Kingdom Longing.

A king, a wedding for a Son, invited guests. These are all things we can relate to and this is why Jesus was using a parable to expound yet again on the message He came to give to people- the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus' ministry is all about the Kingdom of Heaven and His preparing a way for people to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus revealed the way to the kingdom through Himself.  If we are to only live for this awful world we are born into then we would have no hope. Living for the Kingdom of Heaven is our hope for life as we know we were intended to live. You know and I know that the miseries of life far outweigh the joys. We know that the pains of living seem to last much longer than the joys of living. We comprehend especially as we grow older and older that our joyful, truly misspent youth is fleeting while our aging selves linger on and on feeling the heavy weight of this sinful world. So much time and effort, so much money is spent trying to recapture youth to drag our youth with us into our aging. The saying goes you're only as old as you think, or when you stop doing childish things you grow old, there are many such sayings that tout youth over aging because most of us felt better in our younger years.  Some even skip the young adult longing and go right to the child's longing where there are little to no responsibilities to take on. Longing for the days of youth and we do this because we are seeking a time in our lives that is more bearable than the time we exist in now and foresee we will be existing in the future. We want better! And we want this instinctively! We want this because we know there has to be a better way than what exists for us now.

The Kingdom of Heaven exists for us in promise, a believable promise made comprehensible as reality through prophetic means. God has given us all the proof any of us would ever need to comprehend the reality of His coming kingdom. And there is no wonder at all why He tells us to set our affections there in heaven and not here on earth.

More study on the following parable tomorrow- by the grace and will of our LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 

Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 

Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 

Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 

Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 

Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 

Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 

Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 

Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 

Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 

Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 

Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen. 

STRIVE to Enter In At the Strait Gate

Forever before us is the gospel. The good news, and that good news is one of salvation. What is salvation? It is being saved from the life of hopelessness. It is a realization that something went terribly wrong in this world. It's the knowledge that things are not how they are supposed to be. It is recognizing that a flaw exists and because the flaw exists there must be a correction, a fixing of the flaw, a doing away with the flawed so the fixed can take its place. We need to recognize the need to be saved before we can be saved.

There are many people in the world that are resigned to their existence and the existence of others around them, and the existence of those to yet be born, and they believe this is just how it is and can be no different. 

History to them has proven time and time again a striving by mankind to improve how things are and they believe it will forever be a striving until hopefully one day, somehow things will fall into place and everyone will find a peaceful existence.

I personally recognize that this world as a whole is extremely messed up. There are not too many people (at least among the sane and logical) that would say this world is a perfect place, that all is right in our world.

From the gravest of grand scale tragedies, to the tiniest private heartbreak- there is no possible way that all is as it should be in our world.

Salvation offers the hope of that perfect existence, one which we can all share in should we choose.

I lay before you the Word of God and found in the Word of God is the knowledge of the truth, the hope of Salvation from this evil existence.

The way that is right must be the way offered by God to us all, and we must take heed to His way given to us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

An entire way of life is outlined in the Word of God, and should we pick out only the bits and pieces that sound good to us we are in danger of being caught up in deception.  Too many claim the title of Christian and fall far short of recognizing what a true Christian life is. To be a Christ follower is to do just that, follow Christ and Christ's way. To follow Christ's way you have to know Christ's way, and once you know Christ's way if you veer from following His way, you can no longer truly lay claim to the title Christian. Daily sacrifice, daily recognition of our need of salvation, of repentant, of forgiveness, daily putting God first, others second and ourselves last. A Christian has a daily walk following Christ's way, not a weekly way, not a monthly way, not a yearly way- but a daily forever walk, a striving to enter the narrow way all through Christ.

Pro 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.  

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

Luk 13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 

Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 

Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Lam 3:40  Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. 

Eze 18:27  Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 

Eze 18:28  Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 

1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 

1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled

Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

Rev 3:2  Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 

Rev 3:3  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 

'An earth-bound, earth-satisfied spirit cannot pray'

'Great incentives to pray are furnished in Holy Scriptures, and our Lord closes His teaching about prayer, with the assurance and promise of heaven. The presence of Jesus Christ in heaven, the preparation for His saints which He is making there, and the assurance that He will come again to receive them -- how all this helps the weariness of praying, strengthens its conflicts, sweetens its arduous toil! These things are the star of hope to prayer, the wiping away of its tears, the putting of the odour of heaven into the bitterness of its cry. The spirit of a pilgrim greatly facilitates praying. An earth-bound, earth-satisfied spirit cannot pray. In such a heart, the flame of spiritual desire is either gone out or smouldering in faintest glow. The wings of its faith are clipped, its eyes are filmed, its tongue silenced. But they, who in unswerving faith and unceasing prayer, wait continually upon the Lord, do renew their strength, do mount up with wings as eagles, do run, and are not weary, do walk, and not faint.'

Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER  By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 12)

Mat 6:13  ...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The kingdom.

We live for the same kingdom our Savior lived and died for.  We pray for the same kingdom our Savior prayed for.

'The spirit of a pilgrim  greatly facilitates praying.'   How amazingly true!  If we aren't convinced that we are but pilgrims here, if we don't LIVE as if we are pilgrims here, that this is just a temporary existence as we journey towards the kingdom , then we are not living as our Savior lived. This was not His world-  read the following -

Joh_8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

Jesus said- 'I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD.'

Joh_12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

The prince of this world is SATAN.

Joh_18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Jesus said- 'My kingdom is NOT of this world.'

2Co_4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan BLINDS the minds of those who refuse to believe in our SAVIOR.

We live in a world whose ruler is trying desperately to blind us to truth! We live in a world that is NOT our final home! We are striving for the KINGDOM to come, not this world! Why do we forget this and get all caught up in the angst and evils of this world? Satan uses everything at his disposal to tempt us to leave our SAVIOR. Satan does NOT want us to be in the kingdom that is to come and he will stop at NOTHING to keep us focused on this world!

Are we focused on this world? If we are caught up in any turmoil of any sort right not there is a good possibility that we are focusing on here and now and NOT on the KINGDOM to COME.

'An earth-bound, earth-satisfied spirit cannot pray. In such a heart, the flame of spiritual desire is either gone out or smouldering in faintest glow. The wings of its faith are clipped, its eyes are filmed, its tongue silenced.'

Truth.  If we want this to be our only home, if we are satisfied with this world being our only home then truly we cannot pray. How can we?  Our hope is in HEAVEN with our SAVIOR and if it's not we are praying AMISS! We don't want our wings of faith clipped, we don't want our eyes covered in film, we do not wish our tongue silent. Please LORD and SAVIOR, please let us live for YOU and YOUR kingdom and EVERY TIME we pray let us comprehend this!

Please LORD, we would be YOURS in all things in all ways! Help us! This world's ruler would lead us into all evil and we pray that YOU keep us from all evil!

In YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE!