The Selling Of The Christ, Part #5

The Word of God once symbolized a light in a world of darkness, whose purpose was to illuminate the path to a blood purchased salvation.   The focus of that light has now changed, as humanity embarks upon a glorious journey where sin and salvation are no longer a consequence.  The Word of God is now used to light the path to wealth, fame and glory.   Teachers of the Word of God have devised a plan whereby all of us can become wealthy and enjoy the blessings of our Father as we travel into the sunset days of our way of life.  The scripture speaks of a madness that will engulf the household of faith.  All of the biblical writers that processed the knowledge of God foresaw a time when men would not endure sound doctrine, and they sought to warn the followers of these detractors.

Peter began his dissertation by stating,  (2^nd Peter 2:1-6)  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example, unto those that after should live ungodly.

Now let’s read the last words of Jesus to the church here on earth.  (Revelation 3:20-22)   Behold, I stand at the door and knock,: if any man hears my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He that overcometh; I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

This is not a message to a group, this is a message to the individual, he used words like, "if any man", or "He that overcometh."  This is Jesus last message to the churches and the use of words like, “him”, “he”, and “man” seems to indicate that he was not speaking to a group but addressing the church as an individual, whose existence was spiritual.

We will now explore the possibility that Jesus and Peter were concerned about those who had come in “among the” church and with great words they began merchandising the people of God.  (2^nd Peter 2:3)  And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. 

 The word covetousness is indicative of wanting what other processes.   In our modern society, it usually translates into money.  Feigned words, these are words that are insecure, artificial, man-made words that are designed to suit a particular purpose.  These types of words are able to cause the unstable soul to falter and follow after the teaching of men.  False teachers often follow the pattern of their master, and they come with great promises, feigned words; artful and hypocritical pretenses.  The Devil came to Jesus with great promises, all Jesus had to do was obey and God would dispatch his angels to protect him.  Make a merchandise of you.  Judas made merchandise of his Master, betraying and sacrificing him to promote his own ends. So it is said these men should sacrifice the cause of Christ and the true church for their own selfish purposes of gaining praise, honor and wealth. 

There exists the possibility that through the use of feigned words, anything, regardless of how unworthy, vain, even unpretentious acts can be sold to an adoring public.  All that is required is a marketing plan, a marketing team with an appealing marketing concept.  Consider this, tennis shoes and blue jeans once the garment of the poor and working class, used a high-level marketing concept to become the preferred dress of the rich and famous.  What was it that caused the market value of a pair of cheaply produced tennis shoes to dramatically increase in value?  I challenge you to think seriously about it.  Better yet, consider the enterprising man who sold rocks (pet rocks) to an adoring public.

The primary objectives of life have been reset, feeling good about what we are, what we have or what we do, has become our primary objective as the value of life is diminished.  In essence, when we pay more than two hundred dollars for a four dollar pair of tennis shoes the value of the shoes does not increase, we are paying for the right to feel good about our self or our accomplishments.  The desire of feeling good is one of the most powerful and sellable aphrodisiacs known to mankind.  It is even sellable in the church.

'Feel good' can be defined as that which is intended to make one happy or satisfied, causing or characterized by a feeling of self-satisfaction: feel-good factor, achieving a high state of euphoria, often defined in the church as the ‘Spirit of God’.  The operative words, here is the, ‘feel good factor.’ The feel good factor is present in every aspect of human endeavors.  Why do we go to work?  Because going to work allows us to accomplish things that make us feel good.  Why do we go to concerts and football games, somewhere within our line of reasoning, it is something that will make us feel good?   Now apply that to church worship services and Gospel music.

The evolution of gospel music sat the stage for the evolution of worship service.  Gospel or sacred music once existed within the shadows of the sanctuary and enjoyed a special place that was considered to be Holy next to the Word of God.  The singers of spiritual songs were not something that was done for worldly acclimation or money, it was something that was done in the service of God. Therefore, those who sung in church as a part of their church worship services did not do it to become rich and famous.  Rich and famous have now become the blessings of God bestowed upon those serve their creator through songs.  Sacred music as the name implies was not intended to be entertaining, it was intended to reverence God and give him proper praise.   When we injected the entertainment 'feel good' factor into gospel music and worship services, the question that we need to ask ourselves is, are we guilty of denying God his proper reverence? 

Instead of "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" to build up and edify the believer, the congregation is beset with a relentless and sensuous beat (which weighs on one's nerves and pounds in one's head until you feel you will break open) and syncopation (which evokes the most basic sensuous or sexual response from our bodies) which is purposely aimed at the physical and sensual instead of the spirit and the spiritual.  When music is aimed at the baser part of our nature, i.e. the promiscuous, then the spiritual has a difficult time surviving. 

In today’s contemporary society gospel music has crossed over or morphed into the entertainment venue.  The sacred solitude that gospel music once provided has been replaced by a hand clapping, foot stomping feels good sellable type of music that rewards the performer and entertain the listener.  The once Holy dance has evolved into a hip swing promiscuous act that emphasizes the sensual rather than the spiritual.   Churches have begun to embrace dance teams as an intricate part of their worship service. Many pastors and church members are beginning to understand the drawing power of music played by either secular or sanctified groups, augmented by a dance team.

A worship service that was once designed to serve God is now designed to make you feel good.  Feeling good is an emotional attribute that can be manipulated, it can be merchandised, and it can be marketed in the same fashion as a pair of tennis shoes made out of cheap plastic.  Somewhere between the opening song and the closing chords of contemporary worship services you will also be asked to pay for feeling good.  Let’s examine Peter’s message to the church.

2^nd Peter 2:1-6, the general subject of this chapter is clearly stated in the first verse, and it embraces these points:

(1.) That there would be many false teachers among Christians in modern times, as there were false teachers in ancient times;

The Selling Of The Christ Part #4

The focus here embraces the ideology of the Apostle Peter concerning false teachers who would arise among the Christians.  The same as today, there were false teachers in ancient times.  These false teachers would be skilled with words and they would devise ways to make merchandise of the church.  Peter’s major concern was, these false teachers would introduce destructive error into the Gospel and lead many astray.  In the days of the Apostles, these false teachers were called out and exposed.  In today's permissive society our only recourse is to pray for them and leave it to God while they go about polluting the mind of the saints. 

Jesus often addressed the issue in conversations with his disciples. (Luke 21:8) And he said Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.  In Matthew, it seems as if Jesus was reflecting upon his soon to be established church when he stated, (Matthew 18:20)  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  Two or three gathered together in worship just does not meet the criteria of today's churches and mega churches. 

