The present work of the Spirit has to do with the kingdom of God and its effect on our lives and in the earth. Events in our lives caused us to grow spiritually, bringing the kingdom to the earth in a greater way. In our January booklet, we wrote of the travail of the sons of God. From the response we received several are experiencing this spiritual distress, which is like the travail of a woman with child. Jeremiah gave this prophetic word from the Lord: "For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?" (Jer. 30:5-6.) The sign that marks this experience as that which Jeremiah prophesied of is that "a man doth travail with child." This is no ordinary birth experience! The word clearly states that a man is travailing with child. That "man" is the masculine, remnant company, or the firstfruits of the body of Christ, including those of both the male and the female gender.

Everything within us is manifesting this travail, as the Spirit within is groaning and travailing to bring forth a new thing. That which is being brought to birth from within us is something fresh and new that corresponds to Father's purposes for this new Day. Because this is spiritual travail, we know God is bringing forth something wonderful and glorious from within us. Our present travail is prophetic, for it shows that God shall do something wonderful to fully save us, and begin the restoration of all things. Our Father also will bring forth the blessings and benefits of the kingdom of God as a result of our spirit-ual travail. That which the Lord is doing within us shall be fully mani-fest out of us in the fullness of time. Everything the Lord does will always accomplish His eternal purposes, and will be completely ful-filled in His predestined and appointed time and season. (Ecc. 3:1)

The spiritual travail of the Lord's elect is as the travail of a woman with child. As a travailing woman brings forth a child in the fullness of time, so we shall bring forth a more glorious manifestation of the kingdom of God in Father's appointed time, as a result of our spiritual travail. We may experience individual and personal travail while the people of the world continue in their somewhat joyful ways. But our spiritual travail will result in the restoration promised, even though a brief period of judgment unto correction may be necessary to turn the hearts of the people to the Lord, and cause them to walk in His righteous ways (See Is. 26:9). There may not be any literal, outward signs showing that the Lord is turning the hearts of other people to Him, but He is! Just as the Lord is dealing with us in secret, and in a hidden and imperceptible manner, so also is He dealing with others in the world. Others also are experiencing difficult tests and trials. Although they may not be aware of the purpose for those trials, the Lord is bringing them to repentance and to desire His will. God's will shall ultimately be done in the lives of all mankind! And this is the time when His will is beginning to prevail in all the earth.

Throughout history, the Lord has shown that He will use any means necessary to bring people to repentance. In the past, the Lord spoke to His people in times of their prosperity, but still they did not hear. So He judged them more severely to correct them. He said that His judgments upon them would affect their attitude, even as it has some of His people today. He said to them, "how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!" (Jer. 22:23) In the past, the Lord dealt with whole cities and entire nations to cause them to obey His word (Jer. 49:24, 50:43). Shall He do less in this new Day? In this new kingdom Day, the Lord shall deal sternly and convincingly, especially with this nation. Although the Lord's dealings with the people of this nation now may not be readily visible or loudly announced and proclaimed, we know He is doing a secret, hidden work within them. The Lord is bringing about a change in the lives of others, and He alone will be glorified.

Micah's Prophecy of the Kingdom, and our Travail

The prophet Micah foretold the events that are now taking place. The fourth chapter begins with the promise of the establishment of the mountain or kingdom of the house of the Lord above all other govern-ments. "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and many people shall flow unto it" (Micah 4:1). The last days is a reference to a specific time. The original Hebrew words for "in the last days" actually means a future day, or the last day. It has reference to a specific day or period of time at the end of the days. And we have now come to that day, which prophetically has been called, "the last days." This is the time of the fulfillment of Micah's prophecy, for the mountain or kingdom of the Lord's house is being established in the Spirit and by the Spirit above all the other governments and kingdoms of man. Every word of this prophecy shall come to pass, not only because we believe it, but because it is God's word. And God's word shall surely come to pass in His way and in His time.

