There are two worlds, two kingdoms, two households. Each has its own treasures, its own masters and its own citizens. When we are of HIS world, we find ourselves strangely out of step with the pace this world keeps. Being of HIS world we come to realize that we are "fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of GOD". Our citizenship is no longer of this world, for we have been "raised up together", and made to "sit together in heavenly places". We are now fellowcitizens of a new and better place. We have been called in "one body" growing "unto a holy temple of the Lord".
As fellowcitizens we are also "fellowheirs" and "partakers of his promise". We together are partakers of the Apostle Paul’s grace. We are "partakers of the inheritance" and "partakers of the benefit".
As such, we are commanded to be separate from those of this world, to not be "unequally yoked together" with them, to not be partakers with them, for we were "once darkness but now light in the Lord". As Paul wrote the Corinthians, "what communion hath light with darkness?" None! With them we are told to "wrestle not" for their world is "reserved unto fire against the day of judgment".
Those of this world can’t possibly understand HIS. There is no effort we can undertake that will be successful in explaining light to him who is blind. Only seeing can cause the blind to understand. The citizens of this world are so consumed and entangled with the affairs of this life that they can’t possibly begin to understand what HIS world is all about. Try as we do, our explanations seem to always fall on deaf ears. They can’t see what GOD has hidden. They can’t know what GOD has withheld. The breadth, and length, and depth, and height of HIS kingdom transcend knowledge. Only HE can cause one to understand a four-dimensional world in a three dimensional existence.
These two worlds exist one within the other. One is a world that from above might resemble an anthill, with everyone scurrying about, each with loads too heavy to carry. But in HIS world there is a silent quest for understanding. There is an "endeavor with strenuous zeal" to enter with the few through the straight gate. There is the earnest desire and longing underway to know Him.
MATTHEW 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What does it mean to "deny" oneself? It means to set aside that which this world has told us is our own will, and to instead desire HIS. In other words, "to loose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests". To "follow Him" is to seek, find, knock upon and enter through the narrow gate. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" This is a most frightful question for those who dedicate their lives and energies to chasing the carrot around the "course of this world" (EPHESIANS 2:2).
The sharp contrast between them and us is seen in the following passage concerning two sisters, Martha and Mary.
LUKE 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he [Yeshua] entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
One thing is needful! "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD." That is the "needful thing". That is the "thing" Mary chose while Martha concerned herself with making sure all the physical "things" were in place.
Those of this world are like Martha, they are "careful and troubled about many things". They exert incredible amounts of time and energy building castles upon the sand. One of the driving forces in their lives is how others perceive them. The Marthas of this world find their fulfillment in the acceptance of their peers, exerting every effort to give the allusion that they are successful.
But the Marys of HIS world choose a different road. We have discovered a new and better way. We have chose to leave their camp, to be no longer entangled with their yoke of bondage. We have chose to sit at His feet, to be still and listen for that word of truth. Let the world whirl about us in disarray. We will rejoice to sit and hear HIS word.
Our journey revolves around getting to know Him, not accumulating as many possessions as we can possibly carry. They bite and devour and are consumed by one another. We instead find ourselves being consumed with "rightly dividing the word of truth".
Conversations with the citizens of this world interest us little, because we have little common ground with them. We move in a world as foreign to them as they do to us. The highlight of their world is "Monday Night Football" or "Singles Night Out" or perhaps the next Church fund raiser. We have a much higher "calling" then these. We are told to be "no more children" and to us, their pursuits are juvenile. These two worlds are as different as day and night. Ours is a world of Structures, and Numerics and Figures of Speech. We look at the stars to see HIS word written there, while they look at the stars thinking they see "the final frontier".
We greet each day as "the day, which the Lord hath made" and are excited with what it might hold. They measure each day as it relates to the weekend; Mondays are bad, Wednesdays are the "hump day" and thank god it’s Friday.
We read from the Bible that observing days and months and times and years are "the weak and beggarly elements". They however are practically in bondage to these "holidays". Their masters have convinced them that there is something special about a particular day. Even in our present society we see them rallying around days like New Years Day, or Independence Day, Valentines Day or even X-mas. Their masters must sell their party hats, or their fireworks, or their Carnations and the host of other things they craft.
I refrain from even calling X-mas "Christmas" because it has nothing whatever to do with Christ. The day, even the month is wrong for He was not born in the winter but in early fall, probably September. Then they take advantage of His ultimate sacrifice as an opportunity to coerce consumers into buying gifts for each other. Do you think they are really concerned with "giving?" Not the system! It is concerned only with selling.
