An entire oak tree is contained well within a tight, easy to carry package.  It has it’s own leathery cover, and even a handy carrying cup attached to the top.  You could, in fact, carry a hundred complete oak trees just in your pants pockets alone (assuming you’ve got big pockets).  The only thing you need to add, in order to convert your easy to transport oak tree into an immovable pillar is some sunshine, a plot of dirt, some water, and a hundred years or so!

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, that when planted, it is the smallest of seeds, but when it grows, it becomes the largest of all garden plants, and the birds of the air make their nest in it.

Matthew 13:31-32

The entire Kingdom is contained in what it begins with.  Like yeast, you only needs its presence in any measure in order to produce the entirety.  In fact, the only thing that Jesus indicated that could hamper its growth are the soil conditions (Matthew 13:1-9).

When we perceive anything of the Kingdom of heaven, we must receive it.  Jesus said, in Matthew 13:44-45, that when catch glimpse of the Kingdom, any part, we must sell all.

It is essential to lose in order to gain.  Very few people have all of their assets liquidized in the natural.  People have many assets, and are invested into many different things.  The same that is true in finances and possessions is true in the emotional realm of the soul.  Our hearts are invested into many things.  However, turning to the Lord requires a change of heart.  This involves the liquidation of our emotional heart assets for the purpose of purchasing something greater.  In the case of the treasure in the field, it was simply a good business decision, buying a treasure was obviously worth much more than all of the original assets the man owned.  The same could be said of the pearls, for someone who knew them.

Jesus said the eye was the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22, Luke 11:34).  When the eye is single, without folds, the whole body is full of light.  Consider again the selling of everything.  If you knew that when you possessed the treasure in the field that you would be even one hundred times richer than before you sold everything, would you hesitate?  Would you let yourself be pulled off track?  Jesus said in Luke 14:26, that in order to be his disciple, you must hate your family, kids, wife, and even your own life.  Why?  Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.  So long as we are in love with our soulish, earthly life, we will never let it go.  It is ONLY when we truly hate our carnal life, and love to live by the Spirit, that the emotions of our heart actually work WITH the wooing of the Spirit, to create a burden that is light and a yoke that is easy (Matthew 11:30).

Jesus said plainly, you will love one and hate the other, or you will despise the one and be devoted to the other (Luke 16:13).  This is not negotiable.  Too often, people cling to the limp corner of their fleshly life too long, and find the demands of the life of the Spirit to be a burden.  Why not rather entreat the Lord to show you how to live by His Spirit solely, loving His demands, finding out what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10), and hate the requirements of living by the flesh?!  But seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His Righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33.

So, if you discover a part of the Kingdom, and are selling whatever you must to make it yours (even, possibly, yesterday’s anointing), what must you do?  Continue to seek Him, being diligent with what you already know, being careful to live up to what you have already attained (Philippians 3:16).

Do you want to move in healing?  What do you already have?  You have the Word, you have obedience.  What do you already have to get you moving?  Or, do you just have a hunger?  Well, happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Believe that for a start, until the Lord brings more.  Until another word forms in your heart from heaven, until more faith comes into your Spirit.  Until you see something else worth selling all for.

Jesus’ ministry on earth changed dramatically one day.  He asked His disciples who others said He was, and who they thought He was.  Peter’s response to the second got an exceptional commendation from Jesus.

And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 16:17

As John the Baptist testified, a man can receive nothing unless it is given to them from heaven (John 3:27).  You can sit in all of the most anointed services, under THE most anointed Teacher Himself, and still have the truth hidden from you, by heaven (Luke 18:34).  Until God releases some things, you will never understand them.  It wasn’t until after this confession of Peter that Jesus began to talk about His ecclesia, His “called out, ruling body”, His Church.  But Jesus, by His discernment, Jesus recognized that what Peter had said had come from the Father.  He could tell the difference between what man had repeated and taught, and what God Himself had imparted.

The truth was the same as the day before.  Jesus was still Messiah, the true and living God they day before the Father had revealed it to Peter, but only now, by the revelation of God Himself, Peter could testify of it.

So a little yeast hidden within the lump, given a life of utter abandonment, of utterly giving up everything to follow the one with the word of Eternal life, eyes without folds and without any more dark corners, yielded, through time and obedience, the fruit of righteousness.

Peter and the others received in one hour power and authority over all demons and to cure sickness (Luke 9:1).  And that was before the Holy Ghost was given at Pentecost.  He was flowing in Jesus’ gifting then.  But, the work continued, whether he slept or got up, the plant grew, until, when it was fully ripe, God could harvest it.

What does the fullness look like?  I’m not sure we’re given that as of yet, as what we will be has not been made known.  But we know is this, that when we see Him, we will be like Him.  If Peter could walk down the street, and just even his shadow falling on the sick could heal them (Acts 5:15), and this is only a taste of the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), let us not set the bar of what this is like too low.

Many today want the greater gifts, and for sure, we are instructed to earnestly desire the greater gifts, especially that we may prophesy (1 Corinthians 12:31).  Yet, it may be that God has to work out a few rocks first before the seed can have its fullest root.  A good test of where you are at is the “Happy”s of Matthew 5.  Happy are ….  Are you happy?  Why not?  You would be if you trusted God more.  Start there.  Start with why its hard to trust, to follow.  Why it’s hard to abide in love.  With what makes you angry, or maybe even revile and curse a brother.  Stay there a while.  What you will be doing is digging down deep until you get to something solid.  It’s foolish to build a tall building without an equally deep foundation.  Let Him have His full work.  Let the seed take full root.  Only He will satisfy, only He will quench that thirst.

If you seek Him, you will find Him, when you seek for Him with all of your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13