Kingdom Growth Guides PART 1 (#001) thru (#011)

Living The Kingdom of God Lifestyle
Journey From Religion to Relationship

Growing in the gospel of the kingdom


HEARING BY THE SPIRIT (#001)
 

Is it possible that after all this time we are beginning to realize that we have not been preaching the same gospel that Jesus preached?

Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom. Some of the smartest men in history have diligently studied and searched the Scripture in minute detail yet could not hear the gospel of the kingdom.

Jesus preached and taught profound deep, hidden mysteries of the kingdom of God that cannot be discovered by human intellect. They are spiritual truths that can only be transmitted by the Holy Spirit and must be received in the spiritual ears of man. These spiritual truths imparted into the heart of man become keys to unlocking the supernatural reality of the kingdom of God that can enable man to live now on earth in heavenly order and power.

The wisdom from heaven that Jesus imparted to His disciples is higher and greater than the earthly wisdom of man. It cannot be discovered by the intellect of man. Only the spiritually mature who truly love God are given ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom that Jesus preached.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God…..1 Cor 1:21

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Cor 1:25

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Jesus spoke in parables of figurative symbolic language that appeared, to those who did not have a spiritual ear as only simple stories. The deeper kingdom meanings have been misinterpreted by generations of theologians who could only ascribe meaning according to the limited light of the time. But for those who could hear, Jesus’ figurative language imparted treasures of wisdom of God’s kingdom principles and values for life.

Matthew 13:10-17: And the disciples came to Him and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing, you will see and not perceive; for the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart and turn so that I should heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Jesus made it clear that some were given an ear to hear the mysteries and others were not. They couldn't hear because their hearts had grown dull. Spiritual eyes and ears must be open to hear the mysteries. Without hearing, no amount of study can unlock the mysteries of the kingdom. These things must be received by impartation through intimate relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

Are our spiritual eyes and ears opening?

Only in the past century has a portion of the religious church returned to the practice of seeking to hear God directly. For many centuries the general view was that the only way to hear God was through reading the Bible. There has been a long season of dull hearts, hard-of-hearing ears and closed eyes. The marvelous power and flow of God’s Spirit, which had been birthed at Pentecost was lost to dulled hearts. Religion replaced a living relationship with God.

The backbone of the religious church for centuries has been studying about God in the Bible. Theology (the study of God) is an intellectual exercise that cannot discover the hidden mysteries of the kingdom that Jesus imparted to His disciples. The supernatural power and heavenly wisdom of God is not obtained through intellectual study. The Bible is a spiritual book that becomes alive only by the Holy Spirit. Intellectual knowledge of the Bible can only produce opinions that are determined in the minds of men. The many different opinions of men in the religious church created schools of thought that divided people into many thousands of powerless denominations.

The backbone of the relational church is intimately relating to God and hearing Him by the Spirit. The objective of assembling in groups in His presence is not to learn about God but to know Him and intimately relate to Him. The purpose of assembling in groups is to experience intimate relationship with God and with one another. Our gathering is to be a living experience with the life-giving Spirit of Christ in the Holy Spirit imparting life and wisdom. A corporate gathering is also an experience of expressing our love for God in sincere praise and worship.

The kingdom-age church is returning to the reality of hearing and following the voice of God. Jesus instructed us to hear Him through the Holy Spirit. The disciples saw and heard God and listened to Him above the words of men.

John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.”

Acts 4: 19-20: But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

John 16: 12-14: “I (Jesus) still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”

John 16: 25: “These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.”

What hinders our hearing the voice of God? What prevents our receiving the revelation of the deep, hidden mysteries of the kingdom?

The first century disciples heard and walked in miracle-working power. Why can't we?

The short answer is that we do not have ears to hear. But why?

Here is a big clue for us.

The disciples that walked with Jesus heard but didn’t really hear until after the Holy Spirit came and filled them. After Pentecost the things they previously heard began to make sense and they walked in the beginning of the kingdom of God lifestyle. Jesus did not speak or demonstrate the miracles of the kingdom of God until after the Holy Spirit came upon Him and remained.

Hearing from God involves the Holy Spirit.

Hearing the deep hidden mysteries involves having ears to hear the word of the kingdom. Many who are involved with the Holy Spirit may hear God; yet, may not have ears to hear the deeper mysteries of the word of the kingdom. We cannot by effort attain ears to hear but we can meet the qualifications and get into position to receive ears to hear. In 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 that we have already looked at, two major keys are pointed out to hearing the deep, hidden wisdom:

Spiritual maturity and loving God

Spiritual maturity has to do with the experience of walking in the Spirit. It is not necessarily a chronological matter. The process is to be filled with the Spirit and emptied of self. It involves looking to the Spirit for guidance and not to our own understanding. This will be a big change for most Christians and can be very difficult for the theologically-trained mindset. Our first tendency may be to quickly turn to our past methods of employing our minds to search our stored knowledge and the Scripture to figure out what to do and to discern truth. Asking and then waiting for God to speak to us by His Spirit will require some retraining of ourselves. Maturity comes from the exercise of walking in the Spirit’s governance and not our own. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age (mature), that is, those who by reason of use have their (spiritual) senses exercised to discern both good and evil, (Heb 5:14).


Loving God involves laying down our lives and truly loving Him with our whole hearts.

Mark 12:29: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

Only the pure heart can truly hear the hidden mysteries. The desire to have a pure heart is not the same thing as having it. The intent of the heart is not enough. It is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks and our conversation of life emanates. If our hearts are filled with love by the Spirit we have a pure heart

Do we really love Him? Is there anything in our lives that we love as much as, or more than, we love God? What really abides in our hearts? What fills our thought life? What desires truly are deep in our hearts? What really is important to us? Where do we really get our delight? Do we really delight and abide in the Lord? Or do we just say we do? Do we hope we love God more than anything, and hope we delight in Him, and hope we abide in Him? Mature love knows that nothing else comes close to God. There is no very close second to the love for God in the spiritually mature.

The price we must pay to hear the deep, hidden mysteries of God’s kingdom wisdom is a willingness to lay aside everything in our lives that is important to us, to figuratively sell all that we have to buy that “perfect pearl”, that “field of hidden treasure”. We must be willing to lose our lives to find the true life in God.

Matthew 13:44-46: Again the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
 
Luke 14:33: (And Jesus said), “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

Matthew 16:24-25: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Mark 10:29-30: “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands and, with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life.

Let us purpose in our hearts this moment to release to God everything that is precious to us. Let Him have our wives, our husbands, our children, our ministry, our business, our hobbies, our health, our reputation, our need for acceptance of men, our religious convictions, our pet doctrines, all traditions, our secret desires, our very lives, anything in which we delight. Can we trust Him with these things? If we truly believe that He loves us and what He will do is best for us, we can release all to Him without reservation, to do with as He pleases.

If you are willing, or if you are willing to be made willing to release all that is in your hand, head, and heart, so that you may hear mysteries of the kingdom, pray the following prayer from your heart. Fill in the blank with those special things you need to release. It is important for you to sign and date the prayer agreement. Entering into and signing the prayer agreement serves as a spiritual stake of commitment set in time. The signer is not seeking to hear a word from the author or even just to receive revelation from this work, but is specifically seeking to hear deep mysteries from God that will greatly impact and empower his or her life.

Only as God’s ultimate wisdom permeates our hearts can we know real peace and fulfillment. And only as we give our all to God - all we have, all we are, and all we care about, will we be in position to be given ears to hear the deep hidden mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:9: He who has ears to hear let him hear!


PRAYER AGREEMENT

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I repent and turn from all that is in my heart before You.

Now by an act of my will, I release to You all that is precious in my life. I specifically release to you my business, my family, my ambitions, my possessions, my __________ __________________, _____________________, and my ______________________ .

God, I am one who truly loves You. Jesus, You are my Lord. I esteem You above all else. Nothing or no one else is my Lord.

In the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I bind all the works of darkness, blindness, deception, delusion, man’s traditions, and religion that are affecting my life. I loose the Spirit of revelation in my heart.
 
Father, in the name of Jesus, I choose to open my spirit to receive that which was previously hidden, to receive Your wisdom. Grant to me the mind of Christ. Holy Spirit come in power, speak into my heart hidden mysteries of the wisdom of God. Fill my heart with the light and life of God. Give me ears to hear in my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen


Prayed on this date ________________

Signed ___________________________
    
For questions or assistance contact Ron McGatlin basileia@earthlink.net


Keep on Pursuing Love,
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://archive.openheaven.com/" target=_blank eudora="autourl - http://archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

Living The Kingdom of God Lifestyle
Journey From Religion to Relationship

Growing in the gospel of the kingdom


UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM (#007)


The rich understandings of the kingdom of God are hidden in the Word of God, veiled in figurative, symbolic language that can be revealed to the mind only by the Spirit of God. For centuries we have read and studied the Bible; yet, the understanding of “kingdom” will be revealed to us only at the level we are ready to receive it and in the season that God desires. 

