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by Major Terry Griffin –
“Castles in the air cost a great deal to keep up.” (Bulwer Lytton)
I tend to be a fairly conservative individual, not attracted to outbursts of excitement or loud demonstrations. In terms of Christian witness I have been “put off” a bit by those who carry signs which proclaim, “Repent!” or “Be prepared to meet your Maker!” However, I must give them credit for their boldness and desire to get people’s attention regarding eternal matters.
John the Baptist was a bold proclaimer for the Kingdom of God. I don’t think he carried a placard, but we hear him loudly announcing, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)
According to Matthew, John “is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!” ‘ ”
I can see John standing on a street corner in one of our major cities proclaiming the good news, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We know that the kingdom John was proclaiming was centered in a person, Jesus Christ.
Watchman Nee, the great Chinese theologian, attended a conference at which the brilliant theologians of the day were gathered to discuss one subject, the Kingdom of God. At this conference they debated many hours as to what the Kingdom of God is. After listening to the arguments Watchman Nee got up from his seat and walked to the front of the room. He went to each person and placed his hands on their head and simply said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” It is a simple and profound statement based upon Colossians 1:13-29. Two verses which stand out are Col. 1:13, “For he (Christ Jesus) delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” And Col.1:27b, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Somehow the vast majority of people in America have an upside down view of life. They (we?) have become architects and builders of “castles in the air.” Our time and money are spent on things that have little eternal value, while the world is dying in sin. Perhaps we need to take a new look at ourselves and our role in this world. The Kingdom of God is depending on me (us) because Christ is in me (us) and his life in me (us) may be the only hope for someone who is living in the “kingdom of darkness.”
“Builders of the Kingdom” are about to be ordained and commissioned. It is their role, and the role of each of us who claim to be Christians, to invest our time, our gifts, our energy and our money into building that which is eternal. The older I get the more I understand the temporary status we enjoy on earth. I want my life to count for more than having built a castle in the air. I want to build the Kingdom of God with the redeemed lives of men, women, boys and girls. This is the goal of the Builders of the Kingdom session. I have witnessed their dedication and commitment and I am proud of their dedication to Jesus Christ. May each of us be builders of the kingdom, God’s Kingdom, and not castles in the air.
