At one point, while the Lord Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He made this statement concerning His Word:  “At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.  And He will send out His angels to gather His chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven."

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.  In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.  I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. 

Those of us who are preaching and teaching this Kingdom message, must realize that this message is eternal and unchanging.  It will save you from eternal judgment and damnation if you choose to embrace it and, first and foremost, our Lord Jesus the Christ.  Remember, if you fail to learn the Kingdom gospel the Lord Jesus preached, and fail to preach and teach it, you will be held accountable for every word that you speak.  In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge,  so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.  I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life.....And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.  

Keep in mind, the very one that you fail to listen to and apply His message, will be the one that will judge you on the day of judgment.  It is very important that you honor the Son; for the Lord God has given Him all authority.  The question is, how can you honor the Son?  Through listening and obeying His Word.  The Lord Jesus made this statement:  If you love me, obey my commandments.  ​The flip side to that statement is that if you don't obey His Word, you don't truly love Him.  You will make excuses for not obeying and following His laws and principles.  Remember, His Father God has given Him all authority.   The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.  And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.  His Words are eternal and they will come to light.  Not one word of the King's law will fail.  The Kingdom message is eternal and lasting.  It is the last word before the coming of the King's return.  The Lord Jesus never called us to preach or teach the message of prosperity or healing.  If you become obedient to His Word, He will grant you those things to be a blessing to others in need; not for your self-gratification to gain riches or wealth. 

King David had this to say concerning the Lord God's Word:  You light a lamp for me.  The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.  In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.  God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.  He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.  King David also had a word for the angels in his praise concerning His Word:  The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.  Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands.

Do you want to know what keeps you in right-standing with the King?  Well, obeying His Word.  Remember what the Lord Jesus said concerning His Word:  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.  (NKJV)  Also remember, the Lord God created this world by His Word.  The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.  He breathed the Word, and all the stars were born.  The only hope you have is in His Word.  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (NKJV)  In essence, your faith comes through reading and hearing His Word.  And remember that the Lord Jesus was God's Word in the flesh.  So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Your faith in Him is your greatest asset.

Mark 13:24-31   John 5:22-24; Matthew 12:36-37  John 14:15; 5:26-27  
Psalm 18:28-30;  103:19-20   Luke  9:26  Psalm 33:6   
Romans 10:17  John 1:14-18  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

During my time on this earth, I have visited and attended many religious institutions (church).  Most were of one color or nationality.  Some were mostly Caucasian and I looked like a "fly in a bowl of milk".  Some were mostly African-American.  In both instances, I felt uncomfortable.  Why?  I discovered that in both cases, they weren't promoting the Kingdom, but their culture, denominational laws and traditions.  The atmosphere in both churches didn't have a welcoming environment for people that weren't of their culture or color.  Notice I didn't say race!  There is only one race and that is the human race.  Keep in mind, there are many colors and many languages and cultures, but the Lord God only created one race.

Notice, when the Lord God describes a people or an individual, He always mentions the nation that they were from, not the color of one's skin.  For example, when the Lord God wanted to keep the people from building the tower of Babel after the flood, He wanted to stop the people from being in one location. How did He accomplish that?  He did it through multiple languages. 

At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words.  As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.

They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”

But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building.  “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!  Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.  The languages created a new environment and multiple cultures.  He didn't create more races, He create more languages, which created more cultures.  Those who understood one another, gathered themselves together and created their own community, regardless of their color of their skin.

In the Kingdom, there is only one mindset, which creates only one kind of environment.  That environment is a oneness.  Remember what the Lord Jesus stated to the religious leader: One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

That is what will happen when you develop a Kingdom mindset.  But keep in mind, because this is a fallen world, developing a Kingdom mindset is a process.  Once you start on that road of embracing the Kingdom message, your biological family may become indifferent to you, because they won't understand the changes in your life.  The same can be said about your old friends. The Lord Jesus made this statement while He was here on earth.   “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.  Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

‘Father will be divided against son and son against father;
mother against daughter and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law 
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

My question then is, why are you trying to stay in good-standing with your friends and family at the risk of disobeying His Word?  Your loyalty is to the King, not to your family or friends.  Remember what the Lord Jesus stated:  If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.  Allow me to add, that your cross is the hardship you will encounter when you are in good-standing with the King, not wearing a cross around your neck.  If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.  If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.  Wearing a cross doesn't imply that you are a citizen of the Kingdom.  It says you are religious and of a religious mindset.  It is jewelry to enjoy and nothing more.  When a Kingdom citizen is guided by the Holy Spirit (the Governor), their demeanor, speech, character and actions say who they are.  When a citizen of the Kingdom is present, there should be an environment of peace if the Holy Spirit is operating through them.

