Living Truth: Recent Episodes
Dan Beaty
Have you ever wondered, “What was I thinking?” Probably the craziest time in my life was my teen years. I had a wonderful Christian mother and was also surrounded by sincere believers in Christ. That, however did not stop me from doing stupid things, like shoplifting, vandalism and even breaking into a store to steal from others. By God’s grace, yes, HIS GRACE, I was eventually caught and punished. Several weeks of incarceration halted my life of crime, but it would not be until several years later that I would return to the wonderful life that Christ had planned for me.
To this day I do not understand how I could have hurt my mother so. How I could embarrass my family and shame myself after all the good things I had been taught and the examples I had seen?
This experience has taught me to be cautious of how I look at others. If God had not intervened for me through the justice system, through supportive family, friends and teachers, what direction my life might have taken? These are things for which I cannot take any credit.
However this cautiousness in itself does not satisfy my concerns for the situations we as a society, a community are in. If I look at a young person whose main activity in life is exploiting other young people by hooking them on addicting chemicals, or if I see the devastation that another young man causes through terrorism, yes, I can say, “there but by God’s grace go I.” Under the same circumstances of course, that could have been me. While this realization may help me, does it help anyone else?
People need compassion and empathy, but they also need the truth. They need direction, like the direction I received as a teen. I fear that in our day we like to take the easy way out. It can be very difficult to find the balance between compassion and lovingly telling the truth. We have to start somewhere. We cannot walk in everyone elses shoes, but we do all have some things in common. We have all sinned and have come short of the glory of God. We can all receive forgiveness and restoration through faith in the work that Jesus accomplished for us in His death and resurrection.
When I remember how obstinate and hard-headed I was as a teenager, I can understand how our youth might be motivated to do stupid things as well. At the same time, my hope is that they do not have to make the same mistakes. This may sound hard on my part, but if they do make these kinds of mistakes, I pray that God’s grace might provide for the helpful kind of discipline that I received back then!
Perhaps you could join with me in praying for the necessary wisdom to reach others with compassion and faith. These are so needed in our time.
What is true freedom?
In my lifetime I have known individuals who had fewer possessions than I have but had more freedom than I did. I have known people who had poorer health than mine, but more joy. At the same time I have been in difficult situations while being engulfed in perfect peace. Could it be that true freedom is the ability to live above one’s circumstances? Could it be that this kind of freedom could help a person actually change their circumstances?
What about the prisons of jealously, envy, hatred and lust? Is it possible to be enslaved by your own money, power, possessions and popularity?
Back in the sixties I thought that freedom meant freedom from responsibility. That is not what I am talking about now. I have at times taken upon myself too much responsibility. I do need to be free from that. And yet being responsible for my family is truly fulfilling. I would not want to released from serving my family and my community, as long as I understand that all things are not under my control.
Sometimes I would like to be free from this fight for personal freedom! What do I mean? well, it is tempting at times to give in to my weaker nature and drop out. Let everything around me fall apart, like it seems to want to anyway. I can dwindle away the hours on Youtube and try and forget about the important things. Then I become a prisoner of my own laziness.
The opposite happens when I push aside my passive tendencies and remember what our great and wonderful Savior Jesus did for us. His obsession was to set everyone free. A part of Him resisted the fight as well, but He overcame. His freedom was found in the Father’s will. He said that doing the will of His Father was like food that nourished Him.
Freedom from myself and my selfish desires is the ultimate goal to me. I will even go so far as to say that God wants you and I to know the freedom that Jesus enjoyed. His joy was in pleasing His Father but also in liberating others from spiritual and physical bondage! He did not travel around telling the sick and the poor to accept their circumstances. He preached to them about the Kingdom of God which is a realm of spiritual and physical freedom! He healed their minds, bodies and their souls. He said those who believed in Him could do these works and even greater.
If we fight to gain total freedom in Christ, this promise could be true for us as well!
Have you ever wondered if there was more to life than working, playing, eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, surviving for the next day? Could there be something else? We can at times get so busy that we never stop to think, or wonder if we are just following everyone else. Is there a reason we are here? Or did we just happen along as an accident of nature? And if nature is guided by some evolutionary principle, why is that so?
The search for meaning is not a new one. A shepherd boy who later became King of ancient Israel had a question for His God. As a shepherd he might have looked up at the night sky many times in amazement. Later he wrote these words which have been preserved for later generations as the eighth Psalm in the bible.
Psalm 8:1
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:3-4
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
NIV
David was not one to think that the universe was an accident or that it came about by chance. He quite naturally wondered why, not just why the universe existed, but why humans inhabited it. In his lifetime he had come to believe in a Creator God, who thought of him and cared for him. His relationship with his God was a personal one. It was so strong that even as a boy he could face a 9 foot tall warrior with his sling shot. His trust was not in his skill however. He believed the God that he and his fellow Israelites worshipped would stand with him to the victory!
If we were honest with ourselves, I believe we would admit that we know down deep that there is more to life than many of us realize. Jesus made famous this basic principle: We are here to love the Lord our Creator and God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. I used to think that was simple and practical. Eventually I learned that God really wants to connect with us in a powerful way that actually empowers us to love. This love is supernatural. It restores us to our original purpose of bearing God’s image and bringing glory to His Name!
Every Christmas I like to share this song that was written and performed by some friends, Larry and Dana Berry, and Larry Hakala. The music was recorded in my home studio and the video was produced by our friend in Christ, Roger Legg. Enjoy!
My generation came after the end of world war 2 and during the end of the US involvement in the Korean Conflict. After Korea there was generally a time of peace and prosperity in America. We had emerged from this period as a major world power. Later when the government began sending our young men to fight in Vietnam, many in our generation did not see our involvement there as justified. By the late 60’s antiwar protests began along with the equal rights movement.
As a teenager I was impacted by the hippie movement that spread from California to my area in the Midwest. Peace, Love and Freedom were major themes of that time in the hearts and minds of many of us. Songs were written and played on the radio about “A New World Coming.” The Beatles sang on the first world-wide satellite broadcast, “All You Need Is Love.” The time was ripe to question the value of killing one another with the ever increasing effectiveness of modern technology. This was not the first time in history when people became sick of war, but this movement definitely gained greater momentum than those before it.
Sixty years later the dream of a new world full of peace, joy and love has been all but forgotten. Conflict persists among nations, races, cultures, religions, neighborhoods and families. War did not seem to make sense in the 60’s and it still does not make sense today. How can the human race continue to fight in its inherent inclination for self interest but not see that this tendency actually leads to its own self destruction?
Can peace loving people do anything to change this situation?
Well, in my opinion the first thing we must do is to reject the despair that creeps in as we consider these issues. Our God is a god of hope, not despair. (Romans 15:13) In the preceding chapters we have looked at the amazing and important connections between the Hebrew bible, which Christians call the Old Testament, and our New Testament. The Old Testament tells the story of the children of Abraham, who settled in a land to be called Israel. It also tells of the future of the entire world, and how the nations who did not descend from Abraham in a physical sense will later be connected to this same family. This will come about by the life, the ministry, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a native of that land.
You may have heard of the greeting used by Jewish people even today. I was told as a boy that “shalom” meant both “hello” and “goodbye” in Hebrew. It is used in a similar way that we say “hello” and “goodbye” today, but the word in Hebrew is literally “peace.” “Shalom” is a way of pronouncing a blessing of health, happiness, safety, prosperity and peace to a friend in both meeting and parting. It is about much more than just the absence of war. It harkens back to the time before sin entered into the world, before paradise was lost. In the garden, Adam and Eve were at peace with God, with one another and with nature. There was no death, no disease, no war.
Outside of the garden, it was only a matter of time until war broke out. Their first born son killed his own brother, and violence continued to increase from that point forward. In the New Testament letter from James, he asks this question:
James 4:1-3
4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
NIV
The peace that God promises is one that includes health, happiness, safety and prosperity, but it is a peace that first must begin in the heart. The real source of war is in our struggles for things other than God Himself. Only He can satisfy our most basic needs. Our separation from Him and our resistance to Him will always result in discontent. The Beatles were right when they said all you need is love. Sadly, this knowledge did not save them from the conflict that broke them up. Jesus Christ came to repair the breach between God and humanity. He accomplished this by absorbing all of our sins and putting an end to them on the Cross. Those who trust in His sacrifice for us and trust Him with our lives can take part in that promised peace. Being reconciled to God they also gain the capacity to love in a way that is beyond normal, selfish human love.
The enemy who started the trouble long ago was defeated by Christ on the Cross. Unfortunately he does not seem to realize this and sometimes we do not realize it as well. He continues to mislead people into doubting God and His love for us. He manages to pit us against one another instead of facing our own inner failures. When we do see our own failures he tries to press us into despair instead of trusting in God to heal us and empower us toward victory.
God has provided for us a full suit of armor that we absolutely must utilize in Christ’s victory. We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! We must stand in the Truth, covered with His righteousness, walking in the Good News of peace with God, protected by the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, holding in hand the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Finally it is prayer in the Spirit for one another that holds us together and strong! (Ephesians 6:10-19)
In this current age, many seek to gain peace through compromise. This could be due to a sense of insecurity. With God on our side and within us we are secure. We have nothing to prove and no one to please but Him. His love is one that keeps us in the midst of misunderstanding and disagreement. He loved us when we were His enemies, and He challenges us to love our enemies! How can this be? It is impossible for us, but all things are possible with God!
Jesus gave us a peace that the world could never give. Now He wants to make of us peacemakers, who will be identified as the very children of God! The Peace on earth that was announced at the birth of Jesus begins in us, but it does not end there! In these writings I hope to inspire to you a great vision and a great hope based on the Word of God! Will you participate in it?
Micah 4:3-4:
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the LORD Almighty has spoken.
NIV
A vision of this time that lays ahead of us can and should embolden us in His purpose for us. We are designed by God to be the makers of peace and the light of the world. (Matthew 5:9, 14) Will we answer the call? Will we give ourselves to it?
Paul wrote about this mission in his letter to the Philippians chapter 2, verses 12-16.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
NASB
Amen!
It is time that we quit embracing our failures and begin to take hold of our victory in Christ! Lord I believe but help me overcome my unbelief!
Have you ever had a moment when you became overwhelmed with a greater awareness of the pure Love of God?
In the mid nineteen seventies, I was experiencing a wonderful renewal of my faith. In fact, it was so wonderful that none of the painful circumstances of that time discouraged me. I was also greatly blessed by believing members of my family and the people of the little country church that surrounded me with love and enthusiasm for our Lord! We were mostly at the bottom of the economic ladder but on top of the world with the joy of the Lord! I felt as though nothing could stop this movement of the Holy Spirit, and had already seen great miracles in the lives of those who loved Jesus.
Little consideration was given in my mind at the time of another force that was also actively at work but against us. Subtle efforts were often made by our adversary to discourage us, and sometimes humiliate us. Even some of our fellow Christians attempted to dampen our joy with prophecies of doom and gloom. We have seen many healings and miracles, but we have also seen those we love fail in health and even die at a young age. We have seen individuals rise to heights of faith and victory but later to fall into sin, bitterness, addiction and poverty. However the presence of Christ has never left us and the vision of a brighter future has kept us alive in our faith.
If I let my thoughts drift very long from the powerful word of God that He Himself has instilled in my heart, I begin to feel as if I can hear the enemy laughing and mocking me for believing the things that I have expressed here. Recently I was reminded of the weakness of short-term thinking. In our modern world we want everything now. All of my life I have been told that the coming of Christ is very near, and only then will we see things change. For now our part is simply to wait for that day to come. What do you suppose the devil thinks about that concept? I suspect he is pleased with our inactivity and complacency. It amounts to a sort of truce between us and him that he is not obligated to honor. I am not saying that those who hold this view stop praying and serving Christ. But I do expect that their expectation is lower than the Lord would have it to be.
Think of it! Jesus declared that we could have mountain moving faith! He even said that all things were possible if we could only believe! Could it be that the limit of what God can and will do is only in our minds?
In the past few years we have seen many signs that our society is in serious trouble. Christian values are constantly under attack, which in turn affects all families. The believing community is the salt of the earth and the light of the world. When we become hopeless and disillusioned, how can we inspire hope in others? Lately I am realizing that my fight is not so much with the world but with my own despair. Defeatist attitudes among Christians do not help either. There are far too many who have given up on fulfilling the purpose of God for their lives to light up the world. Their hope is only in an escape from it. There are also those who would rather join the world in the current downward spiral and indulge in the many pleasures (and pain) it has to offer. Both These are paths that offer the least resistance to our human nature.
Jesus called His disciples to courage and sacrifice. He challenged both religious and secular leaders to face the immanent rule of God over all. He proved that none of us have what it takes to overcome sin and death but also that we can do just that by holding on to Him.
Over time a deep pessimism has crept into our hearts, our churches and especially our biblical understanding. As much as I try to dance around this issue, I am forced after all to face it head on. Yes there are dire predictions in the scripture about the fate of humanity. Yes, Jesus Himself said there would be great trouble such as the world had never known. We already know that the past 2,000 years have been filled with godlessness, apostasy, plagues wiping out large portions of the population and wars killing even more. Today technology has provided the means to wipe out every living thing on the planet. It is a major miracle that we are all still here now. But that is my point. The world and its history belongs to God. It is the miracle of faith in Him that preserves our hope.
This hope involves eternity with Him in another dimension of course. But it also involves this material creation which He created for His pleasure and His glory. We neglect the ancient passages of scripture to our detriment. The great New Testament story and those who preserved that story for us were deeply indebted to those who had gone before. Their faith could be strong because they witnessed the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies with their very own eyes. They also knew there was more to come. At this point I would like to plead with those of you who have come this far in our journey through the history of our faith. I am confident that if you can continue walking with us through this sweeping panoramic view of God’s eternal purpose, that this undying hope can stir your hearts to a fresh vision of His work in this very hour and in this very existence!
If like me, you desire to fully live in the moment as did the early Christians, you must first believe that this is even possible. These followers of Christ only had their Hebrew bible and the stories of their heroes of faith to look back upon. We have both the experiences of those who lived before Christ appeared and those who came afterward. If they could embrace the faith and miracle-working power of the older days, we might find we can embrace the lessons of both eras. Certainly those ancient believers can make us a bit uncomfortable as they were much less “civilized” than we think we are today. In some cases they seem even barbaric to us. Yet that very discomfort might be just what we need today in modern Christianity.
My hat goes off to the many pastors and teachers today who pray and exhort other believers to help fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. I am all for that! It is in fact, my belief that a greater understanding of what God has done and plans to do through us now can help empower us to find our place in that great mission! However when we only have short term thinking and look for quick fixes we can get easily discouraged and disillusioned. What God began with Adam and Eve He continued in the lives of untold millions after them. Four thousand years of preparation led up to the “fullness of time” when Jesus came preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God. God is patient and not running out of time to work out His plan. (2 Peter 3:9). My hope is to live to see the greatest turning to God that has ever happened in history. Yet, I can live and work in the expectancy of it today. Because of the Word of God that cannot fail, I can already see it, even if it is several lifetimes away!
