“The Kingdom of God in this world is lacking the Kingdom of Heaven inside.” AJM
I wonder where each of us would be today if not for the truly spiritual people who preceded us. The Bibles we read that were put in print at the cost of human life, distributed at the cost of human life, would not be ours today if not for those who waged a good warfare with the powers and principalities in high places.
I wonder about all the church denominations that would not have existed if the original spiritual leader hadn’t stepped out from the ‘pack’ and walked that long lonely road of following their calling.
I wonder about the truths that we now understand…
I wonder of the gifts of the Spirit manifested…
I wonder about the miracles done…
I wonder about the healings received…
Would any of it have existed if it all had truly ‘ceased at the time of the Apostles’?
There are two ‘kingdoms’ fighting for dominance in the world today. There is the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of the Heavens; one seeks to down the other and the other seeks to down the one. That is not just ‘world’ vs. ‘church’; both are in even in the same church buildings.
The book of revelation shows an imagery of the church global as ‘a woman with a child (inside) travailing’. A ‘CHURCH WITHIN A CHURCH’ is the clear imagery presented; a people within a people. It was so in the days of Israel coming out of the wilderness; mixed multitude and true Israelites yet called one kingdom. It was true in the day of the New Testament church; a church founded on the Apostles with yet another ‘church’ in the midst containing ravenous wolves seeking to spoil the flock, clouds without water; dark ones who ‘looked like Christ’ (the true definition of antichrist) but were not truly ‘no longer I but Christ that liveth in me”. BOTH looked like sheep.
Not all of Israel was ‘spiritual Israel’ and not all that is in the Church called ‘Christian’ is true spiritual CHRISTian. I know from experience that within me is a war; religion vs. spirit. I know within others I have found the same thing. The question is what will win: SPIRIT MAN or CHURCH MAN. Paul said if the flesh was circumcised but the heart was not circumcised then the circumcision is void. The Old Testament prophets gave him that idea.
We owe it to the spiritual leaders who shed their blood, sweat, tears, and lost loved ones (in order that we might have a clean shot at the door to the Kingdom of Heaven) to take the kingdom by force. We are either playing church or we are praying church; we are either selling at the tables in the temple, or we are following the Master wherever he goes.
I, the imperfect, am telling all those who consider themselves perfect to reconsider their spiritual perfection. Be ye perfect, the right way.
I, the still sick, am declaring to those who have no need of a physician that they need to let Him check them out with His Spirit scanner, and heart monitor. He that hath the Spirit can try the spirit in man.
I, the sometimes hopeless, tell all you sellers of hope, beware least your hope be turned to horror as you stand at the door with the foolish virgins mentioned in Matt. 24. Only those who are spiritual will enter.
Seek ye FIRST the KINGDOM of HIM!
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M. 8/9/2009
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