November 2001
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THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES TO EARTH



Part Eleven

November 2001

Sons of God are the called and chosen representatives of the kingdom of God on earth. The kingdom of God has come "down" to the earth in a greater way, making Father's faithful and obedient sons messengers and representatives of His kingdom. Our Father has imparted some basic yet profound gifts and abilities to all those who are chosen of Him to become sons of God. John described this high calling unto sonship, when He said, "but as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born (begotten or conceived), not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jo. 1:12-13). True sons of God believe on His Name, for they do His will and understand His sovereign, kingdom power and authority. And they have been conceived or begotten again unto a lively hope by the sovereign will and holy purpose of their Father in heaven.

Sons of God were chosen of God in the beginning, long before our earthly experience began. He not only chose us "before the foundation of the world," but our Father also predetermined "that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:3-5, 11). When we received Him, we were given power to become the sons of God. We received Him in the past in His spiritual appearings, and will also receive the Lord whenever He appears in the future. We will not doubt or reject Him, for our spirits and souls are always open and ready to receive Christ when He appears. We are sons of God now, but it does not yet appear what we shall be. There is no earthly, visible symbol or picture of a manifest son that we might use as a pattern. But we do know that when we see Him, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. It is by His appearings that we shall come forth in the image and likeness of the risen and glorified Christ of God (1 Jo. 3:2)!

Paul set forth some additional abilities or qualifications for all sons of God, when he said, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (figuratively put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Ro. 8:13-14). The high calling of the sons of God is not to die, but to live! And we can only Live, in the true sense of the word, by dying daily to the flesh and reckoning the old man to be dead (Ro. 6:4-11). "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus HATH made me (us) free from the law of sin and death" (Ro. 8:2). And I am sure many of us have grown spiritually so that we are continually walking in the Spirit, denying the ways of the flesh, while we walk out the spiritual path that leads to the abundant Life of Christ.

Sons of God also do not give in to the many negatives of the carnal mind, which will generally tell them to reject Christ, along with His way, His truth and His life. Some, who hope to become sons of God, will reject truth, which is the same as rejecting Christ, for they are hearing only what their carnal minds tell them. But Father's true sons are led by the Spirit at all times and in all circumstances! They are receiving each and every new truth, as the Spirit reveals it to them! All true sons, who hope to partake of the resurrection Life of Christ, which also is the manifestation of the sons of God, will receive ALL REVEALED TRUTH, by the Spirit. They will remain in blessed union with Christ and His true Body, receiving ALL TRUTH, as it is being revealed to them by the Spirit.

The original word for "resurrection," which pertains to the resurrection or the manifestation of the sons of God, actually means a standing up again, a resurrection from death, implying the recovery of spiritual truth (from Strong's Concordance). For us to be resurrected, by the Spirit, resulting in the glorious manifestation of the sons of God, we must receive all truth! Each one of us must grow spiritually to recover all the spiritual truth that was lost in the first Adam! Then the resurrection may take place in the life of every son. To be resurrected or manifested as God's sons, WE MUST RECEIVE ALL TRUTH! Therefore, we should never allow any one else to tell us that some word or message that we believe, or that we have heard and that we may not yet fully understand, is not the truth. There is much truth yet to be recovered by Father's growing and maturing sons!

True sons will not surrender the headship of their lives to anyone but Christ, Who alone is our true Head! There is only One who has ALL WISDOM, ALL KNOWLEDGE AND ALL TRUTH and He is called, "the Spirit of Truth" (John 16:13). No other person in this world has yet received all truth, for we are all partially living the carnal life, the life of the first Adam in part. While we walk through this realm of sin and death, we should be hearing only the voice of the Spirit of God. There is a fine line between hearing the voice of our Beloved and hearing the voice of the carnal, Adamic mind. Those who are rejecting new truth and who might tell you to do the same are listening to their carnal minds. No other person in this world should be your guide or your head, to tell you what is truth and what is not the truth! It is the Spirit's responsibility, and His alone, to "guide you (us) into all truth and .... shew you (us) things to come." To be transformed and changed into the image and likeness of the risen, resurrected and glorified Christ, we must receive all truth, for He is truth!

