Under The Blood

Now interestingly enough about the dietary regulations that God set down, you have to understand that when God set these down, as the people of God were coming and traversing into the Land of Promise, for 40 years nobody got sick in the wilderness. They couldn’t go to an oncologist; they couldn’t go to a psychiatrist; so they better had followed what God was saying. Now I’m not about to get into the dietary regulations, because some people would get very offended. I’ll just leave it at that and move on.

But God set down these things because He was attempting to establish Kingdom rule and authority, even under an old system. Oh come on, somebody say, "Amen." And so the reason why many people of God today do not understand the Kingdom of God is because they believe the Kingdom of God is gonna come some day in the future when Jesus finally returns to earth. But the Kingdom came when Jesus ratified it in His blood and raised up a whole generation of believers that are called the "in-Christ crowd." I like that terminology. Tell somebody, "I’m in the in-Christ crowd." That’s one of those tongue twisters. C’mon, tell somebody real quick, "I’m in the in-Christ crowd." (Laughs) Amen.

And so the Kingdom of God is now on the earth, but the Kingdom of God is within us. Jesus hasn’t set up a rule in a city or a country; but His rule is in us. Because to have a king, you gotta have -- say it out loud. ("a Kingdom"). And so we’re the people of God, called by His name. We have been washed in His blood. He has redeemed us unto the Father. And now, the Kingdom of God is within us. So Kingdom rule on the earth comes through the kings and the priests that He has assigned to specific duties on this planet. Ah, c’mon--say "Amen" with me.

Let me show you what I’m talking about. Open your Bible to Acts, chapter 20. Acts, chapter 20. When the Apostle Paul was giving his farewell address to the church at Ephesus, he made some interesting statements to the leadership and to the people. In verse 28, he made this statement: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost -- " Oh, I wish I had time to talk about that; but that’s a leadership seminar. "Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." See I’m under the firm belief that if you’re a leader in the household of faith, nobody can vote you in. (Laughs) Because when people can vote you in, they can vote you out. But when God appoints you and anoints you and selects you, I’d rather be appointed by the Holy Ghost than by a church board.

Now watch what he says. "Over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers." Look at this. "To feed the church of God." Feed. Not only lead, but feed. Everybody say, "Lead and feed." ("Lead and feed.") "Over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God." Notice the last expression--"which he hath purchased"-- purchased, purchased, purchased--"with his own blood." So the church, then--the church of Jesus Christ--is purchased by the blood of Jesus. We belong to Him.