February 4, 2025 • 41 mins
The recent changes in election and administration have many questioning the fate and future of the next few years. As Christians, how do we stand through what may become difficult times? Join Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino for a look at ancient prophetic writings to see how we got where we are, where we are going, and how to handle the days to come - all the while embracing a spiritual outlook. (Intro and Conclusion Track "Ready to Rock" by Yvgeniy Sorokin, https://pixabay.com/users/eugenemyers-40510887/. ACTS Seminary ad back track "Worship" by Ivan Luzin, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-worship-151061/.)
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Apostolic Covenant Theological Seminary, the Revolution starts here.
Welcome to Kingdom Now, the podcast featuring Faith with an Edge, as we celebrate the Kingdom
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of God within you.
I am your host, Dr. Lee Ann Marino, Apostle Author, podcaster, professor and theologian, and founder
of Spitfire Apostolic Ministries and all the works that go along with it.
I am excited to share this program with you, as we explore the ins and outs of counterculture
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Christianity present as you live out the Kingdom of God in your everyday life.
Want to learn more?
Visit my website at www.kingdompowernow.org.
And now, a program which features a variety of formats here, just for you.
Interviews on a variety of relevant topics, teaching and preaching proclaim everywhere from my
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North Carolina studio to sanctuary and beyond, and powerful insights here for now as we
turn the world upside down everywhere we go.
Well good morning, good afternoon, good evening, happy whatever time of day it is wherever
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you are, and to our listeners in Iceland, we say, "komdu blessadur."
And please forgive me if I pronounce that wrong, I listen to it several times.
I hope that whatever time of day it is though when you are listening that you are having
a good one, and I welcome you to this edition of the Kingdom Now podcast, and I am your
host, Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino here as the Spitfire serving as the voice of counterculture
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Christianity, and if you would like to learn more about the world of counterculture Christianity,
feel free to visit my website at www.kingdompowernow.org.
So Kingdom Now is back after our winter hiatus, and we are going to be back through May all
the way through to the end of May, and I sincerely questioned what to start the second half of the
season with after our recent pause.
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The reason I questioned it is because a lot has happened since our last recording, which
was in September of last year, and right now a lot has happened even since we went on hiatus
in December.
Between now and then we noticed a few major events.
The greatest one was the re-election of now President Donald Trump, and the myriad of
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feelings that followed in the aftermath of the election.
I want to say I wasn't surprised about the election outcome, and while this isn't a political
podcast, the reason I wasn't surprised by the outcome is because of my faith and the
faith of those who are part of sanctuary.
We had one member who spoke about the impending election in March, and knew it was going
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to conservative hands, and when Kamala Harris announced she was running, I told some of
our members in passing conversation that she wasn't going to win and why.
But then after things started moving along, I hoped like others, I'm sure that I was wrong,
but about a week before the election I read an article that let me know I wasn't wrong,
and then when everything happened I wasn't surprised.
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This doesn't mean I intend to take away anyone's concerns or fears over the next four
years, but it does mean that I recognize something really important from this whole scenario.
God lets us know what is going to happen, and while it might not always be what we want
or what we hope, God's word to us helps us navigate trying and difficult times.
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Not every word we get from God is going to be that the season we are in is bright and
fun.
We need to be just as attuned to seasons that are difficult, trying, and happy, or not
as fulfilling as we might hope.
And the reason why God helps us navigate through those realities is because He really does
care about us, and He really does want to bring us to a great plan and a bright future.
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But we can't get there if we ignore the times that we don't enjoy, or we see as being
possibly bleak.
And before you ask, no I'm not going to make a bunch of vague and leading prophecies on
this program, because I don't know what God reveals until God reveals it.
And more than anything else, I think we can learn something important from Scripture,
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from prophecies and prophetic words written a long time ago, because they offer us a universal
sense of perspective.
All through the days and weeks leading up to the election, I could hear the words of prophecy
and Scripture, especially in Jeremiah, in our modern day situation.
And that's what I'm going to share here, because it's perspective to take us through however
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long we have to get through.
So let's start with the backstory.
Understanding the prophets requires understanding a decent portion of ancient history.
Approximately 500 years by which several ancient powers rose and fell, and with their rise,
they conquered different biblical lands.
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After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel divided into two different kingdoms.
There was the northern kingdom known as Israel or sometimes Samaria, and the southern kingdom
known as Judah.
And while these kingdoms obviously had things in common, because they were once one country,
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one of the things they both had in common is they both fell to much larger empires, and
the reason they fell was the same.
It took longer for the southern kingdom to fall than the north, but they both fell due to
their embrace of idolatrous practices, which moved from one thing to another.
And to me, I think this is the most important aspect of the story that we need to pay attention
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to in this day and age.
Just because it's several thousand years later doesn't mean idolatry doesn't matter.
The ancients recognize that when they fell into idolatry from a spiritual perspective,
the rest of the attitudes and concepts that go along with that idolatry often follow.
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They recognize that defrauding the poor or taking advantage of the marginalized in society
followed the worship of false gods.
And whether those false gods were worshipped with the intent of generating profit or garnering
favor with surrounding nations, wrongdoing and injustice followed.
That's why if you're seeing the profits as social justice warriors, you're missing
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the bigger picture.
Their goal was to get people to repent, to turn back to God, and stop doing things that
were wrong not to try and change all the laws of the land.
And the northern kingdom fell to Assyria while the southern kingdom fell to Babylon.
Now there's differences in similarities to both groups.
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Assyria fell to Babylon and they were from the same part of the world, but they approached
their occupations a little differently.
Assyria was brutal while Babylon was interested in reviving its older glory days, focusing
on huge building projects.
And even though Babylon might not have been quite as brutal as Assyria all the time, Israel
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was officially in captivity.
Many of the inhabitants were relocated to other parts of the Babylonian empire and they lived
as captives to this nation.
But where did this all start?
And why is it relevant?
Because no, things didn't just one day wake up and go to hell in ancient Israel, although
there's definitely a case to say that the ancients didn't handle certain issues right
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from the beginning.
History shows that the Israelites didn't follow instructions in taking the promised land.
They didn't do what their neighbors weren't afraid to do in completing a sweep through the
land and making sure there weren't any inhabitants on their land anymore.
So mixing of spiritual systems and cultures was always going to be a thing and influence
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from these different neighbors were also always going to be a thing.
But the biggest thing that according to Scripture, the Israelites that never repented for was
wanting so much to be like their neighbors they wanted a king.
Let's go to 1 Samuel chapter 8.
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And we're going to start in verse 1.
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders.
The name of his first born was Joel.
The name of his second was Abijah and they served at Beersheba.
But his sons did not follow his ways.
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They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
They said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow your ways.
Now a point of king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
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But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us this displace Samuel," so he prayed to the
Lord.
And the Lord told him, "Listen to all that the people are saying to you.
It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking
me and serving other gods so they are doing to you."
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Now listen to them, but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign
over them will claim as his rights.
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.
He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights.
He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses and they will run
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in front of his chariots.
