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A Time Of Transition
Right now we are entering a time of great transition. Just as there was a transition period between the dispensation of Moses and the dispensation of Christ, so there will be a transition period between the Church age and the Kingdom age. God is doing something new in this hour—radically new. But unfortunately, just as it was at the end of the last age, so it is at the end of this age. Most of the Lord’s people cannot see or understand what He is doing.
The focus of God at the end of our age is not the same as it was at the beginning. At the beginning the emphasis was on evangelism. It was on gathering a people out of the nations for His name. At the end the emphasis is on bringing those whom He has gathered into the fulness of Christ. The Lord defined the work that He would be doing at the beginning of this age during a council meeting at Jerusalem. The meeting was called by the apostles to determine once and for all what should be done with the multitude of Gentile believers who were being swept into the Jewish Church through the ministry of Paul, but who were not being required by him to be circumcised or keep the commandments of Moses. After much discussion and debate, James stood up and spoke the following words:
Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Acts 15:14-17
James said all these Gentiles coming to salvation was the fulfilment of prophesy. God had spoken through the prophet Amos and said that one day He would "build again the tabernacle of David...that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called" (See Amos 9:11-12). Here we are told explicitly by one of the apostles under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit that David’s Tabernacle actually pertained to our age, for the fulfilment of the prophesy regarding its re-building consists of God going to the Gentiles to "take out of them a people for his name."
The Tent that David pitched represented some important things. First and foremost it represented the intimate fellowship with God that is available to all who come to Him through the "new and living way" that was consecrated by the blood of His Son. It was a prophetic picture of how the Lord’s people in this age, both Jew and Gentile, would be able to know God without having to go through an intermediary clergy with its attending rites, commandments and religious structures. In addition, the fact that David pitched his Tent in Zion while the Tabernacle of Moses continued to function at Gibeon is not without significance.
In the days of Eli the priest the Tabernacle of Moses stood at Shiloh. When war broke out with the Philistines his two evil sons removed the Ark of the Covenant from the Tabernacle and carried it into battle. God was not with Israel because of sin. As a result, they lost the battle and the Ark was captured. But God plagued the Philistines until they returned the Ark to Israel in an un-manned cart. The cart first came to Bethshemesh, in the tribe of Judah. But the men of that city looked at the Ark and God slew them. So they sent it to Kiriath-jearim where it remained for many years.
During this same period of time the Tabernacle itself was moved to different places. It was at Nob when King Saul murdered 80 priests because they helped David escape his grip. Soon after this it was moved to Gibeon, quite possibly by Saul himself. It remained at Gibeon until King Solomon dedicated the new Temple.
After David became king he tried to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. While en-route, one of the men who accompanied the wagon on which the Ark was being transported touched it because the oxen had stumbled and it was going to fall. When he did, God struck him dead on the spot. Being fearful and grieved, David took the Ark to the house of Obed-Edom. After a few months he tried to bring it to Jerusalem again and this time was successful. He pitched a tent for it and then brought certain of the singers and players from Gibeon to Jerusalem. But the rest of the Tabernacle and the rest of the priesthood he left at Gibeon (See I.Chron. 16:29-45; 21:29).
King David was moving completely out of the due order that had been established by God Himself. The divine order for that age was the Tabernacle of Moses and the Levitical priesthood. Yet he seemingly defied that whole order. Instead of bringing the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and placing the Ark in the Holy of Holies where it belonged, he left the Tabernacle and the priesthood divided.
This was not the worst of David’s actions. He broke an even more solemn portion of the due order. Everyone except the high priest (and he only once a year) was forbidden on pain of death to look upon the Ark of the Covenant. Yet David displayed the Ark before everyone in Jerusalem. Moreover, he invited all Israel to come and not only look at it but worship before it. Totally out of order! Yet God blessed him greatly. Why did David do this? More importantly, why did God allow him to do this? Why did God permit the people of Israel to look at the Ark when in times past He slew them for doing the same thing?
The reason God allowed David to do all these things is because he was a man after God’s own heart—and the thing that is closest to God’s heart is His desire to have direct, personal union with His people. Therefore, God allowed him to bypass the order of that age and walk in the order of the next age. He began moving in the order of the New Covenant, where the Presence of God (Ark) would be accessible to all the people, not just the Levitical priesthood. This is why he invited all Israel to come and worship before the Ark. The men of Bethshemesh were not men after God’s heart. Neither were they moving from one divine order into another better order. They were just plain nosy, and in order to satisfy their lust, they knowingly rebelled against the order of that age.
Although David started moving in
the order of this age, and though he encouraged all Israel to walk in that
order with him, he never put his hand to the order of that present age. He
didn’t tear down the Tabernacle or disband the Levitical priesthood. He never
forbade the people to worship at Gibeon. He left the Tabernacle and the
priesthood where it was. Every Israelite was free to choose where (in which of
the two orders) they wanted to worship. They could stay with the present order
and worship at Gibeon or they could move into the future order and go to Zion.
At Gibeon they still had to approach God through the priesthood. At Zion they
could approach God directly.
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. For many centuries men have been trying to discover and duplicate the original order of the Early Church. It is clear that there was some type of spiritual order in those first assemblies, but it is not clear just what that order was. (We have dealt with this issue at some length in Escaping The Religious System.)
The original Apostolic order is hard to discover and duplicate because contrary to the notion that it was some kind of spiritual hierarchy, the truth is, it was a very fluid order. There was no ecclesiastical hierarchy; one-fold, three-fold, five-fold or otherwise. There were no formulas or rituals. No one person or group of persons were "in charge." The Spirit was free to move when He wanted, how He wanted and through whomever He wanted.
Of course, anyone can go to the Scripture and put together any kind of religious order they desire by cutting and pasting certain verses of Scripture together but that does not mean they have duplicated that original order. We know that God did raise up leaders in those fellowships. We know he gave gifts to the body for its growth and edification. We know there was some kind of spiritual authority in operation because Paul moved in it at times. However, the authority of the Apostolic order has nothing to do with any of the abominations that presume to be a continuation of it today. Though the apostles exercised the authority they were given by God at times, it is also true that at other times they submitted to the direction of the Spirit through the fellowships; not just the leaders of the fellowships but the corporate direction of the people who made up the fellowships.
The Apostolic order existed for one purpose alone—to join others to Christ. It was not established as a hierarchical government to rule over the saints or become the voice and direction of God for them. The apostles were never guilty of trying to join people to themselves, their ministry, or their religious groups. The ministry of "gifted ones" had basically a two-fold function: (1) exhorting believers to enter and maintain an intimate union with God, and (2) warning them when that union had been broken and they had lost their ability to personally hear from Him.
The apostles taught that Jesus Christ the Person—not Christ in various types of ministries, not Christ in each other—is the direct and immediate Head of the Church (which is His body) and every individual in it. They taught that our most important duty is submission to Jesus. After that, we are to submit to each other, and especially those we know God has placed in our lives to help us spiritually. Following the direct guidance of the Spirit was the emphasis of the apostles because they knew that neither Christ in others or Christ in a ministry can lead anyone to glory. Only "Christ in you" can lead you to glory. In fact, Christ in you is your only hope of glory! Nevertheless, submitting to each other is very necessary because all of us have become deaf through disobedience at one time or another. Like King David, there are times when we must have a Nathan who is willing to come to us and say, "thou art the man!" If we cannot submit to one another, sooner or later we will become deaf and remain that way. It is this fluid order, not a hierarchical government that Paul was referring to when he wrote:
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men...And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:7-13
The reason for the existence of the Apostolic order is clearly stated here by Paul. It was set up by God for "the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Unfortunately, the meaning of what Paul wrote here has been misunderstood and distorted by practically everyone—especially those who have been given one of these gifts. We read this passage and think Paul was saying God gave ministry gifts so that "gifted ones" would perfect the saints, so that gifted ones would do the work of the ministry, so that gifted ones would edify the body. This is a gross perversion of the truth.
The term "perfecting" actually means "to equip." Gifted ones are given to the body of Christ to equip the saints, so the saints can minister to each other and edify one another. A much better translation of this passage is that these gifts were given to the body in order to "prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up." (NIV) The task of gifted ones is to equip the body for service, not lead, guide and direct it. God desires that the body minister to itself and edify itself. This is made crystal clear by Paul as he continues his thought.
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:14-16
The body is to edify itself. It is joined together and compacted, not merely by those gifts that Paul mentions here and elsewhere, but by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working of every part. Like the order of the natural creation, the Apostolic order was both functional and beautiful. It brought liberty and unity, not bondage and division. Unlike the emaciated and anemic believers we see today, it developed strong Christians who were capable of reproducing the life of Christ wherever they went.
Had it not been perverted by man’s lust to be worshiped, the Apostolic order would have continued to produce fellowships made up of strong believers who were capable of reproducing themselves a thousand-fold. But the fact is, that order was perverted and it remains perverted to this day. The very order that once produced mature saints now produces the exact opposite. It is being used by those who administer it to keep God’s people in a state of immaturity by making them perpetually dependant on their ministry. It is being used as a tool to re-establish a priesthood of men who stand between the believer and his Head. Ministers are incessantly trying to insert themselves as a "covering" between Christ and His people. They preach and teach the body on behalf of Jesus; they feed the body on behalf of Jesus; they lead, guide and direct the body on behalf of Jesus. This is not what God intended when He "gave gifts unto men."
Nevertheless, regardless of how corrupt the New Testament order has become it is still the order that was established by God for this present age. This is what the apostle Paul is telling us in this passage. He is saying that the Apostolic order will operate until "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." But notice that although Paul said this order will operate until the body of Christ reaches perfection, he did not say that all Christians everywhere had to remain in it until we reach perfection. He simply said this order would be in operation until the body reaches that point. The reason he did not say we must stay in the Apostolic order is because there is another divine order available for us to walk in. That other order is the Order of Melchizedek.
Today we are in the same type of situation that existed in David’s day. There are two divine orders in existence. There is an order of worship that is based on and focused around an intermediary clergy. This is the corrupted Apostolic order and it answers to Moses’ Tabernacle at Gibeon. There is also an order of worship that is based on and focused around direct union with Messiah and immediate guidance from Him personally. This is the Melchizedek order and it answers to David’s Tabernacle at Zion. Once again we are free to choose which of the two orders we want to walk in. We can stay with the present order at Gibeon or we can leave Gibeon and begin walking in the order of the future. Though David did not actually walk in a future age, he did begin walking in the order of that future age. Likewise, we cannot actually walk in the next age, but we can begin walking in the order of that age today.
Over the years quite a few believers have become dis-satisfied with the level of spiritual life that is being dispensed by the current administration. They have refused to let gifted ones become the voice and guidance of God for them, choosing instead to leave Gibeon. Others are presently dis-satisfied and would like to leave Gibeon as well but are afraid to leave because they have been taught that doing so equals "rebelling against spiritual authority."
If you are one who is under the current administration and feel like you are dying spiritually, but you have not had the courage to come out from under it for fear of displeasing God, He wants you to know that there is another divine order available for you to walk in. He wants you to know that you don’t have to starve to death at the hands of the present administration. You can leave it behind and not be guilty of rebelling against it. He wants you to know that He has established a better divine order in Zion and that He has invited you to come walk in that order with Him!
King David was a type of Jesus. He represents the attitude of God towards His people. He has provided something better for us in Zion and He is well pleased when we choose that better way. Unfortunately however, those at Gibeon (the present administration) are not all that blessed when we choose that higher way because they have no idea what is happening in Zion. The only thing they know is that some people have chosen a walk that is excluding their ministry and authority. All they can see is that some are abandoning the divine order of this age. Since the present order is all they can see or understand, many times they end up condemning those who have left it behind in order to walk in the better one.
The Lord wants to set those who have left Gibeon, and those who would like to leave, free from all this condemnation. He wants to establish in our hearts and minds an unshakable assurance that we are not rebelling against spiritual authority. He wants us to know exactly what we are doing and why we are doing it. He wants us to be able to face the opposition coming from Gibeon and overcome it, for that opposition is probably only going to get worse in the future. To get an idea of what may be in store for those who leave Gibeon as we move into the next age, we need look no further than the attitude and actions of the last administration that was getting ready to be replaced.
In the days of Jesus of Nazareth the Spirit began preparing a new administration while the current one was still operating. This new administration was destined to permanently replace the existing one. The leaders of Israel were not ignorant men. They knew the Mosaic System which they were administering was God’s divine order for that age. They perceived that the Carpenter from Nazareth was instituting a whole new religious order right under their noses and that this new order would make their present order obsolete. Although they officially charged Jesus with blasphemy, the real reason they murdered Him was because they realized they were in danger of losing their power and authority forever. The choice was clear. It was between the order of Moses, which they knew came from God, which also established their authority indefinitely, and the order that Jesus was establishing, which was by-passing them completely.
Just as the administration of the Law was getting ready to be replaced by the administration of Grace in those days, so the administration of the Church age is getting ready to be replaced by the administration of the Kingdom age today. Just as both orders functioned for a while at the same time among the same nation then, so both orders are functioning at the same time among the people of God now. Just as the Mosaic administration was ordained to function throughout the entire time of transition, until the Church age had actually begun, so the Church administration will function throughout this present time of transition, until the Kingdom age has actually begun.
So far, the attitude of the present administration towards those who by-pass it is running a parallel course with the leaders of Israel. Just how far down the same path our leaders will travel remains to be seen. As the Jewish leaders of that order resisted the new order, so the Gentile leaders of the present order are resisting the new order. As the Jewish elders sought to protect their administration by attacking those who moved into the future one, so Gentile elders are trying to protect their administration by attacking those who have moved into the future one.
