August 2008

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And the seventy returned with joy, saying Lord, even the devils are subject to us thru Your Name...

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Luke 10:17-21

When you read Luke chapter 10 you see that Jesus 70 men to go in His Name . 35 teams He appointed to go before Him into every city and place that He would come. The parallel account in Matthew 10:1 says, "He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." He gave authority to His 12 disciples and then to 70 "rookies", "babes" to cast out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness!

Notice that when the 35 teams returned from their appointments that they returned with JOY saying Lord, even the devils are subject unto us thru Your Name. I wonder how they expressed that joy? I vividly recall how I expressed it the first time I experienced it in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I could take you right to the spot on the top step of the Kingston Ontario Federal Prison for Women. I had just ministered in my first deliverance. I commanded demons in the Name of Jesus and they obeyed. A tormented woman was set free.

It was on these same steps. This photo was taken with the inmate some 5-years after her release.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit... Jesus is genuinely excited here. Literally, the ancient Greek says He was thrilled with joy. God delights in using the weak and foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

The ancient Greek word for rejoiced is "referring to exceptional rejoicing and exultation." Do you think it might have been equivalent to an athletes "fist pump" when experiencing victory? I think it was something like that!

Jesus’ joy makes Him break out into prayer. He praises God the Father for His wisdom, for His plan, and for His own unique relationship with God the Father..."I thank You, Father..." How many times I have said, "Thank You... thank You, thank You" because of the joy of seeing people delivered and healed by the authority of His Name. It’s the response that must come.

You see I am ever aware that the things I see and experience in this ministry has been "revealed to me"...that I qualify as, not wise and prudent, but as a "babe" in His sight. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I believe today, that Jesus rejoices when we act in His Name and believe His Word. Maybe He gives a "fist pump" or a "high five" to the angels when Christians act upon faith in His Word. The angels do give "high fives" when people accept Christ, there is joy in heaven whenever one sinner repents.

"Rejoice" is too weak a word. It is "exulted in spirit"-evidently giving visible expression to His unusual emotions; while, at the same time, the words "in spirit" are meant to convey to the reader the depth of them. This is one of those rare cases in which the veil is lifted from off the Redeemer's inner man, that, like the angels, (1 Peter 1:12) we may "look into it" for a moment ."

Let us look on it with reverential wonder, and as we perceive what it was that produced that mysterious ecstasy, we shall find rising in our hearts a measure of exultation in our spirit...and exaltation.

I think I see an unbridled smile and an expression of victory that could be seen as a "fist pump" by Jesus. "Exulted" means to show or feel triumphant elation. The 35 two-team "rookies" had obeyed His Word and the demons had obeyed their word. Jesus is not just pleased, He is exulted! He feels the triumphance and He shows it.

I like the picture I see here. Jesus exulted and the Father exalted. It is my desire to bring exultation to Jesus and exaltation to the Father. One produces the other. This whole process, Jesus said, "seemed good to the Father." If it makes Jesus rejoice and seems good to the Father why are we not doing it in the church today?

Jesus made sure that the 70 men did not rejoice in the wrong thing...He basically said, you have power over demons because I gave it to you, don’t lose sight of why you have such authority. We are in Christ and Christ is in us. We have been blood bought and redeemed and that is why we can walk in faith.

Rejoicing in our victories, leads to "Thank You Father" as it did with Jesus in verse 21. Jesus said, "All things are delivered to me of my Father...and he to whom the Son will reveal them." God the Father gave it to Jesus and Jesus gave it to us...to me, a babe in Christ.

Does it confound the wise? You be the judge. Authority as a believer is not revealed thru education and accomplishment . It is really not discovered, it is "revealed". It is not hidden, it just cannot be seen thru carnal eyes.

Thank you for your gracious support and for your prayers. I am very, very thankful!

Can I encourage you to bring someone to our Special Night of Ministry in Bedford. People really do get healed and delivered!

Just for Jesus,

Don

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