In this teaching, Pastor Mike unpacks one of the most difficult sayings of Jesus: Matthew 11:12, where Jesus says “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Pastor Mike explains the historical, biblical, and theological background of the passage, showing how the kingdom’s arrival through John the Baptist and Jesus overturned the religious status quo. Rather than respectable religious elites, it was repentant sinners, outcasts, and unlikely followers who urgently embraced the kingdom. This explanation helps clarify how spiritual hunger, repentance, and bold faith—not social status or religious pedigree—marked those who truly entered God’s kingdom.
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1/25/2026Jesus isn't just a New Testament figure. He appears prominently throughout the Old Testament...and you can see it most poignantly in the ancient song book of Israel: The Psalms. Explore and appreciate the connections in the Psalms to the Messiah in the New Testament that point to his supremacy.
If you want to gain a profound understanding of the Messiah in the Old Testament, be sure to request the book Songs of the Son by Daniel Stevens.
Jesus isn't just a New Testament figure. He appears prominently throughout the Old Testament...and you can see it most poignantly in the ancient song book of Israel: The Psalms. Explore and appreciate the connections in the Psalms to the Messiah in the New Testament that point to his supremacy.
If you want to gain a profound understanding of the Messiah in the Old Testament, be sure to request the book Songs of the Son by Daniel Stevens.