One cannot help but marvel at the transitions taking place in Christendom as it

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struggles to adapt to the changing demands of society.  Things that once were characterized as unholy or impure now requires a second look through tinted glasses.  A religion that once flourished within the confrontational nature of Holy Scripture akin to John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness screaming, "Oh ye generation of vipers...” have now morphed into a viable business model seeking to attract customers.  This once confrontational religion has now dumb down its rhetoric in the name of peace and political correctness; it has agreed to respect the rights of all religions, a thing that the God of David never ordained. The fire and brimstone have been retired and the sunshine and favors have become the modern day message. 

What happen?  Why are the changes?  As each emerging generation became more and more entrenched in the knowledge of good and evil, the ‘pie in the sky, bye and bye’, began to lose its luster.  The ancient appeal of God was tested by knowledgeable men and found wanting.  The organized church realizing that its core membership base was eroding realized the necessity of branding itself, and the creation of a sellable product in the process.  This product would combine two of the most powerful elements that define the human condition, motivation, and manipulation.  This concept or new religion would be sellable to the masses, without regards to their structured or indoctrinated belief.  The desire to be prosperous and to be in good health can be found at all levels of humanity, without regard to ethnic or cultural backgrounds. 

 (3^rd John 1:2) Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.  This scripture provided the biblical foundation for transforming the Gospel of the Kingdom into a Gospel of prosperity and motivation.  Manipulation paved the road to financial success to those who embraced and exported this new gospel.

To understand the proper context of the above verse requires reading the entire chapter.  This brief epistle is written to a Christian whose name was Gaius.  As a form of greeting, a wish is implied, not a command or even a promise.  The word used here commonly means in the New Testament to pray, but it is also employed to express a strong and earnest desire for anything.  This is probably all that is implied here. The sense is, "In every respect, I wish that it may go as well with you as it does your soul.  A simple greeting to a Christian friend who is sick. 

The Gospel of Prosperity promises an earthly reward while the Gospel of the Kingdom promises a spiritual reward.  The mixing of the two promises the best of both worlds.  As an earthly person, we are more easily influenced by earthly things, rather than spiritual things.   This new form of Christianity offers blessings and favors to those who embrace it ideology.  Salvation becomes sellable, and access to God is determined by the size of your offering. 

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The marketing manipulation that is used to promote this new form of Christianity is the same method marketers use to get potential consumers to become acting consumers.  It is called the AIDA Model. This model consists of four stages: Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action.  Students in marketing, learn about this concept and are graded on their ability to bring about the desired action.  The application of this model to promote a new and expandable form of Christianity is the same model used to promote a new brand of box cereal.  Follow me for a moment.

The application of this model does not require a college degree; it merely requires a gift of ‘gab’, the ability to sell others on your idea and a desire to manipulate others.  Manipulation seems to be such an ominous word, yet there are a good side and a bad side of manipulation.  There is harmless manipulation such as being led to believe that a Honda is superior to a Chevrolet vehicle. An example of a type of dangerous manipulation was to convince the public that smoking was ok.  Money is usually a common factor of all types of manipulations, in the organized church, in the community, and in business. Yet, the true church was never intended to be established on the same level or base as an everyday business.

The manipulation of desire is caused by knowing what is wanted or needed and offering it.  What do you want becomes the prime question.  In the vernacular of the charlatan priest, “whatever you want, God has got it”, and there is not one righteous soul that would respond negatively to this suggestion.   If you want money, God will give you money.  Here again The Reverend Ike, my model for the fleecing of the sheep mailed out thousands of letters in the early sixties that said, “ SOMEBODY, reading this letter will receive a financial blessing from God, all you have to do is plant a seed of faith.  The call for action was accepted by many, especially those of certain ethnic and cultural backgrounds who were financially intimidated.  Once they became aware of this newly created ATM God, logic took a holiday as they lined up, clamoring for the blessings.   A touch of common sense or the knowledge of God could have rendered that type of promotion baseless and profane. 

The drawing card to any successful religious assembly is, come over here and get your blessing, or come over here and be healed.  They prey on two of the most vulnerable aspects of human nature.  Healings and blessings  soon become synonymous with a packed house.  Problems began to manifest themselves when God refused to be manipulated. “If he did it once, he will do it again”, became the cry of the self-indoctrinated motivational speaker without the validity of scriptural support.  Standing on the creek bank waiting for God to separate the water soon became a lesson in futility.  The redefinition of the works of God became commonplace, in that the starting of a flooded car has now been described as a miracle.  The scripture is taken out of its context and the righteous are being indoctrinated into believing that if you speak it will be so.  If this were true, what a beautiful world we would have.  A sick person in the hospital is often decreed heal, yet often that person passes on from life into death.

A cloak of fear is used to intimidate those whose eyes are being open to the false doctrines that are prevailing.  It is taboo to speak a word against those who claim the anointing of God.  Yet, how many people have left the altar wondering why they didn't get the blessing that was promised to them?  There was a man who gave his last dollar and went out waiting for the blessing that was promised, was left wondering if he and his family had been forsaken by God.  But, these are things you can't talk about.  If you fail to get what you asked for, the problem is not in God, it is in us.  Through fear, a new indoctrination of Christianity appears to be holding. 

The Selling Of The Christ Part #3

As a struggling Christian, I find it hard to believe in much of the rhetoric emulating from the household of faith. There is a type of gullibility  that has always existed within the ranks of Christianity, but to have it preyed upon by enterprising preachers or gospel entertainers is a bit much.   The evolution of worship services and gospel music should be cause for alarm, yet, it is accepted as the signs of changing times.   The merging of the music genre is more acceptable to those who are seeking to pollute the Word of God.  A classic example is that of a Gospel singer years ago prefaced one of his songs with, "This is for those of you who say gospel music has gone too far."  Today this gospel singer openly profess to have lost his religion.  

The Social Media is flooded with enterprising messengers of God claiming that the key to God's blessings is typing "Amen" to their status that makes vague promises.  The number of people who buy into this type of idolatry is astounding.  The church has evolved into a place to come and get blessings, yet Jesus never said, "Blessed is he who go to church."  Jesus promised blessings in the Kingdom of God. 

At the onset of Jesus ministry, he warned his followers that they would come in sheep clothes.  Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  What is sheep clothes? They look like what we are indoctrinated into believing a messenger of God should look like.  The carry the title of the clergy or worship leaders and they preface their false messages with, "God said".  No God-fearing Christian in good standing would dare stand up and say, "God didn't say that".   What are "ravening wolves"? They are hungry wolves looking for something to eat, they sell you a false Gospel.

