Posts Tagged ‘Kingdom teaching’

HE HEART-TREE – THE LIFE-STRUCTURE OF MAN

Posted: April 10, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching
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THE LIFE-STRUCTURE OF MAN

Trees are often used in Scripture to symbolize men or the life-structure of a man. In the figurative language of Scripture, the tree, the root, the soil it grows in, and the seed that the tree grew from are all important in understanding God’s plan (kingdom pattern) for the individual and exposing the enemy’s scheme for causing affliction.

Isaiah 55:12: For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 61:3: To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

In the parable of the sower and other scriptures, the heart of man is referred to as soil.

Our heart is our spirit and soul.

Our spirit is who we are and relates to the spiritual realm.

Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions and relates to the natural realm through the bodies in which we live.

The heart of man, like soil, will grow whatever is planted in it. The soil does not determine the type of tree that will grow. The seed does. The same soil, that will grow a pecan tree when a pecan is planted in it, will grow a peach tree if a peach seed is planted in it. A thorn tree will grow if the soil is planted with the seed of a thorn tree. Our heart-soil does not in itself determine our tree or life-structure. Rather, the seed that is planted will determine the nature of our tree or life-structure. The fruit of the tree (our actions or deeds) will be determined by the nature of tree (life-structure) that grew from the type of seed planted.

Matthew 7:16-20: You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 12:33-35: Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things, and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, brings forth evil things.

In the above passages, the Lord speaks of the tree (life-structure) and its fruit (deeds) coming forth from the soil of the heart of man.

The “Heart-Tree” of our life is either good or bad and will bear either good or bad fruit according to the tree. The seed planted determined the type of tree.

As we see in Matthew 13:19, the seed is a word. A word is more than just letters arranged on a page; it is a pattern that is alive and able to grow into a structure of life that bears fruit. It can be a vision, picture, image, an action or a combination or series of these things. A communication in any form is a word or seed.

Since there are two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit, obviously there are two kinds of seeds, good and bad. Good seeds are good words or living patterns Bad seeds are bad words or living patterns.

All words or seeds ultimately have their origin from either the tree of life or the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which produces death. Every word, seed, action, or communication of any form has its source in either God or the devil.

A child planted with inordinate premature, sexual activity will grow a life-structure of sexual confusion and disorder. A child planted with legalistic rigid harshness will grow a life-structure of frustrated perfectionism. A child planted with violent acts will grow a life-structure of fear and aggression. A child planted with unconditional love and peaceful security will grow a healthy, happy life-structure.

The seed of the kingdom of God is a special, good seed that will grow the life and rule of God.

THE ENEMY’S SCHEME

UNGODLY HERITAGE
(OPEN TO BAD SEED)

Our ungodly heritage causes our heart-soil to be born with an openness to bad seed.

The ungodly heritage of Adam has passed down through the generations. We were each conceived and born with a heritage that goes back to Adam. Sin and the curse of death entered through Adam and spread to all men. Through our forefathers, the sin of Adam reaches to each of us.

Romans 5:19: Therefore just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Psalm 51:5: Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

Though we bear no personal accountability for the sins of our parents and forefathers, each of us are born under the curse of sin and must at some time become personally accountable for our own sin. However, we are directly affected by the inheritance of the iniquity (tendency to sin) of our forefathers.

Exodus 20: 5-6: …. visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Leviticus 26: 39: And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies lands; also in their fathers iniquities; which are with them, they shall waste away.

Exodus 34: 7b: … visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.

The sin of Adam, working through our heritage (the iniquity or perversions of our forefathers), serves as a big hammer to drive the wedge of sin into our own heart-soil, causing an opening for bad seed to be planted. Then, in our own experience, the seeds are planted and our life-structure (Heart-Tree) begins to grow. Eventually our lives will bear the fruit of it.

UNGODLY LIFE EXPERIENCE
(CLOSED TO GOOD SEED)

Our ungodly experience causes our heart-soil to be unable to grow the kingdom of God seed (the good seed).

Matthew 13:3-9: Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying; Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

THE WAYSIDE SOIL

Matthew 13:19: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Notice that this scripture refers specifically to the word of the kingdom. It does not say the word of “being born again” or some other word from God cannot be received.

The word of the kingdom cannot be received or understood in the hard-pressed soil of our heart. The heavy, wounding footsteps of man and his ox cart’s wheels may have pressed down the soil of our heart and made it hard. These wounding experiences and the hard-press of life have damaged our soil and our ability to receive the good seed that could have produced a kingdom life-structure. Because it cannot penetrate the hardened soil, the enemy easily and quickly steals the word of the kingdom from us. The wayside heart must be plowed to break up the hardened soil, and then healed by the gentle rain of the Holy Spirit before it can receive the good seed.

THE STONY SOIL

Matthew 13:20-21: But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

The word of the kingdom of God cannot be brought to fruition in a stony heart. The stones represent hardened, firm, previous convictions. If we are so convinced that we already know how things are (what the Bible says, what life is like, what people are like, what we ourselves are like, etc.), then we will not grow the new life-structure to maturity. We will let it go when challenged, because negative, hardened, previous beliefs or convictions will prohibit the word of the kingdom of God from taking deep root in our heart. Rocks of earlier, hardened beliefs or convictions must be either thrown out or smashed before the kingdom life comes to fruition

THE THORNY SOIL

Matthew 13:22: Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

The word of the kingdom cannot be brought to fruition in a heart growing thorn bushes of the cares of this life. If feel we must have anything of this life in addition to, or apart from what God desires for us, we have thorn bushes. We must love God above all else and be fully content with Him and his desired provision for us. The thorn bushes must be uprooted and thrown out before the kingdom life can come to fruition.

GOD’S KINGDOM PATTERN

THE GOOD SOIL

Matthew 13:23: But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The word of the kingdom of God will be received and grow to fruition in the good heart-soil. The good soil is the heart that is healed of wounds, has had its stones of hardened, previous convictions thrown out, and the thorn bushes of cares of this life pulled up and discarded. This heart can produce the kingdom of God lifestyle. It will be fruitful in producing the kingdom of God on earth. It will not receive the bad seed but is ready to grow the good seed.

We are told in Scripture to be careful what we hear–what we plant in our soil. It is God’s plan for us to receive good seed. If we are filled with the peace of God, our hearts will receive only good seed, which will grow a good tree (life-structure). This will produce good fruit (deeds or actions).

The peace of God guards our hearts from bad seed.

Philippians 4: 7b-9: … and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Proverbs 23: 7a: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

We will be formed by the thoughts we think–by the words in any form that we receive into our hearts. Our heart-soil grows whatever we allow to be planted in it, whether good or bad. Whether it is a spoken word or some action carried out against us, if we allow it to be planted in our heart-soil, it will determine our life-structure thereby, determining our feelings, self-image, attitude and eventually, our actions whether good or bad. We will live in peace or in turmoil and stress, according to what we decide to allow to be planted in our heart-soil.

What are you allowing to be planted in your soil? What are you watching, listening to, and thinking about?

What did you plant in your heart-soil from the time you were born until you were about six years old? Obviously you had no choice at that young age. Someone else decided what would be planted in your heart-soil at that time. It is a known fact that most of our life-structure was formed in us as small children. Before we developed the ability to choose, the seeds that would determine the majority of our life-structure were already planted. What kind of seed was planted in our soil from the time we were in our mother’s womb until five or six years old?

Unfortunately, not all of us grew up surrounded by the peace of God. Many of us did not have our heart-soil planted with seeds of unconditional love and acceptance. On the contrary, we may have received seeds of a conditional, performance-based kind of love and grew up feeling unaccepted. Or, we may have felt little or no love at all. Anything short of unconditional, affirming love and acceptance becomes a bad seed. If so, then the seeds of unlove and rejection sown into our heart-soil began to grow into our life-structure.

God’s kingdom pattern is that we be planted with good seed and grow a good life-structure (a Good Heart-Tree). If, however, this was not so, then Jesus came to uproot our bad life-structure (the Bad Heart-Tree), heal our heart-soil, and replant it with His good seed to grow His good life-structure (the Good Heart-Tree).

God has given us the ability to take the cover off and see the methods or schemes the enemy has used and is using to afflict individuals and cause them to afflict others. We know his plan is to kill, steal, and destroy. Once we see his plot to kill us, steal all we have including our faith and joy, and to destroy the plan and work of God, we can make the necessary adjustments to appropriate the ministry of Jesus to destroy all the schemes of the enemy and establish God’s kingdom patterns.

Understanding God’s kingdom patterns for individuals, families, businesses, and all aspects of life and planting them in our heart will produce abundant life. Learning to personally appropriate the ministry of Christ will bring about the uprooting of the old and the planting of the new tree. Jesus has provided and is providing everything we need to completely destroy the old work of the enemy and establish the new work of God in our life.

We are absolutely without excuse. The enemy would like to cause us to believe that because it was planted in us, we can do nothing about it. To say, I can’t help it; someone did it to me, is to say, Jesus is not sufficient to meet my need. His blood, resurrection life, and omnipotent power are not enough to fix me.

If we attempt to avert our responsibility by placing the blame on others (the ones that did it to me), then we are deceived. It really does not matter who did it; ultimately, it was the enemy who did it. And the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has been and is manifest to destroy the work of the enemy. He is no respecter of persons. His freedom-giving ministry is available to all. His ministry begins with our real repentance, not our phony excuses. Our escape and defense mechanisms are designed by the enemy and brought forth in our soul to prevent true repentance.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

PREPARING THE BRIDE

Posted: April 9, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching
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The mature church must become the body of Christ, a living organism, a network of spiritually-connected cells and parts, individuals emptied of self, filled with Christ. It must be without man’s leadership or man’s structure. There will be no human hierarchy in the Bride. One individual will not rule over another, but all will serve one another. Christ Jesus will spiritually rule within each individual and serve as overall Head of the church thereby establishing spiritual structure, not human. In the natural, the head rules a healthy body, life from the head sends signals to each individual part and every cell responds in obedience to the head. So it is in the Body of Christ.

Much of the church is sick; much like a person would be if any part failed to obey the head. The great apostasy of the past continues to affect the health of the body today. Men establish themselves as heads and develop hierarchical systems of church rule. This defection from the true Head is fostered by the enemy and is carried out by a spirit of antichrist, which opposes or replaces Christ as Head. Religious spirits in the church sustain spirits of spiritual blindness, darkness, deception, and delusion.

