Divine Perception
"Flight of the Monarchs"
Chapter I
Flight of the Monarchs
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made . . .
Romans 1:20
Early this past summer, I recently planted some butterfly plants and herbs in our backyard. We strategically planted these particular plants in order to attract as many butterflies to our flower beds as possible. We purchased several different specious of flowers, herbs and Butterfly bushes and carefully placed them throughout our back yard. Certain plants tend to draw certain species. For example Milkweed plants are a big attraction for Monarch and Viceroy Butterflies while dill, Brown Fennel and Parsley will draw a variety of colorful brown, yellow and zebra Swallowtails.
Such plants are easily identified by the female butterfly as excellent food sources for their young. Shortly after planting some of these wild beauties of the field, we noticed that (as if out of no where), large numbers of adult female Monarchs and Swallowtails came and laid their eggs on the underside of the leaves of the milkweed and fennel. Just five or six days later, some of the eggs hatched into tiny, zebra striped caterpillars.
Eating Machines
After just a few days of the gorging themselves (they are like little eating machines!) these caterpillars grew immensely in size and then without fanfare or warning simply wiggled off to a nearby bush or tree limb in order to form a protective pupae (or cocoon) around themselves. There, they would safely continue their metamorphosis/ growth cycle and eventually mature into colorful and beautifully winged creatures of elegance.
It’s was so fascinating for Anne and I to observe first hand the genesis and miraculous metamorphosis of their lifecycle. In the days that would come, God taught us many spiritual lessons regarding His precious Kingdom. Suddenly our “backyard” hobby turned into a spiritual symposium of sorts. It seemed that the Lord chose one species of butterfly in particular (the Monarch) to teach us so much about His glorious Kingdom.
Butterfly wisdom
Annie and I quite simply love butterflies! Their sundry colors, graceful movement, gorgeous design and life cycle are manifest evidence of God’s love for us. In God’s natural creations, the loving heavenly Father has left for us various hints regarding the heavenly Kingdom and how to succeed in reaching it. One of the many clues of creation God has left for us in the animal kingdom in particular is the Monarch Butterfly.
A magical journey
In North America, every fall a magical event takes place in the animal kingdom. Up to 100 million beautiful, white, orange and black Monarch butterflies migrate to warmer climates in the winter—either to a small area of the southern California coast or to twelve specific mountaintop nesting sites in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range of Mexico. They seem to “know” when the air begins to cool down and the nectar supply from the flowers that feeds them is dwindling. Like clock work, at the same time every year they will all simultaneously seem to “know” when its time to fly away to a warmer and more mild venue.
A precise target
At nearly 30 miles per hour, these winged beauties can travel on a wind aided, 4000 mile round trip journey. Annually they make their miraculous voyage to find their favorite wintering spot. Yet, when they arrive in Mexico, incredibly the total landing area for the Monarchs is only a combined area of 70 acres – a proverbial “needle in a haystack” as far as their several thousand mile flight plan is concerned!
Reaching destinations
Talk about reaching destinations. How can a small winged creature, traveling over thousands of un-chartered square miles, annually find its way to this tiny, pinhead sized landing strip? How can they miraculously “see” a seventy acre landing strip from up to 2500 miles away? The fact is Monarch butterflies have incredible “foresight” and vision. Indeed they possess uncanny and precise guidance technologies given to them by their Creator.
Like homeward swallows
With GPS/satellite, laser-like, pinpoint accuracy, the Monarch navigates its way. Its fascinating enough that birds orient themselves by stars, landmarks or the earth’s magnetism—but at least they have a real “bird brain” in their sophisticated noggin. This more advanced brain helps them to process the complex visual and optic stimuli. A soaring blue bird always has the advantage of a “bird’s eye view,” but what the crammed in ganglia of the tiny Monarch brain can accomplish is a genetically designed “Master” piece!
Chapter Two
The King of Butterflies
The virtue of percieving
They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears…so that I should heal them.
Matthew 13:15
The word Monarch means “to be first,” or “a person or thing that surpasses all others of the same kind – a ruler”. The Monarch has taken on its primo name — not necessarily because of its beauty, but because of its superior aptitude for “seeing.” They are one of the few creatures on earth that can navigate and orient themselves simultaneously in both latitude and longitude. In other words these little beasties can navigate themselves in flight like a Boeing 747!
Monarch butterflies are also one of the few living things capable of making a Trans -Atlantic crossings. By contrast, it took until the 1700’s for seafaring sailors and maritime engineers to figure out how to set their clocks to Greenwich Time and then coordinate that with the compass and the sextant. But the tiny Monarch was enjoying bio-instrument readings and navigational accuracy long before comparable human travel was even made possible!
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14
It is a fact, that the pattern and blueprint for most all of mankind’s scientific and technological breakthroughs have (like a riddle or puzzle to be solved) already been providentially placed in nature by God. Since the fall, it has taken many centuries for mankind’s sin-darkened understanding to figure some of these things out. Today this process or inquiry of acquiring knowledge is called “science” or in the bible it is what the Greek word refers to as gnosis. Again, it bears repeating that it took mankind several thousand years to learn how to accurately navigate the high seas while the tiny, humble, fluttery little butterfly was doing this all along!
