The Lord Jesus Christ's favorite topic was and is the Kingdom of God and the heavenly things. He wanted to share about heavenly things but Nicodemus, who was a member of the denomination of the Pharisees, had difficulties to even understand the earthly things.
John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
The Lord Jesus Christ came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. God's original plan is that Heaven and Earth are one. God’s Kingdom was on earth in the time of Adam in the Garden of Eden. It is God’s plan and purpose to bring Heaven and Earth together again. God is the Lord of Heaven and Earth!
The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray. God’s heart desires that Heaven and Earth are one. He wants all things to be on Earth as it is in Heaven, He taught them to pray for God’s Kingdom to come.
Matt. 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Heaven and Earth should be one and what happens on Earth will influence Heaven and vice versa. The Lord Jesus Christ gives His faithful ones the keys to the kingdom of heaven to make things on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Matt. 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Adam the first man, the son of God, had the authority to rule and have dominion on earth. The last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, had a double blessing. He has the authority to rule and have dominion in Heaven and on Earth.
Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Everything can become one through Christ. The ultimate unity is that we become one with God. Heaven and Earth are coming together in Christ. We are one with Him as the Vine is one with the branches, as the Bridegroom is one with the Bride, and the Shepherd is one with the sheep. We are one spirit with Him! (1Cor. 6:17)
Eph. 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ is bringing His family in Heaven and Earth together. We need to learn to cooperate with our family in Heaven to get the victories here on Earth. Our family in Heaven are the angels and the cloud of witnesses. (Hebr. 12:1, Hebr. 12:22-24)
Eph. 3:14-15 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Heaven and Earth will be reconciled through Christ. Christ paid the price for this by dying on the cross and sacrificing His blood.
Col. 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM
Abraham had the promise from God that in him all families in the world should be blessed, (Gen. 12:3) Abraham’s descendants existed out of earthly and heavenly offspring. Abraham’s descendants should be as the sand on the seashore and as the stars of heaven.
Gen. 22:17 Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
The sand speaks here about the earthly chosen people of God, Israel.
Sand/Earthly: Gen. 28:14, Gen. 32:12
The stars speak of the heavenly chosen people of God, the New Testament Church, Stars/Heavenly: Gen. 15:5, Gal. 3;7, 29, Gal. 4:21-31
Abraham’s earthly offspring is Israel, and his heavenly offspring is the Church which is born again, born out of heaven by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know the history of Israel in the Old Testament and now it is time to talk about heavenly things.
Gen. 15:5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
1. ABRAHAM WAS LOOKING FOR A HEAVENLY CITY.
If we are children of Abraham, the descendants of faith, we should also look for a Heavenly City as Abraham did. We should have a strong and healthy curiosity for the heavenly things and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us about the heavenly things.
Hebr. 11:10, 16 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
2. WE HAVE COME TO THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
The Bible teaches us that we have come to the Heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. The Bible didn’t say that we will go there but that we have come to Heavenly Jerusalem. We need a fresh revelation from God through the Holy Spirit that we have received a new position in the Heavenlies.
Hebr. 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
3. WE ARE BORN FROM ABOVE, BORN FROM HEAVEN
The Bible teaches us that we are all sinners, nobody is righteous not even one. (Rom. 3:10-12) The solution to this problem is not to improve ourselves and do some religious activities. The solution that God gives us to this problem is that we need to be born again, born from Heaven.
Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
John 3:3, 5 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
4. WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN
The Bible tells us that we are citizens of Heaven. We are here on Earth to represent our home country, the Kingdom of Heaven. Our citizenship gives us the rights from the place where we come from. We have the right to have social security from the Kingdom of Heaven, the right to protection from the Kingdom of Heaven, and the right to use the authority and power of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Phil. 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
5. WE HAVE A HEAVENLY CALLING
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Vine and we are the branches. That makes us take part in His calling, to take part in His Heavenly calling. We are called to do His works and even greater works.
Hebr. 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
6. WE ARE SEATED IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST
The Bible tells us that we are seated in the Heavenly Places in Christ. When we start to understand that we are in Christ and are exalted together with Him and seated at the right hand of God our prayer life will drastically change. Because we know that we have this seat of great authority in Christ.
Eph. 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7. WE SHOULD RULE FROM ABOVE, THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
The Bible tells us that we should seek those things which are above. The Bible tells us to put our minds on the things above. Putting your mind on things which are above and not on things on the earth will help you to stay free from worry and fear. When we put our minds on the things above, we see Christ at the right hand of God, and where Christ is we are also.
8. WE HAVE ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES
When we are seated in Christ in the heavenly places, we start to understand what we have inherited. If God gave us His Son, will He not also give us all things? (Rom. 8:32) We have to pray that all spiritual blessings we have in heaven will be manifested here on the earth.
Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
9. WE HAVE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
The Lord Jesus Christ gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to His disciples who left everything to follow Him. These keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were used to unlock Heaven here on Earth. These same keys bind and lock the works of darkness here on Earth. We can do that by prayer and declaring the Word of God. (Matt. 18:18-19)
Matt. 16:18-19 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
10. WE HAVE TASTED THE HEAVENLY GIFT
The Bible tells us that we have tasted the Heavenly gift and the powers of the age to come. Some teach that everything is in the future but here we will see that we can taste Heaven right now! Through our position in the Heavenly Places, we can use the authority and powers of the future because in Heaven everything is eternal.
Hebr. 6:4-5 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
