Love God
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The Kingdom of Heaven
The Kingdom of Heaven
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Jesus’ mission on earth is centered on the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus begins his ministry, he proclaims for us to repent for the kingdom of heaven is here.
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:17
The Kingdom of Heaven speaks not of a place, but rather a relationship. The King has become responsible for His people and the people have turned their hearts to love and honor the king.
Jesus came to usher in a relationship with God that had been missed since the garden. The Kingdom of Heaven is living our lives in the grace and knowledge that we are God’s and He is ours.
The Joy of Finding
The Joy of Finding
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44
Finding our relationship with God is centered on joy. It is like the discovery or kindling of any relationship in our lives. A relationship centered on sacrifice or obligation can not be a relationship of joy.
Following God can not be a chore or love is not the driving factor. Jesus speaks about entering into a relationship with God is like finding the greatest treasure and giving up all that we have to obtain it. This is not a sacrifice, but rather a leaving behind of our old lives. When we truly grasp the relationship that is being offered, the life that we once lived is something that we desire to move on from because it can not match the new life offered.
Too often, we approach our relationship with Christ as an add on. Our lives were pretty good, but we were missing one thing. Jesus is that one thing that would make our lives complete. This view misses the glorious riches of a relationship with God. God can not be an add on. He is all consuming. He is all that we need. When we truly find Him, this is what is experienced. It is this kind of relationship that leads us to jump out of the boat and walk on the water. It is this kind of relationship that transforms us from being a murderer of Christians to being the writer of two thirds of the New Testament. It is this kind of relationship that transforms our brokenness to abundant joy. It is this kind of relationship that moves us from death to life, life everlasting.
The Joy of Receiving
The Joy of Receiving
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 14:44-46
In the parables, when the item of great value is received, the understanding is that the joy of the individual is made complete in their receiving. There is not add on concerning being closer to full joy because of what they received. They are made complete in this reception.
This is the gift of a relationship with God. When we receive this relationship, when we allow ourselves to love God with all of who we are, we are made complete. This is what Jesus came to usher in, our completeness. This is what the apostles wrote about as they said that our joy is made complete in Him. This is the abundant life spoken of over and over again in the New Testament. It is all centered on a relationship with God where we love Him with our whole being and we fully experience the love that He has always had for us.
