Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of G-d

Both of these terms mean the same thing. Heaven is really another way of saying G-d in Hebrew.

The door to the kingdom is through Messiah Yeshua. He is the way in. He is the entrance. This kingdom like any other earthly kingdom has rules and regulations. It also has protection and blessing for those who receive the king and abide by the instructions of the kingdom. The initial instructions for this kingdom was given at Mt. Sinai when the L-rd gave Moses the 10 commandments. Incidentally, what is referred to as the Law of Moses is really the Law of G-d. I have heard several people recently refer to the Law of Moses as being from man but what Yeshua taught was from G-d. This is a misunderstanding. Yeshua expanded, clarified and lived out for us the law, G-d's instructions. To be blessed in any kingdom, you must honor the laws/instructions of that kingdom. G-d is no different. One reason we do not see the Kingdom of G-d operating the way we would like to in our lives is that we do not honor the laws.

Shalom!

When did G-d first become King?

Many believe that the idea of the kingdom of G-d or kingdom of heaven originated with Yeshua when He was here on earth. However, the idea of G-d first become king on the earth occurred with the predominantly Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. It was there that He was received as their bridegroom and also as their king. They said whatever He says to do, we will do. That is what occurs when someone is made a king in our lives. As a nation, we are saying that we will do what He says and individually we are saying that as well even though we may not be in total agreement with him. At Mt. Sinai, the L-rd established the base for His kingdom. However, it did not expand much over the years. It even suffered many setbacks as the children of Israel often chose to go a different way than their king.

However, when Yeshua came to earth, He came to preach and teach the gospel of the kingdom. His main message was the kingdom of heaven. Even though Israel received the L-rd as king at Sinai, they did not go around preaching the about the kingdom of heaven. In fact, there is no such phrase in the Old Covenant. Yeshua was the beginning of those who were actively teaching and preaching about this.

Shalom!

G-d's Sovereignty versus G-d's Kingship

Many people do not realize that there is a difference between G-d being creator and being sovereign over His being our King. His sovereignty is already here whether we receive it or not. He is our creator whether we believe it or not. He will be our final judge whether we like it or not.

The kingship idea is different. The L-rd can only be king to those who receive Him. If a king was to come to the United States and decide he would be king here, it would not work. He would not have an army that would support him and the people would not receive him. While he may be recognized as a king in another country, it would not happen here. This is true of the L-rd. He can only be king to those who truly receive Him in that manner. He is still their creator and final judge but He cannot be their king if they do not receive Him and follow His commandments.

We will be looking at the beginning of His kingship tomorrow and one of the keys of living in the kingdom of heaven/G-d.

Shalom!

Kingdom Of Heaven and Kingdom Of G-d

I have been doing a lot of study recently on this subject. Many think these are two different entities but I have learned that heaven in Hebrew was often used in place of G-d when speaking.

When you read the teachings of Yeshua, you see where He spent a lot of time talking about the Kingdom of G-d and the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, He spoke more on this subject than any other subject in the Bible. He obviously thought that it was very important. Yet it is a subject that is very seldom broached in our congregations. We seem to lack understanding about the importance of this subject. I believe one reason we have not seen the Book of Acts happen in our lifetimes as believers is because we truly do not understand what points Yeshua was trying to make when He was speaking about this subject.

In the next few blogs, I plan to go into depth on this subject and hope that all of us can gain some insight into what He was saying.

Shalom!

One New Covenant Man

Saying Good-bye to Hanukkah

Saturday evening at sundown will mark the end of Hanukkah. Friday evening will be the last night to light the candles.

As we say good-bye to Hanukkah, let us keep in mind the lessons and themes of this holiday so that we may walk them out every day of our lives:


1. Dedication
2. Light
3. Freedom and Liberty
4. Giving
5. Miracles

Let us endeavor in regards to these themes to make Hanukkah an every day experience.

Shalom!

Freedom and Liberty

Another theme of Hanukkah is freedom and liberty. These are two ideas that are highly valued. We all want to worship, live and work in a free society. So did the Jewish people who lived approximately 180 years before the Messiah. They wanted freedom to worship G-d as they seen fit. However, they were denied this. Antiochus Epiphanes hated the Jews and stopped them from worshipping their G-d. He would not allow them to observe the sabbath, read from the Torah, attend the temple or keep the feasts. His soldiers went in and desecrated the temple.

However, there is always a remnant who will stand up for the L-rd and fight. Thank the L-rd for the Maccabees who stood for holiness and righteousness. They were able to get the temple back, clean it up and have worship there once again for the Jewish people.

There are areas in all of our lives where we need liberty and freedom. Let us seek the L-rd for the areas where we need deliverance and ask Him to bring that forth in our lives so that we can live in freedom and liberty.

Shalom!