Freedom is Good News Part 199

Good news is the overall theme of these articles.  Lately we have been considering the topic ‘The Kingdom of God’.  We know that as Jesus began His ministry, His first words were, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  Shortly thereafter Matthew writes that Jesus went around preaching ‘the good news of the kingdom’. 

One of the things that I know to be true is that we all need good news from time to time.  Good news can be hard to find in our secular lives.

What would it be worth to be a part of this kingdom of good news?  Here is what Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Paul, before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, had a lot going for him in his life as a Jewish religious leader, but he now considered them to be rubbish!!  More than anything else, He wanted to know Jesus Christ.  More than anything else, He wanted to be a part of the Kingdom of God!  You see, Paul had a taste of that kingdom, when he spent time, at the beginning of his ministry, being taught by Jesus Himself through revelation at Mount Sinai.  He later tells us (through a letter to the Corinthians), “I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.  And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.” (2 Corinthians. 12:1-4)

This was Paul’s way of expressing the awesome vision he had while in the third heaven – the realm of God’s throne room.  But he was not permitted to tell us what he experienced.

Paul was an eyewitness to the presence of the resurrected Messiah.  His word has come down to us through almost two thousand years.  That in itself is an amazing feat.  And yet there are some who do not believe; or who take these things lightly.

What would it be worth to you to be a part of this kingdom of good news?  For me, like Paul, it is worth everything I have in this life, and it costs me nothing.  The salvation that was purchased for us by the blood of our Savior is free; the glory we receive is priceless.

This third ingredient of God’s Kingdom of good news is made up of His subjects; what an awesome gift to be able to serve the King of kings.

Freedom is Good News Part 197

A king, some land, laws and subjects; add them all up and … one has a kingdom!

In our previous articles we have been considering the topic of ‘The Kingdom of God’ and what that means.  Last article centered on the idea of a King.  We looked at the Old and New Testaments and saw that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, occupies the role of King in God’s Kingdom.

Let us move on to the second item on our list: some land.  We have already noticed that both John the Baptist and Jesus spoke to the idea that the ‘Kingdom of God is at hand’.  The words ‘at hand’ in the Greek may be defined as ‘imminent’ or ‘urgent’.  So I’m sure we will come to see that His land will not be hard to find!!  By the way, they said it was imminent almost 2000 years ago!!  Are we living in it or are we partaking of it today?

The 37th Psalm is one written by King David, the title of it could be “Inherit the land”.  Let us take a short trip through that Psalm and read what David had to say concerning “the land”.  Verse 3: “Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and feed securely”.  Verse 9: “For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”  Verse 11: “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”  Verse 22: “For those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.”  Verse 29: “The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.  Verse 34: “Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land.”

Some might say that this is talking about the geographical area in the Middle East known as Israel.  But in David’s day the entire physical land had already been divided and occupied by the ancient Israelites and he, in this Psalm, refers to a future inheritance with the word “shall”.  There is a future fulfillment of these statements and David refers to them as “land”.

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 60, the prophet tells of the future Glory of Zion with a most beautiful piece of poetry.  In that poem he speaks of a future time wherein “No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your boarders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.” (Verse 18)  In verse 21 Isaiah quotes God with these words, “Then will all your people be righteous and they will inherit the land forever, for they are the shoot I will plant, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.”

Yes the Kingdom of God has what God Himself calls “land”.  How does that play out for spiritual beings?  That’s the beauty and the joy of our anticipation.  For God is good – this we know; and yet the scriptures tell us that His ways are past finding out (Isaiah 55:8-12).  Again, in the book of Isaiah we find these words, “But the man who makes Me his refuge will inherit the land and possess My Holy Mountain.” (Is. 57:13)

Yes this is good news and there is still more to come!

Freedom is Good News Part 196

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33)  A few weeks ago we began considering what the scriptures call, “The Kingdom of God”.  I would like to pursue that idea today.

