The Kingdom Within to the Kingdoms Without

Greetings;

Yesterday I spoke at Everyone’s Church in Mount Vernon, Washington. Thank you Pastor Brice Greathouse and the church family in Mount Vernon for receiving me with hungry hearts. We had a great time. I have included a link to the message I preached there at the close of this blog.

I have been addressing the issue of two administrations in the earth. One is the administration of the knowledge of good and evil and the other is an administration of the Tree of Life. The administrations of the world are bound to the knowledge of good and evil, but those in the community of Christ have been freed within their hearts to be governed by the Tree of Life. We cannot impose the administration of the Tree of Life upon those who are still bound to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We can only demonstrate what it looks like to be empowered by the administration of life. We can show mercy to those who are still stuck in the systems of the world, but we cannot require them to show mercy to us. We can be gracious towards those bound to the systems of the world, but we cannot require them to be gracious to us. We can demonstrate what it looks like when someone is empowered by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit from within, but we cannot require those in the world to understand that righteousness, peace, or joy. We must be true to the kingdom of God that is empowering our hearts from within, but we cannot impose the inner kingdom upon those who are still bound to the external influences of the kingdoms of the world.

Those who are still stuck in the systems of the world are neither good nor bad, they are simply bound to an administration that is bad. When the internal kingdom of God changes our hearts it will affect those around us. Even those who are bound to the systems of the world will begin to respond to the witness of our hearts. Our lives can inspire those in the world to seek to be good. Our lives can inspire those in the world to seek to do what God wants to be done in the earth. An internal justice system of forgiveness in us can inspire those in the world to seek to be kind and good. We can inspire those in the world, but we cannot bind them to our inner thoughts. If we measure them by the internal values of our hearts we only allow the values of our hearts to become measurements of law upon those who simply cannot understand.

The administration of the knowledge of good and the knowledge of evil leaves men and women bound to deception. That deception influences the hearts and minds of men and women to create systems that are evil and filled with destructive forces. It also influences others to create systems that are seemingly good and filled with acts of human good. There is a good and there is an evil, but law can only attempt to influence the actions of men by an external control of perceived good. Only the internal kingdom of God can change the hearts and minds of men and women to desire the One who is good and thus be transformed in their hearts to be good and to do good. Being good and doing good is not the objective. Being intimate with the One who is good is the objective. The kingdom of God is a kingdom that motivates the hearts of individuals in a unique and personal way, whereas the kingdoms of the world are administrations of the people enforcing their beliefs upon others. As those who have experienced Christ in our hearts, we cannot impose upon others the beliefs of our hearts. We cannot judge others by the motives of our own hearts. We can only be merciful and gracious to others in their attempts to do good. We can only demonstrate our beliefs by our actions towards them. In doing so, we will even invite those bound to the administrations of the world to desire to partner with us in the endeavors of life. Those who seek to partner with us will still think like those bound to the governments of the world, but our actions towards them will inspire them to seek to contribute to the cause of what God desires to do from the hearts of men. Their actions will not change the world. They will only cause the governments of law and conscience to move in a direction of agreement with the true kingdom of life-giving change that transpires within the hearts of men. The external actions of the kings of the world will become actions that seek to agree with the internal actions of the heart seen from those who walk in the administration of the Tree of Life.

Promiscuity and legalism are both attributes of the kingdoms of the world. Neither of these are attributes of the kingdom of God. Kings bound to the administrations of promiscuity and legalism can be inspired to contribute to the purposes of God in the earth when inspired by a Joseph, a Daniel, or a Nehemiah in a time where the altar of God is determining a change in the earth. I believe that the altar of God is found in the human heart. When we become a place for God’s presence to rest, we become a place where God can bring about His change in the earth. Law is a shadow of what is good, but it is not what is good. When we discover what God is doing in the kingdom of God we are changed in our hearts and minds. We become people who seek to rebuild, raise up, and make new the things of God in the nations of the earth. This includes the purposes, plans, and inheritances of God among men.

The administration of the kingdom of God within our hearts should inspire men and women in the world to discover the laws of God hidden in the earth. Those laws are a knowledge of good, just as the human conscience is a knowledge of good. That knowledge of good simply directs men to know the One who is good. The good that is in the earth is a witness to the character, nature, way, power, and authority of Christ. A mere knowledge of good doesn’t change the world. Only the One who is good can change the world and intimacy with Him will empower our partnership with Him in His purposes among men. Our partnership with Him can even inspire those in the world to partner with His purposes among men. Sometimes their partnership will be knowingly, but many times it will be unknowingly.

I ask for God to bless the kings of the world to be kings of the world and I pray that God will position Josephs, Daniels, and Nehemiahs to influence the kings of the world and inspire a partnership for the purposes of God in the earth. May God ultimately transform the hearts and minds of all men from within!

Blessings,

 

Ted J. Hanson

Kingdom to kingdoms – Audio 

About ted4you

Ted J. Hanson is the author of several Christian books intended to equip and raise up strong believers in Christ. He leads a training school known as Christ Life Training (www.christlifetraining.com) and ministers globally through House of Bread Ministry (www.houseofbreadministry.org). Ted travels to various places throughout the U.S. as well as other countries. He is a dynamic preacher/teacher who has a heart to share, uncompromisingly, the Word of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He holds a bachelor of theology and masters of biblical studies through Christian International Ministries Network and is ordained through Abundant Life Ministries and House of Bread Ministry. He has served to plant and establish many ministries.
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James Morris
James Morris
8 years ago

So good Pastor Ted…..you so identified my struggle not to judge people and showed me the goal as to the character in myself that I need to get to….You are a blessing