In the Garden of Eden, the Devil made a striking presentation of explaining what God said. Today, the trend is to sell God through a process of entertainment and promises of wealth and well-being.  To promote itself, the church has taken on the nature of the Casino and night club.  If you want to win you got to spend and let's get down and praise God, because when praises go up blessings come down.  It is a part of human nature that we buy into this perverse, and enticing promises.  In the face of the promises of prosperity and favors it is easy to forget that when the devil approached Jesus, he offered him all of the richness of this world.   Jesus made it clear on a number of occasions, that his Kingdom was not of this world.  If this is true, then why are we being promised all the things that Jesus rejected.

Is there a lack of understanding of the Word of God or is it simply a lack of faith?   If we truly believed in God would we take such a cavalier approach to his Word and his works?  If we really understood the purpose of the creation, would we pervert the knowledge of God to build our own little kingdom here on earth? The believability of God is at an all-time low, yet churches are amassing a fortune and building magnificent sanctuaries.  Many have their own private interpretation of the scripture and it is often proclaimed as a fresh message from God.  There are so many proclamations's made in the name of God until those on the outside looking in are beginning to wonder if God really exist or do he keeps his promises. The problem of Christianity against the world has taken on a new flavor,  Christianity has turned on itself. 

The church that Jesus once spoke so highly of has allowed itself to  become highjacked and become a bastion of selfish pride.  Men and women are seeking to exert a type of rulership over God's people. Churches that have stood the test of time are now being divided and plundered, even destroyed from within by enterprising preachers seeking to establish a quorum and thereby securing a seat of power.  They possess a desire to exercise their man-given power within communities without having even having a knowledge of the community they are supposed to serve.  There is a scripture condemnation of this type of action but it is among the overlooked letters to the churches from Jesus. 

John MacAuthor wrote: The church has not only stopped talking about sin, it has stopped talking about eternal life.  Everything is about a fix here and now.  The gospel doesn't promise to fix you here.  You may have a bad marriage till you die, you may have bad kids till you die.  You may have cancer and die before you thought you would die.  You may lose all of your money in the stock market, your house might burn down.  Jesus doesn't promise to fix that. Contrary to what you hear from health, wealth and prosperity teachers, the only people who seem to be getting wealthy of that are the ones who take your money.  The gospel does not promise that.  But it does promise eternal life.   

Many organized churches are capitalizing on the art of raising money and the sheep of God's pasture are being victimized.  Knowingly and unknowingly the gospel according to, "The Rev. Ike", has become an integral part of many pastors' messages.  Salvation is about giving and planting a seed is the price of salvation.  Bible verses are often surgically removed from their supporting scriptural and taken out of the context of which they were spoken and view from an alien perspective.  It is a process of making the Bible say what we want it to say and preying on the indoctrination or the gullibility of the Christian belief.  Worship services are taking on the flavor and flair of a Beyonce performance.  Pastors, preachers and teachers have elevated themselves to a position where they walk and talk with God on a  daily basis, yet the messages received are often conflicting.

Many of today's preachers have mastered, "The Art of Preaching", and their ability to preach is based on how well they can bring a crowd to an arousing climax.    

I attended a large prayer service that consisted of hundreds of people.  The services were advertised as the place to come for miracles and blessings.  The conductor of the services was a young energetic man who wore loud colored clothes.  After delivering his message, he continued to address the crowd.  “The Lord said” he began, “There is somebody in here that has a headache, the Lord says come on up here and get your healing.”   Then the Lord would speak again and he would say, “There is somebody in here that has a backache come up here and get your healing.”  People would rush to claim their healing.  This young man was elevated to the position od a great healer throughout the communities he visited.  It was not long before some people began to see thru this ‘shotgun approach’.  

To use the words “somebody” and “a headache” in a crowd of a few, you are bound to hit “somebody with a headache”.  A person high on drugs could pull that act off.  I do not believe the God that I need and as powerful as the one I am looking for needs this type of showmanship.   God punished Moses for performing an act of showmanship.  These are the working of ‘bad actors’, which it is up to God to judge, but they have caused many people to turn and flee from God.  This is not a plausible excuse and it will not stand up before God, but I will say it, “My God they made me run from you.” 

The world situation is not changing for the better, yet more and more people are praying for God’s intervention.  Jewish customs and celebrations are superseding the work of the cross and we are claiming a year of Jubilee.  There are promisings being made in the name of God for the purpose of self-promotion and edification.

The works of God is  trivialized, and he is restoring wealth and family values, he even brings peace to our communities.  Yet, according to Jesus, in the "last days" these things would not be.   Luke 12:51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:  The coming of the Kingdom of Heaven has been redefined and we are living in it now, thus, there is no reason for Christ to return.  The justification of our desires through the shaping of the scripture is nothing new, the devil introduced this ploy in the Garden of Eden.  Christian values are eroding because we are being taught that God wants us to be happy.   Alternate lifestyles are on the increase and even acceptable in many assemblies.  The gullibility of Christianity allows us to justify it in the name of God. 

Many churches have become pawns of the government and the breeding ground for corruption and political aspirations.  We are building immaculate sanctuaries at an alarming rate, and it seems that God is issuing new directives every day.  Political correctness through faith-based initiatives is strictly enforced.   We speak in God’s name and of a God who shows love without punishment and justice, as a new way of life.  “God loves me,” has become an excuse and a metaphor for the ungodly.   

The Selling Of The Christ (Part 2)

Winning The God Lottery

Why are we here?  What is the message our youth are getting from our serving God?  Are they following us to church?  What is the message that Christianity is trying to project to the world?  What is the purpose and message of the churches?  What is the message of Jesus Christ?  Was it necessary for Christ to come and die on the cross so that we could have stuff?  These questions have tormented many minds.  God forbid that his Son should suffer and die so I could ride in a new car.  Did the father send his son to die so ministers and pastors could strut around like peacocks, adorned in Gold and Silver and living of Gods people?  As one person remarked after returning from a national meeting, “It is getting harder to tell the preachers from the pimps.”

The message and collecting offerings have become two of the most important and destructive forces within the church.  There was a time when churches raised an offering for a visiting minister.  Now we raise offerings for ministers who do not have the time to visit.  Many churches support meetings and organizations that have no benefit to the community or church.  When the ones who are conducting the meetings derive the only benefit, we should become concerned.  We should question services that honor (worship) someone other than God.  I suppose there are those who say a Sheppard is supposed to fleece his flock, and then there is another message about not muzzling the Ox that pastors tend to apply to their flock.

There are messages designed to make the congregation feel guilty of some type of sin if they do not follow the defined precepts of giving.  Church members were once entrusted to give as the Lord had blessed them, now there are scriptures used to show that blessing and favors are a direct proportion to the amount of money you give.  Like the Casino Slot Machine, the more you put in the better your chances are of hitting the jackpot.  Context and perspective are being abuse in the interpretation of these scriptures and many are getting away with it.

The pastors of many churches have done their homework; they know what it takes to pack a church.  A beautiful message of prosperity, a television camera, a movie, or recording star, and an expression of financial success will fill any house.  The title is important too; it is no longer fashionable to be a Minister, Pastor, or Reverend,   Apostle, Superintendent, Bishop or Doctor tends to evoke more respect.  To be successful, the title must indicate that you are elevated above your peers.  To attract the masses, you must look the part and act the part of the upper class.  I suspect that even Jesus would have a hard time packing a church now, and John the Baptist would not even be a contender.  The final aspect of attracting a crowd is the prospect of entertainment.  In the old days, a Piano in the corner was the extent of the musical instrumentation.  Today most church choirs and praise leaders perform with a full-scale band.

Back in the ancient days, only certain churches allowed musicians and singers to perform during worship service.  The music playing and singing were spontaneous acts of praising and worshiping God.  After the service ended, there was no expectation of getting paid or special recognition.  Today things have changed.  Pastors are getting paid huge slaveries.  The musicians are paid, and angling for higher pay.  The congregation sits in awe as a group of paid performers provides the entertainment and inspirational aspects of worship...  In the midst of all of this, I wonder if God is amused.

On any given weekend, millions of people nationwide will pack the nightclubs, casinos, and concert halls in search of entertainment.  The harbor no regrets about spending money, and the weather will not be a factor in the assessment of entertainment.  Time will not play an important role, the party is better when it last all night.

On any given weekend, millions of people nationwide will pack football stadiums to be entertained.  They will pay their dues for a good seat and the weather is not a factor in the decision to attend and be entertained.  They do not expect anything tangible in return; they just want to be entertained and entertainment makes a person’s spirit feel uplifted.

On any given Sunday, millions of people will flock to churches to be entertained.  A timely procession of the worship elements is important, the preacher preaches a message of prosperity and they will be entertained.  They will pay their dues because God loves a cheerful giver.  The more they give to God the more they can expect to get back.  The weather will play an important role in the decision to attend and be entertained.  Moreover, there is an expectation of a blessing for attending the service.  

It seems the difference between these two events is what makes one an act of fun and folly, and the other a sacred service. 

Where are the fire and brimstone messages?  The word ‘repent’ is rarely used in sermons.  The Kingdom of Heaven is about enjoying yourself here on earth.   Serving God is about getting what you want from God.  Walking in God’s favor is a new pair of shoes.  To speak of the ‘fear’ of God is taboo, because when we die we are all going to heaven where all of the rock stars assemble and sing in the heavenly choir.
  

The pastors and members of many churches are praying for God to do things he did not come to do.  They do not hesitate to ask God to go to the hospitals.  Some even pray for him to unlock the jail cells or to bring peace in a world of confusion.  We are always telling God to bless us with the blessing we are ‘standing’ in need of.  I remember a person praying for God to get in the gas tank of his car.  If God were to do, what church folks asked him to do what a wonderful world we would have?  Then again, if church folks did what God has already empowered them to do, what a wonderful world we would have.

Think about this, if God were to answer all of the Christian’s prayers, then all Christians would be rich and lazy and all sinners would be poor and hard working.  Christians would live forever and sinners would die young.  Then sinners would look at the Christians and say.  “That’s what I want” Soon there would be no sinners.  The churches would be filled with people serving and praising God for the stuff that they are getting, and not because they love God. 

At many churches, after the preachers have preached, there is a call for those who are sick or just need prayer.  Most of us will admit that we all need prayer, but this act, this request which once was an act of reverence has now  been turned into an act of bad showmanship by some.  Many of these after message prayers are spirit filled, and God has worked wonders through these services.  It is the copycat bad actors who have given this type of service a bad name.  They use this prayer service to extend a dull message thirty extra minutes by whooping and howling for God to work a wonder.  Maybe we should be begging God not to abandon us.  In my search for and a closer walk with God, I realized there was nothing I needed to ask God for in this natural world.  He already had provided it.  What do the birds and the lilacs of the field need?  I needed to praise him for what he has already done for me and ask him to manifest himself more through the fruit of the spirit. 

That old Satan has found a way to discredit the works of God using bad actors and copycat actors.  Works that once was contributed to, “an act of God” is now nothing more than, “The Power of Positive Thinking.”  Cancer that disappeared is now nothing more than a misdiagnose by the doctor.  The preacher who stands in the pulpit and speaks with great authority, “God if you will heal them and give them the desire of their hearts they will they will forever be pleased, and serve you all of their days.”  In the language of the street, this is “pimping God.” 

A minister once planned to perform the miracle of walking on the water at an outdoor baptism.  He spent many hours in the dark of the night setting up the props while being observed by a local moonshiner.  When he was satisfied with his setup, he left the area and the moonshiner tampered with the setup.  The next day, in the heat of his fiery message, he began to rise from the water as he careful navigated the steps that were hidden from everyone’s view.  As soon as he set foot on the Plexiglas stage, the whole thing came crashing down.  Quick thinking and action by the Deacon Brothers saved the minister from a watery grave.  Is this what God is all about? 

There are many testimonies of how God healed a headache, is this an accurate representation of God at work?  The use of television to perpetrate fraud in God name was enough to cause God to turn his head.  Church services are not complete without asking God to heal someone.  Many times, the same person who stood last Sunday is standing this Sunday.  How do we interpret the healing virtue of God?  Jesus performed miracles, but he did not stand on the mountain and ask the Father to heal the world.   Does serving God come with the expectation of healing?  Are we guilty of abusing the word and power of God?  Have we made a joke of our Father’s purpose?  These are questions we should ask God through prayer and contemplation, and not be a shame to testify of the answers.

When I was a young boy, a preacher came to town.  He had a different style of preaching.  We called him a teacher because he did not whoop and holler.  He asked for and received permission to conduct revival services in the local churches.  This young man taught the scripture like none here had heard it taught.  He would conduct healing services where he would lay hands on people and pray for them.  Many people received their healing, and because of the wonders God worked thru him, many people were converted.  Thus began the proliferation of the ‘laying on of hands’ ministry.  If I could speak of God as a mortal, I would say it was confusing to him at the number of people asking him to do this and that and did not believe in what they were asking.  Some perpetrated fraud in Jesus’ name by selling handkerchiefs and the use of bloody chicken parts.  I can now understand what Jesus meant when said, “You call me Lord, but you do not the things I say.”  “You honor me with your lips, but your Heart is far from me.”  There are those who talk about God but they do not know God.  

