Writings: The Body of Christ

#356 Kingdom: The New Covenant IS IN The Kingdom

The Kingdom Is Incorporated Into The New Covenant

It seems the New Covenant provision for the Christian Life, along with the Kingdom, has been nearly ignored in the modern church systems. The “extraordinary” demands of the Kingdom of God are fulfilled in the true believer by the provisions of the New Covenant. All kinds of “ordinary” programs and methods are touted that have nothing to do with the New Covenant provision that God designed to build the church! Each of these programs and methods are totally incapable of meeting the demands of the Kingdom of God in the New Testament believer.

Very few pastors in any country I have visited can actually quote the New Covenant from memory or even know where to find the various provisions that have been supplied by God for us to meet the demands of the Kingdom.

As God has been restoring the church, starting in 1517 (and some what before) in a few dedicated people, the New Covenant became synonymous with the New Testament. The printed Bible IS the New Covenant to millions of believers. Most enlightened writers from past periods seldom even mentioned the New Covenant and few if any tried to explain it. It has always been assumed that every born again person was automatically a New Covenant person.

Many ministers today, who speak about the New Covenant, have had very little experience with the Holy Spirit, except the initial drawing and maybe conviction of sin. If the leadership have so little experience with the New Covenant it is easily understood why the believers have so little understanding. This ignorance is so widespread now that any mention of the New Covenant or of the Kingdom actually being a Christian experience is viewed as false doctrine.

If solid food is ever going to be served, it should be at the table of the New Covenant and not some “deeper doctrine” served to the spiritually infirm. It is becoming clearer that bringing new believers into the full experience of the New Covenant IS the first principle of the Christian life. If believers do not begin their Christian life as New Covenant believers, the ministries will be forced to serve milk their whole Christian life. After Paul rebuked the Hebrew believers about their lack of spiritual growth he begins to explain the New Covenant provision. We could wish that He was much more clear but since the New Covenant is not an intellectual empowerment, God reserves the unveiling for the spiritually active as we participate in the New Covenant, experientially.

As far as identifying or defining the New Covenant it is not difficult to find the scriptures or to understand their content. However, how to experience these provisions is not so easily understood because the Covenant is not just another doctrine but is a Life.

Since the New Covenant was nothing like the Old Covenant, it functions upon an entirely different basis. The Old Covenant was outward and put demands and requirements upon the natural man and his natural ability which was inherent in his fallen life. The Law of the Old Covenant became useless because it was only outward and could not perfect anyone, or cleanse the inner life of all the “baggage” that came from the first Adam.

It should be quite obvious that the New Covenant must function in an entirely different dimension of man’s person and within his inner life. Since man’s natural inability and corruption was inherent in the heart, or inner man, the New Covenant MUST transform the true believer from within. The New Covenant BEGINS in the inner life and through discipline, change, and growth it is designed to manifest itself in the outer life! Then the outer life becomes a visible testimony of the New Covenant of God that is within the Christian. It is this manifestation of the Covenant which IS visible in the Life of the Kingdom of God.

The primary difference between the Old and New Covenants is a matter of Life. The Old Covenant was an instrument of death; however, the New Covenant is an instrument of Life.

The Old Covenant was outward, written by the Spirit of God upon tablets of stone [stony hearts] and was a covenant of condemnation and death. Even so it came with great glory and with the Presence of God. Nevertheless, the Old Covenant was just a “dead letter” that could NOT impart God’s Life.

The New Covenant is now written inwardly, upon tablets of human hearts, by the Spirit of the Living God, giving and producing Life. The New Covenant is a “letter of life” written upon the inner man. The Laws that are written within man are the Laws of the Kingdom and come with a much greater glory. This “glory” is not upon the outer man but upon the new inner man. The Kingdom then is within man and becomes effective when man can learn to live by its Laws.

The Old Covenant was the “ministry of condemnation” while the New Covenant is the “ministry of righteousness.” Speaking of some kind of natural righteousness outside of the provision of the New Covenant is more confusion.

The Old Covenant produced a veil over the minds of Israel but The New Covenant, in Christ, removes the veil. The Old Covenant left man in his fallen state and doing the very best that he could, in the flesh, to please God. The New Covenant removes the veil over the inner man. This process of removal begins a transformation of the inner man from what he is, into the image of Christ and produces a change from one glory to another glory by the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, the Living Word of God. The Spirit does His transforming work from within each New Covenant person.

