Beliefs about the Afterlife (LV)

The above picture shows the New Jerusalem, or city of God, on the new heavens and earth. Whether the city is a cube or pyramidal is a point we may address later. In this chapter we will begin to look closer at what the scriptures say about this city and its inhabitants. Also, we will perhaps discuss whether the city will have a foundation on earth or be a kind of satellite or moon that hovers in the heavens above the earth. 

In "The New Jerusalem: The Consummation of God's Work In Humanity" by David Yoon (See here), we have these good words on our subject (emphasis mine):

"Throughout church history, the mystery of God's purpose and that of man's destiny have been a continuous source for debate and discussion among Christians. According to the divine revelation in the Holy Scriptures, the ultimate answer to these two mysteries is presented in the final vision of the Bible--the vision of the New Jerusalem, the holy city. This vision, described in Revelation 21 and 22, concludes the entire Scriptures and completes the progression of the divine revelation concerning God and His interaction with humankind. As the consummating vision in the Bible, the New Jerusalem unveils the ultimate issue of God's work upon His elect, the final state of their perfection through their participation in His great salvation (Heb. 2:3). The accomplishment of God's purpose and the fulfillment of humanity's destiny culminate and converge in the New Jerusalem." 

The New Jerusalem is an eternal city, containing streets and buildings, and the mansions or abodes of the redeemed and resurrected believers from the beginning of the world until the return of Christ. It is, as Yoon says, "the final state" of "perfection" for the people of God. This is the eternal home for the family of God from among redeemed men and women. 

Said another writer (See here emphasis mine):

"God’s plan of salvation includes, as we have seen, three great renewals: the renewal of our souls in regeneration, the renewal of our bodies in a glorious resurrection, and the renewal of our world in the creation of a new heaven and a new earth; or, if we may combine the language of the two apostles, St Paul and St John, the building of a new and eternal city, New Jerusalem."

This is a great truth. The city, as previously stated, has two aspects. The work of making a people for this glorious city (the place) is begun in time when sinners are converted to Christ, and as they are thereafter renewed "day by day" (II Cor. 4: 16) as they grow up in Christ. This renewal will not be completed till the body is also renewed in the resurrection. The world will also one day be renewed as we have seen.

The City of God

A city or country has two parts. A city may be defined by the totality of its citizens. It may also be defined by the physical aspects of it, such as its land, streets, buildings, etc. In John's vision of the New Jerusalem, the eternal city of God, the description of that blessed world community focuses on both aspects, although the major focus is upon the material or physical aspects of that city. That city and country is the hope of the saints from all the ages. So we read this of Abraham:

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Heb. 11: 8-10 nkjv)

On God being both "builder" and "maker" of this glorious city, Clark's commentary says (emphasis mine):

"The word τεχνιτης signifies an architect, one who plans, calculates, and constructs a building. The word δημιουργος signifies the governor of a people; one who forms them by institutions and laws; the framer of a political constitution. God is here represented the Maker or Father of all the heavenly inhabitants, and the planner of their citizenship in that heavenly country."

The city that Abraham looked for was the one that was promised to him, and to all believers. This city is part of the "inheritance" to be received when Christ returns and resurrects believers. Though Abraham and his family "dwelt in the land of promise" (Palestine or land of Canaan), it was not the superior or antitypical land of promise, or city, which is well described by the apostle John in Revelation's closing chapters. The earthly Jerusalem, glorious as it was under king Solomon, was not the fulfillment of the promise. It became only a type of it, much like the church of Christ of the new covenant (testament), as an institution, is a miniature example of it, or partial realization of it.

Coffman in his commentary references Macknight, as did Clark, who is quoted as saying:

"Believers, after the judgment, shall all be joined in one society or community with the angels. It is called a city which has firm foundations, because it is a community which is never to be dissolved. James Macknight, op. cit., p. 562."

The New Jerusalem, described in the Apocalypse, is a literal city. It cannot be made to be merely symbolic, as some are desirous of doing, especially among Amillennialists. It is not a symbol of the church, though the church (saved people) are made citizens of it in their conversions to Christ and mirrors life in the age to come, as we will see. It is rather that city which Abraham waited for, a city and community whose architect and builder is God himself. In the same chapter in Hebrews we have these additional words of commentary on that glorious city:

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (13-16)

The new heavens and earth, or kingdom of God on earth, is a country (realm) and a city, or "city state." That is defined by Britannica as "a political system consisting of an independent city having sovereignty over contiguous territory and serving as a political center." The word "city" is from the Greek word "polis" and which basically means such.

