Seek First The Kingdom - Part 8

(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) Jesus Was Sent for This Purpose (5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
 - The Garden of Eden
 - The Wilderness
 - The Promised Land
 - The Kingdom of Solomon
 - The Days of the Apostles
(7) The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(8) Attributes of the Kingdom
 - Prosperity and Joy (Part - 8)
 - Peace
 - Righteousness
 - Holiness
 - Knowledge of the LORD
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Believer’s Responsibility to Progress the Kingdom

They kingdom exists as the transitional period between the present world and the world to come as we move toward the unity with God, “so that God may be all in all,” (1 Cor 15:28). While the apostle Paul said that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking” (1 Cor 15:32), the prophets foresaw the kingdom as a place of great prosperity, abundance, and joy.

"’Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved…They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.’” (Amos 9:13&15)

The prophets saw the fullness of the kingdom as an agricultural paradise, “The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the books will flow with water.” (Joel 3:18). Such prosperity would give each man time to “sit under his vine and fig tree,” (Micah 4:4)(1 Kings 4:24-25).

The use of the phrase “the vine” is seen in scripture as a metaphor for the prosperity of the kingdom. Jacob prophesized of the coming Messiah saying, “He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes,” (Gen 49:11). Apparently this vine is very prosperous. According to the Bereishis Rabbah, “there would be such an abundance of wine that one would conceivably be able to launder his clothes with white wine (white wine would not stain the garment)…There will be such plentitude of red wine that one would be able to dye his clothing red with it.”

When the twelve spies searched out the promised land, they returned carrying a single cluster of grapes that was so bountiful it had to be carried on a pole between two men, (Num 12:23). The Promised Land is a picture of the kingdom, where all human needs are abundantly supplied. In the words of John,

  “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." (Rev 7:16-17)

The kingdom is frequently seen in scripture as a joyful feast, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,” (Matt 22:2). The return of Jesus is seen to culminate with a great marriage ceremony of the Lamb and His bride, (Rev 19:7). It will be a time when the righteous sit down with the great patriarchs of the faith, “Many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,” (Matt 8:11). The Hebrew Feast of Sukkot celebrates the time Israel dwelt in the wilderness and is seen to be a picture of the kingdom. It was said that anyone who had not seen the rejoicing of the people at the temple during the time of Sukkot had never witnessed a real celebration, (Gemara, Sukkah 53a).

“The Son of man came eating and drinking” (Matt 11:18), would have been consistent with His words, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Matt 3:2). All the gospel writers record at least one of the miraculous feeding of the multitudes by Jesus because it both identifies Jesus with Moses and testifies to the power of the Kingdom of God. The first miracle Jesus performed, turning water into wine (John 2:1-11), may have been selected by John both for the wedding feast where it occurred and as a picture of the bounty of the kingdom. After the Passover meal before the crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom,” (Matt 26:29).

The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the future bounty of the kingdom saying,

"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.” (Isa 55:1-3)


(to be continued - Scott)

The God Given Role of Governments

This post is a deviation from the normal subject matter.  About two months ago, Jacob and I, frustrated by the current political process, discussed how we could speak about the subject in church without offending fellow believers who felt that politics should stay outside the walls of the assembly.  While it may be true that non-profit organizations cannot espouse support for specific candidates without jeopardizing their tax exempt status, they are permited to speak about the actions of candidates and the impact those actions have on our beliefs.

Most believers have some understanding that scripture instructs us to pray for our leaders. What most believers do not recall is the specific need we are to lift up in prayer.

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (1 Tim 2:1-2)

The goal of praying for our leaders is so that we might “lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” Said another way, believers should pray for the ability to worship and conduct our lives in a manner prescribed by the LORD. Judging by the condition of our government, believers have not sufficiently prayed for our leaders.

The opportunity to worship the LORD in a manner He prescribes was the reason Moses stood before Pharaoh while the nation was in Egypt,

“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness,” (Ex 5:1).

Like the repressive governments before and after, Pharaoh would not allow the people of God to go and worship in a manner prescribed by the LORD.

The LORD is a God Who desires all to be free so that every person may have the opportunity to “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near,” (Isa 55:6). The principle of seeking the LORD runs throughout the entire breath of scripture. To this end, God establishes rulers, authorities and principalities to function as “a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil,” (Rom 13:4). Punishing “the one who practices evil” provides a level of restraint against the sinful nature of man “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life.”

The writers of the Declaration of Independence drew on these principles from scripture when they wrote,

“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.”

Many believers are unaware that the current (2009-2012) Executive Administration of the Federal Government has become increasingly hostile against religious institutions and the free expression of religion in public places. The examples are numerous, but for the sake of brevity, we will cite only a few.

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Banning the Mention of God at Military Funerals: In June 2011, the Department of Veteran Affairs and its Director of the Houston National Cemetery, who fall under the authority of the Obama Administration, forbid the mention of God and Jesus at funerals services for veterans buried in the local area National Cemetery. In addition, funeral volunteers were required to remove “God Bless” from condolence cards to grieving families and were banned from speaking a religious message when talking directly to veteran’s families while on cemetery grounds. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgY5ej-9kSg)

Banning Bibles At Walter Reed Military Hospital: In November 2011, Walter Reed Military Hospital in Washington, D.C., issued a memorandum to caregivers stating, “No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.” After sufficient protest, including collecting a petition with over 20,000 signatures, the Hospital reversed their position.

“This is very ironic,” said Tony Perkins of The Family Research Council, “We’re talking about the ability of family members to read from a Bible to their wounded or even dying family members who fought to defend that same liberty. If the freedom of those who have sworn to give their lives defending such freedoms can be taken away, what can we expect for the rest of us?”

Forcing Christian and Jewish Worshippers to Violate Their Faith: In January 2012, under the provisions of Obamacare, churches, synagogues, and related religious institutions, including affiliated hospitals, colleges, and charities, must pay for contraceptives, sterilization, and abortion drugs for their employees even when such payments would violate the institution’s religious beliefs. Although the Catholic Church was most vocal in the news about these provisions of Obamacare, the requirements would apply to most religious institutions.

In the words of Pastor and author Rick Warren, “The issue here is not about women’s health. There is a greater principle, and that is do you have the right to decide what your faith practices?”

Dictating Who A Church Can Hire: In the fall of 2011, President Obama’s Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court to eliminate the long-standing legal precedent that protects religious organizations from government regulations in the case of “Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School vs Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” The case involved a teacher who lost her job at the school and sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Rather than just argue the merits of the specific case, the Justice Department used the opportunity to argue that all employees of a church are subject to Federal employment regulations. If the Administration’s claim was approved, government-appointed judges “could impose ministers on churches against their will,” said Luke Goodrich, a legal council representing the church. Churches would then lose their ability to make employment decisions based on religious beliefs.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision on January 11, 2012, affirming the freedom of religious groups to choose their own ministers. In the words of the court,

“Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister, or punishing a church for failing to do so, intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision. Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs. By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group’s right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments. According the state the power to determine which individuals will minister to the faithful also violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government involvement in such ecclesiastical decisions.”

The decision appeared clear cut to the court justices so why was the Justice Department of the Obama Administration so willing to take this case to the Supreme Court? One must conclude that the position of the Justice Department reflects the convictions of the Obama Administration.

Failing to Defend Traditional Marriages: The Obama Administration’s Department of Justice does not defend the traditional definition of marriage between a man and women. In February 2011, President Obama instructed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage, which has since 1996 allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex partnerships recognized in other states.

Not only did the President make this decision, but this position was publicly announced to throw open the door and invite the opposition to come in. This is typical of the current the Administration. At best, the Obama Administration weakly defends the traditional values of most believers and, at worst, the administration is openly hostile toward those values.

Conclusion: Through the efforts of faithful men and women, most of the above infringements have been successfully reversed for the moment, but the approach of the current administration in Washington is clear:

(1) Disassemble and remove religious symbols, practices and institutions to the degree that these institutions will abdicate their beliefs,
(2) Backtrack from this strategy only temporarily when under extreme pressure, and
(3) Continue to wear down the opposition and look for future opportunities to continue the process.

The Believer’s Responsibility: Some in the body of Christ do not believe the discussion of politics should occur under the roof of the sanctuary. This dispute is as old as the gospel accounts. In the days that Jesus walked the earth, the Jewish Pharisees accepted the rule of Rome, provided such rule did not interfere with the worship of the Jewish people. At the other end of the spectrum were the Zealots who wanted to throw off all Roman rule and were willing to risk the nation to achieve that end. Even the apostle Paul appeared reluctant to criticize the Empire since he was able to preach the message under the protection of, and with relatively little interference from, the Roman government.

