Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Pastors’ Column – 03/10/08



In the 17th verse of chapter 16 of the gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus said, “Everyone who believes me will be able to do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages.”

Jesus was speaking about our liberation, and what it can and will do for us when we put it into action. Christians who have experienced deliverance must now take on the responsibility of walking, instead of being stagnant with their beliefs.

We are not a sedentary people who are just content with our faith in Him, but a people of action. There are several things that we must do to strengthen our faith and to seek out protection through Jesus.

As Christians, we must study the Bible on a regular basis, and contemplate God’s Word. We have to learn more about Him in our lives so that the evil one does not take advantage of us.

Next, no matter what, we must always glorify Our Lord, even when things go wrong. We must never allow bad things to force us to say bad things. This is what Satan wants us to do as we are being tried by the circumstances of life. When you give God praise, the evil one flees. He cannot stand the glorification of God.

Another thing we must do is to let Jesus know on a daily basis that we are open to anything that He would have us do. We must let Him know our hearts are always open to Him, and that we wish to have Him pour His love and Spirit into us. When Jesus sent out His disciples, they were so filled with His love, power, and Spirit, that they came back rejoicing, and said that even the demons obeyed them.

Again, after we have been liberated, we become tempted on all sides by the evil one, We must develop our strategy in Christ to resist any temptation that may come our way.

With this newfound power, liberation, love, and Spirit, we have to be careful that we do not use it for our own glory and gain. We have to focus always on Jesus, and to constantly seek out His direction.

We have a serious responsibility when we are liberated. We simply cannot do whatever we please. This freedom comes with a price.

Lastly, as a liberated people in Christ, we cannot live our lives in isolation. It is necessary for us to share our experiences and fellowship with others.

Our salvation is not something to be kept as personal, but something to share with others who are in bondage and need. This is why the fellowship of the church is needed.

You will notice the disciples did not go their separate ways, but came back to Jesus and gave Him the good report. They felt accountable to Him, and He is the church today. The church is wherever Christians are gathered to worship Jesus, who is the head of the church.

Since Jesus liberated us and made us followers of Him, we are obligated to go out and help others find liberation and freedom from sin. This is a solemn responsibility we have, and because the love of Jesus dwells in each of us, we will not fail in telling our neighbors, friends, classmates, fellow employees, and our families about Him.

God bless each one of you. He truly loves you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.