The Kingdom of Heaven
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LESSON 16: THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
The Israelites were close to the Promised Land.
12 spies were sent, who were leaders from the 12 tribes,
to inspect Canaan for the coming conquest of the land that God promised His people.
After 40 days, they returned and gave their reports.
Two of the twelve – Joshua and Caleb –
brought back a branch that had a cluster of grapes so gigantic,
it had to be carried between the two of them upon a staff,
and with it encouraged the people to obey the command of YHWH
to go forth and conquer Canaan.
However, the remaining 10 spies did not place their trust in the Lord,
but feared the giant warriors of Canaan and the massive walls of its cities,
forgetting that the Protector of Israel is the Almighty God
that just turned Egypt – the most powerful nation on the face of the earth then – into a heap of garbage.
“And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying,
The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof.” [04] Numbers 13:32.
The land of milk and honey was even transformed into the land that devours its inhabitants
under the lying report of these cowards.
“And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron:
and the whole congregation said unto them,
Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!
or would God we had died in this wilderness!
And wherefore hath YHWH brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword,
that our wives and our children should be a prey?
were it not better for us to return into Egypt?” [04] Numbers 14:2-3.
This is not the first time the Israelites “prayed” this prayer unto the ears of the Lord.
And they are about to find out that if they persist in their rebellion
and murmur for something contrary to His will long enough,
He might very well grant them the bad thing they asked to teach them a lesson.
And then, when “they said one to another,
Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.” [04] Numbers 14:4,
their action had officially become the crime of treason against the King.
“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?
I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord,
as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness;
and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number,
from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.
Doubtless ye shall not come into the land,
concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein,
save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in,
and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness!” [04] Numbers 14:28-32.
Question: how could the Israelites come up with the stupid idea
of electing a new leader to replace Moses,
the leader directly appointed by the King,
and heap upon themselves the crime of treason?
Did they think that Heaven is a democracy,
where the people have the right to elect their leaders by votes?!
Just like the Israelites of old,
there is a disastrous misunderstanding about the political structure of Heaven
in the modern Christian community,
a misunderstanding so severe that it must be corrected
before we can ever enter the Heavenly Canaan
– the misunderstanding called “democracy”.
1. Is Heaven a democracy?
[01] Matthew 4:17 From that time JESUS began to preach, and to say,
Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
This is the confirmation from the mouth of Lord JESUS Himself.
He is NOT a candidate for the presidency,
coming to conduct an election campaign asking for votes.
He is a KING, bringing a Kingdom
– the political structure where the King has absolute authority in every aspect.
Appointed by His Father the Most High King to sit on the Father’s throne with Him,
JESUS never had need and never will need the approval, acceptance or votes of anyone
for His absolute authority to come into effect.
No one can depose Him from His throne.
They can only beg Him to extend His domain of rulership to their hearts,
and be enthroned there also
– the request that He would always graciously accept.
The Kingdom of Heaven is the Utopia that mankind has lost,
superior to anything and everything that we ever invented
in all of our pathetic efforts to re-establish it throughout the history of mankind.
The King of that Country is the only remedy
that can defeat the wickedness in the hearts of human beings.
In Him is no sin, only perfect Love and Justice.
2. Who makes the Law in the Kingdom of Heaven?
Do citizens have any voting rights to change the laws?
[01] Matthew 5:18, 19 For verily I say unto you,
Till heaven and earth pass,
one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law…
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.
In a kingdom, the King decides the law.
Citizens have no right to get together to vote to change His law, like in democracies.
Especially in the Kingdom of Heaven,
there can never be the farce of bishops and believers getting together
to legalize homosexual marriage by votes,
once the King had plainly declared in His law that it is an abomination!
All those who participated in these “voting campaigns” to change the law of the King
never had any idea how kingdoms work in the first place,
and they were all misunderstanding that this is a Democracy.
Which is why the true Christians – the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven –
never should be intimidated by these people.
