He was a man with a mission. And his mission in now our mission.
"It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17)
John the Baptist was the "advance man" for Jesus. Supernaturally empowered as Elijah was, he hit the Israeli scene in a commanding way. This odd survivalist-type desert-dweller burst on to the scene with a non-nonsense message about repentance, and demanded accompanying lifestyle evidence. The responsive were baptized in water; a radical new approach to the practice of ceremonial washings.
His message and methods were all about making ready "a people prepared for the Lord", and that's where his mission becomes ours. As John was the "advance man" for Jesus' first coming, we're the "advance team" for His return.
Like John, we come in "the spirit and power of Elijah" - "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours" (James 5:17). Armed with the Spirit of God and granted favor in prayer, we are unleashed as a army to do spiritual battle in preparation for the Lord's return. We declare repentance and are purveyors of forgiveness as we declare the good news about the king and the kingdom. As a divinely-empowered people with a message, we are the "preparation team" for the Second Coming of Jesus.
This lofty mission may seem a far cry from mopping floors, changing diapers, answering telephone and emails, waiting tables, operating a manufacturing machine, or whatever other task(s) that typifies your day. But in ways that may not seem evident now, the mission is an integral part of what you are doing and ultimately who you are.
Preparing the world for Christ to return, and to rule in His coming government - does it get any more significant than that? And this is the key mission for each of us; the "purpose statement" that ultimately defines us. Mundane as our task and life may seem today, the mission is there at the core.
What if this was the day of Christ's return? Would that add priority to a conversation with a coworker, friend, or family member? Would this change today's activities, or add emphasis to their importance? Would your energy level increase, or remain the same?
We cannot be certain that today ISN'T the day of Christ's return, and so it behooves us to live it as though it were. And that adds excitement, meaning, and perspective to who were are and what we do.
Serve and live well today, advance team for the King and Kingdom. Go in the spirit and power of Elijah that you have been endowed with. This day is ripe with the possibilities of That Day.
Steve
"It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17)
John the Baptist was the "advance man" for Jesus. Supernaturally empowered as Elijah was, he hit the Israeli scene in a commanding way. This odd survivalist-type desert-dweller burst on to the scene with a non-nonsense message about repentance, and demanded accompanying lifestyle evidence. The responsive were baptized in water; a radical new approach to the practice of ceremonial washings.
His message and methods were all about making ready "a people prepared for the Lord", and that's where his mission becomes ours. As John was the "advance man" for Jesus' first coming, we're the "advance team" for His return.
Like John, we come in "the spirit and power of Elijah" - "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours" (James 5:17). Armed with the Spirit of God and granted favor in prayer, we are unleashed as a army to do spiritual battle in preparation for the Lord's return. We declare repentance and are purveyors of forgiveness as we declare the good news about the king and the kingdom. As a divinely-empowered people with a message, we are the "preparation team" for the Second Coming of Jesus.
This lofty mission may seem a far cry from mopping floors, changing diapers, answering telephone and emails, waiting tables, operating a manufacturing machine, or whatever other task(s) that typifies your day. But in ways that may not seem evident now, the mission is an integral part of what you are doing and ultimately who you are.
Preparing the world for Christ to return, and to rule in His coming government - does it get any more significant than that? And this is the key mission for each of us; the "purpose statement" that ultimately defines us. Mundane as our task and life may seem today, the mission is there at the core.
What if this was the day of Christ's return? Would that add priority to a conversation with a coworker, friend, or family member? Would this change today's activities, or add emphasis to their importance? Would your energy level increase, or remain the same?
We cannot be certain that today ISN'T the day of Christ's return, and so it behooves us to live it as though it were. And that adds excitement, meaning, and perspective to who were are and what we do.
Serve and live well today, advance team for the King and Kingdom. Go in the spirit and power of Elijah that you have been endowed with. This day is ripe with the possibilities of That Day.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:03 AM
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