{"id":184,"date":"2005-03-27T07:30:45","date_gmt":"2005-03-27T12:30:45","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2005-03-27T07:54:07","modified_gmt":"2005-03-27T11:54:07","slug":"my-kingdom-would-fight-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/","title":{"rendered":"My Kingdom Would Fight–How?"},"content":{"rendered":"

?Are you the King of the Jews?? asked Pilate (John 18:33<\/st1:time>). He was in the Praetorium and full of his own
\nauthority while this bloodied Jew unsteadily stood there. Jesus asked if this
\nwas an original idea or if he heard others talking about Him (John 18:34<\/st1:time>). Now Pilate dares Jesus to take a stand
\nagainst or with His people: ?Your own nation and the chief priests gave you
\nup?what have you done??<\/p>\n

Why was the King of the Jews standing there, bloodied and defenseless? And
\nhow would He answer? Would He shower theological fire to prove the man?s
\nfutility? Would He summon a legion of fighting angels? And if we are His
\nservants, what does this tell us about the way we are to defend Christ in this
\nworld?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/span>?My kingdom is not of this world.? In
\na short phrase He wipes out that false thinking that as a king He wouldn?t be subjected
\nto the current situation. True, if His kingdom was of this world His servants
\nwould be fighting in His defense. They would draw their swords and claim the
\nworld as His. This (currently) not being the case, His servants would not have
\nthe need to use physical weapons.<\/p>\n

One minute, didn?t Peter draw a sword? There he went, likely going for
\nMalchus? head and wound up cutting off the poor man?s ear (John 18:10<\/st1:time>). Peter stood rebuked (John 18:11<\/st1:time>) as the Lord established in Peter?s mind
\nthat His kingdom would not be fought for by physical arsenal. <\/p>\n

How would this Kingdom be established if not by the physical sword? All the
\nkingdoms I know of down here have been established with some sort of
\nfighting?but not Jesus?? How can He come proclaiming that God loved the world
\n(John 3:16<\/st1:time>) and simultaneously
\nestablish His kingdom? As His servants, we should be basing our methods on His
\nexample, shouldn?t we?<\/p>\n

As He was pinned to the cross, nails driven into His hands by those who
\nscorned Him, he prayed to the Father?not for release but for those who were
\ncrucifying Him (Luke 23:33,34). Such love in the man that one of the two
\ncriminals, which reviled Him would repent, turn to Him in faith and ask to be
\nremembered when He comes into His kingdom (Luke 23:42<\/st1:time>).
\nThis awesome expression of love, performed in the very nick of time while men
\nwere helpless ungodly sinners (Rom 5:6-8). <\/p>\n

This man, who didn?t think that equality with God was something to be
\ngrasped at (because He had it already) took that equality and the joy that was
\nset before Him (Heb 12:2), and lay it all aside, obediently humbling Himself as
\na servant. This servant became obedient to death?but not just any death, death
\non the Cross (Phil 2:5-7). <\/p>\n

Paul reminds us that Christ offered Himself as a public propitiation (Rom 3:25<\/st1:time>). This propitiation satisfied God?s wrath
\nand simultaneously covered God?s righteous requirement. John would explain that
\nthis was done for our sins and for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). <\/p>\n

Remember that Propitiatory of the Old Testament? This Mercy Seat with the
\nCherubim on it, would be placed as a covering over the ark where the Law was
\nkept. This would be kept behind the veil, the Holiest of Holies. Once a year
\nthe High Priest would enter in with blood, then pouring the blood on the
\npropitiatory he would make a way possible for the Holy God could to dwell in
\nthe same house as these wrath-worthy people. (Lev 16; Heb 9)<\/p>\n

The Lord was not defenseless, but rather establishing a defense for God?a
\nway that God could justify the sinners and still remain just. A battle fought
\nin the spiritual realm with eventual physical ramifications in the beating a
\npathway for unrighteous men to be with The Righteous God forever more. <\/p>\n

I?ve spoken on Ahab?s
\ncompromise<\/a> of his special status but now I ask for the audience of those
\nactive brothers and sisters who take the battle to the enemy. Paul speaking
\nabout personal sanctification asks the believers if they were so foolish to
\nthink that having begun in the Spirit they can now be made perfect in the flesh
\n(Gal 3:1-3). Is there application then in the carnal methods we employ use? <\/p>\n

I mean, sure God was able to save little ol? Rey Reynoso?but I was small
\npotatoes next to the darkness in the world. God may have been able to save me
\nwith spiritual power?but the battlefield in this world is heavier?requiring
\npractical weapons?right? Apparently we tend to forget that we were enemies just
\nas those around us and God saved us by the power of His might and mercy alone.<\/p>\n

It is a wonder then when Christians, warriors of the Kingdom of the God in
\nthe Son, would pick up the weapons of this world. Politics, the law, financial
\nmuscle, compromise, treaties, picket signs and rampant behavior. We get on the
\nnews and defame the culture, stamping out opposition with our logic or
\npoliticizing. Peter used a sword to cut off a man?s hearing?what weapons do
\nChristians use to cut of the hearing of those who need the message the most? <\/p>\n

Our battle, brothers and sisters, is not with flesh and blood but with
\nprincipalities and powers (Eph 6:12<\/st1:time>)
\nand our weapons are able to cast down arguments (2 Cor 10:5)?but they are not
\ncarnal but mighty in God (2 Cor 10:44<\/st1:time>).
\nSure we?re co-workers in the harvest with God (1 Cor 3) but does that mean we
\nforget the very weapons He?s given us to fight this battle? We tend to look at
\n2 Cor 10:5 as if ?Yes! Christian Arguing is the answer!? or Isaiah 1:18<\/st1:time> as if ?Yes, Christian Reasononing is the answer!? I think we forget
\nthat each of those verses underscore the power of God?one tearing down arguments
\nby the power of God and the other the reason of sins being turned from bright
\nred to white by God.<\/p>\n

Eph 6 gives us a list of our weapons. Our waist girded about with truth Paul
\nwould say. What is truth?, asks Pilate and stalks away not waiting for an
\nanswer (John 18:38<\/st1:time>). Pray, what is
\nChrist?s answer to that question? Truth isn?t your doctrine or a method of
\nevangelizing that raises the heat of a battle?truth is a person (John 14:6)!
\nYour feed shod with the gospel?ready to go running with the message of
\nsalvation that Christ died to save sinners. Your chest protected by the
\nbreastplate of righteousness?your righteousness? Your head, your thoughts, your
\neyes protected by the fact of your salvation. Wielding the shield of
\nfaith?faith in a method? Carrying the sword of the spirit, that double sided
\nblade to cut through the enemy forces?and never dealing with ourselves in the
\nprocess? Do we forget that we carry in our flesh a great enemy? Note that one
\nof the greatest weapons in that list is prayer and supplication?asking God to
\nintervene, to do, to work!<\/p>\n

Oh brothers and sisters, this is not an endorsement to leave behind
\napologetics, or politics, or reasoning, or speaking out against hypocrisy?not
\nat all. This is encouragement to look at those methods honestly and see that
\nour power is not found in the wisdom of men but in the power of the Spirit, the
\nvery one who has vested interest in the battle around us. We, as co-workers<\/a> (1
\nCor 3:9) in this battle should have the same mind as Christ looking to Him as
\nour head as we do the duty of a hand, or a foot, or whatever it is He has
\ncalled us to do.<\/p>\n

Christ was lowly, we are to be lowly. Christ humbled Himself, we are to be
\nhumble. We are called to speak, yes, and point out the hypocrisy of what is
\naround us?but let us not forget that this war is the Lord?s, the final victor.
\nSo then, in this cruel world, let us so shine before men (Matt 5:14<\/st1:time>) as examples of the living light of the
\nworld (John 8:12<\/st1:time>) not in fancy
\ntheories?but in the power of the Lord. <\/p>\n

-r-
After I wrote this I noticed that it could work in the Vox Apologia<\/a>.
<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

?Are you the King of the Jews?? asked Pilate (John 18:33). He was in the Praetorium and full of his own authority while this bloodied Jew unsteadily stood there. Jesus asked if this was an original idea or if he heard others talking about Him (John 18:34). Now Pilate dares Jesus to take a stand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christ"],"yoast_head":"\nMy Kingdom Would Fight-How? - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"My Kingdom Would Fight-How? - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"?Are you the King of the Jews?? asked Pilate (John 18:33). He was in the Praetorium and full of his own authority while this bloodied Jew unsteadily stood there. Jesus asked if this was an original idea or if he heard others talking about Him (John 18:34). Now Pilate dares Jesus to take a stand […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"rey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"rey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"rey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\"},\"headline\":\"My Kingdom Would Fight–How?\",\"datePublished\":\"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1376,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\"},\"articleSection\":[\"christ\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/\",\"name\":\"My Kingdom Would Fight-How? - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rey Reynoso and The Bible Archive\",\"description\":\"Notes and Thoughts from An Unabashedly Plymouth Brethren Blogger\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\",\"name\":\"rey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\",\"width\":\"1000\",\"height\":\"288\",\"caption\":\"rey\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.biblearchive.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/reyreynoso\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/reybeez\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/biblerey\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"My Kingdom Would Fight-How? - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"My Kingdom Would Fight-How? - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","og_description":"?Are you the King of the Jews?? asked Pilate (John 18:33). He was in the Praetorium and full of his own authority while this bloodied Jew unsteadily stood there. Jesus asked if this was an original idea or if he heard others talking about Him (John 18:34). Now Pilate dares Jesus to take a stand […]","og_url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/","og_site_name":"Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso","article_published_time":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00","author":"rey","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"rey","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/"},"author":{"name":"rey","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa"},"headline":"My Kingdom Would Fight–How?","datePublished":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/"},"wordCount":1376,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa"},"articleSection":["christ"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/","url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/","name":"My Kingdom Would Fight-How? - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/my-kingdom-would-fight-how\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/","name":"Rey Reynoso and The Bible Archive","description":"Notes and Thoughts from An Unabashedly Plymouth Brethren Blogger","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa","name":"rey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1","width":"1000","height":"288","caption":"rey"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.biblearchive.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso","https:\/\/x.com\/reybeez"],"url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/author\/biblerey\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbR50-2Y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}