Preaching, Casting, Healing

How would you feel if you were told that you had a job to do. You are to take a friend with you and begin traveling to the cities in SLO County. First you are to go to San Miguel. Your next stop...Shandon. From there you are to travel to Cambria, then to San Simeon. Then Morro Bay. Here's what you both will be doing in each town. Telling the people in that town to repent. Also, that the kingdom of God is at hand. You're going to love this one...You are also to confront demon possessed people and cast out the demons. You are also to annoint the sick with oil, pray for them and heal them. I know what you are thinking... "What???" One more little thing. You can't take any money, extra clothes, or food with you. You can only take your faith in God, trusting that He will actually take care of both of you.
By the way, if they don't appreciate your ministry, if they think you're nuts, you are to shake the dust from that city off your feet as a testimony against them. And then go to the next city.

Are you ready for this assignment? Would you be a little nervous as you and your friend take off on your way, first to San Miguel? "Preach, demons, heal...?"

You might now have a little appreciation for the 12 disciples as they were sent out in pairs just like the description above. Without Jesus walking with them (Mark 6).

Bridge Inspectors

The following is a blog article from one of my Seminary professors, Dr. John Wecks...and I actually wrote a response.

No Tolerance for Intolerant Inspectors
June 10th, 2008 http://blogs.multnomah.edu/johnwecks/

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to find a flaw in this thing.”

“A flaw? Who cares? This structure serves a greater purpose. You are too picky. Nothing is perfect. You need to loosen up and be more tolerant of flaws.”

So they left the primary support for the huge bridge like it was. Traffic was heavy on the bridge because it worked. After all, this bridge was doing something useful and helpful, such as connecting people.

This kind of thinking that produces sloppy inspection of a physical bridge that puts lives in physical danger would not be tolerated.

How much more should we be careful of the ways we carry the precious cargo of the gospel to reach out and connect with people’s souls and eternal destinies?

Careful inspection of a personal bridge that might put souls in eternal danger should not only be tolerated, but encouraged.

Gal. 1:6-9; Acts 20:29-31; 1 Cor. 6:13; 1 Pet. 5:8

One Response to “No Tolerance for Intolerant Inspectors — UHD 14:6”
By David Rusco on Jun 19, 2008

Dr. Wecks, you certainly don’t have to publish this, but I have a concern with the purity of the gospel and how it’s presented. I’m (trying) to write a book. It begins with, “What I’m about to say will be impossible for any human being to understand. Not only will you not understand, you will think it foolishness to varying degrees.” Why? Scriptural truth can only be understood by the human mind and intellect through the miraculous work of God’s Holy Spirit. In other words, the Word of Truth is so supernatural, only the Holy Spirit can make it understandable to the human mind. This has profound implications for the church in our era.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

The things freely given to us by God are revealed in the Word of God. And there is only one way to know what these things are.

13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

In other words, without the Spirit of God the unbeliever cannot understand the Bible. It’s foolishness. How is it made understandable? Many in our era attempt to remove certain theological words to make the gospel easier to understand. Or they add to the gospel making it more attractive…ug!

Only by Divine grace is it understood. Only by the miraculous work of God’s Holy Spirit can His Word be understood.

I believe it is here that many in the church have minimized. The gospel is impossible for the natural man to understand (1 Cor. 1:18). If the gospel could be understood by natural human ability, then preachers would use, as Paul writes, “cleverness of speech.” Sadly, many are doing just that. But God sent Paul to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void (1 Cor. 1:17).

This is a partial result of my "bridge inspection." I certainly agree with Dr. Wecks. Where are the bridge inspectors in our day?

Let me finish my sermon!

Time constraints prevented me from finishing my teaching Sunday morning on Fathers Day. Let me review...If you remember, I finished with the text from Mark 5:42. Jesus raised the twelve year old daughter of Jairus from death. Luke writes, 8:55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. I finished by talking about our spirit. God has given every man, woman, and child an eternal spirit. It's the real you. And your spirit will live forever somewhere. Either eternal hell, or Heaven. How important it is that we all die as a believer in Jesus.

My sermon would have continued a little later with a question. Why do you think Paul devotes twice as much writing to the husbands obligations as to the wives? Husbands, you are the God appointed leader of your household, even though you and your wife are equals in God's eyes.
Scripture says,
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
3 Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does;

Of course, this is referring to the marriage bed. How often have I heard this passage quoted without looking at the rest of verse 4. Here it is.

and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

The wife has authority over your body men. And you know what the topic is.


Men! Here's the key word for your wife...Romance

Women! Here's the key word for your husband...It's a three letter word that begins with the letter...well, you know.

I was going to tell a story about Darren and Jennifer Rusco. They just celebrated their wedding anniversary. While at the restaurant, they noticed another couple. They didn't know them, but knew they had been married for quite a while. Well, this other couple were sitting on the same side of the booth. They were talking, and laughing. The husband had his arm around his wife... hugging, talking...you get the picture. Well Jennifer and Darren were watching all this. Then Jennifer spoke across the table and asked Darren, "Honey, why don't you ever do that?" Darren replies, "Honey, I don't know that lady!"

Bible Study on Heaven

Summer Sunday nights in July (6 - 7:15 pm) we will ask and answer several questions on the subject of Heaven. Where will we spend eternity? Will we have bodies? What age will we appear to be? Will we eat in heaven? Will we work? Will we know each other? Will there be animals? How about our pets? Will there be marriage? You all are invited and encouraged to attend. Child care available. Bible study by Pastor Dave.

Week 1: "Heaven - Is there really life beyond the grave?"

Week 2: "Why should we think about heaven?"

Week 3: "What will heaven be like?"

Week 4: "Heaven and the rest of your life."

Dave's New Book; Click here for link

Well, it finally happened. I actually published a book. No, it won't be on the best seller list. No, I won't be featured on the 700 Club, or Fox News. Frankly, it's not for everyone. It's teaching on the doctrine of Last Days, complete with charts. It will challenge the typical teaching on this subject in the church in our era...long overdue.
Needless to say, I was excited today when Donna brought the book to the church office. I had a smile beeming from ear to ear. I felt like George Macfly when Biff brought Georges long-awaited book into his house, in "Back to the Future."
Click the link above the cover photo if you want to know more about the book and possibly buy it. I'm still not too sure how it works. The publisher is Wordclay.com. They will ask you to register to buy a copy.
The issues I'm teaching on are stated on the book cover.
Israel; The Church; The Rapture; The Tribulation; The Second Coming of Christ; The Kingdom of God, among other issues...And yes, I'll actually sign it! That is, if you don't burn it first.