Tag Archives: spiritual kingdom

Relevance of Our Evidence

One of the tests for the admissibility of evidence in a court of law is that it must be relevant to a point of fact in the case. For evidence to be relevant, it must tend to prove or disprove some fact that is at issue in the proceeding. As a believer in God what is at center of everything is the relationship we have with God. Our very identity is at the heart of all our spiritual evidence. Therefore any spiritual evidence will tend to prove our relationship with God and confirm this possibility for all humans.

Mark 3:24  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Mark 3:28-29 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”

There are many facts concerning the authority and operations of God’s Kingdom. In order to be a member or even see this Kingdom in operation one must be born of the Spirit. This second birth or awakening opens us up to possibilities and understanding that is not seen by those who have only experienced the natural birth, which is common to all humans.

When we are slapped on the bottom and we are naturally awakened at birth and we breathed and experienced separation from our mothers. Our conscious was activated and the little “I am” began to exist. Prior to that birth we were one with our mother; a growth of her physical body. We evolved for nine months prior to that separation and then we continued to develop as a physical and separate entity. Everything we do after that natural birth is therefore evidence of our physical existence.

Now that we have experienced the quickening of the spiritual birth our lives likewise begin to show forth evidence of this understanding. Instead of a life of separation, Jesus (the second Adam) established a process within us that makes us one with God. Our development is no longer in the direction of separation but now it is in the direction of unity in God as with the rest of all of His creation. We now have become an agent of reconciliation towards God in the earth realm.

To deny that operation and its evidence is blasphemy. In the very way that our finger prints, social security number and credit card activity provides evidence of our physical existence our awaken conscience provides evidence of our spiritual relationship with God. However that is just the state of infancy. As we develop spiritually we come to understand that we can host or carry the very Presence of God within ourselves even to the point of perfect unity, as demonstrated by Jesus the master example.

The point at which our evidence becomes the work of God’s Holy Spirit is the point at which denial of our spiritual evidence becomes blasphemous. When we consciously understand that the little “I am” no longer lives in this house, but the big “I am” now resides here is the moment our lives shift from material living to spiritual living. When laying down our lives daily, dying to self, taking up the cross, becoming a living sacrifice and not my will but your will be done, becomes more than Christian clichés is when we become active citizens of God’s spiritual Kingdom.

The simplicity of breathing and smiling is very relevant evidence because it is God that is living through our lives. Healing the sick, cleansing the untouchables and making alive those that are dead are big and sensational presentations to the jury of our peers. Never the less is the ordinary light we so shine before men that remains as the preserving and reconciling agency in the material world.

Everything is relevant to a conscious that is awake to the realities of God’s Kingdom operating within. We have been made daughters and sons of the living God with the sovereignty to allow His will be done through our lives. As we develop and learn to host His Holy Presence we make relevant spiritual evidence of a unique relationship that is available to every person on earth.

Matthew 5:12-16 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

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Evidence Removes the Shame of the World

Jesus came to reveal God and reconcile our relationship with God our Father. Sin causes us to fear and be shamed towards our heavenly Father. From the day that Adam and Eve sinned men and women have been hiding from God. Our father asked “who told you, that you were naked?” Even today some 6,000 years since the first couple walk out of the garden mankind hides in fear and shame.

Jesus through His life, ministry, death and resurrection is evidence that we do not have to hide from the presence of God. When we analyze this evidence of Jesus we can understand that everything we believe that separates from God has been removed. In other words we have been made children and citizens of God’s Kingdom and that Kingdom is inside of us.

Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Romans 10:10-12 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

Jesus was sent by God and we are sent by Him to help people understand that God has removed their shame. Feeling separated from God is something that should no longer be in the hearts of any human. The primary effect of any evidence presented by children of God should be establishing the fact that our shame has been removed. Revealing our Father’s Presence and the fact that His love is constantly reaching out us should be our primary focus of the evidence we present.

We children of the Kingdom of God have been given understanding and now have the responsibility to help others to see and grasp this truth. Forgiveness is available to every person and the tool of repentance can be used by people that believe God will forgive them. There will always be those reject spiritual truth and believe the deception of the material world. Also there are those in our own religious community that choose to use fear and concentrate on sin as the focus of a relationship with God our Father.

Being a child of God and becoming a disciple of Christ is a very real status for all of mankind. If you are open God is willing to reveal insight into His thoughts towards you. Regardless of your current belief of His love for you God remains faithful and steadfast. We who call Christians have the privileged and authority to help any person we meet to become Disciples of Christ and children of God. Spiritual evidence from God’s super-natural realm such as healing the sick, cleansing the leper and raising the dead is what we present. For us that believe that Gods love trumps all we honor Him with our presentation of evidence.