May God shake us free from our complacency and apathy! What ever it takes! There is an adventure, a quest that is already underway for you and I to join! Underneath the decay and decline of society we see all around us, there is an undercurrent of faith and hope bubbling up. It is the Holy Spirit stirring hearts to believe in the impossible for the glory of God. The Gospel of the Kingdom is going out into all the world even now. It is the Good News of Jesus Christ and His reign over all, that begins in the hearts of you and I!
Proverbs 4:17-18:
17 For they (evil men) eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.
From around the world, and in ages past, philosophers and thinkers have yearned for something they hoped was once real — that could be real again.
From around the world, and in ages past, philosophers and thinkers have yearned for something they hoped was once real — that could be real again.
Did you get that? We can be transformed into the image of Christ, who is the express image of the invisible God!
Did you get that? We can be transformed into the image of Christ, who is the express image of the invisible God!
When Abraham set out with his wife to find the home God had planned for him, his faith was expressed. But after his son came into the world, his faith would be tested.
When Abraham set out with his wife to find the home God had planned for him, his faith was expressed. But after his son came into the world, his faith would be tested.
Over the last 2,000 years the church of Jesus Christ has seen periods of explosive growth, as well as times when it appeared that all was lost.
Should we base our faith concerning the future God has planned upon what we hear from the news media, or upon what God has promised in His Word? Should we interpret the scriptures based upon events observed in the secular world, or in the realm where we truly find life -- the Kingdom of Heaven?
Those who have come to cherish the free and unrestrained relationship with Jesus have something that no one can take from them! Not only that, but they have something within them that they can freely share with others.
Those who have come to cherish the free and unrestrained relationship with Jesus have something that no one can take from them! Not only that, but they have something within them that they can freely share with others.
If we can keep in mind that God has not forgotten His original intention for humanity, if we also keep in mind that He cannot fail, then it might become easier to see how His plan continued to move forward in Genesis.
If we can keep in mind that God has not forgotten His original intention for humanity, if we also keep in mind that He cannot fail, then it might become easier to see how His plan continued to move forward in Genesis. Immediately after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, He informed them of the consequences of their sin. Life would be much harder than before. At the same time He also gave them a promise of the future victory. The promise is in cryptic form. In case you haven’t already noticed, many phrases in the bible are in a literary form that uses symbols or word pictures to convey an idea or a message. The serpent who tempted and deceived Eve in many places in the bible is representative of the devil or Satan, our adversary. God promised that while the serpent would bruise the heal of Eve’s descendent, her descendent would bruise his head. (Genesis 3:13-19) The meaning of this, while encouraging at the time, would not be fully understood until four thousand years later. Jesus, who was born of a woman was put to death by the prompting of the devil. In this process He ultimately defeated death and the devil by His resurrection from the grave! In His death on the cross He paid the penalty for all our sins, and in His resurrection He triumphed over sin, death and the devil! In ancient times the battle was won when the victor pressed his foot on the head of his enemy. We will go into that more later, but for now we will continue to ask that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to see every promise and fulfillment we have in Christ!
There is another important promise in Genesis. We have already mentioned the patriarch Abraham, who was first known as Abram. After God called him out from his familiar surroundings, to a land that He would provide, He gave him a wonderful promise.
Genesis 12:1-3:
1 Now the LORD said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. “
NASB
Later God also promised to make Abraham’s descendants as many as the stars of the heaven and the sands of the seashore! (Genesis 13:16)
In the New Testament it becomes evident how this promise is literally being fulfilled even today! The biblical scholar Paul the apostle of Christ explained how God’s plan all along was not only to bless the natural children of Abraham (the Jews), but all the families of the earth as well. The natural and faith-filled descendants would be a source of blessing but one in particular, Jesus the Messiah would be the door to open for all of us the entrance into the family of faith! (Galatians 3:14)
Galatians 3:6-9:
6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
NASB
On the cross Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of humanity, both Jews and gentiles. In this way He has reconciled us all to God, both Jews and gentiles, making us all one, but only as we place our faith and trust in Him as did our father Abraham! The faith seen in Abraham was not simply a matter of agreement or intellectual assent. It was an active faith that was literally shown in his willingness to leave his past behind in search of God’s will for him, his wife and those dependent upon him. (Hebrews 11:8-16) In this life change is inevitable. The challenge is to trust God when He leads us into a change He has planned. Our faith is one that moves us to action, to often leave our comfort zones. This is part of what makes the Christian life a faith-filled adventure. At this very moment we might have our own plans for school, work, marriage, a place to live etc., but what are His plans for us? Are we open to finding the area of service where we can share that blessing that has come down to us through Abraham?
In these pages we hope to show how every act of faith in God, however small can contribute to His eternal purpose of blessing all the families of the earth, all the nations. How often have we been robbed of our supernatural joy, and of living that abundant life in Christ simply because of distractions from His purpose? Is the Christian life only about resisting sin? How much do you suppose that taking the time to focus on Him, worshipping Him, becoming preoccupied with His purpose, of serving others in response to Him — how much could these things become the means to overcoming temptation to sin?
Paul wrote that the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:3) Years ago I heard this helpful analogy: The law of sin and death is like the physical law of gravity. It pulls us down. It is also constant and never takes a break, so to speak. “What goes up, must come down” according to the law of gravity. However there are other laws of physics that have been discovered. Birds can fly and airplanes also because of the laws of aerodynamics. Gravity is still at work, but because of these other laws, large, heavy planes can be lifted upward from the ground. Of course even the birds must come down out of the sky eventually. Eagles have greater wingspans and the ability to catch the air currents that can carry them higher and with less effort than other birds. Likewise rockets that are powerful enough to escape the earth’s atmosphere can enter into areas where the earth’s gravity is much less than where we stand now.
We should never make light of the law of sin and death. At the same time we should not diminish the power of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus! Not only has God given the Holy Spirit to live within those who trust in Him, but He has also made it possible for us to live in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit! Paul encourages us to walk in the Spirit, so that we will not fulfill the desires of the old sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16) In fact we can even count the sinful nature dead because we are now alive in Christ! (Romans 6:11) By seeking God, hearing His Word, following His leading, loving and serving others, praising Him, pursuing what is good, allowing the Holy Spirit to dominate our thoughts and feelings, we can gradually be lifted upward from the lower realms of living. Things that once dominated our thinking become weaker. Even painful memories will become faint, and thoughts of your glorious future will take their place.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews stated that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were looking for a city that had foundations, whose builder and maker was God. (Hebrews 11:9-16) They were focused on the promises of God. The city they sought was a heavenly one. It was the same city that John the Revelator saw coming down from God out of heaven to earth! (Revelations 21:2-3) Did they fully comprehend all of what this meant? I doubt it. Even Paul declared:
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-11 NASB).
So again we realize that the revelation of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to become encouraged, comforted, and even motivated by things we can only understand by faith.
The Household of God
So we can now see part of what John the Baptist meant when he said that the time is fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God was at hand. We are living in the reality of the fact today, that Christ has joined believing Jews and gentiles into one body, from many nations, races and cultures. All the families and nations of the earth can be blessed because of Abraham and his descendants. As we look around us it should be plain that we still have a long way to go, but this should not discourage us! Think of what is yet ahead, and that we can still be a part of it! It is sad to me that so many Christians are not interested in history. They only want to know what is going on today, in their lifetime. This is a very narrow and self-centered attitude. Not only that, ignorance of the past can prevent us from seeing God’s trajectory. What I mean is, that we need to see not only how far we need to go, but also how far we have come as the one family in God that we are. The early Christians believed that there was a connection between them and those that came before. They also believed that they were connected to believers in the future. In fact many understood that their death from persecution for Christ paved the way for many others, thousands and even millions to come into this kingdom, this family of God! History would show that their belief was true and proven in the early centuries of Christianity.
We all have the priority of our immediate family when it comes to our responsibility. That is only right. However, it is a wonderful and even powerful thing to realize that you are part of something greater, encompassing all the world and all of the ages! This family of God is an eternal one! It is central to the purpose for which all of time exists! (Ephesians 3:19) What would you be willing to offer to see the purpose of our eternal family fulfilled? Perhaps you are already serving in your full capacity in the Kingdom. If so, I desire to light a fire in you by the word of God so that your joy will be full and overflowing in it!
In the New Testament we learn a lot about the importance of faith. It is by grace that we are saved, through faith, and not that of ourselves – it is the gift of God, not by works lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9). The crux of Jesus’ preaching was to repent and believe the Good News of the Kingdom of God. We are also told that faith comes by hearing, hearing this message from God. The apostle John wrote his entire account for one purpose. His hope was that it would encourage the reader to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and thereby to find life in His Name (John 20:31). Elsewhere we learn that faith was an important factor in the lives of many Old Testament characters as well (Hebrews 11:1-40).
Many if not most of you reading this already believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and also believe that you have eternal life in Him. I certainly hope that this is no small matter to you! You have heard about Jesus, His teachings, His life, His death on the cross, His resurrection, His ascension and the promise of His return. As you have embraced all the above your life has been already enriched. You have eternal life in you even now! It is my hope that we who believe in Jesus will continue on this path and grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him.
The tried and true way to do this is daily fellowship with Him and His people and to let His Word dwell deeply within us. For me, reading and studying the Bible is very important but not enough. I am compelled to share what I have learned, and I find great satisfaction, pleasure and joy in doing so! I am amazed when I hear pastors and preachers speak of the opportunity to preach and teach the Word of God as if it is a chore. Try this for yourself: listen to good Bible teaching, or read something that inspires you, or find something in your own reading of the Bible that encouraged you. Then share it with someone as the opportunity arises. What was the result? Perhaps the listener was bored or did not get it. Perhaps they were even annoyed at you. Forget that. What was it like when it came forth from your lips? Did it not revive that original encouragement that you received when you first learned it? Was it maybe even better when sharing it? Did you feel the very presence of Christ at that moment? Was it a chore to you?!
Of course there is more to it than simply sharing it. we need to walk it out in our daily lives. But I have found that there is a blessing in this sharing that actually helps and empowers us to walk it out, to become not only hearers, also but doers of the Word.
The Original Blessing
Many will testify to the way their faith in God has grown by learning more of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. In order to have a greater understanding of the New Testament I have found that knowledge of the Old Testament is critical. A respected teacher from early times put it this way, “In the Old Testament Christ is concealed, In the New Testament Christ is revealed.” When we begin to see what that means, the Bible opens up, and becomes more than a collection of various authors from various times and places, on various themes. We can begin to see that Christ is the central theme of the bible. As He did with his friends who walked with Him on the road to Emmaus, Jesus will open our understanding of all things written in the law, the prophets and the psalms concerning Him!
As far back as the very first chapter in the Bible, we can see Christ on the scene, not as a man of flesh of course, but in His pre-incarnate state as the living and creative Word of God!
Genesis 1:1-3:
1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (KJV)
The Lord Jesus Christ is actually hidden here until we come to the New Testament and the Gospel according to John, who writes:
John 1:1-4:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (KJV)
In verse 14 it becomes plain who truly is “The Word of God.”
John 1:14:
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (KJV)
Consider also the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, who introduced his letter with these words:
Hebrews 1:1-2:
1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
(NASB)
The apostle Paul also agreed concerning Jesus, the Christ:
Colossians 1:15-18:
15 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
(NASB)
Christians all around the world confess that the Almighty Creator of the universe is God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, three in one. Here we see that the very earliest believers acknowledged that Jesus existed in the beginning and took part in the creation of all things. Yes He was fully revealed in the Incarnation but even before then, before all time He existed equally and eternally in the Godhead. This is a great mystery which by faith we understand. This is not blind faith, but a powerful inward conviction that lifts us upward above our material existence to see as the eyes of our understanding are opened by God Himself!
It is commonly agreed among Christians that we as human beings in the beginning were created in God’s image. After He created humans He blessed them and and directed them to be fruitful, and to multiply, replenishing the earth and taking dominion over it. (Genesis 1:26-28) At the same time we also learn from both Genesis and the experience of life itself that something went wrong long ago. Sin entered in and death was the result of it. The remainder of the Old Testament is the story of the terrible consequences of what has been called the fall of humanity. Murder, disease, war, theft and all manner of violations have been committed against humans and against the God Who made them. The other side of the coin is that the Old Testament is also filled with promises of a better time, in which we will be restored to our former state of peace and harmony.
Since Christ died on the Cross for us and rose again for our justification we can look back upon the many promises and how they have been fulfilled in Christ. For many centuries the focus has been on our fall and Christ’s redeeming us. Could it be possible that there might be more for us to understand? We know about Original Sin, but have we considered God’s Original Blessing? Could this be the time for another Copernican Revolution, another paradigm shift? Have we been too focused on our situation – our fall – our sin – our need for redemption and Christ’s redeeming us? How about God’s ultimate desire, His plan from the beginning, His Original Blessing?
Is our great Almighty God, Savior and King, who created all things, able to accomplish His plan to fill the earth with bearers of His image? Is the devil that He created too powerful for Him, or is our failure as humans to believe His Word a problem for Him? Of course not! In fact I believe strongly that He is calling on people like you and me today to catch a glimpse of this greater purpose. We can begin to see that throughout the ages He has continued to work out His plan in the earth. It came to a climax when Jesus first appeared but is continuing to build until all of the universe will be shaken by His wonderful and holy reality!
As we trace the thread of redemption through the Old Testament we can see the unfolding of God’s plan to restore His Creation to it’s former glory. When we work through the promises of God and their fulfillment, the New Testament becomes even more wonderful to us! Think about this for a moment: many religions and belief systems promise a great reward beyond the blue, but how many hold forth the proposition that something beyond our imaginations can actually be worked out in God’s own creation? Yes, evil and sin entered into humanity and marred the image of God that He created, but nothing has taken Him by surprise!
How big is your God? Is He not able to do what no great religious or political leader has ever accomplished? Is the Prince of Peace truly able to bring peace to the earth He created? Is He not able to answer the prayer that He Himself taught us to pray, that His Kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven? In the opening verses of the bible we are just beginning to see His plan, but as we patiently and carefully proceed through its pages, the picture will become brighter and clearer to us. Then with the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament we can see the explosion of light and life that is really there!
In spite of the tragic and horrible failures of each of our biblical heroes, God has relentlessly shown in them glimpses of the human beings portrayed in Genesis 1:26, who were destined to fully reveal the nature of their heavenly Father to all creation. In history, only Jesus of Nazareth completely bore the image of God, and yet God has planned from the beginning that He would have a family of sons and daughters to share that image in all of His glory. It is of great importance and a great inspiration that we who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus can even now begin to see God’s eternal purpose for us. Not only can He and He alone deliver us from the pit of sin and despair that we have found ourselves in, but He alone also has the great desire to lift us up to His original intention for humanity!