Furthermore, when the scriptures refer to being "risen" with Christ, we should clearly understand the depth of truth involved in the use of the word "risen." That word is taken from the Greek word "egeiro," and means to waken, to rouse from sleep or death. That word also includes the idea of collecting one's faculties (from Strong's), such as the spiritual faculties and abilities that were lost as a result of Adam's "fall." The true Body of Christ, who are all sons of God, are involved in a spiritual process of restoration and recovery. It is part of our high calling of God in Christ to recover all spiritual truth, and to collect all the divine faculties, which Adam once possessed when he was in the image and likeness of God in his pristine state in Eden (Ge. 1:26-27, Lu. 3:38). We are recovering all truth and the lost faculties of sonship, thus initiating the restoration of all things. This is the true spirit and purpose of our Father for all His called, chosen and faithful sons!

True sons also know, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." With this spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding, the Lord's chosen sons also meet these qualifications: "Do all things (according to His will) without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom YE SHINE AS LIGHTS in the world; Holding forth THE WORD OF LIFE" (Phil. 2:13-16).

We also understand that Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life" (Jo. 14:6). This means He will reveal to His sons the WAY they should take on this earth, as they live and walk in the Spirit. He also reveals His precious TRUTH to them, and He is their LIFE. As the WAY we should take in this world, by the Spirit, the Lord called us to be separate from the world and the flesh, and also from the religious systems of man. This includes all the old ways of the past, which were partially done for man and unto man. When He revealed His way to us, the Lord also enabled us to walk in that way by giving us the spiritual strength and ability to do all His revealed will.

More recently, we are seeing that the WAY of the Lord for His true sons may now include mourning and travailing for Christ, our bridegroom, and for His appearing, to transform us into His glorious image and likeness (Mt. 9:14-15). The Spirit-born desire within us is to see Christ as He is, that we might BECOME AS HE IS AND ALSO BE WITH HIM WHERE HE IS. When asked by John's disciples why the disciples or the followers of Jesus did not fast, Jesus replied, "Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom (Christ) shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast" (Mt. 9:14-15).

Immediately following this statement by Jesus, He told the parable of the old garment (vs. 16), followed by the parable of the old bottles and the new wine (vs. 17). This tells us there is a spiritual connection between mourning and travailing for the Lord (as in verses 14 and 15); and being changed to become new garments or new wineskins, fully prepared to receive the new wine of the kingdom of God (as in verses 16 and 17). Therefore, the question of fasting and mourning has to do with the coming of the presence of the Lord, or with the appearing of Christ, by which these old garments, or the old wineskins of this flesh, shall be changed and renewed, to become new wine vessels fully prepared to receive the new wine of the kingdom of God.

We earnestly desire to be with Christ, our elder Brother, TO BE ALL HE IS WHERE HE IS. Our spiritual destiny is to share with Him the same Glory and Life He now has with the Father. As He approached the end of His life and work here on earth, Jesus said to the Father, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word (Jo. 17:4-6). Jesus did indeed manifest the Father's Name to those whom the Father gave Him out of the world. The disciples of Jesus, and all mankind along with them, belonged to the Father in the first place. They were the Father's first, but were given as a gift to Jesus, that He would manifest the Father's Name (His authority and character) to each of them. And having completed His work in their lives and in the earth, Jesus asked the Father to let Him return to the same glory He had with the Father before the world was.

When Jesus returned to the Father, the Bridegroom was taken from among mankind and the world. Jesus said, "the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Mt. 9:15). The word fast, as used here, means to abstain from food. Fasting is an outward manifestation of an inner, spiritual condition. If we were to fast from food, according to the scriptural and spiritual meaning of the word, we would be showing forth an inner, spiritual condition, which in this parable means to mourn or grieve for something or someone. In this case, we would be mourning, grieving or travailing for Christ, our Bridegroom and beloved elder Brother, Who also is our Head, our Lord and our King.

In the beginning of verse fifteen, Jesus said, "Can the children of the bridechamber MOURN, as long as the bridegroom is with them?" Instead of using the word "fast" in this verse, Jesus used the word "mourn." For us to mourn or travail in the Spirit for Christ, our elder Brother, is the important thing; whether we fast from food matters little. The spiritual condition of our souls and our spirits is always more important than any natural or literal manifestation, such as fasting, partaking of literal bread and wine in a communion service, kneeling to pray, praying outwardly and ceremoniously, or going to meetings, etc. The truth is, the more spiritually mature we are, the less we are involved with such literal, physical, or outer, religious performances, which have now become the works of the flesh.

Although Jesus, our bridegroom, was taken from the world some 2000 years ago, we are beginning to understand, by the Spirit, that the time has come for the elect of the Lord to mourn for their beloved Bridegroom. The hour of the manifestation of the sons of God must be very near, for the Spirit is compelling some of us to mourn or travail for Christ, our beloved elder Brother. To mourn does not mean that we are mourning, crying or travailing outwardly. We may be laughing on the outside, while we are also mourning or travailing for our Savior, Lord and King in our innermost being. We are mourning or travailing in the Spirit so that Christ, our Head, shall be fully and completely joined to the body of Christ, which we are.

Our sincere desire now is to be totally and completely with Christ where He is, which is in the realm of Spirit. We miss our Lord Jesus Christ and long to be with Him in the same Glory He now has with the Father. We do not yet possess that great Glory and His abundant Life in fullness, but we know it is our Father's plan for us to receive all that and more from Him. This is in fulfillment of the prayer Jesus prayed: "Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to me [Your gift to Me,] MAY BE WITH ME WHERE I AM, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE MY GLORY, which you have given Me - Your love gift to Me - for you loved Me before the foundation of the world" (Jo. 17:24, Amplified).

Jesus prayed that we would be with Him where He is, and that we would also behold His glory. And that should be the desire of every called and chosen son as well! It is by the manifestation of the glory of the Lord that we shall be transformed into the same glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. Our Father would also have us see, by the Spirit, that He is not on some far off planet, where most Christians believe heaven is, but He is in the realm of Spirit. And in seeing Christ and the Father as they are in the realm of Spirit, we then realize that we have full and open access to Him and His glory. It is therefore by the Spirit that we shall approach the Lord, become all that He is, and then bring His glory down to the earth in the fullness of His kingdom presence, power and authority. That will be the coming of more of the greater fullness of the kingdom of God to the earth!

There is an ascension now taking place among the sons of God on earth, by the Spirit of the living God! They are ascending the mountain of the greater presence and glory of the Lord. The Psalmist asked, "Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood, or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. [Matt. 5:8.] He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. THIS IS THE GENERATION [description] OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM, who inquire of and for Him, and [of necessity] require Him, who seek your face, (O God of) Jacob. Selah [pause, and think of that]! [Ps. 42:1.]" (Ps. 24:3-6, Amplified). The Psalmist gave us this description of those who shall ascend the holy hill of the Lord! By this anointed word, we are assured that a holy, prepared company of saints shall ascend the holy, heavenly hill of the Lord! And we are the generation of those who shall seek the Lord and shall experience that earthshaking, creation-releasing manifestation of the sons of God.

An anointed remnant are ascending new heights in God, by the Spirit. They are climbing this last mountain, in the Spirit and by the leading of the Spirit. When we have reached the utmost heights of the mountain of the Lord, we shall then partake of the greater Glory and the abundant Life of Christ, our Lord! The anointing within Father's chosen elect is making them aware of the nearness of the hour. They have clean hands and a pure heart or mind. They have not exalted themselves in their carnal minds to the higher heights in God by their self-efforts or their vain reasonings or imaginations. They are not naming and claiming some place or realm in God that they do not yet possess (see Phil. 3:12). They are not lifted up or exalted in their own spirits by the false doctrines of man, nor have they sworn deceitfully, claiming something false by the falsehood of their carnal minds. But they are seeking the face of the Lord in humility and righteousness, as if they had not yet attained those high places in God. They also are inquiring of Him, and requiring Him and His presence. Because of their faithfulness and humility, Father's chosen and faithful elect shall receive the blessing of the Lord, along with His righteousness.

And now, our Father is making us aware how much we sincerely and earnestly desire to be with our beloved elder Brother. We long to be with Him where He is; and now we know for sure WHERE HE IS. Christ is seated at the right hand of our Father, in the Spirit, ruling and reigning over all mankind in all the earth. We are being enlightened of the Spirit to see that we are also seated with Him in those same heavenly places in Christ, ruling and reigning with Him to put every enemy under His/our feet (Eph. 2:6, Rev. 2:26-27, 3:21). Our present reign with Christ is a vital part of the Davidic reign of Christ, which has as its main purpose the defeat of every enemy, thus putting all those enemies under the feet of the Christ body.

Some of us are mourning and travailing for a revelation and a manifestation of Christ and His glory. Jesus told us there would come a time when some would mourn for Him. No doubt His disciples did mourn for Him when He left them then, but there is to be another time when His sons will mourn for Him, to be with Him as He is, and this may be that time. Jesus said, "Blessed and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED! [Isa. 61:2]" (Matt. 5:4, Amp.). To "be comforted," according to the original word, means to call near, to invite. Therefore, our Father will comfort all who mourn by calling them near to Himself, inviting them to be with Him where He is, to share the Glory He now has with the Father. That will be the greatest COMFORT any person could ever know! And that spiritual comfort is promised and reserved for all those sons of God who are mourning or travailing for Him! When our Father comforts those who mourn for Him, we shall be blessed with the fullness of the Glory, Presence and Life of Christ, by whose power and authority we shall administer His kingdom, making Him available to all.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied of the restoration of all things, by the Spirit of the Lord. He declared of Christ and His work in the Spirit: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives, and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound; [Rom. 10:15.] To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord - the year for His favor - ..." (Is. 61:1-2a, Amplified). Jesus read this portion to those who were assembled in the synagogue in Nazareth on a Sabbath day (see Luke 4:16-20). He read only this portion, and then closed the book and sat down. This tells us that only this portion of Isaiah's prophecy was to be fulfilled during Jesus' earthly ministry and also during the church age. The rest of that prophecy, beginning with the last portion of verse two and continuing through chapter sixty-two, shall be gloriously fulfilled in a spectacular manner during this great kingdom Day, which also is a Sabbath Day.

The anointed prophecy of Isaiah continues with this most glorious and enlightening Word of truth: ".... and the day of vengeance of our God; TO COMFORT ALL WHO MOURN; [Matt. 11:2-6; Luke 4:18, 19; 7:22.] To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion, to give them an ornament - a garland or diadem - of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified" (Is. 61:2b-3, Amplified). This portion of Isaiah's prophecy shall be completely fulfilled in this new kingdom Day, by the Spirit. It shall be gloriously fulfilled in the earth through Father's chosen and elect sons, who are mourning and travailing in the Spirit for their beloved elder Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In a previous booklet (Oct. 2000), we explained "the day of vengeance of our God" as being the same as the Day of the reign of Christ in all the earth. This is the Day when Christ is reigning in the earth to defeat every one of His enemies, and put them all under His feet. During this great kingdom Day, the rest of Isaiah's prophecy (from 61:2b to 62:12) shall be gloriously fulfilled to the last jot and tittle of God's anointed and holy, prophetic Word of truth. The Psalmist sang of this day of vengeance and then told of our part in executing the Lord's just and righteous vengeance on His enemies: "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with (garments of) salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory... Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: THIS HONOUR HAVE ALL HIS SAINTS. Praise ye the Lord (Ps. 149:4-9). We are genuinely honored by the Lord when He invites us to sit with Him on His throne to reign with Him and execute His just correction upon the nations. If we truly appreciate that honor, we will have ended all our useless religious practices of the past, and will honor, respect and observe this present Sabbath Day by fully entering into His Rest.

To comfort us, according to the wording of Isaiah's prophecy (61:2), means to be sorry for in a favorable sense, to pity, console, or avenge. Thus, our Father will comfort us by being sorry and merciful toward us, by giving us favor in His sight and in the sight of the nations, and by consoling us and avenging us of our enemies, which also are His enemies. Father will also "grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion." The King James translation says, "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion..." To appoint, from the original, means to put in place. Therefore, God will put us in our places in His kingdom, which is fully in Christ on His throne of all power and glory. At long last we will realize the fullness of the hopes and dreams within us, which were birthed by the Spirit and planted within our hearts.

