Just beyond.. is the Kingdom of God
John 3:3-12
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
* There is a realm of the unseen that is just as real as the seen and you do not have to understand how it works to get the benefit from it!
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Isa 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
· God has his own system of doing things! We have tried to reduce God to fit into our ways of doing and thinking!
· You have to be spiritual to understand spiritual things!
1 Cor 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
· You must be born of the spirit!
Yes I believe that!
Story of man dying of thirst from going through the desert to a christian convention!
Matthew 6
1 ¶Take care not to do your good works before men, to be seen by them; or you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 When then you give money to the poor, do not make a noise about it, as the false-hearted men do in the Synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly, I say to you, They have their reward.
3 But when you give money, let not your left hand see what your right hand does:
4 So that your giving may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward.
5 ¶And when you make your prayers, be not like the false-hearted men, who take pleasure in getting up and saying their prayers in the Synagogues and at the street turnings so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
· There is a reward in the natural and it comes quicker most of the time, this self gratification through our works? WORK?
6 But when you make your prayer, go into your private room, and, shutting the door, say a prayer to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward.
7 And in your prayer do not make use of the same words again and again, as the Gentiles do: for they have the idea that God will give attention to them because of the number of their words.
8 So be not like them; because your Father has knowledge of your needs even before you make your requests to him.
Matt 6:9-13
9 "In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(NKJ)
14 For if you let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will have forgiveness from your Father in heaven.
15 But if you do not let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will not have forgiveness from your Father for your sins.
16 ¶And when you go without food, be not sad-faced as the false-hearted are. For they go about with changed looks, so that men may see that they are going without food. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
17 But when you go without food, put oil on your head and make your face clean;
18 So that no one may see that you are going without food, but your Father in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward.
19 ¶Make no store of wealth for yourselves on earth, where it may be turned to dust by worms and weather, and where thieves may come in by force and take it away.
20 But make a store for yourselves in heaven, where it will not be turned to dust and where thieves do not come in to take it away:
21 For where your wealth is, there will your heart be.
24 No man is able to be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep to one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.
Mark 10:17-30
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Matt 6:25-33
25 ¶So I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about food or drink, or about clothing for your body. Is not life more than food, and the body more than its clothing?
26 See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they?
27 And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself a cubit taller?
28 And why are you troubled about clothing? See the flowers of the field, how they come up; they do no work, they make no thread:
29 But I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
30 But if God gives such clothing to the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is put into the oven, will he not much more give you clothing, O you of little faith?
31 Then do not be full of care, saying, What are we to have for food or drink? or, With what may we be clothed?
32 Because the Gentiles go in search of all these things: for your Father in heaven has knowledge that you have need of all these things:
33 But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition.
· A new dedication to seek the kingdom of God! All that we need is there, but most important the King is there!
· The rewarder or just the reward!?