They claim this holiday is for the "children". Ha! Ask a child whom he thinks about at X-mas time and he will invariably describe a fat man, who is riding in a sleigh through the sky, which is being pulled by magical reindeer. Or ask a child what he thinks about at X-mas time and you will not hear him speak about the gift from GOD of HIS only begotten Son given to a world consumed with selfishness and greed. No, they think about what they are conditioned to think about; of all the "presents" that have seen advertised on TV., just in time for the "season". And the "reason for the season?" It’s not about Him, that’s for sure! This is all about their world, their profit margin, and their balance sheet. It is common knowledge that the X-mas season either makes or breaks many businesses each year.
Those of this world are consumed with their "portfolios" and worry most about whether or not there is enough diversity in their assets. Still others among them search for their treasure in the lottery numbers, as if some mysterious force could be wooed into making them a winner. We however, study the words of GOD and meditate upon them and find our treasure buried therein.
Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is. Riches get in the way of all that GOD wishes to teach us about Truth. As our Lord testified, riches make it hard for anyone to enter through the narrow gate into HIS kingdom.
MARK 10:23-25 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
"And the disciples were astonished at his words". If one desires to be rich, then he does not desire to enter into the kingdom of GOD. That astonishes many, for they can’t imagine that there is anyone who doesn’t desire to be rich. But wealth is only useful in their world. It has no place in HIS.
We measure our success as the result of HIS grace and mercy. They measure success in how much they have accumulated. They look to their right and see their impoverished neighbor and are happy they are better off then he. But as they look to their left and see their rich neighbor, they curse the ground and are now miserable from envy for their misfortune. To them it doesn’t really matter how much they have, but rather how much they have in relation to others.
They strive only for the meat that perishes, while we abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain. They consider labor to be a curse and avoid it at any cost. We find fulfillment in our labor. They think a "good job" is one that is easy, "easy money" they call it. We think there is no job either good or bad. It is for whom you labor that matters, and as we labor for the LORD, HE is more than generous with how HE rewards us. Work to us is just another activity where GOD has an opportunity to teach us the secret of HIS ways.
They do "eye service" to their employer, and when his back is turned then they think they are "getting over" by being slack. They have their reward. We, who work for the LORD, know HIS back is never turned. They find comfort in a false sense of security by trusting in their "uncertain riches". Our comfort is found in our "mutual faith". They are content to climb the corporate ladder while we press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of GOD in Christ Jesus.
They are frantic in their attempts to preserve this "vile body" while we are promised "new bodies". They know their days are numbered and each one seems to get shorter. We however, know that "when we’ve been there ten thousand years, we’ve no less days, to sing GOD’s praise, then when we first begun".
They find pleasure in "back biting" and "bickering" and rejoice in one another’s failings. We seek rather to "cover over quietly" each other’s shortcomings and rejoice not in iniquity, but we rather rejoice in the truth. They boast about "getting even" with their enemies while we submit to our LORD who has proclaimed, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay".
In HIS kingdom, the rulers of this world have no power over us. As our Lord exclaimed to Pilate, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above". So it is with all that are citizens of HIS kingdom. This world’s laws and their courts are for their own citizens. We live by higher laws. Howbeit, we are instructed to obey their laws and pray for their leaders, but this is not to make their world "godly" or "Christian". Rather, it is to facilitate for us a "quiet and peaceable life". We should never become entangled with their affairs or their problems, trying to improve their world. Let us rather be content to live how and where our LORD has placed us, and seek our own transformation, not this worlds.
If we must fight for something, let it be "the good fight of faith". Leave this world to fight its own wars.
JOHN 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
GOD over-rules all and if HE elects to allow some to have power to rule over us in some particular matter, so be it. We are then subject unto that "higher power". However, let us not be led astray to think that some earthly power is the source of our spiritual blessings. No Country or Corporate entity is GOD’s. There is only one Body, and the one Head of that Body is Yeshua.
Of course we appreciate the blessings of liberty we enjoy in a free society and are awed by the courage of the Founding Fathers in committing their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" to that end. But we are quite aware that what drives this Country today is the dollar, not a pursuit of the truth.
We also know that Almighty GOD is quite able to accomplish HIS good and acceptable and perfect will regardless of the political climate. HE demonstrated this very aptly in the life of Daniel and others when they were carried away as slaves into Babylon. Let the citizens of this world trust in their nation’s military might to preserve their way of life. Let us trust in the LORD to preserve ours.
We wish they saw what we do. We find it hard to understand how they can’t. We concur with Paul when he said, "I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds". But they can’t seem to hear us. Their entrapments and entertainments seem to drown out our words.
We actually have the advantage of knowing both worlds, for we came from theirs and we know it all too well. We want to believe that if only they would consider, then they would see. But they won’t. Not unless GOD elects to open their eyes. Not unless they are willing to take GOD at HIS word. Until then, a great gulf separates the two of us, they on the one side and us on the distant shore.