(I did not read this book)

About the Book

Book: The Kingdom of God: Our life with Jesus the King

Author: John Avery

Genre: Christian Devotional, non-fiction

Release date: March 1, 2023

What is the kingdom of God? Many people only vaguely understand (or misunderstand) it. Is it a future heavenly existence where the nicest dreams come true and nightmares are miraculously purged? After all, it is sometimes called the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps we dismiss it as an irrelevant ideal. Pastors typically prioritize topics like salvation, grace, eternal life, faith, and prayer. Yet, the kingdom was central to the messages of John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament writers. Their words and behavior show that the kingdom theme is the framework uniting those topics and the entire mission of Jesus and His followers.

God’s kingdom centers on the King. It’s a life journey shared with other kingdom subjects.

This collection of 38 short pieces (2-3 pages each) explores vital questions like:

How well do we understand Jesus’ view of the kingdom of God?
What did Jesus mean when He spoke of being in (or outside of) the kingdom?
Does the kingdom make any difference to our lives right now? Should it?
Will the kingdom grow automatically, or do we have a part to play?

These pieces can be read quickly; they’re relaxed too—but think carefully and deeply.

Author Interview

1. Do you have a special writing area?
I write in my office/library. It is quiet and I can focus. Often, I develop
ideas as I walk or work.

2. How do you balance writing time with the demands of life/family?
I have to give priority to my wife and business (to pay the bills). I
make a point of prioritizing time with people, especially making
disciples. The writing has to fit around those things. Sunday evenings
are set apart but I find time during the week too.

3. How long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Almost every piece begins in my own times with Him and reading the Bible rather than in
research. I might check what I sense against commentaries or reference works sometimes
so that I am not going astray in my thinking and so I understand the meaning of the
Hebrew or Greek words, but the main message comes from those times with Him. The
amount of research varies depending on how new my ideas seem to be and how much I
already know about a topic. Currently I am reading a lot about the Trinity for an
upcoming book about being like Jesus.

4. Was there anything you found interesting while researching the topic?
I had to fact-check an idea about a word in Arabic once. A respected
commentary suggested it had a meaning that was very significant for a
major theme of The Name Quest (my first book about the names of God). I
had to go to the British Library to find a 1902 paper in French, and have it
translated. Even then, the answer was inconclusive. So I tracked down three
professors of Semitic languages. 2/3 said the root meaning did not relate to
my theme. It turned out to be a long rabbit trail but a good lesson in the
importance of research.

5. Do you read much?
Not as much as I would like to. My wife and I read part of a book each evening. We enjoy
historical fiction or classics. I wish I had more time to read Bible background and
commentaries.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

John Avery is the author of The Name Quest: Explore the Names of God to Grow in Faith and Get to Know Him Better (Morgan James Publishing, 2015). The Name Quest won the 2016 Oregon Christian Writers’ Cascade Award for nonfiction. A compilation of short pieces, The Questions of Jesus, was published in 2022.

John is a trained teacher with over thirty years’ experience as a Bible teaching pastor, small group leader, missionary, and disciple maker. He has lived in England, Israel, Africa, and the Caribbean, ministering with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), international student ministry, and local churches. He and his wife, Janet, now make their home in Oregon. John likes to hike, snowshoe, and cross-country ski. John writes short, thought-provoking Bible devotionals at www.BibleMaturity.com many of which will be compiled into books like this one. He maintains a comprehensive resource for all the names of God at www.NamesForGod.net.

More from John

This book is a collection of short devotional pieces. They’re relaxed, but they challenge the reader to think carefully too. What is the kingdom of God? What does it mean for our lives?

Many people only vaguely understand (or misunderstand) the kingdom of God. Is it a future heavenly existence where the nicest dreams come true and nightmares are miraculously purged? After all, it is sometimes called the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps we dismiss it as an irrelevant ideal. Pastors typically prioritize topics like salvation, grace, eternal life, faith, and prayer. Yet, the kingdom was a priority for Jesus.

God’s kingdom centers on the King. It’s a life journey shared with other kingdom subjects.

The pieces explore vital questions like: