On the day that our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, His disciples asked Him, “Lord, will you now restore the nation of Israel unto itself and out of the hands of Rome and at the same time bring your kingdom down here upon the earth? (You will allow me to do a little bit of poetic license, here.) Jesus said to His disciples, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority”. You see, they were still thinking about an earthly kingdom with Jesus as their king and all believers as his subjects, and perhaps, His conquering army, but Jesus had something even more important, something more pessing, something more powerful than just an earthly kingdom. He was thinking about a Heavenly Kingdom of which they were now a part of, with the message of His salvation that would change the heart of mankind all over the world! An earthly kingdom can only do earthly things and such things only last for a season or two, but a heavenly kingdom that affects the hearts of mankind can change the whole world!
We all hope for world peace don’t we? And there are those who think that if they riot enough, if they break enough stores and cars and other things, that they will be able to bring about peace. But I don’t know where that thought process has ever worked, do you? I mean, destroy hopes and properties and dreams? I don’t see any peace coming out of those actions, what say you? Do you remember “the summer of love”? It started up in the northwestern coast of the United States. I remember a young couple that had scrimped and saved everything they had just so they could open up a family business that they could pass on to their children and loved ones. But when “the summer of love” moved in and people were rioting and tearing up everything in sight, this couple not only had their brand new business destroyed, but also their hopes and dreams, the life they had been building for! I felt sorry for them. Now they had nothing to start over with. No sir, I can’t ever remember seeing where riots and destruction ever brought about peace.
But take the Heavenly Kingdom, and preach repentance, and a change of heart and life, and the love of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world, why, you can change the whole world with that kind of philosophy! As a matter of fact, I heard someone say, “There can be no real world peace until there is peace in the heart of every individual.” That kind of peace, that kind of real, everlasting peace, even in the midst of troubles, fears, and persecutions, that kind of peace in the hearts of mankind, that kind of peace is the only peace that can change the heart of the whole world. And the only way that kind of peace comes is through a relationship with Jesus Christ as your Savior.
