P.O. Box 53055    
Los Angeles, CA 90053   

CONNIE: What would it take to get you a front row seat in heaven? Is it who you know? What you know? What you do? Join us today as we look at what Jesus taught about the Laws of the Kingdom.

Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I’m Lonnie Melashenko. You know Connie, I once heard a man say he didn't need a front row seat in heaven--he didn't even need to be the first one through the gate. In fact, he'd be happy just to squeak in through the gates at the last possible moment.

CONNIE: Well, of course that's a good point. Getting into heaven, and living there eternally is enough--but I think I'd like to be on the front row, and get a chance to be one of the first to talk with Jesus.

LONNIE: That would certainly be a great thing! And in today's program we're going to be looking at the rules for admission to heaven.

CONNIE: You mean there's rules at the gate--kind of like I saw at a swimming pool at a hotel recently--stating the operating hours, what kind of drinking glasses were allowed and excluded, what age you had to be to go in by yourself, etc. etc.?

LONNIE: Well, it's not exactly like that. But there are definite conditions for entry into the kingdom. And those conditions--those rules--are found in the Bible. Which is why we have such a strong emphasis on biblical teaching in our ministry.

CONNIE: Like with the Discover Bible School . . .

LONNIE: That, and of course in our radio and television messages as well. But speaking of Discover, I just can't wait to share with our listeners a fascinating interview I was able to do just recently. Kurt Johnson is the director of the Bible School, and I spoke with him and with another gentleman about a fantastic story that's still developing up in the great state of Minnesota.

CONNIE: Let's listen in.

LONNIE: Welcome, Kurt.

KURT: Thank you! It’s good to be with you again today.

LONNIE: Kurt we also have another very special guest, because the Voice of Prophecy is being involved in changing the lives of people. Particularly in North America something is happening, and we have a guest right beside you at this moment.

KURT: Yes, we have sitting beside me Bill Miller, and he lives in Minnesota. He works with a number of churches and they have been sharing Bible lessons all across the state of Minnesota.

LONNIE: He’s the president of a sisterhood of churches there, and representing our Bible School throughout Minnesota. So, welcome Bill, we’re glad to have you on deck, too.

BILL: Thank you.

LONNIE: Your face is aglow, and something is happening the likes of which as a rookie president you could have never dreamed would have happened in your lifetime, and so fast.

BILL: We have mailed the Discover Bible lessons to 2.1 million households in the state of Minnesota.

LONNIE: Now that was because of what happened on 9/11 in New York City, right?

BILL: That is correct. We sensed that would be a good time because people were talking and asking a lot of questions about our scriptures, about our future, and that it might be an appropriate time too, for those who had an interest in the things of the future to begin to analyze that and have a chance to respond.

LONNIE: So a group of excited laymen got the concept of an old religious journal called, The Signs of the Times, to tuck in Discover enrollment cards, and what happened?

BILL: Well we mailed them out to each of the households in the state of Minnesota…

LONNIE: Every single household!

Bill: …every single household in the state of Minnesota.

LONNIE: Wait, how many is that?

BILL: 2.1 million.

LONNIE: How many truckloads did that take?

BILL: It was twenty truckloads of Signs of the Times, and it came to Minneapolis to be delivered to all of the households.

LONNIE: Bill, how has this affected people, and how has it affected your own life, and all of these people in these wonderful churches?

BILL: It has had such a positive effect in that it has refocused a lot of people’s lives, as to the opportunity to reach their neighbors through a very simple thing called Bible study. We have had over sixty-nine hundred responses to these Bible studies, and lay people have really rallied because they sense that this is an opportunity to share with their community. They have become excited; they have started having special meetings during the week. They take these names and they pray for them every week, and then hand them out to the congregation so they can pray for them. They don’t know who these people are, but it has helped refocused them that we really are about helping people have their lives changed by these Bible studies.

LONNIE: Can you tell us a story about one particular person, or some people that maybe had their lives turned upside down and have come to know Jesus through theses lessons?

BILL: Yes. We had an exiting story that took place where this lady had been praying for some time to know how she could reach a group of young ladies that she was with, with the scriptures. She received in the mail the Signs of the Times and tucked in there was Discover Bible cards. Well, she had a class of ten unwed mothers who were desperately looking for some sort of direction in life. As soon as she got these Bible studies she said, this is it. So they got these Bible studies and had gone all the way through the first fourteen lessons and they just can’t get enough.

LONNIE: And they have accepted Jesus Christ, and that’s the most important thing. Bill it’s nice to have you here because we talk about Discover and we’re excited about it. But when we hear reports from places like Saudi Arabia, and Islam countries that are interested in coming to know Jesus. We pride ourselves that this is a most Christ centered set of lessons. How have you felt people have reacted to Jesus coming through the Discover lessons?

