Interpreting The Four Visions Of John's Revelation

As noted above, we've completed the first of the four visions of Revelation. They are as follows:

Introduction: Rev. 1:1-8 - John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ who is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him.

1. Jesus and his people between his first and second comings (Rev. 1:9-3:22). John introduces the next section with the phrase "after this." 
2. Jesus and events surrounding his return (Rev. 4:1-16:21). 
3. Jesus and the two rival cities (Rev. 17:1-21:8): Babylon and Jerusalem
4. Jesus and his bride throughout eternity (Rev. 21:9-22:5)

Conclusion: Rev. 22:6-21 - Blessed are those who wash their robes so they may have the right to the tree of life and enter the New Jerusalem. No additions or subtractions to the words of this prophecy are allowed. 

As we move into a discussion of these visions it is helpful to realize that there are a number of approaches to interpreting them. These include: 

1. Amillennialism - held by most Christians up to the 1500s. Unites and equates OT Israel and NT Christians as one group. 
2. Postmillennialism - held by many N American Christians during the 1800s. Resurgence today. 
3. Historic Premillennialism - held by many during the first four centuries of the Christian era. Held by many today. Takes Rev. 20 (and even the entire book) literally.
4. Dispensational Premillennialism - divides history into either seven or three dispensations. Promises that most Christians will be raptured before the Great Tribulation. 

My own response to these various views will become clear as we move further into our study of the upcoming chapters. In his Pentecost sermon the Apostle Peter pointed out that we have entered the last days promised through the Prophet Joel 2:28-32.  

"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' - Acts 2:17-21 ESV

In these last days God has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. - Heb 1:2-4 ESV

The Kingdom of God is at hand

So the Kingdom of God has drawn near, is at hand (Matt 4:17) now that Jesus has completed the work of the Messiah. Demons are being cast out by the Spirit of God and the kingdom of God has come upon all believing children of God (Matt 12:28; 19:14). We await the imminent return of the King. Soon now he will return in glory (Matt 25:31-32). When he returns he will sit on his glorious throne and all the nations of the world will be gathered before him.

The Kingdom of God is near

As I completed my service to Zion church, Tomball, TX. last Sunday I read the Scriptures publicly. After the Divine Service, as I shook hands with those attending, one lady remarked,

I love the way you read the Bible. It sounds so personal and clear. 

I responded,

The Scriptures were meant to be read aloud and interpreted by the inflection and use of one's voice.

In support of that I submit the following from the first chapter of John's Revelation:

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. - Rev 1:3 ESV 

Actually, the original Greek does not say "reads aloud." It merely uses a word that implies that those reading were reading aloud since you can't hear what is written in this prophecy unless it is read aloud. The blessing John writes about comes in the midst of this public communal activity of reading and hearing the words of this prophecy. The one who reads is blessed and those who hear and keep what is written are blessed. Notice that the blessing comes not merely from the hearing, but also from the keeping of what is written, as the Lord Jesus said,

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. - Mat 11:15 ESV 

The keeping of the words of this prophecy refers to guarding them. When Jesus was entombed by Joseph of Arimathea (a little town of Judea), guards were placed before the tomb. The concern was that the disciples would steal the body of Jesus away and so claim that he had risen from the dead (Matt. 27:62-66). The Greek word for the guards is the one from which we obtain our English word custodian. Following that lead, I can hear John suggesting that we who hear the Word are to be custodians of it, watching over it so carefully that not a single letter is lost. As we ponder and guard that Word we will be blessed.

Further, what John writes is a prophecy. Prophecy has three meanings.

1. In the strict sense prophecy is foretelling, that is speaking about future events before they happen. The Gospel of Matthew often uses prophecy in this way. For instance, the angel who appeared to Joseph told him not to be afraid to marry Mary, because of what had been spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). - Mat 1:23 ESV
2. The second meaning of prophecy is illumination. Divine light is cast upon what is otherwise secret, unknown or not understood in God's revealed Word. Suddenly there is for the hearers who receive and guard it in their hearts an Aha! So in a recent Bible class I observed that many realized for the first time that "the name" of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the sacred NAME of God (YHWH - Exod. 3:13-15) and this NAME is shared by all three members of the Holy Trinity. So the Father is YHWH, Jesus is YHWH.  and the Holy Spirit is YHWH. 
3. The third meaning of prophecy refers to interpretation. This is what a preacher or a teacher does for his assembled hearers. He interprets God's Word and applies it to the lives of those gathered. 

As we read (together in this blog) and hear John's Revelation I pray that all of these meanings will be opened to us, because this prophecy does indeed tell of things to come, but it also throws light on things already written and helps us to interpret and apply them to our lives. 

Finally John says, "For the time is near." John uses one of two N.T. Greek words for time. In this case  he speaks of kairos as opposed to chronos. Chronological time keeps changing. It is impermanent. So I may awaken at 6:30 a.m. on a Tuesday, but a moment or two later it is 7:00 a.m. and so on. On the other hand kairos refers to a specific time whose significance continues forward. So I think of the birth of my children. Each birth changed my life permanently and continues to do so to the present. In a far more profound way the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus has changed everything and will continue to do so forever. So after John was arrested, Jesus proclaimed, 

"The time (kairos) is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand (near); repent and believe in the gospel." - Mar 1:15 ESV

Thus let us be very conscious that the reading and hearing of this prophecy brings us to a kairos of decision. The Spirit is a work in these words.  Things foretold are about to be fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand (near). Consider what it means for your life here and now. Now is the time to repent and believe in the gospel. The Kingdom of God is being fulfilled in our midst at this present time.

