Jesus is alive, but ordinary people cannot figure out how possible it can be for Jesus to be alive and yet not observed physically. The dramatic event of the second coming of Jesus is as definite as the certainty of the rising sun tomorrow. Spiritual conditions are not real to physical humans. We have to first expose the reasons causing people to fail to appreciate spiritual conditions.
On one extreme, humans behave like animals, having no reality of spiritual matters. To them, life is about eating, going to the toilet, and enjoying sensual pleasures, before dying. The majority of those assuming Jesus’ story to be fallacious include the considered highly educated of this world.
The gullible ones, who may not be different from idol worshippers of ancient times, include those electrified by miracles. The reality of Jesus remains mysterious, even to some regular churchgoers. This viewpoint is sustained by how some human leaders are deified, across the world.
For instance, the Pope is considered worth paying attention to, even by those opposed to Catholicism. The only closest rival to the Pope is, possibly, King Charles of England. I see nothing fascinating in such individuals, except that they are deified by most people. This world is conditioned according to there being people who are said to be greater than others.
Of interest is imagining what goes on in the mind of King Charles, for instance. If gifted with free thinking, King Charles knows that he is as susceptible to death as any human in this world. He may also probably be surprised, being traditionally treasured by the general public. He knows his time on Earth is as limited as that of any other human. At his age, he would be lucky to exist for another twenty years.
But, even if reaching a hundred years, before dying; what significance would that entail? Britain, including civilized Europe, appears as not even aware of the reason for the King’s adoration. The only considered value seems to be that of keeping Britain introverted as a nation.
This results from not knowing that all problems of humanity emanate from introversion. Britain can be anchored as the epicentre of racial divisions across the world. This is notwithstanding that King Charles’ adoration includes those pretending to be astringent enemies of Britain.
Being invited to Birmingham Palace is highly esteemed by anyone in this world. I remember, our own former president Mugabe, displaying pride, after having been invited by the Queen of England. Free thinkers knew that he had been favoured for his role in annihilating the assumed communistic ZIPRA forces.
The observable irony is that while many nations pretend to hate Britain; they inwardly admire Britain’s capitalistic stance and introversion. Yet the two factors that constitute the general behaviour of humanity remain to be pride and jealousy. Jealousness causes other nations to be antipathetic to Britain.
Britain is rich; but not because it is endowed with mineral resources. Britain is rich, only because it takes advantage of countries finding comfort in being identified with British traditions. In as much as most African countries cry foul, against British colonial history, their inward admiration of Britain cannot be concealed. Most Africans wish they were born white and British.
Pride and jealousness can be pitted against each other, with pride considered favourably. These two factors have caused this earth to be hell. The skewed narratives in determining the resources of the world are based on pride and jealousy. Remove pride and jealousy; nothing exciting is left. This truism can even be easily spotted in the corrupt conditions of our Zimbabwean society.
The proudly rich people are admired by the less privileged, lamenting in conditions of jealousness. The hatred of ZANU PF is real, but mostly driven by jealousness rather than principles of civility. Give those jealous people the opportunity also to access wealth; they would probably behave similarly, if not worse. This answers the phenomenon of former liberators, having become worse than the former colonizers.
Most of them engaged in fighting out of jealousness, more than by the spirit of humanity. They envied the apparent white men’s good lifestyles when compared with blacks. The whites were proud, whilst their black counterparts were envious of the white’s upper-class conditions.
The common problem for both the proud and the envious was lacking responsibility. Disguised as Christians, most Churchgoers assume that copying the Whiteman lifestyle justifies practising Christianity. Hence, European preachers are commonly considered favourably, against African preachers.
In Zimbabwe, you have to be white and speak good English, for your material to be considered relevant. Britain may be as atheistic as China is considered atheistic; although, moralistically, China may even be better. The English language causes favouring European cultural traditions.
Former liberation fighters remain attached to English cultures. They claim to have attained liberation but they remain mentally colonized. Hence, Jealousness was the driving force to engage in the liberation struggle. The motivation for the liberation struggle by the majority of those fighters was for personal glory.
