Compass Point and Daily Links

Lately, I have been thinking about where we are in story of the Bible. Look carefully at what I said. I did not say "where we are in Bible prophecy" or "where we are in the time of the end". I said "where we are in the story of the Bible". I think it may be more important to know where we are in the story flow of the Bible than just about anything else. If we understand this everything else will take of itself.

I focused on this while reading Christ's parable of the minas in Luke 19. It was a parable He told as he was going up to Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion. Crowds were following Him with the expectation the kingdom of God would appear immediately (Verse 11). They thought Christ would expel the Romans and re-establish the throne of David according to the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel. Even in Christ's day people misunderstood prophecy.

Christ knew He would have to say something to counter this expectation. When it was convenient He gathered some around Him and spoke to them by the means of a parable, a story that held an important spiritual teaching. "Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So He called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'do business till I come'".

Christ is the nobleman and the far country is heaven, God's throne, where Christ waits to return to establish the kingdom of God on this earth. The servants are his followers, the church, given minas, or money a symbol of righteous spiritual character. The parable goes on to show the nobleman returns and he gathers all to take an accounting of what has been done in his absence. Christ will judge the works of His servants at His return and determine where and how his servants serve in the kingdom.

We wait for that day, using the gifts we have been given. Notice in verse 13 the noble says, "Do business till I come". We are to use our gift, or talent, in the business of the nobleman, Christ, which is the business of the kingdom of God. So where are we in the story of the Bible?  We are in that period where we are to "do business" till Christ comes. We are in that period where the church is doing the work of God, preaching the gospel and preparing those called by God in this age to prepare for rulership in the age to come. That is the business of our life and that is where we are in the story of the Bible. Understand this one point and we will be established and unmoved.

With this perspective we can study prophecy with a balanced approach that keeps us from going off the deep end of endless speculation. We can understand our daily job is to work for the kingdom of God and to seek for its principles and live by its laws and values. Christ said to "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you". (Matthew 6:33)

We are in that time described in the parable as the time of "doing business". Today God works in His people by the power of the Holy Spirit to develop character that can be used to handle the business of the kingdom when it is established here on the earth after the return of Christ. God is not gong to turn that kingdom over to the same type of people who have ruled during this age. Daniel 2:44 says the kingdom "shall not be left to other people". Leaders cut off from the knowledge of God and His plan have ruled the kingdoms of this world through the ages. Many ruled thinking they ruled for God on earth and the fruits were not good.

Where are you the story of the Bible?  You are in the time when the gospel of the kingdom is being preached. Like Christ said, "repent and believe for the kingdom is at hand".



Brown Spurns the US at His Peril

I have written an article for the August WNP on the "special-relationship" between America and Great Britain.  This articles from The Telegraph offers another view on the subject. Here is the the money paragraph:
 

I have little doubt that when he (Gordon Brown) says to friends that he will stand with America in a crisis, his intentions are honourable. But I also have little doubt that he would think long and hard before over-riding his cabinet colleagues, who will insist that any military intervention occur only with the approval of the UN - which Russia, China or some other member of the Security Council would certainly veto.

Prime Minister Brown's visit this week will be interesting to watch.

Russian Youth: Stalin Good, Migrants Must Go: Poll

Here is some encouraging news out of Russia. A new poll  says fifty-four percent of surveyed youth aged 16-19 feel that Soviet dictator Josef Stalin did more good than harm during his reign. This is the same man that killed more than ten million of his own people.
 

"What we find troubling is that there is a substantial proportion of young people in Russia today who hold positive or ambivalent views on Stalin and his legacy," Gerber said. "We think it would probably be more appropriate if there was more condemnation of the Stalin era."

This is a group they are calling the Putin generation. And who says we have nothing to fear from Europe?