The Concept of the Body of Christ

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: The Concept of the Body of Christ

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:4,5,12

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

I know we throw the term Body of Christ around a lot, today we want to give some clarity to what is the Body of Christ and it’s composition. In the last message we left off discussing that it is the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit to take every spirit that is born again of the Spirit and place it or assemble it in the Body of Christ to perform a certain function and duty for the Kingdom of God. So all of these spirits are baptized into one Spirit. The name of the body made up of these spirits is the name of the very Spirit that inhabited to person of Christ, the person of Jesus, and that is the Spirit of Christ. Hence we have the Body of Christ. Holy Spirit knows the mind of God and hence He knows how to place you and what your destiny and purpose is for the Kingdom. Look at this scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Now if the Body of Christ is made up of all the spirits born again of the Spirit of Christ then we must understand that our function in the Body will be diverse because everybody cannot be the arm and everybody cannot be a leg or finger or shoulder. Definetely there is only one head and that is Jesus Christ so nobody but Him can be that.

1 Corinthians 12:4,5: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord

So in our functioning in the Body of Christ, we are empowered by the gifting from Christ through Holy Spirit. Now the scripture says there are differences of administrations. This simply states that are different ways of serving or ministering but all of it is under the authority and control of the Lord. One of the things I see a lot of is self-same gift congregating. Now let me explain. We have only the apostles over here and here we have our clique of prophets and our pastors in this corner or group and all the evangelist in this conference and forget out the teacher because anybody can be a teacher. As stupid as that sounds, this is a reality and it happens all the time. God did not call us to become separated based upon gifting but to work together for the maturing of the saints. There has to exist a balance for the Body of Christ to advance and let me use this analogy. God designed the human body as a natural shell to describe the Body of Christ.

Everything that your body does is controlled from the head, even your heartbeat and its rhythm is controlled from the head. Before the rest of the body does anything, it must receive information from the head to do it and the head sends neurological and sensory impulses (power) to the rest of the body to perform the function. In order to walk the hands, feet, torso, and head must all be on the same page to make sure the body is balanced and supported through every movement and every step. Each of over 2,000 body parts work in sync to ensure movement. When it is time to rest the head tells the body to stop and rest. The Body of Christ is to operate in the same function. The Lord Jesus Christ gives us direction and commands and if we work together the Holy Nation will emerge and people will begin to see the true sons of God in the Earth. Not saying that these people will believe but then they will have no excuse because they, the sons of God will be preaching and demonstrating the Kingdom of God in the earth and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

It is time for us to come together in the Body of Christ. In this season God is calling the Body back to order and everybody should be seeking to be in the order of God in this day to continue to mature and prepare the bride for the coming of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

An Expression of Love in the Kingdom of God

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: An Expression of Love in the Kingdom of God

Scripture: 1 John 4:8; John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Why would God want to build His House in the Earth to come and live in it? Why would he save mankind, whom He created, by coming Himself in flesh and enduring all of the hardships and brutality of this life? Why would God want to do all of this?

1 John 4:8: He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love

How do we know that God loves us? He shows us by His actions. Love has to be a functioning reality for every son of God because if you do not love then you do not know God. The concept of love that God displays is very unique because in our worldly definitions, love is defined by what you do for a person. In the Kingdom of God love is when you fully commit yourself to be displayed through another. When you commit yourself to be displayed through another that requires deep humility. Let’s show the spiritual example of this very concept.

When God created man, He gave man a spirit directly from God Himself. This man whom God created is in the image of God, His Father and Creator and then God sends His Holy Spirit into the man to empower Him to be in the likeness and character of God. This is a lot to give of yourself to a untried creation but God is Alpha and Omega and since He knew the end from the beginning, God knew what He was doing and How it was to be done. When Adam and Eve sinned against God and fellowship was broken between man and God. God comes Himself in a house of flesh to redeem the fallen man.

