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The King’s Prisoners – Part 2

In part 1 of this topic, we studied various aspects of who are the “King’s prisoners” and what it means to be in this position, but we only covered this is a little detail. As a recap, I will re- iterate some of the details as were discussed in part 1.

We saw Joseph being imprisoned by his master and being put where the King’s prisoners are kept, and we saw that even while being a prisoner everything was working for the good of Joseph because  in Gen 39:9 we see that there was none greater than Joseph in Potiphar’s house.

Gen 39:9  There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

 

We also came to see that as this was happening Potiphar’s wife, the church in this spiritual type and shadow, tries to seduce Joseph to lie with her. Joseph refuses of course, and Potiphar’s wife “calls on the men of the house” to boast that the master has called this “Hebrew” unto us to mock us.

This type and shadow lends itself to teaching us exactly what happens with us and the master’s wife. Day by day we are tempted by what the church can offer us. It is then that we spiritually go into our master’s house to do OUR business.

We think it is the Lord’s business, but it is OUR business. This very thing makes us vulnerable enough that our garment, our righteousness is able to be snared and taken by this adulterous wife and then later used to boast to the rest of the “men of the house” how this Hebrew, no doubt an insult of the day, is not really worthy to have the power he does in the master’s house. It is the same mindset we see this woman having in Pro 30:20.

Pro 30:20  Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. 

As a result we see in just a few more verses that this was all orchestrated for our good so that we would become the Kings prisoners, but what do the King’s prisoners gain by being here? We see the start of the answer in Gen 39:21 – 23:

Gen 39:21  But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Gen 39:22  And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that [ were] in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer [ of it].

Gen 39:23  The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing [ that was] under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and [ that] which he did, the LORD made [ it] to prosper.

There is much more that was spoken about in Part 1, so I implore you all to visit the site and read or listen to part 1 if you haven’t already done so. Now, we will start from this point and use it as the foundation for what it means to be the King’s prisoner.

Prisoners of Jesus Christ

I am very often amazed at how weak my flesh is. Knowing what I have been given and blessed to know, it is inspiring to know that there is so much more than what this flesh can handle and know when we are given the fullness and not only the down payment.

 

Paul was an extremely inspiring apostle to me simply because he endured a ton of fleshy physical suffering and counted it all but dung, and yet we know his flesh is and was no different than ours so we can be 100% confident that his flesh did not ENJOY going through the things that he had to suffer.

 

Regardless, he often spoke as if these things were almost none- mentionable to him except he used them to edify, exhort and comfort those around him. It was this knowledge and understanding and I dare say this gospel that made Paul a “King’s prisoner”, a prisoner of Jesus Christ. We can see this truth captures in Eph 2.

 

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

 

            Eph 3:1  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Eph 3:2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you- ward:

Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

 

Just what mystery was Paul alluding to though? Well, Paul does go on to detail what he is speaking about and we just read that this is a revelation made known to him and he is sharing this knowledge of the mystery of Christ with the Gentiles.

 

I hope I will be used to help you all know how this revelation is made known to me.  Sometime back, I did a study on perception and what it is to know something. Not just hear it but to truly have knowledge of what you hear. This only comes by the gift that God either gives us to hear or see with or He doesn’t. Hey, Steven what does this have to do with being the King’s prisoner or just a prisoner?

It has EVERYTHING to do with the difference between the two. Recall that we just read:

Gen 39:22  And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that [ were] in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer [ of it].

So, there are prisoners and there are the overseers of the prisoners, but before we get any further let me submit that this is spiritually speaking about what is within us primarily and also about that which is without us but within others.

We are talking here about two men. We are talking here about Abel and Cain, Esau and Jacob, King Saul and King David, old man and new man, flesh and spiritual, that which is natural and that which is spiritual. We are talking about Christ in you, your HOPE AND GLORY.

Chains and Shackles

I recently have had a lot of things going on in my life which I can honestly submit that I believe most people, including myself, would naturally buckle under. I have a dearly loved Grandfather in the hospital with heart problems, a wife and newly forming baby which are at high risk according to medical science and an overly exertive amount of pressure that I am dealing with in my job which has required me to spend many, many hours on my job well above the normal salaried amount of hours I am paid for.

I haven’t spent nearly the amount of time I want to or should with my aging parents or grand- parents, and my wife needs me a lot now where I am not able to provide her my time and support as much as I would love to during this time in her pregnancy.  Not to mention, I have two wonderful children who I love to be with and be around.

I also have an almost explosive need and want to share the Word of God with my brothers and sisters and I have simply not been given the time by the Lord to do so even though it is most assuredly what I have planned to do…as you have witnessed with these studies being given time slots on the website which seem to just come and go as quickly as I have placed them on the website announcement.