If we could just for a moment set aside what we hope God will do to please us, we could possibly get really excited about what He plans to do for His own pleasure. Think about it! We as poor minute beings actually are destined to bring pleasure to God. This is why we are here, and this is the privilege He has offered those who believe in and receive Him. Make no mistake. Giving pleasure to Him is without doubt the greatest pleasure a created being can know!
This is the original blessing!
A fascinating story is found in 2 Kings chapter 6. At this time the King of Aram was plotting against Israel, but several times his plot was thwarted. He began to suspect a traitor in his midst that was warning the King of Israel of his plans. what was really happening was this: Elisha the prophet was the leak! Somehow he knew by a supernatural word of knowledge what plans the king of Aram were making in his private room, and passed them on to the king of Israel. When the king of Aram learned of this he sent horses and chariots and a great army to surround the city where Elisha lodged.
What followed is recorded in 2 Kings 6:15-17:
15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, ” Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, ” O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
NASU
The victory was theirs all along, and Elisha knew it. Gehazi his attendant was afraid until his spiritual eyes were open to see that he was on the winning side!
Most Christians readily confess that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). At the same time we are told that we do not walk in darkness but in the light (1 John 1:7). We are to be children of the day who are not ignorant of what is going on now or what lies ahead (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8). This requires a different kind of sight. The prophets of old were called “seers” not because they had 20/20 eyesight but because they could see what was happening in the spiritual realm. Many important visions given to them were for the purpose of teaching them but also later generations. So we have the scriptures, which were written down by men who were prompted, inspired by the Holy Spirit as they wrote them. Does God give people visions today? Well, in the New Testament, and after Christ was crucified, resurrected and ascended, people were still receiving visions from God. The promised gift of the Holy spirit through which these came was also given to succeeding generations, including our generation (Acts 2:39).
At the same time I believe true prophets of God are very rare these days. What we need are those who have received and understood what those before us have given. Peter said that some of the words of the ancient prophets were not so much for them to understand, but for us (1 Peter 1:12). We are to be people with spiritual vision, able to see by the Spirit, and hear what the Spirit is saying to His people. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to resonate with the same Spirit that was in the prophets and in those who wrote down scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21). This requires great humility on our part, and faith that God will open our understanding. Like Elisha’s servant we need our eyes open to see that the situation is not as grave as what our natural minds would think. While great evil does exist 2,000 years after Christ announced the Kingdom was at hand, great and wonderful things have been happening all along as well. Only those with spiritual sight and hearing are aware of these great and beautiful things! They have been born again in order that they can see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).
There is a great controversy, even among believing Christians concerning the bible these days. scholarship has shown many things concerning the means by which the bible has been handed down to us today. Archeology and research into the history of ancient times has in a sense “demystified” the bible. It is more often being interpreted as a social phenomena and important only in the way it has influenced culture throughout history. Well, I have to say first of all that I am a product of modern times as much as anyone else. I have had my own doubts about Christianity and the authority of the bible in my lifetime as well. I would not insist on anyone believing that the bible is from God just because I believe it is. However, I also believe that if a fair hearing is allowed, as I have allowed, from a chosen of God teacher who knows Him, the evidence will be overwhelming that God has authored it.
It has been my experience, that once a person’s eyes have been opened, they can never be the same. The resistance from our old nature will not necessarily end fully, but if faith is nurtured, it will grow. For myself, the more I have learned from the bible, the more I am convinced that it contains the truth of God that I need to help me live. In reality, the more I understand about the background behind the story, the more powerful it becomes to me.
Paul describes a situation where many people studied the Hebrew bible, before it was called the Old Testament and before the New Testament was written. Their minds were closed to the things it contained about Jesus. Their traditional interpretations would not allow them to accept that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Before we pass judgment, we must put ourselves in their place. They were expecting a great leader who would crush Rome and restore the throne in Jerusalem to a descendent of David. In fact, their strict observance to the law of Moses, as interpreted by their greater rabbis was in the hopes to ready themselves and the people for their messiah. Jesus of Nazareth did not accomplish their deliverance, at least not in the way they expected.
However, many of those less educated, less scholarly, less respected among the community did believe in Jesus. Down in their hearts they knew He was revealing the true God to them. Maybe they could not explain everything, but they believed and followed Him. There were some of the more educated who began to believe as well. Once their traditional beliefs were like a veil over their minds when they read the scriptures. All they could see were laws and rituals. They missed the parts about the relationship God wanted with His people. Perhaps when they saw the miracles of compassion, the overwhelming kindness and love he displayed, their hearts became warm. Paul wrote that this veil would be taken away from their minds when their hearts turned to the Lord. Now they could begin to see how the Lord and His life is hidden between the lines as we might say in the pages of scripture (2 Corinthians 3:13-18). That very revelation of Christ in the scriptures is transformative! We can progressively be transformed into His likeness in it!
The Psalmist proclaims in Psalms 119:18:
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
(NASU)
This one understood the need to have his spiritual eyes opened.
After His resurrection, Jesus met up with some of His followers on the road to Emmaus. Somehow He concealed Himself from them so that they thought He was a stranger to Jerusalem. They were obviously confused at what had been transpiring, and filled with doubts. At some point in the conversation He made this challenge to them:
Luke 24:25-27:
25 “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 ” Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
(NASB)
Later at the end of the journey He consented to stay with them a while.
Luke 24:29-35:
29 So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, ” Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, ” The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
(NASB)
In a later gathering after He demonstrated that He was not a ghost, but in a real body, we read:
Luke 24:44-49:
44 Now He said to them, ” These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, ” Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 “You are witnesses of these things.
NASU
First of all, notice the importance Jesus placed upon knowing what Moses and the prophets and psalmists wrote concerning Him. Then notice how they recollected the fact that their hearts burned within them while He spoke with them and explained the scriptures to them. Finally notice how He opened their minds to understand the scriptures so they could convey this wonderful gospel to others.
This is the process by which 2,000 years later people still believe in, love, and have hope in Jesus. It is more than an intellectual exercise, but an understanding of the scriptures that can change a life! Those who yet hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled, as the very same Holy Spirit that inspired the scriptures and opened the eyes of Gehazi, the disciples of Jesus, Paul and countless others can open their eyes as well!
What I described to you in chapter one was a major change in perspective for me. This is sometimes known as a paradigm shift. My favorite example of a paradigm shift is found in the story of Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolaus Copernicus was a 16th century mathematician and astronomer who proposed a model of the universe which was very different than the one accepted in his day. For many generations, scientists believed that the earth was the center of the universe, and that the sun, moon, planets and stars revolved around the earth. This system was known as the Ptolemaic system. An interesting point here is that the planets in our solar system had irregular patterns that did not fit in with the rest. We call them “planets,” based on a Greek word for “wanderers” because they were thought to be wandering stars.
Copernicus came up with a system which developed into the one we understand today. The earth is not the center of the universe. In fact it is just one of several planets that revolve around the sun, which is closer to us than all of the other stars. Over one hundred years later this system eventually replaced the Ptolemaic system and would result in a total rethinking of the laws of physics. But what does this have to do with understanding the Kingdom of God? First of all, it shows how dramatic and world changing a paradigm shift can be. When the theory of Copernicus was finally proven to be correct, great and intelligent minds were found to be wrong in their beliefs about the universe. On a practical level, most of the technology we take for granted today would not be possible under the old understanding of reality. The old understanding was holding back scientific progress.
On a personal level, those many years ago I began to see a new reality in the Kingdom of God. No longer would I think of myself as the center of the universe, since my ideas were proven to be very foolish indeed. The closer that I moved in my thinking to be in orbit around God, His will, His purpose and His Kingdom, the clearer my view of reality became! Now I cannot begin to say how difficult that time was for me, and I am finding that this change is equally difficult for many Christians around the world!
Many of us have grown up with mistaken views of the Kingdom of God. These views often become a wall which blocks our minds from hearing or receiving anything more that God would have us hear and receive. In the last book of the bible, the Revelation, Jesus exhorted believers to have “an ear to hear what the Spirit speaks to the church.” How often do we view our church, our theological point of view as the center of everything? Jesus had a much bigger picture in mind. His entire ministry was about the Good News of the Kingdom of God and how to live in it.
Some of the things you find in this writing will in fact challenge the beliefs of many great and intelligent teachers and leaders in the church. Like those before Copernicus they innocently formed their ideas and thinking around long held traditions that seem to work for them. When the time comes to move forward in the purposes of God some traditions have lost their value and in fact stand in the way of greater victories in Christ. All I am asking is that together we look more seriously to the teachings of Jesus to see how He might want to change us! Is our focus on the Kingdom of God? Is His Kingdom our first priority? Or are our own little kingdoms more important to us? Jesus said that we would know the truth, and that the truth would make us free. I want to be free from myself, my limitations, my fears and failures. It is my belief that the truth of God’s word can definitely make us free from any tradition, false belief, doubt, sin, or anything that hinders us from the good, pleasing and perfect will of our great God!
The Time Is At Hand
Some scholars believe that Mark’s Gospel was written before those by Matthew, Luke and John. What I love about Mark’s Gospel is his direct to the point approach. He begins by showing how the Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of a man who would call the people to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Then he shows how a man named John was fulfilling these prophecies. John called the people to repentance and baptized them in the Jordan River. He also told them of the greater one to come who would baptize (immerse) them in the Holy Ghost and fire!
Mark then describes how Jesus came to be baptized by John after which “He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10-11) Right after that Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days. This last event did not appear in Matthew and Luke’s gospels until the fourth chapter, so you get the sense of how compressed events are sometimes in Mark’s gospel.
Now we come to Mark chapter one, verses 14 and 15:
“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
(NASB)
So according to Mark, this Gospel, or Good News from God is, that the time is fulfilled, that the Kingdom of God is at hand, or near, that people should repent, change their thinking and believe in His Good News. So we might wonder, what is so good about this good news? Why would the people respond to this good news when they heard it, and what was the time that had come to be fulfilled? Sometimes we forget the context into which this news first came. First Century Jews in Israel and many parts of the world had been prepared for this time by the words of their prophets over the centuries.
The heart of their story began with their ancestor Abram and the promise God had made to Him when He called him to leave his home for Canaan. (Genesis 12:1-5) 75 year old Abram and his 65 year old wife Sarai had no children. God promised them that He would bless them and make of them a great nation through which all the families of the earth would be blessed! According to Paul the apostle of Christ, this was an early expression of the Gospel to which he referred in Galatians 3:8. So Abram, whose name means “exalted father,” was changed to Abraham, which means “father of a multitude,” and Sarai would be called Sarah, or “princess” indicating the blessing that was conferred upon them. The source of this blessing and the object of their trust was their God.
As the centuries passed, they did greatly multiply in number, but only as slaves in Egypt. The story of God raising up Moses to perform great miracles and leading them out of Egypt became branded in their collective memory. Moses became the pattern for other deliverers to follow. The descendants of Abraham were prone to forget the great God Who was Himself their Savior, and this too often made them vulnerable to their enemies. When they cried out to the Lord, He would rescue them again and again. But even as far back as Moses, there was a sense that another final deliverer would come to not only save them from their earthly enemies, but from the sin which was always the cause of their downfall.
The priests and kings of Israel were anointed with oil when placed into their offices, indicating that the Holy Spirit of God was upon them to empower them. In the history of Israel, an individual Holy One, an “anointed One” was long anticipated by many. This one would lead them into a golden age by which the promises to Abraham would all be fulfilled. The Hebrew word for anointed one, “messiah” became the title which in English has become synonymous with the idea of a charismatic leader who could inspire hope in his people. When the New Testament was written in First Century Greek, the Greek word for “anointed One” was “Christos.” This might cause some confusion. Jesus was declared to be “The Christ,” but in some English translations it appears that Christ is His last name or His family name. Other more helpful translations identify Him as Jesus, the Christ, and others as Jesus, the Messiah. This time, it would not be physical olive oil poured upon His head to signify His office, but the sign of the living Spirit of God descending upon Him like a gentle dove, and empowering Him to perform mighty miracles! No other one before Him would hear a voice from heaven, saying, “this is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased!”
John the Baptist was himself a charismatic figure who had no difficulty in drawing attention to his message. After all, he was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb! The prophets of old times had placed hope in the hearts of the people for generations and John was able to ignite that hope with the announcement that the kingdom of God was near. Even his call to repentance did not drive them away. The fire of his passion and his forthright speech only affirmed his position as a true prophet of God. Some even speculated that he might be the Messiah. This he emphatically denied. (Luke 3:15-16) John began to arouse the people of this nation to renew their expectation that God would once more free them from their oppressor, this time the Roman Empire. If only they would cry out to God as before and repent of their sins, perhaps He would raise up another Joshua, Gideon or David to deliver them. But John was so clearly and obviously more concerned with their renewed faith, obedience and holiness in their God than in the death of their enemies.
Furthermore, this message had wider implications than just Judea or all of Israel. Abraham was to bless all the families of the earth! The knowledge of the glory of the Lord was to expand outward from this land and to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea! Every tyrant would be brought down and all people would live free under the benevolent God of heaven! Over and over the Spirit of God had revealed through His prophets that His plan was to make this earth a place where righteousness, peace and joy would reign, but first a great crisis must come.
John envisioned an axe being laid to the root of a tree, so there would be no possibility of it returning. To the prophet Daniel it was revealed that the Kingdom of God would be like a single rock that would break into pieces the great ruling powers and become a great mountain that would fill the whole earth! (Daniel 2:34-45) Isaiah foretold of a time when peace would be so pervasive that wolves, leopards, lions and snakes would no longer be feared by little children. (Isaiah 11:6-9) All these images communicate a hope-filled vision for God’s creation that is close to what heaven must be like!
It was difficult then, and it has always been difficult for people to see how the kingdom of God could be already here. That is why we need to look at all that Jesus, His apostles and prophets have said about it. The are many passages of scripture that indicate it is already here, but others indicating that more is yet to come. Too often our inability to see it creates confusion in our minds concerning what Jesus, our Lord and Savior has said. The apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus, and by implication all of us to receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Christ, that the eyes of our understanding would be open to all of what He has already accomplished on our behalf. (Ephesians 1:15-23) In this I will be very bold. It is not my words that I am hoping you will receive and believe, but the words of Jesus Himself. I believe that He is as much interested in helping us believe the truth concerning the Kingdom of God as He is in showing us that our sins can be forgiven and that we can become children of God through faith in Him!
In fact, faith in Him leads to our regeneration, or the new birth, which then enables us to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, a teacher in Israel struggled with this concept. He too needed a paradigm shift! (John 3:3) Is it possible that even in our modern day enlightened understanding of God and salvation, we too might need to have our minds renewed continually in order to fully comprehend it all? Are we even open to the possibility of a greater vision of God’s plan for us and His creation? While I personally am satisfied to know simply that I am His, and that He will always love me, a hunger still exists within me to learn more of Him as much as I am able. My inadequacies do not defeat me because of His grace, but at the same time they motivate me to continue to press on in Him. Then the more I learn of His purposes for His creation, the more I want to be a part of His plan. The more I learn of how He wants to use me, the more energized I become to participate with Him! This could very well be the same for you! You can make a difference in this world that Christ died to save!
