Decreeing the Will of God on Earth By Mike McClung

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:7-8).

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:1-2).

The church will be made ready in a priestly-bridal garment.  This priesthood is a royal priesthood.  1 Pet. 2:9 says: But you (born again believers) are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….  There is another dimension added to the priesthood that the New Testament church has been called to express: that dimension includes not only priestly ministry (worship and intercession), but also exercising authority and dominion.  Jesus fulfills both offices as the King of glory and the great High Priest of the New Covenant.  It is through exercising our roles as priests unto the Lord, on behalf of people, that we enter into our full relationship with the Lord as His eternal partner in Bridehood.  This not only means exercising dominion in prayer and worship, but also being fully developed to share dominion through decreeing the will of God in the earth as the extension of Himself as His body and bride.

Bridal-Priestly Garments By Mike McClung

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” (Rev. 22:17a).

It is imperative that the church enter into the “bridal” identity designed for her by the Father on behalf of the Son.  It has been the Father’s intention, from all eternity, to have the Son’s desire for an eternal companion fulfilled. (John 17:22-26.)  The theme is continuous from Genesis through Revelation, and all throughout human history, that the purpose of humanity is to be the eternal companion of the Son of God.

The “bridal identity” of the church, by default, means entering into our identity as intimate, passionate lovers and partners of the Lord Jesus, in His Person and His work.  The bridal identity of the church is summed up in the reality of becoming a kingdom of priests. (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6.)  Priestly ministry primarily involves worship and intercession.  The principle ministry of the Lord Jesus, right now, is as the great Intercessor. (Heb. 7:25.)  It is imperative that the bride enter into the fullness of her priestly identity before her “kingly” authority can be fully released.  Jesus is the King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:15.)  Therefore it follows that we, the bride of Christ, are made of the same royal priesthood, called to exercise authority and dominion.  This is first and foremost expressed through agreement with who God is (worship) and what God wants to do (intercession).  From this place of unwavering agreement in worship and intercession, the authority, power, grace, mercy and justice of the Lord are released from heaven to earth.  This happens as the bride of Christ faithfully agrees with the Lord in worship and intercession.  This bridal agreement creates an opening between heaven and earth, and the kingdom of God invades earth bringing transformation and harvest.

The Beginning of a New Kingdom Season – Part 3 – January 2013

The following is part of a larger article that the Lord has been intimating to me for the coming season/years. The whole article will be posted on our website, lionheartministries.org, but we will be releasing each section as a smaller article each week for the next few weeks. May these articles, bless, challenge and encourage all. Mike McClung

A Season of Accelerated Restoration

The restoration that is coming is a restoration of all that has been prophesied and purposed for the one new man…the body of Messiah, the true temple of the Holy Spirit (Acts 3:19-21).

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple (naos), and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple (heiron), and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple (naos) of His body. (John 2:19-21)

As the apostle tells us in Hebrews 7-10, when there is a change in the priesthood, there comes a change in the entire protocol of relationship with God. The basic reason we do not operate under the Old Covenant with the Levitical Priesthood is because all has been fulfilled through the finished work of Calvary and man now relates to the Father based solely on the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus and His continuing Melchizedek priesthood. As such, we’re also told that it’s not temples and tabernacles made by men’s hands in which His presence rests and inhabits, but in the living temple of the individual and corporate body of Messiah (1 Cor. 3:17; 2 Cor. 6:16-7:1).