FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY

FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY - AUDIO

 

Jesus said to the Father in John 17 that He has done the work that He gave Him to do and that He has shown us the Father.  Jesus had this one thing to do, in everything He did, which is to show us the Father.  He has led me to talk about His Kingdom and it is truly a radical Kingdom with a wisdom contrary to this world.  And because the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God is so different, reality for each person is different as well.  What constitute reality for one, is not for the other.  In this world we have reality shows and even virtual reality, but we know that these shows are scripted, and we know that virtual reality is anything but reality.  So then what is reality?  How do we define reality in a world so fixed in unreality? 

God is reality.  God is real.  As Christians it behooves us to have a grasp on the understanding of Kingdom reality.  Jesus said to the woman at the well that there will come a time that those who worship Him, will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  Both these two “elements” are real.  The Spirit is real, because God is Spirit.  Truth is real and He is the Truth.  If we are to understand the realities of the Kingdom of God, it will have to be from this point of view…Spirit and Truth.  And Father knows just how much we live in unreality, whilst believing that we are in it.  We have all received a free will to choose how much of the reality of God we are willing to embrace and live in.  He is not going to force it upon us.  From out of ourselves, we have to seek Him, who is reality.  At the heart of reality is truth.  Not what we would like it to be, or wish to be or even hope to be.  Certain things of the Spirit are just not easy to embrace.  Subconsciously we read over them when we search the scriptures.  Or we think that it applies to others and not to us.  There is always a high sense of self-preservation that wants to protect us from harsh realities.  Ignorance becomes bliss.  Especially when it comes to suffering.  We are willing to suffer, but are we willing to suffer ultimately?  Subconsciously we place boundaries around this reality.  We have to ask ourselves whether we are in reality if we do this.  When we decide the perimeters, we stand the chance of professing something, whilst being outside of the reality.  And of course we prefer that nobody impress their reality upon us, even if it is God Himself.  We would rather remain in sweet ignorant denial. 

This type of self-preservation forms part of this world’s wisdom.  Love thyself, embrace thyself, be proud of yourself…and last, but not least, save yourself.  As Christians we are called to deny ourselves and take up the Cross.  Two very opposing views.  For us to want to save ourselves comes very easy, however, to deny ourselves is extremely difficult. 

The stark contrast between the Christians in western civilization and those of the first Christians after Pentecost, as well as those being presently persecuted and killed in communist and muslim countries, are so vast.  I think there are two things that stand out the most to me about the persecuted Christians.  The first is the love for one another, and the other is a deep sense of gratitude, because most if not all, have very little.  However, on the other hand, I do not have to explain western Christian culture.  Such a stark contrast between underground hiding and only single papers of the Bible, sharing in all things, to those who have Christian shows at stadiums and Bibles sold in twenty different versions at ridiculous prices.  The one recognize that they have no rights, the others fight for their rights.  As I have said before, "Sometimes it takes tribulation for the Church to be the church as God intended". There is also one central and very important difference between these two Christians.  Those who are persecuted and killed, just like the Christians since the first Pentecost, are Kingdom minded.  Their reality of the two Kingdoms are not blended.  They do not look to a Kingdom to come, but have already entered into the reality of this Kingdom now.  Just like the very first Christians received their commission to start at Jerusalem and then to Samaria and all over the world, the central theme to the preaching of the Gospel of this Kingdom, is the cross.  The cross was preached, but it was also lived.  The first Christians were called “the followers of the Way”.  Interesting choice of words.  What way?  The way of the cross.  The cross was preached all over the world.  Not only its purpose, not only its application, but also the victory.  It was simple.  No long seminars and courses to go to.  At the heart of Christianity is the cross.  So simple that even a little child can understand it. 

What is the message of the cross?

John 3: 16 - 17

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

When we read this very well-known verse, we see that two actions are done.  Which is love and give.  This love of God is a giving love that gives ultimately.  It does not hold back.  The extent of His love is not only seen in the fact that He gave His only Son, but in the suffering and death of the cross.  The reality of this love that died on the cross was central to the first Christians and of those who are presently being persecuted.  There is a 100% expectation of having to have to die as “the followers of the Way”.  There was no ‘ifs or buts” about it.  It is not that they did not think that the Lord would protect them, but they knew that there was a very high chance that they would die. In fact, they considered it the greatest honor to not only to suffer for Christ, but especially to die for Him.  This was the highest honor and one they desired.

