enjoying Christ

The Lord Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God, but there’s much opposition to God’s kingdom; in Mark 4:35-44 we see a picture of rebellion and the kingdom of God as the power to subdue rebellion, and this can be experienced by us today.

The Lord Jesus came as the kingdom of God to sow Himself as the seed of the kingdom into man’s heart so that this kingdom seed may grow and develop into a realm in which God can rule and reign.

However, when the Lord came with His kingdom, even though the whole earth was created by Him and everything and everyone is sustained by Him, the kingdom of Satan was on the earth, and he opposed the Lord very much.

The whole world lies in the evil one, for due to man’s rebellion and fall, the whole universe is now under the slavery of corruption, being under the evil one’s usurpation.

All men are born in sin, and by nature, we are slaves of the devil.

But praise the Lord, one day we have heard the gospel, and the Lord as the seed of the kingdom has come into us.

Since the time we have believed into the Lord Jesus, He has been growing and developing in us as the kingdom of God.

We are daily being headed up in Christ, and He is becoming the Lord and the King in all things little by little.

The whole universe is a heap of collapse, but we as the church are being headed up in Christ.

Our preaching of the gospel, therefore, is a spiritual warfare, for all men are under Satan as the ruler of this world.

Satan has a great house filled with many vessels, the fallen human beings.

Because all men are born in sin and part of Satan’s kingdom, there’s the need for some to bind the strong man with the Lord’s authority so that the vessels usurped by Satan would be released and brought into God’s house.

God wants us to be vessels of mercy unto honour and glory, and He does this by delivering us from the authority of Satan and bringing us into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.

When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, He was actively destroying the works of the devil and was binding the strong man.

He came into the strong man’s house and defeated him to the uttermost, and He snatched out many vessels to make them vessels of mercy unto honour and glory.

Today as we preach the gospel, we stand one with the Lord and exercise His authority to bind the strong man and release those to whom we speak so that they would be transferred out of darkness into light and out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.

Amen, may we all cooperate with the Lord to subdue rebellion and allow the Lord to grow in us for the kingdom of God!

The Kingdom of God is the Power to Subdue Rebellion and the Growth of Christ in us

Mark 4 is a chapter showing us the seed of the kingdom of the heavens and its full development.

The Lord Jesus is the seed of the kingdom, and He has sown Himself into the soil of our heart in order to grow in us, develop in us, and become a realm in us in which God can rule and reign.

He is actively and constantly sowing Himself as the seed of the kingdom into the hearts of many people to develop in them as the kingdom of God.

Toward the end of Mark 4, however, we have the story of the Lord and the disciples crossing the sea in a boat, and there was a storm that arose.

We could say that the weather was indicating that a storm was coming, and that might be correct, but in the spiritual realm what happened is that Satan arose that storm as a rebellion against Christ.

What we see with this storm, along with the wind and waves, is a picture of rebellion.

On the positive side, the kingdom is the development of Christ as the seed of the kingdom in us; on the negative side, the kingdom is the subduing of rebellion.

Wherever the kingdom of God is, Satan rebels and needs to be subdued.

From God’s point of view, the kingdom is the development of God Himself as the seed of life.

From Satan’s point of view, the kingdom is the subduing of rebellion.

Satan today has a house and a kingdom on the earth (Mark 3:23-25).

Satan’s house is a house of sin (1 John 3:8. 10) and his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13).

All sinners belong to Satan’s house of sin and are part of his kingdom of darkness.

Furthermore, the demons are part of Satan’s kingdom, and they can possess people for his kingdom.

Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31) and the ruler of the authority of the air (Eph. 2:2).

He has his authority (Acts 26:18) and he also has his evil angels (Matt. 25:41); these angels are his subordinates as rulers, authorities, and world-rulers of this darkness (Eph. 6:12).

Satan’s kingdom, therefore, is the authority of darkness (Col. 1:13). When the Lord Jesus as the kingdom of God comes into us, He upsets and troubles the kingdom of Satan.

In Mark 4, right after the Lord as the Slave-Savior spoke a strong word on the kingdom of God, He intended to cross the sea and go on the other side (v. 35).

So Satan, the rebel, used his angels in the air and his demons in the water to stir up rebellion, and there arose a great windstorm, the waves beat into the boat, and the boat was already beginning to fill up (v. 37).

Satan and his evil angels knew that, after the Lord would cross the sea, He would cast out demons, causing a defeat to his kingdom, so they rebelled against the Lord and tried to hinder him from crossing the sea.