However, when a government or leaders within that government fail to fulfill their God given function to
secure the rights of citizens to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” and thus threaten the ability of citizens to worship and conduct their lives in a manner prescribed by God, those citizens become obligated to speak against such abuses and the people who authored them. To remain silent only invites further repression that will ultimately spiral down into total persecution against the body of believers.

-- Scott

Seek First the Kingdom - Part 7

(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) Jesus Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
- The Garden of Eden
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Land
- The Kingdom of Solomon
- The Days of the Apostles
(7) The Life and Ministry of Jesus (Part - 7)
(8) Attributes of the Kingdom
- Prosperity and Joy
- Peace
- Righteousness
- Holiness
- Knowledge of the LORD
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Believer’s Responsibility to Progress the Kingdom

PATTERNS OF THE KINGDOM: The Life and Ministry of Jesus

“When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.’” (Luke 4:42-43)

 

A close examination of the miracles Jesus performed will reveal that many, if not all, of the miracles testify to the kingdom, “for I was sent for this purpose.” Jesus began His ministry teaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17), told His audience “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33), and then He proceeded to perform miracles that demonstrated aspects of the kingdom.

 

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people,” (Matt 4:23).

 

The gospel of John records seven miracles of Jesus that all testify to the kingdom. Three of the miracles deal with healing the body. Healing a diseased person, a person who is crippled, or one who is blind, represent some of the greatest signs of the kingdom because “Shalom” is restored to that individual’s life and the people around him. The benefits of the kingdom are greatest for the person whose life is in the most chaos. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” (Matt 5:3). The kingdom comforts the mourners, feeds the hungry, bestows mercy, bears up under persecution, and brings forth peace, (Matt 5:3-10).

 

When Jesus sent the twelve disciples out He instructed them, “Preach saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand,’” (Matt 10:7). Their preaching was to be accompanied by four signs of the kingdom, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons,” (Matt 10:8). Casting out demons, like the healing of sickness, restores the health of the person bringing peace to the individual’s life. Casting out demons is one sign specifically identified by Jesus as a sign of the kingdom.

 

“If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matt 12:28).

 

Jesus performed all the signs that He instructed His disciples to perform to testify to the kingdom.

 

"Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Luke 7:22)

 

The “gospel” Jesus was referring to was “the gospel of the kingdom,” (Matt 4:23). When Jesus healed people, feed people and clothed people, he brought Shalom into their lives and gave His followers an example to follow. When Jesus healed the woman bleeding for twelve years, He restored her to her family and community. When Jesus healed the man blind from birth, the man could bless God for the beauty of the creation. When the man was freed of the demon possession, he sat down “at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind,” (Luke 8:35).

 

Jesus raised three people from the dead, including Lazarus, (John 11:1-45). If healing is a sign of the kingdom, it follows that resurrecting the dead would be among the greatest signs of the kingdom. Jesus may have been alluding to those who would witness His own resurrection when He said,

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power,” (Mark 9:1).

 

When prompted to bring about the kingdom, Jesus said,

“The kingdom of God does not come with careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is, because the kingdom of God is within you,” (Luke 17:21).

 

The statement of Jesus has led many to understand that the kingdom is not manifested in a physical form on the existing earth. However, if the kingdom of God is within believers, then the kingdom will manifest itself in the physical actions of kingdom people. If it is manifested in the actions of believers then the kingdom has a physical form on the earth today. Said another way, people see the kingdom every time a believer acts to bring order, purpose, and peace into the world, “for the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” (Rom 14:7).

 

We can gain some insight into the operation of the kingdom by understanding the types of behavior that are not part of the kingdom. For example, the kingdom does not consist of people nor activities that bring chaos to the world.

“Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10)

“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.” (Gal 5:19-21)

“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Eph 5:5)

The examples Paul cites move the individual and the world toward greater chaos and turmoil. Instead of bringing Shalom to the world, these actions bring about the "Tohu-Bohu" that existed before the creation. At the end of the age, “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness…then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” (Matt 13:42-43).

