WHAT IS THE
“GOSPEL OF
THE
KINGDOM”?
The day that
Jesus, as a
young Jewish
Rabbi,
climbed the
hill above
Galilee, the
world little
knew it
faced a
moment of
historic
change. In
that brief
period, the
congregation
seated on
rocks and
grass was
the first to
hear His
“Gospel Of
The
Kingdom”--the
message by
which He
single-handily
challenged
world
religion and
philosophical
thinking.
Within a few
decades that
gospel had
“turned the
world upside
down.” Acts
17:6.
Beginning
with the
nation of
Israel,
which was
thrown into
immediate
panic, to
Rome, whose
world-domination
ended and
its’ slavery
system
abolished,
Jesus’
“Gospel of
the Kingdom”
brought
cataclysmic
change. Two
thousand
years later
that gospel
is
challenging
the very
church which
it
established
in the
beginning.
Jesus’
gospel is
specific,
exactly
identified
in New
Testament
doctrine, is
not vague,
and has the
same
character,
nature, and
disposition,
as the
Kingdom from
which it
proceeds. It
is a
commissioned,
ambassadorial
representation
of the
Lordship of
Jesus
Christ. As
such, the
“Gospel of
the Kingdom”
is
permanent,
secure, and
unchanging.
In the
purpose of
God, it is
this same
gospel,
unabridged
and exact
from the
first
century,
which we
must preach
today. We
dare
not--through
excuse-making
to justify
our failures
or
theological
maneuvering
to hide our
ignorance--suppose
we can alter
that gospel
or separate
it from the
Kingdom. To
do so
isolates us
from
Kingdom-power
and produces
an
imitation,
inefficient
gospel. Much
of current
Christianity
is bereft of
the Holy
Spirit’s
“signs and
wonders”
Jesus
promised and
in their
place has
substituted
an
alluring--but
soulish--imitation.
The greatest
problem in
the North
American
Church is
its creation
of this
“denominationalized”
gospel which
has been
re-designed
to
accommodate
dozens of
public
opinions. In
many cases,
truth that
does not fit
local
preference
is carefully
disqualified:
I
Corinthians
11 is valid,
12 is not,
13 is valid,
14 is not.,
15 is valid
..., and so
the
emasculation
of the Word
continues.
The result
is a
“church”
gospel with
which
denominational
hierarchies
are
comfortable--the
“Kingdom”
gospel has
been subtly
replaced.
Thankfully,
this is not
true in
other parts
of the
world--and
explains why
their gospel
is “turning
the world
upside-down.”
Acts 17:6.
In the past
century,
primarily as
a result of
full-gospel
preaching,
more than
100,000,000
believers in
Latin
America have
come to
Christ. In
China the
statistics
are more
amazing.
Africa is
ablaze.
The Gospel
Of The
Kingdom
A. Matthew
4:23-25.
“Jesus went
about all
Galilee,
teaching in
their
synagogues,
and
preaching
the gospel
of the
kingdom, and
healing all
manner of
sickness and
all manner
of disease
among the
people. And
his fame
went
throughout
all Syria:
and they
brought unto
him all sick
people that
were taken
with divers
diseases and
torments,
and those
which were
possessed
with devils,
and those
which were
lunatic, and
those that
had the
palsy; and
he healed
them. And
there
followed him
great
multitudes
of people
from
Galilee, and
from
Decapolis,
and from
Jerusalem,
and from
Judea, and
from beyond
Jordan.”
B. Matthew
24:14-15.
“This gospel
of the
kingdom
shall be
preached in
all the
world for a
witness unto
all nations;
and then
shall the
end come.”
Jesus spoke
of The
Kingdom 130
times in the
New
Testament,
in most
cases
emphasizing
a different
aspect of
the
Kingdom’s
purpose and
meaning. In
its widest
scope, the
Kingdom is
the rule of
God by which
He governs
every aspect
of the
Universe.
That rule
directs the
spiritual
and physical
realms of
Creation.
Nothing is
exempt from
its power.
Not even
Hell, Satan,
demons, or
angels, are
beyond the
reach and
dominion of
His
Kingdom’s
reign. In
its lessor
scope, the
Kingdom is
the rule of
God in which
He extends
spiritual
authority to
believers to
rule and
reign with
Him. In this
capacity it
is possible
for one to
be near the
Kingdom but
not in it,
to be an
heir of it
but not
possess it.
Most
tragically
of all, it
is possible
for one to
read about
it in
Scripture
but not
believe it.
In a
progressive
revelation,
the extent
of the
Kingdom
opens to us
like pages
in a great
book. We may
stop reading
at page one
or we may
proceed
beyond page
10,000.
