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Don’t ask the easy questions
You’ve been with Jesus for a while now. And, you have been through a lot with Him. His ministry. His death. His resurrection. 
And yet you don’t fully comprehend what is happening. You revert to easy questions. You won’t get the answer you think. And, something else is about to happen to rock your world. Jesus will complete His mission here and ascend to heaven to be with His father.
It turns out to be the last time together. They won’t forget His answer.
When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?” (Acts 1:6 The Message)
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Who is in control?
He has already won the victory. He is seated on the throne. It is done. There is nothing left to do to establish who is in control in God’s world (Kingdom). It is clear it is Jesus.
And, this is a reality. Not a promise. He is making everything new. It is not something for me to get later in heaven. It is now. He is in the process of doing it and will finish it.
It is true. I can count on it. He can be trusted.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
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“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.” ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to focus on what God is doing today, right now. That is all that Jesus did. He focused like no one else on that one thing. He gave it His entire attention. Nothing else matters. This is not easy at all. It is not the way of this world. It is the way of God’s world (Kingdom).
In our culture, we are big on planning. It is an obsession. It is big business. We all want to be strategic. We miss today’s opportunities as a result.
Jesus knew that if we did today what God wants us to, tomorrow will take care of itself.
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 6:34 The Message)
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“And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!” ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to live life urgently. He doesn’t have a “plan B” for us. We are His plan. We must deliver the message of how it works in God’s world (Kingdom). We must be “all in” for Jesus. He will accept nothing less. He is clear about that.
It is way too easy to let the concerns of this world outweigh the urgency of His world. Jesus knows that is a danger.
So let’s put this in context. A man wanted to be a disciple. Jesus said to him, “Come follow me.” The man said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.” Seems reasonable to all of us I’m sure. Not to Jesus. He refused and challenged him to decide what was more important, a funeral or following Jesus.
Jesus challenges us to go all in for Him.
“And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!” ~~Jesus (Luke 9:60 The Message)
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Is it all still a mystery? Will I hear God?
Is it all still a mystery? No, it is not at all.
Much about God’s world came seem mysterious. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus got it out in the open. God’s word helps us understand what seemed vague before we came to God and got on the road to know Him every day.
Jesus is clear that he came to make known to us the mystery of how things work in God’s world (Kingdom). He does make everything crystal clear. Will we hear him? That is his challenge to us.
God is open. He wants us to be just like that.
“This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open.” ~Apostle Paul (Colossians 1:26 The Message)
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What is Jesus’ favorite thing to talk about?
What is Jesus’ favorite thing to talk about? It is the way things work in God’s world (Kingdom).
This is core of the message of Good News. God’s world is real. God is in control. God wants us to be loyal and do what He wants. He has a plan to be implemented.
So, after His resurrection, he met with the disciples face to face. The had no doubt about the resurrection. They saw him and talked with him for 40 days.
He lives!!
In face-to-face meetings, Jesus talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:5 The Message)
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Is there a whole lot of shaking going on?
There is a whole lot of shaking going on. It isn’t about the economy or politics. The shaking is God’s World (Kingdom) being established. The shaking is God establishing His new agreement with a people after His own heart. The shaking is His light driving out all darkness. The shaking is His love binding up the broken hearts and healing our bodies. The shaking is His Spirit moving in power.
In God’s Kingdom, there are no political parties. In God’s Kingdom, there is no need for bailout plans, He has all the resources He needs. In God’s Kingdom, there is no need for medical insurance because He is our insurance. In God’s Kingdom, all His benefits are available for us every day.
Clearly, His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He knows what He is doing. He is shaking things up and that is a VERY good thing.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 NIV
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How did Jesus present himself?
The Apostles were absolutely convinced of Jesus resurrection from the dead. Luke, the author of Acts, is careful to document it.
Jesus presented Himself. Not as a ghost. Not as a spiritual being. He presented himself alive. He did it over and over. He did it for forty days. He did it many different places.
He is alive!! He lives. He sits at the right hand of the Father, in control of God’s World (Kingdom).
After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. (Acts 1:4 The Message)
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What should I ask God?
Jesus wants me to ask the Father. I should not be shy. In fact, boldness helps. If what I ask for is consistent with God’s principles for His World (Kingdom), asked in His name and His will, He will give it to me. He delights in giving me what He has in heaven. It tickles Him pink!!!
Wow, what joy that is when it happens.
This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! John 16:24
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“Unless you do far better than religious leaders in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.” ~~Jesus
Jesus is tough on religious leaders. He doesn’t cut them any slack.
He challenges us that we can do better than how religious leaders approach God’s world (Kingdom). He wants us to start from the knowledge that this is God’s world. He is in charge. It is not a democracy.
He wants us to love God more than anyone or anything. He wants us to love everyone we come in contact in a very real and concrete way.
Jesus knows we can do better and it doesn’t start by emulating religious leaders.
“Unless you do far better than religious leaders in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering God’s world.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 5 The Message)
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“Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.” ~~Jesus
We live in a world where we think we can get the answer to anything automatically. Technology has changed how we see things. It is useful but dangerous. GOD’s World (Kingdom) doesn’t work that way. GOD demands a different way of seeing things.
You have met people who absolutely focused. Wow, what they can do. And, you have met people absolutely focused on God. They are so powerful because GOD is so powerful. Got to love it. They know that GOD is GOD. He is in complete control. Always has been. Always will be. The trust Him and Him alone.
May I be focused on Him. He is the only thing. His plan compels me to execute what He wants. His government (Kingdom) is supreme. Nothing else deserves my devotion. Nothing else. Jesus got it. May I rise to the challenge Jesus lays out in front of me. This is the main thing about the main thing.
I need to be single-hearted. That is it.
“Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.” ~~Jesus
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“No more tit-for-tat stuff.” ~~Jesus
Our culture tends to be one of retaliation. Someone hurts us, we envision a way to get them back. There is no thought of taking one for Jesus.
Jesus challenges to live in GOD’s World (Kingdom). In His world, we are to represent Him. He is love. Love acts differently. Love doesn’t retaliate. Love doesn’t plot on how to get even. Love looks for an opportunity to do good no matter what the other person has done. Love rules!!
“No more tit-for-tat stuff.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 5 The Message)
“Up, God! My God, help me! Slap their faces, First this cheek, then the other, Your fist hard in their teeth!” ~~King David
King David had real enemies and he was a warrior for GOD. He knew GOD was the only one who could win the battle. He had a heart for GOD. He called on GOD to strike down his enemies.
Jesus challenges us to know that we have an enemy. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy us. Jesus has defeated him and we can walk in His victory. We have to know we have an enemy. We have to walk in the “new life” of Jesus and His victory. Our focus has to be on GOD’s world (Kingdom) and not our enemy, the devil in this world.
God is great and He is GOD. He is in complete control.
“Up, God! My God, help me! Slap their faces, First this cheek, then the other, Your fist hard in their teeth!” ~~King David (Psalm 3:7 The Message)
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Giving Thanks
Now this is something to be thankful for. I am qualified. No doubt about it. God has done it for me. He sent His Son, Jesus the Messiah and it is now complete. Nothing else for me to do qualify to be a child of God. He has done it all. It is finished.
In my “work” and sometimes “family” life, I have to qualify myself. I have to prove myself. I have to demonstrate I can get it done. That is the way it works.
God’s world is different. It doesn’t make sense to us but it is reality. I can share in the inheritance that my Father is preparing for me and all the saints. He has done it. There is nothing I can do to make it happen myself.
This is some good news.
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Collosians 1:12
A mere stagehand
John was doing some amazing things. People were coming out to see him in droves. He was clear and he was careful. It wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. He saw himself as the stagehand. His message about Jesus was amazing:
- He would ignite the Kingdom life in us.
- He would bring a fire within us, the Holy Spirit.
- We would be changed from the inside out by Him.
- He would make a clean sweep in our lives.
- He puts everything in proper perspective.
- Everything in our life that is trash is burned in the fire of His Spirit.
But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” Luke 3:16-17
The Normal Christian Life
“‘For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.’
1 Cor. 4:20 NKJV
“It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.
The lack of miracles isn’t because it is not in God’s will for us. The problem exists between our ears. As a result, a transformation, a renewing of the mind, is needed, and it’s only possible through a work of the Holy Spirit that typically comes upon desperate people.
Stories of the impossible are becoming the norm, and the company of people who have joined this quest for an authentic gospel, the gospel of the Kingdom, is increasing. Loving God and His people is an honor. We will no longer make up excuses for powerlessness because powerlessness is inexcusable. Our mandate is simple: raise up a generation that can openly display the raw power of God.”
Excerpts from When Heaven Invades Earth chapter 1
by Bill Johnson
Another stunning day in paradise
Our heavenly Father is so AMAZINGLY good. He is just good all the time. He doesn’t know any other way to be.
So …. It has been another stunning day in paradise. On earth as it is in heaven. His Kingdom come. That is what He wants me to experience. All the time. 24/7. With no end in sight. The same a billion years from now. And then a billion after that.
AMEN!!!
Michael Wilson's Blog 