At that time Jesus began to proclaim-- "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted in the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Indeed I tell you that, unless your religion is above that of the Teachers of the Law, and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now John had heard in prison what the Christ was doing, and he sent a message by his disciples, And asked--" Are you 'The Coming One,' or are we to look for someone else?" read more. The answer of Jesus to the question was-- "Go and report to John what you hear and see-- The blind recover their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are made clean and the deaf hear, the dead, too, are raised to life, and the good news is told to the poor. And blessed is the man who finds no hindrance in me."

I tell you, no one born of a woman has yet appeared who is greater than John the Baptist; and yet the lowliest in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

"Every plant," Jesus replied, "that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

I tell you, some of those who are standing here will not know death till they have seen the Son of Man coming into his Kingdom."

"I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all.

"I tell you," answered Jesus, "that at the New Creation, 'when the Son of Man takes his seat on his throne of glory,' you who followed me shall be seated upon twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.

"I tell you," answered Jesus, "that at the New Creation, 'when the Son of Man takes his seat on his throne of glory,' you who followed me shall be seated upon twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. read more. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

And that, I tell you, is why the Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation that does produce the fruit of the Kingdom.

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables. "The Kingdom of Heaven," he said, "may be compared to a king who gave a banquet in honor of his son's wedding. read more. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they were unwilling to come. A second time he sent some servants, with orders to say to those who had been invited 'I have prepared my breakfast, my cattle and fat beasts are killed and everything is ready; come to the banquet.' They, however, took no notice, but went off, one to his farm, another to his business; While the rest, seizing his servants, ill-treated them and killed them. The king, in anger, sent his troops, put those murderers to death, and set their city on fire. Then he said to his servants 'The banquet is prepared, but those who were invited were not worthy. So go to the cross-roads, and invite everyone you find to the banquet.' The servants went out into the roads and collected all the people whom they found, whether bad or good; and the bridal-hall was filled with guests. But, when the king went in to see his guests, he noticed there a man who had not put on a wedding-robe. So he said to him 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding-robe?' The man was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants 'Tie him hand and foot, and 'put him out into the darkness' outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.' For many are called, but few chosen."

Jesus replied to them as follows: "See that no one leads you astray; for, many will take my name, and come saying 'I am the Christ,' and will lead many astray. read more. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be alarmed, for such things must occur; but the end is not yet here. For 'nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,' and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All this, however, will be but the beginning of the birth pangs! When that time comes, they will give you up to persecution, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my Name. And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another. Many false Prophets, also, will appear and lead many astray; and, owing to the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. Yet the man that endures to the end shall be saved. And this Good News of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all nations; and then will come the end. As soon, then, as you see 'the Foul Desecration,' mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place," (the reader must consider what this means) "then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains; and a man on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house; nor must one who is on his farm turn back to get his cloak. And alas for the women that are with child, and for those that are nursing infants in those days! Pray, too, that your flight may not take place in winter, nor on a Sabbath; for that will be 'a time of great distress, the like of which has not occurred from the beginning of the world down to the present time'--no, nor ever will again. And had not those days been limited, not a single soul would escape; but for the sake of 'God's People' a limit will be put to them. And, at that time, if any one should say to you 'Look! here is the Christ!' or 'Here he is!', do not believe it; For false Christs and false Prophets will arise, and will display great signs and marvels, so that, were it possible, even God's People would be led astray. Remember, I have told you beforehand. Therefore, if people say to you 'He is in the Wilderness!', do not go out there; or 'He is in an inner room!', do not believe it; For, just as lightning will start from the east and flash across to the west, so will it be with the Coming of the Son of Man. Wherever a dead body lies, there will the vultures flock.' Immediately after the distress of those days, 'the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the heavens,' and 'the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.'

Immediately after the distress of those days, 'the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the heavens,' and 'the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.'

Immediately after the distress of those days, 'the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the heavens,' and 'the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.' Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens,' with power and great glory;

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens,' with power and great glory; And he will send his angels, with a great trumpet, and they will gather his People round him from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

And he will send his angels, with a great trumpet, and they will gather his People round him from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

And I tell you that I shall never, after this, drink of this juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the Kingdom of my Father."

And I tell you that I shall never, after this, drink of this juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the Kingdom of my Father."

As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the Sea, for they were fishermen.

Jesus also said: "This is what the Kingdom of God is like-- like a man who has scattered seed on the ground, And then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing--he knows not how. read more. The ground bears the crop of itself--first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear; But, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he 'puts in the sickle because harvest has come'."