Most of those in positions of leadership today cannot see that God is getting ready to replace the order they now administer because, just like the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time, they like being leaders; they like having and exercising authority; they like being a notch above everyone else. Moreover, they have absolutely no desire to give up that authority and they have no intention of ever laying it down. In addition, this desire to preserve their God-given authority is perfectly justifiable according to the Scripture, for the Scripture clearly states that their administration will function until the Lord returns. Naturally then, it is only reasonable for them to assume that God wishes all believers everywhere to remain under their spiritual care until that day arrives. And such an assumption might be warranted if there were not another divine order available for us to walk in—but there is.
Once we recognize this mind-set we will understand why they do the things they do. We will understand why they are content to perpetuate their order indefinitely, and why they view all who by-pass that order with disdain. We will see why, instead of being thankful when they run across people who have begun to walk in a higher order, they look down their noses at them and automatically assume they are immature, deceived, or in rebellion against spiritual authority. (This is because in their minds there is no higher order.) We will understand why they are forever trying to bring us back under their administrative wings, either through fear tactics and condemnation, or through love. We will understand why the greatest sin you can commit in their eyes is to come out from under their covering or authority.
How it must grieve God's heart to hear the present administration boast that theirs is the highest order available today, and that anyone who claims to be walking in something higher must be deceived—especially in light of the fact that the Melchizedek order is the very order their "gifts" were intended to help the saints arrive at! They have no idea what is happening in Zion and neither do most Christians. Most of us have no idea that our heavenly King David has set up another divine order. Most of us have no idea that we can begin walking in that order today. Neither are we aware of the fact that there is a very heavy price to pay in order to begin walking in that order.
Most of those who have left Gibeon over the years did not leave in order to come to Zion. They did not know another order even existed in Zion. They left simply because they knew God was telling them to get out. Some of those who left have ended up in Zion because they have walked in strict obedience to the revealed will of God, regardless of the pain and suffering such obedience has caused. But others who left were not willing to obey God at all costs. These brethren have not ended up at Zion. Instead, they are wondering in the hills and valleys between Gibeon and Jerusalem, confused and entangled in all kinds of different deceptions. God has allowed them to be deceived because He is a God of order. He will not allow us to run around and do our own religious thing.
The Lord is raising up an army of kings and priests who are disciplined, who will submit completely to the government of God in their lives. Those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to bring them into perfect submission to His divine government will be gathered together from the four corners of heaven and earth in the day of battle, and they will flow together in perfect harmony.
Generally speaking, the majority of God’s people never know what He is doing till after it has been accomplished. But God always has a remnant of believers who possess a greater spiritual vision than the rest. He always has His Joshuas and Calebs waiting in the wings, quietly being prepared to usher in the new move of the Spirit. And just as the apostles of the Lamb were quietly being established in the future administration while the current one was still functioning, so today, some are quietly being established in the Melchizedek order while the Apostolic order remains functioning.
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Melchizedek - An Overview
Understanding the Melchizedek order is not as difficult as we would initially assume. Although there is little direct information given in the Scripture about it, there is plenty of indirect information provided. The revelation of this order is found in several key passages. But before exploring it in more detail a basic overview of who Melchizedek was and why he is so important is necessary. Who was Melchizedek anyway? Was he a real man who actually reigned over a literal city during the days of Abraham, or was he, as some believe, simply a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ Jesus?
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abraham] gave him [Melchizedek] tithes of all.
Genesis 14:18-20
Some reject the idea that Melchizedek was a mortal man for various reasons. One is because the writer of Hebrews said that he was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Another is because the writer also said he liveth and abideth a priest continually—which is taken to mean that he is actually still alive. Again, it is difficult for some to believe that any human was greater than Abraham at this time, or that Jesus should be made a High Priest after the order of any mortal man, let alone a Canaanite king—which, as far as we know, the king of Salem would have been at that time.
Thus, some believe Melchizedek was merely a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus, who chose to make Himself known to Abraham by the name "Melchizedek" because this name was directly related to Abraham’s circumstances, much the same way He revealed Himself to Hagar by a particular name when she was fleeing from Sarah. He made Himself known to her as "El Roi" (El=God; Roi=that seeth). Since Melchizedek is a combination of two Hebrew words; "melek" (king), and "tsedeq" (righteous), his significance is viewed not so much as being an actual contemporary of Abraham, but of God manifesting an aspect of His name (nature) to Abraham. In this view the Lord appeared to Abraham as a righteous king, blessing his righteous cause (the rescue of Lot). He gave him rest (peace) from his enemies and spiritual strength (bread and wine) to face the coming test of resisting the rewards of unrighteousness from the king of Sodom.
Although this theory does communicate some spiritual truths, it should not be viewed as the primary meaning of the story of Melchizedek because it is not based on the actual Genesis account. Rather, it is based on the manner in which the writer of Hebrews uses that account in his argument against clinging to the Levitical order. The actual account does not say that Melchizedek had no father, mother, beginning or end of days. It does not say that he lives on forever. All it records is that Melchizedek was "king of Salem," that he "brought forth bread and wine," that he was "the priest of the most high God," that he "blessed" Abraham, and that Abraham "gave him tithes."
The arguments the writer of Hebrews draws from the Genesis account are built upon the lack of information contained in the account. Out of nowhere this king/priest appears. No information is given about where he came from or who he is, except that his name is Melchizedek and that he is king and priest of Salem. Nothing is said about his genealogy. There is no record of his birth or his death. No record of when this priestly order began, how he came to head it up, or when (or if) it ever ended. This mysterious priest of God disappears from the narrative just as quickly as he appears. Only the barest of facts are stated about him. We are given a brief glance into this period of history through a tiny window. We are allowed to see just enough to let us know that God was working with more people than just Abraham.
It is the very brevity of Melchizedek’s appearance—and more specifically, the lack of information about him—that furnishes the writer with his arguments and he makes skillful use of that missing information. Thus, the very information that we would all like to have, but which God has withheld from us, was used to prove the validity of the better priesthood of Messiah. In short, had any more information about Melchizedek been supplied in the Genesis account the writer of Hebrews could never have used him as an argument to validate Messiah’s work.
When he said Melchizedek had no father or mother and no beginning or end, he is simply using the lack of his recorded genealogy as a picture of Messiah. When he says that Melchizedek abideth a priest continually, he is simply using the lack of his recorded death or the recorded end of his priesthood as a picture of the eternal character of Messiah’s priesthood. He is not saying that the man in Genesis was never born, never died and lives on eternally. Melchizedek is merely a type or a picture of Messiah. This should be obvious because we have a record of how Abraham reacts when God actually does appear to him.
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face...And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground.
Genesis 17:1-3 & 18:1-2
When God appeared to Abraham he did more than offer Him a "tithe." He fell on his face and bowed himself toward the ground. Indeed, throughout the Scripture, whenever the Lord appears in some visible form men fall on their face and worship Him. In fact, some of the Heros of the Faith have gone into coma’s or become as dead men when God showed up. This is not the picture we see in Genesis fourteen. Abraham recognizes that Melchizedek is greater than himself and gives him an offering but there is no worship involved because Melchizedek was a priest of God; he was not God.
The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalms 110:4
The Spirit of God spoke through King David and declared that Israel’s Messiah would be a priest "after the order of Melchizedek." The religious leaders of Israel uniformly understood this to be a prediction of Messiah. The object of the writer of Hebrews is to show by a comparison of the two men that Jesus of Nazareth was the individual spoken of in Psalm 110.
This was necessary to answer several objections the believing Jews in this assembly would be hearing from their unbelieving fellow Jews. The unbelieving Jews would have rejected the legitimacy of Jesus’ priesthood on the basis of genealogy, among other things. This is simply because every authentic priest, as far as they were concerned, had to come from the proper stock, just as it had been required of all priests since the Law was given at Mt. Sinai. That proper stock was the line of Aaron and Levi. Jesus, they would say, has not proceeded from such a stock so we cannot acknowledge Him for a priest. To this objection the writer answers that it was not necessary for Messiah to come from a particular stock. Melchizedek, who was God’s priest, and after who’s order Messiah was prophesied to be, was not of the stock of Levi either.
Another point is made concerning genealogy, which has to do with the phrase, "without father, without mother." The rulers of Israel were meticulous in choosing their high priest, partly by divine command and partly from tradition. God laid out certain qualifications in the choosing of a high priest. He had to be chosen from among their brethren (the family of Aaron). He could only marry a virgin. He could not marry a widow, a divorced person, a harlot, or one of another nation. To these written requirements others were added by the Jews themselves. The high priest could not be a proselyte, a slave, a bastard, the son of a Nethinim, nor one whose father exercised any base trade. Any man who could not meet these requirements, though he be a descendant of Levi, was excluded from the office of high priest.
The priests were careful to preserve their genealogies, which they kept in the archives of the Temple. When a person aspired to the office of high priest his genealogical table was inspected. If any of the requirements were not met he was rejected. Those who could not provide evidences of a proper lineage were said to be "without father." This phrase was not taken to mean that the individual actually had no human father. Rather, it simply meant that he had no father who could qualify him for the office of high priest.
In addition, when a person could not prove he was from the stock of any tribe of Jacob—as would be the case with strangers, foreigners and slaves—they were said to be without father and without mother. Again, it was not being said that these people had no human parents. It was being said that they were without a Hebrew father or a Hebrew mother. The writer is using the truth of Melchizedek not only to overcome all the genealogical objections of unbelieving Jews, but to eradicate the whole mind-set upon which these objections are based. For you see, not only was Melchizedek without father (not from the stock of Aaron and Levi), he was without father and without mother (not from the stock of any Hebrew tribe). He was a Gentile!
According to the Jewish mind-set, Melchizedek would never have qualified to become high priest. He failed in all points. Yet the evidence is undeniable: not only did he qualify to be God’s priest during his lifetime, not only is Messiah prophesied to be after his order, his order is also said to be far better than the Levitical priesthood. This is simply because the Aaronic priesthood pertained to the Jewish nation alone. If you were a Gentile you had to come and dwell among Jews and live like Jews in order to partake of its mediation. It was a national covenant and a national priesthood.
The Melchizedek priesthood is different because it was destined to mediate for all men, giving all men direct access to God. No Gentile would have to come to God through a priesthood of men. No Gentile would be required to become a Jew, live like a Jew, or live among Jews in order to partake of its mediation. This priestly order is universal and eternal. It is not an extension or a continuation of the Hebrew Levitical order. It was in existence before Moses. This means that at least to some degree it was possible to walk in it before Messiah even came. Also, it is better than the Mosaic order because this is the order Messiah was made a priest after. He was not made a priest after the order of Levi. In addition, not only is it better than the Levitical order, not only was it around before the Levitical order, it is eternal. When the Psalmist prophesied that Messiah has been made a priest forever, after this order he was saying that this order will never be replaced by a new or better order. It is the supreme and final order to be established.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Genesis 14:18
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.”
Hebrews 7:1-3
4 Much of the revelation of the Melchizedek order can be found in these two passages. The first thing we notice about this order is that it is a king/priest order. Those who move in it must be both a king and a priest, as was true of Melchizedek and Messiah. As kings they must have God’s authority and His love for justice and judgment. As priests they must have His shepherds heart.
4 It is a system of government, for implied in the idea of kingship is rulership and government. Both Melchizedek and Messiah headed up a form of divine government in the earth—Melchizedek over a town called Salem and Messiah over His own life. Together they present us with a picture of both the internal and the external government of God.
4 This government is founded on righteousness and peace. Both Melchizedek and Messiah are kings of righteousness and kings of peace. Those who aspire to enter the Melchizedek order must have certain moral qualities, which are actually qualities of God. They must be righteous. They must defend righteousness and bless those who are doing righteousness, as Melchizedek blessed Abraham. In addition, they must be at peace with God. They must know how to walk in the center of His will and they must walk there continually.
4 This government is not based on genealogical identity. It has nothing to do with Adamic ancestry. In other words, those who aspire to enter this order must not continue to identify themselves with their natural biological origins. They must learn to identify completely with the life they received at their second birth as a son of God, not the life they received at their first birth as a son of Adam.
4 The sustenance (life) of this government consists of bread and wine. Many people followed Jesus during His earthly ministry for a while, until He told them they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Because of that one statement, many would-be disciples turned back and followed Him no more. At the Last Supper Jesus revealed that "bread and wine" represent His body and blood (life). Not only must those who aspire to enter the Melchizedek order identify totally with the new creation life they received at their second birth, they must actually eat and drink that new life. They must learn to live and move and have their being by the power of that life.
4 Bread and wine also represent spiritual unity. The life of Christ is one life; His mind is one mind; His will is one will. Paul said there is "one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all..." (Eph. 4:4-6). The night of His betrayal Jesus prayed three times that His disciples, and all who would believe on Him through their testimony, would experience the same kind of unity with each other that He had with the Father. He said, "the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one" (John 17:22).
Those who enter the Melchizedek
order will live by bread and wine. They will live by the "power of an
endless life." Because they will be living by that life, they will walk
together in the unity of the faith. The writer sums all this up in one short
statement. Those who enter this eternal priesthood will be "made like unto
the Son of God."
We need to consider the issue of spiritual unity in the body of Christ for a moment because it is one of the primary elements of the Melchizedek order. There are two kinds of "unity" being advanced in the Church right now. One kind of unity is the work of the Antichrist, while the other is the work of the Holy Spirit. Satan knows better than we do how important true unity is in the body. He knows that one of the events that will mark the end of his reign is when the body reaches "the unity of the faith." In an attempt to delay his date with destiny he has been busy spawning a counterfeit unity throughout all Christendom. Wherever you go unity is being emphasized. It has become the central focus of most ministries and movements and has become such a powerful influence among believers that they are being led back into the arms of Roman Catholicism.
