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| April (3rd Sunday) Fellowship. |
The kingdom is not a religion or a tradition. It is the Almighty God residing in men and women.
The kingdom is not Christianity as a religion but Christianity as a lifestyle. I would have loved to call it 'our kingdom' because it is a mandate for humanity:- A destiny all must come into (but) through Jesus!
When God made(not create) man, He gave him a Kingdom and not a religion.
Have you ever wondered about this?
- God didn’t create a religion, he did create a kingdom!
God is not a Christian, He is the God of all flesh (Jeremiah 32:27).
God is interested in you, and this is the Kingdom!
Thus, Jesus Christ came to restore man back to God, to restore humanity back to God’s original mandate. Where God resides in man and can control the affairs of the earth.
2 Corinthians 4:7: we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
- When Jesus commissioned the 70 disciples to preach in nearby villages and lay hands on the sick, He told them to tell whomever listens that the Kingdom of God has come nigh unto them. (Luke 10:9) and not that their sickness are healed and their financial lives are restored alone but that.... Their lives will not remain the same again.
Why?
God is come to reside in them.
The kingdom is come!
How about today?
Even though Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and walk in faith, they are not kingdom- minded. If they were, we would see the same miracles, signs and wonders performed today that the early church experienced.
Many believers today don’t have the same reverence for the name of Jesus that the early church had. Even though we have been taught faith and how to move in the Holy Spirit, most people don’t have the confidence in the name of Jesus.
- When the early church magnified and exalted Jesus’ name, they expected and saw miracles happen.
We do not see that today and that means something is wrong with our own gospel, or rather, it’s not the same gospel we received.
That age knew how powerful the name of Jesus is as He is the King and Lord of the Kingdom.
How?
Jesus taught this while he was alive on his earthly ministry. He didn’t just commissioned the 70 disciples. He told them to do what they saw, what they were taught.
..... And from that moment he began to preach repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand
(Matthew 3:2, 4:17)
The kingdom comes at His name!
PHILIP: A case-study!
In Jesus' ministry, somebody got healed or delivered all the time. In fact, the miracles that are recorded in the four gospels are only a fraction of what He did.
John 21:25 says that if all the miracles were written down, the world would not have enough room to store all of the books.
Thus, if healing and miracles were common when Jesus was on earth, how could the Apostles and disciples ministries be anything less?
- Phillip was a perfect example!
Do you now see the person that introduces you to the kingdom or mentors you matter a lot?
Else they will communicate their limitations and dimensions(limited edition) captured to you as the way.
The most painful thing they can do is to inject their culture into you again.
Not everyone is called into mentoring, be wise!
Phillip was another disciple that made headline news in the early church. Even though Philips primary ministry was waiting tables in Jerusalem, he also had a itinerant ministry on the side.
- When he traveled to the region of Samaria and preached Christ to the people, they listened to what he had to say because of the miracle that were performed through him.
And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. (Acts 8:6-7 KJV)
Phillip had one message! The kingdom of God is near because of the name of Jesus(Acts 8:12).
When he preached this: people were healed and evil spirits left.
Phillip knew that it was the power of God working through him that causes the miraculous to happen.
He understood the authority and power that dwelt inside of Him.When people understand that the Kingdom of God is near, they will experience liberty in ways that have never known before. The kingdom of God eradicates disease, fear and all impossibilities.
The kingdom currency: the name of Jesus!
Did you notice everyone in the Bible that was a kingdom ambassador had to use the name of Jesus. But before you jump up – they never just mentioned Jesus, the used the name of.... Jesus!
I remember sometimes back while casting out demons in meetings, I get stressed out because the process took a while and I keep wondering if I had issues till one morning the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that it’s was at the point I use the name of Jesus the demons obey. I call fire, blast in tongues and all yet never made use of the currency of the Kingdom. What a beggarly way to represent the kingdom!
We buy in this Kingdom in the name of Jesus.
Jesus received His name by conquest and by inheritance. When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
(Hebrews 1:3-4)
Thus, the name is relevant as long as he is in position!
- In the position: LORD.
So it is in the name of Jesus: in His Lordship. .... Not Jesus as a name. Can you now see why you scream Jesus as a name and nothing happens. It just like calling my name too...... Tobi!!!!!!!!!.
- Jesus is common name in the land, we have cases of such amongst footballers e.g. Jesus Navas, Gabriel Jesus. These are footballers in the European league. See that?
The kingdom is a system spent at the expense of His Lordship and this leads up to another teaching I will title: Kingdom Living OR the kingdom life.
Till then, see you next time as a Kingdom Ambassador.
I hope this opens you up?
Oluwatobiloba Oshunbiyi.
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