WHO IS GOD? : NO to Iconoclasm

          The existence of God remains the deepest mystery to all mankind.  No one can ever fathom this mystery, and our finite mind can never understand the infinite power possessed by our Creator. How he fabricated the universe out of His own breath, no mega-intelligent science can ever explain.  Technology has evolved faster than ever, yet still nothing has been discovered to explain profoundly the nature of the universe and how it functions.  Every attempt to extrapolate based on observations boils down to only but unsupported theories and speculations of what made up every heavenly body.  Even the earth itself is only half explored.  No one exactly knows what is transpiring within the very core of it, and how it holds each layer intact up to its stratosphere.  The Bible merely offers a simple explanation in Colossians 1:17, "He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."  He displayed this power when He rebuked the storm to calm down in that dramatic scene at the lake (Matthew 8:27).

      The Bible started with the phrase, "In the beginning".  To God there is no beginning.  The beginning statement of Genesis was only the beginning for the creation and the start of the history of the universe and mankind, but never pertaining to God.  He is never a created Being but the Creator Himself.

Photo Taken from Godtv.com

      Do not ever think or imagine that He looks physically like a man.  Although we were created in His own image, His splendor is beyond the comprehension of human mind for He is perfect.  Don't exchange Him for your graven, lifeless, useless images.  Definitely, He is not it, and all the more He hates those who compare Him to these idols.  He is invisible and we should not make Him visible through this hand-made figurines.  It is enough that we know that there is The God and He is the most sovereign one.  The King of all kings to be honored with high reverence and exultation.

       He only revealed what is beneficial for us, but sooner, as we join Him in His eternal dwelling, we will get a better glimpse of who He is.  Nevertheless, we are not sure whether He will reveal everything to us.  It is all up to Him to decide.  It is more than enough that we know Him at the extent of how much He introduced Himself to us, an infinite, all-power, all-knowing, all merciful, all loving and  almighty Father. The Most Holy One, the Everlasting King of all Kings, author of all righteousness and the best among the bests.

The Challenge: Free your minds from the images of God as introduced to us by our ancestors.  Get rid of those hand-made images to gain His favor.  Always read the Scriptures and reflect on it to know Him more and more everyday.  As you do pray, He will reveal Himself to us personally and will clearly disclose His perfect will for our own lives.

Scriptures to Reflect On:
-  Isaiah 45:20
-  Leviticus 19:4
-  Galatians 4:8
-  Revelations 9:20
-  Psalms 135:15-18
-  Exodus 20:3-6
- Isaiah 44:9-20
- Romans 1:20-32

REMEMBER YOUR MISSION

By: Peregrino (Jun) Velasco Taccad, Jr.

Text:  MATTHEW 5: 13-16

You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.        

You are the Light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Fisher of Men: Painted by Kip Decker

Introduction:

Being a believer of Christ is not enough to be called His disciple.  In John 8:31-32, Jesus explained that His true disciples are only those who follow Him and obey His commands.  SALT cannot be called salt unless it is salty, and LIGHT cannot be called light unless it glows.  The same way, CHRISTIAN can never be called Christian unless he follows Christ.  If we are really serious in our Christianity, we have to follow Christ.  To obey God is love for Him (John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3).

Once we claim to be Christ’s disciples, we also embraced the fact that we become a member of His Special Task Force by default, a special task force whose mission is to save mankind from eternal separation from God.

We are commissioned by none other than the Lord of lords and the King of kings, the Creator of the entire universe who is Jesus Christ. We must realize that our commissioning is supreme.  Is it not a great honor for us to be chosen as a member of this Divine Task Force out of billion people in the world?  Isn’t it that this commissioning is far nobler that being personally ordered by the president of a country to execute a presidential act?  We should be so excited to be in this Divine Task Force.  We should have the dead seriousness to take this mission no matter what.

An astronaut, before they take journey to the space, NASA makes it sure that: 

ü  They are physically and mentally healthy. No pre-existing medical conditions, fractured bones, history of malfunctioning or removed vital organs, and no infirmities in his sight, hearing and psychomotor coordination.

