Hi Kenny,
I'm glad you have joined us
Here is an excerpt from a conference in 2005 'What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom?'
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=6142.0 ----------------------
He always did that, He went into every synagogue. Wherever He went there was a synagogue and He went in.
Luke 4:17 And was delivered to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And unrolling the book, He found the place where it was written, v. 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel…
This is every place He went and He covered a big area. He went into every synagogue and He said bring Me the book of Isaiah, He opened it up and read to them.
Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight of the blind, to set at liberty those having been bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
Then He sat down.
Luke 4:21 And He began to say to them, this day is this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.
He taught that in every synagogue, synagogue after synagogue after synagogue, year after year after year, for 3 ½ years that’s what He taught, right there. He said this is what I am all about, this is who I represent, this is what I’ve come to do and you are seeing Me do it. But not completely. He said, verse 18, “ And recovering of sight of the blind.” Yes He did heal those who were blind, so that they could physically see. He did raise the dead and He did heal the sick, but they all died later. Most of them were not, spiritually, that much better off. Physically they appreciated being rid of diseases and all that. Physically they were very happy, they couldn’t see and now they can see, they couldn’t walk now and they can walk.
GREATER WORKS
But just like when God said to Israel, I’m choosing you, it was a shadow. Now Christ came and we say, at last now we have the real thing. That was right, He was the real thing. He was the Seed!
But part of this gospel involves judging, right. Peter said it involves judging the quick and the dead. Did Jesus Christ judge the quick and the dead when He was here? Some of this remains and has yet to a fulfillment and it has to. I will tell you why it has to. Jesus Christ told His disciples…
John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.
He healed the sick, gave vision to the blind, caused the lime to walk, caused the dead to live… you’re going to do greater things than that. Oh really? And what might that be Lord?
I’ve had people ask me numerous times, ‘Ray can you walk on water, have you raised the dead, have you…?’ As a matter of fact I have. Which is greater, to raise somebody back to physical life, so that they can physically die again or to raise someone who is spiritually dead to spiritual life? God is doing greater things through the called, chosen, Elect few of His church, than He did in His own ministry, when He fed 5000, walked on the water, calmed the storm, healed the sick and raised the dead. He said He would… “greater things,” they are greater. They are not greater if you’ve got a carnal mind, they are not greater then, it sounds like foolishness. That’s what it will sound like to you, unless you have the spiritual mind to see it.
I get email back to back, one says, ‘Ray I’m in tears, I’m blown away, I never knew there was such a God. I never knew that the Scripture said such marvelous things as you are telling us.’
And then I get another email, ‘May you rot in hell you s_o_b_ , you son of Satan.’ Two emails back to back! You tell me what’s the difference… seed of the woman through Christ - seed of the devil.
So when Jesus read this many among them had already heard it, maybe the day before He had came into this synagogue in this village. If you read the Scripture it says every town, every city, every village, every hamlet and everywhere there was a synagogue He was there. He taught this Scripture and they saw that He did these things. But what do we read in John…
John 6:63 It is the Spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing…
But He healed the sick… the flesh profits nothing, but He caused the blind to see… the flesh profits nothing.
V. 63 …The words that I speak to you are SPIRIT and are life.
‘You mean these words that He quoted to every village and town and hamlet and city in Jerusalem and Judea and all around Galilee, you mean all these words are Spirit?’ That’s what He said, I believe Him. These are words of Spirit. He’s not talking about giving sight to the blind, who can’t see the sunset. He talking about giving spiritual sight to those that are spiritually blind! The words of Christ are Spirit, there fulfillment are Spirit.
Christ has a kingdom made up of heavens - people who in their heavens, have God dwelling. This is Spirit! Spirit is more real than physical, because physical is temporary, Paul tells us. This kingdom will last, Daniel says. This kingdom is not going to be over turned in so many years by some more powerful nation.
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We also have audio of that conference
Gospel Of The Kingdom part one:
http://bible-truths.com/audio/M05 Gospel Of The Kingdom part two:
http://bible-truths.com/audio/M05 The whole part of the conference about 'The Gospel of the Kingdom' would be a very good study to help your understanding in this area.
mercy, peace and love
Kat