MYSTERIES OF GOD'S KINGDOM: Learn the Mysteries Hidden For Ages in the Holy Bible

By Kenneth B. Alexander, BSL, JD and Deacon

These are a collection of articles written under the hand of the Lord to reveal the proper spiritual foundation for all believers, to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and to show how one can enter the highest level of the coming age of Christ's rule on earth. The road to perfection, which is what God longs for, is a narrow road. Few there be that pass on it. Christ said: "Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781456600358

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PREFACE

The author thanks the following for help in compiling this work. Pastor John Robert Stevens, deceased; Pastors Gary and Marilyn Hargrave; The Living Word, a fellowship of Churches (thelivingword.org); Pastor Matthew Walcoe; many true believers I have been associated with over the years; and The Libronix Bible Study System;

To you I dedicate this work of God.

Author:  Kenneth B. Alexander, BSL, JD, Deacon

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INTRODUCTION

These are a collection of articles written under the hand of the Lord to reveal the proper spiritual foundation for all believers, to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and to show how one can enter the highest level of the coming age of Christ’s rule on earth. The road to perfection, which is what God longs for, is a narrow road. Few there be that pass on it. Christ said: "Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there Because  strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).

Well you say I am a born again Christian and have accepted Jesus as my Savior. Isn’t that enough to get me to heaven? The answer is that what we call basic salvation is just the beginning to a real walk with God. Yes you that have saved will obtain a measure of eternal life. But beyond that are many things you must learn, which things involve a continuing salvation process that brings you into perfection; and not necessarily after you physically die.

More than anything God is after a relationship with you like He had with the first humans in the Garden. There He spoke face to face with them in the cool of the night. The first humans were babies in their overall spiritual development and God had much to teach them. We who are saved are in much the same place. God has much to reveal to us and much more He would like us to become. He desires us to become Sons of God, like the first Son Jesus Christ. Together Christ and His brethren, us, form the Father’s family that he longs for.

At the last supper Christ made it clear to His disciples that they had much to learn when He was gone He would send the helper, the Holy Spirit to teach them many things. He said: "When the Helper [ Gr paracletos, one called alongside to help, comforter, advocate, intercessor] comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning (John 15:26-27). But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the  Helper [paracletos] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7).

Christ was not speaking to babes here. He was speaking to disciples who had been with Him for 31/2 years; they had cast out demons, healed people and done other mighty works. But Christ said He had more to teach them, through the helper that was to come, the Holy Spirit. Christ’s ministry was within a 30 mile radius of His home yet he wanted the gospel to go to the end of the earth. He wanted His disciples to do greater works than He did (John 14:12). He wanted the disciples to reduplicate themselves and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

PART ONE: FOUNDATIONAL SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANITY

GOD THE TRINITY

In this article we will not waste time convincing you that there is a trinity of persons that make up the One God. The scriptures themselves, as we shall see, make this abundantly clear. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines Trinity as: The union of three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) in one Divine head or the three-fold personality of the one Devine being. It is also defined as a group-of-three or triad. The first indication that God is more than one Divine being is found in Genesis 1:26: "Let US make man in OUR image (emphasis added). Therefore God is a triune being as man is also a triune being, spirit, soul and body. Let us examine each personality/expression individually and then see how each part works in a total and complete oneness with the other parts.

THE FATHER

He is the so-called first person of the trinity of God (Webster's). He is the creator (Genesis 1:1). He is the one who raised Jesus from the dead (Galatians 1:1). He is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:3). 1 Corinthians 8:6 says of the Father: there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (creation is from the Father but made for the Son). The Father knows all things (1 Peter 1:2). He has and bestows glory (2 Peter 1:17). We relate to God the Father through the Son (Colossians 3:17). every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).

Perhaps it is easier to understand this first person of the trinity as a Father of a family. There is also the Adoptive Fatherhood. This is the redeeming relationship that belongs to all believers, and in the context of redemption it is viewed from two aspects: that of their standing in Christ, and that of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in them. This relationship to the Father is basic for all believers, as Paul reminds the Galatians: For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith' (Gal. 3:26). In this living union with Christ they are adopted into the family of God, and they become subjects of the regenerative work of the Spirit that bestows upon them the nature of children of God the Father. Because of their new standing (justification) and their relationship (adoption) to God the Father in Christ, they become partakers of the divine nature and are born into the family of God.