The enemy has effective tools for stirring men and causing them to have strong desires to rule. The enemy must work in and through the individual parts of the Body because he cannot affect the true Head.

Our purpose in this part of Kingdom Growth Guides is to expose the enemy’s schemes and plans to rule, and to help us recognize true patterns of God’s rule, which can produce the overcoming life, the kingdom of God lifestyle.

People are the church.

The church is sick because individuals are sick. The enemy’s plan is to cause strong needs or desires within the individuals. To accomplish this, he must prevent them from being in contact with the reality of the love of God.He uses negative life-experiences and deceiving spirits to blind individuals to God’s love and power. This causes each individual to become keenly aware of his own needs and to look only to himself to supply them. This self-focus becomes self-centeredness. Selfish thoughts and actions lead to fear, pride, greed, lust, and disobedience to the true Head.

Once a disobedient lifestyle is established, the enemy can bring much inner turmoil and outer conflict thereby causing increasing emotional wounds and spiritual deception. Spiritual darkness, deception, and delusion open the door for occult and other demonic influences. The inner turmoil will eventually produce negative behavior such as aggressiveness, defensiveness, or withdrawal, which can produce conflict, marital strife, racial strife, religious strife, and power struggles in the church as well as in the world.

The strife, turmoil, and conflict cause stress and deterioration of mental, emotional, and physical health. Often the individual will seek escape from the inner turmoil and stress. Many avenues are available that seem to offer some temporary escape, but often lead to more stress and turmoil. Drugs, alcohol, immorality, some kinds of music, sports, gaining wealth, entertainment, withdrawal, overworking, overeating, violence, and religion are some of the common escapes used. The buildup of stress often leads to increased conflict, strife, and more intense power struggles resulting in violence, beatings, murders, and suicides. Sickness and premature deaths then become normal in such a violent society.

Remember, the enemy’s purpose in all this is to cut us off from the knowledge and experience of the love of God. It is easy to see how difficult it will be for a child growing up in this violent culture to even imagine the love of God. Power and strength are seen as synonymous with “mean and violent.” God is often seen as only judgmental, and except the individual be healed in their heart, he cannot begin to know the love of God. The person is, therefore, locked into the bondage of the enemy, doomed to live and die in the torment of inner turmoil and stress. There is truly no rest for the wicked.

Most churchgoers feel that, if they can control their stress and in some way contain it; they are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. As someone once asked, “Why are you under the circumstances?”–Implying that there is potential life in Jesus that is over the circumstances. And it is really true. Jesus can totally remove our turmoil and stress not merely help us to live with distress until we die and are relieved of it in heaven someday. We are not talking about perfect circumstances, although they may improve in time. We are talking about living above them now in the real peace of God. As we live in real peace, we become a part of the solution instead of part of the problem. As our lifestyle changes, we stop affecting those around us for bad and start affecting them for good.

Until we can see Jesus the King as He really is, we do not have the power or motivation to move toward ultimate closeness with Him. When we see the true abundant love and magnificent glory of the King, we will decide to move toward Him.Once we experience the reality of the glorious peace and eternal joy found in the King’s presence, we will repent in order to enter intimately into His glorious presence.

Preaching the Cross, personal salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling Spirit of Christ are foundational building blocks of the overcoming life. Preaching the kingdom of God now establishes the goal or objective. Teaching God’s kingdom patterns and exposing the enemy’s schemes allow us to see where we are and what changes need to be made. Jesus the Anointed One is our source of power for change.

THE RESTORATION MINISTRY OF JESUS

Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The restoration ministry of Jesus is the cleansing process that we must go through before we can walk into the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, purified Bride-of-Christ, kingdom-of-God lifestyle. It is the work of Jesus by His grace and power through the Holy Spirit. It is not of man “that any should boast.” Our part in helping one another is to bring forth the Word and the anointing of Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Christ Jesus destroys all the work of the enemy–the work the devil has done, and the work he is doing. Jesus repairs, renews, and rebuilds all the damage inflicted by the enemy. Jesus will establish righteousness, peace, and joy in those who seek Him with their whole heart. He will set free those in bondages created by the enemy. He will bring an end to mourning and a beginning to joy and praise.

1 John 3: 8b: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Isaiah 61: 1-4: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable (favorable) year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified, and they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.”

The enemy has inflicted much damage on individuals and, subsequently on the entire planet since Adam released him thousands of years ago in the garden. Primarily, he uses his powers of darkness to affect people and cause them to negatively affect others. If he can prevent someone from knowing and experiencing the love of God, he can devastate their life and cause them to wound many others.

Since Jesus defeated him, the only real power the enemy has is deception. He seeks to prevent us from knowing and believing the power we have over him in Christ. One of his favorite tricks is to make Christians believe he and his demons are not really around any more. He likes to disguise himself as an angel of light and works under cover as a “religious spirit.” This way he can influence Christians away from truth that will expose him. Undetected, he can move them toward a false doctrine that protects him. He can then fan the flames of natural differences to cause painful rejections among the people. Through this pain he can excite the flesh to anger, bitterness, and many negative works.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15:And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

1 Timothy 4:1b: … some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.

The enemy does not use a vast number of schemes. He doesn’t need very many. The ones he uses have been highly perfected over thousands of years of practice and work very effectively on unbelievers and uninformed Christians. His schemes are always designed to pervert the truth of God in order to divert man from the plan of God.

God’s kingdom patterns for life always lead to an abundant life of love, righteousness, peace, and joy. The enemy’s perversion of these patterns always produces unlove, evil, pain, affliction, and despair. Christians may be easily deceived and diverted to an alternate plan if they do not have a clear foundational understanding of God’s kingdom patterns. The best way to recognize a counterfeit is to thoroughly know the real thing. If the enemy cannot totally pervert, he will attempt to divert by drawing attention to some other less important matter.

The restoration ministry of Jesus always involves two processes. One is the tearing down of the old life-structure, and the other is the building of the new. In order to help us recognize and tear down the work of the enemy, and to help us avoid his schemes, it is important to uncover and expose his work and methods.

To begin rebuilding, we must renew our minds to God’s kingdom patterns of abundant life. The world system currently is highly affected by the enemy’s deception. Therefore, it is very easy to be trained in the devil’s perversions and diversions. One need only grow up in a modern, secular family, watch TV and movies, attend public schools and attend an institutional-type church to be grounded in the perversions and diversions of the enemy.

We must be retrained to recognize what is kingdom of God living and what is not kingdom of God living. Our understanding must be renewed to the Word of God. Kingdom-life patterns must be revealed to us. Also, we need to learn to recognize the enemy’s patterns for our lives and the schemes he uses to press us into his perverted ways.

Unfortunately, the institutional church does not often have the power to effectively answer the situation and sometimes fosters the deception by joining with the world system. Churchgoers often respond with hypocritical, legalistic attacks against people while allowing the same or other perversions to operate in their own lives. A Christian under conviction for their own hidden problem may attack others in whom they see the same problem. Such legalistic attacks further wound people and often drive them out for the enemy to further afflict.

Some of my readers at this point are agreeing, “Yeah! I’ve sure seen that over there or in that particular person.” One scheme of the enemy is to divert attention from our need to the problem of others. As the Spirit of God reveals God’s kingdom patterns, the enemy’s workings to pervert them will be uncovered.We must unmask ourselves as the Spirit of Jesus uncovers and exposes the enemy. We must agree with God about our own needs and be willing to allow our old life-structures to be cut down and uprooted in order that the new may grow and flourish in its place.

Matthew 3:10: “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Matthew 15:13:“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.”

Isaiah 61: 3b-4a: …that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified, and they shall rebuild the old ruins.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

CORPORATE KINGDOM

Posted: April 8, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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One of the results of personal, individual, kingdom righteousness is that corporate patterns of life will begin to be ordered by the ways and will of God. Men begin to rule everything over which they have authority according to the ways of God instead of the ways of fallen man.

Some people are beginning to realize the degree of dominion and potency delegated to mankind for ruling the world systems and the planet. Mankind is not at the mercy of “mother nature” or any other aspect of the world. On the contrary, the world systems and planet Earth are at the mercy of mankind. The collective effect of multitudes of people living their lives according to the ways of the Babylonian kingdom of darkness is great disorder and stress on all the systems of man and earth. Left unchanged this could eventually lead to total destruction. In contrast, the collective effect of multitudes of people living their lives according to the ways of the New Jerusalem kingdom of God is great peace, order, and prosperity for mankind and the planet.

All systems of life on earth will be positively affected by the kingdom of God lifestyle in men. Social, economic, political, and ecological systems will prosper and eventually come into peaceful order. The negative trends of destruction and disorder brought about by selfishness will reverse and the earth can become renewed. Even the weather will improve as delicate ecological balances damaged by man’s selfishness and greed are repaired. Storms will decrease in number and intensity as global warming is reversed and stabilized causing tropical temperatures to moderate slightly.

Romans 8:19, 21-22: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God…because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

With natural understanding, we cannot see nor understand the link between man’s beliefs and actions and the natural systems of the planet. Even with all the knowledge we have acquired, natural man cannot see very far into the spiritual realm. Therefore, we have little understanding regarding the impact of what we believe, say, and do upon the natural occurrences of the planet. We can, however, with the application of some wisdom, begin to realize the cost of the negative ways of man upon the ecological, social, economic, and political systems of our world.

It may be impossible for us to imagine all the ramifications of mankind living in obedience to God. There is more than plenty of everything on this planet that mankind could ever need. Consider what good could be done with the vast amounts of money, resources, and manpower that mankind would not spend on war, if nations no longer went to war. What about the many billions of dollars and man-hours spent on sin-related diseases like AIDS or property loss due to violence and negligence. Consider the tremendous cost of crime. Unbelievable efforts and resources currently go toward providing law enforcement agencies, costly prisons, and an expensive judicial system. And what about the therapy and counseling needed to try to put back together the confused psyche of masses of people damaged by stress and fear? Who can even imagine the total cost of productive lives lost due to drugs and alcohol? The list of costs for disobedience goes on and on. If all this cost could be saved and applied to doing good and loving one another, there would be plenty of everything for everyone.

“Oh!” you say, “This is an impossible dream and can never really happen.” Tell that to Jesus! This is why He came to earth and taught the kingdom of God way of life. This is why He died on the cross, was resurrected, ascended into heaven, and returned to earth in the Holy Spirit to live in man and produce His kingdom lifestyle! You tell Him it can’t be done! Personally, I know by the authority of His Word, it is being done one heart, one life at a time; he is establishing His rule, His kingdom. God is looking for and finding people who will give up their ways, their greed, their needs and wants, to obey Him and walk in intimacy with Him.

Yes, the wicked are becoming more vile. Yes, the numbers of greedy men who despise the way of God are increasing. Yes, the enemy is having a blast stealing, killing, and destroying men, women and innocent children while much of the church seems powerless to do anything about it and, often, even becomes a part of the problem. Yes, we see governments faltering and unable to even slow down the degradation of society. Yes, we see mankind on the verge of destruction by his sinful ways. No doubt the fires of judgment are kindled on earth and the wrath of God is stored up against this evil. Yes, it may get worse before it gets better; but as Christ Jesus lives in godly people it will get better.

What part of this worldly wickedness is greater than God? Even during this rampant evil, there are many extremely godly men and women that God is raising up in the world. These are men and women with levels of commitment toward God and a sense of destiny that compels them to live godly in Christ Jesus. These are not just churchy, religious, baby Christians. They are a mighty army of mighty men and women of God, people of valor that God is raising up in business, in the military, in government, in the family, etc., as educators, scientists, apostolic ministers, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and kingdom teachers. Their primary purpose in life is to intimately know the Lord and totally serve Him.

People of God, it is not time to draw back nor to be downcast. We are entering the most victorious season of earth the season in which the wrath of God’s love will cleanse the earth and the season when the mercy and grace of God’s love will cause the righteous, mature sons to shine forth as the sun (Matthew 13:40-43).

The focus of Christians has been so greatly diverted by theological teachings toward events in the future, that many have missed and are yet missing the awesome potential of God’s provision for today. We are now living in the “end of the age.” This is the time looked forward to by the writers of the New Testament. God is ready and everything is in place to restore His ways to our world. Many individuals are bringing forth the kingdom of God on earth in their own lives and families. Some are doing it without realizing what they are actually doing. Enlightenment and understanding of the kingdom will move our focus from “future end-time theology” to overcoming the kingdom of darkness and bringing forth the kingdom of God now on our planet.

THE END TIMES

End-time theology is an area I have not received great revelation on or that I greatly enjoy looking into. By no means do I think I have all the answers. Bible school and years of being taught different teachers’ views gave me traditional knowledge through other men. Please do not think the things we present are because of ignorance of the traditional views as taught on the “pre’s and post’s” of eschatology. Though I know the views and at different times have held different ones, I cannot rest in any of the many camps of theological traditions. The revelation of the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached and taught replaces our many end-time theological views.

We must begin with the firm realization that the kingdom of God is now, always was, and forever shall be.

We must also fully recognize that Jesus has completely and forever defeated the devil and given authority to believers in His name over all the power of the enemy.

There is no more for Jesus to do apart from mankind to establish His kingdom over the kingdom of darkness on earth. He does not need to return bodily to defeat the enemy and set His people free from the devil’s bondage. Neither has He surrendered this planet or His people to the devil. He does not need to plan another rescue attempt for His children. Jesus has already gained the victory and now lives in His people as the Victor. He waits only for us to stop listening to the deception of the devil and begin to hear and believe the good news of the sovereign “ruler/dominion” (kingdom) of God in us.

Before getting deeply involved in what happens next, we need to fully grasp what is happening now. The urgent matter is not when or exactly how the next theological event will occur. The most important thing by far is that we get a real revelation of who we are in Christ now according to the Word and the Spirit of God.

We would think it very strange if some people were seated at a table of wonderful, tasty food, which included all their favorite dishes prepared just the way they like them. Yet, all they could think or talk about was what they were going to have for supper later. We would think it a real shame and loss for them to miss the wonderful meal prepared for them. The one who prepared the delicious meal would probably be very disappointed as the bountiful gift was ignored in favor of what might come later.

If I was an enemy and desired to steal a bountiful meal from you, one of the things I might do is try to divert your attention elsewhere. Diversion is a trick used by pickpockets and sleight-of-hand artists. God, help me not to be tricked out of Your wonderful provisions. Open my eyes to see who I really am and what I really have in Christ Jesus NOW.

THE NOW TIME

I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!
2 Corinthians 5:21: For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

I’M BLESSED WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN HEAVENLY PLACES!
Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

AS JESUS CHRIST IS IN THE WORLD SO AM I!
I John 4:17b: as He is so are we in the world.

I’M BORN AGAIN BY THE WORD OF GOD!
1 Peter 1:23: …having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

I’M REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD!
Ephesians 1:7: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

I AM COMPLETE IN JESUS!
Colossians 2:9-10: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power.

MY SINS ARE NAILED TO THE CROSS!
Colossians 2:14b: And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

I’M SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE!
Ephesians 1:13b: in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

I RULE AND REIGN IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
Romans 5:17b: those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One Jesus Christ.

I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!
Romans 8:37: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us.

I TAKE DOMINION!
Genesis 1:28: Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion”

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!
Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

I AM STRENGTHENED IN ALL MIGHT BY HIS GLORIOUS POWER!
Colossians 1:9b-10a: being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to His glorious power…

ALL THINGS ARE UNDER THE FEET OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! HE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO BE THE HEAD OF ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH!
Ephesians 1:22-23: And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.

MY WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY IN GOD, TO THE TEARING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, SPECULATIONS, EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD! I BRING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST!
2 Corinthians 10:4-5: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY APPEARED FOR THIS REASON, TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE ENEMY!
1John 3:8b: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

HE DISARMED HIM, MADE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF HIM!
Colossians 2:15: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it.

HE HAS GIVEN ME AUTHORITY, WITH THE WORD AND IN HIS NAME TO HAVE POWER OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!
Ephesians 1:19, 3:20b, 6:10: and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, according to the power that works in us, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Philippians 2:10: … that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…

Colossians 2:9-10: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power.”

Hebrews 4:12a: For the word of God is living and powerful…

Luke 10:19a: Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy…

I ALWAYS TRIUMPH IN JESUS’ NAME!
2 Corinthians 2:14a: Now thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumph in Christ…

HIS WORD NEVER RETURNS VOID!
Isaiah 55:11: So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE THRONE OF GRACE! I RECEIVE MERCY AND GRACE!
Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

IN THE NAME OF JESUS I COMMAND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS!
Mark 16:17a: And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons…

What I bind on earth is bound from heaven, and what I loose on earth is loosed from heaven (Matthew 16:19, 18:18). If any two agree on earth, they will have what they ask (Matthew 18:19). If I believe in my heart when I pray and doubt not, I shall have what I say (Mark 11:24). All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). If I abide in Him, I ask what I will, and it shall be done (John 15:7). I receive the finished work of the cross, proclaim liberty and freedom, and speak peace. God, help me to realize my potential and to be who I am in Christ NOW.

These attributes are promised in the Word of God. If you are not experiencing them in your life pray in faith and ask God to make them real in your life. Believe you receive them when you pray and you will have them (Mark 11:24). If you have difficulty believing them in your heart, begin speaking them out loud repeatedly. You will find that your heart will begin to believe the truth that you are speaking and eventually you will have what you say (Mark 11:23).

With the heart we believe unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10). It will greatly benefit our life to plant these truths of the Word in our heart. A good way to do that is to stand and speak them out loud with strength until they become planted in our spirit.

NOW

I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!

I’M BLESSED WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES!

AS JESUS CHRIST IS IN THE WORLD SO AM I!

I’M BORN AGAIN BY THE WORD OF GOD!

I’M REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD!

I AM COMPLETE IN JESUS!

MY SINS ARE NAILED TO THE CROSS!

I’M SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE!

I RULE AND REIGN IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! I TAKE DOMINION!

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!

I AM STRENGTHENED IN ALL MIGHT BY HIS GLORIOUS POWER!

ALL THINGS ARE UNDER THE FEET OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! HE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO BE THE HEAD OF ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH!

MY WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY IN GOD, TO THE TEARING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, SPECULATIONS, EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD! I BRING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST!

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY APPEARED FOR THIS REASON, TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE ENEMY!

HE DISARMED HIM, MADE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF HIM!

HE HAS GIVEN ME AUTHORITY, WITH THE WORD AND IN HIS NAME TO HAVE POWER OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!

I ALWAYS TRIUMPH IN JESUS’ NAME! HIS WORD NEVER RETURNS VOID! I COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE THRONE OF GRACE! I RECEIVE MERCY AND GRACE!

IN THE NAME OF JESUS I COMMAND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS!

We must recognize our potential and become the purified, powerful Bride. Now is the time to lay aside our powerless religious traditions and be prepared as the Bride of Christ, the Body in which Christ dwells. There is a need for healing in the church. The concepts of Babylon have become unhealthy traditions within the church. The faith and practices of individuals have been perverted by relentless attacks from the enemy. God has provided and is providing all that is needed to heal and prepare His Bride.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

Living Kingdom Today

Posted: April 7, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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The destiny of the world is to become the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God potential has come and dwells within the people of God.

The full potential of the destined kingdom of God is now seeded within the fertile soil of the hearts of those in whom Christ Jesus dwells.

The Spirit kingdom growing in the hearts of human beings governs and empowers the lives of God’s kingdom people.

Subsequently, the Spirit kingdom is manifest into the natural world as the life of Christ emanates from God’s people.

Human government opposes the government of God.

The first level of human government is the inner governing of our lives. Within each person there is governance for the individual’s life. Natural man is governed within by his unredeemed soul (mind, will, and emotions) led by a spirit or spirits other than the Spirit God. God’s kingdom people are governed by the Spirit of Christ flowing through their redeemed soul by the Holy Spirit of God.

The natural unredeemed human governance opposes the governance of God within human beings. Therefore, there is internal conflict for the rule of the lives of mankind. This conflict is ultimately the war to rule the world. Whoever or whatever rules in the hearts of mankind eventually rules in the world.

The governments of the world are led by spirits: either ungodly evil spirits or the SPIRIT OF GOD.

