In our gathering last week I shared a bit about the church (and individual believers) being conduits for the Kingdom to flow through and out onto the earth impacting men. I also got into talking about a message I shared back in 1984 when part of a pastoral team in Iowa regarding the 3 primary enemies of the faith at that time. They have not changed 3. Secular Humanism, 2. Communism, 1. Radical Islam (I would now adjust that to simply Islam, as I believe their tactics have become far more subtle in the West/United States) I will attach more regarding that message later and make some comments on the current state of things.
For now here is an outline of what I shared regarding our being conduits of the kingdom:
Foundational Kingdom scriptures…
Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lords prayer)
The Kingdom we are paying to be exhibited on earth is not somewhere in the distant future, pie in the sky when we die. It is a present reality. That is the reason He soon instructs us to seek it first. Everything else in the prayer is for now, daily bread, forgiveness of sin, forgiving others, but we have been duped into thinking praying His kingdom come and His will be done on earth isn’t to be a present reality. Our mindset needs to be adjusted. We need a kingdom paradigm.
Matthew 6:33
The present realty of the kingdom is why we are told to seek it first!
Luke 17:20-21
Jesus confronts the Pharisees with His presence bringing the Kingdom into their midst.
Ephesians 2:22.
We as the body of Christ “are citizens” of what? His kingdom, having been brought near to have access in Jesus by the One Spirit.
As we focus on developing a Kingdom paradigm based in seeking the King and His Kingdom, we first come to understand they are a present reality. There is a King and He has an established domain/Kingdom.
The ekklesia is the current conduit for bringing the Kingdom to earth in Jesus. When Jesus walked the earth he proclaimed: “The Kingdom is now, has come near you, is in your midst”. We, as the church, His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all, now carry that same mantle to give expression to the Kingdom in Him. We are the people, Body, Bride, temple where the Kingdom finds expression. We do not have to, nor are we, pulling heaven’s kingdom down by pleading prayer or our piety or our own initiatives. It has been established in us by and in Him, and flows right through us as we are its conduit when we seek the King and the Kingdom rather than our own initiatives or the world’s ways and systems.The ekklesia is simply the current conduit for bringing the Kingdom to earth in Jesus. Heaven joins earth and is to invade it through us, the church, which is His (Jesus) body, the fullness of Him who fills the all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23. This conduit should be thought of, perhaps a bit like Jacob’s ladder. But, instead of angels descending and ascending, it is like one of those chutes on the back of cement trucks with the effluence of the kingdom being poured out on the earth to be spread by, and through, the likes of you and me laying footings and foundations in Him.
Too many believers today trust in, and get totally wrapped up in, today’s political constructs to establish the Kingdom of God in the earth. The truth is He has established the Kingdom, and He has had no intention, does not have now, nor will ever have any intention of using the constructs of the world’s system to establish or manifest His own.
The Kingdom will never be manifested or implemented through the political constructs of man or the world’s systems. This does not mean the LORD cannot use them or move through them as tools for dealing with men and His people. The scriptures are replete with examples of His using evil Kings, Pharaohs, and Rome for His purposes. But His Kingdom is His! These worldly political entities and constructs never replace it, nor do these establish it. Kingdom reign requires a commitment and allegiance to Jesus Lordship and nothing else.
Does this mean you can’t participate in your rights as a citizen of the United States, or whatever earthly entity you may come from. No! Can you not be a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or whatever. No! Of course, you can exercise your rights and belong to whatever you may. However your commitment to nation and party end where they cross the Lordship of Jesus, and you must realize that compromise may be difficult. His Kingdom will often be at odds with the world’s systems. It also often means to trust, or put your hope, in these entities over and above the Kingdom, is to reject trusting the King/Lord and seeking first the Kingdom. Our security is not found in the world’s kings and political parties or systems. Our security is in the authority of Jesus.
God never wanted His people to have any King or government but Him.
[1Samuel 8:1-9 NASB] 1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; [they] were judging in Beersheba. 3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 8 “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day–in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods–so they are doing to you also. 9 “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”
Right after this the LORD gives Samuel a warning, which he delivers to the people about how their sons will be forced to be soldiers of the king, how their daughters will be forced to labor for the king, and how they will be taxed heavily to serve the king and his purposes. Sound familiar?
Then the Lord tells Samuel to listen to the voice of the people and give them a King and directs Him to Saul. Saul and David both proved to be fairly decent kings, but from there on in Israel, Solomon forward, the burden on the people became hard and heavy and, often, evil.
You can seek THE KING and HIS KINGDOM in Jesus, or you can be ruled by other than. To desire the politics or world’s systems to provide and judge, or to trust in them, to put your hope in them, can be to reject Him from being King/Lord over you. Most of us want what we want, and the truth is we, generally, want to be the King of our lives. But the gospel of the Kingdom leads us to a place of crucifixion of that desire.
Those functioning in the gospel of the Kingdom are grounded and focused on the LORDSHIP/authority of Jesus, not the ways, systems, and devices of the world. The LORD does not advance His Kingdom in this age by wielding power physically or politically, or by violence. So we cannot expect to advance or exhibit the Kingdom through the exhibition of physical or political power or resorting to violence. The Kingdom advances, and is exhibited, by those who have no life or power of their own, but have a God given ability, under His authority, to lay their life down and suffer as Jesus did (Philippians 2) in obedience to the Father and His purpose. They trust in the Lordship of Jesus whatever their circumstances, rather than trust in themselves and the world’s politics or power.
You may want to stop reading here. This will get a bit lengthy from here as I address the current state of religion as politics. And a warning: I will wax a bit political here.
I have no, read that as none, interest in so-called Christian Nationalism, for as I stated just now above I do not embrace the idea of God intending to establish the Kingdom through the current constructs of man. I do have interest in making us aware of what is happening in the world, and particularly in the country most of us call our present locality: The U.S.A. I have no desire to be an alarmist, for I know Who is in control and what Kingdom I’m in and represent as an ambassador. But, as that ambassador I am interested in our being aware because, I think it will affect us as the church (1 Peter 1:11, 2;11 Peter calls us aliens – we are dwelling in a foreign place) as we face the adversaries/enemies I outlined above, and in the message back in 1984. In recent years, and if you have been watching news certainly in recent weeks, Islam and Socialist/Communist have been making inroads into American politics and culture.
What follows now is piece I wrote back in 2015 which was based on the message I shared back in1984:
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When I was in full time ministry in1984 at Fellowship Christian Center in Cedar Rapids , Ia, I taught (preached) that the greatest threats to the gospel/Christianity were 3-Secular Humanism, 2.-Communism, and number 1- Militant Islam. I remember some thinking I was crazy for that at the time. But the difficulty then, and now, is that politically our Western mindset/paradigm cannot comprehend this kind of “religious” mindset. Nor do our governmental leaders understand Islam (particularly radical Islam, nor radical Christianity for that matter). Political leadership’s thinking is, and has been: “that if religious ideology doesn’t matter much in Washington or Berlin or London, surely it must be equally irrelevant in Raqqa or Mosul.” (today that would be Tehran)
The difficulty is that there is a difference between religion-as-politicians-like-to-think-of-it and religion that becomes a political ideology. Politicians, particularly those that are primarily secularist, like the crop we, for the most part, have in the United States, and have had for decades now, see religion as a kind of benign kind of thinking that is not backed by fact or reason, and they embrace an ecumenical approach to all religion(s) with tolerance, if not acceptance. That is why President Obama became almost the defender of Islam. Not the Islamic terrorist exactly, but the religion. He couldn’t bring himself to embrace the fact that the faith of his father can be embraced in a manner that is militant and violent (political). Or, he could face it, but would not confess it for his own political expediency and that of his party. He appeared to be as much at a loss to understand it as the average so-called Christian is in trying to understand Westboro Baptist behavior. The problem with this is that inside many religions, particularly, the three great monotheistic religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) are fundamentalist that cannot tolerate any other basis for truth than that which they embrace and understand.
This form of exclusivity is ripe for political fervor. Politics, after all, is very much like religion. There is much evidence that political leaning and reasoning is based on innate, non-rational principles. People often reason badly about politics, that is why it divides people so deeply. Many, otherwise intelligent people, strongly believe only their political beliefs are true as well. Even to the end that they hate, cannot tolerate, will not dialogue with, and want no association with anyone of another party or political persuasion So, if people will not give up their religion when it seems there is often no evidence supporting it, we cannot be surprised when they don’t give up their particular political bent and thinking even when it cannot be supported by evidence of effectiveness. Or even a history of failure. And, we certainly can’t be surprised when the two (religion and political ideology) are mixed that the result is something people will sacrifice and die for, as well as do major harm to others to establish and propagate.
Our western political leaders cannot make the distinction between religion-as-they-think-it-to-be, and religion that has become political ideology. (NEW CURRENT NOTE HERE: Make no mistake. Islam is a religion that is a political ideology!) The politicians can’t comprehend the numbers of people who are not focused on the kingdoms or political powers of this world, but on the kingdom rule of God on the earth. The goal of Nazism and Communism was world domination. The goal of Islam and Christianity is also world domination (if not domination, adherence). That is why they will be at odds with one another. And, why they can be at odds with political governments, at their most radical and fundamental levels.
The difference in Christianity and Islam is fundamentalist terroristic Islam sees justification for establishing dominion by force/violence in their scriptures and the example of their Prophet endorsing doing so. Christianity, on the other hand, looks toward a day that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord in a Kingdom He has already established in their scriptures, and set up now in their hearts. And, then His example is humility and sacrifice to the point of His own death in order to establish His Kingdom authority (See Philippians 2:3-11). It was by His death, burial and resurrection, ie: the fullness of God’s love expressed and modeled by Him, His rule in the hearts of men became available. No one is forced into submission. His radical followers only find by Jesus, example and teaching, that His dominion is established and expands through He drawing men, heart by heart, into submission that is only gained by love. And His dominion/Kingdom is revealed and empowered by the Holy Spirit in them, His followers. His kingdom is not of this world. (But, His Body, the church brings the Kingdom near, in their midst, among them, even as He did with the Pharisees in Luke 17).
Until Western political entities understand the difference between religion and a religion as a political ideology, and are willing to take the politically incorrect actions to deal with those embracing a religious political ideology, the terrorist will continue to strike. They will die for what they believe and will recruit others to do so. Unfortunately, as they multiply in their religious fervor and number of converts, they will strike in more and more places. The only way to stop them is to prove to them that their god is not God. And, even then, as when Pharaoh chased Israel into the Red Sea to his destruction, He/God will have to do the proving.
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The one difference I see now clearly, in years since 1984, is that Islamist have adopted the communist/socialist approach of taking over through patient, consistent, and incremental steps, and plans for indoctrination, acceptance, and slowly taking positions of power/influence while increasing their numbers just enough to matter.
The universities/academia have enabled this thinking since my college era. And the 20 and 30 something’s of today are now bringing it home to roost. This happening just as Detroit and Minneapolis and other areas have been inundated with Islamic immigrants who come on student visas with no plan to go back home ever. I once worked with a Pakistani Moslem selling shoes at Dillard’s. I asked him about his faith and plans to take his education back home. He said there was no plan to go home, but to bring his father, mother, sisters and brothers here when he can. He said they come on student visas, marry each other here, and have kids that anchors them here. Then, they stay on green cards, then citizenship, and try to get extended family here as well. He was outlining their plan for taking dominance. And today after patience, consistent, incremental implementation of plans, finally many those original Islamic “anchor” citizens are now voters. This is the result of having no reasonable immigration policy, and letting universities indoctrinate America’s youth with communist/socialist utopia ideology and historical misrepresentations.
I hear some young people say this is all nothing new. The U.S. has been divided before and seen things like this before and survived.
At 73, I can tell you this is not just another move like before. Yes, The nation has been divided before…. Civil war … Viet Nam. But it has not been in gridlock by partisan politics like this… where party over principle is chosen every time by our “leaders” at both state and federal levels. We do not have a representative driven constitutional republic at the moment, because the politicians don’t represent their constituents/voters at home, in the House, or their state, in the Senate. They only represent their party and how to hold on to party power. This leaves an opening for small minority postions to wield great influence in party politics. Only very short Term Limits would change this . (All you have to do is look at the executive branch at state and federal levels to see term limits work. The president and state governors, who are term limited, change/turn over all the time. We need term limits at every level. No more professional politicians. Cut their lifetime benefits and perks as well) Of course, DC politicians will never enact term limits.
But…. Having said that; That is not the primary difference between now and times past. Most of you are too young to remember the America of my childhood . The post WW2 era. America emerged as the Superpower. The Nazis were defeated, but the Bolsheviks increased their hold in Russia and Mao in China. The communist were emboldened and enabled.
Russian/USSR Premier Nikita Khrushchev boldly proclaimed he didn’t fear Atomic war, because they would take us “without firing a shot “. The long term goals of indoctrination started then in the education system and in the culture. The revolution was not going to be overnight or violent. It would be patient, consistent, incremental. And it has been … beginning with academia and spreading into the culture. It was the so-called “Cold War”, because nuclear warfare had proven itself unthinkable at the end of WWII and nobody wanted, and still even now wants, that repeated. Particularly as several nation states now have weaponry, and some enough to wipe out humanity.
We thought we had won the Cold War when President Reagan told Premier Gorbachev “tear down that wall” and the Berlin Wall fell and the USSR broke apart. But the indoctrination attack of socialist/communist ideology, misleading re-written history, anti-god secular humanism, antisemitism, and embracing ever more immoral and liberal cultural standards continued. The Cold War invasion continued.
And, since 1979 or so, militant Islam replaced, to some degree, Communist countries as the seemingly greater threat for physical war/violence. The physical violence of Madmen Moslem terrorism events, however is just a distraction by them to steal focus from their real attack. Islamist have adopted the same patient, incremental, type plans as the communists/socialist to take power positions, increase influence and acceptance, and continue to increase their numbers in our borders, and take over that I outlined above. Assimilation is not the goal.
