2021 Kingdom Perspective
True Freedom
December 28, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. It is especially critical at our cultural moment not to be driven by a selfish understanding of freedom, but by how the Bible defines freedom—which is, loving obedience to God’s commandments, especially the command to love one’s neighbor. Biblically speaking, freedom is not defined by “my rights” (i.e. me getting what I want without inference from others), but by obedience to God’s commandments. Certainly, freedom, as defined by individual rights, may be helpful political ideology. Indeed, as a red-blooded American I certainly think so. However, this is not the most basic biblical understanding of freedom. Listen to Psalm 119:44-45 “I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” Freedom is obedience to God’s commandments. Remember, God commanded Pharaoh to set the Children of Israel free. Why? In order that they might serve the Lord. Submission to God is freedom. And it was after the nation was delivered from slavery in Egypt that God gave them commandments. Why? So that they might fully realize the benefits of that freedom. Freedom is defined not by rights but by responsibility to obey God. Now, if obedience to God’s commandments is true liberty, then what is the essence of what God commands? Love. The New Testament repeatedly reminds us that the law of God is summed up (or fulfilled) in one commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That is true freedom. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’” ~ Exodus 7:14-19 (ESV)
Christmas Eve Invitation
December 22, 2021 • Don Willeman
Hello! This is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to a special edition of The Kingdom Perspective. I want to let you know about something very exciting coming up for you and your family this Christmas Eve on the Lebanon Green. Last year, during the middle of the pandemic, we did something very special. We held our annual Christmas Eve service outdoors on the Lebanon Green. We did this because of the pandemic, but it was such a big hit, we are doing it again this year! So, this Friday, December 24th at 4:30 pm, we will meet for an outdoor Candlelight Christmas Eve Service on the Green in downtown Lebanon, NH. We will follow all the recommended COVID protocols for outdoor events. We will gather, sing and celebrate not only our shared community, but also the hope of Christmas—that God sent His only Son into our world of darkness, in order that He might give us the light of His love. So, make plans for you and your family to join us on Christmas Eve, December 24th at 4:30 pm. And please invite your friends and neighbors. All are welcome! And don’t forget to click on the link below for more details. Christmas Eve at the Lebanon Green http://(https://subsplash.com/christredeemerchurch/lb/ev/+29qgyyz) I look forward to seeing you! And on behalf of our entire congregation at Christ Redeemer Church: “Merry Christmas!”
The Church: Jesus’s Gathered Body
December 21, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. The church by its very nature is a gathered community. We meet regularly, because we are called to be together as one. The Bible tells us that we are embodied, communal creatures. God made us flesh and bone, and He made us in community with other flesh and bone creatures. At the creation of Adam, God says, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2). In the immediate context, this leads to a statement on marriage. But Genesis is just the beginning of the story. You’ve got to look at how this traces out down the sightlines of the Bible. At the end of the biblical story, we see that this is not merely a statement about the meaning of marriage, but more so about the meaning of the church (see Ephesians 5:30 and Revelation). Why did God design a world with a community of flesh and bone divine image bearers? He did so precisely because He intended His church to worship Him together, in flesh and bone. He actually sent His one and only Son to become flesh and bone with us, quite literally, so that He, like Adam, might sing over us His bride, “Flesh of my flesh! Bone of my bone!” (Genesis 2; Ephesians 5) Thus, any kind of so-called “virtual worship”, though perhaps necessary for a time, should leave us feeling a bit uncomfortable and unsatisfied, longing for something more. It’s not what God has ultimately intended. But, for now, we live in a fallen world which is separated by sin. And we experience the effects of that separation from God and from one another to a greater or lesser degree, at various times and places. Yet, our hope is that someday, when the fullness of our salvation comes, all that has been separated will be brought back together before the throne of Christ—in glorious, embodied resurrection! Nonetheless, in this in-between-time, we believe in the mystical union of the saints—that though we may be scattered to one degree or another, we are still united under the kingly presence of Jesus our Lord, by the abiding power of His Holy Spirit. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” ~ Ephesians 5:28-32 (NASB) “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” ~ Revelation 7:9-12 (NASB)
The Cure for Anxiety
