The Tap is at Hand

“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Some translations say “The kingdom of heaven is near.”  Either way, when Jesus came to us in the flesh, and especially when He began His earthly ministry, something truly changed.  Heaven was now something that had come so close we could touch it.  Once the work of Good Friday was finished and the temple’s veil was ripped in two, the way became totally cleared for His presence to be our normal experience.  Sometimes we forget and misunderstand and pray for God to be with us.  But He already is and promised to never leave.  It’s time to pray other prayers. 

The end of Romans 8 defines some of it… “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  We have His presence; we have His love.

It gets even better.  The words we speak have power to change the atmosphere.  No news there.  But when you are carrying the presence of God inside you and the way is open, you have access to His wisdom and resources, and believing as you go, there will be opportunities to live out what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer:  “Our Father…your will be done ON earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”  Don’t let those just be overly familiar words to pass over.  Our opportunity is to actually bring heaven to earth with His presence, His healing, His peace, His comfort to those who mourn, His provision.   We are the vessels that contain heaven’s treasure and pour it out as we go.

There is a remarkable paragraph in Acts 5.  It has to do with shadows.  Shadows are only created when something is close and is near a light source.  A shadow is the result of the presence of light and the nearness of the thing casting the shadow.  Probably all of us have experienced the sweet shade (shadow) of a tree on a hot summer day.   But the section in Acts 5 (start at verse 12) reveals the potential of the presence of even the shadow of a believer.  Read this:  “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.  No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.  Nevertheless, MORE AND MORE men and women BELIEVED IN THE LORD and were added to their number.  AS A RESULT, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that AT LEAST PETER’S SHADOW might fall on some of them as he passed by.  Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, AND ALL OF THEM WERE HEALED.”

There is an immense reservoir of heaven waiting to come to earth as we believe, as we learn the pulse of His heart and to hear His voice, to obey the tugs of opportunity, and walk expecting that He will use vessels like us for His work of healing and freedom. 

Does it make you curious to know how much might be available for us to distribute? 

In the morning, take a big gulp of Living Water.  Splash around in His presence, so you go out into your day, having been reminded of His intent for goodness to be spread around.  Then live out your day, sharing what He has given you and opening the tap of His endless care.

It is August 26, 2015 and the kingdom of heaven is still at hand.