TableofContents

OTHERBOOKSBYDR.MYLESMUNROE

TitlePage

CopyrightPage

Dedication

PREFACE

Introduction

PROLOGUE

PART1-THEPROGRAMOFCELESTIALEXPANSION

CHAPTERONE-THEPOWEROFINFLUENCE

THEKINGDOMLIFE

ANANTI-KINGDOMPERSPECTIVE

KINGDOMPOWER

THENATUREOFKINGDOMGOVERNMENT

THEGOALOFTHEKINGDOM:RULINGANDGAININGTERRITORY

THETRANSFORMATIONOFCOLONIESINTOTHEKINGDOM

THEMOSTIMPORTANTPERSONINTHECOLONY

THEGOVERNOR’SPURPOSE

THEGOVERNOR’SQUALIFICATIONSANDROLES

THEVALUEOFTHEGOVERNOR

THEINFLUENCEOFANOTHERKINGDOM

CHAPTERTWO-THEADAMICADMINISTRATION

THEORIGINALGOVERNMENT

EXPANDINGTHEINVISIBLEKINGDOM

THENATUREOFTHEKING:APERFECTGOVERNMENT

THENATUREOFEARTH’SCITIZENS

ROYALCHILDRENANDFULLCITIZENS

ASSIGNMENTASVICEGOVERNORS

THEROLEOFTHEHEAVENLYGOVERNOR

RULERSHIPOVERANEWTERRITORY

CHAPTERTHREE-DECLARATIONOFINDEPENDENCE

ABREACHOFTRUST

RENOUNCEDALLEGIANCEANDEXPATRIATION

THERECALLOFTHEGOVERNOR

EXISTENCEWITHOUTTHEGOVERNOR

ACULTUREOFDARKNESSANDDEATH

THEPROMISEOFTHEKING

SEEKINGTHEGOVERNOR

CHAPTERFOUR-THEPROMISEOFTHEGOVERNOR’SRETURN

THETHEMEANDSIGNIFICANCEOFTHESCRIPTURES

HUMANITY’SNEEDFORHOLINESS

STAGESOFTHEKING’SPLAN

INFLUENCEOVEREARTH’SENVIRONMENT

NOAHANDTHEFLOOD

ABRAHAM

THETRIBESOFISRAEL

THEISRAELITES:AKINGDOMOFPRIESTSANDAHOLYNATION

THEMEANINGOFTHELAW

THEPRIESTHOODANDSACRIFICES

THEKINGS

THEPROPHETS

GOVERNMENTALMESSAGESABOUTTHECOMINGKINGWHOWOULDRESTORETHEGOVERNOR

THEMANDATEOFTHECOMINGKING

THEGOVERNOR’SRETURNISFORALLHUMANITY

THEERAOFTHEKING’SCOMING

ANNOUNCINGTHEARRIVALOFTHEKING

PART2-THERETURNOFTHEGOVERNOR

CHAPTERFIVE-THEREBIRTHOFAKINGDOM

THEBIRTHOFTHEKINGONEARTH

THEGOVERNORGAVETHEKINGSOTHEKINGCOULDGIVETHEGOVERNOR

THEKING-SONWASCOMPLETELYFILLEDWITHTHEGOVERNOR

THEERAOFTHEKINGONEARTH

THEKING-SONREINTRODUCEDTHEKINGDOMOFHEAVENTOHUMANITY

BAPTISMINTOKINGDOMPHILOSOPHY

CHANGINGONE’STHINKINGANDLIFESTYLE

JOININGASCHOOLOFTHOUGHT

JESUS’MESSAGEWASINHARMONYWITHJOHN’SMESSAGE

THEKINGDOMSCHOOLTRANSFERREDTOJESUS

BAPTISMWITHFIRE

THEKING-SONDEMONSTRATEDTHEINFLUENCEOFTHEKINGDOMONEARTH

THEKING-SONDIEDTOREDEEMANDRESTOREHUMANBEINGSTOTHEKING-FATHERANDHISKINGDOM

THEKING-SONDESTROYEDTHESPIRITOFINDEPENDENCEANDREBELLIONINTHECOLONY

“HELIVESWITHYOUANDWILLBEINYOU”

THEKING-SON’SULTIMATEREASONFORCOMINGTOEARTH

THEGOALOFTHEKING

THEROMANEMPIREASATYPEOFTHEHEAVENLYKINGDOM

THERELEASEANDRECEPTIONOFTHEGOVERNOR

CHAPTERSIX-AKING’SLOVEFORHISCITIZENS

LOVE’SVOLUNTARYLIMITATION

THEGOVERNOR’SLIMITATION

THEKING-SONLIMITEDHIMSELFINORDERTOBECOMEUNLIMITED

LIMITEDHIMSELFFROMGLORY

LIMITEDHIMSELFTOTIMEANDSPACE

LIMITEDHIMSELFUNDERLAW

LIMITEDHIMSELFBYDEATH

THEPROMISEOFUNLIMITEDKINGDOMINFLUENCE

APRICELESSGIFTFORHUMANITY

CHAPTERSEVEN-RESTORINGTHECONNECTION

THEBREATHOFJESUS

WAITINGFORTHEFIRE

THEHOLYSPIRITPOUREDOUTATPENTECOST

THEPOWEROFABSENCE

GREATERWORKSONEARTH

CHAPTEREIGHT-REINSTATINGTHEGOVERNOR

THENEWBIRTH:REINSTATINGTHEAUTHORITYOFTHEKINGDOM

RECONNECTSHUMANBEINGSTOTHEGOVERNMENT

RESTORESHUMANBEINGS’CITIZENSHIPINHEAVEN

REINSTATESTHEKINGDOMONEARTHTHROUGHHUMANITY

RESTORESINTER-REALMCOMMUNICATIONANDACCESSTOTHEUNSEENWORLD

RESTORESTHENATUREOFTHEKINGWITHINHUMANITY

THEBAPTISMINTHEHOLYSPIRIT:REINSTATINGTHEPOWEROFTHEKINGDOM

ENABLESHUMANBEINGSTOPROVETHEKING’SCLAIMSANDDEMONSTRATETHEKINGDOM’SPRESENCE

GIVESHUMANBEINGSTHEABILITYTODISPLAYTHEGLORYOFTHEKINGANDHISKINGDOM

GIVESHUMANBEINGSTHEABILITYTODEMONSTRATEHEAVENLYCITIZENSHIP

RECEIVINGTHEGOVERNORINYOURLIFE

CHAPTERNINE-RESULTSOFRECONNECTION

RESTOREDRELATIONSHIPWITHTHEKING-FATHER

ENTRANCEINTOANONDISCRIMINATORY,NONPARTISANKINGDOM

RESTOREDABILITYTOINFLUENCE

DELEGATED-AUTHORITYANDABILITY-AUTHORITY

POWERINTHENAME

RESTOREDDOMINION

ATRANSFORMEDOUTLOOKONLIFE

NEWCOURAGEANDCONFIDENCE

RECONNECTIONTOLIFE’SPURPOSE

COMMUNICATIONWITHTHEHEAVENLYGOVERNMENT

ACCESSTOTHEKING

HEARINGTHEWILLOFTHEKING

KEEPINGINRIGHTRELATIONSHIP

PART3-UNDERSTANDINGTHEGOVERNOR

CHAPTERTEN-THENATUREOFTHEGOVERNOR

WHATTHEHOLYSPIRITISN’T

WHOISTHEHOLYSPIRIT?

THEGOVERNOR’SNATUREEXPRESSEDTOUS

CHAPTERELEVEN-THEGOVERNOR’SCULTURE

THEGOVERNOR’SQUALITIESOFTHEKING

THEKING’SCHARACTERDETERMINESTHESTATEOFTHEKINGDOM

THEQUALITIESOFTHEHOLYSPIRIT:GROWINGKINGDOM

CULTURE

CULTUREREVEALSORIGIN

CULTURECLASH

LIVINGBYTHESPIRIT

THEGIFTSOFTHESPIRIT:THEPOWEROFKINGDOMCULTURE

THEINFLUENCEOFCULTURE

PART4-THEROLEANDIMPACTOFTHEGOVERNOR

CHAPTERTWELVE-MANIFESTINGKINGDOMCULTURE

CHARACTERISTICSOFALLNATIONS

THEPOWEROFLANGUAGETOAKINGDOM

PURPOSESOFSPEAKINGINTONGUES

COMMONQUESTIONSABOUTTONGUES

DIFFERENTMANIFESTATIONSOFTONGUES

TENREASONSTOSPEAKINTONGUES

TONGUESAREMEANTFORTHEENTIREHUMANRACE

REMEMBERINGTHEPURPOSEOFTONGUES:COMMUNICATION

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN-THEGOVERNOR’SADMINISTRATION

AUTHORIZEDPOWERISGIVENASTHEGOVERNORWILLS

AUTHORIZEDPOWERISGIVENFORTHESERVICEOFTHEHEAVENLYGOVERNMENT

AUTHORIZEDPOWERISNOTPERSONALPROPERTY

THEAUTHORIZATIONOFPOWERADDRESSESALLTHENEEDSOFTHECOLONY

MANIFESTINGTHEAUTHORIZEDPOWEROFTHEGOVERNOR:THEGIFTSOFTHESPIRITIN…

THEAUTHORIZEDPOWEROFSPECIALORDIFFERENTKINDSOFTONGUES

THEAUTHORIZEDPOWEROFINTERPRETATIONOFTONGUES

EFFECTIVESERVICE

RECEIVINGTHEBAPTISMINTHEHOLYSPIRIT

CHAPTERFOURTEEN-WHYTHEWHOLEWORLDNEEDSTHEGOVERNOR

INDIVIDUALPURPOSEANDFULFILLMENT

AWORLDCOMMUNITYOFKINGSANDPRIESTS

ABENEVOLENTRULER

THECOMPLETETRANSFORMATIONOFTHEEARTHINTOTHEKINGDOM

CITIZENSOFTHEKINGDOM

AWORDTOTHETHIRDWORLD

NOTES

SCRIPTUREREFERENCES

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

OTHERBOOKSBYDR.MYLESMUNROE

ThePrinciplesandPowerofVisionThePrinciplesandPowerofVision

StudyGuideTheSpiritofLeadership

UnderstandingthePurposeandPowerofMenUnderstandingthePurposeandPowerofMen

StudyGuideUnderstandingthePurposeandPowerofPrayerUnderstandingthePurposeandPowerofPrayer

StudyGuideUnderstandingthePurposeandPowerofWomanUnderstandingthePurposeandPowerofWoman

StudyGuide

AVAILABLEINSPANISH

EntendiendoelPropósitoyelPoderdelaMujerEntendiendoelPropósitoyelPoderdelosHombresEntendiendoelPropósitoyelPoderdelaOración

ElEspíritudeLiderazgoLaPersonaMásImportanteSobrelaTierra

(availableSpring2007)LosPrincipiosyelPoderdelaVisión

Unlessotherwiseindicated,allScripturequotationsaretakenfromtheHolyBible,NewInternationalVersion®,NIV®,©1973,1978,1984bytheInternationalBibleSociety.UsedbypermissionofZondervan.Allrightsreserved.Scripturequotationsmarked(NKJV)aretakenfromtheNewKingJamesVersion,©1979,1980,1982,1984byThomasNelson,Inc.Usedbypermission.Allrights

reserved.Scripturequotationsmarked(KJV)aretakenfromtheKingJamesVersionoftheHolyBible.

Scripturequotationsmarked(NASB)aretakenfromtheupdatedNewAmericanStandardBible®,NASB®,©1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995byTheLockmanFoundation.Usedbypermission.(www.Lockman.org)Scripturequotationsmarked(NCV)aretakenfromtheHoly

Bible,NewCenturyVersion®

©1987,1988,1991byWordPublishing,adivisionofThomasNelson,Inc.

