Encouragements for our troubled times No. 36
COVID-19 Series | Date: 26 November 2020
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from our Elder – Mr Michael Asare
“The Kingdom of God"
The Kingdom of God may be described as the rule of King Jesus in human hearts. It has both an immediate and future aspect to it. The Kingdom of God is established in believers from the moment they submit themselves in repentance to Christ as Saviour and Lord. But the Kingdom in all its fullness has yet to come. This is when Christ returns and all nations and people are compelled to bow the knee in submission to Christ. Of course, it will be too late then for those who did not willingly submit while they had the chance.
Our Saviour often spoke about The Kingdom of God and so did Paul. Here, in his letter to Christians in Rome, Paul is explaining the true character of Christianity under this term. Some of the believers in Rome had scruples about certain foods and days and were trying to inflict their views on others. Paul had to remind them that, in essence, Christianity had nothing to do with rituals such as “eating and drinking,” but had everything to do with “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
We have already seen that Christianity does not consist of ritual observances to do with food and days etc and have marvelled that so much of Christianity over the centuries developed down this path. We have also seen that the only thing God is concerned about is the righteousness of life. Christians are saved from sins guilt and power! The end product, in the purpose of God, is to produce holy and righteous men and women like His own dear Son. We now turn to “peace” as another central element in Christianity. It is appropriate that we should consider this as we are approach Christmas. When the angels proclaimed Christ’s birth to the shepherds, they announced the joyful tidings of “peace, goodwill towards men.” The coming of the Saviour would result in peace with God (Rom. 5:1), and the peace of God (Phil. 4:7). The “God of peace” (Phil. 4:9) sent His Son into the world as a child to make peace by His cross.
The world without Christ can never find peace. There will always be wars and rumours of wars just as there will always be poverty. The powerful use their might to demand more- “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” As a result, we have international tensions in places like Iraq, Iran, America, North Korea etc. Be of good cheer for Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). His confident, moment-by-moment, trust in The Father gave Him a peace that can also characterise every believer. The man or woman who has Christ finds perfect peace.