Heavenly Places

5/7/11

Greetings,

                God is good and His mercy endures forever! This week we are going to discuss some shocking material. I say shocking because this is the kind of material that simply is not taught. I believe that if we are called to be a heavenly people (which we are) we must be heavenly minded. What does it meant to be heavenly minded? Does it mean thinking about streets of gold and marvelous worship all day? Is there more to it?

                It is actually like the old real estate saying goes: Location, location, location! What does real estate have to do with being heavenly minded? Does a big house actually solve problems? Of course not! The point is that having a heavenly mindset begins with properly identifying your location. I have a question for you, and although it may seem ridiculous, answer this question in your head: Where are you?

                If you answered with your physical location you unfortunately failed the test. Sure, you may be sitting at your desk, standing in line at the grocery store, or lying on your bed, but that is a much less important fact. It is less important because it has no authority. The grocery store could be there today and gone tomorrow. Your true location is in heaven, and this location has authority over every dimension.

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)

When we receive Jesus we are raised up spiritually. Our spirit which was born dead is now born again. This spirit becomes one with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17) and begins to operate on two planes of existence at the same time. We are in heaven and we are on earth. Although we experience earth, our heavenly existence is actually more important. It holds authority over our earthly existence.

                Before we go on I want to bring this home. If your body is broken would it be broken in heaven? If your marriage is broken would it be broken in heaven? If you’re broke and in debt beyond reason, would you be broke in heaven? The answer is succinctly no. Heaven is a place of perfection. It is a place where every wrong is made right, where every tear is wiped away, and where every injustice is addressed in righteousness. If you could put all your problems in a bag and ship them to heaven… they would be replaced with new realities. It is no mystery that when we get saved we become a new creation. It is mandatory because of our new location.

                “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

                Heaven is a location, but unfortunately it is usually thought of as a destination. It is usually said that heaven is where we go. I am here to tell you that if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior heaven is where you are. This must be understood. Have you ever seen someone trying to bake cookies on a roller coaster? Of course not! The reason is because they understand where they are. Satan is a professional liar. He tells Christians that they are in the kitchen when they are on a roller coaster—and many believe him. This is one reason why Christians will get out of church and go home to a pornographic video. They think that they have left a holy atmosphere.

                Now that we have established your location we are going to establish how you function there. This is going to require your ability to use your imagination and think outside of time. The fact of the matter is that everything that Jesus purchased for us was done at the cross. This is why the death of Jesus was a finished work. My sins today were paid for two-thousand years ago.  This means that the work of Jesus was done on a plane that was outside of time. We have discussed the following verse in past letters, but we are going to look at it from another angle.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18 AMP)

The word translated “you” in this passage is plural. It actually means “you all” or the church acting in unity. I used the Amplified version of this text because it brings out the proper implications of the verse. We are not binding and loosing things from earth to heaven. We are binding and loosing things from heaven to earth. These things are already bound or loosed in heaven. Why?  Heaven operates outside of the confines of time and so do you! Jesus executed His work on a plane outside of time in order for His sacrifice to pay for sins not yet committed in the earth. Now when we believe in Him, we are taken into the eternal plane and operate from a new location: heaven.

The injustice that God has called you to bind is already bound in heaven: agree and it will manifest in the earth. Your financial debt has already been paid: agree and it will manifest in the earth. The peace between you and your ex-best friend has already been loosed: agree and watch things change. You are outside of time doing these things and when you do them they manifest in our time-space. Authority outside of time is the highest authority. Nothing broken is beyond fixing. Nothing ruined is beyond restoration. When we unite we tap into eternal power, eternal authority, and eternal influence. Now you know why Jesus didn’t send the apostles to create the church until He could rightly say:

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore [for this reason]…” (Matthew 28:18-19)

                From now on, when you are asked where you are, keep in mind your true location. We are there corporately. We need to act like it. We need to love each other here the way we already love each other there. Think about it.

Discussion

1.       Where are you?

2.       What are the two dimensional planes we primarily operate on?

3.       What are some of the implications from operating in a heavenly location?

4.       How would you treat your brothers and sister in Christ if you were experiencing the reality of being present in heaven?

5.       Is unity an important agenda for the church?

The Heavens

1/15/11

Greetings,

Last week we left off by saying that spiritual maturity, faith, spiritual authority, and other qualities that can be developed within us will increase the power released through gathering in unity. We’ll begin this conversation by establish a working understanding of the heavens.

                “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

                Most people are familiar with this passage both Christian and non-Christian. Anyone that has ever picked up a Bible to glance through it has probably seen this verse. It is vitally important because it establishes how the universe came into existence. It was not an explosion—it was God. The next level is easily overlooked. It actually explains how God created what we see and don’t see. There is a word in this phrase that is plural, and the importance of its plurality cannot be overstated.

