#109 The Kingdom Has Come | Revelation 19-20

Welcome to Episode #137 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our first of eight episodes in our eighteenth mini-series which is entitled, Son of God and Son of Man. 

As a follow-up to our last episode, A Walk on the Beach with DrZ [17], I thought it would be beneficial on this episode to tie into another passage that illustrates Jesus is the same as God in the Old Testament. Jesus – One WITH the Father.

If you’re a long-time listener you know I love to plow not just through a little, but a lot of scripture each and every episode. My words are not the vehicle by which the word of God animates, coming alive as the Holy Spirit guides and teaches us all things both of this life and the life to come. It is by the spoken word of God on this podcast God moves to encourage us in the Holy Spirit to live a life reflective of his divine will. That we would be joyful always, praying continually, and thankful in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:16-18).

Before we get to the scripture, a little background that will help put perspective on why I choose the passages I did for this episode. We’re starting this mini-series in the deep end so take a big breath. 

Over the past thirty years plus years I’ve been reading the Bible every year, teaching the Bible, leading Bible studies, and learning as much as I could about Jesus. All the while I’ve continued to pursue secular vocational pursuits to fund my Bible habits of teaching, preaching, and earning two seminary degrees. The secular pursuits were shut down by the pandemic in 2021 and are just now being revived. 

During the shutdown I launched this podcast and began to pursue my passion of introducing people to the entire Bible, book by book. While writing, recording, and editing episode after episode of the entire Bible I confirmed I knew a lot of information about God and Jesus Christ his Son as revealed in the Bible. 

I also knew by revelation and Holy Spirit rebirth I had intimacy and a personal relationship with both Jesus and God the Father. I’ve had sporadic and dramatic encounters with Jesus and Father that have involved miraculous events, dreams, and visions. And that is what I thought was normal for a believer to encounter along the way. And perhaps that is, BUT:

During my podcast overviewing of the books of the Bible I had a progressive revelation as I went book by book. I knew something was different this time through the Bible when I read 2 Kings 23:1-30 for the umpteenth time in preparing the episode for that book. This section is entitled in the ESV, Josiah’s Reforms. That title says little about what I saw. While it seems I’m digressing, and perhaps I am just a bit, I think it is important enough that I continue. I pray you bear with me as I do.

Welcome to Episode #136 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our last of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to take A Walk on the Beach with DrZ and explore together the undercarriage of the God/Man Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is likely the most well-known and most misunderstood person in history. What does it mean he was fully God and fully man? Even theologians have found it impossible to fully define him. Rather the doctrinal definition of who Jesus was, is, and forever more will be is called Mystery.Welcome to Episode #136 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our last of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to take A Walk on the Beach with DrZ and explore together the undercarriage of the God/Man Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is likely the most well-known and most misunderstood person in history. What does it mean he was fully God and fully man? Even theologians have found it impossible to fully define him. Rather the doctrinal definition of who Jesus was, is, and forever more will be is called Mystery.

Welcome to Episode #135 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our seventh of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ. 

So far in this mini-series we’ve looked at the divinity of Jesus, his incarnation and early life, his transition into public ministry, his big Miracle Extravaganza splash, and the calling of his first disciples. On this episode we’re going to look at the Ministry of Jesus among the people.

I’ve also been addressing on this mini-series my own spiritual transformation. I’ve been a born-again Holy Spirit filled believer of Jesus Christ for almost thirty years. And for thirty years before that a believer in Jesus, but I did not know him. While producing and recording the earliest episodes of this podcast I began tracking the relationship of good and evil in regard to intimacy with God. What I discovered by the end of the Old Testament was intimacy with God was hindered by sin. Sin fosters lack of belief and disobedience of God’s commands. It all goes back to God’s counsel of Cain (see Gen 4:7).

I had a gut check when I finished the Old Testament. I believed in God and what he has done, is doing, and will do through Jesus Christ. Yet I did not feel the intimacy I knew others had written of feeling. Think of Teresa of Avila, John Wesley, Brother Lawrence, George Muller, Jonathan Edwards, George McDonald, C.S. Lewis, Mother Teresa, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson. What did they know that I didn’t. What had they encountered with God that I had not. 

Now that I know what I know now [that which I did not know before I knew what I now know] is something I knew others had experienced but I thought was just for the “super” saints. Continual, weekly, daily, hourly, moment by moment intimacy with God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then I started with the New Testament.

When I started with the New Testament, I continued looking for good and evil in relationship to intimacy with God and also began including belief and obedience. It was a muddled picture until I hit the book of Romans. Paul laid it all out for both good and evil and belief and obedience. Intimacy is directly related to belief and obedience. By the power of the Holy Spirit temptations and desires to do evil and “sin” are muted while eagerness and earnestness in doing good are amplified. 

There is a whole lot there, much more than can be covered in one mini-series much less the introduction to one episode. Let me cut this short and say I crested the mountain when I got to Ephesians 4:11-13 – And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Paul was saying we are all to attain ultimately to the fullness of Christ. That is Union with God in-Christ; something that Jesus prayed for all believers in John 17. If we are all to attain to the fullness of Christ “ALL” includes all believers not just “super” saints. I’m one of the “ALL” so how do I get to Union with God? 

Welcome to Episode #134 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our sixth of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to look at what the scriptures reveal about Jesus calling disciples and choosing some to follow him. Jesus said in Matthew 22:14 – For many are called, but few are chosen.

Last episode we looked at Jesus traveling with several of his disciples and demonstrating to them and to large crowds his Miracle Extravaganza. This week we’re going to look at the earliest disciples called by Jesus and how they started following him.

Over the past few episodes I’ve mentioned a method I’ve been using to develop intimacy with God our Father through Jesus Christ called Lectio Divina. This method was developed in the third century and used for almost two millennia to encounter the living word of God (scripture) and in so doing be in fellowship and union with God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The best description of Lectio Divina I’ve encountered is in the late Eugene Peterson’s 2009 publication, “Eat This Book.” I highly encourage the reading of this book front to back. Lectio Divina provides the guardrails that allow you to enter into the living word of God and find Jesus alive, well, and talkative. The guardrails include the assimilation, integration, and synthesis of text through reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.

There is little rigidity regarding the order these four guardrails (reading, prayer, meditation, contemplation). They are engaged as one is led by the Spirit through the text. Go with the flow of the Spirit is the best counsel I could give.       

As I go through the passages on this episode there will be little to no running commentary as I do not want to unduly influence your time with Jesus. That’s right, I pray you to take the opportunity of spending time and have back and forth conversations with Jesus. 

This was not something I thought was possible until about four months ago. Since discovering the Lectio Divina method with the aid of an Ignatian Spiritual Exercise book I can testify that my prayer life and intimacy with Jesus have been dramatically improved. 

What I’m encouraging and praying you do is not to know more information about Jesus (which is not bad), but in the here and now to know the living Jesus more intimately, to love the living Jesus more intensely, and to following the living Jesus more closely. I’ve found these three pursuits of grace recommended by St. Ignatius to be very fruitful.

Welcome to Episode #133 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our fifth of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to look at what the scriptures reveal about Jesus’ entrance into ministry. He didn’t start with a whimper. To demonstrate the kingdom of God he was proclaiming Jesus kicked off with a Miracle Extravaganza! 

Before getting into our text today I want to frame the foundation of the podcast episodes for this and the next several mini-series. Jesus in his ministry called people to follow him; to become his disciples. He trained his disciples to show other people also how to follow him [Jesus] after he returned to heaven. The disciples of the disciples “all” following the same Rabbi, teacher, Jesus trained others how to follow Jesus up to today.

But how is one supposed to follow a guy that lived over two millennia ago? Jesus had that covered from the very beginning. He told his disciples in John 14:16 – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John tells us in 1 John 2:27 – But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

From these two passages we learn that the Holy Spirit that abides in believers will teach them all things, bring to remembrance all that Jesus said, and teach them about everything. All things, all that Jesus said, and everything are pretty all inclusive.

Jesus disciples literally followed him around listening to his preaching, seeing and hearing his interactions with people, and witnessing his performance of great signs and wonders. He would question them from time to time as to their thoughts and provide feedback. He had his disciples participate with him in the feeding of the multitudes. He eventually sent his disciples out two by two to do what they had been seeing him do. They went and did as Jesus had done, and they all returned amazed.

Paul tells his disciple Timothy, his follower of Jesus he’s training in  2 Timothy 3:14-17 – But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

By the third century, monastic monks had formalized a discipleship they practiced to follow Jesus. It included the reading of scripture in the Spirit, prayer/conversation with Jesus through the Spirit regarding the text read, meditation on the text with the Spirit’s guidance, and finally contemplation of the text throughout the day. With the Holy Spirit as your guide, it is simply sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from him through his word. The name of this practice is Lectio Divina. Look it up as there is a lot written that is helpful to get you started on the Way into the heart of the Father.

Welcome to Episode #132 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our fourth of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to look at what the scriptures reveal about Jesus’ transition from a private secluded life in Nazareth to active ministry in Galilee. 

On our first episode of this mini-series, I introduced biblical Christian discipleship. Salvation, often promoted as the central message of Jesus, is only the entrance into eternal life in the Kingdom of God now! Jesus brought salvation. He taught about living life in the Kingdom of God as a child of God, saved by grace through faith (i.e. Salvation). This type of living is described in Hebrews Chapter 4 as entering the seventh day rest of God. Hebrews 4:11 - Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. (Unbelief).

Central to our entering that rest is to walk in the yoke of Jesus through our interaction with the living and active eternal word of God; the Bible. The word of God, the Holy Spirit, and the presence of Christ where two or more are gathered, all guide us. 

In the yoke, I am not to be pulling Jesus to my messes and telling him to clean them up. In the yoke, I am not to demand my wants telling Jesus he owes me. Jesus is doing all the pulling and heavy lifting. I simply walk in his presence and follow where he leads.

What about learning from those I’ve been listening to? What about you listening to me right now? For us both, our learning and rest come from having Jesus are our primary teacher and burden bearer. That’s the first huge oyster to swallow; but it goes down easy. 

Does it mean we stop listening to others or that you turn off this podcast; NO! We are to take every thought we have on our own or gained from another and make it obedient to Christ. How can we do that if we don’t know what Jesus said. 

The apostle John said in 1 John 2:6 – whoever says he abides in him [Jesus] ought to walk in the same way in which he [Jesus] walked. What does that mean? As we walk out each day, let us walk in the manner of Jesus, doing what Jesus does. And we’ll know what Jesus did by studying and meditating upon the gospels. We will offer our bodies daily as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God and allow him to transform the way we think so we will know his good pleasing and perfect will.

For the past seventeen weeks I’ve been following prompts of Spiritual Exercises and daily Scriptural readings from a workbook called The Ignatian Adventure, by Kevin O’Brien, SJ. In this workbook, The Spiritual Exercise prompts provide the bible passages to read and what to consider for prayer and meditation. Central to the Exercises is the ancient Lectio Divina method of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. This method was first practiced by the monastics in the 3rd Century and has been carried forward to the 21st Century as I am a witness and now practicing. 

Lectio Divina does not consider Scripture as something to be studied for information’s sake. Rather, it considers Scripture as the living word of God. The living word that calls out to mankind to encounter and plumb the depths of God’s revelation. These depths are bottomless, containing “ALL TRUTH” God has deemed profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. To the end that in discipleship by the word and in the word we would, “all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13)

I encourage you after this episode to go look up Lectio Divina. It is not Bible Study where you interpret the Bible theologically or historically. It is a personal one-on-one conversation with God throug

Welcome to Episode #131 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our third of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to look at what the scriptures reveal about Jesus from his birth until he started his ministry. As we’ll see there is not much in volume of text but what is there is rich in content.

The title of this episode is Babe to Son of Man. As we covered on our last episode, Jesus was incarnated in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit. His birth was prophesied by the angel Gabriel who visited Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. Gabriel prophesied in Luke 1:16-17 – And he [Zechariah’s son to be, John] will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 

Shortly after John was born Zechariah prophesied over his son at his circumcision ceremony. Luke 1:76-77 – And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people. 

As a reminder, what we’re doing on this and many mini-series in the future is to look more closely, go more slowing, and examine more fully the life and ministry of Jesus Christ our Lord. How can we follow one we do not know. Knowing is gained by seeing in the gospels HOW Jesus did, What he did, Where he did, When he did, Why he did and with Who he did all the things recorded for us.

I will present Scriptures for us to consider this episode with little running commentary. I encourage you to purposefully carve out time regularly (daily, weekly, etc.) to intentionally spend time with God in prayer, meditation, and fellowship and discuss with him one or more of the texts you hear. Allow Jesus to be your teacher through the Holy Spirit given to you for just that purpose.

As we read, pray over, and meditate on the gospel scriptures we want to be having a running conversation with our Father and Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. We want to allow our mental imagery and all five senses to experience the accounts with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In our meditations let the Spirit teach us what we need to know about Jesus for our own faith journey ahead. Then in fellowship ask our Father and Jesus Christ what you are curious about. Give them time and room to respond; as surely they will.

With all that as a brief introduction let’s get started. 

Welcome to Episode #130 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our second of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to examine scriptures that reveal Jesus was not unexpected. We noted often throughout our 112 episodes that overviewed both the Old and New Testaments that ALL scripture speaks of and points to Jesus.

The title of this episode is Guess Who’s Coming to Earth? The Jewish religious elites knew someone was coming but they did not receive Jesus as the promised Christ. Rather, they shut the door in his face, claimed he was possessed by the devil, and had the Romans impale him on a cross. 

Beginning with this Episode we are starting down the PATH of Christian Discipleship and/or Spiritual Formation. We will be traveling along the WAY that leads to intimacy and union with God. Along the WAY we learn to remain in the yoke of Jesus while walking in the kingdom of God. We learn to live under the reign of God and obey his commands through the power of the Holy Spirit. We learn to live in the world but not be of the world. We learn that living in the will of God results in a life that is joyful always, prayerful continually, and thankful in all circumstances for God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Welcome to Episode #129 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our first of eight episodes in our seventeenth mini-series, The Man Jesus Christ.  On this episode we’re going to Introduce to topic of Christian Discipleship.

Beginning with this mini-series, I’ll be starting weekly on-line discipleship Zoom meetings. The first meeting will be to go deeper together in the materials covered during the current episode. The second meeting will be for general podcast questions and sharing of faith and prayer. Both meetings are meant for our mutual encouragement in the faith and deepening our knowledge of the Son of God. 

If you’re interested in attending either meeting, please go to the Contact Page on my Website, WayoftheBible.com, and let me know of your interest in one or both meetings. I’ll send more information and weekly updates with meeting days, times, and links for meeting entry. There is no requirement to attend the meetings, just know I’m available if you’d like to grow in grace and faith together.

I didn’t record or release a podcast during the month of December 2023 and the first week of January 2024. I took the time normally spent on this podcast to complete the manuscript of a Christian fiction book I hope to publish this Spring. In that regard, if any of you know of an editor and/or literary agent for a Christian publisher please let me know as I’m in the market for both. I self-published a coaching book on Amazon in 2021 and would prefer to work now with a professional; I know my own limits.

During December I also did additional study into the topic of Christian discipleship. It was in additional studies a new facet of a well-known but unexplored reality opened to me. Not just opened, but enveloped and swallowed me. That reality has to do with Jesus making available life in the kingdom of heaven/God now; where God reigns over my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Point being, Jesus not only brought salvation to mankind, he made available the reign of God in the lives of normal humans like you and me.

Christian discipleship is a life-long process of learning directly from Jesus and the Holy Spirit the lessons of Jesus that allow us to walk as he walked in obedience to our Father and his commands. As we learn from Christ we transformed more and more toward what Paul called in Ephesians 4:13 – to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Christian discipleship is not about following rules, checking boxes, or meeting a standard of behavior identified by an individual, committee, or denomination. It is about submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ as his student and being responsible only to him for learning, transformation, and assignment of calling. This is what Jesus called his disciples to do – to make disciples of all nations.  

Welcome to Episode #128 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our last of eight episodes in our sixteenth mini-series, The Obedience of Faith.  On this episode we’re going to take A Walk on the Beach with DrZ and explore together The Obedience of Faith. This is only the beginning, Lord willing, of a journey that lasts generations of lifetimes…

So glad you could join me for our walk on the beach this afternoon. It is crystal clear outside. The cold front that blow in last night dropped the temps into the upper thirties early this morning. After my early morning rise and quiet time it was a brisk and chilly walk to the water and immediately retreating back inside for my second cup of coffee. But I’m pleased to say it’s up to 58 now. Pleasantly chilly with a high afternoon warming sun for our walk.  

We’ve got a couple of decanters of mint, milk, and dark hot chocolates and fresh ground medium roast coffee’s on the bar. Fill up you own decanter or take one of our souvenir Walk on the Beach insulated cups. Long story but Joe made these hot/cold cups available for our walks at his own expense. His hope is that when we drink out of these in the future we’d be reminded to be always following Jesus and walking with God.   

Let’s take another ten minutes to mingle and greet our last few arrivals and meet on the back deck at 2:00 pm.

Great to see such a big crowd on a weekday for our afternoon walk. We’ll head to the water and go to the right with the sun and the breeze in our face. Given we may get a chill in the next little while, I’ve got a little surprise for us at our turnaround spot that I think you will all enjoy. So let’s get to it.

I went back over the episode show notes for this mini-series to refresh myself as I’d thought we’d covered a lot of scripture. My refreshment revealed in-fact we had covered a lot. Some of which I’ll share again on our walk this afternoon. The main point of them being they all indicate our response as a believer in Christ is much broader than what most, including myself, have encountered in our walks of faith.