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Major Kingdom/Apostolic Articles
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The Beginning of Sorrows & The Joy of The Lord - By Ron McGatlin
There is a season of intense pain for a mother before a child is born. The pain may begin lightly and over a season of hours build until a moment of intense pain as the child is born. Then the pain gives way to the joy of a new born baby.
As it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual. The birth of a new era of great significance is upon the church and the world. Jesus spoke of this season.
Mat 24:6-8,14: "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Greek word translated "end" in these verses is "telos". The primary meaning of telos is: (to set out for a definite point or goal). Clearly the sorrows are not the goal but only a beginning of a process leading to an end ("telos"). The goal will be achieved as the gospel of the kingdom is preached to all the world.
In the theology of the passing church age we preached the gospel of "salvation" or the gospel of being born again and generally believed it was the entire gospel. I can remember many years ago in Bible College, a wise professor stating to the class that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in end times. He went on to say, "We do not now know what the gospel of the kingdom is at this time but in the end times it will be revealed." I found this very curious and like the others had no clue what the gospel of the kingdom might be. I sure didn't consider that it would reshape theology and wipe out some of our common doctrines regarding eschatology.
I feel so blessed to have lived in this transitional time and to be a part of proclaiming the revelation of the gospel of the kingdom to the world. God has uncovered the gospel of the kingdom to many during my lifetime. I believe there were men of God through all the ages since Jesus first preached the gospel of the kingdom, who could see through the veil and receive the gospel of the kingdom. But only in the past few decades has the cover been removed for a vast number of people to begin to see the gospel of the kingdom clearly.
We once thought the gospel of being born again was the goal - the end ("telos"). Jesus taught that this is the beginning not the end. Certainly the gospel of being born again is the beginning and urgently necessary part of the gospel. One cannot even see the kingdom of God without experiencing it.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The called out ones (the ekklesia) of God is pregnant with the gospel of the kingdom and is nearing the time of birth. The world is now beginning to experience the birth pangs of the kingdom of God on earth - the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
As we draw nearer to the time of the kingdom of Christ coming forth into the world the birth pangs will become closer together. more rhythmic and more intense. The scale for measuring earthquakes may need to be increased as the shaking of everything that can be shaken increases. Social order, economic systems, governments, nations, the church world as well as the earth will be violently and painfully shaken as we approach the coming of the kingdom of God on earth replacing the false kingdoms of the enemy and empty kingdoms of mans intellectual invention. All that lifts itself against God and His Word will not stand.
The beauty of holiness will be shinning into the world as Christ is formed in a sold out dedicated generation of people who have nothing left to live for but God. A people so filled with the resurrection life of Jesus that there is no respect for the greed and immorality of the old world and religious systems.
Purity and holiness shall reign and the love of God shall fill the earth. The wide open heavens will pour out godly wisdom and the reality of the kingdom of heaven from heaven will be present on earth. Old Jerusalem shall become New Jerusalem and the "peace on earth good will toward man" that Jesus came to bring to earth will be fulfilled. His mission will not fail. Everything else will fail but God and His word shall not fail.
Like the birth of a baby, the earth will become a messy bloody place till the birth is done. Then God will wipe away the tears and joy shall fill the hearts of the Bride of Christ as she becomes fully obedient to her head - her husband, the King of the world. Jesus shall reign in His Body and Bride on earth. If we endure to the end (telos), we shall reign with Him as kings and priest.
Some have asked, when is the time of these things. Personally, I do not believe there is a chronologic time set for these things to be completed. God has desired to have a people on earth since the Garden of Eden. He has always been ready for mankind to become whom He designed them to be. It is man who has been given dominion on earth and who must become the people of God. The work of Christ and the Holy Spirit has fully prepared the way for the kingdom people to come forth in holiness. The time depends on God having a people who will sacrifice all and loose their lives that Christ may fully live in his many membered Body on earth.
Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him.(Heb 12:2) We shall endure the sorrows for the joy of the Lord set before us. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Phil 4:4)
Neh 8:10: Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
If you would like to have more understanding of the gospel of the kingdom, experience the book "Overcoming Life On A Small Planet" "Heaven Style Living For Earthlings" Or the "KINGDOM GROWTH GUIDES". Both are available as eBooks free download on this site.
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