A Sister in a local church testified that she had laid hands on a dead person and the dead person came back alive.  We never saw or heard from the person, but the church community was impressed.  She began to conduct prayer services in people’s homes, and soon she had a great number of women following her.  They called themselves God’s Prayer Warriors and she was their leader.  One by one, these women began to testify of how God had worked a miracle thru them and raised a person from the dead.  Again, there was no confirmation of these miracles, only a testimony that evoked an awed response within the local churches and communities.  These were Godly women and nobody was going to call them liars.

Continued in part #3

Seminar

Thank God and thank you our last seminar was a rousing success.  Over the last two years, with the publication of the book, Understanding The Word of God has truly become a national and international ministry.   According to Google stats, international readership of our blog often exceeds the national level.  Book sales have been phenomenal.  The book focuses on the message preached by Jesus and his disciples.   There is no call for the sowing of seeds and reaping prosperity.  This ministry is a labor of love for the word of God.  There is no promise of earthly fame and glory.  Understanding the word of God focus on the coming of the "Kingdom of God".   We will be posting a national tour schedule shortly and if you are in those areas you are invited to attend.   Locally, we will be conducting another  8-week  in-depth seminar on the book of Revelation, at the Kingdom and Glory Ministery, Maben, MS.  Set to began during the month of February, date, and times will be announced later.   Purchase of books and study material  is acceptable but not a requirement, only a desire to gain a deeper understanding of the Word of God.  Understanding The Word of God  can be purchased HERE.  

The Selling Of The Christ (Part 1)

Part 1 of a 5 part series

It started many years ago; the preachers realized that Christianity was a business and their core job was to sell Jesus Christ to the people.  There was nothing wrong with the intent of the messengers until they began shaping and reshaping the message.  Jesus said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.”  Jesus spoke those immortal words referencing being lifted from the cross and returning to his Father.  This verse is taken out of context and applied to worship services and he or she envisioned themselves as salespersons for God.   Lifting up Jesus took on a completely new message, the message had to be attractive and it must offer the people something tangible. 

A message about the pie in the sky by-and-by was not attractive enough to draw the massive crowds needed to support or increase the bottom line of the growing churches.  Preachers, Pastors, and Teachers were learning how to be successful living of God’s churches.  God’s churches were now becoming a business.  A business must offer a product or service or it will go out of business.  Thus began the reshaping of the message of Jesus Christ.  To shape the message, you must find a scripture, take it out of context, if necessary, view it from an alien perspective, and apply it to the model that you are constructing.  Saint John 10:10b says, “I came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.”  This statement became the cornerstone for many messages of prosperity. 

To put this verse back in context and perspective lets read Saint John 10:1-10, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. However, he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out, and when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spoke Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes not, but to steal, to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” 

Is there anything in the above paragraph that indicates Jesus was talking about earthly treasures?  We should never use sound bites to project a complete thought.  Jesus was speaking in a parable and he was speaking about the Kingdom of God to a Jewish gathering.  What does abundant life in the Kingdom of God have to do with earthly possessions?  God has already blessed humanity in the book of Geneses with the blessing of prosperity.  However, to make churches more attractive the promise of prosperity needed to be a part of the message.  Initially, it seems God may have used blessing and prosperity as a tool to get the wayward children of Israel to serve him.  The children of Israel were encouraged to steal from the Egyptians before leaving for the Promised Land.  Parts of the foundation of the law were prosperity and longevity.  God’s initial plan was for the children of God to kill the heathens and take their possessions.  Providing for the natural element of the man just did not prove to be conducive to serving God.  The natural desires of man were the more he got the more he wanted.  Throughout the Bible, humanity has shown that when it is getting, doing God’s will become secondary.

Jesus did not come to address the prosperity issue; he came to address the decaying spiritual nature of man.  He came to warn us to repent for the new kingdom or the Kingdom of heaven was at hand.  When asked to address natural issues, he had very few words.  Render under to Caesar the things of Caesar and unto God the thing of God.  He explained the ‘seek’ in Matthew 7:7 as Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and it's righteous and all things will be added.   The simplicity of that statement is, he did not say seek all things. If you can get the spiritual assembly to accept the ‘seek’ as a reference to spiritual things, the ‘all things’ will send them running to God for material things.  When Jesus was speaking these words he referred, to the lilacs of the field and the birds of the air, which neither toil nor sow and the heavenly Father takes care of them.  He has already provided everything needed for the grass, lilacs, and the birds to survive.  He did the same thing for humanity.  God has already provided everything humanity needs to be prosperous.  Not only did he provide humanity with everything he needed to survive, he blessed us with a spirit of prosperity.  (Gen1:28)  All we have to do is get up on our hind part and take advantage of the blessings he has already provided.  Those who are enjoying the blessing of God have a God given desire to be prosperous.  Again, consider the fowls of the air, if they sit in the tree that God has provided for them and refused to fly around “work” and get the food that God has already provided them, they will and deserve to starve.  It seems that we need to recreate a class of Christians who are concerned about the Kingdom of Heaven rather the Kingdoms of the world.  The Bless me and Give me the aspect of worshiping God seems to have gotten out of control.

When I look at Jesus as a spiritual guide, I find little support for many of the churches messages.  I take no issue with preachers teaching people how to be prosperous.  It is a needed service, so are many other community services.  I have no problem with preachers or teachers being motivational speakers.  Pastors should be motivational speakers, they should be grief counselors, and they should be family counselors.  It is when they forget the message of Luke 13:1-10 unless you repent, you all shall likewise perish.  The preaching of prosperity or getting from God just does not seem right for Sunday morning worship service.

I talked to a young woman, who had lived a high profile life and was now having trouble finding a husband.  She had been married several times, and each husband was not what she was looking for.  She was encouraged to turn from her sins and start going to church and God would provide her a husband.  She based her faith upon that most misunderstood statement in the Bible.  The Bible said, “Ask and it shall be given, Seek and ye shall find, Knock and the door shall be open unto you.”  When she failed to find the husband she was searching for, she began to lose her faith.  The message was causing her to lose faith in the word of God.  Then there is the question of ‘if’ faith existed at the time of her so-called conversation.  She attended church, worked in the church, and paid her money, but she did not get what she came looking for.   The ministers kept preaching, “God will give you the desires of your Heart.”  Her attitude changed,  if God was not going to give her what she wanted or if someone else was getting what they wanted and she wasn’t she might as well stay home.  To me, it is scary to think that people can take this type of attitude with God.  It is also terrifying that real preachers will project this farce as the word of God.