Our concepts
can stop at
the level of
tree tops
above our
heads or we
may go
light-years
beyond the
most remote
galaxy in
outer space.
The extent
of the
Kingdom is
as
inexhaustible
as God
Himself.
The gospel
of the
Kingdom is a
reflection
of this
greatness
and
therefore is
much, much
more than
presentation
of Bible
facts. It is
the vocal,
audible,
declaration
of Jesus’
universal
atonement,
accompanied
by the Holy
Spirit’s
anointing,
which draws
into one
message all
the
spiritual
and physical
benefits of
Kingdom
power. In
varying
ways, this
Kingdom-gospel
is confirmed
with “signs
following”.
Through it,
the Spirit
and the
Bride
simultaneously
say “come.”
In the
intent of
God, this is
the only
gospel;
ageless,
unchanged,
eternally
the same.
Any lessor
gospel is
insubordination
to the
Kingdom. The
purpose of
the Holy
Spirit’s
anointing is
to empower
redeemed men
and women
with Kingdom
authority to
preach that
gospel with
all its
original,
miraculous
manifestations.
The gospel
of the
Kingdom is
not intended
for the
hearer’s
outer ear
only but for
the inner
ear of his
heart; its
target is
not merely
to change
his thinking
but to
prepare his
total
nature--body,
soul, and
spirit--into
Kingdom of
God
citizenship.
Therefore,
the
authentic
gospel is an
extension of
Kingdom
authority
through the
human voice.
When Peter
preached to
the
household of
Cornelius,
“The Holy
Spirit fell
on all them
who heard
the word,”
Acts
10:44-45.
Today, as
then, the
empowered
gospel can
invade the
physical
realm,
reconnect it
to the
spiritual by
changing
natural
circumstances
into
supernatural
manifestations.
Peter’s
presence as
a messenger
of the
Kingdom was
essential
but the man
himself was
not the
source of
power--it
was the Holy
Spirit’s
anointing
upon him.
Then, as
now, the
Holy Spirit
anoints
preaching
that honors
Jesus. “For
our gospel
came not
unto you in
word only,
but also in
power, and
in the Holy
Spirit ...”
1
Thessalonians
1:5. Paul
further
explained,
“Through
mighty signs
and wonders,
by the power
of the
Spirit of
God; so that
from
Jerusalem,
and round
about unto
Illyricum, I
have fully
preached the
gospel of
Christ.”
Romans
15:19-20.
Today, Peter
and Paul are
long-gone
but the Holy
Spirit is
still here.
Our
understanding
the
spiritual
nature of
the gospel
is not
achieved by
human
wisdom.
Fundamental
truth comes
by God’s
revelation.
We are to
“study to
show
ourselves
approved
unto God,”
II Timothy
2:15, but
Paul goes on
to explain,
“I certify
you,
brethren,
that the
gospel which
was preached
of me is not
after man.
For I
neither
received it
of man,
neither was
I taught it,
but by the
revelation
of Jesus
Christ.”
Galatians
1:11-13.
Seminaries,
Bible
Schools, are
important,
but their
efforts are
in vain if
the student
does not
receive his
own personal
anointing
with the
Holy Spirit.
Personal
anointing
was
necessary
even for
Jesus: He
“came to
Nazareth ...
And there
was
delivered
unto him the
book of the
prophet
Isaiah. And
when he had
opened the
book, he
found the
place where
it was
written, The
Spirit of
the Lord is
upon me,
because he
has anointed
me to preach
the gospel
... ” Luke
4:16-20.
Both with
Christ or
us,
kingdom-preaching
is
inseparably
connected to
anointing.
The words
“Christ” and
“Christian”--from
the Greek
word chrios--are
designations
of
anointing.
Information
about the
gospel may
be learned
academically
but the
actual
ministry of
the gospel
can be
experienced
only by the
Holy Spirit.
The
difference
between
preaching
and
lecturing is
the presence
or absence
of the
anointing.
Paul
explained,
“Our
sufficiency
is of God
who has made
us able
ministers of
the New
Testament;
not of the
letter, but
of the
spirit: for
the letter
kills, but
the Spirit
gives life.”
II
Corinthians
3:5-7. Apart
from the
Holy Spirit
even the
“letter” of
the New
Testament
becomes
destructive.
The holy
anointing
which speaks
through the
preached
Word is able
to destroy
evil, bring
light into
darkness,
pull down
demonic
strongholds,
transform
fallen
humanity
into
Christ’s
divine
nature, and
bring men to
salvation.
The proof of
the gospel
is the
“mighty
signs and
wonders”
which
accompany
it. Where
there are no
“signs”
there is no
full gospel.
