The Kingdom Of God Is Upon Us

One of the most understated verses in the entire Bible is surely found in Matthew chapter 12 verse 28: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28).

I’m particularly interested in the second half of the verse: “...the kingdom of God has come upon you." Take in these words, inscribe them into your heart and soul, for these are words of comfort: “the kingdom of God has come upon you."

It’s hard for us to grasp or accept this Truth isn’t it? There’s so much suffering, evil, death, pain, and despair all around us. And it must have been equally astonishing and puzzling for the Jewish ear to hear these words: God, silent, no prophets for over 400 years, and then comes Jesus: “...the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

What brought on these words was a confrontation between Jesus and his opponents, the Pharisees. Jesus had just healed a demoniac man who was blind and mute (12:22). Jesus restored his sight and speech.

His adversaries were stunned: from where did he get such power? They accused him of being a sorcerer, in league with the devil, Beelzebul, the “prince of demons” (12:24).

But Jesus’ response is comprehensive.

Verse 25: “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” In other words, healing is not something that Satan does, because healing restores faith in the goodness of God. So, why would Jesus heal someone if he wants us to doubt the goodness of God?

Verse 27: “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?” Translation: if previous prophets to Israel - “your sons”, as Jesus calls them - brought healing, why not Jesus? What excluded him from being a “son” of Israel?

But the most compelling response that Jesus gives is not a rejection of his adversaries, but an affirmation of the Holy Spirit as the source of his power: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (12:28).

The Spirit of God is the source of good works. This was the case for Jesus, and it is the case for us too. The Holy Spirit indwells us, and grows us into “good” trees that bear “good” fruit. The Holy Spirit is a “good treasure” that “brings forth good” (12:33, 35).

Jesus healed the demoniac by the power of the Spirit of God. And this same Spirit, the Holy Spirit, is also knocking on the doors of our hearts and lives, offering us total healing: from ourselves, from the world, from the devil.

Perhaps it’s hard for us to believe that. Are we men and women of faith, or have we given up, or rather, have we given in to an age of enlightened minds and impoverished spirits? Does our rational thinking lead us to conclude that everything in this world has a “natural” explanation, or is God still Master of his creation?

The people in this narrative “marveled”, they were “amazed” at the works of Jesus (12:23). He healed with an authority that demanded an “alternative explanation.”1

Matthew challenges us to see Jesus as the Son of God, who by the Spirit of God has control over the created order. Indeed, this is what makes Jesus greater than the prophet Jonah, and wiser than King Solomon (12:41-42).

Matthew also challenges us to see the kingdom of God present whenever “good fruits” are evident. These fruits are a sign, a foretaste, if you will, of the complete restoration and healing that we will see and experience when Jesus returns. So brothers and sisters, let us take heart.

May God have mercy on us and give us faith to believe. May he give us eyes to see, and may he give us the boldness to proclaim with our mouths the kingdom of God come upon us.

Thanks be to God.

Amen ✠

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1 R. T. France, The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 207.

Penticton With Family

Here goes an update on my time with family in Penticton. I spent the first few days in Oliver with friends (Aug 28-31), then the last few with family in Penticton (Aug 31 - Sep 1).

On the 31st just before noon, my parents along with my brother Ted, who'd already spent a few days in Penticton, arrived in Oliver to pick me up.

After saying goodbye to my friends, we left for Penticton. The scenery along the way was inspiring: dry, arid mountains along the metallic blue of the various lakes spanning the distance between the two cities. Along the way, luscious vineyards and dozens of fruit markets:

Once in Penticton, I put all my stuff in my motel bedroom (just around the corner from Skaha Beach), and immediately headed for the swimming pool. My nephews and nieces had already claimed virtual ownership of the pool, evidenced by their loud, boisterous, laughter and screams.

Late in the afternoon I went to play some tennis with Ted and Heinz at the tennis courts just by the beach.

For dinner, Ted made a kick-ass bbq. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the dinner. Too bad, as it was the highlight of our short stay there.

I was dead-tired, so after dinner I pretty much conked out and hit the sack.

The next morning I got up early and made pancakes for breakfast. Others also contributed, preparing toast, fried eggs, and various fruits.

