Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

We live in a divided world as well as a divided nation. The message that Christ gave us rings out louder today than perhaps any other time in history.  

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”  

I can understand unbelievers tearing one another apart, but when it comes to God’s people I have to admit that it saddens me to see it, because I see that Satan is winning the battle. He (Satan) is the accuser, he is the murderer, the liar, the one who spills out of his filthy mouth the garbage that we so often read about.

I am not a pacifist nor am I brought into foolish naivety, nor am I making light of sin, but when I see how opinions are being expressed on Facebook and the arguments that proceed I cannot help but wonder how this is extending the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Our positions as believers here on earth should be one of intercession and through this powerful weapon that God has given we begin to bring about peace. Our battle or struggle is not with one another, but “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

In this world, the people that will change society and affect history are ones who just don’t rage against injustice, but they take responsibility for what is wrong and work for change.

Intercession is one way of taking responsibility. Instead of fighting among ourselves we will fight the real enemy – the accuser of the brethren – Satan.

James gave us very good advice when he said: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-21

Somebody sent me an article about 7 questions that we can ask ourselves before we post on Social Media about politics or any other issues that we might feel passionate about. Do not get me wrong, there are times when we need to speak (or write) out, but when we do we ought to keep these 7 things in mind.

1. Do I have the correct facts? Proverbs 18:2 “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.” We need to hear and understand a matter before we begin to write or talk about it. This keeps us from just expressing our own opinions.
2. Does this need to be said? Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Some things would be best left unsaid.
3. Why do I need to be the person to say this? Do I really have the insight, knowledge, true understanding of all of the ins and outs about this situation that I am writing about?
4. Am I saying this in a way that represents Christ? Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
5. How could I be misunderstood? It is said that we communicate by words only 7%, but body language, facial expression, tone of voice and the rest. This to me, is something to keep in mind when we write.
6. What are my motives for saying this? 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” If we are not motivated by love, then we will be motivated by false motivation.
7. Can I wait until tomorrow to say this? We who are Christians need to understand that we are Christians first and that we should bring honor and glory to the Lord. I find that when I write something when I am hot under the collar by putting it aside for a day or two brings in a different perspective.

We need to keep in mind that we are representing Christ here on earth.

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

1 John 4:16 “God is love.”

Ephesians 2:14 “For he himself is our peace.”

We hear today a lot about ‘fake news,’ but this is nothing new. Fake news has often been used to mislead people for financial, political or other purposes ever since the dawn of human history. Didn’t the serpent use fake news (lies about God) in the Garden of Eden?

We are seeing today on how governments, political parties and public relations people use fake news to enhance their particular view point. Code of Ethics for professional journalists is to never “deliberately distort facts or context.” It is like Denzel Washington said: “By not reading the newspapers today we are uninformed, but reading them we are misinformed.”

We are living in a day of great deception. Holy Spirit warned us about this day when He said: “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.” Psalms 12:2

President Trump just appointed a Supreme Court nominee – Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy left by Judge Scalia. But here is the problem: In the US Judicial system the president nominates the Supreme Court justice and senate must approve them. However, it is like someone said: “It means that by definition, the US justice system is politically bent from the top down. If the Supreme Court is subject to the influence of political interests, can we even expect objectivity anywhere in the judicial system?”

When we consider this, we see that ‘ego is king’ and so our personal, sectarian, financial or political interests determine the way the country is run. This is true, not only of the USA, but in every country in the world. This is human nature; this is what we call ‘recognition of evil.’ “Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.” Psalms 38:12

Sociologists have been writing about our narcissism since the 1970s. Christopher Lasch in his book: THE CULTURE OF NARCISSISM: AMERICAN LIFE IN AND AGE OF DIMINISHING EXPECTRATIONS proposes that since World War 2 “America has produced a personality-type consistent with clinical definitions of “pathological narcissism.”

We are seeing that selfishness is becoming an epidemic resulting in depression, out of control divorce rates, violence that is on the increase, substance abuse and a growing alienation from one another. We could go on and mention the political disputes, etc., but we get the point. To me one of the great verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5:15 “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” The answer to self is Christ and Christ alone.

To correct the society that we live in we must do something about human nature. Didn’t Jesus tell Peter and His disciples to deny self and follow Him? Christ showed us the way when He said:  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6

We are alienated from one another – our neighbors, our families, etc. It is not the outer space that needs to be conquered, but the hostile space that exists between one another. This can only come about through Christ. Paul told us: “He (Christ) himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”

Knowing this – what should we as followers of Christ be doing? The word that Christ gave us 2000 years ago was to go. He (Jesus) made the way and now it is up to us who follow Christ to take this message of reconciliation into the sphere that God has called us to. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.’” Matthew 13:1

It would seem that there is a change at this point in the ministry of Christ. Jesus and His Kingdom has been rejected and He now begins to speak to the crowd in parables.

“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” John 1:11

However, those who have ears to hear, eyes to see Jesus are illuminated to understand the parables that He gives.

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”  Matthew 13:16-17

There are seven parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13. Seven brings out the idea of perfection or completeness. So, these seven parables exactly describe what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

Is it possible that these seven parables concerning the Kingdom cover some of the mayor obstacles confronting the Kingdom of heaven over the past 2000 years?

1. Roman Empire 33-500 AD
2. Dark Ages 400-800 AD
3. Barbarians and bio-terrorism 600 – 1400
4. Brave hearts 800 – 1400
5. Rights of kings 1400 -1650
6. Truth triumphs over tyrants 1400 – 1650
7. Riots, Revolution and ruin, French Revolution 1650 – 1850
8. Peace, Prosperity, and Providence, American Revolution 1650-1850
9. 20th century-terror, a century of genocide 1850-2000
10. Christianity spreads world-wide 1850-2000
11. Stage is set for victory in the twenty-first Century

We see that there is a progression with these parables that define the Kingdom of Heaven.

For example, the first is the sowing of the seed. Secondly when that is done we see the enemy bringing in heresies, etc. Paul and Peter both bring that out after, and actually even during their time the bad seed was being sown. Then we have the parables about how the Kingdom will grow and we see this down through the ages, and also how it will saturate everything it touches. Then we have parables that bring our how precious the Kingdom of Heaven is and then lastly we have the net-harvest. At the rapture, there will be a separation.

It would seem that Jesus in these parables covers the history of the Kingdom of Heaven; what will happen and the final result. Where are we today? We are between 10 and 11. We are seeing great advances of the Gospel going out. Even at this writing we are experiencing many Muslims coming to Christ in the Middle East.

Despite the daily news of the persecution of Christians around the world by Islamist groups, there is another, lesser-known story of growing numbers of Muslims around the world turning to Christ as Lord.

David Garrison spent 2 1/2 years interviewing Muslim converts about their faith. It is written in a book called “A WIND IN THE HOUSE OF ISLAM” which is the result of two and half years of research involved traveling more than 250,000 miles to conduct interviews with more than 1000 people around the Muslim world. In his study a “movement” of believers is defined as a group of more than 1000 baptized believers are 100 new churches within a Muslim community. In total he found 69 movements that started in the first 12 years of the 21st century, and comparison with virtually no voluntary movements of converts to Christianity in the first 12 centuries of Islam.

Countries like India that I worked in 50 years ago, have seen tremendous results in people coming to Christ. In the last 60 or so years China has experienced a great harvest.

Yes, we are seeing many coming to Christ, but still the job is not done. The command to “GO” is still paramount and we must go and be the witness that the Lord wants in the sphere that He has called us to.