What is a kingdom?  Several days ago Queen Elizabeth passed away after serving as the British monarch for 70 years.  She will be succeeded by her son and he is to be crowned King Charles.  So, today, we have right before our eyes the concept of a kingdom.  Most scholars agree that a kingdom consists of 4 things: a king, land, laws and subjects; maybe that seems quite obvious, but let’s look at these four from a biblical perspective. 

In the New Testament we have the word ‘King’ used some 85 times.  It is used to designate Herod the king, Matt. 2:1; King David, Matt. 1:6; Caesar, John 19:15, Pharaoh, Acts 7:10; etc.  But the overwhelming majority of uses are in relation to our Savior Jesus the Messiah, for He is the King of kings.  The first usage of this title is found in Matt. 2:2 where the Magi, looking for the baby born to Mary, asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” 

Throughout His life references are made to His kingship and even as He faced death Pilate asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”  He answered Pilate, “It is as you say.” (Matt.27:11).  We are told in the book of John that Pilate had a notice fastened to the cross with the words, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (John 19:19)

In the Old Testament the word king appears over 2100 times!!  Of course it is used for many kings of Israel and Judah and other foreign nations.  But it is also used of Jesus hundreds of years before His birth – He is not called by that name but we can be sure it is Him.

The concept of a coming King is prevalent in the Psalms; as one example we read in Psalm 145, “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.”  The Psalms from 93 through 99 are called the Kingly Psalms because of their references to ‘the Lord who reigns.  In Isaiah 43:15 we read, “I am the LORD your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”  And in the Minor Prophets we see Malachi 1:14 giving a quote from God, “I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”

In the last book of the bible, Revelation 19, we have a most wonderful description of the coming King.  We see heaven standing open with one who rides upon a white horse whose robe is dipped in blood; His name is ‘the Word of God’ and He rules with an iron scepter and “On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written, ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’” (Rev. 19:11-16)

The first item that defines a kingdom is before us; Jesus Christ is the King and He will rule over the Kingdom of God!!  We shall look at the other items that make up a kingdom in our future articles.

Freedom is Good News Part 195

Reading over our previous installment, a certain phrase caught my eye, “We must seek Him daily”.  Does that in any way bother you?  We, who call ourselves Christians, would most likely answer ‘no’ to my question.  We should already understand that God wants to have a relationship with us, so a close proximity and a good conversation is needful to any good relationship.

But what about you who are not sure about the concept of God, His kingdom and what they might be?  Does it seem a little burdensome to spend a lot of time pursuing something you are not sure even exists?

It was approximately 45 years ago that I felt this same way.  I was very happy pursuing those things that I considered important to me and the concept of God was not on my radar.  And yet, I was on God’s radar.  He wanted me as one of His children.  When that understanding finally hit me, I was awe struck.  God wants me!!

I had friends who were members of certain clubs and they wanted me to join the organization or society they were associated with.  But joining some club or other outfit was not my cup of tea.  And yet, here was God, the one who created the universe, and ruled over it, wanting me to partake in His family.  I had to know more!  I desired to know more.

Since the day I made the decision to seek God and His kingdom, I have been showered with blessings, some of which I did not even know existed.  The reality of (and I use the word reality in all of its force) living in God’s kingdom and being a part of His family is a much greater reality than having my feet touch the ground as I type this article!! 

I know that there are many people who pooh-pooh the idea of a God who exists.  I am not sure where that misunderstanding comes from.  You see, 45 years ago, I never denied the existence of God, I just did not have the time for Him.

So then what did I mean when I said that we must seek Him and His kingdom daily?  Well, have you ever talked to God?  We oft times use the religious word “pray” when we think of talking to Him.  But as any good father understands, it is a pleasant thing to talk with one’s daughter or son.  Some might say that they do not know how to pray.  God is a living being who enjoys conversation.  We can come to Him just as we might come before our earthly parents for a visit. 

I believe that everyone is familiar with the scripture in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …”  Yes, He loves His creation, and that’s the truth; that’s the reality of who He is!  Yes, the times we are in, the troubles we see all around us may get the best of us at times, but He, our Father, wants to comfort us and take us into His care.  His kingdom does exist.  And His kingdom is what He offers to us.  We’ll talk more, sometime soon, concerning this. 