John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

So God comes in the flesh, in the man of Jesus who is the standard for grace and truth to redeem the fallen man. So even here we see that God is presenting Himself through another. Now when it was time for Jesus to ascend back to the Father, He did not leave us in a state of separation, Jesus sent Holy Spirit to assemble the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is made up of spirits rolled into one spirit. The Spirit which was in the person of Jesus was designed to accommodate all the spirits who were born again of that Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

So it is the role of Holy Spirit to assemble the Body of Christ. In the next message we will look at the concept of the Body of Christ and how it is created and composed.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

End of the Matter

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: The End of the Matter

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; 1 Peter 2:5

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

I will start with this scripture and I may be able to end this message it on this scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:23-28: “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. THEN COMETH THE END, when He (Jesus Christ) shall have delivered up the Kingdom of God, even the Father; when he (created beings, man and angels) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He (Jesus) must reign, till He (Jesus) has put all enemies under His (Jesus) feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He (Jesus) hath put all things under His (Jesus) feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest (understood) that He (Father) is excepted, which did put all things under Him (Jesus). And when all things shall be subdued unto Him (Jesus), then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him (Father) that put all things under Him (Jesus) that GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL.

The end of the matter is God being all in all. In other words, God was making a house for Himself in the Earth. What is the house God is building in the earth?

1 Peter 2:5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

It is His children. He wants to be all of Him in all of them, His children. This is why Peter said that we are living stones built up into a spiritual house. A house for who? God! See this is where religion and the Kingdom clash. Religion makes the house of God a building and the Kingdom of God makes the House of God a family. Now let’s return to salvation.

Now if God being all in all is the end of the matter then was it worth God to save mankind? From this perspective, absolutely! Now what that revelation should do is shift the mentality from Heaven to functioning in the Earth because God will not abide where sin is ruling. Hence this is why death, satan and all of evil was thrown in the lake of fire because now all of sin is gone and now God can be all in all in the children of God. Salvation through Jesus Christ prepares us for this powerful end situation. God knew that mankind would sin and prepared a process to redeem man. What was the process? God would come in the form of a man whom He had made to be His housing in the Earth. Who wouldn’t want to save their family or their place of habitation? Now remember the Garden of Eden was what God always intended. We deviated from the norm and now through Christ Jesus we are restored by the indwelling and empowerment through Holy Spirit to be the Holy Nation and the habitation for God in the Earth. But why do this? Why create a dwelling place for yourself through another?

We will answer this question in the next message!

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Misguided Purpose and the Manifold Wisdom of God

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: Misguided Purpose and the Manifold Wisdom of God

Scripture: Revelation 13:8; Genesis 1:26; Revelation 21:1,2

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

When there is a lack of understanding of purpose then there is a space for the enemy to come in and attempt to change us or deviate us from where God has intended for us to go. We have talked about the belief and theory that the goal of God was for us to go to Heaven and the purpose of Jesus Christ was to save us. When we make that our message then there is nothing else left. Think about it. So once I am saved all I have to do is wait to die and then go to heaven or hope the Lord return before I die. Do we see how silly that sounds, but this is the theology that is taught in many of our churches. They preach generic messages about the acts of Jesus but not the message of Jesus, the Kingdom of God. In turn, the people do not mature and they die never really coming into full potential. All of this is because there is a lack of proper teaching and understanding of purpose which has led to spiritual abuse in the church. Let me show you this:

Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”

Now many theologians will say, here you go, the Lamb was slain before the world was formed to save me when I came into the Earth and that’s it. Well if you think that is it then you are sadly mistaken. Yes the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world to save man but that was done because God knew that man would sin. What is sin? Sin is rebellion, deviation from the normal or missing the mark. Unique isn’t it. In other words, God knew that man would deviate from the norm and so saving Him is necessary to fulfill His purpose in the Earth. So salvation is a process to get you to your purpose. Where did man miss the mark? In the Garden of Eden, but let’s go back there because the purpose for man is right there and God told us and I will insert some words to show you in parenthesis:

Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: (Here is the purpose for the creation of man) and let them have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

So our purpose is to have dominion in the earth, not in Heaven. You have no dominion there! As a son of God, your dominion is in the earth and if God put us here in the beginning then in the end it will be the exact same thing. Religion makes us try to go to heaven but the Kingdom teaches you how to live in the earth because the Kingdom is coming down and religion is always trying to go up. If God’s sole purpose was to create man to save Him then all God had to do was not create him and save His time. Your salvation directs you to and through your purpose. Hence we need to get this going to heaven is the goal out of the church and teach how to live in the Earth. The Bible teaches us how to live in the Earth. It teaches how the Kingdom of Heaven impacts the earth through the sons of God. Funny in Revelation, John said he saw a new heaven and new earth COMING DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN (Revelation 21:1,2). If John saw that, I believe what He saw because God made Him privy to see that and it confirms that this whole thing will end on earth.

