Are you tired and weary? Are you brokenhearted and feeling hopeless? I’m right there with you. I’m sick of all the hate, the blaming and pointing fingers, the politics, the media, the lies and deception, the fear and panic, the hurting and pain, the division and confusion, and the hopelessness that surrounds the United States of America right now. In this last weekend, I needed to reset. The Holy Spirit convicted me of the amount of time I’ve spent focused on the issues the U.S. faces today. I’ve been worried. I’ve been angry. I’ve been fearful. I’ve been brokenhearted.
But God reminded me of His power, His love, His sovereignty, His Word, His Kingdom, and His Son. In the midst of darkness, Jesus shines through. In the cloud of despair, Jesus brings hope. Jesus is Lord, not the men or women of this world. Jesus is above every other name. And, one day, there will be no question about whose name is greater. One day, every knee will bow. One day, every tongue will confess. Jesus is Lord!
Every Knee Will Bow
Philippians 2:9-10 says: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I’m looking forward to this day! Revelation 21:4 tells us “‘there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” Who wouldn’t want this?
Jesus is greater than any ruler that has reigned, governed, or led on earth. His Kingdom is the only Kingdom that will truly know peace, equality, justice, love, and truth. And His Kingdom is for all nations. So, what does this mean for us now?
Don’t Lose Sight
Looking forward to Jesus’ second coming and for the new heavens and the new earth is good, but we need to know how to use this anticipation and excitement for our mission now. With all the ugliness that’s going on right now, it’s easy to feel like giving up and just pray for Jesus to return. But is this what we are called to do? I don’t believe so. Yes, it’s good to pray for Jesus to return and bring His Kingdom down, but we can’t lose sight of the mission Jesus called us to.
As followers of Jesus, we are given a task. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says: “‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
Thinking about the times we are currently in, there are three things that stand out to me in this passage. The first is “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The key word is “all”. Jesus is in complete control of all of heaven and earth. He is sovereign. Second, “go and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus doesn’t discriminate. He said all nations. That means people of every color. And last, “and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus is with us through the good times and the bad times. When we are worried, angry, fearful, brokenhearted, and feeling hopeless, Jesus is with you and me.
Don’t lose sight of your mission. Don’t lose sight of the truth. And don’t lose sight of Jesus. Let us go out in the world, with hope of a Greater King and a Greater Kingdom to come, and be Jesus to all peoples and all nations. Our hearts should hurt for the lost in every nation. Like Jesus, we should desire to bring all peoples to the truth of the gospel. That includes our enemies—the people we don’t agree with or those who have hurt us. Be Jesus to the world!
And, one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess: JESUS is Lord! And we will be one people—children of God.
Time Can’t Stop Jesus
Maybe you’re focused too much on the time you have left or the little amount of time you have each day. And you don’t understand how you could possibly make a difference. In my new book, I talk about Jesus obediently accomplishing the will of His Father and defeating sin and death in His short time on earth. Jesus wasn’t focused on time, but on His Father’s will. Read how we can follow Jesus’ example and live in the same way in my book: Time: A Barrier of Our Will. Available in paperback and Kindle. Check it out here.
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