Welcome to Rome

Roman leaders during the first century believed they were God’s who must be worshipped, had no sense of morals, and regularly practiced homosexuality, pedophilia, and sexual abuse. They enjoyed the bloody sports games of the gladiators and devouring of human flesh by the lions as thousands yelled at the smell of blood and thrill of death. They regularly had rivals eliminated, appeared at times insane, and certainly had no interest in protecting the Christian movement that was spreading across the empire, unless it politically could bring benefit. It would seem the first century would be the worst time for God to birth his church as everything was aimed against them.

Yet remember, God has never been dependent on the actions of men, the moral or governmental climate of the day to determine the forward movement of His kingdom. In fact, the Lord does what he wants to do, in spite of evil people who may be in power. We seem to forget we are not in a cosmic battle with God and the devil wrestling each other. When Jesus cried out, “it is finished,” and resurrected from the dead, all authority in heaven and earth was given to him. We are now seated in heavenly places with him. We are not under, we are over and take our positions, not as those who don’t know the outcome but as those who have also been given the same authority as Christ.

Every battle we have that the scripture refers to is not with men but with principalities and powers that Jesus has already defeated. We simply are declaring or enforcing the law of God or kingdom of God that has already been established. Just as an invading army is there to declare the will of his country over the enemy, so we have been placed here to declare the will of God be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

So, stop whining about who is or isn’t in power. We only reveal our anemic religion, and powerless belief systems when we do that. The forward movement of God’s kingdom has never been dependent on freedom but on our obedience. The gospel exploded in the first century through believers who were radically obedient to Christ, His call, and who were empowered with such supernatural freedom, they astounded the culture around them and shook the gates of hell.

Disconnected believers and those who need Christ must now join the growing, global movement of prayer and action that has existed for many years and become invested in Kingdom priorities and experience the awakening that is happening right now around the world.