Unlike us, they were never citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,
only members of a democratic religion that they came up with
– which, of course, has no power or authority whatsoever over the salvation of souls.
3. In the Kingdom of Heaven, do citizens have the right to vote and elect leaders?
[04] John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you, and ordained you.
These are the words of the King Himself to His apostles.
In a democracy, the people might be the ones electing their leaders and officials.
But in the kingdom it is completely opposite:
the King decides who even gets to be His citizens, and who will be the officials.
Every leadership position in the Kingdom is to be appointed by the King.
The citizens of the kingdom have no voting right whatsoever.
When the Israelites tried to depose Moses in the wilderness
and elect for themselves another leader to lead them back to Egypt,
they were almost executed on the spot by the King for their crime of treason,
had not Moses himself ONCE AGAIN leaned upon the very goodness and longsuffering of God to plead for them:
[04] Numbers 14:17-19 I beseech thee, let the power of my lord be great,
according as thou hast spoken, saying,
YHWH is longsuffering, and of great mercy,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
and by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people
according unto the greatness of thy mercy,
and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
If the King wasn’t merciful and kind to the very extreme,
and Moses wasn’t tapping on these very attributes of His,
this here on the spot would have been the end of the Israelites,
with all the treason and insult that they could heap upon Him.
4. How does the Lord appoint the top leaders of His people?
[05] Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
[05] Acts 1:23-26 And they appointed two,
Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men,
shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship,
from which Judas by transgression fell,
that he might go to his own place.
And they gave forth their lots;
and the lot fell upon Matthias;
and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
[20] Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap;
but the whole disposing thereof is of YHWH.
So the two ways the Lord appointed the top leadership positions,
of which there is no higher superior official other than Him, are:
1) Directly and audibly making known His will.
2) Casting lots.
{Ellen G. White, Spirit oí Prophecy, vol. 3, 264.2 – 264.3}
“While they were awaiting the descent of the Holy Ghost,
they supplied the office left vacant by Judas.
Two men were selected, who, in the careful judgment of the believers, were best qualified for the place.
But the disciples, distrusting their ability to decide the question farther, referred it to One that knew all hearts.
They sought the Lord in prayer to ascertain which of the two men
was more suitable for the important position of trust, as an apostle of Christ.
The Spirit of God selected Matthias for the office.
Both men who had been selected were considered to be persons of stern integrity,
and in every way worthy of the vacant position;
but notwithstanding the disciples were intimately acquainted with them,
they felt that their own judgment was imperfect,
and trusted the selection only to the Lord,
whose eyes could read the hidden secrets of the heart.”
With the First Beast – Vatican – had formed its special squad, the Jesuits,
to infiltrate every political party and religious organization in the world
– especially the Protestant churches –
to annex and subdue them to the Catholic church,
the strict application of the Kingdom of Heaven’s system of appointing officials,
to make sure that every level of leadership is appointed by the King,
is the only way to prevent those wolves in sheep’s clothing
from becoming wolves in shepherd’s clothing,
to corrupt the doctrines given by the Lord and destroy the entire fold.
This system is also an extremely effective way
to prevent those who have strayed from the right path
from being appointed into positions of leadership.
This anti-spy, anti-corruption system of appointing leaders is executed with 4 very simple steps:
1) Everyone humbles themselves down to seek the Lord in prayers, to determine the worthy candidates.
2) Nominate to the King the candidates whom the church deems worthy of the office.
3) Make one lot for each candidate, and one extra lot that says “The Lord does not choose any of these.”
4) Ask the Lord to take charge and reveal His will, and then cast the lots.
If the church kept trusting the selection of its highest leaders to the Lord only,
like the apostles in the above passage,
to ensure that the final decision always comes from the Lord and not from men,
there would never be any wolf manages to slip through our defense and rise to the position of shepherds,
neither would there be any of the Devil’s spies manages to mingle in
and ascend to high-ranking positions of influence in the church,
even if they spend decades to slowly climb up the ladder like the Jesuits.
To subdue and annex the church back to the Vatican would be even more impossible.
