Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

192 / CORNERSTONE CURRICULUM STUDENT WORKBOOK

• If the Kingdom is already present in some degree today, why is the world still so incredibly unjust and oppressed? More specifically, why are the poor still mistreated, abused, and overlooked if the Year of Jubilee has come into focus already? • Will the specific promises about a literal, physical Kingdom be fulfilled, or are they to be understood only in a spiritual way? • Why does it appear as if the devil is still so powerful and strong if Jesus defeated him decisively on Calvary at the cross? How much can we as believers appropriate of this great power, and how do we do it? • What role does the city play in terms of the Kingdom of God today? If the Kingdom is already present in some fashion, what does this mean for us in urban ministry? • To what extent can we ask God to do the same works in and through us that he did in Jesus, if the kingdom authority is present in our midst today? • Why are so few Christians and churches experiencing the explosive authority and power of God’s rule if Jesus in some real sense ushered in God’s reign? • Christians disagree much regarding end time prophecy and doctrine. How does this teaching of the Kingdom help resolve or make even more difficult to understand the Bible’s teaching on the end times? A Triumphant Discovery A sincere Christian brother, after hearing the teaching that the Kingdom of God is already present, took it to mean that all of the kingdom power and blessing is available for us today. He immediately began to teach in his Sunday school class that Jesus has ushered in the Kingdom, and therefore we no longer need to experience any of the devil’s interference or jabs. Specifically, he began to teach the teens that they no longer had to get sick, or be without money, or sin, or even be emotionally discouraged. As a result of his teaching, factions broke out among the teens and their parents. Some sided with the Christian brother, while others affirmed that “in the world we will have tribulation.” Both sides

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T heology and E th i c s

CASE STUDIES

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