Gary discusses the conference that is being planned for next year in Franklin, Tennessee.
If Jesus’ kingdom is “not of this world,” so the argument goes, then how can Christians claim to have a responsibility to be involved in kingdom work? Since God’s kingdom is exclusively in the future and in heaven, as some assert, there can be no earthly manifestation of God’s works other than redeeming the lost out of this world for heaven. “God’s kingdom has nothing to do with this world until He personally reigns on this earth in the millennium,” is the refrain of many. But there is more to God’s kingdom than an exclusively heavenly reign or even a literal thousand-year rule of Christ on the earth.
Some Christian writers are so extreme in their insistence that God’s kingdom does not touch on earthly things that they are even denying that Jesus’ millennial reign is the kingdom of God. Dave Hunt, a proponent of an any-moment rapture, wrote that “the millennial reign of Christ, far from being the kingdom, is actually the final proof of the incorrigible nature of the human heart.” Hunt later retracted this statement, but his further writings on the same subject leave a clear impression: No aspect of God’s kingdom can manifest itself in a world where sinners still have bodies of flesh and blood.
Dave Hunt and others appeal to John 18:36 (“My kingdom is not of this world”) to establish that the kingdom is essentially (exclusively?) heavenly. David Wilkerson quotes this passage favorably and adds, “That settles it for me, as it should for all believers who tremble at His Word.” We must, as Wilkerson says, take Jesus’ words with the utmost seriousness and veracity. The question is, what does Jesus’ statement mean? What is settled by a recitation of a single verse? Satan knew the Bible as well as anyone. He was quick to quote it when it suited him. Of course, his favorite tactic was to quote it out of context to support his twisted worldview. The Bible is not a series of incantations that can be repeated to bring about miraculous results. The Bible was written in book and letter form. The context of every sentence is important.
What does Jesus mean when He tells Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world? Does He mean that His kingdom is like the invisible ether that scientists a century ago believed pervaded outer space? Does He mean that His kingdom has no effect on the course of history? Quoting the verse without explanation does little to enhance our understanding of the exchange of words between the prosecutor and the accused. A man on trial for murder who said in a police statement, “Yes, I killed the man,” is not necessarily guilty of murder no matter how many times the prosecutor repeats the words back to the accused. Who did he kill and why? Was it in self-defense?
Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths
Myths, Lies and Half-Truths adopts Jesus’ methodology of taking a closer look at God’s Word and applies it to erroneous misinterpretations that have resulted in a virtual shut-down of the church’s full-orbed mission in the world (Acts 20:27). These traditional but mistaken interpretations and applications of popular Bible texts to contemporary issues have resulted in the Christian faith being “thrown out and trampled under foot by men” (Matt. 5:13).
Buy NowGary discusses the conference that is being planned for next year in Franklin, Tennessee. He explains that it will not be a prophecy conference, though it will address the topic. Ultimately, it will be a worldview conference because eschatology is a key component of any worldview, not only Christianity.