Kingdom Citizenship

by Missionary | Dec 30, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Kingdom Citizenship

There is No Dual Citizenship in the Kingdom of God

When I lived in Russia I had residency, but if I had wanted to gain Russian citizenship, I would have had to give up my American citizenship. Russia will not allow dual citizenship, as with many other countries. You must choose your country and to whom you will give your allegiance. Kingdom citizenship is no different.

There are many nations in the world today. Some governments are better than others, but overall, none govern righteously, nor do they put the needs of the average person first.

One Nation Under God

Today’s governments are vastly different than God’s will be. God’s kingdom will truly be one nation under God! (Isaiah 32:1) God’s government will be set up by His anointed representative, Jesus. This kingdom will not only be spiritual, as many think when they hear, “the kingdom of God,” but it will be political, as well. God’s anointed Messiah will rule from Jerusalem and the knowledge of the One True God will cover the earth (Isaiah 11:9). How amazing it will be! And the saints will help Jesus manage the nations!

If we want to be a citizen of this kingdom we must be willing to give up any allegiance we may have to someone or something else. There is no dual citizenship in God’s kingdom. You will love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24) . You will have to choose to serve one over the other.

Resident Aliens

Obviously, even though we are resident aliens in the land that we live now, we have responsibilities. We must follow the laws of the land, as long as they do not go against God’s laws. God has not set speed limit laws, but every country has its own laws on how fast you can drive on their roads; therefore we must try to obey them. We also have been commanded to sacrifice during this life, our desires, and even our very life if need be. Jesus said the road is hard and the gate narrow, and few find their way in. We are kingdom citizens in training and we must work now for the sake of this future nation if we desire to be a part of it.

God, through his anointed king, Messiah Jesus, will one day take back this world. God is allowing another king to rule over this present evil age, Satan; but planet Earth will one day have one Sovereign God, the Father, and His Son and Messiah, Jesus, ruling in righteousness (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).

Where is your allegiance?

When you have to make a decision, who do you choose to serve – your own appetites, your country, or your God? To whom do you pledge allegiance with your words and your life (Joshua 24:15)? We cannot have two masters and there is no dual citizenship in the Kingdom of God.

There is only one election that really matters and takes place once in your life. Will you choose Jesus as your president? Will his governing laws rule your life today? Who will you serve and to whom will you give your allegiance?

Serving God may be hard, but it is a labor of love. There is joy in serving and even in sacrificing when done with a pure heart. The hope and “retirement” compensation cannot be beat (Revelation 21:1-5)!

Choose wisely and choose life in the age to come!

Later we will talk about how to get a passport and be a citizen in this Kingdom. That too is quite simple if you are willing to humble yourself, walk in God’s ways, and obey.

Christmas

by Missionary | Dec 23, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Christmas

Jesus, created by a Miracle of God, or Incarnation?

Christmas should be a reminder of Jesus’ humanity, and not some incarnation of God becoming man. Jesus was miraculously conceived in his mother, just like Adam was miraculously made from dirt. Both Adam and Jesus were called “sons of God,” and both were unique human beings miraculously created by God. (Luke 1:32; Luke 3:38)

Most of professing Christianity sounds ludicrous! God did not become a baby, nor did Mary change God’s diapers; in fact, they didn’t even have diapers back then! How can people believe that God, or a part of God, actually grew in Mary for nine months? That sounds more like a Greek myth rather than a teaching from the Bible. Seek God’s simple Bible truth. It really is quite simple.

If to Celebrate Christmas, it Should Celebrate Jesus’ Humanity

In Luke 1:31-33 it says that an angel told Mary, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, (MIRACLE) and you shall name Him Jesus. (Mary would conceive a child in her womb, not have a child put into her womb.) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most-High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”

Jesus was human and he had human ancestors through his mother Mary. Romans 1:3 says that (Jesus was a) son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.

Mary asked the angel in verse 34, “How can this be, since I am a virgin? (It could be ONLY because it was a MIRACLE!) Again, we see that Jesus’ conception was a miracle.

Luke 41-45 say that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice (in her own language, not in some unknown tongue) and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

As Elizabeth stated, Mary was blessed because she chose to believe what the angel said. Mary believed that God could and would do a miracle, even though it was physically impossible under her circumstances.

Giving Birth to Sons

Then in Luke 1:57, it tells us that the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

Luke 2:6-7 says in the same way, that while they were there, the days were completed for her (Mary) to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son. Jesus’ birth was no different than the birth of John’s. Both ladies gave birth to baby boys.

Elizabeth and Mary both gave birth to babies that were miraculously conceived, Mary’s conception was just a bit more miraculous. They both had babies growing in their uteruses for nine months and then when the babies were done growing inside and it was time for them to come out, the mothers gave birth to human sons.

