He waits for his flight on Canadian soil, but he’s gone through American security protocols and uses American dollars in the terminal. When he goes to the international gate, there is an overlap of jurisdiction. Smith, a Canadian, gives the example of taking international flights from Toronto to the U.S. And their authority is a temporary, relativized, lame-duck authority.” “The governing authorities matter, but all of their power is delegated from the only one who has true authority. What I’m suggesting is that we take a deep breath now that the election is over and get back to the real work of (1) introducing people to Jesus’ revolutionary love and (2) doing whatever is in our own limited spheres of power to help the principles of the Kingdom of Christ become reality in the here and now (read Matthew 5–7 for what those principles entail). I’m not saying that we need to only worry about individual souls and not politics. O’Donovan is saying that this effort was so effective that eventually the Roman leaders had to face that their political power was being undermined by the faith commitments of individual people. ![]() But the early church got busy showing regular people who Jesus was and helping them discover all of the implications of his life and death on their behalf. It mattered, of course, whether the ruler was actively killing people for their faith or whether they were allowed to live in peace. This means that those early Christians didn’t base everything on who gained or lost power in the empire. Its success with the first was the basis of its great confidence in confronting the second… Christ conquered the rulers from below, by drawing their subjects out from under their authority.” Smith quotes the Anglican ethicist Oliver O’Donovan on the way the first Christian stood up to the insanely harmful Roman political leaders of the first few centuries: “The church addressed society and it addressed rulers. Instead, the call now-as always-is to be drawn so closely into the words, works, and ways of Jesus that he shapes every area of our life, including our public life together (which is what politics are ultimately about). Nor by getting caught up in party politics. So how do we get to work politically now that the election is over? Not by moving back into a siloed world of religion while we let politics take its course. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom: Reforming Public Theology, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017, 159). “It’s not that ‘secular’ authorities have full authority over a limited jurisdiction they have only delegated authority for a time” (James K. While we’re sometimes taught to separate these powers (a separation of church and state kind of argument) and keep politics out of religion and vice versa, Smith calls us to acknowledge that Christianity has political ramifications and makes political claims, and also that political leaders make religious claims and carry religious implications. Yes, we have human governments and authorities. Instead, he calls us to view our political engagement in terms of an overlap of kingdoms. We should not think that politics are unimportant, nor should we imagine that all of our problems have political solutions. Smith argues that we should view politics with greater nuance than siding with either Republicans or Democrats. That’s actually a perfect illustration of what our human politics are actually like. With the election of Joe Biden, Donald Trump has become what’s known as a lame duck president, meaning that he’s still technically “in power” but is limited in what he can accomplish because his administration is coming to a close. But as I’ve been arguing, we must keep politics in proper perspective. I don’t say that to disparage what happens with presidential elections, it’s obviously hugely important. ![]() The biblical meanings of the flags are basic.Now that the election is over, we can get back to the real work of politics. ![]() In the Old Testament, one of the names of God is "Jehovah Nissi" which means “The Lord our Banner". The words: Banner, Flag and Standard are interchangeable throughout the Bible. The sizes are made versatile for any sized space or sanctuary. The flags are attached to Standards (shafts) by secured spin tubes, creating an expressive, powerful & anointed flow for worship! The Standards are 33 “or 36” in length with a 3/8” diameter, perfect for any sized hand! The flags are made in 2 sizes for adults. The Flags (cloth) are made of tissue lame & organza, a lightweight, flowing & semitransparent material. However, allow 3-4 weeks for specialty colors. Flags Overview:ĭeliveries are usually in 4 days. Suggestions: Use the ~Deity of Heaven ~ flags during Worship encounters, intercession, expressive worship, processionals & time alone in worship.
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