On Earth as in Heaven

The last two entries in this series have been about the kingdom and will of God. You read about what the kingdom of God looks like and you read that to truly live in that kingdom you need to submit to the will of God. This next entry is one that many commentaries lump in with will. But I think that is a mistake.

There is a problem with the view of many Christians today. Many of you are under the impression that the world we live in will be destroyed. You think that when judgement day happens Jesus is going to come and blow up the earth and some incorporeal part of you is going to live with him in heaven with halos and wings and golden gates. I could say that this comes from the writings of Plato, but that would mean little to most of you. I think a more relatable reality is that we have believed all those movies with Kirk Cameron. I hate to tell you, but that's just not what I see in scripture.

Thy Will Be Done

The last entry in this series was about the Kingdom of God. It was about how that kingdom is drastically different than any other kingdom. It is a place of justice, peace and mercy. The Kingdom of Heaven is the utopia that so many nation states try and fail to create. For some this may seem like a unicorn -- a magical beast that everyone wants, but does not exist. The truth is that the Kingdom of God does exist. It is a place greater than anything we know, but living there is not easy. To live in the Kingdom of Heaven requires giving up every selfish desire. It means that you must submit to the king of that kingdom.

Thy Kingdom Come

When I think about kingdoms I get images of knights and kings and wizards. For some you might think about our neighbor across the pond. Our earthly understanding of kingdom is geopolitical. It must be in a physical location and it must have some form of political power. The United Kingdom can be pinpointed to a specific geographical location. The kingdom of Arthur, though legend, can be characterized by a certain form of politics.

Yet if I asked you to point to the Kingdom of God, you could not find it on a map. If I said what are the politics of the Kingdom of Heaven you might be able to tell me about ideals, but not any treaties that the Kingdom of God has with North Korea. The Kingdom of God does not have a seat at the UN. It does not have a navy or an air force. No, the Kingdom of Heaven is something very different than all other kingdoms.

4 Things Every Christian Should Believe In

I'm going to start this one by saying that you are probably going to be offended. My fiancee tells me that I like to stir up trouble. It's true. But she also tells me that I shouldn't do it unless there is a point. Trust me with this one there is a point. 

Over a month ago I talked about how our hope was not in heaven, but in the Resurrection. Last week I answered the question "How do we live in the kingdom?" This week I want to give some concrete examples of working in the kingdom. Let me also say, if you did not read my blog from last week do it now. That one is far more important. 

Your Kingdom Come

About a month ago I wrote a blog about Zombie Jesus. In it I stated that the resurrection is the Christian hope. I stated that because of the resurrection we have hope to be raised ourselves. I mentioned that our hope is not simply in heaven. I said that our hope is God's kingdom come . . . here . . . now . . . today. 

One of the comments I got about the post was a question on how to live out that kingdom. The statement was made that it is great to recognize that our hope is the resurrection, but what do we do with that? How do we live that out? Tell me what to do. It's taken me almost a month to come up with an answer.

Do Nothing.

God is Not in Your Movie

So earlier this weak I posted this article to my Facebook page. Though I have said things about Christian movies before I did not quite expect the response I got. For the most part it was divisive. There were many who liked it, but I could tell that I had many people who were offended or at least confused that I would agree with such writing. Thus, I feel I need to do some more explanation. 

Truth: A Story for Good Friday

I wasn't planning on writing anything today. Its Good Friday and I am sure there are a million other blogs being written today. I have other things that I need to prepare for. Yet in this preparation I came across two verses in the Gospel of John that hit me like a ton of bricks. (Or a ton of feathers. They are the same you know.) So I guess then I have a blog for today.