The 1st Century Pattern

THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH

BY LARRY KREIDER

One day in 1978, during a time of prayer, I was startled when I heard the Lord speak to me through His still, small voice. "Are you willing to be involved in the underground church?" He asked. The words that I heard in my spirit were piercing and distinct. When the Lord spoke to me, although the words were clear, I didn't understand what He was trying to tell me. 

My mind raced immediately to the Berlin Wall and the barbed wire fences that, at the time, surrounded the borders of many communist nations. I thought of the persecu ted church meeting underground in nations that opposed the gospel. 

"Yes, Lord," I replied as tears formed in my eyes. "I am willing." I chose to obey, even though I didn't understand what it all meant. I was hearing the call of God--what would become a life call for me. 

Soon after the Lord spoke to me I asked two men to join me every week for prayer, Bible study, encouragement, and mutual accountability. Within the next few years this "house fellowship" grew, and we star ted to reach out to new believers. Soon our living room was filled to capacity. 

I slowly began to understand what the Lord had in mind when He asked me if I was willing to be involved in the underground church. An underground church is like a tree: its trunk, branches, and leaves are only half of the picture. The unnoticed half, the underground root system, nourishes the whole tree and keeps it healthy. Without the roots of the home church, the underground root system, the visible community and mega-churches will suffer. 

"The underground church" the Lord spoke of was believers gathered together through a structure of home groups meeting to pray, evangelize, and build relationships with one another. It was identical to the model we see in the book of Acts, when Paul the apostle taught them both publicly and from house to house (Acts 20:20). 

We came to call our new church DOVE Christian Fellowship and met in three small home groups during the week. By the grace of God, during the next ten years our church grew to well over 2,000 believers scattered throughout our communities and meeting on Sunday mornings and from house to house each week. We had embraced a new wineskin, an underground church, and the Lord had grown us from a small fellowship of young believers into a church-planting movement. 

The Lord eventually led us to decentralize our one large small-group-based church in Pennsylvania into eight self-governed, small-group-based churches. We then began to help people start new churches in six continents of the world. 

As we continue to reach those who do not yet trust Jesus, many new kinds of churches are needed. There is room for traditional community churches and mega-churches to coexist and network with the newer house churches--and God blesses all three!

As God continues to build His underground church among us, both new small groups in our churches and new house churches in our communities are needed. I leave you with this final question: "Are you willing to listen to the voice of God and be involved in His underground church?" 

Larry Kreider is the founder and international director of DOVE Christian Fellowship International, a family of churches established on six continents. 

As an author of more than 25 books and a speaker at conferences and churches, he travels extensively, training Christian leaders and believers in practical Christian living. Larry and his wife, LaVerne, live in Lititz , Pennsylvania . They have four children and three grandchildren.

What worldview do you have?

Kingdom Worldview

By Ron McGatlin

What we the people believe about the kingdom of God can change the world.

Our personal view of God and His kingdom is foundational to our view of life and has a great affect on our life now and in the future. Our worldview is derived from our view of God and His kingdom and has a small affect on the future of the world. The worldview of multitudes of people in many nations has a significant affect on the condition of the world now and its future.

Most people are not aware of the powerful affect of their collective view of God and the world. Some do not even know that they have a worldview. What the people within a nation or tribe believe will affect the destiny of that nation and how that nation affects the world.

Primitive tribes of the past derived their worldviews from stories told by chiefs or elders passed down through the generations. Today the worldview of the masses generally comes from several primary sources of which media is currently the most powerful. Modern television is chief among the media and together with movies, internet, books, magazines, radio, and other media sources, they outweigh all other sources in affecting the thinking and the worldview of the masses.

Education is a close second and perhaps more foundational in that education molds the minds of young people who will become the producers of media materials and programs. Especially higher education has a dramatic affect on future leaders in western nations and can greatly alter the worldview of a nation.

Among Christians theology has a major affect on their worldview. Theologians attempt to determine a biblical worldview and teach it through seminaries and bible colleges to pastors or priests and teachers who through preaching and teaching in churches and church schools pass the worldview down to the people. Other religions plant their worldview in the people through the same or similar methods.

There are many worldviews and multitudes of variations as people add their own observations from their life environment into the prevailing worldview of their culture. More than one worldview is perceived as the biblical view.

Jesus Christ presented only one all-encompassing worldview, the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

People are only beginning to realize the degree of dominion and potency delegated to mankind for ruling the world systems and affecting the planet. 

