Kingdom Responsibility

The Kingdom of Heaven was exemplified in the Garden of Eden. Adam's job was to maintain the garden and have dominion over all of it. But Adam was also commanded to have children. Pretty soon... that garden was going to get crowded. That's because the intent of God was that the garden would fill the earth. In the book of Numbers, God told Moses:

Num 14:21 MKJV
(21) But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah.

Know that this was the plan from the very first. God will fill the earth with His glory. How? Through the spreading of His Kingdom.

Our goal as Kingdom subjects - kings, heirs, brothers, children, are to be expansionistic. Adam was commanded to go forth and multiply. What were we commanded?

Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.

Expand! In order to expand, you have to possess where you are now. Start small. Joshua said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." As you know, Joshua was responsible for leading a nation into new territory - the Promised Land. But he 'started' in his own house. God's instruction to him was first to possess and occupy, and expand with growth. For that reason, God did not give Israel the entirety of the land all at once, but allowed enemies to possess it until Joshua was ready to take possession.

This is the parable of the talents. In Matthew 25, we see on man given 5 talents of gold, one 2, and one 1, each according to their ability. The man with 5 made 5 more. The man with 2 made 2 more, but the man with 1 buried it in order to preserve it. This is illegal in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is expansionistic - remember!

The weight of making a statement - "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" is not light. If you are the leader of your home and you can't start spreading the Kingdom there, then you are burying your talent.

Whatever the Age to Come looks like, it will not be static. It will resemble in some form the Garden, where the goal is to push the boundary out.

Isa 9:7 MKJV
(7) There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this.

Heavenly Growth

Like most Christians, I have pondered the mysteries of Heaven and what it means to live there. Most of us have heard stories of people who have visited Heaven. While some may not be credible, it would be be unwise based on scripture to totally discount the testimonies of those who claimed to make a heavenly visit and return to tell of it. In nearly every one of these accounts, there are children in Heaven - doing what kids do. This is certainly one of the mysteries I'm talking about. If Heaven is outside of time, then what constitutes growth in Heaven?

I believe the Spirit has given me the answer to this one. It is the very same thing that facilitates spiritual growth here, and it has nothing to do with time. It has everything to do with investment from spiritual fathers and mothers.

Am I saying that there is a lack of spiritual nourishment in Heaven? No, naturally not. But at the same time, while time here on earth creates physical growth (whether we like it or not), God in His infinite kindness and wisdom might choose to preserve the honor for a child in His realm to be raised by the child's parents who may not yet be present. Conjecture... yes... but comforting at the same time. Nevertheless, it is easy to see why we have so many spiritual infants here on earth who biologically are in their late adult years. It isn't a matter of time or physical maturity - it's a matter of spiritual parenting and submission on our part, as children.