Tag Fire

In the book of Matthew Chapter 24 and verse 14, Jesus explains to his disciples the events leading to the end times and his return.
¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. ((NIV)

Throughout history the gospel has been preached but let us examine what gospel, or good news, Jesus preached and commanded his disciples to preach. It certainly was not the gospel of Christianity, or a new religion. It was not a message of salvation for sure but it was clear that the good news would bring about mankind’s salvation. This begs us to ask why he insisted on it being the good news of THE KINGDOM. To understand the message of the kingdom one must understand what a kingdom is, how it is administered and ruled and who it’s subjects or citizens are as well as their responsibilities. According to the Merriam – Webster dictionary, a kingdom is defined as:

1 : a politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen. 2 often capitalized. a : the eternal kingship of God. b : the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled.

Thus a kingdom can be agreed upon as a territory or community headed by a king. Obviously even a community has territory, hence being able to organize itself politically. Having established that we then see that Adam was given ‘dominion’ over the earth and all that was in it and commanded to ‘subdue’ it.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1: 26-28, NIV

At this point you see that there is a territory and its possessions (all the living creatures and the land on earth) and one who is assigned to ‘rule’ over that territory.

Fast forward to the time of Jesus, and you find man in a state of struggle to subdue the elements and living creatures, let alone his own carnal desires which bring about every known evil perpetuated against fellow man. In this state God sends his son to remove the barrier between heavens authority caused by man’s rebellion against that authority (sin).

One would have expected that John the baptist would have preached the message of salvation but instead we see him in Matthew 3 preaching the following:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”^[a] Matt 3:1-3 (NIV)

When Jesus begins his ministry again the same message in Matthew 4:17 and 23,24:

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.

In Matthew 9:35 we see the same:

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

At this point it is clear that Jesus was not bringing a religion but proclaiming the sovereign nature of God and his right to represent him. He was not interested in systems of the world, and neither was he interested in overthrowing them. The word repentance has its root in the act of having a transformation of one’s mindset to move in a direction completely opposite to where they were pointed at. Mankind, unlike the fallen angels, did not fall from the kingdom. Mankind fell from their position of authority as representatives of the king on territory earth. As witnessed by miracles, signs and wonders (which are not supernatural in the heavenly kingdom, but just a restoration to what was supposed to be the natural), the kingdom of heaven or God reclaims territory and authority when God shows up. It is the very nature of a king to have dominion over his territory. His command is final. There is no democratic counsel, or option to do otherwise. Hence bacteria and viruses come under the dominion of God, as do body cells and parts. They submit to the final authority. This is commonly known as healing.

This explains why Jesus sent out his disciples with the following instruction in Luke 9:1,2:

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Notice once again he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God AND to HEAL THE SICK. Those two are not mutually exclusive and are a non-negotiable part of the contract. In Luke 10:9 we see another reference to healing the sick and the kingdom of God:

⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

This then is the gospel of the Kingdom. The restoration of the authority of God in territories by His presence manifested in those who have believed in the message of Jesus and embraced their redemption found in the work of the cross. Indeed by His stripes we were healed. This is not a declaration of possibilities or probabilities. It is the living word of God available to all who believe in Christ and who then receive the power to become sons and daughters of the King. The king always sent his representatives out with authority, for he knew that his glory was represented by their appearance.

In this last hour the Holy Spirit will quicken us to understand that the kingdom of God is one of power and authority, not for the sake of ruthless dominion but a loving restoration that will also see creation rejoice, even if for a brief period, in the manifest presence of the Father on earth as believers experience the last great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the world is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the see.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled. – Matthew 5:6, NIV

Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God. Matthew 5:8, NIV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3, NIV

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33, NIV

Holy Spirit we are hungry. Fill us with His righteousness and cause us to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and verify it with miracles, signs and wonders. Father, THY kingdom come and THY will be done here on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.

I myself said,

“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
    and give you a pleasant land,
    the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’
    and not turn away from following me.

