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Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Destined for the Throne- Preparation for the Bride of Christ

 The Millenium Reign. Today's message will cover three questions.
  • What will earth look like during the Millenium reign of Jesus Christ?

  • What will we, the Bride of Christ be doing in God's kingdom?

  • How can we prepare now for our future destiny?


 Part I. What will it look like here on earth?

A. The Messianic Age is referred to as “the day of the Lord”This is the era when Jesus Christ returns to the earth to set up his kingdom for a thousand years. His second coming is mentioned multiple times in Isaiah, Ezekial and Revelation. (Isaiah 2-4, 24-27, 35:9, 65:20-25 and Ezekial 34: 25-29).

Isaiah 61 gives us a description of the millennium reign of Jesus Christ. When Jesus began his ministry in Jerusalem, he went into the Jewish synagogue in Nazareth and opened the scroll of Isaiah 61. He read only verses 1 and part of 2. (see below). Then he told them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Then he sat down and waited to hear their response.

The amazing thing to know is the Torah scriptures are pre-determined on the Hebrew calendar each year. This day “just happened” to be the day Jesus showed up in the tabernacle. He was invited to read the scripture of the day. This passage was a prophesy of the coming Messiah whom they were destined to reject.

The “year of the Lord's favor” is a reference to the Jesus' first coming and to the Messianic age that will come in the future (Luke 4:16-21). These verses were fulfilled when Jesus came the first time.

The rest of this prophecy will be fulfilled when Messiah returns to set up His kingdom here on earth. Only this time, He will bring his sons and daughters with Him to co-rule and co-govern the nations. That which was prophesied over Jesus, will be fulfilled again by the saints of the Most High God, the bride of Christ ruling alongside of Him on His throne.

Isaiah 61:1-11. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor...

and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of your shame, you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

The Sovereign Lord says, 8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

Then the people of God declared, 10 (We) delight greatly in the Lord; (our) soul rejoices in our God. For he has clothed (us) with garments of salvation and arrayed (us) in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations” of the earth.

Isaiah 4:2-6, In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a Spirit of judgment and a Spirit of fire.  (Holy Spirit will do this.)

Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory[c] will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

B. Who is the Branch of the Lord?

1. It is the Lord Jesus, our Messiah when he returns to set up His kingdom and

2. It is also the mature sons and daughters of God who will rule and reign with him. It is the Bridegroom and His Bride serving our Father God together, united as one.


The Branch from Jesse and the seven-fold Holy Spirit
Isaiah 11:1-5. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse (the Messiah); from his roots a branch will bear fruit (his mature sons and daughters).
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him (Messiah): the Spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of knowledge, the fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.


He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

John 15:1-5. The Vine and the Branches

1. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

These two passages let us know that the both the shoot and the vine represent the Lord Jesus and the branches represent the sons and daughters of God.

We will bear fruit in God's kingdom as we stay connected to the Lord Jesus. He lives in us and we are abiding in Him. Apart from Jesus, we cannot bear fruit for the kingdom, be transformed into the image of God, operate the 9 gifts of the Spirit, nor grow the fruit of the Spirit.

In I Corinthians 12, we see the nine gifts of the Spirit that were given to usher in the church age and to establish the early church. Believers were equipped with these supernatural gifts to demonstrate the presence and power of God. They are very similar to the seven spirits of God in Isaiah 11.

I Corinthians 12:7-11. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

During the church age, the gifts of the Spirit were distributed to different believers to help do the work of the ministry and to advance the kingdom of God. Jesus Christ was able to manifest ALL NINE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT during his ministry here on earth as needed for any particular person or situation.

C. The Seven-fold Spirits of God.

During the millennium reign, however, Chris Reed explains in his book, The Seven Spirits of God, that we will bear the fruit of-- the seven-fold Spirit of God, or the seven-fold Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on us in such a powerful way that we will be able to serve and judge the nations like King Jesus would.

The seven Spirits of God are depicted in Scripture as seven lampstands or branches on the menorah. 

Revelation 4:5, “from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which were the seven Spirits of God.”

The menorah is one of the pieces of furniture placed in the Old Testament Tabernacle. It represents the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the earth. It was placed just in front of the ark of the covenant in the Holy Place, which prophetically presented the throne of God.

These are not seven separate Spirits, but seven functions, expressions or manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Chris Reed points to the seven-branch golden lampstand, or menorah used in the tabernacle which represents the fullness of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Messianic age to come.

