Kingdom Citizens
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    • Clarity in the Kingdom of God
  • Kingdom Authority
    • What is a Kingdom? >
      • Understanding the Kingdom Concept Part 1 >
        • Understanding the Kingdom Concept Part 2
        • Kingdom Concepts: Understanding Religion Part 1 >
          • Kingdom Concepts: Understanding Religion Part 2
      • The Kingdom Concept of King and Kingdom
      • Believe It or Not, The Kingdom Is Here
      • Life Beyond the Door of the Kingdom
      • The Kingdom of God Is Within You
      • The Kingdom Process Here on Earth
      • Past Tragedies In History While Seeking the Kingdom
      • The Kingdom Is Truly Relevant
      • The Contrasts Between a Kingdom and a Democracy
      • Christ's Message Was on His Kingdom, It's What He Preached
      • The First Kingdom, and Its Origin
      • A Kingdom Promised
      • The Kingdom of God Versus The Government of Man
      • Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Territory
      • The Kingdom Concept of Kings
      • The Name Christian Is Neither God Sent Nor God Given
      • The Unshakable Kingdom >
        • The Unshakable Kingdom Pt 2
        • The Unshakable Kingdom and the Absolute Person
        • The Unshakable Kingdom and Unchanging Person
    • Kingdom Principles >
      • Seven Kingdom Pillars to Build Upon
      • Understanding the Kingdom Life
      • Attributes of God's Kingdom
      • Kingdom Protection, Wisdom and Authority
      • God's Unchanging Kingdom Principles
    • First Step of Entering the Kingdom >
      • God's Constitution is Not a Buffet
      • Religion Versus Kingdom
      • Understand His Message and True Purpose
      • Everything That God Created Has Potential >
        • Living an Effective Life
        • Staying Connected to Your Source Part 1 >
          • Staying Connected to Your Source Part 2
          • Staying Connected to Your Source-Part 3
          • Staying Connected to Your Source- Part 4
          • Staying Connected to Your Source Part 5
        • The Redeeming of Your Body
      • Being Obedient, Is Much More Important Than Sacrifice
      • We Must Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom
      • How Did We Lose the Gospel of the Kingdom? Pt 1 >
        • How Did We Lose the Gospel of the Kingdom? Pt 2
      • The Unchanging Individual and the Unshakable Kingdom
      • Violating Kingdom Laws and Principles
    • The Kingdom and It's Personnel
    • We Are Citizens of a New Country
    • The Kingdom Concept of Lord
    • In God's Kingdom, We Are Sons and Daughters, Not Servants
    • A King Speaks About His Kingdom >
      • Characteristics of a King
      • The King Cares For His People
      • A King and His Kingdom
      • He is King and Lord--Part 1 >
        • He is King and Lord--Part 2
      • The Returning of the King and His Kingdom
    • The Birth of the Kingdom; The Spirit of Dominion
    • Your Kingdom Inheritance
    • The Experience of Living Under a Lord--Part 1 >
      • The Experience of Living Under a Lord--Part 2
    • Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom >
      • What Gospel Are You Preaching?
    • The Lord's Motivation for His Divine Creation
    • Growing in the Kingdom >
      • God's Priority and Assignment for Mankind
    • The Coming of the God-Man
    • The Son of Man and the Ancient of Days
    • He Came Under the Cover of Darkness
    • It is Just What it is, the Good News of the Kingdom Pt 1 >
      • It is Just What it is, the Good News of the Kingdom Pt 2
    • Kings, Prophets--All Are Representatives of the Kingdom
    • Keys to the Kingdom, Understanding Its Concept >
      • Understanding God’s Constitution as a Government is Key
  • Attributes
    • A Repentant Heart
    • Growing The Kingdom Culture
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    • The Core of Morality in the Kingdom
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    • Kingdom Perspective: The Eternal Message Pt 2
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  • Kingdom Knowledge
    • This is What the Kingdom is Like
    • Christianity, a Religion, vs Kingdom Government
    • The Concept of a Kingdom
    • It Was a Lost Concept
    • The Government of Man Vs the Kingdom of God Pt 1 >
      • The Government of Man Vs the Kingdom of God Pt 2
      • The Government of Man Vs the Kingdom of God Pt 3
    • Condemning is Not Our Responsibility >
      • Condemning is Not Our Responsibility Pt 2
    • Forgiven From Your Past Life
    • His Kingdom is Here
    • Mankind is Prone to Drift From the Truth
    • The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand
    • Diluting the Kingdom Message While Being Deceived
    • Believers Who Are Blinded, Distracted and Deceived >
      • Believers Who Are Blinded, Distracted and Deceived Pt 2
    • Removing Religion From a Kingdom Mindset
    • He Rules and Reigns: Citizenship in Kingdom Government
    • Giving and Baptism in the Kingdom
    • Mankind, the Glory of His Creaton
    • A Sacrifice of Praise
    • Only One Culture, One Mindset and One Spirit
    • The World Loves its Own, But We Belong to Him
    • What is Your Status and Reward?
    • Your Philosophy Determines Your Thoughts
    • Your Eternal Future Hinges on His Promise
    • Mankind's Refusal to Answer to His Creator
    • Your Faith in the King and His Word
    • It is a Fallen World
    • Understanding the BIG Picture
    • His Name is Jesus, Immanuel
    • His Enduring Word
    • The Jeopardy of Being Rich
  • Kingdom 101
    • Kingdom 101: You Must First Be Reborn
    • Kingdom 101: The Kingdom is One
    • Kingdom 101: Down Through Time >
      • Kingdom 101: Right Time
    • Kingdom 101: The Promise of Recovery
    • Kingdom 101: The Motivation of Creation
    • Kingdom 101: God's Idea of Colonization
    • Kingdom 101: What is Dominion?
    • Kingdom 101: The Spirit of Dominion Part 1 >
      • Kingdom 101: The Spirit of Dominion Pt 2
    • Kingdom 101: Let Them Have Dominion
    • Kingdom 101: Disobedience Is an Act of Treason
    • Kingdom 101: The Lord God Promised a Kingdom
    • Kingdom 101: His Intent of the Original Kingdom
    • Kingdom 101: He Restored What Man Lost
    • Kingdom 101: We Are Sons Not Servants
    • Kingdom 101: We Are Government Citizens, Not Religious Members
    • Kingdom 101: Your Relationship or Your Religion
    • Kingdom 101: He Rules the Visible World From the Invisible Realm
    • Kingdom 101: He is the King of the Invisible and Visible Worlds
    • Kingdom 101: You--Mankind--Were Created to Rule
    • Kingdom 101: Kingdom of Kings >
      • Kingdom 101: Kingdom of Kings Pt 2
    • Kingdom 101: The Lord God's Contract with Man
    • Kingdom 101: Born to Rule, Not to be Ruled or Controlled
    • Kingdom 101: Man Shall Manage Earth, It's the King's Law >
      • Kingdom 101: Man Shall Manage Earth, It's the King's Law Pt 2
    • Kingdom 101: The Lord God Requires a Body
    • Kingdom 101: Building a Kingdom Mentality
    • Kingdom 101: Anti-Kingdom Perspective
    • Kingdom 101: Rulers Become the Ruled
    • Kingdom 101: New Birth, But Not Converted
    • Kingdom 101: A Complete Change of Mentality
    • Kingdom 101: Making Preparations for the King >
      • Kingdom 101: Making Preparation for the King Pt 2
      • Kingdom 101: Making Preparation for the King Pt 3
    • Kingdom 101: The Image of a King
  • Kingdom 101: King and Kingdom
    • Kingdom 101: The Essence of a Kingdom and Its King
    • Kingdom 101: A World Just for You
    • Kingdom 101: Conflicting Kingdoms
  • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom of God is Relevant
    • Kingdom 102: How Do You Enter? >
      • Kingdom 102: Honoring His Son in the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 102: Applying the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 102: A Kingdom Focus on the Beatitudes
    • Kingdom 102: Staying Focused on His Word in Time of Conflict
    • Kingdom 102: Principles of the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 102: The Invasion From Heaven >
      • Kingdom 102: The Divine Confrontation
    • Kingdom 102: Violence and the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 102: Setting Priorities While Living in Two Kingdoms >
      • Kingdom 102: A Clash of Cultures
      • Kingdom 102: Characteristic of Kingdom Culture
      • Kingdom 102: Citizens Represent Their Kingdom and Culture
    • Kingdom 102: Kingdom Government Principles >
      • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom Government and the Republic
      • Kingdom 102: Carrying Out the King's Policies and Principles
      • Kingdom 102: Fusing a Kingdom With a Democracy
    • Kingdom 102: Mankind's Knowledge
    • Kingdom 102: Information: Knowledge From the King >
      • Kingdom 102: Information--Knowledge From the King Pt 2
    • Kingdom 102: Kingdoms and Their Battles
    • Kingdom 102: Knowledge, the Key >
      • Kingdom 102: Knowledge is Very Important
    • Kingdom 102: Seek the Kingdom, Encourage One Another >
      • Kingdom 102: Seek the Kingdom, A Divine Command
    • Kingdom 102: Light in Dark Places >
      • Kingdom 102: Kingdom of Light or Darkness?
      • Kingdom 102: Where Are the Ambassadors? >
        • Kingdom 102: The Power of an Ambassador >
          • Kingdom 102: The Ambassador's Influence
        • Kingdom 102: Surrendering Our Heavenly Passport
        • Kingdom 102: A Break in Diplomatic Relations
      • Kingdom 102: We Are Prisoners In a Foreign Land >
        • Kingdom 102: Mankind's Full Pardon
      • Kingdom 102: The Coming of His Man >
        • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom and His Birth
        • Kingdom 102: Understanding His Mission, Purpose and Who He Is
        • Kingdom 102: Purpose >
          • Kingdom 102: His Original Mission and Purpose
      • Kingdom 102: Developing a Kingdom Concept >
        • Kingdom 102: Meditate on These Kingdom Principles
      • Kingdom 102: His Assignment, Preach the Kingdom >
        • Kingdom 102: Preach and Teach the Gospel of the Kingdom
      • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom is Power >
        • Kingdom 102: Representing the King: The Power of Our Position
      • Kingdom 102: Restoring the Kingdom and Its Mission Statement >
        • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom Reintroduced Pt 1 >
          • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom Reintroduced Pt 2
        • Kingdom 102: God's Plan to Restore Our Place
      • Kingdom 102: Preparation for the Counselor (Holy Spirit) >
        • Kingdom 102: Preparing for the Indwelling
      • Kingdom 102: A New Order is Here, in the Last Stage >
        • Kingdom 102: The New World Order
        • Kingdom 102: The New Order and Its Citizens
      • Kingdom 102: The Final Process: Becoming One With the Holy Spirit
      • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom is the Good News Pt 1 >
        • Kingdom 102: The Kingdom is the Good News Pt 2
  • Kingdom 102: Knowing How to Apply the Kingdom Concept
  • Kingdom 103: Believe in Me
    • Kingdom 103: The King's Viewpoint of Giving
    • Kingdom 103: If You Can Believe in Him
    • Kingdom 103: Trusting in Mankind While Believing in God's Word? >
      • Kingdom 103: Your Faith is Essential in the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 103: The Division of Mankind
    • Kingdom 103: They Praise Him, But Fail to Obey Him >
      • Kingdom 103: The King's Will and the King's Word
    • Kingdom 103: Know Your Purpose While on This Earth >
      • Kingdom 103: Your Goals, His Purpose...and Then What?
  • Kingdom 103: He Needs No Assistance in Keeping His Promise
    • Kingdom 103: Honoring the Father Through the Son
    • Kingdom 103: Standing on His Promises >
      • Kingdom 103: Spreading Your Culture >
        • Kingdom 103: Living in the Kingdom Culture
    • Kingdom 103: Power and Authority in His Name
    • Kingdom 103: Many Little Kingdoms, But Only One is True
    • Kingdom 103: What Does it Mean to Lead? >
      • Kingdom 103: Kingdom Citizens Are Examples
    • Kingdom 103: Persistent and Consistent!
    • Kingdom 103: Student or Disciple of the Kingdom? >
      • Kingdom 103: Student or Disciple of the Kingdom? Pt 2
      • Kingdom 103: Student or Disciple of the Kingdom? Pt 3
    • Kingdom 103: Dare To Be Obedient
    • Kingdom 103: On What Foundation Does Your Faith Stand?
    • Kingdom 103: The Kingdom Mindset of Authority
  • Kingdom 103: Seven Last Days Churches and Their Believers' Characteristics
    • Kingdom 103: Ephesus, Its Believers' Characteristics >
      • Kingdom 103: Ephesus, Its Believers' Characteristics Pt 2
    • Kingdom 103: Smyrna, Its Believers' Characteristics
    • Kingdom 103: Pergamos, Its Believers' Characteristics >
      • Kingdom 103: Pergamos, Its Believers' Characteristics Pt 2
    • Kingdom 103: Thyatira, Its Believers' Characteristics >
      • Kingdom 103: Thyatira, Its Believers' Characteristics Pt 2
    • Kingdom 103: Sardis, Its Believers' Characteristics
    • Kingdom 103: Philadelphia, Its Believers' Characteristics >
      • Kingdom 103: Philadelphia, Its Believers' Characteristics Pt 2
    • Kingdom 103: Laodicea, Its Believers' Characteristics >
      • Kingdom 103: Laodicea, Its Believers' Characteristics Pt 2
  • Kingdom 103: Reconsidering the End Times
    • Kingdom 103: When Will the End Come?
    • Kingdom 103: He Came Under the Cloak of Darkness
    • Kingdom 103: Authorized Power for the Heavenly Government
    • Kingdom 103: Never Assume in Marriage Pt 1 >
      • Kingdom 103: Never Assume in Marriage Pt 2
      • Kingdom 103: Love in Marriage Needs to be Refreshed
    • Kingdom 103: Fatherlessness, the Source of Disobedience and Sin
    • Kingdom 103: Simple Made Complicated >
      • Kingdom 103: The Simplicity of the Kingdom Gospel
    • Kingdom 103: Life Beyond the Door >
      • Kingdom 103: Kingdom Culture Displayed to the Blind
      • Kingdom 103: What Gospel Are You Preaching? >
        • Kingdom 103: What Gospel Are You Preaching? Pt 2
      • Kingdom 103: He is Alive and Well
    • Kingdom 103: The Unchanging Person and the Unshakable Kingdom >
      • Kingdom 103: Who or What is Your god?
      • Kingdom 103: Focused and Unshakable >
        • Kingdom 103: Staying Focused on Your Purpose Pt 1 >
          • Kingdom 103: Staying Focused on Your Purpose Pt 2
        • Kingdom 103: Staying Focused on Kingdom Priorities
    • Kingdom 103: Be Encouraged Through Difficult Times
    • Kingdom 103: Singleness, Divorce and the Results Pt 1 >
      • Kingdom 103: Singleness, Divorce and the Results Pt 2
      • Kingdom 103: Singleness From God's Viewpoint
      • Kingdom 103: God Presents, You Choose
    • Kingdom 103: Forgiveness, Always a Priority
    • Kingdom 103: Kingdom Principles Are Relevant to Our Way of Life
    • Kingdom 103: Religion and the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 103: The House Where God Lives
    • Kingdom 103: The Indwelling of His Spirit (the Governor)
    • Kingdom 103: In the Kingdom, They are Filled with His Spirit >
      • Kingdom 103: Who Is the Holy Spirit?
      • Kingdom 103: The Holy Spirit is for All Humanity >
        • Kingdom 103: Return Of the Governor
        • Kingdom 103: Leaning On the Governor
        • Kingdom 103: Where Does the Governor Reside?
        • Kingdom 103: The Governor is Meant For All
        • Kingdom 103: The Holy Spirit is Your Guide and Teacher
        • Kingdom 103: Your Legacy and the Kingdom
  • Kingdom 104: Misrepresenting the Kingdom Gospel Pt 1
    • Kingdom 104: Misrepresenting the Kingdom Gospel Pt 2 >
      • Kingdom 104: The Misrepresentation of the Kingdom
      • Kingdom 104: Earthly Holidays Misrepresent the Kingdom
      • Kingdom 104: Being Misrepresented
    • Kingdom 104: His Name is All Authority and Power >
      • Kingdom 104: His Law, the Source of All His Principles and Truth
    • Kingdom 104: Failing to Know Your Kingdom Assignment Brings Boredom
    • Kingdom 104: The Purpose of the Sabbath--Rest and Teach >
      • Kingdom 104: The Sabbath or Seventh Day God's Way >
        • Kingdom 104: The Sabbath or Seventh Day God's Way Pt 2
    • Kingdom 104: Living in the Kingdom Culture >
      • Kingdom 104: Your Eternal Foundation Will Sustain You
    • Kingdom 104: The Diluting of the Kingdom Message
    • Kingdom 104: Detoxing Your Mind
    • Kingdom 104: Being Deceived From Your True Identity Pt 1 >
      • Kingdom 104: Being Deceived From Your True Identity Pt 2
      • Kingdom 104: Being Deceived Without a Solid Foundation
    • Kingdom 104: What Profit Has Righteousness in the Kingdom? Pt 1 >
      • Kingdom 104: What Profit Has Righteousness in the Kingdom? Pt 2
    • Kingdom 104: Christianity Misrepresents the Kingdom Pt 1 >
      • Kingdom 104: Christianity Misrepresents the Kingdom Pt 2
    • Kingdom 104: A Focused Representative of the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 104: Where Are the Masculine-Thinking Men? Ch 1 Pt 1 >
      • Kingdom 104: Where Are the Masculine-Thinking Men? Ch 1 Pt 2
      • Kingdom 104: Where Are the Masculine-Thinking Men? Ch 1 pt 3
    • Kingdom 104: Masculine-Minded Men of the Kingdom Government Pt 1 >
      • ​Kingdom 104: Masculine-Minded Men of the Kingdom Government Pt 2
    • Kingdom 104: The Benefits of Understanding the Simplicity of the Kingdom
    • Kingdom 104: The Benefits of Discernment
    • Kingdom 104: Is it Lust not Love?
  • Kingdom Living
    • Embracing a Kingdom Lifestyle
    • The Kingdom Is the Crux of the Problem Pt 1
    • The Kingdom Is the Crux of the Problem Pt 2
    • Life Inside the Door of the Kingdom
    • Establishing Priorities For Success
    • An Invisible Kingdom and Citizenship
    • The Balancing of Life While Living in Two Kingdoms
    • Effective Principles
    • The Power and Privilege of Citizenship >
      • Becoming a Kingdom Citizen Part 1
      • Becoming a Kingdom Citizen Pt 2
      • Our Citizenship
      • Dual Citizenship Pt 1 >
        • Dual Citizenship Pt 2
      • Principles of Citizenship
    • The Kingdom of God is Within You Pt 1 >
      • The Kingdom of God is Within You Pt 2
      • The Kingdom of God is Within You Pt 3
    • The Authority and Source of Our Being >
      • Focusing On the Correct Source
    • Experiencing the Kingdom of God on Earth
    • The God of the Kingdom and His Concept
    • The Sons of the Kingdom of God
    • The Same Kingdom Message
    • Kingdom Citizen, not "Christian"--What's In a Name?
    • The Source of Your Foundation for Life
    • What is Your Motive?
    • Reminiscing Through History
    • Facing Life Successfully and Effectively Pt 1 >
      • Facing Life Successfully and Effectively Pt 2
    • The Power of Motive and Faith in God's Word
    • Your Faith in Jesus the Christ: the Work of God >
      • Your Faith in Jesus the Christ: the Work of God Pt 2
    • The Challenges of Your Faith In God's Written Word
  • Marriage
    • Kingdom Principles of Marriage
    • Marriage is Still God's Idea
    • Is Sex the Primary Purpose for Marriage?
    • God Created Marriage as a Foundational Institution
    • The Misconception of Marriage
    • Populating the Earth Wasn't the Primary Purpose of Marriage
    • Marriage--When Two Histories Collide
  • Kingdom Citizenship
    • Citizenship-- Part 1 >
      • Citizenship Pt 2--Becoming a Kingdom Citizen
      • Citizenship Pt 3-The Concept of Dual Citizenship
      • Citizenship Pt 4: The Invisible Citizenship
    • Colonization: The Concept >
      • The Colonial Intent of God
    • The Government of God and Democracy >
      • The Priority of God
    • The Kingdom Versus the Government of Man >
      • The Kingdom Versus the Government of Man Pt 2
  • Kingdom Questions & Answers
    • What Is Your Place in the Kingdom?
    • The Good News Is the Kingdom
    • The Origin and Purpose For Man
    • The Birth of the Kingdom, The Spirit of Dominion >
      • A Promised Kingdom
      • Sons or Servants >
        • Standards of a Great Mentor
    • Ruling the Visible World From the Invisible Realm >
      • We Were Born to Rule, But Not Over Each Other
    • A Kingdom of Kings >
      • The Image of a King
      • Building a Kingdom Mentality
      • Servant to the King of Kings
    • What Question Fits Your Crisis?
    • Rediscovering the Kingdom Concept
    • The Kingdom Components
    • Jesus' Assignment Was to Restore the Kingdom
    • The Restoring of Our Place in God's Plan
    • We Are Citizens of a New Order
    • The Kingdom--Preached In Word, Demonstrated In Power
    • The Indwelling Force
    • The Divine Confrontation
  • We Are Heaven's Ambassadors on Earth
    • The Characteristics of an Ambassador
    • The Ambassador's Power and Authority
    • Our Position as Ambassadors
    • Representing the King as Ambassadors
    • King's Policies Should be Carried Out
    • Breaking Diplomatic Relations
    • Surrendering Your Heavenly Passport
  • What Is Culture?
    • Understanding Principles of Kingdom Culture
    • Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 1 >
      • Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 2
      • Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 3
    • Culture, What It Is >
      • Culture, What It Is Pt 2
    • Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 1 >
      • Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 2
      • Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 3
      • Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 4
    • The Kingdom: Social and Economic Differences
    • Kingdom Culture vs The Culture of Christianity
    • Faith in the Kingdom Culture
    • There Are Three Basic Needs of Mankind
  • Fasting
    • Fasting Guidelines
    • The Effects of Fasting
    • The Three Keys for Kingdom Success
  • Renewing Your Mind
    • Knowledge >
      • Knowledge, Information From the Lord God
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      • Change is a Process
      • The Result of Change
      • He Is Constant In the Midst of Change
      • Change Is Inevitable When Obeying the King's Word
    • What Do You Put Your Faith In? >
      • What Do You Put Your Faith In? Part 2
    • Faith in the Written Word and Hardship Pt 1 >
      • Faith In the Written Word and Hardship Pt 2
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    • The Joy That Purpose Gives
    • The Principles of Understanding Purpose >
      • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 1 >
        • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 2
        • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 3
        • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 4
        • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 5
        • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 6
        • The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 7
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      • The Principles of Purpose
      • The Principles From Priority of Purpose
      • The Principles for Purpose and Time
      • The Principles for Purpose and Position
    • The Lord Provides for His Purpose, Not for Our Plans Pt1 >
      • The Lord Provides for His Purpose, Not for Our Plans Pt 2
    • It's Imperative That One Knows Their Purpose
    • Your Purpose is Being Accomplished Through Christ
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Choices and Free Will in the Kingdom

10/2/2021

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From the time of creation, the Lord God gave mankind the freedom to choose. It is an essential concept of the Kingdom of God that we must understand. It is clear that the Lord God did not want mindless robots as His creation, only be capable of doing His Will with no other choice. He wants us to choose to obey Him, love Him and spend time in His presence. I can understand that! If you love someone, you would also want them to freely love you back. I want my adult children to freely seek me out; to want to spend time with me, not out of obligation. There is no joy in someone being forced to love you!
 
There was Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, living in Heaven on earth, and the Lord God gave them only one “test” to obey or disobey Him.  The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:15-17  You would think that is easy compared to all the choices we must make today. Yet, they make the wrong choice!
 
We often hear “God is in control”, but the truth is that God gave mankind control when He gave us the freedom to choose. We must seek His help and ask for His intervention in a situation. We make a choice and pray about it. “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep His commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in His ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
 

“But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:15-19 Can you hear the Lord God’s heart for mankind? He wants us to choose Him. He wants us to want to worship Him and obey His commandments. But if we don’t, He clearly lays out the consequences:  (Further reading Deuteronomy 28) Don't throw out the Old Testament. Remember that the Old Testament shows us God’s character. It shows us His “heart” toward mankind. When He sent Jesus, the Lord God’s character didn’t change.
 
The Lord God doesn’t “make” you do anything. You have a choice. Satan can’t “make” you do anything either! You have a choice. Make your choices with that in mind. We’ve all heard the saying “the devil made me do it” but we know that is just a joke! If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
 
Our society today would like you to feel like a victim, rather than seeing the bad choices, errors in judgment, that have placed us in the midst of some bad consequences. Sometimes the only way out of a bad situation is to see our bad choices, repent and change what we are doing! Seed—time—and harvest doesn’t only refer to money or crops. It refers to every choice, every decision, every action we do. Seek out God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every decision.
 
Jesus replied, “All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me. And remember, My words are not My own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with You. But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:23-26 It is the Holy Spirit—our Governor—who will lead us to make good choices if we will only listen.
 
Today, I am building a foundation, a solid foundation upon which you can stand. Every time you make a choice that is in line with God’s Constitution, your self-control fruit of the Spirit will grow. You will become stronger in the Kingdom and more able to withstand the attacks of our enemy, Satan. He wants to tempt you to make the wrong choice and separate you from the Lord God. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore. Isaiah 59:2 NLT I don’t ever want my Father to turn away from me and not listen to me anymore!
 
Here are more foundational “scripture bricks”:
 
Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!  Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.  
 
Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
 
Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
 
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:15-23
 
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28 NKJV
 
Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!” Matthew 12:50
 
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
 
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
 
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.) Romans 8:1-9 

 
But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Kingdom citizens are well able, with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit working in them and through them, to make choices that line up with God’s Word. The more you do this, the stronger you will become. In our present world, we need that strength!
 
The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love Him, but He destroys the wicked. Psalm 145:18-20
 
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect  and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 AMP
 
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

 
Your heavenly Father loves you and gives you the freedom to choose to love and obey Him or reject Him.
 
The choice is yours.

Be a Kingdom light shining in the darkness,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
All scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted.

This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you.
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Who is the Lord God to You?

8/4/2021

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How you see the Lord God determines the level at which He will operate in your life.
 
If you see Him as a friend, He will operate in your life as a friend. But if you see Him as the one true God, Creator of all, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Protector, Father, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent; you will see His supernatural power operating in your life! Even the Lord Jesus was limited in Nazareth because the people could only see Him as the son of Mary and Joseph, the carpenter. He was “just a guy from the neighborhood”.  Jesus left that part of the country and returned with His disciples to Nazareth, His hometown. The next Sabbath He began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. They asked, “Where did He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 
 
Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us.”
 
They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him.
 
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their unbelief. Mark 6:1-6
 
“They were deeply offended. . .” I can imagine that they probably also added a “Who does he think he is?”! Because of their unbelief, Jesus did very little in Nazareth.

We are in a season where we must have a revelation of the power and glory of the Lord God that is available to us if we will only believe! See with supernatural eyes what is going on in our world. See it for the spiritual battle that it is. This is surely “the time of evil”. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
 
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Gospel so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
 
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:11-18

 
In Psalm 20, it says:  Some trust in chariots (made by man) and some in horses (nature, God’s creation), but we will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God. Where do you place your trust? It goes on to say:  They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call. Psalm 20:7-9 AMP Yes, they have bowed down and fallen but we have risen and stand upright, because we trust in our Lord God and we know that NOTHING is impossible with Him!
 
Satan has saturated our world with fear, control, manipulation and lies that try to undermine the Lord God’s Kingdom principles and Believers’ faith. We have all seen pastors, ministers and believers, that we thought were strong in the faith, fall away. I have seen them leave their ministry and some have even said they don’t believe in God. It is sad and disheartening to see a “leader of the faith” publicly turn away. But they never truly knew Him. If they did, they would see His power in their lives.  They were caught up in “doing ministry” as their career and didn’t actually know the Lord. When you see His power moving in your life, you will never walk away from Him! I have had countless events in my life where I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt “that was my Father God!” Because of that, I boldly say that I will never doubt or walk away. I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God and all of my Father God’s power and authority are available to operate in my life in Jesus’ name!  “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!” John 14:12-14
 
 
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:18-19 NKJV
 
Do you believe God’s Word? Then you believe that NOTHING will hurt you. You believe that you have been given ALL power over the enemy—Satan and his demons.
 
When I think of the power and authority of our Father, of His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit which He has given us, I get excited! When you get that revelation, you will not fear the world and all that is in it.
 
Focus your spiritual eyes. See Satan and his demonic angels at work in this world. And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. . . And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. Revelation 12:9 & 11 AMP Most important of all, see your Father God for who He is. Nothing is impossible or too hard for Him! Never allow your unbelief to limit His supernatural power in your life! You will be victorious over Satan and every weapon he fires at you because of the blood of Jesus on you, the words you speak and your unshakable faith in the Lord God even in the face of death.
 
Satan is a liar and an illusionist. He is already defeated and we are victorious through the Lord Jesus. Satan has absolutely no power in the Kingdom of God. He only prowls around in the world. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion (it’s only an illusion), looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9a
 
I have “scripture bombs” going off in my mind! Every time I write a little bit, the Holy Spirit gives me more! Fill your mind with God’s Word. Get to know Him better through His Word. If you do, you will see His hand on your life. Your prayers will be more fruitful and powerful. Walk in the power and authority of your Father God. Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. They [who teach twisted doctrine] are of the world and belong to it; therefore they speak from the [viewpoint of the] world [with its immoral freedom and baseless theories—demanding compliance with their opinions and ridiculing the values of the upright], and the [gullible one of the] world listens closely and pays attention to them. 1 John 4:4-5 AMP
 
Yes! Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or intimidated. The Lord God is with you wherever you go! (Joshua 1:9)
 
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
All scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted.

This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you.

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His Yoke Is Easy

7/9/2021

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“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.  For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 AMP
 
How do you know if you are fulfilling God’s purpose for your life? How do you stay on track? What if that purpose is something you can’t even imagine in your mind right now? Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. . .” Ephesians 3:20 NKJV The only way to accurately fulfill God’s purpose in your life is to be guided by and submitted to the Holy Spirit!
 
His yoke is easy and His burden is light because of the Holy Spirit working in us!
 
Let’s say you feel called to be in ministry.  Too often, we make a list of the things we need to do to go into ministry:  Go to a Bible college or theological seminary, meet and talk to lots of people. Share your vision for your ministry or church, raise funds to start a church or fund your ministry, get followers, volunteers, etc. But doing it in our own strength and limited knowledge can get you a manmade ministry!
 
The first thing we should do if we feel called to be in ministry is pray and listen to the Holy Spirit.  But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26   One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts 13:2-3 Yes, if we will listen, the Holy Spirit will guide us to fulfill God’s purpose! He is truly our Governor—our GPS—to guide us in life.
 
Another way the Lord God guides us is through His provision. Where God leads, He provides. Inversely, if that ministry is in a constant state of lack, it is time to seek Him for direction. We may have gotten off-track or He may be leading us into a new thing. Read how the Lord led Elijah by provision and lack:   And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand,  there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
 
 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
 
So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
 

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 1 Kings 17:1-9 NKJV The Lord God would have kept the Brook Cherith flowing and the bread and meat coming, if it were His will for Elijah to stay there. But God’s next assignment for Elijah was to minister to the widow and her son. Elijah’s provision was already planned for in his next assignment.
 
Your provision is already prepared and placed in your next assignment. If you are struggling and stressing in lack, seek Him for that next assignment! His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It is only through His strength and His guidance that we can do all that He has called us to do.
 
Without being totally submitted to the Lord and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we end up with a manmade ministry. A manmade ministry may be successful because of entertainment, talent, skills, charisma, and man’s abilities.
 
Sadly, they don’t need God, but use His name.
 
Whether a success or a failure in the eyes of man, the fruit of a manmade ministry will ultimately be stress, pride, arrogance, sin, exhaustion, depression, anger, emptiness and ultimately separation for God our Father. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
 
We have the wrong mindset when we think of being in ministry as a vocation. For some, it will be. But for most Kingdom citizens, it is an assignment we gladly "volunteer" for. We all have a God given purpose and many assignments to fulfill that purpose; but the vocation the Lord uses to provide our income may be a secular job or career. If we stop looking at ministry as the way to make our living, it will be far easier to be led by the Holy Spirit. Our vision may become clouded by financial burdens and desires.  Open your mind to what ministry is! My husband and I are examples of what I am saying here. We have been teaching people about the Kingdom of God through this website for almost a decade now. God has always provided for all our needs, though not through the ministry. Through the ministry, He has always provided for the costs of the ministry. My husband wanted to teach people about the Kingdom of God. One day, the Holy Spirit gave me the idea of building a website.

I had never even thought about building a website before! But God!
 
You will be amazed at what the Lord God will do through you if you submit to His Will. Don’t focus on money and don’t try to put ministry in a familiar box! The God who created you knows what you are able to do more than you do. He has assignments for you that you cannot even comprehend yet. He created mankind with DNA unique to each individual. Why would there be limitations on His assignments in His Kingdom? 
 
When Jesus sent His disciples out in ministry, He told them who to minister to, where to go, how to behave, what to say and what to take with them. He gave them authority to cast out demons, and heal every disease and sickness. (Not even a mention of an "armor bearer"!) I wonder how many people would dive into ministry if this is what they were told before they went:
 
Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep.  Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
 
“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.
 
“Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.  When you enter the home, give it your blessing.  If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.  If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
 
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.  But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.  You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are My followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about Me.  When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.  For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”  Matthew 10:5-20 
Wow! What an assignment!

Assignments:  Some are positioned in front of the people to lead and teach. Some are placed among the people to nurture, disciple and care for them. Some are placed behind the people to clean up, gather what is left behind and bring order. Whatever the assignment may be, the burden is light when it is His assignment and purpose for you. He has already prepared everything you will need to fulfill it. 

Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
All scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted.

This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you.

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Understanding Our Father's Love

6/24/2021

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God loves us. We hear that often said and it is true, but if we aren't filled with an understanding of God's Word, we can throw it out there like a blanket, covering and accepting the sins and iniquity that God hates and has no part in. It is often said that "God loves you where you are, but too much to let you stay there"! So true! “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 "For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me, not to do My own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those He has given Me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is My Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:38-40

Yes! And He also loved us so much that He gives us the freedom to choose whether we would accept or reject His Son Jesus and His Kingdom. He also wants us to fully understand the cost of that rejection. “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20  I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security). The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep. John 10:9-11 AMP 

​The Lord God is our loving Father. He is not a friend or an ATM, nor is He a "pushover" who freely gives us what we want no matter how sinful our life is or how bad it is for us. Part of our difficulty in seeing Him clearly as a good Father is that today's society has so misrepresented the role and importance of a father. They don't show fathers as providers, protectors, teachers and disciplinarians. The love of a father is all those things. Your earthly father may have fallen short of that description, but your Heavenly Father never will! Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Luke 12:31-32  

If you are a parent, would you stop your child from running out into the street? Would you protect them from doing anything that might hurt them or endanger their life in any way? Let's say they are 8 years old and they ask for a gun, would you buy it for them? Sometimes your job as a parent is to protect your child from themselves and what they think they want! They aren't mature enough to understand the danger that may come with it. Sometimes they do something that requires being disciplined. The Lord God, as a loving Father, does all of those things also. “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by their father? If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:5-11


When we understand the love of our Heavenly Father, when we are being filled with His Word and the Holy Spirit, we will be better able to love the world as Jesus did.  We love the person, but never embrace the sin. We are to see and love the spirit within them, as our Father does!

To know what the Lord God considers sin, study His Word, don't listen to the world.  Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by His power, just as He raised our Lord from the dead.

Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:9-18


All that you know about Jesus and His Kingdom are precious jewels that are unseen and misunderstood by the world until you show them through your life. If you truly love someone, you won't want them to spend eternity in the torture of Hell. Yes, Hell. We cannot believe in Heaven and not believe there is a Hell. The world would have you believe that you must embrace everything a person is doing to love and accept them. Stand on the foundation of God's Word and never falter. Don't preach, but be a living example of Jesus and the Words of God! “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 AMP

Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
All scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted.

This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you.

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Religious Debates and Arguments Are Unfruitful

1/25/2021

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Apologetics is a religious concept, not one instructed by the Lord Jesus. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He did not give them the assignment of defending Him to the world. He did not tell them to convince people to accept Him as their Savior and to embrace the Kingdom of God. He did not teach them how to argue or debate their beliefs. They did not have to prove that Jesus was the Son of God. He IS the Son of God whether they believe or not! This is what He told them:  And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support.  Whatever city or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy [who welcomes you and your message], and stay at his house until you leave [that city]. As you go into the house, give it your greeting [that is, ‘Peace be to this house’]. If [the family living in] the house is worthy [welcoming you and your message], give it your [blessing of] peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God]. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties]. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city [since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger]. Matthew 10:11-15 AMP
 
The parable of the banquet is an example of how we are to present the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and our Savior and Lord Jesus. We prepare and present—we set the table and prepare the food—but those we tell are free to accept or reject what we are giving them. Jesus said, “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
 

“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:16-24
 
Religious debates focus on denominational rules and their interpretation of the Bible. If there is one thing I’ve learned in my lifetime, it is that arguments are pointless and do very little to change the other person’s mind. Arguments and debates are vain and pointless. Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them. Titus 3:9-11
 
Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:23-26
 

You cannot “debate” anyone to true repentance and salvation. You cannot debate anyone into believing that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. That takes the Holy Spirit. I believe that when we don’t truly understand the Holy Spirit and the line between where our responsibilities end and what the Holy Spirit “handles”, we feel the need to debate and convince people, doing it in our own strengths and abilities. We are to present the Gospel, the Holy Spirit draws them and prepares their hearts. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. John 6:44-45 NKJV 

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26
 
The Lord God wants all to be saved, but they—of their own free will and not under compulsion—must accept Jesus as the Son of God, their Savior. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the Truth. For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2:3-6
 

So then, if we aren’t to convince people to be saved or debate with those who don’t believe as we do, what should we do to spread the Gospel? Tell people about Jesus. Tell them about the Kingdom of God that Jesus’ preached. Speak God’s Word into every situation that you can. And most of all let your life be a walking, breathing testimony of what life in the Kingdom is like.

When they see:
  • Your peace in the midst of chaos,
  • Your joy when times are difficult,
  • Your needs being met even in financial difficulty,
  • Your smile no matter what comes your way,
  • They will want what you have! 

You plant the seed but the Holy Spirit brings the rain and the sunshine.  “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s Word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s Word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s Word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Matthew 13:18-23
 
If you have someone in your life who continually tries to “bait” you into an argument, don’t take the bait. Change the subject, respond briefly or just walk away. Be sure to pray for them and that situation. Let the Holy Spirit do His work in that person. There is a great deal of “baiting” going on in social media these days. Again, don’t take the bait. Just because someone says something antagonizing to you, doesn’t mean you should respond. Silence is the best response. Instead of reacting, take the time you would use to respond and say a prayer for them. Ask the Holy Spirit to draw them to the Lord Jesus. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Matthew 5:44-45
 

Learning this has set me free from the need do prove my beliefs when others challenge me and try to bait me into an argument. It has set me free to live my life as an example of Kingdom living by God’s Word. The world needs to see Kingdom citizens walking in the power of being Believers! 

Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
All scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted.

This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you.

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Kingdom Contracts

9/2/2020

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In order for a contract to be legally binding, there must be “consideration” for both parties.  Consideration is basically what each party is getting from the contract.  If you get a loan for the car, fulfillment of the contract means that the bank gets the money and you get a car. In a situation where only one person benefits, you don’t really have a contract.
 
God has been showing me how, in His Word...His Kingdom Constitution, His promises to us are like contracts, but most of the time when Christians quote those promises they leave off what we are to do to “fulfill the contract”.
 
All too often, our image of God is more like Santa Clause or a magician.  God is a God of order and obedience.  He requires us to do our part…to give what we have...to do as He asks.  In John 2, when Jesus turned the water into wine, He told the servants to fill the jars with water.  They did as He asked and He then turned the water into wine. Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, He said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed His instructions.

When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” John 2:6-10

 
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah went to the widow at Zarephath and asked her to fix him something to eat.  God’s promise to her was that if she took the last of her flour and oil to fix bread for the prophet her oil and flour would not run out until the drought ended.  She did as she was told to and gave the last of her food and God fulfilled His part of the “contract”.  She did not run out of oil or flour.  A truck didn’t show up with a year’s supply of flour and oil…no, her containers just never were empty! But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 1 Kings 17:12-16

 
In 2 Kings 4 Elisha went to help a widow woman.  He asked what she had in the house.  She had a little oil.  He told her and her sons to go to the neighbors and bring all the jars they could gather.  When they had done that, he told her to fill the jars from the oil container she had.  THEY gathered the jars, SHE poured the oil and it did not stop until she had run out of jars. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.

