- araratchurch
- Feb 16, 2024
- 5 min read
”Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.“
2 Peter 3:3-13 NLT
Before going into a discussion of the third destination in my spiritual journey, I want to address the “Kingdom Now” movement that became popular in the 1980s.
In the “Kingdom Now” movement, the Church and its potential rule are made more central than Christ and His rule.
Now, some of the purveyors of this theology would say that it is all built on Christ, that it is He who gave us the authority to build the Kingdom. But, that’s just it, they believe that Christ basically did what He did so that we would receive the authority to bring all parts of the world system (government, entertainment, education, etc.) into alignment with the Kingdom of God. And, it is only at the point at which the Church will have taken dominion over all aspects of the world system, that Christ can return. They believe that the Church will present the Kingdom to Christ.
Because of this way of believing, there is no emphasis on the return of Christ. Some—who basically embrace this same emphasis on man’s rule (as part of the Church)—even go so far as to say that the return of Christ has already happened in 70 A.D. And now, although Christ may return again in some very distant future, we should focus on the Church taking over the rule (dominating) of all aspects of the world system.
Understand, I strongly adhere to the fact that the Church—and the individuals making up the Church—have been given authority through Christ. As well, I do believe that most Christians are not walking in the level of authority, therefore, the level of victory, God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.
However, I do not believe that God‘s intent is to find people who will take over the world for Him, who will subdue Satan for Him. Scripture simply does not support that notion unless it is distorted, or taken out of its context, uninformed by the volume of the Book.
For this group, because there is no emphasis on the rule of Christ, because there is no emphasis on the coming of Jesus, leaders of the group have basically become like “little kings” or “little gods.” Their followers are often encouraged to see them as the ultimate authority who should be consulted concerning everything about their lives. Tragically, that dynamic often leads to abuses by the leaders who have put themselves in the place of Christ.
Another aspect generally seen in this movement is that Israel has been replaced by the Church. As well, the promises God made to Israel, now only apply to the Church. Israel is not seen as having any special significance to God. Again, this is not biblical.
(Of course, we now share the promises of God made to Israel by our being grafted in.)
Paul, speaking to Timothy, well described how many people would be in the Last Days before the coming of Jesus Christ.
”But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.“
II Timothy 3:1-9 NKJV
He explains that people would be focused on themselves, their desires, their power. Sadly, those who call themselves Christians, are not exempt from that persuasion. In verse five in the above passage Paul says, in referencing these people, that they ”have a form of godliness but deny its power.” He was saying that there would be people who seem to be religious, but they really have not been transformed by the power of Christ. Sadly, I think that those who adhere to a Kingdom Now theology, basically fall in that category.
Understand, I know this is an oversimplification, and that even people within the same movement can vary in terms of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In our opening scripture, we see that Peter is describing those who mock the belief in a literal return of Christ to rule and reign from the earth. Minimizing the return of Jesus Christ, or distorting what the Bible has to say about His coming, are serious departures from the Faith.
Tomorrow you will understand why we took this diversion concerning Kingdom Now theology.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Feb 15, 2024
- 4 min read
”Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.“
Romans 8:18-22 NLT
I have shared with you the first two destinations of the dreaming vision portion of the spiritual journey. The first destination being the dilapidated arcade, and the second destination being Mardi Gras world. Today I will share with you the third destination, which would, indeed be the last destination in which I would feel as though I was simply an observer, not taking part, or being part of anything that I saw.
I will call the third destination in the spiritual journey, the “museum of natural history.”
As I entered this destination I first thought I was going into something like a zoo, a place where there would be live animals. But as I entered this place, rather than live animals, I saw animals as preserved “specimens,” much like you would see in our own National Museum of Natural History. I saw drawers full of bird specimens and shelves full of specimens of all sorts of animals. It was a dark place that felt like death.
Basically, that’s all there was to this very brief visit to this third destination in the spiritual journey.
As with the other two destinations, the meaning was not given to me until reflecting back over what I had been shown.
Again, the first destination illustrated the deceit upon which the whole world system is based, the deceit that began in the garden of Eden and continues to this day.
”Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."“
Genesis 3:13 ESV
Then, moving to Mardi Gras world, we see how this system of deceit maintains control over the masses, by the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life.
”Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.“
1 John 2:15-17 ESV
Now, at first, this third destination seems to be totally unrelated to the first two. But, the Lord was showing me the juxtaposition of Mardi Gras world, where everyone was partying and animated, with this museum of specimens, where all of the animals were dead. You can see them, you know what they looked like, but there is no life in them.
