MARCHING ORDERS FROM THE KING

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:

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

To all my brothers and sisters in Christ, who hear from God and are obedient to His lead. I thank you for who you are, and what you will accomplish for the Kingdom in the days ahead!

Preface

Revelation 3: 19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

The Lord is not pleased with His people. We’ve become lukewarm and lost our first love, as it was predicted. There is strife and division among us; we are not walking in peace and unity as we ought to be. We claim to hear from God, but few are doing His works. We lack zeal and enthusiasm for His plans and purposes; we have a form of religion with no power in it.

We need to repent of our unrighteousness, sanctify ourselves, and tune into the Lord for guidance and direction. Gross darkness covers the earth. Men everywhere are afflicted and suffering; they are lost in sin and desperate for the truth. Now more than ever before, we need divine power and glory to manifest in our lives as we usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”

While we should be doing what Christ did on the earth, we are engaged in all sorts of foolish controversies among ourselves. We are proud and arrogant, self-centered and disobedient. Hypocritical man-made traditions and controlling religious doctrines mislead and divide us. We have compromised our faith and diluted our effectiveness. Instead of playing church, we must be enlightened to the truth that sets us free to serve God and all of mankind.

We need to focus on developing our love and strive for unity in the brotherhood again. We should be walking in miraculous signs and wonders, healing the sick and even raising the dead. We should be preaching the gospel and bringing in the end-time harvest of souls. We must join together as living testimonies of God’s unfailing mercy and kindness to the world.

Matthew 12:25 “… Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”

The church needs to fall back and regroup. We need to revise our mission statements and update our goals. We don’t need just another revival in the days ahead. We have an eternal destiny that must be fulfilled. The Lord is waiting for us to take back control of the earth and assume our role in His eternal redemption plan.

Jesus Christ is scrutinizing us and using a strict selection process at this time; He is separating the sheep from the sheep in judgment of the very household of God. He is calling out the Body of Christ to function as His hands and His feet on the earth. They will receive a full anointing of His power and authority. But not everyone in the church will be a member of the Body. Some will be disqualified because they refuse to do what it takes to serve the Lord in the days to come.

We should be totally consecrated and dedicated to His holy purpose – to bring heaven to the earth realm in the Kingdom of God. We must be willing and obedient to serve the Lord and others in a spirit of love and humility. We must be hearing from Him clearly and distinctly. We should tune out all distraction, and take our marching orders direct from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Introduction

Exodus 9:16 “And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

God is moving over the face of the earth, searching for a select group of people, pure in heart and spirit that He can entrust with His power and authority. He is sifting through His church to find those who will follow Him, and Him alone. He is assembling the Body of Christ, under the direct leadership of His Son, Jesus Christ. He is assembling His end-times army, and its role will be to usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth!

We are to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Heaven is coming to the earth and there is much to be done before Christ returns. The Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached to all men. The sick must be healed; the dead raised; and the captives set free from enemy oppression. We are to destroy all demonic strongholds, put all enemies under Christ’s feet, and deliver the Kingdom to Him when He returns.

1Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ”.

The Body of Christ will consist of consecrated believers from many denominations. No longer bound by limited thinking or man-made tradition, they will worship God in spirit and in truth. They will rise above organized religion to fulfill their destiny. They will hear and take direction from the Lord Himself, and go forth in His Name to take back the earth. They will be of one mind and spirit, and demonstrate the Lord’s power and glory in all that they do.

As members of the Body of Christ, we must remember who we are, and whom we serve. We were created for an eternal purpose, a chosen generation for such a time as this. We were called out and refined to be of service to the Lord and all of mankind. We have been sanctified and purified, and we are spiritually mature. We are to function as one, in total unity with Jesus Christ and with one another in the days ahead.

Romans 7:4 “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

We have been redeemed from the curse of the law. Man-made traditions no longer control us. We should not worry what others think of us. We need to tune out the voices of men and be quick to hear the voice of God. We need to take our marching orders straight from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Moment by moment, we must be sensitive to His call and quick to obey. We have an eternal destiny that must be fulfilled.

We should consecrate and dedicate all our efforts to the Lord’s eternal plan and purpose. We must devote ourselves to heart-felt fervent prayer to birth the Kingdom of God on the earth. We should be well instructed in the Word. We need to know that we are one with Christ, and joint-heirs with Him to all the promises of God. We are seated with Him in supreme authority, in heavenly places, and we will rule and reign with Him on the earth for all eternity.

Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

The Kingdom of God is coming to the earth, and it will consume all earthly kingdoms and overthrow the demonic hierarchy once and for all. The Body of Christ will be delegated great power and authority in the days that lie ahead. We will judge and decree God’s righteous judgments, and assist in the re-creation, reformation and restoration of all things. And we will be generously rewarded for our service; we are heirs to great promises.

We should practice hearing the Lord’s voice, and His alone, during the important days to come. He leads and directs us by the inward witness, through the words of the prophets and the saints, and through the increased revelatory power of His Word. He may even send His angels with a message. He could give us spiritual dreams and visions, or speak audibly to us as the days progress. We must be open to any and all of God’s efforts to communicate with us, and we should be quick to obey all that He asks us to do.

1Corinthians 12: 22-26 “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those [members] of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness. For our comely [parts] have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that [part] which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but [that] the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

The Body of Christ is one under the leadership of Jesus Christ. All members in the Body are critical to the smooth operation of the whole. We are to be functioning in our individual callings, in close cooperation with each other. Unity is more critical than ever; we should be in constant intercession for one another. Time is of the essence, and it is important that we learn to hear clearly and obey immediately, both as individuals and as a group. The Lord’s plan will dictate our orders of the day, and we should be ready to advance as He moves us forward in His strategy.

This will not be a friendly takeover of the planet. The enemy will not acquiesce willingly to the Lord’s eternal plan of salvation and redemption for all creation. It is true that he is a defeated foe that was vanquished forever by Jesus Christ on the cross, but he still holds on to many strongholds. It is imperative, that we align ourselves with Christ and one another, and prepare for this last great forcible breakthrough that will usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Bringing the Kingdom of God to the earth will require some concentrated effort and personal sacrifice on our part. We need to reach full spiritual maturity. Sanctification and unification are no longer options. Hesitancy, fear, doubt and unbelief will disqualify us. If we shrink back now, we will be on the outside looking in. We must be alert and obedient, and the Lord will manifest His authority in us and through us. He will restore total dominion to mankind on the earth.

We are to pave the way, and in some instances, that will require that we make a way where none exists. There is much to do, vital accomplishments to be made. We must always remember that it is the Lord’s plan, and His power and might which will bring the victory. Our goal is to remain willing and obedient, and stay connected to Him and to one another in the days ahead. We will be honored and privileged to follow the glory cloud wherever it takes us…

Chapter 1 – Communication With God

Psalm 29:3 “The voice of the LORD [is] upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD [is] upon many waters.”

We are not the weak, faint-hearted people that the world would have us believe Christians are. We are not like the Old Testament saints that trembled at the Lord’s voice when it thundered out of the heavens. We are not like the ancient Israelites who feared to see the manifestation of God’s power and glory on Mt. Sinai. We are not like the judges and prophets of old, just select individuals with whom the Lord has chosen to communicate for the benefit of the multitudes.

We are called out, blessed and privileged – a chosen generation of believers who hear direct from the Creator of the universe Himself. We are the Body of Jesus Christ on the earth, and we commune directly and regularly with our God. We avoid all sinfulness, pursue right relationship with the Lord and enjoy close fellowship with Him. He confers all His power and authority on us to walk as Christ walked the earth.

It goes without saying that we should be in close personal relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as members of the Body of Christ. Christ restored us to the full fellowship that man and the Lord once had before Adam’s transgression. He bought back our right standing and received our promised rewards with His atonement on the cross. He replaced the covenant that the Lord had with Moses, Abraham and David and established a better covenant of promises for us in His Blood. We have rights and privileges that we have yet to assert, and innumerable blessings that await us for all eternity.

We enjoy an even closer relationship with the Father now, because our position is that of sonship. We share intimacy as members of God’s own family. Christ is literally in us, and we can hear from Him on a continuous, ongoing basis through the power of His Holy Spirit. He is calling our names and beckoning to us at this time: “Be much with me.” He has much to tell us and show us in the very important days that lie ahead. He will imbue us with His divine power and glory and we will be a source of pride to His Name.

Deuteronomy 5:24 “And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.”

We have reached the period of the outpouring of His glory on the earth, and we hear God’s voice continuously yet live through it. In fact, we succeed and thrive in all areas of our lives when we hear from Him, process the information correctly, and obey. The Lord is calling us to go up higher in our spiritual walk, to transcend our earthly bodies and souls and become one with Him in glory.

We must practice entering into the presence of God on a continuous, ongoing basis, and strive to remain in close communion with Him in the days ahead. We can hear from Him regularly, so that we never lack protection or direction in our lives. He trusts us with His mysteries and He downloads progressive revelation to us, if only we will take the time and energy to hear His voice and act on His words.

As we do so, there will be no more second-guessing – was that from God or the enemy? We can always hear His voice. The Lord is an expert communicator. He is willing and able to get His message across to us clearly and effectively. We can be certain that we hear from Him and Him alone; what He tells us will always line up with the written Word of God. That is our surety and our confirmation.

Psalm 140:6 “ I said unto the LORD, Thou [art] my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.”

Like any personal relationship, our communication with the Lord should be two-way. We engage Him in meaningful dialogue when we pray. We don’t have to beat our way to the throne of grace with our petitions. We don’t have to beg and wail, crying out to God for mercy and the answer to our prayers. We are seated at the very right hand of God with Christ Jesus. We go boldly to the throne of grace, and we commune with Him continuously. We enter into the Holy of Holies as kings and priests.

We hear from Him and He hears from us. And when we speak to Him, we know that He listens, and that our prayers are always answered. We know His nature; it is one of love, mercy and compassion to our needs. We can meet with Him at any time and for any purpose. We can simply fellowship with Him or discuss our thoughts and concerns. We can make all our requirements known to Him personally. No need is too great; no petition is too small.

Through prayer and meditation, we can sharpen our spiritual communication skills so that we express ourselves more effectively and hear from God more quickly and clearly, many times without a word being spoken by either party. He hears the inner yearnings of our heart and spirit. And we hear His replies with no doubt or interference. Our inner spirit man is ever receptive and responsive to His lead.

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Praying in the Holy Spirit with our spiritual prayer language will enhance our communication with God, because we don’t always know how or what to pray. Regardless of our inability to express our needs with words, we should be assured that the Lord hears our groans and cries in the spirit. This type of prayer will be most effective in the days ahead, because our spiritual prayer language is a code that the enemy cannot break.

We should pray for one another now more than ever before. The Body of Christ requires stamina and endurance to do all that they are called to do. The Bride of Christ must strive for spiritual maturity and perfection. We all need to be concerned with bringing in the full harvest of souls required before the Kingdom is ushered in. We must walk in total love, peace and unity in order to fulfill the Lord’s plan and purpose for our lives.

Whether we are in supplication, praise or thanksgiving, the Lord hears and acknowledges it all. He is a loving God, attentive to our every need and concern. He delights in our efforts to communicate with Him and promptly responds to our prayer requests. The enemy doesn’t stand a chance of penetrating our lines of communication when we pray often and from our hearts. We are assured of privacy and intimacy in our communication with God.

Psalm 64:1 “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”

Prayer causes us to dwell in God’s very presence. Praying and meditating on a regular basis assure us of a hedge of protection from the enemy. Satan cannot get a foothold in our lives if we stay in constant communion with the Lord. So too, we hear His voice, which tells us when to move and when to stay, when to speak and when to remain silent. His words hold the solution to every perplexity.

If we are speaking to and hearing from God on a regular basis, then we are forewarned and forearmed. We should have no fear of a defeated foe. Satan has been forever vanquished at Calvary, and there is no fear of Him in the Lord’s presence. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom, discernment and insight. He instructs us how to do spiritual warfare effectively, so that we tear down strongholds and put the enemy under our feet.

God created the entire universe with His words. There is creative power in the Word of God. And since we were formed in His image and likeness, there is also creative power in our words. But there is also destructive power; we must learn to use our words wisely.

With our tongues we bless and curse; they should always be disciplined to speak what the Lord speaks. This way we will never sin with our mouths and jeopardize the power that they have to negatively affect our lives and the lives of others.

We must guard our words and speak with right judgment. We should speak the solution instead of the problem. We should make decrees that line up only with the Word of God. Speaking contrary to the Word is both inadvisable and foolish. It will attract curses in our lives instead of blessings.

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

What we decree with our mouths is what we will have manifest. If we decree positive results, these occur in our lives. If we speak negatively, we cancel the positive decrees that we have made, and set the stage for negative situations to materialize.

We are the orchestrators of our own destiny. Whatever we experience will be generated by the power of our tongues. Good and evil are resident in our words. Our future depends on our knowing the Word and will of God, and speaking positive, God-directed decrees over our lives.