What Is Eschatology?

Dr. C. H. Dodd

A Welsh New Testament scholar and Congregational minister by the name of Charles Harold Dodd  (1884-1973) taught Biblical criticism and exegesis in England at The Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Cambridge. His name is connected with a twentieth century view of the end times called realized eschatology. In Dodd's view Christianity is an historical religion unlike all others. However, history should be considered in its religious sense—that is mythological or symbolical, not literal or scientific. There was no literal series of events as described in the Bible.

We must understand what the term eschatology means in order to grapple with Dodd's claims. Eschatology is the study of the eschaton (the day at the end of time when God will judge all mankind). In the Greek language the word is eschotos - the last, as in Jesus' parable:

And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' - Mat 20:8 ESV

Implied in most studies of eschatology is the view that history has meaning: as our world had a beginning so it will have an end, a purpose. All events in human history are moving forward with purpose and meaning.  In Dodd's view eschatology's meaning is now rather than in the future, hence the term realized. In his view God's purpose has already been realized. And what is God's purpose? His purpose is to realize the kingdom of God on earth. To that end Dodd quotes Jesus in Matthew,

Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. - Mat 12:25-28 ESV

The phrase the kingdom of God has come upon you, says Dodd, means that God's kingdom has absolutely arrived. The Spirit of God is present and Satan's kingdom is being torn down. This is going on now. There is no future kingdom coming. God's purposes are being realized in various degrees in what is happening in the here and now. The Day of the Lord has come.

Realized eschatology continues to have strong influence in liberal churches that deny Christ's atoning death, his resurrection and his imminent return at the end of history as we know it. To them the purpose of Christianity and the church is to do good deeds, especially by working in the realm of politics and power to bring about societal change and equality. They have a different Gospel altogether. Their Gospel is basically that Christ died because he taught men to love one another. We are to follow in his path. As we do so, the kingdom of God is being realized now.

The young church in ancient Thessalonica also had a problem with the day of the Lord, but it was not Dodd's problem. Paul writes,

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. - 2Th 2:1-4 ESV

I'll take up their concern and Paul's response next time. Meanwhile know with certainty that the Scriptures do indeed teach that history has meaning and is moving toward the eschaton, the Last Day and Christ's return.

Do Christians Really Have Anything To Say About Marriage?

Millions of us Christians oppose same-sex marriage as a perversion of our Creator's plan. Our opposition is based upon what our Creator has revealed about marriage and upon the fact that marriage is a picture of Christ's relationship to his bride, the church, as Paul teaches in Ephesians:

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. - Eph 5:31-32 ESV

In my previous post I promised to review the history of same-sex marriage in the United States. In fact, if you wish mere historical data, that has long since been done. You can easily access names and dates for such information. For instance:

• The history of gay marriage in the United States and
• Timeline of gay-rights movement in the U.S.
• Supreme Court DOMA Decision Rules Federal Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

We Christians are not, however, of this world. We are ruled by a different king and guided by His will and decisions. Jesus made this abundantly clear when he stood before Pilate, condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin of being an insurrectionist.

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." - Jhn 18:36 ESV

Christ does rule the world in spite of its rebellion against him. We know this as his kingdom of the left hand. In that kingdom he maintains a measure of peace and order through various types of earthly governments, including the republic under which we Americans gratefully live.

However, we who have been graciously reborn into the family of God live under Christ's rule in a different kingdom, one we call Christ's kingdom of the right hand. In this kingdom he has revealed Himself as both Creator and Redeemer. In this kingdom we joyfully receive forgiveness for our sins and the certain promises of the resurrection and life eternal. In this kingdom we are guided by the Spirit of Christ who works through His revealed Word and the Sacraments.

The written Word of God (Bible) has come under severe attack during the past two centuries. No longer is it considered authoritative in matters of faith and doctrine. No longer is it seen as the inspired Word of God. The majority of American mainline protestant churches now view the Scriptures as an historical document written by fallible humans, but through which God somehow speaks. It is no longer viewed as inerrant. It is filled with historical inaccuracies. Yet the teachers in these churches want to keep the Bible as a reference book for the church as we seek to apply the gospel to life in the 20th and now the 21st centuries.

 I wrote about the historical-critical method and the authority of the written Scriptures in some postings a few years ago. For review check out the following links and the links embedded within them:

• Beware of philosophy
• Can there be such a thing as Biblical history? 
• Is the Bible history or legend and myth?
• How brilliant we Bible scholars are!
• Foolish spiritual words
• The Spiritual Man makes judgments about all things

My point for today is simple: if the Bible is not God's Word, then we have nothing to say about the definition of marriage. We will have to acknowledge that marriage is merely a human institution that is evolving and changing like everything else. Thus we will have to embrace whatever is happening and try to speak about it in the most loving possible manner. 

In my next post I intend to point out some of that thinking as I find it in a paper about same-sex marriage, presented by a theologian of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. 

Praying For God's Kingdom To Come

As noted in yesterday's blog, Jesus came to depose the devil from his throne. The devil had successfully taken over control of the people of this world and become their god, even when they did not know they were worshipping him. Now a new king has appeared, the rightful ruler. And we are taught by the  true King! to pray, "Your kingdom come!"

The true LORD and God, Jesus the Messiah, has begun His reign. So we join the people of Jerusalem who welcomed Him into Jerusalem with their prayer: Hallelujah—LORD save us! Save us from our folly, from the powers of darkness, from the craziness of a world that worships those powers! Set us free to be children of God (Romans 8:20-21).

From an early 1900's Bible card illustration

Already that is happening. His Spirit is at work through His Word, calling us to faith and leading us to follow where He leads. So we are sent back into the world, not to be of the world, but to be in the world with the Good News. This is our calling, our vocation. Peter writes about it in this manner:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. - 1Pe 2:4-12 ESV

I'll not expound in detail upon what Peter says above. Only note that he emphasizes that we who acknowledge Jesus as the true King understand that we gave been called out of darkness into His marvelous light! We have received undeserved mercy in Christ. What follows is that we abandon the ways of the world, what Peter calls the passions of the flesh. These passions wage war against our very souls. So in deep humility we follow Christ the King wherever He sends us to live honorable lives. Our purpose in all of this is that the people of the world (who are not yet God's people), may see our good deeds and give God the glory on the great day when Christ returns in glory.

So teaches also the Apostle Paul,

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." - Rom 15:8-11 ESV 

We who have been adopted into the people of God go then out into the world to live out our vocations, our varied callings—father, mother, business person, doctor, nurse, lawyer, soldier, and on and on—under the kingship of the true King. The "Gentiles" are watching our good deeds. Through this witness, we pray that the kingdom of God may come indeed, also among them. And so together we shall rejoice and praise the LORD forever and ever. 

God's Kingdom Comes Without Our Prayer

In his Small Catechism's teaching on the Lord's Prayer Martin Luther writes,

The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.

What is the kingdom of God or of heaven? The term occurs in all four Gospels, Acts, Paul's epistles and in the Revelation. Here are the references just in Matthew:

• Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 5:3, 10, 19-20, 6:33, 7:21, 8:11, 10:7, 11:11, 12:28,  13:24,31,33,44-45,47,52, 16:19, 18:3-4,23, 19:12,14,23-24, 20:1-2, 21:31, 21:43, 22:2, 23:13, 25:1. 

Obviously kingdom of God is a primary theme in the New Testament. The foremost meaning of the terms translated as kingdom in both Testaments is the rank, authority and power exercised by a king. The kingdom includes both the realm or territory and  the people who belong to that realm and over whom the king has authority. The principal meaning, however, is always the authority to rule. The king is sovereign. He has the power. 

Satan, as Matthew shows, knew from the outset that Jesus had this power. This is why he attacked Jesus in the wilderness. 

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 

Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" - Mat 4:8-10 ESV

Satan laid claim to the kingdoms of the world. Despite his rebellion, he is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), blindly worshipped by the people of the world and under his control. Jesus came to de-throne this false god. Satan's demons know about this. When Jesus drove them out of the two Gadarenes the demons cried,

"What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" - Mat 8:29 ESV

The demons shudder in fear. The King has come; judgment awaits (James 2:19; Jude 1:6).

On some level the unbelieving people of the world also know this. Notice the constant mockery of our LORD's name by them. Listen as they cry out or curse, "God damn you! Jesus Christ!" Even in this back-handed way they are acknowledging His authority and power. The King has come. He has arrived to set His people free. And this is all His doing. As Luther said, "The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer."

The point Luther made was that none of us are able to usher in the kingdom. The initiative was and remains God's doing. As John so beautifully teaches us,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - Jhn 3:16 ESV

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ... We love because he first loved us. - 1Jo 4:9-10, 19 ESV

If this is all God's doing through His only Son, why pray, "Your kingdom come?" We'll look at that tomorrow as we consider in more detail how the kingdom comes and how the king continues his gracious rule in our lives.

The Game Of Thrones Goes On

We continue our meditations upon the LORD's Prayer . . .

During the days of Jesus' earthly life many were playing—in terms of the currently popular TV show on HBO—their own Game of Thrones. Many members of the Jewish Sanhedrin tried to maintain their control of the Jewish people while balancing the Roman occupiers' demands for taxes. In turn, the High Priests sought to control the Sanhedrin and enrich themselves at the same time. The Herodians had limited political control of various parts of the land as they killed one another and indulged their fleshly appetites. And in the midst of all this the Roman prefects and governors had to maintain peace with all these factions while their soldiers pursued Jewish zealots and sicarii (assasins) hiding in the hills or killing in the very streets of Jerusalem.

Here's part of the private conversation between the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate, and Jesus as reported in the Gospel of John. Notice how each plays the game.

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 

Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" 

Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" 

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." 

Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" 

Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." 

Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" 

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. - Jhn 18:33-38 ESV

What did Jesus mean by accepting the title of king? What did he mean when he said he was born for that very purpose? What did he imply by saying that he came into the world for that purpose? That he existed somewhere else, in some other world? And what is or was the nature of his kingdom? How could he come into the world and yet not be of this world? Or from the world? What world was he from?

It all sounded like gibberish to Pilate, this talk about kings, truth and listening to Jesus' voice. The guy was obviously nuts, spouting nonsense. That's why Pilate concluded, "I find no guilt in him." This prophet was not guilty of insurrection as the Sanhedrin claimed. They were playing their own games and Pilate knew it. He simply wanted to get rid of this craziness and be done with it. So he played his card, hoping it would all go away. He would release Jesus and crucify the robber Barabbas, but they demanded Barabbas and the game went on.

With all this in mind, we are taught by our LORD to pray, "Father in the heavens . . . your kingdom come!" So whose kingdom are we praying for? Jesus' or the Father's? Both? More on this in my next post.

