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How do we qualify to enter the kingdom of Messiah and rule with Him as priests and kings?
No grander or greater opportunity will come to any human being than to be called by the God of Creation to leadership and teaching as a priest/king, ruling under King Yeshua for 1,000 years. This is a time when God will begin got restore all thongs lost by the judgement brought about by Adam’s disobedience. Our Earth has been under a curse for 6,000 years ruled by Satan, who is “the prince of the power of the air.”
The goal of this study is to identify and examine the Scriptures that show how the called out “firstfruits” can guarantee their place in the Kingdom of God.
Texts: Eph. 2:1-3; Rev. 20:1-6; Matt. 22:14; 1Cor. 15:21-23; John 3:1-23; Acts 2:38-39; 2Cor. 2:22, 5:5; 1Cor. 15:51-55, 58; Luke 10:25-28; Deut. 5:29; Deut. 6:6-7; Mark 10:17-31; Mark 12:41-44; Matt. 13:1-52; Matt. 6:25-34
There was a great tragedy in Norway several days ago, 77 people, mostly children and teens, were killed in two separate attacks. The first was a bombing at the Prime Minister’s office. The second attack occurred at a youth camp outside Oslo. Many people are asking why God didn’t prevent this tragedy from occurring. One answer is because this is not God’s world. Most people in this world do not ask for God’s authority in their lives or in this world. They want it both ways. They want to act in rebellion yet they want God to protect them and those around them from the consequences of their rebellion. We can’t have it both ways with God.
Judgement starts in the house of the Lord. Believers are judged first and it will be a time when Yeshua brings His rewards and gifts to those who love Him. We judge ourselves against the standard of His word and live our lives towards righteousness. By judging ourselves and repenting of known sin, we will not have to face God’s condemnation.
Yeshua revealed three basic rules to enter the Kingdom of Heaven when he spoke with Nicodemus in John 3:1-23.
Rules of the Kingdom of God
- Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
- One has to be converted by the Spirit to being “born again.”
- We have to die to the old life and rise up to new life through baptism and receive God’s Holy Spirit to enter God’s kingdom.
Believing in the saving work of Yeshua and His shed blood at Golgotha for our sins is a large part of the requirement to enter the Kingdom of God. Not a very hard part to fulfill unless you love darkness rather than the “light of the world” because you deeds are evil.
The spirit of God given to the new believer at baptism is a down payment on what we will receive in the Kingdom of God when Yeshua returns, at that point, we will have no more pain, decay or death.
Salvation is a free gift but it comes with obligations. We serve at his pleasure. We understand that good works play an important role in our rewards from Yeshua and will impact our position or status in the Kingdom.
The Scriptures record a sad dialogue between Yeshua and a “rich young ruler.” He was so close, yet so far away from the Kingdom of God. The rich young ruler had a disproportionate lack of treasure in heaven compared to his earthly treasure chest. His life lacked balance. Every follower of Yeshua faces this challenge. It’s the call of God to repudiate excessive riches in this age and build up our treasure in heaven by leading exemplary modest lives and helping the poor and less fortunate.
Catholic bishop Fulton Sheen said once, “God measures giving not so much by what you give but by what you have left after you have given.” The best example of this story is the story of the widow who gave her whole living to God’s work. This is what Yeshua was asking the rich young ruler to do and he refused to do so.
If God has helped you become rich, it isn’t a curse. Abraham was a very wealthy man and his wealth did not interfere with his relationship with God but for many people, it’s a burden and leads them to the temptation of wasting it on yachts, fancy mansions and fancier vacations and they ignore the needy among them.
Matthew 13 gives us several of Yeshua’s parables that reveal important insights into the kingdom of Heaven — how it functions, the rules under which it operates and how important the Kingdom of God is to the redemption of the world.
We have to become disillusioned with the world. Yeshua tells us not to worry about our food, drink or clothing. God will provide them to us but we are called to seek God’s Kingdom first, not the needs of the world first. God is calling us to get our priorities straight.
Speaker: John Walsh. Summary: Tammy.