THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
John 14:6
Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
Though we may search
wherever we go
and though we may seek
every day that we live,
we all long to know,
we all seek to find
all the meaning behind
these days that we live.
Whether in plenty,
whether in want,
enjoying the light
or enduring the night,
we have this longing,
we have this desire
to fill up this hole
deep in our hearts.
God made us so,
He gave us this need,
He comes to us each
seeking His child
to give us His Love
and His Presence,
love, joy and peace,
His Kingdom we seek.
Jesus, Messiah,
God’s Promised One
comes as the Shepherd
gathering His sheep,
in Him is the Kingdom,
in Him we are found,
in Him we are born
in the Kingdom of God.
Let’s get straight to the point! Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven brings us His life, death, and resurrection. He brings us gifts so powerful, so beautiful, so fundamental for our lives here on earth and for our future in Heaven. He literally offers us everything as we make our ultimate choice between eternal life and death. In Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven we receive everything. Without Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven we lose everything. This is the clear message of the Bible. This is Jesus’ powerful Word through these two short parables: “The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure” and “The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price.”
The first story goes like this: A man finds a great treasure hidden in a field. It is so valuable a treasure he immediately hides it again. Then, with joy, he goes and sells everything he has, and then buys that field. That’s it. All of us understand the ending. His whole life is changed and enriched forever. Things for him will never be the same. From that point on he will be able to bless himself and others with the bountiful resources this treasure has provided. It’s like that for you and me. Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven is our great treasure. His Being and the life He brings in the Kingdom of Heaven are worth “selling out” or giving up everything we have. Literally, it’s like making a choice between EVERYTHING and NOTHING. Jesus offers us the Kingdom of Heaven, which is worth whatever small trinkets we might have worked so hard to collect. What can I say but, “Praise God for Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus might well say, “The second parable is like unto the first.” Here is a merchant seeking beautiful pearls. He is delighted to find one pearl far more precious than any other. He goes and sells all that he has. Then he joyfully buys that particular, that beautiful, that treasure of a pearl. Like the merchant who has found the great treasure, his entire life enriched beyond belief. He suddenly has so much more than he has ever anticipated. He is enriched beyond his wildest imagination. When Jesus finds us, he brings to us just such a treasure. He changes our life for the richer and the better forever. Getting to know the riches in the Kingdom of Heaven fills our life here and now and forever with more goodness we would have never believed possible.
Well, that’s not complicated at all. Jesus tells two simple stories. He has pivotal, vital, and eternal truth to share. Find Jesus. Turn to Him in surrendering everything. Find in Him and the Kingdom of Heaven more than you have ever imagined having. So, whether you have been looking for treasure or for pearls; realize that what your heart and soul really need is Jesus. He not only satisfies our deepest longings. He powerfully meets more than our deepest desires. He replaces them like the actual junk they are. He overflows our lives with blessings we cannot contain. What do we need in life? Who do we need in life? We need Jesus. We need the Kingdom of God only He can bring to us. Jesus is the greatest treasure. He is the priceless pearl. Hallelujah! Amen!
And, of course, our lives, overflowing with God’s blessings, become testimonies to His Love, His Power and His Goodness. We cannot contain our joy. We have Good News to share. In fact, our very lives day-to-day become parables of those who have been found by Jesus and have received all the blessings of the Kingdom of God.
No wonder He taught His disciples to pray:
It is God’s Kingdom we need. It is God’s Kingdom we need to take control over every bit of all of our lives. His is the Kingdom. His is the power. His is the glory. Forever, amen!