We cannot choose where we are born.  Western civilization does not experience this kind of persecution and therefore do not live in this reality.  Our conscience in this day needs to be restored to this Kingdom reality for the time to come, because persecution is knocking at our front door.  Unless we consider this reality and keep on placing perimeters around it, as if it does not apply to us, are we then really “followers of the Way”?  Are we then not really in affect saying that we are willing to carry our cross, but not die on it?  The cross is the ultimate expression of His love. 

Paul said, I am determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  We also read this statement of Paul in Acts.

Acts 20: 22 – 24

²² And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

²³ Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

²⁴ But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

When Paul says that he does not count his life dear unto himself, he is not implying that which constitute his possessions, food, family and friends.  He is making it clear that where he is going, will cost him his life, but because he does not count his life dear unto himself, he is determined to finish the course with joy.  That is what you call living in reality.  No limitations or boundaries set.  I cannot help but to think of poor Peter and with what sincere bravado and love he told Jesus that he would never deny Him and would even die for Him.  We all know how that story played out.  Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him.  Not because it was foretold, but because He knew the heart of man.  In the end, all His disciples were scattered at the day of His arrest.  They were following Him closely for three years.  Without going into too much detail, think on the dynamics of their relationship with the Lord.  What they must have seen, experienced on a daily basis in the public eye, but also intimately behind closed doors.  So much happened that John said that not even all the books in the world would be able to contain them if it had to be written.  And yet, they who touched Him, walked with Him and even did miracles through Him, were all scattered the moment their lives were at stake. 

Peter meant every word when he said that he would not deny Christ and yet when it came to reality, he could not live up to it.  This way that we are called to is so much in opposition to the disposition we live by in the comfort of our homes, our ideals for the future, and social activities.  We have been so conditioned by a safe and comfortable "Christianity" that subconsciously and often not, suffering is avoided. Not that we should have some sick desire to suffer. There is no guilt trip involved in this conversation as I myself am writing this in the comfort of my own home and not from a prison sell like Paul.  But because of this, our Christianity is cushioned and lacks the depth and weight of reality, the reality of the Kingdom of God. The reality is that persecution is at our door and the comfort of our homes will soon be a distant memory.  Can we afford not to address this issue? 

There is only one way to bring us to this reality.  The cross.  The cross is the full expression of all of Jesus’ suffering in His life.  Like I said in the Building the Kingdom devotional…suffering reveals ultimately.  What did Jesus’ ultimate suffering reveal on the cross?  The love of the Father.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”

As “the followers of the Way” we too are to express this love of the Father. Not only through our suffering day to day, but even if need be, by our death.  The way goes all the way. Have we sufficiently been prepared for this behind closed doors by the Spirit of God, or have we avoided the topic altogether? 

For this He has orchestrated our comfortable lives to be wrecked by calamity, hardship, sickness and the like.  In Isaiah 54: 16 we read:

Isaiah 54: 16

¹⁶ Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

Those are some contradictory words to how some people view His love.  Why would he do that?   We know that only in fire the dross is removed from the gold, and that hardship is the soil for longsuffering, endurance and patience to grow in.

James 1: 2 – 4

² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Who is your smith that He created in your life?  Is it your husband or wife?  Maybe your children or your boss?  Maybe it is sickness?  Jesus told Pilate, “You have no authority over Me, except that which has been given to you by My Father”.  Jesus was operating from the perspective of the reality of the Kingdom of God.  The reality that all of life has eternal value and consequences, even to the smallest detail. If we lose sight of the Kingdom purposes of God for the Church, then we do not take into consideration that nothing happens to us without going through the Father first, even our death.  In all of this we still have a choice.  We have a choice on how we view suffering.  We are making a choice even by our secret disposition, whether we like it or not, which ultimately reveals our true understanding of reality in this regard.  We ask people in this day and age to give their lives to Jesus, without explaining and expounding on the implications of that choice.  That it is not just your possessions and future, but your very life itself.  Unfortunately this adds to the unreality and often flaky Christianity out there.  However, the Christians of old knew exactly what it meant, and had to count the cost.  Today, it costs nothing to give your life to Jesus.  A gospel without the cross and grace cheapened by our lack of the eternal purposes of God for the Church on the earth. Where it is not just about your salvation and going to heaven, but a mandate to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities, which is meekness, love, forgiveness, longsuffering, patience and joy... IN suffering, persecution and trials. 

