Walking With Jesus Part 4: Political Language (Mark 1:14-15)

Walking With Jesus Part 4: Political Language (Mark 1:14-15)

by | Aug 26, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news (Gospel)  of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:14-15, NIV

After coming out of the wilderness, Jesus starts preaching a very simple message.
Repent. The Kingdom has come near.

The Bible says that Jesus was preaching good news. The word used in the Greek here is ‘euaggelion’. In the pagan Greco-Roman world this word had very specific connotations.

There exists, for example, an ancient inscription from somewhere between 9 and 6 BC called the Priene Calendar Inscription. This inscription marks Caeser Augustus’ birthday as the beginning of the ‘gospel’ of his kingdom.

‘Euaggelion’ was often used to indicate an announcement of celebration – most commonly in political and military settings – to celebrate a conquest, or the coming of a kingdom – specifically the announcement of the arrival of a kingdom (especially a divine authority) that brings with it SALVATION from DESTRUCTION for all who would pledge allegiance to it.

Jesus came proclaiming exactly such a gospel. The Gospel of His Kingdom.     

The word for Kingdom used in Mark 1:15 is basileia which according to Strong’s refers to: kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule, especially of God, both in the world, and in the hearts of men; hence: kingdom, in the concrete sense.

Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom come.

When we say the Kingdom is at hand it is not a Kingdom on the way, but rather the Kingdom close enough to touch.          

Jesus comes and starts preaching – a revolutionary message – declaring that the Kingdom has come and urging us to repent and believe in this good news – to take this declaration seriously. Jesus comes to confuse the norms; He comes to interrupt the status quo. His followers, those listening to His message, were quite familiar with the term ‘kingdom’. They had heard of the kingdom of Herod, they were familiar with the kingdom of Rome, but now they are introduced to a new kingdom – the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. He comes to bring us a revolution – to overthrow the ruler of this world, and to establish His throne and dominion in the earth.

We understand that there were many sects within Judaism waiting for a militant Messiah – a warrior-king, much like David, who would bring military conquest and the overthrow of their oppressors. This is what many expected from God’s gospel.

But they had the wrong ‘oppressors’ in mind – they had their eyes set on temporary tyrants and human empires.

Jesus very much came preaching a revolution. A revolution of the heart and mind. This is where He longs to establish His rule – to overthrow and dethrone the tyrants of sin and death.

His Gospel is first and foremost accompanied by the word ‘repent’. In the Greek, the word used here is metanoeō (G3340 in the Strong’s concordance), and can be defined as follows:
to think differently or afterwards, that is reconsider. (Strong’s)

The proper definition of metanoeō therefore is to have a change of mind – it does not just imply a sense of regret, but rather a call to action, calling us – not to just stop sinning – but to start thinking differently. Calling us to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. Paul admonishes us over and over to be imitators of Christ. We must adopt the mind of Christ.

This is true repentance – becoming one with Christ. Being united with Christ and the change of mindset that comes with it.

This is what Christ was encouraging all who heard His preaching:

1. The Kingdom of God, the rule and reign of the Lord has come through the birth of Jesus Christ.
2. Repent – change the way you think to align with this Kingdom and its principles.
3. Believe the Gospel – entrust your life – pledge allegiance to receive salvation from judgement.

Jesus says ‘the time has come.’ The word for ‘time’ here is ‘Kairos’ referring to a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a strategic and crucial action. A decisive, opportune moment.

The time is now. The time for you to encounter the Kingdom of God is now. Don’t wait. Take action today.

Reflect:

1. ‘Metanoeō’ means to change your thinking – not just your actions. How does this affect your definition of repentance? How will changing your thinking affect your tendency to sin? Would it have any other effect on the way you live, besides in regards to sin and temptation? What would it look like to have the mind of Christ?

2. Christ preached the Kingdom Come. He promised us – in this – a spiritual, military-like conquest and salvation from destruction. He asked us to believe – in this context, to entrust our lives and pledge allegiance to this Kingdom – what does it mean to believe? What does it mean to entrust our lives and pledge allegiance? Is it as simple as just having a bit of faith and confessing it? Or do you think Jesus encourages something more?

Prayer: Lord, I am not content with merely being a citizen in Your Kingdom. Help me Lord to live a life worthy of the One You gave by being an ambassador of Your Kingdom. Lead me Lord, to not only be a hearer but a doer. Let my faith be reflected in action. Let my thinking be changed, I ask for the Mind of Christ. Transform my thinking, and through that, transform my life and the lives of those around me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Hands and Feet

Hands and Feet

by | Aug 8, 2024 | Kingdom Finance, Kingdom Principles, The Pattern

I remember years ago, as a volunteer in Hillbrow doing urban missions, I sat at a soup kitchen listening to testimonies from the local homeless population.

An older man got up and went to the front. The room fell silent as he started sharing. “I have never seen God give me bread or shelter…” He started. And I felt my heart jump. I thought to myself – this is not a testimony.

But the older man continued.

“But I have seen His children acting as his hands and feet to provide to our needs.”

Over the years this statement has stuck with me. This idea has shaped my ministry over the last 12 years. It is as Richard Rohr so beautifully puts it. Presence over preaching…

Peter shares the same kind of thought with us in his first epistle. In 1 Peter 2:9: he tells us that we are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation – a peculiar people – called out of darkness with the purpose of proclaiming his goodness to those who have not yet seen his love.

I like how the older translations put it – to shew forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. Not just to talk about it – but to practically demonstrate the Kingdom – to be ambassadors rather than citizens.

The old homeless man had a point. God uses us to facilitate His miracles. God uses us to provide and see to the needs of those who need Him. God uses us to care for the poor and disenfranchised. He uses us to bring about change. Gd works in us, He gives through us – and if He is present in our hearts, we will see His Kingdom present itself around us.

As believers and children of the Most High God, followers of the teachings of Christ we realize that we have a mission. This mission is given to us in Matthew 28 – in verse 16 the 11 disciples (sans Judas) go to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had instructed them to go.

Here Jesus tells them the following: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus gives us the great commission – this role is assigned to us as a body – the authority of Christ, and therefore also the responsibility that comes with it – is delegated to us.

We are to make disciples as Jesus had done.

I love the Gospel According to Mark. In the book of Mark Jesus is described as a man of action – He didn’t just preach – but came as a revolutionary. Shifting paradigms, shaking our way of thinking and showing us the way forward. We cannot simply tell the hungry man to find Christ. A roaring belly is not always open to the Gospel – we need to feed him. The naked man needs to be clothed lest he be distracted by the cold, unable to hear the good news being shared.

We need to actually do. Not just talk the talk, but actually walk as Jesus instructed us to. As Christ Himself demonstrated.

When His disciples wanted to send the crowds home to go and eat, saying: “We cannot feed them…”, Jesus rebuked them and multiplied what was there.

But God used a little boy and his lunchbox to do this.

Just like Moses was instructed to use the staff he had in his hand to demonstrate God’s power – just like David picked up 5 stones – God uses what we have at hand to change the world.

And as we give – as we pour out the oil – it is multiplied. As we fill the cups of others, our cup will be filled.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I would like to ask you to help us fulfill the mission by supporting our mission. Your contribution allows us to devote our time to preaching, teaching, counseling those who can’t afford it and deliverance ministry – both locally and internationally, online and in person.

It also allows us to devote our time to the creation of materials for use by individuals and groups for personal growth and discipleship – all available for free on this website. We are not asking for much – even the smallest drop in the bucket makes a huge difference. We only ask that your prayerfully go to the Lord and ask Him to guide you in your giving.

Please see this page for more information on how you can support the mission:

https://kingdomrevolution.co.za/blogs/give/

Walking With Jesus: The Gospel of Action (Mark 1:1)

Walking With Jesus: The Gospel of Action (Mark 1:1)

by | Aug 5, 2024 | Bible Studies, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God…” (Mark 1:1, NIV)

Many times new believers have asked me where to begin their reading of the Bible – and the answer is always the same. Start with the book of Mark.

It is not only the earliest of the Gospel accounts but also the simplest and the easiest to read. 

It is the shortest account, but also the most action packed. It gives us a good idea of who Jesus is – not necessarily what He taught, but how He walked.

Although Mark had never walked with Jesus himself, he worked closely with Paul and served as an interpreter for Peter. 

An early church historian, Papias, who was the Arch Bishop of Hierapolis, and who lived around the same time, recalls how Mark had collected and recounted all the stories and memories of Peter in his own account. 

Peter was a man of action – and thus it comes as no surprise that Peter’s most vivid memories would revolve around the things that Jesus DID. 

Where Matthew portrays Jesus as the King of Heaven come, Mark very much shows us the Jesus who steps down from His high and exalted place to serve the lost and disenfranchised, the broken, the battered and burdened.

His style is blunt and to the point. A Gospel of Action.

It has been estimated that book of Mark was written and distributed between 60 and 70AD, a time of great persecution in the church. It is further speculated that Mark wrote this Gospel from a prison cell – with the sole purpose of encouraging the persecuted church to stand firm in their faith – devoting a large part of his account to Jesus’ own example of martyrdom, as well as many references to the cost of discipleship.

Mark shows us how Jesus defied the corrupt religious and political authorities of His time, how He stood up for those in need, how He acted as liberator and saviour, followed through with courage and conviction – never faltering – unwavering in His mission to the very end.

The book of Mark was very much written in a time of crisis for the persecuted believer to see Christ, to know Him, to see His face – to identify with Him and learn how to follow in His footsteps.

