The Kingdom Gospel

Place for books, articles, and websites with content that connect or detail Anabaptist theology
betterpromises2
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The Kingdom Gospel

Post by betterpromises2 »

What passages/verses would you use if you wanted to share (briefly) with someone the concept of the Kingdom Gospel (as opposed to what John D. Martin has called "the Save Me Gospel"?
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Josh
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Josh »

I would read Jesus' parables about what the kingdom of heaven is like.
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Wade
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Wade »

Here is a start from some scripture original posted in another thread that maybe could help?: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=368&p=8782&hilit=tw ... logy#p8782
1 Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Romans 13:1+4 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God... for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
Matthew 26:52-53 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
John 18:36+37 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Acts 5:29b ...We ought to obey God rather than men.
Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 17:13-19 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
John 15:19b ...but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world...
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Philippians 3:20a ...our citizenship is in heaven...
Hebrews 11:13b-16 ...and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
1 Peter 2:9-11a ...you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles...
Romans 12:1b-2 ...by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
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Sudsy
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Sudsy »

betterpromises2 wrote:What passages/verses would you use if you wanted to share (briefly) with someone the concept of the Kingdom Gospel (as opposed to what John D. Martin has called "the Save Me Gospel"?
If I was to share 'briefly' I would use Romans 14:17 - For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

However, imo, the Gospel of the Kingdom is not something that can be quickly explained. And as John Martin says this Gospel does include the salvation part. Paul says the part of first importance is 1 Cor 15:1-9. Yes, the Gospel of the Kingdom is much more than a save me set of beliefs and includes a radical change of living under King Jesus living in the power of the Holy Spirit.

BTW, I listened to the full hour of Martin's message. I thought it was quite good but imo, it still seemed to lack just how an Anabaptist was to go about evangelizing with the Kingdom of God Gospel. Some say sharing this new life in the Kingdom should begin with what it will cost a person to become a citizen and then see if they really want to confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour. In other words make it a hard choice to make to give up on self.

I have asked many times for an Anabaptist Kingdom tract to use that talks about the cost of discipleship, but not found one yet. Not surprising that evangelical Anabaptists end up using Evangelical tracts that are often slim on the up front cost of discipleship.
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Wade
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Wade »

If your looking for a tract, here is one - https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/1-3287/?list=Tracts

Since it is viewable at this site and free I think it is okay for me to post them directly here:
Two Kingdoms

Jesus could have taken up politics and laid claim to an earthly throne. He could have obtained it by diplomacy when the devil offered all the kingdoms of the world to Him in exchange for His worship (Matthew 4:8-10). Instead, Jesus rebuked the suggestion.

An earthly kingdom could have been His again after the feeding of the five thousand when He perceived the people were about to draft Him as king (John 6:15). Jesus took stock of the situation and departed.

Again Jesus could have taken the earthly crown by popular acclaim when He rode the foal of an ass into Jerusalem amid a royal display of spontaneous tribute. In fact, the inaugural parade was already in full procession (John 12:12-15). Jesus cleansed the temple instead.

Why did Jesus not acquiesce on these occasions? The answer is found in the fourth opportunity that presented itself.

When standing in judgment before Pilate, after the polls would have shown a sharp decline in His "approval ratings," Pilate demanded to know whether or not Jesus was the "King of the Jews." Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight" (John 18:33-36).

He could have seized the throne by military might because not only would His servants have fought but He also could have called twelve legions of angels from the heavenly reserves, and in a moment His forces would have neutralized the enemy, and He would have been secure on the throne (Matthew 26:53).

But Jesus voluntarily surrendered to the will and whims of both the ecclesiastical and the secular powers of the day. Clearly, Jesus had something other than an earthly kingdom in mind for Himself and His followers.

The disciples seemingly were ready to fight for Christ at one point, as evidenced by Peter's action with a sword. Nevertheless, after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles, all were ready to forsake the sword, including Peter. All preached love and nonresistance to evil instead.

The Biblical concept that there is and ought to be a separation of church and state comes through clearly on these occasions. This concept is also clear in the writings of the apostles (Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:9).

Jesus credited Pilate with having a permissive authority and power, as did also Paul when be declared that the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1).

How can Christians give proper recognition to earthly rulers and at the same time refuse involvement with them?

It is simply this. There are two kingdoms, and we make a choice between them as Jesus and Paul did.

