#399 Kingdom: Kingdom Essentials
After struggling with the fallen nature of the visible church for many years, we are wondering if there is any hope that we can identify a “true scriptural church reality” that is consistent with scripture. Is there a valid, scriptural solution to launch a full recovery of this earthly church system? For many years now I have considered alternate “systems of church structure” like “forsaking all” and trying to “hate myself” or making every effort to “love my enemies” and “do good to those who abuse and mistreat me” and the result has been a total failure. Then I have considered the “ idealism” of the Kingdom and its impossible demands upon the human system. Over the years I have decided upon many approaches to the problem but I have arrived at no solution.
The first ten years of my Christian life was of anticipation and expectation that the proper church system would solve the problem. For that reason we started “our own church” and developed a “system” that was slightly different but just as weak and worthless as any other earth church system.
Then as the “light” became brighter or we became more frustrated, we understood that “the church” is not a building or any “kind of system.” The “church” can ONLY be made up of people. It was clear that we could not have a “spiritual church” until we had “spiritual people.” Therefore, any recovery of the church must begin by a recovery in each individual believer. Of course, after over 30 years of “ministry” we failed in creating a “spiritual church.”
We certainly experienced years of frustration by looking at the “church system” and expecting it to change BEFORE the individuals began to change. It was clear that a static condition in the individual believers guarantees a static condition in the “church.” Therefore, we concluded that an awakening in each individual will result in an awakening in the church. We felt certain that as light increases in the individual there will be an increase of light in the church and a transformation was then certain. We thought “deeper teaching” was the method to spiritual insight.
There certainly was a glaring difference between what we saw in the “denominational systems” and what appeared normal in the early church. What a shock when we saw that “our new system” was no more effective than other systems. About 28 years ago I began to see the difference between the popular gospel of salvation and the “real scriptural gospel” of the Kingdom of God. My excitement began to increase because at last I discovered the solution to the predominance of the “dirt church system”. “Kingdom Salvation” had to be much different than the popular “formula salvation” where we get people to say certain words and believe our special doctrines.
Imagine our shock when we realized that the demands of the Kingdom were too far beyond the capacity of the normal church person to experience and obey. We felt as if we had awakened to the solution until we discovered the “solution” was beyond our ability. Even if we preached the solution, we had NO ability to live in and demonstrate the solution. Therefore, we limited our preaching to the “doctrine of the Kingdom.” Even though we knew the Kingdom was not in word only, we were helpless to manifest the power and demonstrate of the Spirit of the Kingdom.
Now all this seems just academic and logical and based upon revealed doctrine that we could see in scripture. However, today it is clear that a fresh awakening “within the dirt realm believer” will only awaken the church that is still functioning in the dirt realm. This kind of awakening does not guarantee anything of an inward change or an awakening in the next dimension of spiritual life. Even if we have a “great awakening” among the “dirt people” it will only result in an new awakening among other “dirt people” and may be spread to many other dirt people so we can call it revival!
However, it is clear that the “church He is building” is not of the dirt realm but in the Lampstand realm which is completely in the Holy Place dimension. The weakness of our former teaching about the horizontal Tabernacle is that the Holy Place in the horizontal Tabernacle is still in the dirt realm and the priests walked bare foot in the dirt. That is why we must share the Heavenly Tabernacle in the Vertical perspective because we must escape the dirt dimension. In this Vertical Tabernacle the ministry is not a matter of carnal commandments or physical requirements but is after the “power of an Indestructible Life.” The Vertical Tabernacle begins above the dirt realm and is raised into another realm of His Life. The Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek must function above the dirt realm and in the Holy Place realm of the Lampstand Church.
Heb 7:15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchisedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.
It is my opinion that in the present age there are multitudes of us who are ashamed of their carnal attitudes and the extremely low level of His Life that we can manifest. I myself am weary of all the scams in ministry, the hollow mockeries of the gifts, the promises of things far beyond the realm of ministries to impart. The visible church has been the victim of those who have assumed the name of Apostle or Prophet or Teacher but whose life and ministry is nothing like the prototype we see in scripture. Many of us who stand in the pulpit and take upon ourselves the burden of “ministry” are aware that we are still subject to pride, envy, self-love, and we are carrying a mountain of self-seeking pleasure and inward desires of secret selfishness! Many of us feel a crushing sense of humiliation and ministry failure. Some of us are carrying the guilt of failure. Even among “ministers” there is a lowering of moral standards and ministry ethics. We accept the “ministerial” hypocrisy that shields our lack of humility and compassion, but opens up many burning questions about our calling and His choosing us.
