May We Realize Heaven.

Mat 13:31  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 

Mat 13:32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 

Mat 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 

A tiny seed that grows into a large tree.

A tiny bit of yeast put into dough and the dough rises double.

Both of these parables are examples given of the Kingdom of Heaven. How?

Tiny seeds, a tiny bit of yeast… the Kingdom of Heaven preached.

A large tree, a large loaf of bread…the Kingdom of Heaven realized.

To many the Kingdom of Heaven is but a fantasy, or a joke- there are many stories, shows, movies and such making light of the Kingdom of Heaven, of God, of Jesus. To others the Kingdom of Heaven is something realized upon dying. All their loved ones are in heaven. Their hearts ache to imagine anything less than their loved ones leaving this earth and appearing before God. They are supposedly met by all the other loved ones that have gone on before them and there is great happiness always. Why great happiness always? Because in heaven there are no tears, no pain, no death, only joy. People talk about their loved ones looking over them from their lofty new home and they imagine a whole new and much better life for them. People do not want to imagine anything less because to do so would cause them more grief, or so they believe.

Biblically we are told the Kingdom of Heaven will NOT instantly be the home of those who have died secure in the love of God. Biblically we are told that even David, a greatly beloved man of God, is still in his grave- as if that means something and it must, right?

Act_2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

Act 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens

1Ki 2:10  So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 

Act 13:36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption

2Sa 7:12  And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 

David was NOT taken to the Kingdom of Heaven, and why not if that is where those who are God's go after dying? Because that is NOT where people go after dying. As the Word of God says- they SLEEP. Their bodies decay, going back to dust. Jesus was incredibly miraculous because He was RAISED from the dead. Enoch was taken to heaven bodily never seeing death at all. So, if only a spirit ghostly form of us leaves our bodies and goes to heaven upon death, why would Enoch go in body to heaven? Why would Jesus go in flesh that can be touched by the doubting, to heaven if all He needed was His supposed spirit form to be considered risen from the dead? Why would Jesus pull Lazarus' supposed spirit form back from the joys of heaven and into his fleshy body to suffer the pains of this sinful existence and die all over again? The LOGIC is incredibly faulty if you truly think about what it means if you believe people never really die, but just change form upon death. We wouldn't even need a Savior at all if we automatically die and change form to spirit with a brain, with our identity intact. For thousands of years before Christ, people died - did they all go to heaven or hell instantly? If so, they had to be saved to go to heaven, yes? So, if that possibility already existed why did Jesus have to die thousands of years later?

Logic… and deception.  People have been deceived and only grow more and more deceived as the time grows shorter.

Act 7:59  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 

Act 7:60  And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

Stephen called for God to receive his BREATH, his spirit, the essence that gave him life and then what did he do? HE FELL ASLEEP.

Now think a moment, falling asleep entails a temporary state of being unconscious, yes? Why would Stephen need to fall asleep if he simply was going somewhere else? Wouldn't it have been better explained that Stephen said Lord Jesus receive my spirit and… when he had said this he left his body.   That would make it very clear, right? But Stephen didn't leave his body, he FELL ASLEEP. He slipped into UNCONCIOUSNESS something he would only need to do if he would eventually wake up from his sleep. Which the Bible clearly explains happens when our Savior returns and not before. And IF a person wakes up when Jesus returns that means what? That he HASN'T been awake until then!

1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 

1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 

1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 

1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 

1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 

1Co 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 

Did you read that with comprehension… In Christ shall ALL be made alive…  Christ the firstfruits and AFTERWARDS they that ARE CHRIST'S AT HIS COMING!

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

Did you read that with comprehension? THEM also which SLEEP in Jesus will God BRING WITH HIM. They sleep now!!! Sleep is an unconscious state!

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST! No need of this if they are already alive and conscious, their bodies already changed to immortality and incorruption!

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

PLEASE comprehend that to allow yourself to be deceived based on some cherished tradition of man is to allow yourself to be taken under the control of Satan. You may think it is a HARMLESS deception, but it is very harmful. You have an opportunity for truth and denying truth is denying Christ. Remember there are going to be more people who believe they are Christ's than really are Christ's. He is going to tell them to get away from Him, that He doesn't know them - and they are going to be SHOCKED because they think they are His.

Please, LORD, we ONLY want YOUR TRUTH not the lies and deceptions of Satan, not the traditions of man. We want YOUR TRUTH.

Please… help us! We believe, Lord, help THOU our unbelief!

The Kingdom of Heaven will be realized for us when our Lord returns. Right now it is by parable but a seed growing, but then it will be full grown and ready for us to inhabit with our Lord and Savior, our God, our Heavenly Father! May we realize heaven!