CONTENTS

1    What is the Gospel?

2    Compassion is the Key

3    Miraculous Demonstrations of the Gospel

4    The Works I Do, You Shall Do Also

5    Two Sides of the Coin

6    These Signs Shall Follow

7    There is Opposition to the Demonstration of the Gospel

8    The Harvest is Plenteous, But the Laborers are Few

9    Signs and Wonders Cause the Church to Grow

10    Visions and Dreams—For Today

1

What is the Gospel?

The Gospel is good news. In one word, the Gospel is Jesus. In three words, it is God loves you. In five words, it is Jesus died for your sins. John 3:16 puts the Gospel in one verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

After Jesus had been tempted of the devil for 40 days, He came to His hometown of Nazareth and went into the synagogue. He took the book of the prophet Isaiah, and He began to read the passage that most clearly explains the Gospel.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:18-19

The Gospel is a message that produces change. The Gospel is not merely knowledge. The Gospel saves. It heals. It delivers. The Gospel is an action-filled message. The Gospel does something in people's lives. It produces God's desire and original purpose for us.

Tragically, through the centuries, the Gospel has been reduced in many groups to a ritual. It is a form with no power in this style of presentation. As a result, the message has become a dead letter to those hearing it. They see no life or light in the theories and intellectual declarations of those rejecting the miraculous power of God for today.

The disciples in the book of Acts presented the Gospel, not only in a message, but in demonstration. Signs, wonders and miracles followed these first believers, and the church exploded in power and glory. Multitudes were added to the church as they both heard and saw the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We must return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel Jesus proclaimed was not only spoken, but it was also demonstrated.

Now Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Matthew 4:23-24

Notice that Jesus did not just teach and preach. He also healed and delivered the people. He proclaimed the Gospel and then He demonstrated it. To simply proclaim the message and not do it is somewhat like describing a delicious meal to a starving man, yet not giving him anything to eat. God wants people to experience His Kingdom, not just hear about it.

Heaven is a wonderful place where there will be no devil and no sickness. We are going to live with Jesus forever in this wonderful place where there will be no more tears. However, the Gospel benefits are not limited to the time after you die. The good news is that Jesus came that you might have life and have it more abundantly right here on earth in the now of your existence (John 10:10).

The message of the Gospel produces faith in the heart of believers when it is preached as God's Word for today. It is possible to extract faith from people's hearts when preaching that miracles are not for today. However, if the Word is simply preached as it is written, faith will come in hearts to believe and receive the message. The message then is the catalyst for the demonstration. The demonstration is a natural byproduct or end result of the word of faith being preached. The two go together.

Jesus is Alive—Today!

Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel.

2 Timothy 2:8

...He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days...

Acts 1:3

Jesus is alive and doing well! He is no longer in the tomb, but rather, He is released into all believers by the power of the Holy Spirit. His parting words, ...I am with you always, even to the end of the age... (Matthew 28:20) let us know that we are not serving a dead God.

Jesus is not just a figure who lived in history.

He is not just a symbol to place on jewelry.

He is not merely a stained glass figure.

Jesus is not a dead religion.

He is not a philosophy.

He is not a denomination.

JESUS IS

...declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 1:4

HE IS ALIVE!

HERE AND NOW!

Since He is alive today, He is still speaking and doing the same things He spoke and did in the time that He walked the earth almost 2,000 years ago.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER

Hebrews 13:8

He hasn't changed a bit in His desire for human beings to know and experience the good news. To know something but not act on it is virtually useless. This is why so many have rejected a watered-down half-Gospel that only gives the information, but makes no effort to see that Gospel applied to a person's life.

The Gospel is the Power of God

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Romans 1:16

The Gospel is the power of God. It is right now the power of God. It is not just words alone; it is the power of God. The Gospel message contains the power of God. No wonder signs, wonders and miracles follow the preaching of the Gospel. The power of God is released when the Gospel is preached with authority.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The miracle of the new birth takes place when the Gospel is preached. Faith comes in people listening to the Gospel to believe they can be forgiven, cleansed, and received into God's Kingdom. To proclaim the message and not encourage the hearers to release their faith is aborting the process of the Gospel. The Gospel by design is intended to produce the very truth it expounds in the life of the listener.

Salvation includes forgiveness of sin, deliverance from Satan's bondage, healing of sickness, freedom from oppression and provision of the abundant life in the Kingdom of God. The Gospel is the power of God unto the salvation benefit of healing, deliverance, and provision as well as the new birth. As the Gospel is preached in all its fullness, there will be a demonstration of all the benefits of salvation.

The demonstration of the Gospel will occur where people believe. The Gospel ...is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...

You must believe the Gospel to see its power released in your life.

A Miracle Testimony

While preaching at an international conference in April of 1989, we witnessed the mighty demonstration of the Gospel. Each night as we preached the Word of God and prayed for the people, God confirmed the Word with signs and wonders.

During the first service on Sunday night, a lady with rheumatoid arthritis for 13 years stood for prayer. She was unable to raise her arms or bend her knees. She moved about with great pain and difficulty. As Sharon sang and I prayed from the platform, believers nearby laid hands on her. The healing power of God went through her body removing the arthritis and releasing movement in the legs and arms. She came forward that night and testified of what had happened. Before we left the conference several days later, word was relayed to us that she was still healed and testifying of what great things God had done for her. Hallelujah!

THE GOSPEL BY DESIGN IS INTENDED TO PRODUCE THE VERY TRUTH IT EXPOUNDS IN THE LIFE OF THE LISTENER.

PROCLAMATION BRINGS DEMONSTRATION!

2

Compassion is the Key

People everywhere are sick, either in body, mind, or spirit, and they need to be healed. The devil has oppressed humans with every form of evil bondage, and they need to be freed. The halfhearted sermon with no effort to release ministry into the lives of the hearers will not get the job done. What is needed in this hour is BOLD PREACHING with confirming signs and wonders.

