness, which at its core is obedience.  Here He invites Peter to become a fisher of men because God’s kingdom is not stationary; it is in the business of winning souls from the kingdom of satan.  The borders of the kingdom of God are not stationary; they are expanding with each soul that crosses over into it.  Any one that joins this kingdom signs up to be a fisher of men, just as Peter did.

“40 Now at the setting of the sun [indicating the end of the Sabbath], all those who had any [who were] sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands upon every one of them and cured them.

41 And demons even came out of many people, screaming and crying out, You are the Son of God! But He rebuked them and would not permit them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah).

42 And when daybreak came, He left [Peter’s house] and went into an isolated [desert] place. And the people looked for Him until they came up to Him and tried to prevent Him from leaving them.

43 But He said to them, I must preach the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God to the other cities [and towns] also, for I was sent for this [purpose].

44 And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee.” (Luke 4:40-44 Amplified)

            Jesus of Nazareth, God manifest in the flesh, was the perfect prototype of what the kingdom is supposed to be.  To phrase it a different way, He was a one man demonstration of the kingdom.  Pay close attention to the supernatural power that is accompanying his ministry.  In verse forty we the sick being healed.  The preaching of the kingdom of God is not merely the presentation of a doctrine, but it is that presentation with demonstration.  In God’s kingdom there is perfect wellness.  There is no sickness or disease in heaven.  As a one man kingdom invasion Jesus demonstrates this aspect of the kingdom.  He doesn’t just talk about it, but He is able to demonstrate it.  Sickness and disease is a stronghold of satan’s kingdom!  When there is healing, there is victory in spiritual warfare.  When there is healing the kingdom gains territory.  It is God’s will to heal the sick, and here in this passage and throughout His ministry Jesus performed the will of God in the earth as it was already established in heaven.

            Sin is not permitted in God’s kingdom, neither is sickness!  This is why you will see these particular supernatural manifestations repeatedly in scripture whenever the kingdom is preached.  Neither is satan allowed in the kingdom!  He’s been banned for eternity.

“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”(Luke 10:18)

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”(Matthew 6:10)

In verse forty one we see demons coming out of many people.  In the heavens, sometime before the world began, or perhaps between the first two verses of Genesis, depending on which theologian you talk to, Lucifer attempted to usurp God’s throne in heaven.  God said “nope, not permitted,” and at the blazing fast download speed of 186,000 miles per second God’s will was done in heaven.  It was not God’s will for satan to stay around and try to assert satan’s will.  Again, depending on whom you read after, satan is condemned to be the prince and the power of the air of the earthly realm.  Before Jesus comes there was no help for demon possession.  When the kingdom began to be preached and demonstrated in the earth that began to change.  The reason it began to change is because God’s kingdom on the earth is to be an outpost for what His will has already declared in heaven.  Every time this one man kingdom meets a demon, the demon gets expelled.  What was really going on?  God’s kingdom was taking new territory!  He was planting a flag in the hearts of men saying “this is God’s territory now, no demons allowed!”

We have to make this connection or we will miss a powerful truth.  It is because many have already missed this truth that the devil has been able to run roughshod over their lives.  Satan cannot do anything in your life or to your life unless you agree with him to do it.  He only has the power to run his mouth and accuse the brethren.  When saints begin to agree with him, it is an open door for an invasion of the wrong kingdom.  Satan is in deep trouble if the church ever gets a kingdom mentality.  If we operate like Christ did, with a kingdom mindset, we will be able boldly stand against our enemy and declare “you are not allowed to operate here!”

These demons that Christ cast out were even proclaiming His divine identity!  When there is a supernatural manifestation of God’s kingdom, there will be no denying who God’s true church in the earth is; even the devil will have to confess it.  People may be able to debate doctrine, but it is difficult even for the most learned scholars to debate cancers disappearing from x-rays and lives being transformed.

Verses forty-three and forty-four reveal and reiterate Christ’s purpose in the earth as the Son of God.  His purpose was to preach.  He said He must preach.  It was not optional.  It was His driving purpose to preach the kingdom, and so it must become our driving purpose to preach this kingdom.  When we connect priority and pursuit of the kingdom with the preaching of the kingdom, then we will experience the power of the kingdom.  I firmly believe that the preaching of the kingdom will not deter from our long held apostolic doctrinal positions (i.e. the oneness of God, baptism in Jesus’s name) but will confirm them and even enhance their importance in light of the overshadowing priority and purpose of God’s kingdom.  He must preach, and thus He continued to preach.  For those among that have been preaching apostolic truth coupled with the kingdom of God, we must continue to do so!

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity.

36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.

38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to [m]force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38 Amplified)

            Here in Matthew chapter nine we see a few more vital truths come to light in view of the earthly ministry of this man Jesus.  Along with His preaching of the kingdom, we see again the healing of the sick.  In this case, He was “curing all kinds of disease.”  Not just headaches, hangnails, and dandruff, but all kinds.  AIDS, cancer, and diabetes should be nervous when they walk into an apostolic, kingdom minded church. 

            Notice in verse thirty-six that He was moved with pity and compassion.  The kingdom of God is not a machine.  It is not some cold corporation without a heart and soul.  Truly, it is quite the opposite.  At the core of the kingdom is the heart of God.  He is Love.  It is not merely His purpose to grow a kingdom for the sake of growing a kingdom, but at the core of His purpose is a love for all people.  Christ looked on those that were downtrodden, and dirty, and sinful not with disdain!  No, but with compassion.  So must we look.  If we are to embody and preach the kingdom as He did, we must preach the truth in love.  We must have compassion on the infirm.  Our churches ought not to be stained glassed museums for the saints in which to hang their plaques of achievement, but they need to be hospitals for the broken.

            Sickness moved Him.  Lives being destroyed by sin and the devil’s tactics moved Him.  Here it would seem that what moved Him most of all was that these people had no shepherd.  They were like scattered sheep with no purpose and no protection.  It is the business of the King and kingdom to establish shepherding relationships in every life.  After all, He is the Good Shepherd of John 10, the one that leads us beside the still waters and green pastures in the spirit.  This is why having a pastor and a home church is paramount to God’s purpose in the kingdom.  The kingdom of God on a local level needs to become a place where any scattered sheep or lost sheep can come home and find protection, and care, and rehabilitation without worrying about judgment from their fellow sheep.

            The pages of the four gospels are replete with many more examples of Christ’s earthly ministry.  Those that are familiar with it know that this small cross section that I have used here is consistent with all that He did and taught.  It was not God’s will that the earthly ministry of Christ die out with the Savior’s death on the cross, but that it would live on through the enterprise of the kingdom.  As we move ahead in our study we will see how His ministry provided the prototype for kingdom ministry to follow after.liar with it know that this small cross section that I have used here is consistent with

The Twelve Disciples Preached The Kingdom

“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

10Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.” (Matthew 10:1, 7-10)

The twelve disciples were to form the foundation of the church age.  It was to be a kingdom enterprise.  During the time of His earthly ministry, Christ provides for these twelve men hands on training as to what they were supposed to do during the church age.  This time period in His ministry was a predecessor to the church age, but it shows what the church age is supposed to be in a twelve man microcosm. 

Matthew 10:1 states that “he gave them power.”  Let’s start with that, because power is a vital principle.  We cannot endeavor to do the work of God without the power of God.  We cannot receive the power of God if we are not under kingdom authority.  Power and anointing always flow in a downward direction.  We must be connected to the power source!  Therein lay the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…”  In the church age that is our power connection.  In this passage, the disciples now preach the kingdom and demonstrate the power of the kingdom.  Let it serve as another example for us to follow. 

Christ gave them the power to do so (again notice how power is always connected to purpose) and because of that the disciples were able to perform the purpose of God just as Christ was performing it.  The disciples also were able to cast out devils, heal the sick, and even raise the dead, and all of this was in light of them preaching the kingdom. 

In verse nine Jesus told them not to pack any money.  The kind of power he gave them was not the kind that money could buy.  I don’t think God is against His people having money.  We need to be able to finance the earthly side of this kingdom; buildings, missions, and of course we do have to eat sometime.  In this case, though, there is a little shake down before He sends them out.  The temptation is that when we do have money, we may try to buy results, and substitute real power for just programs.  If we are able to truly connect to God’s power, He can provide the supernatural whether money is involved or not!  Big churches, small churches, rich churches, poor churches (now I’m sounding like Dr. Seuss) – those variables are not truly factors in the results if a church is connected to kingdom power, which it will be if it is connected to the pursuit and purpose of that kingdom. 