Seeing through design
Anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see . . .
Revelation 3:18
Amazingly, entomologists have found that when the temperature begins to fall and the sun’s latitude drops to around 57 degrees above the southern horizon, the Monarch instinctively knows its time to begin their migratory journey. The “vision” and perception of these little creatures is simply astonishing. For example, recent analysis of the monarch’s DNA, brain and neurological center has determined that the intricate genetic makeup of the Monarch’s built in vision and navigational system resembles that of a more highly organized mammal’s visual cortex then that of an insect—a very perceptive critter indeed!
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knows right well.
Psalms 139:14
But as impressive a creature the Monarch is, man far surpasses this winged creation as the Lord’s highest order of creation. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and we have also been designed to “see.” Every man, woman and child of Adam’s race is a tri-partite being made of spirit, soul and body. When a person is surrendered to the Holy Spirit, their Creator can easily an accurately guide them securely into the Kingdom of Heaven and into their unique Kingdom destiny. [1Thess.5:23]
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
2Corinthians 5:17
Smooth Landings
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
Hebrews 4:1
Seeing, entering and fully realizing or inheriting the Kingdom of God should be the goal of every true believer. Yet the question remains as to why so many souls have never taken flight to this majestic Kingdom? Why is it t that so many have never truly entered it, let alone responsibly exercised dominion over a fallen world in and through it?
Quest for the Kingdom
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…
Hebrews 12:1-2
Some think they know all the need to know about the Kingdom. But knowledge without obedience, understanding and actual, experiential application is not real spiritual knowledge at all. Some are always learning but never really coming to knowledge of the truth. All too many have lived their life on earth aimlessly and have never existentially lived out the Kingdom’s powers and virtues to their fullest extent.
For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17
The Bible says that to live in the Kingdom of God means that a believer is to continually experience the peace, love and joy of the Holy Spirit. It is an overcoming victorious life of peace, tranquility, inner strength and calm – even in the midst of life’s worst unforeseen trails and tribulations. Even in the face of physical death the Kingdom life within will defy it. The Kingdom life will also speak calm to the storms before it. This is the Christians “Sierra Madre” or desired destination of rest for the believer.
The Kingdom life is a life of stability, virtue, wisdom, courage and nobility. It does not falter in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. It has wisdom and can see the storm coming far in advance and will take measures to avoid it. In quietness it possesses its soul. It’s also a strong tower for those in need to run to.
The Kingdom saint is safely reposed in the cleft of God’s sweet presence and their life’s compass is steadily pointed in the direction of Heaven which is also fixed to magnetic north. The Kingdom saint is connected to Heaven’s throne. Even in the midst of cyclonic events, it experiences “still waters” and “green pastures”. This life and this life alone is fit to rule and reign with Christ.
If then Christians are so internally out fitted and configured to reach their God ordained destination, why then are so many believers falling short of this Kingdom? Certainly, God does not want you or I to “fall short” of the runway. He wants us to find our place in Him. Like His Monarch butterfly He so desires you and I to accurately “hit” the target of our visions and dreams. In other words, He wants us to arrive at our destinations safely.
No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:62
Smooth departure
Once the Monarch has taken flight to the warmer wintering grounds of the Sierra Madres, only very rarely will a winged, stray traveler ever look back at the encroaching cold front and travel off course. If it does, it can only look forward to the dead of winter where the freezing winds and cold air will engulf it with the chilling sting of death.
Like the stray Monarch, many have become too distracted by “other things.” Sin, un-belief and the world with all its entertainments, lusts and preoccupations allures them. They are always looking back over their shoulder and as a result their plow does not run a strait line. In some cases they have gotten totally turned around and are now way of course! I say that by His plenteous grace, this ought not to be.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:24-25
In the Spirit realm, by His grace, God has left for us a precise “flight pattern”— a predetermined way of approach that is to be carefully followed if one is to safely enter the resting place of God’s heavenly Kingdom. After all, His heavenly abode is many light years distant and in a different realm altogether! How then do we enter and possess it? That is the purpose of this book.
But God desires for each and every believer to not only make it to Heaven but to experience the powers of Heaven here in this life. And it is my fervent prayer that after reading this book, some of you may be able in boldly live in the reality of the promise, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!”
Chapter Three
A narrow flight plan
Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:14
It is perilous when an aircraft doesn’t file a flight plan and then for what ever reason, goes off course. It is hazardous when a pilot does not consult with air traffic control. So too, it spiritually dangerous when a Christian doesn’t consult with Heaven’s “traffic control” before he/she plots a future course of direction for their lives. It is precarious for someone to not stay on the path Christ has set.
A man's heart plans his way…there is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 16:9, 25
Jesus said that the way to the heavenly Kingdom was “narrow” and few were able to see or find it. Many live their whole lives being led by their feelings when they should have been led by the Word. But by the grace of God, even the most simple and infantile believer has been granted inerrant spiritual guidance and fail safe spiritual technology that is freely given to every born again believer at salvation.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you . . .
