Where is the Kingdom? Why are Christians unwilling to say what Jesus said?

Question

A recent questioner asked "where is the kingdom of heaven?"

Jesus said "The Kingdom is within you." And yet I noticed that Christians do not seem to want people to know what Jesus said, and moreover, there is a big movement in the works right now to modify that Bible statement so that it will be unrecognizable.

I am guessing at this point, but I think it might have something to do with not being willing to accept that the real Gift of God in the Original Gospel was about Living Water, and not the blood Paul talked about later. Is that the problem?

If you want more context, it's on my bio.

So why are Christians unwilling to simply repeat what Jesus said on the subject?

Answer 1

Lakely, dear, I reject your theology completely.  

You want to take a thing Jesus said and make it into doctrine, rather than taking the whole counsel of God and applying it.  I have seen enough of your work here to know that you are trying to take the simplicity of the Gospel (so simple, even a child can understand it) and turn it into something complex.  

What's more, you don't even post the reference so we can look at it in its own context.

And if you have Jesus, you have the kingdom.  But if you don't accept the Gospel, you have not Jesus.

Answer 2

Concepts of ‘the kingdom of the heavens’ have differed widely over the centuries. A common belief among some church members today is that the Kingdom is something God puts within a person’s heart at conversion. Others feel it is a place where good people go after death to enjoy eternal bliss. Still others claim that God has left it to humans to bring about the Kingdom on earth by their working to instill Christian teachings and practices into social and governmental affairs.

  However, the Bible clearly shows that the Kingdom of God is not an institution on earth. It is neither a condition of heart nor the Christianizing of human society. True, a correct understanding of what this Kingdom is leads to great changes in the lives of those who exercise faith in it. But the Kingdom itself is a divinely instituted heavenly government that brings about God’s will, eliminating the effects of sin and death and restoring righteous conditions on earth. Already this Kingdom has taken power in the heavens, and soon “it will crush and put an end to all these [human] kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.”—Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15; 12:10.

While multitudes heard the thrilling “good news of the kingdom,” only a few believed. This was partly because the religious leaders had “shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men.” They “took away the key of knowledge” by their false teachings. Because most people rejected Jesus as the Messiah and the anointed King of God’s Kingdom, Jesus said to them: “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.”—Matthew 4:23; 21:43; 23:13; Luke 11:52.

Our heavenly Father, Jehovah, will soon answer fully the fervent prayer: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” Very soon the ruling King, Jesus Christ, will come in the sense of sitting down on his throne for judgment, to separate the “sheep” from the “goats.” At that appointed time, “the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.’” The goats “will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.” (Matthew 6:10; 25:31-34, 46) “The great tribulation” will clear away the old system and all who refuse to “get the sense of” the Kingdom. But the millions of “great tribulation” survivors and the billions who will be resurrected will inherit Kingdom blessings without end in the restored earthly Paradise. (Revelation 7:14) The Kingdom is earth’s new government, ruling from the heavens. It will carry out to completion Jehovah’s purpose for the earth and humankind, all to the sanctification of his most holy name.  

Answer 3

Luke 17:20-21

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display,

Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]

It's also applied to the meaning of the phrase; My body is God's temple."

He's referring to our faith in Him and our belief in Him, the trust we have in Him with our lives, and the belief that He saved us. He's referring to our relationship with Him. This relationship is the basis of everything else. It is our metaphorical heaven for now and eternity. The physical heaven will be revealed after we die.

Why are we going to this kingdom of heaven? Because of his ultimate love. All of these traits require and are associated with love, and it is because of his love that we get to go.

Answer 4

The kingdom is the heart and mind with in you it takes your heart and mind to seek out the kingdom of heaven and only your heart and mind will lead u their ...

Answer 5

The kingdom of God is part of us.

We belong to the kingdom of God by Salvation.

The kingdom of God is a place where God rules

Jas 2:5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Luk 22:18  For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Luk 21:31  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Luk 19:11  And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

It means we are part of his kingdom because Jesus rules in our hearts.

The kingdom is a physical place that will be established on earth where Jesus will reign.

Luk 13:28  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Luk 13:29  And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

Answer 6

Hi Lakely,

The Kingdom is within YOU.  We are to become like Christ in a process the Greeks call "Theosis".  

The Gospel of Christ is "Good News" which is the fact that Jesus Christ came to save a sick and dying world.  Jesus conquered death and sin so that we could have life.

We are to be about our Father's business: Healing the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, helping the poor and needy until Jesus' 2nd Coming.

Peace,

tman

Answer 7

The Kingdom of God is not a geographic location as many seem to think, but rather it is a dynamic concept; the kingdom of God is God reigning, God's sovereignty expressed.  There are two stages in the appearance of God's kingdom.  

First, the Kingdom is here now as God reigns in the hearts of all believers.  

"If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you." Matt 12:28

Second, the Kingdom is still to come.  When the Lord returns to judge the living and the dead, the Kingdom of God will be fully realised.  It will no longer be an unseen reign in the heart of believers, but all will see the King and His glory.

The Kingdom of God is here now, but the old order of things has not yet been finally swept away.  

This is my understanding of the Kingdom of God.  Why are Christians afraid to say what Jesus said - because they do not properly understand.  

Answer 8

I believe you are confused. I will pray for you to find more understanding through Christ.

Answer 9

There is not one single mention of Jesus in the entire Roman record - that is right - not one!!! At the same time as he was supposed to have been around there were a number of Jews claiming to be the messiah - all of whom are well recorded!!

Outside of the bible he is not mentioned in anything until many years after his supposed death!!

So there is absolutely no evidence he said anything!!

Answer 10

Luke 17:21 is the verse to which you refer. It's a shame you didn't give book, chapter and verse for those who would have liked to look it up.  Is this the only verse you have read. Why don't you tell the readers what you mean about the Living Water instead of just dropping that in the middle of your question.

It's never a good idea to quote one verse in isolation. Read the verses before this one and the ones after it and take into account things like:-

To whom it was said.

What had just been said to Him

Why was it said.

What had just happened.

Verses in the bible can be misused very easily to try to score points and teach untruths.  People who misuse the Word of God and thus lead people astray will be dealt with by God.  

Do you know the verse about the 'millstone around the neck'? Mark 9:42.

Answer 11

seek and ye shall find has changed to believe what you're told.

sorry.....'have faith'

Answer 12

Why don't you repeat it?

I don't know what you are talking about, and I would like to know what you are refering to.