Matthew 12:36-37 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

Words are the basic components of our communication. Jesus said that we will be held accountable for whatever we speak. Every uplifting word and every idle word will be judged. Every word that lines up with the Word of God will prosper. Every negative word will bring destruction.

We cannot afford to get sloppy or careless in our communications with God or with each other. We should remain in constant fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We should pray for our brethren, encourage one another and exhort ourselves to serve the Lord with more enthusiasm and zeal than ever before.

We must speak positive, God-inspired words that generate life and not death to our personal circumstances. And we must scrutinize every word that we speak to others on the Lord’s behalf, to make certain that it lines up with the written Word of God. We should avoid all negative words, as they have power to bring destruction to our lives and the lives of others.

James 3:5-10 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Once again we see that life and death are in the power of the tongue. We unleash great power from the words of our mouth, whether we realize it or not. We need to guard our words so that they line up with the Word of God. We should never defile ourselves by speaking negatively. We need to hear what the Lord says, and speak only what He speaks.

His words are always life and light to us. They will move mountains and destroy demonic strongholds. They have creative ability to effect positive change and work miracles in both spiritual and natural realms. They will bless us and motivate others, and never ever bring death and destruction on us.

Speaking The Word Of God

Job 22:28 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”

Numerous promises are stored up for us in the Word of God, but they have to be released by our spoken words. When we speak the Word of God, it is as if the Lord Himself speaks something into reality. We tap into His very own creative power. We become creators of our own circumstances.

The Bible tells us to call those things that be not as though they were. We should call those things that we hope to see manifest from the spirit realm into the physical world around us. Combining our faith with words generates a powerhouse of action. Our faith is voice-activated, and our words can create just as the Lord’s words created the entire universe.

We should guard our words wisely. We cannot afford to get careless or sloppy with our mouths. What we decree will become our reality. If we speak negativity on ourselves or others, it will bring a curse. If we speak light and life to our situations and circumstances, we will enjoy many blessings.

2Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;”

It is always appropriate to speak the Word of God. It pleases the Lord when we remind Him of His Word. It is His gift to us, and we unleash its power by our faith and with our mouths. He wants us to lay claim to all that it provides, by voice-activating what He has already promised us.

He‘s given us power of attorney in the Name of Jesus, and we will have what we claim and speak over our situations and circumstances. All of our needs will be met in accordance to what we speak into reality. We are to speak what He speaks and watch miracles follow.

It’s important that you personalize the Word and adopt it as your very own decree. You must actually take possession of God’s promises for your life. Remember, you engineer your own fate with the words of your mouth. You can have victory over every stronghold of the enemy. You can enjoy health and prosperity, youthfulness and zeal, beginning with the words you speak into your situations and circumstances.

The most important thing to remember is to set your mind on reading and speaking the Word over your life regularly and consistently. The more you speak the Word of God out loud, the more power it generates in your life. It will have life-changing results for you and those around you. It will turn your captivity. And as you teach this to others, it will free men and women everywhere from tremendous demonic strongholds.

Decrees Based On The Word Of God

Zephaniah 3:9 “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.”

Relationship requires effective communication. The Lord wants to hear from all people, not just a select few. He wants to be in relationship with His entire creation. He wants all men to communicate with Him and serve Him willingly and obediently for their own good.

Very soon, the Lord will turn our speech into one single language that is easily understood and spoken by all men, as was the case before the Tower of Babel was built. We will be able to communicate effectively with Him and with one another without language barriers interfering.

In the days to come, as we usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth, all men will learn to communicate with the Lord intimately. He will be our God and we will be His people, and we will share all that is in our hearts with Him for all eternity.

The Lord will reveal all His mysteries to us and ask us to partner with Him in ushering in His Kingdom on the earth. We must practice hearing the voice of God and respond quickly to his directives. We must be willing and obedient to do all that He asks of us; our eternal destinies and rewards are at stake.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 “… a time to keep silence, and a time to speak:”

There are times to speak with the Lord and times to listen to Him and reflect on His words. We have two ears and one mouth, and that ought to dictate how we are to communicate with God. We should spend twice as much time listening as we do in speaking. He has an abundance of things to reveal to us, and delights in our attentiveness to His words.

We must maintain a continuous vigilance to hear His voice, since He will reveal key strategies to us in the days ahead that will impact the coming of His Kingdom to the earth. So too, He will release information for us to impart to others in bringing in His harvest of souls. The Lord’s words are always purposeful, and His commands are never optional.

We should guard every word that comes out of our mouths, particularly if we will be trusted with God’s power and authority through the spoken word in the days ahead. Our mouths are key weapons of our warfare and they must be disciplined to be effective. With our words, we will destroy demonic strongholds and loose manifold blessings on the earth. We should practice hearing from the Lord for everything that we utter from our mouths.

1. Describe the Relationship The Lord Wants With Us
2. Two-Way Communication With The Lord
3. How We Speak To God
4. How God Speaks To Us
5. The Importance Of The Tongue
6. Decrees – Speaking The Word Of God
7. Listening vs. Speaking

Chapter 2 – Hearing From God

Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.”

Some people think we are strange when we say we hear from God. They think we always hear an audible voice or that He sends His angels, as messengers to speak with us. More often than not, when we hear from the Lord, we simply experience a quiet knowing – commonly called the “inward witness.” He is present in the still small voice of our spirit, and through the power of His Holy Spirit, we hear and interpret His message.

Other times His words are confirmed for us by other believers who receive direct revelation from Him or through modern day prophets that give us a word of knowledge. Still other times, He gets our attention in a more dramatic way with attendant dreams or visions, which may or may not be accompanied by verbal messaging.

Regardless of how the Lord speaks to us, it is critical that we listen with our spiritual ears sharpened, and be extremely obedient to His lead. He will impart increasing revelation to us in the critical days that lie ahead. It is vital that we respond in a timely fashion and move when He says to move. Much will be required of us, and we must be quick to hear and obey.

Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:”

If we are not diligent to hear from the Lord, the day will come that we will be unable to hear His voice amid all the other voices that bombard our hearing. We will become confused and immobilized unless we keep the communication channels open. Now more than ever, we must strive for a deeper intimacy with God and seek His Word as the ultimate authority for our lives.

It is vitally important that we also test what we hear. We should make certain that we have, in fact, heard from God Himself. Any words we hear from the Lord, whether they be direct to us, prophetic revelation or through confirmation from others, should line up with the written Word of God. The Bible is the yardstick we should use to measure their validity. We must not receive anything that doesn’t line up with the written or spoken Word of God Himself.

Acts 22:14-15 “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.”

Paul was commissioned by seeing and hearing the Lord. Christ actually appeared and spoke to him, and asked why Paul persecuted Him. There could be no doubt of his experience; he was struck blind as a result. He was later instructed by Ananias, who healed his sight, to testify to all that he had seen and heard from the Lord. We can all agree that he did a magnificent job of this, since many believed on Christ through his spoken and written words in the New Testament.

We can hear from Christ also, and we should strive earnestly for His direction to us. What He tells us is always life and light for us, and the solution to every perplexity. His words will keep us walking strong in righteousness and unity. He will instruct us to walk in love as He walked and perform miraculous feats in His Name.

In the days ahead, it will be vital that we be tuned in and turned on to every word of the Lord. We will be witnesses to His might and power on the earth, and through us, many people will be converted and baptized into the Kingdom of God. We will overthrow demonic strongholds and shake up world governments so that they line up with God’s plan and purpose. We will assist in the re-creation of the entire planet, and it is vital that we be open to Christ’s instructions.

Mark 4:9 “And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

It is easy to hear and understand the words of Jesus, since we are intimately connected with Him as members of His Body. He actually lives in us, and we have the very mind of Christ. We communicate with Him in prayer and meditation, and we interpret revelation that He shares by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ’s entire adult ministry was dedicated to speaking and spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God. He did not just talk the talk, however. He walked out His beliefs and served as a role model to His disciples in all that He did. His words continue to live on in us as His followers, when we speak them forth and act on them accordingly.

If we have studied the four Gospels in the New Testament, then we know with some assurance that we have experienced the words of Christ. We can continue to receive ongoing, direct revelation from Him and actually hear His voice, as we pursue a deeper relationship with Him in the important days to come. In fact, it will be critical that we fine-tune our hearing so that we can be quick to obey and respond to His commands as we usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

Any believer that is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit can hear from Christ. It’s simply a matter of tuning in, and using our spiritual ears and discernment. When we surrender our lives to Him as Lord and Savior, He actually takes up residence in us. In addition, we have the Holy Spirit to explain all things to us. The Lord is able to bypass our natural minds and flesh, and communicate with us intimately in our spirit man.

As we go deeper into the things of God and experience the baptism and full indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we acquire Christ’s wisdom; we develop His compassion; and we have knowledge of His righteous judgment available to us through His written and spoken words. Christ’s words are inspiring and life-changing. They attract us to Him like a magnet, so that we want to follow in His footsteps, doing the things He did while He was on the earth.

Matthew 13:13 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”

Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, so that they might understand the life-changing lessons He taught them about the Kingdom of God. These were simple stories that He told to illustrate Kingdom principles. He was an expert communicator, and conveyed the basics to them in words geared to their level of understanding.

He used dialectic methods – question and answer format – when He spoke with the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes, so that they would question their man-made traditions and turn towards the truth. What Jesus had to say concerning the deeper things of God was not for every ear, however. Many could not understand His teachings because they lacked spiritual insight.

But to His disciples then and now, Christ speaks plainly. We hear with spiritual ears and not natural ones. We can understand the deeper mysteries of God. We perceive the truth through our spiritual information processing capabilities, by the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells us. And then we assimilate that information in our spirit man, and act on it.

We can know Christ’s thinking on a multitude of subjects because of the words He spoke during His public ministry. When we read these recorded in the written Word, it’s almost as if He continues to speak to us today. Jesus is called the Word of God, and He is truly a living Word!

Insight From Jesus

For example, let’s look at some of the things Jesus told His followers as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, that still have application for us in the here and now. His insight is both timely and timeless. His wisdom is reflected in every word that He spoke to His disciples. It also has relevance and meaning to the Body of Christ today.

Christ spoke on a variety of topics, both practical and spiritual. He often preached about the good news of the Kingdom of God so that His followers would embrace these ideals even before His Kingdom was established on the earth. We can fine-tune our understanding by heeding His advice and relating it to our role in the coming of His Kingdom on the earth.

Matthew 10:27 “ What I tell you in darkness, [that] speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, [that] preach ye upon the housetops.”

Jesus was both God and man, but He laid His deity aside when He came to the earth. He was perfectly obedient as a man, and told us that He only spoke what He heard the Father say. He reflected the Father’s will in all His actions. He wanted His followers to listen and understand His words, so that they could then share them with others.

What He told them about the secrets to the Kingdom of God, He wanted openly communicated to all the world. He gave them instructions about a multitude of subjects – both spiritual and practical – and His advice was always relevant to their lives. Jesus spoke with the very authority of God Himself when He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the people were eager and attentive to His words.

Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

It’s plain that Christ wanted us to pattern our lives after His, by denying our own selves and following Him in His love walk. He encourages us to lay down our own personal agendas and crucify our flesh. He wants to cultivate the principles of the Kingdom in our lives so that we will be productive in serving others. We can only do this by walking in love and humility as He did.

Jesus called Himself, “the Way, the Truth and the Life” and He serves as our role model for righteous living. As He loved others and walked in peace with all men, we can pattern our own lives after His. Christ’s words to us are plain and powerful for changing lives and winning unbelievers to the truth of the gospel message.

Matthew 17:19-20 “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Similar to the message of Mark 11, Jesus wanted to instill tremendous faith in His followers. He wanted them to be bold and take control over their situations and circumstances with faith-filled words. He emphasized that what they spoke had creative power and divine authority. They could engineer their own destinies with the words of their mouths.

Jesus wanted His disciples to be victorious in every area of their lives. He knew that they could destroy enemy strongholds, to include casting out demons, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. He wanted their words to back up their faith with corresponding action. The key here was to have great faith and speak it forth.

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus wanted His followers to rely totally on God’s power for their overall success in daily living. Instead of being independent and performing works under the law, He wanted them to be God-dependent. He stressed that they had unlimited potential in the Lord, but that in and of themselves, they could do nothing.

We know today, that we are empowered with the very anointing of Christ Himself when we walk in love and righteousness in every area of our lives. With God, all things are indeed possible. He is victorious through us and in us, by the power of His Holy Spirit. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Matthew 22:14 “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called but few chosen.”

Jesus knew the dangers of pride and arrogance. He also knew the results of being self-serving. He wanted followers who would walk in love and be obedient, humble servants of others. He served as a role model to us, and expects us to imitate His ways and to do all that He did to serve others during His earth walk.

Although Christ has many followers today, not all of them are willing to meet His selection criteria for righteousness. There are many who choose to walk in the flesh and have their own selfish agendas. They deliberately violate His law of love in their dealings with others and promote their own needs and desires over Christ’s plan and purpose for their lives.

