The Kingdom – The Introduction
How Do We Participate? What is God’s Part?
Salvation And The Kingdom Government
The Kingdom Is Absolute and Eternal and Essential
Re-Edited and expanded on December 19, 2015
The Kingdom should be understood from a different and broader viewpoint than just as the beginning process. We should adopt the viewpoint beginning with God, Himself and His inner work IN US to complete His Kingdom Purpose!
Phil 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Being able to Know and DO His will and to Please God is the result of God working IN US! To presume His work IN US is complete with forgiveness of sins is far too shallow in light of His Eternal Kingdom Government and the perfection of the saints.
When we understand that in the context of “salvation” it still God who is at work in you
that is accomplishing our salvation. The Kingdom must be seen in this same context. The Kingdom experience is directly related to a continuous process of GOD WORKING IN US! Without God working IN US to finish this tremendous work of salvation, “maturity / perfection,” we have no hope of completing God’s Eternal Purpose!
To resist this inner work of God is really stupid because He does His works IN US to enable us to fulfill our eternal destiny. In addition to that, without this personal inner working by God, all expectation of Preaching the Kingdom Truth soon fades.
We should not fail to understand the essential nature of the full growth of the new inner man who is Christian. It is this son-ship / priesthood that enables us to develop a mature, God centered ministry! If the Kingdom is NOT being preached today, there must be a solid reason! That “reason” should be directed toward the local “ministry.” Why?
Mat 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.
THIS Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached but; What “in the whole world” is the Kingdom Gospel? What are we supposed to be preaching? What is this message? It IS The Kingdom!
First; What is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is God’s Absolute Sovereignty and Ultimate Dominion over all His Creation. Within God’s Kingdom there is an Absolute Government. This Government has Absolute Laws that control the universe, including this earth and all its satellite planets. These Laws extend to establish an absolute and Divine order upon this earth including all peoples of ALL the nations upon the earth.
Everything in God’s creation is created within a divine order that functions by divine Laws. The Law of Gravity and the Laws of Mathematics are natural examples. These Laws work everywhere in God’s creation, whether we believe it or not. If mankind could live under and obey these Laws, mankind would be in harmony with BOTH God and with His Creation. In the Kingdom of Heaven this
is already functioning and everybody is doing the will of God.
The problem that God is having is here on earth!
Most of this earth is attempting to replace God as our Diving Source of everything and create a counterfeit system, called the kingdoms of this world. These kingdoms have declared their independence from God and His Laws. The leaders of this group is Satan, his demons and his fallen angels. Both Adam and Eve were created within God’s Laws and under His Absolute
Sovereignty and Dominion. The rebellion of mankind on this earth has been against God, against His Kingdom and against His Laws. This rebellion against the Creator God has established another counterfeit government on this earth that is called “the kingdoms of this world.” They have no intension of doing the will of God.
Math 4:8 Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain, and *showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world, and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus *said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 11Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
It is very clear that Satan is the god of this world and he can give the kingdoms of this world to anyone he chooses. The only requirement is to fall down and worship Satan. It is this counterfeit kingdom that is in direct opposition to the Kingdom of God. Since there are only these two kingdoms, each person, believer or nonbeliever, must decide which kingdom he will serve.
Everybody can prosper in the kingdom of darkness if they just fall down and worship Satan. It doesn’t matter how rotten you are, you are accepted in that corrupt kingdom.
It is TODAY, at this junction in history, that everybody MUST make a final decision. Which kingdom will you serve.
LUKE 4:43] But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." THIS KINGDOM is what Jesus preached!
The Apostles, also, preached the Kingdom of God. Why? Within the New Covenant provision, there IS a clear definition between these two kingdoms. One Kingdom has unlimited Divine provision and the other only has earthly provision. At last, following Calvary and with the coming of the Holy Spirit, there comes the power, the authority and the calling to separate these two kingdoms from within our lives. Why? So the Kingdom of God can defeat and close the kingdoms of this world. Why? That is because this counterfeit kingdom and all its persons are declared enemies of God. These enemies are, also, our enemies. The “church” that attempts to be neutral between these two kingdoms is in big trouble!
Psalm 8:2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
When we become part of His Kingdom, we become part of this conflict between the two
kingdoms. Man and Satan fell by their disobedience and now we (as a redeemed and new species of persons– Christian) must defeat them by our obedience. The “message of the Kingdom” incorporates all these things and must be preached until His Kingdom is fully functional and obeyed within the Church He is Building! However, in the ‘other church’ (that men are building) the Kingdom is still a big mystery.
Act 28:30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
The purpose for preaching the Kingdom of God is to inform, convert and “perfect”or mature believers until they surrender to and then become participants in God’s Absolute Government and obey His Laws! Why? That is because when Jesus returns there will be an eternal separation of these two groups. If you remain in the losing kingdom you will end up where that kingdom ends, in hell! At that time it will not be who you believe in but to which kingdom do you belong.
Those who preach a “salvation” outside the Kingdom of God and His Absolute
Government will discover their message is a big deception. Multitudes are presently deceived into thinking they can accept Jesus as personal Savior and ignore God’s Absolute Government.
This error is similar to Israel accepting the deliverance of the Passover lamb but then staying in Egypt to enjoy the leeks and garlic of that kingdom. The “picture” God gives us is this; Immediately after “accepting” the Passover Lamb we must reject the world and leave that kingdom and before sun rises begin our journey into God’s Kingdom or Canaan. Our Passover Lamb is Christ Jesus and following Calvary He has received His Kingdom! Now the “team sent from God” (the Living and Abiding Word of God and the Holy Spirit) to develop us, internally, so we can obey His immutably Laws! Therefore, to accept Jesus, as Savior, is to also accept His Kingdom and obey His Laws!
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 really ignorant to preach about Jesus as “personal Savior” but Ignoring His Kingdom, His Government, His Laws and our OBEDIENCE that leads to our eternal salvation.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 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. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.
He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
If today’s “believers” have no intension of doing His will, are they friends or enemies? We can identify His enemies as those who refuse His Absolute Rule and become His friends by our obedience! We are His friend, IF WE DO AS HE SAYS! This is really not complicated. If we learn to obey here we will be accepted there. Preaching that our expected obedience is “just works” that can never save us is not only ignorant, it is ridiculous. Why does this argument even exist in the church? That is simply because some of the church has chosen to ignore the Kingdom of Christ, His authority and our obedience, as being part of our salvation.
It should be obvious that The Kingdom of Christ is being established NOW during the church age! It is at this present time when Christ Jesus is ruling and establishing the Kingdom Government
IN THE CHURCH HE IS BUILDING! This Kingdom then will be incorporated into the Eternal Kingdom of God WHEN HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying,
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."
Jesus Christ was sent to preach the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom IS His message. But didn’t He come to announce salvation to all men? Yes! But a salvation that is harmonious with and integrated into the Kingdom Government of God. The Kingdom is the message and when we receive the Kingdom Government, salvation is ours. It is popular to preach “a salvation” in which you only believe something about Jesus. If you say these words after me then you are “saved.” Nothing is required of you except to believe that Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected from the dead. Some make this gospel more difficult by saying you have to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Some insist upon calling this “the gospel of salvation.” Some refer to this as the Gospel of grace. Some call it “ the Romans road to heaven.”
However, there is no place where we are commanded to preach a “gospel of Salvation.” That term, the Gospel of Salvation, is only used once in Ephesians 1:13.
Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
“God's own possession” is a powerful statement which includes Romans 12 and the “consecration offering.” The “Consecration offering” is an essential part of our entrance into the Kingdom. For God’s laws to be effective within us, a total surrender to the Kingdom Government is required! Does that mean that this gospel of salvation is, therefore, wrong? No! But this gospel (salvation) is just a tiny part of the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is certainly a beginning part but not the whole gospel. This “gospel of the Kingdom” is “with a view to the redemption of God's own possession.” Nevertheless, this Gospel of the Kingdom begins with our forgiveness of sins through the Sacrifice of Calvary.
We cannot reduce the “Gospel of the Kingdom” down to forgiveness of sins. Rather, we must develop the believer, who has experienced forgiveness of sins, until he is able to bring his life under the Sovereign Government of God and to live by the laws of the Kingdom. These Laws are administrated by the Holy Spirit when He lives within us. That IS another reason for our FULL “Feast of Pentecost Experience”; That means the entrance of the Holy Spirit into our life to become the High Priest of God over our development. Why? That is because this is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit who is the Priest of the Most High God!
LUKE 16:16] "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
We can’t preach that we have to force our way into salvation. Or that we have to bring forth the fruit of salvation before we can be saved. We can not or should not substitute “salvation” (forgiveness of sins) for a solid experience of the Kingdom Government of God and its His indelible Laws in our life! For example; If we placed Kingdom requirements upon the unsaved and tell them
they could not “be saved” unless they did Luke 12: V33, who could be saved? That would make evangelism very difficult. Why? That is because the Life of the Kingdom begins experientially within us after all the foundations for the Christian Life are in our experience. This basic preparation and
“outer court maturity” is what prepares us to be able to live within the demands of His Kingdom requirements. Ignoring these necessary foundations is really stupid.
LUKE 12:32] "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. [33] "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. [34] "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
This “promise” sounds like a very good exchange AFTER we receive the Kingdom. Another problem we encounter when we preach the Kingdom is how do we prepare and mature the church so it can be incorporated into the Kingdom? The modern way is to declare that the church is the Kingdom. In other words we must shrink the Kingdom until it fits into the church. The Jehovah Witnesses have shrunk the Kingdom down to one denomination. However, we discover that the Kingdom is universal and covers everything in heaven, in the universe and everything under the whole heaven, which is everything upon the earth. The true church, obviously, must do the will of God and serve and obey Him to qualify for the Kingdom.
DAN 7:27] `Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'
The church is not the Kingdom. We can’t say that everyone is pressing (or forcing) their way into the church. Neither can we say, repent because the church is at hand. The church is the corporate body of believers who are supposed to be pressing (forcing their way) into the Kingdom. The Kingdom Experience is the purpose and the goal of conversion, not church membership. Many are converted as far as the church but, certainly, not as far as the Kingdom. Converted to a church means birthed into the life and goals of "a group / church". Converted to the Kingdom means birthed into the life, goals and purpose of the Kingdom— its Government, its Laws and its requirements, and into God’s Eternal Purpose!"
You can travel from church to church, but you cannot travel from Kingdom to Kingdom . There is a church in each location but there is only one Kingdom in the whole universe. There can be a black church, a white church and a Latin church, but there cannot be a black Kingdom or any ethnic Kingdom. Jesus writes to the seven churches. That is proper. But He cannot write to seven Kingdoms.
The Kingdom is not something that you fall into by accident. It is something that is pressed (forced) into with all perseverance and with much tribulation. The Kingdom is not something you just accept by faith. It is something that must be experienced by faith where every citizen of the Kingdom serves and obeys Him.
Another simple discovery that will change our vision is that the Kingdom is identified by certain qualities manifested in our lives. Its Government is not obeyed automatically simply because we believe something about Jesus!
Philip 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on
in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In other words, there is a goal far beyond what we have currently experienced. If Paul had not yet attained ‘it’ by this time in his life, why would we think we had already reached the goal of the upward call of God. The upward call of God surely must include His Kingdom Government as an inner life experience. It is the inner life experiences that develop the Kingdom qualities that can and should be manifest.
2 PET 1:8] For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. [10] Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; [11] for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
2 PET 1 lists “eight qualities” that are required for entrance into the Kingdom. Of course these eight are not all inclusive because we can find several others. For example;
ACTS 14:22] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."
Each successive “quality” that we add to our experience must be tested by tribulation and suffering to see how steadfast and immovable it is! These “qualities” are not doctrinal, they are experiential, within the new inner man. It is the New Creation Inner Man who is of the Kingdom species.
MAT 13:51 "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes." [52] And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old."
We can become students of the Kingdom and learn all about the Kingdom. We can develop doctrines of the Kingdom and know all the requirements of the Kingdom but never enter the Kingdom, experientially, through our obedience. It is the disciple of the Kingdom who participates in the life of the Kingdom and becomes the head of a household. He can bring out of his TREASURE things both new and old. He not only teaches about the Kingdom, he also demonstrates the Kingdom.
A natural scribe was a “professional copyist” that made exact copies of existing documents. His contribution was in just reproducing, accurately, manuscripts that were already written. He was not permitted to add his own thoughts or record opinions or even add words to clarify a passage. His function was as an exact copyist and not as an originator of thought. However, in Jesus’ day it is clear that did not prevent the scribe from having a lot of opinions.
However, once a true believer becomes a disciple of the Kingdom he then is called “as the head of a household”, with headship understanding and a possessor of revelation. Then he can bring out of his OWN treasure both things new AND old! What a transformation from a copyist to an originator of thoughts and being able to put the scriptures together and preach things both new and old. A student of the Kingdom is graded on his knowledge. A disciple of the Kingdom is graded on his obedience. A student learns while a disciple does.
Then why don’t we all just become disciples of the Kingdom so we can go into all the world to proclaim, accurately, the Divine Order of Heaven? First, there must be the Discipleship training that leads into the Kingdom experience which is an Intense and Divine Process. This is not an exercise of faith but an exercise of transformation. Even though the Kingdom is preached, multitudes will ignore it because of the demands! However, “disciple” means that ALL Disciples of the Kingdom are doing the will of God on earth in the same measure it is being done in heaven. It is THEN that the Kingdom has personally come into our experience. In traveling to many countries of the world, I have not yet found that corporate group of Kingdom Disciples that Jesus speaks about!
When you truly see the Kingdom, even from afar, you discover your spiritual life is not sufficient to support and practice what you see. The Kingdom will seldom fit into your present lifestyle or into your goals and will conflict with your ambitions. It will certainly conflict with our egos and our ego–centric ministries! When we see the Kingdom requirements and the end of those who don’t fulfill God’s expectations, we lose our sense of security. Therefore we want to receive the Kingdom in some modified form. We try to reduce the Kingdom down to fit into our goals and ambitions. We assume it is much easier to reduce the Kingdom down to fit into our lifestyle than to discipline and enlarge our life to incorporate the Kingdom Government into our present lifestyle.
LUKE 9:62] But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Once we decide to go forward into the work of establishing the Kingdom in our life, there is no opportunity to turn back to readjust our consecration. The only option we have is to press on until our character develops into a Kingdom reality.
What the visible church has done is just put the Kingdom over into some future time so we don't have to worry about it now. Some preach that when Jesus returns, He will then establish His Kingdom so we don’t need to worry about that now. They boldly declare that this is the time of God’s Grace but His Kingdom will be established on earth during the millennium and He will rule for 1000 years. While this is true, that does not eliminate all the scriptures referring to the Kingdom having entrance into our lives now to establish the Kingdom Life and the Divine Order and Kingdom Character into our experience during the church age. For example; 2 Peter 1.
Salvation has to do with our deliverance from the kingdom of darkness. Experiencing the Kingdom of Light has to do with our development, growth and function within His absolute Government. Consecration is putting your life in God's hands and at His disposal to do with you as He wills. That is the basis of our personal experience of “entering” the Kingdom Government. Emptiness, hypocrisy and artificiality is the result of not being able to make the change from self, to sacrifice, and from the primary experiences of forgiveness, to the Kingdom Life of obedience. Our progression into the Kingdom can be seen “graphically” in the type or picture of God bringing Israel out of Egypt into the promised land of Canaan.
This is God's pattern seen in Israel. FIRST THE PASSOVER LAMB IS SLAIN, THE PEOPLE USE THE BLOOD AND EAT THE LAMB. [Exodus] = Deliverance from bondage and enemies. [Leviticus] = Find your place, in a functioning priesthood, worship, ministering. [Numbers] = the people are Numbered and set in military order– Prepare for battle. [Deuteronomy] = History of victories and defeats. [Joshua] = Enter the promises and possess the land. Joshua is a picture of the Overcomers. Etc. First and second Kings and Chronicles are the history of the pitiful results of undisciplined, rebellious and stubborn men in authority, and our understanding of the ones God can use as kings who are faithful and bring blessing to Israel. This understanding includes both the good and the bad kings and the faithful and rebellious priests. It defines obedience and disobedience!
Multitudes have declared their independence from God so they can be totally free. Even in the church men have declared their freedom from God’s Laws. Man has tried to free himself from dependence upon God for healing in the physical realm by developing high tech medicines, research and hospitals. Also freedom from military oppression by creating a military defense and by building up various high tech weapons. Man wants to free himself from moral laws so he engages in immorality to prove his freedom. Man looks for security in pensions, savings, investments and insurance. In every area of life man has substituted some thing or some man made security for what God has promised to supply in His Kingdom.
All forms of government [in the church, in corporations, the federal government as well as local governments] are breaking down under the weight of the demands placed upon human ability. The world economic system has either failed or is in the process of failing because the moral and social life has become totally perverted, to become selfish, self centered, ego centric, full of greed and corrupt. Expelling God from His position as the Ultimate King and Ruler over His Universe is nearly universal on every continent.
The Hollywood concept of perverted "love" has failed because of disease and inner guilt and an expectation of finding a “perfect romance.” Man has not found reality in anything outward or from the earth dimension, therefore, many are without hope of finding any true stability. Most people, in the world, are afraid to look to the church for answers because they doubt there is any more reality in the church than is evident in the world. The corporate and financial scandals have undermined the world’s confidence in most leaders and systems of commerce. Even those in the church, who are seeing the Kingdom of God from a distance, have little hope the church will be any different from the popular man made earthly kingdoms.
As we have witnessed, in all the racial riots, rebellions and demonstrations, man, of any color, rebels when he perceives that he has lost his place in society and he no longer belongs. The financial crisis, inflation and the pension scandals have excluded thousands from something they had counted on for happiness and retirement. Now they despise the thing they trusted in because now they are frustrated by being deceived and excluded from their expectations. The epidemic of the greed of Wall Street and our banking systems have sickened millions who expected stability, safety and honesty.
The epidemic of physical sickness that has attacked the have-nots is perceived as some ones fault who is up the economic chain! They are excluded from some of the perceived entitlement benefits and feel they don't belong or are excluded from the system. The cost of hospital care and universal insurance has increased beyond their ability to pay. They feel they cannot participate in the blessings of this country and it must be someone's fault. We can understand this in the world, but the same thing holds true in the church by those who just want to participate in the routine of the outward church. Since they are ONLY “unqualified members” and unable to participate in leadership within their denomination, they are excluded from “ministry” so someone in authority is to blame!
If we preach the requirements of the Kingdom some will feel they can’t measure up so
they don't even try to belong. Man wants to be accepted and craves to belong to something real.
Charles Simpson tell about a man that belonged to so many clubs that when he died they wrote on his tombstone " He was clubbed to death". Why is this need now universal? Most people want to belong to something where they feel included!
People, who want to maintain a salvation experience, will eventually gravitate to a group where they perceive their personal experience measures up to others in the group– no matter how pitiful– and they can feel like they belong. Church membership seems to satisfies some people’s desire to belong. Man is unaware that the thing he really needs is the Kingdom. The Kingdom will satisfy every need to belong, after we belong to it. However, if we refuse to preach the Kingdom, how will anyone know how to “belong to it?”
The great problem with the Kingdom is that it is the Word of God becoming flesh in us. The Kingdom is not experiential just by hearing a message conveyed by preaching and teaching or even by revelation. This is just information leading toward the experience. The Kingdom is really an inner life revelation.
Why has the Kingdom been hidden by the church? Because, the Kingdom is not in word only but is revealed by power and demonstration of the Spirit! For that reason, the Kingdom has remained a mystery to the majority of those in the visible church. When the church assigned the Kingdom to a prominent position in the future, sometime in the millennium, she lost the Word of the Kingdom. When she lost the Word of the Kingdom she lost the manifestation of the Kingdom and the inner Life and Experience of the Kingdom!
Mat 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.
When the church began, the Kingdom of God was to be the central message of the Apostles but now has become just a cliche, another abstract doctrine or a concept without reality, experience or power.
God's goal was for the church was, during this church age, to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, on this earth, within a corporate life and function.
This task was assigned to the church when it was empowered by the New Covenant and the coming of the Holy spirit! When the nations saw the church they were to see the Kingdom of Heaven manifested on the earth within the body of Christ. To accomplish this visibly, the corporate group must do the will of God, hear His voice keep His covenant and obey. The requirement given at Mount Sinai was to hear His voice, keep His covenant and obey. It was THEN that He could make them a kingdom of Priests. The same thing is true today!
However, as the years passed, the Kingdom soon became just a marginal issue or even less, just a cliche, or a message without power. The same problem still exists!
The Kingdom is not revealed just by preaching more facts and irrelevant information and knowledge! The Kingdom is expressed out of a Kingdom Experience and manifested out of a Kingdom Life!
Denominationalism, hierarchies, garments, creeds, programs, customs, rituals and parades became the central issues within a few years and soon became the primary message. The Kingdom then was preached as a place in heaven that we go when we die. The church and the Kingdom became synonymous on earth, and heaven and the Kingdom became synonymous after we die.
If the church and the Kingdom were synonymous then the church's message must be "repent for the Church is at hand". We would pray " Father, thy church come, thy will be done". Or "seek ye first the church and all these things will be added to you".
Paul's message was very clear and his ministry revolved around the Kingdom of God and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ!
ACT 28:23 And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.
ACT 28:31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
The book of Acts concludes with Paul preaching the Kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the message; The unshakable Kingdom and the unchanging King.
These are the two parts of our current Kingdom Message. We lose the continuity and the power of the message when we preach one, the Kingdom without the other, the King. God has joined these two together for eternity. The King and His Kingdom is the message concerning God’s government that will reign for eternity.
