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Tuesday, March 12 2024
SIGNS, WONDERS, MIRACLES, HEALINGS and GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT ------//////----- 1Cor 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1Ki 17:23-24 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth. Our God is a worker of miracles. Miracles are a distinctive -- and exclusive -- feature of Christianity and, if miracles were removed from the Bible, we would be left with just another empty philosophy. If Jesus had not performed any miracles would we have believed He came from God? Certainly not! His miracles pointed to His divine origin. Authentic miracles confirmed the message of the early church as well and continues to confirm the message of the true Church today. ------//////------ THE WORKS CONFIRM: Joh 10:37-38 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me. (38) But if I do, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may perceive and may believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. Mat 11:2-5 But hearing in the prison of the works of Christ, sending two of his disciples, (3) John said to Him, Are You the One coming, or are we to look for another? (4) And answering, Jesus said to them, Going, relate to John what you hear and see: (5) The blind receive sight, and the lame walk; lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor are given the gospel. [Isa. 61:1] Act 2:22 Men, Israelites, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man from God, having been approved among you by works of power and wonders and miraculous signs, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know… Joh 3:2 This one came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You have come as a teacher from God. For no one is able to do these miraculous signs which You do, except God be with Him. These verses all show that Jesus' miracles offer convincing proof that He was of God. Even John the Baptist had to be convinced in the same way. The same applies to us -- the Church -- who are in Christ: if we do not do the works of God why should the world believe us? Rom 15:19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. This was Paul's testimony to the Romans: The gospel must include signs and wonders. ------//////------ BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THE WORKS: Joh 6:26-27 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. (27) “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” The signs Jesus performed were meant to be convincing proofs of His divinity. Joh 14:10-11 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The Words which I speak to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father who abides in Me, He does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me; but if not, believe Me because of the works themselves. Notice in vs. 10 how Jesus connects the words (the message) to the works (the miracles) and in vs. 11 He challenges us to believe Him because of the works. Once again, the works confirm the word. ------//////------ JESUS PROMISED GREATER WORKS: Joh 14:12-14 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. It's not hard to believe that Jesus did miraculous works but many struggle to believe that we can do them too. Yet vs.12 alone proves to me that we are meant to walk in the miraculous just as Jesus did. And this position is supported by many other scriptures, by the example of the apostles and by many saints throughout history. Joh 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is advantageous for you that I should go; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. Perhaps the reason for this is because, if Jesus were here, no one would rely on the Spirit for themselves but would always look to Him to do it for us. It would be harder to accept that we are empowered ourselves. ------//////------ THE WORD CONFIRMED: Heb 2:1-4 LITV For this reason it is needful for us more abundantly to take heed to the things having been heard that we should not slip away. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just repayment; 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Which having received a beginning to be spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by the ones hearing, 4 God bearing witness with them by both miraculous signs and wonders, and by various works of power, even by distribution of the Holy Spirit, according to His will. Mar 16:15-20 And He said to them, Going into all the world, preach the gospel to all the creation. 16 The one believing and being baptized will be saved. And the one not believing will be condemned. 17 And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: they will cast out demons in My name; they will speak new languages; 18 they will take up snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well. 19 Then indeed, after speaking to them, the Lord was taken up into Heaven, and sat off the right of God. 20 And going out, they preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the miraculous signs following after. Amen. Father, in the name of Jesus Your Son, I declare that the power to do signs, wonders, miracles, and to bestow gifts of the Spirit dwells in me. Teach me how to live in that power to bless others and to fulfill Your purposes in this world. Purify my motives so that I operate in Your love. I ask this because You promised it. ------//////------ GIVE WHAT YOU RECEIVE: Mat 10:8 Heal sick ones, cleanse lepers, raise dead ones, cast out demons. You freely received, freely give. In my opinion it is a poor witness to try to offer to others what we have not received ourselves. As we receive God's power in our own lives we are better able to let that power flow to others. ------//////------ THE MIRACULOUS CHURCH Gal 3:5 Does He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith. In this letter Paul rebukes the Galatian church for slipping back into legalism which does not deliver the miraculous. Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen. Most of us know this verse but we miss the last phrase: 'according to the power that works in us.' God wants to do great things THROUGH the Holy Spirit who dwells in His Church. What is God wanting to do in and through the Church? Nothing is impossible to God, so nothing is impossible to me, because God lives in me. I recognize that all miracles must begin with apparent impossibilities, so I will embrace and welcome the impossible. Mar 16:20 And going out, they preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the miraculous signs following after. Amen. Heb 2:4 God bearing witness with them by both miraculous signs and wonders, and by various works of power, even by distribution of the Holy Spirit, according to His will. Act 4:29-30 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings [1] and give to Your slaves to speak Your Word with all boldness, 30 in the extending of Your hand for healing and miraculous signs and wonders to happen through the name of Your holy child Jesus. [1] Read chapter 3 and 4 which describe the instantaneous healing of a forty-year old man who had been lame from birth. The result was that Peter and John were threatened (4:16-22), not congratulated. The true gospel with signs and wonders will win souls but also arouse threats and intimidation from the enemy. Miracles and signs are an absolute necessity for the preaching of the gospel and are the calling card of the true Church. Without the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders our message is just another philosophy. Acts 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Acts 19:11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul… Miracles were commonplace in the experience of the early Church. It should be no different today given that the same resources are available to us. The absence of miracles in today’s typical church can only be evidence of unbelief, idolatry and worldliness. I will not participate in these sins but I will stand on the Word of God and do the miraculous as God leads and empowers. I notice that the bible records many "extraordinary" miracles done by Paul. What if he had done no miracles? Would his work ever have been credible given that his work was not mainstream; he took the church into a deeper understanding of salvation. He clashed with Peter once. He went to the gentiles first. He pushed a new envelope. No, the miracles were God's endorsement of his ministry and bore witness, i.e. gave credibility to his message. 1Cor 12:7-10 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1Cor 12:28-29 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Miracles are one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ------//////------ GRACE AND POWER Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. I find the use of the word "grace" interesting in this context. Was it because the miraculous can only flow out of grace and love for others? Power is here linked to grace. This appears to mean that Stephen had fully appropriated the grace of God into his own heart from which came love for others and miraculous power. Once we receive God's grace we are able to let it flow to others. If we are not in a state of grace toward others then God's love is not present for His power cannot flow outside of love. The typical, fleshly approach is to try in our own strength to press the right buttons or say the right words that would bring forth His power. To have any hope of success we must simply ask God to let his grace and love flow to that person in need. And one cannot do this from a state of frustration because frustration always indicates striving and flesh. Upon reflection this makes sense--God is always right. Without grace/love there is nothing to direct or moderate God's power which is so great that it can be destructive if not used properly. If one's aim is anything other than to release (or channel) God's grace/love to the recipient, then God cannot allow it and will not do it. Is my aim to love the person or merely to display power? Perhaps this is an important key that I have not recognized in the past. Holy Spirit, teach me how to be a channel of your grace and love to others. Act 14:3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Signs and wonders follow the message of grace, no other. The Holy Spirit will not approve the wrong gospel. Notice that signs and wonders are done by our hands. We are the agents of miracles. How? Is it our initiative? I’m beginning to think that we keep making a false distinction between God and ourselves, since “He who is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him.” Doesn’t it logically follow that if our spirits are one with Him then we can have confidence that we are living as Him? “As He is so are we in this world.” If I’m right about this then where is the disconnect? Why are we not living and moving as He does? Is it an issue of how we reckon or see ourselves? If we are not in faith toward our identity how can we function in the miraculous? I know I’m treading on scary ground here—ground that may sound like heresy—but this may be part of the problem or the entire problem. ------//////------ POWER IN WEAKNESS 2Co 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will rather gladly boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me. Another important key appears in this verse: weakness. God's power can only flow in a completely weak, i.e. dependent vessel. Why? Because if there is anything of us there would be interference from the flesh and too much temptation to boast. God's power also cannot flow in a fleshly vessel because the desire of the flesh is always tainted by selfishness. The key to a life of power is to learn how to keep our flesh out of God's way. In this context we can offer another definition of 'flesh' as 'human effort and interference in godly activities.' ------//////------ LIVING WITHOUT IMPOSSIBILITY Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God." Mat 17:19-20 Then coming up to Jesus privately, the disciples said, Why were we not able to cast him out? 20 And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there! And it will move. And nothing shall be impossible to you. A life without impossibilities would be an amazing life. I speak over the 'mountains' in my life and command them to move. ------//////------ PAUL'S TESTIMONY Rom 15:17-19 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. 1Co 2:4-5 LITV And my word and my preaching were not in enticing words of human wisdom, but in proof [demonstration] of the Spirit and of power. 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Paul used power, not worldly wisdom of which he had much, to convince men and fulfill the ministry. ------//////------ NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S TESTIMONY: Dan 4:3 How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His rule is from generation to generation. Even a non-believing heathen king was convinced when He saw God’s miracles on display. ------//////------ MIRACLES DON’T CONVINCE EVERYONE: Read Luk 16:19-31 Vs. 31: He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Miracles won’t convince everyone and they are not a substitute for the Word of God. Even Jesus did not convince the unbelieving Jews by His miracles. But He blessed many through them anyway. Don’t make the exception the rule. ------//////------ MIRACLE OR BLESSING? Andrew Wommack has an excellent teaching on the difference between a miracle and a blessing. Which would you prefer? Blessings are preventative while miracles are born of crisis. We must be careful to not put ourselves — through disobedience — into situations which would require a miracle to escape. ------//////------ OTHER SCRIPTURES:
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Ekklesia Fellowship House Church - 1
7292 Lakeside Dr.| Indianapolis, IN 46278 | PH: 317-508-9267