THE KINGDOM OF GOD
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
August 19, 2012, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
The Kingdom of God is the government, rule and authority of God in each person, the earth, under the earth, the universe and eternity.
Christ in us will bring forth and produce the Kingdom. Col. 1:26-27: “The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
“Christ in You” is the principle of the Kingdom of God being within us as taught by Jesus. The word “Christ” means “the anointed one.” Thus the Kingdom is in us. Christ, the Anointed One, is in us. There are three kinds of persons anointed in the bible: the prophet, the priest and the king. The anointed one in us will produce a Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. The prophetic anointing will speak and declare God unto men, producing righteousness. The priestly anointing will speak and bring men unto God, producing peace. Thirdly, the kingly anointing will speak and rule with authority, producing joy.
The government of the Kingdom of God is administered by a principle of delegated authority.
Mt. 28:18: “Jesus came and spoke unto them saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.”
Rev. 1:6: “Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father…”
It was the message of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached. The Kingdom of God has always been the eternal purpose of God. Mt. 4:23: “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
God’s purpose centers in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, a company of overcomers will come into the image of Christ and be given dominion with Christ. In short, Father God will have a whole family of sons in the image of Jesus Christ. The head of this corporate son is Jesus.
John 1:12: “”As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 3:3: “Jesus said except a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
A Kingdom is the realm of the authority of a King. This is the territory or people over whom a king bears rule. The Kingdom of God is the realm in which God’s decreed rule and will is performed. “Basileia” is the Greek word which means sovereignty, royal power, dominion.
When Jesus began his ministry, it was a new age. Luke 16:16: “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it.”
We have been preaching the Kingdom of God since the time of Jesus. It is the only gospel he preached. It is the only gospel the Apostles preached.
Our King is a life-giving Spirit. His Kingdom is spiritual. The Kingdom of God does not come with observation, but is within you. The power of the Holy Spirit is what the Kingdom of God is all about.
Mark 9:1: “Jesus said, ‘there will be some that stand here which shall not taste death until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.’”
There is no difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of heaven shows us where it is and the term Kingdom of God shows us who runs it.
God has always wanted in His people a Kingdom of Priests. The “king” denotes authority and the “priest” denotes ministry. A ministry backed by authority. The New Testament priesthood of Melchisedec is such a ministry, Jesus the High Priest and a company of priests in His image. We are kings and priests now but we are also being “made” kings and priests. This formation of the new creation man will continue until the fullness of a king-priest ministry will be seen in the overcomers as they do press beyond the veil into the holy of Holies (the realm of no limitations), and then roar out of this Zion of God to deliver the creation.
The Kingdom of God is the reign of God, where his will is supreme, whether in the individual heart, or in the community of His people in this life or in the life hereafter. Only God’s children understand His Spirit, His Will and His Way.
The Father has delegated all authority in the Kingdom to the Son, Jesus, and Jesus is the Head and Lord of all. True ministry will always emphasize the preeminence, Lordship and centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 8:10: “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing the might not understand.”
The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are truth, secrets, and hidden things of God which can only be discovered by revelation. These secrets are “outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension; can be made known only by Divine revelation; are made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God; and to those only who are illumined by His Spirit.” (Vine) The Mysteries of the Kingdom speak of hidden things concerning God’s Kingdom which are now being made manifest by His Holy Spirit.
I have been aware that the Lord has a called-out people who have been pressing into the Glory of God, the Kingdom age, since the 1980’s. I am sure there have always been a people who have been pressing in. However, I was not made aware of this until that time. We now by faith can move into those powers as we go from Glory to Glory and from faith to faith.
The Glory of God is the manifestation of the presence and splendor of God to the spiritual and physical faculties of man.
The Gospel of the Kingdom was preached by Jesus and His disciples. It is a supernatural gospel ministered by supernatural ministry. By precept and demonstration, the gospel of the Kingdom which we preach declares Jesus Christ to be Savior and Lord. Jesus taught the Kingdom in parables. He designed the parables of the Kingdom to obscure the truth in figurative terms and language from non-disciples who had refused to heed plain talk and the signs of His coming. The early church was commissioned to preach the gospel of the Kingdom.
Matt. 16:19: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
The gates of a city throughout the bible point to the power and the strength of that city. If one possessed the gates of his enemies, he would conquer the whole city. The importance and strength of gates made them to be viewed as synonymous with power and the strength and the might of those who held governmental positions and those who administered justice in the gates of the city.
The gates of hell will fall before the onslaught of the Church.
Daniel 7:27: “The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High whose kingdom is an ever lasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Daniel 11:44-45: “In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all kingdoms and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter.”
Mountains in the bible speak of Kingdoms (Is. 2:2; Mic 4: 1-2). This is the Kingdom of God which refers to God’s end-time people who pursue and obtain this high calling.
Zion was the hill in Jerusalem from where the kings ruled. It was also the place of the tombs of the kings, (death to self). It was upon Mt. Zion that David brought back the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God’s government and presence.
In a general sense, Zion represents the whole church. The Church is the New Jerusalem, and a city which is set upon a hill. That hill is Zion. (Heb. 12: 22-24; Mt. 5:14; Rev. 21: 9-10)
In a more specific sense, Zion represents those who sit with Christ in the throne, sharing His government. A throne is a seat of authority. The Bible also says that heaven is His throne. The throne is the place and sphere of God’s authority and power. The Kingdom of God within each of one of us is Christ on the throne of our heart.
- Ophel --- means “hill” and speaks of the 30-fold. It is not as prominent as Moriah or Zion, but it speaks of that which is lifted above the lowlands. Ps. 40:2: “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” At the foot of the hill of Ophel lay the pool, Siloam where we begin to receive our sight. John 9:7: ‘Go wash in the pool of Siloam. He went his way, washed, and came seeing.”
- Moriah --- means “Jehovah provides” and speaks of the 60-fold. Abraham sacrificed Isaac there. King Solomon built his temple there.
- Zion ---means “the mountain of light” and speaks of the 100-fold. Psalm 24, The King of Glory enters Zion. “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Ps. 48:1-2: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”
We are called to reign with Christ. This refers to our living a victorious Christ Life in the now with Christ by rising above problems, circumstances and situations in His enabling through the power of the Blood, our faith and the life-style of the overcomer.
1 Cor. 6:9: “The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionist, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Luke 12:22-31: “Jesus said unto his disciples, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat; neither for the body, what you shall put on. Life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap; they do not have a storehouse or barn; and god feeds them; how much more you better than the fowls? Which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If you then are not able to do that thing which is least, why take thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow, they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, of ye of little faith? Seek not what you shall eat; or what you shall drink, neither be of a doubtful mind. The nations of the world seek after all things. Your Father knows you have need of these things. Rather seek you the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
September 19, 2002: Dream given to Carolyn Sissom:
I was standing in my pulpit on a platform. The Lord spoke to me. He said, “Preach Isaiah 6: 7-10 from the Gospels until Christmas. Someone moved my pulpit to the center of the platform. Another lady from Pastor Harold Vincent’s church wrapped a sheer white scarf around my shoulders. Pastor Vincent was standing beside the pulpit and said, “Carolyn preach the Kingdom of God.”
Isaiah 6: 7-10: “He (the seraphim) laid it upon my mouth, and said, lo, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I: send me. He said, Go, and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”
The word of the Lord to me was to preach this from the Gospels: Mt. 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Romans 11:8; Acts 18:26.
This I did from September until December much to the patient tolerance of my little flock. I know they received a crown for their endurance. I pressed on as an act of obedience and faith.
However, since that time, we have seen a great forsaking in the land. Isaiah 6: 11-13: “Then said I, Lord how long? And he answered, until the cities are wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate. The Lord has removed men far away, and there will be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. Yet in it shall be a tenth and it shall return, and shall be eaten; as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is to them, when they cast their leaves; so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
God has determined to shake heaven and earth in the end of this age. I don’t believe anyone will dispute that the shaking has begun. Every thing that can be shaken or moved will be removed. He is removing the wicked. Every thing that is a product of man’s wisdom and strength is going to be exposed and removed. The shaking of the heavenly realm of spirit will produce a shaking in the earthly realm.
God will have a people who cannot be moved!
Hebrews 12:28: “We have received a Kingdom which cannot be moved; let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear…”
Luke 9:62: “Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Mt. 13:52: “He said,' every scribe who is instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old'.”
Mat. 10:7: “As you go preach saying, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. I entered into the labors of The Tongue of the Learned by: K. H. Varner with J. L. Dutton. Dream was given to Pastor Carolyn Sissom Sept. 19, 2002, The Year of Our Lord; Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.