Because it was brought to my attention to underline in my Bible how many times Jesus actually spoke about the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven -and that His mission was actually a healing mission and to bring the good news about the Kingdom of God -- I marched down to the Christian bookstore and bought some books on the subject, being a new Christian, written by theologians with doctorates. I had never been aware of these points. I hadn't a clue that not one person was not healed - whether from a distance or in a crowd of 1000's. Not one person was not healed! How wonderful is that?
I then had a deeper understanding as to what the Kingdom of Heaven meant - and what the principles of this Kingdom are - and about the King and what it is to be a citizen of this King or any Kingdom - about how a Kingdom works --a hard concept living in a Democracy!
How a King could send an Ambassador to, say, the Falkland Islands or St. Something in the Caribbean and that Ambassador has the full authority of the King himself. How cool is that!
(The centaurian understood military authority, that's for sure!)
How Paul had only to say he was a subject of Rome and some soldiers let him go. Period. Because he had rights being a subject of Rome! When you are the subject of a Kingdom. You are indeed under that authority ---if you accept it, that is. Like an inheritance -if you don't accept it, it sits and waits for you.
Never once in any readings did anyone anywhere refer to the Kingdom being the church. But rather an invisible Kingdom and within, of course - the Kingdom that we now can have that was originally given to Adam ---the first, original intention, if you will.
But, most are not aware of this, it is not commonly taught in the churches. So all the power it affords it's subjects/citizens/children - power to be happy, contend, healers, to have answered prayers --- our inheritance, our birthright since Jesus's death and resurrection...is still sitting - not being used -so to speak.
Like acting poor - when there is an inheritance appropriated for us waiting right there in the bank ---only to be made aware of and believed and thus accepted in it's entirety.
I just saved you all money - you probably don't have to buy the books now. Ha!
I have also discovered upon meeting fellow Christians that my enthusiasm as to finding all this out -is met with ridicule, intellectualizations, doubt, arguments and the like. And here I was thinking I was informing my brothers and sisters about something so fabulous!! Ha!
I never argue or debate about these things --I'm more of a reporter just telling you what I learned. I'm no scholar or scientist -so take it up with the auhors of the books. You'll get no debates from me!
And if someone, anywhere, wants to view this all differently - that's fine with me. I'd like to hear their views though.
I find Christians to be fascinating people bec they believe so many varied things under the same name!
:) Miss Hepburn
