The Spiritual Journey 2024 - Day 17: There is no Kingdom without the King.

”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!

#thespiritualjourney2024