Some of this small introduction to the New Covenant is found in 2 Corinthians 3, while many other aspects and provisions of the New Covenant are revealed throughout the New Testament, (Especially in the words of Jesus and the letter to the Hebrews). In this study we will try to remove the veil from small parts of the New Covenant that have been largely ignored.

My supposition is this: There will be NO WAY to participate in the next restoration of the Holy Place life and ministry without participating in ALL the provisions of the New Covenant and the Life of the Spirit. Since the “Life of the Spirit” has become a Pentecostal and Charismatic cliche it is essential that we understand the actual “experience of the New Covenant,” in the “inner life,” rather than trying to function only in outward ministry gifts or some intellectual knowledge.

Even the fundamentalists today are claiming to be “walking in the Spirit,” although the explanation is only academic. This term, “walking in the Spirit,” has become a universal cliche that is claimed by nearly all denominations, regardless of how shallow their experience is with the Holy Spirit. .

It is necessary, therefore, to tabulate some of the scriptures that tell us something about the New Covenant and what God intended to do to totally rebuild man from his helpless state! God must remove the fallen nature from man and transform him into a spiritual person that is finally able to do the will of God and bring joy to God’s heart. This “New Covenant Experience,” in all its various provisions, is absolutely essential for ANYONE who is going to fulfill the purpose of God.

If the Christian, by just remaining a natural man, could have fulfilled the Eternal Purpose of God ,which was firmly established before the foundation of the world, His purpose would have been fulfilled many years ago. If maturity and perfection of the church could be completed by the natural man it seems reasonable to assume that the church has had plenty of time to grow up in all things, into Christ, and become conformed to His image. If the maturity and perfection of the church IS the time table for the coming of the Lord , it is clear that the Lord will not return for a carnal church who is walking in the flesh. There is NO WAY to come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ except by experiencing all the provision of the New Covenant.

Since we don’t want to add to the current hype with these very bold statements, we will try to provide each detail of the New Covenant as clearly as we can ___ with scripture.

Jer 31:31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD , “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Popular opinion says that Jeremiah 31 is only referring to Israel because of the context in which it is given. However, with a little research we can clearly see that the writer of Hebrews applies these scriptures to the church.

Even the content of the New Covenant is clearly for a new and different period of time! However, this certainly includes Israel ___ if they submit to the New Covenant provision. It is because of these shallow remarks, in any number of recognized Bible Commentaries, that the New Covenant is ignored by many “Bible Scholars.” Some seem to believe that Israel rejected the New Covenant, and the Kingdom, therefore the Kingdom has been delayed until the “Millennium.”

Some commentaries say this “New Covenant” will become effective AFTER Israel is back in the land. Of course, these comments were written BEFORE Israel was back in the land. Even the Epistles make it clear that the early church was already functioning under the New Covenant and in his letter to the Corinthians Paul clearly said he had become a minister of the New Covenant.

2Co 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Jesus said that His blood that was poured out for the forgiveness of sins was

the blood of the New Covenant. To imply that the New Covenant will only be effective for Israel during the Millennium is ridiculous.

Heb 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.

Heb 8:10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM UPON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL SHALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

Heb 8:13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Jeremiah was clearly prophesying that the Old Covenant would come to an end and, “after those days” God would make a New Covenant, (a completely different Covenant). Having made the “New,” the “Old” would then disappear.

Since this became a fact at Calvary, when the Blood of the New Covenant was carried into the Holiest in heaven, it should be very clear why it is such an abomination to God to try to go back to following the Old Covenant or trying to mix the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant had a natural priesthood of natural men after the Order of Aaron which was based upon physical requirements and carnal commandments. Now, the New Covenant has a totally different priesthood based upon the power of an indestructible Life. The Old Covenant was based upon “Outward Laws” and the New Covenant is based upon an “Inward Life.” The Old Covenant was based upon following the “letter” while the New Covenant is based upon following the Spirit. These two [letter and Spirit] CANNOT be mixed; therefore, the minister of the New Covenant must minister Spirit and NOT letter IF he is going to minister Life. It would be wonderful if every minister could just minister Life out of his “inner life.” To qualify, the minister MUST participate in the New Covenant BEFORE he can minister Life. In Other words we must become New Covenant “ministers of the Spirit” to be included in the New Covenant Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek.

