We need to keep our minds on Heavenly things for Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” We should do our best to follow God and not be influenced by our sinful nature. Our minds can be weak and sinful but God has great plans for us so we should not follow our sinful flesh but obey the Holy Spirit. In Jeremiah 29:11 God declares that He knows the plans he has for us, God says that He plans to prosper us. Which means that God plans for us to do well and make the most out of our lives. Oftentimes we are hindered from God by our sin. Sin separates us from God but it is Jesus Christ that connects us to the grace of God. God has promised that he will supply all of our needs according to His riches as stated in Philippines 4:9, “God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” This means that whatever we ask in faith we will receive. Does this mean that if we ask for a new car we will receive it? No, not necessarily. God expects us to use wise judgement in our asking. God wants us to lift up our needs to Him in prayer and not necessary materialistic needs but needs of the heart. God desires to have a personal relationship with each and everyone of us. God has offered to give us what we need to maintain that relationship with Him. For instance if God asks us to preach God will help by giving us the skills to preach, if God asks us to be a missionary He will help by supplying us with our needs if we go to Him in prayer. We should do all things giving thanks to the Lord Jesus and giving Him the glory and believing His promises. Romans 4:21 says, “what he had promised, he was also able to perform.” So this means that God will stick to His promises meaning that He will never act outside of His character. Jesus will always stick to His word and keep His promises. God is always faithful even when we are not God remains faithful according to 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Seeing that God remains faithful even when we are not is ultimate proof of the love of God. No matter how we behave we are still God’s children and He loves us very much and cares deeply about each and every one of us, He is a good God and desires the best for us in our lives. Praise God. Amen

The Bible promises eternal life. John 3:16 teaches us that Jesus came and died to save us from our sins. We should have great confidence that when we die if we believe and accept Jesus will go to Heaven. “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)”. God has an amazing afterlife in Heaven promised to us. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” Praise God. Amen

Heaven is a Kingdom of itself different then the kingdoms of the world. In Philippians 3:20-21 we are told to live as if we are in the Kingdom of Heaven or Citizens to God’s Kingdom. What does this mean? It means when we accept Jesus we are adopted into the family of God. When God adopts us He makes us His beloved children and heirs of God. Many people are concerned with the things of this world, social status and other things. We sometimes look at people with judgement but Jesus warns us to be compassionate. Instead of trying to be the greatest person in the Kingdom of Heaven or have the greatest things we should simply trust in Jesus and serve others. We are to use our influence as believers and our resources to serve others. The greatest in Heaven are those who humble themselves like a child and are meek. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

Colossians 3:1 tells us to focus on the reality that we as Christian’s will go to Heaven. We need to let the wonderful power of Christ transform us; it is through Christ we can overcome the world. (see Romans 12:2). We need to think about Heaven and the things that come with salvation (see Hebrews 6:9). It is Christ that matters and He lives in our hearts (see Colossians 3:11) that comforter is the Holy Spirit which will be with us forever (see John 14:26). We as Christians are called to be in constant prayer with an alert mind and heart always giving thanks to God (see Colossians 4:6). May we all know the love of Christ which is beyond human understanding and be filled with the fullness of God (see Ephesians 3:19)

Colossians 3:1, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”

Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Hebrews 6:9, “Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation.”

Colossians 3:11, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”

John 14:26, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Colossians 4:6, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

Ephesians 3:19, “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

We see that Jesus uses John as an example that there were many people who flocked to hear John.  It was as if they were about to take the Kingdom of Heaven by force. This has continued. Since “the kingdom of heaven,” has been preached, there has been a rush to hear it. Those people were pressing into the message to obtain the blessing, as if they would take it by violence. He says, people had pressed around him and John since they began to preach. There is no doubt here to the manner in which salvation is sought by individual sinners, but it is simply a record of the fact that multitudes had rushed around him and John to hear the gospel.

Matthew 11:12

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. (NIV)

 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. (NLT) 

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. (ESV)”