As we discussed last week, the Lord had the legal authority to bind the devil and take authority over the earth immediately after His resurrection. However, He did not do this for our sakes. He did not bind the devil because He did not want it to be easy for us. The more difficult the training, the greater the results.

The church age basically has the purpose of training those who will reign with Christ in the age to come. It is also important for man's history to be allowed to unfold—to allow sin to run its full...

Immediately after His victory on the cross and His resurrection, Jesus had legal authority to cast the devil into the lake of fire and to establish His kingdom on the earth. He did not do this at that time for several reasons, which we will look at briefly. In them we can perceive some of the things which must be completed before the end of this age. In Genesis 15:13-16, we see three of these reasons in relation to Israel. We know from I Corinthians 10:1-11 that this was a type of that which would come at the end...

As I have repeated, this study is intended to be a broad perspective that connects history to prophecy, the past to the present to the future. When I was a new Christian more than thirty-five years ago, I felt compelled to study church history. I wanted to understand what God had done so that I could better understand what He is doing now and perceive what He is going to do. After thirty-five years of such study, I know I still only see in part, but I do now have a grid or paradigm for current events from which...

This year we have been devoted to understanding the coming kingdom of God and the many ways in which we are preparing the way for the Lord by building a highway. This highway has been under construction since the church was born on the day the Lord walked the earth and began calling those who would follow Him. To perceive this highway, we must have an expansive vision. Once we begin to see it, we will see it almost everywhere and will be astonished at how great and expansive it is. This is the heart cry of Psalm 90:16-17:
...

We are told in II Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." This is one of the great distinctions between the kingdom of God and the domain of the devil. The devil seeks increasing control and dominance over his subjects, while the Lord sets His people free. Everywhere that the Word of the Lord goes forth, increasing liberty will always be a result.

Freedom is one of the greatest benefits of the kingdom and must never be taken for granted....