Any good business contract spells out the jurisdiction that controls it - the law that will be applied. Usually, it is the law where the contract is exercised, or the law where the parties live or work. The contract grants jurisdiction to that law and its courts. However, it COULD be otherwise. Two parties, contracting, living and working in Montana, COULD grant jurisdiction to French law, or Nigerian law, or any other law, as long as they both agreed.
Many contracts completely remove jurisdiction from the local law and courts and grant jurisdiction to private arbitrators. This is called an arbitration clause. (see here)
You and I are free to grant jurisdiction over our lives to Yahweh's Kingdom and His laws. This is the ONLY thing He asks of us. His requirement is that we first become citizens. That is obtained by (re)birth.
If we don't grant jurisdiction to Yahweh's Kingdom, the kingdoms of man will assume ALL jurisdiction over us, by default. The "state" makes laws and assumes control over EVERY aspect of the lives of its citizens. It doesn't matter whether that state is the United States or Canada or Mexico or Cuba. It will attempt to assume COMPLETE jurisdiction over ALL its citizens and residents. EVERY state on earth is part of Satan's state of Babylon.
Godless men make imaginary lines on the earth that can ONLY be seen on paper (maps). Then they claim all power within those imaginary lines (or at least as much power as the people allow). The amount of this power varies from place to place. Some people are very complacent. Some rulers are very forceful. The balance between the people and the rulers determines the amount of power assumed and exercised.
In all cases, jurisdiction is required.
The apostles understood this. They gave jurisdiction over their lives to Yahushua and followed His law (this is called living in the Kingdom of Yahweh). The local rulers hated this and hated these men they couldn't control. The apostles were NOT killed for what they believed, they were killed because of the way they acted - spreading treason and revolution. No one can see what you believe, they can only see what you do. Yahweh's law conflicted with local law. There was no question which law (jurisdiction) they chose on penalty of death.
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey Yahweh rather than men.
Most of us today just want to get along. We want to obey man's law either because of fear of consequences or because there happens to be, in some instances, no conflict with Yahweh's law.
Man's law says "do not steal". Yahweh has the same law. It's easy to obey Yahweh's law when it is the same as Babylon's law. It's only when the laws are opposite that it becomes a visible issue.
On the other hand, Yahweh looks at the heart. He knows, even when the laws are the same, whether you and I are obeying man's law or His law. Follow (obey) man's law and you are living in Babylon. Follow Yahweh's law and you are in the Kingdom of Yahweh.
When the two laws are the same, the act of obedience will APPEAR the same. But it will not be the same, spiritually. You cannot serve two masters. Which master is being served when you fail to steal? Babylon? or Yahweh's Kingdom? You know, and Yahweh knows. No one else can tell. This is why the Kingdom of Yahweh cannot be seen. It is in Spirit, not in flesh.
Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve Yahweh and mammon.
Do you love Yahushua or the state?
Do you despise Yahushua or the state?
The "state" is the government of men, headed by Satan. It is the local, city, state and national governments.
Most people today love and worship the state. They trust (have faith in) the state. They vote, pay taxes, discuss (argue) politics, defend the state physically and morally, count themselves as citizens and hold membership in state churches (churches incorporated by/within the state). They support the state (Yahweh's enemy) by believing in its legitimacy, power and goodness. They obey its laws. If this is true, they are despising Yahushua.
Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
If we leave Babylon we will despise earthly government and instead, serve Yahushua the King. When enough people abandon the local state and enter the Kingdom of Yahweh, the local state will collapse, just as the Soviet Union collapsed. Not by war, but by obsolescence.
Joshua 24:15
...choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.
If we choose to serve Yahushua we have entered into the Kingdom of Yahweh. This is the Gospel of Yahushua.
