First fruits of the new heavens and new earth

Crossing a threshold
We’re standing on the threshold of a profound shift!  We’re entering a brand-new age where incorruptibility (immortality) becomes normal – a state that is not reserved just for the afterlife, but is available here and now.  Drawing inspiration from Paul’s teachings, this isn’t about wishing to die (II Cor 5:4), but rather it’s about “putting on incorruptibility” (I Cor 15:53).  This manifests in remarkable ways: transfiguration, moving in and out of realms, power to raise the dead and even power to raise ourselves from the dead (as spoken by Jesus in John 10:18 and exampled by Paul after he was stoned and left for dead).

Beyond the laws of physics
The journey from corruptibility to incorruptibility is not achieved through strenuous effort or by a forced attempt at behavioral ‘holiness’.  Instead, it hinges upon hearing and believing the rhema Word of God which defines and empowers this higher realm.  While our physical world operates by the laws of physics, this incorruptible reality is governed by His Word and possibly by Virtues or the Fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace…, etc.  These aren’t physically observable, but they clearly offer a more powerful governance than the laws of physics in this earthly realm.

The dawn of a new heaven and earth
We don’t believe that the ancient prophecy of “new heavens and a new earth” (II Pet 3:13) is about a cosmic fiery destruction of our ‘old earth’.  Rather, Jesus said the Kingdom is an unseen realm: “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed” (Luke 17:20).  For sure, the ‘new’ will supersede our old-earth and old heavens paradigms.  Possibly think of it this way (but not limited to this way)… evolving contagious revelation and gripping heavenly experiences by their very nature are ‘burning up’ yesterday’s earth-based mindsets.  This evolving revelation is fundamentally shifting our perception of Heavenly realms and their realities.

Learning to soar into higher realities
Maybe it’s like learning to fly a higher performance airplane – in order to navigate this new reality.  The initial learning phase isn’t about instant flying mastery, but about becoming familiarized with our new ‘instrument-panel’ in order to be able to ‘read’ the new heavenly environment.  We must become familiar with the new ‘laws’ and protocols.  For example, just as Jesus wasn’t dominated by gravity but ruled over it, we too can learn to experience the effects of this world’s laws without being controlled by them.

Moving into our divine inheritance
Currently, we are on a ‘mining expedition’ to uncover the profound riches of this new paradigm.  Our objective is to embrace a governing set of laws that are supreme over this world and adopt them as our new default.  The fundamental tenets of our faith are transitioning to a higher reality which expresses mastery over all last-age laws.  Religion relegates this inheritance for the afterlife.  But of course, that wouldn’t be a Biblical view.  Feel the shift!

Do it together!
Here’s the good news: I believe that you and I are invited to become the ‘first fruits of the new heavens and the new earth.’  So, every time you ‘manifest’ a fresh new expression of the new heavens and new earth, please share the good news.  We’ll celebrate together and be eternally grateful to our Wonderful Father.

–MLH

Resource:  Ascended Life Study Course   (New)
Level 1   New Creation Identity     
Level 2   Our Expanded Inheritance

Bye bye, baby crib prayers

The tyrannical news cycle continually screams at us to try to stir up our emotions – fear, anxiety, anger, mercy (even unsanctified mercy), etc.  Many Christians are motivated to pray according to the latest news.  If our prayers commonly follow the media reports, there is very high likelihood that we’re praying from our soulish emotions.  This is just one of the ways that we conform to the patterns of this world (Rms 12:2), which very likely puts the devil in charge of our prayer initiatives.  Why?  Because we’re being led by the latest ruckus that the devil is causing.  He gets to dictate what we pray for and when we pray.  I wonder how happy he is that he gets so much free attention!   

But if we’re going to be led by the Spirit then we must stop being led by our soul.

Soulish prayers are immature prayers… one might even call them ‘baby prayers’.  Babies don’t have the capacity to analyze the bigger picture when something goes wrong in their diaper. 😊 So as paidion sons (baby sons) they ‘cry out’ to daddy for help when the boogeyman rattles his chains.  But mature sons don’t let themselves be distracted by the devil banging his drums for their attention.  They listen to the Voice that is higher.  Mature sons dwell far above the cacophony of banging drums.  They’ve “set their affection on things above… not on things of earth”.  They listen for the higher report… and the higher directives.  This, my friends, is where God is inviting His sons and daughters.  This will qualify us to become huios (mature) sons and daughters who get to rule and reign with Him.

So, what I’m getting down to is that we may have made prayer an act of babies soulishly crying out plaintiff prayers to a god way out there and if he doesn’t answer right away, we cry louder trying to ‘deliver the mail’ across that great distance.  As we mature we realize that we are in Him and He is in us… and thus there is no need for delivering the mail to some far-off hard-of-hearing ears.   Our maturity has taught us how to experientially come into union with God and KNOW His thoughts… and realize that He KNOWS ours.  What a beautiful destination our Father has brought us to.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” – Eph 2:13   

Yea, not just near, but in union with Him, because listen to this: “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” – I Cor 6:17.   We must learn to live in the reality and expression of this union.  This is our inheritance.

Set your attention on things above the banging drums and rattling chains of the devil.  Begin to identify what prayer looks like when you are fully homogenized into union with God.  Consider what it looks like when He’s graduated you out of the baby prayer crib and you find yourself freely and voluntarily conversing with Him as a partner versus a plaintiff.  In this reality, what should your appropriate prayer posture be?  What is appropriate prayer vocabulary now?  How do you describe and define prayer at this level of intimate union?  A biblical conclusion to these questions will begin to define our new M.O.!

Happy graduation!   

–MLH

Resource:  Ascended Life Study Course   (New)
Level 1   New Creation Identity     
Level 2   Our Expanded Inheritance