No one else is coming

Remember the story of the Israelites engaging their calling to occupy their Promised Land. I think many Christians believe the Israelites were successful in that effort but, in truth, they were not. They only partially accomplished their calling (Ponder this - David would never have encountered a Philistine named Goliath had his ancestors done their job). Their story is simple – they were unwilling to finish the job.
 
Indeed, they conquered most of the land but after years of seemingly endless combat combined with the realization that they yet faced pockets of determined resistance, they opted to settle for less than what God was willing for them to experience. They decided to keep evil as a small neighbor, rather than be rid of it all together. And, just as their heavenly Father had warned, it was that small neighbor that would later be their undoing.
 
I wonder what it would look like today had Wilberforce and the Clapham Circle done the same and decided to settle for a small neighbor with slavery? What if they had simply settled on abolishing the slave trade and not fought an additional twenty years to expunge all remnants of slavery from the British Empire? What if they had let pockets of slavery remain here and there and named a half-win, “Victory”?
 
Recently, I was in Washington, D.C. and for the first time visited the Lincoln Memorial. On one wall was etched Lincoln’s second inaugural address (March, 1865). It was short, profound and he would be dead in weeks. It was a speech laced with sadness, God and slavery. He notes that prior to war’s outbreak our nation had almost agreed for pockets of slavery to remain. One wonders what our country would look like today, had we settled for this small neighbor?
 
Our city has a group of Kingdom people who have been gathering… training… discussing; with the desire to make their city one of salt and light. Many are doing marvelous things within your spheres of influence.  Our city have a group of believers who have identified a profound, unifying matter of Slavery that will require all of us to gather in unity to liberate.
 
As the people in Nehemiah responded to what could be, “Let us rise up and build.”
 
There is a role for everyone to play. If we will join together, it will have a profound impact on our city and set the stage for a greater united Church of Oklahoma City. Who is leading this “charge” in your city?
 
No one else is coming.  The Church needs to rise up.
 
Wes Lane

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