Kingdom Eligibility

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Kingdom Eligibility

Welcome to Christianity Oasis Purity Publications. This E-book is titled Come Up Higher - Chapter 6 - Kingdom Eligibility written by Author Diane Jurino. Christianity Oasis in association with Purity Publications proudly presents you with this Kingdom Eligibility E-Book free of charge for your enjoyment.




Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

We should earnestly desire that the Kingdom of God be introduced to the earth realm as soon as possible. It will be a literal paradise for all who enter into it. But first, we must sanctify ourselves of all carnality of the flesh and selfish ambitions of the soul. Nothing defiling can abide in the Lord's presence, and we must be totally sinless and have a genuine love for God and for others.

Our righteousness cannot be compromised in any way in the critical days that lie ahead. We should strive to be holy and perfect, just as the Lord is holy and perfect. We have divine destinies to fulfill that require us to be above and beyond reproach in all that we think, say and do. The entire earth is looking to us to set matters straight and lead the way in to the Kingdom of God.

We will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with power and conviction, so that all mankind can be saved in the truth. We will heal all those who are sick and afflicted; deliver captives free of enemy oppression and bondage to their sin; and even raise the dead back to life as Jesus did. We will destroy demonic strongholds and overcome all evil with good, as we are destined to do.

Very soon now, we will bask in the glory of the presence of the Lord. We will have peace and prosperity, health and longevity, safety and security for all of eternity. The Lord will boast of us to all of creation and we will rule and reign over all the nations of the world with Jesus Christ Himself. We will even be appointed kings and priests of God and minister to His people.

Philippians 2:9 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:"

Jesus Christ will soon return to rule and reign in His everlasting Kingdom. It is His inheritance for perfect obedience and unselfish service to all of mankind. The Father is exalting Him above every creature in the universe. Every knee will bow and every tongue proclaim that "Jesus Christ is Lord over all creation." We will see Him face-to-face and worship Him for all of eternity.

Christ will destroy all the ungodly and their ungodliness in the wrath of His coming. He will expel all evil off the face of the earth and banish Satan and his minions to the bottomless pit. He will judge both the living and the dead to determine who is eligible to enter into His Kingdom. The Lord will take vengeance on our enemies and mete out eternal rewards and punishment.

Those who have been righteous will receive eternal blessings and generous rewards in the Kingdom of God. However, the rebellious will all be banished to the lake of fire. Christ will make certain that nothing that defiles man or God ever enters into His Kingdom. He will rule with a rod of iron to maintain its integrity and to protect all those who are called by His holy name.

Daniel 7:27 "And the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose Kingdom [is] an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him."

The Kingdom of God will be the spectacular finale of the Lord's long-term redemption plan for all of mankind. Heaven itself will be brought to the earth realm, so that the Lord can ultimately dwell with His people in close fellowship, as He desires. It will be an idyllic way of life for both God and man to enjoy; nothing that defiles us will disturb the order and stability of Kingdom life.

All earthly kingdoms and governments will be absorbed into the Kingdom of God. Christ will rule and reign as a righteous King over all of creation. He will remove all evil and everything that offends God or man from His Kingdom. The saints of God will all be holy and perfect. No sin will be tolerated in the presence of our God. Men will be righteous and walk in love or be excluded from Kingdom life.

We will have peace and prosperity, safety and security, joy and freedom for all of eternity. The Lord will wipe away all of our tears, and eliminate all our pain and sorrow. The dead in Christ will be raised from the dead and we will be reunited with our lost loved ones. Our very bodies will be changed and we will put on glorious, resurrection bodies that live forever in health and wellness.

The Holy Spirit of God will prevail in His Kingdom for all of eternity. There will be no death and disease, no poverty and lack, no war and oppression of any kind. God's people will live free of fear and molestation. They will all be loving, kind and peaceful; there will be no contention to ever disturb the serenity of life there. We will dwell in the presence of God Himself and enjoy His blessings forever.

Basic Requirements for Entering the Kingdom of God

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

The Lord has issued a special invitation for all men to enter the Kingdom of God, but there are fundamental requirements for eligibility. We must sincerely repent of all wrongdoing and believe that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins, and that He rose again from the dead. If we do believe in Him, we will be saved to eternal life. If we do not believe, we are already condemned.

It will not matter how long we have attended the church of our choice and given lip service to our faith in God. The Lord is not mocked; we must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and develop a personal relationship with Him. Righteousness is not the same as religion. There are many who are proud and religious who will never enter into the Kingdom of God.

They may be legalistic and controlling and look down on others who are different from them. If that is the case, they are in violation of the law of love and their righteousness has definitely been compromised. The Lord never permits us to judge others or criticize and condemn them for their sins. It is His deepest desire that all will repent and be saved by His grace unto eternal life.

All men must be born again and baptized with water and the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward change that takes place in us when we are converted and saved. It signifies death to sin and burial in Christ Himself. We should also ask the Lord for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He will send His very own Spirit to convict us of sin, lead and guide us in all truth.

John 3:5-6 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. We should be baptized in water as an outward sign that our sins are forgiven and that we are born again in our spirit man. We become new creatures in Christ and the process of regeneration begins. Our minds are renewed in the truth and our behavior will be totally transformed. We can also ask for and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so that we become righteous and godly and are filled with God's very own Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin and lead and guide us into all truth. He will permeate our very beings so that we develop godly attributes and characteristics called spiritual fruit. We will learn to be loving, good and gentle so that our faith, peace and joy in the Lord will grow. The Holy Spirit will strengthen us in the power of His might. We will become meek, temperate and longsuffering, so that we can interact better with others and become humble servants of all mankind.

In the days to come, we will learn to put our spirit man in ascendancy to our flesh and soul. We will be permeated with the Holy Spirit from the inside out and always walk in His ways. The Lord will purge and cleanse us of all unrighteousness, so that we can be with Him for all of eternity. There will be no sin and defilement that ever enters into the Kingdom of God. We will all be pure and sanctified in order to spend time with our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven."

Jesus Christ is the only righteous judge; He will soon return to judge the living and the dead. Only He can determine who is eligible to enter into the Kingdom of God with all of its blessings. No one will escape His scrutiny. He will judge both men and angels and decide who will spend time in His Father's presence. The righteous will receive the promises of eternal life, but the ungodly will be excluded from His Kingdom and suffer eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

Only those who are faithful and walking in love will be considered eligible for Kingdom living. We must renounce all our sins and be obedient to do the will of the Father in all things. No one will be able to slide in under Christ's minimum standards. His judgment will be just, fair and equitable, but also final and permanent. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian will enter into the Kingdom of God, but only those who are sincere in their relationship with the Lord.

We must learn to think like He thinks, say what He says and do what we are told to do. That will be the key to our success in fulfilling His eternal redemption plan for all mankind. The Lord's way of doing things is perfect and He expects us to walk in His ways. We will have to take our obedience and sanctification to a brand new level. We cannot compromise our righteousness in any way or we will be disqualified from entering into the Kingdom of God.

The Lord particularly disdains those who have reprobate minds and violate His law of love in any way. He will cast down the proud and arrogant, who think they are superior to others, plus the hypocrite who criticizes and condemns others. Those who teach men to violate the commandments will be rejected from entering into the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ will not relent in this area; He expects us all to be totally righteous, obedient and to walk in love at all times.

Romans 8:37 "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."

We will be most privileged to participate in the Lord's eternal redemption plan in the critical days ahead. We will overcome all of our personal iniquity; rise far above the world system; and annihilate the enemy of our souls for all time. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus and we will stand out in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We are destined for greatness and nothing will be able to interfere with our fulfilling the perfect will of God for our lives.

Believers will walk exactly like Jesus Christ walked on the earth in the days to come. He will be glorified in us and we will complete His ministry, as He has commissioned us to do. We will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and call in the full end-time harvest of souls that is required. We will heal the sick, deliver captives of demonic oppression and even raise the dead back to life again, as Jesus did. Everything that we do in Christ's name will give honor and glory to our God.

We will receive many blessings and rewards for our service to the Lord in fulfilling our divine destinies. He will not forget our faithfulness to Him or our humble, unselfish service to His people. He will boast of us to all creation as His children. We will share in Christ's royal inheritance, as we rule and reign with Him in the Kingdom of God. We will have peace and prosperity, health and longevity, safety and security, joy and gladness in the presence of God for all of eternity.

Repentance and Sanctification

Matthew 3:2 "And saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

The days are short and we are drawing near to the consummation of all things. Very soon now, Christ will return to judge both the living and the dead. No one will escape His scrutiny or avoid His final and permanent judgment. We must all examine ourselves and earnestly repent from our sins. No evil or unrighteousness of any kind will be tolerated in the Kingdom of God.

The Lord will not blink His eye at iniquity of any kind. Our behavior must be above and beyond reproach if we will attract others to our faith. We should be godly in all that we think, say and do. We have to imitate the laid down life of Jesus Christ and do the things that He did on the earth. We should be living testimonies to the power of God that works in us and through us.

It will soon be too late to repent and have our righteousness restored to us once again. The Lord is not obligated to forgive us over and over for the same habitual sins. We should practice godliness and total obedience now, before it is too late. It would be a shame for us to have come this far, yet be disqualified for entering the Kingdom of God because of stubbornness and rebellion.

James 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded."

We cannot be both spiritually oriented and worldly-minded at the same time. That is double mindedness and it displeases God. He is not a God of compromise; He expects us to make a life changing choice to adhere to His moral absolutes and walk in His way of doing things. Our righteousness must be complete, above and beyond reproach at all times.

We have to take our sanctification to a new level and crucify our flesh and all of its appetites. We need to forego all our own personal desires and align our goals with the Lord's eternal redemption plan. There are many lives at stake, including our own. We will have to remain sin free and perfectly obedient in the critical days that lie ahead. We cannot afford to be distracted in any way.

We must get back to the basics of our faith. If we keep God's commandments and walk in love for Him and others, we will be continually righteous in His eyes. We should cleanse ourselves of all defilement. We must walk in the Holy Spirit instead of our flesh at all times, and put our spirit man in complete ascendancy to our bodies and our souls.

Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Sin no longer reigns over us since Christ became a curse for us and has redeemed us from the law of sin and death. We can be everything that the Lord intends for us to be if we cooperate with His purging fire, but we must choose His ways over our own. We have to come up higher in our walk with God and aspire to holiness and perfection in all we think, say and do.

We should work at developing our personal relationship with our Creator, so that we will be able to dwell with Him in love and unity for all of eternity. He wants to be our Father and provide all of our needs from the vast resources that the universe has to offer us. The Lord delights in His children and He will take an active role in our lives if we permit Him ready access.

He is always loving, merciful and compassionate to us and understands our human tendencies to operate in the flesh. However, we cannot use that as an excuse to purposely sin or violate His commandments. We have grace with God - unmerited favor in every area, but we must not take advantage of that. We should cleanse ourselves of all sin and walk in love at all times.

The Lord expects great things from His sons and daughters. We have eternal destinies to be fulfilled before Christ returns. He wants us to be godly examples to all of mankind. We are His ambassadors on the earth and we should teach others how to be obedient, righteous and loving, as we are. It is not the Lord's will that anyone perishes for lack of knowledge in the truth.

Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

We are responsible to discern between right and wrong thinking. We cannot afford to accept the theology of others or be seduced by man-made traditions that lead us into perdition. We have to get back to the basics of our faith and search out the truth in the Bible as the Word of God Himself. We will discover that there is a difference between being religious and righteous.

Our God is not fooled by pretended piety or ceremonialism. He doesn't keep track of how often we go to church or what we put in the collection. He is not the least impressed with our self-imposed religious titles. He looks on the inner man of the heart to determine if we are sincere seekers of truth and contrite in spirit. He wants a people who are loving and obey His commandments.

There will be no hypocrites in the Kingdom of God. Only those who walk humbly with their God and embrace justice, mercy and compassion for others, will be able to abide with Him and with one another in love and unity. The Kingdom will be peaceful; all potential sources of conflict must be eliminated. Those who are contentious or self-righteous will be forever excluded.

The Lord is not trying to make it difficult for us to dwell with Him in His eternal Kingdom. He is simply being selective, which is His prerogative. Forever is a very long time, and He is particular about who will spend that time with Him. Only those who are righteous, humble and sincere, pure in spirit, and walk in love for Him and for others will ever enter into the Kingdom of God.

Uncompromised Love

1John 3:23 "And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment."

Life in the Kingdom of God will make even the best experiences of worldly life pale in comparison. Our finite, human minds struggle to comprehend what we can expect to experience for all of eternity in the very presence of our loving God and His people. We know for a certain that we will be blessed beyond belief, extraordinarily happy and content forever.

All that we must do to be eligible for Kingdom living is to believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and His atonement for sin on our behalf. We should walk in righteousness and love for God and for others. It is simple and basic to be converted, forgiven, baptized and saved from destruction. Yet many will still deny Christ and choose selfishness and rebellion.

We cannot disobey God's laws and have eternal life in His Kingdom granted to us at the same time. We must make the all-important choice to be born again and transformed by the renewal of our minds and the circumcision of our hearts. We should walk in love regardless of our situations and circumstances. Our lives now are a proving ground for our future.

Our eternal destinies are at stake. We must be continually righteous at all times, and obedient to the Lord in all that He asks of us. He will empower us to function as Jesus Christ Himself did on the earth, and we should be sanctified for His purpose. We are His representatives in this world and we have the sacred duty to prepare all of mankind to meet their Savior.

Faith and love are required of all those who desire to enter into the Kingdom of God. There are no excuses that will be accepted. We must either believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or be condemned to eternal punishment. So too, we must walk in uncompromising love and righteousness at all times, and diligently fulfill the will of God on our lives.

1Thessalonians 4:9 "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."

God is consummate love Himself, and those who walk in love dwell in God and He dwells in them. It goes without saying that we should love the Lord with all our strength, and Jesus Christ taught us that love of our brothers and sisters is not an option either. We are commanded to walk in love for others, as God loves us. We should be warm and affectionate towards all men and be at peace with them wherever possible. We must learn to overlook offense and be quick to forgive and forget.

We cannot simply give lip service to our love. We must proactively demonstrate it in all of our interpersonal relationships. We should pray for and encourage one another - especially as the day of the Lord draws near. We ought to lend a helping hand to those in need. We are called to share our faith, heal the sick, cast out demons and even raise the dead. We will be held accountable for every thought word and deed that fails to line up with the law of love that we have been taught.

Kingdom standards will not permit anything that is defiling to enter into God's presence. There will be no strife and division, no anger, hatred and bitterness in the Kingdom of God. Jealousy, covetousness and envy and will be eliminated from our lives. Conflict and evil of all types will be expelled for all eternity. Those who strive with God and with their fellow men and bring contention to their relationships will be excluded. If we criticize, condemn and judge others we will be punished.

