WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:23.280 right in. Good evening everybody. It's good to 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.660 be here this evening to share the Word of God 00:00:26.660 --> 00:00:32.350 with us. We started on Sunday. uh very quickly 00:00:32.350 --> 00:00:38.490 and we we moved into the definition of understanding 00:00:38.490 --> 00:00:46.030 what's working of miracles right what it is right 00:00:46.030 --> 00:00:50.509 we try as much as possible to to expand it and 00:00:50.509 --> 00:00:55.409 touch upon every aspect of it right uh so that 00:00:55.409 --> 00:00:57.969 we can be able to understand uh what exactly 00:00:57.969 --> 00:01:01.630 it is we differentiated with a little bit from 00:01:01.630 --> 00:01:06.510 healing saying all miracles are healing uh sorry 00:01:06.510 --> 00:01:09.590 all healings are miracles not all miracles are 00:01:09.590 --> 00:01:12.489 healing and we identify those areas that are 00:01:12.489 --> 00:01:15.609 other miraculous things jesus did the apostles 00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:20.590 did um but they're not exactly healing i think 00:01:20.590 --> 00:01:24.250 we also end on for the healing is spiritual healing 00:01:24.250 --> 00:01:28.439 is supernatural and We can see, right? Walking 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:30.900 of miracles is spiritual, is supernatural, and 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:35.420 is spectacular. It means we can see. This evening, 00:01:35.579 --> 00:01:39.280 we're going to deal with something still related 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.540 to walking of miracles. Just continue from where 00:01:41.540 --> 00:01:46.599 we stopped, which is why the miraculous, right? 00:01:46.659 --> 00:01:49.000 That's what we just want to deal with this evening. 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:55.579 Why the miraculous? Why should we, you know, 00:01:56.219 --> 00:02:00.760 in the working of miracles? What is the essence 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:05.439 of it? When we begin to pick, of course, some 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.620 of the things that I said on Sunday, I'm going 00:02:08.620 --> 00:02:10.360 to repeat some of them again because we didn't 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.080 read the scriptures, right? When we begin to 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:15.900 pick it, we'll get to a point where we have to 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:20.300 expand a little bit on certain understandings 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:25.210 that we have regarding the miraculous. This evening 00:02:25.210 --> 00:02:29.129 is actually why the miraculous? Why the miraculous? 00:02:29.189 --> 00:02:31.969 So the first thing we're going to see is Mark 00:02:31.969 --> 00:02:38.949 16, 17 to 20, which is what has been read while 00:02:38.949 --> 00:02:45.250 prayer was being led. It says, and these signs 00:02:45.250 --> 00:02:48.150 will follow those who believe in my name. They 00:02:48.150 --> 00:02:51.930 will cast out demons. They will speak with new 00:02:51.930 --> 00:02:55.719 tongues. They will take up serpents and if they 00:02:55.719 --> 00:02:59.419 drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:02.659 them. They will lay hands on the sick and they 00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:06.139 will recover. So then after the Lord had spoken 00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:07.960 to them, he was received into the heaven and 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:13.659 sat down at the right hand of God. So we said 00:03:13.659 --> 00:03:17.039 last on Sunday that the miraculous, they are 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.939 actually marks of the gospel. We talked about 00:03:19.939 --> 00:03:22.400 that. They are the mark of the gospel. They are 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:27.259 the mark. of the power of God at work. When the 00:03:27.259 --> 00:03:30.300 preaching of the gospel is taking place, right, 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:32.419 they are the marks that the power of God is at 00:03:32.419 --> 00:03:35.680 work. So while we are preaching, we should expect 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:40.659 them, right? While we are preaching, we should 00:03:40.659 --> 00:03:44.979 expect them. So they are the marks of the gospel. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:50.699 Now, go to verse 20. Just the same marks, just 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:57.930 drop to verse 20. It says, And they went out 00:03:57.930 --> 00:04:02.490 and preached everywhere, the Lord walking with 00:04:02.490 --> 00:04:06.310 them and confirming the word through the accompanying 00:04:06.310 --> 00:04:10.610 signs. It said, They went out and preached everywhere, 00:04:10.870 --> 00:04:15.069 the Lord walking with them and confirming the 00:04:15.069 --> 00:04:18.149 word. It means confirming their preaching through 00:04:18.149 --> 00:04:21.310 the accompanying signs. Do you remember when 00:04:21.310 --> 00:04:24.600 we were reading Acts? that God declared Jesus, 00:04:24.939 --> 00:04:28.240 right, by the signs and wonders he did. And we 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:32.339 said that word, I think, which acts as that, 00:04:32.379 --> 00:04:34.660 let's check, acts, it goes to acts a little bit. 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:37.920 And I explained that that word is actually the 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:40.980 declaration. He said he's approved of God. He 00:04:40.980 --> 00:04:43.220 was saying that God approved Jesus, right, by 00:04:43.220 --> 00:04:45.920 the signs and wonders that he did. And I said 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.199 that approve is actually the word to declare, 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:51.860 right, to make known, to make manifest. uh someone 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:57.360 to make manifest god right in act um let's see 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:10.540 i think when peter was preaching that's in chapter 00:05:10.540 --> 00:05:24.100 two sister Acts chapter 2. I'll come back to 00:05:24.100 --> 00:05:26.220 that scripture. I'll come back to the scripture. 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:28.139 Let's stay on this first. Then I'll come back 00:05:28.139 --> 00:05:32.899 to Acts. Acts 2. Okay, Acts 2, 20, right? 22, 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:35.339 okay. We say, ye men of Israel, hear these words. 00:05:35.420 --> 00:05:39.620 Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God. Okay, 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:42.160 a man approved of God, which is declared of God, 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:44.519 right, by the signs and wonders that follow. 00:05:44.620 --> 00:05:47.019 So that's the word we said is actually declaring. 00:05:47.379 --> 00:05:56.019 Now, back to Mark 16, 20. They went out and preached 00:05:56.019 --> 00:05:59.180 everywhere, the Lord walking with them and confirming 00:05:59.180 --> 00:06:02.740 the word, right? Through the accompanying of 00:06:02.740 --> 00:06:08.439 signs. Amen. Now this can be termed as the entire 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.779 book of Acts. So we can say that the summary 00:06:12.779 --> 00:06:17.540 of the entire book of Acts is Mark 16, 20. Because 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:20.600 what they did in the entire book of Acts was 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:22.899 they went about preaching the word of God everywhere. 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:26.079 You remember from Jerusalem, right? To Samaria, 00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:31.420 to Judea, to everywhere where they went to. So 00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:33.360 they went about preaching the word and the Lord 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.019 was confirming their sign. So that is why in 00:06:36.019 --> 00:06:40.519 the book of Acts, okay? In the book of Acts, 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:46.300 most of what we are written, right? We are things 00:06:46.300 --> 00:06:52.870 that we are seen physically. He had a lot of 00:06:52.870 --> 00:06:58.769 what we call the eyewitness accounts. Why? Because 00:06:58.769 --> 00:07:04.430 these signs and wonders were a whole lot in that 00:07:04.430 --> 00:07:06.509 place. So we see that when someone gets healed, 00:07:06.629 --> 00:07:09.069 when someone is raised from the dead, when someone 00:07:09.069 --> 00:07:12.589 is, we see it written just the way it's taken 00:07:12.589 --> 00:07:15.589 place. So the book of Acts is actually the, we 00:07:15.589 --> 00:07:18.589 can say the activities of the apostles, right? 