The work of the Spirit, in kingdom purpose, is to subdue every enemy of God, and put them all under the feet of Christ. This is beginning to be fulfilled now as the power and authority of the kingdom of God is more manifest in the earth. David described Father's purpose for the reign of Christ, when he said, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Ps. 110:1-2, see also Mt. 22:44, Mk. 12:36, Lu. 20:43 & He. 1:13.) In this spiritual message, the Father is telling Jesus Christ, His Son and David's "Lord," to sit at His right hand in the heavenlies while He, the Father, makes all the enemies of Christ His footstool. It is God's plan and purpose, by the power and authority of the throne of His kingdom, to subdue every enemy and make them all subject to Christ. And this Christ includes both the Head and the Body.

Then David tells us how our Father shall put all our enemies under the feet of Christ. He says, "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." The rod of thy strength, which the Lord shall send out of Zion, are the combined spiritual powers of the throne of God and the saints of the Lord who dwell in Zion. The actual meaning of "the rod" is one that might be used either for chastisement unto correction, or for ruling, including treading them under foot, and as a scepter. Therefore, God shall send the mighty, reigning power of His Spirit to the earth, combined with the power of the saints in Zion, to subdue every enemy and put them all under the feet of Christ.

From reading this scripture, it is clear we are a vital part of the reign of Christ in the earth. We are kings and priests of God, in union with Christ. We are reigning with Him from our Father's throne in the heavenlies, or from the realm of Spirit. We reign with Him as kings by being seated in heavenly places in Christ and by resting in His completed work! By giving praise and honor to the Lord from the highest realm of His presence as priests of God (Ez. 44:15-16), we thus alert the angelic hosts to cast the mighty fire of God's presence to the earth to begin to change the world (Rev. 8:5). Our reign as kings and our ministry to the Lord as priests will cause every enemy to bow to the Lord in humble submission to Christ and His kingdom, making them all His footstool. The meaning of the word "footstool" is to thoroughly subdue all enemies until we are symbolically stamping on them, making them willing subjects of Christ and His kingdom. And since we have the nature of our Father, we have no desire to literally stamp on our enemies. Our only desire is to see them restored and brought into harmony with God and His kingdom purposes by whatever means He deems necessary.

The Lord is sending the rod of His strength out of Zion. This is a spiritual work unseen by man. The ruling rod or scepter of His king-dom shows that the Lord has the specific purpose of manifesting the power and authority of the kingdom of God, which is to subdue all His enemies by ruling and reigning. Then the word of the Lord declares, "rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." The reign of Christ, in kingdom purpose, began in the midst of the world's darkness, while the enemies of Christ were flaunting their limited power. The enemies of Christ are not aware of it yet, but another King - the only King worthy of anyone's adoration and worship - has begun to reign over all the earth. This King, and His co-kings with Him, shall bring the carnal, worldly kingdoms of man to naught. At evening time, just when things in the world appeared to be getting darker and our enemies presumed they were getting stronger, the light of Christ shone in the hearts of His elect and was manifest in the world to begin to change things. It was and is a strange time! It was and is a time of transition! It was and is a time that cannot be described as either of light, or of darkness, or of day, or of night, in the natural.

One of the Lord's anointed prophets described this present time with these inspired words of truth given by the Spirit: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be ONE DAY which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one" (Zech. 14:6-9). The previous verse, verse five, speaks of the coming or appearing of the Lord with all His saints. The prophet said, "and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." Therefore, this prophetic "Day" begins with the appearing of Christ in and with His saints, by the Spirit.

