23.07 The Come Down Kingdom (Part 3)

In this, the final of a three part episode Craig Smith has titled, The Come Down Kingdom, he wraps up his insights about the Kingdom of God and how it differs from all other human and earth based religious systems.  Its uniqueness is found in its come down status.  It was not developed in the incubators of fallen human cultures, but came down to earth from another world, another place, a place called heaven.  All human based religions have their spiritual and sacred objects.  So does this come down Kingdom as well.  While all sacred things of human religions are an affront to God, all that is embodied in His heavenly Kingdom are blessed by Him and useable in our living in this Kingdom level while here on earth.  But what are the sacred objects of the nations?  Craig unpackages for us what they are in the North American Indigenous cultural context, and who determined what those sacred things are...the leaders of the traditional cultures and religions found throughout Native North America.  Craig reminds us also that in Israel's history, there were numerous kings who followed one another.  Some were wicked and vile kings, leading Israel to debauchery and disaster, while a few others, like King Josiah, brought Israel back to obedience by destroying the sacred objects of the nations.  And as Craig notes, you don't see Josiah returning from the burn pile to carve and create his own "neutral" objects in the images of those he just had burned.  This has implications for the debate this teaching series addresses as you'll hear Pastor Smith explain.  The session ends with a powerful look into Old Testament history with participants like Esther, Mordecai, and Haman, whose statement of God's chosen people rings true of God's saved people of today as well.  What a privilege to be part of this Come Down Kingdom!  Now all we have to do is obey the orders of the King!