Why are we so adamant about all this? That is because all this was demonstrated in the flesh by the Prototype Son who is now the King Eternal! As God’s King and High Priest He has received and is now functioning within the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek, who was the Eternal King / Priest. Everyone who are New Covenant priests must be King / Priests after the Order of Melchizedek. Why? There is no other priesthood now!
The question that is current now is this; If there are two High Priests how do they function?
Melchizedek was and IS the Priest of the Most High God. He was always a Priest and He holds His Priesthood forever.
Jesus is our High Priest who was taken from among men. He is one of us. He is now the mediator of the New Covenant that is built on better promises. There is ONE MEDIATOR between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus, our High Priest, stands between us and God and we ask, therefore, in his name! Melchizedek was always God’s High Priest, Priest of the Most High God, but now God has made HIS SON the High Priest forever, after that Eternal Order of Melchizedek, over His church and over all mankind. Why?
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. 23 And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
It is interesting that here God appoints a Son, made perfect forever. We may not be able to make this “sonship a requirement for Priesthood” into a permanent doctrine, but it should be considered. Why? That is because there will certainly be a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS functioning in the Eternal Kingdom! This requirement of “sonship” would certainly conflict with the kingdom the church is preaching today. Why? Many are preaching that all believers are automatically priests by salvation. However, the Kingdom of Priests certainly includes Full Grown Sonship as an implied requirement for the Eternal Priesthood! At least this is compatible with MY Kingdom Theology because it was a requirement for Jesus.
Some sections of the church preach the Kingdom as an idealism, but then conclude that we have to live in the real world so the Kingdom is not practical. However, even though they say, the Kingdom is not relevant in the real world, that is a deception. Some preach that the requirements in Matthew 5,6,7 are not practical for this time. One commentary says that the Kingdom is so difficult that it cannot be for the church in this age because this church is under grace, not law, so it must be for Israel during the millennium which will be under law!
Some confirm that we would all like to live like Matthew 5,6,7, but in the real world this is just not possible. However, they say some day it will be possible during the millennium.
The Eternal fact is this; The Kingdom of God is the only possible working order for mankind simply because it's divine principles are built into the whole of creation. Everything that God created, He created by the Word of God and without the Word nothing was created, that was created. The Kingdom and its Laws are built solidly into every created thing. Jesus said “The Kingdom is within you!” The Kingdom is already built into us from the creation. We obey it and prosper or we revolt against it and self destruct. This “destruction” is demonstrated daily, somewhere, and can be seen on the news channels anywhere in the world. Why?
There is the "the reality of the Kingdom" that is built into all of creation, including the
universe. All the stars and planets function according to the laws of the Kingdom, and harmonize with it by full obedience to it. There is the " kingdom of darkness" that conflicts with everything within the Divine Creation and wishes to destroy it. Today, it is clear that this kingdom of darkness stands for everything corrupt, that is entirely wrong! Always in conflict with that fallen kingdom of disobedience, the Kingdom of Light presents itself as entirely right and Righteous.
Now the fallen kingdom has presented another explanation of acceptance. Fornication, adultery and all kinds of sexual perversion are presented as alternate lifestyles that must be accepted as normal. Anyone presenting an opposite opinion is identified as an extremist and as socially unacceptable, even if they have another opinion. However, God’s law clearly says all these things are wrong. Why? They conflict with laws of creation. The Kingdom message clearly defines both the right AND the wrong! Is the Kingdom then extreme? NO! It holds to what is normal and righteous and just to what is normal part of creation. It is the opposite viewpoint that is EXTREME!
Even in the church, the wrong seems now to be right and the right wrong. No other kingdom, outside the Kingdom of God, can survive forever because every atom and molecule in creation is built to harmonize with the Kingdom of God. Why?
The Kingdom of God is written into every cell and DNA of our body. We are designed for the Kingdom and every believer should be in the process of being converted and becoming part of that Eternal Kingdom. Everything that is truly Christian will harmonize with the Kingdom and prosper within His Government. Therefore, the Kingdom of God is the only relevant working order for humanity everywhere. The Gospel of the Kingdom is the Master Plan for all of creation, including man.
However, The Kingdom of God is not a master plan that God intends to introduce in some distant future, as some in the visible church preach. The Divine Order was established from before the foundation of the earth, before the creation of man and then was built into creation. When man builds his house / life upon the Kingdom, it is built upon solid rock. Building on anything else (like accurate doctrines) is building upon the sand which will surely fail.
Outside the Kingdom love turns to lust, authority turns to tyranny and bondage. The Church turns into another religious system and government turns into politics and corruption. God’s intended purpose for this dispensation and manifestations of the Spirit has been turned, by ministries, into just another demonstration of the flesh. Wolves look like sheep but operate outside the laws of the Kingdom. God is not just looking for “ministries” but ministries that demonstrate the fruit and the Life of the Kingdom.
MAT 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.
A public “pulpit ministry” may remain and function long after the inner life of the minister has been rejected by the Kingdom requirements. Some ministries may still be living in rebellion against the Kingdom Government and reject God’s laws. They permit sin and corruption in their lives and preach “acceptance by grace” to cover their error! That kind of ministry is already judged and declared to be lawless. “Depart from me” is the judgement.
Mat 7:21] "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. [22] "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' [23] "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
What Jesus imparted to His disciples was already demonstrated by Him through both His Life and His ministry! What was recorded in the Gospels, concerning the Kingdom Life and ministry, was again demonstrated by His disciples in the book of Acts. These are the “keys to the Kingdom” made visible in time! The personal experience of the Kingdom should be seen as the ministry of Life! When the Kingdom and its Government has become an Inner Life experience, it can and should be demonstrated my authentic Kingdom ministries.
ACT 1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
We can assume that what we see in the book of Acts is what Jesus continued to do, after He was taken up.
Mar 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.] Some translations add this; [And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]
Now, the Gospel is not just a “doctrine” or “Bible study” about the Kingdom but is a Life example of the Kingdom being demonstrated. The Book of Acts then is His disciples repeating and duplicating what Jesus demonstrated as the Kingdom of God. His disciples carried on the work of the Kingdom after He was taken up. It is this that proves the Kingdom is practical and NOT just another idealism.
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;
Imparting the “promises (plural) of the Father” is what Jesus continued to do after His ascension. What Jesus taught in the Gospels about the Kingdom, has now come into the experience of the Apostles and reported in the Book of Acts. Why? To show us that the demonstration of the Kingdom was NOT just for Jesus but also for the Church that He is Building. The Greater Works that we expect, will only come to us out of the Kingdom Life!
The power and demonstration of the Kingdom was lost when the church began to teach that “salvation” was something that we could have outside the Kingdom. It is taught that “salvation” guarantees us heaven and is all that is necessary to participate in the future Millennial Kingdom that will come when Jesus returns. One reason this doctrine was accepted is because the demands of the Kingdom are certainly not possible for the natural man to fulfill. Since participating in the Kingdom requires a certain pressing into, violently, it brings into our experience battles that are too demanding for the lukewarm church and also the casual believer.
Since the casual church member is not prepared for all out war, first within himself, now at this time, and later within the Kingdom, the whole concept of the Kingdom now, is rejected! Therefore, the visible church declares; we have decided to let Jesus fight that battle when He comes back on His big white horse. After all, we don't have time to fight, we have to preach the gospel of the half priced sale and get more people “half saved.”
ACT 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
Both the Kingdom and the Name were taught and when both the Kingdom and the King were believed, they were baptized.
