Mentality of the Sons of God

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: Mentality of the Sons of God

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:11-16; Isaiah 11:1,2

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

How should a son of God think when it comes to the mind of Christ? Believe it or not the scriptures clearly lay it out for us but it is so hard for many to come into that place in their life because they do not want to let go of the world. Now let’s set this up.

The first place one must start with understanding how to think like a son of God is with oneself and your soul. One must kill our souls when it comes to the mind of Christ. Our soul is where we express our emotions, and where we think and work things out. Our souls have emotions, a will and an intellect. If we can suppress our souls then we can overcome the world. This effectively is called self-denial. This is where the demonic attack and try to get you to go against God. Why? Your soul is where you have free-will. It is your free-will center. God was so wonderful when He created man because He gave us a choice to choose Him or not. Of course this decision comes with consequences. God did not desire robots and no true parent wants their children to be robots. However, the Father wants us to freely choose Him and choose to worship Him. Now the spiritual mind is completely different.

The spiritual mind has emotions, which is worship, a will which is to do the Father’s Will and an intellect, which is wisdom. We know that wisdom is one of the seven spirits of Christ (Isaiah 11:1,2). So the spirit has a mind and it is called the Mind of Christ. Let’s look at this for a better understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:11-16: For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? EVEN SO THE THINGS OF GOD KNOWETH NO MAN, BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Now we have received , NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MAY KNOW THE THINGS THAT ARE FREELY GIVEN TO US OF GOD. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but WHICH THE HOLY GHOST TEACHETH COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL. BUT THE NATURAL MAN RECIEVETH NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE MAY INSTRUCT HIM? BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.

This scripture sums up this entire message a carnal man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are only revealed Spirit to spirit. Now if you have not submitted to the rulership of Christ and you claim to be a believer, you cannot receive revelation because you are soul-lead and not Spirit-lead.

In the next message we will start looking at the Mind of Christ and how He operates within us to bring us into maturity.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

New Teaching Series: The Mind of Christ

The Mind of Christ

Today’s Focus: Introduction

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-8; John 4:23,24; 17:22; Genesis 1:26; Galatians 5:22,23; Romans 8:16

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

When we think about the mind of Christ, what comes to mind? Do we think about the brain of Christ being put into us? Are we thinking that it is a mindset to live by? In this series we want to clarify this subject so that we as the sons of God can truly understand what it means to have the mind of Christ.

God’s intentions for us and it has always been, is for us to worship Him. We were created for that very reason, but the unique thing is we have to be like Him to worship Him. What does it mean to be like Him? In the Garden, before the fall, God had what we desired.

Genesis 1:26: And God said, let us make man IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS: 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 on the earth.

So to be like Him, is to bare His image and have His character, ways and nature (likeness). His image is one thing. His likeness is another. There are so many people carrying the image of God but if you look at the fruit they are bearing it is hard to tell. To have His likeness is to bear the fruit of His image. His image is clearly Spirit and so we bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). How we bear this fruit is called worship.

Worship has taken on so many meanings but to sum up worship, it is conforming to the image of the thing or person you hold in reverence. In other words, no longer do you look like yourself or resemble anything about yourself but you conform to the image and become the exact representation of the person or thing. Now I know this is different from standing in front of a congregation leading songs and we have to get back to the heart of worship. Singing songs is not going to help us make it in, but becoming the exact representation of the Father will. Look at this scripture about the true worshippers of the Father:

John 4:23,24: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.

The only way you can worship the Lord is first in spirit. This means your spirit must be connected to Holy Spirit. Only a child of God can truly worship the Father because they know Him. Watch this scripture:

Romans 8:16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God

So first you must carry the Spirit of God within you and the Spirit of God testifies with your spirit. What does He testify? The truth. This is the second portion. You must know the truth. Funny, the truth is a person. Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and the life. So you must come into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and follow His decrees and commandments. In doing this you walk in the Spirit and Truth and when you do that then the fruit of the Spirit can be visibly seen from an invisible eternal reality within you. With that said, this requires us to do two things. Deny ourselves and be obedient to the Spirit. This is the truth about worship. Yes we have so many different ways of worshipping the Lord in song but it all boils down to self-denial and obedience. If those two things are not happening then all the songs in the world are sung in vain because even in song we must worship in truth and in spirit. To understand this you must understand the concept and heart of the sons of God identity:

John 17:22: And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.

