Not Of This World

 We’re all familiar with the concept of nations and countries with their governments. There are even a few kingdoms left. So why do we have a hard time wrapping our minds around the Kingdom of God? 

Why don’t we act accordingly, as citizens of the Kingdom and less aligned with our worldly alliances?

In ancient times, and arguably still today, nations had patron deities or pantheons. When they went to war, it was a battle of the gods. 

At the Tower of Babel, humans were scattered and assigned to different members of Yahweh’s Divine Council (see Deuteronomy 32). They were the administrators while God focused on starting Israel with an eye towards bringing everybody back to Him. 

The Egyptian plagues were God showing the Egyptian rebel pantheon who was boss. Canaan was meting out justice on the Canaanite pantheon and their subjects. 

They crept back in, even Molech, and the Israelites worshipped them alongside Yahweh. Molech was a detestable deity that people sacrificed their children to by placing their bodies on a molten hot statue’s arms. (Leviticus 18:21)

I would say Molech is alive and well in the abortion industry. 

Alongside other gods and spirits, we have exalted worldviews, ideologies, and nations. Wokeness, Marxism, Conservatism, Progressivenism, America First, Trump, Republicans, Democrats, Anarcho-Capitalism; the list could go on. 

For example, if you preach or attack something more than you proclaim and show Jesus to the world, then I can see who you’re following.

I look at the evil in the world, and I can see Satan whispering in people’s ears. 

People are unmoored and adrift in the sea of postmodern relativism. The time of the Judges looked a lot like what we have now. “Every man did what he wanted because there was no king.”

Churches today are starting to drift. When Israel incorporated the worship of other gods in their lives, God punished them. The Babylonians burned down the Temple on God’s authority. 

Like the Canaanites, He drove them from the land. God isn’t a respecter of persons. 

All because they wouldn’t root out the cancerous evil permeating their lives and land. Israel was supposed to be God’s Kingdom and a light to the world. 

Then the temple was rebuilt. Then Herod the Great made it bigger and better. However, the system was corrupt again. 

The temple was one of the world’s wonders and deemed too big to fail. Jesus said it would be destroyed in a generation’s time. Rome burned it to the ground. 

I see it as a humbling and scary reminder that God doesn’t need FirstNLR or the Assembly of God fellowships to continue His plan. We’re privileged to be allowed to be His hands and feet. 

The Catholic Church, Southern Baptists, Methodists, Lutheran, Anglican, Church of God in Christ, and so on can disappear tomorrow, and it won’t stop God. Look at the seven churches at the start of Revelation.

When an Israelite lived a life of unrepentant sin, they were banished until they turned back to God. Paul said the same thing about the guy who wouldn’t stop having sex with his stepmom. 

“I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-2

He was kicked out. He later repented and they welcomed him back. Church leaders don’t cover up or slap sin on the wrist in the congregation. Instead, deal with the unrepentant sin among Christ-followers. 

We’re all works in progress and will need correcting. However, the Holy Spirit will convict and add weight to the words of any legitimate warnings. The Kingdom of God is a government ruled by Jesus and administered by Spirit-Empowered believers. 

John the Baptist preached, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus came and said the same, with this addition, “Follow me.” 

He’s not tagging along in your endeavors; Jesus is going one way, and we follow him. So now, live like a supernatural citizen of an otherworldly realm.