WBS.049
FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
A KINGDOM HEART – XIX
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance of the will of IAUE.
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of Elohim is within you.
It was
necessary that we spent much time breaking down doctrinal building blocks in
order to build upon a solid foundation.
Having a Baptist background, I know only too well how the doctrinal
platforms of mainline denominations can take the place both of study and of hearing
the voice of the Holy Spirit. Also, should
you take the time to study the Scriptures, you read them expecting to see them
confirm what you already have been taught to believe. If you read something that conflicts with
your denominational credo, your mind bypasses it so that you do not even
realize you have read something that challenged your doctrinal beliefs.
This lack of
integrity with the Scripture, more often than not, is not a willful act. It is an automatic function of the brain. We
generally do not even know we are doing it; because we have allowed a program to
be written in our mind that fully expects the Scripture to endorse what we are
taught to believe. For this reason, it
is imperative that all would-be disciples relinquish their loyalty to a
denominational credo, and place their lives in the hands of IAUE to be taught
by His Spirit.
Proverbs 14:12 (and 16:25) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are
the ways of death.
Remember
Paul’s instruction to the “living sacrifices” that we are to be (Romans
12:1-2). He told us to be transformed by
the renewing of our mind, so that we become able to think correctly, and to
understand the will of IAUE. This does
not happen by accident. It takes
commitment and perseverance to rewrite worldly thinking, to change the thought
processes we have programmed into our minds.
I recall,
vividly, an experience I had with IAUE 42 years ago. I had been earnestly studying the Scripture
all day long (about 17 hours per day), every day for months. About four months into this intense study
time, it seemed as though everything I read disagreed with doctrines I had been
lead to believe as a Baptist. Quite honestly,
I began to feel very insecure. On one
hand, I could clearly see what the Holy Spirit was showing me; but on the other
hand, I also knew there were six million Baptists who understood it differently. I remember even wondering if I should stop
studying the Scripture; because, surely, if I did I would just keep seeing more
things that altered the belief system programmed by my spiritual heritage. It
was at that point the Spirit of IAUE spoke to my heart and asked, “Are you
going to stand before six million Baptists in the Day of Judgment?” I literally collapsed prostrate before Him
and said, “No sir. I will stand before you;
and from this day forward, whatever you reveal to me in your Word I will accept
and embrace, even if I am the only person on the planet who believes it.” Having established that purpose of heart
before Him, IAUE began opening up the Scriptures to me with abandon. I could feel His pleasure and delight in the
delivery of every revelation I was now able to receive.
IAUE knows
man's weaknesses. He knows our frailties. He is fully aware of our
propensity for self-will. He knows better than we, the defense mechanisms
that we engage for the purpose of emotional survival in this world. So,
when He addresses our corrupt humanity with frank observations and provides
correction, we should not pretend that He does not understand us, does not know
us, or does not have our best interests at heart. He did create us, after all; and He
designed us that we should know and do His will; and in that obedience,
discover our greatest joy.
Yahushua
commanded that repentance be preached in his name. Why? Because
IAUE wanted to rescue man from his weaknesses, his frailties, his defense
mechanisms, and his self-will; and repentance is the first dose of the cure. This brings us to our verse for today.
Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of Elohim
should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of Elohim cometh not with
observation:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of Elohim is within you.
The
Pharisees believed in the promise of Messiah; but their expectations were that
he would appear in regal fashion with power and glory, and would strike
debilitating fear in the hearts of all Israel’s enemies; and He would make the
Jews co-regents with Him in a reign that would rule the world. With Rome currently occupying Jerusalem, the
Pharisees would have seen Messiah as one who would effortlessly overthrow this
unwelcome Gentile power. This was their
mental program of Messiah. This thought process
made it next to impossible to see who Yahushua really was. It was undeniable that Yahushua was a miracle
worker. He seemed to live beyond the constraints
of the laws of nature and of physics; and everything he touched was healed,
cured, blessed or delivered. They had to
wonder if he was, in fact, the Messiah; but the manner of his speech puzzled
them; the philosophy of his words perplexed them; and his kindness toward the
Romans enraged them; so the way they decided to ascertain out of Yahushua’s own
mouth whether or not he was the Messiah; was to ask when the Kingdom of Elohim
would come. They were not prepared for
his answer. It would not come with
observation?? What a preposterous thing
for him to say.
Were it
not for their religious programming, they would have been able to have much of
the Scripture open up to them right then and there. When Yahushua said that “the kingdom of
Elohim is within you,” they would have connected this statement with what the
Tanak (Old Testament Scriptures) taught about the heart of man. They would have recognized that the first
step to being able to “see” the kingdom of Elohim is the producing of its
citizens…developing a people whose hearts have been prepared to serve the King.
Every
single Jew in Yahushua’s day knew “the first and great commandment.”
37 This is the first and great commandment.
This passage of Scripture had become
overly familiar and trite to the Jews, much in the same way that Christians
today are overly familiar with John 3:16.
The depth of meaning behind the words had been lost; and the importance
of obeying this commandment had been replaced with a meaningless mantra of
repetition, much like “the Lord’s prayer” has become, today.
IAUE wants our hearts to want Him. This is the key to the kingdom of Elohim.
Matthew 11:19 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls.
Matthew 6:21 For where your
treasure is, there will your heart
be also.
It
is one thing to “say” you love IAUE with all your heart; but he KNOWS our
hearts. He KNOWS the truth of what is
inside of us. Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
This is the condition of the contemporary Christian
church. Their heads are full of programs
of wrong thinking; and they are doing nothing to learn how to think with the
thoughts of IAUE that they might know and do His will. They are doing nothing to become transformed by
the renewing of their minds; because they are quite satisfied with “having
their cake and eating it too.” They
believe they have Heaven secured for tomorrow, and the world their playground
for today; and yet, “their heart is far from me.”
1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is love
out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
A pure heart is the objective. This is what we must pursue.
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