Wrapping My Head Around This:
Matt 6:10 and Matt 4:17 - Once I began to realize that the Kingdom of God is all around me, ever-present, and ever-available for me, I saw that I needed to change the way I was thinking in regard to how I was relating to that Kingdom. I am no longer trying to approach the power of the Kingdom simply on the basis of Principle; but, rather, I am approaching the Kingdom from the mind-set of Relationship with Jesus, by way of the Holy Spirit. I also have made the shift in my thinking toward the Holy Spirit: He is no longer some ambiguous entity sent to help me get through this life with as little hurt as possible. Rather, He is a very personal friend Who is mentoring me in the same way He mentored Jesus, in how to walk in the Spirit and Power of the Kingdom.
Before I was able to make the shift in my thinking, I prayed for the sick with little if any real demonstration of power. But, now, when I pray for the sick, God’s power shows up and the results are dramatic! It’s only been nine months, really, since I started engaging in this relational mind-set, and I’ve seen some amazing miracles done in the Name of Jesus. I will mention some of them:
(1) I prayed for a friend who lives in AZ, over the phone, for a tumor on her leg which was scheduled for surgical removal. It disappeared as I was praying. When she went for the scheduled surgery, the doctor said that it was gone, and cancelled the surgery.
(2) Prayed for a woman in a wheelchair at a church in Poulsbo, WA…she is now walking unattended and taking care of herself.
(3) Healed a man with COPD coming out of a restaurant.
(4) Saw a cancer leave a woman’s lung, like a shadow…doctors said there is no trace of cancer in her lung now.
The point is, anyone can do this. I decided to believe what Jesus has said concerning the Kingdom and its relationship to those who believe that what He said is true. Theological thinking hindered my ability to actually be a doer of the Word instead of one who hears only. I allowed myself to become too preoccupied with the logic and systemization of Scripture to be free to see and live out what Jesus was presenting to us. He presented a Kingdom, based not in a systematized written Word, but, rather, of loving relationship (friendship, really) with the Living Word. I, like the Pharisees of His day, had studied the scriptures intently, but never, really, saw the Christ in them. Now, He is all I see! He is all I care to see, know, and understand…because the more I get to know Him, the more I discover how deeply He loves us all, and the more I become a partaker of the power of the Kingdom.
Being Christian is about a lot more than just being nice people…it’s about walking with Him in the Spirit and Power of an endless life…effecting everything in this world with that power and Kingdom Presence. As Paul said in 1Cor 2:4,5, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” We, today, have had it all backward…we put the written ahead of the spiritual, when Jesus Himself said that what is written is to lead us to Him. The written is a guidepost for our relating to God and the Kingdom. The Kingdom isn’t about adhering to a set of systematized and principle-ized rules; but, is about loving and walking with the God Who loves us, in the Spirit and Power of His Kingdom, which means that we will be like Jesus was, and do what Jesus did…going about life doing good and demonstrating the power of the Kingdom just as He did. (Mark 16:17,18) That’s what I want! That’s what I am presently endeavoring to do! After tasting of this Kingdom, I can never go back to the way things used to be.
Before I was able to make the shift in my thinking, I prayed for the sick with little if any real demonstration of power. But, now, when I pray for the sick, God’s power shows up and the results are dramatic! It’s only been nine months, really, since I started engaging in this relational mind-set, and I’ve seen some amazing miracles done in the Name of Jesus. I will mention some of them:
(1) I prayed for a friend who lives in AZ, over the phone, for a tumor on her leg which was scheduled for surgical removal. It disappeared as I was praying. When she went for the scheduled surgery, the doctor said that it was gone, and cancelled the surgery.
(2) Prayed for a woman in a wheelchair at a church in Poulsbo, WA…she is now walking unattended and taking care of herself.
(3) Healed a man with COPD coming out of a restaurant.
(4) Saw a cancer leave a woman’s lung, like a shadow…doctors said there is no trace of cancer in her lung now.
The point is, anyone can do this. I decided to believe what Jesus has said concerning the Kingdom and its relationship to those who believe that what He said is true. Theological thinking hindered my ability to actually be a doer of the Word instead of one who hears only. I allowed myself to become too preoccupied with the logic and systemization of Scripture to be free to see and live out what Jesus was presenting to us. He presented a Kingdom, based not in a systematized written Word, but, rather, of loving relationship (friendship, really) with the Living Word. I, like the Pharisees of His day, had studied the scriptures intently, but never, really, saw the Christ in them. Now, He is all I see! He is all I care to see, know, and understand…because the more I get to know Him, the more I discover how deeply He loves us all, and the more I become a partaker of the power of the Kingdom.
Being Christian is about a lot more than just being nice people…it’s about walking with Him in the Spirit and Power of an endless life…effecting everything in this world with that power and Kingdom Presence. As Paul said in 1Cor 2:4,5, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” We, today, have had it all backward…we put the written ahead of the spiritual, when Jesus Himself said that what is written is to lead us to Him. The written is a guidepost for our relating to God and the Kingdom. The Kingdom isn’t about adhering to a set of systematized and principle-ized rules; but, is about loving and walking with the God Who loves us, in the Spirit and Power of His Kingdom, which means that we will be like Jesus was, and do what Jesus did…going about life doing good and demonstrating the power of the Kingdom just as He did. (Mark 16:17,18) That’s what I want! That’s what I am presently endeavoring to do! After tasting of this Kingdom, I can never go back to the way things used to be.