Not only are there two kingdoms, but there are two citizenships, two constitutions, two registration headquarters, and two different voting booths.

Both voting booths are surrounded by curtains. The voting booth in a democracy is enclosed for privacy, and the voting booth for the Christian is his secret closet. There too he can be alone and make his choice—the will of God or his own.

Some questions are in order. How can a Christian vote in both voting booths when the goals are so different? How can he vote for a commander in chief of the armed forces when Jesus' followers do not use force? or vote for the local sheriff? or impose the death sentence when Christians do not kill and would rather suffer wrong than do so (1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 6:7)?

The Christian has dual citizenship: heavenly and earthly. However, his highest loyalty is to the heavenly, and he will not transgress the laws of the heavenly in order to please the earthly. At the same time, though, he will gladly honor the laws of the earthly, insofar as there is no conflict with the heavenly. Thus, to obey driving speed limits set by "Caesar" is to honor both his heavenly and earthly citizenship. But to carry a sword or vote for one to do so violates the charter of the heavenly domain. Christians are, indeed, an holy nation of kings and priests to their God.

Christians have the Word of God as their constitution. Their names are registered in the Lamb's Book of Life, and hence they have power with God. His will has become their will, and they never would circumvent His will being done on earth by casting a vote without knowing God's will.

The apostle Paul said that the "powers that be" are ordained of God. He was living under Nero, the man who took his life. Humanly speaking, Paul never would have voted for him. Yet he declares in no uncertain terms that Nero's power was ordained by God. Who of us wants to be found voting against God?

If the Christian joins the army, votes, or holds political office, then Christians are of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14, 17, 18). And if their vote puts a fellow believer into political office and he remains in the church, then beware, for the world is also now in the church. It won't be long until the church no longer meets the Biblical description of a pure and holy bride. It has become Babylon the Great, the den of every unclean and hateful bird. Babylon is the symbol of the adulterous religious system that has committed adultery with the world. John the Revelator foretold us that she "is fallen, is fallen!" We want no part of it! "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Revelation 18:2, 4).

—Dennis Witmer

This one looks good and maybe will fit what Sudsy has been looking for?:

https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/1-3413/
The Christian and Nationalism

The nation of Israel began with God's promise to Abraham: "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3). God renewed this promise to Abraham several more times during his lifetime. Then, in Genesis 22:18 God made a more specific promise after the "sacrifice of Isaac" on Mount Moriah. "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." This was a prophetic promise of the coming of Christ through the seed of Abraham.

The promise to Abraham was twofold. God promised Abraham some real estate in the land of Canaan, and He also promised that he would be a blessing to all families of the earth. Israel had both a national mission and a spiritual mission. Israel, however, was often much more focused with their national mission than their spiritual mission. Bright spots in their history were when they filled their spiritual mission, but those instances usually occurred on an individual basis, such as the account of Ruth the Moabitess.

The Mosaic Law provided for the stranger to become a part of Israel. "One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you." (Exodus 12:49). The Law had numerous provisions and directions for Israel to fulfill their spiritual mission.

Israel became a nation in their own right while they sojourned in Egypt and became a nation within a nation. Consequently became a threat to the Egyptians, by whom they were severely persecuted. God saw their affliction and brought them out with "an high hand." They did not need to fight the Egyptians, for God destroyed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites. They had hardly escaped from the Egyptians when they were confronted with Amalek. Moses told Joshua to choose out men and go and fight with Amalek. "And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Exodus 17:X-11-13).

A survey of Israel's history would reveal that sometimes they were commanded to fight their enemies and at other times God fought their battles. A closer look will show us that often their spiritual condition as a nation determined how God chose to deal with them and their enemies.

Under the Old Testament law God ordained capital punishment for violations. This was necessary for Israel to survive as a nation under God's blessing. The story of Achan who took of the accursed things from Jericho is an example of capital punishment being carried out under the government of Israel. God worked with them both as a nation and as His "chosen people." They were both a physical nation and a spiritual nation. In Exodus 21 and following, after the giving of the ten commandments, God outlined how justice was to be dealt with on a national level. Take time to read it. It was "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (Exodus 21:24-25).

In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to provide redemption for the human race. After John the Baptist was cast into prison the Scriptures say, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. Nationalism as it existed in Old Israel did not apply to the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus taught. Israel in Jesus' day was occupied by the Romans. Jesus did not resist the Romans nor teach others to do so. In the Kingdom of Heaven there is no earthly real estate to defend. Physical Israel has no counterpart in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven lives within hearts of all committed Christians. God's presence (the Holy Spirit) dwells within them (Luke 17:20-21), and they are His envoy to the nations of the world. They do not become involved in the politics of the nations where they reside, even as Jesus did not become involved in His day. Often they are persecuted, even as Israel was in Egypt.

Jesus introduced a spiritual Kingdom with spiritual laws that replaced the Law of Moses. Jesus told his disciples, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 10:7). This is the message of the Gospel today.

Jesus gave these teachings: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:38-48). The citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are thus commanded to suffer rather than make others suffer, to love rather than hate, to give rather than demand.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:17-20). Christians of the Kingdom of Heaven are ambassadors to all nations of the world. Their ministry is to draw men away from loyalty to earthly nations to become citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. They are calling men of all nations to be reconciled to God. That is our calling today.

As ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven we have no role in national politics or in the war effort of any given nation. While Christians of Christ's Kingdom live within national boundaries and may be considered citizens of a particular nation, they cannot legally become involved in a nation's affairs. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).

God has ordained the rulers and the nations of this world. Romans 13:1-7 clarifies their purpose. When we read this passage we should remember that the nation of Israel was occupied by a heathen Roman government. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." The governments of the world's nearly 200 different nations are ordained of God to restrain evil. Sometimes the rulers of these nations misuse their God given powers to persecute Christians. Many Christians today are being persecuted and killed by the rulers in the nations where they live. This is the price of loyalty to Christ and faithful discipleship.

What are Christians to do when the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven conflict with the laws of the nations in which they reside? When the disciples of Jesus were called into question by the Jewish rulers of their day, they said, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Then they went out and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name sake. While it is proper to give thanks and pray for the rulers of the country in which we live and appreciate the benefits from it's privileges, we must always remember that our citizenship is in heaven. We must be willing to suffer in order to remain loyal to our heavenly citizenship.

So what do we do with the teachings of Jesus? Are they simply ideals to be talked about and then forgotten or rejected? Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments.... He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.... Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." (John 14:15,21,23-24).

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:17-21).
Questions and Answers

Question: What about all the "What would you do if...." questions?

Answer: Kingdom Christians must never doubt the wisdom or the purposes of their King. The King has legions of angels and has perfect knowledge of every situation. In order to have the protection of the King we must believe and obey His instructions as given by His Son, Jesus Christ, on how we are to respond to those who would harm us. Sometimes He delivers His saints and sometimes He takes them into His very presence if they are killed. We must always trust the King. We must be willing to die for our King even as others die for their rulers. It can be observed that those who do not trust the King are often killed, as well, with no hope of eternal life with a King they do not trust. "For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

Question: What about Jesus cleansing the temple?

Answer: The temple was His Father's House. He, in obedience to the Father, performed His Father's will. The biblical account is brief and depending on how we allow our imagination to run, we can come up with various conclusions.

As far as I can discern, Jesus harmed no one, though He would have had a right to do so. I, for one, assume He used His whip on the animals. He upset the tables of the money changers and chased them all out. It was His God given authority to do so. We have not been given that type of authority.

Question: Are you and I willing to trust and follow the King?

Answer: That is a very heart-searching question. How we respond to that question will determine our eternal destiny. If all that I am and have belong to Him, then I can answer that question in the positive. On the other hand, if I am set on self-preservation of life and possessions, then I must answer in the negative. To follow the king, I must completely surrender everything to His wisdom and purposes for my life. "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13).

—Silas Martin
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MaxPC
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by MaxPC »

I agree, Wade, this is a good tract. Even Catholics understand this one :lol: :lol:
Wade wrote:If your looking for a tract, here is one - https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/1-3287/?list=Tracts

Since it is viewable at this site and free I think it is okay for me to post them directly here:
Two Kingdoms

Jesus could have taken up politics and laid claim to an earthly throne. He could have obtained it by diplomacy when the devil offered all the kingdoms of the world to Him in exchange for His worship (Matthew 4:8-10). Instead, Jesus rebuked the suggestion.

An earthly kingdom could have been His again after the feeding of the five thousand when He perceived the people were about to draft Him as king (John 6:15). Jesus took stock of the situation and departed.

Again Jesus could have taken the earthly crown by popular acclaim when He rode the foal of an ass into Jerusalem amid a royal display of spontaneous tribute. In fact, the inaugural parade was already in full procession (John 12:12-15). Jesus cleansed the temple instead.

Why did Jesus not acquiesce on these occasions? The answer is found in the fourth opportunity that presented itself.

When standing in judgment before Pilate, after the polls would have shown a sharp decline in His "approval ratings," Pilate demanded to know whether or not Jesus was the "King of the Jews." Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight" (John 18:33-36).

He could have seized the throne by military might because not only would His servants have fought but He also could have called twelve legions of angels from the heavenly reserves, and in a moment His forces would have neutralized the enemy, and He would have been secure on the throne (Matthew 26:53).

But Jesus voluntarily surrendered to the will and whims of both the ecclesiastical and the secular powers of the day. Clearly, Jesus had something other than an earthly kingdom in mind for Himself and His followers.

The disciples seemingly were ready to fight for Christ at one point, as evidenced by Peter's action with a sword. Nevertheless, after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles, all were ready to forsake the sword, including Peter. All preached love and nonresistance to evil instead.

The Biblical concept that there is and ought to be a separation of church and state comes through clearly on these occasions. This concept is also clear in the writings of the apostles (Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:9).

Jesus credited Pilate with having a permissive authority and power, as did also Paul when be declared that the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1).

How can Christians give proper recognition to earthly rulers and at the same time refuse involvement with them?

It is simply this. There are two kingdoms, and we make a choice between them as Jesus and Paul did.

Not only are there two kingdoms, but there are two citizenships, two constitutions, two registration headquarters, and two different voting booths.

Both voting booths are surrounded by curtains. The voting booth in a democracy is enclosed for privacy, and the voting booth for the Christian is his secret closet. There too he can be alone and make his choice—the will of God or his own.

Some questions are in order. How can a Christian vote in both voting booths when the goals are so different? How can he vote for a commander in chief of the armed forces when Jesus' followers do not use force? or vote for the local sheriff? or impose the death sentence when Christians do not kill and would rather suffer wrong than do so (1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 6:7)?

The Christian has dual citizenship: heavenly and earthly. However, his highest loyalty is to the heavenly, and he will not transgress the laws of the heavenly in order to please the earthly. At the same time, though, he will gladly honor the laws of the earthly, insofar as there is no conflict with the heavenly. Thus, to obey driving speed limits set by "Caesar" is to honor both his heavenly and earthly citizenship. But to carry a sword or vote for one to do so violates the charter of the heavenly domain. Christians are, indeed, an holy nation of kings and priests to their God.

Christians have the Word of God as their constitution. Their names are registered in the Lamb's Book of Life, and hence they have power with God. His will has become their will, and they never would circumvent His will being done on earth by casting a vote without knowing God's will.

The apostle Paul said that the "powers that be" are ordained of God. He was living under Nero, the man who took his life. Humanly speaking, Paul never would have voted for him. Yet he declares in no uncertain terms that Nero's power was ordained by God. Who of us wants to be found voting against God?

If the Christian joins the army, votes, or holds political office, then Christians are of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14, 17, 18). And if their vote puts a fellow believer into political office and he remains in the church, then beware, for the world is also now in the church. It won't be long until the church no longer meets the Biblical description of a pure and holy bride. It has become Babylon the Great, the den of every unclean and hateful bird. Babylon is the symbol of the adulterous religious system that has committed adultery with the world. John the Revelator foretold us that she "is fallen, is fallen!" We want no part of it! "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Revelation 18:2, 4).

—Dennis Witmer

This one looks good and maybe will fit what Sudsy has been looking for?:

https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/1-3413/
The Christian and Nationalism

The nation of Israel began with God's promise to Abraham: "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3). God renewed this promise to Abraham several more times during his lifetime. Then, in Genesis 22:18 God made a more specific promise after the "sacrifice of Isaac" on Mount Moriah. "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." This was a prophetic promise of the coming of Christ through the seed of Abraham.

The promise to Abraham was twofold. God promised Abraham some real estate in the land of Canaan, and He also promised that he would be a blessing to all families of the earth. Israel had both a national mission and a spiritual mission. Israel, however, was often much more focused with their national mission than their spiritual mission. Bright spots in their history were when they filled their spiritual mission, but those instances usually occurred on an individual basis, such as the account of Ruth the Moabitess.

The Mosaic Law provided for the stranger to become a part of Israel. "One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you." (Exodus 12:49). The Law had numerous provisions and directions for Israel to fulfill their spiritual mission.

