When
I think about miracles and why the church of today is not experiencing a
great movement of miracles of healing and deliverance; I remember what
the word of God tells us.
1. God is still God He does not change
2. Jesus is still Jesus He does not change
3. Holy Spirit is still His Holy Spirit He does not change.
So I have to ask what has changed? The answer is simple, the Church, the Bride of Christ we have changed.
No
longer do most of the modern day churches preach and teach on the
miracles of Christ Jesus given to the church by His Holy Spirit. People
have begun to see this as a thing of the past and not part of the
present. The enemy has deceived the church and lulled us into sleep.
Even now people are being healed of cancer, heart disease, and many more
as the church prays for them. Yet, within the walls of the church
people are being prayed over and leave the same as they walked in. So
let us see why:
In Matthew 13:53-58 we are told that Jesus
went into His own town among His own people and He was unable to do many
mighty works. What in the world could stop the Son of God from healing,
delivering and casting out demons. Look at verse 58 Now He did not do
many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Unbelief not only in
individuals but with the church can stop the mighty works of God. In
this case a whole town except for a few were unable to be touched by
Jesus because of the unbelief within the people.
Mark
5:35-43 Here we have an account of Jairus and his daughter. While Jairus
was getting Jesus to bring Him to his home word came that his daughter
had died. In verse 36 Jesus spoke these words to Jairus "Do not be
afraid only believe." When they reached the home in verse 40 listen to
what was said "And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all
outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and whose who
were with Him, (Peter, James and John) and He entered where the child
was lying." In the next verse we see He took her by the hand spoke to
her and she awoke from the dead. What we see here is that before Jesus
spoke life back into this child He removed unbelief from the house.
Go
with me to Acts 9:36-41 A lady of faith by the name of Dorcas had died,
she had ministered as a seamstress to the widows and was loved by all.
Peter comes and look what he does in verse 40 "But Peter put them all
out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said Tabitha,
arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up"
Notice once again those who may have been of unbelief were put out of
the room. then Peter prayed and she rose from the dead.
Continue
with me to Acts 19: 11-12 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands
of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body
to the sick, and the disease left them and the evil spirits went out of
them Can we go a little farther?
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.
Remember it is the anointing in the lives of Paul and Peter that brought the healing, not by their name or by their power, but by the name and the power of Jesus Christ.
2 Kings 13:21 So it was,
as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders,
and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha (a prophet of God) and when
the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and
stood on his feet.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 we are given a
list of the Gifts of the Spirit, these are gifts that are only given to
the believer at the moving of the Holy Spirit. Among these gifts is one
by the name of "Healing".
No one person has the power to
heal, that is given only unto Jesus our Lord and Savior. So how can
someone have the gift of healing? It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit
in and on that person. The anointing was so strong on Elisha that even after his death as soon as a dead man touched him life was restored. Sure there are many who fake healing, many who
lift up their own name and declare themselves to be a healer, but they
will receive their reward. Let us always understand that no healing can
come unless the power of Jesus Christ touches the one in need of
healing. Yet, unbelief will hinder what God desires to do in someone's
life. Let our unbelief never be a stumbling block for someone else.
I
believe that hurting hearts need healing more than anything. If the
physical ailment is healed and the heart remains damaged, then the
healing is not complete. Jesus desires to touch our hearts and heal our
hurt, whether it is someone that has hurt us or the church has hurt us,
until we deal with the hurt and forgive the offender then we will be
always carrying that hurt into the next relationship and into the next
church. It is baggage that needs to laid at the foot of the cross.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Just some thoughts I have been pondering lately. Looking for a bible study check out www.lindagroberts.com
Be blessed.
