#307 Kingdom: A New Vision Arising

There seems to be an elevation of reports from around the world of a revolution within the gospel circles. Sometimes it is just an echo but now it seems to be the original sounds from the throne of God. From this we estimate there is a new day dawning. We are listening to the whisper from the hearts of true seeker after God and the Holy Spirit is breathing out a specific word for the advancing church. {which is NOT the visible church}!

It is obvious that the old foundations are shaking and old systems are crumbling and the status quo no longer satisfies. If we stay at this place in God’s restoration, the church will only deteriorate further into the quicksand of selfishness and self-centeredness. This is NOT the result of global warming but a cold church seeking after temporal and carnal things. Even the foundations of the church are corrupted and decaying and what was once a commandment by God to the believer has now become an option, even for the ministries.

What we need is not a new revival but a complete rectification of the whole philosophy of the church to reverse the humanistic philosophy that has invaded the church. A complete revolution in the message, in the viewpoint, in the experience and in the vision of the church that will support the transition into the next restoration of God. The church has fallen below the possibility of repair and the best plan is to root up, pluck up, tear down and destroy this sand beach that the church has used as its foundations. Building again on the sand of this earth is another long delay in the bringing to the church the reality of God’s Eternal Purpose. Hearing his words and doing them is the ONLY rock solid foundation that God will accept for the church that He is building.

It seems that quite a few men who are looking at the overview of the scriptures are beginning to sound the alarm on God’s holy mountain and declaring the gospel of the Kingdom of God [OR the Divine Order of Heaven] where the attributes of God are transferred to earth through the people who meet His standards of government.

As we examine the adds in Christian magazines for the Deeper Life Conferences, or whatever emphasis is currently appealing, it is obvious that they are still promoting a man centered blessing that can be obtained for man by attending these meetings. The goal is for man to receive something profound that will at last satisfy his inner longing for more. More name, more fame, a bigger ministry, greater blessing, more prosperity, greater favor with God and a higher position in the church. If you just attend three seminars we will bestow on you an honorary doctor’s degree and a certificate to hang on your wall. God really wants to bless you until you are entirely happy and satisfied.

Where did this corrupt gospel come from? It is not the wisdom from above! How do I know that? Because it ignores the whole purpose for which God created man in the first place. It ignores what God purposed for Himself before the world was and the very reason that God restored the earth from the darkness of water and set man once again in His Eternal Purpose. If the former earth was destroyed by water because those beings didn’t meet God’s need how shall we escape if we remain in this lukewarm and apathetic state where man has made himself the center of the universe and the object of all God’s attention.

The gospel that Paul preached expected men to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel but the gospel today has deteriorated to now we invite people to come for the laying on of hands so we can get over suffering and enjoy the blessings. Now one approaches God to get, to fill his pockets and receive blessing rather than be commissioned to give and live a life of obedience.

The church, because of the blindness of the ministries, has developed a Christian philosophy that is attached to the wisdom from below.

[philo= love and sophia= wisdom.] Philosophy = the love of wisdom. There is a wisdom from below and there is a wisdom from above. Both are a philosophy but one is from man and the earth and the other is the Divine Philosophy of God. Doxa= Glory but there is a glory of man and there is the Glory of God which are diametrically opposite to each other. If we translated “doxa” as “a rectification” or to set in divine order it explains a process of change rather than something imparted from one to another. To seek for “the glory of God” is to seek for the divine change where we are transformed from what we are into what He is. Unfortunately the church has been uninformed of this necessity to prepare man to take his place in God’s Divine Plan for Eternity.

The “power of God” has been taught as an objective thing that falls upon us by the anointing or a transference from one person to another rather than that inner power of resurrection into the incorruptible life {Zoe}! One is not wrong and the other right but one is too shallow for the church of the next dimension. There is one light in the Outer Court and another and totally different light in the Holy Place. One is not wrong and the other right but the light of the Outer Court is much too shallow for the church of this next restoration. Even though the grace in the Outer Court may seem permissive and the grace of the Holy Place is very demanding, it is the same grace in an elevated dimensions. Permissive grace is too shallow for the church of the next restoration. This “progressive grace” becomes more and more demanding and restrictive. This is NOT good news to the “permissive grace” people but this IS the grace of the Kingdom that “DEMANDS” and then supplies the provision to obey.

