“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You took us from a state, where we had no hope to the place of fullness of life in You. We are now in Your kingdom. Lord Jesus, we are eternally grateful. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
Acts 3:9-10 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. (10) Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
People knew that this man, who was once lame and begging for alms, was now rejoicing, walking, leaping and praising God. Acts 3:2-3 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; (3) who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
This man was forty years old when the healing took place in his life. Until this moment, his life was one that was dreary and hopeless. This is the state of most people in our world. Even those who have all the worldly goods have an ache and emptiness within them, which they are not able to eliminate.
God’s heart is pained that people are in living in this state of hollowness. He longs to give us the fullness of life. Only in Jesus, in His habitat, do we have fulfilment and completeness. We experience the Shalom of God in Jesus Christ. Psalms 102:19-20 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the LORD viewed the earth, (20) To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death,
God hears the groaning of the prisoner and He longs to release people and bring them to freedom. The character and nature of God are to heal the brokenhearted. Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
Therefore, the life message of Jesus is to bring people into His kingdom, where people can experience His Shalom.
Luke 4:18-21 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED; (19) TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (20) Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. (21) And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This is what the Lord was doing, during His ministry on earth. Matthew 11:5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
We must keep in mind that this is not only about those who are physically blind, lame, diseased, deaf, dead or in poverty but people who are, internally, in all these conditions. This is the darkness that is prevailing in our world. It is from this place that God is restoring people to complete flourishing, which is His Shalom.
This was the Goodnews of His kingdom, which Jesus came preaching. Matthew 4:16-17 THE PEOPLE WHO SAT IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT, AND UPON THOSE WHO SAT IN THE REGION AND SHADOW OF DEATH LIGHT HAS DAWNED.” (17) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
It is required for people to repent and enter His Shalom. We rebelled against God and we chose to go our own way. This rebellion of man is what has caused man and creation to reach this place of death, where we are in today. It is from this rebellion that we must repent, return, and submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives. He must be our King. He must have rule and authority over us as we come into His kingdom. We must be His subjects, His Doulos.
It is when we empty ourselves before God and acknowledge Him as our Lord, Master, and King over us that we become heirs and co-heirs with Christ, in His kingdom.
James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Here is a glimpse of His kingdom. Psalms 146:5-10 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, (6) Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, (7) Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. (8) The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. (9) The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. (10) The LORD shall reign forever—Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
The church must be conscious that we are people of the kingdom of Jesus, who were once in hopelessness but have come into the state of hope.