The other day Father showed me a place in the realm of the Spirit that He had prepared for me, He asked me, "Do you want to sit there?" My reply was "Yes, more then anything." He said " It will cost you EVERYTHING!" This once again brought me to a surrender of everything and what I thought I knew and understood in order that He would show me His way. He began to reveal to me more places of self serving within me that were hindering me from progressing into the knowledge of Him, His kingdom, and His ways.
Walking in the reality of the kingdom of God goes against the wisdom of the natural mind and the comfort of the flesh. If we are not continually being challenged and stretched by the reality of the kingdom, the revelation of the nature of it, and how it is demonstrated, we might want to question whether we have become sidetracked by a deceptive comfortable substitute.
Brethren, I do not reckon to have laid hold of it yet, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and extending myself unto those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ~Paul~ The apostle Paul's constant state of mind was pressing on in His pursuit of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. While he was content in any circumstance of abundance or lack, he was not content in his journey to obtain the high call of God in Christ Jesus. He was continually "pressing" into knowing Him.
COUNTING THE COST, LOSING OUR LIVES
For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. ~Jesus~ We must continually count the cost and press in, even though we may have come many times to a place of surrender and death to our own ways. No one who retains their right to keep their own life and reputation will walk in the place of kingdom life Father has destined them to walk. We must continually remain in a place where we can do NOTHING but what we see Father doing. What God builds He will defend. We don't have to defend ourselves or present ourselves, our works, and our lives in Him in such a way as to please others. If we must defend it, He didn't build it. This does not mean He does not use us to speak in a situation where He is defending His own. We've simply got no point to prove anymore, no person to impress, no reputation or doctrine to defend.
We must make the transition from being servants that defend truth, to being sons that contain and express it. This is a place of Rest. It increases as we lay down our need to justify or vindicate ourselves in the eyes of men. It is a pressing battle to understand, embrace, and demonstrate the true gospel of the kingdom. What many have called "kingdom" is simply building men's kingdoms and agendas with men's wisdom. The battle is not one of defending or promoting a doctrine, the battle is to enter into being a living demonstration of the kingdom that expresses who He is. It is a battle for sonship.
THE KINGDOM IS TAKEN BY FORCE
We are not battling with simply flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, and rulers. The greatest battle for the kingdom is the battle for the kingdom within you. Jesus said, "...for the Prince of this world is coming. And yet in me he has nothing..." There is a spiritual realm within each of us that can still have "places of occupation" for the enemy. When the inward land is taken it takes less effort to take the outward land. The battle is inward but the victory is manifest outward as we simply rest in the Victory of God we have within; doing and saying only what He is doing and saying. The kingdom is not simply in words of doctrine or debate about kingdom understanding; it is in POWER that manifests from WITHIN YOU, and is executed perfectly as by faith we go forward into the places He sends us to "occupy". When we are sent by God to a place to establish His kingdom we can expect Him to move with His kingdom authority. Why? Not becasue we are great, but because He only sends us where we have conquered the INWARD land that correlates to the stronghold of the OUTWARD land He is sending us.
WHAT GOAL ARE WE PRESSING TOWARD?
There is a generation that will inherit all the promises of God and reach the goal. I am pressing to be of that generation and by faith apprehend it. The goal we are pressing toward is conformity as sons to the person of Jesus Christ in our inner being. As the varying colors of the light spectrum come together form bright white. So, together in common unity we are all being individually and corporately transformed into His image. As we collectively press in and are transformed, we will by His grace reach the goal. We are crossing over into the promised land together, not as individuals who have received a portion, but as our portions are freely shared and mingled together in love and relationship we will all come into the fullness that is intended for a people whose greatest kingdom attribute is love, even as Christ loved them.
Walking in the reality of the kingdom of God goes against the wisdom of the natural mind and the comfort of the flesh. If we are not continually being challenged and stretched by the reality of the kingdom, the revelation of the nature of it, and how it is demonstrated, we might want to question whether we have become sidetracked by a deceptive comfortable substitute.
Brethren, I do not reckon to have laid hold of it yet, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and extending myself unto those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ~Paul~ The apostle Paul's constant state of mind was pressing on in His pursuit of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. While he was content in any circumstance of abundance or lack, he was not content in his journey to obtain the high call of God in Christ Jesus. He was continually "pressing" into knowing Him.
COUNTING THE COST, LOSING OUR LIVES
For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. ~Jesus~ We must continually count the cost and press in, even though we may have come many times to a place of surrender and death to our own ways. No one who retains their right to keep their own life and reputation will walk in the place of kingdom life Father has destined them to walk. We must continually remain in a place where we can do NOTHING but what we see Father doing. What God builds He will defend. We don't have to defend ourselves or present ourselves, our works, and our lives in Him in such a way as to please others. If we must defend it, He didn't build it. This does not mean He does not use us to speak in a situation where He is defending His own. We've simply got no point to prove anymore, no person to impress, no reputation or doctrine to defend.
We must make the transition from being servants that defend truth, to being sons that contain and express it. This is a place of Rest. It increases as we lay down our need to justify or vindicate ourselves in the eyes of men. It is a pressing battle to understand, embrace, and demonstrate the true gospel of the kingdom. What many have called "kingdom" is simply building men's kingdoms and agendas with men's wisdom. The battle is not one of defending or promoting a doctrine, the battle is to enter into being a living demonstration of the kingdom that expresses who He is. It is a battle for sonship.
THE KINGDOM IS TAKEN BY FORCE
We are not battling with simply flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, and rulers. The greatest battle for the kingdom is the battle for the kingdom within you. Jesus said, "...for the Prince of this world is coming. And yet in me he has nothing..." There is a spiritual realm within each of us that can still have "places of occupation" for the enemy. When the inward land is taken it takes less effort to take the outward land. The battle is inward but the victory is manifest outward as we simply rest in the Victory of God we have within; doing and saying only what He is doing and saying. The kingdom is not simply in words of doctrine or debate about kingdom understanding; it is in POWER that manifests from WITHIN YOU, and is executed perfectly as by faith we go forward into the places He sends us to "occupy". When we are sent by God to a place to establish His kingdom we can expect Him to move with His kingdom authority. Why? Not becasue we are great, but because He only sends us where we have conquered the INWARD land that correlates to the stronghold of the OUTWARD land He is sending us.
WHAT GOAL ARE WE PRESSING TOWARD?
There is a generation that will inherit all the promises of God and reach the goal. I am pressing to be of that generation and by faith apprehend it. The goal we are pressing toward is conformity as sons to the person of Jesus Christ in our inner being. As the varying colors of the light spectrum come together form bright white. So, together in common unity we are all being individually and corporately transformed into His image. As we collectively press in and are transformed, we will by His grace reach the goal. We are crossing over into the promised land together, not as individuals who have received a portion, but as our portions are freely shared and mingled together in love and relationship we will all come into the fullness that is intended for a people whose greatest kingdom attribute is love, even as Christ loved them.
His Love
Kriston Couchey
Kriston Couchey
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