The breakthrough in demonstrating the Gospel will not come until ministers and Christians are moved with the compassion of God. Compassion puts you in action. It moves you to do something about the problems in people's lives. The compassion of God will cause you to draw on God's power to save, heal and deliver people.

LOOK AT THIS VERSE CAREFULLY:

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14

Jesus healed people because He loves people. The God-kind of love is moved to meet human need, not just talk about it. The compassion of God demonstrates Himself to humanity by healing, delivering, and blessing.

The demonstration of the Gospel is, simply stated, the love of God. God so loved that He gave His Son to destroy the works of the devil in the lives of people.

The demonstration of the Gospel, God's love, is available to everyone who believes. Jesus was manifested, according to 1 John 3:8, to destroy the works of the devil. Every demonstration of the Gospel is a manifestation of Jesus to destroy the works of Satan.

It's time to let Jesus shine.

Turn Him loose.

Lift Him up.

Love will win!

It's important to understand clearly that Jesus healed people and met human needs because of His compassion. If you understand this clearly from the Scriptures, there will be no problem accepting the Biblical truth that all believers are to heal the sick and deliver the oppressed.

It is true that the miracles gave proof that Jesus was from the Father. Remember, prophets in the Old Testament also had miraculous signs as an evidence of their divine calling. But in the case of both the prophets and Jesus, the miracles were done, not as a show or just as proof, but they were done to meet human need and break a Satanic bondage.

There is just as much need today as in the past. There is as much sickness, suffering, and demon bondage now as in any age. If ever there was an hour for the demonstration of the Gospel, this is it right now!

THE BREAKTHROUGH IN DEMONSTRATING THE GOSPEL WILL NOT COME UNTIL MINISTERS AND CHRISTIANS ARE MOVED WITH THE COMPASSION OF GOD.

3

Miraculous Demonstrations of the Gospel

The miraculous demonstration of the Gospel not only meets human need, but it gives the divine testimony that Jesus is God's Son. When human reasoning will not convince people, God's miracles will bring them to attention. Elijah called for a miracle to turn Israel back to God (1 Kings 18). God answered by fire, and the prophets of Baal (the devil) were destroyed.

Miracle Turns Moslem to Christianity!

While preaching with Benson Idahosa in Abeokuta, Nigeria, a Moslem lady was brought to the outdoor crusade by her son. She had an injury to her legs and hip from a car accident that had disabled her from walking. The bones had not been set properly, and she was left virtually an invalid. She and her son came to the meeting and camped underneath the wooden platform. Following an evening service, we went out to the crusade site in the morning to speak to new converts. As people were testifying, the lady stepped to the platform and began telling her story. We stood amazed as she walked without a limp or sign of any injury. Her final words were, "Last night I was a Moslem. Today I am a Christian!"

The unbelieving masses can be brought to Jesus if we will lift up Jesus as He is. The Jesus of the Bible is a saving, healing, delivering, empowering Jesus. He is wonderful! He is alive! He wants to set people free. Let His love flow in you now.

Miracles Reveal Jesus is God’s Son

The Jews surrounded Jesus and said: "...How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.

John 10:24-25

Jesus said that the miracles (works) were the Father's divine witness that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. The miracles were God's testimony of His Son. They verified the Word He spoke.

In any court of law, a decision is based on evidence or testimony that gives documentation for a verdict. Jesus said that He had undeniable evidence of who He was and of the message He was preaching. The evidence could not be manufactured, fabricated, or conjured up by wishful thinking. The miracles of God are supernatural They give divine testimony that will bring people to a decision about Jesus. Either they will choose to follow Him as the Son of God or they will reject Him.

Remember, not everyone who saw and heard Jesus believed on Him. Many rejected Him because they refused to believe. It is no different today. Miracles will convince those who are willing to believe. However, there will be those who reject, even though miracles are done before their very eyes. Knowing this does not discourage us from pressing into God's pattern of demonstrating the Gospel, but rather, it prepares us to understand the various responses that will come from people.

The Jews started to stone Jesus, accusing Him of blasphemy. Jesus said:

If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.

John 10:37-38

Jesus placed everything on the line concerning miracles. He said that if He did not do the miracles of His Father, then they should not believe the message He was preaching. How many ministers today can make or would make the same statement?

How important are miracles? This is the issue.

Does it really matter if we demonstrate the Gospel?

Does Jesus have the same attitude today? Do miracles validate the message? Is the message alone enough?

These are thought-provoking questions. Consider the statement by Jesus, ...though you do not believe Me, believe the works... (John 10:38). He is speaking of the miracle works of healing of the blind, deaf, dumb, crippled and the deliverance of the demon possessed.

Realize the weight of Jesus' words, ”If you do not believe Me, believe the works.” In other words, Jesus was saying, "If you don't believe the message, believe the miracles." It's true Jesus actually placed the same value upon the miraculous works as He did on the message. In fact, Verse 37 of John 10 says, If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me. Another way of saying that is, "If I do not do the miracles of My Father, do not believe the message I preach."

For Jesus, the demonstration of the Gospel was an absolute must. He based everything He was saying on the proof of validating miracles. The message and the miracles were inseparable. Faith comes from hearing the message and produces miracles. Yet, Jesus said to believe the works that you may believe that the Father was in Him.

In essence, the miracles of God produce faith in people in a similar way as the preaching of the Word produces faith.

The miracles of God are the Word made flesh. Jesus is manifested by the signs and wonders. What He is saying is revealed in the miracle. The miracle is the message with flesh on it. You hear the message and see the miracles, yet both are the Gospel. A preacher can talk all day about what God will do for people, but let one crippled person get up and walk in the name of Jesus and the church will explode in faith and glory.

Miracle Turns Teenager on to Jesus

One young man watched as we delivered a demon-controlled lady in a service in England. He was startled as she fell to the floor screaming, even though she was an elderly conservative English wife sitting by her husband. The moment I pointed at her and commanded the evil spirits to let her go, she was thrown down as if she were tossed by a wrestler.