December 16, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. What is the cure for anxiety? The cure is not necessarily to change our circumstances. Great if you can do that! But you’ll probably then just find something else to worry about. In this world, trouble is unavoidable. The absolute cure is to fix our mind on the character and promises of God. Listen to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV): You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah calls us to fix our minds on God. God gave us a mind to think, and He wants us to use that mind to think about Him. We must not be driven by the endless anxieties of our heart but by accurate thoughts about God. God wants our minds to be “stayed” on Him. This word “stayed” means to rest upon, to be supported by. Just as when you sit down in a chair you are resting your full weight upon the support of that chair, so too, when you direct your anxious thoughts to God’s character and His promises, you are learning to rest your life on Him. He is the support of your soul. To help you grow in your trust in God, you should consider memorizing and meditating on verses like this one from Isaiah. Doing so takes your minds off your worries and puts them onto the wonder of your Creator. It gives us security and perspective, like standing on the solid, unmovable top of Mount Washington. You can be confident that God will uphold you, not only now, but also for eternity. Something about from The Kingdom Perspective. “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: ‘We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.’” ~ Isaiah 26:1-6 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
Chinese Christians Heroes
December 9, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. We should take inspiration from reports of our fellow Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ. Back in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, reports of Christian courage began to leak out of Wuhan. Listen to the following from early February 2020: Nothing stopped [the Christians]…from proclaiming the gospel, not even the plague. Now it is the 10th day since the city has been separated by quarantine, and protective masks are the most valuable thing in Wuhan. Money is useless because you can’t find a store that sells the masks. People are in a desperate situation. In response, our brothers and sisters preach the gospel and give out tracts and free masks. They are sharing the word of hope and comfort from God. They have become more and more favored in the city, even in the authorities’ eyes. …churches in Wuhan keep themselves away from all the rumors and political issues, they just do what a true Christian should do in this situation: preaching the gospel and being witness of true peace and true hope that come from Jesus Christ in front of the non-believers who are in panic and hopelessness. …Christians wearing yellow suits [i.e. Christian ministers on the streets in yellow healthcare protective gear]…[has made the color yellow] the most beautiful color in the city. Christians gained the respect that they never had because of their willingness to risk their health to serve. Now, note well repeated references to faith and God that leads to loving service of one’s neighbor! Now, perhaps, the cultural setting would change what serving one’s neighbor for Christ would look like, but nothing should change the gospel impulse and courage to do so. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” ~ Philippians 2:25-30 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
The Marathon Mentality
December 2, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
Not Driven by Fear
November 30, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. To be faithful to God we must fight fear and determine not to be driven by it. Certainly, we need to do everything we can to follow the steps of wisdom. For example, if your fear is health related, then you should be careful to follow the best medical science. Surely, God gave us a mind to think and act wisely. However, using your mind and acting wisely is not the only issue. God also gave us a heart to trust Him, and that raises the question of where our ultimate security lies. The anxious heart can manufacture an endless list of “what ifs.” But to live at all in this world is to risk the “what if.” We are contingent beings living in a contingent universe. We cannot possibly know all the “what ifs.” You cannot possibly predict every particular of your future. And there’s a reason for this—a reason why God has not told you the particulars of your future. Why? Because He wants us to trust Him. This is the thinking that drives the heart of David in Psalm 27 (v. 1 ESV): The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? We are contingent beings. Therefore, all fear is not necessarily bad. However, God intends all fear to drive us to faith, to the One who knows the end from the beginning. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” ~ Psalm 27:1-5 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
The Motivation for Science
November 9, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. Have you ever considered a career in science or medicine? Why do I ask? Science and medicine are two wonderful and biblical ways to worship God and serve our neighbor. The Bible gives great warrant to the enterprise of science. It tells us that this world is created by an all-powerful and rational Being. Therefore, it is not surprising that when we put our rational minds to work, studying this world, we not only find that we can understand it, but also improve it. And, indeed, this world does need improvement. According to the Bible, the world is not the way God intended it. Rather, it is fallen—corrupted because of our sin. It’s like a highly technical piece of equipment that is broken and needs repair. And as we use science to do this, we can both worship God and love our neighbor. The 17th century thinker Francis Bacon summed up this Christian worldview, from which modern science was then emerging. Listen: “Man [i.e. all of humanity] by the Fall [into sin] fell at the same time from his state of innocence and from his dominion over creation. Both of these losses, however, can even in this life be in some parts repaired; the former by religion and faith, the latter by the arts and sciences.” ~Novum Organum Scientiarum (1620) by Francis Bacon This is God’s world, and He gave us the gift of science as a way to worship Him and care for His creation. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.” ~ Psalm 111:1-3 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
Loving, Not Judging One Another
December 14, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. The Bible tells us that not everything is a matter of absolute truth and morality. As a matter of fact, biblically speaking, one could argue that very little is. When God wanted to summarize Israel’s moral obligation, He did so in just 10 commandments. Jesus further summarized this to two: Love God and love your neighbor. According to Scripture, therefore, one of chief ways that we are to love our neighbor is by making room for their differing opinions. The Bible invites us to give one another much room for matters of conscience (Romans 14). It is for this reason that I must be careful not to stand in judgment or disdain of my brother or sister who feels greater freedom or greater hesitation on matters not addressed by Scripture. Rather, I am to accept them and think and speak well of them. Even more so, I am to do my best to accommodate them. In the words of Romans 14, I am to “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual building up” (Romans 14:19). This is hard work. You have to swallow a lot of pride and a lot of personal comfort. But it is the hard work of loving my neighbor. It requires me to value the perspective of others as highly as I value my own (Philippians 2:3-4). Such a mentality is the very essence of love. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother…. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” ~ Romans 14:10-13, 19 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
Longing for Communion
December 7, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. Jesus gave us the ordinance of the Lord’s Table to mark of our fellowship with Him and with one another. It is for this reason that it is often called Holy Communion. The Lord Jesus himself instituted this sacrament as a way for us not only to remember Him and His mission, but also as a tangible participation in our fellowship with Him and His church. Communion, when administered properly, is a meal shared together in the community of the body of Christ. In the bread and the cup, we share in Christ and His body through faith (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:27-32). At the Table, we are in communion with Christ and His people in a tangible and special way. Now, certainly, God is not bound by the sacraments, as some might superstitiously suppose. Nonetheless, the Scriptures seem to suggest that He has bound us to them. When we find ourselves in times of isolation we should long for the beauty of that shared meal. And, actually, this longing is quite fitting, for the Table itself is intended by God to be a reminder week-by-week of that ultimate longing for Christ’s return. Paul tells us that as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim Christ’s death, until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). Indeed! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” ~ Luke 22:14-20 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
Charlatans vs. Shepherds
October 15, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. Are you being careful to discern between true and false shepherds of the church? In the world today, there are many charlatans that only want to fleece the flock. Many skeptics will want to blame Christianity itself for this. However, the fact that there are counterfeit Christians is not proof that Christianity is false. Quite the opposite. Counterfeiters always counterfeit what is real and valuable. Jesus himself warns of such imposters. In John 10 he warns of the difference between “hirelings” and true shepherds. His teaching echoes that of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, (chapter 23), and the prophet Ezekiel (chapter 34). The hireling is in it only for the personal gain—money or man’s praise. He uses the Word of God to mislead the flock. The true shepherd, like the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ, is in it for the love of the God and the love of His people. He uses the Word of God to serve the flock. False shepherds are mere entertainers and entrepreneurs. They are conmen. True shepherds tenderly care for and protect each and every one of the sheep, laying down their own lives for the spiritual and material welfare of the flock. In doing this, they follow the pattern of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep and guards them at the cost of His own blood. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” ~ Hebrews 10:17-21 (ESV)
Resources for Managing our Vocations
October 4, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. From the opening pages of the Bible, human beings are called to work and to be creative and resourceful with how we do our work. Work is central to what it means to be human. Nonetheless, it seems that work life in the modern world has been in a state of constant disruption. Changing technologies and changing global realities are driving what feels like “constant career chaos”. Therefore, it is very tempting for us to throw up our arms and settle for mediocrity or a less-than-optimal attitude. However, this is not a viable option for the follower of Jesus. St. Paul commands us: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV) In a fallen world, work is always fraught with difficulties—in the words of Genesis, “thorns and thistles” (Genesis 3:18). This is nothing new. However, the realities of the global world are taking this to a whole new level. Fortunately, there are quite a few good resources out there from a Christian perspective, such as “Made to Flourish” and the “Global Faith and Work Initiative.” These resources not only help us think through work in the modern world, but also provide practical aid for work in times of crisis. I encourage you to go to our website and find the transcript for this episode for a full listing of these resources. Work is one of the most basic ways we “worship” God. It is necessary, therefore, that we do it well. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. Work Related Resources: Global Faith and Work Initiative: Numerous and diverse resources dealing with many aspects of our work and our personal life at work https://www.globalfaithandwork.com Made to Flourish: A ministry committed to helping pastors and their churches integrate faith, work and economic wisdom. https://www.madetoflourish.org Veritas Forum: Mostly focused on big picture questions from the vantage point of higher education http://www.veritas.org “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” ~ Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)
Finding Your Hope in the Resurrection of Christ
November 11, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. Nothing exposes our vulnerability like death. Is it any wonder that our culture pushes the experience of death to the margins of society? We are mere flesh, made from the dust of the earth. From dust we came and to dust we will return. As the prophet Isaiah put it: “All flesh is grass, and its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades” (Isaiah 40:6-7 ESV). It’s inevitable; someday, our loved ones will stand over our grave and weep. We are what the philosophers call “contingent beings”—we do not have life in and of ourselves. We are dependent for our life on forces that go beyond our control. Said another way, we are mortal, perishable, subject to forces of death and decay. However, in the face of this fact, the Apostle Paul inserts the amazing reality of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus and the hope of our resurrection in Him completely changes the equation, so much so, that Paul invites us to taunt death! In 1 Corinthians 15 (54-55 ESV), he writes: When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Indeed, as Christians, we should draw on this hope all the time, but in times of crisis and loss, it becomes all the more poignant and real “…[T]hanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV). Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (ESV) Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit http://www.christredeemerchurch.org.
Pray for Revival
October 1, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to the Kingdom Perspective! What should we pray for right now more than anything else in these troubled times? Certainly, we should pray for provision for our needs and protection from all our troubles—for ourselves, our family and our world. The “Lord’s Prayer” commands us to pray, “Gives us this day our daily bread…and deliver us from evil.” Nonetheless, at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus prioritizes something deeper and more important—the coming of God’s kingdom. As we pray, “Thy kingdom come!”, we pray for the inbreaking and advance of Jesus’s reign over our lives and over every human heart. History tells us that God often acts in times of crisis to bring both revival to his people and awakening to his world. In such times, the spiritual fog that clouds our vision is suddenly lifted and our state of spiritual need is unveiled. And so, we should be praying that God would use our present circumstances not just to drive us to cry for temporal relief, but to hunger for Him. We should pray with the prophet Isaiah: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! (Isaiah 64:1-2) What we need most right now, more than anything else, is God. And so, we pray, “May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven! Amen.” Something to think about—and pray about—from The Kingdom Perspective. “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]” ~ Matthew 6:9-13 (NASB95)
The Wisdom of Luther
September 29, 2021 • Don Willeman
Transcript: Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to the Kingdom Perspective. I love the simplicity and wisdom of Martin Luther’s faith. In 1527 as the plague hit Wittenberg, the German pastor and professor offered some advice to a fellow pastor. Of course, Luther wrote without knowledge of modern science and medicine. Nonetheless, carefully note his courageous faith tempered with practical wisdom. Luther writes: …by God’s decree the enemy has sent us poison…. I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then, I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed, in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death, as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me, and I have done what he has expected of me; and so, I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely…. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.” (Martin Luther to Johann Hess, pastor at Breslau) I think Luther strikes the right balance. True faith in Jesus always mingles prudence with courage. It always seeks to find the intersection between the wisdom of science and the wisdom of religion. God is a god of faith, but never a god of foolishness. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: ‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.’” ~ Proverbs 1:20-33 (ESV)