Possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Daniel {7:18} But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Possess the kingdom forever.
We sit at home, we walk the streets, we rest upon the cot at a shelter, we recover on a bed in a hospital, we sit in the gutter, we troll the streets with hands outstretched, the dirt streaked across our cheeks the last shower the night we made it to the shelter and found a spot free. We live in our tents, we make the back seat of our car our home, we wander about from room to room in our mansions and each one of us no matter where we live seeks something more.
The king in his earthly kingdom searches for treasures money can't buy when he realizes that the treasures most dear cost nothing and yet elude him. The pauper wanders the street seeking a treasure of wealth believing that most of their problems will be solved if only that two dollar lottery ticket would pay off in the millions. It's hard to say who has it worse really- the rich man realizing his money is worthless yet loathed to give up any of the earthly comforts he possesses, or the poor man always thinking money is the answer and therefore never stopping to believe the answer could be anything more. Those inbetween the two- rich and poor- those two might have it the easiest in realization. They're poor enough to want more money but do realize the money they have can't bring them complete happiness, and rich enough to be grateful for having at least something.
Honestly there are so many variables and in the end it comes down to realizing that this world doesn't have the kingdom we are meant to possess unless we are looking to Jesus, the Savior of all mankind through whom the kingdom is realized. Jesus brought the kingdom to earth when He took on humanity and made that kingdom available to all who would believe in Him.
Rich or poor, and all the varying states inbetween the two, no earthly kingdom will satisfy. Some may argue at least they'll be comfortable until they go to their everlasting punishment as reward, and that may be true but they're sacrificing much more than they realize.
We live for but a moment in time to all history. Our lives of 70 or so years are a drop in an ocean of water to all the lives in all the time that have existed. We can have eternity. We are made with the desire to want to live healthily and for as long as possible in a happy, peaceful, content existence that eludes us.
Daniel {7:18} But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
We shall take a kingdom and possess that kingdom forever and ever and ever.
We who are the saints of the Most High.
We who accept Christ as our righteousness.
All glory be to God! All honor and praise to our heavenly Father!
By the grace of Jesus Christ our Savior now and forever.
Amen.
4/29/10
2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2Co 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Partakers of sufferings.
Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and SALVATION- which is EFFECTUAL in the ENDURING of the same sufferings which we also suffer...
Or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and SALVATION.
We will have sufferings, we will. The suffering can come in so many forms. We can't pinpoint one suffering being harder than another because we all suffer in our own way. It's true. There are pain tolerances for every individual and there are suffering tolerances as well. The tolerance level being high or low but in the end it doesn't matter really because as individuals we have to live with the sufferings we endure not collectively. I can't truly feel your pain and suffering, I can empathize but I can't feel exactly what you are feeling because I'm not you. So many people say 'man up', meaning endure the suffering like a man, who supposedly endures it very stoically. We all have to 'man up' but our 'manning up' isn't a self-serving, self-endurance test it's a test of our faith, our ability to look to God so we endure through Him, not of ourselves.
We have to have hope knowing that any suffering we endure will be rewarded, there will be a consolation found in Christ when He returns, our consolation- SALVATION.
Salvation is our prize and worth enduring what? Anything? Yes, anything.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we as partakers in lifes sufferings endure unto the end our prize life with Christ forever, salvation found in Him.
Amen.
4/29/11