The Old Covenant had a earthly sanctuary while the New Covenant has a heavenly sanctuary. Even the realms of His earthly dwelling places has changed. Then, when we discover from the scripture that the realm of His Sanctuary is in us, the “heavenly places” takes on new dimensions.

Those who just “minister letter” have not yet made the transition to the New Covenant ministry. We are not bold enough to say they are just ministering “letter” because I include myself in the group that is still ministering information.

Heb 7:15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of Him, “THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Then why was the Old Covenant, with all its Laws, done away with?

Heb 7:18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

The Law, with all its rituals and the death of so many animals, and gallons of their blood being poured out, was not able to perfect anyone so they could actually draw near to God. The “BETTER HOPE” is the New Covenant which gives us access to God!

Heb 7:20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed

became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, ‘THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER’”); 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Our Access to God is provided by the New Covenant and contains a much better hope than trying to please God by keeping some law of carnal requirements. The problem with the Law was that it could not bring anyone to perfection. Why? It was helpless and useless to transform man on the inside where the root source of his “imperfections” are established.

Then, we see that the priesthood, which incorporated the helplessness of the natural man, HAD to be changed also! Why? The Old Covenant priesthood couldn’t bring anyone to perfection either.

Heb 7:11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.

We also learn that the sacrifices of bulls and goats could NOT “take away sin” and their blood could NOT cleanse the conscience from dead works so man could serve the Living God.

Heb 10:1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

The Law could NOT bring anyone to perfection because its sacrifices could not “take away sin.”

In the study from the Book of Romans we defined the difference between “sins” and “sin.” “Sins”, plural, were what we did and “sin”, singular, was what we are by nature. “Sins” were forgiven by the blood of bulls and goats but their blood was helpless to remove the “SIN”, singular. Those offerings could NOT remove the “Sin Nature” inherited from Adam.

If we could list ALL the things the Old Covenant COULD NOT DO, we could then define what the New Covenant was designed TO DO. Then we would discover that ALL THE PROVISION, that we will ever need to fulfil the purpose of God, and to manifest the Kingdom of God on earth, is supplied within the New Covenant. Only the magnitude of this provision can define the magnitude of the grace that God has extended to us within the New Covenant.

Much of the grace that is preached is twisted and shallow and is so much more limited than what God has provided for us in the New Covenant. Since this “Kingdom grace” is not specifically identified as “ grace” it is overlooked, even by seasoned preachers and scholars. Because the Kingdom Grace is ignored, a “super grace” is preached that is totally permissive and demands nothing on our part to fulfill the Eternal Purpose of God! Just believe, becomes the substitute gospel.

This perversion of God’s grace is the result of an ignorance of the New Covenant and its marriage to the Kingdom Government of God. When this marriage between the New Covenant and the Kingdom of God is dissolved, we become one doctrine ministries, established upon a few verses from the scriptures rather than the entire Word from God ( the whole Bible). Within this ignorance, Grace then becomes an instrument of God’s indulgence rather than His power and ability in us to do His will, complete His purpose, and to bring joy to His heart.

Eze 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Eze 11:19 “And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

ALL this is an expression of the magnitude of God’s Grace toward us who believe. Here again the context from which these scriptures are taken refer to Israel returning to the land so its assumed that this is irrelevant for us [who are presumed to be already living in the New Covenant]. However, the provisions of the indwelling Spirit, contained in these verses, fit perfectly into the New Covenant and are included in other scriptures, and in context of the words of Jesus. The New Spirit AND MY Spirit can easily be confirmed by New Testament scriptures. The removing the heart of stone and providing a new heart of flesh can also be confirmed. The guidance and teaching by the Holy Spirit from within can also be confirmed by New Testament scriptures and the words of Jesus! “Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God” can also be confirmed as part of the New Covenant experience.

