Modelling Ours after The Miracle Ministry of Jesus

Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every city and place where He was about to go. He was saying to them, “The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.  Whenever you go into a city and they welcome you, eat what is set before you;  and heal those in it who are sick [authenticating your message], and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’   “Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented and changed their minds long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes [to show deep regret for sin]. The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like [a flash of] lightning.  Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
LUKE 10:1‭-‬2‭, ‬8‭-‬9‭, ‬13‭, ‬17‭-‬20 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/luk.10.1-20.AMP
🏹Background:

❌Some have argued that miracles and healings are not needed! They illustrate with scriptures such as the ones in which Christ decries the unbelief of towns even after he has demonstrated his miracle working power.

✅Indeed miracles do not convert people. However signs and miracles have been the pattern God has used. They are testimony of God at work and serve as a point of future reference for God! In the text Jesus  refers back to those miracles He performed as EVIDENCE that HE HAD PROVIDED CLEAR PROOF HE WAS AT WORK IN A VISIBLE TANGIBLE WAY!  The unbelieving world cannot discern the Lord by a spiritual revelation as a believer will do. Because the reasoning of the unbelieving world is still under the  dark influence of the powers of darkness, until the Holy Spirit shines the light of the Gospel in the darkness. But even whilst in our darkened unbelieving state before  repenting from sin and surrendering to Christ a miracle provides the evidence which we can relate to as a non believer! We  are able to handle and observe a miracle in the visible material world. IT PROVIDES A HIGHLIGHT OR AN ADVERT SUCH AS AN ADVANCE NOTICE OF AN EVENT WOULD! A MIRACLE SIGNPOSTS US TO THE LIVING WORDS OF JESUS!

 ✔The apostles and the early church of Jesus actually prayed for signs and miracles to occur.Note the following  verses in the book of Acts. Bear with me for having posted large portionsoof scripture to help a reader with the context of what I am sharing:

1. And now, Lord, observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that Your bond-servants may declare Your message [of salvation] with great confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of Your holy Servant and Son Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage.

ACTS 4:29‭-‬31 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/act.4.29-31.AMP

A Twentieth and Twenty First Century Cerebral Faith of No Miracles!

✅The Apostles, disciples and the early church continued to minister healing and miracles: after Jesus' statement earlier  cautioning about false miracle performing teachers.
‼The disciples were either flagrantly being disobedient to the will of Jesus the Christ or their interpretation of the word of Jesus was different from a very modern 20th and 21st century interpretation which completely patterns ministry with no emphasis on miracles.

1⃣A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.
ACTS 2:43 AMP
https://bible.com

2⃣When they had put the men in front of them, they repeatedly asked, “By what sort of power, or in what name [that is, by what kind of authority], did you do this [healing]?” Then Peter, filled with [the power of] the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people [members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court], if we are being put on trial today [to interrogate us] for a good deed done to [benefit] a disabled man, as to how this man has been restored to health, let it be known and clearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead—in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health.
ACTS 4:7‭-‬10 AMP

3⃣saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that an extraordinary miracle has taken place through them is public knowledge and clearly evident to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people and the nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.” So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority].
ACTS 4:16‭-‬18 AMP

4⃣More and more believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added to their number,  to such an extent that they even carried their sick out into the streets and put them on cots and sleeping pads, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on one of them [with healing power]. And the people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.  But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy and resentment. They arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and leading them out, he said, “Go, stand and continue to tell the people in the temple [courtyards] the whole message of this Life [the eternal life revealed by Christ and found through faith in Him].” When they heard this, they went into the temple [courtyards] about daybreak and began teaching.  N ow when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them].
ACTS 5:14‭-‬21 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/act.5.14-21.AMP

🏹
✅The early church faced suffering and persecution from religious people. They were the same group of people, Pharisees and Sadduccees , who had opposed Jesus Christ.However beyond the EXEGETICAL TECHNIQUES they employed in questioning the ATTESTATIONS JESUS CHRIST MADE TO DEITY, THEY WERE PRIMARILY OPPOSED TO THE MIRACLES HE PERFORMED! BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE MIRACLES HE PERFORMED WAS PROOF OF WHAT HE ATTESTED TO BE TRUE!THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD, A TRUTH HE WOULD NOT DENY AND HE POINTED TO HIS WORKS(THE MIRACLES HE PERFORMED) AS ONE PROOF!

