Loaves & Fishes 27

Repentance
means following
a new King.
called the Gospels because they
present this good news: the life,
death, and resurrection of Jesus
and His invitation to the Kingdom
of Heaven.
Those who followed Jesus
realized that He was the good
King the prophets had foretold
so long before. At last God was
going to turn the world around.
At last, the spiritual children
of Abraham would obey God’s
call to take His blessings to the
world. But Jesus would not win
this battle with a bloody sword,
like the kings of the world; He
would conquer through love
and sacrifice (John 18:36). When
Jesus died and rose on the third
day, He paid the cost of our sins
and set us free to live the life
God made us for. He opened the
way into the Kingdom of Heaven
and its blessings for everyone
(Ephesians 3:1–12).
The Kingdom of Heaven, like
every nation, has its own ruler,
territory, and laws. God is the
King, He makes the laws, and
His territory includes the entire
universe. One day, He will
destroy His enemies in a final
battle and return to rule the
earth; but until then, He rules
among those who willingly
submit to His lordship. These
people, who accept Jesus as
king, allow Him to forgive and
cleanse their sin, and obey His
laws, are part of the Kingdom
of Heaven.
Jesus said very little about hell,
but He talked constantly about
the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s
because His main message was
not about a ticket out of hell
and a place in heaven in some
future age; it was an invitation
to become a citizen of heaven
now. In the Kingdom of Heaven,
people actually live by the rules
of heaven today. They renounce
fighting, dishonesty, selfishness,
and everything else that doesn’t
fit in heaven (Matthew 5:2–11).
As they follow Jesus, He purifies
their hearts and makes them
citizens of His new nation. That
invitation is still open for everyone,
including you.
Loaves & Fishes • Issue 27 | 7