Kingdom Forever

Run, hide, the Babylonians are about to attack us… I reckon this does not scare anyone today, but there were days when it did. When the mention of names like Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander the great, Pharaoh, Harold, and not too long ago Hitler, Idi amini, etc. would scare a lot of people. These once great and powerful leaders and rulers, have lost their fame and their power decreased/disappeared completely.

We observe that the various empires and kings came and are gone. Each bearing the resemblance of the one before it. Failing as a result of what destroyed it predecessor – idolatry and love of luxury in Babylon, Persians’ work-based religion, the Greeks’ love of human philosophy and the Romans’ system of laws still affect the social, cultural and governmental features of the western world today.

Just as observed from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2, iron and clay cannot mix, our world is incapable of uniting as one nation and people. The division and conflict foreshadowed by Nebuchadnezzar’s dream resist human attempts to bring lasting peace. Cultures are in conflict, nations are engaged in civil wars and wars with other nations, struggles and tension exists between social and economic groups. The only answer for peace is found in Christ’s kingdom, the everlasting kingdom – the kingdom of which there shall be no end.

The everlasting kingdom. There is no reason to doubt that the right and true and the holy shall have the victory. All dominions hostile to Christ must give way. All kingdoms incompatible with His must be dissolved. Christ's kingdom has nothing anarchical, because it has nothing sinful in it; it has not one element of decay, because into it nothing that defiles can enter. Suns shall grow pale, stars shall become dim; the crescent shall wane, the crucifix shall fall from the hands of him that holds it; and Christ's kingdom shall extend over all the earth, and all shall bless Him, and be blessed in Him.

As Christians we belong to an eternal Kingdom. Our lives ought to reflect the nature of Christ who occupies the throne. Such a lifestyle is displayed through priorities, motives and obedience. Nothing of this world, not even its kings and kingdoms will survive the end of history. Holy living is the only way we can secure our citizenship to this eternal kingdom – the kingdom that has no end. Our faith in God should lead us to live as citizens of Christ’s kingdom. This involves living to please our king in every aspect of our lives – how we act, how we speak, and even how we think. And we should want our lives to be expressions of worship for God who “had called us out of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son (Col. 1:13)

Up Against The Wall

Locked in a dark room without food and water, 14-year old Susan was left to die… by her father! What could make a father do such a thing…? This has been the fate of many because they will not give up on their belief in Christ.

Early Christianity began as a sect among Jews, and according to the New Testament account, Pharisees, including Paul of Tarsus prior to his conversion, persecuted early Christians. Persecution is an intrinsic part of Christianity. In Acts 4:1- 32 are some tremendous insights that we can learn from the way the Apostles handled persecution. For the early church, persecution was a blessing. That is still true today--persecution is a blessing to all churches and all believers.

Acts 4 records the beginnings of the efforts within eleven years to persecute the church in Jerusalem. They were really the beginning of all the persecution that the church has endured for nearly two thousand years.

As time has progressed, Satan's persecution of the church has become more subtle. The techniques he uses to persecute Christians are not as obvious as they used to be. However, they are very effective. In one way or another, the Christian church is always being persecuted. The persecution can be political, personal, or religious. The church has always suffered persecution, but it is more subtle today than it used to be.

Today, Satan usually directs persecution not to a person's physical body, but to his ego. He focuses on pride, the desire for acceptance, or the desire for status. That's very effective. Satan doesn't often threaten a Christian by saying, "If you witness, I'll cut your head off." He threatens a believer by saying, "If you witness, you might lose your job, your status--or someone might think you are abnormal." The techniques Satan uses today have a tremendous effect in a subtle way. That is not to say that there are no places in the world today where there is still physical persecution of Christians. There are, alright, but the subtle system is more evident in our society today.

