Authority Over Demons and Disease
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Lord Jesus Christ!’ Then I said it to the man, ‘Now, my brother (I didn’t put an “if” in it
this time), stoop over and touch your toes!’
Instantly his back was limber. The tuberculosis of the spine was gone. The spine which
had been as stiff as a board was healed. He could stoop over and touch his toes as well as
any normal person. He was completely well!
Because this man had come to our meeting from Arkansas, we didn’t see him until two
weeks later. He came back to be in the last Saturday night service.
I asked him if he was still able to stoop over and touch his toes.
‘Yes, I am still free.’ He said with a big smile lighting his face. He stepped out into the
aisle, stooped over, touched the floor, and went through several exercises to prove he was
still limber and free.
This experience demonstrated to me once and for all the importance of following God’s
Word explicitly. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). And I learned that
no
matter who we are, if we move in unbelief, we will stop the flow of God’s power.
”
We must believe we have authority. We must believe we are empowered, and we must do it
without doubting, without wavering. Do you have authority? Have you been given power in the
Name of Jesus? Think about what we call the Great Commission.
Some say, “Well, that was just Jesus.” No, he gave power to the 12.
“Well, that was just the 12.” No, he gave power to the 70.
“Well, it was just them.” No, it was all through the Book of Acts.
“Yeah, but it was just them.” No, what does the Great Commission say in Mark 16? Let’s remind
ourselves.
Every Christian believes in the Great Commission, don’t they? Certainly they do. What is the
Great Commission? Mark 16:15-17 says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature.” Who is going to do the preaching? We are. “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…” What is the first thing He mentions? Is this just for Jesus? No, this is for those who
believe in His Name. This is right in the middle of the Great Commission. Is it just for the 12?
No. Just for the 70? No. Just for Paul in the Book of Acts? No. “In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues.” Are you a tongue-talker? Well, you ought to be
devil-caster-outer too. You don’t have to get spooky or superstitious or fearful. You don’t have
to get weird at all.
Some ask, “Well, what if I didn’t see anything?” Is it stealing? Is it killing? Is it destroying?
Then it’s the devil, and you have a right to shut it down.
