A KING’S LOVE FOR HIS CITIZENS

Acts chapter 1








Today we are walking in: A King’s Love for His Citizens










Joel 2:28


And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit H7307 upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:



SPIRIT




Today we look to the word-SPIRIT- H7307-RUWACH-wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being:—air, anger, blast, breath,





The Torah Testifies……………………….


Genesis 1:2


And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit H7307 of God moved upon the face of the waters.




Genesis 6:3


And the LORD said, My spirit H7307 shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.



Exodus 28:3


And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit H7307 of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.








The Prophets Proclaim……………………….



Isaiah 31:3


Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit H7307. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.



Ezekiel 2:2


And the spirit H7307 entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.




Haggai 1:14


And the LORD stirred up the spirit H7307 of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit H7307 of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit H7307 of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,







The Writings Witness………………………..


Job 10:12


Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit H7307.



Psalm 34:18


The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. H7307



Proverbs 15:4


A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit H7307.









A King’s Love for His Citizens




Love is the nature of the King and his kingdom.


Love’s Voluntary Limitation


To fully understand the nature of the kingdom we have an opportunity to enter, we must see that the King- Son’s motivation for coming to earth was unqualified love for its inhabitants. He loved the people of the world so much that he voluntarily limited himself in significant ways in order to restore them to the kingdom. The Gospels writer John penned one of the best-known statements from the gospel writings: “For Yah so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Love is the nature of the King- Father and the King-Son.


Yahusha is the perfect representation of Yah in human form. He came to show us what Yah is like and to take away our fear of Him, enabling us to call him not only our King, but also our Father again, because we have the same Ruach within us.


The Governor’s Limitation


The King-Son’s voluntary limitation of himself was prompted by the limited way in which the Governor had been able to work with the earth’s inhabitants since the rebellion of humanity. As we noted earlier, the Governor could only come upon people in Old Testament times to do the work of the kingdom in specific instances; he could not work from within them yet. When the Son came to earth as the man Yahusha, the Ruach could now live on earth within his body. Yet the Governor still could not dwell in all of humanity. The King-Father’s plan was for the Governor to eventually be released into all human beings who would receive him through the provision of the King-Son.


The King-Son Limited Himself in order to Become Unlimited


Yahusha’ teachings were filled with seeming paradoxes that contain great truths. For example, he taught that in order to live eternally, one had to die to oneself; in order to be strong in kingdom power, one had to be weak in oneself. He lived out a paradox by voluntarily limiting himself so that he could become unlimited in the lives of his followers—those who became children of the King and received the Governor within them. Yahusha limited himself in the following ways. He...


√ emptied himself so that we could be full; became poor so that we could be rich.


√ placed himself under the restrictions of a world of space and time so that we could be connected to the eternal kingdom.


√ subjected himself to law so he could free those under it.


√ submitted to physical death so we could have eternal life.


Paul wrote to the kingdom citizens in Philippi that Yahusha,being in the form of Yah, did not consider it robbery to be equal with Yah, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the crucifixion stake.


All the above are demonstrations of the King-Son’s powerful love for the inhabitants of earth. He did these things so that he could send the Governor back to us—and in us—with- out limitations. The Ruach HaQadesh continues the ministry of Yahusha on earth. Yahusha told his disciples,


And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Ruach of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.


Let’s take a closer look at the ways in which the King-Son limited himself for our sakes.


Limited Himself from Glory


In a letter to the followers of Yahusha in Corinth, Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Most High Yahusha Hamachiach, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” The King-Son emptied himself of his heavenly power, glory, and riches to live as a physical, earthly being dependent on the King-Father for everything through the Ruach. Yahusha said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”


When the Son became a man, he temporarily set aside his former glory. Just before his death, Yahusha prayed, “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” Only three of Yahusha’ disciples were given a glimpse of this glory when he was on earth, when he was “transfigured” by the Father for a short time:


Yahusha took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Yahusha. Peter said to Yahusha, “Most High, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”


The effect of this experience on Peter, James, and John was overwhelming. The Son had set aside this magnificent glory to fulfill his mission on earth.


Limited Himself to Time and Space


The eternal King-Son also allowed himself to become restricted by time. He who owns the universe limited himself to a small region on a small planet during an earthly life of thirty-three years, where he could be in only one place at a time. He lived there, died there, rose again there, and even ascended to heaven from there. Eternity allowed itself to be limited within time, so that those in time could be reconnected to the eternal kingdom.


Limited Himself under Law


Paul wrote, “When the time had fully come, Yah sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” The law of Moses and the sacrificial system had been instituted for those who were disconnected from the King. Yahusha had full access to, and total communion with, the heavenly Father; yet he submitted himself to all the requirements of the law so that he could perfectly fulfill them. Then, when we receive his perfect sacrifice on our behalf, we are enabled to obey Yah through the indwelling Ruach HaQadesh. The book of the prophet Ezekiel says,


I will give them an undivided heart and put a new Ruach in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their Yah.


Yahusha also submitted himself to the laws of nature in this physical world. Can you imagine Yah having a tired body? Being thirsty? Hungry? The Yah who created the whole world and all its oceans, lakes, and rivers had to ask someone else for a drink of water. The Yah who made the trees and their ability to bear fruit had to stop to pick fruit to eat. The Yah whom the psalmist said “neither slumbers nor sleeps” had to rest.


