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
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
