Moving from Reformation (outside in) to Transformation (inside out change) Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation

with a prophetic gesture when he posted his 95 theses on the castle church door at Wittenberg in 1517. There have been multiplied Outpourings of the Holy Spirit over the last 100 years and it is time to post again another thesis declaring truths that God is revealing toward us who believe (II Peter 1:19). Luther insisted that grace be honored and that there be no more sales of indulgences. Today we need to insist that grace be honored and there be no fear of experiencing our position in Christ, which is that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and He is free to show us the amazing resources He has provided for us in His heavens (Colossians 3:1-2; II Corinthians 4:18). So we declare no fear as we enter before His throne of grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16) and receive ALL the riches and resources God has made available for those who love Him (Ephesians 1:18-23; 2:5-22; 3:9-21). 1. The Key Issue at the time of the Protestant Reformation was that Gods grace be honored through no sale of indulgences. The Key Issue today is that Gods grace be honored through no fear of spiritual encounters through use of Spiritled, biblical means of testing and discerning of spirits, discerning all experiences and revelation by the Word of God and by the Spirit of God. 2. The negative result of indulgences was that it cheapened Gods grace by saying, It is not sufficient, but more needs to be added. The negative result of a fear mentality is that it cheapens Gods grace by opening one up to satans fear kingdom based on the outwardly visible appearance of things, and closes one off from Gods faith-based Kingdom which is founded on Gods revelation of the invisible realm. 3. The value of the Protestant Reformation is that it restored the role of the Bible in correcting doctrine and practice. The value of drawing nearer into the Throne room of God is that it restores the role of the Holy Spirit in leading us into all truth in harmony with His Word, the Bible. John 14:26. 4. The motto of the Protestant Reformation, Sola Scriptura, has come, for many, to mean living out of my interpretation of the Bible, and each one of us tend to see the meaning a little differently. Based upon the revelation of scripture, however, the motto of living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25) means to live out of the divine initiative in harmony with the Word. In a world of many hurts and unresolved pains from relationships and losses comes this timely truth and courageous reminder that God is aware of our need for hope, help and healing and is desiring to touch us with healing love as we move our spiritual lives more intentionally into the heavenlies. It is the teaching that we have received to begin to open ourselves up to a deeper relationship of Christ, our Messiah, through exercising the eyes of our hearts (Ephesians 1:18) and receiving Spirit-initiated visions, revelations to our mind by way of our recreated spirit, and Heaven-initiated-non-human-produced" encounters for God-ordained transformation that gradually changes us into a reflection of Christ. Divine encounters need not be categorized or thought of as overtly demonstrative moments or events. Lightning does not have to light up your sky and thunder howl in your vicinity in order for God's still small voice to speak (1 Kings 19:12). While God owns and operates the audible realm of life, He also is in charge of (and utilizing) the interior, in-secret, heavenlies realm. Dr. Mark Virkler says, I have found that usually, Gods voice comes as spontaneous thoughts, visions, word pictures or impressions.

It is all about the revelation of Jesus Christ, which is the core of the gospel message, and that He be more real in our personal lives than anything our natural eye can see, or our natural ear can hear. Turning our hearts and minds more and more to the things of God and asking God to show us images, pictures or phrases that communicate His will for our lives was a huge part of the Hebraic understanding of Meditation which includes the concept of imagining. I Chronicles 28:9; 29:18, KJV. Imagination was Gods gift to us, but we have often misused this gift to mainly incubate fear of those things coming upon the earth rather than faith in Jesus as the invisible Head of all things, and to draw near to Him beyond the veil into the Holy of holies, the Throne Room! ************************** In the New Testament, there are two words Translated as Temple. 1. Hieron -- #2411 A sacred place, i.e. the entire precincts of the Temple at Jerusalem or elsewhere (whereas #3485 naos denotes the central sanctuary itself). They were continually in the Temple (Hieron) praising and blessing God. Amen (Luke 24:53). So continuing daily with one accord in the Temple (Hieron), and breaking bread from house to house, they atewith gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46, 47). Notice that in the Outer Court of the Temple, there was a lot of praising and blessing of God going on. This is an Outer Court activity, praising God with all our strength, and presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice. Ps. 100:4; Heb. 13:15; Rom. 12:1, 2. Presenting our bodies to God is our reasonable service and spiritual worship (Amp). This is not to be done morbidly or half-heartedly, but joyfully and whole-heartedly. Andrew Murray in his book, The Spirit of Christ, described how our bodies are like the outer court. The inner court, or holy place is like our mind, our will and our emotions. But inside of us, in our innermost sanctum, in our recreated spirit, is the Holy of holies where the Spirit of God dwells, our spirit being joined to His Spirit, bearing witness that we are the sons of the living God! So when you look at the diagram of the Tabernacle, and the connecting of the heavenly with the earthly, dont think of the heavenlies, the Throne Room, the Holy of holies as being out there in outer space somewhere. Think of the Holy of holies as within you. 2. Naos #3485 a shrine, temple, in classical architecture, it referred to the inner chamber of a temple which housed a deity. In Egyptology, it referred to that which is hidden and unknown inside of the inner sanctum of a temple. Within the context of the New Testament scriptures, the word naos was referring to the inner sanctuary, the innermost chamber, the Holy of holies of Gods Temple. This is the word used in this verse: Do you not know that you are the Temple (Naos, Holy of holies) and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (I Corinthians 3:16). Or do you not know that your body is the Temple (Naos, Holy of holies) of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (I Cor. 6:19). Bringing our soul life (our mind, emotions and will) into the Holy of holies is something which comes into much greater fullness when it is done corporate, in the congregation, and in the assembly of the saints: Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are Gods Temple (Naos, His sanctuary), and that Gods Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]? (I Corinthians 3:16, Amplified). Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-25. Notice the references to us and we approaching the Throne of Grace, and coming into the Holy of holies.

