I will be starting a study of the Kingdom, starting with a harmony of the gospels and the teachings of John the baptist and of Christ.

The Kingdom they taught about is not the kingdom of the old testament or the kingdom so often preached by todays speakers. We will look closly at what Jesus had to say and what he did not say!

One of our statements is that if Christ did not teach it, it is not Christian. I will hold tightly to that idea!! Christ taught the Apostles including Paul, and they passed the teachings to us. We must follow Christ's teachings if we are Christian (Christ-like).

The first statements about the kingdom are these;

Matt 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near".

(Please note: near indicates close, at hand.)

Matt 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near".

Mark 1:15 "The time has come," he said. "the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Luke 4: 42-44 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

Matt 4:23-25 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralized, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

So we see that the kingdom was at hand at the time Jesus preached. And, that as a witness to the kingdom, the power of God through Jesus healed every disease.
We will continue this tomorrow.

Dear LORD, We pray for open hearts and understanding of your word as you understand it. For this is truth. Amen