The young man watching told us later that he was watching us and saw the lack of fear in our lives to stand and address the spirit until she was free. That night after seeing the power of God, this young teenager, being pulled by the evils of the world, committed his life totally to Jesus Christ. Glory!! Signs and wonders point people to Jesus!

Show Us the Father

Philip said to Him [Jesus], Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.

Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, Show us the Father?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

John 14:8-11

The works were the divine evidence of the Father's indwelling presence. Jesus told His disciples to believe in Him for what He had spoken or believe in Him for what He had done. The words and the works were both from the Father and revealed that the Father was truly in Him.

If Jesus depended so much on the works to verify who He was, how much more do we need the miracles today to verify that Jesus is from God. When people really know that Jesus is God's Son and that He is alive, they give their whole lives to Him. On the other hand, many people are lukewarm because they have only heard theological presentations, liturgical recitations, and intellectual orations. No wonder so many church members are bored stiff!

People need to see that Jesus is alive. They want to know that God can do it again. They are hungry for the power of God. This is the hour to demonstrate the Gospel and reveal the Father and the Son to a hurting world.

Get Ready for Miracles!

MIRACLES ARE PROOF-PRODUCERS!

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

And said to Him, Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.

Matthew 11:2-6

Even staunch believers sometimes have questions about their faith. John the Baptist was the greatest prophet known to Israel. He was a relative of Jesus and had baptized Him in the Jordan. John saw the Spirit descend on Him and heard the voice from heaven saying, ...This is My beloved Son... (Matthew 3:17). Yet, when John was imprisoned, he began to question within himself if Jesus was really the Messiah.

There are many messages Jesus could have sent to John. He could have sent the Sermon on the Mount or any number of His teachings about the Kingdom. He could have, but He didn't for a reason. John the Baptist needed divine proof. Jesus said to tell John what you hear and see. There should always be something that is visible to talk about concerning the Gospel. It is not just theory. The good news can be preached and demonstrated. Jesus told them to tell him about the miracles.

Ask yourself, "If John needed to hear about miracles to verify that Jesus was the Son of God, then could it be that people today need the same proof?"

GO TELL JOHN...

GO TELL THE WORLD...

THE BLIND SEE.

THE LAME WALK.

THE LEPERS ARE CLEANSED.

THE DEAF HEAR.

THE DEAD ARE RAISED.

THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

MIRACLES—SIGNS—WONDERS!

Yes, Jesus did it then, but He is also doing it today.

To say that it is enough to tell people Jesus did miracles 2,000 years ago would be the same as if Jesus said to tell John that Moses did miracles 2,000 years ago, so "believe in Me.”

JESUS IS THE I AM!

HE IS THE GOD OF RIGHT NOW!

ALL HE EVER WAS—HE STILL IS.

ALL HE EVER DID—HE STILL DOES.

Jesus gave no other answer to John but the miracles He had done. Today, people are told to believe the message without any validating proof that the message is God's message. We should be saying what Jesus said: "If I do not do the miracles of God, then do not believe the message."

Like Elijah, we should declare, ...the God who answers by fire, He is God...

1 Kings 18:24

If Jesus is alive, then turn Him loose. Don't keep binding Him in the grave clothes of dead theology.

LOOSE HIM AND LET HIM GO!!!

Past, Future and Present!

If you have lived with the mentality that Jesus lived in the past only, it is time to realize He is alive now in the present. Or if you have lived with the mentality that you will only see Jesus one day in the future, I pray that God will open your eyes and ...give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Ephesians 1:17)

It is good to know what God did in the past, and it gives you hope to know you will be with Him in heaven, but you live in the present. You must have Jesus in the now of your existence. He must be real to you in your daily life at work, play, rest and in worship.

Martha struggled with this concept of Jesus being God in the now of her situation. Her brother, Lazarus, had been dead four days when Jesus arrived. Notice how she sees the God of the past and of the future. Jesus brought her into the present.

Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.

Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again.

Martha said to Him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

John 11:21-15

Martha wanted to believe something could happen in the present, but when Jesus spoke of it, she jumped in time all the way to the final resurrection. Her focus was on the past and on the future, but Jesus brings us into where we are living today. Let's face it.

WE NEED MIRACLES NOW!

WE NEED JESUS HERE TODAY!!

WE ARE NOT IN THE PAST.

WE ARE NOT IN THE FUTURE.

WE ARE IN THE PRESENT!

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection." Right now, He is your resurrection to raise you up and restore anything the devil has killed in your life.

As you read this book, faith is coming for your miracle to happen right where you are.

God is God in your town with you now just as much as He is in my town with me. He can do for you what you need to be done. For with God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:37)

MIRACLES SIGNS AND WONDERS POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS

4

The Works I Do, You Shall Do Also

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 14:12-14

Jesus said believers would do the same works He did. The same signs, wonders and miracles shall follow those who believe as they have followed Jesus. Notice that Jesus did not limit these works to a handful of disciples or to a certain time frame in history. He said these works will be done by "he who believes in Me." Any person who believes in Jesus is to proclaim the Gospel with the demonstration of God's power.

It is not age that qualifies a person for the demonstration of the Gospel. Education and experience are not the necessary ingredients. After Peter and John had ministered healing to the crippled man by the temple gate, they were apprehended by the Jewish religious leaders for examination.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

The key to boldness in the demonstration of the Gospel is being with Jesus. As you see Him and His compassion for people, you will be trained by the Holy Spirit. Every man-fearing attitude will be driven from your heart by the revelation of Jesus as He really is in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the book of Acts.

Delegated Authority

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Matthew 9:35-38; 10:1

The reason Jesus delegated authority to His disciples to heal the sick and cast out devils was His compassion for the people.

The Lord's compassion never stops according to Lamentations 3:22. The same compassion Jesus felt then for suffering humanity He feels today. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He is ever interceding today for laborers to go into the harvest with the same authority He gave to the disciples.

REMEMBER:

The demonstration of the Gospel is not for show. It is compassion.

Ten Years of Depression Comes to an End

In one of our meetings, a lady testified of deliverance from a horrible spirit of depression that had plagued her for ten years. Her father had carried the same spirit in his life. At the time of her deliverance, this healthy lady in her 30's had missed the past three months of work because of this debilitating spirit of depression. As the word of knowledge came forth commanding the black cloud on her life to leave, she knew in a moment it was a new day. As she testified before the congregation, it was obvious the long night had ended by the power of Jesus' name. Hallelujah!

The authority to heal and deliver was transferred to believers by Jesus because of His great love for people. The work He did in the cities and villages of Israel goes on today in the cities and villages of the world through the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling believers.

WHAT HE DID, WE DO.

WE GO IN HIS NAME.

WE HAVE HIS AUTHORITY.

HIS LOVE IS IN US.

It is obvious from the New Testament that Jesus planned to release His ministry through the lives of those who believed in Him. He not only commanded the 12 to preach, heal, and deliver, but also 70 other disciples whose names go unmentioned. Read these verses taken from Luke 10 and then read the entire passage for yourself.

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

And heal the sick who are there, and say to them,

The kingdom of God has come near to you.

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.

And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Luke 10:1,9,17-20

These 70 were given the job to do and a message to preach. Jesus told them to heal the sick, and from this passage we learn they also cast out evil spirits. They announced the Kingdom of God has come near to you.

The healing of the sick and the deliverance of the demon oppressed is a manifestation of the Kingdom of God. A Kingdom exists where a King rules. The Kingdom of God is the rule of Jesus in a person's life. Wherever Jesus rules, Satan has no authority. The disciples were driving out the devil and replacing his authority with God's authority.

This is an important point for today. The Kingdom of God now is the same as it was in the days of Jesus on earth, as far as the devil's work is concerned. Wherever Jesus rules with authority, the devil and his works must go. The demonstration of the Gospel is the removal of Satanic bondage in people's lives. Salvation is the removal of the rule of darkness from the heart and the establishing of light and life inside a believer. Healing is the removal of Satan's oppression of sickness—by the entrance of God's health and wholeness. Deliverance is the casting out of demonic powers by the strength of God's righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The message of the Gospel must be presented through teaching and preaching, but then it must be demonstrated through miracles, signs and wonders that bring salvation, healing and deliverance. (Biblically, salvation in a broad sense includes healing and deliverance, but for the sake of clarity, I list all three.) The goal or end of the presentation of the Gospel is that people would receive the benefits that Jesus bought through His death, burial and resurrection. If we just disseminate information, but no one ever receives any benefits as a result of hearing the Gospel, then the job is incomplete. One half is accomplished—the presentation.

Many people have heard some portion of the Gospel, but they have not seen the Gospel demonstrated. When the presentation and demonstration come together, there is a powerful impact on a person's life for change.

THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE GOSPEL IS THE REMOVAL OF SATANIC BONDAGE IN PEOPLE.

5

Two Sides of the Coin

When Luke wrote the book, The Acts of the Apostles, it was not given a title, because it was a letter to a friend named Theophilus. In later years, it became known as the book of Acts, because it gives account of what the apostles did. It is an action book filled with miracles, signs and wonders. It contains both what was spoken and what was done.

Luke begins his letter with these powerful words about his Gospel account of Jesus. The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach (Acts 1:1). Notice that he relates not only what Jesus taught, but also what He did. He continues this same approach in his Acts of the Apostles. He describes both what they taught and what they did.

To only address the teaching is to get one side of the coin. The Gospel has two sides—doing and teaching. One without the other is incomplete. Both the presentation and the demonstration are vital to the extension of Biblical Christianity.

It is the responsibility of the minister or believer presenting the Gospel to take authority and demonstrate the message He is speaking. To expect a listener to know what to do or how to do it at the first hearing of the truth is presumptuous. That's why Jesus took authority when people came in faith believing. He told His disciples to go take authority to heal and deliver people.

The goal is to get people to the place in their faith and understanding to be able to resist the devil and receive healing on their own. Since people grow in faith and grasp truth at many different rates and levels, we must be ready to minister the Gospel to them as they need it. By minister, I mean to heal, deliver and set them free.

DOING AND TEACHING THE MIRACLES AND THE MESSAGE THE DEMONSTRATION AND THE PRESENTATION

The Great Commission—Tell It and Do It

Both Matthew and Mark give details of the Great Commission given by Jesus, not only to His disciples, but also to all who believe and become His disciples. According to John 8:31-32, anyone in any age can be a disciple of Jesus.

...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

We know the Scripture refers most often to 12 disciples, but Luke 10 refers to 70 other disciples.

Acts 6:7 says the number of disciples multiplied. I make this point to let you know that the Great Commission is the Word of God to every believer. We are all to be disciples of the Lord Jesus.

This is God's Word to you:

Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20

All Authority Given to Jesus

Jesus stripped Satan of all authority when He was crucified and resurrected (Colossians 2:14-15). In Revelation 1:18, He declares, I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hell and of Death.

The devil does NOT have AUTHORITY!

JESUS HAS ALL AUTHORITY!!!

AND JESUS IS IN YOU.

THROUGH JESUS YOU HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THE DEVIL!

The point of Jesus' statement about authority related to their going to preach and demonstrate the Gospel. When they had been sent out by Jesus in Matthew 10, Jesus talked to them and gave them authority over the devil. Now here He is after the resurrection telling them He has taken all authority from the devil so they can go knowing the devil has no authority to keep people bound!

Jesus said, ... I am with you always, even to the end of the age... (Matthew 28:20). That means we have His authority backing us up. Sure, we are nothing without Him, but once we have accepted Jesus, WE ARE NOT WITHOUT HIM. HE LIVES INSIDE US. He has promised to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Hallelujah!

Teach What I Taught You

Jesus' command was to ...teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20). To observe means ”to do.” What had Jesus commanded His disciples to do? There are many things we could include at this point, but in the context of this book, Jesus commanded the disciples to:

...preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Matthew 10:7-8

Now Jesus is telling His disciples just before He goes to heaven to instruct their converts to do the same things He had commanded them to do.

