Not everyone will get into the kingdom

Mat_7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The kingdom of heaven.

Do you want to enter the kingdom of heaven?

We have enough fantasy tales in our world about magical kingdoms and such and how desirable they are. Whole stories are made up about protecting magical kingdoms where life is wondrous. These fantasy tales enthrall people. People want to believe somewhere there is a magical kingdom and they can find it. In fact there are stories about that too, people in our world  happening upon magical kingdoms. We want these BETTER places because this place isn't so wonderful. Even those who seem to have wonderful lives often have a lot of problems we are never made aware of. Better to keep up appearances, let that image remain untarnished, when the truth is there are demons alive and well in the lives of all of us no matter who we are. Satan will torment all, he doesn't discriminate. This world is far from what we all really want and we know it, deep down inside we know it.

The kingdom of heaven is REAL.

Do you want to enter that very real kingdom of heaven? I know I do.

Is Jesus speaking to me when He says not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven?

Am I doing the will of the Father God in heaven?

What is His will?

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
1Th 5:16  Rejoice evermore.
1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Can we say we don't know what the will of God is for us?
Can we lie to ourselves like that?

Sure we can lie to ourselves all we want but we will be among those that Jesus has said will NOT enter the kingdom of heaven.

Warn the unruly.
comfort the feebleminded.
Support the weak.
Be patient towards all men.
See that none render evil for evil unto any man.
Follow that which is good among ourselves and all men.
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks.
Quench not the Spirit.
Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things.
Hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.


What about all that don't we comprehend?

I'll tell you this, all that wars against Satan. All that calls Satan to bombard you with all manner of temptations and trials. Living God's will is the last thing that Satan wants any of us to do.  If we attempt to do any of it, Satan will be right there ready to throw up all kinds of obstacles in our way. He loves to use emotional, mental mind games on us. He's evil and will stop at nothing to kill us spiritually.  We have a great big target on our backs and he's aiming for it. He won't stop. He's relentless. He'll do things you never suspect. He'll use people against you that you never thought could ever be used to hurt you in any way. He'll make it so you doubt everything, most of all your own motive. He'll whisper into your minds that you're trying to work your way to heaven. He'll say you're too distracted by worldly things, you'll never be God's, not really. He's a LIAR! HE'S A LIAR, the FATHER OF LIES!

Do you want to enter the kingdom of heaven? It's not enough to simply die and work your way there, that's a lie of Satan's and he uses it very effectively. We must do the will of the Father God in heaven!

We know, we know what we are to do, and as long as we pretend we are clueless we are only deceiving ourselves.

Gal_6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

2Th_3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

We are told NOT to be weary in well doing, but we do grow weary don't we? It's so much easier NOT doing God's will. It's so much easier simply living for our own selfish desires. You can be assured if its a selfish desire it's not God's will. Seriously. We have been deceived into believing that we HAVE to take care of our own wants, we can't deprive ourselves, it's not healthy. We've been conditioned to believe a little 'me' time is necessary to our well being. We've convinced ourselves that if we do NOT selfishly tend to ourselves because many psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians of all kinds have deemed it absolutely necessary for our survival to take care of ourselves, that we'll meet an early demise and we should shun that at all costs. Better to be selfish than risk over doing it unselfishly.

You might not believe me, you might be sitting there shaking your head in disbelief and disgust, but it's true. We live in a world where putting ourselves first for the sake of ourselves is a must. We've even told ourselves that if we don't take care of ourselves we are no good to others, that's a beautiful lie concocted by Satan to make sure we focus on ourselves.

Does it have an element of truth to it? Yes. If you make yourself sick you won't be able to help others, but at what point do we stop doing for others because it's making us sick? Do we make sure we have our me time so it doesn't happen, using the preventative technique? Or do we wait till we feel the exhaustion creeping up over us?

No, I don't believe God wants us to make ourselves ill, but I do believe if we are DOING HIS WILL HE WILL KEEP US IN HIM. If we get to the point that we are selflessly killing ourselves that too could be a sign of selfishness because you're playing the martyr. Is there a fine line? Most likely, but if we seek to do God's will and we die doing God's will it's much better than dying doing our own will, yes? Am I advocating killing yourselves by neglect, no! Our example is Christ and He did not neglect His own basic human needs. He did neglect His own human desires though. He didn't have a selfish desire. He might have been tempted with human desires, but He never let that temptation be conceived. Remember these verses-

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Jesus never let lust be conceived in Himself, never!

Doing God's will, not ours.

We have to forever keep in mind that it's a war we are in and in this war Satan will entice us with the selfish way and he'll do it all the time in the least to the greatest things. If we give in to that selfishness we are not doing God's will.

Self first is NOT God's will!

The kingdom of heaven is the reward- life is the work before the reward.