  

ü  They are emotionally stable, intelligent and full of positive thoughts.  No history of nervous breakdown.

ü  They have to be well-trained with the details and technicalities of the space craft.

ü  They have to learn how to survive by recycling waste materials.

ü  They have to be knowledgeable of the space environment.  They have to be aware of the hazards and dangers up there.They should familiarize the positions of the stars and planets.

Without these qualifications, they might not be allowed to take-off from the ground for fear of failing to perform the mission and might only lead to a disaster.

Like the one who is vying to be an astronaut, our God wants to ensure that we possess the required qualifications before He acknowledge us to be into the roll of Task Force Members.  Without such qualities, we can hardly follow Him and execute the divine mission.

  

OLD TESTAMENT COMMISSION

God does not change who He is.  He remains the same forever.   He desires the same thing from the conception of the first human being until the present generation.  His commission and expectations are also the same. 

His Vision that we should be putting into our hearts is, To see the His Kingdom multiplying and dominating over the rest, and that all nations streams to it and be blessed.  Study Daniel 2 and Isaiah 2:2-3.

Together with this Vision is our Mission to carry-out and realize the desire of the Almighty God.  We are His hands and no one else will do it except us.

I.   I. GOD’S DESIRE TO MULTIPLY MANKIND; TO RULE OVER ALL OTHER CREATIONS; AND, TO BE A SOURCE OF BLESSINGS TO ALL NATIONS.

First Commandment of God to Adam and Eve

Genesis 1:27-28

·         Be fruitful

·         Increase in number

·         Fill the Earth

·         Subdue it and rule over all living creations

God’s Commandment to Noah and his sons

Genesis 9:1-2 and 7

·         Be fruitful

·         Increase in number; Multiply on the earth and increase upon it.

·         Fill the Earth

·         Rule over all living creations

God’s Promised to Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3

·         I will make you into a great nation

·         I will bless you

·         I will make your name great

·         You will be a blessing

God’s Promised to Isaac

Genesis 26:4

·         I will multiply your offspring

·         In your offspring, all the nations will be blessed

God’s Commandment to Jacob

Genesis 35:11

·         Be Fruitful

·         Increase in number

·         Kings will be among your descendants

II   II.  GOD’S DESIRE TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE AND SUFFERINGS

God Commissioned Moses

Exodus 3:10

·         Bring the Israelites out of Egypt (the land of Bondage and Sufferings)

·         To be subjected to Baptism through the cloud and crossing the Red Sea  (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

·         To live in Canaan, the land where they can enjoy freedom, under God’s blessings and protection.

God’s Instruction to Joshua

·         Lead the people (the next generation of Israelites) to conquer and inherit the land  (Joshua 1)

·         To be baptized first by crossing the Jordan River (Joshua  3-4)

Jordan River is the same river where John the Baptist immersed Jesus.

·         Joshua taught the people to obey God (Joshua 23)

All these are God’s expectations since the time of Adam until today.  All these deliver the same message:  God wants to build and expand His Kingdom.  It is a kingdom where there is salvation, freedom and righteousness through unenforced obedience.  

NEW TESTAMENT COMMISSION

THE REQUISITES TO BE IN THE MISSION:

REQUIREMENT 1:  SERIOUSNESS

Christ’s Intention in Calling the First Disciples

Mark 1:16-20

•          “Come follow me and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN”
•          AT ONCE they left their net and followed Him. The FISH NET is used to catch fish and it is a very important instrument for Fishermen.  An instrument to sustain their families’ basic needs.  They left this important thing to follow Christ. 
•          They left their Father, a very important person, to follow Christ
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•  Like the first disciples, we should have the SERIOUSNESS to execute the mission

REQUIREMENT 2:  LOVE FOR OTHERS

The Great Commandments

Matthew 22:36-40

•          Love the Lord with all your Heart, Mind and Soul
•          Love your neighbor as Yourself
•          (1 John 4:7-12;19-21) Those two great commandments are linked with each other.  You can never say that you love God if you hate your brother.  Likewise, you can never say you can love all your brothers if you don’t love God. 
•          (1 John 5:3)  Love for God is Obedience to His commands and teachings.