On the menorah there is one lampstand by itself in the middle, then three couplings (sets) and three branches each containing two lampstands. Isaiah 11:2 describes these three couplings.

Chris Reed received revelation from Holy Spirit that six of the manifestations are meant to work in pairs to be the most effective. The Spirit of the Lord stands alone in the middle of the Jewish menorah. The three pairs work in tandem to produce immediate supernational results (p.23).

  • Wisdom is coupled with understanding.

  • Counsel is coupled with might.

  • Knowledge is coupled with the fear of the Lord.

Joshua chapter 6 contains a great example of the spirit of counsel and spirit of might working together to bring about the purposes of God. Joshua inquired of the Lord how to take the city of Jericho (spirit of counsel). God gave him very specific instructions. When Joshua obeyed the Lord's instructions, the walls came falling down (a sign and a wonder) to all the people that God was with Joshua and giving the city and his enemies into their hands.

When we initiate the first function in a set, in strict obedience to the Spirit's direction, He is duty bound to perform the matching function. Wisdom produces understanding, counsel produces might and knowledge produces the fear of the Lord.

What is the meaning of each of these 7 functions?

  1. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him- a powerful anointing that stays with us 24 hours a day. It does not come and go like the 9 gifts of the Spirit. Chris Reed tells us it is a baptism of fire that propels “the supernatural into overdrive” (The Seven Spirits of God, p. 28).

  2. wisdom- gives us a discerning heart to know what, when and how to do things; what to say and what to do; or what not to say or not do. A word of wisdom for someone provides them wise, natural understanding for their situation or need.

  3. understanding- is revelation by the Holy Spirit; comes through prophetic dreams, visions or supernational encounters with angels. A word of prophesy to someone gives them supernatural understanding they did not have previously. 

  4. counsel- God's advice or instructions for a plan of action which we need to obey without any hesitancy or question. Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing and only said what He heard the Father saying. (John 5:19-20, 8:28)

  5. might- the signs, wonders and miracles that will follow our obedience to the instructions/counsel of the Spirit of God. The gift of miracles enables a believer to perform a miraculous healing or deliverance. When Jesus put mud on the blind man's eyes, his vision was restored when he followed Jesus' instructions to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-8).

  6. knowledge- is the continuous flow of the spiritual gift of a word of knowledge, is always present, has to do with our spiritual intimacy with the Lord, knowing His ways and His thoughts. The Spirit of knowledge tells us in our spirit what to say, what to teach or impart to others to meet their needs. Words of knowledge about a person or group contains information only they would know about themselves. (Ex. a name, an address, an activity, a sickness, disease or a problem that person has).

  7. the fear of the Lord- the reverential fear of God, awesome respect and obedience. Scriptures tell us “the fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge, the fountain of life and prolongs our days. The spirit of the fear of the Lord is the one most neglected in churches today.

      Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 tells us man's chief duty is to “fear God and to keep his commandments.”

    According to Chris Reed, God is calling us to partner with the Holy Spirit so the seven-fold Holy Spirit will fill us and rest on us. When we fully yield to the seven-fold Holy Spirit, our increased level of prophetic insight and supernational power will be displayed and the Lord's last days ministry of greater works will be accomplished” (p. 144).

Part II. What will we be doing?

A. We will be helping Jesus fulfill the complete prophesy recorded in Isaiah 61 and we will be doing even greater things than Jesus did.

John 14:12 tells us, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Ephesians 2:6. "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." 

We are seated with Him now and should be functioning as His representatives here on earth. If only the body of Christ was walking in the fullness of this revelation on earth today! How things would be supernaturally different.


B. We are the "ekklesia" which is the Greek word translated “church” in the New Testament and actually refers to a governing body. Dutch Sheets tells us a “kingdom ekklesia are those with legislative authority, delegated to them from a king, in order to rule a territory for him. In our case, the King is Jesus, His realm is EVERYWHERE, and our assigned region is Earth."

God has redeemed us and is conforming us into His image so we can serve as kings and priests, co-rulers here on earth after Jesus returns. When we return to earth, we will also have a glorified body and everything we do and say will bring glory to God.

Revelation 1:6. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 5:10, You have made them (us) to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Revelation 21 shows us the bride of Christ will be seated with her husband on the throne ruling the nations as one. The earth will be under the government of Jesus Christ, the King of all Kings.

C. We will fulfill our eternal destiny serving with King Jesus.

Billheimer says, “God's purpose in his plan of redemption is-- to produce by means of the new birth exact replicas of His Son, children with whom He will share His glory and His dominion, and who will constitute a royal progeny and form the governing and administrative staff of His eternal Kingdom” (p. 37).

Do you feel qualified to rule and reign with Christ right now?  I know I certainly am not as ready as I need to be. 

We need to have an upgrade in how we see ourselves and our destiny in God's kingdom. Our past condition and present circumstances are being transformed and we are maturing from being children of God into mature sons and daughters of God. How does God see you now? What plans does He have for your future here on earth and during his millennium reign?


Part III. Preparation for ruling and reigning with Christ Jesus

First of all, we need to be born again by the Spirit of God so our spirit is regenerated and comes alive. Next, we need to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost-- along with our heavenly prayer language, the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.

Acts 13:52, And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

We need to be continuously filled with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit wants to be our guide, our counselor, our teacher, to lead us into all truth, and without Him we are hopelessly lost. Without Holy Spirit we don't have the divine enablement to be followers of Christ, nor to be transformed into the image of his son, Jesus Christ.


A. Five Keys to being qualified to rule and reign with Christ.

Reigning with Christ during the millennium requires us to receive training now in this life. We need training for reigning, schooling for ruling. We need the following things to happen in our life on earth now; not after we die and go to be with the Lord in heaven.

#1. To develop a love relationship with our Father God.

Heaven Awaits the Bride by Anna Roundtree provides us an extraordinary glimpse into heavenly revelations. Anna lives in a small cabin in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. She had visitations with Jesus here on earth beginning in 1994 and then He came to escort her to heaven to experience what heaven is like. Jesus Himself commissioned Anna-- to share her knowledge with the world. Her husband helped her write this book complete with scripture references, commentary, and study notes to substantiate her experiences.

On one of her visits to heaven, Anna received a revelation from the prophet Elijah. “The greatest need is still to know the Father. He must reveal Himself in greater measure before the end of these times. I have come to help reveal the heart of the Father to the children”. Elijah explained that “the Father's children must have a greater certainty of His love. They must be rooted and grounded in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and their eyes looking above and fixed on Him” (p.122).

What is The Greatest Commandment?

Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.  39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Key to remember. God's love for us is certain. He sent his Son to die for our sins. He wants to take care of our every need. He has the perfect plan for our life and future destiny. We have a covenant relationship with Him that lasts for a thousand years.

#2. To remove every hindrance and bondage in our life- those sly little foxes.          In the Song of Songs 2:15. The Bridegroom-King says to the Shulamite,

You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship. For they raid our budding vineyard of love-- to ruin what I've planted within you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? We will do it together.

What are the “troubling foxes” mentioned here? They are areas in our life where we have compromised our walk with the Lord. When Holy Spirit shows us an area that is not fully surrendered to the Lord, it is our responsibility to deal with it. Christ has already paved the way for our victory through His death on the Cross for our sins and overcoming all the power of demonic spirits influencing us to sin. Jesus has given us the authority to execute judgment on Satan and his demonic forces. Jesus showed us how to be overcomers in this life.

How do we accomplish this amazing task?

We begin by repenting and acknowledging we have sinned against the Lord. Whenever we have sinned against another person, we have sinned against the Lord. We ask for His forgiveness and receive His grace and power to be changed into the image of His Son.

Galatians 5 and Song of Songs 4 tells us when we are born again by the Spirit, the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit are planted in our hearts. They remain dormant within our spirit until time for them to grow and mature in our character. Just like our salvation, the fruit of the spirit has to be appropriated at the moment of our need. When we get in a difficult situation or conflict, we have to stop ourselves from reacting in the flesh. Instead of a knee jerk reaction in the heat of the moment, we need to ask Holy Spirit how He wants us to act in this moment?

We can call on the specific fruit we need for that moment that already abides in us. The seeds of the fruit of the Spirit that were planted in our heart the day we were born again.

Galatians 5: 22-23. His divine love, joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, or strength of spirit. (The Passion Translation).

Key to remember. If we have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit abides in us waiting to be appropriated when we have need of it.

#3. To take delight in pleasing the Lord.

Psalm 37:23. NIV. The Lord makes firm the steps of the one (person) who delights in him;

AMP- The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He (the Lord) delights in his way [and blesses his path].

