Seth Barnes Nov 19, 2007 7:00 PM

Becoming a kingdom activist

I just got back from Asia, where I spent a week and a half with a bunch of  passionate world-changers. To say the least, I was inspired by them. And ...

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I just got back from Asia, where I spent a week and a half with a bunch of  passionate world-changers. To say the least, I was inspired by them. And now, I want to challenge you to be an activist for the kingdom of God.

Why are we passive in our spiritual lives? Maybe it's because the status quo doesn't seem so bad. If something in our lives was screaming for change, maybe we could be dislodged from our numb state.

It wasn't until I came face to face with the wretched, destructive power of evil in my life that I cried out for the goodness of God. I trust people easily - when friends I trusted betrayed me, I cried out, "God, where are you?" And he answered by declaring his love for me.

Over the years, I've come to care about the things that are on God's heart - the widow and the orphan, those who are the most defenseless. I've come to see that you and I are Plan A to help them, and that there is no Plan B.

I've come to see that the status quo is intolerable to God. But that he's waiting for you and me to change it. And I guess that makes me an activist. He asks us to pray that his kingdom would come. That's the future conditional tense - it's conditional on our partnering with him.

Psalm 115:6 says, "The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to man." We are his intervention. We are his response to the chaos and pain of this world.

He sent his son to redeem us, and he sent us to redeem the world. We are his world changers. Activism is our job description. We must find a place in this earth where the pain and hopelessness sickens us and we must imitate our Master and incarnate hope.

If you can't find that in your neighborhood, then go to Swaziland where the nation is dying. Find a place and a people that need you. Become what you were born to be - a kingdom activist.

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