Power EncountersEbook PDF Download
By Dr. Francis J. Sizer
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What Does Dunamis Look Like?
Acts 5:15, 16 "…so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed."
It was miracles, signs and wonders. It was the birthing of the New Testament church. It is preaching and teaching the gospel, healing every sickness and disease among the people. A great example of Dunamis is Peter in Acts 5. They laid their sick in the streets, on their hospital beds, so that when Peter would walk by, he carried such a level of power, such a level of healing anointing, all the sick were healed that were on the street, that were in the perimeter of where he was.
For You and Your Children
Acts 2:39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
This was an awesome release of God's power. But He said, "this is for you, for your children, and as many as the Lord our God shall call." What was for them? Matthew 10. What was for them? Authority. What was for them? Power. What is for you? Power. What is for you? Authority. What is for you? What is the Spirit of God saying? "Preach the gospel, heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead and cast out demons."
So many people in ministry say, "God, do you want me to move in miracles? That's just for the evangelist. Do you want me to move in healing? That's just for that healing person, they have a gift in healing, they have a gift of miracles." NO! We're talking about the gospel. We're talking about The Great Commission. We're talking about the ministry of Jesus being released into the hearts and into the minds of every believer. That's what we see throughout the scripture, from the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Book, it's always been about all. It's always been about the saints being released for the work of the ministry and walking in what we see released in Matthew 10 and in Luke 10. Think about this because it's huge, we are all commissioned to do the ministry of Jesus. People spend so much time trying to figure out their "calling" when all the while Jesus has made your primary calling quite clear – preach the gospel, heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead and cast out demons. Now that's a word for all the saints. Did you get that?
And God gave it to them also, but you know what? When they received the authority, they didn't have all this confidence anything was going to happen. Because later on when you get to the end of this scripture, the seventy actually began to go out to cast out devils, and to heal the sick, and all they had when authority came was the Word. All they had was faith that they could and needed to do what God was already telling them to do, according to the Word and the promise. That's all they had. Because with authority isn't a whole lot of Dunamis. The word authority and power in Matthew 10 was different than the power in Acts 1:8. And I want you to remember what happened when they began to operate in the authority (Acts 10:17-19).
The Primary Call for All Believers
Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
Let's go back to Luke 10. See, they were shocked. They were disbelieving when they went, because when they came back, they were like, "Hey, this works. Even the demons were subject to us." So there wasn't a whole lot of believing on their part.
Now look at Luke 10:17-19. After the seventy returned, Jesus said, "I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you". I thought He gave it to them in Matthew 10!
But now after they begin to operate in what God told them to do, they come back and now he says in verse 19, I give unto you power and authority to tread on serpents. That word tread is to trample and bring under foot demonic powers and principalities. That's more than strongholds. Then it goes on to say that power is over the power of all the enemy; not just demons anymore, its principalities, it's strongholds. It's demonic rulers and entities over whole regions and over whole cities.
So it's no longer, "I give you power." The demons are already subject to you, but more than that, "I give you power and I give you authority." Why? They were faithful to do what He'd already told them to do. And they've begun to practice and contend and to put to work in their lives what He had already told them they could do. That authority and that experience caused them to gain authority in the Spirit, so that Jesus gave them a little more. And now He allows them to have power over all the enemy; to tread on them, and bring them under their feet; to bring them under subjection to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ.
Now, some of you have not come into the release of your power because you haven't done anything with authority. It's like King David, he didn't become King for fifteen years when he was anointed King, and the Spirit of God came upon him from that day forward. And fifteen years later, he became King. But first he was faithful in the wilderness with a bunch of bums, thieves, and robbers and misfits, and he trained their hands for war. Then he became the King over Judah and he was faithful in that sphere, in that perimeter that God gave him. He started to do what he could in that place. God said, "You're faithful." Then God said, "Do you want to be King now, for the whole of Israel?"
God says, "Do you want healings? Do you want miracles? Do you want signs and wonders? You need to make room for the Holy Ghost to come with signs and wonders just about every time you do anything, and anywhere you go. You need to make room for it. If you will make room for it, just about everywhere you go, I'll come and I'll release miracles."
God wants you to operate in authority. Do you know why the body of Christ doesn't move in miracles, signs and wonders? It's waiting for Dunamis. But do you know what? Dunamis won't come until you are faithful with authority. Until you take the talent of what God has already give to you and you invest that talent because you want Him to give you five talents. And I'll tell you what. I was faithful. With nothing but faith, raw faith, I took that raw faith, my one talent and I didn't go bury it and hide it. I meet people all over the world in the body of Christ that talk about the healing anointing they have, the call of God that has come over their life to heal the sick. And I say, "What are you waiting for? How come you're not in the hospitals? Why aren't you exercising, birthing nurturing and maturing what God's given you?"
We are too experience oriented. The experience will come. The anointing will come. But when there is nothing else, there is authority. And God always rewards authority. He always blesses as you are faithful to invest, multiply, contend and pray for people, and keep praying for people until you begin to see great things!
In Him,
Todd Bentley