Here is a song composed and performed by my good friend, Harold Willison, entitled “Nothing To Compare.”
Dedication
This book is dedicated to anyone who hungers for a greater sense of purpose in life. It seeks to inspire us all to cast off our human limitations and to believe that all things are possible with God. The “all things” we refer to are not foolish and vain possibilities but all things that pertain to the Kingdom of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures. If your desire to move forward and prosper in life by faith has hit a proverbial brick wall, I urge you to refrain from giving up. There is a drive, a fire within you that should not be quenched, but perhaps redirected.
This might sound like a cliche, but it is true: God has a purpose for you in this life. In this purpose you are invincible through Him. It is my hope that a fresh look at God’s glorious Kingdom purposes for this earth will widen your horizon and open your eyes to the significance of your role in them. At this point I must warn you. Some of the limitations we face are actually our own beliefs about God and His purposes. As many of our biblical heroes before us, we must be willing to allow God to change our points of view in certain areas. we are to be continually transformed by the renewing of our minds, “so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Even if a hunger for a greater sense of purpose is not very strong in you, perhaps we could at least encourage you in acquiring a greater desire for God in the Person of Jesus Christ. That is certainly a worthy goal and something in which we should all be fulfilled and blessed. That kind of encouragement would be counted as success from my point of view!
Introduction
Over two thousand years ago, the Son of God appeared to the residents of an insignificant country as the son of a carpenter from an insignificant city. He gathered men and women from various professions and recruited them in His mission of heralding the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. They understood that He was calling them to make great sacrifices, yet it is doubtful they realized how difficult their future would actually be.
In the end they received the courage to follow Him. That courage is greatly responsible for the fact that His Name is known yet today. With the help of God and the power of the Holy Spirit moving in them and in the people they met, they testified in an amazing way that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and Lord of all, as witnesses to His resurrection!
Now the centuries have passed, and the knowledge of Jesus and His story has gone around the world. That knowledge has impacted governments and cultures in ways that cannot fully be measured. Some have misused and abused this knowledge. Others have seen the benefits of His life and message.
In this 21st Century, many are concerned about their future and the future of society in general. Jealousy, envy, rage, war, racial tensions, sexual immorality, drug addiction, murder and crime seem to be on the increase. Faith in Christ, at least statically speaking seems to be decreasing. How should we respond to the many crisis we are facing today?
This book seeks to challenge believers in Christ to greater faith, vision and courage. As a natural born coward myself, I know our only hope is in seeking the source of greater faith, vision and courage — Jesus Christ Himself. I believe by seeking Him, we will also recover a greater, deeper understanding of His message, His mission, and and the hope that it will bring. That message is the Good News of the Kingdom of God! It is a message that is very relevant to the issues of every age!
Thankfully we live in a time when more people are seeking to understand what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God. In this book I will earnestly try to incorporate what I have learned over many years from others and from my own study about the kingdom of God which I believe will embolden your testimony for Christ. Christians in many parts of this modern world are being ignored, ridiculed and often persecuted for their beliefs. Some of this might be their own fault, of course, but Christ Himself warned that we would face opposition for His sake. The many kinds of opposition are not all going to be detailed here, but the basic and fundamental elements of our struggle will be recognized.
The goal here is victorious faith in Christ, the very kind of faith that was seen in the first Christians! Have you ever wondered how they endured persecution and torture for their faith, when most of us recoil from the slightest insult? Have you considered how our petty squabbles among ourselves as believers can work against an effective witness for Christ to the world? Or how about this? Have you ever had the nagging feeling that you were created for more than mere existence? Most of us believe that there is a glorious future in eternity with Christ, but what about our lives today? Can they have more meaning and purpose and bring more glory to God right here on earth? Isn’t that how Jesus taught us to pray, for the will of God to be done on earth as it is done in heaven?
Writing this book is part of what I need to do in response to my concerns in these days for my family, my city, my country, our world, but mostly in response to my Lord Jesus Christ, who called me to Himself and revealed His glorious Kingdom to me. It is the result of my lifes work, my legacy, which I pray will come to the benefit of as many as possible!
Therefor I invite you the reader to listen for the voice of the Lord as you continue in these pages. He just might use them to give you a greater revelation of Him, His kingdom, His love, His power and His purpose for us all!
Chapter One: Are You Ready For An Adventure?
This universe in which we live is fundamentally one of order. What we call the laws of physics are basically that – laws that are constant and unchangeable. One plus one will always equal two. The moon revolves around our earth, and the earth revolves around our sun to produce days, months and years that help us to mark time and seasons. Those regular patterns are important to us and help to produce stability so that life can continue here.
On the other hand there is much room for diversity and even chaos! This universe is amazing and infinitely complex. We human beings are an integral part of that order, that complexity, that diversity and even the chaos! In all this we sense the need for security, and predictability. Sometimes in our search for security and comfort we neglect another of our basic needs. I believe we also need challenges, excitement and adventure! How else can we explain the thrill of an amusement park and a ride on a roller coaster? Why do we very often pay hard earned money on opportunities to needlessly risk our lives or at least the risk of injury? Of course there are a number of safer ways for getting the heart pumping and an adrenaline rush. Many of us like watching others appearing to be in danger on a big movie screen, or watching our favorite athletes in the sports arena. The popularity of these kinds of entertainment seem to prove my point that we do indeed crave excitement.
In my humble opinion these are all cheap substitutes for seeing life itself as an adventure, a quest with a purpose. As we gain a greater understanding of the kingdom of God and our place in it, even the ordinary, repetitive activities of every day can have richness of purpose and meaning. When Jesus, the son of a simple craftsman and laborer began His career as an itinerant preacher, many hours and even days were filled with the ordinary matters of moving from place to place. Other times were intense and dramatic. All of it was energized by His sense of purpose, that same sense of purpose that He passed down to His followers, which in turn has propelled His church forward unto this day.
If you are all like me, you might have found yourself at times wondering about your purpose. Maybe you have wondered about what we are doing in the church? Are we simply doing what we do because we have always done it that way? Have some of our churches and our leaders lost that sense of purpose that was given to us by Jesus? When we read and study the bible to learn about God’s will for us are we reading it through the lens of our current traditions and culture, or are we reading it to hear what the Holy Spirit would teach us? These are things that you and I must work out between ourselves and God, but at the same time we can help each other, learn together and challenge one another in it.
Not all of us feel the need for excitement or adventure. Sometimes life itself provides all the challenges we can handle. We look for times of peace and tranquility. we come to a typical Sunday church service looking for comfort and encouragement. we go to great lengths to find ways of getting our minds off of our troubles. At this point I would really like to share a personal experience of mine. Many years ago I had come to a place of great despair. The thought of ending it all actually crossed my mind. Thankfully that thought was wiped away by the realization of the many people who loved me and my child who depended upon me. The fact that I was taught from my early years by my mother and others in my life about God and the bible had to be the most important factor that kept me going. One night while I was all alone in my home after putting the baby to bed, I began to cry out to God with all my heart.
When I began to realize how He continued to love me and to send wonderful, godly people into my life after all the years of resisting Him, I finally broke down. He was there all the time, just waiting for me to return to Him. That was my moment of total surrender, even greater than when I first gave my life to Him. The result was the lifting of that heavy load of guilt, worry and fear that I had been carrying for so long. The following morning the world seemed so bright and new! Even though my problems had not left me, I was lifted above them somehow! To this day I cannot put it into words. Back then but I tried to tell others about it immediately. Eventually I was able to talk with others who knew exactly what I was experiencing. Perfect words with them were not necessary. Since then I have met with people in many other parts of the world who also immediately understand me when I try speak about it. They too have had encounters with the Living God!
What came next is so important. I mentioned I was already a Christian. In fact I was saved and baptized at the age of 12. At this time I was about 21. For this entire time my devotion to Christ was up and down, hot and cold. It was many times a struggle for me to maintain a consistent testimony. I would see other young men who were bold in their faith, and envied them. Being backward and shy by nature did not help. Now that I had this powerful experience I began to understand where this boldness came from for them. I knew they had an experience, but I also knew that their knowledge of the Bible had a part in it. So I took up my bible and started to read in the first book of the New testament, Matthew.
The first thing that jumped out to me in Matthew’s Gospel was the preaching of John the baptizer. He claimed that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand! In a later chapter I read that Jesus also began preaching the same. I immediately thought: if the Kingdom of heaven was near to them then, how close could it be to us today, two thousand years later? I began to wonder if what I was now experiencing could be a taste of that very Kingdom! When I began to ask other more mature believers about this, I was amazed to learn that I was correct! In fact, they were able to show me even more evidence in the scripture that the Kingdom of God was already here for us who had experienced this righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit of God! (Romans 14:17)
Of course that was only the beginning of this adventure for me. I would have many more questions, and gain answers in time, but I am still not finished with my story. As I said, my problems were still with me. I was overwhelmed at the time, and felt helpless to do anything about them. What I needed was direction from God. I found this as I continued to read in the Gospel According To Matthew. When I came to chapter 6 I knew verses 25 through 34 were speaking directly to me. I had been worrying not only about my physical needs of food, shelter and clothing, but about the future in general. To Jesus, this did not make sense since I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and cares for me. How could I get a handle on this? what could I do to get my mind focused in the right direction?
The most powerful instruction I had ever received, which has guided me for the rest of my life was found in these words: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) While I had spent so much of my energy worrying and stressing over my problems, now I would change my focus. I would put my pursuit of God’s will, His ways, His Kingdom first above all other things. It seemed a bit risky at first. But what did I have to lose? My methods have failed me, trying to work things out on my own for years. Could I really trust in God that he would provide what I needed if I pursued His Kingdom first?
What followed was just too amazing. In a matter of months, my health improved, my financial situation began to improve, I found myself among a wonderful group of worshippers and had a new job working for a minister who taught me the bible every day as we worked together. The first steps for me were to return to my former church, to pray everyday, to read the bible and Christian writings everyday and to fast regularly. As I began to grow spiritually, the Holy spirit would teach me and lead me in other areas of His will for me. I have continued on this path to this day.
Going on 50 years later, I continue to be challenged by God to keep moving forward in Him. When things begin to get easier, or the road gets smoother, we can rest a while. However if we get too comfortable, that sense of adventure can diminish. Along with that our joy and passion for Him can fade and the worries of this life begin to take over again. No, it’s life right now, in the Kingdom of God for me. How about you?
The challenge to Kingdom Courage
Some of us have come to the realization that we are actually helpless in many ways. When it comes to certain weaknesses, (we all have weaknesses by the way), our fight to overcome them has failed time and time again. The good news is however, that God knows this, and that He has the solution. That solution is to confess to Him our need, and to trust in Him to forgive us, to give us peace, and the power to overcome all the problems we face in this life.
God’s grace means that Jesus Christ came to save sinners who have done nothing to earn their deliverance. This truth has been wonderfully captured in the hymn by John Newton, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”
These days we are seeing the increase of political upheaval, suicide rates, drug overdoses, racial strife and the threat of nuclear war. Recently the fear of how a deadly virus can so quickly and easily spread over the entire world has become validated.
Believers in Christ have a place of refuge in Him and a hope that transcends all fears. They know their great and Almighty God is still in charge and has loving intentions for His Creation. They find encouragement in the knowledge of His Amazing Grace.
This has been my personal experience. Every time life’s cares and concerns become overwhelming, I find help and hope in seeking Him, my God and my Savior. My future and the future of the world is in His Hands. All I want to do then is to rest in Him and enjoy His wonderful presence within. At the same time a certain uneasiness can come over me. Is it all really about me? Is that the end of His plan? Why am I still at times unsatisfied within?
During these times have I forgotten the words of Jesus and His call to action? Did not Christ and His apostles teach us to cast our cares upon Him while at the same time sharing the burdens of others? Did not they prove that true joy and peace were to be found in sacrificial service?
Here is where we can see how the gospel of the Kingdom includes both the revelation of God’s super-abounding grace towards us, and His extending that same grace to others through us!
Praise God for His great love for me! Without it I would continue to be a self-serving, passive and miserable person vainly chasing personal security and pleasure for all of my days. Yes, in His love for me He has given me a purpose. That purpose sometimes stretches me beyond what I think I can accomplish. Yet, every time I accept His challenge Christ Himself empowers me in it. He en-courages me — He instills courage in me to move forward in Him!
Hears the deal: it is a great tragedy that far too many people, including believers themselves, see the Christian life as simply an escape from the troubles that surround us. Certainly there is a higher place for us to dwell in Christ while living in this world. In fact it is from this higher, spiritual life that we are able to serve the world around us. This perspective of seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, praying for His Kingdom to come, God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven truly gives the church vitality and passion! This IS that higher life!
This is a life of resisting cowardice and embracing the courage that only God can give!
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Around 4,000 years ago, Moses, who was called by God to lead the descendants of Israel out of Egypt, came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, written from the Finger of God. From this foundation a nation was built of citizens who were to be known as the chosen people of God.
Almost 2,000 years later the Messiah, of whom Moses and other prophets after him foretold, appeared to this same nation. Both He and His forerunner, John the Baptist, began by announcing great and wonderful news. This good news was of the nearness of the Kingdom of God. Those who responded to His call for repentance were then called to follow His teachings concerning this heavenly kingdom.
Like Moses, Jesus would spend many hours alone with God on a mountain. As Moses revealed the Holiness of God to his people and gave His message from the mountain, Jesus would lead His disciples up a mountain to lay the foundation for a greater, higher way of life. The result was to be a community of people over whom and through whom God would establish His kingdom on the earth.
His series of teachings in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 and Luke 6:20-49 are commonly known under the title of the Sermon on the Mount. While the 10 Commandments and the other laws given by God through Moses might seem by some to be focused on external behavior, the Words of Jesus went deeper. To Him, adultery and murder could be committed in the heart, and were just as sinful in the eyes of God.
Even the disciples of Jesus where troubled by this high standard. They even doubted that anyone could be saved! The answer came from Jesus: with men this standard is impossible, but with God all things are possible! He challenged them to follow Him. He challenges us to do the same today! His followers would gradually begin to understand just how God would empower them to live this impossible standard from the heart. First, they were given the privilege of observing Him every day. They saw not only His love, mercy and power revealed toward those in need, they also observed His perfect character.
Ultimately they saw Him allow Himself to be offered up for our sins, and to be raised from the grave for our victory! Before returning to heaven He announced that all authority was given to Him in heaven and in earth. In turn He authorized them to disciple all people, to teach them His ways, His principles as He had discipled them.