We spent many years looking for and anticipating that those hopes and dreams were to be fulfilled in the church age. We waited long and prayed often, but found no fulfillment of them in the churches and fellowships of man in the past. But now we have grown to realize that those hopes, dreams and visions of the Spirit were meant for this wonderful new Sabbath Day of the greater fullness of the kingdom of God. Now we know, by the Spirit, that every unfulfilled prophecy and every unrealized vision and hope that was imparted to us by the Spirit, was purposed of Him to be fulfilled and realized in the blessed kingdom of our Father during this new Day.

Our Father is appointing us our own individual places in His kingdom. He is putting us in our places, in the Spirit and by the Spirit. It is a unique place in God and in His kingdom that is ours, and ours alone. In the kingdom of God there is no competition, no lust or greed, and most certainly no covetous desire for that which belongs to someone else. When Father appoints us our place, or puts us in our own places in His kingdom, we will be entirely satisfied with that appointment and will not desire another person's place. To be in our own places in the kingdom of our Father will make us totally and completely satisfied. We will have found that which our spirits and souls have desired throughout our lifetime, and for which we endured our tests and trials! We will then understand what the prophet meant, when he said, "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten..." (Joel 2:25). Not only will the tests and trials of this life bring us to the fullness of the glory of the Lord (Ro. 8:18), but even the years we spent in those trials will be restored to us. Then we will know and experience the true consolation and joy of the Lord!

Those who mourn in Zion shall be appointed to a place or a realm in God that is pure, heavenly joy, even the joy of the Lord; it will be a realm in God that abounds with His comfort and consolation. Job declared that those who mourn shall be exalted or lifted up in the Spirit to a lofty place that is safe and strong, a place of safety, deliverance, liberty and salvation (Job 5:11). Father will give them an ornament - a garland or diadem - of beauty instead of ashes. Ashes represent a mournful state of mind and attitude, a state that negatively impacts our entire life in this realm of sin and death, which is basically what this present life is. For those mourners to be given a diadem indicates their transformation or resurrection from this life, which is really the first death, to the new and greater Life of Christ, which is true Life indeed. A diadem is a crown given to all those who mourn. That crown signifies their royal status, and that those who wear it have the royal dignity and authority given them by their heavenly Father.

Father will also give those who mourn in Zion the oil of joy in exchange for their mournful spirit and attitude. He will anoint them with the precious oil of the seven Spirits of God. And that anointing oil shall cover them completely, thus eliminating all sorrow, tears and mourning from their lives completely and forever ((Ps. 133 & Rev. 21:4). The original word suggests that that anointing oil may be perfumed, indicating the richness and high quality of the anointing oil of the Spirit of the Lord. All who mourn shall be lavishly and completely covered with that special anointing oil of the Lord. The richness and heavenly perfume of that anointing oil shall replace our old life with a new one, removing from us all the doom and gloom, along with the negativity of this life. The power and glory of that special anointing oil shall change us and give us Life for evermore. The Lord will also transform all who come in contact with us into the same image and likeness of Christ, even as we have been transformed.

The next thing Father will give to those who mourn is "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." A garment is like a coat that entirely covers us. It is that specific "garment" that changes us and gives us a new Life, even the Life of Christ. It is the garment or clothing of the Spirit; it is our "house from heaven." That "garment of praise" represents the new Life of Christ that will swallow up this old physical, earthly life, changing is within and without, and making us spiritual kings and priests in the kingdom of our Father (2 Co. 5:1-5). We now have "the earnest of the Spirit," and "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Then, we shall be given the fullness of the seven Spirits of God! This will make us manifest sons of God, giving us our inheritance in His kingdom, which was prepared for us from the foundation of the world. That "garment of praise," will replace the spirit of heaviness, which originated in the carnal mind we once had. Then we shall fully manifest the power and glory of the grand and magnificent kingdom of our Father.

