ANB 86, The First Step Back (7-5-06)

Well we've been talking about the kingdom of God. We were talking about how God's
perfect plan for man existed in the Garden of Eden. In that Garden was every blessing
peace, prosperity, life and love that man could ever want. In the Garden man and God
were in perfect communion and according to 1 Corinthians 6 were even one being, Glory
to God. We have seen that now God is trying to put the Garden back into us. I hope we
will continue to look at the processes of seed time and harvest, photosynthesis, and the
seasons to understand how everything that God wants for our lives will grow out of us.
That's right, your health, your healing, your prosperity, your love, all of this will come out
of you. This happens when we sow the right seeds in our spirits, shine the sun of God's
Word on them, and then water them with God's Spirit. We have clearly seen the water of
God's Spirit flowing within us. Praise the Lord. And never, ever forget, we are blessed
of God to be a blessing to others.

But this week I want to talk about the most foundational principal. Without this your
spirit man is not a garden, it is a wilderness. Without this you do not conceive seed, you
are barren. What I am talking about is being born again. Getting born again is the first
step to going back to the Garden, and it is the only way the Garden can ever get back into
you.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3, Jesus
speaking). "Marvel not I say unto you, you must be born again." (John 3:7, Jesus
speaking). Here we have two witnesses right here, Jesus imploring us to get born again.
You must be born again. Unless you are born again you will never see the Kingdom of
God.

Now most people read the "Kingdom of God" and see "Heaven." That is fine with me,
Heaven is God's throne. He reigns on high. As you read throughout the Old Testament,
when the high priest was to enter the Holy of Holies, if he had one bit of uncleanliness in
him or on him he would die on the spot. Heaven is a giant Holy of Holies. "And I saw
no temple therein: for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."
(Revelation 21:22). In that day when we meet God, if there is any sin in us we will not
stand before him. We cannot even be for one instant in His presence with sin on us. We
cannot enter His Temple, He is Pure, Holy, Righteous. We cannot enter Heaven with sin,
we cannot stand before Him with sin.

What will take away our sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What will make us whole
again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Without the blood of Jesus, that washes white as
snow, we will all have sin on us. If we do we cannot enter God's kingdom. We will not
enter Heaven, we will enter hell.

But oh the glory that awaits those that are washed in His blood. You are ushered in to
drink of the River of Life and eat of the Tree of life. You will be with God forever.
This week, however, we must see that the Kingdom of God is much more than just a
place called Heaven. "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of
God is come unto you." (Matthew 12:28). Jesus was telling us that the Kingdom of God
has come to this world. Glory to God. Heaven is just one aspect of God's kingdom. The
Garden of Eden was another. There was no temple in the Garden of Eden, God walked in
it freely with Adam. Jesus tells us here that the Spirit of God working to cast away evil
spirits is a manifestation of the Kingdom of God.

There are more manifestations we are to look for. "But you shall receive power, after that
the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me." (Acts 1:8).
"And these signs shall follow them that believe, in My Name they shall cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any thing
deadly, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
(Mark 16:17-18). Glory to God.

Leaving aside speaking with new tongues, of which there is much to say, look at these
other manifestations. Jesus told us that we shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is
come upon us. Jesus said that He cast out demons by the Holy Spirit. We too shall cast
out demons by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "He that believes on Me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father."
(John 14:12).

The Holy Spirit will come on us and we can do all the works Jesus did. Of specific
mention, we can cast out devils, we can lay hands on the sick and see them recover, we
can not be hurt by anything deadly, no serpent (the archetype sinful creature) can hurt us.
None of this is by our power, but by the Spirit of God. Jesus said when He did these
things then the Kingdom of God is come near us. Jesus then tells us that we can do these
things. What does that mean, the kingdom of God remains near us and in us.

"The Kingdom of God comes not with observation: neither shall they say, lo here, or lo
there, for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21).

God's greatest desire was that He would dwell with us and among us. That He would be
our God and we would be His people. The Garden is in us, where we can live with God
forever. The Kingdom is within us, where all manifestations of God's power and glory
and love will occur.

The Kingdom of God is God's perfect will, both in Heaven and on earth. I've heard it
described as God's operating system, and I receive that. But it is both a system and the
results. It is a manifestation of God Himself, doing what He wants. So it is a
manifestation of His will also. Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be
done." God's Kingdom coming is the manifestation of His perfect will on the earth.
There is a process to see this established (see Mark 4), but the process is just how the
Kingdom works. The Kingdom of God is God's perfect plan for us all. God wants you
saved first, then He wants you blessing others with the good news of Jesus Christ.
He also wants you blessed, prospered, healthy, happy, living, loving, joyful, peaceful, and
experiencing every other fruit of the Spirit and provision of His love for you. The
Kingdom of God for you is the manifestation of His perfect will for your life. Moreover,
this Kingdom will flow out of you to bless the others around you. Jesus showed and told
us this.

But unless you are born again, you cannot see or know or realize the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is not in you. The Garden is not in you. The Rivers of Life are not
in you. None of what we have spoken of for weeks applies to you.

Pray this prayer today and ensure your salvation. Open your eyes to see God's Kingdom
for your life. Step back into the garden, watch God plant the garden in you. Begin to
drink of the waters and live off the fruit that comes from God's Spirit. It is all of God, if
we accept His Son Jesus Christ.

"Father God, I repent of my sins. I receive what You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to do for
me. I believe He died for me and that You raised Him back to life on the third day. I
believe in the same way you want to raise me back to life. I receive Jesus Christ as my
Lord and Savior. Come into my heart Lord Jesus. Heal me with Your Spirit. In Jesus'
Name I pray, Amen."

That's it. You are ready to begin. Go back, read God's Word with fresh eyes. Read these
letters, see what God has for you. Before you are born again the Holy Spirit is not in you,
He cannot be because of your sin. But now He is there, and He is ready to teach you all
things. Glory to God.

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom."
(Luke 12:32, Jesus speaking)