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PRAYER AND PERSEVERANCE CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN #20

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lion and lamb

 

By Ken Blue

 “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:7-14.

 One must remember that the book of Matthew is about the Kingdom of heaven on earth. It is a time when God’s will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thus, everything in Matthew must be interpreted in the context of the Tribulation or the Kingdom. Most Christians are confused about many things in Matthew because they fail to rightly divide the Word of God.

 This is not a prayer promise to the Christian in this dispensation. This is a promise to those entering the Kingdom, and those who will be in it. Jesus’ ministry was a Kingdom ministry. No request was rejected by Him, and no one was turned away. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and raised the dead. The answer is, He was offering the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel, and working under Kingdom of Heaven principles. There are no such miracles today within the body of Christ, the church.

Today, many people pray for bread and get a stone. They pray for healing, yet die. Paul makes it clear that we don’t know what to pray for. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26. Many, like myself, have a terminal illness. I have ALS, and cannot walk or talk. The average life span with this illness is five years. By God’s grace, I am able to still use my hands, but with great difficulty. I mention this because there are literally, hundreds of Christians who pray for me. Yet I grow weaker by the month.

Look at the prayer promise in our text. The Disciples are told to ask, seek, and knock, for everyone who does, receives. In the Kingdom, they will receive what they ask for. It is not a lack of faith that hinders your prayers, it’s a matter of right division of Scripture.

 Since God will be a benevolent father to them, and provide every request, they are to treat others as they want to be treated. This truth is taught in the Law and the Prophets. It should be noted that the Law and miracles will also be in effect in the Kingdom of Heaven.

 The requirements for entrance into the Kingdom will be difficult. The gospels and Hebrews through Revelation make that clear. In fact, only a few will enter it. One example is in Matthew 24. “11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:11-13. Of the Jews, only one third will survive the Tribulation to enter the Kingdom. “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” Zechariah 13:9. Two-thirds of Israel will be destroyed. One third will be born again at that time, and be the foundation of the new nation. That is the meaning of, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

 

 

THE SERMON OF THE MOUNT # 19

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 TO JUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE

judgeBy Ken Blue

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:1-6.

All judgment must be based on a right division of Scripture. Scripture teaches, that in every dispensation, judgment is to be checked by God’s Word for that administration. Paul tells us, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” 1 Corinthians 2:15. No one is to turn off their responsibility or ability to judge all things by Scripture. However, it does not say, he that judgeth all things, is spiritual. 

Most of the judgment today is based on tradition, preferences, or Scripture taken out of context. These are usually defended under the banner of “standards.” Their judgment is about the length of one’s hair, clothing, music, friends, and the order of church services. This is wrong and wicked. Again, judgment must be based on a right division of Scripture. All other judgment will return upon the head of the guilty. If one begins with himself, and judges his on sins and behavior, he will have little time to judge others.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]One must also have enough spiritual discernment to know who the “dogs” and “swine” are[/perfectpullquote]

One must also have enough spiritual discernment to know who the “dogs” and “swine” are. No doubt this speaks of the most profane. The best example is seen in the rebuke of the religious leaders in Jerusalem.  “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” Matthew 23:13-33.

The above lengthy passage describes the dogs and swine to whom holy things should not be offered or entrusted. It was these very people who crucified Jesus. The point in the sermon is, to exercise righteous judgment and discernment in the judgment of others, and the awareness of their attitude toward those holy things before offering holy things, such as the gospel.  

 

 

 

THE SERMON OF THE MOUNT # 18

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NO WORRIES IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

lion and lamb“25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:25-34.

The word “therefore,” connects this section to the former. It is an illustration of what He has just said, and an assurance that all their needs will be cared for. Peter wondered what they would have as a result of forsaking everything to follow Him. Jesus answers. “27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” Matthew 19:27-30.
It is obvious that the above has nothing to do with the church. We have no such promises. Our citizenship and dwelling is in heaven. The context is the Kingdom of God on earth. The “regeneration” is speaking of the natural and supernatural changes that will transpire at the Second Advent. As we have said rapidly, the church of this dispensation is not the subject of Matthew’s gospel.
Their job will be in the new government as Judges. (28). They need not worry about jobs, retirement, food or clothing. All their need will be met. There is nothing to spiritualize in the text. All is literal. The Kingdom of God from heaven will be established on earth Jerusalem will be the seat of universal government. Israel will possess her promised land, and from there spread the gospel of the Kingdom throughout the whole earth. Matthew 28:19-20 will be their marching orders, and Mark 16:14-20 will be their power.

THE SERMON OF THE MOUNT #17

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lion and lamb

 

HOARDING MONEY, AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

“19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:19-24.

 

The purpose of the book of Matthew is to present the King and the Kingdom to the nation of Israel. That the Day of the Lord would precede the Kingdom is taught throughout the Old Testament prophets. The act of hoarding money, at that time, will be futile. The idea in this text is not that Christians should give all their money to the church. Thus, laying up treasures in heaven.