The hypocrites can only trick people to vote for them, but can never deceive the Lord.
Thus, all those who wish to be promoted in the Kingdom will have no other choice
but to hone their characters, their zeal, their loyalty, and their personal relationship with the King.
It is a shame though, that the churches of modern days, including the Modern SDA church,
have all abandoned “kingdom” to switch to “democracy”,
no longer casting lots to receive the will of the Lord for the final decision,
but would vote the leaders according to the opinions of the crowd,
and they forfeited the only safeguard against the wolves in sheep’s clothing in the work of appointing leaders.
And this is the inevitable result:
{Ellen G. White, Last Day Events, 50.4}
“That these men should stand in a sacred place,
to be as the voice of God to the people,
as we once believed the General Conference to be—that is PAST.”
{Ellen G. White, Manuscript 57, October 12 1895, and Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 178.1}
“As for the voice of the General Conference,
THERE IS NO VOICE FROM GOD THROUGH THAT BODY THAT IS RELIABLE.”
The leaders who are corrupt, in heart no longer loyal to the Lord,
would be the very people who fervently oppose the Kingdom’s way of appointing officials,
and they obviously have very good reasons to be terrified of this method
that is portrayed so plainly in the Bible.
If the Kingdom’s way of appointing officials is re-applied,
we shall witness an unprecedented revival in the church,
from the top leaders and ministers, down to all the people.
Many leaders would be on their knees searching again their own hearts
and consecrate themselves afresh to the Lord with newfound zeal and absolute loyalty.
All those who are corrupt, and refuse to repent, especially the Jesuit spies,
will be eliminated from positions of trust, if not from the church, on the spot.
5. After the top leaders are selected, how does the Lord appoint the lower-ranking officials?
[17] Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete,
that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting,
and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.
The Lord appoints the lower-ranking officials through the higher-ups that He already appointed,
those who, of course, would have to know how to make Him their counselor
and inquire Him about the HR work under their charges,
and appoint suitable personnel under the guiding of His Spirit.
Because of this, the casting of lots is no longer necessary – even obsolete –
in appointing the lower-ranking officials,
IF the higher-ups have truly been selected by the Lord,
and their subordinates are also appointed by the Lord through them,
and not by the voting of the people.
When a case of strife broke out in a local church over positions of leadership
and people started to cast lots to determine who the local officials shall be,
Ellen White had opposed this casting of lots
when a superior official had obviously been appointed already,
and she demanded that superior official attend to his business and appoint his subordinates.
{Ellen G. White, letter 37, 1900, par. 1, 2, 7}
“Who is the president of the Pennsylvania Conference?
It is certainly his duty to look after the churches under his guardianship…
I have no faith in casting lots.
We have in the Bible a plain “Thus saith the Lord” in regard to all church duties…
To cast lots for the officers of the church is not in God’s order.
Let men of responsibility be called upon to select the officers of the church.”
So to sum it up: while the leaders are elected from lower up in a Democracy,
in a Kingdom, they will be appointed from top down to make sure that every position is appointed by the Lord.
Positions where there is no direct higher-ranking official other than the Lord will be appointed directly by Him,
and then through them, He will appoint the lower-ranking officials.
This of course doesn’t mean that local churches are not allowed to nominate candidates
that they deem worthy for positions of leadership.
But it means that all these nominations
must still submit to the final decision from the Lord through His servant.
There are many cases when the nominated person is in fact a Jesuit spy trying to spread heresies and corrupt the church,
or a lazy and spineless shepherd who does not rebuke sins but is only skillful in running election for himself,
or a good and true disciple indeed but not suitable for the position.
So if the Lord reveals to the leaders He had selected
that He rejects the one being nominated into the position of trust,
the nomination has to be denied.
Regarding the work of appointing the lower leaders in local churches,
Ellen White had provided a counsel:
{Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the church, vol. 5, 619.2}
“One man may be appointed to lead for a week or a month,
then another for a few weeks;
and thus different persons may be enlisted in the work,
and after a suitable trial someone should be selected by the voice of the church to be the acknowledged leader,
NEVER, HOWEVER, TO BE CHOSEN FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR.
