LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JANUARY 9, 2025

 LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JANUARY 9, 2025

 

GREETINGS TO ALL THE BELOVED SAINTS AROUND THE WORLD,

 

Beloved was a favorite word of Patriarch Mike Ballantyne. Brother Mike passed away last week thus crossing the veil, as we say, and now knows more about life from a different angle. There is a group in Independence, Missouri called, “Team Jesus.” One of the many types of ministry that is offered by “Team Jesus,” is that of providing ministry, in various ways, to what most people call the "Homeless.” When you see someone standing on a street corner holding a sign asking for money, what do you call that person. What do you call any person who is “different” from you. We probably all have a “pet” name for all kinds of people, but Team Jesus calls them Beloved.

 

In Matthew 11:29-30 we find the following; 29 Then spake Jesus, “saying, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” There are many ways to define labor and being heavy laden, but in whatever context you use those words, the promise of Jesus is the same. Come unto Me and I will…

 

For those who don’t know, the entire mid section of the USA was slammed with a major winter storm. Rain, ice, followed by 5-15 inches of snow, depending on where you live. My neighborhood got about nine inches of snow. This all started on Saturday, January 4 and continued full pace all day Sunday, January 5, 2025. Most, if not all churches and many businesses were closed all day Sunday. Many businesses were also closed on Monday, January6, 2025. Schools had already been out for two weeks for Christmas break and now were out again for two-four days.

 

Now came the great task of clearing off driveways, etc which is a major problem for many who are not able to clear their own driveways. A “snow angel” a young neighbor had come over on Monday and cleared my bottom driveway as well as that of another neighbor. He hadn’t even cleared his own driveway yet. On Tuesday I thought I would start on my upper driveway and just do a little at a time, hopefully without falling into the snow. At one point a young man came by and asked if he could help. I gladly turned the shovel over to him and got out of his way.

 

After s short while, a young couple in a car got stuck at the intersection by my house. They were not prepared to be out driving in such conditions. Soon, they asked the young man doing my drive if they could borrow his/my shovel. I watched as they all struggled with the situation. I stepped out a time or two to offer advice. Soon a neighbor came to try to help, but the struggle continued. After an hour or so, the problem was resolved, but the young lady, named, Rain, decided she was going to finish my drive so the young man who started it left. I told her several times she did not need to do it, but she insisted, simply because they had used my shovel. I planned to pay her something and included it in the tract, “A Father’s Love Letter.” A Father’s Love Letter is a tract in the form of a letter with scriptures that tell us about God’s Love for us. She stood by the door and began to read the tract, paying no attention to the money inside. A drop of snow fell on the tract so she decided to go back to the car, all the while reading the tract.

 

All this reminded me of one of the parables in Matthew 25 “And then, at that day, before the Son of man comes, the kingdom of heaven will be likened to…” The last of the three parables is the separation of the sheep from the goats. Do you remember what separated the sheep from the goats? Whether or not you remember, take time to go back and read Matthew 25.

 

All three of these parables are very much applicable to those of us, now in 2025, as we “Live in the Kingdom of God.” Do you suppose that doing a good deed for any one, especially in bad weather, might be something that might separate a sheep from a goat? Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” This speaks to a life pattern of helping others and not necessarily a one time thing. As we live each day in the Kingdom of God, may we remember to serve our Shepherd by serving all those around us. This will help us be better prepared and ready for our King to return and claim His Kingdom and say to us ,”Come ye blessed (BELOVED)of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

 

God bless

 

Paul Gage