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Encountering Kingdom
By Ron McGatlin
While traveling the journey of life, some Christians are suddenly encountering the awesome spiritual reality of the King and His kingdom. In an instant, as if by the click of a switch, a light turns on and the fog of religious darkness dissolves exposing the King of Glory and the reality of His heavenly kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
The fresh revelation of the kingdom of God is exciting but also surprising. Many spiritual things that we could not quite understand start to become perfectly clear and make very practical sense. Things come together in our understanding that would not fit together before. The truth of the kingdom becomes so obvious that we may wonder how we have missed this so long. It is so simple, powerful, and real.
A greater sense of peace settles within us. Questions we had within us that we did not even know how to ask are answered with clarity. Fabricated webs of religious interpretations and explanations dissolve allowing kingdom truth to begin to crystallize in our hearts. Teachings that we had accepted but never really felt totally comfortable with are replaced with solid reality from God.
Perhaps the most exciting change is that we begin to actually experience kingdom reality. We had been taught to believe that kingdom living was only available in the future after another significant event from heaven occurred. We may have had faith for the some-day kingdom but had no faith to receive the kingdom of God lifestyle in Christ Jesus now. We were blinded to the kingdom of the living Christ in us. The religious fog of unbelief had prevented us from having faith to accept the glory of Christ Jesus in us initiating His kingdom lifestyle now.
The Distant Hope of the Immature Church
In the past, we powerlessly waited while wishfully dreaming of the time to come when God in Christ would be with us, and all things would become possible to us. We dreamed of what it would be like to see Jesus face to face in His natural body and look into His eyes and watch Him do marvelous, miraculous works as He did when He walked on earth. If we could see Him as a man walking and talking with us, then perhaps our faith would be strong enough to receive kingdom fullness. And surely then He would defeat the devil and destroy all his works for us and set us free from our bondages to sin and self.
Many devout Christians are still living in this place of seriously lacking faith to initiate kingdom living now. They may be devoutly worshiping Jesus with all their hearts, seeking to walk in the Spirit and faithfully studying their Bibles. They may consider themselves to be bondservants of the Lord and strongly deny the things of this world. They may daily renew their strong commitment to Jesus while looking to the hope of Jesus bodily returning to establish His kingdom. They may be battling sin and repenting again and again but always coming up short. They daily battle their flesh striving to die to self but never fully realize the victory. The glorious hope of going to heaven after this life keeps them going in their striving against personal sin.
Why is it that some very devout, strongly committed, Spirit-filled Christians who daily strive against sin cannot see the glorious victory and powerful rest of kingdom of God living now in this life?
Blind Spots Steal the Now of Kingdom
When pressured, the enemy will gladly concede and allow the knowledge and hope of our going to heaven after this life. However, he will fight to the end to prevent the knowledge of the reality of the kingdom of God now on this earth. He need only deceive one generation at the time to continue his diabolical reign of stealing, killing and destroying.
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.”
His objective is to eradicate anything and everything of Christ from LIFE NOW IN THIS WORLD. He does all within His power to blind the minds of people (2 Cor 4:4). He will stop at nothing to prevent people from truly grasping the significance and reality of the Spirit of Christ alive on earth in His Body. He must stop the Christ in God’s people from releasing the full love, power, and wisdom from heaven to fully establish God’s rule and reign (kingdom) on earth as it is in heaven now.
He will gladly allow the hope of the return of Christ Jesus some day in the future to establish the kingdom of God on earth. But he must at all cost prevent the revealing of CHRIST JESUS NOW, ALIVE AND ABIDING IN THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF GOD’S PEOPLE, BRINGING THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIFE INTO THIS WORLD NOW.
The enemy’s most powerful tool on earth is religion. His most effective strategy is devising and propagating religious doctrines of deception that are carefully crafted to appear as light and truth (2 Cor 11:14) (2 Cor 4:4). These fallacious teachings using words from the Bible blind the minds of believers to the powerful reality of Christ in His people finishing the work that Christ Jesus began with His disciples in His natural body. Satan knows his rule on earth is over when God’s people see the real work and plan of God.
Religious blind spots in the hearts of believers are created by hardened beliefs become rock hard convictions through the strong repetitive preaching and teaching of partial truths or fallacious doctrines (1 Tim 4:1). It may be easier for a person who has never been involved in church systems to be given ears to hear the gospel of the kingdom and begin to see and experience the kingdom of God by the Spirit.
By My SPIRIT, Says the Lord
Spirit that is not seen with natural eyes is greater than what is seen with natural eyes (2 Cor 4:18). The natural man without the Spirit sees only natural things (1 Cor 2:14). Religion teaches a focus on natural things. Seeing the physical body of Christ Jesus either in heaven or at His return is religions greatest hope. Keeping the “New Testament” ordinances and rules and striving against personal sin are primary factors of religion.
The kingdom of God is a SPIRIT kingdom. Except you are born again in the SPIRIT, you cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). If one is truly born beyond natural birth by a Spirit birth into the heavenly spiritual realm, one can see by the Spirit the things of God and His spiritual kingdom (John 3:6-8).
The Spirit of Christ and the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead can dwell in you and me (Rom 8:9-11). Today we can know Christ and our Father in a real living experience. We can truly become the Body and Bride of Christ walking in the harmony of oneness with God in heaven on earth now. We can become as Christ is on earth because Christ is in us (1 John 4:17).
Father God is SPIRIT. Christ Jesus is SPIRIT. Christ Jesus was SPIRIT with the Father before the creation of all things. SPIRIT God became incarnate in flesh. Christ Jesus became a man to redeem all that was lost, including the intimate relationship of Spirit God dwelling with man.
After His death, resurrection, and ascension, Christ Jesus BECAME A LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT (1 Cor 15:45). The SPIRIT Christ returned to earth at Pentecost to dwell with His people. The spiritual kingdom of kingdom of God / kingdom of heaven came to earth as a mighty rushing wind and fire (Acts 2:2-3). SPIRIT Christ Jesus with the Father of SPIRITS came to abide in human beings. The kingdom of God is within His people in whom Christ and the Father dwell. The temple of God is now on earth in His building not made with hands (1 Cor 3:16)
2 Cor 6:16: And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
The redemption of the world and the planet is within God’s people. Christ Jesus is preeminent – the first born of all things. All the attributes of God are in Christ who is given to be the Head of all things. The Head of all love, all power, and all wisdom is within the redeemed sons of God in whom Christ dwells (Col 1:16-19).
The great mystery of God is Christ in you the hope of glory (Col 1:27). The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). The world is painfully groaning awaiting its redemption by the sons of God. Christ Jesus is bringing many sons to glory (Rom 8:22).
Father, your kingdom come, your will be done in me and in your world. Amen.
For more on Christ and His biblical kingdom reality consider The Kingdom Growth Guides. Thousand s have gained a greater revelation of “Christ in you the hope of glory” the spiritual kingdom from heaven on earth now.
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Topic: ENCOUNTERING KINGDOM
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OOOPPPSSS! You saw!!!