Jesus made it a lifestyle to always do what pleased the Lord. Serving the Lord is not about obeying a bunch of rules and commandments, but are we living our lives in such a way that He is pleased with us?

Matthew 3:16-17. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized (water baptism), he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him (baptism of the Holy Spirit) 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.

Back to Isaiah 11:3 with the seven-fold Spirit of the Lord. The last manifestation of the Holy Spirit is: the fear of the Lord— and verse 3 tells us “he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

John 8:29 Jesus said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

Key to remember. If we take delight in pleasing the Lord, He will take delight in us.


#4. To become overcomers in this life.

a. Learn the art of spiritual warfare.

Paul Billheimer in his book Destined for the Throne, tells us “the primary purpose of the universe from all eternity-- is the production and preparation of an Eternal Companion for His Son who is called the Bride, the Lamb's Wife. She will share the throne of the universe with her Divine Lover and Lord Jesus. Since she is privileged to judge the world with him, she must be trained, educated and prepared for her role” (p.15).

It is essential for the Church “to learn the art of spiritual warfare, of overcoming evil forces, in preparation for the tasks that await her following the marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Spiritual warfare is God's way of giving us “on the job training in overcoming the forces hostile to God.” Those destined for the throne are learning through actual practice how to overcome Satan and his evil hierarchy (p.15).

We don’t have to defeat Satan; he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ. We are called to enforce the victory of Calvary through the name of Jesus, the guidance of Holy Spirit, using the Word of God, our authority as a believer and our faith.

To him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with Me on my throne”. Rev. 3:21.

Through the new birth we become bonafide members of God's family, children of God, partakers in His divine nature. We are destined through the new birth to reign with Christ. We will form a new ruling royalty that will constitute the Bride of Christ. We are divinely designated to be co-ruler, co-sovereign, co-administrator, partner to the throne by virtue of redemption and wedlock with the King of Kings” (Billheimer, p. 35-36).

Key to remember. Overcomers in this life will rule and reign with Jesus in the next one.

b. Partnering With Angels.

Tim Sheets admonishes us that spiritual warfare prayer includes knowing how to partner with angels. God created an angelic host that He uses to engage the demonic powers and principalities in the heavenly realm. He is calling the Ekklesia to become partners with angels to defeat his enemies and to advance His kingdom.

Tim Sheets has experienced many encounters with angels and Holy Spirit has given him instructions for how the people of God can partner with these angelic beings. God has designed a spiritual system of communication between men and angels that is called spiritual warfare. 

When the people of God declare and decree God's Scriptures over situations, the angels are the ones who carry out the strategy and God's judgment.

According to Sheets, It is the prayers and decrees of the sons and daughters of God operating in the divine authority we have been given, that activate angel armies to destroy the works of the devil and his dominions. Bands of destroying angels are released to pull down demonic strongholds and demolish every high thing that exalts itself above the Lord God and His purposes on the earth”.

Key to remember. Working with the angelic army of God is essential for bringing down evil forces in heavenly places. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).

#5. To enter into God's New Covenant.

The word of the Lord given to me on October 22, 2023.

My people have not entered into the new covenant I have for them. They have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and have been born again, but they are still living out of their natural feelings and emotions that are being manipulated by the flesh and demonic strongholds. My children need a heart transplant in order to fulfill their destiny and calling in My kingdom.”

Ezekiel 11:19, I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:27, And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

In Psalms 51:10-11, we see where King David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Proverbs 4:23, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Memories of pain, fear and rejection are stored in our spiritual heart. When a new situation occurs, our subconscious heart remembers the previous pain and overreacts instantly with fear, anger, rejection or other negative emotion.

Therefore, we need Jesus to perform heart surgery on those pain-filled memories. He will take out the pain stored in our heart and replace it with His love, acceptance and worthiness.

If you find yourself reacting with a negative “knee jerk” opinion, attitude or emotion, you are reacting out of the stored-up anger and resentment still in your heart. Your heart was programmed to react certain ways growing up and during your young adult years. Many of them were not Christ-like or Godly. Ask Jesus to give you a heart transplant so you think, feel and react like Jesus would.

a. New spirit. When we are born again, we are given a new spirit that has been regenerated whereby we are made alive in Christ. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive His supernatural power and grace to do God's will.

b. New Heart. However, we also need God to give us a new heart that has been regenerated, purified, loves God and desires to please Him in everything we do.

