The State of the Kingdom

Last night President Obama delivered the State of the Union address. I try and watch because it reveals several things that should be teaching tools to us believers.
First, there was no mention of God or Christ. Of course that was being honest rather than paste God’s name on this mess. Also, it openly reveals the visceral hatred the two parties have for each other, and it is almost comical to watch Speaker Boehner try and hide his utter disgust for the President. And when only half of the elected officials stand and clap and smile at the others who remain seated, well it is such a display of adolescence.
And after the President speaks the party opposite gives its response which is little more than saying that everything the President said was a lie. One year one congressman couldn’t even hide his contempt and blurted out “liar” at President Obama during his speech. There is nothing redemptive about the entire spectacle. It should not take much for a believer in Christ to see the hollow vanity and the fallen structure of this or any earthly government.
But there is something more sad and pitiful. I have heard professing believers express tangible hatred for President Obama and liberals in general. They have succumbed to the fallen sirens of politics and rejected the Sermon on the Mount teachings of our Savior. I could never vote for someone who is pro-choice like President Obama, but he seems to be a nice family man, although I cannot say that I sense a kinship in the Spirit. He seems to espouse a salvation of works.
There is no such thing as liberal or conservative if you are living in the Kingdom of God. There is only lost and saved or believers and unbelievers. To separate the goats into man made categories is in conflict with the gospel of redemption and reveals an attitude of the heart that suggests some lost men are better than others. And there is nothing Christlike in politics.
But how has them church bowed her knee to the fallen structures of this world. Preachers refer to people as liberals even from behind the pulpit, and millions of professing believers listen to carnal men spew their self serving hatred on television and radio. It is amazing to see men become millionaires through the rhetoric of hate and self righteousness. At least the wing nuts of the Westboro Baptist Church have the boldness to admit they are hate mongers.
But watch as millions of evangelicals bow their heads during the token prayer on Sunday morning even though all week their mouths have spoken gossip, hatred, and a saltless complaining about the economy and all things Obama. It is most unseemly and only brings reproach to the name of Christ and His church. We were never meant to be of this world, only in it to shine forth the Word of Life to a dead and lost generation.
Oh, you say, you support President Obama? No, I pray for him but I only support the Lord Jesus. Well, you say, that is a radical view of isolationism. You’re getting close! There is much work to be done in the whited fields and we cannot compromise our time and energy with things of this world that do not profit. Our so called earthly freedom has lulled us to sleep, and millions of believers suggest we should protect this freedom even with a violence that kills many thousands. That, my friends, is the job of the fallen world and all its governments. We must be busy about Our Father’s business.
Arise and shine and off to our prayer closets! Let the dead bury the dead in the cold ground of political nonsense, but let us incline our ears to the voice of the Spirit which calls us to speak, preach, and live the Lord Jesus Christ. And the lofty words of political rhetoric only serve to distract us, and in many ways deceive us. We must not listen to fallen voices that speak outside the spirit of God’s kingdom. And when fallen man complains about taxes and the economy, we must rejoice in Christ!
If we measure God’s blessings by material things then we have been blessed beyond belief. Millions are starving, and millions have no medicine, and millions cannot feed their own children. But we do not rejoice in Christ because of material benefits. We rejoice in the redemption in which we live, and if our eyes are looking unto Jesus, then our hearts are full to overflowing!
I am somewhat optimistic about more and more believers coming out of this political quagmire and finding a freedom in Jesus Christ that has been available all along. By the way, what is the state of the Kingdom of God? The same as it has always been.

Our God Reigns!