The coming of the Lord, or His spiritual appearing in His earthly saints, coincides with the spiritual descent of the saints of the new Jerusalem realm from the heavenlies to the earthly realm of spirit. The new Jerusalem, which is a realm in the Spirit where the saints of God abide, is coming "down out of heaven from my God" (Rev. 3:12). This is a spiritual gathering of the spirits of the saints of God from the new Jerusalem realm to the earthly realm of spirit. So it is written, "the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." As the coming of the Lord is a spiritual appearing of Christ, so the coming of the new Jerusalem saints with Him to the realm of earth is also a spiritual action. And as the new Jerusalem is a realm of the higher heavens, so the descent of the new Jerusalem suggests the lowering of the saints of that realm in the Spirit to the lowest heavens, or the heavens in the atmosphere surrounding the earth. Since this is a gathering of the saints with Christ in the Spirit, there will be no immediate, outward evidence to confirm that spiritual work. That spiritual action focuses the present work of the Spirit on the earth and the people of it. With the descent of the new Jerusalem saints to the lower, earthly realm of spirit, it is obvious the Lord is now concentrating the work of His Spirit on the judgment, correction, and restoration of the earth.

When the new Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven to the realms of earth, evidently the saints of that heavenly, spiritual realm have grown to greater spiritual maturity. It is my opinion that the spirits of the departed continue to learn and grow spiritually after the death of the physical body. When a person dies, their body returns to the dust from whence it came, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc. 12:7). The person that we really are is spirit. The body of flesh and the carnal mind are given to us while we are in the wilderness of this earthly realm. But when a person dies, the spirit, which has returned to God, is then free of the bondages of the carnal mind and the fleshly body to learn all the truth of God. Thus, they continue to grow and mature spiritually in a greater way, for they are free of the encumbrances of this carnal mind and body.

Not only have the saints of the heavenly, spiritual realms grown to greater maturity, but so also have the earthly saints. Our spiritual maturity, by the appearings of Christ within us, caused the heavenly trumpet to sound. The sounding of that spiritual trumpet announced the beginning of a new spiritual "day" in the earth. Things are not the same as they once were, for our Father has done an awesome and wonderful work within us for His glory. Not only are we different, but so also are things around us. The Lord raised us to a higher realm in Him to coincide with the greater spiritual maturity of the new Jerusalem saints of the heavenly realm.

With the beginning of a new spiritual "day" in the earth, the Lord has taken greater control of our lives. He who shall rule and reign over all the earth and all the universe, must first rule and reign in the lives of His elect. And unless Christ fully reigns within the lives of His people, how can it be said that He reigns anywhere? Christ is indeed reigning in our lives, for we are aware that we are no longer in control of our lives. With this understanding also comes the realization that we have grown spiritually. Babes in Christ do not willingly submit to the reign of Christ! Only those who have matured sufficiently would have the spiritual wisdom and understanding to surrender their lives to their Head, Lord and King. Another One now controls our lives according to His eternal purpose, and it is the Lord! You will know that Christ reigns in your life when you realize that you no longer control your own life. Your destiny and mine are fixed in God! And Christ is now reigning in our lives in a greater way, to fulfill His eternal purposes, which He purposed concerning us before time and the ages began.

To understand the reign of Christ in the lives of His elect, let us "hear" what Jesus said to Peter. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not" (Jo. 21:18). Jesus was telling Peter that when he matured spiritually, he would reach out and another One, the Spirit of God, would gird him and carry him where he did not want to go. During his spiritual youth, Peter girded himself and walked where he wanted to walk. But when he became spiritually mature, the Lord took Peter's hand, girded him, and led him to do the will of his Father.

The next verse says, "this spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me." According to historical accounts, Peter was martyred. We are told that he was crucified on a cross. But Peter did not consider himself worthy to die the same way Jesus did, so he asked to be crucified with his head down. At a certain point of spiritual maturity in Peter's life, the Lord took control of his life and led him to die a martyr's death. He no longer had "choices" to make, for God made them for him. Peter may not have wanted to die that way, but the will of God prevailed! When he came to spiritual maturity, the Lord took control of Peter's life. The Spirit of God led him to die a martyr's death. And by that death, Peter glorified the Lord!

