And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
"These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town." - Matthew 10:1-15
When Jesus sent the disciples out, the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived. That would happen later after His ascension. But Jesus was tasking those men to go on a spiritual quest that would have visible - worldly consequences. He tasked them to do what was impossible for them, as mere mortals to do. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. To accomplish that they would need spiritual power and spiritual authority.
I am certain you have heard the term "anointing". Certainly, in your reading of the Old and New Testaments. But you may also be aware of the term being applied to people today. The idea that God empowers certain people to do certain things for his glory and the good of others. Never for the purpose of the one who was anointed to be glorified - although that sometimes, wrongly, happens. There is nothing that man can accomplish for God apart from God. All credit goes, rightly to God. There is a story about some men who tried to do what the disciples did - on their own -
"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." - Acts 19:13-16
God will never ask you to do something for Him that does not require His power, His anointing, to do it. What He asks of us is always too hard for men. Martie and I have been called by God to do many things. The decision to obey the call was never in question even in the face of the fact that, on our own, we could not do it. Of course, we could not - but we made ourselves available to God to do it through us. That God would be glorified, the Gospel promoted, and people would be helped in their time of need.
Do you not know that the moment you were born again you, also, were spiritually empowered by God?
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14
Do you know that He has a purpose for your life that is beyond your personal ability to accomplish?
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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