Giving and Baptism in the Kingdom
First, the Lord God's Kingdom is an invisible Kingdom, and yet very real. In fact, Heaven is more real than the natural realm in which mankind resides. It existed before the natural realm and is the source from which all nature comes to be.
Those of us who are Kingdom citizens have the nature of our King. He is a giver. He first gave Adam a kingdom and the authority to rule. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Then, after Adam (mankind) lost his kingdom, the Lord God decided to give His Son to mankind so that He could get mankind's kingdom back. Keep in mind that the Lord Jesus gave Himself, even to the point of His death. 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.
Remember, He gave Himself to deliver mankind from the effects and consequences of his rebellion against His Creator. From the beginning of the Lord Jesus' ministry, throughout God's Constitution, we see that giving is a strong part of His nature and a fundamental principle of the Kingdom of God. Read what He instructed His disciples when He sent them out by two's: 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!
Kingdom citizens are to be led by the Holy Spirit to give. They don't give blindly or out of obligation. They are guided by the Governor--the Holy Spirit. If you love Him and keep His laws, He will be with you forever. “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. Notice He stated He would give us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Citizens of the Kingdom government love giving because it is in our DNA.
Concerning baptism: During the time of John the Baptist, there were many that baptized, meaning religious groups such as the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees. These were religious groups of the Lord Jesus' day. Baptism was for identifying with the religious group or organization as well as their teaching you were associated with. It was the same as today. There are many religious organizations that use baptism to have their members identify with their denomination. Some denominations sprinkle, some believe in complete immersion. When John the Baptist came along, it was all about the Kingdom government. In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” It was never about another religion. The Lord God predicted this through His representative, Isaiah: For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
Now John came, baptizing symbolically with water in representing the Holy Spirit. His purpose was to preach the message of the Kingdom and to introduce the King to the world. He was the voice in the wilderness that Isaiah prophesied about. The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”
When you get baptized through an organization, you are declaring that you are following their belief system. That is why baptism is done in public. That is why you must be very careful of what organization you are baptized under. Are you following the King and His Kingdom government or a religious denomination? As a follower of Jesus the Christ, your baptism symbolizes that your sins are washed away, King Jesus is your Savior and your will obey and learn from Him. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You are saying that you will serve King Jesus and you are a citizen of His Kingdom. That is why it is so important for you to stay in the Word. How can you know Him and learn from Him if you don't study His Word? Remember what the Lord Jesus stated: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. NKJV
Keep in mind, you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God, not a member of a religious organization. Giving became a part of your lifestyle, but allow the Governor (Holy Spirit) to lead and guide you every time you give. Do not give out of habit or by being pressured. Here is an example of giving from a Kingdom perspective: 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. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. We know it is ALL His and only ours to steward. If we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, all needs will be met: those in need, the church and ours. If you are afraid to give when the Holy Spirit tells you to, you don't really trust God.
When you have a Kingdom mindset, it will become apparent how to give. In the Kingdom no one goes hungry or in need. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
Remember your faith and trust in the Lord and His Word is your greatest asset.
Genesis 1:26 John 3:16 Matthew 10:7-8 Matthew 3:1-2, 3 Isaiah 9:6-7; 40:3-5
Matthew 28:19-20 Mark 13:31 Acts 4:32-37 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
Those of us who are Kingdom citizens have the nature of our King. He is a giver. He first gave Adam a kingdom and the authority to rule. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Then, after Adam (mankind) lost his kingdom, the Lord God decided to give His Son to mankind so that He could get mankind's kingdom back. Keep in mind that the Lord Jesus gave Himself, even to the point of His death. 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.
Remember, He gave Himself to deliver mankind from the effects and consequences of his rebellion against His Creator. From the beginning of the Lord Jesus' ministry, throughout God's Constitution, we see that giving is a strong part of His nature and a fundamental principle of the Kingdom of God. Read what He instructed His disciples when He sent them out by two's: 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!
Kingdom citizens are to be led by the Holy Spirit to give. They don't give blindly or out of obligation. They are guided by the Governor--the Holy Spirit. If you love Him and keep His laws, He will be with you forever. “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. Notice He stated He would give us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Citizens of the Kingdom government love giving because it is in our DNA.
Concerning baptism: During the time of John the Baptist, there were many that baptized, meaning religious groups such as the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees. These were religious groups of the Lord Jesus' day. Baptism was for identifying with the religious group or organization as well as their teaching you were associated with. It was the same as today. There are many religious organizations that use baptism to have their members identify with their denomination. Some denominations sprinkle, some believe in complete immersion. When John the Baptist came along, it was all about the Kingdom government. In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” It was never about another religion. The Lord God predicted this through His representative, Isaiah: For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
Now John came, baptizing symbolically with water in representing the Holy Spirit. His purpose was to preach the message of the Kingdom and to introduce the King to the world. He was the voice in the wilderness that Isaiah prophesied about. The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”
When you get baptized through an organization, you are declaring that you are following their belief system. That is why baptism is done in public. That is why you must be very careful of what organization you are baptized under. Are you following the King and His Kingdom government or a religious denomination? As a follower of Jesus the Christ, your baptism symbolizes that your sins are washed away, King Jesus is your Savior and your will obey and learn from Him. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You are saying that you will serve King Jesus and you are a citizen of His Kingdom. That is why it is so important for you to stay in the Word. How can you know Him and learn from Him if you don't study His Word? Remember what the Lord Jesus stated: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. NKJV
Keep in mind, you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God, not a member of a religious organization. Giving became a part of your lifestyle, but allow the Governor (Holy Spirit) to lead and guide you every time you give. Do not give out of habit or by being pressured. Here is an example of giving from a Kingdom perspective: 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. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. We know it is ALL His and only ours to steward. If we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, all needs will be met: those in need, the church and ours. If you are afraid to give when the Holy Spirit tells you to, you don't really trust God.
When you have a Kingdom mindset, it will become apparent how to give. In the Kingdom no one goes hungry or in need. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
Remember your faith and trust in the Lord and His Word is your greatest asset.
Genesis 1:26 John 3:16 Matthew 10:7-8 Matthew 3:1-2, 3 Isaiah 9:6-7; 40:3-5
Matthew 28:19-20 Mark 13:31 Acts 4:32-37 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