In the next step we will start look at the process of how the sons of God should think when it comes to having the mind of Christ.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Summary

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: Summary

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

The use of the term spiritual father has been tarnished by the Catholic church and by lascivious leaders who use it to commit sexually perverse acts with children. Does it mean that the spiritual father is wrong? Absolutely not. Remember the devil runs his deception parallel with the truth. The use of the term spiritual father, son, and Holy Spirit are all associated with the culture of the Son. But we must return to the model that produces mature sons of God. This is what God always wanted.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ was given 12 disciples to mature them by showing them the Father, in words and deeds. He taught them how to hear the voice of the Father for themselves. Jesus began to build the Holy Nation with the 12 the father gave Him, just like the Jacob had 12 sons which made of the nation of Israel. This concept and principal of spiritual families in households is the basic model by which Holy Spirit will ensure accountability to maturity. In this model sin is easily identified and corrected. Perfect example of this is Ananias and Sapphire and Peter, their spiritual father. We know they withheld and lied to God about what they had and died on the spot. It was Peter that they presented their things to and through Peter, Holy Spirit showed their true intentions and heart.

It will take the Holy Nation to put on display the culture of Heaven. This nation, just like Israel, consists of spiritual families built up to households being built into clans, then tribes. God is building His House in the Earth. We can either be with Him and His grace by repenting and seeking His rulership over our lives or we continue in the religious circle that profits no one but the leader, leaving you immature and unfulfilled.

Jesus being the Everlasting Father is all about bringing the sons to maturity by re-presenting the ways and nature of the Father. Now that the Lord has ascended back to the Father, He left mature men to be spiritual fathers and continue the pattern of discipleship and maturity for the Body of Christ to prepare the Body for the return of the Lord. This pattern of discipleship is graced through the doma gifts (five-fold ministry) and through their proper administration through the fathers, the sons are matured.

This grace is available to you now. The longer you stay in that religious circle, the harder it will be to break free and come into the revelation of the House of God. It is my desire that you seek the Lord while He may be found and allow Him to reveal His House to you.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Consistency

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: Concept and Principal of the Spiritual Father: Consistency

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-3; Philippians 4:9

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

One of the major issues and disconnects we find in the Body of Christ is consistency. Over my couple of years in ministry and talking with youth there is a consistent theme to why they do not want to attend their particular church or deal with the church. One of the major reasons is hypocrisy. The adults tend not to pay too much attention to the children when there seems to be no problem but what they fail to understand is that the children are consistently watching their daily actions and then on Sunday they say a praise shouting, Hallelujah screaming person. In their eyes, they are asking the question, how can you curse, act like hoodlum and be nasty to people Monday thru Saturday and on Sunday, just change to this “Holy Ghost” filled person for 2 hours. Now they know it is wrong because the preacher is preaching against being hypocrites. And we wonder why the children do not want to deal with “church people”. The people today are looking for what is real and what it is the God has established in the earth and that is family.

Now we have been discussing the concept and principal of the spiritual father. Today we want to discuss the importance of consistency within the House of God which brings about integrity. Now in our modern day culture we hear the phrase “Do as I say and not as I do”. Funny, I can remember hearing adults say, you may hear me curse, but don’t you curse. Huh? Is this what we should be teaching and modeling? Jesus frowned upon this concept with the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:1-3: Then Jesus spake to the multitude and to his disciples, saying: The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: BUT DO NOT YE AFTER THEIR WORKS: FOR THEY SAY, AND DO NOT.

Jesus tells the disciples and the multitudes, do not be hypocrites. The spiritual father must be consistent in word and deed, just like his father and the Father. This mindset is what is pushing many people away from the church because the church should be a people of integrity. Moreover, even the sinners know that and that is why they do not feel convicted to change because of the people who call themselves believers. When your words do not line up with your actions, your credibility is null and void. The Body of Christ should have fathers whose word has been already worked in them so that they are accurate representations of God the Father.

The culture of the Kingdom is meant to restore fathers to the Body of Christ and young men are to be raised up and young women are to be raised up as proper sons of God. This is why Paul wrote this to the church at Philippi:

Philippians 4:9: Those things which ye have both LEARNED, AND RECEIVED AND HEARD AND SEEN IN ME, DO: AND THE GOD OF PEACE SHALL BE WITH YOU.

