"And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen." (1 Peter 1:12 NLT)
The angels intently watch the advance of the gospel in the world. They know that the suffering of God's son, his resurrection, and the growth of God's kingdom through the Spirit is the cosmic drama of all time. This story line involves risk and danger, the opposition of dark powers, suffering, the need for courage, the arrival of unexpected miracles, the presence of unsolved mysteries, and the blessings of faith, friendship, and humility.
I believe that God has built within us an awareness that life is, or should be, a story-- not just a succession of meaningless days.
We feel this when we are captivated by a good story line. We get caught up with Jack Bauer, or the characters of LOST, or Aragorn and the Fellowship of the Ring. We need to realize, however, that God has designed it so that a good story points us to something beyond itself, namely to the drama of redemption. Maybe we should call it the Real Story. Just like beauty points us to something beyond itself, namely the beauty of God, so also a good story points us to the Real Story beyond it.
We often finish our favorite program, movie, or book with the impulse to go get another installment, or we just rent another movie with the hope that the excitement and mystery will continue. We don't take time to ponder that there is a real cosmic drama going on around us. The prophets wrote about it. Angels are riveted to it. And the destiny of billions of immortal souls is involved.
Practical next steps: read Pilgrim's Progress, or a book on church history, or a missions biography. Pray for fellow Christians around the world who are suffering opposition as the Gospel advances. Follow some missionary blogs. Read some biblical theological works that give an overview of the history of redemption, by such authors as Edmund Clowney, Graeme Goldsworthy, or Erich Sauer.
The angels intently watch the advance of the gospel in the world. They know that the suffering of God's son, his resurrection, and the growth of God's kingdom through the Spirit is the cosmic drama of all time. This story line involves risk and danger, the opposition of dark powers, suffering, the need for courage, the arrival of unexpected miracles, the presence of unsolved mysteries, and the blessings of faith, friendship, and humility.
I believe that God has built within us an awareness that life is, or should be, a story-- not just a succession of meaningless days.
We feel this when we are captivated by a good story line. We get caught up with Jack Bauer, or the characters of LOST, or Aragorn and the Fellowship of the Ring. We need to realize, however, that God has designed it so that a good story points us to something beyond itself, namely to the drama of redemption. Maybe we should call it the Real Story. Just like beauty points us to something beyond itself, namely the beauty of God, so also a good story points us to the Real Story beyond it.
We often finish our favorite program, movie, or book with the impulse to go get another installment, or we just rent another movie with the hope that the excitement and mystery will continue. We don't take time to ponder that there is a real cosmic drama going on around us. The prophets wrote about it. Angels are riveted to it. And the destiny of billions of immortal souls is involved.
Practical next steps: read Pilgrim's Progress, or a book on church history, or a missions biography. Pray for fellow Christians around the world who are suffering opposition as the Gospel advances. Follow some missionary blogs. Read some biblical theological works that give an overview of the history of redemption, by such authors as Edmund Clowney, Graeme Goldsworthy, or Erich Sauer.
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paz y gozo