“If we are to reflect God’s image at work rather than be a copy of those around us, a journey is required that demands a radical shift away from all we’ve known before.” (‘In Whose Image?’ by Andy Black, page 62)
Today, Kingdom Pioneers are leading the way towards this vision.
Who are they, and what is their kingdom function?
An Identity Profile
These people live on the edge with God, forging a way where there was none before, constantly pushing forward from the ‘known’ into the ‘unknown’.
There is no copying, comparing, or competing with any other person or business organisation.
They are motivated by Holy Spirit love, intimate with Jesus and like Him, constantly watching and following the Father (see John 5:19).
My own revelation as being a Kingdom Pioneer came about one day, many years ago, when I was walking alone with God in the countryside and began thinking about getting together with some popular business guys at church.
God interrupted my mental reasoning, saying,
‘But you are a pioneer!’
Clearly, I’d been called - distinct from the others - into the way ‘less travelled’.
The Way Less Travelled
Pioneers face difficulties their followers never will. They overcome them in-Christ for the sake of the next generation. It is their legacy.
Like Abraham, they can feel like foreigners because they are strangers in an unknown land (see Hebrews 11:8-9). As such it is common to feel isolated even in church, when Jesus takes them, and not others, on this kind of journey into His kingdom.
It’s one thing to receive a call from God, being accepted by Him, and quite another to be acknowledged for this, even by friends. But when recognition does finally come, it is there to celebrate.
For me, "I felt the strong undergirding of vindication." (‘In Whose Image?’ by Andy Black, page 88)
The Key
If you are in a place of confusion with God right now, you may want to hear this:
Gaining understanding of what's going on is not your top priority.
Capturing revelation of who you really are, is.
This is because,
"Identity transcends knowledge on a journey of mystery."
(‘In Whose Image?’ by Andy Black, page 27)
