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Thursday 3-7-24 5th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Adar 25 5784 76th. Winter Day
In John 3:3, Christ told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Confused, Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered… Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (vs. 4-5). To see and enter God’s kingdom, you must become like spirit.
Paul wrote, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 15:50)! Christ further explained that Spirit is like wind. It is invisible. You cannot see it. But human beings are flesh and blood, and can be seen. Those who are “born again” shall resemble Christ (I John 3:2). No physical man looks like Him as He is in heaven today: “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters…and His countenance was as the sun shines in its strength” (Rev. 1:13-17).
Do you know of anyone who looks and sounds like this now? We should also consider that the resurrection (when God’s servants are “born again”) won’t happen until Christ returns (I Cor. 15:50- 54). If this had already occurred, the whole world would know it. No one could possibly miss such an event (Matt. 24:23-27)
World Peace Now? Isaiah 9:6-7 says of Christ, “The government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” Watch the networks, read national news magazines and newspapers. Is this world enjoying peace? Do you believe Christ would allow murders, rapes, child molestation, riots, terrorism and wars under His divine rulership? No! Obviously, Christ—the Prince of Peace—is not yet ruling His kingdom on Earth.
What About Colossians 1:13? To “prove” that God’s kingdom is here, many cite this verse: “Who [the Father] has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Let’s carefully examine this verse and let the Bible interpret itself. What is the “power of darkness” that God delivers His people from? Acts 26:17-18 states, “…delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send you, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God…” Satan and his demons rule the nations today.
This is why Paul wrote that Christians do not “wrestle…against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Eph. 6:12), and it is also why Christ said, “My kingdom [government] is not of this world: if [it] were...then would My servants fight…but now is My kingdom not from here” (John 18:36). When God delivers His people from the “powers of darkness,” He calls them out of this world (Rev. 18:4), out of its Satan-inspired (Eph. 2:2-3) system and ways of life—its governments. And He “has translated [margin: transferred] us into the kingdom [government] of His dear Son.”
God delivers His servants from the government, laws and ways of Satan to His government at conversion. Christians are citizens of God’s kingdom, though it is not here. For example: You are an American traveling abroad. Though you are not in the U.S., you are still an American citizen. Your citizenship is in America. In the same way, a Christian’s citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), though he does not live there.
Now consider Romans 4:17 as it speaks of Abraham: “God, who quickens [gives life to] the dead, and calls those things which be not [do not exist] as though they were…” When God said to Abraham, “A father of many nations have I made you” (Gen. 17:5), Isaac would not even be born until a year later (compare 17:1-5 with 21:5).
His offspring did not grow into a single nation until hundreds of years later in Egypt! God knew that their descendants would become prosperous nations many centuries later. Since nothing can stop God from fulfilling His plans, to Him they are as good as done. Though His people are not yet born into His kingdom, He knows that they will be. Nothing can prevent this from occurring. In His mind, it is certain.
Love, Walter And Debbie
In John 3:3, Christ told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Confused, Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered… Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (vs. 4-5). To see and enter God’s kingdom, you must become like spirit.
Paul wrote, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 15:50)! Christ further explained that Spirit is like wind. It is invisible. You cannot see it. But human beings are flesh and blood, and can be seen. Those who are “born again” shall resemble Christ (I John 3:2). No physical man looks like Him as He is in heaven today: “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters…and His countenance was as the sun shines in its strength” (Rev. 1:13-17).
Do you know of anyone who looks and sounds like this now? We should also consider that the resurrection (when God’s servants are “born again”) won’t happen until Christ returns (I Cor. 15:50- 54). If this had already occurred, the whole world would know it. No one could possibly miss such an event (Matt. 24:23-27)
World Peace Now? Isaiah 9:6-7 says of Christ, “The government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” Watch the networks, read national news magazines and newspapers. Is this world enjoying peace? Do you believe Christ would allow murders, rapes, child molestation, riots, terrorism and wars under His divine rulership? No! Obviously, Christ—the Prince of Peace—is not yet ruling His kingdom on Earth.
What About Colossians 1:13? To “prove” that God’s kingdom is here, many cite this verse: “Who [the Father] has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Let’s carefully examine this verse and let the Bible interpret itself. What is the “power of darkness” that God delivers His people from? Acts 26:17-18 states, “…delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send you, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God…” Satan and his demons rule the nations today.
This is why Paul wrote that Christians do not “wrestle…against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Eph. 6:12), and it is also why Christ said, “My kingdom [government] is not of this world: if [it] were...then would My servants fight…but now is My kingdom not from here” (John 18:36). When God delivers His people from the “powers of darkness,” He calls them out of this world (Rev. 18:4), out of its Satan-inspired (Eph. 2:2-3) system and ways of life—its governments. And He “has translated [margin: transferred] us into the kingdom [government] of His dear Son.”
God delivers His servants from the government, laws and ways of Satan to His government at conversion. Christians are citizens of God’s kingdom, though it is not here. For example: You are an American traveling abroad. Though you are not in the U.S., you are still an American citizen. Your citizenship is in America. In the same way, a Christian’s citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), though he does not live there.
Now consider Romans 4:17 as it speaks of Abraham: “God, who quickens [gives life to] the dead, and calls those things which be not [do not exist] as though they were…” When God said to Abraham, “A father of many nations have I made you” (Gen. 17:5), Isaac would not even be born until a year later (compare 17:1-5 with 21:5).
His offspring did not grow into a single nation until hundreds of years later in Egypt! God knew that their descendants would become prosperous nations many centuries later. Since nothing can stop God from fulfilling His plans, to Him they are as good as done. Though His people are not yet born into His kingdom, He knows that they will be. Nothing can prevent this from occurring. In His mind, it is certain.
Love, Walter And Debbie