Similarly, the Lord has taken greater control of the lives of His elect. We are no longer in control of our own lives, for we are living the life of Christ. In his stirring message in Athens, Paul said, "For it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28, Weymouth). Again, Paul wrote, "He died for all in order that the living may no longer live to themselves, but to Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Co. 5:15, Weymouth). And again, "I have been crucified with Christ: the life I now live is not my life, but the life which Christ lives in me" (Ga. 2:20, New English Bible). And finally, "For, as far as this world is concerned, you are already dead, and your true life is a hidden one in God, through Christ" (Col. 3:3, Phillips). Thus, it is firmly established that we are living the life of Christ in this present world. When Jesus died on the cross, we died with Him, for we were taken to the cross in Christ. And having died in Christ, we also died to our own life in this world. Our old man is dead, and we are living the life of Christ. He is living His Life in us as we walk this earthly path, for our lives are hidden in Christ.

To understand the wonderful truth that we died in Christ, we first need to understand when our spiritual position in Christ began. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Blessing (praise, laudation and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (Holy Spirit given) blessing in the heavenly realm! Even as [in His love] HE CHOSE US - actually picked us out for Himself as His own - IN CHRIST BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD; that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted [revealed] as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will - because it pleased Him and was His kind intent; [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace - favor and mercy - which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." (Eph. 1:3-6, Amplified.) We were IN CHRIST before the foundation of the world. Our Father chose us from the beginning. He actually picked us out for Himself as His own when He placed us in Christ before the foundation of the kosmos, which is the orderly arrangement of this world. He also foreordained that we should be placed as His sons and given the inheritance of sonship. And now, because of our greater spiritual maturity, we are entering into our foreordained and predetermined heritage and destiny given us IN CHRIST.

Paul also wrote, "[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. In Him we also were made [God's] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out every-thing in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will" (Eph. 1:10-11, Amplified). All that Father has purposed for us has already been wrought or "exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named - above every title that can be conferred - not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come." (Eph. 1:20-21, Amplified.)

To show that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world for a wise purpose, our Father delivered us and set us on this path of holiness and consecration, according to His purpose for His kingdom. "[For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness - that is, to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began - eternal ages ago." (2 Tim. 1:9, Amplified.)

Many among us now realize that another One is controlling our lives. We are walking a path chosen for us before the foundation of the world. Some among us are suffering the devastating effects of afflictions and other problems. This is a way we did not choose for ourselves. But it is God's way for us! The will of God now prevails in our lives for His glory! And when His will is done in our lives, no matter how difficult it may be, we are thus glorifying God! With this spiritual understanding, we are encouraged in God. Perhaps we committed our lives to the Lord many years ago, asking that His will be done in our lives for His glory and honor. Since we desire only His will, the only word the Lord needs to say to us now is, "Follow me." And so we are following Him! Now the Lord has taken greater control of our lives! He is reigning within us! His will is being done in our lives! And our lives shall glorify the Lord, as Peter's did, even though we may not be led to die a martyr's death. Then, "One day, Christ, the secret center of our lives, will show himself openly, and you will all share in that magnificent denouement (the final revelation or outcome)." (Col. 3:4, Phillips.) And what a "day" that will be!

At some point in our lives, the Lord, our Head and King, took control of our lives. He watched over us like a careful, concerned husbandman would over a fruitful vineyard. He fed us and nourished us with the Bread of Life, which He is. He also gave us to drink of the waters of His Life. When He saw there were iniquities within us - little foxes that might spoil the vine - He purged us with the fires of His presence. And when He also saw errors within us from the teachings of the religious systems of man, our faithful Husbandman pointed them out to us and then removed them. This freed us to receive more of the Truth that He is, Truth that is setting us free in Christ. When our loving Father decided to do a new thing in the earth, He caused us to say to Him, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." With this, our Father took away the first or previous order of things, that He may establish the second, or the greater order, which is the new order of the king-dom of God. (He. 10:9) Now, a new Day is established in the earth!

