Doing good!

The Scriptures tell us in Acts 10:38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God  was with Him."

This Scripture points us back to Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. John the Baptist bears witness to Jesus in John 1:32-34, "(32) And John bore witness, saying, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. (33) I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit". (34) 'And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God'."

Matthew 3:17 informs us that, "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased'."

After this Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil; overcoming him by the Word of God. When the forty days and nights were over Jesus chose His twelve disciples and began to teach the people.

Matthew 4:23, 25, "(23) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of diseases among the people." (25)"Great multitudes followed Him - from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordon."

The outstanding thing in all this is His attention and care of the individual. He was interested in their spiritual welfare as well as their sicknesses and ailments. It did not matter if it was a mental or a physical ailment; He healed both alike. He taught the people from the Word of God. He preached the gospel of the kingdom and He healed their illnesses.

Each and every person who was healed by Jesus was important to Him. They were not just faces in the crowd, but individuals who needed Him in their lives. He had the power to forgive them their sins. Jesus came to declare and reveal God the Father. He came with the words of eternal life.

Is He still interested in individuals today? Of course He is! His power is the same today, as it was back then.

Some years ago when I was nursing at Innisfail Hospital a young man was brought in suffering from an overdose of drugs. His girlfriend had broken up with him and he was devastated; so much so that he took an overdose of prescription medications and was brought into hospital in a bad way. His stomach was pumped out to get rid of as much of the medications as was possible.

When I came on duty for a night shift, I recognised the young man as having attended a local Christian Youth Club. By now he was conscious and able to talk to staff. We talked about his break up with his girlfriend. He was still in a depressed state of mind. To him his situation appeared hopeless. I asked him this simple question. "Has Jesus lost His power?"

He did not answer me.  He was released from hospital before my next lot of shifts started. About two weeks later I saw him uptown and his face was radiant! It was obvious he had found the answer to my question. He gave me a happy smile as we passed in the street.

Jesus went about doing good to individuals. Do you have a seemingly insurmountable problem in your life?  Job 5:19 states, "He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you." It does not matter if they all come at once - He is able to deliver you out from them.

Has Jesus lost His power?

Jon Peasey

Biblical Perspectives blog www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted]

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