Then another may be selected, or the same one may be re-elected,
if his service has proved a blessing to the church.”
A word of caution is that this counsel was given for churches that are not in apostasy,
enjoying a good relationship with the Lord,
and thus can provide valuable information about the candidates,
and unite with one another and with the higher-ranking leader that the Lord is putting in charge of appointing the local leaders.
This unity of the church is always extremely beneficial,
strengthening the hearts of those who would be selected to bear burdens,
and should be what every church should strive to attain.
The people of God must remember this system of appointing officials,
so that anytime the leaders of the church are persecuted and massacred,
you can use this method to pinpoint those whom the Lord will choose to replace us, to carry the work forward,
instead of voting democratically and elect a Jesuit spy of the Beast to be your boss.
They WILL BE MINGLING AMONG YOUR RANKS,
seeking to climb to positions of influence to corrupt the doctrines of the church,
or even to betray the brethren.
Do not let them achieve their purposes.
As long as the top leaders of the Pioneeric SDA church are still the true servants of the Lord,
the truths that are the Pillars of our faith would still be defended intact,
and the lower-ranking officials would still be checked by the Lord through them.
*Note: tasks that are not being leaders in churches,
but were simply called to perform certain works for the Lord,
like preaching, taking care of the poor, etc…
as a simple servant of God without any official title,
are outside the bounds of the above principles.
The Lord can raise up people for different tasks (but not as leaders of His people)
with a private calling in their conscience that only they know.
Apolo, for example, was called to be an itinerant preacher, teaching His truths,
and had stood up to answer the call.
There will be many servants of the Lord called by Him thus,
because they are not being called to be leaders managing the affairs of the church,
but to mind a special work given to them individually,
it would be reasonable if He would only give them personal convictions in their hearts.
6. According to the Bible, how should we regard the leaders
who were really appointed by the Lord, directly and indirectly?
[13] I Thessalonians 5:12, 13 We beseech you, brethren,
to know them which labour among you,
and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.
[19] Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves:
for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account,
that they may do it with joy, and not with grief:
for that is unprofitable for you.
[15] I Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation,
but before two or three witnesses.
{Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church vol. 4, 607.4}
‘Our ministers in responsible places are men whom God has accepted.
No matter what their origin, no matter what their former position,
whether they followed the plow, worked at the carpenter’s trade, or enjoyed the discipline of a college;
if God has accepted them, LET EVERY MAN BEWARE OF CASTING THE SLIGHTEST REFLECTION UPON THEM.
Never speak disparagingly of any man,
for he may be great in the sight of the Lord,
while those who feel great may be lightly esteemed of God
because of the perversity of their hearts.’
{Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers 92, 266.4}
‘To neglect or despise those whom God has appointed to lead out,
and to bear the responsibilities connected with his work
and with the advancement and spread of the truth,
is to REJECT THE MEANS WHICH GOD HAS ORDAINED
for the help, encouragement, and strength of his people.
To pass these by, and think that your light must come through no other channel than directly from God,
PLACES YOU IN A POSITION WHERE YOU ARE LIABLE TO DECEPTION, AND TO BE OVERTHROWN.’
{Ellen G. White, Acts of the Apostles, 231.2-231.3}
‘Wherever the truths of the gospel are proclaimed, those who honestly desire to do right
are led to A DILIGENT SEARCHING OF THE SCRIPTURES.
If, in the closing scenes of this earth’s history,
those to whom testing truths are proclaimed would follow the example of the Bereans,
searching the Scriptures daily, and comparing with God’s word the messages brought them,
there would today be a large number loyal to the precepts of God’s law,
where now there are comparatively few.
But when unpopular Bible truths are presented,
many refuse to make this investigation.
Though unable to controvert the plain teachings of Scripture,
they yet manifest the utmost reluctance to study the evidences offered.