As we consider other aspects of Zechariah's anointed and inspired prophecy quoted on page two, we must respect it as the pure Word of the Lord. This is not a man speaking out of his carnal mind, but this is God speaking to us through a man by His Spirit. Of prophecies such as this, Peter said, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pe. 1:21) Therefore, Zechariah's prophecy is God speaking to us today! In every verse of that prophecy, the word "day" is used to designate a period of time in the purposes of God. Three times the words "that day" are used. But the "day" referred to here is not a literal 24-hour day as we know it, nor is it a period that can be described by the rising and the setting of the literal sun. The "day" of Zechariah's prophecy is a spiritual "day!" "That day" is determined by observing the moving of the Spirit to do a certain work in the earth. The word "day," as used here, is taken from the Hebrew word, "yowm," meaning, according to Strong's Concordance, the warm hours of a day, whether literal or figurative.

Just as the natural sun rises and sets to denote a literal, earthly day, so the rising of Christ in the hearts and lives of His elect also denotes the beginning of a new spiritual "day" in God's purposes. Christ is now rising in the hearts of His elect. And this spiritual action within us is the beginning of a new Day in God's purposes. It is not a "day" that can be seen outwardly according to man's calendar or man's clock; it is a spiritual "day" determined only by the moving of the Spirit. Those who are spiritual, who have eyes to see and ears to hear, will readily acknowledge that God is now beginning to do a new thing in the earth, by His Spirit. God is now moving by His Spirit, not only in the hearts of His elect, but also in many areas of Christendom. The journey of the many tens of thousands of "Promise Keepers" to Washington, D.C. in October, in the spirit of repentance, was one such manifestation of the present moving of the Spirit.

Our nation and the people of it have a destiny in God to fulfill. We are a nation established on Godly principles, by people who were fleeing the religious oppression of their homelands, to establish a new nation based on the righteous principles of scripture. God has blessed this nation since then, that He might raise up a remnant people here who will represent Him to the other nations. Yet, for many years it appeared that the people of our nation had turned away from the Godly principles of our founding fathers. But that is no longer true! God is moving now by His Spirit to restore this nation to its Godly heritage. He is beginning that restoration by raising up the foundation of our people and nation, which is our men. And He is doing it outside the church system. The "Promise Keepers" are not for me, but I rejoice in what God is doing, no matter whom He does it with. They may make promises they are not able to keep. But the fact that the men among the "Promise Keepers" are turning to the Lord in repentance, shows a definite work of the Spirit of God in our nation. God is now moving among us to restore this nation! And He is doing it in a big way! Our ministry to Him from the holiest of all is that "greater works" ministry that is causing this spiritual restoration to take place.

The elect are being enlightened by the Light of Christ, enabling them to "see" their Father's kingdom purposes being fulfilled all around them. They see His kingdom glory revealed in the natural heavens, in the events of the world, and in the work of the Spirit, not only in their own lives but also in the lives of others. Everywhere they look, those who are enlightened by the Light of Christ will see the power of the kingdom of God being manifest in all the universe. Look up and see Him in the Spirit, dear friend, and you will also see kingdom purpose being fulfilled, first in you, then all around you. And with the present moving of the Spirit in the lives of His elect, a new prophetic, spiritual "day" in God's purposes for the earth has now begun!

With the help of concordances and other translations of Zechariah's anointed prophecy (Zech. 14:6-9), we will paraphrase these verses of scripture to help us better understand what the Lord is saying here. A day is spoken of as the beginning of a time when the Lord shall appear with all His saints. All that is foretold in Zechariah's prophecy shall take place on this particular Day. When that Day begins, it will not be marked or identified by literal darkness or light. That Day will not be a 24-hour day, nor will it be known or identified by any outward signs. According to one translation, that Day will be a time when the spiritual lights or ministries of the Lord will not be shining with the brilliance they once had. Spiritual changes will take place that will eventually change everything else in the world.

Every description of that Day sounds very much like the present time. The new kingdom order is replacing the old church order of the past, thus establishing a new Day in the purposes of God for this world. Only by the Spirit can anyone know that a change has taken place. This Day shall be one continuous Day or age known only to the Lord. No man will know when this Day begins apart from a revelation from God, for it is a Day known only to the Lord (Mt. 24:36, 1 Co. 2:11). But He will reveal this Day to those who have spiritual ears to hear and spiritual eyes to see (1 Co. 2:9-10). At evening time, when spiritual darkness was increasing in the world, the Light of Christ began to shine, imparting the Light of His glory to His elect.