John made this clear in the opening chapter of his gospel: "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right (authority) to become children of God - children born, not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God' (John. 1:12, 13). And so they are granted all the privileges that belong to that filial relationship: if a child, then heirs is the sequence (Rom. 8:17).

God is the perfect Father. It is under this relationship of Father that brings out the tenderness aspects of God's character, his love, his faithfulness and his watchful care. It also brings out the responsibility of our having to show God the reverence, the trust and the loving obedience that children owe to a father. However intimate, rich and warm-hearted his love, God remains God, majestic, amazing and awesome. But He can also manifest qualities of anger, jealousy and destruction. He disciplines us for our own good. Hebrews Chapter 12:4-11 puts it this way: You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." [Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:12]

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness". (et sq)

The Father is also the recipient of the labors of His Son, and we as Sons, in the bringing forth of the Kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 15:24-25 says: "then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He [the Son] has abolished all rule and all authority and power" and made all His enemies the footstool of His feet, so God can be over all, in all and through all. The main thing to remember is that the Father is our perfect Father, loving us each in a personal relationship that surpasses all understanding. And that as His family we are one with Him and each other even as the Trinity is one.

THE SON

The Son is the Word of God, the logos in Greek. He has been with God the Father for eternity as He is the vehicle through whom the creative powers of the Father were exercised. The Apostle John puts it this way:

In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-12, 14, 17).

Since the beginning, the spoken Word of God (logos in Greek) has caused all things to come into being. The Bible itself is the Word of God in written form.

The Son came to forgive all people their sins but that was not an end in itself. It was so they could receive His nature and, like Him, also become Sons in the Kingdom of God. Hebrews 2:10 confirms this: For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing MANY SONS to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings (emphasis added). The Son came to offer the ultimate sacrifice on the cross that we too may partake of His and the Father's nature-to become like Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be LIKE HIM, because we will see Him just as He is (John 3:2, emphasis added).

The Son came to initiate a New Covenant between God and man (hence New Testament). Hebrews 9:11 explains: "Now the first [old] covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;" The Old Covenant, made between God and the Nation of Israel through Moses, was conditional. That is to say God agreed to bless Israel as long as they were obedient to Him and followed all His laws. He made a provision for the forgiveness of sin, through the blood of bulls and goats, but the provision was temporary in that Israel had to come at least once a year to have the forgiveness applied again. There were other sacrifices that needed to be made to forgive certain types of sin (Leviticus 1-7). The Old Testament sacrifices were but a type and shadow of the perfect ministry Christ was to initiate.

The New Covenant was unconditional, not depending on works and sacrifices. It was fulfilled through grace (unmerited favor) by faith in the Christ who made the perfect eternal sacrifice on our behalf.

And what is this New Covenant? "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:1).

Jeremiah, Old Testament prophet, speaks prophetically of the New Covenant: Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (31:31-33; quoted in full in Hebrews 10:16-17).

Thus where the Old Covenant offered only temporary forgiveness for sin, the New Covenant was eternal; the laws of God were written on man's heart. It therefore became impossible for man to sin since his old nature was changed into the sinless nature of Christ. This is why Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it to its very jot and tittle. Christ was the embodiment of the Law of God in that He did nothing but what He saw the Father do; we likewise partake of this promise through grace.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The first reference in the Bible to the Holy Spirit is in Genesis 1:2: The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the spirit of the deep, and the SPIRIT OF GOD was moving over the surface of the waters (emphasis added). As Christ was the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. The Father and Son are also spirit and the Holy Spirit is that Spirit which emanates from God and does His work throughout the earth and the universe. Although we will here be referring to the Spirit as it manifested in the New Testament, it is safe to say whenever a reference is made to the Spirit of God in the Old Testament it is, the Holy Spirit being spoken of.

The purpose of the Holy Spirit, as it pertains to us and Jesus Christ, is discussed most frequently in the Gospel of John. In John 15:5-15, Jesus Says: But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper [the Holy Spirit] shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you. The Holy Spirit does not minister on His own initiative but, as Christ, is the representation of the Father on the earth.  The Holy Spirit takes of Christ and ministers the things of Christ to us.

Thus, the Holy Spirit is our helper (Paraclete in Greek). He will help us by revealing the things of Christ to us. Remember, Christ had a limited ministry of 3 1/2  years and He ministered in an area not more than a short distance from Nazareth His home town. He had more to tell us while he was here, but at the current state of the disciple’s growth they could not bear such truths then. So He sent the Helper to guide us into ALL the truth.

