About The Author
Diane Jurino is a Spirit-filled
Christian who resides in Erie, Pennsylvania. She is the
mother of three grown children, and four grandchildren.
Her professional background is in Copywriting, Sales,
Advertising, and Marketing. She has developed and
conducted custom training courses in Human Relations,
Communications, Personal and Professional Development.
Disclaimer:
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in
this volume are from the King James Version of the
Bible.
Dedication:
Psalm 79:13 “So we thy people and
sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we
will shew forth thy praise to all generations.”
To all those who have been spiritually
wounded; there is hope. The Lord Himself will restore us
completely, and gather us in to His Kingdom.
Preface
There are many individuals who are
spiritually wounded. They may have a variety of personal
problems – poverty, disease, addictions and
broken relationships. They experience temporal as well
as spiritual pain, and their needs may be oppressive and
overwhelming to them. They desperately need relief and
comfort.
Matthew 7:2 “For with what judgment ye
judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
While they may turn to the church for
help, they are often disappointed and rejected. They may
be accused of bringing punishment on themselves through
sin, when in reality they have been attacked by the
enemy or overcome by the world. They require healing and
guidance, not criticism and condemnation.
They need strong pastoral leaders that
will minister to their needs and urge them to rise above
their adversity. They should be encouraged to heal and
grow into full spiritual maturity, so that they can
avoid further pain in their lives. But all too often,
they are ignored or judged instead of being comforted
and cheered. Many end up as stray sheep that leave the
church altogether.
So too, we have an abundance of
wounded shepherds who are criticized and discouraged in
their roles of pastoral leadership. In their efforts to
minister to others, they often deal with spirits of
rebellion and lawlessness that attack them mercilessly.
They end up becoming disillusioned, abandoning not only
their sheep, but their callings as well.
1John 3:10 “In this the children of
God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither
he that loveth not his brother.”
We are quick to point a finger at each
other, and the Lord is appalled at our lack of love for
the brotherhood. We must learn to overcome our
differences and walk in unity. We have to prevent
erosion in church membership, and minister in love and
compassion to those wounded on both sides of the pulpit.
We are all responsible for the
communication breakdown in our churches. When one of us
hurt, we all suffer. We must cry out to God for His
intervention. The Lord Himself can and will help us
reconcile our differences. God is love and He wants us
to love Him and one another; that is His measure of our
righteousness.
Zechariah 7:9 “Thus speaketh the LORD
of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy
and compassions every man to his brother:”
We will be judged by the same
standards that we use to judge others. As Christians we
are to show love, compassion, mercy and kindness, and
regard others’ needs as important as our own. We must
expand our churches and attract new believers, rather
than allow strife and division to creep into our midst.
The Lord calls us the sheep of His
pasture; there is no excuse for our going astray. He
will arbitrate our disputes, judge fairly and equitably
between us, and restore peace to our fellowships. We
will walk in love and unity as He binds up our wounds
and gathers us into the Kingdom of God for all eternity.
Introduction
Proverbs 18:14 “The spirit of a man
will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can
bear?”
Man is a walking, talking spirit that
has a soul and lives in a body. He is a true spirit
being having a human experience. Every part of a man has
to be in perfect balance for him to be healthy and
functioning normally. If he is attacked in any one area,
the resulting pain can be debilitating to the whole
person, and his overall well-being may be affected.
There are various types of pain that
human beings incur from time to time, but perhaps the
most severe of all is a wounded or broken spirit. It all
starts with subtle feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness that progress to more pronounced emotions
such as fear and anxiety. Spiritual woundedness is
demonic in origin and leads to despondency and
depression, death and destruction in its extreme.
The spirit of a man gives life to his
body that may be diseased or injured. However, when the
spirit itself is afflicted, there is no remedy except
direct intervention from God Himself. The Lord is the
Father of all spirits and He alone can minister to
spiritual needs and afflictions. It is vital that we
turn to Him in our pain and seek His healing for every
area of our lives.
1Peter 2:19 “For this [is]
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure
grief, suffering wrongfully.”
Suffering people may get little or no
help from those in the organized church, for a variety
of reasons. Perhaps they are negative and difficult to
approach. It may be that people are unsure how to
minister to them appropriately. Whatever the case, the
last thing they need is criticism or condemnation. But
they often receive that and worse from their Christian
brothers and sisters.
Harsh, controlling, religious spirits
tell them that God is trying to teach them something, or
that they deserve punishment for their sins. They may be
judged mercilessly or shunned altogether. What results
is that the suffering individual may feel rejected and
discouraged, isolated and alone, and come to believe
that even God has abandoned him in his pain.
Many are disappointed because their
pastoral leaders have ignored their needs, or someone in
the congregation has callously offended them. And while
it is true that hurting people often hurt others, some
have even bought into a spirit of lawlessness and
rebellion, and they lash out at all those around them in
their pain.
Proverbs 17:14 “The beginning of
strife [is as] when one letteth out water: therefore
leave off contention, before it be meddled with.”
They may be angry and contentious and
cause open strife and division in the church. They often
challenge all spiritual authority, even God Himself.
They may ultimately end up leaving the fellowship
altogether. They become stray sheep that are prey to the
enemy, who wants nothing less than to isolate and
destroy them.
No matter what side of the pulpit we
may be on, we can experience spiritual woundedness.
There are devoted men and women of God who are misjudged
and overly criticized in performing their pastoral
duties. They are slandered and disliked for a variety of
reasons. They often become discouraged and depressed,
and their ministry careers can be permanently affected.
2Corinthians 13:11 “… Be perfect, be
of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the
God of love and peace shall be with you.”
God is calling each of us to come up
higher in our love walk. It is a command of the Lord
that we love and revere Him, and treat others as we
ourselves would like to be treated. We must reach out in
empathy and compassion to those hurting people around
us. Regardless of who they are or why they suffer, we
should respond to their needs in love.
We should never judge, criticize or
condemn one another. We should be walking in peace and
unity in our churches wherever possible. The artificial
barriers that separate us must be dissolved. Legalism
and pointing the finger has to go; proud and haughty
controlling spirits must cease and desist. We should
never be a stumbling block to a brother or sister.
The Lord is holding us to a much
higher degree of accountability as He judges His church
in the days to come. We must overcome our individual
differences and seek a commonality of interest that
binds us together, rather than scatters the flock. Mercy
has to overcome judgment in sheep and shepherds alike.
Love and unity must be restored in the church.
Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh,
to take on all our sin, discouragement and failure, and
trade it for His righteousness, joy and victory. The
Bible says that He bore all our weaknesses and carried
our diseases, so that we might have life in abundance.
He experienced disillusion and rejection Himself, and He
can empathize with our pain and restore us to wholeness.
Christ calls Himself the Good Shepherd
and refers to us as the sheep of His flock. He is
distressed when His sheep go astray for any reason. He
is equally disappointed when His shepherds are hurt and
leave their callings. He will arbitrate all our disputes
fairly and equitably, so that we can reconcile our
differences peacefully.
Jesus will bring unity to our
fellowships once again, and prepare us all for the
coming of His Kingdom. If we are willing to minister to
one another in love, He will bless us abundantly. He
will increase our numbers and endow us with divine power
and authority to do all that we are called to do in the
days ahead.
The Lord loves us with an everlasting
love. He wants to dwell with us in close, intimate
fellowship. He will gather us in and bind up our wounds,
so that we can enjoy good and safe pasture in His
Kingdom when it comes to the earth. Instead of failure,
conflict and sorrow, we will experience righteousness,
peace and joy for all eternity.
Chapter 1 –
Broken And Wounded
Revelation 13:7 “And it was given unto
him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:
and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues,
and nations.”
The enemy knows that his time is
short, and he is wreaking havoc on God’s people all over
the earth. Mind-blinding spirits have dulled our
perception of sin, and left chaos and confusion in their
stead. Hindering spirits cause us to fuss and fight with
one another, and interfere with our unity. Satan brings
curses of loneliness and depression, poverty and
infirmity on us; he destroys our relationships and
wounds our bodies, souls and spirits.
The devil’s strategy is to find those
who are emotionally and spiritually vulnerable, then
isolate them and attack. He wants to avenge his hatred
on God’s people, and cause them misery and pain. He is
not out to just harass and inconvenience us; his mission
is to utterly destroy us as individuals and as a church.
He will do whatever is necessary to prevent the coming
of God’s Kingdom to the earth, and violate His people
wherever possible.
Psalm 18:38 “I have wounded them that
they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my
feet.”
While Christ overcame the devil at
Calvary in His victory over sin, death and the grave, he
is still active in our lives if we permit him access. We
give him legal right of entry with our sin and bad
habits. We then experience all sorts of physical,
emotional and spiritual woundeness due to our own human
weakness. We become ashamed, isolated and separated in
our pain, which makes us even more vulnerable to further
attack.
We may be resentful and envious of
those who do not experience what we do. We often pull
away from the very people who can comfort us and ease
our suffering the most. We go astray like lost sheep.
This is all part of the enemy’s plan to divide and
separate us. If he is successful in building a
stronghold of strife and division among us, he can
easily overtake us and interfere with God’s plan and
purpose for our lives.
Demonic spirits run in gangs that
attack us; they seldom operate alone. Mind-blinding and
hindering spirits bind themselves together to oppress,
attack and wreak havoc. For example, deception and
denial attempt to blind us to the truth. Envy and
resentfulness bind together and influence how we view
others. Fear and anxiety enter in when we are depressed.
Anger and bitterness team up with hatred.
These negative spirits gather to
attack in strongholds that are not easily broken, and
they do irreparable damage if they are left unchecked.
They cloud our minds to the truth, disturb our
relationships with one another, and keep us in weakness
and sin rather than in the Lord’s divine strength and
righteousness. We must cut them out at their very roots
to overcome them and loose blessings in our lives
instead.
Reasons For Woundedness
Psalm 69:26 “For they persecute [him]
whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of
those whom thou hast wounded.”
We are spiritual beings having human
experiences and not all of them are pleasant and
uplifting. Broken relationships, disease, poverty, and
personal failures of all types take their toll on our
bodies, souls and spirits. They leave us feeling
emotionally drained and spiritually wounded. We
experience pain, suffering and affliction from which it
may be difficult to recover.
Many people suffer from broken
relationships of various types. They could be estranged
from friends, loved ones or going through a divorce.
They may be sad and depressed, and grieve as if they
lost someone to death. Their disappointment and sense of
loss is so strong, that they become vulnerable to
egregious spiritual attack.
Others permanently lose someone to
death. They are bereft of someone they cherished and
experience total anguish in their loss. They may blame
God and others in their grieving. They often resent
those who are left behind, or feel personally
responsible for the loss of their loved one. They are
emotionally wounded and may lack the spiritual strength
to fully recover.
Psalm 109:22 “For I [am] poor and
needy, and my heart is wounded within me.”
Still others are downcast because of
disease or disability in their bodies. They may be
victims of chronic pain and horrible debilitation. They
feel the Lord has abandoned them. They often feel
hopeless and cursed, afraid and alone. They may
experience anger and frustration, and could also be
depressed and despondent. They are difficult to approach
and are prey for more of the enemy’s attacks.
Some individuals grieve the loss of
their jobs, homes or other material possessions. They
feel robbed and cheated of what is due them; they may be
angry and resentful. They often blame others who had
nothing to do with their loss. They could have a strong
sense of entitlement and resent those who have more than
they do. They are emotionally and spiritually
challenged, and easily overcome by demonic influence.
Others may have experienced emotional
loss and spiritual woundedness at the hands of their
church leaders or fellow congregants. Perhaps they’ve
been misjudged, criticized or rejected. These
individuals may be so broken from their church
experiences that they become lawless and rebellious, or
even leave the church altogether. They lose their
corporate covering and become easy prey to the enemy.
Weary In Woundedness
Psalm 6:6 “I am weary with my
groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water
my couch with my tears.”
There are many reasons for
woundedness, all valid to those who are suffering from
them. While we may be able to sustain hardship and
disappointment for a season, ongoing adversity depletes
our resources so that we are left vulnerable to
spiritual and emotional brokenness. And our negative
feelings may only escalate as time goes on.
It all starts with a spirit of
heaviness, vague uncomfortable feelings that come on us.
These feelings can progress from generalized sadness and
disappointment, to sorrow and despair if they remain
unchecked. These, in turn, can lead to despondency and
depression in the extreme. We then become susceptible to
anxiety and fear that enter our lives and paralyze us.
We become self-centered, but in a
negative way. We may tend to feel sorry for ourselves,
blame others and withdraw from them in all out paranoia.
We erroneously think that everyone is out to get us. We
may be envious of others who have blessings in their
lives. We reject all attempts to reach out to us, which
only exacerbates the problem and makes us feel more
alone.
These overwhelmingly negative feelings
are not only unhealthy, but also cumulative in their
effect until they threaten to overtake us altogether. We
lose our hope and confidence; life appears dull and
flat. We isolate and withdraw from those who can help us
the most. We may ultimately turn away from the Lord
Himself, mistakenly thinking that not even He cares for
us.
The strength of our inner man
ultimately determines how we will react and how quickly
we will recuperate from physical, emotional or spiritual
pain. We can focus on our pain or concentrate on the
solution to our problems. We can heal in the love of the
Lord and accept the comfort of others or go it alone as
stray sheep. The choice is ours; people will never force
us to receive their help, and God Himself will never
override our free will.
The Enemy Attacks With
Depression
Ecclesiastes 2:20 “Therefore I went
about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour
which I took under the sun.”
The devil wants to isolate us from
others in our pain. He causes us to feel hopeless and
helpless. He whispers that we are all alone and that no
one cares. He makes us anxious and afraid, and he tells
us that we will never recover. He aggravates our pain,
by adding negativity to our perception. The enemy wants
us totally destroyed, because he knows that the Lord
loves us with a deep and everlasting love.
Satan is jealous of man and hates us
because the Lord took such pride in our creation; he
does whatever he can to bring pain and disillusionment
to our lives. The more we entertain thoughts of
depression and despair, the more exaggerated they become
until they reach crisis proportion and we lose all sense
of perspective. We grow desperate for relief and we may
even entertain thoughts of self-destructiveness, playing
right into the enemy’s hands.
Depression is an insidious condition
that plagues millions. There are many under doctors’
care, and medicated with anti-depressant drugs of all
types. There are still others who often resort to
self-medicating with street drugs and alcohol. Whatever
the case, this is just a band-aid approach in the
physical realm for a truly spiritual condition. It
requires a spiritual remedy if we would heal and be made
whole again.
The Lord can and will heal us of
depression. It is a demonic spirit and we should bind it
and cast it out of our lives. We can loose feelings of
joy and gladness, and focus on God and His promises for
us. We need never feel despondent or depressed. The Lord
has the solution to every perplexity we face. He will
never leave us or forsake us, and He will supply all
that we need to lead happy, fruitful lives.
People Often Let Us
Down
Zechariah 13:6 “And [one] shall say
unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then
he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in]
the house of my friends.”
Our friends and family are sometimes
callous to our needs and feelings. They may have pain
and suffering of their own, and they often fail to reach
out to us just when we need them the most. They could
brush us aside with indifference or insensitivity. They
may make disparaging remarks that wound us further. That
interferes in our relationship with them, and often
leaves us feeling rejected, isolated and alone.
Our pastors and church associations
can also let us down. After all, there are many people
with problems today, and sometimes it is impossible to
meet every need on a timely basis. We shouldn’t assume
that no one cares, simply because they may not appear to
be rallying to our cause just when we think they should.
