Kingdom of Heaven

Thursday Watchdog: “Christian Nationalism?”

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Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman is receiving attention for a new book arguing that Christian nationalism represents a growing threat to American democracy. Huffman—the only openly nonbelieving member of Congress—argues that certain Christian political movements are attempting to merge religious authority with government power.

That argument arrives amid a broader movement in several states to introduce Ten Commandments displays, Bible-related curricula and expanded religious activity in public institutions.

Christians shouldn’t automatically panic whenever somebody says “Christian nationalism.” Nor should we pretend the danger of turning Christianity into a political tribe doesn’t exist.

Jesus said:

“My kingdom is not of this world.” — John 18:36 (KJV)

The kingdom Jesus spoke of will not come from political movements in this age. That’s worth remembering whenever politicians—left or right—try wrapping themselves in Jesus.

And while God’s everlasting Kingdom on earth is not here yet, it’s coming.

Read the report on the Christian-nationalism debate

Saturday Watchdog: What Does It Mean To Watch

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Watching Without Losing Your Mind

Scroll social media for five minutes and you’ll find someone announcing they’ve finally cracked the prophetic code. Look, a red moon! Wow, another war in the Middle East. Did you hear about that earthquake? A politician whose name could be a 666 code. Is AI the Beast of Revelation?

Apparently, every headline is the headline that proves Jesus is coming back next Tuesday at 3:17 p.m.

Yes, Jesus absolutely told His followers to watch the signs. He pointed to wars, earthquakes, persecution, deception, and upheaval as reminders that history is moving according to God’s grand plan and toward His appointed conclusion. But He never told us to become prophecy detectives obsessed with predicting dates or identifying every newsmaker as the Antichrist.

Instead, He said, “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (Matthew 24:33, KJV)

Watch the signs, but don’t worship or obsess over the signs. They are road markers, not the destination. Their purpose isn’t to make us fearful, distracted, or addicted to doom-scrolling. Their purpose is to remind us that God keeps His promises and that His Kingdom is drawing nearer every day.

So What?

The real question isn’t, “Can I predict the day?” Jesus already answered that: Nope. The better question is, “If He returned today, would He find me faithfully following Him?”

It’s good to stay informed. It’s wise to think about and try to understand what biblical prophecy means for us today. But if we spend more time refreshing the news than reading God’s Word, we’ve probably started watching the wrong thing.

So yes, we’ll keep one eye on the headlines—but we’ll keep busy and focused on the work God is calling us to.

Love God. Love your neighbor. Speak the truth. Be an example and blessing to others. Pray and manifest power and healing by the spirit God has given you. That’s what watching looks like.

Because when the King does return, He isn’t looking for people who guessed the date. He’s looking for people who were faithful while they waited.

Thursday Watchdog: What Is Heaven?

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Editors note: The following is an excerpt from my book, Your Life And What Comes After: Plugging Into God’s Forever Plan Now

Where exactly is heaven? Is it up in the clouds? In outer space? On another planet, or in a galaxy far away?

Before we can understand where heaven is, we should first know what heaven is. When heaven is mentioned in the Bible, it can either mean any place above the ground or it can mean the realm in which God lives.

Anywhere Above Ground

Genesis 1:20

And God said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

The birds we often see flying above us are in heaven, so to speak. The stars, clouds, and planets are also above the ground, and there are many verses in the Bible that talk about those things being in the heavens.

Where God Lives

Matthew 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

This verse says that our Father, God, is in heaven. Does that mean He’s flying around with the birds that are in heaven? No, of course not.

Here the Bible is talking about a different kind of heaven. This heaven is the realm where God lives—invisible to our eyes, yet very real and near.

Acts 17:27–28

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

The main idea about heaven that we should understand is that it is not a place up in the clouds where we go someday after we die to get wings and play harps if we’re good in this life.

Heaven is a place we can go to now—and every day—in prayer, to be in the presence of our Father, God.

Is That Thief In Heaven?

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Most of us are familiar with this passage in Luke about the others crucified with Jesus:

Luke 23:40–43 (KJV)
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Many use this as a proof text that believers go immediately to heaven—or somewhere—when they die.

But is that really what this passage is about? Or is there something else going on here?

Let’s start by asking what should be some obvious questions if we are to assume the traditional theological narrative about Luke 23:40–43.

Is saying a few words, sticking up for Jesus, and asking to be remembered by him all that is required for thieves and malefactors to get into “heaven”?

Is being in “paradise” the same thing as “going to heaven”?

Did Jesus come into his kingdom on the day of the crucifixion?

Did the malefactor go immediately to “heaven” with Jesus after they died?

Did the malefactor miss Jesus for the 40 days or so that Jesus was carrying out his post‑resurrection ministry on earth?

Is the malefactor in heaven right now with Jesus?

What was the point of Jesus being raised from the dead after three days if he and the malefactor crucified with him were already alive together in paradise or heaven on the very same day they died on crosses?

We should all be asking questions like this, and many of the other things we’ve been taught from religion and churchianity, to see if they make sense and if they are actually biblical.

Stay tuned as we start examining the questions raised here in detail.

Your Life And What Comes After (43): You Are In Training

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Jesus often used stories, called parables, to teach His followers important lessons. One of those lessons is that if you’re faithful with small things now, God will trust you with bigger things later.

In the coming kingdom and the new heaven‑on‑earth, that means real responsibility—leadership, creativity, and purpose.

Luke 19:17
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

Your character—the kind of person you decide to be—takes work. You have to practice to develop good qualities like courage, patience, honesty, love, and wisdom. And sometimes facing hard things and going through hard times can be God’s way of helping you shape that good character.

Those good qualities you develop aren’t for this life only, they don’t disappear; they continue into eternity.

What Will Follow You?

Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Your works are the things you do and the words you speak.

Good works are the ones you do out of love for God and His people. Those works add value to the world around you and they glorify our heavenly Father.

Not-so-good works are the ones that are selfish and dishonest – they don’t glorify God and they aren’t helpful to others around you. In fact, sometimes they can even be harmful.

That means the good works you do now don’t vanish. They show up again in the world to come. What kind of works do you want following you into God’s new heaven-on-earth?

Practicing For Your Future Job

In the future kingdom, we will serve and reign with Him.

Revelation 22:3–5
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

That means that the good character we build now prepares us to rule and serve forever in God’s restored creation.

This life is not a waiting room. It’s a training ground for the new life in the kingdom.

Your Life And What Comes After (34): The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Like A Treehouse

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Callum’s dad promised to build him a treehouse, and even when he had to leave for a business trip to France, that promise didn’t drift across the ocean. Callum never pictured a treehouse rising somewhere in Paris; he knew exactly where it belonged.

He understood his dad would build it in their own backyard when he came home—right there in the tree he could see from his bedroom window. The promise wasn’t about Callum going to France to climb up in his treehouse; it was about his dad building it for him right where he had always lived, and that was enough for Callum to wait with confidence.

Kingdom Come

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus taught his followers how to pray.

Matthew 6:9–10
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

See? The kingdom comes here; we don’t go to the kingdom.

Just like Callum’s dad promised a treehouse, God promised His people a kingdom of perfect goodness and justice—not far away somewhere in outer space with floating clouds and angels playing harps, but right here on earth.

The King

Jesus is God’s chosen King for the promised kingdom. After He returns and we are raised and given new bodies, Jesus will begin establishing that kingdom here on earth. And we will help Him.

A king and a kingdom had been promised to Israel for many years, and they waited for it to finally come. But when the King came with the offer of the kingdom to Israel, they refused to believe it and rejected both the King and the kingdom. In fact, they helped to crucify and kill their promised King, Jesus.

But that didn’t mean the promise of the kingdom would be set aside or forgotten. God will keep His promise to His people of a grand and glorious kingdom and a good, powerful, and perfect King when Jesus Christ returns.

Matthew 8:11
And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus returns and we are brought to life and given new bodies, He will set up the kingdom on earth that God promised His people, Israel—then what? We’ll dig into that next.

Your Life And What Comes After (32): The New Beginning

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Lucas was walking home from school when he spotted a man on the corner holding a cardboard sign that read “THE END IS NEAR.” People hurried past without looking, but Lucas stopped. The man’s shoulders sagged, his eyes heavy with worry, as if he’d been standing there a long time.

