In prayer early Sunday morning I asked God what was underlying a situation among some kingdom minded believers of which I had recently become aware. I was surprised but not shaken when He spoke clearly one word in my spirit. He said, “Treachery.” Humbly I asked God what he meant by this one word. He patiently added, “Treachery is involved”.
The use of that word can stir up some very negative connotations in our minds, and that is a road we do not want to travel especially without clarity.
It was time to check the dictionary for a definition of the word treachery:
Treachery: harmful things that are done usually secretly to a friend, to your own country, etc. – an act of harming someone who trusts you, disloyal, betrayal, deception, lack of respect, treason, etc.
A quick look at a concordance revealed many episodes of treachery in the Old Testament that confirmed this definition regarding doing harm to those of the same family, group, or tribe. Probably the greatest New Testament example is Judas and other Jewish people who were a part of the crucifixion of Christ Jesus.
Treachery can be found in the history of traditional church systems.
Beneath their facade of pleasantries, Christian religious systems can sometimes be involved with acts of treachery, sometimes by individuals seeking to climb the hierarchal ladder of success in the system. Probably much if not most of the time the person seeking to climb the proverbial ladder does not intend to do harm but rather is simply seeking to do the best job possible by bringing forth his or her own ideas of management of the system. Certainly the enemy often gets involved and exploits the situation causing strife and wounding among people within the system.
The kingdom of God is very different from passing religious systems.
In a mature kingdom group, Christ Jesus is present within the group by the Holy Spirit. He is the only system or authority of governance involved in the group, and competition or treachery cannot exist. However, we live in a time of transition. The headship of Christ truly leading His kingdom people is manifesting on earth. While at the same time, the religious systems are in the process of coming down.
Therefore, there can be a residue of the old system that is not yet removed in the minds and hearts of the people within developing kingdom families, groups, and tribes. This residue will always lead to treachery of various forms and intensities within the group. And as always the enemy is outside watching for a crack to enter in to exploit the tension and create disorder and devastation in the kingdom group.
A short time after the Lord had given me the word about treachery, I asked what to do about the situation and immediately received another one word answer, “LOVE.” The pure holy love of God in His people and flowing out to all around them is the order of the kingdom. Christ the Head of the body abiding within His people produces the love, and the love produces the order of every aspect of governance in the kingdom of God on earth. Literally the love of God holds together the kingdom of God and every kingdom cell or group. Where mature love exists there is no need for rules. All law and prophecy is fulfilled through love. The kingdom of God functions by love. The unlimited power of God flows only through love. Faith works by love. The pure love of God is the one thing that the enemy cannot counterfeit.
Unity among individuals, families, groups, tribes, and nations is only possible by the pure holy love of God flooding the hearts and lives with the nature of God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit. God is Love.
Christ Jesus is the only Head of the kingdom church.
In religious systems men are set up as HEAD; whether they are called Father, Priest, Senior Pastor, Vicar, Bishop, or some other title they assume responsibility for the organization usually through a hierarchy of offices under their office of headship. Their noble attempt is to vicariously govern the group for and under God.
Religious systems at the core are a top down-flow of law and order. That is to say order is maintained be either written, spoken, or implied rules of behavior that is required to fit under and align with the hierarchy of rule from the head man down through the ranks.
The kingdom rule of Christ by the Holy Spirit is quite different. We are beginning to grasp the difference between “Headship” and “leadership.” In the kingdom the presence of God in Christ is NOT far away in a distant heavenly realm. There is no need for a man to stand in as head. There is one Head of the true kingdom church but many leaders. What then is a leader?
The Role of the Leader
All believers have the potential for full one-on-one connection with Christ within by the Holy Spirit. However, not all believers are mature enough in the Spirit to experience the full one-on-one connection of oneness with God through Christ by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore they are not yet able to fully hear or see and follow the Head. They must by exercise grow into the discernment of the Spirit of Christ in them by the Holy Spirit. The entire role of the leader is to get the person to Christ by the Holy Spirit and help them to mature in discerning Christ who is in them by the Spirit.
In the kingdom, leaders are not in a higher office and DO NOT rule over individuals or groups. There is only one level for every believer, and that is a born-again son of God. All believers are on the same journey toward the same goal. We are all connected to and directed by the same Head. However, we are not all at the same place on the journey. Some are a bit further up the road. Leaders are simply more mature than a less mature brother or sister. Another word for a mature person is an elder, and a term for less mature is younger. Elder is not an office over others. It is a place of serving God by serving the “youngers” by leading them into becoming mature or elders. Everyone in the body of Christ is elder to someone, and everyone is younger to someone. Even the most mature is younger to Christ Jesus, the only begotten first born Son of God, our Lord, Savior and King, our Great Apostle, the Spirit of Prophecy and our Great Shepherd, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Oversight is observing and guiding. Our journey is an ever maturing spiritual relationship with God on an increasingly higher plain of love, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The more mature are able to see the next step for the less mature and help guide them on their journey to maturity in Christ.
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Love never fails.
Ron McGatlin
www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net