The Kingdom of Heaven

 The idea of the Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom whose origin and authority and justice and mercy are directly from heaven. This earth will one day be the locale of the Kingdom of Heaven. Obviously (at least for everyone who is not a preterist) this evil age is not heaven on earth, but God can and will cleanse and restore the earth and all who His Spirit has drawn will dwell on this earth with the Messiah of Israel ruling from His throne in Jerusalem. Perfect Justice will be enforced and bowing to the God of Israel will not be optional. There will be purpose and meaning and a very agricultural society with no more war, because Yeshua is on the throne and He enforces it.

This evil age is not the kingdom of God.

You cannot bring the kingdom of God into this evil age.

There will be a time of cleansing and then restoration to Eden, in an act performed by God and clearly explained in Revelation and Daniel and Isaiah.

God is not trying to help you make more money to build His Kingdom, where did that idea even come from. God needs your money???

Your neighbor might need your money, and the Bible does instruct you to give it away, expecting nothing in return.

Be aware

Be careful

Deception is the thing to fear in the end times and self-deception is the most scary thing of all.

"Depart from ME, I never knew you." Scariest verse in the Bible.

Eschatology (what you believe about the end of the age) Drives (motivates and makes you cry out for the Life of Yeshua to empower you) Discipleship (the beautiful, terrible ongoing process of being conformed into the image of Yeshua)

 Big fancy words, but filled so much truth in 3 words. "Eschatology drives discipleship." When we have revealed to us by the mercy of God, that we are living in "this evil age" then our outer self wasting away is not the main concern, in fact "loved not their lives unto the death" is our ultimate power over the fear, threat, intimidation and violence of satan and his forces. Everything that the hand of God permits to enter the life of a believer is redeemed as we cry out for Him to use it to make us more like His son. As we accept it and trust that He will turn it for our ultimate good. (as defined by Him and Him alone, we want no part of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, its fruit is DEADLY still) Everything in this evil age is transient, temporary, dung. (very polite religious word for ... well you know!) The things that are unseen are not some "harp and cloud heaven" type imagery, they are unseen things of the Kingdom of God on earth that is yet to come. It is because they are in the future, not because they are spiritual, that they are unseen. Plato and Origen are not our God, The Messiah King of Israel, ruling from David's throne in Jerusalem is our King. That is who we are crying for when we say Maranatha! Our prayers center around the peace of Jerusalem, because that is a cry for His return as only His return will bring ultimate peace and the false peace before He returns is going to be a stone of stumbling. Our prayers cry out for the grace and supplication to be poured out on the Jewish people because that is the ultimate end of "this evil age", national repentance and national salvation, a nation born in a day. 1 John 3:2,3 "2Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure." THIS HOPE, the Kingdom to come, is the driving force behind our crying out for the purity that only His life brings. We love because He first loved us. His heart for Israel is poured out on us and we love "His brethren" with His heart of unbreakable commitment and love. He has shown such mercy to me, how could I ever withhold it from anyone! Maranatha!

The Ten Women Waiting for the Bridegroom

 If it is true that the parables are similar to a joke, in that, they are being told with one "punch line" in mind, one teaching point that the Messiah of Israel was trying to get across, for generations to come to a people who would be willing to humble themselves and seek Him for the meaning (because no one else truly gets the meaning).  Then the simple point of the parable that is usually called the "parable of the ten virgins" is five of them had made preparations for a long wait and they were ready when He came.

Over and over the Bible speaks of a three and one half year period of tribulation.  

The refugee crisis that resulted from the war in Syria and currently from the war in Ukraine demonstrates how quickly a situation can change, but the speed of the change, does not lead to a short-term problem, it actually leads to very long term problem, because bombs have been dropped and there is no "home" to return to. 

There is a very real sense where one could look at the Bible and say, "God knows how to provide for His people in the wilderness."

There is a very real sense where one could look at the Bible and say, "God is very clearly warning us ahead of time so that we can be taking some steps to prepare for a three and one half year period of tribulation."

May the Lord our God faithfully lead us to find a balance, to hear clearly, to never take any action out of fear or frustration, but to listen, obey, trust and be a people who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.  May we be a people focused on community survival.  The Jewish people have a promise that God will preserve a remnant and He will never let them be totally blotted out, despite the fact that that will be the 100% goal of the anti-christ and his army.  The gentile peoples have no promise like that.  We are told that there will be some from every nation, tribe, people and tongue (Revelation 7:9) but they are pictured before the throne of the Lamb, so they very well could have been martyred and are therefore, by no means, a guaranteed remnant.  

I don't know it just struck me the other day, that there is no promise for the gentile nations, so we are a people crying out for mercy for our family, friends and towns.  Crying out to the Messiah of Israel, for grace to help in this temporary evil age.  Crying out for grace to proclaim the truth of the Day of the Lord and the coming Kingdom.  Crying out for the "powers of the age to come" to be a demonstration that the words we are sharing in this evil age are true and will be fulfilled.  

We NEED wisdom.