God's kingdom in me and around me!

The kingdom of God does not come with outward signs to be observed.
Nor will they say, 'Look, here!' or, 'Look over there!'
For behold, the kingdom of God is within you and around you.
Luke 17:20-21

Christ's return, the Kingdom, and the completion of salvation are simultaneous.

The completion of salvation, the Kingdom, and Christ's Return are an individual experience.

We have the Apostles testimony, who said they were already in the Kingdom, with Jesus's return, then:

Paul said : Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Col 1:13
(so Paul and others, to whom he wrote, were already translated, by the rapture, into the Kingdom of Christ)

John said: I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Rev 1:9
(John had been in tribulation, and was in the Kingdom)

personal experience of the end of the world, and his entering the Kingdom:
Now I came up in spirit, through the flaming sword, into the paradise of God. All things were new, and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness, innocence, and righteousness, being renewed up into the image of God by Christ Jesus; so that I came up to the state of Adam, which he was in before he fell. The creation was open to me; and it was showed me how all things had their names given them, according to their nature and virtue. ... But I was immediately taken up in spirit, to see into another or more steadfast state than Adam's in innocence, even into a state in Christ Jesus, that should never fall. And the Lord showed me, that such as were faithful to him, in the power and light of Christ, should come up into that state in which Adam was before he fell; in which the admirable works of the creation, and the virtues of that may be known, through the openings of that divine word of wisdom and power by which they were made.

I saw that none could read John's words correctly, and with a true understanding of them, but in and with the same divine spirit by which John spoke them; and by his burning, shining light which is sent from God. For by that spirit their crooked natures might be made straight, their rough natures smooth, and the man of greed and man of violence in them might be cast out; and those that had been hypocrites might come to bring forth fruits suitable for repentance, and their mountain of sin and earthliness might be leveled, and their valley filled in them, that there might be a smooth, level way prepared for the Lord in them; and then the least in the kingdom is greater than John. But all must first know the voice crying in the wilderness in their hearts, which through transgression has become as a wilderness.

I saw also the mountains burning up, and the rubbish, and the rough, and crooked ways and places made smooth and plain, that the Lord might come into his tabernacle. These things are to be found in man's heart; but to speak of these things being within, seemed strange to the rough, crooked, and mountainous ones. Yet the Lord said, ‘Oh earth, hear the word of the Lord!'

Do not yield to the lust of the eye or lust of the flesh; for the pride of life stands in the lust which keeps out the love of the Father; and upon pride his judgments and wrath remain, where the love of the world is sought after, and a crown that is mortal is sought. In this ground the evil enters, which is cursed; which brings forth briers and thorns, where death reigns, and tribulation and anguish are upon every soul, and the Egyptian tongue is heard; all which by the light is condemned. There is the world, which must be removed. By the light the world is seen, and by the power the world is removed, and out of its place the world is shaken; to which the thunders utter their voices, before the mysteries of God are opened, and Jesus revealed. Therefore all of you, whose minds are turned to this light, wait upon the Lord Jesus for the crown that is immortal, and that fades not away.

The kingdom of God, which most people talk of as something far in the future and refer to it only as happening after death, is in measure to be known and entered into in this life; but that none can know an entrance into it, other than those who are regenerated and born again.

Christ said, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit” v6. So "except a man is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." v5. And John, writing to the seven churches of Asia, calls himself their "brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." Rev.1:9. Here you may see that John was in the kingdom, so he was born again; for he did not only see the kingdom, but he was in it.

And John said, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know him." 1 John 3:1 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God." v2. “If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of him." 1 John 2:29. "Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God." 1 John 3:9. "Let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He who does not love, does not know God; for God is love," 1 John 4:7-8. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." 1 John 5:1. "Whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4. Are not these, who were born of God, in the kingdom of God, (having overcome the world)? And seeing John says, "Everyone that does righteousness is born of God;” do not those who practice righteousness and stand firm in righteousness see the kingdom of God and enter into it?

Peter, in his first general epistle to the church of Christ, said, "As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, so you may grow by it." 1 Pet 2:2. And he tells them they were "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that they should show forth the praises of him who had called them out of darkness into his marvelous light." v9. "And that as lively stones they were built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." v5. Did not these newborn babes, these lively stones, spiritual household, royal priesthood, holy nation, and chosen generation, who were called out of darkness into Christ's marvelous light, see and enter into his holy kingdom; being heirs of the same? Those were "born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever." 1 Pet.1:23. And did not such have an entrance ministered to them into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

James, in his general epistle to the church of Christ, said, "Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him?" James 2:5. The apostle Paul said, "God sent forth his son made of a woman to redeem them that were under the law, that we may receive the adoption of sons; and because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. For which reason you are no more a servant but a son, and if a son then an heir of God through Christ." Gal. 4:4-7. The same apostle said, "As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God;" and tells the saints at Rome, "You have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together," (namely with Christ). Rom. 8:14-17. Now since they are the sons of God that are led by the spirit of God, and the spirit bears witness to their spirit that they are the children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, are not all these children of God heirs of the righteous, glorious kingdom of God? And do they not see it and enter into it?

