Church or Kingdom?

Bless the Word of life indeed. Questions always leads to revelation within. I heard these questions within. Is the church the kingdom of God? Or is the church a part of the kingdom of God? The kings shall come from the East for they are prepared to bring the truth of the Kingdom message!

The word "church" occurs roughly 76X times in the New Testament. In the four gospels it occurs only 2x and both times in the gospel of Matthew.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Mat 16:18

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Mat 18:17

So from the teachings of Jesus we see the church is not the Kingdom but the church is the seen present reality and the Kingdom is the unseen present reality.

The difference I see is the church is flesh mingled with Spirit and the Kingdom is spirit mingled with Spirit. Hence, why the sons of God are called to be overcomers. Overcomers of the flesh to be spirit in union with Spirit.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1Co 6:17

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1Co 12:13

Because of the flesh mingled with the spirit many church leaders set up the building as the high place and usurp the Spirit for the carnal mind. How? Doctrines, creeds and traditions!

Just as confusing Babylon, these many churches use the same book but teach the letter of the word rather than the Spirit of the Word of life. They hold what they call services and dam any soul to a hell, a lake of fire, because that soul refuses to follow the so called church bible light. Makes you see why there was 7 candle sticks in Revelation, when there should have been One!

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

In this closing of the church age the Father is calling out His over coming sons so that they will be the vessels that He shall use to judge the apostate churches!

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Rev 16:12

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. Isa 35:8

The love of God is greater than the whore called the modern day church. For He knew what was to be of her but also He had a plan to ready her to be His chosen bride.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph 5:25-27

"The Kingdom of heaven, is never identified as the church anywhere in the New Testament. The Kingdom of heaven is always prior to the Church.

Before I carry on I will say that when I came to know what is called church doctrine is when I saw God very weak. See I saw more going to hell and a lake of fire than I did heaven. Most to all reject what I taught as church doctrine. Even had the mind set I was to lose some of my own to a place of eternal torment. However! God's love out weighs the sin of the world!!!!

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2Co 5:19

As the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of my understanding I at the time did not realize God was calling me from the church age to the kingdom age!

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev 18:4

Yes the Father has a plan and purpose for His called out. The church is the called out of the world and the sons of God are the called out of the church!

See the church is a body of people or as many will say "the congregation of believers". Now let us see and understand the Greek word for church is ECCLESIA meaning “the called out” or “an assembly.”

The Kingdom was first announced by John the Baptist, and the Kingdom came into manifestation through Jesus Christ; and He afterward created the Church. Even His disciples taught of the Kingdom before there was a Church!!!!

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matt 24:14

See the Kingdom is the dynamic rule or reign of God and the sphere in which His rule is expressed.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matt 6:33

Now I know Matthew 6:33 been twisted for use in church, however! All the Lord’s people, His called out ones, constitute the church and when any of these assemble in any place, even two or three in a home or on the street, you have a Church.

But that assembly is not the Kingdom!

I can recall a while back reading "...Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God..." or Paul "...went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. ..." or Paul "...expounded and testified the kingdom of God..." and this one was always the one that made me see there is much more to this gospel called the good news; Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. Act 28:31

Yes, I cried out to the Father and said "WHAT IS THIS MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM!" My heart yearned for this truth for in the world I found myself harping like any other babylon preacher using the same book they do.

That's when the Father taught me the Kingdom is the rule of Him; the church is a congregation of believers.

Ohhhhhhh let me tell you there is a difference!

For Jesus did say "... Except a man be born again, he cannot see nor enter the kingdom of God. ...."

Any notice the subject is the kingdom of God and to understand it and enter it one needs to be born again!!!! pssst to be born again does not mean water baptized for that is the church message!

To be born again is as Peter said; Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:23.

Come on people if born again required water baptism Peter sure missed it on that verse!

" .... they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ..." Gal 5:21

To be born again one will “see” the Kingdom, “enter” the Kingdom, “receive” the Kingdom, or “inherit” the Kingdom, HOWEVER being members of the church does not make them the Kingdom. SEE! You do not “receive” or “inherit” the Church!

The truth be that the one seeing and entering into the Kingdom is not the same as entering the church!

See the Kingdom of God is the rule of God and that rule is invisible, whereas the church is a visible body of redeemed men and women. There is never the slightest hint in scripture that the visible church IS the Kingdom of God. For the members of the church may come under the rulership of the Kingdom, but they are not the Kingdom.

For the Kingdom of God is greater than the church; that all must press into the Kingdom of God, through much tribulation and all must enter the Kingdom, and through qualifying all may be accounted worthy of the Kingdom.

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation ENTER into the kingdom of God. Act 14:22

HOWEVER, there is no need to press, suffer tribulation, or pay a high price to enter the Church.

The Kingdom can be the outcome only of a church which has followed on to know the Lord, purged and purified, changed and transformed, growing up unto a Perfect Man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ. (Ephesians 4:13-16)

I now see the churches on earth are filled with forgiven sinners and the Kingdom is filled with new creatures.

Of his own will begat he (Father) us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:18

For the church consists of all unto whom the righteousness of Christ has been imputed by faith. HOWEVER! Not every one that saith “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the Kingdom, but he that doeth the will of his Father in heaven. (Matt 7:21)

Can we see that during the forty days between Jesus' resurrection and ascension He never once spoke to His disciples of the church, but on nearly every occasion when He appeared to them He opened the scriptures to them and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God.

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ... Act 1:3

The church idea, great and glorious as it is, is narrow and small compared to that of the Kingdom. We are a church within the Kingdom, but the Kingdom is greater than the church. All glory to the Lord for it is HIS REVELATION that one understands and enters the kingdom by!

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:41,47).

SAVED ..... Saved from what?

"...With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.” Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day. ..." Act 2:40,41

Every person who throughout this blessed dispensation of grace that has trusted Jesus the Christ as Saviour and been washed in His precious blood has been numbered in God’s great Book as members in His church and are now, one and all, in the Church of Jesus Christ. For the many do not need to pray to enter, seek to enter, press on to enter, overcome to enter, or meet any further qualification to enter. They are the Church, and only by faith in Jesus Christ and His salvation.

HOWEVER! Those who lose not their hope and remain faithful are the persevering ones who follow on to purge themselves of the corruption of the flesh; who fully partake of the divine nature, putting on the mind of Christ ".... who give all diligence to add to their faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience God-likeness, and to God-likeness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness the love that is agape; to those who do these things the blessed promise is held forth of an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..." 2 Peter 1:4-11

The ones that follow the Lamb where ever He goes are they that pray "Thy kingdom come!" Not "Thy church come!"