More Than a Moment — Our Civilizational Calling

“Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do—200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.” 1 Chronicles 12:32 (ESV) Like this verse, how can we know what to do in our spiritual civilizational moments?

In the middle of the lists of warriors who joined David during Israel’s transition from Saul to God’s chosen king, David, one group stands out—the men of Issachar. They were praised not for their strength but for their discernment. They could read the spiritual and cultural moment and recognize what God was doing—and what His people needed to do in response.

Israel was entering a new era, shaped by a new leader and a new movement of God. Not everyone saw it clearly. Discernment was rare then, and it is rare today. We live in a world where nations are shifting, technology both connects and isolates, and culture continues redefining identity and truth. Yet amid the noise, the Spirit of God still seeks men and women who can see their times through His eyes—not merely observing trends, but perceiving divine opportunities.

The men of Issachar didn’t stop at understanding; they acted. Discernment without obedient direction is incomplete. Our generation is likewise surrounded by opportunities God has placed before His people—especially among the least-reached, who still have little or no access to the gospel.

Our Civilizational Calling

Os Guinness observes that every great civilization rests on a foundation of shared inspiration—moral and spiritual convictions, cultural narratives, and unifying institutions. He warns that in the modern West this foundation has eroded. Secularism, radical individualism, and fragmented worldviews have displaced the truths that once held society together. As a result, we now stand in a “civilizational moment”—a crossroads where the West will either renew its foundations, replace them with competing ideologies, or continue toward fragmentation and decline.

Discerning the Times: “Lord, What Should I Do?”

To “understand the times” means recognizing what God is doing in our generation and aligning ourselves with His purposes. Discernment starts with Scripture—“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105)—and our path will grow as we pray, listen, and obey the Word. The lamp leads us today, but the light leads down the path to the future – far-reaching into the future.

1. Understanding the Times
The men of Issachar followed truth rather than trends. They perceived when and how to act because they viewed history through God’s perspective.

2. Knowing What to Do
True discernment always leads to action. The Issachar leaders supported David because he was God’s chosen king. In our generation, we are called to recognize the opportunities God is opening among the nations. Migration, technology, and global networks are placing least-reached peoples within reach of the gospel. The question is no longer whether opportunities exist—it is whether we will discern them and seize them.

Mission Focus

There are now thousands of people groups—whole communities and languages—who have yet to hear the truth of the gospel of Jesus. Today the doors narrow with political initiatives deporting and limiting the movement of people. So, the door to traditional mission has closed, yet God is opening new ones: through migration, digital connection, and the global church rising from unexpected regions.

What True Spiritual Discernment Looks Like

Those who understand the times are not spectators; they respond to the Lord’s direction. True discernment means:

1. Identifying generational opportunities—seeing not just political movements, but the spiritual needs and openings behind them.
2. Forming bold strategies that bring the gospel to people where they actually are.
3. Acting with courage when God opens a door—before that door closes.
4. Building God’s kingdom rather than chasing earthly victories or cultural wins.
5. Praying for leaders who glorify Christ rather than themselves.

God is already opening extraordinary doors for His Church. Through migration, technology, and global networks, peoples and cultures once closed to the gospel now sit within reach. The question is no longer whether the opportunity exists—but whether we will recognize it and act.

Like the tribe of Issachar, the church today must “know what Israel ought to do.” We are called to discern our civilizational spiritual moment—reading the spiritual hunger, political realities, and cultural tides shaping our world. We must recognize our calling by observing where God is already at work among the least-reached and aligning ourselves with His movement rather than our own agendas. And we must act with wisdom and courage, whether through praying, sending, supporting, or going, seizing the open doors God has placed before us while they remain open.

Our Personal Challenge

• Do I understand the times I’m living in, or am I merely reacting to them?
• Where are the open doors in my generation to bring the hope of Christ where He is not yet known?
• How can I join God’s mission among the least-reached—through my prayers, giving, influence, or personal witness?

