B"H

After such a long hiatus I want to revive this blog site if there are still any interested readers. I have a number of topics I'd like to explore so I will try to post something here about once a week.

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As many of my former readers will remember I am mostly concerned about how the Community of Believers in Jesus lives in our present age. For several years I have been reading and researching the topic of race relations and the place that the Body of Messiah should have in the discusson. I have stated repeatedly that I believe the disciples of Jesus have a mandate to lead in this crucial area because of the dynamic of the New Birth. Although many of the secular writers and thinkers may pose some very insightful thoughts and critiques, none of them has the power or ability to produce the Brave New World they quest for. In order for a new world order to emerge, we will need not only a new worldview and a radical change of perspective in our thinking and our relationships, but we will need individuals with new hearts and renewed minds fit for the task.

In all honesty, it remains to be seen whether the disciples of Jesus, which is the Church at large, will be any more successful in fulfilling the call to build a better alternative to this present world system. When Jesus began His ministry He stated that the Kingdom of GOD was at hand. How often does one hear any mention of The Kingdom of GOD these days? The Lord's Prayer opens with the petition that the will of GOD as expressed in Heaven would also be realized here on Earth.

If the prayers of Jesus are to ever find fulfillment in human history then it seems to this writer that there needs to be significant changes in both our thinking and lifestyles. There is a huge gap at present between what is and what should be.

I want to invite all of my readers to chime in here and add your perspective to the conversation. How might our experience of the presence of the Kingdom effect change towards a greater demonstration of GOD's love and care for the world and all of its inhabitants? In other words, I'd like to discuss these questions:

Does our demonstration of the Kingdom match our declaration of it? If so, how so?

If, on the other hand, the conclusion is negative and our collective witness testifies against the presence of the Kingdom, why is this so and what, if anything, can we do about it?

Blessings,

Shlomo