And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”

So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!

“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.

“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.

When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.” 2 Kings 4:2-7

 
Here are some other examples of God’s “scriptural contracts” with us (with our part of the contract underlined):
 
Matthew 6:33  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
 
2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
 
Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.
 
Philippians 4:6-7  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
 
Malachi 3: 10  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
 
Proverbs 1:33  But all who listen to Me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
 
Romans 10:9  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

 
God’s Word is true…He cannot lie.  God doesn’t breach the contracts He has made with us, we do.  As you read your Bible, I encourage you to see His many “contracts”—promises—with us.  See what our part is, don’t just quote the part that refers to the blessing He has for us.  If you do what He says to do…give what He says to give, use what He says to use, He will do what He says He will do!  

As Elisha said, I will say to you: “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

​
​Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you.

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The Attack on a Child's Kingdom Purpose

8/16/2020

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Your purpose wasn't created when you discovered it. God's purpose for your life was placed within you before you were even born. 

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see children as God sees them. Before they are even born, His purpose for their life is already placed within them. Each and every one of them! We look at our world and see such an attack on the children through abortion, neglect, and physical, emotional and sexual abuse. That purpose within a child is pure and untainted, as God intends it. It hasn't been damaged, twisted or diluted in any way.

​This may sound like a terrible thing to say, but for a moment, try to think as Satan and the demonic would. If you wanted to stop someone from fulfilling God's purpose in their life, when is the easiest time? When they are children--innocent to his ways, trusting, teachable and vulnerable!  He will try to prevent them from being born or kill them when they are young, even at the hands of their parents. He will try to pervert them, damage them emotionally, mentally or physically so they will follow his path rather than God's purpose for their lives. Satan does not want them to advance the Kingdom of God.

I don't need to show you examples of the attack on children, just look at the news. When you look at the news, remember that every child, every statistic, every abortion is a loss of the God-given Kingdom purpose for that child's life. 

Many years ago, the Lord gave me a vision about a family in our church. They were very involved in the church and in leadership. But in the vision I saw a demon walking in their home. He was almost 7 feet tall and quite grotesque. The Lord told me it was a demon of lust and also told me how it got access to their home. Besides praying for them, the point of the vision was this: the demon walked down the hall, stopping at each child's room. He would lower his head so he could stare into the room. He stood, staring into the room, drooling, arms hanging down low. The Lord said that he wasn't interested in the parents as he already had them and had done his damage. He wanted the children. That is the point I want you to take with you today. Satan wants the children: dead, damaged, bent in some way to prevent them from fulfilling all that God has purposed for them. Pray for children everywhere! Many children have no one praying for them. Stand in the gap for them.

For God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV

We look at our children as our "gifts from God". I have felt that same way. But in truth, the children God has given us are our assignments! They will be our greatest assignment in the Kingdom. They are not ours to keep, but to love, protect, teach, strengthen and to help them see their God-given purpose for the Kingdom of God. Then we are to send them out into the world, prepared to fulfill that purpose! God has "gifted" us with little bundles of His purpose to cultivate and mature. What an incredible honor!

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 NKJV

I remember Myles Munroe saying that the graveyards are filled with unfulfilled purpose. But I also see a world with adults whose God-given purpose was thwarted by a childhood of abuse and trauma, orchestrated by Satan. 

My prayer is that we all never see a child as disposable, a mistake or who will "never amount to anything"; but that we see God's Kingdom purpose that is within them. They are all like a ceramic box that contains a priceless treasure. That box must never be broken! For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

​Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you

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Kingdom Faith

7/16/2020

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It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6  ​They call Hebrews 11 the Faith Chapter, as it recounts many old testament stories of people of great faith. People who believed what God said and did what He told them to do.

But for me, the clearest illustration of what total faith should look like is the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:1-45 I think I love this story so much because I see Jesus' frustration and growing anger at their lack of faith and understanding. If those who were closest to Him couldn't understand and believe, how could anyone?! Mary, Martha and Lazarus were Jesus' dear friends. They believed He was the Messiah, believed He could heal people and loved Him. But even with that knowledge and close personal relationship, they didn't have complete faith and total trust in what Jesus could do. 

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.  So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling Him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” John 11:1-3 Mary and Martha knew if their friend Jesus came, He would heal their brother. But Jesus had a Kingdom lesson to teach! Our greatest lessons are often learned in the face of trials and this was one of those trials. But when Jesus heard about it He said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for the next two days. Finally, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” John 11:4-7 

Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus but He waited two days to go. He waited two days for Lazarus to die and be placed in a tomb so that God and His Son Jesus would get the glory for raising Lazarus from the dead. He had healed many people, so it wasn't hard to believe He could heal; but they had never before seen Him--or anyone else--raise someone from the dead! Their faith needed to be stretched and grow to an unprecedented level. The great Teacher was testing their faith and teaching them what limitless faith in the Kingdom was.

This must have also been a very frustrating time for the "human side" of Jesus because they were surely testing His patience with them. First, His disciples didn't want go because they were afraid the people of Judea would stone Him.  But His disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone You. Are you going there again?” John 11:8  Next, when He told them that Lazarus was sleeping, they didn't understand what He meant. He had to tell them point blank for them to understand: Then He said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

So He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” John 11:11-14 


Next, Thomas reluctantly agreed to do as Jesus said, and to die there. He was faithful to obey Jesus, but believing they would all die! Thomas, nicknamed Didymus, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” John 11:16 

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Martha went to meet Him to express her disappointment that He was late! When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give You whatever you ask.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” John 11:20-24
(We remember Martha and Mary from Luke 10:38-42 where Martha was upset that Mary was worshiping as Jesus' feet and not helping her with her preparations, so this isn't her only time of complaining to her friend Jesus) Martha had faith to believe for Lazarus' healing, but not that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead. And Mary, the worshiper, was so upset she didn't even go to meet Him! I think we've all known "Marys and Marthas" in our lives! Jesus had to send word to Mary to come to Him. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” He asked them.
They told Him, “Lord, come and see.” John 11:32-34 

Can you feel what Jesus was feeling? The very people who should have had complete faith in what He said and what He was able to do, doubted Him. Now He had Mary saying that if He just hadn't been late her brother would still be alive!  Then we come to one of the most well known and most misunderstood verses in the Bible:  Jesus wept. 

Then the Jews who were standing nearby said, “See how much He loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t He have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus was still angry as He arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. John 11:36-39  
What a day! I feel His anger and frustration at their lack of faith. They love Him, believe in Him but they are unable to fully see the power that works in Him. Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”  John 11:40 Even in all this unbelief, He brought Lazarus back to life so that God would get the glory and their faith would be increased.

