Category: Jesus Christ

Whole Pumpkin Planted in Ground – November 2021

Mark 4:26-29 (TLB) (26) “Here is another story illustrating what the Kingdom of God is like: “A farmer sowed his field (27) and went away, and as the days went by, the seeds grew and grew without his help. (28) For the soil made the seeds grow. First a leaf blade pushed through, and later the heads of wheat formed, and finally the grain ripened, (29) and then the farmer came at once with his sickle and harvested it.”

You Have Authority

At the very end of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:16-17), after Jesus’ resurrection and before He ascends to Our Father, we see Jesus giving His disciples final instructions.

Those Who Believe Shall Use My Authority

(16) Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. But those who refuse to believe will be condemned. (17) “And those who believe shall use My authority to cast out demons, and they shall speak new languages. (emphasis mine)

We see Jesus at His Last Supper, telling His disciples,

Anyone Believing in Me shall do the Same Miracles I Have Done, and Even Greater Ones

(John 14:12-13) “In solemn truth I tell you, anyone believing in Me shall do the same miracles I have done, and even greater ones, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask Him for anything, using My Name, and I will do it, for this will bring praise to the Father because of what I, the Son, will do for you. (emphasis mine)

Let’s take a look at four more passages, that bring this truth to light.

He Spoke to the Fever

In Luke 4:39, we see Jesus speaking to Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever, (39) Standing at her bedside He spoke to the fever, rebuking it, and immediately her temperature returned to normal, and she got up and prepared a meal for them! (emphasis mine)

He Spoke to the Storm

In Luke 8:24, the disciples are out in the boat with Jesus, (24) They rushed over and woke him up. “Master, Master, we are sinking!” they screamed. So He spoke to the storm: “Quiet down,” He said, and the wind and waves subsided and all was calm! (emphasis mine)

And I Know You Have Authority to Tell His Sickness To Go – and it Will Go!

The Centurian knows it in (Matthew 8:8-9), Then the officer said, “Sir, I am not worthy to have You in my home; and it isn’t necessary for You to come. If you will only stand here and say, ‘Be healed,’ my servant will get well! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave boy, ‘Do this or that,’ and he does it. And I know you have authority to tell his sickness to go—and it will go!” (emphasis mine)

How They Praised God for Giving Such Authority to a Man

In Matthew (9:8), we see some men bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus. Jesus was amazed at their faith! (8) A chill of fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen right before their eyes. How they praised God for giving such authority to a Man (Jesus)! (emphasis mine)

If we believe, we can, and we are to use His authority. We are to speak. We are to rebuke. Do we?

Jesus Christ

A Prelude from the Andy Williams Christmas Album

(download a pdf version)

Millions of people celebrate the birth of the Christ child on December 25th and even those who don’t celebrate Him all agree that He has a tremendous impact on the whole world. Jim Bishop wrote in his column one Christmas morning something that I think puts everything in its proper perspective. 

“There was a Man born of Jewish parents in an obscure village. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. And then for three years He was an itinerant Preacher. 

He never wrote a book. 

He never held office. 

He never owned a home. 

He never had a family. 

He never went to college. 

He never put His foot inside a big city. 

He never traveled 200 miles from the place from where He was born. 

He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness. 

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away from Him. He was turned over to His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had – His coat. 

When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave. 

All the Armies that have ever marched, all the Navies that were ever built, all the Parliaments that ever sat, all the Kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon the earth as this one solitary man.”