DON’T MISS THIS!

Some have declared that the healing of the sick and casting out of devils is not a part of the Great Commission according to Matthew's account. Look at it again! Jesus said, Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you... (Matthew 28:20).

All things means all things. There is no question but that the original 12 disciples were commanded to preach, teach, heal and cast out devils. These same commands were to be passed on to those who became disciples as a result of their witness.

The primary difference between Mark's account of Jesus' last words and Matthew's account of them is that Mark relates the specific words Jesus spoke at that time concerning what things should happen in the lives of believers. Matthew records the general statement Jesus made about "all things I commanded you.” Both are accurate and BOTH OF THEM AGREE. THEY BOTH SAY THE SAME THING.

THE GOSPEL HAS TWO SIDES: DOING AND TEACHING

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These Signs Shall Follow

See the perfect harmony between Mark's record of the Great Commission and that of Matthew:

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Mark 16:15-20, KJV

Jesus said that these signs shall follow those who believe. They shall means they should. It is a given fact from Jesus that these miraculous signs will accompany believers. He didn't say that these signs would stop when the last apostle died. He gave no time limit on the operation of these signs.

The only criteria that Jesus laid down was that these signs would follow those who believe. That makes it clear and understandable how some signs follow one person and they don't another. What a person believes either releases or limits the benefits of the Gospel. God does not force His ministry on people apart from their will. If a person wills not to believe that signs and wonders are for today, then that person will not be bothered with them. God honors faith, and He has given every person a free will.

If you choose to believe that God forgives you through the blood of His Son, Jesus, then you will be forgiven. You will go to heaven even if you don't believe in healing or deliverance. You should believe in all the benefits of the Gospel. More than anything, make sure you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

Cast out Devils

You must cast out devils. They don't leave because you are bothered by them or even because you want them to leave. Devils leave because you make them go. They respond to authority and the name of Jesus. When you tell them to leave in Jesus' name, they have no choice. They must go.

In Mark 9:26, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit in a man's son. Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, He is dead.

Remember, the unclean spirits are coming out. Be bold. Speak with authority. Command the unclean spirits to leave in the name of Jesus. Do not back down or be moved by anything you see or hear. You know that all authority has been given to Jesus, and Jesus is inside you.

Every nation in the world has been invaded with devils. Secular education, money and sophistication have no ability whatsoever to stop the enemy. You will find people affected by unclean spirits in every strata of society. Don't be surprised to see the manifestation of the devil in handsome, beautiful, talented, wealthy, educated or religious people. Devils are not stopped by religion. In fact, they are attracted to religion that is void of the power of God. They inhabit places and people where the blood of Jesus, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit's presence are neglected.

Not every person with an unclean spirit is crazy or goes stark raving mad. The devils will often hide themselves in a person until there is a time to manifest their nature. It is a known fact that Satan worshippers who are full of the devil have worked in public places as teachers, professionals and common laborers. They appear normal just at a casual glance, but closer examination by discerning people would reveal their true nature.

The point is that you cannot judge by the outward appearance whether or not someone has an unclean spirit. Child molesters, adulterers, homosexuals, liars and murderers have times in which they appear to be like any other person. Yet, given the opportunity, the spirit within them will begin to direct their thoughts, feelings, desires and actions to carry out the devil's evil purposes.

Jesus said, The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy... (John 10:10). You can recognize the work of unclean spirits if there is anything stealing, destroying or killing the fruit of the Spirit in a person's life. Unclean spirits work together with the works of the flesh. They magnify the evil desires of the flesh until a person is controlled by the desire. Jesus, on the other hand, has come that we may have life more abundantly.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17

GOD IS GOOD!

THE DEVIL IS BAD!

Don't get hung up with whether the unclean spirit is inside or outside a person. You may get a revelation of its location and nature by the discerning of spirits or you may not. The issue is to command the unclean spirit to leave the presence of that person.

We are commanded to pull down strongholds and cast down imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). The shield of faith is to "...quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Ephesians 6:16). We are commanded to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

When the Scripture speaks of casting out devils, it includes casting out all the devil's works, his strongholds, his fiery darts and every wicked plan against the believer. We are to minister the righteousness, peace, joy, healing and deliverance of God to remove all the effects of the devil. JUST DO IT!

Speak With New Tongues

Jesus said this sign would follow them that believe. On the day of Pentecost, there were 120 believers gathered in prayer. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4). There was no distinction between men and women or between the 11 and the 70 disciples. All who received the infilling of the Holy Spirit began to speak.

Jesus said these signs would follow those who believe. Of course, if a person does not believe or desire to speak with new tongues, he probably won't. It doesn't mean that a person won't be saved or won't experience the working of the Holy Spirit in his life if he doesn't speak with tongues. It is a benefit of the Gospel to bless the believer.

Paul explained that the Spirit helps us to pray through the prayer of tongues when we don't know how to pray or what to pray in our own language (Romans 8:26-27). He also writes that praying in tongues is praying with the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:13-15). Combined with interpretation, praying in tongues is a means of receiving divine revelation from God. In the book of Ephesians, Paul admonishes believers to pray in the Spirit as part of the spiritual armor for combat with the enemy (Ephesians 6:18). Jude 20 says, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." There are many benefits of this gift from God that are available to all believers.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?

Acts 10:44-47

The Jews knew these Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit, because they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Peter said the Gentiles received in the same way as the Jews had received. There seems to have been a common experience of speaking with tongues among all those receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. It was expected and there was no argument or discussion over its validity. They simply believed Jesus when He said it was a sign that would follow them that believe. Acts 19:1-6 records the event of the people in Ephesus receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking with tongues several years after the experience at Cornelius' house. Evidently, this sign was one intended for all believers.

In 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Paul lists several offices in the Church. These are divinely anointed people with specific callings in the Church. He makes it clear that not everyone is called to these offices. There are those who are used of God in a special way to bring messages in tongues and interpretation within a church service.

