I was sitting with God the other day and looking at the "Church" and the "Kingdom". I was wondering and asking Him, since we are all His people, why does there seem to be such a gape between the "Church people" and the "Kingdom people"? It was like I was looking at two totally different cities, yet they were encompassed by a larger and much greater "City" also all the people in these two cities were born of the same Father. As I looked at this, I felt these two cities and these people should have had a whole lot more in common then what I was seeing. It seemed to me as though these two cities and the people within them were either in continual turmoil or continual searching. The "Great City" which held them all was not in turmoil nor did it seem to be struggling or searching for anything. Some were searching out its secrets while others were receiving nothing from it. Most seemed oblivious to all its great resources and to the fact that it was what was holding them all together, thus my title. I guess I could compare this to our bodies and our spirits. Our body want to be in charge and so do our spirits and both are contained within the Father. Yet the body and spirit struggle to be in charge while the truth is, we are not of this world or are we are own. We are spirit and the world and our bodies are part of Gods training field, so both live in turmoil, with the one continually seeks for the truth. Both are contained within the Father of all, one continually oblivious and the other continually seeking.

In the "Kingdom", Gods people are to operate in "Love" only, while in the "Church" realm, "Fear" operates openly. Since I don’t believe the "Church" is where it will be eventually, I see it as the second city, separated at this time from the "Kingdom" city. I believe the true "Church", the (Virgin Bride, the New Jerusalem) is in operation however in the "Kingdom" realm. There is also the false "Church", (the Harlot or Mystery Babylon) also operating now in Gods people. This is so easy to see in the spirit, but not so easy to explain in the natural, so bare with me. As always I’m not against any of Gods people or where God has them, I see things and try to let others share in them, the rest is up to God. Perhaps explaining what I feel would help here. In my opinion the false "Church" operates under human wisdom, is influenced by the world and more or less brings bondage and death to all it touches while the true "Church" operates under the power of Gods Spirit and produces life, freedom in the Spirit and the mature man or "Manchild" that will bring "Life" to the rest of Gods "Body".

Now both of these "Cities", as I am calling them, are made up of Gods people, but unfortunately most are refusing knowledge, to one degree or another, Hos.4:6-7; 2Tim.3:5&7; Titus 1:15-16. Whether they do this through lack of truth being taught in their "Church", which I believe God calls, ignorance and unbelief, they all seem to be oblivious to the fact they are prisoners of the "not so great city of Babylon". This city is the "Harlot" of the religious system and She is loved and honored by men, (Gods men). They have accepted Her invisible bars as security and are angered easily, when a truly seeking son of God, speaks out against Her, Rev.17:4-6 and Rev.18:1-5. The "Church" is blind and either cannot or will not see "Her" faults at this time or the danger "She" places Gods people into, Heb.5:12-14. God’s people must grow, its ordained, they will not stay bound! I see no other way of coming into maturity and perfection, or of being filled with Gods fullness, nor of becoming "One" with Christ, if we do not grow! Choosing to believe and accept the invisible prison, to remain blind, or to stay bound, produces babies with out the growth or freedom that is Christ, or the hope of maturity that come from experiencing Him. Growing in Christ requires that we leave the baby level. God spoke of this level in 1Pet.2:1-3; 1Cor.3:1-3 and Heb.6:1-2. Babies are very precious to God, but they are also very carnal and divided in their spiritual walk and growth.

In my walk with the Lord, I’ve seen how this "baby stage" has held many wonderful people back. I praise God here that He took me past this level and that I didn’t remain in that bondage. And as silly as it sounds, I’ve even asked God, if we were really His at this stage. Not because the people are so bad or rebellious, they actually do "act" like Christians at "Church", but because they just didn’t seem to grow or have a true revelation on the cleansing power of the "Blood of Jesus". Hard set on a lot of other things, but never really sure of who they were in Christ or how to stay in His good graces! Being lost one minute and saved the next, for years, makes for a very confused and insecure person, and God does not want that for any of His children!

Next, I believe God brings us into that zealous level or the "young man" stage, where we always want to do something for God and where we are positive it is what He wants. I’m not against this growing hunger, I’m all for it as a matter of fact, it’s a blind kind of faith that I think pleases the Father. Like when your child takes those first steps or says their first words. It’s a very wonderfully oblivious, free and trusting place and the "Church" doesn’t like it, so they do their best to put out your fire.

I remember when Dale and I were at this place in our walk and how the good "Christian leaders" were always putting water on our fire. Thank God, He kept His angles around us, and saints who encouraged us, to go on and grow in Christ and who were there for us, to continually feed our fire. I really think finding out there was so much more for us in Christ, is what really fed our fire and created that greater hunger within us, but all this caused us out grow the dead churches we were in. (Not bad churches or not necessary, just dead for us at that time in our walk). I truly believe that once you taste the power of the Holy Spirit, you never want to go back to just being a "Christian", because there is always a drive within you to go onward and upward! Not being able to move and grow in Christ, would to me seem like, a prison or a ball and chain. To me, being bound to a weight that only wants to drag me back into the world and away from God would truly be hell!