– Jeremiah 3:19 (NIV)

inheritance (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

noun

in·​her·​i·​tance | \ in-ˈher-ə-tən(t)s , -ˈhe-rə- \

Definition of inheritance

1 : something that is or may be inherited
2
a : the act of inheriting property
b : the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring
c : the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations
3
a : TRADITION
b : a valuable possession that is a common heritage from nature

The word inheritance is mentioned 219 times in the Bible and something remarkable can be observed by its use. If we are to understand the Kingdom of God and how we inherit it we must first understand the concept of inheritance. An inheritance cannot be bought by the one who seeks to acquire it and neither can it be legally taken by force from its rightful owners. Inheritance by legal terms requires that the person inheriting whatever is theirs to fully posses it and and the powers over it only when the current owner dies.

This is why we enter into the inheritance of the Kingdom of God through faith and never by our works, as no amount of labour qualifies us to take possession of our inheritance. Jesus points us towards the manner in which we take hold of our inheritance of the Kingdom, by God restoring us to sonship through the work of the cross.

In Hebrews 9:15-17 Paul describes this as follows:
¹⁵ For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

¹⁶ In the case of a will,^[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷ because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. (NIV)

Throughout the history of mankind from Adam to the present day we see our Father orchestrating an amazing divine purpose by giving us our inheritance even before we were entitled to it. This is illustrated in the story of the prodigal son, who demanded his inheritance and left his home, only to squander it and yet still the Father ran to him when He saw the son whom he thought was dead and gone. He then gives him the signet ring after giving him new clothes and cleaning him up, and calls a celebration.

For us to inherit the Kingdom and all its benefits the ‘death’ of the rightful owner had to occur for it to be legal. As Paul describes so aptly we could not receive the inheritance without that happening. How amazing then that we are restored to a place of righteousness by faith through grace which we do not merit in order to enjoy the full benefits of our inheritance both now and for all eternity! No wonder Jesus exhorts us to ‘seek first’ the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all that we need and more will be added to us.

According to the definition of inheritance we inherit the genetic traits, possessions and property of the living owner upon their death. Christ did not come to show us how to work for our inheritance, but rather to acquire it and then produce good fruit as we operated in our authority as heirs of the kingdom, as kings and a royal priesthood, fully equipped with the character, power and resources only available to heirs.

He thought we would call Him Father and we are to respond to Him as children. When Jesus tells us that we must become as children, it is not just in having the characteristics of childlike trust and behaviour but also encompasses the realization that we are indeed to grasp that we are restored to sonship, and children are not slaves or servants (do understand that children serve in a manner of speaking, by virtue of mirroring the characteristics and traits of their father in their actions which include dominion and trusteeship of His properties which are essentially theirs).

Romans 8: 14-17 (NIV)
⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

May we indeed cry out “Abba, Father!” Be blessed! Be restored!

1 John 3 (NIV)
1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

The most powerful words apart from the names of God and Jesus are the two that begin the Lord’s Prayer. Our Father. What a powerful declaration. The very declaration makes the gates of hell tremble as every power of darkness acknowledges who we are are when we declare that we have a father, and not just any father, but the father of lights, who resides in glory, majesty and power.

Indeed, when we take a minute to fathom the depth, width and breadth of the declaration that we are children of the most powerful yet loving being in the universe, who actually is its creator and our father, we cannot help feel a sense of joy, pride, security and freedom. In the same breath we acknowledge something even greater…the overwhelming sense of the love that God has for us and everything that He created. We often hear of the wrath of God, and in many cases we see it in the Bible, but let us take a minute and consider this. The word of God clearly declares that the Lord takes no delight in the death of sinners.

We can then get the sense that the wrath of God is not the angry tantrum of a displeased entity or person, but rather the immeasurable grief of a Father being faced with the prospect of being eternally separated from that which came from His very bosom, His very heart and the core of His being and was formed in the womb only to be born as a child into this world, and now is lost. Indeed, as the Father cried out and ran towards His lost son who returned, so is the joy in our Fathers heart when His own return back into His arms of love. What an awesome picture, of a redeeming God who delights in the salvation of His own from the destruction the enemy so gleefully plans for for His children. Our Father.