There are those who move in miracles in a regular ministry. There are others who have various gifts of healing who operate as a gift in the Church on a consistent basis. There are others especially gifted to teach, administrate and serve in helps.

Just because there are those who are used by God on a consistent basis in these areas does not mean that you as a believer cannot experience them in your life. Miracles, tongues, healing, administration, teaching and helps can all be experienced in your life as the need arises. A simple way to understand this is by viewing a full-time pastor and a member of the church. Just because the preacher is called and anointed to preach the Gospel doesn't mean the church member can't witness to his neighbor. A specific calling upon one for ministry does not rule out all others being used by God in that way in an individual and personal manner.

Take Up Serpents (Evil Spirits)

Evil spirits are referred to by Jesus as serpents and scorpions. Since Jesus refused to jump from the temple at Satan's temptation in order to prove God's protection, we know this verse is not talking about picking up poisonous snakes to prove spirituality. When someone is bound by an unclean spirit and needs to be freed, then Jesus said believers would have authority to set them free.

If You Drink Any Deadly Thing, It Will Not Hurt You

This sign is in harmony with Psalm 91. Again, believers are not to tempt the Lord. This provision is easy to understand in light of the commission to go into all parts of the earth and preach the Gospel. Believers through history in missionary efforts have stood on this promise as they had no other choice but to eat and drink what was available in the land of their ministry.

Lay Hands on the Sick, And They Will Recover

Jesus said this sign was to follow those who believe. Your hands are to be laid upon the sick so they will recover. This happens by the authority of the Kingdom of God in you driving out the devil's oppression of sickness.

It is the demonstration of the Gospel to heal the sick. The good news is that Jesus came healing, saving and delivering people. He is still the same today. His work on Calvary made it possible for all who believe to experience His salvation, healing and deliverance.

With Signs Following

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs...

Mark 16:20

God works with those who preach boldly and believe Him to confirm the Word. The confirmation of the Word being preached is God's miraculous signs and wonders.

God gives divine testimony to His Word by the miraculous. The miracle confirmation is a sign to those hearing that it is indeed His Word and therefore should be believed.

Teenager Turns Fully to God After Seeing Miracle

While it is true that some people will not be changed by a miracle, there are those who will be. A young man related to me that he had been pulled by the world and had avoided giving his whole life to Jesus until he saw the demonstration of the power of God. He saw a woman thrown down and convulsed by an evil spirit. He witnessed the authority of Jesus' name to cast out the devil. Then he heard this woman declare in great joy what God had done in setting her free. The young teen said, "This moved me tonight to give my whole heart to God."

WE MUST HAVE THE DIVINE CONFIRMATION GOD CONFIRMED HIS SON WITH MIRACLES

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached a great sermon that contains a revelation about God's purpose in miracles.

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know.

Acts 2:22

God gave divine testimony to His Son through the miracles. They were a stamp of approval. God attested to the message He was speaking, that it was from heaven. Supernatural evidence was presented to meet human needs and point people to Jesus Christ.

If God considered it necessary to give divine confirmation of His Son when He came in the flesh, then how much more is this testimony needed today. The miraculous demonstration of the Gospel with signs and wonders breaks through unbelief. It points people to the One who can meet every need.

The writer of Hebrews urges us not to drift away from the message and ministry of salvation that Jesus brought to the earth.

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.

God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles; and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

Hebrews 2:1-4

Here we see the same idea that Acts 2:22 records— God bearing witness with signs and wonders!

The argument is often presented that God gave miracles and signs just in Jesus' ministry to confirm His deity. But look again at what the word says.

LOOK AT HEBREWS 2:4!

God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles; and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

God gave the same witness of His Son when those who heard Him began to preach the Gospel!

God is the One who originated the idea of the confirmation of the Word with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. If we are to see the same things today, we must ...give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away (Hebrews 2:1). There are many who have drifted away from the Gospel as it "...first began to be spoken by the Lord..." (Hebrews 2:3).

THE CONFIRMATION OF THE WORD IS GOD’S MIRACULOUS SIGNS AND WONDERS

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There is Opposition to the Demonstration of the Gospel

The devil fought the prophets in the Old Testament who moved in power. He fought Jesus' ministry of miracles, and the book of Acts tells us he fought the disciples as they healed the sick and cast out devils.

The devil does not want God's power loosed on the earth. If ministers just talk a little about the Bible in their sermons and never preach it boldly, casting out evil spirits, then the devil is undisturbed. Remember, the Pharisees and all the Jews had been reading and talking about the Bible for hundreds of years when Jesus came on the scene. The main problem was that the majority of the people had never heard it spoken with authority or seen it demonstrated. When Jesus came, ...the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).

If you intend to move into the demonstration of the Gospel, don't be afraid. Just realize that it will not happen without resistance. You have authority to overcome the devil and the criticism of the Pharisees. The religious leaders who deny the power of God for today will say the same things about you that they said of Jesus and the apostles.

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the Son of David?

But when the Pharisees heard it they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.

Matthew 12:22-24

Criticism will not stop you when you know who you are in Jesus. If you are right with God in your own heart and your motives are pure, you will see the hand of God upon your life. Your personal relationship with Jesus must be on solid rock when you step into the realm of the demonstration of the Gospel. Every man in history who has moved in the supernatural power of God has faced battles. Keep humble in your own eyes. Don't let pride, the love of money, or lust for the opposite sex get into your heart. Be a quick forgiver and forget the offenses.

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The Harvest is Plenteous, But the Laborers are Few

Jesus was anointed by His Father to heal the sick. Evidently He could not move into the miraculous ministry until He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The first miracle was turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:11). It took place shortly after John had baptized Him and saw the Spirit descending upon Him.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 10:38

Jesus took upon Himself flesh just like you and me (Hebrews 2:14-15). He was tempted like we are (Hebrews 4:15). The Bible says we are to follow His example and follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). He could heal and deliver because He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power.

GET THIS POINT!!!