The actions of kingdom people are to be different from worldly people who introduce chaos into the creation. The actions of kingdom people bring “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The actions of the believer must always be bent toward repairing the world. When believers act like Jesus we manifest the kingdom in the world. The action of the believer should always be judged against the standard of the kingdom, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father,” (Col 3:17).

The Holy Spirit is fundamental to the progression of the kingdom. The Spirit enables the believer to live a kingdom life through obedience to the commandments of God. The work of the Spirit was prophesized by Ezekiel who said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezek 36:26-28).

If the work of God at creation brings peace out of chaos, we would expect the work of the Son of God to bring peace to the world. Through every miracle He performed, Jesus restored a portion of the world back into the condition that existed before the fall.

“He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near,” (Eph 2:17).

The miracles of Jesus testified that He was from the Father because the Father has been in the business of creating Shalom out of tohu-bohu at creation.

“Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father?’ ‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (John 14:8-10)

(to be continued - Scott)

Seek First the Kingdom - Part 6

(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) Jesus Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
- The Garden of Eden
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Land
- The Kingdom of Solomon
- The Days of the Apostles (Part - 6)
(7) The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(8) Attributes of the Kingdom
- Prosperity and Joy
- Peace
- Righteousness
- Holiness
- Knowledge of the LORD
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Believer’s Responsibility to Progress the Kingdom

PATTERNS OF THE KINGDOM: The Days of the Apostles

After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples greatly anticipated that the fullness of the kingdom would appear. They quizzed the Master, “’Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” (Act 1:4-5). Although, Jesus does not give a specific time, His words “times…fixed by His (the Father’s) own authority,” hint that the return of the Master will occur at one of God’s “appointed times,” i.e., one of the biblical feasts.

A few days later, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Shavuoat) only reinforced the pattern that God was working out His plan for the kingdom on consecutive feast days. The apostles and disciples had previously witnessed the death of Jesus on Passover, His burial on Unleavened Bread, and His resurrection on Firstfruits. We can only speculate what first century believers thought would be revealed as they waited expectantly throughout the long summer months looking forward to the fall feasts of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles which begin around late September to early October.

Many believers must have anticipated the fullness of the kingdom appearing on the Feast of Trumpets. “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles,” (Acts 2:43). In anticipation of the coming kingdom, many believers stayed in Jerusalem. Why return home when you are witnesses to the unfolding of God’s plan? Every believer wanted to be in Jerusalem to witness the return of the Master (Zech 14:3), the gathering of the lost sheep of Israel (Mark 13:27), the rebuilding of the temple (Zech 6:12), and the crowning of Jesus as King to sit on the throne of David, (Luke 1:32). These are not the events of providence that a believer is satisfied to hear about when God has given a person the opportunity to experience.

Peace existed in the church like no other time in history, “The congregation of those who believe were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them,” (Acts 4:32). And knowledge of the LORD increased, “With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the LORD Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all,” (Acts 4:33). The kingdom was manifested in the actions of believers; “There were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer,” (Acts 2:42).

Believers opened up their homes to those who did not live in Jerusalem. “All those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need,” (Acts 2:44-45). Selling possessions provided for the needs of the community, is considered to be among the acts of righteousness, and earned believers “merits/rewards” that would become impossible to earn after the arrival of the kingdom. All met together for worship in the temple, all eat together, and all praised God and found favor among the people, (Acts 2:46).

The call to a higher level of righteousness and blessing came with a greater level of personal responsibility and judgment on those who “put the Spirit of the LORD to the test,” (Act 5:9). This was the case for Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a piece of property, but then lied to the apostles about the selling price and kept some of the proceeds for them selves. Even in the prosperity of the coming fullness, judgment will still come, on the unthankful, the sinner, and those who reject the knowledge of God and the grace that will be offered.

The pattern of unity, understanding, and worship among believers never repeats to this degree in scripture, “they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico,” (Acts 5:12). Men and women were constantly being added to the group of believes and people “even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them…and they were all being healed,” (Acts 5:14-16).

The fullness of the kingdom that was manifested by believers after the day of Pentecost remains as a pattern for believers to follow today. This fullness continued until the persecution of Stephen, which may have come as quickly as the fall feast of Rosh HaShanah. Unfortunately, the fullness promised by Jesus and the prophets would be delayed until a time that “the Father has fixed by His own authority,” (Acts 1:7).

(to be continued - Scott)