Lucas studied the sign, then looked up at him with a small smile. “I think you’ve got it backwards,” he said. “Actually, the beginning is near.” The man blinked, startled. Lucas added, “My mom says every ending starts something new. Maybe things aren’t ending—maybe they’re about to get better.” He waved and continued down the sidewalk, leaving the man staring at his sign, wondering if the boy might be right.

This world and this life are not all there is. The way things are now is not the way they will always be, because God is taking the world to someplace new and very exciting.

What comes after the end of the world? What will it look like as God completes His grand plan to bring His family into a new creation and into everlasting life with Him?

We’ll explore the three most important events, according to God’s promises, that are coming our way as the grand plan unfolds and comes to its completion.

  1. The Return of Jesus Christ
  2. The Kingdom of Heaven
  3. Heaven on Earth Forever

Remember, “In the end, everything will be all right. And if it’s not all right, it’s not the end.”

Let’s look at the “everything will be all right” part together, up next.

Your Life And What Comes After (20): The Old Testament Road Leads To Jesus

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Before moving on to the Gospels, the Good News of Jesus Christ and His kingdom, there are some other men and women in the Old Testament who plugged into God’s plan, that you can read about and see how they put themselves into the flow of God’s purposes.

Moses

Moses is an important leader in the Bible whom God chose to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and guide them toward the Promised Land. Moses’ story is found mainly in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Deborah

Deborah was a prophetess, judge, and leader of Israel. You can read her story in the Book of Judges, chapters 4 and 5.

King David

King David plays a big role in God’s grand plan because God chose him to lead Israel and promised that his family line would last forever. David’s story is found mainly in 1 Samuel (chapters 16–31) and 2 Samuel. Also, many of the Psalms were written by David.

Ruth

Ruth was a woman plugged into God’s purposes and in the family line of King David—and ultimately Jesus. Her story is found in The Book of Ruth (Ruth 1–4).

Here Comes Jesus

Next we’re going to look at the one who is the main player in God’s grand plan, the Promised One, Jesus of Nazareth.

Your Life And What Comes After: Introduction

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Today’s post is an introduction to a new series of articles I’ll be writing for Bible Rebel. I’m calling this ongoing effort ‘Your Life And What Comes After‘.

I’ve been thinking about this project for years and am excited that the gestation period is now over and it’s time to birth the baby, knowing that the birthing process itself will take a considerable amount of time. I think I can get it done one weekly piece at a time over a year or so.

Here is a general outline of what I’ll be covering in upcoming articles and the overall content and purpose of this series:

  • God’s Grand Purpose and Plan
  • The believers role in God’s Grand Purpose and Plan
  • Heaven, hell, and the end of the world
  • Who is the King and what is the Kingdom of Heaven
  • Your calling in light of everlasting life

The ‘Your Life And What Comes After‘ series will be a work in progress and a journey of discovery – for the reader as well as for the writer.

I’m looking forward to the journey.

They Said It: Alva McClain On The Kingdom Of Heaven

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I’m finishing reading and studying The Greatness of the Kingdom by Alva McClain. Highly recommended as a master class on what Yeshua meant when he repeatedly said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

It’s not possible to understand the ministry of Yeshua, the plan of God, the role of Israel, or the overall theme of God’s Word and plan for His creation if you don’t understand what the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” means.

Here are some quotes from McClain on the topic:

The Universal Kingdom

“In the universal and providential sense, the kingdom of God has already come and the will of God is being done on earth. This rule of God, in fact, has always existed and has never been abrogated or interrupted. … On the basis of blood-redemption it will put down at last all rebellion with all its evil results, thus finally bringing the kingdom and will of God on earth as it is in heaven. When this purpose has been accomplished, the mediatorial phase of the kingdom will finally disappear as a separate entity, being merged with the universal kingdom of God.” From LifeCoach4God

Biblical Continuity with Prophecy

“In announcing the approaching advent of ‘the kingdom of heaven,’ Jesus had in view the very kingdom which the prophets had foretold.”
From LifeCoach4God

Present and Spiritual Expression

“Thus, as Christian believers, we actually enter the kingdom prior to its establishment on earth, something so remarkable that it is spoken of as a translation (Col 1:13).”
From LifeCoach4God

Restoration to Israel

“Therefore, until Israel is where he ought to be, both religiously and politically, there can be no thorough and permanent solution of the international problems.”
From Goodreads