Kingdom Thoughts

"All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your Kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations." ( Psalm 145:10-13 ESV)
   If a person has entered into the kingdom of God by doing the will of the King (Matthew 7:21) do they then continue in the kingdom by obedience or disobedience? By obedience. "And being made perfect, he (Jesus) became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." ( Hebrews 5:9) What do we obey? The commands of Jesus ( Matthew 28:20) and those He gave to his apostles. ( Acts 1:2) Usually these are clear as in Ephesians 4:28 where kingdom citizens are told not to steal.
     But what about when we do not have a specific command? Scripture gives us principles and attitudinal perspectives. Let's take the example of marriage. The Bible does not specify a particular person to marry. It does say that they must be in the Lord ( 1 Cor. 7:39, 2 Cor. 6:14-18). So how does one make the second most important decision that they will ever make in their lives? Ideally parents should be deeply involved in the process. ( Proverbs 1:8, Ephesians 6::1-3). But sometimes this is problematic.
    This is only one example of the importance of a discipler in our lives, someone with whom we have mutual commitment and trust, someone who is pouring their life into us to help us become more like Christ, and to whom we are accountable.Marriage is only one of many decisions that will need to be made as we live in the Kingdom.
    I have been praying for a number of months about a potential ministry trip to Europe. I was not intending to go, or have any desire to include Israel in that trip. But i was not receiving any clarity of direction through prayer. I am not aware of any biblical imperative for me to visit Israel. But the man whom God has provided to disciple me wants me to go so i am trusting that this is the will of God for me, and that He will use my obedience to further His Kingdom in the earth.

More reflections on the Kingdom of God

In the last several days my thoughts have turned to the question of how do we excite Christians about the Kingdom of God. While praying i was led to Matthew 13, a chapter of parables that describe the Kingdom. These include the parables of the Sower, the Weeds, the Mustard Seed, Leaven, Hidden Treasure, Pearl, and Net. Probably the best well known of these is that of the Sower and the four different types of soil in which the seed ( the word of the kingdom) lands. We are far too complacent in automatically thinking that we are the fourth or good soil. In verse 23 Jesus says, "As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case, a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." (ESV) What if the fruit Jesus is talking about are disciples? ( Baptized followers of Jesus who are learning and by grace obeying all the commands of Jesus. cf. Matthew 28:19-20) How many of us have made one disciple, let alone thirty or sixty or one hundred? I doubt the new members class is the whole of what Jesus has in mind here. In context with the entirety of his message I believe it very possible that making disciples is exactly what he is talking about.
    Our problem begins with the whole theme of salvation. Yes, the New Testament describes people getting "saved," and uses that language. ( Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9) And certainly it is by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8). But this misses the totality of the message. Jesus says, "The one who endures to the end will be saved." ( Matthew 24:13) The next verse reads, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." The gospel of the Kingdom. In Matthew 6 Jesus models prayer for his disciples. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (v.10) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."...
     What is one of the major differences between earth and heaven? In heaven the will of God is obeyed.
"Bless the Lord, all His hosts, his ministers, who do his will." (Psalm 103.21 cf. v.20) On earth, the rebel planet, humans and demons disobey. Note the close connection in the portion of the prayer quoted above. Your kingdom come, your will be done. Rather than relying solely on the "saved" language of the NT, I believe it appropriate to ask which kingdom we are in. "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son..." (Colossians 1:13 ESV)
     How do we know which kingdom we are in? The one who does the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven. ( Matt. 7:21) "Whoever does the will of God abides forever." ( 1 John 2:17b ESV)