We have heard reports that some no longer believe that the Bible is God's inspired word for today. But if we will search the scriptures with open and enlightened minds, we will find that it contains the truth of God for yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God's entire plan of redemption and restoration is written therein. It covers all the ages of man from Adam to the fullness of Christ, including the ultimate of the kingdom of God, to be revealed by the Spirit to the Lord's elect and chosen ones. We cannot rely on our own individual word which may come from the carnal mind, but all truth may be confirmed by the scripture. The wise will appreciate the Bible as the word of God, when it is interpreted by the Spirit of revelation from God and anointed of that same Spirit for our understanding, guidance and instruction.

If we could see in the Spirit as it really is, we would see that the oil, which represents the anointing of the Spirit, always accompanies the pure word of the Lord as it originates in the heavenlies and is sent to the spirits of the elect. This truth was revealed to the prophet Zech-ariah as he spoke with an angel during his vision of the heavenly realm of Spirit. The angel asked Zechariah, "What do you see? I said, I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it, and its seven lamps which are upon the top of it. [Rev. 1:20; Matt. 5:14, 16; Luke 12:35; Phil.2:15.] And there are two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side of it [feeding it continuously with oil]. [Rev. 11:4-13.] So I asked the angel who talked with me, What are these my lord? Then the angel who talked with me answered me, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:2-6, Amplified.)

The heavenly realm of Spirit is always alive and active as the word of the Lord comes forth to give us truth, guidance and direction. And that pure word of the Lord must come to us by the anointing of the holy Spirit, just as it was given in the heavenlies. Otherwise we tend to mix His pure word with our own carnal, distorted opinions, thus changing the pure word of the Lord into the word of a man. These are strange times when the Lord is shaking everything that can be shaken. Only those elect who have made Christ the Rock of their foundation, and who are rooted and grounded in the revealed, anointed, and living word of God, will make it through these trying times to complete deliverance and victory in the kingdom of God.

In the course of this wonderful, new kingdom Day, which has an expected duration of one thousand years (2 Pe. 3:8), "many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Micah 4:2). According to this scripture, many nations, not all nations, shall come to the mountain of the Lord at that time. Those nations shall come "to the house of the God of Jacob," to learn His ways and walk in His paths. "The house of the God of Jacob" is a reference to the house of Israel, which are the predominantly Christian nations of today. They are the "many nations," who shall come to the kingdom and house of the Lord in fulfillment of this verse. Since they are the first to be redeemed, the Lord obviously has a plan whereby those nations and peoples shall lead all the other nations and peoples into the kingdom of God, according to Father's purposes in the fullness of time. The rest of the nations of the world will come into the kingdom later, as we shall see from Micah's anointed prophecy.

We have used this prophecy regarding many nations coming into the kingdom to mean all nations. But that is not what this prophecy is saying. If we are to interpret this prophecy correctly and in harmony with its truth, we must stay true to the wording of the prophecy. And this prophecy clearly speaks of many nations coming to the kingdom at that time, not all nations. Yet, it is God's plan to bring all nations and all mankind into the kingdom in the fullness of time. According to God's word to Abraham and to others throughout scripture, He will do that through His Christian-Israel nations and peoples.

When the kingdom of God is established in the earth, we are told that the Lord, who has become the King of kings and the Lord of lords, "shall judge (or govern) among many people, and rebuke (to convince by chastening) many nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it." (Micah 4:3-4) The reign of Christ over all the people of the world, including those that are "afar off," shall eventually take place in this great, kingdom Day. Every person of every nation, whether saved or not, will come under the new order of the kingdom of God. The people of all the nations of the world shall then cease to learn war. Then the peace of God shall reign supreme in all the earth, even though many of them are not yet saved. Furthermore, every man of all those heathen nations shall also sit under his own vine and fig tree, enjoying the prosperity of the kingdom of God, while they continue to worship the many gods of man's darkened religions.

This truth is confirmed by the word of the Lord, which declares, "For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we (Israel) will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever" (Micah 4:5) What does this mean? It means exactly what it says! All the people of all the other nations will continue to walk in the name of their own gods and religions, while the Christian nations "walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever." The Muslims will remain Muslims for a while, and so will the Hindus, and the Budd-hists, and the Taoists, and the Shintoists, as well as all the people of all the other religions of the world. They will all remain in their spiritual darkness until that time when the Lord purposes to deliver them. Not until the Lord draws them unto Himself, by His Spirit, can anyone ever come to the Lord to be saved (Jo. 6:37, 44, 14:6). But in spite of their spiritual darkness our Lord and King will sovereignly bring the new order of the kingdom of God to all the peoples of all the nations of the world, so that all of them will live in obedience to the new order of the kingdom of God on earth. Our King will do this by reigning in grace and love, changing the minds of all!

Some may continue to believe that God must save all mankind before the new order of His kingdom can be fully in force in all the earth. But that is old order thinking and is in direct disagreement with the truth of God's word. The anointed word of the Lord clearly and distinctly declares "all people will walk every one in the name of his god" when the kingdom of God is established in the earth and its principles are in force everywhere. The primary work of the Spirit in this new kingdom Day is to defeat all the enemies of Christ and His kingdom, and put them all under His feet. (1 Co. 15:25, Eph. 1:22 & He. 2:8) That is the word of God! And that is exactly what the Lord is doing now, by His mighty and sovereign Spirit!

Violent crime in our nation is down from six percent a year or more ago to eleven percent now. Such crimes in our major cities, like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, are now down by twenty per cent. But there is no evidence to show that many are turning to the Lord in those cities. Of course, man would like to take the credit. But all the credit, and the honor and the glory, belongs to our great King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is able to speak peace to the murderers, rapists, and robbers and calm their troubled souls, even though they may not yet be serving the Lord. But all the people of all the nations of the world will know the Lord in God's time and according to His eternal purposes (1 Co. 15:22-23, 1 Tim. 2:3-4).

While all the people of all the other nations will walk in the name of their own gods, the new order of the kingdom of God on earth will be fully established. Then all mankind will live in peace and harmony with one another, according to the Lord's new, kingdom order. Our King shall do this by reigning over all mankind in love, graciously leading them to be obedient to the principles of His kingdom. The true peace, order, and harmony of the kingdom of God shall then exist in all the world, causing many to turn to the Lord and give Him the glory, because of the peaceful and harmonious state of the world.

The Jews have already rejected their Messiah. They could not accept Jesus as their Messiah, for He also was to be their King (Mt. 2:2, 27:11). Their partial blindness prohibited them from seeing Jesus as the Christ, who is their Messiah and King. This blindness was God's plan for the Jews, and was to be in force "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Ro. 11:25). Jesus was not yet revealed and manifested as their King. But when those Jews, and others bound in spiritual darkness, see the kingdom reign of Christ fully manifest in all the earth, with all mankind living in peace, harmony, and prosperity, as it shall be during this great Day, many of them will receive Christ as their Messiah, Savior, Lord, and King, to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. This may not be the way we thought it would be. But the anointed word of the Lord and His truth should always take precedence over our own erroneous and preconceived ideas and opinions.

The Restoration of the Remnant

The prophet's message continues: "In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted (meaning, to spoil by breaking to pieces, to make good for nothing); And I will make her that halted a remnant (a surviving portion, the overcomers), and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever." (Micah 4:6-7) The phrase, "in that day," refers to the same day mentioned in verse one; it is the day when the mountain or kingdom of the house of the Lord is being established in the earth above all the other kingdoms and governments of man. It is a reference to the present time, when the Lord is assembling those who were broken to pieces, made good for nothing and driven out, and has made those overcomers His holy remnant. They shall become a strong nation, and Christ shall reign over them in mount Zion forever.

