Embodying the Kingdom: Power, Presence, and Purpose

"there and you know we're still troubled by this there are many people today who think the kingdom of God is the Millennium they think it's a literal human government it's a government all right but it's not human it's the one that destroys human governments go back and look at Daniel 2 and you see" [00:11:17]

"Jesus comes into the world to make the kingdom of God available to everyone that's I mean if you think about diversity you haven't seen diversity until you get with Jesus then you learn what diversity really is that was understood in the early church Augustine even points it out and takes Pride that that in the church there is everyone is welcome and everyone is loved in the church" [00:13:00]

"Jesus comes among people and when he says repent for the kingdom of the Heaven is at hand what is he talking about he's talking about him where was the Kingdom at hand in him see to be at hand meant it's right there it didn't mean it's about to come it's already here Luke 17 people say well where's the kingdom of God where's the kingdom oh there's a big racket going on over maybe that's the kingdom of God and Jesus said oh forget it fellas the kingdom of God does not come with observation the kingdom of God is among you already it's right here right here God is here" [00:15:25]

"now among those born of women none is greater than John the Baptist Matthew 11:11 but he that is least in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than John the Baptist now let me ask you a question to see how you're doing with this is there anyone in the room here that is great than John the Baptist why are they greater because of the kingom because of the kingdom and they are working with the kingdom in the way that John the Baptist himself didn't know how to do" [00:19:23]

"now please understand about the kingdom of God it is power without human position you will receive power see human beings only think of power in terms of position give me the position and I'll get the power the power you get will be human power and it always is misguided more or less when you act in the power of God it's right because he's in charge so Paul acted in the power of God" [00:23:44]

"the kingdom of God is not in eating and drinking but in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit that's Church see well I've run out of time to talk about this but I hope you get the message that the kingdom of the heavens is at hand it's right there where you are when Paul said to the Greeks in Athens in him we live and move and have our being he was doing nothing but taking the message of Jesus and putting it in the world for everyone see and that's what we do today is we bring that and we bring it in ourselves" [00:29:26]

"Jesus sent his disciples out to preach the gospel and told them if people listen to you good if they don't tell them um that wipe off the dust on their feet and it's going to constitute a recording that will be played on the day of judgment and uh uh tell them nevertheless the kingdom of God came close to you right how did it do in those people you're a person of the Kingdom God is acting with you the kingdom of God is moving with you" [00:30:39]

"and the old uh version we're all familiar with and seeing is wonderful but sometimes the words don't say much and so I've reformulated it here and this is printed in the great in the Divine conspiracy and so on but once you get the idea of the Kingdom then this is how you pray dear father always near us Our Father who art in heaven heaven is near not far away not much later dear father always near us may your name be treasured and loved may your rule be completed in us may your will be done here on Earth and just the way it's done in heaven" [00:31:20]

"give us today the things we need for today and forgive our sins and impositions on you as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us please don't put us through trials but Deliver Us from everything bad because you're the one in charge and you have all the power and the glory too is all yours forever and now how do you say Amen well I suggest which is just the way we want it now if you get into the spirit of it you can also substitute for amen Whoopi you try it you try it now be sure and do that you want to do it in the Solitude of your cell at first but you might even be able to do it in public after a while" [00:31:53]

"Jesus comes now in a lowly form he does not go to Seminary he doesn't study with a rabbi very interesting he breaks the mold and in many respects they say oh you don't doing the right thing I said well you know you can't put new cloth on Old britches if you do when you climb over the barbwire fence it'll catch on that new piece of cloth and it'll tear the old britches away and the hole will be bigger than it was to start with don't you just love Jesus and the way he teaches you put new wine in old wine bottles the bottles can't expand and they'll burst right you see he's doing something new" [00:13:08]

"and this was a battle that Jesus fought out in his teachings he asked the question once in a confrontation what think you of Christ who son is he and then Jesus who really knew the scripture quoted Psalm 110 to them where David calls the Messiah Lord and no Jewish man is going to do that to his son and Jesus is pushing the old wine bags the old cloth away so you see the Messiah is not going to be a Jewish King you understand what that's about he's not going to be a Jewish King he's not going to have a political Reign now you got folks today that are still expecting him to come back with an atomic cattle prod and straighten everybody out you know because they still think it's a political deal well it has implications for that but it's not political in its nature it's political in its effect" [00:21:13]

"and then they hear something and and they remember Jesus said he was going to send the promise of the father what's happening here they heard a sound from uh where who said Heaven heard a sound from heaven now where where did they last see Jesus going heaven he's so careful to make the connections because he knows we're all a bunch of boobies and we need to have the connection made so that you you might ask yourself why didn't he just disappear he could have done that but he wanted them to know where he went where did he go into heaven what's the next move a sound from heaven and power begins to manifest itself and it turns out there are Jews from all over the known world right there to observe this phenomena and the explosion begins and the promise of God to Abraham that he would be a blessing to all the families and nations of the Earth takes off like a rocket" [00:28:54]