The moment of favor, or window of opportunity for followers of Jesus to influence the world and lead nations, is always at hand. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matthew 4:17. Our mind get renewed into knowing the reality of heaven here and now, and God's desire to invade earth with His goodness. The harvest is ready right now, "Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest," is what Jesus declared in John 4.
I have had the privilege of seeing Jesus transform culture in seemingly strange places. It's all grace and it has been and continues to be great fun. Sometimes we can think that their is one way to share Jesus, and if people don't recieve the message it's because their hearts are hard. I have found this to rarely be true. The world is looking for Jesus in all their seeking, so as we partner with Holy Spirit and His ability to be relevant and helpful in any and all places hearts are opened for the Love of God to invade.
I lived in a very New Age city in Southern California for over 2yrs. This particular city had been avoided and cursed by Christians for a long time, all the spiritual activity that was taking place in this city was deemed dark and demonic and so most Christians simply avoided that community of spiritual seeking people all together. Jesus and us had a different idea. My dear friend had begun renting a room in a coffee shop just blocks from the New Age Temple that is in this town. Instead of hiding from darkness, we invaded it being "wise as a serpents and innocent as a doves."
He rented a little room in a coffee shop with a window facing the busy street and we hung a sign that said "free spiritual readings and healing" and this community of spiritual hungry people flocked to us. We were there 4 days a week for 3-5 hours at a time each day for over 2yrs. Another psychic in town had to shut down because we were better and free. We saw countless people, that God absolutely loves, in the New Age community get healed, saved, and delivered. They would get so impacted by Holy Spirit in this coffee shop that they'd send all their friends in.
The owner of the store was a gay man, we loved him, and he loved us! He knew exactly who we were and that we followed Jesus and he trusted us, so much so that he would confide in us for prayer for serious life issues. We never compromised Truth while doing this ministry, we simply spoke their language and loved them and constantly flowed in God's power. Countless doors opened through this. We did this at colleges, health fairs, private parties, and we even did it at a private high school prom two years in a row. During this time revival ignited at a church in this city, this church continues to go after the presence and power of God and are good friends of ours.
Now this approach is not going to work in the Red Light District of the run down and extremely dark (spiritually speaking) neighborhood of Tijuana, Mx. We have been going to Tijuana for about two years consistently. The need in this area is obvious, they need clothes, food, and a place to sleep. They need the power of God to heal them and set them free from intense bondage, and God is doing this in extreme measure. Holy Spirit is relevant and fits into any culture in a way that meets the needs and mindsets of people where they are at.
I have also had the privilege of seeing God begin to move powerfully in the Mormon community in Utah. The spiritual reading, or showing up with food and clothes approach, is not going to be the key to their hearts necessarily. They need patience and truth revealed to them as they are ready for it. They seek a deeper intimacy then they have experienced. They want to see the power of God, and they are beginning to. They have been taught to theorize everything, so simplifying Truth and showing them God and His extravagant love for them cuts right to the heart.
It's all the same Truth, the same God, the same power, and the same person of Christ Jesus. Truth is not compromised in these different areas, but the approach and revealing of Him meets them where the people are at. "For to long the church as been answering questions that the world is not asking," Bill Johnson.
When we show up in love and power with our sole intention being that we desire to serve and bless people. We show up with the answers to the questions the world is asking, and naturally what happens next is that the world begins asking the right questions.
Isaiah 2:2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. (NASB) I refuse to hold on to any belief in an end times view that harbors or entertains fear of any sort. This is a powerful prophetic word about the significance of God and His people in the "last days".
We will be established, cemented, in a place of honor from the worlds perspective. We "will be established as the chief of the mountains," this is a glorious position, "And all the nations will stream to it." This place of outrageous favor and influence is going to happen, their is no stopping it. But it won't come through trying to take the seat of honor and point at people telling them what they need to do, it will come through service, love, and being a company of people that can bring significant solutions that change the areas of society that truly need it. We should always be a people of extravagant hope and solutions that bring actual change, our God is able.
The world looks long and hard for people that have answers to the serious issues of our time. Our answers must be both practical and supernatural, both bringing about God's plans of goodness for the person or situation. We have the creative Source of Life that wants so badly to give us the insight into how to serve and bless the world in power and love. The way you get established as the chief of the mountains that the nations stream to is this, you use your gifts and talents to love and come under people and serve them into the place of their dreams.
In this place of service and love for others God opens an unthinkable favor that allows Him to work through us to love the world into His glorious plans of goodness.
No comments:
Post a Comment