00:07:21.050 --> 00:07:26.610 signs and wonders following. Signs and wonders 00:07:26.610 --> 00:07:29.829 following. So we see that it's exactly the summary 00:07:29.829 --> 00:07:32.550 of the entire term. I think the only thing that 00:07:32.550 --> 00:07:36.529 we'll be missing there is persecution. You know, 00:07:36.550 --> 00:07:39.089 the only thing that is missing there is persecution, 00:07:39.209 --> 00:07:41.569 which is what comes with the preaching of the 00:07:41.569 --> 00:07:43.670 gospel. But we see that this is the entirety 00:07:43.670 --> 00:07:48.269 of the entire summary of the book of Acts because 00:07:48.269 --> 00:07:50.569 they went about preaching the gospel and you'll 00:07:50.569 --> 00:07:53.500 see, Thousands were believing. Thousands were 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:56.500 turning to God. The number of the disciples increased 00:07:56.500 --> 00:08:00.319 as the word of God multiplied, right? The number 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:03.360 of the disciples increased as the word of God 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:10.160 multiplied. So, the word working with them is 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:17.240 the word sonegio. We can write it down. Sonegio, 00:08:17.379 --> 00:08:28.490 S -U -N -E -R. S -U -N -E -R -G -E -O. Which 00:08:28.490 --> 00:08:36.470 means to team up with them. To corroborate what 00:08:36.470 --> 00:08:45.090 they are doing. To team up with them. To work 00:08:45.090 --> 00:08:50.509 together with the people. To walk together with 00:08:50.509 --> 00:08:54.409 the people. So God was walking with them, was 00:08:54.409 --> 00:09:03.370 teaming up with them and confirming, right? And 00:09:03.370 --> 00:09:06.190 confirming the word. So the word confirming, 00:09:06.389 --> 00:09:13.269 the word confirming, I don't know, I'm just going 00:09:13.269 --> 00:09:16.980 to spell it because No, like we said, this is 00:09:16.980 --> 00:09:18.960 not a language, but this is where the scripture 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:23.179 has been written. Is be bio, B -E -B -A -I -O 00:09:23.179 --> 00:09:33.600 -O. B -E -B -A -I -O -O. B -E -B -A -I -O -O. 00:09:33.639 --> 00:09:36.879 So confirming, which simply means to ratify something. 00:09:39.139 --> 00:09:47.500 To ratify something. To ratify something. To 00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:50.620 ratify something. It also means to put something 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:53.899 into effect, right? Also means to put something 00:09:53.899 --> 00:10:05.100 into effect. To put something into effect. To 00:10:05.100 --> 00:10:07.320 authenticate something, right? To authenticate 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:19.259 something. Palm, what they are doing. So, what 00:10:19.259 --> 00:10:21.980 it simply means is that while they are preaching 00:10:21.980 --> 00:10:26.059 the gospel, right, while they are teaching and 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:28.960 they are raising disciples, in the course of 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:34.139 that, right, you will see that the apostles will 00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:38.279 make a statement, right, and you will see healing 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:42.659 take place. You will see them say, rise and walk. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.220 Right? And you will see that statement. In the 00:10:46.220 --> 00:10:49.000 midst of their going everywhere to preach the 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:54.840 gospel. So their words, what they say, what they 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:59.220 do to reveal Christ to people, right, is confirmed. 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:03.240 Means it's authenticated by the signs and wonders. 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:08.000 So we see Acts, right? Acts 5, Acts 5 verse 12. 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:18.389 We see Acts 5 verse 12. He said, by the hands 00:11:18.389 --> 00:11:22.750 of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought 00:11:22.750 --> 00:11:27.230 among the people. And there were always one accord 00:11:27.230 --> 00:11:31.970 in the Solomon's porch. Right? He said, many 00:11:31.970 --> 00:11:36.149 signs and wonders were carried out by the hands 00:11:36.149 --> 00:11:42.110 of the apostles. At 5 .15, same 5 .15 to 16. 00:11:44.309 --> 00:11:50.120 15 to 16. He said, in so much that they brought 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:53.299 forth the sick into the streets and laid them 00:11:53.299 --> 00:11:58.919 on beds and couches, that at least, at least, 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:02.379 it shows you how the miraculous was so available, 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:05.740 so much available. People were seeing it and 00:12:05.740 --> 00:12:09.679 believing it. That at least, not by laying of 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:12.519 hands, but by the presence of a man passing. 00:12:12.700 --> 00:12:14.860 He said, by at least the shadow of Peter passing 00:12:14.860 --> 00:12:39.730 by. So we see God backing up the preaching of 00:12:39.730 --> 00:12:43.009 the gospel by these signs and wonders. Authenticating. 00:12:43.629 --> 00:12:45.950 the signs, or let's get the preaching of words 00:12:45.950 --> 00:12:50.129 by the signs and wonders. Right. Acts 19 verse 00:12:50.129 --> 00:13:05.870 11. Acts 19 verse 11. Start from verse 10. Right. 00:13:05.909 --> 00:13:10.629 We start from verse 10. And this continued by 00:13:10.629 --> 00:13:14.740 the space of two years. so that all they which 00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:19.840 dwell in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:26.320 both Jews and Greeks. Right? But let's take a 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:30.639 little bit back. Let's see what was happening 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:34.500 there. Let's see from verse 1. Maybe we can find 00:13:34.500 --> 00:13:36.399 something. It said, And it came to pass that 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:39.659 while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed 00:13:39.659 --> 00:13:42.620 through the upper coast, came to Ephesus. And 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:45.720 finding certain disciples, he said unto them, 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:47.740 Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye have 00:13:47.740 --> 00:13:49.679 believed? And they said unto him, We have not 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:52.419 so much heard of whether there be any Holy Ghost. 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:57.259 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye 00:13:57.259 --> 00:13:59.440 baptized? And they said unto him, John's baptism. 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:03.919 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:06.460 baptism of repentance, saying unto the people 00:14:06.460 --> 00:14:09.519 that they should believe on him which should 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:13.779 come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When 00:14:13.779 --> 00:14:17.460 they heard this, they were baptized in the name 00:14:17.460 --> 00:14:22.399 of the Lord. So, a clarity of the gospel, right? 00:14:22.539 --> 00:14:25.059 Clarify the gospel to them. Preach to them, right? 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:27.179 That the preaching that took place there taught 00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:30.120 them much more in clarity. So, we see him preaching 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:33.080 them. Verse 6 says, And when Paul had laid hands 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:35.820 on them, the Holy Ghost came on them, and they 00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:40.500 spoke with tongues and prophesied. And all the 00:14:40.500 --> 00:14:43.580 men were about twelve. And they went into the 00:14:43.580 --> 00:14:46.620 synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three 00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:49.899 months. So we are seeing somebody's labor in 00:14:49.899 --> 00:14:54.200 preaching. Someone's labor in preaching. Meeting 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:58.019 people who seem to have received the word, but 00:14:58.019 --> 00:15:01.440 clarified the gospel unto them. And we see him 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:04.559 again going into the synagogue and in the space 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.860 of three months preaching, disputing and persuading. 00:15:08.330 --> 00:15:11.570 the things concerning the kingdom of God. So 00:15:11.570 --> 00:15:14.450 it was engaging people, right? Engaging people. 00:15:14.509 --> 00:15:16.809 Now let's see what happened as a result of this. 00:15:17.309 --> 00:15:22.190 He said, but when divers were hardened, right? 00:15:22.289 --> 00:15:24.629 He said, but when divers were hardened and they 00:15:24.629 --> 00:15:29.230 believed not, they believed not, but spoke evil 00:15:29.230 --> 00:15:31.629 of the way before the multitude, it departed 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:35.330 from them and separated the disciples, distinctly 00:15:35.330 --> 00:15:40.179 in the school of one. And this continued by the 00:15:40.179 --> 00:15:43.879 space of two years so that that we dwell in Asia 00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:47.899 had the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and 00:15:47.899 --> 00:15:54.059 Greeks. So we see him preaching, laboring in 00:15:54.059 --> 00:15:58.059 the place of preaching the gospel. And God wrote 00:15:58.059 --> 00:16:01.360 special miracles by the hands of Paul so that 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:05.360 from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.850 or aprons. and diseases departed from them, and 00:16:08.850 --> 00:16:13.929 the evil spirit went out of them. So while he 00:16:13.929 --> 00:16:16.850 was preaching, people believe in the miraculous, 00:16:17.029 --> 00:16:20.549 they receive it. They receive it. So we see that 00:16:20.549 --> 00:16:22.809 in the place of preaching the gospel, we see 00:16:22.809 --> 00:16:26.029 the miraculous taking place. We see people believing, 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:29.690 people believing as has been taught and as has 00:16:29.690 --> 00:16:34.870 been wrought. Acts chapter 8, verse 5 to 8, I 00:16:34.870 --> 00:17:06.400 think we have. Acts chapter 8 verse 5 to 8. which 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:10.900 he did. For unclean spirits, the same, you know, 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:13.819 similar narrative of what happened when Paul's 00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:17.759 shadow was passing, Peter's shadow was passing, 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:20.339 Paul's handkerchief was being taken. Unclean 