CHURCH IN THE KINGDOM AGE
Ron McGatlin, Coordinator, Openheaven.com IRN
Published in “Contemporary Practice” www.GlobalMissiology.org Jan. 2009
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The greatest and most
glorious expression of church is the soon coming Bride of Christ, New
Jerusalem, kingdom age church. The major shift from the "church or man
emphasis age church" to the "kingdom or God emphasis age church"
is perhaps the most exciting event since Pentecost The outpourings of the
Spirit that brought the Pentecostal revival of a century ago and the renewal
revival of a decade ago have reset the stage. The ingredients are now in place
for the spiritual events that were planned and begun 2000 years ago.
....I bow my knees to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Eph
3:14-15
The Bride church of New Jerusalem as described in Revelation 21 is a
clear picture of the purified holy church of the kingdom of God age. The
patterns and focus of the Bride church are heavenly. The focus of the
"church age" church has been meeting the needs of man beginning with
his salvation or redemption from sin. The focus of the "kingdom age"
church is the glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
There are many aspects of the kingdom of God and all of the parts are necessary
to make up the whole. There are two basic aspects to consider, Heaven and Earth
or God and man. The kingdom that Jesus preached and taught is from heaven and for earth. His kingdom is not from earth but it is for earth. It is the kingdom of
heaven come to earth. Therefore there is a heavenly side and an earthly side to
the kingdom of God. The kingdom is of
and from God; it is in
and through man by the Holy Spirit.
Focus on the heavenly family.
The self nature of man has perverted the primary focus of the work of many
churches and ministries in the past. Christian institutions have catered to the
needs and desires of man creating a primary focus first on self and secondly on
earthly family. Certainly the provision and well being of ourselves and our
families is an important aspect of the kingdom of God. Truly God's desire is
that earthly families reflect an image of our heavenly or spiritual family.
However, having made our self and our family or even our church family the
primary focus has robbed us of the reality of the fullness of our heavenly family.
A major principle of the kingdom is that seeking first (primarily focusing on)
the kingdom of God causes all the other earthly things to be added in order.
Focusing first on ourselves, and our natural or church families can actually
prevent the provision of the very things we are seeking. First things must be
first in the kingdom.
Mat 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of G od and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 18:29-30: So He said to 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."
The first focus of selfish life is myself
and just next to that is mine.
My family, my friends, my stuff, my reputation, and so on.
Catering to the desires of self in people is eroding the crumbling
institutional church as individual lives corrupt and families fall apart. An
intense focus on correcting the symptoms and fixing the problems through
training by psychological and intellectual methods may have provided some
surface healing of the problems but has totally failed to cure the problems and
bring forth the kingdom of God lifestyle.
The kingdom of God church reality must
be revealed in our spirits.
The kingdom church is a spiritual
reality. It is the FAMILY OF GOD. The FATHER and the SON from heaven on earth
indwelling the many sons of the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
Our first kingdom priority is our
spiritual family relationship with FATHER who is above all and His only
begotten SON who is King of earth and Heir to the throne of heaven with the
many sons who are joint heirs. Sons who are born
spiritually by the Holy Spirit into Christ are sons with Him. As they live and
walk in the Holy Spirit as mature sons they experience the fullness of the
kingdom as heirs with Christ.
Rom 8:13-17: For if you live according to
the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you
put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by
the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but
you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that
we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, if
indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (The
Greek word translated adoption above is: huiothesia:G5206 - sonship or the
placing as a son)
One of the characteristics of a natural blood line family is something called
DNA. There is a spiritual equivalent to DNA. Birthed by the Spirit of God into
Christ and receiving the Spirit of Christ, implants the family line spiritual
DNA of God which transforms our spiritual DNA to the family blood line of God
by the Spirit of adoption. By the Holy Spirit, the very life of Christ carrying
the spiritual DNA of Father abides within true sons. Only by the Spirit can we
relate to our spiritual family in heaven and earth.
The kingdom age order of church is
"spiritual family" relationships.
Kingdom church gatherings are spiritual meetings of the HEAVENLY FAMILY IN THE
HOLY SPIRIT. Not just natural family and not just church family - HEAVENLY
FAMILY IN THE SPIRIT. Our gatherings in the kingdom church age are a coming
together with God our Father and Jesus our mediator and with holy angels and
spirits of mature just men (sons).
Heb 12:22-24: But you 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
firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits
of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the
blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
In a gathering including God the judge of all and Jesus the Mediator of the
new covenant, who among you is willing to stand and take charge of the meeting?
We all will want to know the Holy Spirit is moving in us and directing us
before we speak. Every word not spoken by the Spirit is an idle word and is of
no value in the kingdom family assembly. Also who is ready to resist and not
move or speak when and as the Spirit directs.
Heb 12:25-26: See that you do not refuse
Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth,
much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet
once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."
People walking in the flesh who are by nature carnal minded cannot possibly
relate in heavenly family gatherings. They can relate to natural family and man
focused "church" gatherings but not to spiritual family gatherings.
Religious institutions that are focused on the natural can grow rapidly by
feeding the needs of carnal Christians and by employing intellectual wisdom and
psychological adjustments toward lessening the symptoms and coping with the
problems generated by self focused living. These works can never solve the deep
problems generated by a lack of intimate relationship with God through Jesus by
the Holy Spirit. It is only by the Holy Spirit that the word can become alive
and powerful in changing lives and eventually the world.
This pattern is very different from most of our past experiences. This indeed
is one of the major changes and paradigm shifts that we have heard was coming
and didn't know what it was. Now it is coming clearly into view. It is one
major step in regaining our destiny as a people of God and as a nation.
In America the destiny of God has again been delayed by another generation that
has been overtaken with self and religion. The Holy Spirit is again seeking to
bring forth a new generation of young and old, rich and poor, male and female,
and of every race who will regain the passion of the destiny of the kingdom of God from heaven coming forth in our nation and across the world. The shaking and
crumbling of life and religion as we have known them are just part of the great
change God is bringing through Jesus in His maturing sons by the Holy Spirit. Yet once more God is reaching for a people of passion
who will receive the kingdom of God.
Heb 12:27-13:1: Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of
those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things
which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom
which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly
love continue.
Pursue Love, It Never Fails,
Posted
by permission from http://www.openheaven.com .