Reflecting on King David and Jesus "King of Jews"
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7
What is the kingdom of heaven, paradise, a world uncorrupted by sin. A place of perfection, where we will be like Jesus (eyes, ears, heart, and mind).
Matthew 3:2: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
- Matthew 4:8: Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (Jesus remember "serve the Lord only" and don't forget all of Deuteronomy 6-8 MSG
Matthew 4:17: From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
- Matthew 4:23: Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. (pattern continues in Matthew 9:35, Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near Matthew 10:7)
- Matthew 5:3: “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
- Matthew 5:10: God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (like John the Baptist Matthew 11:11-12)
What does turning to God and humbly doing the right thing look like? Righteousness is asking God "your kingdom come, your will be done - on earth as it is in heaven." It's like the correct way to swing a golf club - the ball ends up where you wanted it. Humility doesn't swing harder, it swings righteously - trusting the club and learned mechanics to do the work. Turning to God, we find effortless joy and peace, the presence of God in our heart, the kingdom of heaven is ours.
What does jesus say about ignorance, obedience, and teaching? To ignore is to forget, disregard, overlook, neglect, miss, reject, bypass, or omit. To obey is to follow, observe, conform (to), adhere (to), comply (with), abide by, keep to, mind, fall in with, submit (to), yield (to), surrender (to), hear, defer (to), agree (to), heed, watch, accede (to), regard, take, listen (to).
Matthew 5:19: So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Matthew 5:20: “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Pray and seek the kingdom of God above all else. Enter through the narrow gate by actually doing the will of Father God.
- Matthew 6:10: May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
- Matthew 6:33: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
- Matthew 7:13: “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
- Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
Jesus shared that when the Kingdom of Heaven is near we should repent of our sins and turn to God.
- Matthew 8:11: And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Matthew 8:12: But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Turning to God in repentance is changing our minds. To receive the light of God and say yes to him, is to say no to all other spiritual forces that make us miss the mark.
- Matthew 12:28: But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
- Matthew 13:11: He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.
Our heart must be prepared to receive the good news about the Kingdom.
- Matthew 13:19: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.
- Matthew 13:24: Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
- Matthew 13:31: Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
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