Not only did he take their money, he stripped down the luggage, too.  Dressing at top of the line fashion levels is not necessary to have revival in the kingdom.  I’ll go another step and even say that when the church becomes heavily focused on fashion it becomes a substitute for real power the same way money does.  When we have money and we dress nice then we are naturally inclined to feel like we have power.  What we really have in that case is pride.  Does God want us to be presentable?  Of course we need to represent him with dignity and present ourselves well, but there is a difference between being presentable versus looking to our clothing, or our money, or our talents as being vital to revival.  Jesus wanted the twelve to learn by experience that revival in God’s kingdom doesn’t require, and may in fact even be deterred by some earthly things that we consider important and some of us may even obsess over.  Look again at Matthew 6.

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

Do we need clothing and money?  Sure we do.  Do we need them at levels of decadence and gratuitousness to build the kingdom?  I think not.  I recently watched a video on the internet of a minister preaching in one of our churches.  This man is well known among us.  He was preaching a revival out of town and his luggage was lost and had to preach in an athletic suit.  God was not hindered.  God’s power was still there!  God will provide what we need, but we should beware lest the kingdom enterprise becomes a money making scheme and/or fashion show.

The Early Church Preached The Kingdom

“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:

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:2-3,6-8)

The book of Acts is our point of reference for early church history.  It records for us the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, complete with tongues of fire and Jesus name baptism.  From there on it serves as our blueprint for the modern church.  Before the church was born in Acts chapter two, it was conceived in Acts chapter one.  Jesus, having been through the cross at Calvary, and rising from the dead after three days in the grave, now spends forty days (forty always speaks to generation and preparation) with what was to become the first generation of His church in the earth.  Having said that, it is interesting to note, with the exception of the great commission as recorded in the gospels, that Jesus spent that forty day time period doing just one thing: teaching his future church about “the things pertaining to the kingdom.”  The church age was to become the invasion phase (of which we will discuss the four phases of the kingdom in a later chapter) of the kingdom in the earth.  In His ministry, He served as a one man prototype for everything that the kingdom is and that the church is supposed to be.  Now it was time for His ministry to be carried on by His church, and it was to be a kingdom enterprise.

Along with kingdom purpose also came kingdom power.  The church can do nothing supernatural if God does not empower it, hence the purpose of the Holy Ghost is to connect us to that power.  We receive power when we receive the Holy Ghost.  In view of verse six, it was not time to restore a physical kingdom to the Jews on the earth, but it was time to set up an invisible spiritual kingdom in the earth.  This is a vital truth because we are still living in that phase of God’s kingdom.  We are still his church and his kingdom in the earth.

The kingdom was to spread outward.  Once they were empowered, they were to be witness in Jerusalem, Judea, and the uttermost parts of the earth.  The epicenter was in the upper room, but from there it was to spread.

“And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”(Luke 13:20-21)

What is the kingdom like?  It is like leaven, being planted in the three measures of the earth until everything in that meal has been affected by the leaven…

“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.” (Matthew 24:13)

The kingdom of God is not defensive in nature.  It is not ingrowing, it is outgrowing.  In the picture of the leaven, it is literally changing everything it comes in contact with.  It is God’s will that his spiritual kingdom in the earth fully overturn the kingdom of satan in every corner of the world.  From sickness, disease, sin, and idolatry, it is God’s purpose in the earth that the kingdom go forth and change its world.  Let me bring that down to where we live.  We cannot keep the kingdom within the four walls of our church buildings.  It must spread outwardly into every community within our cities.  As we will see in the passages ahead, the early church did just that: spread out. 

“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.

13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 8:12-17)

It was happening just as Jesus said it would.  The Holy Ghost fell on the Jews on the day of Pentecost, beginning this great dispensation of God’s kingdom in the earth, but from there it would spread.  When we get here to chapter eight of Acts we find Phillip going down into Samaria doing exactly what he was trained to do: preach the kingdom.  He wasn’t preaching a denomination, or an organization, but he was preaching the kingdom of God.  Note very carefully the results of his preaching.

