The Daily Word of Righteousness

The New Jerusalem, #14

Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. (Luke 13:18,18)

The Kingdom of Heaven is a seed that is planted in our heart. The Kingdom of Heaven is as leaven that works in us until we are filled with the presence and ways of the Kingdom.

God is creating Heaven, Paradise, the Kingdom of Heaven in us, so to speak. It is not only that we go to Heaven but that the life and ways of Heaven are formed in us. There is an external kingdom and then there is an internal kingdom. The internal kingdom is the most important.

The God of Heaven reaches out His arms and gathers us in. Then He fills us with His Life until we are like Himself.

The truly righteous person longs to live in the Presence of the Lord Jesus.

The "Christian" person who is filled with spite, lust, gossiping, hatred, drunkenness, covetousness, and every other work of the flesh is anxious not to be punished when he or she dies. But in the heart of such there is no true longing for the Presence of the Lord Jesus.

The sinner finds his own "paradise" on the earth in the company of others who like himself are filled with the ways and life of Hell. He would be miserable in the true Paradise of God, just as the saint would be totally miserable were he forced to spend eternity in the company of sinners.

The saint has chosen the ways of God and God will bring him to Paradise. The sinner, whether or not he has "accepted" Christ, has chosen the ways of darkness. If he does not repent, God will place him in the darkness. God cannot be mocked. Whatever we sow we shall reap.

It is not true that we must wait until we are perfect in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)

God reaches out and gathers us in. Then God works in us to drive out of our personality all that is not in keeping with the righteousness and holiness of the Kingdom. This is how we enter the Kingdom. If we cooperate with the work of the Spirit of God in transforming us we will inherit the fullness of the Kingdom. But if we do not, we will be cut out of the Vine. Jesus taught us this.

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. (Matthew 13:47,48)

Then said the king to the servants, Bind him [the man who was among the wedding guests but who was not attired properly] hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13)

Will there be a day in which a glorious holy city will appear that people can see? Yes, there shall indeed.

There is a city that has a wall of jasper and gates of pearl. There is an external kingdom.

To be continued.