How to be faithful to God and Jesus in dark times?

In Acts 28:28, Paul says something fundamental, as we saw in the previous article. Previously, non-Jews had access to God through the Jewish people. That changes in Acts 28:28. Through Jesus' resurrection, contact with God has become possible directly for non-Jews. This is a situation that applies to what we call the 'interim'.

This new path was also accessible to the Jews; they were not excluded from it. For them, the Torah remained applicable, but the distinction that had previously been made between Jew and non-Jew was no longer valid. Everyone had access to grace, provided they recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

“No one comes to the Father except through me.”

That interim period does not last forever; it is finite. The promised Messiah will come eventually. His reign on earth has been postponed. On earth? Yes. That is what the Bible says. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were promised that an earthly kingdom of peace would come. The fact that the Messiah was killed does not mean the end of those promises. God keeps his promises. He is now working out his plan via a detour.

For a certain period of time he will not interfere with the earth and its people. That period is between Jesus' ascension and his return, what I call the interim. During this period, the 'comforter' is active for those who are open to it. This is the Holy Spirit, who can fill anyone who recognizes that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

The interim period has lasted about 2000 years. For humans, that is a very long time, for God it is something like 2 days. But what are the important characteristics of that time?

God does not (temporarily) interfere directly with the earth during this period. It is even written that 'the serpent was cast upon the earth', or in other words: that evil is temporarily given free reign. This serpent is the symbol of the being responsible for the things that go wrong in our world.

- He is God's adversary and he is out to thwart God's plans. He is plotting world domination to prevent humanity from reaching its goal.

- This snake controls the overarching system in which the governments on earth function. This system is characterized by the endless pursuit of profit.

Politics is therefore often a (corrupting) game between people for power. The illusion that power is something good comes directly from the snake and is part of the system.

Not only politics has been subject to the power of evil for millennia, but also the clergy. Regardless of which religion, spiritual movement or philosophy of life.

Institutions such as the church, the temple or the mosque can be influenced by evil. The members of such a society do not see it that way themselves.

God's grace, however, works in a different way. His spirit is only active in individuals who open themselves to it. These individuals can be found in Christian and non-Christian institutions. What they have in common is the faith associated with the resurrection of Jesus.

In the meantime, God's church is, according to Paul, a 'mysterion', which means something like 'hidden'. People today retain access to the tremendous energy of God's spirit thanks to Jesus' resurrection. And those who have been truly touched by this are part of that hidden church.

Let's make this practical. It means that as a believer you live in a world where love and peace do not reign, but where there is a lust for power, greed for money and all kinds of other things that are not good for people, animals and the planet. It is a world ruled by destruction and deception; by illusions too.

As believers, we know very well who is behind this. The Bible is clear about this and also about the fact that he only has power for a limited time. In this unredeemed world, however, there is a comforter, the Holy Spirit, who supports those who are faithful to God. Jesus has been at the right hand of the Father since his ascension, but he awaits his return. And we can meet him directly through the Spirit. He also supports us.

It is important that we read the Bible carefully, preferably in the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic texts, and that we know exactly what relates to the Messianic kingdom of peace and what relates to the meantime. Those who have experienced the powerful energy of Jesus know how beautiful is what God has given us for this difficult period. That is the subject of the next installment, entitled 'What did Paul teach the non-Jews?

What did Paul teach his spiritual kin after Acts 28:28?

The letters for the interim period are Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. These are the letters from which we can draw direct energy for this period of transition.

I will summarize the conclusions from the previous articles again, because it is not all that easy. (Feel free to ask me questions at bertoverbeek@icloud.com)

-Jesus came to earth to realize God's Kingdom of Peace. That was his goal.

- In doing so, God fulfilled the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: their descendants, the later Jewish people, would be a 'light' to other nations. Through them, they would come to know God and finally be able to create a paradise on earth together. Love and peace would dominate.

For that to happen, they had to recognize the Messiah as the Messiah. He would lead them. The recognition had to come from the entire Jewish people and not just a part of it.

The crucifixion of Messiah Jesus brought a temporary end to God's plans for the earth. But God would not have been God if he did not have a plan B. A plan that began with Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

Through Jesus' disciples and Paul, a second offer of the Messianic Kingdom was made. The book of Acts tells us about this. If they had accepted him as the Messiah then, the Messianic Kingdom would still have come, because Jesus would have returned to earth. That was also the expectation: 'Behold,' said Jesus, 'I am coming soon.

Because this new offer was also rejected, the coming of the Messianic Kingdom was postponed even further. Fortunately, however, there was also a plan C: the message would no longer be conveyed only to the Jews, but also to non-Jews. This step in particular shows God's intention to realize his plans for humanity.

This message was completely new at the time, not only for the non-Jews, but also for the Jews. And the content was also substantially different from what they were used to. Paul no longer spoke to his listeners about a Messianic Kingdom, but about the grace that you received through Jesus the Messiah (Christ means Messiah).

And now we will take a closer look at the letters for the time being. The question is: how should Jews and non-Jews deal with a time when the global kingdom of peace does not come? A time when God does not interfere with world politics, even worse, a time when world politics are ruled by 'the powers of darkness'? In other words: what do these letters say about our time and how should we deal with it?

The time in which we live and the future

First of all, this: the time in which we live, this era, this aioon, is under the rule of 'the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is active among the children of disobedience'. This clear allusion to Satan as the ruler of the current world systems can be derived from Ephesians 2:2. I will therefore focus on this letter, but Colossians has the same message.

Paul considers Satan to be the power that controls the world order. His influence is ever present, but will end with the coming of the next era: the Messianic Kingdom of Peace that will be established when Jesus returns.

In Ephesians 6:12 he says something else about this time: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

What Paul is saying here is that there is more behind the regimes of our time than meets the eye and that human leaders are under the influence of 'the spiritual forces of evil'. Every regime in the meantime is under the influence of God's adversary; from the time of Jesus and before. We are not fighting against Trump, Putin, Macron or Xi, but against the spiritual forces that are behind their power. Paul calls them 'the rulers of the darkness of this age', and not only that, they are also responsible for 'the darkness of this age'.

The good news is that this is temporary and that a different time will come. When? Many predictions have been made, so I am cautious.

What Paulus says is that Jesus has already won the contest and has been placed above all current world leaders by God, but that this will only become visible on earth in the future. In heaven, the battle has already been won and the power behind evil has already been 'cast down' to earth.

If you want to understand the letters between the testaments, you will have to realize that we should read 'era' ('century' as in 'golden age') everywhere where eternity is translated. This also applies to the rest of the Bible. The Hebrew variant of the word is 'olam' and the Greek 'aioon'. The term 'eternity of eternities' ('aion ton aionon' in Greek) proves it: how can there be more eternities if these eras have no beginning or end? So it must be 'the age of ages', referring to the age in which God and Jesus rule world politics. Ultimately, Jesus will be present in every human being, because the powers that still rule will be conquered in the next age (Ephesians 6:12).

Reaching ahead to the future age

Paul, like many believing Jews, makes a distinction between the 'olam-ha-ze' (the current 'age') and the 'olam-ha-ba' (the future 'age'). In his texts we clearly see a current and a new era. In the current era, God's adversary rules (through principles and authorities) over the world systems; in the future this will be over and Jesus will lead the earth to world peace on God's behalf.

The beauty of it is that we can already experience that future era through God's grace. Ephesians 2:6-7 literally says this: through Jesus we are already in that liberated heavenly sphere, even if we live on earth. The realization that all evil will come to an end in the future is a wonderful thought. In the here and now, however, God's spirit is already at work on an individual level. We live in this world, but we “are not of this world”.

After a long period of silence, God will show the overwhelming richness of His goodness in the coming eras (2:7). This means that His plan will be realized step by step through successive eras. At the moment, He is silent, but that will change. The world will be shaken to its very foundations.

The grace, the direct access to the sphere of heaven in the sometimes dark days on earth, is - according to Paul - a new message. In Ephesians 3:5 he says that this was a 'mystery', a hidden truth, in the past. The individuals who are faithful to God are spread across the world and they form the hidden church of God.

It is fine for people to go to a church or to congregations, but they are not much more than a house. God's church is 'hidden'. God does not work through institutions in this day and age. However, it can be a place where people can share their faith. Unfortunately, this does not always go well, as the many churches and church schisms prove.

That wonderful grace

Paul says that people who adhere to the faith of Jesus no longer have to behave according to the current finite era with its 'evil days' (Ephesians 5:16). They may 'put on' the new self, which is as if the world is not ruled by darkness, greed for money and power, and wantonness, but by light and love. 'As far as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone', says Paul in another letter, but it also fits very well with the present time.

Now you may realize how wonderful God's grace is. If it did not exist, we would be at the mercy of the destructive whims of the adversary. That would bring even more war and misery. Because of this grace, a glimmer of God is still visible in the good works that many people on this earth perform.

Importantly, unlike in other letters, the adversary (i.e. Satan) is no longer seen as a cosmic ruler, but as a ruler of the interim period in which he uses his influence to try to drag people along with him in his hatred of God. He wants people to do his will and not God's (2 Timothy 2:26).

You may let go of the things of this time and world.

As mentioned before, believers can also use love, peace and light in the aioon of the adversary. It is especially important to realize that there is a great deal of deception. In Colossians 2:8, Paul warns against all kinds of worldly philosophies, human theories and deception. As we know from the Book of Revelation, these philosophies are characterized by the denial of God. They are atheistic or try to divert attention from Jesus with other gods or gurus.

Paul literally says that these philosophies represent the 'stocheia tou kosmou'. This means that the misleading ideas go back to the basic forces that govern the world. These can be spiritual powers, our biology, but even religious and social systems that can keep people bound to the 'old man' in the world of God's adversary. You see this every day when you see what people are all worried about. As a follower of Jesus, you can let go of this and you don't have to get bogged down in it.

This warning against heretical teachings and misleading philosophy does not mean that other movements could not be 'on their way to God'. It just goes a lot faster for those who know Jesus. Nevertheless, people can be well on the path to God through Buddhism, yoga, Islam or another movement. The disposition of their heart is important in this. God will help them. After all, he sees the heart. Outward appearances are something God sees straight through.

Many people do not know how liberating it is to recognize that you cannot do everything on your own. People think this leads to feelings of guilt. It does for perfectionists, but they are not yet liberated in the most perfectionist part of their mind. Liberation comes when they realize that it is not possible for them to do things perfectly.

Sin is missing the target

Time and time again, people prove to be goal-missers, people who fail to realize their goals, and then you have to think of goals such as love, peace and letting go of greed or desire. Not to mention enlightenment. As much as we want to, we simply cannot succeed completely. This is, by the way, exactly why humanity is so 'erring'. Because missing the goal is perhaps somewhat innocent here and there, there are also excesses. And these have far-reaching consequences for us, humans. Just think of the wars, the relationship between rich and poor in the world, the aggression between people, the abuse of people and the way we treat our planet.

This missing the mark is exactly what we call 'sin'. To counter this, there had to be at least one person in the world who did not sin, in other words: who did not miss the mark. And this person was Jesus. The sentence 'he died for our sins' must be understood in exactly this way. He proved that people have the potential to remain faithful to the God of peace and love. He proved that you should not let fear rule your life.

People often think of 'sin' as making mistakes, breaking the rules or being a 'bad person'. Then people say: 'Why did someone have to die for my sins? I don't have any sins at all'. A sentence like this is based on a misunderstanding of the word 'sin'. So let's take a look at what the words in the languages of the Bible actually mean.

In the Old Testament, sin is usually translated from the Hebrew word חָטָא (chata), a word that literally means 'to miss the target'. This can be deduced from, among other places, Judges 20:16:

“Of this entire group, there were seven hundred choice men who could sling a left and who did not miss the target (chata), not even by a hair's breadth.”

So here, 'chata' literally means missing the target. That is how you should see sin. According to other letters of Paul, this is anchored in humanity. We were given the law to recognize and acknowledge our misses. Before Jesus, there was also grace, but the Jewish people had to do something for it, such as make sacrifices (non-Jews did not really have a direct role in this; their salvation came through Israel).

Hebrew has a few other words that are translated as sin: 'avon' (to do wrong, something you are guilty of); 'pesha' (to deliberately violate God's commandments) and 'asham' (guilt, sense of guilt).

Jesus was put to death because of our transgressions (pesha) and iniquities (avon) according to Isaiah chapter 53, but he died because of our lack of purpose. The Greek translates the phrase that Jesus died for our sins as 'chata' with 'hamartia', which primarily means lack of purpose. Pesha, avon and asham are translated differently. His death helps us to rid ourselves of our purposeful sin. First figuratively, but also literally in the Messianic Kingdom.

The realization that our sins have been forgiven means that we can focus on the things that really matter. We do not need to feel guilty, we are more open to loving ourselves and therefore others.

Tips for the meantime

In previous articles we wrote about the time in which we now live. In the Bible this is a very special time, in which God is silent and his adversary controls the worldly systems. As a result, the connection with the heavenly is temporarily severed through the 'comforter', the Holy Spirit.