Jer 32:38 “And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them. 40 “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

One of the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is: the Old Covenant was temporary but the New Covenant is “everlasting.” We still haven’t seen the “one heart and one way and they will fear Me always” coming to the church, at least in wide spread experience, but it is certainly something that is designed into the New Covenant. Nevertheless, these promises are part of the New Everlasting Covenant provision established by God. When God makes Covenant it becomes a finished and absolute fact, guaranteed by the faithfulness of God, Himself!

Heb 9:15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Now God has made the New Covenant and inaugurated it through Jesus Christ and sealed it in His blood. [The cup of the Lord’s Table focuses upon the blood of the Covenant that was poured out for us.] Jesus Christ then becomes the Administrator, the Mediator and the Guarantor of the effectiveness of the New Covenant in the LIFE of the church that He is building.

We can associate this scripture with the ability of the New Covenant, through the fulness of the Grace of the New Covenant Experience, to bring us to Mount Zion and the City of the Living God, into that “Bride” relationship and into the Kingdom of God’s Presence. The bride perfection IS the fulness of the Grace of God and not just the pitiful, indulgent and permissive grace that is preached.

Isa 59:20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD. 21 “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon You, and My words which I have put in Your mouth, shall not depart from Your mouth, nor from the mouth of Your offspring, nor from the mouth of Your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”

Jesus said that the words that He spoke were not His words but the words of Him who sent Him. We see this New Covenant already beginning in Luke 4:18

Luke 4:18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

Luk 4:20 And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Since this portion of the prophesy of Isaiah 61 came true and was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the rest of the prophesy will also be fully fulfilled. That means that the same Word that was in Jesus’ mouth and the same Spirit that was upon Jesus will be also upon His offspring! “NOT SOMEDAY during the Millennium!” No! From then on and forever!

Whether we experience that measure of His fulness or not is irrelevant to the promise. The fact remains that this IS GOD’S COVENANT with those who turn from the transgression of Jacob! [Jacob = the old and deceptive nature]

Since all these many, many provisions of the New Covenant have been defined so clearly in scripture, how can we summarize the essence of what is contained in this New Covenant?

God was going to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh that turns from the old ways of Adam.

God was going to re-create a new inner man into whom He could descend and dwell.

He will re-create this new inner man in His own image and likeness.

From within this new inner man He will cause us to walk in all His ways and we will be extremely careful to keep all His statutes and His ordinances.

God will also put these Laws of His in our mind and write these Laws of His upon the new inner man.

He will also dwell in us and from within the new inner man He will teach us His ways and teach us to know Him so that we won’t need mere men to teach us; because, He will teach us Himself.

Then He will put the same word in our mouth that He put in Jesus’ mouth and will also put the same Spirit that was upon Jesus, upon those who participate in the New Covenant.

These are only some of the New Covenant provisions. Still, we should be careful about EVERY WORD of the Covenant. These who participate in the New Covenant “Will be My people and I will be their God.

I will put the fear of ME in them so they will NEVER turn away from ME again, says the Lord.”

Now, since Jesus Christ IS the Administrator, the Mediator and the Guarantor of the New Covenant, from WHERE will He complete His task? Will He do this administration from the throne?

Remember, the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in man IS the basic provision of the New Covenant. If you haven’t seen this then review the scriptures about the New Covenant. In addition to this He will put a NEW spirit in man.

Since man’s spirit died the day Adam sinned, it is first necessary that God put a “new living spirit” in us. Man must be restored to spirit, soul and body but also become a totally new creation in Christ Jesus!

John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 “After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. 20 “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

This needs no interpretation! Just believe exactly what He says and He will

come and dwell in us! There has been too many foolish explanations that it is not really Christ who comes to dwell in us but is really Christ IN the Holy Spirit who comes!

It is clear that He, Himself, will live in us! He, the Spirit of Christ, has come to live in us. He is also referred to as the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of the Son and the Spirit of Jesus. He is also called the Living and abiding Word of God, Who IS the Spirit of Christ, by whom we are born again. The Spirit of Christ becomes our New Spirit.

It was essential that the physical Jesus NOT remain upon the earth in the limitation of a

human body because then He cannot distribute Himself to His body on earth that way. He must return to dwell in each of us as our New Spirit.

