The Kingdom of God!

Chapter Two

Psalm 100:4 says,

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Last week I quoted several scriptures that point out where the Kingdom of God is and what the Kingdom of God is. This week I want to share with you about the Judicial Branch of the Kingdom of God. Our Father is a God of rule and order. There are many spiritual laws that was set in order as He spoke His word which He watches over day and night to be faithful to it.

When He gave Adam the authority over the earth it set a legal precedent that prevented the Lord from overriding the authority He gave to Adam. When Adam obeyed Satan instead of the Lord, it gave Satan the authority that God had given to Adam. God knew that Adam would do this because Peter said in 1 Pet. 1:18-20, (NIV)

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake."

It took someone living on this earth as a God man, like Adam, to fulfill the Law and shed His life's blood in order to redeem mankind. Jesus came and did only what His Father instructed Him to do; even to go as far as offering Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross, to give us the right to become sons of God. Jesus never healed anyone, or did any of His miracles using His authority as God. He only did what His Father told Him to do through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in Lk. 12:49-50, (NIV)

"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!"

He was under restraining orders from His Father until He went to the cross. One of the restraining orders was that He could not use His authority as God's Son to do anything! He said in John 5:19,

"Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."

Satan tried his best to get Jesus to use His authority on earth and thus obey him like the first Adam did in the beginning. However, Jesus was here to do His Fathers will as He was directed to do by the Holy Spirit!

In Matthew 26:52-53, (NIV) when Peter drew his sword and tried to take one of the guard's head off, Jesus said to him,

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"

A legion in the Roman army would have been a unit of 3,000-6,000 men! That would have been around 72,000 angels He could have called to save Him. But He chose to do the will of His Father! This is what submission is all about!

Jesus said in Luke 12:32,

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

He also said in John 10:10,

"The thief comes not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

And in John 6:63,

"It is the spirit that quickens (or brings to life or gives understanding); the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

God operates according to the rule of law! His decrees and His promises, He will not violate, but He watches over His Word to perform it, or cause it to come to pass. Our great nation was set up to be a nation ruled by law. Without going into the proof that Jerimiah set up the rule of law when he was in England, allow me to say that he did this even before Jesus came on the scene. Our nations constitution and judicial system mirrors that of heavens in a lot of ways. Our forefathers were led by the Lord how to set up our constitution and our rule of law!

There are varying levels of courts in the Kingdom of God! Zechariah 3:7 tells us that the Lord promised Joshua, the High Priest, that if he walked in holiness, he would have a place to walk in the courts of Heaven.

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here."

Notice that He said courts plural. Even in the USA there are varying levels and types of courts that decide issues. There are small claims courts, criminal courts, civil courts, divorce courts, city courts, district courts, all the way up to the Supreme Court! All these courts have a different function and jurisdiction and these courts function within the sphere that has been given to them.

In the Kingdom of God there are many different courts that operate. Everyone is not recognized or allowed to operate in all of the courts. Our operation in the courts of The Kingdom of God is determined by the measurement of rule or jurisdiction we have been given. For instance, there are only a handful of attorneys that can present cases in the Supreme Court of the United States. If an attorney that is not recognized comes before the Supreme Court he or she will not be allowed to function there. They will be escorted out or not even allowed in.

We must realize this or we can get ourselves in major trouble by trying to operate in a jurisdiction of Heaven that we have not been granted. When we do this, we open ourselves up to satanic assault and backlash. We have stepped outside our realm, and our lives and the lives of those joined to us could be put in jeopardy.

The good news is that there is a court of grace we can operate in, as believers, that is accessible for us all. It is called the Throne of Grace. Heb. 4:14-16 talks about this court.

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. At this throne or in this court we can obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need."

Everything we deal with on a personal or family level can be brought to the throne of grace. We are told that we have a Great High Priest, Jesus, who is before the Court Grace on our behalf. The position of High Priest is a legal position before the throne. Priest give God the legal right to bless a person or thing.

Jesus stands before the Court of Grace and offers His blood on our behalf which gives God the legal right to bless us! We don't have to be afraid to stand before this Court of Grace! If we are willing to repent of any sin in our life and any unknown sin, we can stand boldly before the Throne of Grace because of the blood of Jesus!

However, there is one exception to this rule! Jesus said in Mark 11:25-26,

"And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have something against anyone so that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

You can go before the Court of Grace and state your case, but if you have not forgiven someone, it will give Satan a case to argue against you before our Father! This is why it is so important for us to forgive others! If someone does something against you that is horrendous, you are require to forgive them! That doesn't mean that you have to associate with them or trust them again.

Just look at what they did to Jesus on the cross and He said in Luke 23:34,

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!"

I will talk more about the courts of Heaven in the next chapter!