So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing Me. You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe You sent Me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”  And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” John 11:41-44 

What an amazing, faith-building lesson! What is your level of faith? I encourage you to increase your faith to the level of miraculous! If you've already seen it done before, or you can do it in your own strength, it doesn't make a demand on your faith. Also, trust the Lord that if He doesn't do exactly what you are asking for it is because He has something better for you than you could even imagine or think. Have faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him always!   Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP

Be ready,

Deborah Luchie
​

www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you

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Don't Bleed on the Sheep

3/1/2020

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​Dear Fellow Believers,
Recently I heard this statement, one I had never heard before. "Don't bleed on the sheep."  While this letter is written to all Believers, I am speaking specifically to the shepherd more than the sheep!   Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.  Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. James 3:1-2 NLT

So what does "bleeding on the sheep" mean?  It is when a pastor/teacher preaches out of their pain, issues and the sin they may be battling in their minds.  Instead of teaching them the Word of God and growing strong mature disciples, they are pouring their pain and emotional issues all over their sheep.  They are "bleeding all over them". When I heard that phrase, it reminded me of what the Holy Spirit had been telling me for weeks: 

Times are growing short.  It is time for pastors, teachers, preachers and all to teach the Word of God, to get more focused on teaching and preaching the Gospel only!  We also must not manipulate the sheep for our own purposes or feed OFF the sheep.  We are charged with feeding the sheep, caring for them, protecting them from evil and leading them in the way they should go.

Pastor, your sheep don't need a life coach, a relationship coach, a self-improvement teacher.  Your sheep need to get the Word of God in them and learn how to hear the Holy Spirit speak and guide them.  They need to see a strong, unshakable man or woman of God, raising a standard before them, who is saying "Follow me! This is the way we should go!"  

The world is having a stronger influence on your sheep than you and your church are.  They are becoming comfortable with the sins of the world, to the point of not even believing those things are sin.  That is because God's Word is not etched in their soul.   I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 NLT  

Going to most churches today is akin to going to a gym to get strong and fit, but only hanging out in the smoothie bar and then saying "I don't understand why I'm not seeing any change in my body! I go to the gym every day!" 

Pastors, ministers of the Gospel, are your sheep strong and courageous when they face the world?  Do they have unshakable standards and walk in the power of God's Word everywhere they go? Do they have unshakable faith and trust in God? Are they fully equipped to handle the sin and deception that is epidemic in the world?  If not, you aren't fulfilling your calling!  If you have battles of your own, get a mentor, a prayer partner; someone you may confide in and seek counsel and prayer. Your pulpit is not your therapy session.  Your sheep aren't there to minister to you.  You are there to minister to them. 

We don't need any more shows.  We don't need therapy sessions.  We need sheep who are strong as lions because they are full of the Word of God.  If the world took their Bibles and their internet away, they would be quoting scripture to those who don't know the Word.  Feed your sheep for they are starved for the Word!   

A third time Jesus asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep".  John 21:17  NLT


If that isn't what you want to do, go become a coach, a motivational speaker, write books or become an entertainer.  But don't do it under the cover of being a pastor to spiritual leader of any sort. They don't need another "ear tickler". There is no more time to play.

It is time to get serious, man and woman of God.  God has given you an assignment.  Feed His sheep.  Recess is over.  School is in session!  This is your assignment:  

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].  But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.  2 Timothy 4:1-5 AMP

Read that aloud, as an oath to the God you serve, then fulfill it!

Be ready,

Deborah
DeborahLuchie.org
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Be Aware of Humanist Christianity

1/4/2020

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Think about yourself for a moment. How much of your time with the Lord--in prayer, meditation, reading--is spent focusing on yourself?  How much of your time and attention is focused on others--praying for people, discipling others, telling people about Jesus, helping people in need or serving in your church? 

What began as something good--Focusing on ourselves for self improvement and growth--has grown into an almost obsession of self-focus and selfishness.  It is insidious! 


I remember when pastors began moving away from messages about salvation, service and evangelism to "self-help" messages that sounded more like personal growth therapy sessions!  It seemed like a good direction to go because people were becoming more aware of their emotional and mental states and would, with that knowledge grow into mature, productive disciples of Christ.  The problem is, we ended up with an abundance of "me Christians"!  In essence, there are many Humanist Christians who don't even know that is what they have become. 

Wikipedia says: Christian humanism regards humanist principles like universal human dignity, individual freedom and the importance of happiness as essential and principal components of the teachings of Jesus. Now, the problem with that is that it puts "me" at the center of my universe and not Jesus.  It is like taking the sun and having it rotate around the earth.  We are not the center of the universe!

Also, I have read several articles that say being self-focused may increase depression but being focused on others and helping people in some way decreases depression.  "Getting your mind off yourself" just may be good advice!  That is understandable!

People whose lives are based on selfishness think about selfish things, but people whose lives are based on the Spirit think about things that are related to the Spirit. The attitude that comes from selfishness leads to death, but the attitude that comes from the Spirit leads to life and peace.  So the attitude that comes from selfishness is hostile to God. It doesn’t submit to God’s Law, because it can’t. People who are self-centered aren’t able to please God.

But you aren’t self-centered. Instead you are in the Spirit, if in fact God’s Spirit lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they don’t belong to Him. 
Romans 8:5-9 CEB

We choose churches by the way it affects us:  the worship, the preaching, the child care, etc as if we were the center of the universe. You want to go somewhere where you can "Get your praise on!", get pumped up and know your children are well taken care of.  Have you ever gone "church shopping" with the focus being "Can God use me here?"  

I'm right there with you and until recently I never thought about it.  But this year the Holy Spirit changed my focus and I began seeing from a new perspective!  Once you see it, you can't unsee it! That is why I am writing. I want you to see also! 

We've got to get our eyes off of ourselves and back on Jesus! 

​Social media and our culture have created an epidemic of self-absorbed and narcissistic people.  It has caused them to look coldly on the hardships of others. As long as we keep our eyes on ourselves, we cannot advance the Kingdom of God in our community.  How many people will never come to know Jesus because we couldn't get our eyes and thoughts off of ourselves?  That is a sobering thought.   

Yes, once you see it, you won't be able to unsee it.  Be aware of your focus.  Is it Jesus focused?  Is it focused on discipleship, evangelism, serving others?  Or is it centered on you, how it relates to your life, your prosperity, your comfort, and your happiness?  

...Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:1b-2 NLT

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All scriptures NLT unless noted.
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​​​Be a Kingdom light shining in the darkness,

Deborah Luchie
DeborahLuchie.org
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    Deborah Luchie

    "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
    ​
    ​This is a new season for us.  After 5+ years, I felt led not only to start a new blog, but to go back to my given name, Deborah.  It is more fitting of this season we are entering. My husband has always called me by my middle name, Arlene, and his family and friends do also.  All of you know me as Arlene.  That is why I am mentioning it here.  I am the same person and love my husband's name for me, but Deborah is who I was born to be.  

    Now, let us go out into the darkness of this world and shine the light of the Kingdom within you, that burns brighter ever day.  That is the only way to overcome the darkness of this world.

    Let your light so shine!

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