Wouldn't it be nice if every man and woman were born with instructions on how to live and conduct themselves while on this earth?  Well, we were, from the very beginning of creation.  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.”  Those words were actually the Lord God's instructions.  This was before man failed to follow His Creator's law.  Anything after that is the Lord's process of reclaiming His Kingdom.  By the way, many of us missed it by trying to create our own way of life instead of following the leadership of the Governor, meaning the Holy Spirit.  Do you remember what the Lord Jesus stated here in John?  “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you."  

Keep in mind that all three of the trinity are mentioned there.  The Lord Jesus prayed to the Father who would give us the Holy Spirit (the Governor).  Have you noticed that the Governor is called the "Spirit of Truth"?  

Many of us missed the Kingdom by thinking that if we attend church every Sunday or confess our sins to a priest or preacher that all is well.  That is a big deception by the demonic powers that be.  The Lord made it quite clear and simple:  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."  

Remember the original blueprint of our Lord was for a Kingdom government on earth as an extension and reflection of His own greater Kingdom of Heaven.  That Kingdom lives through us by the Holy Spirit, or Governor, which is an extension of the Lord God.  Now, I want you to realize that this earthly government was to be a thriving colony before the fall of man's disobedience.  We, as citizens of His Kingdom, were to be representatives of His Kingdom, which was Heaven.  Our responsibility was to transform the colony into the nature of the Kingdom.  Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”  You see, mankind missed it by failing to follow instructions from his Creator.  

Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”  

The Lord gave Adam an order and he was to convey it to his wife.  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.”  Note that Eve, the woman, hadn't been created as of yet.  Adam was to take charge and lead, but it ended up the other way around.  

Another reason we humans missed it was because when man fails to assume his position as the leader in his household, he leaves room for other elements to fill that slot.  He leaves the household vulnerable to the enemy's attack.

Let me make this perfectly clear:  When you are filled with the Holy Spirit--the Governor--the Kingdom of God dwells within you. In other words, you are a Kingdom citizen.  From that point on you have to be led by the Spirit of Truth which is the Holy Spirit (Governor in the Kingdom).  He is that extension of the Lord God.  Remember what ambassador Paul stated:  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.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.  

Please note, being in the flesh is different from "walking according to the flesh".  Being in the flesh means being disobedient to His Word, in which you are unregenerated or sinful in their minds and bodies.  Citizens of the Kingdom no longer live according to their flesh.  They are no longer under the control of their human sinful nature.  Instead, with the Spirit of God residing in them and empowering them, they can live in a way that is pleasing to the King. Yes, we may have missed it, but we are in a position to get back on the right track with Kingdom knowledge and a Kingdom perspective.

Remember, your faith in the King's Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom of God!

Genesis 2:15-17   John 14:15-17   Matthew 6:33-34   
Genesis 1:28; 3:9-11; 2:16-17   Romans 8:9-11   All NLT

​~~W.R. 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

As you begin this article, there is a serious question I would ask you concerning the Lord God's constitution.  Have you been taking time to meditate on His Word?  How about prayer and fasting?  These are not religious questions.  They have to do with your life in the Kingdom and your relationship with your King Jesus.  If you want to know why you aren't maturing in the Kingdom, ask yourself those three questions  I guarantee you will have your answer.

Keep in mind that King Jesus instructed us to always keep in communication with our Heavenly Father.  One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.  “There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.  A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’  The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.  Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?  I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?”  

Prayer gives us stability in our lives, knowing that we have a Creator that loves us, one that we can communicate with and who answers our prayers according to His Word. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  NKJV  If we as Kingdom citizens live according to His Word, we should have confidence in our prayers without any doubt.  This is all a sign of maturity in the Kingdom.  There is no valid excuse for still being in the same place spiritually after you accepted the Lord Jesus 10 or more years ago!  Many still depend on others to pray and lay hands on you.  When are you going to grow up?  Do you recall what King Jesus stated to the blind man?  After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind Him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

They went right into the house where He was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”

“Yes, Lord,” they told Him, “we do.”

Then He touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”

Believers need to "hang out" with Jesus.  In doing so, you will adapt His principles and standards.  But how do you accomplish that?  You "hang out" with Jesus by reading and studying His Word.  Jesus was the Word come to earth in the flesh.  Jesus IS the Word.  Then the Governor, meaning the Holy Spirit, will lead and guide you in all Truth.  This is all part of the spiritual maturing process.  To mature we must be intentional, it won't "just happen".  Until you begin to embrace His Word as a lifestyle, you will remain an immature citizen of the Kingdom, always depending on a religious leader to pray for you.  Consider this:  where do those religious leaders stand in their maturity in the Kingdom?  They may have the job of a pastor or even a large following because they can preach, but how much time do they spend alone with God's Word and the voice of the Holy Spirit?  Sadly today many are falling by the wayside.

There is only one kind of food that keeps you for eternity.  Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”  NKJV  The food that He speaks of is God's Word.  Remember, maturity comes with studying and learning the King's Constitution, better known to many in religious terms as the Bible.

Let me be perfectly clear.  When the Lord, King Jesus, gave His life for all mankind, it was so that all who believed in Him could come to the Father through Him, not through a priest or any other religious intermediary.  Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  NKJV   And:   Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."  

Do you agree that it is about time to start growing up spiritually?  Are you grown physically, but spiritually is your growth stunted?  It's time for a growth spurt!  Spiritual immaturity is the main reason so many Christians are living in sin (disobedience).  Adultery and fornication (sex outside of marriage) are as common in the church as in the world!  You cannot be absolved of any sin through man but only through repentance through the Lord Jesus.  There is no church program, no offering, no pastor who can cleanse your sin.  It is only through repentance to our King Jesus.  It is His blood that cleanses all unrighteousness in us.  And it is by putting God's Word in our hearts and being guided by the Holy Spirit that matures us, guides us and convicts us when we get off-track.  There is a shortage of sold out, mature citizens in the Kingdom today.  What you do matters in the Kingdom!  How do you resist sin and overcome temptations in your everyday life?  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. NKJV  

Keep in mind, salvation is an individual process, it's you and your King Jesus.  Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.  Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; He came to help the descendants of Abraham.  Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.  

Remember, your faith in the King is your greatest asset in the Kingdom.

Luke 18:1-8   1 John 5:14-15   Matthew 9:27-29   John 6:26-27
John 3:15-16   James 4:7-8   John 14:6   Hebrews 2:14-18
All NLT except where noted

~~W.R. 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

What is your divine purpose in this life? When you aren't aware of your purpose in this life you make yourself vulnerable to other people's agenda for your life.  The only way you can be certain of your God given purpose and assignment is by putting your priorities in order. The very first thing that you should take a hold of is to do what the Lord Jesus said:  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."  In essence, put your total faith and trust in His hands.

When you know the Lord God's Will and purpose for your life, life seems to be less difficult and more meaningful.  Now, there are individuals who have discovered a purpose but it isn't what the Lord God has for their life.  It is usually about self-gratification, financial independence, fame and power; nothing more than the devil's tools to keep you from putting your priorities in order.  They are a distraction from your purpose.When you fail to allow the Holy Spirit guide you to your purpose and assignment.  You also make yourself vulnerable to others misguided agendas.  Life without a divine purpose is like a man who has perfect vision in a pitch black room, trying to find his way out, holding and grabbing on to everything he touches.  Without a divine purpose, you fail to find your direction in this world.  Note I mentioned "divine" purpose.  You can have a vision but if you don't know your purpose from the Lord God you could be heading down the wrong path.  King Solomon wrote:  When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.  But whoever obeys the law is joyful. If you don't know your purpose from the Lord God, your revelation could lead you down the wrong path.  Only a divine revelation will lead you to a divine purpose.  Let's go back to the beginning.  The devil gave Eve a revelation, but it wasn't from the Creator.  The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.  “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”  It was a new revelation that Eve received, but it wasn't "divine" knowledge.  In essence, if you aren't filled with the Governor, meaning the Holy Spirit, the devil will lead you on a wild ride.  By the way, the devil uses people, who aren't being led of the Holy Spirit, to mislead you.  If you are led by the Holy Spirit you are in the family of the Lord God.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.”  For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.  

Your assignment in this world hinges on the divine Will of the King.  If we obey His Word, He will give us His divine purpose for our lives.  “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.  When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in His love.  I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!  This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.  You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.  This is my command: Love each other.  

If we embrace His Word in our life, He will show us our divine assignment and purpose for our life.   “If you love me, obey my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.  No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you."  Now remember, even though He was speaking to His disciples, those very same words apply to all believers in the King and Lord, Jesus the Christ.  There are many people who have a purpose, assignment and mission in this life but it isn't a divine one, meaning it didn't come from the Holy Spirit.  Keep in mind that a life with divine purpose is a directed life.  That purpose will always line up with God's Word.  If you are hearing a purpose that is contrary to the Word of God, it is not from God.  He will never contradict Himself.  A life without a divine purpose is a depressing life.  That is the major cause of suicide, even among believers.  Having a divine purpose protects you from being busy but not effective.  I am a living example of that statement.  So keep seeking and praying for God to show you your divine purpose in this life!  “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." NKJV

And remember, your faith in the Lord God's Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom.

Matthew 6:25-34   Proverbs 29:18   Genesis 3:1-5   Romans 8:14-16
John 15:9-17   John 14:15-18   Luke 11:9-10  All NLT except where noted

~~W.R. 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