Luke 10 shows the Lord Jesus Christ sending out 72 of His disciples in pairs. Their mission was to visit all the cities and towns Jesus planned to visit. They were preparing the hearts of the people to receive the good news of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
When the disciples returned they were overjoyed and ecstatic. The authority vested in the name of Jesus stunned them. They were on a power trip. It will be difficult putting in to words what that experience meant for them. I am sure they must have been looking forward to the next confrontation they would have with the kingdom of darkness.
Most modern day Christians can relate to this. I have had my fair share of experiences and I am sure some of you reading this can recount a few stories of your own. To see the supernatural in action is amazing. It can be like a drug. You can’t wait for the next fix or the next set of people to cast something out off.
Now am I trying to belittle peoples spiritual experiences? No! But we must not shy away from the fact that some people have gone to the extreme on the subject of spiritual warfare. Many abuses have and are taking place in the name of spiritual warfare in our churches and ministries today.
My focus though is not warfare per se, but what Jesus said to a thrilled group of disciples who had just experienced a manifestation of the powers of the coming age.
Luke 10:20 (NLT) But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
Jesus did not ridicule their experience. He gave them the authority to perform the works they did. The Master’s response caught our attention during last Sunday’s bible study. Jesus told them not to rejoice in the fact that the demons are subject to them, but the fact that their names are written in Heaven.
Now I am not saying that deliverance from the influences of the powers of darkness is nothing, but within the context of this scripture, the Lord drew their attention to something higher.
As exciting as ministry can be and the demonstration of God’s power, the most important thing that should grab our hearts is the fact that our names are written in Heaven (Hebrews 12:23; Luke 10:20), we are known by Him. Our names are written in the book of Life (Philippians 4:3). We belong to him.
Never forget! Your relationship with Him is more important than any demonstration of power.