Writings | Eternal Vision Ministries, Inc.

#467 – The Practical Kingdom: As A True Inner Life Experience

From time to time it is assumed that I am preaching a hypothetical Kingdom based upon some abstract concepts about eternity. Even though there are dozens of scriptures that indicate the Kingdom is a real life experience, many ministers seem to think it is irrelevant for the Christian today. Why? Because we are already “saved.”

To them “saved” means completed and ready to participate in the Eternal Kingdom of God. Some today are confusing forgiveness of sins with perfection. Some even say if my sins are forgiven it means I can sit on the throne and rule with Jesus. The New Covenant indicates that many living experiences are essential just to define the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Some ministers assume that if we are “saved” (sins forgiven) that we have escaped the Old Covenant, automatically, and are living fully within the New Covenant.

However, the Galatians were obviously “saved” but were going back under the Law. It is possible to be “saved” and ministering from a pulpit and still not be living within the provisions of the New Covenant.

The same is true of the Kingdom of God. Not all who believe in Jesus or have their sins forgiven are living within the Government of God nor are they living by the Laws of God. It is believed by some Bible Scholars that the Kingdom is too demanding and too difficult for those who are living under grace. It is assumed that “under grace” there are NO requirements except to believe something about Jesus. For the natural man who “believes” ( sins forgiven), it is certainly true that the Kingdom demands are impossible for him to practice. However, this is exactly why we MUST receive the Promise of the Father, experience the Full New Covenant BEFORE we can live experientially within the Kingdom and obey the Laws of the Kingdom Government of God. The ability to live within the Kingdom government and its demands is imparted to us in these foundational experiences.

To the “grace enthusiast” the Gospel of the Kingdom is a kind of concocted story that is unscriptural because of the demands of change that it requires. If the Kingdom was just related to some emotional meetings in the early church we could write it off as something transient and passing by but soon forgotten. Then at some later time it will be restored during the Millennium during the Reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth. However, today, it is thought, the Kingdom has been postponed and is so taught by some well known Bible scholars.

The New Covenant signaled a revolutionary time when The Creator God would infuse Himself within man and live and walk in man. This “provision” is essential just to live the Christian Life according to the plan and purpose of God.

2Cor 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

This may seem like fantasy that the infinite God, who made the universe, would come to dwell in us. It appears that such a statement is just hyperbole or a “cleverly devised tale. “ It also is thought that much of the New Testament is not accurately written from out of a true inner life experience. Maybe they had the same unbelief in Peters time.

2Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”– 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Still, it is one thing to hear that voice from heaven but quite another to claim that the Creator God Lives in Us. However, this truth is repeated several times in the New Testament even though it seems too good to be true. Because we don’t really believe this, we pray and fast and seek God diligently to get us through difficult times. This is not wrong but if God dwells in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure, could we not trust that He will do that work in us. We quote that it is Christ in us, our hope of glory, but then act like we don’t believe that truth as a practical life experience. Now we hear of tremendous things that are available to us as “the sons of God” but alas we think we are just not there yet. The concept being presented is that as “sons of God” we have become special and privileged and have passed beyond problems, troubles and will live a super-human life. Of course, the truth is; “because you are sons” tremendous discipline can be expected.

These mysteries that have been hidden to former generations are being made known through the church. Paul says that preaching the real Word of God is revealing the mysteries hidden from past ages. This mystery is “Christ in you.” Another part of that mystery is that the Father and the Holy Spirit is also available to dwell in us.

Col 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

An even greater mystery is that If we love Him and keep His commandments BOTH the Father and the Word will dwell with us.

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.

As incredible as all this sounds this is exactly what the New Covenant promises. This incredible fulfillment actually began at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us.

Ezekiel 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.

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.

It seems that this truth would be very easy to communicate with at least the church because they are supposed to be “believers” (have forgiveness of sins) However, it seems we are always trying to define what a “believer” really is. What do we have to believe to be a “believer?” Do we have to believe that the Spirit of Christ, the Living and abiding Word of God, and the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God, (the Spirit of the Father), dwells in us? If that was the requirement then the demands of the Kingdom of God would NOT be difficult to accept. Why? Because Christ in us would meet those demands by working His grace and ability in us. However, what is being preached is a insipid gospel that is focused upon the human being acting like a Christian and evangelizing the lost.

The Gospel of The Kingdom must begin with God living in man and personally transforming him from within from what he is as a fallen human being to become like the Manifested Son of God. God has always, from eternity, been the EXTERNAL God who must be obeyed. Never before the New Covenant has He been the INTERNAL God that works that ability to walk in obedience into us from within. When we leave this out of our True Gospel of the Kingdom it puts man into an untenable position of doing everything in the flesh. This puts man into an impossible situation in which he is defeated BEFORE he begins. Those who are in the flesh can NEVER please God and yet that is what too much of the church is trying to do. In some groups the “believer” is not even expected to do the will of God. Why? Because the believer has hired the pastor to do the will of God, to pray and meet God’s requirements for him.

