The opening chapters of the New Testament record both John the Baptist and Jesus in their public ministries preaching the kingdom of heaven was near (Mt. 3:2; 4:17). Jesus said it would come in the lifetimes of some who heard Him speak, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mk. 9:1). The kingdom would result in Heaven’s will being done on earth (Mt. 6:10). The phrase “kingdom of heaven” is used in Matthew, perhaps, because the Jewish audience was accustomed to having a substituted word for “God.” It was God’s kingdom that Jesus preached was near (Mk. 1:14, 15). God is in heaven, and we are on earth (Ecc. 5:2; Mt. 6:9).

The kingdom would come to earth, but it would not be an earthly, political type of kingdom (Jn. 18:36). The kingdom is a spiritual realm into which the saved are transferred (Col. 1:13). It is a spiritual kingdom in which Christ reigns in the hearts of those who submit to His will (Lk. 17:20-21). Jesus taught many parables of the kingdom in which He likened it to earthly episodes for illustrative purposes (Mt. 13; 20:1-16; 22:1-14; 25). We do not easily grasp spiritual truths. Those who heard Jesus often misunderstood Him because they had earthly/physical preconceptions about the kingdom or took His language too literally. In His preaching, Jesus was preparing people for the impending kingdom.

A dream king Nebuchadnezzar had centuries before revealed God’s kingdom would be set up in the days of the Roman kings (Dan. 2). The Roman Caesars were in power when Jesus lived as a human on the earth, died, and rose again to sit on His throne as King of Kings (Lk. 3:1; 20:25; 23:2; Jn. 19:12-15; Acts 2:30-36; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:9-14). Jesus promised to build His church and told Peter about the “keys of the kingdom” in the same brief statement (Mt. 16:17-19). The church and the kingdom are often used interchangeably. Power that Jesus said would accompany His kingdom came on Pentecost day following the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:1-4). Those who responded positively to the preaching of the apostles—particularly the inspired instructions of Peter recorded in the biblical text—through repentance and baptism were added to the church (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). The kingdom came with power. Peter, with the keys of the kingdom, opened the door for people to access this kingdom when he said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38).

Those in the church are in the kingdom. The saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae (Col. 1:2) had been delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of God’s Son (Col. 1:13). When John wrote to persecuted Christians in the seven churches of Asia Minor, he referred to himself as their brother in the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9). Christians are fellow citizens (Eph. 2:19) of this holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9).

The proper response to hearing the kingdom of God preached is to be baptized (Acts 8:12). When one is baptized into Christ, a new birth occurs. In John 3:5-7, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” This is the way to enter the kingdom of God—the church.

Christ’s kingdom has come. It was established on earth nearly two thousand years ago. It is the church of Christ. John prepared the way for its reception. Jesus preached about it, then died, and rose again to establish it. Are you in the kingdom?

Often people see the drastic wars and changes taking place around the world and think these events portend the end of times. They may mistakenly apply passages about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 that ended the Jewish system to the end of the world (Mt. 24:6; Mk. 13:7; Lk. 21:10-24). However, let us remember the final coming of Christ will be unannounced. Just after mentioning that heaven and earth will pass away (Mt. 24:35), Jesus went on to say, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Mt. 24:36). There were signs leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (Mt. 24:33), but not so with the end of the world.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thess. 5:2-3). The unexpected timing of the event is compared to a thief in the night, the same way it is described in 2 Peter 3:10. Notice also, people will be saying, “Peace and safety!” not “doom and gloom!” as they often do presently regarding world events. Some will be eating and drinking and celebrating marriages when He comes (Mt. 24:38). The final coming of Christ will surprise people, and catch them off guard; thus, we always must stay ready (Mt. 24:42-44).

Jesus clearly taught there will be a “last day” (Jn. 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 12:48). In these statements, the Lord refers to resurrection and judgment occurring then. He is referring to the final “day of judgment,” a single event at the end in which all will be judged (Mt. 11:22, 24). All will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:30-31).

While there will be a “last day” in the history of the world, let us not confuse it with the term “last days” in the Bible. Peter taught that the last days were inaugurated at Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus when the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of God pouring out His Spirit began (Acts 2:14-17). The writer of Hebrews refers to “these last days” (Heb. 1:2). “These” instead of “the” indicates the writer was living in them. Similarly, Peter referred to “these last times” (1 Pet. 1:20). Thus, the “last days” is the last age of time, the Christian age in which we live, before the end. The “last days” does not mean the last few years, months, or days before the return of Christ, but an entire period of history. The last days have already nearly spanned two thousand years. We in the twenty-first century are living in the “last days” just as Peter was in the first century.

Instead of being glued to the never-ending news cycle, trying to figure out what it all might mean, let us take time to focus on God’s word and be ready whenever the final judgment may come. If we are children of the day, walking in the light, that final day will not overtake us as a thief (1 Thess. 5:4-8). We can have confidence that whenever the Lord comes, we are walking in His light and are ready to live with Him forever.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). In view of God’s mercies to all people, Paul urged Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God. The sacrifice of Jesus in becoming human, dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead gives Christians the foundation to live their lives as sacrifices to God.

