Christ Jesus' directive as he sent his disciples forth on their preaching mission was that they should, as he had, preach first the immanence of God's heavenly kingdom —that it had come, was nigh unto them: "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick." Matt. 10:7, 8;
Here we see the emerging pattern of the Christly ministry as indicated in the Lord's Prayer. The secondary benefits of our daily bread, debts forgiven, and freedom from temptation and evil flow from first recognizing the spiritual reign or realm of God and perceiving that this His realm, His kingdom, is come, is at hand, is within.
This withinness of the kingdom applies to all men, irrespective of anything that may appear to the contrary. It was to those very Pharisees, who resisted his teachings, hampered his mission, and finally crucified him because of it, that Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you."Luke 17:21;
