“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”
Duane Stewart
“Throne Room Dwellers”
John 14:23, “… If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him”. God’s purpose in having a building to dwell has never changed. God in His desire to become visible by expressing Himself through His people releases, from Himself, any needed instructions. These instructions sometimes come in the form of a reprove, a rebuke and criticism, to enhance the progress in the building of God’s temple. For this cause the Holy Spirit works a work in each vessel, according to the immediate need, to bring forth the manifestation of God’s purpose. That which God began, He shall complete, in that all He purposes shall be accomplished, for the time of perfection is come.
Love, that which God is, is the basic foundation of His temple. As God calls each lively stone forth to become a participator in this temple, it is love that finds itself being imparted into each stone. How easy it is, when being forgiven of past sins, when having sins burden removed, to respond to God’s love. How easy it is to withstand evil and to patiently move in a labor of love while the cleansing act of love remains fresh within us. But, let us consider that the mind-set which has been established among most of the Christian community has made church nothing more than ritualistic in its nature. These ritualistic routines cause the spiritual vitality, which spring up from love, to degenerate. This degeneration is a fault that causes a need for God to exhort and warn the church of its coming judgment. Because of leaving their first love, God’s anointing begins to dissipate until darkness replaces light. In darkness, habitual rituals replace life and light, with activities without light continuing on in becoming the norm. For the most part, these rituals have birthed an exalted group which calls themselves “the clergy”.
The clergy is that group which claims to be of a superior status, not servants, over the people, to rule over them. This need for superior status, when yielded to opens the door for confusion, in the form of idolatry and immorality, to seduce the people. But, unto those who desire to overcome such a mind-set, they have their inherited rights to eat from the tree of life which exist in the Paradise of God. This speaks of deliverance from those earthly orders of man and allows us to partake of that tree called life. The fruit of this tree is LOVE, thus, the eating of this tree is a being restored to our first love. While overcoming suggests combat against the forces of an enemy, it also speaks of coming into perfect fellowship with God. The promise is ours as faithfulness, during persecution and doctrinal error, gives us the rights to God’s throne room. Here, in God’s throne room, the tree of life will sustain us and keep us in the realm of eternal life.
Persecution and tribulation seems to be the way of the true church in this hour. While some Christians have a life-style that could be considered poor economically, there is that place in God wherein they are spiritually rich. While God has promised that the church would be prosperous, a doctrine of prosperity has been ministered to the people, which take them out of balance to the true riches of God. This doctrine of prosperity has become so tainted with the spirit of lust; it now represents an order other than God’s true order. Being out of balance opens the door for the enemy to challenge the true prosperity God has ordered for His people. While most Christians do not know the inside of a prison house, nevertheless they are becoming prisoners to a perverted order that persecutes the true order of God. But, in this time of testing, being found faithful to the truth of God’s Holy Word, lifts up that vessel to the throne room wherein they receive the crown of life, the joy of life eternal, and the true riches of God. Having victory in an overcoming life enables them to dwell in the throne room of God.
While many, among the Christian community, are still pursuing the doctrine of pure righteous living, there is a vast number who are willing to compromise for the sake of external worldly success. God is not interested in numbers as much as righteousness. But, with numbers and economical gain being looked upon by the world as becoming successful, with this God is not pleased. In this mind-set ministries are willing to incorporate natural, carnal means to promote church success at the expense of the people’s spiritual well being. In adding half-truths and worldly mind-sets to church constitutions and by-laws, these remove the anointing of the Holy Spirit from their gatherings. Even as it was in the days of Eli, the High Priest in Israel, when the ark of God’s presence was removed from the tabernacle, the children of Israel were satisfied to maintain their rituals on Mt. Shiloh without the ark, God’s presence. Likewise today, many are held prisoners to the ritualistic forms of today’s gatherings, being satisfied with the empty functions of their services without the presence of God. In this, they open their doors to doctrines of confusion which replaces the true pure Word of God. Where is the light that God intended to shine forth into the world? Unto those who are found faithful, Jesus, the true “bread from heaven”, makes Himself available outside the camp. Those who are willing to break free from the death houses of carnality, God promises to become food to eat and deliverance unto full salvation. This is a salvation that changes spirit, soul and body. In this salvation, a new name after the nature of Christ is given, as faithfulness writes God’s nature upon the heart of the believer. Herein the believer ascends into the throne room of God to know a life of purity and righteousness.