Do we see this! Paul is instructing that everything you learned, received, heard and seen me do, do it. Is this not the consistency that the spiritual father and the sons of God should be displaying in the Earth? We must return to the model that produces mature sons of God and the accountability that is demanded by the fathers. This is the consistency that people are looking for, spiritual fathers putting on display the way and nature of the Father. The falling that we are seeing publicly in the church is because of a lack of oversight and a lack of understanding true sonship and the need for fathers and maturation.

We are going to wrap this series up in the next message with God’s model and design that produces His desired outcome.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Father vs. Father

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: Concept and Principal of Spiritual Father: Father vs. Father

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21; Hebrews 2:11

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Jesus said call no man father because one is your Father who is in Heaven. Paul turns around and calls the church at Corinth his sons and he is the father who has begotten them in Christ Jesus through the gospel. The answer to this is in the way the word father is being used. The word father has nine different meanings. We know that we have one Father who is in Heaven. This word father that Jesus used is interpreted as the Progenitor. The progenitor is the one who you directly come from. So our origin of birth is from God the Father. Now the word father that is speaking about refers to him as the father of their faith, not the one whom they originate from. Paul was making it clear that the fathering that he was, was due to the fact that he was instructed and sent to them as being the father of their faith. Listen this is where people mess it up.

The people had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul introduced the Lord to them but God the Father was the one from who they were from. Now let’s look at this next scripture for understanding.

Hebrews 2:11: For both He that sanctifieth (Christ) and they who are sanctified (sons) are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.

So here we see it is Christ that sanctifies us and we are all one with the Father, hence Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers (adelphos) because we all originated from the same womb. But God assigns us fathers who are mature in presenting the ways and nature of the Father because they themselves have been discipled in the things of God so now they are able to say, just like Jesus: “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father”. Much like Paul would say in 1 Corinthians 11:1: be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

With this said, in the next message we will look at some issues to why this concept and principal of spiritual fathers is so hard for the religious culture to even put on display.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

The Concept and Principal of Spiritual Fatherhood: Paul

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: The Concept and Principal of Spiritual Fatherhood: Paul

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Now Jesus gave us the template, now let’s see how the early church modeled spiritual fatherhood. Paul is a great example and we will use 1 Corinthians 4 to frame this discussion.

1 Corinthians 4:14-21: I write not these things to shame you, but AS MY BELOVED SONS I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors (teachers) in Christ, YET HAVE YE NOT MANY FATHERS: FOR IN CHRIST JESUS I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU THROUGH THE GOSPEL. Wherefore I beseech you, BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME. For this cause have I sent MY SON TIMOTHEUS, WHO IS MY BELOVED SON, and faithful in the Lord, WHO SHALL BRING YOU INTO REMEMBERANCE OF MY WAYS WHICH BE IN CHRIST, as I teach every where in every church. Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come unto you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

Now this is a large set of scripture but I want to focus on the capitalized parts as our point of focus. First we must know that Paul was never married and did not have any biological children. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and tells them that he is writing to warn them as his beloved sons. How could Paul call the church at Corinth his beloved sons if he had no biological children? Paul tells them that their issue is that they have a lot of teachers in Christ but not many fathers. Can we say there is a need for fathers in the Body of Christ? Paul is clear about the issues at Corinth and He tells them that they do not have many fathers, for IN CHRIST JESUS PAUL HAS BEGOTTEN THEM THROUGH THE GOSPEL. So Paul tells them that they were given to Him by the Lord in Christ Jesus. Paul was given the grace by the Lord Jesus Christ to be the spiritual father to the various churches of the Gentiles.

Remember the mandate of the spiritual father is to put on display the ways and nature of the Father to teach and bring the sons to maturity. This is why Paul tells the church to be followers of Him. It is obvious to Paul that they were being taught about Christ but the ways and nature of the Father was where they needed maturity. Now Paul is not obviously there with them because He is writing to them but He tells the church that He is sending his beloved son, Timothy who shall bring them to remembrance of the ways of Paul, which were the ways of Christ. Now Paul discipled Timothy and we know that Paul was the spiritual father of Timothy and it was evident to the Lord and made known to Paul by the Lord that Timothy was mature enough to go to the church at Corinth and help them.

