2004-02-06
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
For the last several weeks, we’ve been looking at the real meaning of Christ’s statement that the seventy-two were to deliver to all the towns to which they came [LK 10: 8-12] . That statement is, “The Kingdom of God is near.” It’s such a short sentence, but it’s so blatantly important and so full of spiritual content. Christ is telling the citizens of these towns that the only way to salvation is through the sacrifice He will make and a person’s faith in Him. Naturally, there were many towns where the seventy-two were not made to feel welcome. Christ had told them in that case to move on, but not until that message had been delivered. Those people would never know the saving grace that comes from faith in Christ. Other citizens of other towns would hear those words and open their hearts to Christ. As their numbers grew, it became clear that the Kingdom of God is now, firmly established in the hearts of believers. The Psalmist in PS 145: 13, long before Christ’s incarnation, understood this godly principle. “Your Kingdom is and everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” This bold statement is, in my humble opinion, a crucial truth for us to understand. JN 14: 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.” I’ve often stated by belief, as evidenced by the vision of the transfiguration of Christ in MT 17: 3, that those who lived their earthly lives before Christ’s incarnation are given a chance in some manner we don’t know to pledge their faith in Him. Otherwise, how would Moses and Elijah, who both lived long before Christ’s earthly life, have been with Him?
Do you remember the story in MT 12: 22-28 of Jesus and Beelzebul? The latter figure is the ruler of the demons. A controversy came up when some people who had seen Christ heal a blind man. The question was asked if Christ is the Son of David. The Pharisees accused Christ of deriving His power to drive out demons from Beelzeul. In MT 12: 28, Christ asserts, "No, it is not Beelzebul, but God’s Spirit, Who gives Me the power to drive out demons, which proves that the Kingdom of God has already come upon you.” This is further evidence of where the Kingdom of God can be found today, even before Christ’s second coming. It’s in the hearts of true believers. In no way does this detract from the extraordinary glorious events to come when that Stone, referred to in DN 2: 34-35 [from King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which Daniel interpreted] will supernaturally come loose and strike the giant statue, breaking it apart so the wind can carry away the pieces. This is the same Stone that will grow until it takes over all. This is when Christ will establish the Kingdom of God for all who have endured in faith throughout the history of mankind. All the human kingdoms will be replaced by this permanent one. Together Christ and His Body, the church, will rule it as joint-heirs devoted to worshipping the Father [RO 8: 17-18]. The fact that Christ could drive out demons is evidence that the spirit world recognized Christ’s kingship and power. They had no choice but to obey Him.
The Olivet Discourse found in MT 24: 29-31 and MT 25: 31-46 is where Christ and His disciples are conversing on the Mount of Olives. This is where Christ tells them about His second coming and how He will begin His visible reign on earth. MT 24: 30-31, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and He will send out His angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather His chosen people from one end of the world to the other.” Talk about a “wow” moment; this will be one! If your faith is anything like mine, You believe that the Bible is wholly true and consistent from GN 1: 1 to REV 22: 21. That means we can all rest assured that taking the vision in DN 7: 13-14 seriously is the right thing to do. Daniel speaking, “During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being [Christ]. He was approaching me surrounded by clouds, and He went to the One Who had been living forever [God] and was presented to Him. He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races , and languages would serve Him. His authority would last forever, and His Kingdom would never end.”
Each of us needs to ask ourselves some questions. 1) What is the condition of my faith in Christ? Do I believe in Christ wholeheartedly, or with some reservations? 2) Do I believe that every word in the Bible is true and consistent? 3) Do I accept that the Bible is God’s word given through prophets and writers He inspired? 4) Do I recognize the nature of the consequences to me, if I don’t believe wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ? 5) What can I do in my life to make the statement, “The Kingdom of God is now,” a reality? 6) Do I recognize that the Kingdom of God is near and take appropriate action? Dear Ones, we are both individuals and parts of the Body of Christ. Any changes we must make either in our own personal lives or in our congregations must be measured against the foundation we are given in the Scriptures if we are to be there together to take joy in the sign of the Son of Man appearing in the sky. As we attempt to make these changes, we can take great comfort in knowing that God has equipped us to be victorious in Christ’s name, and that He is there to cheer us on. Each and every one of us is loved by God, Who is eager for us to inherit His Kingdom with the Son.
PRAYER: O Lord, the questions asked by Christ’s disciples are the same questions that we have today. Some of them can’t be answered now, because the time isn’t right. An example of this is MT 24: 36, Christ’s answer to His disciples’ request in MT 24: 3, “Tell us when all this will happen and what will happen to show that it is the time for Your coming and the end of the age.” In (36) Christ says, “No one know, however, when that day and hour will come-neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows.” However, it must have occurred to each of the disciples as he matured in his faith that being obedient to Christ would cause the Kingdom to dwell in his heart. Certainly it would have occurred to each one that putting believers together, i.e. forming the church, would be a way to strengthen faith and get the Lord’s purpose carried out. Dearest Father, when we read the words of each of the disciples who wrote inspired by You, we see an urgency encouraged to get our own spiritual houses in order and to encourage faith in Christ in others around us. There are many tasks involved in serving You and ways to be Your friend. However, the essence of all of them is to strengthen our own faith in Your Son and knowledge of You, as well as bring others to where Your Spirit can give them that grace-filled and life-giving faith. For those of us with strong faith, we can feel Your constant presence and love in our lives, no matter where we are or what we are doing. That blesses our lives enormously. These verses come to mind. PS 107:1, “O thank God-He is so good! His love never runs out.” PS 19: 8, “The Lord’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light.” 1 JN 4: 12, “ No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” We humbly confess our sins and offer You thanks and praise forever. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
I am led by the Spirit to write even more on “The Kingdom of God is near” in next week’s message. At that time I will look at the difference between the phrases “the Day of the Lord” and “the Day of Christ.” If space permits, I will return to the Olivet Discourse for more illumination on the coming glory. As many times as I read and reread these Scriptures, that’s how many times God has a new lesson for me to learn. That is making it impossible to get bored reading the Scriptures. We just don’t do this alone. The Holy Spirit is egging us on and is teaching us more of the truths that God has for us in them. It boggles my mind to think that the Father has so perfect a plan for our salvation, one that involved the sacrifice of His only Son! That unselfish act, that willingness for the Son to take on more pain than anyone had ever experienced for people who start out their lives as His enemies is without parallel. The grace that the Father extends to people in bringing them to faith and afterward attempting to live sanctified lives defies adequate description. Every day on the prayer chain I see people suffering from cancer, heart disease, horrific problems of every description, and they don’t have to do that without an Advocate in heaven Who is taking their fervent prayers to God. In turn, He gives them remarkable faith in Him, positive attitudes, enormous courage, healing, and His perspective on their problems. We who believe are truly a blessed people.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn