The Kingdom

Jesus began His ministry with these words:
“…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the Gospel.” Mark 1:15
His next words were to two fishermen, while they were working at their trade.
“And Jesus said to them, Come you after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17
Here, the message of the Kingdom was applied to the lives of these men through a practical application to their occupation. They had been fishers of fish. Now, Jesus is calling them to become fishers of men.
Note carefully that they were to continue fishing, but with a higher purpose in view. The Kingdom message in its functioning is intended to lift the earthly aspect of our vocation into a higher purpose.
The word “Kingdom” has been both misunderstood and misapplied. It is often relegated to a future millennium or to heaven. However, the claim of the Kingdom that Jesus is presenting is meant to be a present reality in the lives of all who will hear and respond.
The outworking of a Kingdom relationship to the Lord is to be both practical and effective in the every day life experience of those who desire to go beyond their present spiritual experience. It does not imply that those who respond will be suddenly be promoted into a place of prominence or rulership.
Rather, it expresses the coming of a Kingdom authority that will reign over the lives of all who will submit to its message, and permeate every aspect of our daily pattern of life.
This Kingdom is presented by Jesus as being “at hand.” That is, it is meant to work in the immediate circumstances of all who respond. It is not intended that it will find its function in some ethereal religious form, or in a future hope. Rather, it is presented as being attainable and touchable.
This Kingdom that is at hand requires our submission to the rule of God. To enter this Kingdom, we must embrace the rule of God and recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal King, and then place everything that pertains to us in subjection to His Kingdom rule.
Jesus said, “Come you after Me.” If we do not recognize Him as our personal King and then allow the operation of the Kingdom in our lives, we will not be able to abide in the place of His calling. If our lives are as they were before salvation, plus the salt of religion, we are falling far short of His claim upon us, and His desire for us.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Today, Jesus is establishing His true Church in divine order and authority. Things that the Lord once winked at in the past will no longer be left unchallenged in our lives. Everything that can be shaken is shaking, until it has been reduced to the place where it will be able to submit to His Kingdom claim.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.
The Lord will no longer allow His people to remain in the realm of blessing alone. He is causing them to acknowledge the claim of His Kingdom upon their lives. He is bringing each one of us to the place where we must make a decision as to what we will do with this Kingdom that He said “is at hand.”
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The Kingdom is a present reality. In its present form, the outworking of it will be manifested within us as “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). All else will pass away.
Do not draw back.
Accept what Jesus is saying to you, and then press into this Kingdom.

Spiritual Spanking

We are chastened when we do something that we should not be doing, and as a concerned Father, the Lord deals with us. Whenever I am spiritually spanked and corrected, I rejoice, as the Word says, “Whom the Lord loves, He corrects.”
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:5-6
The Lord is hindered in chastening us when we have not given, or surrendered to Him the right to all that we are and have. In the Garden of Eden, Adam gave up his dependence on the Lord and chose to become independent by eating from the tree of (self) knowledge. Later, an animal was slain and Adam was covered with its skin. He was forgiven but what he had eaten was still within him, and now he had the “right” to choose for himself what he would do or not do.
Although we are forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we also still have within us the right to our own lives, as through Adam, we also “ate” of the tree of self-knowledge.
When I saw this, I carefully gave back to the Lord the right to do as I please. Jesus is my Savior, but now He is more than this - He has become my Lord. Therefore, I can place myself under His headship and ask Him to chasten me, that I might enter into and possess all that He has for me.
As we rightly respond to the process of being tested and corrected, we grow spiritually and enter into our spiritual identity as being a mature son. Now we are ready to be scourged, which is beyond our being chastened, as the Word tells us that “every son whom the Lord receives, He scourges” (Hebrews 12:6).
We are chastened when we do something wrong. Our being scourged has nothing to do with any wrong doing. Rather, it has to do with the reduction of our independence, and is an indication that we are doing everything right (every son He receives).
Scourging reaches into the very depth of our being and crucifies our self-life (our right to our own ways), and removes our propensity towards all self-sufficiency. 

One Talen One Left

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37

Thus, His return will be in a time that is similar to the days in which Noah lived.

“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark.” Matthew 24:38

They were occupied with the every day things of life, and laughed at Noah for building a boat on dry land. When Noah entered the ark, it was God who shut the door of protection. The people did not understand until it was too late, when the flood came and took them away. It will be this way again, at the coming of the Lord.

“Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Matthew 24:40

The meaning of the word “be taken” is “to be taken hold of, embraced, and become associated with someone.” It is comparable to my taking my wife into my arms. Thus it is taking unto one’s self whatever is to be taken. The word for “left” is a word which means “to be forsaken.” It is very important that our understanding of these words is correct.

“...God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water.” I Peter 3:20

The Lord embraced these eight souls by putting an “ark” around them. Then He Himself closed the door and they were safe. When the Son of Man comes, He will not take us and fly away. The ark did not go up to heaven, rather it stayed on the earth, rising on top of the waters of judgment.

Let Us Pray

God, He has so arranged His plans and methods that there is always a call for response and cooperation on our part. In accord with this policy of the Divine Creator, He has always put into His unfolding purposes something for us to do.

As the Captain of our salvation, He took up the work of intercession in deep passion, in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“In the days of His flesh, with bitter cries and tears, He offered prayers and supplications….” Hebrews 5:7 Moffatt


“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Hebrews 9:24.

However, it is not enough that Jesus alone has thus become our Great Intercessor. Though originating in God, every great spiritual movement has come forth out of travail, and groanings in intercession. The new move of God at this hour requires powerful intercessions and soul travail. The appointed Divine way of bringing to pass the great works of God is by prayer and intercession. The present day “movings” of God in preparing a Bride company is no exception.


It calls for mighty prevailing prayer.


There are those who are called to be much given to intercession. These are being dealt with to intercede concerning these movements of the Lord, at this present time, recognizing that this intercessory calling is of the greatest importance.


However, this urgent need is not being acted upon by the Lord’s people as it should. There must be intercessions and earnest prayer that God will give boldness and utterance in the Spirit, to declare these truths. The minds and spirits of the Lord’s children should be open to understand and grasp these things which pertain to present hour conditions, both as to the spiritual advancement of the saints of God, the time of the judgment of Gentile nations.

“But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” Acts 24:14

This is the hour of the preparation of the Bride. There must, and shall come forth the mighty currents and tides of spiritual life, gifts of the Spirit, transformations of individual character, and a rich and copious flow of prophecy, wisdom, and knowledge by the Spirit; prophetic declarations that will shake the world, and prepare the Lord’s people for the coming of the King.


There must be intercessory groups that are in one accord, united to pray, and who supplicate and intercede for the same things.

Martha, Martha, Martha

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word.” Luke 10:38-39

“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.” John 11:1

Martha was always busy, as she was taken up with “things.” She saw the needs of others and faithfully served them. While Martha was doing this, Mary was just sitting. She only saw Jesus and was singularly interested in what He was saying.


At the same time Lazarus, who was very sick, was dying. Here is represented a divine balance in our Christian experience, portrayed by two sisters and a brother. Notice that these are related to each other, and are not to be separated. Therefore, we should be able to relate, in some measure, to all three.


Our ability to serve is given to us by the Lord. Thus, ministry is portrayed as being feminine (Martha). Our devotion to the Lord is expressed through our being a bride to Christ, and is also portrayed as feminine (Mary). Our Adamic nature is portrayed as masculine (Lazarus).

“…If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

The (adamic) nature within us is to be crucified. Therefore, Lazarus is dying.


Each member of this family functioned together and supplied their particular part. Martha served, while Mary waited. When Martha criticized Mary, Jesus did not tell her to sit down and wait like Mary. Rather, He said, “Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (See Luke 10:40- 42). Martha was to continue serving, because it is necessary. He is saying that our service should not push into, or take over, our devotional life.


When Jesus was asked by Mary and Martha to come and pray for Lazarus, He stayed away for two days, waiting for Lazarus to die. Thus, His relationship to, and dealings with each of these was quite different. If we are not hearing rightly from the Lord, we may become sympathetic and pray for the adamic nature to be healed. Jesus waited, that resurrection life could come and Lazarus be released from all that bound him in his adamic grave.

“And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:43-44

The fact that Jesus stayed away for two days has a present day message for us. The Church Age lasted for two thousand years (two prophetic days). We are at the end of this time, and those who have died to their self-life are about to be loosed from all that hinders, which will result in the greatest visitation this world has ever witnessed.


The “household” in Bethany, which Jesus loved to visit, is resident within each one of us. The occupants, two sisters and a brother, are to fulfill their particular part and function within each aspect of our spiritual life experience.


Therefore, we must allow each of these, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, to live out their particular part within us to the fullest, in order to bring us to the highest of our potential.


May we, as being a balanced spiritual adult, attract Jesus, as He seeks for a household to visit.


Then, when He comes into our home, the “Martha” within us will enable us to serve those in need. As the “Mary” within us waits at His feet, Jesus will make Himself personally known to us. And, “Lazarus,” our self-life, will begin to die, so we can be resurrected into a higher level of identity and relationship with the Lord.

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