The Parable of the Three Merchants

A rumor swept through the market: beyond the mountains lay a distant city where the people were longing for bread. For generations they had lived under strict rulers who tightly controlled the grain supply. But something had shifted—no one knew why—and now the gates of that city were open. Anyone who came with bread would be welcomed.

Three merchants overheard the news.

The first stroked his beard and said, “If this rumor is true, then there will be great profit! But before I go, I must first secure better wagons, more donkeys, and a larger storehouse. When I am fully prepared, I will go.” So he spent many months preparing. By the time he was ready, the gates had closed again.

The second merchant scoffed and said, “This is surely foolish talk. That city has been closed for generations. I will not chase fantasies.” So he stayed where he was. Later, when he heard the rumor had been true, he regretted it—but only in silence.

The third merchant did something strange. He owned only one small cart and had barely enough bread to fill it. But he said, “If the gates are open, why should I delay?” And he left that very night.

When he arrived, the starving people wept at the sight of bread. They embraced him like a brother. In time, he built friendships, learned their language, and returned again and again—never with the largest amount of bread, but always with a willing heart. He became beloved not for his wagon or his wealth, but for his readiness.

Years later, when the first merchant finally arrived at the gates of the same city, he found soldiers guarding it once again. “Go away,” they said. “No merchants allowed.” And when the second merchant also arrived—curious and ashamed—he found nothing left of the opportunity but stories.

The Antioch Moment — Discerning Our Civilizational Calling

Every generation has a defining moment when God invites His people to step into history with courage and obedience. For the early church, that moment came in Antioch (Acts 13:1–3). At a time when cultures were colliding, nations were converging, and the world was rapidly transforming, the believers in Antioch discerned what God was doing rather than retreating from the chaos around them. They became the first church to understand that the gospel was not only for their city or their people but for the nations—and they acted decisively.

Antioch was uniquely positioned for this calling. It sat at the global crossroads of trade, ideas, and migration. Its leadership team represented the world it was called to reach—Barnabas from Cyprus, Simeon called Niger (likely African), Lucius of Cyrene from North Africa, Manaen raised in a political household, and Saul from Asia Minor. Their international leadership matched the mission God was calling them to embrace. They did not merely pray about the world; they prayed for the world until the Holy Spirit spoke. And when He did—“Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul”—they did not hesitate. They fasted, commissioned, and sent.

Our civilizational calling now

We now stand in a moment just as consequential. Today, nations and belief systems meet on digital pathways and migration routes just as powerfully as they once met on the Roman road. Restricted nations can access Scripture online. Artificial intelligence and digital platforms allow challenging biblical content and discipleship content to reach minority languages faster than ever before. Believers across borders can train and encourage one another without needing visas. People in the least-reached corners of the world can encounter Jesus anonymously long before meeting a Christian face-to-face. This convergence is not an accident of history—it is a calling of history. Every age has tools for the gospel; these are ours.

Like the sons of Issachar, we must understand our time—not alone, but together. Antioch discerned in unity; they prayed together, fasted together, listened together, and moved together. When the church collectively discerns God’s voice and cooperates in mission rather than retreats into a self-absorbed world, the church becomes unstoppable. The Antioch pattern remains unchanged: they served, they fasted, they listened, and they went. Some will go. Others will send. Some will build and translate digital tools that enter countries where missionaries cannot. Others will disciple international students and migrants moving into our neighborhoods. But no one is called to stand still.

Our generation stands at a civilizational spiritual moment. Antioch recognized theirs—will we recognize ours? This is the time to ask the Lord: Who are you calling me to work with? What nationalities have you placed near me, physically or digitally? What tools have you put in my hands for the gospel? Where is the Holy Spirit sending me—not someday, but now? The doors are open. The nations are near. The technologies are ready. The Holy Spirit is speaking.

A narrative about calling to missions: