Jacinda is Prime Minister but Jesus is King!

Dear Pastors

Another ‘unprecedented’ event this year took place before our very eyes on Saturday night. The 2020 election result history making. Never before has a party garnered enough votes under our MMP system in 24 years to govern alone. Not by a long shot. The democratic process has delivered a clear cut result.

Given this sort of mandate by the people of NZ some Christians are worried and are expressing their views strongly and even angrily.

Many other Christians actually voted for Labour. Like many, New Zealanders they ‘crossed over’ from National to Labour. These folks are sometimes referred to as the ‘soft’ labour voters.

So there is no consensus amongst the Christian Community and certainly there is no evidence of a ‘block’ of Christians voting for one particular party, neither for a major party or a minor party.

The net result of all this is that the political waters are very muddied right now. In fact it would be fair to say that I haven’t known a time like it in my life time. I haven’t known a time like the current where politics has become such a polarising topic.

And to add to the tension, some pastors have chosen to no longer be non-partisan.

Enter King Jesus.

He is King of His own Kingdom which is not like the kingdoms of this world. Hallelujah! One day yet to come He will subsume all earthly kingdom’s into his Heavenly Kingdom.

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Rev.11:15

Perhaps now is a good time to reflect on Jesus’s Kingdom.

What do we mean when we say the kingdom of God is ‘now and not yet’? What does it mean to ‘live between the times’? When we pray ‘Your Kingdom come’ what are we actually praying for? What does it mean to be a citizen in Jesus’s Kingdom which is not like any kingdom of this world. When Jesus said, ‘Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you’, what might that look like in our day and in our context?

If we as pastors and Christian Leaders do this for a month or so (perhaps 40 days), we may get some clarity as to how then we should live in our very secular world where the corner stones of a decent and moral society are consistently being under-mined.

In the meantime, let us pray:-

Father in Heaven

You have ordained Government and you have asked us to pray for all those in Government and who have authority over us.

I pray that you will give our PM knowledge and wisdom beyond her years and all the strength she now needs to form a new Government and then to address the myriad of big issues our nation faces.

I pray that you will give our new Government once formed great wisdom that comes from you as the ‘Father of lights’ and not as the world gives.

God of Nations, please defend our little nation at the bottom of the world.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Blessings

Alan

Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.