It is true that Jesus is bringing His body to the unity of the faith. It is not true that this unity is based on our relationships with each other. Genuine unity is based on our relationship with the Head not with the body. Of course, it is true that as we walk in the Spirit there will be unity between us and those God has placed us with. It is also true that we are to keep the unity of the faith as much as possible (and yet, sometimes it is not possible unless we compromise with sin). However, it is not true that unity is based on our relationships with each other. Unity is based on our relationship with the Head. All horizontal relationships established by the Spirit are only beneficial as long as they continue to help us reach a more perfect vertical relationship with the Head. Those same relationships become destructive as soon as they cause us to seek a more perfect horizontal relationship with each other—which is exactly what is happening all around us.
The apostle Paul gave us the highest revelation of spiritual unity, which also happens to be a perfect picture of the Melchizedek order, in his analogy of the human body. He said the operation of the human body is an illustration of the body of Christ. The only difference between the working of His body in this age and the working of it in the next age is that in this age all the members have not yet learned to walk in perfect obedience to the Head.
Sometimes we walk in obedience and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes the arms and fingers of Christ’s body do what the Head wants them to and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes His feet will go where He desires them to go and sometimes they won’t. One day his toes are functioning and the next day they’re not. Therefore, in this age He is not taking any chances. He is doing the work of God Himself. He is building a Temple (dwelling place) for God, with or without our particular co-operation. If we choose to cooperate with Him today, we will be part of that perfect body in the next age. But if we do not cooperate today, if we choose to serve God on our own terms, we will not be part of that body tomorrow.
Regardless of what we do, in the next age the Lord Jesus will have a body that will walk in complete, perfect, eternal obedience for they will fully possess His mind and His will. That is when all creation will see the Order of Melchizedek manifested in all its glory. Until then it remains an invisible, internal work that is being completed one step at a time, one individual at a time. Consider the human body. Your toes never get near your face yet they both function in perfect harmony. Your nose never gets near your liver yet they function in perfect harmony.
The unity that exists between the members of your physical body is not a unity of proximity. The unity of the human body is based on one thing—that each individual member be where it is supposed to be and that each one does what it is supposed to do. It is the same with the body of Christ. Unity is based on whether or not we are where we are supposed to be and doing what we are supposed to be doing. It depends entirely on whether or not we are truly submitting to the Head. If you are being led by the Spirit and obeying the Spirit, you are in perfect unity with every other member of the body of Christ who is doing the same. It is immaterial whether or not you ever see them, talk to them, or even know them.
In order to be brought to the unity of the faith it is necessary that each and every member of the body of Christ learn how to be totally "led by the Spirit." We cannot continue to be led by spiritual principles, past revelations, church leaders, church traditions, or church structures. We cannot continue to be led by each other or by our own soulish wisdom. We must be led by the Spirit and obey the Spirit. We need to understand that spiritual unity has nothing to do with religious groups joining ranks with other groups, or with getting everyone into close physical proximity of each other, under the same kind of ministry, denomination or organization. Unity is only produced when our fellowship with the Head takes precedence over our fellowship with the body. Conversely, what brings us into Satan’s counterfeit is when our unity with the body takes precedence over our unity with the Head.
So it is, what you have today is a Religious System full of Christians who love each other more than they love Jesus. They are more committed to each other and more loyal to each other than they are to Jesus. They have been convinced that this is the way you prove your loyalty and commitment to God. Truly, the way of the wicked is upside down.
When we love the body and are more loyal to the body than we are to the Head, we will naturally assume it is never God’s will that we become divided for any reason. Division becomes our greatest enemy. Those who get trapped into this reasoning are already confused. They will end up compromising with sin at some point to keep the unity of the faith. We need to realize that unity and division are not issues of our relationship with each other. They are issues of our relationship with the Head. When you are walking in absolute obedience to Jesus Christ you cannot be divided from other saints who are doing the same. It is impossible. But when we begin walking in disobedience, not only is the unity between us and the Head broken, the unity between us and those who are still walking in obedience is also broken.
If you are a "big toe" in the body of Christ and you stop being led by the Head and obeying the Head—guess what? Even though you are still connected to the "little toe" right next to you, you are no longer in unity with it. We can live in the same house, go to the same church, believe exactly the same doctrines, pursue exactly the same religious goals and all the rest of it; this will not stop us from becoming divided because spiritual unity does not rest on any of these things. It rests on being led by the Spirit and obeying the Spirit! The first prerequisite to entering the Melchizedek order is learning to be led completely by the Spirit of God.
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Going Beyond The Veil
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An important thing about the Melchizedek
order that we need to see is that like the Kingdom of God, it is both
an external and an internal order. The internal part of this order must be
wrought in the overcomer in this age. When we have learned to
walk in it fully, then it will be manifested outwardly and visibly as the
government of the next age, and of all the ages that follow. Its external
establishment must
wait until the next age, but its internal establishment must not wait till the next age
because only those who have learned to walk in that order today will be capable
of manifesting it and establishing it as the government of the Kingdom age.
This order is a vital issue. It is not merely a "pie-in-the-sky" revelation. Those who wait until the next age to begin walking in it will have missed their chance to enter it. We must enter it today. Although we are not told directly how to enter this mysterious order, we are told indirectly how to enter it.
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 6:18-20
The writer of Hebrews said that Jesus’ entering the Melchizedek order has to do with going beyond the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle of Moses. He went beyond that veil and became a priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek. Notice that the writer said that Jesus was a forerunner. What did he mean? What is a forerunner? A forerunner is a trail-blazer. He goes ahead of the rest and clears the way, making sure that it is safe for them to follow. This is how we enter the Melchizedek order—by following Jesus beyond the veil. Jesus did not enter into the Holy of Holies for Himself alone. He paved the way for us. We are to follow Him through the veil, both into the Presence of God and into the same order He currently lives and moves in. Both Head and body are to move in this order.
Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, [Holy Place] accomplishing the service of God. But into the second [Holy of Holies] went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing
Hebrews 9:6-8
Entering the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle of Moses represented, among other things, entering the Presence of God. The writer of Hebrews said that while the First Covenant and priesthood remained in force the way into God’s Presence was not yet made manifest. This is why the Son of God had to come and initiate a new covenant and a new priestly order. He blazed a trail through the veil so the way into the new order would be revealed. While the first covenant remained valid the path into the Holy of Holies was blocked. But that veil has been torn; the trail has been blazed. The writer then explains what going beyond the veil means, and here is where most believers get confused, for he appears to make conflicting statements. First he says going behind the veil represents passing into the heavens.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession...Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens...But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building...It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself...
Hebrews 4:14; 8:1; 9:11 & 23-24
Jesus’ going beyond the veil represents entering heaven. He passed into the heavens and sat down on the right hand of God. Since it is clear that going beyond the veil means passing into the heavens, most everyone has assumed that when the writer of Hebrews talked about Jesus being our forerunner, he meant that He made a way for us to "go to heaven" someday, either when we die, or else in the mythical "Rapture." But if this is the whole picture, why did he go on to say:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19-22
The veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies represents the flesh or the body of Messiah. This is why the Gospels record that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom when He died on the Cross. The veil being torn signified that the way into the Holy of Holies was now open. While it is certainly true that Jesus has passed into the heavens and has cleansed the true sanctuary, and while it is true that we should anchor our hope on Him, it is not true that entering beyond the veil for us means dying and going to heaven. The writer stated clearly that we are to follow our forerunner through the veil today, not after we die.
He said we are to "draw near." Draw near to what? Draw near to the Presence and Person of God behind the veil. How are we supposed to follow Jesus beyond the veil? Through the "new and living way" that He has instituted by His shed blood. How then are we to reconcile the contradiction between these two ideas? Does going through the veil mean passing into the heavens or does it mean entering into God’s Presence and the Melchizedek order? Actually it means both.
Passing into the heavens has to do with going beyond the veil physically. After His resurrection Jesus passed into the heavens physically. Following Messiah physically beyond the veil is a future hope. However, we do not have to wait to enter beyond the veil physically in order to go beyond it spiritually. Right here an understanding of the difference between our spirit, soul and body becomes crucial. Our spirits were saved and regenerated instantly in a moment of time. They now dwell in heavenly places with Christ for they are already behind the veil.
In contrast, our bodies have not yet gone behind the veil and neither will they do so until they are glorified at the First Resurrection. Going beyond the veil physically is a future hope. The spirit is already there and the body will go there in the future. The real issue is our souls. It is in the realm of the soul that we must "draw near" to God behind the veil. It is in the realm of the soul that we must enter into the Holy of Holies by the new and living way. It is in the realm of the soul that we must begin moving in the Melchizedek order.
Over the years a lack of understanding regarding spirit, soul and body, or else a lack of applying this understanding when it comes to the Melchizedek order, has caused no small amount of confusion. The few ministers who have ventured to teach on this subject ended up with a narrow view of what the high priest going beyond the veil at the end of Israel’s religious year represented. Once the Spirit showed them that this event represented the body of Christ going beyond the veil physically at the end of this present age, it became solidly linked with the manifestation of the sons of God in their minds. Going beyond the veil became first and foremost a future event to them. This was the end of the story as far as entering the Melchizedek order in this present age went.
What most have failed to grasp for some reason is that the high priest going beyond the veil also typifies the overcomer going beyond the veil spiritually in this age . The reality that the writer of Hebrews told us to go behind the veil now has become blurred and for all practical purposes ignored. Going beyond the veil spiritually pertains to going through in the area of our souls. It represents entering the Presence of God behind the veil. It represents having our souls purged and purified and learning how to move in the Melchizedek order today. This is why the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom—to show that it is possible to go beyond the veil now. It is not just a future hope; it is a present necessity.
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Since entering the Melchizedek order is closely related to going beyond the veil in Moses’ Tabernacle, we should understand the significance of that Tabernacle. Its real purpose, typically speaking, was to instruct us concerning our Salvation. Though it had an earthly function, the Tabernacle was actually a picture of heavenly realities. God showed Moses a pattern of heavenly things on Mt. Sinai and he took that pattern down from the mount and made a temporal earthly picture of those heavenly realities.
Although the earthly sanctuary was only destined to function for a relatively short period of time, the realities it represented are heavenly and eternal. This is what the author of Hebrews meant when he said: "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [earthly animal sacrifices]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
In other words, while the establishment of the New Covenant made the earthly Tabernacle of Moses and the Levitical priesthood obsolete, that which they represented will never become obsolete because it is eternal. In fact, the entire history of Old Testament Israel is a revelation of what God is doing in our day with us. More specifically, the journey of Israel from the bondage of Egypt to the Promised Land was but a type and shadow of the journey of the New Testament Church out of the bondage of what Egypt represents, to that which the Promised Land represents. God is bringing us out of Egypt (the Adamic life), which is ruled by the prince of the power of the air, into our Promised Land (the Christ life), which is ruled by the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings.
Just as it was with Old Testament Israel, so it is with the New Testament Church. As we travel on our journey God is doing some specific things. One thing He is doing is transforming us from a self-centered and unruly mob into a self-sacrificing and disciplined army who can conquer Satan, the world and the flesh. Another thing He is doing is building a spiritual dwelling place for Himself so that He can dwell among us. But unlike the Tabernacle that was pitched in the wilderness—which was only an external representation of the internal work He would do in this hour—we are that Tabernacle. We are being built into a Temple. We are being fashioned into the vessels that will become the habitation (dwelling place) of God.
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The focal point of the Tabernacle was the Ark
of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat which covered it. That Mercy Seat
was wrought of pure gold, which represents the nature of God. The Lord told
Moses that He would commune with him "from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are
upon the ark of the testimony..."
(Ex. 25:21-22) While the cover of the Ark represented the
Presence and Glory of God, the Ark itself actually represented something
different. It was made of wood, overlaid and underlaid with gold, and
represents the dual nature of Jesus, the sinless man who became overlaid
and underlaid with the glory of the Father. Messiah is the first-born of a
whole new creation. The Ark represents that New Creation Man. It represents
Christ—Head and body.
This is the whole purpose of our born again experience. God has taken us (wood) and birthed in us His divine nature (gold). When that divine nature has been fully formed in our personalities, when we have been brought to the full stature of Christ, unto a perfect man, then we will be overlaid with a divine (glorified) body. We will be the "Ark of God." We will be a people upon whom the glory of God will rest.
For years we have been taught that we will not be fully transformed into the image of Christ until we die and go to heaven. We have been taught that the change referred to by Paul in his teaching on the resurrection includes a change of our personalities. But this is merely a church tradition. It is not what the Scripture actually teaches. The subject of Paul in Corinthians is clearly the transformation (or resurrection) of our physical bodies. The transformation of the soul is what our Christian walk in this life is all about. This he made absolutely clear when he said, "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed [presently] into the same image [of Christ] from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (II. Cor. 3:18)
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The Tabernacle of Moses, with its various stations and pieces of furniture, is a natural picture of supernatural experiences that each and every Christian must partake of as we move from the image of Adam to the image of Christ in this life. The first station we must experience is the Brazen Altar. This is where the animals were sacrificed for the sins of the people. Typically, this is where the Lamb of God suffered for the sins of the world. It is here that we must come initially in repentance and accept the atonement of God’s Messiah for our past sins.
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The next station is the Brazen Laver. This is where we wash our feet and hands as we go through this life. Though we have been made spiritually clean by the blood of Jesus, we can still become defiled when we partake of unclean things, such as our own sin or the sin of others. Paul said that after we have been saved and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb at the Brazen Altar, God wants to sanctify and cleanse us "with the washing of water by the Word" (Eph. 5:26).
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The next piece of furniture is inside the Tabernacle proper. In order to get to it there is a second work that must take place in our lives. We must be baptized in the Spirit. Once inside the Tabernacle, the first thing you see is the Golden Candlestick for the Candlestick is the only source of light in the Holy Place. It represents the power, anointing, gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit begins to move through us in ways we ourselves would never have thought possible. These manifestations have nothing to do with our natural talents and wisdom.
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The next piece of furniture is the Table
of Shewbread. This represents partaking of the deeper revelations of God,
both through the Written and the Living Word. One of the first things that
often happens to us after we are baptized in the Spirit is that the Scripture
begins to open up to us because the Golden Candlestick is shedding light on the
Table of Shewbread (the Word).
We begin to partake of the "hidden manna" that is contained in the Scripture, but which remains concealed from the carnal wisdom found in seminaries, Bible colleges and Bible schools. The priests changed the shewbread weekly, signifying to us that God’s Word and revelation are always fresh. Not only do they speak to our everyday situations, they are always unfolding and expanding our capacity to know the Lord.
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The next piece of furniture is the Golden Altar of Incense. This is where we offer up our lives in total surrender as a living sacrifice through sacrificial prayer and obedience. The Golden Altar represents the baptism of fire that John the Baptist spoke of. It represents judgment and death-to-self. Just as the incense that was used at this station had to be beaten and then burned with fire, so we must allow God to purge and cleanse us by fire.
It is at this point that some of the pioneers of these truths became confused. For while they taught that each experience represented by the various stations of the Tabernacle up to this point pertained to the soul and could be experienced today, when it came to the last piece of furniture behind the veil, all of a sudden their focus shifted from the soul to the body. Although they taught that we can (and must) experience all the steps up to the veil, they assumed that we could not go beyond the veil and experience what the Ark of the Covenant represents until the very end of this present age. Even though the writer of Hebrews explicitly told us to "draw near" to God behind the veil and "enter" the Holy of Holies, for some reason they never saw that it was possible to experience what the Ark represented—at least to some degree—right now. The word was always "someday we’ll get there."
How then do we go through that veil today? We go through the veil by dying. At this point the issue gets uncomfortable because the vast majority of us, even those of us who claim to be walking in Tabernacle Truths, don’t want to die. We will do anything and everything for God except for one thing: we will not allow Him to replace our life with His life. We will not let Him really underlay us with gold now, yet we expect to be overlaid with gold at the last trump. This is religious delusion. We have to be behind that veil today, being underlaid with His glory if we want to be overlaid with that same glory at the First Resurrection.
Paul said, "flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God" (I. Cor. 15:50). He was not referring to material substance. He was not saying that no material substance can enter the spirit realm. He was using "flesh and blood" to designate the Adamic life, which is the life of the soul (our emotions, desires, mental capabilities and power of choice). These things have all been corrupted by sin. They need to be made incorruptible. In order for the soul to become incorruptible, everything in it that is corruptible must be put to death. Only that which has been transformed from the temporal Adamic life to the eternal Christ life will enter the Kingdom of God. The soul has to be made incorruptible in this life, not after we die and go to heaven.
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An Endless Life
And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 7:15-17
Jesus was made a High Priest after the similitude of Melchizedek by "the power of and endless life." To walk in the Melchizedek order we must begin to live by that same endless life. This is the life that was given to us in the form of a new spiritual nature when we were born again. There is only one problem. Many of us don’t really want that life. We think we do. We say we do. But we really don’t. What we really want is to have our life be made eternal by His life. We want the power and the benefits of His life but we don’t want the life itself. We cling to our Adamic life and at the same time, try to walk in the power and glory of God’s life. We want both the earthly realm and the heavenly realm.
God will never make our Adamic life eternal. To do so would be to mix the holy with the profane. His life is holy; our life is unholy. His life is eternal; our life is temporal. His life is focused on things that are heavenly; our life is focused on things that are earthly. His life and our life are radically opposed. When we hang on to our life we automatically hang on to all the corruption and sin that goes with it for the two are inseparable. God has made us a one-or-the-other proposition. If we want to walk in the power of His endless life we must give up our life.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace...The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:5-8
Paul said to be "spiritually minded" is life, but to be "carnally minded" is death. The carnal mind is the Adamic mind. It cares about the "things of the flesh." Notice Paul did not say the carnal mind cares about the sins of the flesh. He said it cares about the things of the flesh. We assume he meant sins but that is not what he said. He was talking about much more than just the sins of the flesh. He is talking about everything that pertains to the corrupted Adamic nature. Everything that pertains to our Adamic nature is sin in God’s eyes. But in our eyes, only the sin that pertains to the Adamic nature is sin. We don’t see the good portions of our flesh as sin. Adamic talents, wisdom, abilities and gifts that seem moral and profitable are rarely viewed as being just as evil as lying, stealing, cheating, murdering and so on. Many Christians seek to keep the good part of their Adamic nature around and expect God to make it eternal.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
II. Corinthians 4:18
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Philippians 3:20
To be carnally minded is to look at the things which are seen. It is to have our minds preoccupied with things that are temporal and have our conversation focused on the things of earth. To be spiritually minded is to look at the things which are unseen. It is to have our minds preoccupied with things that are eternal and have our conversation focused on the things of heaven. While it is true that living after the flesh and being carnally minded will cause us to sin, Paul is focusing here on a much bigger picture. He is not drawing a contrast between righteous and wicked deeds. He is drawing a contrast between temporal life and eternal life.
Many Christians today are carnally minded but do not realize it. To make sure that we are not among those are who spiritually blind we must take a good hard look at our lives. What does our conversation focus around most of the day? Heavenly things or earthly things? What do we meditate on? Visible things or invisible things? What are we pursuing? Temporal things or eternal things? If our minds are preoccupied with things that are temporal, earthly and visible our conversation will reveal it. Those who are preoccupied with the things of earth must understand that they are choosing their own Adamic life over God’s life and as a consequence, are also choosing all the sin and corruption that goes with that life. This is why Paul said we should "seek" and "set our affections" on things above.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
Paul said when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear with Him in glory. This was not a cliché. If we want to appear with Jesus in glory He must become our life. Paul was not writing to the unsaved here. He was not telling the unsaved that if they want to "go to heaven" they must accept Jesus as their Savior. He was telling Christians that Jesus Christ has to become our life or we will not appear with Him in glory.
How does Jesus become our life? In order for Him to become our life we have to "seek" those things which are "above" and set our "affections" on them. Jesus does not become our life just because we are born again and filled with the Spirit. He does not become our life just because we are endowed with gifts, ministries or great end-time revelations. He does not become our life just because we attend (or do not attend) a fellowship. He only becomes our life as we set our affections on those things that belong to Him, in the eternal realm where He dwells.
In order to start living by the power of an endless life, we must stop living by the dictates of our temporal lives. By this Paul is not referring merely to the sins of the temporal life, but to the whole life. That life includes experiences and relationships that are perfectly legal and proper. God is demanding that we turn away from the temporal realm in general. This is where many of us miss the mark of the high calling. We are not aware that we must turn away from experiences and relationships of the Adamic life that are legal, and even God ordained, in order to walk in the power of an endless life.
The issue is not between right and wrong. It is between temporal and eternal life. We must choose one or the other. It is not easy to turn away from the legal things of our Adamic existence and most Christians never do. God knows it is hard to leave the temporal realm behind. That is why He exhorted us through Paul to set our affections on things that belong to the eternal realm. All men, including Christians, follow their affections. That is why Jesus could say so confidently that wherever your treasure is, there will your heart [affections] be also (Matt. 6:21). Most of us are too weak to completely abandon our Adamic lives. But for those who are at least willing to forsake that life, God has made a provision to help us do it.
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 5:8-10
In order to be made our High Priest, Messiah had to come to earth as a man and learn obedience as a man. He had to learn that obedience by the things He suffered. Eventually that suffering perfected Him. This is the door into the Melchizedek order. We enter it the same way Jesus entered it—through suffering. However, suffering in and of itself produces nothing because all people suffer in this life. It will only profit us if we are trained by it. That is why the writer of Hebrews said that suffering, after it has been endured, will yield the fruit of righteousness unto "them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:11). If we allow it to do its intended work and teach us the lessons it is designed to teach us, then suffering will profit us.
Suffering will never profit the unsaved unless it brings them to a place of genuine repentance. Neither will it profit most contemporary Christians because they have not been properly oriented towards the Kingdom of God. Not only are most of today’s Christians self-centered and full of self-will, not only do they love their Adamic lives and have no intention of abandoning them, on top of this they are being taught that such a wretched condition is perfectly acceptable in God’s sight, now that they have been "saved by grace."
Whether or not suffering will profit us depends on our desire. If our desire is to be able to do our own will and have the pleasures of this earthly realm, the suffering that God allows into our lives will never produce obedience or bring us into the power of an endless life. We will spend all of our time blaming the Devil and everyone around us for our troubles. We will break out of the boxes and the prisons God puts us in and find ways to undo or get around the pain He brings into our lives. We will be just like the self-willed child who refuses to learn anything as he goes through school, but fumbles and cheats his way through the whole education process.
However, if our real desire is to walk in the power of an endless life, and if we realize that we will have to suffer the loss of many temporal life-experiences that are legal in order to bring us to that place, and if we are willing to endure whatever level of suffering it takes to actually get us there, then the suffering God allows into our lives will profit us. It will train us and mature us and eventually bring forth in us that endless life that we were given at our new birth. We have much to do with how far we go in God. God never forces His will on us. We must not only desire to do His will, we must be willing to pay the price that is required to do that will.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
Philippians 3:8
Paul said he suffered the loss of all things and he counted the things he lost as dung in comparison to the prize of winning Christ. Since Paul’s life was totally wrapped up in his religious heritage, the "all things" that he lost pertained to his former religious life. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, circumcised the eighth day. He knew what tribe he was from. He was righteous and blameless with regards to the Law—no small feat for any man. He was brilliant and well known, having studied under Rabbi Gamaliel, the greatest sage of that day. He had the potential to become as great or even greater than Gamaliel. All these things, though they were focused around religion, pertained to the temporal, external realm.
This is what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said Jesus was made a High Priest after the power of an endless life, not the "carnal" commandment. Although the Law was spiritual, it nonetheless dealt primarily with the carnal man; that is, the outward man. Those who lived uprightly under the administration of the Law lived that way through obedience to external ordinances and rituals. Those who enter the Melchizedek order must live uprightly by a different means. They must be led by the Spirit. They must be led by an internal government of righteousness, not an external one.
No external government or religious order, regardless of how good it is, can ever produce a people who walk in the divine government of Melchizedek, for that government is an internal government and it must be built in each and every individual by Jesus Christ Himself. It cannot be built by Christ in others or by Christ in a ministry. It can only be built by Christ in you. This is precisely why Paul said it is "Christ in you the hope of glory!"
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-22
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Matthew 19:27-29
Like the apostle Paul, the disciples also suffered the loss of "all things" in order to possess the life of the Kingdom—though the things they forsook were less religious and more down-to-earth. When they asked Jesus what they would get in return for leaving everything behind He said all those who have forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or fathers, or mothers, or wives, or children, or land for His sake would receive eternal life. Everything He mentioned is part of the temporal realm. They are possessions, skills, experiences and relationships that are perfectly legal and moral, but nevertheless are temporal.
Again, the issue was not right versus wrong or good versus evil. It was temporal life versus eternal life. When Jesus said "follow me" He was telling these men they had to make a trade. If they wanted to experience the power of an endless life they had to forsake the pleasures, experiences, possessions and relationships of this earthly life. This is the choice every believer faces.
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more [after the flesh]. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
II. Corinthians 5:15-17
Paul said if any man be in Christ he is a "new" creature. He also said "old things are passed away." He is not only referring to bad old things. He is talking about all old things. He is referring to the entire Adamic life with all of its pleasures, experiences and relationships—good and bad, legal and illegal, moral and immoral. This should be obvious because he plainly says, "henceforth know we no man after the flesh." In this instance the term "after the flesh" is not being used to denote evil, as when he refers to the "sins" of the flesh or the "works" of the flesh. He is referring to temporal relationships. Henceforth our relationships are not to remain in the earthly sphere. We are only to know each other after the Spirit.
We are not even to know Jesus after the flesh any longer. We are not to know Him as the baby Jesus, or the Carpenter of Galilee, or the gentle Shepherd, or as any of our modern delusions and fantasies—like the Jesus who loves and accepts everyone whether they repent or not, or the Jesus who is a Santa Claus. We are to know Him after the Spirit, as He really is. If you want to see Jesus as He really is, simply open your Bible to the Book of Revelation and start reading. The apostle John saw Him as He really is and when he did he went into a coma.
When he regained consciousness he saw the risen, glorified Christ standing in the midst of a big Golden Candlestick glowing like a light-bulb. He was dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool. His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance (Rev. 1:12-17).
Later John sees Him again. His eyes are still like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns. This time He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. That blood is not His blood, it is the blood of the wicked for He is treading the winepress of the wrath of God. He is on a white horse, leading an army of white-robed soldiers on white horses and He goes forth to judge and make war on those who oppose Him. He still has a sharp sword coming out of His mouth and with it He strikes down the nations. He has names written on Him; Faithful and True, the Word, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and a name which no man knows but Himself (Rev. 19:11-16).
Friends, that is the Jesus that is soon returning. That is the Jesus we should be coming to know. For if we have only known Him after the flesh as the baby Jesus, or the Carpenter, or the gentle Shepherd, or Santa Claus, we will disintegrate with fear and terror when He appears. The writer of Hebrews said, "our God is a consuming fire" [Heb.12:29]. That "fire" is His holiness and it consumes all sin that enters its presence. If the apostle John, who loved Jesus the most and was closest to Him after the flesh (and was "in the Spirit" when he saw Him), went into a coma and became as a dead man when he saw the Lord, what do you suppose will happen to today’s Christians when they see Him as He really is?
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Colossians 3:9-11
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus
Galatians 3:27-28
We have to get a true picture of this endless life and what it is going to cost us to come forth in it. Paul said in Christ there is neither male or female, Jew or Gentile, bond or free. Most of us have no idea what he is really saying. He is describing the power of an endless life. In Christ (in that life which is eternal) there is nothing of the temporal life, the main divisions of which he enumerates as male and female, Jew and Gentile, freeman and slave. These distinctions covered the general spectrum of people in Paul’s day. Again, the contrast is not being drawn between good and evil deeds. It is being drawn between our eternal identity in Christ and our temporal identity in Adam as male or female, Jew or Gentile, bond or free.
The contrast between our temporal life and God’s eternal life is a reoccurring theme of the apostles because God’s people continue to have the same problem. We do not understand what it really means to be "born-again." As we have seen, one of the lessons drawn from the Melchizedek account by the author of Hebrews pertained to genealogy. Melchizedek was presented without a history of his beginning here upon the earth. Jesus too had no earthly father or grandfather. His father was God. Though the Lord incarnated through the womb of Mary He is now over her.
In one sense she was His mother but in reality she was really just the instrument through which He came into the world. While He was growing up their relationship was probably closer to a normal mother and son relationship. But by the time He began His ministry all that had changed. In the Gospels you never hear Him calling her "mother." He always calls her "woman." This was not an expression of disregard or disrespect. It was an expression denoting the reality of their relationship.
What we have yet to realize is that Jesus and Melchizedek are not the only ones who do not have an earthly genealogy. Every person who has truly been "born again" has been given a new genealogy. We have been born supernaturally by the Spirit. The seed that was planted in us in the form of a new nature did not come from the loins of any earthly man. It is an incorruptible seed that has come from God. The life that is supposed to come forth from that seed has nothing to do with this temporal realm. It has nothing to do with male or female, Jew or Gentile, bond or free! It is a totally different kind of life and it brings with it radically different kinds of pleasures, experiences and relationships.
Because we don’t really understand the far-reaching implications of what it means to actually be born again we continue to live in the domain of genealogy. We live our lives in the realm of male and female, Jew and Gentile, bond and free, husbands and wives, parents and children. We do not understand that when we were born-again all our old creation pleasures, good and evil, were crucified. All of our old creation relationships, good and evil, were crucified. All of our old creation life-experiences, good and evil, were crucified. Everything that was before our new birth is dead as if it never existed. We are new creatures that have been born into a new family and we must relate to everything and everyone in that new way.
Believers today cannot understand or accept this reality because they want to have both the old and the new creation life. They want to be "new" creatures when it comes to those parts of their Adamic lives that are wicked. But when it comes to those parts that are proper and good—especially natural relationships—they want to remain "old" creatures indeed!
When you tell them that Paul said we should know no man "after the flesh," and that he was including all Adamic relationships in that statement, they instantly tune you out because they love those relationships. They want nothing to do with that kind of Christianity. What we need to accept is that we can’t pick and choose which parts of the "old creature" we want to keep. If we want to walk in God’s life we must trade it all in. Clinging to any part of the Adamic life will disqualify us from the Melchizedek order.
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection...And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luke 8:14 & 21:34
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
II. Timothy 2:4
In addition to breaking free from many good and proper experiences of the Adamic life, we also have to keep on top of those duties which we cannot abandon. The cares of this world and the affairs of this life include those things of the temporal realm which we cannot neglect; like working and paying our bills, or raising our children. We still have to take care of the necessary things of this temporal existence. We can’t go live in a cave or join a Catholic Monastery. But we can be highly on guard that in fulfilling our mandatory duties of this life we do not let our hearts be carried away with them. We can watch and make sure that we do not become "entangled" in them or let them "choke" (slay) the spiritual life in us.
If we really want to begin walking in the Melchizedek order we will look at the things which are unseen. We will have our minds preoccupied with things that are eternal. We will have our conversation focused on the things of heaven. We will "seek" the things that are from above and "set our affections" on those things. Moreover, we will begin to view temporal things as our enemy because they have the potential to destroy us. We will have the mentality and the outlook of a soldier who is warring against all that is of the flesh, all that is carnal, all that is temporal, and will not allow ourselves to become entangled in them or choked by them.
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Anointing Versus Life
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One of the things that keeps many of us from
moving in the power of an endless life is something we would never suspect. It
is the anointing. There is a difference between being anointed by God and
living by His life. Many do not understand this difference and in fact, think
the anointing is life. This is a serious miscalculation. The anointing is God’s
power; fruit is God’s character. The Scriptural goal of the Christian is to
obtain, through suffering and tribulation, the life and nature of God. This
goal has been all but abandoned in our day and has been replaced with a
sensual, soulish lust for supernatural power.
Obviously, if we assume that having an anointing (spiritual gifts and power) is identical to walking in life, we will lose sight of the fact that we must continue to change. As a matter of fact, the heavier the anointing that is on us, the greater the possibility that we will be deceived into thinking that we are walking in something we really aren’t.
The apostle Paul understood well the difference between being anointed by God and being transformed into His image. Thus, he distinguishes between fruit and gifts in his teaching.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 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: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
I. Corinthians 12:4 & 8-11
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Even though they work through individuals, gifts and ministries of the Spirit are still external manifestations of God’s power. On the other hand, fruit is an internal manifestation of God’s nature through our new nature. It is His character coming forth from our will, our mind and our desires. Gifts can be given to any person at any time. The Spirit’s manifestation is not limited to certain occasions or certain conditions. All He needs is a vessel who is willing to yield to His manifestation. The vessel does not have to be walking in actual righteousness before the Spirit can manifest Himself through him.
This is why you see ministers who have a genuine anointing acting unrighteously. We don’t have to be walking in holiness in order to be gifted. But fruit is another matter entirely. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; these are all attributes of the character of God and they cannot be present unless we are walking in righteousness. Fruit can never be poured out on us like the anointing. It can never be ascribed to us or cover us like imputed righteousness.
Producing spiritual fruit takes time just as producing natural fruit takes time. It is a process that requires growth and change. It only comes as a result of suffering, self-denial, testing and judgment. The anointing is given to help produce fruit; it is not the fruit. When we do not understand this simple truth, the anointing we receive can become a hindrance to our transformation rather than a help.
Many believers who have been anointed are letting that anointing hinder them. They are on the run continually, ministering day and night. They assume that as long as they are being faithful to the anointing or the gift God has given them they are fine.
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Acts 10:37-38
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Hebrews 1:9
Jesus of Nazareth was anointed of God. He was given the power of the Spirit without measure so He could fulfil the ministry God had ordained for Him. The writer of Hebrews said that because He loved righteousness and hated iniquity, the Father anointed Him above His fellows. Thus, we can see the two issues of anointing and life in this verse. The Son had the nature of the Father; He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Because He allowed the Father to conform Him to His very image through suffering, the Father knew He could be trusted with the unlimited power of the Spirit. When He went to raise the dead the power (anointing) was there. When He went to heal entire villages of every imaginable disease the power was there. But the power is not the nature.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 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. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
I. Corinthians 12:27-31 & 13:1-3
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.
II. Corinthians 1:21
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Galatians 1:1
Just as God anointed Jesus, so He anoints us. He anoints us with the same anointing that Jesus had. But unlike Jesus, we are not given that anointing without measure because if we were it would destroy us. We do not as yet "love righteousness and hate iniquity." We may hate iniquity in others but we don’t hate the iniquity in ourselves yet. Therefore, we can only handle small doses of God’s power. This is why the power of God (anointed gifts) are dispersed widely among individual members of the body of Christ.
One of these gifts is the gift of apostleship. Paul was anointed to be an apostle to the Gentiles and he knew it. He stated boldly at the beginning of all his epistles that he was an apostle of Christ. While he was faithful to that anointing his whole life, he knew there was a difference between being anointed by God and walking in the nature of God. He knew that being an apostle did not necessarily equal bearing the image of Jesus Christ.
After teaching the Corinthians about the anointing and encouraging them to covet the best gifts he makes this astounding statement: "yet I show you a more excellent way." A more excellent way than what? A more excellent way than ministry! He is trying to get them to understand that there is something beyond being anointed, something beyond being endowed with gifts. The anointing is not the goal; the more excellent way is the goal. He says that if believers do not move past the realm of gifts and ministry, if they do not begin to move in the more excellent way, then the anointing they have received will have been wasted. He then goes on to explain what the more excellent way is. The more excellent way is charity, the nature of God.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
I. Corinthians 13:4-7
The anointing is a gift, freely given to whoever God chooses any time He chooses. The character of God cannot be given to us anytime He chooses. His nature must be produced. It is the consequence of labor. It is one thing to be anointed, it is quite another to be conformed. Although Paul distinguished between being anointed—which includes having any of the various manifestations, offices and operations of the Spirit—and walking in life, he did not set the two in opposition. He did not say we must choose one or the other. He said that to have the one without the other will not profit us. Indeed, the one is given to produce the other.
We need to consider the awesome implications of what Paul is saying here. He is saying that it is possible to have spiritual gifts and move in the anointing, yet be devoid of the character of God. It is possible to be an apostle, or a prophet, or a teacher and not have life. It is possible to be an elder and not have it. It is possible to be an evangelist, or a miracle-worker, or a healer and not have it.
We need to understand that power is not the nature of God; gifts and ministries are not the nature; and having these things does not mean we have been transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Being anointed, being faithful to that anointing our whole lives, will not necessarily change us from the image of Adam to the image of Christ. These things can help change us if we allow God to do a work of crucifixion in our lives. But by themselves they profit us nothing. We can be totally faithful to a ministry or an anointing that God has given us till the day we die and still miss the more excellent way! Listen to the apostle’s words again, and let the reality of what he is saying sink down into your heart: "Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity [God’s nature], I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [God’s nature], it profiteth me nothing."
Could Paul have said it any clearer? The anointing and the nature are two separate issues. Though the anointing is meant to work in collaboration with the transforming work of the Spirit, it does not automatically do so. We must realize it is possible to have the anointing and not have the nature. Moreover, we must be aware of the fact that if we are presently in such a condition, the anointing we have received from God will not profit us in the end. Our ministry or our gift may profit others but it will not profit us.
Should we then forsake the anointing or renounce the operations of the Spirit? Not at all. Paul was not saying the anointing is wrong. He was not saying that we should avoid gifts and ministries. All he was saying is that being anointed is not the goal. The goal is to be conformed to the image of Christ. The goal is to walk in the fulness of His life. The anointing is not life; it is merely a tool that God uses to help produce life. It is to function in collaboration with the transforming work of the Spirit. Thus, it is spiritually profitable to us as long as it causes us to pursue the nature of God. But to equate it with life is a grievous mistake.
The difference between life (fruit) and the anointing (gifts) is like the difference between the baubles we hang on a Christmas tree and the life that made the tree grow and produce fruit. God can hang any kind of anointed gift or ministry—even the most spectacular—on any kind of tree He wants to any time He desires. The tree doesn’t have much to say in the matter. All it has to do is learn how to exercise the gift that has been given to it. God distributes manifestations of Himself to every man as He wills. The present spiritual condition of the individual has little to do with His decision. This is why our anointing, no matter how outstanding it might be, should never puff us up. The very best gifts can be hung on a very ugly tree. The issue is not what kind of anointing we have but what kind of tree we are.
This is what Paul was trying to get across to the Corinthians. He was saying "listen people, you have all kinds of marvelous gifts working in the assembly. You are moving under a powerful anointing but you yourselves are ugly because you are moving in the nature of the old man, not the nature of the new man. Stop focusing on gifts and power and start concentrating on spiritual growth. If you don’t allow God to make you new creations, the anointing He has poured out on you will have been wasted. The anointing was given to help you be transformed."
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
I. Corinthians 13:8-10
Not only is the anointing not the goal, it is only a temporary provision. One day God is going to withdraw it. He will remove all the baubles (gifts) and trinkets (ministries) that have decorated us and made us attractive. Then it will be revealed to all creation just what kind of "trees" we have allowed Him to make us. Prophesies, tongues, knowledge, apostles, prophets, and all other gifts are going to fail; they are going to cease; they are going to vanish. They are not the perfect thing. Nor are they the "more excellent way." They are only temporary tools that God has provided in order to help us become new trees (creations).
One of these days God is going to have a crop of sons who have been fully conformed to His image. When that day comes He will put away the tools. Can we even begin to grasp the implications of this truth? Can we see what this will mean for those who’s lives have been totally wrapped up in their anointing, gifts and ministries, but who have ignored the work of transformation that produces the character of God in their lives? They are going to be spiritually naked and totally devastated.
Many Christians spend their lives chasing after ministers who have (or who claim to have) the anointing. They are willing to travel thousands of miles just to experience the power of God for a few hours. They go to any length to experience that which is destined to be replaced by something more perfect. Yet you couldn’t pay these same people to enter the process of transformation that produces that more perfect thing.
Why are so many willing to travel so far and spend so much money just to experience God’s power for a couple of hours? Because contemporary Christians have become "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." Experiencing the power of God is pleasurable and pleasure-loving Christians thrive on these kinds of experiences. They get addicted to them.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I. Corinthians 13:11-13
When I was a child I spoke as a child, thought as a child and played with childish things, said Paul. But when I became a man I put those childish things away. Is Paul saying that gifts and ministries are childish things? If this is what he is saying then he is a double-talker, for he just admonished them to covet the best gifts. The "childish things" are not the things themselves but our attitude towards them. Putting away childish things means putting away our fascination with the anointing. To put away childish things is to stop being engrossed in ministry. It is to become un-addicted to external stimulation, blessing and religious experiences.
Natural children want to play and are enamored with gifts. That is normal and proper. But when they become adults they should lose their fascination with gifts and having fun. Under normal circumstances their focus will shift to the more serious issues of life. It is the same way with spiritual children and spiritual adults. Feeling a powerful anointing is enjoyable. Having a powerful anointing on your life is even better. It gives us pleasure and satisfaction, not only because we enjoy helping people, but because we enjoy even more all the attention and glory we get as a result.
