1. Kingdom or Religion - A Serious Need

By Ron McGatlin

A serious need is developing among many sincere Christian believers. This is a serious development that is seeking to weaken the strength of kingdom disciples and restrain the growth of kingdom reality in our world. In human understanding truth severely out of balance becomes a partial truth that is a diversion at best and destructive or even a deadly error at worst. I feel the Holy Spirit is voicing a plea for God’s people to re-center their focus upon Christ Jesus the Lord/King and His message to the world, the gospel of the kingdom.

The focus of personal redemption and assurance of heaven after death as the end or goal of the work of Christ Jesus has recently moved a step further that is taking some believers over the edge of a cliff falling into an ocean of delusion. With this focus the value of a holy life experience is minimized if not totally lost.

The value of a holy life is the ability to become the building blocks for the kingdom of God on earth.

The world groans waiting to be set free and restored to its original design aligned with the rule of God from heaven. Focusing on the kingdom coming forth by the power of the sinless life of Christ Jesus in us keeps us on solid ground of truly holy living. This keeps us far from the cliff’s edge of regarding our continued disobedience and sensual living as holy in God’s kingdom. Believing a sinful life is equally as productive as the holy life of Christ truly living in us is delusion and will not build the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

The kingdom of God is much more than Christian religion.

Unity comes by God’s kingdom reality and cannot come through religion.

Oneness with God and with one another is possible only as we lift our eyes upward toward the kingdom of God and away from our religious views based upon anything other than Christ Jesus and His very present kingdom from heaven on earth.

In a very real way, focusing on Christ Jesus and the heavenly kingdom manifesting on earth lifts our minds and hearts above our earthly differences. We should set our affection on things above not on things on the earth; our minds are to be set on the things above, spiritual things and not earthly things (Col 3:2).

The kingdom from heaven is established on earth by Christ Jesus abiding in those who abide in Him and are seated with Him at the throne of God in heaven (Eph 2:6). This is a spiritual work taking place in the spiritual realm in and by the Spirit of God.

The manifestation of what is done in the spiritual realm coming forth in the natural earthly realm is the manifest kingdom of God in the sons of God on earth. The manifest sons are those in whom Christ is appearing or manifesting into the natural world.

The manifestation of Christ in His Body and Bride on earth is a presentation of Christ in us carrying out the will of our Father, establishing His rule in our lives and then through us into the world. It is the kingdom rule of God on earth. This is all done apart from sin and full of His glory.

Reconciled by His Death – Saved by His Life

Rom 5:10: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Note that after having been reconciled “we shall be saved by his life.”

In the passing church emphasis age, much church doctrine saw salvation as being for the primary purpose of going to heaven after we died and not much more.

As God is in these days uncovering the revelation of the kingdom, much more light is shed on the reality of the salvation of our lives now in this world.

The distinction between being reconciled to God by the death of Christ and our lives now being saved by His life in us is being brought to light.

In the past I personally had wondered about this verse thinking that it spoke of His life on earth in His incarnate body. It did not make sense to me how He could save us by His life back then. Were we not saved by His death, was my thinking. I was focused on saved as meaning to go to heaven after death. The revelation of Christ in us and our being as crucified with Christ and the life that we live now being the life of Christ in us opened the truth of our lives now on earth being saved by His life being lived in us.

Our sin was reconciled at the cross of the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who came from heaven to give His life as a ransom for many. Being reconciled, all who believe will turn to Him, give their lives to Him, and are spiritually reconnected to God from which we came. Having been reconciled in Spirit we are heavenly spirit beings seated with Christ at the right hand of God in the kingdom of Heaven.

After being reconciled, we are yet in need of true biblical salvation of our souls (minds, wills, and emotions) and our bodies which are yet here on earth.

The word translated “salvation” in the New Testament is “sôtḗrion” and comes from the root word “Sozo” often translated as “saved” and means delivered out of danger to safety, deliverance from the power of sin to safety, healing, or made well or restored.

True biblical salvation (sozo) has to do with our being transfigured by the Spirit of Christ Jesus abiding in us transfiguring our natural earthly souls and bodies into the Body of Christ. The kingdom is not about going to heaven when we die, though we thank God for the believers’ assurance of that. The kingdom of God on earth is about heaven coming to earth. All that has been damaged or perverted through our sin heritage and ungodly experience is being healed or made well. Biblical salvation (sozo) is all the purity, righteousness, love, power, and wisdom that the enemy has stolen from us being restored in this life.

Heb 9:28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Our lives on earth are being saved, made whole, for His purposes on earth. We have a work to be done by His power working through us. His grace empowerment of supernatural love, power, and wisdom in Christ in us are the agents of kingdom change in this world. It is the work of Christ Jesus carried out by the grace of God that brings righteousness, peace, and joy to a lost and suffering world. Sons transfigured by Christ will transform the world by and for the GLORY OF GOD.