Mankind is not at the mercy of “mother nature” or any other aspect of the world. On the contrary, the world systems and Planet Earth are at the mercy of mankind. The collective effect of multitudes of people living their lives according to the ways of the Babylonian kingdom of darkness is great disorder and stress on all the systems of man and earth. Left unchanged this could eventually lead to total destruction. In contrast, the collective effect of multitudes of people with a kingdom of God worldview living their lives according to the ways of the New Jerusalem kingdom of God will be great peace, godly order, and prosperity for mankind and the planet.

We have a job to do.

People of God, it is not time to draw back nor to be downcast. We are entering a most victorious season on earth a season in which cleansing is coming to the earth through judgment and a season in which the mercy and grace of God’s love will cause the righteous, mature sons to shine forth as the sun (Matthew 13:40-43).

The focus of Christians has been so greatly diverted by eschatology toward events in the future that many have missed and are yet missing the awesome potential of God’s provision for today. We are now living in the “end of the age.” This is the time looked forward to by the writers of the New Testament. Things are coming into place for God to restore His ways to our world. Many individuals are bringing forth the kingdom of God on earth in their own lives and families. Some are doing it without realizing what they are actually doing. Enlightenment and understanding of the kingdom will move our focus from “future end-time theology” to Christ in us overcoming the kingdom of darkness and bringing forth the kingdom of God now on our planet.

Like me, you may have been taught one or more of the many views of eschatology and a worldview other than the kingdom of God. The enemy working through religion has veiled the real kingdom of God from us for too long. The light of the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached is again shining through, and pure hearts are being given ears to hear and eyes to see God’s plan and provision for His people and the world. We need to take a fresh look at what the Bible says about the His people and His kingdom rule on earth. 

We must begin with the firm realization that the kingdom of God is now, always was, and forever shall be.

We must also fully recognize that Jesus has completely and forever defeated the devil and given authority to believers in His name over all the power of the enemy.

There is no more for Jesus to do apart from fully abiding in and working through His people to establish His kingdom over the kingdom of darkness on earth. He does not need to return bodily to defeat the enemy and set His people free from the devil’s bondage. Neither has He surrendered this planet or His people to the devil. He does not need to plan another rescue attempt for His children. Jesus has already defeated the enemy and gained the victory and now lives in His people as the Victor. He waits only for us to stop listening to the deception of the devil and begin to hear and believe the good news of the sovereign “ruler/dominion” (kingdom) of God in us. 

Rather than speculate and debate about what prophetic event happens next, we need to realize and use all that we already have. The urgent matter is not when or exactly how the next theological event will occur. The most important thing by far is that we get a real kingdom of God worldview beginning with who Jesus is and who we are in Him.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TELL US ABOUT WHO WE ARE IN HIM?

I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS! 

2 Corinthians 5:21:For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

I’M BLESSED WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN HEAVENLY PLACES! 

Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 

AS JESUS CHRIST IS IN THE WORLD SO AM I! 

I John 4:17b: as He is so are we in the world. 

I’M BORN AGAIN BY THE WORD OF GOD! 

1 Peter 1:23: ...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. 

I’M REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD! 

Ephesians 1:7: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. 

I AM COMPLETE IN JESUS! 

Colossians 2:9-10: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power. 

MY SINS ARE NAILED TO THE CROSS! 

Colossians 2:14b: And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 

I’M SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE! 

Ephesians 1:13b: in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. 

I RULE AND REIGN IN THE NAME OF JESUS! 

Romans 5:17b: those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One Jesus Christ. 

I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! 

Romans 8:37: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us. 

I TAKE DOMINION! 

Genesis 1:28: Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion” 

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME! 

Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. 

I AM STRENGTHENED IN ALL MIGHT BY HIS GLORIOUS POWER! 

Colossians 1:9b-10a: being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to His glorious power...

ALL THINGS ARE UNDER THE FEET OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! HE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO BE THE HEAD OF ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH!

Ephesians 1:22-23: And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all. 

MY WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY IN GOD, TO THE TEARING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, SPECULATIONS, EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD! I BRING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST! 

2 Corinthians 10:4-5: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY APPEARED FOR THIS REASON, TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE ENEMY! 

1John 3:8b: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 

HE DISARMED HIM, MADE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF HIM! 

Colossians 2:15: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it. 

HE HAS GIVEN ME AUTHORITY, WITH THE WORD AND IN HIS NAME TO HAVE POWER OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY! 

