There was a Man who walked among us two thousand years ago. No one in history is as well documented or as well known. This man spoke to us about a great kingdom that someday would make this world pale by any comparison. He liked to tell His followers that they could find the key to the door of this kingdom. Of course, all these years people have looked everywhere in this world to find the key. Today many people have learned that they key is the Man. That's right, the one that lived 2000 years ago. The problem is that just knowing that this man is the key is not enough. A believer must learn many truths about the key.
One day Jesus, the Man, went down by the lake to talk to his followers. So many gathered that He had to get into a boat and talk to the people from the calm waters edge. That day He spoke to the followers about seven principles that shape the key to the Kingdom. The overriding shape of the key was given before He arrived at the shore. Jesus said to the people "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven..." (Matt 12:50) Many times as Jesus walked this earth He would say that He and his followers were doing the will of God the Father. We can be sure that nothing in the key to the Kingdom is not approved by God. It could be said that all facets of the key are certified for Heaven.
The second principle has two sides to it. the first is positive but the last is negative. Jesus said, The knowledge of secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, (Matt 13:11) In other words, some people have the key. Then Jesus finished the thought by saying, Though hearing, they do not understand.(Matt 13:13) In fact, many people think they know the key, but only a few actually understand the hidden knowledge of the key. To be technical, without a revelation to a person's mind, there is no one who understands the key.
Jesus then said that their was a physical evidence that the key to the kingdom was understood by a follower. The man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matt 13:23) Many people today claim " I am saved by my faith" but there is no crop being produced in their life. They are the ones that Jesus referred to as "though seeing, they do not see." many of them are highly intelligent but they are blind. Jesus plainly said that if someone understands the key to the kingdom they will produce a crop.
It is sad to say, but the Devil keeps many from finding the key. Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? 'An enemy did this.' he replied. (Matt 13:27,28) We learn here that people can come to Jesus, the good seed, but then grow as a weed among the good crop. It is well known that the Devil has deceived many who originally wanted to serve God. Jesus also tells us here that it is not our job to separate the good and the bad. Only God is qualified and we are not to judge other people spiritually.
The word of the Kingdom of God, during 2000 years, will spread itself over the whole earth. This is the fifth principle Jesus taught on that day, The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. (Matt 13:33) We see that the key to the kingdom has to power to reproduce itself. There is no way that Christianity could have grown the way it has considering that someone has always been trying to destroy the message. God's power has lived in people who had the key tot he kingdom. Many of these followers have even given their lives to persevere this great faith.
This brings us to the subject of dying. People usually do not want to die but they will if they have a strong enough reason. Jesus told us that to be his disciple was to be part of something with unbelievable value. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matt 13:44) This verse only says that a man happily gave up everything he owned for this treasure. However, during the last 2000 years numerous people have given up their lives for Jesus Christ because they knew His value.
The seventh point Jesus made that day was to inform us that there are people among his children that are not true Christians. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the harvesters are angels. (Matt 13:38,39) Although the Devil has deceived many church people, God's children are to leave them alone. God knows who his children are and at the last day his angels will carry the weeds to the fire for burning.
Pray always and look up for His return.
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