Here and Now

For many years I’ve been telling people that there is more to being a Christian than repeating a prayer, and then going out to ‘sin happily ever after’ because you’ve got your golden ticket, and are assured a place in heaven. I usually add that eternity with God starts at the moment of conversion, not at the moment of death.

I’m one of those weird people who read the whole book—which includes the preface, the introduction, the epilogue, and even the appendices. I read the preface of Robby Gallaty’s book Here and Now: Thriving in the Kingdom of Heaven Today (B&H Books, 2019) and thought that this would probably be a book that I would enjoy. Then I read the introduction, and started to get excited. This is a book that calls Christians, followers of Christ, to actually follow Christ.

There are three distinct sections to the book. First, Gallaty asks us to look at Jesus in the context of His earthly ministry (and by the way, Jesus was not a “blonde-haired, blue-eyed American Pastor”). Jesus was very much about the Kingdom of God, which he didn’t proclaim as something that began when you get to heaven. He was very much about make the Kingdom appear here on earth.

The second section is a vibrant reminder that the Kingdom is here, and that as we have God within us, we are in, but not of, the world. Christians are set apart to act as God's emissaries, to show the world what it is like to be in relationship with a covenantal God. (Sounds like the mandate of Israel—to show their neighboring pagan nations what life with God was all about).

And section three, “Kingdom Conduct” deals with living in a way that demonstrates that we are part of God's Kingdom come, the now but not yet part of the Christian life style. Christianity is definitely more than a set of rules and regulations, it’s not just spiritual disciplines: it’s a life style. It involves an eternity with God that starts now, not 5 seconds after we die.

I received a copy of this book through the publisher’s bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my opinions.

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