To put this “Spirit” into perspective we should understand the Spirit of Christ is Holy, The Holy Spirit is Holy and the Spirit of the Father is Holy! In other words “God IS Spirit and God is Holy. There is also “the man, Christ Jesus, who is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.” In other words “One of us is already there.” One Man in whom the “SPIRIT” dwelt has already ascended and has already been seated. However, this is one Corporate Man even as the first Adam was one corporate man. In God’s mind we are already seated in heavenly places in Christ.

Still, the “Spirit of Christ” MUST be ministered to man SO THAT he can be born again or receive a new Spirit. The old spirit that was breathed into the first Adam, then after some time died, is not resurrected to be our new spirit.

John 20:21 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

The Greek says “Receive the Spirit, Holy.” The Greek indicates that He blew in them as one would blow into a flute. Jesus blew the Spirit of Christ, the Word of God, into them and they were born again by the Living Word of God, the Spirit of Christ.

As God blew into the first Adam, the breath of life so also Christ blew into the disciples the Breath {Spirit} of Eternal Life.

John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

Even though Jesus IS the Son of God He must also have the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him to be a New Covenant minister. In that same way, even though the disciples were born again following the resurrection of Jesus when Christ blew His Spirit into them, they still must receive the Holy Spirit! Why? They must be filled with the Holy Spirit before they were permitted to become ministers of the New Covenant, not by the letter but by the Spirit.

Pentecost, then, IS the watershed moment in the lives of the disciples when they must transition from ministering the letter to ministering the Spirit. We cannot minister the New Covenant by the letter. Why? Because it is impossible!

This is exactly why we are saying that ALL ministry MUST begin in the Holy Place under the anointing and the revelation light of the Seven Spirits of God.

Luke 24:49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father! When did the Father give this promise? In the New Covenant ____ and He gave it several times.

Act 1:4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Immersion {baptism} in the Holy Spirit is what the Father promised and it is through the Holy Spirit that the rest of the New Covenant becomes effective in our lives. God forgives our sins and He remembers our iniquity no more through the sacrifice and the blood of Calvary! He also causes us to walk in His way by the Holy Spirit.

Did Jesus send the Holy Spirit like He said?

Act 2:32 “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

Act 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

To try to separate the coming of the Holy Spirit from Acts 2:4 is either ignorance or anarchy. To separate the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us (which is the New Covenant promise) from the initiation of the Kingdom on earth, reveals a veil over the consciousness. The Laws of the Kingdom, inherent in the Living and abiding Word of God, are administered by the Holy Spirit. These Laws of the Kingdom are put into our mind and written upon the heart or inner man. Then why are these Laws ignored? Because they are revealed and taught by the Holy Spirit!

Then we could accurately say that the Holy Spirit ministers the Spirit of Christ to us, which IS the Living and Abiding Word of God by whom we are born again. Then “AFTER THAT” Christ Jesus, Himself, ministers the Holy Spirit to all who will receive Him.

Mat 3:11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

In other words The Holy Spirit ministers the Spirit of Christ to us and then Christ, Himself, ministers the Holy Spirit to us.

The understanding of other provisions of the New Covenant can be clearly

found in the words of Jesus when He was instructing His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit before he was crucified. Unless we are familiar with the New Covenant promises from the Old Testament, we might miss this relationship between the coming of the Holy Spirit, the New Covenant and the Kingdom of God as our personal experience. Then we might think that Acts 2:4 was all that Jesus was speaking about in John 14-15 and 16

The New Covenant experience ushers in a new dispensation of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men who bring this reality into the church dimension of ministry. It is this ministry that introduces the Kingdom of God into the corporate life of the church. {“And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always} I am guessing that these provisions are available only to the Lampstand Church in the Holy Place dimension.

John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 “After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. 20 “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

We will see in other scriptures that it is the Holy Spirit that brings to us the revelation of Christ. It is the Spirit of Truth that reveals “Christ in us” AND reveals that it is “us in Christ” and reveals that “Christ is in the Father.” Why can ONLY the Holy Spirit reveal this? Because it is not something logical or natural! It cannot be understood with the natural mind of the natural man. This Truth must come as revelation to the new inner man.

We have discovered over the years that there are many things that cannot be understood by others when we stoop to a logical argument, trying to convince the natural man of spiritual truth. Some people will NEVER understand spiritual things until they are baptized with the Holy Spirit and He can teach them from within. Too many people have gotten “saved” by a logical argument about heaven and hell but without any conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit.

