THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: The final segment in the series will expose the singular reason behind the dozen or so doctrines and customs that have played major roles in the church’s apostasy (falling away from the Lord). Simply put: the Catholic/Protestant Religious System which calls itself “the church” has rejected the Lord’s message which He sent to mankind in the person of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Some 2000 years ago He (the Word–Jn. 1:1-4,14) came to earth with a message from His Father which He called “THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” The people to whom He brought those sacred Words not only rejected them, but killed Him for speaking them. Those same people later killed His apostles for speaking and writing them. Which brings forth two questions: WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE? AND WHY IS IT STILL BEING REJECTED TODAY BY THOSE WHO PROFESS TO BELIEVE IN THE HOLY MESSENGER? The Lord provides the answers for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

Throughout the past 1900 years or so there has been only one message being preached in the various churches, faiths, denominations, etc. that make up “the church.” Though the message is proclaimed using a wide variety of different words and contexts, it is still being heard today in churches around the globe. The message is, “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED.” This is what I call a “headline.” God’s “headlines” are true, as far as they go. In 99.99% of the cases, the speaker or writer goes no farther. In other words, the Godly “headline” is not followed up by the Lord’s “fine print” passages. These are conditions which provide a full understanding of the statement which the Apostle Paul made to the jailer in Acts 16:30-32. Notice that Paul said that to believe in Jesus means that one “SHALL BE (LATER) SAVED.” Notice also that Paul preached the Gospel to the Jailer and all who were in his house. They believed His message and were baptized–justified and converted, not saved. Read Born Again. Key word–Again.

What is missing from the “faith in Jesus=instant salvation” “headlines” are God’s hated “IF” caveats (conditions)–His “fine print” statements that, if obeyed, will result in God’s promises being received. Read the series featuring “IF” using that word as the key. That most hated of Biblical Words (IF) holds the key to receiving God’s promises, including salvation. Ignoring His “IF” conditions is like accepting a safe filled with gold, but rejecting the numbers that comprise the combination to the safe. Also, the numbers must be applied in a specific sequence in order to open the safe. GOD IS SPECIFIC (read the series. Key word–Specific). A safe recipient (promise of salvation) can starve to death (be denied salvation) while looking at the safe (reading the promise in God’s Word). This is what the Institutional Church has been doing for almost 2000 years, which explains why she has drifted farther and farther away from the Lord with the passage of time.

In Mark 1:14 we read that Jesus came on the scene “preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.” THAT Gospel was HIS message–His ONLY message. However, what you normally hear is not His message about the Kingdom of God, but rather a message about Jesus Himself, His goodness, His death, His ascension, etc. The message preached to the church concerns Jesus Himself, not the message God sent Him to preach, which He in turn commanded His apostles to preach. Each Sunday morning millions of people hear what they believed to be Christ’s Gospel. What they hear is not His Gospel about God’s kingdom, but rather a perversion of that Gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). The church receives the safe without the combination. Jesus taught about the kingdom and how to enter it. Each sun god day thousands of self-professing servants of Christ preach ABOUT Jesus but refuse to give their followers His message. They refuse to proclaim the message He preached 2000 years ago–His eternal Gospel.

Jesus preached His Gospel and commanded His apostles to preach His Gospel. His Gospel was (is) the good news (Gk.–gospel) about the Kingdom of God. It is true that He gave up His Godship to come to earth, that He suffered and died for mankind, that He healed the sick, cast out demons, multiplied food, walked on water, controlled the weather, etc., all of which must be noted. However, those things are not the Kingdom of God which is to be our focus when ministering God’s Word.

What people accept without question to be the Gospel is designed to be a detour away from God’s “fine print” which must be believed and obeyed in order for His “headlines” to come to fruition. This explains why only a minutely few church prayers are answered. Read Does God Answer Sinners’ Prayers? Key word–Answer. In you have not already done so, read The Kingdom of God. Key word–Kingdom. This series informs the reader as to what that future earthly kingdom will be, where it will be and how to enter it, which is a major part of the kingdom message. L.J.

The gospel the church masses accept offers no solution to humanity’s social, familial, national, personal, spiritual, mental and physical problems. Nor does the church’s gospel identify the cause of those problems (sin) and Who it is that sends those problems on mankind, including the church. The Lord makes it plain time and again that it is He, God Himself, who curses man for sinning. Read Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28 and Second Chronicles 7:13-15. Note that in every case it is God Himself Who pours out wrath on people, including church people, when they disobey Him. Note what Jesus said to the man at the Bethesda pool concerning sin (Jn. 5:14). Read The “Voices” of God. Key word–Voices.

In the eighth chapter of John Jesus is talking to a group of Jews who “believed in Him” (vs 31). They liked Him and approved of what He had been doing. He told those “WHO BELIEVED IN HIM” that IF they believed and obeyed HIS WORDS (MESSAGE), THEN (AND ONLY THEN) THEY WOULD BE HIS DISCIPLES INDEED (NOT IN NAME ONLY).” But when He told them the Truth (His message from God) they picked up stones to kill Him (vs 59). They believed that He was the Messiah, that He was the Christ of God. But they did not believe what He said. Nothing has changed. Parishioners today would flock to hear Him preach. However, those same people would reject Him if He told them the truth about their spiritual condition. He would say to them what He said to the believing Jews: “… because I tell you the Truth, you do not believe Me” (vs 45) and “… you want to kill Me” (vs 40). How do I know how religious people would react to Him? I get the same reaction when I tell people what God says in His Holy Scriptures, but without the rocks.

Today, millions around the world believe in Jesus but do not believe His Gospel, mainly because they have never heard it. They have heard sermons about Him, about what He did. However, Satan has kept His message from them through his false prophets. Because of this blackout of God’s message, millions of people have been deceived into believing a false gospel. THE GOSPEL ABOUT FAITH IN JESUS, TAKING HIM AS ONE’S SAVIOR, ETC. DOES NOT LEAD TO SALVATION. As the Apostle James tells us, “faith (in Jesus) without works (obedience to God’s Word–“works”) does not produce salvation (Jam. 2:10,14,17,18,20,24,26). Satan’s substitute message is universally embraced because it requires one to “ONLY BELIEVE.”

For those who are still in the counterfeit church, I know that these words are hard to swallow. However, I will back up them up with the Word of the Lord Himself. The Lord did not call me to make people feel good about themselves. He commissioned me to tell church people His Truth, which, 99.99% of the time, offends them. But I am in good company. Remember that those who heard Jesus and His apostles killed all of them except John, whom the Lord kept alive to put the Holy Scriptures together into what we call The Bible (Heb. book). L.J.