And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
Matthew 24:3-14
Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14 above has yet to be fulfilled.
Yahusha could have said the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the Earth but He did not. He said this gospel of the kingdom.
THIS gospel of the kingdom. Which gospel do you think Yahusha is referring to? There is only one answer since He was the first one preaching the gospel of the kingdom. It is the gospel HE taught.
What was His first teaching? Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Not sacrifices and offerings. Repentance. The same thing His predecessor, John the Baptist taught. The same John the Baptist that Yahusha Himself said Mat 11:11 “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:”
John the Baptist was the first prophet to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This prompted Yahusha to say in Mat 11:12,13 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. I want to take just one minute to explain this verse.
You could argue that because John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins then he was the first to preach the kingdom of heaven. But John himself testified that the one who comes after him is greater than he because he, John, baptized with water, but the Messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Therefore since the days of John the Baptist men who have not received the Holy Spirit are pressing into the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven. It is not until men receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit that men of peace will press into the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven.
Yahusah will deliver the gospel that teaches faith in God and that the righteousness required to enter into the kingdom of God can only be obtained by faith. The prophet Isaiah speaks of this righteousness in Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. Therefore until this gospel is delivered that Yahusha will deliver and ratify in His blood, the kingdom of heaven will suffer violence (because men of violence, not men of peace are receiving the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven) and the violent will take it by force.
As far as the second part of Matthew 11:12 and 13 above, all of the Old Testament, every book in the Old Testament prophesied of the coming of Yahusah Ha Mashiach and of the gospel that He would bring, the New Covenant that He would establish in His own blood, the Kingdom of God being established in the Earth and the will of God being done on the Earth just as it is in Heaven. May God open your eyes so you can see these things in those scriptures.
John was not the establisher of a new covenant. He was sent to make ready, i.e. prepare a people for the coming of the Messiah. Repentance from sin-filled living and turning to God for forgiveness is the beginning. Being baptized in water is a symbol of death and resurrection, washing away the filth of past sins and beginning a new life. Rending your heart before God in sorrow for past sins is preparing the way for the Gospel of the Kingdom which the Messiah is bringing.
Before we can understand the WORDS and WORKS of Yahusha that make up His Gospel, I need to clarify three words in our key verse, Matthew 24:14, above. The words are this, gospel, and end.
Yahusha could have said the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the earth but He did not. He said this gospel of the kingdom.
In Greek, just as in English, the words the and this are very different. The word this in Greek is τοῦτο which means a specific object, person, idea, or situation that is being discussed or pointed out. The word this is specific, therefore in the context that it is written, it can only refer to the gospel that Yahusha taught.
Yahusha knew that men would corrupt His message over time. This is why He taught His disciples to guard the message He taught. Even in Yahusha’s same generation, Jude, Yahusha’s younger stepbrother, writes…
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, wicked men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Yahusha Ha’Mashiach.
That was in Yahusha’s generation! One can only imagine what men have done to His gospel in the last 2000 years. This is why I am writing this post, to document THIS gospel of the kingdom that Yahusha refers to.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations… I want to take a quick look at the word gospel and get it into plain English. For the gospel to be preached, one must know what the word gospel means and all that it entails.
It is commonly taught that the word gospel means good news which is correct. The Greek word “εὐαγγÎλιον” (euangelion) translates to “gospel” in English. It is a compound word formed from “εὖ” (eu), meaning “good,” and “ἄγγελος” (angelos), meaning “news” or “message.” Thus, “εὐαγγÎλιον” literally means “good news” or “good message.”
In contemporary Greek, “εὐαγγÎλιον” might be used to describe good news in personal, social, or cultural contexts, such as the announcement of a joyful event, a positive development in someone’s life, or a piece of uplifting news shared in the media. Essentially, even outside of religious contexts, “εὐαγγÎλιον” continues to convey the idea of positive or welcome news.
