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6-14-2020 Weekly Message

Meditation of the week: Psalms 91:1-16

Text: Matthew 6:31-34

Title of the Word: Why Jesus asked the Jews first to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness?

          Jesus told the Jews who were concerned about what to eat and what to drink:

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

          The Lord spoke to the Jews his chosen people neither to the church of God nor the Gentiles. Apostle Paul testified to pastor Timothy saying  he would be a shameful worker unless he study words of truth  dividing rightly. (2 Timothy 2:15)

        Therefore, we need to realize why Jesus said this word to the Jews, and what is the kingdom of God is as well as his righteousness. and what is the reason why they have to seek first Kingdom of God and his righteousness.

        After the Jews received the law of God through Moses, they failed to realize that they were miserable sinners so thay they could not observe the law. They had failed to observe the law of God, and so they had been under discipline of God until they realize of  it. Because they had left the law of God and served the nations  practicing idolatry with them, God had put them under the rule of the nations such Babylon, Assyria, Media & Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. Even when Jesus appeared to them, they were serving the Roman king Caesar.

        They were God’s chosen people, but they lived in such a miserable  situation  worrying about what they eat and drink day by day.

         Jesus first taught them what they had  to pray for:

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

          Jesus did not ask them to seek foods and clothing, but to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then God will add them all for them.

           It was the time before the Church of God not come to pass yet. However, many preachers are teaching that God will add material blessings unto Christians serving the church in many ways.  Of course, God will bless them that dedicate to the ministry of the church. But the word of Jesus in the book of Matthews cannot to be applied to the church as doctrine.      The word of Jesus unto the Jews cannot be compared to the blessing of material. Jesus  opened  the door  for the Jews to enter into the kingdom of God through seeking his righteousness..

           Jesus knew that sooner or later he was going to be rejected  by the Jews and die on the cross to remove the sin of the world (John 1:39). He also knew that he would be buried and resurrect on the third day. The Lord had to die first for the Jews for they had been disciplined for the sins of the law.

           Therefore, the Lord wanted the Jews to be protected in the kingdom of God, no more worrying about what to eat and drink through regeneration by the Holy Ghost seeking the righteousness of God no more seeking the law. Apostle Paul testified of this kingdom of God:

” For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17)

         Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a teacher who taught the law to the Jews, about the kingdom of God :

” Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:3,5-6)

           Jesus said that the first birth is the flesh from water, and the second birth is the spirit-born of the Spirit. Apostle Peter testified that being born with the Holy Spirit is born of the word of God:

” Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever..” (1 Peter 1:23).

          Also, Jesus said to the Jews that they must seek God’s righteousness to enter the kingdom of God. In other words, at that time they thought to be justified by the law, but they had to change their thoughts to believe the righteousness of God giving them through believing on Jesus who will die on the cross bearing all the sins of the law sooner or later.

        The Holy Spirit made Apostle Paul testify to them about God’s righteousness:

” Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:… For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ” (Romans 3:22-24; 8:3-4)

            That’s right! The Jews had to  believes in God’s righteousness in the gospel of Christ through his death and resurrection so that they may free from the law of God to enter into the kingdom of God. This is the reason why Jesus asked them first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

         After God sent the Holy Ghost, Apostle Paul preached the gospel first to the Jews, but they not believed in the righteousness of God in the Gospel except a few Jews. Since then, Apostle Paul left the Jews and preached the gospel to the Gentiles. He testified of the gospel of Christ, which contains God’s righteousness:

” For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek..” (Rom.1:16)

             Apostle Paul testified that in the day of Christ appearing in the air, Christians as the children of God to be the bride of Christ  shall be translated  before the Great tribulation. But the Jews and the Gentiles and the Christians that are not born again are going to suffer under the Antichrist, bur God will give them last chance to be saved even in the midst of the Great Tribulation when they repent.  .

             Apostle Paul also testified of what will happen before Christ’s day comes:

” Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God..” (2 Thess. 2:3-4)

         Falling away that is Apostasy means that the churches of God  forsake the  God’s righteousness and serve idols like the ancient Israelites.

We see that the apostasy that is taking place in last days is at extreme level before God such as WCC, WEA, NCCK, and religious integration, officially formulated at the Palace of Peace in Hague,  Netherlands on June 23, 2020.  This  cannot be compared to the apostasy committed by the ancient Israelites.

         Therefore, the only thing left is that Christ will appear right after  the Antichrist, the Son of perdition, the man of sin, appears. At the same time, the whole world enters into the Great Tribulation of the seven years since the last one. Now is the last chance to repent to return to the Lord Jesus Christ.

          Apostle Paul foretold that there would be some who would keep  the antichrist from appearing:

” And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” (2 Thess. 2:6-8)

            Living in the last days, we can even see through the media that the New World Order forces that have long been subdued underground for the Kingdom of the Antichrist to rule over the whole world are already revealing their identity and acting. On the other hand, they live at a time when they know who is blocking their power. Those who are spiritually aware of who is blocking and that someday the blocker can be removed, and that it is only a matter of time before the Antichrist appears at his time. For those who are spiritually awake, the day will not come as a thief.

          Apostle Paul once again testified of that day:

” But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ” (1 Thess. 5:1-5)

           When the Roman Catholic Pope, who is preparing the way for the Antichrist to appear, unites all religions into one, the whole world will say “Peace and Safety.” And the true church of God in the kingdom of God will be attacked by the world. The Lord Jesus will appear for his bride not to hand over her to the Antichrist and lift the true born again Church of God into heaven before the Great Tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51:54).

  Amen! Hallelujah!