God would be a horrible Father if He did not prepare us for reality.  However, He will not force it on us.  Part of introducing us to this reality is to show us just like He did with Peter, that left to ourselves, we will deny Him in a snap!  Do you know that?  When we truly know this, and what is to befall Christians very soon, it will cause the fear of God to fall on us.  Out of the depths of our being we will cry out to Him to keep us from this.  The only way for us to truly know and not just “parrot” it like the rest, is when He bring us to that place.  Therefore, the smith and waster in your life.  Suffering reveals ultimately.  What does your present suffering in your life reveal about you?  A Kingdom perspective is one where we see everything in the light of eternity.  Everything we are going through has eternal value and consequences, because it is an eternal Kingdom.  Nothing is by chance. 

I would say that we were addressing the giving part of the “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” verse.  But what about the love?  Jesus, as our forerunner and the Patterned Son, came to show us the way.  At the heart of this giving, this ultimate suffering, lies the love of God for sinners, for this world.  He came to save the world. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, and all that dwells therein. He died for every single person whilst they were His enemies and sinners. It will not be our love that will cause us to lay our lives down. Not our love, not our empathy, but His suffering love.  As much as we uphold the power of God, the miracles that is bound to happen because of persecution, in the end, the Word says that it is not those things that will endure, but love.  Love for the lost, even our enemies, will cause us to lay our lives down. 

1 Corinthians 13: 7

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

The reality is that we do not only need a baptism in the Holy Spirit with power, but we need to be baptized with His love for the lost.  Unless we become the conduits of His love, we will not be willing to lay our lives down.  Because God so loved that He gave His only Son.  His love alone will cause us to do so.  We may have the intention, but not the ability.  At the heart of the way of bearing the cross in our lives, is suffering until we reach the part of the whole purpose of the cross, which is to die.

We read in Romans 8 that the whole of creation is groaning for the manifestation or the revealing of the sons of God.  That is to say the seed of God.  His Son, revealed the love of the Father to this world, not just by the life He lived, but by the death He died.  There is soon to be a revealing of all the sons and daughters of God over all the earth.  Where there was about 2000 years ago a revealing that took place at Golgotha, there has been ever since then a revealing of the way by the sons and daughters of God who have laid their lives down.  Also in Romans 8 we read of how God has given us the Spirit of Adoption, by which we cry “Abba Father!”  And just after that, Paul says that nothing will be able to separate us from this love of the Father.

Romans 8: 35 - 39

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love of God is both our motive and that very thing that will keep us in the time to come. 

I realize that this is not a very joyful subject, but part of the goid news of the Way, is the fact that on that cross a great victory was obtained for whomsoever believes not only that the Son of God died on it for them, but has also risen from the dead.  Paul says the following regarding the resurrection as he was addressing those who did not believe in it in the Corinthian Church.

1 Corinthians 15: 13 - 14

¹³ But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

¹⁴ And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

The issue is not immortality through the power of God as end-time workers, but the issue is love.  There is no greater force in heaven or on earth than love.  God is love and He expresses His love by the children He gives, who are willing to lay their lives down, whether in life or death.  No matter how little time we think we have left, we have to prepare ourselves by seeking His face in this regard.  Some will not have to lay their lives down, but from others it will be required.  How you respond and are willing to lay your life down in the face of that which causes you to suffer now, will prepare you for what is to come.  Only through and by His love can we endure and will we lay our lives down. 

Jesus said the following in John.

John 12: 24 - 26

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

²⁵ He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

²⁶ If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Jesus is that seed that fell to the ground.  The harvest that came from His death will one day be on display in the heavens.  We too are of the seed of God, being His sons and daughters.  Once again, He will come and sew His seed in the earth, and the multitude of souls that will come in will not be able to be counted.  The currency of heaven is life for a life, payable by death.  Covenant.  The victory of the cross is the resurrection, but it is also the harvest that resurrection will bring forth.  To God be glory forever and ever! 

I must confess that I stand guilty of not interceding as I should for our Christian brothers and sisters across this world who are presently being persecuted and killed for the Gospel’s sake.  This in itself testify of the unreality I find myself in and many out there too. 

I end this devotional with two prayers of two martyrs at two very different time periods. 

"Father, make us more like Jesus.  Help us bear difficulty, pain, disappointment, and sorrow, knowing that in Your perfect working and design You can use such bitter experiences to mold our characters and make us more like our Lord.

