Equipping a New Generation

On Sunday I had the tremendous privilege of doing a hands on healing training with a group of kids ranging in age from 5-11. We began with Luke 9:1-
"One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases."

In the course of our conversation we discovered that:
1) Power is the ability to do something AND
2) Authority is being allowed (authorized) to do it
(I told them- "I have the power to take your bike and ride it around the neighborhood, BUT if you don't tell me I'm allowed to ride your bike, then I don't have authority to do it").

Very simply, Jesus has given his followers both the ability and the authorization to do His works in our world.

Well, if all this is true- if the ministry of Jesus has really been extended to His followers - then it has to work for ALL of us, doesn't it? Even a group of 6 year olds from the Maritimes!

See, Jesus said in John 14:12, "ANYONE who believes in me will do the same works I have been doing... ." Now, maybe I'm missing something, but I think when Jesus says "anyone" he really means "anyone." Not just the people over 30, or the theologically educated, or even those who can tie their shoes by themselves.

So we invited Jesus to empower this group of children to heal the sick and the hurting right there in that room. And it worked!

Here's a few stories of what went on:
One of the kids got a word of knowledge for a sprained ankle. A young girl had fallen off her bike earlier in the week and injured her ankle in that way. A group of children came around her, prayed with the power and authority Jesus has given them, and her pain instantly left.

Another boy saw a picture of a painful red dot in the middle of someone's forehead. A boy in the group came up and said he had smashed his head into a metal pole and had pain in that exact spot. As the kids prayed, the Holy Spirit rested on him and his pain left.

A girl with terrible pain in her right leg came and was prayed for by a group of 5-9 year old girls. Her muscles had been seized up, causing great discomfort. The power of God came on her and her condition disappeared immediately! Afterwards she was able to move her leg freely.

Experiencing God at work deposits something of his kingdom into our hearts that is hard to shake. These children have been given the same commission we have: To live out the message and ministry of Jesus in their everyday lives. My prayer is that they get hooked for a lifetime and one day begin to train others.