"For the kingdom of heaven is like...." (Matthew 20:1)
The Greek word for, "kingdom," means, "kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule." The word itself is its own definition.
Matthew's Gospel records that Jesus said the words, "The Kingdom of Heaven," 15 times and, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like," at least 11 times. I take it from this fact that, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like," nothing which we can describe in the post-Babel languages of man, nothing which can be fully understood in the "natural mind." When Jesus says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like," in the many parables of Matthew 13, Jesus does not say, "The Kingdom of Heaven is," rather, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like...." He describes how the Kingdom "spreads," how the Kingdom "grows" and the many throughout this time/space age come to the King and His Kingdom.
"The Kingdom of Heaven," is about "Kingship, Sovereignty, Authority, Rule," i.e., "the Government of God." It is not where American, European, African, Mid Eastern, Asian, political philosophies, or race and gender prejudices rule, but where Jesus Christ rules, reigns. As 1 Timothy 6:13-16 declares, "I urge you...before Christ Jesus Who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment (law of the Kingdom) without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, Whom no man has seen or can see, to Whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." This is another "perfect" description of, "The Kingdom of Heaven/God." Again, it is about who/Who rules, whom/Whom we obey and whose/Whose law/Law-Word we obey and live by.
Your life and my life are not the "center;" Jesus is the Center. Our lives have meaning and purpose only to the degree we love, worship, and submit to The Living Triune God in Jesus Christ, and the Rule of the Godhead manifested in Jesus Christ----- in Heaven and Earth and the Universe. So much emphasis today is on you and me, me-ism. Communities and nations are not transformed by me-ism, by you being a better "you," but by you and me as we are the image of Jesus Christ, "Who is the image of God...." They are transformed, experience "revival" when the emphasis, the focus is not you and me, but Jesus. When the Church begins to "lift high" our Lord Jesus Christ, then and only then will the "change" for which so many seem to pray will come to pass. It is not, "Looking unto me." You know what it is--"Looking unto Jesus."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to do my part to bring people, not to me, but to You. Amen.
*************************
Half way to our need for the March Mission. May include one of the Eastern European nations, as the Lord provides.
The Greek word for, "kingdom," means, "kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule." The word itself is its own definition.
Matthew's Gospel records that Jesus said the words, "The Kingdom of Heaven," 15 times and, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like," at least 11 times. I take it from this fact that, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like," nothing which we can describe in the post-Babel languages of man, nothing which can be fully understood in the "natural mind." When Jesus says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like," in the many parables of Matthew 13, Jesus does not say, "The Kingdom of Heaven is," rather, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like...." He describes how the Kingdom "spreads," how the Kingdom "grows" and the many throughout this time/space age come to the King and His Kingdom.
"The Kingdom of Heaven," is about "Kingship, Sovereignty, Authority, Rule," i.e., "the Government of God." It is not where American, European, African, Mid Eastern, Asian, political philosophies, or race and gender prejudices rule, but where Jesus Christ rules, reigns. As 1 Timothy 6:13-16 declares, "I urge you...before Christ Jesus Who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment (law of the Kingdom) without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, Whom no man has seen or can see, to Whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." This is another "perfect" description of, "The Kingdom of Heaven/God." Again, it is about who/Who rules, whom/Whom we obey and whose/Whose law/Law-Word we obey and live by.
Your life and my life are not the "center;" Jesus is the Center. Our lives have meaning and purpose only to the degree we love, worship, and submit to The Living Triune God in Jesus Christ, and the Rule of the Godhead manifested in Jesus Christ----- in Heaven and Earth and the Universe. So much emphasis today is on you and me, me-ism. Communities and nations are not transformed by me-ism, by you being a better "you," but by you and me as we are the image of Jesus Christ, "Who is the image of God...." They are transformed, experience "revival" when the emphasis, the focus is not you and me, but Jesus. When the Church begins to "lift high" our Lord Jesus Christ, then and only then will the "change" for which so many seem to pray will come to pass. It is not, "Looking unto me." You know what it is--"Looking unto Jesus."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to do my part to bring people, not to me, but to You. Amen.
*************************
Half way to our need for the March Mission. May include one of the Eastern European nations, as the Lord provides.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