In fact, Yahusha was once so tired that he kept sleeping in the middle of a violent storm! He temporarily submitted himself to physical limitations in order to give back dominion power to humanity.


Limited Himself by Death


The Author of life had to look into the eyes of death. He met it face-to-face and submitted to it. Then he conquered it, taking away its sting from humanity. The prophet Isaiah said it pleased the King-Father for the King-Son to suffer and die. Why would it please him to have the Son experience agonizing suffering and death? Again, it is because he didn’t want the earth’s inhabitants to experience spiritual death as a result of their rebellion, and therefore the King-Son willingly died in our place. He allowed himself to be limited in a physical human body, and to be limited by the experience of death, because only another human being could be a viable substitute for humanity. Paul wrote, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yah is eternal life through Yahusha Hamachiach our Most High.” Yahusha had no sin, but he took all our sins on himself, and that is why he—the perfect man, the Second Adam—died.


Yet Yahusha was resurrected, never to be limited by death again. In the same way, when we enter into the kingdom, we receive eternal life, and death can’t keep our bodies in the grave forever. Again, Paul wrote, “By his power Yah raised the Most High from the dead, and he will raise us also.” The Son’s limitation of death brought unlimited life for us! Death has no ultimate claim on us because Yahusha paid the punishment of death for us. As Paul said, “Yah made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of Yah”—so that we could receive eternal life and be in right standing with the kingdom again.


This is another clear difference between the heavenly King and the human leaders we are familiar with. You don’t hear of presidents or prime ministers dying in office for the purpose of freeing their citizens. A leader may be assassinated for standing up for a cause or because of someone’s hatred or insanity. But to choose to die for his citizens? This is unheard of in our experience. Remember the words of the disciple John: “For Yah so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Yahusha compared his sacrifice for humanity to a shepherd laying down his life for his sheep: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” His death was a demonstration of pure love for his people.


The Promise of Unlimited Kingdom Influence


Yahusha’ limiting of himself made possible the return of unlimited kingdom influence on earth. I’ve heard some people say longingly that they wish Yahusha Hamachiach was on earth today. They believe that if he were, and they met him personally, their lives would be different. Perhaps you wish for the same thing. I used to, also. But I’ve come to see that this is a bad wish; it’s not in our best interests. The transformation of our lives is possible because Yahusha is no longer physically on earth.


Why is this so? First, let’s consider the logistics of it. If Yahusha was physically here, and you wanted to visit him, you’d have to pay for the plane fare to Palestine. After you arrived, you’d have to make your way through all the crowds just to try to get near him. And then, you couldn’t expect him to spend all his time with you. Think of the millions or billions of people who would also want to meet with him every day. Even so, we seem to hold on to the idea that Yahusha’ physical presence on earth is what we need. This is because we haven’t realized that the Governor is now available to all people at all times.


Yahusha’ disciples made the same error we do. When the King-Son told his followers he was leaving earth to go back to the King- Father in the heavenly home country, they became depressed. They had become attached to Yahusha’ physical presence in their lives, and they were afraid to lose it. Yet let’s look at Yahusha’ response to this perspective:


Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you....In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.


Yahusha was saying that he had to return to heaven so that he could send the Governor to be with them always. They would not see Yahusha after he went away, but when he sent the Governor from heaven shortly thereafter, they would be indwelled with the Ruach HaQadesh, who would guide them into all truth and remind them of everything Yahusha had said to them.


When the Governor came, he wouldn’t be with them only in a limited way, such as Yahusha had to be when he was ministering to someone else or alone praying to the Father. He would be with them continually, day and night, in all situations. Before, if Yahusha was in Samaria, he couldn’t be in Galilee. If he was in Jerusalem, he couldn’t be in Bethany.


We should be glad that he has returned to heaven because now the kingdom can be all over the world at the same time through the Ruach HaQadesh, who lives in all kingdom citizens. Yahusha assured his disciples, in essence, “My going away is for your good. The Governor is with you now, but he will be in you.” It wasn’t Yahusha’ purpose to physically remain on the earth because this would have stopped the King’s plan of restoration right before its culmination in the return of the Governor.


When Yahusha was arrested and crucified, Lucifer thought he had won the victory over the King that he had been looking for. Actually, he was being set up for total defeat. If Yahusha hadn’t gone to the crucifixion stake and been resurrected, we would still be trapped in rebellion and in the kingdom of darkness. If Yahusha hadn’t returned to the heavenly home country and sent the Governor to fill us, the kingdom of Yah would not have been able to fully return to the earth. Yahusha had said, in effect, “If I go to the crucifixion stake, I will be able to draw all people to me and into the kingdom. I will be able to release billions of people into their original purpose of kingdom rulership and dominion.”


Yahusha limited himself, in the many ways that he did, out of self-sacrificial love and devotion to the estranged children of the King. He made reconciliation and restoration possible for all the inhabitants of the world.


A Priceless Gift for Humanity


We have seen all along that the most important person on earth is the Ruach HaQadesh, the Governor of the heavenly kingdom. He is a priceless gift to humanity, and it delighted the King- Father to restore the Governor to us. Luke the physician recorded Yahusha as saying to his disciples, “If you then, though you are evil [controlled by the kingdom of darkness], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven [Ruler of the kingdom of light] give the Ruach HaQadesh to those who ask him!” He also said, “Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”


In the next teaching, we will see how the Governor returned to earth.