And what do I think of it all? PRAISE THE LORD! Thank you for these trials. Thank you for showing me your miraculous mercy!

My burdens and trials could be so much more than they are, but they aren’t and they could be so much less than they are, but they aren’t.  There is a season for everything, but this is the season I must endure, but why am I sharing this with you all?

Firstly, I have been given what I know is a large amount of faith which I recognize and acknowledge as such. Praise the Lord. I have never had this in my life until the Lord came knocking, and it only seems to continue to increase as I am tried, endure and placed through more trials.

Again, Steven what are you getting at? Well, I am getting at this. I have a mindset, and it came and can only be obtained by being the Lord’s and more specifically being His body.

I can share an example of this by sharing a conversation I had with someone I love. We were talking about death and being prepared to die. As we were talking and the conversation progressed we arrived at a point where this person told me they were “prepared to die”. Of course they are Christian, and they had a pointed meaning to this statement. Their point was that they were “saved” and ready to meet their maker.

Shortly after ending this part of the train of thought in the conversation the conversation moved to someone who wasn’t only not saved, but who also should be “put in a firing squad and executed”. This statement was made about the Detroit plane bomber who attempted to blow up a plane and kill innocent people in the process.

The immediate thought that came to my mind is how we are all not as ready to meet our maker as we think we are.

Looking back though, this is exactly the type of mindset and rule of justice that I lived by in the not so distant past. It is as natural to our flesh to think this way as it is to breathe.

Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;

Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

I inject that we praise the Lord for His wonderful mercy, for it is the chain and shackles of the flesh and it’s dominion of us that we have been freed from and it is the light and easy yoke that has been placed upon us which allows the old man to be put to death and the new man to be given work to do as a overseer of His prisoners.

We are freed from the bondage of death and made new in the life and light of Jesus Christ.

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 

Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

 

I submit to you all now, that you pray heartedly that you be given the ability to judge yourselves and that old man be burned out of you…. that you and me alike DIE that we no longer be under dominion of our flesh and it’s sins.

 

I submit to you the admonitions we are given in the end of Rom 6 which further lend itself to our understanding of who we are, why we are, where we are, what we are, and when we are the prisoners of the Lord.

 

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Rom 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Oh what bountiful treasure we have!

Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 

We have been given freedom to KNOW God the Father and Jesus Christ who He has sent into us! We have been given the yoke which causes us to be the workers, the servants, the prisoners, the ambassadors, and many, many other things of the Lord. We must be prisoners to the flesh to be given freedom and we must die to that prison in order to be free from it. Naturally speaking, if we are physical prisoners then death wouldn’t mean freedom it would mean death but spiritually speaking death is our freedom!

Why am I putting so much emphasis on this in relation to being a King’s prisoner? I hope you are starting to spiritually hear and see what is being told to us. We are prisoners to death, but by dying daily to the death we are also raised into the yoke of His bondage which leads us to being given dominion over that prison and that can only happen because the yoke is below the head on the neck of the body. Amen and amen.

Death is Not The End……Just the Means

Being a prisoner stinks for anyone in real life but being a prisoner to our sin in our spiritual life only results in certain death.  Ironically, this death is needed so that new life, the life of Jesus Christ, can erupt in us. Along with this life, comes His mind; along with this mind comes a whole new world where all things are new. All things being new, presents us with a whole new outlook on just what life is and what it is about.

What we are presented with is this amazing truth, the truth that we no longer fear death but that death fears us. Rather, it fears the head and the body, it fears the union of the Christ together which has been given dominion over death and will make death its footstool thus abolishing it forever. Indeed, our physical death is temporary while death and sins dominion will be completely obliterated.

Yes, death fears Jesus the Christ.

Now, knowing this is not the end but it is only the beginning. Just as Paul says time and time again, he is now the prisoner of Jesus Christ. See, it is the head which directs the body and the body can do nothing without the head so we are indeed imprisoned to the mind of the Head…praise the Lord.

However, we are not a body without other members and that is what this whole new life is about. Throughout all the scripture, we see this paradigm shift continually happening from the old man to the new with the old always meeting it’s doom and being replaced.

This is continually happening within us all, Lord willing, right now and until the day we die, but just as importantly this life……this LIGHT…. is happening by us, through us, and to us via Jesus Christ in us.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 

Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 

And this is where it all begins:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

I ask you, if we are the light of the world, and judgment begins at us, we are the temple of God are we not also the instruments of the Lord’s warfare?

