The Kingdom of God is the only entity in the earth that is qualified and has the power to address the issues facing the world today and defeat Satan’s kingdom of darkness.  Satan has done everything he can to conceal and resist the revelation of the Kingdom from the church. Satan has even infiltrated the very places given the responsibility of teaching the people, such as the church, seminaries, Bible colleges and schools, causing their teaching and preaching to devoid of the Kingdom and focusing instead upon their denominational doctrines, traditions and philosophies. This has resulted in a church that has been ineffective in curbing the tide of human secularism, moral decay, loss of integrity, failure of marriage, the family and confidence in the church - just to name a few. However, God is readying His church not for another revival (for the church has never been dead), but the restoration and reclamation of that which was lost to its intended place in the earth.  He is reestablishing the foundations upon which the original church was built, the apostle and prophets (Ephesians 2:20), while restoring the original message which turned the known world upside down – the Gospel of the Kingdom! (Acts17:6). For it is the gospel of the Kingdom that must be preached to all the nations of the world as a witness before the end come (Matthew 24:14).

As end time generals in this move of God, we must be conscious of the complexity of the systemic powers and all-encompassing forces that have been aligned and erected to confront and war against the Kingdom’s advancement. It is necessary that we identify these forces and understand their motivations in order to effectively overcome their assaults. We must also be aware that the resistance we face in advancing the Kingdom does not come from outside the church, but from within by those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and have joined allegiances with the powers that be to resist the Kingdom in taking its proper place in society. This is because the Kingdom, by its very nature, exposes as illegitimate and impotent all powers that would masquerade as God!  Therefore, these entities very existence depends upon the revelation of the Kingdom and its liberating message being concealed and kept from the people. 

 The 5 Influences of Society

We must be cognizant of these 5 influences or entities in the development of any strategy to advance the Kingdom.  Each entity has ascribed to itself the right to establish laws governing the activities of their communities. That which has the power to make the law is “god’ over those governed by the laws.  This is the objective that each entity struggles to obtain – deity through law!  These entities are: (1) the Kingdom itself, (2) the Federal & State Governments, (3) Money, (4) Religion, and (5) the Family.

These five authority structures all contend for power over the family because the family is the ultimate foundation of any legitimate society. We have witnessed the government of men (the federal/state) declaring itself god over the family by bestowing upon itself the right of defining what the family is.  Likewise, money has elevated itself to god status by requiring all mankind to serve it instead of the true and living God. Man’s pursuit of money has redefined marriage and the roles within the home, causing the family order and structure to become dependant upon the perspective income levels of the husband and wife, instead of God’s Word.  Religion has also established itself as a god by ascribing to itself the right to set aside God’s word as final authority and determine whether or not the Word applies to its institution. The institution of religion has emancipated itself from the “yoke” of God’s clear commandment substituting it for a more palatable translation of God’s commandments to accommodate its compromise with human secularisms, political correctness and the governmental authorities!  God has become what man says He is; which therefore has made God’s intentions for marriage and the family obsolete and subject to man’s doctrine, traditions and philosophies. 

Each of the above referenced entities has declared LORDSHIP over the earth and the family.  Therefore, any strategy to advance the Kingdom must recognize and address the authorities and spirits behind these entities.

 THE KINGDOM OF GOD
  God, in creating the family, and gave them the Kingdom as the governing structure in which it would work and prosper. The Kingdom’s advancement in the earth was premised upon the effective and proper functioning of the family unit (Genesis 1:27-28).  The message of the Kingdom threatens the powers structures of the world’s system, because the knowledge of the Kingdom causes a mass exodus from these institutions, which have enslaved the people for so long.

Jesus said: “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.  Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it” (Luke 16:16, NIV).

When the message and demonstration of the Kingdom arrived in Jesus’ day people flocked to hear and receive deliverance from all forms of oppression. Without the people to serve these entities they cannot exist; therefore they will do everything within their power to keep this from happening.  The religious establishment and the government will align themselves, just like they did in Jesus’ day when they conspired to crucify Him, in an attempt to stop the advancement of the Kingdom!

The Kingdom of God is uniquely qualified to claim sovereignty and allegiance of every human being because it is the only one of the 5 entities that needs nothing from its citizens, members or subjects in order for it to exist.  It is the only institution that is a true source and therefore can provide for its citizens without having the need to take from them for its survival.  Every other institution depends upon receiving something from its citizens, members or subjects in order for it to exist. This diminishes its citizen, member or subject.  If the citizens are unable to bear the burdens placed upon it by one of the above mentioned powers, the structure itself begins to collapses due to its own needs going unmet. This is what we are currently seeing today in nations of the world. They cannot meet the growing needs of their populace; neither can the populace bear the demands of the governing institutions.  The reality is that these institutions are not, and cannot, be God is becoming painfully clear.  They are not creators but creations and therefore by nature are dependent creatures. 

God requires no assistance or maintenance and has the power and provision to meet every need. God’s Kingdom is the original economy given man in which he could be fruitful, multiply replenish the earth and have dominion in it.  In the Kingdom, man’s needs are met by their allegiance to the Kingdom and being righteous in God’s eyes. His job is to: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added to him Matthew 6:33. Until the revelation of the Kingdom is brought to the forefront and understood to be more than a religious option, it will not have the impact it was intended to have when Jesus reintroduced it to the world as the answer to society’s needs.  The paradigm that Jesus delivered to the church was not Dominionist in its approach, nor was it a Theophany. It did not call for the overthrow of society but the gradual transformation of it through influence of Spirit led empowerment and cultivation.  It does not destroy the infrastructure but changes its nature and uses it to advance righteousness and peace in the Holy Ghost (Romans 4:17).  This will take wisdom and cooperation within the Body.

Many people have the right motivations but their methods are wrong. These methods give place for accusation and strengthens the enemies perception that anything that is righteous and possessing absolute standards are oppressive, violent, insensitive or even hate.  Wisdom is the key!  The Kingdom of God is founded upon the manifold wisdom of God which must be employed in its advancement. The wisdom of God will cause its advancement to be without occasion for accusation and contamination by fleshly motivations.  Its law is pure, serving all mankind and providing refreshment and fulfillment to all that will receive its free gift. However, the Kingdom cannot be compromised, subjugated or confined to the religious sphere, and become another player on the stage of world religion to be argued about or debated.  It is to be demonstrated in not just words, but power!  The evidence and witness of health, restoration, peace and prosperity that it will produce will be undeniable!

Next Article in Series “Influences upon Kingdom Advancement”: Federal & State Government