In the above text we see how the city that has been "prepared" for believers is not connected with the present heavens and earth but with the new heavens and earth. While occupying the present world, believers are strangers and pilgrims in it. So the writer of Hebrews says further: "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come." (13: 14) By "here" he means in this present age, in the present earth. In the age to come and in the new heavens and earth, we will be no strangers or pilgrims there. Notice also that by the above text (13: 14) we see that the church is not the city foretold, for the church is what is now present, but the city under consideration is "the one to come."

The city of God will come when Christ comes. Whether it comes strictly at the end of the millennium, or at the start, is a point we will address further later.

That celestial city, country, or homeland is "better" in every way than any city on earth. It is a "heavenly country," which word "heavenly" does not mean it is merely fictional or symbolic, for it is literal and heavenly. When we read of the angels praising the birth of Christ (Luke 2: 13) being a "heavenly host," we see this truth. Notice this text:

"The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (I Cor. 15: 47-49 KJV)

The Lord Jesus, "the second man," is a heavenly man and bears the image of a heavenly man. So too will the city of God, whether of the physical city or of its occupants, be both literal and heavenly.

Wrote the apostle Paul:

"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (II Cor. 4: 18)

Notice the mention of "heavenly kingdom." The adjective "heavenly" does not mean non-literal. Notice also how again the apostle sees his participation in that kingdom as something that was future and not a present reality for him. In another verse in Hebrews, which we will look at shortly, the writer mentions "heavenly Jerusalem." (12: 22)

For the present time there are of course what are called "the example and shadow of heavenly things" (Heb. 8: 5) or "the patterns of things in the heavens" (9: 23). The Hebrew tabernacle and temple were examples of the heavenly temple and house of God, and so too is the new testament church. 

It is interesting and a fact noted by many commentators on the Apocalypse that in the Book of Revelation the earthly Jerusalem is described as a city which "spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt," and the place where Christ was crucified (Rev. 11: 8), which shows it is not the heavenly Jerusalem. Also, the New Jerusalem is the antithesis of end times Babylon, that commercial city (and city state) of the end time global apostasy. (Rev. chapter 18) So, to borrow from the title of one of Charles Dicken's books, we may say that we have examples of a "tale of two cities." Another famous book in the Christian community was written by Augustine (5th century), contrasting the history of two cities, the city of God (people of God) versus the city of man. 

Every man is either a citizen of Babylon (representing the group of all unsaved peoples, who are therefore part of false religion) or a citizen of heavenly Jerusalem (representing the group of all saved peoples, who are therefore part of true religion). 

The New Jerusalem or heavenly kingdom is the believer's fatherland or motherland. It is essentially connected with the age to come and with the new heavens and earth and this truth is seen in texts such as we see again in Isaiah 65: 17-19, which we have cited in previous chapters, which reads as follows:

“Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people.”

Not only is the new Jerusalem connected with the new heavens and earth, but in the above text the city is distinguished from the people or citizens who reside therein. About this citizenship, the apostle Paul wrote the following: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil. 3: 20 NIV)

The KJV uses the word "conversation" rather than "citizenship" but the latter is the best and is what most English translations give for the Greek word politeuma. It denotes the life of a citizen. It may also signify a "commonwealth." The fact that this citizenship is "in heaven" reminds us of Paul's speaking of "Jerusalem which is above." He wrote: "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." (Gal. 4: 26) Heavenly Jerusalem is contrasted with earthly Jerusalem in the context, with "present day Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children." (vs. 25) Again, notice the two aspects of Jerusalem. There is the physical entity (such as we see described by the apostle John in the closing chapters of the Apocalypse) and then there are the citizens, or "her children." 

The earthly Jerusalem was to be a miniature representation of the heavenly Jerusalem (although it often failed to be such). In the same way is the new testament church also a miniature of it, as we will further see shortly. Those who are believers in the God of the Bible and in Christ Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, are children of Zion. (See Joel 2: 23; Psalm 87: 3-6) In the following posting of mine, in the series titled "God's Elect Or World's Elite?", I wrote extensively on this subject (see here). In that same series I dealt extensively with this text, also from Hebrews, on what it means to be a part of this eternal city of God. 

