Sunday, November 03, 2013

God Raises The Dead

ACTS 26:8 NKJ
8 "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises
the dead?

Note the present tense of this verse. It does not say God
previously raised the dead or God will only raise the dead in
the future.

Our God is "I AM" -- not "I WAS" or "I WILL BE" (Exodus 3:14).
In other words, God is always the same and He can raise anyone
from the dead at any time without breaking a sweat.

JOHN 5:21 NKJ
21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them,
even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

Elijah (1 Kings 17:20-22) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:32-35) both saw
the dead raised.

Even after his death, touching the bones of Elisha caused a
dead man to come back to life (2 Kings 13:21). This caused the
word of Elijah to be fulfilled that Elisha would have a double
anointing, enabling him to do twice as many miracles as Elijah.

HEBREWS 11:35 NKJ
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others
were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might
obtain a better resurrection.

Included in the faith "hall of fame" in Hebrews 11 are women
who received their dead raised to life again. So it was a
choice made by these women to press in and receive something
extraordinary from God.

Surely this includes the women mentioned in the above accounts
with Elijah and Elisha. But there could have been others!

Not only did Jesus raise someone from death three times during
His earthly ministry (Luke 7:14, Luke 8:54, John 11:41-44), but
in John 14:12 Jesus said those who believe on Him would also do
the works that He did.

We assume that raising the dead is not in exactly the same
category as healing the sick, for Scripture mentions only three
people Jesus raised from death, while multitudes were healed by
Him. Notice also that most of the people raised from death in
Scripture were young.

During His earthly ministry Jesus also commanded His disciples
to raise the dead as part of their ministry.

MATTHEW 10:8 NKJ
8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out
demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Then in Matthew 28:18-20 (what we call the Great Commission),
Jesus told His disciples to teach others to do everything He
had commanded them -- even to the end of the age. So our
calling today is to do exactly what Jesus commanded His first
disciples to do.

MATTHEW 28:18-20 NKJ
18 Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Amen.

After the resurrection of Jesus we find both Peter (Acts 9:40)
and Paul (Acts 20:10) raising someone from death.

So eight individual people are mentioned in the Bible who were
raised from the dead. This does not count Jesus or the "many"
mentioned in Matthew 27:52-53 who were raised after His death.

Abraham, whose faith we are to imitate (Romans 4:12,16),
believed God would raise his son Isaac from death (Hebrews
11:19).

In our day, as people have begun to literally believe what the
Bible says, there are numerous testimonies from around the
world of people being raised from death.

Certainly, not everyone will be raised from death during this
present age. Jesus did not raise every dead person to life
during His earthly ministry and we are not supposed to raise
everyone either. But why should we think it is a thing
impossible for God to do?

Death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), and at the Name of
Jesus every knee must bow (Philippians 2:9-10). As believers we
have been commissioned to use the authority of Jesus' Name.

So, if you believe the Lord is directing you, use the authority
of Jesus' Name to speak life to a dead body. If they don't come
back, rejoice that they are in a better place, but at least you
acted in faith -- which pleases God.

SAY THIS: I am a believer! I believe God can, and does, raise
the dead. He is the Great I AM!

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