In This Edition
1. Stuck in Mud or Soaring as Eagles
2. Precious Days of Life
3. Top News Headlines
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1. Stuck in Mud or Soaring as Eagles
By Ron McGatlin
In the old days of my youth in Texas, many roads in rural areas were dirt or graveled. In parts of the world, they still are that way. In a rainy season it took a certain skill, developed by experience, to navigate the mud and ruts without getting stuck or sliding off into the ditch on either side of the road.
The trails and roads traveled by forerunners in the frontier of transitioning into the kingdom of God are yet unpaved and can be seriously difficult at times. Traveling alone or with one or two others, a forerunner can acquire skill in dealing with the miry mud and pitfalls of preparing a road.
It is much more difficult to attempt to lead a group of busses loaded with people through the undeveloped roads and trails of the kingdom frontier. Their previous lives on the paved streets of Babylonian cities did not prepare the bus drivers for the difficulties of moving through the unfamiliar unpaved roads toward the kingdom of God lifestyle. The road to New Jerusalem, the City of God, can be much more difficult than the religious routines of the paved streets ofBabylon.
The job of forerunners and pioneers in the transition to kingdom is to build up a highway for the people to travel on through the wilderness and desert areas to the kingdom of God life (Isa 62:10).
My heart aches again and again as I witness good people seeking to navigate the trail of forerunners getting stuck in the mud or sliding off the road into the ditch.
Much of the problem is that they usually have a heavily loaded trailer hitched to their small vehicle. Mostly their trailers are loaded with people, possessions, and keepsakes (traditional ways) from their past lives.
Often they are trying to drag people who do not want to go and will not go on this forerunner journey. They soon become stuck in the mud and waste great amounts of energy in spinning their wheels. Yes, they have a powerful engine of Spirit-led desire to make the journey out of Babylon and into New Jerusalem, the real kingdom of God. However, they have no traction to move the loaded vehicle from being stuck in the mud of their unwillingness to leave things that they do not really need in the kingdom and the people who are not willing to go.
Natural Human Compassion
Through misguided human compassion they believe they that must not leave anyone behind on this journey. They cannot see clearly through the fog of natural compassion. They do not know that the best thing they can do for everyone involved is to respond to God’s call and move forward toward the kingdom, to establish a road and eventually a highway for the people coming after them.
The first century disciples left their businesses, lands, and families to follow Jesus toward the kingdom of God. Even Jesus left His disciples temporarily dashing their hopes and dreams of kingdom. However, He left them with the promise that He would come again for them to abide in Him and He in them to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
Not everyone must be a forerunner. However, those who will be must leave their past life and receive the fullness of kingdom life now in Christ and Christ in them.
"Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life." ~ Jesus
Do not be deceived.
We must lift up our eyes to the hills (the higher places of God) and receive His help to cleanse our hands and ascend the hill of the Lord (Psa 24). Do not be deceived; we cannot drag anything that defiles into the New Jerusalem life of the kingdom of God on earth (Rev 21:27). Even more importantly, we cannot go ourselves if we stay with them.
No sexually immoral person will make this journey. Liars, cheaters, thieves, unbelievers, manipulators, extortionist, murderers, and those who take simple people and naïve children captive shall not make this journey. No one with other gods in their hearts will make this forerunner trip into the fullness of the kingdom of God. Those who cannot leave their religion and release to God their possessions, businesses, and families cannot be forerunners.
We cannot look back.
"No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." ~ Jesus
Forerunners must not be distracted by natural civilian things. All else in life is secondary at best. Looking back will disqualify us from moving on into becoming mature sons of the kingdom of God now. How much more does reaching back, for any reason, prove us to be unfit for the kingdom?
Only by the Spirit can these things be done.
Utter dependence and reliance on the Spirit of Christ in us by the Holy Spirit is the only way to be and to do the things before us in transitioning to the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. The grace of God flowing by the Holy Spirit is the empowerment to will and to do the supernatural work of moving from treading in mud to soaring in the Spirit as eagles.
If the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us to lift us to the supernatural spiritual reality of being as Christ is in this world, we can soar as eagles. The supernatural transition can be much faster and easier – a light burden and easy yoke, by the Spirit.
