#450–1C: Walking Through the Kingdom — NOW
Chapter One
This begins Chapter 1 in a Series of Studies focusing upon the Kingdom of God in both its current and in its eternal dimensions. We began with a short Preface to the studies in order to give an overview of the Kingdom as it affects our lives. Next we did a longer Introduction to the studies to give a quick overview of the eternal Kingdom and the magnitude of the grace that will be necessary to complete God’s Eternal Purpose for our lives.
It may seem strange to make an introduction based upon Mount Zion and the City of the Living God which is God’s ultimate goal. However, if we are not aware of the magnitude of God’s plan, we may not appreciate the magnitude of the preparation and the transformation that will be necessary in our lives for us to qualify and participate.
The current error we see everywhere in the church is the teaching that everything was accomplished on Calvary and all that is necessary for us to reach the high calling of God is to accept Jesus as our personal Savior and we will go immediately to the throne of God. This fallen doctrine has done more to defeat the church than the devil has ever done. Why? Because it causes the “believers” to remain in their fallen state after their sins are forgiven. No distinction is made between the sins being forgiven and the sin nature that must be carried into death and burial. No provision is made to loose us from Adam and come into a Life Union with Christ Jesus! Since “salvation” is by the Life (Zoe) of Christ growing in us, many who have had their sins forgiven never go on to experience the highest and most complete salvation available to us within the New Covenant. The “height of fulfillment” reached by the “thief on the cross” is accepted as adequate to escape hell and make heaven our home! Therefore, ESCAPE is the goal rather than FULFILLMENT of God’s Eternal Purpose!
For example, Israel was more interested in ESCAPE from Egypt than in entering into God’s purposes and becoming His possession. They showed an interest in becoming a kingdom of priests but failed to pay the price of coming into His Presence, hearing His voice, keeping His covenant and obeying. Therefore, Israel forfeited both the kingdom and the priesthood. We may be amused by their ignorance but do exactly the same things today.
Hopefully, this series of studies, based upon the different dimensions of the Eternal Kingdom, will balance our vision to include both forgiveness of sins AND deliverance from the Adam sin nature, along with growth of the new inner man. It should be obvious that our growth into the Full Stature of Christ Jesus is essential to participate in the Eternal Government of God. The Kingdom comes to us as seed (sperma) and “seed of the Kingdom” must experience a continual growth until it comes to the tree stage of producing something eternal in our lives. The tree must become strong enough to support weight in its branches.
Spiritual babies just do not fit into the Eternal Government of God and neither are they accepted into that responsibility. However, genuine conception, then an embryo, growth and birth are essential just to come to the baby stage of Christian / Kingdom Life. To remain there and ignore the children stage, the young men stage and the father stage of Christian Life just focuses upon the escape stages but ignores the fulfillment stages! We are using the term “The Christian / Kingdom life” to show the correlation between these two terms that speak of one kind of life. In other words the “Christian Life” is exactly the same as the “Kingdom Life” but the focus may be quite different. Our purpose is to make the two into one vision.
If we are able to follow God’s Pattern of sharing His secrets, we will make no effort to make everything so clear that the natural man can understand. In fact, that would defeat the very purpose of God to hide everything from the casual believer and only reveal ultimate truth to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. However, it is a fact that casual believers just do not read these studies and are not interested in the Kingdom requirements or the demands of the Kingdom.
Therefore, to truly “see” the Kingdom we must begin with a change in our vision perspective and adjust from a “time perspective” to the “eternal perspective.” This will require an “unfolding vision” from the man / earth / time viewpoint to the God / heavenly / eternal viewpoint. In other words, we want to begin by seeing forgiveness of sins and redemption from God’s perspective rather than from man’s perspective.
Man’s perspective is always from the crises of being “lost” and in bondage to seeking a way of escape. Any crisis act that will permit man to escape the consequences of the fall is acceptable to the natural man that is seeking escape! His response is “just tell me the very minimum that I must do to escape the judgement of God.” When someone tells us to believe this doctrine and to say these words and you can be forgiven, we immediately respond in a crisis act of “faith.” When we are assured that now we have “escaped,” we seek rest in a confidence that “sins” are behind us and heaven is guaranteed. Since the crisis is over, we can continue our life any way we please. We are now “children of God” and just await our full inheritance in eternity future.
