Reducing the Bible

If the Bible can be reduced to one sentence, what would that be? What would the central theme of the Bible be? I know some of you would say love, grace, sacrifice, passion, etc. And although these themes are evident in Holy Writ, none is the central theme. Before you take up your stones, hear me out. I am aware that the Bible says the God so loved the world that he sent his Son so none would perish. I totally agree that love motivated our Father's actions. But why did he send his Son? I believe the answer is found in Gen 1:26, And God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over... all the earth." God made man for one central purpose: to have dominion over the earth. Unfortunately, Adam abdicated his role as ruler of the planet to an unemployed cherub, who later took on the title "god of this world." From Gen 3 all the way till the end of the Sciprtures is God's unfolding plan of redemption in order to reconnect man to God and re-establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

Lay your mind on this: Jesus came to preach one message, and one message, only. Matt 4:17 records the sole topic of his messages throughout his public ministry: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Lk 4:43, "But I must preach the kingdom of God..." Matt 24:14, "And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole worl as a testimony to many nations, and then the end shall come." Matt 6:33 declares "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Jesus was obssessed with the kingdom of his Father. Jesus didn't preach on any other message - not on prosperity, deliverance, or even about being born again! He taught on these topics, but he never preached on them. In fact, we spend more time telling people to be born again when Jesus only mentioned this once, to one person, and at midnight at that.

Perhaps a change in diet is in order. We should seriously consider what we serve every Sunday in our churches. Let's keep it simple. Jesus said, "Follow me!" Let's do that. We need to reprioritize what we do and preach. I believe it was also Jesus that said, "I only do what I see my Father doing. I only speak what I hear my Father speak." It is my firm belief that when we return to the original intent of God, we will soon see the Kingdom of God re-established on earth.

My next blog will address some fundamental differences between a monarchy and a democracy.

The Kingdom of God

A kingdom’s central figure is the king. He is the sovereign ruler and his authority establishes the kingdom. The king is also a lord, which means he personally owns EVERYTHING within his domain – including the people in it. The rights and privileges of the citizens of a kingdom are extended at the graces and mercies of the king. Furthermore, a king is not voted into power, nor can he be voted out or impeached. If the king is wicked, the people suffer.

The kingdom of God is a very real kingdom. It is even more real than the country you currently live in. Every kingdom has the following elements:
• A king
• A territory
• A constitution
• Citizens
• An army
• A code of ethics
• A commonwealth
• A social culture

God’s kingdom is no different. It is only with a kingdom paradigm that Isaiah’s prophecy becomes clearer: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. (9:6-7)

Your president will still sleep well at night whether you get to pay your utility bills or not, whether you have a place to sleep in or are evicted, or whether your children go to school or not. A king however, takes everything personally. He makes sure that your needs are met. The state of the kingdom and its citizens is the glory of the king. Poverty becomes a personal shame.

I think other religions understand this concept more than Christians. I was once invited to speak in a Muslim nation. Unknowingly, I blurted out, “Jesus is Lord over (name of nation)!” After the service I was gently corrected by my host not to make statements like that when there are people in the congregation that they did not know. When I asked why, he gave me an answer that permanently shattered my ignorance. He said that Muslims are out to establish their kingdom. When you say Jesus is Lord over this nation, you are making a treasonous statement because that means you are toppling their government and establishing another government. Wow! I never saw it like that. Our mindset is too religious. We are thinking religion and faith while others are thinking kingdoms and governments. We have missed the point all along.

Next blog I’ll talk about a king. How does he differ from other earthly rulers? What are some characteristics that differentiate him from other rulers? Why did God manifest himself as king as opposed to president or prime minister or dictator?

The Democratic Flow (Flaw) of the Church

One of the biggest problems of the Church today, whether of modern- or post-modern paradigms, is her democratic bias. Whether we like it or not, our theology has been shaped by and large by Western minds. This has to some extent been disadvantageous to the third world countries. About two centuries ago, the United States became a democratic nation. Those familiar with this great nation's history know that her forefathers fled Great Britain to escape religious persecution. It was in the New World that they forged a nation which will very soon become the "land of the free and the home of the brave." Whether deliberately or as a matter of evolution, even her religion, Christianity, evolved into a something that destabilized its very underpinnings. It was at the birth of denominations that this democratic bias finally took firm hold of Christianity.

In the people's desire to "manage" Church, Inc., they naturally embraced democracy as a form of government and ecclesiastical political structure. But is this wrong? Isn't democracy better than socialism or communiism or even parliamentarism in the church? Some have even gone so far as to even make a CEO of the pastor. A travesty, in my estimation.

God is a King, not a president, prime minister, or dictator. A king rules a kingdom. A monarchy is diametrically different from other forms of political rule. Until the people of God learn how to operate in the Kingdom of God, we will, at best, come up with good ideas on morality, but always stumble and fall short of the precepts of God. Many thrid world nations have a better grasp of moanrchies than many Western first world nations.

My next few blogs will further explain my point.

Reduce Your Life!

There is a reason why you are here on planet Earth. That reason is your purpose. That purpose is God's will. Only God knows why you're here. No one else on this planet can tell you why you are here, the reason for your existence. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans not to harm you, but to prosper you that you might have hope and a future."

When you don't know your purpose, your life is an experiment. When you don't know your purpose, you waste your time, resources, strength, talents... your life. Purpose is what gets you up every morning - including Mondays. Purpose is the "why" of your life. Until you know your purpose, nothing makes sense. Purpose is what gives meaning even to your suffering, difficulties, sorrows, pain, and hardships. Purpose makes you go one more step after a failure, and way beyond your last victory.

The richest places on the face of the planet are not the diamond mines of Africa, the jungles of the Amazon, or the gold mines of Africa. There is a rich place not far from where you live. It's the cemetery. The cemeteries of the world contain books that have not been written, songs that have not been composed, paintings that have not been painted, plays that have not been acted out, sermons that have not been preached. These are still in the people that were buried there. They never expressed them. And so these were buried with them. The saddest thing in life is not death, but a life without purpose.

Can you reduce your life to one sentence? What is the reason for your being here? Until you can answer that question in one sentence, your life isn't focused, your mission isn't clear, your purpose is vague, your direction is foggy. You will be plagued with boredom, insignificance, and fear. Think about it. Why are you here?