I don’t want to be like those I see everyday, trying everything just to find peace for a moment and never really finding it. I don’t believe the world or religion have the peace people need or want! It can’t be found in the world or what it has to offer, it isn’t found in a person you think you love and it isn’t found in a building called a "Church"! It’s found in a relationship with the Father, which comes through a true revelation of Christ! And that means we have to go past the "Cross" of Jesus! And if you are religious, you won’t like that one either, but I believe Heb.6:1- whatever, discusses that well enough.

Next, I believe would be the "Spirit Filled" level. Not that you can’t receive the infilling of the Spirit at the "young man" level, but at this level of the Spirit, we learn submission and obedience to the Father. It’s where you are filled continually and die daily, where we learn to walk, live, speak and press into the Spirit of God.

I do not believe this level is in anything I’ve mentioned as yet or in any of the scriptures we have read even though all were given sanctification in Christ, called to be saints and did not have lack in the gifts, such as Paul mentioned in 1Cor.3:1-3, yet all lacked the quality of maturity. The level I’m speaking of now goes way beyond what we have gone over and where most Christians have dared to go. Because I believe this is the level, where those who go, will manifest Christ first and be possessed by the Father just as Jesus was. It’s where the supernatural becomes a way of life and where the carnal and its divisions have no place.

Most of Gods "Church" and "Body" at this time are divided, self- righteous and very wrapped up in their religions. They have brought the Pentecostal experience down to a doctrine taught by men, rather then an experience with the Father!

Acts 20:35, says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive". [Strongs #3107, says, this is an adjective, suggesting a condition in which congratulations are in order]. So I figured that since receiving the Holy Spirit and all that comes with Him (learning, growing, and being changed into Gods image) was such a great blessing, that giving or ministering "Truth and Life" was really going to be something. In the Spirit that is because the carnal man cannot see it or feel that it is awesome, they see and feel only the pain of it. Jesus knew the pain, but He walked in the glory that was within Him.

It is at this level that God shares with you the same things He shared with Jesus. God is no respecter of persons and what He shared with His "First Son" He hungers to share with His other sons. 1Cor.2:4-5; Gal.3:4-5 and Heb.2:4, its God that works through us as He ministers His supernatural powers, at He wills, just as He worked them through Jesus. It wasn’t any power Jesus had and it won’t be any power we have either, it belongs to God and it always has! Just as Jesus "the Man" walked on water, cleansed the lepers, healed the sick, raised the dead, multiplied the loaves and the fishes and demonstrated the "Life and Power" of God flowing through Him, so shall the rest of Gods sons do, as God directs them.

This happens as we grow, learn obedience and are transformed into His image, and it isn’t a private place for only a few, it is for His many sons. Its also from here that we may move on from the servant used of God, to the willing servant, where we will see the Spirit without measure, Jh.3:34 and Jh.7:16-18. It’s the place I know we are all hungering to be, where we walk and think as Jesus did and even greater, Jh.14:12-14. Its the place where we will use the Fathers Authority and wisdom, and where the time of "Adoption", (and you will have to go back here to our study on adoption, and how the word meant, being placed into the fullness of our inheritance at the time of our full maturity). This is where we will finely operate in the "Mind of Christ", where the two men in the bed (one carnal, one sprit) become the spiritually mature God man. The carnal totally removed and we become "One" with the Father! It’s also the place where we finely understand the true meaning of being an "Overcomer"!

When we reach this place in God, or should I say, when God has totally retrieved what was His, (us)! Then, His "Church" will be delivered from Her bondages to the world and its religious systems. Because it will be at this point that God Almighty will be revealed in His glory, through His perfectly matured sons or the "Manchild" if you can receive that.

It will be the babies and young men in Christ who will reach this perfection if they will hear the call, to come out of Her, be separated, and follow Christ not man. If they accept this challenge, they will become "One with the Father".

The "Church" and the "Body" will also grow up and be brought out of bondage and into the "Kingdom of God". Where finely they will be "One with the Father". So hold on, believe what the Father says and press in with all that you have. He will do it and it will happen right on time! He has always been an on time God, not our timing but His!

After studying this and talking with God at some length, I decided I wasn’t where I had hoped I was in my walk with the Father. It was disappointing to say the least, but it wasn’t a bad thing. So I hope this study will help you to discover where you are in Christ and then check yourselves and see what it is that you are pressing into.

If you feel as though you are out in left field, just press on toward the higher calling in God. Aim for the fullness of God and let Him have His way in you and your so-called life. You are not lost, not cut off, and not separated from God! You are facing your cross, daily dying to self and laying down all for Christ! Know and believe that God is bringing you into the promise of "Oneness with Him". Keep your focus on Him because you are ascending the "Hill of the Lord", and you will fulfill your destiny because God made the way! And that destiny is to be, "One Great City with our Lord and God"!