We are called out and chosen as members of the Body of Christ. We have sanctified ourselves and purged out all known selfishness and pride. We have privileges and corresponding responsibilities. We are to walk as Jesus walked and do the works that He did on the earth, even before He returns to join us in the Kingdom of God. We will be amply rewarded for our willing obedience and humble service to others.

Matthew 22:29 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”

Christ hated all that the Pharisees and Scribes stood for in their religious observance of man-made tradition. They placed heavy burdens on men by stressing obedience to the law, knowing full well that the law was impossible for men to obey. Their leaders could not even obey it. Christ came to fulfill the law and yet they refused to see that.

Jesus hated hypocrisy. He refused to engage in constant debate and controversy with the Jewish leaders. They pretended to be learned and pious, but He felt they had a form of religion with no power in it. He called them vipers and disdained their teachings both publicly and privately.

He always spoke to them with the very authority of the Father to back Him up. They still misconstrued and twisted His words, and constantly sought to trap Him. But they were not able to overcome Him or exceed His righteousness. He was ultimately victorious over them and all their sinfulness with His obedience at the cross.

This should be a lesson to us in the Body of Christ. We must not be overly pious or hypocritical in our dealings with others. Mercy always should prevail over judgment. We will be judged by the very same standards that we use to judge and criticize others. Our love walk is far more important a testimony than our self-righteous words.

Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Jesus came to fulfill the Law. He gave us His take on it by summarizing the Ten Commandments into two general categories – love of God and neighbor. His entire ministry reflected this belief, and He was love in action as He went about ministering healing and deliverance to all He met. He enthusiastically preached the gospel of the Kingdom and shared the good news of God’s love with everyone He met.　

These are but a few of the things that Jesus spoke to His followers in only one Gospel account that focuses on the Kingdom of God coming to the earth. He spoke on an endless variety of topics that were relevant to people’s everyday lives. He also revealed the oracles of God to those who could perceive those messages. And He continues to speak to us today.

His words are so powerful that they become etched in our hearts once we hear them. When we read the Word for ourselves, they are simply called to our remembrance. When we pray and meditate on them, they become alive and powerful. When we speak the words of Christ, we can create miracles of healing and deliverance not only for ourselves but for the benefit of others also.

John 5:24-26 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”

Jesus’ words to us are light and life, the good news of the Kingdom of God. He said that if we will hear His words, and believe on the Father who sent Him, that we will pass from condemnation to everlasting life. His words also have resurrection power, and will actually call the dead back to life in the days to come – the spiritually dead and the physically dead!

We should speak only light and life to others as we bring in the end-time harvest of souls that is required before the Kingdom of God is ushered in on the earth. Our words have the ability to soothe and calm, create and bless. We should guard them carefully so that they mirror what the Lord Himself would have us speak to His people.

Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

Jesus cautioned His followers about how they heard and processed what was told to them. It’s as if He was saying that those who value His insight and comprehend, will be given even more revelation. But those who do not understand His words, will lose even that which was given them originally. Hearing the Word of God requires spiritual maturity and keen discernment, so that it is interpreted correctly and we can apply it to our lives.

There are many voices that call out to us today with man-made traditions that are far from the truth. The gospel message has been watered down and perverted to suit men’s personal agendas. We should carefully guard what goes in our ears, because it settles in our hearts. It is easy to be deceived by mind-blinding spirits that attempt to dominate and control us.

We should evaluate what we hear by God’s standard and compare it to His written Word. This will always be our final authority and sure test for validity. We should be determined to accurately hear and understand the uncompromised Word of God through the discerning power of the Holy Spirit. We must then meditate on that Word until it gets down in our spirits, and comes out our mouths. It ought to be reflected in all that we say and do.

As the days progress, we will be entrusted with even more revelation into the deeper things of God. That will be critical for our understanding and obedience. We have a corresponding responsibility to walk in the light that we have at any given time, and to share what we hear with others as the Lord directs us to do.

Mark 4:24 “And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.”

The Lord reminds us to pay attention to what we hear. We must forego listening to the controversial theories and traditions of men. We cannot succumb to worldly controversy. We have been trusted with the secrets to the Kingdom of God. We are held strictly accountable to walk in the light we have revealed to us.

In the days ahead, we will be doing what Jesus did, preaching to and teaching multitudes. We will also be speaking forth God’s righteous judgments and the entire earth will be shaken. It is critical that we hear accurately so that even more revelation can be entrusted to us. When we hear the very oracles of God, much is expected of us. We are then obligated to act on His Word and share the truth with others as He directs us.

We are to speak forth the pure Word of God and decree it for all men to hear, as we gather in the end-time harvest of souls. There is explosive power in the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and when we speak it forth, the very atmosphere is charged with power and glory. Positive changes occur in men’s lives and their circumstances improve. The truth of God’s Word sets them free. Their hearts are converted and they walk in the newness of life.

Luke 11:28 “But he said, Yea rather, blessed [are] they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

Faith without corresponding action is pointless and powerless. We are responsible for hearing the Word of God accurately, and then acting on it. Hearing and obeying God is not an option. It is a commandment to us in these days to come, if we are members of the Body of Christ who will usher in His Kingdom.

Christ is our role model for perfect obedience. He routinely sought the presence of the Father so that He could communicate with Him before launching into the next step of His ministry. So too, we must seek the Lord, hear His voice and step out in faith as He reveals our role in His eternal salvation plan for all mankind.

Every move we make, every word we speak, must be God-oriented and directed to us by Jesus Christ Himself. Now more than ever, we ought to sharpen our communication skills and be quick to listen and accurately interpret His will. We must immediately obey any and all commands that the Lord gives us in the very critical days that are ahead. Then and only then will we be useful to Him in bringing heaven to the earth.

Topics For Discussion

1. Methods The Lord Uses To Communicate
2. Hearing From Christ
3. Parables
4. Insight From Christ Regarding The Kingdom
5. How And What You Hear
6. Hearing The Word And Keeping It

Chapter 3 – Obeying God

Deuteronomy 13:4 “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”

Hearing from God, obeying and serving Him are not optional for the Body of Christ. This is an express command from the Creator of all things. The Lord is not running His Kingdom like a democracy in heaven or on the earth. We do not get a vote; there is no room for dissension. Total willing obedience is required if we will move into the deeper things of God and implement His will on the earth.

We should have a deep-rooted reverential fear of the Lord. He is an awesome and mighty God that is capable of creation and destruction. There are eternal ramifications for obedience and disobedience – corresponding rewards and punishments. We can be disqualified at any time from serving in the Body of Christ and prevented from entering into His Kingdom if we are purposefully disobedient.

God is not mocked. He knows if we are obeying from the heart or out of fear alone. He knows if we are just in something for the promised reward. He’s a God of love; He wants devotion together with obedience and respect. He wants us to lay down personal goals and agendas of our own free will. He wants us to forego the works of the flesh and walk in the Spirit. His will then becomes our will, and He can move over the face of the earth quickly and completely through us.

The Lord desires both our attention and our immediate response. He wants such a high standard of obedience from us in the days to come, that we actually cling to Him as if we were one. He doesn’t want us doing our own thing and making matters worse in the world. He wants His plans and purposes to be ours also. And He wants us to be ready and willing to be His instruments for change on the earth, so that the results are effective and eternal.

Exodus 19:5 “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:”

We are in covenant relationship with the Lord through our faith in Christ. He wants to give us everything that the world has to offer. He has the heart of a Father towards us. So too, we will be given power and authority to exercise the Lord’s will on the earth in the days to come. But in order to receive and be trusted with all things, we must first learn obedience to His voice. When we do, we will have great value to the Lord and He will take great pride in us.

There are multitudes of blessings, both temporal and spiritual, that await us if we will be willing and obedient to the Lord’s lead. And while these should not be our only goal – joy, prosperity, protection, health and long life are all promised rewards in repayment for our devoted obedience. These will not be ours just for a season, but for all eternity, as we help to usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth as it is in heaven.

Isaiah 1:19 “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”

The Lord is not stingy in His promises to us. We will be given the actual keys to the Kingdom of God, if we only heed His voice and obey. He has promised us vengeance on all our enemies. We will have redemption of our physical bodies. He will reform, restore and re-create the entire universe through us. And He has also promised usthat we will rule and reign with Christ in His Kingdom forever.

What an awesome privilege we have for our obedience. We don’t have to die and go to heaven to get our eternal rewards, as some religious doctrines would tell us. We are not pawns of the devil and subject to his whims either. We are not victims of luck or fate. We will be given power, authority and blessings in the Kingdom of God right here on the earth. And our rewards will be generous for all eternity.

Jeremiah 7:23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

It’s all about relationship when it comes to God. He loves us with an everlasting love; it is His heart’s delight to fellowship with His people. He wants to take up actual residence with and in His people. He wants to shower us with blessings, but we must strive always to hear His voice and obey His direction for our lives.

He commands obedience from us for our own good. His ways are higher than ours, and He always has our best interest at heart. He expects us to get over ourselves, repent and turn from all known sin. We should lay our personal interests aside and follow Him wherever He leads us. We should walk in love, peace and unity as He commands us. There are many eternal rewards stored up for the obedient.

In the days ahead, we will be given strict orders from the Lord of Hosts for each step in ushering in His Kingdom. It is imperative that we obey promptly and completely. Our willingness to hear and obey is critical, and our total submission is vitally important to God’s ultimate plan for the redemption of all things. There are eternal ramifications for our obedience and disobedience, and we must be aware of these.

1Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.”

King Saul was disobedient to the Lord when He came up against the Amalekites in battle. He spared their king and took spoils of war, when He had been specifically instructed through the prophet Samuel to do neither. Then when He was confronted with His sin, he simply made lame excuses for it. As a result, he lost His kingdom to David. Even when he repented and asked the Lord’s forgiveness, it was too late.

Disobedience has its price, and God is not obligated to give us another opportunity to get it right. It is far better to hear and obey immediately, than to come to the Lord after we have disobeyed and attempt to appease Him. Disobedience in the Body of Christ will be grounds for our total disqualification in the days ahead. We can be stripped of the anointing just as quickly as we were selected and appointed for it. The choice is ours…

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe [and] to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.”

Obedience, on the contrary, carries its own rewards. These include advancement and promotion, together with an abundance of blessings. The Old Testament promises that were part of the Mosaic covenant were granted to the Israelites for their obedience. They didn’t just fall on them.

While it’s true that we should not do what we are instructed by the Lord in order to simply get a reward, it is really that uncomplicated. Hearing and obeying God will bring blessings. Ignoring and disobeying God will bring curses on us.

Deuteronomy 30:8-10 “And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”

Obedience requires a turning from our own ways to the ways of God. His ways are always above ours. If we hear His voice and respond positively, we will enjoy similar covenant promises of health and prosperity even today. However, ours is an even better covenant than the Old Testament provided because of the atoning work of Christ Himself.

We’ve been made righteous because of Christ’s obedience unto death. We have inherited His promised rewards. We are joint-heirs with Him to the very Kingdom of God. We will enjoy health and eternal life, peace and prosperity, safety and security, joy and gladness forever. We will be given the heathen as our inheritance and we will rule and reign with Christ for all eternity.

As heirs of God, we have corresponding responsibilities. We have to crucify our flesh and all its desires and lay down our soul lives. We must walk in love and unity. We are to be more obedient than we have ever been before. We must earnestly seek the Lord’s will and do all that He requires of us. This is only our reasonable service to Him for all the benefits He promises us.

Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Christ was the perfect Son, the sinless Lamb that laid down His life for mankind. His blood sacrifice was the ultimate obedient act in accordance with the Lord’s salvation plan. His obedience and righteousness brought right standing with God to us again. It’s almost as if the Lord knew that we could not be perfectly obedient in and of ourselves, so He sent Jesus to be our role model for hearing and being obedient to the voice of God.

Christ was a testimony in life and in death to the ultimate obedience we should strive for in our lives. He is our pattern and role model, our king and our leader. The Bible says that Christ is the first born of many sons and daughters, so obedience is possible for each of us to attain. Perfect obedience is within our reach, possible for all of us, through the Blood and anointing empowerment of Jesus Christ Himself.

Hebrews 8:6-13 “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away.”

The entire Book of Hebrews discusses this covenant of better promises that Jesus bought for us with His conquest over sin, death and the grave. He obtained a more excellent ministry than the Levitical and Aaronic priesthoods, and His covenant promises are much greater than those of the old Mosaic, Abrahamic and Davidic covenants.

His obedience unto death promises us not only forgiveness of sins, but restoration of our fellowship with God. The Lord literally blots out our sin from His memory. We now have actual sonship, and we are eligible to receive God-given power and authority to rule over the earth. This is indeed a better covenant than our forefathers had with the Lord, with greater blessings and corresponding greater responsibilities.

