Utopia?

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 14:17 ESV

“ Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”- Luke 17:20-21 ESV

City in my head, Utopia

Heaven in my body, Utopia

It's time for me, for me to go
City in my head, Utopia
Heaven in my body, Utopia
Into the sky, it rises now” - Todd Rungdren, Utopia, 1974

The lyrics above are from Todd Rundgren's song “Utopia.” I often listened to this song as a teenager. It seems like the artist was looking for some state of perfect bliss. As humans, we all have needs that no one or anything except God can meet.

Definition: Utopia

“utopia, an ideal commonwealth whose inhabitants exist under seemingly perfect conditions. Hence utopian and utopianism are words used to denote visionary reform that tends to be impossibly idealistic.” - Britannica

As a young man, I sought bliss and harmony through destructive habits. I knew God but thought I knew better how to obtain the happiness I sought. 

The Utopia that so many have sought since the Garden of Eden doesn't exist apart from Jesus. Human nature apart from God’s intervention is corrupt. 

Some scholars say that we are born guilty of Adam's sin. Others say that is not so. Still others say we are born broken with the inclination to sin. One thing I know for sure: you don't have to teach a child to lie, it comes naturally. Sin comes naturally to us all.

 Until Jesus’ return and the destruction of this present evil age, the kingdom of God will only be in the hearts of his followers. The perfect world or Utopia is an illusion apart from Jesus and “the new heavens and the new earth” that is coming.

Jesus came to the earth and brought his kingdom with him. He is the Word made flesh. He is the wisdom of God, the Son of God. As the second Person of the Trinity, he is God and became man. 

All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him. Everything was made for him and by him. His message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).

His followers are called to “ … make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19-20). We share the good news that Jesus died on a cruel cross to pay our sin debt. And he was resurrected from the dead and victorious over the devil. 

No political party or movement nor any ideology is capable of bringing Utopia to the earth. Marxism and Totalitarianism are failed experiments. 

The New Age movement and various religions desire what can only happen through the life of Jesus imparted to the human heart.

Politicians pontificate about solutions to the increase in crime in our society. Good legislation is helpful. But rarely do we hear them discuss the problem of the sinful human heart.

Until Jesus returns we can live in what theologians call “the already but not yet of the kingdom.” We live in a broken world and Jesus said,  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - (John 16:33 NIV) 

And again he said, “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27 ESV)

An important part of our assignment as followers of Jesus is to do good works. Feed the poor, educate, and bring relief to those in need. We can help alleviate poverty but we will never end it. 

When Jesus returns to the earth he will make every wrong thing right. We live with a sense of sadness yet we can experience peace and joy knowing that Jesus will one day make sense of it all. 

When we experience supernatural peace despite our circumstances - see the sick healed - people delivered from addictions, we experience a foretaste of the kingdom.

 Through God’s sovereign grace and the prayers of his people, we get to experience a temporary touch of his kingdom now.

Prayer: Father, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘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.” - Revelation 21: 1-4 ESV 

No Compromise With The Spirit Of Antichrist

 “Bloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” – (I John 4:1-3 ESV)

An alarming number of Christians have aligned themselves with the spirit of the antichrist. They teach universalism (that you can find salvation apart from Jesus). Many religions acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet, but unless they confess that he is LORD, they cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus is God. And trusting Him is the only way to Heaven. For me to teach anything else would be to give into the spirit of the antichrist, which is the prevailing spirit of the age in which we live. Christians must see this as spiritual warfare. We wage war when we proclaim the truth of the Gospel and by prayer, without fear of those who oppose the message.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me.” – John 14:6 ESV

If you are a Christian, don’t allow yourself to fall under the spell of religious pluralism (the view that all sincere people of other religions will go to Heaven) is growing stronger in our culture. Spending time praying and studying biblical doctrine are ways to protect yourself from deception.

We must seek to live in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or we will begin to comprise the truth and go astray. We must remain spiritually diligent and stay alert.

Believers are to live counter to the culture they live in without being obnoxious. We should be known for our love, yet without compromise.

A Reflection On Revival

 

The Word:

“Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?” – Psalm 85:6 ESV

Reflection:

We live in a day similar to the time just before the first great awakening in America. In the 1700s the Church in New England was declining morally and spiritually. God used men like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and John Wesley to help as instruments for revival. But, unlike present-day America, even during their spiritual decline, the colonies had a much stronger biblical foundation than we do today.

In recent decades the Church in America has been guilty of excessive materialism and prayerlessness. And we have become biblically illiterate and resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, much of the western world is considered post-Christian. It seems (looking at it through natural eyes) irreversible. Europe has only its great cathedrals to point to their past Christian heritage. We in America can look back to the past when Christianity was acceptable in our society. Despite slavery and other obvious sins, the general population embraced a biblical worldview.

I believe the spiritual renewal of Churches in the west will precede revival. God is calling his people to repentance, to return to the faith of the early apostolic Church. This calling is to a radical commitment to Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus will have no rivals. This is a message to the Church.

It puzzles me that we expect non-believers to act like believers. Maybe it’s time we (the Church) start living the truth we proclaim. The world won’t agree with us, but at least they can’t accuse us of hypocrisy.

God still has a remnant in the western world who has not bowed their knees to cultural idols. We must resist cultural Christianity and return to the faith of the early disciples.

Pray for renewal in our churches so that we might see a spiritual revival in America and the rest of the western world. God uses ordinary people to pray and intercede on behalf of the Nations. It’s time to pray for the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in world history.

Watch and Pray: 

Father, would you open our eyes to see what you are doing on the earth. Open the hearts of your people to embrace the gospel that the early disciples both lived and preached. We ask you for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Your Church. Revive us again so that the world will see the truth of the gospel in our lives. And they will be drawn to the same Jesus that the early Church proclaimed. In Jesus’ name.

Do Skinny Jeans Make You A False Teacher?

 

I just heard of a pastor saying that those preachers that wear skinny jeans are false teachers. But, Jesus said: “Stop judging(1) by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24 NIV) Jesus was challenging the religious leader of his day and I think his words could be equally applied to us in our day. Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” – (Matthew 23:27 ESV)

So, a conservative haircut or a nice suit and tie doesn’t mean all is well with your teaching. The content of your message is the determining factor if you are a false teacher or not. Not your choice of clothing or style of worship.

The New Testament doesn’t deal with worship styles. Culture changes and worship styles change, but the Gospel of the Kingdom never does. The truth is eternal. The great protestant reformer Martin Luther wrote hymns accompanied by music played in taverns! At one time the pipe organ was considered evil! And what about the hippies of the “Jesus movement” and their unconventional style? 

 Let’s consider the content of the message before we crucify the messenger.

And why don’t we consider becoming all things to all people that some might be saved, without compromising the truth? 

” To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” – (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 ESV)

(1), κρίνω (krinō) ‘to judge’ (G2919)

“to decide, consider, as preferring one thing over another or determining the correctness of a matter; by extension: to judge, pass judgment on, condemn in a legal sense”

“pluperfect, κεκρίκει (3 singular), primarily to separate; to make a distinction between; to exercise judgment upon; to estimate, Rom. 14:5; to judge, to assume censorial power over, to call to account, Mt. 7:1; Lk. 6:37; Rom. 2:1, 3; 14:3, 4, 10, 13; Col. 2:16; Jas. 4:11, 12; to bring under question, Rom. 14:22; to judge judicially, to try as a judge, Jn. 18:31; to bring to trial, Acts 13:27; to sentence, Lk. 19:22; Jn. 7:51; to resolve on, decree, Acts 16:4; Rev. 16:5; absolute to decide, determine, resolve, Acts 3:13; 15:19; 27:1; to deem, Acts 13:46; to form a judgment, pass judgment, Jn. 8:15; passive to be brought to trial, Acts 25:10, 20; Rom. 3:4; to be brought to account, to incur arraignment, be arraigned, 1Cor. 10:29; middle to go to law, litigate, Mt. 5:40; in NT to judge, to visit judicially, Acts 7:7; 1Cor. 11:31, 32; 1Pet. 4:6; to judge, to right, to vindicate, Heb. 10:30; to administer government over, to govern, Mt. 19:28; Lk. 22:30 ”  (Step Bible)

