Removing Religion From a Kingdom Mindset
Religious people view God's constitution as a religious book, they call the Bible. Kingdom citizens view it as His constitution (a governmental document) to all mankind. They operate from a Kingdom school of thought. Even though the Lord Jesus taught on His government, the only message He introduced to the world, mankind still had to be taught the concept. This is why He stayed an extra forty days after His resurrection teaching them the Kingdom concept with power. In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During the forty days after he suffered and died, He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Remember, Kingdom citizens view the Lord God's constitution differently than those of a religious mindset. It is a governmental constitution explaining our rights and responsibilities in the Kingdom of God. Kingdom citizens don't attend church to be entertained. They attend church to encourage one another in this present world. The ambassador Paul put it this way: So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.
We are to encourage one another and build our faith, not just attend a church service to be entertained with religious music and "good preaching". Far too many believers are merely spectators or consumers in their churches. How many of you reading this article mingles with other brothers and sisters of like minds and shares your weekly experiences during the week? Do you build each other up, pray for each other and encourage each other in the faith? It is sad to say that many of those who attend, didn't hear anything concerning the Kingdom. What they heard was a message about Kingdom (Biblical) principles and religious ideologies from someone trained in theology, with Reverend, Bishop, Doctor or Prophet in front of their name. That isn't a criticism, just a fact. Many of these leaders mean well, but are only preaching and teaching what they have been taught in their seminaries. But where is the leading of the Holy Spirit? Where is the revelation of the Kingdom of God that the Lord Jesus taught?
Keep in mind that it was the religious leaders and their supporters who attacked our Lord Jesus. It was those of His own culture and nationality who disputed with Him. When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”
The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”
Now, having stated that, you who are reading this article don't have to join or go through any religious institution to speak to the Lord Jesus. Read what the Lord Jesus said to the religious ruler: Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’.
“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. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son."
It was never intended by our Lord Jesus that people who believed in Him were to gather Sunday to be preached to or entertained. Kingdom citizens have a well of water in them for their Lord and King. Religious people need to be pumped up to "praise God". Why do you think they have worship leaders? When you have that living water, you don't need to be "pumped up". Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” That Spirit in you will always desire to worship and praise the King of Glory. The Kingdom's power is from our Kingdom government.
Another thing that separates religious individuals from Kingdom citizens is this: Religious people seek to separate themselves from others, through religious doctrine and also by color, calling it race. How deceiving is that?! The Lord God only created one race, and that is human. Anything else has to do with color of one's skin or their culture. In the Kingdom, the color of one's skin isn't a factor. Only their faith in the King's Word. Total faith in the Lord Jesus is the key to the Kingdom.
We must look at religion, church, the way we "do church" and the deeply embedded religious traditions through a Kingdom lens. We must question and evaluate all that we "do" in our life as a believer with a Kingdom mindset. Far too much that has been "attached" to Jesus doesn't have anything to do with the Kingdom of God. It's time to do some weeding in your life in the Kingdom of God. What religious weeds have grown up in your garden? Sometimes weeds have flowers and look nice so we leave them in our garden. But in time those weeds will choke out the good plants that should be growing and flourishing. If you want a vibrant, productive Kingdom life, pluck out those religious weeds before they overtake all the good God has for you!
Acts 1:1-3 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22 John 7:32-36; 3:5-7, 16-18; 4:13-14 All NLT
~~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
Remember, Kingdom citizens view the Lord God's constitution differently than those of a religious mindset. It is a governmental constitution explaining our rights and responsibilities in the Kingdom of God. Kingdom citizens don't attend church to be entertained. They attend church to encourage one another in this present world. The ambassador Paul put it this way: So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.
We are to encourage one another and build our faith, not just attend a church service to be entertained with religious music and "good preaching". Far too many believers are merely spectators or consumers in their churches. How many of you reading this article mingles with other brothers and sisters of like minds and shares your weekly experiences during the week? Do you build each other up, pray for each other and encourage each other in the faith? It is sad to say that many of those who attend, didn't hear anything concerning the Kingdom. What they heard was a message about Kingdom (Biblical) principles and religious ideologies from someone trained in theology, with Reverend, Bishop, Doctor or Prophet in front of their name. That isn't a criticism, just a fact. Many of these leaders mean well, but are only preaching and teaching what they have been taught in their seminaries. But where is the leading of the Holy Spirit? Where is the revelation of the Kingdom of God that the Lord Jesus taught?
Keep in mind that it was the religious leaders and their supporters who attacked our Lord Jesus. It was those of His own culture and nationality who disputed with Him. When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”
The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”
Now, having stated that, you who are reading this article don't have to join or go through any religious institution to speak to the Lord Jesus. Read what the Lord Jesus said to the religious ruler: Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’.
“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. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son."
It was never intended by our Lord Jesus that people who believed in Him were to gather Sunday to be preached to or entertained. Kingdom citizens have a well of water in them for their Lord and King. Religious people need to be pumped up to "praise God". Why do you think they have worship leaders? When you have that living water, you don't need to be "pumped up". Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” That Spirit in you will always desire to worship and praise the King of Glory. The Kingdom's power is from our Kingdom government.
Another thing that separates religious individuals from Kingdom citizens is this: Religious people seek to separate themselves from others, through religious doctrine and also by color, calling it race. How deceiving is that?! The Lord God only created one race, and that is human. Anything else has to do with color of one's skin or their culture. In the Kingdom, the color of one's skin isn't a factor. Only their faith in the King's Word. Total faith in the Lord Jesus is the key to the Kingdom.
We must look at religion, church, the way we "do church" and the deeply embedded religious traditions through a Kingdom lens. We must question and evaluate all that we "do" in our life as a believer with a Kingdom mindset. Far too much that has been "attached" to Jesus doesn't have anything to do with the Kingdom of God. It's time to do some weeding in your life in the Kingdom of God. What religious weeds have grown up in your garden? Sometimes weeds have flowers and look nice so we leave them in our garden. But in time those weeds will choke out the good plants that should be growing and flourishing. If you want a vibrant, productive Kingdom life, pluck out those religious weeds before they overtake all the good God has for you!
Acts 1:1-3 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22 John 7:32-36; 3:5-7, 16-18; 4:13-14 All NLT
~~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