There is no such thing as a spiritless government. Secular humanistic government is a government of evil spirits working through unredeemed souls of human beings. To seek to build a government that is neutral to religious beliefs and tolerant of all religions is to deny that the spiritual realm exists and to govern in ignorance.

Again, we find religion in the forefront of the disastrous condition of the world. The mutant form of weak, man-focused “Christian” religion that denies the reality of Christ in the Spirit indwelling His people has abandoned the governments of this world to other spirits. The enemy of God rules in this world where God should be ruling. The Spirit of God in His temple on earth is to be establishing His kingdom first in the hearts of people and through their lives into families, tribes, and nations.

In recent decades a spark has reignited the fire of the Holy Spirit, releasing an avalanche of revelation of “Christ in you (His people) the hope of Glory”. The hope of glory is the kingdom of God reigning within people and eventually in the world bringing His heavenly order to Planet Earth.

The process of kingdom growth within the hearts of God’s people has begun. However, we see the kingdoms of this world not yet the kingdoms of our God. The current dilemma for kingdom people involves functioning in God’s kingdom order in a world not yet ruled by God’s kingdom order.

LIVING KINGDOM TODAY

Even the best secular humanistic governments cannot bring forth righteousness, peace, and joy. Every government that is not on the shoulder of Christ Jesus is destined to fail, and as governments fail people suffer (Isa 9:6-7).

How do God’s kingdom people live in a world of nations yet mostly ruled by men ignorant of the Spirit of God and led by cunning and often ruthless spirits driving their unredeemed souls?

The answer to this question will vary with each person according to calling and specific direction of the Spirit of God. There are many parts to the Body of Christ and the different parts will have different functions.

Some may be led to work on the deep spiritual issues by helping others come to Christ and be transformed. Some may be led of God to work in more surface areas such as the political arena seeking to restrain the evil and press toward less governmental restrictions and increased tolerance for God’s people. Kingdom people will be called to fulfill a multitude of spiritual and practical functions to supply continued life, strength, and growth to the people of God. One part must never condemn another part but connect joint-to-joint as God’s Spirit leads.

The primary requirement for living in a hostile government environment is to be personally intimately related to God in such a way that there is continuous communication in the Spirit. God can direct day-by-day and moment-by-moment by His Spirit within. All hindrances and distractions that can limit our ability to hear and obey the Spirit of God need to be eliminated or overcome.

Christ Jesus is the over-comer, the healer of hearts and the cleanser of souls. Encountering the work of the Cross of Christ and the reality of the resurrected life of Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit is God’s provision for renewing and transforming the heart of human beings to intimately commune with God.

Major areas to be cleansed and overcome that prevent intimately communing with God include things like renewing our minds, healing past wounds, forgiving everyone and everything, leaving past religious convictions and beliefs, abandoning cares of this life and deceitfulness of riches, yielding control of our life to Spirit God, deliverance from other spirits, and abandoning all other idols. All these things and more are provided in Christ Jesus and appropriated by a joint work of our willingness to lay down our lives before God and allowing Him to powerfully cleanse and transform our being to accommodate the very life of Christ abiding within. We are then connected directly to the throne of God as we abide in Him who is seated at the right hand of God. We are then ruling and reigning with Christ in this world bringing forth the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. This is living kingdom today.

Living in the kingdom of Christ today, we endure all things, overcome all things, and are at rest in all situations. Having sought and found this kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things are added to us. Righteousness, peace, and joy fill our hearts by His love (Mat 6:33-34) (Rom 14:17). Faith and believing effortlessly become full assurance and reality of practical experience.

God’s people throughout history have lived powerful lives in God in nations ruled by ungodly governments (Heb 11:32-40). Today, in this time of ungodly governments severely opposing the people of God, a people are being prepared. In this season of the day of the Lord manifesting in the forerunner remnant of maturing sons of God, apostolic leadership of Christ is coming forth to prepare a generation of kingdom people to govern as Christ in families, tribes, cities, nations, and the world. Thus, the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our God.

Praise the LORD all you people! Give glory unto the KING who has come to dwell among His people! Glory and honor to His Majesty the Mighty One in whom all the fullness dwells! Worship the One whose kingdom never ends! Our God Reigns!

Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! Amen!

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

JESUS THE OVERCOMER

Posted: April 7, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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The Bible teaches us that Christ Jesus has overcome the enemy and the world. The gospel of the kingdom, which Jesus taught in the Bible, deals primarily with experiencing overcoming life now. Man has the awesome responsibility of finishing the job of making all God’s enemies His footstool. Certainly, Satan and his demonic hosts are totally defeated in the finished work of the cross and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Yet because man has not fully appropriated the work of Jesus, the enemy is still killing, stealing, and destroying. Many Christians are severely wounded and at least have had their lives partially destroyed by the enemy.

Psalm 110:1-3:Jehovah (self existing, eternal One) said to Adonai (sovereign, ruling, controlling One), Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Jehovah shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be willing (volunteers) in the day of Your power. In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning…

This and other scriptures are very clear that the final responsibility for overcoming power comes from Jehovah. The people of Christ are to be willing volunteers to flow the rod of Jesus strength out of Zion (the purified, holy, bride-Church) in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning.

There is no other method for overcoming apart from the blood of the Lamb and the expression of His strength through His people. There is no enemy or power on earth, which cannot be overcome by the Spirit of the Lord working through His willing and obedient people.

You are greatly blessed to be a part of the awakening generation of believers who are throwing off the old garment of a defeated life, which only hopes to escape. We are putting on the new garment of praise and power of the overcoming life in the beauty of holiness. The morning is birthed. Let it be birthed in your heart. Pray for the Morning Star to arise in your heart. The freedom of the kingdom of God is available. Let’s get in on it. Let’s go on to all the fullness of the kingdom of God lifestyle, the overcoming life.

All the relics of religious rules, traditions of man, and our striving to keep them will never overcome. The law has no power to fulfill itself. Christ Jesus is the One who fulfills the law. The power of the law is to make us aware of our sin. The law that is set into nature brings forth the natural penalty of our sin. The law kills; the Spirit brings life (Romans 3:20, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 3:13-14). Trying hard with all our strength can make us very tired, but it will not enable us to keep the rules and overcome.

Only as we are willing to die to our self-life and our own strength, take up our cross, and trust in His life can the Morning Star (His own law-fulfilling life) be birthed in us. Then, we can begin to live righteously by His strength. Overcoming is a natural result of the Spirit of Christ Jesus living in our mortal bodies.

Our method is not to try to know rules and keep them. It is not to strive to know about God and about His Word. Our method is to know God Himself in intense, personal intimacy. We must know Jesus, the Word from God. We seek the God of the Word, not just the words about God. The overcoming life is intimacy with Christ Jesus and Father God by the Holy Spirit in a personal, intimate, real, penetrating, covenant relationship as the bride of Christ.

By His death we are forgiven. We overcome by His life in us.

The penalty of our sin was paid by His death on the cross, which reconciled us to Holy God. Our life is being saved, healed, made whole and we are now being delivered by the indwelling resurrection life of Christ Jesus through the Spirit.

Romans 5:10:For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Two aspects of our redemption are referred to in this and other verses. One is through the death of Jesus; the other is by the life of Jesus. The cross of Jesus provides reconciliation. His resurrection life saves (heals, makes whole, delivers, protects, and preserves) us as He lives in us.

The Greek word translated saved is sozo (sodezo) which means to save, deliver or protect. It is also translated heal, preserve, do well, to be whole, or to make whole.

Romans 7:23-25a: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 8:9-11, 14,16-17: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Speaking of those who are not entering into the overcoming kingdom of heaven lifestyle, the Lord said in Matthew 7:23, And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness!

We may know Him to some degree, but does He intimately know us? Unless we are related to Him as His bride and his life is actually within us, He does not know us in the sense of this verse.

Paul in Philippians 3:7-16, speaks of suffering the loss of all things, and that he counts them only as rubbish that I may gain Christ, and that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

As we are conformed to His death now in this life, we may attain His resurrection life now in this life. Verse 16 says, to the degree that we have already attained let us walk. Suffering plays a part in being conformed to His death and attaining His resurrection life. The important thing for us is to press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Intimately knowing Him and being known by Him is the power for the overcoming life.

ENDURE TO THE END

Overcoming means we must finish the course. We have not totally overcome until we have overcome to the end. Overcoming is the victory of finishing.

Years ago, I heard a story that supposedly took place some time in the early 1900s. Several schools had come together for a track meet and field day. The grand finale was a mile footrace four times around a quarter-mile cinder track. The runners all got a good start and were still running as a pack together after the first lap. A careful look at the runners revealed that one boy was having a harder time keeping up with the pack. His face was showing signs of stress more than the others. In the second lap the boy began to fall behind the pack. The third lap saw the pack spread out as the strongest runners begin to pull away. This one boy was now almost half a lap behind the last runner.

When the crowd cheered the winners across the finish line, this boy was far behind on the backside of the track. It was obvious to everyone that he was badly fatigued and could hardly keep going. Suddenly, the crowd moaned a little as the young man stumbled and fell on the track. Every one watched as he struggled, got up on wobbly legs, and with bleeding knees and hands, continued to try to make it around the track. All the other runners had finished. Only the one wobbly runner remained on the track. He was finally rounding the last curve and headed toward the finish line when, apparently, he got a second wind and began to run a little better.

He crossed the finish line and immediately collapsed face down on the track. Those nearby ran to him and rolled him over. A doctor arrived and began to do what he could. The doctor called for a stretcher and moved the boy from the track to a shady spot on the grassy infield. As the young man began to recover, the doctor working over him asked the question that the crowd had been asking each other. Son, why didn’t you just step off the track? There was no chance for you to win the race. No one would have paid much attention if you had stepped off the track on the back side.

The boy replied, You see, Sir, it was this way. A bad sickness hit my school, and all of our best runners that had trained for this race were too sick and weak to come. I was the best my school had to send. Sir, I couldn’t let it be said that my school could not even finish the race.

You are the best God had to send to accomplish the purpose of your life. Only you can do and be what God has sent you to this race of life to do and be.

God is not so interested in our being first across the finish line. His primary concern is not that we run the race of life with perfect form. He does not count us out if we fall down on the track. The only way we can lose is to step off the track. No matter how far behind we are or how many times we fall, we can, we must, get up and keep moving toward the finish line. God has a significant purpose for our lives that may not be fully known to us now. Who knows what future multiplied results may come in the generations ahead from your overcoming and finishing the course God has set for you? Who knows what eternal matters may be affected?

