Jesus revealed the mysteries of the kingdom in parables To many people, Matthew 13 is a mysterious chapter because it is full of parables commonly interpreted without a lot of confidence, certainty or convincing cross-references. The seven parables in this chapter illustrate spiritual realities and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. God wants His people […]
Salvation does not require Christian suffering Neither Christian suffering nor Christian sacrifice beyond that which Christ already suffered on the cross are required for salvation, but the kingdom requires sacrifice and sometimes Christian suffering. Salvation does not require anyone to live in poverty. No Christian really believes that in order to receive salvation he or […]
Heavenly rewards are not heavenly gifts If salvation is a gift it can’t also be part of our heavenly rewards. By definition gifts can’t be earned . . . I know, I know. . . it happens all the time in the real world here on earth. But with God, a gift is a gift and […]
Understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom In order to gain a correct understanding of what the bible calls “The gospel of the kingdom” it is important to understand some fundamental concepts. First, it is useful to know that only in the gospel of Matthew is the term “The gospel of the kingdom” used. No other […]
The Purpose of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom I always wondered why God would bother with the Millennium. Why not just get on with heaven and skip Christ’s millennial kingdom? What exactly is the point of this one-thousand year-long prelude to heaven? The answer to that question may have several aspects but I believe that at least […]
Kingdom parables from Matthew 13 The kingdom parables explained The parables of Matthew 13 are not commonly understood by many Christians. The seven kingdom parables in this chapter illustrate spiritual realities of the kingdom of heaven. God wants His people to understand these realities clearly. The Gospel of Matthew does not talk about salvation. The theme of the Gospel of John […]
Contending for the faith – why the Christian should fight Not only is the Christian life a race but it is also a fight. The apostle Paul likened himself to a boxer, a prizefighter contending for the faith. This not only speaks of training and discipline but also of strategy and force. A race demands […]
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