Prepare the Way

"PREPARE THE WAY" by Rick JoynerMorningStar Ministrieswww.morningstarministries.org
The greatest sign of the return of the Lord is recorded in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." An acceleration of transformation is now going on in the Church in order to prepare the way for this gospel to be preached and this prophecy fulfilled. The greatest force for truth is now being assembled for this purpose.There are true, last-day prophets and apostles already living among us. Most are still immature, but they are here, they are maturing, and they will soon be released in power. Their commission will be foretold by the earth itself suffering spiritual contractions, so that all who dwell on the earth will tremble. God is coming to shake things up.
The Revolution
This "gospel of the kingdom" is not the same as the gospel of salvation, commonly referred to as "the gospel" which has been the primary message of the Protestant and the Evangelical churches for the past five hundred years. It is now time to understand the gospel of the kingdom, how it is distinguished from the gospel that has been preached, and howthe message of the church is about to change so that it is preached throughout the whole world.
We also need to examine the way that the gospel of salvation has been perverted in recent times, changing it from Him coming to save His people from their sins, to Him coming to save His people from their troubles. This is why so few remain in the faith after their "conversion." The only true salvation comes from the conviction of our sins and our profound and desperate need for the atonement of the cross of Jesus Christ. Anything other than this is a wrong foundation that cannot stand. He did not come to deliver us from troubles, but rather the opposite. When someone comes to Christ, he or she needs to immediately be prepared for troubles, as the whole fallen world will be against them.
Redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are all part of the gospel of the kingdom, and these are reasons for which the kingdom is coming.
Without question, the Christian life is the most fulfilling, wonderful adventure that anyone can experience in this world, but it is also the most difficult life that can be lived on this earth. When people come to Christ, they need to be prepared for battle from the first day. If they are not prepared for this, they are very unlikely to remain in the faith, as the glaring statistics of those who "come to Christ" that are lost again to theworld should boldly teach us.When we are born, it is not the goal of our lives, but only the beginning. Likewise, to be born again is not the ultimate goal of the gospel; it is the beginning of the greatest quest and journey toward the full maturity of what we are called to be. It is now time for the Church to go on to maturity, and this must begin with our message. It is the greatest message of hope, but also a call to battle.
To preach the gospel of the kingdom does not in any way negate or denigrate the gospel of salvation. In fact, it is the gospel of the kingdom that leads to true salvation, which is why the Lord Jesus Himself preached this gospel, as well as the first century apostles. Redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are all part of the gospel of the kingdom, and these are reasons for which the kingdom is coming. However, the gospel of the kingdom does include more than the salvation of believers -- it is the message that the rightful King is coming to take over.Those who are born again with the hope of salvation may be changed, but those who are born again in order to see the kingdom will be so changed that they are a "new creation" (see Galatians 6:15) -- which stands out in great contrast to those of the old creation. Just as the first century Christians stood out in stunning contrast to all who lived in their time, the radical faith that is about to be revealed through such radical Christians will cause the whole world to stand in shock and awe.Recent studies have revealed that modern, Evangelical Christians are really no different from non-Christians in basic moral and integrity issues such as honesty, cheating, and immorality. That is about to change. As the Lord warned in John 15, every branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off. If you receive anything from this bulletin, heed the following clear warning from Galatians 5:16-25:
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
Again, we can know for sure that those who practice such things as are listed under the works of the flesh "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The scariest thing in the world should be if we are doing these things and getting away with them. As we are told in Hebrews 12, the Lord disciplines His children, and if we are without discipline, then we are not His.The Gospel of the KingdomThe gospel of the kingdom is not just the gospel of our atonement, but it is the good news of the kingdom of God and the declaration that the King is coming to establish it here on the earth, beginning with us. To be saved with a vision of our salvation is good, but it is man-centered. To be saved by a vision of the kingdom is an enlistment into the army of the coming King. This is not a matter of "majoring on minors"; each has very different consequences and different fruit. When the gospel of salvation is preached, we are compelled to "accept the Lord" and, often, it is done as if we are doing Him a favor. When the gospel of the kingdom is preached so that His kingdom is seen, we will bow the knee begging His acceptance.
As the Lord instructed His people to pray for nearly 2,000 years, His kingdom is going to come, and His will is going to be done right here on the earth just as it is in Heaven (see Matthew 6:9-13). This prayer of so many millions for so many years -- the prayer that the King Himself gave us to pray -- is going to be answered. He wants to start with us. That He came to be our Savior is something we will marvel at for eternity; however, He did not just come to be our Savior, but our King . . . There is a difference.
The coming of His kingdom is the greatest hope that has ever been preached on the earth. There is no hope found in any other religion or any philosophy of utopia that is as great as what we have been given to proclaim. As the troubles of the end of this age increase, the light of the hope of His kingdom will shine brighter and brighter. Now is the time to fill our lamps with this oil.
The earth will be restored to its former paradise so that there is no more war, sickness, dying, hunger, or even pain. The lion will lie down with the lamb, children will be able to play with cobras, and no one will hurt anyone else. This is the greatest message of hope that the world has ever heard. The gospel is not just "good news," but it is the greatest news -- the greatest message OF A FUTURE -- that the world has ever heard. Our message must change from proclaiming that the end is coming to proclaiming that the beginning is coming.
He Comes to His Temple First
This is a sure promise, and the time is near for its fulfillment. The kingdom of God is surely coming to this earth, and soon. However, it can come to us today! We can live in the kingdom now, and those who begin to proclaim it will do this as true citizens of this kingdom. As we read in Revelation 3:20, the Lord has been standing at the door of His Church, patiently knocking to see who would open to Him, but the time is near when He will suddenly burst into His temple and take over. His Church is then going to be His body who does His will, speaks His words, and does the works that He did.
Soon we will know the difference between what was truly born in the heart of God, and that which was born in the hearts of men.
We may think this is what we have been doing -- following His leading in everything -- but, in truth, few have followed Him in much at all. Many wonderful things have been done in His name, which the Lord has blessed, but He will bless many things that He will not inhabit. There have also been many terrible -- even diabolical -- things done in His name.
Soon we will know the difference between what was truly born in the heart of God, and that which was born in the hearts of men. He is going to cleanse His temple, destroy the idols that have been set up there, and drive out the money-changers. He is then going to rebuild it so His church is, in fact, His church -- His body of which He alone is the Head.
Great changes have been happening deep in the heart of the church for years. These are about to accelerate, resulting in such a great transformation that it will be viewed as the greatest move of God in His people since the Day of Pentecost when He first poured out His Spirit on the Church. Like the Day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, it will begin with a remnant that has been very close to Him, but it will quickly get the attention of the rest of His people in every nation. These will also begin repenting of their ways that have in fact caused them to reject Him and live contrary to His will. Just as John had to preach repentance before Jesus came the first time, a great repentance is going to precede His second coming.
The sword of the Lord will sweep over the whole earth and remove from among His people all who are not bowing before Him. He will remove the arrogant and the stumbling blocks. When we see this deep repentance even touching the most highly visible and influential leaders of the Church, we can begin to expect a radical transformation of the Church so that true, New Testament Church life as the Lord intended can be re-established on the earth. Then the Church will not be known so much for its organization, facilities, or even its message, but it will be known as the place where the living God dwells. His people will be continually in awe of Him, and the rest will be in awe of His people.
Many of the things that have been high and lofty in the Church will be brought down, and things that have been kept in low esteem will be exalted.
Another sign that His kingdom is near will be the mountains being brought low, and the valleys and low places being raised up. Many of the things that have been high and lofty in the Church will be brought down, and things that have been kept in low esteem will be exalted. The message of the cross and the crucified life will be the first to be lifted up. The messages that have promoted presumption, self-seeking, and selfishness will be brought low. The messengers who promote them will likewise follow them.
