I remember being at Lakewood Church in the late ’70s and hearing John Osteen tell about one of his experiences. He said that one day he was in his office praying for more healings, and miracles in the church. He said the Lord spoke to him and said, ‘anybody needing healing in this room?’ His response was, ‘no, Lord.’ To which the Lord said, ‘you get out where there is a need and I will do healing and miracles.’ If we have the same prayer as John had, perhaps the Lord is saying the same thing to us.
This remembers me of a passage in Acts 4:29-31. The context is the early church was being persecuted by the crowd. They gathered together to pray and said this, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto your servants, that with all boldness they may speak your word. By stretching out your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your son, Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Notice:
- They were threatened.
- They prayed.
- They were filled with the Spirit.
- They spoke the Word with boldness.
- And the miraculous happened.
- Now, look at verses 32-33, which says, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all thing in common. And with great power the Apostles gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
Jesus’ ministry was four-fold, teaching, preaching, healing, and delivering the demonized (Matt.4:23-24, Matt.9:35). The ministry of the Church is the same today (Matt.10:1,7-8, Matt.28:19-20).
Perhaps we are not seeing the number of healings and miracles today as they did in the First Century because we do not believe it is possible! Or, we are not preaching the same message they were! Or, we are not stepping out in boldness as we should!
The Jesus of the 21st century is the same as He was in the 1st century! He was there in person in a physical body. He is present today in the person of the Holy Spirit – same God, the same power and He will do the same works today! Another thing may be that we are too comfortable and do not want to deal with the persecution that might come if we take a more bold stand on the Word of God! Still another thing might be that we are not in unity as a Body as they were in the first century!
Something to think about!