Wilderness Wonderings

Wilderness Wonderings

Kingdom

The Covenant Kingdom Promise of Deliverance Fulfilled

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The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1

As we enter the advent season, it is reasonable to investigate what the gospel writers have to say about the events surrounding the incarnation and birth of the most important person to have ever walked the earth. Matthew, as a Jewish disciple of Jesus and known outcast as a tax collector, provides us with some keen insights into the purpose of his gospel and the nature of the who Jesus was.

The word that is rendered as “genealogy” in the first verse is the Greek word “genesis”, meaning simply “the beginning.” Just as Moses began the Pentateuch with the story of human origins, Matthew’s gospel begins with telling us the origins of a new human – a Messiah who was promised, A King who would deliver, and a Covenant He would fulfill.

The Messiah Who Was Promised

As far back as Genesis 3:15, God had promised to deliver mankind through a Messiah that would crush the head of the serpent that brought deception and death to humanity through a sacrificial offering of Himself. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring, he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heal.” This the first promise of salvation for humanity that found its fulfillment in a descendent of the woman – Jesus. The gospel of Luke meticulously traces the lineage of Jesus all the way back to Adam and Eve, illustrating the fulfillment of this prophecy recorded by Moses in the beginning. It is a prophecy that finds its final fulfillment on the cross of Calvary.

The King Who Would Deliver

As Matthew was a known tax collector, it is reasonable to extrapolate that he had an intimate knowledge of law and quite possibly the implications of inheritance law. As a result, he leveraged this knowledge as he traced Jesus’ lineage through his earthly, foster father Joseph as a descendent of King David, of the tribe of Judah. This establishes Jesus’ legal right to the throne of Israel, in spite of the occupation of the Roman Empire of the day. Again, a Kingdom prophecy spoken by Jacob over his sons finds its fulfillment here:

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Binding his foal to the vine
and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
he has washed his garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapes.” (Genesis 49:10, 11)

The Covenant That Is Fulfilled

Matthew further traces back to his own Jewish roots to illustrate fulfillment of a covenant promise of the Messiah as the son of Abraham, the ultimate patriarch of the Jewish people. By invoking the Abrahamic covenant, Matthew reminds his readers that not only was Abraham a sojourner in a foreign land, Israel was effectively the same under Roman rule. Yet God promised a new covenant to Abraham in that He would bless him and through his descendants all people would be blessed:

“And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his[a] enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:16-18)

It is through this Son Jesus that God has made it possible for all the nations of the earth to be blessed, not just the nation of Israel. As a result, any who places their faith in Him as the Messiah is adopted into the Abrahamic family covenant of blessing as promised by the Lord Himself. Because Abraham did not withold his only Son from the Lord, God Himself chose to not withhold His only Son, Jesus from the sacrifice of Calvary that paid the price for sins of the world.

Grace to you this Christmas advent season, my friend. Cling to the promised Messiah. Bow to the delivering King. Remember His covenant just as He remembered it 2000 years ago and continues its fulfillment to this day.

To Whom It May Concern

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Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.

Psalm 20:7,8
Image credit: Protestors swarming the Detroit vote-couting center – The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/elections/100000007436552/detroit-protest-election-center.html

As we sit anxiously awaiting the results of our election that is now 48 hours past, I was reflecting this morning on the last several months of prognostications and even so-called prophecies from the pulpit of victory for a favored candidate. Prophecies uttered that offer hope in form of a leader of an earthly kingdom. Prophecies that ultimately have done nothing to advance the gospel of reconciliation between man and God. Prophecies that have done more to divide the Bride of Christ rather than unite her. And my heart breaks, because when we the church practice religion for the purpose of advancing an earthly kingdom, we have lost sight of the Kingdom of God that transcends all earthly kingdoms.

Yes, earthly governments have their place in God’s ordained order. Romans 13:1 makes it very clear “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” There are times that God will provide a Godly leader as a time of respite and other times that God will allow an ungodly leader for the purpose of discipline and the testing and strengthening of our faith. You need look no further than the books of 1 and 2 Kings to see this cycle repeated over and over again.

Was God not sovereign over the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah even when ungodly kings ruled and instituted pagan religions that allowed for the sacrifice of children to the god Ba’al, Asherah, and Molech? Was God not sovereign when He chose David, a man described as one “after God’s own heart,” to lead the nation from under the ungodly rule of Saul, only to watch him fall to the sin of adultery, covetousness, and murder? Was God still sovereign when the people of Israel were carried away to live in exile in Babylon? Was God still sovereign when He allowed His only Son to be nailed to a cross for the sins of the world?

Of course He was still sovereign. Of course He was still on His throne. Of course He still loved His people. We cannot possibly know God’s immediate plans in the here and now. But I guarantee you, He has a plan and He is working it to completion.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8,9

Now let me be clear: I’m not saying that the church should not be involved in governmental affairs or the electoral process. By all means, as a citizen of this country, we have a duty to exercise our Constitutional privilege to vote and right to voice our religiously informed conscience at the ballot box. I’m not disputing that. But I am worried that the attitudes with which we exercise our rights muddle the vision and distract from our ultimate allegiance to God’s Kingdom.

My friends, I beg you to be patient. I plead with you to allow the results of the election to play out. But more importantly, I beg you to keep your eyes on the King of kings and Lord of lords. Regardless of how this election turns out, He will still be on His throne. So what if your candidate doesn’t win. Our ultimate allegiance is to the Kingdom of God and His Kingdom has stood the test of time and will continue to stand against the very gates of Hell itself.

Secondly, I ask that you carefully reconsider your attitudes towards those that vote differently than you. Such judgement is unbecoming of the very fabric of our American society. More importantly, especially within the body of Christ, such judgement will keep us divided and at each others throats. Forgive one another. Love one another. Live the gospel like your life depends on it, because quite frankly, it does.

Finally, we must repent of our self-centered covetousness. We must repent of using the pulpit for the purpose of advancing an earthly kingdom with shallow prophecies designed to offer false hope in a fallible kingdom. We must repent of taking our eyes off the cross and fall our our knees at the feet of Jesus in humble submission to His Lordship. Then, and only then, will we ever know true peace.

A New Journey

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Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for taking the time to wonder through the wilderness with me as we study God’s word as it pertains to the Kingdom of God. Your encouragement over the last several weeks has been invaluable and greatly appreciated. I am humbled by the response and look forward to providing more content to you in the near future.

Over the next few weeks, Sara and I will begin a new journey as we are relocating to Ft. Worth, TX. Starting in January 2021, I will begin attending seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, pursuing my Masters in Theological Studies degree, majoring in Cross-Cultural Missions. This is the fulfillment of a lifelong pursuit that the circumstances of the last year have finally made possible for us. God has been so good to us this year and look forward to the next year and beyond with much anticipation of what He will continue to do in and through us going forward.

As such, due to the demands that will be required of us for this relocation, I will be taking a break from writing on a day-to-day basis in order to be a proper partner to my bride and work towards focusing on our relocation efforts, and all of the little tasks that come with that. I may occasionally report on different things or write a short article as time allows, but we will pick back up in November with more consistent publication schedule.

Additionally, I will be preparing a new podcast series that we hope to begin production on in December to plan for release in early 2021. I’m really excited about what God is teaching me in my studies about the Kingdom of God and what it means for the Church at large and how we can mobilize to be more effective for the Kingdom, especially in these trying times that we face.

In the meantime, rest assured that I will continue to pursue my own personal study of the Scriptures as I have time marked out every morning, dedicated to seeking the heart of our Father as revealed in His word. Additionally, know that if you have any prayer needs, I am always available to approach the throne of God with your petitions on your behalf. You can submit any prayer requests you have here.

