First and Foremost
Good Morning,
I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:1-3
If you had an hour, a day, or even a month to communicate to people the thing you most wanted them to grasp, what would it be? If you are a Christ-follower, you might choose to focus on loving your neighbor, the Christian’s role in social justice, strategies for church growth or even evangelism. Certainly, there are many topics worthy of consideration.
After his resurrection Jesus had 40 days on earth before going up to heaven. He could have taught on anything he wished. So, what did he feel was paramount for people to grasp? The answer is in verse 3 above, the Kingdom of God. Jesus knew that if we grasp the heart and core of that message the other things would fall into place.
The kingdom first starts with the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. This is the cornerstone of it all. It is an ongoing work in us where we begin to emulate Jesus’ heart for people; lost people, hurting people, poor people, rich people, people of all races, nationalities, and political predilections. This work continually shapes us and flavors every place we go,
It is an expanding kingdom that is for everyone. It started with 12 and now reaches every continent. In 1900, there were approximately 10 million Christians in Africa. By 2025, conservative estimates see that number rising to 633 million. Those same estimates put the number of Christians in Latin America in 2025 at 640 million and in Asia at 460 million. By the middle of this century, there will be three billion Christians in the world -- one and a half times the number of Muslims. But at that point, only one-fifth of the worlds Christians will be non-Hispanic whites. Christian – don’t doubt that God’s kingdom is moving forward and will expand until the day Jesus comes again. It cannot be stopped!
It is a kingdom with God on the throne at the center of it all. The call is to make Him the center of everything for us as well. It means that the mission takes top priority. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness”. His Kingdom is the filter through which we should live every aspect of life. It sets the course for our priorities. Every significant decision we make in every aspect of our life is impacted by it. And in turn, the world is impacted.
Questions to ponder this week:
1) To what degree is seeking His kingdom first impacting the way you do life?
2) Is the kingdom, flowing through you, flavoring the places you show up?
Live on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein, CPLC
