{"id":257,"date":"2015-05-13T03:25:46","date_gmt":"2015-05-13T03:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?p=257"},"modified":"2015-12-10T19:16:34","modified_gmt":"2015-12-10T19:16:34","slug":"change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/change\/","title":{"rendered":"CHANGE"},"content":{"rendered":"

M<\/span>ost of us long for a better world<\/strong><\/span> \u2013a world free from conflict and war, lying and cheating, corruption and injustice. We long for a world where there is justice and peace. But the reality is that in various ways and to various degrees, we become caught up in the ebb and flow of human conflict and injustice. \u2018Can anyone be trusted?\u2019 we ask. And indeed, because these human failings seem to have become endemic, we become cynical about law-makers, the opinion-makers, and the traditional church.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Where in the world today do we look for hope<\/strong><\/span> \u2013\u00a0to lawmakers, educators, or the courts? All these institutions can do great things, but if we\u2019re honest we know they can only do so much. I want to suggest that because our real problem is our broken relationship with God, there is no real answer apart from the events of Good Friday and Easter day that we have touched on over the last weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider the charge he left his disciples that we read about in Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.<\/em><\/q>\u00a0These words go to the heart of\u00a0The Acts of the Apostles<\/em>\u00a0which we can sum up with the phrase:\u00a0\u2018The\u00a0Hidden<\/em>\u00a0Rule of Christ\u2019<\/strong>. Two things stand out:\u00a0the limited agenda of the disciples,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0the global agenda of Jesus.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The limited agenda of the disciples<\/span>:\u00a0<\/strong>Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?<\/q><\/em>\u00a0they asked.\u00a0Jesus had been speaking about how the new age of God\u2019s Messiah had dawned and how the promises of the prophets were being fulfilled.\u00a0\u00a0The disciples were excited about this and began thinking that at last Jesus was going to reveal his true power and position as Israel\u2019s rightful king. They spoke of Jesus\u00a0restoring<\/em>\u00a0the kingdom. Clearly they were thinking in\u00a0political<\/strong>\u00a0categories \u2013 the restoration of the monarchy.<\/span><\/p>\n

They also referred to the\u00a0kingdom of Israel<\/em>. They were thinking in\u00a0nationalistic<\/strong>\u00a0terms: the power and position of Israel as a nation. They questioned whether this would happen soon.\u00a0\u00a0They were thinking that now Jesus was risen from the dead, his coming in kingly power and glory would soon take place.<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to consider this.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Many have thought in much the same categories as those first followers. Events in the Middle-East, especially if they involve Israel, always stir some people to open up the Book of\u00a0Daniel<\/em>\u00a0in the Old Testament and the Book of\u00a0Revelation<\/em>\u00a0in the New, with a view to making predictions concerning the end times.<\/span><\/p>\n

But look at Jesus\u2019 response:\u00a0He replied, \u201cIt is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.<\/q><\/em>\u00a0His words are a rebuke:\u00a0\u00a0\u2018Friends,\u2019 he is saying, \u2018That\u2019s not for you to know. That\u2019s \u2018Top Secret\u2019!\u00a0\u00a0We need to remember this when people are getting excited with predictions about the end times: \u2018You\u2019re not to worry about that,\u2019 says Jesus. \u2018I have something much more important for you to do with your time and energy.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider his agenda<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.<\/q><\/em>\u00a0Yes, it\u2019s another agenda, but it\u2019s his action plan for his followers.\u00a0\u00a0Their vision is short-sighted and parochial – limited to the nation of Israel.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus wanted them to lift their eyes to the needs of the world. \u2018Listen,\u2019 he is saying, \u2018you\u2019re being nationalistic and territorial. Come with me and see the big picture. The account and the implications of my death and resurrection must be told \u2013 first, here in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

It is easy for us to be like the disciples and put all our energies into working at\u00a0political<\/em>\u00a0solutions for the world\u2019s ills. Yes, politics have their place, but God did not send a politician to rescue the world. He sent a Savior. What is more, the Savior, Jesus Christ, now calls us into partnership with him in his agenda that is\u00a0spiritual<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in its focus (men and women need God\u2019s gospel to touch and change their minds and souls),\u00a0global<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in scope, and\u00a0far-flung<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in time.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ost of us long for a better world \u2013a world free from conflict and war, lying and cheating, corruption and injustice. We long for a world where there is justice and peace. But the reality is that in various ways and to various degrees, we become caught up in the ebb and flow of human […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCHANGE - The Anglican Connection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Despite politicians, lawmakers, and courts, Jesus Christ is the only person who provides true hope, everlasting peace, and can bring about true change.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CHANGE - 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