The Bible often uses a natural word about a natural thing to represent a spiritual thing. Once we have the spiritual meaning of the natural word, we can use that word to communicate the spiritual thought. For example, we have referred to the “Bride of Christ” several times. We all know that we are not referring to a literal bride. A natural bride is one female person who is being married to a husband. The “Bride of Christ” is a figurative term representing all purified believers who are intimately related as one with the indwelling Christ. The believers may be male or female, old or young, of any heritage, and of any number. Yet, they can all be collectively described in the term “Bride of Christ.” When the Bible speaks of the “milk of the Word,” we know it is not talking about a white liquid in a bottle. When it speaks of the “meat of the Word,” it is not talking about a beefsteak.

John 16:25:  “These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.”

John 16: 12-13a:  “I (Jesus) still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all trut ...”

Matthew 16:17b.19:  “... for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Mark 4:22-23:  “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

There are key words that unlock the figurative, symbolic language of the Word and open vast areas of kingdom revelation. Many of these symbols and types have been revealed for many years. But some have been more recently revealed; and, most of those we have known for some time have a deeper, freshly-revealed kingdom meaning.

In the figurative Biblical language, much is revealed from simple symbols -- from the “sea” (unstable masses of unsaved without structure), to the “fruitful plains” (the saved stable Christians), to “trees” (men’s life structures), to “hills” (authority structures), to the “high mountains” (great structures of authority), and on to the “highest mountain” (the ultimate, authority of God).

To understand the “word of the kingdom” from the Bible, the disciple must be able to hear the spiritual meaning of the figurative or symbolic language from the Holy Spirit. When I study a passage of Scripture, I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give me revelation of the hidden, symbolic, spiritual meaning of the words. Then I meditate the passage allowing quiet time in my spirit and mind while waiting to hear from God. After enlightenment or understanding comes, then I begin to check out the concordance, Greek and Hebrew dictionaries, and other Scriptures for confirmation or clarification.

The following are a few possible examples of symbolic language to consider. Try using these as you study and meditate the Word.

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Mountains-Great structures of authority; may be godly or ungodly.

Hills-Structures of authority as mountains; except lesser.

Fields-Lower structures of authority, but still firmament. Usually indicate those saved, as opposed to the sea of lost. As such, they are the fruitful, production areas where grain, fruit trees, etc., are grown.

Valleys-Lower structures than fields, often fertile and well watered by neighboring mountains. May also indicate a very low period -- a time of difficulty and hard decisions.

Sea-No structure at all, fluid, blown about, sometimes roaring, unsaved masses of people.

Trees-Natural structures of life; individual men and their life structures, ranging from great men or rulers as great cedars, strong and stable men as mighty oaks, olive and fig trees as prophets or ministers, fruit trees and vines as fruitful Christians to insignificant bramble bushes and ungodly thorns and briars.

City-A corporate structure of life; a spiritual community for the protection and well-being of its citizens, governed by spiritual laws, ruled by spiritual powers, which determine the personality of the city and the quality of life within the city. A city is structured by patterns of life. A great city is a capital or ruling city, whose patterns reach out beyond its city walls or limits to govern a greater area.

Israel-The overall church, including its ruling city, its many different cities, and wilderness areas.

New Jerusalem-The purified, holy, renewed ruling city of God; the remnant Bride Church, the Bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle.

Babylon-The ruling city of the kingdom of darkness; the great soulish system of man characterized by covetousness, immorality, and sorcery; the mother system of harlots and adulterers.

Bride and Wife-The obedient, perfected, faithful and true, ruling city portion of the church where reproduction takes place and mature sons are brought to glory. She is God-seeking and God-serving.

Harlot-The unfaithful, rebellious mistress (person or church) who sells her purity to fulfill her own desires and meet her needs; she does not seek the true God, but is self-seeking and self-serving.

Adulteress-The unfaithful part of the church who has a Husband and pretends obedience to Him, but has other lovers. She seeks to fulfill her desires and meet her needs from sources other than her Husband. She has a divided heart, and her desire is both self-seeking and God-seeking, self-serving and God-serving.

Assyrians, Philistines, Canaanites, etc.-Evil, enemy spiritual forces, demons.