At some point during this Day, the living waters of the Life of Christ shall flow out of the New Jerusalem city of God to meet the needs of the world. Those living waters are not literal waters, governed and restricted by natural, earthly seasons. But those Life-giving waters represent the flow of the Spirit from the elect to the world. Those living waters shall continue to flow, until all mankind is blessed and refreshed by the Life of that spiritual river. (See Ez. 47:1-5, Jo. 7:38, Rev. 22:1.) During this Day, the Lord shall be King over all the earth. Eventually, no other earthly kings or rulers shall exist to trouble the world with more of man's confusion. All shall submit to Christ, to do His will in all the earth, for His glory. Also in this Day, there shall eventually be one Lord who shall be worshiped by all mankind. His Name shall be one in the hearts and minds of all, replacing the many gods and names of man's carnal, dead religions.

It was at a spiritual evening time, or at the time when spiritual darkness was increasing, that the Lord appeared as Light to His elect. And He shall continue to appear to His elect until all who are chosen of the Lord to reign with Him have been transformed by the Light of His glory and presence. All who reign with Christ must have His kingdom Light within them. King David prophesied of this, saying, "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun/Son riseth, even a morning without clouds" (2 Sam. 23:3-4). Thus it is clear, those who reign with Christ must be transformed by the Light and the glory of the Lord. This is a spiritual transformation. It is an experience with God in the Spirit that changes our minds from seeing only the darkness in the world to seeing and experiencing the Light of His presence within us and all around us. David said, "For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness" (Ps. 18:28). By the Spirit, the Lord is now lighting the candle of our souls that were once darkened by the sorrows of our tribulation experiences, by the turmoil of religion, and by conditions in the world around us.

All the former clouds of darkness, unbelief and despair must be removed from us by the Light and the glory of the appearings of Christ. The Lord must light our candle! Then, His Light within us shall make us as bright and as brilliant as the morning sun, without clouds of unbelief, fear and doubt anywhere in the heavens of our minds. The literal, natural, morning sun is the light that dispels the darkness of the night. So also does the Light of Christ dispel all the darkness within us, making us the spiritual lights of Christ that shall eventually dispel all the darkness in the earth, to bring forth that new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. His purpose in appearing now as Light to His elect is to dispel all the darkness within us and also in the world around us. The present spiritual darkness in the world is an enemy of Christ, just as sin and death are also His enemies. The Lord is revealing Himself now as Light within us to remove all the darkness in us and prepare us to announce the greater appearing of Christ as Light when the new morning dawns on the whole creation.

The light of the Lord's presence is that which leads and guides us in our walk with Him. He is the true Light that shines on our pathway, leading us to better things in the Spirit. By His light we are enabled to ascend the holy hill of the Lord, there to minister to Him. The Psalmist also said, "O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God" (Ps. 43:3-4). By the Light of Christ, we are led to the holy hill of the Lord - to the heavenly, spiritual altar - where we minister to Him, doing the "greater works" Jesus said we would do (Jo. 14:12). When we once experience the Light of His presence and glory within us, we will never again speak a negative, discouraging word of darkness or unbelief. Nor will we fritter away the precious moments of this "Day" in the religious houses of man. But we will allow His Light to lead us to the holy hill of the Lord and to the altar of God, where we shall minister in praise and thanksgiving to Him. There in His presence, we shall rejoice and praise Him, Who has become "my exceeding joy."

The Sabbath and the True Fast of the Lord

The Old Testament prophets prophesied of the greater Light of Christ that would shine out of us when we make the transition from the old ways to the new and higher ways of the kingdom of God. Their anointed, prophetic messages foretold of this Day. The prophet Isaiah prophesied of this in the fifty-eighth chapter, which deals mostly with fasting. But we also see that this chapter expresses a greater purpose. This chapter speaks, not only about the true fast, but of our need to forsake the old ways of the past and embrace the new and higher ways of the Spirit. It ends by telling us how to observe the true and greater Sabbath of the Lord, which is more completely fulfilled during this seventh or Sabbath Day.

