When Jesus came on the scene He transformed the way people understood the Word of God. In reality, He transformed the way people understood God! Until He came the Word of God had been something leaders used to control, manipulate, and restrict God’s people. In fact, in Isaiah 52:5 the Prophet Isaiah proclaimed that the leaders caused the people to go into captivity and blaspheme the name of God!

In verse 7 Isaiah also prophesied that a day would come when people would see God as He really is and in that day they would say, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace…” When the angels proclaimed Peace on Earth and good will toward men, the day of peace had finally arrived. Through Jesus a covenant of peace would be established. Man could receive the gift of righteousness through faith in the resurrected Jesus and finally experience peace in his own heart with God (Romans 5:1). Billions of people have received Jesus and are secure in their eternal destiny, but few have really found the ultimate quality of life they hoped to find in their walk with God.

Jesus preached and lived God’s Word the way God originally intended. He lived by faith, fully trusting the character of God as expressed in His Word. He related to God as Father, something that had never been seen. He did everything from the motive of love and He showed us what real righteousness looks like… a righteousness which exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees!

Jesus revealed all the secrets to Kingdom living through the principles found in His message concerning the Gospel of the Kingdom! Sadly, religious leaders in the New Covenant did exactly what had been done under the Old Covenant and turned Jesus’ teaching into a legalistic approach about how to earn your way into Heaven, thereby completely missing the nuggets of gold about the guiding principles of the Kingdom of God!

The Kingdom of God is a realm that we can only enter through our heart. The Kingdom of Heaven is the resources available to the believer within that realm. The parables and other messages about the Kingdom are the principles we must embrace in order to operate within that realm.

In His messages about the Gospel of the Kingdom Jesus:

• Showed us the kind of character that can abide in righteousness, peace, and joy
• Revealed the ultimate secret for always feeling the love and forgiveness of God
• Gave us the simple, yet powerful tools for influencing our heart
• Explained and demonstrated the secrets of operating faith
• Exposed the difference between religion and true righteousness
• Showed us the absolute laws of authority and how to use them
• Gave us the keys for understanding everything that God ever said and everything that would be written in the Epistles

The Gospel of the Kingdom is a message designed to influence your heart’s beliefs. With a heart established in the Gospel of the Kingdom the believer is able to understand and apply all of God’s Word without falling into the trappings of legalism or mysticism.

Paul tells Timothy and all believers to rightly divide the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15)! Peter warned that many unstable people misunderstood Paul’s writings and twist them to their own destruction (2 Timothy 3:15). Failure to understand the Gospel of the Kingdom will ensure failure to understand the writing of Paul and the other apostles!
When you read the gospels do it prayerfully. Realize that Jesus is talking about this realm called ‘the Kingdom of God.’ In fact, always approach the Word prayerfully. Above all, consider this to be your Lord talking directly to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to apply the words of your Lord to your life! Notice the principles and character traits being taught in the parables. Seek God for the grace (strength) to incorporate these life-giving truths into your life! You will soon find that life begins to work in ways that are beyond your doing and beyond your comprehension. You will discover new levels of favor as God’s character flows through you. There is no end to the increase that will flow through your life when you embrace The Gospel of the Kingdom!