In the next chapter we will continue our close study of the New Jerusalem or city of God. There is still much to contemplate on this part of our study.

Beliefs about the Afterlife (LIV)

In this part of our study, we will look even closer at what life will be like in the age(s) to come, in the new heavens and earth, for all its occupants. Who are those beings who will be present? 

First, redeemed and resurrected believers from the time of Adam to the time of Christ's return will be present. They will have glorified bodies and will no longer marry, nor have conjugal relations, nor have children. About the nature of these glorified bodies we will have much to say later. What has been said about that nature has been preliminary to a larger discussion. Since I am, and I hope the reader is, among this number of people, I want to know all about what life will be like in the Millennial Age, and in the ceaseless ages that follow. 

Second, the meek, and they of the surviving nations, the sheep nations, who become believers in Christ when they see him descend to heaven and assemble all the nations so he can divide them, and who are thus of the saved nations. These new believers, who Seiss well called "the church of the after or later born" (in contradistinction to "the church of the firstborn ones"), are designated as "the sheep nations." Upon that we hope to expand later or to include it in an appendix to this series. These people will not become immortal or immutable in a glorified and immortal state, at least not in the millennial age. They will live a thousand years or more and have children. But, that raises a number of questions, some difficult to answer.

 

How many children can a woman have who lives a thousand years and whose youth is in the hundreds of years? And, how many births in view of the fact that there will no longer be pain in childbirth? For, travailing in birth is part of the curse on women because of sin. (Gen. 3: 17-19) How will life be like for them? How will it be different than the lives of the resurrected saints of the church of the firstborn ones? 

Third, there will be those meek unsaved souls who 1) survived the day of destruction (Apocalypse), and who 2) see Christ destroy the Antichrist and his followers and submit to his authority (though not with all the heart, not loving or adoring him, but feigning allegiance so as to remain) until the end of the thousand years when this group will align in rebellion with Satan when he is released and goes out to the nations of the world to once again deceive them. This group will in large part be made up of those born during the Millennium and who do not unite in heart with Christ the King. 

Fourth, there will be angels mingling with glorified saints and with the meek sheep nations. 

Fifth, there will of course be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who will specially dwell with the new inhabitants of the new heavens and earth. 

We have also raised the question that is often discussed by those who study these things deeply, i.e. "how will these groups and individuals interact with each other?" Is this a society with several social classes of beings? In fact, though the bible gives a lot of information about life in eternity, in the new heavens and earth, yet it does not reveal many things, so much so that we often end up with far more questions needing answers than when we started. 

Questions Raised

1. Where on earth will each believer live? 

2. What will each do?

3. Will there be private property? 

4. Will there still be male and female?

5. Does the inheritance of resurrected saints include a private estate on earth?

6. Will the resurrected bodies eat and drink, and need to go to the toilet?

7. What is entailed in resurrected believers acting as kings, priests, judges, and lords?

8. Will they regret having no longer certain pleasures, as sexual intercourse?

9. How will they travel?

10. Will they have a daily, weekly, monthly, schedule?

11. How much of their time and pursuits will be left to free choice?

12. How will glorified believers choose to occupy their free time?

13. How will they relate to "the nations" who are not of the resurrected class?

14. Will they watch over the human race in much the same way angels do now?

15. How will they interact with the myriads of holy angels?

16. Will they have their circles of interpersonal groups?

17. If they live on earth, why not in the New Jerusalem?

18. Will they be able to spend lots of time with a prophet or apostle?

19. How can I spend time with Christ, or get close to him, if all want to do so?

20. What abilities will glorified saints possess?

21. What insures that they cannot sin?

22. Will they be increasing in wisdom and knowledge?

23. Will they regret the fun things of former lives, such as through sports?

24. Will they ever get bored?

25. Will they feel pity for the lost, for those in hell or who are struck dead?

26. Will they enjoy watching the expansion of the human race?

27. Will they be anticipating the end of the Millennium?

28. Etc.

First, let us think about what the scriptures say of the eternal residence of the resurrected and glorified believers. We have already seen that resurrected believers will enter the Millennial Kingdom in immortal bodies and receive their eternal inheritance and have contended that they will then become immutably holy in their eternal state (a point we plan to enlarge upon once we discuss the nature of the resurrection body).