Earlier in the epistle to the Romans, Paul commanded, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). If our lives are to be sacrifices well-pleasing to God, then we must live in holiness and righteousness. Romans 12:2 explains this two-fold endeavor by which we present our bodies as living sacrifices: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Notice both the negative and positive of this verse. Negatively: do not be conformed to this world. Positively: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If we have been born again to new life in Christ, then we must not conform ourselves to the former lusts that characterize worldly ignorance of spiritual truth, but instead be holy as our Father in heaven is holy (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20); thus, we should be heavenly-minded instead of earthly-minded (Col. 3:2). This present age is evil (Gal. 1:4). The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are transient; whoever loves and pursues them does not love God (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Are we becoming conformed to the world in what we promote, in how we dress and speak, in our entertainment selections, and in how we operate in the church? Are you pursuing the lusts of this world or the will of God? The church is beset by members who think and live like the world. Let us be on guard against the pride of life, lest we become conceited and engage in political maneuvering in the church instead of humbly serving God (Rom. 12:3). We must be cautious of merely claiming to love others, but not genuinely, only hypocritically (Rom. 12:9). The worldly mindset is subtle enough to make all our apparent “goodness” actually rotten at its core if deep down we are selfish and proud.

Instead of allowing the world to squeeze us into its mold, our thinking must be transformed to the mindset of Christ. The New Testament reveals to us the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and looking intently into it can bring about transformation (2 Cor. 3:18). The revelation of Christ is the perfect law of liberty (Jas. 1:25); however, we must not merely look into it and forget, but rather reflect and make necessary changes (Jas. 1:21-24). Our lives can reflect the divine light to the world (Mt. 5:14; Jn. 8:12; 9:5).

We can find out and follow the will of God and thus show its genuineness. This is what is meant by “prove” in the last part of Romans 12:2, “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Notice God’s will is described as good, acceptable, and perfect. God’s will is beneficial when we put it into practice. Christianity is more than attending church service fairly often and doing a few good things for others from time to time. It is presenting oneself as a sacrifice to God every day with a serious devotion to holiness and righteousness in keeping God’s will.

Luke 18:35 refers to a blind man who sat begging by the road near Jericho. Evidently, this is Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, mentioned in Mark 10:46. This man heard a multitude passing by and asked what it was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by (Lk. 18:37).

He called out to Jesus for mercy and referred to him as the “Son of David” (Mk. 10:47; Lk. 18:38). The significance of this reference is found in the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-46. In first-century Jewish terms, “the Son of David” was equivalent to Christ, the Messiah (Mt. 22:42). Jesus was not merely a descendant of David, but rather the promised king of Israel.

Much like the disciples who tried to prevent children from being brought to Jesus (Mk. 10:13-16), many thought Jesus would have no time for a blind man; they rebuked Bartimaeus and warned him to be quiet (Mk. 10:48). But he cried out even more (Lk. 18:39). Jesus stopped and granted him sight (Mk. 10:49-52; Lk. 18:40-42). Jesus noted this man’s faith (Mk. 10:52; Lk. 18:42). Just because he was blind did not mean he was cut off from all knowledge. Likely he heard the scriptures read in the synagogue. He probably also heard about the miracles and teachings of Jesus. Despite his handicap, he was able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth about Jesus being the fulfillment of the Old Testament. This blind man saw something that others who had sight did not see. As the old saying goes, “none are so blind as those who will not see.”

On another occasion when Jesus healed a blind man, the Pharisees refused to believe (John 9). They had the erroneous conviction that the blind man was born in sins and could not teach them anything; thus, they cast him out of the synagogue (Jn. 9:34). Jesus said, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind” (Jn. 9:39). No wonder when Jesus rebuked this sanctimonious sect, he used the term “blind Pharisee” (Mt. 23:26).

Many are blind to the truth today because of the same pitfalls of the Pharisees. Whereas Bartimaeus was in a lowly place, the Pharisees sought places of honor among men (Mt. 23:5-12). Maintaining a place of power blinds men to the clear signs God has given (Jn. 11:47-50). The Pharisees were covetous (Lk. 16:14). Pride, self-sufficiency, and earthly riches can make one blind to spiritual truth like the Laodiceans were (Rev. 3:17). The Pharisees followed man-made traditions over the word of God (Mk. 7:1-23). We are to be on guard against any human teaching that would take our hearts captive and prevent us from walking in Christ (Col. 2:8).

If a man desires to do God’s will, he can discover the truth and differentiate it from error (Jn. 7:17). The one with an honest and good heart receives the word of God and brings forth fruit (Lk. 8:15). Do we spend our energy tearing down others based on misguided judgments, or do we take time to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5)? We all need to be honest with ourselves and with the word of God, lest our minds become blinded to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4).