Some assume that even if these doctrines are indeed true,
it matters little whether or not they accept the new light,
and they cling to pleasing fables which the enemy uses to lead souls astray.
Thus their minds are blinded by error, and they become separated from heaven.
All will be judged according to the light that has been given.
The Lord sends forth His ambassadors with a message of salvation,
and those who hear He will hold responsible for the way in which they treat the words of His servants.
Those who are sincerely seeking for truth
WILL MAKE A CAREFUL INVESTIGATION,
in the light of God’s word, of the doctrines presented to them.’
7. In the Kingdom of Heaven, how are the rights of citizens respected and guaranteed?
According to the feelings of the people or according to the law of the King?
[01] Matthew 6:31-34 …Take no thought, saying,
What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
In the Kingdom of Heaven, material needs are supplied by the King to the citizens
based on the fact of whether or not they have become His citizens,
and have acquired His righteousness in their lives.
It doesn’t mean that we get to be arrogant or lazy in learning and working,
but it means that our highest, primary focus should not be the seeking after material things,
but to ever be IN the Lord, to live good, righteous lives that persistently bear fruits to His glory,
and the King will take care of us.
Now this way of life is obviously opposite
from the men-devouring-men way of the kingdom of darkness under Satan’s reign,
where fighting for survival, kill or be killed, is the motto.
In the Kingdom of Heaven under the reign of our benevolent God with boundless resources,
the rights of citizens are respected and enforced by the King according to the LAW.
[06] Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.
Which is why the daily study of the Bible – the law book of the Kingdom –
is of utmost importance to Christians,
and is the thing that the King commanded us to do day and night
(that at least would be twice a day – like, in the morning after we wake up and in the evening before we go to sleep).
We must know and understand His law thoroughly to obey and receive the corresponding blessings,
which are our legal citizen rights,
and be prepared for the day when the King shall come
and take us to be with Him, living in the Capital of the Kingdom.
8. What is the name of the Capital of the Kingdom of Heaven, where God places His throne?
And what is it like?
[27] Revelation 21:2, 12 And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven…
had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates.
[27] Revelation 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare,
and the length is as large as the breadth:
and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.
[27] Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper:
and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
[27] Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
[27] Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[27] Revelation 22:2 On either side of the river, was there the tree of life,
which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.
The Capital of the Kingdom of Heaven is called New Jerusalem,
a giant square city of pure gold with walls around it,
its length, width and height is 3.000 furlongs (roughly 555 kilometers),
bathed in the glory of God and His Son,
with the river of life coming forth from their throne,
and the tree of life spread across both sides of the river,
providing immortal life force for the citizens of the Kingdom.
9. How different would that blessed life be?
[27] Revelation 21:3 God Himself shall be with them.
[27] Revelation 21:4 There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
[23] Isaiah 65:16, 17 The former troubles are forgotten…
the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
[23] Isaiah 35:5 The eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
[23] Isaiah 35:6 The lame man leap as an hart,
and the tongue of the dumb sing.
[23] Isaiah 40:31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
[23] Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them.
[23] Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them;
and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
[23] Isaiah 33:24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick.
[23] Isaiah 35:10 The ransomed of YHWH shall return,
and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads.
[38] Zechariah 8:5 And the streets of the city
shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
[19] Psalm 16:11 In thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
[07] I Corinthians 2:9 Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
10. How does someone become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven?
[04] John 3:7 Ye must be born again.
It is very simple: if you are born by a citizen of the Kingdom,
you will be a citizen of the Kingdom.
Very similar to the modern laws of many countries.
When someone repents of their sins, surrenders to JESUS and believes in Him,
He comes into the soul of that person to reign as Lord,
and the miracle of “rebirth” happens.
That person is reborn for a second time,
this time not according to the fallen nature of Adam like the first birth,
but according to the holy nature of the second Adam – JESUS Christ –
who is also the King of Heaven.
Once this happens, as a child of the King,
you will automatically become a citizen of the Kingdom,
having full citizen rights according to its law,
that no power can nullify or take away.