John 13:34-35

•          A new command:  You should not only love your neighbor like you love yourself, but it should be just like how Christ loved us.  Jesus showed his love by laying down His life for us.  We must also love one another that way.
•          Only those who love like that can be called TRUE DISCIPLE.
•          The true show of love is to lay down our lives for the salvation of another.  That’s the true mission.

John 21:15-19

•          Jesus Christ asked Peter three times if he loves Him. His same answers were for the benefit of Christ’s believers: “FEED MY”, “TAKE CARE OF MY SHEEP” & “FEED MY LAMBS”
•         The measure of True love for Christ is the amount of your love for others.
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•  We should have TRUE LOVE for fellowmen to be fitted for the mission.

REQUIREMENT 3:  HOLY SPIRIT’S PRESENCE

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20

•      It is called Great Commission because it is as important as the Last Words of a departing love one.  It is with such great importance that it should be implanted into the hearts of every true disciple and be taken with great care and seriousness.
•           All Authority is now with Jesus Christ.  He is our Great Commissioner.  He is the ONLY ONE who can give us these orders and we should obey, being one under His authority.

-       Go and Make Disciples of all Nations (Multiply and fill the earth)

-       Baptizing Them in the Name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit  (Lead them out of  Egypt - Moses; Lead them in crossing Jordan River - Joshua)  In, Acts 2:38, Peter discusses this with simplicity but with hard-line profoundness - Repent and Be Baptized.  For what?  For the FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS and TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

-       Teaching them to obey everything I had commanded you.  Let us give emphasis on the whole command line, "TEACH THEM TO OBEY", not only teach them.

Acts 1:7-8

•          The Holy Spirit is the promise of God’s presence, power, comfort and strength (Matthew 28:20). 
•          The Holy Spirit is the One who gives us things we need in order to fully execute the Mission.  The Holy Spirit will also change our lives so we will show good testimony to all men.  A perfect example of a life changed by the Holy Spirit is Apostle Paul.  He, who used to execute Christ’s followers, turned Missionary for Christ and died following Him.  He made significant contributions and great impact in the history of Christianity.
•          We shall be witness to:

-       Jerusalem (Our Family and People Close to Us)

-       Judea (Our larger community and friends)

-       Samaria (Our Enemies and Strangers)

-       Ends of the Earth (Wherever you go)

•  We should have the HOLY SPIRIT to be victorious in our MIssion.

Challenges: 

a)  GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES:  Start inviting people to BS and Share the Gospel with your friends and colleagues. Set goal to bring at least one soul to Christ every month.

b)  Learn how to share faith from our Leaders.  Sit with them to gain insights and practical applications.

c)  TEACH OTHERS TO OBEY:  First, be knowledgeable with the Word of God.  Have your daily quiet times and Read the Bible.  Learn from the sermons and take note.  Share what you are learning to other disciples and be a blessing and encouragement to them.

d)    Pray more and be filled with the Holy Spirit always.

e)   Be a disciple always, inside or outside the gathering of the Saints.  Model out a life of a true Christian.

Following the Living Christ

by: Pastor Jose V. Velasco, Jr. 

Read: John 21:18-22

   Twice in our Bible text Jesus tells Peter to follow Him (19, 22). Jesus called His first disciples to follow Him. He said to Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19).  Another day Jesus saw Matthew at a tax collector’s booth, He called him saying, “Follow me” (Mt. 9:9). Today. He still calls us to follow Him.

   Note that He does not call us to walk side-by-side with Him. This could imply a 50/50 sharing in power and authority in our life with Him. It is a 50/50 sharing in setting the rules for our life together with Him. So we obey Him 50 percent, and He also obeys us 50 percent. No. When we follow Him we have to deny ourselves and give Him full control. He says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself. .” (Mt. 16:24).  We must deny all our desires for partial control. He provides all the rules and we only have to follow or obey.  Neither are we to walk before Him leading the way. No, He leads the way and we follow. The trouble with many Christians is they want to lead the way and Jesus must follow.  

