Chaos and Kingdoms; Part 2

Feb. 18th

Read: Daniel 8,9

Chaos and Kingdoms; Part 2

There are no nations on this earth other than those whom the Lord wills and creates. Likewise, there is no everlasting “kingdom” other than the Kingdom of God. It follows naturally that no “kingdom” will stand nor prosper indefinitely opposed to God. The same goes for people. There is no lasting life in opposition to God.

God has historically used governments - crooked governments even - to correct, rebuke, and/or direct his people. When we drift or lose site of who God is and what he has done for us, the Lord seems willing to calibrate our hearts through the use of different governments and rulers among other things. In this way, governments are “tools” in the hands of a craftsman as much as anything else. As such, maybe we should focus a little less on “the hammer” and a little more on the one swinging it! We need to focus more on the “craftsman” and less on the tool.

I think one of the reasons God makes this so clear to us (the passing nature of “empires”) is so that we can endure difficulty and navigate persecution. I think he reveals to us the transitory nature of “nations” and “governments” so that we do not root our confidence and meaning in them. Like Daniel, we ought to seek to be a blessing to whichever nation we find ourselves in; nonetheless - we are not overly beholden or tied to any government or human system. This is the freedom we have in Christ Jesus.

When all these ideas come together, what are we left with? :

1.) Nations, rulers, governments, and empires will come and go.

2.) No nation, ruler, government, or empire is allowed to exist without God’s permission… nothing exists against God’s will.

3.) Nations, rulers, governments, and empires are often used by God to correct his people.

4.) Don’t worry, that correction / rebuke doesn’t last forever (see number 1) … God is most concerned with the restoration of his Children.

5.) There is an ultimate “end” to everything that is carnal / man-made / earthly / not of the Kingdom of God.

Do we spend as much time focusing on Christ, reading the scriptures, praying, serving, and worshipping as we do watching Fox News, CNN, or the like? What sort of balance do we have between focusing on the tool and focusing on the one wielding it? Has our fixation on earthly "kings” (read: presidents) taken our eyes off of the TRUE KING - Jesus? You will be swallowed up with anxiety, fear, and despair if you become too wrapped up in the politics of this world… and you will waste time that could be spent building the Kingdom of God!

It is right and good to “seek to understand”. God desires to reveal to us his work and what he is doing. It takes courage to open our eyes to what God is showing us. (Look at how Daniel falls down afraid!) What is potentially most scary to us is the fact that there is an “end”. There will be an end to America, Russia, China, India, and every other nation. God has been patient with us so long that the idea of an “end” seems a little far off and “mythical”. We begin to clamor and fight like this is all there is… or that this nation is all we have. This is simply not true. Our citizenship is other worldly. (cf. John 8:23,18:36, Philippians 3:20) Lets start to live with the confidence of our TRUE citizenship. We are HEIRS with Christ in an everlasting Kingdom. Amen to that. Love you guys. - JDP