This journey will not be without opposition. Wild beasts will stalk us throughout the journey through the frontier. However, in Christ and Christ in us we are more than conquerors and fully overcome. He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. We must ignore the wild beast that stalk us and seek to distract us on our journey. Focus on the Lord and ignore the evil spirits and those driven by them around us. If we focus on the evil ones, we will lose our focus on the Lord and the journey into His kingdom. We will find ourselves again stuck and spinning our wheels in mud or sliding off into the roadside ditch of distraction.
I believe there are a lot of road-building kingdom people reading this who are on this journey that are now gathering into troops of a militia type army of forerunners to lead the worldwide body to fully cross over the Jordan and possess the promised land. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. ~ Paul
It is my opinion, that there has never been a more extreme and potentially productive season in history regarding the reality of the kingdom of God from heaven on earth. This is not a time for pondering or indecision in spiritual weakness or hesitation. Rather, it is a day for clearly hearing by the Spirit and quickly obeying with boldness the leading of the Lord of glory.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ~ Jesus
Keep on pursuing love. It never fails
and His kingdom never ends.
Ron McGatlin
archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net
2. Precious Days of Life
By Ron McGatlin
God has no bad plans for you. Every day is a day in which God loves you and me – a day to experience His love and commune with Him in the Spirit – a day to be overcome in His presence and melt into one with Him in fervent love – a day to sit at His feet and absorb the wisdom and peace of His words.
God is calling this day. Come my people come to me and rest in My love and provision. You who are lonely, you who are tired, you who are in need come to Me and find rest for your soul and peace in your life. I long for your undivided affection. I desire to infuse you with strength, wisdom, and all you need to be and do heavenly works.
Lord God, I pray, please, forgive me. I have done harm to You, myself, and others. How could I have been so foolish in busying myself in endeavors of vastly less value and not have been still in your presence feeling and sharing your life-giving love. The meaning of life is lost as it fades into shadows of darkness in the day in which I have not been with You. What should be simple tasks become difficult. I feel the pressures of life closing in and soon I allow thoughts of fear. My faith is weakened and my joy fades as my hope turns into doubt.
We must not neglect communing with God in the Spirit. The kingdom of God is in the Spirit. It is a spiritual kingdom that flows into our lives and out to the world.
Rom 14:17: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:25: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
A kingdom people are arising – a people who live and walk in the Spirit – a people who commune with God daily and carry His attributes of love, wisdom, peace, and power wherever they go – a people without fear and who will not be deceived or led astray – a people holy and pure who love God above all else and seek His kingdom with their whole hearts.
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked.
1 Cor 6:9-11: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Cor 15:33-34: Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
Gal 6:7-10: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
James 1:16-22: Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Rom 8:9: 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 not His.
Rom 8:11: 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.
The remnant of holy men and women who live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit of God will not be deceived. Most of the people of the western world, including the old church systems and many Christians, will be deceived by this very cunning work.
Mat 24:24: "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
At the same time all of this is going on, an army of mostly unseen kingdom-of-God people will become more purified and fully prepared to bring forth the reality of the true kingdom of God and His righteousness to rule and reign with Christ. The supernatural works of Christ Jesus flowing through the Holy Spirit will transform the true saints of this time into mighty men of God – mature sons of God moving upon the earth with supernatural works of God bringing healing and restoration to bring forth beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.
Isa 61:3-4: 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.
Rom 8:19-22: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 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.
Luke 12:29-32: And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Thank you Jesus, Amen!
