Mark ends his gospel with these words: ‘Later Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those that had seen Him after he had risen. He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.’ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed the Word by signs that accompanied it.’ (Mark 16: 14-20) At the end of the argument, one cannot cut out the miraculous manifestations of healing and miracles whenever, and wherever the Gospel is preached to this very day. 

The preaching of the full gospel is a command Jesus gave not only to eleven apostles, but to all those that are appointed to witness God’s personal involvement in the preaching of His word, the Gospel! The Full Gospel that Jesus preached, when preached with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, will be accompanied by signs and wonders, a testimony to this modern age, that the old gospel is still God’s only power for the salvation of all who will believe that Christ died for their sins, and rose for their justification! The new birth is still God’s greatest miracle, for in the name of Jesus, sinners dead to God, in trespasses and sins, become alive! A new creation, and they begin a new life, eternal, by faith in the risen Saviour whose full name is The Lord Jesus Christ, of Nazareth, the Son of the living God! It is written: ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in, or through, Christ Jesus our Lord’! 

Therefore, whenever, and wherever the Gospel is preached with this anointing, one must expect miracles, no miracle is greater than the conversion of a sinner into a son of God! Who else can do such a change? Who but Jesus could change Saul of Tarsus, a murderer! into Paul a mighty apostle? As I have stated afore, that to the thief crucified next to Jesus, who after confessing faith in Him, said while dying: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (or come with your kingly power) Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth – the words that Jesus spoke to finish this verse, prove that men who believe in Christ are saved by grace alone, and that they go straight into paradise, in the presence of Christ, Jesus never mentioned the existence of a purgatory! This was a criminal, a man condemned by Pilate for crimes against the state! Yet Jesus said clearly to him: TODAY you will be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23: 42-43) 

Luke was not an apostle, it is believed that he may have been a converted Greek, for the preaching of the Gospel quickly reached areas where many Greeks lived in northern Galilee and Damascus, or he could have been one of the first converts in Macedonia? He was a physician and somehow, he ended up in the apostle Paul’s evangelistic team, and followed Him on His journeys! As a physician he was a big help to Paul, who suffered constantly from a unknown illness! We owe to Him two very important books of the New Testament, His gospel, and the book of Acts, which I shall mention a lot. Luke ends his gospel with these words: ‘When Jesus had led them (a large group of his disciples) out in the vicinity of Bethany, (the Mount of Olives) He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24: 50- 53) These are very moving words. But Luke had much more to say, to his friend Theophilus, very exciting revelations, which contain a whole series of experiences and words that to this very day, give exceptional instructions, challenging every Christian alive in the Spirit!