We look with hope to the day when we will be completely like Christ, because we will see Him as He is…My passions are crucified, there is no heat in my flesh, and a stream flows murmuring inside me – deep down in me saying,

“Come to the Father.”

IGNATIUS

HIS PRAYER WHILE IN PRISON BEFORE HE WAS DEVOURED BY LIONS

ROME C. A.D. 111

 

We need no rifles or pistols for our battle, but instead, spiritual weapons – and the foremost among those is prayer…Through prayer, we continually implore new grace from God, since without God’s help and grace it would be impossible for us to preserve the faith and be true to His commandments…

Let us love our enemies, bless those who curse us, pray for those who persecute us.  For love will conquer and will endure for all eternity.  And happy are they who will live and die in God’s love.

FRANZ JAGERSTATTER

BEHEADED FOR REFUSING TO SERVE IN THE GERMAN ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II

AFTER THE ANSCHLUSS IN AUSTRIA BERLIN, GERMANY

1943

The wisdom of God that astounds the forces of darkness, not by brute force, but by meekness as lambs led to the slaughter. These prayers are from the book about martyrs compiled a few years ago by DC TALK, called "Jesus Freaks". The word witness in the Bible actually means martyr.  It is necessary that we understand that God is not disappointed in us as such because we are not in the same position as the persecuted church.  However, He is wanting us to live in reality of the Kingdom of God and be true “followers of the Way”, counting the cost and living in that reality now. 

IN HIS PRESENCE

IN HIS PRESENCE - AUDIO

 

I have decided to do an impromptu recording.  I was just sitting here in the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord so thick over me.  Not just filling the room, but filling me.  I was worshipping Him and had the desire to worship Him with everything that is in me and sensed that I was worshipping Him with every fibre of my being and every breath, all that I am, in His presence.  At a certain time when you worship the Lord you come to a place where you come to absolute stillness and well, I guess you become still and know that He is God.  As I was sitting, closing my eyes, experiencing His fullness, I saw in my mind's eye, His hand reaching out to me, seeing the hole in His hand.  And I knew that He wanted me to come with Him.  

The next moment I saw myself looking at Him as He was standing before the ark. Now I know He is the ark of the covenant.  But I saw Him standing before the ark.  I could not see the ark in detail.  I just knew that it was the ark and the next moment, He was bowing, He jumped up and lifted up His arms, extending it wide and as He did, a rainbow burst forth and the next moment I saw Him, in the throne room.  I can only call it the throneroom because I knew that the throne was there, but I could not see the throne.  In this vision, I knew that the throne was there.  And I looked at Him and He was dancing before the Father.  Dancing and twirling before Father.  It is as if He invited me in to one of the glimpses of how He is before Father as the Son of David.  Because immediately, David came to my mind of how he danced before the Lord.   He is the Son of David, dancing.  The way He danced is just in such complete...giving over.  

I thought then to read where David danced before the Lord.  It is very special.  

2 Samuel 6: 12 - 13

12 And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

The number six indicative to the number of man and the seventh one, he brings the sacrifice, meaning God's rest.

14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

I felt like that I was looking through a window like Michal, but I did not despise Him in my heart.  I looked at Him and I was just amazed by His reckless abandonment and joy.  The first thought that came to my heart was...In the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy!  

17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.

22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

It goes further on, if you have listened to the previous devotion about the Lord building a house, David wanted to build the Lord a house for the ark of the covenant, and a house for the Lord as well.  And the Lord started speaking to Nathan the prophet about the ark, saying that He never spoke to anybody in the house of Israel that He wanted a house to be built.  It was never His intention that a physical temple should be built, but that we are the temple, the house of God where the ark, the fullness of His presence is to abide.  In the next chapter David is so overwhelmed that the Lord will raise up his seed, which is Solomon, that would build the temple. I spoke about this in the devotional.  And David's response to the Lord in verse 18 is...

2 Samuel 7: 18

18 Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, (and we can say, "what is my house, what is this body Lord, this temple?) that thou hast brought me hitherto?

19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?

20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.

21 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself...

He goes on to magnify the Lord.  In verse 28 He says...