“They were baptized both men and women.”  We will clearly see that in the book of Acts when the kingdom of God was preached and believed that baptism both in water in the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Spirit, evidence by speaking in tongues, was a consistent response and experience by the new believers.  Peter preached the famous Acts 2:38 message on Pentecost, and this message still serves as the banner of the true kingdom of God.  We will discuss the new birth in depth in a later chapter, but we must understand that this new birth experience was the only legal spiritual entry into this kingdom that was preached.  Maybe it has been a while since you’ve had anyone baptized in your church or filled with the spirit.  Could it be that this is the result of not having a kingdom mindset?

Baptism in water puts us into Christ (Romans 6:3), but the baptism of the Holy Ghost puts Christ in us! (Colossians 1:27)  I would like to submit to you that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the birth of the kingdom within the individual believer!

“…behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Every soul baptized with the baptism of the Holy Ghost is territory gained in the kingdom!  It is the literal experience of handing over the individual thrones of our lives to the true King of Kings.

Not only was the Holy Ghost poured out, but signs and wonders were supernaturally performed wherever the kingdom was preached and believed.  Healings, miracles, signs were staples in this first generation church.  Any church or organization that touts that the supernatural no longer takes place, or even that baptism is no longer necessary, is not an embodiment of the kingdom of God.  The kingdom is planted on the inside, but it manifests itself in tangible ways.

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

“And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.” (Acts 17:2-8)

            The impact that the early church had on the world cannot be understated.  According to their own critics they had turned the world upside down.  The truth of the matter is they were turning the world right side up, one city and one soul at a time.

            In verse three we see that Paul was preaching Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection and His Messiahship.  The preaching of the kingdom is not the minimization of the preaching of Christ, but rather it is the magnification of the preaching of Christ.  Wherever the kingdom was preached, Jesus was preached!  The preaching of the kingdom is not the absence of the preaching of the gospel, but it is the preaching of the gospel in the proper context: as the entry point of the kingdom.  This kingdom was open to all people!  Jews, Greeks, multitudes of men and women.  The doors were opened wide to “whosoever will.”

            In verse five we see that the “Jews which believed not” were “moved with envy.”  This is a startling statement that should serve as an indicator light to the true church of the living God.  We cannot realistically expect that the religious mainstream establishment, as the Jews were in that day, be happy at all about this preaching of the kingdom.  While the Pharisees and Sadducees had history, and pedigree, and heritage, they lacked what this band of unorthodox and uneducated followers of in their minds a rogue pretender to the throne of Israel were experiencing: growth and the miraculous!  The classic thought has always been that the religious Jews were persecuting the early church out of some type of righteous indignation, but I submit to you that they were moved to action by envy and jealousy.  In their belief that they had the market cornered on God, they tried to stamp out what was in their mind this upstart competitor who was gaining results far and above anything they had experienced in their generation.  We should expect no less in our day when we elect to preach and reach for the true kingdom of God.

            In verse six these same Jews brought these rogue upstarts before the city leaders.  Why in the world would they have brought them before the city authorities?  Seems like a strange way to solve a religious argument.  Why not just have a debate?  Here is what I feel to be the revelatory truth of this passage, and it has to do with spiritual warfare.  The authorities were involved because the preaching of the kingdom is an authority issue.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

The early church had the authority from their king to set things in a right order.   It is the business of the king and kingdom to set lives in God’s intended order, which is the order of heaven and earth (of which we will have much to say in a later chapter.)  When the early church preached the kingdom and gained converts, they were spiritually annexing satan’s territory, and therefore satan’s placements got involved in the process.  The rulers of that city were troubled the same way any kingdom would be troubled if it new a superior army had just clandestinely invaded its borders.  The Jews were losing business, and satan’s kingdom was losing souls, and this set the city on an uproar! Authority does not come from belonging to an organization or religion, authority always comes from authority.  Because this early church was part of a kingdom, and they had authority from their king, they were able to persuade people to change their allegiances.

We can meet the world’s needs with one unified message: there is another king!  For too long this world has been under the wrong authority and thus their lives have been out of order.  Sin, sickness, and satan and this world’s system has ruled for far too long over those that are lost.  We need to tell them that the would be Caesars and Nebuchudnezzars are no longer in charge.  We are not preaching Jesus as a religion, we are preaching Him as a king, and thus a ruler of our lives.