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties and others to plow
his ground and reap his harvest and still others to make weapons of war and equipment
for his chariots.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his
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attendance.
He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and
attendants.
Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for
his own use.
He will take a tenth of your flocks and new yourselves will become his slaves.
And that day comes you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen but the Lord
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will not answer you in that day.
But the people refuse to listen to Samuel.
No they said we want to king over us.
Then we will be like all the other nations with the king to lead us and to go out before
us and fight our battles.
When Samuel heard all that the people said he repeated it before the Lord.
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The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."
Now I know some of you are saying what does this have to do with what happened in the
prophet's day right now.
And the truth is everything because intentions matter and at this point in Israel's history
they set the stage for what was to come down the line.
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So the setting God desire with Israel is what we would call a theocracy or a direct rule
by God.
But God through his appointed agents would lead the people of Israel directly by him.
And we might listen to this and think that's amazing and wow and how cool it would be to
live in a nation where someone is directly led by God.
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But before you go off thinking it's the answer to everything there's a reason the Israelites
didn't want it.
And I believe the reason they didn't want it is because it's one thing to disobey a king
or a secular ruler and it's another thing entirely to disobey direction and law that you
know is directly from God.
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A theocracy sounds like it would be fantastic but living it and having to be accountable in
so many ways is intense.
And I think this is ultimately why Israel wanted to be like their neighbors.
Not as much was expected of them.
They were able to engage in all sorts of practices that from the outside looking in
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that seem wild and fun and like a whole lot more interesting than dietary regulations and
sexual regulations and making sure you didn't miss the Sabbath day.
And what happened with Israel is the more they long to be like everyone else, the more
they talk to themselves into drawing toward their neighbors and away from God because that's
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exactly what happened.
Nobody in Israel woke up and deliberately said, hey let's go worship some idols today.
I'm bored.
Instead it was creating an alliance through marriage with this neighboring tribe will be
good to protect me against this other mutual enemy.
Or let's see if turning to this out will help with this crop that's not growing well because
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of the weather conditions.
It seemed advantageous.
It seemed as if things would go better if they tried this and because of the ways natural
alliances can be things might have gone better for that one person, but they didn't go well
overall for Israel because one slip became another slip until everyone slip slotted right
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away from even basic morality toward one another.
And in the immediate Israel is told what would happen if they had a king.
What the king would do.
It was also told what would happen when other nations would come to occupy them down the
line that they would come and enslave their children in them as well and you won't one
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day want the king that you get, but that's going to be the king you're going to have to
have.
And this is exactly what happened in Israel.
If you study the history of the kings, very few of them stayed on the right track and
eventually even the ones who were considered good kings who were faithful to follow the precepts
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of God also faltered in some way.
It probably just wasn't public and visible to cause disruption to the spiritual life of
Israel.
David and Solomon heralded the golden age of Israel's history and we fully well know
that while they might have been great leaders, they folded in their personal lives so much
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that eventually such things impacted their ability to govern.
There was no way it was possible that Solomon could handle the whole nation and the agreements
and treaties involved for a thousand women.
At some point decisions would have to be made not to mention he started picking up their
practices that erodes the health of the nation in more than one way.
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So by the time we get to the prophets, specifically Jeremiah, where Israel is facing the Babylonian
captivity, Israel is full on experiencing the results of having a king and what that was
going to mean for them as a people.
So to me, I believe we are at this junction, at least in this point in time in American history.
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I recognize the podcast is heard worldwide and that there are many things going on in
different parts of the world.
And this isn't to overshadow those or minimize anything that is going on anywhere else.
But I do believe that there are probably situations elsewhere in the world where similar things
are happening, causing similar feelings and that this message can also offer something
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to them therein.
Now can you know as I had said earlier is not a political show.
And I'm mentioning what's going on here for the sake of historical record so that how
I am going to tie this all together will make sense because if I don't mention certain
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things, they're not going.
By the time this airs, the 2024 election will be behind us and everyone who was elected
into office will take their positions of power.
And as the time I'm recording this, that's actually not the case.
I am recording this before 2024 is up.
So whatever I say here will go on the record, I typically record at least two to three months
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in advance.
So while I'm sitting here talking about this, there's still a great deal of aftermath
from the election and the results and the feelings that people have about it.
And I found that not many people are really ready for the conversation that we need to have
about these things.
And it is my hope that by the time this episode airs, that will have passed.
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And we can start to look at things from a spiritual perspective.
So let's start with the realities.
I think the election results surprised most people and that's part of why there's almost
this feeling of a black cloud that's hanging over the United States right now.
And the thing I noticed after the election results came down, particularly among the communities
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I am both part of and serve, namely queer communities, immigrants, women and racially
diverse ones, where a lot of messages telling people that God is on our side.
And I have nothing against this message, I think it's a fine message, but I think that message
needed to be given three weeks before the election and a month before the election and
two months before the election.
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Everything about this election screamed idolatry to me because people on both sides of the
spectrum put too much into winning this election.
It took on apocalyptic proportions that whoever got in the White House would determine the
fate of the entire world, perhaps even the demise of the United States as a nation.
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Nobody paid much attention to the senators and representatives who were up for election,
which also cast a dark shadow on the situation.
And there are many who debate and ask and want to know why the conservative side wanted
Trump back in office.
I wish I had an answer for you all that's going to be satisfactory, but I don't.
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I feel his celebrity is out of control and that for whatever reason, Trump is attached to
an apocalyptic narrative that has made him the hero.
No matter how much we try to make sense of it, it's not going to make any sense, and it's
definitely an idolatry issue and there's no question about it.
But the other side of the debate has also engaged in idolatry with the other side, maybe
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not in the same sense as the cult of personality involved.
But in putting aside obvious issues present within the party at large for the sake of the
hope that their values would overcome any issues is also detrimental.
Long story short, the Democrats didn't care enough about the people to get a viable candidate
for president and the Republicans are flying on the popularity of someone who isn't qualified
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to lead.
And now nobody knows what's next where to go or what to do.
So I see this much as spoken of in biblical times.
The people wanted a king and there were enough of them who wanted a king that they got a
king, but now the results of the king will result.
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And whether there will be more spiritual than literal, I don't know.
I believe though it will be a mix of both.
And knowing this, what do we do?
If idolatry is at the root of all of this, then the first thing we have to acknowledge is
that God hasn't been where he needs to be in our lives for a long time.
And that's on both sides of this debate.
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And this is not about ten commandments in schools or prayer in schools.
This is about the fact that nobody told you you can't pray at home and you don't do it
there.
This is about the fact that you have the right to practice your faith and you don't.
You don't go to church, you don't spend any time in the word, you don't spend any time
with God doing the right thing and doing the spiritual thing is not your priority.
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That's a problem.
And we can all talk about ten commandments in schools and this and that and something else
all damn day.
But if you don't get yourself correct, then you have idols in your life.
And that's part of the bigger problem.
I'm not taking political sides because I think especially in these instances both are wrong
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and it's a lesson that the lesser of two evils is still evil.