Romans 13:8 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

The command to love God and others was an important message that Christ delivered when He came to the earth. He did not abolish the law; He came to fulfill it by teaching us God's way of doing things and being right. We are to love God and our fellow man without exception. We should owe no man anything, but to love him. Our love is what characterizes us as the sons of God. If we love God and others, we dwell in God and He dwells in us; there is no longer a separation between us.

We must walk in peace with all men wherever possible. That may require us to use restraint in our dealings with others. We cannot succumb to negative emotions and bring conflict into our relationships. We should be giving and forgiving, patient and forbearing, loving and kind, merciful and compassionate to all men, even if they contend with us. The Bible tells us that we are to pray for those who despitefully use us, and continually walk in love regardless of the provocation we may encounter.

If we follow the Lord's law of love and show Him all the devotion, deference and respect that He deserves, we will have peace with God. If we love Him and believe that He loves us, then our love for others will be a spontaneous overflow of our love for God Himself. We will fulfill all the Ten Commandments of the Law if we walk in love, as we have been taught to do. We will become more like Jesus Christ and appropriate His divine power and authority to overcome evil with good.

Loving others requires that we purposely lay down our lives in humble service for our fellow man. We are expected to put others first and treat them as we would like to be treated. There are many who are struggling with their sins and we are required to share our faith with them, so that they can be saved. We cannot ignore the fact that some are sick and dying; we should lay hands on the sick and they will be healed. We can even raise the dead by the power of God at work through us.

Ephesians 4:2-3 "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

If we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, then the fruit of the Spirit will eventually emerge in us and grow and develop to full maturity. Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit of God and we should strive to cultivate it. It is not optional for us; it is a command of the Lord. The more we walk in love for God and for others, the more godly we become ourselves. We will demonstrate gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance and longsuffering. These traits will help to improve our overall relationships with God and with others and cause us to walk in harmony with all men.

We will be more emotionally balanced; forbearing with one another's personality quirks and individual differences; and quick to overlook all offense. We will become more patient in our dealings with others and purposely forgive and forget all wrongs done to us. We will strive for peace and unity in all of our personal interactions and become devoted servants of all mankind, as we are destined to do. The Lord will be able to entrust us with our divine destinies and eternal callings, if we walk in love at all times and treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves.

Those who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God will be exalted in due time. However, those who are self-righteous, controlling and overbearing will be debased. The Lord will not tolerate pride and arrogance in His people. He insists that we be humble and contrite in heart, and consistently demonstrate His love and compassion for others. We should deliberately work at cultivating all of our personal relationships. We must be at peace with all men, wherever possible, and lay down our very lives for our brothers and sisters just as Christ did during His time with us.

Humble Service to Others

Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

God's people are unique and special - blessed, so that we can be a blessing to others. We enjoy true Christian liberty, but that does not permit us to be selfish and uncaring. We should never neglect our love walk. We were created in God's image and called for divine service. We must be meek and humble servants of all mankind, as Christ Himself was when He walked the earth during His time with us.

In the days ahead, we will have eternal callings and divine destinies that must be fulfilled before the Kingdom of God can be ushered in on the earth. The Lord is relying on us to do our part in implementing His eternal redemption plan. We should preach the good news of Jesus Christ to all men, so that they can be set free in the truth. We will convert and baptize large numbers in His name and bring in the full end-time harvest of souls, whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

We will represent the Lord, Jesus Christ, and do the works that He did on the earth. We will heal all the sick and infirm and set men free of demonic oppression and afflictions of all kinds. We will destroy all satanic strongholds that have kept them in pain, sorrow and suffering. We will even raise the dead back to life again and demonstrate the unequivocal love, mercy and compassion of God Himself to all mankind.

Matthew 18:3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."

We cannot be content with half-measures if we wish to dwell in the Kingdom of God. We must sanctify ourselves of all carnality and selfish soul ambitions. We must walk in the Spirit and aspire to holiness. We should be godly role models and humbly serve all men, as the Lord directs us. We should be willing and obedient to embrace our divine callings and eternal destinies. It is imperative that we fulfill the perfect will of God on our lives for the express benefit of others.

We must, additionally, become as pure as little children and totally trust the Lord in all things even though we are His mature sons and daughters. He has a perfect plan in place for our welfare. We should be innocent and guileless, having no selfish agendas for our own advancement. We should be humble, sincere and unselfish. The Lord can work most effectively through a people that are fully surrendered to Him. There is real strength in gentleness and goodness.

We will succeed in everything that we do, if we trust the Lord to lead us and guide us. He will purge and chasten us, so that we are sacred vessels suitable for His use at all times. We will receive a full measure of His anointing power and authority to overcome all evil with good. He will empower us to perform miraculous signs and wonders to attract all men to our faith. We should be certain that we are godly examples of righteousness and love to all of mankind.

John 12:25 "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

Believers in Christ should imitate His laid down life and walk in humble service to the Lord and to others. We have eternal callings and divine destinies to fulfill before heaven will be brought to the earth. We cannot have our own selfish agendas. We were bought with a dear price - the Blood of Jesus Christ Himself. We should follow His godly example and be willing and obedient to do whatever is asked of us.

Christ only said and did what the Father told Him to do. He was perfectly obedient even unto death. Although we will not have to suffer in the same way, we should be eternally grateful for our salvation and willing to lay down our lives in sacrificial service to the Lord. If we crucify our flesh and forego all our worldly ambitions, we will inherit all the benefits of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

However, if we are self-centered and persist in being rebellious and unrighteous, we will lose the very lives we seek to preserve. If we fail to keep the Lord's commandments to us, and walk in genuine love for Him and for others, we will perish. We will be permanently separated from God unto spiritual and physical death. We will be excluded from the Kingdom of God and suffer eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

This is a call to come up higher in our relationship with the Lord. We now know the truth and we are responsible to walk in the light of it. Our lives should be testimonies to others of love, righteousness and obedience. We are ambassadors for the Kingdom of God and all men are watching us to see if we are genuine and sincere. Our thoughts, words and behavior must be above and beyond reproach.

The Harvest is Ripe

Romans 11:25 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."

It is not the Lord's will than any man perishes for lack of knowledge in the truth. We must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God all over the earth, so that all men, women and children that wish to be saved can make the all-important decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We will baptize countless numbers in our faith, to include the people of Israel.

The Lord has grieved over the loss of His original chosen people for thousands of years. It is His greatest desire that they be converted, born again and reconciled to Him once and for all. When the full number of Gentiles has been called into the Kingdom of God, the harvest field of Israel will be ripe with souls, as well. We must pray for our Jewish brothers to come to the truth.

While they were once hard-hearted, stubborn and refused their Messiah, their hearts will be circumcised for all time and they will eventually be won to our Christian faith. We will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to them and touch their hearts and spirits. They will be willing and eager to embrace the truth, as we witness to the saving power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our Jewish brethren will be attracted to the miraculous signs and wonders that we perform, and be in awe that our God is so merciful and compassionate to all of mankind. They will accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah and acknowledge His lordship in all things. The Lord will be overjoyed that His chosen people are finally enlightened and reconciled to Him for all of eternity.

Romans 11:30-32 "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all."

We should not criticize or condemn any man for unbelief. We were once deceived and misled as they are now. All of us have been in darkness at one time, but the Lord is infinitely kind and merciful to all men. It is not His desire that anyone perishes for lack of knowledge in the truth. We should be zealous for the plight of our Jewish brothers and earnestly desire their salvation.