Freedom is Good News Part 194

There are many things that one can seek in this life.  There is the immediate search when you’ve lost your car keys and you seek for them until you find them – search over!  Then there is the lengthy search of seeking to become proficient at playing the piano.  For many years you will take lessons and you will practice for days on end until you are satisfied with you musical capabilities with the piano.

There are intermediate searches also: you need a new car and so you do your research on the new or used models you prefer and it’s time to take your homework to the dealership to seek an agreement for the best price for the car you have selected.

There is also a lifelong search: in Matthew 6:28-34 Jesus tells a story concerning someone who is seeking out some new clothing and another who is seeking something to eat and drink.  He tells the crowd listening to Him that they should not worry about such things; God knows that we need them.  The point to His story is told to us in verses 33 and 34, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is to be our first order of business if we desire to follow the Son of God.  Wow!  This seems to be a tall order; how do we do this and where do we begin?  I’m glad you asked – let’s explore this because it is a many faceted concept.

First, Jesus is comforting those who may worry about such things as food, shelter and clothing.  His Father is more than equal to the task of providing the things we need.  We all may, at times, wonder where the next meal will come from.  But straight from His lips, which can only tell the truth, Jesus lets us know that we should be examining our hearts to see if we are sincere about our faith in God.  Are we really seeking God’s Kingdom?  Again I ask, what does it mean to seek His kingdom and how do we do it?

There is an interesting word in the Hebrew language (and yes, Jesus spoke Hebrew) it is “darash” and it literally means “to tread or trample”.  This word is translated “seek” about 90 times in the scriptures.  In Psalm 34:10 we find a fitting example for the discussion we are in, “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”  The word “darash” is used here. 

We who live in Iowa know that sometimes we must tread through tall grass to get to a farm shed.  When we go there once we may turn around and see our path for we have disturbed the grass.  But tomorrow the wind has turned those blades about and the path we took is no longer seen.  However, if we go back and forth through that grass often, we will eventually trample it down and beat a new path to the shed. So it is with our seeking God and His kingdom.  It is not a onetime event; if we are serious about our commitment to Him we must seek Him daily.  Yes, one might say that we must beat a path to our God because that is how we seek His kingdom.  Don’t go away folks, there’s still more to come.

Freedom is Good News Part 193

The good news today is that I get to, once again, contemplate and formulate a lesson of importance from the word of God.  As I see it, we left off talking about the Kingdom of God.  I mentioned, in that article, that the first time the word ‘kingdom’ is used in the gospel accounts, it is spoken by John the Baptist “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  John understood the commission he was given.  He was to prepare the way for the Son of God. 

John the Baptist and Jesus were relatives, perhaps second cousins; for the scripture tells us that John’s mother, Elizabeth and Jesus’ mother, Mary were relatives (Luke 1:36) When John was asked by the authorities who he was, he replied to them with the words of Isaiah the prophet, “A voice of one calling; in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.”  When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John pointed to Him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)

The Son of God, born of a virgin, also spoke of the kingdom. The first time we find this word on Jesus lips, He says this, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   (The same words that were spoken by John.)  And so, yes, the message of the kingdom is quite important.  In fact, twice Mathew tells us that “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every sickness and disease among the people.” (Matt. 4:23 and 9:35)

What did the people in Jesus day know about this kingdom?  Well, they were waiting, even longing, for a redeemer who was a descendent of King David, He would reign over them.  They were under the control of the Roman Government and were not truly free citizens.  They had been taught from the words of Isaiah and understood the prophecy of a coming kingdom; “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end.  He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Throughout the book of Isaiah there are many references to this kingdom to come but the people in Jesus day couldn’t see beyond the physical aspects of such a kingdom.

Toward the end of our previous article I asked several questions: How much do you know about the Kingdom of God?  What will it look like?  Does it exist today?  And if it does where is it?  And now that we have caught ourselves up on this subject, maybe we might look at some answers to this topic that was on Jesus lips some 100 times!!