We, too, are to be anointed with the Holy Ghost and power for the same purpose. Jesus did not leave us an example we could not follow. He became like us and used the same things we would have after we were born again to defeat the devil. We have His life in us, His blood, His Word, His spirit, His name, His righteousness, His faith, His armor, His weapons and His commission.

...AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME,

I ALSO SEND YOU.

John 20:21

You are to be like Jesus. In your spirit, you have the exact same Spirit that was in Jesus and is in Him now. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11

The four Gospels and the book of Acts are not just history. They are a picture of how God intends for you to walk and live on the earth. They are a training manual for the NOW!

See yourself in action in the book of ACTS

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE GOSPEL

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8

You are to be a witness of Jesus. This means to show and tell. You talk about Him and produce evidence of His life to convince others to receive Him. People have heard about Jesus being alive, but they are hungering to see evidence that He is alive. The miracle of a transformed life is a sign and wonder to unbelievers. The healing of a sick person is evidence. A marriage restored by God when it was on the rocks is evidence of a living Jesus. Drug addicts and alcoholics delivered from their addiction by God's power are divine proof that Jesus is raised from the dead.

There were 120 men and women who received the power of the Holy Spirit's anointing on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:13-15).

Women Are Anointed, Too!!

Joel prophesied that the women would receive the anointing of God's Spirit in the last days (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18).

The command of Jesus was to go to the ends of the earth with the Gospel. This command is the same for you as it was for them. You are to go to the uttermost parts of the earth proclaiming, "JESUS IS LORD."

After the 3,000 people were saved on the day of Pentecost, 'Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles" (Acts 2:43).

Cripple Healed

In Acts 3, Peter and John healed a man lame from his mother's womb. Peter said,

And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Acts 3:16

Notice that Peter said it wasn't his own power or holiness that healed the man.

THIS IS CRITICAL! GETIT!

Skeptics will say that the early disciples had something from God that we don't have today and that is the reason they healed the sick and delivered the demon-possessed.

Peter's response shatters that flimsy excuse for unbelief. Peter said it wasn't anything he had by his own personal power or holiness that caused the miracle. It was:

FAITH IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Now, let me ask you, ”Do we still have faith?”

”Do we still have the name of Jesus?”

YES! YES! YES!

We have the same ingredients for miracles today. Even if your name is not Peter or Paul, and even if you didn't walk the shores of Galilee with Jesus, you have FAITH and you have the NAME of Jesus!

Prayer for Signs and Wonders

Peter and John were called before the Jewish leaders for healing the crippled man and commanded "...not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18). They returned to the other believers who began to pray with this prayer.

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,

By stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.

Acts 4:29-30

It is Scriptural to ask God for boldness in preaching with signs and wonders following. You get what you desire from God. If you don't go after the demonstration of the Gospel, you will not see it as you should.

BOLD PREACHING AND SIGNS AND WONDERS GO TOGETHER

FAITH IN THE NAME OF JESUS WILL BRING MIRACLES!

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Signs and Wonders Cause the Church to Grow

And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people...

And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

So that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 5:12,14-16

People are drawn into the church by miracles, signs and wonders. Multitudes were added to the church during this time in Jerusalem. It is no different today! People will come to the power of God for salvation, healing and deliverance. They will bring their friends, neighbors and relatives who need help if they know that help will be given. This is God's formula for Church growth:

THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE GOSPEL! Deacons Used in Signs and Wonders

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Acts 6:8,10

Stephen had been appointed by the 12 disciples to serve in distributing food and necessary items to the widows of the church. He was a man who was a "helps" minister, meeting a practical need.

What qualified Stephen to move in supernatural ministry meeting the needs of people? The Word says he was full of faith and power. His appointment as a deacon required that he have a good reputation and be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.

Each of the qualifications of Stephen are character traits that any Christian can and should develop. In other words, Stephen was a faithful church member just like millions of others today. He got so full of the life of God that it just started overflowing.

GET FILLED WITH JESUS AND OVERFLOW!

Philip Preached Christ, Cast Out Devils and Healed the Sick

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

And there was great joy in that city.

Acts 8:5-8

Philip preached Christ Which Christ did he preach? Did he preach the lifeless figurehead that is so often preached in pulpits today? To get your answer of which Christ Philip preached, then examine the results. When Jesus preached, the sick were healed, devils were cast out and people rejoiced.

It says that the people "...heeded the things spoken by Philip..." (Verse 6). To heed means to hear, obey and act accordingly. You can know what they were hearing by what happened. It says unclean spirits were coming out and many were healed. How did they have faith to be healed and delivered unless Philip was preaching that Jesus had come to heal and deliver them?

Some might argue that it just happened. Then why doesn't it just happen everywhere someone preaches about Jesus today? The reason is clear:

NOT EVERYONE TODAY PREACHES THE | CHRIST OF THE BIBLE.

Many preach their own Jesus instead of the Jesus in the four Gospels. Liberal theology has robbed millions of Christians of seeing the real Jesus Christ of Nazareth. It is time that the people of God demand that the real Jesus Christ be preached in their church or find one that does.

You will die spiritually if you sit week after week, year after year, listening to what God did but doesn't do now. Why do you sit in a place that refuses to pray for the sick, deliver the oppressed and lead people to salvation?

I have a word for you ministers reading this book.

How long are you going to ride the fence, fearing what your denominational peers and hierarchy will think of you if you truly preach Jesus Christ alive and full of power? How many people in your congregation are facing demonic bondage, yet they are offered no help from the pulpit? How many sick children, mothers, and dads are you going to tell that it is God's will for them to be sick and refuse to pray the healing prayer of faith? It's time for you to be a minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Get rid of your denominational and dispensational glasses and see that Jesus has commanded you to do exactly what He commanded the first disciples to do.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I break the bondage from your life now as you read these words. Take the freedom that belongs to you to both speak and demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Go free from all your hangups, fears, unbelief, prejudice and oppression. You are loosed to walk in the power and authority of God's anointing.

HALLELUJAH!!

GO FOR IT!

Paul’s Ministry Began With Miraculous Conversion

On the road to Damascus, Paul was struck down with blindness as he heard the voice of Jesus, telling him to go into the city and a man named Ananias would lay hands on him that he might receive his sight (Acts 9:1-18). It happened just as God said when a believer named Ananias prayed the healing prayer for him. This man, Ananias, was a disciple in Damascus. He wasn't one of the twelve, and there appears to be nothing spectacular about his life, yet God used him.

It is the will of God that all believers be ready to minister healing and deliverance whenever God calls on us and the need arises.

Ananias had no argument about the Lord's ability to use him to heal Saul (Paul) of blindness and to see him filled with the Holy Spirit. You, too, should be ready to obey God in praying for deliverance, healing, salvation, or the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Acts 9:17-18

Signs and Wonders Point People to Jesus

Many believed in the Lord because of this miracle. The demonstration of the Gospel gets the attention of unbelievers and causes them to open their hearts to Jesus.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER

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Visions and Dreams—For Today

In Acts 10, Peter saw a vision of a sheet let down from heaven, and there were many unclean animals on it. A voice said: ...Rise, Peter, kill and eat.

But Peter said, Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.

And a voice spoke to him again the second time. What God has cleansed you must not call common.

Acts 10:13-15

A man named Cornelius who was a Gentile had been praying and he saw an angel of God coming and saying to him:

Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.

Acts 10:5-6

Because Cornelius was a Gentile and Peter was a Jew, there were cultural and traditional barriers to them coming together. Yet, God used a vision from heaven to bring those two under the same roof for a divine visitation.

After Peter saw the vision of the sheet, three men from Cornelius' house came seeking him. The Spirit said, Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them (Acts 10:20).

When Peter arrived at Cornelius' house, it was full of friends and relatives. Peter began to tell them about Jesus. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38).

He told of Jesus being raised from the dead and that

...through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43).

The Holy Ghost Fell

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God...

Acts 10:44-46

In this hour of desperate need in the world, God is going to give supernatural direction through visions, dreams and visitation of angels. Be ready for God to divinely intervene in and through your life to see people get the fullness of the Spirit in their lives.

Vision of Mabee Center—Tulsa, Oklahoma

In December, 1981, while Sharon was singing at a Victory Bible Institute Christmas banquet and I was seated beside her, I saw in an open vision the inside of the O.R.U. Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I heard the voice of God say, "Your church will be meeting in the Mabee Center." That night I told Sharon and she said, "It will be a miracle!"

We had just started Victory Christian Center eight months before and we had grown out of space. There was a desperate need for a larger place to meet. When this vision came of our church meeting in a 10,000 seat arena, it was beyond our wildest expectations. We did not know the Roberts family, even though we had graduated from O.R.U. It seemed an utter impossibility, but in the ninth month after the vision, we held our first service in the O.R.U. Mabee Center! There were many miracles that happened to bring it to pass.

God gave us His vision of what He wanted to happen, and then He brought it to pass. Today is your day to believe in the supernatural power of God. Be open to God's dreams and visions. Press into the demonstration of the Gospel.

This is the hour for real Christianity to be seen in the earth. You have the ability to make Jesus known. HE IS ALIVE!

Be Like Jesus!

As the coming of Jesus draws nearer, many false Christs will arise. The spirit of antichrist will be felt throughout the world. The new age, the occult and Satanism will affect multitudes.

You are called upon to lift up the Son of God—Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He must be seen clearly without distortion or deletion. All of His fullness is to be revealed. Nothing of the power and love of Christ should be hidden from the hungry hearts of this generation.

The fear of man will try to intimidate you. Ridicule and sarcasm will follow your life if you dare to preach and demonstrate the living, resurrected Savior as He really is. The world can tolerate a historical figurehead, but to face Jesus alive in the now demands a decision. It will either bring repentance or rejection.

Many will repent when they discover that Jesus is still the same. They will give their lives to this wonderful Savior who gave Himself for us. The rewards of pleasing God and seeing transformed lives far outweigh any opposition you might face. Turn loose of the dead traditions, and take hold of the living Word.

BE LIKE JESUS! TEACH—PREACH— HEAL GO! AND THE LORD WILL WORK WITH YOU CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS WONDERS AND MIRACLES.

The Demonstration of The GOSPEL

BILLY JOE DAUGHERTY is founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also the founder of Victory Christian School, Victory Bible Institute and Victory World Missions Training Center. His vision is to raise up men and women who will reach the nations for Jesus. Other Victory outreaches include taking the gospel via radio and television in North America, along with shortwave radio and television in other nations, plus the distribution of books, tapes and videos. He and his wife, Sharon, minister God's healing, saving and delivering power as a team. Their four children and a son-in-law work alongside them in the ministry.

The Demonstration of the Gospel will confirm to your heart, through the Word and through testimony, that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). What Jesus did in His earthly ministry, He has empowered every born-again, Spirit-filled believer to do in this hour.

The testimonies contained in this book will inspire you to take the Good News of the Gospel, with the God-kind of compassion, to your world (your area of influence) to bring salvation to a hurting people. Salvation includes:

•    Forgiveness of sin

•    Healing (physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and financially)

•    Deliverance from every type of satanic bondage

•    Provision of the abundant life

One example of an outstanding testimony contained in this book came from a Moslem woman immobilized from injuries she had received to her hips and legs from a car accident. She was healed at an evening crusade in Nigeria where the preaching of the Gospel was followed by demonstration.

Jesus is alive! This teaching will help you to turn Him loose in your life!

Table of Contents

1 What is the Gospel?

2 Compassion is the Key

3 Miraculous Demonstrations of the Gospel

4 The Works I Do, You Shall Do Also

5 Two Sides of the Coin

6 These Signs Shall Follow

7 There is Opposition to the Demonstration of the Gospel

8 The Harvest is Plenteous, But the Laborers are Few

9 Signs and Wonders Cause the Church to Grow

10 Visions and Dreams—For Today