You are here: Home / Archives for kingdom

WHEN CHRIST DELIVERS THE KINGDOM TO THE FATHER

by

WHEN CHRIST DELIVERS THE KINGDOM TO THE FATHER

  1. CHRIST IS THE FIRST FRUITS TO BE RESURRECTED IN A GLORIFIED BODY-
  2. CHRIST’S FOLLOWERS TO BE RESURRECTED ACCORDING TO THEIR ORDER-
  3. CHRIST DELIVERS THE KINGDOM TO GOD AT THE END OF THE THOUSAND YEAR KINGDOM-
  4. CHRIST WILL SUBDUE ALL POWERS DURING HIS THOUSAND YEAR REIGN-
  5. CHRIST WILL DESTROY THE LAST ENEMY, DEATH-
  6. CHRIST WILL BECOME SUBJECT TO GOD AT THE END OF HIS THOUSAND YEAR REIGN-
  7. GOD WILL RULE OVER ALL THINGS AS HE DID IN THE ORIGINAL CREATION-

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.

WHAT APOLLOS DIDN’T KNOW

by

QUESTONWHAT APOLLOS DIDN’T KNOW
By Ken Blue

“This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” Acts 18:25-26.

The dedication of Apollos could not be brought into question. He was eloquent in speech, fervent in spirit and fully committed to the information he had. But, there was a great chasm between what he knew and what he needed to know. The text says Aquila and Priscilla expounded something to him that was more perfect.

Apollos’s ministry consisted exclusively of the ministry of John the Baptist. That is, he was preaching the kingdom of heaven gospel and practicing water baptism for the same reason John had taught and preached it. (“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Mark 1:4).

Now, what was it Apollos did not know? Keep in mind that Aquila and Priscilla had served with the Apostle Paul and had learned of the dispensation of the gospel of grace from him. They also had a church in their house.

First of all, he didn’t know that the ministry of John and the Twelve was over, and that God was rejecting Israel and cutting them off because of their unbelief. Next, he didn’t know that Paul was God’s new Apostle, and that the dispensation of grace was committed to him. Again, he didn’t know that Jews and Gentiles were being baptized by the Spirit into one body, called the church. This truth was not made known from the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 3:9). Neither did he know the gospel message that had been given exclusively to Paul. (See Galatians 1:11-12). Apollos didn’t know that he could now eat catfish without guilt. Last of all, he didn’t know that the writings of Paul would become the body of doctrine for the new church God was building. Like many today, he needed to learn how to rightly divide the Word of God.

We may thank God for His servants who are gifted and zealous for the Lord. But, zeal without knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and it has done great harm to the church through the centuries. Many today are still laboring under the kingdom of heaven ministry of John the Baptist, and they don’t have a clue as to the more perfect or accurate ministry given to Paul.

ARE YOU GOING TO MISS THE KINGDOM

by

INHERITING THE KINGDOM

lion and lamb

By Ken Blue

“ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.

The following is an explanation of the sins of the flesh from Dake’s Bible Notes. Will you make it into the Kingdom?

1. Adultery: unlawful sexual relations between men and women, single or married (Mt. 15:19; Mk. 7:21; Jn. 8:3; Gal.5:19).

2. Fornication: same as adultery above besides all manner of other unlawful relations.

3. Uncleanness: whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, and all other forms of sexual perversion (Gal. 5:19; Mt. 23:27; Rom. 1:21-32; 6:19.

4. Lasciviousness: licentiousness, lustfulness, unchastity, and lewdness. Lasciviousness is the promoting or partaking of that which tends to produce lewd emotions, anything tending to foster sex sin and lust. That is why many worldly pleasures have to be avoided by Christians — so that lasciviousness may not be committed.

5. Idolatry: image-worship (1Cor. 10:14; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5; 1Pet. 4:3). Idolatry includes anything on which affections are passionately set; extravagant admiration of the heart (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

6. Witchcraft: sorcery, practice of dealing with evil spirits; magical incantations and casting spells and charms upon one by means of drugs and potions of various kinds (Gal. 5:20; Rev. 9:21; 18:23; cp. Rev. 21:8; 22:15.. Enchantments were used to inflict evil, pains, hatred, sufferings, and death, or to bring good, health, love and other blessings.

7. Hatred: enmity; hatred (Gal. 5:20). Bitter dislike, abhorrance, malice and ill will against anyone; tendency to hold grudges against or be angry at someone.

8. Variance: Rom. 1:29. Dissensions, discord, quarreling, debating; and disputes.

9. Emulations: envies, jealousies; striving to excel at the expense of another; seeking to surpass and out do others; uncurbed rivalry spirit in religion, business, society, and other fields of endeavor.

10. Wrath: “indignation” (Rom. 2:8); and “fierceness” (Rev. 16:19; 19:15). Turbulent passions; domestic and civil turmoils; rage; determined and lasting anger.

11. Strife: Disputations; jangling; strife about words; angry contentions; contest for superiority or advantage; strenuous endeavor to equal or pay back in kind the wrongs done to one.

12. Seditions: divisions, parties, and factions (Gal. 5:20). Popular disorder; stirring up strife in religion, government, home, or any other place.

13. Heresies: a choosing, hence, a sect. The word heretic is used once in Scripture (Tit. 3:10), and means one who holds a heresy; a dissenter, nonconformist.

14. Envyings: Pain, ill will, and jealousy at the good fortune or blessings of another; the most base of all degrading and disgraceful passions.

15. Murders: to kill; to spoil or mar the happiness of another; hatred (1Jn. 3:15).

16. Drunkeness: Living intoxicated; a slave to drink; drinking bouts.

17. Revellings: rioting (Rom. 13:13). Lascivious and boisterous feastings, with obscene music, and other sinful activities; pleasures; carousings.

“There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it hardly behooves any of us
To talk about the rest of us.” Edward Wallis Hoch, Marion (Kansas) Record (1849 – 1925)