I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where there were many colors, languages and cultures. There were many immigrants in New York City, such as Italian, Greek, Spanish, African and some from the Caribbean Islands.
There is a community, just as you cross the Manhattan Bridge called “Chinatown”. When you are there, it is as if you have been crossed over into China. The language, foods and images all represent China. As a Kingdom citizen, your culture should be just as distinct and obvious as that of New York City’s Chinatown. They are thousands of miles from their homeland, but their culture is in them. It is unmistakable! The residents of Chinatown live in the United States, and may even be naturalized American citizens, but everything about them—their language, dress code, food and customs—show that their origin is from another place. If you were to walk into Chinatown, suddenly you can’t find a hot dog or a hamburger anywhere. The majority of the people speak no English. Those things are foreign to their culture.
When you accept the Kingdom culture, you will enter a whole new lifestyle. Ambassador Paul realized that when he was changed and converted. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:1-6
His attitude and thinking had to change. Even his name had to change. One of the biggest struggles that the Lord Jesus had with His disciples was learning how to shift their thinking and their behavior from the worldly culture of their birth to God’s Kingdom culture and their mindset when they answered the Lord Jesus’ call to follow Him. Keep this in mind; He challenged their behavior, beliefs, values, thoughts, perceptions, assumptions and expectations. It required a complete change. It involves your total being. 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. Romans 12:1-2 NLT
Remember, for example, the disciples had to learn that what the world calls “miracles” were an every day activity in the Kingdom of Heaven. When 5000 men plus the women and children in a remote area needed to be fed, the King did the natural thing in His Kingdom. He fed them.
He fed them even though they had followed Him when He went by boat to a secluded place after hearing of John the Baptist’s death. They were seeking Him so diligently that they walked around through many cities to get to Him! Can you picture a crowd of people that large, walking through many cities to get to King Jesus? That is a message by itself! See also, that King Jesus saw their needs and met them! That is what God’s Kingdom is like! When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Matthew 14:13-21
God’s Kingdom culture reflects His government. In the world’s culture, many people go hungry. Some are poor or sick or lacking in basic necessities in this life. But not in God’s Kingdom culture. The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. Psalm 37:23-25 NLT
Remember, wherever King Jesus went, sick people were made whole. This is because there was no sickness in the Kingdom. All it took was His touch. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. Matthew 14:34-36
As Kingdom citizens, we should be known by our Heavenly Kingdom culture. That culture should affect the lives of everyone around you. They should be able to see, feel and sense that "something is different" when they are in your presence.
Remember this one thing: Sickness, poverty, hunger, fear, discouragement, defeat, curses, greed, lust, envy, jealousy, hatred, violence do not exist where Kingdom living prevails. Those things are prevalent in the world’s cultures. None of those things are found in Heaven’s culture on Earth. The Kingdom culture reflects the life and environment of Heaven. That is why I will always pray “Your Kingdom come and Your Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” Matthew 6:10 for whatever I am praying about. There is no better answer for any situation than for His Will to be done rather than mine because we trust Him!
You may consider this all very extreme, especially if there are things in this world that you cannot imagine living without. But we will never find peace in the world’s cultures.
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the King’s Word.
All scriptures are NKJV unless 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
There is a community, just as you cross the Manhattan Bridge called “Chinatown”. When you are there, it is as if you have been crossed over into China. The language, foods and images all represent China. As a Kingdom citizen, your culture should be just as distinct and obvious as that of New York City’s Chinatown. They are thousands of miles from their homeland, but their culture is in them. It is unmistakable! The residents of Chinatown live in the United States, and may even be naturalized American citizens, but everything about them—their language, dress code, food and customs—show that their origin is from another place. If you were to walk into Chinatown, suddenly you can’t find a hot dog or a hamburger anywhere. The majority of the people speak no English. Those things are foreign to their culture.
When you accept the Kingdom culture, you will enter a whole new lifestyle. Ambassador Paul realized that when he was changed and converted. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:1-6
His attitude and thinking had to change. Even his name had to change. One of the biggest struggles that the Lord Jesus had with His disciples was learning how to shift their thinking and their behavior from the worldly culture of their birth to God’s Kingdom culture and their mindset when they answered the Lord Jesus’ call to follow Him. Keep this in mind; He challenged their behavior, beliefs, values, thoughts, perceptions, assumptions and expectations. It required a complete change. It involves your total being. 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. Romans 12:1-2 NLT
Remember, for example, the disciples had to learn that what the world calls “miracles” were an every day activity in the Kingdom of Heaven. When 5000 men plus the women and children in a remote area needed to be fed, the King did the natural thing in His Kingdom. He fed them.
He fed them even though they had followed Him when He went by boat to a secluded place after hearing of John the Baptist’s death. They were seeking Him so diligently that they walked around through many cities to get to Him! Can you picture a crowd of people that large, walking through many cities to get to King Jesus? That is a message by itself! See also, that King Jesus saw their needs and met them! That is what God’s Kingdom is like! When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Matthew 14:13-21
God’s Kingdom culture reflects His government. In the world’s culture, many people go hungry. Some are poor or sick or lacking in basic necessities in this life. But not in God’s Kingdom culture. The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. Psalm 37:23-25 NLT
Remember, wherever King Jesus went, sick people were made whole. This is because there was no sickness in the Kingdom. All it took was His touch. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. Matthew 14:34-36
As Kingdom citizens, we should be known by our Heavenly Kingdom culture. That culture should affect the lives of everyone around you. They should be able to see, feel and sense that "something is different" when they are in your presence.
Remember this one thing: Sickness, poverty, hunger, fear, discouragement, defeat, curses, greed, lust, envy, jealousy, hatred, violence do not exist where Kingdom living prevails. Those things are prevalent in the world’s cultures. None of those things are found in Heaven’s culture on Earth. The Kingdom culture reflects the life and environment of Heaven. That is why I will always pray “Your Kingdom come and Your Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” Matthew 6:10 for whatever I am praying about. There is no better answer for any situation than for His Will to be done rather than mine because we trust Him!
You may consider this all very extreme, especially if there are things in this world that you cannot imagine living without. But we will never find peace in the world’s cultures.
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the King’s Word.
All scriptures are NKJV unless 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