We need a new heart that is able to demonstrate God's unconditional love, mercy, righteousness and forgiveness. The NIV says a heart of flesh is one that is pliable and teachable. Other translations say a heart that is: tender, sensitive to the Holy Spirit, obedient or a loving heart. God replaces our old heart of stone with a new heart that loves Him fully and desires to obey His Word.

1. Broken hearts. Isaiah 61 tells us He will heal the brokenhearted and those who have suffered from every kind of abuse, abandonment and rejection. He promises to deliver us from unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, hatred, stubbornness, half-heartedness, selfishness and all our fears.

2. Stoney hearts. Some of us have put up walls of stone around our hearts to protect ourselves from future rejection and pain. However, Jesus wants to replace all the hard, stoney places in our hearts with His heart of love, grace and mercy. A heart that is caring and tender toward others. If you have ever suffered from trauma or abuse, you probably need prayer from a counselor or minister to receive emotional healing and deliverance.

Key to remember Pray like King David prayed in Psalm 51, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.


A word from Holy Spirit November 8, 2023.

You have been talking about serving with the Lord on His throne during the millennial reign. That is an external throne outside of your personal body, soul and spirit. What about the throne you have now inside your heart

Who is sitting on that throne?

  • Are you still trying to maintain control of your life?

  • Have you believed the lie-- that you don't need Jesus and Holy Spirit living on the inside of your heart and spirit?

  • Have you believed the lie-- you are fine just like you are?

  • Are you afraid of what your family and friends will say about you-- if you get saved or become filled with the Spirit?

  • Is Jesus Christ the center of your life, or is He standing outside the locked door of your heart?

Warning- Thus says the Lord, you will never fulfill your destiny in this life, nor your life to come, if you refuse to make Jesus Christ the Lord on the throne of your heart today. You can keep running away from God, or you can turn your life around and invite Christ to come live on the throne of your heart.

Key to remember. The key to the locked door in on the inside of your heart. 

It is up to you to open your heart and invite Jesus Christ to come in. Of all the decisions you will ever make in your life, this is the most critical one. For this decision will determine where and how you will spend your eternal destiny.

What do we have to look forward to as sons and daughters of God?

Revelation 22:1-5.  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Who is “they” that will reign for ever and ever? The sons and daughters of God who have prepared themselves to rule and reign with Him during their time here on earth-- before they depart for their heavenly home. These are the ones destined for the throne of Messiah, our King Jesus.


A Call to Action! Do you want to...

  • Fulfill the destiny and plan God has for your life right now?

  • Be prepared and equipped to rule and reign with Jesus?

It's time to make your decision, right now, while you are thinking about what you read and learned today.

In Luke 1:38, The angel of the Lord announced to Mary that she was going to conceive a baby boy and he would become the Savior of the world.

And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bondservant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Your Response- “Yes, Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.”



Destined for the Throne Prayer

  • Lord, I ask you to pour out Your Spirit upon me that I might fulfill the plan and destiny You have for my life.

  • I give you permission to prepare me and equip me for the high calling in Christ Jesus to become Your son (or daughter).

  • I thank you for giving me the grace and the spiritual discipline to develop an intimate, love relationship with you.

  • I ask You Holy Spirit to show me every hindrance and bondage in my life and help me to remove them.

  • I choose to delight in pleasing You, Lord God, with my every word, deed and thought.

  • I declare and decree that-- I am an overcomer through the blood of the Lamb, the word of my testimony and that I love not my life in this world unto death.

  • I thank you for Your new covenant promise to give me a new spirit and a new heart to love You and to serve You for all eternity.

  • I seal this commitment in my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit until the day I rise again to rule and reign with You, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

  • Amen and Amen!


Credits
Menorah photo- copied from Wikipedia.com.

Menorah graphic with labels- copied from The Seven Spirits of God by Chris Reed.

References

Billheimer, Paul E. Destined for the Throne- How Spiritual Warfare Prepares the Bride of Christ for Her Eternal Destiny. 1975, Bethany House.

Reed, Chris.
The Seven Spirits of God- Experiencing Throne Room Realities. 2023, MorningStar Publications, Inc.

Rountree, Anna. Heaven Awaits the Bride. 2007. Charisma House.

Sheets, Dutch. The New Wine Dream. Give Him 15 daily devotional, September 28, 2023.

Sheets, Tim. Angel Army Decrees, Oasis Church, Middletown, OH. October, 2023.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Provoking God's Blessings- a sample teaching from Lesson #2.