Usedbypermission.Allrightsreserved.

Publisher’snote:PersonalpronounsforGodandJesusarelowercasedinkeepingwiththeNewInternationalVersion,theprimaryBibletranslationusedinthisbook.

AllemphasisintheScripturequotationsistheauthor’s.

THEMOSTIMPORTANTPERSONONEARTH:TheHolySpirit,GovernoroftheKingdom

Dr.MylesMunroeBahamasFaithMinistriesInternational

P.O.BoxN9583Nassau,Bahamas

e-mail:bfmadmin@bfmmm.comwebsites:www.bfmmm.com;www.bfmi.tv;www.mylesmunroe.tv

ISBN:978-0-88368-986-8

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica©2007byDr.MylesMunroe

WhitakerHouse

1030HuntValleyCircleNewKensington,PA15068www.whitakerhouse.com

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Munroe,Myles.Themostimportantpersononearth:theHolySpirit,Governorofthe

Kingdom/MylesMunroe.p.cm.

Summary:“ExploreshowtheHolySpiritisthemostimportantPersononearthbecauseheisthepresenceandpowerofheavenintheworld,bringingtruelifeandtransformingindividuals,societies,

andnations”—Providedbypublisher.

Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN-13:978-0-88368-986-8(tradehardcover:alk.paper)

ISBN-10:0-88368-986-3(tradehardcover:alk.paper)1.HolySpirit.I.Title.BT121.3.M862006

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DEDICATION

Tothehumanspiritsearchingforitssource.

Totheleadersofnationsgrapplingwiththechallengesofourtwenty-firstcenturyworld.

Tothedesperateheartofthepresentgenerationlookingformeaningandhope.

TotheBFMIandITWLAfamily,whostandwithmeinmypassiontohelphumanityrediscoverthekingdom.

Tomywife,Ruth,andmygreatestinvestmentonearth,mydaughter,Charisa,andson,Chairo.

TotheKingeternal,immortal,theall-wiseGodandCreatorofallthings.

ToHisExcellencytheHeavenlyGovernor,whoisthesourceoftruthandlife.

PREFACE

Thegreatestdreamin theheartofeveryhumanbeingisofaperfectworld.Thegreatestdesireandpursuitofallhumankindisthepowertoachievethisdream. We all want power, which is the ability and capacity to controlcircumstancesanddestiny.

Our experience does not often meet our dreams and desires, however.Consider…

√Thechaoticaftermathofapresidentialassassinationattempt.

√ Rescue and recovery following the devastation of a powerfulhurricane.

√CountriesstrugglingwithoverwhelmingpovertyandthepandemicofAIDS.

Wheneverthere’sacrisis,peoplewanttoknow,“Who’sincharge?”Theywanttofindoutwhohastheauthorityandtheabilitytosolvetheproblems,bringstability,andmaintainapeacefulandprosperouslife.

WhenRonaldReaganwasshotearlyinhisfirsttermaspresident,thepresswanted toknowwhowas running the countrywhilehewas in surgery andrecovery.Hissecretaryofstatewascriticizedforhishastychoiceofwords,“I’m in control here,” because he wasn’t next in the line of presidentialsuccession. He may have had the ability, but he didn’t have the legalauthority,tobeincharge.

WhenhurricaneKatrinahitNewOrleans,bringingsufferinganddeath tothat regionof theUnitedStates,both federaland localofficialscameunderfirefor theirallegedpoorresponse to thecrisis.Theyhad theauthority,butseemedtobelackingtheability,toaddresstheurgentneeds.

Somenationsstrugglewithperpetualpovertyandtheuncontrolledspreadof disease. Thosewith illegitimate governments,which have seized controland squander the wealth and the lives of their people, do not have theauthority, theability ,or thedesire todealwith thecriticalproblemsfacingtheirnations.

Itoftenseemsasifthestateoftheworldtodayisoneofongoingcrises,sothatmanypeopleareasking, “Who’s incharge?”Wewant toknowhow tosolveourglobalproblems,suchasterroristattacks,war,crime,hunger,AIDS,

flu epidemics, and economic instability. Who has the necessary authority,ability,anddesiretoaddressthem?

Individuals, nations, and even corporations are trying to tackle some oftheseproblems,butitisoftendifficulttomakesubstantivechanges.

TheUnitedNations is limited in its authority and power to carry out itsresolutions and programs, and it is currently under scrutiny for a lack ofeffectiveness.

Our inability to find real solutions to problems is often mirrored in ourpersonallives,aswell.Whenfinancialsetbacksarise,ourpersonaldreamsaredashed, or our children seem bent on self-destruction,we ask ourselves, ineffect,“Who’s incontrol?”Wecertainlydon’t feelas ifweare.We long tocreateorderandpeaceandwell-being inour familiesoncemore.Wedesiretheauthorityandthepowertochangeourcircumstances.

ThisiswhyI’mconvincedthatthenumberonedesireofallpeopleineverysituation of life—global or personal—is for power. Power is the ability toinfluenceandcontrolcircumstances.

Power is the principle issue of humanity. People may not express it inexactly thatway,butultimately theydesire theability tomanageandshapetheircircumstances,reversepersonalandfamilysetbacks,andbuildabetterlifeforthemselves.Thisiswhyapersonwhowantstobeamillionaireisnotreallyseekingmoney.He’sseekingpower.Hewants thecapacity tocontrolwhatheeats,wherehelives,whathedrives,andhowhewillconducthislife.

Yetboththerichestpersonandthepoorestpersonontheplanethavethisdesire. The principle issue of humanity applies to both CEOs andhomemakers. It makes no differencewhat nationality or ethnicity a personmayhave; everyonedesires to influencehis life and theworld aroundhim.Andthefrequentlackofthisinfluenceisfrustratingandpainful.

The chaos in our world and the uncertain nature of our individual livesrevealstheabsenceofauthorityandpowerthatcanaddressourdeepestneedsand most critical issues. This is the reason many of us admire and try toemulate the talented, powerful, and influential; this is alsowhywe seek tocultivateasenseofhopeandfaithinthenoblequalitiesofhumanity.Wewanttobelieveinourabilitytoovercometheodds.Forexample:

√ Every year, major news magazines, such as Time and News-week,attempttoidentifythe“personoftheyear.”

√Manypeoplevenerategloballyrespectedhumanitarianawards,suchastheNobelPeacePrizeandTempletonaward.

√ The public loves TV programs such as Who Wants to Be aMillionaire?, Deal or No Deal, Survivor, and especially AmericanIdol.

Infact,AmericanIdolhasspunimitationsinalmostfortycountries.Itisauniversaldesire,crossingnational,cultural,andethniclines,toberecognizedas the “best” and to have a life of wealth and influence. People want tobecome stars in themedia or athletics or business or religion because starshave influence, and influence brings you power over situations and otherpeople. These shows are successful becausemany are looking for ways toescape the human quicksand of cultural, social, and economic control.Welongforpowerbecauselifecanbesouncertain,fearful,andpainful.

Perhapsitisalsothisinherentdesireanddrivetocontrolourcircumstancesthatspawnsthecreationofsuperherocharacters,suchasSuperman,Batman,WonderWoman,theFantasticFour,theX-Men,andtheJediKnightsofStarWars.Allthesecharactersfulfillourdeeppsychologicalfantasytopossesstheabilitytocontrollife,destiny,andsituationsatwill.Ibelievethatthemassivesuccess of many of the blockbuster movies that glorify these imaginaryfiguresincontrasttothelessersuccessofmorereal-lifemoviesisproofthatourdesireforpowerandcontrolisuniversalandnaturallyhuman.Wedesirecontrolovercrisis.

It isalsointerestingtonote thatsomeofourmostsuccessfulsuperheroeshavetheirorigins inanotherworldordistantplanet.Thismayindicate that,deep in the heart of mankind, there is an unconscious awareness that thesolution toour earthlydilemmacannot come fromourplanet itself.Rather,our help must come from another realm, and our future lies somewherebeyondourworld.Thereismoretruthtothisthanwemightwanttoadmit.

There are solutions for the problems and crises in our families,communities, businesses, nations, and world. As a planet under siege, weneed help from a higher authority, help from a greater world that has theability to address our needs. We need someone from that world who hasexperienceinbringinglightintodarkness,lifeintobarrenness,andorderoutofchaos. Ifwecould identify thatperson,andhecame toearth tosolveallour problems, he would naturally be called the most important person onearth.

Only one person has those qualifications.Actually, he is already here onearth.Wemustmeethim,cometounderstandhim,anddiscoverhispurpose,intent,program,andstrategytoenableustoregainourauthorityandpower,andtoinfluencelifeonearthasweweremeantto.

INTRODUCTION

Humanbeingsofallages,genders,nationalities,andethnicgroupsareonasearchforpurposeandsignificance.Consider:

√ the multitude of religions in the world that seek to explain ourexistence.

√ the largeandgrowingnumberofbookson the“self-help”shelves inbookstores.

√theenormousemphasisinWesterncountriesonself-actualization.

√thescientificcommunity’scontinualpursuitoftheoriginsoflife.

√ the ongoing struggle of Third-World peoples to gain freedom and asenseofidentityfortheirnationsandthemselves.

Weseektounderstandwhywearehere, thesignificanceoftheworldwelivein,andhowwecanfulfillourpersonalpotential.Wewanttoknowifourindividual lives have any real meaning in the vast expanse of history andtime.

Whydowestrugglewiththesequestions?Whydon’twealreadyknowtheanswerstothem?

Whatmakes us so introspective and continually longing to findmeaningforourselvesandourworld?

“RETURNTOMANUFACTURER”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all human beings were born with“manufacturer’sinstructions”tiedtotheirwrists,explainingwhotheyareandhowtheywork?(Ofcourse,evenifwedid,mostofuswouldprobablyskiptheinstructionsandtrytofigureoutlifeaswewentalong!)

I believe human beings do come with the equivalent of operatinginstructionsthatgiveusanswerstoourdeepestquestionsaboutourselvesandourworld.Someof this informationhasbeenplacedwithinus; the resthasbeen given to us by our Creator or “Manufacturer” in written form. Thereason we’re filled with such uncertainty and confusion about life is thatwe’ve lostourconnection to theseoriginal instructions.Wehaven’tstoppedtorecognizeourinternalprogramming,ortoreadourlifemanualinordertounderstandourpersonalpotentialorhowwework.Thisiswhywecan’tseethepurposeoftheworlditselfandhowitissupposedtofunction.

Whenwetrybutfailtosolvewhatisbrokeninourlivesandinourworld,it is becauseourManufacturer’s labels havebecome faded, andwehaven’tread this crucial instruction: “Do not try to repair yourself. Return toManufacturer.”

ItistheManufacturerwho…

√hastheoriginalblueprints.

√knowshowtorepairwhatisbrokeninsideus.

√canprovidethereplacementpieceforwhatismissinginourlives.

When we rediscover the Manufacturer’s original intent, we come tounderstandourpurpose,ourpotential,andthesignificanceofourroleinthisworld.

KINGDOMGOVERNMENT

Themindof ourManufacturer didn’t invent the fragmented lifewehavetoday,with its divisions amongnations and people groups, its strife amongfamilies,itsdouble-mindednessanddoublestandards,itsabuseandwaste.Heconceivedofanorderlybutenergeticlifeinwhicheverypersoncouldreachhis fullest potential in conjunction with others for the greatest good ofindividualsandthecommunityofhumanbeings.

The original blueprint of the Creator was for a kingdom government onearth as an extension and reflection of his own greater, spiritual kingdom.Thisearthlygovernmentwastobeathrivingcolonywithhumanityas(1)itscitizens,and(2)itslocalvicegovernorsrepresentingthehomekingdom.Ourmandatewastotransformthecolonyintothenatureofthekingdom.