Dragon, Serpent, Roaring Lion, Wild Beast, Fowls of the Air, Adverse Wind, Storms, etc.-Satan and/or demon spirits.

Seed-A living pattern, word, thought, idea, vision; also the offspring made from the pattern. A word or vision from God is a good seed. A bad seed would be the same, but from the enemy.

Soil, Land-The heart of man; the spiritual/natural interface through which seeds from the spiritual realm are planted in the fertile creativity of the heart to be brought forth into the natural realm.

Holy Spirit may be represented in His different aspects or facets as, Oil, Water, Wine, Strong Drink, Light, Rain, etc.

Oil-Comfort, healing, joy, anointing.

Water-Cleansing, washing, or life-giving Word or Holy Spirit.

Wine-Revelation from God, a “rhema” word from God, unveiled truths of God’s Word by the Holy Spirit.

Old Wine-Revelation from the past; usually a taste has been acquired for it. It is smooth and comfortable to the taste and can put one to sleep.

New Wine-New revelation from God. It is fresh and exciting, but may be very different to the taste and cause discomfort for those who have not yet acquired a taste for the new. It can be intoxicating if we take too much of it by itself. One must continue to feed on the bread and the meat along with the new wine.

Strong Drink-A hard word such as, correction, rebuke, or warning, etc. by the Holy Spirit.

Light-Understanding; discernment; life giving, growth-stimulating word or revelation by the Holy Spirit.

Rain-Outpouring of grace gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Rivers-Continuous flow of spiritual life; flow of Holy Spirit.

Wineskins-The container, or framework, of the inner organized filing system for the revelation of God.

Cloth-A woven network of understanding of life, which may contain intricate patterns of design, each thread fitting together to make the whole.

Flood-A great outpouring of damaging words.

Jewels-Perfected sons or daughters of God.

Fire-Intense adversity for purification or judgment; judgmental or critical words.

Stars-Spiritual persons; men of God.

Heat-Correction or judgment; the heat of the sun, particularly, is intense light that brings correction from God the Father.

Angels-Sometimes symbolizes men of God sent to the church, ministers, messengers, preachers of the message from God.

Trumpets-Sometimes are the voices of the prophets speaking forth the message of God, calling an assembly, focusing attention, and especially blasting forth the judgments of God.

Grain and Grain Fields-Production, particularly annual or periodical production.

Green Grass-Production of the fields, including grain.

Birds-Spirits, either godly or evil.

Crowns-Authority to rule.

Temple-A permanent dwelling place of God, the eternal heart of man where God dwells.

Tabernacle-A temporary dwelling place of God.

Consider the meaning of the figurative words used in Luke 5:36-39. The Lord speaks of patching new cloth onto old and of putting new wine in old wineskins. He also mentions that a man having drunk old wine does not immediately desire the new. Using the key words, it is easy to discern what He is saying spiritually.

What is being said in Isaiah 55, when the mountains and hills are said to break forth into singing, and the trees of the field clap their hands?

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One of the most devastating mistakes people make when seeking to know God through His Word is taking every passage, which can be literally interpreted and applying only literal interpretation to it. The spiritual man learns to literally interpret the true spiritual meaning of the passage through the figurative language of the Holy Spirit. Often there is both a literal meaning and a spiritual meaning. Much prophecy has had a literal, historical fulfillment and a greater spiritual implication. One might think of this as a railroad with two tracks running side-by-side. One track is the literal meaning of the passage; the other track is the spiritual. Many Old Testament terms and passages have a very literal, natural meaning, and may also have a vital spiritual meaning to New Testament believers about the “kingdom of God”. Many Old Testament events were recorded as examples to us.  

1 Corinthians 10:11:  Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.  

Natural Israel And Spiritual Israel

The nation Israel is extremely significant as God’s chosen people. It was through this nation and the Jewish people that the Son of God came and the Bible was written. The many prophetic writings and historical events of Israel all have spiritual meaning to the church. God has chosen Israel and its ruling city, Jerusalem, as a living message to the world. God’s dealings with natural Israel and natural Jerusalem become spiritual messages to spiritual Israel and spiritual Jerusalem. The spiritual kingdom, the Israel of God, is a new people, a spiritual people to whom origin of nationality, race, color, social cast, or political standing is of little or no significance. It is a kingdom in which all are adopted by the heavenly Father and become true brothers and sisters.  

Galatians 3:7,14b, 29: Therefore know that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham ... that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. 

