Kingdom Relationships by Ron McGatlin

Kingdom Relationships
By Ron McGatlin

The kingdom of God exists and functions in what can be viewed as two major planes of relationship, vertical and horizontal. Both planes are absolutely necessary for the kingdom of God to rule on earth as in heaven.

The vertical plane is the relationship of God and man. The horizontal plane is the relationship of man with man, and man with the world. Actually, this is God relating through man to man, and to the world. The vertical plane is paramount. It is the source or conduit for all spiritual heavenly life on earth - the kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven on earth.

The goal of the current worldwide kingdom endeavor is to receive and establish the kingdom of God (government of God) with all its nature, characteristics and attributes from heaven on earth.
God's Relational Plan for Transformation

Intimate oneness with Father God through Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit is God's plan for transforming natural mortal human beings into Spirit-living and Spirit-walking sons of God, joint heirs with Christ. Relating to God spirit to Spirit is the real and practical experience of eternal abundant life now and forever. Life of God flows from the realm of heaven into the heart of man, into the earth realm. The life of Christ with His character and nature is formed in His people by the Holy Spirit. As spirit beings who have a soul and live in a body, our spirit being is consumed into the Spirit of Christ, saturating and forever transforming our spirit being into the life of Christ. Thus, Christ Jesus is multiplied in the earth through many sons.

Sons of God live by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. Our life as sons comes from the Spirit of God. We are led and directed by Christ on the throne at the right hand of God and Christ on the throne of our lives on earth.  We are empowered by Christ from the throne of heaven and Christ within us by the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. Sons are raised by His resurrection life within us into the fullness of the stature of Christ by the Holy Spirit.

The Dissolving of the Illusions of False Religion

The kingdom of God is about real spiritual relationship. Religion seeks to replace spiritual relationship with form, ritual, rules and systems of structured relationships that create an illusion of godliness. The Christian religion, as practiced by much of the world, has been infiltrated by spirits of humanism, independence and more. The biblical teaching of Jesus as savior with a focus on heaven after death is often mixed with man-centered, rather than Christ-centered programs.

The true work and power of the Holy Spirit in bringing forth the kingdom of God in this life is often not understood or practiced in this environment. Often the people are driven internally to strive to conform to a code of Bible based ethics instead of being led and empowered by the Spirit of God.
Mixture opens the door for religious spirits of control and manipulation to affect the leadership and the people in the pews. Other degrading spirits will often follow the religious spirits that further disrupt and discredit the godly part of the message and ministry.


God's Spiritual Family Relationships on Earth

In the kingdom, human organization and hierarchical structure are not the order of life as it was in the passing church systems.

The kingdom church is a living spiritual organism functioning collectively as one body of many members, body organs, all connected to the one Head, Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit of God. The body is made up of many spirit beings living in human bodies filled with the life of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Every person (spirit being) that is part of the body is connected by the Holy Spirit directly with Christ Jesus who is seated at the throne of God in heaven and at the same time abides in His people. All authority and all power are given to Christ Jesus, the Sovereign King and Lord who is one with the Father.

The Body Relates as Family

The headship of every individual and every gathering in the body is Christ Jesus. In the kingdom there is a recognized distinction between headship and leadership.
The people, in the body, relate to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Biblically, leaders are referred to as elders. Elders are simply the more spiritually mature brothers and sisters. Elders individually lead the younger (less spiritually mature) brothers and sisters. The fruit of the relationship will be the elder leading the younger into a mature relationship with Christ Jesus until the younger can accurately hear and obey God by the Spirit; at which time the younger has become an elder (spiritually mature brother or sister).

Collectively a group of elders can also help steer a group or lead a gathering. Much the same as a family or tribe in the natural realm looks to the more capable and mature for leadership.
The Holy Spirit does all the structuring without any design from human intelligence.
Elders are spiritually recognized and respected by the people who are spiritually led to turn to them for teaching and edification.

The mature character of love and wisdom in the more mature person, expressed in daily family type relating, establishes the elder and younger relationships.

The elder and younger relationship will change at the time the younger can hear and relate to Christ Jesus by the Spirit for himself. Then the relationship becomes a brother-to-brother relationship of edifying one another by the Spirit.

Elders are mature brothers and sisters not lifelong fathers and mothers. Spiritual fathers and mothers are simply mature brothers and sisters (elders) who relate to younger brothers and sisters by nurturing them with the love of Christ and the substance of His life and word by the Holy Spirit. In the kingdom of God, there is only one true spiritual Father of all, our Heavenly Father God Almighty.

Servant Gifts to Edify the Body

God has provided five special servant-gifts to edify (grow up) His people. The Bible refers to these as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. They are five different types of gifted people to mentor the body. In the kingdom these gifts are not ruling offices. They are all servants. They each provide for God's people, but each in a distinctly different way.

The apostle tends to see the overall larger picture. The prophet is primarily an ear to hear God and a voice to people who do not hear the voice of God clearly. The evangelist loves to plant the word of Jesus in the hearts of those who have never received it. The shepherd is the mentor who sees to the growth and development of the immature as they grow into their gifts and places of service. The teacher is the one who brings spiritually anointed definition to the fine points of spiritual reality.
The Gifts are all from Christ Jesus and are literally His attributes in His people by the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Great Apostle, the Spirit of prophesy, the evangelist, the Great Shepherd, and the Master Teacher.

The spiritual family of God is eternal and is both in heaven and on earth. The heavenly realm and the earthly realm are accessible to God's people by the Holy Spirit. As redeemed spirit beings that live in a body and have a soul, we have access both into the spirit realm and into the earthly realm. We relate in the spirit realm to Spirit God, our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

In the heart of God in heaven, Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit and Father are all one. We have one God. Emanating out from the heart of God there are three manifestations of one God that become all things to His people. God in Christ relates to us as our Father, Husband, Lord, Savior, King, Elder Brother, and provider of every provision of life now and forever. We relate to God as His children, sons, bride, brother, servants and more.

The Father is in Christ and Christ is in the Father. The Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) can become one with our spirit filling us with the Spirit of Christ, the life of Christ in us. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the filling of our spirit and saturation of our being with the Spirit of God. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit opens us to greater access into the spirit realm. Our soul (mind, will and emotions) through our natural bodies give us access into the natural earthly realm. We have the unique position of functioning as the interface between the spiritual realm and the earthly natural realm. We have the opportunity to bring the will of God from heaven to earth.

Spiritual kingdom relationships with God and with one another are God's plan for full redemption of mankind and the kingdoms of this world. Christ in us is the hope of the glory of God filling all the earth.

Rev 11:15: Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

Keep on pursuing Love. Love never fails
and His kingdom never ends.

Ron McGatlin
www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

Faith, Rest and Peace in Frontier Kingdom Tribal Villages

Faith, Rest and Peace in Frontier Kingdom Tribal Villages

By Ron McGatlin

The frontier of kingdom of heaven life on earth is like small villages linked together in a wilderness of hostile environment. Inside the tribal villages of kingdom people, there is unity, agreement, and a sense of loving connection and godly protection. The flow of the glory of God fills the villages.

The tribal villages become as shining lights in the midst of the darkness of godless existence that is filled with evil of every sort. Pain and suffering fill the darkness of despair. False glory of fallen human prideful intelligence builds kingdoms of self-worship and the human folly of lustful pleasure-seeking that leads to deep depravity. Wars, strife, and killing of the innocent become normalized among the depraved people.

Some of the people who are seated in the darkness look up and see the light of the glory of God upon the villages of the kingdom people and begin to walk toward the light (Isa 60). They are cleansed of their ways of darkness as they move through the light toward the brightness of the glory of God. The love of God flowing through the tribal people receives them and guides them into the kingdom of heaven way of life.

However, multitudes in the darkness hate the light and will not come toward it (John 3:20-21). They also do all they can to stop others from entering the light of the kingdom of God (Luke 11:52). Their desire is to destroy the villages of light, but God is the protector of the kingdom villages (Psa 230). Driven by spirits of darkness the people of darkness wait outside the light to viciously attack anyone entering or leaving the villages of light. Those who are leaving the darkness to enter the kingdom light must press through the demonized forces seeking to prevent them from entering the real kingdom of God on earth from heaven (Mat 11:12).