The character of the initial colony was both peaceful and productivebecauseofthegenerousnatureofitsCreatorandSovereign.Hisinterestsarethe welfare, fruitfulness, and fulfillment of his citizens. His is a perfectgovernment,abenevolentrule.

INTER-REALMCONNECTION

Thekeytothesuccessofthisplanwastheestablishmentofaninter-realmconnection and ongoing relationship between the home kingdom and thecolony of earth. This connection was completely effective because it wasdirect—from Sovereign to individual citizens—through a supernaturalcommunicationthatallowedthecitizenstoknowthedesiresandplansoftheKing. That connection was the very Spirit of the Sovereign living withinhumanity—hisHolySpirit.

Tounderstandthis inter-realmconnection,wehavetolookat theconceptofsupernatural,andwemustaddressthevariousmisconceptionspeoplehavewhen they hear the termHoly Spirit. I am not talking about some kind of“force,” “mist,” or “feeling,” but a Person. I am referring to the Creator“extending himself ” to us in personal interaction, a Person-to-personcommunication.

THECONCEPTOFTHESUPERNATURAL

Thewordsupernatural doesnot exist inScripture, but it doesdescribe aconcept clearly presented there. Supernatural simply means “outside” or“above”thenatural;itisspiritualratherthanphysical.Thesupernaturalworldis above our natural world. Paul of Tarsus, the first-century theologian,definedthisconceptasinvisibleorunseen:

Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternalpoweranddivinenature—havebeenclearlyseen,beingunderstoodfromwhathasbeenmade.

Sowefixoureyesnotonwhatisseen,butonwhatisunseen.Forwhatisseenistemporary,butwhatisunseeniseternal.

The supernatural realm is therefore an invisible or unseen world that isdistinctfromourphysicalone.Itiswhattheincomparableyoungrabbi,Jesusof Nazareth, was referring to when he said, “My kingdom is not of thisworld….Butnowmykingdomisfromanotherplace.”

Whensomeone“experiences”thesupernaturalworldoftheCreator-King,it refers tohisencounterwith thekingdomofhisSovereign.Thekeytohisinteraction with the unseen kingdom is the Holy Spirit communicating theKing’smindandhearttohimsohecancarryitoutonearth.

Thenatureof this relationshipbetween theunseenworldof thekingdomgovernment and the seen world of the physical earth underscores theincalculablevalueof theonewhomakes the connectionbetween these tworealmspossible,theHolySpirit.

THECONCEPTOFTHEKINGDOM

Tofullyappreciatetheinvisiblekingdomgovernment,wemustrealizethattheideaof“kingdom”didn’toriginateonearthwiththeancientcivilizationsof Babylon and Egypt. It didn’t come from earth at all. The concept ofkingdomisrootedinthedesireoftheCreatortodesignandsustainboththeunseenandseenrealmsinordertoexpress,represent,andmanifesthisnature.

Ideas are one of themost powerful forces in existence.We see how thegreatest ideas transcend generations and serve as the source of people’screative activity and the motivation for their productivity. Ideas are thestarting point of all that is created. An idea becomes a full-fledged, viableconceptwhenitisenvisionedandexecuted.Theconceptofanidealkingdomis so beautiful that only a Creator-King of a certain nature could haveenvisionedandestablishedit.WeneedtounderstandtheKingandkingdomoutofwhichwecome.

The word king refers to the person or personality who influences andoversees the productive development and profitable service of everythingunderhiscare, for the fulfillmentofhisnobledesiresand thebenefitofallthoselivinginhisrealm.Theenvironment,territory,andauthorityoverwhichhepresidesarehis“domains”or“realms.”Akingeffectuallyrelatingtohisdomainsistheessenceoftheconceptofkingdom.

Kingdom is thus the perfect example of the divine, creative act of theCreator.Thefirstrealmofhisdominionisdescribedasheaven.Heavenistheoriginalkingdom;itwastheoriginofkingdoms.Nokingdomexistedbeforeit, and nothing natural can be adequately compared to it. It is the first realkingdombecausethefirstKingcreatedit.Thekingdomofheavenistheonlyperfectprototypeofkingdomsinexistence.

When our Creator-King desired to extend his perfect kingdom from theinvisiblerealmtothevisiblerealm,theresultwasthecreationofthephysicaluniverseand theappointmentofplanetearthas thedestination forauniqueextensionofhisdivinebeing.PaulofTarsusattemptedtocommunicate thisdivineprocessofcreationandextensionwhenwritingtopeopleinthecityofColossae: “By him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,visible and invisible,whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; allthingswerecreatedbyhimandforhim.”

ThekingdomofheavenanditscolonyofearthexistthroughthewillofourCreator-King. It is therefore impossible to comprehend humanity’s purpose

withoutunderstandingthekingdomconceptandhowwearemeanttoliveitout on earth. An inter-realm connection through the Holy Spirit is whatenables us to fulfill our very purpose as human beings. The kingdomgovernmentistheultimateanswertooursearchforpersonalsignificanceandthemeaningoftheworldaroundus.

We can no longer ignore the fadingwriting on ourManufacturer’s label.LetusreturntotheinitialintentofourCreator-King,sowemayunderstandtheoriginalblueprintsofbothkingdomandcolony.

PROLOGUE

In the beginning was the King’sWord. HisWord was himself and wasinseparablefromhim.HisWordwaswithhimfromthestart.EverythingthatexistscameintobeingthroughtheKing’sWord;noothersourceoflifeexists.InhisWordwaslife,andthislifemanifestedtheknowledgeoftheKingandhiskingdomtothedarkenedandconfusedmindsofhumanity.Butalthoughthelightof thisknowledgeshinesbrightly, thosewhochoosetoremaininadarkenedstatecannotseeit.

In thebeginning, theKingcreatedacolony forhiskingdom.Thecolonywasrawandundeveloped,andtherewasnolifethere.TheKing’sGovernorwaspoised tobringorder andkingdom influence to thecolony through theKing’sWord…

PART1

THEPROGRAMOFCELESTIALEXPANSION

CHAPTERONE

THEPOWEROFINFLUENCE

Nothingismoredamagingtoanewtruththananolderror.

—JohannWolfgangvonGoethe

Ifoundmyselfsittingbetweenkingdomandcolony.

I Iwas theguestof theUnitedStatesambassador to theBahamas for anofficialstatefunctionathisresidence.AlsoattendingthisfunctionwereboththePremier of theTurks andCaicos Islands, andHisExcellency, the royalgovernoroftheTurksandCaicosIslands.

Thisgroupof islands liesoff thesoutheasterncoastofmycountryof theBahamas.At thewriting of this book, theTurks andCaicos is a colony ofGreat Britain. The colony is overseen by the royal governor, who wasappointedbyQueenElizabethIIofGreatBritain.Heisthehighestauthorityinthatcolony.ThePremier,however, isanelectedofficial,approvedbytheCrown,whoheadsthelocalgovernment.

The Premier was the special guest of the American ambassador. Theambassadorhadalsoinvitedothermembersof thediplomaticcorps,aswellas distinguished governmental officials and guests from around the world.Previous to this gathering, I had already become well acquainted with thePremier.Athisinvitation,Ihadvisitedhisbeautifulislandterritorytoaddressgovernmental and civic leaders in a special national event, and we hadbecomegoodfriends.

During the state function at the United States ambassador’s residence, Ialso came to know the royal governor fairly well because I was seatedbetween him and the Premier for over three hours during the proceedings.WhilethePremierisanative-bornTurksandCaicosIslander,HisExcellencytheGovernorispureBritish.Whenhespoke,youknewimmediatelythathewasnotfromtheislands.

AsIconversedwiththesetwodistinguishedleaders,oneoneithersideof

me,Irealizedonceagaintheprincipleofkingdomsandtheirimpactontheircolonies. It refreshed my perspective and reminded me of my personalexperienceasacitizenofa formercolonyof thekingdomofGreatBritain.There I sat between the crown and the colony, the governor and theadministrator, the authority and thepower.Thegovernorwas sent from thekingdomtoliveinthecolony,amongthepeople,torepresenttheQueenandexecute her wishes and will in the colony. His primary purpose was tomaintainthekingdom’sinfluenceandpresenceinthatterritory.

THEKINGDOMLIFE

Years of research have led me to the conclusion that the practicaloutworkingofkingdomspointsustotruthsandprinciplesthattranscendthemere political fortunes of individual empires. Seeing how they functionactually:

√ provides uswith a deep understanding of our own nature as humanbeings,

√revealsthekeytoourremarkablelifepurpose,and

√enablesustoexerciseourfullpotentialintheworld.

Thesethingshavetremendousimplicationsforthehumanracepersonally,professionally, socially, and politically; for our families, communities,nations,andtheworld.

Iaminasomewhatuniquepositiontodiscussthenatureofkingdomsandtheircolonies,havinggrownupinalandthatwasaBritishcolonyfornearlytwo hundred years, and having witnessed its peaceful transition toindependence.Iwellrememberwhatitmeanttoliveunderamonarch—boththe mind-set of a kingdom and its functioning and procedures. Yet I alsounderstand what it means to live in an independent nation, having eagerlyfollowed our transition to self-government as a young person. My closeacquaintancewiththesetwowaysofgoverninghasbeenextremelybeneficialtomeasIhaveexploredthenatureofkingdomandwhatitmeansforeverypersononthisplanet.

Thesuccessofyourlifedependsuponhowwellyouliveoutthekingdomlife.

My investigation into the concept of kingdomhas convincedme that thesuccessofyourlifeandminedependsuponhowwellweunderstandandliveoutwhatIwillcallthekingdomlife.Iamnotreferringtoapoliticalsystemorto any particular national government, but to a way of understanding andlivingeverydaylife.

ANANTI-KINGDOMPERSPECTIVE

Theconceptofkingdommayseemantitheticaltothecontemporarymind.Empires and their colonies seem outdated in the twenty-first century, justfading remnants of the past. Many nations today have representativegovernments. A number of former colonies and protectorates have gainedtheirindependence.Opportunitiesforself-governmenthaveexpandedgreatlythroughout the world, and we rightly celebrate the political freedoms andopportunities these changes have brought. Human history has seen enoughtyrannicalkingdomsanddictatorstowanttomoveontoadifferentformofgovernment.

Democracy is essentiallyhumanity’s reaction toperverted kingdoms. Thefounders of the United States rebelled against what they considered anoppressive government, and the very genetics of contemporary Westernsociety are anti-kingdom. Because of the strong influence of political andsocialideasofindependenceandfreedom,thisperspectivehaspermeatedtheworld and affects many areas of our thinking, not just the governmentalrealm. It shows up in how we view and conduct ourselves in personalrelationships, business, media, education, and even religion because ourcultural experiences produce our definitions. This is why the concept ofkingdom is dismissed by most people today as irrelevant, and is evenconsideredout-and-outfrighteningbyothers.

In the light of these developments, however, many people no longerunderstand what life in an authentic and uncorrupted kingdom entails. Ibelieve this lack of understanding has hindered them in the way they’veapproachedtheirlives.Mostofushaveforgottenwhykingdomshistoricallyhad such a profound impact on people and nations for thousands of years,someofwhich is stillbeing felt.Theyhaven’t recognizedwhat theconceptandhistoryofkingdomsrevealthatisvitaltoustoday.

Ithereforewanttopresenttoyou,step-by-step,howthepracticalworkingof thekingdom life answers essential questions aboutourhumanexistence,purpose, and fulfillment. We have approached our personal goals andproblems,aswellasournationalandglobalcrises,frommanyvantagepoints,but not often from this perspective. Democracies are valuable politicalinstitutions for us today, but I’m referring to something that transcends ourcontemporarypoliticsandgovernment—somethingthatspeakstothebasisofour very being as humans. It has significance for people of all nations,religions,andcreeds. It liesat theheartof theexistenceofeverypersonon

earth,whetherChristian,Buddhist,Hindu,Muslim,Jew,agnostic,oratheist.