Paul provides a number of practical guidelines, particularly in his letters to Timothy, Philemon and Titus. Grace is available to those who choose Jesus with an honest heart. It is a deeply felt form of joy and fulfillment that comes directly from heaven. It is the light that allows one to walk through the darkness of this time.

One is indeed 'in' this world, but no longer 'of' this world. Where others are weighed down by daily worries and wild and depressing news reports, the followers of Jesus are completely at peace. Anything can happen to them, but nothing can happen to them anymore.

Here are ten tips from Paul for the meantime. I will list them first and then discuss them one by one.

1. “Hold fast to the sound teaching.” (Titus 1:9)

2. “Avoid useless discussions.” (2 Tim. 2:16)

3. “Train yourself in godliness.” (1 Tim. 4:8)

4. “Be an example in word and deed.” (1 Tim. 4:12)

5. “Watch your life and doctrine.” (1 Tim. 4:16)

6. “Treat others with respect and wisdom.” (1 Tim. 5:1-2)

7. “Be content and watch for greed.” (1 Tim. 6:8-10)

8. “Teach and strengthen others.” (2 Tim. 2:2)

9. “Be strong in times of trouble.” (2 Tim. 1:12)

10. “Appoint trustworthy leaders.” (1 Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:5)

1. “Hold to the trustworthy word as found in the teachings, so that he may be able to exhort people with sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9)

Paul emphasizes that the followers of Jesus should not allow themselves to be overawed or impressed by all kinds of philosophy, atheism or spirituality that have nothing to do with God and his message. Not only the spirit helps here, but also the letter, namely the Bible itself. They are a great help in refuting people who question the existence of God and come up with other theories.

2. Avoid pointless discussions

- “Avoid godless, meaningless talk, for those who indulge in it will go on progressing further and further into wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:16)

Endless discussions about irrelevant matters lead nowhere and can even be harmful, both to each other and to others. I often see religious people who want to convert others make the mistake of getting into a discussion. Then the discussion must be won too! And what is it about? About Jesus? Or about being right? 'If it is about being right (...) we are not right' Paul says somewhere.

I recently spoke to someone who got into a discussion with all kinds of kundalini practitioners.

“Those people are blind,“ she said. ‘I feel so sorry for them.’ However, those people” do not experience themselves as being blind at all. On the contrary. They are firmly convinced of the path they have chosen.

The idea that you can leave that path behind you and enter the arms of something better does not exist for them, but it does for the people who have embraced Jesus after leaving kundalini behind. Of course you can tell them how you see it, even if Jesus (Matthew 6:5) did not care much for pious behavior in the street.

I mention this with an eye to all those believers who try to convert people on the street and thus end up in discussions that may start out meaningfully, but end up being about being right. If you pray, do it in your inner room or in the company of fellow believers, but don't let it become a show.

3. Train yourself in godliness

“For physical exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)

Paul encourages us to be actively engaged in spiritual growth in addition to our sports activities, and certainly not just in earthly pursuits. Regarding godliness, I always refer to Paul's letter to the Galatians, verse 5:9: 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.' Your development paths and spiritual growth should be focused on this. It is good to reflect on this and ask God for support in your prayers.

4. Be an example in word and deed

“(...) be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

In this letter to young Timothy, Paul shows that he considers it important that believers ('pistoon' in Greek, which also means 'trustworthy') of Jesus are an example to each other. And be that not only in words, but also in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity.

Here I pause to consider the Greek.

'Wandel' is a translation of 'anastrophé'. This word means 'behavior' or 'way of life', just like the Hebrew 'halach', which is related to the halacha, in which the Jewish rules of life are described.

Agape is unconditional divine love, which is higher and more altruistic than romantic love (eros) or friendly love (philia). There are religions and philosophies that claim you cannot love another if you do not love yourself. The result is that you will invest an enormous amount of time in that self-love. And that is a shame, because 'agape' is the love that fills you naturally when you open yourself to the faith of Jesus. As a fruit of God's grace. You receive it for free and it is the Holy Spirit that stirs it in you.

'Spirit' does not appear in the oldest copies of the original text. It is possible that the word was added later, in the Byzantine era. The Greek word is derived from 'pneuma', which refers to the holy spirit, the human spirit and the general life force. Since it is missing in the oldest texts, I will leave out the word for now.

'Faith' is a translation of 'pistis' (Hebrew: emunah). Many people speak of 'faith', but perhaps the word 'faithfulness' is more beautiful and also closer to what Paul means, because 'pistis' and 'emunah' are also about trust. 'Faith', said writer and biblical scholar Heere Heeresma, 'actually reminds me too much of Brussels lof'. He found the word a bit vague.