Baby Jesus

Jesus was a real baby, and I am sure he did baby things and acted like babies act. Luke 2:40 & 52 tells us that, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Jesus gained wisdom and knowledge as he grew. He did not have it magically put into his brain. He spent time in the Scriptures and talked about them with the rabbis (Luke 2:46-47). God gave him wisdom and understanding as he faithfully did these things.

“Christmas” Miracle

So, why is this miracle not the center point of celebrating the birth of Jesus, that is if someone desires to celebrate that he was born? Why do many Christians celebrate his birth, but not the miracle of his conception and the unique human being that God created in Mary, even when they know this fact?

Most of the world celebrates Christmas and proclaims the birth of Jesus (and if you dig a little deeper you would see that it is not his birth, but the incarnation of God becoming a man that is really celebrated.)

People put up decorations in their homes and yard, stores and churches make elaborate decorations announcing the holiday. Christmas is all over the television; and radio stations play Christmas music non-stop. This goes on every year for a month or more.

Christmas: Tradition or Biblical?

Unfortunately, Christmas was never commanded, or even suggested in Scripture. Jesus did not tell his disciples to commemorate his birth. If Christians were so diligent in doing what he did command for a month out of every year, the nations would have heard the message of the kingdom long ago!

Can you imagine if Christians, for a month straight every year, advertised and promoted the miraculous conception and birth of a human messiah and the coming kingdom of God that he preached and promoted throughout his whole ministry, and even the forty days after his resurrection?!

Even the angel focused on these things when he announced to Mary what her son would do.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32-33).

Please consider these things prayerfully. Do research. Seek truth. Love God, and obey Jesus and follow his example and commands. If you believe in the human messiah Jesus, shine the true Light at this time as many people celebrate. They are already talking about Jesus. Use this opportunity to share the human baby that grew into a man, that was anointed by God, and that will be coming again in the clouds and with great glory to inaugurate God’s kingdom rule over all the Earth.

Two Genealogies, Two Lineages Article

Eternal Life

by Missionary | Dec 21, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Eternal Life

Life of the Age to Come

Have you thought much about eternal life? People over the centuries keep trying to figure out how to live forever, or at least a lot longer. They look for the fountain of youth. They spend thousands of dollars to just make themselves look younger, even though with each passing day they are one step closer to death.

Why would anyone even want to live forever in a fallen world, in a world with pain, sorrow and suffering? If you have a good life now that you live comfortably, maybe you could see living longer as a blessing, but what about people in war-torn countries or third-world countries? So, do you think that there could be something better to look forward to, for all people?

The Bible promises a future with no more sorrow, pain or death. It is a promise for a truly brighter tomorrow. It unites the physical and spiritual together on a renewed Earth, not some fanciful existence disembodied somewhere out in the Universe or playing a harp on a pink cloud.

Often, we read the verses about the Earth being destroyed and don’t understand the true meaning of there being a new heaven and a new Earth. If we read the rest of the Bible in context, we will see that the meaning really is that of a REnewed heaven and Earth, not utter destruction of what exists today. The Bible also says that the world was destroyed at the time of Noah during the flood, but we know that the Earth did not cease to exist, it was just cleansed to its very core.

Unfortunately, the English translation, “eternal life”, makes this promise and reward a bit vague. If to translate it in from the Greek, it actually means life in the age to come. We must understand that there are different ages. In the beginning God-created the heavens and the Earth and that was the first age that we know, from creation until the time of Noah, when everything was destroyed. So when you read the words “eternal life,” substitute “life in the age to come”. It will make much better sense.

Then there was a new age after Noah, which we are living in at this present time. At some point, when Jesus returns, this age will end, then we will enter into the millennial age which will be a period of 1000 years. After this there will be what is known of as the White Throne Judgment, when all evil will be destroyed, even death itself. Then we will enter into the final age that will last forever.

Our finite minds cannot totally grasp or understand eternity, but the Bible tells us that God has put eternity into the hearts of men, which is why so many keep searching for something more in this present life. If we look at the world today, people are looking how to live longer or be assured of some better life after they die. Most religions promise some sort of afterlife because that’s what people are looking for. But unlike most of those false teachings and false hopes that lead people astray and farther from God, the Father offers something very real, tangible, and understandable to our minds. It is not something that we cannot grasp at the basic level. You do not need to believe in some fantasy as your hope, or have a PHD in order to understand God’s plan and how life works. You die, and then you are resurrected, either to immortality or destroyed forever. It’s that simple!

Why do many religions or churches make this so difficult? We can see throughout history that many of the false teachings were merely to control people. Often a church or religion controlled people by making them think they would not “go to heaven” or they would be disfellowshipped if they didn’t follow what the religious leaders said. They also used this faith control to collect money from people. Churches would require money from people to help their deceased relatives go to heaven or get a better reward. Also, there are some Christian denominations, that hold out a reward, but make it so difficult to attain that they control people their whole life as they try to attain this reward, or not lose it.