Ephesians 1:19, 3:20b, 6:10: and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, according to the power that works in us, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Philippians 2:10: ... that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...

Colossians 2:9-10: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power.”

Hebrews 4:12a: For the word of God is living and powerful...

Luke 10:19a: Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy... 

I ALWAYS TRIUMPH IN JESUS’ NAME! 

2 Corinthians 2:14a: Now thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumph in Christ... 

HIS WORD NEVER RETURNS VOID! 

Isaiah 55:11: So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

I COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE THRONE OF GRACE! I RECEIVE MERCY AND GRACE! 

Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

IN THE NAME OF JESUS I COMMAND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS! 

Mark 16:17a: And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons...

What I bind on earth is bound from heaven, and what I loose on earth is loosed from heaven (Matthew 16:19, 18:18).

If any two agree on earth, they will have what they ask (Matthew 18:19).

If I believe in my heart when I pray and doubt not, I shall have what I say (Mark 11:24).

All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23).

If I abide in Him, I ask what I will, and it shall be done (John 15:7).

I receive the finished work of the cross, proclaim liberty and freedom, and speak peace. God, help me to realize my potential and to be who I am in Christ NOW.

These attributes are promised in the Word of God. If you are not experiencing them in your life pray in faith and ask God to make them real in your life. Believe you receive them when you pray and you will have them (Mark 11:24).

If you have difficulty believing them in your heart, begin speaking them out loud repeatedly. The Holy Spirit will help you and you will find that your heart will begin to believe the truth that you are speaking and eventually you will have what you say (Mark 11:23).

With the heart we believe unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10). It will greatly benefit our life to plant these truths of the Word in our heart

For more on Kingdom Worldview see Kingdom Growth Guide (#014) http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=11398&a mp;PN=1

Keep on pursuing love. It never fails

and His kingdom never ends.

Ron McGatlin

www.openheaven.com 

basileia@earthlink.net

God's Presence

The Wonder of God’s Presence

by Marc Dupont

Two weekends ago I ministered in a very well known renewal church in the southern part of the US. The building was big and beautiful and the worship was both passionate and, from a technical standpoint, excellent. We experienced authentic moves of the Holy Spirit during both the worship and the ministry times. The pastor informed me several days later they would be videoing several people who experienced significant healings.

Tonight, I have just returned from a welfare type of hotel in an inner city where we had a church service. The city has suffered financial downsizing, decay, and unemployment over the last several years. Two weekends ago I was with hundreds of mainly middle class people who passionately love God and have experienced Gods grace in a myriad of ways. Tonight there were less than fifty people, the majority of whom struggled with very serious issues ranging from severe health problems to poverty level incomes to substance addictions. Instead of a large very accomplished worship team of professional ability tonight the worship was led by an acoustic guitar player who along with a lone female accompanist struggled to maintain the group’s enthusiasm. Except for a couple of the faster songs there was little visible passion in worship and the atmosphere seemed so lackluster in comparison.

However, (and this is a huge however) the Spirit of the Living God showed up tonight just as He had two weeks ago. And although things seemed so different outwardly (with both the building and the people) God was attracted to the worship of the people tonight just as He was two weeks ago. And He performed several healings including an amazing one of a woman who has barely been able to walk for over 10 years. She testified that often when she walked the pain had been excruciating in her legs and back. As well, when she walked she constantly had to look down at her feet because she had lost all sense of feel and could not tell what was happening without watching her feet. All that changed in just a few moments of prayer. She walked for the first time in over 10 years with no pain and with complete feeling restored to her feet. She walked and walked through out the room in amazement.

The faith level and the praises dramatically escalated as people realized what God had just done for her- most of the small church knew her well. At that moment no one, myself included, would have rather been anywhere else in the world than there- where the Holy Spirit was touching lives and giving beauty for ashes and praise replacing strongholds of discouragement (Isaiah 61.3).

I have felt for years that the most under utilized resource in the contemporary church is the Person of the Holy Spirit. By that I do not simply mean that the spiritual gifts are not appreciated and sought after by many. Rather that the awesomeness of who God is and His transforming Presence are too often neither very appreciated or hungered after. Usually the Holy Spirit is simply viewed as the messenger and/or the deliveryman of God. While it is true He does disclose to us the things of Jesus the greater truth is that He is the Presence of God Almighty in our very lives and our very midst as we gather in Jesus’ Name. He is the Immanuel- God with us! And when He shows up with just a bit of His manifest glory it doesn’t matter whether one is in a hot and dilapidated inner city hotel, or a big, beautiful, modern, air conditioned church building, or even a stable. It’s the only place you really want to be- simply because the wonder of Gods Presence changes everything.

