The Kingdom vs Religiosity Understanding Religion and the Kingdom of God

By Michael Pope (Hanna)

The Kingdom vs. Religiosity explains the difference between religion and the Kingdom of God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886440997

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Rule of God

Chapter 2: The Kingdom Is Here

Chapter 3: The Glory of God or the Glory of Man

Chapter 4: How to Recognize the Voice of God

Chapter 5: Preparing for a Christian Relationship

Chapter 6: Kingdom Living: Seek First the Kingdom of God

Seek First the Kingdom of God

Chapter 7: Show Yourself Approved

Chapter 8: Guarding Your Soul: How to Win Souls Without Losing Your Own

How to Win Souls Without Losing Your Own

Chapter 9: Religion and Church Theology

Chapter 10: The Bible: Our Way of Life

Our Way of Life

Conclusion

Pope's Legacy: Pictures of Family and Friends

Pictures of Family and Friends

About the Author

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The Kingdom vs Religiosity Understanding Religion and the Kingdom of God

Michael Pope (Hanna)

ISBN 979-8-88644-098-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88644-099-7 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Michael Pope (Hanna)

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Dedication

To my sweet, loving mother, she transitioned September 2011.

We'll meet again, love you!

Acknowledgement

I cannot express enough thanks to my mother for her continued support and encouragement.

She has raised me to choose the right path and make the right decisions.

The man I am today is because of her and I am so proud of it.

Introduction

I'm a spiritual person but not religious. You must have heard someone say this or even said it at some point in your life. But can a person be one without the other? What is the difference between religion and spirituality?

The purpose of this book is to enlighten those who question religion and spirituality. We will examine the meaning of the Kingdom of God using religion and spirituality.

Religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, a personal God or gods, and spirituality is the recognition of a feeling or belief that something exists that is greater than self and that the greater whole that we are part of is cosmic or divine.

Some of our most common religion dates are Christianity AD 30, Islam AD 610, Buddhism 563 BC, Judaism 1,440 BC, and Hinduism 1500 BC. Religion brings confusion, but our Father said he is not the author of confusion (Galatians 1:7).

A person can be spiritual but not religious and vice versa. So what does being spiritual but not religious mean?

A person who is spiritual but not religious self-identifies as a spiritual person but doesn't claim any faith. And a person who is religious has a strong belief in their religion and obeys all its rules. This person is devoted to consistent prayer and public worship and is detailed about their religious practices. Religiosity is the state of being religious.

Looking back over my life, I recall getting into different relationships at the early age of nineteen. I was going to church and living a godly life: no sex, lying, drinking, smoking, and doing drugs, none of that sort. I'm old school, and we were taught not to have sex before marriage. And that's what I did.

At the age of fifteen, the young lady I met was very outgoing and showed respect for herself and me, and we built a good relationship and decided to get married. She was a virgin, and so was I. She was brought up the same way as me. And we were living like the Bible said until we got married and my flesh got busy.

In the first few months of marriage, I became unfaithful and began to commit fornication. I became adulterous (Matthew 19:5). I'm writing this because this may help you to overcome your addiction; we all have one.

Did you know you can go to church and become addicted to the wrong thing? You can become addicted to religion. In fact, I know people who go to church Sunday after Sunday and still live an unrighteous life. I was one of them.

Going to church but not keeping God's laws doesn't make you a kingdom citizen. Jesus never said he was a religious person, but he always talked about the Kingdom of God. You need to stop being religious and become a kingdom citizen. And this book will show you how to do that.

But back to my relationship; you know it's hard when people lose trust in you. Some may feel there's not enough time in the world to even trust again, not only people but also what about God? It's been forty-five years, and I've been proving myself to the mighty King. Lord knows it's been a journey.

We have so many bishops, pastors, prophets, evangelists, and preachers that are not living by God's principles and still preaching, teaching, and leading God's flock and passing bad spirits around. Please stop, and get in God's Kingdom. That's the only way you will please God and not by religion. Stop crucifying Christ again.

No matter what stage you are in life, you can make adjustments that will help you fulfill your purpose. This book will open your eyes to the things you do that break God's principles.

It will provide answers to questions such as these:

What is the difference between religion and spirituality?

Am I seeking the glory of God or the glory of man?

How can I recognize the voice of God?

What can I do to enjoy a good kingdom relationship?

How can I seek first the Kingdom of God?

In what ways can I win souls without losing my own?

What can I do to make the church's mission more effective?

By the time you finish reading this book, you will have transformed into the fiery preacher of God's Kingdom who overcomes the enemy by the blood of the Lamb.

Chapter 1

The Rule of God

Where does God rule? Most people would say the heavens and the earth. Read Psalms 113. God made the heavens for himself and the earth for man to rule. When we use the word rule, it means to have authority over. It means to have power, dominion, and a domain or territory.

So God rules from his throne in heaven, but remember, he owns everything and everybody: things on earth and in heaven. You may own your home, but do you rule it? Sometimes, we don't understand lordship.

When you pay off your house, it becomes your property. You pay taxes now but make no monthly payment because the bank