The Kingdom Of God Is Within You
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20
Many people have been deceived by Christians who have claimed they were part of the kingdom but only have words of the kingdom and not the power of the kingdom. They were deceived by those who have not come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ filled with all the fullness of God. They were deceived by those who couldn’t do what Jesus did even though God’s word states:
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
Those who cannot do the greater works than Jesus did are not true ministers of the gospel but false ones. True ministers of the gospel minister in the power of the Spirit to the lost and hurting ones and make a real difference in the lives. They minister love, healing, joy, wisdom, strength, edification and power just like Jesus did. They minister the gifts of the Spirit and other gifts as true apostles and prophets of God. They freely give what they have freely received from God. God’s word is true:
Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Acts 15:12
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:11-16
False ones cannot cast out demons or heal the sick. The signs and wonders that follow them are dead words that don’t give life to any one! But God’s word is unchanging:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Yes, just like Apostle Paul talked about in Acts 13:6-12, there are those who are full of all deceit and all fraud, sons of the devil, enemies of all righteousness, who will not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord denying the moving of the Holy Ghost, and the existence of Apostles and prophets and gifts of the Spirit. They are in the way of many seeking to turn people from the faith. They have a form of godliness even though they call themselves Christians or fundamentalists. But God’s word is unchanging:
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Such false ones, deceitful workers, who are devoid of miracles, signs and wonders, convince many that they are saved because the followed some ‘biblical formula’ such as professing Christ but ignoring the baptism of the Spirit that John, Jesus and Paul preached and talked about. God’s word is unchanging:
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11
So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." Matthew 20:23
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 1:4-5
Yes, John the Baptist baptized with water but Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost. Yes, on the day of Pentecost Jesus fulfilled his promise for His disciples and they were baptized not in water but with the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. As a matter of fact according to Apostle Peter the sign of speaking in tongues was the basis for water baptism for the gentiles. The bible records:
"And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Acts 10:42-47
Now the false ones, the sons of hell, have said that on the day of Pentecost those gathered in the upper room spoke in tongues to witness to the people? But that statement is a lie from the pits of hell because those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also and there was no reason for it! Just like when Paul laid hands on twelve men and they also spoke in tongues and prophesied:
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. Acts 19:1-7
Yes, John, the Baptist, baptized with water with a baptism of repentance but Jesus Christ, the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost, baptizes people with the Holy Ghost and power so that they might receive power and be witnesses to His miracles, signs and wonders. The truth of the matter is that speaking in tongues and prophesying were the signs of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that prophet Joel and Apostle Peter had talked about:
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' Acts 2:14-21
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