Jesus is the Servant King & the Steward of Justice and the H.O.P.E. (Heaven On Planet Earth) Kingdom that is breaking forth and that will eventually fill the whole earth.
God’s Word through Isaiah to the world population is that He has appointed a Servant and trusted Envoy,
…Who will usher in a new order—Who is a bringer and establisher of justice,
…Whom we all long for and look forward to with hope.
Isaiah 42:1–4
1. "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break,And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, unill He has established justice in the earth;
Evangelical leader Charles Colson emphasizes how we need that hope:
We cry out for the demands of justice to be satisfied, and we even sense that they will someday … How could we possibly live with the unfairness of this world if we did not have a belief that at some point the accounts will be reckoned? The nonbeliever has to chalk this up to the spin of the wheel and futile human remedies. But the believer, who trusts in a loving God, knows all believers have the same ultimate hope.
Our longing for justice is fulfilled both now and in the “not yet” by Jesus the Messiah.
Best-selling author Philip Yancey elaborates:
When Jesus lived on earth he made the blind to see and the lame to walk; He will return to rule over a kingdom that has no disease or disability. On earth He died and was resurrected; at His return, death will be no more. On earth He cast out demons; at His return, he will destroy the Evil One. On earth He came as a baby born in a manger; He will return as the blazing figure described in the book of Revelation. The kingdom He set in motion on earth was not the end, only the beginning of the end.
Indeed, the kingdom of God will grow on earth as the church creates an alternative society demonstrating what the world is not, but one day will be … A society that welcomes people of all races and social classes, that is characterized by love and not polarization, that cares most for its weakest members, that stands for justice and righteousness in a world enamored with selfishness and decadence, as a society in which members compete for the privilege of serving one another—this is what Jesus meant by the kingdom of God.
The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse give a preview of how the world will end: in war, famine, sickness and death ("as we know it today”... Dr MM) But Jesus gave a personal preview of how the world ("as we know it today”... Dr MM) will be restored, by reversing the deeds of the four Horsemen: He made peace, fed the hungry, healed the sick, and brought the dead to life. He made the message of God’s kingdom powerful by living it, by bringing it to reality among the people around him. The prophets’ fairy-tale predictions of a world free of pain and tears and death referred to no mythical world, but rather to this world.
Stop & Think About It
We the followers of Jesus in the church (the true Body of Christ, not the organisations or denominations), are left with the task of displaying the kingdom of God. We are to follow the example of Jesus and allow Him to work IN and THROUGH us:
- to heal the sick, feed the hungry, take care of the poor who can and do work.
- to stand for His justice that will bring forth joy and peace in our communities, countries and continents etc
The watching world will judge the merits of the kingdom by our lives. We are living in a time of transition—a transition from death to life, from human injustice to divine justice, from the old to the new—tragically incomplete yet marked here and there, now and then, with clues of what God will someday achieve in perfection.
Do you share the HOPE = the EXPECTANCY that Heaven On Planet Earth is breaking forth in small pockets of God’s freedom all over the planet? In these pockets people are experiencing God’s freedom. They are being set free from religion and are being empowered by the Holy Spirit to enjoy a personal relationship with the Lord and with one another. In these pockets of God’s kingdom of freedom His people are also being set free from the religious, financial and political leaders who are exploiting them. In these pockets people care and share. These pockets of God’s freedom will multiply, grow and eventually merge and fill the whole earth!
Act on It
Determine a way of how you wish to proclaim and demonstrate to others that the kingdom of God is breaking into the world.
Allow the Lord to work IN an THROUGH you to restore Heaven On Planet Earth. Challenge yourself to be His vehicle, in your home and at your place of work or play, to enable people to experience a "touch of heaven" in this broken world.
"Be N.E.W.S. committed!” = Network and Empower Winners to Set captives free by Encouraging people & Exchanging I.T’s with people who also want to be Winners and also want to Share God’s H.O.P.E Dream for the world and His plan
- to Set the captives Free and
- to create pockets in your community where people can experience a smell and a fore-taste of what will one day be true for the whole of planet earth and for all people..
The least you can do to make a difference and help bring about H.O.P.E. “as it is in heaven” in our troubled world
= …is to forward this post to your family and friends!