Today's Passage - Acts 19:8-12

Acts 19:8-12 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. We can see the pattern of Jesus' ministry from Paul's ministry. On the one hand, he preached in the synagogue and lecture hall of Tyrannus, and on the other hand, he prayed for the healing of the sick. In fact, some people even took the handkerchief and aprons that Paul touched to lay on the sick, and when they did that, the sick were completely healed and the demons were cast out of them. This was what Jesus did when He was on earth. When we read the four gospels, we see that whenever Jesus ministered to people, he did two things. The first was preached God's Word, the other was to heal the sick. This was the model of Jesus' ministry on earth. When he sent the seventy disciples out two by two, he instructed them to preach God's Word, and gave them authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. The Gospel of Matthew talked the Great Commission, where the Lord commanded his disciples, "Teach them to obey what I have instructed you." In other words, Jesus commanded us to preach the Gospel. The Gospel of Mark mentions "laying hands on the sick, the sick were healed". The Gospel of Matthew focused on preaching God's Word, while the Gospel of Mark focused on laying hands on the sick and healing them. Jesus has entrusted this mission to us. He preached God's Word and healed the sick, and He commissioned us to do the same. Paul received God's commandment and His power, and hence was empowered in his ministry to preach boldly in the synagogues. He also performed many healing miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the point that when the handkerchief he touched was put on the sick, the sick were healed. In addition, we need to understand that the work of healing is God's sovereignty. Our responsibility is to be obedient vessels, so that God's power can flow through us to others. What you and I need to do is to follow God's instructions, to preach the Gospel and lay hands on the sick. We need to believe that the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of these people, and in accordance with God's sovereignty heal them of their sickness and forgive them of their sins. May the Lord's Spirit help us, that we may have power and authority in our ministry, to manifest the glory of God. Pray with Pastor Tong Lord, we thank you because your ministry on earth was filled with power and authority. May you grant us the same authority and power when we preach the gospel, so we can release people from the bondage of darkness, from the enemy. We give you all the glory and honor. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow the project on Facebook ! Help us to reach our Phase I Target, and witness how God expands His Kingdom on earth!  Click here to donate online.