Tag: Kingdom Design

The King Of The Kingdom (Part I)

In a previous post I wrote that Jesus was using a metaphor in referring to His rule as a kingdom. Metaphors are meant to communicate packages of information by explaining something not known in terms of something known.

Because Jesus was the greatest communicator ever, we must assume He chose the metaphor of the kingdom because it most closely paralleled the nature of His rule. Therefore, by examining earthly kingdoms in conjunction with what the Bible says about the kingdom of God, we can gain a better understanding of how the kingdom of God works.

The first thing that would have come to the minds of a first century audience when Jesus began talking to them about kingdoms would have been kings. The king was the most powerful person in an earthly kingdom and could command the obedience of all persons in the kingdom, even those who did not like him or want to serve him.

Continue reading “The King Of The Kingdom (Part I)”

On Leadership In The Kingdom

Well, it looks like Muammar Gaddafi is on his way out in Libya, following in the footsteps of Egypt’s Mubarak and Tunisia’s Ben Ali.

There are probably a lot of things these three have in common, but one for certain is they were all poor leaders. They have all demonstrated that power alone does not a leader make.

I don’t think anyone seriously doubts the importance of leadership when it comes to running a country.  I think those who study such things will tell you leadership is the most important factor in successful businesses or governments, even more important than ideology or intelligence.

I believe many Christians, however, would be surprised to know how important leadership is in running a church or other so-called spiritual endeavor. Continue reading “On Leadership In The Kingdom”

Economics For Dummies (Quantitative Easing)

I had decided maybe I was just dumb, but the more I read about the “quantitative easing” our government has been involved in of late, the less it made sense.

You see, I’m a saver and I hate debt.  When the Bible says to owe nothing to anyone except to love them (Romans 13:8), I take it literally.  We have lived well within our means for years so we could save and avoid debt.

So, when I read about quantitative easing I get confused. They say quantitative easing is necessary to avoid deflation and that deflation is bad, but deflation means prices go down and people who have saved can buy things cheaper.

They say they would rather have inflation, where the money you have today is worth less tomorrow. This means people who are in debt today can pay back their debt tomorrow with cheaper money. Inflation rewards people who are in debt and punishes people who aren’t and who have saved.

I thought the government was to support virtuous conduct (saving and moderate, frugal living) and discourage profligate and presumptious conduct (debt-driven lifestyles). I decided maybe I was just dumb, until I saw this video, and now it all makes sense.

Well maybe not, but it’s better to laugh than cry.  GS

On Trees And The Kingdom of God

Good communicators understand their audience.

So, when Jesus spoke to an audience of Jewish people and told them the kingdom of God was a mustard seed that becomes like a tree so that birds nest in its branches (Matthew 13:31-32), I want to know what the Jews would have thought he meant by such a tree. I want to know what image and meaning Jesus was trying to evoke in his audience, and to understand that I need to understand His audience.

The Jews knew the Old Testament. They were taught to memorize it as children and write it on their doorposts. They heard it recited repeatedly in the synagogue. When Jesus told them the kingdom of God was like a tree, He was using a popular Old Testament metaphor for earthly kingdoms that Jesus knew his Jewish audience would recognize and understand.

In Ezekiel 31 the Lord, referring to the Assyrian Empire calls it a tree “loftier than all the tress of the field” and that “[a]ll the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs” and “all great nations lived under its shade.” (Ezekiel 31:5-6).

In the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar has a prophetic vision wherein the Babylonian Empire  is represented as a tree that “grew large and became strong” and the “beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.” (Daniel 4:11-12).

Then, referring to King Jesus and the kingdom of God, in Ezekiel 17 the Lord, through Ezekiel, says He will take a tender twig from the top of a cedar and plant it “on the high mountain of Israel and that it will “became a stately cedar…And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches.” (Ezekiel 17:22-23).

So, when Jesus told His Jewish audience the kingdom of God would become like a tree and birds would nest in its branches they would have understood He was talking about an earthly kingdom under whose covering the nations of the world would enjoy protection and provision. GS

4 Misconceptions About The Kingdom

Jesus said Christians are to “seek first the kingdom.” (Matt. 6:33). To seek the Kingdom first, we should have a proper understanding of what the Kingdom is and what it is not. With that in mind, here are 4 common misconceptions about the kingdom of God:

1. That the kingdom of God is the same thing as heaven. As I addressed in another post, while the kingdom of God includes heaven, it is broader than that, also encompassing people, places and things on earth under the delegated authority of Jesus.

2. That the kingdom of God is the same thing as the Church. As I also addressed in a previous post, while the kingdom of God includes the Church, i.e. Christians, it is broader than that. Jesus made this clear in explaining the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, when He said that at the end the wicked (tares) would be gathered “out of His kingdom.” (Matt. 13:41). This doesn’t mean non-Christians will go to heaven; only the righteous (those covered by the blood of King Jesus) inherit the Kingdom.

3. That the kingdom of God is purely a future phenomenon. Jesus told his followers the Kingdom was in their midst (Luke 17:21), and if He cast out demons the Kingdom had come upon them (Luke 11:20)– He did, therefore, it had. And, Daniel prophesied that the kingdom of God would be set up during the days of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2:36-45). Jesus planted the flag of the kingdom of God on the earth and the Kingdom has been for 2,000 years.

4. That the kingdom of God will be unsuccessful on earth until Jesus comes back to jump-start it. Once established on earth (see misconception #3), the kingdom of God will “never be destroyed”, “will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms”, and “it will endure forever.” (Dan. 2:44). Jesus describes the growth of the Kingdom as steady and progressive, not dormant or latent. (Matt. 13:33).

Have you embraced any of these misconceptions? GS