All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. (II Thessalonians 1:5—NIV)

Notice the relationship between suffering and the Kingdom of God.

What precisely does it mean to enter the Kingdom of God, and why is being born again necessary for such entrance?

The Kingdom of God in its purest sense is the Lord Jesus Christ.

No prophet of old, no matter how mighty, had been born again. It was not possible for anyone to be born again until the Word of God became flesh, was crucified for our sins, and then was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father.

The new covenant is the entering of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, into the human personality. The new covenant is not a change of our mind about the meaning of life, although such a change results from the new covenant. The new covenant, the Kingdom of God, is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since none of the prophets had Christ in him, he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist or any of the other prophets.

He who has Christ in him has the Kingdom of God in himself. It has been born in him. This is what it means to be born again.

The moment Christ is born in us, the Substance of Deity is born in us, the Spirit is ready to lead us from the adamic life to the life of a son of God. Every moment of our time is packed with opportunities to change from a mere human to a child of God. We are being transformed if we are participating in the new covenant. It is the transformation that is salvation.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (II Corinthians 3:18—NIV)

"Are being transformed into his likeness."

We are not being transformed into Christ's likeness so we can go to Heaven. There is no scriptural basis that any aspect of the plan of salvation is for the purpose of bringing us to Heaven. Although this is our traditional belief, it is without foundation in the Scriptures, Old or New Testament.

Does this surprise you? Read the Bible and see if this is the case.

We are entering an age of moral darkness without precedent in the history of mankind. There have been many instances in history when rulers have been corrupt and surrounded with corrupt courts. The government of the United States seems to be heading in this direction with its suspect practices.

But never before has there been so much sin on the part of the people at large. Always before, the rulers and their courts wallowed in the flesh while the peasants suffered. But now entire nations are corrupt. I think the Western nations are due for Divine punishment.

To be continued.