In this fifty-eighth chapter, the prophet Isaiah is lifting up his voice like a trumpet, to show "the house of Jacob their sins" (Vs. 1). During the age of the law and the prophets, the Israelite was expected to keep the laws and ordinances of the Lord (De. 28:58-59, Lu. 16:16). That meant fasting when the fast was proclaimed, and mourning, lying in sackcloth and ashes, and offering animal sacrifices to the Lord. Their worship then must have been a very sad and dismal scene to behold! Their religious forms and ceremonies, which began in obedience to the Lord, eventually deteriorated to become things done "for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness" (Is. 58:4). But God was not the least bit interested in their religious practices, which were done for strife and debate. The Lord did not "see" their religious procedures, which were observed in the spirit of rebellion, nor did He take knowledge of them. It was His purpose to lead His people to a new Day, with a new set of spiritual values and principles.

The Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, telling His people of the true fast and the benefits of it. He said to them, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" (Is. 58:6-7.)

The true fast of the Lord is purposed of God to loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free. Some may see this as having a literal interpretation and fulfillment, but this prophecy has a greater and more significant spiritual fulfillment. The Lord was obviously displeased with Israel's literal observance of the fast. Therefore, we must see this "fast" as something more meaningful in the Spirit and by the Spirit. This prophecy is pointing to the greater and more perfect Sabbath Day of the Lord. In the literal sense, we may loose the bands of wickedness, set the oppressed free, deal our bread to the hungry, and cover the naked on a limited scale now. But the greater spiritual fulfillment of this prophecy is the only one that really matters; it is the only fulfillment that will change mankind and the world. The true, spiritual "fast" shall deliver mankind and set the creation free. All mankind shall be released of their burdens, yokes and oppressions when, by the Spirit, we observe the true, spiritual "fast" during this Sabbath Day of the Lord.

Our true fast on this Sabbath Day will bring permanent benefits to the whole creation. For example, the Bread we "deal" to the hungry will be the very Bread of Christ that shall truly feed and nourish them all. And when they eat of the Bread that He is, they shall never want again. When we see the poor in spirit being cast out of the religious houses of man, we will bring them into our house, which is the true house of the Lord. Here, in the true house of the Lord, the many people of all the nations coming into it shall walk in the Light of Him whose glory transforms all who enter. They all shall be changed by the Light of His glory, for "there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsover worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. 21:22-27).

Furthermore, when we see people dying in their nakedness, being unclothed in their mortality, we shall minister His Life to them, that they might be clothed upon with that "house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we (they) shall not be found naked." (See 2 Co. 5:1-4 with Is. 58:6-7.) Just a look at the fullness of this Christ will bring it to pass! (See Nu. 21:6-9, Is. 45:22, Jo. 19:37.) When they see this Christ, both the Head and the body, they shall be changed to become like Him, even as we have been changed. What a wonderful promise given for all who shall come into the true house of the Lord as a result of our Sabbath worship of fast and rest! The fast of this Sabbath Day is a spiritual fast. It is the result of a people coming into full and complete union with Christ. Their spiritual fast is an expression of their desire to do the will of their Father in all the earth, even as it is being done in the heavens of His Spirit.

The prophet Zechariah spoke of building the temple of the Lord at the time of the restoration of Judah and Israel (Zech. 8:9). Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah about the true fast of the Lord, and the positive, kingdom blessings to be bestowed on the people who observed it. The Lord spoke to the prophet, telling him of the former times when there were many material needs among the people and when there was no peace for them because of the "affliction" of war and trouble that was upon them. Then the Lord said, "But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts." In other words, the Lord would not be as hard on the people as He was previously.