After packing my bags and getting ready to return home, I went for a quick walk to Skaha Beach. Here's what I saw:




























































Upon my return to the motel, there was some serious packing going on!!!

Then we lined up for a family picture. I also took the opportunity to take a few more parting shots.

Around noon we left for home, taking the Coquihalla southwest. Here are some of the wonderful scenery shots I took between Penticton and Merritt.

Oliver With Friends: Part II

Saturday night was great. We had a bbq again (3rd night in a row!), and this one was the best one. It always takes a few tries before you get it right...

On the dinner menu: bbq steak, lamb, chicken, green and red peppers, and zucchini; thanks to Benja, we also enjoyed a great pure de papa, and Vero also prepared a green salad. All this food went down ever so nicely with the wine we'd purchased earlier during the tours.

For dessert I prepared coffee to go along with peaches and other fruits. Jen also bought a dessert wine.

After dinner we went to the beach, where Benja and Sanjit had prepared a bonfire. Amazingly, the wind had died down, so the night was truly pleasant.

As on all previous nights, we went to sleep after midnight. My clothes, hair, and skin smelt like smoke, so before going to bed I took a hot shower.

Damn! Sunday morning the wind returned, and it was even more fierce than the previous day. We had to wear caps or hooded sweaters while making breakfast!

The next picture shows the "whitecaps" on the waves. This was before 9am! Usually at that time during the day the lake's as flat as a mirror!

Then we took some group photos before packing up and getting ready for our journey. I would go north to Penticton with family, whereas my friends would first conquer Mount Oliver, then travel south along the 97, destination Osoyoos.

Some parting shots.

Note: not all of those empties were ours!

Oliver With Friends: Part I

As promised, here are a few notes (and pics!) of my trip to Oliver last week. There's so much to tell/show, I've decided to break it up into two parts:

Part I: Thursday-Saturday afternoon
Part II: Saturday night-Sunday noon

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Seven of us arrived Thursday night (Aug. 28), while 5 more arrived Friday night.

Thursday night was quiet and peaceful. Vero, Erwin, Juan, and I were the first ones to arrive, around 4:30. For dinner we cooked a bbq: burgers, steak, and corn. We also stopped by a wine store and picked up some very good local wine. Late in the evening, around midnight, Jen, Benja, and Alfonso arrived, exhausted. It'd been a long trip.

Friday was grand: the best day of my stay in the Okanagan. It was hot and sunny. No wind, very few clouds. After cooking a pancake breakfast (with coffee, of course), I parked myself at the beach, and except for a brief venture into the cool waters mid-afternoon, I stayed there, lying on my beach towel. I read, and I read a lot. I also slept. Below some pics.

Late in the afternoon Vero, Erwin, and I visited the Quinta Ferreira winery just around the corner from our place. I bought a dessert wine there, Vinho du Sol. Late in the evening, Hugh, Jana, Sanjit, Saranjit, and Nataliya arrived.

On Saturday the weather turned very windy. Still sunny, but windy. That was a downer, because it meant that beach-time was limited. Even so, we had a great day.

In the morning I took to the beach again, and read Thomas Merton's "The Seven Storey Mountain", a book I've heard so much about and finally got around to reading. It really is as good as I've heard. It's his autobiography of faith. I got hooked reading it on the way to Oliver in the car, and was keen to continue the read after arrival.

In the afternoon, we visited two more wineries: Burrowing Owl, and Tinhorn. The Burrowing Owl had the location (majestic views!) and atmosphere. In fact, if I ever want to get away for a weekend and exercise my vanity muscles, I think I know where I'd stay (the winery features a guesthouse)!

But Tinhorn definitely had the wine. In fact, I bought a case of their 2007 Gewürtztraminer white wine:

While at Tinhorn, I also took the opportunity to hike part of the Golden Mile trail with Alfonso. The trail passes right by the winery, so we hiked it for about an hour. It was spectacular. The earth is indeed God's playground!














































Upon our return to the cabañas, we braved the cool wind and went to the beach anyways. I brought out my book and read while walking along the beach, while the rest of the gang sat around and had a good chat.





































































That's all for today. Part II will include: Saturday night dinner and bonfire; Sunday breakfast and group pic.