Not Of This World

If you (disciples) were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19 ESV)

I have given them (disciples) your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:14 ESV)

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants (disciples) would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36 ESV)

For those Christians who have put their trust in political figures such as Donald Trump, I want to remind you of the first commandment God gave us:

“I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2‭-‬3 ESV)

JESUS IS LORD and our dependence in the days ahead must solely be upon JESUS! Our kingdom is not of this world.

Let’s go back in history. Biblical history tells us that Uzziah took the throne at the age of 16, and reigned over the Southern Kingdom of Judah for about 52 years from 792-740 BC. His reign was the most prosperous, excepting that of Jehoshaphat, since the time of Solomon. When the Southern Kingdom no longer had King Uzziah, Isaiah writes this:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And He said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste.” (Isaiah 6:1‭, ‬8‭-‬11 ESV)‬‬

Biblical history also tells us what it was like in Elijah’s time in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Elijah wanted to drain the swamp of Ahab and Jezebel. He had just come off of a great victory over Jezebel’s prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel, but Ahab and Jezebel were still alive and doing fine. Jezebel was spewing death threats against Elijah. Elijah fell into deep depression. Little did Elijah know that God had great plans to rapture him up without seeing death in the short days ahead:

And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11 ESV)

My point in both of these Biblically historical events is to point how close we are to the Rapture of the Church and the 7 year Tribulation period that immediately follows that desolates the earth. Israel and the nations are being perfectly aligned by God in order for Scripture to be fulfilled for the End Times. We see it before our eyes. Now is the time for us to look up!

The 2020 Presidential election is a blessed wake up call for us Christians. God in His mercy wants to strip us of all dependence that is not on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Are you allowing Him to shake you of all that hinders you?

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