The Lord said in Hosea 1:10. "Where it was said to them, you are not my people, there it shall be said to them, you are the sons of the living God." Did not this relate to the gospel days of the new covenant? Rom 9:26. And what the Lord said by the prophet Jer 31:1 the apostle applies to the gospel days, and says, "Be you separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, said the Lord Almighty." 2Cor. 6:16. Are not these the children that see and enter into the righteous kingdom of God, that separate from that which is unclean and touch it not?

The Lord said also by Isaiah, "I will say to the north, give up and to the south, keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." Isa. 43:6. Then does not he bring them to his kingdom of glory that stands in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost?

The Lord said to Job, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. Where did these sons of God shout for joy? Was it not in his kingdom of glory?

Christ said, "The least in the kingdom of God is greater than John." Luke 7:28. And in Luke 16:16: he says, "The law and the prophets were until John; since that time (namely since the law, and the prophets, and John), the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it."

The good seed are the children of the kingdom. Mat 13:38. And "the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Mat 13:43. Christ said to his disciples, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. "Mark 4:11. Christ lifted up his eyes upon his disciples, and said, "Blessed be you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." Luke 6:20. The apostles preached the kingdom of God. These were born again, that saw and knew the kingdom of God and preached it.

Christ said to his disciples, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32. "I appoint to you a kingdom," said Christ, "as my Father has appointed to me." Luke 22:29. The Lord said, "He that overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son." Rev. 21:7. And John said, "I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one." 1 John 2:14. "And Christ, by whom are all things, is said to bring many sons to glory." Heb. 2:10

He said, "Woe to you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow them that are entering to go in." Mat 23:13. "Woe to you, religious lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered." Luke 11:52. Christ gives to his children the keys of the kingdom, his spirit; but the scribes, pharisees, and lawyers, (great professors) were erred from the spirit, like the great professors in our age. They scoff at the spirit, and draw people from the spirit of God within; these shut up the kingdom from men, and draw people from the key of knowledge, and the key of the kingdom. "For no man knows the things of God but by the spirit of God;" for the things of God are spiritually discerned. The spirit is the key, by which the kingdom of God and the things of God are revealed, discerned, and known, according to 1 Cor. 2:10-14. The apostle names some in his epistle to the Colossians, and says, "These are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God." Col 4:11. And he tells that church, that "God has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col 1:13. So you may see these were born again who were translated into the kingdom of Christ, and were fellow workers unto the kingdom of God.

Christ exhorts his disciples to love and to do good, that they might be the children of their Father which is in heaven. Mat 5:45. He bids them be perfect, even as their Father which is in heaven is perfect. Mat 5:48. The apostle said to the church at Philippi, "That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation;" among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, etc. Phil. 2:15-16. And writing to the church of the Thessalonians, he puts them in mind how he had exhorted them that they would "walk worthy of God, who had called them into his kingdom and glory." 1 Thess. 2:12.

The Lord had promised by the prophet Joel, that he would "pour out of his spirit upon all flesh," and that "sons and daughters should prophesy; old men should dream dreams, and young men see visions," Joel 2:28. The reason that sons and daughters, handmaids, servants, young men, and old men have not these heavenly visions, dreams, and prophecies, is because they are "erred from the spirit of God," which he pours upon them; but as many as are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God.

John said Christ was the true Light, "which lights every man that comes into the world." John 1:9. And that "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God: John1:12, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God." v13. The reason why people do not become the sons of God, is because they do not receive Christ. The Jews, the great professors, who had the promises, prophecies, figures, and shadows of him, would not receive him when he came. And now the priests and high professors of Christ are so far from receiving the light of Christ, and believing in it, that they hate the light and scoff at it, calling it a natural conscience, and some, "Jack O lantern." Such are not likely to become the sons of God, nor to see the glorious kingdom of Christ, which stands in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For the light that shines in the heart gives the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus." Those who do not receive Christ Jesus, but hate his light (which is the life in him) and yet profess him in words neither know the children of the light, nor true fellowship in the light, nor the kingdom of God, that stands in righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy ghost; but by the light they are condemned. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither come to the light, for fear his deeds will be disapproved." John 3:19-20. But the children of the light, that walk in the light, come to heavenly Jerusalem, to the city of the living God, to the innumerable company of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the first born, that are written in heaven, and can sing Hallelujah.