The Holy Spirit also came as the Parousia, the presence of God. Suffice it to say that anytime we feel God's presence, receive a revelation of Him, exercise a gift of the Spirit as prophesy or worship in the Spirit, all of this is initiated and directed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and Jesus Christ, but the Father has turned all things over to the Son and the Son is at His right hand. Christ went away, out of physical sight, so He could send the Helper, a manifestation of God, to guide us in our Christian walk.

The Book of Revelation is full of references to the Spirit. Also Christ teaches us that The Father seeks worshipers that worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). It was the Holy Spirit that fell on the many on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-8). And in Romans Chapter 8 Paul focuses on our spiritual relationship with God; it is the Holy Spirit to whom he is referring. Of course Christ said that when you have seen Him, you've seen the Father. When we are aware of, and walk by the Spirit, we are also walking with the Father, Christ and the Spirit-- they are one.

ONENESS OF THE TRINITY

Jesus fervent prayer, recorded in John 17, speaks of the oneness of the Trinity, and explains that we too are to be one as they are one. Verse 20-21 state: "I do not ask on behalf of these alone [the 12 disciples He was speaking to] but for those also who believe in me through their [disciples] word; that they may all be one ; even as you Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us" He goes on: "the glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and You in Me that they may be perfected in unity Father I desire that they also, whom You have given Me be with Me where I am, so that they may see My Glory (John 17:22-24). The Helper will guide us into God’s and Christ's ultimate vision of perfection by being one, spirit, soul and body, with the three-fold Trinity of God.

MAN: SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY

INTRODUCTION

Mankind is a triune being, spirit, soul, body (1 Thessalonians 5:23), just as God is a triune being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). We will examine each aspect of the natures of mankind (men and women) below. However, we must realize from the outset that, although all humans have these natures, most of humanity is not using the three parts according to the divine intention. Our spirits, as our only means of communicating with God, who is a Spirit, are often buried beneath our soul or body so that the spirit has very little domination in our lives. Our true life, the only real source of life, is our spirit’s communication with God through our human spirits with His Spirit. It is the spirit that should dominate the other areas of our lives here on earth and in the age to come. Our soul life and our bodies must come under the dominion of our spirit; today for most of us the opposite is true to the point that most are not even aware of the spirit aspect of their nature. We are happy when the soul and body are satisfied by the many means available-religion, legalism, worldly goods and money, our intellect, happy or sad emotions, food, lust, pleasure of all sorts and anything temporal we see around us. In truth we are never fully satisfied with these pursuits as the feeding our souls and bodies does nothing but temporarily satisfy our craving human natures. The spirit is eternal. It is on the spirit, not the soul that we must feed. We cannot know God through our souls, only through our spirits.

We will begin our discussion with the soul and body, and address the spirit last. An understanding of the soul and body is necessary to more fully understand the role of our spirit.

THE SOUL

The soul is actually who we are in our humanity. The soul is the seat of all of our functions as humans. It contains the emotions, the intellect, our individuality, our desires, and our will and is in fact the switchboard for human expression either as fallen man or, more perfectly as an expression of our spirit. It is in that sense mutable; it can be controlled either by our earthly desires or our spirit. When controlled by our earthly lusts, the Bible calls the soul the flesh or flesh nature. In Romans 8:3-4 Paul says: "[God] condemned sin in the flesh [our unperfected souls] in order that we do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit". In Galatians 5:16-23, he distinguishes between the deeds of the soul (flesh) and the deeds of the Spirit.

The deeds of the flesh (soul nature) are first clearly defined by the Paul: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Then He defines the deeds of (fruits of) the spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control". In Romans 8:14 he distinguishes between the domination of the human soul and the soul led by the spirit. "For all who are being led by the Spirit, these are the Sons of God" or put in another way all those whose spirit is dominating their soul and body have the ability to hear God and walk in His ways.

By our minds we cannot know God the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace and get this "because the mind set on the flesh is HOSTILE to God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even ABLE to do so" (Romans 8:6-7).

This is not entirely our fault. Beginning with the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden, God subjected creation to futility, a cursed, futile state, separated from God (Genesis 3:17-19). Paul notes this by saying: For the creation was subjected to futility not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it (Romans 8:20). Futility in the Greek (called vanity in the King James Version) means nothingness, worthlessness, emptiness, objectless, useless, perverse, foolish, idle, vain and false. Everything we see with our physical eyes and participate in on the natural realm is temporal (temporary) and under the curse of futility.