John 16:13
A good pilot will never presume to simply” feel” his/her way to landing their aircraft on a runway. There is simply too much room for error. A good navigator cannot afford to be directed by emotion and feelings. When a wayward Monarch goes off course it could wind up drowned in the Gulf of Mexico! Yet, remarkably, because of its sophisticated visual guidance system, rarely this ever happens.
If a monarch sojourning from thousands of miles away can hit the tiny bull’s eye of a 70 acre patch in the Mexican mountains, our loving King can easily guide us safely to our home destination as well.
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too difficult for Me?
Jeremiah 32:27
The Creator’s miraculous design for vision . . .
Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:23-26
Greater than a butterfly . . .
When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you . . .
John 16:13
You see, with the loving Father, all things are possible. God has put in each one of us a spiritual GPS/ navigational system par excellent. This system is comprised of the grace of God, the compass of the Word and the light of Holy Spirit. God’s spiritual guidance system is “fail safe”—it will carry us smoothly right into the landing strip of the Kingdom. God has given us eyes to see and ears to hear. He will lead us to an eternal “over-wintering” place of rest in His happy Kingdom. But are we willing to be guided by His Spirit of grace. The Father loves you and me infinitely more than birds and yes, even butterflies!
"What is the price of five sparrows; a couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7
Some where over the rainbow . . .
If Jesus said that His Kingdom was “not of this world” how then can we view this Kingdom? After all, it’s not only “afar off” but quite possibly it is in entirely different dimension and Universe! We need spiritual vision.
For some of you reading this book that will mean you need to be “Born Again” before you can fully appreciate and understand the meaning of this book. Unredeemed man is spiritually dead and does not even have the spiritual eyes with which to peer into this invisible Kingdom. The natural eyes cannot see this vast domain—the unregenerate cannot possibly “see” the Kingdom. Getting “born again” will get you spiritual eyes from the Lord. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to come into your heart right now. Then, when you die, you will go to a beautiful place far above any earthly rainbow.
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God . . . Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
John 3:3, 5
For those of you who are already born again yet have not seen, its time for some of you to have those spiritual cataracts removed from your eyes and for you to begin the sacred quest. And for those of you who already have arrived—please pray for the rest of us!
Some trust in chariots . . .
Despite low visibility and strong and unpredictable wind shear, a Boeing 727 filled with hundreds of passengers safely lands on a narrow runway during a horrific thunderstorm while a group of American astronauts lands on the Moon some 230,000 miles from planet Earth. After spending some time there they then blast off from the lunar surface and rendezvous with their mother spaceship which brings them safely back to earth.
Faster than a speeding bullet and traveling millions of miles far from planet earth, a tiny remotely controlled robot- like space rover is carried out into the solar system piggybacked on a research satellite. Upon arriving at its destination, it is then safely deployed upon the surface of an asteroid and then sends back millions of gigabytes of data and photographs to mission control in Houston Texas – excellent examples of good man made guidance technology and the applied science of mathematics.
But if you think that kind of guidance system is good you haven’t seen anything until you have experienced being guided by God’s eyes safely onto the landing strip of God’s blessed Kingdom!
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:24-25
Abraham the seer
Abraham was quite the traveler. God gave great supernatural vision to this patriarchal ‘seer’. He not only brought him safely from a far distance into a new land and country but showed him where the future impact that his journey would have on future generations. . .
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord . . .
Genesis 15:5-6
What God did for father Abraham, He will do for us as well. God is no respecter of persons. In the Old Covenant, God gave divine perception to Abraham It is my sincere prayer that you will begin to see your destination in the Kingdom of God and fully enter and possess in all it’s abundant fullness. Jesus gifted Nathanael to see into the eternal realms and God will do the same for you. Do you believe you see and experience the Kingdom of God in all its glory here and now?
Verily, verily, I say to you, after this, you shall see Heavens open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
John 1:51
Chapter Four (picture of telescope)
Seers of the Kingdom
For Abraham looked for a City which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. . . but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Hebrews 11:10, 13-14
The need for perception
As with the little Monarch, the Lord wants us to possess an uncanny, supernatural vision and sense of direction in our everyday lives. He wants us to begin to start operating on the “auto-pilot of the Holy Spirit. God ardently desires you and I to possess spiritual perception in this hour. He wants us to see and experience His Kingdom in all of its power and glory. Simply put, there is no more important subject to discuss in the Church today than the Kingdom of God and it’s manifestation upon the earth today.
Yet, even with all the prophetic, cutting edge” end times revelation” circulating around the body of Christ today, many individual Christians (as well as their churches) are far from entering the Kingdom. They have gotten off the path and have precipitously veered off their flight pattern that a wise God has preordained for their lives.
Some have wandered so far off course that they have made little or no progress in their quest to enter it. Others have gotten bogged down in dead religious tradition or have embraced a nominal luke-warm faith. Still others have been disqualified through bitterness, unbelief, skepticism, wanton sin and worldliness or by religious pride or spiritual ignorance.
Thankfully, we see in the Scriptures that the Creator King has left for us many land- marks of how to safely reach His glorious Kingdom – a spiritual domain in all its native apostolic power, glory and love. And if we are to fully enter it, we must return to the pre-established pattern of the early Church on which it was founded.