Many young, educated people have failed to grasp the relevancy of Christianity in modern day living because the message has been presented to them by self-motivated messengers who do not take the time to get the message right.  The self-motivated preacher realized that the people was running to and fro seeking and/or enjoying prosperity, and Jesus did say, “Ask and it shall be given.”  Now the message is taking shape, if you want prosperity you must ask God for it.  For God to grant your request you must be in the right frame of mine.  Now comes the sucker punch, Jesus said, “It is more blessing to give than it is to receive.”  Now we have the basis for a beautiful message, “Getting what you want from God.”  The smart preacher or teacher that can develop this message and present it in a forceful manner, with the whooping and hollowing in the right place, can attract a crowd from miles around.  The key to getting is giving and everybody wants to be in on the getting.  People do not mind paying money when there is a promise of more money.  Somewhere in the process of getting and enjoying God’s blessings, we forgot the message of salvation and the Kingdom of God.

 The younger generation sees the Rap Star; the Athlete, the drug pusher and just the plain old hard working sinner who does not attend church, and sees that they are prosperous.  The preacher’s job is to tell the church members they can have the same thing if they ask God for it.  In essence, you come to God to be poor so you can beg God for the things everybody else is getting.  Observations like these provide the fuel for the religious disconnect.  Somewhere in all of this, there is an element of confusion.  

The idea of getting religion and starting a church exist in the mindset of some as a sure road to financial success.

As a Christian, God requires more than praising and worshiping him.  Have you ever considered how purposely it would be for God to create man for the sole purpose of praising and worshiping him?  Can you imagine God saying; let us make a man so that we will have somebody to praise us.  What kind of God would create a man so that he would have somebody to love him?  This would make our Heavenly Father seems like an egotistical maniac.  I will quickly add that this is far from the truth.  Praising and worshiping God is something we should do because God is God, because he is our creator and because of the covenant that he has made with us.  We should praise and worship God because of what he has already done for us and not because of something we want,

To approach our God with our hands outstretched in a give-me position is not an act of repentance, respect or reverence.  This is neither an act of love.  It seems more like the action of spoiled children who want everything they can get their hands on and somewhere overlooked in all of this is the mission and the message.  

Do God Change His Mind.

While proofing the manuscript for my book, "Understanding The Word of God", I became aware of the length and depth that we as Christians will go to keep from acknowledging some of the obvious attributes  of God.  I even found myself resorting to speculations and hypotheses in an attempt to avoid admitting certain obvious facts that the scripture proclaims.  Our evolving indoctrinated view of God often not scripture supported, it is based upon truisms, platitudes, and cliches, expressions that are designed to make us feel good. From the days of the garden of Eden, the concept of God has been tainted by the knowledge of the tree of good and evil rather than the knowledge of God.

Consider how an assembly can be brought to a rousing climax by simply stating, "God is good", or when we speak of the great things God is doing for us. Whereas a message based upon Deuteronomy 4:24  For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God, would be considered unacceptable. Emotional outburst and rousing "Amens" would be far apart and few.   Thus the cry of, "can I get an amen" would fall on deaf ears.  Try injecting the phrase "God will kill you" in your message and it would like pouring water in a fire.  Our modern interpretation of the Gospel does not allow us to teach the fear of God. If we teach the fear of God we are told people would run from God.  Psalms 34:9  O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.


Selective or slanted interpretation of the Word of God has allowed mankind to create a gospel and a God in its own image, based on his concept of what a God should be like.  Remember the children of Israel at the base of the Holy Mountain.  They created a God in the imagery of the idol gods of Egypt.  This was their concept of what a God should look like and how they should act when they come before God.  As they dance before their golden calf they had the audacity to proclaimed, "these are thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."  Read the entire story. (Exodus 32:1-14). One of the most interesting and overlooked aspects of this story is Exodus 32:14 "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." After threating to destroy his people, God listened to Moses as he pleaded their case. The overlooked and unanswered question is,  did God change his mind?

My first encounter with the question of God changing his mind was as a small child in Sunday School studying the fall of Adam.  The learned ability to spiritualize parts of a scripture or verse to make it fit a particular narrative presents a conversation that is hard to follow.  God said to Adam in Genesis 2:17, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."  To the novice, it would seem as if Adam was destined to fall dead the day he ate the forbidden fruit.  The failure to acknowledge that God repented of the evil which he thought to do unto Adam and grant him a reprieve does not set well with the spiritually enlighten.  Thus, we have many different scenarios of what took place in the garden and they are all based upon what point we began to spiritualize God's conversation with Adam.

Family Bible Notes interprets it as such: Surely die; in the original, dying thou shalt die. He would lose the moral image and the favor of God; become mortal and exposed to endless sinfulness and misery.  Geneva Bible Footnotes defines this passage as such, by death, he means the separation of man from God, who is our life and chief happiness: and also that our disobedience is the cause of it. The Devil's interpretation is given in these verses.  Genesis 3:4-5  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  It does seems as if the Devil was privy to the fact that Adam that a reprieve would be forthcoming.

The golden bullet that is often used to shoot down any speculation on the nature we are discussing is Malachi 3:6.  "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."   Interpreting this scripture out of the context of which it was spoken allows one to overlook what was said, God said I am the Lord and I will always be the Lord, I am not going to change.  These various interpretations of the scripture are based on the concept that God meant something else, rather the what he actually said.   To acknowledge that God meant exactly what he said would be to acknowledge that God did changed his mind and gave Adam a reprieve.   Due to our religious indoctrination, we are not prepared to accept a God that is capable of repenting or changing his mind. Neither are we comfortable with the concept of an angry God who is storing up his wrath. 

Isaiah 38:1-5  In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.  Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, 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.  Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.  Hezekiah prayed in such a manner that God was moved. 

The message that is often presented here is that if we are sick and pray to God, he will deliver us.  This presentation is caused by a faulty interpretation of certain scriptures.  The Devil has used this to create a false reliance upon God, that cause many to stumble.  The truth is Christians get sick, Christians die, the followers of Christ get their heads chopped off.  Let's take a closer look at the prayer that changed God mind.  His prayer was simple and short, then he wept. All that he asked of God was to remember.  If we think forward to the thief on the cross, in the face of death all he asked was for the Christ to remember.  We must conclude that was enough to invoke the forgiveness of God. 

