Victory never implies the lack of a war. On the contrary, victory signifies that there has been a war or some form of challenge. It indicates winning the war or overcoming the challenge. Faith and the spiritual life of every child of God will be challenged. To seek to be free from the battles and challenges of life is not a reasonable goal. However, being victorious over and through every challenge of life is the kingdom of God lifestyle.

God is our source, our healer, our redeemer, and our strength. No matter how intense the battle, we always know without a doubt that we can make it through to victory. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Christ Jesus has defeated the enemy and won the war. We now battle from a position of standing in the victory of Jesus. Our battles are for our faith to believe and receive the powerful grace of Almighty God, which will drive off the trespassing enemy and establish the righteousness of God.

The word "disarmed" is translated "spoiled" in the KJV and is the Greek word apekduomai, (ap-ek-doo'-om-ahee), meaning to divest wholly, to be stripped completely of all legal right, to be stripped naked. Jesus has totally stripped the devil and all powers of darkness of any and all rights to this world and anything in it, including your life and mine.

They may threaten to destroy our very lives and may bring us to the end of all the human strength we can muster. The pain of losing a loved one in an untimely and devastating manner, the catastrophe of a tortuous divorce, the helplessness of seeing one we love maimed in a horrible accident, wasted by illness or tortured in persecution can all cause pain so severe that one may feel devastated and nearly destroyed.

Yet, because Jesus lives and the grace of God is real, because He loves us and is always there to carry us through, we will overcome and return to praise Him. We will come through with greater love for Him and for our neighbor, with a firmer faith, and a greater commitment to carry His love to the world.

Because Christ Jesus has triumphed over all principalities and powers, neither the devil nor any of his demons nor any force of darkness can rule over the one in whom Christ dwells. The real truth is that the person in whom Christ dwells has, in the name of Jesus, complete authority to rule over all principalities and powers including the devil himself.

Our only battle is to stand on the Word of God and, in faith, resist the works of darkness. If our faith is strong, everything is subject to the Christ in us. If we believe the words of God from the Bible and the spoken words from within by the Spirit of Christ, we will bring them forth through our mortal bodies into the world and nothing will be impossible to us. We are the body of Christ, the tabernacle of God on earth, the instrument of God, the interface between the spiritual and the natural realms.

Nothing is impossible to him that believes. The supernatural is natural with God and with the one in whom Christ dwells, if we have faith.

We cannot accurately blame the devil for the lack of the kingdom lifestyle among men and within our own lives. And, we can surely never blame God. We cannot even blame the lost and evil people of the world. We Christians must accept one hundred percent of the responsibility for the lack of the power of God flowing through believers to establish righteousness over evil; and, thus, establish the kingdom of God on earth. No one else has been given the dominion and the awesome indwelling power of God Himself to deliver our world from the bondages of evil and bring forth the freedom of the kingdom of God.

Ron McGatlin

Christians are beginning to awaken from their peaceful sleep to discover they are in serious bondage, with ropes of theological concepts, religious orders, and fallacious doctrines. The ropes are staked in tradition and pseudo-religious political systems that threaten rejection and persecution to anyone who would dare seek to be free. We, Western Christians, relaxed in our recliners while snacking on rich foods and watching our favorite, mind-numbing, television programs. We drove to work in fine cars while listening to our peaceful easy-listening music in wrap-around stereo and literally slept in the pew while the pleasant sound of false peace lulled us into deeper deception and bondage.

Oh, yes. We have heard the terrible stories about how bad the world has become, but that only caused us to close our little group off even more for fear of the evil out there. We have blamed evil men, the devil, the government, and even God for the terrible condition of our world - the rampant immorality, vast destruction of families, violence and crime, breakdown of authority, lack of integrity and ethical values in government, business, and some religious leaders.

Rather than trusting the Spirit of Christ within us, we have trusted in our favorite sect of theologians to discern the Word of God for us, puree it and mix it with water to make it easy for us to swallow without chewing, and add sugar so that it tastes good to our fleshly appetites. Secretly, the enemy may have also added his poison to this tasty mix.

The world will be astonished by the tremendous flow of love and power coming forth from individual Christians as the sleeping giant awakens and begins to take responsibility and exercise authority over the powers of darkness to change our world. Religious deceptions that say, "peace, peace" when there is no peace, will be thrown off like a covering blanket upon awakening.

intellectual darkness and postulate their theses of conjecture and speculation while with their prideful systems of theology, they try to figure out and explain God. Naive church members, who have trusted in their favorite theologians instead of the indwelling power of Christ, can do nothing as their children are overcome in immorality, violence, and drug addiction; and, their own lives are consumed in the things of the world.

It is all wood, hay, and stubble and will be burned into non-existence. The kingdom of God will come forth as truehearted believers bring forth the anointing of the anointed One from within. They will stand and speak directly to the powers of darkness commanding that their work be stopped. Then the will of God will come forth on earth. Spiritual reality is again replacing religious concepts created in the minds of theologians with help from powers of darkness masquerading as angels of light.

of God to destroy strongholds of wrong thoughts and beliefs that enable the enemy to kill, steal, and destroy.

God’s immeasurable GRACE empowering individuals from within is more than sufficient to destroy evil. Evil in one’s own life must first be destroyed. Then, the purified child of God can powerfully intercede for others. Intercession takes on a new and greater meaning to the empowered son or daughter of God standing against and spiritually assaulting the works and powers of darkness that are binding others.

The mercy of God is fresh every morning. Today would be a good day to wake up, repent, put off the old man, and PUT ON THE NEW--the very life and power of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.

Pulling down strongholds of the enemy that are established in our world does not begin with bombing dens of sin, cutting off the supply of drugs, or the enactment and enforcement of more laws. Tanks, planes, bombs, guns, and toughened troops are not the tools to defeat the enemy’s strong hold on our world.

It is the kind of prayer that Jesus taught about, the kind that can move mountains and cast out demons. The same Jesus that spoke to the demons in a young boy and cast them out, the same Jesus that said to speak to the mountain now lives in the believer who has put off the old man and put on the new.

Prayer is much more than quietly bowing one’s head to ask for something that one needs. There are examples in Scripture of men in prayer speaking to the condition

that God wanted to change. In dynamic faith they commanded evil spirits to release their hold and be gone. They spoke to the dead to arise. They spoke healing to the sick and deformed. Elijah spoke to the weather to not rain, and it did not rain for three years. Then, he spoke for the rain to come again and it rained (James 5:17-18). Jesus spoke to the storm, rebuked the wind, and commanded the sea to be calm (Mark 4:39).

Jesus promised believers, that as they abide in Him and He in them, they would do the works that He did and even greater works. In the early portion of the seventh millennium, many such works are coming about and will increase as the mighty outpouring of the power of God comes forth into the world to destroy the works of the devil and to do the works of God.

Ron McGatlin

Revival and the outpouring of the Spirit of God occurred in spots in the closing moments of the sixth millennium. It was as if tongues of spiritual fire came forth upon a few churches that were quickly transformed into a gathering place for people from around the world seeking revival fire. They were like streams of spiritual fire that were propelled forth from a great mass of heavenly fire that had come near to earth. Many Christians rushed to these spots of spiritual fire to be purified and ignited with the fire of revival. Many of them became as blazing cinders and everywhere these blazing cinders went revival fires ignited.