Perception and revelation . . .
Perception we lead us to revelation and revelation will lead us to realization. As the Tabernacle of Moses was the holy pattern for practicing and realizing the power of Kingdom worship sacrifice (worship which truly attracts God’s holy presence) under the Old Covenant, the book of Acts is the pattern that contemporary believers should carefully follow if they are to actualize God’s presence and Kingdom power today.
A blue collar, working man’s revival . . .
God is no respecter of persons and loves the common folk. God has clearly shown me that very soon the early Church’s realization of the powers of the Kingdom will be reactivated in the Church — and not just amongst a few self styled celebrity preachers who act as if they are the only ones who have special gifting and powers. God wants fully operational, actualized New Testament believers in this hour. Kingdom power is now available to every Kingdom believer who hungers and thirsts for it.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mark 16:17-18
But such Kingdom power will not ever be fully actualized until God’s people possess at least the same level of spiritual perception that the Early Church Christian possessed. They must return to the first Church’s original flight pattern if they are to reach the Kingdom of God in all its blessed fullness.
And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:7-8
“See-ers” . . .
God said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern . . .”
Hebrews 8:5
In the Kingdom, God desires to promote many into the position of kings and priests. However, to be a successful priestly monarch or leader, you have got to have vision and sharp perception. Many fail to see that. Progress in God is all about accurate perception. One of the greatest curses Jesus ever pronounced on religious folk was spiritual blindness! Without clear vision, no leader, parent, pastor or teacher can lead or safely guide the people who follow them into an uncertain future.
Where there is no vision, the people perish . . .
Proverbs 29:18
Ideally, the Bible should the operators’ manual and guidance system that every religious and political leader should navigate by. Those that have neglected or refused its precious and sage advice have wreaked great havoc not only upon themselves and their loved ones but also on the people who follow them. If they do not humble themselves and repent, sooner or later they will have become nothing more than a by-word and blight upon the charts of Church history.
How to get back . . .
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal them . . .
2 Chronicles 7:14
The King is so merciful and kind. When getting off course, it is so vitally important for a leader to humbly fall to his knees and cry out to God for wisdom and vision; that the divine Potentate will shed light and give insight of how his wayward soul is to get back on the path to Kingdom life. David stumbled badly and for a season. He obviously veered way off course. But through sincere repentance and deliverance, he found God’s forgiveness and grace and a renewed respect for God’s word.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path . . . Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Psalms 119:105, 11, 67
The language of God . . .
Joseph could have never saved the people of Egypt from a great famine and an ensuing national catastrophe if he had not humbly and carefully sought out the counsel of the Lord on his knees and been attentive to the living, real time prayer language of the Holy Spirit through visions and dreams. The voice of the Lord lifted him above his daily difficulties to see things from above. Through divinely inspired dreams, the Lord showed him in advance the trouble that was coming so he could prepare the people. In his hearing and obeying God’s voice the Lord would be glorified.
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed . . .
Genesis 42:9
The Kingdom perspective . . .
So too, every Kingdom believer who has gotten off course must begin to view things from God’s perspective if they are to get back on track. They must ask the Lord for the gift of divine perception and seek the God of their fathers. God moves and directs his people according to a divine and eternal pattern and that pattern is plainly laid out in the scriptures. But as Joseph learned, God is a very prophetic and forward looking God and His Word being futuristic.
You and I must t have clarity and be forward looking in order to see its pattern. We must love to meditate on the living Word and be open to the Lord giving us visions and dreams. When confirmed by Holy Scripture, it all points us in the specific direction of His Majestic Kingdom ruling and reigning upon the earth.
And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. So the advice was good… And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. "You shall be over my house and all my people shall be ruled according to your word . . .
Genesis 41:32, 37, 38-40
In the short and long term planning our lives and ministries, on a daily basis we must learn to accurately hear and perceive the “voice” of the Lord so that we can carefully layout an accurate flight pattern before “taking off.” Other wise we will not be able to set goals or predetermine destinations that God desires for us to reach. In short, if we are to fully enter the Kingdom, what we all need is more spiritual insight from the Lord and His revelatory Word. And that’s what this book is all about.
Kingdom flight plans
It’s not wise to go on an airplane trip without a certified, trained pilot’s understanding of how to operate the aircraft he or she will be flying. It is also unsafe for a pilot not to file a flight plan with the proper authorities and air traffic controllers before they take off. Likewise in the Kingdom, it is unsafe to live and plan your life without accountability to God and without living according to God’s divine pattern. While still on the ground, it’s vitally important for any pilot to check in with traffic control before departing!
Chapter Five
The Kingdom’s GPS
The Trinity’s guidance system . . .
So then, how do we find the divine pattern to entering the fullness of God’s Kingdom? The divine pattern for your life is carefully spelled out in the Bible and will from time to time, even be confirmed by visions and dreams. God’s guidance system also involves the continual, still small voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. God’s sweet presence longs to lead you and I to an authoritative heavenly seat of power and position. But how does He accomplish this?
