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Parable of the Treasure hidden in a field
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.(Matthew 13:44)
The kingdom of heaven is a very great treasure. It’s greater than all the kingdoms and empires of the world. This is because God is seated on the throne of the kingdom and his kingdom is everlasting. Many kingdom have risen and fallen but God’s kingdom has and will remain eternal. There’s love, joy, peace and holiness in the Lord’s kingdom.
Happy are those who seek the kingdom of heaven above all earthly riches. For these know that the riches of the earth cannot exceed that of the kingdom of heaven in which no one lacks at the throne of God. What great a kingdom that Jesus Christ the Son of God had made us the children of God, can anyone else even compare? How great is the Lord God that he created the birds of air, the beasts of the field and the living things of the world by his Word?
Chase not after the vain things of the world which will hold no value in the afterlife. Any riches that lead to you sinning more to obtain such riches should be rejected as they will only increase your punishment in hell. Therefore treasure the kingdom of God more than anything else, so that you act worthily in sight of the God of hosts.
Ask your children what they hear in the Lord’s house
“We spare neither labors nor means in order to teach our children secular sciences, so that they can serve well the earthly authorities. Only the knowledge of the holy Faith, the service of the Heavenly King are a matter of indifference to us. We allow them to attend spectacles but we care little whether they go to Church and stand within it reverently. We demand an account from them of what they learned in their secular institutes—why do we not demand an account from them of what they heard in the Lord’s house?” (St. John Chrysostom)
An Idol is anything that takes the place of God
A true believer in the Almighty will not worship false gods be it idols, treasures or anything else.
Idols need not be only statues, but anything that people try to set up above the Lord God. In this evil and adulterous generation, therefore one must have control over one’s appetites, for anything and everything, lest you become the laughing-stock of your enemies. Your true enemies are first and foremost all those in enmity with the Lord God. Rest of your enemies are just personal and temporal enemies.
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” (1 Corinthians 10:7)
Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. (1 Corinthians 10:14)
Every evil earthly nature that causes sinfulness towards God must be eliminated from your life if you claim to truly worship the Lord God. Or else its just a waste of time. No matter how natural the world justifies sin to be, get ride of all your base desires, before they all give you the fruit of your unjust labours.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)
Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
Relax in the Lord Jesus
Relax in the Lord Jesus,
For he’s the one who sees us.
Cast unto him your burdens and cares,
Be not worried by the world’s dares.
To receive God’s grace do what is just,
Put your faith in the Lord and him do trust.
Never be anxious nor too much you weep,
The Lord feeds the birds who neither sow or reap.
Be not anxious at all for tomorrow,
Surrender to Christ your trouble and sorrow.
Do not worry about what you’ll eat or drink,
Keep first God’s kingdom and his righteousness in all you think.
Fear not the future nor shifting sands,
God has it all covered in his holy hands.
Rest secure in his great love,
As you’re blessed by God from above.
Though provoking
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4)
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord. (Psalm 118:19-26)
The very person rejected by the scribes and the Pharisees has turned out to be the cornerstone which the builders rejected. Jesus of Nazareth is his name. He comes in the name of the Lord God of Hosts. He did not come into the world for his own glory but for the glory of the One who sent HIM. To those who believe this are the doors of salvation open in the land of the living.
28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:28-40)
It is truly wise to accept Jesus Christ as the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Not a king of earthly limitations but rather a king sent from God himself. Not everyone in the world accepts him as their king, the king of righteousness but for those who do, they will never be wrong. Therefore hold fast to your confession of faith which Jesus came to die for all sinners so that those who believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23: 37-39)
Jesus came for the Jews and also for the Gentiles but first for the Jews. Now remember that most of the disciples of Jesus when he walked on this earth were Jews. However not every Jew including the religious leaders had faith that he was sent by the Lord. This was because they didn’t understand the Scriptures in the light of the Holy Spirit but were legalistic. Yet the Savior of the world has given them this, that if they acknowledge him as sent by the Lord, then their house will not longer be desolate. But even as their times come again, let everyone who is capable of breathing even now say ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’. Amen.
The most evil system after hell itself (Babylon)
Without a doubt hell is the most corrupt and the most evil system ever to come into existence. It’s defiance against our Lord God is second to none. For it’s master is the Satan the fallen angel himself. And hell is inhabited by numerous evil spirits who have great hate towards God and his creation especially mankind. However, you must be aware that’s not the only evil system in existence. It’s what is called as the empire.
Empire: An extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state (reference oxforddictionaries.com)
The most evil system after hell itself is the empire system. Sure, the mobs do commit murders, rogue nations attack innocent people of other countries but nothing comes close to the magnitude of pure evil by an empire. The people of the empire are united under one supreme ruler.
These people are convinced that the emperor’s words hold their weight in gold in all matters be it moral, arts, political, warfare and even religion. Years and years of brainwashing by the government makes the empire a law unto itself, answerable to no man and not even God himself but only to their power-hungry Emperor.
They commit crimes, horrific ones for the glory of their sovereign. Murdering innocent people of other nations is their specialty. If they cannot conquer a peace-loving nation they will do every they can to impoverish it. Everyone in the empire, be it the fisherman at the far end or the blood thirsty general doesn’t realize the reality of the situation of merciless killings in the name of the empire. They are of the ill-informed opinion that they are ‘only doing their jobs’ for the glory of their fellowmen and the empire.
An empire does have its counsel of wise men and philosophers and artistic people. There are people of skill and experience and might have some idea of morality. They are either kept aloof from the wickedness of the empire or forced to render their services if they refuse to get along on seeing the dark side of the Emperor.
