Kingdom Concepts: Understanding Religion Part 1
When people hear the word “Kingdom”, immediately there are many different ideas, concepts and images that form in their minds. These concepts in life are the result of the culture in which we were raised; such as our social development, our beliefs and our formal and informal education. Those concepts and beliefs become “hardwired” into us when they are learned as children especially.
Please note that we are products of our culture and we interpret the world through our early mental conditioning. If you are like me, you can give your mother the credit for reading and studying the Lord God’s Constitution, the Bible.
Focus Point: The concept of Kingdom comes from no one other then the King Himself, but the concept of the Kingdom in its original, pure sense has been lost in our modern world mostly because of religion. In the minds of the people in our Western civilization, the concept of a kingdom doesn’t exist. It has been replaced by a system called “democracy”. That means a government by the people. We think everyone gets a vote and everyone's opinion should be heard. Because there are no kingdoms or even a remnant of a kingdom left in this present western world, we live in a generation where the true meaning of the greatest message ever told cannot be fully understood. 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.” Matthew 3:1-2 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23 NKJV But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 NKJV
It is important to be able to look at a belief, tradition or law and determine if it is Kingdom based or religion based. My purpose is to reintroduce Kingdom concepts and principles that are true and authentic to the Kingdom as presented by our Lord and King Jesus; to show the superior and advantageous nature of the Kingdom as compared to any religion, which was created by mankind and is flawed.
Please note that basically every major problem in history can be traced back to some kind of religious origin. Religion has motivated the massacre of millions of people over the centuries in the name of God, trying to change people’s beliefs by force. Think of the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Catholic Counter-reformation to oppose the Protestant Reformation. We can also add slavery and various genocides over the centuries. Religion has, at the very least, played a part in all of these. Many times, I have heard people use the Crusades and some of these other events I have mentioned, as their excuse for not accepted Jesus as their Savior. They want nothing to do with “Christianity” because of the death and destruction throughout history caused by religion! That is just one example of the harm done by religion in the name of Jesus our King.
Focus Point: The Lord God created mankind. 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.” Genesis 1:26 He also created multiple languages because the people had a mind to stay in one part of the earth. 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. Genesis 11:5-9
What is religion? Religion is defined as the adherence of a set of beliefs that regulate the moral, social and ritualistic behavior of the individual. This definition could include atheist, secular, communist, socialist, humanistic, agnostic, satanic and yes even political people and organizations. They all adhere to a code of beliefs, acceptable behaviors, systems and traditions (or habits). Where did all of these “religions” come from? Out of the mind of mankind. They are manmade. In the case of religious denominational laws, they are created to (as it says in the definition of religion) regulate the moral, social and ritualistic behavior of the individual. These are by nature external controls on our internal behaviors. I will leave you with this question: If God the Father gave us free will and the freedom to choose—even when it came to Him—and then He gave us the Holy Spirit—our Governor—to live in us, teach and guide us, why would we need external control from manmade denominational bylaws? 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. John 14:15-17
So then, it is only when we lack an understanding of the working of the Holy Spirit in us that we need the external religious controls to guide our moral and spiritual behavior. That was not as the Lord God intended. His intention is clear in John 14. Religious controls will lead to rebellion, sometimes openly but more often in hidden, secret sins. I believe we all have seen that hidden sins never stay hidden forever! Spend some time thinking on these things in reference to your life and your beliefs.
Remember, your faith in His Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
These articles may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are sited at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
Please note that we are products of our culture and we interpret the world through our early mental conditioning. If you are like me, you can give your mother the credit for reading and studying the Lord God’s Constitution, the Bible.
Focus Point: The concept of Kingdom comes from no one other then the King Himself, but the concept of the Kingdom in its original, pure sense has been lost in our modern world mostly because of religion. In the minds of the people in our Western civilization, the concept of a kingdom doesn’t exist. It has been replaced by a system called “democracy”. That means a government by the people. We think everyone gets a vote and everyone's opinion should be heard. Because there are no kingdoms or even a remnant of a kingdom left in this present western world, we live in a generation where the true meaning of the greatest message ever told cannot be fully understood. 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.” Matthew 3:1-2 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23 NKJV But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 NKJV
It is important to be able to look at a belief, tradition or law and determine if it is Kingdom based or religion based. My purpose is to reintroduce Kingdom concepts and principles that are true and authentic to the Kingdom as presented by our Lord and King Jesus; to show the superior and advantageous nature of the Kingdom as compared to any religion, which was created by mankind and is flawed.
Please note that basically every major problem in history can be traced back to some kind of religious origin. Religion has motivated the massacre of millions of people over the centuries in the name of God, trying to change people’s beliefs by force. Think of the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Catholic Counter-reformation to oppose the Protestant Reformation. We can also add slavery and various genocides over the centuries. Religion has, at the very least, played a part in all of these. Many times, I have heard people use the Crusades and some of these other events I have mentioned, as their excuse for not accepted Jesus as their Savior. They want nothing to do with “Christianity” because of the death and destruction throughout history caused by religion! That is just one example of the harm done by religion in the name of Jesus our King.
Focus Point: The Lord God created mankind. 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.” Genesis 1:26 He also created multiple languages because the people had a mind to stay in one part of the earth. 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. Genesis 11:5-9
What is religion? Religion is defined as the adherence of a set of beliefs that regulate the moral, social and ritualistic behavior of the individual. This definition could include atheist, secular, communist, socialist, humanistic, agnostic, satanic and yes even political people and organizations. They all adhere to a code of beliefs, acceptable behaviors, systems and traditions (or habits). Where did all of these “religions” come from? Out of the mind of mankind. They are manmade. In the case of religious denominational laws, they are created to (as it says in the definition of religion) regulate the moral, social and ritualistic behavior of the individual. These are by nature external controls on our internal behaviors. I will leave you with this question: If God the Father gave us free will and the freedom to choose—even when it came to Him—and then He gave us the Holy Spirit—our Governor—to live in us, teach and guide us, why would we need external control from manmade denominational bylaws? 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. John 14:15-17
So then, it is only when we lack an understanding of the working of the Holy Spirit in us that we need the external religious controls to guide our moral and spiritual behavior. That was not as the Lord God intended. His intention is clear in John 14. Religious controls will lead to rebellion, sometimes openly but more often in hidden, secret sins. I believe we all have seen that hidden sins never stay hidden forever! Spend some time thinking on these things in reference to your life and your beliefs.
Remember, your faith in His Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
These articles may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are sited at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