The Road Less Traveled

I promised to speak about demon possession. Permit me to focus on one question in particular. Can a person ever be possessed by a fallen angel, a demon? What is the Biblical teaching on this matter and how does one go about dealing with it?

As noted in my previous post the New Testament also recounts many instances of demonic possession, mainly in the synoptic Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry. Jesus encounters persons possessed by demons who have take them captive and who cause physical and mental affliction. For example consider the story of two demonized men in the country of the Gadarenes.

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" 

Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." 

And he said to them, "Go." 

So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. - Mat 8:28-34 ESV

Here we see the Lord exercising total power over  demons by driving them out and into a herd of unclean pigs. Such an exorcism was a sign that the Kingdom of God had come (Matt. 12:22-23). Jesus has come to rescue us all from the dominion of darkness and has brought us into the Kingdom of God's Son (Col. 1:13). 

The devil made me do it 

That was then, but what about demonic possession today? Does it still happen? A Texas jury found that Andrea Yates was insane when she drowned her five children in a bathtub five years ago. A friend asked if this is an example of demonic possession? Is insanity the modern day example of demon possession?

To answer his important query I turn to a famous and oft cited nineteenth century biography of a German Lutheran pastor. The story is recorded in the landmark biography of Pastor Christoph Blumhard (1805-1880),  The Awakening: One Man's Battle With Darkness by Friedrich Bluendel. This free e-book was published by www.Plough.com and the Bruderhoff Communities of the U.K. The book is introduced as follows: 

When Blumhardt, a 19th-century pastor from the Black Forest, agreed to counsel a tormented woman in his parish, all hell broke loose—literally. But that was only the beginning of the drama that ensued. Zuendel's account, available here in English for the first time, provides a rare glimpse into how the eternal fight between the forces of good and evil plays itself out in the lives of the most ordinary men and women. More than that, it reminds us that those forces still surround us today, whether we are awake to them or not.

Blumhardt served as pastor of a Lutheran church in Moettlingen, a parish at the northern end of the Black Forest, numbering 874 souls and encompassing two villages. The youngest of three orphaned girls, Gottlieben Dittus, had many demons cast out from her through the prayerful ministrations of Pastor Blumhardt. So wondrous and awesome were these events that Pastor Blumhardt was immediately catapulted to nationwide notoriety. People by the hundreds flocked to him for healing. When criticized for using his pastoral office as an instrument for healing, Blumhardt replied,

"According to the New Testament, God wants to offer his gifts through human instruments. The gospel is to be proclaimed by servants of God, ambassadors for Christ, and these messengers are to bear spiritual gifts and powers for the church. That is why the apostles were endowed with exceptional power, both to preach and to heal.

"Christianity knows absolutely nothing of this anymore. Hence all the despair in face of misery, and the devious means many try. Hence, too, the plight medical science finds itself in: it is expected to replace by its skills what the servants of the gospel ought to provide, but have long ago forfeited. In this case, medical science is to be commended for having labored far more faithfully than the servants of the gospel, in spite of the unbelief it professes as a body" (p. 117).

What about today?

Most modern psychiatrists would mock at such an approach to insanity as primitive, simplistic and thoroughly unscientific. To be sure, not all mental illness is caused by demonic possession. However, toward the end of the twentieth century along came a psychiatrist by the name of M. Scott Peck to publish his now famous book, The Road Less Traveled (1978). I commend that book and others by the same author to you as well. Peck draws from his own practice of psychiatry to point out that not every aberrant behavior can be explained as simply another form of mental illness.

Peck says medical scientists and the churches have not been talking together as much as we might about such things as spontaneous remissions of cancer and psychic healings. The attitude of many in the medical professions is that miracle cures are nonexistent. Too many Christians feel the same way, suggesting that such things only happened back in the days of the early church. Peck says he and many other physicians have now changed their minds. Miracles do happen. He also emphasizes that demonic possession is real.

In later writings, Peck documents his own work with truly evil people and the exorcising of demons. See People of the Lie (1998) and Glimpses of the Devil : A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption (2005).

Why should we Christians be surprised by this? That is, after all, what our Bible says. Why do we Christians doubt it, whether it has to do with the healing of the body or the casting out of demons? There is a whole lot more to this world than we thought we knew about. To deny this is to fail to unify all knowledge and experience into our current understanding of human life and activity.

Here is where I stop. I am not intimate with the Andrea Yates case. I have personally had but limited experience with exorcisms. But is there still such a thing as demon possession? Yes indeed. And does Jesus still cast them out? Oh yes! And, further, do miracles of healing still happen? Most certainly! But at the same time shall we throw away all that modern medicine brings? By no means. Let us rather make sure we get into that dialog Peck points to and travel together down that road less traveled.

In Whose God Do We Trust?

I am continuing my reflections upon civil religion and how a Christian is to bear witness to his or her faith in a multi-cultural nation like the United States. Here we have no state supported or government controlled religion or church. This is forbidden by our Constitution. We are a religiously diversified nation—and by law intend to remain so. To define a church and other religious entities some of the IRS guidelines consider whether or not an institution has:

• a distinct legal existence and religious history,
• a recognized creed and form of worship,
• established places of worship
• a regular congregation and regular religious services, and
• an organization of ordained ministers

By no means does that define what is the church in terms of the Bible. Drawing upon the Scriptures Article VII of the Augsburg Confession defines the church like this: 

The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.    (See also The Apology, Articles VII and VIII)                          

Massachusetts Halfpenny 1787 

So we have two distinct definitions of church, one from the so-called Kingdom of God's left hand (the state or government) and one from the Kingdom of God's right hand (the Church). Under the first definition above a wide variety of organizations worshipping any number of gods may be called church—and are in the U.S.A. These churches include Muslims who worship the god Allah, Sikhs who vaguely call their god "Vaheguru" (Wonderful Master), Jehovah's Witnesses who deny the Trinity and Scientology with no set dogma of god. There are many others.

