The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-02-10

est use seems to have been by
John the Baptist, who came pro-
claiming, Repent ye: for the
kingdom OF heaven 10 at hand. y
Repent means change your mind,
change your way Of thinking
change the very basis Of your think
ing from the material 10 the spirit
ual. Human beings have been edu-
Gated to think OF themselves and all
that pertains to them as material
in origin and existence. They
have been taught that they are
mortals. that they live in ma
terisl universe. and are subject 10
laws of matter. This Is not the
real truth about man. The Bible
reveals that God, Spirit, is the
only creator, and that man is His
expression, a spiritual being, liv-
ing in a spiritual universe. and
urges us to awaken to this truth.
A. we do we shall find that "the
kingdom of heaven Is at hand"
Our Master frequently spoke of
"the kingdom OF heaven" and on
one occasion as recorded in the
thirteenth chapter of Matthew he
endeavored 10 explain this phrase
by number of parallels or stories.
Possibly one Of Jesus earliest ut
terances may throw some light
on the subject. You will remem-
Der that, as we are told in the
fourth chapter of Luke, Jesus
"came 10 Nazareth, where he had
been brought up: and, as his Gus
tom was, he went into the syna-
eogue on the sabbath day, and
stood up for to read" And this is
the passage he read. THE Spirit OF
the Lord is upon me, because he
hath anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor; he hath sent
me to heal the brokenhearted, 10
preach deliverance to the captives
and recovering of sight to the
blind TO set at liberty them that
are bruised" When he had fin
ished reading Jesus announced,
This day is this scripture fulfilled
In your ears"
II was to be Jesus mission to
meet the needs of the poor, the
brokenhearted, the captives, the
blind. and the bruised. In other
words. Jesus came TO prove that,
as Mary Baker Eddy has express
ed II in Science and Health with
Key to the Scriptures Up. 4e4D,
Divine Love always has met and
always will meet every human
need" Economic needs, mental
needs, social needs, physical needs,
spiritual needs, all were to be met.
Jesus came to reveal by his words
and works not only what God is
but what He does for men. He
proved that the kingdom Of heaven
L. here and is available TO men
now.
Quite early in his ministry
"Je~ls went about all Gslilee'
teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the king
dom. and healing all manner Of
sickness and all manner of disease
among the people" With our
Master. preaching and practieing
went together. He practiced what
ne preached. He came not only
to proclaim but TO do the will Of
the Father. He proved by his
healing that II is Gods will that
men should be happy, whole, and
free.
The kingdom Jesus referred to
was not some territory in Pales-
tine. or some place in the clouds,
under the rulership Of personal
king. This was no material or
local kingdom. Indeed 1t is en-
tirely separate from matter or
things material. This 10 how Mrs.
EDDY defines IL in Miscellaneous
Writings" Up. 174): The kingdom
of heaven is the reign OF divine
Science: il IL a mental state. Jesus
said II Is within you, and taught
US 10 pray. Thy kingdom come
but he did not teach US 10 pray
for death whereby 10 gain heaven.
W. do not look into darkness for
light. Death can never usher IN
the dawn OF Science that reveals
the spiritual facts OF mans Life
here and now"
Many people believe that the
kingdom Of heaven has little 10 do
with here" and now They be-
lev. that II there 10 sueh a con-
dition II belongs 10 some distant
future and can be entered only
through the experience Of death.
They believe that death Is a gate
way TO paradise, a stepping-stone
10 life. Whence came such a con-
eeption? Does the Bible teach
any such doctrine Did Jesus
speak Of death in this way? The
Bible speaks Of death, not g. q
Iilcn4l nv os PIX ANS94fc aAcP
but as an enemy. something TO b.
overcome.
The entrance 10 the kingdom Of
heaven Is, as the Bible points out,
through repentance. a new birth
or as Paul puts Il, the renewing
of your mind" Such steps can
he tsLer now II the Kingdom N
heaven r. 20 be found At all, II il
n b found where Ve are, and the
advice Of the Wisest and most
scientific man the world mas ever
seer - thst ss make the ssskin z
Of this kingdom our first consid-