You Can Do This!

Mark 6:12-13- So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. NKJV

We serve the God of miracles. There is no one like Him. He most definitely is the Sovereign Lord, ruler of the universe! And nothing is impossible for Him! As people of the Most High God, we should expect to see miracles. Although there are many who disagree with that statement, to me, it makes a lot of sense!

Typically, children display many of the qualities of their parents. For example, children of pastors and ministry leaders, typically become pastors and ministry leaders. Musicians generally raise singers or musicians. Actors typically raise children who follow in their footsteps. I think you see where I am going with this! And yet, we serve the supernatural God and Creator of the universe, who is limitless in power, and we don’t often experience Him in the supernatural, or believe that we can!

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts—but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

Mark 6:7-9 NKJV

In this 6th chapter of Mark, we see that Jesus has sent His disciples out to do ministry. Mark notes that Jesus gave them power over unclean spirits. That means that He gave them the power to cast out demons, just like Him. When they returned to Him, they had this testimony:

So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Mark 6:12-13 NKJV

As they went out, two by two, they shared the same message that Jesus shared, and then they worked the same works that Jesus worked. They cast out demons, and they healed the sick! They were so excited to see things work for them, as they had worked for Jesus. That’s the point that He wanted to make for them, that they could do what He was doing!

This doesn’t often happen over night. It didn’t happen over night with the disciples. But as we live for Him and fellowship with Him, He begins to rub off on us and we begin to act just like Him! Each of our daughters have mannerisms of their father and of me. Why? Because they are our children. Some things they picked up, and some things are inherent!

Later in the chapter, Jesus was having a service. The service lasted long enough that the disciples noticed that dinner time had passed and the people were probably hungry.

Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

Mark 6:36-37 NKJV

According to Mark, they were in a remote location and getting food for such a large crowd was going to be a problem. But Jesus tells the disciples to feed them. Can you just imagine the look on their faces? As we read further in the text we find that the crowd was about 5,000 men. So when the disciples heard Jesus say that they should feed them, they responded like they didn’t know who they were hanging out with!

But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

Mark 6:37 NKJV

That’s about a year’s salary in Jesus’ day. Today the value is around $368.00. That’s not a lot of money on anybody’s scale, but for the disciples they didn’t think it would do the job. Having mercy on the disciples, Jesus asked how much food did they have around?

But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

Mark 6:39 NKJV

We know from other accounts that this meal belonged to a young boy. Some say it was not really two fish and five loaves of bread, but it was tiny fish like sardines with crackers. Since Jesus called it fish and bread, then that’s my take on it.

Jesus took that meal and blessed it, then He told the disciples to serve it. Here’s where it gets interesting to me. There were twelve disciples and thousands of people. Did the food multiply as Jesus gave it out to the disciples, or as the disciples gave it out to the people? What’s your thought? I believe as Jesus gave each disciple food to pass out, it began to multiply giving the disciples faith to move out with it. As they gave it out, it just kept multiplying! And then there were leftovers! Twelve baskets! Each disciple had a basket, and each disciple’s basket had leftovers! Pretty cool!

When I was in high school I heard an amazing testimony. The evangelist visiting our church had been on a missions trip to Haiti. While he was there he experienced a similar miracle. They had prepared food for a group of people that were connected to the place where they were ministering. Many more showed up than was expected. As they prayed over the food they asked God to do a miracle. It multiplied and everyone present ate. I don’t remember if there were leftovers, but I remember that the food had multiplied. It caused my heart to burn for the God of the supernatural. The God who still performed miracles!

Do you want to know what I believe? I believe that had the disciples remembered how the demons fled at their command, and how the sick was made whole, and then trusted that they could feed the 5,000, it would have happened! How do I know that? Because when we step out at His command, failure is not an option!

I’ve seen God do some amazing things over the years. I truly believe in miracles! I know that I can believe for a miracle and see a miracle come to pass. I’m not God and I don’t have a perfect record of seeing miracles happen around me, but I have seen enough of them to keep me pressing toward the life of the miraculous! The life of God!

Can I share a healing miracle? I was grocery shopping when I saw a lady falling to the floor. I don’t know how I knew she was having a seizure, but I knew. I immediately dropped beside her and began to command that seizure to stop! I bound the activity of that demonic spirit and everything that I could think of. In the meantime, I heard someone call 911 and people were gathering. I didn’t give any of that an ounce of attention. Before the ambulance arrived, the seizure stopped, the lady got up and declared that she was fine. They wanted her to be checked out but she refused it. She thanked me and we both went our way praising God and continued with our shopping! If I saw her today I wouldn’t know her from anyone else! But that day, God used me to give her a miracle!

I see people all the time that I don’t feel the urge to walk over to and pray for them. And that’s not my usual way of doing things. I must admit that I am more comfortable praying for people in church or in their home. But if I am led to pray or something is going down in my presence, I will step out in faith and pray. And you can do this, too! I know you can! Wonderful Jesus!