"The garment of praise" provides many other benefits as well. By receiving that garment, we become "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." According to the authors of the Amplified Bible, the trees of righteousness represent those who are "lofty, strong and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God." What a drastic change shall take place in the lives of those who once mourned and travailed for their beloved elder Brother! And what a drastic change that shall be for the whole human race! A people shall come forth in the earth who are spiritually "lofty, strong and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God."

Imagine a people governing the world in absolute peace, justice and righteousness. They are in the world, but not of the world. They are distinguished for uprightness and justice and have a right standing with God. The world has never yet seen a people as we shall be when we are given that "garment of praise." But the world shall see such a people, for God has had us in training for that purpose and unto that appointed hour of deliverance and full salvation. What great victory, manifold blessings and kingdom Life abundant shall then be revealed and manifested for all the world to witness and receive!

Later in the chapter, the prophet Isaiah expressed prophetically what we shall have when we are fully adorned with the garments of His Life. Thus we read, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Is. 61:10). What joy and rejoicing shall take place when we are delivered and set free from this "life;" released by the Spirit to soar with the angels and manifest the Life, power and glory of the kingdom of God in the heavenly realm of Spirit. What joy and rejoicing we shall know and experience when we are changed to become spirit (John 3:6), and are given a new body! We shall then minister as Christ-like, Melchisedec kings and priests in the glorious and magnificent kingdom of our Father!

We shall be clothed "with the garments of salvation." Those garments will not be ordinary, run-of-the-mill, religious garments, but they will be garments of salvation, garments of the fullness of the Life of Christ. We most certainly are saved now! Salvation has already been provided for us and given to us, but what we have now is only in part. We have not yet received the fullness of the salvation of the Lord, nor have we been completely born again of the Spirit to become spirit. When we receive that garment of salvation, we shall indeed be born again of the Spirit to become spirit (see Jo. 3:3-7). That will be the fullness of the salvation of the Lord, including the transformation of our souls (which is the mind, the will and the emotions) and also of our bodies. What glory yet awaits us in the blessed kingdom of our Father!

Not only will we be covered over and clothed upon with that wonderful, new garment of the salvation of the Lord, but we shall also be completely covered and clothed upon with the "robe" of the righteousness of Christ. That "robe" of righteousness will give us the well adorned and highly ornamented appearance as of a "bridegroom (who) decks himself with a garland, and as a bride (who) adorns herself with her jewels" (Is. 61:10, Amplified). Of course, this worldly language hardly does justice to the true appearance of the holy, royal, and fully manifested sons of God. The words of man could never adequately tell of such wondrous glory as we shall possess and show forth when we have been saved in fullness, and are gloriously arrayed in the royal garments of the Life of Christ. But the Spirit within us is compelling us onward and upward, causing us to sense in the Spirit that the blessed hour of our unveiling is near at hand. Then, all mystery regarding the appearance of the manifest sons of God shall disappear in the manifest glory of an unveiling and a revelation that may shock the world, but which shall surely give new hope to the sons of men, and to the whole creation with them.

The earnest expectation of the whole creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Ro. 8:19). Every created thing is waiting for us to grow up into Christ. They are waiting for our united, combined manifestation, or for the manifestation of all the sons of God together, as one Body. And when that earthshaking, creation-releasing manifestation takes place, all shall be liberated from the curse of sin and death, which bound them to this carnal realm. Then the whole creation also shall be delivered and set free, just as we have been, for we are a kind of firstfruits of them all (see James 1:18, Amplified).

Our real, literal transformation shall take place by the glorious appearing of Christ! The Lord is changing us gradually and progres-sively as we continue to overcome, or endure, the tests and trials of this life. But there is a greater and more drastic change or transformation to come, which shall take place in our lives "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." Then, at that appearing of Christ, "the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Co. 15:52). This complete, drastic and immediate change shall take place by the appearing of Christ in the lives of all those who love His appearings (2 Tim. 4:8), and who are mourning and travailing for Him! Our most earnest and sincere desire now is to be with Him where He is, to share the same glory He now has with the Father.

