Morning, Zane.
Does your plan for the day include church? After sending this, I plan to do a little old man run with the dogs—then carry on with my plan to be at church at 10:30am
As I scan today’s reading in Proverbs 6, I’m captivated with this ancient description of “leftism/Marxism.” How did Solomon know so much about what we are facing today? I’ll cite it here: “You can tell they are lawless. They’re constant liars, proud deceivers, full of clever ploys and convincing plots. Their twisted thoughts are perverse, always with a scheme to stir up trouble, and sowing strife with every step they take” (vv. 13-14, TPT).
May the Lord bless and inspire you in ways to best prepare you for what is to come—ETERNITY!
Love and prayers—Tua/Ray..
Perhaps the most basic of Biblical comparisons between people types is the one we addressed yesterday—the WISE and the FOOLISH. But there are many other comparative descriptions in the teachings of Jesus that help us understand the nature and boundaries of the two kingdoms—that is, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. It could be good to list out these comparisons graphically—maybe draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper—with BAD on the left and GOOD on the right. Here are some comparisons to list (some in my own words):
| Kingdom of Satan | Kingdom of God |
|---|---|
| Wide | Narrow |
| Many | Few |
| Bad fruit (no fruit) | Good fruit |
| Destruction | Life |
| Hellish horror | Heavenly happiness |
| Disobedient | Obedient |
| Unfaithful | Faithful |
Then in today’s reading we can note a few more...
| Kingdom of Satan | Kingdom of God |
|---|---|
| Cursed | Blessed |
| Left | Right |
| Eternal punishment | Eternal Life |
| Goats | Sheep |
| Unrighteous | Righteous |
| Uncaring | Caring |
There is one FACT that is clearly established in this parable that I’m willing to risk over-emphasizing—a FACT consistent with an overview of Biblical revelation: THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINGDOMS IN THE UNIVERSE WITH THEIR TWO CORRESPONDING DESTINIES. This story is one more example of Jesus giving a lot of attention to helping us get our hearts and minds wrapped around this fundamental FACT.
In view of the importance of this concept, it could be a very good exercise for us to not only begin a list like the one we described above, but to maintain that list and keep adding to it the various descriptions of the two kingdoms gleaned from our ongoing Bible reading. In so doing, we could provide ourselves with ongoing insight concerning the lines of demarcation separating them. One of the practical benefits of such critical observation is that it assists us in our clarity of vision and choice-making as to which kingdom is dominant in any given situation, and which kingdom we want to cling to versus which we want to avoid. There are simply too many examples of people around us who demonstrate by their fruit that their perspectives and loyalties are blurred. DON’T let that happen to you! This is critically important stuff..