Inside the kingdom tribal villages, cooperation leads to peace and prosperity. God working with them and their cooperation with one another, rather than competing with each other, leads to high levels of production of all that is needed in the village.  There is no competition in the kingdom of God. The pure love of God motivates every person to serve and provide for one another. Giving is the way of the kingdom. Taking is the way of the fallen world.

Inside the kingdom tribal villages, there is rest to the soul as the Spirit of God working in the human spirit receives the responsibility for the well being of the soul and body. Our souls are at rest as our entire lives are in the hands of the Spirit of God. The powerful grace of God in Christ Jesus within us empowers us to live godly lives in peace and joy.

In the tribal village lifestyle, faith (believing and trusting) becomes normal to our lives of resting in the Spirit of God within and around us. Faith becomes reality of experience, and there is no longer doubt or fear. There is no need of striving to do or to be. God plants His desires in us and then guides us into full wisdom and empowerment to fulfill His desire. Holy angels are sent to work with us to affect all creation with the life and works of Christ Jesus.

Frontier kingdom tribal villages are temporary. They are kingdom seed organisms planted on earth from heaven. As the extreme judgments of God cleanse the earth of all that lifts itself against God, the kingdom of God will spread across the entire world. The frontier villagers will spread to replenish the earth with God’s kingdom people. The glory of God shall fill the earth.

In this current season, frontier kingdom tribal villages are set apart and self contained living organisms of relational life. They are forerunner colonies of the kingdom of heaven on earth. The economy within the villages is love-based, and the medium of exchange is loving service. Everyone seeks to provide equally for themselves and the other people of the village. All of the people work together, each providing their talent or gift to care for one another.

There will not be need to seek provision from the outside Babylonian world. God will help the kingdom tribal people to transfer the wealth of the wicked into the kingdom villages. As judgments fall the resulting harvest will cause many in the darkness to come to the light and bring the wealth of the world into the kingdom (Prov 13:22) (Isa 60:5) (Isa 60:11). Sons will come from afar returning to the spiritual mountain of God. The provisions of the harvest will be transported into the kingdom tribal villages (Isa 60:4).

One Head of the Tribal Villages

Christ Jesus flowing through the Holy Spirit is the only head of the kingdom tribal villages. Every mature soul looks to Christ Jesus for headship. Village elders are simply those who have walked longer with Christ Jesus by the Spirit and lead others to grow fully and intimately into the headship of Christ Jesus by the Spirit. Village elders lead the younger into following the headship of Christ.   

Tribal elders are simply village elders led by the Spirit to move between the villages and carry the substance of God from village to village. Each of the village and tribal elders (mature sons) may function in the gifting of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, or teacher or whatever gifting God desires for them.

We must look forward and not look back.

Faith, rest, and peace will fill our souls if we look upward and ahead to the reality of the kingdom of God. If we look to the dark circumstances of this world and the vast areas of darkness of the past, we will die where we stand. Lift up your eyes and look to the higher places of God and see the glory of God pouring out through the Spirit to grace us for this season of becoming the kingdom of heaven on earth (Psa 121-1). If we look back to the passing city of religious systems of false traditions of man and doctrines of demons, we will not enter into the forerunner villages of the kingdom of heaven that are forming by the Spirit on earth now (Phil 3:13).

If we will set our faces toward New Jerusalem, supernatural Spirit-of-God empowerment beyond where we have been and what we have seen is before us (Jer 51:50). We must set our mind’s affection on things above and not on the things of the earth (Col 3:2). There is a beautiful garden before us and ashes of a scorched earth behind us. Looking back will dissolve our strength, and we will crumble as a pillar of salt. Rock salt looks strong but will crumble under stress and collapse (Gen 19:26).

God is strengthening His kingdom people to enter into the promises of kingdom reality. For a number of years the trumpets have been blowing out the message to come out of Babylon. We should be prepared by now to cash in all of our investments in Babylon and prepare to invest in the journey into the promised kingdom of God. Prepare provision for the establishment of tribal kingdom villages with those of the love connections that God has been and is putting together.

Josh 1:9-11:  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, "Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'"

The Sword of the Lord comes,

Ron McGatlin

www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net