KINGDOM
TRANSFORMATION BASICS
By Josimar Salum & Paul Taylor
Is the gospel we believe the same gospel that Jesus and His
apostles proclaimed? Is it possible we are preaching another Jesus?
Though these
questions may scare us we must take a close look into the merits of their
premises.
But I fear that
somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve through his trickery, so your minds might
be led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if
he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you
receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which
you have not accepted, you might submit to it readily enough. I Corinthians
11:3-4
6 I
marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace
of Christ to a different gospel, 7 which is not a gospel. But
there are some who trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 Although
if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than the one we
have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before,
so I say now again: If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than the one you
have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9
The Challenge
“Dear friends, this
is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to
stimulate you to wholesome thinking
(critical thinking).” II Peter 3:1
The great challenge that every Bible reader faces is contained in the
classic question that Philip asked the eunuch, after hearing him read the
prophet Isaiah in his chariot:
"Do you understand what you are reading" Acts. 8:30
It should be our practice with anyone who teaches to examine the Scriptures
to find out if things are accurate. It has been proven that a great majority of
people within the church have learned the Scriptures basically from someone
else. Christians have grown up drinking from other fountains and have learned very
little by their own study of Scriptures. The Jews of Berea were more noble that
those in Thessalonica because they received apostle Paul's teachings with all eagerness, but
took personal responsibility to check if they were according to the Scriptures.
“These
were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all
eagerness, daily examining the Scriptures, to find out if these things were so.
Acts 17:11
Commonly Christians are defined today and even the modus vivendi of the church is defined not exclusively by the Holy Scriptures, but by the following:
ü Developing of theology throughout church history;
ü Books, teachings and
creeds of old Christian ministers who already died many years ago;
ü Christian heritage,
denominations and past movements;
ü Readings and interpretations of the biblical text, filtered by preconceptions
established by our own history and traditions and by the doctrines and dogmas
of the group we are associated with;
ü The inevitable worldview produced by our particular mystical experiences,
emotional spirituality and even our own psychological predisposition
However today we are challenged by the Spirit of God who guides us into all
Truth to answer the same question that Philip asked the eunuch and we must
answer without the help of history, traditions, doctrines and dogmas, own
worldview, mystical experiences, spiritual and psychological conditioning and
within the structures in which we operate and maybe even without the help of
someone to explain the text.
It is very frustrating to find out only later that we were still linked to fables, we still share foolish beliefs, which for a lifetime we have believed, preached and taught, lies as truth, human interpretations as divine revelations, and many times when we came up with some “new revelations” were in fact mimes from someone in history.
Most of us suffer from "parrot syndrome"! We are accustomed to
repeating what we heard without thinking on our own and most important without
checking it out with the Holy Spirit as we should.
The Holy Spirit is a Person; He is the one who testifies we are God’s son,
so we should rely solely on His guidance. Of course we do need brothers and
sisters to put us on perspective, but the perspective is not to follow
traditions but to realize that it is time for each of us to fellowship with the
Holy Spirit, study His Scriptures without someone else’s glasses and rely
totally upon Him to guide us to the Truth.
The Truth is not a philosophy, a teaching, a doctrine, the Truth is a
Person. The Holy Spirit guides us to Jesus Christ Himself.
THE GOSPEL
Is there a message that can summarize the Gospel of the Kingdom?
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who
bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim
salvation, who say to Zion, “The Lord reigns! The Kings reigns!” Isaiah 52:7
The message of the Gospel is not about a God far away, indifferent, dead and is impotent. But
it is about the Eternal One, the Word who became man without ceasing to be God.
(I John 1:1-14) It is about the God with us (Matthew
1:14) And His Name is JJesus Christ. Who reigns? Jesus
reigns.
Jesus Christ, the
Savior is the King.
30 But the angel said
to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You
will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants
forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-31
11 Today in the town
of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord - the King.
Luke 2:11
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This
is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in
the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
Mathew 3:1-2
The Gospel of the Kingdom is about the King who dies on the
Cross for His children. The message of Cross is the message of a gracious King
who died in His brothers place.
“Jesus
then began to speak to them in parables: “A
man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress
and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved
to another place. 2 At
harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the
fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized
him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then
he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated
him shamefully. 5 He sent still another
and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others
they killed.6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved.
