| Where
have all the smiles gone?
It is
the privilege of a Deputation Secretary to find himself ministering to
a large number of differing churches and meeting a wide variety of
Christians. As I go around Ireland, one of the tasks I regularly find
myself drawn to, as I seek to stir an interest in Jewish evangelism, is
simply that of encouraging the body of Christ to be kingdom optimists.
Church life is not producing very many smiles these days. I could be
wrong, but I sense an overall feeling of despondency as the Church is
in decline. We live in a day of small things, facing a world of
decadence. But should the church not be a people thrilled and
delighted? Should we have to tell the congregations to smile when they
sing, “All that thrills my soul is Jesus”?
Of course we have to be
realists, but true realism will cause us to be optimists.
Realistically, this world – its past, present and future – are in the
hands of a sovereign God who has revealed his kingdom purposes in his
inerrant Word. The ultimate reality is that the kingdoms of this world
shall become the kingdom of our God and his Christ. And such reality
should bring a smile to our faces once again.
I am not talking of a false
and superficial joy. I’m talking about a joy that has a theological
basis, a biblical reason, and a prophetic expectancy.
Take a glance at history and
learn from the Puritans. The Puritan Hope is an excellent book
by Iain Murray reminding us of their optimism. The hope of the Puritans
should be our hope; a hope which inspired the missionary zeal of a
bygone age; a hope which brought forth such a prayerful burden to share
the good news with a lost world, and with the lost sheep of the house
of Israel.
Take a glance at Scripture and, whatever your
eschatology, I don’t believe you can read Romans 9-11 without a smile,
turning to a grin, even extending to an outburst of Hallelujah! “God
has committed them all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on
all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out!”
Take a glance at the
Messianic movement, and consider the exponential growth in the
number of Jews coming to faith in Jesus. Whatever we might think about
the mix of “theology” among Messianic Jews, the reality is
unquestionable. Among the Jewish people today there is an openness and
hunger for – and a reception of – the gospel as never before.
I refuse to believe the
kingdom of God will die out like a candle wick meeting the wet wax.
Rather, I smile, because I am looking and longing for the day when
Pentecost-like blessing shall be poured out; when the fullness of the
Gentiles shall be gathered; when God’s ancient people will look on the
One they have pierced, and all Israel shall be saved.
I smile in anticipation of
these things. I preach enthusiastically about these things. I pray
longingly about these things. And I do so for the good reason that
God’s Word would have us do so. Whatever our eschatology, God would
have us all to be kingdom optimists.
So… where have all the
smiles gone?
Stephen Atkinson
Stephen Atkinson is CWI's Deputation Secretary for Ireland
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