If you find yourself in a time of crisis today – whether it is a crisis of faith, identity, purpose – or any other storm you might find yourself in – I urge you to walk with Jesus through the book of Mark.

Get to know Him as the One Who Takes Action – the Right Arm of God stretched out, the Mighty One Who Saves – our Healer, our Saviour, our Liberator – the Chain Breaker – Promise Keeper and Light in the Darkness.

Get to know Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God.

Get to know Jesus as the Face, the Grace and Embrace of God.

Your life will never be the same.

Reflect:

  1. At this point in our study, what do you know about Jesus? What is the image you have in your mind when you think of Him?
  2. If we are called to be imitators of Christ (Ephesians 5:1), how does your answer to the previous question affect your everyday walk in the world? How does your current concept of who Christ is reflect in your daily interactions with those around you? How does it affect your daily activities?

Prayer: Lord, as I start my journey, walking with You through the Gospel According to Mark, give me clarity of mind, give me clarity of understanding – show Yourself to me. As I walk with You through Your Word, teach me Lord to live like You. Give me a richer, more compelling view of who You are and what You came to do. As I journey with You Lord, bring me to a place where I can stand in the resurrection power of Your Gospel – revive me Lord, restore me, stir up in me an excitement and a zeal for Your Kingdom. As I read this Gospel of Action, let my heart be called to action as well. As I see You in the Scriptures, let me show You to the World. In Jesus Name. Amen.

I Thank God

I Thank God

by | Jul 17, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Wandering into the night
Wanting a place to hide
This weary soul, this bag of bones
And I tried with all my mind
And I just can’t win the fight
I’m slowly drifting, oh vagabond
And just when I ran out of road
I met a man I didn’t know
And he told me
That I was not alone”

I Thank God, Maverick City Worship

““I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.”

Luke 12:8, NIV

Jesus came to show us The Way. He came to show us the model life, to give us an example according to which we can pattern our lives.

In Luke 12, in a passage where Jesus shares warnings and encouragements with those who would hear, He makes it clear that it is required of us to share the good news of His Gospel with others.

Jesus placed great emphasis on sharing the Gospel. Even in Luke 12 He admonished us not to fear those who can kill the body and after that do no more, but to rather fear God – for He has the authority over life, death and everything in between and beyond.

Jesus tells us to acknowledge Him publicly.

The Greek word here is ‘homologeó’ which most properly means to ‘speak the same, to agree.’

Jesus tells us to be like Him.

The confession here then is not one made merely by the lips – our public acknowledgement is not done through mere and mortal words – but is a practical manifestation of the belief in our hearts.

We share the good news of His Gospel primarily through presence.

I overcame drug addiction – not through preaching, teaching or even prayer – but through the presence of dear friends who had gone through the same.

We often overlook the power of being present in the life of another. We always want to talk, but very few of us want to walk with the downcast and downtrodden.

We all want to share our insights, but very few of us know how to just sit with the sad and defeated.

Many people sit in our churches week after week – they listen to the sermons, they participate in the worship, they read the word, the attend the prayer meetings – they do their disciplines at home – yet they see no change in their lives. This does not make them ungodly or lacking in spiritual wisdom – but it does show us where we are lacking in discernment when we look past them and neglect to reach out. How many invisible brothers and sisters are in our church?

By the same token I have seen, many times, the real world difference it makes when we as people connect – when we go and sit next to that person and community starts to form.

When, instead of competing for status or esteem we start complimenting and completing one another.

Man was not meant to be alone. Christianity wasn’t meant to be a club, it was supposed to be a community.

One of the main reasons Jesus healed so many people in His ministry here on Earth was to restore community. Disease, illness and infirmity were seen as a sign of present or inherited sin and affected your standing in the community. If you were sick, cripple or disabled you were an outcast – ostracised and pushed aside.

Jesus’ main objective in healing these people wasn’t simply to restore them to health, but to restore them to community.

So that they would no longer walk alone.

But it is not enough for us to only reach out to the loner sitting in the back of the church.

The main point of Jesus’ ministry was that the sinner is just as much our brother as the pharisee. The fact that they are far away does not diminish the love the Father has for His errant and lost children. God is married to the backslider. He loves all His children – but a lot of the time we don’t.

Are we the love of Christ to the loner, the loser, the lost and the blind? Do we care for the unseen, the unheard and even the unknown as Christ cared for them?

Or do we push them aside because of their sin sickness? Ostracize and cast out those who are unchurched and unwashed?

The song ‘I Thank God’ by Maverick City starts with a testimony – the story of a lost and lonely vagabond who encounters a man of flesh and bone, one who says: “You’re not alone!”

Maybe if we start thinking more like Jesus, living the testimony of His love by showing His love to the world we will see more testimonies being written in our midst. We will see our churches growing instead of shrinking. We will see people healed of their sin and shame as they realize that they don’t have to live that way anymore.

