There is a vast difference between the Kingdom of God and
the Kingdom of Heaven.
Volumes have been written and thousands of sermons preached on the Kingdom of Heaven. When
we accept Jesus, Heaven awaits us if we die.
Very little has been taught about the Kingdom of God.
We are nearing the end of this Age and are now entering into overlapping time of the
millennial reign of Christ, or the Kingdom of God - which will be set up on this earth.
God's angels (messengers) will be sent forth at the end of the age to separate the tares
from the wheat, which grow together … the wicked from the righteous, the sheep from
the goats which sit in the same pew … according to Matthew 13:36-43. The disciples
asked Jesus to explain to them about the tares:
"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples
came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered
and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the
world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of
the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the
world; and the reapers are the angles (messengers). As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man
shall send forth his angels (messengers), and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; (This speaks of mixture
in the Church.) And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth. "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the
house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares
of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of
man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares
are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is
the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels (messengers). As therefore
the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (When
these messengers are sent forth to gather all that offend, then the earth shall be filled
with the knowledge, or light, of the LORD. The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in
the Kingdom of their father, or the Kingdom of God.) Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear."
It is at this time that the Lord will manifest His sons to do the greater works. A Son of
God is one that is led by the Holy Spirit all of the time. They will walk in total
obedience to Jesus… they are the Overcomers spoken about in the book of Revelation.
They are the great army of Joel 2:1 through 11, that He is preparing. There will be no
room for carnal thinking nor living by the desires of the flesh. These things must be
purged and self must die.
Many are called, but few are chosen… but it is the faithful that will rule with Him.
Luke 19:17 "And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been
faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities."
Every curse in the earth will be broken by these Overcomers. Jesus is the Vine, and we are
the branches. These Overcomers are the Branches of the Lord, and upon them will rest the
SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD.
Our minds cannot imagine what this will be like because we have not, nor has any man to
this day, experienced anything close to this kind of anointing except the Lord Jesus who
is the Pattern Son.
It is coming Saints, that one hundred percent anointing, because the Word has declared it.
Read the following and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a divine revelation of this
Scripture.
Romans 8:18-19 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God."
Isaiah 11:2-5 "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord; And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord:
and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of
His ears: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and re-prove with equity for the
meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the
breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his
loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins."
Isaiah 16:4-5 "Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them
from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the
oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the throne be established: and
he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment,
and hasting righteousness."
Daniel 7:18 Daniel declares that the Saints of the Most High will take the Kingdom, and
reign forever and ever.
This subject is so vast, and there are many, many Scriptures in the Old Testament that
bear these truths. Almost the entire book of Isaiah tells of the Kingdom of God. Here are
some Scriptures to meditate on, and then you can branch out to even more: Isaiah 45:22-23,
Isaiah 60:2-22, Zechariah 8:20-23.
What a thought, Isaiah 16:4-5 "For the extortioner is at an end, and the spoiler
ceased, the oppressors are consumed out of the land." What a day! Satan is
working overtime... hospitals are full… he knows the Kingdom Age is upon us, when the
whole creation will be delivered from all sickness, all bondage, all curses, into glorious
freedom.
Jesus walked the earth and gave a demonstration of the power of the Kingdom of God. It was
by His death on the cross, His Precious Blood that was shed, and His hanging on the tree
to become a curse, that all of this is made possible.
Every curse will be removed through the ministry of the Overcomers in this great day of
Restoration, even the curse of death. Praise God… there will be no more weeds or
thistles, drugs or violence, etc.
We are truly at the end of the sixth day, and these are the days of preparation for each
of us. From Adam to Jesus was 4,000 years or 4 days (1 day = 1,000 years). From Jesus
until now is 1,987 years (ap-proximately). We are truly at the end of the sixth day, and
these are the days of preparation for every Christian. I believe we are closer to the end
of 2,000 years than it appears, as they did not begin counting for a few years. There is
some confusion as to the correct beginning of the count for this last two thousand years.
