Kingdom Teaching..

[Fez]

To me living in the Kingdom now, is living under an open heaven under which a constant personal relationship with God is the objective.

Mar 15:38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Henry has this to say:- however, this had the same signification, according to that (Hos_5:14), I will tear, and go away. 2. It bespeaks a great deal of comfort to all believing Christians, for it signifies the consecrating and laying open to us of a new and living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

The tearing of the curtain, the revelation (lifting of the veil), revealed the Kingdom to us in a new way, and gave us a new way of communing with God, by living under the Kingdom that was revealed to us at the Cross.

And I believe that some of the great healers of our time, like Heidi Baker (she says it herself), live under this open heaven, in which her every breath is a prayer.

To live in the Kingdom is to live in Christ, and through it every promise He made to us, every gift He gave to us, are possible.

Blessings

[Guest yod]

in this present time, folks rely on the Church as the sole provider of Biblical teachings but if one has a relationship with Christ, then all the authority and power of God so to speak resides in oneself making a Believer equipped to act, preach, demonstrate the Gospel wherever/whatever situation that person may find himself -

the principle sounds good but it would greatly depend on how individuals are discipled in accountability and relationship with each other. If they are each going their own way, then the Holy Spirit isn't guiding them. If they are all hearing from the Holy Spirit individually and blessing each other corporately then they will be in harmony and/or working out the kinks in each other.

Since they meet together once a week it sounds like the latter, which is good.

[Guest yod]

To me living in the Kingdom now, is living under an open heaven under which a constant personal relationship with God is the objective.

Amen.

What does that mean exactly? How do you explain it to someone? Is there a Kingdom of God outside of your personal relationship with God? If you think so, what is that?

Henry has this to say:-

Who? There is a Book of Hank? What was that chapter and verse?

[Guest HIS girl]

in this present time, folks rely on the Church as the sole provider of Biblical teachings but if one has a relationship with Christ, then all the authority and power of God so to speak resides in oneself making a Believer equipped to act, preach, demonstrate the Gospel wherever/whatever situation that person may find himself -

the principle sounds good but it would greatly depend on how individuals are discipled in accountability and relationship with each other. If they are each going their own way, then the Holy Spirit isn't guiding them. If they are all hearing from the Holy Spirit individually and blessing each other corporately then they will be in harmony and/or working out the kinks in each other.

Since they meet together once a week it sounds like the latter, which is good.

Absolutely - it's imperative the guidance is totally from the HS.

I think it can also raise the issue of those who seek to "glorify" themselves in that they overstep the mark thinking the "power and authority" is FROM them - that they are the origin of it so to speak..but then it all boils down to one's personal relationship with God.

There is definitely accountability with Believers as it is not a solo walk at all.

[canuckamuck]

Amen.

What does that mean exactly? How do you explain it to someone? Is there a Kingdom of God outside of your personal relationship with God? If you think so, what is that?

Yes there is a Kingdom of God outside your personal relationship with God. It is how you carry Jesus to your neighbor, how you interact with the world to be a witness to God's love and how you remain untroubled by circumstances because you live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

That to me is the Kingdom, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

[Guest yod]

It is how you carry Jesus to your neighbor, how you interact with the world to be a witness to God's love and how you remain untroubled by circumstances because you live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

That to me is the Kingdom, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

and how is that view of the Kingdom of God "outside of one's personal relationship"?

Isn't there more to the Kingdom of God than what "you" or "me" do and think?

[canuckamuck]

It is how you carry Jesus to your neighbor, how you interact with the world to be a witness to God's love and how you remain untroubled by circumstances because you live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

That to me is the Kingdom, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

and how is that view of the Kingdom of God "outside of one's personal relationship"?

Isn't there more to the Kingdom of God than what "you" or "me" do and think?

What I was saying is that it isn't just about you and God. it is about you and your neighbors as well. This is the critical leap. We are not Christians so that we only bask in God's glory. We have work to do. Kingdom implies many people, not just a man and God. The church should be the people not the building and that church needs to get out into society. Hence the great commission.

[Guest yod]

Matt 13

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

The Kingdom is hidden right in front of us.

[Guest yod]

Matthew 13 is but one place where the Kingdom is referenced, but this one deals with the Kingdom come on the Earth in a clearer way than most places because He explains the parables to the disciples and they have written it down for us. Yay!

Warning: This may challenge what you have heard about "the rapture"

Matt 13

[Guest yod]

Thank you Yod.....that was helpful.

I have always been aware that most of the 'some taken, some left' scriptures refered to it being the wicked that were take and the righteous that were left but since the Thessalonians quote is clearly the reverse and clearly preceeds the millenium (IMO) I take the others to refer to the post millenium sort-out referred to in 1Cor 3:11-15 and echoed in Rev. 20.

Whadya think?

Mike

Thanks for asking...

If there is a rapture before the "week of Jacobs trouble", then Jesus is coming more than once and those who are "raptured" won't be present in the Kingdom...unless we are the myriad He comes with to destroy the enemies of Israel.

It causes all kinds of confusing scenarios so, in my opinion, the rapture teaching is a diversion that keeps people from working towards the promised Kingdom coming.

Is a pre-trib rapture possible? Maybe. Doesn't matter since we don't for sure. (if you disagree with that statement, please show the chapter and verse that says "we leave planet earth before the Kingdom is set up)

But we are told in very clear language that the wicked are gathered up and the meek inherit the Earth so I'll buy into that instead.