THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD
Becoming the Kingdom of Our God & Of His Christ
And the seventh angel trumpeted; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)
To God's ambassadors in chains and to all who stand in the love of the truth. Grace and peace be multiplied to you, through the name of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ! There is power in ha Shem! (The Name!)
In the film "The Hiding Place," about the life of Corrie Ten Boom, I will always remember Corries sister Bessie explaing the fact that there are two kingdoms, which exist. (Matthew 12:32)
God calls this present world," an "evil world system, or kingdom." (Galatians 1:3-4) The god of this world, (Satan) blinds the minds of those who refuse to believe God's word. (2 Cor. 4:3-4) The will of God is not in harmony with this present world system, nor it with Him. (1 John 2:15-17) We are living in a time in which the handwriting is written on the wall. God's prophetic will is for the nations and kingdoms of this world to not perish but that they become the kingdom of our God and of Mashiach/Messiah. God is looking upon Modern Babel, saying: The people are one. Let us go down. There has been and there will be a shaking of the structures raised. We have come seriously close to the scattering read of in God's word. Mashiach stands at the door of the sheepfold, to put forth His own sheep, and to lead them that they might follow only Him, for He calls us by His name. (John 10:4, Genesis 11:6-8) These are the days in which Heavenly Jerusalem, as a bride adorned for her husband, wearing fine linen clean and white, shall go forth and shall touch those on earth. The fine linen is the "righteous acts" of the saints. The call is going out to all who will hear: Spirit and the Bride say "Come," to whosoever will. (Rev. Rev. 22:17) If you don't live your life, walking in the Spirit, you may not see God's kingdom come, for it comes not with (outward) observation. If God's people don't "Come out and be separate," if Christians, mix the holy and profane; they'll ne double minded, not having their senses exercized to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
Nothing in scripture is any more emphatic than God's express command that the minds of Christians must be renewed or transformed, through the power of His Word. (Romans 12:1-2) God further states the necessity of "no compromise" with the inhabitants of the land, saying: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord." (2 Corinthians 6:17)
NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: CHOOSE CONSTANTINE OR CHRIST!
Emperor Constantine tried to weld or merge the two kingdoms, God's kingdom and the kingdom of this present evil world, into one world kingdom. The mixture in the cup is being drunk by compromised Christianity still. God has not changed. His message is still clear. "My kingdom is NOT of this world." "Touch not the unclean thing." (2 Cor. 6:17) Sanctify or separate yourselves unto me, says the Lord, and I will be a Father to you and you will be My sons and daughters. (2 Cor. 6:117-18, John 18:36) Many believers today do not understand the concept of sanctification very well. We believe that we are "sanctified by the blood of Messiah/Mashiach." And so we are. But Yeshua, who knew no sin, nevertheless saw the need to "sanctify Himself, to set Himself apart," for the will and purposes of God. (John 17:19) Yeshua's message to believers today is still: Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
FATHER MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME:
Yeshua/Jesus taught us to pray to the Heavenly Father in this way: "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10) Do you observe as I do that in our churches across the world today, we sing about the kingdom of God, but frequently allow "worldly kingdoms" to stand in our lives, as believers? Yeshua/Jesus commands us as believers to seek the kingdom first, and all else shall be added to us. (Matthew 6:33) The time to preach or to announce to this world that there is a NEW GOVERNMENT called the kingdom of God is now! God has declared that this kingdom of God shall be preached for a witness in ALL the world, before the end comes. (Matthew 24:14) In the last days, God's Kingdom or Government will set up a kingdom which shall NEVER be destroyed. I recall an incredible prophetic word given for Belgium called "Belgium Is A Lion's Whelp." In this word, God said so great would be the impact of that which He was about to do, that things would NEVER be the same. This is done not by the enticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (Matthew 1:14-15)
THE RENEWED MIND & THE KINGDOM MENTALITY:
Yeshua/Jesus said: Except you become as a little child, you shall not see the kingdom of heaven! We have an adopted daughter who is 3 years old. She was adopted from Romania, but we went through many trials and tribulations for 3 years prior to her adoption, and we prayed. She is like the child, born of Elkanah and Hannah's prayers.
The first thing Cezanni (Zani) does when she wakes up, is to sit in the living room and to praise the Lord. She does this with great joy, and she cares more about this than breakfast or any other thing. Cezanni is in no hurry, and she praises the Lord for a long time, and throughout the day. It's edifying to be around her. Since she could talk, she, speaking by the Spirit, has said strange things, such as "Aijalon, I recognize you."