The New Testament teaching is quite simple, if you choose to be a citizen of the kingdom Jesus spoke about. You follow his teachings today, and walk in that righteousness and in obedience to what he taught, today, then you are promised resurrection to immortality and all the other wonderful things spoken of.

What will life in the age to come look like? The beginning of that age to come, the first 1000 years after Jesus has returned and triumphed over the false prophets and Anti-Christ, and put Satan in a prison for that time, will be a time of teaching the nations about the one true God and governing the nation’s righteously with love. We will be helping Jesus manage the nations and teaching them about the one true God.

After the second resurrection and the destruction of Satan and the wicked, that age will continue into eternity. The Bible tells us that there will be a restored (new) heavens and Earth where the righteous will live forever with Jesus and his Father, and ours.

Revelation tells us that there will be a new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven. Where God and Jesus will have residents of some sort. We only have a limited understanding of the complex city of God, the father’s presence and what things will be like. It does say that God will be with us and He and Jesus will be among us. Just as Adam-and-Eve walked with God in the garden and communed with him, it sounds like we also will. Yet, the Bible also tells us that we cannot even begin to imagine how wonderful this eternal Kingdom life will be. .If we look around us at the beautiful and different creation, nature and all of the wonderful things that God-created, we can only begin to imagine how beautiful and wonderful it will be. There is not much said about this life in the age to come, other than it will be better than anything that we can imagine. We are told that there will be no more death, dying, tears, pain, and all that will have passed away. We must accept that this is enough knowledge for now. Personally, I think that this is enough for us to know in order to trust God that it will be well worth living and sacrificing this life now for!

Later we will talk about how to get let’s say a passport and be a citizen in this Kingdom. That too is quite simple.

Scripture to consider:

Revelation 21:4
2 Peter 3
1 Corinthians 2:9
Revelation 2:25-29
Revelation 5:10
Revelation 19-21

What Happens When I Die?

by Missionary | Dec 8, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

What Happens When I Die?

Life After Death

Have you ever thought about what happens when you die, or if there is life after death? Is there a reward for the righteous, or punishment for the wicked? Who are the righteous and what makes one wicked? These are all good and important questions to ponder.

Most professing Christians will tell you that when you die, you, or a part of you, your soul, will go to heaven or hell. Some believe in the in-between state known as purgatory. Fortunately, the Bible tells us something very different. But first we must ask ourselves if we are going to believe what traditions of men teach, or if we are going to believe what Jesus taught, and what the Bible tells us is true?

The Bible is quite clear as to what happens when we die. We return back to the dust of the ground. Science even tells us the same thing! In other words, we are dead in the grave with no thought or consciousness. If we are not resurrected, we will remain dead.

The Bible teaches us that all people will be resurrected in one of two resurrections. The first resurrection is for those who are considered righteous, and that is at the time of Jesus’ return to the Earth. We are told that he will return in the same way that he left, that is, visibly. When he comes he will come with his angels, and then those who have died in faith will be resurrected and given immortality. Those who are alive at his coming will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and be made immortal instantly. This is God’s immortality plan!

Resurrection and immortality are the reward of the righteous. They will be made immortal and will govern and manage the world with Jesus for 1000 years. After that, the rest of the dead will be raised to be judged according to what they have done. Some will be given immortality, and others will be destroyed forever in the lake of fire (Gehenna), what most people typically think of as hell.

This is all quite simple and makes a lot of sense to the minds that God has given us. You have a life to live, on average let’s say 60 to 80 years. We live in this present age from our conception and birth into this world, until we die. Then we rest until we are resurrected either in the first or second resurrection. If God could create Adam out of the dust of the ground, He can certainly put us back together again, people who have already been created.

Jesus is God’s anointed king and ruler for that thousand years (1st Corinthians 15.) Those of us who have been part of the first resurrection are rewarded, along with Jesus, to rule over the nations on this Earth. What a fantastic reward for following Christ now!

Jesus will share his authority with the righteous, those who lived in faith during their mortal life. People who never heard, or rejected what they heard, will be raised at the second resurrection and Jesus, the righteous judge, well determine their fate at that time. I trust that he will judge righteously and make the best judgment. I do not need to worry about that now, nor do I need to make those decisions or judgments for those people at this time; Jesus will do that in the future. I must only be concerned with what he told me to do, and that is to share this wonderful kingdom hope and immortality plan with as many people as I can so that they have the opportunity to be a part of the first resurrection.

So in short, death is compared to sleep and it is quite simple, we live, we die and we remain dead until we are resurrected either in the first or second resurrection where we will be granted either immortality in the age to come, or we will be destroyed in the lake of fire and will never live again. This is a stark contrast to what many churches teach. God is not some evil ogre wanting to see you suffer forever and burn all of eternity. It is quite clear that the “wicked” people are destroyed, burned up, and will no longer exist. Their memory is even forgotten. Total destruction is enough punishment.