The point is
this: Bible
literature
remains only
that until
the voice of
the Holy
Spirit
speaks
through it.
Fully
presented,
the gospel
produces the
same results
today as it
did in the
first
century.
Jesus said
to the first
disciples,
"Go
therefore
and make
disciples of
all the
nations,
baptizing
them in the
name of the
Father and
of the Son
and of the
Holy Spirit,
teaching
them to
observe all
things that
I have
commanded
you; and lo,
I am with
you always,
even to the
end of the
age.”
Matthew
28:19-20.
Jesus was
emphatic.
His
instruction,
“teach them
all things,”
referring
specifically
to the
church at
the “end of
the age” is
unmistakably
clear. He
expected the
21st century
church is to
be taught
precisely
what He
taught the
first
century
church.
There is no
change! A
century ago,
Charles
Spurgeon
shouted his
warning to
the church:
“Death and
condemnation
to a church
that is not
yearning
after the
Spirit,
crying and
groaning
until the
Spirit has
wrought
mightily in
her midst.
He is here!
He has never
gone back
since He
descended at
Pentecost
...
Brethren, if
we do not
have the
Spirit of
God, it were
better to
shut the
churches,
nail up the
doors, put
on a black
cross and
say, ‘God
have mercy
on us!’ If
you
ministers
have not the
Spirit of
God, you
better not
preach and
you people
had better
stay at
home. I
think I
speak not
too strong
when I say
that a
church
without the
Spirit of
God is
rather a
curse than a
blessing.
This is the
solemn word:
‘The Holy
Spirit or
nothing ...
and worse
than
nothing!’”
Question:
Why do those
supporting
the
“cessation”
theory claim
God removed
the Holy
Spirit’s
power from
the gospel?
Answer: To
justify the
absence of
miracles and
acquit
itself of
failure, the
modern
church has
blamed God
for the
power’s
disappearance.
But hear
what Paul
said about
such a
change: “I
marvel that
you are so
soon removed
from him who
called you
into the
grace of
Christ unto
another
gospel:
Which is not
another; but
there be
some who
trouble you,
and would
pervert the
gospel of
Christ. But
though we,
or an angel
from heaven,
preach any
other gospel
unto you
than that
which we
have
preached
unto you,
let him be
accursed. As
we said
before, so
say I now
again, If
any man
preach any
other gospel
unto you
than that
you have
received,
let him be
accursed.”
Galatians
1:6-10. How
could
language
possibly be
more plain?
I know not!
Quoting
Paul, may I
say that any
“gospel”
which claims
to be
different
from the
original is
a
“perverted”
gospel.
Scripture
severely
warns
against our
preaching
“another
gospel.” In
the sight of
God there is
only one,
the original
gospel
endorsed by
and in
tribute to
His Son.
Question:
Why are we
not
experiencing
“first
century”
power in our
day? I can
give you a
one-word
answer:
Unbelief.
The power is
absent
because the
masses of
Christianity
have
replaced
faith in
Bible truth
with
doctrines of
denial.
Jesus
established
one church
for all
time; there
is no such
thing as an
“apostolic”
and
“post-apostolic”
gospel with
different
teachings,
different
powers, and
different
expectations.
As Jesus is
“the same
yesterday,
today, and
forever,” so
His gospel
is as
unchanging
as Himself.
Hebrews
13:8. “One
Lord, one
faith, one
baptism.”
Ephesians
4:5. But new
winds are
blowing!
Millions of
believers
are
returning to
faith in the
full gospel
message. Out
of a
world-wide
population
of two
billion,
more than
500,000,000
Christians
now
acknowledge
the Holy
Spirit’s
gifts and
power. I not
only believe
in
Kingdom-power
but I am
seeing it
happen in
many, many
congregations.
Jesus said,
“And this
gospel of
the kingdom
shall be
preached in
all the
world for a
witness unto
all nations
and then
shall the
end come.”
Matthew
24:14-15.
The Bible’s
final word
of warning
about
changing the
gospel comes
from Jesus.
He said:
“For I
testify unto
every man
who hears
the words of
the prophecy
of this book
... if any
man shall
take away
from the
words of the
book of this
prophecy,
God shall
take away
his part out
of the book
of life, and
out of the
holy city,
and from the
things which
are written
in this
book. He who
testifies
these things
says, Surely
I come
quickly.
Amen. Even
so, come,
Lord Jesus.”
Revelation
22:16-20.
2 Peter
1:10-12.
“Wherefore
the rather,
brethren,
give
diligence to
make your
calling and
election
sure: for if
you do these
things, you
shall never
fall: For so
an entrance
shall be
ministered
unto you
abundantly
into the
everlasting
kingdom of
our Lord and
Savior Jesus
Christ.”