So in this nation with the motto "In God We Trust," we are forced to ask quite simply, In whose god do we trust? The god worshipped by some majority, by some minority group or does it even matter? Given this pluralistic situation we return to my closing sentence from yesterday's blog:

However, there are times and contexts outside the fellowship of believers when public prayer may not be appropriate.

We who worship Jesus Christ as very God of very God and Son of God, affirm that

. . . there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 ESV

The basic guideline for all Christians therefore is that we are at all times to bear witness in word and deed to this Good News, this Gospel. We are not saved, will not be saved by Allah, Jehovah, Vaheguru or some unknown Higher Being. We cannot, we dare not and we will not compromise therefore on this issue. And we will refuse to suggest—even in our public prayers—that these other gods may or should be the object of our prayer. In that sense we are in the same position as were believers in the early church who were persecuted and murdered because they could not compromise by suggesting that Jesus was but one of a pantheon of many gods. Nor will we worship with any group of Christians whose public teachings compromise on the Gospel and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

With these principles to guide, each Christian and each Christian pastor must prayerfully ask himself if he is truly bearing witness to Jesus Christ and the Triune God by his prayers, his words and his actions.

Judging According To The Flesh

Yesterday as I wrote about the rapidly changing views on marriage and sexual license here in the United States I was painfully aware of how different my views are from those self-styled enlightened voices calling for such changes. To most of us who follow Jesus, it seems so very obvious. The definition of marriage is clear : one man and one woman for life! Period, end of discussion. This is what Jesus teaches clearly in his Word. This is how he, our Creator, Master and Lord designed human life. We have no choice but to follow his way of life. He is LORD. He brings light. He is the Light of the world. And when we follow this Light our personal, family and community lives are blessed.

But my conclusions are not at all obvious to those outside Christ's Kingdom, to those who do not accept his authority nor that of the Scriptures as God's Word. You can see this clearly as we pick up the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus has just declared himself to be the light of the world.

So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true." Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. - Jhn 8:13-16 ESV

"You judge according to the flesh!"

Like the talking heads who decided which candidate won the recent series of televised presidential debates here in the United States, the Pharisees brought their own personal agendas into this conflict between themselves and Jesus. They judged him, says Jesus, "according to the flesh!" And as a result they did not accept him nor the light he brought into the world.

Flesh in Jesus' usage refers not to the soft substance that covers the bodies of men and beasts. Rather, it refers to that sensuous, sinful nature of a man or woman with a self-centered agenda. To "judge according to the flesh" is decide on the basis of "what's in it for me." The apostle Paul puts it this way:

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - Rom 8:7-8 ESV

In the minds of the Pharisees, Jesus was nothing more than some self-promoting carpenter from the nothing-town of Nazareth. "You are bearing witness about yourself," they shouted. "The claims you make are empty and meaningless."

Jesus countered, "Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me." 

They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" 

Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." - Jhn 8:16-19 ESV

Earlier in the Gospel of John we hear Jesus equating the Scriptures to the voice of his Father.

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. - Jhn 5:37-40 ESV

The Pharisees and learned Scribes rejected the witness of the very Scriptures they so highly treasured. Driven by their flesh, they persisted in the belief that they could earn the blessings of God by their righteous lives. In this belief they were blind to what these same Scriptures say about sin and about Jesus as the only Savior from God's judgment upon sin. They continued to "judge according to the flesh!"

Bottom line: when we Christians despair about how the morals of this world are changing, let us remember that that this is the world of men and women who "judge according to the flesh!" It has always been so. It will always be so until Christ returns. Until and unless they are reborn by the power and working of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-6), there will be no changing of their minds. We must ever be conscious of this truth. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

Jesus, Candidate For The Office Of Messiah

Current candidates for elected office lay out some fabulous claims. "Follow me. Elect me and I will solve all the problems we face in our county (or our city, our state, even our nation). Prosperity and peace for all awaits my election!" And then they run TV ads that conclude, "And I approve this message."

That's what it appears Jesus was doing when he announced,

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - Jhn 8:12 ESV (cf. also Matt. 4:12-17)

The light of the world! The light of life itself! Not only was he enlightened, he was the light itself. Follow him and you too will see where you're going. In every part of your life you will have light. A very astounding claim, to say the least. But what does it mean? Consider these words from the prophet Isaiah to Israelites enslaved by Babylon for 70 years. According to this preacher, peace and prosperity were about to break in upon them. All the promises of a coming anointed king (read: Messiah) were about to be fulfilled.

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian (Gen 25:4,13). For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.  

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. - Isa 9:1-7 ESV

This astounding message is followed by similar ones in Isaiah, especially in those passages that speak about the Servant of the LORD (cf. also Isa. 60:1-3)

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: "I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. - Isa 42:1-7 ESV

People wanted justice, retribution and revenge in those days as much as they want it in ours. There were political prisoners in jail wrongly accused and awaiting trial or death. The rule of law and righteousness was gone. People had seen their homes burned to the ground and their children ground into dust. War had ravaged and destroyed their homeland. Those left were enslaved and faced but a few years of hard labor before they died. Their hope for the future was nothing more than a sputtering wick or a bruised reed. Hope was nearly dead.

