Preaching the Gospel and Healing Everywhere?
In the following chapter and verse, Jesus called together the 12 disciples. Then he empowered them and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and cure all manner of diseases. As you read the following text from the Bible, ask yourself what was Jesus trying to accomplish or to teach the disciples to do? I don't believe that anything Jesus did was random or by mistake. Rather, I believe that this act of empowerment and vision was meant to teach the disciples something powerful about the destiny that God was calling them to. As well as to impart something to us, the readers of this account thousands of years later so that we could understand what we are called to do. Let's read the following six verses before we continue with our discussion.
Luke 9:1-2
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
When I read this text I ask myself, how does this apply to today? Could it be possible that Jesus Christ also intends for us, the modern disciples and followers of his kingdom to heal the sick and preach the gospel everywhere we go? Hebrews 13:8 states that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever more. This indicates to me that it is the will of Christ for his followers to be ministers of his gospel and bring healing to our generation. As we read through the midsection of the gospel of John see several scriptures that point to Christ wanting us to be empowered with the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Holy Spirit, instructed by the Holy Spirit and to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
We see throughout the book of Acts, the disciples carried through with this message, pretty much on a daily basis. Everywhere they went, they preached the gospel and it was confirmed with signs and wonders following. I do contend though that signs should follow the believer and the preaching of the gospel, but we should not be following after signs. However, if we are going to accomplish the destiny of God to evangelize our world with the gospel message of Jesus Christ, we desperately need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit! I challenge whoever reads this to ask God in your daily prayer life; "God what would you have for me to do?" Can your power live within me will you impart your faith to me, God, so that I can walk with the fullness of your power into the destiny that you plan for my life?
If the word of God truly will never fade or pass away then the promises that God makes in his word are relevant for today. I find it disheartening to see so many people bound and distressed by so many different ailments and diseases and disorders all around us while pharmaceutical companies are raking in billions of dollars every year. Meanwhile the church sits idly by thinking that the power of God that enables us to bring answers, solutions, deliverance and healing to this generation were promises made for some other time, in some other world so many years ago! I'll close with this question. Can we as God's church be empowered to confront the spiritual forces around us? Can we have discernment to know what is spiritual and what is physical? Ephesians chapter 6 and second Corinthians chapter 10 allude to the fact that what we see in the flesh and blood are actually spiritual warfare taking place around us. If this is true then many of the elements we see people suffer from today, addiction and depression, mental health disorders and physical diseases could still be healed by the laying on of hands and the prayer of faith!
In the following chapter and verse, Jesus called together the 12 disciples. Then he empowered them and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and cure all manner of diseases. As you read the following text from the Bible, ask yourself what was Jesus trying to accomplish or to teach the disciples to do? I don't believe that anything Jesus did was random or by mistake. Rather, I believe that this act of empowerment and vision was meant to teach the disciples something powerful about the destiny that God was calling them to. As well as to impart something to us, the readers of this account thousands of years later so that we could understand what we are called to do. Let's read the following six verses before we continue with our discussion.
Luke 9:1-2
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
When I read this text I ask myself, how does this apply to today? Could it be possible that Jesus Christ also intends for us, the modern disciples and followers of his kingdom to heal the sick and preach the gospel everywhere we go? Hebrews 13:8 states that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever more. This indicates to me that it is the will of Christ for his followers to be ministers of his gospel and bring healing to our generation. As we read through the midsection of the gospel of John see several scriptures that point to Christ wanting us to be empowered with the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Holy Spirit, instructed by the Holy Spirit and to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
We see throughout the book of Acts, the disciples carried through with this message, pretty much on a daily basis. Everywhere they went, they preached the gospel and it was confirmed with signs and wonders following. I do contend though that signs should follow the believer and the preaching of the gospel, but we should not be following after signs. However, if we are going to accomplish the destiny of God to evangelize our world with the gospel message of Jesus Christ, we desperately need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit! I challenge whoever reads this to ask God in your daily prayer life; "God what would you have for me to do?" Can your power live within me will you impart your faith to me, God, so that I can walk with the fullness of your power into the destiny that you plan for my life?
If the word of God truly will never fade or pass away then the promises that God makes in his word are relevant for today. I find it disheartening to see so many people bound and distressed by so many different ailments and diseases and disorders all around us while pharmaceutical companies are raking in billions of dollars every year. Meanwhile the church sits idly by thinking that the power of God that enables us to bring answers, solutions, deliverance and healing to this generation were promises made for some other time, in some other world so many years ago! I'll close with this question. Can we as God's church be empowered to confront the spiritual forces around us? Can we have discernment to know what is spiritual and what is physical? Ephesians chapter 6 and second Corinthians chapter 10 allude to the fact that what we see in the flesh and blood are actually spiritual warfare taking place around us. If this is true then many of the elements we see people suffer from today, addiction and depression, mental health disorders and physical diseases could still be healed by the laying on of hands and the prayer of faith!
RSS Feed