The Spirit of the Lord is now moving in our lives, leading us and compelling us to mourn for Him, that we might be WITH HIM WHERE HE IS! And, "WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, we shall be like him; for we shall see Him as He is" (1 Jo. 3:2). Then, we shall be given a new "garment," or a new body, thus becoming a new "wine bottle" in the kingdom of God, to be with Him where He is. We shall then be fully prepared to be filled with the new wine of our Father's just, righteous and majestic kingdom (Mt. 9:16-17). And the power of the kingdom of God, which is Christ, is constantly working within us to fulfill that divine purpose. That purpose was foreordained of our loving and merciful Father for us before the foundation of the world!

To help us understand the sovereign power of our God, which is always working in the earth to fulfill His purposes unto full redemption and restoration, the Lord gave us this promise: "For as surely as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so surely the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [THROUGH THE SELF-FULFILLING POWER OF HIS WORD]" (Is. 61:11, Amplified). What a wonderful Word of Life that is! The kingdom of God has all the power of God within it to bring to pass God's purposes for us, for this world and for the whole universe! By the self-fulfilling power of the anointed and living Word of God, we are growing in the Spirit and by the Spirit with each passing day. It is by Christ and the self-fulfilling power of the Word, which He is, that we are becoming manifest sons of God, with the authority and power of our Father to set the whole creation free of its many bondages to sin and death! And the anointed, living word of God is being fulfilled now!

By the righteous judgments of the Lord, restoration is continuing to take place in the earth (Is. 26:8-9)! Since the disaster of September the eleventh, the Name of the Lord has been mentioned by many more, who are calling out to the Lord for help and comfort. The courts have taken religious prayer out of our schools, but Father is putting Spirit-birthed prayer into the hearts of many more in this nation, where it really belongs. Father's purpose in this war, as in all other wars, is clearly stated by the Lord, when He said "that the heathen may know Me" (Ez. 38:16). This war may be the most difficult ever for our nation and people. It will be a war with no victors; a war without end, except the Lord should deliver us out of it, by His Spirit! And I believe the Lord will intervene in this conflict for the sake of His elect and chosen remnant in the earth! It is very possible that the Lord will intervene on behalf of His elect by bringing forth the full maturity of His sons. That will be the manifestation of the sons of God! Dearly beloved, trust not in man! Expect God alone to do something grand and wonderful for us! Expect, believe and anticipate the glorious manifestation of the sons of God! This is our true and only hope!

God's Word continues by telling us, "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth" (Is. 62:1). The "I" Person in this prophecy can only be the Lord Jesus Christ, for to Him has been given the destiny of the world and of all mankind. Jesus Christ is the "man" who, for the hidden treasure that He saw in the "field" of the world, went and bought that "field" with His life (see Mt. 13:44). The Apostle Paul also tells us, "all things were created by Him, and FOR HIM: And he is before all things, and by Him all things consist." It is also BY HIM that all things shall be reconciled unto the Father (see Col. 1:16-20). All things were created BY the Lord and FOR Him! The Lord Himself will not hold His peace, nor will He rest, until all the saints of the spiritual new Jerusalem realm are appropriately clothed upon with His pure garments of righteousness and Life. Nor will He be fully satisfied until His pure and perfect righteousness and salvation is shining out from His sons with the brilliancy and brightness as of a burning lamp. That is Father's plan for every one of us! And His plan shall be gloriously, triumphantly and victoriously fulfilled in the life of every called, chosen and faithful son (Rev. 17:14).

Isaiah's prophetic description of the Christ Body in our finished state continues with these wonderful, prophetic words of truth: "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness (which is really His righteousness), and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (meaning My delight is in her), and thy land Beulah (meaning married): for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, SO SHALL THY GOD REJOICE OVER THEE" (Is. 62:2-5). Indeed, what glory, righteousness, love and life shall adorn us when we finally stand complete and fully finished in the kingdom of our Father. Then, even God will rejoice over us!

But when we are fully finished, perfected and matured as manifest sons of God, it will not be just to make God and the hosts of heaven happy. Our high calling also includes the full and complete restoration of all things. After the prophet finished describing the work of the seven Spirits of God, he prophesied this pure word of the Lord: "And they (we) shall build the old wastes, they (we) shall raise up the former desolations, and they (we) shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves" (Is. 61:4, 6). Sons of God shall become manifest sons of God, not just to float on clouds of glory or to sing and dance with the angels, but for these divine purposes: to restore all things; to build up the old waste places; to raise up that which was formerly desolate; to repair the cities that are wasted by the carnal man's sins and iniquities; and to restore the desolations caused by many generations of man's evil, unrighteous and wicked deeds.