00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:23.819 spirits crying out with loud voice came out of 00:17:23.819 --> 00:17:26.579 many that were possessed with them. And many 00:17:26.579 --> 00:17:30.279 taken with palsies, and they that were lame were 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:33.500 healed. And there was what? There was great joy 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:36.500 in what? in that city. So this is what we say 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:41.000 every Sunday, right? We say it, right? We say 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:46.220 we do what? We bring great joy to cities. We 00:17:46.220 --> 00:17:48.500 bring great joy to where? To cities. So what 00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:51.180 did we see that is taking place? Preaching of 00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:55.059 the word and the miraculous. Bringing great joy 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:56.839 to cities. So it means that if you really want 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:59.660 to bring great joy to cities, we must avail ourselves 00:17:59.660 --> 00:18:05.539 to walk in the miraculous. If truly we want to 00:18:05.539 --> 00:18:08.319 bring great joy to cities, we will not just say 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:11.839 we will go and preach and not expect the miraculous, 00:18:11.940 --> 00:18:16.140 but expect it in abundance. So as we are going 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:18.039 to preach, we want to bring great joy to cities, 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.160 we will expect the miraculous. So this is the 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:25.880 way by which we can bring great joy to cities. 00:18:26.819 --> 00:18:31.079 So we see that the preaching of the gospel and 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:34.789 the miraculous, they go together. They go together 00:18:34.789 --> 00:18:38.069 and it's a mark of the gospel, bringing great 00:18:38.069 --> 00:18:43.369 joy to cities. The second one is that miraculous 00:18:43.369 --> 00:18:46.150 is also for the believers. For the believers, 00:18:46.170 --> 00:18:48.250 I already said that on Sunday, but we should 00:18:48.250 --> 00:18:56.549 talk about it again. Remember that firstly, the 00:18:56.549 --> 00:19:00.589 working of miracles as a word or as a phrase, 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:04.599 Firstly, the walking of miracles as a phrase 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:09.220 will be found in where? 1 Corinthians 12, which 00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:15.079 is a letter written to a church. We see that 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:17.900 it's found in the place where a letter, Paul's 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:21.700 letter to the Corinthian church. So it therefore 00:19:21.700 --> 00:19:25.599 means that in that sense, the believers in that 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:30.640 church should or are beneficiaries of the walking 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.940 of miracles as well. because it's written to 00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:36.619 them, right? So they can walk in miracles among 00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:39.660 themselves in that church. So that is the first 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:42.700 thing that we'll see, that the context of it, 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:46.579 the context of that chapter 12 is that it's written 00:19:46.579 --> 00:19:50.279 to a church. And it is that it is for the what? 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:53.799 The benefit of all. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 00:19:53.799 --> 00:20:03.619 12. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 00:20:03.619 --> 00:20:16.160 12. So now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:19.900 I would have you, I would not have you ignorant. 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:23.579 So he doesn't want him to be unaware. Yet ye 00:20:23.579 --> 00:20:27.700 know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto 00:20:27.700 --> 00:20:31.279 these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.539 I give you to understand that no man speaking 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:36.960 by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. 00:20:37.500 --> 00:20:40.819 And no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:44.099 the Holy Spirit. Now there are diversity of gifts, 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:46.599 but the same Spirit. And there are differences 00:20:46.599 --> 00:20:48.859 of administration, but the same Lord. And there 00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:52.000 are diversity of operations, but it is the same 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.039 God who worketh all in all. But the manifestation 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:59.019 of the Spirit is given to every man, right, to 00:20:59.019 --> 00:21:03.359 profit. So, we see that it is written to a church, 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:09.599 right? It's expecting that they will walk in 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:12.180 the things of the Spirit. It's expecting that 00:21:12.180 --> 00:21:15.380 they will be edified walking in the things of 00:21:15.380 --> 00:21:17.460 the Spirit. They will be strengthened walking 00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:20.299 in the things of the Spirit. And that includes 00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:24.819 verse 10, which says, to another the walking 00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:28.869 of miracles. So he's expecting that they would 00:21:28.869 --> 00:21:34.849 also be beneficiaries of this. All right. Then 00:21:34.849 --> 00:21:38.930 we see Acts 12, verse 1 to 11. Acts 12, verse 00:21:38.930 --> 00:21:53.730 1 to 11. We read this on Sunday already. Across 00:21:53.730 --> 00:22:01.509 the scripture, just put James 5, 16. James 5, 00:22:01.690 --> 00:22:18.849 16. Acts 12, verse 11. James 5, 16. Now we can 00:22:18.849 --> 00:22:22.990 go to verse 5 of that chapter because we're already 00:22:22.990 --> 00:22:26.170 on Sunday already. It said, Peter therefore was 00:22:26.170 --> 00:22:28.849 kept in the prison, but prayer was made without 00:22:28.849 --> 00:22:35.650 ceasing. of the church unto God for him, right? 00:22:35.750 --> 00:22:39.690 Prayers were made. So they prayed for Peter and 00:22:39.690 --> 00:22:42.450 the miraculous happened. And verse 11 says, and 00:22:42.450 --> 00:22:45.369 when Peter was come to himself, he said, now 00:22:45.369 --> 00:22:50.390 I know of a surety that the angel, that the Lord 00:22:50.390 --> 00:22:53.549 has sent his angel and has delivered me out of 00:22:53.549 --> 00:22:56.130 the hand of Aaron. This is a miracle, right? 00:22:56.190 --> 00:22:59.609 This is a clear miracle, church praying. a believer, 00:22:59.670 --> 00:23:04.309 an apostle receiving. So it's not just that we 00:23:04.309 --> 00:23:06.210 will preach for you as leaders and you will receive, 00:23:06.390 --> 00:23:10.210 but that you also will pray for us as your pastors 00:23:10.210 --> 00:23:15.230 to enjoy the miraculous. Do we get it? So it's 00:23:15.230 --> 00:23:18.230 not a one -way thing. It's not every time you 00:23:18.230 --> 00:23:20.569 come here, you know, we lay hands on you, you 00:23:20.569 --> 00:23:25.549 will go and we will not be edified. But that's 00:23:25.549 --> 00:23:30.190 you as, the disciple of Christ, as a follower 00:23:30.190 --> 00:23:33.109 of Christ, will also pray for your leaders to 00:23:33.109 --> 00:23:36.369 enjoy the miraculous. So there's no monopoly 00:23:36.369 --> 00:23:39.609 of walking of miracles. There's no monopoly of 00:23:39.609 --> 00:23:43.289 it. It has to be the leaders. It has to be the 00:23:43.289 --> 00:23:46.769 apostles only. No. An apostle was just delivered 00:23:46.769 --> 00:23:54.210 by the prayers of his church. Right? So we are 00:23:54.210 --> 00:23:57.730 very humble. We are very receptive to your prayers. 00:23:58.670 --> 00:24:00.589 So you ministering to us. And you know, in this 00:24:00.589 --> 00:24:03.049 church, this is one of the things we emphasize 00:24:03.049 --> 00:24:05.130 that you can work in the things of, that's why 00:24:05.130 --> 00:24:07.190 we are teaching it, that you can work in it. 00:24:07.289 --> 00:24:11.529 We can also be beneficiaries of it. So it's irrespective 00:24:11.529 --> 00:24:14.769 of, irrespective of your leadership position 00:24:14.769 --> 00:24:18.009 in church, every believer can receive and can 00:24:18.009 --> 00:24:26.029 give it, can minister it. Alright, the third 00:24:26.029 --> 00:24:28.809 one. The third one. The miraculous is demonstrated. 00:24:29.950 --> 00:24:32.869 I can write it down. The miraculous is demonstrated 00:24:32.869 --> 00:24:43.450 in casting out devils. The miraculous is demonstrated 00:24:43.450 --> 00:24:49.329 in casting out devils so that the delivered can 00:24:49.329 --> 00:24:57.150 hear and believe the gospel. The miraculous is 00:24:57.150 --> 00:25:00.990 demonstrated in casting out of devils so that 00:25:00.990 --> 00:25:03.710 the delivered, the one that is delivered, can 00:25:03.710 --> 00:25:12.109 hear and believe the gospel. And be a disciple. 00:25:12.269 --> 00:25:15.269 You should add that. Of course, believing the 00:25:15.269 --> 00:25:18.049 gospel, I just wanted us to extend it because 00:25:18.049 --> 00:25:19.890 of the scripture we are going to read. And be 00:25:19.890 --> 00:25:24.630 a disciple means following Jesus and preaching 00:25:24.630 --> 00:25:32.539 the gospel. Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8. Luke 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:36.339 chapter 8. Let's see. Why the miraculous? Luke 00:25:36.339 --> 00:25:44.259 chapter 8. Why the miraculous? It said, And it 00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:47.900 came to pass afterward that it went throughout 00:25:47.900 --> 00:25:51.960 every city and village, preaching and showing 00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:55.990 the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. and the 00:25:55.990 --> 00:26:00.809 twelve were with him. And certain women, okay, 00:26:00.869 --> 00:26:03.549 the twelve were with him, and certain women, 00:26:03.650 --> 00:26:10.549 which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. 00:26:11.329 --> 00:26:15.930 Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven 00:26:15.930 --> 00:26:20.130 devils. And Joanna, the wife of Shuzah, heralded 00:26:20.130 --> 00:26:24.650 stewards. And Susanna, and many others which 00:26:24.650 --> 00:26:29.750 ministered unto him of their substance. Right? 00:26:30.529 --> 00:26:32.509 Ministered unto him of what? Of their substance. 00:26:33.190 --> 00:26:36.130 He said, women. And he just named a few of them. 00:26:37.509 --> 00:26:40.109 Right? He just named three. Right? We see three 00:26:40.109 --> 00:26:43.970 there. So, we see three there. And these three, 00:26:44.089 --> 00:26:48.130 at this point where this message was being reported, 00:26:48.430 --> 00:26:50.390 were they disciples or were they still possessed 00:26:50.390 --> 00:26:56.079 by demons? They were disciples. Okay? They were 00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:59.420 disciples. So, they were delivered of evil spirit 00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:06.259 and they became disciples. They became disciples. 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:10.599 Certain women which were healed of evil spirit 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:17.139 and infirmities. So, when people are delivered 00:27:17.139 --> 00:27:20.900 from demons and evil spirits, they are supposed 00:27:20.900 --> 00:27:23.720 to become disciples. That is what we want them 00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:27.279 to become. So you have to preach to them. You 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:29.079 know, we have to preach to them and tell them, 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:33.019 you see, this is what has happened to you. This 00:27:33.019 --> 00:27:39.359 is by the power of God. And this is what God 00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:44.460 wants you to do. Right? So it's not like we are 00:27:44.460 --> 00:27:47.660 doing freelance. You know, you just go, you just 00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:50.380 heal. You let the person go. You just go, just 00:27:50.380 --> 00:27:52.819 cast out demons. And you just smile, you know. 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:56.380 You are enjoying the feel like some people will 00:27:56.380 --> 00:28:00.599 say. But rather, as that miraculous is taking 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:03.119 place in the life of that person, you are ready 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:08.460 to preach to the person. You are ready to preach 00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:11.059 to the person. So it is that they will become 00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:14.500 disciples. They will believe the gospel. And 00:28:14.500 --> 00:28:18.240 they will preach the same thing. They will preach 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:27.660 the same thing. Let's go to Acts 16. Acts 16. 00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:36.180 The miraculous brings people into discipleship 00:28:36.180 --> 00:28:38.140 as they have been healed, as they have been delivered. 00:28:41.500 --> 00:28:55.269 Acts 16. Then came he, okay, we'll go to verse 00:28:55.269 --> 00:28:58.869 30 and 35. He said, then came he to Deb and Lysra 00:28:58.869 --> 00:29:01.410 and built a certain disciple where they are named 00:29:01.410 --> 00:29:04.269 Timotheus, the son of a certain man, which was 00:29:04.269 --> 00:29:07.569 a Jewess. Married in the right place. Yes. And 00:29:07.569 --> 00:29:10.930 believe, and believe. But his father was a Greek. 00:29:11.170 --> 00:29:14.950 I think we can skip this part. We gotta go to 00:29:14.950 --> 00:29:28.829 verse 11. Right, 16, we can go to verse 11. He 00:29:28.829 --> 00:29:30.990 said, therefore, losing from trials, we came 00:29:30.990 --> 00:29:35.569 with a straight course to Samutrashyap and the 00:29:35.569 --> 00:29:39.430 next day to Neapolis. And from thence to Philpab, 00:29:39.589 --> 00:29:43.089 which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia 00:29:43.089 --> 00:29:46.309 and a colony. And we were in that city abiding 00:29:46.309 --> 00:29:48.970 certain days. And on a Sabbath, we went out of 00:29:48.970 --> 00:29:52.890 the city by a riverside where prayers... was 00:29:52.890 --> 00:29:55.950 wounds to be made. And we sat down and spoke 00:29:55.950 --> 00:29:59.609 unto the woman which resorted, Theta. And a certain 00:29:59.609 --> 00:30:02.769 woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the 00:30:02.769 --> 00:30:06.369 city of Tythera, which worshipped God, heard 00:30:06.369 --> 00:30:10.109 us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended 00:30:10.109 --> 00:30:13.670 unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And 00:30:13.670 --> 00:30:17.950 when she was baptized, and her household, she 00:30:17.950 --> 00:30:21.210 besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to 00:30:21.210 --> 00:30:23.829 be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and 00:30:23.829 --> 00:30:29.269 abide there. And she constrained us. So we see 00:30:29.269 --> 00:30:32.750 then that they preached on household and they 00:30:32.750 --> 00:30:35.069 believed. Now in the course of that, not directly, 00:30:35.150 --> 00:30:38.329 but in the course of that, we see that something 00:30:38.329 --> 00:30:46.509 took place from verse 30 to 35. We can read from... 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:53.980 From verse 22. So after preaching the gospel 00:30:53.980 --> 00:30:57.839 in the house of Lydia, a whole household saved. 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:02.000 Right? You should know what follows. In verse 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:04.279 22 it says, And the multitude rose up together 00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:07.680 against them, and the magistrates ranked off 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:11.500 their robe and commanded to beat them. And when 00:31:11.500 --> 00:31:14.460 they had laid many stripes on them, they cast 00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:17.119 them into the prison, charging the jailer to 00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:20.240 keep them safely. who haven't received such a 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:23.799 charge, thrust them into the inner prison and 00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:27.240 made their feet fast in the stocks. And admitted, 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:30.019 Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, 00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:33.880 and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there 00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:36.380 was a great earthquake, so that the foundation 00:31:36.380 --> 00:31:39.259 of the prison were shaken, and immediately all 00:31:39.259 --> 00:31:42.680 the doors were opened, and everyone, everyone's 00:31:42.680 --> 00:31:48.009 bands were loose. It's not just Paul and... Silas 00:31:48.009 --> 00:31:51.789 the Lord. Everyone found were what? Were loose. 00:31:52.369 --> 00:31:55.170 And the keeper of the prison awoken. So this 00:31:55.170 --> 00:31:58.809 is a miraculous in a circumstance, right? Miraculous 00:31:58.809 --> 00:32:02.329 taking place in a circumstance and among a people 00:32:02.329 --> 00:32:05.690 there. And the keeper of the prison awoken out 00:32:05.690 --> 00:32:07.950 of sleep, seeing that the prison doors open, 00:32:08.269 --> 00:32:12.230 he drew out a sword and would have killed himself. 00:32:13.829 --> 00:32:16.420 Supposing that the prisoners had fled. But Paul 00:32:16.420 --> 00:32:19.200 cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:23.460 harm, for we are all here. Then he called for 00:32:23.460 --> 00:32:26.880 a light and sprang in and came trembling and 00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:29.859 fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them 00:32:29.859 --> 00:32:33.579 out and said, Sars, what must I do to be what? 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:37.460 To be saved. He did not ask them, How did the 00:32:37.460 --> 00:32:40.500 chains break off? Right? He did not ask them, 00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:43.319 How were the doors opened? Right? He did not 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:45.720 ask them, How is it that it's not just you and 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:49.240 Silas, but everybody in this prison, their chains 00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:54.380 were broken? It tells us what should be the position 00:32:54.380 --> 00:32:57.700 of someone who is delivered, right? He's not 00:32:57.700 --> 00:32:59.240 delivered from evil spirit, but he was delivered 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:02.119 from killing himself, right? If Paul had not 00:33:02.119 --> 00:33:05.420 shouted, he would have committed suicide or he 00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:09.619 would have been executed. Having known the people 00:33:09.619 --> 00:33:12.960 who had handed over Paul and Silas to them and 00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:15.390 having known, that they had caused trouble in 00:33:15.390 --> 00:33:17.549 their cities. In fact, they put them in the innermost 00:33:17.549 --> 00:33:21.109 prison. So look at the position of someone who 00:33:21.109 --> 00:33:24.549 was delivered from killing himself, right? More 00:33:24.549 --> 00:33:26.690 like delivered from death. He said, what can 00:33:26.690 --> 00:33:31.609 I do to be saved? So when the miraculous takes 00:33:31.609 --> 00:33:34.690 place, it is that the person who is delivered 00:33:34.690 --> 00:33:37.089 from evil spirit or is delivered from a circumstance, 00:33:37.589 --> 00:33:41.829 right? Must ask, what must I do to be saved? 