Genesis 11:1-9   Mark 12:28-31   Luke 12:49-53   Matthew 10:37-39

​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

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost.  There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how He will answer my complaint. 

Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time.  It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.  If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.  It will not be delayed.  Look at the proud!  They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.  But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.   Did you catch the last verse here from Habakkuk's conversation with God?  The ambassador Paul made the same statement concerning the children of the living God.  For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.  This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished   from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”  That is how Kingdom citizens are supposed to live.  Faith is what truly pleases the Lord God.  Without it, you are not living in the Kingdom of God.  Without it, it is impossible to please Him.  Ambassador Paul made that very plain in his letter to the Hebrew believers.  And 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.  Notice that Paul said that the Lord Jesus will reward those who diligently seek Him.  Does that sound familiar?   But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. NKJV

If you truly seek to obey His Constitution, that alone implies you have faith in His Word.  For those who totally trust in His Word, that faith is our lifestyle.  It is as natural as breathing.  For we walk by faith, not by sight.  NKJV  By the way, when you are in your purpose for being here on earth, death plays no part in your existence.  Paul made it very plain:  So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.  

Still, many who say they are believers, often under the title Christian, get so involved with this world's system that they infuse the Lord God's Constitution with it.  Many religious individuals build their life around their religious traditions and customs, which has nothing to do with the Lord God's Word.  Again, the ambassador Paul made this profound statement about our mindset.  My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  We should no longer live a life that contains a worldly mindset, filled with lusts and fears and all the evil and attitudes it holds, but be of a mindset that embraces His Word and leads us to unwavering faith no matter the circumstance.

Kingdom citizens are those who are filled with the Holy Spirit and walk by faith in His Word (God's Constitution).  Those who are full of faith in the Lord Jesus the Christ will find it natural to live by that faith.   So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”  This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”  Here Paul was quoting from the Lord God's Constitution:  You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.  If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.  His laws and principles never change.  Those who are of a righteous mindset delight in obeying His Word.  And my righteous ones will live by faith.  But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.  We always live by our faith in the King, with the strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

Having said that, if you aren't trusting in His Word, then check for doubt in your mind.  Has it been filled with the words of the world, rather than the Word of God?

I leave you with this thought to ponder.  Kingdom citizens do not need to carry a gun nor weapon with the mindset to protect themselves.  The Lord Jesus the Christ guards and protects His own.  His angels are at His beck and call.  If you truly believe in His supernatural divine protection, why would you ever fear or feel the need to carry a weapon for protection?  You are showing that you have more faith in that weapon than in our Lord Jesus.  Remember what the Lord did while He was here on earth, concerning Peter?   Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.  But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?  Peter felt justified to use his weapon to protect Jesus.  Think about that.  If he truly knew who Jesus the Christ was, would he feel he needed to protect Jesus?  Then Jesus had to repair the damage he had caused!  

When Judas greeted the Lord Jesus in the garden, Matthew recorded it this way:  

Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”

Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested Him.  But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and He would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”  Powerful words!  Those who are living in the Kingdom of God trust and have their faith in His promises.  They know who He truly is.  He is the Son of the living God.  He is the Word.  He IS everything you need.  He IS!

Do not be one who puts your confidence in this world's system.  Don't be so full of the world you can't totally trust in your King, the Lord Jesus.  If you consider yourself a leader, pastor, mentor, minister, etc, it is even more vital that you are a walking, talking example of the supernatural power of unshakable faith. You aren't only leading when you are preaching/teaching.  You are leading the way in your faith walk in the Kingdom of God.  Your followers will never have greater faith than you.  If they do, they will find another leader!

As always, I remind you that your greatest asset is your faith in His Word.

Habakkuk 2:1-4   Romans 1:16-17  Hebrews 11:6   Matthew 6:33 
2 Corinthians 5:6-7  Galatians 2:20; 3:11-12   Leviticus 18:4-5
Hebrews 10:38   John 18:10-11   Matthew 26:50-54 

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

We all know that oil and water don't mix, but what do I mean by that statement from a Kingdom perspective?  Either you have faith in the King, the Lord Jesus the Christ, or faith in your religion, your money, yourself, etc.  But you cannot serve two masters.  The Lord Jesus made it very clear while here on earth:  No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.  Doctor Luke recorded this as well:  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”  

You must put your complete faith in the King's Word.  Notice, while He was here on earth, He never associated Himself with any religious or secular group or organization.  Our responsibility is to embrace the Kingdom message He preached.  It is for us to embrace His Word, so that the Governor--Holy Spirit--could lead and guide us.  With the Holy Spirit in us and with us, we should never have to worry or be filled with anxiety.  If we do, we have chosen fear over faith.  Here is a command from our King:

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.  For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.  Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

Look at the lilies 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 flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 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.

Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

Keep in mind, God gives us freewill and have the power of choice.  You can choose to worry or trust completely in His Word.  And, just as fire and water can't occupy the same space at the same time, faith in the King and His Word and doubt and unbelief can't occupy the same space at the same time.  Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  

Religion and Kingdom can't co-exist in the Kingdom of God.  It will be one or the other.  Your thinking must rise above any old religious concepts. Keep in mind that it was the religious leaders that always tried to entrap Him.   Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.  And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.  Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”

Right and wrong do not go hand in hand.  Light and darkness can't occupy the same space at the same time.  When light enters, darkness flees!  All Kingdom citizens have one obligation, as well as one alliance.  That alliance is to the King of the Universe.  He is the Source of all creation. 

We should have one mindset, as the early believers had back in Acts.  All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.  Kingdom citizens of that day realized everything they thought was theirs belonged to the King (King Jesus).

How strong is your faith in the Lord Jesus the Christ?  Settle that now, for it is your greatest asset in all eternity.

Matthew 6:24   Luke 16:13; 12:22-34  Mark 12:29  Acts 4:32 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

This is a question that needs to be asked.  Change is always occurring, all the time.  But in every situation, change is a process and the direction of that change is largely up to us.  We change for the better, or for the worse.  Take myself for example.  For decades, I had a religious and worldly mindset.  (Keep in mind that both religious and worldly mindsets can coexist, but not a Kingdom mindset and a religious or worldly mindset!)  I knew there was something lacking in my life that I was searching for.  All that I had to go on was:  But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  I don't visit relatives or old familiar associates anymore because all they speak of was my past, even though I could see myself changing.  They only knew who I was and won't embrace who I am.

I was living a life of disobedience (sin).  It is when my mother passed that I got the courage to make a move from one location to another.  It was time for a new environment.  It was the most serious, drastic change of my life.  I needed to be alone to think on my next move.  I needed to detox from everything that had been my life and before I could become what God had planned for me.  Little did I know, the Lord Jesus was guiding me, through the Governor (the Holy Spirit).  It was a culture shock going from Brooklyn, New York to a place called Augusta, Georgia!  The South was a place I never wanted live.  Yet I felt that the Holy Spirit was with me, but not condoning all that I did.  I still was in the process of change.  I must admit, I was a slow learner when it comes to obeying His Word completely.   Anything I tell you to do, I have lived through so I do understand the process and the difficulty of 'becoming'.

​My situation reminded me of the way the Lord Jesus got ambassador Paul's attention:  Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.  So he went to the high priest.  He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!  Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one!  Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

I was somewhat like Paul, until I made a promise to the King with the intent of keeping it.  From the time I came to Georgia, September 2003 until September 2011, I was in the transition of discovering His purpose for my life.  As I said, I was a slow learner.  It was on the date of 9-10-11 that my life took a complete change.  It almost took me a complete decade to submit to His will.  As I look back on that date, I compare it to bringing a spiritual petroleum and liquid oxygen together to create rocket fuel in the Kingdom, as far as my purpose.  It was the day I married Arlene.