Now that we know the purpose, what is the end of the matter. I know we say that it will end on earth but what is the end of the matter? We will look at this in the next message.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Purpose of Change in the Emergence of the Holy Nation

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: Purpose of Change in the Emergence of the Holy Nation

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:13; Matthew 4:17; Romans 12:1,2

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

One of the unfortunate realities of religion is the inability to effectively change. What religion tends to do is add on to the very things that they do like a list of chores. Jesus Christ came to change the season and the way we do things. Hence we have His first words to the multitudes in Matthew 4:17, “Repent”. Paul to the church at Rome tells them to be renewed in their minds (Romans 12:1,2). Finally, Paul tells the church at Corinth that they are a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). What picture are we drawing? There is a direct correlation to the abiding of Holy Spirit in mankind and change with mankind.

The first change that comes about is a translation from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13). This translation happens when one has a repentant heart and desires for Jesus Christ to be Lord over their life in the faith that He is the Son of God and the Risen Savior of the World. Now once one is in the Kingdom of God they are also in-turn a son or child of God. This newborn baby in the House of God must be cared for, nurtured and matured to an adult (maturity-wise).

When we look at our natural children they change so fast and they mature fast based upon the experiences and the things the parents teach them. Now this where we can illustrate change and show you how you must be able to change. As a child grows up the child should start putting away childish things. For example, should a 13 year old man be drinking out of a baby bottle? Of course not, that “season” in their life where they did that came and went and no longer should they do that. Another example, should a adult man or woman need a pacifier to go to sleep? Of course not because that stage of their life has come and went. So just like our natural process of maturation there is a spiritual maturation that has to happen and Holy Spirit has been given to us to assemble us in the Body of Christ and mature us in the ways of Christ.

Like I said earlier religion takes change and adds it to their list of things but never leave the things they were doing in the past season. They carry those things into the new season. Just like the Body of Christ has shifted in the age of man from speaking in tongues, to the revelation of the gifts of the Spirit and now we see the re-emergence of the focus of the Kingdom of God and House of God in these last days. The Kingdom and House of God focus should have always been there but through the epochs of time it was diminished and now we see it forcefully advancing in this day. Now with the emergence of the message and principals of the Kingdom and House of God, a change in mentality has to come to the church. We must learn to migrate from season to season and leave the things of the former season in their place because the grace of God is in the thing that GOD is currently doing. The grace of God leads us, not follows us. I can personally say that in my personal growth there were things in past seasons that I had to allow God to cut away because I was putting away childish things and the elementary things that He taught me and now I walk in the grace of God that is given me today and not in the very things of the past seasons. Many religions deny the full five-fold ministry when God clearly says you need all five for the maturing (perfecting) of the saints. The reason they deny the ministry is because they do not understand how the governmental gifts operate for the saints so instead of repenting and asking God to show them, they continue on the path of old and everything they do, they call it God but cannot show the power of God.

Your maturation in the Kingdom of God is solely on you and you living the Matthew 6:33 command to seek the Kingdom first AND His righteousness. When you began to make that your life then you will began to experience the transformation and change that God has called us to walk in as a part of true repentance.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Clash of the Cultures

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: Racism and the Holy Nation Part 2: Clash of the Cultures

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 1:3

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

When we speak of racism and how this spirit tries to severe the holy nation we can really look at our cultures and how they clash with the culture of the holy nation. Now to be specific here, the culture of the holy nation is the culture of Heaven which consists of the culture of the Kingdom and the culture of the Son.