00:33:41.890 --> 00:33:43.559 The person does not have... You tell the person 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:47.619 you need to be saved. Right? You need to be saved. 00:33:47.880 --> 00:33:52.480 So many years ago, actually, before I had this 00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:56.359 understanding, I had many people around me, right, 00:33:56.440 --> 00:33:59.859 growing up, that they pray for unbelievers and 00:33:59.859 --> 00:34:03.680 miraculous happens. Right? They just meet an 00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:05.599 unbeliever. They just pray for the person and 00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:07.940 the person gets healed and go. But some of them, 00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:10.960 interestingly, they can be from another entire 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:15.880 religion. So I saw that consistently. So my question 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:20.039 when I became much, when I grew up, why are we 00:34:20.039 --> 00:34:24.760 healing them and they are not part of this house? 00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:29.340 That was my question. Why are we healing them? 00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:32.659 Why are we praying for them? Why are we doing 00:34:32.659 --> 00:34:35.119 all of this when they are not even part of this 00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:37.980 house? Or why should we even preach to them and 00:34:37.980 --> 00:34:41.739 pray for them to get healed and we let them go? 00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:46.099 I started questioning that. And the first position 00:34:46.099 --> 00:34:48.159 I took was, we are not praying for them again. 00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:50.480 Let's wait first. That was my first position 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:54.280 for a couple of years. I'm like, why should we 00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:56.579 pray for someone from another religion that is 00:34:56.579 --> 00:35:00.440 sick? Because I was just seeing, we're just healing 00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:01.900 them and they are going and they're not hearing 00:35:01.900 --> 00:35:04.480 the gospel. But when I started understanding 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:07.739 the signs and wonders that accompany the preaching 00:35:07.739 --> 00:35:11.440 of the gospel, I understood that the job will 00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:15.159 be complete where they are healed and they are 00:35:15.159 --> 00:35:19.519 preached to. Right? So the problem is not healing 00:35:19.519 --> 00:35:22.639 them or giving them the word or giving them a 00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:25.099 revelation from God. Sometimes you can even receive 00:35:25.099 --> 00:35:28.079 direction for them. Interesting, you will receive 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:31.559 direction. I mean, things in the natural and 00:35:31.559 --> 00:35:34.139 you will tell them this is it and it would be 00:35:34.139 --> 00:35:36.460 as you have spoken because you carry the Spirit 00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:40.599 of God, right? So in such circumstances, we must 00:35:40.599 --> 00:35:44.500 also be able to preach to them and tell them, 00:35:44.539 --> 00:35:49.139 this is by the Spirit of God, right? Otherwise, 00:35:49.139 --> 00:35:56.719 we will not be different from motivational speakers. 00:35:58.139 --> 00:35:59.920 That's the point. We will not be different from 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:01.719 any inspiration out there. Because the person 00:36:01.719 --> 00:36:04.719 will not understand where your inspiration is 00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:08.170 coming from. The person will just say, oh. This 00:36:08.170 --> 00:36:10.090 guy is just one of those guys, anything he says, 00:36:10.130 --> 00:36:15.010 I just get inspired. When he just says something, 00:36:15.110 --> 00:36:18.590 it just comes to pass in my life. And they will 00:36:18.590 --> 00:36:20.409 keep coming around because they want to feed 00:36:20.409 --> 00:36:24.130 on what you have. But you must feed them what? 00:36:24.349 --> 00:36:27.730 With the gospel. We must feed them. Like this 00:36:27.730 --> 00:36:30.389 is what we have to do. We must feed them with 00:36:30.389 --> 00:36:32.449 the gospel. As much as they are injured, we must 00:36:32.449 --> 00:36:34.489 preach to them. We must tell them, you need to 00:36:34.489 --> 00:36:37.860 be saved. Right? You can enjoy these signs and 00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:40.260 wonders and you don't belong to the family. You're 00:36:40.260 --> 00:36:42.800 not safe. You don't have eternal life in you. 00:36:43.059 --> 00:36:46.159 So we have to preach to them as they are being 00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:49.539 delivered, right, from circumstances and things 00:36:49.539 --> 00:36:52.760 around. Now, the fourth one, the fourth one, 00:36:52.780 --> 00:36:55.920 which is going to take us a little bit, almost 00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:59.500 throughout the end of this teaching, is that 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:08.849 the miraculous helps us to address opposition 00:37:08.849 --> 00:37:12.690 to the preaching of the gospel. The miraculous 00:37:12.690 --> 00:37:18.110 can help us to address opposition to the preaching 00:37:18.110 --> 00:37:23.329 of the gospel. The miraculous can help us to 00:37:23.329 --> 00:37:27.989 address opposition to the preaching of the gospel. 00:37:28.929 --> 00:37:43.260 Acts 16, verse 19. Acts 16, verse... Let's start 00:37:43.260 --> 00:37:47.000 from verse 16. It said that it came to pass as 00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:50.340 we went to pray, a certain damsel possessed with 00:37:50.340 --> 00:37:53.519 the spirit of divination met us. We brought what? 00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:58.059 Our masters much gain. By what? By soothsaying. 00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:03.400 By soothsaying. Brought much gain to our master. 00:38:04.820 --> 00:38:07.699 By soothsaying. This is an opposition to the 00:38:07.699 --> 00:38:12.099 gospel. You know why? Because he is like Simon 00:38:12.099 --> 00:38:17.380 that was considered the great the great sorcerer 00:38:17.380 --> 00:38:24.360 until Philip appeared. So Simon was considered 00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:27.980 the greatest of all time until Philip appeared. 00:38:28.099 --> 00:38:34.500 That was an opposition. How can I put it? Any 00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:37.559 standing that is against the power of God and 00:38:37.559 --> 00:38:39.739 is being exalted there is an opposition to the 00:38:39.739 --> 00:38:43.420 gospel. Because you need the miraculous to clear 00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:46.119 their eyes and then they will see the message 00:38:46.119 --> 00:38:48.340 of the gospel. And we see that in the case of 00:38:48.340 --> 00:38:51.099 Philip. So here again, we see an opposition, 00:38:51.219 --> 00:38:55.099 you know, this guy has been making money, right, 00:38:55.179 --> 00:38:58.760 from this damn cell. The same followed Paul and 00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:01.860 us. And Christ was saying, these men are the 00:39:01.860 --> 00:39:03.860 servants of the most high God, right? We dealt 00:39:03.860 --> 00:39:06.550 with this last Sunday, right? This statement 00:39:06.550 --> 00:39:09.230 does not mean she is saved, but it's definitely 00:39:09.230 --> 00:39:13.289 an opposition. He said, which show us the way 00:39:13.289 --> 00:39:17.829 of salvation. Right? Well, she's not in the way 00:39:17.829 --> 00:39:20.289 of salvation. Neither are our owners in the way 00:39:20.289 --> 00:39:23.650 of salvation. And this she did many days. But 00:39:23.650 --> 00:39:27.050 Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit. 00:39:27.210 --> 00:39:29.550 So it was a spirit at work. I command thee in 00:39:29.550 --> 00:39:31.690 the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. 00:39:32.349 --> 00:39:37.489 And he. came out the same hour. And when the 00:39:37.489 --> 00:39:39.889 master saw that the hope of their gains were 00:39:39.889 --> 00:39:42.969 gone, they called Paul and Silas and drew them 00:39:42.969 --> 00:39:46.050 into the marketplace, onto the ruler. So what 00:39:46.050 --> 00:39:50.090 we see there is that Paul was preaching and there 00:39:50.090 --> 00:39:53.269 was someone distracting, right? A distraction. 