“You Too Can Do These Works” by Rev. Christine 5/16/2021
My talk today is based on the promise of Christ Jesus’ in John 14:12, “Truly, Truly I say to you, He who believes in me shall do the works which I do; and even greater than these things He shall do, because I am going to my Father.”
This verse alone has inspired so many people. I know for me it was an eye opener, that right here in the Bible it states that I could through faith follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples and do healing work too. It brought me back to the Christian faith, not of the old kind but of New Thought. My spiritual path had begun based in a new faith of works.
This faith of works began with Christ Jesus’ disciples some 2020 years ago, on the Jewish feast Day of Pentecost. This year the Jewish Day of Pentecost is celebrated today, May 16th. I mention this because Christians are celebrating it on May 23rd. The original Feast of Pentecost was a commemoration of the weeks or days from when the Israelites were freed from Egypt to Moses receiving the law at Mt. Sinai. It became combined with an ancient feast day of the first wheat harvest known as the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Days; 50 days after the first fruits. Pentecost is a Greek word that means 50th, this is also known in Judaism as Shavuot which means weeks, representing 7 weeks.
Prior to Jesus the Christ Ascending, he told his disciples that a new comforter was coming and that the Holy Spirit would come to them, and baptize them by spirit. Just 10 days later, on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon them. Later on, date unknown, Christians changed the date to commemorate the Day of Pentecost to the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus. The Christian Day of Pentecost represents Christ Jesus’ apostles as being the first fruits.
Jesus the Christ directed the disciples to stay in Jerusalem together and wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They were all gathered in the upper room, including the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers all in prayer. While waiting for this momentous occasion the 11 disciples appointed Matthias to take Judas place to once again make 12 apostles or disciples.
I shall read from Acts 2:1-8, “And when the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, while they were assembled, Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues which were divided like flames of fire; and they rested upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in various languages, according to whatever the Spirit gave them to speak.
“Now there dwelt at Jerusalem devout men and Jews from every nation under heaven. And as the sound took place, all the people gathered together, and they were confused because every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these who speak Galileans? How is it that we hear every man in our own native language?..”
Let’s go back to the rushing mighty wind. Symbolically, this is the power of the Holy Spirit, the energy of the life force embracing each of the disciples. And the fire represents the Tree of Life that lies within each and everyone of us; all people everywhere. The Tree of Life is known as having 10 power or energy centers; it is our light body, and when fully ignited there is an awakening of spiritual gifts. The disciples were individually awakened with the Christ consciousness to carry on Jesus’ work.
When a person is in silent meditation, and gets deep into consciousness, there comes a powerful feeling of spirit rushing through the body; fully energizing, renewing of the mind, body and soul. The Tree of Life is being fully ignited empowering with the gifts of the spirit to teach, heal, prophecy, and to extend the baptism by spirit. To each person the gift is according to their individual expression of the Christ consciousness.
Peter had the gift to powerfully preach, and on that day 3,000 Jews were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Many miracles and wonders were done by the disciples in Jerusalem.
In Acts 3:2-8 records their first healing following the baptism by spirit, “There was a man lame from birth, being carried daily by men to the gate of the temple so that he might ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Simon Peter and John, he begged of them to give alms.
And Simon Peter and John looked at him and said, Look at us. And he looked at them, expecting to receive something from them. Then Simon Peter said to him, Gold and silver have I none; but what I have I give to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up; and in that very hour his legs and his feet received strength. And he, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.”
Then in verse 16, “Faith in his name has healed this man whom you see and know, and made him strong; it is the faith in him which has granted this healing before you all.”
In chapter 8:5-8, “Philip went down to a Samaritan city and preached to them about Christ. And when the people of that place heard his word, they gave heed and listened attentively to everything Philip said, because they saw the miracles which he did. Many who were mentally afflicted cried with loud voices and were restored; and others who were paralytic and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”
In chapter 8:36-41, is an account of raising of the dead, I will paraphrase a bit: Simon Peter was requested to go to the city of Joppa for a woman disciple called Tabitha. She was known for her good works in charitable acts. Tabitha had taken ill and quickly passed on. Simon Peter arrived to her room, and put all the people out, and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Simon Peter, she sat up, and she was presented to those weeping, alive.
Then in chapter 14:8-10, “There dwelt in the city of Lystra a cripple who had been lame from birth, who never had walked. He heard Paul speak; and when Paul saw him and perceived that there was faith in him to be healed, he said with a loud vice, I say to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, stand upright on your feet. And he leaped and walked.”
A common theme here is faith, as Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you.” Regardless of the illness, or even seeming death, the power of the spoken word of truth and faith heals and restores wholeness.
First of all, prior to raising the dead both Jesus and Paul prayed, then called forth to rise. It wasn’t their personal power, but in their faith of the power within them, the power of God that it was done.
The power in the conviction of truth directed to the person to be healed is faith in action. To be healed takes faith, that as small as a mustard seed, just a willingness to agree that it can be done, allows for the resistence to drop away. So many times people like to own their pain by reciting over and over to whomever who will listen; engraving it into memory.
Agreement is so necessary in any demonstration of healing. At all times the faith is not in the person speaking truth, but in the truth itself of the Omnipresence, Omniscience and Omnipotence of God. The all power, all light and love every where present.
The person praying for another is aligning their thoughts and feelings to truth, while lifting their consciousness and raising their energy frequency. There is a co-mingling of the One mind, lifting the consciousness of the person in need. Out of the muck of life and into the light of truth. And as a result healing transpires.
When demonstration doesn’t seem to happen, its usually because there is a conflict between the mental thought and gut feeling. Yes I want to be healed, and then at a gut level feeling unworthy to be healed, or may have a fear to move forward in life, or just not ready to let go - somehow the condition is serving. Of course this is at a subconscious level.
Let us take a moment to see how we feel. Repeat the following statements, and check your mind and gut feeling as you say it.
I choose to be vitally alive. I choose to be healthy. I choose to be happy.
I choose to be prosperous. I choose to love and be loved. I choose to live a purpose filled life.
In John 20:21-22, Jesus said, Peace be with you; just as my Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he had said these things, he encouraged them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.”
I invite you today to receive the Holy Spirit, as the disciples did so many years ago. Then as the disciples became conduits for passing of the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost, you too can be that vehicle that God works through to teach and heal others. Remembering the words of Christ Jesus, “You too shall do these works, and even greater works than these shall you do.”
Let us take a moment to embrace these words. “You too shall do these works, and even greater works than these shall you do.”
Now believe and have faith in the Christ Presence within you. That Divine Consciousness to awaken and unfold within you. To expand your capacity of Truth and compassion. To unfold your gifts of the spirit to lead a purpose filled life. To know God within is the mighty power that does all the healing and miraculous works.
Breathe in the Holy Sacred Breath... Acknowledging this Divine Presence is all around and within you... I am an open, clear, vessel for God’s love to express through...
Receive the Holy Spirit. (Breathe in microphone)...
So it is, Amen!