Global Conquest: Missions, Ambitions, and New Year Resolutions

Set your sights higher. Instead of diets and disciplines, why not resolve to conquer the world this year? Say no to Atkins and yes to armies.

Alexander the Great. Genghis Khan. Napoleon. You.

Why not? You don’t have to be some sick megalomaniac like Nero or Hitler to pursue global conquest. After all, despite much fanciful propaganda to the contrary, Genghis Khan himself—who conquered twice as much of the world than any other individual in human history—proved to be quite modest and benevolent, as far as world dictators go.

Shortly before his death and subsequent burial into an unmarked grave (by his request), the quiet, pensive Great Khan openly revealed his lifeblood motivation: a burning desire to “unite the whole world in one empire.”¹ Genghis Khan’s harsh and brutal upbringing in a world of warring tribal clans and marauding, murderous thugs did much to whet his raging appetite for justice, equality, diplomacy, and world peace.

Stretching from Korea to the Crimea, from Beijing to Baghdad, from Siberia to Sri Lanka, the Mongol Empire of the 13th Century erupted from a passionate aspiration, that “by the power of the eternal God the whole world from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof shall be at one in joy and peace.”² History affirms the overall authenticity of their aim.

Which begs the question: Should wanting to dominate and unite the whole world be looked upon as an evil thing? Must the thirst for conquest be anathematized? Is it sinister or intrinsic? Wrong or noble?

Ancient Mongolian history might be interesting, but it’s not authoritative. What does Scripture teach? Isn’t uniting the world a bad thing only attempted by bad people? Are Jesus’ followers in the Colonial business?

Jesus answered Pilate: “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world…” (John 18:37). Whatever else this Holiday season means, Jesus’ only mention of His birth underscores His absolute Kingship and utter, universal authority.

Chief, czar, duke. Khan, king, prince. And over every other title that is given in heaven and earth—past, present, future—Jesus reigns eternally supreme as the only “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16)!

But King Jesus also has a Kingdom.³ And His Kingdom is destined to advance triumphantly throughout all of history⁴ and eternity itself.⁵

Though not “of this world”⁶, there remains a global Christian conspiracy after all!⁷ Captain Jesus calls His followers to call all nations to surrender. The stakes are high. The battle is fierce. But victory is sure.⁸

The global mission of Christ is to establish, first beachheads, and eventually whole civilizations of Spirit-filled imitators in every land who obey His commands, living as one-world-Body for the praise of His glory. These subjects of the Great King come from all races and walks of life, but labor together with a Blood-anchored, all-encompassing oneness.⁹

So, it is noble to conquer and unite the world, if we “conquer” the Gospel way. In other words, as long we fight not by killing, but by being killed.¹⁰ We fight not with swords and guns, but with holy truth and tender love.

At the end of the day all evil rulers pitifully foreshadow, while the more noble warriors of history more clearly prefigure, the global conquest of Jesus Christ. History really is His Story of winning the worship of a numberless mass of multiplied millions won from every tribe and tongue.

The only problem with pursuing world peace and dominance is that, apart from Jesus and His Gospel way, it just doesn’t go deep enough. The most chivalrous of the earth’s conquerors stop so stunningly short of true success because their honor is so empty and so fleeting. Their wisdom too limited. Their power too shallow. Their agendas too earthly.

The Eternal Son of God is the only glory durable enough and dazzling enough to do the job. His Gospel is the only message true enough and glad enough and strong enough to unite the masses forever. And His Spirit is the only force great enough, deep enough, and wild enough to genuinely convert whole peoples and cultures, let alone individual rebels.

So as 2008 dawns, why not set your sights higher? You only live once.

The ordinary Joes and Julius’s of this world are inspired to radical ventures of global conquest for far lesser motives! They risk life and limb, family and fortune with wide-eyed wonder. What about you?

You’ve failed in the past? Think you’re too bad or too weak to be a world warrior for God? Quit looking at you! Like middle-aged sinful Samson, it doesn’t matter how you start—it’s how you finish that counts (Hebrews 11:32). So, like him, cry out to the Lord, take a fresh, firm grasp on the two pillars (the Cross), and burn out your last chapter in wild abandon to the cause of God (Judges 16:28-31). Remember: He selects the foolish and unlikely people of the world to do His work (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Where’s your wanderlust for the Kingdom?! Why not dream a really big dream this New Year? Not Yoga, but Yemen. Not the South Beach diet, but the south beaches of the Aral, the Caspian, and the Mediterranean. Not exercise but evangelism. Not saving money but serving the Mission.

Up then! From the sofa to the saddle! Seize the unreached peoples for the Name of Jesus! Lay your life down! Get greedy about God’s domain!

Be a Genghis Khan for Jesus in 2008! A mission-minded Mongol!

Go conquer the globe.

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Footnotes:

1. From a letter written by Genghis Khan to a Taoist monk in China c. 1226. Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. THREE RIVERS PRESS, New York, 2004, p. 130.

2. From a letter written by Mongke Khan to France’s Louis IX in 1254. Ibid., p. 175.

3. Colossians 1:13-14, “For He has rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

4. 1 Corinthians 15:25, “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” Mark 13:10, “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.” Romans 15:20-21, “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, ‘They who had not news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.’” Acts 12:24, “But the word of the LORD continued to grow and to be multiplied.” Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom ad priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’”

5. Isaiah 9:7, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace…”

6. John 18:36, “Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm’” Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness…”

7. Matthew 28:18-20, “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

8. 1 Corinthians 15:24-25, “Then comes the end when He [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” Matthew 24:14, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Revelation 11:15, “…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever!”

9. Acts 2:44, “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;” Romans 12:5, “So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:14, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” Philippians 2:2, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” John 17:23, “I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as You have loved me.” John 15:17, “This I command you, that you love one another.”

10. Romans 8:36-37, “Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

Pictures borrowed from the following Wikipedia articles: Genghis Khan, Mongol Empire.

~~posted by Jack