The Two Gospels

What is the Gospel of the Kingdom? And what is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Aren't They the Same Thing? Is There a Difference?

These refer to two distinct but complementary messages that go hand in hand. As most of us know, the word "Gospel" simply means "good news," or "good tidings." The Bible gives us both, the Good News about the Kingdom and the Good News about Jesus Christ.
Quick Notes: (1) "The Gospel of the Kingdom" is short for "The Gospel of the Kingdom of God," also called "The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven". (2) The Gospel of Jesus Christ is also called "The Gospel of the Grace of God." (Acts 20:4).

Since Jesus' resurrection, the Two Gospels have become One. Following, are their distinct differences and how they complement each other to function as One, to equip and empower us, Christ's Body of believers, to become effective ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

This gospel refers to the good news that the Kingdom of God (or of Heaven) was now going to establish itself also on earth, among mankind (Matt 3:1-2, Mark 1:14-15). It would no longer be only in heaven as during the ages before Jesus. The Kingdom is mostly about a way of life; it's about a holy culture. This means that we could now live Kingdom lifestyle and culture here on earth--The lifestyle of experiencing the Holy Spirit, of knowing or having truth, wisdom and grace from above; of having power over our own sin, and authority over sickness and darkness. Today, here on earth, we can live at a spiritually higher level than the Torah (the Law of Moses) required. We are no longer trapped in sin, because Jesus came into this world, taught us about how Heaven works, and He died to set us free from a sinful heart. 

He also taught us how God evaluates things. In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus explains to us the difference between what the Torah teaches and what standard the heart of God is really aiming for in us. "You have heard" is about the laws written in Torah by the hand of Moses. "But I say" is about the even higher standard God really desires from us: The messages of repentance, turning away from sin, and baptism were important because the Kingdom of God was getting ready to burst forth (be established) in the earth and people had to start making themselves ready for it. 

Both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus also taught us about God's heart, loving-kindness and forgiveness. He also showed us how to live a life of obedience that's pleasing to God. This means that the Kingdom of Heaven would now be  established in the earth through us who believe and obey. So, the Kingdom of God (or of Heaven) is no longer up there far away. It is now here on earth, so near that we can see it in each other, experience its effects in our lives, and see its response to our prayers. And, all of us who believe and are faithful, are its messengers here on earth and have been granted authority in Christ.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

This gospel is about the good news that God clothed Himself in a human body and came to this earth as the man Jesus Christ; that we are saved from the curse and the punishments of sin thanks to the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross (because he lived a sinless, holy life obedient to the Heavenly Father, so that we could have eternal life by putting our faith in him, and in the work he accomplished on the cross.) He paid the price for us to be forgiven, for our redemption, and for our freedom from sin and from the powers of darkness. We, those of us who have accepted Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, are no longer victims or prisoners of sin and we are no longer without power or authority against sin. We can now fight our sin nature and eventually overcome. We can now fight our own flesh and break the control of sin over us. We can now endure through this battle because victory is sure. We can now live a life of victory and obedience to God, of love for all, of inner peace and joy, of forgiveness towards our enemies in the midst of trial and adversity, and of gratitude in every situation. Thanks to Christ's sacrifice, we have been set free from the power of sin, darkness, and eternal death. We can now truly be free to become who God intended us to be. This is the good news of Messiah Jesus that the apostles preached. 

The Strategy of Heaven

In the days of John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah, God's strategy was to first let His people learn what the differences were between being in an earthly religion vs being in the true Kingdom of Heaven. So, first came the message about the Kingdom of Heaven. Through both John the baptist and Jesus Christ, God rebuked the Pharisees (the religious leaders of Judea.) And Jesus himself taught the people the differences between the laws of the Torah of Moses and the way God/Heaven actually evaluated sin. This helped the people understand what it would be like to live in God's Kingdom here on earth as opposed to living in an earthly religious system governed by sinful mortals. And many chose to be baptized by John and to become Jesus' disciples. 

The people also expected Jesus to free Israel from Roman rule and wanted him to become the king of Israel, because they believed he was the foretold messiah. It is only after he died on the cross, his resurrection, and the Holy Spirit manifestation during Pentecost, that they were able to grasp God's plan of salvation through Messiah's sacrificial death on the cross. 

From then on, the disciples began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (which, of course, also includes the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven).

In Short...

The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that in Christ we have forgiveness of sin, victory over sin, new life, everlasting life, and citizenship in the Kingdom of God/Heaven through the Holy Spirit living in us. In Messiah we now have access to every spiritual blessing in Heaven. 

The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven teaches us that the Kingdom of God is now operating in our midst here on earth through the lives of those who've put their trust in Jesus Christ. It is no longer far removed from us, only way up there in Heaven. Today, Heaven is also established here on earth, where we can easily enter in, by faith, through (1) repentance, (2) conversion, and (3) baptism; and where we can live our lives in God's Kingdom trusting in Jesus Christ and becoming more and more like him, every day.

God's Name of Promise 'I AM'

As I was reading Exodus 3:14, it struck me how strange it was for God to present Himself as "EHYEH ASHER EHYEH" in the Hebrew text. This is a future tense structure, not a present tense.

Those words were calling to me. It was as if the Holy Spirit was highlighting them, for me to look into and ask God about this!

"Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" is often translated in Christian Bibles either as “I am that I am” or as “I am who I am” and in Jewish Bibles as "I am that I am" (JPS). But the Hebrew text actually reads, “I will be what/that I will be.”

The verb Ehyeh appears 55 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Only in Exodus 3:14 is it translated as "I AM".  Everywhere else in the Bible, it is translated as either "I will be" or "will I be?" In Hebrew, the present tense looks different.

"I AM" really matches my understanding of God; so, why did God have the future-tense recorded in His Word???

Now, I really wanted to find out what God wanted to speak to my spirit about this name.

Joy:

 “My Lord, my God, what do you want to tell me today about Your name Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh?"

God: 

“The children of Jacob did not know who I was or what I was capable of because I had been silent during their time of slavery in Egypt.  'I will be what I will be' or 'I will be that which I will be,' is a title-name. It is more of a title than a name. By this title-name, I am sending the children of Israel this message: 'Even though you did not know Me in your lifetime, and you still do not know Me now, you will yet come to experience Me through ALL that I WILL BE as I deliver you and lead you into a new land and life, and as I take care of your needs along the way. You will see that I will be all that is needed to set you free from slavery and bring you into a land of freedom and plenty: I will be your mighty deliverer, I will be your champion, I will be your protection, I will be your provider, I will be your shade cloud by day, I will be your camp fire by night, I will be your guide, I will be your defender, I will be your teacher, I will be your healer, I will be your covenant partner, I will be your victory in battle, I will be your King, I will be your blessing, I will be your praise, I will be your God.'

"The reason for 'Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh' (future tense) is because I am presenting Myself to humans that live a dimension of time. 'I AM' always, because in heaven there is no dimension of time; there is no past, present, or future--everything is Now.  By My title-name I am letting mankind know that I will gradually prove Myself to ALL who put their trust in Me as we face together the challenges in their lives and in their future. My benefits are only for those who enter into a covenant relationship with Me. Every person falls into this category. So the focus of this title-name is looking into the future, from your perspective of time. By this title, 'Ehyeh', I am giving My solid assurance that I will be right there with anyone who invites Me into their lives. And in this manner, I will yet make Myself known to them as all that I fully AM: YHVH Yireh (Yahweh Who Provides), YHVH Shammah (Yahweh Who is There with you), YHVH Rophe (Yahweh Who Heals), and so on. 'Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh' covers ALL that I AM and will continue to be throughout your lifetime; it is My core identity.

"Joy, this title-name is important for people in every generation because it is My name of promise and it reveals my will, plan, and my covenant to always be present in your lives and to always make all things work together for the good of those who love Me and have become My people. There is no need for any of you who are Mine to worry about the present or the future because I AM with you--all you need is Me. Study My word daily, ask for what you need, and then just trust Me and walk in My ways.

"Most people on earth are living a life of bondage and I want to deliver them because I have already paid the price for their freedom. But they do not know Me and have not yet experienced Me. 

"To all who are still in bondage in your world, who are slaves to sin and who desire to be free, you must freely and boldly proclaim all that I will be to them, because I will be what I will be to deliver them, establish them in a new life in the Kingdom of Light in Christ Jesus, and bring them into their calling and destiny, just like I did back then for the children of Israel. 