Time is short ... It is our belief that those destined to become Sons (Mature ones), are
being prepared now. Jeremiah 3:14 says, "He will take one of a city and two of a
family and bring you to Zion."
Obadiah vs 17 says, "But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance."
Obadiah vs 21 says, "And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge."
Micah 4:2 says, "The law shall go forth out of Zion." Zion means a
fortress ... the oldest and highest hill... that place of total anointing.
All of this sounds so wonderful, but how do we enter into this glorious rest? According to
Matthew 6:33, we must first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto us... not halfhearted seeking, but diligently seeking the
Kingdom. It takes perseverance to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus told the disciples in Luke 9:62: "No man having put his hand to the plough
and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God". Our eyes must be on the Lord
continuously.
In Acts 14:22, Paul exhorted the converts to "continue in the faith",
and said that, "we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God."
Tribulation, you say, as you throw up your hands in horror! We thought we were all going
to escape that. I'm sorry. That's not the way it works. Jesus' own words in Matthew 24:20
says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
I Peter 4:1 says, "He that hath suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin."
Sinless, perfect people will rule God's Kingdom.
Matt 24:31, "And he shall send his angels (messengers) with a great
sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other."
In II Thessalonians 1:5, Paul says, "to endure persecution and tribulations that
we may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God." Not many Christians are
interested in hearing about tribulations or persecution and above all, no suffering.
However, Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered. How are we to learn?
In every kingdom there must be a king. Our prayer has been for years, "Thy Kingdom
come in earth." So there is land. Then there must be people and laws to govern the
Kingdom. Until we learn to rule our own Spirit, Soul, and Body, we aren't equipped to rule
over anyone else.
God will not turn the reins of His Kingdom to untried and imperfect people. He will give
it over to people who have proved themselves to be servants (30-Fold), then to friends
(60-Fold) who walk in obedience, and finally to Brethren or Sons (100-Fold) who are
totally led by the Spirit.
Now perfection has along with it that very unpopular word "SUFFERING". in Romans
8:17 it says, "if we suffer with Him, then we shall reign with him."
In II Thessalonians 1:4-12, Paul tells them that he "glories in their patience
and faith in their persecutions and tribulations that they endure ... that ye may be
counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you…" He lets
them know that the Lord sees and will "recompense tribulation on them that
trouble you with flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power. When He shall
come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe."
In II Timothy 2:12, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him."
Also, in II Timothy 3:12, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution."
All of the above, tribulation, trials, afflictions, are valuable experiences and for our
spiritual growth. How can we overcome without these? God would not put anyone over a City,
or over a State, or over a Country that hasn't been tested under the worst possible
experiences before he gives them authority to reign. We must first learn to be ruled,
before we can be placed in a position of rulership.
The children of Israel are our examples, but they did not want to come under the rule of
Moses for any length of time. Almost every day, they were either in rebellion or
complaining, but they died in the wilderness. Out of approximately 3 million, who were in
the Exodus out of Egypt, only two entered into the promised land .... NOT A VERY HIGH
PERCENTAGE.
They had the name of God's Chosen People, and as today, we have many names tacked on to
our doctrines with a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof… lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God… seeking our own ways instead of God's ways ...
drying up and dying in church pews ... living on a false hope of rapture ... groping
blindly in the darkness of a denomination.
In Matthew 24:24 Jesus told us to beware, because "false Christs
(anointings) and false prophets will come and show great signs and wonders; insomuch
that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" Tickling itching
ears ... reiterating Sunday after Sunday that any moment we'll be gone ... to walk on
streets of gold ... play our harps ... and live in a mansion. Sounds good, but can't be
true according to Scripture. I Corinthians 4:20 says, "The Kingdom of God is not
in Word, but in Power."
Luke 21:31 says, "When you see these things come to pass, know ye the Kingdom of
God is nigh at Hand".
In Luke 8:1-3, Jesus went about preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of
God. These tidings were healings and deliverances from evil spirits and infirmities.
In Luke 9:1, "Jesus called His beloved twelve together and gave them power and
authority over ALL devils and to cure diseases and sent them forth to preach the Kingdom
of God."
In Luke 16:14-16, Jesus told the Pharisees who were covetous, that every man presseth into
the Kingdom of God. Have you pressed lately?
In Acts, Chapter 1, Jesus showed himself to the Apostles and spoke of things pertaining to
the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew 12:28, Jesus said, "If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is
the Kingdom of God come unto you."
He also said in Luke 21:31 that, "The publicans and the harlots go into the
Kingdom of God before you." Why? Because they repented and believed.
Luke 17:20 says that, "The Kingdom of God cometh not with obser-vation: ... the
kingdom of God is within you."
Luke 18:28 finds Peter saying, "We have left all, and followed thee."
... all their nets, their boats, their occupation, everything they had - and the Kingdom
will cost you everything.
In Luke 18:29 Jesus answered, "There is no man that hath left house, parents,
wife, children, brethren, for the Kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold
more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." Romans
14:17 says, "The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace
and joy in the Holy Ghost." I Corinthians 4:20 says, "The Kingdom of
God is not in word, but in power." The Kingdom of God is being established
within us as the Lord promised, as we yield to His Spirit. He is writing His laws in our
inward parts and on our hearts. More and more, we are submitting ourselves unto Him. The
laws were given to Israel, but they always ended up in disobedience. Their hearts were
wicked and unregenerate.
Through repentance, through the Blood of Jesus and God's Grace, He is transforming the
inner man placing the Kingdom of God within our hearts and minds, and the very Spirit of
the Kingdom of God is being formed within. Note: He is doing this to those who seek Him.
God's laws and God's will are being planted in the believer's hearts until the Kingdom
becomes our nature. We dare not rebel against the laws of God as we walk before Him.
The Kingdom of God cannot be "seen" until man is born again. The natural man
cannot see the Kingdom. It must be comprehended by the Spiritual man ... by the Holy
Ghost, by the transformed mind which is the mind of Christ.
Isaiah 11:1-9 tells us what it will be like during the Kingdom Age … "the
earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the LORD."
Revelation 20:7-8 tells of how the judgment of the nations will take a thousand years to
complete with a perfect rule of righteousness. Even then, many will rebel.
WHAT WILL KEEP US OUT OF THE KINGDOM?
Using our carnal mind will keep us out of the Kingdom. Walking in the Spirit with the mind
of Christ will bring us in.
In Galatians 5:19-21 it reads, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which
are these… Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told
you in times past, that they which do these things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."
Paul makes it rather clear, doesn't he?
II Corinthians 12:20 … "lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes,
backbiting, whisperings, swellings, tumults."
In Hebrews 6:1, it reads, "Let us go on unto perfection (full growth)
...Verse 6, "And this we will do, IF GOD PERMIT." Is God permitting us
to go onward, or do we need to take care of some of these things before we can?
Ephesians 5:5, "for this we know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor
covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God."
I Corinthians 6:9 reads, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (perverts), nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, not revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God."
It makes sense that we have to do something to enter into God's best. We will take the
above items one at a time, so there is no misunderstanding of the meaning of these words.
ADULTERY - Jesus says that we commit adultery by lusting after a woman
(or man). He says in Matthew 5:32, Luke 16:18, Matthew 19:9, and Romans 7:3 - "Whosoever
shall put his wife away save for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:
and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."
In Mark 10:11-12, Jesus says, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry
another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be
married to another, she committeth adultery."
FORNICATION - Unlawful sexual intercourse of an unwed person. Whoredom,
incontinence, carnality, improper or illicit intercourse, lewdness, unchastity, harlotry,
concupiscence, promiscuous, debauchery. The act of sexual relations, without or before
marriage. Lustful desires, lechery, gross sensuality. Jesus considers dabbling in the
occult fornication.
LASCIVIOUSNESS - Immoral, fleshly, wantonness, unrestrained, unreserved,
unfettered, wayward, fanciful, fickle, frivolous, lewd, malicious, smutty, dirty,
indecent, foul-mouthed, obscene, vulgar, off color talk, racy, impure, immodest,
suggestive, vile, unladylike, ungentlemanly, unvirtuous, pornographic, gross, depraved,
unregenerate, polluted, masochistic, sadistic, incestuous, beastly, goatish.
UNCLEANNESS - Spotted by the world, filthy, bedraggled, polluted,
defiled, rotten, vile, contaminated, impure. In the Bible, there are two main divisions:
spiritual or moral uncleanness and ceremonial uncleanness. The Biblical laws on unclean
food came directly from God in Leviticus 11. Also, He forbid them from touching anything
dead.
Leprosy, being a type of sin, was looked upon as unclean, and God gave detailed
instructions in dealing with it in Leviticus 13:15.
God also gave other rules of personal cleanliness in Leviticus 15:1-33, which includes
rules for husband and wife sexual relations. Please read all of these passages.
IDOLATRY - The adoration of things of the world; center of one's
affection - worship of false gods. The second commandment forbidding man to make and bow
down to images of any kind, is idolatry. It is also anything that leads to the
dethronement of God from the heart, as for example, covetousness.
Covetousness is marked by inordinate desires for wealth or possessions, or for another's
possessions. It tends to make one grasp for material possessions. This sin can come from
the extreme confession message. "You can have whatsoever you say", can lead into
coveting and iniquity.
HATRED - Ill-will toward a neighbor instead of loving a neighbor as one's
self can bring in the Spirit of Hatred. Hate causes one to bear a grudge, to resent, and
harbor unforgiveness. Hate causes one to look daggers at and place curses on your enemies.
Hate generates hostility, and usually has fear behind it, with roots of bitterness. The
Word of God states in I John 3:14-15, that "Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer." And in 1 John 4:20 it says, "If a man say, 1 love God, and
hateth his brother: HE IS A LIAR." Where are liars doomed to go? THE LAKE OF
FIRE!
WITCHCRAFT - I Samuel 15:23 says, "Rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." Witchcraft is rampant
in America, as is rebellion. One can hardly pick up a newspaper, magazine, or turn on the
TV but that witchcraft is displayed before our eyes. It is practiced in schools, in
churches and in the homes of America, with no conviction whatsoever.
Some forms of witchcraft are horoscopes, palm reading, water witching, fortune tellers,
Ouija boards reading or keeping occult books, ESP, séance, telepathy, hypnotism, Lamaze,
magic charming, yoga, voodoo, metaphysics, self-realization, handwriting analysis,
religious cults, tarot cards and card playing communication with the dead or spirit guides
Rosicrucians, Spiritualism, Mormons, Christian Scien-tists, Unity, Baha'i, Theosophy,
Inner Peace Movement, Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship, Association for Research and
Enlightenment, Religious Research Foundation of America, Unitarian, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Mormonism and on and on.
THE PRACTICE OF ANY WITCHCRAFT WILL KEEP US OUT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
EMULATIONS - Envious rivalry … never content in the ministry God
puts you in, a tendency to imitate. Competition between churches, denominations, how many
in Sunday School, how many buses, etc. This will lead to emulations and should not be.
VARIANCE - At odds, always in disagreement … dissension, sowing
discord among the brethren, out of harmony, argumentative, etc.
SEDITIONS - Insurrection against authority, revolt, mutiny, rebel-lious,
disloyal, treason .. leads to a Judas Iscariot or spirits of a traitor, false apostles,
(lawless) one who is wild, untamed, savage, fierce, violent, uncontrolled, defiant of
laws, insubordinate, disobedient to man and to God.
HERESY - Nonconformity, schism, false doctrine, unscriptural ideas.
ENVY - James 3:16, "For where envying (jealousy) and
strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." This green-eyed monster
seems to be everywhere from small children, to ministries, government and nations. Webster
says: To harbor ill-will, grudges, malice, backbiting, etc. Envy and strife causes disease
of the liver and can open us up to many other diseases … cancer, strokes, heart
attacks, ulcers, insanity, blood diseases, etc. It will keep us out of the Kingdom of God.
Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. Proverbs 14:30 reads: "A sound heart is the
life of the flesh; but envy the rottenness of the bones." Envy and strife are
like cancers.
DRUNKENNESS - Read Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 23:31, Habakkuk 2:15, and Luke
1:15. This drinking of wine is a mockery to the new wine of the Holy Spirit. It will bring
in the spirit of mockery.
Strong drink brings in rage. Do you have rage and anger within? It can come to you in your
family line and needs to be repented of… washed by His Precious Blood, and then cast
out by the Spirit of God. In Luke 21:34 it reads, "Take heed lest your hearts be
over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness." Surfeiting means eating - to
gorge, overindulge, excess, intemperate, self-gratification, greedy. Over-eating comes
right along side with drinking.
MURDER - To have an abortion, looks that kill, hating your brother,
killing, etc.
REVELLINGS - Wild parties or celebrations, entertainment, lovers of
pleasure, sports to excess, etc. Pro 21:17, "He that loveth pleasure shall be a
poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."
BACKBITERS - To slander, to say mean things about others, to lie, to
defame one's character, to come against a pastor or pick his sermons to pieces.
WHISPERINGS - A disclosure, spread rumors, tell secrets, talk too much,
gossip.
SWELLINGS - To be puffed up, put on airs, look big, put on big looks,
pretend to be something great, pride, swagger and strut, pea-cockishness, snob, aloofness,
vanity, selfishness, swelled head, etc.
TUMULTS - Agitation uproar, cause confusion, make a disturbance,
disorder, fracas, commotion, church splits, etc.
EFFEMINATE - Homosexuals lesbians, sex criminals, masturbator (pervert),
a lewd and lustful person, carnal, sensual, sex deviate.
THIEVES - To rob God of tithes or time with Him, cunning and sly, to
break in and steal, to take little things a con man, to pilfer, shop-lifter, poaching,
embezzlement, counterfeiting, larceny, ransacking, one who does not pay his bills.
EXTORTIONERS - A con man, blackmail, wrench, extravagant, wasteful,
oppressor, avaricious, grasping, mercenary, greedy, love of money. To borrow and not pay
back. Fleece the sheep, use mind-control upon the saints, write bad checks, etc.
WHAT SHALL WE DO? "Rend your heart," saith Joel, and
see if there be any of these things lurking in the darkness of your hearts.
Jeremiah 17:9 tells of how our hearts are desperately wicked, and who can know them.
Repentance is not out of style. Allow the Precious Blood to flow over you, turn your face
toward the LORD. Do some soul searching, and above all: BE HONEST! Be honest with yourself
and with God. We overcome evil by doing good. We are cleansed by the blood. We are washed
by His Word every day. We are delivered by the spirit of God and the name of Jesus.
Don't make light of deliverance or casting out of evil spirits. Luke 11:20 reads, "But
if I by the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you."
Matthew 12:27 reads, "And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils by whom do your
children cast them out? But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then the Kingdom of
God come upon you."
AS JESUS WALKED THE EARTH FULL OF THE SPIRIT .. SO WE WALK!
AS JESUS ENCOUNTERED SATAN… SO WILL WE!
AS JESUS CAST OUT EVIL SPIRITS… SO MUST WE!
LET US PRAY… "THY KINGDOM COME".
(This article was originally written by Erma Miller in 1987 - It remains a timely word for
believers in this end-time)
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