In my previous blog, I made mention that I truly believe that 2021 will be the year of “the good news.”
With all that sought to steal our gaze, faith, unity, and attention in 2020, I believe that God wants to counteract the schemes of the devil by having the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed in 2021.
And I can’t shake this sense that we are going to preach Jesus in a way that poignantly reveals that He truly is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Meaning, the very things Jesus did in the gospels, He is still very much capable and willing to do today through those that believe.
Indeed, I believe we will not only declare who Jesus is as the Christ and the Son of God, but also His works as well.
While responding to Phillip’s desire to see the Father, Jesus said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves” (see John 14:11).
In other words, if you don’t want to take His word for it, allow the works to demonstrate it.
The miracles, signs, and wonders that Jesus performed revealed His lordship and authority to forgive sins (see Mark 2:10-11).
They validated both who He was, His message, and what He came to do.
As a result, it was common for the news about Him to spread in certain areas and for people to then bring the sick and demonized within the region or surrounding places to where Jesus was found (see Mark 1:28 as an example).
In other words, when people began to hear what Jesus was DOING, faith would erupt within them for themselves and their condition or for the condition of loved one.
Faith is always the byproduct of what we hear (see Romans 10:17).
But make no mistake, the people weren’t talking about what Jesus was teaching.
They were talking about what He was doing.
That’s not to say that teaching isn’t important.
It is.
It’s just that healings and deliverances grant you an audience with those seeking you out as a result.
I believe a key story for 2021 will be the story commonly referred to as ‘The Woman With the Issue of Blood.’
Here’s a woman who has had a hemorrhage lasting 12 years that no physician was able to remedy.
In fact, Mark goes out of his way to record that she had spent all of her money on doctors and that her condition not only didn’t improve; it grew worse (see Mark 5:25-26).
This woman would have every reason to believe that her situation would never improve.
If the physician’s of the day couldn’t help her, what hope did she have?
Twelve years is a long time to carry around a condition within your body.
Not only that, to see it worsen over time would certainly cause many people to accept that this would be their fate in life… what they’ll always have to deal with.
Suddenly; however, the report her circumstances and the doctor’s handed her regarding her condition met a different report.
It sounded like this: “…after hearing about Jesus…” — Mark 5:27
What you hear about Jesus matters.
What you hear will determine how you see Him.
How you see Him will determine how you will relate to Him.
But what did she hear?
Did she hear that Jesus had been preaching a “good word” before the crowds?
Would that be enough to produce faith within her for her situation to change?
Or did she hear about the many things that Jesus was doing?
Did she hear about the fact that Jesus recently healed a paralytic man and that He cleansed a leper?
Did she recently catch wind that the man whom no chain could bind and wandered about naked among the tombs because he was so demonized was set free by this Jesus?
When you hear what Jesus did for someone else… faith can explode within you.
It is the testimony of Jesus, after all, that is the spirit of prophecy (see Revelation 19:10).
What this woman had heard caused her to believe that if she could simply touch Jesus’ garments, she would be healed (see Mark 5:28).
Faith was the byproduct of the good news she had heard concerning the Son of God.
When she had touched his garments, Jesus perceived that power went forth from Him and she received what it was she believed (see Mark 5:29-30).
Her faith made a withdrawal on what clothed Jesus — the power of the Holy Spirit.
Although there were many in the crowd that were pressing against Him, it was this woman’s faith that touched Him.
Her faith caused Him to look her way.
Her faith interrupted His journey to Jairus’ house.
Why?
Because it’s faith that pleases Him (see Hebrews 11:6).
Faith will always get God’s attention.
And I believe with all of my heart that this coming year will be filled with it.
As we hear from the scriptures and the personal testimonies of others the many things that Jesus did, faith will be the consequence.
- Brian Connolly, Faith Like Birds Ministries
Check out the previous blog!
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