They may have other priorities in their lives at the
time we need their help that prevent them from
ministering to our needs.
It is unrealistic to think we ought to
have every need met by others at our convenience. And it
is childish and immature to sever relationships, just
because people don’t respond to our needs the way we
think they should. Each of us has our own burdens to
bear, and we may not always have the time or the
experience to effectively deal with others in pain.
Pain is subjective, and not everyone
senses the urgency that we experience in our personal
circumstances. We must avoid becoming angry and
frustrated with others, because they do not commiserate
with us or help alleviate our suffering. We should avoid
all resentment and bitterness, because this opens the
door to the enemy to wreak even more havoc in our lives.
And we must never blame God, because He is not the
author of our pain.
The Church And The
Spiritually Wounded
2Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:”
The church has to recognize spiritual
woundedness in all its forms, preferably at an early
stage before depression of spirits takes over. We have
to fight back against the enemy and prevent the spread
of death and destruction in God’s people. We have to
destroy enemy strongholds at their very roots. We should
do spiritual warfare and drive the enemy out of the
arena; we can loose blessings instead of curses in their
lives.
We have to be compassionate to those
in our midst who suffer, and make every effort to
minister to their needs. We must overlook their tendency
to lash out at others in their pain. We should not judge
and criticize them, nor assume that they deserve what
they are going through. We should not even suggest that
God is trying to teach them something, or worse yet,
that He is punishing them. This violates the law of
love, and subjects us to judgment by the Lord Himself.
There is hope for all those who suffer
spiritual woundedness of any kind. We can pray for and
encourage those among us who are suffering in any way.
We can help to cheer them and buoy their spirits. We can
cry out to God and intercede for those who require
healing and restoration. We should never look down on
them or ignore their plight, as it could someday be our
very own.
All that being said, we are only human
and there is still a distinct possibility that we will
let others down in their time of need. We may have
limited time and resources to minister to them, or they
may be so far gone in their pain that they are
unreachable. We can and should always exhort them to
seek God in the midst of their suffering. Only He can
provide the total cure for woundedness of all types; He
is ever compassionate and merciful to those in need.
The Lord is the Creator and Father of
all spirits, and He alone can minister to spiritual
needs and afflictions. He never brings suffering on men
to punish or teach them something. On the contrary, He
will bind up the broken hearted and heal all those who
are emotionally and spiritually wounded among us. He
will help them overcome the flesh, the world and the
devil. He will restore them to health and wholeness in
every area of their lives.
Avoid Judgment
Romans 14:10 “But why dost thou judge
thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?
for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ. For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord,
every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall
confess to God. So then every one of us shall give
account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge
one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man
put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his]
brother's way.”
Hurting people often hurt others
unknowingly. Much of what they say and do in their
suffering should be overlooked. But all too often we
react and overreact to those who are in pain. A spirit
of offense comes in, and strife and division result. We
have to quit pointing the finger and judging one another
in the church body. No one benefits from criticism and
condemnation; that only causes more hurt. Only Jesus
Christ is the righteous judge of all men, and He insists
that we walk in love for others.
So too, we should never purposely
ignore a brother or sister in physical, emotional or
spiritual pain. This also violates the law of love and
displeases God. It is counter-productive to peace and
unity among us, and robs us of our corporate and
individual blessings. We must be sincerely compassionate
to those who suffer, be quick to pray for them in their
need, and lend a helping hand whenever we are able.
The Lord will judge each of us with
the same fair, equitable standards. And not a one of us
deserves His mercy and loving kindness, yet we all
receive it over and over again. The very least we could
do is have empathy for those who are suffering for any
reason. We need not be a stumbling block to our brothers
and sisters, nor get in the way of their recovery.
Psalm 34:13-14 “Keep thy tongue from
evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from
evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
We have to get over our petty
differences. We must be walking in peace and in unity
with our fellow man, wherever possible. We have to get
back to our first love, and quit all this immature
faultfinding and critical judgment. And we must never
gossip about those who are suffering in our midst. It is
not an issue of who’s right and who’s wrong, who’s
blessed or cursed, but rather, who is walking in love
and peace. That determines our righteousness with the
Lord.
So too, we have to examine our hearts
to see if we nurture feelings of spiritual pride or
elitist attitudes in our dealings with fellow believers.
Maybe we are convinced that they have sinned and that
God is punishing them. Perhaps we believe that they
deserve what they are experiencing. Or it could be that
we just don’t care. These types of attitudes are
unbecoming at best, and downright sinful at worst.
When one of us hurts, we all suffer.
Each of us is important to the Lord and His eternal
purposes. We are all vital to the smooth operation of
the entire group. We must put others’ needs on an even
plane with our own, and do what we can to comfort and
encourage one another in our time of need. Mercy should
always prevail over judgment, as the law of love
requires it of us.
Hatred, Anger And
Bitterness
Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest
any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many
be defiled;”
When we are suffering for any reason,
we become touchy and overly sensitive in our reactions
to others. We lash out at them in our pain. We assume
that no one cares or understands what we are going
through. We are proud and private about our suffering.
We may desire comfort, but resent interference. We may
discourage and prevent the attempts of others to reach
out and help us overcome whatever is plaguing us.
Even if others do minister to our
needs, it may not be what we need or would like to have
done for us. We may have preconceived notions of a
remedy and require something totally different to ease
our pain. There are many broken relationships that
result from unreasonable expectations in situations like
this. The main reason is that we become offended for
some reason or another, and then grow hateful, angry and
bitter in our dealings with others.
These negative feelings are demonic in
origin and can take root deep in our spirits and destroy
the very life of God in us. We should guard our hearts
against offending others in any way, and we should not
permit ourselves to be offended. A spirit of offense
will divide and separate us, often permanently. None of
us need to add to our pain and aggravation by causing
trouble with our friends, families or churches.
So too, when we become hateful, angry
or bitter, it pours out on all our relationships and
affects our total attitude towards others. People tend
to avoid us, and they are often justified in doing this.
It’s not pleasant to be around someone who is
experiencing negative feelings and holding onto negative
attitudes at the same time. These negativities lead to
hard-heartedness and unforgiveness, which are blatantly
sinful.
We should never let a root of hatred,
anger and bitterness spring up in our fellowships,
regardless of the pain and aggravation that we may be
experiencing. Nurturing negative thoughts and feelings
may prevent our healing and restoration altogether. God
is love and He expects us to walk in love and compassion
for one another’s needs. Then He is free to bestow
blessing on our lives and heal us from our pain.
Choose To Be Positive
Psalm 56:13 “For thou hast delivered
my soul from death: [wilt] not [thou deliver] my feet
from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of
the living?”
It’s understandable to feel some
discouragement when things don’t go our way. But
regardless of what happens to us in life, we always have
a choice how we will react. We must remember that we
reap whatever we sow in every area. The Lord Himself has
taught us that. If we sow positively, we reap positive
results. If we are negative, we attract bad things to
our lives.
We can choose to wallow in our pain,
become angry and bitter, and isolate ourselves, but that
only intensifies and prolongs our physical, emotional
and spiritual woundedness. Or we can hope in the Lord
for comfort and relief, maintain our sense of
perspective, overcome our circumstances and heal totally
and completely.
Negative attitudes, thoughts and
feelings attract more negative circumstances, and it
becomes a never-ending vicious circle from which it’s
difficult to break free. On the other hand, positive
attitudes, thoughts and feelings attract positive
outcomes. They will propel us to physical, emotional and
spiritual healing, and improve our overall well-being.
Our goal, then, should be to recognize
our negative emotions as soon as they surface. We must
get to the root of the problem, purge ourselves of
negativity, and change how we think and feel. While it
may not be easy to do so, we ought to convert negative
feelings to positive goals and seek these with all our
strength. We should never discuss our problems in great
detail; this gives them added power to destroy us.
Our focus and perspective can and
should change. We need to renew our minds and hearts to
line up with the Word of God for our lives. We should
visualize positive outcomes, and speak words of life to
our situations and circumstances. We ought to make
positive decrees and declare what we would like to see
manifest in our environment. This will keep us focused
on recovery rather than suffering.
Settle The Issue Of
Good Vs. Evil
John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but
for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have [it]
more abundantly.”
The Lord’s taken a bad rap over the
years. He does not cause our loss, nor bring
hardship to our lives to punish us or teach us
something. That is a lie from the pit of hell that needs
to stop in the church. God is not someone to be dreaded
and feared. He is well capable of persuading us with
gentleness; He does not beat us into submission by
inflicting pain and suffering on us.
He is the source of all good, while
the devil is the source of all evil. Satan is a real
enemy, whose mission is to steal, kill and destroy us.
He has a demonic assignment to eradicate all of mankind,
and he brings suffering of all types on us. If we become
vulnerable and give him legal access to our lives, he
will afflict our minds, bodies and spirits with total
destruction as his ultimate goal.
But we can’t blame the devil for
everything; sometimes our brokenness is due our own
willful stubbornness and bad decisions. We fail to get
all the facts before we act, or we have bad habits and
attitudes that bring trouble on us. We sometimes allow
ourselves to be overcome by worldliness and the desires
of the flesh.
So too, our sin always has
consequences. We often bring them on ourselves. The good
news is that we have the power to change. There is
always opportunity for us to turn our lives around. We
can repent and go on in our walk with the Lord. We can
turn to Him and begin again, no matter what has plagued
us in the past.
The Lord sent His Son, Jesus Christ,
to save us from our sins and to restore us to right
standing with Him. Righteousness is available to each of
us, no matter how many times we sin and miss the mark.
We can always turn to our loving and merciful God in
repentance of our sins and experience total restoration.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the
devil and provide us with life in abundance. He said
that He wants us to prosper and be in health even as our
souls – our minds, wills and emotions – prosper. He
knows our human frailty, and is willing to provide us
with His very own strength and wisdom to meet every
perplexity in life.
Trust God
Job 16:20 “My friends scorn me: [but]
mine eye poureth out [tears] unto God.”
We cannot rely on our friends,
families or the church to heal our woundedness. And
while it is difficult to know what to do and who to turn
to in our pain, the worst thing we could ever do is run
from the Lord. The solution to our problems is to seek
help from the Creator and Savior of our bodies, souls
and spirits. While people may often let us down, God
will always lift us up and strengthen us. We can trust
Him with every area of our lives.
We must keep our problems in
perspective and look to the Lord as our solution. He
alone should be our source for total emotional and
spiritual healing, just as He is for physical
restoration. When we rely on other human beings to make
us happy or relieve our pain, we always come up short,
wanting and expecting more than they are capable of
giving us.
The cycle is then repeated with more
loss, pain and disappointment. The only remedy is to
overcome offense, exercise forgiveness, forget what lies
behind, and move forward in the Lord for healing and
wholeness to be restored. We need not go astray
in our hour of need. We can and must remain focused on
God as our source for healing.
It’s wise to leave the past in the
past. We should take from it what we need to learn, and
move onward and upward, if we would succeed in life. We
can overcome all physical, emotional and spiritual pain;
and replace it with what the Bible calls “the peace that
passes understanding.” We can rise above all sorts of
adversity with God’s help. It all starts with a quality
decision to trust Him for healing in every area of our
lives.
Psalm 42:3 “My tears have been my meat
day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where
[is] thy God?”
Although others sometimes ridicule us
for trusting in the Lord, we can be assured that He is
there for us, and is the source for our healing. He does
hear our cries, and He will meet all of our needs. He
will never leave us or forsake us. It is never a waste
of time to cry out to a loving and merciful God. Prayer
is our connector to His intimate love. His answer to
that prayer is always on time and appropriate.
God is love itself, and He
wants to lavish all that He is and all that He has on
us. He has made provision for our salvation and healing
in every area of our lives. He will strengthen and guide
us as we learn to overcome all adversity and suffering.
He will bind up all our wounds, lift our spirits and
restore our wholeness before our very eyes.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an
expected end.”
The Lord is involved in our present
situation and circumstances and concerned about our
future, as well. He has a great plan for our lives, and
always has our welfare in mind. He wants us healed and
intact, so that we can enjoy life and serve Him with
gladness and enthusiasm. He will remove all our
woundedness and make us whole again. If we will walk in
His ways and be attentive to His direction for our
lives, we will be totally restored.
Very soon we will reside in the
Kingdom of God on this earth. There will be no more pain
and sorrow, no disappointment or disillusionment. All
evil will be rooted out, and we will have joy and
comfort for our former suffering. We must overcome the
enemy that threatens to isolate and divide us in our
pain, and forego all unrighteousness in our dealing with
others. As a result, we will live together in love,
peace and unity with our God for all eternity.
Our Source For Healing
Psalm 39:12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my
tears…”
The first step towards healing begins
with a decision to reach out to God. The Lord hears our
cries, and He is compassionate to our pain. He meets us
just where we are, even if it’s in the pit of hell,
where we experience physical, emotional and spiritual
suffering. He will never leave us or forsake us; He is
our constant companion and our source for hope and
confidence in the future.
The Lord is ever merciful and kind. He
waits for us to come to the end of ourselves, and He is
right there to bind up our wounds. He sets our feet on a
straight path that leads to life and wholeness. He
delights in our health and well-being, our joy and our
peace. He wants us in a place where we rely on Him for
all that we require. He is ever loving and quick to
answer our prayers of affliction. He will partner with
us so that we will be able to overcome all adversity.
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Our spirits should cry out to our God
whenever we experience hardship and suffering of any
type. He offers a solution for every sorrow and failure.
He is interested in every area of our lives, and wants
only the best for each of us. We are intimately
connected to the Lord and one another. We should strive
for love, peace and joy in all of our relationships,
regardless of what we may be temporarily experiencing.
We cannot afford to be caught up in
our pain and isolate ourselves from God or the church
covering that He has provided for us. We all need
comfort and protection. There are divine destinies that
must be fulfilled in the days ahead that require us to
walk in strong unity with one another as we usher in the
Kingdom of God. So too, the law of love demands that we
have a sincere love for one another at all times.
There will be no pain or sorrow when
heaven comes to the earth. All evil will be destroyed
and banished from our midst. All our tears and
depression will become a thing of the past, blotted from
our memories for all time. There will be safety and
security for all who enter in to the Kingdom. We will
experience righteousness, peace and joy as we dwell with
the Lord and with one another in total love and unity
for all eternity.
Topics For Discussion
1. How The Enemy Attacks Us
2. Reasons For Woundedness
3. The Role Of Others In Our Healing
4. The Issue Of Good vs. Evil
5. How The Lord Responds To Our Needs
6. Our Source For Healing
7. Life In God’s Kingdom
Chapter 2 – Stray
Sheep
Psalm 119:175-176 “Let my soul live,
and it shall praise thee; and let they judgments help
me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy
servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.”
We are no surprise to our God; He
knows the frailty of the human condition. After all, He
created us. He knew from the foundation of the world,
that we would succumb to temptation and get sidetracked
in our problems. He also knew that we would be
disobedient to Him, forsake our fellowship with other
believers, and try to go it alone in life like stray
sheep. He will not leave us utterly defenseless, despite
our stubborness.
The Lord Himself will seek us out when
we step out of His will for our lives. We are not alone;
He will never leave us or forsake us. He is ever loving
and merciful; He wants nothing more than to comfort us
in our time of need. He will bind up our woundedness,
and restore all that the enemy has stolen from us. He
will protect us from future harm if we invite His
presence in our lives, and welcome His guidance and
direction for us.
