It really is amazing how few in the church actually believe the words of Jesus. Of course most will not admit to not believing because they have accepted the altered version of the bible so they think they actually believe. We were warned not to be deceived but most think that applies to others. The Baptist thinks the Charismatic is deceived and the Charismatics think the Baptists are deceived but they are both deceived because they both follow other gospels. These traditions and teaching of man that have been passed down from generation to generation have left the church empty and powerless but powerless is not the description of the church we see in the bible.
Wherever Jesus was and wherever He went, there was power. Mark 1:32 “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons.” The church today tries to entice people to come with appealing worship and a friendly environment and even a coffee. You come in and sit and then you leave pretty much the same way you came. People have been doing this for years but have not stopped to ask where are all the wonders. I am sure some have asked and the leader would explain it away just as they were taught.
Now I am assuming if you are still reading these blogs that you want to see the wonders God has offered us His disciples. Yes miracles are possible for today, as is casting out demons and yes we are not seeing them yet. The false assumption is that because you are not seeing those wonders, they are not possible for our day. Again scripture does not say that the wonders are not available, so you look in scripture for the reason why we are not seeing them. All through scripture when God’s people sinned, He turned His face from them and their enemies would prevail. The same has happened to the church. The church went their own way, God turned His face from us and now deception and delusion are all though the church and the church sits in desolation.
I have asked before that you sit down and read the gospels and focus on the power of Jesus. I am not sure how you can read the bible and not wonder why that power is not present in the church. How can people be content with the pathetic and empty ways being taught? In the bible are the words of Jesus right before our eyes, yet people refuse to believe, God. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” There is not one person, Christian or secular, on the earth present, past or future that can explain in detail the creation of the universe. Sure we have a detailed account in Genesis and yes many believe in a big boom but there is a lot left unexplained which is why Hebrews 11:1 “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” You don’t need to have it explained but you do have to believe. Jesus is the only one who can fully explain creation because He was there, He even saw this happen. Luke 10:18 “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
The point of this is not to talk about creation but to talk about the word that became flesh. We have His words right in front of us but most refuse to believe what Jesus said. How many in church today read the gospels and expect what you read to be present today. Yes the charismatics will say they do yet they did not test the spirits and were deceived. They refused to adhere to the very thing they want to see. You have to be very careful to follow God’s word as Paul told Timothy. 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Do you not think that the words Jesus gave us were not perfect in every way? These were powerful words. Before Jesus said he saw satan fall, the disciples returned after being sent out. Jesus had sent out the seventy-two to Luke 10:9 “heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.” They returned and said “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Jesus then said Luke 10:19 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Jesus was given all authority. Daniel saw this Daniel 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Even Nebuchadnezzar knew. He said, Daniel 4:3 “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.” Matthew 28:18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus was given all authority and He gives it to His disciples. Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Luke 9:1 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”
How do you read these verses and then say we do not have authority and power to do as Jesus said we would do. Before Jesus gave them the directive to go 14 He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.” Today the church is filled with stubborn and obstinate people who call themselves Christens. Paul told us Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” He then said 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Many have been deceived into not believing there is power available to the church just as there was when the church first started. Ever since Paul said he was astonished, the church is further and further away from the truth and seems okay with it and refuses to repent.
In the passage from Mark 5, Jairus has received the news that His daughter had died. Jesus had just told the lady he healed, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” While Jesus was still speaking this bad news came. The response from Jesus was not comfort the man in his grief over the death of His daughter but His response was, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” When Jesus said this they were not at the house yet. We also see Jesus heal another daughter. Mark 7:25 “In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.” Matthew 8:5 “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.”
Are these just stories that you have heard from the bible or do you believe and expect them to happen in your life. Are you one of those who laughed at the thought of the power of Jesus prevalent today or do you believe there is power and authority for the church? Will you repent and wait for that power to return? When they go to the house Mark 5:39 “He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.”
The word of God is not a collection of stories put together to give us something to talk about for the rest of our lives until we die. Moses said to the people, Deuteronomy 32:47 “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” We have the word of God, Jesus who became flesh, the one given authority, right before us. The church like the Jews have rejected Jesus to go their own ways and there are many ways, yet all of them are without power. Believing God meant what He said in today’s church makes you appear a little out of touch with reality which goes to show how far off the church really is. The reality is the church is under delusion for their unbelief as they have accepted being powerless as normal Christianity. Our only hope is to stand firm on the word of God and believe all that is said. Yesterday I asked you to pray Paul’s prayer from Ephesians. There is power available for the church and that power will look the same as the early church. God told us 2 Chronicles 7:13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
Will you humble yourself and repent and then wait just as the disciples were told or will you continue to be obstinate and stubborn by refusing to believe God’s word. Luke 24:48 “You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Don’t be afraid, just believe! Luke 18:8 “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