His calm and tranquil peace will show you the way. God’s Word (Jesus being the incarnate word-John 1:1-2) is also your foolproof operator’s flight manual for your quest in entering the Kingdom. If the little Monarch can make it all the way to Mexican mountains, by the grace of God, you and I will be able to make it to the Kingdom of Heaven! All that is required is to Meditate on God’s Word day and night and repose in His loving presence.[Psalm 119] The all seeing, sovereign, omniscient Father is your air traffic controller and the gentle and sensitive Holy Spirit is your divine, navigational GPS guidance system.[John Ch. 14-16] He is your divine gyroscope keeping your life safely on the right latitude and longitude. Consult with these blessed Three frequently!
His sheep follow him because they know His voice . . .
John 10:4 (NIV)
Tripartite Transport
May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
God has made each of us a threefold, tripartite being. God desires to control and guide all of our being from the inside. The master controls of our life are located within the innermost parts of our being – our born again spirit. This is the deepest, untouchable, redeemed part of the inner spirit- man. God communicates, directs and guides His people thru the inner man.
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God…for there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater… And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
John 3:5; 1 John 5:7-12
You see friend, only the inner spirit of a born again believer can see and enter the Kingdom of God.
Divine guidance from within . . .
When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you . . .
John 16:13
We should then yield our will and spirit man to God and thus always be guided from the “inside out”. Our spirit man should be gently steered by the Spirit of God which in turn should then lovingly direct the soul and mind into those things which please the Father. Finally, the sanctified, spirit- formed soul of redeemed man should then direct the body and its appetites and propensities into the, discipline, peace and healthy order of Kingdom living.
And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Inner progress . . .
Thus, every thought should become captive to the mind of Christ. Every pure, Christ like thought will influence us to speak pure words and manifest righteous actions which when repeated will lead to pure and holy habits. These good habits will in turn develop the yielded and obedient soul into a sanctified, psychological construct of a pure and holy character. Possessing a holy character will inevitably will lead one to a glorious Kingdom destiny. This is what the heavenly Father desires for each and every one of us.
As born again believers we are all predestined for greatness and glory. All who live godly in Christ Jesus are destined to soar into the heights.
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:30
Outside turbulence . . .
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:16
Sadly the unregenerate, carnally minded person is more often guided (or misguided!) by their physical bodies and earthly emotions. This is why the majorities of religious people are actually moving in reverse and are in constant regression as far as their spiritual progress in God.
The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:24, 25, 38-43
Sadly, they will never make the journey into God’s Kingdom. They can not fly like an eagle to the secret place of the Most High. Their carnal nature anchors them to the earth. Their attempts to worship and praise are vain. Their spirit man lies in bondage to the sin driven lusts and lower leadings of the flesh and the fallen intellectual/ soulical nature. They try to navigate this life using the wrong controls.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God.
Romans 8:5-7
Mission control . . .
God is a God of purpose and mission. Every person who has been born into this world has been given a specific mission from God to accomplish in their life. Whether or not that mission is accomplished will be determined by the level of surrender and obedience that person has toward the Lord and His word.
Your spirit, soul and body were made by its Designer to operate a specific way, sequence and under certain conditions. For example, it would be foolish for a pilot to try and fly and navigate a Boeing with an Airbus aircraft manual – they have different creators. So too, many in this world try to navigate their lives without the correct operator’s manual. They simply cannot see where they are going! They have taken their eyes off the mark. They are prone to a variety of mistakes and accidents. They are spiritually blind and can’t see the Kingdom’s strait and narrow “landing strip” before them even though it is brilliantly all lit up for them..
Thus, they are constantly thrown off course by turbulent winds and there is no telling how many countless lives have crashed prematurely due to unsuspecting temptations and spiritual “wind sheer” and other adversarial forces simply because they were unprepared in God to handle all that life, this fallen world and the Devil would throw at them.
“To see or not to see . . .”
“To see or not to see,” that should be the central question of every believer who longs to fully enter and inherit the Kingdom. In their quest, acquiring vision and guidance from the Lord should be the main pursuit in their journey in this life. If you can’t see the Kingdom, then you will have no inkling of it should impact your current plans and strategies for life. You will not be able to develop and implement a prophetic plan for living in the future. And if you cannot see then neither can will you be safe. Many accidents have occurred in the dark.
In the beginning, the light of God’s Word split the darkness. It is still doing the same today. You’ve got to perceive something before you can determine to safely reach it. Likewise, you have to see the Kingdom before you can enter it. Real knowledge and obedience to the Word will safely lead you into His Kingdom every time. It is my sincere prayer that this book helps you to see the landing area that God has prepared for you.
Chapter Seven
Chapter Six
Kingdom Vision
Long range vision
I counsel you to buy from me white clothes to wear . . . and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Revelation 3:18
God will give His children vision that far surpasses even that of the tiny Monarch’s! Yet so many today are out of the way and far off course. They simply have no vision. They don’t pray or read the Word any longer. Their hearts have become too hard to hear His still small voice of guidance. They can’t see the great forests of the Kingdom through the “trees” of their immediate circumstances, the cares and trails of this life. They cannot even see the Kingdom let alone enter it!
