The Kingdom has been here the entire time - it occurred 2,000 years ago. But Satan has been given leave to sift us all like wheat,19 Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." to convince us that we are not His offspring, that we have no inheritance, or the inheritance is not yet available. Satan will do anything to cause us to leave our inheritance.20 Hebrews 12:16-17 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Satan doesn't want us to have that Kingdom. If you had the Kingdom of Heaven, why would you want Satan's Kingdom? Why would you want all the Principalities that he controls? Why would you want Satan's kingdoms - they're all perishable.21 Colossians 2:20-22 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using; according to the commandments and doctrines of men? They all come of naught, they all come to death.22 Isaiah 14:12,16-17 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!" "Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?'" But the Kingdom of Heaven is everlasting.23 Daniel 7:14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
Nothing will last as long as the Kingdom of Heaven. The Government rests upon His shoulders.24 Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. And His shoulders alone. All those other governments are in subjection to our King, also.25 Hebrews 2:8 "You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. They'll never admit it. They'll throw tantrums and they'll throw you in prison. They'll do everything they can, but just remember - they're jealous. Satan is highly jealous of the Kingdom of Heaven. Competition! He doesn't want competition. He wants to destroy all of his competition! Satan will do anything and everything possible to deceive you. He will even try to deceive the very elect.26 Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." He will even deceive those who call themselves pastors, ministers and priests. He will try to deceive those who are shepherds of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is important! Satan isn't going to just deceive you as a small person. He must go to the higher powers, he must go to those who are shepherds over the flock. The ones who are going to be under the greatest persecution, the greatest temptations, are those who are shepherds over the flock. If Satan can control one pastor, then Satan can cause the shepherd to lead the sheep where he wants them.27 Acts 20:28-30 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."
What about today? Who is Satan? What are our conflicts? Who is sifting us like wheat? What about the nations of the world? The first thing I ask is, "What about this country? What about the nations that are in America? How about those that go by the name of 'States' and 'United States'? Do these nations believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of all authority and all power? Do they exalt Him? Do we find the face of Jesus on the money? Do we find Jesus in the schools? Can we pray to Him in the schools? Do we find Jesus being exalted above all other lords - anywhere? Or is it only a pretense.28 Luke 20:47 "who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." Is it in name only?
"Oh, you can have your religion over there. But you're still subservient to our State. Oh yes, you can go to that building on Saturday or Sunday and practice singing for choir on Wednesday or Thursday. But you make sure it is only four hours a week. And you make sure that pastor, when he does any acts involving marriage or death, that he does it in the name of the State. We don't want it done in the name of Jesus. We don't know who He is!"29 John 9:28-29 Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."
You see the States and the United States do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh30 1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. and that He is the Head of the Kingdom of Heaven.31 John 19:15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" They can't acknowledge it because these governments are 180 degrees out of phase with what Jesus commanded. If they did acknowledge that Jesus was the Lord, they would have to depart from iniquity, they would have to quit doing their evil acts, they would have to quit throwing people in prison, they would have to quit fining them, they would have to unlock the doors - they would have to let everybody out. But that they will not do.32 Isaiah 42:22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; All of them are snared in holes, And they are hidden in prison houses; They are for prey, and no one delivers; For plunder, and no one says, "Restore!"
Either Jesus is right, or they are right. For if people understand this message, understand that they are the offspring of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs - then the competition has no position.33 Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. They will be the footstool of Our Lord Jesus Christ.34 Hebrews 10:12-13 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. That is something they cannot tolerate. They are jealous of our liberty. They will have to acknowledge that if they were truly working for the Lord Jesus Christ, they would be servants - servants of us all. They would be doing things for us, not demanding things out of us. They wouldn't be demanding that we perform for them. They are to be our servants. But are those who work in the positions of State government our servants? How long has it been since they were servants? Now they are lords and if we don't do as they tell us, they will imprison us and fine us and do heinous acts against us - they will sift us like wheat.
But what does Jesus say? The ones who stand until the end will be saved.35 Mark 13:13 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Not those who give up, not those who say, "The Kingdom's never coming," or, "The Kingdom isn't here, and the apostles didn't receive the Kingdom at the Lord's Supper." Those aren't the ones; they shall lose the Kingdom - they shall perish. But those who stand until the end will receive the Kingdom.