Jesus said we are to seek first the kingdom of God. If we are to seek first “the kingdom of God,” should we not understand clearly what the kingdom of God is? Is it in your heart? Is it going to heaven? Or is it something more real and tangible than you might have imagined. What does the Bible reveal about the “mystery” of the kingdom of God?
Tag Archives: commandments
God’s Law is a Blessing
The world as a whole is groping in darkness and blindness for a path to happiness, peace, safety and life. In the world many don’t realize they can’t see. They don’t realize they are blind and walking in darkness. They think they are walking in light and that they know the path to a better, fuller, happier life. Yet, they keep falling into pits. They keep stumbling into snares. And the result is a world full of unhappiness, misery, suffering and death.
At the same time they have nothing but contempt and scorn for the light that would show them the true path and lead them to safety and happiness. They, oddly enough, don’t regard the light as a blessing, but rather as a curse. How about you. Do you know what is the true light? And do you regard it as a blessing or a curse?
Why Do We Keep the Passover?
It’s widely acknowledged among Biblical scholars and historians that Jesus and the early Apostles kept the Passover — as the historical and Biblical evidence clearly shows. Is there any reason for Christians to keep the Passover today? YES! Find out why!
Love God
Jesus was asked the question, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36). Jesus answer, as recorded in Matthew 22:37-38, was, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
We see then that the first and greatest requirement for a Christian is that we love God. And not just that we love God, but that we love him totally, with all our heart, mind and being. This means that we must love God above anything or anyone else. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” [Matthew 10:37; cf. similar scripture in Luke 14:26; the Greek word μισεω (miseō) in this context does not mean to hate but means to love less by comparison (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)].
But how do you love God? Have you ever thought about it? I hope so. It is something we should give a great deal of thought and attention to. Let’s examine this subject of loving God and some specific ways we can go about fulfilling this greatest of all commandments.
The Kingdom of God in the Old Testament
When Jesus Christ began his ministry of three and a half years nearly 2000 years ago, he went about preaching the Kingdom of God. “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). Later, when he sent his disciples out he commanded them to preach, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7).
The good news concerning the establishing of the Kingdom of God was the focal point of Christ’s ministry. The underlying theme of the entire Bible is in the establishment of the world ruling government or Kingdom of God. All of God’s true servants have looked forward to the establishment of God’s Kingdom. It has been a subject of primary concern to all of them, without exception, from the very beginning (Hebrews 11:13-16). These all sought the promise — the same promise every Christian should seek, an inheritance in God’s Kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).
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