Guard Your Thoughts

 The Word:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds”. 2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV

A Reflexion:

” I can’t help you, I can’t even help myself.” These were the thoughts of a friend of mine trying to give counsel to a young person. I believe in cultural strongholds. The influence of paganism is evident in the western world. Cultural Marxism has gained a foothold in America’s educational system – which influences every sphere of society. The Believer’s mission is to share the countercultural message of the Kingdom of God to the world. We can’t change our culture unless we allow God to change us. Learning how to watch over our souls in prayer is significant for our influence to be effective. Hopefully, this quote by Dean Sherman will be helpful:

” I have heard people use the term strongholds to refer to humanism, Islam, communism, and other religions and institutions. However, in II Corinthians, strongholds does not refer to massive, complex systems, human or demonic. Here it refers to the strongholds of the mind. These strongholds are castles in the air built up in our minds through wrong thinking—through unbelieving, depressed, fearful, and negative thinking. . . . Every military post has guards. They stand quietly at their posts until they hear a rustling in the bushes. Then they immediately ask: “Who goes there?” and are prepared to evict any intruder. We too need to post a guard at the gate of our minds to check the credentials of every thought and every imagination, ready to cast down that which is not true, not righteous, or not of God. If it doesn’t belong, out it goes. This is spiritual warfare: being alert to every thought. The Bible says, “As he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). One of the devil’s greatest schemes is to nullify the effectiveness of Christians who are genuinely saved. Even if they go to heaven when they die, Satan will be happy to blunt their lives while on earth. He disables them, stealing their days, months, and years by influencing them to think wrongly. Unfortunately, Satan has successfully neutralized thousands of potential victors this way.” (1)

Watch And Pray:

Father, we thank you for the spiritual weapons you have given us. Help us to meditate upon Your Word daily. Help us start each day in prayer and to post a guard at the gate of our minds. Your Word says that the way we think dictates our behavior. Lead us in victory over our minds so that we can be effective agents for your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.

(1) Dean Sherman, Spiritual Warfare for Every Christian: How to Live in Victory and Retake the Land (Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 1989), 52–53.

The Kingdom In The Midst Of Our Enemies

 The Word:

“… In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 ESV

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4 ESV

We live in a time of unprecedented danger from biological and nuclear weapons. Recently the world witnessed a Russian attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

“For the first time in history, a nation at war attacked a nuclear power plant Friday with potentially catastrophic effect. Russia launched a missile barrage in the middle of the night, setting off explosions and fires, and raining down bullets so Ukrainian firefighters couldn’t battle the fire. They did eventually get it under control and the most vulnerable targets survived, but nuclear control experts were flabbergasted and furious; a meltdown could have killed tens of thousands. Director Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency called on European nations to create a no-fly zone for the Ukrainian reactors, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, “It is a question of the security of the whole world!” (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant via AP)

Now we hear of possible dangerous biological agents stored in research labs in Ukraine. We hear different views (and conspiracy theories) of why Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Intercessors have a responsibility to pray for fellow believers in Russia and Ukraine. We cannot trust the news media – we need discernment. We live in a world influenced by the Father of lies. We all live in enemy territory whether we are in a hot war zone or not. In reality, our enemies are spiritual. God has given us prayer and the proclamation of the gospel as weapons against evil ideologies.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer died a martyr at the hands of Adolf Hitler during the closing days of World War 2. He was an example of a man who stayed faithful to Jesus to the end. God is calling each of us to embrace the Kingdom of God over nationalism or globalism. Patriotism can be a good thing, but our ultimate allegiance must be to King, Jesus.

“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. ‘The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared.’ (Luther) (1)

Watch And Pray:

Father, Jesus said that in this world, we have tribulation. While fear is gripping people, you have called your children to be peacemakers in our spheres of influence. Help us discern the times in which we live. Help Your children to overcome this present evil age. And to be a people of prayer and to become watchman on the walls. Guide our prayers by The Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

(1) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community