The Old Testament scriptures
contain 218 references in 95 separate verses to the
concept of possessing the land.
In the New Testament perspective,
the term itself apears only once, within
Stephen’s oration before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7.
Yet the term’s role in Stephen’s theology
is a critical one.
For us as the people of God
today, the concept of possessing the land has
nothing to do with displacing people or claiming
ownership of anyone’s property. It does
have to do with displacing the one Paul called the
“prince of the power of the air,” the same
one Jesus referred to as the prince of this world who
will be driven out.
The Missio
Dei [lat.: Mission of
God], which is the mission of the Church, is
essentially the same ministry Jesus had [1 John 3:8],
and is not complete until every knee bows and every
tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord [Phil 2:10]
and until the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom
of the Lord [Rev 11:15 ].
The goal of the Church, often
seen in terms of evangelism, discipleship, and church
planting is truly a global people-changing,
culture-changing task. Our mission is to change the
flavor, the color of our world so it reflects the
presence and power of Jesus Christ. To that end,
we are to be salt [Matt 5:13] and light [Matt 5:14].