 🅰The Pharisees were opposed to the miracles of Jesus mainly because they did not accept His Deity or the claims He was attesting to. Their rejection of the miracles of Christ was based on the link that Christ made between His miracles and HIS ATTESTATION TO DEITY! But from a perspective of believing in the supernatural they were open to God's intervention in the affairs of men! They were renown for their strict adherence to a lot of manmade tradition.

So the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council [of the leaders in Israel], and said, “What are we doing? For this man performs many signs (attesting miracles). If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our [holy] place (the temple) and our nation.”
JOHN 11:47‭-‬48 AMP
 🅱The Sadducees were known to be quite wealthy. They were concerned with the preservation of their nation from destruction by the Romans.The Chief Priest in Jesus' day was reportedly a Sadducee. They did not believe in angels and in the resurrection from the dead. Placing this into context it is clear why the religious leaders had issues with what Jesus Christ represented! If Jesus Christ was indeed who He claimed to be, then they knew it was only a matter of time when they had to make a decision about whether they were willing to believe Him or not! THEY CHOSE TO REJECT HIM AND TO DESTROY THE EVIDENCE BY KILLING HIM THROUGH THE HANDS OF ROMAN HITMEN WHO DID THEIR HITJOB IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!

On that day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and asked Him a question,
MATTHEW 22:23 AMP

✅Instead of swearing His disciples into secrecy about miracles, by and large He encouraged them to actually expect thwJesus Christ before His ascension had INSTRUCTED His followers to await God's Divine Empowerment before proceeding into the fulfillment of His great commission to preaching the gospel.

He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.  But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:7‭-‬8 AMP

✅This event occured on the day of pentecost

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

Acts 2:1‭-‬4 
✅The purpose of Pentecost was to empower the apostles and the church of Jesus Christ to be a dynamic witness of a risen Lord and a soon coming King Jesus Christ.
‼This is the illustration which Peter the Apostle of Jesus Christ gave on that day! In support of the principle that the gift of the Holy Spirit was 🅰For everyone who repents turn from sin and becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. 🅱They were to be baptised to declare their new found faith in Jesus Christ and Committment to doing His will.🆑They would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
‼This promise is a timeless promise. To be of benefit to subsequent generations of believers in Christ

God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear. Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)—this Jesus whom you crucified.”  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.”

Acts 2:32‭-‬33‭, ‬36‭-‬39 AMP


✅PENTECOST UNDERESTIMATED is to limit the Gift of the Holy Spirit to giving teachings, sermons and messages under divine inspiration!
✅PENTECOST UNDERESTIMATED is to limit it to our nice bible study programmes.
✅Jesus Christ paid the price with His life, the ultimte Price in order for HUMANKIND TO ACCESS  MORE OF GOD'S GRACE THAN JUST NICE INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES‼
✅PENTECOST UNDERESTIMATED is when our faith poses NO RISK OF HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE FOR GIVING PROOF THAT JESUS CHRIST IS INDEED RESURRECTED!

🏹CONCLUSION:
A modernist hermaneutic approch to Christian Faith is to provide historical and archaelogical accounts in support of Jesus Christ historical existense to those in doubt of the validity of the Bible. This is wonderful and it has it's place in Christian teaching‼BUT THE BIBLE MODEL FOR PRODUCING PROOF OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION IS BY YIELDING TO HIM, LETTING HIM  WORK THE WORKS OF GOD THROUGH HUMAN INSTRUMENTS‼The works of God Jesus did and needs to continue doing are miracles. In Apostle Peter's words Peter's words :
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and attested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know—
Acts 2:22 AMP
(To be continued)