Cezanne at times sings this from her carseat in the back seat of the car. What's she talking about? God's miracle working power! Now she tells us that she wants a sibling. Currently we have applied to adopt from the Ukraine. Again, we have been through one spiritual battle after another. But we look to the Lord. We know that when we walk through that orphanage, God will help us to pick out that child, just like when Samuel was sent to the sons of Jesse, and he knew by the Spirit that David was the one God had chosen.
I spoke with the adoption agency director's wife yesterday, and she took time to share with me that there are many things happening with adoptions right now, that are slowing things down, and making things difficult, in a number of countries. In Kazakukstan, she says because of SARS, it's difficult to obtain a visa for adopted children. Remember the orphans of this world in your prayers.
We have an older daughter named Amber Nicole, whom God has spoken some things regarding her future ministry. When she was about 5 or 6 she would sing the anointed spontaneous "song of the Lord." Cezanni's Dad, who loves to worship on the piano, would play instrumentally and Amber would respond with a prophetic word, or song in the Spirit. As she has gotten older, we have seen the spiritual warfare against her. In 2000, she went through a major trial, and has since become more self conscious, and not as spontaeous in her worship. But we are believing God to heal and restore Ami, who was named for the "amber cloud" of the first chapter of the book of Ezekiel.
After we became believers, God began to teach our family about "kingdom authority." There were areas of our lives, that God was laying claim on," and "renewing our minds to through the godly principles of His word, as part of His Lordship over us. These included:
- The revelation that "Greater is He that is in us," than he that is in the world." As believers "the righteous is bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1) We do not have to be intimidated by the evil in the world around us. Gideon was called a "mighty man of valor," for at least doing something, at a time when the Midianites were making regular raids, and robbing people blind. And not looking for excuses to absolve ourselves of the responsibility of confronting evil kingdoms, by manifesting God's kingdom in the midst, as God leads.
- After conversion to Christ, no longer seemed "normal" to us any longer, to turn our precious little children over to an ungodly public school system to educate them. Christian education for our children, after the biblical mandate Deut. 6:7, to parents to educate their own children, became a priority." God's divine command states: "And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart, and thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children." Some say: We want them to be little evangelists." Our feelings on this, are "When you buy that lovely tree, or plant for your yard, you show great care in staking it, or putting a plastic shelter over it, to protect it, particularly when it is yet immature." Should our children be any less valuable?
- Media such as television, music, etc. and allowing children to listen to andbe discipled by actors, or performers whom we would not allow them to have friendships with, because of the biblical mandate "I would not that you should have fellowship with devils," and "What fellowship hath light with darkness, or Christ with Belial. (Mixture)?" (1 Corintians 10:20)
- Believing God for healing, first and foremost, before ever running to a doctor, based on Isaiah 53,
1 Peter 2:24, Mark 16:16-18. Trusting God not just for healing, but ultimately, for the ability to walk in divine health," by believing our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians 3:17) Casting "demons" out of sick people, when the gifts and leading of the Lord deemed this appropriate. (Mark 16:16-18) The worldly minded Christian is afraid of demons, or denies their existence. Those who have a kingdom mentality," know that God's will is also for the deliverance of Gadarene demoniacs, just as it is for deaf to hear and blind to see, or daughters of Abraham with female problems even doctors can't heal, to be loosed of their infirmity.
As new converts we learned that godly Christian women we knew, believed God to heal them, or if they went to a physician, they chose a "female midwife or doctor," for childbirth, etc. The idea of being "examined" by a strange man, simply because he has a medical degree, seemed one of the queerest and strangest concepts." Why? Because God's holy and heavenly kingdom, had been brought to bear on our minds and hearts. Now is the time, when Jannes and Jambres of this world will contend for your health dollars. Afraid to put your hand and your life in the hands of the One that stilled the waters? But you trust the medical profession without reservation? You might like to know this about the Hippocratic Oathand Aesculapius (Asclepios) The first sentence is as far as one has to delve into this oath to see how pagan it is. The first sentence of the oath reads as follows:
"I swear by Apollo the physician, by Aesculapius, Hygeia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment the following Oath":
THE STAFF OF AESCULAPIUS
The Caduceus is the wand of Hermes or Mercury, messenger of the gods. It is often used as a medical symbol even though the official symbol of the medical profession is the staff of Aesculapius (Asclepios).
- Teenagers dating: Biblical principles and common sense, said: Chaperoned outings with Christian peers.
- Our minds were renewed with some new thoughts on the negative impact of sending the kids to secular colleges for an education. You don't have to "keep up with the Jonses." What Christians need is to be "Spirit led." We observed Christians whose children harmed by sending them to secular colleges. Some had what were deemed "mental health propblems," after returning home from college. Others became pregnant, and had babies out of wedlock. Some fell into alcoholism and drug addictions. Why not mentor children to family businesses, or Christian businesses in your own community?
TAKING CITIES BY SUPPLANTING KINGDOMS:
In Christian circles these days, we hear a lot about pulling down strongholds over regions and taking cities for God. This past week, as we were praying regarding a situation in a major city in America, God began to speak to me of the fact that the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ. He reiterated how this will be accomplished, by placing special emphasis upon the crucial impact of anointing, in breaking the yoke of suffering and oppression. Satan has blinded the eyes of the average Christian, to his or her full potential, and the power of God's anointing in their lives.
Many years ago, while in the midst of a trying time, we sought the Lord, and He heard us, and delivered us out of all of our fears. We asked no individual for a prophetic word. The answer was sent to us from God's Kingdom, and it did not manifest as a manifestation of the "kingdoms of this world."
God's answer came suddenly "and by the anointing Yeshua/Jesus broke the yoke," in the form of a prophecy from the British Isles. It said: Tell it! Utter it! It spoke of the unity of God's warriors coming in One! And that One is Mashiach/Christ. Many of the battles Satan sends against our lives, as believers is to shut us up, so that we don't tell it and utter forth that anointed word which God has given us! In what way is the Spirit quenched in Christian circles today?
- Leaders frequently hire highly educated staff members from outside the local congregation for positions such as leading worship, counseling, etc, rather than allow members to rise to positions from within the ranks, by showing themselves faithful. The subtle message is that there is no one in our congregation who is properly qualified. When people feel that they aren't qualified to minister to others within their own home churches, how can they face the "giants in the land, without a grasshopper mentality?"
- The bible says in Mark 16:16-18, that "believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed." In your church, who qualifies to "lay hands on the sick?" Or is the same message conveyed, that the average believer is impotent? When prayer is announced for the sick, why not open it up for church members to pray for those of the congregation who are sick? This doesn't negate the "special prayer for the sick," with anointing with oil. Is this a pride thing with leaders, that they want the "credit" for the sick being healed, instead of the glory going to Jesus Christ? If God heals a sick person through a 12 year old, a single Mom or Dad, or a grandfather or grandmother, does it matter who the vessel is whom God uses?
- One church leader we know, whose ministry has touched thousands in many nations, told us that when he was raising his kids, and Pentecostal church he was attending got so worldly minded, that he could no longer bear it, stopped attending, and became involved in a holiness group. Let Mashiach/Christ have the central position in your life. As God shakes everything that shall be shaken, make sure that your major focus is to be found "In Him." (Phil. 3:9) And not in the congregation of those whose "god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, and whose mind is on earthly things." (Phil. 3:19)
- Church leaders or staff members should have a sufficient faith, and a working knowledge of the scriptures to disciple those of their congregations, and to take this job seriously. Ministering to converts who need deliverance, is a vital part of this. It is not God's intent that the mental health industry prosper because, like Jesus own disciples in the bible they are unable to discern or to cast the demon out of a person. Our Lord referred to them as: "Ye of little faith." He doesn't consider people of this sort on the "cutting edge" today, no matter how large a church they have.
- God moves in signs and wonders to confirm the truth of His word. The revival in Topeka, Kansas came when the former Methodiat church leader Charles Fox Parham was away. Here's an historical account:
Parham believed that proof that "tongues was the initial evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, after he set up the Bethel Bible School in a rented mansion dubbed "Stone’s Folly" in west Topeka.
Urging his students to study the bible, to determine for themselves if if there was in actuality, any initial sign accompanying the baptism in the Holy Spirit, Charles Fox Parham left for Kansas City on a preaching trip. Upon his return, he discovered that his students had been fully convinced that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the experience, citing Acts 2 as their scriptural authority.
Agnes Ozman, a female bible student, asked Parham to lay hands on her and to pray that she would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She later recounted that, "As hands were laid upon my head, the Holy Spirit fell upon me, and I began to speak in tongues, glorifying God. I talked several languages." Ozman added, "It was as though rivers of living water were proceeding from my innermost being."
Within days more than a dozen, including Parham, gloriously received this infilling, and had spoken in other tongues, as the Spirit gave the utterance. (Acts 2:1-4) They had received the "like gift" of those on the Day of Pentecost," having been baptized in the Holy Ghost, the same as they did.