May God help us to understand our new life in the kingdom of our Father! When our vision is clear, by the revelation of the Spirit, we will then understand all that is involved in our spiritual growth and manifestation as sons of God. These are serious times! This is the Day of the Lord and also the Day of His kingdom reign. If we know and understand this, by the Spirit, we will not hesitate to strip ourselves for the remainder of the race that is before us. We will then let God remove from us all that is of the past. We know that when we surrender our own will to His pure and perfect will, "He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second" (He. 10:9). The "first" the Lord will remove from us is the old church order, while the "second," that He will establish within us when the first is removed, is the new order of the blessed and glorious kingdom of our Father. Are you ready for this initial change, which will lead to our full and complete transformation into His image and likeness?

This high calling is not only for elderly folks who have reached the end of their lives. Sonship has as its divine purpose the manifestation of all the sons of God. Father is dealing with young people today just as He is with some of us who are older. Hear what a young man recently wrote to us by email, who is from the Portland area but has been working in Switzerland: "Recently, Father has been revealing things to me. Revealing His purposes, His ways. What a revelation! Just about an hour ago I decided to fellowship with my Father, our Father. I prayed in the spirit for a while, paused, thought about doing something else, then said to myself, `no, I need to work it out.' So I began praying again. I knew in my spirit that something needed to be dealt with. I began fellowshiping and praying in the spirit. And what followed transformed me. He unveiled truths, He revealed wondrous, glorious truths!

"He made known to me that the work is finished. His work in my life is finished, completed. There are things in my life that have perplexed me, disturbed me, angered me. I have been often bitter and resentful because of these things. Some of them I have dealt with since my childhood! But Father made clear to me that the work is finished. And all the dealings in my life, all the trials, the tribulations, the heartaches, the pain, they all have had a purpose! This path that I now tread was planned before I was born! Everything! Nothing is by accident. He planned every detail with love. My physical appearance, where I would be born, the parents I would have, where I would grow up, if I would have siblings, the house (where) I would live, the school I would go to, what friends I would have, what interests I would have. I could go on and on, but in essence everything. Every single detail of my life! And everything has a purpose, a reason. How, in the past, I have been angry, bitter, and resentful because of various things. But I was angry, bitter, resentful because I had no knowledge of the purpose and the reason.

"But lo! When the Spirit of God opens my eyes, I see that everything has reason, that everything has purpose, and nothing is by accident! God is in control! That every happening in my life has a reason, has a purpose! Every detail has a reason. Although I have known that in my mind for some time now, it seems that Father brought it all together in this moment and unveiled, revealed, uncovered this glorious truth to my spirit! Now I am no longer angry, no longer resentful, no longer bitter, no longer concerned! Because He has everything under control. How I praise Him! How I glorify Him! His work is complete in me. It's all there, just waiting to be revealed, uncovered, unveiled. It's the Christ within me! So now I wait. But what peace I now have in my heart, what a rest! God has rested from His work, and His work is perfect, so I can rest too.

"So I am on the right path. The end I can see, but between where I now stand and the end lie much tribulation, trials, tests, problems, perhaps sickness, perhaps injuries, perhaps death of a family member, a friend, or a relative. But it all has and will have a purpose. God determined everything beforehand. There are and there will be no `accidents.' Father determined every detail with the utmost love and care. And He set it all in motion by His Word!" (End of quotation.)

Doesn't this sound like an anointed word from a maturing son who is in the process of becoming a manifest son of God? Indeed, young and old alike are on this path to sonship. Some of us are groaning and travailing now, that we might be as He is and where He is! If indeed we are approaching the hour of the manifestation of the sons of God, all other chosen sons will join us in a combined groan and travail that will bring Heaven down to earth in great glory, allowing us to see Him as He is. And all it will take is just a glimpse of Him in all His glory! Then we shall become as He is, to be where He is forever!

Paul and Emily Mueller

P O BOX 25055, PORTLAND, OR 97298-0055

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