It is critical that we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world, but particularly those in Israel. The Kingdom of God will have its headquarters in Jerusalem one day very soon, and the Lord desires that His former chosen people be evangelized to the fullest. We have received mercy due to their unbelief; we should show them the same consideration that has been given to us.

There is a special invitation to all men to come to the truth of the Gospel message. Christ died for the sins of all mankind, so that all of us might enjoy eternal life. All men will share equally in Kingdom blessings. Many who were first, will be called in last. However, the last may also be first in the Kingdom of God. Only Jesus Christ can determine our righteousness and worth.

Isaiah 65:18-19 "But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying."

While the Lord loves each of us with a deep and abiding love, He is especially eager for the reunion with His original chosen people. They have suffered a great deal due to their unbelief and rebelliousness over the years. The Lord has had no choice but to reject them and withhold His blessings for their hard-heartedness. Their sin has brought misfortune on them and they have been struggling for a very long time.

Very soon now, the full number of the Gentiles will have been called into the Kingdom of God. At that point, the Body of Christ will then focus on the conversion of Israel as a nation. We will pray for the peace of Jerusalem as we have been instructed; have mercy and compassion on the Jewish people; and treat them with love as our long lost brothers and sisters in the Lord - as the law of love specifically requires us to do.

The nation of Israel will no longer be hated or persecuted for their destiny as the people of God. They will soon be restored to their rightful position and become a praise on the earth. The center of the Kingdom of God will be in Jerusalem, as it is written. Israel will become a hub of Kingdom activity in the very near future. We will all converge there in love, peace and unity, as the Lord has planned for thousands of years.

If we are loving and righteous, it will not matter where we come from or what we have believed in the past. Both Jews and Gentiles will inherit the Kingdom of God. The Lord is no respecter of persons and He will welcome all those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life to enter into His presence. We will all share equally in the blessings that He has planned for us and rejoice in our lives together for all eternity.

Zephaniah 3:20 "At that time will I bring you [again], even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD."

The nation of Israel is ripe for conversion to the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and will be most receptive to it in the days to come, as we evangelize their people. We will work miraculous signs and wonders to attract them to our faith and they will repent, be converted and baptized as are all believers. The Lord will glory in His original chosen people and in all who believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Jewish people will not be hated and treated as outcasts forever. The Lord will turn their captivity and restore all that has been taken from them. He will take vengeance on all their enemies and boast of them to all creation. They were His chosen people from the beginning and He has a true heart for them. We should not be envious or critical of their position; we will all share equally in eternal Kingdom blessings.

Righteous and loving Jews and Gentiles will all enter into the Kingdom of God. We will interact with both men and angels. The Old Testament prophets will mingle with the New Testament saints from every race, tongue and nation in the world. The Lord will be overjoyed that all His people dwell together as brothers in love, peace and unity. We will all join together as one and worship Him in Spirit and in truth forever.

Kingdom Righteousness

Romans 14:17-19 "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

Our righteousness must be totally uncompromised if we will enter into the Kingdom of God and reap all of its blessings. We cannot disobey any of the Lord's commandments to us or violate His standards in any way. We must walk in unfailing love for Him and for others at all times, despite the provocation and resistance that we may experience in our daily lives.

We must purposely choose to forgive and forget all wrongs done to us. We cannot harbor anger and bitterness in our hearts or nurture a grudge of any kind. We should pursue peace with all men and encourage, exhort and pray for one another. We will spend all eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ; there can be no strife and division among us.

The Kingdom of God will be the answer to all of our problems in this world. It will be a veritable paradise for all who are eligible to enter in and dwell there. There will be righteousness, peace and joy we can expect for all of eternity. Our bodies will be changed into new, glorious, resurrection forms that are free of disease and death and live forever in God's presence.

We will have unlimited prosperity; there will be no poverty and lack. We will experience genuine joy and gladness; the Lord will blot out all pain and sorrow from our memories. There will be love, peace and unity among men; there will be no more war or exploitation of others. We will have safety and security; nothing evil or defiling will enter into God's Kingdom.

2Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

The Lord will not tolerate profligate living or misbehavior of any kind in His presence. We must eliminate worldly lust and abandon all carnality in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. Only those who lay down their self-lives and are godly will dwell with the Lord. He wants us to be humble, pure and innocent, as He created us to be from the very foundation of the world.

We must have sincere hearts that love the Lord and His way of doing things and being right. Our faith has to be strong in the days ahead, and we should be loving and kind towards all men. We must minister to the needs of others, as we would have them do to us. We should be willing and obedient to serve the Lord in any capacity that He requires to fulfill His eternal redemption plan.

If we are uncompromisingly righteous and walk in love and peace with all men, we will satisfy all the basic eligibility requirements for Kingdom living. We will have an eternal legacy that no man or devil can ever take from us. The Lord will supply all of our needs in abundance even before we ask Him. He will be a God to us and we will be His people called by His holy name.

2Peter 3:13-14 "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

As the Kingdom of God approaches, we should take sanctification to a higher level than ever before. We must be found in peace, without spot or blemish, and blameless before the Lord. We should practice righteousness and love as a way of life, so that we are prepared for all of eternity. When we enter the Kingdom, we will all share in its blessings fairly and equally.

We will dwell together as brothers and enjoy one another's companionship. We will even mingle with angels, since heaven itself is coming to the earth. We will be reunited with our lost loved ones, as all the dead in Christ are raised from the dead. We will fellowship intimately with our God and He will take an active role in our lives as our Father, confidant and provider.

All men will know the Lord and have His laws written in their minds and hearts. We will all be righteous, from the least to the greatest of us. There will be no friction or conflict in our relationships, no war or oppression of any kind that defiles life and brings destruction. We will interact with all our family and friends, continually growing in love and unity with one another.

We will have brand new bodies that are impervious to disease and death and be perpetually young and vigorous. We will long enjoy the works of our hands and build beautiful homes to lodge our large families. Man will have dominion over all of nature and bask in its beauty and bounty. We will worship God in Spirit and in truth and celebrate all His sabbaths and feast days.

Christ's Model for Kingdom Eligibility

Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [His] sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.' Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.'

Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.' Then shall they also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?' Then shall He answer them, saying, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Jesus Christ has very stringent standards for Kingdom eligibility, and He has established distinct guidelines for the Kingdom way of life. He will judge all men according to their righteousness and love walk to determine who is eligible for the blessings and rewards of the Kingdom of God. He will not tolerate any selfishness, defilement or evil to enter into His everlasting Kingdom. That would be a travesty of justice, and the Lord is eminently fair and just above all things.

He wants us to be above and beyond reproach in our treatment of others. We should never compromise our love walk in any way. It is critical that we demonstrate our love for others in all that we think, say and do. We should always be ready to lend a hand to those less fortunate than ourselves. It is not sufficient to just to pray for them and commiserate with their suffering. We have to be willing and obedient to be the Lord's hands, feet and voice on the earth.

We should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, minister to the sick and dying, and visit those who are in prison, just as Christ has taught us. We must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to a dark and troubled world and persuade all men in the truth. We ought to lay hands on the sick and allow the healing power of God to work through us to relieve their suffering. We will deliver all those who are bound by demonic oppression and affliction free of enemy influence.

If we recognize our divine power and authority, we will even raise the dead back to life as Christ did when He walked on the earth. Death is a heinous enemy to mankind; it causes only anguish and suffering for God's people. We should do everything possible to combat death, so that we eventually put it under Christ's feet once and for all. The Bible tell us that He cannot return to rule and reign in His Kingdom until we have made all His enemies - including death - His footstool.

1Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

We cannot be unrighteous in any way, and hope to enter into the Kingdom of God. The Lord will dwell with us in His eternal Kingdom, and no evil will be tolerated in His presence. If we are wanton and given to profligate lifestyles, we will never see God or enjoy His blessings.

There are certain obvious sins that all men must avoid or be found rebellious in the Lord's eyes. These will disqualify us from entering into the Kingdom of God altogether. If we persist in practicing sin and lawlessness, we will be eternally damned and punished in the lake of fire.

We may have been guilty of egregious sin in days past, but we have been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ Himself if we are born again and baptized in His name. Our sinfulness is no longer an issue; we are now deemed righteous through our faith in Christ, and by that alone.

If we sin and miss the mark, we must be quick to repent and renounce all our sin once and for all. If we are sincere, our God is ever ready to forgive us and restore us to right standing once again. We should strive for holiness and perfection, so that our righteousness is never in question.

Eternal rewards are being stored up for the faithful who serve the Lord and His people. We must be uncompromisingly righteous and walk in love in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. In addition, we must be obedient and fulfill the will of our heavenly Father at all times.

2 Timothy 4:18 "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly Kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

We are being purged and chastened, rebuked and sanctified with eternity in mind. Nothing evil will dwell in the presence of almighty God and His people. We should be eager to have the Lord convict, correct and change us into the image of His very own Son, Jesus Christ. We should imitate the laid down life of Christ and walk as He walked.

If we are cooperative, we will receive many blessings and eternal rewards in the future. However, if we refuse correction and persist in doing evil, we will be on the outside looking in and punished in the lake of fire. We should all walk circumspectly now, as the days are short. Our thoughts, words and behavior must be above and beyond reproach.

The Lord is calling us up higher than we may have ever dreamed possible, but it is in our best interest to obey Him. He will never ask anything of us without empowering us to fulfill it. We must follow all of His commandments and walk in unselfish love for others, if we will be found worthy to enter into His presence in the Kingdom of God.

Our Future is in the Balance

Revelation 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

The Kingdom of God is readily accessible to all men, women and children on the earth by special invitation from the Lord. However, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will ever enter into life there. No one who is committed to evil or defilement of any kind will inherit its blessings. All evil will be excluded and punished in the lake of fire for all eternity.

If we make a habit of sin we can look forward to being expelled from the Kingdom of God. If we are self-righteous or criticize and condemn others, we will never enter into God's presence. The proud and arrogant, greedy and opportunistic, licentious and wicked will all be excluded from Kingdom blessings. Christ will destroy all that is evil off the face of the entire earth.

Satan and all his demons will be bound in the bottomless pit. Jesus will rule with a rod of iron to make certain that no evil penetrates His Kingdom and disturbs its peace. Only godly principles will be enforced, and there will be fairness and equality, safety and security for all men. Our God will dwell with us in His Kingdom and provide all the blessings we need to live long and strong.

2Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

It is not the Lord's will that any man should perish and be excluded from His presence. However, nothing that is evil will ever enter into the Kingdom of God. We must be very certain that our thoughts, words and actions are above and beyond reproach, so that we remain sin free at all times. We should walk in the Spirit instead of our flesh and strive for holiness and perfection.

We cannot compromise our faith with half measures of any kind. We must seek the truth and follow all of the Lord's commandments to us to remain continually righteous. We should put God first in all things, and be devoted and obedient to His eternal plan and purpose. We have to walk in love and treat others, as we would ourselves, and fulfill our divine destinies as we should.

There are many who face eternal punishment unless we intervene on their behalf. We must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God with power and conviction and persuade men in the truth. Unless they accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, they will perish. There is no way that they can receive the blessings of eternal life without a genuine faith in Him and all He did for us.

Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

If we endure till the end and overcome the world, our flesh and the devil, we will receive many eternal blessings and rewards. We are the sons and daughters of the living God and much is expected of us. We must keep all the Lord's commandments to us and walk in unfailing love for Him and for others, despite the provocations or temptations to sin that we may face.

It is critical that we know and follow the unadulterated Word of God at all times. We can never water down the Gospel message or teach the traditions of men as eternal truths. The Lord will not tolerate His people being misled in any way. So too, we cannot alter the doctrines of salvation and the resurrection. We must reveal Jesus Christ in all of His power and glory.

We should preach the uncompromised truth of the Gospel message to all men and make certain that they understand their responsibilities. We should teach them to be righteous at all times and walk in love for God and others under all situations and circumstances. The Lord never permits any of us to sin and violate His moral absolutes in any way; we must obey all His laws.

Isaiah 5:20-21 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"

There are some religious hypocrites who have led God's people astray with false, anti-Christ doctrines and heretical teachings that have caused many to deviate from the truth of the Gospel message. They excuse sin and attempt to glorify man over God. These evil individuals will be most severely judged and excluded from His Kingdom. They will have their eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

No man or devil will tempt us to abdicate our faith and be deceived into meaningless ritual and religiosity. We will not be beguiled by lies in any way. We inherently know the truth and it has set us free for all time. If we believe in Jesus Christ and all that He did for us, we will receive the gift of eternal life. However, if we do not believe the truth, we are already condemned in our own ignorance and rebellion.

The Lord will not permit any evil to come close to Him or to ever harm His people. Anyone and anything that could possibly defile us will be expelled from His presence. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth by those who are banished. No one will be proud, selfish, contentious, oppressive or deceptive. We will soon learn to dwell together as brothers and sisters in love, peace and unity.

Philippians 1:10-11 "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."

Our righteousness can never be in question. We should be living examples of godliness in all that we think, say and do. It is the Lord's greatest desire that all men repent and turn towards Him. If we are faithful and true to the Lord's commandments and fulfill His will in teaching them to others, we will receive honor and praise for all of eternity. He will boast of us to all creation and we will even rule and reign as kings and priests with Jesus Christ Himself.

However, if we are careless in our behavior or outright rebellious, we will never enter into the Kingdom of God. The Lord Himself will dwell there, and He cannot abide with evil. Everything that is defiling will be expelled from His holy presence. Jesus Christ will destroy all the ungodly and their ungodliness in His coming wrath. He will rule with a rod of iron to protect His people from every contaminating influence that may try to invade the Kingdom of God.

Those who have faithfully served the Lord will be eternally rewarded, while those who have been unrighteous will share their fate in the lake of fire. The Lord has clear-cut, definitive requirements for righteousness and He will not be persuaded to lower these in any way. We will all soon stand in judgment and we cannot be remiss in our behavior or we will be punished. This is a challenge to each of us to strive for holiness and spiritual perfection.

Ezekiel 18:24 "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked [man] doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."

It is time to make the all-important decision to receive eternal life or condemnation. The Lord will not force His standards on us; that would be a violation of our free will. He will, however, maintain His moral absolutes for all of eternity. If we wish to enjoy life in His everlasting Kingdom, then we must purposely choose to be righteous and walk in love, as we have been taught. We must additionally fulfill the will of the Father and be obedient to Him.

There will be a zero tolerance policy for sin as we enter into the Kingdom of God. We will all have to come up higher and overcome all evil tendencies that we might have. We cannot commit sin and expect to dwell in the presence of the Lord. Nor can we criticize and condemn others for their unrighteousness, when we have been guilty of the very same transgressions in the past. None of us is inherently righteous; we all fall short of the glory of God.

If we purposely choose lawlessness and rebellion over righteousness and godliness, then we will receive the penalty for our bad decision. We will be judged and found to be lacking. Offenders will be banished to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Our pride, iniquity and lack of love will be our downfall in every instance. None of us can afford to be careless or remiss in our behavior ever again. We are now being held to godly standards of performance.