Triumphal Procession

     "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." ( 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV) The Holy Spirit through Paul is referring here to the Roman custom of celebrating the victorious general of a decisive campaign. Prior to the inevitable debasement under the later Empire, this honor was rare. The Senate of Rome voted on it, and the commander so honored was allowed to parade through the streets of Rome, displaying booty and captives, cheered by the populace in the manner of people nowadays if a sports team of their city has won a national championship. As more than conquerors ( Romans 8:37) disciples of Jesus Christ are always in triumphal procession.
   Lately I am beginning to receive tastes of this. On Friday the congregation with whom I am fellowshipping had a day of prayer and fasting. Admittedly the group is not that large. Still it is the first time in many years that i have had the privilege of fasting with the entire church with whom i am connected. ( Go Brazilians!)
   Arriving home this afternoon i was telephoned by a man who had invited me to preach at his local church on the theme of discipleship. He indicated that his wife had been approached by another woman in the church to receive discipleship. She wanted some pointers, which i was delighted to give.
    I'm understanding this as fruit of preaching the kingdom of God. Just now i found at least fourteen explicit references to this in the New Testament with many more implied. Examples are found in Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 10:7 and 24:14 which reads "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Jesus is not the only one to preach the Kingdom. Philip is recorded doing it in Acts 8:12, and Paul in Acts 20:25, 28:23, and 28:31. And Jesus will deliver the Kingdom to the Father. "Then comes the end, when he (Jesus) delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power." ( 1 Cor. 15:24)
    We have the honor of serving in this kingdom, in part by preaching not just the gospel, but the gospel of the kingdom. King Jesus, please help me to excite people about your Kingdom.

Newborn

   Being with a newborn baby is an unforgettable experience. Being with someone newly born into the Kingdom of God has its similarities. On Saturday i was scheduled to meet with Doug, a co-laborer in the gospel for over twenty years, at noon to counsel together about an upcoming men's conference that we and another brother are coordinating. Shortly before noon i received a text ( the caveman emerges into the 21st Century) that he was in a different town and could i join him there instead. When I arrived he introduced me to a woman and her young adult daughter. The woman had received Christ several months prior, the daughter the night before. Had the privilege of praying for both women and suggesting their beginning the reading of the Word of God in the gospel of Mark. Also mentioned that we do not always feel the presence of God but He is always there. ( Job 37:16, 1 John 3:20)
     Assuming that the disciple knows how to present the gospel of the Kingdom to someone which, I just realized, should be the subject of another post, how do we care for a spiritual newborn? Hopefully we have given a clear understanding of the gospel because that will form a foundation for what comes next. I recommend the following. We must help the person  to understand prayer, that they have the privilege of going boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16) We must introduce them to the Word of God. In the preconversion state I advocate working slowly through 1 John. Most American newborns will relate more to Mark's gospel than any other at first. It is clear, action oriented, short and provides a good summary of who Jesus is and what He did. In a post-Christian culture most people have no accurate understanding of Jesus at all and probably have never read the Bible.
   We also need to emphasize the crucial importance of baptism. I do not find baptism classes or long intervals between regeneration and baptism in the New Testament. Instead in the nine places where baptism is illustrated in Acts only in Paul's case, because of extenuating circumstances, is baptism not immediate. This shows that a person must have a clear understanding of what entering the Kingdom means, and particularly surrender to the will of God, prior to baptism, which is sometimes referred to as the first act of obedience.
    Then we must get the newborn into healthy fellowship, which will be difficult if we are not in a healthy spiritual environment. We must begin to disciple the person immediately, not leaving them to wander about. In the same way as we would care for a newborn baby left on our doorstep, we must do everything we can to help the person grow in Christ. We will probably have to reprioritize our life but what an incredible privilege. May we have this honor more often.

A Brief Sketch of the Kingdom of God

     My new friend Tom has encouraged me to write a little overview of the Kingdom of God. While i have alluded to this topic in this blog previously, I believe it is so central to God's purpose that this will not prove redundant.
   The original plan for Adam includes dominion or rule over the creation. (Genesis 1:26,28). He is told to be fruitful and multiply in order to provide those who will help him in this rule. ( Gen. 1:28) Through sin and disobedience to the direct command of God, he loses his kingdom. ( Genesis 3:6ff) Satan takes over the kingdom. ( Luke 11:28)
   But God's sovereign purpose will not be thwarted. In the "Davidic Covenant," ( 2 Samuel 7:12-16) David is promised that from his seed the throne of the kingdom will be established forever. "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." ( 2 Sam 7:16 NKJV)
   Thus it is instructive that Jesus comes not preaching just the gospel, but the gospel of the kingdom. ( Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 10:7, 24:14,Mark 1:15, Luke 9:60 et. al.) In fact there are about one hundred and thirty references to either the kingdom of God, or, in Matthew, the kingdom of heaven. Many of the parables of Jesus are introduced as "The Kingdom of God is like..."
    But what is the kingdom? Some point to Romans 14:17 which says that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." While this is true there is more to be revealed here. Luke 11:17-22 forcefully demonstrates the invasion of the kingdom of darkness by the Kingdom of God.
    Matthew 7:21 says that those who do the will of the God enter the kingdom of heaven. The example given in Matthew 21:27-31 speaks of those doing the will of the father entering into the kingdom of heaven. Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation for those who obey Him.
    In the words of George Ladd, "The Kingdom is primarily the dynastic reign or kingly rule of God... The Kingdom is the rule of God; the church is a society of men." ( Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem p.863) This is why Jesus says that the kingdom of God is "within you." ( Luke 17:21
    So we enter the kingdom of God by His grace through faith that produces obedience and surrender to the will of the King.

Charismatic Code Language

Over forty years ago i was introduced to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in a very charismatic "Jesus Freak" environment during what is usually called the Jesus People Movement of the late 1960's and early 1970's. By charismatic i mean those who believe in and practice the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in such places as 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. For the next twenty-five years I participated in charismatic churches, and did not know anything else. I even experienced the so-called "Toronto Blessing" of the mid '90's. During most of that time i was Biblically illiterate although I was in churches that ministered the gospel and the Word of God.
    Beginning in the early 90's God caused me to begin to devour His Word. Eventually I joined a church who believed in cessationism. ( The gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased somewhere around the time of the completion of the New Testament.) Although I found this unpersuasive at least i was exposed to the teaching. When I left the traditional church structure in 2000, one of my most fervent hopes was that somehow the charismatic and evangelical wings ( or the expressives and the cerebrals) could come together in unity. Fourteen years later I have lost hope of this.
     The principal reason is the thinking or "theology" of most people in the charismatic movement. ( There may be a few exceptions)  Charismatics speak incessantly of being "led" by the Spirit or language to that effect. Unfortunately what i have seen repeatedly is that this is simply code for doing whatever they personally wish to do, and claiming that the Spirit has told them to do so. In those circles this assertion is unanswerable and anyone who suggests obeying the Word of God is practicing "legalism" or has a "religious spirit." The truth is that the Holy Spirit does not contradict Himself. He does not say one thing in the Bible and something different to you or me.
    This is why we have instructions to judge prophecies ( 1 Cor. 14:29), to "test all things; hold fast to what is good, ( 1 Thess 5:21), and "test the spirits." ( 1 John 4:1) How do we do this? By looking at the objective, eternal, Holy Spirit authored Word of God. ( 2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, John 6:63, Hebrews 4:12.)
   So while I do not believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, i no longer call myself a charismatic.

Reality Check

   Six months ago upon my return from Brazil , I received direction to make disciples in the US rather than to try to do this in other countries because God has given me an understanding of the language and culture here. Previous to this i had worked with a number of different men over more than a decade with the hope of encouraging, mentoring, and helping them to grow in Christ with limited results. Discipleship is a little understood, seldom practiced theme in North American Christianity. Most believers either treat it as optional or assume that if they have "come" to Christ that they are a disciple. Spending almost four months in Brazil with a growing grasp of Portuguese had allowed me to witness and experience a depth of discipleship, and considerable fruitfulness in the lives of many believers, that I have never seen here.
     God showed me that the foundation of true Christ honoring discipleship is an understanding and receiving of  His Kingdom. The common evangelical preaching of the gospel in the US centers on the benefits that someone will receive if they will follow Christ. While those benefits such as forgiveness of sins and eternal life, to name two, are true and of incalculable value, we usually leave out the surrender of our will to God, and the ramifications of the Lordship of Christ. Taking up our cross, denying ourselves and following Jesus are largely theoretical. What are we willing to sacrifice for Him?
    This morning i was speaking to a middle aged Brazilian-American man who has become a citizen of this country. He described to me how he had gone to an extremely dangerous Islamic country not once but twice because he has been asked to use his restaurant cooking experience to help start a little business there so that missionaries could support themselves. He also described how ill he had become, and how bomb blasts had shook the house where he was staying. This is not a super spiritual or affluent individual. He said that he would go again if needed because if something happened to him he would go straight to be with the Lord.
    In contrast three of the four men who agreed to be discipled by me in recent times are unwilling to go to a weekend men's retreat focused on discipleship. The last wants to go but has a genuine conflict.
    Being and making disciples is not optional. ( Matthew 28:19-20) Nor is submitting to the Lordship of Christ. ( Romans 10:9, Luke 6:46) Is there hope for American "Christians?"

Handicaps?

    In the old days, before political correctness began to choke how we can refer to something, someone who had physical or mental difficulties was said to be handicapped. Now i think the term used is challenged. In this post i submit that those who are truly handicapped are the people who have an above average amount of the things that our society values. Those who are wealthy, physically attractive, athletic, powerful, well educated or intelligent beyond the norm are often envied or looked up to in our society, and often receive the "rewards," of fame, fortune or approbation. So why do i consider these people to be truly "handicapped?"
    The answer lies in 1 Corinthians 1. "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are..." ( 1 Cor. 1:26-28) Why? "So that no human being might boast in the presence of God." (v.29)
    The attributes that we prize and strive for turn out to be hindrances to true faith, which involves dependence on God rather than on ourselves. As Jesus says, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)  Human pride causes us to seek after fame, fortune, and the applause of other people rather than the approbation of God. Paul writes that we make it our aim to please Him. ( 2 Cor. 5:9) Without faith it is impossible to please Him. ( Hebrews 11:6) Behold the fairness of God.

Lost Art of repentance

THE LOST ART OF REPENTANCE

“Remorse is becoming obsolete in the USA. Excuses cover all misdeeds. After all, there is a disease to cover just about every immoral action, and if you question that, you are a mean, insensitive person.” ( “The No Spin Zone; pg. 2) So writes Bill O'Reilly, the commentator and TV journalist. “Almost every wrong action can be stripped of consequences, along with the need for feelings of guilt and remorse.” ( Ibid. p.3) With few exceptions, our entire society has bought into this mindset. So has most of the body of Christ. Granted that feelings of remorse or guilt are a long ways from true repentance; when was the last time that you actually confessed anything as sin and repented of it? I do not hear this though James 5:16 admonishes us to confess our sins to one another and pray that we might be healed.

Some Christians are familiar with Psalm 51, David's confession of sin after the adultery with Bathsheba following his murder of her husband Uriah. Other psalms have similar themes.

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me: my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:3-5 ESV)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ( 1 John 1:8-9 ESV) One way to think of repentance is a change in direction. If I live in Chicago, and want to go to Boston, I do not head west to Los Angeles. I must, by the grace of God, turn from my sin, and go towards Him.

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you...” ( 2 Corinthians 7:10-11a ESV) The context is the obedience of the Corinthian church to expel a fornicator. cf. 1 Cor. 5:13)

Appeasement

     While anyone may read this particular post, it is primarily intended for those who actually believe (faith producing obedience) as opposed to mental agreement or feelings, that the Bible is the Word of God- inspired, inerrant, and authoritative in every aspect of the life of a believer.
     For many years i have observed a very disturbing phenomenon in the Church in America. If it were a few isolated cases it would not be so concerning but i believe it to be quite widespread. The scenario is a Christian married couple in whose marriage the husband is regularly attempting to appease his wife. ( I recognize that the opposite also occurs but this does not seem to happen nearly as often.) By appeasement I mean that she really has a veto over whatever they do as a couple, and that the husband is trying very hard to satisfy her.
   Now I understand that Ephesians 5 teaches that the man is to love his wife and give himself for her as Christ gave Himself for the church. So I am not writing about a man who is trying his best to do this. The phenomenon that i observe is the wife, who oftentimes has been mistreated or abused as a child, taking that out on the husband. I agree that some husbands are abusive and none are perfect.  But many work very hard to bless their wives.
     I believe that the root of this is the cultural belief that men are responsible for all the evil in the world. For example, our current legal system is decisively prejudiced against the man in any divorce proceeding. Men are treated as ATM's. If they do not pay support they will be thrown in jail. The woman, who normally receives custody of the children, will not suffer the same punishment if she refuses to let the father see his children, no matter what legal agreements may mandate.
    What is really needed is something i refer to as spiritual open heart surgery in which a person ( man or woman) allows God to change their heart, to forgive as He forgave, and to receive healing and love from God Himself. "Hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has give  us." (Romans 5:5 ESV)