We are not in competition with our brothers and sisters to be as good as or better than they. The race is not against others. God just wants us to be all we are meant to be. We are not here to please the crowd; we are here to finish the course and to hear, Well done, good and faithful servant.

In the following verses, the Greek word translated endure is hupomeno (hoop-om-en-o), which means,to stay under or behind, remain, undergo, bear trials, have fortitude, persevere.

The Greek word translated end is telos (tel-os), which means to set out for a definite point or goal, the point aimed at as a limit, by implication conclusion or termination, literally or figuratively result or purpose.

Matthew 24:12-14: And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 10:22: And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

1 Corinthians 13:7-8a:(Love)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

In contrast, a different Greek word is used in the following verse, which simply means is or are.

Mark 4:17: And they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

Overcoming (subduing, having victory) means being delivered from some things and being delivered through some things. To strive to be delivered from all tribulation and persecution may be an unfruitful endeavor. Also, who can explain why some are delivered from having a divorce and some are delivered from the devastation through and after a divorce? Both the one delivered from getting sick and the one delivered through a disease are overcomers if they endure. Perhaps it would be best to seek to know God’s plan and purpose in each situation.

Overcoming may mean having victory in and during the fire. It means living in Him, in His peace and joy, for example, even in the midst of divorce, slanderous attacks, defaming accusations, and vile insinuations regarding our moral character and inner motives, even by those we may have loved the most.

Paul and many other men of God have been overcomers while in prison, being stoned, mocked, and falsely accused. Many have been free in prison while many others have been in bondage walking the streets. Overcoming has to do with peace that passes understanding. It does not always mean a change in our external circumstances.

Overcoming and enduring to the end often eludes Christians. Though we strive hard to learn and obey the apostles doctrine, we may experience a breakdown in our fortitude. Many are called but few are chosen. Only the finishers are chosen to receive the promises to the overcomers.

We will overcome only by our covenant relationship with the Overcomer. Only as we are braided into one with Jesus, will His strength become ours. We trade our strength (weakness) for His strength to overcome and endure. We must intimately relate to Him continuously if we are to overcome consistently.

The impact and results of overcoming in an individual’s life can be tremendous. For many it is difficult to even imagine the beauty of walking in daily peace, joy, and prosperity of spirit, soul, and body. The end of financial stress, marital stress, and other forms of stress seems an unattainable dream to many people who have come to accept stress as normal life.

The frustrations of life endured by mankind are generated by man’s lack of walking in God’s ways (kingdom living). The mountains of frustrating problems and insurmountable obstacles will melt away as the power of Christ by the grace of God flows in and through the individual’s life. The corporate effect of many individuals overcoming and living God’s way will impact everyone and everything on the planet.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

THE OVERCOMING LIFE

Posted: April 6, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Before the kingdom can come forth in the world, it must come forth in a people. Many of us are yet dealing with spiritual infirmities and weaknesses related to sin and human frailty. In Part 2 of Kingdom Growth Guides we will deal with overcoming hindrances to walking in the kingdom of God lifestyle.

For many of us the reality of the kingdom of God coming forth in our lives and in our world may seem an impossible dream. We may feel that there is too much to overcome in our own lives and far too much to be overcome in the world. However, there is a source of overcoming power in the spiritual realm that far exceeds our natural strength. The following are a few stories of people who have tapped into that spiritual overcoming power.

The crowd at the finish line leans forward and intently peers down the track to see which one of the well-trained cyclists is leading as they all come into view over the last hill of the race. The young men who have trained diligently are now pushing their bodies to the very limit. Their lungs work to the fullest capacity to gather oxygen for pounding hearts to rush it to their powerful, muscular, sinewy legs — legs pumping like engine pistons in an effort to push their bicycles ahead of the others.

The burst of applause and cheers from the crowd is delayed for an instant. The crowd is shocked into silence for a split second while their minds try to accept what their wide-opened eyes are seeing. Gaping mouths begin to burst forth cheers and shouts of jubilation as the momentary disbelief of their own eyes is dispelled. Many eyes fill with tears as the crowd wildly applauds the young man with only one leg and one arm as he crosses the finish line first.

At another time and place in a high school auditorium, hundreds of teens gasp and draw back a little as they get their first look at a man walking out on stage. After only a few minutes, the man behind the disfigured face seems like one of their best friends. They are hardly aware of the massive scars or the knurled, maimed hands. They are mostly aware of the gentle love and real, caring attitude they feel coming from their new friend. Soon they are laughing hilariously with him as he humorously relates true stories of being burned almost to death in a military ordeal. All are moved and must consider the God he tells them about. His joyous love proclaims overcoming victory over the years of intense pain and great loss, and testifies of the powerful grace of the love of Jesus.

Many such true stories of people overcoming tremendous obstacles could be told. Our hearts would probably be touched by each of them. Something inside us seems to be excited. In some way we begin to feel encouragement in our own soul. Is it possible our own problems may seem to be a little less of a mountain when we consider their victories? Is there perhaps a new ray of hope released in us? Perhaps something like this thought crosses our minds, “If God helped them to overcome, possibly He can also help me.” Perhaps our doubt that God will do anything about our world is challenged a little. If He works in these individuals’ lives to overcome, isn’t it possible that He might work in many lives across the world? What might be the result of multitudes, one at a time, overcoming? Is there perhaps hope birthed in our hearts for our own lives and for the world by these examples of overcoming?

How did they do it? How can I do it? Many books are written in an attempt to answer these questions. We surely do not have all the answers, but one common denominator is always present. In a word, it is faith. What the individual believes, how he views God, himself, and the problem is the key. Most overcomers will say something like, “I never thought of myself as handicapped only challenged.” Or, “It never entered my mind that it could not be done”. A challenge seems to be there for the purpose of our overcoming it.Therefore, it is temporary, and if temporary, then temporal and not eternal. The temporal must yield to the eternal. The power for overcoming is the eternal God. “Handicap” implies a forever, negative condition we cannot overcome, but must succumb to. In faith, overcomers see God as greater than the problem and believe He is working with them. When God is working on the problem, it does not matter that it is too big for us. We know we could never do it alone. How we see God, ourselves, and our problems makes the difference!

Many lives have been damaged or crippled by bad things that have happened. Sin is always at the root of every bad thing. We each have been harmed to some degree by the results of someone’s sin. If we view our problem as a challenge that Jesus came to help us with, we can overcome. Our worldview can change if we see that the world’s crippling sin problem is no greater than the individual’s sin problem. There is just more of it. A bricklayer can lay one brick in a few seconds. It takes longer to lay an entire brick wall; however it is still the same problem and can be done only one brick at a time. If many bricklayers are working on the wall simultaneously, the wall is built much faster. If it is possible for one person to overcome, then it is possible for the world to overcome through faith in God.

“Overcoming” is one of the major teachings of the New Testament. Yet it has not been well understood or applied in past generations. Overcoming has been seen, for the most part, as pertaining only to the area of personal sin. Once we receive revelation of the “at-hand” kingdom, our overcoming begins to take on a much broader scope. Jesus has not only provided the potential for His children to overcome personal sin; but He has also provided a way for our overcoming to have an effect on the Church, the community, the nation, and eventually the planet.

Surely, the lack of overcoming in God’s people is heavy on God’s heart. Those who do not overcome are overcome. Overcome by negative emotions of depression, hopelessness, pride, anger, rage, violence, fear, worry, insecurity, jealousy, etc. These negative emotions lead to being overcome by lust of all kinds, bondages of immorality, drugs, alcohol, sexual perversions, selfishness, greed, etc.

This is not the lifestyle for which Jesus gave His life. He did not die to purchase failure for His people. If we are to ever see the overcoming of poverty, racial hatred, injustice, political aggression, child abuse, family violence, abortion, gang violence, and every other social sickness and evil, we must begin to understand the overcoming power of Christ. We must in reality grasp the ability to appropriate the great mystery of the overcoming work of Jesus.

The enemy wants you to believe the earth is his and the fullness thereof. He wants you to hide out and just try to hang on until you die and go to heaven. The enemy sure doesn’t want you to know that in appropriating the work (the ministry) of Christ Jesus you have the power to overcome him and all his dirty work. The truth is that the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.

Psalm 24:1: The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

The only right the devil has to this world and its people is the right that we give him. His only power is the power of deception. If he can make people believe his lies, then he can carry out the lies. The Word is clear. Jesus has overcome the enemy and all of his work. We do not belong to the devil. We do not need to believe or obey him in any area. Neither the earth nor anything in it belongs to the enemy, and we do not have to give up anything to him. He has no right to cause the earth to be burned in judgment. He has no right to the governments of the world. The world system does not belong to him. It is God’s. God gave His only Son to repurchase it. He is waiting for His people to overcome and possess His world. Is there any mission on earth more important than overcoming?

Perhaps there is no more vital word in the Bible relative to overcoming than the following verse. If we can receive revelation light regarding the meaning of this verse, we will be on the way toward overcoming.

KEY VERSE

Revelation 12:11: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

The Greek work translated“overcame”is “nikao” (nik-ah’-o) meaning “to subdue,” or “to get the victory.” It comes from the word “nike” (nee’-kay), a prime root meaning “conquest”, or “means of success.”

The Greek word translated “testimony” is “marturia” (mar-too-ree’-ah) meaning evidence.” It comes from “martus” (mar’-toos) meaning “witness” and implies “a martyr.”

Our overcoming begins with the blood of the Lamb. It is only by the cross that the enemy’s power was and is broken. When the perfect, sinless Son of God gave up His pure life on the cross to die for all sin, the penalty for all sin was and is forever paid. From that point forward, the enemy has no further hold, no further right to impose evil on any person on earth except as we allow it. In our ignorance of the work that Jesus has done and because of our doubt and unbelief, mankind continues to suffer needlessly. As the blood flowed from Jesus’ body on the cross and was absorbed by the soil of the earth, the earth was forever changed. God’s economy relative to man, the earth, and the devil was, for all time and eternity, changed.