However, IF no “Sperma” has been received then no conception has taken place and therefore, no “birth” is necessary or possible. Of course with no conception, no “growth” is possible. If the “natural man” is not actually born again, we must continually instruct the “natural man” how to act like a Christian and keep encouraging him to believe that he is “saved.” This ignorance has led many souls to hell who were assured that they were “saved” because they said certain words and believed a certain doctrine.
This kind of “cheap salvation” is from the earth / man perspective. What if that “kind of salvation” has no credibility and no reality from God’s perspective? Then even more damage has been done to the church because they have accepted cheap grace, with no price to pay and no cost and no personal cross is necessary. Still, that ignorance is accepted in many evangelical churches as “full salvation.” IF any of this can qualify for the very minium salvation, I would certainly be happy for those souls. Still, I find this “salvation” very far short of God’s Eternal Purpose in saving us to fulfill His Divine Destiny.
To turn the “believers” from a self-center to a Kingdom-center is not a matter of more information but a matter of self-surrender and full consecration to do God’s complete will. The 7th Outer Court experience is the “Consecration Offering” and until that is given and completed no further progress can be made.
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Of course none of this is complicated if we just believe what it clearly says. Laying foundations with no ability to build is looked upon as failure from God’s viewpoint. From man’s viewpoint the response is; “Well, we laid some doctrine as a foundation and we did the best we could and God knows our heart.”
2Tim 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
All who are “saved” are also “called” to complete His Predestined and Eternal Purpose. Why has God saved us? So we can now fulfill His Eternal Purpose!
Eph 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
This viewpoint is quite different from man’s / earth viewpoint. Man’s viewpoint is that God saves us just for our own benefit and so we won’t go to hell and so we can enjoy the blessings of heaven forever.
Nevertheless, verses like these refocuses our great salvation into the heavenly / Kingdom viewpoint and place us in a responsibility to fulfill God’s “predestined plan” and His original purpose in “saving” us. God’s provision to fulfill His predestined plan is through the new Life that he puts into us as the “sperma” which is the living and abiding Word of God. The development of His Zoe Life in us contributes to our grace / ability to fulfill His Eternal Purpose.
Now the question always arises; Did Jesus Christ completely finish the work of full redemption on Calvary? The answer is a resounding YES! Did He fully provide for the forgiveness of sins? The answer is a resounding YES! Did He die so that we who live should NO LONGER live for ourselves? The answer is a resounding YES!
2Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
This is also “the finished work of Calvary” but this truth is ignored because of man’s self-centered, selfish and personal earth view of God’s Purpose in Calvary. Those who preach “super grace” dare not even consider any of these verses about the Kingdom demands because they contradict their concepts of “grace.” Any demand or cost is labeled as “just works” and dismissed as false doctrine. Therefore, it is necessary for all “super grace” groups to immediately reject the Gospel of the Kingdom as having no validity today! Most are united in rejecting the Kingdom demands as irrelevant for the church! Some boldly say that the Kingdom requirements are only for Israel during the millennial Kingdom.
God’s “grace” that is extended toward Adam for forgiveness of sins is NOT in conflict with the “grace” that God extends to the New Man in Christ to complete His Eternal Purpose!
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
This is also the finished work of Calvary and THE GRACE extended to the New Man to fulfill the purpose of God. Why should we accept the grace extended to Adam for “forgiveness of sins” but reject the grace extended to the New Man to fulfill His Eternal Purpose by labeling it “works?” Why should we label the grace of the Kingdom that is offered to us to meet the demands of the Kingdom as false doctrine? It is simply because we only want to see things from man’s earth viewpoint of “escaping judgement” and only accepting God’s grace as it applies to our escape! Many today appreciate God’s mercy in our escape but reject any demand that we now fulfill God’s purpose after we have “escaped the judgement that is upon the world system.”