For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Psalm 36.9

Marc Dupont

mopm@earthlink.net 

www.marcdupontministries.org

Church or Kingdom?

Church or Kingdom, Earth or Heaven? Where do you live? 

[An appeal to discover our true citizenship and the fullness of God's purpose in our lives.]

By Greg Austin

As followers of Christ, our continual call is upward. The directive come up here in Revelation 4 is the recurrent appeal of heaven. The direction of Gods intent for our lives is always above what we have known and where we have trod. Yet the upward direction, the above life may not be up in any physical sense. Up in the realm of the Spirit may well be in or it may merely be an awareness, a discernment of something unseen yet authentic.

A dictionary description of the word up yields in part, with greater intensity, in or into a better or more advanced state; into evidence, prominence, or prevalence, and into operation or practical form; into possession or custody.

Could it be that the current generation of followers of Christ is experiencing a revealing from heaven of something coming into evidence, prominence or prevalence? Something, which is coming into operation in a practical form? Something the Bible describes as the kingdom of God?

We will always live and have our being where our hearts are, where our perception is active, where our minds are engaged.

If our awareness our set point is anchored in an understanding of life and experience within the concept of the church, we tend to live with a temporal, earthly and it might be argued, a worldly view of life.

If on the other hand, we have developed a sense of life within the kingdom of God, we tend to live with an eternal, as opposed to a temporal perspective. This Kingdom Perspective or kingdom life means that the various and myriad vicissitudes of life which political party is in power, whether we are employed or not, whether we enjoy physical health or we daily endure pain, and countless other potential obstacles have no bearing on our manner of life. 

Witness the Apostle Paul, speaking of many tears and trials which happened to him by the plotting of the Jews . . . And now he proceeds, bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that would happen to him there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations awaited him. 

But none of these things move me; (emphasis mine) nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24ff).

Living with Kingdom Perspective does not mean that we are exempt from the experiences of the world around us: Pain still hurts, our bodies continue to deteriorate with age, our physical dimensions remain subject to physical law, bad things still intrude, but they do not impinge on our lives. Our spirits, the eternal us, find balance and meaning living within an eternal kingdom. Life, for the child of the kingdom begins to make sense and finds order. Within the kingdom of God we begin to sort out the significance of temporal conditions in the light of an eternal purpose and place of Gods providence.

Jesus and the apostles after Him taught that those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ are living now, in this present moment in the kingdom of God. The arguable reality of this condition is that we are now living in eternity, we are living our eternal lives now and we are not waiting for our entry into heaven some day in the future when we will at long last begin to experience eternal life. 

Because we are creatures of time and space, we have always known beginnings and endings, starts and finishes. Eternity has no such encumbrances: Even the thing we call eternity is largely misapplied simply because of the space and time confine we were born into. 

But when an eternal Christ stepped out of an eternal heaven and pierced the shroud of time and space, He brought to humanity the potential to escape those confines, even while existing within them. It is part of being in, but not of the world. 

That Christ was in the world before His fleshly birth in Bethlehems stable is obvious. John declares in the first chapter of his gospel, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him (Jn 1:10).

Christ was in the world, but He was not confined to the limits and the laws of the natural world. His existence was supra-natural as well as supernatural; that is to say He lived above the limitations of the physical laws of the natural universe and He lived a supernatural life, which is to say He was inseparable from and fully part of God and thus had access to Gods capabilities while at the same time abiding within a fleshly, human body. His physical body grew weary, it required food and water, rest and protection from the elements, but Christ, the Person within the fleshly body of the Carpenter from Nazareth, was capable of all of His Fathers will and capacity.

Church or Kingdom, or Church within Kingdom?

Jesus spoke about building His church (Mt 16:18), but He articulated an existent and broader kingdom. 

In Matthew 3 John the Baptist declares that the kingdom is at hand. In the following chapter, Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 4:17). In Matthew 5, Jesus tells the poor in spirit and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake that theirs is, present tense, now and not in the sweet bye and bye the kingdom of heaven. 

In Matthew 11, Jesus declares from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, with the clear implication that the kingdom was existent in the hour of His speaking. More than 100 New Testament verses reference the kingdom. 

We are living now, in the kingdom. The kingdom displaces the here and the now with the cognizance of a greater reality and hence, a greater purpose. Within this reality is a focus and a consciousness impacted not by the day-to-day minutiae of life, but in the kingdom we consider all that takes place about us in the context of heavens eternal purpose, in the light of eternity. 