Under the new covenant this shouldn’t be the case since we have better promises, gifting and revelation. Jesus has developed quite a bit of spiritual engineering to help the New Testament believer along their spiritual journey. We simply need to begin to exercise and use the means of grace He has already given us . . .
All seeing discernment . . .
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern (see) both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:14
Jesus said we were to be children of the light and not “in the dark.” The great revival that is to come will be marked by great vision and the ability to discern between good and evil. No longer will immoral and phony charlatan preachers take advantage of the faithful! The body of Christ will see and avoid them from afar off! They will know when the true revivalists come on the scene.
There’s no need to be hampered by spiritual myopia any longer. God has provided all that we need to discern avoid evil and safely navigate so we can find our way to the safe harbor of His Majestic Kingdom. Spiritual vision and discernment is so important to believers in this evil day. There are just too many evil temptations posing as legitimate choices out there.
A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple (spiritually immature) pass on, and are punished.
Proverbs 22:3
If we are blinded and distracted by a lack of discernment in the daily choices life presents to us, we will not be able to see the marvelous destinies of the Kingdom before us. The Bible says that the spiritual man “judges” (i.e. anakrino: Greek word for discern) all things. [1Cor.2:15] Tragically, many professed believers today have a difficult time even discerning between what is good and what is evil. It’s not in vogue in the positive/ prophetic church these days for believers to be taught how to discern wickedness and to call it what it is – evil.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter . . .
Isaiah 5:20; 7:16
Abraham could accurately discern (on a practical, daily basis) between the holy and the profane, good and evil, and what was of God and what was not. As a result God gave him futuristic and beatific visions where he was able to clearly see the future citizenry of the Covenant Kingdom afar off. [Genesis15:12-24] God spoke to him in the language of the Heaven. [Joel 2:28] He listened and by faith traveled light years into the future to a far country. And, long range vision gave Abraham a plan and a purpose for his life in the now as well.
The Lord also gave a God-view perspective to Elijah the prophet. The apostle James said Elijah was a man of ‘like passion.’ He was made of the “same stuff”—he wasn’t Super man. God is no respecter of persons. But through Holy Ghost vision an ordinary person can become an extraordinary Kingdom saint! By the anointing of the Kingdom we too can see and hear the still small voice of the Lord even as Elijah and father Abraham.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12
Fog Warning!
Therefore you shall have night without vision . . . Micah 3:6
Have you ever driven home in a thick fog? You know the road is there but you just can’t see it. Although not feasible with current auto manufacturers, it would be fantastic if cars were at some point equipped with instrument reading devices and radar similar to most air craft. The trouble is all too many Christians today live their lives in a spiritual fog.
The easy buttons
Spiritually speaking, even the most spiritually immature Christian is light years ahead of any auto maker, the airline industry or even NASA as far as their built in guidance system is concerned. Many simply don’t realize it. We as believers have a guidance system far better than any thing imaginable. In the Kingdom realm, the Holy Spirit supernaturally guides and directs our way. As believers, all God asks us to do is press the trust, delight and commit easy buttons and then switch our lives on to auto-pilot!
In the following two passages, the Bible speaks of God’s guidance system and how it works. There are three main control switches that operate it. All we need do is humbly surrender our life to Him and He will “automatically” direct our paths . . .
Trust in the Lord and do good. Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:3-5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own under standing; in all your way acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths . . .
Proverbs 3:5-6
Vantage Point . . .
Remember, seeing is all about perspective. Perspective is all about vantage point. But what will lift you to a superior vantage point is faith, trust and obedience. After encountering foggy conditions and when trying to get back on course, some of us need to press the trust button. Others may need the hit the auto pilot commit switch and turn everything over to Master Control. Still, others need to begin to keep themselves spiritually awake at the controls by being thankful and by joyfully praising God and continually delighting in Him.
Trust, delight and commit . . .
For whatever reason, sometimes Christians won’t trust the Lord nor will they delight in Him or commit their way to Him. Because of immediate circumstances, loss, bitterness, lack of faith and prayerlessness or sin, some folks can’t see the forest through the trees. Rather then flying above the trees, they hold on to some sin or worldly idol and won’t fully commit their way to Him. Possibly they may have been unjustly hurt by someone or some event and have become bitter or resentful. They can’t walk down the path, through the meadow and press on through the ancient Gates. They are blinded by the ‘fog’ in their lives. The Kingdom is all but obscured to them. They can’t achieve vantage point.
Perception and ascent
They need to fly up to higher perches in their prayer and worship lives where they can see what lies ahead. Through the Spirit of praise, through delighting in God, they need to get above the foggy clouds of doubt, lack of trust and anything less than a total commitment so they can see the unrivalled domains and lands of our King. They need to stay in the Word.
All of us realize by now that in life there are constant tests and trials. These are like the over grown vines and piles of dead leaves that covered the path in the old painting. If we look too much upon them they will obscure our way to the Gate. We also must obtain keys of insight and perception if we are to unlock the gates and pass through the protective, privacy walls of God’s Kingdom. It is only by passing through the Gates that we will be enabled to behold the panoramic view of the great inheritance set before us.
Kingdom perception granted . . .
They have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes . . .
Ezekiel 22:26
In the vision, there were a lot of “vines” and “leaves” that obscured the path which lead the ancient gates of God's Kingdom. When Jesus walked the earth, worldly people and demons alike endeavored to de-rail Christ’s earthly mission and to side track Him from realizing total conquest.
Seeing the joy ahead . . .
But Jesus endured His biggest tests by seeing the joy set before Him. [Hebrews 12:2] He was forward looking and possessed clear, future vision. So can you! We would do well to pray for increased spiritual vision right now . . .
“Lord, please open my eyes to see the Kingdom. In Jesus name I pray I can see its future hope and present reality. God, I thank You for giving me eyes of faith and spiritual vision to see your plan for me in this Kingdom. I will supremely delight myself in You and trust you and wholly commit myself to You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:14
The Blind leading the Blind . . .
And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
1 Samuel 3:1
The religious leaders in Christ’s day were in the dark about the Kingdom. They thought they knew it all. They would not trust nor commit their way to the Lord. Pride and myopia go hand in hand. They were always wrong even though they thought they were right. It is spiritually dangerous for anyone to travel in the “fog’ of pride any longer. This is especially true when countless legions of demons and all the forces of darkness are now being unleashed for the greatest assault on the Kingdom in the history of the Church. Prideful “know it alls” cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It is simply no longer safe for any born again believer to walk around in pride and without spiritual vision.
Blind guides
Jesus wasn’t very fond of the way the blind leadership and the religious crowd of His day abused and pilfered the sheep of His pasture. He gave those spiritually blind leaders one of the worst rebukes in the Bible.
They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Woe to you . . . hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of Hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.' Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you . . . hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence--Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of Hell?
Matthew 16:14-15a; 23:15-33a
Here, Jesus also called them “white sepulchers” because they acted and preached in public one way while indulging in private sin when not in the spiritual lime light. Inside their hearts, their motives for ministry were impure. They attempted to “use” God for their own purposes. They were in it for notoriety and fame. They were in it for money. Despite their bold, religious pronouncements, they held no keys to any kingdom except the kingdom of Hell. Sadly, much popular preaching we hear and see today is of this category.
Lord, lift us up where we can see . . .
What’s your perspective? Do you see a joyous future before you? Or is your vision impaired? Do you have a firm grasp of what mission and assignment you have in God’s Kingdom? Do you truly apprehend that in the end, you will be brought with ease to His heavenly estate by angels? And what about the life you are living here on earth? Are you humble and full of child-like faith? Are you trust worthy? Are you confident God has given you provision here and now? [Phil.4:19]Let’s ask God to clean the filters of our eye gates and ear gates so we can forever rule and reign with Christ in His heavenly Kingdom. And don’t be blinded, fooled or hoodwinked by certain T.V preachers who all but have lost their scruples!
A Prayer for divine perception . . .
Look without and be distressed Look within and be depressed Look at Jesus and be at rest
Corrie Ten Boom
Who and what are you looking at? What do you behold with your eyes? How is your spiritual perception? Can you see the Kingdom? Are your eyes constantly upon Jesus, and the destination of His Kingdom? Do you trust, delight and commit to Him your life? Having perception is so important. Joseph’s perception spared his family great harm at the hands of Herod. By seeing the God’s Kingdom’s plan in advance Noah built an ark and saved his entire family. Paul’s spiritual perception saved him and those he influenced from perishing in a shipwreck. [Acts17:22]
You will become what you behold . . .
If the Monarch only beheld the Gulf of Mexico, it would end up landing there and drowning! The Lord wants you to see. He wants you to see the Kingdom and its righteousness. He wants you to see that you are now part of a heavenly nation of Priests and Kings. He wants you to behold Jesus the King of Kings. He wants us all to land safely in His Majestic Kingdom.
God used the word “behold” some 1,371 times in the Bible. When it’s God-vision, you will be lead to a victorious life in the Kingdom. [Deut.28:1-15] Conversely, when you behold something evil or not of the Kingdom, that will produce immorality and death in your life. If you like too look upon evil; you will in fact become evil.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites… will inherit the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
For instance, if you look at pornography the fact is you will eventually become at best an unclean, youth, a lousy husband, a voyeur, a purveyor of evil fantasies or at worst an adulterer or even a deviant sexual pervert or criminal. Pornography leads to unresolved guilt, anger and rage. There are many rapists, pedophiles and murderers today in prisons who will tell you that their illicit and criminal passions were first fueled and ignited by hellish pornography in its various forms.
You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perishes, than for your whole body to be cast into Hell.
Matthew 5:27-29
Look to the Savoir . . .
When the ancient Israelites in the wilderness looked at the bronze serpent – the fiery scepter of Moses, they were healed and delivered and were eventually led to major victories despite all their trials and shortcomings. The serpent (long used as a symbol of healing in the Medical profession) was a prophetic foreshadowing of the healing Christ who one day would be lifted up upon the “pole” of the tree of Calvary and all who would look to him would be saved and healed.