The Grace Work of Kingdom Restoration

The gospel of the kingdom, the good news that Christ Jesus proclaimed while on earth in His incarnate body is the same good news that He is now proclaiming while in His Body and Bride on earth now in the Holy Spirit. King Jesus, when He bodily returns will receive His glorified Bride in the kingdom of heaven on earth that He has established in and through His transfigured mature Sons of God.

As Christ Jesus endured His cross for the glory that was set before Him, let us each now willingly take up our cross and pass through the great travail of a world being cleansed and changed for the glory set before us now. Let us fully live by the SPIRIT and walk continually in the SPIRIT and thereby know life without the lusts of the flesh and the pride of this life, filled with His life and love, moving only as He moves, and doing only that which He is doing. The entire world is the field of His realistic dreams that govern the world as the kingdom of our ONE GOD - FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. Amen and Amen!

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit - Rom 5:25.

Live in the Spirit, Walk in the Spirit,

Ron McGatlin

archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

2. Transfiguration

By Amanda Leonard

I see heaven colliding with earth.  I see people in a fluid filled sac that is getting ready to erupt at a point of contact.   The point of contact is heaven colliding with earth, His love is crashing over the world.  He is bringing forth change and His ocean is about to wreck the earth.  I see people coming out from this fluid filled sac and they hit the ground running, they are running to the lost, the hurting, the broken and shining the light, love and glory of the Father.  His love poured as the sac oozed from the rupture.   I hear the word alignment.  God is aligning everything that has been out of line, displaced, unnecessary, unlove and He is throwing it out to make room for the new, this new ‘baby’ that is coming!

The Lord over the past three weeks has been showing me things that are taking place in the Spirit.  He has been doing this in unusual ways for me.  For these past weeks, I’ve been doing what some would call ‘crunching’.  This is happening everywhere.  I will be walking down the hallway at work and *BAM* I’m crunched over at the waist.  Every time this was happening I was feeling an awesome Presence of God, waves of His glory.  So I asked the Lord what He was doing with me.  I didn’t understand.  I heard Him clearly say, “You are having contractions, this ‘baby’ is coming! This crunching will become more intense when it gets closer to time, almost violent.”

Matthew 11:12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

I began to inquire of the Lord what this ‘baby’s’ name would be and its function.  Immediately after asking Him, I heard Him say……TRANSFIGURATION.  He began to recall to my mind Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration and the glory that He beheld, the unveiling of the His realm.

I’m quoting this from a website “All About Jesus Christ” which says, “The word "transfigured" is a very interesting word. The Greek word is "metamorpho" and it means to transform, literally or figuratively to metamorphose, or to change. The word is a verb that means to change into another form. It also means to change the outside to match the inside. The prefix "meta" means to change and the "morphe" means form. In the case of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ it means to match the outside with the reality of the inside. To change the outward so that it matches the inward reality. Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" (Hebrews 10:20) in human form and the transfiguration was a glimpse of that glory. Therefore, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ displayed the Shekinah glory of God incarnate in the Son.”

I began to see people with shining faces.   I saw people from Asia that I was praying over and as I would touch their face, their faces would shine with the glory of God.  God was transforming His children all over the world by His Presence which dwelt among us.  So right after I heard the Lord say, “TRANSFIGURATION”, I read this in a book by Frank Bartleman called, “Azusa Street: How Pentecost Came to Los Angeles and this is what I read…….

“One evening, July 3, I felt strongly impressed to go to the little Peniel Hall in Pasadena to pray.  There I found Brother Boehmer ahead of me.  He had also been led of God to the hall.  We prayed for a spirit of revival for Pasadena until the burden became well-nigh unbearable.  I cried out like a woman in birth-pangs.  The Spirit was interceding through us.  Finally the burden left us.  After a little time of quiet waiting a great calm settled down upon us.  Then suddenly, without premonition, the Lord Jesus himself revealed himself to us.  He seemed to stand directly between us, so close we could have reached out our hand and touched him.  But we did not dare to move.  I could not even look.  In fact I seemed all spirit.  His presence seemed more real, if possible, than if I could have seen and touched Him naturally.  I forgot I had eyes or ears.  My spirit recognized Him.  A heaven of divine love filled and thrilled by soul.  Burning fire went through me.  In fact my whole being seemed to flow down before Him, like wax before the fire.  I lost all consciousness of time and space, being conscious only of His wonderful presence.  I worshipped at His feet.  It seemed a veritable ‘mount of transfiguration.’  I was lost in the pure Spirit.”

After reading this I could hardly go back to working at my job.  I knew what the Lord was showing me and telling me through this.  His Presence is coming in such a way that we will be completely transformed, transfigured!  It’s all for the glory of God, to reveal Himself to the world.  The next exciting thing that I heard the Lord say was, “This ‘baby’ is coming in June!”  Right now the Lord is aligning everything up in us, His children, to birth the manifestation of His Kingdom on earth; His love flowing unconditionally through every child of God, coming together as one in the Spirit.  HO!