That is until Isaiah came along with his message of the coming Messianic Servant-King who would bring light to Israel and the entire world. Jesus claimed he approved that 700 year-old message. The time had finally come when the promises were about to be fulfilled. And he was that promised Light. He was not merely running for office. He was already elected—by his heavenly Father, regardless of
what the Pharisees said about his claims being false. It was not only that he approved his own message. He had the endorsement of the heavenly Father.

Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me." - Jhn 8:14-18 ESV

In my next blogs I will look at the differences between these astounding claims of Jesus and those of modern day politicians.

Thank God For Good Government

A couple months ago I found myself in the emergency room of St. Lukes Hospital, Houston, hooked to a monitor, waiting for the results of some tests. I had experienced angina pains and the doctors were concerned that I had suffered a heart attack, that my heart had been damaged. For hours I waited with my wife and children in a small room, waiting to be admitted to the hospital's cardiac care unit. Finally, shortly after midnight, they wheeled me into an elavator and up to my room where I was hooked to blinking machines and monitored throughout the night. In the morning the doctors came by to announce that I had not had a heart attack and could go home.

I mention this personal incident as an analogy of secular government. We live in a rebellious, fallen world. Satan and his minions are behind this rebellion against the good and gracious rule of our Creator and rightful King. Consequently our bodies and all of creation suffer. As the apostle says, God subjected creation to futility in hope that it will finally be set free from its bondage and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20-21).

I was born into that rebel world. Like all mankind, I suffer from the futility the apostle Paul speaks about. I was born into sin. My very nature is to sin. And so my body, together with the rest of creation, suffers. For nearly eighty years my sinful body has been growing old and dying. One day this body will indeed die, as have all men before me.

But even in this fallen world of men, our heavenly Father provides us with an emergency room otherwise known as governments. By means of these worldly or secular governments the Father continues to preserve life. In this way He demonstrates His continued love for His creation. This is why Jesus told us that Pilate, Caesar and all governments derive their authority from God. When they  do their proper work, good governments preserve order, punish evildoers, protect citizens and provide for their well being. In this world such governments operate by means of  law and that law is enforced by the fear of punishment and rewards for those who do good.

Jesus answered (Pilate), “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” John 18:36 -ESV

The Jews had falsely delivered Jesus over to Pilate in a trumped up and illegal trial. Jesus said to Pilate that if he was indeed a king with a worldly kingdom there would have been a battle. Jesus' soldiers would have fought the Jews to protect their king and his right to rule. But he was not such a king, though king he was. Pilate, however, was a worldly ruler, with authority ultimately derived from above, from God (John 19:11). 

So Jesus teaches that good governments must be respected. Pilate at that moment represented such a government of good law and order. The Jewish Sanhedrin on the other hand was operating contrary to its own nation's laws. The members of that worldly government—for that is what it was—were driven by greed, a desire for personal power and wealth and hate. As such Jesus' servants would be within their rights to resist that government's decisions, even with force if necessary. 

It is not within the scope of this blog to spell out the details of what is and what is not good government. I must leave that task to those better equipped to study and write about natural law. Even as I write the citizens of my own nation are arguing back and forth about the election of a new president and other rulers. Voters will soon cast their votes to decide by this democratic process who these rulers will be. These rulers will pass laws and argue back and forth in the coming years about what is best for the citizens of this country.  These laws will be based upon the Law of God written into our hearts. And in this way our gracious Father will continue to provide a measure of  peace, unity and goodness within my country— but it will always be imperfect, because we live in a fallen and rebellious world, a world of men ever tempted to follow the ways of the prince of darkness and his kingdom. 

But the day approaches when our true King will return. And then all will be put right and true peace, harmony and goodness will reign forever. Meanwhile we Christians join with others in whatever ways we can to promote peace and care in love for our neighbors. And, going back to what I mentioned in an earlier blog, this is why the church I served joined Interfaith in The Woodlands, Texas, to assist in caring for the very human needs of our community. 

The Authority Of Secular Government

Why do we Christians say that we live in two kingdoms? In my previous post we heard Jesus pronounce that he came to overthrow the reign of the devil, the prince of the kingdom of darkness. Are we then saying that we live in the devil's kingdom as well as the kingdom of Christ? The Bible clearly teaches that both the devil and Christ rule over kingdoms in this world. However there is another teaching about kingdoms, namely the fact that God rules over this world in two different modes. To help us in this connection, we return to Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate.

He (Pilate) entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." - Jhn 19:9-11 ESV

Pilate had authority. He had been placed by the Romans as governor of Palestine. His headquarters were in Jerusalem. Yet Jesus said Pilate's authority had been given to him from above. In other words, he was a representative of God's rule, not merely Rome's. How strange. Listen to the Apostle Paul.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. - Rom 13:1 ESV

No authority except from God! The authorities that exist in this world have been instituted by God. He has given them power. They exercise their power under His authority. The Lord God rules over this world through His representatives. So Paul continues,

Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. - Rom 13:2-4 ESV

Pilate believed he derived his authority from the Roman senate and would have to answer to the same. Yes, but, said Jesus. These Jews under your authority are not merely resisting Rome; they are resisting God! And so it was that 40 years after Jesus' crucifixion God's judgment came upon the Jews and Jerusalem, together with its temple, was laid waste by the Romans under General Titus. Jesus foretold this disaster.

