The Men We Need by Brant HansenPrøve

## Expanding God’s Kingdom Adam was made to take responsibility, but instead he became passive. God had to go looking for him (see Genesis 3:9). Adam left his post, and the world has been suffering ever since. The original garden was a place where God was in charge as King and his justice and peace were present. We were supposed to rule with him and to expand his rule, but we misused our freedom. He has promised he will one day restore it all, and the biblical glimpses we get of the kingdom in its fullness are breathtaking. Glimpses like the lame leaping like deer, every tear being wiped from our eyes, and the deaf getting to hear for the first time. We get to be part of expanding that kingdom here and now in the places we find ourselves. The way Jesus explains the kingdom of God (and he talks about it more than anything else in the Gospels), it works very differently from the rest of the world. The weak are made strong. The last are first. The humble are exalted. The proud are brought low. The widow, the alien, and the orphan are valued highly. The unfairly treated are defended. The lost are found. And the broken are healed. Imagine men like you and me taking whatever strength we are given to defend and expand that kingdom. Imagine if we approached life like this: “Adam didn’t do the job. But with whatever I have, I’m going to do it. I have a mission, and I accept it.” In the Bible, God says he raises the poor from the dust. He doesn’t forget them. He defends the afflicted. He saves the children of the needy. He defends the weak. He favors the humble. (See 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 9:18; 72:4; 82:3; Proverbs 3:34.) If I’m going be more like him, guess what I’m going to do? I’m going to raise the poor from the dust. I won’t forget them. I will defend the afflicted. I will save the children of the needy. I will defend the weak. I will favor the humble. Jesus told us to seek his kingdom first. When we take our cues from him, it’s not just good news for us. It’s good news for everyone around us. What would it look like to be a part of expanding God’s kingdom right where you are today?