If we can gain the Kingdom viewpoint, we will certainly want to acknowledge the finished work of Calvary “for us” in our redemption and then be quick to acknowledge His continuous work “in us” in sanctification, growth, discipline and correction to enable us to participate in His Eternal Purpose and then fulfill the reason for our redemption.
Even though all this is very shallow and just basic to our Christian life, it is important to make a defense against the doctrines that have produced the current trend of the church to be satisfied with the status quo and ignore both the Kingdom of God’s Government and God’s Eternal Purpose!
Over the last several centuries it is evident that God is pushing the “new species man” into a more ultimate Truth and a greater revelation of Himself. It is becoming clearer that “ultimate Truth” can only be discovered within the many realms of His Zoe Life. It appears now that “ultimate Truth” can only be recognized and found in the maturity of His Life within us. The “maturity of His Life in us” is manifested in being fully alive to bringing glory, honor, satisfaction and pleasure to Him. Expecting nothing for ourselves except to see His satisfaction is the sign that we are turning from the earth viewpoint to the eternal viewpoint. To live wholly for what He can obtain from our life must become our ultimate goal and the evidence that we have turned from the man /earth center to the God / Eternal center.
Instead of expecting “ultimate Truth” to fall on us from above __ in some form of objective revelation __ why not seek for “Ultimate Truth” where He currently resides within the Sanctuary or, that Inner Life Holy Place? “HE IS THE TRUTH” removes “Ultimate Truth” from the realms of doctrine and places it squarely within the Person and Life of The Living Word of God. However, if we ignore the Holy Spirit who has come to take the “Ultimate Truth” and reveal Him to us, we may miss the time of our visitation. To ignore the dispensation of the Holy Spirit and seek for “Truth” in other places {books, tapes, messages, television or other people }is the curse of the current religious system!
John 16:13 “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 can recognize that the Holy Spirit is the “revelator of TRUTH and who is also the “Almighty God” to this dispensation, it will help us cope with the demands of the Kingdom and surrender to the Truth He reveals!
It is not difficult to see the “present earthly glory” ( in the present tense) that is evident in the popular ministries and books written today! However, that is not the goal or desire of the Kingdom person who has the predestined call to fulfill His Eternal Purpose. Bringing glory to God for His sole benefit requires a transformation of vision and goals. Since all this is far beyond the reach and capacity of the old species of man, after Adam, it must be reserved for ONLY the new species of man, who after Christ is created in the image of God!
Therefore, to try to take the first Adam for a walk through the Kingdom “in the present tense” is a big waste of time. However, it is the Holy Spirit who is ready to reveal TRUTH to the new species of man and then guide him into all Truth! It is THIS New Man that is prepared for a walk through “the Kingdom in the present tense.” It is the Holy Spirit who will reveal things hidden from past generations. Just recently I have seen how impossible it is for me to take anyone for a walk through the present tense Kingdom. Nevertheless, we can all take a walk together through the Kingdom with the Kingdom’s Ultimate Guide revealing things hidden from the foundation of the world! Ministries can only reveal what has been revealed to them. The danger lies in going beyond what has been revealed by the Holy Spirit this far into this dispensation.
My limitation is that I can only speculate on these things and try to understand scriptures relating to these things. Until that “ultimate tour” begins I will try to present a few facts. Since the “present tense Kingdom” is invisible to the old species man, it is necessary to limit the tour to ONLY new species persons. This of course will be labeled as “exclusiveness” but there is no other option. Why? Because, all of this is foolishness to the old species man!
Our tour of the “present tense Kingdom” must begin in the lowest dimensions of the Kingdom which is at the very foot of Mount Zion but above the dirt dimension. The old species man is limited to only the dirt dimension and can never make the transition to the Kingdom dimension. Even though this lower dimension of the Kingdom is very near the dirt dimension, the clear understanding of the Kingdom presents an impossible barrier / veil to the old species man.
