There are several key concepts that underlie what the house church movement is about. Perhaps one of the most important is that God’s Kingdom is here, now, at work through every believer. This Kingdom life-force is powerful and dynamic and is not restricted to a place, time, liturgy, or structure. It is the life of God at work through each and every one of His people at all times and in every place.
To grasp the significance of this, we must start with what this Kingdom is. It is the life-force that originates from the center of God. It is God’s power, authority and energy that comes from His realm. It is the life of heaven. When humankind turned away from God, we were translated out of His realm into the realm of darkness (Satan’s realm) and into a world cut off from the fullness of His life and power.
However, Jesus declared that the Kingdom of heaven is now come. The power of God’s realm is now fully available to us even while we live within the realm of this world. Prior to Jesus’ coming, we were subject only to the realm of this world—the natural laws and forces—and the realm of Satan who is the prince of this world. When Jesus came, He declared that a new force was present upon earth—the force of the Kingdom of heaven. The power and the authority and the life that flows from the throne of God is now flowing into the lives of His people. It is this life force that touches, heals, delivers, frees, imparts truth, cleanses, brings revelation, and causes the activity and guidance of heaven to take control of our lives on earth.
It is as though we are submerged underwater (in this world) but connected to an umbilical cord that reaches up into the oxygen above. Everything that we need and more is available to us through that umbilical cord. Our spirit is an open conduit for all of God’s life to flow into our life.
The point is this. Jesus makes this connection to the heavenly realm available to each believer, every believer, every place that we go, every situation that we are in. Jesus is now in us; His life is now in us; He works in us; He works through us; all the time; in every situation. We do not go to a building or a gathering of any kind in order for this heavenly life to be at work in us. It is available every day in every way. In our homes, in our beds, in our offices, in our places of work. Christ in us… the hope of glory… is the reality that we walk in every moment of our believing lives.
The kingdom is not more resident where there is a certain liturgy present. It is not more present when a certain type of prayer is spoken. It is not more present in certain people who have certain roles. It is not more present when a gathering is officiated by someone who has a unique calling, anointing, or ministry. The Kingdom of God has come. Period. Through the marvelous working of the sacrifice of Jesus’ life, we no longer belong to the realm of this world nor the realm of darkness because all of the power of heaven is at work in us. We live in this world, but the power of the everlasting kingdom of God is constantly being poured into us like a lifeline that reaches up to the very throne. This is the reality that God would have His people, every person, by faith, walk in!
We lose the magnificence of this truth when we declare that certain events, places, or people are “special.” There was a “special” service in which God was present. There was a “special” speaker who imparted something wonderful to those present. There was a “special” crusade. God does work wonderfully through many different ways… all of which, because they are of God, are more than special. But we must not take away from the greatest miracle of all: that God is working in a high and special way at all times through each one of us when we simply take this truth by faith and walk it out. It’s true.
All of what makes God special is at work in each one of us always. Always. His kingdom, in all of its “specialness” and glory is in me and in you. That’s the truth that we want to recover so that the earth is filled with His “special” followers doing “special” things frequently and regularly. How else will the earth be filled with His glory than by millions of believers who grasp how wonderfully and powerfully they are filled with the life, the power, the beauty, the glory, and the fullness of God’s kingdom—the very life-force of heaven—all day, at all times, in every situation they are in.
