“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful messages of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassador; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
What is a Christian?
Luke defined a Christian in Acts 11:26 as a person who is a disciple1 a person who lives like Jesus, who learns what he teaches and obeys those teachings in their life. The people who lived in Antioch2 during the life and times of the early church were mocked for being disciples of Christ, they called them Christians; that was literally how they mocked them. A people so aligned with the person of Jesus Christ, that it is as if they are possessed by him; carbon copies of Jesus. They have the same language, they have the same boldness, and they keep duplicating themselves and keep pulling people from every race, culture, and creed. They come from various backgrounds and social statuses and merge into one kind of culture and they act as if they have the same status, they give deference to each other. They stay connected with each other at all costs, they live like Christ, they suffer like Christ and they keep dying like Christ by the hundreds and by the thousands. All the more, the process of duplication keeps manifesting itself and it is like death has no power over them, or as if they were not afraid of the consequences of laws or the will of man. They are convinced of something via the nature of that man from Galilee who himself claimed to be God. They are so deeply connected to the person of Jesus from Galilee, that they themselves claim to have the Spirit of Christ living on the inside of them, and they possess some ability to demonstrate this by miraculous signs and wonders; of such was the man Jesus of Galilee able to accomplish himself. It is obvious that in claiming to have the Spirit of Christ living in them that they are saying that they have God living in them.
Who are these people?
I started this Real Concerned Citizen thing as a means to discuss the cultural issues of my generation using nostalgia and common sense as tools to demonstrate basic ideas. I quickly learned that I have much to say about many things but I was speaking about these things from the wrong perspective. I was concerned about the right things but approached the “fix” to those things from the wrong perspective. I am still a very concerned citizen, but I am no longer going to be speaking from the perspective of the American Citizen at least not most of the time. What perspective will you be speaking from… Do you have citizenship in another country? Well, I am actually an immigrant… Yep, that’s right I’m an immigrant and I have made the decision to speak from the perspective of my native country of origin, namely Heaven. I can see you rolling your eyes, but the heavenly perspective is much greater than the perspective of American perspective and frankly better than any other perspective from any other nation on the planet. Heaven is a kingdom. Heaven is the space outside of space and time; it is atmospheric and geographic. The Kingdom of Heaven has one culture, there is one ruler, and his rule is total and complete. Jesus is the King of Heaven and this is exactly what he meant when he told Pontus Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” → Pontius Pilate (the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ultimately ordered his crucifixion.)3
“So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jew?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, Am I a Jews? Your own nation and the chief priest have delivered you over to me. What Have you done? Jesus answered, “ My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to he Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus, answered, “ You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear wittness to the Truth - Everyone who is of truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is Truth?” - John 18:33-38
What is Truth?
Jesus Christ stood before Pontius Pilate who was at that time the Governor of the Roman province of Judea, Pilate was appointed by Tiberius Caesar the second Emperor of Rome. Let’s not lose the significance of what is happening, we have Pilate the ambassador of Rome, and thereby extension the ambassador of Caesar. He is ruling on this matter in the “place” of Caesar, at this moment of judgment Pilate exercises, and the authority he possesses is as if Pilate himself is literally Caesar. Tiberius Caesar of course himself claimed to be a son of a God, his father who “became a god at death” Caesar Augustus. Pilate is representing a city that dominates the known world via its military might and cultural superiority. The city of Rome literally rules all nations in the known world with an iron fist. Judea was a nation that was made subservient to the mighty power of the Nation-State of Rome. On the other side, Pilate stands in front of the would-be rebel Judged by the ruling class of Jews, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus the carpenter’s son, Jesus the Rabi, and the cousin of John the Baptist. Jesus the one who was born of a virgin. Jewish people are expressly beginning to believe that Jesus is the Messiah4; the anointed one of God. The ambassador of Heaven and therefore by extension the ambassador of God; acting on this matter in the place of God. Serving in this matter as a man, himself claiming to literally be the son of God; Jesus the ambassador from heaven. Heaven is a kingdom dominating everything by the power of God’s word. Jesus is on a mission to actively take control back from a fallen servant, who stole power and authority from God’s original emissary and son, Adam, by deceit.
What is the mission of Jesus?
To put everything on earth back under subjection to God by giving himself as a ransom to God. The fallen servant believes that it is the perfect opportunity to remove more power and authority from God by killing his only son. The son which somehow is alive on earth as a human being, previously un-killable, but now wrapped in flesh and definitely able to be magnificently slaughtered. Unbeknown to the evil servant, in completing the dark desire to kill his enemy, his fate would be sealed forever and the stolen authority and power would be transferred back into the hands of his enemy, namely humankind. Jesus the God-Man would take back all authority and power via his life, death, resurrection from the dead, and ascension back to God into heaven, and then he would distribute the same power to every single human who believes in the Truth.
What is the Truth?
Jesus Christ who was given to be born of Mary, a virgin at the time of the birth of Jesus, was sent by God, his father to be born a man. Being born in the likeness of man, and having laid down the majesty and power of his eternal nature (The Son of God the second person of the triune being; God), he would overcome the fallen servant and complete the promise of his father, which God himself made to Adam.
What did God Promise Adam?
The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you ha ve done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. - Genesis 3:14-15
This seed (Jesus) who has power over death would enlist people to work on his behalf, after his accession back to his kingdom. After taking back his majesty in Heaven and sitting at the right hand of his Father on his throne, Jesus would seal those people with perfection on the day that they believe in his name; with his own Spirit; those people would be called Christians. The people who have the personality and likeness of Jesus… people with the Spirit of the Living God in them. Brand Ambassadors of Heaven of Christ and God; children of God and sons and daughters of the Father God. If you are a Christian then you are an ambassador to earth of the King of the Kingdom of Heaven; you are branded with the Spirit of God and he lives inside of you. You have been raised up to God in Christ and there in that position, he has placed his Name in you because you believed the truth about his Son, Jesus.
What happens next?
If you are not a Christian you have two choices available to you right now and today. Choose to believe in the truth about who Jesus is and accept God’s grace over you and his willingness to punish his only son with a punishment meant for you. To execute justice upon Jesus with the justice which was meant for you because of your sinful actions against God. In place of that judgment, you get favor and the right standing of Jesus placed over you like a shield. You get to put on his rightness, his obedience, and his faithfulness. By believing you gain the promise that you will never again be separated from the love of the Father God and that you will never ever, ever be alone. Do you want to become a brand ambassador for Jesus? Then say yes to Jesus, right now!
Not Convinced?
You could choose not to believe the things written to you in this letter and what a shame that would be. But the truth about what has been written here today will stick with you and you will not be able to shake it. There is an indelible word from heaven on loop in your mind, and that word is Jesus; the fact that you are reading these words is proof enough that you are in the target zone of the love of God. You have been called out of the crowd, come to him and accept the simple truth of this good news. Understand this, you do have an enemy and someone is out to get you and he wants your heart, your mind, and your soul. There is another seed out there who wants only to see you suffer and live a tragic and powerless life. If you do not say yes to Jesus, then you are by default saying yes to the fallen servant; that evil enemy. In saying yes to him, he will abuse you of those things that are precious to you and seek to earnestly destroy you. But even more than your life, he wants your death and your eternal separation from God. The evil servant loves when people are blinded and refuse the truth about Jesus; so do not refuse me now! The Kingdom of Heaven is looking for Brand Ambassadors. The King of that Kingdom wants your heart and in exchange, he will give you life and you will never die. People have been saying yes to this proposition from Jesus for over 2,000 years all across the planet; people from every nation on earth ever since Jesus came to earth, so the question is…Why?
Remember while you are here on earth it doesn’t matter if you are stuck in a tiny town or a big city, it doesn’t matter if you are in another country, it doesn’t matter what your current worldview is or what faith you were born into. Your Government, your President, your Supreme Leader, not even your nation’s King has any power over you; social norms do not have to dictate your mind, your will, or your emotions! Understand, your friends in grade school and college your co-workers, your boss, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Apple not even Google have any power over your free will. Choose the path to live that few humans find, the path that leads to Heaven. Heaven is wherever the king of that kingdom is and it is possible for that king to live in you. Therefore it is possible for you to live in heaven right now, and to become an ambassador of heaven on earth; an ambassador of God and Christ. Jesus is coming back soon, so now is the time to choose, so choose life so that you can live.
A person who follows Christ and learns the doctrines of scripture and lives a lifestyle pleasing to God.
The ancient city of Antioch was located in ancient Greece and was part of the Roman empire. This same city is now known as Antakya within the borders of the country now known as Turkey. Founded by a general of Alexander the Great, and maintain prominence due to its location in the Roman era. Peter and Paul established the church in Antioch, where people who followed Christ were first called Christians.
The expected King and Deliverer of the Hebrews; the Savior; The Anointed One from God to accomplish God’s divine plan for the Jews. The Christ.