Jesus Himself said it was the “good news of the kingdom”.

Freedom is Good News Part 192

When the angel first appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, he told her that she would give birth to a male child, one who would be “Son of the Most High”.  The angel said that His name was to be Jesus and that the Lord God would give Him the throne of His Father David.  And then she was told this, “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

In our previous article I mentioned that Jesus taught extensively about the “good news of the Kingdom”.  I mentioned that His ways are perfect and then asked the question, “So what is this Kingdom of God all about?

When we consider what might be most important for Jesus to teach, we may think of the word ‘love’; and we understand that this is very much at the forefront of His mind.  But if we consider how frequently Jesus used a word, we would count 72 times that the word ‘love’ appeared on His lips in the four Gospels but the word ‘Kingdom’ appears 108 times in His teachings.  The people of His day understood that love was an important concept; after all they had in the Torah the two most important commandments, love for God and love for their neighbor.  But the concept of the Kingdom of God was not that readily apparent to them.

They could look into their history and recall tales of the Kingdom of Israel and of Judah.  The scrolls that were read every Sabbath were replete with these stories.  And of course the prophets told about the Kingdom of God that was to come.  In fact the prophet Isaiah put it this way, “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given… Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his Kingdom.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)  These words are reminiscent of the very words the angel spoke to Mary that were mentioned above.

The first time the word ‘kingdom’ is used in the gospel accounts it is spoken by John the Baptist, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”  This first time we find this word on Jesus lips, He says this, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Yes the same phrase is used by them both – indeed it was a very important point to be made.

How much do you know about the Kingdom of God or as Matthew put it, “The Kingdom of Heaven?  What will it look like?  Does it exist today?  And if it does where is it?

Matthew tells us that “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matt. 4:23)  It is within the Kingdom of God that we really discover the “good news”.  And remember the word ‘gospel’ is defined as ‘good news’.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3)  And so now we know a little something about this ‘Kingdom’!!

Freedom is Good News Part 191

In our previous article I suggested that we all might accept the challenge “to come to our Father and His Son and to seek out His ways and His thoughts in His word.”  Yes, God has set forth His ways and His thoughts in the bible and He wants us to learn from Him. 

I drive a school bus and have a great deal of interaction with school age children.  Sometimes they complain about having to go to school and wish it were all over for them (All of us can identify with that!!)  But I usually try to encourage them by getting them to understand that we never really stop learning.  I joke with them and tell them that I am in 64th grade.  We may graduate from high school or even from college but learning is a life- long endeavor.

In the book of Matthew we read that Jesus “went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease …” (Matt. 4:23) I cannot imagine that there has ever been a greater teacher on earth than the Son of God. 

In the New Testament we find the word Rabbi used several times when the disciples and others addressed Jesus Christ.  This word is used as a term of respect for one who is considered a teacher; and Jesus was known as a teacher.  Even a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus, addressed Jesus like this, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God.” (John 3:2)

I suggest that there never was nor will be a teacher greater than our Savior and now that we, today, need teaching and direction and insight more than ever before I find it quite odd that more people are not opening their bibles to learn from the one who can open their minds up to the wonders of the universe and beyond!

I suggest that we are living in a world that is growing darker and darker to the ways of God.  And if you were paying attention, I just quoted a line from the book of Matthew that Jesus was preaching the good news of the kingdom.  Friends, there is tremendous good news in the words of scripture.  Paul tells his assistant Timothy in his second letter to him that, “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, so that the man of God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16)

If you see that we are sliding toward darkness in this world, then please take hope in what Jesus had to say in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Do you believe that?  Jesus even went so far as to teach in the Sermon on the Mount that we are “the light of the world”.

Several years ago when I was first asked to write an article for the local newspaper, I desired to bring good news to you, the reader; thus the title above.  Jesus is the real teacher and He does teach about the “good news of the kingdom”.  His ways are perfect; so what is this Kingdom of God all about?