Let there be no doubt about whom the Lord is speaking in this prophecy. He is clearly speaking of the holy remnant, who are all sons of God - those whom He has formed for His purposes and called to sonship in the previous age of the church. As a result of the intense processings of the Lord, we have now become an afflicted people. We are a people who were spoiled by being broken to pieces, and then made good for nothing by the Lord. Our Father made us what He wanted us to be, and that is what we are. And now we are broken and made of no account, that He might raise us up by the power of His Spirit and make us sit together with Him in heavenly places in Christ. We have come to greater maturity, and now we desire to do all the will of our Father in the earth! Now, "the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!" (Mt. 21:42)

In the Spirit and by the Spirit, the true body of Christ is being fully joined together and made one in Christ. The Stone of Christ, which was once rejected, has now become the Head stone, the Head of the corner. Christ is the Head of this body; He has taken His place as the Headstone of all the many lively stones in this corporate Christ. The word of the Lord has been fulfilled, which says, "and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, GRACE, GRACE UNTO IT." (Zech. 4:7) Indeed, the grace of God shall be the more evident and manifest in this great Day. Grace does not end with the end of that which has been called, the age of grace. The grace of God does not end with the former age, but shall be multiplied by much more grace! His grace is to be all the more manifest in this wonderful Day as the kingdom of God comes to earth in greater fullness.

If you can hear in the Spirit, you will hear the heavenly hosts shouting to this corporate Christ, crying, "GRACE, GRACE UNTO IT." In the past, sin reigned unto death. But today, "as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Ro. 5:21) The grace of our Lord, that is available now, is far greater and more powerful than the vilest sin that has ever been committed, or that is in the mind of old Adam or the devil. And His grace shall overpower and overcome every sin and evil thought, bringing forth the righteousness of Christ in every person everywhere because of the sacrifice of Jesus. The last verse in the Bible is, "The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Rev. 22:21) Even so shall the abounding and multiplied grace of our Lord take us through all our tests and trials to our appointed places IN CHRIST in the fullness of time!

Then the prophet prophesied, "And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come (first) to the daughter of Jerusalem." (Micah 4:8) The "tower of the flock," is a reference to the elect who are large in mind, estate and honor. "The strong hold of the daughter of Zion" also refers to the elect who are as a stronghold or a mighty fortress in God. They are called "daughters," for their sonship is not yet complete. It is to them - to the elect remnant of the Lord - to whom the first dominion or reign of the kingdom of God comes. Christ must first rule and reign in the lives of His elect before He can reign in the lives of anyone else. And when Christ fully reigns in our lives, the scepter, or ruling authority of the kingdom of God, is then bestowed upon us. According to the measure that Christ fully reigns in our own lives has He given us the authority to reign with Him from His spiritual throne in the heavenlies, or in the realm of Spirit. How wonderful and complete is the plan of our God!

"Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies." (Micah 4:9-10) If the pangs as of a woman in travail is our present experience, it is a sign of our Father's intention to redeem us from the hand of all our enemies, deliver us from the Baby-lon systems of this world, and bring forth a new nation in God. This is a part of Father's purposes for us and for all mankind in the king-dom of God. But we do not need to "cry out aloud", for our King and our Counsellor is within us to hear us. He is within us and among us to lead us to the deliverance and victory He promised. But the time of our deliverance is up to God. He wisely fulfills all His purposes in the fullness of time, and not according to our timing. If our present travail does not indicate an immediate deliverance, then it is our Father's way of keeping the vision always before us.

Micah prophesied from about 750 B.C. to about 710 B.C., or some 200 years before Daniel. The prophecy of Daniel tells of the capture of the royal sons of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar, that they were taken by the king to Babylon, and of their experiences while there. But the fall of Babylon was accurately foretold by Micah some 200 years before. Chapter five of Daniel tells of the fall of Babylon at that time, which was aided by Daniel and his friends through the mighty power of God. The fall of old, literal Babylon in that day is an example, foretaste, and prediction of the fall of the greater Babylon, which is typical of the present worldly systems of man. We are presently in bondage to those systems of man, known as Babylon. While some may have made them-selves comfortable in this Babylon, and may not fully realize the extent of their servitude, it is bondage nevertheless!