God's will now, and God's will forever, on earth and in heaven always!

Please Lord, help us to do Your will! Show us Your will as Satan tries to blind us to it, guide us, let the Holy Spirit open our hearts and minds to You and all You would have us do! Please Lord, we would be Your servants in all things! Please Lord, thy will always all by YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY!

Seek FIRST

Seek first.

First, not second, not third, not last, but FIRST.

You want to know what you MUST do if you have hope that you will be under God's protection?

I'm not saying you will not have heartache, pain, grief, or be severely chastised even if you are God's, but I'm saying that if we TRUST in God and listen to what He tells us then we truly do not have to worry for anything that really matters. We don't have to worry about what we'll eat, or what we'll drink, or how we'll be clothed.

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Seek FIRST the KINGDOM of GOD and GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.

So, how do you seek the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness?

Seek-
- Definition:
1. to seek in order to find
a. to seek a thing
b. to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into
c. to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after
2. to seek i.e. require, demand
a. to crave, demand something from someone
- Origin: of uncertain affinity
- TDNT entry: 16:52,3
- Part(s) of speech: Verb

- Strong's: Of uncertain affinity; to seek (literally or figuratively); specifically (by hebraism) to worship (God) or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life): - be (go) about desire endeavour enquire (for) require (X will) seek (after for means). Compare G4441.

Seek to find.
Seek by thinking.
Seek by meditating.
Seek by reasoning.
To aim at.
To strive after.
To require.
To demand.
To worship God.
To endeavor.
 To enquire.

By the grace of God we are able to SEEK the Kingdom of God and God's Righteousness.

And this seeking is a forever thing, a daily thing. Just as we have been taught to pray asking for our daily bread, asking for God's kingdom to come.

Jesus said this-

Mat_7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

And we are told this-

Jer_29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jesus said this-

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.

There is a strait gate, a narrow way to life and FEW FIND IT.

We are told to seek the KINGDOM OF GOD and GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FIRST.
We are told that we are to enter into a NARROW WAY and THROUGH a STRAIT GATE.

We have to find this NARROW WAY and this STRAIT GATE. It's obviously a gate that is in need of being found because we are specifically told that FEW will find it.

When you seek, you are seeking to find.

We are told to seek so there is a process of seeking.

The Kingdom of God is life eternal in Jesus Christ our Lord and found through HIS righteousness.

Our lives must be spent seeking GOD FIRST in ALL THINGS! God's will first! Not your will, not my will, not someone else's will, but GOD'S WILL FIRST!

It is no surprise that FEW will find the Kingdom.  We automatically seem to seek our own wills. To seek God's will first, we have to surrender our own will and that's something we are not inclined to do.  We will be tempted and tried endlessly to keep us from surrendering our will.  Satan will do everything in his power to keep us from finding the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness, from finding that strait gate.

Please LORD, we need to seek YOU, we need to seek YOUR kingdom first, we need to seek YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, we need to find the strait gate, the narrow way! Lead us to YOU in all things! PLEASE Lord we surrender to YOU.

Your WILL be done!

All by YOUR GRACE!

Prisoners of the Earth - Free in the Kingdom

Pray.

You hear this word all the time, don't you? Maybe if not all the time, you do hear it, and you do know what it means. Pray. Seek God. Communicate with God. Entreat God, praise God, thank God, seek God.  Pray.

Jesus told the apostles to pray in this manner-

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Acknowledge the Father God in heaven.
Acknowledge the Holiness of the Father God in heaven.
Desire the kingdom of God to arrive.
Desire God's will to be done here on earth just as it is done in heaven.
Ask God for daily bread- physical and spiritual.
Ask God to forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
Ask God to lead us not into temptation.
Ask God to deliver us from evil.
Acknowledge God's is the KINGDOM, God's is the POWER, God's is the GLORY, forever. Amen.

On our subject of the kingdom -

We are to DESIRE the kingdom. 

Here read this- I read this in a section of my daily read the Bible in a year Bible and it jumped out at me.

Lam 3:31  For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
Lam 3:32  But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Lam 3:33  For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
Lam 3:34  To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
Lam 3:35  To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
Lam 3:36  To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

The part that jumped out at me most was this--

'...the prisoners of the earth…'

Unless we have our hope placed in the Kingdom of God to come, we are truly prisoners of the earth aren't we?

Prisoners of earth.

We are born into a world of sin, prisoners of this world and our only hope of a better world is found in Christ's Kingdom, the Kingdom He came to proclaim, the Kingdom He promises.

We are to PRAY for this kingdom, we are to recognize this kingdom that is God's, we are to desire this kingdom that is God's. A world so much better than this world.

Our prayers must include the kingdom, the word is mentioned TWICE in the manner of praying the Lord gave to His apostles.  We are drawn towards the Kingdom in so many ways, and yet we refuse to live our lives as pilgrims here, as prisoners here that look for a home in the kingdom, that look for freedom in the kingdom to come.