He promised them that the seed would be prosperous, the ground and the vine would bring forth, and the heavens would give their dew, positive blessings to which they were not accustomed. He also said, "and I will cause the remnant of this people (which we are) to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not" (Zech. 8:10-15).

All the religious purveyors of doom and gloom should read and reread this wonderful prophecy of kingdom purpose! God's purpose is not to destroy this nation and the people of it, or any other part of the world or His creation, as the carnal-minded preachers would have us believe. Yes, it does say it is God's purpose for the day of the Lord "to make the land and the whole earth a desolation, and to destroy out of it its sinners" (Is. 13:9, Amplified). But by comparing this scripture with other scriptures, and by the spirit of the word, we know that God will not literally destroy the whole earth and every sinner in it. Rather, it is His purpose to bless His people so we may be a blessing to the rest of the world. "In the former days," the Lord did deal severely with His people. But now it is His stated purpose to bless us and make us a blessing. God's word to His Son, and all other sons, is: "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." (Ps. 2:7-8, see also Ps. 24:1, 37:9, 11, 47:2, 66:2, 78:69, 82:8, 83:18, 89:11, 104:5, 30, 115:16, 119:90.)

Both the heathen and the whole earth are now the legal possession of Christ the Son, including all His maturing sons. Jesus purchased this world and everything in it and of it with His precious blood! (Mt. 13:44) God shall not literally destroy the earth, but He shall cleanse the earth by His fiery presence. He also shall judge the world in righteousness, to bring forth a new earth (Is. 65:17, 2 Pe. 3:13). He will not literally destroy all the sinners, but He shall destroy the man of sin, removing that old man, Adam, from all mankind. Then, all mankind shall be free of the desire and ability to sin.

Contrary to the messages of the unenlightened preachers of today, the Lord declared that it is His thought "in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah." It may have been in God's mind to punish His people because of our forefather's unbelief and disobedience in the past. But it is in His mind now to bless us and restore us by making us His sons. Then, as if to make sure that we understood the spirit of this word, the Lord concluded it by saying, "fear ye not." The religious systems of man keep their people in bondage to them by fear. But the purpose of God for His people is to deliver us of all our fears, and give us renewed hope and joy in the Lord. It is our Father's purpose in grace to correct all unrighteousness among mankind and bring the blessings and benefits of His kingdom to all the earth in due time. And as His holy remnant, set apart by Him for His kingdom purposes, we are the first to enter the fullness of the kingdom and receive of His many blessings and benefits. In doing so, we shall lead the way for many others to follow.

When the Lord begins to judge the world, as He promised to do (Is. 13:11), He will also "make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir" (Vs. 12). By the wisdom of the mind of Christ, we understand that this "man" is none other than the Christ-man, which is the body of Christ in full and glorious union with Christ the Head. When the Lord shakes the heavens and the earth, as He said He would do (vs. 13), that "man" shall stand in the midst of all the shakings of the world to be a comfort and a refuge for all. Our message in "that day" shall be "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Is. 25:9).

In "that day" "a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment, a man shall be as an hiding place from the (east) wind (of the Lord from the wilderness, Hos. 13:15), and a covert from the tempest (or, a whirlwind of trouble, Is. 54:11); as rivers of water in a dry place (or a desert), as the shadow of a great rock (of Christ) in a weary land" (Is. 32:1-2). During this wonderful kingdom Day, the Christ-man will be busy, not doing the works of the flesh, but doing the greater works of the Spirit. They shall minister in the Spirit and by the Spirit to many others who are in desperate need. This corporate man shall stand as a refuge and a shelter, ministering peace and salvation to the weary and troubled from the heavenlies. When Zion is cleansed of its "sinners" (Is. 33:14), the needy multitudes will come to Zion, where "the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King; he will save us" (Is. 33:21-22).

Continuing with our thoughts on the true fast of the Lord, we see that this is what the Lord would have us do: "Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord" (Zech. 8:16-17). God expects us to live according to the righteous principles of His kingdom, which are the principles and characteristics of the new nature of Christ. This shall not be done by observing the strict rule of the law, but by walking with the Lord in obedience, and by being led by His Spirit.

Our present walk of sonship is indeed the true fast that is pleasing to the Lord. This walk is about making the transition from the old religious ways of the past to the new and greater spiritual experiences of this new Day. This is a walk of self-denial, causing us to "fast" from the "elements," which are the principles, rudiments, and orderly arrangement of things, both of the world and of the old religious order of the past. The Spirit led us to fast from worldly things that would distract and mislead us. The Spirit of the Lord also led us to fast from the religious forms and ceremonies of the church system, and to embrace the Lord as our only Source.

We are "fasting" from the routine of going to church, for we discovered that the true Church is not something we go to! We are "fasting" from the gifts of the Spirit, for they were of the in-part ministry of yesterday! We are "fasting" from the five-fold ministry of the church, for our Father now has a better way to perfect His saints. And we are also "fasting" from the outward works of the past, such as missionary work, for the Lord has brought us into greater fullness where we are doing those "greater works," by the Spirit. We are called to worship Him in Spirit and in truth, and not according to the dictates of the carnal, religious systems of man. This is a lonely walk compared to the walk of the average Christian. The Lord knew that our fellowship with others who are not of this high calling would hinder our growth in the Spirit. But this walk is the way of the Spirit for us; it is the true "fast" by which all mankind and the whole creation shall be set free of the many bondages wherewith they are bound. Of all the religious works, practices and ceremonies of the church system, none of them will ever set the creation free. Only this walk of the sons of God, as they are led by the Spirit, is the true "fast" that shall bring deliverance to the whole creation.

This sonship walk is the true "fast" that is pleasing to the Lord. Our walk in obedience to the leadings of the Spirit has these promises from God: "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger (in condemnation?), and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the Lord shall guide thee continually,...and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breech, The restorer of paths to dwell in" (Is. 58:8-12).

Surely these wonderful kingdom promises should cause every one of us to hold to the course Father has set before us. The rewards of our obedience to the true fast, not only for us but for all others, are rich indeed. On page fifteen, we quoted a portion of Isaiah's prophecy in which he refers to "a man (who) shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." The body of Christ is that "man." As we obediently follow the Lord, and "fast" from the old ways of the past, we are becoming that anointed "MAN" that shall be a refuge from the storms, as rivers of waters in the desert, and as the shadow of the great Rock of Christ in a weary land. As a result of our "fast" and our union with Christ, we shall build the old places that lie waste. We shall raise up the foundations of many previous generations that ended in confusion and disobedience. Then, we shall be called, "The repairer of the breech, The restorer of paths to dwell in."

Not only are we called to observe the true fast of the Lord, which we are doing by being led of His Spirit, but we are also called to keep the principles of the Lord's greater Sabbath. The time has come when we are called to lay aside the religious, church works of the past, and do only the will of God in the earth. If we will turn away our feet from running hither and yon; from doing our own will while we think we are doing the will of God; cease doing the things that please us and our carnal, religious mind; and call the sabbath of the Lord honorable, not doing our own thing, nor finding our own pleasure, or speaking our own words, "then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Is. 58:13-14). God has set before us certain conditions we must meet if we expect to inherit the blessings and benefits of the kingdom of God. And by our sonship walk in obedience to the Spirit, we are meeting all those conditions!

The sum of the principles of the observance of the Lord's Sabbath is this: do only the will of God, nothing more and nothing less. The will of God is the only principle or law for us to observe and keep. The whole law of the kingdom of God is summed up in doing only and always the will of our Father in the earth. As sons of God, we delight in doing only His will in the earth! When we commit ourselves to doing only the will of our Father, we then have no will of our own. We have no programs, no agendas, and no plans of our own to keep and do. Our minds are empty of all the religious works, programs and schemes of man. Then, our minds will have become the fullness of the mind of Christ, and we shall be free to do the greater works, by doing only that which our Father tells us to do. This is the reality of the kingdom of God in the earth!

Paul and Emily Mueller