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In Daniel 2 we are told of a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had of a statue that represented all of the present and future empires of man that would rise on the earth.
At the end of the dream a little stone strikes the feet of this statue and it crumbles.
The little stone then grows into a mountain, and keeps growing until it covers the whole earth.
This was an accurate foretelling of how history would unfold in this age.
At the end of this age all of the empires of men will crumble, but the kingdom of God, which is represented as beginning as a little stone, will grow into a mountain, and will continue to grow until it covers the whole earth.
In Scripture mountains often represent governments.
We are at the time when the stone will strike all the foundations of empires built by men, and they are now beginning to crumble.
At the same time the kingdom of God will be growing into a government that will spread until it covers the entire earth.
When we think of governments, we think of capital cities, an infrastructure of buildings where the business of government is carried out, a military, and law enforcement to protect and maintain the authority of the government, etc.
We know that ultimately the capital of the kingdom of God on earth will be the New Jerusalem.
However, during the time when it grows into a government it will be very different from the governments of men, which we need to understand to be a part of it.
The first, and perhaps, the most important way that the kingdom of God is different from the governments of men, is that God’s government is being built in the hearts of men, not in buildings, institutions, or bureaucracies.
As The Lord stated in Luke 17:20-21:
“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in you.”
As the historian Will Durant said, “Caesar sought to change men by changing institutions.
Jesus changed institutions by changing men.”
This entire age, from the resurrection of Jesus to His return, is essentially about two things:
- Training for reigning for those who have been called and prepared to rule with Him in His kingdom.
- To allow the fruit to be fully manifest of man seeking to go his own way and to try to run this world without God.
Every problem, every catastrophe, every disease, and all of the discord the earth is now suffering is the result of man disconnecting from our intended relationship with God.
The solution to them all is to turn back to God and resolve that we are going to do everything His way.
This requires that we seek to know Him and His ways, to obey Him, and seek to do His will in everything.
It is The Lord’s way to delegate authority to His people and to allow for the creativity that He gave us when He made us in His image as the Creator.
This is why He does not just issue orders for everything, but in most things allows us to grow in faith and wisdom as we walk out the issues of this life.
He wants us to seek Him for wisdom, and to grow in our trust in Him, as it was a lack of trust in Him that caused the fall.
Even so, most basic to our relationship with God is our relationship with God, not just what we can do for Him.
The training for reigning is important, but even more important to Him is that we are family.
This requires us to grow in our relationship to Him as our Father, and with each other as brothers and sisters.
These two relationships are the keys to us becoming what we are called to be.
We are here to do the will of The Lord, but just as important as what we do is what we become.
Our goal must always be to become like Him, and do the works that He did.
We do these works because it is still Him doing them through us.
The term He used for this is “bearing fruit.”
As Jesus explained in John 15 we bear fruit by abiding in Him.
A branch on an apple tree does not have to strain to put out so many apples a day.
If it is connected rightly to the tree, apples will come.
Our bearing fruit, whether it is becoming more like Him in His nature, or doing His works, will come as we walk with Him.
As we get closer to Him, more perfectly abiding in Him, more fruit will come.
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