When Kingdoms Invade and Expand

Throughout history, we can see evidence of kingdoms and how they expanded. The Spaniards conquered much of what is now Central and South America. Yes, they had superior armies and weaponry as well as strategies. They not only beat their opponents but change everything about the land they conquered. They changed the culture. Over many centuries, the area was controlled and influenced by native culture and religion. Once the Spaniards took control, everything changed and became Spanish. The language was changed, the religion was changed, and the currency changed. Why? They understood colonization. The British also were very good at this. Native religions and customs were transformed into catholicism. Today, the vast majority of the population of these countries is catholic.
What happened?
They influenced the culture and advanced the kingdom of Spain. That is the goal for every kingdom. Explore, expand, and enlarge the kingdom. Expanding the reach of the kingdom is what every believer must consider.
In Genesis 1, the Lord said to go forth and multiply, replenish the earth and have dominion. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Amen.
Now this makes it pretty clear what our assignment is and has been from the very beginning. Go out and expand the Kingdom of God.

Israel and the big mistakes.

The original plan for Israel was to have Kingdom and Jehovah God would be their King. The government was to be set up just as the Kingdom of heaven and go by those laws. That being said, it didn’t take long for them to get off track.

When Israel left Egypt, they didn’t go empty handed. In Exodus 3, the bible says that none were sick, they weren’t poor, they took all the riches with them, their clothes were not rags and lasted for 40 years. When they went to the desert, the Lord fed them, shaded them, protected them and they lacked nothing physically.

The issue was the fact that they had come out of Egypt, but Egypt hadn’t come out of them. They were still operating in that slave, government mentality. So, when things got hard they would revert back to their old way of thinking. It was easier to be a slave than to be free. They would complain and not trust the true God.

As time went on they got to the Promised Land and two generations did not make it. Why?
They wouldn’t listen to and obey God. They would only go about halfway with His orders.

Joshua took over for Moses at the end of this long journey that should have taken about two weeks. Even though they made it in, they still didn’t obey. In the book of Joshua, you see that they were told specifically where to go, who to conquer and what to do with them. As they were given their inheritance, the lands they would own forever, they were told to destroy the enemy. They would go in and take the land, then they allowed many enemies stay and dwell among them. Because of their disobedience, they walked under the curse. Looking back from a historical point of view, you can see that they would be in much better shape today if they had been obedient back then.

Our covenant with God.
Fast forward now to the new covenant that we have in and through Christ, the Anointed One. Jesus came and preached the gospel of the Kingdom. He did not preach the plan of salvation. Yes, He did tell us to repent, turn around, change our thinking, and live a life without sin. He told the disciples to go out into all the earth and preach the Kingdom and baptize in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.