Pastor Dmitriy Leo reveals the laws, characteristics, and spheres of influence of three parallel kingdoms—the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of darkness, and the kingdoms of the world. You will learn exactly how each kingdom wages war and what forces it uses. The school was held at Father’s Blessing Church.
Characteristics of the Three Kingdoms
Three kingdoms coexist on earth in parallel. There is a constant battle among these three kingdoms.
1. The Kingdom of God – continues to come and be established on earth and expands through people who receive Jesus as Lord and join the Church.
- Jesus rules this Kingdom.
- The Church – are His kings and priests, carrying the Good News to people, expanding the Kingdom of God, and waging war against the kingdom of darkness.
2. The kingdoms of the world – live by their own rules—proud, sinful, and destroying themselves and others. These kingdoms fight against everyone and everything – against both good and evil.
- Earthly kings (presidents) rule these kingdoms and have authority over specific territories.
- The people living in each country’s territory are the “asset” from which that country is made up.
3. The kingdom of darkness – the devil, fallen angels, and demons. They already know about their defeat and destruction, but since they still have time on earth, they continue to do evil.
- The devil rules this kingdom, and his authority extends only over those who have taken the side of darkness.
- His servants – are fallen angels, demons, and people devoted to the devil.
The main conflict is between two spiritual kingdoms over the kingdom of this world. Human souls – are the reason for this conflict.
Each of the three kingdoms operates according to specific rules and laws, whose boundaries and spheres of authority differ.
The Kingdoms of This World
Laws and Decrees
These kingdoms live according to the laws and rules they have established, which differ from one another. The authority of each kingdom is different and extends within its territorial boundaries.
This means that only the laws of the state in which a Christian lives apply to that Christian. A Christian must either obey the laws of the country or move elsewhere.
Sometimes Christians’ suffering is caused solely by the place where they live, and in such cases it cannot be claimed that God deliberately placed them there to test their faith.
For example, Herod’s decision to kill all the infants was based on his personal fears and ambitions.
Matt. 2:16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was furious, and he sent orders to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and all its vicinity who were two years old or under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.
There was suffering in Bethlehem, but everything was peaceful in the neighboring cities. The same thing happens today.
The righteous are subject to the laws of the place where they are, but this does not mean that they must place their heads under “every guillotine” set up in the city. First and foremost, a Christian must fulfill God’s will and complete his ministry.
That is why the righteous did not always go to their deaths and, in certain cases, avoided danger.
2 Cor. 11:32–33 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept watch over the city of Damascus in order to seize me; but I (Paul) was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
Acts 19:30–31 When Paul wanted to enter the crowd, the disciples would not let him. Some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, also sent word to him and urged him not to appear at the theater.
In some cases, we will have to take care of our safety and simply move to another place.
Matt. 10:23 When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Luke 10:10–12 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: the Kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
Thus, when a Christian is in the territory of a particular state or city, he is subject to its laws. If those laws are violated, the authorities have the power to punish the Christian in accordance with them. Spiritually, Christians submit to the Lord, but in the state they are obliged to submit to earthly authorities.
If a particular law or decree involves a Christian in sin, the Christian must not obey it. First and foremost, we must obey God (the higher authority), and then man (earthly authority).
What will happen if a Christian does not obey a particular law or decree?
1. The Christian must be prepared to face resistance or punishment for this.
Dan. 3:15 Now, if you are ready, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, zither, lyre, harp, symphony, and every kind of musical instrument, fall down and worship the image I have made; but if you do not worship, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace, and then what god will rescue you from my hand? 18… Let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Rev. 13:16 And he (the beast) causes everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless they have the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of its name.
2. If danger threatens, a Christian may change their place of residence and live where the laws are acceptable to them. A Christian has the right, like anyone else, to choose a place of residence where they will be better off. However, they must first receive revelation and permission from God for such a move.
Matt. 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, (Joseph) was afraid to go there; and having received a revelation in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee.
Rev. 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her (the city of Babylon), My people, so that you will not participate in her sins or suffer any of her plagues.”
The Ideology and Propaganda of the Kingdoms of the World
A Christian must be vigilant and do everything possible not to come under the influence of the ideology, customs, and propaganda of the country in which they live. God is cultivating a heavenly “culture” in us, through which WE must influence the world around us, not the other way around.
The Lord warned His people that we can come under the influence of the country in which we live. Literally, we can LEARN from them to sin.
Ps. 105:35 but mingled with the nations and learned their works;
Deut. 20:16–18 But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive a single soul. Completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they will not teach you to do all the abominations they have done for their gods, and so that you will not sin against the Lord your God.
What has authority over a Christian’s mind?
The Authority of Education
Secular educational institutions retrain people in HOW to live and HOW to think. Education shapes thinking for many years, and sometimes for an entire lifetime. Christians must be very attentive to “who,” “how,” and “what” teaches them.
Philosophy and religious studies are taught in all institutions of higher education as part of the state program to “drive out” everything spiritual from the minds of the country’s future leaders. Educational authority “breaks” people’s thinking and forces them to think only as ideology requires.
Christian students at higher educational institutions and their parents should be very careful regarding such education.
What should be done in such a situation?
1) One can leave such an institution and find another field and another job. God has many places for His children. Parents should support this, remembering the Scriptures.
Prov. 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: even when he is old he will not depart from it
2) We must oppose it with the truth. We need to seriously study the Bible and обязательно lead an active Christian life. By nourishing his spiritual person, a Christian will keep himself spiritually alert and hold fast to the truth.
The Power of Information
The media – television, music, radio, the Internet, and newspapers have power over a Christian’s mind just as they do over a sinner’s mind.
In one study conducted in the United States in the early 1980s, 63% of convicted criminals stated that they had committed a crime by imitating television heroes, while 22% had adopted the “technique of crime” from a television program. Of course, none of us intends to kill people, but the influence of the media on the conscious and subconscious mind has been proven.
There are many laws of “color,” “images,” “neurosimulation,” and so on that are used against people through the media. Previously, these were used only for military and ideological purposes; today, these technologies are used everywhere. Social media use them especially powerfully.
What you see and hear in the media will shape your thinking and even your actions.
Experiments with Subliminal Effects
In a movie theater in New Jersey, an ice cream advertisement appeared on the screen during a film screening. The flashes were very brief, but sufficient to be noticed. As a result, ice cream sales increased sharply. Afterward, successful experiments were also conducted with television viewers.
On Hidden Psychological Influence
To detect “markers” of hidden psychological influence, the Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting developed a special device –, an experimental hidden-insert detector (EHD), capable of continuously scanning the broadcast signal. Even in an ordinary music video—a short and rather pleasant song—the device immediately detected four frames advertising products and one – displaying the address of a pornographic website.
As a consultant from the All-Russian Research Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting explained, the address cannot be consciously remembered, but if viewers later see it somewhere (even on a utility pole), their subconscious mind will be activated –, and the likelihood that they will remember the address the first time will be high.
Of the films screened at the All-Russian Research Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting, many contained “secret frames.” The device detected that one of the films featured a literally parallel narrative. The action took place in the corner of the screen. Similar techniques have already been used in election campaigns.
Briefly, it works as follows. A candidate who needs to be “boosted” is given a halo visible to the eye and subconscious mind (but not to conscious awareness). If antipathy toward a political opponent needs to be provoked, fangs like a vampire’s may be added to him in the 25th frame, or certain frames showing animal carcasses may be displayed in the background.
Technologies for psychologically influencing the human subconscious.
Using modern information-influence technologies, many media outlets encroach on each person’s will. For example, they show a particular yogurt, with all attention focused on the yogurt itself, while a signal stimulating the nervous system is formed in the background or to the side. With repeated exposure, a reflex develops and is ingrained to the point of becoming automatic.
Thus, in a store, when choosing one yogurt or another, if a customer sees the yogurt with the nervous-system “stimulus,” the nervous system responds with arousal and positive motivation, and the customer chooses that particular yogurt.
Conclusions
1. Earthly kingdoms live according to laws and rules established by them, which differ from one another. The authority of each kingdom is different. The laws of the state in which a Christian lives apply to that Christian. A Christian must either obey these laws or move to a place where the conditions for living and serving are better. At the same time, the decision to relocate must be made by God.
2. Earthly kingdoms have the power to influence a Christian’s thinking, choices, and way of life through education, science, progress, ideology, governmental authority, and culture. Education shapes thinking for many years. Christians must be very careful and discern “who,” “how,” and “what” they are being taught.
3. A Christian must be instructed in the truth and walk in the truth so as not to be “leavened” by the ideology of the world or the kingdom of darkness. We must stay watchful and resist false information, or change educational institutions or professions. Christian parents must take responsibility for their children’s alternative spiritual education so that they are not “leavened” and “corrupted” by this world.
4. Media–television, music, radio, the internet, and newspapers have power over a Christian’s mind just as they do over the mind of a sinner. What you see and hear shapes your thinking and influences your actions. A Christian must be aware of the influence worldly media have on them and must discipline themselves and limit their exposure to this flow of information.
End of the second lesson.
Source: Father’s Blessing Church
Author: Dmitriy Leo
