40 Days of Prayer - Community/City/Neighborhood

40 Days of Prayer
Community/Neighborhood/City

Revelation 21
5And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."… 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

One day God is going to take and make all things new. He will take all things and return them to the way that they were meant to be, something I call the restoration of shalom. Won’t that day be absolutely wonderful! All Christians should look forward to that day with great delight and anticipation, longing to see it sooner rather than later.

Did you realize that we can begin to see the beginning of the restoration of shalom even today? As Crossroads ministers to the city of Albuquerque, we see the restoration of shalom taking place. One day God will make Albuquerque new, but in the meantime we can do much in seeing things restored by loving our city and the people in it in real and tangible ways. The city is the place where ideas are shaped and created, and Albuquerque is no exception. Let us make a decision to radically love our city and the people in it and pray that God would do amazing things through that love.

How are we to do that? We start with our neighborhood and where we live. We show respect and a desire to care for people in whatever situation of life they may be in or lifestyle they have chosen. When our neighbors are in need, we are the first in line to help out. Next we consider how we can serve the greater city by reaching out to the poor and to those who have been rejected by the rest of society. Third we seek to improve the places of learning that have such a major influence on the philosophy that people live by. Fourth we pray for and encourage other churches and Christians that are faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And fifth we seek ways to interact with the culture of our city rather than running away from it. Each of these gives us ways to tell others the hope that can be found in Jesus Christ that are authentic and meaningful.

This fifth idea can be so controversial for some. Consider the words of Tim Keller from an article that he wrote for Christianity Today:

The relationship of Christians to culture is the singular current crisis point for the church…It will not be enough for Christians to form a culture that runs counter to the values of the broader culture. Christians should be a community radically committed to the good of the city as a whole. We must move out to sacrificially serve the good of the whole human community, especially the poor…So we must neither just denounce the culture nor adopt it. We must sacrificially serve the common good, expecting to be constantly misunderstood and sometimes attacked. We must walk in the steps of the one who laid down his life for his opponents. Tim Keller

The vision that I believe God has given me for Crossroads Fellowship is one that is a powerful and important influence on our city. Our unwritten motto (sorry but I can’t write it down or else it wouldn’t be unwritten – but it has something to do with impacting Albuquerque in such a way that if we were no longer around the city would notice) emphasizes our desire to make that kind of lasting impact that would be felt for years to come. Will you join with the other people of Crossroads in praying for ways to make an impact on this city?