   What does it mean to follow Christ? How can we follow Him if He has already gone to heaven and we cannot see Him anymore? First, as our topic says we are following the living Christ, not a dead Lord. He has gone to heaven but He also promised His abiding presence. “And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Mt. 28:20). Second, to follow Him is to posses His spirit, mind and character (Phil. 2:5; Rom. 8:29; 1 Jn. 2:6). It is to live a Christ-like life. Now, we cannot follow something that we do not know. Hence, we must take time to know Christ’s life and teachings. This needs reading our Bibles, attending Bible studies and worshiping where Christ and His words are taught. But we do not get acquainted with Jesus alone in academic study about Him. We get to know Him in our personal intimate daily walk with Him: through constant prayer, meditating on His life and words, and worship. As we live intimately with Him moment by moment He imbues us with His spirit and mind and, through the work of His Holy Spirit in us, impacts us to become like Him. Spiritual formation is God’s work.

   Following Him could involve suffering and even death. Jesus said that a servant is not above his master, nor a student above his teacher. If Jesus was persecuted His followers shall also be persecuted (Mt. 10:24). From early times Christians have been persecuted. Today, in Iran Saeed Abedini , 40, has been in prison for more than two years now, in spite of his poor health, just because he is a Christian and a pastor. In Nigeria Christians are horribly abducted, killed and persecuted for their faith in Christ by Boko Haram and Muslim extremists. In both Canada and US there is a slow move to restrict the freedom of Christians and other religious groups to freely practice their faith in public. Prayers and Bible readings in schools and in public places are no longer allowed. In many places the display of religious signs like the Ten Commandments, the cross and the Lord’s Prayer is banned. And governments are caving in. If this gets worse eventually Christians may have to go to jail for openly practicing their faith. Jesus warned His disciples that to follow Him involves a price (Lk. 14:28f). If we are to be faithful to Him we must be willing to pay that price. Anyway, we are not alone to bear the price. God will empower us to carry our crosses in following Him (Eph. 3:16; Phil. 4:13). And we shall overcome.

Prayer: 

  Lord, may we hear your call to follow you. Strengthen and embolden us that come what may we would follow faithfully until the end. In Jesus’ blessed name. Amen.

  

The Kingdom of God

by: Pastor Jose V. Velasco, Jr.

  

     The kingdom of God was so basic and central in the teachings and ministry of Jesus. He opened His ministry by repeating the words of John the Baptist, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Mt. 3:2; 4:17). Jesus said that His miracles and healing were powerful signs that the kingdom of God has now come and is real (Mt. 12:28). His teachings were the principles of life in the kingdom. During His last moments with His disciples physically, before He ascended to heaven, the theme of His conversation with them was the kingdom (Acts. 1:3b).

    What is the kingdom of God? By the way, the term more common in Matthew is the kingdom of heaven which carries the same meaning. During Jesus’ time the Jews popularly thought of the kingdom as a political rule. Hence, the Jews told Pilate that if Jesus was king He was displacing Caesar, Rome’s emperor. And they were pledging their allegiance to the emperor and not to Jesus (Jn. 19:12, 15c). 

    Jesus Himself explained that His kingdom (or God’s kingdom) is not a political rule. When asked by Pilate if He is a king, Jesus implicitly agreed by saying, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn. 18:36). So He is a king. But His kingship is not of the same category as of Caesar’s or of any other earthly ruler. God’s kingdom is moral and spiritual. The best definition of the kingdom so far is in the Lord’s Prayer. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” (Mt. 6:10). Combining the two phrases here, it means that the kingdom is wherever and whenever God’s will is known and obeyed.

  Jesus said, “- - the kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21.). It is not necessarily in a geographical place, but in our hearts and lives. When a person believes in God and firmly resolves to know His will and obey it God reigns in him/her. The kingdom is real in that person here and now.  Furthermore, when this happens to people it impacts the way they live their secular life. The principles of the kingdom which are God’s words and teachings will be carried over into their work places, home life, relationships, businesses and politics, thus influencing society.

    So it is not a reality that we are waiting to enter into only after death. Wherever God and His will is reigning there is already the kingdom of God. However, it is not yet completely established since all around us there is still much that is contrary to God’s will. Evil is still a fact. But our firm hope is that at the end of time, when Christ will come again, God will ultimately defeat all evils. And He shall reign forever and ever.