11. What would be the optimum time to repent? Is it right before death?
[08] II Corinthians 6:2 Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Many people, even though they have heard about the Lord,
because of their love for sins, have been and are still playing the “timing game” with Him:
how to time their repentance on their last moment,
right before they are out of time,
so that they can maximize their indulgence of the pleasures of sin.
And thus this entire planet is packed with the graves of those so foolish,
they wouldn’t choose to mess around with anything else but their very souls.
They have perished in lost condition, with a heart of stone
so hardened by continual resistance against the Holy Spirit’s convictions of sin,
that they have lost their ability to repent.
Many of them even died so suddenly a death that they didn’t see coming,
too late to realize that finite men can NEVER outwit Almighty God.
Oh! How sin blinds its lovers,
and darkens their intelligence so completely
that they actually think they could prevail against the Lord in this “timing game”!
Indeed, throughout the history of men,
no one who would be presumptuous enough
to deliberately play this game over their own souls,
gets to be saved “just in time”.
Because it is this very wicked line of thinking cherished in the heart
that has seared their conscience and destroyed completely
the ability to “hear” the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit, in order to repent.
While those who were “lucky” to be saved at the last minute
have left behind so many testimonies of shame, pain and regret
because they did not surrender to the Lord earlier,
many people are trying to “time” their repentance
to be like these completely-useless-the-entire-life people,
who did not manage to contribute anything to the cause of God.
Will the God of Justice, the Supreme Ruler of the universe
ever make the mistake of letting a single person
that has this wicked heart and devious scheming
enter into His Kingdom?
To the Lord, “procrastination” is “rejection”.
Only those who come to Him with a whole sincere heart that seeks to be good can ever find Him.
All those who deliberately procrastinate,
playing “the timing game” with Him,
hear this clearly: you WILL MISS.
So be wiser than that: repent immediately and start striving to walk after the Lord.
If after that, because of your inexperience and weaknesses,
you would still slip and fall many times on your face,
and have to take His hand and get back up again,
it would be much better than playing “the timing game” with Him by deliberate procrastination.
DON’T ever believe that you can outwit the Lord in this stupid game!
12. Are you ready to renounce the fleeting pleasures of sins
to receive the everlasting bliss of being with the Lord in His Kingdom?
Appendix
I. The Controversy of the two Kingdoms
The Bible is the story of two kingdoms that are ever at war and seek to conquer each other:
the Kingdom of Love and Justice of God,
and the Kingdom of men-devouring-men, kill-or-be-killed of Satan.
The primary mission of the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven
is to push the conquest of their King over the kingdom of Satan
and thus expand it by converting the citizens of the devil into the citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Lord JESUS had chosen the Kingdom of God as the main theme of His ministry.
In the New Testament alone there were over 100 passages that mentioned the Kingdom of God,
many of which are the parables of JESUS Himself.
From His teachings, we know that this Kingdom has two parts:
the spiritual part, and the physical part.
The true citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritually, all have the Lord reigning in their hearts.
Before the conversion, the throne of one’s heart is possessed by sins, by selfishness, by Satan.
But once we receive the forgiveness and power of JESUS, their domination is shattered.
This is why the apostle Paul said:
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof…
For sin shall not have dominion over you.” [06] Romans 6:12, 14.
Right when a person surrenders to Christ by faith,
that person becomes a citizen of the Kingdom of God spiritually.
This is why both JESUS and John the Baptist started their ministry
by calling people to “repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” [01] Matthew 3:2; 4:17.
JESUS said further: “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!
for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” [03] Luke 17:20, 21.
When someone is reborn by Christ coming into the soul to reign,
that person leaves the kingdom of darkness under Satan
and joins the kingdom of light under the Lord.
Each true disciple of Christ is an ambassador from the Kingdom of God to this world,
with different ways of speech, different codes of dress,
different principles in eating and spending money,
together with many different customs.
As ambassadors, we are to be careful to represent the Kingdom of our Lord accurately
by speaking, dressing, eating, spending our money and time rightly.