Babylon means confusion, and the systems of this world are indeed that. But God said we would be taken to Babylon, "there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies." There is no question that we have been taken to Babylon as the world and its systems have slowly but surely wrapped its tentacles of control and bondage around us all. It all happened in such a subtle way that we scarcely were aware of it. But the Lord firmly stated His intention to deliver us out of Babylon. And then, as if to emphasize His intention to deliver and redeem us, the Lord repeated that promise. Thus, our deliverance and full redemption and salvation is assured by the anointed word of the Lord! And our present travails are the birth pangs that further signify our Father's purpose to deliver us out of this Babylon and redeem us in full.

We Travail to Bring Forth a New Man or a New Nation

There is another purpose for this travail as described in scripture, which is important at this time. It is that a new nation, a new man, or a new creation in God, shall come forth in the earth. Isaiah prophesied of this, saying, "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God." (Is. 66:7-9)

The birth of this new creation of God, or this new nation, or new man, is the coming forth of the manchild company. This manchild company represents all the sons of God who have been brought to their birth and manifestation. As with most prophecy, there is a dual application of Isaiah's prophetic word. In the first case, Jesus Christ was born of water, or of the flesh; He lived through this life, was crucified, and then was raised from the dead. Being raised from the dead, Jesus was born again of the Spirit and given a new body of spiritual Life. And then He ascended back to the Father. In the second case, all the sons of God shall be born again of the Spirit, to receive their new bodies of resurrection Life, and shall then be manifest in the earth, as Jesus was. Jesus is our firstfruits! He was born of water to become flesh, and of the Spirit to become Spirit. So also were we born of water, or of the flesh, to become flesh. Now we are waiting to be born again of the Spirit, to be changed into the image and likeness of Christ (Jo. 3:3-6). And our spiritual birth and manifestation shall deliver the whole creation from its long and painful bondage to corruption.

Every created thing is groaning and travailing, waiting for our adoption, which is, the redemption of our bodies. (Ro. 8:19-23, see also Rev. 12:1-2.) And we shall not disappoint them! God planted His Life within us, and that Life within must grow to come forth in the fullness of the maturity and manifestation of the Christ. The Lord also brought us to the point of travail and birth. And He will not hinder the coming forth of this new creation, nor will He shut the womb. The prophecy states, "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child." The Hebrew word translated "before" means to interrupt or suspend. Therefore, when the first pains of travail take place, the pain of that travail will be interrupted or suspended, and the birth shall take place. We may not be required to go through a long travail, for the first pains of travail will become birth pangs. By the power of His omnipotent Spirit, the earth shall be made to bring forth in one day, which is this wonderful, new kingdom Day, and a nation shall be born at once. Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever and ever!

The prophecy of Micah concludes, by saying, "Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel: for He will gather them (the nations outside the kingdom) as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people (of those nations not yet saved): and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth" (Micah 4:11-13). That there are peoples and nations who have not yet come to the Lord, while the principles of the kingdom of God are in effect in all the world, is confirmed in these verses. Peace, rest, harmony among peoples, and kingdom order, will exist in all the world; yet many other nations and peoples will not be serving the Lord. As verse five tells, they shall be walking "every one in the name of his god" until the holy Spirit draws all those people and nations to the Lord to be saved.

And this is what takes place in verses twelve and thirteen of this prophecy. From the time of this prophecy to the present many nations have gathered against true Israel, desiring their defilement and end. But they did not know the thoughts of the mind of God! While the nations wanted to see trouble come to God's chosen ones, the Lord used that trouble and tribulation to process His people and bring them to greater maturity. And then the Lord stated that He would gather those unsaved nations "as the sheaves into the floor," which is the typical threshing floor of judgment unto correction. Then the command shall be given by the Lord to the daughter of Zion, or to the remnant, who will then thresh those nations with their symbolic "hoofs" of brass, removing the carnal nature of old Adam from them in that process, and bringing them to Christ and to the glory of His kingdom, where they shall be judged, corrected and saved. At that time, all those people of all those once heathen nations will cease walking every one in the name of his god, but they will walk everyone in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. Amen!

