Certain popular teachings today present a twisted version of what it means to follow Jesus and bring his kingdom to earth.
They include:
- God wants Christians to take over seven “mountains” (areas of influence) in society and rule them for him
- Today’s apostles and prophets have spiritual authority to remove territorial spirits in geographic regions and rule those regions in their place
- “Make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20) means ensuring governments of countries all over the world become officially Christian
- God’s kingdom will ultimately come to earth by means of Christians taking positions of political power
The first of these points is based on a false prophecy.
The rest of them can only be supported by misinterpreting Scripture and/or cutting and pasting it out of context.
All these concepts appeal to the flesh.
Power is seductive, whether spiritual, political, or both.
The notion of taking over the world “for Jesus” sounds attractive. It means we can avoid suffering. We become the top dog. We get to be winners—in this life.
But was this the goal of our ancient forerunners in the faith?
They presented the gospel in the most disarming way possible, keeping it within the confines of culture whenever possible.
Their example, witness, and teaching transformed the lives of those around them.
Believers took the gospel to people of other nationalities, either while foreigners visited Jerusalem, or by going to their countries.
But they didn’t work their way into positions within the halls of power—not in their own land, nor elsewhere.
(In Phil. 4:22, Paul sends special greetings to God’s people belonging to Caesar’s household. This little jewel of a verse tells us the gospel filtered into places of power from the bottom up, not the top down.)
Prophecies given in the early church didn’t focus on political predictions (other than the book of Revelation, which gave persecuted Christians insight into Rome’s ultimate demise).
Apostles and prophets didn’t busy themselves with displacing demons to “take over” regions for the gospel.
And true leaders had no concern for titles, status, and recognition.
When the Corinthians tried to popularize church leaders, Paul rebuked them for following mere human beings and pointed them back to Christ (1 Cor. 1:10-13).
He’s even harsher in voicing his concerns about them being led astray from sincere devotion to Christ and their willingness to receive a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:1-4).
We are not immune to such deception.
Consider Paul’s words in light of certain “apostles” and “prophets” pursuing power, status, and extravagant lifestyles today:
“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve (2 Cor. 11:13-15, emphasis mine).”
These sobering words should shake us up.
We must exercise better discernment.
We must stop yanking Scripture out of context, trusting false visions, or receiving empty promises.
Our itching ears may want to hear a message offering security, comfort, prestige, and position in this life—but such a message is carnal and leads to deception.
The Kingdom of God does not come to earth in a top-down, take-over way. It never has, and it never will.
It’s an upside-down Kingdom where the weak are strong, the humble are honored, and enemies are loved.
Instead of seeking earthly comforts and false security, let’s bring the gospel to a hostile culture the same way our forerunners in the faith did—with great love, faith, and courage in adversity.
If we follow their example, we, too, just might turn the world upside down.
***
For more detail on what prophecy looked like in the early church, grab my book Prophesying Daughters: How Prophetic Ministry and Women in Leadership Strengthen the Church. A Study Guide is also available. You can purchase both for under $20!
Photo by Alicia Quan on Unsplash
Leave a Reply