Now we know that some people have an issue with calling one your spiritual father and they use the scripture where Jesus says call no man father as the scripture to base this argument. Now we know the Word of God does not contradict itself. So was Paul wrong for what He said? Was Jesus wrong in what He said (God forbid)?

In the next message we will examine this and bring clarity to what Jesus said and what Paul said because the same Spirit gave the words.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

The Template of Fatherhood

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: Concept and Principal of the Spiritual Father: The Template of Fatherhood

Scripture: Hebrews 2:12-15; John 17:6

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

When we look at Hebrews 2:13: “Behold I and the children which God hath given me”. Who are the children that the Father gave to Jesus, the sons of God. Now that the scripture establishes that let’s look at our example of spiritual fatherhood.

Did anyone ever think or consider that Jesus Christ fathered the 12 Disciples who were given to Him by the Father. Now remember Hebrew 2:13 is the base of this discussion. As we have matured as the Body of Christ through the age of man, this is really being brought to the forefront because the culture of the orphan and fatherlessness has and is continuing to mature. In all of our ways to try get people to come to church and to win the youth to the church. Did we ever consider that it will take fathers and the Spirit of Christ to bring the culture of the Son to the Earth? Think about this, Jesus ministry was three and a half years and it was His responsibility to bring those 12 into maturity. He did specific and conclusive things with them. It required the disciples to lay down their lives (deny themselves) and follow Jesus to learn about the Kingdom of God and their sonship with the Father. Jesus showed them who met His provision and protection at all times, hence teaching the disciples that they do not rely on their jobs or occupations for their provision and protection but on the Father. Remember when Jesus was walking along and everyone of the disciples was working in their occupations and jobs and all Jesus said was follow me. These guys left their jobs to follow the Lord. Now do not get me wrong and do something stupid like leave your job unless God tells you to. Your talent that you use for your job puts you in a place to witness Jesus to the people on your job. You are worthy of the wage that your job pays you but you know and I know that to meet all of your needs, the job cannot possibly do that.

Now Jesus was accountable for the 12 souls that the Father gave Him and let me show you this. In John 17, Jesus is praying for the disciples and those to come and during the prayer Jesus acknowledges the Father in the giving of the twelve.

John 17:6: I have manifested thy name UNTO THE MEN WHICH THOU GAVEST ME OUT OF THE WORLD; THINE THEY WERE, AND THOU GAVEST THEM ME; AND THEY HAVE KEPT THY WORD.

Every spiritual father must give an account of the souls that was given to them to bring them into maturity. It is important that we understand this. Accountability is mandated by our Father and at the Judgment Seat of Christ an account must be given. Jesus was called the Everlasting Father because He perfectly presented the Father. Jesus in called the True and Faithful Witness because He was the One who was faithful and accurately represented God the Father.

The order of the House of God is a patriarchal order. It is the relationship between a father and sons. The order operates by mature men showing the nature and the character of God to those under their rule.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

3 Facets of the Culture of the Son

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: Concept and Principal of Spiritual Fathers: 3 Facets of the Culture of the Son

Scripture: Hebrews 2:12-15; Romans 8:12-17

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Hebrews 2:12-15: Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

This is a very unique passage of scripture because in this passage we see the 3 facets of the Culture of the Son. We see brother, son and father. Now let me show you. He displayed being a brother in verse 12 (Saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren). He displayed the son in verse 13 (I will put my trust in Him). Who is Him? The Father. He displays the father in verse 13 (Behold I and the children which God hath given me). Amazing isn’t it. I never saw it neither unto the Lord showed me through my spiritual father. Let’s back up because there is so much here that must be brought out in explaining spiritual fathers.

The first part of the above scripture shows us Jesus declaring the name of the Father to His brethren. The word brethren is the Greek word “adelphos” meaning brother from the same womb. So Jesus is making it clear that we are brothers from the same womb. Jesus came to give us our identity back and by doing it He shows us who we are from, the Father. Now your identity is crucial to understand because without identity there is a lack of purpose and when there is a lack of purpose there is oppression and abuse of power.

