Leonard C

The Kingdom is worth far more than all the treasures of this world. We can't see the Kingdom but we can see daily the allurements of this world. Deep abiding faith is required. A sincere relationship with the Lord helps us to see where true joy is found and the riches that await us when we finally go home. My testimony is hopefully something a seeking friend can identify with and, by the grace of God, that friend can see the Hope and Joy that is in me.

Religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27) Poverty and self-sacrifice can be an attempt to look religious, as the Pharisees did, and are not based in Scripture. Jesus condemns not money, but the love of money. Jesus asked the rich young ruler to follow Him because He saw goodness in him. He saw a young man who could accomplish much under His guidance. However, he had to pass a test, to put God before all else and, unfortunately, he failed. Jesus offered the young man the great privilege of entering His inner sanctum and the opportunity to grow in the Joy of the Lord. The young man rejected the offer because he was too attached to his wealth and the life-style it afforded.

Jesus saw that the rich young ruler was indeed a righteous man

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all that you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all that you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all that you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all that you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all that you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The two parables speak of finding something of such great value that you would give all you have to obtain it. They both stress the superlative value of the kingdom and that a person should be willing to part with everything in order to possess the kingdom, as Jesus requested of the rich young ruler. (Luke 18:22) The meaning could also be that Jesus is the purchaser who purchased our salvation with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness

The separation at the Lord

It will be as in the days of Noah and the day that Lot went out of Sodom. We will not have time to fetch earthly goods or look back. We must be ever vigilant as the five wise virgins. We must put God before all temporal things.

The Lord

Jesus represented the earthly aspect of the universal kingdom of God, present among them, but the Pharisees did not recognize this. The Kingdom had already begun as Jesus taught, gathered disciples, and exercised God's authority here on earth. The Kingdom is present today in the embodiment of the Church and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as we abide in Jesus and His words abide in us.

Christ never condoned violence but He spoke of the need to stand upright in the face of persecution as He did and his apostles after Him. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) Jesus warns His followers that they must be steadfast in heart, pressing into the Kingdom with ardor resembling violence or desperation. He expresses the earnestness his followers must have in ridding themselves of sin, standing firm against satanic powers, the world and even relatives if necessary.

God answers prayer in His own time. It may be immediate or it may take years. If we persist, as He directs us to, He does answer. If we are His children He must answer for God cannot tell a lie. When the answer is delayed it is only because God is trying to teach us something. One of my favorite verses is John 15:7, which shows that answered prayer is conditional:

The promise is quite simply what it says: if we seek God first, He will provide us with all our physical needs. That does not necessarily mean everything we desire, but all that we need. However, I believe that anyone who follows this demand from Jesus will find measure in abundance

Jesus says,

Jesus prepared us for the reality of life

Every Christian has areas in which he is weak and still developing. Jesus said,

I think they are all inter-twined but I would place

I can hardly explain it better than Jesus: "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." (Matthew 13:20-21) Roots come by