Of course, the scriptures also speak of "new heavens and new earth." Our home will always be on earth and in its heavens. The destiny of the earth is connected with the destiny of redeemed mankind. In the next chapter we will look more closely at the New Jerusalem and of the mansions and abodes of the resurrected believers within its boundaries.

Misc. News

I continue to have several medical problems being addressed by my several doctors. My oxygen levels drop into the 80s when I exert myself. We are trying to find out whether it is long covid or a rapid change in my pulmonary fibrosis. I still have bad chest pains and we don't know exactly why yet.

On a different note, the several blogs I have created over the years have been seeing a dramatic increase in readership over the past several months. This blog two months ago had over 35,000 visits and last month had over 23,000. I thank God and all who visit. I also thank my brothers Ken Mann and Kevin Fralick.

An Oft Misunderstood Text

This is one of the most misinterpreted texts in all the bible. Part of the problem is with the above translation. This verse is not saying that if godly parents raise their children in the way of the Lord, then they will not depart from it, even when they are old. But, it does not reflect reality and cannot therefore be the right interpretation. The fact is, many godly people in the bible who trained up their children in the right way, still had children who did not follow in that way throughout their lives and died in that state. 

Josh Niemi, in a recent Internet article (see here) wrote the following on this oft misinterpreted text (emphasis mine):

"Proverbs 22:6 is not a promise that your children will return to the Lord if you raise them right. It's a warning that if you coddle your child's sinful tendencies, you will raise a financial fool."

I totally agree with this proposition.

He says further:

"Proverbs 22:6 stands as perhaps one of the most beloved of all parenting verses in Scripture, stating, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This verse has been used to provide hope for an untold number of parents who find themselves grieving over a wayward son or daughter, as it is understood to be a promise that their child will ultimately return to the Lord. And who wouldn’t want such encouragement? The grief of seeing anyone far from the Lord is heartbreaking enough; it’s compounded when it’s your own son or daughter. 

 

But here’s the truth: Proverbs 22:6 also stands as one of the most misunderstood and misused verses in Scripture, right up there with Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not!”) and Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things!”). With so much emotional and spiritual weight hanging on this one proverb, it’s worth setting the record straight. After all, not only should we strive to glorify God in our handling of His Word, but we also want to make sure that our lives can profit from this verse—which means we need to get it right. 

 

So, what is this passage actually telling us? And how should we train up our children in light of it?"

Agreed.

He says further:

"The question then becomes, What kind of instruction is given to the child? This is where most of the misunderstanding is.

Survey most English translations and you’ll see the phrase “…in the way he should go” as the basis or standard of instruction. But, as Dan Phillips points out, a literal translation would actually say “on the mouth of his way,” which is a Hebrew way of saying “according to his will.” That’s because the dictates of the mouth express the desires of the will (cf. Matt. 12:34, Luke 6:45). In fact, if you check the footnotes of the New American Standard Bible, you’ll see the translators note that the phrase could be rendered “according to his way.”

In addition, though, we see that a vast majority of English versions put the modifier “should” in front of the word “go,” which implies a moral quality to the instruction. Here again is a problem.

Dan Phillips addresses this:

This flaw is nearly fatal, all by itself. It is simply this: Solomon provided no modifier beyond the pronoun. That’s right. There is nothing in the Hebrew text—not one word, syllable, jot or tittle—that corresponds to or justifies the “should go” that most translations insert. The only word that modifies “way” is the pronominal suffix meaning “his” (darko). This is a simple fact of reading, not an interpretive assertion.[6]

In other words, this passage isn’t about raising a child according to the way he “should” go. Solomon wasn’t talking about the way a child ought to be trained up (which would obviously be in accordance with God’s Law). It’s unfortunate that the translators felt comfortable inserting that word when it weighs so heavily on the interpretation. With that in mind, the next question you might be thinking is, Then according to whose way was Solomon speaking? With only one person preceding the pronoun “his,” we can conclude that Solomon was speaking of training up a child according to the child’s way (in grammatical terms, “child” is the nearest referent/antecedent).

So, what does it look like to train up a child according to the child’s way? Truth be told, it doesn’t take much searching of Scripture to determine what a child’s way is like. In fact, in the exact same section—only nine verses later—Solomon said this: “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child” (Prov. 22:15). Using the same Hebrew word na’ar, he described a child’s heart just as we would expect it to be as a result of the Fall: depraved, sinful, naive, and ultimately… foolish.