Once ignited, these burning coals of fire had little or no respect for religion and all of its bondages and trappings. It is not that they were unruly toward the authority of God. On the contrary, they seemed to be willing to give up everything to please Father God and were deeply in love with Jesus.

Many people have been transformed from the revival fire that spread to many individuals and groups across the world. Within these scattered groups a new, deeper level of intensity of worship and desire for intimate relationship with God has continued to develop. The tangible presence of God is felt and many miracles are occurring in large and small gatherings.

Intimately relating to God has led to a great increase of the revelation of the kingdom of God and has exposed a need for significant changes. Many people have been leaving their religious past in search of more of God and His kingdom. Holiness, purity, and righteous living are being sought after and experienced even in the midst of an increasingly degenerate world.

Repentance from dead works seems to continue through times of brokenness and weeping as the Spirit of God continues to reveal areas of wood, hay, and stubble within believers’ hearts and lives. An intense passion often develops for the presence of God.

Religious forms and theological interpretations are giving way to a reality of fresh revelation of the Word of God. Passages previously seen as important only for foundations of past religious structures are becoming life and reality as they are brought forth into the daily lives of revived believers.

Some feel that, in the past, the foundations had been laid over and over again in their lives. Only now has there come a reality of building a superstructure of holy life upon the foundation. For some, it was as if they had been standing on the foundation for many years without the reality of the presence of God. The outpouring of the Spirit of God is empowering believers in a way I’ve not seen before in my lifetime.

The sense of unending, peaceful power is simply there. It requires only openness to God and a hunger for Him. There are many different manifestations of the presence

of God occurring and many different types of gatherings are being affected. They range from gatherings of masses coming together with much music and ministry to small groups of believers in homes, businesses, and anywhere else a group gathers together to pray and seek the Lord.

The outpouring of the Spirit of God is providing the power and preparation for the transfer of the kingdoms of this world to the kingdoms of our God.

There is a major shift taking place in God's people, a transformation from earthly- focused beings to heavenly-focused beings - from earthly rule to heavenly rule - from man's ways to God's ways - from the tree of knowledge to the tree of life - from studying about God to hearing God.

The resurrected Christ Jesus, the all-powerful King of heaven and earth, is now appearing upon the earth in and through the maturing people of God. Christ, the King, is manifesting in His people. The supernatural church is appearing as the New Jerusalem is coming forth from the heavenly realm into the natural realm. Holy angels are present in vast numbers and are eagerly awaiting opportunities to minister powerfully upon the earth. Never before in my lifetime has prayer been so powerful and so often instantly carried out.

The shaking of the earth has surely begun and will grow stronger as the voice of God speaks from heaven through His trumpets of revival. He is speaking passionate pleas for repentance and turning from dead works. There has never been and will never be again a time exactly like this shaking of God that is beginning to be spoken into the world. It will not be good to ignore the voice of God and fail to adjust to the season of kingdom revival at hand.

No doubt there are tares among the good grain in the field of God’s fruitful outpouring in the world. The enemy has surely planted his seeds among the good

seed, and will then expose his own works in an attempt to cause doubt and unbelief in the mighty work of God. His strategy is to discredit the works of God, by causing naive Christians and others to believe the revival is entirely the enemy’s work and not the work of God.

God, in His wonderful mercy and abundant grace, has made provision for correcting this situation and told us about it in His Word. The workers of God’s field are instructed not to pull up the tares lest they destroy the good grain. The part God’s workers have in dealing with the tares is to pray according to the Word of God for angels to gather them out. The angels will not only remove and burn the tares, but they will also see that the good fruit makes it safely to its desired goal and is not lost.

The kingdom of God potential is seeded within believers and must mature to fruitfulness in the good heart soil, the soul (mind, will, and emotions) of God’s people. The souls of most Christians are damaged, perverted, and contaminated by many generations of demonic deception, religious error, and abuse. People have been trained and are skilled in the programs of the enemy. The world’s basic programs of understanding and practice are primarily those from the kingdom of darkness.

Large scale cleansing, healing, and reprogramming of the souls of God's people must take place for the kingdom seed (word) to grow into reality in the world. Christians must be reprogrammed from the ways that are currently ruling the world to the ways of God. No man or teaching system can effectively do this job. Only God Himself, working by His Spirit, can reprogram the souls of men to align with and bring forth, the kingdom of God.

God and His angels are renewing the hearts of His people. The powerful presence of God and ministering spirits (angels) are by supernatural power changing yielded individuals, reprogramming them to the ways of God. Some may lie quietly for hours in the presence of God while spiritual visions instruct or alter the person. A deep awareness of love for God leads to unrestrained worship and mighty surges of praise

to God. These conditions may happen again and again as God brings layer after layer of deep repentance and healing of the soul.

Changes, after spending time in the presence of God, are evident. Where there was selfishness, there is caring; where there was pride, there is humility; where there was depression, there is joy; where there was frustration and concern, there is peace; where there was fear, there is increased faith; where there was pain and bitterness, there is forgiveness and love; where there was shyness, there is boldness; where there was religious debate, there is powerful revelation of God and His kingdom.

An army of God is being formed from the battered and bruised children of God, who are coming out of mixtures of darkness into the pure light of the glorious kingdom of God. Christ the King is manifesting in His people. Young people and children are being affected. Some small children are becoming specially equipped to carry the kingdom of God further in their generation. The generational regeneration tendencies will produce a more holy, more powerful generation of believers than the world has seen since the first century. These equipped and empowered children of God will overpower the works of darkness with the light and love of God.

Supernatural gifts, anointing, and powerful prayer will seem natural to these spiritually equipped servants of the Most High. Their capacity to know and use the Word of God will exceed that of previous generations. Spiritual warfare will move to new levels as the children of God overpower the strongest sorcerers and the most cunning deceivers attempting to continue ruling the minds of men and, subsequently, the world.

Christians that are alive on the earth at this time have both a great blessing to be a part of what God is doing and an awesome responsibility. God’s intercessors and prayer warriors must rise to the occasion. Many must accept the call to spiritual warfare and take whatever action is necessary to get into the war.

Never before have the fields been more ready for harvest. This is not a time to wait or hold back. Rather it is a time for every called and gifted believer to release his or her gifts however and wherever God leads. This is not a time to look back at our failures or lack of productivity of the past. With the anointing of God in the presence of the fire of kingdom revival, some things that would not work before may be very productive now. God is looking for those who will hold back nothing and seek Him with their whole hearts.

Ron McGatlin

For the sake of understanding, one might compare this to radio and other transmitted, electronic frequencies. Many different signals exist carrying many different formats and programs in the same place at the same time on separate independent frequencies. With the proper receiver and transmitter equipment, one may monitor or transact the exchange of information on any channel or frequency by tuning to that frequency. Reality at one frequency is not accessible to another frequency and does not appear to exist to other frequencies.

The spiritual realm might be likened to a higher frequency and the natural realm to a lower frequency. God and angels are spirits and therefore, exist in the spiritual or heavenly realm or frequency. At the same time in the same place, man and all earthly things exist in the natural realm or frequency. Redeemed man is a living spirit and therefore, has the potential to relate to the spiritual realm. Man is also an earthling living in a natural body with a natural brain that functions in the natural realm. Natural, unredeemed man cannot see into or hear from the spiritual realm on his own. He can only discern natural things; spiritual things do not appear to exist to him.

