This simple illustration (see yesterday's essay) is similar to the current grace-rapture-Heaven doctrine. That Jesus Christ is perfecting a priesthood destined to govern the world and judge men and angels, a perfect Bride and Body for Himself, is not always stressed. That if we are to obey the commands of Christ we must die and Christ must be conceived and formed in us is not always mentioned.

Instead what is preached is that there is no need for us to be overly concerned about the commands of Christ and His being formed in us because we are saved by grace in order to be raptured into Heaven.

Now, tell me that I am incorrect in what I am declaring to be true of today's Evangelical preaching.

We all are horse pastors telling the horses about the pastures in the sky that are full of clover and that we will go there when we die provided we believe that Jesus is God's Son and "accept Him as our personal Savior."

Such is not the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. It is a human concoction that is producing spiritual babies who are not in the process of being married to the Lamb. They do not even realize that the marriage is taking place today in the hearts of those who are seeking the Lord. Their minds are set on being carried bodily (I suppose) into Heaven where they imagine they will be directed to their fantastic mansion, there to be without responsibility and to do nothing of significance. They could not care less about the condition of the people they are leaving on the earth.

It is characteristic of babies that they are totally self-centered, caring nothing about the problems and pains of people who are supplying their needs or the problems and pains of those around them.

The marriage of the Lamb is taking place today. A most glorious kingdom is being created in those who open their heart to Jesus and allow Him entrance, who cultivate each day the closest possible interaction with Him. Every decision is held up to Him for His guidance. Every problem, every pain, every joy, is brought to the Lord. The dread and terror that assail us from time to time are turned into another opportunity to press into Christ.

There are so many diversions present in the American culture that it is easy to spend time on the externals of the Christian religion and miss the romance of the daily walk with the Lord. But for those who are willing to come out of the turmoil and seek His face there occurs a continual transformation of the inward nature.

And so unto the ages without end the new Jerusalem, which is the incarnation of the invisible God, will increase unceasingly in majesty and splendor.

But such unimaginable glory is based sternly on the suffering and obedience, first of the Lord Jesus, and then of those faithful saints who have cried out and who yet cry out in the pain of their testings, "Not my will but thine be done." (from The Inner and Outer Kingdom of God)