Former location of "The Kingdom of the Heavens" blog, written by an incurable fool who is trying to become a holy fool!
1. God’s Reconciliation toward Me This aspect of reconciliation is almost identical to the Atonement. From the beginning, God loved me so much that he gave his unique Son Jesus, who was one with him from eternity, to provide for forgiveness of my sin, give me true life, and to make me one with him. Colossians says that, until this…
Read more
I will now begin to apply an extended passage from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain,” recorded in Luke 6:27-40. Jesus’ message in this passage can be summarized as: The passage starts: Luke 6:27-30 (WEB) Here we are given a list of commands about how to treat those who hate, oppose or use us. But, by Jesus own words. these commands…
Read more
The theme of this installment is a question Paul asked the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 6:5 (WEB) While the process Jesus described in Matthew 18:15-20 (see previous series of installments) is the ideal procedure, the one most likely to produce reconciliation–which is the goal of all such procedures–the New Testament is not rigidly inflexible in demanding that only this…
Read more
choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God was never our enemy, Love each other, Must Trust God to Enter, Quarrels, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, The Kingdom of the Heavens, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?
Links: This post read as a YouTube video . Full playlist for this series. The next part of Jesus’ discussion of forgiveness in Matthew 18 asks the question “is infinite forgiveness shown to us by God. and are we supposed to do the same?” Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me,…
Read more
The analogy between classical leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) and the effect of unresolved bitterness between members of the Body of Christ. Both cause members of the body to lose sensation and be vulnerable to infection and death. “Cutting off” members only accelerates this.
¿No es una «relación» con Jesús lo que necesito? Sí, y no. La Biblia nunca dice que necesitamos solo cualquiera relación con Jesús. En cambio, se nos habla de relaciones que involucran a personas que saben quiénes son, y que reconocen la voz de Jesús y la obedecen.
God’s people had been ruled by God as their King. But they had forgotten him. Still, Samuel said to them, “And as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.”
La gente de Dios le había sido gobernada por Dios como su Rey. Pero ellos le han olvidado. Quisieron un Rey “como todas las naciones”, no Dios. Aun así, Samuel les dijo: «y en cuanto a mí, lejos esté de mí que peque contra el Señor, cesando de orar por ustedes».
When Jesus said that the son of man has power to forgive sins on Earth, he was referring to his humanity–and ours. God has already forgiven. Like Jesus, we have the power–and the mission–to offer forgiveness on Earth.
The hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” celebrates the arrival of God among us in the form of Jesus. The post highlights that God does not simply bring peace to the world; instead, he will ultimately judge and create a new, peaceful world. Those who have faith in God’s promises will have inner peace amid the world’s chaos and opposition.