JustasIfoundmyselfsittingbetweenkingdomandcolony,youandeveryother personon theplanet are, in a sense, supposed to findyourselves in arelationshipbetweenkingdomandcolony,andtoexperiencethatdynamicinyourownlives.

KINGDOMPOWER

Thecharacterofthiskingdomis,again,nothinglikethepoliticalkingdomsofthepastandpresentthatseektoforceothersundertheircontrolbasedonterritorial power, greed, or religious doctrine.Those kingdoms enslave.Buttheverynatureofhumanity,aswellasthepersonalandcorporateprogressofthe world, are designed to develop and thrive from the outworking of thiskingdom.

Imentionedintheprefacetothisbookthattheprincipalissueofhumanityispower,definedas“theabilitytoinfluenceandcontrolcircumstances.”Weallwanttodirectandinfluenceourlivesinapositiveandfulfillingway.Thenatureofthiskingdomspeaksdirectlytothisneed.

Understanding our association with this kingdom begins with anexploration ofwhat all human kingdoms have shared in common and howtheyweredifferentfromthecontemporaryexperienceofgovernmentmostofusare familiarwith today.Thenwecanmove to the largercontextofwhatthesequalitiesrevealaboutourhumanexistenceandpurpose.

THENATUREOFKINGDOMGOVERNMENT

I define a kingdom as “the governing authority and influence of asovereignrulerwhoimpactshisterritorythroughhiswill,purpose,andintentions,which aremanifested in the culture, lifestyle, andquality ofhiscitizenry.”Akingmusthavehisdominion,orhisterritory.Wecallithis“king-dominion” or his kingdom. You cannot be a king without havingterritory; you have to be ruling over something.And you cannot be a kingwithouthavingkingdomcitizenswholiveandworkinthekingdom.

Inatrue,traditionalkingdom,allpowerisvestedinthemonarch.

Inatrue,traditionalkingdom,allpowerisvestedinthemonarch.Thekingactually, personally owns the country, including the people. In contrast, apresident or primeminister in a representativegovernment doesn’t own thecountry;hegovernsitonbehalfofthepeople.

Theking implementshisvisionfor thekingdom.There isnocongressorparliament to discusswhich laws they’re going to create.There is only themonarch, and he has immediate access to his handpicked, trusted council,whocarryouthiswishes.Thejoboftheseadvisorsistotakethewilloftheking, translate it into the law of the land, and make sure it is enactedthroughoutthekingdom.

Thekingimplementshisvisionforthekingdombasedonhispersonalwill.

Akingdomisthereforethegoverninginfluenceofakingoverhisterritory,impactingandinfluencingitwithhispersonalwill.Inakingdom,theking’spersonalinterestbecomespolicy,andtheking’spersonalwillbecomeslaw.

The effectiveness of a kingdom and its power is therefore its ability toinfluenceandcontroltheterritoryaccordingtothevisionoftheking.

THEGOALOFTHEKINGDOM:RULINGANDGAININGTERRITORY

Most kingdoms throughout history have sought to take additional land,sometimesatsomedistancefromthehomecountry,because thepowerofaking is related to the territory he owns. Themore territory a king had, thegreaterhewas respectedbyotherkingdoms,especially if the territorieshadabundantnaturalwealth.Thehomecountryofthekingwashisdomain,andtheoutlyingterritorieswerehiscolonies.

Onceacolonywasgained,thesovereign’snumberonegoalwastoexercisehispersonalinfluenceoverit.

THETRANSFORMATIONOFCOLONIESINTOTHEKINGDOM

Acolonyiscomprisedof“agroupofemigrantsortheirdescendantswhosettle inadistant landbut remainsubject to theparentcountry.”1ThewordcolonycomesfromtheLatinwordcolonia,derivedfromcolere,meaning“tocultivate.”2Inthissense,acolonyis:

√thepresenceofadistinctculturalcitizenryinaforeignterritorythatisgovernedbythelawsandcustomsofitshomecountry.

√establishedtoinfluencetheterritoryforthehomegovernment.

Thismeansthatacolony’spurposewasessentiallyto:

1.beanextensionofthehomecountryinanotherterritory.

2.establishaprototypeoftheoriginalcountryinanotherterritory.

3.representthevalues,morals,andmannersofthehomecountry.

4.manifestthecultureandlifestyleoftheoriginalnation.

When a kingdom takes a territory, therefore, its goal is to make thatterritoryexactlylikethekingdom.Thepurposeisnotonlytogainlands,butalso to transform these lands so that theymirror thecountry in itsmind-setandlifestyle,itscharacteristicsandculture.Inthisway,thekingdomnotonlyextendsitspower,butitalsoexpandstheinfluenceofitsverynature.

The Roman Empire had a specificway of ensuring the permanency andeffectiveness of kingdom influence over its colonies. When the Romansconqueredaregion,theyplantedagroupofaboutthreehundredoftheirowncitizens, as well as a larger number of those allied with the empire, and anumber of settlers, within it to serve as a type of military outpost. Theseconstituteda“colonyofRomanscitizens”(coloniaciviumRomanorum)ora“little Rome.” A colony of Roman citizens was free from taxation andmilitaryduty.IthaditsownconstitutionbasedontheRomanconstitutionandwas allowed to elect its own senate and other offices of state. The originalinhabitantshadtoadheretothisnewgovernmentanditsconstitution.3These“little Romes” brought the culture and values of the Roman empirethroughoutEuropeandnorthernAfrica.

Astrikingpictureofthepowerandinfluenceofkingdomsoveraterritoryand the lifestyle of its inhabitants can be seen in the various nations of theCaribbeanandWestIndies.Youcanalwaystellwhocontrolledacolonybystudying its culture. The Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados areformercoloniesof theUnitedKingdom.CubawasacolonyofSpain.Haitiwas a colony of France. The cultures of all these islands are distinctlycharacteristicofthecountriesthatclaimedthem.

Akingdom’sgoalistomakeitscolonyexactlylikethekingdom.

Youcanstillseethekingdoms’influenceinthedailylivesofthepeoples’customs.IfyouvisitedtheBahamas,you’dseetheinfluenceofGreatBritaininournarrowstreets,ourdrivingon the left-handsideof the road,andourhabit of drinking tea. When I was a young boy attending school, myclassmates and I grew up singing “God Save the Queen.”We were beingtaughttobea“littleBritain.”Similarly,ifyouwenttoCuba,youmightthinkyouwereinSpainasyouobserveditsarchitectureandfood.Significantlyfortheir cultures, each of these former colonies speaks the language of thekingdomthatconqueredit.

Mostkingdomsinthecolonialperiodhadtofightfornewterritorybecausetherewasalimitedamountoflandintheworld.UnderEuropeancontrol,theBahamaswasinitiallyclaimedbytheSpaniards.TheFrenchtriedtoconquerit, but the Spaniards held them off. Finally, the British won out over theSpanish.IftheBritishEmpirehadn’twon,ImightbespeakingSpanishtoday.So even though the Bahamas, Haiti, and Cuba are all part of a chain ofislands,whoevercontrolledthedomaincontrolledthelanguageandcultureofthepeople.Ifyoureallywanttoinvestigatethepowerofkingdoms,studytheislandofHispaniola,homeofboth theDominicanRepublicandHaiti.Twokingdomsgrabbedthesameisland,andthere’salinerightdownthemiddleoftheisland;onesidespeaksFrench,whileothersidespeaksSpanish.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THECOLONY

The transformation of a colony into the culture of the kingdom didn’thappen automatically. A purposeful development was involved. The kingdidn’tusuallydirectlyextendhisinfluencetohiscolonybyphysicallygoingthere.Headministratedhiswill throughhispersonalrepresentative,calledagovernororregent.Hesenthisrepresentativetophysicallyliveinthecolonyinhisplace.Therefore,theroyalgovernorwasthepresenceoftheabsentkinginthecolony.

Withthegovernorinthecolony,youdidn’tneedthephysicalpresenceoftheking toexperienceandbechangedby theking’s influence. Imentionedthat the British monarchs who influenced the English-speaking Caribbeannations didn’t frequently visit their colonies. Yet, in the Bahamas, we alllearnedtospeakEnglish,drinktea,wavetheUnionJack,andsingthesongsofBritain.WebecamepartoftheUnitedKingdom.Andtheroyalgovernorswerethedirectinstrumentofthattransformation.

Thegovernorwas therefore themost importantperson in the colony.Wegetagreaterappreciationforwhythiswastruewhenwelookathispurpose.

THEGOVERNOR’SPURPOSE

Thegovernor’spurposewassixfold:

1.Relationship:Thegovernorwastheguaranteethatthekingdomcouldalwayshaveaccesstothecolony.Theinterrelationshipbetweenkingandcolonywastotallydependentonhim.

2.Communication:Anythingthekingwantedthecolonytoknowortoreceive, he would send through his governor, his avenue ofcommunication.

3.Representation:Thegovernorwasthechiefrepresentativeofthekingandhiskingdominthecolony.Healsorepresentedthecolonytotheking.

4.Interpretation:Thegovernorunderstoodintimatelytheking’sdesires,ideas,intent,purposes,will,andplans;therefore,hewastheonlyonewhocouldeffectivelyinterpretthesethingsforthecolony.

5.Power:Thegovernorwastheonlyoneempoweredwiththeauthorityandabilitytoexecutetheking’sdesiresandcommandsforthecolony.

6. Partnership: The governor was effectively the king’s partner inrulership.

THE GOVERNOR’S QUALIFICATIONS ANDROLES

The qualifications and roles of a governor were significant in terms ofkingdomandcolony:

1.Thegovernorwasappointedbytheking.

Unlike the governors of representational governments, the royalgovernorwasnotvotedin;hewasappointedbytheking.

2.Thegovernorcameonlyfromthekingdom,neverthecolony.

Governorswere never chosen from the indigenous peoples of thecolonies.Theywerealwaysappointedfromthehomecountries.Why?Agovernorhadtobesteepedintheoriginalcultureof thekingdom.He had to be a person who knew the kingdom and understood theheart,mind, desires,will, and intent of the king in carrying out thekingdom’spurposesintheterritory.

3.Thegovernorrepresentedonlytheking.

Again, the difference between the governors of colonies and thegovernorsmanyofusarefamiliarwithinrepresentativegovernmentsislikenightandday.EverystateintheUnitedStateshasagovernorwhoisvotedinbythepeopleandcanalsobevotedoutbythem.Heorshe isultimatelyaccountable to thepeopleof thestate,not to thefederalgovernmentoritsleaders.Incontrast,theroyalgovernorwasresponsible and accountable to the king alone in his allegiance,attitude,actions,andresponsibility.

4.Thegovernoronlyexpressedthemindandwilloftheking.

Thegovernorwasnottheretopromotehisownpersonalpoliciesoragendas. He was to take the vision and will of the king andcommunicatethattothepeople,translatingitintopolicyandlaw.

5. The governor was responsible for converting the colony into thekingdom.

Oncemore, itwas thegovernor’s job tooverseeandcarryout thetransformation of the colonies according to the character of thekingdom.Thegovernorwas“planted”inthecolonytosowtheseedsofthehomecountryintothecultureofthenewterritory.Colonization

was for the purpose of conversion—to exchange the culture of theterritory for thecultureof thekingdom.Whateverwashappening inthekingdomwassupposedtohappeninthecolony,aswell.

6. In converting the colony, the governor transferred the kingdom’sculture,values,nature,language,andlifestyletothepeople.

Thegovernormadesurethateverysubjectofthekingdomtookonthe kingdom culture in language, attitude, dress, food, and so forth.Thecolonistswereeventotakeonthehistoryofthekingdomasifitweretheirown,whichinfactitnowwas,becausetheyhadbecomeapartof thechroniclesof thenation.Thesubjectswereto takeonthemind-setandlifestyleofthekingdomuntil,ifyouvisitedtheterritory,youwouldthinkyouwereinthehomecountryitself.

