The video is here.

My kingdom theology is going through a new release. Here is the background on this contagious evolution. It’s probably like your own. God seems to update all of us in the same season.

Releasing Kings – We wrote Releasing Kings in 2004 on the heels of planting two churches over a 13-year stretch that started in 1990. My first belief was that God’s Kingdom would come if we just planted enough churches and got enough people saved. I obeyed my way through those years and the book was really the story of being reconciled to pursuing the desires of my own heart and graduating from servant to friend and King. As a pastor, it became obvious that only about 2% of us would were really called to five-fold, full-time ministry. Giving myself and others permission to find our calling in one of the other 6 mountains was a huge breakthrough that we summarized in this article: Have Fun, Make Money and Love People. We went around the world doing conferences to Release Kings into their real calling.

Courts of Heaven – I retired from being an engineer and gave myself to business, investing, conferences and Kingdom. We were blessed financially and spiritually in every way. Then in 2012 our primary investment and all our capital suddenly evaporated into a legal liability that came within a hair’s breadth of bankruptcy. After sorting through depression, going back to work and rethinking all my theology, Terry Tyson introduced me to Beverley Watkins and suggested we pray over Skype. I wasn’t particularly enthralled with the concept of Courts of Heaven – but at the same time I had nothing to lose. It turned out to be a blessing and I became friends with Beverley and over the next 2 years we prayed for about 20 of my inner circle of Kingdom friends. Beverley has a strong seer gift and those 90-minute sessions turned out to be a school of the Spirit for me and I began to “see” things myself.

Kings and Priests – in 2017 Beverley helped take the Courts of Heaven concept to the Netherlands. We also took a run at releasing the Dutch book – which we got into writing. It became apparent in that ten-day period that we graduated from Releasing Kings to releasing Kings and Priests. We opened books and released Kings as usual, but we were also teaching people how to access the Courts of Heaven and deal with enemy accusations to break barriers at personal, business and national levels. We need to be both priests and kings; practical and spiritual entrepreneurs.

King – a liberator who steps into his metron to release what he/she can do from their heart.
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Priest – a mediator who steps into heaven to release what God can do from his heart.

The Dutch book has a chapter about being a gateway to Europe and bringing reformation to the nations. It was, and is, very exciting. The idea that every nation belongs to God and has a book and a unique role in the Kingdom is a compelling part of our enthusiasm now. So compelling, that we’re asking God for the strategies in Heaven to make it real on earth.

The Divine Council – Jerry Denton edits our newsletter and is a wonderful friend. He suggested I read the Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser after we got back from the Netherlands. This book is a scholarly and conservative, evangelical, theological treatise on the council of God that we summarized in Invitation to God’s Council. The key idea is that God has always had a “council” with the sons of God. In Genesis 6, some of those sons fell yet still ended up retaining influence over the nations (powers and principalities). Jesus redemption doesn’t just deal with the fall of mankind. He made provision for restoring God’s council as well – It’s us!

All creation is waiting for the new sons of God (Rom 8:18-25) to join the divine council and replace those who fell . . . and replace their rule over the nations, which belong to God. He is bringing many sons to glory (in this life) for a purpose – the great commission. It’s our job to disciple nations first in the spirit then in the natural. We are called to bless nations by our ministries in the seven mountains of culture. Jesus is the firstborn of many brothers whom He is not ashamed to call friends. Why? We are the sons called to be part of His council. That’s the message behind all the intimate language, e.g., thrones, crowns, friends, sons, brothers, Kings and Priests, co-laborers, sharing His glory, reigning with Him, seated with Him, etc. Because the Nations belong to the Father, they are also “our” inheritance as His sons. Can you see the connection with reformation instead of just revival?

Ps 2:8 – Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

Ps 72:11 –  all kings will fall down before You; All nations shall serve You.

Ps 82:8 – Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

Ps 115:16 –  The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to man.

What’s next? – I used to think of God coming to me, surrounding me with his presence in worship, anointing me, etc. But If I take this concept of being a son invited to His council seriously, I need to go and appear before Him in Heaven and “see” what my Father is doing and see what is already bound and loosed in heaven. That’s the next key to the Kingdom of Heaven . . . participation in His council so I can bring back to earth everything needed to manifest the Father’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (for my personal needs, business, mountain, nation, ministry, friends, and household – wherever my metron takes me). Experiencing Heaven is alive and well and available to you and me right now. My kingly ministry on earth starts with my priestly ministry in Heaven. The most exciting thing you will see: What the father is doing and the synergism with what is already in your book and in your heart.

Matt 16:19-20 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” NASB

Yes, but how? – We’ll unpack this more fully in the next blog (Seers and Doers). Below is a 4-step primer I use daily. I’ve also kept 40 pages of notes on the first 35 trips to the throne room over the last several months which we’ll eventually edit and package for those interested.

1. Attitude – Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Have an attitude of expectation. Expect to see, hear and receive.

Ps 100:3-5 – Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  NIV

2. Appear – in the courts and councils (daily). It does take time and focus.

Ps 84:5-7 – How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!  Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings.  They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. [emphasis mine] NASB

3. Mystery – Get the topic or theme for the council session and be willing to hold it before the Lord as a mystery until the answer shows itself. Be persistent and patient in expectation over a day or two if necessary (I was generally amazed how easily and quickly things came). Let Him show it. Write it in a journal. Discern it. Share it. Refine it. Be faithful with it . . . do it.
4. Seer (Experience the movie) – Expect to “see it.” Allow your imagination to see it. Make room (time) for the Lord to show it – seek Him. See how it unfolds, manifests, and gets loosed from heaven. Experience it!

Ps 34:8-10 – Taste and see that the Lord is good [emphasis mine]; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.  Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.  The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. NIV

FYI – The body of this blog came in a dream of sharing this in the Netherlands, after which I got up at 2 AM to capture the notes. The 4 points above come in a council session based on my ongoing question to the Father to make this all practical (enough for engineers).