The Felt Kingdom

The Felt Kingdom

One of the things that I love about the Word of God is the way the Holy Spirit has hidden clues to Kingdom principles and truths right in the narrative and then allows us to “discover” them. Of course what He truly does is reveal them to us, but He still allows the adventure of the search! (Proverbs 25:2)

Many of these hidden gems can found in the accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus. Mark 5:1-2 is such a place.

“They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him.”

The operative word here is “immediately”. No sooner has Jesus’ foot touched the beach and there is an immediate reaction from the domain of darkness! Why was that? And, what can we learn to help us?

Let me suggest to you that this brief account is there to acquaint us with the reality that Jesus’ Kingdom can often be felt before it’s seen or demonstrated in any physical way. The demon possessed man came running out of the tombs to the beach because Jesus’ authority and presence were already being felt in the spirit realm. His Kingdom has an atmosphere and that atmosphere, though invisible, is nevertheless tangible.

On my recent trip to Kenya I experienced this truth first hand,
We were staying at a brand new place on Lake Naivasha called “Enashipai” – which is Maasai for “State of happiness”. This name is both good marketing, and as it turned out prophetic.

Enashipai is modern hotel/resort/conference center in a very lush setting. Though it is located in rural Kenya it could just as easily be in the southern USA. Everything about it is top notch and all the staff go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable.

With all of this I was not surprised I felt very comfortable. However, as the week went on I began to sense something deeper. Every time we returned “home” we encountered an atmosphere of tranquility and peace. “Where was this coming from?”

Toward the end of our stay the Lord allowed us to know the secret. Enashipai’s owners are Christian. Every day the managers include prayer in their staff meetings. Additionally, many of the staff are believers and Jesus shines out from them.

What we were experiencing at Enashipai was the peace of the Lord, being deliberately cultivated and maintained by the Christian owners and staff. The result? One of the most enjoyable stays I have had in Africa, or anywhere.

Now most of the guests and clientele of Enashipai are not consciously aware of the Kingdom atmosphere, but they are feeling the effects of it, and that I believe is contributing a great deal to the overall success and growing reputation of the facility.

So what’s our take away? Like our brethren at Enashipai, we have power over the spiritual atmosphere wherever we’re engaged. Jesus’ Kingdom’s atmosphere goes before Him; invisible yet tangible to all.

Who knows what He wants to release through you this week?