We have been created as the only part of creation that can span both the spiritual and the natural realm. We are gate-ways and door -ways between the two. So I encourage you to open up and reveal to others the truth of the Kingdom within.

Psalm 24: 1-2, 7 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.

Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.

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Case: Vineyard Owner vs. Vineyard Keepers

In this post I want to return to a type of evidence I have covered before. Demonstrative Evidence is also known as Illustrative Evidence. This type of evidence is used to assist the jury in understanding what has happened in a case. So if we present spiritual evidence that is illustrative it should show what is happening in the King’s dominion an also provide prophetic insight as to what will happen in the future.

 John 5:19-20 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

 Matthew 21:33-39 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

 In my last post Fruit of a Spiritual Tree I used a parable of Jesus about an owner of a vineyard, his expectations and his encounters with those taking care of his vineyard. One way to look at this parable is like a landmark court case (Vineyard Owner v. Vinedressers). By using this approach it could give us some insight as to how a judge might rule today and in the future. Better yet is should give us some insight and strategy as to the way we might present and expect God to present evidence of His Kingdom through us to a jury of our peers.

 The basic outline of the case is presented in Mathew 21:33-35 where the vineyard owner created a vineyard and placed in it everything needed to make it successful. The vineyard was within the hedge and the tools make wine and a tower from which to communicate and protect the vineyard was also provided with the vineyard. Verse 34 states that the fruit was for “they”. Is the “they” the servants on behalf of the owner or the vinedressers?

 As we read and listen to this parable we not only see what the owner provided to make the vineyard successful we can see a story being told as an example of illustrative evidence. If Jesus tried to explain spiritual truth of how the spiritual Kingdom of God (KoG) operates to those who have not been spiritually awaken they would miss the point. But by using this parable as illustrative evidence Jesus can assist any member in the jury of our peers to understand why God’s spiritual work will be successful as it is activated within the hedge or material flesh of mankind.

 This vineyard or garden living on the inside of us is totally spiritual but it has characteristics like those illustrated in the picture of this vineyard. If we understand the purpose of a hedge, a tower and a winepress we can begin to understand how this internal and spiritual Kingdom operates. We see that carnal or material mindset of the vinedressers sees value in the flesh of the fruit (grapes) but because they miss the spiritual and universal understanding of their relationship to the owner they kill and steal hoping to keep a harvest that they perceive they do not own. This too is illustrative of a spiritual truth. See the final judgment of this case below (Mat 21:43) and notice who really owned the fruit

Matthew 21:43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Matthew 11:12-15 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

A consistent point that Jesus makes during His ministry is that the material or carnal mind-set operates from a place of separation from God. This is a result of sin that subjected mankind to a mind-set that has at its foundation a knowledge of good and evil. The whole of Jesus ministry is to reconcile man back to God. The carnal mind-set fails to receive the free work of forgiveness of sin and receive by grace the right standing as child of God. The key to all spiritual evidence presented through us goes to the point, that we have been reconciled and are now one with God.

Christ mission and now our mission of bringing heaven to earth serves this purpose. It destroys the disbelief that we have to remain separated or fearful that our destiny is eternal separation from God our Father. If the opposite of heaven is hell then we could hold a working definition that regardless of our location if one is separated from God they are in hell. Likewise we can consider regardless of location that any place in the presence of God is heaven. And so the very moment we enter into the Presence of God here on earth that prayer has been answered by our Father.  

Galatians 4:1-5 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Romans 8:19-21 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

The ministry of Jesus, who was also known as the last Adam, was and is all about bringing the reality of our heavenly Father’s dominion to earth and to ensure that we have an eternal place in our Father’s Kingdom. In order for a person to willingly agree to be reconciled, their understanding of our Father’s willingness to forgive, love and heal them must become a part of their mind-set. The purpose of the illustrative evidence that we present is simply to change understanding.

God loves us and empowers us to share that understanding to all who will listen. Jesus is the Master example of how to present evidence of the truth concerning our Father and His Kingdom. Jesus has been authorized and He has given that authority to us so we can, like Him, share with those who have not been awakened to the truth of all matter. Spiritual transformation and understanding is a process that may take a lifetime but when it is complete our Father will be clearly seen in us and our ability to present spiritual evidence will at least be equal to that of Jesus our Teacher.

Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 

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