One of the strongest reasons an Empire which is evil goes on unchecked is the absence of the measure of truth and righteousness. Deception is practiced from one end of the empire to another from cradle to the grave, so that every mother gives up her child to the army so that he/she will become a savage beast that commits acts of violence. The mother is instead happy that her child is brave enough and counted worthy for warfare. Little does she realize that the way her child goes definitely will lead to eternal damnation in the end. The same logic applies for the father of the child as well, who himself won’t think nor question this mindless killing of innocents in a far away land.
Now about the Emperor’s; not every one of them is evil as some have got hold of their empire without bloodshed and deceit. Most emperors do no fall under this exception at all. Besides, this exception won’t justify anyone who may have got the throne cleanly but later commits vile acts of savagery. An emperor is groomed from childhood to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. He is kept disciplined in childhood in methods of warfare, elegance, charm and most importantly using deceitful means to further his cause. On becoming the emperor his pride has no bounds. He will ensure that every form of flattery and seduction available in his empire is used to gain alliances with other evil rulers. While he will summon his vast army to wage warfare against those who will not bow down to his rule. This results in more pride and the emperor now gets self-deceived into thinking himself as a god.
Often empires crumble under the weight of their own logic of arrogant defiance of principles of peace, morality, love and humility. Some empires end up in severe bloodshed and some in shame but mostly in both. But if that doesn’t stop an empire from working its evil ways, then they have the Lord God himself who contend with.
The Kingdom of God by definition itself is not an empire. Jesus is our King and Lord. He will rule in righteousness and will be the Great Judge at the Final Judgement. You might wonder who so much of details on the working of an evil empire. There is good reason. Because in these last days, the empire of Babylon which the Bible calls as Mystery Babylon will manifest. Do not be surprised when this evil and sadistic empire shows up in the open. It’s hidden for some time but will appear for sure. This is the most evil empire ever. Babylon is the ancient enemy of the Church and also of the Jews. It functions like a global empire.
Jeremiah 51:49 Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:24 “I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the LORD.
2 Chronicles 33:11 So the LORD made the army commanders of the king of Assyria invade Judah. They took Manasseh captive, put a hook in his nose, put him in bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon.
Babylon the murderer of the prophets and saints:
Revelation 18:24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.
Babylon the persecutor of Christians:
Revelation 17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Psalm 137:8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.
Jeremiah 50:29 Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
Jeremiah 51:56 A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the LORD is a God of retribution; he will repay in full.
Jeremiah 25:12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.
Believers stayed in Babylon even in the New Testament:
1 Peter 5:13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark.
The New Testament proclaims judgement against Mystery Babylon too:
(This is a general verse yet it still works against Babylon so I’m adding this too) 2 Thessalonians 1:6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
Revelation 18:6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup.
Revelation 14:8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
No wonder, in the light of the Holy Scriptures one must keep away from being under the Babylonian system and even must not work for it. Escape such an empire for its judgement comes from God himself.
Overeating can and must be avoided
There’s a famous saying which goes like this ‘Eat to live but never live to eat’. What it means that eating is needed for your body but don’t overeat nor be obsessed with eating.
Romans 14:17 says that; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 23:2 says that; and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.
Medically it has time and again been proven that overeating is related to obesity, blood pressure and heart attacks. So one must eat as much is actually needed by one’s body instead of greedily eating. Does not make any logic to eat so much that you need medical treatment later.
Being too stuffed with food results in slowness of movement and general laziness. Some people find it easier to breathe when they lose weight. While these people were overweight due to excess eating, they would experience breathlessness too.
Now you might face situations like at a wedding banquet that you have taken too much to eat. You can choose to eat only what is needed as per your bodily requirements and leave the rest. Yes, leave the rest. I faced this personally and actually left out the food when I was getting overstuffed.
Someone might say you are wasting food but if that extra food is going to make you feel nauseous you better leave it. Actual food wasting is when you habitually eat only a partial amount of food on your plate. However if on a one-off instance you had got too much food and you want to only eat a part of it please feel free to do so without feeling guilty. The choice is yours to make for a healthier eating experience.
Parable of the Mustard seed (Kingdom of God parable)
Tiny mustard seeds in a jar
Luke 13:18-19 says; 18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”
Christ compares the Kingdom of God to something as simple as a mustard seed. It’s a very small seed. However, once it grow up it becomes a big tree upon which the birds can dwell upon.
This parable signifies many things. Firstly, that though how small the Kingdom of God seems it can really keep growing up to its full potential. It has tremendous potential for God. No matter how small the early church looked at that time it has eventually grown up to be so large that we have churches in every continent on earth (except icy cold Antarctica, God willing we will have permanent churches over there if only people live permanently over there!). The church has faced persecutions, ridicule and hardships through the ages and yet it is still going on to be the light of the world which cannot be put out.
Secondly, we can note that the Kingdom of God had growth inbuilt into its nature. It grows up to be what it is called to be. It ensures that whether its summer or rain it keeps rooted and draws nourishment from the ground. It doesn’t have a hidden agenda. Instead it does whats in its DNA, which is to grow in Christ. It sticks to this agenda.
Finally, the Kingdom of God provides support. Like the mustard tree that gives support to the nests of the birds, it supports all those who come to it. It gives the Gospel to the poor soul and heals the afflicted. It does every good deed that God prepared it for.
Be part of the Kingdom of God and remember that the Kingdom of God is within you!
Disciples of hope 