In the days to come, we will be preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to the entire world, so that all men will have an opportunity to know the Lord and live by His principles. His law will be in our hearts and we will do only what He would have us do. We will walk in holiness and spiritual perfection. Then and only then, will the Creator of the universe take up residence with His people as the Kingdom of God is ushered in on the earth.

Revelation 21:3 “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.”

Once again, the Lord’s major concern is His relationship with us. He wants to dwell at peace with this mankind He created. But we are not without obligation in this plan. He desires to confer all blessings, honor, power and authority to us, if we will simply follow His commandments. Our sole responsibility is to sanctify ourselves in the truth and be receptive to His lead on a daily basis.

We should be growing in our relationship with Him, based on our love and respect for His plans and purposes. We ought to desire to please Him and seek His approval in all we do. We have to be motivated by perfect love and not by fear. God’s love and power will enable us to do anything that He calls us to do in the days ahead as we usher in His Kingdom.

The Lord is not simply dangling a bunch of promises over our heads in return for our undying devotion. He is setting Kingdom standards for the God/man relationship even before the Kingdom gets here. It will be based on mutual love and trust. We must strive for holiness and spiritual maturity, as God Himself is sinless and perfect.

Peace and order will be the norm in His Kingdom. Joy and gladness will be the prevailing mood. Fairness and equality will be the standard. These come only with set limits of behavior for both parties. His role is to be our Father God and provider; our role is to love, thank and praise Him for all eternity.

Hebrews 3:15 “While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”

The Israelites who were brought out of the land of Egypt continually offended God with their fear, unbelief and disobedience to His lead. They were selfish and demanding, ungrateful and lawless. There were severe consequences for their rebellion. The Lord eradicated an entire generation of disobedient people who vexed Him.

There were none who were sick or feeble among them, when they left their captivity in Egypt. But they were made to wander forty years in the desert on a journey that should have taken them a matter of days. Because they hardened their hearts to God’s voice, they were allowed to become sick and die on the way.

Fear, doubt and unbelief displease God. He does not want us to shrink back from His discipline, nor be hardened to His voice. He wants us to allow His purging fire to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. He desires that we remain open to His lead and strengthened in our inner man by His promises. He wants us to walk in total victory as we proceed to bring heaven to the earth realm as He has planned.

Daniel 9:10-11 “Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.”

There is always a penalty for disobedience. Israel knowingly and repeatedly transgressed the laws that were given to them by God through Moses. There was still too much Egypt left in them. They stubbornly refused to walk in God’s ways, and brought guilt and condemnation on themselves as a result.

Because of their disobedience, the Jewish people were taken into captivity. Daniel acknowledges their guilt in this prayer to the Lord, and realizes that they are under a curse as a result of their sin of disobedience. The Israelites knowingly transgressed God’s law and suffered huge penalties for their hard-heartedness.

We need not fear that a curse will come on us. We have chosen to be willing and obedient to the voice of the Lord. We desire intimacy with Him that comes from making and keeping promises. He is ever gracious and merciful towards us, and quick to forgive us when we miss the mark. We should vow never to let Him down again, and walk in total obedience to His direction for our lives.

Deuteronomy 28:15 “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:”

This passage refers to the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 clearly spelled out by God to His chosen people. Moses did his job in adequately warning the people regarding the severe repercussions for their disobedience. He told them that the curses of poverty and disease would come on them and destroy the blessings they had once experienced.

And while it is true that we can be unknowingly disobedient to the Lord by being outside His perfect will for our lives, we have no excuse for flagrant disregard of His commandments. We must set our hearts and minds to hear from God, and be perfectly obedient to His will if we would enjoy His promised blessings.

If we miss it, we should repent quickly and resolve to be obedient in the future. However, God is holding us to much higher standards now, because of the darkness of the world around us. We must be obedient right from the start, when He gives us a directive. We will reach a point in time when there will be no more second chances given to us. Our disobedience will have eternal consequences.

Jeremiah 3:25 “We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

We always know deep inside when we miss the mark. When we disobey the Lord, we suffer guilt and recrimination that disturbs our peace and causes us shame. We become lonely for His presence and afraid that we have lost His mercy and grace forever. The only solution is to repent, turn from our sin, and be obedient to His will. This restores us to right standing with Him.

It re-opens the door to blessing rather than curses in our lives. And while this should not be our entire motivation for obedience, it is a substantial by-product. We should desire good things in our lives rather than have to struggle to survive. So too, obedience pleases God. It’s the very least we should do for Him after all the blessings He has given us.

Obedience affects not only our own lives, but those of others, as well. For example, there are generational curses that come on entire families because of one member’s disobedience. We should guard against these by following the Lord’s directions and positively responding to His lead. Then things will be well with us, and with our children and our children’s children.

Deuteronomy 30:20 “That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days:”

Moses was a man after God’s own heart. He saw the Lord face-to-face when he received the Ten Commandments of the Law on Mt. Sinai. He knew His power and His glory, and he was determined to persuade the Israelites of the benefits of loving and obeying God. He reminds them here, that fullness of life and longevity are theirs if they will be obedient.

That’s a promise we can still claim today for our obedience. The Lord is the strength of our life and our surety for length of days. When we enter the Kingdom of God, we will trade our corruptible bodies that are subject to disease and death, for glorious, immortal bodies that are healthy and live forever.

We should cling to the Lord and His words to us. They will bring life to all our situations and circumstances. The Lord desires that we are so obedient that we actually cleave to Him as if we were one. This type of intimate relationship based on trust will be characteristic of what we experience in His presence in the Kingdom of God.

Jeremiah 26:13 “Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.”

The prophets knew God intimately and they tried to correct the people of their erring ways before disaster struck them for their disobedience. Unfortunately, the people did not always heed the voice of God delivered to them through the prophets, and they were punished severely with wars, plagues, famine and exile.

But each time they repented, God relented in His punishment. It’s important to note that God is not obligated to give us second chances. He is a just God, and justice requires punishment for sin. We must remember that the penalties of disobedience can be severe and eternal. We do not want to be disqualified members of the Body of Christ because of our rebellion. It’s better that we hear and obey immediately, rather than try to appease our God after we slip and fall.

Jeremiah 42:6 “Whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

Here we see that the Israelites repent of their disobedience and newly avow to obey the Lord regardless of how the situation appears in the natural. They knew that their well-being was directly connected to their behavior. They had disobeyed God in the past, and had been obliterated as a people. They now chose to obey God and live in His blessings.

Eventually even the most stubborn of us get it right. The Lord is infinitely patient and merciful. But the Body of Christ does not have the option of disobedience at this point in time. We must fully consecrate and dedicate ourselves to hearing from God and responding immediately. We have eternal destinies that will affect many others. We should be emulating the laid down life of Jesus Christ if we would demonstrate His miracle-working powers in the days ahead.

We should be walking in close intimacy with Christ and His Father, and strive for peace and unity with one another. There is much to do to usher in the Kingdom of God on this earth. The world will be turned upside down and right side up, according to the very will of the Lord. This requires a new and improved standard of devotion and obedience than we have known in the past. It requires that we think like God thinks, say what He says and do what Christ did on the earth.

1. The Type Of Obedience The Lord Wants
2. Fear Of The Lord
3. Blessings For Obedience
4. Consequences Of Disobedience
5. The Tabernacle Of God
6. Why Hear And Obey?
7. The Standard of Obedience For The Body Of Christ

Chapter 4 – Walking As Christ Walked

Hebrews 5:8 “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”

Christ had to learn obedience just as we do. He came to the earth as a man and stripped Himself of all deity, to do what the Father had called Him to do. It took Him thirty years to prepare for His ministry. He had all the attributes of a man and suffered from the same temptations and weaknesses that we do. Yet He was obedient even unto death. All that He accomplished He did as a mere man walking in close fellowship with the Lord, in the “Anointing Power” of God Himself.

We know that Jesus struggled with much that He did, because the Bible tells us of His frustration with His followers and the Pharisees, and His overwhelming agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. His human temptations and physical sufferings perfected obedience in Him, just as our struggles with the flesh, mind, will and emotions will perfect us.

Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

We need to repent of all known sin and cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and soul that interferes with our doing the perfect will of God in our lives. We have to substitute His will for ours. However, only through Christ do we have permanent victory over sin. His death was the ultimate act of obedience that paid for our sinfulness and restored us to righteousness with the Father. Through the Blood and the Name of Christ, we can remain continuously righteous.

We cannot be resistant to the Lord’s correction. Instead, we should invite it into our lives, knowing that in the long run, we will benefit from chastisement and repentance. We need to ask for the fire of God to burn out everything in us that displeases Him, or hinders us in our calling to walk as Christ walked on the earth. We ought to seek purity and holiness so that we are consecrated vessels for the Lord’s use, and fit to dwell in His presence for all eternity.

Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Christ’s redemption included not only the forgiveness of sins, but the restoration of all our rights and privileges in relationship with the Father. We have no excuse for not walking as He walked. We have His anointing power in us to accomplish all good things. It is our connection with the divine, and our energy source for all miracles. Yet none of us will ever be expected to make the sacrifice that He did, and die in agony and shame.

Our Lord’s atonement for our sins and victory over sin, death and the grave must not be underestimated or taken for granted. This great substitutionary work was part of God’s eternal salvation plan for mankind. While Adam’s transgression brought punishment and the curse on us, Christ’s suffering and death on the cross purchased the blessings of God on our behalf.

Jesus will soon return to put an end to all evil on the earth. He will destroy all the ungodly and their ungodliness in His coming wrath. He will take vengeance on all our enemies and restore all that has been taken from us. Christ will rule and reign in His Kingdom for the express benefit of all the righteous; they will know peace and joy, love and unity, safety and security for all eternity.

John 10:25 “Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.”

Christ revealed Himself as the Son of God, but also called Himself the son of man. All that He did, He did as a perfect man walking in the anointing power of the Father. What He said and what He accomplished was through the power and authority of God Himself, operating in human form, perfectly and obediently.

That same anointing that was on Jesus is available to us. We will share His very power and glory as we usher in His Kingdom. There is nothing left to impede us from following in Jesus’ footsteps and doing the works that He did while He was on the earth. The only thing that can hinder us, is if we shrink back in fear, doubt or unbelief. That will disqualify us from participating in the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.

So what exactly is it that Christ did and expects us to do? He spoke with authority; He operated in power; and He walked in love. He ministered to the needs of the people in a real and meaningful way. He healed and delivered them. He taught and exhorted them in all truth. He told them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He was perfectly obedient to the will of the Father and walked in pure, unselfish love for mankind.

Jesus Walked in the Anointing Power of God

Luke 7:22 “Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.”

Jesus Christ was the first born of many sons that are being led to righteousness, through perfect obedience to God. He constantly communicated with His Father, spoke what He was told to say, and did the things that He was instructed to do. He laid His self-life aside and took His place in the eternal redemption plan. In return for His obedience, He was given a full measure of God’s very own creative power and glory.

He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom to the poor; He healed the sick and raised the dead; He cast our demons and cleansed the unclean; He restored hearing to the deaf and vision to the blind; He helped the cripples walk again. He gave life and hope to all the people He met; an outpouring of miracles attended Him wherever He went.

Jesus was the Father’s express will in action. We should look to Him not only as our Savior, but also as our role model for victorious living. He came to save and serve all mankind and nothing less than laying down His life in total obedience could accomplish that. That same level of obedience is required of the Body of Christ on the earth today. If we walk in the flesh, it is impossible to achieve, but if we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Matthew 9:35 “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

The Bible says that Christ went about doing good. He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the people so that they had hope and confidence for the future. He also attempted to instruct the religious people in sound doctrine, even though they rejected Him. He came not to observe man-made law, but to fulfill the law of God on the earth. His life’s work was to show the love of God for mankind and to teach them to walk in love with one another.

Jesus healed all those who were sick or feeble. He had a variety of techniques that He used in healing. Some He laid hands on; with others He rebuked demons and the sickness and disease left; to still others, He simply spoke healing words. In some instances, He mixed saliva with dirt and smeared it on blind eyes, and they were healed.

It’s important to note that no one was turned away or left with their lives untouched. Christ impacted lives for good wherever He went, because He walked in the very power and authority of God Himself. We will emulate His very actions in all that we are called to do in the days ahead. All that will be necessary to our success is willing obedience.

Matthew 15:30 “And great multitudes came unto him, having with them [those that were] lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:”

Jesus knew how to draw a crowd and get their attention. He was able to heal the dumb, give sight to the blind, cure the crippled and the maimed, and do restorative health miracles in great numbers, regardless of the people’s conditions. He changed their lives of pain and misery to health and wholeness. He was thorough and effective in all that He did. They were healed totally and completely. The deciding factor was that He obeyed the Father’s will in all healing that He performed.

It was, and still is, God’s express will that all men walk in health and wellness, to enjoy days of heaven upon the earth. The Body of Christ will work miraculous healings as evidence of the anointing power of God in our midst today. We will have the ability to heal all disease and even perform creative, restorative miracles. Missing limbs and body parts will be replaced under a healing anointing in the days to come. This will all take place to glorify God and draw attention to His gospel message.

