Quote (WidowMaKer_MK @ Jul 1 2014 04:34pm)
...allow me to burst your bubble and hopefully deepen your understanding...we Christians are the Body of Christ not the Kingdom . They are NOT the same thing .
The Kingdom is God's dominion on this Earth and/or Heaven. The Body of Christ ushers in the Kingdom.
(Matthew 11:11-12)
I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. {12}From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
The kingdom is actively advancing since John the Baptist...God's dominion is advancing through the work of Jesus.
(Matthew 12:28)
But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
The Kingdom exists then because God's dominion over demons.
(Matthew 13:31) He told them another parable:"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
This seed then grew very big. Once again talking about the growth of the Kingdom.
(Luke 17:20-21) Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, {21} nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
Once again, He is not talking about heaven but God's dominion through us.
Now there is 10:1 verses that state the Kingdom of God in the New Testament referring to heaven compared to God's dominon on Earth. But I want to point out that the verses above speak of the Kingdom coming to earth. Maybe this is the hope of Jesus's Prayer " Your Kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven"