“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

The kingdom.  I strive, so many times, to earn good grades, to enter into that “one” relationship, to be known, to make money…and my heavenly Father, out of His amazing love for me, has given me the kingdom!  How foolish I can be!

Don’t miss the first part of that…not only does God give us the kingdom, He delights, it pleases Him to give us the kingdom!

When we enter into relationship with God, which is made possible only through Jesus Christ, He makes us part of the family of God, and we have an inheritance in the kingdom of God.  We are co-heirs with Christ, our Savior.  Hebrews calls this an “eternal inheritance,” for it will never fade.  Our God is eternal, and when we are saved, we are promised that for the rest of time, for all eternity, we will live and share and enjoy the presence of God.  No more tears, no more sin, no more death, only God and His family.

Is that enough for us?  To live eternally, with no end, in the presence of God, who created this universe, who is sovereign over all things?  In the presence and enjoyment of the God who created us, who LOVES us, unconditionally, and who SAVED us from our sin and from death?  Is it enough to enjoy Christ, our Savior?  We have a foretaste here on Earth and what that eternal fellowship will be like through the local church, but it does not compare to the awesome and glory of heaven.

So again I ask, why do you worry? Or rather, what worries you?  Job, home, family?  Concerns about how you look to others?  Lay it down, brothers and sisters.  Jesus is Healer.  He is Savior.  Will life get easier?  No, and it might get harder.   But we have the promise that God is with us, and He will work in and through us for His glory, and that, I can say with full confidence, satisfies.  Being a part of the family of God brings true joy.

This kingdom inheritance should radically impact and change the way we live our lives. Look at verse 33 of Luke 12: “Sell your possessions and give to the needy….For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  We give to the needy because we are no longer needy because God has secured us eternally.

If we truly love the Lord, and have fellowship and intimacy with Him, we will give everything to follow Him, to know Him, and to make Him and His glory known all around this world.

Romans 8:15-17 says “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Suffering.  Not a fun word, we don’t like to think about it.  But we are promised that through our suffering, we are being made more like Christ (James 1:3-4) and that after it all, we will be glorified with Christ.  It will be worth it.  Christ is worth it.

He is worth it.  Our inheritance in the kingdom of God should overcome all of our worries, anxiety, and suffering.  We have peace with God because of Christ.

Don’t seek after the things of this world.  Center your life around Christ.  Seek God’s kingdom.  Do not worry, for God loves to love you, to give you the kingdom.

If you are a believer, there is no cause for concern because we have a heavenly Father that delights in providing for us, so much so, that He has given us the greatest gift in Himself, and has also given us an inheritance in His eternal kingdom.

One last thing I want you to see is the result of this glory, this inheritance, what this treasure will look like.  Turn to Revelation 19:6-9.  This is what awaits us in heaven…a feast, a fellowship, with God Almighty, and with our Lord and Savior, looking forward to an eternity with Him who loves us deeply.

“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’–for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.  And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'”

The marriage supper of the Lamb to His bride, the church, the believers.  Revelation 21:3-5 says that God will wipe every tear from our eye, and there will be no more mourning or death.  He will “dwell with them,and they will be his people.”  There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, man or woman, American or Middle Eastern….only God’s family.  We look forward to this feast, to this fellowship, to enjoying our inheritance in God’s kingdom, and enjoying God Himself, for all eternity.  We can do this because of the incredible love Christ showed for us on the cross.  It is by Him alone that we can live, and have right relationship with God.

And it is for Him only that I write, and that I live for.  May God get the glory.

God bless,

Neal E

Comments, questions, concerns? Send to rembry@forum.montevallo.edu.  I will be more than happy to tell you more about God, and how you can be a part of this family.