So before we go anywhere else, if we want to be people who are set right and are fixated
on the right way to go and want to trust God and hear from God over the next four years
and beyond, then God needs to come first.
Not our fear.
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This is not the time to think the answer to everything is hoarding food, toilet paper,
water, etc.
Beyond the basics of being well prepared for an emergency such as a storm or something
of that nature.
But it is the time to trust God.
And I don't mean in an altar-call kind of way where we talk about trusting God with our
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lives and it all sounds good in everybody cries and then we all go home and we're exactly
the same as we were before.
We can let anything overtake our lives by a Dollar Tree.
Not political figures, not parties, not fear, not assuming that we have nothing to worry
about due to people in power, not anything, not our families, our jobs, none of it.
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This is going to be a literal Jehovah Jireh period because the forecasts are for things to
get very expensive very quickly and instead of looking to earthly figures to solve this
problem, we need to look to our true provider to make sure that we're taken care of.
And if your faith isn't where it needs to be then get it there, okay?
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Sometimes I feel like we're begging people to believe in God and we're begging people to
come back to church and it's like we're trying to con everybody into this.
I'm not con and nobody into this.
If you don't want to believe in God, don't believe in God.
But then don't cry about all these problems that are going on.
Because just as it says there with these specific situations in Israel, if your answer to the
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problems is to have everything that everybody else has, then you are part of the problem
and you're going to get what everybody else has.
You need to be spiritually prepared enough to follow divine guidance in here from God and
situations to come.
You need to be connected to good spiritual leadership who has the courage and ability to navigate
the waters of the impending situations that might result over the next few years and
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that's not going to be found in your average seeker friendly larger than life church or
many of these denominational groups.
Because we've played around belief in God so long, so many of us, and this is myself included,
almost don't want to even debate it with people anymore because it's so tired and so
long worn.
But if you hear this and you know you need to get yourself together, then it's time to
take those steps and you can contact us for more information about how to do that if
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you're not sure where to start on your own.
If you're already believers time to grow up and I say that with as much love as I can
possibly muster at the moment, it's time to stop letting people in secular power split
up the church and stop dictating to the church what it should believe or be or who it should
help or connect with.
Stop letting your secular leaders have spiritual power over you.
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I'm going to repeat that again.
Stop letting secular leaders have spiritual power over you and get into scripture and
get into a good church and learn who you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to
be about.
Why?
Because the king is here and we have no choice at this point but to get ourselves together
and set our personal lines for who we want to be at this point in history.
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So the next aspect of this is we need to embrace the suck.
My general advice for the next few years, however long it's going to be, can be summarized
in the words of someone's therapist that I know, embrace the suck.
Let's go to Jeremiah 40 and we're going to start reading in verse 7.
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When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that
the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam as governor over the land and
had put him in charge of the men and women and children who were the poorest in the land
and who had not been carrying to exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah, at Mizpah - Ishmael,
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son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah, Seriaiah, son of Tanhumeth,
the sons of Ephai the Netophathite and Jaazaniah, the son of the Maakathite and
their men.
Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them in their men.
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"Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians," he said.
"Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon and it will go well with you.
I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but
you are to harvest the wine, some are fruit and olive oil and put them in your storage jars
and live in the towns you have taken over."
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When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, and Edom in all the other countries heard that the king
of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, the son
of Shaphan, as governor over them.
They all came back to the land of Judah to Gedaliah at Mizpah from all the countries
where they had been scattered and they harvested an abundance of wine and some are fruit.
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Now this is not the end of the story.
So Babylon conquered Israel.
Babylon is not going to be conquered by Israel.
That's not going to happen.
And the Israelites were given some practical advice that we can benefit from here.
There was no chance that anyone at that point in history was going to overthrow Babylon.
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For one it wasn't within God's will for such to happen, so that means it was a no-go anyhow.
Babylon, like it or not, was being used for a divine purpose and that was to execute judgment
against Israel.
Now I am going to be careful in what I say here because I kind of see modern government
through boat lenses.
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I do agree that electoral government is moved with the sway of the people, but if you actually
learn about such things such as the electoral college, you will learn it's a little more
complicated than just a people's decision.
I'm not going to get into all that on here.
I do encourage everybody goes and learns about what the electoral college is about, particularly
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if you live in the United States because a lot of us really properly don't understand
what it does and how it functions and how it moves.
But I'd also argue that in Greece and Rome, government was also electoral and the leaders
in place were still seen as put in power by defined authority.
It's the concept of times which I encourage hardly as a study right now to understand
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the spiritual aspect of secular government and how times works is to understand that no
matter how divine a secular figure might find themselves relevant here, they don't remain
in power forever but for appointed periods.
And when that period is up, which we have no way of easily knowing in the natural, with
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election seasons it's four years, but it could be lesser more depending on factors.
But removes that person, recognizing that God is still a great ruler and the permanent
ruler in a world full of temporary rulers.
So reality is whether we like it or not that certain powers are in place, but they are
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only allowed the space to rule for a specific period of time.
And as much as we don't like that and as much as we might not like what goes on, we need
to keep that perspective, that earthly government is always temporary because no matter who
is in power, Jesus is still on the throne.
And ultimately that outweighs anything someone might want to do in power.
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There is no pretending that this is not real, we have to come to accept our reality.
And we also have to continue to live life.
One of the first things that happened after the election is people started telling me
to find another job because my part time secular employment is with a government agency.
And they were afraid that Trump is going to dismantle that agency and along with it my
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position and then I would be out of work.
I appreciate the concern that people have for me and the concern that people have for
my position and for wanting me to be able to survive.
But at the same time I can't stop my life and give in fear because of possibilities that
aren't showing to be realities.
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If you think a lot about his promises, especially the scarier ones and yes I'm talking about
Trump, they aren't feasible the second he steps into office or perhaps even later than that
if they are even possible at a later point in time.
They are promises that feed on fear that cause people who have irrational views of the world
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to stop living and start blaming their issues on other people and that's not healthy.
Church offices are not being bought or sold.
The advice given here is actually reiterated by Jeremiah and other places in the book.
You can look it up if you want to see it for yourself.
I didn't want to for the sake of time to read the same thing a bunch of times but it's important
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to settle down in the land to accept that maybe this isn't what any of us wants but to
settle in, keep living, keep working, have our families and friends and continue on because
like it or not we've got a king now and we have to wait this period out.
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I want to add that the not end of the story apart with the Israelites is that they were
told to settle down and just accept the suck and instead they all went off to Egypt and
died there and they were told if they didn't do this, if they didn't do what they were
supposed to do that they would die somewhere else.
Why?
Well one God knew what was going to happen in Egypt but the bigger part of that is that suck
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can happen anywhere and things can happen anywhere and we cannot run God and so if this has
a bigger purpose then we need to just settle down and deal with it and accept it and keep
the best that we can going on with life as we wait out this period.
So the next point is that we need to find community and you should already have a community.
If you don't now is the time to connect to one because contrary to popular belief your
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family isn't enough when the shit hits the fan.
You need other people you can trust and rely on and you can both be there for and be there
for them because these are things that are necessary.
We need other people and we need places where we can be safe no matter what is going on
in the larger scheme of things.
It's also really important that in the aftermath of these days that we recognize community
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that is willing to do the right thing and the things that need to be done to aid and
assist people without getting involved in the political scene and do with that statement
whatever you will.
Next point is now is not the time to fail and follow the protocols put into place for
the sake of government function.
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Don't do something stupid like refuse to pay your taxes or start deliberately disobeying
the law such as speeding or getting a bunch of traffic violations or stockpiling illegal
weapons or something of that nature.
Don't decide to take your car off the road.
I.e. not having a license plate or driver's license and still think you can drive it anyway.
(33:02):
Listening to conspiracy theorists who say you don't have to register cars, have a driver's
license etc. isn't going to help you in the long run so don't be stupid.
It's not the Israelites who just kept finding themselves in bad situations and kept making
it worse.
Well we have to pay to the government, let's pay to the government, let's use good judgment
and not become anarchists for the sake of doing something that doesn't do anyone any
(33:26):
good.
Let's also consider the type of people God would want his people to be.
If we look at history, Christians of all eras have had hard times at some point and
it's usually not the forefront mainline church that has had the hard time.
As much as mainline evangelicals, Catholics and other groups feel their rights are being
threatened, they aren't the ones who, under the current regime, have much to worry about.
(33:51):
Although the reality is that that time might come too.
I'm not trying to be doomed to stay here because I don't see things going in the left
behind series direction many predict.
But I do think there will be some difficulties for some demographics.
If due to nothing else but social persecutions because certain groups feel entitled now
that Trump and his cohorts are in power.
(34:13):
So we need to be aware of those who are most vulnerable and be prepared to support them
however we can and stand up for them and protect them and I think this is the most important
message we can get through this period.
We embrace the reality of suck we now have before us and we strengthen our communities
to move forward rather than do something that won't produce much.
(34:37):
And maybe we need to acknowledge that we're here for such a time as this.
I've been the first to admit that over the past few years the future of the church is
one that's been in question for me.
I feel the mainline churches have heard all of us, even those of us who aren't really
typical bystanders and repairing that is a long hard road.
I also believe the mainline churches support of Trump and the election heard its credibility
(35:02):
with people who do sincerely care about other people and about vulnerable groups in this
country.
That makes it that much harder for those of us who aren't involved in the political
scene to make inroads, convincing others we are different.
But despite all the difficulties and despite the fact that things aren't maybe going
(35:24):
the way we would like them to go.
What if we are here for such a time as this?
What if it's hardest things might be as much as sacrifices might have to be made at times?
What if we are here because people need leaders?
They need support.
They need people who aren't afraid to stand up and do the right thing when it's easier
to sit down and blend in out of fear that standing for something and doing right might
(35:48):
cause too much controversy.
What if instead of looking out without hope we look out over the current situation and
we see God giving us a mission field full of opportunities to do the work we always say
we want to do.
But that's my take on how we're to handle what's to come.
We accept reality.
(36:10):
We continue to live life.
We find community or embrace the one we have in a much greater way.
We don't stop following governmental laws such as paying taxes, traffic laws, etc.
We consider the type of people God would want us to be and we accept that we are here for
such a time as this.
And as a side point, maybe the bottom line given that we are overthrowing idolatry, we
(36:35):
remember God is still on the throne and we don't let what is happening in the world hurt
so much as to recognize and realize God is still our ruler regardless of what those
in power right now might think or how they might regard themselves.
I hope that this message has been an encouragement to you and I encourage you if you are learning
(36:56):
how to better reach out to specific communities in particular the LGBTQ community my new book
very, very new.
It's only been out a couple of months ministering to LGBTQ+ and those who love them a
primer for queer theology and it's accompanying workbook called ministering to LGBTQ+ and
those who love them workbook.
(37:18):
So that is ministering to LGBTQ+ and those who love them a primer for queer theology
and the accompanying workbook and this is not just a boring workbook.
This is a full color workbook with infographics and puzzles and additional material that is
not found in the major text.
It also gives visual aid to those who are reading the additional text and that is ministering
(37:41):
to LGBTQ+ and those who love them workbook also primer for queer theology.
Go online and check me out Dr. Lee Ann Marino and look me up wherever books are sold Amazon
and Barnes and Noble and everywhere else and check out all of my titles that are available
as of right now I would say there's about 37 38 they're going to be more soon including
(38:02):
a hardcover.
So definitely look me up Dr. Lee Ann Marino and check me out today.
Also check out my patheos column leadership on fire at patheos.com/blogs/leadershiponfire.
That's patheos.com/blogs/leadershiponfire
leadership on fire is
literally about everything that pertains to leadership, everything that's of interest
(38:25):
to people who are in leadership are interested in leadership or want to learn more about
it.
So go and check that out today and learn something to edify your walk as a leader.
Also connect with me across social media @kingdompowernow.
I'm available on Facebook, on TikTok, on Twitter, on Instagram, on Lemon8, on WordPress
(38:47):
and beyond @kingdompowernow.
Let's reach out and have that conversation, follow along with what's going on and tell
me what you might want to hear on the program definitely @kingdompowernow.
Also if you would like to learn more about the world of counterculture Christianity, feel
free to visit my website at kingdompowernow.org. That's at kingdompowernow.org
(39:17):
If you are interested in an entirely affordable seminary that can be done from anywhere where you are in the world, we are donation-based and we are an entirely practical affordable, available, and accessible seminary, check out Apostolic Covenant Theological Seminary, that's ACTS for short at acts176.org, that's acts176.org
And if you are in the Charlotte, North Carolina area and you are looking for community, I have one for you (39:37):
the community of Sanctuary International Fellowship Tabernacle - Sanctuary for short - check us out at welcomeinthisplace.org, that's welcomeinthisplace.org and if you would like more information that's not available on the website, feel free to reach out and we will get back to you
(40:05):
And this is Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino reminding you in closing that even though it might feel like the world is ending, it's not ending until God says so. So let's take a deep breath, let's keep on going, and let's not get distracted by the things we might see with our eyes. Until next time, be blessed.
Thank you for joining us on the Kingdom Now podcast today. I pray it has proven to be a blessing in your life. To learn more about this work, ask a question, submit feedback, advertise with us, be a guest,
(40:26):
or donate to support this work.
As our podcast is sponsored by listeners like you, visit my website which contains essential
information, projects and linkss for other points of contact around the web at kingdompowernow.org.
Also if you are in our area and would like to visit Sanctuary International Fellowship
(40:49):
Tabernacle, visit welcomeinthisplace.org
Until next time,
this is Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino reminding you that the Kingdom of God
is within you.
And that means the Kingdom is now.
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Apostolic Covenant Theological Seminary, the Revolution starts here.
Welcome to Kingdom Now, the podcast featuring Faith with an Edge, as we celebrate the Kingdom
(00:57):
of God within you.
I am your host, Dr. Lee Ann Marino, Apostle Author, podcaster, professor and theologian, and founder
of Spitfire Apostolic Ministries and all the works that go along with it.
I am excited to share this program with you, as we explore the ins and outs of counterculture
(01:17):
Christianity present as you live out the Kingdom of God in your everyday life.
Want to learn more?
Visit my website at www.kingdompowernow.org.
And now, a program which features a variety of formats here, just for you.
Interviews on a variety of relevant topics, teaching and preaching proclaim everywhere from my
(01:40):
North Carolina studio to sanctuary and beyond, and powerful insights here for now as we
turn the world upside down everywhere we go.
Well good morning, good afternoon, good evening, happy whatever time of day it is wherever
(02:02):
you are, and to our listeners in Iceland, we say, "komdu blessadur."
And please forgive me if I pronounce that wrong, I listen to it several times.
I hope that whatever time of day it is though when you are listening that you are having
a good one, and I welcome you to this edition of the Kingdom Now podcast, and I am your
host, Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino here as the Spitfire serving as the voice of counterculture
(02:27):
Christianity, and if you would like to learn more about the world of counterculture Christianity,
feel free to visit my website at www.kingdompowernow.org.
So Kingdom Now is back after our winter hiatus, and we are going to be back through May all
the way through to the end of May, and I sincerely questioned what to start the second half of the
season with after our recent pause.
(02:50):
The reason I questioned it is because a lot has happened since our last recording, which
was in September of last year, and right now a lot has happened even since we went on hiatus
in December.
Between now and then we noticed a few major events.
The greatest one was the re-election of now President Donald Trump, and the myriad of
(03:13):
feelings that followed in the aftermath of the election.
I want to say I wasn't surprised about the election outcome, and while this isn't a political
podcast, the reason I wasn't surprised by the outcome is because of my faith and the
faith of those who are part of sanctuary.
We had one member who spoke about the impending election in March, and knew it was going
(03:36):
to conservative hands, and when Kamala Harris announced she was running, I told some of
our members in passing conversation that she wasn't going to win and why.
But then after things started moving along, I hoped like others, I'm sure that I was wrong,
but about a week before the election I read an article that let me know I wasn't wrong,
and then when everything happened I wasn't surprised.
(04:00):
This doesn't mean I intend to take away anyone's concerns or fears over the next four
years, but it does mean that I recognize something really important from this whole scenario.
God lets us know what is going to happen, and while it might not always be what we want
or what we hope, God's word to us helps us navigate trying and difficult times.
(04:23):
Not every word we get from God is going to be that the season we are in is bright and
fun.
We need to be just as attuned to seasons that are difficult, trying, and happy, or not
as fulfilling as we might hope.
And the reason why God helps us navigate through those realities is because He really does
care about us, and He really does want to bring us to a great plan and a bright future.
(04:48):
But we can't get there if we ignore the times that we don't enjoy, or we see as being
possibly bleak.
And before you ask, no I'm not going to make a bunch of vague and leading prophecies on
this program, because I don't know what God reveals until God reveals it.
And more than anything else, I think we can learn something important from Scripture,
(05:10):
from prophecies and prophetic words written a long time ago, because they offer us a universal
sense of perspective.
All through the days and weeks leading up to the election, I could hear the words of prophecy
and Scripture, especially in Jeremiah, in our modern day situation.
And that's what I'm going to share here, because it's perspective to take us through however
(05:33):
long we have to get through.
So let's start with the backstory.
Understanding the prophets requires understanding a decent portion of ancient history.
Approximately 500 years by which several ancient powers rose and fell, and with their rise,
they conquered different biblical lands.
(05:56):
After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel divided into two different kingdoms.
There was the northern kingdom known as Israel or sometimes Samaria, and the southern kingdom
known as Judah.
And while these kingdoms obviously had things in common, because they were once one country,
(06:17):
one of the things they both had in common is they both fell to much larger empires, and
the reason they fell was the same.
It took longer for the southern kingdom to fall than the north, but they both fell due to
their embrace of idolatrous practices, which moved from one thing to another.
And to me, I think this is the most important aspect of the story that we need to pay attention
(06:41):
to in this day and age.
Just because it's several thousand years later doesn't mean idolatry doesn't matter.
The ancients recognize that when they fell into idolatry from a spiritual perspective,
the rest of the attitudes and concepts that go along with that idolatry often follow.
(07:01):
They recognize that defrauding the poor or taking advantage of the marginalized in society
followed the worship of false gods.
And whether those false gods were worshipped with the intent of generating profit or garnering
favor with surrounding nations, wrongdoing and injustice followed.
That's why if you're seeing the profits as social justice warriors, you're missing
(07:27):
the bigger picture.
Their goal was to get people to repent, to turn back to God, and stop doing things that
were wrong not to try and change all the laws of the land.
And the northern kingdom fell to Assyria while the southern kingdom fell to Babylon.
Now there's differences in similarities to both groups.
(07:50):
Assyria fell to Babylon and they were from the same part of the world, but they approached
their occupations a little differently.
Assyria was brutal while Babylon was interested in reviving its older glory days, focusing
on huge building projects.
And even though Babylon might not have been quite as brutal as Assyria all the time, Israel
(08:13):
was officially in captivity.
Many of the inhabitants were relocated to other parts of the Babylonian empire and they lived
as captives to this nation.
But where did this all start?
And why is it relevant?
Because no, things didn't just one day wake up and go to hell in ancient Israel, although
there's definitely a case to say that the ancients didn't handle certain issues right
(08:37):
from the beginning.
History shows that the Israelites didn't follow instructions in taking the promised land.
They didn't do what their neighbors weren't afraid to do in completing a sweep through the
land and making sure there weren't any inhabitants on their land anymore.
So mixing of spiritual systems and cultures was always going to be a thing and influence
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from these different neighbors were also always going to be a thing.
But the biggest thing that according to Scripture, the Israelites that never repented for was
wanting so much to be like their neighbors they wanted a king.
Let's go to 1 Samuel chapter 8.
(09:21):
And we're going to start in verse 1.
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders.
The name of his first born was Joel.
The name of his second was Abijah and they served at Beersheba.
But his sons did not follow his ways.
(09:42):
They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
They said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow your ways.
Now a point of king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
(10:04):
But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us this displace Samuel," so he prayed to the
Lord.
And the Lord told him, "Listen to all that the people are saying to you.
It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking
me and serving other gods so they are doing to you."
(10:28):
Now listen to them, but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign
over them will claim as his rights.
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.
He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights.
He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses and they will run
(10:49):
in front of his chariots.
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties and others to plow
his ground and reap his harvest and still others to make weapons of war and equipment
for his chariots.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his
(11:10):
attendance.
He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and
attendants.
Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for
his own use.
He will take a tenth of your flocks and new yourselves will become his slaves.
And that day comes you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen but the Lord
(11:34):
will not answer you in that day.
But the people refuse to listen to Samuel.