The Hebrew equivalent of εὐαγγÎλιον (euangelion) would be בְּשׂוֹרָה (besorah), which means “good tidings”.
Isa 40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Isa 41:27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
The euangelion, the besorah, the gospel, is good news contained in a declaration, an announcement, or in this case teaching and demonstration of the power of God.
Yahusha is announcing the kingdom in His WORDS and His WORKS. It is good news, good tidings, glad tidings, an exciting proclamation of peace with God, salvation, restorative healing and deliverance, release from bondage, and the reign of God in the Kingdom of God.
This gospel of the Kingdom is what Yahusha taught. It is the combination of the WORDS that He spoke and the WORKS that He did. The miracles that Yahusha performed testified to the truth of the words that He spoke and were an open demonstration of the power of God. That in itself is good news. The healings, mighty works, and miracles Yahusha performed are part of the gospel of the kingdom. When Yahusha says THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM SHALL BE PREACHED, He is talking about healings, mighty works, miracles, and all His other teachings. 1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
You cannot separate the works of Yahusha and the words of Yahusha. They are one message. This gospel of the kingdom is the works and words of Yahusha HaMashiach. If healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, casting out devils, signs and wonders do not accompany the preaching of the kingdom of God then This gospel that Yahusha refers to is NOT being preached.
Yahusha Himself answered His doubters in this way:
Jhn 10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter.
Jhn 10:23 And Yahusah walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
Jhn 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Messiah, tell us plainly.
Jhn 10:25 Yahusha answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the WORKS that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Jhn 10:37 If I do not the WORKS of my Father, believe me not.
Jhn 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the WORKS: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
Before we get into the details of His teaching, I want to clarify one more important Bible misunderstanding of Matthew 24:14 above. The word end.
In Matthew 24:3 above, the disciples ask Yahusha what are the signs of His coming and the end of the world will be. This is a very unfortunate translation in the King James Version. A correct translation would be the culmination of this age. Neither Yahusha, the disciples, nor the entire book of Daniel speaks of the end of the world, even though the English translations apply the word end to the words they are translating. Both here and in Daniel, the scriptures speak about the culmination, fulfillment, and completion of the Gentiles’ age.
The word Gentiles means any nation or people other than the descendants of Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel.
The Gentiles’ age is the rule of any nation or nations on the Earth, other than Israel, over another nation or nations including Israel.
To be clear, Matthew 24:3-14 is not about the end of the world. It is about the end of the age of the Gentiles’ rule on the earth.
When you read the scriptures this should be clear to you. The people of Israel did not believe that the coming of the Messiah was the end of the world. This is why the people try to take Yahusha by force to make him King.(John 6:15) This is why the disciples ask Him if now is the time that He will restore the kingdom to Israel. (Acts 1:6)They are expecting Him to sit on the throne of David and rule the Earth from Jerusalem. Jer 33:17 For thus saith Yahuah; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; They believed that when the Messiah comes he will restore the sovereignty to Israel and rule Israel from Jerusalem.
But that is not what the scriptures say. Isaiah 66:1 says “Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool”. Yahusha will be King of the Earth and will rule the Earth from His throne which is in heaven. Yahusha will rule the Earth through His people by dwelling in His people. The feet of His people are in contact with the Earth. That is why He says the Earth is my footstool.
This is what Yahusha taught.
Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Heaven is my throne, that is where the throne of David is and He will rule from there. The Earth is my footstool, He will dwell in His people and rule the Earth through His people. I discuss this subject in detail in my post titled The Truth About the Throne of David.
Now that we have clarification on exactly what we are talking about let’s take a look at what Yahusha taught concerning the kingdom. The teaching of Yahusha is the positive, uplifting, joy-filled, news of peace between God and man and salvation from judgment to all those who will hear His words and apply them to their lives. It is also the open demonstration of the power of God in healing, casting out devils, raising the dead, walking on water, calming the storm, feeding multitudes, transfiguration, and many other works that are not recorded.