Then came the final piece of puzzle that had confused them earlier. They were to gather together and wait in Jerusalem for another great miracle. They had heard many things from Jesus which they had stored up in their hearts. Soon the promise of the Holy Spirit would come to them in power. He would bring the Words of Jesus to their minds with the correct understanding. They would be given the power to live up to this glorious high calling to love as he loved, give as He gave, sacrifice as He sacrificed, and lift up others as he had done!
The first generation of believers in Christ famously answered His call. It was even the testimony of their enemies that they turned the world upside down!
That energy and enthusiasm eventually began to wane, even as the New Testament was being written. Jude, a half brother of Jesus, wrote a letter urging the churches to “contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” In the book of Revelation, Christ rebuked the Ephesian church for leaving their first love. It cannot be certain exactly what happened and how things began to change. At the same time, we do know that many of these early believers and their leaders gave their lives for Christ.
Some information can be gathered from the records of their writings and from secular history. It appears that false teachers began to mix the Gospel with other religions of that day. This pressed Christian leaders to answer with clarifications concerning the doctrines of what the true church believed. One of the earliest statements of faith is traditionally known as the Apostles Creed, which most churches acknowledge today. After that even more statements were written to deal with the controversies of each generation.
Because some were denying the divinity of Christ, the virgin birth, the crucifixion and the resurrection, the true believers needed to stand for these truths and confess them openly. However, the supernatural life of Christ in His church was becoming less and less evident. True, we need to confess all the foundational truths of the Bible and prevent doctrinal error from destroying the faith. Certainly the apostles would approve of this diligent effort, but these simple fishermen, tax collectors, and revolutionaries also knew that only faith IN, trust IN, the person of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit to live out His words could save the church from its enemies!
His sermon on the mount was the foundation of the Kingdom community that he was building, but it has been all but forgotten in the minds of many. Where in the great creeds do we find anything about holy love, holy forgiveness, holy righteousness? Where in the creeds are we urged to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus? Perhaps these things are to be assumed. We are not saved by our good works, but by faith. But is that the same thing as simply believing things about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?
Have we forgotten the simple and potent power of God’s Word? The Sermon on the Mount and the other sayings of Jesus are not like the words of men. His words are transformative! We can be “born again” by the power of His Words! Our motives and attitudes can be changed so that we can spontaneously fulfill the law as we love God and our neighbors as ourselves! My hope is that we can learn to treasure all of Christ’s words, letting them abide in us deeply. They can play a powerful part in bringing us into a deeper relationship with Him, transforming us into His image for His glory!
First the Kingdom Part 37, Through Much Tribulation
Each one of us has areas of concern that are common as well as those that differ from the other. Sometimes they lead us to believe we are right and the other person is wrong when at times 2 views can be actually 2 sides of the same coin. My particular focus has for a long time been with history in mind. Because I have a general knowledge of the history before my time, I can see how things have improved in the world more than we realize.
At the same time my generation has clearly seen a steady loss of basic virtues in our culture and in the people who are shaped by it. The causes of this might appear to be many and complicated. Those who study the social sciences more than I have can look at how technology has affected us. Others, like myself tend to look at the failure of leadership in the church, and the lack of sincerity found in the the people themselves. We see at the heart of every problem a spiritual battle, and tend to focus on spiritual solutions.
At the time I am preparing this teaching, my home nation is in a great struggle. Two perspectives that existed in balance from the beginning of our political existence are now in an ideological war with one another. Some fear that it will evolve into more than that very soon. As I approach my 70th birthday I have to admit, that to me the thought of a full civil war sounds absolutely terrifying. It is a thought that I had never expected to come to mind in all my years.
Maybe I am being naive, but I still have hopes that things can be turned around, and that our country can be spared such a future. I also believe that the church of Jesus Christ could play a powerful role in a positive outcome. In my study of history I have found that war is not always avoidable, but I have also found that faith in our all-powerful God can motivate us to accomplish great things for His glory. Revivals have come to cities, counties, and countries in the past. By revivals I mean times when the Holy Spirit sweeps over hundreds and thousands to change hearts and minds for the better. Society itself can become inspired and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit working with and through God’s people.
As the general culture in the media and in the educational world has increasingly turned against biblical Christianity, believers have risen up to defend the faith in many arenas. In the past few years and even more so in the past months the political arena has been the focus of many Christians. There is no doubt that attention needs to be given to what happens in our government and I have tried to follow events as best as I can. It would be shameful for any follower of Christ to ignore the opportunities He has afforded us here. I bless those who are called to focus on this arena and pray for them as well.
My only question is this: how is that been working out? Are more people coming to know Christ? Are more people learning the teachings of Christ and His Kingdom? Are believers themselves becoming better examples and “shining as lights in the world?” Has the environment around us become better than before as a result of these efforts?
The Chinese philosopher Confucius is said to have made this statement:
“If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations.
When there is order in the nations, there will peace in the world.”
In the 1960’s rock song, “Easy To Be Hard,” these words were expressed:
“How can people be so heartless?
How can people be so cruel?
Easy to be hard,
Easy to be cold.
How can people have no feelings?
How can they ignore their friends?
Easy to be proud,
Easy to say no
And especially people,
Who care about strangers,
Who care about evil,
And social injustice.
Do you only
Care about the bleeding crowd?
How about a needing friend?
I need a friend.”
In history I have learned of great leaders who stood for Christ in the political arena. I have also learned of Christian preachers who spoke out against the injustices occurring in their day. I am in no way promoting a passive position when it comes to conditions in this world. I am not one of those people who see any effort to improve the lives of their fellow humans as a fools mission. I greatly resist the pessimistic message of some who believe these efforts are like “polishing the brass on a sinking ship,” or “making the world a better place to go to hell from.”
At the same time I want to address what I see as an “either/or” fallacy. Among Christians I am becoming weary of the faith vs works argument, when both are important. More recently we are debating between personal and corporate responsibility. Confucius started with the individual, and believed that the world could be ultimately changed. The song I referenced mourned the fact that during the sixties some were concerned for strangers, but neglected those who were near to them. Why can’t we have both compassion for those we know, and also reach out to those we don’t know? why can’t we have faith in God AND good works that will help others?
A war is already on and it has been going on from the beginning of the human race. In fact it is an internal struggle within every heart. Too many times this spiritual war has found expression also in families, neighborhoods, cities, and nations. Every area in which this struggle rages must be addressed. Jesus and all the prophets before Him were aware of the need to face this fact. They addressed individual sin, as well as national sin. So we are not insisting on choosing between either individual or collective issues. But we are insisting on dealing with the root problem that lies at the bottom of all.
That is why Jesus began with repentance and faith, a new birth in the Spirit. The foundation for the new world he was bringing to pass was a new humanity. This new humanity was to light the way to a better world. At the time, the early followers of Christ had almost no political power, and yet their message spread like wildfire! It was a matter of time until the Roman authorities began to crack down on Christianity. Many were tortured and forced to deny Christ. Others endured and survived, others were martyred.
The courage that unbelievers saw in the Christians and the evil actions of their persecutors had an impact on them over time. The stone that Daniel saw in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream had been rolling over and crushing the power of an oppressive regime! The tide of public opinion began to turn towards the believers and in fact large numbers joined them in the faith. The persecution ended in early in the Fourth Century and many improvements in the culture began to take place. This of course was not the final battle between the darkness and the light, but we can take great encouragement and learn from this example.
So how can modern Christians in free countries apply these lessons? I have thought about this question as have most of us. Paul defended his right to a trial as a Roman citizen and it makes sense that we should use legal means to protect our rights to worship as well. However, the same laws that protect our right to worship also must protect the beliefs of others. Those involved in the courts and in government have the opportunity to voice what they believe are God’s righteous and fair ways, while the rest us of have a voice in our families, neighborhoods, schools and churches. Paul urged meekness and humility in our attempts to encourage others to follow Christ.
Rude, obnoxious attitudes, and exaggerations of the truth might draw a large audience on social media, but I cannot see it changing any minds. In fact I only see increased hardness against the Christian perspective resulting from this approach. We are to give a reason for what we belief with meekness and respect.
1 Peter 3:13-18:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
(NIV)
No one will want to know what we believe if we are too busy convincing them that we are their enemies. And even if they are our enemies, what did Christ say for us to do to them? Love them! Pray for them and bless them! Do good for them! Why? That you might prove to be sons of your Father in heaven, who causes His sun to shine and rain to fall on the just and the unjust! (Matthew 5:44-45).
It is often necessary to expose the evil plans, purposes and actions of others, for the sake of those who are being oppressed by them. However, God has shown us that first we must check our own hearts. Without His grace we are just as capable of evil and selfish actions.
The Kingdom of God is realm of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We cannot have true peace and joy without His righteousness. That word implies fairness and equity based upon the truth. What I am calling for is a commitment to honesty and the truth. I love our country as much as anyone else, and want to see God bless us — not because we think we are better, but because we honor Him in our thoughts and actions. If God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah for 10 righteous men, certainly He can spare America through the intercessory prayers of millions who believe in Him!
In Acts, after preaching in new areas, Barnabas and Paul returned to several cities, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ” Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-23 NASU) It is difficult to read through a significant portion of the New Testament without learning of the many hardships the early believers endured in their pursuit of God’s Kingdom. This might sound like a “negative confession” to some, but don’t they know that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us?” (Romans 8:18)
So how well have our earthly, political weapons served us? May we be encouraged by these additional words of Paul:
2 Corinthians 10:3-4:
For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.
For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,
(AMP)
The real power is in obeying Christ. The real power is in His love. The real power is in humbling ourselves as he did and serving others out of genuine compassion. The real power is in praying for all people, including our enemies. In this way we truly shine as lights in the darkness of this world!
First the Kingdom part 36
The Pearl of Great Price
What is most important to you? What do you value the most? All to often we look at our behavior without considering what motivates us. As human beings we can easily become conflicted when our physical desires compete with those things we value the most. We need worthy values that can definitely keep us from becoming consumed by our unhealthy desires.
In my lifetime I have not been through 2 world wars or the great depression, but I have lived through times of both personal and national tragedies.
The assassinations of JFK, his brother Robert, and Martin Luther King reflected the darkness of those times. The racial tensions of the 60’s and the war in Vietnam continue to affect us today. The Covid-19 pandemic is currently affecting people around the world, whatever they believe about it. America is more divided than I have ever seen, and even Christians appear to be divided over a great many issues.
Jesus gave the solution, the answer that we all need 2,000 years ago. It was the answer I needed over 40 years ago, which I continually need the think about. It is the reason I am bringing this 36th chapter in this series. Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He spent the entire 3 1/2 years of His ministry teaching and preaching about the Kingdom. He told us that seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness should be our first priority in life. In seeking God’s will for us we will learn to trust in His protection, care and provision for us. Yes, we can be free from overwhelming fear and worry!
Sadly, far too many people are being taught to seek power, pleasure and possessions. Some Christians even equate these things to the Kingdom of God! It is the times like those we are experiencing now that often reveal our faulty foundations. Those who value these things more than the love of God are the most vulnerable. Perhaps they have learned about His grace and have received His forgiveness without having grown through discipleship.
The proof of this can be found in the many failed marriages, addictions to chemical substances, and the casual sex among professing Christians.
But we are not here to condemn anyone. We are here to share in the work of Jesus Who brought us His Good News! This message brings an entirely new way to look at life, the world around us and eternity! It also represents a different value system that drives us internally to holiness, righteousness and love!
Jesus once told two stories about men who found something that was worth more than all they had owned.
Matthew 13:44-46:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
NIV
In the first story something valuable was hidden. In order to gain possession of it this man had to purchase something he did not want or need. But to him the treasure he found in the field was worth the price of the land, which cost him everything.
So the kingdom of heaven is like hidden treasure. I can personally testify to this. I grew up in church and in an extended family of serious believers. My grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher in a time when we were like the underdogs of Christianity. Even though I believed from my earliest years that Jesus was my Savior and Lord, I could not quite get what the Pentecostal church was all about. I did not know until age 21 that within that “field” there was hidden treasure! While I admit there were some errors and confusion in the Pentecostal movement back then, I would not trade my experience growing up for anything.
When we think about other passages of scripture which emphasize the free gift of salvation, how are we to understand the moral of this story? Are we being asked, like the rich young ruler, to sell all that we have and give to the poor to find eternal life? Are we being told to buy our way into heaven? Let’s stop and think about this for a minute.
The man who found the hidden treasure is one who knew the value of this treasure. He is like those of us who have heard the Gospel, believed it and have received forgiveness and grace from God. Once our eyes have been opened, we see that the true treasure is Christ Himself! At this point, many thousands have followed through from that time forward and placed knowing Christ above all else. Like Paul the apostle, they pressed toward the mark, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ! They pursued eternal life on this side of the grave, for knowing Him IS Life Eternal! They did not consider the high price of following Christ. They were overjoyed that they have found Him and desired to know Him more!
On the other hand, there are those who are satisfied to seek for what ever pleasures they can find in an earthly existence. They are willing to look for eternal life only beyond the grave. Such a value system does not motivate heroism, sacrifice and servanthood. Much potential for the Kingdom of God is lost.
In the second example, the man was a merchant who knew what he was looking for. He did not stumble upon a hidden treasure. The precious pearl was in plain sight, and the seller knew full well of its value. He asked for the highest price the merchant could afford, everything!
My question for you today is this: Are you struggling to keep focussed on Christ in these confusing times? Do you lose your joy over trivial things, much less major shifts in society or the economy? Have you considered the early Christians and even those in our day whose faith have prevailed over much greater dangers than those we face?
Is it possible that a fresh look at Jesus Christ and his message, the Gospel of the Kingdom could renew your joy in Him? Could a greater understanding give you a new perspective on His purpose for your life in the present reality of His Kingdom on earth? Yes, there is a realm that is beyond our imagination, which will be made known to us in the ages to come! But there is also a dimension of life to be lived on this earth now, and a future that we can help build as we participate with Christ today!
God is on the move in this earth today! We need to arise and become a part of what He is doing. We can be workers together with Him! The Kingdom of heaven is this treasure, this pearl of great price. When we realise how wonderful and real it is, when we can see the beauty and wonder of God’s plan working in this earth, we will gladly and joyfully give ourselves to serving in it!
First the Kingdom, #35, Citizens of Heaven, Part 2. “Where Do You Dwell?”
Colossians 1:3-14:
“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
In a previous discussion we read a statement the apostle Paul made in his letter to the church at Philippi. We learned the exciting fact from him that we believers in Christ are Citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20-21). This is in fact a marvelous privilege. We understand that the first initial step in becoming a citizen of the kingdom of heaven is to repent of our sins, and to take on a different perspective. In this new perspective the universe is not all about me. It is all about God Who created it! From Christ we have learned that He created everything with good, loving intentions. Therefore, to understand how the universe is centered around Him is a wonderful and encouraging thought!
