Four Keys of the Kingdom: How Israel, Identity, Intimacy, and Industry Come Together for Living a Kingdom Life

By Jedediah and Tiffany Drenth

Believing Jesus as our Lord and Savior is a decision that happens in a moment. One moment our soul was destined to be separated from God along with all good things forever. Then with one decision, we are launched into a destiny of being loved for eternity. While the decision occurs in a moment, our life of faith is a process. Some transformations are more instantaneous than others, but all believers in Jesus grow and mature as we continually learn who God is and who we are as His new creations. We have had several transformational moments in our own lives where the new revelation we received, and the fruit of freedom it bore in our life, was so delicious that we almost questioned if we were truly saved before that moment. The truth is that we were, but God was taking us to a new level of His glory.

This book is a quick overview of four topics that have profoundly impacted us in deepening our relationship with our good God. As you read this, you will first get a look at the nation of Israel. Understanding Israel will better your understanding of God's loving history with humanity. Understanding God's loving history with humanity will set you up to understand your own identity as His adopted son or daughter. As your identity is revealed, you will then have a grid to explore what intimacy with God looks like and how it can transform your life. This transformation will propel you to live out God's purpose and industry for your life in His kingdom.

As you read this, we hope that you will truly come alive in the fullness of all that God has for you and that He will lead you from glory to glory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890431431

Book preview

cover.jpg

Four Keys of the Kingdom

How Israel, Identity, Intimacy, and Industry Come Together for Living a Kingdom Life

Jedediah and Tiffany Drenth

ISBN 979-8-89043-142-4 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89043-143-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Jedediah and Tiffany Drenth

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.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Israel

Identity

Intimacy

Industry

Concluding Thoughts

About the Authors

Introduction

This book is for all the faithful ones in Jesus, who although they study the Bible, seek holiness, and desire new life, still feel bound by the shackles of past mistakes, present problems, and future fears. It is also for new believers in Jesus and for those curious about Jesus. No matter what category you identify with, our goal is to lead you in discovering how in Jesus, there really is new life available to you. Far too often, our Christian lives are bound by small thinking, weak faith, and low expectancy. Frustration often follows when things don't turn out right, and we turn against God in our disappointment. The truths in this book will probably offend you. They offended us when we first began to learn and apply them in our own lives. However, if you're willing to push past the offense, you will find that the Lord has freedom, peace, and abundant life for you on the other side. The things that have held you back will lose their grip and you will be free indeed!

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:36 NLT)

The Bible teaches us that Jesus loves everyone, and He desires that all would be saved and set free. The phrase Jesus loves you is more than a kitschy slogan on a church sign. It's the beginning and end of who you are and where you are going.

When Jesus stated that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,¹ He wasn't just blowing smoke! He was announcing that His kingdom's culture was about to impact the earth like never before. It did, and this book is an invitation for you to rethink what it means to live in His kingdom's culture. You will find that you are connected to a far greater story than your circumstances might indicate and that you are connected to an ancient love story which began in the Garden of Eden and is still playing out in front of you. This story sets the stage for your redemption. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He prayed, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.² In this prayer, Jesus indicates how God's desire is that His will and His way of living would manifest itself on earth. We call this will and way of living the kingdom of heaven. God's way of accomplishing this is through us. Our task is then to live our lives on earth in such a way that the culture of heaven manifests itself on the earth through us. This is our goal. We have discovered that unlocking a kingdom of heaven lifestyle, or a kingdom life as we call it, begins by understanding where we came from. To properly understand where we came from, we must learn the significance of Israel, the truth of our God-given identities, the beauty of intimacy with God, and the impact of industry.

Israel

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

—Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)

The Good News

Christians talk about the good news of the Gospel, but if the majority of people were honest, it hasn't felt like good news at all. It has felt like a list of rules. It has felt like a disappointment. This is because their experience with God hasn't lived up to their expectations. For others, it has looked like a lot of pain inflicted by the