Declaration of This Gospel
The Prelude
It is important not to skip over anything that Yahusha did. Everything that is recorded about His life is for our instruction. Yahusha is our leader, our Lord, our Shepherd. We are to follow Him.
Yahusha was born a ‘new man’ because He was not of the seed of Adam but of the seed of God. Therefore He did not need to be born again as we do. Yahusha was filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit from the womb. In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We, after we are born again, must receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, Yahusha being a perfect man and filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit went to John the Baptist to be baptized in water. John protested saying that he needed to be baptized of Yahusha, not vice versa. But Yahusha said to John, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. (Matt 3:15) So after hearing, believing, and receiving the Gospel we see the need to be baptized in water before or after we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Immediately after being baptized by John, Yahusha was moved by the Holy Spirit to separate Himself for a long season of prayer and fasting. After He had prayed and fasted for 40 days He was hungry. This is when the devil came to Him to tempt Him.
When Yahusha had endured the temptations of Satan and overcame them, Yahusha returned from the desert in the power of the Holy Spirit and began His ministry.
I believe most born-again disciples of Yahusha can relate to these events.
- Hearing, believing, and receiving the Gospel
- Being baptized in water
- Being baptized in the Holy Spirit
- Having a long season of prayer, fasting, and learning the scriptures
- Being tempted by Satan who is trying to defeat you before you become powerful
- Overcoming the temptations and lies of the Adversary
- Walking in the gift(s) of the Holy Spirit
Yahusha’s Words and Works
Yahusha’s First Words
Yahusha’s first message as recorded in Matthew 4:17 above was Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark records it slightly differently in Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
What is notable about these first words of Yahusha is how they encapsulate so much of what He will teach.
- The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: The time for the kingdom of God to begin has arrived. From the moment He begins to teach, the kingdom of God is being presented to anyone and everyone who will hear, see, believe, and receive it. What the kingdom of God entails will be unfolded more and more in His teachings and demonstrations of the power of God. The healings, deliverances, and miracles are REAL and are NOW proving the kingdom of God is right in front of their eyes.
- repent ye, and believe the gospel. Repentance and belief are the two actions Yahusha requires of his audience. If you read my post on Original Sin you should understand that unbelief is the original sin. Adam and Eve did not believe God, and that is what led to their disobedience. Faith in God, believing God, and trusting every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is all God has ever required of mankind. However, that kind of faith, belief, and trust can only come through loving Him. Mic 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what Yahuah requires of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Doing justly to one another, being merciful, and walking humbly with God is the fruit of applying His word to your life.
Yahusha’s First Works
Making Disciples
In both Matthew and Mark in the very next verse, after Yahusha begins to preach, He calls His first four disciples. The books of Luke and John speak less about the early days of His ministry.
I believe this is a significant part of ‘THIS GOSPEL’ that we should not overlook. It is the very purpose of the gospel. The apostle Paul writes Rom 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Messiah: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Every believer is called to be a disciple of Yahusha. In my post titled True Disciples, I cover this in detail. Teaching the meaning and the cost of being a disciple of Yahusha would revolutionize the modern Church. It is a large part of the reason almost no one walks in both the fruit and power of the Holy Spirit.
Calling people to become disciples of Yahusha is preaching THIS GOSPEL because it is what Yahusha did. It is central to preaching His gospel.
In my post titled My Father’s House I make the case that if we followed Yahusha’s example in teaching, preaching, and making disciples it would only take 13 to 14 years to make disciples of every man, woman, and child on the earth. (I know that God adds to the church daily, such as should be saved. I am just using simple math to show the efficiency of the way Yahusha does things compared to our way.)
Being a disciple of Yahusha, everything that entails is part of THIS gospel that shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations.
