Is there real help for the hurting people in our world? We think of the children in war, refugees adrift, patients without medicine, and those dying in droughts and floods. Lest we despair, Jesus announces that the Kingdom of God is near. This book defines the Kingdom anew and shows how it brings us hope even in the worst of circumstances. The Kingdom of God is bigger than we thought. When God was King there was liberation and enough to survive and thrive. Promises of the Kingdom's blessings kept hope alive through defeat and devastation. While forgiving, healing, feeding, raising the dead, and praising the enemy, Jesus announced the Kingdom was at hand even before he wept over the coming destruction of Jerusalem. As a political scientist, Robert Schmidt demonstrates the political importance of the Kingdom through the centuries. He also shows how Christ continues to work through churches, organizations, and governments to bring hope through what he calls "God's New World Society." As a pastor he reaches out to those who have left the church. Might God still use them in Jesus' Kingdom work? With hope in their hearts there is a lot to be done.
