The Kingdom in Heaven is the same Kingdom that is available to us here on Earth. Jt has been my honor to bring light to this topic as a servant of the Lord.
The Kingdom is best explained as the Holy Conscience. Everything that comes from the Holy Conscience is pure, complete, and overflows. Spiritual gifts and states of perfection are what we harvest in our acts that manifest these holy traits. The Holy Conscience is the power of God. When we have these attributes come through us because of our faith in Christ Jesus as the Authority, we honor the Father through His Son. That aspect of our selfless service will carry with us into eternity.
Being prepared for the return of our Master, means knowing what we can about our duties, and his expectations. Knowing and practicing what we are responsible for, prepares us for whatever the day holds. So as we become reliable, our Master takes joy in seeing his expectations met.
In terms of the Kingdom, this Holy Conscience, it is our duty as servants to recognize the qualities of holiness. By being able to distinguish the aspects of holiness, we are then capable of understanding their purpose in our day. They call this discernment. Discerning what is holy as opposed to what is worldly or of the flesh, we can act in confidence while performing our service.
Now, in the world, when we acknowledge holiness, wickedness rises up to challenge it. There is a reason behind this. The Father knows that opposition drives our reactions. If holiness is to increase, it must have a purpose to do so. For example, Jesus said to love those who love you does nothing, even pagans do this. But to love your enemy is to do what pleases the Father. This is because love, is an aspect of the Kingdom. To increase our understanding of love, we set ourselves aside, and love those who hate us. In doing so we are shown that love is fearless, and so our confidence in love increases with that knowledge.
Having understanding prepares us, but being active in gathering confidence in the aspects of the Kingdom, is the fuel that keeps us going in the darkness. When our Master returns, will we only have our hopes? Or will we be found actively serving in faith. This brings me to the parable of the ten virgins:
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Matthew 25:1
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“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
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Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
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The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
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The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
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The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
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“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
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“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
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The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
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“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
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“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
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“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
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“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
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“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
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The ten virgins parable about the Holy Conscience is an understanding of being active in your faith. The lamps represent our desire for an active part as the Body of Christ. But half are blind because their faith is reliant on their desire to be part of something greater. The other half has the same faith, but is prepared, which represents they back up their understanding with practice. They know they need faith, and they support their faith with knowledge of its inner workings which they gained through practice.
The oil represents the wisdom of perseverance. The five who run out of perseverance, seek the others to assist them. Those who are prepared are unable to do so, and send them away to renew their faithfulness. And by the time the unprepared return, they approach the door, and the Kingdom is no longer open to them. Why? Because the Lord knows his servants who not only have faith, but practice that faith to understand their duties. To persevere in faith is not just a reliance on the promise of salvation, no. Perseverance is striving to understand and to do so, acting on that faith.
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