ACT 28:23 And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.
It is clear the apostles didn't divide the message. They preached both the King and His Kingdom. These TWO aspects of the gospel is just ONE MESSAGE. If we preach some kind of salvation outside the King and His Kingdom it must be a different gospel and we should expect to see different results. We do! A partial salvation, that is preached as forgiveness of sins, is not even half of a solution to man's real need. Romans 1 to 3 is God’s evaluation of man’s need that must be reversed by a Full Salvation Experience. This involves the discipline of obeying the laws of the Kingdom and coming under His Eternal Government. Of course this is not convenient for the half-saved, half-committed or the lukewarm, the casual or the comatose believer.
The modern concept is we can build the church much quicker if we preach “salvation” as a gift but some thing outside the King and His Kingdom. The concept is this; The easier we can make salvation, the more people we can pack into the church building. The more people we have, the more successful we will appear. This ego centric error is exciting until the fire of God comes and burns up all the wood, hay and straw. It is then that we understand we have wasted our life in fruitless activity that was outside the Kingdom experience.
It is for that reason that the gospel of the Kingdom is essential and one of the greatest necessities in the church today. We are not referring to the doctrine of the kingdom but the discipline and government of the Kingdom functioning within the corporate church. The unworkable order that we see in the systems, called church today, must be replaced with the Divine and Eternal Order of the Kingdom of God.
The early church must be evaluated from the viewpoint of the Kingdom rather than
from the viewpoint of their order of church service or where they held the meetings or what they called the leaders. If, today, we just saw the Kingdom being manifested in real life, as in the early church, it would reveal a practical Kingdom. However, if we evaluated the early church ministries and how they held their church meetings from the mechanical facts, rather than from their actual Kingdom Experience, we would have a clouded understanding of the first church and their function. That was the error of the “home meetings movement.”
TODAY, WE MUST RE-EVALUATE EVERYTHING IN THE CHURCH FROM A PROPER PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS THE KINGDOM GOVERNMENT! Our confusion has come because we just attempted to evaluate the early church by some physical and shallow structure of meetings, church authority and ruling / headship ministries. Some of these added another “head ministry” that turned them into a beast with several heads.
Once or twice in every generation someone will go back and try to pattern a church after the way the first church was set up. They look for Apostles and Prophets, forsake all claim to property, hold all things in common, meet in homes and live in commune. However if they forget about the Kingdom life and Government, that made the whole thing a workable order, the system self-destructs in a few years when the excitement fades. Most of the time carnal leaders set them selves up as little kingdoms with big authority and absolute control. Some of these bad actors proclaimed that Jesus was Lord in Heaven but he was Lord on earth.
If we took the Kingdom Life and government out of the early church, it would look like the church today.
The mechanics are nothing without the Kingdom Government as a current Life experience. The Christian life is a New KIND OF Life, not a religious system or another physical or mechanical lifestyle. The workable and demonstrable order of the Kingdom in the corporate church must be the result of the Kingdom life and Government in all the believers. The Church He is Building is not some visible structure and carnal order!
The church has not been called to grow old, but to grow up into full maturity. Steven never grew old, but he did grow up. He had the Kingdom life so longevity was not the goal. Those who have the life of the Kingdom will grow into the character of the Kingdom, as Christ is formed in them and His life matures within them. At least something eternal should be manifested! It s THIS Dimension that should be required for every ministry. Some ego centric person in the pulpit, manifesting himself, should be severely condemned as anti-Christian.
What is the real meaning of “the Consecrated Ministry” if we can't even walk in the basic principles of the Kingdom. We should first sit down as a little child before the basic facts of the Kingdom to see if we can do them rather than judge them as impractical. It is by surrendering completely to the demands of the Kingdom, in a full consecration of the new inner man, that we have access to the experience the Kingdom Order. Many want to browse through the demands of the Kingdom and then judge them as impractical and unworkable. One believer or an entire church may receive the knowledge of the Kingdom as a terrible burden, as an impossible demand, and perceive that it is attacking my freedom in Christ, therefore, it must be false and unacceptable.
Another will receive the Kingdom as an inner Government because of the blessing of God’s tremendous provision and God's grace that is available in the Kingdom.
Each believer must know and understand that there is a gift or special grace that is available to everyone who is living within the Kingdom Government. It is this Kingdom Provision that empowers us so we can fulfil all the requirements of the Kingdom, and qualify. Each believer must understand that every requirement of the Kingdom is met by God with an offer of a higher life and greater grace. This is an important part of the Kingdom Message!
Because of this, our obedience and our vision perspective, along with our Kingdom life and maturity, will determine our eternal destiny. For example; if you see the Kingdom from man’s ego centric and earthly viewpoint, it will appear to be an unreasonable demand upon your freedom in Christ and not for the Christian, in this dispensation. That is a popular concept today but these “believers” are just seeing from man's earthly viewpoint and viewing the Kingdom as against their ego and self interest. Even though this concept is widely held, it is only a carnal and is a very confused viewpoint of God’s Eternity.
MAT 16:3] But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." [24] Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. [25] "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.
LUKE 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. 34 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Do you see this as an unreasonable demand or as an offer by God of greater grace and a greater portion of His provision for a higher and a more intense life?
Since the pulpit has been full of “speakers of the word”, the pews have been full of
“hearers of the word” but very few are “doers of the word.” It may be impossible to adjust and reform the lives of the hearers because only doers of the word are changed by the word they do.
Primarily, the Kingdom doesn't ask us to offer an opinion or for us to make a suggestion or to offer an alternative. Rather, the Kingdom is God’s Sovereign Government and it simply commands and demands and offers no apology. Why? That is because along with the demands God offers to supply the power and ability to fulfill the requirements. The continuous provision of God to meet the demands of the Kingdom begins after we have fully experienced the Christian foundations and the provision of the New Covenant. However, this provision is imparted only to the New Inner Man. It is the old outer man who rejects and judges the Kingdom as impractical for the modern man! The functioning New Inner Man is the result of the fully experiencing the seven Christian Foundations.
These “foundations” begin as Repentance from dead works, faith toward God (Calvary– forgiveness of sins), water baptism (separating us from our genealogy to Adam), putting on the new garments of Christ, the baptism in the Holy Spirit (receiving the anointing), and offering ourselves to God as the Consecration Offering. It is these foundations that prepares us to receive the Kingdom as the Divine Working Eternal Order so we can begin to function within His Government and Laws!
When the foundations are neglected or ignored, the Experiential Kingdom will be an impossible demand. This has been the failure of the visible church system.
Psalm 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?"
When the message of the Kingdom comes to a church that has "believers who are hearers”, the response is " I will if I want to, but if I don't want to, I won't!" The attitude of the hearer is " No one is going to tell me what I'm supposed to do.” I have a freedom in Christ which no one will take away! It is impossible to disciple a casual Christian who is just a hearer of messages. These “hearers” will always be offended by the Gospel of the Kingdom and will only accept a salvation that has no requirements!
When we understand the absolute Sovereignty of the Message of the Kingdom, we will
see the Kingdom is not permissive but that ALL its demands and requirements are redemptive. The message of the Kingdom reveals that forgiveness of sins and the basic foundations for the Christian Life is not all that God has intended for the church. Within His Eternal Purpose, He wants to provide for us a complete "Kingdom redemption". This is called “the final salvation.” When Jesus came back from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit, He explained the New Kingdom Order that was as close as a hand.