It is as though a veil exists between the reality of spiritual things and the reality of natural things. To move through that veil, one must change to the different frequency of the other side. For an angel to be visible in the natural realm, the frequency of existence must be changed to one close to that of natural man. At some point of slowing down the frequency, the spirit may begin to be partially visible with the natural eye. In order for man to interact in the spiritual realm, he must tune to the frequency of the spiritual instead of the frequency of the natural.

There has been much confusion and debate among individual Christians and denominations regarding the filling of the Holy Spirit and/or the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Scripture clearly speaks of being filled with the Spirit and of being baptized in the Spirit. Filling of the Spirit might be likened to spiritual presence coming from the spiritual realm to our side of the veil into our existence or realm and filling our being. Being baptized in the Spirit might be likened to being submersed into the spiritual realm on the other side of the veil. A person baptized into the spiritual realm has greater access to the spiritual realm or frequency. It is as if one is given a more powerful transmitter and receiver to do business on the heavenly or spiritual frequency.

The supernatural gifts are more available to one baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is easier to see into the spiritual realm and to hear God more clearly. Therefore, one can more accurately represent God’s desire and plans into the earth. Many Christians consider speaking in unknown tongues as an evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit because it requires hearing from the spiritual realm and representing what is

heard by speaking it into the natural realm. This is the basis for much ministry from God to man. Preaching, teaching, prophesying, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, and all other spiritual ministry to man must originate from one hearing or seeing in the spiritual realm and representing or bringing forth what God is saying and doing.

Effective intercessory prayer can occur when one crosses over into the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm is the greater realm. The spiritual originally created the natural. The power to create or recreate the natural is in the spiritual realm. God Who is the creator of all is Spirit. The natural realm is changed as one enters the spiritual realm, discerns the will of God, prays to the Father in the name of Jesus, and then from the spiritual realm speaks forth the will of God into the natural realm.

Angels are spirits; therefore, Satan and all his demons do business on the spiritual frequency. That is to say they exist in the spiritual realm. Although natural man is not sensitive to the spiritual realm, demon spirits often assist natural man in sorcery, magic, and different, supernatural spirit crafts. A natural man participating in occult practices is informed by and guided by demons. Not being able to see clearly into the spiritual realm, the deceived sorcerer may think that God is his source. Also, the believer who is not yet baptized in the Spirit is unable to tell the difference and may fear receiving the baptism of the Spirit and entering into the spiritual realm. He may ascribe the works of the Spirit of God to demons.

In the name of Jesus, we have authority over all the powers of darkness in the spiritual realm. Satan and every demon must obey any believer who truly speaks with the spiritual authority of Jesus. However, Satan and the powers of darkness are given certain authority by the Word of God. There are certain conditions in which the powers of darkness are given permission by God in His Word to attack and do harm. All of these conditions are brought about by man’s decisions and actions. It is man who gives the powers of darkness opportunity to do their dirty work. The enemy knows his legal rights that are given by God and written in the Bible.

In a word, sin gives the enemy legal right or license to attack and torment Christians. In another word, repentance removes the license to attack or torment believers. Of course the unrepentant sinner who has rejected Christ has no defense against the wiles of the devil and must depend on believers for any protection that he may have.

In an earlier Kingdom Growth Guide, we dealt with unforgiveness, one of the major, legal rights given the enemy in the Word. Another major, legal right of the enemy is disobedience. To know the will of God and not do it is disobedience and sin.

Before a lasting work of deliverance from the work of the enemy in a person’s life can be affected, the conditions that give the enemy license must be corrected. Jesus has provided all that is necessary to completely rectify the condition and set the person free. There is nothing lacking in the work of Jesus. The need is to appropriate the work of Jesus into the life situation. For example, we all know that Christ died to save every person in the world. However, not all are saved. Some have appropriated the work of Christ while others have not. Some are reborn and some are not. Those who believe and confess with the mouth are saved. Those, who do not, are not saved even though the work of Christ and the grace of God are sufficient and available to save them (Rom 10:8-10).

The same thing is true with all the provisions of God through Jesus Christ. There is always an acceptance factor on the part of each person. Even though Christ has provided salvation including deliverance and healing, it will not be forced upon an unbeliever. One must believe in the heart and confess with the mouth to bring forth the provisions of Christ. Thus, a work of believing (faith) and speaking (prayer) is involved in appropriating the works of Jesus to set us free and to heal wounds from the enemy.

Obviously, the enemy must prevent believing and powerful prayer if he is to retain hold on his captives. They are only captive as long as they do not believe in the power and provision of the resurrected Christ in their heart and do not confess with their mouth unto healing and deliverance (salvation, "sozo"*).

The enemy will bring strong delusions wherever he can. He will send spirits of spiritual blindness, darkness, deception and delusion to cloud the spiritual mind of

the captives to keep them from seeing the truth in the spiritual realm. For those entrapped by "pharmakeia"* (drugs, alcohol, witchcraft, occult, etc.), he will send mean and violent demon spirits to torment and lead them into blatantly evil lifestyles.

For those entrapped in religion, he will send demon spirits masquerading in the costume of angels of light to subversively plant debate, strife, gossip, backbiting, accusation, condemnation, secret lust, pornography, manipulation, lying, etc., hidden behind a mask of light. He will even use scripture to mislead and create doubts and unbelief.

The enemy has many schemes or patterns of activity. Each and every scheme depends on spiritual blindness and deception to prevent the captive from knowing that the prison doors are open and that through Jesus one can walk out of all bondages to freedom in the kingdom of Christ.

The Spirit of the Lord will proclaim and preach liberty, the opening of the prison, healing to the brokenhearted, and recovery of sight to the blind. Proclaiming and preaching is speaking. The Spirit of Christ within you can use your voice to speak healing to the bondages, bruises, and blindness inflicted by the enemy. The power of the Spirit of Christ can destroy the strongholds of the enemy.

If one cannot see clearly because of the work of spiritual blindness or darkness, one will continue to experience doubt, unbelief, and confusion. One may feel it necessary to defend one’s self and one’s religious beliefs and enter into debate with the works of God. If this is the case, God can provide another person to be used of God to flow the ministry of Jesus to intercede and bind the spiritual blindness, doubt, and unbelief so that one may see, believe and be changed. The person interceding becomes a minister and must be led of the Spirit to help one come to Jesus and receive the work of healing and deliverance from the enemy’s wounds and bondages.

The power of prayer of two in agreement is awesome in the spiritual realm. The spiritual prayer of two in agreement, in the name of Jesus, is like the voice of God, completely overpowering all enemy spirits. All evil spirits must absolutely obey the commands of one praying or speaking in the name of Jesus.

For those entrapped by spiritual blindness and delusion, the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is needed to avail the spiritual work of binding the works of the powers of darkness and loosing the works of the Spirit of truth and light into the heart of the one in bondage. When the evil spirits are bound, the person should be able to begin to see the light and truth of God and His Word. If the license is not soon removed, this binding will only be temporary. Without this powerful, spiritual help, the person will remain blinded and unable to receive the spiritual truth and virtue that would save, heal, and deliver him.

When the light enters a person’s heart, he or she can and must then decide to receive the light, come into agreement with God, repent of sin, and begin receiving the grace of God. No one can force another to receive the light of God and turn from his or her sin. Each person must make his own decisions. However, the person in spiritual darkness, covered by evil spirits of spiritual blindness, deception, and delusion, does not have the opportunity to receive the light until spiritual power is brought forth by prayer to temporarily bind (stop) the work of the enemy and allow the light of God to get in.

Once the person has received the Word and responded in agreement with it, powerful prayer of agreement can effectively appropriate the work of Jesus by the Spirit of God and holy angels to drive the enemy from them and begin healing their heart and life from the afflictions of the enemy. The individual now has the power within himself to submit to God and resist the devil.

When an individual’s sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus they no longer exist in the spiritual realm at all. God puts them away as far as the east is from the west. They no longer exist. They are permanently and forever blotted out by the blood of Jesus.

We are a new creation. God chooses to retain no remembrance of our sin. We are pure and holy in Christ. As we walk in Him, in the Spirit of Christ, we walk in love for Him and our neighbor and do not walk in sin (Gal 5:16) (Rom 8:1) (1 John 2:1).

If, however, we should slip out of walking in the Spirit of Christ and stumble, we have only to quickly repent and turn back to walking in the Spirit of God and again the blood of Jesus cleanses us. We are again a new creation in Christ Jesus. The devil has no legal place, but we may need to confront him and resist his unlawful attempt to deceive us into receiving his stress and torment.

The Spirit of Christ within the Body of Christ today will pray and minister as Jesus Christ prayed and ministered when He was on the earth in His natural body. Jesus spent much time alone with the Father speaking to and hearing from Him. He made His petitions to the Father alone in communion with Him. After communing with the Father, Jesus knew the Father’s will and what the Father was doing before going among the people to minister. He had already brought His petitions before the Father and had heard and seen what the Father was doing. He did not go to the people to minister to them without asking the Father what He was doing in the matter. When He did confront the situation’ He spoke to it with authority and commanded the enemy and all of creation involved to come into order with the will of the Father.

The powerful Spirit of Christ in His Bride will know the will of God and what He is doing and speak in power directly to the condition. In the name of Jesus the believer can command the powers of darkness and not continue to cry out to God for what He has already provided.

The minister must speak to the condition, the disorder, the disease, the demon, the storm, or whatever God wants to change commanding in the name of Jesus that the situation come into order and alignment with the will and Word of God. The believer must hear and see what the Father is doing, get in alignment with it, and flow with it. He or she must speak the will of God with the authority of the name of Jesus.

The spiritual realm is greater than the natural realm. When the work is done in the spiritual realm, it will manifest in time into the natural realm.

The work and power of God is activated by faith, which is an undoubting belief within the believer. Nothing is impossible to him that believes. What the Body of Christ believes and speaks will have an effect in the world. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the spoken word of God.

When a believer spends time with the Father hearing His word and seeing His will, faith is brought forth. When God by revelation clearly speaks something to a believer, all doubt is gone and faith is effortless. It comes by the word of God spoken or shown to the believer while in communion with Him. The power of prayer comes from hearing and seeing what the Father is doing and speaking and doing what He is doing.

One must not return to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and endeavor to figure out what God is doing. One must continue to partake of the tree of life and hear by revelation what God is already doing and get in on it by getting in alignment with what one hears and sees Him doing.

Trying to figure out what God is doing from one’s own perspective can lead to sorcery as one begins to believe his own plan and speaks it forth into the world. One can actually become a hindrance to the will and plan of God by praying and speaking soulish prayers from one’s own mind, will, and emotions as opposed to hearing God’s desire in the particular matter at hand. All things are possible to him that believes, either godly or ungodly.

Ron McGatlin

What is freedom and what is not? Am I really free? How can the truth make me free? How can abiding in His word make one free? Can one truly become politically free, economically free, socially free by abiding in the word of Christ, becoming His disciple, and knowing the truth? And, if one can become free through this process, can an entire nation possibly become free? And if a nation can become free, can the whole world potentially become free?

In the past church age the emphasis was on church as opposed to the emerging emphasis of the kingdom of God. In the church-emphasis age, the Bible was generally interpreted as having value primarily only to one’s "Christian life", or religious training and experience. God and His word were not sincerely valued as the source of wisdom and guidance for governing our entire lives or the governments of the world.

Many Christians, who have been educated by either religious and/or secular higher educational systems, have been trained to not value the Word and ways of God as realistic guidance for all governing aspects of life in the world. This has resulted in a multitude of various forms of bondage or slavery. Social, political, financial, physical, spiritual, and many other forms of restraints have taken control of the world’s people and, subsequently, its governing systems.

An inversion of truth has occurred which tends to see the Word and ways of God as bondages that limit the freedom of individuals to participate in activities of carnal pleasure. The truth is that carnal pleasures only temporarily satisfy and always create a desire for more. In order to continue the individual’s sense of satisfaction, one must continuously have new and increasing activities of carnal pleasure. Therefore, they become a lifestyle of addiction or bondage, stealing the individual’s personal freedom to make real and free choices in life. The activities of the person’s life become those that lead to the fulfillment or satisfaction of the addiction and not those that lead to prosperous production and true freedom in all areas of life and government.

The lack of productive and prosperous activity creates a dependent person, one who is dependent on someone or something else to provide life’s necessities and external direction or control for life.

People in the kingdom-emphasis age are beginning to understand that freedom comes only from knowing the truth that God is the creator and designer of life and that He knows best how to live life and how to govern in such a way as to produce true freedom and prosperity in every aspect of life.

During the past church-emphasis age, people retreated within the church walls and left the world to its own end. The great fallacy of the churches isolationist philosophy is that no one in the world is truly isolated from the results of the actions of others.

As we yield to His Spirit and renew our minds from our carnal and religious church age ways to His righteous and kingdom age ways, we can rule and reign with Him now in this life (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev 5:10). His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). He must live in us and produce His thoughts, His way of thinking and doing. We shall live by the faith of the Son of God or we shall die by our carnal minds (Gal. 2:20; Rom 8:13).

Joy is an inner excitement of peace that endures. Joy is peace excited. Peace is joy at rest. Certainly, carnal pleasure is fun for a season. However, it will soon disappear leaving emptiness until the next participation in an activity of fleshly pleasure. This is true for nations just as it is true for individuals. The nation or the individual, without the joy of the Lord, must depend on manipulation, strife, and war to obtain the ingredients needed for carnal pleasures in order to obtain temporary satisfaction and a short-lived sense of happiness.

One of the greatest, natural, carnal pleasures is to rule over other people - to be Number One, to be better than others, to have power over others. Men involve themselves in conflicts that range from simple parlor games to great sports activities, business ventures, and all-out wars, in an attempt to be greater and to have more than others. Individuals strive against individuals, families against families, tribes against tribes, and nations against nations, all in an effort to be Number one and to take the things that others have for their own carnal pleasure. The more riches one can obtain and the more luxury one can purchase, the more

carnal pleasure one can have. I once saw a slogan on a shirt that read, "He who dies with the most toys wins". I later saw another one that read, "He who dies with the most toys, still dies."

The second greatest, carnal pleasure is probably sexual stimulation and activity. The world has moved gradually but steadily toward immorality and extreme sexual perversions in its search for satisfaction from carnal pleasure. Just as common, if not more so, is the practice of overeating for carnal pleasure. Recreational immorality and recreational eating are common forms of seeking carnal pleasure to replace the joy of the Lord that is lost from not abiding in Jesus.

