Scripture reveals there will be a time, when God will remove his people from the world. God's desire is (a) to deliver his people, and (b) to let the world know what it will be like without his "interference." And it won't be pretty!
And a lot of god's people are ready! They are weary of the sin, lack of love, the evil, the atrocities, and the trashing of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. "Come quickly!" is the motto, and heartfelt cry, of these people.
But, what is god's heart, right now?
To use Steve Sjogren's phrase: Many Christians want to get out of the world. Right now, God wants to get his people into the world.
God wants a Jesus-style revolution. Jesus did not overturn any governments, or get involved in politics, protests, or riots. But, he did buck the system. He did stand up for the weak, the outcasts, and the marginalized. He was a voice for change. And he did it by proclaiming the truth, and acting in love, service, and acceptance.
Jesus' purposes in the world:
- To die for mankind's sin.
- To proclaim the good news.
- To make and train disciples.
- To show the Father.
- To model life as God intended.
- The same as Jesus' purpose, except for dying for mankind's sin.
And these are the church's purposes. Not the leaders. Not the professionals. Jesus's whole body participates in completing God's purposes.
A lot of Jesus' followers will start thinking about how they are unable to complete any of the above tasks. And I think we need to start adjusting our thinking.
The world is growing colder, and darker. The Bible says that people's love will grow cold. People will focus on themselves, and what makes their lives easier, fatter, and more comfortable.
But God's family is supposed to stand out … in a positive way, as light and salt. Maybe that means, the world is supposed to be a brighter place, because of God's family. Maybe that means they are supposed to counteract the bad taste people are experiencing currently.
If we are supposed to be "Jesus" in the world today, may we can do — at least, in a small way — what Jesus would do. Maybe we cannot multiply fish and loaves, but we can help feed someone who is hungry. We can pray — right now! — for healing for someone suffering. Maybe, we cannot stop our national representatives from trashing those in the other party, but we can be patient, and speak kindly to, and about, people we have differences with. Maybe, we cannot solve all the problems in the world, but we can carry one burden for someone … even if it is just a bag of groceries to the car.
What if everyone, who follows Jesus, began a revolution of love in Jesus' name? What if everyone, who follows Jesus, made a small demonstration of how people were designed to live, made a small demonstration of what our Father is like, whispered the good news, by completing one act of free, loving service each day? Ideally, it would be to a stranger. Ideally, there would be an opportunity to say, "This is a small taste of Jesus' love for you."
No comments:
Post a Comment