The Daniel Fast

The Rainbow Pen!

 

Politics and God's Kingdom

 

 

God created all the people of the world from one man, Adam, and scattered the nations across the face of the earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and when. He determined their boundaries. “His purpose in all of this is that they should seek after God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him - though he is not far from any one of us. (Acts 17:26-27 TLB). My children, you must respect the Lord and the king, and you must not make friends with anyone who rebels against either of them. Who knows what sudden disaster the Lord or a ruler might bring? (Proverbs 24:21-22 CEV).

 

There are several countries that are making news in the World this week – Cameroon, Greece, Italy, and the USA. This represents common world anxiety about the prospects of the future. We reflect on what a Disciple of Jesus can do as citizen in any of these circumstances. We are looking at Politics and God’s Kingdom! Notice the spiritual significance of these nations. Cameroon is described variously as “Africa in miniature” and the “trigger of Africa.” When the Kingdom of God takes root in Cameroon, it will bless the whole continent of Africa. Greece is where the power of thought was born. If they could only think their way out of their problems! Italy is hosting the papacy, the representative of God’s Kingdom on Earth. Finally, the USA has been destined by God for the spread of the Gospel of Heaven. God has been speaking to these nations through their Politics and Culture, the Economy and Religions, from generation to generation.

 

 In Politics and God’s Kingdom, the declared goals of the various team players are to be the light of the world they live in and to bring about positive change to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, heal the sick and clothe the naked, liberate captives and bring justice to the helpless. Sam Pascoe appears to discuss this week’s events in this statement: “Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise." Has Christianity become a culture in Cameroon as in Europe? Christianity ought to be all of these – fellowship, philosophy for mindset, institution for Kingdom, culture for worship, and enterprise for God’s business of reconciling people to God as Christ’s ambassadors. St. Francis advised that we preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.

 

Christianity is the lifestyle of the Disciples today. Jesus is telling us today that, “the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” Let us as Christ’s Disciples focus on spreading the Gospel rather than preparing to go meet Christ in Heaven. He is waiting to come meet us here to take over the Earth. Every event in the World is to facilitate the spread of the Gospel of God’s Kingdom. Hence Politics and God’s Kingdom have a liberating connection. One light and the other darkness? We think a better description is one is a tool for material life, and the other a tool for spirit life! The Scriptures declare that like in Noah’s generation, the wicked in our land will continue doing evil and the good will continue doing good, until the return of Christ. Attitudes to the poor and needy are indicators of spirit of anti-Christ influence!

 

Christianity is under attack in the world. Many people have become disillusioned with the Church, the body of Christ. The false prophet and the anti-Christ will soon be revealed to fill this vacuum. They will perform great signs to deceive the world. They will be welcomed by the hungry and naked, the sick and homeless, the captives and poor. They will cause people to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. Rather than view the mark as a microchip, others state that the hand and forehead symbolize that this mark will be a matter of what people do and what people think. They'll chose a way of worship that rejects God Almighty. God wants to rescue people from the dominion of darkness and bring them into Christ’s Kingdom here on Earth. God is pleased to reconcile to himself all things through the blood of Jesus Christ. In Politics and God’s Kingdom, all things were created by Christ and for Him, through Christ and in Him!

 

 

God made the World and everything in it. Human hands can’t serve his needs - for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. God is eager to use us to serve Him and humanity with the potential in us. From one man God created all the nations throughout the whole Earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him - though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist. We are his offspring. Nations are still being created and destroyed according to God's plan. If a nation is not fulfilling its divine purpose, God will eliminate it. Many more nations will soon disappear for various reasons. Several more will be created for God's glory! Many African nations were born in the sixties to serve the living God. How far?