To all the believers in Christ,
Greetings in love. We are living in trying times: mass layoffs, endless wars, the decline of the American empire, homes destroyed by fires and natural disasters, and persecution of Christians. May you have the peace of Christ, and receive whatever you need.
I am writing because I feel like the larger context that we are participating in may have been lost; and that the importance of what we are doing may have been forgotten.
Jesus began his ministry with a message that remains radical today: ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.’ (Matthew 4:17) Much of His teaching focuses on the Kingdom, and the rest instructs us on how to enter it. Yet, as Christians how often do you really hear of the Kingdom of which we are part?
What he taught is that there is an invisible perfect Kingdom of God that is preeminent, eminent and immanent. The Kingdom of God is in your midst and it is within you (Luke 17:21; John 18:36). It is not some distant concept, or for some time in the future.
He taught that he was the ruler of this Kingdom – the Messiah had finally come. He called people to become citizens of this Kingdom, and sons and daughters of the Most High God, through a changing and renewing of the mind – repentance (Romans 12:2). He gave those with “eyes to see” the ability to fully see God’s Kingdom in a time when it seemed like Roman authorities ruled.
This was in contrast with the “World” and the Kingdoms of the World (John 18:36). This visible world is under the influence of Satan, as we see when he offered these Kingdoms to Jesus during His temptation. Yet, God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13–14). Scripture also reminds us of the ongoing reality of this spiritual battle: “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).
Jesus calls us to rebellion, not against God, but to the Kingdom of the World. He calls us to become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven willingly. He calls us to a spiritual war – indeed many of his disciples lost their physical lives! Although, he did not call us to rebel with violence for he says “it is enough” when his disciples bring him two swords (Luke 22:38). And again when he healed the ear of a soldier that Peter had attacked (Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10-15; Matthew 26:51-55). Paul says “for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.”
Christians are not called to passively wait for the return of Jesus, but to be fully prepared. Yet, many of us wait – we put our light under a basket, or under a table (Matthew 5:14–16). Revelation 3:16 warns against lukewarm faith. We are called to shine brightly as lights in the world. And, how can he return if we have not yet prepared his bride? The way that we preach lacks a stress on the cosmic importance of our mission! What is taught lacks the cosmic significance for which men yearn.
Yes, God will triumph over evil with or without our cooperation – but we are thankfully invited to participate. Through parables, God shows His unwillingness to lose even one lost sheep. God will not destroy the Kingdom of Satan until every last one of the elect has been brought to safe pasture. Are we providing safety to those being persecuted and killed?
The great tribulation is not just a spiritual idea, or something that happened long ago in the middle east. Indeed, Christians are under spiritual assault from every direction, and indeed many hardships are coming. The eschaton is imminent; although no one can say how much time remains (Mark 13:32). We are called to be prepared with an excess of oil for our lamps like the wise virgins waiting for the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1–13).
Church attendance in the Western world is falling. Have we lost our saltiness? The world lies in darkness, yet we are called to shine. We are not mere spectators—we are warriors in the Great Conflict, a cosmic spiritual war that rages around us. Revelation 12:11 reminds us how we prevail: by the blood of the Lamb and the power of our testimony. Will we stand firm, or let the light fade from our midst?
God could win this war without our cooperation, but that is not the path that he chose for those who believe. It is through engaging in spiritual warfare that Christian men are transformed (Philippians 2:12–13). This is how God has ordained that we become more like Him, and how we undergo theosis and become sons of the Most High God (Romans 8:29).
In this war, we must become protected by the Armor of God: the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:10–18). The weapon we use is the Sword of Truth, agape love and humility.
In doing these things, we slowly captivate the visible world with the Love of God and with truth. As we live in obedience to Christ, we reflect His light, becoming lampstands in a darkened world (Matthew 5:14–16). By demonstrating agape love, we fulfill the greatest commandments: loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39). In this way, the power of God’s Kingdom begins to transform the world around us.
As Paul exhorts, we take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), and we demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit in every action (Galatians 5:22–23). By doing so, we sow righteousness and peace, and our witness becomes a testimony that even the rulers of this age cannot resist (1 Corinthians 2:6–8). Slowly, the world is drawn to God’s Kingdom, not by force, but by the power of His truth, love, and holiness.
If we pay attention and teach what is important the church will become unified in love within. And, we will surely triumph. Revelation 11:15 tells us: ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.’ We will have safe pastures to weather the coming tribulations. We will be given Crowns of Glory, and of Life. Finally, we will be given authority to rule with Christ and not face the second death.
Let us awaken our congregations to the reality of the Kingdom of God by living out its values: teaching about the Kingdom (Matthew 28:19–20; Matthew 5:14–16), mentoring young men and women (Titus 2:1–8; 1 Timothy 4:12), caring for widows and orphans (James 1:27; Deuteronomy 10:18), weeping with those who weep, and rejoicing with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15); visiting those in prison and remembering them as though we were bound with them (Matthew 25:36; Hebrews 13:3); and even sharing financial resources with those struggling in our present economic times (Acts 2:44–45). By doing these things, we engage in the spiritual battle set before us, advancing God’s Kingdom and preparing the Church to welcome Christ as His bride.
Peace and Goodwill,
A Brother in Christ