Taken together then, Solomon essentially said, “Train up a child according to his own foolish way…” From that phrasing alone, what’s clear is that this is not intended to be a heartwarming proverb, but a heart-warning proverb. Rather than soul-settling, it’s soul-sobering. The conditional clause makes it clear that this is the beginning of a caution, not a comfort. Whereas the biblical parent raises his child according to God’s way, the negligent parent goes along with his child’s way."

Well, I couldn't have said it better myself. This is what I am sure is the right interpretation of the text.

He says further:

"So, how does Solomon’s warning end? What will happen if a parent raises a child according to the child’s own sinful tendencies? 

 

“…Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

The phrase “even when” represents a hypothetical situation, better understood as “even if…”[7] According to Solomon, since fools often die young, it’s rare that one manages to live to old age (cf. Prov. 10:21, 11:19, et. al.). Next, the pronoun “he” once again refers back to the child, indicating the same subject is in view. Finally, the “it” (a neuter feminine pronoun) refers to the situation in the first clause: living according to his own foolishness.[8] 

Putting it all together: Even if the child manages to grow old, he will not depart from his own foolish way.

If a child is trained up according to his way (raised how he wants, a way that coincides with his natural fallenness), Solomon warns us that the child will not simply “grow out of it,” but will instead maintain his futile thinking on into adulthood. (Prov. 29: 15)" 

Well, amen. People need to know that this is the right interpretation of the text.

Our author concludes:

"In any area of life, if you let your child’s immature heart pilot the ship, don’t be surprised when it capsizes."

What think ye?

When Stones Speak

 As we come to a most solemn time of year, the time of year when Jesus would carry the largest burden anyone has ever carried, I was reading in Luke 19:40, where Jesus had entered Jerusalem, in what we call Palm Sunday. For some reason, I had never connected the dots as to the literality of Jesus' words.

Jesus had entered the city with the crowds waving palms, welcoming Him as King as he rode on a donkey. The Pharisees rebuked Jesus and told him to rebuke his disciples for their adoration and praise of him. Jesus made a curious statement saying, "I tell you, that if they remain silent, these very stones would cry out". While Jesus was talking about the events of that specific day, I believe he was talking about the future as well. There was coming  another time later that week, where there would be silence from his disciples, and the crowds that had praised him, would also be silent. What began with praise would soon turn into condemnation. The next few days Jesus was where we have all been at one time, between great joy and on the way to great sorrow.

Behind him was his sermons, in front of him his suffering.

Behind him his parables, in front of him his passion.

Behind him his suppers of fellowship in front of him his supper of betrayal.

Behind him the delights of galilee, in front of him dark gethsemane.

Behind him raising of  palms, in front of him the ridicule of a purple robe.

Prophecy would now become practice.

But what about those stones Jesus spoke about? In Matthews Gospel in chapter 27, he tell us that when Christ died, the earth shook, the rocks split open, and the tombs of many saints were opened. Keep in mind that tombs were made of stone. So had Jesus actually predicted the earthquake that occurred when he died? I believe so! His disciples were silent and hidden. The cheering crowds had disappeared. The greatest miracle that had ever come to this planet had just happened, the miracle of God's overwhelming love, and undeserved grace  had just been shown to the world. The world rejected it, so the very stones had cried out! Some stones cried out in mourning as rocks were split, while other stones cried out in victory as tombs were split open, giving resurrection life to saints that had died. Three days later, another stone would cry out amid darkness and silence, the very stone that had sealed Jesus in the tomb, for it was rolled away like lightning, as the Roman guards fell down like dead men!

So do stones speak? I believe they do. The sad thing about that, is that when they speak, it's because we are silent. When they speak, it's because we have become hard in our heart. I am reminded of something Charles Spurgeon once said. When speaking of Christ's death he said "Yet they were rent at the sight of Christ's death. Men's hearts did not respond to the agonizing cries of the dying Redeemer, but the rocks responded. He did not die for rocks. Yet rocks were more tender than the hearts of men, for whom he shed His blood."

When that stone cried out in praise, as it was rolled away from the tomb, there were no disciples there to hear it. The only ones who heard, were the ones who were there to keep the stone in place, the Roman guards. What a shame that the only ones to hear that stone cry out and roll away, were there to keep it from crying out. This tells me, that I don't ever want to hear any stones crying out! For when they do, it means I have been silent!

                                                                                                   

Carry The Blessed Gospel

Recently I posted a link to a singing video of a good song by the Mylon Hayes family (see here). Well, here is another by them, one which I sent to a few others by email (as I regularly do), and one which my Hardshell brothers need to hear as respects the message. 

It is titled "Carry The Glorious Gospel" (listen to it here). I hope you practice what is preaches.

"How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, 

and bring glad tidings of good things!"

(Romans 10: 14)

Prayers Needed

My wife still needs your prayers since she came off ventilation in January. I also particularly need your prayers as I am in bad shape with enlarged heart and chest pains. The doctors are running many tests to find out what is going on. I am losing weight quickly, and I have no appetite. I stay in bed nearly all the time and is the reason for my not continuing my writing. More tests are ongoing. Pray that they find the cause. I had a heart stress test done and it shows low probability for another coronary blockage. My blood pressure is being addressed. Having some kidney problems (just like father). 

If I die of congestive heart failure, I want all to know that I will be waiting on the other side of Jordan for all of you, and I will be with Jesus. Hallelujah. 

NAGALAND : FROM HEADHUNTERS TO BAPTISTS

 Several years ago I heard about the nation of Nagaland. It is situated between India and Burma, and although a "protectorate" of India, it considers itself a sovereign nation, with its own constitution, laws, police and schools. The people are from more than 18 different tribes, with none of them being related to Indians ethnically and each having their own language. So what makes this place worth writing about?

In 1859 Edward Clark was ordained a Baptist minister, after marrying his wife, Mary in 1858. He had an encounter with Christ at age 14, received baptism at a Baptist church, declaring at an early age that he would follow wherever Christ would lead him. In 1871 he went to Nagaland with his wife, after losing their only child, a daughter. They would remain in Nagaland for the rest of their lives.

In 1872, Clark baptized 15 converts, the first Christians of any type in Nagaland. The country was made up of indigenous tribes, all of which practiced some sort of animist religion, and  practicing headhunters. So why was Clark the first Christian missionary to go to Nagaland? It is because he was the first brave enough to go! At that time Nagaland was technically a conquered territory of the British Empire, but the Anglicans declined to evangelize the area because of how remote and dangerous it was. Any foreigner ran the risk of losing his head, and the heads of a white person was prized above all others, as it was thought to give the warrior special power. Those 15 converts were marked for death by the local tribesmen, as they had abandoned the religion of their ancestors. God's providence prevailed, and Clark gained more and more converts, baptizing 190 in 1905. Headhunting was still practiced by some as late as the  1960's,  but after 1970 all 18 tribes had become more than 90% Christian. After the Baptists had made Nagaland safe, other groups filtered in, but none gained a strong foothold among the people. Today 90% of Nagaland is Christian, and more than 80% are Baptists. Think  of these statistics. The U.S. state Mississippi  is 55% "Baptist", while Nagaland is over 80%, and all this happened in a span of less than 100 years!

When Nagaland declared its independence, it  affirmed in the preamble to its Constitution, the sovereignty of God and the entrustment of the nation to Him. If by the grace of God, southeast Asia and China ever rids itself of communism, Nagaland is poised and praying to "conquer" the hearts of the people for Jesus! Nagaland has the largest Christian church of any kind , with a weekly attendance of over 10,000, the Sumi Baptist Church in Zunheboto. Many churches in the remote regions, still sing with no instruments, and sound amazingly like an old country Baptist church here in the USA. 

What do I want us to see in this? I want us to see what a truly Christian nation looks like. Not a theocracy by law, but a Monarchy of Grace! See this video made during the lockdown of COVID. The capitol city's police force stand in the streets singing, "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder I'll Be There" and "Are You Washed In the Blood"! See here,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYfFyUqn3Ak. In the next video, you can watch a news story of Easter celebrations in Nagaland. Notice how respectful the reporter is, even referring to the Savior as "the LORD Jesus Christ"! Also notice the woman who actually declares the Gospel in her prayer, without being censored. Do you think any newscast in the USA would ever show that kind of respect? Watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHrIMJejpDk

In closing, let us be reminded that God will always have a people. We are nothing special, and if we abandon God, as current trends suggest, He has "others not of this fold". Praise the Name of the Lord!