Freedom is Good News Part 82

“They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”  There is much to be said about this scripture for it is, in essence, the over-riding covenant of God with man!

In the past two articles, we have been looking at a scripture at the end of the book of Revelation, chapter 21:1-4, and considering the good news there-in.  We now come to the scripture quoted above which is in many ways the crux of the gospel – the good news of the Kingdom of God!!

This statement; “They will be My people and I will be their God”, is found as a thread that runs through-out the entirety of the bible.  We see it as God’s everlasting covenant made with Abraham in the book of Genesis 17:7-8.  We see it in Exodus 6:7 where God reiterates to Moses His everlasting promise to His people Israel. And again in Exodus 29:45-46 we see this statement as it will be written in Revelation 21.  It is spelled out in detail in Deuteronomy 26:16-19.  And Jeremiah points out the words of this everlasting covenant seven times in his book of prophecy.  And to show its future application unto the end time, Zechariah tells us this: “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.  They will call on My name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God’”. (Note the future tense used here.)

Paul picks up this thread in 2 Corinthians 6:16, “… For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.’”  The writer of Hebrews quotes from Jeremiah in connection with this everlasting covenant, “I will be their God and they will be My people”. (Heb. 8:10)  There are many more instances of this most important statement through-out the bible.  Would that we had the time and the room to explore each and every time this covenant statement appears in scripture.

Some may ask the very good question, “Is this a statement of the old or the new covenant?”  In short, allow me to be somewhat glib, and answer, yes!  This statement of covenant is an everlasting one and embodies the entirety of the bible.  Our God is an awesome God and He, himself, tells us that He does not change. (Malachi 3:6)  In Hebrews 13:8 He tells us that He is “the same yesterday and today and forever”.  In James 1:17 we read, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

The great God of the universe wants to be our God.  He wants us to choose Him as our God.  He wants us to live our lives as though we were His people.  He tells us this in the Old Testament and the New Testament.  Really, what could be more beautiful than to have such a relationship with our God who tells us that He is “abounding in lovingkindness”?

Freedom is Good News Part 81

The apostle John is banished to the island of Patmos and, while there, receives several visions from God.  He is told to write down the things he has seen and we know these writings as the book of Revelation.  In our previous article I picked up on the very last vision that John saw and quoted from chapter 21concerning a new heaven and a new earth and how the Holy City, New Jerusalem, came down to this new earth from God.  As a side note I might mention that the word for “new” has the connotation of renewed or refreshed; i.e. new in quality.

We are told that this New Jerusalem has been “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”  With this in mind let’s go to Ephesians 5:32; Paul is discussing the duties of a husband and wife just prior to this scripture and tells us that “This (the idea of a marriage) is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church.”  Ah!  So this beautifully dressed bride is an analogy of the church and her relationship to the Savior!  A little earlier in Ephesians 5 Paul writes this, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water with the word and to present her to Himself, the church in splendor, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”  Isn’t this a beautiful analogy?  Those who have committed themselves to Christ (i.e. the church) have a future free of guilt and filled with splendor and holiness.  They are the bride “beautifully dressed for her husband.”  And as we perhaps contemplate this, we are told by John that “Now the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.”

Let’s take a moment here to consider this.  I know that there are some who disdain the bible.  They think it is just a bunch of tales told by men.  Really??  Has a man ever told a tale quite like the one told in the book of Revelation?  Has any man ever proclaimed that there was a new heaven and earth and that a new city would be brought forth as a bride?  If God is not the builder of all things, certainly one could not believe that a man was.  If indeed the universe exists, certainly it did not build itself.  I for one do not have enough faith to believe that kind of a fairy tale.  This is an issue that must be dealt with.  And we are left with the task of dealing with it.  It really is life or death and I for one chose life.

“Now the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”  As I read these words, I see that there is power in them.  This statement is something to behold.  God wants to dwell with His people - the one that I instinctively know created the universe and gives life to mankind has a mind and a will to desire a dwelling with His creatures.  And what else?  John then says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”.

I get goose bumps contemplating the things of my God!!