" But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God." Act 8:12,21
Do you member the old hymn: oh for a thousand tongue, hear him ye deaf, his praises ye dumb. Your loosened tongue employ; ye blind behold your saviour coming, and leap, ye lame for joy...?
It was taken from Isaiah chapter 35 verse 5-6 which reads "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert." BSB version
This scripture verse is an expression in words a prophecy concerning the last days. Since the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of God suffered violence and the violent take it by force. Throughout scripture, we saw the manifestation of the power of God, both in the old and the new Testament but much much more in the New Testament. The ministry of Jesus and that of the apostles and the early Church were a pictorial depiction of a manifestations of such powers. This power is the inherent power in the kingdom of God; the "Dunamis" power. Church History is filled with men and women who walked in the realm of such power, but what is the link to this great and mighty power we are talking about. Why many Christian are powerless today and are beaten down by little situations they could have easily seamount. I was praying at midnight about two weeks ago and all of a sudden, this cloud just moved in and suspended right on my head. At first, didn't mind it at all, I was busily involved in my prayer. But the cloud began to grow and smells so badly, and now, it is an obstruction so I opened my mouth and rebuked it and immediately before my eyes, the clouds was literally running away. That is power. A similar situation happened a week earlier when I was praying midnight again out on the road. I got to VicCharles Hotel and the Lord said, watch. As I looked, I saw this bare chested and bald headed demon standing on the side of the road. The demon was coming but as it saw me also coming, it got off the road. I stood there for a while and looked at it's face and did it " wakaa" to it and moved on. The demon got off the road as it saw me come. See, there is power in the Kingdom. What is this power. Scripture said that, Phillip went to a city in Samaria and preached the Gospel there and as the crowds heard him, the miracles which did happen.... But the thing is not about his preaching but what he preached. The power is in what he preached. Scripture said, But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women, (Act 8:12). So, what Philip preached is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus and the mighty miracles; the power of the Kingdom broke forth. The Gospel of the Kingdom is the power of the kingdom. If you're doing to experience Kingdom power, you must a walking Kingdom. Do you know that Jesus preached nothing apart from the Kingdom. Read the scriptures, you will only fine expressions in Jesus' teaching like this; the Kingdom of God is like this, or is like that. Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like this, is like that. Jesus preached nothing apart from the Kingdom. He never preached healing but yet more miracles took place in his meetings; He never preached baptism, in fact, He only mentioned it once and that is to a doctor of the Jewish laws called Nicodemus when Nicodemus woke Jesus up at 2am in the morning. The only thing Jesus preached is the Kingdom. What then is the Kingdom, the Kingdom is love, joy peace in the Holy Ghost. That is the Kingdom. See, every person on planet earth is looking for a perfect world, ( a utopian). The world is hostile, the market place is hostile, the home is hostile, can i say this, even the Church is hostile. Everybody on earth wants a break from this hostile world and the only thing which offered what humans needs is the Kingdom of God not the church offered a perfect world. The Church and the Kingdom are totally two different things. The former offers religion as the later offers God to a dyeing world. If you see the dead raised to life and the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear, that is the Kingdom in operation not church. Just imagine the definition of the Kingdom: LOVE, JOY, PEACE IN THE HOLY GHOST. When your world is painted with pictures of a perfect world, it unleashed an enormous power within you.
The second thing Philip mentioned was " the name of Jesus." Every door has a key. The key grants you access into the room. The key to entering the Kingdom is the name of Jesus. Peter said, there is no name under the heaven given that men should be saved except the name of Jesus. Paul add, for God has highly exalted Him given him a name which is above all names that at the mention of the name Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the father in heaven. The word "lord' is the Greek word 'curios' it means owner. Jesus is the owner of all things. Scripture said, all things are by him and for him, and without him was nothing made that was made. Meaning, all principalities and powers of the dark world belongs to God. Colossians chapter one verse sixteen said, " for in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him."
Now, we have a King who have everything and has a Kingdom which promised us joy, peace and love which is a perfect world in the power of His Spirit, why won't you enter that Kingdom. See, the power is entering the Kingdom and the only means is the name of Jesus.
Now, what is the link, a heart which is right with God. Peter told Simon of Samaria that, "You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God." A right heart is a heart that seek God in a Godly way. Simon bewitched the people of Samaria with his witchcraft and for a long time hold them in captivity and the preaching of Philip brought a turnaround in the city. With the motive of gaining his control over the people again, he offer money for the Holy Spirit. A wrong heart!. Do you seek God because you want to become prosperous, famous and live a luxurious life and have control, you have failed. That is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life: the world and you will never see the manifest power of God on your life. Seeking God with a pure heart, that is seeking him to know him and the power that raised him from the dead will unleash the Kingdom in your domain. A right heart. Shalom.
Lord, help me to set my heart right before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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