00:39:53.449 --> 00:39:57.630 So we can cast that out, right? We can cast that 00:39:57.630 --> 00:40:01.469 out in that sense. So we see that Paul did not 00:40:01.469 --> 00:40:06.849 kill her. Paul did not harm her, right? But Paul 00:40:06.849 --> 00:40:09.570 actually cast out the demon. So let's go to Acts 00:40:09.570 --> 00:40:21.690 13, 6 -12. Acts 13, 6 -12. And when they had 00:40:21.690 --> 00:40:23.829 gone through the eyes of Paphos, they found a 00:40:23.829 --> 00:40:27.869 sudden sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose 00:40:27.869 --> 00:40:31.940 name was Bar -Jesus. which was with the deputy 00:40:31.940 --> 00:40:35.559 of the country, Sardius Paulus, a prudent man 00:40:35.559 --> 00:40:38.920 who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:43.880 to hear the word of God. But Elymas, the sorcerer, 00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:48.320 for Saul is his name by interpretation, withstood 00:40:48.320 --> 00:40:52.119 them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the 00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:56.460 faith. Right? A sorcerer seeking to turn away 00:40:56.460 --> 00:41:01.550 the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, whose name 00:41:01.550 --> 00:41:03.989 was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, 00:41:04.150 --> 00:41:07.969 set his eyes on him, and said, O fool of all 00:41:07.969 --> 00:41:11.670 subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the 00:41:11.670 --> 00:41:15.349 devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt 00:41:15.349 --> 00:41:18.369 thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the 00:41:18.369 --> 00:41:21.670 Lord? And now behold, the hand of the Lord is 00:41:21.670 --> 00:41:24.789 upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing 00:41:24.789 --> 00:41:28.329 the sun for a season. And immediately there fell 00:41:28.329 --> 00:41:32.380 on him a mist. and a darkness. And he went about 00:41:32.380 --> 00:41:37.400 seeking some to lead him by the hand. Now we 00:41:37.400 --> 00:41:40.099 see the miraculous taking place here, right? 00:41:40.159 --> 00:41:43.139 Is it a miraculous taking place here? Yes, it's 00:41:43.139 --> 00:41:44.980 the miraculous taking place. There's an opposition 00:41:44.980 --> 00:41:49.880 to the gospel and Paul spoke a word, right? Paul 00:41:49.880 --> 00:41:53.239 spoke a word and that word causing to be blind 00:41:53.239 --> 00:41:56.659 for a season, right? To be blind for a season. 00:41:56.900 --> 00:42:01.300 Now, this blindness, We must pay attention to 00:42:01.300 --> 00:42:05.760 it because he said for a season, right? It means 00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:10.340 that it's not that his eyeballs fell off, neither 00:42:10.340 --> 00:42:14.000 were his eyes bleeding, right? But the eyes were 00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:17.579 there but could not see for a season. Why? So 00:42:17.579 --> 00:42:22.000 that the person Paul is preaching to can receive 00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:25.500 the message of the gospel, right? So we'll see 00:42:25.500 --> 00:42:28.840 it in verse 12. Look at verse 12. Verse 12 says, 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:32.559 then, after this guy had been taken out of the 00:42:32.559 --> 00:42:36.579 way, the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, 00:42:36.980 --> 00:42:41.179 being astonished, at the doctrine of the Lord. 00:42:41.420 --> 00:42:45.820 So, two things. He saw the miraculous and he 00:42:45.820 --> 00:42:48.840 heard the doctrine. He saw the miraculous, he 00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:51.119 was astonished, he heard the doctrine and he 00:42:51.119 --> 00:42:54.320 believed. Right. So, it means that in certain 00:42:54.320 --> 00:42:57.590 situations, we can do such. But we need to be 00:42:57.590 --> 00:43:00.909 careful. Now, Paul did not harm him. Just like 00:43:00.909 --> 00:43:03.329 I said, Paul did not harm the other lady, right? 00:43:03.510 --> 00:43:07.130 Paul did not harm him. Paul did not say, be blind 00:43:07.130 --> 00:43:12.429 and let your eyes not see again. But Paul gave 00:43:12.429 --> 00:43:14.909 an instruction that he might be able not to see 00:43:14.909 --> 00:43:18.170 for a season. It means that after a season, he 00:43:18.170 --> 00:43:20.710 will be able to see, right? That is what it means. 00:43:20.869 --> 00:43:23.449 Now, this is similar to what happens to Apostle 00:43:23.449 --> 00:43:27.010 Paul, right? when he had an encounter on his 00:43:27.010 --> 00:43:31.030 way to Damascus, right? So we can see Acts 8, 00:43:31.110 --> 00:43:35.909 9 to 13. Just pay attention to that being blind 00:43:35.909 --> 00:43:39.269 for a season. So this is not killing the person. 00:43:39.369 --> 00:43:42.929 This is not harming the person, but doing something, 00:43:43.070 --> 00:43:46.909 right, that will make the person go out of the 00:43:46.909 --> 00:43:55.239 way. Okay, this is... This is the story of Simon. 00:43:57.099 --> 00:44:00.780 Acts 9. Let's go to Acts 9. Just move to the 00:44:00.780 --> 00:44:04.099 next page. Acts 9, from verse 4 to 8. And he 00:44:04.099 --> 00:44:06.159 fell to the earth and heard the voice saying, 00:44:06.420 --> 00:44:09.699 Soul, soul, what persecuted thou me? And he said, 00:44:09.780 --> 00:44:12.619 Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, 00:44:12.739 --> 00:44:16.159 whom thou persecuted. It is hard for thee to 00:44:16.159 --> 00:44:19.420 kick against the priest. And trembling and astonished, 00:44:19.539 --> 00:44:23.329 said, Lord, what would thou have me to do? And 00:44:23.329 --> 00:44:25.389 the Lord said, Arise and go on into the city, 00:44:25.530 --> 00:44:27.789 and it shall be unto thee, it shall be told to 00:44:27.789 --> 00:44:31.489 thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed 00:44:31.489 --> 00:44:34.690 with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but 00:44:34.690 --> 00:44:38.409 seeing no man. Verse 8. And Saul arose from the 00:44:38.409 --> 00:44:42.530 earth, and when his eyes were opened, he did 00:44:42.530 --> 00:44:49.050 what? He saw no man. He saw who? No man. He saw 00:44:49.050 --> 00:44:57.800 no man. Now go to verse 15 and 16. But the Lord 00:44:57.800 --> 00:45:00.119 said unto him, this is Ananias, right? But the 00:45:00.119 --> 00:45:03.599 Lord said unto him, go thy way for Paul, that 00:45:03.599 --> 00:45:05.940 he is Paul. For Paul is a chosen vessel unto 00:45:05.940 --> 00:45:09.300 me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings 00:45:09.300 --> 00:45:12.739 and the children of Israel. For I will show him 00:45:12.739 --> 00:45:14.960 how great things they must suffer for my sake, 00:45:15.039 --> 00:45:18.420 for my name's sake. That's four. Verse 17. And 00:45:18.420 --> 00:45:23.579 Ananias went his way. and entered into the house, 00:45:23.699 --> 00:45:27.019 and putting his hand on him, he said, Brother 00:45:27.019 --> 00:45:30.280 Paul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto 00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:34.460 thee in the way, as thou camest and sent me, 00:45:34.619 --> 00:45:37.900 that thou mightest receive thy sight, be filled 00:45:37.900 --> 00:45:40.920 with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell 00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:44.219 from his eyes, as it has been, what? Scales. 00:45:46.460 --> 00:45:52.099 So will you say Jesus blind Paul? Right? And 00:45:52.099 --> 00:45:55.039 Bo was not able to see forever. No. It means 00:45:55.039 --> 00:45:58.280 that he had a miraculous encounter, right, that 00:45:58.280 --> 00:46:01.579 stopped him from going ahead to persecute the 00:46:01.579 --> 00:46:06.099 church. And how that took place was that something 00:46:06.099 --> 00:46:08.440 physical that was stopping him from progressing 00:46:08.440 --> 00:46:14.219 in doing that took place. But that was just for 00:46:14.219 --> 00:46:18.739 what? A season. He did no harm to his eyes because 00:46:18.739 --> 00:46:20.960 he received his eyes, he received his sight back. 00:46:22.519 --> 00:46:26.219 So similarly, right, in the case of Elemas, we 00:46:26.219 --> 00:46:28.719 see that he was blind for a season. For a season 00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:33.139 and afterwards, they could see again. Right? 00:46:33.420 --> 00:46:37.179 They could see again. So it means that we can 00:46:37.179 --> 00:46:41.179 put in the miraculous, not to harm people, but 00:46:41.179 --> 00:46:44.719 to disrupt things around them, right, when they 00:46:44.719 --> 00:46:48.039 are opposing the gospel. when they are opposing 00:46:48.039 --> 00:46:51.320 the gospel. We can, I mean, we can pray people 00:46:51.320 --> 00:46:53.960 away from positions where they stood against 00:46:53.960 --> 00:46:58.480 the gospel. And that can happen. They can be 00:46:58.480 --> 00:47:01.440 changed. Things can happen. They can decide to 00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:05.380 leave the place themselves. So this is the miraculous 00:47:05.380 --> 00:47:07.500 power. So what we see here is that the body was 00:47:07.500 --> 00:47:09.980 no harm. The physical body was no harm. But the 00:47:09.980 --> 00:47:12.179 physical body could not function for a season. 00:47:13.079 --> 00:47:18.110 Okay? The eyes could not function for... So this 00:47:18.110 --> 00:47:21.809 is a miraculous intervention in the case when 00:47:21.809 --> 00:47:27.269 the gospel is being opposed. Now let's find a 00:47:27.269 --> 00:47:31.269 few exceptions and we'll just spend some time 00:47:31.269 --> 00:47:42.530 on that and close. 2 Kings 1 .6 -5 2 Kings 1 00:47:42.530 --> 00:47:53.579 .6 -5 So we are not praying for people to lose 00:47:53.579 --> 00:47:56.960 their sight forever, to die or to break their 00:47:56.960 --> 00:47:59.159 bones. No, we're not praying for that because 00:47:59.159 --> 00:48:03.719 Jesus is showing a pattern, right? He's teaching 00:48:03.719 --> 00:48:07.820 us a pattern. So from chapter 1, verse 6 to 15, 00:48:08.119 --> 00:48:11.699 it said, And they said unto him, There came a 00:48:11.699 --> 00:48:15.139 man up to meet us and said unto us, Go and turn 00:48:15.139 --> 00:48:18.860 again unto the king. that sent you. And say unto 00:48:18.860 --> 00:48:22.619 him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there 00:48:22.619 --> 00:48:25.960 is no God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire 00:48:25.960 --> 00:48:29.340 of Beelzebub, the God of Ekron? Therefore thou 00:48:29.340 --> 00:48:32.219 shalt not come down from the bed on which thou 00:48:32.219 --> 00:48:36.380 hast gone up, but thou shalt surely die. Right? 00:48:36.679 --> 00:48:39.039 Thou shalt surely die. Now, this is a pattern 00:48:39.039 --> 00:48:42.159 that is, you can see it in the Old Testament, 00:48:42.460 --> 00:48:45.000 what we call the Old Testament text. But when 00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:50.900 we pay attention, To the epistles, to the gospels, 00:48:50.960 --> 00:48:55.880 we don't find such pattern. Do we get it? The 00:48:55.880 --> 00:48:58.099 pattern, well, the first thing you have to check 00:48:58.099 --> 00:49:03.219 is that what the prophets Elijah said, was it 00:49:03.219 --> 00:49:05.340 wrong? No, the first statement was not wrong. 