The Message - The One Year Heaven on Earth Devotional

Read: Acts 1:3-8

During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

IN WORD

Jesus came preaching the Kingdom. He urged a change of heart, mind, and direction because “the Kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). He told parables of the Kingdom, told us to seek the Kingdom above all else, and instructed us to pray that it would come on earth just as it is in heaven. So, after His resurrection, during His last forty days on earth, what topic did He focus on with His followers? The Kingdom of God, of course.

The Kingdom wasn’t simply part of Jesus’ message; it was Jesus’ message. This was the core of His teaching, the realm to which He called all who believe in Him, the lifestyle He demonstrated and proclaimed to those with ears to hear. He invited us into a supernatural lifestyle because that’s how Kingdom citizens live. He intrigued us with Kingdom paradoxes because some things can’t be easily explained. He showed us Kingdom fruit because it’s available to all who make His presence in their lives a priority. He made it clear that history is hurtling toward a fulfillment of God’s purposes on this planet. The King was focused on establishing His domain.

If your conversations with the King aren’t filled with thoughts of the Kingdom—what it looks like, how it thrives in your life, how you can cultivate it and further it, how it’s different from any Kingdom you’ve lived in before—then perhaps your conversations are off-topic from His main concern. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t care about your immediate needs and the details of your life; He certainly does. But He cares about integrating them into His Kingdom purposes. He wants you to see them with a Kingdom perspective. He talks about the Kingdom a lot.

IN DEED

Good conversationalists talk about what the other person is interested in. When you do that with Jesus, you’ll find yourself in rewarding conversations that go deeper than you might have thought possible. Your understanding of the Kingdom will grow, and your desire for it will be stirred. And you may see it coming in ways you haven’t expected.

ADDITIONAL READING: Mark 1:15

To want all that God wants . . . this is the Kingdom of God.

FRANÇOIS FÉNELON