If you fear being ridiculed when you talk about Christ, examine yourself and find out why. Who benefits from your fear? What would be the results in your life and the lives of others if you did not talk about Christ? What would be the results if you did share about Christ? Which results are more important to you? Which results are more important to God? Ultimately, whether or not you are willing to confront people about their need for Christ will be related to how willing you are to put aside self and serve God. When you share what the Bible teaches with an unbeliever, make sure that you are honest in everything you say. Don't modify the truth to please other people! When you find yourself persecuted for Christ, trust God and be sensitive to His guidance in the situation. If you do that, God will be glorified (1 Pet. 4:14)!

Commissioners

“Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this—that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Preaching the gospel is the primary mission of the church because the church is God's agency to evangelize the world. In early days, the church was God's agency to send preachers out to preach the word and do the work of God. The Bible says of the church at Antioch, "And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away" (Acts 13:1-3). This is our paramount objective. Sometimes people say: "What about the poor and the unfortunate? Doesn't the church have an obligation to them?" Yes, it is necessary to do good and relieve the afflicted, the needy and poor, but that is not the primary mission of the church.

Another mission of the church can be found in the last part of that great commission, as stated by Matthew. He said, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Jesus said, "Teaching them." Who? Teaching those who are baptized, teaching the saved, teaching them to observe all things the Saviour commanded. When the church has made disciples, then it is the mission of the church to teach them what Jesus wants them to know. It is not enough to teach them the first principles and then leave them to their own devices - they must be taught to observe all things that Jesus commanded. Therefore, teaching the saved is necessary.

Another important mission of the church, by means of its ministers, is to strengthen the body of believers and equip them for works of ministry. The church should be an atmosphere of spiritual edification, where God's Word is taught, where believers are grounded, discipled and led toward maturity. This not only serves to anchor their faith in Christ, but prepares them for service. According to God's plan, each member of the body of Christ is called to serve in some aspect of ministry, especially as it pertains toward bringing souls to Christ.

God wants all people to hear the new of salvation. One of the most familiar verses in the Bible, John 3:16, reminds us of God’s love for everyone on earth and His desire that none perish but all have everlasting life. A church’s involvement in fulfilling its global mission happens only when individual Christians assume a global mission outlook and involvement. Most times we forget that the world starts at our front door, even within our family. Ask God to make you aware of people you know or come into contact with who are open to hear the good news and do not hesitate is sharing the best new ever with them – the new that Jesus die and rose to bring us salvation.

Ekklesia

There is a great need today to understand the essential nature of the church from what Scripture teaches and not firstly from the role some claim she ought to play in society. We cannot continue to define the church existentially, that is, by the way she interacts with the world and the resultant changes she undergoes. We must begin with the word of God in order to get a sense of the kind of entity she is, and from there we can decide on the kind of tasks she ought to be engaged in.

The word "church" in the New Testament (Greek ekklesia) refers to a group of people who are brought together for some special reason. In the religious sense, the word refers to those people who have been brought together by God by being forgiven of their sins; they have become children of God and have the hope of eternal life.

One of the cardinal truths we must understand today is that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church. As the Son of the living God, who gave himself to redeem people to God, He is the reason the church exists. When a foundation is weakened, there is the danger that the building will fall or be condemned. It should not surprise us then that enemies of Christianity have always attacked the Foundation. They ridicule and reject the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His blood atonement, His bodily resurrection and ascension, and His second coming.

Paul in Eph. 2:25 – 27, likened the church to be the bride of Christ. Christ first loved His bride (the church) so much that He gave His life for her. The responsibility of the church therefore, is to be faithful to Him. As a sheep of his pasture, Jesus will be our Good Shepherd. How have we fared as sheep of God’s flock? As part of Christ’s body, are we working in harmony with all other members? Are we eagerly anticipating and preparing ourselves for the coming of the bridegroom?

We as a church, are a community of faith in whom God lives by His Spirit because, we are people who have been reconciled to God. Does the way we live reflect this reality? The church is relevant in today’s world when we live as the body of Christ. He can work through us to bring people who are spiritually far from Him back to God and make them part of the holy temple in which God lives by His spirit.