“The Kingdom of Heaven”
September 2024
"As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'…Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7-8
I’m always amazed when I think about the gift that God gave us in Jesus. God sent his only Son to live with us, die for us, and conquer death for us through the resurrection. Jesus came so that we could have a genuine relationship with God. He came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
But we have to constantly remind ourselves that this “new kingdom” is not exactly what we may think it is. It isn't simply a "ticket to heaven." Nor is it a promise that we will get everything we want on earth.
This new “Kingdom of Heaven” that Jesus was bringing was unlike anything the world had ever seen. This was a kingdom that turned the world upside down. A kingdom where he conquered by dying. His disciples gained by sacrificing. Jesus’ kingdom wasn’t what the people of his day expected and I’m afraid it’s not what we might expect either.
Too often we try to fit Jesus into our world, our lives, our kingdom. We pray for God to grant us blessings. And if we’re not careful we can fall into the temptation of believing that Jesus came to save us for OURSELVES.
But following Jesus shouldn’t look like that. We need to stop trying to “fit Jesus into our lives.” We need to reorganize everything in our world around Him. We need to allow Him to lead us. We need to let Him tell us where to go. We need to listen to the words He wants us to share.
This fall God is inviting us to let Jesus into our lives yet again and allow Him to turn them upside down. To reorient our lives around His desires. There is no doubt that this is challenging…but so was the cross.
Jesus gave to us freely but he asks us to give freely as well. The “Kingdom of Heaven is near” and if you want to experience it…then ask Jesus to lead you step by step. Lay down YOUR desires, take up YOUR cross and follow HIM.
And then, go tell others the message that the world needs to hear, "The Kingdom of Heaven is near."
When we do these things we will find a purpose for our lives that goes beyond our kingdom here on earth.
In Christ,
Pastor Thomas
I’m always amazed when I think about the gift that God gave us in Jesus. God sent his only Son to live with us, die for us, and conquer death for us through the resurrection. Jesus came so that we could have a genuine relationship with God. He came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
But we have to constantly remind ourselves that this “new kingdom” is not exactly what we may think it is. It isn't simply a "ticket to heaven." Nor is it a promise that we will get everything we want on earth.
This new “Kingdom of Heaven” that Jesus was bringing was unlike anything the world had ever seen. This was a kingdom that turned the world upside down. A kingdom where he conquered by dying. His disciples gained by sacrificing. Jesus’ kingdom wasn’t what the people of his day expected and I’m afraid it’s not what we might expect either.
Too often we try to fit Jesus into our world, our lives, our kingdom. We pray for God to grant us blessings. And if we’re not careful we can fall into the temptation of believing that Jesus came to save us for OURSELVES.
But following Jesus shouldn’t look like that. We need to stop trying to “fit Jesus into our lives.” We need to reorganize everything in our world around Him. We need to allow Him to lead us. We need to let Him tell us where to go. We need to listen to the words He wants us to share.
This fall God is inviting us to let Jesus into our lives yet again and allow Him to turn them upside down. To reorient our lives around His desires. There is no doubt that this is challenging…but so was the cross.
Jesus gave to us freely but he asks us to give freely as well. The “Kingdom of Heaven is near” and if you want to experience it…then ask Jesus to lead you step by step. Lay down YOUR desires, take up YOUR cross and follow HIM.
And then, go tell others the message that the world needs to hear, "The Kingdom of Heaven is near."
When we do these things we will find a purpose for our lives that goes beyond our kingdom here on earth.
In Christ,
Pastor Thomas