Lesson 2. First the Natural, Then the Spiritual

(Excerpts were taken from Lesson 2 to give you a taste of what the book is about. To learn what these spiritual laws are and how to receive freedom from the negative consequences, you will need to order a copy of the book). 

Our Father God put in place a system of spiritual laws to manage the quality of life on earth that determines what happens to us now and in the future. Before we discuss them, however, we need to know a few things about the natural laws that exist here on earth. Studying the more familiar natural laws and how they function will help us understand the ones that are spiritual or supernatural and how they affect our life. There is a biblical truth that says, “As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual.”

The Laws of Physics Simplified

When God created the earth, He put in place a set of physical laws to govern how everything would function. They are known as the laws of physics. One very common law we first learn about as a child is the law of gravity. To state it simply, what goes up must come down. All of nature learns this physical law early in life. When a toddler is learning how to walk, he experiences how this law works the hard way with mild apprehension, bruises and pain. 

I remember so well the day our young daughter Mary was learning to walk around the age of two. She pulled herself up beside the coffee table and was so proud of herself. Then she lost her balance. She fell down hitting her chin hard on the table. Oh, no! My heart went out to her as I ran for some ice to keep down the swelling and pain.

In his private letters to his family, Albert Einstein gave God the glory for helping him discover the other physical laws of the universe in 1905. Later on, you will learn about what Einstein discovered about God’s spiritual law of love. The physical laws work, whether we understand and believe in them or not. To survive in this world, we have to learn how to work with the laws, not go against them. Time, experience, and science teaches us many of the physical laws. God put them into place to establish order and control the chaos that would result without them.

Consequences—Good and Bad

Another important point is that when these laws are put in motion, they produce a consequence. Consequence—the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier (Dictionary.com). People learn to change their behavior after they suffer from or discover success from-- the consequences of the choices they make.

When a small child loses his balance, he falls down. Until he develops the ability to maintain his balance, he is subject to the law of gravity. He will suffer the consequences of the law of gravity (falling and maybe getting hurt) until he masters the skill of balancing. Laws set in motion produce consequences. He will also not be able to move beyond that point until he can safely stand upright.

Once a child learns to keep his movements in balance, he can manage the law of gravity safely. He has learned how-- to work with the law and not be subject to it. He even learns how to put that law to work for him when he plays kickball or enjoys throwing a frisbee. If a young two-year-old child can learn the physical law of gravity, then you can learn how to provoke the spiritual law of-- sowing and reaping.

Life is much more enjoyable and successful when you can flow with the spiritual laws God has established to govern our life on earth. Also, these consequences come with two types of results, either positive or negative. They are the result of what was originally put in motion. If a good action was begun, then a positive result can take place. Likewise, if a bad action was begun, then a negative result will be produced.

Demonstrated by Aerodynamics

For an airplane to get off the ground and fly, a number of laws are involved. The airplane is held down to earth by the law of gravity. It stays at rest until the law of inertia is overcome by the addition of power and thrust. With the power that is generated by the motor and turning prop, the plane begins to move forward. As the plane gathers speed on the runway, the laws of air pressure begin to change and have more effect on the flying surfaces. At a certain speed, depending on the weight of the plane, the air pressure beneath the wings becomes greater than the air pressure above the wings. When this happens, you have lift off—you are now flying.                                                                         

Such is life in the Spirit!

Life in the Spirit is a lot like learning to fly a plane. You have to go to ground school first to learn the basic rules, regulations, and aerodynamics of flying. Then a certified instructor takes you up and helps you learn the necessary skills.

Many hours of instruction take place first before you are allowed to take your first solo flight. Then comes the day when you finally pass your exam. You are never the same after that. You are no longer earthbound. Temporarily, you can leave all your troubles behind, even the law of gravity. You experience new freedom. You can go anywhere you desire and see new places. You are not sitting around, waiting for life to happen to you. You are taking charge of your life. You are taking calculated risks and exploring new horizons. This is the abundant life God has planned for you to experience.

We have to learn about, understand, and apply the laws of the Spirit in order to overcome the influence of the natural world around us. Living a successful life in the kingdom of God means you not only comprehend the laws, but also practice the laws and principles God has set in motion already to govern the quality of life in his kingdom.