7.Thegovernorpreparedthesubjectsforcitizenship.

Whenakingtookoveracolony,thepeopleessentiallybecamehispossessions. The inhabitants of the colony did not automaticallybecome citizens; they were called subjects. For example, when theBahamaswasacolony,thepeoplewerenotcitizensofGreatBritain.Wecouldn’tvote,andwedidn’thaveotherrightsofBritishcitizens.

In a kingdom, citizenshipwas a privilege.Who became a citizenwas the king’s prerogative, and he personally granted it.The reasoncitizenshipwasn’t automatic is that, once a personwas appointed acitizen,hehadspecialbenefitsandprotectionsinthekingdom.IntheRomanEmpire,citizenshipwasahighhonorandprivilegeinvolvingmany rights. In the first century, Paul of Tarsus was arrested inJerusalem by the Roman commander for allegedly disturbing thepeace. He was about to be whipped when he declared to a nearbycenturion that he was a Roman citizen. Immediately, the soldiers’attitude toward him changed. The following exchange dramaticallyreveals the power of kingdom citizenship in the Roman Empire,especiallyifyouwerebornacitizen:

Astheystretchedhimouttofloghim,Paulsaidtothecenturionstanding there,“Is it legal foryou to flogaRomancitizenwhohasn’t evenbeen foundguilty?”When thecenturionheard this,hewenttothecommanderandreportedit.“Whatareyougoingto do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” ThecommanderwenttoPaulandasked,“Tellme,areyouaRomancitizen?”“YesIam,”heanswered.Thenthecommandersaid,“Ihad to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born acitizen,” Paul replied. Those who were about to question him

withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmedwhenherealizedthathehadputPaul,aRomancitizen,inchains.

Citizenshavespecialbenefitsandprotectionsinakingdom.

Once you are a citizen, your privileges, rights, and demands upon thethronechange.Thekingisresponsiblefortakingcareofyou.Therefore,thegovernor’s role of preparing subjects for citizenship was a tremendousresponsibility.Ifthegovernorbelievedasubjectwasreadytobeacitizenorespecially deserved citizenship, he recommended the subject to the king.Since thegovernor lived in the colony andknew the subjects firsthand, thekingacceptedthesuggestionsofthegovernorinthisregard.

8.Thegovernorlivedinaresidencebuiltbythegovernmentofthehomecountry.

Akingdomwouldbuilda residence in itscoloniesspecifically foritsroyalgovernors to livein.Thisemphasizedthat thegovernor, thechief representative of the kingdom in the colony, was not just avisitor; he lived there, he was there to stay, and this was his legalresidence. The British built a governor’s mansion in Nassau, thecapitalof theBahamas,specificallyfor theroyalgovernor to livein,whichtodayiscalledtheGovernmentHouse.GreatBritainsimilarlybuiltgovernors’houses inJamaica,Trinidad,Barbados,and ineverycolonywhereitruled.

9.Thegovernor’spresenceinthecolonywasevidencethatthekingdomitselfwasinthecolony.

Aslongasthegovernorlivedinthecolony,thekingdomitselfwaspresent.ThefirsttimetheBahamaswasdeclaredaBritishcolonywaswhen a royal governor drove out the remaining Spanish garrisons,solidifyingitsownershipbythekingdomofGreatBritain.

10.Thegovernorleftifthecolonydeclaredindependence.

Eitherbyforceorrecall,theroyalgovernorwouldleaveacolonyifit declared independence and the kingdom was no longer officiallygoverning. In the American Revolution, the royal governors of thecolonieswereforcedtowithdrawfromtheirposts.WhentheBahamasreceivedindependence,itwasthroughnegotiationwithGreatBritain,andthegovernorwasrecalledbecausehenolongerhadalegalrighttobethere.

THEVALUEOFTHEGOVERNOR

Inkingdomterms,then,thegovernorwasthemostpowerfulandimportantpersoninthecolony.Becauseheintroducedthekingdom’sculture,language,and lifestyle—every unique aspect of the kingdom—to the colony, he hadgreat value for the kingdom and its larger purposes. To summarize, thegovernorwasvaluable:

1.Asthepresenceofthegovernment.Withouthim,thekingdomwouldnotexistinthecolony.

2.Forrepresenting thegovernment. Ifhewasn’t there, thekingwouldnotbeadequatelyoreffectivelyrepresented.

3.Fortheenablementofthecolony.Hewastheonewith theauthorityandabilitytosupplypowerandresourcestothecolony.

4.Forprotection.As longas thekingdomwasrepresented inacolonyby thegovernor, thekingwasobligated toprotect the territory fromoutsidethreatsanddanger.

5.Forhis ability to knowand communicate themindof the king. Thegovernor represented the king’s interests andwill to the colony andmadesuretheywerecarriedout.

6.Forenablingthecolony’scitizensandsubjectstofulfillthewillofthekingdom. The colony received its instructions only through thegovernor and therefore was dependent on him for its effectiveness.Thecitizensandsubjectswouldnotbeabletocarryouttheirkingdommandatewithoutthegovernor’sguidanceandempowerment.

THEINFLUENCEOFANOTHERKINGDOM

Thesewerethemainfeaturesofakingdom-colonyrelationship,includingthepivotal roleof thegovernor in theprocessof transformingcolonies intothehomecountry.ThisbringsusbacktothekingdomImentionedearlierinthischapter,whichtranscendsourhumangovernmentsandspeakstothebasisof our very nature and existence as human beings. This kingdom hasproperties thatare similar to,butgobeyond, thoseof the traditionalearthlykingdomswe’vebeenlookingat.

Twomillennia ago, a startling young teacher described this transcendentkingdom. When Jesus of Nazareth began traveling and speaking aroundPalestine, the first thing he is recorded as saying is, “The time hascome….ThekingdomofGodisnear.”

This statement intrigues me and brings up several questions for us toexploreintermsofkingdom:

√What“time”washespeakingabout?Andwhythen?

√Whatwasthenatureofthekingdomhewasreferringto?

√What“time”washespeakingabout?Andwhythen?

√Whatwasthenatureofthekingdomhewasreferringto?

Hewasannouncingtheimminentreturnofakingdomanditsinfluenceonearth.Noticethathedidn’tproclaimtheentranceofanewreligion,nordidheannounce the beginnings of a democratic form of government.We have toask:

√ Why would he use this particular governmental reference at thebeginningofhispubliclife?

√Whatdiditsignifyabouthismessageandpurpose?

√Iftheinfluenceofakingdomwasenteringtheworld,whatnewculturewouldemergeforthecitizensofearth?

Tounderstandthecontextofthesethought-provokingstatementsandtheirimplications, we need to go back to the first book of Moses, the book of

Genesis, to the origins of this kingdom. For this wasn’t the first time thetranscendentkingdomhadenteredtheworldandimpacteditsinhabitants…

CHAPTERTWO

THEADAMICADMINISTRATION

Theprincipleandpurposeofdelegatedauthorityisaccountabilityandresponsibility.

The first government on earth came from a kingdom outside it. Theworldwasgovernedinawaysimilar tothecolonieswehavebeenlookingat.Yetthetranscendentkingdomhadsignificantdifferences:

√ The territory of earth was created by the home country rather thantakenbyforce.Itwasnotanyoneelse’spossessionbeforehand.

√Therewereno inhabitantsonearthat first,whichwasdesignedwiththem inmind; itwas specificallyprepared for thosewhowould livehere.

√TheoriginalinhabitantswerenotofadifferentculturefromthehomecountrybutwereactuallytheoffspringoftheKinghimself.

Thesimilaritiesarethese:

√ The home country desired to expand the realm of its influence bybringing the nature, mind-set, and purposes of the kingdom to thecolonyofearth.

√ The King’s Governor was present in the colony to oversee thetransformation process. He was to guide the King’s children—hislocalgovernors—whoweretoconvertthecolonyintoareplicaofthekingdom.

Let’stakeacloserlookatthecreationofthiscolonyofearth.

THEORIGINALGOVERNMENT

The firstbookofMosesbeginswith thesewords: “In thebeginningGod[theCreator-King]createdtheheavensandtheearth[thephysicaluniverse].”TheCreator-King is describedby first-century theologianPaul ofTarsus as“theblessedandonlyRuler,theKingofkingsandLordoflords,whoaloneisimmortal andwho lives in unapproachable light,whomnoone has seen orcan see.”TheeternalKingofanunseenkingdomconceptualizedandmadetheentirephysicaluniverse.Bycreationrights,itishisproperty.

Bycreationrights,thephysicaluniverseisthepropertyoftheCreator-King.

Itwould be impossible to grasp the vastness of the unseenkingdom thatencompasses our universe—especially when we consider that the physicalrealm inwhich the earth exists is too immense for us to comprehend.Ouruniverse is so enormous that we’re still trying to find out where it ends.Astronomershavediscoveredbillions(somesayupto200billion)ofgalaxiesintheobservableuniverse.Itisestimatedthateachofthesegalaxieshastensor hundreds of billions of stars.Multiply billions of galaxies by billions ofstars in each galaxy and you have a staggering number of stars in theuniverse.1Ifthesesheernumberswerenotenoughtoastoundus,considerthewaytheyareheldtogether.AsNASArecords,

Almosteveryobjectinspaceorbitsaroundsomething.Theplanetsorbitthe Sun; ourMoon and themoons of other planets orbit their planets;cometsorbittheSun.…EventheSunisorbitingaroundthecenterofourgalaxy….

Anorbitistheresultofaprecisebalancebetweentheforwardmotionofanobjectinspace(suchasaplanetormoon)andthepullofgravityfromthebody itorbits.Anobject inmotionwillstay inmotionunlesssomething pushes or pulls on it. This is Isaac Newton’s First Law ofMotion. Without gravity, an Earth-orbiting satellite would go off intospace along a straight line.With gravity, it is pulled back toward theEarth. There is a continuous tug-of-war between the one object’stendencytomoveinastraightlineandthetugofgravitypullingitback.2

Theuniverseexistsinremarkablebalance.ThisiswhytheScripturesays,

inessence,thatonlyafoolthinks,Nobodyiskeepingthisuniverseinorder.Clearly, an orderly government of vast ability and power maintains ouruniverse.

EXPANDINGTHEINVISIBLEKINGDOM

OneoftheNewTestamentwriterssaid,“TheuniversewasformedatGod’scommand,so thatwhat isseenwasnotmadeoutofwhatwasvisible.”TheKingoftheinvisibleworlddecidedtocreateaphysicalworld.Hedidthisforthepurposeofexpandinghisheavenlydomainasanextensionofhimselfandhisgovernment.Hecreatedthephysicaluniversesotherewouldbeadditionalterritorytoruleandtotransformintotheexpressionofhisnatureanddesires.Returningtoourdefinitionofkingdom,wecansaythattheinvisiblekingdomis thegoverning influenceofGodover the territoryofearth, impactingandinfluencing it with his will, his purpose, and his intent. Heaven is God’skingdomorhomecountry,andearthishiscolony.

We see various types of governing influence in our everyday humanexperience,notjustinapoliticalcontext:

√ An artist extends the domain of his mind and heart by expressinghimselfinphysicalpaintingsorsculptures,whichcanhaveanimpactonthosewhoviewthem.

√Awriter expresses the vision of his innerworld through the printedword, and these words can influence the thoughts and attitudes ofthosewhoreadthem.

√ A businessman transforms his entrepreneurial concepts into specificcompanies that reflect his personal philosophy and provide newproductsandservicesthatchangethewayotherslive.

Alltheseareexamplesofindividualsenlargingtheirpersonalinfluenceintheworld.