In conclusion, I encourage you to open the Scriptures for yourself on a daily basis. Study them and seek the heart of the Father. Examine the word not for what you can get out of it, but for what God wants to reveal to you about Him. And remember, the overarching theme of the Scriptures is that He loves you and is always seeking a way to draw His people back to Him.

Grace to you, my friends. For the Kingdom…

The Comfort of the Kingdom

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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7
mother holding a child’s hand, close-up hands, nature in background.

During my childhood growing up in the 1970s and 80s in southeast Louisiana, it wasn’t that uncommon that my mother would take me to the store with her every other weekend. Occasionally, we would drive all the way into Baton Rouge and visit the former Cortana Mall. Once situated in one quarter of the cloverleaf intersection of Florida Boulevard and Airline Highway, Cortana Mall was essentially the place to go when you went to the city. Across the highway used to be a bowling alley that my church youth group would frequent, where I once bowled better than a 200 (but only once.)

Being as we lived about 30 minutes away in the country, these trips to town back in those days often felt like a huge treat to get to experience a different side of life that we didn’t experience daily in our quiet, serene lives in Pine Grove. On rare occasions as I got older, my mother would “release the leash” and let me roam the mall by myself or with a friend who was invited along in order to cure my boredom with perusing the giant clothing outlets.

However, as a younger child, I wasn’t allowed to stray far from my mother’s sight. And if I somehow wandered off and got lost, I would become fearful and cry out for her. Sometimes a store employee would see me and offer assistance with a kind smile in the hopes of calming my fears and anxieties until my mother could be located, usually only a few feet away.

Just as my mother was nearby and I was not out of her sight, in spite of my own blindness, our Abba Father is always near – His eyes ever watching and His hands ever guiding and comforting. Even when we can’t see Him, He sees you. He rejoices over you in your victories and offers comfort in the midst of your pain. Just because you don’t see Him in the midst of your darkness doesn’t mean He shut off the lights. And when you experience pain and disappointment and discouragement, He is there offering a gentle hand of peace.

But all too often, because we become fixated on our circumstances, we lean on our own pride and humanity to pull us up by the bootstraps and push through the pain and the circumstances. Yes, it is true that God gave us a brain to use and think and reason with our situations, but sometimes, we reach a breaking point where the circumstance is beyond our competencies. Our natural response is to respond with fear or frustration or anger, which blind us to the comfort that is waiting for us if we simply stop and breathe Him in.

We can rejoice in knowing, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, the Lord is near, waiting for us to crawl into His lap to comfort us as His child. While our circumstances may exceed our competencies, His peace is capable of overcoming that beyond our own understanding. When we begin with the realization that the Lord is always near, we can stand in confidence knowing that even if we don’t understand what is going on, His peace is readily available. He will help to guard our hearts and minds and remind us of the grace and love that He has for us as citizens of His Kingdom and Princes and Princesses of His realm. He will never abandon you in your pain. In fact, He comes running to our aid, pleading for you to cling to Him.

Let His peace reign in your heart and mind. Rejoice in the presence of the King of Creation! For you are a prince or princess of the Universe and He adores you. If you don’t know Him, I urge you don’t delay. He is waiting for you on pins and needles, longing for you to lift up your eyes and see Him for the truth that He is. While the door to the Kingdom is narrow, and path to the gate is difficult, the door is open to anyone who would walk through it. The rewards of Kingdom citizenship far outweigh the riches of this world.

If you want to know more about what it means to be part of the Kingdom, I’m just a quick click and an email away. There is nothing more important to me in this world than knowing that you know my Abba. If you don’t know Him and want to know more, don’t wait. Run! Peace to you, my friends, from the Father of all Creation.

The Establishment of the Kingdom

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So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Acts 1:6-8

Three years have passed since Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount in which He proclaimed everything that the Kingdom of God would be like. While it is widely believed by many scholars that the Sermon on the Mount is actually a collection of topical teachings that Matthew compiled and set into a single delivery, it does not change the fact of the truth that He proclaimed everything that Father expects of His children. And in the end, because He spoke with such authority – more so than the established Scriptural experts of His day – the crowd of observers stood in awe and amazement, their minds quite figuratively blown away by this carpenter teacher from hicktown Nazareth.