God’s full acceptance and acknowledgment of the completed work of the cross as payment for the penalty of all sin is proved in the resurrection of His Son. Had the work of redemption not been perfect, had the law not been totally satisfied, there would have been no resurrection. It is forever settled. The enemy has no further right to impose evil without our (mankind’s) approval. That’s why the Scripture says, “the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”

Jesus then ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us. The finished work of the cross, the blood of Jesus the Lamb, is ever before God to plead our case. The enemy has no rights. The case is always decided by the blood of Jesus, if we so plead. The matter is in our hands. We can deny the blood. We can plead our own case. We can, if we choose, deny our sin. We can choose to do it our way. We can walk in unbelief toward the blood of Jesus. This is disobedience to God and our invitation to the devil to impose evil upon us. We then become one he may devour.

Not only is Jesus interceding for us at the right hand of the Father, He has also returned to earth in the Holy Spirit to personally indwell each of His children. The Word says He became a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians15:46, 2 Corinthians 8:17). Living in us, He is our source of power and righteousness for daily living. He is always with us, always available to communicate with us regarding every situation we encounter. His love in us causes us to desire to walk in obedience to God. It also grants us the power of His life enabling us to walk in the practical reality of being and doing exactly as He is and does. And, He always obeys the Father.

There are many things that can affect our ability to walk in the Spirit of Christ, but our walk must begin with our desire to lay aside any and every thing that hinders.

One major hindrance might involve our need to do things our way. Our will must take second place to His will. Eventually His will must become our’s. Daily we can attempt to live righteously on our own. We can strive to do things right. We can seek religious orders, systems, and practices to cause us to live righteously. In doing so, we deny the Lord. We deny His Holy Spirit living in us.

The evidence or “word of our testimony”comes forth from Jesus living in us. As we“do not love our own life to the death,” we give up our own way and allow Christ Jesus to live in us by the Holy Spirit instead of allowing our own life to live in us. As He lives in us and we listen to and obey Him, we overcome.

Revelation 2:7b: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Eating from the tree of life means hearing and receiving living revelation of God, as opposed to reasoning things out from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It means experiencing eternal (abundant) life now.

John 10:10:The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Eternal life is a quality of life, not just a quantity. The Greek word translated “abundantly” is“perissos” (per-is-sos’) which means “beyond,” “super abundant (in quantity),” “ superior (in quality),” or “preeminence.”

Revelation 22:14: Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city.

Western culture has taught us to depend on our intellect. Education is seen as the answer to mankind’s social ills. The basic theory seems to be that, if we have enough knowledge, we will become smart enough to rule our own lives successfully. Independence is very important to our way of thinking. We feel, if we are intellectually sharp enough and have enough money, we can do what we want and have all we want. We think surely this will produce peace and happiness. This is partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yes, education and mental skills are important aspects of life; but they alone cannot bring us the abundant, overcoming life of the kingdom of God.

A number of years ago a man in his fifties came to me for personal ministry. We will call him Dr. Smart. I chose this name because he was one of the most intelligent men I had ever met. He held several doctors’ degrees, including a theological degree. Dr. Smart came looking for help with great emotional problems. I don’t believe I have ever seen a more miserable person. He was dealing with great inner pain and strife. Personal and professional relationships would not function properly in his life. He was intensely frustrated, lonely, and angry.

As we talked, I mentioned a scripture. He quickly told me where it was found, who wrote it to whom, the intent of the writer, and the cultural conditions at the time and place it was written. Yet, this poor man had no spiritual revelation of the Word. He did not have the first revelation of Jesus as Savior and Lord, and would hear nothing of spiritual revelation at all. He would debate and even become angry with any suggestion of spiritual revelation. His whole understanding came from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He had no part with the tree of life. Jesus is the only source of abundant life, the kingdom of God lifestyle.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

GOD’S JEWELS

Posted: April 5, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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As the Israel of God (the church, “ecclesia”) attains practical obedience and holiness through inner empowerment of the grace of God, the Bride of Christ is prepared. Now is the time for the church to make herself ready and become the perfected Bride and City of God on earth. The religious church for the most part has thought that the kingdom was not for today, and has focused on getting in the gate and hanging on until Jesus comes or until we die and go to heaven. Therefore, we have multitudes of Christians hanging around the gate in the outer court. We’ve expected these neophytes to demonstrate the “Christian life.” It is no wonder most of the church has decided to disregard kingdom teaching as not being for this time since, seemingly, no one has the power to realistically live it. Therefore, we have reasoned, the kingdom must be for heaven when we die or some future day.

Another beautiful, figurative word God uses to describe His mature “sons of the kingdom” is “His jewels.” His children are being perfected into beautiful jewels. It is so amazing that God, who has all the gold and precious stones in the world, considers His kingdom people as jewels, jewels now being perfected, cut and polished to reflect His glory.

Malachi 3:17a: “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels.”

Isaiah 61:10b: For as He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with robes of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.

The remnant church is being prepared as precious jewels to reflect the glory of God. The spotless, perfected Bride Church will reflect the glory of God in every facet of life. There must be no internal imperfections or flaws if we are to perfectly reflect His glory. Each facet must be cut to perfect shape and polished to perfection, if we are to become one of the jewels of New Jerusalem one of the adorning stones set on the foundation of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

In God’s pictorial language, the twelve tribes of Israel are the “gates” of entry to the city of God. The purified church (the Israel of God) is the “gateway” as it brings forth the ministry of Jesus in the world. The twelve apostles of the Lamb are the “foundation” of the spiritual city of God.

Revelation 21:12, 14:Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates,and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:18-23: “And the construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the forth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light.

Isaiah 62:1,3, 5b: “For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”

As God is perfecting us the finished jewel may be much smaller than the initial, damaged, rough stone. But when He is finished, there will be no impurities to impede the glorious light of God from flowing out every window or “facet” of our lives. If there are imperfections yet within us which indicate a need for further healing or dying to self, they will block or hinder the flow of God’s glory and keep it from being reflected in one or more of our “facets.”

Another word demonstrating the unimpeded ability to “flow” the glory of God from all the facets of our jewel is freedom. In the natural dimension, a cut diamond that has an impurity in it, such as a carbon deposit, is not free to “flow” the light out of some of its facets. Additionally, if the diamond is not cut properly or has blemishes in its surface, the light flowing through it will be distorted. In the spiritual if we, the children of God, have some spot of impurity remaining in our hearts, we will not be free to “flow” the glory of God in that area of our lives. Also, if we are not yet perfectly cut and polished, we are not free to “flow” His light without distortion. The process of being formed, cut, polished, and purified might be considered very difficult by the diamond that is experiencing the cutting and grinding.

The overcomer will want to locate these imperfections and allow God to deal with them. Jesus came to fix our imperfections and repair the damage inflicted upon us by the devil and by our own foolishness. We can learn to recognize problem areas by the lack of the glory of God flowing through a particular area or facet of our life or daily walk. There are seven easily defined general areas or facets of freedom in each of us.

Zechariah 3:9, Amplified.: “For behold, upon the stone which I have set before Joshua, upon that one stone are seven eyes or facets “ [the all-embracing providence of God and the sevenfold radiations of the Spirit of God]. “Behold,I will carve upon it its inscription,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will remove the iniquity and guilt of this land in a single day.”

Freedom is having all hindrances to receiving and reflecting the light of His glory removed. If freedom in a certain facet does not exist, we will know to look in a corresponding area in the heart for impurities or imperfections to be healed or removed. We must know how to appropriate the ministry of Jesus to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free. We must allow Him to burn out impurities or cut away a portion of our stone to eliminate the impurity in our jewel. In love He may use the chisel and hammer of traumatic events and abrasive relationships to cut and polish our jewel.

In the natural realm, the facets of a jewel are “windows.” Light flows in through some and out through others. When the jewel is moved, the light shifts from window to window and sparkles brightly as it reflects the light from each facet. The jewel has no light of its own, but does a beautiful job of reflecting available light.

The major facet of our jewel is obedience. Usually the major facet on top of a jewel receives the light in to be reflected out the other smaller facets. We will reflect whatever light we turn our obedience toward. If we turn our obedience toward evil, we will reflect the darkness of evil. If we turn our obedience toward God, we will reflect His glory. Freedom is both freedom from reflecting evil and freedom to reflect good.

SEVEN FACETS OF FREEDOM

Seven facets of freedom are obedience, contentment, prosperity, enjoyment, harmony, health and service. Probably all needed areas of freedom are defined under these seven headings. If we have these freedoms, we can walk in the kingdom of God, New Jerusalem, purified, Bride-of-Christ lifestyle.

Freedom is both freedom from reflecting evil and freedom to reflect good.

OBEDIENCE IS FREEDOM

Freedom from rebellion, stubbornness, self-will, perversion, arrogance, compulsiveness, impulsiveness, pride and impatience.

Freedom to be submissive, yielding, faithful, loyal, humble and repentant.

CONTENTMENT IS FREEDOM

Freedom from want, lust, needs that cause stress, fear, doubt, worry, anxiety, insecurity, suspicion, distrust, hopelessness, nervousness, tension and confusion.

Freedom to be satisfied, thankful, fulfilled, secure, trusting, believing, hopeful, peaceful and stable.

PROSPERITY IS FREEDOM

Freedom from lack, poverty, wastefulness, fruitlessness, loss and not having enough to complete God’s plan.

Freedom to be adequately supplied to complete God’s plan, fruitful, flourishing, receiving, increasing and conserving.

ENJOYMENT IS FREEDOM

Freedom from ungodly pain & sorrow, torment, guilt, boredom, condemnation, depression, self-pity, shame, withdrawal, loneliness and frustration.

Freedom to be experiencing pleasure in God, delighting in the Lord, being joyful.

HARMONY IS FREEDOM

Freedom from strife, contention, jealousy, envy, hostility, discord, rejecting, rejection, resentment, retaliation, criticizing, hate, selfishness, manipulation and gossip.

Freedom to be unified, compatible, in accord, friendly, open, in fellowship, accepted and accepting.

HEALTH IS FREEDOM

Freedom from (physical, emotional, or spiritual) sickness, disease, wounding, disorder, malfunction, malformation, perversion and weakness.

Freedom to be (physically, emotionally, or spiritually) whole, well, healed, strong, in order, sound, able-bodied and hearty.

SERVICE IS FREEDOM

Freedom from unproductiveness, slothfulness, uselessness, incapability, lack of purpose, worthlessness, futility, vanity and hindering.