In my personal experience, this rejection of my old ways and thoughts and my surrender to Christ was truly like a change in location! Before I was living in a world of discouragement and defeat, now I am living in a place of hope, peace and victory! My thoughts became aligned with God’s thoughts! This change is not only psychological but also spiritual. Our minds and bodies were designed from the beginning to be connected to the spiritual side of our being and to God. The further we drift from Him, the darker our thoughts become. Thankfully, Jesus Christ through His atoning sacrifice has reconciled the world unto Himself!
By faith in Him we are relocated back into the land of peace, love an light!
Sadly, I do not always live in that heavenly place in God. what I mean to say is that I sometimes forget to renew my thoughts in Him. The world, the flesh and the devil all conspire to bring me down to that former level of defeat and darkness. We are in a battle, and we have spiritual weapons that can help us to maintain our victory! I personally need daily fellowship with God and with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I need to meditate upon His Word, the Bible and I also need to hear it ministered to me through fellow believers. Another key is in the sharing of it with others. This opportunity I am taking right now is a joy and a blessing to me!
Belief, trust, faith in the Word of God not only brings us into our initial salvation, but it also carries us forward to our ultimate victory over sin and death! The challenge is not to manufacture holiness in ourselves. The challenge is to cling to Christ against all opposition, while He works in our hearts and minds to make us holy.
Have you ever considered the freedom of living under His Lordship? This means I can no longer serve fear, anxiety, anger, jealousy or frustration. I am a citizen of heaven! My king is the Lord of life, righteousness, peace, love and joy! To often people see His Lordship as restrictive and as something to be resisted. They prefer their petty attitudes, their habits and addictions over His liberating truth. Even some Christians want to debate whether or not submission to His Lordship is necessary for salvation.
The fact is that God in Christ has lifted His people up. He has raised us up from our sin and death and caused us to sit in heavenly places in Him! It is not His will for us to live a mere earthly existence. The question is: Why would we not want to live in the fullness that He has for us?
In these times believers all over the world are facing the temptation to sink back into the place from which He has lifted us. If we are not careful, our minds can become filled with corrupting thoughts. Hatred, anger, fear, resentment, revenge, greed, vice do not belong in the place where we dwell. Our citizenship is in heaven! We are called to freedom in Christ!
Yes we are being tested to prove that we serve Christ and will not follow fallen humanity into slavery to the prince of lies. But I say this to encourage us. Jesus Christ IS the Lord of all! Hear the Word of God, the Truth that makes you free! You are not a slave to sin, fear, anxiety and darkness! You have been translated from that realm and into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. Let this truth dwell in you richly and let it grow to maturity. Let His thoughts and feelings overwhelm you. Consciously choose to dwell as King David did, in the House of the Lord forever.
He is your dwelling place, your sanctuary, your home.
First the Kingdom, episode 34: Praying the Lord’s Prayer
Back in 1963, the day in our local Junior High school began either in the main auditorium or home room with the pledge of allegiance and the Lord’s Prayer. Eventually a recent Supreme Court decision that school sponsored prayer was unconstitutional began to change that tradition. I specifically remember our home room teacher announcing to us that she would continue to pray the Lord’s Prayer, but also that anyone in the room could freely opt out.
Even though prayer was not technically banned from schools, the public perception was that our government had joined the movement of modern times against simple faith in an all-powerful God. As much as the opponents of public prayer in schools have denied this, the results speak for themselves. The fact is, believers can always pray in the USA. The real loss is what the children who did not know Christ might have gained from learning this prayer back then. Today I would add that even some children of of believing families have often lost the rich benefits of knowing and reciting this prayer.
Some time back I attended the funeral of a retired police officer. At the grave site, the pastor recited a passage of scripture and began praying “Our Father, Who art in heaven….” Immediately, and without prompting, everyone there began to join him in the prayer that was well known to his generation. It was a refreshing experience that brought me back to those junior high school days when hundreds of students would recite this prayer together!
One complaint I heard from a Jewish girl was that she did not want to pray a Christian prayer. In fact all the elements of this prayer can be found in the prayers of their own Hebrew scriptures, known to Christians as the Old Testament. I count myself greatly and richly blessed to have been taught from the entire Bible, both the old and new testaments. In the Lord’s Prayer I am reminded how Jesus felt about past generations, the promises that were given unto them, and the hope of the fulfillment that he was bringing.
This model prayer sums up the foundational and crucial elements of the Christian life. It keeps us mindful of the intimate relationship we have with our Heavenly Father, and our goal to glorify Him.
As we pray We become conscious of our part in bringing righteousness, peace and joy – His kingdom to this earth. We understand our constant need for Him, His provisions and His forgiveness, as well as our need to forgive others.
Finally in it we seek for His guidance and protection every day, and acknowledge that everything good, loving and holy comes from His reign over us in power and eternal victory.
Anyone who is at all familiar with the prayers in the Bible should know that God listens to all sorts of prayers. We are in no way limited to praying this one short prayer. At the same time the use of this or any memorized prayer should not be looked down on as ritualistic. what is in our hearts? That seems to be the important thing. When I think of how Jesus Himself gave us this wonderful gift to teach us and encourage us in prayer, how or why would we refuse it?
I invite you to pray along with me today:
Matthew 6:9-13:
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Citizens of Heaven
Philippians 3:20-21:
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (NASU)
If you have ever visited a country other than your native country, you might have felt a little strange or uncomfortable. I live in the US, and our neighboring country Canada, has a similar culture to ours. It is not so strange or different as some other countries. Still, when I visit there, I cannot expect to claim the exact same privileges that a Canadian citizen would claim. The same could be said of Australia, where my wife and I visited in the nineties. Other than their wonderful accents, and the fact that they drive on the opposite side of the road, we felt quite comfortable there.
Another country we have visited is India. Now I can tell you that it is a different world! The culture is very different in some ways. The food is different, the language of course is different, the money is very different. All the things we take for granted every day can become challenges when in another culture. While Canadian money is in dollars close to ours, Indian rupees do not easily translate to US dollars. Back then I would often hesitate when thinking of spending 1,000 Rupees until I did the math. That sum today amounts to only about $14 US dollars!
Some people possess dual citizenship. In one sense, a follower of Christ also possesses dual citizenship, living in two worlds. We live on this earth, and because of our love for Jesus Christ, we serve the inhabitants of this world for whom He gave His life. However our service will be more effective and powerful when we fully understand how our primary citizenship is in Christ, and in His Kingdom! This might not be as easy as it sounds. I was born into this world first as an earth-bound creature. Over time I developed this internal sense that something was not quite right, or complete.
At an early age I began to hear about the Word of God, and the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. This ignited that internal sense with a spark within me that has continued to grow and burn brighter year after year. I live in a material world that was created by God for His glory, but that world has become filled with corruption, sin and death. I am reminded of this fact every day of my life.
The knowledge that I am more than a material being has created a hunger for heavenly, spiritual things. I am not only talking about the future bliss that all believers know is real. I am talking about a present reality! This heavenly reality is where we all belong, and it includes the abundant life that Jesus came to bring! How often we overlook this fact: the mission of Jesus was to bring heaven to us! Everything he taught was to turn our way of thinking around towards this heavenly reality!
When I surrendered my heart and life to Christ my old life died and was buried with Him in baptism, in order that I can rise with Him from the grave as a new person! I have been translated from the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son of God! (Romans 6:4, Colossians 1:13)
The central message of Jesus was for us to “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near!” Certainly we all have sins for which we must repent, but we could legitimately take repentance even further. The original Greek word in the scripture means “to think differently.” The source of our sin is in our attitudes and patterns of thinking about ourselves and God. Paul the apostle once stated that repentance goes further than sorrow for sin, which is good. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, or a change of mind. (1 Corinthians 7:10)
The bible has much to say about our minds and habits of thinking. Unfortunately, many of us do not realize how important this matter really is. Truly we are greatly blessed to know our future is secure in Christ. Even when we fail, His love for us does not fade. However, in the mean time, there is a purpose for our being here and for our dual citzenship.
This cannot be better spelled out than in Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 2:14-17:
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (NASU)
Jesus Himself told His disciples that they were the light of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid! This city is even now representative of another dimension known as the kingdom of heaven. The light that is in us should not be hidden from the world around us. It is naturally seen as we allow God to change our thinking to align with His.
Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
(NASU)
While no human can plumb the depths of God’s infinite wisdom and love, we are called to repent in order to receive from Him great increases in wisdom, knowledge, understanding and love. His Word comes to us and His Holy Spirit reveals unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. (1 Peter 1:3). Our life in Christ begins and ends with the work of the Word of God challenging us and the work of the Holy Spirit to convict and empower us.
God Himself calls us and reveals His will unto us to bring us into the state of grace, forgiveness of sin and a fresh relationship with Him. This is only the beginning. The same power that called us to reconciliation calls us to a higher life, a heavenly life. That life is described in the bible as one characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and self-control. But these attributes do not come from a self-improvement plan or 12 step program. They come from living in relationship with God and following the leading of the Holy Spirit, Who lives within us!
Colossians 3:1-3:
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
(NASU)
So what are these higher things? He goes on to explain:
Colossians 3:12-17:
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
(NASU)
The “things of the earth” are not simply the material world, which God created and described as very good. In using heaven above and the earth beneath as descriptive terms, He is showing us that there is a lower plane of existence in things like: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech and lying. (Colossians 3:5-11).
Earlier I mention my visits to India. Before I could enter that great country, I had to get permission from a representative of India in the form of a visa. So I contacted the Embassy of India in Washington D.C.to receive directions for the application. The Embassy of India receives authority from a country that is more than 8,000 miles away. That authority is very real. In fact, I could not even get on a plane bound for India without a visa from the embassy.
2,000 years ago Jesus Christ established a colony on this earth which represents the Kingdom of heaven. It is the gathering of the community of those who have been born again to the new life and the new values of the kingdom. It is not defined by the organizations of men, but by the holiness of God that sets His people apart from the self-worshipping, self-serving ways of fallen humanity. Jesus personally trained those who would lead others into the Kingdom of God and gave them special authority much like embassadors that reside in other lands.
This authority is the Word of God, and it has the power to transform hearts and minds, to heal broken people and communities, to demonstrate the character of God, and to lighten the way in this dark world. Everyone who receives Christ, submits to His will, and is trained by Him can be commissioned by Him as an embassador of the Kingdom of heaven. And yet the newest believer born of the Spirit is already a genuine citizen of heaven!
The small community of apostles and other men and women that Jesus gathered has grown tremendously throughout the centuries. The number of true believers cannot be known by us. Jesus promised that His kingdom would be like the yeast that permeated the flour which rises to become a loaf of bread. Like the rock in the dream Daniel interpreted for King Nebuchadnezzar, it is bringing all other kingdoms to naught as it fills the earth. Yes, the knowledge of the glory of the Lord is filling the earth! The Kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ!
As citizens of the kingdom now we are privileged to enjoy the blessings of heaven and to usher in the appearance of heaven to earth. No act that originated from the mind of God is too small or insignificant in His plan. For 2,000 years we have been praying, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” That prayer is being heard and will be manifestly answered, but we can see and experience the reality of the wonderful reign of Christ even now!
As Citizens of Heaven!
There has never been a more appropriate time to pray this beautiful prayer. This season I was inspired by the Lord to prepare and offer a new musical arrangement to these wonderful words!
Here is a song written by my friend Thomas Shou. We hope you enjoy it! Here is his testimony:
“Enjoy my first Christian rock song GOD gave me literally in my dreams during this pandemic honeymoon with Jesus! One of my many pandemic song babies!! Thank bro Dan Beaty for his timely partnership”
More info is available on his Bandcamp page below:
Worthy Is The Lamb!
From early in the year 2020 the world has faced an unprecedented challenge in the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Large gatherings and even smaller gatherings of 10 people or more were cancelled in an attempt to slow down the spread of this mysterious illness that could potentially claim the lives of millions. Congregations around the world quickly realized the threat and sought new ways to stay in fellowship and to encourage one another outside of the normal gathering places we have called “churches” for centuries.
The word “church” has come down in the English language from early translations of the original Greek New Testament. Nowhere in the Bible itself does the word refer to a physical building. The Greek word in the New Testament is “Ekklesia,” which in the First Century was often used in reference to a meeting of people gathered to discuss community affairs. In the book of Acts, it is even used once to describe the gathering of an angry mob of unbelievers! (Acts 16:39-41)
In Christian writings the focus was always on the gathering of God’s people, and also on a sense of the community of believers when they were not together physically. Ekklesia literally means “the called out.” The early Christians understood that they had been “called out” of the darkness of sin in this world and into the “marvelous Light” of Christ and His Good News! (1 Peter 2:9) What ever translation you use, and what ever English word we use for Ekklesia, one only has to read the Bible to find out its meaning. In the Bible the church is described in metaphors like the Body of Christ of which each believer is a member. Together we represent Christ in this world!
In another place we are depicted as individual stones that make up a house that God Himself inhabits. The old temple in Jerusalem is gone, but Spirit-filled believers in Christ together make up a new Temple for the worship of God! Another lovely metaphor depicts God’s people as the Bride of Christ, which He purchased with His own blood to be His own precious companion! As you can see, God has an exalted position for those who love and worship Him! He lives not only among His people but in them as well! They are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God!
Over the centuries, we have become accustomed to calling the buildings we gather in churches. When people say they are “going to church,” what they really mean is that they are going to a gathering of believers which takes place in a building. Instead of calling it a church building it is easier to just call it the church. Even when instructed about the true nature of the Christian church, it is hard to break the habit of calling the building the church. That is unfortunate. Sometimes the area of the building where the worship takes place is even called the Sanctuary, as if it is some holy place where worship can only happen.
If one good thing comes out of this crisis, I hope and pray that we can once and for all put behind us the concept that God lives in a physical building. Even in the old testament, King Solomon of Israel, who had just dedicated the marvelous temple to the Lord in Jerusalem made this declaration:
“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! (1 Kings 8:27) NASU
It is convenient that there are many nice and even beautiful buildings available for us to meet in, which also are a great benefit to those who could never afford such comforts on their own. At the same time, we can become too dependent on the atmosphere we create for worship. It is easy to forget that our God is everywhere as well. The Early Church knew this as they met from house to house, sharing in the fundamental and bedrock reality of the Christian Faith, the Love of God!
Now that we are learning to not take for granted the face-to-face fellowship that can happen in buildings dedicated for that purpose, let us determine to never return to “business as usual.” We are important to one another and to God where ever we are. We do not meet out of tradition, or fear of punishment. We absolutely need one another as much or more than my hands and feet need my heart and head!
The physical buildings and programs we witness in them are only useful if they serve the purpose of helping us build up one another in Christ! In this way we become the Light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hid, showing others the way out of darkness and into His marvelous Light!
When my wife and I plan to take a road trip we usually pack 2 full size pieces of luggage with extra clothes, books to read, and any personal items we might need. Also we take along a cooler with drinks, bread and snacks, my camera bag, a laptop computer, extra shoes, pillows, jackets and even a small toaster oven for the motel room. We do like our creature comforts while on vacation!