What people create, express, or build is usually a reflection of theirpersonalitiesandoutlook.Therefore,aswelookattheCreator-King’sdesiretoextendtheinfluenceoftheinvisiblekingdomtoearth,itisnaturalforustowanttoknowthenatureofthisKingandhiskingdom.Whatinfluencedidhewanttobringtoearth?

THE NATURE OF THE KING: A PERFECTGOVERNMENT

Thenatureof the invisiblekingdombecomes especially significantwhenwelearnthattheinhabitantsofeartharetohavethisverynaturethemselves.ThefirstbookofMosesrecordsthesewordsoftheCreator-King:

“Letusmakemaninourimage,inourlikeness,andletthemrule[“havedominion”] over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over thelivestock,overall theearth,andoverall thecreatures thatmovealongtheground.”SoGodcreatedmaninhisownimage,intheimageofGodhecreatedhim;maleandfemalehecreatedthem.

Human beings were not made as machines or as beings with no directrelationshiptotheCreator.Theyweredrawnoutofhisownperson:“Letusmakemaninourimage,inourlikeness,andletthemrule…overalltheearth.”

Aperfectgovernmentdoesnotexistforitself;itexistsforitscitizens.

After creating the universe by his own divine prerogative, the Creatorchose one planet amid all the planets of the universe as the practical anduniqueextensionofhisinfluence—earth.Thenheextendedrulershipofearthtothosemadeinhisownimage,hisroyal“children.”

TheoriginalHebrewwordfor“image,”selem,“means‘image’inthesenseof essential nature.”3 The Hebrew word for likeness is demuth, which“signifiestheoriginalafterwhichathingispatterned.”4Thesewordsdefineanddescribeourdesign,capacity,potential,andvalueashumanbeingsmadetoreflectthepersonhoodofourCreator.

The nature of our Creator-King was recorded by Moses as “thecompassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love andfaithfulness.”Theonlywayakingdomcanfunctionperfectlyisifitisruledby a perfect king who will not betray his citizens through corruption oroppression.Ifhedoes,heisnotatruekingbutatyrantanddictator.Sinceakingisthesourceandownerofeveryoneandeverythinginhiskingdom,thekeytoatruekingdomisbenevolence.Aperfectgovernmentdoesnotexistforitself;itexistsforitscitizens.

THENATUREOFEARTH’SCITIZENS

Being made in the image and likeness of the Creator-King means thathuman beings possessed his spiritual nature, characteristics, and essentialspecifications.Wewere designed to be like, act like, and function like theRuleroftheinvisiblekingdom.

Weweredesignedtobelike,actlike,andfunctionliketheRuleroftheinvisiblekingdom.

AftertheCreatorgaveushisownnature,he(1)gaveusphysicalbodiessowe could function in the physical world he had created and preparedspecifically for us, and (2) breathedHis very Spirit into us, animating andempoweringus to fulfillourcallingonearth.Moses recorded, “TheLORDGodformedthemanfromthedustofthegroundandbreathedintohisnostrilsthebreathoflife,andthemanbecamealivingbeing.”

TheCreator-King formedman,Adam, from the dust of the earth,whichmeans that this human “product” was present in the world but wasn’t yetalive.Hisbodyandbrainwereready,buttheyweredormant.Wecouldn’tsaythatAdamwas“dead”becausetherewasnodeathatthattime.Hewaswhatwecouldcallan“un-livingbeing.”ItwaswhentheCreatorbreathedintohimthebreathoflifethatAdambecamealivingbeing.

ThatbreathoftheSpiritignitedlifeinAdaminthreedistinctways:(1)intheinvisiblespiritofman,which,beingmadeintheimageofGod,iseternal;(2)inthesoulofman—meaningthetotalhumanconsciousnessofhismind,will,andemotions;and(3)inhisphysicalbody,whichbecamealivingvesselhousing thespiritandsoul.Man’ssoulandbodygavehimanawarenessofhisearthlyenvironment,whiletheSpiritofGod,dwellingwithinman’sspirit,gavehimaconsciousnessofhisCreator-Kingandtheabilitytocommunicatedirectlywiththeheavenlygovernment.

SotheSpiritgavelifetoallaspectsofAdamasahumanbeing.Thesamewas true in the creation of Eve, the first woman.When God imparted hisSpirit tohumanbeings, humanity experienced the receptionof theSpirit ofGodforthefirsttime.TheCreator’sSpiritwasourheavenly“Governor”onearth, who proceeded from theKing and dwelledwith us in the colony ofearth,enablingustoreceive,know,andcarryouthiswill,muchastheroyalgovernorsguidedandledthepeopleofthecolonies.

The statement, “Let usmakeman in our own image,” does not refer tolookingalike,butbeingalike.TheintentoftheCreator-Kingwastoexpresshis nature through humanity. That naturewas to be communicated throughman’s spirit and manifested through his soul—mind, will, and emotions—eventuallyfindingexpressionthroughhisphysicalbody.Inthisway,humanbeingswerecreatedbyGodtolivefromthe“insideout.”

HumanbeingswerecreatedtoexpressthenatureofGod—inotherwords,whatheislikenaturally.(Wemightsay“supernaturally-naturally,”sincetheCreator-King is a purely spiritualBeing.)A human being can relate to andreflectthenatureoftheCreatoronlyifhepossesseshisessentialimageandhashisSpiritlivingwithinhim.

Paulwrote,“TheGodwhomadetheworldandeverythinginitistheLordofheavenandearthanddoesnotliveintemplesbuiltbyhands,”and“DoyounotknowthatyourbodyisatempleoftheHolySpirit,whoisinyou,whomyouhavereceivedfromGod?”TheCreator-Kingdoesnotliveinanytypeofbuilding,whetherchurch,temple,shrine,ormosque.Hisonlytrueresidenceonearthiswithinhishumancreation.WhenhisSpiritfillsourbodies,wearehis dwelling place. In thisway, through the creation of humanity, theKingbuilthisownroyalresidencetosettleinandfromwhichtogovernthecolonyofearth.

HumanityisreallyaroyalfamilywhoseFatheristheKingofavastandeternalkingdom.

ROYALCHILDRENANDFULLCITIZENS

Adam and Eve were the offspring or children of the Creator-King.HumanityisthereforereallyaroyalfamilywhoseFatheristheKingofavastandeternalkingdom.Humanbeingswerenotsubjectsbuthadfullstatusofcitizensofthekingdom,havingbeengivenfreeaccesstoeverythingonearth.

ThenGodblessedthem,andGodsaidtothem,“Befruitfulandmultiply;filltheearthandsubdueit;havedominionoverthefishofthesea,overthebirdsoftheair,andovereverylivingthingthatmovesontheearth.”

Theonlyexceptiontotheircompleteaccesstotheearthwasarestrictionononepartoftheirgardenhome,whichwasunderthejurisdictionoftheKingalone.Hetoldthem,“Youarefreetoeatfromanytreeinthegarden;butyoumustnoteatfromthetreeoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil,forwhenyoueatof ityouwillsurelydie.”Wewill talkmoreabout this restriction in thenextchapter.

ASSIGNMENTASVICEGOVERNORS

When the King gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth, he wasdelegatingauthoritytohumanity.Theyweremadelocalrulersintheterritoryof earth under the heavenlyGovernor. Humanity was like a “little Rome,”establishedonearthforthepurposesofthekingdomofheavenandgiventheassignmentofmakingtheearthlikethehomecountry.Assuch,theywerelikethe patroni of theRoman colonieswho founded and guided the colony onbehalfofthekingdom.5Butwhile theRomanpatroniwere limited toaboutthreemembers,eachmemberofhumanitytobebornonearthwasgiventhemandateofdominion.Theearthwas tobecolonizedbyallmembersof thehumanrace.Icallthisassignmentthe“AdamicAdministration.”

Tohavedominionmeanstogovern,torule,tocontrol,tomanage,tolead,to affect, and to impact.Human beings are essentially spiritual beingswholive in physical bodies to carry out their governing responsibilities in thematerialworldofthecolonyofearth.WhentheCreator-Kingsaid,“Letthemhavedominion,”hewassaying,“Letthemhave‘kingdom’overtheearth.Lettheminfluencetheearthonbehalfofmycountryofheaven.”Humanity’sjobwas to execute heaven’s policies, legislation, and oversight on earth—tocultivate the life of the heavenly kingdom, manage the earth’s naturalresources, rule over the animals, govern wisely and justly, and keepeverythinginorder.Allthesethingshavetodowiththeadministrationoftheterritory.

THEROLEOFTHEHEAVENLYGOVERNOR

ItisimportanttonotethatsincehumanbeingsweremadeintheimageoftheCreator-Kingandgiventheassignmentofadministeringtheearth,thekeyto their effective rulership was a benevolent governing that had the bestinterests of the kingdom and its citizens at heart. Only a perfect colonialgovernmentcouldworkinaperfectkingdom.

I emphasized earlier that, in a colony, in order for delegated authority tofunction, it had to have an open channel of communication to the king, aswellasthepowertoperformitsresponsibilitiesinaccordancewiththeking’swishes.ThisiswhytheGovernor—theverySpiritoftheKinghimself—wasgiventohumanity.

The Governor came from the King and was the only one who couldsuitably transform the colony into the home country. He knew the King’sheart,mind,desires,will, and intent, andhewascommitted tocarryingouttheKing’spurposesintheterritory.Paulwrote,“Forwhoamongmenknowsthethoughtsofamanexcepttheman’sspiritwithinhim?InthesamewaynooneknowsthethoughtsofGodexcepttheSpiritofGod.”Inaddition,humanbeings were made in the image and likeness of the King, with his ownpersonalpresencelivingwithinthem,sotheywouldbeabletotransformthecolonyofearthintoanextensionoftheinvisiblekingdom.WhocouldbetterimplementthetransformationprocessthanthosewhohadtheverynatureoftheKing andwere guided by the very Spirit of theKing? In thisway, theearthwouldbeintimatelyrelatedtothehomecountryinnatureandpurpose.

WeseethereforethattheCreator-King’sintentwastoruletheseenworldfromtheunseenworld.Hedesiredtorulethevisibleworldthroughthespiritofman.AndtheHolySpirit,asGovernorofthehumanspirit,washumanity’sbridge to the home kingdom; he was the direct channel of communicationbetweenthespiritofmanandthegovernmentofheaven.

TheHolySpiritishumanity’sbridgetothehomekingdom.

ItwasthepresenceoftheHolySpiritwithinhumanbeingsthatgavethemthe authority and ability to have dominion over their environment. Imentioned earlier that the primary issue of humanity is one of power, theability to influence and control life’s circumstances. We desire this abilitybecauseweweredesignedtofulfillouroriginalassignmentasvicegovernors

on earth. One of the psalmists wrote, “The highest heavens belong to theLORD,buttheearthhehasgiventoman.”

RULERSHIPOVERANEWTERRITORY

Let’s lookathumanity’sassignment fromoneotherperspective.Aprinceorprincesswhoistheking’sheirdoesn’tsucceedtothethroneifthekingisstill alive.Theonlyway thismightoccur (apart fromakingabdicatinghisthrone) is for the king’s heir to go to another territory to rule. This hashappenedinhistory,althoughrarely.Therefore,whiletheheirisinthesameterritoryastheking-father,heorsheremainsaprinceorprincess.Yetiftheheir lives in a foreign country or territory, he or she can rule as sovereign,while the king-father still rules the home country. So, if a kingwanted hischildren to have the same power, authority, glory, and rulership that hepossessed,hehadtosendthemtoadifferentterritoryorterritoriestorule.

TheKingoftheinvisiblerealmofheaveniseternal.Hecannotdie.Noonewill ever succeed him on his heavenly throne.Yet because he delighted inhumanity,hischildrenwhomhehadmadeinhisownimage,hewantedthemtoruleaterritoryoftheirowninhisname.

Thiswasnotalast-minuteidea.Hepreparedtheearthlycolonybeforehecreated the first man and woman. He designed the perfect physicalenvironmentforhischildrentorulein.ThefirstbookofMosesrecountsthecreation of the earth, sea, and animals—which human beings were to ruleover as vice governors—prior to the creation of humanity. Then, we read,“TheLORDGodtookthemanandputhimintheGardenofEdentoworkitand take care of it.” The natural world, as distinct from the encompassinginvisiblerealm,wasanentirelynewrealmoverwhichhumanitycouldlegallyhavedominion.

Themessageof the creationof humanity is therefore verypractical. It isnot about “religion” as we tend to think of it; it is not about rituals. Itdescribes the government of an eternal King and kingdom and the King’sroyal children whom he made his local governors on earth through theauthorityandpowerofhisownSpirit.ItisabouttheruleofaKingoverhisterritoryandthetransformationofthat territoryintothemanifestationofhiskingdom.

CHAPTERTHREE

DECLARATIONOFINDEPENDENCE

Thegreatestthreattokingdomprivilegesandbenefitsisanindependentspirit.

Theterritoryofearthhadbeencreatedandthecolonyestablished.TheKing’schildren were provided with a rich home and given authority to rule andprosper on earth in behalf of the King. However, something happened todisrupt the home country’s plan of expanding the realm of its heavenlykingdomonearth.Arebellionthatstartedinthehomecountryspreadtothecolony.

ABREACHOFTRUST

THEPLOT:OVERTHROW

TherebellionhadbeeninstigatedbyoneoftheKing’stopgenerals,namedLucifer.Hehadattemptedacoupoftheheavenlykingdomandbeenbanishedfrom the presence of the King, along with his followers. This disgracedformeraidewasbentonrevengeandstillcravedthepowertoruleakingdom.He thought that if he could gain control over the King’s own children, hecould insult the King, thwart the purposes of the heavenly kingdom, andusurpthecolony.

THEPLAN:DETACHMENT

Lucifer’s planwas to sever the relationship between the King’s childrenand their Father and separate the citizens of the colony from their truegovernment.Sohewenttothecolonyindisguise,wheretheKing’schildrenhad justbegun to rule, and infiltrated theirgovernmentusingcraftinessanddeceit.

THESTRATEGY:ANINDEPENDENTSPIRIT

Hisstrategytoaccomplishthisbrokenrelationshipwastopromoteaspiritofrebellionandindependence.Subtlyquestioningtheintegrityandgoodwillof the King, he seduced the King’s children to disregard their Father’sauthorityoverthecolonyandencouragedtheminanactofinsurrection.ThefollowingisanaccountofthisincidentfromthefirstbookofMoses:

Now the serpent…said to thewoman, “DidGod really say, ‘Youmustnot eat fromany tree in thegarden’?”Thewoman said to the serpent,“Wemayeat fruit from the trees in thegarden, butGoddid say, ‘Youmustnoteatfruit fromthetree that is in themiddleof thegarden,andyoumustnot touch it,oryouwilldie.’”“Youwillnotsurelydie,” theserpentsaidtothewoman.“ForGodknowsthatwhenyoueatofityoureyeswillbeopened,andyouwillbelikeGod,knowinggoodandevil.”When thewoman saw that the fruit of the treewasgood for food andpleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she tooksomeandateit.Shealsogavesometoherhusband,whowaswithher,and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and theyrealizedtheywerenaked.

The children of theKingwent against his explicit instructions,which hehad instituted for their protection.The renegadegeneralhadplanteddoubtsabout the motivation of the King, and distrust grew in their hearts. TheyimmediatelyturnedtheirbacksonalltheirFatherhadgiventhemandinsteadbelievedthelieplacedbeforethem.Thechildren’sresponsewascontrarytothe nature and desires of the King. It was also a corruption of their ownnature,whichhadbeenmadeinhislikeness.Whatseemedtobeaharmlessacttotheirbenefitwasactuallyadisaster;itrepresentedaseriousbreachoffaithanddeparturefromtheheartandwilloftheKing.Iftheycouldnotbetrustedwitheventhesimplestaspectof theirassignment in thecolony,howcould they transform the earth into the culture of the kingdom of heaven?EspeciallynowthattheirmindsandheartswereshowntobealignedwiththeKing’sbitterenemy?

AdamandEveviolatedthelegalcontractheavenhadestablishedwithhumanbeings.

THERESULT:TREASON

The King’s own children had declared, “I don’t want to be under thekingdom’sjurisdictionanymore;Idon’twanttobeundertheKingofkings;Idon’twanttobesubjectedtoheaven’sgovernment.”Yettheearthisheaven’sproperty. When Adam and Eve rebelled and declared independence, theyviolated the legal contract the government of heaven had established withhumanbeings.Manypeoplethinkof“sin”asthingsapersondoes.Yet it isbothdeeperandmorespecificthanthat.Sinisrebellionagainsttheessentialnatureandauthorityoftheheavenlygovernment.

Bytheirrebellion,thechildrennotonlytooksomethingthatwasn’ttheirs,but they also handed it over to someone who didn’t deserve it and wouldnever be qualified for it. Lucifer, the unfaithful former general of heaven,would never transform the world into the heavenly kingdom. He wouldtransformitintosomethingcompletelyopposite,akingdomofdarkness.

RENOUNCED ALLEGIANCE ANDEXPATRIATION

HowdidtheKingreact tohischildren’sbreach?Althoughheknewwhatthey had done, he gave them a chance to admit their fault. Instead, theyblamedeachother,aswellas theonewhohadenticed them to revolt.Likemanyrebelliouschildrenexposedfordisobedience,theyseemedsorryonlytohave been caught. The King had no choice but to remove them from thegarden; they were banished from the special home that had been providedthembecausetheynolongerhadthenaturenecessarytolivethere,andwerenolongerabletocareforitproperly.

ThefirstbookofMosessays,“After[theCreator-King]drovethemanout,he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flamingswordflashingbackandforthtoguardthewaytothetreeoflife.”Theworddrove used here means “to drive out from a possession; especially toexpatriateordivorce.”Itissignificantthatwefindtheconceptofexpatriatehere,whichmeans “to renounce allegiance to one’s native country.”AdamandEvevirtually cut themselvesoff from their ownKing-Father andhomecountry.HavingtodrivethemoutofthegardenwasaspainfultotheirFatherasexperiencingawrenchingdivorceafterthebetrayalofalovedone.

Adam and Eve had committed high treason. The King had given themauthorityunderdelegatedpower,buttheyhadinsteadabusedthatauthoritytocuttheterritoryofffromthegovernmentofheaven.

THERECALLOFTHEGOVERNOR

Although they were removed from the magnificent garden, their formerrule,andtheirpreviouskingdomlifestyle,theirrejectionoftheKingandhisnature led to something far worse. The King had previously alerted them,“Youarefreetoeatfromanytreeinthegarden;butyoumustnoteatfromthetreeoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil,forwhenyoueatofityouwillsurelydie.”ThiswastheonlyareaonearthoverwhichtheKingclaimedjurisdictionbecauseheknewitsmisusewouldleadtodeath.

AdamandEvelosttheiressentialsourceoflifeashumanbeings—theKing’sSpirit.

ThedeaththeKingreferredtowasnotanimmediate,bodilydeath.AdamandEvedidnotphysicallydierightaway,buttheylosttheiressentialsourceof life ashumanbeings—theKing’sSpirit.Remember that theSpiritof theKinggavelifetotheirspirits,souls,andbodies.WhentheyrejectedtheKing,theyalsorejectedandlosthisSpirit.TheGovernoralonewastheirdynamicconnection between the seen and the unseen realms.Therefore, their spiritsandsoulswerecutofffromthehomecountry,andtheirphysicalbodiesbegantodieaslowdeath.Theywerestillphysicallyaliveforatime,butspirituallyandsoulically,theyweredeadtotheKingandhiskingdom.

We saw earlier that, whenever a colony becomes independent from themothercountry,thegovernoriseitherforcedout,orthekingdomwithdrawshim. Likewise, when Adam and Eve declared independence, the Governorhadtoberecalledtotheheavenlykingdom.IsawastrikingillustrationofthiscircumstancethenightgoverningpowerintheBahamaswastransferredfromGreatBritaintothenewindependentgovernment.TheBahamianpeoplehadsaid, “We no longer want to be connected with Britain, as far as directgovernmentcontrolisconcerned,”andwewonourfreedom.

ThousandsofemotionallychargedBahamiansgatheredatCliffordParkafewhoursbeforemidnightontheeveningbeforeindependence.Theofficialchange in governmentwas scheduled for 12 a.m. on July 10, 1973. PrinceCharles, as the representative of the crown, was present, as well as ourpremier,whosetitlewouldsoonchangetoprimeminister.Therewerevariousceremonies,andthemusicalgroupthatIhadfoundedwasinvitedtosingasrepresentativesoftheyouthofthenation.

At11:50p.m.,theUnionJackwasstillflyingontheflag-poleinthemiddleof the park. The symbol of the kingdom ofGreat Britain signified thatwewerestillunderEngland’srule.At11:59,oneofourlawenforcementofficersstood at that pole and began to lower the flag.Another officerwas next tohim, pulling up the new flag of the independent Bahamas. We werewitnessingachangeofkingdomsfirsthand.ThelowertheBritishflaggot,thecloserwecametonolongerhavingaroyalgovernor.Thehigherthenewflaggot, the closer our premier came to becoming prime minister. When theBritishflagreachedthebottomandtheBahamianflagreachedthetop,itwasover.Earlythenextmorning,theroyalgovernorleftthegovernor’shouse,gotonaplane,anddepartedfromtheBahamas.Thequeenhadrecalledhim.Henolongerhadtheauthorityorlegalrighttobethere.

While I’vedescribed a joyful period in thenational lifeofBahamians, itwas not a jubilant time for the citizens of earth when they rejected theheavenlygovernment.Again,theyhadnotthrownoffforeignrulefromtheirlives.Theyhadrejected theirownhomelandand theirbelovedKing-Father,who desired to give them the riches of his kingdom. As Adam raised the“human independence flag,” the flag of the heavenly kingdom wassimultaneouslybeinglowereduntilhumanitywasseveredfromtheKingandhiskingdom.

HumanbeingsrejectedtheirhomelandandtheirbelovedKing-Father.

ImentionedthatthegovernoroftheBahamashadtovacatethegovernor’shousewhenhewasrecalledtothehomecountry.Onthecolonyofearth,thehumanbeingsthemselveswerethehousetheheavenlyGovernorhadlivedin.SowhenhumanitydeclaredindependencefromtheirKing-Father,thishousebecameahostileanduncleanenvironment,andtheGovernorcouldnolongerdwellthere.Hewasrecalledtothehomecountry.

EXISTENCEWITHOUTTHEGOVERNOR

Whatwaslife likeforAdamandEveafter theyturnedtheirbacksonthekingdomandlostthepresenceoftheGovernor?Theiractofrebellionisoftenreferredtoas“thefall”becauseoftheextremechangeinthequalityofhumanexistencetheyexperienced.Itwaslikeaprincefallingfromaluxuriousroyalcoach into amuddyditch and thenhaving to live there. Independence, in ahumanpoliticalsense,isapositiveconcepttous.TheAmericanRevolution,in which America declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, iscelebrated with fireworks and family gatherings. Yet humanity’sindependencefromheaven’skingdomisnothingtocelebrate.It’ssomethingtomourn because it’s theworst thing that ever happened to human beings,whereasthekingdomwasthebestthingwecouldhavebeengiven.

Humanity’sindependencefromthekingdomwastheworstthingthateverhappenedtothem.

WecanbegintocomprehendthevalueoftheGovernoronearthbylookingatwhatexistencewithouthimislike.