Freedom to be productive, purposeful, providing, useful, capable, valuable and helpful.

Remember:We must turn our facet of obedience toward the light and away from darkness. We will reflect whatever light we turn our obedience toward. If we turn our obedience toward evil, we will reflect the darkness of evil. If we turn our obedience toward God, we will reflect His glory.

If we have impurities in our jewel, we feel very uncomfortable when we turn fully toward the light. The bright light generates heat within as it contacts impurities and is blocked from flowing out. For comfort’s sake, some will turn their “obedience facet” away from the light, away from focus on closeness with God. They may turn away from intimacy with God and instead turn toward religious forms and rituals.

Romans 6:16-18:Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slave whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Some will lift up a shield of religion or unbelief and self-deception to keep the light from burning within them. The enemy will provide the shield for us if we will use it. He has a whole suit of armor for those who will obey him.

Luke 11:20-22: “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.”

The armor of Satan is the opposite of God’s armor. Those who obey the enemy have their waist girded with lies, a breastplate of unrighteousness, their feet shod with the bad news of conflict. They carry the shield of unbelief and self-deception. They take the helmet of damnation and wield the sword of evil which is words of accusation and condemnation.

Self-deception begins with replacing what God has said with human rationalization and self-justification. Rather than repent and change, some will attempt to alleviate uncomfortable feelings of guilt with self-deception by denying their own guilt and blaming others.They accuse and condemn others for their own inner impurities and imperfections. The enemy will assists them with his religious belief systems and doctrines, which will seem to justify one’s faults rather than change them.

Only by directly turning toward the light of God and continuing to move toward the light, can one’s inner-impurities and imperfections be exposed and dealt with. Only by repenting and allowing the power of God to change us will we become purified. Belief and obedience cause man to be conformed to God. Unbelief and self-deception attempt to conform God to man.

If we are to become the jewels of God, there are things in each of our lives that must be overcome. As we journey toward becoming His jewels, the damage previously done to us by the enemy and the resulting negative life patterns must be overcome. We must become overcomers by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and not loving our lives to the death.

Rev 12:11: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Keep on Pursuing Love,
It Will Never Fail.

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

Live in the Spirit – Walk in the Spirit

Posted: April 2, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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An Apostolic Reality
By Ron McGatlin

In practical reality, what on earth does it really mean to you and me today to live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit?
Gal 5:25: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

There is much talk today about Apostles and apostolic ministry and government. My email in-box daily contains words about apostolic this or that generally seeking to define and understand Apostles and the change that God is sending regarding life and government in the ekklesia. Gatherings and networks of Apostles are seeking to enlighten one another on the kingdom (government) of God and iron out the different views developing on how we should do church and function in a changing world.

The Spirit of God is grieved within me and my heart is challenged by the absence of living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit evident in most apostolic discussions. The Spirit is hardly mentioned in the considerations of the “apostolic” meanderings of teachings for aligning apostolically with one another.

Are we making the same old mistakes over again? Throughout recent church history what is deemed the lack of godly order in the people has been answered with increased human leadership imposing safeguards to stem the deviations of false teachings and unorthodox practices. Seeking to keep our doctrine and our practices pure has again and again led to more human organization, structure, and control. Preaching the word of the Bible without the power of the Spirit produces bondage and not life. In every case that I am aware of, this has squelched the Spirit of Christ flowing through the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has pulled away.

Jesus will not be head with another. God will not share His glory with another. We will not have the headship of Christ and the headship of man at the same time. There is one head upon the shoulders of the Body of Christ.

Establishing more human accountability to other men sounds like a great answer. However, without living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit, it is just more foolishness of human government. If we live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, we are fully and completely accountable to the living Father and in full alignment with our great Apostle, the Lord Christ Jesus, and in one accord with others who do the same. It is by the SPIRIT of God, the Holy Spirit that most leaders seem afraid to receive, yield to, proclaim, and impart to multitudes of spiritless “Christians” who are seeking life in the wrong places.

The Holy Spirit bringing the awesome power, wisdom, and love of Jesus is the only way to abundant life. The living water (Spirit of God) is the answer to completely changing the people from the inside and bringing the chaos of foolish leadership of flesh to a complete end with the powerful flow of anointing of the Spirit destroying the yokes of bondage.

Read the book of Acts again. The early Apostles lived and walked in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God was the source of all the mighty works and powerful ministry of the first century including all the mighty works of Christ Jesus Himself. Yes, the mighty life, ministry, and works of Jesus were all done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Wake up people of God! If Jesus overcame the world and demonstrated authority over the enemy and all the elements of the world by the Holy Spirit, what are you going to do with your Bible studies and apostolic teaching seminars and gatherings without the fullness of the power, love, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit of God Almighty working the life of Christ Jesus in you?????? What good is it going to do if you organize and send Apostles to appoint some elders to try to stem the tide of foolish and childish behavior of Christians who do not know the gift of God or the one who speaks to them from heaven?

Human leadership will never produce the life of God without the same power, love, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit that flowed through Christ Jesus and the early Apostles.

Our centuries of entrapment in man-altered “Christian” religious training is robbing us of the release of the fullness of the power and love of God flowing through the Spirit to powerfully impact and change the wasted people of God and align the gifted servant-leaders in the purposes of God.

Jesus is again saying to those who come to the well to seek life giving water, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you….”

I hear our Lord and Father through the Holy Spirit crying out to this generation, “Oh if you only knew the gift I have for you. Oh, if you only knew who is speaking to you and what my desire and provision is for you to flow in my kingdom into all the world. Oh, If you really knew…”

John 4:10: Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

John 4:13-14: Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Thirsty Christians worldwide continue to cry out to God for more and are not satisfied. If we continue in desperate thirst, it is clear that we have not yet asked of Him and received from Him the fullness of the living water that will cause us to NEVER thirst again but have the water (Spirit) that will become in us a fountain of the Spirit springing up into everlasting (continuous) LIFE. How can we thirst for more of Him when His fountain of living Spirit is flowing up from within us?

This is the ultimate Joy of God and His rest from all striving. We never thirst again. Yes, we may long for others and the world to come into the reality of His Spirit also. And we may, with joy, look forward to the full reality of the New Jerusalem lifestyle forming the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven that fills the entire earth. However, we are living and fully walking in the kingdom now within our hearts as the fountain of SPIRIT of GOD flows up and out of us.

This is the life for which we gladly give up our previous Christian self-life with all its rules and doctrines of human order and accountability. This is the power, love, and wisdom that are the ministry to be imparted by the true apostolic ministry. This is the work that will stop the foolishness of fleshly teachings and practices of the people. The work of the kingdom that more apostolic structure and more Bible studies cannot accomplish. “By my SPIRIT,” says the Lord (Zec 4:6).

This thing began in the Spirit; are we going to try to finish it in human wisdom, understanding, and structuring?

Gal 3:3: Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Absolutely not! The kingdom of God will not mature apart from our complete dependence and accountability to the Spirit of God our Father and our Lord.

There must be true Apostles pure, holy people of God who so live and walk by the Spirit that no believer will need to ask who appointed them or empowered them. They do not need a title or an organization. They will not promote and build a ministry and will not need to ask provision of any man. These are God’s gifted humble holy men and women who have no life apart from the Holy Spirit of God. They are in the world as Christ to impart life of the Spirit into many. They will not allow others to worship them and set them up as someone special above others. But will impart the same life that is in them to all who seek the kingdom of God with their whole heart.

We need an explosive life ending Spirit beginning encounter with God in the Spirit to me made alive. Then we must decide daily to live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. We will not thirst again but in pure love and power we will speak the oracles of God and flow the works of Christ into the world. This gospel of the kingdom must be preached and demonstrated to all the world and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God. Christ Jesus shall be seen in great glory and fully honored as Lord and King.

Keep on pursuing love.
It never fails.

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM

Posted: March 30, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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The rich understandings of the kingdom of God are hidden in the Word of God, veiled in figurative, symbolic language that can be revealed to the mind only by the Spirit of God. For centuries we have read and studied the Bible; yet, the understanding of kingdom will be revealed to us only at the level we are ready to receive it and in the season that God desires.

The Bible often uses a natural word about a natural thing to represent a spiritual thing. Once we have the spiritual meaning of the natural word, we can use that word to communicate the spiritual thought. For example, we have referred to the Bride of Christ several times. We all know that we are not referring to a literal bride. A natural bride is one female person who is being married to a husband. The Bride of Christ is a figurative term representing all purified believers who are intimately related as one with the indwelling Christ. The believers may be male or female, old or young, of any heritage, and of any number. Yet, they can all be collectively described in the term Bride of Christ. When the Bible speaks of the milk of the Word, we know it is not talking about a white liquid in a bottle. When it speaks of the meat of the Word, it is not talking about a beefsteak.

John 16:25: These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

John 16: 12-13a: I (Jesus) still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all trut …

Matthew 16:17b.19: … for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Mark 4:22-23: For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

There are key words that unlock the figurative, symbolic language of the Word and open vast areas of kingdom revelation. Many of these symbols and types have been revealed for many years. But some have been more recently revealed; and, most of those we have known for some time have a deeper, freshly-revealed kingdom meaning.

In the figurative Biblical language, much is revealed from simple symbols — from the sea (unstable masses of unsaved without structure), to the fruitful plains (the saved stable Christians), to trees (men’s life structures), to hills (authority structures), to the high mountains (great structures of authority), and on to the highest mountain (the ultimate, authority of God).

To understand the word of the kingdom from the Bible, the disciple must be able to hear the spiritual meaning of the figurative or symbolic language from the Holy Spirit. When I study a passage of Scripture, I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give me revelation of the hidden, symbolic, spiritual meaning of the words. Then I meditate the passage allowing quiet time in my spirit and mind while waiting to hear from God. After enlightenment or understanding comes, then I begin to check out the concordance, Greek and Hebrew dictionaries, and other Scriptures for confirmation or clarification.

The following are a few possible examples of symbolic language to consider. Try using these as you study and meditate the Word.

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Mountains-Great structures of authority; may be godly or ungodly.

Hills-Structures of authority as mountains; except lesser.

Fields-Lower structures of authority, but still firmament. Usually indicate those saved, as opposed to the sea of lost. As such, they are the fruitful, production areas where grain, fruit trees, etc., are grown.

