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 A KINGDOM PLAN

It is now 2016. You know? American is a mess. Will we ever be able to work ourselves out of this current state of affairs? A lot of people are beginning to wonder. It’s taken us 240 years to create this predicament. (1776) Look at our country’s standard of living; our personal freedoms; our opportunities. Even our broken health system is probably the best in the world. We give people who are in this country illegally more rights, privileges, and benefits than most countries in the world give their natural born citizens.

Not only is America a mess—look at Mexico. Anarchy, wouldn’t you say; on our border. How many hot-beds are there in the Middle East now; Iran and North Korea with an atomic bomb; surely not? What other evil lurks around the bend? I suppose our forefathers felt a bit overwhelmed as we do today during the Second World War; and they had to deal with rationing. I think I still have a part of an old ration book from when I was a baby.

Not only is our health system broken; so is our banking system, our jobs system, our housing system; even our family system is broken. And it only took us some few years to dismantle what it took us 240 years to put together. We’ve got hurricanes coming up the east coast; tropical depressions forming in the Gulf of Mexico; earthquakes occurring in our seat of government; fires destroying thousands of acres; floods; and these are things over which we have no control. But they contribute to our overwhelming sense of helplessness in this our day. 

Do you think God might be trying to tell us something? Has he got our attention, do you think? The whole world is watching and some are probably hoping that this experiment in democracy fails. How long before another 9/11? Someone said that 9/11 changed America forever. I think, if we were to be honest, we would have to admit that America has been changed for a long time, and I don’t mean to the good.

  • God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. 6 God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. 7 God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them." 8 But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah. 9 This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 As far as God was concerned, the Earth had become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. 12 God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting—life itself corrupt to the core. 13 God said to Noah, "It's all over. It's the end of the human race. The violence is everywhere; I'm making a clean sweep. Gen 6:5-13 (MSG)
If my calculations are correct, It only took 1656 years for the flood to come upon the earth (Genesis 5)

It’s amazing what a mess of things man can make in such a short period of time. What do you think is the problem? The problems are complex, but can be summed by Paul in the NT.
  • Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. 2 As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, 3 dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, 4 treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. 5 They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people. 2 Tim 3:1-5 (MSG)
These people are our relatives, friends, and government officials. We watch them on TV every day.

GOLDEN IMAGE

Particular notice can be seen in God’s revelation to King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel, chapter 2. The image representing world governments was great and bright, and the image was terrible. It started out as a head of gold, the most precious of metals. It didn’t take long for the image to digress into silver, a precious metal but of lesser value than gold. The breast and arms of the image,  deteriorated from silver to brass. Its belly and thighs were a useable but not a precious metal.  Inferior to the brass the legs offered only iron—again a useful metal but hard and unyielding as it broke in pieces, subdued and bruised the people of the world. Last of all the feet of the image was part iron, mixed with clay. This was meant for our day.

Our world is a mix of partly strong and partly weak countries which can only get along when it meets their purpose. In America we have and still do enjoy being a strong country, but how long will that last? In view of what we see around us do you think that status is going to last? We are quickly deteriorating into a society in which 50% support the other 50%. Now just how long do you think that can be sustained?
 

A BETTER PLAN

But you can see from the image revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that God has a better plan. He did not allow the world to continue in the mess it was in before the flood. He will not allow this world to continue in the mess it is in today. In the image, (Daniel 2) during the days of the iron mixed with clay; the partly strong and partly weak countries; a stone which was cut out without hands collided with the image upon the feet and broke the iron and clay and broke them into pieces. You will also note that the gold, silver, brass, iron, and iron/clay were broken to pieces together becoming like the chaff in the summer threshing floor and became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Could it not be that In our day the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which Daniel 7:27 says will not be left to other people but will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High? Jesus spoke of this event:
  • "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matt 25:34 (NASB)
God revealed that plan when Gabriel announced the birth of a son to Mary:
  • "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:31-33 (NASB)
This is the same child Isaiah announced:
 
  • For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB)

GET EXCITED WITH GOD

 

Notice particularly “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” This indicates to me that God is excited about this prospect. That excitement can be seen in Jesus statement in Luke. From the very beginning God intended better things for his creation. It will give our Father great pleasure to give us the kingdom he promised in Daniel 7:27.
  • "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:31-32 (NASB)
Isaiah spoke of that joy: a time when God will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad among his people. Moses said that the Lord will rejoice over His people for good. Zephaniah prophesied that God will exult over them with joy. He will be glad in Jerusalem; He will come and be among his people, John said. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.
  • "Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; Deut 30:9 (NASB)
  • In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:16-17 (NASB)
  • "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 "But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 "I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. Isaiah 65:17-19 (NASB)
  • And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Rev 21:1-5 (KJV)


 
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