My Fellow Winners--

What a day. I intended to sit down and write sermon notes for this weekend today, but have been completely unable to focus on that task with everything that's happened. Today, I am moved to actually post here for the first time. I wanted to talk to you all briefly about the Kingdom of God.

In my time here at TDW, I've noticed a number of people say they actually came to faith in Jesus because of the Trump Presidency. God is glorified every time someone finds their salvation. I've helped people find their ideal Bible translation, answered questions and talked some theology with fellow Pedes. It's been a wonderful time. However, I have also encountered some stuff here that concerns me. I've seen a lot of people equate God's victory to Trump's victory. I've seen people talk about how God has to prove Himself by delivering on their hope for four more years.

Friends, this is the stuff that I need to respond to now. I'm writing because I'm concerned that the many I have encountered whose faith is strangely tied to the man in the Oval Office rather than the one at the right hand of the Father will back-slide and fall away now that, by all accounts, it seems we're on a crash-course with a Biden Presidency. I'm writing to reassure my brothers and sisters in the Body that victory ALWAYS belongs to the Lord. It is never dependent on the performance of any earthly character. I'm writing to assure you that Jesus IS King, that His Kingdom is here now, and also still coming. I'm writing to tell you that, biblically speaking, we're probably not in the middle of the Great Tribulation or some other cataclysmic end-times event.

But, perhaps most of all, I'm writing to tell you that if you are a disciple of Jesus, your allegiance is to Him and His Kingdom first, then everything else. We are subjects of the Kingdom of God. The worst case scenario seems to be playing out before us, but in moments like these, we hold fast to our salvation. We defy the anxieties of this world and seek the welfare of the Kingdom. Matthew 6:33 compels us to this.

Finally, I'm writing to tell you that Jesus' church always experiences its most powerful stories and movements when it is under pressure--persecution, or the threat of persecution. Stay with the body, and you'll witness some amazing things.

I don't have a ton of interest in saying how Christians should react to today's events. If you have read this far and want some of that, pray first, then send a message or leave a comment and we'll talk. I wanted to share theology, rather than argue over conscience.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. (Num. 6:24-26)