 

We are the light of the world WITHIN US primarily, but equally true we are the light of the world to others within themselves. What I mean is, we are judging the spirits within others as well. We are being used to spread the light, spread the Word of God Jesus Christ to the four corners of the earth within ourselves and others! This is only possible because it is not being done by us only, but it is being completely accomplished by the Will of God through Jesus the Christ… THE HEAD AND BODY!

 

This is the ambassadorship we have been chosen to. This is the prison we have been appointed over. Praise the Lord! We are called to spread the Good News that God is sovereign, that He is in control and what His mind is on any given topic. This should give our mindset an immense amount of freedom in knowing why and how everything comes about within and without us in the world.

 

Recently, there was an email posted on iswasandwillbe about horses in scripture. One thing that I noticed as I was reading that post was that the only difference between ho r se and ho u se is U. What in the world am I talking about?

 

The horse in scripture refers to warfare and specifically strength in warfare. However, there is a rider upon this horse. As true, there is a temple where God dwells. This is His dwelling, this is His house and the only difference in the two is that they are a reflection of you and how the Lord uses you and us all when we are in Christ and He is in us.

God dwells in us and also sits atop us as our head via Jesus Christ.

We just read in Eph 2 that we, combined with the foundation of the apostles… the body, the prophets… also the body, and Jesus Christ the chief corner stone, that we ALL fitly framed together GROW into the Holy Temple of the Lord, a habitation of God!

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

See, being the King’s prisoner involves being imprisoned to His mind. His mind will be encompassing everything we do, see, think and hear. We simply see the Lord working in all things…. yes even all the evil and sin we see within ourselves and without ourselves in others and in the world.  We simply see the Lord working all things after the counsel of His own Will.

So, when we have situations like the conversation I had with my loved one, we are directly presented with a situation that was custom made to show me where I am or where I am not.  Where is my mindset when my loved one says this bomber should be executed in front of a firing squad? Do I agree with this mindset or have I judged it already with the mind of Christ?

When I am judging, am I judging the person who has spoken the words or the principalities,  powers, rulers of the darkness of this world which have spiritual wickedness in high places, the heavens of this persons mind? That is what I am a prisoner to. I am either the King’s prisoner who has been given authority of this fleshy carnal mind or I am still just the standard prisoner who is being dominated by it because I cannot judge the season, and I am NOT able to judge the sign of the times…which is in ME!

Jesus Christ in ME!

Just to bookend this, lets read this again and pay close attention to what we are being told because it is HUGE! It is the greatest mystery of all!

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

 

Where is Jesus Christ out Lord? Continuing we can see this:

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

This should be coming together for us by now!

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

Are you seeing it? Are you seeing how all these things, good or evil night or day are ALL FOR YOU?  Wait, didn’t we just read that all things were created by him and for HIM? Well, are you or are you NOT FITLY JOINED TOGETHER … A HEAD AND A BODY? Jesus the Christ?

In Titus, which I have noticed is vastly ignored in the scripture as a teaching block of scripture we see this thought come to a full fruition.

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

 

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

 

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 

 

We all have lived exactly as is mentioned here in Titus. We have all had a mindset to do unto others as others do unto you.  We have all wanted desired and implemented an eye for an eye but these ALL RESULT IN DEATH.

But after that…

…. we were and are shown mercy to be saved…through Jesus Christ…. being made heirs according to the HOPE of ETERNAL LIFE!

This is why I am attempting and Lord willing succeeding in affirm with you now that this IS the GOOD WORKS we are to maintain, this is the prison we are put in, and this is the Life we are chosen to.

Having the mind of Christ in every situation we are faced with in our daily lives, we are now able to continually…. NO MATTER the situation or outcome, able to give God ALL THE CREDIT.

Praise the Lord!

Conclusion

We all, in times past were without the knowledge that we have shared together in today. In fact, until Jesus Christ was come all of mankind was never blessed to know such wonderful news. Now, we have been freely given many gifts which we all continue to struggle to fully grasp and understand.

As we continue to journey down this path, let us always pray that the Lord wills it in our mind that we give Him credit for all that we must endure or enjoy. Let us all be willing and bold in maintaining good works in acknowledging in our daily lives just who it is who is working all things after the counsel of His own will.

We must be conscious and aware that we are not given this Light, we are NOT given this Life to simply hide it under a bushel but we are in fact in a position that this Light and Life is the head of everything we do, think and act on. If we have this mind, we are set free from the mind that only produces death. We are set free from all that is in this world…. the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

Finally, just as Joseph was given to be head over all the other prisoners, we too are commissioned to lead and share this miraculous mystery with the rest of the prisoners of this world and in doing so faithfully, the Lord will be with us too.

Gen 39:22  And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that [ were] in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer [ of it].

Gen 39:23  The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing [ that was] under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and [ that] which he did, the LORD made [ it] to prosper.