Our Travail for the Appearing of Christ

There also is a travail of spirit that relates to the appearing of Christ to His people. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." (Jo. 16:20-22)

The sorrow Jesus spoke about in the last verse is the sorrow that occurs when we are no longer with Him. After Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, He was later taken by the soldiers to be crucified. Then He was buried, and was raised from the dead by the power of God. The disciples experienced sorrow because He was taken from them. But Jesus said to them, "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." Their sorrow was replaced with joy (in part) when the holy Spirit was given them on the day of Pentecost. Even so do we long for His appearing and His presence. Although we know He is ever with us, we groan within as a woman with child during her travail and sorrow, longing to be more fully and completely joined to Him. And our joy is full when we experience those brief but wonderful times in His presence.

But there is coming a greater fulfillment of the joy Jesus spoke about. Indeed, we look forward to that glorious morning when we shall be forever joined to the Lord in the glory of the manifestation of the sons of God. That will truly be the spiritual experience that will make our hearts rejoice with a joy no man can take from us. When that new morning dawns and we are born again of the Spirit, we shall rejoice with His super-abounding joy. We will remember no more the former times of intense processings that brought us where we are now in God. Every test and trial, which we remember now as being very difficult and trying, will be forever forgotten, to be replaced by a kind of joy which we have never yet experienced. Then our times of anguish and sorrow will be replaced with the "joy that a man is born into the world." The joy of the world is temporary and leads to death. But the joy of the fullness of the kingdom of God, which we shall share, will be permanent and will lead us to life everlasting. When that new creation "man" is born into the world, our service to the Lord and His kingdom will then be complete. Then the whole creation will be set free of its severe bondage to corruption.

The new Day of the kingdom of God on earth has already begun! This is the Day of the birth and manifestation of that new "man." Some of us have already seen the beginning of this new Day, which began at evening time (Ge. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) during spiritual darkness, and which shall become much more glorious when the morning dawns (Ex. 16:6-7). We have also seen the dawn, for Father has given us a foretaste of the glory and freshness of that new morning to come. In this regard, Preston Eby wrote: "A new day has dawned! Thank God, a few of His chosen ones have arisen to behold the dawn and to drink in the intoxicating freshness of the morn. A new age has arrived. `And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done' (Rev. 21:4-6).

"Blessed promises of a mighty deliverance, which we even now begin to see fulfilled. The time has come for the nations to hear the voice of the Son of God and live. There shall be a glorious victory as the head of that ancient Serpent is crushed and he goes not out any more to deceive the nations. The un-deceiving of the nations means a new mentality, new understanding, new thought processes, the unveiling of the truth about all things in the minds of the vast multitudes of earth. What anticipation this evokes in our hearts! `And it shall come to pass, that..all the nations..shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles' (Zech. 14:16). `And the nations... shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it...and there shall be no more curse' (Rev. 21:24; 22:3)." (End quote, from "The Heavens Declare," Part 19.)

The time has come, the blessed Day has arrived, when that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan, is bound for a thousand years (Rev. 20:2). It is also the wonderful Day when the saints of God shall sit on thrones, for judgment was given unto them. These are they who were "beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:2-6).

The Travail of the Apostle Paul - an Example for us

Paul's letter to the Galatians was written to warn them of turning away from the new thing the Lord was doing. Some of them were returning to the old, dead order of the past by keeping the law. The Galatians were generally embracing the new Gospel of grace that Paul preached. But other Jews confused them by telling them they had to be circumcised, and that they must keep the law. So Paul sent a letter to the Galatians to tell them that God sent forth His Son, "to redeem them that were under the law." (Ga. 4:4-5) He asked them, "how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" (Vs. 9) The Lord brought an end to the old order of the law. And when the Lord ended that old order, it became a bondage for those who remained, even though it was the will of God for His people for a limited time, during the previous age. To turn back to the old thing that God had abolished was going back to the bondage from which the Lord had delivered them.