No they said we want to king over us.
Then we will be like all the other nations with the king to lead us and to go out before
us and fight our battles.
When Samuel heard all that the people said he repeated it before the Lord.
(11:54):
The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."
Now I know some of you are saying what does this have to do with what happened in the
prophet's day right now.
And the truth is everything because intentions matter and at this point in Israel's history
they set the stage for what was to come down the line.
(12:17):
So the setting God desire with Israel is what we would call a theocracy or a direct rule
by God.
But God through his appointed agents would lead the people of Israel directly by him.
And we might listen to this and think that's amazing and wow and how cool it would be to
live in a nation where someone is directly led by God.
(12:38):
But before you go off thinking it's the answer to everything there's a reason the Israelites
didn't want it.
And I believe the reason they didn't want it is because it's one thing to disobey a king
or a secular ruler and it's another thing entirely to disobey direction and law that you
know is directly from God.
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A theocracy sounds like it would be fantastic but living it and having to be accountable in
so many ways is intense.
And I think this is ultimately why Israel wanted to be like their neighbors.
Not as much was expected of them.
They were able to engage in all sorts of practices that from the outside looking in
(13:19):
that seem wild and fun and like a whole lot more interesting than dietary regulations and
sexual regulations and making sure you didn't miss the Sabbath day.
And what happened with Israel is the more they long to be like everyone else, the more
they talk to themselves into drawing toward their neighbors and away from God because that's
(13:42):
exactly what happened.
Nobody in Israel woke up and deliberately said, hey let's go worship some idols today.
I'm bored.
Instead it was creating an alliance through marriage with this neighboring tribe will be
good to protect me against this other mutual enemy.
Or let's see if turning to this out will help with this crop that's not growing well because
(14:04):
of the weather conditions.
It seemed advantageous.
It seemed as if things would go better if they tried this and because of the ways natural
alliances can be things might have gone better for that one person, but they didn't go well
overall for Israel because one slip became another slip until everyone slip slotted right
(14:26):
away from even basic morality toward one another.
And in the immediate Israel is told what would happen if they had a king.
What the king would do.
It was also told what would happen when other nations would come to occupy them down the
line that they would come and enslave their children in them as well and you won't one
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day want the king that you get, but that's going to be the king you're going to have to
have.
And this is exactly what happened in Israel.
If you study the history of the kings, very few of them stayed on the right track and
eventually even the ones who were considered good kings who were faithful to follow the precepts
(15:10):
of God also faltered in some way.
It probably just wasn't public and visible to cause disruption to the spiritual life of
Israel.
David and Solomon heralded the golden age of Israel's history and we fully well know
that while they might have been great leaders, they folded in their personal lives so much
(15:32):
that eventually such things impacted their ability to govern.
There was no way it was possible that Solomon could handle the whole nation and the agreements
and treaties involved for a thousand women.
At some point decisions would have to be made not to mention he started picking up their
practices that erodes the health of the nation in more than one way.
(15:55):
So by the time we get to the prophets, specifically Jeremiah, where Israel is facing the Babylonian
captivity, Israel is full on experiencing the results of having a king and what that was
going to mean for them as a people.
So to me, I believe we are at this junction, at least in this point in time in American history.
(16:19):
I recognize the podcast is heard worldwide and that there are many things going on in
different parts of the world.
And this isn't to overshadow those or minimize anything that is going on anywhere else.
But I do believe that there are probably situations elsewhere in the world where similar things
are happening, causing similar feelings and that this message can also offer something
(16:41):
to them therein.
Now can you know as I had said earlier is not a political show.
And I'm mentioning what's going on here for the sake of historical record so that how
I am going to tie this all together will make sense because if I don't mention certain
(17:01):
things, they're not going.
By the time this airs, the 2024 election will be behind us and everyone who was elected
into office will take their positions of power.
And as the time I'm recording this, that's actually not the case.
I am recording this before 2024 is up.
So whatever I say here will go on the record, I typically record at least two to three months
(17:23):
in advance.
So while I'm sitting here talking about this, there's still a great deal of aftermath
from the election and the results and the feelings that people have about it.
And I found that not many people are really ready for the conversation that we need to have
about these things.
And it is my hope that by the time this episode airs, that will have passed.
(17:43):
And we can start to look at things from a spiritual perspective.
So let's start with the realities.
I think the election results surprised most people and that's part of why there's almost
this feeling of a black cloud that's hanging over the United States right now.
And the thing I noticed after the election results came down, particularly among the communities
(18:07):
I am both part of and serve, namely queer communities, immigrants, women and racially
diverse ones, where a lot of messages telling people that God is on our side.
And I have nothing against this message, I think it's a fine message, but I think that message
needed to be given three weeks before the election and a month before the election and
two months before the election.
(18:29):
Everything about this election screamed idolatry to me because people on both sides of the
spectrum put too much into winning this election.
It took on apocalyptic proportions that whoever got in the White House would determine the
fate of the entire world, perhaps even the demise of the United States as a nation.
(18:50):
Nobody paid much attention to the senators and representatives who were up for election,
which also cast a dark shadow on the situation.
And there are many who debate and ask and want to know why the conservative side wanted
Trump back in office.
I wish I had an answer for you all that's going to be satisfactory, but I don't.
(19:11):
I feel his celebrity is out of control and that for whatever reason, Trump is attached to
an apocalyptic narrative that has made him the hero.
No matter how much we try to make sense of it, it's not going to make any sense, and it's
definitely an idolatry issue and there's no question about it.
But the other side of the debate has also engaged in idolatry with the other side, maybe
(19:35):
not in the same sense as the cult of personality involved.
But in putting aside obvious issues present within the party at large for the sake of the
hope that their values would overcome any issues is also detrimental.
Long story short, the Democrats didn't care enough about the people to get a viable candidate
for president and the Republicans are flying on the popularity of someone who isn't qualified
(20:01):
to lead.
And now nobody knows what's next where to go or what to do.
So I see this much as spoken of in biblical times.
The people wanted a king and there were enough of them who wanted a king that they got a
king, but now the results of the king will result.
(20:21):
And whether there will be more spiritual than literal, I don't know.
I believe though it will be a mix of both.
And knowing this, what do we do?
If idolatry is at the root of all of this, then the first thing we have to acknowledge is
that God hasn't been where he needs to be in our lives for a long time.
And that's on both sides of this debate.
(20:43):
And this is not about ten commandments in schools or prayer in schools.
This is about the fact that nobody told you you can't pray at home and you don't do it
there.
This is about the fact that you have the right to practice your faith and you don't.
You don't go to church, you don't spend any time in the word, you don't spend any time
with God doing the right thing and doing the spiritual thing is not your priority.
(21:09):
That's a problem.
And we can all talk about ten commandments in schools and this and that and something else
all damn day.
But if you don't get yourself correct, then you have idols in your life.
And that's part of the bigger problem.
I'm not taking political sides because I think especially in these instances both are wrong
(21:29):
and it's a lesson that the lesser of two evils is still evil.
