Practitioners of the Kingdom - Wed 16 May 2007

We may pray for the coming of the kingdom but then wait vainly for another figure to stride the world’s stage like Jesus did. For sure Jesus inaugurated the kingdom and one day he will come again. But his expectation was that the disciples would work with him and after him to bring in the kingdom.

So we see Jesus teaching and commanding his disciples to do the same things he did:

When Jesus called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:1,2

It wasn’t just the Twelve!

After this the Lord appointed seventy two others and sent them two by two ahead of him into ever town … heal the sick there and tell them the kingdom of God is near you” Luke 10:1,9

Jesus didn't send them out in their own strength. Rather, he gave them both the power and the authority to do the same things that he had done. Then, before his ascension he commanded them to teach all his followers – that’s you and me – to do the same!

As his disciples in the 21st century we have the same calling as the disciples in the 1st century both to tell people about Jesus and his kingdom, and to demonstrate the truth of the kingdom by ministering in power, in Jesus’ name.

I share something tomorrow of how we might do that in a simple way but today you might want to pray the prayer of the demon possessed boy’s father:

Lord I believe, help me overcome my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) Amen