So the Apostle Paul lived not within the temporal confines of the time and space restriction, but he lived within the greater expanse of the kingdom. He worshiped a King Who dwells both within and without the restrictions of space and time.

The eternal King calls us to a higher plain of awareness and experience. He bids us rise with Him to an eternal kingdom so that we can say with the apostle, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil 1:21). if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's (Ro 14:8).

Jesus taught us to pray, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This pulling down of the kingdom through prayer is in part a verbal reminder of an extant reality: That the kingdom of heaven is even now among men, whether it is recognized, received and benefited from or not. Wherever the kingdom is acknowledged, Gods will is done on earth. When our perspective becomes the kingdom of God, our life direction aligns with the kingdom of God. When our awareness is of the kingdom, our focus becomes kingdom.

Suddenly, the baubles and trinkets that this (earthy) life advertises have no meaning or value to us. The things of life truly, grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace as we begin to live and to move and to have our being both in Christ and in the kingdom.

Generations of believers have been taught the doctrines, the practices, the purpose of the church while the concept and doctrine of the kingdom of God has largely been ignored or misunderstood. Yet it would be this gospel of the kingdom and not the gospel of the church which was commanded to be preached in all the world for a witness. . . (Mt 24:14) before the end would come.

As followers of Jesus, we are children of the kingdom and not of the church. 

If our focus ought to be the kingdom, what then is the church, and what is its purpose in the economy of God? 

First of all, The church is the structure which accommodates believers moving within the kingdom. 

The kingdom is the eternal and magnificent dwellingplace of Jehovah God, Creator and sustainer of all that exists. The church may be understood as the lesser box (not with regard to importance, but to purpose) within the greater box of the kingdom. The church consists of all believers in Jesus Christ; they are the people of the kingdom. The church is the people of God, called by God to make their habitation in the kingdom.

The church manifests and demonstrates the kingdom. The church is the realm in which the kingdom is expressed in this current phase of Gods purpose. Observe that every function of the church has to do with this present age; 

The church is the place of entry into the kingdom of God.

It is in the church that believers are welcomed as redeemed souls.

It is the church which provides a place for baptism, preaching, teaching, the observance of the Sacraments, witnessing, discipleship, and so on. 

Note that all these functions have to do with this present age. As the kingdom of God is fully established and revealed, these functions become obsolete, and the kingdom will supersede the church, because kingdom functions are eternal.

The church finds its function in making the kingdom observable. It is within the church that we witness the power of the kingdom to transform lives from death to life, from earthly to heavenly, from brute beast to living representatives of Christ Jesus, Savior of the world.

The Church then is the instrument by which the kingdom is established in the earth. When Jesus spoke of the salt of the earth He had in focus the church. His word pictures of the light of the world and a city set on a hill which cannot be hidden are references to the church. 

A Vital Difference

But here is a vital distinction: The church always was intended to be a temporary manifestation of the Kingdom, and not a permanent structure. The church is to be understood as a bridge between fallen man and the ultimate kingdom which eventually will permeate, saturate and fill all the earth. 

The seventh angel is heard in Revelation 11: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

More than half a century after Jesus had ascended to His Father, John would write Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world (1 Jn 4:17). This is kingdom language. This is the language of eternity. It also is the language of our emerging reality:

. . . as He is, so are we

. . . in this world 

. . . in this kingdom. 

Greg Austin

GAustin218@aol.com

www.GregAustin.org

Rise up Sons of God!

Come Up Here

By Ron McGatlin

Are you one of the many who are hearing a call to come up to a higher place with God in the Spirit? Are you hungering to be lifted above the cares of this world? There seems to be a desire in many to soar into the heavens far above the pettiness of human strife into unfathomable love to receive spiritual resources to deal with the issues of this life.

Rev 4:1: After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."

My precious brothers and sisters, there comes a time when we must leave dependency on our natural human understanding if we are to be freed to soar in the Spirit into the realm of love and wisdom that dissolves all of our temporary understandings and connects us to the eternal source of love, creativity, truth, and wisdom.

For it is at the throne of God, the apex of all life, that we can become one with the Spirit who creates and generates all truth with all power and all wisdom in perfect love that goes well beyond all human understanding. It is there at the apex of life that the redeemed are privileged to approach the throne of God through the Lord of all.