28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

Two things drawing my attention.  The fact that Michal, the daughter of Saul, was looking upon Him and she despised Him for the exhuberant way he abandoned himself to the Lord.  The Word says, blessed is he who is not offended in Me.  I can only say that when we are not offended with Him, He bless us with children.  The children come in many forms.  It talks about fruit of your womb, that which is birthed in Christ.  He blesses us when we are not offended in Him.  When we are not offended in how He deals with us, in how He builds this house and forms and molds us, so that the ark of His presence, the fullness of joy may be in us.  I was laughing in His presence.  His joy just filled me, it was His joy for the Father as He danced before the Father.  

This is my prayer for you today, David's prayer, apart from the fact that the word says that after that he defeated so many enemies, the enemies brought gifts unto him.  Proverbs says that when we fulfill His commandments and do His will, that even when we walk in peace with our enemies, our enemies bring us gifts.  I pray that God's enemies, which are often our enemies, will bring you gifts.  I also pray this last sentence over you in this day...

29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: (I pray the Lord's blessing upon you, upon your house, upon your household, but also on your tabernacle, your body where He resides.)  for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

May His presence reside with you, may His ark be in you and in your heart, and the fullness of God over your whole being.  May you experience the joy of the Lord that you too with reckless abandonment dance before the throne of God.  I know that that though He is doing it in the sight of His servants, His angels, they are are honoring Him.  They see the reckless abandonment of the Son of David, the Seed, dance before His Father.

I pray that this short post will absolutely bless you and that you may walk in the Presence of the Most High.

Amen.

BUILDING A KINGDOM

 BUILDING A KINGDOM - AUDIO

Last week I spoke about the foundation layers of the Kingdom of God, the Apostles and Prophets, with the focus on the prophets and the making of prophets.  This time Father has led me to focus on Priests and Kings.  One may call them wall and gate builders.  We find a description of them in Revelation 21 and Revelation 1.

Revelation 21: 12 - 14

¹² And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

¹³ On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 1: 5 - 6

⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Moses was the first to receive the heavenly instructions to build a tabernacle for the Lord.  He was to follow this heavenly blueprint meticulously in building this dwelling place for God.  After this, Solomon fulfilled his father’s desire to build a house for God as well.  And what a house that was!  Everything was overlaid with gold and precious stones, no expenses held back for this majestic endeavor.  And God answered with His glory.  However, the destruction of the house of God followed because the requirement of the Lord for the keeping of this house and Him dwelling with them, was that they obey His commandments.  As we know, they could not uphold the commandments of the Lord.  The house of God was burned down and everything within it destroyed.  Jesus, the one greater than Solomon, said that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.  Indeed He came to dwell among us and yet, no place to lay His head. 

However, for this purpose, the greater than Solomon, has been assigned by His Father to build a house, and we know that He will build a house, a temple in Jerusalem, from where He will reign as the Son of David over all the earth.  At the same time, we know that we are also the house of God.

                                              Hebrews 3: 1 - 6

3 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

² Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

³ For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house.

⁴ For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

⁵ And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

⁶ But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

However, we are not just any house, but the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We are living stones built up in Him as our corner stone.  And as His temple, He prepares in us a place to rule and reign.  This rest is not that of being tired, because that would imply that God has a weakness.  But rather going from a standing to a seating position is a declaration of ruling and reigning, because the work is finished.  Not because you are tired.  A King’s throne is his seat of authority from where He reigns. 

Ours is a tale of two Kingdoms.  The enemy is known as the prince of the air, but also has been given dominion over the earth.  Here he rules and reigns whilst jerking and manipulating nations and men for his ends and purposes.  When Jesus came to sit foot on this earth, it was quite a declaration to the forces of the air, as he prophetically as the Son of Nun, Joshua, came to take every place that His feet was on (Joshua 1).  They did not like this one bit that He dared to sit His feet on their territory.  He not only came to set the captives free, but to also make a declaration of war.  The very war we find ourselves in that is bound to escalate as the age ends. 

The principalities and powers of the air was given authority that they were to use for good, but being fallen they have taught men the art of war, how to do magic, allure with make-up and work with herbs and astrology.  Man, lusting for power and being easy targets for the pride of life, was willing through the ages to strike a bargain, their souls for the kingdom of this world.   Man forfeited their position of authority and willingly gave it over to the powers of the air.  So much so that over every continent, nation, city and town, a principality rules.  They are seated in places of authority, which is at the gates of the city.  In ancient times the decisions were made by the elders at the gates of the city.  These gates, or places of authority is the government, military, medicinal, educational and every other possible form of authority that we now see in this life.  There they rule and reign through their willing agents and manipulate and jerk society to not only do as they say, but to be molded and formed into their value system, to uphold the wisdom of this world.  So much so that anybody who stands up against these constitutions and society are either seen as conspiracy theorists or “nut jobs”.  Seen not only as apposed, but hostile to society’s value system, which they have fully adopted as their own.  And so the Church is tolerated, just as long as she does not start to mingle in the things that matters that coincides with their agenda.  Very much like Ahab asking Elijah, “Art thou the one who troubleth Israel?” 1 Kings 18: 17

The problem lies when we as Christians do not consider the principalities and powers, the kingdom of the air and this world that drives the agenda to their ultimate end.  When we look to man and do not take into consideration that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and wickedness in the air, we stand to do our battles in the earthly realm only.  What I mean by that is that we want to do whatever it takes to change regulations and laws and to stand up against these things, however without addressing that which is first and foremost a spiritual battle.  The one comes before the other.  Often it is said that all it takes is for good men to do nothing.  This may be true, but what we do, how we do it and when we do it, has to have the Kingdom of God as first consideration.  And to this I ask, “how much of our spiritual warfare are done in the flesh, no matter how many dragons we think we have slain?” 

Each kingdom has with it its own wisdom.  The wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God.  They operate by these wisdoms and so we need to understand this.  We know that the powers of the air has been defeated at the cross, but the world does not know that.  There are two value systems, that of darkness and that of light.  The only church that can confront the powers of the air, is the church that does not reflect in their walk the wisdom of this world and their values in their personal lives.  A church that is without fear and that cannot be made anxious by the lack of finances when the stock market crashes and holds not their life dear to themselves.  The enemy sees through pretenses, and knows whether we live by faith or merely subscribing to the doctrine.  The demons saying to those men who tried to cast them out in the book of Acts, “Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are you?”  And yet they were invoking the Name of Jesus.  What made these men different from Paul?  Is it possible that they watch us?  Is it possible that they know the difference between those who are authentic and those who are not?  We cannot expect to overcome the things of the air, unless we have fought the things of the ground.  On horizontal level.  That is to say seeking the Kingdom of God first in our lives.  Has the territory been won in the ground of your heart and all subject to Him?  Unless He is Lord of all, is He then Lord at all in your heart?  This does not mean we ignore the things happening in the political and social arena, but we have to know that the buck stops at your own heart first.  Authority is not just a matter of delegation, but a matter of delegation given to those who deals with the privilege of it, with authenticity and responsibly. 

The wisdom of this world is contrary to the wisdom of God. 

1 Corinthians 3: 18 - 20

¹⁸ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

²⁰ And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

1 Corinthians 1: 26 - 31

²⁶ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

²⁷ But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

²⁸ And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

²⁹ That no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰ But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

³¹ That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Can we expect authenticity in a world of deception and appearances?  The church is the ground and the pillar of truth.  Because if we are not authentically living in the truth, why should the powers of the air take us seriously, when we do not take the issues of the Kingdom of God seriously? 

Ephesians 1: 8 - 11

⁸ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

¹⁰ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

¹¹ According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

James 3: 17

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

This wisdom is nothing other than that which was demonstrated by Jesus at the cross.  The wisdom of the Lamb of God that suffers, not defending his interests, does not respond in kind and that prays for their enemy, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”.  At the cross these two wisdoms met, the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the powers of darkness.  Meekness upended and assaulted by violence and pure hatred.  The very same violence that are presently persecuting Christians and will again come with great force and intent in the time to come.  The wisdom of God is foolishness to those who profess to be wise.  It does not make sense and in the process that which God prizes as sacred and valuable, which is meekness, is seen as vile and weakness.  It is through the cross that the wisdom of God is made known to the principalities of the air and that they recognize that they are defeated, when you live in authenticity.  When you do not respond in kind, but pray.  When you serve those who persecute you and spitefully use you.  Unless the church herself has been resisted and attacked individually and have demonstrated how man can live free from the powers, her resistance to the power of the air is futile.  She must be able to say to the prince of this world, “satan has nothing in me.”  How can we call their bluff when standing face to face with them, they call our bluff?

At this point you may think that I have veered from the topic at hand, which is Kings, Priests and building a Kingdom.  In Revelation 1 we read that they give Him glory for He has made them priests and kings.  Priestliness is a prerequisite for being a King.  For we are priests after the Order of Melchizedek.  Melchizedek meaning King of Righteousness.  And being a High Priest He rules as King.  In the preparation and the building of a house for the King to come and rule, those who abide in the secret, the servants of the Lord, are to be priests, holy and separated unto Him.  It is in our hearts, the Holy of Holies that we serve our King as priests.  For being greater than Solomon, not only because Solomon was human and therefore limited, but He has determined and purposed that through His temple, which we are, He will rule and reign over all the world through us, as His Priests and Kings.  For unto those, who has been made into priests and kings, He will appoint kingdoms to rule over.  In order that He will not only rule and reign from the physical temple of Jerusalem, but in the spiritual temples, which we are as His agents.  And unless we are Kingdom minded, we will not understand that it is to us the spoil is given.  The spoil which is the governmental authority, the gates, where the powers of the air are presently controlling this world for their end.  We are to replace and dethrone the kings of the earth and establish righteousness on the earth.  His purpose for preparing a temple, is that He is as the Son of Man, can enter into His rest, which is be seated on the throne of our hearts, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The forces of darkness stand to lose their only footing and ground left once satan has been thrown down to earth and the pit have been opened.  Earth will be the last battle, the last ground they will defend.  The battle of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world will be fought on this very earth.  And we all know who will win.  But the question remains, “Are we truly seeking His Kingdom first?   Even though the Kingdom and His righteousness starts within, it is manifested without.  Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that HE IS LORD!  Do you have a Kingdom view?  Are you looking at those very things that are happening to you as circumstantial and normative, or do you see with a Kingdom perspective the provision made in order to procure the wisdom of God, which is in stark contrast to the wisdom of this world. 

Jesus as our example and forerunner has not only gone to prepare a place for us, but He is also preparing a place for Him, in us.  He tells His disciples in John 15 that even though they are His servants, He no longer calls them servants but friends.  And as friends, they know what He wants.  And He lays His life down for His friends.  In Luke 22 we read an interesting account of where the disciples dare to ask the Lord who would be the greatest in heaven.  This is what He says.

Luke 22: 25 - 28

²⁵ And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

²⁶ But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

²⁷ For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

²⁸ Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

Jesus, although the Son of God, left heaven to come and dwell amongst us.  He will once again come again to finally establish His Kingdom reign on earth.  I have to ask.  Will you be sitting in heaven, or serving on earth?  If He had to ask you today, “Will you stay?” Will you? This is not an easy question to answer for who has not been at the place, especially now, that we cannot wait to leave? At this point you may ask me, “Surely it is better to go to heaven than to stay on earth?” Exactly!  Therein lies the laying down of your life even as He laid down His and came to earth.  Unfortunately the church has lost her Kingdom mandate and purpose.  She is desiring to go to heaven and experience the joys and bliss of what it provides, but unto the Church a mandate has been given, which is to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.  And so I have to ask at this juncture, are you truly seeking His Kingdom first when you have no intention or desire to be a priest or King? 

He has promised a new heaven and a new earth.  All things will have passed away. 

A Kingdom consciousness has to be restored to the Church where she is in anticipation, jealousy or expectation for the glory of God.  His glory filled the temple once Solomon finished the work, and could enter into his rest.  Our own personal kingdoms has to be laid down in its entirety and His Kingdom firmly established in us, for us to rule and reign as Priests and Kings.  There are no shortcuts.  Friends lay their lives down and for some reason we think this pertains only to earth.   But what of the heavenly?  Jesus did not only lay His life down, but He left heaven.  He will establish His Kingdom on earth and it is an eternal Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force.  Jesus is the Suffering Servant, serving in the Kingdom of God, to be crowned as the prince of Kings and Priests.  And those Kings and Priests who will reign on this earth will follow Him in exactly the same way, being suffering servants, serving the least of the Kingdom of God.  Suffering reveals ultimately, and ultimate suffering reveals ultimately.  How you suffer, reveals who you are.  Because if we are willing and jealous for the glory of God, we will enter with Him into His suffering that He as the Suffering Servant may be crowned in our hearts as the King of Kings.  For if we are willing to share in His suffering, we shall also share in His glory.

Revelation 19: 16 - 18

¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

¹⁸ That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

His Kingdom will be over all the earth and the priests will again teach all of mankind the difference between the sacred and profane.  An eternal Kingdom on earth established so that He may abide and dwell in us, to tabernacle in the midst of us.  And He shall be called, “Immanuel, God with us”. 

Revelation 4: 10 - 11

¹⁰ The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.