By Rebecca Murzin
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” – Mark 16:15-18
We are just coming out of the holy week where we celebrated the Triumphal entry, the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I find myself reflecting on the goodness and power of God. I read the end of every Gospel to remind myself of what Jesus said and did after his resurrection and before He ascended into heaven. The last words people say before they are gone are important, as they are often chosen very carefully. Jesus knew he was about to return to heaven and be with the Father again. I am sure He chose His words very carefully and said what was really important for us.
Jesus’ last words were to tell us (his disciples) to proclaim the gospel. Wow, we see the beautiful heart of Jesus. He remains concerned for the souls of man. He desires all of His creation to accept Him and to know the truth that they might be saved. The Gospel changes people’s lives, it changes their eternity! As a believer, this tells me that this should be a top priority of mine. This statement has caused me to reflect on my actions and motives. Is this love for Jesus and others motivating me to proclaim the gospel?
Next, Jesus goes on to say what signs will accompany a believer. “in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” This hit me like a ton of bricks. Jesus’ life and ministry began to play out in my mind. I then began to reflect on the countless miracles Jesus has allowed and blessed me to be able to see. I am overwhelmed at the goodness and power of God. I have been told multiple times loved ones were going to die. My son, and my husband both were on the brink of death in the hospital and I was told they would not live. BUT GOD is so much bigger, and nothing is impossible for Him (Matthew 19:26). When I prayed over them, they recovered. I have seen countless others receive medical miracles. My son Evan was born legally blind and at 12 years old, God healed his sight when I prayed over him. I myself was delivered from demons and have seen many demons cast out as I have prayed over others and their homes.
Then I began to reflect over my recent days. I have certainly prayed over others less. I have felt conviction that this should not be. Why am I not praying as much as I once did? Have I become too busy or distracted? I certainly have, forgive me Lord. Thank you for your grace and mercy in my life. Then, a deep sadness swept over me. This seems to be a rare sighting in many who believe here in America. Why is that I wonder? Are we afraid God won’t show up? What a lie of the enemy he would love us to believe. The truth is God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5b). Do we believe miracles were for bible times alone? Oh how that would make the devil happy. But no, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Maybe we believe that we are not good enough or we can’t, and truthfully alone we can’t, but Jesus told us “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matt 19:26). We have God living in us! His Holy Spirit lives in us and so with God, we can see these things happen. It is not us, it is Him working through us as a believer. Believers, let us see lives changed. Let us see God saving others and working miracles in their lives as we are obedient to the instruction of Jesus our Lord. Trust God to do what He says will happen.
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? – Numbers 23:19