Now, we even see the socialist and Islamist teaming up in pro Palestinian arenas and demonstrations. Shouting antisemitic and anti-America slogans. Strange bedfellows, because the Islamist, if they take over will not be tolerant to women, gays, or anyone that doesn’t come under Sharia law. That is exactly what happened in pre-IRDC Iran. Socialist and Hardline Islamist overthrew the monarchy in a collaborative effort in 79. After the Shah was ran out of the country the new Islamist regime murdered the socialist.
We have never been under this kind of concerted subversive attack, and to this degree.
Note: at same time… since the mid 70s we lost the 4th branch of government the founders counted on to hold the constitutionally mandated official 3 (Legislative/Executive/Judicial) in check. A Free Press. While our press is constitutionally free and independent of government… it is now, unfortunately, a Partisan Press and has become an attack dog with slanted reporting from both sides. It is now a watchdog to none! Instead of being the watchdog guardian of truth for all a Free Press was intended to be, it is now a lapdog of the parties on both sides of the political spectrum..
My sense is that the coalition of socialist-communist-Islamist are making progress in winning what we may call the “new cold war.”
I trust the Lord. But, I also know He uses evil kings and governments for His purpose to deal with His own (Ever read Jeremiah or Isaiah). And, particularly those who have been blessed in His favor and then turn away to serve idols.
I won’t go on.
I may not live to see it at my age. But I do fear for my kids and grandkids under a congress under the influence or control of even a small faction of Islamist and Communist/Socialist. I don’t hate anybody personally. I pray they come to Jesus. But, I know history has proven them to be liars, immoral, and ruthless.
Even 2-5 per cent in congress (8 or 10 seats) can do great damage with their hatred for America, our constitution, Judeo-Christian foundations and history.
They already very nearly rule Europe now …particularly Germany and France… the UK is the next domino. All these countries already have large Islamic communities from open immigration policies, and established Sharia courts operating outside their constitutions!
The United States …. whom they call the Great Satan is wanted most of all! Again, not to be alarmist… but to warn and be aware. If we don’t stop or slow this in the next few years/elections it may be too late and perhaps irreversible outside of civil war or worse.
Finally, some insights from a Facebook post my friend and fellow believer Lanny Swim shared. He did not write it. Someone named Kristanza Maria did (take it as just that, a Facebook post that may be accurate. It may not be, but it is interesting:
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ISLAM DOESN’T NEED A MAJORITY. IT ONLY NEEDS YOU TO BELIEVE IT DOES.
It isn’t the numbers that decide it. It’s the will.
The argument sounds reasonable: Muslims are only 1.5%, it would take 350 years before they’re the majority. But the whole calculation rests on one mistake, that Islam has to be the majority to take power. It doesn’t.
And let’s get the numbers straight.
The 1.5% is in America. There, Muslims make up around one and a half percent of the population, and that figure is rising, not falling.
In Europe the picture is entirely different. Here the share is about 6% and climbing, up from just under 5% a few years ago. That’s roughly 46 million people.
But even 6% tells you almost nothing, because Muslims aren’t spread evenly across the continent. They’re concentrated in the cities, and there the reality looks like this: Marseille around 25%. Brussels around 25%, and in districts like Molenbeek far higher. Malmö around 20%. Birmingham and Bradford around a quarter. Copenhagen, London and Paris around 10 to 15%. And among the young, the ones who shape what comes next, the figures are higher still everywhere.
That’s where daily life is lived. That’s where the schools fill up, the shops change, the streets shift and the votes are decided. A national average is a statistical fog. Reality lives in the district.
The “350 years” is pure fantasy. The number assumes nothing changes for three and a half centuries. Same birth rates, same immigration, year after year. But the birth rate is higher, the population is younger, and the immigration continues. Assimilation…not so much.
And power was never about headcount anyway. A society isn’t steered by the many. It’s steered by whoever is most organised and least willing to back down. The passive majority folds every time. A small, insistent group can rewrite the rules for everyone else, not because it’s large, but because it never yields. That’s how Islam gains ground in the West, not by counting heads, but by being the one that never retreats.
And it isn’t only Islam.
The same mechanism shows up everywhere. A small group that never gives in moves the entire culture in a few years, while the majority gives way to avoid the trouble. (Maria gives some examples here, mostly of woke political policies, which I will edit here… as pertinent examples, but off topic)
The thread through all of it is the same. None of these movements was ever a majority. They were simply the ones who never gave in, while you watched and told yourself it would blow over on its own.
That’s why it’s dangerously naive to lean back and point at 1.5% or 6%. Islam doesn’t have to be the majority to dominate. No ideology does. It just needs to be willing, while you sleep.
Wake up!
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Wake up may be a bit strong for some. But, do let us be aware and vigilant as the church, that we are salt and light, ambassadors for Christ, and conduits for the Kingdom to pour through in the face of adversaries and an often dark and perverse generation.
Paul wrote the church at Philippi as the working out their salvation from persecution the following:
[Philippians 2:12-15 NASB95] 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for [His] good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,