Another story that bears looking into is presented in the Book of Jonah.  God gave Jonah a message to deliver.  Jonah 1:1-2  Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,  Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

Jonah 3:4  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Jonah 3:10  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

When God choose not to destroy the city Jonah became upset and he explain to God his reasoning for refusing to deliver the message when it was first given Jonah 4:2  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore, I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

Malachi 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. 

In the ancient days, God enforced his Law through judgment and swift action, yet there were many event that took place in the beginning of time that cause God to repent of the damnation that he was about to bring upon mankind.  Thus, we have in the Book of Revelation a full account of the vials of wrath that has been stored up.

The apostasy began soon after God created man. 
It's Cause. The marriage of the sons of God and the daughters of men (Genesis 6:1-2). 
It's Effect on the Human Race. 
Men forgot God and became giants in wickedness (Genesis 6:3-4).

It's Effect on the Creator. 
"And the LORD repented that he had made the man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (Genesis 6:6). The word "repent" always describes a change in something. There is a sense in which God cannot change (Matthew 3:9; James 1:17). He is always God, omnipotent and eternal. There is a sense in which He changes His purposes toward us, otherwise, forgiveness would be impossible (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrew 8:12). God has declared that the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4), but the sinner who turns from his sins and obeys the Lord has the promise of salvation (2nd Peter 3:9). God, therefore, changes His purposes toward men, but He is always God!

Reigning With Christ

The term “Kingdom of God,” or "Kingdom of Heaven" is common to most Bible readers but how many of us really understand what it is?  Jesus often prefaced his dissertations with, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like."  But, even so, many of his disciples just didn't get it.  Ask the question in a bible study group and we should be prepared for answers that satisfy the denominational rhetoric rather than the word of God.  Throughout the entire Bible, the establishment of God Kingdom is the central message! John the Baptist preached the Kingdom of God, Jesus preached it, and the apostles preached it even though they didn't quite understand it. The last question that Jesus was asked before He left the earth was, “Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Knowingly and unknowingly, this question is the basis of much confusion.  Especially today, it is unthinkable to think of the Kingdom of God in terms relating to the Jewish nation, this would be politically incorrect.  It would also deny the church the right to claim the earthly blessing of Abaraham.

There are clues embedded within the scripture that explain in detail God's plan for mankind.  These clues are often overlooked in search of sound bites or surgically removed verses used to titillate or motivate our mortal desires.  The spiritual purpose of man and his relationship with his God is often cast aside in favor of a journey filled with pomp and pleasures.  The focus of the journey becomes the "Now", walking in created favors and claiming the blessings of Abraham.  Meanwhile, the nations are shifting and aligning.  The present world as proclaimed by Jesus and signified in the book of Revelation is heading towards an apocalypse climax.   John proclaims, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea" (Revelation 21:1).


The church began to lose it way when it abrogated its true position as the bride of Christ and began to follow the gospel of men.  Numerous gospels  emerged, the gospel of God's love, the gospel of prosperity and many others, while the Gospel of the Kingdom is discarded.  Salvation is either a work in progress, even through Jesus proclaimed "it's finished",  or it can be purchased through tithes and offering.   Jesus chronologize the path of the failure of the organize church in his seven often overlooked letters to the church (Revelation 2-3).    

The scripture references three groups, 1 Corinthians 10:32  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.  One of these groups will rule with Christ, (The church, Holy angles, the bride of Christ) consisting of both Jews and gentiles, and another group who will be ruled by Christ (The sheep nations).  1 Corinthians 6:2-3  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?  Matthew 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

Matthew 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

The ancient prophets prophesied of a time when the Lord shall rule over all of the earth.  “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” Zechariah 14:9


This prophecy of Zechariah is referring to the time of the Battle of Armageddon. The nations of the world will come down against Israel to battle in Jerusalem. It’s at that time Jesus Christ will come back, fight for the nation of Israel, and establish His rule on the earth. This passage says that the Lord shall be king over all the earth. That’s the Kingdom of God. In that day, there shall be one Lord, and His name one. Let’s look at several other scriptures that also refer to this. In Daniel, we see a description of the time when human governments will be put down and the kingdom of God will be established.

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Daniel 2:44.  

Another prophecy of when Almighty God will rule this world is in Revelation 11. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 

Matthew 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The word Kingdom is used 321 times in the King James Bible.   In the New Testament, it is referenced 150 times.  

There are nine events in the New Testament where Jesus used the words, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like", or "the Kingdom of God is like."

Some teach that Christ will return to this Earth and establish his Kingdom.  It is excepted by most that this Kingdom can be referred to as the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven.  Matthew referred to it as the "Kingdom of heaven" whereas Luke referred to it as the "Kingdom of God".   There are those who seek to define the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven as two different places. Then, there is the attempt to separate heaven from the Kingdom, thus making heaven the place where we all go, sit on clouds and look down on our loved ones.   When we do this we create unanswerable questions that can only be resolved by saying, "I Just want to go to heaven when I die."   The extent of our knowledge of God's plan for mankind become restrained by that simple statement.  Heaven gradually digresses into a beautiful place where we go to live forever.  The Kingdom become an afterthought  

It is clear from the Scriptures that God has been trying to set up a "visible" Kingdom on this earth ever since the creation of man, to whom He gave dominion. Geneses 1:26-28. But that dominion was lost by the "Fall," and Satan set himself up as the "Prince of this World." Matthews 4:8-10; John 14:30. In the "Call of Abraham" God took the first step toward the setting up of a visible Kingdom on this earth, which assumed an outward form in the "Jewish Commonwealth" under Moses, but the plan was blocked by the Jews losing their "National Existence" at the time of the Babylonian Captivity B. C. 606, and the beginning of the "Times of the Gentiles." But when 600 years of the "Times of the Gentiles" had run their course, God again made a move to set up the Kingdom, and the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the Birth of the King. Luke 1:26-33. Thirty years later the King's forerunner, John the Baptist, announced that the Kingdom was "at hand" Matthew 3:1-2), and when the King manifested Himself to Israel He Himself made the same announcement (Matthew 4:17-23), and later He sent out the "Twelve" (Mt 10:7), and the "Seventy" (Luke 10:1-9), to proclaim the same thing. But the King was rejected and crucified, and the setting up of the Kingdom postponed, and the Kingdom took on its "Mystery Form" under the name of the "Kingdom of Heaven."