LUK 4:17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, [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. " [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."
Here the Prototype Son speaks of five manifestations of the Kingdom message and the changes that will accompany the word of the Kingdom. These “benefits” will work in Kingdom prople who receive the Kingdom as an inner life Government to be obeyed.
According to Matthew 5-6-&7 this offer is for those who know they are destitute and have no hope of escape in themselves. For those who don't know they are poor, wretched, miserable, naked and blind, this Kingdom Gospel is of little value. Why? They will try to function in the church by their own cleverness and natural ability!
We may wonder why Jesus picked disciples who were ignorant and unlearned fishermen. It may have been quicker to choose disciples who were already trained. The problem is He couldn't have found twelve in all of Israel who were trained and prepared for the Kingdom Of God. Why? The New Covenant was not yet established and no new inner life was available.
It is AFTER the New Covenant is experienced and the foundations are experientially laid that the Kingdom Government can begin to make the necessary changes so we can BEGIN to “minister” the Gospel of the Kingdom.
It is the functioning and experiential ministry of the Holy Spirit, in the inner life, which is sufficient to totally release the captive. This ministry of the Spirit is Not just so these believers can be loosed from captivity so they can be free! They are set FREE so they can be free to serve the living God. No one is set free so they can do their own thing and be independent.
Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant-- 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-- 71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
Our Great salvation delivers us from our enemies, NOT SO WE CAN BE FREE, but so we can serve HIM, all the rst of our life.
Jesus revealed the New Age of The Kingdom, spoken of in Isaiah 61, which is specifically for this church age. This is the time of fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah 61. Waiting for the millennium to fulfill this ministry and prophesy is ignorant.
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations, And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vine dressers. 6 But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs.
The preaching of the Kingdom is designed to speak to the poor, the captives, the
blind and the down trodden. Then to proclaim the jubilee, the favorable year of the Lord. However the preaching of the Kingdom is not just doctrines but is to proclaim , hear, release, recover , experience freedom and return to our possessions. The poor will hear the gospel, the captives are released, the blind will recover their sight, the downtrodden are set free and the year of Jubilee is preached to all who have ears to hear.
Jubilee was when each man returned to his original possessions. In Jubilee, he fully recovered all the property he had lost through debts he could not pay. It is a sad thing to preach release and then not have the understanding or power to release anybody. It is a nice message but it is in word only. The gospel of Kingdom in Isaiah 61 must also be in power and demonstration of the Spirit. That is how the captives are released. They are not released to be free BUT TO BECOME BOND-SERVANTS OF THE ONE WHO REDEEMED THEM.
Ignorance of the Law of the Bondservant has severely limited the church and confused how we select “ministries.”
1Cor 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the
cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.
Cor 10:6 Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil
things, as they also craved. 7 And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY." 8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Paul’s understanding of the experiences of Israel being types, shadows, pictures and examples for the church at the end of the age is one of the most helpful revelations for us to understand the preparation of the “church” for its participation in the Kingdom. Why? That is because Paul uses “Israel” as the type and not just the “experiences” of Israel. Of course the “experiences” of Israel are included within the complete example. However, the history of Israel did not stop at Mount Sinai but continued into Canaan, which is an copy and example of the Kingdom. Within Canaan / Kingdom the example extends to the nations, the battles, the wins, the defeats, the various enemies and the many mistakes and disasters when they failed to do what God said.
Another clear example for us is the Seven Nations or Strongholds of Canaan and its Thirty- One Kings. If the church is now approaching the end of the church age, these specific examples are essential for all of us to understand, who are seeking the Kingdom.
Why are these examples so essential for us? If we follow the various restorations of the church since the 1400's we will recognize that the last restoration was the Charismatic Movement, which ended in 1985. That restoration only (in type) took the church up to Kadesh-Barnea, where Israel sent in the spies but never entered. These are our examples! How do I know the Charismatic restoration stopped there? That is because that movement never developed (to enter the land) to include the Gospel of the Kingdom! Maybe a few “spies” looked in but there was no movement to “enter.” How do we know that? None of the ?
“messages” mentioned any these seven nations and 31 kings were included. Why is that important? The Kingdom experience must remove these kings from our experience. Why?
In the Kingdom there can only be one King. When they entered into Canaan there were 31 kings ruling over the land. This is a kind of capsule view of the world and those in it. There were only 7 nations but there were 31 kings. This creates total confusion. The thirty one Kings ruling over seven nations and that introduces us to total inner conflict. The Kingdom cannot be fully established in us until these “kings and removed from us.”
It is not difficult to identify these natural ENEMIES OF GOD! However, interpreting how they function as internal enemies of the Kingdom is not so easy.
Deuet7:1 "When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and shall clear away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, 2 and when the LORD your God shall deliver them before you, and you shall defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. 3 "Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 "For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you.
Jos 12:7 Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated beyond the Jordan toward the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even as far as Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir; and Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, 8 in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittite, the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite:
Jos 12:9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
Jos 12:10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
Jos 12:11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
Jos 12:12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
Jos 12:13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; Jos 12:14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
Jos 12:15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
Jos 12:16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
Jos 12:17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
Jos 12:18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
Jos 12:19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
Jos 12:20 the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
Jos 12:21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
Jos 12:22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
Jos 12:23 the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
Jos 12:24 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
Researching the names of each of these kings, by the translation of their names, by their
words and threats and by their character, would give us more details of how these “KINGS” rule! My point is this; Today, these are examples of the leaders and rulers in the carnal church system! Since the Kingdom is to be established in each of us who seek the Kingdom, these “kings” will, also, be found in each of us. To study the details of each strong-hold and each king would be helpful but beyond the scope of this document.
Of course each of these kings function in the natural dimension and manifest “in the flesh!” Our interpretation of these resident kings must begin personally because EVERY BELIEVER IS AFFECTED when they seek to enter the Kingdom. To assume that forgiveness of sins rids us of these opposing kings is rather foolish. For all of us who are still wandering in the wilderness, there is no recognition of these king or their manifestations. It is ONLY when we attempt to enter into the land / Kingdom that these kings rise up in power!
Overcoming these seven “STRONGHOLDS” who are ruled by these thirty one (you shall
utterly slay them all) may appear beyond the scope of the Christian experience. However, that is because of the shallow and ignorant way our ETERNAL SALVATION has been presented by the comatose ministry. God never hides the battles! It is the overcomers that inherit ALL things so there are many things to overcome!
Also, these seven strong nations (strongholds) and their thirty one kings really only present a problem after we begin to press into the Kingdom (Canaan). In the wilderness only king Amalek is a problem and they defeated him by prayer. These next kings are not that easy to defeat. Why? They live in walled cities and some are giants. They all are greater and stronger than us!
When we first come to Jesus, there are these “kings” (rulers- enemies) everywhere in our lives. However, we have no idea they are hidden within us even though we may know we have some very severe manifestations we can’t control. Salvation is to deliver us from these enemies. We finally experience “freedom” when all these corrupt kings are destroyed in our lives and one King rules supreme. As long as these kings are active in our lives we can never be completely free. Our “freedom” is when the Kingdom of God and God's ruling King is coming to full power and authority within us. This can only take place, experientially, when these other kings are fully dealt with and have no influence!