Galatians 6:15-16: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy upon them, upon the Israel of God.

Spiritual Jerusalem or New Jerusalem is the ruling city of spiritual Israel just as natural Jerusalem or old Jerusalem was the ruling city of natural Israel. As old Jerusalem was the natural figurative mother, that birthed the kingdom into the earth, so now the New Jerusalem is the spiritual mother, the wife of God, the Bride of Christ that is birthing the spiritual kingdom of God into our world. The New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ, the holy, purified, overcoming portion of the church.  

Revelation 21:9-11: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come,  I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 

Revelation 21:2: Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband. 

Galatians 4:25b, 26: Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 

Revelation 19:7-8:  “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”  

New Jerusalem is now coming down from the spirit realm and is now beginning to be formed on the earth. It is the Bride Church, the holy, purified, kingdom people of God. Just as it is possible for a person to be in the nation of Israel, but not in the city of Jerusalem, it is also possible to be in the church, but not yet in New Jerusalem. Not everyone in the country of Israel is in the city of Jerusalem. Neither has everyone in the church become the purified, holy Bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem. 

In the beautiful, illustrative, figurative language of God, which is characteristically used by the Holy Spirit to communicate spiritual truths to mankind, God describes the kingdom of God lifestyle in the picture of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 & 22:1-5. 

In the New Jerusalem lifestyle, we continuously live in the presence of God as the tabernacle of God is with men. The glory and light of God fills our lives. Pain and sorrow are gone as God wipes away our tears. No more death as eternal, abundant life prevails; we pass from life to life. Righteousness and holiness prevail in our lives as pure gold and clear crystal. There is no night; there are no dark, threatening seasons. There is no more curse. We are under the dome of His protection, and there is perfect peace. We serve Him and rule over the circumstances of life.  

Isaiah 62:5b, 12:  “...and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.”

In Isaiah chapter 60, Isaiah begins to picture and describe the glory and prosperity of  “The City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel”.  (v. 14)
 

THE KING-DOME  

Let me share an illustration that helps me understand the concept of the spiritual city of New Jerusalem. Imagine a giant, glass dome filled with the glorious presence and light of God. Inside this huge, spiritual dome everything is as it should be. Everything is in perfect obedience to God’s laws, and nothing that defiles can enter in. The environment is perfectly controlled like a greenhouse. Those who overcome enter and abide inside the dome where they enjoy all the victorious aspects and attributes of New Jerusalem. The enemy has no part and can do no harm inside the dome. 

The bright light inside the dome flows out to the countryside in a large circle around the dome. Everywhere the light reaches, the darkness must flee and cannot return unless the light is lessened or drawn back.

People who sit in darkness may see the light from a distance and begin to move toward it. At the point where they actually leave the darkness and enter the light, they have entered the Israel of God, but have not yet reached and entered Jerusalem, the city of God. They have come out of darkness into the light and must continue to journey to the dome. Their goal is to enter the king-dome, the New Jerusalem-purified-holy-Bride-of-Christ lifestyle.  

Matthew 4:16: The people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned. 

Hebrews 12:22: But we have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born...”  

We must, through a purifying growth process, come to maturity and walk into the New Jerusalem lifestyle. Many people in the church are now beginning to see the kingdom lifestyle and are moving toward the Holy City. 

Just as it is possible to be in the nation but not in the ruling city, it is possible to be in the outer court of the tabernacle but not in the holy place. Many have entered the tabernacle into the outer court, but now must be purified to enter the holy place. The presence of God is in the holy place; all the promises of New Jerusalem are in the holy place. We must come in the gate and partake of the brazen altar, the blood sacrifice for our sins, the atoning blood of Jesus. Next, we must be washed by the water at the brazen laver in preparation for entering the holy place. We must journey on to the candlesticks of the Holy Spirit ministry and on to the showbread being broken before arriving at the altar of incense and the Holy of Holies, the intimate communion with God (the king-dome).

Walking in the kingdom of God lifestyle is all about intimate relationship with God. It is becoming one with God through Christ by the Holy Spirit. It is the five virgins with oil in their lamps entering into the wedding with Christ the Bridegroom. Holiness is produced by the indwelling Christ living in us by the Holy Spirit. It is the mystery Paul spoke of as "Christ in you the hope of glory".

Psalm 15: Lord, who will abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart....

Hebrews 12:28: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

http://archive.openheaven.com/ - - http://archive.openheaven.com
mailto:basileia@earthlink.net -  

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