This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.”
Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
Earlier in the series, I dealt with Jesus healing two blind men. This is what happened afterward.
(Mat 9:32-34 ERV)
32 As these two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not talk because he had a demon inside him.
33 Jesus forced the demon out, and the man was able to talk. The people were amazed and said, “We have never seen anything like this in Israel.”
34 But the Pharisees said, “The ruler of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out.”
Setting the stage.
Yesterday, we took a look at the story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed mute. This was less a “healing” and more a “deliverance” because the man’s issue was not medical. He was possessed by a demon who robbed him of his ability to speak. Once Jesus cast the demon out of the man, his speech was restored. The people present were amazed, and the Pharisees were perplexed. They had spent all their lives building up a religious following, and people were leaving their congregations by the droves, following the miracle worker Jesus.
The Pharisees could not match Jesus in power, and since they refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah (as they should have), they decided to do the only thing they could: they fought Jesus tooth-and-nail. After Jesus cast the demon out of the mute person, the Pharisees attributed the act to satan himself, claiming that Jesus used the power of satan to cast out demons. This was obviously a ridiculous accusation.
Jesus responded, “So, if Satan is fighting against himself, how will his kingdom survive? You say that I use the power of Satan to force out demons… I use the power of God to force out demons. This shows that God’s kingdom has now come to you.” (Luke 11:17,18).
So what does this mean for you today? We learned a few things from this story yesterday. Let’s seek to glean a few more golden nuggets.
1. Your life is supposed to be naturally supernatural.
— The Father anointed Jesus to cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, and the dead to rise. The same supernatural power is made available to you through the Holy Spirit. You have the same Holy Spirit Jesus had.
— Once Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led by God’s Spirit in all things. This is how we are supposed to live.
— Jesus was naturally supernatural and so are we, once we are Born-Again.
2. The day you were Born-Again several things happened:
— You were translated from darkness into God’s marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9).
— You were transferred into the Kingdom of God’s dear son (Col 1:13).
— You were seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6).
— You were covered by the Blood of Jesus (1 Jn 1:17), sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), and called to God’s eternal purpose for your life (Eph 3:11).
3. When you understand all that happened when you were Born-Again, you comprehend that you are no longer natural to this world.
— You were not filled with God’s Spirit so you could live THE SAME WAY you used to live before you were Born-Again.
— Once you are Born-Again, the supernatural is natural to you. You just don’t know how to live naturally supernatural until your mind is renewed.
— In any area where you are not programmed to think supernaturally, don’t say that in that area, you are still “natural” because remember, you are already naturally supernatural. In that area, what you are is carnal.
4. If you are Born-Again, you should expect supernatural manifestation in your life.
— The Bible tells us that signs are supposed to follow those of us who believe (Mark 16). But you will never experience the supernatural if you don’t ever attempt anything that exceeds human ability.
— Could it be that you have never experienced God in a supernatural way, because you are completely comfortable living a life that is natural to this world?
5. Satan has a kingdom.
Jesus acknowledged the fact that satan has a kingdom. Once you are Born-Again, you are translated into the Kingdom of God (Col 1:13). But to be clear, there is also a kingdom of satan. We were all part of satan’s kingdom in times past.
(Eph 2:1-3 ERV)
1 In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God.
2 Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers[a] that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God.
3 In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were.
— You don’t have to deny satan’s power, nor should you be afraid of it. Satan and his imps have power, but there is no power like God’s power.
— Jesus was never afraid of demons. He simply cast them out. But notice that He did not act like they did not exist. Many believers today refuse to acknowledge any satanic or demonic activity. Don’t’ glorify it, but don’t act like it does not exist.
— The Bible tells us to give thanks unto God, who ALWAYS causes us to triumph (giving us the victory), through our Lord Jesus the Christ. Well, guess what? You can’t triumph if you don’t have anything to triumph over. Acknowledge the fact that we DO have opposition, and then give God the praise for causing you to WIN through Christ Jesus!
6. There is power in unity.
— Jesus taught us that a divided kingdom could not stand. Unity brings strength; division brings weakness. Satan wants us divided. God wants us united!
— The Pharisees could have embraced Jesus, but instead, they alienated themselves from Him and chose to fight against Him. Satan will always attempt to bring division.
— Today, the United States, and even the Body of Christ, seem divided in many ways. We don’t have to be uniform to be unified. Let’s look beyond our differences and seek common ground. We actually have more in common than we do uncommon. Many just seem to be focusing on the uncommon at the moment.
— Powerful things happen when believers come together as ONE, UNITED under the blood of Jesus, and working together for common goals.
— Jesus made it clear that a divided Kingdom shall not stand. It’s time for us, the church, to stand UNITED! If we are led by the Holy Spirit, then unity is easy because the Holy Spirit will never MAJOR on the MINORS. If you “peel the onion back,” you will find that most Christians are divided by things that don’t even matter!
— In the Dominican Republic, when we do some of the things we do, I bring people together from the Catholic church, Baptist church, the Assemblies of God, non-denominational ministries, and just about anyone who is Born-Again. I don’t care if you are from the Church of God, the Church of Christ, or the Church of God in Christ; if we have Jesus in common, then I don’t focus on the things we do differently. There is power in unity!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
This year I will experience supernatural manifestation like never before!
You anointed Jesus, and You have anointed me!
I declare what You have already decreed: miracles, signs, and wonders shall be manifested IN and THROUGH my life.
The supernatural is natural to me. I believe it, receive it, and attempt it.
And Father, in this season, I choose to be a peacemaker and not a peace-breaker. I walk in love, I reconcile the world to You, and I reconcile my brothers and sisters to each other.
United, we stand under the blood-stained banner of Jesus the Christ! We have too much IN COMMON to be UNCOMMON with one another!
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
