Bible study on the kingdom of God

I recently attended a Bible study at Worldwide Church of God/Grace Communion International (WCG/GCI) in Christian Pen, Gregory Park, St. Catherine (in Jamaica), where I was privileged to be a part of a Bible study on the kingdom of God. Such a topic is of great importance to Christian believers as the message of Jesus is basically centred around this concept. In fact, in Matthew 6:33, God's kingdom is something that Jesus commands us to seek and make a priority above everything else. Further, after John's arrest, Jesus began his ministry preaching that the time has come for the fulfillment of prophecy regarding God's kingdom and that the God's kingdom would soon be present (Mark 1:14-15). Further, many of the parables of Jesus are also about this kingdom. As such, it is important for the followers of Christ Jesus to fully understand the concept of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven, which is so essential to the gospel message or the good news. In this blog post, I share some of the thoughts shared as to what is the kingdom of God.

What is the kingdom of God?

When the question was raised at the Bible study, the facilitator of the Bible study, Mr. L. Joiles stated that the kingdom of God, synonymous with the kingdom of heaven, is a system of governance, where the word of God as king is law and governs all affairs on earth. Joiles took us back to Daniel 2:44, where there is a prophetic word uttered by an angel to Daniel as an interpretation to a dream. This revealed interpretation of the events in the dream established that there would be several kingdoms or global super powers to control world affairs and colonise the earth. However, in the book of Daniel, it is foretold that a global super power established by God himself would outlast all these global super powers or kingdoms. This eternal super power would be headed by God as king, but will also be governed by the consent of those God governs, as all his enemies will be put to death and all opposition to his rule silenced.

As Joiles presented this, I realised that the kingdom of God did not begin with Moses. While God established a theocracy with the Israelites with Moses by giving the law at Mount Sinai, this type of system of governance was confined to a particular group or nation of people, and not a global system. Yet, even this system was rejected  by the Israelite people, who later asked Samuel to give them a king like the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8:5).

Yet, even though God established a limited system of governance for the entire affairs of a nation, he foretold of the global king in Genesis 3:15. This king mentioned of in Genesis would be the offspring of human beings that will crush or bruise the serpent's (or the Devil's) head or authority over the earth and men. At the same time, the serpent would bruise the king's heel which could perhaps be interpreted as the messengers or followers or the carriers of the message (see Isaiah 52:7; Ephesians 6:15; Romans 10:15).

As I contemplate these things, I remember words from the founder of WCG, Herbert W. Amstrong, charging that the majority of Christianity today does not preach the gospel, because they omit the from their version of the gospel any reference to the kingdom of God. Yet to be fair, I've heard Christians discuss that the Holy Spirit living in us and empowering us to do the works and miracles of Christ is the manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth. However, this raises the conundrum as to whether or not Jesus taught of a physical coming of the kingdom of God or just as spiritual manifestation of the kingdom. This to me is the next area that needs to be discussed. Unfortunately, I will be absent from the next WCG/GCI's Bible study to raise the question, but hopefully the Holy Spirit will provide further clarification for me on this matter. 

Seek Him first; Experience the Results

Biblical Christianity is a try first and experience the results. The only way to prove that G-d is real and that the Bible is inspired is to apply the principles and experience the results. G-d throws out test after test to people in the Bible. Lots of conditionality.

In one case, G-d says:

 ¹⁰Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
 ¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.(Malachi 3:10-11)

 In another G-d says

Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.  (Proverbs 3: 9-10)

 Jesus throws out a challenge in Matthew 6:33, similar to his Father:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

For months now I have neglected studying word, due to my work load. It is even reflected in this blog. There have been many days since  I have shared any spiritual lesson or insight here. Today, I proved the principles of the Kingdom. This morning, I took the opportunity to seek a word from G-d before I began my work and daily routine.Even though I had so many responsibilities, I decided I needed the word from G-d. As I sought that word, I got it, and I have shared it the previous post.

Today, work that took me weeks to complete, were done so easily, that it seemed as if today I did a whole week work. I did not feel tired, but was focused and sharp throughout the day, making major break through. I was so amazed, that I  just paused to document this testimony, so that the atheist and agnostic will know that you can prove G-d and the Biblical principles, if you are willing to apply the Biblical principles and watch and wait for the results.

I also wanted the persons who believe in G-d, but have neglected their practice of seeking G-d's word in the early morning to know that you will get much more done, and be more efficient if you seek him first. 

G-d's Shalom to You!

NB: All quotations mentioned here are taken from the King James Version Bible.

Enjoy the goodness of God in Matthew 8 and 9

I have been reading Matthew with a group on Facebook, and in the process have been feeding my intellect and hopefully my spirit with a greater awareness of who God is, what he is like and how he operates.

Last week, I just completed and really enjoyed Matthew 8. Quintessentially, this chapter focuses on God's goodness. Nobody's prayer or request in Chapter 8 was denied. All who asked, even when they doubted God's favour got what they wished, including those who asked Jesus to leave their coast.


