Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them.
Mark 6:13 (emphasis added)

Those who believe healing is not for today – in that they don’t believe that miracles and signs and wonders are for everyone to participate in and expect – hang their opinion on two things. The Age of the Apostles ending and the New Testament being sealed. Well, the New Testament is definitely sealed. We are getting no more scripture-level inspired Word written by Holy Spirit through humanity. We’re getting a lot of commentary and revelation OF the Word, but not NEW revelation Words. And the Age of the Apostles has only ended depending on what you call an Apostle. The Age of the Twelve is definitively over. The Age of the Early Church Apostles is also definitively over. I agree with that one to a point. But does it really matter either way?

Apostle is a fairly well-known word. It is an Old English word (apostol or ‘messenger’). It usually means the Twelve Disciples who became the Twelve Apostles. This was a rare group. There was a specific qualification. “Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.”” (Acts 1:21-22). Only a few were there for the whole journey of Messiah Jesus of Nazareth. Only a few were instructed by Him personally. No one can replace those Twelve. Class of their own. Done.

The Old English got the word apostol from the Late Latin word apostolus which was from the Greek apostolos meaning ‘messenger or envoy.’ It was a word that literally meant ‘person sent forth.’ This was how Paul and Barnabas (and about fifty or so others) got the title. “Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul. While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them off” (Acts 13:1-3). The church, at the instruction of the Holy Spirit, sent Paul and Barnabas out. They were now apostles. Note that it was the church at Antioch that sent them out. None of the men in leadership were of the Twelve. It was the CHURCH at the direction of HOLY SPIRIT who sent them, earning the name apostle.

To be an apostle then means you have to either be one of the Twelve (not happening) OR sent out by a church body at the direction of the Holy Spirit. The second is possible. You COULD also be directly be sent out by Adonai Himself, but that will be in the minority. Adonai tends to build into us check and balances, authority and submission, in order to keep us from running wild and off track – a VERY human trait. Anyone who ISN’T one of the Twelve OR sent out by the urging of the Holy Spirit isn’t really a true apostle. They just have a title.

Let me introduce to you a man named Stephen. He was the first martyr recorded in the book of Acts. His story plays out in chapters 6 and 7. He is one of seven men appointed to a particular position by the church in Jerusalem (led by James, the half-brother of Jesus by Mary the wife of Joseph of Nazareth and also the home church of Peter, one of the Twelve). Stephen was a disciple of Messiah Jesus. He was a Greek-speaking Hellenistic Jew. He was never sent by the church anywhere. He wasn’t one of the Twelve.

“So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch” (Acts 6:2-5). They were elected to take care of the widows (the Greek widows were being overlooked in the daily giving of food). This was an office similar to a deacon, but deacons hadn’t been invented yet (a deacon is a person who is not ordained but who assists the minister/pastor/leader of the church).

Only a few people beyond the Twelve Apostles performed miracles. Paul did. Barnabas did. They were both sent out from a church, so they were apostles but not one of the Twelve. A man named Phillip did in Acts 8:4-8. I’m not sure if he was Phillip of the Twelve (some think so) or if he was the Greek Phillip chosen to help with the widows along with Stephen in Acts 6 (some think so). Last is Stephen himself. A layman of the church, a disciple, a good speaker and preacher. An ordinary believer, in other words. “Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). This was not an apostle, but a regular believer. HOWEVER, he was a believer FULL of the Holy Spirit. A believer full of both GRACE and POWER. A believer well-spoken of by other believers. And a believer with WISDOM. Maybe Stephen wasn’t so ordinary after all.

Critics of common healings will say that healing was ALWAYS restricted. That it was only a FEW people doing them and that as the book of Acts (our best record for the early days of the church) progresses there are fewer and fewer miracles. But consider this. Paul exhorts believers to be just like himself (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul both sought to be just like Jesus AND performed miracles. Miracles didn’t slow down because the age for miracles was ending. Only a few people did miracles NOT because it isn’t Adonai’s will for it to be common. Few people did miracles and miracles became less and less because unbelief got into the church. Plain and simple.

If you have unbelief, you’ve got yourself a hold of a doctrine of the devil. “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). Unbelief is evil because it leaves you nothing to hang your faith on. How can you eagerly expect something that you believe WON’T happen to you? You can’t. Wishy-washy people get NOTHING because they have a hold of NOTHING. They’re touching, not touching, saying positive and then changing their minds. Lukewarm people are like a kite twisting in the wind (James 1:6). Messiah Christ isn’t a fan. “‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15).

Did the believers lose belief? Or did their unbelief grow? The Word doesn’t say. But if you look around at the world today and how things work, it’s hard to imagine that there was at least a change. Today’s verse showed where it all started. Twelve men sent out to preach that ALL should repent. They were enabled by Jesus to do this. Signs followed them. Demons were cast out. People were anointed with oil and healings followed. This is AMAZING! In the Old Covenant, all the people had was the LAW. It was there to show them their lack. Their need. Their flaws. Their dependance on Adonai. In the NEW Covenant, we are lent the authority Messiah Jesus got back for us. Suddenly the demonic forces have to listen when Adonai tells us to speak (Ephesians 6:12). Suddenly REGULAR people are healing.

It continued into the early church, but it got less and less. NOT because an age ended. NOT because the Twelve died. NOT because the New Testament was written and sealed. NOT because Adonai changed His mind (Numbers 23:19). Healings got less and less because the average believer lost something. They stopped seeking being FULL of the Holy Spirit in fellowship and understanding. They stopped seeking WISDOM, which Adonai gives freely to all who ask and seek. They stopped understanding the idea of being full of GRACE not just happy to be saved by it. They stopped living lives so full of the values that are important from Yahweh’s perspective that fellow believers around them spoke well of them. The believers became LESS on fire. LESS willing to risk it all. LESS willing to walk in ALL that Jesus asks us to. LESS willing to FULLY submit to discipleship to Jesus. Believers changed.

You see this pattern with humanity. We start close, then move away, then move away more, and then move away even more. It is a pattern recorded throughout the Word and throughout the World. Yahweh knew it. From the BEGINNING He told us not to. He asked us in. He asked us closer. And closer. And closer. What did Yahweh say? “This law scroll must not leave your lips. You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful” (Joshua 1:8). What did Solomon write by inspiration of the Holy Spirit? “My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for they will provide a long and full life and well-being for you” (Proverbs 3:1-2). What did Jesus say? “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

It is not EASY to be a person like Stephen was, or Paul was, or Jesus was. It takes ALL of us submitted to ALL of Him. No excuses. ALL. That’s the way it is. You CANNOT put yourself first. You MUST yoke yourself to Jesus and let the Father drive you wherever He wills. You HAVE to say YES to Him EVERY time no MATTER WHAT He says – whether you understand or not. THAT is what it means to TRULY be a disciple. It is a struggle, but we CAN win. Because we are EMPOWERED. Because we have HOLY SPIRIT to help us. Because we ARE the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN MESSIAH JESUS! “But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die” (Revelation 12:11). Total discipleship. In total freedom in Jesus. In the FULLNESS of ALL that the Father has for us to do – signs and miracles accompanying our preaching of the Word.

Healing has NOT passed away. It is right where it always was. In the BLESSING that is directly beneath the will of the Father. Not to the right. Not to the left. RIGHT THERE. And ANYONE who believes the Word and puts faith in that belief CAN and WILL have it AND help to spread it. Healing is ALWAYS now.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 22:8

“They say, “Commit yourself to the Lord! Let the Lord rescue him! Let the Lord deliver him, for he delights in him.”” Messiah TRUSTS the Father. He puts Himself directly in Yahweh’s hands and doesn’t squirm off. He has TOTAL trust. “He trusts in God—let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!”” (Matthew 27:43). Jesus trusted in His Father. Jesus trusted that His Father would deliver Him – and the Father did! He did NOT let His Son stay in the grave, but raised Him to life again (Romans 6:10-11). Jesus trusted and Jesus was vindicated. Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b