Many believers today know they have problems but they are unaware of the many ruling kings they are struggling with or how to get free from them. Real salvation must set us free from all our enemies and from those who hate us. Each one of these kings have names and a personality that answers to some perversion or hostility or some anti-Christ function. These “manifestations” are revealed, corporately, in the thirty 0ne kings in Canaan. God’s commandment was to utterly slay every king. Of course man always has a better plan. They reasoned that they could keep some “kings” and enemies as servants to serve them by carrying water for Israel.
For Israel nothing could be compared to blessing of possessing the land of Canaan, which is a type of the Kingdom. However, there were thirty one kings and seven nations/kingdoms that possessed the land and fought fiercely against Israel. Why were these tremendous battles necessary? In Canaan there was only room for ONE KING so all others must be completely silenced!
Even today we see Israel’s desperate fight to hold that little piece of land. Nothing could be compared to Israel losing the land in 70 AD. Why? There was no land of Israel again until 1948, for 1878 years.
For the Christian, nothing can be compared to gaining the Kingdom of God and nothing can be compared with losing the Kingdom of God as the ruling Government in our lives. Refusing to deal with these personal thirty one kings in our lives is really stupid. The excuse of “But, brother, we are already saved so these kings are irrelevant” is really ignorant. However, these strongholds and kings are only relevant and visible after our entrance into the Kingdom and from the kingdom viewpoint.
Jesus said the Kingdom would be taken away from Israel and given to a nation producing the fruit of it. What other loss could be compared to Israel's loss of the Kingdom? Today, most Jews don't even know they lost it. Most nations don't even know the Kingdom is available to them. Many churches think the Kingdom is a cliche that speaks of heaven.
That is the very reason we have been commissioned, by Jesus, to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to every nation. We have had nearly 2000 years to preach and establish the Kingdom, at very least, in the church, but we have failed even that much! The Kingdom is still a mystery or irrelevant to most of the visible church even today.
We speak much about the Holy Spirit's work of changing us, sanctifying us and preparing us for eternity. Some of this preparation surely must include removing these thirty one kings from our experience, permanently. Why? That is because a total commitment to ONE KINGDOM is not possible as long as we are dealing with the threatening of these other kings and with their conflicts, lies and perversions. Each foreign king must be recognized as an enemy of the experiential, eternal and personal Kingdom!
The Holy Spirit is not just arbitrarily working with various goals in mind. In addition to bringing every believer to the maturity and stature of Christ Jesus, He is changing us to conform to the standards of the Kingdom and our obedience to its absolute Government. This will require an inner cleansing (overcoming) from the MANY, MANY anti-Kingdom foes! If you think you have none, within, you are deceived. Just begin to press your way into the Kingdom and you will experience their hostility rising up within you and might even be manifested against others who are seeking the Kingdom.
God's Eternal Purpose is summed up when He has many sons, brought to Glory, and sitting with Jesus, the prototype Son, on the Eternal Throne of Heaven. The Throne of God is another way of saying “the Kingdom of God is ruling and being manifested.” The overcomers are those who have run the race and finished their course. The goal of the true Christian Life is to sit with Him upon His Throne! That is now promised to those who overcome, as He overcame! The Throne is CENTRAL to His Kingdom Government. However, His Throne demands our obedience and these kings are all the sons of disobedience! No hostility toward OUR KING is permitted in His Absolute Government!
What then is the standard of the Kingdom that we are to achieve, experientially? The Kingdom itself is still rather abstract and undefined when we seeing it from afar! Upon entering the Kingdom, what God has given us to “see” of the Kingdom life, is Jesus Christ. Also, the unfolding of the Kingdom ministry is seen in Christ Jesus. Why? He is the standard “person” of the Kingdom! Or we could say the standard Person of the Kingdom IS Jesus Christ. Our goal is to be conformed to the image of Jesus, the Prototype Son.
But what really does that mean?
If we could reduce that to a single statement it might be; The Holy Spirit is building the
Kingdom of God within us by infusing, in us, the Kingdom Life and Government of God, the Almighty! Ideally, the power and demonstration of the Spirit should be in us before we can expect the power to flow through us. The personal Discipline and Correction of the Holy Spirit precedes the power and demonstration of the Spirit. This is the error of expecting the power and demonstration to be manifested instantly after we receive the Holy Spirit. This was the expectation of the early Charismatic movement! Since that did not happen, they tried to “make” it happen.
What may have been missed, by some that are seeking the Kingdom, is what God has installed in every New Covenant believer to complete His current work. The Living and Abiding Word, the Spirit of Christ, has come as our High Priest / King to rule within us. Also, the Holy Spirit has come, not just as an influence, but as the Priest of the Most High God. We no longer speak of just having “the savior” and an “influence” but as King-Priests after the order of Melchizedek. They have come, within the New Covenant, to rule over our lives as Kings and to function as Priests of the Most High God. This inner power and authority is to “cause us to walk in His ways and to keep His Covenant, his statutes and ordinances! Their current “THRONE” from which they rule is within us. That means; The river of life is supposed to flow from the throne of God. It is not the river of death. Where the throne of God is, there will be life. If no life is flowing from us, we could logically ask; Is there really the throne of God within? We might wonder if every other king has been dealt with and removed so He can rule, supreme. We say the Holy Spirit flows like a river out of our belly, but for most of us that is just a cliche. It will surely flow from our belly if there is the throne in our inner man. That river flows from the throne of God-- if these High Priests, the King / Priests, rule in our life from their throne.
Our conclusion then is this; When Christ's throne is established in our lives, we are established in His authority, in His life and in His government. Then we can deal with God's enemies through God's authority and then minister to people out of God's life.
Besides all this, there is the Tree of Life, that grows on each side of that river, that bears twelve kinds of fruit, a new fruit each month. All the trees in the garden were good for food but only one was good for life. In that dimension, whatever other needs we have must be met by the fruit of the Eternal Tree. The bride who rules with Christ will not just rule in His authority but also in His life and Character! The river of life flows from the throne of God. That Throne then represents both His life and His Government that flows out like a river carrying His authority to the nations of the New Earth.
No one can manifest Kingdom authority who does not submit to Kingdom authority. That was Satan's problem. Those who are not under Kingdom authority cannot exercise Kingdom authority. Too many pulpet-teers, now seem to function after the order of at least one of these embedded kings. They act like they are exercising authority from the kingdom of darkness. In that realm of the various kings, rebellion is rewarded as long as it is not rebellion against Satan.
The great danger of teaching methods of entering the Kingdom is that most people are seeking only after the knowledge about the Kingdom without first receiving the LIFE of the Kingdom. The danger of teaching the mysteries of the Kingdom to hearers is that those who hear assume that since I know, therefore I am. Books that are presented as "textbooks" on successful living are on the best seller lists. Seven steps to victory or seven steps to the throne or seven steps to spiritual life would be titles that sell. Seven hundred steps to something doesn't sell. That represents too much effort. Seven steps represent something that most people feel are within their capacity.
In seminars that teach certain steps “to freedom” or to “success,” you find the people most attentive and want to take the tapes home to give to friends. The disappointment is in the result of all that. It is possible to teach people certain principles for years but then fail to see His life develop in them. The danger in this age, as in every age, is in seeking after knowledge rather than seeking after Him, WHO IS LIFE!
Jesus recognized this when He said to the religious leaders "You won't come to me that I might give you life". Great knowledge without His Life is a dangerous thing. God has wisely restricted all life to the Lord Jesus. In Him was life and the life was the light of men.
