The Gospel of Hope
by Scott Ashley
Most people know that Jesus Christ brought a message called the "gospel," meaning "good news." But what is this message, and why is it good news?

Most people assume the gospel is the story of Jesus Christ's life, ministry, death and resurrection, and that His sacrifice makes it possible for us to be saved. But while all these are certainly important, is there more to the story that many people don't understand?

Mark 1:14-15 tells us that "Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (emphasis added throughout).

We see here that the gospel is a message about the Kingdom of God, and that we are commanded to believe in it. So what is this "Kingdom of God"? Some think it's something that exists in the hearts of believers. Some think it's the sum total of all Christians everywhere working to advance God's purpose on earth. Others hold different variations of these ideas. But what does the Bible say?

Surprising to some, Jesus Christ's message about the Kingdom of God was not new. He was continuing the message of many biblical prophets before Him. Their message was of a literal, world-ruling kingdom to be established over the entire earth by the coming Messiah.

Notice, for example, the vision revealed in Daniel 2:44 about what happens when a final end-time global superpower, comprising an alliance of rulers, is brought to its end at the return of Jesus Christ: "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed;...it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."

Here we see plainly that a literal kingdom will be established on earth, replacing all human kingdoms, and it will "stand forever"!

This is made even more obvious in Daniel's vision recorded in Daniel 7:13-14: "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed."

This startling vision describes Jesus Christ being brought before God the Father, who gives Him "dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him" in a kingdom that is everlasting!

This is why we read in Revelation 11:15 (in a prophecy that inspired the immortal lines of the "Hallelujah Chorus" in Handel's Messiah): "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet: and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever'" (New International Version).

This awesome truth lies at the heart of Jesus Christ's gospelgood newsof the Kingdom of God. It's at the heart of "the Lord's prayer," in which Jesus instructs His followers to pray, "Your kingdom come"! It's a message of great hope in which we are commanded to believe. You'll learn much more about that message of hope in this issue! GN

http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn90/gospel-of-hope.htm

the problem I see going on there, is the author here did not apparently understand what Jesus was actually saying there about this kingdom on earth in that account within LK. 17:20-21 apparently. Much like those people did not seem to by what Jesus told his disciples not to do in the following verses 22-23 also. Because of their not being able to see what He was saying to them about this kingdom gospel.

Same thing happening at first apparently in the story of Nicodemus also, not understanding what the earthly things were he was speaking of, and therefore wouldn't be able to understand the heavenly about how that could be as well, written in John chapter 3.

This being true because they were unable to understand or see. Meaning we are either being taught the kingdom gospel begins here, believing and seeing it, and therefore unable to walk in it of course. Or we simply do not see this at all. And therefore are still looking for it instead.

the problem with it not already being here, is what Jesus did say ultimately about this issue in John 3:12. As well as there in those scriptures in Luke.

John 3
12: IF I HAVE TOLD YOU EARTHLY THINGS, AND YE BELIEVE NOT, HOW WILL YE BELIEVE, IF I TELL YOU OF HEAVENLY THINGS?

The earthly thing being all that he ahd told him about being born again and entering into the kingdom of God, and the heavenly things being how that can possibly be of course.

Here is what the earthly kingdom consists of according to Romans 14:17 (Amplified Bible)

17[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

And of course, this is speaking of this happening within these that walk in this kingdom that Jesus brought for us to walk in here via the cross.


FOR THE LORD SAID UNTO SAMUEL, LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE, BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM: FOR THE LORD SEETH NOT AS MAN SEETH: FOR MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE; BUT THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART. (1 Sam. 16:7)
Love Sandy

danger in assuming a person isn't walking in the spirit only because hey do not see things as you do.

It is a dangerous game to play.....Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

I suggest this link for you:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Spiritual-Arrogance&id=164006

I don't believe I said anything about anyone walking or not walking in the Spirit, judging anyone as you seem to be thinking.

What I was sharing is what I believe the scriptures do say about the kingdom of God being here already, Sharing the scriptures as to why I do believe they are.

That is not judging anyone person at all as I see it.

But true, the Word of God does judge all of us when we do not line up with what it does say of course. Myself included.

I am sorry if you thought I was judging you by anything I did say of course. As that was not what I was doing at all.

In fact, if anything was said that judged anybody. It wasn't you at all, but the writer of what you posted instead being in error concerning what they do see about this issue.

And we should have the right to judge what another teaches always.

But doing so by the Word always, and not by what we ourselves think of course.









FOR THE LORD SAID UNTO SAMUEL, LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE, BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM: FOR THE LORD SEETH NOT AS MAN SEETH: FOR MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE; BUT THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART. (1 Sam. 16:7)
Love Sandy

well....i think if you had said you see the matter differently and then explained your perspective.....that is one thing.

but when you state things this way:

'the problem I see going on there, is the author here did not apparently understand what Jesus was actually saying there about this kingdom on earth in that account within LK. 17:20-21 apparently. Much like those people did not seem to by what Jesus told his disciples not to do in the following verses 22-23 also. Because of their not being able to see what He was saying to them about this kingdom gospel.'

there is a judgement of the other person at work here.....which wel....is your right and you are entitled to say anything you feel like....

but really reading between the lines....you are all but saying that person who wrote the article is speaking from a carnal perspective.....

and really is just another way of what i spoke of regarding not walking in the spirit....


the reality is Sandra....who thinks THEY are deceived and THEy are the ones who fit your judgement above? Does anyone walk around saying...'ya know, i love Jesus, but i realize i am deceived on a lot of things'....? If you know of any who think like that, let me know cause i would like to chat with them....grin

so perhaps we all should be cautious to judge who is seeing thing this way or that way...and only concentrate on our possibility or error...and pray G-d opens our minds to a growing measure of His truth each day.

Humility is a great visiblefruit of His Spirit.

yes, but not the type your thinking of at all Gerard. Only a judgment given because of the scriptures that perhaps suggest the writer did not know.

And after all, is that not how we do judge what another beleives to begin with. But is not saying one is not walking the Spirit at all. Because if that were true, none of us that are, could possibly be wrong at all. Which is definitely not true at all. Because we can all err in our understanding of what the Word of God is, and most likely could because of our seeing through a glass darkly.

Meaning apparently you just might be judging me wrong in this area after all yourself, Not that it would be wrong on your part, if you was right in your understanding of what I was saying there to begin with. But you are not right in your assesment of my statements about this person at all.

If I did mean that they did not have the Spirit, then lord knows, I would be saying I didn't whenever I have bee wrong in the past regarding my understanding of what the Word says myself. And Lord knows, if that be true, and and many others are just running around here most likely thinking we have something we do not have at all. And I say that, because any one of us can err in our understanding. Some just may not think they can, but they can. why? because of what it does say about this issue written in 1St Cor. 13:12-13 about all us still seeing thru a dark glass at times in verse 12. Therefore able to be mistaken in what we do believe to be the truth after all at times. But that does not mean someone are unable to walk in hope faith and charity because of our walking after the Spirit because of that said Spirit residing within us just as it speaks of He does in Rm. chapter 8.

So no, I did not judge anyone as not being led by the Spirit at all. You simply just assumed I was because of not knowing what I do believe mostly no doubt.



FOR THE LORD SAID UNTO SAMUEL, LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE, BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM: FOR THE LORD SEETH NOT AS MAN SEETH: FOR MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE; BUT THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART. (1 Sam. 16:7)
Love Sandy