(Written 12/11/2008)
Ron McGatlin
archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net
3. Top News Headlines
Tarawa, Kiribati - A place where life is hard everyday. - Real Revival in the South Pacific - 4/25/2011
The 28,000 residents are faced with poverty, polluted living conditions, hot humid weather and, the prognostication that their island will soon disappear into the sea from the effects of “global warming.” Until last week the island was in the grips of an eight month drought. On the spiritual front, change of historic proportions has begun. Revival has come to Tarawa. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36329&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Teens Ambushed on MTV with God's Love - 4/25/2011
Sex, drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism, loneliness, peer pressure and social angst — they're all part of an onslaught of hopelessness many teens experience. But one group is using an in-your-face approach to deliver a critical message to America's young adults: God loves you and He wants to help. "Groundwire" is the brainchild of a father of four in Colorado. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36334&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Philippines: Following a warning of the Holy Spirit - 4/27/2011
"On one of our missions to the Philippines, our hosts planned for us to minister in the southern part of the islands. Just two weeks before our departure, I was warned by the Holy Spirit not to go. On the day we would have landed, Muslims stormed the airport and murdered some of the people there. They also went on a rampage throughout the island killing Christians. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36348&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
California May Add Gay History to Curriculum - 4/25/2011
It's called re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic — and that's the polite way to put it. As officials in California consider slashing education funding, shortening the school year and cutting teachers, reformers in the state Senate have passed SB 48. It would demand new textbooks and other materials that cover the contributions and roles of gays and bisexuals. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36335&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Four Ethiopian Muslims Beat Evangelist to Death, Assault His Pregnant Wife - 4/27/2011
Abraham died on the spot and his wife who sustained a severe head injury, was left unconscious in the street. She was taken to a hospital and regained consciousness on April 22nd and said that she knew two of the attackers. As the Muslims were beating her and her husband they said, "You (Christians) are growing in number. You are spreading your message. We will destroy you. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36352&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
'Collective Punishment' of Egyptian Christians for Death of Two Muslims - 4/27/2011
"Muslims threw my old mother out of the second floor balcony and torched my home and business." Twenty Coptic families had their homes and businesses looted by Muslims then torched, and their livestock was stolen. "One shop was only 50 meters away from the police station," Two Muslim familes had a fight and killed two. Rumors said the Christians killed them. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36354&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Ivory Coast: churches filling up with refugees. - the situation for Christians is absolutely dire. - 4/27/2011
Almost 1,800 people in one church, women and children who live locally, civil servants and employees unable to return home because of the Muslim violence. We have no running water, and we have babies, people who have been shot and pregnant women - other local churches have similar numbers.. 27,000 ethnic Guéré remain holed up the Catholic mission in Duékoué. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36355&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
New Christian Convert from Islam Murdered in Somalia - 4/24/2011
Two Muslims in Somalia on Monday (April 18, 2011) murdered a member of a secret Christian community in Lower Shabele region as part of a campaign to rid the country of Christianity, Adan, single and living with his Muslim family, converted to Christianity several months ago. Area Christians said they suspected someone had informed the Islamic militants of his conversion. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36326&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Israeli Media Stands Up for Messianic Jews - 4/23/2011
In the 60s liberals used to say, "I may disagree with what you're saying, but I'll defend with my life your right to say it." We don't hear much of that anymore. That's why the latest news out of Israel is refreshing. Secular Israelis (theological liberals?) are defending Messianic Jews from those who would rein them in. And Israeli media is leading the rescue. Read On:
Cessationist Healed, Leaves Wheelchair Behind, Now a Charismatic - 4/22/2011
Stan Winder heard a voice in his head telling him to do something that seemed impossible. "Get up and walk." Skepticism was his initial reaction. Winder was disabled and relied on a wheelchair. At age 56, doctors told him his illness would likely get worse. "I said, 'OK.' I got up, and the minute my feet hit the floor, there was absolute freedom." Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36307&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Baby Joseph Is Home: Defies Critics By Breathing Completely on His Own - 4/22/2011
Doctors at Victoria Hospital in Ontario had given up on Baby Joseph. Specifically, they threatened to remove life support against his parents' wishes, instead of giving him a needed tracheotomy. The child was eventually transferred to a St. Louis hospital, where he received the operation. Since then, Baby Joseph has been weaned from his ventilator and returned home. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36308&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
Young Mother with Cancer Sacrifices Life for Unborn Child - 4/23/2011
Greater love has no mother than this, that she sacrifice her life for her child. That's not in the Bible, but it's based on scripture and the life of Jessica Council. She refused cancer treatment because, at best, it would have left her unborn child with brain damage. But in abortion, the child is sacrificed for the mother's "blessings." Hmm ... sounds like Molech worship. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=36312&a mp;PN=1&TPN=1
For More Top News Headlines, Go Here: http://archive.openheaven.com/news/headlines/
Topic: OpenHeaven.com Digest April 27, 2011