The question presented to all those who have been commissioned to preach in this time of transition is this; How can we reverse this humanistic philosophy that is ruining the church even in the Outer Court dimension? How can we refute the man centered gospel [Christian humanism] and introduce the God centered gospel of the Kingdom of God? We must acknowledge that the Divine Philosophy [wisdom from above] has been fulfilled in a measure in past church history during the Outer Court restoration. The question we are pondering now is will there be, in the near future, an “inner revolution” within the God centered church that will be sufficient to carry the restoration of the Kingdom into the next phases of church history? Every restoration truth lost its power very quickly among those who had restored the last truth. When the “restored truth” just became a doctrine rather than an experience, the practical reality was lost.

Still, the truth established by the last restoration became part of the next restoration truth that followed it. However, it was carried on by a new generation of Kingdom seekers. Now, this next restoration is of another league and of a higher dimension than the last restoration. It will be very difficult to compare this current restoration with any of the past restorations because of the radical difference of light between the Outer Court and the Holy Place illumination which is 100% Spirit.

Is there anything in past church history that we can compare with that light? No! Why? Because it is of another realm and of a higher and more demanding government than any before it over the past 500 years. This presents to us a tremendous challenge if we are to be among the pioneers of this restoration. As in all past restorations there is a “Veil of Truth” here once again that we must be the first to penetrate personally before we can demonstrate this dimension to this next generation. Pointing with our finger to the restoration is not acceptable because God is calling a corporate group to demonstrate the “Kingdom Restoration” in a visible life. This is not a restoration in word only but in the power and demonstration of the next spiritual dimension. That is the Lampstand dimension. This is not power to knock people down but the power of an indestructible Life demonstrated within the priesthood message of the Kingdom.

Over past centuries scientists have accepted certain theories as indisputable facts but when the real truth was revealed all the theories and writings of past centuries had to be set aside or be adjusted by the truth that was then revealed. All knowledgeable people accepted that the sun rotated around the earth and the earth was the center of the universe. When Galileo discovered the earth was NOT the center around which everything rotated there was a revolution in the scientific community. It took many years for the church to accept that which was abundantly clear to everyone else.

In a similar way the church community has accepted that man was the center of the universe and God revolved around man and just existed to meet all of man’s needs and to bless man. That man was essentially created to give God something to do. Now God focuses ALL his attention upon His children, seeking for new ways to bless and prosper them. This has created a “What is in it for me” attitude. If it doesn’t benefit ME I am not interested.

This false center that was created for man, and by unenlightened men, is the result of teaching scripture but without the divine perspective of what God purposed BEFORE the foundation of the world. It also ignores the Kingdom of Heaven as God’s prototype for His Kingdom upon this earth. It ignores what God purposed for Himself within the creation. This “purpose” predates the restoration of the earth, it predates the creation of man and it predates the fall of man in Genesis 3. In other words “His Purpose” predates ANY of the problems encountered by man through rebellion, iniquity and sin. Man’s fallen condition does not alter God’s Eternal Purpose. Still, man’s fallen condition must be reconciled so we can fulfill God’s Purpose but God’s Purpose is the predominate motivation for the recovery and NOT man’s need or his blessing.

It is easy to evaluate the modern gospel because it is man centered and therefore humanistic in its content. The “gospel of prosperity” is man centered and therefore humanistic in its content. Humanism begins with man and ends with man and since man IS the focus God must exist to provide for and to bless man. This has developed into a Christian welfare mentality where God provides everything and I have no responsibility to do anything.

The greatest objection to this Gospel of the Kingdom is that now Jesus is the center of the universe and everything revolves around Him whom God has made King. Man is dethroned by this gospel and now God does not exist just to serve man but man exists to take his place under God’s Government and to serve Him.

Dan 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. [14] “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

In this “gospel of salvation” God saves man from hell and serving God is optional. In this “gospel” we have been bought with a price (the precious blood of Jesus) but we are still our own and we can do as we please. We have obtained our freedom in Christ and are free from all obligations. Our purpose is just to be blest and enjoy our salvation. We are free now to demand our rights as the “King’s Kids” and get our share of all the gold, all the silver and the cattle on a thousand hills. Remember, WE are royalty because we believe in Jesus. This is raw humanism.

When we teach the Kingdom Government of God from a throne perspective of His absolute sovereignty, ALL the imperatives, commands and demands of scriptures are seen from the eternal perspective. They are recognized as the proclamations of the King and Not as suggestions by a Savior.