The Lord is warning them, that they could not seek wealth and serve Him. The reason was, the pursuit of wealth, indicated they did not believe the Kingdom of Heaven was “at hand.” This was the sin of Ananias, and Sapphira his wife. Acts 5:1. Their withholding the money, showed that they did not believe the Kingdom was at hand.

The one thing that should be uppermost in their mind, was that they stay focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. It would be possible for them to get sidetracked and forget the need to endure and remain faithful, if they were to enter the Kingdom. This is the meaning of the “single eye.” “48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:48-51.   

The Lord had promised, and demonstrated His ability to feed and care for them. Thus, their attitude toward money and earthly possessions was a testimony to their faith, or the lack thereof. The love for, and the “laying up of money” would keep them out of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this church age, one may be rich and still serve the lord. However, Paul warns all believers about living for wealth. To do so, makes the heart grow cold toward the Lord. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;” 1 Timothy 6:17.

There will be no need to seek wealth in the Tribulation. Also, we have no idea what the monetary system will be in the Kingdom. The book of James it also a Tribulation book, and addresses that time.  “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” James 5:1 .

 

 

 

 

THE SERMON OF THE MOUNT # 16

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PRAYER AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

 lion and lamb

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:5-15.

The subject is prayer. The scope is the Kingdom of Heaven. The structure suggest the time is just preceding, or within the Tribulation prior to the Second Advent.  

Prayer should not be a public spectacle. Jesus is fully aware that those who make the most noise about pray, aren’t really communing with God, but are seeking the attention and admiration of men. So, don’t play at prayer to appear spiritual.

Most prayer should be secret and private. It is interesting that we prefer to have a “prayer partner,” or a prayer group. If one is conscious of the difference between group prayer, and private prayer, he will find that private prayer is most difficult. The seductive reason, is that in private prayer, there is no one to impress. You will be transparent, because it is just God and you. Private and secret prayer is the most pleasing to God, and gets the greater reward.

Prayer should not be repetitious. There is nothing as pathetic and absurd as the Roman Catholic Rosary. The playing beads, and the repetition goes completely against Scripture. Jesus said, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do…”  This kind of praying is a sign of heathenism. It is against the teachings of Jesus, and is insane. The very idea that the more “hail Mary’s” one says, the less time he will spend in Purgatory, is a doctrine of devils. The doctrine of Purgatory is also a doctrine of devils.

Prayers need not be long. If you need to have long prayers, have it in your closet.  Some churches think there is special merit in having “all night prayer meetings,” and then making sure everyone in the church knows about it. If you really believe in the value of all night prayer, how many time have you done it alone? My guess is, none, and if you have, by all means, don’t tell anyone. We get a little wary of those pastors and evangelist who must tell us how many chapters they read today, and how many hours they prayed. My advice is SHUT UP, and save your rewards.

Prayer is not a reminder to God. If we would keep in mind that God knows our needs better than any of us. He knows what is best for us, and He knows that we need to go through the testing for obedience. So, don’t try to remind God of your situation. He knows. Thank Him, and ask Him to help you avail yourself of the grace He has already provided. The truth is, we don’t know what is best for us; God does.

A model prayer. This prayer is an example of what He has been teaching on prayer. It shows a simple, and intelligent prayer. The first point is that the prayer should be directed to a holy God whose throne is in heaven. There is not mention of Mary, the Saints, or the use of idols. They are to go directly to their Father who is in heaven.

The next request is for the Kingdom of Heaven to come. This is one more proof that this prayer is not for the church, or any church that might think itself to be the Kingdom.  The church is not seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, it is waiting the sound of the trumpet, and the rapture.

 When the Kingdom does come, God’s will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no doubt, as I have said previously, this entire text is for the Jewish remnant within the Tribulation, or just prior to it. This is not a matter of thanking God for bread, they will be in such tribulation, that it will be necessary to pray for it daily. Many Jews will die of starvation, as well as by the sword.

There is the request for God to forgive them of their debts, as they forgive those who were indebted to them. The Jewish nation, as a whole, had become very wicked and selfish. They robbed and extorted from their brethren in every way possible. There is no record in Scripture where they ever observed the Year of jubilee. (Leviticus 25.). One condition of their forgiveness is that the release others of their debts.

The request in verse 31 is a prayer to be delivered from the wrath of their enemies. The evil, may be the Beast, or Antichrist. The word “temptation,” has to do with testing. Israel’s time in the wilderness was call “temptation.” “Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:” Psalm 95:8. The testing of Abraham was called a “temptation.” (Genes 22:1.) Whatever the temptation may be, they are requesting that God deliver them. No doubt is will include the mark coming mark of the Beast. None are able to buy or sell except that which has his mark (Rev 13:17). Daily bread must be miraculously “given,” if those who use this prayer are to be kept alive.

The conclusion of the prayer is as its beginning. God is given glory and praise. The kingdom is His, the power is His and the glory is His, and He will shortly regain it all.

Thus, this model prayer, shows the correct method of prayer. It is not a prayer intended for the Christian to pray, but there is some application for all time.

It is interesting that the command in verse 14-15 have to do with forgiving others. If they wanted forgiveness, they must first forgive others their trespasses. The difference for the Christian is that he is to forgive because he has been forgiven. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32.