Before we begin this study, be advised that we will not hold church service on Sunday, December 26, in lieu of the Christmas holiday, as we spend time with our family and friends.
Examine the following 2 references together .... back and forth .... and notice all the SAME things. Especially see that they are the SAME account by 2 different men, but the same Spirit:
Matt 4:12-19 Now when Jesus had heard
that John was cast into prison,
he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,
Repent:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee,
saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea:
for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men.
Mark 1:14-17 Now after
that John was put in prison,
Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.
16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea:
for they were fishers.
17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me,
and I will make you to become fishers of men.
Comparing all the similarities in these 2 companion passages proves that the kingdom of heaven IS the kingdom of God. Realizing this fact may change your doctrine .... IF you believe the Bible and are not blindly following a man with a chart and a paradigm!
Since the time of John the Baptist, men have preached the kingdom of God:
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John:
since that time the kingdom of God is preached,
and every man presseth into it.
Jesus instructed a certain man to preach the kingdom of God:
Luke 9:57-60 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ 12 disciples preached the kingdom of God:
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Paul (Acts 20:16) preached the kingdom of God:
Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God,
and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Jesus spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days,
and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Philip preached the the things concerning the kingdom of God:
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Paul disputed and persuaded the the things concerning the kingdom of God:
Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,
disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Paul expounded and testified the kingdom of God:
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging;
to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Paul worked unto the kingdom of God:
Col 4:11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
The Thessalonians suffered for the kingdom of God:
2 Thess 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ believe the Cunning Royal Jester who teaches them that ‘the kingdom of God’ that Paul preached is different than the ‘kingdom of God’ that everyone else preached. What a disaster of confusion!
Not only that .... but they deny that the kingdom of heaven is the same as the kingdom of God .... in spite of the scriptures (Matt 4:12-19 and Mark 1:14-17).
For all the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ who claim ‘grace’ to do whatever they want to do, but secretly celebrate the holidays for fear of what ‘each other’ might think if they knew .... I will say (without it being "Christ-Mass"), "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"
This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"