One of the most severe forms of seeking carnal pleasure is the abuse of drugs and alcohol. For a short season one can alter the body chemistry with drugs and alcohol in such a way as to deceive the brain into a peaceful and pleasurable kind of feeling. However, like all other carnal pleasures, it does not last. More and more is required to get the same feeling as the addiction grows into a life-controlling bondage.

The true oppressor is not white over black, communism against democracy, gentile against Jew, Protestant against Catholic, or any other human or natural thing. The true oppressor is the spiritual enemy of God and man. The enemy uses all of these differences to inflame prejudice, fear, and strife in an attempt to rob the world of freedom. He desires to control and to become Number One, equal to God (Isa 14:12-14).

The bad news is that people of the world have been deceived and entrapped into seeking carnal pleasure, instead of delighting in the Lord and experiencing the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord will overcome the enemy’s ability to corrupt an individual’s life, and thereby take away his ability to steal freedom.

God has given dominion to man and has defeated the enemy. God has not rescinded His position of giving rule of the earth to mankind (Gen 1:26-28). Man lives or dies by the decisions that he makes. God will not intervene without man’s agreement. The plan and work of God on earth will not come to pass without man’s participation.

God had to become the man, Jesus, to carry out redemption and His plan on earth. Only mankind had the God-given authority to rule in the earth. Therefore, it was necessary that redemption come through a man. Jesus was that man and now can live in man by the Spirit of Christ and can carry out the will of God on earth. Only with the permission and participation of men will it be done, and only by the indwelling presence and power of the resurrected Christ can it be accomplished.

Man has given power to the devil by his collective decision to turn from the ways of God and from abiding in Christ to seeking carnal pleasures. The beautiful but cunning

serpent of Genesis Chapter 3, who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, has become the ferocious, fiery red dragon of Revelation 12 by the power given unto him by the people of the world.

Is it possible that man now has the potential of Christ within to completely bind the enemy’s power and bring forth the plan and will of God on earth? Is it possible that destruction of evil is now within the potential of Christ in man? Is it possible that the Word of God is true and that good can overcome evil? Could it be that the Spirit of Christ bringing forth His love in the body of Christ throughout the world can bring forth righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit and overcome the evil of the world?

If we look at the problem, the multitudes of evil men bent on destruction, and the great deceptive philosophy of seeking carnal pleasure that rules men around the world, it does not seem possible. To the natural mind it is impossible that so much evil can be defeated and the kingdom of God come forth to rule the world. Looking at the giants in the land is exactly what the enemy desires for us to do (Num 13:32-14-1).

The victory waits only for men to have faith and believe the Word of God. Faith comes where there is righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Lord. Faith in God cannot be strong in carnal pleasure seekers. The prayers and faith of righteous men will unleash the power of God to change the world. The great outpourings of the Spirit of God upon His mature sons can bring forth renewal, and people can repent of seeking carnal pleasures and turn to God by the millions.

The great, apocalyptic, cataclysmic events of the book of Revelation can destroy evil works and quickly alter the entire scheme of things in the world. Yes, it may be a bloody, fiery road to freedom of the world, but God can protect and deliver His children. The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our God (Rev 11:15). We will rule and reign in the earth with Him (2 Tim 2:12). We will overcome the evil one by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. There is nothing too hard for the Lord (Gen 18:14).

Truly, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). We cannot be free in the world until we are free in our hearts. The masses cannot be changed except individual’s hearts are changed within. There may be millions being changed in an instant, but the release of freedom still occurs individually in hearts.

Everything else will follow the mind and heart. We must come to the realization that the rule of the world is within the hearts and minds of men. What we think and believe is far more important than most have realized. The world and all of its complicated systems must respond to the faith and words of human beings. What people believe and say will manifest into the world.

One source is the natural five senses - especially the eyes and ears. The other source is the spiritual five senses - especially the spiritual eyes and ears. Everything seen, heard, or felt by man has an effect upon the mind of the person. Every word whether a vision or a spoken word contains and communicates a thought or thoughts. The thought is planted in the mind of the one seeing, hearing, or feeling. In the mind a planted thought or vision can grow into a belief - especially if it is heard or seen often from what is considered to be a reliable source.

Though often subtle and hidden, every story, word, or communication moves one toward the ways of God or toward the ways of the enemy depending upon the origin of the communication. A person’s mind is shaped into patterns of belief as a child and confirmed and modified as a person matures. The culmination of stored thoughts becomes the belief system of the life and will affect the destiny of the person. Subsequently, it will have an effect on the destiny of the world. Only by renewing the mind to the thoughts and ways of God can one be freed of the strongholds of thought patterns planted by the inputs of the enemy. Only by renewing the mind can one be filled with the powerful potential of God (Rom 12:2) (Eph 4:23) (Col 3:10).

Spiritual inputs from the Spirit of God within an individual can bring new images, words, and feelings directly from the Spirit of God into the mind of the believer. The visions, words, and feelings from the Spirit, if received and believed, can destroy old ways of thinking and bring new vision and power into the life and, subsequently, into the world. Spiritual gifts, such as prophesy are vital for those not yet skilled at receiving from the Spirit within themselves. A prophetic word can plant a picture, word, or a feeling from God into a life that can help bring forth the will and plan of God for the person.

In the same way, evil pictures, words, and feelings can be received in the minds of men directly from the powers of darkness. Evil communications can alter the patterns of thought within the mind and bring forth the plan and will of the devil into the world.

The sad truth is that the enemy need only deceive one person at a time to deceive the majority of the world. As long as believers think in this manner, the enemy can continue his evil works of bondage in the world. He can cause the church to remain in retreat within its own walls having little or no effect in establishing the kingdom of God, His ways and will into our world.

When multitudes come into agreement with the will of God, the will of God is done in our lives and in the world. Do you see why it is such an important strategy of the enemy to divide and cause disagreement among believers? The great potential of millions of believers in agreement would bring a quick end to the enemy’s work in the world. He could no longer hinder the kingdom of God.

Ron McGatlin

As a young boy I can clearly remember seeing newsreel films of the liberation of prisoners of war from concentration camps during World War II. I remember the pitiful, starved, skin-and-bone bodies of the men who had survived the ordeal and managed to stay alive long enough to be set free. Those who had any strength left had large smiles upon their bony faces as they embraced their liberators with great joy. Others were too far gone, too near death to get up and could barely manage a smile of gratitude. Many others were already dead from starvation and disease. The liberation had come too late for them.

Everyone wept and jumped for joy. It seemed to me the whole United States of America was weeping either for their pain and loss or for the great joy of seeing husbands, sons, and fathers set free from cruel bondage. When the war was finally over, there was great rejoicing with dancing, singing, shouting and jumping up and down for joy. Everyone wanted to hug someone, anyone. Yet, many moms went to their private place and wept for the sons that would never come home. Widows bitterly wept for a season and then usually were married again. However, the moms could never fill the empty place created by the loss of their son. They could only find solace in the fact that their sons had died for a good cause, the cause of freedom.

The presence of the Spirit of the Lord brings powerful love that drives out the enemy and destroys bondages. Christ Jesus has fully redeemed us from the curse and set us free. The primary work in assisting others in getting free from bondages is to assist them into the presence of the pure love of Jesus. Our warfare for them is from a place of rest in the victory already provided by Christ Jesus. Our primary focus is on the blessings of Christ Jesus and not the work of the enemy. There are individual cases where the Lord would have us to speak to the enemy strongholds in power.

