2019 and beyond… what will the world look like? It seems as though the world is in a constant state of change sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. With the birth of the technological age, humanity is making leaps and bounds to better our lives with entertainment, production, leisure, even love. But, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility and we have not always been so responsible. Whatever demonic evil thought the nuclear bomb was a clever idea clearly needs a wake-up call. Abortion is at an all-time high, the last century was the bloodiest in the entire history of humanity. As humanity evolves, chaos and corruption are an inevitable price for purchasing prosperity and harmony – apart from God’s Kingdom.
Imagine though something altogether different. Imagine a world where people love one another without condition or expectation, where prosperity and life flow freely and people live in unison from every tribe nation and tongue. No war, famine, corruption, or chaos, and sin is washed as white as snow. Just the world we all sense it ought to be. The Bible calls this image God’s Kingdom and God calls His Church to be heralds of the Good News of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. We haven’t always done this well. From time to time, along the way, instead of taking up God’s message we took up arms and killed one another. Instead of loving our neighbours and displaying to the riches of God’s grace we abuse them and display darkness preach chaos. However, I believe today is a new day.
God is still as passionate today about sending forth His message as He was two thousand years ago when Jesus commissioned His disciples with the great commission. I believe God is continuously calling His Church to preach repentance and good tidings in every nation, with a fire in their bellies and breathe new life into dry bones. I think He wants us to be prophets. He wants us to effectively and meaningfully engage with our contexts (mines Australia) and deliver God’s message that saves. He wants us to call them out of the darkness and into the light. He wants the nations to turn from their sin, uphold the poor and the widows, and be reflections of God’s Kingdom here on earth. It sounds crazy, I know. We can only ever get so far with this. Even with our prophetic sense of purpose in the world, the Spirit guiding us and the Gospel on our tongues the Kingdom will only come in all of its glorious fullness with our Lord Jesus. Until then, preach:
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
(Romans 10:11-15)
Scribbling Theology: 