   Jesus invites us to enter that kingdom now by our believing, loving and obeying Him. We will all still die physically, but according to Paul departing from this life is only to be with Christ in His eternal kingdom. (Phi. 1:23). Now is the best time to prepare for and receive that kingdom (2 Cor. 6:2b).

Prayer: 

     Lord, unless we are in your kingdom we are surely lost. With the help of your Holy Spirit may you help us to forsake all things that are against you, and completely live by your holy will. May you establish your total reign in us. For the sake of your dear Son, we pray. Amen.

How to Enter the Kingdom of God

  

by: Pastor Jose V. Velasco, Jr.

     Jesus talked about entering the kingdom. To enter the kingdom one must become like a little child (Lk. 18:17). It is harder for a rich person who values more his wealth than God to enter the kingdom (Lk. 18:24). One must throw away anything that causes him/her to sin in order to enter the kingdom of God (Mk. 947). 

       To understand the topic we should recall briefly the definition of the kingdom. It is a condition or state of life in which God is totally reigning. Before Adam and Eve sinned God was completely reigning. The garden of Eden where God put Adam and Eve was thus God’s kingdom (Gen. 2:8). But when Adam and Eve sinned Satan’s partial rule was introduced. And God banished them out and they lost the kingdom (Gen.3:23). In sin we are all now under the kingdom of Satan. But God wants everyone to be saved, to be restored into His kingdom (1 Tim. 2:4; Ezekiel 18:23). God has been working on this which is the story of the whole Bible. What God did to finally accomplish this was to send Jesus to die on the cross to offer His forgiveness and redemption. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins”- -(Eph. 1:7).

      But what must we do to appropriate this offer of forgiveness from the cross? Since sin which is disobedience and rebellion against God is keeping us out of God’s kingdom, we must renounce that sin to re-enter the kingdom, and we must submit to God’s total will and rule. This is repentance. Peter told those listening to him on the day of Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Repentance is forsaking all the sins and evils we are doing. Sin and evil do not belong in the kingdom. They must be gone forever.

      Repentance is an inner act of the will. It is a decision and inclination in the mind and heart to avoid sin and do God’s will. It is a spiritual renewal. Hence, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. ---no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (Jn. 3:3, 5).  It is an inner purging of the heart and mind.

      Then this inner renewal expresses itself in outward and tangible change in life style. We  must now live by God’s rules. These are defined in the Ten Commandments, the teachings of the prophets and the teachings and life of Jesus. These are further explained in the apostolic writings in the New Testament. Hence, we must diligently study these rules and follow them in our lives.

     As we learn God’s will in the Holy Scriptures we must also ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand them and empower us to apply them. Have you now invited God to reign in your life? Are you now living in the kingdom? You can do that right now by praying sincerely as follows:

Prayer: 

       Lord, I open my life to you. May you come and reign in me. Help me to know your will and help me to live by them. Help me to forsake and avoid all things that are against you. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Living in God’s Kingdom 1

by: Pastor Jose V. Velasco, Jr.   

     Let us ever keep in mind that God’s kingdom is not something we just wait for after this life is over or when Jesus comes again. It is a reality that begins here and now, but continues in the life to come. It begins in our personal lives the moment we accept God as our Lord and King, and we lovingly and willingly obey His words. When society is governed by God’s principles as set forth in His commandments and words, then society also becomes His kingdom. Because of the presence of sin, the kingdom is not yet fully established on earth. But like the mustard plant that starts from a small seed the kingdom will also grow (Mt. 13:31-32). When Jesus comes again He shall fully establish it by defeating all the forces of sin and evil which are opposed to it. Then God shall perfectly reign forever and ever.

     By our true submission to God’s will we are now in God’s kingdom. How should we live in the Kingdom?  There is a mark difference between living in the kingdom of God and living in the kingdom of Satan. The kingdom of Satan is in direct contrast to the kingdom of God. Hence, in His prayer Jesus said that His followers are in the world, but not of the world (Jn. 17:11, 14). The world here means the kingdom of Satan, and God’s people do not follow the life-style in Satan’s kingdom.

