The Kingdom of God is Within You Pt 3
The third phase is the consummation phase. Here, Jesus depicts the phase when He gave the parable of the nobleman who went into a country to receive a kingdom and return:
Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’” This depicts Jesus going to His Father to receive the Kingdom and return to earth to set it up universally.
Here I repeat for emphasis: concerning the third phase, we know little or nothing: And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” That was wise, because if He were to give us a timetable and map about His coming return, we would have been concentrating upon time and seasons, instead of making the Kingdom our program for our total life now.
Many of us are already off track even now. They preach about love, grace, finances, prosperity, etc; but very few preach on the message that Jesus brought and taught--the Kingdom of God.
He hid the future, so that we might concentrate on the unshakable Kingdom and unchanging person--Jesus the Christ. He will come again. I am so intrigued and excited about the unfolding of the open secret of the Kingdom of God that this is all I can stand for the present. Even as I write this article, I have been up since 2:03 a.m., studying. I have no doubt about the coming of the King and His Kingdom and when He shall appear. I simply don't know the time, nor does anyone else know. Only the Father knows. One thing I do know, God always keeps His Word.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
I don't waste my life in fruitless guesses. I just stay focused on my purpose for being here. I enjoy my wife and partner, who by the way, is a great inspiration to me. We both stay focused on our purpose in His Kingdom.
Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’” This depicts Jesus going to His Father to receive the Kingdom and return to earth to set it up universally.
Here I repeat for emphasis: concerning the third phase, we know little or nothing: And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” That was wise, because if He were to give us a timetable and map about His coming return, we would have been concentrating upon time and seasons, instead of making the Kingdom our program for our total life now.
Many of us are already off track even now. They preach about love, grace, finances, prosperity, etc; but very few preach on the message that Jesus brought and taught--the Kingdom of God.
He hid the future, so that we might concentrate on the unshakable Kingdom and unchanging person--Jesus the Christ. He will come again. I am so intrigued and excited about the unfolding of the open secret of the Kingdom of God that this is all I can stand for the present. Even as I write this article, I have been up since 2:03 a.m., studying. I have no doubt about the coming of the King and His Kingdom and when He shall appear. I simply don't know the time, nor does anyone else know. Only the Father knows. One thing I do know, God always keeps His Word.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
I don't waste my life in fruitless guesses. I just stay focused on my purpose for being here. I enjoy my wife and partner, who by the way, is a great inspiration to me. We both stay focused on our purpose in His Kingdom.
When you start obeying God's Word,
you build an intimate relationship with the King.
Obedience is the key.
you build an intimate relationship with the King.
Obedience is the key.
Luke 19:11-27 Acts 1:7-8 Mark 13:31
~~W.R. Luchie
~~W.R. Luchie