Everyone wants to be around the guy who moves in a powerful anointing. Everywhere he goes he is treated like a king. He is respected by everyone, and even worshiped. People want to hear him talk; they want to hear his wisdom and his opinions. He always has an opportunity to minister. In stark contrast, the process which produces the nature of God in our lives is just the opposite. It is very un-enjoyable. In order to mature and walk in the life of God we have to follow Jesus down a bloody trail of emotional pain, hardship, self-denial, persecution and rejection.
Like Jesus, we must make ourselves of no reputation. That is not His work, it is our work. If we want to keep our reputation intact He will not over-ride our will. We also have to learn to keep our mouths shut, only saying what He wants said. We have to learn to be still, only going where He bids us to go. We have to learn to minister according to His will, not according to our own desires or our own religious assessment of the needs of others.
The anointing costs us nothing (though being faithful to that anointing may cost us something). But coming forth in the power of an endless life will cost us everything. When we see the difference between anointing and life we can see why Paul had to tell the Corinthians to get their focus off the anointing and get it on the internal life the Spirit wanted to bring forth in them. Just like the Corinthians, multitudes of believers today spend their lives reveling in their anointing and never allow God to change them. They are headed for a very rude awakening, for Jesus predicted what would happen to those who handle the anointing in such a foolish way.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23
After a life-time of glorying in their anointing God will call them to account for how they have lived. He will demand to know what kind of "tree" they are. At this point they still will not understand what is happening. They will say "Lord, look at what we did in your name (through your anointing); we have prophesied, cast out devils and have done many wonderful works." God will say "but you are the same kind of tree as the day I poured my anointing on you. While you were working miracles and ministering with my anointing you were also working iniquity with your old nature. You chose to live your own (Adamic) life."
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ...That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:8 & 10-14
Why have so many believers missed the heart of Paul’s message? Why can’t they see that the "high calling" is not the call to evangelism, or church work, or gifts and ministry? Why can’t they see that he was trying to attain something that he had not yet experienced or attained to during all his years of ministering? Why can’t they see that near the end of his life he was still laboring to apprehend that thing? What was Paul laboring to attain?
He was laboring to attain the destiny for which he was apprehended of Christ Jesus. God had a plan for his life. He had a course laid out for him from before the foundation of the world. In His mercy, Jesus laid hold of Saul the Pharisee and showed him what that destiny was. Paul was then responsible to lay hold of that destiny by yielding to the chastening, transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Knowing this he encourages us to run our race the same way he ran his—lawfully and well. He knew that even though he was faithful to an earthly ministry he had to run a good race to win the prize. We must do the same. He also knew there was a possibility of losing his race. We too must realize that there is that possibility.
Winning the race, attaining the prize of the high calling, apprehending the destiny that was ordained for us, these should be our goals. What destiny was Paul laboring to attain his whole life? He told us plainly. He said he was trying to "win Christ." Think about that statement for just a moment. The greatest apostle of all time was trying to win Christ! How do you win Christ? Was he talking about winning the forgiveness of Christ? Can’t be; he already had that by faith. Was he talking about winning the justification of Christ? Can’t be; he already had that by faith. Was he talking about winning the imputed righteousness of Christ? Can’t be; he already had that by faith. What then was he trying to win? He was trying to win the image of Christ. He was seeking to attain full transformation into His likeness.
The great cry of his heart and the thing that motivated him in everything he did was, "that I might know Him." I want to know Jesus so intimately, so fully, that I am changed into His very likeness. Once again, transformation is not an endowment bestowed upon us by unmerited favor (grace). It is a reward obtained by obedience. This is the beauty of God’s plan. Although He pours out his anointing on various individuals as He wills, He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). We may not all have the same anointing as Paul; we may never be an apostle; we may never be able to duplicate his ministry; but we don’t have to! Paul’s race and Paul’s prize had little to do with his anointing. It had everything to do with his transformation, and that transformation is something we all can partake of equally.
We can all run the same race Paul ran and win the same prize he won! Just like him, we have been apprehended by God to attain something. Just like him, we can forget those things which are behind (the Adamic life) and press into the high calling (the Christ life). Like him, we can apprehend that thing for which we were destined.
Webster’s Dictionary says that "apprehend" means to understand, take hold of, seize, take hold of mentally, perceive, take or grasp. A gift is something given; a prize is something taken by force, earned, or captured. Paul had fully seized the gift; he had not fully seized the prize. He knew that he could be faithful to a ministry and at the same time, not even be in the race for the high calling. He was laboring to win a prize. He never taught that he, or anyone else for that matter, would win that prize automatically by grace. He never hinted that we would hit that mark regardless of our obedience. In fact, he taught just the opposite. He said he buffeted his body and brought it into subjection to the Spirit, lest after having fulfilled his ordained ministry he might be disqualified from his ordained destiny.
Full transformation into the image of Christ is the finish line that God wants us all to cross, not after we die and go to heaven but in this life. Being anointed and gifted will never win us Christ. We have to do what Paul did. We have to know the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings and be made conformable unto His death. Those who have their attention continually focused on the anointing—either their own or of others—will never cross the finish line. They will settle for the in-part realm, for those things which are going to pass away. We must move beyond our fascination with the anointing. We must not settle for anything less than the life of God!
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Priests Of God
The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 110:4
The Spirit prophesied and swore through King David that Messiah would be a priest forever. The Order of Melchizedek is a king/priest order. The dual function of king and priest is the chief mark of this order. This makes it completely different from the Levitical Order, for under that order the offices of king and priest were two separate offices. The king was king only and the priest was priest only. One did not operate in the function of the other. David was king in Israel in his day and Zadok was the priest of God. The king did not don a priest's robe and offer up sacrifices and the priest did not try to usurp the office of the king. This is why God rejected Saul; he tried to offer up burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Under the Mosaic System there was a separation of church and state. But in the days of Melchizedek there was no such separation. The king was priest and the priest was king. The Melchizedek order is a form of government that is founded on righteousness and peace. Once established in the people of God it will be manifested externally as the government of the next age. It is a government in which the King that rules is also the Priest that makes God accessible to the people and brings the people into fellowship with God. The character of the order is to be found in the understanding of what it means to be a king and priest of the Most High God.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Hebrews 7:25-26
It is important that we understand the true nature and function of a priest. The writer gives a brief description of what kind of High Priest Messiah is. While He walked among men He was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. After He was raised from the dead He was made higher than the heavens.
We need to consider briefly these characteristics. Jesus was holy. His life was set apart and wholly given over to the work God had assigned Him. He never took a detour from the path God set Him on. He never became involved with anything, legal or illegal, moral or immoral, that would hinder Him from fulfilling His task.
His life was lived out in these words: "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:7-8). His first love was His Father. That is why He could say I delight to do thy will. Doing His Father’s will was not a chore to Him. Walking away from legal and proper things of this temporal realm was not a drudgery to Him because His life was focused on pleasing the Father.
Jesus was also harmless—a term that is misunderstood. Being harmless does not mean that He never said a negative word or did a negative thing. It does not mean that He avoided confrontations. He was harmless when he drove the money changers out of the Temple with a whip. He was harmless when He denounced publicly the Scribes and Pharisees, calling them vipers and hypocrites. He was harmless when He cursed the fig tree. He was harmless when He looked at Peter and said, "get thee behind me Satan." This must have been devastating to Peter, yet Jesus was being harmless.
Being harmless has to do with selflessness. It has to do with preferring others above ourselves. It is the antithesis of selfishness. Jesus never did the least wrong to any man. He was totally faithful to all who came to Him regardless of what it cost Him. He gave of Himself under every possible circumstance and situation according to the Father’s will right up to His last breath for the greatest good of men, even though the greatest good demanded that negative things be said and done at times.
He was also undefiled and separate from sinners. He kept Himself pure by never giving in to the temptation to sin, and also by never allowing Himself to become an accessory to other men's sins. Though He ministered to sinners, and even ate with them, He never condoned or participated in their sins. He was not self-righteous, refusing to step down in the gutter to rescue a lost sheep of Israel. Rather, He was truly righteous, pulling them out of the gutters they were in without being defiled by the uncleanness that had defiled them. Though He walked in this world, He never came under the influence of it. He never let the spirit of this world or the love of the world enter His heart. Though He took our sins and the guilt of our sins upon Himself at the Cross, He never became involved in those sins.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen...And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10
When we come to the Book of Revelation we find that we have been made kings and priests unto our God through the blood of Jesus Christ. A coincidence? Hardly. Though Jesus will always be God’s one and only High Priest, we are His "body" and His "brethren." He is making us fellow priests of the same moral quality. What is true of Messiah must become true of us. We are to be holy just like Him.
Our lives are to be set apart and wholly given over to the work God has assigned us just as He did. We are to remain totally focused on it and never deviate from it. Like Him, we are not to take any detours from the path set before us. We are not to become involved with anything, legal or illegal, moral or immoral, that will hinder us from fulfilling our task. Our first love should be God. Doing His will should not be a chore to us. Walking away from proper and moral things of the Adamic life should not be a drudgery to us because our whole lives should be wrapped up in pleasing Him. Our first love should be the Person of God.
Like Jesus, we should be harmless, preferring others above ourselves. We should give of ourselves under every possible circumstance and situation according to the Father’s will right up to our last breath for the greatest good of men. Like Him, we should not be afraid of confrontations. We must not be afraid to do or say things that are negative. We must understand that many times the greatest good can only come through confrontation and negative actions. If we avoid these things at all costs we are actually harming others by not doing what is best for them.
Like Jesus, we should allow God to bring us into a condition of purity by separating us from our own sin and the sin of others. We should never condone, participate or become an accessory to other men's sins. At the same time, we must not be afraid to be around people or minister to them. Like Jesus, we should be truly righteous, able to pull them out of the various gutters they have chosen to live in without allowing ourselves to become defiled by the uncleanness that has defiled them. Like Jesus, we should be able to walk in this world without coming under its influence.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
I. Peter 2:21-22
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
I. John 2:5-6
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Revelation 14:4-5
So many Christians do not understand the ramifications of what it means to follow the steps of the Lamb. They do not understand that as Christians we were not called to spend our lives chasing after careers, financial security and pleasure. We were not called to have a happy, healthy social and family life. We were not called to "enjoy" this Adamic life. All who are enjoying their temporal lives are also enjoying the absence of God’s eternal life. Although many think they are having their cake and eating it too, they will find out too late that they have been deluded. Jesus couldn’t have it and neither can we. If we are, we are not walking in His steps. We are following the deceitfulness of our own hearts.
We are called to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. By this John did not mean that we are to follow Him like a parade. Rather, we are to partake of the same things He partook of. We must experience suffering just as He did. We must deny ourselves temporal, legal pleasures and experiences just as He did. We must become holy just as He is holy. We must become without fault and without guile just as He is. The path the Lamb walked on was a path of spiritual purity, and the destination that path led Him to was the Cross. If we are truly following His steps we will be walking down that same path and heading towards that same destination.
The same power that kept Jesus undefiled can make us undefiled. What kept Him holy can make us holy; what kept Him harmless can make us harmless; what kept Him separate from sinners can make us separate from sinners. If He cannot bring us into the same state of actual holiness that He walked in then the writer of Hebrews was lying. It is possible to come to that place and it is God’s will that we come to that place. But we have to yield to the process which brings us to that place. We have to allow God to make us holy and harmless. We have to allow God to cleanse us and separate us from sinners. We have to allow God to work in our hearts the same intensity of love for Him that Jesus had. He will not do it without our co-operation.
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge... And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
Ezekiel 44:15, 16 & 23-24
Jesus has given us His holy life so we can walk in holiness like He did. As God’s priests we must know and demonstrate the difference between the holy and the profane. Anyone who refuses to learn that difference, anyone who refuses to separate himself from all that is profane, automatically disqualifies himself from being a priest of the Most High God. It matters not how much revelation, or how many gifts, or how much power he now possess. If he cannot make a distinction between the holy and the profane he will never be one of God’s eternal priests. Those priests must walk in the same holiness as the God they represent. Only those who have learned the difference between the holy and the profane, and who have overcome the profane, will be part of the Melchizedek priesthood.
We need to realize that by the time the Lord returns, nobody on this planet, except those who have followed the Lamb all the way to the cross, will have the slightest idea of what holiness is. Right now both the world and the Church are busy blurring the lines between the profane and the holy. Just as it was in Old Testament Israel, so it is today in the Church—the children of God are going astray. They are mixing the profane with the holy.
A perfect example of this condition is the Vineyard Movement. Vineyard is a very great mixture. That is why it is causing so much confusion and division between Christians. They can’t figure out whether it is from God or Satan. Many have testified that they have been helped, or healed, or brought closer to the Lord in that environment. What about these people? Dare we call them all liars, or assume that they are all deceived? Are we God? Can we look into the heart of each one of these individuals and know for certain that they have not been helped?
Yet it is obvious that much of what goes on under the guise of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is nothing but a manifestation of demon spirits, and these spirits are making fools of God’s people. Certainly it is not the Spirit of God that causes people to laugh until they collapse—or worse. It is not the Spirit of God who causes people to bark like dogs, crawl on the floor like snakes, become glued to the floor for hours, go into trances for days and weeks, and all the other aberrations that take place in these meetings. Except for those who are involved in the movement, there is no doubt in the minds of believers that much of what goes on in that environment is nothing but demon manifestation. Yet, some people have been helped, or saved, or drawn closer to the Lord.
How do you explain the contradiction? Is the Vineyard Movement from God or is it from the enemy? If it is from Satan, why do people get helped? Why would Satan cause people to be healed? Why would he cause them to be saved or love God more? On the other hand, if it is of God, how can Satan have such a free reign to manifest himself?