When family members and old associates claim they know you when speaking to someone else, the question becomes, do they really know you since you changed?  When they begin reminiscing and reminding you of who you were, don't embrace that because it will pull you back, with all the old emotions and feelings from your past.  It is a trick of the enemy that comes to tell you that you CAN'T change.  It comes to say "Who do you think you are?  You just THINK you've changed."   It comes to test you and see if you know who you really believe you are.  By the way, in the Kingdom, you never stop growing and changing, being refined, as long as you are being led by the Holy Spirit (the Governor).

After the change in Saul's life into what the Lord Jesus had assigned for him, Ananias had to be notified of the change in Saul.  The Lord Jesus spoke to him through a vision.  Why?  Ananias only knew of the old murderous nature of Saul. Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!  And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” 

When you are in the process of change, you want to avoid those people who were associated with your old nature.  You need to be in an environment that is conducive to that change and your walk with the King.  Ambassador Paul stated it perfectly:  And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Paul knew what he was talking about.  He had walked through those same changes from being Saul to becoming Paul, his purpose in the Kingdom.  

Also, do not believe the deception that you can stay in your old environment, with your old friends and lead them to the Lord Jesus, even though you are still learning and growing in the Kingdom.  It is a very rare person who is new in the Kingdom, a new believer, and be strong enough in their self-control to resist the pull of the past.  Remember, it is far easier to push someone down than to pull someone up.

Before I wrote this article, I had planned to write a completely different topic.  But I was led by the Governor to write this one.  All I can say is, someone needed to hear this at this present time.  

Through it all, remember that your greatest asset is your faith in the Word of the living God.

Matthew 6:33  NKJV   Act:1-9, 10-16   Romans 12:1-2 all NLT, except 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

In the letter to the believers in Rome, ambassador Paul wrote these words.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.  Honor and dishonor, respect and disrespect.  This is where we are in this present age.  In the Kingdom we honor the Lord Jesus with our lifestyle and with obedience to His commands.  We should never get involved in this world's system and the way they do things.  Honoring the King isn't about the way you dress, or even how you speak.  It is not attending church every Sunday or Wednesday night.  It is about learning His Word (God's Constitution) and behaving accordingly.  The Lord and King made this statement to a group of religious leaders while He was here on earth.  ​Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?  For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’  But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents.  And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

Not obeying His Word is a dishonor and very disrespectful.  By dishonoring Him, you cause many sincere people to stumble in their faith in the Lord God's Word.  You will be held accountable for your actions and behavior.  The Lord Jesus made this statement when answering the question "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom?"  But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.  Our focus should always be on obeying His principles.  In doing so, we will always be citizens in good standing with the King and good ambassadors for the Kingdom.

Remember what ambassador Paul said to the believers in the city of Corinth:  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.  If you will just follow the leading of the Governor (the Holy Spirit) you will be taught how to dress, speak and act in every situation.  You needn't do it on your own.  But first you must read and study His Constitution consistently. Why?  Because there is a lot of misinformation out there that will lead you astray.  Don't follow  religious customs and trends, that have knelt to the whims of the current culture. 

For example, having a sexual relationship and calling it love.  Or living with someone and calling it a marriage without the marriage covenant.  Remember, your body doesn't belong to you.  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.  It is my responsibility to remind you of this.  Keep in mind, you stated that you were a child of the King.  If so, why do you dishonor the King and His Kingdom through sexual perversions?  Remember what ambassador Paul stated concerning the King's laws and principles.   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. You dishonor yourself and your King when you do.

If you are filled with His Word, you won't ask questions such as "What am I doing wrong?  Or "Should we live together before we get married?"  Or "Is homosexuality wrong in the sight of the Lord God?  Doesn't He want me to be happy?"  Or even "God made me this way and gave me these feelings so how can it be a sin?"  These are questions people ask who fail to seek His Kingdom and are pursuing carnal desires.

Respect and honor in the Kingdom?  First and foremost, respect God's Word and His precepts and commands.  Then respect His greatest creation, mankind, and that includes yourself.

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

Romans 13:1-2   Matthew 15:1-9; 18:6-7   I Corinthians 6:18-20 all NLT

W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
 
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