And when he (Jesus) drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." - Luk 19:41-44 ESV

The Romans, acting as God's avengers—to use Paul's word—carried out God's wrath on the Jews. They had rejected their promised Messiah-King who had come among them in the person of Jesus. Thus we see the two modes of government by God, one inward at work through His Spirit and the other outward at work through secular governments. God ruled over the Jews, and all of Rome for that matter, through government representatives who had authority to bear the sword and carry out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. This authority and power was outward. Those who exercised it ruled by the sword and ultimately by the fear of death. So Rome came to exercise this ultimate authority when the Jews attempted to overthrow them. As a result, Jews died by the thousands and other thousands were carried off into slavery.

Jesus recognized Rome as God's authority. The Pharisees challenged him about the payment of taxes

And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. - Mar 12:14-17 ESV

There were things that are Caesar's. Caesar had his authority from God to render taxes, to demand money and to establish the rule of law.  Consequently, Jesus taught, the Jews were obligated to pay the taxes, like it or not, for the sake of conscience.

Why has God established such a government, ruling by fear of the sword in this world? Because of our rebellion against His rule over our hearts. So God has established outward rule to protect and care for us and to preserve outward peace and unity. This is why we have secular government in all its many manifestations.  This outward rule of God in the world is in contrast to God's inward kingdom established with the coming of Christ. In Christ's kingdom God rules by His Spirit working through His Word in men's hearts and minds. So Paul, in full accord with Jesus, teaches.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. - Rom 8:14-17 ESV

To recap:

• There are two kingdoms in this world and they are locked in perpetual conflict. The kingdom of darkness is under the control and rule of the prince of darkness, the devil. The kingdom of God is under the rule and control of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. 
• The kingdom of darkness and its prince is constantly at work to disrupt and destroy, to wreck havoc, bring chaos and death. To restrain this prince and to maintain some kind of outward peace, the Father in heaven has instituted and established the rule of secular governments.
• Christians who have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness joyfully and for the sake of conscience recognize God's rule in these secular governments. This is why they submit to these governments for the sake of conscience. 
• No one form of secular government is established by God's Word. In the course of history there have been and continue to be many forms, e.g. tribal, kings, senatorial, democratic, etc. 

Much remains to be said and taught about these matters, but that must wait for the next time.

Let Us Start To Talk About The Two Kingdoms

We who are disciples of Jesus Christ are committed to the care of the whole person, physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. This is because the Spirit of the living Christ dwells in us, teaching us to love one another even as we are loved.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. - 1Jo 4:19-21 ESV

Part of the vision of George P. Mitchell in developing The Woodlands, TX. in the early 1970s was to have the churches that grew up in that planned city to be in charge of what were and still are called human services. In the early years of my ministry as pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church, Spring, 
TX.. the congregation sponsored the development of Living Word Lutheran Church in The Woodlands and I served on the initial board of Interfaith Ministries, a coalition of churches that continues to guide and supervise human services in The Woodlands. In this planned community of over 100,000 people

Interfaith Programs and Services are available to qualifying individuals and families who reside in The Woodlands and the South Montgomery County area with employment assistance in six counties. Most programs are free of charge and are funded by the generous financial support of corporations, congregations, foundations, civic groups and private individuals.

Interfaith of the Woodlands provides many services and events including The Woodlands Directory,  senior services including senior transportation, the Interfaith Child Development Center, child care The Woodlands, employment services, family services, a food pantry, job assistance, job counseling, crisis assistance, workforce services, and The Woodlands Golf Tournament. See our programs page for more information on all our programs.

Both Resurrection and Living Word also provide support and care specifically for individuals and families of their congregations, as well as cooperate with other churches of their denomination in deeds of mercy throughout the world. I could share many stories of how that was done during the years of my pastorates at both churches. 

I mention all this by way of introduction to a deeper look into the Biblical teaching about how we Christians, both in our vocations and in our gathered congregations, operate in what has long been called two kingdoms. The very use of that phrase, however, requires some sorting and defining, because for hundreds of years it has been the source of much contention and confusion. 

Let us start with the fact that in this world there is a constant battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. Listen to our Lord

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." Knowing their thoughts, he (Jesus) said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. - Mat 12:24-28 ESV 

The kingdom of Satan, prince of demons, began to operate at the very beginning when the devil led Eve and Adam to rebel against their Lord God and their son Cain murdered his brother Abel. This kingdom and the spiritual forces behind it continue to cause suffering, sorrow, pain and death to the very present. Jesus openly accepted the fact that the world is under the control of this prince. Jesus came, as He said, to overthrow the rule of the prince of darkness and to establish the kingdom of God. When some Greeks approached Philip to ask if he would introduce them to Jesus, Jesus spoke about how he would overthrow the devil's rule by his death upon the cross.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." 

Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." 

Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. - Jhn 12:24-33 ESV

 The devil loses control of our lives when we come under the rulership and reign of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes that our heavenly Father has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

He has delivered 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. - Col 1:13-14 ESV

It is at this point that confusion about the two kingdoms begins. Permit me to return to a brief look at my story about The Woodlands and the churches of The Woodlands. That coalition of churches that guides the activities of Interfaith is made up of a very mixed group of Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Universalists, Christian churches of various denominations and several non-denominational churches. Not all by any means embrace Jesus Christ as God, Savior and Lord. Now the hard questions:

Are all those churches that reject the lordship of Jesus part of the devil's kingdom? And should we Christians reject them and refuse to cooperate with them in developing and supporting the various acts of mercy and care provided by Interfaith? There are some who say yes to that question. They do not support Interfaith and, in fact, have not located their church properties within The Woodlands.

It is here that I will continue this discussion in my next post.