Israel became a nation in their own right while they sojourned in Egypt and became a nation within a nation. Consequently became a threat to the Egyptians, by whom they were severely persecuted. God saw their affliction and brought them out with "an high hand." They did not need to fight the Egyptians, for God destroyed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites. They had hardly escaped from the Egyptians when they were confronted with Amalek. Moses told Joshua to choose out men and go and fight with Amalek. "And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Exodus 17:X-11-13).

A survey of Israel's history would reveal that sometimes they were commanded to fight their enemies and at other times God fought their battles. A closer look will show us that often their spiritual condition as a nation determined how God chose to deal with them and their enemies.

Under the Old Testament law God ordained capital punishment for violations. This was necessary for Israel to survive as a nation under God's blessing. The story of Achan who took of the accursed things from Jericho is an example of capital punishment being carried out under the government of Israel. God worked with them both as a nation and as His "chosen people." They were both a physical nation and a spiritual nation. In Exodus 21 and following, after the giving of the ten commandments, God outlined how justice was to be dealt with on a national level. Take time to read it. It was "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (Exodus 21:24-25).

In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to provide redemption for the human race. After John the Baptist was cast into prison the Scriptures say, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. Nationalism as it existed in Old Israel did not apply to the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus taught. Israel in Jesus' day was occupied by the Romans. Jesus did not resist the Romans nor teach others to do so. In the Kingdom of Heaven there is no earthly real estate to defend. Physical Israel has no counterpart in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven lives within hearts of all committed Christians. God's presence (the Holy Spirit) dwells within them (Luke 17:20-21), and they are His envoy to the nations of the world. They do not become involved in the politics of the nations where they reside, even as Jesus did not become involved in His day. Often they are persecuted, even as Israel was in Egypt.

Jesus introduced a spiritual Kingdom with spiritual laws that replaced the Law of Moses. Jesus told his disciples, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 10:7). This is the message of the Gospel today.

Jesus gave these teachings: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:38-48). The citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are thus commanded to suffer rather than make others suffer, to love rather than hate, to give rather than demand.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:17-20). Christians of the Kingdom of Heaven are ambassadors to all nations of the world. Their ministry is to draw men away from loyalty to earthly nations to become citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. They are calling men of all nations to be reconciled to God. That is our calling today.

As ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven we have no role in national politics or in the war effort of any given nation. While Christians of Christ's Kingdom live within national boundaries and may be considered citizens of a particular nation, they cannot legally become involved in a nation's affairs. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).

God has ordained the rulers and the nations of this world. Romans 13:1-7 clarifies their purpose. When we read this passage we should remember that the nation of Israel was occupied by a heathen Roman government. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." The governments of the world's nearly 200 different nations are ordained of God to restrain evil. Sometimes the rulers of these nations misuse their God given powers to persecute Christians. Many Christians today are being persecuted and killed by the rulers in the nations where they live. This is the price of loyalty to Christ and faithful discipleship.

What are Christians to do when the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven conflict with the laws of the nations in which they reside? When the disciples of Jesus were called into question by the Jewish rulers of their day, they said, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Then they went out and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name sake. While it is proper to give thanks and pray for the rulers of the country in which we live and appreciate the benefits from it's privileges, we must always remember that our citizenship is in heaven. We must be willing to suffer in order to remain loyal to our heavenly citizenship.

So what do we do with the teachings of Jesus? Are they simply ideals to be talked about and then forgotten or rejected? Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments.... He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.... Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." (John 14:15,21,23-24).

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:17-21).
Questions and Answers

Question: What about all the "What would you do if...." questions?

Answer: Kingdom Christians must never doubt the wisdom or the purposes of their King. The King has legions of angels and has perfect knowledge of every situation. In order to have the protection of the King we must believe and obey His instructions as given by His Son, Jesus Christ, on how we are to respond to those who would harm us. Sometimes He delivers His saints and sometimes He takes them into His very presence if they are killed. We must always trust the King. We must be willing to die for our King even as others die for their rulers. It can be observed that those who do not trust the King are often killed, as well, with no hope of eternal life with a King they do not trust. "For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

Question: What about Jesus cleansing the temple?

Answer: The temple was His Father's House. He, in obedience to the Father, performed His Father's will. The biblical account is brief and depending on how we allow our imagination to run, we can come up with various conclusions.