Even though the Eternal and Living Word of God has become flesh and dwelt among us and we have identified with the Prototype Son, this fact is lost when we try to apply this truth personally to ourselves. Preaching about “Sonship” without revealing and clarifying all the provision that makes sonship possible is a waste of time. The same thing is true about the Kingdom of God. Living the “practical” Kingdom Life by the ability of the natural man is way beyond human capacity. This should be clearly taught as impossible.

We hear some kind of message about the huggy, feely, touchy, romantic relationship with Christ Jesus derived from the Song of Solomon and we realize this is NOT based upon knowing the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is not always gentle, full of forgiveness and responds politely to our failings. Neither is the Glorified Jesus of the Bible as we see in Revelation 2 and 3 as He walks among the Lampstand churches and corrects, warns, threatens and disciplines them. Our God is a Consuming Fire and dwells in the everlasting burnings. He is both wind and fire and a lot of other things that normal human beings cannot stand. Still, many insist that they will walk up and shake hands with Jesus and sit on the Father’s lap. Some ignorantly insist that everybody can just walk by and see God’s face. This ignorant over-familiarity with the consuming fire and the casual approach to the everlasting burnings is not being rebuffed from the pulpit. We even sing about this error as if it were true.

Some assume that God is satisfied by some religious games that we play because he loves to see the children play and run and sing nice songs. If you think that God will not permit you to endure tremendous darkness and terrifying discipline you will be surprised. If you think He will not deal decisively with your illusions about yourself or your character defects you will be amazed. He will show absolutely NO compassion toward the evil things in your life. Why? Because He is intent upon bring many sons to the same glory of His only begotten son. If you think that we will all rule with Jesus because we believe He is our Savior (forgiveness of sins) you may be devastated by the methods He uses to make us fit to rule.

Revelation 2:26 ‘And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;

Even as an earthen pot is broken into small pieces each one who rules must be broken in the same way as Jesus received authority from His Father. Fewer people will be anxious to rule AFTER they know the cost of this authority. Many insist that a loving Father would never treat His children this way. When it comes to the world yet to come, we will discover that God is deadly serious about every aspect of the Tabernacle of God as He shows us in the exacting details required in the Tabernacle of Moses.

The evangelical church seems to have lost the reality of the tremendous work that God must do in us just to make us ministers of the New Covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. If this inner work is not completed we discover that we are just living in and ministering flesh, facts and Bible information by natural means. God must live in us to complete this eternal work.

As humans we would very much prefer to have an EXTERNAL GOD who lived far off in heaven and saw us from a great distance. The humanist gospel boldly declares that when we sin and do perverted things God doesn’t see us because we are “in Christ” so when God looks down He only sees Christ and His righteousness. That is a wonderful gospel but that is a lie as we clearly see in Revelation 2 and 3. It is just one easy step from many visible churches to atheism.

When God comes to live in us He will immediately set our house in Divine order unless we resist the obvious change necessary. Multitudes are wasting their life in the status quo simply because they are not taught how God deals with those who are called to fulfill His Eternal Purpose. It is the unconverted part of us that wants to remain in the status quo and be left alone by God. After all, “the gospel of the half priced sale” has assured us that since we are “saved” that is all there is and we are already “perfect in Christ, we have overcome in Him and we are already seated with Him on the Throne .” Even a shallow reading of the Bible will prove that is a big lie but the carnal person is quick to believe it.

We have recently heard men who have a grievance against God because He didn’t do what they asked and use that as an excuse to drop out of the race. Even though God may seriously hurt us, He will never harm us so we cannot fulfill His purpose. Rather, He disciplines us so we can share His holiness. We may, like Jacob, come limping but at least we continue onward. Just put out of your mind that you can win ANY battle against God and surrender TODAY in full consecration to do His will.

Remember that in the New Testament and the early church, you have men and women who were invaded by the Living God. These were ignorant and unlearned fishermen. Even though they were not instantly made perfect they were in the process of being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ. They seemed to be keenly aware of their relationship with the Living God and with each other in a practical way. The popular gospel says that this intensity of life was just to get the church started but is not necessary today because now we have the Bible. The problem with that gospel is that for 1400 years the believer had NO BIBLE but still walked with God as an internal reality!

Today we look at their example in the Book of Acts and assume that this intensity of life experience has tapered off so that what we see in the visible church is the New Testament normal. Why? Because we have missed the experiential reality of the “DIVINE INVASION” by some lessor degree of reality in our practical Life than they had. This “Divine invasion reality” should be relevant regardless of which century we live in because that is New Covenant Provision and Truth. This “Work of God in us and through us” is unique to the New Covenant in any age. This “Living and Abiding Word of God in us” is the provision to make each of us a “minister of the Word.” How? Just like the early Apostles by permitting Him to speak in us and through us.

Some today are willing to warm their hands with the fire of God from a distance but are just unable to dwell in the everlasting burnings. Why? Because they are trying to come near as “saved” human beings (forgiveness of sins) and not as new creations (of the new species) who are designed to dwell there. Why? Because the New Inner Man originated there and was born by the Living and abiding Word of God. That IS the sperma from the Eternal Fire developing Sons who can dwell there in the everlasting burnings. How do we know that? Because the only Begotten Son now dwells there on Zion and God is at work to bring many Sons to that same glory.

Then How can the infinite God live in finite man? This must be one of the mysteries similar to How can Christ live in us and grow in us? Of course it CANNOT be Jesus that lives in us as is popularly preached. The Man Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of God in the Most Holy Place (Mount Zion) in “heaven.” Therefore, it is the Spirit of Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God that causes us to be born again and to take up residence in us.

Rom 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Both the Spirit of God AND the Spirit of Christ MUST Dwell in us to qualify us as New Covenant believers. God dwells in us by His Holy Spirit. Christ dwells in us by the Spirit of Christ. Jesus CANNOT dwell in believers because even though He was born of God He is still the Man, Christ Jesus. Jesus was born about 2000 years ago but the Spirit of Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God is eternal and IS God, the same was in the beginning with God. It was this Eternal Word that was conceived in Mary and became flesh in Jesus and dwelt among us.

Jesus said in 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. Therefore, if we possess “the fulness of Him that fills all in all” we will have the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of the Father dwelling in us.

Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

Eph 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

Col 1:19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,

Col 2:9 For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Complete here means full. The context shows that we don’t need any of the Jewish provisions or regulations of food and drink or circumcision but in Christ Jesus all the necessary provision is made. This is translated as “PERFECT” and it is assumed that as soon as you receive Jesus as personal Savior you are as perfect as you will ever get. This, of course, is NOT what this means to imply.

Col 1:28 And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

It is obvious that Paul was NOT writing to the Colossians to tell them they were already perfect because of what they believed (forgiveness of sins) . He was laboring to bring them to perfection. If they were already “perfect” in Christ, Paul was wasting his time trying to get them to be perfect, complete or mature.

The point I am making is this; The natural light of the Outer Court dimension will only reveal natural things to the natural man EVEN if he has forgiveness of sins. This is why ALL ministry must begin in the Holy Place under the illumination of the Seven Spirits of God. Some of these “doctrines” dispersed by these Outer Court ministries are in direct opposition to God’s Eternal Purpose to have a Kingdom of Priests to rule over the world yet to come.

How do we recognize those ministers who have stopped in some Outer Court experience rather than become ministers after the Order of Melchizedek? One evidence is that they are always just preaching irrelevant things by explaining verses and calling it “ministering the Word of God.” Explaining verses will never bring the church to perfection or even change or mature the believers. ( those who have forgiveness of sins). Explaining verses is NOT laying foundations that will permit believers ( forgiveness of sins) to go on to perfection. (Grow up in ALL things, into the one Perfect man; to the measure of the stature that belongs to the fulness of Christ; the Perfect man = the Last Adam)

Ministries that cannot help believers (forgiveness of sins) to make the transition from the Outer Court preparation ( foundations) to the Holy Place function (priesthood) MUST be considered as New Covenant failures. Paying these ministers to fail seems like a waste of good money. Still, finding ministers that do not fail is very illusive. This may fairly describe the Restoration that God is beginning NOW. ONLY those “ministers” who are fully consecrated to do the whole will of God and have subjected themselves to the discipline necessary for Sonship will qualify to participate. Wasting your time with casual ministries that preach a feel good message but have no burden to bring the church to perfection is NOT recommended.

Since there are so few of these ministries revealed now, our recommendation is that each one ( believer) give themselves to God wholly as a living sacrifice, in full consecration to do the whole will of God, and make the transition to the Holy Place Life and Ministry. In that dimension you (the Priest) WILL BE TAUGHT BY GOD. Seek that Inner Anointing where everybody is taught by the Seven Spirits of God that illuminate the Holy Place. This anointing of the Spirit without measure will soon identify the ministers who have made the transition to the function within the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. Reject these “ministers” that seek to act as a mediator between God and man. Why? There is ONLY one now.