BILL: Well that is probably one of the most powerful things. We had a gentleman who also received it in the mail, and had been going to a church, but nothing had ever really connected him to church at all. He got these Bible studies, and he recognized the address of a local church where he had been attending, and as he began to go through these studies he has really reconnected with Jesus Christ. Now he is a regular attendant back at church, because of what Jesus meant to him in those studies.

LONNIE: Now how many people are involved in your Minnesota churches and Bible School individuals in getting involved in Discover someway, and kind of reactivating their own spiritual lives?

BILL: In big ways. We have the seventy sisterhood of churches, and they’re all involved in the Discover Bible School lessons, and many volunteers. We had one church that received some one hundred and eighty Bible lessons and eighty people showed up to help out with these Bible lessons. To help with mailings and visitation, because they want to be able to reach out to the neighbors with this good message about Jesus.

LONNIE: Well Kurt Johnson you brought Bill Miller in here into this studio, and we’re just so grateful. It’s really making a difference isn’t it?

KURT: Yes it is. We’re just so excited about how the Holy Spirit is being poured out and working in the lives there in Minnesota. That’s the secret with Minnesota. It talks about the major teachings in the Bible and how it can affect people’s lives, and how they can move closer to God each day. Not only is it happening in Minnesota and other states across the US, and places around the world.

CONNIE: It's good to know that all over the world, people are finding a new interest in Bible study through Discover.

LONNIE: I think you could hear it in Pastor Miller's voice. He is just so excited and so on fire, and so are the people he works with in the local churches. And we're just glad that we're able to have a part in that through the Discover Bible School. The Bible is the key to our understanding of God, and the way into His kingdom--it's our guidebook, as our first song reminds us.

LONNIE: We just heard our own Connie Jeffery singing "Thy Word," an appropriate reminder of how God has given us His Word to lead us on the path to the kingdom. Thanks Connie.
CONNIE: You're certainly welcome.

LONNIE: And if you'd like to get better acquainted with God's Word--well, after our interview today, I hope you know why I recommend the Discover Bible Lessons. You too, can enroll in this free correspondence Bible course, just by calling us today and asking to be enrolled in Discover.

CONNIE: The number to call is 1-800-872-0055, or if you prefer to write to us, we'll be sharing our mailing address at the end of the program. We'd love to hear from you, and we'd be very happy to enroll you in the course. Right now, though, it's time to hear from Lonnie in his message for today, "The Laws of the Kingdom."

The Laws of the Kingdom

Do you have to do anything to get into the kingdom of heaven? Or is admission free to all--no matter what you do, how you live? Another way of putting the question might be, Are there any rules in heaven?

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could go to heaven--no matter how they lived on earth? On first glance that seems like a nice idea. But then--after a little more careful thought--maybe not.

Let me illustrate this way: Many people don't realize that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle--the creator of Sherlock Holmes--was very involved in spiritualism. He and his cohorts in this movement were always trying to contact the dead who supposedly had already gone on to the next world. He hoped that someone "on the other side" could report back what it was like "over there." Sir Arthur felt that he had had all his questions about the world to come answered when a recently deceased friend "contacted" him. (Now, please understand that I don't believe for a moment that the dead can communicate with the living, but this is what Doyle believed.)

This friend supposedly "came through" with a message that things "on the other side" are much like they are on this side. In particular he reassured his former colleague that it was just as possible to get good Havana cigars "over there" as it is "over here."

The picture this friend painted of the world-to-come drew a circle that included everyone and every thing from this world.

Which raises a troubling question: If everyone and everything from this world gets transported directly over there without any changes, what's the point of going on to the next world? If all the thieves, murderers, cheats, and liars from this world will be over there, troubling us for eternity--well, frankly I'm not sure I want to go. If you know what I mean.

Fortunately, that's not God's plan. In fact, Jesus made it plain that not everyone is going to be in heaven. Here's what He said: " 'Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it' " (Matthew 7:13, 14, NKJV).

So, what makes the difference between those who find the narrow gate and those who miss it?

What kind of people will actually be in the kingdom of heaven? Is there a set of rules you can follow that will assure that you'll be there?

Now, let's not make any mistake here.

The Bible is very clear on one thing: It’s only through faith in Jesus that anyone is going to be in heaven: John 1:12 states it in unmistakable terms: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (NKJV).

And of course we can't forget John 3:16: " 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life' " (NKJV).

Jesus taught very simply that the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven was through belief in Him. There's nothing else we can do to "earn" or "accomplish" salvation.

