Releasing the Kingdom

Living Inside Out (3)

We can only give what we have.

One time the apostles Peter and John went up to the temple at Jerusalem and on their way met a lame man at the gate who begged for money. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6, NKJV) The lame man was healed on the spot, strength coming into him. Leaping up, he stood on his feet and walked.

What Peter had done was simply to give away the Kingdom. It’s not that there was no silver or gold in God’s Kingdom, but Peter understood that there’s health and wholeness in the Kingdom - that’s what the lame man needed.

Just as Peter could release the Kingdom into the world around him, so could all born again believers. God’s Kingdom is within us (Luke 17:21) – this is an amazing truth. It doesn’t matter what are the needs we face or others around us face, we have the solution. Every time the Kingdom comes into collision with the reality of this world the Kingdom always wins, and the reality of the Kingdom would take over. There is life, peace, health and abundant prosperity in the Kingdom, but there’s no lack in anything.

Jesus asked His disciples to pray that the Kingdom come (Matt 6:10). The Kingdom can come upon the believer as well as being released from the believer. If you think about it, this is similar to the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples before His ascension that they shall receive power when the Spirit has come upon them (Acts 1:8). But before that He also said that the Spirit would flow from their hearts like rivers of living water (John 7:38-39). Although we can’t say that the Spirit and the Kingdom are one, we do know that the Kingdom is in the Spirit (Rom 14: 17). Therefore, like the Spirit, the Kingdom can be released from the believer.

Now, this is the make-up of the believer: he hosts and releases the Kingdom. But like Jesus’ disciples facing the storm, many of us have not learned to live this way. Perhaps it is simply because we are not aware of what we carry inside.

Rise up and calm the storm! You can give what you have.


Photo Credit: Evgeni Dinev on FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com