But the Lord Jesus as the Slave-Savior was a man with divine authority, and He spoke a word to rebuke the wind and tell the sea to be silent and still; the wind ceased and there was a great calm (v. 39).

The storm was not accidental; the fallen angels of Satan (Eph. 6:12) in the air were collaborating with the demons in the sea (Matt. 8:32) to frustrate the Slave-Savior from going on the other side of the sea because they knew that He would cast out the demons there (Mark 5:1-20).

The Lord Jesus knew that the storm was instigated by these evil angels and demons, and He cast out those demons; this was the coming of the kingdom by the subduing of rebellion. The kingdom of God is to subdue rebellion.

The kingdom of God is the subduing of rebellion. In Mark 4 the Lord spoke concerning the kingdom, and then at the end of this chapter, the kingdom came on earth by the subduing of the rebellion of the the enemy.

Then, in ch. 5 He carried out the kingdom through the casting out of demons.

Between the word concerning the kingdom of God in Mark 4:26-29 and the record of the demonstration of the kingdom of God in 5:1-20, there is the incident of the stormy sea in 4:35-41.

The Lord rebuked the wind and commanded the sea to be silent because of the rebellious angels and demons who were behind the scenes.

After He rebuked the wind and spoke to the sea, the wind ceased, and there was a great calm, for the rebellion of the evil angels and the demons had been subdued by the power of the kingdom.

For the Lord’s kingdom to come and develop in us, the enemy needs to be bound and subdued, for the kingdom of God is the subduing of rebellion.

We can apply this to our experience by allowing the Lord to subdue any rebellion in our being and by praying to subdue the rebellion in our environment and in those whom we shepherd and preach the gospel to.

Lord Jesus, thank You for coming into us as the kingdom of God! Hallelujah, we have the kingdom seed in us, and the Lord grows and develops in us! Amen, Lord, may Your kingdom be enlarged and expanded in our being. May there be the development of the kingdom of God in us. Have a way to subdue any rebellion in our being. Hallelujah, the coming of the kingdom is the subduing of rebellion! Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ has defeated the devil and He is now in us to destroy his works and subdue any rebellion! Amen, Lord, we open to You. We do not look at the storm and we don’t pay attention to the waves: we set our eyes on You! Subdue any rebellion in our being. Defeat Your enemy in us and subdue any rebellion in our environment. We want Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done. We stand one with You and we want to remain with You through the stormy sea. May Your kingdom be enlarged in us and may You have a way to subdue Satan with all his angels and authorities!

Bring in God’s Kingdom by Praying in the Body one with the Lord to Subdue the Enemy and any Rebellion

Mark 4 is a wonderful chapter that shows us both the positive and the negative sides of the coming of the kingdom of God.

First, on the positive side, the Lord as the seed of the kingdom sows Himself into our being.

The soil of our heart may have many problems, rocks, worries, and lack of depth, but once we deal with the soil of our heart, the Lord as the seed of the kingdom will grow in us and will bear fruit in us. Amen!

Second, on the negative side, the kingdom is the subduing of rebellion, for the coming of the kingdom is the removing of Satan’s authority and usurpation and the installation of the Lord Jesus as the Lord and King.

Because the coming of the kingdom is the removing of Satan’s kingdom, the enemy fights with all his might to frustrate the coming of the kingdom in man.

We can testify of this in our own experience.

The Lord speaks to us and draws us, and we give ourselves to Him; but then, right after such a sweet experience of Christ, something rises up in our environment to frustrate us to continue with the Lord.

Similarly in the situation of those we care for, we may have such a good time of fellowship and enjoyment of Christ, but then something happens in their environment, a storm, that frustrates them from enjoying the Lord and going on with Him.

Wherever the kingdom of God is, there is also the enemy’s attacking; at such times, there needs to be the subduing of rebellion.

Just as the Lord Jesus stood and spoke to the sea and the wind to silence them and there was a great calm, so we today need to stand one with the Lord and exercise to pray kingdom prayers, prayers that advance the Lord’s kingdom on the earth, in our being, and in those whom we care for and speak to.

Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh; we don’t bind people in the flesh nor do we attack human beings by our prayer but rather, we fight one with the Lord against rulers and authorities in the air, against Satan and his kingdom (Eph. 6:12).

Many times things rise up in our situation as a storm from the enemy, and we need to stand one with the Lord and in the Body to rebuke the enemy and cause him to flee.

When we care for the new ones, the young ones, and those who are backslidden, we need to fight the battle in the Body by virtue of the Head to bind the enemy and subdue any rebellion of the enemy.