- Small churches that cannot afford big name speakers, are not powerless alongside mega churches, to see God move in mighty ways. Demons oppress small congregations to make them feel insignificant in their community, but in actuality, small group ministries often have greater freedom and mobility to facilitate rapid expansion and church growth.
Or if you want to see God move in your own neighborhood, start a home meeting. The Azusa St. revival began before the 1906 meetings with William Joseph Seyour in the home of a Christian married couple. A Christian woman named Neeley Terry heard Seymour preach in Houston, and she recommended him to a Los Angeles church, which called him there to hold meetings. He held meetings for just two days, preaching that tongues was the scriptural evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When Seymour returned to the mission, the door was padlocked.
The meeting was moved to a small group meeting in the wood frame home of Richard and Ruth Asberry at 214 North Bonnie Brae Street. Meetings were moved to a former black episcapal church, after the Asberry families front porch collapsed. The Los Angeles Times referred to the new location as a "tumbled down shack," but in actuality, it was a former livery stable and tenement house. The meetings drew the diaspora of the Baptist and Holiness churches. Meetings were interracial, women ministered, and spiritual gifts were manifested through ordinary members of the congregation. With planks stretched over oil barrels for seating, brother William Joseph Seymour prayed with his head in a couple of empty shoe boxes, or an apple crate, for the moving or outpouring of God's Spirit, in "right measure." (Joel 2)
Far from searching for the most popular and the most prominent speakers from around the world, at Azusa Street they prayed that individuals would stay out of the pulpit if the anointing of the Lord wasn't resting on them specifically. In another recent revival, congregants saw God "slay the pastor in the Spirit." as he stood in his pulpit, he toppled like a tree being felled. Some pastors tell us that it's not them hindering revival, but the board of elders, or the denominational headquarters to which they belong. But the truth is, that God holds pastors accountable, (See Rev. 2-3) and unless a pastor dies to all that is of this world, flesh and the devil, he may be the greatest hinderance to revival.
Messiah himself was born in a stable, amidst a chorus of cows mooing, and donkeys braying. The determining factor will always be like that of Azusa though, in that they opted for, and administered in the power of the Holy Ghost in the bible way, and not the "new cart religion," which was Uzzah's downfall.
- If you want to see God's best, be willing to acknowledge when you've viewed a scriptural doctrine improperly. When the Holy Spirit moved at the turn of the century to restore the biblical doctrine of water baptism in the name of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, there was a split. Many of the church leaders at that time, rejected the apostles doctrine of Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16, Acts 10:46-48, and Acts 19:5.
It's the fleshly mind puffed up that causes people to reject the clearcut tenents of scripture. It's a mixing of Christ with Belial. (Mixture) For the kingdom of this world, to fully become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and for the saints to grow up in Christ in all things, be a person of integrity in every area of life.
The scriptures admonish: Be filled with the Holy Ghost! This means "stay filled to the brim and to overflowing at all times," if you want to see the greater works God promised in the bible. (Eph. 4:18)
- Distracted, preoccuppied, burned out members of the church often attend services totally depending on church leaders to carry the services.
- Christians at times, rush to the aid of Christian or secular counsellors to provide answers to their problems, rather than following the biblical admonition "Is any afflicted? Let him pray!" (James 5:13) God intends that as the individual with the problem seeks the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, looking to Jesus who is Author and Finisher of our faith, interceding in the language of the Spirit, praying God's word, making his or her requests made known unto God, then the Lord will pour forth revelation knowledge that will break the yoke. (Isaiah 10:27) The believer's faith will be strengthened. Far too much counsel, though plausible sounding, or even biblical, may nonetheless NOT be the living word God intends as the solution to the problem for this person's need.
This doesn't negate the fact that God uses others to speak to us as believers, but it would free up much of the churches time for other needful things.
- Worship is often "bound up" in a spirit of unnatural conformity," with participants afraid to yield to the moving of God's Spirit upon them. This is an area of the darkness of this world, which is breaking off of the people of God.
- Small group prayer has long been one way in which God gives specific answers, words of revelation, words of wisdom to members of the congregation. When this type of prayer has been supplanted by services where this is lacking, the spiritual health of members of the congregation, will be severely lessened. They will not feel empowered to the same degree to "Go and tell" the wonderful liberating gospel message. Good will have become the enemy of God's best.
