The kingdom of heaven

In Mark 1:15, Jesus says: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…” The whole idea of the kingdom of God/kingdom of heaven is that it is “at hand” which means literally “readily accessible when needed” (Oxford languages 1).

Jesus says in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are those poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Now the question could be asked, what is poor in spirit? “To be poor in spirit means recognizing that everything good in our nature comes from God. Anything worthy of praise in us comes from God and God alone” (Divine word ministries 1)".

Jesus also tells us in Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Repentance

The Greek word for repentance is μετάνοια, which in English is spelled: metánoia (Meh-ta-nya). This translated directly from the Greek dictionary, is: change of mind, repentance. Meaning, that repentance is to change your way of thinking, the way your mind works. This is also said in Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect". 

The way the human mind is created, is to have a specific reaction to a certain item/thought/idea. Think of a caramel apple. Now, what word did you think of when I said that? You probably thought of “delicious” or “yummy”. That is the way you think about caramel apples, or, your way of thinking. A change in mindset will ultimately lead to you turning away from your sin, since you will no longer be thinking about sin.

Conclusion

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God…”(Luke 9:1-2).

Help us spread the word! The kingdom of God is at hand! It’s here now! Participate in the kingdom of heaven, and change your way of thinking to match that of Christ Jesus, and spread the word! Wear it on your hat, your shoes, your shirt, heaven is happening!