Just before the conference in Salisbury, Jeff Fowler was struggling with the concept of God working with His elect in wrath even after they had come out of Babylon. After several intense exchanges on this subject God Himself opened Jeff's eyes on this subject in a way that showed me that I myself had forgotten just how thoroughly true are our Lord's Words when He tells us: "The kingdom of God is within YOU." With this Truth in Mind Jeff has taken Christ's many parables which begin with "The kingdom of God is likened unto..." and has made some incredible observations which I have asked him to put into and article which we are posting for the benefit of all of our readers. So enjoy a piece of T-bone steak and remember, "the sum of thy word is truth." Never let a part of the gospel of the kingdom of God become separated from the rest of the gospel of the kingdom and become an idol of the heart.
Mike
Where is the Kingdom of God?
By Jeff Fowler
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.How often have we read that verse? I ponder that very question as I write these words. What did I use to think when I read it? Is there an is, was, and will be application?
For all those that have been given "eyes to see and ears to hear" all the parables point to the same thing;
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
While this does have an "is was and will be" application, are you making the same mistake I was making and only looking at it as "out there, a done deal , well I'm glad I got past that"? If you are like me, up until this past conference, the 'is' has not been your primary focus. That is to say my "is" had become only applicable to the wheat, prodigal son, good fish, etc.
Shortly before writing this, I was brought to realize that I had made "many called and few chosen" an idol of the heart.
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
It was a high place that I had built and I was saying, "Ok, I've got this down pat", seeing the "is, was, and the will be" of the verse, but missing the fact that it is an on-going process that doesn't end until we shed this temporary tabernacle. I had narrowed it down to just two sets of believers, the sheep and the goats, tares and wheat, etc. I had seen myself in both these categories, but only as before being brought to a "knowledge of the truth" and after. I missed the point that this is a repeated process in each of the seven different spiritual levels of our christian walk. These are typified by the seven main characters in Genesis: Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. This is another topic for another time, but I will say this. Even Joseph, who was made ruler of Egypt, is portrayed in three different stages. He is made head over each situation, but there is still a process.
Let's look at a few of the parables and see if what I was missing stands out to you, as it did to me, after eating a big piece of "humble pie."
First let's establish that the "kingdom of God" and the "kingdom of heaven" are one in the same.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
I could go on, but I think that will suffice. These two, as you see, are one in the same.
As you know, our Lord "lived and moved and had His being" by the Father, as we do these things by Christ. He(Christ) did all He did so that events would be fulfilled, "as was spoken by the prophets."
Mat 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
With that being said, lets look at a few of these parables our Lord was required to speak, in so that, "the scriptures might be fulfilled."
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
How many of us have looked at that scripture and said, "those poor 'thems'.""I speak as a fool." They will not know the 'mysteries of the kingdom' until the second resurrection. If you are like me, I had stopped applying a future "is" application to this verse and many others. Thinking that just because I had been brought to realize there is a difference between "many called, few chosen", I was experiencing the 'is'. Forgetting that revelation in one area of scripture did not mean I had full knowledge of that area, or that the thing that was revealed would not change in the future into a deeper meaning as that particular area was brought more into focus.
Is there any one of these verses (or better said any scripture) that anyone of us can say "that doesn't apply to me anymore?" Hopefully not, and by the time you get done with this article I hope you will have a better perspective on "the kingdom of God" that is within you.
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Did you see that? Pay attention to what is first mentioned in these parables. When 'many called few are chosen' becomes an idol of the heart, we are quick to look past what is first being mentioned and on to what we "know" to be the way it is.
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
It is easy to believe, that when beginning to understand many of the truths that God so graciously reveals, by which the darkness that we once walked in is replaced with His marvelous light, that we cannot be lulled into a false sense of security. Don't miss the fact that once we see something we didn't while in a physical building, (that I used to see only as Babylon, a place we "come out of " missing the point of it being inward also), there can be nothing else to glean from any one scripture.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Notice we have wheat and there is fruit, but the tares are visible at the same time. See also, that the tares are visible long before the harvest, but yet they are allowed to remain and grow together. Once again, it is easy to look at this as exclusively an "us and we" and a "them and they" situation and miss the point. This "growing together" is how we continually have "our senses exercised." The law of "cause and effect" are not nullified just because we begin "to be brought to a knowledge of the truth." In other words, if the gathering of the tares is just a one time event and they were not there at the next spiritual level, what would we have to compare good from evil?
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Mat 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Once again look at what is first mentioned,
Mat 13:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Let's look at a few more;
Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Mat 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
How about this one?
Mar 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Are you seeing it? (Pun intended) Each one of these parable begins with one (as in singular) thing. It is a man, seed, a net, a hand, a foot, an eye, etc., etc. This pattern can be seen throughout the parables. I have only shown a few scriptures. I will let you look at others and "try the spirits and see whether they are of God."
So what is Christ telling us in all theses parables? Well, He is saying "many are called few are chosen." The question is where are you looking first? If it is all back there, or all out there, or just right now, and you do not see that the man sowing the seed, and the field, and the tares and wheat, and the net, and the fish, and the mustard seed, and the birds,etc., etc., are in you and will continue to be in you(albeit burned out each time, as you see Christ more clearly) at higher spiritual levels, you miss the point.
Luke 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable:
How about this prophesy of our Lord from John the baptist? Is this just a one time event, do you look at this the wheat being elect and the chaff being the many called only? Can you now see that this will happen again and again as these things are revealed in each of our lives?
Mar 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
The admonition from our Lord, here in Mark, must be looked at in a "is, was, and will be" frame of mind also.
In closing, I leave you with these verses;
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be(glass, darkly): but we know that, when he shall appear(from glory to glory), we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Weymouth words it this way;
1Co 13:12 For the present we see things as if in a mirror, and are puzzled; but then we shall see them face to face. For the present the knowledge I gain is imperfect; but then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
2Co 3:17 Now by "the Lord" is meant the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is enjoyed.
2Co 3:18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like bright mirrors the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness, from one degree of radiant holiness to another, even as derived from the Lord the Spirit.
Seeing the "end from the beginning" is something that only God can do. Often times, we read about the end, God saving all men, having an elect group of sons who will "be saviours," can "withstand the everlasting burnings,"and it becomes a 'stumblingblock.' We miss the process. It has been said, "God has not taken me into His confidence, He has not taken you into His confidance" about any future matter. Don't get so hung up on the "many called and few chosen," that you miss the point.
I hope that what you have read has cleared up some questions you may have had. I hope you will now make the connection between Christ's parables about "The kingdom of God is within you" and all of Christ's parables about that "kingdom of God." I also hope that this has perhaps prompted something in your spirit to consider how you have been looking at these words of our Lord;
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.