OpenHeaven.com






Home   |   Contact Us   |   About Us



Home


>
Forums



Active Topics



Member List



Search



Register



Log In



Help



News



Free Download
Books & Videos




Articles



Links
Kingdom Revival
House Church
Market Place




Networking



Prayer



Library



Old Reports



Audio/Video
Live Webcasts




Contact Us



About Us




OpenHeaven.com
DIGEST ARCHIVE
by Article Titles
and Date


KINGDOM
GROWTH GUIDES


Ron's Newest Book
END OF THIS AGE
God's Intervention
on Planet Earth
Free Download


VOICE of
PROPHESY
FORUM


Kingdom
Prophetic
ARTICLES by
Ron McGatlin

RON'S KINGDOM
BOOKS
Free Download

PAT BOON'S
Fatherhood
Message and
Communion

Watch This
Powerful 2 min
Video

Baptized With
HOLY SPIRIT
AND FIRE

Holy Spirit
Filling/Baptism

Holy Spirit
Power
 

Deliverance
Ministry

VIDEO
Supernatural
Deliverance
Nick
Griemsmann

Hearing God

Deeper
Spiritual Life

RaisingThe
Dead


Billy Graham's
Message to
America - Video

How I Escaped
the
Mormon Temple



VOICE OF PROPHECY - Prophetic Words
OpenHeaven.com Forum : VOICE OF PROPHECY - Prophetic Words
Subject Topic: KINGDOM LEADERSHIP AND SPIRITUAL HEADSHIP Post Reply Post New Topic
Author
Message
<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
Ron McGatlin
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 08/23/2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4141
Posted: 05/29/2013 at 5:33am | IP Logged Quote Ron McGatlin

Kingdom Leadership and Spiritual Headship

By Ron McGatlin

Fatherly loving direction and leadership in spiritually mature brothers and sisters is the way of God in the new kingdom church lifestyle. The day of one man serving as head of the local church or group is passing away as the kingdom of heaven / kingdom of God reality is coming forth in this current season. There is One Head of the Church (ekklesia, called out assembly), and it is not me or you; it is Christ Jesus.

Let’s explore the significant difference between headship and leadership in the Body of Christ on earth.

Mature elders are a great blessing to the people of God (the church). True fatherly and motherly leadership is to be greatly appreciated and valued. There is grave concern that truth does not become distorted and twisted and that true balance of love be always present lest the children (less spiritually mature) stray from the path of righteousness and fall into a ditch of deception.

The spiritually gifted and mature ones (elders) may or may not be gifted to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers or combinations of these and other grace gifts.  The elder ones (spiritually mature) may also function in various gifts at different times as God leads and empowers them for the purpose of leading the spiritually younger ones into maturity of Christ within themselves. As they mature they also become elders to those less mature than themselves. Leadership is all at one level under the headship of Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit - - all at one level, yet with various differing functions in the spiritual Body of Christ.

Leadership in the kingdom church is the elder (more spiritually mature) walking ahead of and not above the younger (less spiritually mature). In the kingdom church, leaders will often walk alongside the younger while teaching them to hear God and obey His leading on their own until Christ is formed in them (Gal 4:19). The spiritual mentoring process continues among us until Christ is fully formed in all of us (Eph 4:11-13).

Headship of Christ

The grace empowerment and spoken word of Christ Jesus, the Head, imparted into the mature ones (elders) by the Holy Spirit is the functioning headship of Christ leading His church. The decisions of leadership are all made at the HEAD level. That is, they are made by God in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit, the Head speaks the will of God into the hearts of His people who have ears to hear. Our part as leaders is to hear what Christ Jesus has already decided in heaven and bring forth what God is saying and doing.

The biblical tree of life has to do with hearing and following (obeying) what God is saying. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil has to do with figuring out what we should do from our human intellects and natural understanding.  

We can follow the ultimate wisdom and understanding of Almighty God revealed in us from His spoken word aligning with the written word as it is revealed by its author, the Holy Spirit; or we can choose to follow our own understanding of religious teachings and practices that have been derived from human intellects and natural understanding of men who partake from the tree of knowledge rather than hear God.

Grace and Fire

There is a wonderful fullness of perspective being revealed in the loving grace of God. Thank God for the great value of lifting our vision up to the reality of Christ in us, the true hope of glory. There is a real fire of God that is burning brightly today. We here in Mt. Airy, North Carolina among many others across the land are experiencing a reality of the baptism of fire that brings true sanctification. It is awesome to see people being taken beyond the veil and emerging in the brightness of His purity and true holiness.

Mat 3:11-12: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

At the same time the fires of sanctification are burning, there is a dangerous teaching abounding in this day and many believers are not yet aware of the danger involved. A claim is made that all things were finished when Jesus said, “it is finished” at the cross, and there is nothing more to be done. It is the slippery slope of teaching presumed grace without faith and without fire. Without experiencing faith and the fire of God with the grace of God, half the truth is lost. This can cause severe ungodly imbalance.

