Are you looking for the kingdom of heaven? If so, where are you looking, and when do you think it will arrive? Are you waiting for Jesus to sit upon David’s throne? Have you been lead to believe that this will not happen until Jesus returns? I have better news for you. You do not have to wait to find the kingdom of heaven. It is here now, and you only have to know how and where to find it so that you can enjoy its many benefits and comforts.

Remember that when the John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministries, they declared that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand”. (Matthew 3:2 and 4:17) Furthermore, when Jesus sent his disciples to preach, he told them to go and preach that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand”. (Matthew 10:7) These statements clearly indicate that the kingdom of heaven was near unto them, and that the purpose of repentance was due to the near presence of the kingdom of heaven. It would follow that repentance was the entry door to the kingdom of heaven. See, the kingdom of heaven is here now and is available to all those that are willing to repent of their sins and walk in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus, the kingdom is available to you.

You might say, “That cannot be, because Jesus is not sitting upon David’s throne.” Really? Have you read the sermon that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost? In Acts 2:30, Peter says concerning David, “Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;” That certainly proves the point that Jesus, the Christ, would sit upon David’s throne to rule over His kingdom, but when did or when will this happen? Well, a little later in that sermon in Acts 2:32 Peter says, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” Notice that it says that “This Jesus hath God raised up.” Hath is in the past tense. This is describing an event that has already happened. Jesus has already been raised up, and what was he raised up to? He was raised up to sit on the throne of David.

David was sitting upon a throne that was never his in the first place. When the children if Israel wanted a king, God told Samuel that he should not despair, because they had not rejected Samuel, but they had rejected God. David was sitting upon a throne that was rightfully God’s. David’s throne was simply an earthly representation of the true throne. Jesus is, today, sitting upon that throne reigning over the kingdom of heaven.

If the kingdom of heaven is here today, then where is it, and how do we access it? These questions are produced by a lack of understanding of what God’s kingdom really is. Romans 14:17 says “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” The kingdom of heaven is not a natural place, but rather it is a spiritual experience that is available to all of God’s children that are willing to do what is necessary to access it. Access to the kingdom starts with repentance. It begins with recognizing that we are sinners, confessing that sin to God, and then turning away from that sin. Through that simple process, we gain peace with God for if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. (1st John 1:9) Are you dwelling in God’s kingdom? Do you enjoy the peace and joy of knowing that in spite of all the hardships of this life that Jesus is sitting on the throne and that God is in control? You do not have to wait for the kingdom of heaven. It is here now, and you have access to it through obedience to the word of God.

If you would like to learn more about the kingdom of heaven and how to enjoy its benefits, we would love to see you in our next worship service. We are a family oriented church where entire families worship and learn together. Our meeting house is a small and intimate sanctuary where we gather to sing hymns of praise, pray, and enjoy the preaching of God’s holy word. It is a place where we keep watch for the day that the Lord returns to take us home to the eternal heaven where we will dwell together forever praising the God that we serve.