God is a Spirit and Genesis 1:26 states that God made man in His image and after His likeness. So if man is in the image of God, what is man? Man is a spirit. Your flesh does not define your identity. The Spirit of God defines your identity. So you are spirit first, flesh last. This is the first thing that must be reconciled by apostolic fathers into the Households and their spiritual children. The spiritual fathers should show and teach the Spirit-first mindset that is needed to live the new and living way. Let me close with this scripture and probably one of my personal favorites:

Romans 8:12-17: Therefore brethren (adelphos) we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE: But if ye through the Spirit do mortify (to discipline by self-denial) the deeds of the body, YE SHALL LIVE. For as many as a re lead by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption (Son), whereby we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children (sons) then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together

The spiritual father’s actions should always point back to the one whom they originate from. Jesus, the Everlasting Father, pointed back to the Father in word and in deed. We will continue to look at the 3 Facets of the Culture of the Son in the next message.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

The Designation of Christ

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: The Designation of Christ

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6; John 1:12; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 12:50

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

In the latter part of Isaiah 9:6 we see the names of Jesus. Now these are not all of the names of course but these names carry specific meanings as it pertains to the Lord. Let’s put some meaning behind this portion of the scripture:

Isaiah 9:6: And His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor (Holy Spirit), the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father (Father), Prince of Peace (Son).

Now the mandate of the Son is to represent the One who sent Him, the Father. Hebrews 1:3:”Who (Son) being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High.” Jesus only did what He saw the Father do and say whatever the Father says. Hence the sent Son becomes the Father to many who have received Him.

John 1:12: But as many as received Him (Christ), to them gave He power TO BECOME sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

Jesus re-presents the Father in a new way and this is how the Father chooses to speak to the earth (Hebrews 1:1,2). There is a reason why the Father only wants to speak through the Son. This eliminates any error or miscommunication of the Father’s Will because it is Spirit to Spirit to spirit (human). There is no confusion or contradiction in this line of communication. This is the accurate method to guarantee the outcome that message was intended to accomplish.

Jesus is given the designation of these names Wonderful, Counsellor which is the Holy Spirit. The mighty God and Everlasting Father is the Father and the Prince of Peace is the Son. So even in these names we see the Godhead in the person of Christ. Do not let that confuse you. Now in this series we want to focus on the designation, Everlasting Father. We already classified the fact that Jesus was sent to re-present the Father and He himself becomes the Father to many. Now what is unique about that He is the Father to many and also the elder brother of the sons of God. Hmm! This is interesting. Jesus said this:

Matthew 12:50: For whosoever shall do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same IS MY BROTHER, SISTER AND MOTHER.

Isn’t it unique that Jesus did not say father. Now I know somebody is going to scream “Gotcha see there is no such thing as a spiritual father because Jesus did not have one”. Come on now, let’s be realistic. Jesus was discipled by the Father to show us how to disciple one another. I want to take some time to really explain spiritual fatherhood in this series because when that word goes out, people get crazy and think you are talking about Catholicism and no way is what Catholicism doing spiritual fatherhood. In the next set of messages we will begin to show the concept and principal of the spiritual father. Now everything has to be to the Word of God and I pray that we receive this in the name of Jesus

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

New Series: The Everlasting Father

The Everlasting Father

Today’s Focus: The Spirit of Christ: The Everlasting Father

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Now in a previous series entitled “The Spirit of Christ” we studied that the Spirit of Christ is Son. In this series we want to look at the Spirit of Christ also being the Everlasting Father. Let’s use this scripture as our base:

Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

This scripture has so much revelation to it so let’s take some time and break it down. First, the child that is born and the son that is given is of course Jesus. Well one may say if the child is born, isn’t the son also given? Not in this case. The child being born is in reference to the birth of Jesus through the virgin Mary. That is what the child is born is referencing to. The son that is given, is when the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus at the baptism and the voice of the Father comes out and says: This is my SON in whom I am well pleased. The giving of the Son is the giving of the Spirit of Christ to Jesus. The only way you can be a son of God is that you bare the image of the Father.

The next passage of scripture speaks of the government being on His shoulder. Now we know that the government is the Kingdom of God and the five gifts or “doma” gifts that are given for its order at the apostolic, prophetic, evangelic, pastoral and teaching. So Jesus, the Son of God carried all five gifts to give to us to order us and bring us into maturity. Remember we do not want to be one-gift minded people because that locks us in a box and hinders our maturation.

