I recently wrote a friend about some thoughts on Kingdom and wanted to share an edited version of this with you all.
There is always a tension in Kingdom discussions - for example: God cared deeply about the Temple and a lot of the Bible is about its’ funding and construction. Yet, God did not care that much about the Temple as he allowed it to be destroyed and Jesus spoke that not one stone would remain on top of another. I feel a tension akin to this when I think of the broader church and the approach to “Christian Business”, Kingdom and ministries. God has a plan for what He wants us to build, but it is the Presence and the Anointing that he really cares about. It comes as a shock to many that His support of and presence in our "temples" is not always a given.
Also, the nomenclature and paradigms sometimes just pass me by totally - religious mumbo jumbo. I don’t feel it and I don’t get it. I can appreciate some of these approaches but they leave me cold - as good as they are. Indeed, with some NGO/Christian Social Impact warriors I think they are speaking another language totally. The Woke Church does not translate that well. Sometimes I think I am too idealistic and believe in an illusion of perfect Kingdom while voices challenge me to be pragmatic, be more realistic, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a dizzying array of catchy aphorisms on Twitter and Instagram.
BUT, my conviction remains that it may be “a” social or societal “good” to do some of the things people are doing but the real question is: Will it result in a Crown to throw at His feet? Helping is always better than hurting and giving is always better than stealing BUT the Kingdom truth is that we also know that we can give all our goods to the poor and our body to be burned and if we are not centred in Jesus (AKA Love), then the (real) Kingdom profit is nothing. Jesus didn’t do everything - He did what He saw the Father do and said what He heard the Father say.
Where does that leave us? We have old structures such as denominations or NGOs etc that have some utility but there is new thinking such as the Ekklesia truths. So much good in this but not if we just build a “fresher” structure. This can mirror the approach to branding in the world where a company ditches their long name for a fresher snappy single word and then a few years later pays another group to rebrand them in the old name to add on more gravitas. I have lived through these cycles and while they work - they work in the world. If they survive without being grafted into the "vine" (Jesus is the vine remember) then should I pay any attention?
What then do we do? Throw up our hands and wait for perfection? Labour to do what we can and expect God to meet us in our labours or do what much of the global church seems to do - work hard and then periodically see what the KPIs say (eg. We have had a good year up $X and Souls Y; therefore God is blessing us)?
Here is the tension - I think we need to do it all. Stick with me:
Governance and structures can be improved - we do it prayerfully (real prayerfulness mind you, not like those using this to add solemnity to impeachment in the US) and hopefully in the Spirit but we achieve a better outcome - bad governance is replaced with good governance, injustice with justice, stealing with giving etc etc. So much of the existing approach to Christian Social Impact, investment, church governance etc is just very badly done (and I have the examples to prove it).
Updating Paradigms - there is a lot of good stuff going on. Let’s find where God seems to be moving. Where is the burning bush or the transfiguration happening? Chase this and align with it provided it is sound in the word - not to build an encampment there but to hear and see what God is doing.
Elijah Calling - however, while doing all of the above we must chase the fire and the flow (another word I can send you). Elijah heard from God and his challenge to culture and religion was based on Kingdom fire. He did not try to climb the mountain of religion or align his movement with others to influence them - he did not try to get Ahab and Jezebel “following” him - he aligned with Heaven and challenged culture. He was in FLOW and found the FIRE. He was a conduit for God to do what He wanted to do.
I believe The 7000 is all about finding these who walk in the anointing and calling of Elijah and to provide a forum and tools. Who will “get” what I am saying?
Imagine an investment offering document that disclosed that the team were going to seek God like Elijah and would do what they believe God was telling them to do up to and including sending 99% of the strength away and “attacking” with 1% - like Gideon. It seems very scary because it is a walk that leaves us totally exposed. Imagine Elijah on the mountain by the altar having just poured all the water over the sacrifice? If God does not show up in fire I am dead. Or, Gideon with his 300. What investment committee or military expert would back his play? What disclosure would be required for those that partner with him in our modern context? And Bible examples go on and on. God even changes it up so we cannot predict - Egypt was a place to flee for refuge in one passage but later the Israelites were commanded not to go. TRUE KINGDOM rests here - we need to seek the Lord as our vital and urgent necessity, then hear from Him and act on what we hear. Also, we can only allow those around us who also understand about hearing and acting.
There is a role for a broader impact to the Body of Christ but I see a gathering of like-minded world changers. In this season the “One Talent” ministries and businesses will be shaken and their Talent will be given to those with Ten. The season of grace and mercy to run a compromised ministry or business is ending - by all means we need to fix governance and update paradigms etc but we have to do this in parallel with Hearing and Seeing and Flow and Fire.
Enough for now - I feel we are touching threads of the Spirit - I can hear them resonate like strings. We don’t have to be perfect but ONLY the anointing will allow us to see and hear what to do.
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