He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But
the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and
the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they
took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.9 “What
then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and
give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t
you read this passage of Scripture: “‘the stone the builders rejected has
become the cornerstone; 11 the Lord (the King) has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Mark 12:1-11
"Do
not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the
kingdom.” Luke 12:32
The Kingdom means the kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule
of God, both in the world, and in the hearts of men; hence: the Kingdom, in the
concrete sense has arrived, because Jesus has arrived.
There was one king in the land, Caesar. That meant that all
you possess is to be surrendered to him. Everything you have and own, woman,
children, assets, wealth, everything belongs to him. Now the Kingdom has come,
there is another king in the land. His name is Jesus. To see and enter in His
Kingdom you must be born again.
3 Jesus
replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see
the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How
can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot
enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus
answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can
enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit
gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not
be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The
wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 3:3-8
This new birth has nothing to do with
changing religions. It is not a new religion. It is actually renouncing
everything to be able to follow the King. In the Kingdom there is no place for
religious activities.
“In
the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my
disciples.” Luke 14:33
This message was not directed to
wicked people, to gentiles, but to people who thought they were sons of God.
You're not saved because you have received Jesus as your only
savior, but as your
only Lord and King. You're not
saved because you confess Jesus
as your savior, but because you submit to His Lordship. It is very easy to accept Jesus as savior, but
the Lord requires surrender, personal loss, renouncing of goods,
everything. You do not need to die for Christ to be saved, but if you are not willing to die for Christ you are not saved.
THE KINGDOM
Daniel 2:31-44 prophecies the Kingdom.
It is a narrative of king Nebuchadnezzar dream and what it meant.
“But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain
and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:35
44 “In the time of
those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be
destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those
kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. Daniel
2:44
15 The
seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which
said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his
Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15
5 And
from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead,
and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us
from our sins by his blood, 6 and
has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be
glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7 “Look, he is coming with
the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced
him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be!
Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who
is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:5-8
19 Repent,
then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and
that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
21 Heaven must receive him until the time
comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy
prophets. Acts 3:19-21
REPENTANCE
Greek: Metanoeo - I repent, change my mind, change the inner
man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God). From “meta”
"changed after being with" and noiéō,
"think") – properly, "think differently after,"
"after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think
differently afterwards"). It expresses mental direction.
Definition: to change one's mind or purpose
It is to think completely different the way you always have
thought. It is not just talking, it is not crying, it is not even to confess
with your mouth. It is a deep change in your mind in a way that thoughts,
words, actions, your whole life style, everything is totally affected.
"Therefore
bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Matthew 3:8
You bear fruit according to the matching value of your repentance. Repentance is change of thought, change of mind. From the
Greek word “metanoia” when I say I repent means I change my mind. Repentance is
the change of the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the
will of God), repent.
ATTENTION:
Many members of Christian churches protect themselves from a
message like this. Thinking because they are already members of a Christian
church, considered believers and followers of Christ; they don’t put themselves
in a position to rethink their lives to test if they are really followers of
Christ and sons of His Kingdom indeed.
Repentance has a direct
impact on behavior. It is a
conscious, consistent and purposeful
action. People show their feelings while they are in the process of
repenting, however feelings are not repentance. It is a
decision that takes a conscious and deliberate decision to change
decades of lifestyle, procedures,
theologies, beliefs, and ways of acting. It will introduce new words, new
thoughts and new actions and make you walk in new paths.
MAN HAS LOST THE IMAGE OF GOD
One must
understand that sin is not only what we think, act, say and do contrary to the
moral law of God. To sin is to think, speak, act and do what God does not
think, does not speak, does not act and does not do. It is profoundly not being
like He is.
5 “For
God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5
26 And
God said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon
the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:26-27
God
created Adam, male and female and commanded them to have dominion and subdue
the whole earth and everything in it. But they did not have immediate dominion
over the whole earth, if they had, it would have been unnecessary for God to
give them direct orders that they should only take care of the garden within
limited space. God marked initially a territory within the earth indicating its
limits “to the banks of some rivers.”
The Garden of Eden was described in this manner. Was Adam, male and
female citizens of the garden? No, they were citizens of God’s Kingdom. And
their greatest privilege within that Kingdom was freedom.
Take
dominion was their mission, the whole earth was up to be subdued and they had
to exercise dominion over every creature and everything, except other human
beings. Man was not ordered to subjugate his woman. Both had equal rights and
co-equal authorities under God. They would expand the borders of the garden
proportionally and enlarge their kingdom by the multiplication of their
descendants. A couple needed only a garden to take care. Their descendants
would need more geographical area. Occupation by people not by proprietorship
established citizenship. They were not owners of the garden and they would not
even become proprietors of land on the earth after they fully occupied it.
God’s
Kingdom, His will and dominion were not limited to heaven nor limited to earth.
His Kingdom was heaven and earth combined, one Kingdom and Adam male and female
were their citizens. Only sons of God were the people of His Kingdom. They were
citizens not because they were inhabitants of the Kingdom, but because of who
they were. It was not their habitation that made them citizens of the Kingdom,
but their identity. Who were they? Where
did they come from? It was not the limits of their land that made them
citizens, but Sonship.
However
outside the borders of the Garden there was another kingdom that they should
conquer, subdue and take dominion; it was the kingdom of darkness. When man and
woman decided to be independent from God through disobedience by which sin came
into the world it generated disorder in the world. Through treachery, treason
and betrayal they have lost their citizenship. They have lost their citizenship
when they denied their Sonship. God expelled them not only from their territory
of dominion, but out of His Kingdom. In other words, they have lost their Sonship
of God first - their image of God, their identity, who they were, and the
immediate consequence was that they lost their citizenship. They were expelled
from the garden and became slaves of the kingdom of darkness. There are no
citizens in the kingdom of darkness, only slaves. The Kingdom of heaven also
has slaves that are not treated like slaves – they voluntarily submit to the
King. For the King they are called sons and kings.
In any
country of the earth you become its citizen by birth or by naturalization. In
the Kingdom of God you don’t become a citizen by naturalization, but by becoming
and being a son of the King. You must become a son of the King to be a citizen
of heaven. But citizens of Heaven don’t live in heaven, they live in the
Kingdom. The heavens belong only to the King, the earth He has given to His
sons. From heaven comes our citizenship, because it is in Heaven that the will
of God is done fully. Our inhabitation comes from heaven which means we will
receive a spiritual body from Heaven like Jesus Himself received. But our citizenship
is in heaven.
“And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
DISCIPLES OF THE KINGDOM
When we think about
the disciples going throughout all nations we don’t think about them living
their lives and dying to go to heaven as the ultimate goal, but we consider
each of them being transformed into the image of Jesus according to the perfect
will of the Father; the desire of the Holy Spirit; the eternal purpose of the
Son.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because
the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God. 28 And
we know that for those who love God all
things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For
those whom he foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be
the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:27-30
God’s children hear
His voice.
“27 My
sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
“Very
truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has
eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24
Here Jesus word is
not about reading the Scriptures, or preaching and learning doctrines. It is
about naturally practicing and obeying what you have heard Jesus saying through
your relationship with Him.
Then I saw a great white throne and
him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no
place was found for them. 12 And
I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead
were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And
the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who
were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire. Revelation 20:11-15
31 “When
the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations
and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. 33 And he will place the
sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then
the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you
visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then
the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And
when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39 And when did we see you sick or in prison
and visit you?’ 40 And
the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the
least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 “Then
he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I
was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I
was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then
they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or
a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to
you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to
me.’ 46 And these will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
The obvious conclusion is that nobody can follow Jesus without
being born of the Spirit. How do you or I become a citizen in the Kingdom of God?
We must be born again.
The Kingdom metamorphosis
operates as following:
1 - NEW BIRTH (JOHN 3: 3-5)
We are born again to enter the kingdom of
God. Not to go
to heaven, but to
enter the Kingdom of God.
Col 1:13-14 = empire of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His Love.
I Peter 2: 9 =
Priests and kings, from darkness to Light.
Ex 19: 6 = priestly kingdom (kings and priests)
I John 3:2-3 =
"We shall be like Him."
2) TRANSFORMATION
The Old Covenant x the New Covenant
"We are
transformed from glory to glory in the same image."
II Corinthians
3:17-18
Jesus knew no sin = I Jo. 3:8-10; 5:18
3) THE BODY TRANSFORMED
Philippians 3: 20-21 - "To be conformed to His
glorious body."
I Corinthians 15: 43-49 - (v. 49 - inherit the Kingdom of
God); vs. 50-54
(v. 52 - The last trumpet is the seventh one)
I Thess. 4:13-17 = the Coming of the Lord
Romans 8:18-23 = the redemption of our body
Eternal life is the immediate result
of the new birth for immediate enjoyment. (John 3:16)
God never promised heaven
to man.
"The heavens are for our God
and the land He gave to the man." Psalms 115: 16.
The promise of God is not heaven, but a
new heaven and new earth!
I Peter 3:3-14 shows us that the existing heavens and
earth are totally destroyed by the New Creation!
