- With Love from Natasha Ferguson :)
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." John 18:36
In Matthew 4:17 We See Jesus preach, to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
To Repent means to have a “change of mind” Jesus wanted men to realize God’s way and to walk in it; To make an active decision to walk in the right way and follow Him.
Jesus came to teach man a love like no other, and in His whole life, He never said “I Love you” words come easy and actions reveal the truth.
But God, who is rich in mercy , because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:4-7
Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven to earth, when Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, He meant, near, now and you cannot enter into His kingdom when you are looking back in your past, and stuck in the guilt of yesterday’s mistakes.
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:13
Faith is actively in the moment, the kingdom of God has been revealed to you.
"For indeed, the kingdom of God is 'within you." Luke 17:20
We enter into the kingdom through the Love of God. When you become a Christian your spirit is made new and you enter into a new Kingdom spiritually, - a rightful place that belongs to you. – You have been born again and you are a child of God – I peter 1 :23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
Just as you received a citizenship in heaven as a believer of your salvation;- You maintain it the same.
The bible tells us that It is by Faith that you are saved, not of your works of righteousness lest any man should boast; But through the precious blood Grace and Love of Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:- Ephesians 2:8-9kjv
"Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." Matthew 18:1-5
In Matthew 23:13 – We read as Jesus Speaks out seven woes to the righteous leaders and Pharisees.
He said Woe, to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, YOU hypocrites’ You shut kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, you yourself do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
It was so hard for the religious leaders to receive the love and the goodness of God.
It was so hard for them to enter into this new covenant of Love that was on display and being walked out by Jesus.
Their ideas about being right with God, were through keeping the law.
Through Moses- God gave man the law and revealed His standards. - Without the law there is no revelation of Christ and the need for a savior.
The religious leaders and Pharisees “Worked” day and night to be good enough for God.
It was an offensive concept that their works and hard efforts were not working; - God had a perfect structure- and He sent His son to up hold the law, but most importantly to fulfil the law
. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal Life.
To be loved beyond condition, True agape' love is shown endlessly through God’s Mercy.
Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the law but to uphold and fulfil the law.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law had a hard time accepting the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen; will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,( not thrown out) but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt 5:17-20
The word mercy means according to the Collins dictionary, - refraining from infliction of suffering by the one, who has right, - power to inflict it. In the thesaurus it says Mercy, is compassion, favor, forbearance, forgiveness, grace, kindness, and pity
If I were to pick one word from among them that are listed I see, forgiveness and I hear the promise of Jesus, when Peter, one of Jesus the disciples asked how many times they should forgive someone of their sins.
And Jesus shares a story that shadows kingdom forgiveness.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
In the bible David had committed great sins and through Gods love and Mercy- IN THE OLD COVENANT, - God forgave him.
Let me pose the question- Under the new covenant, - Is Gods Love, Grace and Mercy enough to cover your sins, -Was His blood enough? Are His Love, Mercy Kindness, and compassion freeing you from the sins in your life?
Though your spirit is saved, you still live in a natural body, which is in its fallen state. When you fall, don’t stay in sin; pick yourself up in His grace.
– What is this got to do with Mercy? UNDERSTANDING Matthew 23 :23
If we look in Matthew 23:23- 24 Where Jesus warning the Pharisees and religious leaders With 7 woes, we can see where so many get it wrong in criticizing each other “to be like Jesus”
To be like Jesus and follow after Him, is to walk in Love, Because He is love.
- 1John 4:8
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Matt 23:2 3
The religious leaders considered the law more relevant than the love, grace and mercy that Jesus was showing
we know that Jesus tells us is to uphold the law, though his love grace and mercy if you are sitting there reading with your bible and you turn to Matthew 22:3740, we see
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Very important ingredients.Truth- Justice- MERCY and faithfulness, without love there is no mercy and forgiveness of sins.
Love covers a multitude of sins –“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”1 peter 4:8
It is the love of God that leads men to repentance, (not the critical brothers with big pointy fingers- Romans 2 :4)
If sin had a measure there would be no sin greater than implying that God’s love, Jesus blood,Mercy and forgivness wasn’t, or isn't enough.
Religion makes salvation works and places conditions on God; religous leaders become hypocrites when they become “sin conscious” rather than God conscious.
The law that God gave Moses was through God’s commandments to show God’s standards and to set for man moral.
Jesus came with two commandments, that govern the law and fulfil the law –
■Love the lord your God with all your heart and
■Love your neighbor as your self. -Mathew 22:37- 40
■Two words that my husband pointed out are the same, and they are both LOVE
Finally something interesting for future study, I notice if you look at Matthew 23:29 to say 24 and compare what it says to Matthew 22:40- (interesting)
For the true prophets speak of the love of God – Why resist the love of God, What purpose does this achieve to persecute them for the truth that they speak of?
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