Kingdom of Heaven

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3)

The text is in the present tense…“theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” not “theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.”  What did Jesus mean by “the kingdom of heaven?” In his book Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote regarding the kingdom of heaven, “It means, in its essence, Christ’s rule or the sphere and realm in which He is reigning…Wherever He was present and exercising authority, the kingdom of heaven was there.” (p. 30) 

Scripture makes it clear that Jesus Christ is eternal.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” (Rev. 4:8b)

PAST

When Jesus walked the earth two thousand years ago, the kingdom of heaven was near. In Matthew 4:17 it says, “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  In Matthew 9:5-6 He demonstrated His authority on earth by saying, “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – then He said to the paralytic – ‘Rise, take up your bed, and go home.’”  Throughout His ministry, He proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom and demonstrated His authority through miracles.

PRESENT

The poor in spirit recognize that they are completely incapable of saving themselves. When they accept Christ as their Savior, they grant Him the authority to rule and reign in their lives. “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” (Col. 1:13)  While we continue to live on earth, “..our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20) We who are poor in spirit dwell in the kingdom of Heaven, and the King of that kingdom dwells in us!

FUTURE

One day soon there will be a new heaven and a new earth. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.” (Rev. 21:3)  “Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.”  (Daniel 7:27)

Jesus – Emmanuel – God with us…past, present, and future.

The poor in spirit are blessed because His sacrifice covers our sin -- past, present, and future.

The poor in spirit are blessed because He walked among us, dwells within us, and will reign over us from now through eternity.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3)

Steward of Grace

Since the beginning of the year I have been doing a series on the word “blessed.”  I lost a bit of momentum for a while due to travel and a busy schedule, and then a global pandemic hit out of nowhere.  I have struggled with anxiety, fear, lack of motivation, and most notably, an inability to focus.  Writing takes immense effort right now, but I do have something that I would like to share.

In the weeks leading up to the crisis, our church has been studying the book of Ephesians.  In Ephesians 3:1-2 it says, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you...” (emphasis mine).  That phrase caught my eye and has been rattling around in my head ever since.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it…until now.  It is quite strange and a bit unsettling to find ourselves in the midst of a national crisis where a call to unity requires us to stay away from each other.  While we have witnessed selfish behavior in some, we have also seen people come together and ask what they can do to help. 

As believers, we often hear people say that they want to be good stewards of what God has given them.  They want to take care of what God has blessed them with (home, finances, gifts, talents, etc) and use them to bless others and further His kingdom.  During these unprecedented times, let us not forget to be good stewards of the most precious gift of all…His grace.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8)  Paul says that the stewardship of God’s grace was given to him for others.  Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” 

We have a unique opportunity right now to be salt and light in our communities.  If we truly understand the magnitude of God’s grace toward us, let us extend that same grace to those around us and be a good example and a fragrant aroma.  How do we do that when we are housebound?  Creativity is the key.  We are blessed to live in a highly technological age.  Examples I have seen so far include musicians doing free online concerts, people sharing exercise routines, people sharing ideas and resources to help with home education or keeping little ones occupied, physicians explaining what’s going on in simple terms that we can understand, and people cooking meals in step by step tutorials to help those who might not be as proficient in the kitchen.  For those who are not online as much, I have seen women sewing masks/mask covers by the dozen, cards being written and mailed, sharing of supplies, and people shopping for those most at risk.  Extending grace can be as simple as just having a good attitude and a ready smile and wave when you encounter people on a walk around your neighborhood or saying thank you to those serving us through essential services. 

When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself, “How can I be a good steward of God’s grace today?” and then walk in that.  It IS possible to love your neighbor from afar.  There may be shortages in the supply chain right now, but the supply of God’s grace is vast and infinite.  Being a good steward of God’s grace is guaranteed to bless Him, bless your neighbor, and bless you.

The Mirror of His Word

Most mornings I will join my husband for coffee at our local coffee shop.  We enjoy the smell of roasted coffee beans, the tinkling sound of the bell on the door as customers enter, and the homey décor. I love this wall of mirrors.  It occurred to me the other day that the Word is also like a mirror to us.  It reflects both the truth about God, as well as the truth about us.  I thought I’d switch things up for this post and put it in a Q&A format, and let the Scripture speak directly to your heart.

Is anyone good?

“As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”  (Romans 3:10-12)

What does the unsaved person think of the message of the cross?

“For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Why do the unsaved view the gospel as foolishness?

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

What happens when the veil is removed?

“But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”  (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

The only way a mirror is effective is when the lights are on. 

What (Who) is the source of the Light?

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6)

What should our response be when we behold God in the light of His Word and reflect on the truth?

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at this natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.”  (James 1:23-25)

When we reflect on His truth and walk in obedience, we are promised three things.  We will:

Be transformed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18)

Bear much fruit (John 15:5)

Be blessed (James 1:25)