Not every case requires specific attention. Where God is not speaking or showing us to speak deliverance we need not speak against the enemy or the stronghold. We should see and hear what God is doing and follow His leading. Most people will be set free in the presence of God by the blessings of Christ in Spirit led worship, prayer, and preaching of the Word in the Holy Spirit.

Yet, there still are many held in the cruel bondage of the enemy. They live in evil bondages of drugs, immorality, sexual perversions, pornography, alcohol, money, carnal pleasure-seeking, evil carousing, strife, hatred, fear, jealousy, insecurity, inferiority, gambling, pride, arrogance, religion, religious sects, cults, occult torments, blood lust, and demonic bondage of every sort. It is too late for many mothers’ sons and daughters who are already dead from their evil bondage. There is no consolation for their loss. Their children did not die for a good cause. They did not die for freedom; they died from the lack of freedom.

The victory is already won at the cross and now the resurrected Christ by the Holy Spirit is rising up within believers set free by the power and Spirit of God. Christ in His people is attacking the strongholds of the enemy setting the captives free. There is a new generation of children born of parents who are set free. These children will walk in a greater level of spiritual power. The power and potential of God is coming forth on earth in the purified children of God to destroy every stronghold of the enemy and set every captive free. The revivals of the past will seem small compared to demonstrations of spiritual power brought forth by the Spirit of Christ through a new generation of spiritual children with holy angels working with them.

All that we need to attack and destroy strongholds of the enemy is in the Spirit of Christ and His words. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual prayer, speaking the words of God, praise, worship, and thanksgiving unto God. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Faith activates the power of the Word of God to destroy lies and establish truth. The all-powerful love of God flowing through the Spirit of Christ within the believer and out to those in need is the power of God to destroy the work of the enemy and tear down networks of lies, thoughts and beliefs planted by the enemy. The work of the Spirit destroys the yoke of bondage. The truth of the gospel of the kingdom of God brings abundant life and freedom.

The Lord does not use any one particular formula for destroying strongholds and setting His people free from the enemy’s bondages. Jesus healed and brought deliverance in different ways. He continues today to work through believers to heal and deliver in different ways. God’s Spirit uniquely ministers to different needs of different personalities who have different mixtures and degrees of wounds and bondages. In the past ministers unskilled in hearing and moving with the Holy Spirit often used a "shotgun" type of approach. In general they used a formula-type approach toward binding and casting out evil spirits. Formula prayers designed to hit a broad spectrum of possible needs were blasted out in the hope that some would hit the target. In some instances, additional wounds were caused by the portions of the blast that missed the mark and instead hit the person or others who were close to the person. The Holy Spirit is a much better marksman. Like a skilled surgeon, He can carefully discern the need, removes that which needs removing, and heals that which needs healing, without creating additional damage.

In recent church history, there has been such a focus on being born again in order to go to heaven when one dies, that the powerful ministry of Jesus to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in this present life has been largely ignored. God is in the business of redeeming mankind’s spirit, soul, and body. One’s spirit is made alive, made a new creation, in an instant upon receiving the redemption of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The soul (mind, will, and emotions) is being saved by the process of the resurrected Christ by the Holy Spirit and the renewing of one’s mind.

One’s mind must be renewed, old patterns torn down, and new patterns established that conform to the words and ways of God. One’s self-will must be broken and conformed to the will of God and emotions healed by the Spirit of Christ. The process of salvation of one’s soul follows the instantaneous rebirth of one’s spirit. Healing for the body will often follow the salvation of one’s mind, will, and emotions.

The Spirit of God can enable us to see below the surface of evil and destructive behavior to the root causes. He can also enable us to deal with the causes through specific prayer and speaking to the condition. Only in the anointing of the Spirit of God will these words be empowered and fruitful in one’s life. There are many conditions common to many people and methods of speaking to the conditions. As the anointing of the presence of God is present to minister, one may receive healing and deliverance by knowing how to speak to some of these conditions common to many.

True repentance is always the first step toward complete healing and deliverance. It does not matter what the root causes were, what environmental conditions may have been a factor, or what kind of genes, family-line tendencies, or curses are passed down to the individual. The reality of the whole matter is that God gave His only Son for the redemption of mankind. He has by His mercy and grace provided in Jesus Christ all that is needed for one’s complete victory over all evil and every sinful condition. The only reason one remains in sin is one’s own choice.

As ministers and warriors in the kingdom of God, we are to offensively attack the enemy and his work in others. The strongholds of the enemy must be destroyed, from the root conditions to the perverted behavior they have caused. The spirits of darkness and negative character qualities must be directly addressed and destroyed or removed.

Ron McGatlin

Some negative, critical words may be intentionally spoken for the purpose of releasing evil effects on a person's life by those that are very cognizant of what they are doing. Satanists, witches, etc., know how to work with the powers of darkness to come against the lives of Christians.

Other negative, critical words may be released in ignorance by ourselves or by other friends or family that do not realize what they are doing. Sometimes in discussing situations of those we are concerned about, we release negative words to others and even receive an agreement from them. The result of speaking negative words to or about someone is that it tends to bind the problem to the person. As believing sons of God, the words we speak are very potent especially when two or more agree.

Judgments we have made are powerful tools for the enemy. Every negative judgment we have ever made of someone else can cause us to be affected by the very thing for which we judged them. Judgments set up a two-way road for the enemy not only to bind the person judged or accused, but also to bring the same thing upon us.

Some individuals may have involvement with more socially acceptable occult practices. P.M.A. (positive mental attitude) and related sciences of the mind that seek to alter a person’s attitude and life situations may seem like a good thing. However, if the science of mind leaves out Jesus as the source and the Holy Spirit as the administrator, it probably has its ultimate source in the enemy. Mind-power focuses on the human but has its roots are in the occult.

Occult influences may enter one’s life and create openness to psychic or occult influences through:

1. Heredity,

However, it can become a bondage when, through disobedience or lack of understanding, one has become knit together with another person whom one should not be bound together with. One may not have always heard and followed the will of God and, therefore, may not have always made good choices in becoming close with another person. One’s soul can become knit together with another person’s soul through close relationships, especially through sexual intercourse.

The soul tie between Jonathan and David is an example of a good soul tie. It was a bond that God intended and caused to happen for the carrying out of His will. Marriages put together by God are very similar soul ties. Their knitting together of their souls in love led them to make a covenant between the two. We should never attempt to sever good soul ties ordained by God. Some people have lifelong best friends usually formed in childhood or in adolescence. They may not see each other for years but remain just as close forever.

However, some soul ties are not of God. They are not His will or His doing. Many are formed by man or the enemy and can become very detrimental to the plan of God in a person’s life. Family and friends are often perplexed when a woman chooses to be in a detrimental and ungodly relationship with a man who may beat her and severely

abuse her in other ways. Yet, she continues to remain with the man or repeatedly returns to him and feels she still loves him. This may not be love at all. It is probably a strong soul tie in the spiritual realm that must be severed for this woman to be free to go on with the will of God for her life.

Care must always be taken to only follow the Holy Spirit in determining the will of God in each situation. Not every abused person should leave every difficult relationship. Often there is more involved than what may be presented and known at the time. There is usually more to understanding a situation than the perspective of one of the individuals involved. God honors faith and could be working on a situation for salvation, deliverance, and healing for all involved.