But how will they know if we don’t live out the truth of God’s Word among them?

What will we show them today?

How will we acknowledge Christ – not just through preaching – but through our presence in the world today?

Prayer: Lord, help me be a beacon of light in a dark and dying world. Help me show and not just tell them of Your love, mercy and grace. Help me Lord to see past the sin and shame of others and to love them like You loved me. Give me a heart that longs to journey with the backslider, patience that surpasses understanding – a heart and mind like Yours, oh Lord. Help me be present in the lives of others, and may my presence be Your presence in the midst of an unbelieving generation – so that we may see a great awakening in our community, our country and even the world. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tabernacle Typology 1: God Wants To Dwell In Our Midst

Tabernacle Typology 1: God Wants To Dwell In Our Midst

by | Jun 27, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology, Typology

In Genesis 3:15 we see that, shortly after Man’s disobedience, God makes a promise, the promise of salvation. God has a plan, for each and every one of us individually, and more often than not you can find the type (or the foreshadowing) in the Old Testament, and the final, full-fledged result, the fulfillment, in the New Testament.

After their Exodus from Egypt, the people of Israel found themselves safe at Mount Sinai. Here Moses had given them the laws and regulations of God, but that would not be the end of their journey with God.

An interesting aside is that God threatened to leave them, to abandon them – instructing Moses to lead the people, but saying “ Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (Ex. 33), Moses acted as intercessor, just as Jesus was an intercessor for our sins, and reminded God of His promise. This would not be the last time Moses would intercede for the unbelief and obstinate of his people (Numbers 14).

Shortly after this the construction of the Tabernacle started.

God knew the plan He had for the Israelites, He knew what lay ahead (Jer 29:11). He also knew that their hearts would be hard and unrepentant, and that they would remain a stiff-necked people throughout. He knew what the consequences of their stubbornness would be…

Because of this unique knowledge, knowledge that only our God possesses, He designed the Sanctuary so that it could be a portable temple; a portable structure that could travel with them on their wanderings, so that they could have a physical emblem of God’s presence on their journey. It is important to note that when He instructs them to make for Him a sanctuary, the emphasis is not so much on God dwelling in it, but rather that He may dwell in their midst, among His people.

Even in the desert God would be with them. Even in their stubbornness. Even in their stiff-neckedness. Even in their sin. Even in their deafness.

God loves His people, loves His creation and wants to see it glorifying Him, He wants to see His children prosper and live in abundance and so, after the fall of Man, he made a new and living way for us, so that we could break the shackles of sin, and lay all our burdens down and truly be free through Him. Therefore, as you go through the Old Testament, you find people and events that foreshadow the coming of a Savior, the coming of Salvation.

It has been stated in various books and studies that the Tabernacle can be looked at as a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus also paints a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, as well as some of the characteristics He expects believers to adopt. God wants to dwell, or tabernacle, in the midst of His children, and just as He revealed Himself to the Israelites,

He revealed Himself to man through Jesus, coming in the flesh through the indwelling of His Spirit, the same Spirit that lives in our hearts, seeing as we’ve accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and have, through Jesus, received all the promises of the Father, that is to say, the Holy Spirit which guides, teaches and edifies, building up the body of Christ into which we were baptized. (Eph 2:22).

His plan, displayed to us a single scarlet thread throughout the Old Testament, was fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and because of the fulfillment the old should be traded for the new. We should cling to Jesus, and not the type, but rather the fulfillment of it, for He now dwells in our hearts, God tabernacles among us, in Spirit.

In the Old Testament God lived in the Tabernacle, he dwelt among His people through the Tabernacle, but today, in this day and age, He revealed Himself to us in Jesus, and now reveals Himself through the Holy Spirit (The Spirit of His Son), in us.


Where once God dwelt in a temple, He now truly lives among His people, He now truly tabernacles amongst His people, He now lives within us. Just as through the Tabernacle the priests had access to God, so to, through faith in Jesus we have boldness and access to God, through Christ we are a royal priesthood! (1 Pet 2:9)


He made a way for us, a new and living way, and we are free…

Reflect:

1. What are some ways in which we can see Jesus typified in the life of Moses and the event of the Exodus?

2. Reflecting on the purpose of the Tabernacle, what does it typify in terms of the modern day believer? What does the word ‘tabernacle’ mean to you?

3. The Tabernacle was in a lot of ways the ‘portable Presence’ of God in the desert. What does this imply in terms of our Christian walk?

Prayer:

Lord, I thank You for the depth of Your Word. That there is always more under the surface. As I continue to think along these lines, broaden my understanding. Come tabernacle in me Lord. Let me be full of You. Full of Your Presence and Power – a portable temple of sorts in the desert of this current culture. Help me carry Christ to dead and dry places, and let me see revival and restoration break out wherever I go. In Jesus name. Amen.