But Jesus also taught some other things about those who would be part of the kingdom. He was very specific about how those who believe in Him and are preparing to be part of His kingdom will live.

We've been looking at Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in our recent programs, and today we turn to Matthew 5:31-48. Here Jesus describes how those who are on their way to the kingdom of heaven should behave.

And it's quite different from the way we would naturally behave.

He's clear on this: Those who want to be part of His kingdom need a complete transformation of character.

A transformation so drastic that it can't be achieved on the human level, no matter how hard you might try. Jesus made that plain when He said that those who want to be part of the kingdom must be even more righteous than the scribes and pharisees--who were totally focused on keeping every jot and tittle in the law.
Here's how He concludes this section of His sermon: " 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect' " (Matthew 5:48, KJV).

That's a troubling text, all by itself, isn't it? How could we possibly achieve perfection like God's? Certainly not in our own strength!

And of course the simplest answer to that problem is to admit that we're going to need a lot of the grace of God operating in our lives to achieve that level of likeness to God. And we'll also need His grace for forgiveness when we fail to achieve perfect godliness. That much I can understand.

But to be honest with you, it is some of the things Jesus says before He gets to that point that are even more troubling.

I don't have a particular problem with Matthew 5:31-32, where Jesus cautions against the free usage of divorce to break the covenant between a man and his wife. My wife, Jeannie, and I have been married for years, and plan to be married for the rest of our lives. But I have seen situations where a husband and wife just couldn't make it work. And there have been times when I agreed that the best solution to a very bad situation was a separation of the couple.

But I understand why Jesus was so firm in saying that divorce shouldn't be taken lightly—that a family should only be dissolved if one partner has already been unfaithful to the marriage covenant. Because He's speaking here of the principles on which the Kingdom of Heaven is to be established. And faithfulness is essential: God’s faithfulness inspiring, indwelling, and working itself out in people's faithfulness.

Neither do I have much of a problem with Matthew 5:33-37 where Jesus tells us not to swear oaths--not to swear by Jerusalem, or by heaven, or by earth. He says that because those things don't belong to us, we can't use them in our oaths. Then He reminds us that even our own lives--our own heads--aren't our possessions to swear by. After all, we can't make one hair white or black! I don't have any problem accepting His rule that I shouldn't swear by those things, but should simply say "Yes" or "No."

It's the next paragraph that I think most of us struggle with. I mean--is Jesus really serious when He says: " 'I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also' " (Matthew 5:39, NKJV).

Don't resist an evil person? Wow! That's hard! I mean, when people oppose me, or attack me. Well, I have to admit. It's a very natural human reaction to kind of let that old "righteous indignation" comes to the surface and blast away back at them, or to defend myself against them with whatever resources are at hand.

How about you--isn't that natural for you, too?

And what about this one: " 'Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away' " (Matthew 5:42, NKJV).

That may seem like good, workable counsel when you have some idea of who it is that you're helping. But is it applicable to every panhandler you might happen to meet on the street?

These are the kinds of questions we naturally bring to this section of the Sermon on the Mount.

And the answer, it seems to me, is found in the next verses. And it's not only the answer to our questions, but the reason behind Jesus' teaching that becomes clear here. " 'You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust' " (Matthew 5:43-45, NKJV).

Why does Jesus place these sorts of behavior goals before us on our way to the kingdom? Isn't admission to heaven supposed to be free--based on faith in Him?
Yes, it is. But notice His words in verse 45: " 'that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust' "

You see, the whole point is to become sons and daughters of God, recreated in His image, going through the world acting, as God would act. Treating people in the same loving, all-encompassing, all-embracing way that God treats them.

He doesn't look down on the unrighteous and say "No rain for you, buddy! Not till you straighten up and fly right!"

God is good, and gracious, and kind to all.

And if we want to be part of His kingdom, well then we should be too.

So, in answer to the question, are there any rules in heaven? Jesus says, "YES!" If you want to be part of the kingdom--learn to behave like the King! Not to make yourself worthy of the kingdom, or to earn you’re way into the kingdom. But just to be ready to live there--just to show the world that that's what you're living for instead of the things of the world.

And always remember this: This is not something you can do by gritting your teeth and making all kinds of resolutions about being kinder and more generous. It's something that comes about only by letting God's Spirit live in us and give us new life that is motivated with God's motivations, not our own. That's why Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again if he was going to be a part of God's kingdom.

And when you stop to think about it--that's what will make life in the kingdom such a great thing--it will make life there worth living forever. Because all the people there will have been transformed by God's grace into the kind of people who love one another and put others first--just like the King.

I want to be there in that kingdom, don't you? And I want God, right now, to come into my heart anew and do that remodeling work that will make me fit to be part of His kingdom.

How about you?