Although a person may have left a close relationship years earlier and may never even think of the other person, a part of him or her may remain tied in the spiritual realm to the soul of the other person. Sometimes people do not understand why they seem to be unable to give themselves wholly into a relationship. Improper soul ties may hinder our freedom to give ourselves though we never think of the person. Soul ties are a work in the spiritual realm and do not go away just because we leave a relationship. Some people are tied to so many souls that their life is confused and bound.

Soul ties occur in close relationships of all kinds. One may become soul tied to a pastor or other spiritual leader and not be able to give themselves into another church or ministry after moving on to a new situation.

Perhaps the most devastating reality is that we become tied to anyone we have had sexual intercourse with. This includes former husbands or wives. Just because the couple ended the earthly marriage does not mean the soul ties between them ended in the spiritual realm. God must direct us as to which soul ties to sever and which ones that He wants to remain. We must never sever ties of a past marriage, even in abusive relationships, until we know the will of God for that particular soul tie. We must not only know if there should be a severing of soul ties but also when it should be done. Timing may be very important to carrying out God's plan.

(Continue to speak all names with which ties are to be severed.)

Ron McGatlin

In the natural realm governments are most often changed by a new regime overpowering and replacing the old. If an oppressive government has made slaves of the people, a stronger force must arise and make war against the oppressor. After the oppressor is defeated and the captives are set free, the war ends and the victors rule. The new government is in full control and begins the process of restoring and repairing all that was damaged by the oppressor.

In the kingdom of God, our new King is the Child that was born, the Son that is given. The burden of the empire or government is upon His shoulders. He carried the load of the cross upon his shoulders to redeem the world. Today, as He lives within His people (His Body on earth), He carries the load of responsibility for governing the world, through the sons of God.

Nations that have lived for a long time in the darkness of bondage are not accustomed to light and freedom. King Jesus is the great light shining into the darkened world. The people dwelling in darkness will fully accept and align with the new King when they see His light. The kingdom of light will overpower the kingdom of darkness as Christ shines forth in the purified, holy sons of God.

Individuals who have been in great darkness of oppression see the great light of the glorious gospel of the kingdom and are set free as they come to the light. (Mat 4:16-17)

In Jesus God became man to redeem and rule or govern the world. Only man is given authority to have dominion on earth. It is man’s God-given responsibility to

This is the season on the earth for the King to rule and reign in His sons. Sons of God are one with Christ and the Father. Sons are in Him and He is in His sons (John 1:12) (Rom 8:14).

all areas of life will become common. The love and power of God now abiding in sons of God can overpower darkness and release light into the world.

In the past, church-emphasis age, some people believed that all who had prayed a prayer to accept Jesus as Saviour were completed sons of God possessing all the fullness and power that they would ever have this side of heaven. In the kingdom-emphasis age, men are beginning to understand that becoming a son of God means becoming one with the Son of God and being led only by the Father. Becoming a son of God is a process. A part of that process is being delivered from the works and ways of the enemy. It is a process of no longer being ruled by one’s own soul or anything else other than God Himself. It is a process of becoming filled with the love, power, and wisdom of God and the fullness of the Spirit of Christ.

If you were the son of a cow, you would be a cow. You would think like a cow, walk like a cow, eat like a cow, and look like a cow. If you were the son of a duck, you would be a duck. You would think like a duck, walk like a duck, quack like a duck, and swim like a duck. If, through becoming one with the Son of God, you are a son of God, you will think like God, walk like God, speak like God, you will be the son of God on the earth. In His sons God is on the earth, walking about, thinking like God, and doing like God. Sons of God are ruling and reigning with Christ in the earth.

Sons of God are followers of Christ. They follow more than church doctrines, dogmas, precepts, and principles. They follow the light of God within themselves. They move in spiritual realms guided by Jesus Christ within them. Sons bring forth governing forces from heaven by the Holy Spirit to establish the Father’s will on earth.

In the church-emphasis age, ruling and reigning with Christ was seen as occurring only after Jesus bodily returns. In the kingdom-emphasis age, it is being revealed that Christ in His people is the potential for ruling and reigning in life now. Now, the governing forces of the world are subject to Christ and, therefore, subject to Christ in man.

Jesus is the King. He is the only bona fide ruler of the earth. He is the highest power over the earth and all that is in it. Christ Jesus has at His disposal all the supernatural power, wisdom, and knowledge. All of the attributes of the Father are in the Son. There is nothing impossible to Christ; nothing is too hard for God.

In the church-emphasis age the kingdom was taught and preached by many as a future happening. As long as the government of God on earth is preached and believed as only future, it cannot and will not come to fruition in the earth. All the potential for Christ to rule the earth and for the will of the Father to be done on earth as it is in heaven is now fully in place in the earth.

Sons of God, in the kingdom-emphasis age, are teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, the good news of the government of God. As the kingdom is preached and people believe, the power of God is further released to establish the will of God on earth.

The kingdom of heaven on earth begins with what men think and believe. Belief systems develop from people’s perspective of reality. The experiences of a person, especially things repeatedly seen and heard from what is accepted as a reliable source, will determine one’s perspective of reality. A group of people with different backgrounds will have different perspectives. They could all be given the same exposure to the same circumstances and they each would see a somewhat different thing and come to different conclusions.

They would decide different courses of action in response to the circumstances as they perceived them. Interpretation of what one experiences is a natural process of the mind and automatically occurs. The resulting interpretation will depend on the programming within the person’s mind. Human minds, somewhat like computers, are programmed with stored data and potential courses of action for dealing with current input based upon previous experiences or programming.

Centuries of programming have formed Christians’ minds resulting in perceived limits regarding the power and potential of Christ in man to change the world. The great reformation period of the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries began a massive reformation from the age of severe darkness to increased light of God. That reformation continues today reaching into the greater and higher light of the message of the kingdom of God. Sons of God are preaching, teaching, and demonstrating in power the message of the gospel of the kingdom. By the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, people are progressively discovering self-imposed limitations and breaking through them to greater revelation of the power of God available to them.

The gospel of the kingdom is implanted by preaching with demonstrations of power by the Holy Spirit. God confirms the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom with miracles. Hearing the truth of the gospel of the kingdom and seeing its power demonstrated causes people to believe.

Preaching the kingdom does not necessarily mean speaking from a pulpit or platform. In whatever opportunity large or small that God sets before you preach and teach the kingdom. As you go about your life in whatever activity you are engaged, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to preach and teach the kingdom in power. Demonstrate the kingdom lifestyle before your children, peers, and anyone else God places in your life or gives you an encounter with.

The negative, limiting words of past, powerless teachings and experiences have imprisoned the souls of many Christians. Limiting, negative words or experiences were like bad seed sown into our hearts. The seeds grew into prison bars of unbelief. We became restrained and limited on all sides. It was like being in an invisible enclosure. We couldn't straighten up and stand tall because our head would hit the ceiling of the enclosure. We couldn't move in this direction or that because we would bump into the wall. All this crippled our ability to function in the spiritual realm. It damaged our ability to believe and our great potential of spiritual power to rule and reign in accordance with the will of the Father was severely impaired.

We must hear the word of the kingdom and replace the restraining religious doctrines of the past with kingdom truth. Left in place, our old, mental programming

would continue to restrain us from presenting the powerful love and the grace of Christ to the world around us. We must renew our minds to what Jesus says about us and the kingdom of God on earth. We must begin to flow the spiritual power of the living God by the anointing of the Anointed One, Christ Jesus within. We must not listen to our old, mental programming and allow only a trickle of the rivers of living water to flow from our inner being. We must receive the Word of the kingdom and allow unrestrained rivers of living water to flow to the dry and thirsty land around us.

Now is the time! The time is now! God is abundantly flowing His grace, His love, and His power to and through His people. The Word of the kingdom, the gospel of the kingdom of God, is presently coming forth now on our small planet.

Will we continue to be just a trickle in a dried-up river bed? A river bed that should be flowing full of the crystal clear, life giving, cleansing water from the throne of God through the Anointed One, Christ within us?

Do we dare stand before God and tell Him how bad His world is? Tell Him how dry and barren the world and its people are while we are the only thing limiting the flow of rivers of living water? Do we dare continue our "trickle down" spiritual living of the past?

Thank God for those who are now and have in the past been flowing rivers of living waters heartily serving God, in ministry, business, education, and every area of the kingdom of God. If you are one of those and you know that your river is flowing full, please pray for the many "trickle down" servants.

Renewing the mind is a spiritual work brought about by the decision processes of the mind. We must make natural decisions with the natural minds to focus upon things of the Spirit of God and His Word and eliminate inputs which are of another spirit. Spiritual discernment must be exercised to recognize what is of the Spirit of God and what is of religion, the world, or spirits of darkness.

Ron McGatlin

Evangelism is one of the major works of the Spirit and power of God to change the way of life and governance of the world. The Scripture says, "You must be born again" (John 3:6-7). The process of becoming a citizen of the kingdom of God begins with spiritual birth. As in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. A natural child cannot be born alone. It requires the participation of others to bring forth birth. Participation in the procreation process in the spiritual realm is called evangelism.

The powers of darkness seek to blind the minds of everyone they can. Their intent is to prevent people on earth from seeing spiritual light and coming into the glorious kingdom of Christ Jesus, the true King of Planet Earth.

In the fading church-emphasis era of the past, evangelism was largely carried out by intellectual discussion of the Word. Soul winners would go out armed with their favorite Scriptures, lists of questions and comments to engage unbelievers and those of different denominational faiths in conversation. They would attempt to persuade them to receive Jesus as savior and join the church. Preaching from the pulpit often presented the goal of evangelism as joining the church as much as or more than receiving Jesus. In many cases the terms were so entangled they became synonymous. In other church groups evangelism included conversion to compliance with a number of church rules and ordinances, such as baptism, dress, participation in certain activities, and abstinence from others.

There were powerful evangelistic moves of the Spirit of God during the church age, but for the most part, evangelism was not very powerful and was often one here and one there. Yet, gifted evangelists saw many born again in large evangelistic

meetings. Until the preaching of the kingdom in very recent times, missionaries often met with very little success. Many spent most of their lives with very sparse, visible results. They were planting seeds that are bearing much fruit today. Generally, the church found it very difficult to get people to go out of the church and evangelize. Many classes and meetings were held to discuss "witnessing" and evangelism in the streets and door-to-door. Yet, actual participation was difficult to get started and more difficult to keep going.

In the kingdom-emphasis age, the power of God is manifesting in miracles, healings, and other signs when the Word is preached with boldness into present-day darkness, which has rapidly grown more severe in recent decades. The full-blown darkness of sin and occult practices has brought widespread darkness in the world. Violence, crime, immorality, perversion, deceptive occult practices, and other evil works have clouded the landscape of earth. The light of God is piercing the gross darkness through powerful miracles and mighty works of God somewhat like the first century when Jesus began His ministry of light in an almost totally dark world. Casting out demons, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophecies, and dramatic demonstrations of the power of the Spirit of God are sent to break through the blindness of the minds of the people entrapped in darkness. As darkness intensifies the light becomes even more powerful and shines with increased brightness.

In the darkest parts of the earth, the light is shining forth in powerful manifestations of the Spirit demonstrating God’s love and power to the multitudes dwelling in spiritual darkness. In the seventh millennium, the power of God flowing through pure hearted sons of God will bring millions of souls into the kingdom and anointed ministers will help guide them toward maturity in walking in the kingdom of God lifestyle.

The sword of His mouth is the powerful words spoken forth from Christ Jesus the King ruling and reigning in and through the purified holy sons of God. Kingdom apostles and prophets are bringing forth powerful words to bring correction and repentance. Quickly repenting and being cleansed will lead to greater life; failing to do so can lead to "swift destruction."

In the emerging kingdom age, music is as varied as the people who participate. There is the soft and sweet music that moves one toward spiritual realms of great peace and blessing. And, there is rolling, dynamic, powerful music with a great powerful engine of the Spirit to move men into awesome praise and worship of almighty God, producing freedom to interact with God, and boldness to flow in the gifts of the Spirit.

Live music on the street, in the park, in the town square, and wherever else the Spirit leads is an awesomely powerful evangelistic tool.

Music is also a very easy spiritual gift to merchandise. In the fading church-emphasis age, many gifted and called musicians and singers sold out their gift to merchandisers.

Using the gifts of God and the anointing of the Spirit to get something one wants or needs, such as money, fame, or recognition is a deadly practice in the kingdom age.

Men and women are drawn to the real love of God flowing through a pure hearted believer. But, they are repelled by the fake, pseudo love portrayed by some Christians of the passing church age. Singleness of heart is a characteristic of sons of God; duplicity is a characteristic of religious Christians.

The pure light of God’s love flowing through pure hearted believers is a very powerful force drawing unbelievers toward God. In the seventh millennium, the increasing number of believers with clean hearts flowing clear light are causing potent evangelism to bring vast numbers of new citizens into the kingdom of God.

The seemingly insurmountable mountain of the deplorable state of affairs on Planet Earth will be changed. All of the seemingly unsolvable problems created by the greed of unregenerate men and the hypocrisy of religious men will be overcome.

The plan of God is full restoration of His ways ruling through the sons of God upon the earth. The full manifestation of Christ overcoming the world will be completed in the seventh millennium. If you are reading this, you are blessed to be alive in a time when you are a potential part of the mighty works of God to restore men and, eventually the planet.

Do not be deceived or misled by the persecutions and natural disasters coming forth in the world. The great apocalyptic and cataclysmic events are a part of the complete renewal of the earth. One must look beyond the destructive fire upon the earth to the restoration of the ways of God. His righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit will eventually rule Planet Earth. The kingdom of God is now ruling in the hearts of sons of God and is already beginning to affect the world. The sons of God must bring forth the kingdom of God from heaven to redeem and rule the earth.

The time of the writing of this work is the early stages of major transitions in the Body of Christ and the world. Transition times are not times marked by a sense of natural stability. Periods of great change are most often marked by times of great tribulation. Powerful, purified holy people of God are now being prepared to be a part of the great transitions of our small planet.

The early centuries of the seventh millennium are not a time for faint-hearted, nominal Christians; and, certainly not a time for religion and religious debates. It is a time for wholeheartedly seeking God - a time for great joy and rejoicing as the presence of God fills His temple. It is a time for great faith in God’s people to bring forth mighty exploits of the work of God. It is a time when pure hearted men, refined by God and unclouded with evil, will bring forth astonishing revelations. It is a time of the spiritual meeting the natural and becoming one in the hearts of human beings.

Simultaneously, it is a time of great cleansing and massive dissolving of all that opposes God. There shall by no means enter into the fullness of the kingdom age anything that defiles.

Ron McGatlin