Past Tragedies In History While Seeking the Kingdom
Now if you were to call the roll of tragedies down through history, you would find that they are rooted in the lost of the kingdom. Take Israel for example, when it was said of him: "The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruit of it".
Constitutional Scripture: Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it."
Focus Point: The refusal on the part of Israel, began a long tragic journey of a frustrated nation. Take the Crusades for example: men of violence tried to take the kingdom by force and succeeded in laying the foundations of hate and conflict through the centuries. Take Genghis Khan's request, through Marco Polo, to the Pope who was religious leader. His request was this: "Please send a hundred teachers, well-learned in seven arts and well able to prove that the way of Christ is best". Marco Polo, seeing that the request was of great significance, hastened back to the Pope. Now, two years later, two teachers were sent instead of a hundred, and they carried this message: "Become politically and ecclesiastically attached to Rome". They didn't offer the Kingdom of God, a universal kingdom; they offered a political and ecclesiastical attachment to Rome. In other words, they wanted Genghis Khan to join their club. Well, Genghis Khan turned it down, he accepted Islam and then spread the blood and fire and a hating faith throughout Asia and Europe.
Focus Point: When Russia was in the throes of a revolution, instead of the church offering the Kingdom of God on earth, a church council was debating the question of whether garments of a certain color should be used in a certain place in the church service. They were debating that when Russia was turning red. Several other tragedies took place, such as: Italy made the state supreme, they chose fascism and brought the nation into defeat and collapse. Germany chose Nazism, making their culture supreme, while the church offered a kingdom in the after (meaning heaven). That brought on its own ruin.
Focus Point: Now when in the center of conflicts, the United States of America arose supreme out of the chaos. We offered the American way of life, not the Kingdom of God. We offered religions, denominations and freedom with very little restraints. By doing so we are ending up by being plagued by our own racial, class and economic conflicts; with little to offer the world.
Please note: Keep this in mind: the church is most definitely largely the blame, because the church instead of offering the Kingdom of God, offered various conflicts. One of them is religion. Now when anyone mentions Jesus, Christ, church, God, cross, salvation, redemption--the list goes on and on--they think of religion.
Please note: Here is the result of what happens when we fail to obey His principles, laws and precepts: Fundamentalist-modernist, the social gospel, the individual gospel, churches that entertain, racial integration, the secular church, long hair - short hair, beards - non beards, the church building orgy, the vestments and candles and robes, conversion, abolition of poverty and the ghettos; every issue except the Kingdom of God.
Constitutional Scripture: Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it."
Focus Point: The refusal on the part of Israel, began a long tragic journey of a frustrated nation. Take the Crusades for example: men of violence tried to take the kingdom by force and succeeded in laying the foundations of hate and conflict through the centuries. Take Genghis Khan's request, through Marco Polo, to the Pope who was religious leader. His request was this: "Please send a hundred teachers, well-learned in seven arts and well able to prove that the way of Christ is best". Marco Polo, seeing that the request was of great significance, hastened back to the Pope. Now, two years later, two teachers were sent instead of a hundred, and they carried this message: "Become politically and ecclesiastically attached to Rome". They didn't offer the Kingdom of God, a universal kingdom; they offered a political and ecclesiastical attachment to Rome. In other words, they wanted Genghis Khan to join their club. Well, Genghis Khan turned it down, he accepted Islam and then spread the blood and fire and a hating faith throughout Asia and Europe.
Focus Point: When Russia was in the throes of a revolution, instead of the church offering the Kingdom of God on earth, a church council was debating the question of whether garments of a certain color should be used in a certain place in the church service. They were debating that when Russia was turning red. Several other tragedies took place, such as: Italy made the state supreme, they chose fascism and brought the nation into defeat and collapse. Germany chose Nazism, making their culture supreme, while the church offered a kingdom in the after (meaning heaven). That brought on its own ruin.
Focus Point: Now when in the center of conflicts, the United States of America arose supreme out of the chaos. We offered the American way of life, not the Kingdom of God. We offered religions, denominations and freedom with very little restraints. By doing so we are ending up by being plagued by our own racial, class and economic conflicts; with little to offer the world.
Please note: Keep this in mind: the church is most definitely largely the blame, because the church instead of offering the Kingdom of God, offered various conflicts. One of them is religion. Now when anyone mentions Jesus, Christ, church, God, cross, salvation, redemption--the list goes on and on--they think of religion.
Please note: Here is the result of what happens when we fail to obey His principles, laws and precepts: Fundamentalist-modernist, the social gospel, the individual gospel, churches that entertain, racial integration, the secular church, long hair - short hair, beards - non beards, the church building orgy, the vestments and candles and robes, conversion, abolition of poverty and the ghettos; every issue except the Kingdom of God.
Remember, Seek first the Kingdom
