The way to the kingdom is for the living

Mat 10:5  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Mat 10:6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 10:8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

To the Jewish people, to God's chosen people, people who had a history of men of faith giving their lives to God. These people suffered through much but were rewarded with much. Given a Moral Law, they were told they had to agree to the Moral Law, and they AGREED. Once that agreement was made it was forever. When they failed to uphold their agreement they were punished- over and over again. They'd repent and then fall away again.  This was their known history.  They forever remain God's people, but what state they remain in is up to them.

Jesus wanted His Apostles to go to the Jewish people and PREACH- THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.

He wanted the Apostles to open up the eyes of the people to His truth, the truth of the KINGDOM of HEAVEN.

He also wanted them to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.

The kingdom of heaven.

Let's read some verses on heaven from the Old Testament-

Psa_22:28  For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

Psa_45:6  Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Psa_103:19  The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Dan_2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed
Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Deu_10:14  Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

1Ki_8:27  But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

1Ki_8:30  And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.

1Ki_8:32  Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

1Ki_8:36  Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

1Ki_8:39  Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)

1Ki_8:43  Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

1Ki_8:45  Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

1Ki_8:49  Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,

1Ki_22:19  And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

Neh_1:5  And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments

Exo 25:8  And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Heb_8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

*******

I'm going to stop right there for now. I took a verse from the new testament and tied it into the old testament verses above it.

The point I think I need to make is that the Jewish people of Christ's day, KNEW the God of HEAVEN. They KNEW that GOD had a throne in HEAVEN. They KNEW that God had a TEMPLE in HEAVEN that their TEMPLE was patterned after the TEMPLE in heaven. 

The KINGDOM of HEAVEN was NOT unknown to them!

Daniel spoke --

Dan_2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

The Kingdom of Heaven was known.

Jesus came and brought the message that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand- meaning, the WAY into the kingdom of heaven was being made. The kingdom of heaven was a real place.  The kingdom of heaven was a place that Jesus was making available to all.  The kingdom of heaven through Christ. 

Yes, some people believed the kingdom of heaven was to be set up right then on earth, that Jesus was going to make an earthly kingdom such as the kingdom of mankind, having a king to bring all into submission. Rome would no longer rule over God's chosen people. Caesar would no longer rule, but Christ.  They were wrong. Christ's kingdom was NOT of this world!

Christ's words-

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.

His kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, is where HE would ascend and where He would take us upon His return if we are found in Him, known by Him, loved by Him.

Jesus sent His Apostles to preach the kingdom of heaven at hand to the Jewish people. Jesus wanted ALL to have a chance to obtain the kingdom of heaven, and He still wants ALL to obtain the kingdom of heaven.

The truth, God's truth.  We know it, we are told it, the truth is available for all to know if they choose. The kingdom of heaven is available for all to obtain, it is REAL.  It's not some spirit world filled with the ghostly spirits of all the dead, that is NOT what Christ preached, and He would have preached that, if it were so.

Thy kingdom will COME.  We pray it, but we imagine the kingdom is come to the dead, not that God's kingdom is coming to RAISE the dead, and RAISE the living all found in Him at His appearing!

Please LORD let us believe in Your kingdom as a reality, something to be found NOW.  The way to the kingdom is for the living to find now. The reality of the kingdom to be had at Your second coming.

Please Lord, bless us, keep us, love us, know us! Mercy, Lord, Your mercy! Your grace! Your righteousness! Your forgiveness! All in YOU LORD, all in  YOU!

If He is not our life now, He will not be our life then

The Kingdom of Heaven will have- Abramham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three men of God, patriarchs of God's chosen people, the Jews will inhabit the kingdom of heaven. However, it will not be the Jews alone who will meet with them, who will sit with them. Many from all over the world will be in the kingdom of heaven, it is not reserved for the people of the Jewish faith.


Mat 8:10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Mat 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 8:12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


First, I must say I am NOT saying that no Jewish people will be in heaven. I have NO way of knowing who will be there and who won't, I am not the writer of the Book of Life, only God is its Author.

Jesus, Himself said that among His own people, for He was Jewish, He couldn't find the faith He found in a Roman solider, a gentile.

Jesus, Himself self that the children of the kingdom of Israel were NOT guaranteed a place in the kingdom of heaven, that they would be cast into outer darkness, they would weep and gnash their teeth.

How of do people believe they are entitled to things simple because of their circumstances? A lot, right? You have your rich and famous and these people believe they are entitled to all sorts of things that the 'average' person, the person who isn't rich or famous, or both, aren't entitled to. Their station in life means they automatically deserve better things.  We have families of great wealth who believe the same. We have families who are considered important and if they mention their name they are deserving.  The Jewish people came to this place, they came to believe they were deserving because of their birth heritiage. They came to this and by the time Jesus was born and began His ministry they were so far from what God intended His people to be that their House was left to them desolate.  Not my words--

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Mat 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Jesus' words.

Most of the Jews of that time believed they were by birthright entitled to the kingdom of heaven. They were the chosen, the special, the people of the true God. Their faith wasn't in God but in their heritage.

Today is there a danger for people believing their faith is in their heritage?  Yes.

There are a whole slew of people who believe that because they mention the name of Jesus and label themselves Christian that they are guaranteed a place in the kingdom of heaven.

If asked a whole lot of people, dare I say the majority of them who claim Christianity, believe they have a place in the kingdom of heaven? Yet haven't we studied that 'FEW' will find the way?

The trouble is, the men of God- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all of them followed GOD'S will, not their own. When we begin to follow our own will we are not God's. When we claim control over our own lives, we are not letting God control our lives. When we put ourselves FIRST, we are putting GOD LAST.  And so many of us believe if our own wills are not done then God has cheated us some how.

So many of us claim that God is first in our lives and we owe all we are and have to God, all the while we are secretly patting ourselves on the back for our own wits and smarts.

God's will, we spoke about that yesterday. Remember this--

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.


Our Savior spent His three year ministry upon earth teaching and preaching to us about the Kingdom of God. He is our only HOPE. If we imagine that there is such a thing as going to the kingdom of heaven based on being good enough, or based on the believe that our actions have no consequence, that all sin does not need to be repented of and confessed, we are caught up in a lie that Satan has honed to perfection.

Our hope must be in Christ's righteousness.  We must constantly live our lives in subjection to our Savior and His will. If we think surrendering our hearts to Him once, or once a week, or once in a while is all that matters are we truly living in Him? If He is NOT our life now, then He will not be our life then.


We cannot count on our heritage, on our family upbringing, we cannot count on our own goodness, none of those things will help us into the kingdom of heaven. We must count on Christ alone!

By His grace and mercy, through His forgiveness, and His righteousness alone can we have hope for the kingdom of heaven.

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!