Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ sononko

A story is told of a man who assembled his servants before going on a long journey. To one servant, he gave a large bag of money; to the second servant, a medium-sized bag of money; and to the third servant, a very small bag of money—each according to their ability. He told them that they must take care of his property while he was gone. Then he departed.

The first servant took his money and began trading it. Likewise, the second servant used his money to engage in business. They worked hard, and soon both had doubled the amount entrusted to them. 

But the third servant, the one with the very small bag of money, was different. He dug a hole in the ground and buried the money for safekeeping—then he relaxed, enjoying many lazy years while the master was away.

Finally, the master returned. The first two servants showed him how they had worked hard and doubled his assets. He said, “Well done! You are good and faithful servants. You have proven yourself in small matters, and now I will set you over great matters.” He then gave them a reward.

The third servant came forward, cringing and embarrassed. “Master,” he said, “I knew you were a hard man, reaping where you did not plant and gathering where you scattered no seed. I was afraid, so I went and hid your money in the ground. Here, you have what is yours—there isn’t a bit missing.” But the master was angry because he knew that the slothful servant hadn’t done anything while he was away. He took his money, gave it to the servant who had worked faithfully, and cast the unfaithful servant into a place of punishment.

A Perfect Kingdom

This story was told by the Lord Jesus Christ, the great teacher and storyteller. His book, the Bible, tells us that He will return in the clouds one day and will give a great reward to His special people, His servants who have been faithful. But those who are not prepared for His return will be very disappointed.

What is this wonderful reward for God’s faithful servants? The Lord Jesus Christ promised to take us to a place called the “Kingdom of God.” This kingdom is the place where the Creator God dwells. It is a perfect place where everyone is completely happy and where God lives with humanity. The people of this kingdom live in harmony with God’s laws and with each other. There is no sorrow, pain, or death. This wonderful kingdom will never end! But only the faithful and obedient will get to go to this place. Those who reject God or are lazy and careless about serving Him will not enter His kingdom.

It isn’t possible to earn our way into the Kingdom of God. It would be far more expensive than many lifetimes of good deeds. Instead, the Creator God offers us entrance as a free gift. Anyone can go to the Kingdom of God, no matter their race, social standing, or past history. But although we cannot earn our way into this kingdom by good deeds, our deeds are still important. God looks at our deeds to see if we are the type of people who would be happy in such a perfect, harmonious place. 

The Bible describes a special group of people who are like the first two servants—faithful in all they do. These special people, called the “remnant,” are those people in every country of the world who obey God and look earnestly for the return of the Lord Jesus.

Joining the Remnant

How can we be part of God’s special people, this group of faithful servants who will one day enter the Kingdom of God? The Lord Jesus taught us to be faithful to God, but He did not make a long list of complicated rules. He said we must love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and we must love our neighbors as ourselves (the Bible, Matthew 22:37–40). It might sound simple, but most of us do not have an easy time loving unlovely people. Yet the Lord Jesus said we must love even our enemies (the Bible, Matthew 5:44). This is only possible because God mysteriously transforms our hearts and gives us supernatural love and goodness. A life of love for God and love for others is the evidence that we are the Lord Jesus’s faithful servants.

Everlasting Life in the Kingdom of God!

Just like the first two servants, true followers of God must be patient and faithful. When our Master Jesus returns, the reward for our loyalty and faithfulness is entrance into the Kingdom of God for all eternity. That kingdom is for “those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (the Bible, Revelation 14:12).

If you would like to join those who will live forever in the Kingdom of God, you can say a prayer like this:

Dear God, I want to be with You in Your kingdom. Teach me and help me to remain faithful until You return. Thank You for Your promise to take me to a better place! Amen.

If you would like to learn more about the Kingdom of God, please contact us at the information on the back of this paper.