Christianity Oasis Forum

[saint701]

Hi All,


Blessings!

Again, want to thank those that have been praying that the Lord strengthen me in the warfare...have been up since 4:30 this morning going strong because of our Lord's graciousness in answering your pleadings on my behalf.

Below is a compilation of the two articles I wrote yesterday and today for the examiner under the spirituality section of the St. Louis edition. Hope they touch your heart.

I have been researching the effects of spirituality on our culture. Such might seem an insurmountable task. Just the books on the subject of spirituality are countless, numbered from the beginning of civilization. But narrowing a topic, parsing it down to something fathomable, is a must. Thus the subject of the day, The Kingdom of Heaven, and its spiritual effects on our society today.
We find 33 references to the Kingdom of Heaven in the gospel of St. Matthew. And there is where the subject ends. However, of note in that gospel is chapter 10 and the first 8 verses attending it. Some would say such is nothing more than psycho-babble. We are too enlightened and too intelligent to believe such nonsense in this day and age.
I say, "why?" Are our human abilities long proclaimed to be rapidly advancing into some sort of god class realm really getting the job done? Are we really well off without the Kingdom of Heaven on this Earth? More to come on the matter...
Matt.10 (Bible, KJV)
[1] And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
[2] Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
[3] Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
[4] Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
[5] These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
[6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
[8] Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.



Some 30 years ago I was introduced to the scriptures in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Matt.6:33. (KJV). [33] But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you...30 years ago. During much of that time my understanding of the Kingdom of God, (Heaven), grew very little. The few books I read on the subject seemed to focus on the benefits of my giving money into some charitable organization, and that somehow in so doing all of my kingdom fantasies would be fulfilled. They weren't and I knew my priorities in my search for the Kingdom were somehow out of order.

Please do not understand me. During those 30 years I did see some marvelous Kingdom of Heaven results from some of those seeds I sowed, but I could sense I was still missing many links in my understanding in my quest for more of the Kingdom of God. I knew I had to keep on seeking. (Please note the word seeking contains two words, "see king."

One late night sitting outside a motel room looking up at the stars after a separated time for the purpose of seeking the KIngdom of God and His Righteousness, (after 30 years!), I saw The King! I saw the sum total of His magnificent being, thefull and complete truth of His exact nature. I met the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I met my Lord God Dad! I met the one that had sent His Spirit of Adoption into my heart 30 years earlier crying "abba, Father."

I immediately understood why His one and only Kingdom law for us is love, because that is the express image of His person, the exact nature of His innermost being, His entire essence. He is the fullness and completeness of His Kingdom, and that Kingdom is LOVE. His every outward action and expression is beneficial for those of His household. He is everything Jesus told us that He was, and demonstrated in Himself through His actions and deeds. Jesus is our Heavenly Love God Dad's very exact nature, LOVE!

Please notice the love actions required of our Lord's Apostles I made mention of in yesterday's article on the Kingdom of Heaven.


Blessings!
Love, In Christ Jesus, Saint701.