Even though we may be more dedicated and persevere in ministry, it is clear that our ministry must be based upon some false concept because of our failure to develop a church that the world is aware of and one that testifies to the reality of Christ. If a “mature church” is the responsibility of the leaders, is it reasonable to assume that the pitiful condition of the church will be judged as the failure of the ministries?
It seems obvious that the failure in ministry of the current church systems is confirmed by its inability to bring the church to maturity. The evidence that the church is “mature” is that the “church” does the ministry as defined in Ephesians 4:11. I am speculating that this failure is directly related to the “ministries” not escaping from the “old species” after Adam. That means that we have not yet escaped from the dirt realm ourselves. This is reflected in the “church” still living and functioning in the dirt realm.
The “new species” after Christ should be functioning in the Holy Place realm since the Lampstand church is ONLY built in that dimension. The Priesthood, living in the Holy Place realm, will have a Life and Spirit function in the Outer Court preparation of the believers who are being developed to take their place in the Lampstand Church. The difference between that “Priesthood ministry” and what we see today is that this Holy Place “Priesthood Ministry” is of the Spirit and Life realm. These Essential Qualities, necessary for the Kingdom, have originated in the “Eternal Realms” above the dirt dimension. If we are still ministering within the life and order of the “old species,” it simply means that proper Outer Court Foundations have NOT been laid in our life. Otherwise we would have laid aside the “old species” and would by now have been resurrected into the “new species” and we would have personally made the transition into the Holy Place life and ministry which means to have a “Spirit and Life” ministry!
Even though most of us are well aware that we are far from ministering in that dimension, we should at least know we are within range of reaching the Spirit/Life dimension of ministry. If we don’t have that expectation, what new hope is there that our generation will accomplish any more than the last generation?
The “dirt realm” minister will still be trying to excel in ministry by trying to raise the dirt realm to a much higher plane of morality, vision and experience. In this way we attempt to learn how to transform Adam into Christ.
My Theme is this: Rising To The Kingdom Essentials.
I am using this term, “Kingdom Essentials”, to indicate what is absolutely necessary to be counted capable of demonstrating the power of the Kingdom of God. I am assuming that the Kingdom is so far beyond the realm of earthly doctrines and the natural man’s ability that it will require a completely different species of man to participate.
The natural “dirt ministry” will generally seek to “imitate Christ” and use Him as a example to pattern our life. “What Would Jesus Do” is the method of Christianity that I am referring to here. Since “Christ” is birthed out of another realm and does not have His origin from earth, any earthly comparison to the natural man is ridiculous. The Adam-man can NEVER attain to the status of Christ or even be related to Christ. That is the reason the old species must be taken into death and burial and a totally new species emerge from the grave of baptism by the resurrection Life of Christ. If the “flesh can profit nothing”, then the “old species can profit nothing” because the old species is only flesh continually.
I am speculating that the old species can NEVER inherit the Kingdom of God. Why? Because both 1 Corinthians 6 and Galatians 5 clearly say that those of the flesh realm CANNOT inherit the Kingdom. 2 Peter 1:4 indicates that ONLY those who have become partakers of the Divine Nature can participate in the Kingdom or have entrance into the Kingdom of Christ. The point I am making is that even if we can convince the “old species” person to believe certain doctrines or to say certain words, it is ONLY the “new Species” person that can participate in the Kingdom.
Now, even if our evaluation of why we failed to produce a mature church is correct, the solution is far beyond our capacity to expedite. My wife had hundreds of books on every subject connected with the believer and the church. She gave away hundreds of books to help people with certain problems. As far as I know none of those books ever solved a single problem. Books will give valued information about the problem but solving the problem requires something more than knowledge gained from a book.
For example; If I wrote a book on the “dirt man” and described all his failures in politics, in finances, in government, in world affairs, in wars, in medicine, in the pulpit and in the church, would that solve the problems of the dirt man? No! The “dirt man’s problems” can never be solved in or by the “dirt realm”. Books may speak of the spiritual realms but they are still of the dirt realm.
My conclusion is this; The “dirt man” can never come to ANY measure of spiritual maturity. Why? Simply because he is of the wrong species. Since the “dirt man”, whether or not he is religious and attends church services, has his source in first Adam whom can NEVER become Christian. Why? He is of the wrong species.
Most “ministries” are in the same position in the church as the books my wife gave away. They may distribute helpful information but knowledge will NEVER solve the basic problem, which is simply being of the wrong species. Ministries may “baptize the Adam species” into death and burial, but causing people to change species is far beyond man’s capacity.
