January 14,
"Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!" – Matthew 10:7-8
This passage is amazing to me. Jesus was calling the apostles to give as freely as they received and yet immediately after this he tells them not to take any money, nor a change of clothes or sandals…not even a walking stick. They are to simply to go from town to town and home to home ministering. But what are they supposed to GIVE? Two things: (1) the Word: the Kingdom of Heaven is near and, (2) the Power: healing, resurrection, and deliverance.
I've always been able to sing well, but I never thought that I had much to offer. All of my life I've been rather introverted and shy. In school I was the chunky kid, my friends were the "misfits," and I shielded myself by getting good grades and staying under the radar of ridicule, blending into the background. I never felt like I had anything to offer. But, when I began to follow Jesus and I realized that God had the power to change things (like me and people around me) I got a little bolder. I saw prayer as powerful and witnessed healing to be real. The Kingdom of Heaven is no joke!
The very same power and authority that Jesus gave to his followers when he walked the earth is the very same power that is available to us today. And, the charge is still the same: preach the good news of the Kingdom, heal, resurrect, and deliver. We have been blessed and released by Jesus to walk in this authority as we humbly follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. You and I have everything to offer! And we can give it away without ever running out – IT is the message and the power of Jesus Christ.
"Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!" – Matthew 10:7-8
This passage is amazing to me. Jesus was calling the apostles to give as freely as they received and yet immediately after this he tells them not to take any money, nor a change of clothes or sandals…not even a walking stick. They are to simply to go from town to town and home to home ministering. But what are they supposed to GIVE? Two things: (1) the Word: the Kingdom of Heaven is near and, (2) the Power: healing, resurrection, and deliverance.
I've always been able to sing well, but I never thought that I had much to offer. All of my life I've been rather introverted and shy. In school I was the chunky kid, my friends were the "misfits," and I shielded myself by getting good grades and staying under the radar of ridicule, blending into the background. I never felt like I had anything to offer. But, when I began to follow Jesus and I realized that God had the power to change things (like me and people around me) I got a little bolder. I saw prayer as powerful and witnessed healing to be real. The Kingdom of Heaven is no joke!
The very same power and authority that Jesus gave to his followers when he walked the earth is the very same power that is available to us today. And, the charge is still the same: preach the good news of the Kingdom, heal, resurrect, and deliver. We have been blessed and released by Jesus to walk in this authority as we humbly follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. You and I have everything to offer! And we can give it away without ever running out – IT is the message and the power of Jesus Christ.
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