00:49:05.539 --> 00:49:07.739 The statement that, is it that there's no God 00:49:07.739 --> 00:49:13.079 in Israel that you go about seeking an idol? 00:49:14.539 --> 00:49:17.199 So that's a good statement, right? It's more 00:49:17.199 --> 00:49:20.539 or less, we can say it's also more or less propagating 00:49:20.539 --> 00:49:23.079 the gospel, meaning that there is God, right? 00:49:23.119 --> 00:49:25.960 You should hear from the God of Israel, not going 00:49:25.960 --> 00:49:29.960 after idols. So that's very justified, right? 00:49:30.019 --> 00:49:32.539 That is very justified. So is there no God? Now, 00:49:32.679 --> 00:49:38.579 the question is, how did the prophets, right? 00:49:38.659 --> 00:49:41.539 How did the prophets function and address? Now, 00:49:41.559 --> 00:49:44.219 in the New Testament text, definitely you would 00:49:44.219 --> 00:49:47.409 know. that what will happen is that healing will 00:49:47.409 --> 00:49:50.329 take place and the people will believe, right? 00:49:50.429 --> 00:49:52.949 Did you see that pattern consistently? Healing 00:49:52.949 --> 00:49:55.130 will take place and the people will believe. 00:49:55.289 --> 00:49:57.849 The people will be delivered from evil spirits 00:49:57.849 --> 00:50:01.530 and they will believe. But here, something different 00:50:01.530 --> 00:50:04.409 happened, which Jesus also referred to. The prophet 00:50:04.409 --> 00:50:07.849 actually said, the king himself should die, right? 00:50:07.929 --> 00:50:11.449 That is the first thing. Now look at subsequent 00:50:11.449 --> 00:50:14.639 statements that followed. Look at subsequent 00:50:14.639 --> 00:50:20.000 statements that followed. He said unto them, 00:50:20.079 --> 00:50:23.579 What manner of man was he which came up to meet 00:50:23.579 --> 00:50:26.820 you? Verse 7. And told you these words. And they 00:50:26.820 --> 00:50:30.079 answered him, He was a hairy man gilded with 00:50:30.079 --> 00:50:33.320 gildo of leather about his loins. And he said, 00:50:33.440 --> 00:50:37.880 It is Elijah the Tishbite. And the king sent 00:50:37.880 --> 00:50:41.719 unto him a captain of fifty, which is fifty. 00:50:42.269 --> 00:50:45.590 And he went up to him, and behold, he sat on 00:50:45.590 --> 00:50:49.570 the top of the hill, and he spake unto him, Thou, 00:50:49.570 --> 00:50:51.989 O man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 00:50:52.429 --> 00:50:56.250 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of 00:50:56.250 --> 00:51:00.230 fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come 00:51:00.230 --> 00:51:04.369 down from heaven and consume thee, and thy fifty. 00:51:04.650 --> 00:51:08.349 And there came fire down from heaven and consumed 00:51:08.349 --> 00:51:12.349 him and his fifty. And again also, He sent unto 00:51:12.349 --> 00:51:15.929 him another captain of 50 with 50. And he answered 00:51:15.929 --> 00:51:18.690 and said unto him, O man of God, just said the 00:51:18.690 --> 00:51:21.690 king, come down quickly. And Elijah said unto 00:51:21.690 --> 00:51:24.650 them, if I be a man of God, let fire come down 00:51:24.650 --> 00:51:28.010 from heaven and consume thee and thy 50. And 00:51:28.010 --> 00:51:32.110 fire from of God, as written here, came down 00:51:32.110 --> 00:51:35.449 from heaven and consumed him and the 50. And 00:51:35.449 --> 00:51:41.550 13 again. Now until... And he sent again a captain 00:51:41.550 --> 00:51:45.090 of the third 50 with 50. And the third captain 00:51:45.090 --> 00:51:48.550 of 50 went up and came and fell on his knees 00:51:48.550 --> 00:51:51.730 before Elijah and besought him and said to him, 00:51:51.789 --> 00:51:55.929 O man of God, I pray thee. Now he pleaded, let 00:51:55.929 --> 00:51:59.550 my life and the life of this 50 thy servant be 00:51:59.550 --> 00:52:03.210 precious in their sight. What's a wise captain? 00:52:04.409 --> 00:52:07.730 A wise captain did that. Now the question is, 00:52:09.769 --> 00:52:19.889 Can we say this is the miraculous? Can we say 00:52:19.889 --> 00:52:23.690 this is the miraculous? Okay. Don't forget the 00:52:23.690 --> 00:52:26.010 miraculous. Let's now pick it together. The miraculous 00:52:26.010 --> 00:52:30.889 is taking place through the spirit of Christ. 00:52:31.090 --> 00:52:34.429 Are we together? Are we all on the same page 00:52:34.429 --> 00:52:36.789 on that? That the miraculous takes place through 00:52:36.789 --> 00:52:38.750 the spirit of Christ. That is why. From beginning, 00:52:38.869 --> 00:52:41.730 I will not have you to be ignorant. Things concerning 00:52:41.730 --> 00:52:45.130 spiritual. So the miraculous takes place through 00:52:45.130 --> 00:52:50.989 the spirit of Christ. Right? We see that. Now, 00:52:51.070 --> 00:52:55.250 two things has been mentioned here. The king 00:52:55.250 --> 00:53:02.050 should die and the 50 died. Of course, the king 00:53:02.050 --> 00:53:03.809 is still a prophecy. The other one is already 00:53:03.809 --> 00:53:06.849 taking place. Can the spirit of Christ produce 00:53:06.849 --> 00:53:12.219 death? That becomes the question. Can the Spirit 00:53:12.219 --> 00:53:15.519 of Christ produce death? Now, this is one of 00:53:15.519 --> 00:53:19.159 the places where the disciples understood this 00:53:19.159 --> 00:53:21.039 power. There was still something that happened 00:53:21.039 --> 00:53:24.019 there. And they wanted to work in the power of 00:53:24.019 --> 00:53:28.599 Elijah. Luke 9, verse 51. Let's go to Luke 9, 00:53:28.639 --> 00:53:31.940 verse 51. Amidst all the things that happened 00:53:31.940 --> 00:53:34.760 in the Old Testament, this was one that was supposedly 00:53:34.760 --> 00:53:40.440 desired by the disciples. To be practiced. So 00:53:40.440 --> 00:53:48.960 Luke 9, 51 to 56. The disciples desired. Now 00:53:48.960 --> 00:53:50.980 look at the context. It's also like an opposition 00:53:50.980 --> 00:53:53.760 to the gospel. This one also is like opposition 00:53:53.760 --> 00:53:57.360 to the serving and worship of God. Luke chapter 00:53:57.360 --> 00:54:00.880 9 is also similar. Opposition to what Christ 00:54:00.880 --> 00:54:04.840 wants to do. He said, and it came to pass. When 00:54:04.840 --> 00:54:08.590 the time was come. that he should be what? Received 00:54:08.590 --> 00:54:12.210 of. Right? So he's talking about the death, burial 00:54:12.210 --> 00:54:15.309 and resurrection of Christ. He stood by the side 00:54:15.309 --> 00:54:19.170 of his face to go to Jerusalem. Verse 52. And 00:54:19.170 --> 00:54:21.909 sent messengers before his face and they went 00:54:21.909 --> 00:54:24.170 and entered into a village of the Samaritans 00:54:24.170 --> 00:54:28.110 to make ready for him. 53. Look at the offense. 00:54:28.389 --> 00:54:32.150 And they did not receive him because his face 00:54:32.150 --> 00:54:34.670 was as though he would go to Jerusalem. So it 00:54:34.670 --> 00:54:37.789 means that in a place it was not received. And 00:54:37.789 --> 00:54:39.929 the disciples said what? And when the disciples, 00:54:40.210 --> 00:54:44.610 James and John, saw this, you won't receive the 00:54:44.610 --> 00:54:49.030 Lord. They said, Lord, without that, we command 00:54:49.030 --> 00:54:53.050 fire to come down from heaven and consume them, 00:54:53.170 --> 00:54:59.869 even as Elias did. So, some people, right, are 00:54:59.869 --> 00:55:03.619 opposing. So he sent messengers to them and went 00:55:03.619 --> 00:55:06.260 to the village to make ready for him. So they're 00:55:06.260 --> 00:55:09.300 not ready to make ready for Christ. That's all 00:55:09.300 --> 00:55:12.159 I can say. So they're not receiving Christ. They're 00:55:12.159 --> 00:55:15.199 not giving him an attention. They're not allowing 00:55:15.199 --> 00:55:18.059 him to come into their cities. We have this opposition. 00:55:19.179 --> 00:55:24.139 Can we just call down fire? Just like Elias did. 00:55:24.739 --> 00:55:28.380 And just clear this city. And show them that 00:55:28.380 --> 00:55:33.949 there is God in Israel. because of course that 00:55:33.949 --> 00:55:36.349 was what Elijah was trying to prove by cursing 00:55:36.349 --> 00:55:39.969 the death of the king and cursing the 50 to die. 00:55:40.710 --> 00:55:43.230 Can we just show them that there's God in Israel 00:55:43.230 --> 00:55:46.849 by sending down fire? But look at what Jesus 00:55:46.849 --> 00:55:49.469 responded, which is crucial. He said, but he 00:55:49.469 --> 00:55:52.690 turned and rebuked them and said, ye know not 00:55:52.690 --> 00:55:55.929 what manner of spirit ye are. For the son of 00:55:55.929 --> 00:56:00.170 man is not come to destroy man's life, but to 00:56:00.170 --> 00:56:03.619 save them. And what did Jesus do? He went to 00:56:03.619 --> 00:56:08.920 another village. Did you see that? Jesus moved 00:56:08.920 --> 00:56:14.820 on to another village. That was his response. 00:56:14.840 --> 00:56:18.699 He moved on to another village. So, starting 00:56:18.699 --> 00:56:21.539 from what Elias did. Jesus said that he's literally 00:56:21.539 --> 00:56:25.920 saying that Elias' example in what he did is 00:56:25.920 --> 00:56:30.579 not an example to you. That is not the pattern 00:56:30.579 --> 00:56:35.159 you would follow. as my disciples, as those who 00:56:35.159 --> 00:56:38.579 would carry my message, that is not the pattern 00:56:38.579 --> 00:56:42.320 you would follow. So that was just it. So you 00:56:42.320 --> 00:56:44.840 don't know what manner of spirit you are of. 00:56:47.300 --> 00:56:49.519 That if you will walk in the spirit of Christ, 00:56:49.800 --> 00:56:54.179 it does not function this way. It does not use 00:56:54.179 --> 00:56:59.280 death to cause people even in the point of opposition 00:56:59.280 --> 00:57:02.949 to the gospel. That's what he just said, right? 00:57:03.090 --> 00:57:05.269 He's not going to use, he's not going to cost 00:57:05.269 --> 00:57:08.989 debts to people even when they are opposing. 00:57:09.190 --> 00:57:14.630 So, the difference, right, in what we saw that 00:57:14.630 --> 00:57:19.010 happened to Elymas, that happened to Paul, right, 00:57:19.070 --> 00:57:24.409 is that in their lives, they continued their 00:57:24.409 --> 00:57:27.250 life afterwards. They had the privilege to hear 00:57:27.250 --> 00:57:30.389 the gospel. They had the privilege because they 00:57:30.389 --> 00:57:32.590 were not blind forever. Paul had the privilege. 