Matthew 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”
One of the key messages of Jesus’ ministry was the message of the kingdom. John the Baptist’s first message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt. 3:2) Jesus continued this trend in Mark 1:14, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, He “commanded them, go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8) As you go through the Gospels, it is interesting to note that the proclamation of the kingdom was often associated with signs and wonders.
In teaching on the kingdom, Jesus said that the kingdom of God could not be confined by political or geographical locations, for the kingdom of God was in us. (Luke 17:20-21) Wherever we go in the world, we are the representation of the kingdom of God. By the Spirit, the full authority of the kingdom resides in us. Paul went on to define the kingdom not by what we possess but by the character and nature of God demonstrated in our lives. (Romans 14:17)
In the world we live in today, where nations and kingdoms are being rocked by political and economic turmoil, our mandate is to exemplify the very character of the kingdom. It is a kingdom of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17) in a world that is becoming devoid of these godly character traits because the world is divorcing itself from the God of righteousness, peace and joy. In order to exemplify the kingdom, we must be people of the Spirit who walk under the authority of the King. We can not entertain what the world entertains. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9-10) We are not moved by the news of what is happening in our world today because the love and peace flows in and through us by the Spirit.
It is out of the very character and nature of Christ by the Spirit that we carry on the ministry of Christ that declares and announces the kingdom to a world caught in chaos and darkness. This begins with praying in the kingdom. Jesus admonishes us to pray this prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” (Matthew 6:10) Begin to pray the kingdom over your home, your church, your job, your community, and your nation. Begin to pray the kingdom over North Africa and the Middle East, where millions are seeking to be free from the kingdom of this world. As you pray, declare God’s kingdom over these nations. “God may your kingdom come to Egypt, Libya, etc!”
As God leads by the Spirit, begin to announce the kingdom to those whom God brings into your life. It is through this process of living, praying, declaring, and announcing the kingdom that we bring the kingdom of God to bear on a world that desperately needs the life of the kingdom. May God energize you today to be a representative of the King in whatever measure He has given you, whether it is a prayer, a tweet, a text, a blog, facebook, email or in person. May He be glorified in you.
Andy
P.S. There will be no devotional next week as I will be in Niger, West Africa.
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