TRANSITIONS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD INTRO: The Kingdom of God is always expanding. This expansion involves constant shifts in kingdom activities. Currently there are shifts taking place in the kingdom. We can call these transitions, shifts, changes or even altering our paradigms (those beliefs that influence the activities of our lives) when the shifts are occurring the evidence will be manifested around the globe. We may hear of them in Singapore, Hong Cong, Mozambique, and India as well as in the States. Whenever God causes shifts in His kingdom, the Holy Spirit invites and encourages His people to embrace these transitions. Three of the shifts that are taking place are: 1. Uninhibited, unashamed, unrestrained praise and worship that is born out of a passion for God. This type of worship is oblivious to what others think; its focus is on experiencing the presence of God. - When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well He told her of a shift in the kingdom: -To the woman at the well: John 4:23 – “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the father is seeking such to worship Him. 2. A Transition in praying for the sick to healing the sick. There are various levels of maturity in this area and requires a new mindset as to the power provided to the Christian. Our successes will improve as we understand who we really are and as our mind is renewed and we embrace kingdom thinking - It is a good thing to pray for the sick. It is a better thing to heal the sick. There is a need for both. - Healing the sick acknowledges that we are in Jesus, Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in us. That gives us a divine nature and access to the healing power of the Holy Spirit. - We can pray for the sick without a personal concern for their recovery. When we pray for a person to be healed, we can say that we pray and leave the results to God. If they are not healed then for some reason God did not heal them. - I am not aware of any place in the Gospels where Jesus told His disciples to pray for the sick. He sent them to heal the sick and gave them the power to heal. I am not saying that Jesus did not pray for the sick. I believe that when He spent hours and sometime all night in prayer that he prayed for sick people, so I am not saying that we should not pray for the sick. I am saying there is a deeper involvement. 3. The third Transition is: Understanding and living in the truth that we are righteous and that righteousness is more powerful than sin and evil. - Romans 12:21 – “ do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with God. Good is more powerful than evil. - One of the primary reasons for the Old Testament was to convince humanity of the severity of sin. God wanted His people to realize that sin will kill them. - Jesus introduced a new level of conduct, righteousness is more powerful than evil. - In the Old Testament when a person spat upon you it made you unclean. - In the New Testament, Jesus spits upon a person and heals him. - In the Old Testament if one touched a leper he became unclean - In the New Testament Jesus touched a leper and healed him and made him clean. - Jesus demonstrated that righteousness is more powerful than sinfulness. - Romans 6:14 – Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” God wants us to live with a righteous conscience not a sin conscience. - Until we fully understand this we will shy away from people and places that are sinful because we will be afraid we will become contaminated, but people and places where God want His people to minister. - The kingdom mindset: The power of righteousness is superior.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 21:29:47 +0000
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