As far as I can discern, Jesus harmed no one, though He would have had a right to do so. I, for one, assume He used His whip on the animals. He upset the tables of the money changers and chased them all out. It was His God given authority to do so. We have not been given that type of authority.

Question: Are you and I willing to trust and follow the King?

Answer: That is a very heart-searching question. How we respond to that question will determine our eternal destiny. If all that I am and have belong to Him, then I can answer that question in the positive. On the other hand, if I am set on self-preservation of life and possessions, then I must answer in the negative. To follow the king, I must completely surrender everything to His wisdom and purposes for my life. "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13).

—Silas Martin
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
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Sudsy
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Sudsy »

Thanks Wade. Personally, I see pros and cons on using this latter tract in evangelism. Is this something you have, or has anyone on this forum used, when dealing with an unbeliever ? If so, what was the response as far as questions related to this tract.

One question I would have as an unbeliever reading this, would be - since a majority in Christianity today do have a role in national politics (voting, demonstrations, etc) and in war efforts, is this saying they are not Christian ?

One area I believe could really be improved on is to use modern day language in both making a point and using a modern day scripture translation. Sometimes I think some tracts are written in an unknown tongue when it comes to attempting to convey the Gospel of Jesus to an unchurched person. And there is no mention of the Holy Spirit who is necessary to be capable of following Jesus as outlined and that God gives this power to repenting, baptised believers. It would appear that all of this obeying can just be done by a resolve to obey and a complete surrender of everything (possessions, protecting one's life). This can easily be mis-understood. It is not all depending on our capacity to obey.

Well, not quite what I would use but perhaps those that do evangelize with tracts, that at least refer to the Kingdom of God, could share what they use.

From the same source here is one that does not mention the Kingdom and says -'The Good News is that Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, is alive and calling you to Himself " - https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/49- ... ist=Tracts This is more typical of what is used in describing the Gospel, the 'save me Gospel' as Martin puts it.
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Wade
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Wade »

I've never used tracts. We just have a bunch and I have been going through them to get ideas and see if any of them could be of any use. I think about 95% of them I would never hand out to anyone. Rather if they were asking about something in particular I may?

It just struck me a little bit ago after pulling someone out of the ditch that after doing something like that may be the perfect opportunity to give a good tract.
Ultimately, I want for people to grow closer to God rather than growing closer than what I believe, so a good tract directing that way can be hard to know, as I can't what that person needs to have that accomplished. God does!
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Sudsy
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Sudsy »

Wade wrote:I've never used tracts. We just have a bunch and I have been going through them to get ideas and see if any of them could be of any use. I think about 95% of them I would never hand out to anyone. Rather if they were asking about something in particular I may?

It just struck me a little bit ago after pulling someone out of the ditch that after doing something like that may be the perfect opportunity to give a good tract.
Ultimately, I want for people to grow closer to God rather than growing closer than what I believe, so a good tract directing that way can be hard to know, as I can't what that person needs to have that accomplished. God does!
Yes God does. Tract distribution is usually focused on the main theme that what a person needs most is to admit they are a sinner in need of a Saviour and upon turning from sin to following Jesus they will become a new creation. This is like that last tract I posted.

But knowing what God knows, that is needed by those we come in contact with, is a work of the Holy Spirit in our life. We can experience divine guidance to get to the very core issue keeping someone from Christ. But we must believe this can and does occur and expect this kind of guidance in evangelizing. There are countless testmonies of believers experiencing this. I have myself. When it happens I marvel at this supernatural happening in me, a flawed believer. God will use any willing person to share. We don't need to be perfect followers ourselves and sometimes an unbeliever might even be the means used to correct something in the life of the witness.
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MaxPC
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by MaxPC »

Wade wrote:I've never used tracts. We just have a bunch and I have been going through them to get ideas and see if any of them could be of any use. I think about 95% of them I would never hand out to anyone. Rather if they were asking about something in particular I may?

It just struck me a little bit ago after pulling someone out of the ditch that after doing something like that may be the perfect opportunity to give a good tract.
Ultimately, I want for people to grow closer to God rather than growing closer than what I believe, so a good tract directing that way can be hard to know, as I can't what that person needs to have that accomplished. God does!
I think a word fitly spoken (or written) does have a place, especially when they are words of hope in Christ. I think all of us can think back to comments we've offered to others that helped them in a time of despair or distress. They thank us for saying the one thing they needed to hear.
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
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