It is here in this place of becoming one in the Spirit with God that we connect with the foundation of all life. It is from this source that redeemed Spirit-filled beings, God’s kings and priests on earth, are privileged to draw from eternal wisdom and heavenly understanding. It is here that transformed human beings access the flow of God’s love and power to live on this earth as sons of God in Christ Jesus implementing the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

The answer to every problem on earth is stored in the abundance of God’s ultimate resources. Limitless love, power, wisdom, and understanding wait in the endless reserves of heaven. Christ Jesus, Son of God, the One through whom and for whom all things were created, has full access to and authority over the entire reservoir of the assets of Father God. Everything needed to bring forth the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven is awaiting the purified holy sons of God to receive it and release it into the world.

There is a problem.

There was no separation between Adam and God before the fall. However, when sin entered mankind was separated from God and separated from the resources of heaven. The last Adam, Jesus, was not born under the sin of the first Adam and lived completely holy. Therefore Jesus had access to the resources of heaven after the Holy Spirit descended on Him and remained with Him. Again for the first time since the fall of Adam there was a man on earth with no sin separating Him from God, a man who was fully able to access the full resources of heaven.

However, Jesus could be in only one place at one time as a man in an earthly body. God’s purpose included bringing forth many sanctified sons through Jesus to have access to the resources in heaven and complete the work assigned the first Adam to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion.

Heb 2:10-11: For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.

Gen 1:28: Then God blessed them (Adam and Eve), and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

The invitation to come up here is real. The door is open. I proclaim to you today that the prison doors are open. You can be free to soar into the spiritual heavens and come into God’s holy throne room. Here in His presence seated at the table of the Lord, intercession can be made for the needs of life and the world. Requests can be granted from the resources of heaven. Wisdom and power to deal with every need on earth is freely given. The desire and will of God can be clearly imparted into the hearts of sanctified sons to be brought forth into the world. The ultimate empowerment of the love of God can be poured into humble sons in the presence of His holy fire to be carried to heal and transform the people of the world.

Isa 61:1: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

Luke 4:18-19: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

John 20:21 … " As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

Earthbound thinking can limit our assent into the heavenly realm of the Spirit and thereby limit our potential of available heavenly resources for effective ministry to bring real change to the people of the world.

Earthbound thinking relates heavily to the natural Adamic mindset in which the broken spiritual connection caused by sin still exists to those who do not yet believe and those who are still seeking victory over sin in their lives. This mindset is characterized by I cannot – I cannot overcome and be without sin – I want to truly move in the spiritual realm, but I cannot get there somehow – I cannot really believe these things are real for me now in this life and so on. The “I cannots” are based on the “I cans” of human pride from the tree of knowledge and has no part with the tree of life. In other words they stem from a dependency on human understanding and endeavor.

To know by experience the pure love of God is the most humbling reality of life. The intensity of the power of His love overwhelms us and instantly fills our hearts with tears of gratitude and reflective love for Him. A moment in His love can transform our minds. The pride of this world and the value we have placed on our natural human understanding and strengths become meaningless to us. To know His love is to be broken.

Through our brokenness, the way for the humble is opened into kingdom wisdom from the throne of heaven. A single burst of direct impartation from God can fill our being with wisdom and understanding of God that is far superior and supersedes all of our human precept upon precept accumulation of knowledge.

Isa 57:15: For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Rom 12:16: Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

James 4:6: … "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

James 4:10: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

1 Pet 5:6: Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Col 3:1-2: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Father, we come to you to humble ourselves before you and ask for your mercy and grace. We repent from our pride and arrogance of seeking to live life and solve the problems of the people of the world with our natural human understanding. We choose to turn from all of our foolish ways of sin. Cleanse us, Father, with the precious blood of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Cleanse us from every residue of sin and religious ways. We come to you again emptying ourselves and laying our everything upon Your heavenly alter. Father, receive our contrite and humble spirit; revive our spirits and hearts with Your life.

Father, as we look up to You, we see the open doors to our prison of earthbound thinking. We lift our faces, our hands and our hearts to You. We set our hearts and minds on Your heavenly reality, and with all our hearts and souls we call upon Your Holy Name; lift us into heavenly places and fill us with Your love that we may be pleasing in your sight. Cast us not away, oh Lord, for we are consumed with Your love and cannot - will not - live without You. You alone are worthy and glorious above all. Look not upon our lack, but complete us with Your sufficiency. Purify us in Your holy love to become one with You forever. Father, make us carriers of Your love ----

Ron McGatlin

www.openheaven.com

basileia@earthlink.net