The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand!
by Joan Dunn
What did Jesus mean when He said “The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand” “It’s in your midst”? (Mathew 10:7)
I’ve heard a lot of people’s perceptions about what He meant, but my favorite understanding is in a song our choir sings about Faith…
“…to always know you’re in the hands of God, that is Heaven”
When Jesus sent the disciples out He told them to tell the people “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. We all know that The Lord Jesus Christ defeated the works of Lucifer two thousand years ago by paying the price for our sins. The works of Satan have no power over BELEIVERS. Because of His selfless love He opened the door to Heaven for us, through grace. Those who love the Lord and are obedient to Him are promised eternal life, where there is no more suffering, sorrow or pain. But how many of us are actually already living in those promises? We should be.
When a person says they believe in Jesus, it’s more than just saying the words. It means to BE AND LIVE IN HIM. For example when Jesus told us to take no thought about what we are to eat or drink or what we will wear (Mathew 6: 24-34), if you BELIEVE you won’t worry at all. You will simply trust that Almighty God will provide your every need. This means in every single aspect of your life. We should live in absolute TRUST, and in that place in your heart, you can feel His presence and see the miracles He works in the smallest details of everyday life.
Another example; if you know The Lord promised you eternal life with Him then why would you fear death or feel the need to protect yourself with a gun or a nuclear bomb?
Everyone knows that Jesus said to love your enemy and to do good to those that hate you (Mathew 5:38-48) and yet it has become accepted in today’s world to support war in the name of God. How does that make us different than anyone else who kills in the name of God? For all of us who desire to be CHRIST-LIKE let us look at those who were there with Him and laid down their lives for the witness of Christ’s Love. The Brothers and Sisters who knew the Lord personally faced being hung on crosses, boiled in oil, ripped apart by lions and other horrendous tortures, yet endured all these things without resistance or violence. There were thousands at that time that could have picked up arms but they didn’t. Preachers need to shout from the rooftops the words of our Lord “for all they that take up the sword shall perish by it”(Mathew 26:52) “If you try to save your life you will surely lose it” (Luke 9: 23-25).
Lucifer, who is the God of war, has so many tricked into believing you need to defend yourself. Because of a lack of faith, the devil is leading multitudes into the slaughter of Armageddon. Now the opposite of that state of mind is perfect Trust in God’s will. When you put yourself in His hand no one can control you through fear and intimidation. When you are in communion with God you have PERFECT PEACE.
Our God says He is ALMIGHTY, with billions of angels at His command. Isn’t it time we trust Him. To be Christ-like means to live like Jesus. Let us all love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. And in this way teach the world that God truly is love.
The Lord also said “I will never leave you or forsake you”. When you BE AND LIVE in that Truth you will stay in constant communion with your Holy Father.
Believing in Jesus means that you take what He said to heart and live it to the best of your ability. He promised to do the rest. When you realize He loves you and is always with you, and that like a Father to a child He is always there watching over you, caring for your every need, then you feel God within. When you BE AND LIVE in His promises, you are already living in eternal life, you are already in Heaven. The Lord is the Kingdom and He is right there inside of you, so you too can say, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand, it’s in your midst.”
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