He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.

Matthew 13:31-32

Though it starts small, it grows large.  Though it is the greatest thing above all creation, it is fully contained within the single seed.

Consider the mustard seed.  It needs no addition, just to grow.  It is self contained, self replicating, and able to endure.  This is what the Kingdom is like.

Read more…

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:7

The secret to the spiritual life is not in and of itself warfare, but rather in the Spirit Himself.  Yes, we can learn the principles of warfare, and learn to bind and loose forces, yet if the reason that they are there, if there is some, is not dealt with, they will simply return, and often larger.

Consider for a moment Jesus’ life and ministry.  He did have to confront satan in the wilderness, but, finding nothing in him, the devil left him for a more opportune time (Luke 4:13).  The next time we read about the adversary directly opposing Jesus was at the end of his ministry, first speaking through Peter and then at the crucifixion, three and a half some years later.

What does this mean?  It means that, unless there were other times in Jesus’ ministry where the enemy came to Him to test Him, Jesus spent most of ministry with the enemy driven back, not in open conflict with Jesus during His ministry.

Read more…

Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world (realm) (John 18:36).  It is a spiritual kingdom, and as such, must never be confused with an Earthly one.  To lose this distinction, even when speaking of a Millennial reign, is an error of great dimension.

The Kingdom is not constituted in books of laws, governmental seating, and minted coinage, and the like.  Yet, on the other end, it is not without potency in the physical dimension.  Consider Jesus’ life and ministry.  He said, to paraphrase, “If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luke 11:20).  The same is true with healing.  Therefore, it was the entrance of the Kingdom which brought about the deliverance in the first place!  Somehow, the invisible, spiritual, and “ethereal” had directly, manifestly affected the natural order.

Read more…

When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. What do you want with us, Son of God? they shouted. Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?

Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.

He said to them, Go! So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Matthew 8:28-34

What is regarded as one of the most demonized men in the New Testament, the “Gaderene Demoniac”, was filled with a thousand demons.  While one Gospel records only one man, there is no contradiction, as Matthew records both, and the other only records the one with the most dealing.  Whether this man was actually the most demonized man in the New Testament is also hypothesis, as the number of demons in various people who were never converted is conjecture.  Also of note is that the phrase “demon-possessed” is a most unfortunate rendition of the single-word in the Greek, “daimonizomai”, meaning “demonized” or “under the influence of a demon”.  The English translation has the connotation of ownership in our version, which is not a part of the Greek whatsoever.  No matter how “daimonizomai” someone is, it is never a Biblical term to call them possessed or owned by a demon.  Even this man, in other accounts, fell at Jesus’ feet and worshipped, not the demons.  As afflicted, tormented, and affected as he was, He still had a sense of the truth.

Yet, for all that was on Him, for the legion of demons that had entered the man, they all left with a single word.  “Go!”.

Read more…

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

Matthew 10:7-8

The late Derek Prince pointed out that there is no authentic call to evangelism without the power of healing and deliverance.  There is no legitimate preaching of the Gospel without its appropriate demonstration.

Read more…

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 17:16

Kingdom Now?  Not quite…

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

John 18:36

Kingdom Here…

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Luke 10:19

Kingdom, At Hand, Looks at a different place, and, similar to the power of sin in the individual life of a believer, accomplishes the visible by means of an invisible change.

Read more…