Founder’s Journal

All of human history has been witness to man’s vain attempt to set up civil, economic and religious power centers to satiate an unyielding hunger to rule — to fulfill the original Dominion Mandate by perverse means.  Without acknowledging God, man is still compelled by this invisible and ancient motivation to attempt to satisfy the deepest longings in his very nature.  Man was created to rule within the Lord’s Kingdom government, and only after first submitting to the God of Heaven… the Creator.  Unfortunately, man corrupted his own God-given design in the service of his own selfish urges. 

(1/3) Early in his ministry, Jesus finished a powerful teaching to a large crowd on the north shores of the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum.  He then asks to be taken to another region on the south side of the water.  The Gospel of Mark reports:

(2/3) As the fourth chapter of his Gospel comes to an end, Mark reports that Jesus launched a short missions trip from Capernaum, which lies on the northern edge of the Galilean Sea.  Overnight, His team travelled to Gadara, at the southern point of the Sea, 14 miles away.  The harrowing trip on the open sea had deep spiritual implications, as we learned previously.  (Jesus Takes a Mission Trip)  In chapter five Mark reports yet another incredible spiritual event which occurred at the very moment the team made landfall.

(3/3) In the fifth chapter of Mark’s gospel, we read his report of a fascinating interaction between Jesus and a horde of demons. The Lord has just cast these evil spirits out of a severely tormented man.  That alone would be a remarkable story of the Lord’s spiritual power.  Just imagine these demons provoking 2,000 swine to run down a hill violently, only to drown in the sea. 

During His ministry, many witnesses attested to Christ’s compassionate works and selfless motives. Despite several attempts to build a fictitious case against Him, the religious authorities could not succeed. Being guiltless, Jesus never displayed a defensive attitude nor evidence of His innocence. Only when asked a direct question did He provide evidence of His true identity as the Son of God. Read the trial transcript carefully to see how the false testimony falls apart and the truth is manipulated to create charges against Jesus. This is an excellent example of the totalitarian’s claim: “show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.”

The Lord is eager to see His Kingdom permeate every corner of civil society on Earth. To do so, Jesus gave a grand assignment to all of us just before He ascended to Heaven. ….“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)

After leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the Lord miraculously parted the Red Sea. Shortly afterward, He provided detailed plans to Moses regarding the structure of a remarkable, new theocratic government. The Lord Himself would serve as the King over His chosen people.  The Lord later appointed prophets and judges to speak on His behalf to the Israelites. For example, the mighty prophet Samuel delivered the Lord’s guidance to the citizens for many years. However, the Israelites became rightfully concerned that the sons of Samuel: “did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.” I Samuel 8:3

Remember — Lucifer’s goal is to interfere with our Kingdom influence because it will accelerate his ultimate condemnation. Believe it or not, every Christian has a vital purpose in the Lord’s strategic plans. He is eager to see His kingdom grow and His influence reach into new territories. Lucifer is determined to stop those plans, but it’s a lost cause. The death and resurrection of Jesus makes it inevitable. So, the enemy has two remaining strategies to derail us: he can tempt us to sin and he can accuse us in our conscience.

Judicial standing is the legal right of one party to accuse another of potential (or actual) harm. To have “standing” in a court of law, one party must demonstrate a personal stake in the issue at hand. Before Jesus’ death, Satan had legal access to stand before the Lord in the courts of heaven to accuse mankind of all sorts of treachery. Why?

In ancient mythology, Ulysses needed to navigate the passageway between Italy and Sicily, the strait guarded by two deadly, intimidating threats — Scylla and Charybdis.  On the one side lay rocky shoals — certain to rip the hull out of one’s ship.  These rocks were guarded by a terrible, six-headed dragon determined to eat anyone alive who wandered within its reach.  On the other side lay a vicious whirlpool from which a ship would never escape.  You can sense the immense risk of danger to the ship in this picture.