Within these three weeks I also saw a vision while on my way to work.  I was born in the 80’s and we had this cartoon called, “Captain Planet and Planteers” yes, I had to Google it J; it’s been a long time ago.  What I heard and saw was people who were in a circle facing out, I saw our band Miracle Made but I also know this doesn’t just apply to our band, and the Planeteers in the cartoon had these rings and they would say, WIND, FIRE, WATER, EARTH….LET OUR POWERS COMBINE and they would save the world.   Well, this is what I saw, I saw people that were saying, SPIRIT, FIRE, ROCK, AND LOVE, LET OUR POWERS COMBINE.  I saw in the middle was this power source; it was this sac that I was seeing, except it was glowing.  I knew that this power source was HIM; it was Jesus and His love!  As we combined together, with Him being our source, His glory penetrated to the ends of the earth! 

1 Corinthians13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE. 

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’

As we see Jesus face to face now, not in heaven someday but now, we will be transformed by His glory.  This ‘baby’ is coming…..men this word is for you too.  As it is in the natural, the birthing process is painful and intense but the glory that you behold in the end is all worth it!!!! Being transfigured into the image of His Son is so worth the being aligned, the discomfort, the waiting.  Wait upon the Lord, He has perfect timing.  Also like a natural birth, too early or too late can cause problems and complications…..so do not try to do this within yourself says the Lord, I WILL birth this within you, this TRANSFIGURATION is coming!  Hallelujah!

Amanda Leonard

TimeinHisPresence

3. News of God's Kingdom on Earth 

Liberty From Sin, Not Liberty to Sin - 4/2/2013
Jesus came to set us free! This is one of the fundamental truths of the gospel. We have been released from serving God through an external legal system “so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code”. We have been delivered from slavery to Satan and the fear of death We have been set free from condemnation and guilt. More>


Arthur Blessitt Carries His Cross to Loveland Easter Service - 4/2/2013
Wiggins invited the 72-year-old evangelist—a Guinness World Record holder for the longest walk—and his wooden cross to Easter services, at Resurrection Fellowship in Loveland, Colo. Blessitt has carried the cross for 40-plus years, racking up 40,200 miles, a record 80 million steps, and to every nation on earth—321 countries, islands and territories. More>


News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide - 3/30/2013
Most Brits believe in the power of prayer - TV series gets audience of biblical proportions in US - 50,000 postcards invite cinemagoers to explore Christian faith - Hungary: Massive exodus of street children into Western Europe - Afghanistan: British serving personnel in Camp Bastion - NIGERIA: Boko Haram infiltrates security agencies - Much More>


The Transforming Power of Water and the Word - High Impact Mission Trips: Saving Lives and Changing Destinies - 3/30/2013
There has been an explosion of short-term mission trips in recent years. A number of students who have gone on mission trips have changed their majors, others have sensed a call to go into full-time ministry or mission work in a developing country. Many believe that revival and spiritual awakening are also real possibilities for the Western World and North America. More>


Texas Cheerleaders Fight to Promote God's Word - 3/30/2013
Cheerleaders at an east Texas high school are defending the right to display Bible verses at football games. Their bold stand has earned national attention and placed them in the middle of a heated free speech battle. In this small town of Kountze there is overwhelming support for the cheerleaders who simply believe if God is for them, no one can be against them. More>


12-year-old girl rescued by a Christian Organization in India from the clutches of her perpetrators who were selling off her virginity - 3/30/2013
The Indian Rescue Mission, a Christian organization that rescues young girls sold, trafficked and forced into prostitution, rescued a 12-year-old girl from being sold off for her virginity in Mumbai, India. “Our team set a trap on this trafficker and her sister to rescue the girl. as the transaction was made, the police raided the place and rescued the young girl.” More> 


Saudi Arabia declares destruction of all churches in region - 4/2/2013
"The top Islamic official in Saudi Arabia--has declared that it is necessary to destroy all the churches. All citizens must adhere to Islam, and conversion to another religion is punishable by death. Public Christian worship is forbidden; worshipers risk imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and torture. Evangelizing Muslims and distributing non-Islamic materials is illegal.... More>


ComunicadoresUSA: Empowering Hispanic Media - 4/2/2013
Hispanics are not only the largest minority group in the United States, their evangelical churches are a growing force in our nation, both in numbers and influence. "Hispanic media is also in a growth cycle. Christians own Spanish-language radio stations and television channels in major cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. Hispanic churches produce programs." More>


News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide - 4/4/2013
Vicar raises £10,000 by giving £550 - Thank you for our children! - Teachers attack ‘re-branded’ sexism - Scottish Minister condemns £1.6 million grant to homosexual group - Six European member states launch joint action against Google - North Korea: New strategic line - Syria: A report from Aleppo - China: Armed raid on Christians - Much More>

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