God can and will visit with revival, those heretical folks with whom we disagree doctrinally. The Is God dealing with you on some point of doctrine, with which you've wrestled, for fear of what your friends will think? The Apostle Paul who knew that everyone didn't agree with his beliefs, said: "After this way called heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers." (Acts 24:14) Revivals are not only sent to refresh parched dry churches, but to restore apostolic doctrine to it's proper place. In the New Testament, Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ, whom scripture states: Came to His own, and His own received Him not; also went to the despised Samaritans, saying: I NEED to go to Samaria. What areas can you think of that God needs to visit today? Can you help? Can I help, by saying: Here am I Lord send me!
THE FLESHLY MIND PROLIFERATES
"Let no one among you be arbitrating (however wishful) in respect of a religious observance of the messengers: Upon what things he has seen, taking his stand, in vain puffed up by his carnal mind, and not holding the head from which all the body through means of it's joints and unifying bands receiving supply, and connecting itself together grows with the growth of God."
Genesis 3 tells us that Satan is more subtil than any beast of the field. As God opens our spiritual eyes with a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ, we'll see the feet of iron and clay to a greater degree. You'll see even the subtle attempts to cleave toGod's kingdom with flatteries, and to supplant Christianity. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul teaches us something about the spiritual realm we'd do well to pay attention to:
"Put on the complete armour of God, with a view to having power to stand against the stradegies of the adversary. For we wrestle not flesh and blood but against:
- principalities and powers,
- against the authorities or rulers
- against the world holders
OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD...
Observe the realm in which these operate. They work from within and out of the darkness of this world, or the "kingdom or kingdoms of this world." It's a darkness that can only be enlightened we you and I speak God's word into it, for then and only then will the One who is the Living word, be made manifest.
Originally was the Word, And the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things came into existance through Him, and without Him nothing was made. Thst (Word) which came into existance --In Him was life and His life was the light of men! And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness laid not hold. In the world He was...And the world through Him came into existance, and the world knew Him not. Into His own possessions He came, and His own people received him not home. But as many as received Him, He gave unto them authority --the children of God to become; unto them who were believing on His name: Who not of bloods nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of the will of God, were born. And the word became flesh, and pitched His tent among us, and we gazed upon His glory. A glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14)
Secondly, ..Against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies.
- having your loins girded with truth.
- And put on the breastplate of righteousness.
- And shod your feet with the readiness of the glad message of the gospel of peace.
- With all having taken up the shield of faith, wherewith you shall receive power to quench all the ignited darts of the Evil One.
- Welcome the helmet of salvation.
- And the Sword of the Spirit which is what God has spoken.
- With all prayer and supplication, watching with all perseverance for ALL the saints, and on behalf of me (a church leader) that I might open my mouth with liberty, to make known the sacred secret of the glad message God has provided.
In describing a vision to King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel interprets it saying:And whereas you saw the feet and the toes,part of them of potters clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided, the hardness of iron combined with miry clay. Part of it strong, and part brittle. Where you saw the iron combined with miry clay,they shall be combined with the seed of men, but shall not cleave firmly to one another, even as iron is not to be combined with clay. And in the days of those kings shall God set up a kingdom which, to the ages shall not be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to another people. It shall break in pieces and make an end of all these kingdoms, but itself shall stand to the ages. Forasmuch as you saw that out of the rock a store tore itself away, but not with hands, and broke in pieces the clay, the iron, the bronze, the silver and the gold, the Mighty God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. (Daniel 2:40-44)
What's to be gained by seeing the "kingdoms of this world" as one structure? For one thing, as we Christians focus our attention to a greater degree, upon the Revelation 11:15 biblical view of worldly oneness or prophetic unity of purpose, we will see even the smallest component of a part of a compromised, demonicly inspired thing harmless, but part of a far more devious plan, and the tendency to compromise Christian beliefs as far more diobolical.
It's the seed sowing principle, of which the enemy who comes to steal away the seed of God's Word from our hearts in the Parable of the Sower, is not ignorant. He knows if he can get his foot in the door, he's taken a beachhead. Constantine's Council of Nicea was a beachhead. He used the undiscerning church leaders of his day to solidify the iron and clay feet, of the false image. We must not despise the day of small beginnings. Throw off the cloak of insignificance Satan could throw as a net over your soul. Our sowing must be deliberate, and the seed that good seed as God intended it to be sown, so that the harvest will be abundant and fruitful, and divinely powerful to the pulling down of strongholds.
Tom & Alana Campbell 5214 South 2nd Avenue, Everett, Washington 98203-4113 Telephone (425) 252-2981
