Kingdom Come

“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God…when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1-4, Hebrews 5:14)

“The Endless is a movie that plays with our perceptions of time, space, and reality, and sketches the outlines of unimaginable / endless terror…Things become unmoored from scientifically verifiable truth…There are so many strange moments and images, most of them tossed-off…effectiveness comes from comparing what we’re told would happen against what actually does happen.“

And this is where the Word of God is of paramount importance.

The Bible is not a guidebook to a lifestyle, it is a guide to life itself. Only those who develop wisdom and understanding from studying the subject recognize and know how to respond with life sustaining action when confronted by death-dealing forces.

“ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God…to discern both good and evil…the gospel of Christ…is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein – the gospel of Christ – is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith… by every  word  that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” (Romans 1:16-17, Deuteronomy 8:3)

Christianity has substituted “I believe” for “I take action” in faith. You can believe whatever you want, like the 60’s song “I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows”, but Hebrews chapter 11 tracks the righteousness of God revealed from faith in the promised Savior through substituting animal deaths to faith in the Savior who died in our place as the same faith in the yet-to-come resurrection of our mortal bodies.

Not the faith of Judaism changed to different faith of Christianity.

•  [Genesis 4] By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous” because he acted on God’s notice that “without shedding of blood is no remission” of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)
• [Genesis 6] By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house;” the same situation looming as world war the near future “then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time…as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:21-22, 37)
• [Genesis 12] By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went, not knowing whither he went…For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
• [Genesis 22] By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. 
• [All throughout history] Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but…were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth…But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
• Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto YHVH’s Savior the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Abraham, the father of the original assembly of post-flood international believers before there was a nation of Israel, is stated in the New Testament to continue to be the father of the same assembly of believers after the establishment of the nation of Israel.

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?…what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness… faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness…the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was…through the righteousness of faith…of Abraham; who is the father of us all…

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4)

Can we understand that becoming Abraham’s seed / children as a “Friend / bosom buddy of God” is a real national identity, based on established social principles, in effect during – and since – Abraham’s day?

When we apply the full meaning of father as we’ve come to understand it in ancient culture (see post on Father Abraham if you don’t understand this), we understand the extent of Paul’s claim to Gentile believers.

He is not allegorizing a relationship. He is stating a fact that Gentiles have equal standing with the physical descendants because all the children only qualify as legitimate children when they are acknowledged by the Father.

More to the point here, notice exactly what it is that Abraham and his seed are promised – to be heirs of the world, not just a piece of it as given to Israel. Paul is claiming the inheritance lost to Satan in the garden of Eden.

“O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, For God is the King of all the earth…God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham.” (Psalm 47)

Those who are identified with The Promised Seed / Messiah / Christ through the faith of Abraham are granted fellow-citizenship with all the saints,  including Abraham’s godly ancestors like Shem, Noah, Enoch, etc. back to Adam back in the day when there was only one language, ergo one nation. God is restoring his one world government.

Islam / Submission – is named for the very first principle of the oracles of God – “Obey”, while Christianity has eliminated it with its dogma of “saved by grace”,

When American Christians are putting their faith in their religion instead of the Word of God, this isn’t going to end well. The war with Iran is just a prelude.