Now three years later, after Jesus has invested His life into His closest allies, endured the betrayal of His friends and the shame and humiliation of the cross that took His life, He has once again risen in victory over death, Hell, and the grave. For forty more days, Jesus appeared to His followers and continued to teach them and prove to them that He had indeed been resurrected by the same power that had performed miracles for the previous three years. And He continued to declare the Kingdom of God and explain their part in it (Acts 1:3).

As once again, He stands on a mountainside outside of Jerusalem, overlooking the great city of God’s immense affections, the question arises: “Is it now that You are restoring the kingdom of Israel?” And it is painfully evident that they still didn’t understand. Israel has been oppressed under the boot of the Roman Empire and there was nothing they wanted more than freedom and restoration of their homeland. Now that Jesus had fulfilled the prophecy of a king riding into Jerusalem on donkey, they waited expectantly for the deliverance that was promised. Yet, the deliverance that was promised, was not the deliverance they expected.

“It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” (Acts 1:7) Israel would indeed be restored as an independent kingdom. This prophecy was indeed fulfilled on May 14, 1948 – a little more than 1900 years later. Israel would struggle back and forth for centuries between the Romans, the Byzantines, Christendom, the Mongols, and the Muslim Caliphates. In 1920, the British unfolded their plan to increase Jewish immigration to the Promised Land following World War I, and in 1948, Israel finally won her independence. But this was not the Kingdom that Jesus was speaking of.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The Greek word for “power” here is “dynamis”. It is the root word for many words in Latin and in modern English like “dynamite”, “dynamic”, and “dynasty”. It is often referential of power in numbers or strength and influence. But its most common use is as a form of inherent power – a power that resides within by virtue of individual nature or temperament. It is referential to authority, more so than ability. This explains Luke’s use of the word “martys” for Jesus’ characterization of His disciples as “My witnesses.” The word has carried with it some interesting connotations over the years, the most notable of which is being the root for the word “martyr.” In reality, it is a legal term to describe someone who appears in court to testify to what they have seen.

Ultimately, yes, every one of the Apostles suffered persecution for the sake of God’s Kingdom – a Kingdom that demands repentance and submission to God before the kingdoms of man. All of them were killed for their faith, except for John – who was boiled in oil and miraculously survived to be exiled on Patmos, where he received the final Revelation.

The Kingdom that Jesus has been teaching about all along was a Kingdom that is borne within the hearts of the repentant – the reborn. Jesus answered him [Nicodemus] and said “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) It takes new eyes and new ears to see and experience the Kingdom of God. It requires a renewed Spirit within us to guarantee our citizenship in the Kingdom. It requires God’s stamp of approval and His empowering of us to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) in this world.

The Kingdom of God is established in the hearts of His followers and evidenced by the authority of the Holy Spirit living within us. It is demonstrated by our submission to His authority resulting in repentance. And it’s an eternal battle – a battle that we cannot win on our own and by our own strength.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

The only way we can be a disciplinary force for change in society is to begin with ourselves. We must first “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Then and only then do we have any right or authority to speak on behalf of the Kingdom of God in order to exact change in our world. To use the ways of the world to advance the mandates of the Kingdom of God is foolishness. Instead of using violence of the flesh to bring about a change of heart, we must learn the rules of engagement in spiritual warfare. Then and only then can we advance God’s Kingdom in this world.

The Treasure of the Kingdom

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Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroys, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart is also.