If the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead does not raise the one baptized, from the dead, no new species is formed! After baptizing hundreds of “believers” over many years, it is amazing how, many years later, there is no evidence of a new species. I am speculating that over 38 years I have made a lot of Adam’s species into religious believers but many never changed species.
Therefore, the first “essential” of establishing the Kingdom in the inner man is that there MUST be a new species in which the Kingdom government can be established. We still preach the Kingdom to the “dirt species” but we see very little change. True “participation in Christ” is also a “true participation in the Kingdom of Christ”.
2Pet 1:11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
1Cor 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Obviously, the Eternal Kingdom is being established during the church age or it could not be finally given over to the Father at the end of the age. Therefore, “participation in Christ” requires a “participation in the Kingdom.” We conclude that “participation in Christ”, which can ONLY be by the same new species as Christ, is ESSENTIAL before there can be any “participation in the Kingdom.” Since participation in the New Covenant is essential to “Participation in Christ” those of the Adam species are excluded from the New Covenant, from Christ and from the Kingdom of Christ.
“Ministering” the transition from the species of Adam to the species of Christ is beyond the scope of ministry. Why? Because this can ONLY be effected by a “birth from above”, from the dimensions of God. Being born of God is beyond the capacity of ministry and must be surrendered to the Sovereignty of God.
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
Even multitudes of the old species of Adam can agree to a doctrine and be told what words to say but no one can step into the realm of John 6 unless it is granted by the Father. The grafting into the Olive Tree, which is Christ, must precede our acceptance into the Kingdom of Christ.
Rom 11:24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
The wild olive tree obviously refers to first Adam and the Cultivated Olive Tree obviously refers to Christ. Then getting whacked off from Adam before we can be grafted into Christ is ESSENTIAL.
Rom 11:27 “AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”
Many assume that with the “forgiveness of sins” all the other provisions of the New Covenant are automatically provided in one package deal. If this were true, the Species of Adam would just pass into eternal life without becoming a New Species in Christ.
One of the basic errors of the modern Evangelical System of Evangelism is that the Adam species can be “saved” by forgiveness of sins and still remain part of first Adam. The result of bringing Adam into the church is that the “church” made up of “dirt people” just becomes a “dirt church” that becomes a pile of “saved dirt.” Then a “dirt minister” preaches a “dirt message” to a “dirt people” and we expect to get a spiritual result which we assume is the “dirt species” of the body of Christ. We could call this “The Wild Olive Tree Church.”
Well, Brother, we are of the very conservative group that doesn’t believe in all this radical stuff of cutting off from the old olive tree because that is just works. We live by faith so we “believe” that we are automatically grafted into Christ when our sins are forgiven.
But, do you have any evidence that you are of the new Species of Christ?
Well, Brother, we don’t live by evidence, but by faith. Our “dirt preacher” has assured us we are ready to take up our residency in our mansion in the corner of glory land and has even showed us a verse to prove it.
Now, I assume that I am born into the New Species of Christ, but I confess I have preached a lot of dirt messages to dirt people and wondered why they didn’t change. Now it is disturbing and disgusting to see what appears to be New Species preachers on TV preaching a “dirt message” to “dirt people” and then they think that they are preaching the Kingdom of God.
I am guessing now that the True Gospel of the Kingdom is preached by the New Species person with words that are Spirit and Life. I am questioning if the Kingdom can be preached with the common “dirt words” from the earth dimension.
My thesis for this document is that true conversion into the Kingdom dimension of the Internal Government of God MUST require that we be entirely cut of from our old root in Adam. That is ESSENTIAL before we can be grafted into the new species of Christ. This absolutely requires that we be cut loose from our old psuche life of Adam {the wild root} and be firmly grafted into the Eternal Life, Zoe, of Christ. I am speculating that “Spirit and Life Words” must come from the Living And Abiding Word of God within us, IF we are actually birthed into the New Species.
If we are not absolutely certain that we have been birthed into that new species from heaven, then that becomes our very first priority today. This is the most important transformation that we will ever face. I am not using the term “born again” because too many people who say they are “born again” are still grafted into the old species and that old root of the first Adam. That “olive root” only produces oil for cooking and not the oil of the anointing within the new inner man that teaches us all things.
If we have trusted in any “conversion” that does not remove us from first Adam and grafts us into Christ, and if we have NOT changed species, we may have trusted in some dirt message that is spurious when related to the “Essentials of the Kingdom of God”.