Jeremiah 13:17 “But if ye will not
hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for [your]
pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with
tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away
captive.”
Fear and pride often keep us from
turning to God in our need. We may be afraid that He
will not hear our prayers because of our sin. We may be
too proud to ask anyone for help when we are suffering
in any way. What we must remember is that God will never
fail us as men often do. He is not the author of our
pain. He is not trying to teach us something through
adversity. Only hypocritical religious spirits say that,
and they are wrong.
The Lord loves us with an everlasting
love, and He suffers when we do. He sees our tears, and
He grieves when we are overcome by anything. His one
desire is to alleviate our pain and give us joy instead
of sorrow. It is not His will that even one of us should
go astray for any reason. He is ever ready to gather us
in and comfort us. All of heaven rejoices when we return
to the Lord and are reconciled with Him.
Psalm 43:5 “Why art thou cast down, O
my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in
God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of
my countenance, and my God.”
When we are suffering in any way, life
becomes very difficult for us. It loses its luster and
all of our relationships are affected. We abandon our
optimism and lose all hope. The strength of our spirit
man ultimately determines how well we will bear up under
this stress, and whether we will move forward or remain
stagnated in our pain. If we turn to others, they may
disappoint us, so we often turn to God in sheer
desperation.
It is true that when all you have left
is God, that God is all you need. He is the source of
our hope and confidence. We can always cry out to the
Lord, and He will comfort us and lead us into green
pastures. We are the sheep of His flock, and He loves us
unconditionally. He will protect and defend us against
every attack of the enemy, and heal all of our pain and
suffering. The Lord will restore us to health and
wholeness, so that we can serve Him in joy and gladness.
God will never reject us, no matter
how many times we have failed. He does not criticize us
for wandering away from Him and going astray like lost
sheep. He asks only that we come to our senses and
repent of our independence and unrighteousness. His
mercy is new every morning, and His love is everlasting.
He waits for us to wear ourselves out and seek Him for
all of our needs. He will never send us away empty
handed or disappointed.
Isaiah 25: 8-9 “He will swallow up
death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears
from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall
he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath
spoken [it]. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this
[is] our God; we have waited for him, and he will save
us: this [is] the LORD; we have waited for him, we will
be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
We don’t have to buy into sorrow and
brokenness when it comes on us. The Lord promises us
comfort, if only we will believe on Him and trust in His
provision for all of our needs. There is a solution that
was provided for us from the foundation of the world. He
sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to seek all the lost sheep
and gather them into safe pasture in His presence.
Adam’s transgression determined our
fate for all eternity, until Christ came as God in the
flesh to redeem and save us. He restored our
righteousness; He redeemed us from the curse. He
conquered sin, death and the grave so that we might have
life. All we have to do is call on Him, and He will meet
all our needs. We can make this life-changing decision
at any time we choose and be welcomed back into the
fold.
Christ came to take on all our
suffering and trade it for His peace and joy. This
divine exchange of pain for peace was an important
by-product of His suffering and death. He promises us
life in abundance, to the overflow, and He withholds no
good thing from us. Jesus will avenge us before all our
enemies and strengthen us in the power of His might. We
can be healed of all our pain and suffering to serve Him
in joy and gladness once again.
The Sheep Of His
Pasture
Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the LORD he
[is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we
ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his
pasture.”
There are many people that love God
who go astray for lack of proper shepherding. They are
spiritually wounded and desperate for God’s love. They
hop from church to church, looking for someone to
listen, understand and comfort them. While seeking human
fellowship is usually a good idea, maybe what they
really need is a deeper relationship with the Lord
Himself.
He is our creator and our provider; we
need not be self-sufficient. He wants us to depend on
Him for everything in our lives, from the minutest
detail to the greatest need we have. He wants to
fellowship with us on an intimate basis, and share all
our thoughts and concerns. He wants the opportunity to
demonstrate His deep abiding love for us in every area
of our lives. All we must do is trust Him and believe
that He is indeed capable of blessing us regardless of
our circumstances.
Psalm 95:7 “For he [is] our God; and
we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his
hand…”
We don’t ever have to feel alone and
desperate when we lose our church covering. We can seek
the face of God Himself at any time, and He will find us
wherever we are. We know, for a fact, that He will
provide all our needs, until we find a fellowship that
lines itself up with the Word of God, and ministers to
us in an appropriate way. Our relationship with Him
should always have top priority in our lives. He wants
to be our primary focus and the total supply for all or
needs, temporal, spiritual and relational.
The Lord wants us to experience total,
unconditional love that only He can provide. Jesus
called Himself the Good Shepherd and He proactively
searches out the lost and stray sheep. He gathers us in
to a place of safety and nurturance in Him. And while it
may lack human companionship for a time and a season, we
can be assured that He will fill the void in our lives
with His very own joy and peace.
The Divine Exchange
Isaiah 53:5 “But he [was] wounded for
our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed.”
Man is a spirit that has a soul –
mind, will and emotions – and lives in a body. We are
tri-part creatures that struggle for balance in our
earth walk, just as Jesus did during His life experience
with us. Christ laid His deity aside when He came to the
earth. Everything that He accomplished was as a mere man
walking in the power of God. He went through all that we
do and suffered just as we do in our lives.
Jesus’ victory over sin, death and the
grave provided for the redemption of every part of human
beings. He bore our infirmities and carried all of our
diseases, and by His stripes we were healed. This divine
exchange of sorrow for joy, and pain for healing, took
place thousands of years ago for our eternal benefit.
There is no need for us to bear any more pain and
suffering; Christ took all that on Himself for our
express benefit.
He conquered sin, so that our spirits
would be renewed to right standing with God. He overcame
temptation, disobedience and all human emotion so that
our souls would be redeemed. He bore our sickness and
destroyed death itself, so that our bodies would be
healed and that we would enjoy long and happy lives.
Psalm 116:8 “For thou hast delivered
my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, [and] my feet
from falling.”
Healing was provided for every part of
us two thousand years ago at Calvary; we need only lay
claim to it. Jesus Christ suffered and died so that we
don’t have to bear pain or affliction of any type. We
should experience healing in every area of our lives. We
must believe that we receive it totally and completely.
There is nothing that He cannot or will not do for those
who believe in Him and the power of His resurrection.
Jesus Himself comes to find us when we
go astray. He catches us when we fall, and comforts us
in our suffering. He offers us His peace in our
affliction, and hope and confidence for the future. He
is our total source for healing. With Christ, there is
no occasion for pain, sorrow and depression. He will
bring overwhelming joy to all those who love and trust
in Him. Our part is to believe in Him and appropriate
His promises for our lives.
The Lord is Our
Shepherd
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd,
and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.”
Jesus referred to Himself as the Good
Shepherd, and He called us His sheep. He used this
allegory to illustrate the intimate relationship that He
wants to have with us when we stray from the right path.
Shepherds are devoted to their flocks, just as He is
devoted to His followers. He will guide and protect
those under His care.
Christ loves us with an everlasting
love; He says He knows us and that we know Him. We can
and do hear His voice calling to us. We should tune out
all distraction and listen only to Him. We can respond
and follow Him into safe pasture with hope and
confidence that He will protect and defend us from every
attack of the enemy.
It may be that He is calling us to a
brief period of rest and refreshment in Him and Him
alone.
He may wish to root out certain sins
in us, heal our brokenness and give us a deeper
revelation of Himself. We should neither fear nor
attempt to escape His presence. There is peace and joy
to be found in fellowship with Him.
There are many wonderful lessons that
we learn through wilderness experiences, when we have
only the Lord for our intimate companion. He will teach
us His way of doing things, and help solve all our
perplexity. He will guide us in a straight path and give
us peace and joy for our former pain and sorrow.
Mark 6:34 “And Jesus, when he came
out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion
toward them, because they were as sheep not having a
shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”
Even today, the voice of Christ calls
to us. His love and compassion reach out to us and bring
us back to our right standing with the Lord. He reproves
us with gentleness and persuasion, so that we might
experience peace and wholeness in our relationship with
Him. He will never be harsh or callous to our needs.
He ministers to us as no one else can,
with love, mercy and compassion. Our Savior stands in
the gap when we are going astray in search of comfort or
meaning and truth. He intercedes on our behalf with the
Father, so that we might be healed and restored in God’s
love. He advocates for our rights and privileges and
delivers all His promises to us.
Jesus teaches us Kingdom principles in
the written Word of God, so that we have sound
guidelines for living victorious lives, both now and for
the future. All we need to do is to develop our
relationship with Him through prayer and meditation. We
can and will hear His voice so that we will never be in
danger or without direction again.
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-16 “I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
But he that is an hireling, and not
the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the
wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The
hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth
not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my
[sheep], and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me,
even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for
the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this
fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my
voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.”
There are many pastoral leaders who
are false shepherds that pretend to care for us, but end
up abandoning us when things go wrong or opposition from
the enemy comes. So too, some have mixed motives in
church leadership and need to realign their priorities.
Others may be abusive or neglectful. It is easy for us
to become confused and disillusioned when we have a need
and no church to back us up. It is then when we are most
likely to go astray.
We can rest assured that Jesus Christ
is the Good Shepherd. He will never leave us or forsake
us. The Bible tells us that He said He would be with us
until the end of the world as we know it. That means we
can rely on Him to lead us and guide us in our daily
lives for all eternity. He will arrange our contacts so
that we find the perfect human support and church
fellowship for our particular situation and
circumstances, as well.
Lawlessness and
Rebellion Forbidden
2Thessalonians 2:10-12 “And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
When we are hurting and desperate for
comfort, it’s easy to fall prey to the lies of the enemy
and develop a spirit of rebellion and lawlessness that
resists those in authority, sometimes even God Himself.
As human beings, we sometimes lay blame on others for
our misfortune, and we lash out at those who can help us
the most. We cannot succumb to this. It only brings
strife and division in our relationships, and causes us
to be avoided by others.
The enemy would deceive us, if
possible, into thinking that our church doesn’t care
about us, or that our pastoral leader is insensitive to
our needs. More often than not, people do not understand
what we need at the time we need it, or they may be ill
equipped and unprepared to help us. They might feel
awkward and at a loss for what to say and do. And while
they may appear not to care, they are simply unsure of
how to relieve our suffering.
We should not be deluded into thinking
that only our needs matter. We should be tolerant of
others’ needs and feelings as well as our own, despite
what we might be going through. We are all connected to
one another and we should strive for peace and unity. We
are one in Christ and called to good works. We can learn
from our individual and shared experiences, and try to
bridge the gap between us with compassion and
understanding.
Corinthians 10:32 “Give none offence,
neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the
church of God:”
When one of us hurts in any way, the
entire group suffers to an extent. At times like this,
it is easy for the enemy to make access to the church
with a spirit of offense. We should neither give offense
to others, or receive it in any way. We must take a
strong stand against anything that would divide us. We
must always strive for a spirit of cooperation and
mutual up building in our churches. This promotes
fellowship and protects the anointing on the work.
The Lord withdraws His presence, His
power and glory where there are spirits of offense,
dispute and division. He abhors chaos and confusion; He
is a God of peace and order. He will not tolerate
controversy or disorder in our ranks. We are His family
and He insists that we walk in love at all times. He
expects that we at least try to provide comfort and
encouragement to one another in our suffering, and be
tolerant of our individual differences.
We must purposely think the best of
others, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. We
should build bridges in our relationships rather than
walls of self-interest. Just because we are hurting, it
doesn’t give us the right to hurt others. We cannot find
fault, gossip, criticize and condemn others for not
meeting our needs, just how and when we think they
should be met.
Although our needs are a priority with
us, they are not always the most important issue that a
church body faces. We should exercise patience and
understanding if we would like to receive help from
either our church leader or his ministry team. In the
mean time, we can always rely on the Lord to heal us and
provide comfort in our pain. We have an open invitation
to approach the throne of God with every need.
Respect For Spiritual
Authority Commanded
1Thessalonians 5:11-15 “Wherefore
comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even
as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know
them which labour among you, and are over you in the
Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly
in love for their work's sake. [And] be at peace among
yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that
are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak,
be patient toward all [men]. See that none render evil
for evil unto any [man]; but ever follow that which is
good, both among yourselves, and to all [men].”
We should have respect for those in
spiritual authority over us, even if they may be unable
to meet all our needs. It could very well be that they
do not have the education or experience to deal with our
particular problems. Except in the case of blatantly
abusive or neglectful pastoral leadership, we must never
criticize or pass judgment on those who lead us in the
church. Instead, we ought to cooperate with and pray for
those in leadership over us.
We should always assume that our
pastoral leaders seek the Lord and hear from Him, before
they attempt to engage us in any dialogue that they deem
necessary. They will never criticize or condemn us.
Their intent should never be to harm us, but rather, to
bring us back into full fellowship, and ease our pain
and confusion. We should welcome their help and
cooperate wherever possible. Their intentions are
usually pure, and their motives are loving and
unselfish.
Sometimes we require exhortation or a
word of admonition to get us back on the right track.
Other times a word of encouragement supplies our needs.
Still other times, prayer and intercession can solve
most of our problems. Whatever the case, we ought to
permit our pastoral leadership an opportunity to
minister to us before we give up and decide to bail out
on our church covering altogether.
Handling Controversy In
The Church
Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do
good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
Although we may desire peace and unity
in our hearts, there are some instances when our
presence in a church causes us discomfort or may even
create controversy in the fellowship. It may be that the
leadership and congregation are split in their thinking
or have contradictory goals. It could be that
communication is the issue, or that man-made rules have
somehow slipped in to hold us in bondage.
Perhaps we have grown in the Lord and
are no longer being fed as we should be. It may be that
the gospel message has been compromised and watered down
to appeal to men rather than to glorify God. Whatever
the case, we must exercise our God-given discernment and
decide if the Lord wants us in that particular church
environment over another that may better meet our needs.
That decision must never be made in
anger or in haste, without taking the time and effort to
seek the Lord’s will for our lives. He arranges our
divine connections to suit His plan and purpose. We have
a divine destiny; He will direct our path and give us
wisdom. Everything that God tells us to do will line up
with His Word, and result in peace and unity for all
concerned.
We may ask for a meeting with the
pastoral minister and/or his leadership team. If a
church values the thoughts and opinions of its
congregants, then dialogue is encouraged. If this is not
the case, then we have no choice but to remain silent.
We should perhaps choose to fellowship with others of
like precious faith elsewhere. In all situations, we are
called to love and peace regardless of the outcome.
When It’s Time To Go
While we may decide to leave a
particular church, that leaves us no right to cause
chaos and confusion in our departure. We should never
find fault or lay blame on others. We must not gossip or
disturb the comfort and peace of the fellowship of
believers as a whole. What we decide to do should remain
between the Lord and us. To avoid conflict, strife and
division, it is wise to remain silent and leave quietly.
Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Although it may seem that we are
without direction, we should always seek the Lord for
His guidance in locating a new church home. We should
never try to go it alone; we all need and deserve a
corporate cover and we require the Lord’s guidance for
our lives. When we isolate ourselves from other
believers we set ourselves up for a vicious attack by
the enemy. We become vulnerable to more pain and
suffering.
The devil wants us to think that no
one cares about us, but the Lord always has a perfect
plan for His people. He will reveal His purpose for us
and direct us in all our paths. He will arrange for
divine connections and meet all our needs for sound
teaching and joyous, peaceful fellowship. We should not
ever feel like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord will
always lead us into safe pasture in His presence.
Topics For Discussion
1. Reasons For Stray Sheep
2. The Sheep Of His Pasture
3. The Divine Exchange
4. Christ As Our Shepherd
5. Respect For Spiritual Authority
6. Handling Controversy In The Church
7. When It’s Time To Go
Chapter 3 – False
Shepherds
Jeremiah 50:6 “My people hath been
lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go
astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains:
they have gone from mountain to hill, they have
forgotten their restingplace.”
There are many spiritually wounded
people today who have been victimized in organized
churches, and betrayed by their pastors and the
congregations alike. They have loved God and others and
trusted their corporate coverings, yet ended up on the
outside looking in. These are men and women that are
devoted to the Lord and have the Holy Spirit operating
in their lives. They are simply different from the norm
and may have other beliefs and opinions.
They are not in rebellion, but rather,
hurting and disappointed because of what they perceive
as unfair treatment. They do not require admonition or
re-direction in the Word. However, they desperately need
to be rescued from false shepherds and overly religious,
controlling Christians who may have caused or aggravated
their spiritual woundedness.
Religious spirits hold people in
bondage and the Lord is strongly against that. Some
believers have different denominational backgrounds, and
hold to different doctrines of the faith. Some may have
experienced harsh, judgmental words from the pulpit.
They may be the brunt of backbiting and gossip from
fellow church members. They may have been bludgeoned
when they experienced personal losses, instead of
comforted in the love of the Lord.
Some are made to feel guilty when they
miss the mark, instead of guided back on the right path.
They may not have been gently corrected, with words of
persuasion rather than accusation. They may have been
wrongly judged, mercilessly condemned and overly
criticized. Their pain and disillusionment are real and
should not be dismissed as unimportant. Whenever any of
us suffer in any way, the welfare of the entire group is
jeopardized.
Pastoral Abuse
Ezekiel 34:4 “The diseased have ye not
strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was
sick, neither have ye bound up [that which was] broken,
neither have ye brought again that which was driven
away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but
with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.”
Many individuals have been browbeaten
by overbearing pastors and religious congregations, that
attempt to silence or control them if they question
certain beliefs or what goes on in the church. If they
offer their input, criticism or advice, they are
stripped of their dignity and told that they are not
hearing from God as the others do. They are victimized
by elitist spirits that attempt to silence them and
minimize their importance.
If they disagree with the leadership,
they are told that they do not support the work. They
are often denied a voice, and attempts are made to
override their free will to believe as they wish. If
they choose to leave the church, they are told that they
are being rebellious and that they will bring punishment
on themselves. They are denied a voice and faced with a
dilemma – to remain in bondage or go it alone.
All of these tactics are excessive and
may even be construed as abusive. Regardless of the
circumstances and motivation, the Lord holds the
shepherd of the flock responsible for every stray sheep
that results from these and similar efforts to coerce,
manipulate and control. God Himself created us with free
will and He never overrides it; He will not permit us to
abuse that in our dealings with others either.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false
prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
There’s a trend towards the prophetic
in the church today, and many traveling prophets and
evangelists are offering so-called “personal prophecies”
for monetary contributions. They show favoritism by
ministering only to the affluent that can afford to pay
them. They spurn the Lord by offering His anointing for
hire. The fact remains that they may not even have a
true prophetic gift at all. They will be subjected to a
fearsome judgment from the Lord for these deceptive
practices that fleece the sheep.
So too, some leaders of organized
churches are intent only on fame and fortune. They are
in the ministry for what they can glean from it. They
may have ambitious aspirations to run mega-churches.
They desire prestige or power, besides a comfortable
life style, rather than approval from the Lord. These
people constantly preach money and show partiality to
those in their fellowships that make large offerings.
They place heavy financial burdens on their congregants
without regard for their personal circumstances.
Some pastors, teachers and evangelists
preach a social gospel, where the Word of God is
compromised and watered down to please people rather
than God. Their seeker-friendly fellowships may never
experience correction or admonition of any kind, even
when they need it. While they may have large
congregations as a result, the Lord insists that His
sheep be fed both the pure and undefiled milk of the
Word and the meat of it. He does not approve of diluting
the gospel with man-made traditions that flatter and
deceive.
The Word of God should never be sold
or compromised in any way. To do so is both risky and
blasphemous. Lack of genuine concern for their
congregations usually ends up bringing judgment on these
types of false shepherds. They lose their anointing and
their effectiveness to lead. In some instances, they are
removed from their positions, but not until they have
caused tremendous damage to the flock as a whole.
The Lord is passing swift judgment on
the pastoral leaders and traveling mercenaries who
fleece or mislead His sheep. They will be held
accountable for every believer that is beguiled,
misinformed, injured or goes astray as a result of their
actions. Rather than receiving an eternal reward, they
will receive eternal judgment for their failure to line
up with godly standards of pastoral conduct.
Pastoral Neglect
Jeremiah 23:1-2 “Woe be unto the
pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD
God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people;
Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and
have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the
evil of your doings, saith the LORD.”
The Lord is dismayed when even one
believer goes astray due to abusive pastoral leadership.
Screaming and threatening from the pulpit is pompous and
sanctimonious abuse. Flogging the sheep is anti-Christ,
and will be severely punished. To add insult to injury,
these church leaders often fail to determine why their
congregation is diminishing, either through absenteeism
or attrition. They may be so caught up in their own
agendas that they are oblivious to what is happening all
around them.
Some neglect to investigate what’s
become of the people after they leave their churches,
and they disregard the consequences that may result from
the loss of a church covering. Their people are often
led astray and become prey for enemy attack on their
lives. Pastoral leaders have a tremendous responsibility
to their flocks that comes with the privilege of
leadership and authority. If they are not careful and
focused on their congregation’s needs, they may be
guilty of both abuse and neglect, and the Lord
will hold them strictly accountable for their lack of
love.
Matthew 18:12-13 “How think ye? if a
man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone
astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth
into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone
astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto
you, he rejoiceth more of that [sheep], than of the
ninety and nine which went not astray.”
You would think that the pastor of a
church today would make the time to get to know and
minister to the needs of those in His fold. You would
expect him to go after those who stray and be glad when
they are restored. But all too often, he is intent only
on impressing the members of the church board and the
leaders in his congregation.
He may have a personal agenda, worldly
goals and ambitions that simply don’t permit the time
and energy he needs to pastor those under his care.
Maybe he is writing books or televising His sermons.
Perhaps he makes a pretense of caring, but actually does
as little as possible to minister to the needs of the
people in a real and practical manner.
In this instance, the sheep themselves
should not be blamed for rising up in protest or going
astray; the greater responsibility lies with the
shepherd who fails to lead and guide them in genuine
love and concern. He may have abdicated His pastoral
role altogether. Though he may preach the gospel, it
holds no power for him. He considers himself spiritually
superior, and he fails to walk as a humble servant as
Jesus did.
The false shepherd abandons the lost
and forsaken. He fails to visit the sick or comfort
those who mourn. He does not administer aid or
encouragement to the suffering in his congregation. He
disdains those in his charge that may have destructive
habits and addictions. He avoids relationship counseling
and is lacking in compassion for those he is supposed to
serve.
Christ set a high standard of behavior
for church leadership. He told His followers that a
shepherd should go in search of every lost sheep and
bring him or her back into the fold. It ought to be a
normal prudent ministerial practice to follow up on
every believer that disappears from a fellowship, and a
cause for rejoicing whenever they are reconciled to the
church body.
Examine Your Motives
Zechariah 11:3-5 “[There is] a voice
of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is
spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the
pride of Jordan is spoiled. Thus saith the LORD my God;
Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose possessors slay
them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell
them say, Blessed [be] the LORD; for I am rich: and
their own shepherds pity them not.”
Many false shepherds object when their
leadership practices are questioned or challenged. This
should not be the case. They are required, rather, to
examine their motives and methods, and gladly make the
changes necessary to ensure that the needs of their
congregations are met. People should take priority over
private agendas, and a minister of the gospel should
realize this.
The average church member may suffer
health problems, death in the family, broken
relationships, loss of home or job, and various other
setbacks. The pastor may be content to have his needs
met, yet lacks compassion for the needs of others –
especially the members of his church that incur pain and
hardship.
Dealing with their problems may be too
time consuming, or make him feel uncomfortable. Or in
some instances, perhaps he is ill equipped to deal with
certain issues. In that case, he should refer his
congregants to other professionals that can provide the
help they need, while he ministers to their spiritual
requirements in love and compassion. It is not
acceptable that he totally abdicates his role in their
lives when things go wrong for them.
Ezekiel 34:1-10
The book of Ezekiel, Chapter 34,
delivers a scathing commentary from the Lord to all
false shepherds that not only cause their flocks to be
dispersed, but also fail to go after and seek the lost.
If you are in organized church leadership, you may want
to delve into an in-depth study of it for yourself and
seek the Lord to discover how you measure up to His
standards.
Ezekiel 34:1-3 “And the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against
the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe [be] to
the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should
not the shepherds feed the flocks?”
There is a stricter personal
accountability for those who preach and teach, than
there is for the average believer. The Bible says that,
“to those whom much is given, much is expected.” If a
church leader is more learned in the Word than the
members of his congregation, he is responsible to feed
the flock accurately with what he himself has learned.
He should put his faith into action and be a living
example of love and truth.
The gospel must never be diluted for
any reason. It should be preached in its full power and
authority, yet geared to the level of understanding of
the average listener. If a man of God receives direct
revelation from the Lord, he is obligated to share it
with his church members in an appropriate manner that
will edify and exhort them. He should not be intent on
winning friends and a following. His desire should be to
share the revelatory truth with others, as it is shared
with Him by the Lord Himself.
If a pastoral leader is truly called
and anointed of God, He ought to preach the
uncompromised Word of God with all attending signs and
wonders in a genuine and impartial manner. Healing and
prophecy should never be offered for hire; they are free
gifts of God, meant to be shared with His people at no
cost or obligation to them. The anointing will take
leave of impure vessels, and the Lord will never permit
His glory to be offered for sale.
Ezekiel 34:3 “Ye eat the fat, and ye
clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed:
[but] ye feed not the flock.”
A ministry professional that has a
legitimate calling to teach, preach and pastor, enjoys
the very anointing of the Lord; he should not be greedy
or power-hungry. His services should never be offered
for hope of personal gain. He should lay down his
personal agendas in favor of the Lord’s plan and purpose
for his life. He should be a humble servant to all men
as Christ Himself walked on the earth.
The power of Jesus Christ and the
gospel of the Kingdom are not for rent, lease or sale.
While the gifts and callings of God may be without
repentance, they can and will be stripped from the
unworthy and given to another more suitable steward. The
Lord expects that His anointed use their gifts for the
express benefit of others.
Ezekiel 34:4 “The diseased have ye not
strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was
sick, neither have ye bound up [that which was] broken,
neither have ye brought again that which was driven
away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but
with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.”
Many leaders of churches today have a
form of religion with no real anointing power to back
them up. There is a deploring lack of the manifestations
of the Holy Spirit in their meetings. Healing is
missing; the captives are not set free; the Gospel of
the Kingdom is not preached. Revelation and prophecy are
unheard of in their churches. Speaking in tongues is
discouraged and the people perish for lack of knowledge.
Their fellowships are cheated out of
the very things that the Lord wants to impart to them
for their edification and spiritual maturity. They may
have a middle-of-the-road, social gospel preached to
them, with no power in it. Their individual gifts and
callings may stagnate. They are compelled to go
elsewhere for healing, deliverance and the good news of
Jesus Christ. They may be oppressed and cursed due to
the absence of the Holy Spirit in their midst.
While some ministers may go to the
opposite extreme and preach a gospel of hell fire and
damnation to their congregations, they often hold
themselves above the very advice they mete out. Their
attitudes and behaviors may be subject to scrutiny as
they engage in the very acts they condemn. This is a
hypocritical attitude that the Lord abhors, and He will
judge them according to the standards by which they
judge others.
Ezekiel 34:5-6 “And they were
scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they
became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they
were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the
mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was
scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did
search or seek [after them].”
The Lord has seen both the flagrant
abuse and purposeful neglect of false shepherds, and He
will no longer tolerate it. Without sound leadership,
believers are left as prey for the enemy to attack them.
They need and deserve a safe corporate covering to
shelter and protect them. The shepherd is responsible to
provide that for his flock. If he is not up to the
challenge, then he should resign his post, rather than
abdicating it in avoidance of responsibility.
Ezekiel 34:7-10 “Therefore, ye
shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; [As] I live, saith
the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and
my flock became meat to every beast of the field,
because [there was] no shepherd, neither did my
shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed
themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O ye
shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against the shepherds; and I
will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to
cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the
shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver
my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for
them.”
Jesus continually passed judgment on
the Pharisees and Sadducees who hypocritically called
themselves church leaders. He loathed their
self-righteousness and their pride, and He repeatedly
condemned their leadership methods. They set impossibly
high standards for the people. They brow beat them with
a spirit of control, but held themselves to very
different standards. They taught in word only, and not
by example.
So too, the Lord passes a strong
indictment on pastoral leaders today who let their sheep
stray and become prey to the enemy for any reason. He
says that He will remove the false shepherds and rescue
His sheep. The leaders will no longer feed off the
innocent under their care. The Lord Himself will gather
us in and provide for our needs.
Ezekiel 34:15-16 “I will feed my
flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord
GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again
that which was driven away, and will bind up [that which
was] broken, and will strengthen that which was sick:
but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed
them with judgment.”
Babylonian religious systems with
their hypocritical leaders are being destroyed because
they have kept God’s people in bondage. Instead of
showing love and compassion, they used and abused, or
ignored and neglected, those under their guidance. The
leadership they provided failed to line up with the Word
of God. Those who exploit the sheep or cause them to
stray will be severely judged and punished.
The Lord Himself will care for His
sheep. He will seek the lost, and bring back those who
were driven away by the false shepherds. He will heal
all the brokenhearted and strengthen the weak. And He
will avenge all the wrongs that were done to His beloved
sheep by enemies in the pulpit.
Ezekiel 34:31 “And ye my flock, the
flock of my pasture, [are] men, [and] I [am] your God,
saith the Lord GOD.”
This is the Lord’s promise to His
sheep. He will raise up a righteous remnant of church
leaders from all denominations and spiritual callings in
the days ahead. These men and women will go forth and
seek the lost and the wounded, both inside and outside
the church. They will be His hands and His feet on the
earth.
They will serve the Lord faithfully in
spirit and in truth. They will show no partiality in
their dealings with their followers. They will encourage
peace and unity in their churches, and they will feed
the flock both the milk and the meat of God’s Word. They
will minister the Word of the Lord with love and
conviction rather than judgment and condemnation.
These men and women of God will
demonstrate healing, miraculous signs and wonders, as
they preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. They
will help bring in the full harvest of souls that is
required. They will heal all who are infirm, and they
will set the captives free of all enemy oppression, and
help usher their sheep into safe pasture for all
eternity.
Babylon Falling
1Samuel 2:4 “The bows of the mighty
men [are] broken, and they that stumbled are girded with
strength.”
The Lord has a high standard set for
pastoral leadership today. He expects a man of God to
walk in love and integrity, as a living example to those
in his care. He will pass severe judgment on those who
fail to feed, guide and protect their sheep. He will be
relentless in His punishment of those who abuse their
power with greed and fame as their goals.
But the sheep themselves, He will
personally rescue and strengthen. Not a single soul will
be lost that is intended for the Kingdom of God. The
Lord will appoint new shepherds to care for His flock.
They will lead by godly example and reprove with love
and gentleness. They will never criticize or condemn
those under their care; they will lead them into safe
pasture.
Jeremiah 23:4 “And I will set up
shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they
shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they
be lacking, saith the LORD.”
Many organized religions and
established churches are failing. The reason lies in the
fact that the pulpit is being used as an instrument for
personal gain and/or abuse of power. The gospel is being
diluted and watered down so much, that we have a form of
religion with no power in it. It is offered for sale,
rather than freely given to all men in search of the
truth.
The Lord Himself is destroying the
spirit of religion and man-made doctrines that are
holding His people in bondage. He will ensure that the
anointing leaves both the power hungry and the greedy
before the flock is permanently damaged. He will not
permit His precious sheep to be destroyed for lack of
knowledge or due to enemies in the pulpit.
There will be a new breed of church
leaders that rise up in the days ahead. They will seek
the Lord for their agendas, and have pure, undefiled
motivation to serve the church that they shepherd.
Instead of manipulating and controlling their
congregations, they will preach the uncompromised Word
of God and the Gospel of the Kingdom. They will lead in
love and by example, and their reputations will precede
them in attracting many new believers to the faith.
The very power and anointing of Jesus
Christ Himself will follow them in their ministry, as
they work miraculous healings, signs and wonders for the
benefit of their followers. They will do the work of
Christ as He commissions them, and the Kingdom of God
will be advanced tremendously to demonstrate the glory
of God on the earth.
1Samuel 2:10 “The adversaries of the
LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he
thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the
earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and
exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Organized religion will be shaken to
its very foundations in the days ahead. The Lord will
not tolerate lukewarm churches that have no regard for
their flocks. He will set up Jesus Christ as the
righteous judge of both sheep and shepherds. He will
topple all the proud and lofty that mistreat or misguide
His people. He is a jealous God and His love for the
sheep is inestimable.
He will replace greed and apathy in
pastoral leadership with shepherds that truly care for
their sheep, the very least to the greatest of them.
They will minister in love and concern for the needs of
the people. The gospel will no longer be watered down
for selfish purposes. The Kingdom of God with all its
promises will be preached, and people’s lives will
change as never before.
Feeding The Flock
1Peter 5:2 “Feed the flock of God
which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not
by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but
of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over [God’s]
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the
chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away.”
This is sound advice to all pastoral
leaders that would line up with Kingdom standards and be
eternally rewarded for their efforts. Christ is coming
back for His church, and to destroy all the ungodly and
their ungodliness. Will He find shepherds who are
earnest and sincere, or will He find hypocrisy and
flagrant disobedience among them?
A minister of the gospel should
willingly and devotedly embrace his duties. While he may
have initially been assigned to his post by elders in
the church, he should never serve under obligation or
constraint. He should preach the uncompromised Word of
God and the Gospel of the Kingdom with sincerity and
conviction. So too, he must be a living testimony to
Jesus Christ in all that He says and does. He should
walk in love and concern for those in his charge and
protect the flock under his care.
Judgment has already begun with the
household of God. The Lord is holding us to much higher
standards of accountability than He has in the past. He
will no longer blink the eye at evil in us. When Christ
appears, our judgment will be consummated. He will bring
both punishments and rewards for those called of God to
lead and minister to others.
Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That
except your righteousness shall exceed [the
righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
The Lord is calling pastoral leaders
to increased righteousness and a spirit of excellence in
all that they do. They should be dedicated to the needs
of their congregations. They must be preaching the
Kingdom message, instead of popular folklore and the
traditions of men. They should never water down the
gospel to appease others. They are being carefully
scrutinized, and will be held accountable for all of
their sheep that go astray in search of the truth.
So too, the Babylonian spirit of
controlling religion is coming down. God’s people will
no longer be brow beaten or held in bondage to lies. The
Holy Spirit is searching out those leaders who are pure
in heart and dedicated to God’s Word. There will be no
sham or pretense as we enter into the Kingdom of God on
this earth. All pastoral leaders will walk in love and
truth, or be ultimately disqualified. Christ Himself
will be the Shepherd to His flock all around the world.
Topics For Discussion
1. Pastoral Abuse
2. Pastoral Neglect
3. Fleecing The Sheep
4. Discuss The Lord’s View Of The Shepherd’s Role
5. Ezekiel 34
6. Babylon Falling
7. Feeding The Flock Appropriately
Chapter 4 – Christ As The Good Shepherd
John 10:1-6 “Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the
sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a
thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door
is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth;
and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own
sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth
forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep
follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know
not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus
unto them: but they understood not what things they were
which he spake unto them.”
Jesus spoke in parables so that His
followers would be able to understand the basic
principles of the Kingdom of God. But sometimes they had
difficulty even with the parables. Not everyone has
“spiritual ears.” That is something we cultivate as we
go into a deeper relationship with the Lord. We are then
enabled to hear the Word of God through the power of the
Holy Spirit, and process the information correctly.
Christ warned His disciples about
false shepherds. They may have no divine calling or
legitimate right to be leading the people of God. They
enter into our fellowships using stealth and
deceptiveness to impress their congregants. Then they
use and abuse those under their care. Their lives do not
line up with the Word of God, and they have no good
fruits in their ministry.
Spiritual elitists would have us
believe that they have superior insight and revelation
than we do. Controlling religious people can mislead us
with man-made doctrines that keep us in continual
bondage. They pervert the Gospel of the Kingdom for
their own selfish purposes, and lay heavy rules and
burdens on men that are impossible to bear.
There are many voices that call out to
us. They can take us in a variety of directions – mostly
where we don’t want to go. Church leadership may have
endless opinions about how we can change our lives. They
often criticize and condemn. They threaten, manipulate
and coerce. They do not use godly example or gentle
persuasion to impact the lives of others.
The good news is that Jesus Christ
Himself will shepherd, guide and protect us from false
shepherds of all types. He will deliver us from all
bondage and lead us into all truth in Him. We will hear
His voice – and His alone – which gives us clear-cut
revelation and direction for our lives. We can practice
hearing the voice of Christ at any time and never be
misled again.
Matthew 9:36 “But when he saw the
multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them,
because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as
sheep having no shepherd.
The Lord wants to set us free to enjoy
safe pasture. It may not be easy, but it is simple. We
can hear the voice of Jesus and have a clear-cut path
for our lives. Christ is our living example of
righteous, victorious living. He continues to call out
to us today, and we are able to hear His voice clearly,
both in the written Word of God and in our spirit man.
Prayer, meditation, Bible study,
praise and worship all take us into a deeper
relationship with Jesus. As we grow in intimacy with
Him, we are assured that we will hear His voice every
time He speaks. The enemy will not harm us, as we walk
in His very own hedge of protection. He is fair and
just, and will never lead us into paths of harm or
destruction.
Christ loves us and goes before us as
the Good Shepherd. We should seek His lead and follow
Him wherever He takes us. We must be careful to follow
His law of love for God and for one another. Obedience
to what He says promises us safety and security, joy and
peace. We will share in His grace and favor in all that
we do, now and in the Kingdom of God.
Enter through the door
of the sheep.
John 10:7-9 “Then said Jesus unto them
again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of
the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and
robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door:
by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall
go in and out, and find pasture.”
Jesus referred to Himself as “the Way,
the Truth and the Life.” He also says that He is the
door of the sheep. Through belief in Him, we are saved
and made righteous before God. We have access to the
throne of grace at any time. When we pray, we know that
God always hears us. If we have faith, we know that He
answers our prayers.
We enjoy an intimate relationship with
the Creator of the universe and His Son, Jesus Christ.
We are joint-heirs with Christ to all the promises of
God. We are literally seated with Christ in heavenly
places, far above all demonic influence. The Lord
supplies all our needs, and provides us with the
resources we need to live healthy, happy and prosperous
lives.
When we fall for any reason, Christ
Himself comes looking for us. He is the author and
finisher of our faith, the Bible tells us. He leads us
to righteousness in Him again. He intercedes on our
behalf and restores our relationship with God. We have
the opportunity to repent and get it right, not just
once, but as many times as it takes to reach spiritual
maturity.
Abundant Life
John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but
for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have [it]
more abundantly.”
The thief referred to here is the
devil, the very enemy of our souls. He works through
other people, and comes at our minds, wills and
emotions. He attacks our bodies with lying infirmities,
and often blinds us to the truth. He hinders our
blessings and tries to keep us in bondage. He will do
everything in His power to prevent us from knowing the
truth.
Satan is real, and we should not
underestimate his power to influence our lives. He is a
fallen spirit that wants to wreak havoc in whatever he
touches. He hates us because God loves us, and his
mission is to destroy all that God values. The good news
is that he is a defeated foe, and we have been given
total dominion over him in our lives.
Christ made an open show of Satan and
all his minions on the cross through His victory over
sin, death and the grave. The Bible tells us that Jesus
actually went to hell when He died, because He took all
our sin on Himself at His death. The good news is that
He also rose from the dead and was resurrected back to
life. He is our model for righteous living, the pattern
Son of God and the first-born of many sons and daughters
who walk in power and authority as He does.
Jesus’ resurrection assures us that we
will have life in abundance. All of our needs will be
met, both spiritual and temporal. We can live by Kingdom
principles in the here and now, and we can look forward
to unlimited joy, peace, safety and security in the
Kingdom of God as it is ushered in on the earth in the
days to come.
1Peter 2:25 “For ye were as sheep
going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls.”
We have a responsibility to seek the
Lord in all our ways. While we once may have had an
excuse for going astray, the truth constrains us to
re-think our position and follow Jesus Christ wherever
He takes us. When the Lord reveals His ways to us, we
are obliged to walk in the light and knowledge that we
have. To do anything less is sin, and breaks our
fellowship with God. Without Him in our lives we are
pitiful and powerless.
There is no excuse for failing to
follow Jesus Christ. He died to bring us righteousness.
He judges with fairness and equity. He offers us wisdom
and power to change our lives, and He assures us of
total victory. He Himself will gather us in for a safe
and secure future in His Kingdom. He will teach us to
love God more intimately, and to walk in peace and unity
with one another for all eternity.
Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of
peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in you that which is
wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom
[be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Paul prayed that the followers of
Christ would be worthy and acceptable in His sight. We
have the Blood of Christ that has made us righteous, and
the Name of Christ in which to be victorious.
The Lord Himself strengthens us with
the same resurrection power that He used to raise Jesus
from the dead. Through Christ, we can strive for
holiness and spiritual perfection, and overcome our
flesh, the world and the devil.
Walking in peace and unity with our
fellow man is not an option. We are obligated to love
the Lord and love others as we love ourselves. We will
press on in good works towards full maturity in Christ,
as the harvest of souls approaches, and He ushers in His
Kingdom on the earth. We will preach the gospel to all
men, heal the sick and set captives free of enemy
oppression. This will bring honor and glory to the Lord
as our Chief Shepherd.
Psalm 23
The 23rd Psalm talks about Jesus as
the Good Shepherd who provides all our needs. He offers
us rest in our weariness, strength instead of fear, and
vengeance from our enemies. This Psalm is a type and
shadow of what we can expect as we enter the safe
pasture of the Kingdom of God on the earth. We should
study it out for the insight it provides about our
intimate relationship with Christ as the Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I
shall not want.”
Jesus Christ is our
sufficiency; He will supply all our needs. We can rely
on Him to intercede for us with the Father, and ensure
that all our prayers are answered. We will never know
want from an all-generous, loving God who provides for
us in abundance according to His riches in glory.
Psalm 23:2 “He maketh
me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside
the still waters.”
Christ offers peace
for our souls and spirits. In Him we have rest and
refreshment, regardless of our situations and
circumstances. We live in His very presence, and He
leads and guides us into whatever we need to be at peace
with ourselves and with others.
Psalm 23:3 “He
restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name’s sake.”
The Lord restores all that was taken
from us. He heals our minds, wills and emotions. He
leads us into His righteousness, so that we succeed in
every area of our lives. He gives us power over sin and
teaches us to overcome the world. He teaches us
righteousness in His law of love. We do it all for Him
and because of Him.
Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they
comfort me.”
We need not fear anything, not even
death. The Lord walks by our side through all we
experience. His rod of gentle correction is meant to
guide us and keep us on the right path. His staff is
meant to assure us of His authority and power. They are
both a source of comfort to us as they give us
boundaries and guidelines for righteous living.
Psalm 23:5 “Thou preparest a table for
me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my
head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
The Lord raises us up even in the
midst of our enemies. He will take vengeance for us; we
need not avenge ourselves. He exalts us and rewards us.
He meets all our temporal, spiritual and emotional needs
to the overflow. We receive even more than we could ever
ask or think.
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
The Lord showers us with loving
kindness and mercy. He provides us with all good things.
We dwell with Him in love and righteousness now, and we
will live with Him forever in the Kingdom of God on the
earth.
Christ Provides All Our
Needs
3John 1:2 “Beloved, I wish above all
things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even
as thy soul prospereth.”
We cannot enjoy health, happiness and
prosperity in every area of our lives until we lay down
our souls and overcome our fleshly desires. We must
learn to discipline and control our minds, wills and
emotions, and subdue our bodies. Our spirit man should
always be in the ascendancy to our soul and our body.
We have to get over ourselves by
seeking the Lord, and relying on his power and strength
to help us overcome in every area of our lives. When we
seek Him, we will never leave the same, but become
better in every way. We will strive for holiness and
perfection, and reach full spiritual maturity with
Christ as our role model.
The Lord wants to lavish all good
things on us. As our souls prosper, He can do this and
meet our needs more abundantly than we could ever ask or
think. But it will cost us everything to gain
everything. We should be willing to sacrifice our own
personal goals and desires, in favor of the Lord’s plan
and purpose for our lives. We have divine destinies that
will impact the world around us now and for all
eternity.
Joy And Gladness
Isaiah 51:11 “Therefore the redeemed
of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto
Zion; and everlasting joy [shall be] upon their head:
they shall obtain gladness and joy; [and] sorrow and
mourning shall flee away.”
The Lord always turns our captivity;
He never forsakes the sheep of His pasture. He has
redeemed us and will alleviate all our suffering and
disenchantment with His church. We can be assured that
all pain and sorrow will pass, and that He blesses us
with total emotional and spiritual healing, now and in
the Kingdom to come.
There is no need for us to go astray
and fail to hear His voice. He is always calling and
reaching out to us in our need. We need only respond to
His love for us. He will send us into fellowships with
believers of like precious faith, that will encourage
and lift us up. He will provide us with pastoral leaders
that minister to our lives in a relevant way.
So too, we will enjoy life in
abundance in the Kingdom of God when it comes to the
earth. All pain and disillusionment will leave us, and
be replaced with hope and confidence for the future. The
Lord will meet all our needs, emotional, spiritual and
relational as we serve Him in joy and gladness. We will
walk in love and unity with all believers and enjoy
their fellowship in His presence forever.
Topics For Discussion
1. Christ As The Good Shepherd
2. The Door Of The Sheep
3. Abundant Life
4. The 23rd Psalm
5. Christ Provides All Our Needs
6. Joy And Gladness For Pain And Sorrow
Chapter 5 – Gather Us
In
Matthew 24:31 “And he shall send his
angels 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.”
The Lord is calling for His sheep;
they are being gathered from all over the face of the
earth. Some will come willingly and eagerly; others may
need to be persuaded. Those who have been scattered by
false shepherds, and those who have gone astray for
reasons of their own, are all being called in. There
will be no partiality shown to either the believer or
the pastoral leader. We will all be assembled and judged
by our own individual merits.
The Lord is not biased in His love for
us; He is no respecter of persons. What He does for one
of us, He will do for all. The Lord will undo all our
afflictions and release us from every form of bondage.
Our pain and sorrow will be a thing of the past, as He
purges us of all unrighteousness and prepares us to
enter into His presence for all eternity.
Zephaniah 3:19-20 “Behold, at that
time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save
her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out;
and I will get them praise and fame in every land where
they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring
you [again], even in the time that I gather you: for I
will make you a name and a praise among all people of
the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your
eyes, saith the LORD.”
The Lord is preparing to gather us in
to His everlasting Kingdom of God on the earth. Both His
original chosen people and those who believed in
Christ’s first advent will be ushered in. Many new
believers will be added to our ranks as the end-time
harvest of souls is brought in. We will all be valued
members of His future church.
The gospel will be preached to all of
the world, including the nation of Israel – her people
will also be converted, baptized and brought into the
Kingdom. All churches and denominations will be
represented. Men, women and children of every tongue and
race will be citizens of Christ’s Kingdom, and enjoy its
blessings forever.
We are the Lord’s sheep, His beloved
flock that desires safe pasture. He will heal our wounds
and make our paths straight. He will turn our captivity,
avenge all wrongs done to us and gather us in to safety
and security in His presence. For our former shame and
sorrow, we will experience joy and gladness, glory and
honor for all eternity. This will be our greatest hour
and our highest privilege.
Covenant People
Psalm 50:5 “Gather my saints together
unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by
sacrifice.”
The church will be a light in a
darkened world as the days progress. We have been
prepared and sanctified, purged of all unrighteousness.
We will be spiritually mature, perfected in holiness and
walking in love and unity. We were created and called
out for a divine destiny in the days ahead. The great
harvest of the end of the ages is here, and the Lord has
work for us to do in bringing in new believers.
It is critical that we are quick to
hear and obey the Lord’s voice as He gathers us in. We
are in covenant with Him as a special chosen people. The
terms of that covenant require that we follow His lead
closely, be obedient to His direction, and serve His
eternal plan and purpose. We will be held to high
standards of accountability and be judged according to
our willingness and cooperation.
We are to overcome the flesh, the
world and the devil for all time. We will do as Jesus
Christ did on the earth – preach the gospel message,
heal the sick, release the captives and even raise the
dead. While we may feel unworthy to walk as He did, He
will empower us with a divine anointing of power and
authority so that we can accomplish everything that He
calls us to do.
The Bride And The Body
Christ’s Bride, the church, will be
comprised of the faithful overcomers from all nations
and religious backgrounds. She will be multi-colored and
multi-faceted in her glory. Sanctified, justified and
glorified, she will be fully prepared to greet Christ at
His coming. She will take her place next to Him, to rule
and reign for all eternity.
Individual members of the church with
diverse callings and gifts are being called and
assembled to do the most critical of the Lord’s work in
the days ahead. They will sanctify themselves and
consecrate and dedicate all their efforts to serving the
Lord in ushering in His Kingdom. These are members of
the Body of Christ, and they take direction from Jesus
Himself.
The Body of Christ will advance under
the leadership and guidance of Christ Himself. They will
overthrow the demonic hierarchy and shake up world
governments to line up with Kingdom principles. They
will take back full dominion over the earth in all
areas, and see to it that fairness and equality, peace
and prosperity prevail. They will put all of Christ’s
enemies, to include death, under His feet before His
second advent.
The End-Time Harvest
Romans 11:25-29 “For I would not,
brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that
blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the
fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel
shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out
of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob: For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I
shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, [they are]
enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election,
[they are] beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts
and calling of God [are] without repentance.”
We are the grafted in portion of the
Lord’s olive tree, His new chosen people. There
is a full number of Gentiles that must be gathered in
before the Jewish people are converted by hearing the
Gospel of the Kingdom. These are they whose names are
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They were called and
elect from the very foundation of the world. (See Revelation 17 and 20)
The gifts and callings of God are for
all time; He will not abandon any that He has called. It
is not His will that any man should persih or be
excluded from Kingdom blessings. The Gospel is going to
be preached throughout the world. All that the Lord has
predestined to come into His Kingdom have an equal
opportunity to do so. The choice is theirs; they must
repent and be baptized, walk in love with others and do
the will of the Father in all things.
Matthew 13:30 “Let both grow together
until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say
to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and
bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat
into my barn.”
The Lord has permitted the children of
the world and demonic agents of the enemy to co-exist
with us for a very important reason. They have tried and
tested our faith. They have given us examples of how we
ought not to live. We have sanctified and purged
ourselves of all their defilement, and we are now
fortified to do all that the Lord requires of us.
Many will be excluded from entering
Christ’s Kingdom because of their stubborn refusal to
hear the truth and repent of their sins. Their iniquity
will be judged and they will endure punishment for all
of eternity. They will be on the outside looking in, but
for all their wistfulness, they will not be able to
enter the Kingdom of God.
Through Christ, we have overcome the
flesh, the world and the devil, and we share in His
righteousness and victory. We have been refined and
strengthened; our maturity should be complete. The
harvest is here and we are being gathered in for eternal
joy and our promised rewards, while the enemy is being
prepared for eternal punishment. The Kingdom of God will
be righteousness, peace and joy for all who enter in.
Jesus Christ As
Righteous Judge
John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no
man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”
God is just and justice requires
accountability for sin. He has entrusted all judgment to
His Son Jesus Christ. His victory over sin, death and
the grave eminently qualifies Him to judge fairly and
equitably all who would enter the Kingdom of God. He is
responsible to see that nothing evil will be present in
the Kingdom for all eternity.
We will be held to strict standards of
righteousness if we would enter the Kingdom of God.
Holiness should be our goal; there will be no
compromise. Love and unity are no longer optional;
humble servitude ought to be our intent. We are to
reflect the very light of Christ to the world. We are to
walk in love and service to others as He walked while on
the earth.
Malachi 3:5 “And I will come near to
you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against
the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against
false swearers, and against those that oppress the
hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless,
and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and
fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Believers and non-believers share the
same fair and equitable standards for judgment in the
Kingdom of God. Certain sins are an abomination to God,
and we will be judged more stringently for these.
Anything that violates the Lord’s law of love will
disqualify us from entering the Kingdom altogether. Only
those who do the express will of the Father will enter
in.
Anything occult, sexual sins, lying,
greed and oppression of all types will exclude us from
dwelling in the Kingdom of God. Nothing defiling will
enter in to contaminate God’s people. We have to purge
ourselves of all fleshly desires and forego our soul’s
ambitions. The Lord is holy, and He expects us to strive
for spiritual maturity, holiness and perfection, as
well.
We should have a genuine reverential
fear of Him, if we would enter into His presence for all
eternity. It is a terrible thing to be judged by an
awesome and mighty God, and found guilty of
transgression. His punishment will be permanent and
endure for all eternity. There is a hell to shun and a
paradise to be gained.
Judgment Of The
Household of God
Hebrews 12:26-29 “Whose voice then
shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet
once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing
of those things that are shaken, as of things that are
made, that those things which cannot be shaken may
remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be
moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God
[is] a consuming fire.”
Christ’s judgment is beginning with
the household of God. He is scrutinizing His church and
shaking things up for the last time to rid us of all
defilement, so that what cannot be shaken remains
intact. He is purging and sanctifying us, and calling us
to come up higher in Him. He expects an even greater
degree of love and unity in us than we have demonstrated
in the past. What will result is a glorified church that
will be praised and admired all over the earth.
We will serve as living testimonies to
the saving power of God to all mankind. Our numbers will
greatly increase as we spread the good news of the
Kingdom and invite everyone in. We will preach the
gospel to all men, including the nation of Israel. We
will baptize new believers in the Name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit, and usher them into
Christ’s Kingdom to enjoy blessings and rewards for all
eternity.
We can expect corporate and individual
rewards based on our obedience and our works in the days
ahead. We are called to walk in love and unity and serve
the Lord and one another. If we are dedicated to His
plan and purpose, Jesus Christ will boast of us to all
creation and we will rule and reign with Him for all
eternity. We will enjoy heaven’s blessings right here on
the earth, as the Lord comes to dwell with us in the
Kingdom of God.
Judgment Of The Nations
Matthew 25:32 “And before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from
the goats:”
There is a strict judgment coming on
all men, not just believers. Christ will judge the
nations of the world, and the Father will set Him up to
rule and reign over them with an iron rod. All earthly
governments will be reorganized and absorbed into
Christ’s Kingdom. They will employ fair and just Kingdom
principles in dealing with their people. There will be
no more war or genocide, no oppression or unrest of any
type; all men will have peace, safety and security for
all eternity.
Christ will eradicate all exploitation
of the poor, and restore the underdeveloped countries
that have been under a curse. We will all enjoy
prosperity in His Kingdom. The Lord will anticipate all
our needs, and supply them in such overwhelming
abundance, that all mankind may freely share in the
riches of His glory.
There will be no more religious
persecution or doctrines of men that defile and separate
us. All men will worship the Lord in Spirit and in
truth. The Lord will take up residence on the earth, and
we will all dwell in love and unity, peace and
righteousness in the Kingdom of God forever. We will
join in giving Him all the praise and glory that He
deserves for generation after generation.
Judgment Of Evil
2Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every
one may receive the things [done] in [his] body,
according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or
bad.”
God’s judgment is coming right here to
the earth. We were made righteous through our belief in
Jesus Christ, but we will also be judged on the merits
of what we did with what we were given. Our salvation is
assured if we believe in Christ and the power of the
cross, but the Lord determines our eternal rewards or
punishments based on our works in the flesh.
His judgment is fair and equitable; He
will judge all men and angels without partiality.
Nothing evil will enter in to the Kingdom of God. All
iniquity will burn in the lake of fire for all eternity.
He will take vengeance on all our enemies. Only the
righteous will dwell forever with the Lord, and enjoy
all of His blessings.
Matthew 13:41 “The Son of man shall
send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity;”
The Lord’s judgment will be fair and
permanent; His Kingdom will be one of total perfection
on the earth. Christ is sending His angels to root out
all rebellion and travesty off the face of the earth
prior to His return. They will assist the Body of Christ
and help pave the way for ushering in the Kingdom of God
on the earth.
The Body of Christ is even now
overpowering all demonic strongholds. There will be no
satanic interference with setting up the Kingdom.
Nothing that pollutes or defiles will be tolerated.
Christ Himself is returning to destroy the ungodly and
all their ungodliness in the wrath of His coming. All
iniquity will be eradicated from the face of the earth,
and burn in the lake of fire.
Kingdom Eligibility
Matthew 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 which is
in heaven.”
We are being called to rise up higher
in our relationship with Lord and with one another. We
have to strive for greater sanctification by laying down
our fleshly desires and our personal ambitions in favor
of the Lord’s plan and purpose for our lives. Without
holiness, we will not see God. We have to be humble
servants of the Lord, ministering to one another in
love, fairness and peace.
The Lord is not impressed by pretended
piety; He abhors religion and hypocrisy. He sees the
inner man of the heart. He is not interested in good
intentions or sanctimonious shows. He is interested in
faith backed up by our actions. The Lord will tear down
all religious strongholds that have kept people in
bondage for thousands of years.
He will smite all the ungodly and
hypocritical individuals who have defiled and oppressed
others. He seeks a people that will worship Him in
Spirit and in truth, who remember His commandments and
walk according to His ways. Jesus Christ will judge each
of us fairly and equitably according to our works in the
flesh, whether they are righteous or evil.
Jesus Christ has a higher standard of
accountability for His church, because we are
responsible to walk in the light as He is in the light.
He expects His church to function as a unified whole, as
an example to all mankind. Christ is coming back for an
unspotted Bride; we should be walking in total
righteousness, love, peace and unity as we usher in the
Kingdom of God on the earth.
John 16:8 “And when he is come, he
will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment:”
When Christ returns, He will reform
and restore all things. His Kingdom guidelines are just
and fair, and they will be strictly adhered to by anyone
that would enter in. He will judge both great and small
with unbiased standards. And He will rule and reign in
full power and authority for all eternity, to ensure
that the Kingdom plans, principles and procedures are
not compromised.
All earthly and demonic kingdoms will
be swallowed up, as the Kingdom of God takes
pre-eminence in all things. All artificial barriers that
have separated God’s people from one another will be
destroyed, and love and unity will prevail. We will all
enjoy life forever in perfect fellowship with one
another, with our needs met by the Lord Himself.
Gathered Into One
Kingdom
Ephesians 1:10 “That in the
dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him:”
This is the time of the great
ingathering of souls. The Lord is calling out to all of
His beloved sheep. The gospel is being preached all
around the world. Everyone whose name is written in the
Book of Life will be called in. Heaven is coming to the
earth and the good news of the Kingdom of God has become
a reality.
We will experience righteousness,
peace and joy for all eternity, as Jesus Christ ushers
in His Kingdom and unites all things in Himself and
presents us to His Father. He will boast of His Bride to
all creation and shower us with His very own honor and
glory. We will know heaven’s blessings right here on the
earth as the Kingdom of God manifests in all of its
splendor.
Psalm 79:13 “So we thy people and
sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we
will shew forth thy praise to all generations.”
The Kingdom of God promises peace, joy
and prosperity for all who enter in. We know that there
will be strict qualification standards for those who do
participate in it. Only the loving and obedient will be
eligible for life in the Kingdom. This is necessary to
protect God’s people, so that they will enjoy peace,
safety and security.
So too, the Lord will take up
residence in the Kingdom; nothing that defiles can
co-exist with our holy God. All evil will be forever
expelled from God’s presence. The earth and everything
in it will be restored and recreated to be a virtual
paradise. We will put on glorious resurrection bodies
that are sel-sustaining. There will be no disease, death
or destruction for all of eternity.
We will raise families and dwell in
our own homes in love and joy. We will teach our
children, and our children’s children, to praise God and
give Him thanks for His great glory. We will experience
His personal presence in our lives and fellowship with
Him intimately. We will be His people, the sheep of His
pasture, forever and ever.
Topics For Discussion
1. Gather Us In
2. Covenant People
3. The Great Harvest
4. Judgment Of The Household Of God
5. Judgment Of The Nations
6. Kingdom Eligibility
7. Gathered Into One Kingdom
Chapter 6 – Safe
Pasture
Ezekiel 34:11-14 “For thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I, will both search my
sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his
flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are]
scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver
them out of all places where they have been scattered in
the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from
the people, and gather them from the countries, and will
bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the
mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the
inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a
good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel
shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good
fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they feed upon the
mountains of Israel.“
The Lord is gathering us in from all
over the face of the planet. He Himself seeks out the
lost and forsaken and calls them in for safe pasture in
His Kingdom. All who hear His voice will respond with
joy and gladness. He binds up all our wounds and heals
all our brokenness. His desire is to provide us with
life in abundance, and give us perpetual blessings with
no curse added. He will feed us with good pasture;
nothing will hurt, threaten or defile us ever again.
We are God’s people, the very own
sheep of His flock. He has known us from the foundation
of the world, and is calling us into His Kingdom for
safe and peaceable pasture. It will most likely be
located in the mountains of Israel near the city of
Jerusalem, as He has purposed from the beginning of
time. Men from every nation of the world will migrate
there on feast days to glorify God and His people.
Psalm 119:117 “Hold thou me up, and I
shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes
continually.”
We will dwell together in the Kingdom
of God in peace and unity, love and joy. We will have
all our needs met – temporal, emotional, spiritual and
relational. The Lord will set up a righteous and good
Shepherd, Jesus Christ, to rule and reign over us. He
will protect and defend us from all evil. He will see to
it that Kingdom principles for government are strictly
followed, and ensure us safety and security for all
eternity.
The Lord Himself will take up
residence on the earth and dwell with us in all His
power and glory in the Kingdom of God. We will be His
people and He will be our God. He will hold us up and
protect us in all our ways. We will live long and strong
in love and peace with our God and all men, and
continually obey His commandments.
The Sheep Of His
Pasture
Psalm 95:7 “For he [is] our God; and
we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his
hand…”
The Lord is our Shepherd; He created
us and protects us from all harm. We are the very sheep
of His pasture; we follow Him wherever He takes us. It
is His express will and heart-felt desire to direct our
paths so that we never lack guidance and direction or go
astray ever again.
Life in the Kingdom of God will be
peaceful and orderly, full of joy and love. The Lord
will take up residence with us, close up and personal,
as He intended from the very creation. We will commune
with Him on a regular, intimate basis and give Him all
the praise and glory that He so rightly deserves. He
will provide us with all of our needs and protect us
from all harm forever.
Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the LORD he
[is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we
ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his
pasture.”
Everything that we are and everything
that have is due to the loving generosity of our
Creator. He knew us from the foundation of the world. He
created us in His own image and likeness for the purpose
of fellowshipping with Him. We are members of His very
own family; He guides and protects us and provides all
of our needs. He alone is our source and worthy of all
praise.
We are the very sheep of His pasture,
and the Lord desires that we rely on Him for everything
in our lives. He is generous and loving and will never
abandon us. He has our best interest at heart and gently
persuades us to follow Him wherever He goes. He leads us
by the power of the Holy Spirit and continually calls us
back to Him whenever we go astray. We are the beloved
sheep of His flock and He will gather us in for safe
pasture for all eternity.
One Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:23-24 “And I will set up
one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, [even]
my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be
their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my
servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have
spoken [it].”
The Lord wants to minister to all of
our needs – both temporal and spiritual. He is restoring
us to our rightful position on the earth; we will assume
our roles in His plan of redemption for all mankind. We
will help gather in more believers so that His fold ever
increases until it covers the entire earth. He will give
us our inheritance and eternal rewards, based on our
obedience and performance in accord with His wishes.
We have been promised that we would
always have a king from the Davidic line to lead and
guide us. Christ Himself is that King, and He will rule
and reign over us in righteousness forever. There will
be no domination or oppression in the Kingdom of God.
Christ will govern us in all fairness; He will protect
us from all evil and avenge all wrongs that were done to
us. He will serve as a good and righteous King and a
loving Shepherd to His flock.
Isaiah 40:11 “He shall feed his flock
like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm,
and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead
those that are with young.”
The Lord is intimately concerned for
our welfare. He has seen all our pain and suffering.
There will be no harsh leadership in the Kingdom of God.
Unlike the false shepherds that may have lorded over us
in the past, the Lord is just and kind. He reproves with
gentleness and persuades us for our own good. Jesus
Christ will lead, guide and direct us into all love and
peace in Him.
He will gather the young and the
helpless. He will bind up the wounded and minister
health and healing to them. He will protect all who are
left in His care and avenge all wrong done to them. He
will feed our faith and guide us in all spiritual
matters. He will assure us of safe pasture in the
Kingdom of God for all eternity, so that we may enjoy
life in abundance.
John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture.”
All that is necessary for us to enter
the safe pasture of the Kingdom of God is a sincere
faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must be
converted in our hearts and spirits and baptized in His
Name. We then become eligible to enter His Kingdom. As
long as we obey His law of love and do the will of God,
we will be able to dwell with Him in heaven on the
earth.
Christ is the door for His sheep to
enter into safe pasture. He has saved us from our sins
and restored our righteousness with God. His sacrifice
brought us life in abundance and He personally sees that
all of our needs are met. He will take vengeance on our
enemies and destroy all evil at His coming.
Satan will be bound in the bottomless
pit so that he can never oppress or attack us ever
again. All that has ever defiled us – sin, disease,
death, and destruction – will be abolished. We will be
sinless and pure, loving and kind, gentle yet strong.
Christ’s flock will experience safety and security,
health and longevity, peace and joy for all eternity in
the Kingdom of God.
Safe Pasture
Job 5:11 “To
set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn
may be exalted to safety.”
No one will cause us harm of any kind
in the presence of our all-powerful God. There will be
no affliction or oppression any longer. There will be
none who exploit or mislead us in any way. We will not
experience physical, emotional or spiritual woundedness
of any type. The Lord will bind up our wounds and
elevate us to a place of safety and comfort in Him.
Christ will take vengeance on all our
enemies, root them out and banish them from His Kingdom
for all time. Many who are in a position of influence
and power over God’s people now, will ultimately be on
the outside looking in, because they failed to discharge
their duties to the sheep appropriately. Those who have
suffered abuse and neglect will be set on high and
elevated to positions of honor and glory, while those
who injured them will be debased.
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD
[is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and
is safe.”
We have cried out to God in
desperation for years, and He has heard our prayers. His
perfect love casts out all fear in our lives. We have
hope and confidence in Him. We can rest assured that He
has a plan for our present welfare and our future
well-being. He will protect and defend us against all
harm in the safety and security that the Kingdom of God
provides.
We will have no one that criticizes
and condemns us, or causes us pain and suffering. Jesus
Christ Himself will be our Shepherd and our Benefactor.
All evil will be forever banished from our presence. We
will experience peace and order, health and wholeness as
the Lord Himself ministers to us for all eternity.
Leviticus 25:18-19 “Wherefore ye shall
do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and
ye shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall
yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell
therein in safety.”
If we walk in righteousness and love
for God and for others we will enjoy eternal life in His
Kingdom. If we live by godly principles and obey all
that the Lord tells us, we will have everlasting joy and
peace. There are awesome benefits stored up for us in
God’s Kingdom, and He is willing and ready to share all
of them with us.
The Garden of Eden is returning to the
earth, but in a new and improved version, and we will
enjoy it for all eternity. The entire planet will be
restored to its original beauty and balance. Mankind
will enjoy paradise on the earth once more, and have
total dominion over all of nature. The climate will be
perfect and controlled. All plants and animals will live
in harmony with men.
The land will yield all that we
require for good and healthy food, and we will partake
of its bounty in awe and gratitude. We will build homes
and long enjoy the works of our hands. We will raise
families and enjoy their companionship forever. We will
teach God’s ways to our children and our children’s
children. They will all learn to love and praise the
Lord for all generations.
There will be no death or destruction
in Christ’s Kingdom. We will be given incorruptible,
resurrection bodies that are impervious to death and
disease. We will enjoy safety and security, without fear
of oppression or molestation of any kind. We will dwell
in the very presence of the Lord Himself, protected from
all harm forever.
1Chronicles 4:40 “And they found fat
pasture and good, and the land [was] wide, and quiet,
and peaceable; …”
The Kingdom of God will be a real
place on the earth where God’s people will have all
their needs met in abundance. It will be
self-sustaining, quiet and peaceable, perpetually safe
and secure. No evil will touch our lives. No one will
ever criticize and condemn, oppress or exploit us again.
There will be no pain or suffering of any kind in the
presence of our loving God, who anticipates our every
need.
All Kingdom residents will enjoy true
blessings and eternal prosperity. We will raise families
for generations and commune with our neighbors in love,
peace and joy. There will be no border disputes of any
kind; the Kingdom will provide more than enough space
for all to dwell in comfort. We will long enjoy the
works of our hands and partake freely of all the beauty
and bounty that the earth has to offer.
Thine Is The Kingdom,
And The Power And the Glory Forever
Instead of hoping for evacuation from
the earth and all its defilement in the days ahead, we
should be eagerly awaiting the Kingdom of God to
manifest. That will solve all of our problems for all
eternity. We know it is imminent as the Lord promised
us. We ought to be preparing ourselves through
sanctification in the truth. It can and will come to the
earth realm soon.
We are a chosen generation, the Bible
tells us – a people after God’s very own heart. We will
assist Him in fulfilling His eternal redemption plan for
all mankind. In return for our loyalty and devotion, He
will elevate us to positions of honor and glory with
Jesus Christ in the coming of His Kingdom to the earth.
Luke 11:2 “And he said unto them, When
ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so in earth.”
Christ Himself taught us to pray for
the coming of the Kingdom, and eagerly expect it. The
Lord’s Prayer is not just a memory verse that we should
recite without feeling. It is our spiritual ticket into
the Kingdom of God. We should pray it passionately,
thank the Lord, and expect the Kingdom to manifest in
all its power and glory. We should actually visualize it
in our mind’s eye.
We must speak and decree that heaven
is coming to the earth realm. We should earnestly
contend with the Lord to keep His promise of the Kingdom
to us. We ought to petition Him to bring it quickly, so
that we might enjoy its benefits now when they are
needed the most. We must always remember that it is His
desire to love and protect us. It is His express will to
gather us in, and give us safe pasture in His presence
for all eternity.
Topics For Discussion
1. Pasture In God’s Kingdom
2. We Are The Sheep
3. One Shepherd
4. Safe Pasture
5. What Is Our Part?
6. Prayer For Birthing The Kingdom
Chapter 7 – Kingdom
Living
Mark 10:15 “Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a
little child, he shall not enter therein.”
Children are innocent and trusting;
they embrace every good thing. So it will be with us as
we enter into the Kingdom of God. We have to cleanse
ourselves of all defilement and be sanctified in the
truth. Our faith has to be pure and child-like; we must
believe that the Kingdom is real and that we have a
right to enter in to it. We must learn to walk in peace
and love with all men, and strive for holiness so that
we can dwell with our God.
We should pray the Lord’s Prayer
fervently in the days to come, and expectantly wait for
the Kingdom of God to manifest on the earth. The
miraculous will become the norm as people everywhere are
healed of their infirmities. Captives of the enemy will
be set free, and the dead will even be raised as Christ
Himself was resurrected!
The end-time harvest is here and there
are many souls to be reaped. Millions will flock to hear
the good news of the Kingdom. They have been in darkness
and despair, and the Kingdom of God promises them life
and hope for the future. As we preach and teach in every
nation of the world, all of mankind will have an
opportunity to be saved and baptized into the faith. We
will all dwell in the very presence of almighty God for
all eternity.
Luke 17:21 “Neither shall they say, Lo
here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is
within you.”
The gap has been bridged; heaven is
touching down on the earth. In fact the Kingdom of God
is already here in us, and will also come on us in a
more significant way in the days to come. It will also
manifest through us in miraculous signs and wonders as a
witness to God’s power and glory, as we share the good
news of its coming with others.
We know the truth and it will make us
free. As a spiritual kingdom, the Kingdom of God resides
in our spirit man now in all its potential. We
should already be living by Kingdom principles. When
Christ and His Body usher in the temporal Kingdom of God
in the earth, it will come on us and overtake us.
As we embrace its principles and implement them in our
lives, it will work through us to influence those
around us.
Entering Into The
Kingdom
John 3:5-6 “Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
The Kingdom of God referred to here is
a spiritual Kingdom that is resident within every
believer. When we are baptized into repentance and
accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives, our salvation
becomes secure. We have right standing with God restored
to us through faith in Christ’s atonement on the cross,
and we become joint-heirs with Him to all the Kingdom
promises.
When we are baptized in the Holy
Spirit, our human spirits are renewed and they take
ascendancy over our souls and flesh. We actually become
re-created spirit beings and are qualified for Kingdom
membership. As long as we walk in total obedience to the
Lord’s law of love, we remain eligible to dwell in the
temporal Kingdom with all its blessings forever.
1Corinthians 15:50 “Now this I say,
brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption.”
The Kingdom of God is built on
spiritual principles. We cannot enter into it in the
flesh. The flesh and all its lusts must be overcome.
Just as our spirits have been renewed, so must our
bodies be transformed before we can actually enter in to
the Kingdom of God.
Our mortal bodies will be changed in
their very essence at the second coming of Jesus Christ,
as the last enemy – death itself – is put under His
feet. We can only speculate as to how this will occur.
Perhaps there will be an atomic reaction of sorts; the
Bible tells us that we will all be changed in the
twinkling of an eye, what we can interpret as being a
nanosecond. Perhaps the very molecular structure of our
anatomical bodies will be altered, as the awesome power
and glory of the Lord are ushered into the earth realm.
Whatever the case, the Bible says that
we will be re-created and restored together with all of
creation. We will trade our corruptible flesh that was
susceptible to disease and death, for glorious,
incorruptible, resurrection bodies that will live
forever in the presence of the Lord.
What is the Kingdom of
God?
Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God
is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and
joy in the Holy Ghost.”
The Kingdom of God is a spiritual
Kingdom and it will be a temporal Kingdom as well. It
will actually overtake us and come on us, as we will
dwell in it with all its benefits and privileges. It
will swallow up all earthly and demonic kingdoms and be
an actual way of life on the earth where heavenly
principles and practices are in force.
There will be no sin or
unrighteousness of any type in the Kingdom of God.
Nothing defiling will ever enter in. All evil will be
excluded and banished to the abyss. It will be governed
by Jesus Christ, His Body and His Bride; they will rule
and reign with fairness and equality for all men.
There will be no strife or division in
God’s Kingdom; all men will dwell there in peace and
unity. There will be no pain or sorrow; we will
experience joy and gladness. There will be no oppression
or exploitation; everyone will have safety and security.
The Lord Himself will meet all our needs and dwell with
us for all eternity.
Luke 13:29 “And they shall come from
the east, and [from] the west, and from the north, and
[from] the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of
God.”
Heaven is coming to the earth realm.
The Kingdom of God will be an actual place to which men
will migrate – a physical location where they will
reside. It will be a new and improved version of the
Garden of Eden right here on the earth. It will be a
virtual paradise for all who dwell there, and be
peaceful and orderly.
The Bible says that Jesus will touch
His feet down on the Mt. of Olives on His return. This
is near the city of Jerusalem, in what is now known as
the nation of Israel. It will be out of this area that
Christ probably rules and reigns over all the nations of
the world. All men will come to pay homage to the Lord
and celebrate His appointed feast days in Jerusalem. (See Zechariah 14)
Regardless of the exact geographic
location of the Kingdom, there will be safety and
security, peace and prosperity, joy and love for all who
dwell there. We will sit down in the very presence of
God, and fellowship with Him as He intended for us to do
from the foundation of the world.
Luke 14:15 “And when one of them that
sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto
him, Blessed [is] he that shall eat bread in the kingdom
of God.”
All of our spiritual, relational and
temporal needs will be satisfied in the Kingdom of God
when it comes to the earth. We will actually enjoy the
fruits of our labor; we will no longer have to struggle
to find our daily provisions. There will be no poverty
or lack in the presence of our loving God, who supplies
all our needs richly and abundantly.
There are enormous promises laid up
for Kingdom residents. They will enjoy health,
longevity, prosperity, peace and joy for all eternity.
Disease and death will be abolished. All will enjoy the
work of their hands and be richly rewarded. Strife and
division will not enter in to our fellowships.
All pain and sorrow will be a thing of
the past, and blotted from our memories.
Who Will Reside There?
1Thessalonians 2:12 “That ye would
walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom
and glory.”
Paul prayed that we would be found
worthy to enter into the Kingdom of God. We must first
be born again and baptized. We must forsake all known
sin and unrighteousness. We must believe that the
Kingdom exists and seek it with all our hearts. We must
continuously walk in love and peace with one another. We
must do the will of the Father as Jesus taught us.
We should walk in the Spirit instead
of our flesh. We should seek the baptism of the Holy
Spirit so that He indwells us, and the fruit of the
Spirit manifest in our lives. We should seek peace,
love, joy, goodness and gentleness in our relationships
with one another. We should develop our faith and walk
in the hope of our divine calling.
The Kingdom will have residents from
every tongue and nation; every religious sect and
denomination will be represented. There will be men,
women and children who live there. But the most
important resident of all will be the Lord Himself, as
He comes to receive the Kingdom from His Son, Jesus
Christ, and dwell with His people for all eternity.
1Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.”
The Lord has set high standards for
inheritance of the Kingdom of God. It is for the
faithful and the righteous only. All sin and iniquity
will be judged at Christ’s coming. Nothing defiling will
ever enter in. Everything evil will be destroyed off the
face of the earth. We will enjoy safety and security,
peace and prosperity, righteousness and joy for all
eternity.
It’s important that we all examine
ourselves, repent of all known sin and turn again
towards righteousness. We should ask the Lord to purge
and refine us, strip us of our earthly lusts and soul
desires, so that we might be found worthy to enter into
His presence. He is a holy God, and insists that we be
holy and walk in love and unity with Him and with one
another.
The Kingdom Comes In
Power
1Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of
God [is] not in word, but in power.”
The Kingdom of God will be free of all
defilement of soul, flesh and spirit. Nothing corrupt
will enter in to it. Those who embrace Kingdom
principles will walk in resurrection power and divine
authority over disease and death and all demonic
interference. Nothing evil will be present in their
lives. They will have overcome all adversity that they
experienced in the world.
The Kingdom of God will be ushered in
to the earth realm by the Body of Christ with all divine
power and glory. They will put all enemies under
Christ’s feet, to include death. Then Christ Himself
will return to destroy all evil and banish it to the
bottomless pit. Christ and His Body and Bride will rule
and reign over His Kingdom forever.
Acts 14:22 “Confirming the souls of the
disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue in the
faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of God.”
The enemy does not want to see heaven
touch the earth in the Kingdom of God. He took control
of the earth with Adam’s transgression, and he has
enjoyed wreaking havoc on God’s creation ever since.
However, Christ stripped him of his power at the cross
and restored authority on the earth back to man.
This makes the devil furious. He knows
that his time is short, and he will do everything
possible to persuade us that the Kingdom of God does not
exist, and that we will not qualify to enter in. Both
are lies from the father of lies, and we must be strong
in our faith to overcome these.
So too, he will engage in all out
warfare with Jesus and the Body of Christ to prevent the
coming of the Kingdom, and the transfer of all power and
dominion back to mankind. He will defend his strongholds
of disease and death, power and greed, war and unrest
wherever possible. The Lord is dispatching armies of
angelic hosts that are currently battling him in the
second heaven.
We will have to resist him in all his
efforts to hinder and deceive us, and engage in some
serious spiritual warfare to destroy the demonic kingdom
off the face of the earth. But light always overcomes
darkness; good will overcome evil as we usher the
Kingdom of God in to the earth realm. Satan and all his
minions will be bound in the bottomless pit at Christ’s
coming, and he will no longer harass God’s people.
Matthew 11:12 “And from the days of
John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
The Body of Christ is even now working
together with Jesus to forcibly set up the Kingdom of
God on the earth. Demonic strongholds are being torn
down and replaced with Kingdom principles and
infrastructure. Men are learning God’s way of doing
things and being right even before they actually enter
into the Kingdom itself.
The uncompromised gospel is being
preached throughout the entire world, and the end-time
harvest of souls is being brought in. Everyone whose
name is written in the Book of Life will be saved.
Millions are being baptized with water and the Holy
Spirit, and they are assuming their individual roles and
divine destinies in the Lord’s eternal redemption plan
for mankind.
Multitudes of people are experiencing
supernatural healings. There are creative restorative
miracles that are taking place. All captives of the
enemy are being set free as God’s people war against the
devil. There are miraculous signs and wonders of all
kinds that accompany the outpouring of the glory of God
all over the face of the earth.
Kingdom principles are now being used
for judgment of all unrighteousness and in the
reformation of world government. All creation is being
restored to its original state of beauty and balance.
The last thing that remains is for death to be put under
His feet, and for Christ to actually return for the
redemption of our bodies.
Revelation 12:10 “And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of
his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Satan is being dethroned and exiled
all at one time, as the Kingdom of God is ushered in on
the earth. He will no longer have power and authority to
accuse men of sin, nor will he be able to tempt them or
bring pain and hardship to their lives. He will not
bring any more strife or division in to contaminate our
fellowship with one another. All men will walk in love,
peace and unity.
While the devil had power and
authority on the earth for a season, Christ defeated Him
for all time, and rules and reigns forever in the
Kingdom. The Kingdom of God will come in with such
strength and power that it will consume and overthrow
all earthly kingdoms and demonic strongholds. It will be
an actual takeover of the entire planet!
Keys To The Kingdom
Matthew 16:19 “And I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven.”
The Kingdom of God will be ushered in
totally and completely, as we learn its basic principles
and how it operates. The Lord has conferred power and
authority on us to help bring it into existence on the
earth. Jesus Christ gave us the keys to His Kingdom –
they are voice-activated.
Our words have the same creative power
that the Lord had when He created the universe with His
words. We are created in His very image and likeness,
the Bible tells us, so that our words are potential
dynamos of power, as well.
Whatever we would see manifested on
the earth, we should call forth and decree. If we bind
all evil and strip the enemy of his power, we must also
loose blessings. Christ gave us His power of attorney;
we have the power to do this with our own words, used in
His Name.
For example, we should bind spirits of
discord, poverty and infirmity and loose spirits of
peace, prosperity and good health. We must bind every
effort of the enemy to blind and hinder us, and loose
accurate discernment, wisdom and revelation in our
lives. All heaven stands behind our words as we speak
the Word of God over our lives.
We ought to be extremely careful not
to cancel our positive decrees with subsequent words of
fear, doubt and unbelief. We should decree the solution,
and not the problem. Any negativity we release with our
words will destroy the Kingdom of God’s efforts to build
us up and restore us. Negativity will prolong our pain
and prevent the Kingdom from coming sooner.
What Will The Kingdom
Be Like?
Isaiah 64:4 “For since the beginning
of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the
ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what
he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”
We cannot even begin to imagine how
wonderful our lives will be when heaven comes to the
earth. Life will never be the same for us. The Lord will
take up residence with His people, and be a living
presence in our midst in the Kingdom of God. His power
and glory will overcome all evil with good.
Our God will fellowship with us
intimately for all eternity, and anticipate our every
need even before we ask Him. He will be loving and
generous, merciful and kind, and we will thrive and
rejoice in His presence as never before. Christ will be
our King and our Shepherd; He will protect us from all
evil and make certain that Kingdom integrity is
preserved.
The Bible says that the Lord will make
all things new in the Kingdom. We will not even remember
our former pain and sorrow, shame and oppression. We
will, instead, celebrate life and walk in joy and
prosperity. We long enjoy the works of our hands; we
will raise families in love and peace; all generations
will praise the Lord for His kindness and generosity
towards us.
Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.”
The Lord will heal all our wounds;
wipe away all our tears and minister to our hearts and
spirits for all eternity. We will not suffer from pain,
suffering or brokenness of any type. He will blot all
that from our memories. We will be made strong and whole
again. All disease and death will be abolished; we will
have new resurrection bodies that live forever.
We will be in total awe as the earth
is re-created and restored to all its original beauty
and balance. Heaven will actually come to the earth
realm with all of its glory. There will be no climatic
disturbances or natural catastrophes in the Kingdom of
God. The animal and plant kingdoms will be in harmony
and under man’s dominion once again.
Life in the Kingdom will be as it was
in the Garden of Eden, only bigger and better – new and
improved. All evil will be banished forever. Nothing
will hurt or destroy the peace and joy that reign there.
All people will live in love and unity in paradise on
the earth, and dwell forever in the presence of their
holy God.
Isaiah 60:18-21 “Violence shall no
more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction
within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls
Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no
more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the
moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto
thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy
sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon
withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting
light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy
people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit
the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work
of my hands, that I may be glorified.”
The awesome power and glory of God
that was present at creation and when Christ was raised
from the dead, will be manifested in the Kingdom of God
on the earth. Nothing defiling will co-exist in the
presence of a holy God. All evil will be abolished from
the face of the earth. The Lord will be our source of
light and life. We will not even require the sun and
moon to light our way.
There will be no more war, conflict or
violence. Sin will be eradicated. The people will no
longer mourn. We will inherit the earth as the Lord
intended from the beginning as His legacy to mankind. We
will enjoy safety and security for all eternity. All our
needs will be met in abundance, as we fellowship with
God and with one another in peace and joy.
The prophet Isaiah had a clear cut
vision of the Kingdom of God centuries before Christ
appeared with His good news of it. If we examine Isaiah
65, we will get an idea of what we can expect to see in
the days ahead.
Isaiah 65:17-25
Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create
new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be
remembered, nor come into mind.”
The earth itself will be re-created to
its original state, yet even better than we can imagine.
Death will be wiped away and decay will become a thing
of the past. All creation will be restored to beauty and
balance. The heavens will be restored to their original
condition before Satan’s fall and the disturbance of the
entire universe. We will not even remember things as
they formerly were on the earth in its darkness and
destruction.
Isaiah 65:18 “But be ye glad and
rejoice for ever [in that] which I create: for, behold,
I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”
The Lord calls His people Jerusalem,
representative of His former chosen people. He causes us
to rejoice in the Kingdom of God as it is ushered in on
the earth. He will be our God and we will be His people.
We will be a joy to Him as He originally created us to
be. We will fellowship with Him in close intimate
relationship, as His very family.
Isaiah 65:19 “And I will rejoice in
Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of
weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of
crying.”
We will rejoice and the Lord will
rejoice in us, as He takes His place on the earth as our
Father and our God. There will be no more weeping,
because all traces of pain, sorrow and sadness will be
wiped away and replaced with joy and gladness, peace and
prosperity.
Isaiah 65:20 “There shall be no more
thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not
filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred
years old; but the sinner [being] an hundred years old
shall be accursed.”
The childbearing experience will be
greatly enhanced in the Kingdom of God, where there is
no pain and suffering of any kind. We will be blessed,
and our families will be blessed. Children will not be
born to suffer and die. Longevity will be the rule, not
the exception.
Premature death will be a thing of the
past, as death will be put under the Lord’s feet as the
last enemy that exists on the earth. All evil will be
eradicated from the face of the earth. No sin will be
tolerated in the Kingdom, in the presence of a holy God.
Isaiah 65:21 “And they shall build
houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant
vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.”
The Kingdom of God will be a real,
tangible Kingdom where people work and live. They will
dwell in safety and peace as they build their homes and
raise their families. They will plant and reap their own
food, and enjoy temporal blessings along with spiritual
benefits.
Isaiah 65:22 “They shall not build,
and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another
eat: for as the days of a tree [are] the days of my
people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of
their hands.
Everyone will work for himself in the
Kingdom. There will be no more coercive labor for the
benefit of another. There will be no exploitation of the
poor by the rich. All men will prosper. We will reap
what we sow and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
There is no mention of a monetary
system, so perhaps we will barter goods and services in
the Kingdom, or have all our needs supernaturally
provided. The Lord will anticipate all that we require,
and supply us from the wealth of the universe.
Isaiah 65:23 “They shall not labour in
vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they [are] the
seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring
with them.”
People will not travail in their labor
for the benefit of another in the Kingdom of God. They
will be blessed in all that they do. Instead of
generational curses for disobedience, men will enjoy
generational blessings, since all who dwell there will
be righteous.
Isaiah 65:24 “And it shall come to
pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while
they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
The Lord will be in constant, ongoing
communication with us. He will meet every need before we
even ask Him. There will be no reason to cry out to God
in desperation any longer. He will fellowship with us
continually in love and intimacy.
Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb
shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like
the bullock: and dust [shall be] the serpent's meat.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,
saith the LORD.”
The Lord is gathering us in from all
over the world. It is not His desire that anyone should
perish or be denied the blessings of life in the Kingdom
of God. All that is necessary to enter into the Kingdom
is total righteousness and faith in our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. He will make certain that nothing disrupts
our peace and joy, as He rules His Kingdom with all
honor and glory.
Nothing evil will be present; there
will be no death and destruction. The serpent will be
punished, and all of the animal kingdom will live in
peace and harmony with one another. Man will have total
dominion over nature as he once had. The balance and
beauty of the original creation will be restored; God
and man will dwell in a virtual paradise again for all
eternity.
Topics For Discussion
1. What Is The Kingdom Of God?
2. Where Is The Kingdom?
3. Who Resides In The Kingdom
4. The Coming Of The Kingdom In Power
5. Keys To The Kingdom
6. Describe Life In The Kingdom
7. Isaiah 65:17-25
Epilogue
Thy Kingdom Come
The Kingdom of God is not a fable;
it’s not a doctrine or a tradition of men. Jesus Christ
taught us to pray it into existence thousands of years
ago. Its principles reside in every believer potentially
now, and it is a real spiritual and temporal Kingdom
that is coming on the earth very soon. It is
characterized by righteousness, peace and joy, and only
those who walk in love and do the will of the Father
will be eligible to enter in to its blessings for all
eternity.
We are already experiencing a
tremendous outpouring of the power and glory of God that
is to precede the coming of His Kingdom. It is global in
scope and it far surpasses any revival or spiritual
re-awakening that we have seen up until now. This is an
integral part of the Lord’s eternal plan of salvation
for mankind, and is designed as both a wake-up call for
all men, and to prepare us for all that lies ahead.
God’s people will be mobilized for His
purposes. We will perform miraculous signs and wonders,
that will astonish men and women from every nation as
the days progress. Huge numbers will flock to churches
all over the world in search of salvation and the good
news of the Gospel of the Kingdom. They will be
desperate for peace and prosperity and finally willing
to embrace all that the Lord promises them.
They will seek comfort and compassion,
healing and wholeness in every area of their lives. They
will need to be set free of enemy oppression, and
baptized in water and the Holy Spirit for the remission
of their sins. They will come seeking the truth and the
power of God, and we will be privileged to meet their
needs. We will be living testimonies of God’s mercy as
we minister to them in unselfish love.
But first, the anti-Christ spirit of
religion is coming down. Organized churches will need to
re-think their goals and revise their mission
statements. Babylonian religious systems and man-made
traditions will be destroyed by the Lord Himself. He
abhors anything that keeps people in bondage, and He
will no longer blink the eye at enemies in the pulpit.
He will replace a large number of pastoral leaders with
those who truly love and care for others.
We need to examine our consciences and
repent of all unrighteousness and works in the flesh
that have interfered with the move of God in men’s
lives. We should get back to our first love, and seek
revelation and understanding from the Lord Himself in
the days ahead. It is more critical than ever that we
walk in unity as a church. He will gather us in one by
one – sheep and shepherds alike – and we
will each give full accountability for our actions.
Matthew 20:16 “So the last shall be
first, and the first last: for many be called, but few
chosen.”