At this time true faith and fire are lost to much of the body causing detriment to the kingdom of God being formed on earth as it is in heaven. The understanding is lost to many that Christ in us is still doing the work that completes the reality of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Yet it is still all by grace. The grace of Christ in us influencing and changing our lives and then the world around us. That work of Christ is being done before our eyes in this day.

Truly all people are reconciled in Christ’s finished death, but not all are truly saved and living the kingdom lifestyle. Only those who turn to Him are truly saved. The Greek word translated saved is “sodzo” and means delivered, healed, and made whole in Christ. Without faith and turning, many are losing their potential kingdom life now on earth, while their reconciliation provided by the cross of Christ Jesus is wasted. They have received the grace of God in vain.

Thank you, God, for again bringing truth and reality of Your kingdom of God now in this life. Thank you for bringing true Fathering to the sweet people who seek You with their whole hearts.

Christ in us is a Father’s blessing. I encourage those reading this article to hear the wisdom of God flowing through true spiritual fathers and to become true spiritual fathers to those around you.

The Work of Grace

You can never get there believing that you must work for it. However, you also will not get there by not believing (no faith). Faith comes by hearing God, and it works by His love. Through His grace we have love and faith to believe the truth.

The work of redemption of this world through the saints of God in this world is NOT finished but is in glorious process as we write. Yes, the end may be clearly in sight in eternity without time. Yes, it may be seen as done in the eternal spiritual realm. However, we are the carriers of Christ in us to speak forth the real kingdom of God on earth now. Only believe and all things are possible to those who believe with their God-given faith.

For those among us who may have received the grace of God in vain, there is false rest in unbelief that is offered by the enemy working through religious spirits. Much of what we have been taught by religion and come to believe is at best incomplete and at worst are religious and secular teachings of men and doctrines of demons (deceitful spirits of darkness working through religion.

1 Tim 4:1: Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits, and doctrines of demons.

Let us pray that the debate and foolishness of religion and false teachings be removed from our lives. Let’s pray that all believers will truly seek to hear the voice of our Father coming through the fathers of the faith. It is time for us to grow up to our next level and no longer think as a child but lay aside childish things and speak as mature ones.

The law is given as a school master, a test of faith and grace if you please. If we honestly by the light of the Holy Spirit look at our lives and find lack and bondages in the form of addiction and sinful activity, this is our signal and evidence that we are not fully receiving the grace of God and that our faith is lacking reality. We are yet occupied in ourselves. We are not yet filled with the life of Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit and may need to experience the baptism of fire.

Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit and FIRE. The baptism of fire is for sanctification, cleansing, purification and is a very powerful experience. We are consumed as we go into that inner place with Him and meet the all-consuming fire of God that burns all of the chaff of our childishness and leaves the pure holy life of Christ Jesus where we once lived.


Fire of God, come! Will of God be done! On earth as it is in heaven!

Father God we come to you in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Father we truly repent and turn from anything and everything that we have come to believe about You and Your way that is not truth from Your heart and is not Your way. We ask you Father; purge us by Your Holy Spirit and Holy Fire. Consume us, oh God, in your love. Cleanse us by Your great power and grace.

Father, we choose in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit to willingly lay down all things that are in us that are not from You. Father, we lay down all of our previous beliefs and ways that are within us. We acknowledge that we do not fully know what is and what is not of You. Therefore, we choose to lay all that is within us at Your feet. Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask you to return to us only that which is from You, and that which is useful to us and pleasing in Your sight.

We ask that by Your grace in Christ by the Holy Spirit to help us renew our minds to the glorious truth and reality of Your kingdom life and way within us. We turn to you now and fully trust that You will guide us into true life in You and You in us.

You are our God, our only God, and we have no other. Father, we give You permission to and ask you to burn away everything we have come to worship as other gods in our lives. Let Your Holy Purifying Fire consume us. Fill us with Your Holy Life of truth and love. Makes us to be burning lights to this world of darkness that Your glory manifest to fill the world. Father we say in the name of Jesus by the Holy Spirit YOUR KINGDOM COME AND YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.  AMEN AND AMEN!!!!

Love Never Fails,
and His Kingdom Never Ends

Ron McGatlin

archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net  



Edited by Ron McGatlin on 05/29/2013 at 8:16pm
Back to Top
View Ron McGatlin's Profile Search for other posts by Ron McGatlin Visit Ron McGatlin's Homepage
Karen Ramsey
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 08/02/2012
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 101
Posted: 05/29/2013 at 6:03am | IP Logged Quote Karen Ramsey

This aligns clearly with other things I've been
hearing and realizing this week. Thank you!