Full stature comes not by knowledge but by Christ being formed in us. Multitudes will flock to a renowned Bible teacher to study the Bible, but if he insists they must discipline themselves with personal Bible study, prayer, spiritual fellowship and to begin to establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ so He can teach us / them, they get offended. To be His disciple requires that He speaks to us / them and correct our lives so we can manifest the Kingdom. With those requirements most believers will soon lose interest. Many want to grow but don't want Him, who is the source of all growth, to interfere with their life.
The popular cliche is “Jesus IS the answer.” This is still abstract and without personal help. The answer to all man's problems is "a life union with Jesus Christ”. The most a teacher / minister can do is inform you there is such a thing as " a life union with Jesus Christ". After that it is up to each one to seek that union. In the Kingdom, this “union” is in that same Governmental realm and its necessity. A branch can be filled with knowledge but unless it is grafted into the vine it has no life and therefore no fruit. The fruit of the Kingdom is like that!
Now this is the problem with teaching the Kingdom of God. We can fill our heads with knowledge and be no closer to the Kingdom than we were before. To have the mind of Christ is to possess something more than a natural ability to think and understand. That is the ability to think as He thinks and then, to understand what he is teaching. However, this IS an inner revelation, within the new inner man!
MAT 13:11 And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
Is God then a respecter of persons? No! But God is not teaching knowledge for knowledge sake. He is just teaching for LIFE sake. The mysteries are hidden from those who only want to know in order to satisfy their curiosity, or to have a ministry. The tree of knowledge is still very popular today and it is bearing its fruit in most church services on a weekly schedule.
The Evangelist preaches the gospel that requires an individual response to become a
“member.” The Pastor or Teacher may teach a corporate gospel that tries to draw people together into a church body. Ultimately the Gospel of the Kingdom must demand that we repent, believe, be converted, grow up and obey.
Assembling and storing religious knowledge ends up as outward religion. The Kingdom message must produce a vision, a life change, growth and obedience. A seminar on the Kingdom will only be effective and fruitful if the believers are both hearers and doers, and the message is only effective when their doing is the result of obedience to an inner Life, rather than more human zeal.
For years I have sought a definition of the Kingdom of God but there is NO definition that covers the entirety of the Eternal Kingdom. However, we can find partial definitions as we see below.
HEB 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, But a body Thou hast prepared for Me; [9] then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Thy will." He takes away the first in order to establish the second.
The thought here is: A body thou hast prepared for Me to do thy will. This verse is first applied to His physical body that hung on Calvary. At the present time, this verse also applies to His spiritual body, the church. God has provided Jesus Christ a body here on earth to do His Will! The “group” that is NOT doing His will is not the church He is Building! The Kingdom of God is made up of those who do His will. That is true of the Kingdom in heaven or the Kingdom on earth. Everybody does His will in heaven and on earth.
However, just to be included in the family of God, we must do the will of God!
Mar 3:34 And looking about on those who were sitting around Him, He *said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! 35 "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother."
A definition of the family of God could be extended to include the Kingdom. Therefore, “The Kingdom of God is a corporate group who walk in obedience and do the will of God on earth in the same measure that His will is being done in heaven.” An individual doing the will of God is good but God has ordained “a body” to do His will now, as it was in Jesus’ day.
We could speculate that righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit then is the fruit of walking in obedience and doing the will of God. We could say the Kingdom is expressed by walking in obedience and doing the will of God, which results in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If we neglect the obedience we can't expect to experience the fruit. Trying to work up the fruit without the obedience is disappointing. Obedience produces the fruit without effort. Human effort trying to produce the fruit of the Kingdom results in “the fruit of religious deception” because the root is wrong. A corrupt root will produce corrupt fruit. The most that Adam can produce is another Adam. I am speculating that THE NEW MAN IN THE PULPIT WILL PREACH THE Gospel of the KINGDOM.
Adam chose knowledge over life then, and that is still the goal of “Adam” today. This is even true of Adam in the pulpit. Knowledge says; If I know, therefore I am! However, only in the LIVING and Abiding WORD do we find His Life and it is His Life that produces LIFE! To be Christ-like is to be filled with and manifest His Life– Zoe. The Kingdom comes to us as LIFE in which His Government begins to rule.
However, It seems to come on a trial basis to see if we can live in that realm and do His will and obey His Laws. It is not that He doesn’t know our real condition but that we don’t know our real condition until we are confronted by the demands of Kingdom and discover if we are able to obey!
It is obvious that doctrinal, informational and fact based ministries seek to dispense more and more information, facts and knowledge to be learned. Therefore, at each meeting, seminar or conference seven steps to some assumed place are presented but lives are not changed. How do I know that? That is what I did! Even though the old man,“Adam,” can preach and people get excited to learn a new thing, no inner maturity is gained, and therefore, nothing eternal is achieved. For that reason, I believe there must be a better plan. There is! Doing it God’s New Covenant Way and that will work!
The Spirit and Life messages must be the goal but how we get from here to there is not evident.
John 6:63] "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. [64] "But there are some of you who do not believe."
Even when Jesus preached “Spirit and Life” messages, some still did not believe.
We can and must judge the effectiveness of the messages we hear! The messages pertaining to the Kingdom and the Kingdom experience must produce something eternal in the hearers. We can evaluate that by determining “if the message being preached is just knowledge or is it ministering Spirit and Life?” Does the message impact the believers and inspire them to a radical change and do they just believe something more that is irrelevant ?
Still, the KINGDOM MUST BE PREACHED, even if nobody believes. Every preacher’s responsibility is to preach the Kingdom and it is God’s prerogative to give understanding. Of course every believer has the privilege of praying for the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding to invade their life and enable them to understand.
After doing this “ministry” for 45 years, it is still my experience that the great multitude will not even pray and ask God for anything except for some thing to make them happy or to make life easier. Faith for things is so very shallow when we try to exercise faith for the Kingdom to become experiential within us. Why?
That is because of the radical change that must take place within us, JUST TO ACCOMMODATE THE KINGDOM GOVERNMENT OF GOD AND HIS LAWS WITHIN, AS OUR NEW, PERSONAL AND EXPERIENTIAL ETERNAL REALITY!
In most of the churches, that I visit, it is clear that the Kingdom has become a strange and irrelevant message. However, several of us, who gather now, believe that THIS PRESENT TIME is the beginning of the revival of that end time message to the churches. Of course not all will receive or believe the message, but the Kingdom still MUST be preached in the whole world IN THE END TIME! Why?
Mat 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.
Christ Jesus is waiting, the Holy Spirit is preparing and the Father is insisting!
Someday it will happen. WHY? IT MUST! WHY?
THE KINGDOM IS A KINGDOM OF EXPERIENTIAL PRIESTS NOT A KINGDOM OF COMATOSE BELIEVERS! WHY? THAT IS BECAUSE THESE PRIESTS MUST ALSO BECOME KINGS WHO CAN RULE AND FUNCTION UNDER AND IN OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST JESUS, OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST, AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK! HE IS THE ETERNAL KING / PRIEST. ALL CHRISTIAN KING / PRIESTS MUST BE LIKE HIM, PRIESTS AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. WHY?
THERE IS NO OTHER PRIESTHOOD IN THE NEW COVENANT! WHY?
NO OTHER PRIESTHOOD COULD BRING THE CHURCH TO PERFECTION!
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?
Heb 7:28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.