Through the coming repentance, a great and profound maturity will come to the Church. It will be such a radical change that Christians will claim that they have begun to see the kingdom of God and even the King for the first time. To a large degree, this will simply be the result of getting our eyes off of ourselves and turning to Him. Instead of the Church being so focused on building itself, it will begin to focus on preparing the way for His kingdom. This reorientation from self-focus to that which is greater will, in fact, do more to build the Church than all of our self-focus was ever able to do.
Even so, this great repentance will result in a great pruning of the Church. Many will not be willing to make these changes. The recent split of many denominations around basic issues is but a small foretaste of what is coming. Those who are more devoted to institutions or organizations than to the Lord will have a hard time, and many will not make it. Even so, those who do must press on.
In a relatively short period of time, the Church will become more brilliant and powerful than it has ever been. The branches that are cut off from it will wither and die very fast. Do not die with them. Our allegiance must be to the Lord and His kingdom, which is bigger than any denomination or movement. When denominations turn from the Lord and His Word, it is time to turn from them.From Control to AuthorityThere have been many messages that have come proposing to be the gospel of the kingdom, but, as Robin McMillan observed, most of these messages have somehow been about how to control people. Indeed, a control spirit has not only entered into many of these teachings, but has sat in the seat of authority in much of the Church since the first century. There is still a great deal of confusion in the Church on the issues of authority, but that will soon change as a true authority is raised up.Obeying the Lord and His delegated authority is important. The Lord Himself explained that if we call Him "Lord," but do not do what He says, we are building on a foundation that will surely collapse (see Luke 6:46-49). Therefore, obedience to Him as the King is crucial for being a true messenger of His kingdom.
However, the way in which the Lord preached the gospel of the kingdom actually said very little about authority and obedience, but rather He demonstrated their power over the conditions on earth.
For example, when the Lord saw a cripple it was as if He said (I am paraphrasing), "You know, there are no cripples in Heaven, so watch what happens when the kingdom of Heaven touches this cripple on the earth." Then the cripple would be made whole.
When He saw a multitude hungry with no food, it was as if He said, "You know, there is no lack in Heaven, so watch what happens when Heaven touches these few loaves and fishes . . . "
The condition of Heaven would touch the circumstances on earth and prevail over them. In this way, the authority of the kingdom of Heaven was demonstrated to be greater than any authority or condition on the earth. He told His disciples to go and live the same way so that they could preach the same message.
He promises those who are faithful to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse that He will pour out a blessing which they cannot contain . . .
It is noteworthy that when the Lord turned the water into wine or multiplied the fish and loaves, He always made too much! Of course, He did this purposely to demonstrate the abundance of His kingdom. He did come to give abundant life! He promises those who are faithful to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse that He will pour out a blessing which they cannot contain (see Malachi 3:8-12). Likewise, the apostle Paul affirms the same in II Corinthians 9:6-8:
"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."
Life in the kingdom is one of abundance, having "all grace" abounding to us, "all sufficiency in everything," and "an abundance for every good deed." However, this is not just for our consumption, but for service. It is also in Spirit and power, which is why the apostle Paul wrote:
"And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God" (I Corinthians 2:4-5).
"For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power" (I Corinthians 4:20).
The message of the kingdom is about the King. The office of king is obviously about authority, but the authority of the kingdom of God is not about beating people into submission. In John 18:36 the Lord said, "My kingdom is not of this world." His kingdom is from above and, in many profound ways, not like the kingdoms of this world. Most of the doctrines concerning the kingdom, and even those which have been declared to be the gospel of the kingdom, are very hard to distinguish from the kingdoms of this world; they have very little evidence or demonstration of being from the realm of Heaven. What is coming will be different.
The foundational purpose of the coming gospel of the kingdom will not be about getting people to line up and obey. It will be about healing them, feeding them, and transforming their minds by such demonstrations of the goodness of God that people begin to love Him, His truth, His righteousness, and His justice . . .
To continue reading this "PREPARE THE WAY" Prophetic Bulletin by Rick Joyner, go to:http://www.morningstarministries.org/pages/bulletins/2005/PB47.pdf