“For unto you it is given … to believe on Him” (Philippians 1:29).
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
“According as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
God Is Also the Source of the Current Unbelief in Unbelievers
“Therefore has He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens” (Romans 9:18).
“God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear” (Romans 11:8).
“For God has concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all” (Romans 11:32).
God Will Also Be the Source of Faith in Everyone One Day
“… He has given faith unto all men…” (Acts 17:31).
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11); and “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:3).
Even a child knows what a kingdom is: It's not democracy: It's not a republic or a nice form of dictatorship: No silly! It's where a King is complete boss and everybody who loves Him and delights in him will obey. A Kingdom is where a King reigns 100%!.
Jesus said "The kingdom of God is within you" and so it is in 2017 if your heart has been grabbed by Christ: The scripture tells us that "He who has the son has life" Indeed! And that quality of life is one that delights to acknowledge the the reign of Christ and bow before the king of all heaven and earth.
Since the world and the flesh and the accuser is luring us to come in under their power of slavery we flee instead into the arms of our maker:: Like slaves of old who were about to be set free were given the option of rejecting that false form of freedom: They went to the doorpost of the house and had an awl pierce their ear lobe to indicate they wished to remain as voluntary slaves of a kind master: Today, we, like Paul, are proud to be marked as "slaves of God"
King Jesus reigns at this very moment in "called out ones" (Ecclesia) up and down the land: They are His! They march to a different drumbeat: They are ready to punish every crazy disobedience or even a hint of a thought contrary to Him. They hold no opinions of their own: Slave ambassadors of a coming King: The surety of what's about to happen becomes a living expectation within them: Like Stephen at his death they see heaven opened every day: They live under a different reality: They are not "of this world"
That kingdom is today active within Jew and Gentile who are chosen members of the Ecclesia.: It is deliberately hidden within hearts by God at the moment but not hidden from the forces of darkness. Today the only Kingdom in town is Christ in me "It no longer is I who live but Christ lives in me" King Jesus is in total control inside the elect and every thought and plan and idea is brought into obedience to Christ.
But soon that kingdom will work itself out in two different ways: For the Jew it will be an earthly manifestation of the kingdom as a 1000 year reign of Jesus on earth: The former resurrection will see people like the Apostles and David resurrected to rule as promised (under Christ) from Jerusalem. Jews will be in control and born again to a level of life suitable for that Eon. The Gospel of that earthly kingdom will be preached throughout the whole earth, The Law of God will be written on hearts and temple worship restored. Capital punishment for transsgressors will be introduced with corpses thrown into a burning rubbish dump outside Jerusalem called "Gehenna"
The Ecclesia will not be part of the 1000 Year Kingdom
For the Ecclesia it will mean a swift "twinkling of an eye" snatching away into the celestials: Mortality and death will vanish into immortality: No more dearth! No more corruption: Lost in the body of Christ under the kingship of God the Father: Later will come the "New Heaven and new earth" age. Jesus will gradually subdue all under His feet and finally (may be 100,000 years away) when He becomes "All In All" He will hand all authority over to the father and the joint body will become one body under the Kingship of the father:
The term "Church" or "Christian Church" is a broad umbrella term covering a wide family of beliefs and boasting up to 1.5 Billion people. It is true to it's origin and roots. It comes from a greek word and is very general: The Greek word "Kuriakos" meanspertaining to a lord. It references those who have an affection or pertaining to things of God, or of Christ or of the Bible. It carries none of the radical rawness of the word Ecclesia. What a shame then that translators confused the issue by mistranslating the word Ecclesia as Kirke: Wrong Big Time!
The Ecclesia (The called out ones) are scattered throughout the world, many totally hidden and co-existing within every segment of "christianity" and a great many more alive and thriving outside anything even associated with "Church". They simply call themselves "believers".Their lives are
"hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3) They are not trying to hide in any way but their true identity is hidden to most as they do not fit easily into accepted religious moulds or fit the Oxford definitions of what a believer looks like today. The Ecclesia, as God sees it, has no visible external structures: No buildings nor steeples: No pews nor choirs!They meet in village green, in the back of cars or on trains and buses and rented halls.There is no visible emblem of identity or of union!No man ordained hierarchy nor clergy and no statement of Faith to hang on a wall:The "Unity Of The Spirit" binds them together in inseparable spiritual fellowship and they move on to maturity never losing the freshness and excitement of early days. They are "called out"!
From a human point of view there seems to be over 35,000 divisions within christian churches and
denominations today. From God's perspective however there are only two. God only acknowledges one dividing line
"He who has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of
God does not have life" (1 John 5:12 & Romans 8:9)So simple that most people miss it! But it's dynamite!
Remember being a member of the Ecclesia is not dependent on doctrines, theology, or statements of faith It's not a doctrine thing at all. Its a transaction of the Spirit that takes place deep within the heart of one chosen. This transaction brings with it an awareness of 1 Cor 15: 1-3 and a gradual moving away from injustice and iniquity.(2 Tim 2:19) So I consider all who call
upon the Lord out of a clean heart (2 Tim 2:22) true believers and I am ready to fellowship
with each one, person to person on that basis. It's a Unity of the Spirit (as when Mary met Elizabeth) -- not man made at all!
The prime duty teachers of scripture is to make the text of Scripture accessible and intelligible. Their own opinion and their own views are worth zero! They are gifted to dig deep to ascertain facts from God's Word and dispense them lovingly. They should leave the task of drawing inferences to the hearers for themselves. That is what I am doing here today:
Maybe 90% in all the churches and in all the denominations are "called out ones".Maybe it's as low as 10%! My job is not one of judging but of making accessible God's word and His guidelines so each one can judge himself. Since salvation depends on a secret transaction within the hearts of each one ..who am I to say?
Let each one ask themselves the question: Have I been gifted with God-faith according to Phil 1:29: Is there an awareness and a knowing of God permeating my being? Am I moving away week by week from iniquity and injustice? Do I long to see ALL and not just 99% saved and justified?