At this low level of the Kingdom, the entire focus is upon preparation. This includes the removal of all the defects and character faults along with corrupt motives and attitudes. These are the things that we continue to carry of the first Adam following our forgiveness of sins and our redemption in Christ. Why is this essential? Because we are in preparation for the Eternal Kingdom Government where none of these things can be permitted. In fact, those who practice these things shall NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. Regardless of what they believe or what they confess, these things will eliminate them from the Kingdom.
Gal5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh (earth man) are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, :20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
1Cor 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
These earthly things are not even seen as “dangerous to our salvation” in the “super grace churches” nor in many other groups. Conquering each of these “earth dimension” things and putting them each aside is all part of our preparation for the Kingdom! These are the things that are inherent within the old species person. However, these are the very things that are extremely dangerous to the new species person to prevent him from growing up in all things into the Kingdom dimension of the Christian Life! Even the “born again Christian” will also fail to enter the Kingdom if they practice these things. Since our “preparation for the Kingdom” is essential for us to “qualify and participate in the Eternal Kingdom,” this part of our walk through the Kingdom will focus upon the “preparation.” Those who refuse to change cannot even be included in this tour of just the primary levels of the Kingdom.
1Thes 2:12 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
2Thes 1:5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
Being “counted worthy” of anything is considered as false doctrine today in most Christian churches.
Israel’s “escape from Egypt” at the Red Sea was just one step toward God’s call to a land flowing with milk and honey! Israel’s new freedom and the fulfillment and goal of their escape could only be experienced in Canaan. The fact that only two from the chosen group ever made it into Canaan has been set forth clearly in scriptures as an example for us. It is disappointing and amazing that “ministers” today will boldly say that “grace” has covered everything and therefore, nothing is required of us except to believe something about Jesus! Just recently a group of about 20 pastors rejected any wilderness trip for us because now, they say, grace transports us directly from Egypt to Canaan. However, the Bible says that these are examples for us upon whom the end of the ages has come.
So where must we begin to introduce this preparation for the Kingdom and God’s Eternal Purpose? We must start “before the foundation of the world” which can only “begin in the Heart of God! Why? Because He is all there was at that Genesis of beginnings. Everything began with God before there was a visible beginning. Before there was any restoration of the earth, God already had the end of all things planned. Before there was a man and before there was dry ground, God had already determined that He would gather everything together and sum it up in Christ. Then at the very beginning God predestined man to fulfill His eternal purpose.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world
Eph 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth
Eph 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
Eph 3:10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
It is a very serious calling to be predestined to His Eternal Purpose because it places a tremendous responsibility upon us to give ourselves wholly to God so He can prepare us for that purpose. It requires the transition from the popular “man centered philosophy” (which is called “the gospel of salvation” ) to a new God centered, purpose centered, Kingdom centered Life. This requires a complete change of philosophy within the church that He is building. This earth bound philosophy is being used by men to build THEIR church.
philosophy >noun (pl. philosophies) 1 the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. 2 a truth or attitude that guides one’s current behavior.
Without a complete change of vision, to include God’s Eternal Purpose, it will be very difficult to change our philosophy to include the inner transformation that is necessary to participate in His Eternal Government! I am speculating that this lack of vision is why the current church system is failing to bring the church to maturity. They see no reason for “believers” to advance in God and, therefore, ignore the necessity of having a church that has grown up in all things into Christ.
We refer to the “current church system” as the “swamp system” according to Ezekiel’s vision.
Ezekiel 47:8 Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. 9 “And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. :10 “And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.
Eze 47:11 “But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 “And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
There has always been “status quo” churches that remain out of the main stream and become “rejecters and resisters to change.” They are unfit places to drink from or to bring forth life! These “swamps” are by-passed by the flow of God’s Spirit and are left to themselves. They become stagnant!
It is through the “flowing of the Holy Spirit” and His progressing revelation of Christ that we remain viable to bring forth the Kingdom in manifestation. It is clear that these two dimensions of water are mutually exclusive. Living in one excludes the other. If we accurately discern the “water” it is clear that these stagnant pools are gaining acceptance in many places. They remain sanctuaries for the safety of the status quo. The mentality of the “safety minded” is to avoid the River of God’s Life because if we get into that stream it is difficult to know where it will take us. It might take us into the ocean and then who knows what will happen to us.
How does this “safety mentality” happen? As soon as we escape from our sentence of death and bondage to sin, the emergency is over! Now we are assured that heaven is our future home and we can enter rest and wait for the eternal blessing of God to fall on us. The very first thing the gospel of the Kingdom must do is change our philosophy from escape to fulfillment. From being man centered to become God centered. To change our “Christian Philosophy” from time and earth centered to become eternity centered, from initial salvation to eternal salvation. The Kingdom Truth must turn us from a “freedom center” to a New Governmental and obedience center.
Heb 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
It is interesting that obedience and eternal salvation is connected with the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
In many verses like these it is clear that God is pressing us into a fuller understanding of Christ Jesus and his role as High Priest of an entirely new order of king/priests. Not only is there a new species but a new order of priests within that new species, who are predestined to become a kingdom of priests. The purpose NOW is that these king/priests must be “matured, perfected, completed,” to reign with Him. How? Out of His character, disposition and attitude that He and the Holy Spirit build within us as that preparation. In other words there will be No dictators in the Kingdom.
Rev 1:6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 5:10 “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Reigning with Him is not a matter of what we believe but of how we have grown and been transformed from what we are to become what He IS. This process of transformation is what we call “the Christian / Kingdom Life.” The time of this total process is during this church age. If we fail to change here during our stay on earth, it will be too late to change after we arrive there where we begin to experience our predestined calling.
There is a doctrine that we can live however we like here on earth because we are children of the King! Some say that like a good Father, he wants to spoil us. Then at the last trumpet God will suddenly transform us into what He is as we ascend into heaven. This erroneous doctrine has no real basis in scripture. These earthly concepts are the reason the church has grown cold or lukewarm.
When Jesus was walking among the Lampstand churches there were already many false doctrines that had invaded the church. Jesus was very explicit that either they repent and change or they would be removed from His church. The “super grace” churches say that would be impossible because of God’s grace. They assume that He must accept everyone who believes something about Jesus. If we just read, Revelation chapters 2 and 3, we would know that is a lie!
Rev 3:14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Vomit out of My mouth means “out of My body.” Jesus was warning them that they were no longer acceptable to be part of HIM. This is a very serious thing to be vomited out of His body! This is no longer a matter of escape from the world system but it is now a Kingdom matter of fulfillment of the purpose of our escape. If we are so casual about fulfilling God’s purpose for our life, why should we be permitted to remain in His body? Nearly all of these demands of the Kingdom are being ignored by the “casual church system” today. The interpretation of this scripture is this; Everyone who will be permitted to be in His body will be doing the will of the head, who IS Christ. He is revealing what His attitude is toward those who become casual in their Christian / Kingdom life and have lost their zeal to fulfill God’s purpose for their being saved. They are eliminated from the group / body that only wants to do His will and are very zealous about that.
This reveals the current error of as soon as we have escaped our captivity to sin and the world, the emergency is over so we can stop advancing into His purpose and His ultimate goal for us. We become like Lot’s wife that looked back as soon as she escaped and was forbidden any further escape. Then she became the “salt” she was chosen to manifest in Sodom and Gomorrah but failed to “be salt” when she was alive.
I recently encountered a man who had wasted years trying to learn Greek so he could understand the scriptures. He told me it was not possible for an ordinary man to understand the scriptures and that only those who were trained in Greek and Hebrew were qualified to teach. He really understood VERY LITTLE about the scriptures and had no revelation at all. This is natural man’s explanation of why the scriptures are so difficult to understand.