With judgment beginning at the house of God, in looking further into today’s Christian community, we find a mind-set that is willing to tolerate the cult activity of idolatry and immorality. Today’s church is dwelling in a season of God when judgment is coming and is even now at the door. In this God encourages us to keep the faith. Meanwhile, the ministries have and are allowing the spirit of Jezebel to permeate the church. That is, they are allowing another gospel to manifest through false teachings which led the people into literal and spiritual fornication. Herein, we see a church that is full of spots and wrinkles. Sin allowed freedoms that produce a sickly body of people that only live lifestyles which belittles the true body of Christ. But, remember Elijah, God’s prophet who stood steadfast against the perverted enemies of the true spirit of God. Again we are seeing the prophets of God in this day being raised up to declare, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah”? Unto those who remain faithful and hold fast to the truth of God’s word, they shall stand as ministers of God to release the power of God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is a kingdom which shall rule and bring to naught the Jezebel doctrines that promote worshipping another gospel. These faithful ones shall stand in the throne room order to usher in the dawning of God’s new day. This new day is the beginning of a day when God’s kingdom rules over all God’s creation.
How does the world look upon today’s church in general? When we consider the many church buildings the world see’s scattered across the cities and towns of the world, in places where such freedom is allowed, what is it that these many buildings portray and manifest before the world? In most cases these church groups are far removed from the powerhouse church we are told about in the book of Acts. Where is the power that manifested itself in such a way that its effectiveness turned the then known world upside down? Could it not be said that the world in general now see’s the church, with its country-club mind-set, as having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. But, as it has been down through the ages, God has always had a people whose faith continued to burn bright as they remained steadfast in the cause of Christ. Though licentious religiosity exists, the faithful ones are allowing their lights to shine forth. God remains faithful and in His faithfulness He brings about changes in each vessels make-up who remains faithful to Him. Maturity comes to its stage of perfection and robes of righteousness become the manifestation of each vessel. A redeemed people who now live in God’s eternal day, His throne room.
Throughout church history, the true church of our Lord though a remnant in size has remained faithful from generation to generation. These ones are ever walking, according to God’s revealed word, in faithfulness as each generation moves on in continual spiritual growth. Moving from line to line, precept to precept, seeing the Christ more and more as He truly is. In the process of seeing and knowing Him, each generation became more like Him. In the processing into spiritual maturity, an open door becomes an entrance into the consummation of the kingdom of God. In the opening of these doors God preserves His people to dwell within His throne room as a strong tower, a strong tower people who become the nature of God in manifesting His glory. Here we have a people who, because of death to the self life, they only move in complete obedience to the Father, an obedient people who have ceased from living under the curse of fallen man. These are a people who have put carnality and fleshly appetites under their feet as they walk in the glorious presence of their Father.
What is it that this faithful church separates from? Is it not that they have been separated from that spirit of apostasy which the prophets spoke about concerning the last days. With God’s plan and purpose being established from the beginning, we have the assurance that its purpose shall never fail. God’s enemy and all his emissaries have always desired to defeat God’s purpose in creation, but have never been able to defeat Him in a direct face to face conflict. So they now seek to defeat God from within His ranks. That is, through the called body of Christ. How? The carnal minds desire is to counterfeit the true and living God and His Christ by using angels of light through doctrines of complacency with carelessness being engrained within the camp. As always, half truths are used to corrupt God’s people with deceptive traditions, again to encourage a people to have a form of godliness but having them deny the power of God. A time of separation is come, a time to open our hearts to Christ as the Holy Spirit prepares a meal for these called ones whom He justifies and glorifies. Herein this remnant stands forth to receive their resurrection bodies in the overcoming of death in all of its degrees.
Unto the overcomers, God declares, “Come sit with me on my throne”. Therefore, there are those who, through faithfulness, they ascend into the throne room realm to dwell in the presence of Christ. These are those who have conquered all enemies who have desired to deceive the whole world. These are those who have gained victory, in Christ, over death, hell and the grave. These are the overcomers, the throne room dwellers. Rev. 12:10-11, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death”.