However this futile state was not meant to be permanent: Creation, according to Paul was subjected to futility in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20-21). And who are these children (Sons) of God?  They are those who are led by the Spirit. Those whose souls and bodies do not dictate the course of our lives but whose spirits dominate, subjecting soul and body to do the will of God. We can be those spiritual Sons here and now, in this earth. Many taking part in the first resurrection will not die but be resurrected (Matthew 16:28; John 8:52; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). The seed of life is sown as a corruptible soul and is raised an incorruptible spirit. When we enter into knowing Christ after the Spirit we will have a body that directly responds to the spirit, just as the body now responds to the soul and vice versa. There is a body of the soul and there is also a body of the spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 15:42-45).

THE BODY

Like our souls, our bodies must also be subjected to and led by the Spirit. It is the body that ultimately expresses what is in our soul or spirit here on earth and in the Age to Come. Even in resurrection we shall have a body. It is sown in a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power (Romans 42-43). In 1 Corinthians 15:44-46 Paul goes on: "So also it is written [in Genesis 2:7] that the first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam [Christ] became a life giving Spirit; the first man is from the earth; the second is from Heaven".

The body plays a major part in expressing the spirit. It expresses the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians Chapter 12). It is a vehicle for exercising worship. We form relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ through our bodies; we communicate verbally. Christ himself came in an earthly body, although His was obviously in subjection to the Spirit. The Spirit can even quicken our mortal bodies. "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES by his Spirit that dwells in you" (Romans 8:10).

The body is limited when subjected to the soul. The soulish body feels and reacts on the emotional, not Spirit, level. It is limited in time, space, and ability to move from one place to another. The spirit body will be absolutely unlimited and could be a million miles away instantly, and tune in immediately to anyone, anyplace. Phillip was translated to Ethiopia in an instant; Elisha could even hear the enemy King’s battle plans discussed in his bedroom; Elijah and Enoch were translated to the Spirit realm, never experiencing death; Paul was caught up to the 3rd Heavens; Jesus would appear or disappear suddenly and He would perform miracles. Imagine having even earthly bodies that can do these unbelievable things!

More importantly, in the Kingdom of God, we are promised that we will not suffer sickness or death. All the sickness of the human body can be traced to the condition of our soul which is not controlled by God but by other forces. Christ cured sickness by expelling the evil influence causing it. All of medical science cannot do this. Since they are going about their attempt of healing through technology created by the human mind, as advanced as they seem to be, they cannot really control or stop sickness. God, through the Spirit, does have these answers.

THE SPIRIT

We have met the spirit in the preceding sections. But what is the realm of spirit and how can we recognize it? How do we walk by it? We must understand that our spirit is a distinct part of our nature, as viable as our souls and bodies. It is controlled easily by our will. In other words, if we cause our spirit to be focused on God, in time it will connect with His Spirit and you will be aware of it and aware of Him. The spirit works according to laws, just like our human bodies and souls. In the natural plane, if you touch the stove, you will be burned. It is a law. You cannot walk through walls; it is a natural barrier. But the Spirit works by laws also.

Some Spirit laws are applicable also in the natural realm. For instance, if you seek hard and long enough you will find what you want. If you want to be rich, just seek that goal and eventually you will attain it. If you want to be successful in life i.e. the good job, big house, expensive cars, be persistent and you will eventually have these things. Whatever you set your heart on, and persistently pursue, you will find. More important for the Christian if he/she seeks after an understanding of their spirit, and do not give up, they will find it. In the Spirit are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

We all have a human spirit within us but in many it remains unquickened and in a sense asleep. The spirit itself, when recognized through Christ or not, is unlimited. When our spirits are free, they can go anywhere and do anything within or without our imagination. Sometimes spiritual persons feel distant because their spirit is free and not necessarily connected with their bodies at all times. We’ve all heard of out of body experiences and were familiar with the colloquial term free spirit. When our spirits are free they can become disconnected with bodies for a moment. Most of us, however, are not aware of our spirits. Therefore we are completely unaware of God, despite how much intellectual prowess we have. The intellect cannot know God.

However, for Christians, and those who desire to walk with God, just being aware of our spirit nature is not an end in itself. The spirit can only be truly effective when it is directed by God. It is through the spirit we can obtain eternal life. Just having an undirected spirit gains nothing as an undirected spirit is open to many things that are not God. A free undirected spirit can easily become deceived as there are many voices (spirits) in the earth. As John said in his Epistle: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets [false spirits] have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world (1 John 4:1-3).