We act as if this life is it for the most part, but it's just the very teeny, tiny tip of eternity promised to us who will live in the Kingdom with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

Do we suffer now? Yes, in a myriad of ways. Is it often times horrific? Yes.  Our hope has to be on the KINGDOM and all that means, not on the earth at all!

Prisoners of the earth.

Please Lord, set us free to live with YOU in YOUR kingdom!  Let us be YOURS, freely YOURS because You hold no one prisoner, not ever!

By YOUR GRACE, MERCY, and LOVE! 

No Righteousness- No Kingdom

Mat_5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
They rejected Jesus.
They rejected the Love of God personified.
Rather than realize that Jesus was living the law perfectly, they were bent on finding fault with Him.

Mat 9:11  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Mat 9:12  But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mercy! Not sacrifice.

The Pharisees were not interested in mercy, they just wanted sacrifice.

Mat 9:14  Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Mat 9:15  And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

They believed they were more righteous because they denied themselves and fasted. They were taking pride in their own works, not in God. Jesus' disciples would fast, and they would mourn when Jesus was taken from them. We can fast today, but not with the belief that our fasting makes us holy in any way.

Mat 16:1  The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
Mat 16:2  He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat 16:3  And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 16:4  A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Mat 16:5  And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
Mat 16:6  Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16:7  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
Mat 16:8  Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
Mat 16:9  Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:10  Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:11  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Mat 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees their doctrine was wrong, it was false, it would lead astray not towards God! The Pharisees and the Sadducees, the scribes, they all believed they had truth, but the truth they believed they had was perverted. They'd changed the plan of pointing towards salvation, they belittled the coming of the Messiah by misinterpreting the signs. They, like their fathers and their fathers, fathers, all the way back chose to go astray. Were they worshiping idols and serving in pagan temples? No. But they were worshiping themselves and the life they created for themselves which had little to do with the love of God. They'd taken all the love out of the law of God. They'd destroyed love. Without love in the law there is no law.  Jesus revealed the love in the law. Is it any wonder that Jesus gave us a warning…

Mat_5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Is it any wonder… the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is not righteousness at all. Our righteousness must be Christ's righteousness and only then it exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Christ's righteousness!

Christ's love!

By the Lord's grace and mercy! 

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Law of God - Love

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Law of God

Why is it people like to believe that the law of God is something to despise? The Pharisees, the priests, turned keeping God's law into something harsh, something that people began to believe needed to be superseded by something else.  A deliverer would come and free them and put the law in their hearts.  This putting of the laws in people hearts is just that, the same laws, not different ones, the same laws would be written on the peoples hearts.

When Christ preached and taught, He said this...

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Has heaven passed?
Has earth passed?

No and no.

Those laws of God still stand today, the moral ten commandments will stand forever because they reveal the love of God. And when all sin is gone, and heaven and earth have passed then all there will be is the love of God, the law which reveals the love will be a part of us, we will all have that law in our hearts. There will be no sin, it won't exist! And sin is the transgression of the law.  Where there is no sin, no law to point out the sin is necessary. No law to keep, if no law is needed. The law exists where the law is needed and WE need the law. We need to know the love of our God who revealed that love in His law and then by revealing shows us where we've failed to live that love. 

We KNOW that we cannot keep the law perfectly, that we need Christ our Savior and His righteousness, because our righteousness is  non-existent. And while we know we can't keep the law perfectly, we know that we are compelled by our God to do all we can to live His love which is revealed in the law He's given to us. 

Living God's love IS living God's law.

Jesus taught and preached about living His law in all this preaching and teaching!

Jesus said- 'Whosever therefore shall break ONE of these least commandments and shall teach men so- he shall be called the least, in the kingdom of heaven.

BUT

Whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. '

Do and teach what?  The commandments.

Don't we see, don't we realize that each of those ten commandments is love, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!!!

And when anyone breaks a commandment they are not loving. Teaching others not to love and anyone who breaks the commandments and chooses not to love cannot be anything in heaven, they have to be the least in heaven because they choose not to love and God is love.

In the kingdom of heaven there is only love.
In the ten moral laws of God there is only love.

By His mercy and grace we will choose LOVE and in doing so, choose to teach and keep the commandments of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Please Lord, by YOUR love! All by your love!

Unjustly Punished

Mat_5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Persecuted- unjustly punished for Christ, He is righteousness.

If any person is ever persecuted because of their belief, their faith in Christ Jesus their Savior, the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

It really says a lot, doesn't it?

How often do people allow themselves to be punished unjustly? They quickly stand up and rail against their punishment, crying out its unfairness, its wrongness. And then there are those who rather than be punished reject their Savior.  They keep themselves from being persecuted by giving up righteousness that can only be found in Christ.