00:57:32.630 --> 00:57:35.670 We can see how that ended. And it took time to 00:57:35.670 --> 00:57:39.150 write the entire, you know, most of the epistles. 00:57:41.150 --> 00:57:43.690 So it shows that the man himself was not destroyed, 00:57:43.889 --> 00:57:47.389 but he remained a vessel that can be used by 00:57:47.389 --> 00:57:51.210 God. But in this context, when men are destroyed, 00:57:51.530 --> 00:57:55.349 right, especially those who are in unbelief and 00:57:55.349 --> 00:57:58.179 in opposition to the gospel, They add nothing 00:57:58.179 --> 00:58:03.860 to the kingdom. Do we get it? They add nothing 00:58:03.860 --> 00:58:06.659 to the kingdom. So it therefore teaches us to 00:58:06.659 --> 00:58:10.400 pray, right? It teaches us and shape our prayer 00:58:10.400 --> 00:58:14.099 life that when we pray, right? For those who 00:58:14.099 --> 00:58:16.980 hate us, those who oppose the gospel, those who 00:58:16.980 --> 00:58:22.739 stop us, right? From doing what God has called 00:58:22.739 --> 00:58:27.230 us to do. It is not to pray for them. that they 00:58:27.230 --> 00:58:28.789 would die to the point where they wouldn't receive 00:58:28.789 --> 00:58:32.389 the gospel. I mean, that is what Jesus is saying. 00:58:33.309 --> 00:58:37.690 So his desire is that as much as they oppose 00:58:37.690 --> 00:58:42.289 you, they must be saved. So looking from the 00:58:42.289 --> 00:58:44.590 example of Paul, it means that we can pray that 00:58:44.590 --> 00:58:47.170 they can be blind for a season. They can be taken 00:58:47.170 --> 00:58:50.530 out of space. The natural circumstances around 00:58:50.530 --> 00:58:54.139 them can take them away. Natural circumstances 00:58:54.139 --> 00:58:57.099 can shift them away so that you can function. 00:58:57.780 --> 00:59:01.019 Not that they would lose their life, but circumstances 00:59:01.019 --> 00:59:04.860 around them would change their trajectory so 00:59:04.860 --> 00:59:07.639 that you can preach the gospel, so that you can 00:59:07.639 --> 00:59:11.039 live the life that Christ has called you to live. 00:59:11.980 --> 00:59:14.340 Your prayer still for them is that they will 00:59:14.340 --> 00:59:18.039 be saved. Do we get it? So the miraculous will 00:59:18.039 --> 00:59:20.980 not cause deaths. That's it. The miraculous will 00:59:20.980 --> 00:59:22.739 not cause death. Whatever caused death, we have 00:59:22.739 --> 00:59:26.820 to investigate it. Whatever caused death. Even 00:59:26.820 --> 00:59:28.780 if the person says, in the name of Jesus, we 00:59:28.780 --> 00:59:32.340 need to investigate it. Don't forget, someone 00:59:32.340 --> 00:59:33.820 was saying these are the servants of the living 00:59:33.820 --> 00:59:36.940 God and she was fully possessed and she was, 00:59:37.000 --> 00:59:40.719 you know, one supplying money to her owners. 00:59:41.019 --> 00:59:42.960 If you read that statement alone, you would think 00:59:42.960 --> 00:59:47.260 she's saved. So, math statements does not really 00:59:47.260 --> 00:59:48.920 emphasize. So, what I'm trying to say is that 00:59:49.280 --> 00:59:53.719 We must know how to pray while we are desiring 00:59:53.719 --> 00:59:55.840 the miraculous. Now, when prayer was made for 00:59:55.840 --> 01:00:00.739 Paul, it is not that the gods should die. We've 01:00:00.739 --> 01:00:03.159 never seen that in active, that none of them 01:00:03.159 --> 01:00:05.760 pray that Herod should die. None of them pray 01:00:05.760 --> 01:00:10.139 that the jailer should die. None of them pray 01:00:10.139 --> 01:00:14.820 that it is always that Paul will be delivered. 01:00:15.920 --> 01:00:18.320 And that is why we pray that prayer that will 01:00:18.320 --> 01:00:23.480 be delivered from unreasonable men. Right? Because 01:00:23.480 --> 01:00:26.820 not all men have what? Faith. It means that there 01:00:26.820 --> 01:00:28.619 are people who are faithless, right? They would 01:00:28.619 --> 01:00:32.219 want to oppose you all the time. But your prayer 01:00:32.219 --> 01:00:33.900 for them is that you are regularly delivered. 01:00:34.179 --> 01:00:36.340 If you read the entire book of Acts, you will 01:00:36.340 --> 01:00:40.119 see how God regularly delivers Paul from the 01:00:40.119 --> 01:00:44.300 hands of his enemies. Right? Through different 01:00:44.300 --> 01:00:49.590 circumstances. So our prayers as believers is 01:00:49.590 --> 01:00:54.289 that we will know how to, we will pray in a direction 01:00:54.289 --> 01:00:57.150 that will still preserve life that men can be 01:00:57.150 --> 01:01:04.889 saved. That men can be saved. You can put this 01:01:04.889 --> 01:01:08.070 other one's scripture down. Let's also clear 01:01:08.070 --> 01:01:15.429 this one before we go. Exodus 22 verse 18. Exodus 01:01:15.429 --> 01:01:22.690 22, verse 18. Exodus 22, verse 18. This is one 01:01:22.690 --> 01:01:25.710 other scripture in the Old Testament that actually 01:01:25.710 --> 01:01:31.349 shows something about God. Now, Exodus 22, verse 01:01:31.349 --> 01:01:35.510 18. Is anybody there? We will pray that they 01:01:35.510 --> 01:01:37.050 will be blind for a season. We will pray that 01:01:37.050 --> 01:01:40.269 they would not have capacity to come out when 01:01:40.269 --> 01:01:42.389 we are preaching. We will pray that they would 01:01:42.389 --> 01:01:53.690 be distracted. Are we there? 22 verse 18. He 01:01:53.690 --> 01:01:56.570 said, thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. 01:01:57.730 --> 01:02:00.550 Right? You can read from verse 16. And if a man 01:02:00.550 --> 01:02:02.489 is saying, okay, I think those are just part 01:02:02.489 --> 01:02:05.250 of the law. Just that verse 18. He said, thou 01:02:05.250 --> 01:02:09.349 shalt not suffer a witch to live. It therefore 01:02:09.349 --> 01:02:11.110 means that, because this is one of the scriptures 01:02:11.110 --> 01:02:15.849 that people say, well, Moses wrote, right? That 01:02:15.849 --> 01:02:21.010 we should not allow a sorcerer to live. But all 01:02:21.010 --> 01:02:23.030 the sorcerers that we have been reading in the 01:02:23.030 --> 01:02:28.969 New Testament, none of them were killed. Are 01:02:28.969 --> 01:02:33.190 we together? None of Olimaz was not killed. The 01:02:33.190 --> 01:02:35.289 lady was not killed. The one that the damsel 01:02:35.289 --> 01:02:38.630 was not killed. So we did not find anywhere in 01:02:38.630 --> 01:02:42.170 the New Testament text where sorcerers are being 01:02:42.170 --> 01:02:44.289 killed. But rather, they are being delivered. 01:02:47.530 --> 01:02:52.070 Do we get it? They are being delivered and they 01:02:52.070 --> 01:02:55.289 come to the knowledge. Right? The women that 01:02:55.289 --> 01:02:57.130 were delivered from evil spirits, they came to 01:02:57.130 --> 01:03:00.510 the knowledge of God. Now, so what is the problem? 01:03:01.489 --> 01:03:04.869 It therefore means that, of course, as we are 01:03:04.869 --> 01:03:07.150 teaching, we are going to teach the law, why 01:03:07.150 --> 01:03:09.449 Moses wrote more than one. But here, one of the 01:03:09.449 --> 01:03:11.130 things that we can pay attention here is that 01:03:11.130 --> 01:03:14.969 because this statement was mentioned only once 01:03:14.969 --> 01:03:19.829 in the entire, Old Testament and the New Testament, 01:03:19.909 --> 01:03:26.610 we cannot use it as a measure or what would determine 01:03:26.610 --> 01:03:31.250 what we pray. It was mentioned once in an entire 01:03:31.250 --> 01:03:35.030 Bible, so it cannot stand as the basis of how 01:03:35.030 --> 01:03:40.250 we pray, to pray that a witch should die. So 01:03:40.250 --> 01:03:42.550 it means that your prayer life is not built on 01:03:42.550 --> 01:03:46.000 one verse. Look at how we moved from prayer was 01:03:46.000 --> 01:03:50.340 made for Paul, or for Peter rather, and how we 01:03:50.340 --> 01:03:53.980 connected it to James, right? And there are several 01:03:53.980 --> 01:03:57.460 scriptures that teaches us that we will and can 01:03:57.460 --> 01:04:00.820 be delivered by the power of prayer. But here, 01:04:00.900 --> 01:04:04.519 there are no scriptures that consistently follow 01:04:04.519 --> 01:04:06.940 this pattern. Well, rather, we've seen several 01:04:06.940 --> 01:04:10.239 scriptures that consistently show how sorcerers 01:04:10.239 --> 01:04:14.630 are being delivered. Therefore, Where would your 01:04:14.630 --> 01:04:18.489 doctrine be? On the one or on the several that 01:04:18.489 --> 01:04:21.869 shows how the witch is being delivered? On the 01:04:21.869 --> 01:04:26.250 several. That is what they call in, how would 01:04:26.250 --> 01:04:28.809 I put it? I said, there has to be witnessing 01:04:28.809 --> 01:04:33.550 scriptures to what you practice. You must have 01:04:33.550 --> 01:04:35.110 witnessing scriptures. So if you are practicing 01:04:35.110 --> 01:04:37.590 something as a believer, there have to be witnessing 01:04:37.590 --> 01:04:40.090 scriptures to that thing. You cannot use one 01:04:40.090 --> 01:04:43.590 scripture. If one or two or three scriptures 01:04:43.590 --> 01:04:49.510 does not solidly establish, we cannot pick up 01:04:49.510 --> 01:04:52.369 that. So that was just once across the scripture 01:04:52.369 --> 01:04:56.210 and the New Testament, we never found such a 01:04:56.210 --> 01:05:02.070 practice again. So, I think we'll stop here for 01:05:02.070 --> 01:05:07.210 today, right? My prayer is just that as we go... 01:05:07.420 --> 01:05:09.780 That you'll pray for yourself that I know how 01:05:09.780 --> 01:05:14.260 to walk in the miraculous. I know how to pray 01:05:14.260 --> 01:05:18.159 to make the miraculous take place. I will not 01:05:18.159 --> 01:05:20.639 cause that. I don't cause that. I cause life 01:05:20.639 --> 01:05:24.280 to be established. I cause people to come to 01:05:24.280 --> 01:05:30.019 the knowledge of Jesus. We appreciate you being 01:05:30.019 --> 01:05:32.699 here today. We hope you carry this word with 01:05:32.699 --> 01:05:48.989 you throughout your week. Until next time, stay 01:05:48.989 --> 01:05:49.349 blessed.