In these two words rest our very being and existence. The declaration that He is not just a father, but OUR FATHER, who art in heaven! In Him we live and breathe and have our being. He has numbered every last hair on our head. He knows us by name. He loves us! We are His children and He is OUR GOD! Halleluya! Be blessed as you believe!

Luke 15:17 NIV17
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

If ever there was a more astounding yet incredible description of God’s character as a father it is this one. One can read it a thousand times over and still not understand how deep the fathers love is for us. How many times have we sung songs that describe God as being far away, or up there somewhere, or hidden, yet this one account by The Son demolishes all our preconceived ideas of God’s behavior. Indeed we are told of how heaven drops everything to rejoice when a sinner returns home and accepts the redemption available in the work of the cross.

I cannot help to think that God seeing us from afar does not wait for us to draw near but literally runs towards us even before we are close to Him. In the Old Testament we see admonitions to seek His face. After the veil is torn by the work of the cross we see an admonition to open the door to allow Him in.How then can we in all earnest sing Pass, me not O gentle Saviour,Hear my humble cry.While on others Thou art calling,Do not pass me by?when He said “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”? Much as the writer meant well and the following verses elaborate further, it brings about a state in our minds that has us declaring that the Saviour is away from us and regularly calls, so as He calls on others He should not pass us by. He promised that He would not leave us as orphans but would send us a helper to always be with us and remind us of His presence and empower us to do His will and triumph over the world, sin and even death.

On the day of Penetcost the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was promised was accompanied by a manifestation of God’s presence. The physical sound of a rushing wind. What appeared to be tongues of fire descending upon each one’s head. The speaking of languages that other people hearing could understand, and for the most part praising God. In modern days God has manifested Himself in locations with accompanying phenomena including buildings actually shaking. It is indeed a wonder that the power that is every atom and molecule and electron and matter or energy in the universe will make the decision to manifest itself in one location. (28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring. – Acts 17:28 NIV)Moses was told that no flesh could see Him and live. The paradox is that He asks the people to seek His face. And then we come to the account of a Father seeking us and running out to meet us from afar.

I refuse to believe that God is somehow so far off and so distant and that He somehow needs some manipulation or preparation or convincing to be among us. We are compelled to do but one thing and that is to believe His word and act on it. Instead of trying to prepare the table for the Father and Son to come and dine before we open the door why not open it first and let Him in? He has sanctified us by the blood and baptized us with His fire. Where there was once judgement and ruin there is reconciliation and restoration.

Every revival account is one of repentance accompanying the presence of God and every encounter we see in the Bible from Elijah, Isaiah and Daniel to John in the Revelation shows how our persons realize how weak and helpless and unclean we are in the presence of His goodness and power.It is thus clear that we cannot claim God’s manifest presence unless it is accompanied by transformation and not just goosebumps. Miracles, signs and wonders follow but they are not the drivers of the encounter…it is that incredible deep sense of love and belonging and desire to be closer to Him that bring it about and I am convinced it is HE that starts it when HE runs towards us.

We may be seeking Him earnestly and shall be rewarded for it (“Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find”) but the encounter is more fruitful and satisfying when driven by His Holy Spirit showing us a mighty God so in love with us that He forsakes His throne for a cross. When we see our Father running towards us we realize how far we have kept Him away from our lives, even as we feel we are doing our best to do His will and be good children. I do not believe God is displeased with us or trying to play hide and seek. He is standing right there in front of us and we are just not able to see.

As the Holy Spirit prompts you into even more fervent prayer in this season willingly go with Him in that journey, for it is God in you speaking forth the things that are not and connecting you even closer with the love of God in Christ Jesus. Pray in the Spirit and pray in earnest. Do not take lightly the gentle waking in the late hours…I have consistently found myself being woken up at 3:00am in the middle of the night and at 5:00am. In the next few weeks the thirst for prayer will increase and many will start having dreams and visions. Some already have started. Your Father is running towards you. Hold your arms open wide. Be blessed and be a blessing!