Matthew 8:3 “And Jesus put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

Jesus never turned anyone away. He healed all who were unclean, lepers, sinners and even demoniacs. Whether they had faith or not, He was able to heal and deliver them from the curse. There is no evidence in the scriptures that would suggest that those He healed lost that healing in the future. We have every reason to believe that they were healed once and for all time. His anointing was not partial or intermittent; it was total and complete to revolutionize lives.

So too, the Body of Christ will have a full impartation of the anointing power of Jesus Himself in the days ahead. The very power and glory of God will fall all over the face of the earth as we walk in supernatural healings and creative restorative miracles. We will attract many new believers to the truth because of the strength of God’s healing power to help His people.

Matthew 9:2 “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”

When the people’s faith was strong, healing flourished. It was effortless and flowed from the Lord. Jesus even forgave sins and healed the disabled of the curse that sin had brought on them. He elevated their spirits, blessed them and gave them hope. He ministered to their bodies and their spirits, so that their healing was total and complete, permanent and lasting.

While the Body of Christ certainly won’t be given the power to forgive sin, they will in fact lead many to repent and turn towards righteousness again. They will deliver many captives of the enemy that have been sick and infirm due to their sins and harmful habits. They will lay hands on all the sick and restore them to health and wellness.

Matthew 9:22 “But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood, who had spent all her money on doctors to be healed. After many years of suffering, she was still sick from a chronic hemorrhage. The Bible says she simply touched His clothing and was healed by her faith. She made a choice for direct contact with the anointing power of Jesus Christ, and her life was forever changed. Christ backed up her healing with His faith-based words, and her healing was immediate and permanent.

The Body of Christ can establish a point of contact for healing others through the laying on of hands, and intercessory prayer. We can drive out spirits of infirmity in the sick and loose healing and blessing into their bodies. Their faith will be greatly enhanced with this display of God’s almighty healing power.

Luke 4:35 “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.”

Jesus rebuked the devil and cast him out of people, restoring their wholeness. The enemy did not always go willingly, but Christ resisted him and all his efforts to destroy lives. He consistently drove out demons of all types during His earthly ministry, and set many free for the first time in their lives. His anointing removed burdens and destroyed yokes for all time.

Christ’s ultimate defeat of Satan came later at the cross, as a result of His victory over sin, death and the grave. The enemy remains a defeated foe today, as we continue to dominate him in Jesus’ Name, with all of His power and authority transferred to us for setting captives free of enemy oppression. We have been given back our dominion on the earth for all time.

We will penetrate all enemy strongholds in the days to come through the power of Christ’s anointing. The devil will never harass or oppress mankind ever again, as we usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth. Christ Himself will banish Satan in His second coming, as He destroys all the ungodly and their ungodliness off the face of the earth.

Mark 5:13 “And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”

Jesus cast out demons and freed the captives. He virtually terrorized the demonic powers everywhere He went. He restored what had been lost to the Gadarene demoniac referred to in Mark, Chapter 5 above. Once he was set free, the man went back to his town fully clothed and in his right mind, as a living testimony to the power of God. Christ made an open show of Satan and all his minions. He demonstrated the power of God over evil time and time again.

The Body of Christ will continue to serve mankind as Jesus did when He walked the earth. We will subjugate all demonic powers as we fine-tune our weapons of warfare in the days ahead. We will bind Satan and set captives free of demonic strongholds, such as addictions and afflictions of all types. We will loose blessings and health into their lives, and win many to the Lord through this show of awesome power. Men will experience freedom to love and serve God, sanctified and purified through His anointing.

Matthew 11:1 “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.”

Jesus taught and ministered to the needs of the people. He spoke in parables so that they would be able to better understand the principles of the Kingdom. He preached forgiveness, servitude and righteousness. He taught them how to love the Lord and one another. His very life was an example to them of divine power and authority for victorious living.

The Body of Christ will function similarly in the days ahead, as we preach and teach the nations of the earth to walk in God’s ways. We will harvest a bountiful number of souls for the Kingdom of God if we are willing and obedient to the Lord’s direction. We must be walking in love and righteousness so that we are living testimonies of God’s power and glory on the earth.

The end-time harvest of souls is ripe for reaping. The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached all around the world with attending signs and wonders, miraculous healings and deliverances. Men everywhere will be eager and receptive to the good news of Jesus Christ. The awesome power and glory of God will manifest as millions throng to hear His Word. They will repent and be baptized and forever be set free.

Matthew 15:32 “Then Jesus called his disciples [unto him], and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.”

Christ had a heart for the people. He loved them with an uncompromising love that only God has for men. He fed them the Bread of Life and ministered to their temporal needs as well. He fed multitudes on several occasions, performing miraculous multiplications of a few loaves of bread and pieces of fish.

He was able to transcend natural laws and overcome them. He worked miraculous signs and wonders, never for the sake of the miracles themselves, but for the benefit of His followers. His miraculous actions were meant to be a visible manifestation of God’s power, a confirmation of the Word of God that He spoke to them.

We too will walk in the miraculous in the days ahead. The Lord will supernaturally empower us to show forth His glory to all the world, as evidence that He does indeed exist and involve Himself in the affairs of men. We will demonstrate the love of God in performing miracles that attract many to Kingdom principles. We will teach them His way of doing things and being right.

Matthew 14:25 “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”

Jesus took authority over all of nature. He had dominion over the climate and the weather conditions. He spoke to the storms; He calmed the winds and the waves; and He was able to transport Himself over the water into His disciples’ boat. He walked on water several times, and supernaturally defied the very laws of gravity.

Through His willing obedience to the Father, He had total dominion over the earth restored to Him, just as Adam had once enjoyed before the fall. That same power and authority over the earth has been given to us as we usher in the Kingdom with all attending signs and wonders. It may very well be that we, too, will defy natural laws. It will be exciting to see how the glory of God manifests in us and through us for the benefit of others.

We do know that the Body of Christ will take authority over all creation, as we restore its original beauty and balance. The plant and animal kingdoms will be subject to us. Climatic conditions will respond to our words. There will be no natural catastrophes that frighten and harm mankind, as we bind all demonic powers and speak peace and order to the earth and everything in it.

Mark 9:2 “And after six days Jesus taketh [with him] Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.”

Jesus was able to overcome the flesh and enter into the spirit realm at will during His transfiguration. He took on divine attributes for His disciples to witness as proof that He was who He said He was. He manifested Himself as God right before their very eyes.

He had the ability to walk as both man and God on the earth, but He stripped Himself of His deity in His earthly ministry. All that Jesus accomplished was done as a mere man who heard from and obeyed God. His anointing power from the Father was generated by His very obedience.

We may not be transfigured as Christ was during His walk on the earth, but we have been transformed and spiritually changed to become new creatures in Christ. We are a new race of being; we have spiritual DNA just as Christ did. As joint-heirs with Him to all the promises of God, we know that we too will walk in the miraculous in the days to come.

Mark 10:32 “And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,”

This passage suggests a type of non-conventional spiritual transportation as Jesus and His followers were going to Jerusalem. The disciples were both amazed and afraid of what transpired. They were obviously transported from place to place by the very Spirit of God that knows no confines of time and space.

Jesus also prophesied His future and what suffering and death He was to experience. In the natural, He could not know these things, but by the Spirit of God that indwelled Him, He could know everything.

We can only speculate concerning spiritual transportation for the Body of Christ as we usher in the Kingdom. There will be much to accomplish, and only a limited time in which to do it. It may very well be that the Lord Himself will supernaturally move us about at His will and for His divine plan and purpose.

So too, the Body of Christ will have the ability to read men’s hearts as Christ did. Our spiritual powers of discernment will be greatly enhanced as we preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and turn them towards God. We will be able to minister to their needs effectively and permanently; there will be millions called in to the Kingdom as a result of our evangelization efforts.

Luke 4:14 “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”

Jesus was able to transport Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit from one place to another. He supernaturally overcame confines of time and space. He miraculously defied the very laws of natural physics. He was an amazingly effective minister because of His ability to be in any place at any given time.

Perhaps the Lord will demonstrate His power in transporting us to different mission fields around the world in the days to come. Time is of the essence and there are many souls to harvest. It could very well be that He will move us at will to do His work abroad.

Luke 5:22 “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?”

Jesus had exceptionally good spiritual discernment. He could read men’s minds and know their innermost thoughts. He looked into the very hearts of men and knew what motivated them. He could see the source of their suffering, rebuke it and heal it. He could see their hidden sins and expose them. He knew their thoughts and feelings and often rebuked them even before they surfaced in the natural realm.

We have Christ’s very own wisdom and compassion. We have keen spiritual discernment, as well. We will win many hearts and souls to the Lord through our strong witness of love and a and glorious demonstration of divine power and authority. Men everywhere will be given an opportunity to hear the gospel message and be baptized in the faith, as we usher in the Kingdom.

John 20:30 “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Jesus worked many miraculous signs and wonders so that people would believe on Him and the power of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The miracles He performed were always beneficial and relevant to their lives. He was the first born of many brethren that will do as He did, the Bible tells us. The Body of Christ will function as He did on the earth in the days to come.

However, we will not perform miraculous signs and wonders unless we are hearing from the Lord and walking in total obedience to His will. There can be no powerful anointing to do what Jesus did without perfect love and obedience.

We must present our bodies as living sacrifices and consecrate all our efforts to the coming of the Kingdom. It is certain that a remnant of faithful, obedient believers will walk exactly as Christ did, in full power and authority over the natural realms!

John 11:41 “Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up [his] eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.”

Jesus did the ultimate work of the Father when He raised the dead. He had re-creative resurrection power, not as God in operation, but as a mere man walking in the power and authority of God. This account of the raising of Lazarus is only one instance of Christ resurrecting the dead. He also raised Jairus’ daughter, and He will raise all the righteous dead when He returns to the earth.

In the days to come, the Body of Christ will do just as Jesus did and also raise the dead. We will lay hands on them and/or call them forth, and they will live again. Death is the last enemy that is to be put under Christ’s feet before He returns to rule and reign with us in the Kingdom of God for all eternity.

Then Christ Himself will return to raise the righteous dead and to deliver us incorruptible, glorious resurrection bodies that will never be subject to disease and decay again. So we will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye, the Bible tells us.

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Christ’s obedience had a huge pay-off for us and for Him. He was given all divine authority in heaven and on the earth. He is seated at the right hand of God, the Bible tells us. And we are seated right up there with Him. He delegates all His power and authority to us as His Body. We have the very anointing of Jesus Christ inside of us to do good works on the earth as He did.

We are to walk as Jesus walked, as we usher in the Kingdom of God before Christ’s second coming. He has commissioned us to go forth in His Name with full power and authority to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead and deliver the oppressed. It’s only by doing His works that we will actually see heaven come to the earth; He will be glorified with us in all that we do.

He will never leave us or forsake us in our mission. He will give us clear-cut instructions in all that we are called to do. We will appropriate His very own anointing power to compensate for what we lack in the natural to do His work. All that will be required from us is willing cooperation and obedience to His plan and purpose in ushering in His Kingdom.

Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”

We have a surety that the works Jesus did we will do also. We will have a full impartation of His anointing power to do good. He tells us that these miraculous signs follow our faith. In His Name we will cast our demons, speak with other tongues, and heal the sick. He will back us up in all we are called to do. His anointing power will work in us and through us to accomplish everything.

So too, we will be covered with a hedge of divine protection as we serve the Lord in ushering in the Kingdom. No attempt of the enemy will thwart the Lord’s purpose in our lives. No evil will come near us to interfere with the anointing or to harm us personally. Every demonic stronghold will be destroyed, and Satan will be forever banished at the coming of Jesus Christ Himself.

John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, cast out demons, healed the sick and raised the dead routinely. These tasks should be simple for us when we walk in the fullness of faith under the power of the anointing. We will be able to accomplish great feats as we walk together with Christ and with one another in total unity of purpose. The very glory of God will descend on the earth in a miraculous manifestation to the unbeliever.

Christ’s anointing power is on the Body of Christ in the earth to do ALL the works that He did, and even greater works. We will be able to accomplish all things necessary to usher in the Kingdom. We need only receive our marching orders clearly and concisely and be obedient to His leadership, to see this planet turned upside down with the power of God at work through us.

We can only speculate what the “greater works” are that Jesus refers to here. But since He overcame the confines of time and space, overturned natural laws, worked miracles of multiplication, read men’s minds and hearts, and foretold the future, we should be able to do the same under the power of His anointing.

Because He had authority over all nature and transported Himself and others supernaturally, we can assume that these capabilities will also be transferred to us. The miraculous will become commonplace in the days ahead. And we will appear as super-heroes to a sick and dying world.

We will demonstrate the very power and glory of God to the entire universe as we go about doing the works of Christ.

Whatever we do and whenever we do it, we must remember that it is by Jesus’ Blood and His Name that we have both the power and authority to do the works that He did while He was on the earth. In doing what Christ did, we will help usher the Kingdom of God on the earth even before He returns to rule and reign with us. We can do nothing in our own strength; we have to hear direct from Him for our specific instructions.

I believe that in the days ahead, Christ will download tremendous revelation and impart limitless capability to us. We have to be prepared to do the seemingly impossible, as if it were normal and ordinary. We should eagerly await the time when we will see governments shaken, hospitals and funeral homes emptied, and millions thronging to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom.

The entire universe will be re-created and restored to its original state as it was at creation. The plant and animal kingdoms will be subject to our dominion over them. We will speak to the weather and it will be perfect and calm. There will be no climatic disturbances that frighten or hurt anyone. All of creation will be subject to our rule and reign with Christ for all eternity.

1. The Obedience of Jesus Christ
2. The Works Of Christ
3. Healings
4. Casting Out Devils
5. Raising The Dead
6. The Great Commission
7. The Greater Works

Chapter 5 - Kingdom Power And Authority

Matthew 6:9-13 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Jesus taught us to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. That’s great news, since we do not have to leave this world to enjoy heaven’s blessings. They will be brought to this earth for us to enjoy forever and ever. We will experience love and joy, peace and prosperity, safety and security, health and length of days all in the presence of our loving God.

But we must fervently pray to birth the coming of the Kingdom to the earth realm, whether we are members of the Bride of Christ or His Body. We must remind the Lord of His promise and ask Him to make good on it as quickly as possible. We should make positive decrees that the Kingdom will manifest and actually visualize it coming into reality. We should proclaim the good news of its coming to all men, and give the Lord all the thanks and praise that He deserves.

Our Father God is the source of the power and authority that Jesus Christ had when He walked the earth. He is almighty and omnipotent. Jesus was human in every respect that we are, but He operated in divine power authority to do the works that He did. We share in His anointing power and will also work miracles in the days to come. We will demonstrate God’s awesome presence for the entire world to see.

2Samuel 22:33 “God [is] my strength [and] power: and he maketh my way perfect.”

God is our source for all Kingdom power and authority. It is He that anoints and only He that appoints. Advancement and promotion comes from Him alone. He confers Christ’s anointing on all who are willingly obedient to His lead and direction. He assigns us our roles in His eternal redemption plan. The basic requirements are that we should be sanctified and dedicated to His holy purpose for our lives.

That requires a certain amount of self-emptying on our part. God will send His purging fire to root out all that defiles us. We need to be walking in the Spirit and not our flesh. We have to lay down our souls and forego all earthly ambitions. We cannot be exalted or proud, but must remain humble servants. We must walk in love – for the Lord and for one another – in every situation and circumstance.

We need to see things as God sees them and respond as He would respond. He tests, purges and refines us, until we can be entrusted with power from on high to do the works that He wants done on the earth. This sanctification process will be stringent and ongoing in the days ahead, but it is also necessary so that we will be consecrated vessels for the Lord’s plan and purpose and suitable stewards for the anointing on our lives.

The Body of Christ has an awesome responsibility to hear and obey God, so that His eternal redemption plan is smoothly and effectively implemented. We must be willing and cooperative to do all that He assigns us. We must cling to the Lord as one and walk in total unity with one another. There is no time to spare and no place for dissension or insubordination in our ranks.

The Lord will bring each of us up to His standards of spiritual maturity and perfection as the days progress. We need not fear that we will be ill equipped for all that He calls us to do. He will arrange for divine connections within the church to assist us. So too, He will assign His angelic hosts to pave the way. He will provide us with supernatural empowerment to perform every detail that is required for bringing heaven to the earth realm.

Romans 1:4 “And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”

Christ’s resurrection from the dead was the most powerful event that’s taken place since creation. It was so powerful that it caused an earthquake, and the rock tomb was forcibly opened and bathed in light, the Bible says. It was a feat of such magnitude that it altered the course of human events forever and all time. It demonstrated the greatest display of raw power in action that the world has ever seen.

The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead – what the Greeks call “dunamis” – potentially resides in every believer today. Dunamis is explosive, raw power that can do the seemingly impossible. It was this same awesome power that the Father used in the creation of the universe, and it will be the same degree of power that will be used in its re-creation and restoration to the pre-Adamic state.

We have resurrection power of such strength and magnitude resident in us as believers, that it staggers the imagination. Without hearing from and obeying God, we could literally be dangerous. That’s why the Lord is extremely selective about delegating and activating His power. The Body of Christ must be sanctified, hearing His voice clearly, and disciplined to obey every directive He gives us. We cannot do our own thing; it is vital that we move according to God’s will and perfect timing.

Luke 9:1 “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Authority is simply delegated power. Jesus delegated His anointing power to His disciples during His earthly ministry. He sent them forth to preach the Gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons. He equipped them for success in all that they were called to do. And He’s commissioned the Body of Christ to go forth and do His works in His Name today.

In order to fulfill our divine commission, we must be entrusted with the same degree of power and authority that Christ had when He walked the earth. There is much to be done in ushering in the Kingdom. We need a full impartation of His anointing power and authority. That requires our obedience, consecration and dedication to His purpose.

The Lord has to be totally confident of both our motives and our ability to employ the anointing for good and not for evil. We must strive for full maturity and spiritual perfection. We should have discipline and self-control. We must exercise right judgment. Then He Himself will provide us with the power and authority to do His will in all things.

We will destroy all enemy strongholds that prevent the coming of the Kingdom. We will preach and teach regardless of our human talents to do so. We will heal all men and do creative restorative miracles. We will set all captives free from enemy oppression of all types. Our power will be limitless for doing good and benefiting mankind.

Acts 4:33 “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”

The early church enjoyed great power and authority after the feast of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit descended on them and filled them, these followers of Christ went about boldly doing all that He had done during His public ministry, despite heavy controversy and religious persecution. They continually sanctified themselves and walked in love and unity, and the works they did were phenomenal in expanding the church.

Peter and Paul were filled with such power and authority as they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, healed the sick and cast out demons, that the Book of Acts tells us that people were healed even when their shadows passed by. They reflected the glorious light of Christ in their Christian walk. There were many miraculous signs and wonders that they performed as evidence of their faith.

The disciples did it all in the Name of Jesus Christ, just as we will do. But the power and glory that will be demonstrated in us during these latter days will far eclipse the power shown by members of the early church. It will be both destructive and creative in its nature, and must be employed to the Lord’s exact specifications.

Our power and authority will be both destructive for tearing down enemy strongholds, and creative for restoring the entire earth. We will have to be extremely careful in the use of it. All natural earthly power will pale in comparison to the awesome power of Christ in us, as we usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth in the days to come!

1Corinthians 15:24 “Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”

Jesus Christ stripped Satan and all His demons of their power and authority to hinder and destroy, through His victory over sin, death and the grave. He continues to rule and reign on the earth through His Body. He exercises power and authority in us and through us. He is the Head, and we function as He directs us.

All demonic strongholds will come toppling down and be stripped of their power to destroy once and for all. All men will be set free of enemy oppression. Sickness and disease will be totally eradicated. Poverty and death will be things of the past. Pain and sorrow will disappear from the face of the earth. All enemies of Christ will be put under His feet.

All earthly kingdoms and civil authority will be swallowed up by the Kingdom of God, as we take back control of human government. The nations of the world will be restructured and reorganized to function according to Kingdom principles. All men will enjoy peace and prosperity and walk in love and unity with one another. Nothing defiling will be present in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God will impact the entire universe. All of creation will be renewed and restored to its original condition prior to the fall of Adam. The plant and animal kingdoms will be in total harmony with one another and subject to man. The climate will be temperate and predictable, with no natural disasters occurring. The earth will be a virtual paradise once again.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

The Lord is able to accomplish great things through His people that willingly and obediently serve Him. He will restore the earth and everything in it with the coming of the Kingdom of God. Heaven’s way of doing things will come to the earth and peace and order will prevail. The entire universe will once again line up with the will of God.

All we need to do is be ready and willing to cooperate with God, in order to see the total consummation of all things. We will be richly rewarded for our efforts and eternally blessed in His Kingdom. He will boast of us to all creation and fellowship with us in love and intimacy. We will be honored and glorified, and rule and reign with Christ for all eternity.

1John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

The Body of Christ is an extension of Christ Himself. It remains our part to subdue both earthly governments and destroy demonic strongholds under Christ’s leadership in the days ahead. Everything we do will be done in Christ’s Name and by His anointing power. It all has to line up with the will of God implemented through His perfect plan and timing.

We can and will overcome just as Christ did – the world, the flesh and the devil. No iniquity will be present in the Kingdom of God on the earth. It will be eradicated by the Body of Christ, and banished for all time at Christ’s coming. No oppression, sickness, death or evil of any kind will mar the total perfection that the Lord has in mind for His people for all eternity.

Ephesians 2:5-6 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:”

As believers, we have been elevated to our place of authority in Christ Jesus because of our relationship with Him that occurred when we were born again. At that moment, the Lord no longer looked on our sinfulness, but on our righteousness in Christ. As we purge ourselves of all known sin and personal ambition, and present our bodies as living sacrifices, we are promoted and advanced to be members of the Body of Christ.

We have been raised up with Jesus to sit in heavenly places where He sits – at the right hand of the Father. We don’t beat our path to the throne of God with wailing and begging, we sit by its side and make our requests known as mature sons and daughters. And we know that the Lord hears us and grants all our requests in accordance with His will. He delights in partnering with us to bring heaven to the earth realm, and He will make our needs His priority in the days ahead.

The Lord will be on alert to equip us with all that we require to implement His plan and purpose for mankind. We will receive ongoing revelation regarding His timing and our specific role in it. The Lord will dispatch angels at our bidding, to assist us in all that we are called to do. He will stand ready to energize and protect us, so that we can be efficient and effective in ushering in His Kingdom on the earth. We will overthrow all demonic attempts to impede our progress and assist Christ in destroying evil for all time.

Zechariah 4:6 “… Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

It will require supernatural power and authority for us to usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth. This comes not by physical strength or intellectual ability, but by the Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer and the anointing power of Christ is available to each us for His plan and purpose. All we must do is be willing and obedient to His direction.

None of what the Body of Christ is to accomplish will be done in the natural. It will all be done by the Holy Spirit of God Himself. He is the source of our ultimate capability. We will perform superhuman feats in the Lord’s Name to demonstrate God’s almighty power and glory to all of creation, and attract multitudes to His Kingdom message.

1Chronicles 29:11 “Thine, O LORD, [is] the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all [that is] in the heaven and in the earth [is thine]; thine [is] the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”

The Father has entrusted the coming of His Kingdom to Jesus Christ and His followers on the earth. He alone is the source of all power to get the job done – to establish the Kingdom, set up its government, gather in His people, re-create and restore the earth. He is the exalted Head of all power and authority in the universe. Anything we do, we must do under the Lord’s delegated authority and Christ’s anointing power.

While we may appear to be just ordinary men and women, when the anointing power of the Lord enables us to walk in supernatural realms, we become invincible. We have been given authority to take back the earth from the enemy. The Lord delights in partnering with us, but requires that we be perfectly obedient to His direction. There will be no individual demonstrations of God’s power being violated and misused.

Luke 22:25-29 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;”

Power often corrupts, and Jesus warned His disciples against this. We should not be engaged in a power struggle among ourselves nor with the world. Our power is conferred on us by the merits of Jesus Christ; He came to serve, not to be overbearing and dictatorial. We cannot beat people up with our Bibles or impose our standards on them. We will have to employ gentle persuasion and convincing evidence to win souls to Christ.

Whoever would be the greatest among us in the Kingdom of God should be the greatest servant to others. Christ will not trust His anointing to us if we are careless or frivolous in its use. He can’t have us running around doing our own thing. He must be confident that we hear, obey and carry out His orders to His exact specifications.

He has appointed a very special Kingdom to us for our co-ruling and reigning. With it comes responsibility to use due diligence in exercising power and authority. We must hear direct from Him. We must judge with right judgment and decree what He would have us say. Everything we do will line up with the Word of God and with the Father’s will. We should be humble and grateful for the ultimate privilege of serving God and others.

Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

The Body of Christ will aid in the restructure and reorganization of the church in these last days. Christ will be returning for a Bride without spot or blemish. We will remind believers of the truth that Christ taught when He walked the earth. They were bought with a huge price, and they have to get back to the basic foundations of the faith before Christ returns for His Bride.

Organized religion will come down; the Lord hates Babylonian religious systems that keep people in bondage. The Body of Christ enjoys a favorable position of hearing directly from the Lord, and in the days to come, we will be called on to teach and minister the very oracles of God to fellow believers, as well as to evangelize the masses with His Kingdom message.

The Body of Christ has been in intense training and preparation. The more we sanctify and consecrate ourselves for the Lord’s use, the more He can entrust to us. There will be sudden promotions and advancements in the Body. We will become ministers of the gospel, healers and miracles workers.

Many of us will be promoted to become teachers, pastors, evangelists and prophets in the days to come, while those who formerly held these positions will be uprooted and demoted because of poor stewardship and lack of shepherding the flock. The Lord will replace these false shepherds with leaders and teachers after His very own heart.

We will minister in love and compassion for others in the days ahead. We will lead by example and use gentle persuasion in bringing in the harvest of souls that is required before we usher in the Kingdom. We will preach the uncompromised Word of God that sets men free. We will baptize, heal and deliver all captives of the enemy.

We will teach Kingdom principles and encourage sanctification and spiritual maturity. Our natural skills and talents will have no bearing on our supernatural performance. All that will be required of us is strict obedience and a willingness to serve God and others. The very anointing of Christ Himself will enable us to demonstrate God’s love for all mankind.

Topics For Discussion

1. The Source Of All Power
2. What Is Authority?
3. Power In The Early Church
4. Power In The Body Of Christ
5. How The Body Of Christ Differs From The Bride Of Christ
6. The Role Of The Body Regarding The Church
7. Shepherding The Flock

Chapter 6 – Marching Orders From The King

Mark 9:1 “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”

The disciples of Jesus thought that the Kingdom of God would arrive during their lifetimes. It did, in fact, come very near to them with Christ’s victory over sin, death and the grave. That perfect act of obedience birthed the Kingdom of God in the spirit realm. But that was only the beginning of what the Lord wanted to do. The Jewish people were expecting a military takeover to free them from Roman rule, but the Lord had a better plan then, just as He has today.

The Lord is preparing to close the gap between heaven and earth. The Body of Christ will usher in the Kingdom of God, with all His might and power demonstrated for the entire world to see. We are a chosen people who will assist the Lord in bringing heaven to the earth realm. God’s way of doing things and being right will manifest on this planet, and overshadow the darkness and destruction that has enveloped us.

Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

God has a great plan for the redemption of mankind that He developed from the foundation of the world. We will actually assist Him in the restoration of all creation to its original state. We will heal His people and set them free from all captivity. We will bring millions of souls into the Kingdom of God. We must praise and give Him thanks for masterminding such a marvelous plan for all of mankind.

We should be on alert and listen closely for His guidance and direction in the days ahead. He will lead us in everything we are called to do. All we must do is be consecrated and dedicated to His purpose, instead of our own agendas. We must lay down our soul lives and sanctify our flesh. We should be sincere and humble servants of others, and walk in love wherever possible.

The Lords requires our strict obedience to His lead, if we will be active participants in this glorious manifestation in our lifetime. We must pray fervently for the power and glory of God to manifest on the earth. We should also intercede for one another so that we can assume our divine destinies and fulfill our individual and corporate roles willingly and obediently as the Lord requires.

1Thessalonians 2:12 “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”

Christ is the Head and we are His Body. He has called us, justified and prepared us, and deemed us worthy to serve Him. The Head cannot do anything without the Body’s cooperation. Nor can the Body function without the Head being in control. Jesus Christ will mastermind the establishment of His Kingdom; we are simply His hands and feet on the earth.

We may be called to do things that appear impossible in the natural. However, the Lord has a specific purpose for everything that He asks us to do. It is critical that we move forward in perfect synchronization with Jesus Christ, and in total unity with one another in the days that are ahead of us. He will equip us for every task and we will walk in the miraculous as we obey His commands.

Psalm 31:3 “For thou [art] my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.”

This book is all about communication with the Lord and obedience to His voice. We must tune out the voices and opinions of others, because they do not see the big picture. They may only confuse us and take us off course. Only the Lord knows what needs to be done to fulfill His eternal redemption plan, and whom He can trust in doing it at any given time.

We have to be listening closely for His voice, and take our marching orders direct from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We must be quick to hear and immediately obey. No disobedience or insurrection will be tolerated. These will be grounds for disqualification in the Body of Christ, and the Lord will be compelled to replace us with those who follow His directions to the letter.

1Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God [is] not in word, but in power.”

Christ will not delegate His power and authority arbitrarily to just anyone. We have to be found faithful and true. We must be consecrated and dedicated to His purpose. We should literally present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. He will work in us and through us to accomplish His purpose.

It will take resurrection power to usher in the Kingdom of God on earth and reconstruct the planet. It will take the very anointing of Jesus Christ Himself to destroy demonic strongholds and restore all of creation to its original state. Since that power is so awesome and all consuming, we must be found suitable to wield it.

The Lord will build our resources, enhance our natural abilities and transfer His anointing power to us to accomplish all that is required in the days ahead if we are diligent and obedient to His lead. We need not be afraid or intimidated; Christ will be our sufficiency. We should have total faith and confidence that our Savior will prevail once again on the earth.

He will give us supernatural talents and abilities that defy logic. He will provide us with information into the deeper things of God, so that we can respond in a timely and appropriate manner. Christ will arrange for divine connections so that our individual capabilities are greatly enhanced to get the job done as He assigns it.

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.”

If we would be effective for Kingdom purposes, we must take obedience to a whole different level. We must totally commit ourselves to the Lord’s plan and purpose. We should walk in perfect love and unity with one another and with Christ as our Head. That is only our reasonable service, and the one basic requirement for eligibility in the Body of Christ for the future.

We will be on duty 24/7 as the days progress, and the Lord will give us clear insight, incredible energy and limitless power to do all He requires of us. He will dispatch legions of angels to assist us, and annihilate any opposition that comes against us in ushering in the Kingdom. It may not all be easy, but it will be powerful and global in scope. All the earth will marvel at God’s manifested power and glory.

We are members of an elite, armed forces that will overthrow all adversaries and establish an everlasting Kingdom on the earth. No soldier does His own thing. Our goal should be to do the will of the Father and the Son. We need to hear accurately, respond immediately and obey completely. If we would rule and reign with Christ, we must learn to be selfless and subservient to His goals and purposes in bringing the Kingdom of God to the earth.

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.”

We must renew our minds and fine-tune our spiritual senses for the days that lie ahead. Our total perception will change as we hear from the Lord concerning our part in the takeover of this planet. His revelation to us will be continuous as circumstances change. We will have to be skilled and flexible, loyal and dependable as we go about serving the Lord.

We must have an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and His ability to communicate with us and empower us for all we will be required to do. Some things we will be assigned may seem foolish to us in the natural, but we have to get past our limited thinking and see what the Lord sees. So too, we must remember that we can do all things in Christ.

We should pray constantly for increased revelation knowledge and heightened spiritual perception. We must ask the Lord to open our spiritual ears to hear and our eyes to see, and increase our wisdom and understanding in the days ahead. We should request that He teach us righteous judgment so that we can serve all men with fairness and equality.

He may call on us to visit hospitals, and do mass healings, or interrupt funeral ceremonies and raise the dead. He may transport us in the Spirit all over the planet to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Whatever He requires of us, wherever and whenever He sends us, He will provide the power and resources to get the job done. It’s by His Spirit that we will prevail in all things.

The Body of Christ has to be quick to recognize all subtle undermining and overt subterfuge, whether it comes from the world, the organized church or the devil. We should pray for better discernment so that we are able to circumvent any attempts that would deter the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth realm.

We must fine-tune our methods of warfare. We will have to forcibly come against the enemy’s attempts to hinder and halt us in our efforts. We should practice rebuking, binding and casting the enemy out of our situations and circumstances. We must bind all his efforts to hinder or oppose us, and loose angels to assist us in doing all that we are called to do.

Members of the Body need to use praise and worship as weapons of our warfare, and pray in our spiritual tongues for increased revelation of the Lord’s plan and strategy. And we should invoke Psalm 91, the Warrior’s Psalm, as we go about confidently serving the Lord in overcoming every effort of the enemy to prevent us from setting up the Kingdom of God.

Psalm 91:5-11 “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, [which is] my refuge, [even] the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out all fear. Maintaining a close personal love relationship and open communication with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, assure us of a continuous hedge of protection as we serve the Lord in the days to come. He will give His angels charge over us to protect us in all that we do.

We will see the recompense of the wicked, and the destruction of the ungodly. We will walk in overt and covert spiritual combat, yet enjoy perfect protection from any backlash, as we do the spiritual warfare necessary to establish Kingdom standards. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, the Bible tells us, but they are indeed mighty for tearing down demonic strongholds.

We need to cleanse ourselves of the defilement we come against in our warfare, and re-consecrate ourselves on a daily basis. The best way to do this is to confess all known sin, examine our motives and rededicate our efforts on a continuous basis. We must strive to be perfect as Christ is perfect, but we need not accomplish anything in our own strength. All that we need will be given to us in abundance to help us get the job done.

Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

The Lord gives His angels charge over us to protect us in all our ways, but we need to learn to issue commands to them, as well. They are voice-activated, dispatched according to our words that line up with the Word of God. Every time they hear God’s Word spoken they respond immediately to ensure that it is enforced. If we are speaking the words and will of God, our angels will respond to our every request.

We may not always have the luxury of working as a team; we may be called out as individuals to perform some necessary tasks. It is critical that we send our angels before us to pave the way for our success. They will be our vanguard and our rear guard as we serve the Lord in the days ahead. They will respond to our every need as we issue orders to them. They are ministering servants to all of mankind and grossly underutilized by men.

Psalm 103:20 “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

Angels have many roles in our lives. They deliver messages; they provide protection; they avenge wrong; and they minister comfort and assistance of all types. We need to become more skillful in using angels to both defend us and minister to our needs. We should also employ them for the benefit of others who may need protection or comfort.

We ought to seek the Lord’s wisdom to use our angels more effectively in all that we do. He will reveal His mysteries to us in progressive fashion so that we have all the vital information that we require to usher in His Kingdom quickly and efficiently.

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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The Lord has highly selective criteria for membership in the Body of Christ. Our hearts must be pure and our motives free from worldly contamination as the days progress. We cannot be proud or arrogant; we need to remember that our role is to stay humble and serve. No servant is above his master. Christ calls the shots, now more than ever.

If we would be found useful to the Lord’s plan of redemption, we must continuously cleanse ourselves, consecrate all our efforts – natural and spiritual – and perfect our obedience. We must be responsive to His every command. And we should always remember to walk in love with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We cannot afford to make the smallest slip; ushering in the Kingdom will require a unified thrust forward in all areas. When the command to advance is given, we cannot hesitate or fall short. We must be constantly vigilant and ready for action. We must look to our Commander In Chief before we do anything, and we should never move in our own strength.

While Moses faithfully served the Lord to the best of his ability in escorting the chosen people out of Egypt into the Promised Land. He was himself disqualified from entering into his reward because of disobedience to the Lord. It would be a tremendous disappointment if we are selected to serve in the Body of Christ, and having done all that we did, failed at it.

Our deliberate disobedience might jeopardize our entering into the Kingdom ourselves for all eternity. Not everyone will automatically enter into the Kingdom of God and dwell in all of its blessings. Christ will be the righteous judge of all men to determine their suitability for Kingdom life. Only those who walk in love and do the will of the Father will enter in for all eternity.

Mark 10:27 “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

We cannot accomplish anything in and of ourselves. The Lord will delegate His power and authority to us to do all that we will be required of us in the days ahead. Our role is to simply have faith, be obedient and willing to serve Him in fulfilling His eternal redemption plan for mankind. He will be our supernatural empowerment and give us clear-cut instruction. There is no possibility that we can fail, unless we step out of bounds and go it alone.

Through Christ’s anointing power, we will heal the sick and raise the dead routinely. We will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to multitudes. We will help prepare the church as a Bride to meet Christ. We will help restore all of creation to its original beauty. We will help subdue Satan and send him to the bottomless pit for all eternity. We will put all enemies under Christ’s feet, including death, so that He can return in full glory, and deliver the Kingdom to His Father.

1. The Lord’s Eternal Redemption Plan
1. Discuss Christ’s Role With The Body
2. Requirements For The Body Of Christ
3. Sanctification And Dedication
4. No Opposition
5. The Role Of Angels
6. The Risk Of Disqualification

Chapter 7 – Ruling And Reigning

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

While there will be provisions made for all of our temporal needs in Christ’s everlasting Kingdom, it will be characterized primarily by the spiritual peace and the joy that it brings to those who dwell there. All the inhabitants of the earth who are found worthy to enter into the Kingdom will enjoy continuous peace, joy, prosperity, health and longevity free from all defilement and iniquity.

The Body of Christ will enjoy all the benefits of the Kingdom, plus our inherited rewards. We will judge both men and angels. We will be kings and priests, just rulers and able teachers; we will have the heathen for our inheritance. We will restore all of creation. Christ will take vengeance on all our enemies, and boast of us to all men. We will rule and reign with Jesus and the Bride of Christ, and share in His glory for all eternity.

Luke 1:33 “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Christ reigns from His throne in heaven, and He will head up the Kingdom of God on the earth, as well. His will be an everlasting Kingdom, and it will be comprised of the Jewish people who believe on Him, the church and believers from all nations. All believers will be members of the household of God and Christ will be their King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Our Savior will judge righteously and govern fairly; He will make certain that no evil enters in to contaminate the safety and security that the Kingdom will bring. He will instruct us in the fair and equitable principles of Kingdom government, so that we will be just rulers and able teachers of all men that He appoints us to govern.

