JESUS

I studied the book of Acts late this summer, and I have to tell you, of everything in Scripture about divine healing, that book may be one of the headlights on the healing highway.

For those of you who need a refresher on Acts, it was written by Luke and chronicles the story of how the Christian church began and grew. While Peter and Paul are fairly prominent, many disciples (original twelve and more) are featured. Perhaps the most profound characteristic of the early church was their spiritual power. The believers fasted and prayed and believed. Their faith released the miracle-working power of God through the Holy Spirit.

Acts is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and about the power Jesus bestowed on them which allowed the disciples to do what Jesus did. As the 16^th chapter of Mark tells us, miraculous signs followed those who simply believed in the power of the name of Jesus Christ.

His name.

Filled with miracle-working power.

His mother cherished it. His followers embraced it. And those who needed a miracle simply believed on it.

Jesus.

It is the 3^rd chapter of Acts that sets the stage for the rest of Luke’s commentary. It is the well-known and well-loved account of Peter and John meeting a crippled man on their way to pray at the temple. The crippled beggar asks them for money. Peter says to him, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, walk.” The man is instantly healed, jumps to his feet and begins to walk. He leaves the temple jumping and praising God. Observers were amazed.

People rush the two disciples and Peter says, “Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (3:12) ….. and he continues, “By FAITH IN THE NAME OF JESUS, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is JESUS’ NAME and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” (3:16)

How was he healed? By the POWER of the NAME of Jesus Christ, and faith IN that name. Could it really be that simple? Ask the crippled beggar, unable to walk since birth.

Peter and John are jailed for stirring up the crowd and brought before the high priest and his family the next day. They ask the two, “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Peter says it again. “It is by the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.” (4:10)

The higher-ups confer and decide they need to stop “this thing” from spreading among the people. They decide to tell the pair they can no longer speak to anyone IN THIS NAME. They met with John and Peter and “commanded them not to speak or teach AT ALL in the NAME OF JESUS.” (3:18)

The mere mention of this name inciting this much fear in the members of the Sanhedrin is astonishing. They don’t tell them not to preach or perform miracles. They tell the disciples not to do it IN JESUS’ NAME!! They knew its power would and could rock their tidy little Roman world. They were terrified.

We know the dynamic duo does not heed the orders of the high priests. They continue to perform miraculous signs in the name of the Lord. Acts 4:16 tells us that crowds gathered and brought their sick and those tormented by demons and ALL of them were healed.

In the 5^th chapter, the apostles are once again jailed for their civil disobedience, but the Lord opens the jail doors in the night and they leave. Brought before the Sanhedrin once again, they are chastised, “We gave you strict orders not to teach IN THIS NAME.” And some verses later, the unflappable disciples are flogged for their actions and once again ordered not to speak in the NAME OF JESUS.

Desperate words of warning from confounded Jewish intellectuals falling on the ears of men unafraid to use the power and authority given them by Jesus to heal the sick and convert non-believers.

If Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, as it says in Hebrews 13:8, then His name is also the same. His name continues to hold power. Power to forgive, Power to cure. Power to make whole. Power to heal.

On this cancer journey, I am standing boldly on the powerful name of my Jesus for the same healing that He gave the crippled beggar. God’s Word does not lie. What He says, He means. There I will stay, with unwavering faith IN THE NAME which is above all names.

JESUS. At its mere whisper, I believe tumors can disappear.