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(Original radio broadcast from March 27, 1998)
When considering the state of Christianity in general, do we sometimes find that believers often fail to experience the full and abundant life that Christ came to give? Could this situation then reflect falsely to the unbelieving world, and fail to accurately witness to the resurrected Christ in the earth?
And what about the lack of Kingdom consciousness among believers? In view of the fact that Jesus gave the last 3 1/2 years of His life as a man on earth to the Good News of the Kingdom of God, one could wonder why His followers have such a lack of interest in it. If His desire and joy is our strength, should not His pleasure and purpose become ours as well? Should not our zeal and energies be directed to discovering and finding delight in His plan?
It is my conviction that a renewed interest in the wonderful Good News of God’s reign in the earth could cure many of the ills of Christianity, and recover a fuller witness to the life of Christ among men. By the Lord’s grace His Church is recovering her testimony in the earth, to bring greater glory to our Savior, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
This, in part, is the focus of this ministry. The Heart of God cries out for it, and humanity groans to see it. All of Creation awaits the glorious liberty of the children of God!
Do you really want to see revival in the land, and souls won to Jesus? Well then give yourself in loving service unto Him, and to discovering His Will and His Kingdom Life for you today!
In order to establish a prophetic foundation for this series of teachings, we will turn to a well-known passage in the Book of Daniel, chapter 2, verses 31 through 45. It is the famous story of Nebukanezzer’s dream, and the interpretation giving by God to Daniel:
“You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue–an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
“This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king:
You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. “After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron–for iron breaks and smashes everything–and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.
Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
Now it is commonly understood that these four kingdoms are Babylon — the head of gold. Medio-Persia — the chest and arms of silver. Alexander the Great’s Grecian rule was seen in the belly and thighs of bronze, and the Roman Empire was represented by the legs of iron with feet of iron and clay. It was during this time in history that Christ came on the scene.
Verse 44: “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands–a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”
By the illumination of the Holy Spirit of God we can begin to see both the power and simplicity of God’s wise and wonderful plan! In the fullness of time, that is the time of the Roman Ceasars, Christ came. He was cut out of a mountain, God’s own dominion and authority, but not with human hands! Conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin Mary, He grew unto manhood, and so became the most dangerous man of all history!
He was only dangerous to the thrones of men, and to the forces of darkness, but little did they know the manner in which their powers would be ultimately destroyed!
His unshakable love, uncompromising truth, and unyielding determination to fulfill His destiny would forever alter the course of human history! His very existence was unto the pleasure of His Father’s Heart!
Who could stop a truth, a message of freedom for all, that was authored and commissioned by the great Creator of the universe Himself! Who could extinguish the spark that He ignited in the heart of every person with whom He came in contact? You can know God! You can be free! You can experience love, forgiveness, grace, and live in the hope that justice will ultimately prevail!
But would He call down armies from heaven or rally earthly troupes to break the power of Rome? No! The power of Rome and the tyranny of it’s iron rule was broken by an inner transformation in the heart of every soul that entered into and came under the reign of a Holy, and Just God!
The God of Heaven set up His Kingdom in the hearts of the weak, the helpless, and the lost! When Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” He meant it! When He said “the Kingdom of God is Within you,” He shook their traditions and brought to them the reality of His righteousness, peace and joy as a present day experience!
The Living Word of God Himself became a meek and lowly man Who could be tortured, and murdered, and supposedly defeated. But even His death would further God’s righteous reign! By it He proved the eternal essence of His message and the immortality of His person! By His resurrection all of humanity would be liberated from the slavery of Satan’s rule of death and fear!
When He taught us to pray, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, THY KINGDOM COME, Thy will be done IN EARTH, as it is in heaven,” did we realize our part in this ongoing world-wide revolution? Did we realize that the wonderful inner peace of His Kingdom would be accompanied by outer struggles and conflicts that are beyond our human imaginations? Have we caught the vision of His glory, which even now outweighs the immense cost of our participation with Him in His Kingdom?
Consider these ordinary men that Jesus called into His circle of intimate fellowship. None of them were found to be shining examples of courage and fortitude, until the work that He accomplished within them! By His example, His Word, His death and resurrection, and finally the indwelling of His living presence within them at Pentecost, they found true liberty and the strength to duplicate and reproduce His life, furthering the revelation of His Kingdom reign in the earth! Every deed and sacrifice was motivated by His Eternal Love that was abiding deep within their breasts! Who can defeat a Kingdom such as this?
The first to realize the threat of His Kingdom message were the religious rulers of that day. It wasn’t until many years later that Rome began to feel the Rock chipping away at its feet of iron and clay. But Jesus and the early saints kept patience. They continued to love and give, and care and share. They knew and understood the power of His Kingdom, the revelation of the rule of God from the heavens! They were already living the heavenly life!
They knew and experienced both the power and grace of the Light, the Love, the Truth of God’s great compassion for all! They also knew that humanity could not resist it forever!
A few centuries later the great Roman Empire ceased to exist, and no other power has succeeded in uniting all the nations under one head. This nation, the United States of America, only exists by the grace of God and the prayers of its believing citizens. But the time has come for all of us to swear our greater allegiance to Christ and His Kingdom, lest we also fall in the judgments of God on America. Indeed many have already fallen. Fallen in materialism, lust for pleasure and personal security, bringing only shame on themselves and their Lord.
May the Lord convict us and restore His Church to Her former glory, where She was actually hated of all nations for the dangerous threat she, in her weakness, devotion to Jesus and family love, posed to them!
The truth of the Good News of the Kingdom of God is very deep yet very simple. It is as simple as the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” but it goes as deep as the sin hidden in the heart of every person.
It strikes at our pride and self-centeredness, and lifts us up unto the most noble of all conditions. We are both free and committed, as He binds us together and unto Him in the cords of His Divine Love.
Do you want to be part of a revolution of goodness, grace, peace and joy? Do you want to turn against the tide of gloom and destruction that surrounds you? Well then simply ask the King of Glory to come into your heart, to begin His reign in you and through you! He will set you free to know Him, live in Him and pour out His goodness to all who are around you. You can then begin to see how the “Kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He will reign forever!” (Revelations 11:15)
Heavenly Father, we rejoice in YOUR joy, rest in Your peace, and trust in Your righteousness. As we yield to your love and grace and its’ working in our lives, help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and the champion of our salvation. Establish your kingdom reign within us all, and may we continue to look for the increase of your rule in this earth.
In the Name of Jesus our Lovely Savior and Lord,
Amen
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