LOSSOFTHEKINGDOM

ThelossoftheGovernormeantthelossoftheenvironmentofthekingdomon earth. Since the Governor was the evidence of the presence of thekingdom,hisabsenceinevitablymeanttheabsenceofthekingdompresence.Earth’senvironmentchangedtotheantithesisoftheheavenlykingdom.

CUTOFFFROMTRUELIFE

Although human beings were designed to live from the inside out, thissituationwasnow reversed.Since theyhad lost theHolySpirit,whichwastheirconnectionwith theirFather, theynowhadto livefromtheoutside in.They became totally dependant on their five physical senses. The physicalworld—whichcouldgivethemonlyalimitedperspectiveonlife’srealities—imposeditselfontheirinnerworld.Ibelievethisiswhyoneofthefirstwordswe readaboutAdamandEveafter their rebellion is theword“realized”or“knew.”Suddenly,theyrealizedtheywerenaked.Doesthisimplytheydidn’tknowthisbefore?Idon’t thinkso. Ibelieve it implies this:nakedness isanexternalconsciousnessratherthansomethingthatisspirituallydiscerned.Thebodyanditssenses,ratherthanthespirit,tookoverhumanity’sfocusinlife.Human beings no longer had a spiritual perspective at their essence but asensualone.

Aperspectivebasedonlyonthesensesinevitablyleadstoconfusion.

A perspective based only on the senses inevitably leads to confusion.Humanity began to depend on the soul—the mind, will, and emotionsinformedbythesenses—tointerpretlife.Fromthenon,whatwesaw,heard,touched,tasted,andsmelledbecamethedominantcomponentsinourhumanexperience. Consequently, we began to interpret our Creator-King mainlyfromourphysicalsenses,aswell.Forexample,thefieldofscienceattemptstounderstand theunseenworldonly from the seenworld.This approach isdangerous because human beings were never intended to interpret thephysicalworldfromitselfbutfromthespiritualrealityofthekingdom.

Iamnotsayingthatscienceis“bad.”NeitheramIsayingthattheintellectisevil,butonlythatithasbeenmovedoutofitsproperposition.TheintellectisawonderfulgiftcreatedbyGod.Itmustbeinitsrightposition,however,forittoeffectivelyexecuteitspurposeandfulfillitspotential.Thethingsthatareseenweremadefromthingsthatarenotseen,andtheonlywaytotrulyunderstandsomethingistorelatetohowitwasmadeandwhomadeit.TheSpirit of the Creator is the only avenue we have for fully understandingourselves and the physical world since he is the Source, Author, andManufacturerofcreation.

Wemustgraspthedeepsignificanceofthistruth:HavingtheSpiritoftheKingisnotonlyvitalforourrelationshipwiththeinvisibleKing,butalsoforunderstandingourownhumanity.Only through theGovernor canweknow

whyweare reallyhereandhow to interpret theworld inwhichwe live; inotherwords,howtotrulyseeourenvironment.TheGovernoristhekeytoourbeing fully human. We can’t express the King’s nature unless we are inrelationshipwithhim,andtheGovernorprovidedthatrelationship.

Only theGovernorknows themindof theKing.Wecan’t reallybewhatwewereborntobeashumanbeingsunlesswehaveavitalconnectiontohisoriginal intent.TheGovernor isour reference toourselves;he is thekey toour self-understanding. To be true and complete human beings, we mustsomehowbecomereconnectedtoandre-indwelledbytheHolySpirit.

LOSSOFAUTHORITYANDPOWER

Wenotonlylostcommunicationwiththehomecountrythroughthelossofthe Governor, but we also lost the power and authority he provided.Remember that power is the ability to control and influence circumstances.OneofthefirstthingstheKingsaidtoAdamafterhisrebellionwas,ineffect,“From now on, you will have to fight the earth in order to get food.”Beforehand, he had said, “Rule over…all the earth.”Now theKing had tosadlyinformhim,

Cursedisthegroundbecauseofyou;throughpainfultoilyouwilleatofitallthedaysofyourlife.Itwillproducethornsandthistlesforyou,andyouwilleattheplantsofthefield.Bythesweatofyourbrowyouwilleat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you weretaken;fordustyouareandtodustyouwillreturn.

TheKingwasn’tonlyspeakingofliteralthorns.Hewassaying,“It’sgoingtobehardforyoutoprovideforyourself.You’regoingtohavetosweatforit.” Before that, Adam’s work was not exhausting. He had authority anddominionoverthenaturalworld.Itworkedforhim,ratherthantheotherwayaround.

RAMIFICATIONSOFSELF-GOVERNMENT

The Governor had been humanity’s connection with the home country,enablinghumanbeingstofulfilltheirauthorityanddominiononearth.Whenheleft,theearthbasicallybecameanindependentnation.Acolonywithoutagovernor results in self-government. Again, to our contemporary minds,independence and self-determination are positive words. We celebratefreedomandself-government.Butagain,thiswasnotthetriumphoffreedomover tyranny. Thiswas not removing the shackles of foreign occupation. Itwaslikerejectingyourbelovedfamily,yourhomecountry,andyourbillion-dollarinheritanceallatonce.ToparaphrasethewiseKingSolomon,“Somepathsinlifeseemright,buttheyleadtodeath.”

There’snothingmoredangerousandthreateningtoakingdomthanaspiritof independence. For human kingdoms, this translates into a loss of powerandwealthandprobablysomepride.Fortheheavenlykingdom,however,itmeantthespiritualdeathofbelovedchildrenwhoweremeanttocarryonthefamilynameandlegacy.Forthechildren,itmeanttheintroductionoffear,asurvivalmind-set,andtheknowledgeoftheinevitabilityofdeath.

When you are an independent person, you have to survive by your ownwits. Likewise, when a country becomes an independent nation, it has tototally pay its ownway.When the royal governor left theBahamas on themorning of July 10, we were totally on our own—in our political andeconomiclife,incaringforourinfrastructure,andallaspectsofgovernance.Likewise, humanity was left to fend for itself. Yet human beings weren’tdesigned to functionusingonly their senses.Theyweren’t supposed to livelikeorphanslefttosurviveinahostileworldonwhattheycanscrapebyon,or convicts left to scratch out an existence on a remote, punitive island.Human beings were designed to thrive and prosper and use the heights oftheircreativitythroughtheguidanceandpoweroftheHolySpirit.TherecalloftheGovernorwasadevastatinglosstotheinhabitantsofearth.

AREBELLIOUSSTATE

Humanity’s declaration of independence and subsequent loss of theGovernorlefthumanbeingsinastateofrebellion.Thegovernmentofearth,as exercised in the life of every human being, became essentially one ofrebellionthatdidnothavethepurposesofthekingdomatheart.Everypersonhas been born into this state since the initial rebellion. Theologian Paul ofTarsusputitthisway:“ForallhavesinnedandfallshortofthegloryofGod.”WeallfallshortoftheessentialnatureofGodandeverythingthatmakeshimpraiseworthy.HeistheperfectKing;hiskingdomistheperfectgovernment.Yet we have distorted the image of that perfection within us. And all ourefforts toexecutegovernmentonearth inpersonalandcorporatewayshavefallendeeplyshortaswell.

ACULTUREOFDARKNESSANDDEATH

Whenacountrybecomesindependentafterbeingacolony,itusuallyelectsorappointsitsowngovernor.Thisgovernordoesnotteachthepeopleaboutthecultureoftheformerhomecountry,butonlyitsown.Similarly,whentheheavenlygovernment recalled theGovernor,humanbeingsstopped learningthecultureofheavenandcreatedtheirownculture,whichtheypassedalongto their children.We stopped living heaven’s values and began to have ourownindependentideasaboutlife.

TherecalloftheGovernorwasadevastatinglosstotheinhabitantsofearth.

Wemustaskourselves:Howwellarewedoing?Whathasthenatureofourculture become?One of the first things that took place after earth lost theGovernorwasthatamanwasmurderedbyhisolderbrother.Whatawaytostart a new culture! Instead of the kingdom of heaven defining andtransforming earth, a kingdom and culture of darkness came upon it andbegantospread.Adultery,incest,abuse,anddomesticviolenceareallpartsofthiscultureofdarkness;itdestroysyoungandold,strongandweak.Wearestill experiencing crime upon crime, brother killing brother. Wherever theGovernoroftheKingdoesnotrule,youwillfindmurderandotherinstancesof man’s inhumanity to man. The abuse and destruction afflict families,communities, businesses, and government—the whole realm of humanexistence.

AllthistranspiredbecausehumanbeingslistenedtothetreacherousliesofarebelliousformeraidetoourKing-Father,whowantedtousurpthecolonyforhimself.JesusofNazarethdescribedLuciferasthe“fatheroflies”anda“murderer.”Healsosaid,“Thethiefcomesonlytostealandkillanddestroy.”

When this disgraced former general took authority over the territory ofearth, the natural resultwas devastation and death.His intent as the illegalgovernoronearthwasnottobringfreedom.Itwastostealpeople’slivessohecouldultimatelydestroythem.Heisaforeignrulerwhohastakenoverthecolonyofearthanddesirestodestroytheoriginalcultureoftheinhabitants.Herulesoveradestructivekingdomofdarknessinwhichhumanbeingshavebecomeeitherhiswillingorunwillingaccomplices.

Akingdomandcultureofdarknesscameupontheearthandbeganto

spread.

Whathavewedonetothisplanet?Fromthetimeofhumanity’srejectionoftheKingandthelossoftheGovernor,humanbeingshavebeenattemptingtodominatetheKing’scolonywithoutthemindandheartoftheKing.Tryingtorun the planetwithout theKing’s nature has led to a breakdown in humanauthority and power to address vital issues. It is the source of the world’spoverty, genocide, terrorism, political corruption, drug addiction, brokenhomes,andeverykindofevilthatcanbenamed.Wehavecreatedastateofrebellionandconfusion.ThisworldisadisasterwithouttheGovernor.

THEPROMISEOFTHEKING

ThecolonyofearthcrumbledundertheabsenceoftheGovernor.Withouthis presence, the human race lost its dignity and sense of responsibility; itbecame confused and chaotic.The people experienced a living death.Eventhoughmanypeoplestillstruggletodogood,thisistheessenceofthecultureofearthtoday.AsthedescendantsofAdamandEve,weareunabletoruleonbehalf of the heavenly kingdombecausewe abdicatedour rule toLucifer’scultureofdarkness.

Yet, remarkably, immediately followinghumanity’s rebellionand the lossof the Governor, the King promised the return of the Governor and therestorationofearthasa territory loyal to thekingdomofheaven.ThemostimportantpromisethegovernmentofheavenevermadetohumanitywasthereturnoftheGovernorbecauseheiswhateveryhumanbeingneedsfortruelife.Heiswhattheentireworldneeds,ortheterritorywouldforeverremaininastateofchaosanddeath.

Even in the immediate aftermath of the rebellion, the King gave anindicationofhowhewouldrestoretheGovernor.HetoldLucifer,“Iwillputenmitybetweenyouandthewoman,andbetweenyouroffspringandhers;hewill crushyourhead, andyouwill strikehisheel.”TheKing’splanwas tosend an Offspring, to be born in the colony, who would restore kingdominfluencetothecolony.Hewouldcrushthepoweroftherealmofdarkness,take back the kingdom authority that was stolen, and restore power andauthority to those to whom it was first given—humanity. We would bereinstatedaslocalrulersonbehalfoftheheavenlykingdomonceagain.ThiswouldhappenbecausetheKingwouldreappointtheGovernortothecolonyofearth.

SEEKINGTHEGOVERNOR

I believe that the bottom line in every person’s search for power andmeaning in life is this: theyareactuallyseeking thereturnof theGovernor,thoughtheymaynotrealizeit.Manypeoplefeeltheyaremissingsomethingin their livesyetaren’t surewhat it is.They try to fill theemptinesswithavariety of things: money, relationship