Every period in God's timetable has a specific expectation. In this period of preparation for the imminent coming of the Lord, the Lord's focus and our job is to magnify the word of God above all.
The job is to magnify Jesus Christ.
Yes, we are to win the lost earnestly and provide for the needy but this is the time marked out for the Good Shepherd to bring up his sheep. It's not about you, it's not about your opinion of what is important- it's his timing and plan that matters. Christ's expectation is to get the children focused and fixated on their saviour.
Yes, world topics (such as climate change) is important to THIS earth (and children of the first Adam as custodians) but really if this earth is about to pass away, what is the priority use of our limited time, resources and opportunities as children of the second Adam - Jesus? It can be distracting to the Lord's bride if our focus is mainly still fixated on this earth by trying to fulfil an illusion that we need to be "relevant" to reach the culture.
"Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord."
Jeremiah 8:7 NIV
Our focus is easily judged by our scale of priority in our use of our time, talents and resources.
The Church really does not have the time we had in past years to play politics or be obsessed with appealing to the prevailing culture. Now is the time to birth sons and daughters of God full of the Holyspirit and confidence that comes from knowing their God. No great Kingdom revival occurred through a people focused just on this earth.
And how will God's children know his voice when they don't know his word? His voice is his word and vice versa. The job is to get out of Jesus' way, point the sheep to the Chief shepherd and keep pointing them helpfully back to their chief shepherd every time they come to us.
Be careful not to become their God since you are not their redeemer.
We MUST recognise Jesus for who he really is - God: Leader, saviour and friend. Only a close friend knows what his friend is up to. Jesus wants to reveal the Father to his brothers and sisters... to do this, he requires intimacy with them. Get the distractions out of the way, encourage love and devotion to the Lord, his word and his work and you don't become the distraction either.
Intimacy with Jesus is only achieved in time spent in his presence, in fellowship with and living in, his word. That is our focus. Everything that shifts us from this priority, IS the distraction.
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"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:25-26 NIV
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