But among you it is not so. No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, And whoever wants to take the first place among you must be the servant of all;

I tell you that I shall never again drink of the juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new in the Kingdom of God."

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, speaking under inspiration, said: "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance, read more. And has raised up for us the Strength of our Salvation In the House of his servant David-- As he promised by the lips of his Holy Prophets of old-- Salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us, Showing mercy to our forefathers, And mindful of his sacred Covenant. This was the oath which he swore to our forefather Abraham-- That we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies, And should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, In his presence all our days. And thou, Child, shalt be called Prophet of the Most High, For thou shalt go before the Lord to make ready his way, To give his people the knowledge of salvation In the forgiveness of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the Dawn will break on us from Heaven, To give light to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, And guide our feet into the way of peace."

There was at that time in Jerusalem a man named Simeon, a righteous and devout man, who lived in constant expectation of the Consolation of Israel, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ. read more. Moved by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple Courts, and, when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the Law, Simeon himself took the child in his arms, and blessed God, and said: "Now, Lord, thou wilt let thy servant go, According to thy word, in peace, For my eyes have seen the Salvation Which thou hast prepared in the sight of all nations-- A Light to bring light to the Gentiles, And to be the Glory of thy people Israel." While the child's father and mother were wondering at what was said about him, Simeon gave them his blessing, and said to Mary, the child's mother: "This child is appointed to be the cause of the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign much spoken against-- Yes, the sword will pierce your own heart--and so the thoughts in many minds will be disclosed." There was also a Prophetess named Hannah, a daughter of Phanuel and of the tribe of Asher. She was far advanced in years, having lived with her husband for seven years after marriage, And then a widow, till she had reached the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple Courts, but, fasting and praying, worshiped God night and day. At that moment she came up, and began publicly to thank God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the deliverance of Jerusalem.

No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when he who has invited you comes, he may say to you 'Friend, come higher up'; and then you will be honored in the eyes of all your fellow-guests. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." read more. Then Jesus went on to say to the man who had invited him: "When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not ask your friends, or your brothers, or your relations, or rich neighbors, for fear that they should invite you in return, and so you should be repaid. No, when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; And then you will be happy indeed, since they cannot recompense you; for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the good." One of the guests heard what he said and exclaimed: "Happy will he be who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God!" But Jesus said to him: "A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people, And sent his servant, when it was time for the dinner, to say to those who had been invited 'Come, for everything is now ready.' They all with one accord began to ask to be excused. The first man said to the servant 'I have bought a field and am obliged to go and look at it. I must ask you to consider me excused.' The next said 'I have bought five pairs of bullocks, and I am on my way to try them. I must ask you to consider me excused'; While the next said 'I am just married, and for that reason I am unable to come.' On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant 'Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the blind, and the lame.' Presently the servant said 'Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.' 'Go out,' the master said, 'into the roads and hedgerows, and make people come in, so that my house may be filled; For I tell you all that not one of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

Being once asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was to come, Jesus answered: "The Kingdom of God does not come in a way that admits of observation,

Being once asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was to come, Jesus answered: "The Kingdom of God does not come in a way that admits of observation,

And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying: "This cup is the New Covenant made by my blood which is being poured out on your behalf.]

For the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.

"In truth I tell you," exclaimed Jesus, "unless a man is reborn, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

"In truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "unless a man owes his birth to Water and Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

"You," added Jesus, "are from below, I am from above; you are of this present world, I am not;

And you find out the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."

Jesus answered: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one ever comes to the Father except through me.

Consecrate them by the Truth; thy Message is Truth.

"My kingly power," replied Jesus, "is not due to this world. If it had been so, my servants would be doing their utmost to prevent my being given up to the Jews; but my kingly power is not from the world."

"My kingly power," replied Jesus, "is not due to this world. If it had been so, my servants would be doing their utmost to prevent my being given up to the Jews; but my kingly power is not from the world." "So you are a King after all!" exclaimed Pilate. "Yes, it is true I am a King," answered Jesus. "I was born for this, I have come into the world for this--to bear testimony to the Truth. Every one who is on the side of Truth listens to my voice."

"So you are a King after all!" exclaimed Pilate. "Yes, it is true I am a King," answered Jesus. "I was born for this, I have come into the world for this--to bear testimony to the Truth. Every one who is on the side of Truth listens to my voice."

But Heaven must be his home, until the days of the Universal Restoration, of which God has spoken by the lips of his holy Prophets from the very first.

For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and gladness through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

And God, the giver of peace, will before long crush Satan under your feet. May the blessing of Jesus, our Lord, be with you.

