3-27-2016 weekly message

Meditation of the week: Psalms 16:1-11

Main scripture: Acts 1:1-11

Subject: Resurrection of Jesus, and the kingdom of God

              Jesus taught the Jews of the kingdom of God before he died on the cross, and of what they are supposed to do first to enter his kingdom:

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

              They were supposed to seek the eternal kingdom of God not to seek what to eat and drink that is corruptible as the Gentiles seek. And they were supposed to seek first the righteousness to enter the kingdom of God.

             They had been the midst of all kinds of discipline and affliction under the law that they couldn’t observe for fifteen hundreds of years before the Lord Jesus appeared to the world. They were hopeless unless they were delivered from the law through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for his death and burial and resurrection. And they were supposed to seek the righteousness of God instead of the righteousness of the law. To see the righteousness of God is to believe in the death of Christ for their sins.

               Apostle Paul testified of the gospel of Christ that should be the Jew first for them to believe to enter the kingdom of God:

“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)

                Jesus spoke unto the Jews a parable of them that served mammon; they couldn’t serve God at the same time so that they cannot enter the kingdom of God:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”(Matt. 19:24)

               Jesus spoke of them that need the righteousness of God through understanding themselves serious sinners. Jesus said, the kingdom of God is for such kinds of people:

“Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”

              After John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. John the Baptist was born to introduce Jesus as the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world(John 1:29)

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”(Mark 1:15)

               Jesus spoke unto the disciples of the kingdom of God that is mysterious that is given unto them to know the mysterious kingdom: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables(mark 4;11). Afterwards he said unto them not to forbid the little children to come unto him; for of the such is the kingdom of God:

“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”(Mark 10:15)

             Jesus spoke of the reason why he came to the world related to the kingdom of God:

“I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”(Luke 4:43)

               Jesus spoke unto his poor disciples, “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.“(Luke 6:20)

He also said, he that is least in the kingdom of God  is greater than John the Baptist(Luke 7:28). He also mentioned about the time when people begin to enter the kingdom of God:

“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)

               Jesus spoke of his disciples that departed all things as the ones that dedicated for the kingdom of God:

“Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”(Luke 18:29-30)

                Jesus spoke unto Nicodemus who was one of religious Pharisees of them that can see the kingdom of God to enter into it:

“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.”(John 3:3,5)

                Jesus had continued to speak repeatedly of the kingdom of God before he died to take away the sin of the world. Finally, Jesus rose again the third day after he suffered and died; unto his disciples  he showed himself alive after  his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days. and speaking of the things pertaining the kingdom of God. We don’t know what he spoke unto the disciples in details through the records, but he must have spoken unto them whosoever believes in him enters the kingdom of God.

              Jesus taught his disciples for forty days pertaining the kingdom of God was to give them the mission to preach the gospel of his kingdom. As Jesus said, they needed the power of the Holy Ghost from above in heaven to be able to do their mission. Therefore Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. They had to be baptized with the Holy Ghost to testify of the kingdom of God to be born again of the Spirit.

             Apostle Paul testified of the promised given unto Abraham their father that was the promise of the Holy Ghost. Therefore they had to be born again through the Holy Ghost to enter the kingdom of God:

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”(Gal. 3:13-14)

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

               When Jesus commanded the disciples not to depart Jerusalem to wait for the promise of the Father, they misunderstood his word thinking of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ to be establish in Jerusalem after he Judge all the nations. This is the reason why they asked Jesus saying, ” Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” They thought of the coming of the Millennium kingdom of Christ in Israel right away. They wanted to be delivered from the ruling of the gentile nations as soon as possible as other Jews. It was natural for them to think of that memorizing of their fathers afflicted under Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and Greece, and even Roman Empire that was ruling them. But Jesus had planned for every man that believe in the kingdom of God presses into it so that he wanted them to be baptized with the Holy Ghost for them to preach the gospel.

              Knowing the thoughts in their heart, Jesus never denied of the kingdom of Christ their Messiah in Israel, but he said, it was not the time for it:

” 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.”(Act 1:7-8)

             The angels appeared unto them when Jesus was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight, and gave them the message of the kingdom in Israel when he come back as he was lifted up:

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”(Act. 1:11)

              Because of the Devil that sinned in the beginning in heaven, the heaven was defiled as well as the earth because of the sin that was brought forth. And since then, the earth has been full of sins and death for six thousand years because of the sin of Adam. When four thousand had passed by, the Word in the beginning that was with God was sent by the Father to the earth as the only begotten Son of God  in the form of Adam. Because of the sin of Adam, all men were in destruction of their souls and spirit and body losing the image of God. To restore the sinners , Jesus suffered with stripes, and died to heal them that believe in him quickening their spirit, and deliver their souls from destruction through taking away the sin of the world so that he lead them to the kingdom of God.

           For this ministry of God, he had planned to destroy the Devil that brought for the sin to heaven and earth through Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son; and though the death of Christ, he took away the sin of the world, and let them that believe in the gospel of Christ to be born again of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. But now, the kingdom of God is within the believers spiritually, but it shall be in heaven and the earth physically seen when the Lord Jesus shall come back to the earth.

            Therefore, apostles testified of the purpose of the only begotten Son of God appeared to the world:

“14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”(Heb. 2:14-15)

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”(1John 3:8)

            What is the work of the Devil? he is the one that has the power of sin and death. To judge him unto destruction,  the only begotten Son of God had to take the sin of the world unto his body unto death. He  died embracing the sin of the world even before we were born, and took away the sin of the world. And he rose again the third day, and gives the Holy Ghost unto them that believe in him to deliver them from death unto life. The Holy Ghost came to the world in the name of Jesus Christ, and he is reprove against the world of sin because they believe not on him even though he died for their sins. He also reprove the world saying, they cannot enter the kingdom of God because of their unfaith of him. he also reproves of judgment because the prince of the world that is the Devil is judged already so that no one follow the world under him. Amen! Hallelujah!