Matthew 6:19-21

What is your most prized possession? What do you value more than anything in this world? For many years, for me, it was my baseball card collection. While it did not hold much monetary value, there were certain cards in my collection that had the potential to explode in value in the distant future. Rookie cards for such great childhood heroes like Craig Biggio, Mike Scott, and Ken Griffey, Jr. Late career cards for other heroes like Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Tom Seaver, Cal Ripken, Jr., Bobby Bonilla, and many others. And cards for the notorious Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Roger Clemens, and more.

The value of these cards would fluctuate over time, but in most cases they would only rise – perhaps pennies per year. Cards that were printed with errors often would fetch a higher price. Some of my favorite rookie cards, however, would take a huge hit when Jose Canseco published his shocking expose “Juiced”, where he admitted to using steroids his entire career. Then the BALCO steroid scandal of 2005 broke out, tarnishing the careers of such All-Stars as Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, McGwire, Sosa, and Curt Schilling. All of these were in my prized collection as I grew up playing the grand old game and their value diminished overnight. Ultimately most of them were lost in 2011 when we moved from Alaska back to Texas. I still have a handful tucked away in a small binder, but their value to me has been reduced to mere sentimental value.

Scandal and corruption destroys value. They destroy reputation. But the root of scandal and corruption comes down to the desire to lift yourself higher than you ought to be by artificial means. The desire to be greater than you rightfully are. The treasure of fame and fortune is elevated over integrity and honor. Ultimately, such treasure is fleeting, for it is simply temporary. As long as you keep yourself on top of your game, and don’t get caught cheating, the fame remains. As Billy Joel once put it:

“I am the entertainer
The idol of my age
I make all kinds of money
When I go on the stage
Ah, you’ve seen me in the papers
I’ve been in the magazines
But if I go cold I won’t get sold
I’ll get put in the back in the discount rack
Like another can of beans.”

The Entertainer, by Billy Joel, (c) 1974

One of the great commodities of the Biblical period was olive oil. In fact, olive oil, due its difficult extraction process and wide use for cooking, bathing, lamp fuel, and many other uses, it quickly replaced salt on the top of the commodities trade in the Roman Empire. Olive oil was often shipped in large clay jars call amphoras, that would have two round handles on the top for carrying. These amphorae were also highly fragile as earthenware and would easily break if not handled with care. A testament to their fragile nature can be seen at Monte Testaccio, an artificial hill in Rome made up of broken shards of amphorae pottery, measuring 115 ft high and a little over half a mile around the base. It is widely believed to be the largest garbage dump in the ancient world, measuring over 220,000 square feet with a volume of over 580,000 cubic meters, containing the remains of an estimated 53 million amphorae. A short distance away is the east bank of the River Tiber, where the Roman government would store their olive oil reserves in the late 2nd century AD.

At one time, the Pope used to use the hill to commemorate Good Friday remembrances, representing the hill of Golgotha in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. The Pope would lead a procession up the hill and place crosses there to represent Jesus and the two thieves that were crucified there. To this day, there is still a cross on top of that garbage heap.

The Cross of Monte Testaccio

During the 1st century AD, a major shipping port and exporter of olive oil was the settlement of Corinth. And Paul alluded to the value of this commodity when we wrote to the Corinthian church:

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:6-12

So I ask you again, what do you treasure most? Is the a material wealth of this world? Or is the surpassing glory of God that overcomes the world? Is it the shekels of men or the shekinah glory of the Father? Where do you invest your time and talents? Do you spend your time on worthless and empty pursuits or do you invest in others and building up the Kingdom of God “on earth as it is in Heaven”? Are you more invested in seeking Warhol’s “fifteen minutes of fame” or seeking the honor and approval of eternity?

When my time comes, and I pray that it is still decades from now, the only thing that will matter is what I have built for the Kingdom of God. Everything else will pass away. The corruption of this world will ultimately destroy the wealth of this world. That which is valuable today will lose its value tomorrow. Placing your faith in the corruptible will ultimately corrupt your faith. But placing your faith in the incorruptible glory of Almighty God will withstand the passage of time and beyond into eternity. It will define your legacy more than any bank account or measure of passing fame will.

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