The Lord, Jesus Christ, will judge all of mankind to see if they are eligible to enter into His Kingdom and inherit all of its blessings. He will not tolerate unrighteousness of any kind, nor will we be able to persuade Him to lower His perfect, impeccable standards. He insists that we are totally obedient and walk in love at all times. His judgment will be fair and just, but final and permanent, as well. There will be no second chances given to men, nor to angels.

Kingdom Exclusions

Galatians 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."

Evil and defilement of all types will be prohibited from entering into the Kingdom of God. The Lord Himself will reside with us, and He will tolerate nothing that could contaminate His people or disturb the serenity of Kingdom life. The rebellious will never inherit eternal blessings. Only those who keep the Lord's commandments and walk in uncompromised love and righteousness will dwell in His presence.

Certain sins are particularly egregious to God, and we should earnestly repent of them. Anything that violates the law of love is to be avoided. We should repent of all our sins - regardless of what they are - and renounce all worldliness. We must walk in the Holy Spirit of God instead of our flesh. If we imitate the laid down life of Jesus Christ Himself, we will be assured of eternal life and all of its many blessings.

Jesus is our role model and the pattern Son for all who would adopt His humility and obedience. He operated in total spiritual perfection, even though He was human in every respect. He is ever mindful of the struggle we must endure to maintain our righteousness. He will strengthen us in the power of His might to overcome all temptation to sin. If we imitate His thoughts, words and behavior, we will be like Him.

While it may not be easy to imitate the perfection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is indeed possible for us to strive for godliness in our lives. We are created in God's very image and likeness; we can appropriate divine attributes that are like His very own. All men can come up higher in their spiritual walk and attain holiness and perfection through the operation of the Holy Spirit that works in us to do His will.

1Corinthians 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."

God is a perfect Spirit, and everyone that dwells with Him will have to be spiritually pure and undefiled by the flesh. The corruptible, decaying flesh that we have now, that is subject to temptation and sin, disease and death, will not enter into the Kingdom of God. We will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye to new, resurrection bodies that are incorruptible and live forever in the presence of the Lord.

The dead in Christ will be raised in imperishable bodies, as well. We will all face judgment to determine if we have been righteous in our lives and are eligible to enter into the Kingdom of God with all of its benefits. Those who are unrighteous will be banished to the lake of fire, while those who have been loving and obedient will inherit eternal life and all of its many blessings, as we have been promised.

No believer will have to deal with disease, decay or infirmity ever again. There will be no pain, suffering and death to endure as a penalty for our sins. We have been set totally free from the law of sin and death by Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord will even blot out all our pain, suffering and sorrow from our memories. If we are truly righteous, we will live forever reunited with all those we love in the Kingdom.

Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven."

Not everyone who professes to be born again and saved from his sins will be able to enter into the Kingdom of God. The Lord is not mocked; He is acutely aware of hypocrisy in all its forms. If we do not keep the commandments and walk in love and righteousness at all times, we will be excluded from the Kingdom and eternally doomed. There will be no second chances given anyone. It will one day be too late to repent from our sins and embrace the truth.

The Lord will not be impressed with pretended piety or our so-called religious activities. He is not even mildly interested in good intentions or our efforts to appear righteous and godly to others. He looks on the inner man of the heart and judges the sincerity that He finds there. If we walk in uncompromising love and total obedience, we can be assured that we will enter into the Kingdom of God and inherit all of its many blessings for righteousness, as we were promised.

Jesus Christ will judge both men and angels to determine their fate for all of eternity. Even the dead will be raised back to life to face judgment, to determine if they did good or evil in their lives. No one will escape Christ's scrutiny or avoid His fair and equitable assessment. His judgment will be irrefutable, final and permanent, and He alone will decide if we receive eternal rewards or punishment for our sins. Nothing defiling will ever enter into the Kingdom of God.

The righteous will enjoy eternal life and all of its many blessings in the Kingdom, while the rebellious will all be punished in the lake of fire. Satan and all his minions will be bound in the abyss where they belong. Christ will make certain that His judgment is enforced, as He rules and reigns as a righteous King over all creation. Justice in the government of God will prevail for all of eternity, and every knee will bow and every tongue proclaim that "Jesus Christ is Lord."

The Kingdom is Not for Everyone

Matthew 13: 10-13 "And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

Jesus Christ came to the earth the first time to save all men and preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. However, many rejected Him and refused His Gospel of peace. They chose to believe lies over the truth, and He did not waste time on them.

He inherently knew who would receive His message of salvation, and who would not. He often spoke in parables, so the masses would not readily understand Him and question His teaching. Yet to His followers, He explained everything in complete detail.

The Lord could see into the heart of a man; know the inner workings of his mind; and read his thoughts. He did not bother to explain the Kingdom of God to those He knew would ultimately reject Him. He only spoke plainly to those who believed in Him.

To those who received His message, more wisdom, understanding and revelation were given. However, to those who rejected Him, what little comprehension they may have had was taken away completely. They were left in darkness due to their own choice.

Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is not an option; it is vitally necessary. We either choose to believe the truth, or we will be forever condemned. This is a challenge to each of us. We should repent of our sins, turn to God and accept His Son as our Lord and Savior.

Mark 4:11-12 "And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."

Christ foresaw that all men would find the Kingdom of God desirable. He knew that they would one day do everything possible to steal the blessings intended for His people. For that reason, He spoke in parables, so that hearing, they would not understand and seeing, they would not perceive the truth. He was not willing to make it easy for them to receive eternal rewards.

The blessings of righteousness are reserved for those who are contrite, humble and sincere in their quest for the truth. We must walk in love and be totally righteous at all times. Those who have a genuine, personal relationship with the Lord and are obedient will enter into the presence of God for all eternity. The rebellious will be excluded from the Kingdom and punished.

Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will inherit eternal life and all its blessings. The unrighteous will not be able to wiggle their way in to receive the birthright of God's people. Nothing and no one that defiles God or man will ever enter into the Kingdom of God to contaminate life there. It will be a veritable paradise for all genuine believers.

The Lord, Jesus Christ, will not permit His Kingdom to be violated by the rebellious or by Satan himself. He will expel all evil from His perfect presence. The Lord inherently knows whom He can trust. Only those who are sincere and pure in heart will ever enter into the Kingdom of God. He will share His eternal legacy with disciples who are righteous, obedient and loving.

Luke 8:10 "And He said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand."

We must face the fact that there are children of God and children of this world, who will never repent and turn towards the Lord. The Lord has made His invitation to receive eternal life available to all of mankind, but there will always be some who rebel and deny Christ. They are already condemned in their unbelief and will never enter into the Kingdom of God. They have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, but they steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the truth.

Our Lord and Savior is eminently fair, but He will not allow the blessings of the Kingdom to be taken by those who are unworthy. He spoke in parables to the masses, because they would not readily understand what He was saying about the coming Kingdom of God. He obviously knew who would be His devoted and faithful disciples and He explained the entire truth only to them.

So it is today. Not everyone can comprehend that heaven will soon be ushered into the earth. Their finite minds cannot grasp that concept. They think that this world is all that will ever exist. Many will continue doing evil right up to the very end, and will find themselves cast into the eternal lake of fire, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. The Kingdom of God is reserved only for those who are righteous, walk in love and are obedient to God's will.