There are some who object to what they call the "Postponement Theory," and claim that the Kingdom which was "At Hand" was not an outward visible Kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom and that it was not withdrawn but is seen today in "New Born" believers. They base their claim on the fact that the earthly visible Kingdom of Christ could not be set up until after He had suffered and died on the Cross as the Saviour of men, and had risen from the dead, and ascended to the Father and received the Kingdom, and that therefore, the offer of an outward visible and earthly Kingdom at that time was not a "bona fide" offer, and that John the Baptist and Jesus must have meant by the "Kingdom of Heaven" something else than an outward visible and earthly Kingdom.  Confusion is a tool of the devil.

What are the facts? First, that the Old Testament scriptures teach that there is to be an earthly and visible Kingdom over which the Son of Man is to rule (Daniel 7:13-14; 2:34-35,44-45; Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 14:9), and we know that at the time of Jesus' birth there was a widespread expectation of the coming of the Messiah and that Simeon and Anna waited in the Temple for the "Consolation of Israel." Luke 2:25-38. We are also told that "Wise Men" came from the East to Jerusalem inquiring "Where is He that is born KING OF THE JEWS?" and when they had found Jesus they worshipped Him as KING. Matthew 2:1-11. There can be no question but that Jesus was born to be a KING. It was not until Jesus was 30 years old that John the Baptist appeared at the Jordan preaching-- "Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND." Matthew 3:2. And we are told that his mission was to "Prepare the Way of the Lord." Matthew 3:3; Isa 40:3. Prepare the way of the Lord for what? Not for the "Cross" but the "Kingdom." John's message had no meaning to those who heard him and were looking for the setting up of the "Messianic Kingdom," if he did not mean by the "Kingdom of Heaven" an outward and visible earthly Kingdom. That John himself so believed is evident from the question he sent his disciples while in prison to ask Jesus-- "Art Thou He that should come or do we look for another?" Mt 11:3. The fact that Jesus answered John's question by a number of miracles of healing, which are the "signs" of the Messianic Kingdom (Isaiah 35:1-10), and were proofs of Christ's Messiahship, and told John's disciples to so report, is proof that both John and Jesus had in mind the earthly Messianic Kingdom when they proclaimed that the "Kingdom of Heaven was AT HAND." It was the "Kingdom of Heaven," not because it was a Heavenly or the Spiritual Kingdom, but because it was not received from men, but was given from Heaven by God the Father.

While it is true that John the Baptist pointed out to two of his own disciples Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), this was after Jesus' return from the "Wilderness Temptation," and had been revealed to John at the Baptism of Jesus, and does not nullify or alter the character of his previous proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. We must not forget that as soon as Jesus was baptised He was "immediately" driven into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:11-13), and it was not until 40 days after His Baptism that John pointed out to his disciples Jesus as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." The words "next day" (John 1:29) refer not to the day after Jesus' Baptism, but the next day after the Priests and Levites had inquired of John whether he was the Christ or Elias. Joh n 1:19-28. In John 1:32-34, John the Baptist testifies that he knew not Jesus as the "Lamb of God" until His Baptism. Then he knew by the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove upon Christ that He was the "SON OF GOD." Therefore, John the Baptist knew nothing about Christ's sacrificial work at the beginning of his ministry, and his proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand could have had no reference to a Spiritual Kingdom.

When Nathanael exclaimed-- "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the KING OF ISRAEL" (John 1:49), Jesus did not disclaim the title. When Jesus entered on His own ministry His message was the same as John the Baptist's "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND." Matthew 4:17. The repentance called for was a "NATIONAL REPENTANCE." The Old Testament scriptures clearly teach that the Messianic Kingdom cannot be set up until Israel as a nation REPENTS. In Matthew 4:23 we read-- "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the `Gospel of The Kingdom.'" While this was attended with "signs of bodily healing" we are nowhere told that the "Gospel of the Kingdom" had anything to do with the salvation of the soul, and as it is to be preached again after the Rapture of the Church for a "witness" unto all nations, that the time has come for the setting up of the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14) the inference is that the "Gospel of the Kingdom" has nothing to do with "salvation," but is simply an announcement that the "Messianic Kingdom" is AT HAND.

When Jesus sent forth the Twelve Disciples He commanded them, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the 'lost sheep' of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL, and as ye go, preach, saying-- 'The Kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils (demons)." Matthew 10:5-8. Note again that the works they were to perform were "Kingdom SIGNS," and had no reference to the salvation of the soul. They did not preach the "Gospel of Salvation," but the "Gospel of the Kingdom." And further the "Gospel of Salvation" is for the whole world, but the Disciples were forbidden to go to any but the "House of Israel," thus showing that what they preached was exclusively for Israel. That the Disciples were expecting the setting up of a visible earthly Kingdom is evidenced by the request of James and John that they might sit, one on the right hand, and the other on the left hand of Jesus in His Kingdom. Matthew 10:35-41. If there was to be no earthly Kingdom Jesus would have disabused their minds of that idea, but He confirmed it by saying that the place of honor was not for Him to give, but would be bestowed by His Father. Matthew 20:23.

The fact that after the miracle of the "Loaves and Fishes" the multitude was desirous to take Jesus by force and make Him a KING (John 6:15), reveals what they understood by the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven being AT HAND. That Jesus prevented them from doing so by escaping to a mountain is no evidence that He repudiated the idea of Kingship over a visible earthly Kingdom, but that to have received the Kingdom from them would have been wrong, for He is to receive the Kingdom from the FATHER, and not from men. Daniel 7:13-14. That Jesus did not deny His Kingship of an outward and visible earthly Kingdom is clear from the fact that He accepted the "Hosannas" of the multitude when He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. John 12:12-15. And it was as "King OF THE JEWS" He was crucified. Matthew 27:37. When Pilate asked Jesus-- "Art Thou the King of the JEWS?" He evaded the question, but admitted that He was a KING, and to that end had been born, but that His Kingdom was "not of this world," that is, it would be given to Him by God the Father, and, therefore, would be from Heaven. John 18:33-37.

But someone may ask, "What would have happened if the Jews, as a nation, had repented, and accepted Jesus as King, would the earthly Messianic Kingdom have been set up?" Certainly, but not necessarily immediately, for certain Old Testament prophecies as to Jesus' death and resurrection had to be fulfilled, for He had to die for the redemption of the race before He could assume His office as King. But this could and would have been fulfilled by the Roman Government seizing Jesus and crucifying Him as a usurper, and with Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension, Daniel's 69th week would have terminated, and the 70th week begun without a break, and at its close Jesus would have descended and set up His earthly Kingdom.