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Numbers 21:8-9
What you behold, what you see is so vital to being a Kingdom saint. It’s important where you look. As father Abraham saw the starry night, God wants you and me to see the souls we are going to bring into His Kingdom! He does not want us looking upon insidious evil! All those who continue to gaze upon wickedness will not enter the Kingdom in this hour even if they have head knowledge and think the “know” everything about it! Theoretical knowledge, unapplied knowledge is not real spiritual knowledge at all.
Jesus has revealed to us the mystery of the Kingdom. Paul continuously prayed for the believers at Ephesus to see, understand and live out this great inheritance . . .
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
Ephesians 1:17-18
What is the hope of His calling? What is the glory of His inheritance? As the days grow darker we must abide and grasp the lovely fact that His Kingdom runs through our hearts. Believe me, we will need clearer vision then ever if we are going to continuously perceive and abide in the Kingdom during these last days of Noah.
“See” what He says . . .
The language and conversation of this world is often all too pallid and dim. There is simply no light or life in it. Living an obedient life; praying, fasting and worshipping God while keeping an open heart to hear His vivid voice is a sure way to continually connect with the King. At Bethel, the intercessor Jacob began to see and hear the vibrant language of the Kingdom. It takes requires Spirit inspired vision to discern spiritual realities. It takes a heavenly perspective to see things as God sees them.
Words in pictures
Although the infallible Scriptures are the only true guide for doctrine and teaching, specific, daily life direction and guidance most often comes through the language of the Spirit. This Kingdom language can often be revealed to us in prayer via visions and dreams and can shed more light on the scripture and how it pertains to our lives at any given moment. We need to learn this language.
Visions of the night
In the Kingdom, even in the dark of night one can see. Paul had already made other travel plans but a vision in the night changed all that. The light of God’s language (Paul saw a visage of a man from Macedonia crying out to him) split the nocturnal darkness and led Paul to greater ministry to the Macedonians. Are you willing to receive a “Macedonian call” in your own life and ministry? Are you open to Spirit inspired dreams and visions of the night?
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia… And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 16:6, 9-10
The celestial Artist . . .
No one is more creative than the Lord. He is the best Artist of all. The paint brush of the Lord is His Spirit whispering to our hearts through His Word. The living and creative Word is Spirit and it is life. [John 6:63] The canvass of the Spirit is our yielded and consecrated imagination and mind. The palette of the Lord is His anointed and creative thoughts. His colorful, heavenly imagery are the oils with which He paints.
Only the Holy Spirit can gift us with the ability to see into the eternal realms. And it is only from the eternal perspective that we will be able accurately discern events and correctly interpret the perplexing times we live in. Through visions, dreams and imagery of the Spirit, we will find meaning, purpose and our particular assignment within the blueprint of God’s will for our lives. The prophet Habakkuk recited this very thing when he said . . .
I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me.
Habakkuk 2:1-2
You may ask, what was the prophet looking for when he prayed on those ramparts? I tell you he was “looking” for the clear and colorful voice of God through the Spirit inspired imagery which flooded his soul and sanctified imagination during much time spent before God in intercession and worship. Are you standing on your watch in prayer looking to see the sayings of the Lord?
“Look and see”
Are you looking to see what God is speaking to you in this day? In the scripture passage above, the prophet actually “saw” the voice of the Lord in the Heavenly realm in the form of colorful imagery and pictures. It will take some spiritual ‘seeing’ and ‘hearing’ if we are to open wide the ancient Gates of Heaven’s glorious Kingdom in this hour. Like Habakkuk, are you willing to continually pray, meditate on the Word and yield your mind and imagination to God? Are you willing to solely love Him and practice His presence daily? Are you open to “seeing” His living word and voice in your own heart?
Dear saint of God, simply meditate on and claim by faith the following promise. God is going to be revealing to some of you with specificity His place and assignment in the Kingdom this very day. It is my sincere prayer that you become open to receiving visions and dreams from the Lord and that you hear His still small voice guiding and directing your every step along the way to a brilliant future in His resplendent Kingdom.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams . . .
Acts 2:17
Below are Anointed, Kingdom prayers for your family and loved ones from the book of Ephesians – simply fill in the blanks with their names and begin to declare this over them . . .
Prayer #1: A prayer for seeing the Kingdom of God . . .
In Jesus mighty name, I will not stop declaring and giving thanks for _______________ , that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to _________________, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlightening __________ _________, to see and know what is the hope of _____________, calling and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and that _____________, will know what is the exceeding greatness of His power to those who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him on His own right hand in heavenly places. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
Prayer #2: Prayer for inheriting the Kingdom of God
In Jesus name, I claim and confess with undeniable faith, that God would grant __________________ to comprehend that God the Father has already blessed ____________________ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and that _________________has been chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love. To the praise of the glory of His grace by which He has made ________________, accepted in the beloved; and have redemption through the blood of Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins; that the Lord would grant _________________, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ Jesus may dwell in ______________, by faith; that ________________, being rooted and grounded in love, ________________, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, depth and height of the love of Christ which passes all knowledge. That _______________, will be filled with all the fullness of God. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.*
[*from portions of Ephesians 1:3-7; 16-20; 3:14-19]
Believe those things (in accordance with God’s will) you say and you will have whatever you say. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
– Jesus (Mark 11:23-24)