"This is My heart for every human being. And you who know Me, do well to remember that I AM ever present with you and that I AM your Everything as you go through life's storms. Even when things seem to be going wrong, I AM there. Do not worry, do not complain, and do not despair. Live My word and walk by faith. I do miracles, I can even bring new life into a dead situation. Always wait upon Me, be patient, hopeful, and expectant; and I will make a way where there is no way.”

Joy: 

“Thank you, Father. I will. That is beautiful. And thank you for caring so much for mankind.”

Beauty for Ashes

Today, I want to share with you this conversation I had with God. It has always helped me to reset my thinking and focus when I am going through life's struggles and adversities. It has also helped me learn to walk patiently through these hardships with the peace of mind knowing that with Faith and with my eyes set on Jesus--and on the faithfulness of our Father in heaven--God is creating something beautiful with my life, that I will yet see. So I expectantly wait for a better tomorrow. And that time of beauty always comes, sometimes much later than I expected; but it has never failed to show up.

May this conversation with God encourage and bless you today!

Our Conversation Begins

Joy:

"Lord, what do You want to speak to me about today? What do You want to share with me today that is important to Your heart? And where shall we meet today?"

As I am waiting on the Lord, I begin to wonder--Will He want to speak to me about world hunger? Maybe about the suffering people go through in this world?

I started by visualizing myself on a peaceful beach. Lord Jesus and I were sitting next to each other on chairs, looking a calm ocean. It was late afternoon, not yet sunset, and we had the beach all to ourselves. We were enjoying the beautiful colors of the late afternoon clouds in the sky, smelling the ocean breeze, and hearing the ocean sounds and the sounds of the palm trees praising God as the gentle breeze blew. We enjoyed that for a little while.

Holy Spirit Vision:

Then suddenly, we were on a different beach and enjoyed that. Then, suddenly we were sitting on the veranda of a house on a small hill overlooking trees and houses in the valley, and a different ocean in the distance. The view was beautiful. But I was not allowed to look behind me at the ugly side. (I had visited this place in this physical world, in the past, and the house itself was not much--but the view was fabulous!) Then suddenly, we were in the Galilee, in Israel, on a mountain, looking over fields in the valley, and over the Sea of Galilee in the distance. (I had been here as well, in the past.) Again, I was only allowed to look at the most beautiful sides--not at the plain, dull, less attractive sides.

Joy:

"What are you trying to show me, Lord? What does this mean?"

Holy Spirit:

"When you, my child, are facing difficult, ugly situations, I always have places of stunning beauty to alleviate the stress or the pain and to bring moments of hope, joy, and peace to your heart. I want you, who are called by My name, to focus your spiritual eyes on the beauty that is available to you in the Spirit, and not so much on the difficulty of your struggle in the physical world. When you focus only on the ugliness, it becomes difficult to hold on to hope. When there is no beauty around you, I am the beauty in front of you. Set your mind on the beauty of My faithfulness. Since My Spirit lives inside of you, when you focus on Me, I can transport you from beauty to beauty in a second. Suddenly and immediately! When you fix your spirit eyes on Me, you can always be in a place of beauty, inner peace, and joy even in the midst of serious problems."

Joy:

"My Lord, of all the things in the world, is This what is most important for you to tell me right now?" (I was expecting something more important than me focusing on beauty.)

Holy Spirit:

"Yes."

Joy:

"Why? Can you help me see the importance?"

Holy Spirit:

"You are born into an imperfect world of suffering, ugliness, and pain. Most of it is illegal activity in your life coming from the enemy of your soul; meaning, it is not assigned or approved by Me to harm you. This is why Jesus paid the price for your deliverance, healing, and victory over Satan. You have My Word and the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you to counter any attack of the kingdom of darkness in your life.

But sometimes, I will allow an attack, to succeed only because I have a secret plan that will allow you to experience My miracle power and fill your life with unbelievable joy. No one is exempt. Even Jesus who is the Son of the Living God had to go through this.