It is because we do not understand Satan’s strategy in these days that we choose sides. We say that the Vineyard Movement is either totally of God or we say it is totally of the enemy. But the truth is, it is both. It cannot be totally of the Devil because if it were it would be witchcraft and Satanism. In order to pollute the holy things of God you have to have something holy to mix the profane with. Can you mix water with wine if no water is present? You have to have both water and wine in order to mix the two. It is the same with the holy and the profane. In order to mix the profane with the holy there has to be something of God in the thing to begin with. Satan is mixing the clean with the unclean; God is doing just the opposite.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
I. John 2:15-17
Supernatural manifestations like those in Vineyard is only one area where Satan is mixing the profane with the holy. In every realm and at every level of both secular and religious experience, be it personal or corporate, he is doing the same thing. Another area where he is busy mixing the profane with the holy is the things of the world. It is amazing that so few Christians can tell when they are mixing the holiness of God with the spirit of this world.
John said we are not to love the world, neither the things that are in the world. The world refers to the world system. It is a love for the way things operate in this life. They operate by carnal wisdom and power. Many Christians spend their lives searching out and learning the carnal wisdom of the world system. That system operates by the "get ahead" attitude. The more temporal knowledge and power you have the more money and security you can acquire. Everyone wants their share of the pie and in order to get it you eventually have to step on someone.
The world system is a system of competition and it operates by exalting and exerting our talents and our wisdom against everyone around us until we finally get on top or have what we want. It is diametrically opposed to the system of the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom of God you become greatest by becoming the least. You obtain life by dying. You get ahead by letting everyone else get ahead, by letting them walk all over you.
When it comes to the things that are in the world, some are obvious and some are not. Things are not just possessions like houses and lands. Things include everything about the fallen Adamic life. All its experiences, its relationships, its wisdom and skills, its competition, its beauty and its vain glory. God said we are not to love or seek these things because they are contaminated with sin.
But beyond the issue of remaining spiritually clean there is another issue. God wants us to pursue things that are eternal because the "world" and all the "things that are in the world" are going to pass away. They are only temporary. If our primary interests are bound up in the world and the things of the world, if we spend our whole lives pursuing carnal wisdom and experiences and relationships—guess what? When God comes and puts an end to our joy ride we will be left totally naked. We will be left with nothing, even though we are Christians.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
II. Corinthians 6:17-18
God says if we want to be His priests we must touch not the unclean thing. We must keep ourselves unspotted from the world. Can you tell when you have touched something that is spiritually unclean? Can you tell when you have been spotted by the world? Notice that Paul didn’t say touch not the unclean thing as long as it continues to have an affect on you. He didn’t say that once we have risen above the level where something that is unclean affects us we can go ahead and touch it. He said touch not the unclean thing...period! It is immaterial whether or not we perceive that we are being affected by it because our perceptions are wrong many times.
One of the ways the enemy deceives us is to convince us that we have become so mature that unclean things can no longer affect us. If they are no longer a danger, why continue to avoid them? A hundred examples of this idiotic miscalculation could be provided. However, let’s just look at a few of the more obvious ones. Many Christians will go to various public or private places where Satanic Rock&Roll is being played and they feel real proud of themselves because they have "progressed" to the point where the music no longer disturbs or irritates them.
When we voluntarily listen to that kind of music for any length of time we have touched an unclean thing. We have become "spotted" whether we "feel" spotted or not. Music is spiritual. It flows through the soul and is sung with soul but it is first and foremost a spiritual thing. It goes right down into our spirits. Satan’s music is unclean. You don’t have to like it, or sing it, or even know it, in order to be spotted by it. Those who can listen to the music of demons for any length of time without becoming irritated or agitated in their spirits, which are supposed to be holy, have not progressed but digressed. They have lost their spiritual sensitivity and have become so spotted they are now deaf and blind.
What about competitive sports and entertainment? These are two of the biggest idols in our nation. They are unclean because they were birthed by the "spirit of the world." People who think they can be caught up in sports and entertainment without being spotted by the world are simply deceived. Right now multitudes are in exactly this delusion and they will never get out of it. They are hooked on sports, hooked on entertainment, hooked on "having fun" and enjoying the pleasures of this temporal Adamic life.
Moreover, because they have listened to "pillow prophets" who say we can have the best of both worlds because we are "saved by grace," their hearts have become hard. They couldn’t care less if they get spotted by the world for they love the world and the things of the world. They are busy mixing the world with Christianity and they simply don’t care. But soon they will care! Soon they will gnash their teeth with pain because they will realize that they traded their place as one of God’s eternal priests for a worthless movie, or a stupid football game, or a useless social event. They will weep and wail when they realize that they traded the prize of the high calling for a few hours of "innocent fun" or a few more hours at the job.
John said if we love the world the love of the Father is not in us. He didn’t qualify that statement by saying if we love the evil of the world the love of the Father is not in us. He said the world period. Those who love this temporal realm and say they love God are liars. We cannot love God if we love this world because the things of God are eternal and diametrically opposed to the spirit of this world. They do not originate in, nor are they part of, the world. Do you want to know if you are ready to enter the Kingdom of God? Compare how much of your time is spent on the temporal things of this life and how much is spent on the eternal things of the Spirit. How would you feel if God were to come today and destroy all the pleasures, experiences, possessions, natural relationships, wisdom and skills of this temporal realm? That day is soon approaching.
A day is soon coming when there won’t be any more Monday Night Football games or Super Bowl games. A day is soon coming when there won’t be any more CNN Sports or TNT movies. There won’t be any Professional Wrestling, or Indy 500 Racing, or Golf Tournaments, or Rodeos. There won’t be any Gyms or Health Clubs. There won’t be anymore Tupperware parties or Bridge games. There won’t be any more Computers, Satanic Video Games, or Internet. God is coming to totally destroy Great Babylon (the world system) and it will never rise again. All the temporal things will be gone forever. What will you have left in that day?
What if, before that day arrives, God would let the Devil wipe your whole family out at one shot, like He did the family of Job? Would you want to keep on living or would there be nothing left for you to live for? Right now, in some third world countries, God’s people are experiencing this very thing. For them it is not just a question to reflect upon, it happened. What if God would take your house, your car, your job, your toys, and cast you into prison like He did Joseph? Would you want to keep on living or would there be nothing left to live for?
The sad truth is, many of us still love the things of this temporal realm. In fact, we are addicted to them just like the drunk is to booze and the addict is to heroin. Moreover, we are blind to the fact that we are being spotted by them. We can’t see that we are mixing the holy with the profane. Can you mix the holy with the profane and still be "saved?" Yes. Can you mix the holy with the profane and still be a priest after the Order of Melchizedek? Not in a million years!
God is raising up a priesthood that knows the difference between the clean and the unclean. Just as it was when the children of Israel went astray thousands of years ago, so it is today. God has some "sons of Zadok." The Holy Spirit is distilling that remnant, purging them and separating them from all that is temporal, all that is Adamic, all that is unclean. Right now their more liberal brethren may view them as self-righteous legalists, or separatists and elitists, or prudes and kill-joys, but one day they will be rewarded for their faithfulness. Soon enough all creation will see exactly who was faithful to God and who went astray. The sons of Zadok will dwell near the Lord forever and minister to Him. They will also teach the wayward children the difference between the holy and the profane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
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Kings Of Righteousness
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Isaiah 32:1
And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke 22:29-30
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
I. Corinthians 6:2-3
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4
Just as we must understand the true nature and function of a priest, so it is important that we understand the true nature and function of a king. There are an endless number of books and sermons on our priestly role as believers. Of course, that role is almost always explained within the framework of evangelism and is usually focused on prayer—prayer for the sinners around us, prayer that binds the principalities and powers over cities and nations so the Gospel can go forth, and prayer for revival. Not much is written on the kind of character a priest of God must have, but at least the subject of intercession is discussed.
As a result, some have learned to move in a priestly ministry of intercession. This is good. But God is raising up more than just a nation of interceding priests. He is also raising up a nation of ruling kings. We need to become skilled in the kingly ministry of Christ just as much as we need to become skilled in the priestly ministry of Christ. Yet there are precious little sermons and books that deal with our role as kings. This is simply because the role of a king is very different from the role of a priest. Priests shepherd people. They care for people and provide spiritual protection for them. Priests are usually focused on the needs of people and are always helping them. Moving in a priestly ministry is a positive thing. You are constantly helping people and the people you help are usually grateful to you.
Kings are a different story. The kingly ministry of Christ is more negative than it is positive. Kings are not focused on the needs of the people so the happiness and the well-being of the individual does not come first. Truth, justice and rulership comes first. Kings rule people—and many times the people they are ruling don’t want to be ruled. They exercise authority; they sit in judgment over people and issues. No one wants anything to do with that kind of ministry in this hour. No one wants to be negative. No one wants to judge the doctrines or the behavior of other Christians because these kinds of things cause division and hard feelings. Indeed, nothing will destroy the "warm fuzzies" between people quicker than a relentless pursuit of truth and the exercising of justice and judgment.
Kings also decree punishments, and when a punishment has been decreed on someone that person is not very happy. They don’t really appreciate the king at that point. The old "can’t we all just get along" attitude goes out the window. Kings also go out to war against the enemies of the kingdom. They are ruthless when it comes to war. They will slay every enemy of the kingdom regardless of who they are. The realm of kingly ministry seems like a very negative, unloving and harsh environment to move in so most Christians want nothing to do with it. In fact, they are loath to even admit that such a ministry exists. Even when they are confronted with it and are forced to admit it is a valid work they look down their noses at it, assuming that such a ministry is inferior to the priestly ministry of Christ.
Those who display this type of condescending attitude only reveal their spiritual blindness and disregard for the Scripture. Paul said the saints are going to judge the world. Isaiah prophesied the saints (princes) shall rule the world in judgment. Jesus said His disciples would sit on thrones judging the tribes of Israel. John saw the overcomers sitting on thrones, getting ready to rule with Christ for a thousand years. This is the call and function of kings. The question is: when are you going to learn how to be a king? When will you acquire the skill to judge the world? When will you acquire the ability to rule the nations?
This question never even enters our minds because we assume we will be given this ability instantly when the Lord returns. But if we put off learning how to walk in kingship until Jesus returns we are going to be very disappointed for it will be too late. We will have already thrown away our only opportunity to acquire this skill. God is preparing a nation of kings today. The things pertaining to rulership must be learned now. The character of a king and the qualities of kingship cannot be imputed to us. They cannot be magically transferred to us in a twinkling of an eye. Kingship is a curriculum and a schooling that we must pass through. It takes time.
If we want to learn how to walk in the kingly ministry of Jesus today we must accept two very unpleasant realities right up front. The first reality we must accept is that God desires to make us ministers of judgment. The priestly ministry of Christ is a ministry of reconciliation; the kingly ministry of Christ is not. It is a ministry of judgment and justice.
The second reality we must accept is that the vast majority of believers, including those who have embraced Sonship and Tabernacle truths, have rejected the Spirit’s call to walk in this type of ministry. They don’t have the stomach for it. It is too negative, too rough, too confrontational and too painful emotionally. Also, it is too lonely because very few—if any—of your fellow Christians will continue to walk with you once you allow the Spirit to begin training you for kingship.
If you have to have lots of friends around you all the time, if your walk in Christ always has to be positive and user-friendly, if you can’t stand confrontations, if you can’t bear to be separated from family members and other brethren, if your greatest desire is that we all just "get along" and love each other, if you can’t handle being misunderstood and misjudged by everyone around you, don’t bother signing up for kingship training! Those who allow the Spirit to train them in this area learn very quickly why Jesus was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." They begin to understand why He was "despised and rejected of men."
The kingly ministry of Christ is very important in this hour because God’s plan for the end of this age is not the same as it was for the rest of it. The bulk of the Church age had to do with redemption and evangelism. The church age is the age of "reconciliation." The end of it has to do with judgment and retribution, and the sad reality is, the vast majority of God’s people are completely out of step with the Lord’s agenda. They are too busy trying to walk in past truth to be established in present truth.
And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luke 4:16-20
Most of us are familiar with this passage. The Lord walked into His hometown synagogue and tried to tell the people that He was the Messiah by quoting the first two verses of Isaiah sixty-one. But He didn’t finish reading the second verse because His first coming had to do with reconciliation and redemption. He came to preach the Gospel to the poor and heal the brokenhearted. He came to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. His second coming has to do with something altogether different, and that is what the last part of Isaiah 61:2 describes.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isaiah 61:1-2
Before the Kingdom of God can be established on this planet there must come vast, earth-shaking judgment. There must be a subduing of both Satan's and man’s rebellion. There must be a dethroning of the principalities and powers of this present age. Between the "acceptable year of the Lord" (the Church age) and the Kingdom age there is an appointed day or period of time that is called "the day of vengeance of our God." During that period of time both the world and the Church are going to see a very different kind of Jesus than they have ever seen before. They will see a warring King whose robe is dipped in blood—their blood! They will see a Messiah who is not coming to save and redeem men but to carry out upon them the vengeance and wrath of the Father.
For two-thousand years we have viewed vengeance and wrath as evil because the Scripture says that man’s vengeance and wrath are wicked. While it is true that our vengeance and wrath are wicked, the Scripture never says that God’s vengeance and wrath are wicked. Indeed, God’s vengeance and wrath are just as holy as His love and mercy. Yet we still view all vengeance and wrath as evil. This is not God. Those who want to walk in the Melchizedek order must learn to rejoice in God’s vengeance just as they rejoice in His mercy because it is part of His nature.
Jesus is described in the book of Revelation as both a Lamb and a Lion. He revealed two different facets of His nature to John. One facet was the harmless, suffering Lamb who was slain and was worthy to redeem men from all nations. But that Lamb turned around and opened the Seven Seals and when He opens them you no longer see the Lamb, you see the Lion. You see Him coming to make war. You see a fearless King who comes to take dominion and exercise the absolute authority that He has always had but has never enforced. People who have the Lamb nature worked in them but refuse to have the Lion nature worked in them will never be fit to rule with Christ.
