15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18 (NKJV)
From the beginning of the Church, it was God’s will to evangelize all the world. However, He never planned for us to do it in our own strength and ability, but rather, that we do so with His power and authority. Luke 4:1 tells us that Jesus was tempted 40 days in the desert. He did not eat during this time, but was filled with the Spirit. News about Him went throughout the surrounding region because He was filled with the Spirit.
God has sent His Son to heal the broken hearted, to bring back those who were lost and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. All debt and disease are cancelled when we put our trust in Christ. Jesus called His disciples and gave them power and authority over all demons (Luke 9:1-3). However, they were not speaking in tongues at this point, thus indicating that we do not need to be able to speak in tongues to operate in God’s power. After He gave authority and power to the 12, He appointed 70 more, indicating that His power and authority were not for a select few (Luke 10:1-12). God’s power is for all who would draw near. Note Jesus said that the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few.
Christ had to suffer, die and rise from the dead (Luke 24:46-49).. Because of this, there could be repentance and remission of sins in His name. Know that we need more anointing, as yesterday’s anointing will not take us forward.
Evangelism was never meant to be done without power and miracles (Acts 1:8). Do not be concerned about building an earthly kingdom; focus on the things of God instead. Acts 2:4 tells us that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:41 tells us that those who received His Word and were baptized numbered in the thousands. Acts 19:11 tells us that God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul. It is necessary for us to walk in signs, wonders and miracles, for we do a disservice to Christianity when we try to convert others with our own wisdom and intellect. People are not being saved because the Church is dead on the inside.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells those who are weary to come to Him and He will give them rest. Religion preaches a gospel that has no power and often, we as apostolic, Pentecostal believers, want to point fingers at other denominations. However, we ourselves lack God’s power. To walk in that power, we must renounce unbelief and we must develop a sense of compassion. Matthew 14:14 says that Jesus was moved to compassion and healed the sick. We also need to get hungry to see God manifested in our midst and must ask God for that hunger. We need to practice the presence of God by worshipping Him and seeking His face. Sickness, poverty and ignorance to the gospel are our enemies. Psalm 91 shows us that God covers us.