Whenever the Lord ends one age and begins the new, the old then becomes a bondage. When God concludes an age and ends the former order, He does not destroy the old order and remove all the earthly symbols, such as buildings, etc. He simply withdraws the fresh anointing of His Spirit, and leaves all the earthly structures standing. There is no question that the Lord ended the old order of the law and the prophets. Jesus clearly said, "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." (Lu. 16:16) A change took place in the economy of God and His purposes for this world at that time. God did not abolish the Jewish synagogues, nor did He remove from the earth all the old Jewish symbols, etc. But He did remove His purposes from that old, dead order, as well as His precious anointing, leaving that old order as dry as dust. People today continue to flock to Jewish synagogues, observing all the old Jewish customs and ceremonies. But they know not that it is a dead order, and that His presence is no longer there.

So it is with the church system of today! The Lord has already removed the precious anointing of His Spirit, as well as His purposes, from it. He called many of us out of the church system, prior to removing His anointing from it. He did not destroy the buildings or its natural influence in the world. Its earthly forms still stand and God continues to save people there to show that He is still doing a limited work among them, just as He is in all the world of mankind. Only those who are deeply spiritual, and who know the difference between the anointing and a good, religious "feeling," will know that the precious anointing of the holy Spirit is missing from the church system. Just as the Lord reveals His mysteries to those who are spiritual, so He gives His elect the understanding to know that the precious anointing is missing. The elect and chosen ones are the holy remnant of the Lord in the earth. Father has given them His Spirit, which shall guide them into ALL TRUTH, show them things to come, and keep them free of that which is dead and of the past.

Paul's letter to the Galatians was intended of the apostle to direct the saints of that day to turn from the dead past, and to walk the way of the Spirit, or the way of truth. Paul was so concerned for those people that he wanted to be there among them, rather than writing a letter to them. He realized their need for Christ to be formed within them. So he wrote to them in his letter, saying, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (Ga. 4:19) According to this scripture, the reason those Galatians were returning to the dead order of the past was because Christ was not fully formed within them. So Paul said He was travailing in birth again for them, that Christ be formed within them in greater fullness.

Now, as the old order of the church is passing away, Christ is being revealed and formed within His elect in a greater way. That small remnant of saints who are led by the Spirit, will hear the still, small voice of the Lord. They will see, hear and understand all that God is doing in the earth today. Many others cannot see and hear in the Spirit, but will follow the dictates of the carnal mind. As Gideon's army was reduced to the final three hundred victors by their tests and trials, so the Lord is bringing forth a small army of victorious saints by a similar process. His remnant of today may be a comparatively small company of saints, but the Christ within them is fully formed and conformed to the glory of the new order of the kingdom of God. They possess the faith of the Son of God, have on the full armor of God, and are ready to go in and possess the new kingdom land.

If there are any who are called to go on with God, but who are returning to the old order as those Galatians were, the Spirit will put a burden on some of us to minister in the Spirit on their behalf. Some of us are feeling those birth pangs and are travailing in the Spirit for the Christ to be more fully formed in every one of His elect, even as the Apostle Paul travailed for those Galatians. And when Christ is once formed within us in a new and living way, not one of us will ever think of returning to the dead past. As a dog returns to his vomit, or a vulture returns to a dead carcass, so the carnal-minded will return to the old, dead order of the past. If you are one of His chosen ones, God did not call you out of the church system to leave you to wander in the wilderness of a dead order. But you are specially chosen and called of God to reign with Him. And some of us are now called of God to minister on your behalf. Listen to the Christ within! He would lead you into a new life, a new way, and a new order, which is the new order of the kingdom of God on earth.

Paul was an apostle of the Lord. He was called of God to establish a new spiritual order in the earth. And he did it with the help of the Lord and other saints of God. Paul's ministry to the Galatians, and to the other churches, was an apostolic ministry. As an apostle, Paul was chosen of God to lay a new spiritual foundation in the earth (1 Co. 3:10). When people vacillated, lost their faith, and wandered in doubt and fear, Paul ministered in their behalf as an apostle of the Lord. He did not visit those Galatians in person, but he ministered in the Spirit, calling them from the darkness of the past into the new light of the present. Now, in this new kingdom Day, a new spiritual foundation is being established in the earth. A similar apostolic ministry is now coming forth in the Spirit. The Lord generally uses people to do His work in the earth. He has rarely done any of His kingdom works with-out His faithful people. God is now calling for a people to establish that new foundation of the kingdom of God on earth, by letting Him begin that new order within them. This is a new spiritual ministry! This new order is not like anything we have seen under church order! This is the new apostolic ministry of the kingdom of God!

From the ministry of the apostles Paul and Peter, we get a picture of true apostleship. Apostles endure the sufferings of Christ, knowing of the consolation and salvation to come, 2 Co. 1:5, 7. They trust in the Lord alone, vs. 9. They will spend and be spent for the saints. They do all things to edify or build up the saints, 2 Co. 12:15, 19. They are obedient to the faith of Christ, Ro. 1:5. They have seen Christ the Lord, 1 Co. 1:9. They suffer, knowing whom they have believed, and are persuaded in their faith, 2 Tim. 1:11-12. Apostles acknowledge the truth which is after godliness in hope of eternal life, Titus 1:1-2. They pattern their lives after the Chief Apostle and High Priest of their profession, Christ Jesus, He. 3:1. They are servants of the Lord, and are not trying to be lords over His household, 2 Pe. 1:1. Unto them is granted a "dispensation of God," which is the administration of a new order in the earth, to fulfill the prophetic word of the Lord, Col. 1:25, He. 2:10, 1 Pe. 1:11, 4:13.

Of the apostolic ministry, Preston Eby wrote the following: "May the spirit of wisdom and revelation from God grant us understanding in this unique and momentous hour at the end of the age! It is my deepest conviction that God is raising up and sending forth an entirely NEW APOSTOLIC MINISTRY in this present day. I do not hesitate to declare to you that the apostle's ministry has always been essentially that of bringing in a NEW ORDER. A friend has shared the following insights into this great truth: `Apostles build where NO OTHER MAN HAS BUILT. So if a man is doing what others have done for years before him, or what was done two thousand years ago, I do not see that as a true apostolic ministry today. Moses, as an apostle, brought in an entirely new order. He went up into the mountain and brought down the `house-law' for the new dispensation. Jesus, as the `apostle of our profession' ushered in a whole new age, and the Church Age apostles established that new thing. Apostleship is associated with NEW THINGS, foundation layers, those who CRACK THE FORM OF THE FORMER AGE and bring forth the essence of it and build the essence. Jesus, as an apostle, cracked the form of the Old Covenant and brought forth the essence of it in Himself.

"Many brethren have felt an inward call to apostolic ministry in this hour, and not yet understanding the fullness of what the Lord is doing have tried to apply that call in the wrong realm: moving under Church Order in an attempt to fulfill it. The sun is now setting on the Church age and the transcendent glory of that brighter and greater age when the body of Christ has been brought to its fullness, the manifestation of the sons of God, and all nations brought under the dominion of the Kingdom of God, is even now dawning upon us. It is now time for the APOSTLES OF THE KINGDOM to be sent forth, and these apostles will CRACK THE FORM of the Church age and bring forth its content as an essence that the Church has never yet known. These can be naught but the FIRST of the FIRSTFRUITS COMPANY. These must be brought forth prior to the establishing of the Kingdom, as the foundations of the Kingdom are laid in them." (End quote, from "The Heavens Declare," Part 37.)

If I know anything at all, I know that the new age of the kingdom of God on earth has begun. Reach out and receive the living faith of the Son of God, for it is by His faith that we are enabled to turn away from the old order of the past and embrace the new kingdom order. It is also by the faith of the Son of God that I declare these kingdom truths to you. And by His active, living faith, every word of God shall be fulfilled in due time. God is moving now to fulfill His prophetic word of promise. Believe Him and enter into a new and living relationship with Christ, who is being revealed now as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Paul & Emily Mueller