THE KINGDOM OF GOD

I was strongly disappointed on 28 June 2012 when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on two long awaited decisions. The first one was when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s healthcare bill and the second decision (which was more troubling to me and not really discussed on the news) was the Courts found the Stolen Valor Act (where you can lie about your military service) unconstitutional. Now to be totally honest (honesty really is the best policy) the thing that was the most troubling to me was my disappointment and my attitude about these rulings. I spent 24 years in the military (in combat and in peace time) and of those 24 years, over 22 of those years were spent in either direct health care delivery as a Field Corpsman and working in the operating room in hospital administration and as a medical planner serving as a Medical Service Corps Officer. I know the grave damage President Obama’s healthcare bill has done and will continue to do to America (unless President Obama is voted out in November) in the future far beyond 2014, but of more importance to America is how can God bless the nation whose leaders say it is okay to lie? Who say free speech is more important than the truth. Well here is the truth from God’s perspective, “Woe unto you America your candle stick has been lifted and soon will pass away if there is no repentance back to Me in your land,” thus says the LORD. Who gets to speak for God in the earth? As His beloved son I too get to speak for my Father. The Bible says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) Make no mistake (as I have said) I gave 24 years of faithful, dedicated service to America she still means a lot to me, but as much as I love America and know (I have been in 83 countries of the world) she is the greatest country in the world I as a Christians MUST never get so rooted and entrenched into the American dream. We MUST never forget this earth, this world, this country is NOT our home. When it is all said and done 10,000 years from now only the things we have done for God will matter. Even all of the ministry and all of the good works we do, that we think are so important, will be done away with, but what will remain will be our relationship with the Father based not on what we have done and said, but based on HOW we have done and said things for Him. When it is all said and done the only thing that really matters is how much we have allowed the Father to conform us into the image (icon) of His dear Son Jesus Christ. But when I heard the Supreme Court’s decision (I will be honest) I got angry and almost cussed. I could not believe how the Supreme Court got it wrong again for America in both decisions. America has two high courts of the land or kingdom: the U.S. Supreme Court governed by its laws (which is the highest earthly court in America) and in my humble opinion a higher court God’s court governed by His divine Spiritual principles not laws. In almost every case in the last 50 years the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in direct contradiction to God’s divine Spiritual principles. This is no accident my friend. To discredit or even deny there is a God there must be a higher power that can govern the affairs of man in a country, in the world, and on earth. God’s word says do not kill yet we abort millions of babies for convenience each year. In 1973 Roe v Wade the U.S. Supreme Court said killing babies was okay. God’s word says homosexuality and lesbianism is a sin and even an abomination to God yet the U.S. Supreme Court again and again has tried justifying by legally sanctioning this ungodly immoral life-style. And the list of ruling goes on and on. These laws are not meant to govern civility in the American society, but are meant to be an open challenge to the very existence of God. Now please hear me loud and clear we must be obedient to the law of the land. Jesus said, “render unto Caesar’s that which is Caesar’s” and He meant it. In all respects we must be obedient to the laws of the land unless they come into direct contradiction of God’s word. This topic often came up with the Disciples. In the Book of Acts we read, “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20) So where do we stand when these two courts collide in option? Here is the divine Spiritual principle we as Christians MUST follow: Obedience is related to conduct, it is relative. Submission is related to our heart attitude and is absolute. God alone receives unqualified obedience without measure, any person lower than God can only receive qualified obedience. And should another court issue an order clearly contradicting God’s command, we give submission but not obedience. We submit to the court (thus submitting to God in reality because God originates all powers), but we MUST never disobey the word (orders) of God. When delegated authority (men who represent God’s authority i.e. judges police, your boss, etc.) and direct authority (God Himself) are in conflict, one can render submission, but not obedience to the delegated authority. When Jesus stood before Pilate there was great resistance in Him. But the Bible said, “He opened not His mouth.” In silence He gave great resistance. He submitted, but did not obey Pilate. This type of understanding and reality goes far beyond the religious and denominational doctrinal circles that most Christians find themselves in today. Now the more the media outlets digested the decisions the angrier I got. After about 20-30 minutes of this I had to get up and walk away, but like driving by a car or train wreck I slowed down and had to look. After some time I mustered up enough common sense and the Spirit of God within me, apologized to God, and turned the TV off. I do not want this article to be about the two decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, but about something far greater of importance my reaction and attitude to the Supreme Court’s decisions. But wow what a bad and ungodly attitude I had over these decisions. I guess this anger was in me all along maybe caused by daily watching America slip further and further from God in spite of 90% of Americans saying they are Christians. I guess it was always there and the love that I hold for my country and God squeezing it out of my heart it came out my mouth. Now I have found out we will never agree with everyone, especially our Christians brothers and sisters, but that does not mean we have to be disagreeable. Make no mistake whatsoever is in our heart will come out our mouth. In Proverbs we read, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) My friend, walk with God long enough and you will really find out what is in your heart. Miriam sung and danced through the Red Sea being led by her younger brother Moses singing a song of victory, but held ungodly feelings and attitudes towards Moses in her heart. “And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea,” (Exodus 15:21), but Miriam’s true heart toward her brother was exposed, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” (Numbers 12:1-3) and God had to deal with her in a harsh way, “And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Numbers 12:10), but in the end God’s mercy was extended, “And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. 14And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.” (Numbers 12:13-14) Make no mistake my friend God will see what is in our hearts and whatsoever is there will come our mouth. You know I find the ones that dance the longest and sing the loudest in church are the shallowest and easily stumble and fall out of the way. Now most Christians are trying to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth through good works and even Christian ways, but as a man cannot give what he does not have one cannot bring something to earth that is already here. When Jesus came to earth as a child He brought with Him from Heaven and established His kingdom forever, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) yet some Christians keep trying to build Jesus a kingdom on earth, but in reality they are building their own kingdom. All you have to do is turn on Christian TV (what an oxymoron) and see all of the kingdoms in the earth being built by man, for man, but in the name of Jesus. The kingdom of God is not a building or a denomination the Kingdom of God is within us. The Pharisees wanted to know when the kingdom of God was to come they were great (like religious folks today) at building their own kingdom, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21) Did you get that, “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” God is more concerned about my heart condition to the Supreme Court’s decision than the decisions, His kingdom is already established. Paul tells is in Romans, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17) Did you get that the kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We are not of this world, but when we allow things like the ungodly Supreme Court’s decisions to steal the “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” that we have allowed God to build in us we leave the kingdom of God and enter the kingdom of the world. And the mode of travel from one kingdom to the next is our heart response to whatever is happening to us at the time. 10,000 years from now what will it matter what the U.S. Supreme Court decides? What will matter is how we reacted and responded to the decision made. The kingdom of God is the difference in our lives that enables us to walk in the life of God. Let His kingdom come in our hearts as it is in heaven. Written by David Stahl