    God’s kingdom has its own distinct culture, different from that of Satan. One parable likens the kingdom to a wedding banquet (Mt. 22:1-2, 11-13). All guests must wear a specific banquet attire. The host, who was a king, noticed that one guest was not wearing the proper attire. The king ordered that guest to be brought out and be excluded from the banquet. The banquet attire stands for the kingdom- culture, or the life-style in the kingdom. Missing that culture or life-style will disqualify us from continuing in the kingdom. How would we know that culture or life-style? They are spelled out in God’s commandments, the teachings of Jesus and the apostolic teachings. To sum it all up, it is revealed in the very life of Jesus. Paul said, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14). We can see fully in Jesus Christ the life-style in the kingdom. Live like He lived to remain fit in the kingdom.

     I can hear some objections to this requirement of living in the kingdom of God. No one can fully live like Christ because He is perfect and sinless, and we are not. So no one shall ever enter God’s kingdom. But first, to be like Christ is not the condition to be in the kingdom. It is a description of the life in the kingdom. And it is the by-product of being in the kingdom. The condition to be in the kingdom is faith, surrender and commitment of life to God in Christ. And second, God does not expect us to live like His Son if it is not possible. It is possible, not because we are able to, but because God will enable and empower us by the Holy Spirit to be like His Son (2 Cor. 3:18). All we do is to aspire and ask Him to remold us to be like Him. What are the characteristics of the life in the kingdom? We will discuss this question in the succeeding reflection.

Prayer: 

     Lord, we thank you for your gift of the kingdom. Help us to surrender fully our will to you that your will may be completely done in our lives. In Jesus’ Holy name we pray. Amen.

Living in God’s Kingdom (2)

by: Pastor Jose V. Velasco, Jr.

      By true faith in Jesus Christ we are now citizens of heaven, or God’s kingdom (Phil. 3:20). We are now living in it. In this reflection, we continue to learn more in detail the life-style in the Kingdom. As was already noted in the previous reflection it is different from the life of the ordinary unbelieving person. God has revealed the nature of that life in and through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus is the life-style in the Kingdom. What are the basic traits of the life in the Kingdom?

     Love. James calls this the royal law. “If you keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right” (James 2:8). Jesus spelled this out in His entire ministry by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and finally dying on the cross for sinners (Rom. 5:8). We are to do the same because whatever loving deeds we do for others we do it also to God (Mt. 25:40). So He commands us to love and serve (Jn. 15:12).

   Holiness. The word holy is commonly used to ascribe a special honor to people who have sacrificially and lovingly given their best to meet the material and spiritual needs of others in the name of God. Such persons have been canonized as saints in the church. In the Bible holy means set apart. The Israelites were set apart by God to be His people and He called them “a holy nation” for Himself (Exodus 19:6). In the New Testament Paul in his letters to churches called common believers saints, that is holy, not because they were less sinners, but because they belonged to Christ Jesus Christ by their faith. Paul addresses the Christians in Corinth thus, “—to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy,”-- (1 Cor. 1:2). So, in the New Testament sense all of us who truly believe in Christ belong to Him and are thus holy.

     Righteousness. We are also set apart to live a life of obedience to all God’s commands and to keep His covenant. “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5). This would redound to righteous living. On our part this requires an earnest learning of His words and applying them in our lives. We must study the Bible, read Christian literatures and learn from other Christians.

    Deep devotion. In the kingdom we, His subjects, must be intensely devoted to God the King. Jesus said, “My food—is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (Jn. 4:34). Obeying and serving God is as important as food. This is deep devotion. A lukewarm and shallow commitment does not count for anything to Christ (Rev. 3:15-16). You must really be serious.

    In our human weakness, we are unable to live the life in the kingdom. But we can pray the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us, and we can attain it.

Prayer: 

     Loving Lord, thank you for welcoming us graciously into your kingdom now as we believe in your Son. Thank you for the beautiful life you bestow upon us when we enter your kingdom. In Jesus Christ your Son we pray. Amen.