Life Learning Series

(Key to the Kingdom)

Personal

Do not think that rest in the Kingdom of Heaven is according to some human prescription. There are principles of the LORD that govern our abiding in the Kingdom of Heaven, as well as in any other place of eternal presence with the LORD. One of those principles is that we must be stripped of those things that would offend the LORD. For instance, it would not be good for a soul to enter the presence of the LORD with a central focus on gaining money: money is not needed in the Kingdom of Heaven.

It would also not be good for a soul to enter the presence of the LORD with only the skill of making war: war is not required in the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, we have a powerful example of the distance that war is from the Kingdom of Heaven. This example involves an earthly matter that was an image of the Kingdom of Heaven; which matter is, the building of the temple.

Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it.So David prepared abundantly before his death.

Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel. And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

(1 Chronicles 22:1-10)To understand the non-essential nature of war–now–in the Kingdom of Heaven, one need only consider that: it is not for naught that the Prince of the realm in the Kingdom of Heaven is called the Prince of Peace.

— There’s more for you to read –

 

Kingdom of Heaven – Part Four

 

____

…

Open Doors

We have already read of the transportation of Elijah to the Kingdom of Heaven: this example is one of dynamic activity. As we also read, Elijah did not just sit in the Kingdom of Heaven, spending all of eternity just performing the function of praising God; this is not the sole duty of regenerated humankind. The LORD God has a particular category of creation that operates this fashion.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.And thefirst beast was like a lion, and the

second beast like a calf, and the

third beast had a face as a man, and the

fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

(Revelation 4:1-8)The LORD God also has a category of creation that performs periodic praise of His name, and periodic display of His glory.

— There’s more for you to read –

Kingdom of Heaven – Part Three

____

Expanded Consideration

Promise

There may be some doubt, or even anxiety, about whether or not we have a place that is prepared for us in the Kingdom of Heaven. Well, to begin to dispel that doubt, please read these words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3)This is the introduction of the possibility of residence therein. However, later on in Scripture, there is a dampener on any thought of assuming that our residence must be in the Kingdom of Heaven. The apostle Paul seems to indicate that there might be some question about its availability, as he writes the phrase, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect“. This is the thought of the apostle Paul that surrounds that phrase. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 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: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 3:4-14)Fear not, little ones; this is not a reference to the residency that is obtained by those who are so favored by God to reside with Him. This is a matter of whether we can achieve the kind of devotion to service and the mind of righteousness that will bring us to a place of rest in the LORD. The devotion to service and the mind of righteousness are needed now as we travel the journey here, so that we will have a peace that is like unto the peace that was expressed by the apostle Paul.

— There’s more for you to read –

– Click here to read it all —

A place for me, too

It may not be apparent to many of those who ponder the location in reality of the Kingdom of Heaven by looking up, as an indication of its relative location; but, “up” is relative. It is easy to evaluate the relativity of the word, up, when we think of the positioning of the human body relative to other structures. For a man standing on the ground, the eighth floor is usually perceived to be up, from where he is standing. But for the person standing on the eighth floor, the eighth floor is level with his position in reality. Furthermore, for the person standing on the ninth floor, the eighth floor is down, from his position in reality; unless his mind’s positioning of his perceived reality is, for instance, standing on the seventh floor, or below. The same thing holds true for the kingdom of heaven, except in a much more metaphysical fashion.

One of the things that one needs to do when one is perceiving of the Kingdom of Heaven, is to stop looking at the stars and the planets. The celestial bodies bear absolutely no relationship to the Kingdom of Heaven. It will be clearer when we visualize this Kingdom, if we think of the actions that are performed from there. The LORD spoke of many of these actions through the words of the prophets. One of the times that the LORD spoke directly of the nature of the actions that are performed in the Kingdom of Heaven, was when He delivered the following message to mankind.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:6-9)In the latter day, the Prophet Jesus Christ, too, spoke of the actions that emanate from the Kingdom of Heaven. A summary of those actions is included in the last sentence of this, his clarification of reality in the Kingdom of the Father, wrapped in a message of understanding that was given to his disciples.

— There’s more for you to read —

– Click here to read it all —