Is it any wonder that those who keep to their faith in Christ Jesus even though they are unjustly beaten, tortured, even killed, are given the kingdom of heaven? They are given Christ Jesus because they LIVE for Christ Jesus!

It is easy for us to say we live for Christ when our lives are untouched by any sort of persecution. How many people make light of their convictions, joke about their beliefs, choose to regulate their religion to something they are in passing, a faith to put on a form when asked yet nothing more. To be punished unjustly for your faith in Christ Jesus, can you honestly say this has ever happened to you?  We know for a fact it happens all around the world, but in my own life, I can't say that I've ever truly been persecuted for my belief in Jesus Christ.

I can comprehend that those who are persecuted for Christ Jesus receiving the kingdom of heaven because faith such as that- to endure unjust punishment for Jesus Christ deserves the reward of heaven.

Please Lord, help us to stand fast and firm in our faith in You no matter what! We may never feel the sting of unjust punishment for our faith in You and Your Righteousness, but should the time come when we are in that situation, please be our strength, keep us in YOU ALWAYS, in ALL WAYS!

All by YOUR amazing love, Lord! All by YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS may we live now and in eternity all in YOU!

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Persecuted.

Dictionary  Webster 1828-

PERSECUTED, pp. Harassed by troubles or punishments unjustly inflicted, particularly for religious opinions.

Unjustly harassed, unjustly punished for righteousness' sake.

What is righteousness?

Again, let's go to the old Webster's dictionary -

Righteousness
RIGHTEOUSNESS, n. ri'chusness.

1. Purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it is chiefly used, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with holy affections; in short, it is true religion.

2. Applied to God, the perfection or holiness of his nature; exact rectitude; faithfulness.

3. The active and passive obedience of Christ, by which the law of God is fulfilled. Dan 9.

Dan 9:3  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
Dan 9:4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that LOVE HIM, and to them that KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS;
Dan 9:5  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Dan 9:6  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Dan 9:7  O Lord, RIGHTEOUSNESS belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
Dan 9:8  O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
Dan 9:9  To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
Dan 9:10  Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Dan 9:11  Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
Dan 9:12  And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
Dan 9:13  As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
Dan 9:14  Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
Dan 9:15  And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
Dan 9:16  O Lord, according to all thy RITGHTEOUSNESS, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
Dan 9:17  Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
Dan 9:18  O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Dan 9:19  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
Dan 9:20  And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
Dan 9:21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
Dan 9:22  And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Dan 9:23  At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

The Lord our righteousness. Jer 23.

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Isa 45:24  Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come…'

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

2Pe 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ

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The Kingdom is for the Humble

The kingdom of heaven belongs to- the poor in spirit.

The poor in spirit-the contrite in spirit-the humble in spirit. 

Is it true that the rich, in general, are less than humble? I'm not saying that ALL wealthy people are  not humble, but as a rule the rich aren't very humble. It's true that a lot of your wealthy people gain their wealth through crime and such.  Again, NOT ALL. But we know that money has a way of corrupting people. I'm not making it up, it's known and everyone who wants to deny it can, but the more riches a person has the less they are likely to focus on eternal things because they are so focused on their riches and what those riches can do for them. 

Our Savior said blessed are the poor, the humble in spirit.

Being poor doesn't guarantee a humble spirit though.  We can't make any mistake  and think if we are rich and give up all our riches that suddenly we are humble. There is pride and arrogance in seemingly selfless acts.

And also, we cannot believe because we are poor that we are automatically humble. There are many poor who simply wallow in their desire for riches, hating their poor state, despising their lack of possessions and the means to gain more of them.

Truly a humble person, poor or rich, if they possess a poor, a contrite spirit in great humbleness realizing their total dependence upon Christ their Savior, upon their Creator and Redeemer, will be blessed with the Kingdom of Heaven. We must all realize that it isn't within ourselves that we find hope, but without, in CHRIST.  We can find no hope outside of Christ, none. Not a single bit of riches, not a prideful destitution, but only a humbleness in knowing we live through Christ. 

If we are blessed with riches, we must be willing to forsake all of them for Christ. We must use any riches for Christ, not for ourselves. If we are blessed without riches, we must still give all we can of our poor meager means to do Christ's will, not use them selfishly. We must  seek to be humble, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should.

Jas_4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Rom_12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Read more verses on the humble, the contrite… because our Lord spoke truth, only truth, and the kingdom of heaven will only be inhabited by those who are poor in spirit, not a single haughty person, not a single selfish person will call heaven their home. We, THROUGH Christ alone can be humble, all through HIS grace, HIS mercy, HIS love, HIS righteousness!

Please LORD, we would be YOURS, wholly YOURS!


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Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Pro 16:19  Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised

Luk 6:20  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.