In the days and weeks following the calling of the first four disciples, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are linear chronologically but focus on various events during that time and skip over others. By reading the records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on the days following the calling of the first four disciples you see that Yahusha’s gospel is composed of teaching about the Kingdom of God and setting people free from the works of the devil, i.e. sickness, disease, demonic possession, mental illnesses, and working of miracles as in turning the water to wine. This is the gospel that Yahusha refers to when He says: “and THIS GOSPEL of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations“.
The following days according to Matthew – Words and Works
Mat 4:23 And Yahusha went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Mat 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
Mat 4:25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
The following days according to Mark – Words and Works
Mrk 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
Mrk 1:22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
Mrk 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
Mrk 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mrk 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
Mrk 1:26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
Mrk 1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
Mrk 1:28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
The following days according to Luke – Words and Works
Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Luk 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
Luk 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Luk 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
Luk 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
The following days according to John – Words and Works
Jhn 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Jhn 2:2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
Jhn 2:3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Jhn 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Jhn 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Jhn 2:6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Jhn 2:7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
Jhn 2:8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
Jhn 2:9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
Jhn 2:10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
Jhn 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Jhn 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
The chronological order of Yahusha’s ministry is a discussion for another day. I can tell you that the popular harmony of the gospels that are in every Bible bookstore are a disaster. His ministry began at His baptism by John the Baptist and between 62 and 63 weeks later He was crucified. He only attended two Passovers, one at the beginning of His ministry, recorded in John chapter 2, and the one in which He was crucified near the end of His ministry. By using that one-year period between the two Passovers you can identify the feast of Shavout and the feast of Tabernacles for which you know the dates. You can also find the date of the feeding of the 5000 right before the feast of Tabernacles which is recorded in all four gospels. With those anchors, you can harmonize the gospels for yourself.
I bring this up because the teaching about Yahusha’s life and ministry is so poorly taught. As disciples, we are to model our life after His. So much of what He taught us is about following Him, obeying his teachings, and living our lives in the way that He showed us with His life.
In churches everywhere you will hear about how Yahusha left everything He had as the Son of God in heaven to become a man like us, born in humble surroundings, grew up in Nazareth a carpenter’s son, etc. But they always stop there. They fail to tell you that when the time came for him to fulfill His Father’s will in this life, Yahusha left everything He had in this world to serve His Father, God. He had a job, a family, a home, possessions, just like you and I. He left everything He had on earth to serve God and when He died on that cross Yahusha was both homeless and penniless. Yahusha left everything in heaven to do the will of His Father and then He left everything he had on Earth to do the same.
If you do not understand the price He paid, you will not understand His teachings about the Kingdom of God.
For example, the pearl of great price.
Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Matthew 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
If you have never taken everything you own and sold it and given it all to the poor, then the above verses will seem to you to be a quaint, but useful comparison. But if you have left everything in this world including all your money and possessions to follow Yahusah Ha Mashiach, then you understand exactly what He is saying.
The First Century believers, those we now call the Church, the Ekkelsia, those whom God called, took Yahusha’s teachings very seriously.
Act 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
Modern-day English-speaking churches teach how God will make you rich, which is quite the opposite of what Yahusha and His disciples taught. This is not surprising because the scriptures foretold of today’s churches.
2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
From such turn away, good advice.
You CANNOT separate God from His power. If the power of God is not being demonstrated in your assembly, it is because He is not there, or no one in your assembly has been taught the truth. The gospel that Yahusha taught was filled with the Works of the Father. Yahusha said of himself, that he could do nothing on his own. It was the Father who was in Him, he did the works.
John 5:19 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 8:28 I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
You CANNOT separate God from His power. If the Father is living in you, then ALL of the power of God is living in you. That is what Yahusha taught.
I am going to teach you the most important principles of walking in the power of God. There are no shortcuts. You cannot skip over the teachings of Yahusha and expect to receive the true riches. The following is how it works. It is about loving and abiding. His words must abide in you and you must abide in Him. You must love Him and keep His commandments, His teachings. If you love Him and keep His commandments, then He will love you and the Father will love you and they both will come and dwell within you. It is about abiding in Him and They will abide in you. Now let’s examine what that really means.