The fact that both the Spirit of Christ AND the Holy Spirit have come to dwell in us is clearly shown in scripture. Then why is this not taught? Because it may not be logical to say that the Spirit of Christ is in me when we know that Christ Jesus is seated in heaven. Where Jesus is seated does not prevent the Spirit of Christ from dwelling in us. He is the Spirit of the Son who is also the Spirit of Adoption. When He said “I will come to you” it seems clear enough. When He said “I will send the Holy Spirit” it seems clear enough.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.

It should be abundantly clear that it is God’s purpose for His fulness to dwell in man or at least in the church. That means the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Even though we don’t see this as part of the New Covenant, it is OK for Jesus to include this aspect since He only speaks what He hears. If we understand the question in verse 22 which this answer in verse 23 follows, it may help us:

John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?

The answer is Verse 23 and this is how He is going to reveal Himself to His disciples! The inner “revelation of Christ”comes when we know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us. There is absolutely no way the world can EVER know that. Even the natural believer will have difficulty with this! Since this IS a fact it may be clear that many other provisions of the New Covenant, that are hidden now, will be revealed the same way.

John 14:25 “These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

This is still part of the same answer! Jesus taught everything that was assigned for Him to teach while He was with them. However, a new dispensation has come when the teaching will not be “in our ears” but in the inner man. The Holy Spirit will bring to us the revelation of Christ but not to the natural mind of the natural man. Rather, Christ is revealed in the new inner man. Since this is where the Living and abiding Word of God dwells, the Holy Spirit will take of the Living Word and reveal Him to us.

John 16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you.

If we read this carefully it seems clear that the Father has held back nothing that the Holy Spirit CANNOT reveal. No revelation of Christ is off limits. In addition to that EVERYTHING the Father has belongs to Christ and the Holy Spirit is free to reveal that also! In other words we haven’t heard much yet.

John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

One of the Divine activities assigned to the Holy Spirit in His work within the New Covenant is to convict the world of sin; to convict of righteousness; and to convict of judgement. Since it appears that this work is not going too well, we should find out what is preventing Him from this activity. Since He comes to live in us maybe WE are not cooperating with Him so that He can do His work. Since the greatest portion of believers have so very little knowledge about the Holy Spirit and so little experience with Him, it is clear why His work is hindered. Since He also works according to the New Covenant, He must rely upon a church through which He can work.

Because of our great ignorance of the New Covenant many think the Holy Spirit is an add on to Calvary; that receiving the Holy Spirit is an option; that ministering by the anointing of the Holy Spirit is optional; and that the gifts of the Holy spirit are optional. Ministering the New Covenant is NOT by the letter {dead facts and information} but by the Spirit. Conjuring up some doctrine about the Holy Spirit that has nothing to do with scripture has been popular in the past; however, the time for that nonsense is over for anyone who will make the transition into the next dimension, of the restoration of all things, spoken by the prophets.

Conveying all available truth, from God to us, is assigned to the Holy Spirit. His job is to take the hidden things that belong to Christ Jesus and reveal them to us. However, the Holy Spirit does not work independently or speak on His own initiative. He is committed to speak only what He hears in the same way that Jesus only spoke what He heard. The Holy Spirit takes what is coming from the Living Word of God and reveals those “rhema” words to us. In addition to that, the Holy Spirit will reveal future things to us.

In stronger words; If we are not living in this realm of revelation we are not participants in the fulness of the New Covenant promise. If we are not ministering in this dimension of Spirit then we are still ministering in the realm of letter!

John 16:23 “And in that day you will ask Me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name. 24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. 25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.

“IN THAT DAY” can only refer to what He was teaching them about the coming of the Holy Spirit and about He, (himself) and the Father dwelling in His disciples.

Do not ask Jesus questions.

It is not necessary to just speak to Jesus.

Now you can speak to the Father directly without an intermediary.

When you speak to the Father do it in My Name.

Jesus will NOT then make a request of the Father for us.

If we ask the Father in His Name our joy will be full.

Up until “In That Day” Jesus just spoke in parables or figurative language.

“In That Day” Jesus will speak plainly, in understandable language, about the Father.

“In That Day” means ___ when the New Covenant provision becomes our experience and not just our doctrine.