The spirit of adventure

Your spirit comes alive with excitement, anticipation, and a sense of accomplishment. You are living the life God intended you to live—to its fullest. The Holy Spirit is our spiritual flight instructor. If you ask Him, He will gladly teach you how to fly in the spirit. As your copilot and navigator, He will go with you and stay right by your side all the way. After all, He wants you to be successful in life and in God’s kingdom as much as you do. Learning to fly seems complicated at first, but taking one step at a time, one day at a time, anyone who desires to can accomplish it.

The problem with many Christians is they are too intimidated by the prospect of life in the Spirit and never even consider learning a new, spiritual way of life. Like chickens in a farmyard, they would rather stay safely on the ground, limited by their circumstances. Many people resist being stretched beyond their comfort zone and allow the fear of the unknown to influence them. Others are bound by the fear of being rejected by traditional, naturally minded Christians who quench the power of Holy Spirit in their life. Life in the Spirit requires us to make the ultimate choice to overcome all the hindrances and surrender to-- the guiding, sanctifying and equipping work of the Holy Spirit.

A biblical illustration would be the Israelites who refused to enter their promised land, because of their fear and unbelief. The result of not trusting God— meant they had to wander the wilderness for forty more years, and most of them died. During that period, God raised up the next generation who witnessed his supernatural power and divine provisions.

When the Lord heard what you said, He was angry and solemnly swore: 'No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.'” (Deut. 1:34–35). Joshua was also called to lead the Israelites with Caleb into the Promised Land as well.

The Spiritual Laws

Now, let’s move on to a discussion of God’s spiritual laws. They function in much the same ways as the laws of physics, whether we understand and believe in them or not. They also produce positive or negative results in our lives, and we must learn how not to violate them in order to live successful, productive lives. When we understand how they work, then we can actually initiate them ourselves and use them to our advantage to produce good results. We can make use of God’s spiritual laws to produce blessings in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Cause & Effect

First, we must understand cause and effect. When we see a particular effect has taken place, either good or bad, then we look back in time to try to understand what caused it. Having wisdom means we have learned from the successes or failures of the past and are putting into practice the principles and laws we learned from that experience.

God put the laws of physics in place when He formed our solar system and fashioned planet Earth. His spiritual laws were put in place to govern the quality of life for mankind here on earth, and they are inevitable. That means just like the laws of physics, they already exist, and we need to learn how to use them to our advantage. God put them here to help manage life on earth and bring order out of chaos.

For example, God promised us a successful, prosperous life if we put Him first and obey His commands. So as we learn how to cooperate with God’s spiritual laws and use them to our advantage, life will go well for us. If we violate these laws, then we will experience failure, pain, disappointment, sorrow, sickness, bad health, and broken relationships.

Consequences of Sin

Deuteronomy 28:15–68 makes it clear that disobedience to God’s laws bring curses on us. Verses 16 to 18 tell us we will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country, our basket and kneading trough will be cursed (work), the fruit of our womb (children), our land (crops), herds, and flocks. We will be cursed when we come in and cursed when we go out. These curses affect not only us but can run three to four generations. While the curse, or penalty, for illegitimacy runs for ten generations in a family line (Deut. 23:2). The sins of the Old Testament fathers affected the quality of life for all their descendants.

The second book of Samuel chapters 11 and 12 gives us the story of what happened to King David when he sinned with Bathsheba. That spring David should have gone off to war, fighting with his men. However, he chose to remain in Jerusalem and sent his army out with the Ark of the Covenant to protect them. David abused the kingly power God had given to him by using it for his own personal gain. He was guilty of negligence and not carrying out his kingly responsibilities.

One evening David saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof of her house next door. The temptations of lust and covetousness rose up in his flesh. He sent word for her to join him, and she spent the night, which resulted in sexual promiscuity and adultery. She became pregnant and gave birth to an illegitimate child. I suspect that Satan set this trap for David to bring about his fall from righteousness. If he had gone with his men to war against the enemies of God, he would have not been tempted to sin against God. 

Paris relief of David's sin

For David, one sin led to committing another. He eventually orchestrated the murder of her husband, Uriah, on the battlefield. Bathsheba later married David, and she bore him a son. However, the Lord was not pleased with David, for he despised the word of the Lord by doing what was evil in God’s eyes. God sent Nathan, the prophet, to tell David what would happen to him for his disobedience. Nathan spoke the word of the Lord over David that pronounced a curse on his life and family. 'The sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own. Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you.” (2 Sam. 12:10–11).  

David repented and God allowed him to live. But his infant son died seven days later. David had fasted and prayed, pleading with God to let his son live, but it was to no avail. In the chapters that follow, we can read about the same kinds of iniquity repeated in the next generation.

