Gods Kingdom
Working Its Way into
The Framework of Our Inner Man
SOME YEARS AGO WHEN THE LORD BEGAN SPEAKING To Glenda and me anew about
going to the nations, I gave much thought to what I should minister. He
spoke clearly to me that I was to minister the Gospel of the Kingdom. I wasnt certain I knew exactly what that meant. I assumed it
had something to do with the performing of miracles and wonders among
the people to whom we would go. The passage that came most forcefully
to my attention at that time was Matthew 4:23. Let me emphasize
to you the words He emphasized to me. And Jesus went about all Galilee, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel of
the kingdom, and HEALING all manner of sickness and all manner
of disease among the people.
I knew there was a divine order thereteaching, preaching and healing. He reminded me He had set me in the Body as a teacher,
and that I was to function in that capacity when I went among the nations.
All I knew to do was to listen attentively to the Holy Spirit wherever
we went and teach the Word He was quickening to me. Very prominent was
the parable of the Kingdom told by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 13:3-9 and explained in 13:18-23. This is the parable about the sower
and the soils. There was an anointing, over and over, just to lay out
what Jesus taught. I enjoyed watching the Holy Spirit bring the Word to
life in those to whom we were ministering. But, I think, even more significantly,
the Word was coming to life in me.
The Holy Spirit caused us to take special note that the seed planted
was the word of the Kingdom (Mathew 13:19), hated and feared
by the enemy, rejected by many hearers, a cause of trouble in many lives.
But, oh, how powerful in those who would receive it!
I saw the Greek word for word was lógos, a powerful word in itself. The lógos is more
than a spoken word. It is the wordplus the idea behind the word.
We were able to make it very clear by telling of the grain of corn that
has in it a germ of corn life that, when planted, brings forth that life
in new and vibrant form.
So, the lógos of the Kingdom is to be planted
in our hearts, having in it the germ of Kingdom Life that will make the
Kingdom manifest in us.
One day, after much expounding on this wonderful idea, the Lord spoke
to me. Do you know what is the first word of the Kingdom?"
This stopped me. I hadnt considered what it might be. Then clearly
I saw it. The first Word of the Kingdom is repent. Matthew
4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Repent simply and clearly means "change your way of thinking."
When we receive that Word, that powerful lógos Word,
there comes with it a germ of Kingdom life that sprouts up and expands
till we can know inside us what Paul knewthe Kingdom of God and those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:31).
What a powerful place for these last days! Were moving toward this. Amen!
THIS MONTH we're going to let Jesus guide us as the Kingdom He brought
so powerfully into the earth works its way into our inner man. May our
way of thinking begin to reflect Who He is in us and who we are in Him,
Thus, we can beginin a practical and demonstrable wayto reign
in life by One, Jesus ChristRom 5:17.
DAY 1The First Word
of the KingdomRepent, "Change Your Way of Thinking"
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT: (change your way of thinking) for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
LORD, my way of thinking and responding has held on to values
the world has put in me. I repent before You. I want to think in line
with Your Kingdom. Please release me from ideas and values that are wrong
in Your eyes.
Heavens Response to RepentanceLk
15: 10-32
DAY 2The Necessity
of Repentance for Everyone
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT, ye shall all
likewise perish.
FATHER, help me cease looking at others who should repent while
I remain so needy before You myself Search me, O GOD, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me. As
You show me, grant repentance to me.
The Narrow Call of Jesus: It is only to sinners
who must repentMt 9:10-13; II Pet 3:9
DAY 3Repentance: At the
Heart of the Gospel for Every Nationnot One Exemption
Luke 24:46,47 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus
it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
And that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
DEAR LORD, I see how far repentance is to go. There is no race
or culture excused from its demand. Let this understanding only increase
in me till I give my every effort to spreading this word.
The Spreading of Gods Saving Health among
All NationsPs 67:1-4; Is 42:5-9; Lk 2:30-32
DAY 4The Joy Repentance
Brings in Heaven
Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,
which need no repentance.
GRACIOUS LORD, I want to bring You joy. I am now ready to receive
a new way of thinking. Search out every thought that could make me fail
under pressure. Bring me to full repentance.
The Fruit of RepentanceII Cor
7:8-11; II Tim 2:24-26
DAY 5The Joy Repentance
Brings to Us
Revelation 3:19,20 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:
be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me.
DEAR LORD, Im sorry for my ways of thinking that have
kept You outside. Please come inside. In parts of my mind I need Your
healing presence. By Your mercy, restore joy in meand these I hold
before You.
Response and Training of Disciples: the Result
of RepentanceMt 4:18-5:2
Repentance opens us to a new way of
thinking, set up in us by the Lord Jesus. He outlined this new way
for us in Matthew 5:3-11, the passage often called The Beatitudes. They work toward setting up in us the character qualities of His
Kingdom. As we spend time with them, may the way Jesus Thought come
over upon us.
DAY 6The Poverty,
or Humility, that Makes Way for Gods Kingdom
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit (those who
are poverty stricken in their own spiritual capacity):for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
DEAR LORD, I have no value to add to Your wealth. I am like
a beggar before You. I need the grace of Your Kingdom working in me so
I can demonstrate Your mercy to others who are as poverty stricken as
I am. Help me be a healing kind of person toward others.
The Price of Pride, the Value of HumilityII
Chron 32:26; Pro 11:2; 16:18,19; Ezk 16:49; I Jn 2:16,17
DAY 7The Spiritual
Humility that Opens the Way for the Revelation of Kingdom Truth
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
FATHER, forgive me for the pride that has ruled my heart. I
now humble myself before You as a spiritual babe. Teach me. Remove the
blindness that has made me haughty.
Becoming as a Child in the KingdomMt
18:1-4; Ps 131:1,2
DAY 8A Prophets Word
about Humility
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with
him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit
of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
MIGHTY GOD, Solomon said the heaven of heavens cannot contain
You, and yet You will dwell with the most humble and broken soul there
is. I love You for this. I want to be broken and humble before You. I
thank You even for the things that have humiliated me. Sanctify them to
me. Remove the bitterness of them from my heart and dwell with me.
How Gods Attention Goes to Those Broken
in SpiritPs 34:18; Ps 51:17; Isa 66:1,2
DAY 9The Attitude that
Prepares Us to Be Comforted
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn (as they grieve
over their own sinfulness as well as the sinfulness of the world): for they shall be comforted.
DEAR LORD, the grief of my own sinfulness has sometimes been
more than I could bear. It has crowded me to You. My inability to walk
straight for Your Kingdom has been a sorrow to me. I need Your comfort,
dear Paraclete. (This is a term of reference to the Holy Spirit;
from the Greek parákletos, one called alongside to be
a helper, a comforter. This word occurs in John 14:16, 26; John
15:26 and John 16:7.) Draw near to my soul and be my
Helper.
How David Mourned over His Sin; What Jesus PromisedPs
6:1-7; Jn 14:16,17
DAY 10The Mourning of Repentance
that the Holy Spirit Brings
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and
they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for
him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
HEAVENLY FATHER, my soul grieves for the way I have responded
to the love You have given me in Christ Jesus. I grieve for our nation,
and the nations of the world that reject You. Pour the Spirit of Grace
and Supplications upon us.
How Sorrow over Sin Touches the Heart of the LordLk
7:36-48
DAY 11How Mourning Turns
into Rejoicing
Ps. 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end
that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God,
1 will give thanks unto thee for ever.
O LORD, thank You that I need not mourn forever. Today I receive
the gladness of being a child in Your house. Thank You for removing the
sorrow of my sin, the sorrow of my circumstances, and the sorrow I have
borne for others. Yea, today I rejoice even for them.
How the Anointing Breaks the Yoke of SadnessIs
61:1-7
DAY 12The Quality that
Makes Us Ready for Our Inheritance
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek (those who have their
strengths under control): for they shall inherit the earth.
FATHER, it has been my tendency to bring things under my own
control. I repent of this haughty attitude. I place these matters now
facing meimpossible to solveover under the control of Your
Kingdom. Let Your grace flow in each case. I am ready for Your kingdom
to have the control.
Seeing the Reward of MeeknessNum
12:3; Ex 14:11-14
DAY 13The Great Lesson
We Learn from Jesus
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls.
GRACIOUS LORD, You were the most meek of all persons. I have
been haughty and proud but You are releasing me from this. In these situations
in which I now stand and hold before You, set me free to be meek and lowly
in heart. I have laid my strengths before You that You might fight my
battles for me.
Beholding the Revelation of Gods Might when
the Battle Is too MuchII Chron 20:14-19
DAY 14The Exhortation
to Seek Meekness
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which
have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it
may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORDS anger.
FATHER, draw my heart to seek meekness. I no longer desire to
walk in my own strengths, or fulfill my own desires. I long to walk in
humility before You and before those around me.
Putting on Meekness as Spiritual ClothingCol
3:12-15
DAY 15The Hunger
that Prepares for Gods Fullness
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger (with a
voracious appetite) and thirst after righteousness: for they shall
be filled.
GRACIOUS LORD, my desire for Your presence and the power and
authority of Your Kingdom in my life increases daily. O LORD, today, increase
yet more my hunger that I may know more of Your fullness!
The Goodness that Awaits the Hungry SoulPs
107:1-9; Lk 1:53
DAY 16The Longing Soul
that Seeks Gods Face
Ps. 42:1,2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth
my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living
God: when shall I come and appear before God?
PRECIOUS LORD, my soul longs for Your presence. More than I
want any other thing, I want to abide in Your presence, to gaze upon You,
to feast upon Your love. Teach my soul to watch for You and to behold
You.
The Feast that AwaitsIs 25:6-8;
Is 41:17-20
DAY 17Hunger for that which
Endures
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for
that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man
shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
FATHER, help me get my priorities right. For too long temporal
values have held me. Only Your Spirit can draw me into the longing after
eternal things. Increase that desire within me.
Having Our Desires LiftedPs 27:4-6;
Ps 17:15
DAY 18The Way of Looking
on Others that Brings a Release of Mercy upon Oneself
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
FATHER, I confess that sometimes Ive not been as merciful
to others as I should have been. Im sorry for this. Work that quality
that is so abundant with You into my life. Let me be a vessel of mercy
to someone today.
How a Merciful Person Opens Himself to MercyPs
18:25; Pro 11:17; Jude 20,21
DAY 19The Way to Receive
Forgiveness
Matthew 6:14,15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
GRACIOUS FATHER, I wait before You today to consider every person
against whom Ive held a grievance. I take a disciplined stand now
to forgive each one, even those who have been very wrong. Let Your mercy
flow through me to each of them.
The Necessity of ForgivingMt 18:23-35
DAY 20Showing Mercy: The
Assurance of Provision for the Time of Trouble
Psalm 41:1,2 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will
deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him,
and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt
not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
LORD, open my eyes to see those in need around me. Deliver me
from a hard, unyielding heart that doesnt care when others suffer.
Release in me some provision that I might share with those who are in
wanteven if it means depriving myself.
Gods Chosen FastIs 58:6-7;
Lk 14:12-14
DAY 21Refusing to Show Mercy:
The Assurance of Judgment before the Lord
Matthew 25:45,46a Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did
it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment...
FATHER, I stand in awe of Your judgment. How often Ive
looked the other way when I saw someone in need. Place Your tenderness
in me, Your compassion, Your love for mankind. Yet, FATHER, as I show
mercy, grant me a discerning spirit lest my own soul guide me beyond what
Your Spirit is requiring.
The Value of Wisdom and Mercy Working TogetherJaS
1:5; Jas 3:17; I Kings 3:8-12
DAY 22The Purity that Prepares
One to See God
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart (those in
whom inward purity is the priority): for they shall see God.
DEAR LORD, sometimes its been easier to present myself
as outwardly pure in the eyes of man than to present myself as pure before
You. I confess I have no purity of my own but what You have given me in
Your Son. Now, let His purity work its way through every part of my life.
I wait before You for this.
The Pursuit of PurityII Cor
7:1; Phil 4:8; I John 3:2,3
DAY 23The Purity that Prepares
Us to Stand in the Holy Place
Psalm 24:3,4 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who
shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure
heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
DEAR LORD, I seek your judgment early. I long to stand before
you in purity. I desire the holiness of Your Presence. I want my hands,
my heart, and my soul to be clean before You. Search every part of me
this day.
The Cry for Cleansing from Someone Who Has FailedPs
51:1-19
DAY 24The Ultimate Purity: A Clean Conscience
Hebrews 9:13,14 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the
ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying
of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
FATHER, I stand before You in the grace offered me in Your
Son, Christ Jesus. I have no holiness of heart or purity of hand to offer
You. My only hope is the purging of my conscience from all my dead works
through His blood. Out of this cleansing, I want to serve You.
The Boldness this Cleansing GivesHeb
10:16-25
DAY 25A Powerful
Result of Being Cleansed
I Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying
the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.
DEAR LORD, my ability to love purely has been damaged.
This has become an impurity in my soul. I present it to You now for cleansing.
Draw these I hold before You whose ability to love purely has also been
damaged.
The Powerful Word of the GospelI
Peter 1:18-25
DAY 26The Requirement for
Being Called a Child of God
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers (those whose
very presence brings a climate of peace): for they shall be
called the children of God.
PRECIOUS FATHER, let Your peace reign in my heart. I have renounced
the turmoil and anger that has been there. I have turned from the attitude
that I have the right to vindicate myself I have repented for stirring
up strife. Let me be a peacemaker today.
Peace is mentioned 429 times in the Bible.
Here is what Paul said in one of his LettersEph 1:2; 2:14-17;
4:3; 6:15; 6:23
DAY 27The Immense Value
of Peace
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord.
FATHER, today I take time to hold before You each person with
whom Ive known strife. Release Your blessing upon each one. To the
extent that it is Your will, draw us into a proper relationship together,
and with You.
Working at Having Good RelationshipsRom
12:9-21
DAY 28The Great Commandment
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
HEAVENLY FATHER, I confess I am a child of Your love. Help
me walk in the same kind of love toward others that You showed me in Christ
Jesus. I know this means I must become a sweet smelling sacrifice. By
Your grace I am willing to become this.
The Ultimate TestMt 19:16-22
DAY 29The Value of
Persecution to a Child of God
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness'
sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
DEAR FATHER, I know too little about persecution, especially
for righteousness sake. Im not asking for it, but at least
help me live in such a way that, if I come in contact with those who oppose
You, they will know I stand firm for You.
The Joy of Following Jesus even with PersecutionsMT
5:11,12; Mk 10:28-31; Acts 5:40-42
DAY 30The Persecution of
the Last Days
Daniel 7:25,26 And he shall speak great words against the most
High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think
to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until
a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it
unto the end.
FATHER, I trust You for the grace to stand through all the fury
of the last days. I turn my fears, my anxieties, my weaknesses over to
You. Teach me, and these I hold before You, what we need to know for the
last-days onslaught of evil. Prepare us by Your Spirit.
What Jesus Said about End Time PersecutionMt
24:4-13
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