2Timothy 2:12 “If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:”

There is a certain amount of suffering that we must accomplish in our souls and our flesh before we will be deemed worthy to rule and reign with Jesus Christ in His Kingdom. We must ask the Lord to purge us of all evil and sanctify us for His use. We cannot have our own personal agendas, if we will be trusted with all divine power and authority in government. We must put the needs of our people first, and be humble servants to them in all that we do.

We must believe that Christ is indeed the Son of God and the Savior of the world, and boast of Him in all our evangelization efforts. We should baptize new believers in His Name and acquaint them with His character and accomplishments on our behalf. He is worthy of all praise and honor, and we should testify of His greatness to all men as we usher in His Kingdom and bring in the end-time harvest of souls.

We must be vessels of honor, consecrated for the Lord’s use at any time and in any way He deems worthwhile. We have to hear from Him and obey Him completely in order to decree His righteous judgments. We will restructure and reorganize earthly governments according to Kingdom standards. We will be just rulers and able teachers of all men. We will help Christ enforce Kingdom principles so that people can dwell in peace and safety for all eternity.

Isaiah 32:1 “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.”

The Lord has promised that there would always be a righteous king over His people. His eternal plan of salvation not only allowed for Christ to become that King, but established our positions as rulers with Him in the Kingdom of God on the earth. We also will be kings and priests unto our God. The heathen are our inheritance; we will help govern the nations for all eternity.

We will learn to see things as Christ does, and judge with righteousness and equity for all Kingdom citizens. We will enforce Kingdom standards. No evil and nothing defiling will be permitted to dwell there. We will intercede for our people’s needs with almighty God. There will be peace, love and joy for all Kingdom residents, as we dwell in the presence of the Lord forever.

Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Christ has shown Himself strong on our behalf. He has been our Savior and our High Priest with the Father. We owe Him the same degree of dedication that He has shown us. Devotion and loyalty to the Lord’s purpose are the primary job qualifications for the Body of Christ as we enter the Kingdom of God on this earth. Obedience is not optional; it is of the essence.

Whatever we lack in natural abilities, the Lord will supply through His divine empowerment. We will enjoy His anointing without measure. It will not come and go, or fade in the using; we will have unlimited power available to us continuously. We will be able to accomplish great feats for the Lord and positively impact men’s lives for all eternity.

The Body of Christ will be well compensated for its efforts in the days to come. As we overcome the world, our flesh and all demonic strongholds as Christ did when He walked the earth, we will be elevated to positions of royal authority with Him. We will be overseers, judges and benefactors to the people that God has called to reside in His Kingdom.

We will govern, teach Kingdom principles for righteous living, and judge both angels and men. We will make certain that nothing defiling will enter into the Kingdom to contaminate its peace, safety or security. We will rule and reign with Jesus Christ for all eternity, as we overcome our natural limitations and walk in the full power and glory that the Lord has planned for us.

Revelation 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

Christ’s obedience unto death and victory on the cross, saved us from our sins and elevated us to be joint-heirs with Him to all the promises of God. We have the potential to be kings and priests as we rule and reign with Christ on the earth in His Kingdom. However with our privilege comes a corresponding responsibility. We must have the wisdom, compassion and the authority of Christ.

If we will rule and reign with Him for all eternity, and minister to the temporal and spiritual needs of all Kingdom residents, then we must have Christ-like character. We should judge with all fairness and equity, intervene with the Lord on their behalf and educate them in the Kingdom way of life. We will be extensions of Christ Himself, so we must train ourselves to think, speak and act exactly as He would in dealing with others.

We can begin now to be humble servants of others. We should be sensitive to their needs and compassionate in our dealings with all men. We should use gentleness and persuasion in our communications and always walk in love for one another as Christ Himself walked on the earth. Then our righteousness will shine so that all men will imitate us.

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”

Jesus Christ was born into the Davidic line of kings. He comes from royal human blood. He will serve as the eternal King of Kings for all eternity. Under His rule, people will thrive and prosper. They will know peace and joy, instead of fear and oppression. He will be a gentle, yet firm leader of God’s people. Christ will also rule with a rod of iron, and see to it that Kingdom principles are strictly obeyed so that nothing defiles the peace and joy of God’s people.

We will function as Kings and priests, governors and overseers under Christ, and walk in His power and authority in the Kingdom of God. We will participate in judgment of the earthly kingdoms and angelic realms, restoring peace, order and justice to the earth. We will be just rulers and effective teachers of all men, and make certain that their spiritual and temporal needs are all met in Christ’s Kingdom.

Psalm 58:11 “So that a man shall say, Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.”

Jesus Christ is the righteous judge of all men. We must imitate His fairness in Kingdom rule. We can’t show favoritism or partiality to others. We have to be compassionate, merciful and just rulers of God’s people who will dwell in His Kingdom. There will be multitudes that need to be taught Kingdom principles, and we have to be able teachers and accomplished role models.

We will be humble servants to all, just as Christ was when He walked the earth. Christ Himself will judge us based on our faithful performance. We will be generously rewarded for our righteousness and our humility in serving others just as He has promised us. If we fall short, He will instruct in His way of doing things, so that we can optimize our performance.

Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

The Bible says that all things work together for good for us, and that we go from glory to glory. We have been called, justified, sanctified and now we will be glorified with Christ. The Lord knew us from the foundation of the world. He called us to our eternal destinies, and justified us by the Blood of His Son. Now He will glorify us with the coming of His Kingdom.

As we continue to purge and sanctify ourselves, we will grow into the full stature of Jesus Christ, as the Father has planned from the beginning of time. We will be like Him in every way. The Bible tells us that He is the first-born of many sons and daughters. God’s people have been criticized and hated for thousands of years, but we will be elevated to the position of joint-heirs to Christ’s Kingdom on the earth.

We are already seated at His right hand in heavenly places, and we share in His power and authority over the earth now. But we will enjoy an even more intimate relationship with Him, as we rule and reign for all eternity in His shared glory. No longer ostracized, we will be honored and respected; Christ Himself will boast of us to all of creation and shower us with His glory.

Psalm 54:5 “He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.”

God is good and loving, but He is also just and fair, and He will take vengeance on all our enemies in the days ahead. We will be vindicated by the Lord Himself, as all men are fairly and equitably judged. We need not even give a thought to the retribution He has planned for our opponents.

It is a fearsome thing to fall under the wrath of God. He is all powerful, and has the ability to both create and destroy. The Bible says that Christ will destroy all evil in the wrath of His coming, and bind Satan and his minions in the bottomless pit for all eternity. Nothing evil or defiling will ever contaminate life in God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Psalm 2:8 “Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession.”

We should have a deep abiding love for all men. If we do, we will be given the multitudes for our inheritance. We will assist in bringing all nations of the world into the Kingdom. A large part of our eternal reward will be concentrated in the people who have not known the Lord prior to this time. We will rule and reign over them for all eternity. That means that we must be just rulers and capable teachers, humble and sincere servants to those whom the Lord gives us.

Our goal should be to think and act just like Christ would in His dealings with others. We must employ godly standards for Kingdom government. We should be fair and impartial, yet loving and accommodating to their needs. Men, women and children will all come to know the power and the glory of the Lord through us. We will oversee them and protect them, so that they can enjoy peace and prosperity for all eternity.

Deuteronomy 15:6 “For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.”

The Lord’s hand is not shortened in keeping His promises. He will restore all the original authority and dominion that Adam lost on the earth through sin, back to the Body of Christ. We will inherit nations to govern, but they will not rule us. Our power and authority will be conferred on us by Christ Himself, and be immutable and eternal in scope.

We will supply all their needs and not rely on them to supply ours. We will be kind benefactors and overseers. We will judge with all godly fairness and equity for the people that the Lord gives us, and teach them Kingdom principles for righteous living. We will love them and protect them, just as Christ has taught us by His own example.

Exodus 15:17 “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, [in] the place, O LORD, [which] thou hast made for thee to dwell in, [in] the Sanctuary, O Lord, [which] thy hands have established.”

The Body of Christ will bring in the full end-time harvest of souls that has been ordained from the beginning of the world. Men from every tongue and nation will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom, repent and be baptized. The Lord doesn’t care if we have been believers for years or minutes; the same promises are laid up for all righteous men who do His will.

The Lord created the earth and everything in it to be a perfect home for God and men. However, all of creation has been in decay, subject to destruction and death for thousands of years, due to Adam’s fall in the Garden. Satan has wreaked havoc on the earth, and plants, animals, oceans and rivers all cry out to the Lord for restoration and renewal.

We will have the distinct pleasure and privilege to assist Christ in restoring and re-creating the earth to its original state of beauty and balance. The plant and animal kingdoms will flourish in harmony and men will walk in dominion over them. The climate will be perfect and there will be no natural catastrophes to frighten men and destroy lives.

The Lord wants nothing more than to walk with us in the cool of the evening again, as once He did with Adam in the Garden of Eden. He wants total blessings for His people that He knew from the foundation of the world. He wants us to enjoy peace and prosperity, health and long life, safety and security in His Kingdom. He will supply all our needs both temporal and spiritual, as He dwells with us forever in paradise on the earth.

Ezekiel 37:27 “My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Heaven is coming to the earth realm, and the Lord is coming too! It will be His delight and distinct pleasure to dwell with us in close, intimate fellowship. He created us to love and communicate with Him, and nothing will ever interfere with that again. We will be in His awesome, glorious presence on a regular basis as His very own family; we will dwell in peace and prosperity, joy and security forever.

We can only speculate how we will spend our days in the presence of the Lord. We can be certain that we will have reached spiritual maturity, and become holy and perfect in the Lord’s eyes, even as He is holy and perfect. We will walk in love and unity with one another, and raise families that praise and worship God for generations.

I doubt that we will spend all of eternity playing harps and singing God’s praises, however. We will lead healthy, prosperous lives much the same as we did on the earth before the Kingdom was ushered in. The only thing that will be distinctly different for us, is that there will be no evil or defilement of any type to oppress and hurt us.

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 Lord has great plans for us. Life will never be the same; we will not remember our former pain and sorrow. The entire universe will be re-created to be idyllic and beautiful, as He intended from the very creation. God will dwell with man as He has planned for eons. We will all enjoy peace and prosperity, safety and security, health and longevity for all eternity.

We will build homes and work with our hands. We will have dominion over the plant and animal kingdoms. The earth will be beautiful and bountiful, with plenty of good things to eat and drink. The climatic conditions will be perfect; there will be no natural disasters to frighten or harm us. The Lord will be our source of light; there will be no night and day, no confines of time or space.

We will have healthy bodies that live forever. We will raise families and watch them grow for generation upon generation. All men will be like-minded and dwell together as one with the Lord. All of our relatives will walk in peace and love, and praise God for His goodness. Our neighbors will all be kind and generous; we will enjoy their companionship without any strife.

There will be no cause for pain or sorrow in God’s Kingdom; we will have everlasting joy in His presence. We will communicate with Him regularly and intimately. We will no longer have to travail in prayer for hours and days to have our requests heard. He will meet our needs even before we ask Him. The Lord will supply everything in abundance; we will be temporally and spiritually blessed beyond our wildest imagination!

1. Discuss Righteous Ruling And Reigning
2. Kings And Priests – Roles
3. Rewards For The Righteous
4. The Heathen For Our Inheritance
5. The Tabernacle of God With Men
6. New Heavens And New Earth

Epilogue

Revelation 21:1-5 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

God is doing a new thing. He is releasing His awesome power and glory throughout the entire universe and bringing heaven to the earth realm. Before this book even hits the press, there will be even more revelation given to us about the coming of the Kingdom of God to this earth.

We should not be expecting just another revival, but rather, the glorious consummation of all things. The Body of Christ will put all enemies – including death and Satan – under its feet, and usher in the Kingdom of God even prior to Christ’s return.

The Bride of Christ, His church, will be wholly sanctified, unified and fully prepared to meet Jesus as He descends in the clouds to meet us. Together with the Body of Christ, they will bring in the full end-time harvest of souls.

The dead in Christ will then rise at His coming, as He calls them forth from the grave. Our bodies will be redeemed and changed from corruptible to incorruptible, resurrection bodies that will be healthy and live forever.

Jesus will deliver the Kingdom to the Father so that the Lord will take up residence with us on earth. Christ will rule and reign with His Body and His Bride for a thousand years in the millennial Kingdom of God on the earth, and then Satan will be loosed for awhile, the Bible tells us. There will be another global shake-up at that time, so that what cannot be shaken, remains for all time.

The dead will all be raised and the Great White Throne Judgment will take place. The Body of Christ will help judge and administer either eternal rewards or punishments. And so we will always be with the Lord in joy, health, peace and prosperity.

It reads like a fairy tale, too good be true, but it is the Word of the living God that assures us that all these things will indeed take place!