Posted: 03/25/2009 at 8:12am
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Royal Bloodline
By Ron McGatlin
(Note: This word may need to be prayerfully meditated to grasp the magnitude of the subject at hand. I believe this to be perhaps at least one of the most important considerations as we continue through times of change and transformation into a greater reality of the Kingdom of God governance and lifestyle. – Ron)
God continues to move us forward in spiritual revelation of His kingdom through intimate relationship with Him in the Spirit. Life is like a pleasant garden of daily freshness and beauty as we commune with and partake of His life. We are transformed as we drink of His life and eat of His character and nature. The brightness of His presence reveals His absolute holiness, the depth of His love and the strength of His power. Truly His kingdom is perfect righteousness, peace and Joy IN THE HOLY SPIRIT (Rom 14:17).
Truly the meaning of His words “to drink of His blood and eat of His flesh” is glorious when heard through the ears of the spirit (John 6:51-57). True spiritual communion is intimately partaking of the life of Christ, the spiritual life-blood and the spiritual bread-of-life, which is His life, character and nature. This spiritual reality is forever pictured for us in the natural act of partaking of natural bread and wine. As Jesus broke the bread and passed the cup, He said, “Take. Eat. This is My body.” and “Drink. This is My blood of the new covenant.” This powerful prophetic picture with natural bread and natural wine is to remind us that we must also eat of the spiritual bread and wine. Partaking of Jesus is brought to our remembrance every time we eat a natural meal. Since we eat daily we are reminded daily to eat the spiritual bread and the spiritual wine by partaking of Christ in the Spirit. We are transformed in this intimate communion.
Natural life is in natural blood. The Spirit of Christ is life unto the spiritual body as blood is to the natural body. Natural nourishment and strength is in eating natural bread. Spiritual nourishment and strength is in the partaking of the character and nature of Christ, the bread of life. As we partake of Him in the Spirit, His Spirit is formed in us. The substance of His Spirit flows through our spirit-man and His character and nature permeates our natural bodies. Thus, we become of the “Royal Bloodline” of God in Christ Jesus. Selah.
We are created to be kings and priests - kings ruling in the natural world and priest relating to Spirit God in the heavenly realm (Rev 1:6). You and I are spirit beings who have a soul (mind, will and emotions) and live in a natural earthly body (1 Th 5:23). We are given the ability to function in the natural world and in the spiritual world. Only human beings have this potential. No other being is created to be a spiritual being and live in a natural body at the same time. In our natural body we have the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Natural things are patterned after spiritual things. The natural body is also patterned after the spiritual body and made in the image of Spirit God. The same five senses are recognizable in our spiritual body as are in our natural body. Selah.
Human beings are designed to relate to Spirit God and the natural world as caretakers or stewards of God’s earthly creation according to His desire and instructions communicated from Spirit God to spirit man. We are designed to be the interface between Spirit God and natural earth. We are to be intercessors between earth and heaven and interveners from heaven to earth. Therefore, through Christ we relate to God by our spirit bodies and to the world by our natural bodies. Our soul receives God’s life and order from Spirit God in the heavenly realm and receives feedback data from the natural world and then makes creative decisions that impact life on earth. Our original assignment from God as given to Adam at the time of his creation is to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion (Gen 1: 26-28).
First the Natural Then the Spiritual
Traditionally we have seen the passage below as referring only to the afterlife. However, I believe that with the revelation of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ being formed in His people by the Spirit that we are not only of the man of dust but also of the heavenly man Christ Jesus. Christ is being spiritually formed in us to the measure of the stature of Christ (Eph 4:13). This is the mystery of Christ in you the hope of glory (Col 1:27).
1 Cor 15:46-49: However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
In redemption, natural is first and movement is toward spiritual. In original creation the spiritual is first as all natural things are created from the spiritual into the natural. Natural creation is patterned after the spiritual existence. In this way God reveals something of Himself in His creation (Rom 1:19-20) (Heb 11:3).
In the spiritually mature sons of God there is a Spirit-being filling the form of the natural bodies. The Spirit-body of Christ is filling our natural bodies transforming the natural man from the image of the man of dust into the image of the heavenly man. Selah.
Gal 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me….”
John 14:20: "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
John 15:4: "Abide in Me, and I in you.”
John 17:23: "I in them, and You (Father) in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,”
The Resurrected Christ
Is it perhaps possible that the Spirit of the resurrected Christ-life could abide within and transform our earthly dust-body? Could it be that the spiritual substance of the life-blood of the resurrected Christ could produce the life of Christ in His people before natural death? Is there a potential life of faith appropriating the same character and nature of Christ doing the same works that Christ Jesus did in his natural body on earth? Is it real that Jesus Christ is alive and well at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and at the same time in His Body and Bride on earth by His Spirit?
If so perhaps this would explain how the early apostles witnessed the same works as Jesus through their own lives after Pentecost. It might also explain the many testimonies and reports of miracles worldwide in this season. Could this explain the mature sons of God that the whole creation is groaning and waiting for to bring its redemption?
Rom 8:18-22: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 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.
The sufferings of this present time are a part of preparation for the glory that shall be revealed in us. God is preparing a pure holy people to become the resurrection life of Christ Jesus to redeem the kingdoms of earth. God will have sons (male and female) that will NOT merchandise the powerful life of Christ. There will be men and women with clean hands and pure hearts that will endure the sufferings of being a light of the resurrected life of Christ in a dark world and ascend the hill of the Lord.
All things considered, we have entered a most glorious time. People around the world and especially in the western world are beginning to search for a better way than they have lived in the past. Eyes are beginning to look up in search of something to trust in as their leaders, governments, economies and shallow religions crumble before them. At the same time raging fires of evil oppressors threaten to overtake them and take them into bondage.
Fear is negative faith. It is the opposite of faith in God. Many are beginning to search for faith to combat their fear. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. However, there certainly is a lot more to intimately relating to Him than the beginning repentance and turning toward Him. We are possibly entering one of the most fertile seasons of all time for preaching and demonstrating the gospel of the kingdom of God. I believe many of you reading this were born and are here for such a time as this. Arise and shine for the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
Isa 60:1-5: Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 03/26/2009 at 10:52am
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