We can participate in the bringing in of the kingdom of God not only by positively enjoying the Lord and contacting Him throughout the day but also, negatively, by exercising to pray in vital groups for the subduing of rebellion.

The Lord may group us with our spouse or with some saints, either from our locality or from around the world, and together we can stand on the ground of the Body and by the virtue of Christ, the Head, to bind the enemy, reject his attacks, and subdue rebellion, so that many believers would be released from the enemy’s usurpation to grow in life and live the kingdom life. Amen!

We may spend half an hour praying with our vital companions, in twos and threes, and we may exercise the Lord’s authority to bring in the kingdom of God in particular situations, localities, countries, and even continents.

The Lord has given us His authority to bind and loose, to bind the enemy and loose those who are under his usurpation, and we can exercise to subdue any rebellion.

As John 15:7 shows, the Lord’s prayers can become our prayers, and He will carry out what is in His heart, for He gains the cooperation of some people on earth who stand one with Him.

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us Your authority to bind the enemy and loose those who are under his usurpation, being deceived and enslaved by him. Amen, Lord, we stand one with You today in the Body and we bind the enemy. We reject his tactics and his deceiving of others. We exercise Your authority to subdue the enemy’s rebellion in us and in our environment. We stand against the enemy and his tactics in the ones around us and in our locality. Amen, Lord, gain many groups of saints who are vitalized together to bind the enemy and loose Your move on the earth for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done! May Your prayers become our prayers. Keep us abiding in You so that we may pray one spirit with You and in the Body for the enemy to be bound and for the storm to be calmed! Amen, Lord Jesus, we pray in Your name and with Your authority for Your kingdom to come in our life, in the church life in our locality, and all over the earth! Subdue rebellion in us, in the ones around us, in our environment, in our locality, in our country, and all over the earth!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ron Kangas in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Mark, msgs. 5, 12-13, 16-17, 19, 25, 64, and 66, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (2024 July Semiannual Training), week 4, The Kingdom as the Subduing of Rebellion and as the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus.
• Similar articles on this topic:
  – The kingdom for the expression and authority of God, a portion from, General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church, A – Part 1: The Gospels and the Acts, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee.
  – What Does It Mean to Be in the World but Not of the World? More via, Bibles for America blog.
  – Called into God’s kingdom – article via, Affirmation and Critique.
  – 7 – The Ministry Bearing the Mark of Death and Resurrection (4) – From chapter seven of The Ministers in the Lord’s Recovery – Genuine Ministers of the New Covenant, via, Shepherding Words.
  – God’s intention regarding the earth, a portion from, The Vision of God’s Building, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee.
  – What is the Kingdom of God and How Can You Be in It? More via, Holding to Truth in Love.
  – The growth process of the kingdom, a portion from, The Kingdom, Chapter 3, by Witness Lee.
  – No Sweat, No Thorns, in New Jerusalem, via, New Jerusalem blog.
  – The development of the seed, a portion from, The Kingdom, Chapter 12, by Witness Lee.
  – The kingdom of God in the New Testament: a panoramic view, article by Ron Kangas in, Affirmation and Critique.
  – What is the seed of the kingdom? More via, The Hearing of Faith.
  – The Kingdom of God as the Subduing of Rebellion, via, Church in Regina.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – Jesus triumphant when the storm-clouds break, / And the loud thunder bids the soul awake; / When biting blasts lay earthly projects low, / And one by one the fondest treasures go. / Jesus triumphant, through the fleeting years; / Jesus triumphant, spite of blinding tears; / High over all, to hear Thy loving voice, / Which bids the heart look upward and rejoice. (Hymns #709 stanzas 1-2)
  – Oh, tame me, Lord! rebellious nature calm, / Oh, tame me, Lord! / This heart, so tossed and filled with wild alarm, / Oh, tame me, Lord! / These human longings, let them end in Thee, / And let me be Thy bondslave, even me! … / The raging storm I dare not fight alone, / Ah, show Thy face! / Say, “It is I!” Thyself to me make known, / Ah, show Thy face! / Then what care I for darkest depths of woe? / Thine arms, O Christ, shall fold me close, I know! (Hymns #385 stanzas 1 and 3)
  – From the beachhead in our spirit / To our mind, emotion, will. / Christ will spread through all our being / And our vessel wholly fill. / He will cast out all rebellion, / Change our darkness into light. / Satan’s kingdom will be swallowed, / And Christ will reign with might. / This is the Lord’s recovery, / This is His very best! / Brothers, give the Lord the ground in you / Till His kingdom’s manifest. (Hymns #1297)