Can a nation divided against itself stand?

Why will God’s Kingdom be eternal?  Because there will be no division.  Here on earth we have the opportunity to decide whether we want to be part of God’s Nation.  

God’s brilliance is astounding, 

‘And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.’  Ephesians 1:9-10

That is the secret of God’s successful Nation – all united under one Head – Jesus.  

If we look at the United States, we can better appreciate God’s wisdom.  For me as a non-American, the division between the two political parties seems to be growing, instead of coming nearer to each other.  That is God’s whole plan in Jesus: all the citizens in His Nation will belong to only one Party, the Freedom Party of Jesus Christ.  

Understanding that God, in His wisdom and grace, gives us time, in this ‘dress-rehearsal’ temporary age, to use the opportunity to decide.  Do we want to be united under Jesus, the Redeemer?  Do we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit?  A general law is:  What we are here, we will be there.  Our allegiance to God or not to is being formed here, not after death.  

We can be very sure of one thing: God’s Kingdom will be a gigantic success.  Those willing to submit to God will, a hundred million years from now, still enjoy the Great God’s blessing and favour.  All through Jesus.

Will good people be in heaven?

Many people, especially among the younger generation, think ‘good people’ will go to heaven.  With ‘heaven’ they probably mean the future eternal new earth where God will be among His people (Revelation 21:1).  What they forget is that being ‘good’ in their respective countries have nothing to do with God’s people in His country.   

1. God loves people.  Most people in today’s nations do not personally know their leaders.  God is totally different.  Because of the Holy Spirit, He knows each person in His Kingdom intimately on a first name basis.  Even Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when He was on earth.  
2. God’s people are of a very specific kind. They are twice born.  All people are born in the kingdom of darkness so they are ignorant of God’s ways.  Nobody can enter the Kingdom of light unless he or she is born again, as Jesus said (John 3:3).    
3. All God’s people love Him.  Nations throughout history have been plagued by citizens who don’t love and respect their leaders.  Not so with God’s people.  All are saved by Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit.  And all love their wonderful Lord God Almighty.  That is very important since God’s Kingdom is eternal.  He is the eternal King.  It will never change.  That is what we decide here on earth: do we want to love and serve this fantastic King?  God has no guarantee that ‘good’ people will love Him eternally, if they don’t do it here on earth.       
4. God’s people seek the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).  ‘Good people’ are not necessarily interested in God.  Do they ever apply themselves to find out more about Him and become acquainted with Him?  That is God’s test: are people so interested in me that they will find out more about me in my Book, the Word of God?  Why would God allow anybody in His Kingdom who does not care about Him one whit?  He or she never opens the precious Book of Life, the Bible.    

Conclusion

Not good people, but new people will see God’s face.  They will enter the Kingdom of God.  Yet the wonderful news from Jesus is: nobody, not even ‘good’ people, are excluded from being saved out of darkness into the Kingdom of God. 

How long will God’s Empire last?

Empires come and go.  Why?  Because God is the Possessor of Heaven and Earth.  He instituted a ‘law’ in the promise He gave to Abram about his descendants who would be enslaved,

‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated four hundred years….  In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.’  Genesis 15:13,17 

Empires become big and then they sin.  God leaves them until their ‘measure of sin’ is full.  Then another growing empire takes them over.  For example, the Assyrian empire was superseded by the Babylonian-, Persian-, Greek- and the Roman empire at the time of Christ.  

The Roman Empire lasted about 500 years.  The average ‘age’ for empires is around 250 years.  There were many other empires the Bible does not mention like the British – and Mongol empires.  

The question is, how long will the Empire (Kingdom) of God last?  The answer is, eternally.  God will remove the kingdom of Satan, 

‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.’  Revelation 11:15b

Jesus also warned, 

‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.’  Luke 11:17 

God sorts out all divisions, rebellions and rejections of His Kingdom in the here and now.  On this side of the grave all people have the opportunity to choose to accept or reject God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.   

Therefore the rebellious, those who want their own kingdom and those who are not interested in God, decide to remain outside His Kingdom.  The disobedient who love the pleasures of the world rather than the pleasure of eternal life, make their decision now.  God eliminates all divisions.  

What remains are God’s people united in love for Him, saved by Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit.  What a glorious wonderful wise God!  God’s Kingdom (Empire) will last for ever and ever.  Amen!