Generational Sins of the Father

David’s son Ammon rapes Tamar, his brother Absalom’s sister. This leads to Ammon being murdered by Absalom. Eventually, Absalom rebels against his father and plots to take over the kingdom. The story ends with Absalom’s death. Because of one man’s sin, there was much destruction brought upon David’s lineage and the nation of Israel. How different everything might have been instead if David had gone to war that spring as he should have.

The kingdom of God exists right alongside the physical kingdoms of this earth. Satan and his principalities and powers rule the kingdom of darkness. Our Father God’s spiritual laws function in the invisible, spiritual realm all around us. As members of His kingdom, we have certain rights and privileges that people of the world do not have. We can live successfully in the kingdom as we learn how to make these laws work to our advantage.

Transformation of the Inner Man

Christian ministers and counselors have a great need to understand God’s spiritual laws when it comes to helping people struggling with personal issues. One of the forerunner counseling and teaching ministries over the years has been Elijah House founded by John and Paula Sanford. In 1982, the Sanfords wrote Transformation of the Inner Man, which has sold more than five hundred thousand copies. In 1992, John and his son Mark published A Comprehensive Guide to Deliverance and Inner Healing.

At Elijah House, all diagnoses in counseling is reduced to four basic spiritual laws in Scripture: (1) honoring parents; (2) judging; (3) sowing and reaping; and (4) becoming what we judge in others (Sanford, pp. 55–60). We will look at these four laws first and then go on to discover others God has put in place to govern our lives in His kingdom.

When Tommy and I began our ministry back in the 1980s, the Sanfords were instrumental in teaching us about the blessings associated with obeying these spiritual laws and the curses we bring upon ourselves through our disobedience. The Sanfords’ knowledge and experience helped to launch us into a dynamic ministry of healing and deliverance.

Spiritual Eyes and Ears

We will be blessed and not cursed as we practice following the spiritual laws found in God’s Word with our families, in the church, in the workplace, and everywhere we go. I invite you to walk with me down this road of discovery. But first, ask the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear these fundamental truths. You will need the Spirit of truth to guide you along the way as He reveals the mysteries of the kingdom.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose].” (Matt. 11:25, AMP)

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7, NIV)

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…but his delight is in the [spiritual] law[s] of the Lord, and on His [spiritual] law[s] he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalms 1)

That is an incredible promise for us as God’s sons and daughters. As we delight in walking in God’s spiritual laws, and applying them daily to every aspect of our lives, we will see good fruit produced in our lives. Life will go well not only for us, but for generations to come! Believe that Father God desires to bless you as you walk in the truth. Intellectual understanding alone does not produce life in the spirit realm. We have to experience revelation on a heart/spirit level to see genuine transformation.

As you read over these questions, take time to write your answers in a notebook. Ask Holy Spirit to give you new understanding and how to apply what you have just learned. If you are participating in a Bible study group, take some time to discuss these questions together and share your answers.

Life Application Questions

  1. Explain what it means that—spiritual laws have consequences.

  2. How does life in the natural world differ from life in the spiritual world around us?

  3. How will we be blessed when we “delight in the law of the Lord”?

  4. What spiritual laws are you familiar with already?

  5. What new idea or concept did you learn in this lesson, or do you think is important to remember?


Sample Prayer- Lesson 2

You can personalize the prayer below by asking Holy Spirit to show you specific issues about which you need to pray. Is there any unconfessed sin in your life? Is there any situation you need to ask the Lord to forgive you for?

Dear Father God, I thank you for choosing me to live the abundant life as a member of your family here on earth. I thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ to teach us valuable lessons about life in your kingdom. 

As a child of God, I choose to pursue righteousness and holiness unto You. I choose to repent of any ungodly attitudes and behaviors that would hinder my personal growth in Christ. Lord Jesus, please forgive me for not studying your Word and learning how to practically apply these truths to my life.

Forgive me for being a hearer of the Word only, and not doing the things you have instructed us to do. I ask You to forgive me and wash me clean from all wrongdoing.

Holy Spirit, I ask You to give me eyes to see and ears to hear these spiritual truths. I ask you to be my guide and to reveal to me the mysteries and the parables of the kingdom. Fill me with your Spirit and give me the grace and power I desperately need to mature into the son (daughter) of God you have created me to be.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

(Photo credits- www.dreamstime.com/freephotos)