Go!

Go!

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

[23]  And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people.

The Context and Focus:

Before Jesus went out to teach and preach, there were a few things that has to be in place. First, we read of heaven's affirmation and confirmation of his identify, mission and impact, when the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove, and the Father spoke from heaven confirming Jesus as His beloved Son. The entire world present at the baptism heard the voice and saw the sight, but God was not finished yet. That was the public affirmation, but there was a need for the private test and affirmation. Immediately after the baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness where he fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and then was tempted by the devil. It is very clear from the accounts above that it will be hard to launch out into the unknown without proper and adequate preparation. The world may have its own idea of what is popular and accepted; as great as these may be, they are not enough, and are not even the proper way to measure God's will. Let the world applaud as much as it wants; I must seek God in that secret place before I can dare to attempt to impact the world. 

The Message:

With Jesus empowered by his Father after seeking His face and receiving strength for the journey ahead, impact was the next thing. With all He had received, He was ready to make impact. As I seek to change my world, what do I have to do this assignment? A man cannot give what he does not have. A man can make much noise, or get involved in a lot of activities; as long as the power, grace and enablement of God is not present, there will be no change. It is also important to consider all that Jesus covered: teaching, preaching and healing. Teaching is 'ideas or principles taught by an authority'. It means He had the authority to make the pronouncements He did. Preaching is to 'earnestly advocate a belief or course of action'. This means that Jesus believed in what He said, and he would stand by it, and of course he was backed up by the physical signs of healing, which is defined as 'the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again'. That is the combination that followed Jesus everywhere He went, and the promise of the Father to all who will do what Jesus did. 

The Conclusion:

Just as Jesus did in the days He walked on earth, so does He expect us to do. Just as Jesus was endued with the power He needed in order to carry out this work, so must we also seek the power before we dare to claim we want to work for God. In fact, the times recorded by Jesus as having spent time praying to His Father and seeking His help may not have been as popular as the accounts of his impact, but let it be known today that there will be no public impact without personal and private preparation and equipping. I must not labour for that which only man approves and applauds, but that which God backs up. After all, the work is defined by God, and if I will do it well, I need the supply that comes from God. What can man do, when he does not even know the scope of the assignment? The world is in need of that which God alone can supply. The world awaits the manifestation of the sons of God. Can God count on me to pay the price demanded for impact? Would I spend the right time in private, so I can impact the world the right way? God's time of favour is here.