The Kingdom of God
Acts 2:41 –The people heard Peter preach, believed and were baptised. Then it says that they were added to “The Church.
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 4:20 NKJV, 20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
3. Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4. Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5. Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the [a]earth.
6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
13. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
When we look closer at Matt 16:18 the involvement of the Lord Jesus in building his ecclesia is evident.
“… thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The Lord is saying here that he would personally have a hand in building his ecclesia. The starting point, of course, would be his own death and resurrection. After throwing the money changers out of the temple he had this to say to the Jews who were looking for a sign,
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.” (John 2:18-22)
We are the Ecclesia, God uses his church, his Ecclesia to introduce salvation to those who don’t know him, and to nurture the faith of believers. The Ecclesia is God’s instrument for expressing his compassion and concern for the world.
We believe that when Jesus Healed, he made them whole, “Sozo”(in mind, soul, body, will, emotions), Sozo is a Greek word meaning wholeness… wholeness in spirit, wholeness in soul (mind, will, and emotions), wholeness in body.
We believe that healing for every person was included in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and that it is God’s will for every Christian to minister healing to anyone at any time. (Psalm 103:2; Isaiah 53:4; Matt. 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24; John 14:12)
We believe that the Christian Mission is to: Love God in thought, word, and deed & to love your neighbor as yourself, which is practiced by doing unto them as you would have done unto you. Your love for God and man will be demonstrated by reproducing disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, both domestically and in foreign lands by every Biblical method. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (Matthew 7:11-29; Matthew 28:18-20; James 1:27NKJV)
We believe the church (on Earth) is comprised of all in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells, and that the church is the body of Christ upon the Earth and is to grow up into Him in all things. The Church as the Bride in Ephesians 5:22-33: The Church is called the Bride of Christ and Christ is declared the Head of the Church, His Bride. As individual believers and as the Church we have an intimate relationship with Christ. This is a relationship that is closer than an earthly husband and wife relationship. (Rom.8:9; Eph. 1:23; 4:12-16)
We believe to Honor Everyone. That which is valued and esteemed is “honored.” The biblical use sometimes also means to seek to enhance the reputation of someone. The biblical emphasis on honoring others has everything to do with the biblical command to honor God. Honor in the Bible typically has a communal, even public meaning.
The love of God, demonstrated by Jesus on the cross, is our foundation for how to treat others. We are to be devoted—committed—to other Christians; to act selflessly. We are to honor each other (regardless of status, position, or any other factor) because we are all precious children of God, our Father. Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 2:17; Romans 13:7; Titus 2:7)