The day is near, that the people of God will get to inherit the material part of His Kingdom also,
as described in this lesson.
“Thy kingdom cometh.” [01] Matthew 6:10.
Our Father’s Kingdom will be officially established on this earth
after the millennium of judgment and the final battle in [27] Revelation 20.
II. Why do we have to pray, and how do we pray to be answered?
Understanding the “kingdom” nature of Heaven,
we can advance into one of its most important transactions: Prayer.
Since the creation, God had declared this regarding mankind:
“let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth.” ([01] Genesis 1:26).
He had decreed that we are the rulers of the planet,
and once it proceeded out of the mouth of the King,
it automatically became law:
He would not be the one directly ruling planet Earth,
but would rule it through men.
This is why we can observe that the Lord never interferes with any businesses of Earth even when He wants to,
unless He has had for Himself some HUMAN BEING praying to Him, asking Him to interfere.
For example, when He delivered the Israelites out of Egypt,
He did it in answer to the prayers of the Israelites,
performing all His miracles and wonders through a MAN – the prophet Moses,
and never went contrary to what He had already declared.
Or when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
there had to be “the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah” ([01] Genesis 18:20)
ascended to Him for justice to be executed upon them.
So a “business relationship” was established with the decree of the King in [01] Genesis 1:26.
If Heaven is a Kingdom, then Earth is a colony of that Kingdom,
given to man to manage and reflect the values, culture and glory of the King.
The Lord holds all the limitless resources of the Kingdom of Heaven,
and we are the governors of Earth and citizens of the Kingdom,
having access to the King through JESUS Christ
– who came as a HUMAN BEING, the only legal ruler of Earth,
and reclaim for us the citizenship of the Kingdom of Heaven by taking away our sins.
All those who have surrendered to JESUS have this access restored,
and can resume “transactions” with the King through prayers.
Anytime we offer a petition to the King,
asking for something to be done,
that happens to be according to His will,
He would release His Almighty resources and bring it to pass.
If our petition is not according to His will,
or if we do not offer any petition at all,
nothing will be done.
If we put it in John Wesley’s words, it would be:
“It seems that without God, man cannot – and without man, God will not.”
Which is why we must pray a lot,
and learn how to grasp the will of the King accurately
– the surest way is by studying and basing our prayers upon His Words –
to pray precisely into His will and be answered.
God had already had His wills and promises written down for us
to easily grasp and conduct transactions with Him, didn’t He?
Of all the things that God has given us to rule over on this planet,
the most important thing, that needs the most prayers to govern successfully, is ourselves.
Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.
Through developing a personal relationship with the King with an open heart to Him,
we are transformed into His likeness,
His Spirit will fill us in response to our prayers,
and our most important governing task
– the governing of ourselves in the way of the Lord – is fulfilled.
Whenever we “feel” not inclined to pray,
that is the moment when it is most necessary for us to pray!
{Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, 94.2}
“The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray.
The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin;
and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges
that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer.
Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray,
when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse,
where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?
Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching
we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path.
The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat,
that we may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation.”
It is also to be noted that while we can pray as long as we want in private closets,
our public prayers should be short and to the point.
{Ellen G. White, Prayer, 203.3}
‘All should feel it a Christian duty to pray short.
Tell the Lord just what you want, without going all over the world.
In private prayer all have the privilege of praying as long as they desire and of being as explicit as they please.
They can pray for all their relatives and friends.
The closet is the place to tell all their private difficulties, and trials, and temptations.
A common meeting to worship God is not the place to open the privacies of the heart.’
{Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the church vol.2, 581.1-581.2}
‘One or two minutes is long enough for any ordinary prayer.
But many offer prayer in a dry, sermonizing manner.
These pray to men, not to God.
If they were praying to God, and really understood what they were doing,
they would be alarmed at their audacity;
for they deliver a discourse to the Lord in the mode of prayer,
as though the Creator of the universe needed special information upon general questions
in relation to things transpiring in the world.