But when Jesus sent the 12 apostles forth to proclaim the Kingdom He told them to travel light. He also said to them, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Later, Paul told the people at Ephesus that he worked with his hands to support himself and his team, so he too could freely share the message God had given to him. He remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, “that it is better to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:33-35).
Paul’s concern was always to not be a burden to the believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:6-10) During this Covid-19 crisis, I wonder if we could seriously think about how we could follow the examples of the 12 apostles, and later the 72 that Jesus sent forth. We too can travel light in our call to follow Him. (Matthew 10:7-10, Luke 10:1-4). I believe we could dramatically cut expenses that require so much of our time and effort to finance, in order to focus more on the real work of sharing Christ in creative and practical ways. At the same time this could relieve everyone from burdens that perhaps Christ never asked us to bear.
During this time, my heart goes out to churches in this country and all over the world. Is it possible that we have allowed ourselves to become more vulnerable than necessary by the accumulation of debt through trying to keep up with one another in grand programs and building expansions? The Gospel of Jesus Christ is costly in terms of love and devotion to Him and to one another. But should that cost include enterprises that actually distract us from this devotion?
How can we forget how freely we have received from Him, and not be willing to freely give away the sweet Good News of the Kingdom of God?
First the Kingdom part 31, “Freedom”
Today’s topic has long been a favorite of mine. I grew up in the sixties, when many young people were seeking freedom from the constraints of society. The civil rights movement, and the Vietnam war was largely in the news and pressing on our minds. The pressure to get a job and find a career also was one more thing to infringe upon a young persons sense of freedom. All of this gave birth to the hippy movement with its search for freedom of thought and action, expressed powerfully in the music of that time.
While all of this appealed to me back then, it was not long until I realized the search for freedom can become a trap and form of bondage in itself. It was at this point that I cried out to God and finally found the freedom that I really and truly needed the most.
The thread of this topic goes all the way back to the beginning. Adam and Eve in the garden knew freedom as it had not been known since before the fall. And yet, they had one restriction placed upon them. That one restriction must have weighed on their minds and distracted them from what they already could so easily and freely enjoy at the hand of their Creator.
Think of it! They had the very priviledge of walking and talking with God in the cool of the day! And yet they were not truly free internally. They wanted their independance from their Creator, to decide for themselves what was good or evil, right or wrong. This led to the loss of their external freedom in a sense as they were thrust out of Paradise.
The pursuit of freedom to fulfill our own fleshly desires has always brought us to bondage in the end. Yet God in His great love for His creation has always had a plan. He chose Noah to preserve the human race from the judgment of the great flood. He chose Abraham to begin a great family of faithful believers through whom He would teach the world of His ways.
When they found themselves under the oppression of Egypt, they cried out unto the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He raised up Moses to deliver them, and through mighty signs, wonders and miracles freed them from slavery. Yet, even as he was leading them out of Egypt it was discovered that much of Egypt was still in them!
After 40 years a new generation would take on the task of conquering the Land of Promise. Jehovah had intended for this nation to become a kingdom of priests, but the majority rejected this priviledge, which was accepted by the tribe of Levi. He also wanted to be their King, but they wanted an earthly king instead. The true freedom of living fully in the Kingdom of Heaven would be a long way off.
By the time of the New Testament, they had been conquered and occupied by Babylon, Greece and finally Rome. But many continued to cling to the promises from God through His prophets, that a glorious time would come, where all nations would look to them to be taught the wonderful ways of their God. In Nebukanezzers dream, it was revealed to Daniel that the power of all previous kingdoms would be destroyed by their Messiah, depicted as a Great Rock descending from the Mountain of God!
From this they envisioned a great military leader who would crush the power of their oppressors, not a humble Lamb who would offer His Life for their sins. When the angel told Joseph of Christ’s birth, he said, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”
Then Jesus began His public ministry. Instead of raising an army, He urgently called for the people to repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. This was the very same Kingdom that Daniel referred too when He said, “In the days of these kings, the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed!”
However, His description of this Kingdom was not like what most had pictured in their minds. In His primary claim of fulfilling the scriptures, He read from Isaiah 61:1-2.
(Luke 4:14-21:)
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” NIV
In Leviticus 25 we are told that every 50th year was to be a time of restoration and freedom, known as the year of Jubilee. The inscription on our Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is a reference to this year as written in Leviticus 25:10:
“proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”
We don’t know how many times in the history of Israel this year was observed, but by the time of Christ it must have been long overdue! In any case, the people in His home town were outraged by His claiming to be the Messiah and that He would be the one to declare the year of jubilee!
He would continue to describe a Kingdom that was not like any other kingdom. Its rulers would be servants, rather than lords. It would be a realm where compassion and love ruled. It was one that you could not even tell when and from where it was coming. It would be a domain where God would change stony hearts into warm and tender hearts. He would write His laws into their hearts and minds, and all would know Him!
He did not just come to save His people from Rome, but to save them from their sins. The freedom that He came to bring was true freedom for them to live as God had planned for them from the beginning. In fact, the root word for His Name in Hebrew actually means, “to be open and free.”
God cares for the whole person, spirit, soul and body. He also cares about our physical circumstances, but the freedom He brings starts inside of us. We are truly changed from the inside out. This becomes evident as our circumstances often change because of changes in our behavior. The law of love that is written on our hearts and minds guides us in our decisions, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to follow through with those decisions!
John 8:31-32:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” NIV
So hearing, receiving, understanding and following the truth is critical to obtaining and maintaining freedom. Is it possible to be a Christian and have your sins forgiven, but still not live the full, abundant life and in the fulness of the freedom that Christ has brought us? It would seem so. As believers our justification is finished, but our sanctification is on going.
While it is crucial for us to believe Jesus when He said that the time for the kingdom had come, it is equally important to believe Him when He said there is more to come! We are being changed from glory to glory!
Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians of this battle we are waging against evil. He also wrote this in his letter to the Galatians:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NIV)
While people at that time were trying to bring them under the law of circumcision, I would suggest that a great number of things are attempting to enslave us today!
He continues, Galatians 5:13-26:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. NIV
The Thread of Freedom runs through the entire bible, beginning in Genesis
The great struggle against slavery is depicted in Exodus, with Moses leading his people to freedom
The freedom won by Moses was difficult to maintain, as the people were often unfaithful to God
Jesus came to win the final victory over the source of bondage — sin!
In the New Covenant we are free by the grace of God working from the inside out.
We are called to stand in His freedom by living and walking in the Spirit of God, bearing His fruits!
So hear we are, living, growing and learning of Him, being encouraged by these words of Paul:
Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV
This is Kingdom life, this is true freedom!
And yet, there is one more point on standing fast in the Freedom that Christ has won for us: I personally have found that my freedom is related to the freedom of others. One of the best proofs we are truly living and walking in the Spirit is found in our concern for the freedom of others.
True freedom is experienced as we share the love of God with others!
An excerpt from Charles Colson’s “The Body, Being Light In Darkness.”
Chapter 16:
In some ways, the story began in the town of Nowa Huta, Poland soon after World War II…..
“We need a church,” the workers said, “A place of worship.”…..
The Communists bought time, however, by nodding agreeably, “Fine, they said, “No problem.”
So several young Christians and a Polish priest nailed together two rugged beams and pounded the rough timber cross straight and solid into Polish soil to mark the site where their chapel would be built.
Soon, however, the authorities returned with a different verdict. “We are sorry,” they told the workers. “This space is needed for something else. You cannot build a church here.”
But the people wanted their church. Night after night they gathered around the cross. Priests offered mass, and the people sang and celebrated communion with one another and their Lord.
The authorities retaliated with water cannons, but this forceful baptism didn’t faze the faithful. Then the Communists tore down the cross, as if sundering its heavy beams would somehow cleave the people. But the citizens of Nowa Huta were determined, and in the morning the cross was once again stretching toward heaven for all to see.
This went on for years—the authorities tearing down the cross and the people restoring it. And in the midst of the struggle the people came to a realization that would steel their faith in a way that Communism could never steal their souls.
“The church is not a building,” they said to one another. “The church is us, celebrating the presence of our Lord among us! Praise be to God!”
First the Kingdom Part 30: Face to Face
Luke’s record in the “Acts of the Apostles” gives us an exciting portrait of the faith of the earliest Christians. Among the many characteristics of these ordinary people and their extraordinary faith, there is one thing that the apostles in Acts had in common: They had all been with Jesus!
The significance of this cannot be overstated. In fact this entire series on the Kingdom of God ultimately centers on the truth that the Kingdom of God appeared on the earth in the presence of Jesus Himself! No one could come into His presence and not be changed in one way or the other. Those who received Him as their Lord and Messiah were given citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven and an entrance into the family of God!
He began with 12 ordinary men from various walks of life. They lived with Him, listened to Him, watched Him and learned from Him what it meant to be the people of God. His time with them equipped them and educated them more effectively than we could possibly imagine.
The apostle John wonderfully captured this thought in a letter to his fellow believers:
In 1 John 1:1-4 he writes:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life ; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be full. (KJV)
Yes, the apostles and others in Acts had this one thing in common, they had been with Jesus. Peter, James and John had an additional experience in common, together they saw his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.
John referred to this when he wrote “we beheld His glory,” and Peter in one of his letters wrote:
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (NKJV)
(John 1:14-15, 2 Peter 1:16-18)
While Adam hid his face from God, others, like Jabez, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and the prophets, sought his face and were changed.
It might seem that such a meeting with the Creator and Lord of the universe is reserved for a chosen few. However, God has actually revealed through these special messengers that He desires that special relationship with many more!
Abraham is known as the Father of the faithful today. His son Isaac, His grandson Jacob, and Jacob’s 12 sons were all given the special privilege of inheriting the promises given to Abraham. The 12 sons became 12 tribes and greatly increased in number, but God’s desire to bless them had not diminished. After delivering them from slavery in Egypt he called them to Mount Sinai to hear from Him and to become a kingdom of priests. Even though their fears hindered them from responding, He gave these words for those who did accept the priestly calling to speak over them.
Numbers 6:22-27:
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,**
And give you peace.”‘
“So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” (NKJV)
When I was very young I noticed how it seemed so normal in the Bible for God to speak with Adam and Eve as we talk to each other today. Even after sin entered into the picture and paradise was lost, God still spoke to Noah, then Abraham, then Moses and many others in what seemed to be an audible voice. As time when on, this experience became very rare. It was not because of God’s inability to speak, or in the inability of the people to hear sound.
The distance between God and His people was in their hearts. Their hearts and minds became increasingly darkened by deception, fear, rebellion and disobedience. All they had left were the words written down by Moses and the special messages from the holy prophets which would later be committed to writing. Today we thank God that he has spoken and still speaks to us through these sacred writings. But have we forgotten how to listen to His Voice in the midst?
Jesus came to clear away the haze and confusion, and even to destroy the barrier between God and humanity. His message, His teaching, His patience and love, His miracles all expressed His desire for a face-to-face encounter with us! The grand climax in His suffering on the Cross for our sins, and His marvelous victory over death was the final proof of the great lengths our Lord and Savior would go for a relationship with us.
All that is left is for us to trust and believe in Him and receive the great gift He is offering to us – His very Self!
But alas! Even though every lie that Satan has pressed upon the world has been exposed, the human race continues so often in the same pattern of self-reliance and self-deception. These are the days of gallant battle and overcoming for those who have believed and do know Him. They are constantly tested by the unyielding rejection from the world around them and even from those they dearly love.
That is why John and Peter so firmly testified of what they had seen and heard. That is why they and countless others over the centuries gave their lives as evidence of a faith that could not be destroyed. That is also why Paul prayed for every believer to have a face-to-face encounter with the risen Christ even as he had!
No we are not talking about identical experiences like the transfiguration that Peter, James and John witnessed, or the vision that Paul received on the road to Damascas. But we are talking about the revelation of Jesus Christ!
In Ephesians 1:17-20 Paul prayed:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: *The eyes of your understanding being enlightened*; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (KJV)
It was Paul’s prayer that the believers in Ephesis would know Christ and His work on our behalf more deeply. He knew when their eyes were opened to greater insight into His wisdom that they too would be changed from the inside out! Later, in that same letter he added this prayer:
Ephesians 3:14-19:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (NKJV)
In another letter, Paul wrote of Moses and his face-to-face encounter with God on Mount Sinai. This encounter actually caused his face to glow to the extent the people were afraid to come near him. So he wore a veil over his face for their sake.
Paul used this story as an analogy to describe the situation of his day. He realized that many were reading the words of God in the Bible as it were behind a veil. People were still afraid to meet God in His word because their hearts were stubborn and hardened. Jesus explained that the pure and humble of heart were blessed, for they could truly see God!
Therefor there was hope for one whose heart turns to Jesus Christ. In Him that veil is removed from the mind and Christ can now be seen as the true message of the Bible!
To this day I cannot say that I have heard an audible voice from God, and yet He does speak to me as often as I am willing to listen. He has found my attention often through unpleasant circumstances which caused me to see how foolish I have been at times. He has also reached out to me through the kindness of others. It was always the work of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that Paul believed could open the understanding of his people. Others prayed for me also, and when I was finally willing to humble myself before Christ, He removed that veil that kept me in darkness for so long.
We today can have face-to-face encounters with God in many ways. We can meet Him in quiet moments of prayer and meditation. So often I can see His face as I gather with others who know and love Him. When we gather in His Name, He is in our midst!
The Bible is truly a wonderful place to find His presence, His nature, His power and His wisdom for every day life. This is what Paul meant when he wrote:
2 Corinthian 3:12-18:
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV)
First the Kingdom, part 29, Joy to the World!
Romans 14:17:
…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
NASU
Every year in December the story is told in many parts of the world about the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem 2 thousand years ago. This story has been identified with many inspirational songs, stories and traditions in both secular and religious settings. I believe it draws on some of the deepest longings in our hearts and touches us on more levels than we realize.
Just as in the days of Joseph and Mary, the world goes on around us as always, and yet there are those who will take the time out to reflect on the promise of this Child who would be known as the Savior of the world. For at least a few weeks out of the year people begin to believe in kindness and mercy again. Gifts are sent to underpriviledged children and adults and the grace of Christ can be seen in ordinary human beings.
Also, just as in the days of Joseph and Mary, the message of hope in this story faces opposion. While the rulers in Jerusalem tried to put the Christ child to death, forces today are at work to divert our attention to the hatred and violence that continues to this day. In 1863 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this in his poem, “Christmas Bells,”
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Sometimes we feel like Longfellow and we must fight to resist despair. For me, the best defense against such despair is the Word of God. I am learning to never take for granted the Christmas Story simply because it is told every year out of tradition. I need to hear it again and again! I need to remember the powerful promise that has gripped humanity since it was first given!