Isaiah said that the day of vengeance would be a "comfort" for those who "mourn" yet we never make the connection. We don’t see that it will be a comfort to those who have suffered injustices to see the unjust punished. We don’t see that it will be a comfort to those who have been sighing and crying because of the abominations in the land to see the perpetrators of those abominations punished. The reason we can’t imagine being comforted in the day of vengeance is because we are not being established in kingship. We don’t care about justice; we only care about people.
And they [the merchants of the earth] cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city [Babylon], wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her....And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Revelation 18:19-20; 19:1-3
When God began to pour out His
wrath on Babylon, John saw the people of the world casting dust on their heads,
which in his day was a sign of extreme mourning and emotional pain. He saw them
weeping and wailing. Then he heard a voice say, "rejoice over her...ye
holy apostles and prophets." Soon after that he heard all heaven rejoicing
because God had avenged the blood of His servants. The "day of
vengeance" is a day for kings. It is a day for those who’s
first concern is justice. When we enter that day God is going to tell us to
rejoice!
Will you be able to rejoice in that hour? Will you bless His name when you see destruction all around you or will you go to pieces? How about when you see the wrath of God being poured out on family, friends or acquaintances who have spurned Him or spit in His face? Will your heart go out to them? Will you take the side of the "underdog" in that hour? Will you begin to pray against the will of God, pleading and demanding that He stop all the destruction? Will you rejoice in God’s holy retribution or will you despise it?
Unfortunately, most of us are nowhere near ready for the day of vengeance because we are still filled with carnal emotionalism, humanism, and soulish sentimentality. We love our Adamic lives and we love the things of the world. When God destroys Babylon most of His people will be weeping and wailing right along with the unsaved. We must let God prepare us mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the day of vengeance now. If we are not already prepared when it begins, we will find ourselves turning against Him. The slain of the Lord will not only include the unsaved. It will include those who have refused to let the Spirit prepare them to receive the One who is coming to tread the winepress of the wrath of God.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
NIV Psalms 97:2
One of the things we need to get free of so desperately is our false view of God. His attributes of justice, judgment and retribution have been divorced from His character by our modern Scribes and Pharisees. The concept of love that is held by the majority of believers today has nothing to do with reality. They have rejected the true image of God and have created a fictitious deity in their own image.
King David said that righteousness and justice—not love and mercy—are the foundation of God’s throne. This is because love and mercy are not possible except they be founded on righteousness and retribution for sin. Love without judgment against sin only produces iniquity. Even in the natural we know this to be true, for we see children who are never judged or punished by their parents and they become self-consumed monsters.
God’s throne is not founded on love, much less human love. It is founded on divine righteousness and justice. Adamic love is weak, self-centered and self-motivated. The Adamic man loves because he wants to be loved back. It is because he wants to be loved back so bad that he is willing to do anything to avoid offending those he wants to love him. This is why parents spoil their children—they are afraid that if they punish them the children will stop loving them. God’s love has nothing to do with human sentimentality. It is not weak. It does not put our temporal happiness above our eternal good. God’s love will put us in a sick-bed for 30 years if that’s what it takes to bring us forth in His image. His love will make our lives miserable if that’s what it takes to break our stubbornness. If we reject Him, He will not compromise to keep us loving Him. He will let us go our own way. He will turn us over to our own destruction if we resist Him hard enough and long enough. The same God that sent His only Son to die on the Cross for us will turn around and cast us into eternal torment if we reject His Son.
I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
Psalms 2:7-9
In Psalms, the Father tells the Son to "ask" of Him and He will give Him the nations for an inheritance. Then the Father tells the Son what He will have to do to that inheritance. He tells the Son that He will have to "break them" with a rod of iron and "dash them in pieces" like a potter's vessel. This is not the kind of picture we usually have of the Millennium. We like to think about how wonderful it will be when the glory of the Lord covers the earth, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and peace will reign supreme. But none of this is even possible until the King has gone forth and broken the nations as a potter’s vessel. Messiah’s inheritance is like a wild, rebellious horse. No good can come out of the inheritance until it has been tamed and its rebellion has been broken.
People have the idea that when Jesus breaks through the clouds all the nations will just hand the keys of their kingdoms over to Him. This is religious fantasy and delusion. The nations will never voluntarily stop resisting the Lord’s authority. Something drastic will have to take place to bring them into a state of submission to King Messiah. They will have to be dashed to pieces with a rod of iron.
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 2:26-27
Jesus is not going to do all this alone! The Father is preparing the Son a body—a body that will have learned how to function as kings because it will not be the Lamb (priest) in us that rises up to slay God’s enemies in the day of battle; it will be the Lion (king) in us that does these things. This is why God is spending so much time training us to be conquerors, warriors and overcomers. He is teaching us how to be ruthless when it comes to God’s enemies in our own lives today, so we will be equipped to be ruthless when it comes to His enemies throughout the entire creation tomorrow.
King Messiah is going to rule this planet through His people. They will not move according to religious principles or doctrines or structures. Neither will they be an undisciplined company of leaders and followers (clergy and a laity). They will be under no external rules and regulations. Rather, they will live by the power of an endless life. They will move in perfect harmony because they will possess the mind, will and character of God. They will be led totally by His Spirit alone. Each member of the body will stand in his appointed rank or place of authority and together they will rule the nations with a rod of iron.
The term "rod of iron" suggests an unyielding system of justice. The government of the Kingdom will be good for all the nations but no one will be able to get around it. No one will ever out-maneuver it or overthrow it. The King is not going to ask the nations to submit to His authority and to the authority of His body, He is going to force them to submit. Jesus has been pleading with man to submit to His government for 2000 years. The time of asking and pleading is almost over.
The body of Christ will have both the Lamb and the Lion nature of God worked in them. They will move in the nature of the Lamb towards those who will submit to Messiah and those who submit will be blessed. They will learn of God and feel His Presence. But the same people who are moving as a Lamb will move in the nature of a Lion towards those who rise up in disobedience.
Those who rebel will be judged and punished instantly. There will be no lawyers to get the guilty off scot-free; no commuted sentences; no bail; no parole; no way to bribe or intimidate the judge or the jury. There will be no Supreme Court to appeal to when people don’t like the judgments and the decrees that are handed down through the body of Christ. The nations will obey or they will feel Messiah’s rod of iron. That rod of iron will be in the hands of His body and it will smash everything and everyone it falls upon.
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Psalms 110
Psalm 110 is universally recognized as a prophesy concerning Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom. Here the Father speaks to Him by the Spirit through King David and says, "Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool."
We need to realize that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. His enemies were defeated when He rose from the dead. He does not have to wait to make them His footstool; they are already under His feet. He has won His own victory over sin and death. He now waits for a people who will love Him enough to let Him work in them the life that will bring them their own personal victory over sin. He waits for a people who can put every enemy under their feet.
Next the Spirit says, "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." When the Father has fully prepared Messiah’s body, when they have come to full stature, then Messiah will be able to rule through them in the midst of His enemies. The body of Christ is "Zion."
Then the Spirit says, "thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power; in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth." What does this mean? Another way to put it is like this: your people will freely offer themselves in the day of battle. They will be willing to slay your enemies or do whatever part they are given as your ministers of judgment. In the splendor of holiness, out of the womb of the dawn, out of the early morning hours of the next age, before the actual light has broken, you will be given the dew of thy youth.
The Hebrew term "youth" means young men. Figuratively, it means young warriors. The Father is preparing an army of warrior/kings for the Day of Messiah’s battle. At the appointed time they will spring forth in the splendors of holiness from the secret places where the Spirit has been hiding them and preparing them. The holiness and the glory that they will manifest will be awesome. Messiah and his young warriors will strike through kings, judge among the heathen, fill the places with dead bodies and wound the heads over many countries.
How many Christians will offer themselves in the day of vengeance? How many will be walking in the splendors of holiness? How many will be ready to spring forth to slay the enemies of God? How about you? Where will you be on that day? Most of us are not ready for that hour because we don’t love justice. We love people and we love ourselves. We don’t have any fire in our bones because we have been convinced that such fire is ungodly. We have no "rod of iron" in our personalities because we are afraid of the faces of clay. We would like it if Jesus came and did all the dirty work of judging and smashing the nations without our having to see it or participate in it. We would like it if all we had to do is heal and bless the nations.
Sorry! If you want to bless the nations you will first have to be willing (and trained) to smash their rebellion. If you want to establish God’s Kingdom you will first have to be willing to tear down every last vestige of Satan’s kingdom, first in yourself, then throughout all creation. If you want to restore peace and love to mankind you will first have to learn how to swing the fiery sword of judgment so you can destroy all that causes war and hate. If we cannot offer ourselves in the day of battle we will never be kings of righteousness; we will never rule with Jesus.
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Open Ears - Obedient Hearts
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isaiah 50:4-5
In Isaiah we get a glimpse of one of the keys to the Lord’s success while He walked among us, and is a must for all who desire to move in the divine order of the next age. Jesus had open ears and an obedient heart. Morning by morning His ears were opened by the Spirit. Morning by morning the Spirit gave Him a divine sense of direction. The issue is not so much that we must get out of bed before daylight every morning. This would be impractical for some, particularly those who work evening or night shifts at their jobs. The issue is that we must give the Spirit of God plenty of time to speak to us.
Whenever our day begins, we must arise early enough at the beginning of that day so God can give us a divine sense of direction, so we can be given the wisdom and knowledge that will be needed for the day’s battles. Jesus didn’t hop out of bed in the morning, throw on a tunic, gulp down a cup of coffee, and rush out into the day’s challenges. In at least one recorded instance He arose "a great while before day" and went to pray (Mark 1:35). While this can never replace a moment by moment dependence on the Spirit as we go through the day, if we start off our day going in the wrong direction or walking in our own wisdom, our moment by moment dependence on the Spirit can only be hindered.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly...And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Matthew 6:6 & 14:23
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them...And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.
Luke 4:42 & 6:12-13
Not only do we have to spend time with God, we have to spend time alone with Him. There is no excuse for not taking time to find His perfect will. No man ever had a more important or demanding "ministry" than Jesus Christ. The responsibility for the Salvation of the entire human race was on His shoulders day in and day out, and He was well aware of it. He knew He couldn’t give in to the temptation to sin even once or it would all be over. He knew He had to walk in the perfect will of God every day. This is why He made time during the day to get alone with the Father, and why He arose early in the morning, and why He stayed up all night at times.
The Son only had three and a half years to accomplish an enormous task. He could have easily allowed Himself to start burning the candle at both ends. He could have used His anointing to keep Him going non-stop. He could have used it to minister to the people seven days a week, twenty four hours a day. But that was not the Father’s will. Moreover, that is never the Father’s will! Those who are busy from the time their feet hit the floor till they hit the bed again at night are absolutely worthless to the Kingdom of God; it matters not what they may seem to be accomplishing for the Lord. It is absolutely impossible to know or fulfil God’s perfect will if our lifestyle is one of constant motion and activity.
The Son of God had to pray all night to get the perfect mind of the Spirit on exactly who should be His principle disciples. If this was necessary for He who had the anointing without measure, how much more is this the case with us? Nothing but pride and religious delusion could make us think we can know and fulfil God’s perfect will without spending many hours in quiet, unhindered solitude with the Lord.
Messiah also said of Himself through Isaiah, "I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." In other words, He never evaded or rejected the direction or the wisdom He received from the Father. Many times that direction would be unpleasant or painful, and even though it was given to keep Him in the perfect will of God, every obedience led Him one step closer to death.
Many times following the Spirit would bring Him into direct conflict with the elders of Israel. Many times following the Spirit would bring Him into direct conflict with the people of Israel and it finally caused Him to be brought before Roman Civil authorities. Because He loved His Father more than He loved His own life, He embraced faithfully every leading of the Spirit. Whether in the early morning hours before the dawn, during the day’s activity, or late into the night hours, the Son made time to be alone with God. He made time to hear His direction and find His will, and He never rebelled against anything He was instructed to do. This is the kind of walk every king and priest of God must experience.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
NIV I. Corinthians 9:24-27
Paul had the same kind of intensity about His call and his race as did Jesus. He did not run aimlessly or box ineffectively with the air. Without a hearing ear and an obedient heart we don’t have a chance of walking in the Melchizedek order. Without taking time to find the will of God each day we don’t have a chance of walking in it either. Those who will not take time to find God’s will, those who avoid the voice of God when He directs us to do things that are unpleasant or painful, will run their race aimlessly and lose it. They will shadow box and never put Messiah’s enemies under their feet. Every believer who desires to walk in the Melchizedek order has been given the opportunity to do so, but there is a price to pay before we can walk in it. We must walk as our Master walked. This includes:
4 Spending many hours of prayer and meditation alone with Him.
4 Allowing God to work both the Lamb and the Lion nature in us.
4 Focusing on fruit and not the anointing (gifts and ministry).
4 Learning to identify with the Christ life in us instead of our Adamic life.
4 Learning to live by the life of Christ instead of our Adamic lives.
4 Knowing no man after the flesh.
4 Learning to be led completely by the Spirit of God alone.
4 Loving God more than our own lives.
Eternity is a long time. Our seventy or eighty years in these bodies of sin is but a blip, a sneeze, compared to forever, and ever, and ever. Is any worldly possession, or any amount of carnal wisdom or glory, or any Adamic pleasure, experience or relationship worth an eternity with God as a king and priest? All things are not equal in the Kingdom of God. Every one is going to reap exactly what they have sown in this life. Each of us will obtain precisely the destiny our deeds deserve and we need to keep this reality in front of our eyes. May God grant us ears that can hear and hearts that will obey, so we will sow abundantly to the Spirit and reap abundantly the life of Christ Jesus!