This is actually a truly effective test for what is of God and what is not. There are many voices and many religions and philosophies. The only test as to their validity is whether the teaching identifies Jesus Christ as the Son of God. As harsh as this seems, this simple test eliminates many of the world’s major religions (the people are not rejected but the religion or philosophy is). It is only through our spirit in connection with the Spirit of God that we can make these distinctions and thereby know the truth. As Jesus pointed out: "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many" (Matthew 24:11). They will mislead those who do not have the spiritual discernment to discern the true from the false.

Our conscience can deceive us as well. Our human conscience is neither Spirit nor God. Many rely on their conscience to dictate what is right or wrong or to lead them in living a moral or righteous life. The human conscious leads only to dead works whereby we believe we are pleasing God when in fact we are not. Scripture says: the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, CLEANSE YOUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14).

Since we all have a conscience, and we sometimes allow it to rule our moral sense of things, there could be six billion separate consciences (concepts) dictating as many moral values. Moral standards are nothing more than deep-seated opinions that govern our sense of right and wrong. Unless our consciences are sanctified from these dead works (our human moral values mean nothing) and brought into the living works of Jesus Christ, we will not obtain what God wants for us. Our human consciences are a barrier (wall) to knowing God. Only God knows what righteousness is and our doing right or wrong must be according to His standards, not ours. The right thing to do, according to His word, is to have faith in Christ and believe He fulfilled the Law of God for us. 

Many Bible scholars apply their entire lives to the study of God’s word by their intellect. However, the mere study of the word by the human mind does not come to know God; the effort is a dead work (John 5:39). The Pharisees of Christ time were the most religious appearing people of the day, similar to some of our ministers of today. Yet Jesus said they were of their father the devil (John 8:41-44). A man can write a commentary of the Bible, interrupting what he thinks it means, yet that commentary can be obsolete before the ink is dry. God’s Word is ever changing as it applies to us. It is a living Word meant to be real today, not what someone thought of it yesterday. Since the Word is Spirit, it can only be spiritually discerned. Jesus said: My words are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). God’s word is spirit and conveys spirit. Human words can only convey ideas or impressions not spirit or life.

Neither do our human emotions lead us to God. Religious movements based on emotional expression were considered to be an expression of the Lord (Pentecostal movements, Quakers etc.). The Spirit has its own set of emotions: love, joy, peace, long suffering etc. It may express itself as dancing in the spirit as David did, or it may be quietly communing with Him. However, to correctly express spiritual emotions has to begin in the spirit, not the soul or body.

In order to come into an awareness of God’s Spirit one must desire it above all else. Jesus said: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45-46). One must feel emptiness in this life and want something more. They may have tried different religions or philosophies, but to no lasting avail. A meeting with God is a personal experience; He is your personal Savior.

One method to become aware of Him is to wait on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31 KJV). It is like meditation but meditation involves being passive and letting anything that presents itself into our consciousness. Waiting on the Lord is aggressive; the body is relaxed but the spirit is focused on God. If you do not know how to focus your spirit, use your imagination and express a faith that it will happen. The Spirit can be focused by our will and our faith. This is called the fervent prayer of listening. If you are presenting some problem you have in life to the Lord, believe you will receive an answer directly from God and you will. If you do this often enough you will suddenly become aware of a still, small voice in the background of the clutter of your mind that rings of truth and is in fact the voice of the Lord.

Elijah the prophet had such an experience, described in the scriptures. While on Mt. Horeb (Mountain of God) he experienced the following: And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and STRONG WIND rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an EARTHQUAKE; but the LORD was not in the earthquake; And after the earthquake A FIRE; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him (1 Kings 19:11-13). We look for God to appear in great and mighty occurrences but many times God is not in the great things. He shows us things of the Spirit with a voice like a whisper.

As you develop this intense listening skill, that voice will become louder and louder until you are aware you are actually hearing from God himself on a regular basis. As this progresses, suddenly the things of the Spirit will become more important to you and you will began to manifest in your daily life what is being revealed to you. Finally, the Spirit will begin to dominate your desires, thinking, actions etc. You will be living by the Spirit, being led by the spirit. He then becomes your priority, your first love. When the Spirit becomes first in your life, everything else you need or want will be given to you anyway. However, our wants and needs will change the more the spirit begins to take dominion in our lives.

Sound scary or spooky? It isn't. It's wonderful. You are still in control; it’s not like some mystical experience where you are carried away from yourself. You still have your free will. God wants freewill offerings; otherwise we would be like the angels, born to do his will. If you follow the spiritual walk, you will not only have fulfillment in this life but in the Age to come, resurrection life (Luke 18:29).

THE LORD’S PRAYER

The Lord's Prayer is the deepest prayer contained in the Word of God. The Lord God himself was teaching us how to pray and what to pray for. It is something that should be studied in depth. The following words will only skim the surface in understanding the prayer. Since it was spoken by God on this earth, in the form of Jesus Christ, it can only be an eternal Word of God, its expression continuing to unfold forever. It as applicable to Christians today as it was when it was spoken.

THE LORD'S PRAYER IN CONTEXT

We must first see that the title The Lord's Prayer is actually a misnomer. In the context in which it was spoken, Jesus was teaching his audience how they (not He) should pray. In one case (Matthew 6) He was speaking to the multitudes in His Sermon on the Mount. In the other instance, (Luke 11) He was speaking only to His disciples, in response to their inquiry Lord, teach us to pray. So technically, the prayer may properly be called the disciples prayer or even the multitudes prayer. No matter what we call it, let's first examine the context and the background in which it was spoken.

The prayer is spoken only twice in the Gospels, in Luke 11:2-4 and in Matthew 6:9-13. In Matthew, the Lord was speaking to the multitudes, which included a mix of people including some believers, some undecided and some who were there for the curiosity factor.

In Matthew 6, during the Sermon on the Mount, He addressed the topic that true believers should not be hypocrites, as the religious leaders of Judaism were, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He told them that the Pharisees did good deeds in order to be seen by man and gain the favor and respect of men. He instructed them not to pray as the Pharisees did, with vain repetitions and long prayers, thinking they would be heard for their many words. By praying in public, on street corners and in synagogues, they were again seeking the favor from men, not from God. Jesus told the crowd to do good deeds in secret, and to pray in secret, and that the Father would then reward them openly. And as they were praying to the Father in secret, in v.9-13, he told them what to pray in secret; that was Lord's Prayer.

In Luke 11, Jesus spoke the words of the Lord's prayer in a different context. There he was speaking only to His disciples. He spoke in response to their inquiry of Lord teach us to pray (Luke 11:1). So the Lord answered them. He said This is how you are to pray. Thus came the Lord’s Prayer recorded in Luke 11:2-4. 

In this case, however, He gave the disciples additional guidelines in how to pray, guidelines He did not give the multitudes (Luke 11:5-13). Following His speaking of the prayer recorded in Matthew, He spoke to them another parable as further instruction on how to pray. He said:  "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet  because of his persistence [shamelessness] he will get up and give him as much as he needs".

Jesus was teaching them the principle of persistence in their prayer. He showed the disciples that even if God is your friend, that fact alone does not give any special inside track on getting prayers answered. He pointed out that real persistence means asking God and seeking God (the Greek words are ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking (see New American Standard Version of Luke 11:9-10). The point He was making, knowing man as He did, that too many will give up if the answer does not come quickly enough for them. They will wonder why God didn't answer their request and not be persistent long enough to get the answer.

Jesus goes on to liken persistence to shamelessness. Often if a person wants something bad enough he becomes shameless in his pursuit of it, not caring how he looks or what others think. His mind is set on only one goal and will do whatever it takes to obtain it.

Jesus goes on to note that you must go to God in prayer with a faith that He will give you what you are praying for. Their faith was to be like that of an earthly Father. A human Father will not give his son a stone when he asks for a fish, then how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask (and who keep on asking. (Luke 11:11-13). The answer will come even if it's in a form that you not agree with, or worse, will not perceive it as the answer at all.

Therefore, in Luke 11, The Lord had given the disciples a complete response to their inquiry regarding prayer. Of course, the same principles apply to us as well, 2000 years later.

ANALYZING THE PRAYER ITSELF

Volumes could be written and myriad words could be spoken about the Lord's Prayer. It is, however, a prayer that God really will answer. When praying this prayer you are seeking His Will, not your own. Too often we pray for personal blessings or other things that God may not be concerned with at all. He is concerned only with His own will, which in the long run will benefit us more than our whims of the moment. Let's examine the prayer, one line at a time, from Matthew 6:9-13.

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name

First, (v.9) starts with "Our Father who is in heaven Hallowed be Your name". This verse teaches us how to approach God in prayer. We must approach Him with