Once His Throne is recognized, the error of developing and using “faith” to get God to do what we want Him to do and insist that He hear and answer prayer will be seen in its true light as humanistic and man centered. It appears that “modern faith” is a tool man uses to get God to do man’s will but this “faith” is generally ignored by God.

My point is this: The church cannot advance into the next dimension of illumination until God’s ultimate and absolute viewpoint is fully embraced. This IS the viewpoint of the Seven Spirits of God which are the Seven Flames of Fire which are the Seven Eyes of the Lord. This “viewpoint” is obtained during the full sacrifice of the Consecration Offering. If there has been no change of viewpoint there is, most likely, an incomplete Consecration Offering.

Until man has been “rectified” from a selfish, self-centered and self-exalting attitude there can be NO Holy Place Life and Ministry. This is what I am calling “The Divine Philosophy of Life.”

Starting with man and his need will nearly always end up in some form of humanism. Starting with God and His need and purpose will eventually end up in the Kingdom of God.

In our pastor’s meetings we have been speculating and wondering if once the Kingdom Government of God gets established in a small corporate group if that will trigger a chain reaction similar to what was seen in the early church, the Pentecostal and Charismatic restorations.

A question that I am asking myself and in some meetings if we really believe that we will come to the maturity determined by God for each of His sons. This question has been met with a certain amount of shock because most believers don’t think in those terms. Some just assumed that maturity just happens or comes automatically with time and faithfulness in the church.

It is for this reason that we sometimes need to change the terms we use in order to obtain the attention necessary for spiritual change. For example; If we ask if we have faith to reach “Kingdom Maturity” the context of maturity changes from man’s evaluation to God’s evaluation of maturity. If we use “Kingdom Maturity” to define “growing up in all things into Christ, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” it sets maturity in another dimension. That defines the goal and takes maturity out of the abstract qualities set by men and relates maturity to the Kingdom of God.

Some who have never seen the panoramic view of God’s purpose from Genesis to revelation will find “a verse” and insist that I am already perfect in Christ and am now complete in Him. I enjoy full maturity because He is mature and is now on the throne of heaven and I am in Him, therefore, I also am on the throne in heaven and there is nothing more to do except wait for Jesus to return and give me my rewards for believing in Him. If I am now raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places there can be no more to accomplish. This Kingdom stuff is just more false doctrine.

This reaction to the Gospel of the Kingdom can be a very distressing thing for those who have some insight into eternity and God’s Eternal Kingdom. This is discouraging for those who understand God’s desire to have full grown and mature sons who can faithfully function within the eternal Government of God and rule with Christ over all the works of God’s hands. This false concept of God’s desire for His sons is depressing for those who see “Christian maturity” as an ongoing problem for every ministry in every assembly. This lack of maturity is seen in both the pulpit and in the pew.

The actual Kingdom Government is not a theological term written upon our minds but is a dimension of eternity birthed within us. It involves some travail and groaning as God prepares our “soil” for His eternal seed. The Kingdom is not a conclusion that we arrive at through teaching and persuasion or that we agree with intellectually. It seems to begin as a fertile conception within and then it requires a gestation period and then the labor pains begin leading to birth and personal reality. Still, the Kingdom is in its infancy stage within us and requires God’s discipline, correction and inner rectification before there are real Kingdom manifestations.

It is for this reason that the ministries that are propagating this message must develop tremendous patience to wait for the Kingdom to be manifest. While we use natural seed as a picture and type of the sowing of the Word of the Kingdom, along with the sprouting and growth, this “seed” is quite different. Natural seed grows quietly in the hidden recesses of the natural earth. This Kingdom Seed is sowed in this dust we call our person but since it comes into us as leaven it soon spreads until is encompasses all three measures of body, soul and spirit. Since this Kingdom involves violence we enter into some obscure realm of violence within as God begins to remove all aspects of our life and self-government that is not compatible with His government within us. As the seed grows more violence erupts within us and this “violence” seems to take us by force.

The more we surrender, the less violence is necessary to eradicate the other kings and their kingdoms. Don’t listen to the voice that says there are no contrary kings or kingdoms within us. Canaan had 7 nations and 31 kings within it when Israel entered to establish God’s government in Canaan. All had to be utterly destroyed because in God’s Kingdom there can only be one King. Canaan is a picture for us of this violence because there is NO quiet and peaceful transition from one form of government to another.

The independence of self-government requires violence to remove it so once we set our hand to the plow we must not look back. We should quickly embrace the violence and surrender to it. Peaceful coexistence is not possible between self-government and the Kingdom Government of God. We can’t be co-rulers in this body [like Adam] because God is preparing us to be co-rulers in the eternity to come. However, all ruling is still under His sovereignty.

The church is faced with many “important issues” today that the church ministries must deal with but these are all superficial and irrelevant without first dealing with this primary issue of the Kingdom Government of God. Until the Kingdom Government of God becomes a reality and experience within the church all other issues can only be solved temporarily. Some of these “important issues” have surfaced, been solved, and then resurfaced every year over the past centuries. One of these things is “doctrinal purity” but doctrinal purity is irrelevant outside the Kingdom of God which has its own “doctrinal purity” that many times is in conflict with ours. Jesus’ idea is to seek FIRST the Kingdom because “doctrinal purity” is an attribute of the Kingdom and not the invention of man.

I was reading on the web a little of Tolstoy’s book on the Kingdom that was written in 1895. He was the Russian that wrote War and Peace. He begins with Matthew concerning non-resistance and develops several chapters around that theme. He takes a “non-conformist position” and mentions the Mennonites, the Hutterites, and Quakers as examples. These non-conformists to the world system have now “conformed to a church system” that has become irrelevant in reaching the world with the gospel of the Kingdom. We develop “doctrinal purity” that is irrelevant outside the Kingdom Government of God.

There have been many restored truths within the church over that last few hundred years. Each restored truth has added a balance to previously restored truths and given a further depth of understanding of that previously restored truth. We could call this the “Biblical Recovery of Historic Truth” that was once delivered to the saints. Recovery means that “truth”has been lost that was and is still true. Lost truth is no longer valuable or available to the present church as it once was. Only recovered truth is relevant but not if it is just doctrine. Recovered truth, that is our actual experience, is of great value in any dispensation. Every recovered truth over the last 500 years has been effective in adding to the church a measure of maturity and understanding. However, each restored truth was only one more step in the recovery of the truth once delivered to the saints. NO restored truth was designed to harm the church or cause it to stumble as some seem to think. God does not recover truth to harm the body of Christ but to develop it to conform to his eternal purpose.

In this aspect we probably shouldn’t speak about the Kingdom of God as restored truth or recovered truth because it has never been lost. Some saints have conformed their lives to the Kingdom in every generation. These will be part of the bride company prepared for Jesus to receive unto Himself. Still, a recovery of the true experience of the Kingdom in this generation is so fundamental and essential that it becomes the priority of the church that He is building in every generation.

Those who are outside the Kingdom will also be outside the church that He is building! That church will be His body and the fulness of Him who fills all in all. To speak of the “body of Christ”as something outside His Kingdom Government is a little ridiculous. If the Head IS THE GOVERNMENT how can the body be outside the Kingdom? If this simple fact is understood it is clear that this must become the first priority of any true ministry.

If we could be brutally clear we could say that those believers who are outside the Kingdom are also outside the church that He is building. Those outside the Kingdom will certainly be misfits in His body that is the fullness of God. “Members” who are outside His government cannot function under the Head that IS the Kingdom Government of God..

It appears that trying to build more imaginary or make believe churches is a waste of time if it is really true that only Kingdom Churches are recognized by God as authentic churches that can use His name.

If the manifested sons of God gather in Kingdom Churches to participate in the King / Priest ministry after the order of Melchizedek and minister to God in the Holy Place and burn Incense and ingest the Showbread and daily present themselves to God as His bondservants and be illuminated by the Lampstand, there should be some evidence of that. The evidence should not be in word only but in power and in the demonstration of the Spirit and be visible to others as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Mat 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.

The fruit of the Kingdom is the visible evidence of the inward Kingdom. Until that Kingdom seed is received and grown there can be no Kingdom fruit seen. It is the shame of the ministries that everything has been promoted and preached EXCEPT the gospel of the Kingdom. What has been preached has no Kingdom seed in it because it has been man centered.

Mark 8:33] But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Where did this man centered gospel originate? With Satan! Setting our mind upon man’s interest rather than God’s interest is the basis of “Christian Humanism.” When the emphasis is upon man and his benefit, the Kingdom of God suffers violence or a direct attack and opposition. When man is exalted, the Kingdom is ineffective. When the King and the Kingdom is exalted the natural man and his interests are defeated.