Who is the king of this world? God – or Satan?
I’ve grappled with that thought for a long time. Was the power of Satan broken by the Resurrection and are we even now reigning with Christ on earth as the darkness is pushed back – or is the Evil One still in charge of this world? I’ve vacillated between those two views for quite a while. At the moment, I’m leaning towards the latter. From the obese marching morons at Walmart who live paycheck to paycheck… to the monsters who support the taking of unborn life and drone strikes abroad… to the slimy bankers and their corrupt hold on the financial system… to the local pastor who claims there are many ways to God and “won’t you please join us on Sunday for a positive worship experience,” this world is dripping with antichrists. 1 John 2:22 confirms it: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” Even by living as if there is no God… we deny Him.
1 John 3:1 is a familiar verse: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed unto us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” We have little in common with this world, because we are not its citizens or its subjects. As I’ve gotten older, I feel as if I’m wading through a sewer. I pray for God’s clean and Holy judgment on a wicked and perverse generation. Bring it on!
Of course, at the time John wrote his epistle, the Roman Empire and Israel had both suffered from war, assassinations, intrigue and persecution. Though things have improved for the vast majority of Christians today, it still seems obvious that “this world is not our home.”
Just take a look at the state of our globe – does it seem like there’s a good king over the world? If you can convince me otherwise, I’d like you to try – but for my bet, I’m guessing Satan is our current sovereign.
Thank God that He’s higher than the king of this world. If He weren’t, I’d probably be that fat idiot at Walmart. Or maybe even a banker.
** David is the author of FloridaSurvivalGardening.com, as well as the brilliant mind behind The Brainspider Affair. He has also produced and mastered nearly every record I've ever released.
My Books on Sale!
David, I'm sorry to say this, but I find your generalizations very hurtful. What makes you write with such bitterness, brother? I think overweight people at walmart have plenty of things to be sad about already without being mocked and labeled. It doesn't seem a person can know too much about another person- where they've been, where they're going, how they feel and why they act and respond the way they do, ect- just by looking at them. Sometimes you can't even know after years of being with someone. Also there are some people who support abortion because they believe it is the right thing, not because they enjoy the suffering of the innocent. So they are mistaken, and misguided. That doesn't make such people morons or monsters. I hope you are doing alright, though. I don't mean to be unkind.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that this post discouraged me enough to lose motivation in being an active participant in this bible study for short while. Perhaps I subscribe to the Romans 12:17-21 "way" too much but, I needed to step back and think. What I came to was this: By turning away, I myself was being fearful, judgemental, and somewhat angry... I believe John himself would suggest that I confront these things within myself... David, though I do not know you, I love you as a Brother in Christ and may peace be with you. Kevin, I really enjoined and gained a lot from the all of guest writers and I am glad to read your thoughts again as well! Most of all, I am glad to be back reading in this bible study period! I am traveling today so, this is a Big part of my Sunday worship! Thank you all! God Bless!
ReplyDeleteI've gotten a lot of interesting feedback on this post, and I'd like to give my input. David is one of my oldest and dearest friends - basically a brother to me. Our families have known each other since before I was born, and our parents were close partners in ministry when we lived in Florida. His grandfather was my mentor for several years as well before he past away. David and his family have been instrumental in my walk with Christ, and I hold them in the highest respect. With our mutual experiences, I'd say that David and I share pretty similar worldviews. We tend to agree on spiritual matters, Biblical interpretation, and the state of humanity at present. You will notice our differences though, in our delivery. He is much more cynical than I tend to be. I was even thrown a bit myself when I first read his contribution, but I decided to post it as he intended it to be read. I don't believe in censoring truth just because it makes me uncomfortable. I asked him for an entry and this is what he gave me. I'm sorry to those who were offended by his presentation. He has spoken truth here, and I pray you can see that and take it to heart. Thanks for reading and for expressing yourselves here. I truly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI totally get that! If something makes me uneasy, it often means that I need to look inside myself and not focus negativity outwardly... usually there is something to learn there.
ReplyDelete