__________________
Karen Ramsey
http://karenramsey.blogspot.com/
http://amodernvoice.com/
Back to Top
View Karen Ramsey's Profile Search for other posts by Karen Ramsey
Sherry Mohr
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 01/18/2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1578
Posted: 05/29/2013 at 6:53am | IP Logged Quote Sherry Mohr

Amen! Praise God!

Thank you Ron for posting this beautiful word from Father's heart; a willing heart is what He seeks; Amen. Praise God, His Mercy endures forever!

Love you Brother,

In Christ's Unfailing Love with you all

sher

Back to Top
View Sherry Mohr's Profile Search for other posts by Sherry Mohr
Stacey Yerian
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 08/21/2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2012
Posted: 05/29/2013 at 7:45am | IP Logged Quote Stacey Yerian

Amen and Amen! Thank you!

__________________
From glory to glory,
Anastasia Lee

Back to Top
View Stacey Yerian's Profile Search for other posts by Stacey Yerian
Kimberly Fowler
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11/09/2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2917
Posted: 05/29/2013 at 1:58pm | IP Logged Quote Kimberly Fowler

My heart receives this word, and I receive the prayer as well. Thank you!
Back to Top
View Kimberly Fowler's Profile Search for other posts by Kimberly Fowler
Gayle Getz
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 02/03/2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5566
Posted: 05/29/2013 at 5:39pm | IP Logged Quote Gayle Getz

Gonna read and read and reread this some more my Brother,,,meat is definitely here,,, as we don't hear much actually, hardly anything about 'elders' emerging to assist bringing the Kingdom to where it can be conceived...even though we have the Word, "Let Your Kingdom come, Lord God; Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We need the Body of Christ to be the vessels through which Father brings/manifests Himself/His Kingdom,,,and I bear witness to'elders' coming forth,,,they will be a huge HELP to those coming into maturity and most assuredly to the harvest coming in,,, GLORY TO GOD-NEW BROTHERS AND SISTERS-HALLELUJAH AMEN!!! Ty for sharing this-it has encouraged me to want to be ministered to by 'elders' and to be an 'elder...YEAH GOD! \o/ TY JESUS! \o/ Love you ALL-prayin' Ps.91 into/over your lives-\o/\o/\o/

__________________
Shalom-nothing missing, nothing broken-Gayle
Back to Top
View Gayle Getz's Profile Search for other posts by Gayle Getz
Quo Wright
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 03/15/2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1054
Posted: 05/30/2013 at 2:02pm | IP Logged Quote Quo Wright

Thank you Ron for such a timely word of understanding and confirmation.  And the prayer at the end was infused with the power of the Holy Ghost. 

Your Kingdom come Father and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Song that quickened in my spirit:

To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory, for all the things that He has done.

 



__________________
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Ps 51:10
Back to Top
View Quo Wright's Profile Search for other posts by Quo Wright
Mandy Gay
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 07/18/2008
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1227
Posted: 05/31/2013 at 2:55am | IP Logged Quote Mandy Gay

Hi Ron and all here :)

A good discussion :) I've been being led to see certain
things just now and one of them being what Jesus said
about the greatest among you needing to be like the
youngest. It led me to consider how as sheep the
youngest would be a young lamb. ... and this led me onto
considering what a young lamb looks like... how it
behaves... and how they play together too.

As I allowed this image to percolate in my mind it had a
very powerful/moving effect... so thought I'd bring that
to the discussion here :)

__________________
mandyjgay@gmail.com
Back to Top
View Mandy Gay's Profile Search for other posts by Mandy Gay
Mandy Gay
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 07/18/2008
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1227
Posted: 05/31/2013 at 3:16am | IP Logged Quote Mandy Gay

Re- The Lamb... this is something I saw today:

Revelation 5:7
The Voice (VOICE)
John hears that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root
of David, has arrived and will open the seals to reveal
the scroll’s mysteries. But when he turns to see the
Lion, he sees a Lamb instead. Not everything is as it
appears. The Lamb stands, even though He has been
slaughtered as a sacrifice, because He has been
resurrected from the dead. And now in his vision, John
sees things as they truly are: the Lamb-King has seven
horns and seven eyes, signifying the perfect power and
perfect sight He possesses to rule the world.

This part in particular stood out to me:

"Not everything is as it appears."

__________________
mandyjgay@gmail.com
Back to Top
View Mandy Gay's Profile Search for other posts by Mandy Gay
Mandy Gay
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 07/18/2008
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1227
Posted: 05/31/2013 at 5:25am | IP Logged Quote Mandy Gay

... again, re- the youngest... I've just been given to see
how Benjamin is the youngest.

His father struggled to let him go, yet it was thru this
release and being received by Joseph, that Joseph came out
from hiding and the whole nation of Israel and the rest of
the world was saved.

Edited by Mandy Gay on 05/31/2013 at 5:26am


__________________
mandyjgay@gmail.com
Back to Top
View Mandy Gay's Profile Search for other posts by Mandy Gay
Mandy Gay
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 07/18/2008
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1227
Posted: 06/01/2013 at 1:39am | IP Logged Quote Mandy Gay

Hi again,

Where Paul wrote about putting away childish things it
was directly following his discourse on True Love:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Amplified Bible (AMP)
"4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never
is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful
or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride);
it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act
unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on
its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-
seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it
takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no
attention to a suffered wrong].
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness,
but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes,
is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its
hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it
endures everything [without weakening].
8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete
or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of
interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be
fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be
destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away
[it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]."

I hope the formatting (lack of) doesn't detract from this
(I cant seem to be able to fix it from here)

Anyway, my point is that its the contradictions to this
Love in our thoughts and behavior that we put away as we
grow into the fullness of who we are.

The child spoken of is the one still under the
guardianship of the Law, and the man being the one
walking in the freedom of the New Covenant... the fruit
of which is the Love, as we read here.

What I see is that its not speaking of a process of
maturing from a child to a man, from imperfection to
perfection, from seeing in part to seeing fully... but a
switch from one to the other... and with the switch the
Light comes on... Tada!

One of the aspects that really challenged me (I failed
miserably at lol) in my old mindset was: "Love... is ever
ready to believe the best of every person" This is no
longer a difficulty I'm glad to say... in fact its just
there now :)))

Edited by Mandy Gay on 06/01/2013 at 3:03am


__________________
mandyjgay@gmail.com
Back to Top
View Mandy Gay's Profile Search for other posts by Mandy Gay
Ron McGatlin
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 08/23/2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4141
Posted: 06/02/2013 at 4:51am | IP Logged Quote Ron McGatlin

Grace and Fire

There is a wonderful fullness of perspective being revealed in the loving grace of God. Thank God for the great value of lifting our vision up to the reality of Christ in us, the true hope of glory. There is a real fire of God that is burning brightly today. We here in Mt. Airy, North Carolina among many others across the land are experiencing a reality of the baptism of fire that brings true sanctification. It is awesome to see people being taken beyond the veil and emerging in the brightness of His purity and true holiness.

Mat 3:11-12: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

At the same time the fires of sanctification are burning, there is a dangerous teaching abounding in this day and many believers are not yet aware of the danger involved. A claim is made that all things were finished when Jesus said, “it is finished” at the cross, and there is nothing more to be done. It is the slippery slope of teaching presumed grace without faith and without fire. Without experiencing faith and the fire of God with the grace of God, half the truth is lost. This can cause severe ungodly imbalance.

At this time true faith and fire are lost to much of the body causing detriment to the kingdom of God being formed on earth as it is in heaven. The understanding is lost to many that Christ in us is still doing the work that completes the reality of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Yet it is still all by grace. The grace of Christ in us influencing and changing our lives and then the world around us. That work of Christ is being done before our eyes in this day.

Truly all people are reconciled in Christ’s finished death, but not all are truly saved and living the kingdom lifestyle. Only those who turn to Him are truly saved. The Greek word translated saved is “sodzo” and means delivered, healed, and made whole in Christ. Without faith and turning, many are losing their potential kingdom life now on earth, while their reconciliation provided by the cross of Christ Jesus is wasted. They have received the grace of God in vain.

Ron

Back to Top
View Ron McGatlin's Profile Search for other posts by Ron McGatlin Visit Ron McGatlin's Homepage
Jo Berres
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 04/06/2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 65
Posted: 06/27/2013 at 5:30am | IP Logged Quote Jo Berres

Excellent message!! It truly IS Christ in us, the hope
of glory. We are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus and we were created to bring glory to God.

I am catching up on these messages as I did not have the
Internet. My spirit leaps within me as I read and I
sense a real connection with those who have posted, as
well as, you, Ron. Thank God for all of you. It is sooo
good to fellowship in the spirit with all of you. For
all the years I spent in the established church I never
experienced this kind of fellowship. Oh yes, all those
years I did learn about spiritual matters but not I KNOW
the One who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Praise His Name for ever and ever and ever!!!! Love to
all who read this, God's GREAT LOVE that He demonstrated
in Jesus, and now abides in us to demonstrate it to each
other and the lost and dying world. God have mercy on
all who reject Christ Jesus. He is a merciful God but
also a God of justice. Justice WILL be done as His Plan
and Purpose in the earth is consummated.

"Father, help us to love our enemies, as Jesus did and
does, and say as He did, 'Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.'"

The heart of God is not willing that any should perish
but that all would come to repentance. May our heart
beat with His and cry out for repentance and mercy, just
as He has shown to us. In His LOVE reaching!!

Jo Berres
Back to Top
View Jo Berres's Profile Search for other posts by Jo Berres

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  Post Reply Post New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum