Our Lord has been trying to teach me about His Kingdom. Maybe because I have been saying for a while that I want to help Jesus build His and our fathers Kingdom here in Sydney. So I guess Jesus decided that if I want to build the Kingdom of God, then He better teach me what it actually is and correct any misconceptions I may have.
Jesus tutorial began with Luke 17:20-37 given below here
Now what is it that Our Lord wants us to understand about the kingdom of God.
This is it in a nutshell.
One. The kingdom of God has become manifest from the time of Jesus and his disciples--therefore he says that the kingdom was among them.
Two. The kingdom comprises of those who, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, enjoy and practice righteousness, peace and joy. These are the inner manifestations of the Holy spirit in our lives.
Three. The kingdom of God grows when we, filled with the Holy spirit, exhibiting the signs of this infilling, become the leaven in our communities, raising them up along with us. It is for this mission that we His chosen people have been mixed with the flour around us - to be the yeast that raises all of the flour with which it is mixed.
Another parable that our Lord narrated was to answer the question 'What is the kingdom of God like?' To this He said "It is like the mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden;it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."
P.S. Meaning of Corpses and Vultures Revealed next.
Jesus tutorial began with Luke 17:20-37 given below here
The Coming of the Kingdom
20 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; 21 nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is!” For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.’
22 Then he said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will say to you, “Look there!” or “Look here!” Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30 —it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.’ 37 Then they asked him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.’
The parts that struck me most I have given in italics. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is among us. Though some translations mistranslate it as 'within you', the correct meaning of what Jesus says is 'among you'. We also see the overt manifestation of the Kingdom of God in the works that Jesus and his disciples did. They preached the Good news, healed the sick, drove out demons and raised the dead.
The second part in italics about the corpses and vultures--I have not yet fully been granted the wisdom to understand.
The second part in italics about the corpses and vultures--I have not yet fully been granted the wisdom to understand.
After this teaching came Pentecost Sunday which was yesterday and Fr. Francis Onwunalli and his talk about the Holy spirit. Romans 14:17 is what he had to say 'For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are experienced by people and not buildings, structures or organisations. So when we enjoy these 3 in the Holy Spirit we become the kingdom of God among those around us. Or do we?
Then comes todays tuition which began with holiness (very important learning curve which I shall share soon but not now) and led onto the kingdom. It came from Mathew 13:33. 'He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’
Now what is it that Our Lord wants us to understand about the kingdom of God.
This is it in a nutshell.
One. The kingdom of God has become manifest from the time of Jesus and his disciples--therefore he says that the kingdom was among them.
Two. The kingdom comprises of those who, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, enjoy and practice righteousness, peace and joy. These are the inner manifestations of the Holy spirit in our lives.
Three. The kingdom of God grows when we, filled with the Holy spirit, exhibiting the signs of this infilling, become the leaven in our communities, raising them up along with us. It is for this mission that we His chosen people have been mixed with the flour around us - to be the yeast that raises all of the flour with which it is mixed.
Another parable that our Lord narrated was to answer the question 'What is the kingdom of God like?' To this He said "It is like the mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden;it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."
P.S. Meaning of Corpses and Vultures Revealed next.
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