Issues
When I travel I cannot blog my devotion and so instead I will blog exerts from my teaching – in this case ‘The Cloud and the Line’
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Issues
Sometimes the issue is not really the issue.
The Kingdom comes when extra miles are disclosed and when evil intentions are exposed.
Jesus’ ministry was all about revealing hidden things.
So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.58
Jesus purposely provoked; He said and did things to stir up evil. Where He went, demons were exposed and so were the religion, laws, and systems behind which they hid.
Why would He do this?
So that observers would be presented with the opportunity to make a choice.
Most hedges are hidden. The attitudes, motives, and instinct for self-preservation that limit right living are often camouflaged. Evil lurks like a sniper whose goal is to blend into his surroundings by painting his skin and wearing a disguise to conceal himself. The unveiling of these ‘hidden hedges’ is essential if people are to see the difference between the kingdom of self and the Kingdom of God.
Jesus the pioneer had a plan of action…
He provoked.
This forced that which was hidden to be exposed. The camouflage of religion, the disguise of law, the cover-up of systems began to fall away as people came out of the shadows to attack Jesus.
The second part of Jesus’ plan was to react in a godly way. As He was persecuted, lied about, and beaten, He kept quiet, and eventually those around Him were able to see what they could not see before. Jesus provoked evil into the light. By being good and exposing evil as evil, a contrast became evident for all to see.
If Jesus had provoked evil into the light and then reacted in the same way as His opposition, although He would have been right, most of the onlookers would have simply been confused. What can help people see the contrast between evil and good, and therefore make a choice, is not always the argument, but the action and the way in which we bring our argument.
Evil had been exposed, and people could freely reject it. They now saw a clear contrast between good and evil and were presented with the opportunity to walk this new path called the Kingdom of Heaven. Their eyes were opened as they saw this juxtaposition of a pioneer of the Kingdom and the prisoners of self.
As pioneers, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, not simply on what He achieved by pioneering, but on who He is as a pioneer!
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