No one will be able to sneak in and contaminate Kingdom life in any way. Christ will destroy all evil in the wrath of His coming. His angels will assist Him in ridding it off the face of the earth. Each of us will stand judgment to see if we are eligible to enter into His presence. If we are born again, righteous and walk in love, as we were taught, we will have all the blessings of eternal life.

Christ's Parables About the Kingdom of God

Matthew 13:18-23 "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth [it]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

Christ taught the parable of the sower to illustrate what happens when the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached in all of its truth. The devil immediately steals it away from those who do not understand it. When we do grasp its meaning and receive it with joy, he also tries to confuse what has gone into our hearts, so that it will not bear fruit in our lives and manifest for good.

There are some who receive the truth, yet forsake it when trials and tribulation come. Their faith is weak and they are too shallow in and of themselves. There are others who hear the truth, but permit the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of worldly success to choke it out, so that it is unfruitful. Neither of these ever receives long-term benefit from the Kingdom message.

However, there are those who hear the Word of God, interpret it correctly and understand its significance for their lives. They guard it with all their hearts, and it bears much fruit in them. For some, the yield is a hundred-fold return, but for others it may be somewhat less. It all depends upon our eagerness to receive it and apply it to our own personal situations and circumstances.

The Kingdom of God will soon become a reality for all believers who are righteous and walk in love, as they were taught. Heaven itself will be introduced to the earth realm and the Lord Himself will come to take up residence with His people for all of eternity. We will have countless blessings with no sorrow added. The Lord will provide all our needs and be a God to us forever.

Mark 4:30-32 "And He said, Whereunto shall we liken the Kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."

Another parable Christ taught was the mustard seed illustration. It is the tiniest of the seeds, but when it is full grown, it becomes a tree large enough for birds to nest in. So it is with the concept of the Kingdom of God. It may be just a small idea that we grasp onto initially. However, when we come to fully understand it, it grows and develops until it manifests as a total way of life for the people of God.

If we are willing to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and repent from all known sin, then we will inherit eternal life and all of its attending benefits. We should believe in our hearts that He died for us and confess Him with our mouths. We must then be baptized with water and the Holy Spirit. We will grow and evolve in the things of God, so that we are totally righteous and loving.

We will be fully sanctified to serve the Lord in the days to come. If we are willing and obedient, we will usher in His Kingdom on the earth, as He intends for us to do. We will inherit all the blessings of the righteous and many rewards for our faithfulness. We will be kings and priests of God and judge both men and angels. We will rule and reign with Jesus Christ over all the nations of the world.

The Kingdom of God will be expansive and comprise both heaven and earth. It will absorb all earthly kingdoms and governments into its own fair and equitable infrastructure. Men will all be righteous and just, and live together in peace and unity. There will be health and prosperity for all who dwell there, and the Lord Himself will take up residence with us and be our God for all eternity.

Matthew 13:33 "Another parable spake He unto them; The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

The Lord desires that the Gospel of the Kingdom be preached to all men, women and children all over the face of the earth. It is fruitful and productive to change their hearts and save them from their sins once and for all. He is patiently waiting for everyone to have an opportunity to know the truth that sets them free, so that no one will perish for lack of knowledge.

The Kingdom of God is not a myth or a fable. It is the Lord's perfect and complete redemption plan for all of mankind. If enough of us will grasp this concept, we will come to understand what the Lord is trying to do for His people and cooperate with His plans for us. He wants us to desire heaven's way of doing things on the earth more than we desire anything else.

He wants us to believe the truth; the world itself will always exist. He will not put a total end to all things on the earth. He will renovate and change the planet to line up with Kingdom principles of peace, order, righteousness and justice instead. Everything will be re-created and restored to its original condition, as it was intended from the very beginning of time.

Men will be challenged with accepting the truth, chastened and rebuked until they meet godly standards for righteousness and love. The full number of souls whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life must be called into the Kingdom of God. The Lord will then bring heaven into the earth realm and take up residence with His people for all of eternity.

Matthew 13:47-50 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

The Body of Christ is hard at work evangelizing the entire world. The Gospel is being preached to all men, so that none perish for lack of knowledge in the truth. Men everywhere are being challenged to make a choice with eternal ramifications. The full number of souls is being called in to the end-time harvest, so that the Kingdom of God can be established on the earth, as planned from the foundation of the world.

Jesus Christ will soon return to judge all men, great and small. Even the dead will be raised to face judgment to see if they were righteous while in the flesh. No one will escape His scrutiny. Only He is capable of determining who will receive eternal rewards and punishments. His angels will gather all the faithful into His Kingdom, but those who were consistently rebellious will be cast into the lake of fire.

His judgment will be fair and equitable, but final and permanent. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth by those who are excluded from His Kingdom and doomed to eternal punishment. They will finally understand that it was up to them to choose good over evil. They should have embraced the truth and made certain that they were righteous and loving, but it will be too late for them to change their fate at that point.

Matthew 22:1-14 "And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [my] fatlings [are] killed, and all things [are] ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them]. But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few [are] chosen."

Once again, Jesus wanted to illustrate that the Kingdom of God is open and available to only those believers who will respond to His invitation in a worthy manner. This parable deals with a king who plans an elaborate wedding feast in honor of his son. However, those who are originally invited to attend spurn his offer and abuse his servants who make the invitation available.

He is compelled to send out even more servants, who go to the highways and byways to invite all men that they can find to the celebration. The wedding is furnished with many guests, but the king notices that one of his guests is not properly attired for this occasion. He approaches this individual and challenges him about that. The man has no defense for himself and is cast out.

So it will be with the Kingdom of God. The Lord is inviting all people to join Him, but some are too busy with worldly matters and selfish soul ambitions to respond to His invitation. He will send out the Body of Christ to gather in a full number of invitees, and they will be successful in drawing many to His Kingdom. However, only those who are properly prepared will be allowed in.

We must repent of all sin; accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; and be baptized in water and the Holy Spirit in order to be eligible to enter God's Kingdom. We should put the Lord first in our lives and walk in love and righteousness at all times. We must appreciate our calling and follow all the Lord's commandments to us. We should be humble and sincere in order to see God.

Many are called, but few are chosen to spend all of eternity with the Lord. We must be diligent in our desire to enter into the Kingdom of God. The Lord will tolerate no half measures in His people. We are either committed to Him fully and completely, or we will be permanently expelled from His presence. This is a challenge to all believers to come up higher in our Christian walk.

We will not be able to dwell with the Lord in His Kingdom if we are unrighteous or rebellious in any way. He will not tolerate compromise in His people. We will have to be wholly committed to our God and His way of doing things in order to enter into His Kingdom. Anything that we may have to sacrifice will be well worth our efforts. We will have perpetual blessings in His presence.

Luke 14:7-11 "And He put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any [man] to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

The way up in the Kingdom of God often means that we have to lower ourselves, and purge all self-importance from our lives. If we wish to be first in God's eyes, we have to deliberately choose to be last in the eyes of the world. If we are puffed up with pride and self-righteousness, we will never see God. He is not impressed with arrogance. He abhors hypocrites and will not even tolerate them in His presence.

One thing that God's people must always guard against is proud and haughty spirits. If we exalt ourselves, we will be debased for our presumption. However, if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will honor us Himself. Only the Lord can determine our worth; we are nothing in our own merit. All of our righteousness and intrinsic value lies in Him. He will always reward those who are genuine believers.

If we are sincere, humble servants of God and others, the Lord will elevate us to key positions in His eternal Kingdom one day very soon. He will not disregard our loyalty and devotion to Him in ushering heaven into the earth realm. He has seen all the sacrifices we have made to improve the lot of mankind, and He will acknowledge our demonstration of love. We will have eternal rewards for our faithfulness.

Many Are Called, But Few Chosen

Matthew 20:1-16 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard."

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, [that] shall ye receive.

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them [their] hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received [it], they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought [but] one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take [that] thine [is], and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

Jesus taught us many parables about the Kingdom of God that have been preserved to this day in our Bibles. We have studied them out for a clear and concise understanding of what the Kingdom of God will be like and who will be eligible to dwell there. There is a recurring theme that permeates all the parables about the Kingdom. It is open and available to all men, but only a comparatively select few will actually enter into its blessings for all eternity.

Many who think that they are righteous and eligible for Christ's Kingdom will be excluded, while those who may be latecomers who are only recently converted will enter in and be exalted. Jesus Christ will judge us all and determine our righteousness according to His irrefutable standards. His judgment will be fair and equitable, but also final and permanent. All those who obey the commandments and walk in righteousness and love will be eternally blessed.

Those who are self-righteous, religious, controlling and unloving will all perish in the eternal lake of fire. God is not mocked; He sees the inner man of the heart and He will not tolerate hypocrisy in His Kingdom. Only those who are sincere and genuinely love Him and others will have perpetual blessings and rewards. There will be no contention, envy, pride and arrogance in God's people; He expects us to totally purge ourselves of everything that defiles us.

We cannot be haughty, proud or jealous of others and hope to impress God. He expects us to walk in love and unity as brothers. All men will be treated fairly and equitably in the Kingdom of God. There are many who are called, but few who will actually be chosen to enter into His presence. We must examine our consciences and make a mid-course correction if we are in error. If we repent of all unrighteousness, we will inherit the Kingdom as we are supposed to do.

Matthew 7:12-14 "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. 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: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Wide is the path that leads to destruction, but narrow is the way to life. If we are carnal instead of spiritually minded, we will never enter into the Kingdom of God. The Lord created us for fellowship, and He cannot abide with evil. If we purposely choose to be rebellious, we will be eternally damned. We must cultivate a personal relationship with our God and treat others, as we ourselves would like to be treated, if we wish to enter into His Kingdom.

Only those who are uncompromisingly righteous and loving will actually dwell in the presence of our God. As believers in the Lord, Jesus Christ, we were predestined to be members of God's very own family. We were called from the foundation of the world to be saved, sanctified and justified. He will now glorify us with the glory that He gave His only Son. We will dwell with the Lord for all of eternity and He will boast of us to all creation as His children.

If we have been faithful and true to serve Him and His people, we will have the heathen for our inheritance in the uttermost parts of the earth for our rule and reign. We will be kings and priests of God and assist Christ in judging both men and angels. We will be just rulers and capable teachers of all men, and make certain that Kingdom principles of fairness and justice are enforced. We will enjoy an intimate relationship with the Lord Himself for all time.

We will have eternal blessings that all the Kingdom residents will enjoy. We will experience joy and gladness all the days of our lives; all pain and sorrow will be blotted from our memories. We will have continuous peace and unlimited prosperity. The Lord will supply all of our needs in abundance and shower us with all the wealth that the universe has to offer. He will take vengeance on all of our enemies and vindicate us before men and angels.

2Peter 2:20 "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."

The Lord sees the inner man of the heart and judges us accordingly. God is not mocked or fooled in any way. He knows who is committed to righteousness and love and who is lacking in those areas. It is not His desire that any man perishes. However, if we are lost in our sin and fail to repent and be converted, we will be eternally damned. If we have a change of heart, renounce our sin and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be saved to eternal life.

We are justified only by our faith in Christ and His atonement on our behalf. However, we can never deliberately sin and transgress God's laws. Lawlessness and rebellion are not ever permitted. We must be continually obedient and walk in love, as we have been instructed. We should sanctify ourselves of all worldliness and strive for spiritual maturity. We must purposely choose to walk in the Holy Spirit instead of carnality and the selfishness of our souls.

Many are called, but comparatively few will be chosen to enter into the Kingdom of God. The Lord knows the end from the beginning, and He is already aware of who will spend eternity with Him. It will soon be too late to repent and change our ways. If we become entangled with the things of this world, we will be destroyed. We should examine our consciences now and determine to repent of all our sins, if we wish to dwell in the presence of the Lord Himself.

1John 5:18-20 "We know that whoseoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life."

If we have turned away from our sins, accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior and been born again in our spirit man, we are then forgiven and all things are made new. We have received the free gift of eternal life and our right standing with God has been restored. Even though the world around us is filled with evil, we are covered by the Blood of Christ and in total protection. We are in God and He is in us, but we can never take advantage of His mercy and compassion.

The Lord is not a God of compromise. He has absolute standards for our behavior that He expects us to observe. We cannot be both worldly and spiritually minded. We must voluntarily make the choice to sacrifice all that we have to follow in Christ's footsteps. We are His disciples and that requires us to be above and beyond reproach in our dealings with others. We are to be godly examples to the unsaved, living testimonies to the power and glory of our God.

It will be critical that we learn to discern right from wrong according to God's way of doing things. We will have to be very certain what He expects of us, so that we can share that with others. There will be no room for misunderstanding in the days ahead. Our faith in Jesus Christ must be pure, strong and undefiled. The Lord also expects us to be totally righteous and loving if we wish to enter in to His Kingdom. He has established clear-cut requirements for each of us.

If we imitate the Lord, Jesus Christ, and lay down our personal lives as we should, we will inherit the Kingdom of God as we have been promised. We must be sin free at all times and obedient to do all that the Lord asks of us. We cannot abandon our love walk for any reason. We must love the Lord above all things and treat others as we wish to be treated. If we are faithful and true, no devil will dare to oppress us or interfere with our serving the Lord, as we should.

2Peter 1:11 "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

The Body of Christ will lead the way into the Kingdom of God. Our godly example will be an inspiration to others. We will speak to all of mankind and challenge them to believe the truth of the Gospel message. Christ died so that all of us can be set free and inherit eternal life. There is no reason why anyone should be excluded. But we cannot afford to be rebellious or stubborn; our fate is in the balance. We must make the all-important decision to repent and be saved.

We should strive to be holy and perfect if we wish to spend all of eternity with our God. Nothing defiling or evil can ever enter into His presence. We will have to come up higher in our Christian walk and crucify our flesh and all of its appetites. We will not be able to be selfish or indulge our souls. We must allow the purging fire of God to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, so that we can enter into the Kingdom of God and inherit all of its benefits as we are supposed to do.

The blessings and eternal rewards that we receive will be well worth our efforts. We will enjoy peace and prosperity, safety and security, health and longevity all the days of our lives. We will be reunited with all the dead in Christ and dwell in love and unity with all men as brothers. There will be no oppression or injustice in God's Kingdom. All those who are righteous and loving will inherit its benefits. Those of us who have served God will be generously rewarded.

Each of us has an opportunity for greatness. If we have faithfully served the Lord in implementing His eternal redemption plan, we will receive praise and honor for all eternity. He will appoint us to be kings and priests of His people and we will teach all men how to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. We will have the heathen for our inheritance and even judge both men and angels. The Father will glorify us with the same honor He bestows on His Son, Jesus Christ.

Topics for Discussion

  1. Basic Eligibility Requirements
  2. Repentance and Sanctification
  3. Love and Humble Service
  4. Christ's Model for Kingdom Eligibility
  5. Our Future is in the Balance
  6. Parables About the Kingdom of God
  7. Many Are Called, But Few Chosen

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