So before we go anywhere else, if we want to be people who are set right and are fixated
on the right way to go and want to trust God and hear from God over the next four years
and beyond, then God needs to come first.
Not our fear.
(21:50):
This is not the time to think the answer to everything is hoarding food, toilet paper,
water, etc.
Beyond the basics of being well prepared for an emergency such as a storm or something
of that nature.
But it is the time to trust God.
And I don't mean in an altar-call kind of way where we talk about trusting God with our
(22:10):
lives and it all sounds good in everybody cries and then we all go home and we're exactly
the same as we were before.
We can let anything overtake our lives by a Dollar Tree.
Not political figures, not parties, not fear, not assuming that we have nothing to worry
about due to people in power, not anything, not our families, our jobs, none of it.
(22:31):
This is going to be a literal Jehovah Jireh period because the forecasts are for things to
get very expensive very quickly and instead of looking to earthly figures to solve this
problem, we need to look to our true provider to make sure that we're taken care of.
And if your faith isn't where it needs to be then get it there, okay?
(22:55):
Sometimes I feel like we're begging people to believe in God and we're begging people to
come back to church and it's like we're trying to con everybody into this.
I'm not con and nobody into this.
If you don't want to believe in God, don't believe in God.
But then don't cry about all these problems that are going on.
Because just as it says there with these specific situations in Israel, if your answer to the
(23:17):
problems is to have everything that everybody else has, then you are part of the problem
and you're going to get what everybody else has.
You need to be spiritually prepared enough to follow divine guidance in here from God and
situations to come.
You need to be connected to good spiritual leadership who has the courage and ability to navigate
the waters of the impending situations that might result over the next few years and
(23:41):
that's not going to be found in your average seeker friendly larger than life church or
many of these denominational groups.
Because we've played around belief in God so long, so many of us, and this is myself included,
almost don't want to even debate it with people anymore because it's so tired and so
long worn.
But if you hear this and you know you need to get yourself together, then it's time to
take those steps and you can contact us for more information about how to do that if
(24:05):
you're not sure where to start on your own.
If you're already believers time to grow up and I say that with as much love as I can
possibly muster at the moment, it's time to stop letting people in secular power split
up the church and stop dictating to the church what it should believe or be or who it should
help or connect with.
Stop letting your secular leaders have spiritual power over you.
(24:29):
I'm going to repeat that again.
Stop letting secular leaders have spiritual power over you and get into scripture and
get into a good church and learn who you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to
be about.
Why?
Because the king is here and we have no choice at this point but to get ourselves together
and set our personal lines for who we want to be at this point in history.
(24:53):
So the next aspect of this is we need to embrace the suck.
My general advice for the next few years, however long it's going to be, can be summarized
in the words of someone's therapist that I know, embrace the suck.
Let's go to Jeremiah 40 and we're going to start reading in verse 7.
(25:14):
When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that
the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam as governor over the land and
had put him in charge of the men and women and children who were the poorest in the land
and who had not been carrying to exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah, at Mizpah - Ishmael,
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son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah, Seriaiah, son of Tanhumeth,
the sons of Ephai the Netophathite and Jaazaniah, the son of the Maakathite and
their men.
Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them in their men.
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"Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians," he said.
"Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon and it will go well with you.
I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but
you are to harvest the wine, some are fruit and olive oil and put them in your storage jars
and live in the towns you have taken over."
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When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, and Edom in all the other countries heard that the king
of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, the son
of Shaphan, as governor over them.
They all came back to the land of Judah to Gedaliah at Mizpah from all the countries
where they had been scattered and they harvested an abundance of wine and some are fruit.
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Now this is not the end of the story.
So Babylon conquered Israel.
Babylon is not going to be conquered by Israel.
That's not going to happen.
And the Israelites were given some practical advice that we can benefit from here.
There was no chance that anyone at that point in history was going to overthrow Babylon.
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For one it wasn't within God's will for such to happen, so that means it was a no-go anyhow.
Babylon, like it or not, was being used for a divine purpose and that was to execute judgment
against Israel.
Now I am going to be careful in what I say here because I kind of see modern government
through boat lenses.
(27:26):
I do agree that electoral government is moved with the sway of the people, but if you actually
learn about such things such as the electoral college, you will learn it's a little more
complicated than just a people's decision.
I'm not going to get into all that on here.
I do encourage everybody goes and learns about what the electoral college is about, particularly
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if you live in the United States because a lot of us really properly don't understand
what it does and how it functions and how it moves.
But I'd also argue that in Greece and Rome, government was also electoral and the leaders
in place were still seen as put in power by defined authority.
It's the concept of times which I encourage hardly as a study right now to understand
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the spiritual aspect of secular government and how times works is to understand that no
matter how divine a secular figure might find themselves relevant here, they don't remain
in power forever but for appointed periods.
And when that period is up, which we have no way of easily knowing in the natural, with
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election seasons it's four years, but it could be lesser more depending on factors.
But removes that person, recognizing that God is still a great ruler and the permanent
ruler in a world full of temporary rulers.
So reality is whether we like it or not that certain powers are in place, but they are
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only allowed the space to rule for a specific period of time.
And as much as we don't like that and as much as we might not like what goes on, we need
to keep that perspective, that earthly government is always temporary because no matter who
is in power, Jesus is still on the throne.
And ultimately that outweighs anything someone might want to do in power.
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There is no pretending that this is not real, we have to come to accept our reality.
And we also have to continue to live life.
One of the first things that happened after the election is people started telling me
to find another job because my part time secular employment is with a government agency.
And they were afraid that Trump is going to dismantle that agency and along with it my
(29:41):
position and then I would be out of work.
I appreciate the concern that people have for me and the concern that people have for
my position and for wanting me to be able to survive.
But at the same time I can't stop my life and give in fear because of possibilities that
aren't showing to be realities.
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If you think a lot about his promises, especially the scarier ones and yes I'm talking about
Trump, they aren't feasible the second he steps into office or perhaps even later than that
if they are even possible at a later point in time.
They are promises that feed on fear that cause people who have irrational views of the world
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to stop living and start blaming their issues on other people and that's not healthy.
Church offices are not being bought or sold.
The advice given here is actually reiterated by Jeremiah and other places in the book.
You can look it up if you want to see it for yourself.
I didn't want to for the sake of time to read the same thing a bunch of times but it's important
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to settle down in the land to accept that maybe this isn't what any of us wants but to
settle in, keep living, keep working, have our families and friends and continue on because
like it or not we've got a king now and we have to wait this period out.
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I want to add that the not end of the story apart with the Israelites is that they were
told to settle down and just accept the suck and instead they all went off to Egypt and
died there and they were told if they didn't do this, if they didn't do what they were
supposed to do that they would die somewhere else.
Why?
Well one God knew what was going to happen in Egypt but the bigger part of that is that suck
(31:29):
can happen anywhere and things can happen anywhere and we cannot run God and so if this has
a bigger purpose then we need to just settle down and deal with it and accept it and keep
the best that we can going on with life as we wait out this period.
