Nwsltr-042510-Taking the Kingdom of God by Force
“counting the cost, throwing out dead traditions, taking up the Sword, walking in the fire of God’s Spirit as we take the kingdom of God by force”

by the Watchman
Dana G Smith
Keywords: count cost, disciple, john baptist, Jesus Christ, dead traditions, sword Lord, fire, Holy Spirit, Kingdom of God, force

Words: 290

Today’s Idea of success in America for churches, congregations, and Christians is unlike what we see in scripture. For many of us close to this arena of Christendom in America the success is seen in church growth; i.e. big churches, glitzy campaigns for growth, pastors that act more like corporate heads than shepherds, and the issue of money is always close at hand. For many the relationship to church growth, success, and material things are usually interconnected. We have accepted the idea as did the Pharisee’s and scribes that material blessings means Gods blessing. This is not always not the case. We have co-opted Gods material provision into a full blown doctrine where we seek the doctrine of provision and wealth above what the Lord spoke to us to do. That is, “seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Howbeit, the stereo typical experience of  Christianity today is one that would of been foreign to the early “church and the Apostles”.

When John the Baptist came on the scene, as Jesus later directly speaks about, saying this early man of God, was seen as a prophet, was in actuality much more than a prophet. Dressed in Camel hair with a leather belt around his waist, John came as the ‘voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the paths of the Lord.’ It was this voice that was heard in the early days before Christ was revealed in Jordan, Galilee, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and other areas that the Jews lived in. He came from the wilderness, scripture says of him that he ate ‘locusts and wild honey’. This man of God was told ‘upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. It was testified by John that “I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God”.

John 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Now for the Pharisees, Sadducees, Lawyers, and Scribes of the day, John was a messenger that caused trouble. But even they came out to see what John was up to, they found themselves drawn to this messenger!  Of this time, Jesus spoke saying: “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.-Lk 16:16″. Here the Lord specifically speaks to the fact that from the time of John’s arrival and on, the “Kingdom of God is preached”. It was to John the crowds flocked to hear his message of repentance and to be baptized.  Further Jesus spoke saying that from the “days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”  He further says that the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and “if you will receive it, this is Elijah which was to come.”

Matthew 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

The comparison of John to Elijah in this context is what Jesus is speaking about. It was prophesied by Isaiah of John’s arrival. Elijah had a ministry that was miraculous, confrontational, and he took on the backslidden children of Abraham. John as well brought to the table a message that was confrontational, and in the same instance miraculous for it was when he Baptized Yeshua that the LORD God spoke saying “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.”.

Matthew 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased

As John arrived on the scene take note his anointing and message was not of men! He did not learn his message from the school of Prophets, from the Pharisee’s school of law, nor from the scribes themselves. He did not dress like those who professed and taught how to find God. He was not a professional religious type. He did not have a fancy looking synagogue to go to! He had been in the Wilderness feeding on the LORD, listening and being taught of God. Again, I repeat here for comparison sake; he ate “locusts and wild honey”, while the established branch of organized religion of that day ate well, lived well, and were thoroughly religious in their duties and activities. Yet they did not know God. In fact, John called them a “generation of vipers”, asking them “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

Matthew 3:7  ¶But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Scripture says that the Pharisee’s and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves and they did not get baptized. But all the people and publicans who heard him, justified God and were baptized with the baptism of John. The people believed the word given by John who came preaching what God had given him. The Pharisee’s and Sadducees trusted in just being Sons of Abraham after the flesh and keeping the traditions of men. John though had Gods message and it was one that did not seek to appease the religious of his day through ‘entertainment’, i.e. as it says “we have piped and you did not dance.” Nor did he seek to appease their dead traditionalism. What he did was lay to the root the ax of God, with the fire of the Holy Ghost. It was meant to stir and awaken, not to entertain and conform to man. This was Gods business, Gods way, and John was preparing the path for the Son of God!

Luke 7:29  And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
31  And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32  They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
33  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34  The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35  But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Jesus said this issue of rejection by the religious establishment of his day and acceptance of his message by those who were considered publicans and sinners that “wisdom is justified of all her children.” Wisdom’s children in this instance were the ones the very religious Pharisees and Saducees rejected. The Lord put the wisdom of the religious of his day in disarray by his actions. It is the Foolishness of God which is wiser than men. Gods wisdom chooses the down and out, lowly, sinners, and those rejected. Not many wise, noble, or rich are called! The religious establishment would only accept people who looked, acted, and were as they. But John and Yeshua both were at odds with the religious establishment at that time.

It is here that we must understand that the “kingdom of heaven” suffers violence. For years and decades dead traditionalism, materialism, and the love of God had evaded those who brought the kingdom of God to the masses of Jews. It was to this same kingdom of God that John was sent, to wrench it from the hands of those who were destroying it.  The force used was the ‘anointing of God, the Spirit of God, and the word of God’. It is this that Jesus also came to do! The established traditions of men had made the word of God of none effect and in order to save people and bring them into Gods grace, the kingdom must be wrenched from and taken by force through the literal appearing of both Gods messenger John and Gods only Son Yeshua Ha Massiach.

This is the foremost idea you and I must grasp today.  This is about force! The force of God, to bring, tear away, and save those who will listen.  It is a force that will use the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and our faithfulness and prayer life which combined with the Lord God will make a difference. It is a force from God to awaken those in the church that are asleep. It is a force to the hungry to come to the ‘waters’, find the Son of God and find life! It is a force sent by God, directed by His Spirit in power, and fulfills the Word of God. It is a force sent to the nations! It is a force that meets head on the unbeliever.

But it is not a force to bring unity, world peace, but a force that will bring a sword.  Man’s dead traditions and his religious ideas want to create peace! It is mans dead church ideas, secularism, materialism, socialism, and more that wants to have peace and not a sword. It makes peace with debauchery, makes excuses for sin, and allows loose grace and immorality to rule in the house of God. Read Jesus own words on this matter:

Matthew 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward

The Twelve words Jesus spoke that meant this was not business as usual were these, “I am not come to send peace on earth, but a sword”. Jesus turned the world upside down, even today it is his name that is most hated! It is those who call themselves by his name that follow him . Many times his followers will remain faithful even unto the death, all the while loving those who destroy them.

Jesus warns that he is come to set at odds father against son, daughter against mother, daughter in law against mother in law. It is here that mere blood ties won’t be able to keep those who follow Jesus Christ from doing so. If your family doesn’t agree, you have a choice, follow the Lord or keep to your family. There is a cost to follow Jesus Christ. We are sternly warned, “a mans foes shall be those of his own household.” Many believers in foreign countries who accept the Lord Jesus Christ already know this fact, the cost of following him and leaving their family traditions and religion behind. Jesus Christ saves, religions kill!

Furthermore, “whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me”, Jesus says, “is not worthy of me”. He also says “those who do not take their cross and follow me is not worthy of me he says”. And again he points out saying “He that loses his life for my sake shall find it”. In other words, this is ‘force’. Force to follow, a cost that is real, and a calling that is beyond all mere human reasoning. It is that which leads men and women to sacrifice all for this Savior and God!  The reward is as real as the cost.  Jesus gives examples of this and one that sums up what he is saying in this context of scripture is the fact that if you receive a prophet, righteous man, or gives to drink a cup of water in the name of the Lord, you will in no wise lose your reward. God is faithful, he is calling us to be faithful, and he will reward your faithfulness.

In conclusion Jesus said as well, “I am come to send fire on the earth”. In this statement he finishes by speaking to the fact that it is already kindled. This section follows Matthews account in Chapter ten. But Luke adds that there are those who are hypocrites for they do not discern the times! They can look to the sky and discern the weather, but although they see what is happening around them, they do not understand it.

They as well do not know that the Christ we serve has thrown out dead traditionalism with the Pharisees, Sadducees, lawyers, scribes, and is warning the church today. Christ has sent a fire, he has sent a sword, and he is rekindled the fire and resharpened the sword. It is let loose on America and the world. The Lord is coming soon, but before he arrives the Dark One will appear and make war against the Saints who keep his commandments and faith and testimony of Jesus Christ. You cannot make war against this Dark One with dead traditions that offer no power, and no force. It can only happen with the force of the Word of God, the force of the Holy Spirit, and the faith of the believers who are the fire of God in truth and carry the Sword of the Lords Word in their hearts. They are obedient to his Word, his call, and understand they are the force today! The are the called out ones to bring in the “kingdom of God by force” and watch for the “Son of God, the Son of David, Son of Joseph” to appear and sit upon the throne of Messiach, the throne of David.

Luke 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
50  But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52  For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53  The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
54  ¶And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
55  And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.
56  Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

I warn you, though, if you do as John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the early church; you will find division and not peace, a fire and not dead traditionalism. They faced it and preached Gods message for the hour they lived in. Today we must follow suit. The fire is kindled. Let it spark your faith and vision.

We must keep the faith and testimony of Jesus Christ and it is our path in this that will create the same opposition that our Lord met when faced by the dead ecumenical traditional religionists of his day. There are many that see themselves as “rich and in need of nothing, but do not know nor discern they are wretched, poor, blind and naked.”