Healing and Miracles
We see in the gospels, that Jesus moved in the power of the Holy Spirit throughout his three year public ministry; Healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, raising the dead to life and giving insight into the lives of those he met through the wisdom of the Spirit.
These abilities are explained in John chapter 5 when Jesus was defending his actions to heal on the Sabbath.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
We know from scripture that Jesus had a lifestyle of finding lonely places to go and pray and spend time with the Father. I believe that a considerable part of this was listening to the Father speak and seeing what the Father wanted to do. It was out of this vital union and fellowship with the Father that Jesus acted in our world and brought heavens touch to the people he met.
In the same way, we can do nothing by ourselves! Here I believe lies the secret for our faith and Christian living.
Jesus spoke the parable of the sower and said this about the Seed in Matthew 13
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Jesus is the word and he is the living seed that will produce in us the power and fruit of the Kingdom. In this parable Jesus explains that His seed can be choked and become fruitless because of the care of this world and the deceitfulness of money.
Worldliness is desiring and going after those things that are not the will of God. It is allowing the desires of the flesh to rule over the desires of the Holy Spirit in us. It is chasing after the things of this world and its values, rather than hungering after the righteousness of God. This is what will choke the word in us and make us ineffective in our Christian lives.
I truly believe that we can grow in, and move, in the same faith and power that Jesus did.
The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 12:14 to
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
To understand and know the voice of God requires that we spend time in his word and in prayer and intimacy with the Father, listening to his voice. This will give us revelation and the faith to move in power.
Worldliness and going after the flesh will dim our spiritual sight and the power of the word that was meant to anoint us to do the works of Jesus.
Mark 16:16-18
16 He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Let us consecrate ourselves to seek the Lord. Greater things are in store for all those who will dedicate their lives to the glory of God and His Kingdom.
Pastor Tony Hickman