Look Forward! Move Forward!

There is a call going out in the earth today.  It rings in my own city of Spokane just as clearly as it rings in New York City or London, Amsterdam or Baghdad.  "Come follow me."  It's the call of Jesus to His church, including those who don't even know they're a part of it yet!  As we respond to this call there can be a subtle whisper in our minds:  "But what about my past, what about my career, what about my family, what about my 'issues,' what about...?"  However, when Jesus calls he already knows our "stuff" and all the reasons we aren't qualified - even the ones we haven't realized yet!

Two stories stick out to me today:  Jesus commissioning His twelve disciples to go out and proclaim His kingdom, and Jesus calling a would-be disciple to move forward with Him without looking back.  The full stories can be found in Luke 9 but here are a couple of quick quotes.

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”  Luke 9:1-2, ESV
 “Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”  Luke 9:62, ESV

When Jesus gave His disciples power and authority to rebuke demons and to heal the sick and to proclaim the kingdom of God he then sent them out to do it.  He didn’t wait until all their theology was sorted out (made painfully obvious by their later request for permission to call down fire from heaven on their enemies), and He didn’t wait until their motives were perfect (power hungry, anyone?) and all their inner-healing issues were all resolved.  He commissioned and empowered His chosen, yet imperfect, people.  He still does that.

Later, when another man wanted to follow Jesus after he dealt with some "stuff", He told this guy that he needed to look ahead rather than behind him.  Just as it would be nearly impossible for a farmer to plow a straight line in his field without watching where he was going, so it would also be hard to do kingdom work while stuck in yesterday.  The kingdom of God is moving forward and those who follow Jesus will be caught up in His forward-moving mission.

Are there things in your past, or even your present, that distract you and would seem to disqualify or delay you from kingdom work and purpose?  In Jesus’ kingdom you are not disqualified.  Look forward!  The call to follow is now.  The issues will be resolved along the journey.*

*(Church planters, church leaders, husbands, wives, moms, and dads:  this isn't a call to bury old "stuff" and let it fester!  Issues of bitterness, unforgiveness, and pain need to be addressed or those bitter roots in our lives grow and "defile many."  The point is that we don't wait until we have them all figured out and only then step out to follow Christ forward in faith.)

The Kingdom Among Us

A constant collision of two kingdoms:  this is Luke 4, as the kingdom of God effectively opposes the kingdom of the darkness.  Early on in this story the devil has the audacity to offer Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, over which he had authority, if only Jesus would worship him.  Of course, Jesus doesn't, stating that God alone is to be worshiped, and the devil is unsuccessful.

Later, Jesus describes His mission:  to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and to proclaim the time of God's favor (4:18,19).  After breaking demonic strongholds and healing the sick, we see Him teaching in various synagogues and towns because he "must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well" (Luke 4:43).  This was part of His purpose.

Luke seems to tie Jesus' quote and application of Isaiah's prophecy to His declaration of the kingdom of God.  Is this good news?  Absolutely!  He is anointed not only to preach the kingdom but to bring it!  He casts out demons, rebukes a high fever, heals a great many sick people with various diseases and He teaches the truth with authority.  These things are evidence of the kingdom of God among men.

Could it be that we could still see strong teaching of the good news accompanied with the powerful evidence that Jesus says is fulfilled in and through Him?  Can we see anointed men and women of God declaring the good news of the kingdom of God to the poor, declaring liberty to those in captivity, recovering of sight to lost and blinded people?  Can we really see the oppressed set free?  I firmly believe we can... and will.  I'm really excited to be proclaiming (and walking in) the favor of God this year!