- 'Chastity' is a translation of the Greek 'hagneia', which means purity in a physical and spiritual sense. The Hebrew has 'tohora', which means 'pure' and 'holy'.

In short: Paul advises the faithful to be distinctive and pure in word, lifestyle and behavior. It is important that you set an example for each other, especially in the area of altruistic love, the unconditional love for your fellow man that we have learned from the spirit.

5. Take care of yourself and your teachings

- “Take care of yourself and your teaching; persevere in it. For if you do, you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

This is about personal integrity. “Watch yourself,” we would say now, “and keep doing so. Remain steadfast in the things you teach others and yourself about Jesus and God; hold on to that. And be careful in what you teach.”

6. Treat people according to their situation

“An older man should not be spoken to sharply, but as to a father, younger men as to brothers, older women as to mothers, younger women as to sisters, with all purity." (1 Timothy 5:1-2)

Paul makes a powerful appeal for kindness and gentleness, but also for clear feedback, which is often translated in the Bible with the word 'admonish'. The combination of kindness and clarity when you reprimand people (a somewhat stricter word) avoids unnecessary arguments. But do remain honest and clear.

7. Don't be materialistic, but be content.

Two statements by Paul, again from his letters to Timothy, teach us that contentment makes the poor rich, and that you can leave materialism behind.

“However, if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:8)

“For the love of money is the root of all evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and suffered” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Food, clothing and shelter are things that are sufficient for faithful believers. They do not strive for unlimited wealth. We now know, 2000 years later, that profit maximization has led to corrupt production processes in many industries. Greed for money destroys people's integrity.

8. Teach and strengthen others

“And the things that you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Many interpreters will explain this as: 'The message must be passed on to people who can in turn teach others.' As far as I'm concerned, it could be a bit more pointed. Something like: 'Be selective in your choice of people to whom you entrust the message.

9. Be steadfast in difficult times

“I am suffering, but I am not ashamed, because I know in Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)

There will come a day in the future when all misery will be over for good. That is a nice prospect. The Bible is very clear about it. There will be a difficult period before Jesus returns to earth. From that moment on, the adversary and evil will be 'captured' and God will interfere again with the political systems on earth.

Until that time, there is the fulfillment through the Holy Spirit that will help you through difficult times, as it once did for Paul. Paul was in prison and probably did not look very presentable. But he was not ashamed of that. And rightly so. Difficulties and opposition are part of the job, but faith and trust will keep you standing.

10. Appoint reliable leaders

- “For a bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach.” (1 Timothy 3:2)

This one is also nice. Leadership is a theme in almost all religious and spiritual movements. There are many self-proclaimed gurus, 'gods' and 'goddesses'. In keeping with the tradition of his time, a leader for Paul is a man, but in our time, I think it could easily be a man and a woman. It is interesting to see how Paul views leadership among those he can trust. He does not envision a dissolute, loudmouthed person. He needs someone with a modest, not overly large ego. He highly values thoughtfulness, civility and hospitality.

In summary: tips for the meantime.

Anyone who has read the above and is aware of the times we live in can apply the following tips to their daily life:

- Do not be impressed by all kinds of religious, philosophical, spiritual and atheistic philosophies, but hold on to your connection with God and see the Bible as a guide you can always return to.

- Avoid pointless discussions with people who have nothing to do with God; simply do not engage in them.

-Don't go around trying to convert everyone you meet, but bear witness to your faith in modest but effective terms.

-Believing in the God of Jesus means you can grow in godliness. Dare to grow in the fruits of the spirit that are placed opposite the works of the flesh in Galatians 5, for example.

Be an example in word and behavior, in your unconditional charity, your reliability and faith and, finally, be pure in your intentions.

Pay close attention to yourself and to the teachings so that you too can remain balanced. Prayer and meditation can help you very well here.

- When you give feedback (admonish) to your fellow believers, do so with kindness and unconditional love, but also be clear.

- Do not get carried away by materialism, but be satisfied with food and shelter. Do not crave extreme wealth and if you are rich, let others share in it.

Don't let discussions about faith degenerate into cocky behavior, live as an example to others and remain steadfast, even when the going gets tough. Be satisfied with what you have and invest in your relationship with God and others. And if you play a role in appointing leaders, choose people who are honest and reliable. With all this, of course, I wish you every success.