Heralding Jesus’ second coming cannot be real, where pride and jealousness, are intertwined with Christianity. One rarely succeeds in advancing Christianity without incorporating pride and jealousness, commonly mistaken with Christianity. Western European preachers are commonly mistaken for being authentic when the opposite is true.
Jesus died in about 31 AD and His resurrection is historically undisputed. The mysterious thing about Jesus is His name, which is as famous as unmatched with any other name in this world. Habitual Criminals also claim to believe in Jesus. This is just as Britain is considered to be a Christian nation, thereby, opposed to great nations, like Russia, India and China. The driving factors in that scenario remain to be pride and jealousy.
True Christians cannot be those speculating about Jesus’ second coming. The first-century Christian writers were inspired to write about Jesus’ second coming. But they were not granted the understanding at that time. For instance, some of them predicted Jesus’ Second coming before they died.
The apostle Paul did not even have any shadow of imagination that his writings would impact Christians of our time. His writings were a simple communication directed to those Christians of His time. Jesus’ spiritual involvement inspired the ultimate communication to reach today’s Christians.
Jesus had always been with Christians, through the Holy Spirit. He had promised never to leave them as orphans. More information about Jesus’ second coming is being clarified now. Other than Paul, the apostle John wrote deeper information about Jesus’ second coming, followed by Matthew.
“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father” Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.
“Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “You believe at last!” Jesus answered. “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:25-33 NIV).
The disciples had understood Jesus, thereby, having no further questions. Nevertheless, Jesus went further to warn them of turbulent times ahead. They would desert Him and be scattered in different directions. Their understanding could not incorporate the forthcoming reality, of which steeling themselves would be necessary.
It would be impossible to sustain belief in Jesus, without renouncing physical conditions, serving as limiting factors. The reason for crucifying Jesus was caused by failure to reconcile spiritual conditions with physical conditions. The disciples may have duplicated Jesus message, but were unable to confront physical realities.
They would have peace, only when focusing on Jesus. Otherwise, their physical conditions were exposed to troublesome times, as long as they applied Jesus’ teachings. The reality of God’s Kingdom in God’s children, confirms tumultuous physical persecution. The levels of persecution are triggered by worldly conditions, governed by pride and jealousness.
Jesus’ promise to come again does not apply to God’s children. It applies to the physical humans of this world. God’s children get associated with God’s Kingdom at baptism. This is notwithstanding that God’s children face serious persecutions, during their physical existence. They cannot be recognized in this world. Their freedoms come on that day when they depart from their physical bodies
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counsellor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:15-20 NIV).
The above statement differentiates God’s children from those of this world. Jesus stated: “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me”. This reality applies to God’s Children, bearing what it takes to be united with God, even when existing in this world. Jesus’ second coming carries no relevance to God’s Children, whose personal relations with God are authentic.
Of course, the world did not see Jesus after His resurrection, but the disciples conversed with Him, for forty days. After their experience with a resurrected Jesus, the disciples re-experienced similar engagement after the Day of Pentecost. They were the only ones privileged to witness Jesus’ dramatic ascension to Heaven during their physical condition:
So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:6-11 NIV).
That ends the captivating story of Jesus’ appearance on this planet. The two most important points are: 1) the disciples would not be left as orphans as Jesus would be spiritually with them. 2) Jesus’ second coming would be as physical as observed by the Men of Galilee, to the worldly people. To God’s children, Jesus is as present as He was present, before Crucifixion.
The disciples had asked Jesus to reveal when the kingdom of Israel would be reestablished. The disciples’ question serves to debunk the misunderstanding that the purpose of Jesus’ second coming is to take God’s Children to Heaven. The purpose of Jesus’ second coming is to restore the kingdom of Israel, which is different from God’s Kingdom.
The establishment of God’s Kingdom is highlighted in Matthew 25:32-46 and confirmed by John in Revelation 20:11-15. This takes place after Satan’s removal and His followers having been cast into the Lake of Fire. Much work remains ahead, to straighten up truthfulness. The most important people in this world are those identified as God’s children.
The question remains on what they are doing with God’s truth, rather than enjoying in their comfort zones. God’s work needs to be accomplished. But where are the willing servants of God? It cannot be those no longer with us. Neither can it also be those giving whatever excuse for failing to do God’s work.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
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