So the next point is that we need to find community and you should already have a community.
If you don't now is the time to connect to one because contrary to popular belief your
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family isn't enough when the shit hits the fan.
You need other people you can trust and rely on and you can both be there for and be there
for them because these are things that are necessary.
We need other people and we need places where we can be safe no matter what is going on
in the larger scheme of things.
It's also really important that in the aftermath of these days that we recognize community
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that is willing to do the right thing and the things that need to be done to aid and
assist people without getting involved in the political scene and do with that statement
whatever you will.
Next point is now is not the time to fail and follow the protocols put into place for
the sake of government function.
(32:40):
Don't do something stupid like refuse to pay your taxes or start deliberately disobeying
the law such as speeding or getting a bunch of traffic violations or stockpiling illegal
weapons or something of that nature.
Don't decide to take your car off the road.
I.e. not having a license plate or driver's license and still think you can drive it anyway.
(33:02):
Listening to conspiracy theorists who say you don't have to register cars, have a driver's
license etc. isn't going to help you in the long run so don't be stupid.
It's not the Israelites who just kept finding themselves in bad situations and kept making
it worse.
Well we have to pay to the government, let's pay to the government, let's use good judgment
and not become anarchists for the sake of doing something that doesn't do anyone any
(33:26):
good.
Let's also consider the type of people God would want his people to be.
If we look at history, Christians of all eras have had hard times at some point and
it's usually not the forefront mainline church that has had the hard time.
As much as mainline evangelicals, Catholics and other groups feel their rights are being
threatened, they aren't the ones who, under the current regime, have much to worry about.
(33:51):
Although the reality is that that time might come too.
I'm not trying to be doomed to stay here because I don't see things going in the left
behind series direction many predict.
But I do think there will be some difficulties for some demographics.
If due to nothing else but social persecutions because certain groups feel entitled now
that Trump and his cohorts are in power.
(34:13):
So we need to be aware of those who are most vulnerable and be prepared to support them
however we can and stand up for them and protect them and I think this is the most important
message we can get through this period.
We embrace the reality of suck we now have before us and we strengthen our communities
to move forward rather than do something that won't produce much.
(34:37):
And maybe we need to acknowledge that we're here for such a time as this.
I've been the first to admit that over the past few years the future of the church is
one that's been in question for me.
I feel the mainline churches have heard all of us, even those of us who aren't really
typical bystanders and repairing that is a long hard road.
I also believe the mainline churches support of Trump and the election heard its credibility
(35:02):
with people who do sincerely care about other people and about vulnerable groups in this
country.
That makes it that much harder for those of us who aren't involved in the political
scene to make inroads, convincing others we are different.
But despite all the difficulties and despite the fact that things aren't maybe going
(35:24):
the way we would like them to go.
What if we are here for such a time as this?
What if it's hardest things might be as much as sacrifices might have to be made at times?
What if we are here because people need leaders?
They need support.
They need people who aren't afraid to stand up and do the right thing when it's easier
to sit down and blend in out of fear that standing for something and doing right might
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cause too much controversy.
What if instead of looking out without hope we look out over the current situation and
we see God giving us a mission field full of opportunities to do the work we always say
we want to do.
But that's my take on how we're to handle what's to come.
We accept reality.
(36:10):
We continue to live life.
We find community or embrace the one we have in a much greater way.
We don't stop following governmental laws such as paying taxes, traffic laws, etc.
We consider the type of people God would want us to be and we accept that we are here for
such a time as this.
And as a side point, maybe the bottom line given that we are overthrowing idolatry, we
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remember God is still on the throne and we don't let what is happening in the world hurt
so much as to recognize and realize God is still our ruler regardless of what those
in power right now might think or how they might regard themselves.
I hope that this message has been an encouragement to you and I encourage you if you are learning
(36:56):
how to better reach out to specific communities in particular the LGBTQ community my new book
very, very new.
It's only been out a couple of months ministering to LGBTQ+ and those who love them a
primer for queer theology and it's accompanying workbook called ministering to LGBTQ+ and
those who love them workbook.
(37:18):
So that is ministering to LGBTQ+ and those who love them a primer for queer theology
and the accompanying workbook and this is not just a boring workbook.
This is a full color workbook with infographics and puzzles and additional material that is
not found in the major text.
It also gives visual aid to those who are reading the additional text and that is ministering
(37:41):
to LGBTQ+ and those who love them workbook also primer for queer theology.
Go online and check me out Dr. Lee Ann Marino and look me up wherever books are sold Amazon
and Barnes and Noble and everywhere else and check out all of my titles that are available
as of right now I would say there's about 37 38 they're going to be more soon including
(38:02):
a hardcover.
So definitely look me up Dr. Lee Ann Marino and check me out today.
Also check out my patheos column leadership on fire at patheos.com/blogs/leadershiponfire.
That's patheos.com/blogs/leadershiponfire
leadership on fire is
literally about everything that pertains to leadership, everything that's of interest
(38:25):
to people who are in leadership are interested in leadership or want to learn more about
it.
So go and check that out today and learn something to edify your walk as a leader.
Also connect with me across social media @kingdompowernow.
I'm available on Facebook, on TikTok, on Twitter, on Instagram, on Lemon8, on WordPress
(38:47):
and beyond @kingdompowernow.
Let's reach out and have that conversation, follow along with what's going on and tell
me what you might want to hear on the program definitely @kingdompowernow.
Also if you would like to learn more about the world of counterculture Christianity, feel
free to visit my website at kingdompowernow.org. That's at kingdompowernow.org
(39:17):
If you are interested in an entirely affordable seminary that can be done from anywhere where you are in the world, we are donation-based and we are an entirely practical affordable, available, and accessible seminary, check out Apostolic Covenant Theological Seminary, that's ACTS for short at acts176.org, that's acts176.org
And if you are in the Charlotte, North Carolina area and you are looking for community, I have one for you (39:37):
the community of Sanctuary International Fellowship Tabernacle - Sanctuary for short - check us out at welcomeinthisplace.org, that's welcomeinthisplace.org and if you would like more information that's not available on the website, feel free to reach out and we will get back to you
(40:05):
And this is Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino reminding you in closing that even though it might feel like the world is ending, it's not ending until God says so. So let's take a deep breath, let's keep on going, and let's not get distracted by the things we might see with our eyes. Until next time, be blessed.
Thank you for joining us on the Kingdom Now podcast today. I pray it has proven to be a blessing in your life. To learn more about this work, ask a question, submit feedback, advertise with us, be a guest,
(40:26):
or donate to support this work.
As our podcast is sponsored by listeners like you, visit my website which contains essential
information, projects and linkss for other points of contact around the web at kingdompowernow.org.
Also if you are in our area and would like to visit Sanctuary International Fellowship
(40:49):
Tabernacle, visit welcomeinthisplace.org
Until next time,
this is Apostle Dr. Lee Ann Marino reminding you that the Kingdom of God
is within you.
And that means the Kingdom is now.
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