The Kingdom Of Heaven

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.11"]In Matthew 22, Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven would be similar to this:A King arranges a marriage for his son and begins to prepare a lavish wedding banquet.So he sends his messengers to personally invite the entire "A-List" to this once in a lifetime event, but each and every one choose to decline the offer.By the time the messengers return, the banquet is almost ready, so he sends them back out to urgently summon them, adding what was to be on the menu. Nearly everyone again declined the offer and went about the regular everyday business. But a few from that town that were offended when pressured, seized the messengers and beat them to death.When this was reported, the army was dispatched to apprehend the murderers, but in the ensuing battle, the town caught fire destroying everything "A-list" and all.Hearing this, the King sent heralds to all of the major intersections in the Kingdom to compell everyone they could find to come - including, the good, the bad and the ugly, and keep it up until every seat was filled.But as soon as the King made his entrance, he spotted a man still in his work clothes, that hadn't even bothered to dress up for the wedding. When confronted the man was offended and started making an ugly scene. So the King ordered him ejected, bound and taken to some dark distant place where his rage and screams could not be heard.It was then that the King realized that even though more than enough were called, evidently, very few actually chose on their own to be there.In Matthew 22:14: The King James says, "Many are called but few are chosen." But this is my retranslated paraphrase of the same scripture, which I believe will clarify what is being said:"Many offers are made, but few actually commit to fulfill their part of the resulting contract." Jesus said that entry or citizenship into the Kingdom of Heaven was going to be like this:Many offers would be made, but none of the "A-List" and very few of the others would actually commit to fulfill their part of the resulting citizenship contract.i.e. The majority of those who believe that they are or will be citizens of the Kingdom, with Jesus as their King, believe that their "good intentions" are good enough to obtain Kingdom citizenship, when in actuality, the commitment of a signed, legally binding, good faith contract is required.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]