Kingdom Principles

Kingdom Principles

and His activities into rituals. Many even have reduced His message to nothing more than an escapist plan for getting to heaven and His promises as a mere fire insurance policy for escaping the pains of a tormenting hell. And yet a simple study and review of His message and priority reveals that Jesus had only one message, one mandate, and one mis sion—the return of the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. From the very beginning, Jesus made it clear that the principal need of the human race, and the only solution to mankind’s dilemma, was the Kingdom of Heaven. His first public statements reveal this Kingdom priority: From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). Jesus’ first announcement was the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. His solution to the malnourished and bankrupt human spirit was not a religion but the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, if you are spiritually poor, only the Kingdom will satisfy and fulfill your hunger. The Kingdom is God’s priority and must become our priority if we are to overcome the confusion of religions and the threat of self-destruction. RELIGION VERSUS KINGDOM The power of religion lies in its ability to serve as a substitute for the Kingdom and thus hinder mankind from pursuing the genuine answer to his dilemma. My study of the nature of religion and how it impacts the process of man’s search for the Kingdom uncovered several significant truths: Religion preoccupies man until he finds the Kingdom.

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