For the past fifteen years I’ve been seeking to understand the mysteries of the kingdom

by lots of prayer and study, and I must admit that it’s been quite an interesting journey;
but what I’m going to share is not standard teaching, so it’s going to be difficult to hear;
in fact, that’s why Jesus said that many will “hear” his kingdom parables without
understanding what they say; and that many will “see” the mysteries of the kingdom,
without perceiving what they mean. (Matthew 13:9-15) So not only is this a difficult truth
to hear, but it is equally hard to teach; so when we try to hear something new, we need to
let the Holy Spirit do the teaching; for when we don’t, we end up rejecting truth just
because it disagrees with our own perceptions; and then we’re no better off than the
Pharisees that couldn’t hear what Jesus taught because he healed on the Sabbath; and we
end up with doctrines that are so rigid, that they keep us from hearing anything new. So
with that in mind, I’m going to share some of the things I’ve uncovered in my own
personal search for the kingdom.

When I talk about the kingdom of heaven, there isn’t one definition I can give you that
will fully explain his kingdom; for the kingdom of heaven has many different faces. For
example, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto leaven that a woman hid in three
measures of meal; and it’s likened unto seed that is sown in the soil; but these parables
illustrate how the kingdom of heaven mysteriously changes our hearts, rather than
tell us what his kingdom will be like when it actually appears.

Nevertheless, I am going to try to paint a picture for you, and unfold some of the
mysteries of the kingdom; but first, I need to make something clear: when I talk about an
entrance into the kingdom of heaven, I’m not talking about our born again experience,
nor am I telling you that you can’t be translated out of darkness into the kingdom of his
Son; for that is something that takes place by faith, and a completely separate matter; so
when I talk about an entrance into his kingdom, I’m talking about a future event that
takes place after Jesus returns; and I’m talking about a literal entrance into the gated city
called New Jerusalem, which is the visible kingdom of heaven. For when we assemble
all the pieces of this kingdom puzzle, that’s the picture that appears; and as a matter of
fact, most of the scriptures that talk about an entrance into the kingdom are talking
about this future event, and not our born again experience; and that’s why so many of
these kingdom scriptures are so frequently misunderstood.

So this is a study that is written to believers that are already in the kingdom of God;
and this is written to those that have already been translated out of darkness into the
kingdom of his Son. For I’m not trying to tell you how to enter the present kingdom, or
how to be born again; for that is something that the church has taught us well; but what I
am writing about is an entrance into a real gate or door that’s going to be determined
by our works; and I am teaching those that desire to enter into this bridal city what is
needed to get ready; for as you will see later on, our entrance into his kingdom is going to
be determined by just one thing: did we love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your
heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor just like Christ loved us; for without
love, all of our works profit us nothing, and we are going to miss out on the greatest of
all rewards.