Luke 10:21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
1Cor 1:19 For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
God reveals His mysteries to whomsoever He chooses and the wise man can never know God through higher education. God chooses the poor to confound the rich and the ignorant to confound the wise! The “wise man” rejects God’s clear foundations and preparations and spiritual maturity and attempts to understand scriptures by the natural mind learning Greek and Hebrew. The Apostles’ qualifications were that they were ignorant and unlearned fishermen. God chose them because they had nothing to unlearn so they could be taught by the Holy Spirit.
1John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
This scripture fully explains how the revelation of God comes to us and why higher education is not only unnecessary; it is a great hindrance to revelation. The natural man thinks he doesn’t need the anointing because he can figure it all out by learning Greek and Hebrew. The natural theologian must justify his higher education by proclaiming that he alone can understand scripture. That kind of mentality will never produce a Kingdom of Priests after the order of Melchizedek.
I recently had a long conversation with a “man of higher education” about the difference between John 6 and the Lord’s Table. He insisted that 1 Corinthians 11 fulfilled John 6. He insisted if we took the bread and the cup it was exactly the same as eating His flesh and drinking His blood. However, it clearly says that the Lord’s Table is a remembrance of His death until He comes again. However, John 6 has to do with eternal Life and resurrection. The fact that the Lord’s Table is for the outward man and John 6 is for the new inner man was too much for him to accept.
The point I am making is that the Kingdom of God has been hidden in many scriptures and in the parables so that the natural man with a natural mind can never understand these eternal things. God has clearly shown us in the Tabernacle of Moses that without ALL the Outer Court Foundations as valid experiences in our life, we cannot make the transition into the Holy Place Life and Ministry where the Inner Anointing of the Seven Spirits of God teaches us ALL things and reveals the mysteries that have been hidden from past generations but is now being revealed by the Spirit. The natural man, by learning, can never know God. Therefore, through the various Outer Court experiences God removes those things that will prevent us from knowing God and through these Outer Court experiences He adds those things that permit us to Know Him. If we refuse these foundations we simply cut ourselves off from further revelation and relevant experiences. Then we are limited to the escape theology but fail to enter into the fulfillment dimensions of the Christian Life.
In other words, those who are limited to the “escape mentality” can never comprehend the Kingdom of God or see any reason for it because they have escaped and are “saved.” Even if they die in the “wilderness of preparation,” they are happy because they have “escaped.”
These are some of the problems we face when we attempt to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. We soon discover that the preaching of the Kingdom is foolishness to those who have no proper foundations. Therefore, instead of preaching the Kingdom we discover that we must begin by laying foundations that permit believers to understand the Kingdom message and to participate in its revelation and experience.
It is disappointing to travel thousands of miles to bring “Kingdom understanding” and then find that we cannot preach the Kingdom because everybody is still locked into an “escape mentality.” Instead of preaching the Kingdom we discover that church people have never been baptized or have a genuine born again experience. Since there is no growing new inner man they have no substance or capacity to even understand the Kingdom or eternal things. Even simple truth about the Kingdom stirs up various arguments and rejections that must be overcome before there is any benefit to introducing the Kingdom. Even “believer baptism” is rejected because of some false doctrine about Calvary.
Therefore, it seems necessary to limit our ministry to “ministers” who can then bring the understanding to their people. Then we discover that the “ministers” have very few foundations that have produced a genuine new inner man who can understand the Kingdom message. Now we have a serious problem because the “ministers” can never accept that they have bypassed the foundations and many have not been properly baptized nor have they received the Holy Spirit. They just have an education and training by men. Instead of presenting themselves as a “Consecration Offering” before God they only have an ordination by men into a religious system.
Ministers can just eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and reject the Tree of Life and then justify it by saying they are the only ones who can understand the scriptures. Since we have eaten very much from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we are the only ones who are qualified to teach the scriptures. Gnosticism and Humanism have become the standard ministry in too many churches. Very few “believers” are growing up into Christ because nearly all of the foundations are rejected as irrelevant. Since we have already escaped, what is the relevance of laying foundations? Foundations are just “works” that can never save you. This ignorance in the pulpit is very disappointing because we can see no help for the people in the pews who may totally miss the preparation to participate in the Kingdom of God.
Psalms 11:3 “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?”