The Kingdom Here and Now

I have been doing some more reading and writing and reflecting on our connection to the global church and God's plan for reconciliation in the world. I wonder, how can we ever minimize our role?!? God's plan is in process and we are part of it now!

I was talking to my neighbor about her views on missions, our role as Christians on this Earth and Christ's return and I am always amazed to clearly see how our view of the end times and return of Christ really does affect how we view what we are to be about in the here and now. If we think the Kingdom is something that will only appear in the future, at the end, then it is easy to see why people could care less about caring for Creation now. Then the purpose of sharing the Gospel is mostly just so more people can stand at the gate when Jesus comes again.

But if we see the Kingdom as something we are a part of NOW, something God is bringing about NOW, then our role becomes not merely a name in the Lamb's Book of Life, but living as the Hands and Feet of Christ through whom God said He will reconcile all things back to Himself. That is Kingdom work! That is the mission of the Church! That makes everything we do in the everyday VERY significant no matter how INsignificant we may feel it is.

This is the main point of something I shared at a church recently. I've been wanting to post it as part of my journal, reflections on Our Connection to the Global Church and how I have seen God bring about that connection in my life.