CC
"STANDING
BETWEEN THE
LIVING AND
THE DEAD "
George
Whitefield
was an
Englishman
of the 18th
century and
one of the
greatest
evangelists
of all
times.
Today’s
"signs and
wonders"
would seem
mild in
comparison
to the
Spirit’s
astonishing
demonstrations
that
occurred in
his
ministry. My
request of
the Lord is
that He will
anoint me
with the
same Holy
Spirit’s
power that
He put upon
Whitefield.
I encourage
you to do
the same. Be
bold in your
request of
God. When
preaching in
Boston,
Whitefield
ordered
people in
the trees to
come down.
He knew that
once the
power of the
Holy Spirit
fell upon
the crowd
many of
those
sitting on
tree limbs
overhead
would drop
like acorns.
Phenomenal
signs
accompanied
his
preaching.
For example,
in the Fall
of 1756
Whitefield
preached at
St.
Michael’s
Anglican
Church in
the village
of Haworth,
north
England. The
local
pastor,
William
Grimshaw,
was a godly
man and
powerful in
the
Scripture.
Whitefield
stood on a
platform
erected
outside an
open window
of the
church where
he could be
heard by
those
crowded
within the
building and
the several
thousand
standing
without. He
paused
silently to
pray and
then in a
loud,
commanding
voice,
announced
his text:
"It is
appointed
unto men
once to die,
and after
death the
judgment."
Before he
could speak
his next
words there
was a loud
shriek from
the
audience. A
person had
dropped
dead. There
was a moment
of confusion
as Reverend
Grimshaw
rushed in
that
direction.
The dead
person was
carried
away. After
a pause,
Whitefield
repeated the
text loudly
again, "It
is appointed
unto men
once to die,
and after
death the
judgment."
From a
different
section came
another
shriek. A
second
person had
dropped
dead. Both
had died
instantly
upon hearing
Whitefield’s
announcement
about death
and
judgement.
This one was
also carried
out of the
crowd. From
the place
where the
second
person had
fallen,
Grimshaw
shouted to
Whitefield,
"You are
standing
between the
living and
the dead!"
His
reference
was to the
time when
Aaron stood
with his
censer
between
those alive
and those
who perished
under God’s
judgement.
Numbers
16:48.
We know
nothing
about those
who died
that day,
the
condition of
their souls,
or why God
chose to
call them to
judgement at
the moment
Whitefield
proclaimed
the word.
But you and
I do know
that a holy
terror
gripped the
people
standing
before him.
This man was
no ordinary
preacher.
The
congregation
knew that in
a paralyzing
way the Holy
Spirit was
"confirming
the word
with signs
following."
Mark 16:20.
Dwight L.
Moody's
Encounter
With The
Holy Spirit
A century
ago, the
ministry of
Dwight L.
Moody shook
the nation
in a way
that
continues to
vibrate
mankind to
this day.
What changed
an ordinary
man into one
of the great
voices in
Christian
history?
Moody
himself
gives the
explanation:
"I began to
cry as never
before for a
greater
blessing
from God.
The hunger
increased; I
really felt
that I did
not want to
live any
longer. I
kept on
crying all
the time
that God
would fill
me with His
Spirit.
Well, one
day in the
city of New
York ---
oh!, what a
day, I
cannot
describe it,
I seldom
refer to it.
It is almost
too sacred
an
experience
to name.
Paul had an
experience
of which he
never spoke
for fourteen
years. I can
only say,
God revealed
Himself to
me and I had
such an
experience
of His love
that I had
to ask Him
to stay His
hand."
Moody's
baptism with
the Spirit
was so
overwhelming,
so filling
with the
glory of
heaven, that
he felt he
would be
physically
crushed
there on the
streets of
New York.
Moody's cry,
"God ---
stay Your
hand!," is
not unusual
for those
upon whom
the power of
the Spirit
has fallen.
Many Old
Testament
saints as
well as Saul
of Tarsus in
the New
Testament
literally
fell to the
ground when
the power of
God came
upon them.
Strange as
it seems to
some, that
manifestation
of the
Spirit still
occurs
today. On
that
historic
day, Dwight
L. Moody
left the
spot as a
new man ---a
new minister
--- and a
true New
Testament
evangelist.
What God did
for him, He
will do for
us also who,
" ... cry as
never before
... hunger
... do not
want to
live"
without
being
"filled with
the Spirit".
Jesus said,
"Ask and you
shall
receive."
Drop your
religious
objection
and receive
everything
God has!
Believe me,
you will
like the
change.