                The words “heavens” is plural in the creation account. Many assume this means the stars, planets, and distant galaxies of the cosmos. This is not entirely true. Notice the following passage:

                “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.” (2 Corinthians 12:2)

                From this passage we know that there are at least three levels of heaven. The third heaven is where God dwells. Therefore, if there is a third heaven, there must be a second heaven and also a first. Is the third heaven some distant place REALLY far out in space? No. Space is subject to time just like earth. We know this because the universe is expanding at a rate that can be calculated and measured. In order for God to reside outside of time (which He does) He must reside in a place outside of our universe. So where is the third heaven? It is in another dimension. This is why I call it the God dimension. This is where the third heaven is located because the third heaven contains God’s kingdom. According to Ephesians 3:10 and 6:12, the second heaven becomes the lower parts of the spirit realm where fallen spirits reside.

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:10)

                “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12)

What are principalities and powers? Ephesians 6:12 tells us that they are the spiritual forces of darkness that we are at war with. Ephesians 3:10 tells us the church is to make the manifold wisdom of God known to these fallen spirit beings. Notice, these principalities and powers reside in the “heavenly places.” Does this mean that we are supposed to build a spaceship and hold wrestling tournaments on Saturn with spiritual hosts? It is less than likely that this is what the Bible is referring to when it describes us as wrestling with fallen spirit beings in heavenly places. Instead, it is referring to our assignment in the spirit realms. I make the word realms plural because there is more than one in the second heavens. The first heaven is the natural realm that we interact with. This comes from Genesis 1:6-8 when God creates the firmament (or sky) and calls it heaven.

                With this explained we can properly understand this portion of the Lord’s Prayer:

                “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” (Luke 11:2)

How does God’s kingdom come? Not in a spaceship! It manifests as a result of dimensional overlap. When we are instructed to pray for the kingdom of God to come, we are in essence asking God to conform the earth to the reality of His kingdom, which is His realm—the God dimension. Now let us focus on a unique story involving Jesus that illustrates this called the transfiguration. In this account, Jesus caused a literal intersection and overlapping of the kingdom of heaven (or the God dimension) and the earth, and allowed His disciples to participate. Before the transfiguration, Jesus told His disciples that some would not die until they saw the kingdom of heaven (Luke 9:27). Eight days later, Peter, James, and John went with Jesus to His prayer time. As He began to pray, His appearance changed and the glory put them to sleep (Luke 9:32). When they awoke, they saw Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus (Luke 9:30). Why? Jesus in His maturity, faith, and spiritual authority caused a literal portal to open to the God dimension, and when Peter, James, and John looked on, they were looking into the kingdom of God. When they entered the cloud they heard the voice of the Father (Luke 9:34-35).

                In the account, when Peter, James, and John woke up they saw into heaven. No spaceship, no time travel, no telescope. The kingdom of heaven was there right in front of them. It was not separated by distance, but by dimension and Jesus caused it to overlap our dimension where they were standing. The disciples saw Moses and Elijah, and they heard the voice of the Father.  Notice in this case that the maturity and authority of Jesus brought his disciples into this dimension apart from their influence. This illustrates that while unity reveals the presence of God, so can the maturity of a single believer. By participating with Jesus, the disciples had a deeper experience with God the Father. The spiritual maturity and authority of all leaders in the body of Christ should intensify the experience with God that others have when they are present.

                This opens up for us potential beyond what we have ever thought or imagined. For instance, let me pose another question: Why was Jesus able to do this? The answer is because He had the Holy Spirit—just like us. The Holy Spirit caused Him to be present in both heaven and earth at the same time. How do we know this? Jesus modeled the potential life of any believer and operated according to the realities He purchased for us with His death and resurrection. Look at the following passage:

                “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)

                Once we believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Lord and Savior we receive the Spirit of Promise—the Holy Spirit. At that very moment we are seated in heavenly places with Jesus. God resides in the third heaven, and since Jesus is God, that is where we are also. In other words, once we become believers we are simultaneously in heaven and on earth. How? The heavenly dimension is higher than the earth, and our spirit participates in both because they overlap where we are. That means that once you receive Jesus: YOU TAKE HEAVEN WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO. The question is: are you actively working to release it as Jesus instructed us?

                Releasing heaven works: but is most fully realized through the power of unity. For instance, the word translated “ye” in the following passage is plural. Believers must operate in unity in order to truly release the potential of this promise:

                “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)

Discussion

1)      What did God create in the beginning?

2)      What can we expect to find in the third heaven? The second heaven? The first heaven?

3)      Why was Jesus able to cause a dimensional overlap during the transfiguration account?

4)      If the heavens are actually dimensions of the spirit realm, what does this mean for our interaction with the second heaven?

5)      What are three practical ways this information can be applied in your life beginning now?