First I will give you the key scriptures then we will go over them together to explain what they mean.
Jhn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
You CANNOT separate God from His power. If both the Father and His Son are abiding in you, then ALL of the power of God is abiding in you.
Jhn 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Jhn 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Jhn 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Jhn 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jhn 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jhn 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Jhn 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Jhn 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be MY DISCIPLES.
Jhn 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Jhn 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
The key word to understand in these scriptures is ABIDING. What does it mean to ABIDE in Yahusha? What does it mean to have His Words ABIDE in you? What does it mean if Yahusha and His Father make their ABODE with you?
The Apostle John defines the word ABIDE for us in First John 2 verse 6.
1John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Yahusha walked out His teachings. He LIVED His teachings, ALL of them. To walk, even as he walked, is to live according to His teachings, all of them, not just the ones you like. That is what it means to be His disciple. Everyone that Yahusha calls is called to be His disciple.
Yahusha never taught anyone to go into all the world and make converts to Christianity. He told his disciples to make disciples. I cover this topic in detail in my post titled True Disciples.
Here is one more scripture about being a disciple:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
To walk as He walked each of us must love Him, love His Father, and love one another. Each of us must keep His commandments just as He kept His Father’s commandments. His teachings are His commandments. Yahusha told us how to live in this world. Yahusha showed us how to live in this world. We must forsake ALL this world has to offer, take up our cross, and follow Him. That is what it means to be His disciple.
Here are a few verses about the cost of discipleship.
Luk 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Jhn 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Jhn 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luk 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Luk 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
Mrk 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Mrk 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Mrk 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Mrk 10:20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
Mrk 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Mrk 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Mrk 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mrk 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Mrk 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mrk 10:26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
Mrk 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
If there is anything or anyone in this world you cannot walk away from for the sake of Yahusha and His gospel, you cannot be His disciple.
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
As I said at the beginning, it is about loving and abiding. If you love your life, you will lose it. If you love the things of this world, the love of the Father is not in you. If the love of the Father is not in you it is because the Father is not in you. If the Father is not in you, you can do nothing.
Now let’s turn it around and say the same thing in a positive way.
It is about loving and abiding. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is the Spirit of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the Gift of God who comes and makes His abode with you.
Without making a long doctrinal argument about the Holy Spirit, let me just bottom-line it for you. Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. The Bible clearly states that the Holy Spirit fathered Yahusha. John the Baptist testified that the fullness of the Spirit of God dwelt in Yahusha. John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. Paul testified the same thing, making it two witnesses. Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And in the next verse Paul went on to say Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Yahusha was given the Holy Spirit without measure, that is the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We are given the Holy Spirit by measure, that is the earnest of the Spirit. Ephesians 1:12-14. That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
That is why when we come together as an assembly, it is not to have 500 people sitting and listening to one person speak as the custom of today’s churches is. It is to use the 500 different gifts of the Holy Spirit to minister and edify one another. Each true disciple of Yahusha has the earnest of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Each true disciple has differing gifts. The purpose of the assembly is to come to the measure and the stature of the fullness of the Messiah. Each person GIVING that spiritual gift that the Holy Spirit is providing to edify the whole body. That is how the church is supposed to function. Everything being done decently and in order. Ephesians 4:12-16 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
You must focus on loving and abiding if you want to walk in the power of God. Take those two topics and meditate on them. As you read the Gospels, focus on learning about loving God and your neighbor from Yahusha’s words and actions. Then read the Gospels again focusing on learning all you can about conducting your personal life from everything Yahusha taught and did and apply it to your life. Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
The more time you spend in prayer the more your prophetic gifts will manifest. Observe how many times Yahusha would separate Himself to pray, sometimes all night. This is when the Father, the Holy Spirit, will speak with you. This is when you learn what the Father wants you to do. The deeper you pursue Him and the deeper you build that relationship, the clearer and more frequently will you hear his voice.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.