14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
It's interesting to note that the last installment of this series was written seven months ago......evidence of a lack of commitment to the craft of blogging. I can assure you, though, that during that time my commitment to the Kingdom of God has only increased. I'm sure that in these troubled times, with the re-election of a pro-choice, pro-"gay rights", Constitution-side-stepping president, you like me have fervently prayed "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
I have found myself, by the grace of God, being caught up in a concerted effort to see abortion on demand be remove from the legal fabric of our nation. Many, if not all, of our national problems can be linked to the unrighteous foundation of genocide that forty years ago replaced the righteous foundation of the God-given right to life. Much of my time has been spent both speaking to congressmen about this issue, and trying to rally Christians across the land to do the same. Life at Conception Acts have been introduced to the House and the Senate for each session over the last 24 years, where they just languish in committee. Obviously the people, either out of ignorance, apathy, or discouragement, have failed to apply sufficient pressure to their elected representatives to force one of these bills out of committee for an up or down vote.
So what does this have to do with the Gospel of the Kingdom? It's this. There is both a "present age" and an "age to come" aspect of the Kingdom. Remember, the Kingdom of God is God's redemptive reign, where through Christ the enemies of sin, Satan, and death have been conquered. At the Second Coming of Christ, His Kingdom will appear in power and glory. But the Kingdom has already entered the present age without the outward glory. It would not be a demonstration of glory to see the killing of babies in the womb; it would just be a return to the respect for life that was common in our country a generation or two ago. I say that to make it clear that I am not a proponent of Kingdom Now, or a Dominion theology. I do not expect righteousness to fill the earth until Christ returns.
That does not keep me from being an advocate for life, and a voice for those who have no life. I pray that you, the reader, would be of the same opinion. I want to see every person, every family, every church, and perhaps even our nation (if it is not too late) taste the blessings of the Age to Come in this Present Age. On both a personal level and a national level, the way to do that is simple, yet involves a profound difficulty. The simplicity on a personal level is summed up in these few Scriptures:
Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 3:16 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 20:31 (NKJV)
31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
The simplicity is in the verbal confession - a decision for the moment, if you will. The profound difficulty is continuing to meet the Kingdom's demand for a decision throughout one's life. Repentance is a decision which produces more than just the right words, but, connected to the heart, the whole direction and destiny of one's life is changed.
Similarly, if there really are millions of people in this country who have accepted the Kingdom's demand for a decision, who have yielded to the King's rule in their hearts, then there should be millions of points of light and millions of grains of salt in the land. Reliable polls indicate that there are over 80,000,000 such people in the USA. If that is true, why has the inalienable, God-given, right to life been replaced by the right to kill the most vulnerable in our midst?
This bog is an attempt to reach those who have already entered the Kingdom. The standard for entrance is beyond our ability to achieve, so we believe in the merits of the One who has achieved it for us.......Jesus the Christ. Such belief involves repentance; turning from our old ways and deciding to follow Him. If you have resolutely and firmly made such a decision, then the Kingdom is in you. The power of that kingdom is in you. There is no excuse for not being salt and light. If the decision was made accompanied by qualifications, such as taking care of business or family needs first (Luke 9:57-62); then the one making such a decision is declared "unfit for the Kingdom of God."
Eighty million citizens of the Kingdom of God is a powerful force in a country of 320 million citizens. If even 25% of them would speak with one voice to those who represent us in the earthly kingdom, then there is strong hope that the earthly kingdom would again begin to reflect the light of the heavenly. Just as entrance to God's Kingdom requires a radical decision, followed by radical actions; so to radical action is required for the earthly to be impacted by the heavenly.
Matthew 11:12 (NKJV)
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Luke 16:16 (NKJV)
16 The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
Matthew 10:34 (NKJV)
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
Luke 13:24 tells us to "strive to enter by the narrow door." Strive, in the Greek, means "to strain every nerve." A whole-hearted effort to defend life in a country where it is considered legal to kill will not necessarily make you the most popular person on the block. It may even cause members of your own family to hate you (Luke 14:26). But it is a righteous cause. It will give you an opportunity to shine as a light, to love your enemies, and to count it all joy when persecuted for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom.