Joy, a lifetime of only struggle and hopelessness is Not my plan nor my will for any of my children. Know that any painful situations I allow into your life are but temporary and come with a beautiful side that outweighs every difficulty and challenge you will have to face. So, while weeping may endure for a night, joy will come in the morning. Of this you can be certain.

Hardship and joy are interlaced like two sides of a beautiful area rug. Ugliness is part of this fallen world, but by My grace, I am always releasing beauty into your life. Yet still, you will not see this beauty at once. And you may not see it for a little while because the beauty side is only revealed when the thing that God is developing in you has reached maturity. When I allow something difficult or painful into your life, know that it is only because I have prepared for you a reward of surpassing value and beauty that cannot be acquired any other way. All the sorrows and struggles you have had to endure will pale in comparison. And you will experience victory and great joy in its time when the work in you is complete."

"Consider this, when have you ever gone through a terrible situation that did not eventually end in beauty?"

Joy:

"Never, my Lord, because even in the most hopeless situations, you worked miracles!"

Holy Spirit:

"Exactly. And my miracles only happened after you had determined to stand strong in the midst of the trial and began to look at things from a different perspective. You began to pursue heaven's perspective, be transformed, and then you rose above the situation. And that's when you began to get a glimpse of the beauty that lay ahead. You can only see this when you ascend to look down from a higher place, from Mt. Zion in heaven above. You must be able to rise to the top of this spiritual mountain, to be able to see the pathway to beauty and find peace and joyful hope in the midst of your difficulties. This means that, when going through hardships, you have to station yourself, spiritually, in heaven. Everything you do, do from heaven's perspective, trusting in God's promises that Messiah Jesus secured for you. 

Stationing yourself in heaven means that you are to approach every one of life's hardships always from the position of faith, not fear; and not trusting in your carnal feelings or worldly reasoning but in My word--Trust in My word (Psalm 3:5-6). This way you will always be able to find yourself, spiritually, in a place of beauty, peace, and joy, and you will be able to bring these spiritual blessings into your earthly life by faith. Remember that what is seen is not made out of what is visible (Hebrews 11:3.) Everything is first created in the heavenly realm. Victory is first spiritual and then physical. This understanding is foundational. Make sure you never lose sight of how important this is. I am bringing this up today because I want you to realize how very important this is to you living a victorious life on earth. 

Make sure that stationing yourself in heaven is permanently locked-in as your first course of action, as the way you handle life's challenges and adversities. Do not lose sight of this.

Where ever I have used pain and ugliness to mature my children, there is beauty in the making, on the reverse side, for those who love Me. When you walk in heaven's perspective, you will always walk in victory. 

My plan is to build you up, strengthen you, and establish you for success as you do My will. Fix your eyes on Me, not on the situation, and I will take you to the place of beauty I have prepared for you. I will give you beauty for ashes.

Keeping your eyes focused on Me is the foundation of everything we have done and will do in the future. This is the solution to the world's problems. If human-beings would only fix their eyes on their Creator, who loves them with a Father's love, there would be no hunger, suffering, or wars in the earth. Trauma, pain, fear, worry, selfishness, and greed drives people who harm others. A victim or an observer has to choose what they will become--a perpetrator or a protector. It all depends on what the victim or the observer focuses on--heaven or earth, good or evil, hope or hurt, faith or fear.

I am the only one who can give beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and a spirit of praise for a spirit of despair. I am the only one who can transform life's situations. I will provide for my grieving children who set their eyes on Me and put their trust in Me. They will first enjoy spiritual beauty, joy, and peace (in spite of their circumstances) and this will open up the portals of heaven for blessing and renewal to be released into their earthly lives. And they will be transformed and become robust oaks of righteousness displaying My splendor (Isaiah 61:1,3)."

End of Conversation

 

 

Powerful Recommended Reading:

1. Suffering and the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores by Diane Landberg. Equipping the body of Christ to help people who have suffered through deep trauma.
2. Blindsided by God: Disappointment, Suffering, and the Untamable Goodness of God by Peter Chin. Powerful, personal ways we can understand and even redeem the suffering we all experience in our lives.
3. Torn to Heal: God's Good Purpose in Suffering by Mike Leake. God is radically dedicated to our ongoing growth in spiritual maturity and holiness.