Finally, the final product of the Father after all of this is a mature Son given to the world to bring the culture of Heaven to the earth. This is what God wanted and designed and even through the fall of man God will have what He designed.

In the next message we will look at the various names and their meanings.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Discipleship: Religous Culture vs. Culture of the Son

The Spirit of Christ

Today’s Focus: Discipleship: Religious Culture vs. Culture of the Son

Scripture: John 5:18; Philippians 4:19; Matthew 28:18-20

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Today we want to discuss the contrasting cultures of religion and the Son as it pertains to discipleship. We left off our previous message with the statement that the process of maturation is called discipleship so let’s start with the religious culture then discuss the culture of the son as it pertains to discipleship.

In the religious culture discipleship from this aspect: “bring your gift and serve my call”. The reason this is the case is because the person believes that you have no way of hearing God for yourself. What an insult! You become a pawn in their “ministry” to do as they say and change as they change. Anything outside of what their vision is, is a threat to their ministry and more times than not they will find a way to oust you from fellowship. There is the culture of the orphan at its best. These people see people as resources not sons who need maturation. In this culture they do not care about discipleship and to be more frank, they themselves probably have not been effectively discipled. When there is no discipleship, there is no growth and what happens is there is a circle that is formed and everything says within that circle and never changes. Regardless if God is shifting and changing, they will not change from anything that threatens their provision and protection. Discipleship takes a backseat to paying the church mortgage, utilities and pastor. This is the complete opposite when it comes to the culture of the Son.

Discipleship is the heart of the maturation process for the sons of God. The Great Commission tells us to go out and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). This means there are sons that are more mature than others and these sons are spiritual fathers who demonstrate the nature and ways of the Father to mature the sons. Paul and Timothy is one of the great examples of a father/son relationship. Paul discipled Timothy called Timothy numerous times in scripture “his son”. We know Paul had no children or wife. Timothy was sent to Him to bring Him into maturity and as Timothy was brought into maturity, he was charged to do the same with other who God has given to Him to oversee. Another example and more obvious example is Jesus and the 12 disciples. Jesus even prayed to the Father and made it known that the Father gave Him the 12. Jesus was responsible for bringing those 12 to maturity. Now others followed but there was a focus on the 12. Now we know Judas betrayed Jesus and we know that this was done to show that even in your own family you can have people to betray you, but Jesus knew Judas would betray Him. Now let me show you how religion will always threaten the culture of the Son.

John 5:18: Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him (Jesus), because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Now is this any different for us? Are we not to do the exact same thing? Is not God our Father and are we not sons of God? We can do nothing of ourselves. Jesus simply mimicked what He saw the Father do and said what he heard the Father say. Are we not to do the same? We are to be like our Father in image and in character and ways. This is the goal. Paul said this to the church at Philippi.

Philippians 4:9: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Paul was serving the Most High God and He was discipling the church at Philippi as it pertains to God and peace on how to achieve that peace. The highest order of existence is to be a servant of the Father. This demands discipleship and the only way one can be discipled is one submit to the rulership of Christ.

In closing, the Spirit of Christ is Son. The Spirit of Christ is given to us for maturation and discipleship to bring us to the fullness of the stature of Christ. The Spirit of Christ empowers us through gifts of the Spirit and we also know now that a mature son of God can operate in all five “Doma” gifts (five-fold ministry). The Spirit of Christ teaches us that we have an inheritance from the Father mediated by the Lord Jesus Christ who is our elder brother and we lack nothing because everything we need is found in Him.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Maturation: Culture of Religion vs. Culture of Son

The Spirit of Christ

Today’s Focus: Maturation: Culture of Religion vs. Culture of Son

Scripture: John 14:12; Galatians 4:19

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Depending upon which culture you live under, you maturation is directly affected. In the religious culture, maturation is said to be achieved after death. Now this is consistent with this culture view of the Kingdom and House of God. This culture does not speak of a present Kingdom and House in the Earth but speaks of it in the future tense upon the return of the Lord. If this is all to happen after death and upon the return of the Lord what do you do until then? Do we just suffer and pray the Lord returns to take us up out of here? The culture of religion is predicated on going to heaven or God taking us out of here to escape life’s problems. This culture is where a lot of people are and God is raising and maturing a culture that demonstrates the power and culture of Heaven on Earth. What do we think the ministry of Jesus on Earth was all about? Religion says to save your souls so you can go to Heaven. The culture of the Son says something completely different.

The culture of the Son is all about maturity. The atmosphere of that culture is to help others grow in Christ so that they reach their designed potential in Christ. This means we are destined for maturation. We are designed to forgive. We are designed to overcome the world. We are designed to receive the inheritance from the Father. What is sad is many people never mature and if you do not mature then you are very limited to almost to no use in the House of God because God will not entrust the true riches of the Kingdom to a immature child. You are no more than a slave or servant in your Father’s House if you do not mature. I know that seems harsh but let’s look at scripture.

Galatians 4:1,2: Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Do we see this? The child must be taught (tutors and governors) and when the child matures and the father knows He can trust them with the inheritance, the father will give the son, mature son, the inheritance to continue to distribute. We as the sons of God have an inheritance from the Father and the Father will give it to us to distribute it once we come into maturity. This is why God gives us spiritual fathers to bring us into maturity.

A true spiritual fathers desire to mature sons because they want their sons to go beyond the place where they have gone. This is called building the House multi-generationally. Jesus believed in this.

John 14:12: Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

So Jesus is telling us that greater works shall those who come after Him do. Does that make us greater than Jesus? Absolutely no! He is the source of the power and authority we operate in. But what we are doing is maturing the Body of Christ and so we are to be progressing to prepare the Body for the return of the Lord. Look at this scripture:

Galatians 4:19: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again UNTIL CHRIST BE FORMED IN YOU.

Now if you have been born again, do you not possess Christ? Absolutely so what is this forming that must happen in you. Paul is speaking about maturing to the full stature of Christ. In other words, he is speaking of maturing the child to an adult in Christ to handle the gifts of the Spirit. This maturing of the Body of Christ has a name. It is discipleship. In the next message we will look discipleship and correlate it to the religious culture and the culture of the Son.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Defining the Son

The Spirit of Christ

Today’s Focus: Defining the Son

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-3

Greetings Kingdom Citizens

Let’s get right to the scripture because this scripture alone frames the whole discussion for this message.

Hebrews 1:1-3: God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom He (Father) hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He (Jesus Christ) made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Now it is clear that the in various and past times God spoke to the fathers through the prophets. Now we know that this is referring the age of time before the day of the Lord Jesus. Now in the last days hath spoken to us by His Son. Now this phrase, His Son is very unique. I went back and looked at the Greek text at that particular phrase and noticed that the word “his” was not originally there. Hence the scripture in the original Greek text would read: “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by Son.” Now we know Son is the Spirit of Christ. Now we know this is true because do we remember when Jesus was on Earth and took three of His disciples up to the mount and Jesus was transfigured? Remember there was Moses, Elijah and Jesus there with the three disciples and Peter wanted to build three tabernacles (houses), one for each of them and then a cloud came over and a voice came out of the cloud. The Voice of the Father said this is my Beloved Son, Hear ye Him! Now we know that Moses represented the Law. Elijah represented the prophets. Jesus represented the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets and this is why God wanted the disciples to shift their thinking to listening to the Son in these days. The Spirit of Christ is the law and the prophetic.

Hebrews 1:2 goes on to say that the Son has been appointed heir of all things. Who appointed Christ to be the heir? The Father. Heirs have an inheritance. So the sons have an inheritance from the Father and the mediator of that inheritance is Christ. Christ understands how to distribute the inheritance amongst the sons for the Will of the Father to be fulfilled in the Earth.

Son is the identity that produces words or sounds of the mature Christ that gives definition to the image, character and nature of the Father. This is why Hebrews 1:3 says that the Son is in the brightness or radiance of His (Father’s) glory and the express image of His person. Things are upheld by the word of His power. So we carrying the image of Son are to be the radiance of the Father’s glory in the earth. Remember a radiator is the source and the heat from the radiator is thrown out into the atmosphere. We are the place in which the Father’s glory radiates from. His glory comes from within us to draw men and women unto Him.

Now to get to this point requires maturation in the Spirit. In the next message we will look at religious culture vs the culture of Son and show you how maturity can be affected depending upon the culture you live under.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.