Page 8 - Good News December 2015 paper

very birth is a miracle, and growth of the early Church. His Messiah. them out to proclaim the Kingdom
every child is a gift from Gospel and book of Acts are of God. When they returned, He
EGod. reliable, historical documents. Luke gives us a glimpse of Jesus revealed to them His mission, His
at age 12 - discussing theology true identity, and what it means to
But more than 20 centuries ago, Luke's story begins with angels with the teachers of the Law at the be His disciples (Luke 9:18-62).
there was a truly miraculous birth; appearing to Zacharias and then Temple (Luke 2:41-52). The next His mission - to be the Saviour of
the Son of God was born a man. Mary, telling them of the birth of event occurs 18 years later, when the world - would take Him to
With divine Father and human their sons. From Zacharias and we read of John the Baptist Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-53), where
mother, Jesus entered history - Elizabeth would come John the preaching in the wilderness. He would be rejected, tried, and
God in the flesh! Baptist who would prepare the crucified.
way for Christ. And Mary would Jesus came to John to be
Luke affirms Christ's divinity, but conceive by the Holy Spirit and baptized before beginning His While carrying His cross to Gol-
the real emphasis of his book is to bear Jesus, the Son of God. public ministry (Luke 3:1-38). At gotha, some women in Jerusalem
show His humanity - Jesus the this point, Luke traces Jesus' wept for Him; but Jesus told them
Son of God, is also the Son of Soon after John's birth, Caesar genealogy on his stepfather to weep for themselves and their
Man. Augustus declared a census, and Joseph's side, through David and children (Luke 23:28).
so Mary and Joseph travelled to Abraham back to Adam, under-
As a doctor, Luke was a man of Bethlehem, the city of David, their scoring His identity as the Son of But Luke's Gospel does not end in
science, and as a Greek, he was a ancient ancestor. There the Child Man. sadness. It concludes with the
man of detail. It is not surprising, was born. thrilling account of Jesus' resur-
then, that he begins by outlining After the temptation in the rection from the dead, His
his extensive research and Angels announced the joyous Judaean wastelands (Luke 4:1- appearances to the disciples, and
explaining that he is reporting the event to shepherds who rushed to 13), Jesus returned to Galilee and His promise to send the Holy
facts (Luke 1:1-4). In addition, the manger. When they left, they began to preach, teach, and heal Spirit (Luke 24:1-53). Read Luke's
Luke was a close friend and were praising God and spreading (Luke 4:14-21:38). During this beautifully written and accurate
travelling companion of Paul, so the news. Eight days later, Jesus time, he solidified his group of 12 account of the life of Jesus, Son of
he could interview the other was circumcised and then dedi- disciples, calling Peter, James, Man and Son of God. Then praise
disciples, had access to other cated to God in the Temple where John (Luke 5:1-10), and Matthew God for sending the Saviour for all
historical accounts, and was an Simeon and Anna confirmed his (Luke 5:27-29). Later Jesus com- men - our risen and triumphant
eyewitness to the birth and identity as the Saviour, their missioned the disciples and sent Lord! [Life Application Bible].

“Nearly two years ago we went to 'this is the symbol of the Blood 'the Lord's Supper' - is more
a village in Myanmar that was of Jesus which has healing powerful than their medicine!
seeing many new disciples power' and blessed it.
being made, and we trained them This story became so famous in
in how to heal the sick,” reports He opened her mouth and gave it the village where he lived - I was
evangelist Sean Steckbeck from to her in small drops. Then wildly there yesterday and people were
Israel who visits the nation he started sprinkling her entire still talking about it - that he goes
regularly. body with the water as well. She from village to village, explains
coughed and came back to life, the Gospel and gives people 'the
“One of the villagers took it to and her grossly swollen leg Lord's Supper' for healing.”
heart and started having a appeared to be normal.
'Lord's Supper Healing Mini- - Source: Sean Steckbeck, Joel
stry'. He had gone to the hospital The doctors were so amazed that N e w s I n t e r n a t i o na l 9 6 9 ,
a few weeks after the training they told him that his medicine - 6 November 2015.
and noticed a woman who was
dying from a snake bite. She was
near her last breath. He told her:
'Do not worry, Jesus will save
you.'

He then visited his daughter for
whom he actually came to the
hospital in the first place.
However, when he returned, the
lady he had previously encoun-
tered had been announced dead
and her body was being taken to
the family to bury.

He told her family: 'WAIT! Let me
pray for her.' He then took a cup,
filled it with water, and told them Sean Steckbeck (right) at a recent outreach in Nepal