One Kingdom

(Ps. 2, Dan. 2:43-45)

If we consider the last 2025 years of history, we should note that the political nations of the world have become smaller and weaker.  Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream showed an understanding of this long before it happened.  Babylon had full control as a strong empire in Daniel’s day.  Without going through a full history of the Medes, Persians, Greece, and Rome, we can trace to the time that the Lord called the fullness of times.  Jesus came at the peak of the Roman empire.  Julius Caesar wanted to be the supreme ruler as the spirit of anti-christ was rising.  His son, Caesar Augustus, took that on.

Today, no political power rises that high.  When self-serving, arrogance, and pride rise in a nation, God opposes that nation.  The enemy, who hates mankind, stirs up trouble, and then wars and rumors of wars result.  But as followers of Jesus we need to look up for His kingdom is here and we are citizens of it.  As Daniel saw that His kingdom lays low every other kingdom,  Psalm 2 gives us a thumbnail sketch of where we are today.  Why do the nations rage?  Internal strife on some level is evident in many places across the earth.

And the people imagine a vain thing.  AI is going to fix everything.  That is a laughable thought.  Our technology develops tools that can be used for the advance of the kingdom of Christ.  Or it can be used to destroy people’s lives and keep many in darkness.  In between, it can be a distraction or time waster.  Anything can become an idol.  Our technology creates pastimes and  some are allowable.  I used to play Teris if anyone remembers that.   Some would say every moment must be used in a spiritual endeavor but that can be born of a religious spirit.  I have digressed.

The nations rage within and without.  We can learn to never be surprised but also never be apathetic to trouble.  Rather, pray!  Lord, move on behalf of the oppressed and turn away a spirit of violence and rage.  And pray the Lord turn the hearts of rulers away from their pride.  The prince of the power of the air does not easily let go his grip.  As we are seated with Christ in the heavens, we gain His perspective, and pray with authority.  As He gives us to speak truth to rulers, He, the Lord, can turn hearts.  Yet, be led by the Spirit for we can easily, like Peter, be out of line.  I am thinking when Peter told Jesus He ought not go to the cross. We need to be led by the Spirit, even as we pray.  If we are sensitive to the Spirit, He will align our prayers with the Lord’s heart and wisdom.

We are not seeking destruction but responding to it.  Jesus said, when you see these things look up.  His redemption is drawing nigh.  This is true in our daily lives here.  When opposition comes, when we confront darkness, respond with truth.  When the enemy opposes the light and brings oppression, respond with the truth.  In the West, we continue to think we can repair the world’s systems.  We get active politically, we protest, we march.  Some of these activities are not wrong but they have limited impact.  The greatest impact is through prayer, individual and corporate.  For 2000 years, the kingdom of God has been advancing.  Ultimately, it will displace every earthly dominion.  Those dominions are still influenced by, and can be ruled by the prince of the power of the air.

The kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ is not about this present age, but about bringing into us righteousness, peace and joy.  Jesus Christ has asked the Father for the nations for His inheritance. (Ps. 2)  The Father has said yes, and so given Jesus all authority in heaven and earth.  See Matt. 28:18-20.  By the Spirit, He is with us always right to the end of this age, and, we might say, the beginning of the next.  Even so, come Lord Jesus. Your kingdom come.