The very fleshly and worldly cultures that we live in, many times define who we are and how we respond to other cultures. If there was one culture that oppressed another then the culture that was a victim tends to always remain in that place and remind the oppressing culture of their wrong doings towards them. If we look at the church today, especially in America, Sunday is probably the most segregated day in America but notice it is not segregated throughout the week, in a particular sense, but it is segregated on the one issue that we should be united on and that is the Lord and the Kingdom of God. Now the reason we have racism in the church is because of a lack of knowledge and identity. The lack of knowledge refers to a lack of the truth about God and a solid relationship with Him and the lack of identity is simply not knowing who you are and how God has created you and your purpose in the Earth. When those things are lacking then there is an abuse of power and oppression of the minds of the people.

Now, let’s look specifically at the church. If we use America for example we know that America has an unflattering history of racism and segregation and this trickled into the church. We have what is called “African American churches”, “Hispanic churches” and “Caucasian churches”. The hardcore reality is the majority of those people belonging to those particular races attend a church that is predominately if not all the way the same race as they are. The mindset is that they must attend this particular church because the pastor can understand where they come from and what they have been through. Moreover when we look at the style or diversity or worship services and how we give praise to the Lord we are divided on that thinking that “our way” is the way. As bad as this sound there is a silver lining in this and it shows to power, majesty and creative ways of the Lord.

God created us to be diverse to show His power and the many ways people can render praise and worship unto the Lord. Not just in song and worship experience but also in service and obedience unto the Lord. Remember worship is conforming to the image of the person or thing you are holding in reverence. We need to learn that dominion has a powerful place in this very issue. Now what I will speak about here only applies to worshippers who give worship in truth and in spirit to God. Some people like their gospel music fast, some like it slow. Some like to sing hymns and some like to do devotional services. Some like to have choirs and other may not. Some like to use instruments as a part of the service, some may not. Some may not have a choir and others may. Some like their preacher with an organ (if you can still follow him) and some do not. God created us different to show the creativity of God and the diversity of the way we can render praise and worship. The spirit of racism brings up our diversities and causes us to look at the differences and all the reasons why our way is the way and just because a group of people back some 50 to 200 years ago oppressed us then we need to hold on to what they did and remember it. Moreover we go as far to believe that God will punish an entire race of people because of what their forefathers did and take it far enough to the fact that Jesus will not save them because of that. This is extreme but the spirit of antichrist is just as extreme.

1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”

If we claim to be a part of the House of God then we know we are spirit first, flesh last. The House of God is made up of spirits and so our flesh and our cultures should not dictate or influence the culture of Heaven that we should be living out in the earth to show forth the praise of God. Our culture should never rise above the culture of Heaven. Those of us who have been oppressed, we should be talking about how God delivered us and not about how and what was done wrong to us and hanging on to that more than the deliverance. When God spoke and reminded the children of Israel about Egypt, he consistently spoke about the deliverance. If we are to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation then we must suppress the spirit of racism that exists in us. I am not saying everyone is a racist but what I am saying is do not let your culture override the culture of heaven. When we do this you will begin to see the rise of the Holy Nation in the earth and they will be the radiance of the Father’s glory and the full expression of the nature of the Father. The Holy Spirit is mandated to assemble us in the Body of Christ. He has no respector of persons, race, gender or social status (Galatians 3:26-29). Strong leadership, sound doctrine about the Kingdom and House of God and a people willing to deny themselves and submit themselves and their culture to the King and the Kingdom is what is needed to stamp out racism in the church and bring forth the holy nation in the Earth. And it will happen through the growth of spiritual households. For the sake of time please review our series “Sonship” and “House of God” and our messages on spiritual households.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Racism and the Holy Nation

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: Racism and the Holy Nation Part 1

Scripture: Galatians 3:28; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 49:22

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

I want to start with this simple statement of what racism is:

Racism is a spirit!

Now as simple as that may seem it is the most devastating spirit influencing the people of the Earth and the House of God. It is the one spirit that tries to sever and divide the holy nation. Now I have not found anywhere in scripture where the holy nation is divided. The holy nation is the House of God. The House of God is comprised of a Father and His sons or offspring. However the common thing between all of them that makes this truly one nation, is the fact that the entire nation is spiritual and made up of spirits. Our very being is spirit enclosed in flesh. Now let’s look at this scripture in its proper context:

Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Now this is describing the sons of God. God is saying there is neither ethnicity nor social status, nor gender to a son of God. Now many try to take this scripture and apply to everything including the proper administrators of governmental gifts and this is not true. Our flesh is a symbolic representation of a heavenly reality and how we conduct ourselves in the Earth is the way the creation, including every non-believer can see God and have no excuse that He exists (Romans 1:20). So everyone cannot do everything because every person is to perform a certain task for the Kingdom and by doing that the picture and maturity of the Kingdom is revealed and in the fullness of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its completeness in the earth upon the return of the Lord. Now I need to go that route to talk about racism and how it is trying to divide the holy nation.