Please join us again as we talk more about this wonderful Kingdom hope that Jesus spent his entire ministry teaching people about and even spoke to his disciples about the forty days after his resurrection before going up into heaven. If the kingdom message was that important to Jesus, it should be important to us as well!

Scripture to consider:

Matthew 24
1 Thessalonians 4-5
1 Corinthians 15
Revelation 2:25-29
Revelation 5:10
Revelation 19-21

Authority of Scripture

by Missionary | Dec 1, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Authority of Scripture

The Bible, the Holy Scriptures, are the foundation of our faith. As good Bible students we must agree to start here whenever we face a controversial subject or worldview questions. This blog is based on simple Scripture. As a good Bible student, I am committed to do my best to represent what Jesus and the Apostles spoke. I believe and preach only what is found in the Holy Scriptures. I do not follow or teach traditions or teaching of men or some church organization. Authority is found only in the Holy Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

We must be humble and accept the fact that it doesn’t matter what you or I think or how we feel. The authority of Scriptures is the bottom line. We must always go back and see what the Bible has to say in regards to any subject. The words therein have been inspired by God and are to teach, to admonish, and to correct us. They train us to live a righteous and godly life.

Inspiration of Scripture

Remember, the language we are reading is most likely not the original language that it was written in. Most Bibles are a translation done by men. The Bible was inspired, not the translations. Authority is in the Scriptures, not in translations.

Compare different versions of the Bible to get a better idea as to what the verse means. Also, going to a site like Bible Hub to see the Greek and Hebrew can help clarify.

Remember, the Bible CANNOT contradict itself!

If the Bible clearly says something 100 or 1000 times, and then says something that could possibly be taken differently 3 times, where it could mean something else on its own, then logically the explanation should go to the majority of clear verses. Remember, the authority is in the Scriptures, not in the local church or the church “fathers.”

Seek and Ask

God wants us to understand! He wants us to know Him and His kingdom plan. He desires that all people be saved. If that is true, then He must make salvation attainable and Himself able to be found. If God is real, and His words are true, then He cannot be a “mystery”, nor His reward a fantasy.

1 Timothy 2: 4 “(God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

If we want to understand, all we have to do is just SEEK and ASK!

James 1:5-6 “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting…”

Jesus spoke in parables at times because he wanted people to genuinely seek to understand what he was talking about. And those who came and asked, he told them plainly.

Jesus also said that he was there to represent his Father and point people to the One True God.

God desires to be found and He doesn’t hide Himself or His truths in the Scriptures. We must seek Him and His truth with a genuine desire to know Him. Then, we are guaranteed to find Him.

Welcome!

by Missionary | Nov 22, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Welcome!

Welcome to Simple Bible Truth!

I hope to encourage you in your faith and inspire you to seek truth, to love God and to obey Jesus.

My name is Tracy and I don’t have a Master’s of Theology, but God’s holy spirit has taught me as I have sought to know God and understand His words. From a young age I have taken God up on His offer that if we ask for wisdom, He will grant it to us, and if we seek Him with all of our hearts and minds, we will find Him, the one and only true God.

Jesus chose simple men, and simple women helped in his ministry. In fact, these women were the first to see and talk to the resurrected and immortal Jesus. These are the majority of people who listened to, accepted, and obeyed his teachings, not the religious leaders. They are the ones who chose to follow him, many even unto their own deaths. They are the ones who began spreading the good news of the coming kingdom of God and the name of Messiah Jesus to the nations.

The Bible is written to instruct and teach us. It should help us to understand, not confuse us. God loves all people and desires that they be reconciled to Him. He desires that all will be raised in the first resurrection and have guaranteed life in the age to come, but He gives us a choice. He promises to be found if we truly seek Him. He does not run and hide behind the wisdom of men or their vain teachings. But since they obscure the truth and hide the identity of the Father, we must seek to understand according to what God says about Himself, and what Jesus teaches about his God and about himself, the anointed one. Even Jesus taught in parables, not to hide the truth, but to call forth those who really cared and desired to know him and his teachings. If we sincerely ask and seek, we will find, and we will understand!

This is not a deep theological platform. There are plenty of those out there. This is also not for the modern-day Scribes and Pharisees. This is for the average person who desires to know God, to know His son Jesus, and to know the hope that they promise for all believers, the coming kingdom reign of God over all the earth. This is for those who simply want to know, to believe and to obey. For those who want to live the best life they can as a Christian, as a follower of Messiah Jesus, and be a good son or daughter of the Most-High God.

I hope you will join me and I hope you will be encouraged and inspired to seek truth, to love God, and to obey Jesus!

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