Hi Chick,Bill, Jesus also said in Matthew 10:8 - Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, & cast out devils. Are you doing that?
We read in Matthew 10:1, "Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."
So, when He told them, in Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. . . " -- He was speaking to them only and giving them only that authority to do these things at that time.
He has given gifts to many people -- gifts of pastoring, teaching, healing, evangelizing, etc. -- to many folks. And, we should each use the gift or gifts He has given us to glorify God.
---------------------------------------------------------
Bill, I disagree that Jesus gave the power over unclean spirits, raise the dead
cure the sick, to the Apostles only. That power was to extend through the life
of the church. The trouble is, as generations passed, we became more distant
from the church. The very strong in faith and love of God carried this power
in the early years.
Jesus gave us an example of this when he walked on the water and how
Peter reacted. Peter displayed human nature and Jesus was saying
Rise above it.
The arrival of Jesus was at a time when the Jewish religion was so far
from what God wanted Jesus destroyed it and rebuilt it in three days.
Only some of the people followed what Jesus made new and those are
the ones they called Christian.
.