All such prayers are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
They are made no account of in heaven.
Angels of God are wearied with them,
as well as mortals who are compelled to listen to them.’
{Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, October 10, 1882}
‘Long, prosy talks and prayers are out of place anywhere, and especially in the social meeting.
They weary the angels as well as the people who listen to them.
Our prayers should be short, and right to the point.’
Mastering the weapon of “prayer”, private and public,
is one of the most important skills for a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven
who is serving in the conquest of Earth,
allowing that person to fight no longer with the limited mere strength of man,
but by the limitless power of God.
III. How dangerous are the Jesuits?
{Ellen G. White, the Great Controversy, 234.2 – 235.1}
‘Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes.
The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction.
At this time the order of the Jesuits was created,
the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery.
Cut off from earthly ties and human interests,
dead to the claims of natural affection,
reason and conscience wholly silenced,
they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order,
and no duty but to extend its power.
The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering,
undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty,
to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake.
To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism
that enabled them to endure like dangers,
and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons of deception.
There was no crime too great for them to commit,
no deception too base for them to practice,
no disguise too difficult for them to assume.
Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility,
it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power,
to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism,
and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.
When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity,
visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor,
professing to have renounced the world,
and bearing the sacred name of Jesus,
who went about doing good.
But under this blameless exterior
the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed.
It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means.
By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable,
when they served the interests of the church.
Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state,
climbing up to be the counselors of kings,
and shaping the policy of nations.
They became servants to act as spies upon their masters.
They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles,
and schools for the common people;
and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites.
All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear
to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination,
and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons.
The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe,
and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.’
As a Jesuit ascends the ladder of command,
he will have to make a blood oath, that contains the following words:
‘I furthermore promise and declare that I will, when opportunity present,
make and wage relentless war, secretly or openly,
against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals, as I am directed to do,
to EXTIRPATE and EXTERMINATE them from the face of the whole earth;
and that I will spare neither age, sex or condition;
and that I will hang, waste, boil, flay, strangle and bury alive these infamous heretics,
rip up the stomachs and wombs of their women
and crush their infants’ heads against the walls,
in order to annihilate forever their execrable race.
That when the same cannot be done openly,
I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulating cord, the steel of the poniard or the leaden bullet,
regardless of the honor, rank, dignity, or authority of the person or persons,
whatever may be their condition in life, either public or private,
as I at any time may be directed so to do by any agent of the Pope
or Superior of the Brotherhood of the Holy Faith, of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit).’
{Carlos Didier – Subterranean Rome}
THIS is the picture of our most dangerous enemies among men.
Their dedication and devotion to Satan even exceed that of many Christian ministers to God.
And with Pope Francis, the Vatican finally has the first Jesuit Pope in history
to lead the charge against the Last True Church.
It is impossible for us to know just how deeply and thoroughly these Jesuit spies
have infiltrated every level of SDA church leadership and officials,
so more than ever before, this is the time
when we must establish a personal relationship with the Lord
and master the truths of His Words to defend ourselves,
and our weaker brothers and sisters in the faith.
Something to think about, so that we would know to consecrate ourselves entirely to the Lord
and come closer to one another, to be united in Him.
The next lesson will talk about a topic that is often misunderstood
and sometimes even avoided: tithes and offerings.
Some of you may be hesitant to hear about this, and I understand why.
After all, money has ever been a sensitive topic.
But I can assure you that if done RIGHT,
this citizens’ tax obligation in the Kingdom of Heaven
will turn out to be a citizen’s RIGHT and privilege, a BLESSING in disguise
to test and select those whom the King shall reallocate His resources and appoint to be stewards over.
And no, most churches nowadays are doing it WRONG:
collect in the wrong way, submit to the wrong place, and use for the wrong purposes.
And that is why they have been in cities so crowded with millions of people for hundreds of years,
yet their counts are still only a couple hundred believers per city,
who ever stays so ridiculously poor.
Don’t believe me? Click “Next” to check out for yourself!