In these scripture of John 16 Jesus said from now on don’t ask me anything but speak directly with the Father but He doesn’t explain why. The answer is quite obvious. Our New Covenant is not with Christ Jesus but with the Father. Christ Jesus is the Mediator, the Administrator and the Guarantor but the Covenant is between the Father and the church. He is totally within His function of administrating the New Covenant when He tells us don’t ask me anything but go directly to the Father. It is His Covenant and what ever you ask that is compatible with the New Covenant, the Father will do. FIRST experience the Full New Covenant and then ask the Father for whatever you want and He will withhold nothing. Of course, as participants in the New Covenant provisions, we will be extremely careful what we ask for.

While this is just a quick overview it surely doesn’t exhaust the provisions of the New Covenant to be revealed by the Holy Spirit whenever we are equipped to bear it. The Words of the Covenant will come from the Living Word of God but the conveyor of the Words to us is the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jesus could have given the disciples every detail of the New Covenant and they could have recorded the details in the Book. He said they could not bear any more “information.” Now “the rest of the story” must come by revelation. While the “Information” is completely accurate the rest of the story can ONLY come by “Revelation.”

This “revelation” is assigned to the Holy Spirit. He will take the TRUTHS of the Living Word of God and reveal them to us. Everything that the Father has held secret now belongs to Christ Jesus, the Living and abiding Word of God. It will remain secret until the Holy Spirit is given permission to release it. Where will it come from? From the Living Word of God.

The Father has established the New Covenant on His terms and He didn’t consult with us. He doesn’t ask us for our theological opinion or if we think the fulness of the Holy Spirit has passed away or if we agree with His work in the church. The Father, out of His sovereignty, declares what the Covenant incorporates and we can accept it or reject it but we can’t change it.

Millions are ignorant of it or have outrightly rejected it but nevertheless the New Covenant still stands unchanged. The more ignorant have even sought to modify it to be more compatible with their doctrine.

We are all aware of the Romans 7 frustration of the natural man doing the very best that he can to serve and to please God. The natural man really wants to do everything right but discovers he has no natural ability and keeps failing. Finally he cries out “Who will deliver me from the body of this death.”

If Paul would have been putting this into the New Covenant perspective he would have said “Thank God, through Jesus Christ, God has provided us with a New Covenant that provides for man now to serve and obey God and to walk in all His ways.” The New Covenant fits directly between Romans 7 and Romans 8. It is the New Covenant that enables man to grow out of the frustration of human failure into the full experience of Romans 8. It is my opinion that the “manifest sons of God” will be living in and functioning out of the New Covenant.

For the church to continue to try to function outside of the full provision of the New

Covenant must end! To continue in this “current church system” will surely limit the believers to the ability of the natural man. This will surely assign the believers to the Outer Court dimension of God’s eternal purpose. Since the Lampstand Church is designed, in God’s purpose, to function in the Holy Place, it should be clear that only the New Covenant provision can provide for the believers to make the transition into the Lampstand Church.

Since the Holy Spirit has been sent for the specific purpose of bringing the revelation of Christ and the secret things of God to the church, there will be no excuse for ignorance. When the ministries rejected the in-filling of the Holy Spirit according to the pattern shown in the Book of Acts, they relegated their ministry to natural light and preaching information about Jesus. It is their responsibility before God to prepare the church for the coming of the Lord. To continue ministering in the flesh and man’s natural ability is certainly ineffective and inexcusable. 1 Corinthians 3 is clear that every man’s work will be tested by fire and only what remains following the fire will count in eternity. Building anything OUTSIDE the New Covenant is just building for the fire and is a waste of precious time. Building Kingdom people within the New Covenant provisions will be building with more fire proof material that stands a better chance of survival.

Of course more and more Charismatic and Pentecostal ministers have reverted back to ministering out of their intellect and continue just preaching the natural light of the Outer Court. Very few of us know how to get a fresh word from God or take the time. We are just too busy! We speak about ministering “Spirit” but we end up ministering “letter.” We really don’t know what it means to minister ONLY by the anointing! It is sad that so many of us have received the Holy Spirit but never continued on to experience the fulness of the New Covenant Provision. We stepped through the door way and camped right there and thought we got it all at one time!