Valleys-Lower structures than fields, often fertile and well watered by neighboring mountains. May also indicate a very low period — a time of difficulty and hard decisions.

Sea-No structure at all, fluid, blown about, sometimes roaring, unsaved masses of people.

Trees-Natural structures of life; individual men and their life structures, ranging from great men or rulers as great cedars, strong and stable men as mighty oaks, olive and fig trees as prophets or ministers, fruit trees and vines as fruitful Christians to insignificant bramble bushes and ungodly thorns and briars.

City-A corporate structure of life; a spiritual community for the protection and well-being of its citizens, governed by spiritual laws, ruled by spiritual powers, which determine the personality of the city and the quality of life within the city. A city is structured by patterns of life. A great city is a capital or ruling city, whose patterns reach out beyond its city walls or limits to govern a greater area.

Israel-The overall church, including its ruling city, its many different cities, and wilderness areas.

New Jerusalem-The purified, holy, renewed ruling city of God; the remnant Bride Church, the Bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle.

Babylon-The ruling city of the kingdom of darkness; the great soulish system of man characterized by covetousness, immorality, and sorcery; the mother system of harlots and adulterers.

Bride and Wife-The obedient, perfected, faithful and true, ruling city portion of the church where reproduction takes place and mature sons are brought to glory. She is God-seeking and God-serving.

Harlot-The unfaithful, rebellious mistress (person or church) who sells her purity to fulfill her own desires and meet her needs; she does not seek the true God, but is self-seeking and self-serving.

Adulteress-The unfaithful part of the church who has a Husband and pretends obedience to Him, but has other lovers. She seeks to fulfill her desires and meet her needs from sources other than her Husband. She has a divided heart, and her desire is both self-seeking and God-seeking, self-serving and God-serving.

Assyrians, Philistines, Canaanites, etc.-Evil, enemy spiritual forces, demons.

Dragon, Serpent, Roaring Lion, Wild Beast, Fowls of the Air, Adverse Wind, Storms, etc.-Satan and/or demon spirits.

Seed-A living pattern, word, thought, idea, vision; also the offspring made from the pattern. A word or vision from God is a good seed. A bad seed would be the same, but from the enemy.

Soil, Land-The heart of man; the spiritual/natural interface through which seeds from the spiritual realm are planted in the fertile creativity of the heart to be brought forth into the natural realm.

Holy Spirit may be represented in His different aspects or facets as, Oil, Water, Wine, Strong Drink, Light, Rain, etc.

Oil-Comfort, healing, joy, anointing.

Water-Cleansing, washing, or life-giving Word or Holy Spirit.

Wine-Revelation from God, a rhema word from God, unveiled truths of God’s Word by the Holy Spirit.

Old Wine-Revelation from the past; usually a taste has been acquired for it. It is smooth and comfortable to the taste and can put one to sleep.

New Wine-New revelation from God. It is fresh and exciting, but may be very different to the taste and cause discomfort for those who have not yet acquired a taste for the new. It can be intoxicating if we take too much of it by itself. One must continue to feed on the bread and the meat along with the new wine.

Strong Drink-A hard word such as, correction, rebuke, or warning, etc. by the Holy Spirit.

Light-Understanding; discernment; life giving, growth-stimulating word or revelation by the Holy Spirit.

Rain-Outpouring of grace gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Rivers-Continuous flow of spiritual life; flow of Holy Spirit.

Wineskins-The container, or framework, of the inner organized filing system for the revelation of God.

Cloth-A woven network of understanding of life, which may contain intricate patterns of design, each thread fitting together to make the whole.

Flood-A great outpouring of damaging words.

Jewels-Perfected sons or daughters of God.

Fire-Intense adversity for purification or judgment; judgmental or critical words.

Stars-Spiritual persons; men of God.

Heat-Correction or judgment; the heat of the sun, particularly, is intense light that brings correction from God the Father.

Angels-Sometimes symbolizes men of God sent to the church, ministers, messengers, preachers of the message from God.

Trumpets-Sometimes are the voices of the prophets speaking forth the message of God, calling an assembly, focusing attention, and especially blasting forth the judgments of God.

Grain and Grain Fields-Production, particularly annual or periodical production.

Green Grass-Production of the fields, including grain.

Birds-Spirits, either godly or evil.

Crowns-Authority to rule.

Temple-A permanent dwelling place of God, the eternal heart of man where God dwells.

Tabernacle-A temporary dwelling place of God.

Consider the meaning of the figurative words used in Luke 5:36-39. The Lord speaks of patching new cloth onto old and of putting new wine in old wineskins. He also mentions that a man having drunk old wine does not immediately desire the new. Using the key words, it is easy to discern what He is saying spiritually.

What is being said in Isaiah 55, when the mountains and hills are said to break forth into singing, and the trees of the field clap their hands?

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One of the most devastating mistakes people make when seeking to know God through His Word is taking every passage, which can be literally interpreted and applying only literal interpretation to it. The spiritual man learns to literally interpret the true spiritual meaning of the passage through the figurative language of the Holy Spirit. Often there is both a literal meaning and a spiritual meaning. Much prophecy has had a literal, historical fulfillment and a greater spiritual implication. One might think of this as a railroad with two tracks running side-by-side. One track is the literal meaning of the passage; the other track is the spiritual. Many Old Testament terms and passages have a very literal, natural meaning, and may also have a vital spiritual meaning to New Testament believers about the kingdom of God. Many Old Testament events were recorded as examples to us.

1 Corinthians 10:11: Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

Natural Israel And Spiritual Israel
The nation Israel is extremely significant as God’s chosen people. It was through this nation and the Jewish people that the Son of God came and the Bible was written. The many prophetic writings and historical events of Israel all have spiritual meaning to the church. God has chosen Israel and its ruling city, Jerusalem, as a living message to the world. God’s dealings with natural Israel and natural Jerusalem become spiritual messages to spiritual Israel and spiritual Jerusalem. The spiritual kingdom, the Israel of God, is a new people, a spiritual people to whom origin of nationality, race, color, social cast, or political standing is of little or no significance. It is a kingdom in which all are adopted by the heavenly Father and become true brothers and sisters.

Galatians 3:7,14b, 29: Therefore know that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham … that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 6:15-16: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy upon them, upon the Israel of God.

Spiritual Jerusalem or New Jerusalem is the ruling city of spiritual Israel just as natural Jerusalem or old Jerusalem was the ruling city of natural Israel. As old Jerusalem was the natural figurative mother, that birthed the kingdom into the earth, so now the New Jerusalem is the spiritual mother, the wife of God, the Bride of Christ that is birthing the spiritual kingdom of God into our world. The New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ, the holy, purified, overcoming portion of the church.

Revelation 21:9-11: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

Revelation 21:2: Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband.

Galatians 4:25b, 26: Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Revelation 19:7-8: Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

New Jerusalem is now coming down from the spirit realm and is now beginning to be formed on the earth. It is the Bride Church, the holy, purified, kingdom people of God. Just as it is possible for a person to be in the nation of Israel, but not in the city of Jerusalem, it is also possible to be in the church, but not yet in New Jerusalem. Not everyone in the country of Israel is in the city of Jerusalem. Neither has everyone in the church become the purified, holy Bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem.

In the beautiful, illustrative, figurative language of God, which is characteristically used by the Holy Spirit to communicate spiritual truths to mankind, God describes the kingdom of God lifestyle in the picture of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 & 22:1-5.

In the New Jerusalem lifestyle, we continuously live in the presence of God as the tabernacle of God is with men. The glory and light of God fills our lives. Pain and sorrow are gone as God wipes away our tears. No more death as eternal, abundant life prevails; we pass from life to life. Righteousness and holiness prevail in our lives as pure gold and clear crystal. There is no night; there are no dark, threatening seasons. There is no more curse. We are under the dome of His protection, and there is perfect peace. We serve Him and rule over the circumstances of life.

Isaiah 62:5b, 12: …and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

In Isaiah chapter 60, Isaiah begins to picture and describe the glory and prosperity of The City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (v. 14)

THE KING-DOME

Let me share an illustration that helps me understand the concept of the spiritual city of New Jerusalem. Imagine a giant, glass dome filled with the glorious presence and light of God. Inside this huge, spiritual dome everything is as it should be. Everything is in perfect obedience to God’s laws, and nothing that defiles can enter in. The environment is perfectly controlled like a greenhouse. Those who overcome enter and abide inside the dome where they enjoy all the victorious aspects and attributes of New Jerusalem. The enemy has no part and can do no harm inside the dome.

The bright light inside the dome flows out to the countryside in a large circle around the dome. Everywhere the light reaches, the darkness must flee and cannot return unless the light is lessened or drawn back.

People who sit in darkness may see the light from a distance and begin to move toward it. At the point where they actually leave the darkness and enter the light, they have entered the Israel of God, but have not yet reached and entered Jerusalem, the city of God. They have come out of darkness into the light and must continue to journey to the dome. Their goal is to enter the king-dome, the New Jerusalem-purified-holy-Bride-of-Christ lifestyle.

Matthew 4:16: The people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.

Hebrews 12:22: But we have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born…

We must, through a purifying growth process, come to maturity and walk into the New Jerusalem lifestyle. Many people in the church are now beginning to see the kingdom lifestyle and are moving toward the Holy City.

Just as it is possible to be in the nation but not in the ruling city, it is possible to be in the outer court of the tabernacle but not in the holy place. Many have entered the tabernacle into the outer court, but now must be purified to enter the holy place. The presence of God is in the holy place; all the promises of New Jerusalem are in the holy place. We must come in the gate and partake of the brazen altar, the blood sacrifice for our sins, the atoning blood of Jesus. Next, we must be washed by the water at the brazen laver in preparation for entering the holy place. We must journey on to the candlesticks of the Holy Spirit ministry and on to the showbread being broken before arriving at the altar of incense and the Holy of Holies, the intimate communion with God (the king-dome).

Walking in the kingdom of God lifestyle is all about intimate relationship with God. It is becoming one with God through Christ by the Holy Spirit. It is the five virgins with oil in their lamps entering into the wedding with Christ the Bridegroom. Holiness is produced by the indwelling Christ living in us by the Holy Spirit. It is the mystery Paul spoke of as “Christ in you the hope of glory”.

Psalm 15: Lord, who will abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart….

Hebrews 12:28: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

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