Let’s take a trip back to the incident I alluded to earlier in the garden of Eden, just after Eve was deceived by the serpent, with Adam following her lead.
You see, the Lord turns and says something very significant to the man concerning the natural world.
”And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”“
Genesis 3:17-19 NLT
Yes, God cursed the ground because of man’s disobedience. But, was it just the ground that was cursed? Take a look at what the Lord had said to the serpent through whom Eve had been deceived:
”Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.“
Genesis 3:14 NLT
The Lord says to the serpent that it would be cursed more than all the other animals. In this, we see that all the animals were cursed.
In our opening scripture, we see that Paul is describing what happened to the creation as a result of the Fall of man. Yes, the creation was subjected to frustration and futility. Indeed, the creation became a slave to death and decay all because of man’s rebellion.
Although we look around and see countless beautiful created things in the natural world, the fact is that a curse is on the creation because of us. Indeed, the creation groans, waiting, anticipating the day when the sons of God will be revealed and fully restored to their position of dominion over the created order.
Friend, we share the anticipation of the creation. And, our hope will not be disappointed. One day soon, the sons of God will be revealed and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. All things will be as they should be; and the whole creation will share the liberty of the sons of God!
Moving forward, the spiritual journey is about to take a very personal turn. I would no longer be just an observer. This will be very difficult.
We’ll talk more about that tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Feb 14, 2024
- 4 min read
”To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the Lord. They don’t want to listen at all. “From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord. This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’“
Jeremiah 6:10, 13-16 NLT
You may have heard the term “bread and circuses.” This reference was first used in a Roman poet’s commentary on the practice of a failing Roman empire of keeping the poor citizens from revolting by offering them grain doles (to make bread) and free entertainment (the gladiator games, etc.).
Yesterday I began sharing with you about the second destination in the dreaming vision portion of the spiritual journey: Mardi Gras world. The whole bread and circuses ploy is well-illustrated by the Mardi Gras world. In the sensual excesses encouraged by the world system is found a means of control by distraction from discontent.
Think of it, the world system encourages partying, reckless abandon, and entertainment. Yes, the world system created Mardi Gras world. Tragically, what the Mardi Gras world does not see, as noted yesterday, is that they are heading for destruction.
Consider, looking at news reports coming from all around the world, you will notice that even people who are thought to have nothing, are seen with smart phones in their hands.
Now, whereas the introduction of the Internet (now finding its most powerful host in the smart phone) can be used for good, the power of these devices to distract, cannot be overstated.
Whereas people used to gather to interact with one another, you now see “gatherings” at which people sitting right next to each other, are all on their “devices.”
As well, easy access to the Internet has made engaging with pornography, easy and anonymous. And, pornography would have to rate number one as the tool most often used to distract and corrupt the masses. But—whether it’s pornography or something else—staring at a screen hours at the time, leaves little room for self-reflection, let alone, the seeking of the Lord.
When thinking about people being distracted through partying so that destruction falls suddenly upon them, my mind goes to the story of Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, and the party he threw in the days of the prophet Jeremiah (see Daniel 5).
During this riotous party, the king sent for the vessels stolen from the Jewish temple, and used them for the drinking and partying.
As you may remember, during the party, a hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall. After seeking an interpretation from the court’s wisemen to no avail, Jeremiah was called. Jeremiah then informed Belshazzar that the kingdom was going to be taken from him and divided between the Medes and Persians. Indeed, that very night, Belshazzar was killed, and Darius, the Mede took over the kingdom.
Jesus told the story of a rich man who was distracted by his great wealth and so was unaware that he would soon lose it all and have to face God.
”Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”“
Luke 12:16-21 NLT
Again, the world system adds distraction to its deceit so that people are unaware of what’s truly happening to them; they don’t even see what is truly important. And, the fact is, destruction will come suddenly upon the whole world. Indeed, destruction is at the door, but much of society has their attention somewhere else.
In our opening scripture we see the Lord, speaking through Jeremiah, pointing out that the people were totally unaware of the impending destruction that was coming. They didn’t know, and they didn’t care that their mortal wound had been given only a superficial remedy.
Friend, in what ways have you perhaps been distracted from what the Lord is speaking? To what extent have you wittingly, or unwittingly, sought out escape-by-diversion from the trouble that is all around, rather than seeking the true relief found in Jesus Christ?
Make no mistake, the world system has always used deceit and distraction to open people up to destruction. Sadly, this ploy is—more often than not—successful.
May the Lord open the eyes of those distracted through partying, entertainment, or even their own cares. May they see, and so avoid, the destruction standing at the door!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!