What you do not know and understand is what the enemy uses against you to destroy you and stifle your growth. If you do not understand that you are spirit first, flesh last then if you live by the flesh. God had to deal with racism in the early church with one of His very own disciples, Peter. Now this just was not with Peter even though it was a very detailed situation, there were Jews who did not believe that the Gentiles could be heirs of the promise. Is that not racism? Even though throughout the Old Testament, God showed the children of Israel various times where He favored the Gentiles. He even spoke through the prophets about this very issue:

Isaiah 49:6: And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Isaiah 49:22: Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

So even to the children of Israel, God was speaking about how the Gentiles will be fellowheirs to the promise. Now did this make the Jews happy? No and we will see this. But do not get too caught up between the Jews and the Gentiles we have a bigger problem within the Body of Christ. In the next message we will look at this bigger problem and how racism is trying to severe the holy nation. However keep in mind that no demon can stop the movement and Will of God but he can attempt to slow you down from overcoming and coming into the revelation that you are a part of a holy nation which is the most diverse nation in the earth.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

A Call to Holiness

The Holy Nation

Today’s Focus: A Call to Holiness

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:17,18; 1 John 2:15; Exodus 19:5,6; 1 Peter 2:9

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

For the Holy Nation to be the Holy Nation the nation must be holy! However do we see this today from people who are holy or proclaim to be holy? How can you be something that you do not understand nor practice? Harsh but true. It is hard to be who God has called you to be when there is a lack of proper leadership who is to disciple in that very thing. But, there are people who are living holy and are demonstrating the very character and nature of God in the earth. To see it, you must deny yourself and repent and allow God to show you. Funny, it is the very people who live it who get criticized by the people who claim to live it and do not. But let’s look at the scripture:

2 Corinthians 6:17,18: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The entire scripture passage of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is speaking of not being unequally yoked with unbelievers, unrighteousness and false god worship. After making the analogy, God makes the call to holiness when He says, come out from among them and be ye separate. To be holy is to be separate or sanctify from which we get the word saint. So the first step in beginning to live holy is you must deny yourself and the ways of the world for the ways of Christ. 1 John 2:15 states that if any man loves the world (ways of the world or systems of the world) then the love of the Father is not in Him. God said in Exodus 19:5 that the holy nation would be a peculiar treasure or as stated in 1 Peter 2:9 a peculiar people above all in the Earth. So the holy nation is the most unique nation in the Earth and the one that God will exalt in and through the age of man and especially at the end of the age. Now let us be perfectly clear on this, according to the scripture, if you do not come from among the worldly people and be separate then the LORD WILL NOT RECEIVE YOU. This is a conditional scripture much like a lot of scripture where we will see words like “if”, “when”, “wherefore”, “then”.

Now if the holy nation is made up of the sons of God then this makes the holy nation the most diverse nation in the Earth but the enemy was warped our minds in this very thing to attempt to divide the Body of Christ. In the next message we will look at racism and how the enemy is using the spirit of racism to divide the holy nation and darken our knowledge that the Lord is speaking in this age about how the Holy Spirit is arranging us in the Body and how the holy nation defies ethnicity.

At Our Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Ephesus: Revelation to the Sons of God

The Seven Churches and the Kingdom Today

Topic: Ephesus: The Revelation to the Sons of God

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7; 1 Corinthians 7:32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Greetings Kingdom Citizens and Sons of God:

When we look at the church at Ephesus, Jesus ends His letter in Revelation 2:7:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Now the key phrase is “he that overcometh”. Overcomes what? The world and make it to the end! See the only way you can overcome the world is by reconciliation to the Father, by Jesus Christ. This is why the ought against the church at Ephesus was that they left their first love. See the people at Ephesus allowed the world and their hearts to grow cold and they left their first love. The fire that once burned inside for Christ has grown cold and this was evident in the work they were doing. Who did we say their first love is? Jesus Christ. Jesus arranged these churches in His address to them in a particular order and at the end we will see the entire picture.

Jesus says that the ones who overcome will He give to eat of the tree of life. Jesus is the one has all power (Revelation 1:20-Revelation 2:1) so to the one that overcome they will eat of the Tree of Life, never to die again. The Tree of Life was located in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. We know that the Garden of Eden was a type and shadow of the Body of Christ. It is in the Body of Christ where God and man fellowship. Hence where God is, that is where paradise is. So there is restoration from the fall in the Garden. God is now reversing the curse perpetrated by Adam on man to restore him back in sonship and everlasting life with the Father.

So the first stage in the maturation of the sons of God is that they are to love the Lord FIRST! The way you show love to the Father is by obedience (John 14:15) and do the work that He has called us to do. So many people say they are a child of God but they really, by their action, do not love the Lord. When God has asked them to come out from amongst the heathens and unbelievers and be ye separate (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and he finishes that scripture by saying if you do that then shall God be their Father and they shall be His sons and daughters. You cannot say on one hand that I love the Lord and still be in sin and be perpetually backsliding and making every excuse in the book to why. You must love the Lord first and do His work first.

As I was growing and maturing to a man and dealing with relationships, unless both people truly love the Lord first, then they will only validate each other and instead of the Lord doing that. You must first love the Lord. You cannot effectively learn how to show love to one another until you learn to love the Lord for yourself. Many people make the mistake of looking for a mate instead of allowing God to send them. For this to happen you must be working and doing the Will of God first.

1 Corinthians 7:32: “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:”

So those who are unmarried, naturally and spiritually, care for things that belong to the Lord and how he may please the Lord. So the first stage in the maturation of the sons of God is Love the Lord first!

At the Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.

Jesus Hatred for the Deeds of the Nicolaitanes

The Seven Churches and the Kingdom Today

Topic: Ephesus: Jesus Hatred for the Deeds of the Nicolaitanes

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

Greetings Kingdom Citizens and Sons of God:

In this last message on the church of Ephesus, Jesus gives His last approval to the church at Ephesus for their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. Who are the Nicolaitanes? Some say The Nicolaitanes started from one of the seven original deacons of the first century church Nicolas (Acts 6:5). He began to go wayward and determined that he should be completely in charge of things so he formed the Nicolaitanes. The word Nicolaitanes come from two greek words Nikao – to conquer and laos – the people so the entire interpretation means “to conquer the people”. The Nicolaitanes were formed to overthrow the laity or the take over the church. This religious party developed rituals where the preachers dressed differently from the members and they included Babylonian teachings in the doctrine of the church. So now we have a mixture of the holy and the profane. These teachings included idol worship, sexual rituals and taught a doctrine of separation of spirit from the body. Meaning the spirit is pure and the flesh is weak and what the body does have no effect on the spirit and vice versa. God hates this false doctrine.

Now if we examine this considering the false god worship in Ephesus, this was very appealing to the people there than a true Word of God believing church. But look at the words of Paul to the church at Corinth: 2 Corinthians 6:17:”Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” So in the words of the Lord He does not want us touching or even dealing with unclean things and that includes doctrines. God is telling us to crucify our lusts and cast them away. Now remember the church at Ephesus tried false doctrines and people who were in and or tried to influence the church.

Jesus hates the deeds of these people and if Jesus hates it then we should hate it. I am not going really in depth on this because in another one of the seven churches we will explain this in depth. But what were their deeds?

These people lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. In other words there was no law to these people. They believed that because God knows that our sin is flesh then we can live how we want knowing that God understands our flesh is sin. This in a nutshell is lawless living and Jesus said, I came not to do away with the law but to fulfill it. In the Kingdom of God there are laws that must be adhered to. Every Kingdom on earth has laws because laws maintain order and if Jesus is the law fulfilled then to live lawlessly is to do away with the deity of Christ and the Kingdom. It does away with accountability. The deeds and doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is in full bloom today in this present age. The Gospel of Inclusion is a Nicolaitane doctrine because it takes away the consequence of sin and promotes the lie that everybody, including satan will be saved. But we know better than that because the scriptures themselves say that satan will be thrown in the lake of fire and that is the second death. In turn, Jesus is blotting out names out of the book of life and every one’s name not found there will be thrown in the lake of fire. This is so real!

If we look at the church today, there are so many people living lawless lives and call themselves saved and believers and the scary thing is Jesus said He hates their deeds. We have preachers that promote this antichrist doctrine because it takes accountability off the table and promotes God’s forgiveness towards man and His understanding that man will sin, so He understands. This is a fools doctrine and those who preach it will be held accountable for the blood of the souls they lead astray. Yes Jesus died for our sins to be forgiven but Paul said that does the fact that we have grace on our side give us an occasion to sin? GOD FORBID! You cannot take the grace of God and use it as a weapon and a crutch to sin.

At the Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.

The Fallen State and Call to Repentance

The Seven Churches and the Kingdom Today

Topic: Ephesus: The Fallen State and Call to Restoration

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7; Matthew 28:19

Greetings Kingdom Citizens and Sons of God:

In Revelation 2:5 Jesus tells them that they have fallen. Now I do not want to pass this so fast because there is so much we can gleam from this word right here. Holy Spirit is sent to us to teach us, comfort us, guide us but also convict us. When Jesus points out a flaw or a sin that you have committed you have a choice at that point; You can either acknowledge the sin, take responsibility and repent or you can ignore Jesus can continue to do what you want to do and deal with the consequences, in your mind, later. Now for anyone who has had a true experience with the Lord, you know Jesus is constantly working on us and through us. He points out our weak spots so that we can understand that area in our life that we need to work on. This is for your benefit because Christ knows that satan knows your weaknesses and that is the atmosphere or traps he sets to get you to fall. But Christ is so loving and caring that he will work with you if you allow Him to take that weakness and make it a strength so that you can see the traps and not fall because you are led by the Spirit. However the first step to restoration, deliverance and/or healing is acknowledgement of our fallen state.

Jesus tells the church at Ephesus why they fell. He told them earlier in verse 4 that they left their first love and because of that, they have fallen. Jesus makes us aware today of our short comings and tells us that we are not in the position of righteousness where we should be and makes us aware of what it is we have done. Now if Christ left it there, how would the situation be resolved and this is what is so awesome about God because there are so many “leaders” in the church that will point out all the wrong but never give you a solution or an answer to recover. Jesus always has given us from the beginning of fall what we did wrong and what we need to do to be in position to receive from God. Every situation in the Bible has that scenario in it. So anytime you run against someone that is so negative they cannot tell you how to be restored or what you need to do to get back in position with Christ, that is the wrong spirit to deal with. I thank God that every time that I have had to minister to a person who may have an unclean spirit influencing them, He has always given the solution to the problem and the steps the person must take to be restored. Every time! So to the church at Ephesus this would be no different.

Christ gives them counsel to know the exact steps to take to be restored. The first step and I pray everyone reads this and the Spirit shouts it loud: REPENT! You need to change your mind from what you are currently doing. But change to what? Christ tells them. Do the first works. What are the first works? That is the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 to go make disciples of all nations, preach the Kingdom of God, and preach repentance for the remission of sin. Do the very things that Christ has told you to do. So Ephesus was told exactly what to do to be restored. Now in as much as He tells you the result of obedience, Jesus also tells us the result of disobedience. Revelation 2:5: ..”or else, I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

What is Jesus saying? If you do not repent and do the works of Christ as He has commanded you to do then He will remove thy candlestick out of his place. Remember the candlestick represent the churches. So God will remove that church, those believers who fail to repent from His presence. This is a very serious promise, not a threat. Disobedience and sin will not be tolerated from the Father in Heaven. He cannot stand the sight of sin and you will not stand in His presence living in sin and if you choose not to live right as he has called you and commanded you to do then He will remove you from His presence.

In the last message in this section of the church at Ephesus we will look at the last commendation given to the church at Ephesus which is they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes which also Jesus hates. And if Jesus hates it then we definitely do not want to do it.

At the Father’s Service,

Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.