"My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. (Col 2:6-7 The Message)There is a living out that must be done. We are not saved to die and go to heaven. I was born into heaven when I was born from above. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within us (see Luke 17:21). He said, "It is finished." Now, Church, it is within you to walk in all that I, Jesus, have established by way of the cross. We are saved to carry out the works he predestined us to walk in (see Eph 2:10). He has made us to be kings and priests.
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev 5:10)We are not to walk in ignorance and strife. We have been given the Holy Ghost to guide us in all truth. The Apostle Paul chided the Corinthians for their inability to bring peace amongst their ranks and to handle matters. They were taking matters between themselves to the worldly court system.
If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers! (1 Corinthians 6:1-6 NIV)I've not been saved just to die and go to heaven. I've been given access to God through his once and for all sacrifice to do His will in the earth as it is in Heaven. I've been appointed to death once, and He took that appointment. Hallelujah, Jesus! Now I have communion with my Creator, and I have divine direction. God is working through his people. People want to see a sign--well wake up church, you are to be the sign. You are the shining city set on a hill. You are the lights. He is the Father of Lights. As the world gets darker, his church is to be brighter. Shadows get there darkest when the light is the brightest. The middle ground of haziness is disappearing. You are either for him or against him.
So now we each have our own appointment with destiny as we seek him. Its time Christians realize that to "occupy" means to be productive in all capacities.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. (Luke 19:13)If you look in a Strong's Concordance you will find that the word "occupy" was translated from the Greek word "pragmateuomai," which means according to Strong's: to busy oneself with, i.e. to trade:--occupy.
Here is that whole parable as translated in the NIV version of the Bible:
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'We are to seek Him first. We will prosper as our soul prospers.
"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." (Luke 19:11-26)
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2)God is not limited. We limit God with our limited wisdom. Jesus is here to confound the wisdom of the wise.
Recently, at a local county commissioners meeting, the Lord showed me what a vacuum there was in leadership. There is a void there from the lowest levels of government on to the highest. Those who have been filled by His spirit and are seeking Jesus, are carrying His authority and wisdom. The voids in all aspects of this world are to be filled with Jesus. He is looking for a place to lay his head (see Luke 9:58). The government shall be upon his shoulder. Who do you think the shoulder is to be?
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Ephesians 4:15)God is bringing up that man whose name is BRANCH. The branch man--His church.
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: (Zechariah 6:12)Where is the right hand of God. Steven saw it as he was stoned.
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:56)He saw heavens, plural. He saw what Jesus saw on the cross when he said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. The right hand of God is to be exercised through God's people. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you church, now you must work it out into the earth.
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)The seventh angel is the apostolic voice of God. It is the word of perfection coming from the mouths of his apostles and prophets. It is the last trump. The last trump IS sounding in the earth now for those who have an ear to hear what the spirit is saying to the church. Don't wait for some physical manifestation. It is now. We live by the proceeding word of God. And it is proceeding, if you seek Him, and not religion. He will connect you and plant you in the midst of his ascension gifts--the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher--to perfect you and his church to come to the unity of the faith. For the saints to do the work of the ministry. See Ephesians 4.
Well, I do not compartmentalize God. God is. And he is all, and is in all. He has to be applied to every realm of life. For too long, the church has only reacted. Why is the whole creation groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God? (see Romans 8)
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)Those who are waiting to be raptured up--you are wasting the time that God has appropriated for your life. The meek shall inherit the earth, not be sucked away. We must redeem the time wisely. Study your Bible, and not man made doctrines that make his word none effect. There's your devil. Anything that blinds you from your true self in Christ. You are to seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness, you are to know Him in intimacy--you are not to seek fairy tales and fables. Ephesians 4 tells us a lot. When the church becomes one in Jesus, the whole creature will be delivered.
We get caught up in the miseries of this world--disaster after disaster. Humans suffering in so many ways. We are to give our love and compassion, but at the same time, the church must come to realize that these things will be passing when it comes to the unity of the faith. For too long the power of God has lain dormant under a rug of unbelief, meanwhile the whole creation is groaning. It will happen because Jesus prayed it.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)Complete deliverance of this world will come when we are in the unity of the faith. We have a great ways to go. The physical return of Jesus is not hinged on "when," but "till we all come in the unity of the faith." (see Eph 4:13) Most of what is called church has done away with the apostle and prophet. That is the foundation.
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28)You will only come to know those who've been Godly ordained in those capacities by seeking God in spirit and in truth.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:2:
Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (NIV)The church as a whole perishes for lack of vision. God is working through His people and we must come to know those He has entrusted with His vision.
Even if no one else admits the authority of my commission, you can't deny it. Why, my work with you is living proof of my authority! (The Message)
Well, I did not plan on spilling all that out, but so be it. We are to be seen and to be productive in this world.
I [Jesus] pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (John 17:15)We are called to take on the nature of Jesus. He is the firstborn among many brethen. He is not ashamed to be counted among the brethren. By his Spirit we are to submit to Him and be conformed by Him.
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. (Romans 8:29)In the process, we are purposed to be effective for Jesus and to affect this world. The whole creature is groaning in expectation. We serve a GO DO God. Now get yourself planted under God's governors and tutors for your life and in the appointed times and seasons go do in whatever capacity he has gifted and commissioned you.