Do not you know that wrong-doers will have no share in God's Kingdom? Do not be deceived. No one who is immoral, or an idolater, or an adulterer, or licentious, or a sodomite, Or a thief, or covetous, or a drunkard, or abusive, or grasping, will have any share in God's Kingdom.

For he must reign until God 'has put all his enemies under his feet.'

For we know that if our tent--that earthly body which is now our home--is taken down, we have a house of God's building, a home not made by hands, imperishable, in Heaven. Even while in our present body we sigh, longing to put over it our heavenly dwelling, read more. Sure that, when we have put it on, we shall never be found discarnate. For we who are in this 'tent' sigh under our burden, unwilling to take it off, yet wishing to put our heavenly body over it, so that all that is mortal may be absorbed in Life. And he who has prepared us for this change is God, who has also given us his Spirit as a pledge. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, while our home is in the body, we are absent from our home with the Lord. For we guide our lives by faith, and not by what we see. And in this confidence we would gladly leave our home in the body, and make our home with the Lord. Therefore, whether in our home or absent from our home, our one ambition is to please him. For at the Bar of the Christ we must all appear in our true characters, that each may reap the results of the life which he has lived in the body, in accordance with his actions--whether good or worthless.

Feelings of envy, drunkenness, revelry, and the like. And I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who indulge in such things will have no place in the Kingdom of God.

And the Spirit is a pledge of our future heritage, fore- shadowing the full redemption of God's own People--to enhance his Glory.

For of this you may be sure--that no one who is unchaste or impure or greedy of gain (for to be greedy of gain is idolatry) has any place awaiting him in the kingdom of the Christ and God.

And you will give thanks to the Father who made you fit to share the lot which awaits Christ's People in the realms of Light. For God has rescued us from the tyranny of Darkness, and has removed us into the Kingdom of his Son, who is the embodiment of his love,

For, as we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring, with Jesus, those who through him have passed to their rest. This we tell you on the authority of the Lord--that those of us who are still living at the Coming of the Lord will not anticipate those who have passed to their rest. read more. For, with a loud summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the trumpet-call of God, the Lord himself will come down from Heaven. Then those who died in union with Christ shall rise first; and afterwards we who are still living shall be caught up in the clouds, with them, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall be for ever with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with what I have told you.

As to the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being gathered to meet him, we beg you, Brothers, Not lightly to let your minds become unsettled, nor yet to be disturbed by any revelation, or by any message, or by any letter, purporting to come from us, to the effect that the Day of the Lord is come. read more. Do not let any one deceive you, whatever he may do. For it will not come until after the Great Apostasy, and the appearing of that Incarnation of Wickedness, that the Lost soul, Who so opposes himself to every one that is spoken of as a God or as an object of worship, and so exalts himself above them, that he seats himself in the Temple of God, and displays himself as God! Do not you remember how, when I was with you, I used to speak to you of all this? And you know now what the restraining influence is which prevents his appearing before his appointed time. Wickedness, indeed, is already at work in secret; but only until he who at present restrains it is removed out of the way. Then will 'Wickedness Incarnate' appear, but the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his lips, and annihilate him by the splendor of his Coming. For at the Coming of the Lord there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude-- to the ruin of those who are on the path to destruction, because they have never received and loved the Truth to their own Salvation. That is why God places them under the influence of a delusion, to cause them to believe a lie; So that sentence may be passed on all those who refuse to believe the Truth, but delight in wickedness.

The Lord will rescue me from all evil, and bring me safe into his Heavenly Kingdom. All glory to him for ever and ever! Amen.

By speaking of a 'new' Covenant, God at once renders the former Covenant obsolete; and whatever becomes obsolete and loses its force is virtually annulled.

By speaking of a 'new' Covenant, God at once renders the former Covenant obsolete; and whatever becomes obsolete and loses its force is virtually annulled.

No, but it is to Mount Zion that you have drawn near, the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless hosts of angels, to the festal gathering and assemblage of God's Eldest Sons whose names are enrolled in Heaven, to God the Judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous who have attained perfection, read more. to Jesus, the intermediary of a new Covenant, and to the Sprinkled Blood that tells of better things than the blood of Abel.

Therefore, let us, who have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and reverence.

My children, do not let our love be mere words, or end in talk; let it be true and show itself in acts. By that we shall know that we are on the side of the Truth; and we shall satisfy ourselves in God's sight,

We realize, too, that the Son of God has come among us, and has given us the discernment to know the True God; and we are in union with the True God by our union with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the True God and he is Immortal Life.