Secrets Of The Secret Kingdom

In my previous post I wrote about the secret kingdom known only to believers in Christ. Today I want to point out how things work in that kingdom of God.

The crowd that followed Jesus across the Sea of Tiberias did not know about this secret kingdom. Their focus was upon themselves and their needs for food and healing. To obtain these they, like all outside Jesus' secret kingdom, believed they had to do something to obtain God's good will. So they wanted to know how to do the works of God. Jesus answered them,

"This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.  

So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 

Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 

They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." 

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. - Jhn 6:29-35 ESV

Believing doesn't sound like a work, does it? Believing seems to be passive, whereas working is active, something one does. How indeed can believing be the work of God? Aha! That is indeed the very thing the crowd missed and still misses to this very day. Faith, believing in Jesus, the bread of life, is indeed the work of God. It is not the work we do for God. It is His work, God working in us. The Apostle Paul puts it this way,

But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ... For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ... So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Rom 10:6-10, 12-13, 17 ESV

Read the whole chapter very carefully. Throughout it Paul emphasizes that faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. The Gospels make the same point. The Word was with God and the Word became flesh and blood in the person of Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1; 1:14). Whoever believes in Jesus, the Word, and in the words he speaks has eternal life. He is righteous and forgiven in God's eyes. Jesus' disciples abide in his word (John 8:31). That word is seed planted in their hearts. It takes root and grows, producing a life of faith, love and obedience to God (Luke 8:11-15). Jesus' disciples cling to this word he has planted in their hearts and put their trust in it. This faith is the work of God, God's gift to his children.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Eph 2:4-10 ESV

Word, Seed, Bread of life—these images all speak of Jesus through whom we daily receive forgiveness for our sins and through whom we are richly filled with abundant life of Christ (John 10:10). If you know about these things then you both know about Jesus' secret kingdom and you know some of the secrets of the kingdom. You know that Jesus, the Word made flesh, does everything in his kingdom through his Word. Through his Word he creates and sustains faith. Through his Word he fills the hearts of his disciples with love for one another. Through his Word he moves them to love, forgive, feed, clothe and care for those in need even as he does. As John writes in his epistle,

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. - 1Jo 4:19-21 ESV

That's how things work in the secret kingdom of God. It is not how they work in all other kingdoms. We'll finally have to take up that topic next time as we look into the kingdoms of this world, how they work and how God uses them to maintain outward peace and order.
 

The Invisible Kingdom

In my last post we heard Jesus respond sharply to those who followed him across the sea.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." - Jhn 6:25-27 ESV

 Notice their typical response.

Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" - Jhn 6:28 ESV

Its always that way. Everyone thinks he has to DO something to get God's blessings. In some way or another we have to get God to forgive us, like us, trade with us and so be on our side to rescue, redeem and feed us. That's called self-justification.

I've been pointing to Abraham Maslow and all his talk about the hierarchy of needs, starting with basic physiological needs and moving on to what he called self-actualization. Self-actualized people, he says, accept themselves for who they are, they're spontaneous and natural, have a mission in life, unflappable, alive in the moment, spontaneous, open to new ideas, and on an on. Maslow believed that everyone has an internal drive to realize those higher levels. Step by step anyone is capable of climbing up to that free, uninhibited uncontrolled, trusting, unpremeditated expression of the self!

Sounds really great. That's why his ideas are so overwhelmingly popular. Motivational speakers use them all the time. Corporations incorporate them into their culture. Popular writers publish books about them by the thousands.

But they all miss the point! You can't ever actualize yourself, no matter what you do.

Remember Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, one of the wisest leaders of Israel, a man who came to see Jesus secretly?

This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.  

Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. - Jhn 3:2-6 ESV

Jesus spoke about an invisible kingdom, one you cannot enter unless you are born of the Spirit. In other words, the gates are locked until God opens them and leads you in. And only those on the inside know about and see this kingdom of God. In this kingdom the insider discovers forgiveness for all of his failures. He feeds daily upon God's mercy and love. He finds nurture for his soul and his heart is filled with peace, peace with God, with himself and with his fellow men. He sees the world with different eyes. He sees God's hand at work in his life, even in the midst of suffering, pain and loss. He is vibrant and filled with a hope that reaches far, far beyond the present and on into eternity. He actually believes that his body will be raised from death and that he will spend endless ages with loved ones and friends in a perfect world. And so he is filled with endless joy and with praise to God his Father and to Jesus his Brother, Savior and Friend.

Do you know about this secret kingdom? If you do, then you know why I say that Maslow and all his disciples, as well as any other teachers—be they psychologists, philosophers or priests—don't get it. The gates of this secret kingdom are locked to them.

Listen to Matthew as he shares Jesus' words to his disciples.

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. - Mat 16:15-20 ESV

The church is built upon Peter's confession: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus is the Rock (Deut. 32:4; Matt. 7:24-25; 1 Cor. 10:4), the immovable foundation against which all the powers of hell and darkness cannot prevail. So Paul writes,

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. - 2Cr 5:14-19 ESV

The disciples of Jesus are members of this invisible kingdom. They have all been reborn by the working of God's Spirit in their hearts and lives. They are, as Paul said, a new creation. They are the church, the living, active, loving members of Christ's Body. Jesus is their Lord and King and they live to love him, serve him and love others even as he loves and forgives them.

This does not mean, of course, that Jesus has relinquished his kingship over this world. He still controls it and provides us with a certain semblance of outward peace. This we have come to call his kingdom of the left hand. But more about that another day.