I loved that entire passage, as through it, we see a God who answers prayers through the intercession of his son and the will of his son. Here, Jesus not only granted people what they desired, but he also granted demons their desires as shown by him giving them permission to enter into swine.

As such it was a lovely passage of revealing the royalty, kingship and authority of Jesus, whose mission was and is to be entreated of and petitioned by people for favours.

The revelation and representation that Jesus gave of his Heavenly Father, God the Father, reflects one of God being a God of goodness, wanting to be entreated of and petitioned by people for favours. It also reflected that God wants to help and satisfy the needs and wishes of all his human subjects for improvement of their condition.

I also want to pull out some puzzling ideas based on Jesus' interaction with demons. Jesus was seen by the demons as being their tormentor/punisher. They asked him if he came to torment them before their time (Matthew 8 : 29).

Then they requested that Jesus send them into swines and used the bodies of the swines to go into the sea.

This act made an entire village forbid Jesus to enter into their city, as these people were perhaps afraid of losing their livelihood. The whole event made it seem as the demons used this prevent the people from being willing to listen to Jesus.

Jesus being the gentleman that he is, gave them their request and left their coast.

Chapter 9 exhibits the contrasting levels of faith by people in God. Some persons believed that they could just touch Jesus without asking him to get their miracle. Others believed that Jesus need to come into their house and touch them in order to get their miracle.

What this tells me is that God is so good to us no matter what our level of faith is. Some of us do not have to ask/petition God before our wish is granted. We just believe in our hearts, and God acts on that belief without us asking.

Others want to audibly ask God.

While others want God to work in a certain way before they are satisfied that he answers their prayers.

May you be like one who has a high level of faith, recognising that God is inherently good and wants to grant you favour today and every other day. May you know that he awaits for your petition and faith to do something spectacular for you to improve your condition. If he granted the wishes of rebellious demons and people who had little faith, what would make him not want to grant your wishes for a betterment of your condition.

God's blessings.

Being called for the Cabinet

The following is a mixture of the sermon delivered from the keynote speaker from a DVD video - Mr. Roderick Meredith and my own understanding or translation and rewording of what he said and what I heard. I just wanted to share this with you.

Mr. Roderick Meredith has been observing the feast for 61 years. Despite a few disagreements that I had which I omitted, I share his perspective on the meaning of Feast of Tabernacles to Christians.

Speaker: Robert Meredith
Denomination: The Living Church of God
Location: Holiday Inn Express, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Occasion: Opening night of the Feast of Tabernacles
Date: Friday, October 2, 2009
Theme: Bridge Between Worlds
URL: http://www.lcgcanada.org/
URL for Canada: http://www.lcgcanada.org/


The speaker began with Revelation 11:15 - saying that people in choirs sing this song but do not take it seriously, as they always celebrate Jesus as a baby. When Jesus is a Warrior king seated at the right hand of God.

People are still thinking of Mary as being a virgin, when she should no longer be represented as a virgin. She went on to have other physical children with Joseph, hence providing Jesus with physical brothers. Satan wants us to perceive of Jesus and Mary this way so that he can distract us from Jesus kingship and authority.

In Zechariah 14, this Warrior king will fight and put a stop to wars, and use force to subjugate dictators and warmongers. Then all the nations of the earth, or at least their representatives will be coming up to physical Jerusalem to observe or keep the Feast of Tabernacles. They will not just come to observe the Jews celebrate it, but will come to celebrate it of themselves. Those who fail to do so will be severely punished.

It is through this festival that God and Jesus would have us rather remember. This is how Christ would have us represent him and remember him.

Early Christians kept the feast of Tabernacles, until the Dark Ages. During the Dark Ages, Satan crushed this truth out of Christianity.

All of God's festivals are important to picture the plan of God and his truth. All were given to the Jews in advance to portray Jesus centuries ahead of time. Passover was given to portray his death and sacrifice.

Feast of Tabernacles was also given to portray Christ as King. In fact, when the Jews kept it centuries ago, they reminded themselves that they were strangers and pilgrims, looking for the kingdom of God. Christians today, should have the same mindset, and Feast of Tabernacles helps to remind us of this reality.

It also reminds us of the Exodus from Egypt, where not all made it to the promised land. However it took overcomers to make it.

Jesus also promises us in Revelations 2:26, that those who keep Christ's work until the end, and overcomes, will receive power over the nations.

Contrary to popular Christian view, Christ wants to take us as a class of rulers in the earth and not heaven. We are not going to be called to sit down and do nothing. It is not just about music and singing in heaven, but rather we shall operate as a ruling class in governing the nations of the earth. In Revelations 5:10, the Bible declares that God has selected us to be priests and kings unto himself. Jesus is a king of Kings, ad has a cabinet. We in overcoming, will be a part of that cabinet of leaders, that assist God in ruling and bringing justice unto nations and to peoples, also teaching them, representing them and maintaining the order in the theocracy.

In Psalms 72 - the King's son shall judge the people and those who are poor, changing the economic relations in the earth and bringing world peace. Kings and other leaders will visit the king's son and bring him gifts.

We are called to be his, Jesus, the king's son, the heir to the Davidic throne. His representatives. He has called us now, out of the world, to learn, grow and develop the mind of Christ, so that we can serve as his officials and represent him. In order for us to achieve this, we need to study, pray, meditate and fast, until we are able to overcome, and have his character in us. Only when we are like him in thought, values and heart, can we be his representatives and earn a place in his cabinet.


So the message for this season: You are being called out to grow, learn and develop the mind of Messiah, in order to be in his Cabinet.

The Antichrist agenda of UNESCO

Before you label me now as a maniac, let me just state that I am very sorry to have to expose this truth to the world. I have good friends who work in UNESCO, and the organisation is a very good one, sponsoring very good programmes.

However, as it is with this age, where events are rapidly culminating towards the coming of the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:9), any organisation or world event will be used to create and establish the New World Order.

UNESCO is just one of those organisations.

In my early twenties I was taught by my teachers that the Catholic church would be the vehicle in establishing the New world order. However, today the L-RD has given me the wisdom to see that there are so many organisations that are behind the scenes working to establish the Satanic kingdom or order on earth. I will post further comments on this issue. But for now please view the truth about how UNESCO fits into the anti-christ agenda.

To all Christian mothers, it is time to home school your children and not to follow the world and conform to their beliefs that the woman should be working outside of the home. Remember Romans 12:2:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Following Requirements: What I learnt from the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica

Today, going to the Canadian High Commission of Jamaica, I learned a valuable spiritual lesson that I want to share.

In applying for the visa, I had to submit a number of documents. From the week before, I spent my time gathering all documents except one, the bank statement of my personal funds. Instead, I thought I would bring the Canadian cash that I purchased as evidence that I had Canadian dollars for the journey. Instead of getting the exact documents that the High Commission required, I thought that I could discern the intent behind their asking for a bank statement of personal funds. In my head, the High Commission just wanted to ensure that I have sufficient money to enter the country and exit the country.

However, while awaiting at the High Commission in a line, it began to trouble me that I did not have the bank statement. In my head, the question lingered, "would they still issue me a Canadian Visa without a bank statement?"

With this question, I searched diligently in my bag for something else to substitute. The substitution documents included my three bank books, including a foreign currency bank book. (These however were not recently updated and would not meet the requirements in terms of dates).

The security checked my documents, and I stated that I did not have the bank statement, but had the literal cash to show. She said "No bank statement?" However, she said nothing else but directed me to where I was to go.

When I reached the Cashier/Receptionist, I restated my position. The lady looked through my documents and said:

You work at the university, Mr. Scale? When you ask for a transcript, would a school report do?

I stammered over that one, with a explanation "No.., but..."

"Just answer my question!" she remarked.

So I gave her the "No!"

She asked me if I read the information requirements accompanying the application. I said yes. She then gave me a copy, highlighting the personal funds portion. She even further stated that I could have borrowed the money, so having it in hand, was not sufficient for meeting the High commission's requirements.

That day, I felt like a fool!

Yet this story is a spiritual lesson. Just like how G-d has certain requirements, we cannot get away with substitutes.

This can be applied to salvation. If G-d says that in order for us to be saved, we need to believe in Jesus, there is no substitute. If G-d's requirement is for us to confess and put our faith in Jesus, you could be a good man, but you would not have met his requirements.

Just like how I have to meet all the requirements for the Canadian High Commission to give me entry into their land, if I want to gain entry to the land in the everlasting kingdom, then I too must ensure that I meet all the stated requirements.


The same goes for worship. If G-d commanded us to worship him a particular way, then we do not have the authority to decide that we know what G-d's intent was and substitute what he commanded for what we feel can be a suitable substitute. This may include the days or seasons of corporate worship (Sabbath-Sunday debate or the Feast Days versus Christmas and Easter debate). Do not get me wrong, I do not feel that Christians must worship G-d on only one day of the week or on special days, but rather, I understand that G-d has given a time for each purpose under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Thus I believe that we worship G-d when we do what he requires of us, in the time that he requires us to do it. So we work when we are commanded to, and rest when we are commanded to. We remember our Passover Lamb in the season that he commanded, and eat the bread and wine at that time and season, rather than whenever we feel like.

It is a matter of recognising who is in authority and who is subject to whom.

G-d likens his relationship with his people to marriage - husband and wife (Ephesians 5:22-33), where he stresses that the wife ought to submit to her husband (Ephesians 5:22). The woman should not do what she feels like in her marriage, disregarding her husband requests. Imagine if the wife decided to cook and prepare her husband a meal when she feels like, make love when she feels like and do her own thing whenever she feels like without regarding the husband's desires. That marriage would be in danger!

To note how serious this matter of following requirements are, consider that Jesus even told the parable of the King's Wedding Guests in Matthew 22. In Matthew 22:10-13 (King James Version), the story goes like this:

10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let us be cogniscant of the fact that we should not offer substitutes for G-d's requirements, but rather, submit unto G-d and do your best to meet his requirements according to your understanding. We may not understand what G-d requires, but do it all the same. Do not assume that you can discern the rationale behind his requirements. As the Scriptures say:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD (Isaiah 55:8).