Most of us have heard about the shepherds who were nearby when Jesus was born, and the angel said unto them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people!” (Luke 2:10).
Anyone who has lived as long as some of us have realized that the “all people” to whom this good news was given must include more than a few undeserving folks. If we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we are among those undeserving ones. But does that change the message? Jesus would later say that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance! This is the Good News, that God cares about us all!
The older translations have left us with this wonderful and powerful statement after the shepherds were told about the child:
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:13-14 KJV)
By the end of the poem Longfellow re-affirmed his hope to see peace on earth, good will to men. I believe if we take these verses to heart, along will all of the other passages relating to the Gospel of the Kingdom, we can stand stronger in our faith, and can live in His Joy today!
Growing up in my early years I heard and sang songs in church about the joy of living in Christ. And yet it wasn’t until I was about 21 years old that I fully understood and experienced this joy. For some time I had been struggling to make a living and take care of my family when my wife left me and my son and moved to another state. It was this crisis that brought me to a level of humility and sorrow for my sins and a level of submission to Christ that I had not known before.
The morning after crying out to God for forgiveness was like the first day of a new life! Every thing seemed brand new to me. I felt a new kind of joy that churned up from deep within and burst forth almost uncontrollably. Most people I talked to could not understand me, but when I remembered the believers at my mom’s church, I was thrilled to find after all that they knew this very same joy!
With all my heart I believe that this joy is for everyone. I cannot give specific instructions on how to receive it for yourself. I can only bear witness that it is real and hope you will believe. I can tell what happened to me and show in the Bible where others were also lifted up by Christ in the Holy Spirit! I can also continue to show from the Scripture how this is what it means to live in the Kingdom of God. It is not always easy. In fact there are times when it is most difficult. Yet, there can be and should be a deep abiding joy that is not dependent upon circumstances. That joy comes from knowing Christ but also from knowing what He is doing and will do in this earth as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!
We are happy to present to our friends this original song by our good friends, Larry and Dana Berry, and Larry Hakala, entitled, “Night to Day.”
Words by Dana Berry, music and arrangement by Larry Hakala. Lead vocal is by Dana Berry, backup by Larry Berry, with Larry Hakala on vocals, guitars, and keyboards, Dan Beaty on bass and drums. Mixed and mastered by Dan Beaty at Higher Ground Studio in Columbus, Ohio
Merry Christmas Everyone!
First the Kingdom part 28, Peace On Earth!
Romans 14:17:
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
NASU
In our last message we were reminded that our great Lord and Savior has wonderful plans for His creation. Even now He is bringing forth the fruit of his good will in the earth as His Kingdom reign. We are encouraged in the fact that every wrong will some day be made right, but also because those of us who know and love Him can bear witness to His righteousness now — as we live and walk in the Holy Spirit!
The Kingdom of God is also a realm of peace. The peace of God is a marvelous thing to experience. Peter the apostle of Christ wrote of a peace that surpasses all understanding. This peace is real, powerful and transformative. I cannot overemphasize this or exagerate its value! In the Bible, in history and even in this present and fearful time, many have overcome and even joyfully endured great hardship because of this deep abiding peace from God.
Peace can be defined in many ways. Often we relate peace with quietness and tranquility. Sometimes we find peace in accepting situations that are beyond our control. Two countries might find an end of the war that has gone on between them, and define that as peace. All these situations describe certain kinds of peace, but the Kingdom of God deals with the real essence of peace itself. When we enter the Kingdom of Heaven we come into contact with the source of peace Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the Prince of Peace!
When we look at Jesus in the Gospels we do not see a mellow, complacent, easy-going, live-and-let-live guy who was okay with injustice and evil. Neither do we see a man willing to compromise in order to get along with everyone. In fact He had more than enough enemies against Him who were willing to orchestrate His death!
Once He said that He did not come to bring peace, but division! He knew the peace He would eventually bring would come with great cost. The cost of His very life!
He came to attack the very source of strife. Since Adam in the beginning fell out of harmony with his Creator, all of his children were born with this emptiness, which only God could fill. This condition of alienation affected not only our relationship with Him, but also our relationships with one another and the creation we were destined to care for and protect. In attempting fill the void we have grasped for things and fought wars over them to this day.
Take for instance the divorce rate in America. Why is it so high even among Christians? Could it be because we still crave the things which can never satisfy, and then blame the other person for our emptiness?
Has the Christian world too long made it about getting what we want from God and not about finding our total satisfaction and fullfillment in His Kingdom, His will in this earth?
For the rest of my life I will continue to urge people to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Yes we have heard wonderful preaching and teaching about how Christ loves you and me as individuals. “He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming love!” He IS my personal Savior! I would not take away from His work on the Cross for us all, and the victory He has won for me personally.
Yet there might just be a missing note in all of this. Jesus brought the Good News that the time for the Kingdom of God had come. We have traded this message for one that is all about a mansion in the sky for me when I die. That alone is supposed to sustain us and keep us on the narrow way. So we invest heavily in ways to motivate people to come to church and hear about the promises of a better existence somewhere in heaven.
This creates the kind of ground that Jesus described where the seed is not able to take root. The Seed, that is the Gospel of the Kingdom cannot flourish. When difficult times come, far too many will return to the lives they lived before.
At the birth of Jesus it was announced by the heavenly host that glory was given to God on high and peace was coming to earth with good will among men.
In the Western world every year we hear about this story in December, and yet we miss the meaning, the hope that He brings to our hearts in this message. Certainly there is a personal peace in the heart of everyone who surrenders his or her life to Jesus. That peace will abide and it will intice others to learn about Him. That is the bigger picture. This peace, this Kingdom of God peace must increase in the earth, take root and grow much larger like the small mustard seed of the parables Jesus taught.
Remember, the Kingdom is righteousness and peace. The word peace in the bible is based upon the Hebrew word, Shalom. Shalom describes the blessing of peace, but also a state of health, prosperity and well-being. When I was young I heard that Shalom meant both “hello” and “goodbye” to the Jews. I did not realise that it really was to pronounce a blessing upon a friend upon meeting or when parting. Shalom indicates safety and preservation from harm. It is more than, “have a good day!” It is more like “have a good life!”
In today’s world we strive for security, but can never be sure about it. The Kingdom of God is a place of security because righteousness and peace prevail. We as God’s children need to focus more on securing righteousness and peace for others in this earth. This is my Father’s world! I want to see Him glorified in it! While I am at peace with God, I am not at peace with evil in this world! Please, pray with me as God instructs us through Christ to pray that His Kingdom comes and His will is done ON THIS EARTH, as it is in heaven!
You might ask, “what can I do to change anything?” To that I answer, seek God for yourself, for His direction. You might be surprised at the opportunities He has already provided to you!
From the preface of J.B. Phillips translation of Acts, “The Young Church In Action:”
“It is impossible to spend several months in close study of the remarkable short book, conventionally known as the Acts of the Apostles, without being profoundly stirred and to be honest, disturbed. The reader is stirred because he is seeing Christianity, the real thing, in action for the first time in human history. The newborn Church, as vulnerable as any human child, having neither money, influence nor power in any ordinary sense, is setting forth joyfully and courageously to win the pagan world for God through Christ. The young Church, like all young creatures, is appealing in its simplicity and its singleheartedness. Here we are seeing the Church in its first youth, valiant and unspoiled — a body of ordinary men and women joined in an unconquerable fellowship never before seen on this earth.
“Yet we cannot help feeling disturbed as well as moved, for this is surely the Church as it was meant to be. It is vigorous and flexible, for these are the days before it . . . . became fat and short of breath through prosperity, or muscle bound by over organization. These men did not make ‘acts of faith’ they believed. They did not ‘say their prayers,’ they really prayed. They did hold conferences on psychosomatic medicine, they simply healed the sick. But if they were uncomplicated and naive by modern standards, we have ruefully to admit that they were open on the God-ward side in a way that is almost unknown today.”
Did you know that you can easily download or stream all of our podcasts with iTunes on your smartphone, tablet or computer? Several apps are also available for Android devices. I use Podcast Addict and Podcast Republic. For computers you can get iTunes free, and find all our episodes of Living Truth here. It would be great if all of our friends would download the latest programs to increase our visibility on iTunes. Thanks in advance!
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Some of you might enjoy reading about what God is doing among our brothers and sisters in India. This is an older report, but it might encourage you just the same! Click the link below.
1998 Visit to India
For those of you who enjoy the Facebook environment, we feature encouraging posts and easy links to this web site at:
Living Truth
First the Kingdom, Part 27, Righteousness, Peace and Joy
In the 14th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he proceeded to deal with the fact that believers were judging one another in areas that were not critical to their relationships with God. And yet, the fact that they were judging one another in this way was affecting their lives in the Lord, Whose primary objective is for believers to love one another. When we do not allow for minor differences in how we worship Him, we are not manifesting His love as we should.
This is the context of a favorite verse of mine in Romans 14:17:
….for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(NASU)
Two thousand years ago Jesus made it known that the time had come for God to establish a realm on this earth where righteousness, peace and joy would be the norm. In several parables He told how this kingdom would not always be easily seen or observed, but it would be real just the same, and it would eventually prevail in the world. It began in a community of people who followed Him to the place where they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live even as Christ Himself lived against all odds.
In the not-too-distant future, God will see to it that this entire planet is filled with “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea!” In this time there will be no more war among nations. There will be no dictatorships, no slavery, no starvation.
While we know that God has always been soverign over His creation, this plan to reconcile us all back to harmony with Him is revealed in the Gospel of the Kingdom. Christ gathered His followers together to bear witness to and manifest what the kingdom will one day be like universally. As a servant who was commissioned by Christ Himself, Paul was passionate to see the plan of God move forward. He took great care to explain this purpose to believers and to help them live together in Kingdom life.
Oh how today we could use the passion of Paul to point us all back to the great and glorious plan of God for His people! Christ is building His church, and He will bring all things into subjection under Him, but right now He wants us to be the proof that He is indeed Lord of all!
In chapter 12, Paul pleaded with Christians to be Christ-like. He called them to offer their bodies as living sacrifices for pure worship, to allow their minds to be renewed so they could be continually transformed. They would be proof of the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.
In modern times people tend to think more in terms of “personal salvation.” It is often about what God can do for me. We know that we can have personal peace with God by knowing that our sins are forgiven. It is normal in the natural stages of childhood that we think of our own personal needs, but with maturity we learn how our needs are intertwined with the needs of others. The kingdom of God is certainly about personal righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
There is a problem, however, when communities of believers forget to move forward in their considerations of others. We might think we are being very unselfish when we devote extra time to our fellow church members, and we should to that. At the same time any fellowship can become too focussed on the good of its members only. The Gospel of the Kingdom presses us to see the bigger picture. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself!
We need to move from what is right for us only, to what is right for those outside of our circle of friends. Before and during the American civil war, there were Christians who desired righteousness, peace and joy for runaway slaves. They participated in the Underground Railroad, and helped them find physical freedom at great personal risk. They were busy proving the good, acceptable and perfect will of God as they followed the Holy Spirit’s lead!
Why is it when we are challenged to give up some of our personal comforts that some of us recoil and cry out “legalism!” Why is it that some assume that the good works of others are always attempts to earn their salvation? Would not a closer look at Jesus and His early disciples help them to see that true freedom in the grace of God motivates and empowers us to liberate others? And expressing this freedom results in the true joy of the Lord?
Citizens and churches are too often divided into camps who oppose one another without even knowing for sure why. They judge each other for their different places in society or different ways in which they worship without even knowing the individuals personally. The Old cricize “milleniums” and the young mock the older values in general. Some criticisms may even be valid, but the generalisations are not.
The word “righteousness” has often become a theological word today, when it simply means fairness and rightness. Jesus put it this way, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Do you want to be judged by the color of your skin or by the job you hold? Do you want others to assume you hate them just because they are different than you?
This is what we call “getting down to the nitty gritty,” and “where the rubber meets the road.” I sometimes wonder if the great resitance I see to the Gospel of the Kingdom is based on fear that God might ask more of us than we am willing to give. If that fear is in you today, I believe God is calling you out of that place of fear and into a place of greater freedom than you have ever known before.
Maybe you cannot correct every injustice in the world, but you belong to a King Who can use you to right many wrongs in your life and the lives of others. This is what it means to have righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!
The Hidden Kingdom; First the Kingdom, Part 26
Matthew 13:33:
He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened.”
NASB
Matthew 13:44-45:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
NASB
Luke 8:9-10:
And His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable might be. And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
NASB
Jesus told His disciples that the kingdom of heaven was a mystery to those who were outside of their intimate community. Many other places in the bible mention the privacy that exists between God and those who love and obey Him.
(Deuteronomy 29:29, Isaiah 25:14, Psalm 91:1, Amos 3:7).
That should be easy for us to understand. Most of us want friendship that goes deeper than a casual relationship. We want the freedom to talk openly to someone with whom we can discuss our joys, concerns, and plans.
Believe it or not, God wants that kind of fellowship with you! He wants to hear what is on your heart and mind, and He wants to share His secrets with you! He loves his entire creation and is always reaching out to all of us so that we might let go of our old, sinful ways and come into the light of His wonderful Kingdom!
It is true that he withholds some things from the outside, unbelieving world for His own reasons, but He also promises that everything will eventually be made known.
All I can say to my audience is that He is after your heart. If you hunger for this kind of fellowship with God, surrender your heart to Him. If you have already done so, open your spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear from Him of the wonders of His Kingdom!
If you are like me, it is easy for you to become distracted by the events of this world, our nation and our neighborhoods. I personally do not see as many people honoring and worshipping God as I would like. In fact, according to the news media, it looks like evil is winning on every hand. Thankfully, I can look to Jesus. I can focus upon Him and continue to run the race that is set before me.
Not only that, but I can receive revelation from His word that enables me to see His Hand at work in the world! Often the Kingdom of God is hidden from plain site, all the while it is working and affecting change all around. Jesus is no longer walking the dusty roads of Judea and sharing His secrets with His select disciples, and yet He has never stopped teaching! His voice is heard in of course the scriptures as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. His voice is also heard in His creation, all around us telling of the glory of God!
Yet one of His most important means of communication is in His people, His body, the Church!
When in fellowshp with others who love Jesus, I actually hear His Voice! Some of that fellowship comes from teachers, writers who expound upon the Bible, but much of it comes from time spent in prayer and communication with ordinary believers who all recognize their need for Him. When I am in their presence I can actually see the leaven of the Kingdom at work, slowly and gradually changing us all into the the very image of Christ!
Together we can explore that hidden treasure that each of us has found in Christ! Together we can continue to encourage one another to hold its greater value! Together we can exhort one another to let every distraction go in order to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness! Then the things that distract us, that worry us are out of the way so God can then supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory!
The important thing is for us to see Christ’s victory in this world. No matter how things look on the outside, we know. we have inside information! His Kingdom may at times be hidden from the world, but not for long! Praise God!