When I first heard this statement, “We don't have to tolerate this,” it rocked me back a bit as I began to catch the implications of what the speaker was saying. His topic was praying for healing with a Kingdom of God mentality. His thesis being that we are a people of God's Kingdom, put on earth as Ambassadors of that Kingdom, with a specific responsibility to bring in the Kingdom of God, "On earth as it is in heaven." He pointed out that the Kingdom of God has everything in it that everybody wants. In this kingdom called the Kingdom of God in order to live you die. In order to receive you give, in order to be lifted up you lie low. It's the nature of this kingdom, and Jesus knew that His world that He came to bring brought deliverance and healing. There is a reality that is far superior to what we can see, taste and touch. It is reality that is invisible to our natural eyes. We are called to bring in this kingdom reality.
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." If we seek His Kingdom, we'll find that it comes with everything that we need. It brings with it His answer to our material and relational needs and our fight against evil. In the Kingdom of God there is no sickness, there is no bitterness, hopelessness, lack or any of a number of things we experience here on earth.
So, if we are ambassadors of another kingdom, and if that kingdom has everything we need, and if we are to reach out and bring in that kingdom, and if we are to represent that kingdom wherever we go, why is there often not enough money, why are drugs, sex and rebellion running rampant among our children? Why is there such sickness and disease all around us?
I believe there are several reasons. Though I am not able to deal with all of them there are some that I can address. Many of us have been faithful to pray for people for years without seeing any change and we've become discouraged. Some of us have felt inadequate, inexperienced or ill-equipped. Or, we are quite simply overwhelmed with trying to deal with the frantic pace of our daily lives.
But I also believe in part it's because we don't truly understand who we are, and what we've been called to do and what we have available to do it with. The Word of God says we are His beloved, that we are to seek first His Kingdom and that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to us. It tells us that we are of immense value, that in the Kingdom of God is all that we will ever need, and that we have the authority to see that kingdom established here on earth. Our responsibility is to believe this and be available to do it.
Are people hungry for this kingdom? I think the answer to that question is obvious. During the last 25 years of my life, I have seen people flock to wherever God was moving. In the early 80's it was to Anaheim and the Vineyard, in the 90's it was to Toronto and Brownsville . In 2004 and heading into 2005 we are seeing fires of revival/renewal starting in many places around the world.
During the time of Jesus, wherever he was, people left their jobs, their homes and walked great distances to find this Jesus that was doing things beyond their wildest imagination. They were so desperate that they left everything that they had going on in their life. They abandoned all of it, grabbed every sick person they could and took them to Jesus. We get happy and excited when we see one person healed. Multiply that hundreds of times in seeing families restored and people healed of all kinds of sickness and disease. They didn't have to be told to get happy they were happy. They were experiencing the joy of the Lord. It wasn't something they sang about, it was something they saw and felt. Why, because Jesus didn't tolerate sickness and evil. And neither should we.
So, let's make it our purpose with the remaining days or years God gives us to not allow the world to beat us down. Let's rise above the weariness, compromise, discouragement, busyness or fear and purpose not to tolerate those things in our lives that we know are not a part of the Kingdom of God . Let's allow God to renew our minds and restore our spirit's so that we have a kingdom mentality that says; “I am God's beloved, I want to see His Kingdom come on earth, and I can be a part of bringing that kingdom in.