The HeavenliesGods Throne

The EarthlyGods Footstool The Church = Ekklesia #1577 in Strongs A Calling Out A congregation or assembly of saints in heaven and on earthpast, present and futurecalled out of the earthly into the heavenly realm. The Church is destined to rule and to reign on earth in fulfillment of the Lords Prayer: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Points to Ponder: 1. Think of the Holy of holies in the heavenlies not being in outer space, but inside of you. I Corinthians 3:16. 2. Think of your soul entering the Holy of holies, not as an individual, but as a congregation, as an assembly. Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-25. 3. Think (stay focused) on Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith, our Forerunner into the Holy of holies who overcame earthly and fleshly temptations, voices and distractions in order to inherit the Throne of the universe in Gods way. Hebrews 1:8; 6:19, 20; 12:1-3.

Points to ponder and to meditate upon: 1. In connecting Gods Throne in Heaven and His Footstool on Earth, think of the Holy of holies being inside of you, not somewhere in outer space, and in order for your body to become that living Temple, to have your heart cleansed from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus and your body washed with the water of the Word. Hebrews 10:19-25; Ephesians 5:25-30. 2. Jesus, after His death and resurrection, entered the Holy of holies, not with the blood of bulls and of goats, but with His own blood, to prepare a way for us, a priesthood of believers, to enter that place, and to obtain eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:11, 12. 3. Jesus, as our Great High Priest, is the Forerunner behind the veil into the Most Holy Place for a priesthood of all believers, and as such is our Blessed Hope and Anchor of our Soul that is both sure and steadfast that the temptations, trials and conflicts in the earthly realm can be overcome by keeping the gaze and the eyes of our heart fixed upon Him when tested. Hebrews 6:18-20; 9:28; 12:1-3. 4. Being tempted on every point as we are, He is able to help those who are tempted as we boldly approach His Throne of Grace in prayer. He gives more grace for every trial. The deeper the pit we are in, the greater His grace is magnified when He lifts our soul out of there to a place that is seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, far above all principalities, powers, rulers, authorities and governments. Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16. 5. Being the called out ones, called out as those who were governed by the earthly to those who are governed by the heavenly, there are inevitable arguments, conflicts, clashes and war between the spiritual mind and the carnal, fleshly mind. Romans 8:6-9. This battle takes place in the realm of our minds, but does not at all challenge or diminish who we are in the spirit where our salvation is complete. 6. Jesus had to overcome conflict in the home (Luke 2:41-52) and with religious (Matthew 9:3, 4; 12:23-25) and political (Luke 13:31-33; Acts 4:25-28) leaders in order, and enter into a rest of the soul (mind, emotions, will) (Matthew 11:28-30) in the midst of that in order to become the true Temple of God on earth living in a physical body with a firm confidence that His heavenly Fathers will would prevail. 7. Jesus inherited the Throne of his ancestor David, the king who best foreshadowed the kingship of Jesus. Isaiah 9:6, 7; Matthew 1:1: Luke 1:32, 33; Acts 2:29-36. David, too, had to overcome conflict with his brothers (I Samuel 17:28-30), and with a political (I Samuel 17:9-13; 24:1-3; 26:1-3) ruler, namely Saul, and come into a place of rest (Psalm 116:7) before God could exalt him as king over Israel (II Samuel 5:12). 8. Even though David was promised that his heir would sit on the Throne forever, and rule in the midst of their enemies, by the time that Jesus was born, that Family Tree had been cut down to a stump, a tree cut down, reduced to a base with no branches. Isaiah 11:1-4. I believe that a Family Tree gets cut down when parents and children are unable to rise above conflict, so that they inherit the promises of God together. 9. John the Baptist had to prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, so that the generational connection could be restored, and Gods grace would be magnified above family conflict. Luke 1:15-17. 10. Many of our family trees have been cut down through divorces, family break-up, runaway teenagers, abortions, absentee fathers, and what is generically called irreconcilable differences. Once we connect with Jesus, however, and we once again become a part of a family tree with a root system, a lineage, and an inheritance, a family that includes saints that are already in heaven, and that are presently living on earth, but which are destined to come together as Gods Forever Family with ancient roots and a glorious destiny. This family is being built up into a Temple, a Dwelling Place for God, a dwelling place that transcends nationality (Eph. 2:19-22), every member in heaven and on earth has derived a name from the Father (Eph. 3:14, 15), a family where we come to know the love that passes knowledge with all the saints (Eph. 3:17-19).