Kingdom of God and Christendom

Where do you find the Kingdom of God according to Jesus? His beatitudes identify them as those to whom the kingdom belongs to Jesus, the one who heal the sick who take lepers to himself, who made friend with the sinner and the outcasts. The manifesto of kingdom of God was declared Luke 4: 18-19 “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to set free the oppressed and denounce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people.” The work for transformation of our society is to participate in the task of ushering the kingdom of God. Man and women who profess allegiance to the kingdom of God becomes a model of the rest of the society. Those who found Christ they discover people. Becoming a child of God, it will cost you nothing. It is a gift, but becoming deceptive will make you loose everything. Some people think that the Kingdom of God will be a different world which will come about when present life comes to the end. Some people believe that the eternal will be different life after death. This will follow when present life will finish. Paul stressed that Kingdom of God means that this world be different and will born a new. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ stand at the point of division between the old order and the new order. In the new ‘order’ new age is no longer the era of law or sin or of death, but the life and grace. Galatians 6:16 “Peace and mercy to all who believe.” Who belong to the Kingdom of God practices this way; >> Behold he prayed not only with lip but he work. >> Behold he prayed not word but he advocated for the poor. >> Behold he not only serve but he sacrificed. >> Behold he not only proclaimed but he won soul. >> Behold he not only warned but he pleaded for forgiveness. Christendom A profession of religion has become popular with the world. Rulers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, merchants go to church as a means of securing the respect and confidence of society and advancing their own worldly interest. Thus they seek to cover all their unrighteous transaction under the profession of Christianity. The various religion bodies reinforced by wealth influences the baptized people still make a higher bid for popularity and patronage, splendid churches, established in the most extravagant manner are erected on popular armor. The worshipers array themselves in costly and fashionable attire. A high salary is paid for a talented minister to entertain and to attract people; his sermons must not touch popular sins but be made smooth and pleasing for fashionable ear. Thus fashionable sermon are popular in the church. Unfortunately church of the present time has become a cultural apparatus to legitimize the existing exploitative system that is no operation. The meaning of spiritual life also has been reduced to a bourgeoisie system of denomination and exploitation. Moreover, in the theological debate, God-image was minimized as a philosophical idea and allows no disturbance present from the idea of God. Prophecy is also a critique and rejection of false ideologies and perspective that reduce the meaning and function of faith in the reign of God. 1) Churches focus on their own good (For example, numerical or financial growth), rather than on God’s glory. 2) Churches became market-oriented seeks to please their customer rather than Bible based and Christ centered. 3) Entertainments replace the solid teaching of the word. 4) The gospel is replaced by a message that titives the emotions and sense. 5) God and his Salvation are reduced. 6) Christians find church services boring unless emotion and other sense are titived. 7) Church elders are built one another so that they occupied better position. 8) Churches became not less than a club. 9) Churches become function like co-operative society. When the dead dog move along with the current of the river a living dog swim over the bank. So also dead churches moving to worldly secular system, where as a living churches moving toward the call of God. The prophet of 7th and 8th century BC were spoken in the denunciation of formulism and hypocrisy of Israelite worship, Jesus then appeal their critique to the Pharisees of his day. Those people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far away from me. And his indictment of religion by Old Testament Prophet add by years is uncomfortably applicable to our church today. In the middle of the part of 15th century Christendom, Martin Luther saw the same the formalism of church of Christendom and denounces the Christendom and changes the course of church history. In the same way 18th century Industrial Revolution of England People become rich but morally and spiritually came down lowest ebb, Zealous Christian leader John Wesley proclaim, the love of God is no end and Jonathan Edward warn the churches and the sinner are the hand of angry God, they challenge mere message without life, wake up the church and revived and the nation became new and strong again. What a shameful thing when Indian mass media branded Nagaland State most corrupted state in India most backward in India, rank lowest poverty in India. We have no single profession collage, after 50 years statehood there is not a single industrial state is functioning, not single miles 4 land is developed. Above all 9 Government is ruling in the state, yearly state budget is only cash transfer Delhi to Kohima. Looking all stance of misfortune can we imaging the kingdom of God in Nagaland, where Nagaland is highest Christian population ratio entire Asia Country.

Rev. Dr. V. K. Nuh