Drink

My throat ached and I was exhausted. I knew I was getting sick. My kids had been sick for days and now it was my turn. I took medicine. I gave my kids medicine. I prayed we’d feel better but here we were, exhausted, sick and sick of being exhausted.

For about six months I’ve been taking classes in the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, I know it sounds like something out of Harry Potter, but it’s not that at all. It’s really quite simple and yet pretty special at the same time.

My classes are filled with people from countries all across the world - a family of believers, from entirely different backgrounds and denominations. There are Protestants and Catholics, people of all different ages, men and women united by two things. First of all, we all have a deep love of Jesus, and, second, we believe God still does miracles today.

Oh, and some of the miracles these people have seen! What a gift of faith they have. They have seen limbs literally grow longer (My husband had that experience), cancer die, demons leave, sight restored to the blind, hearing restored. The Lord gives specific words of encouragement to people, things they couldn’t have otherwise known. I have one teacher who was in a wheelchair for 5 years and was completely healed. She and her husband had been praying and contending for healing for awhile but had not yet experienced break-though. Then she hugged Heidi Baker and received complete healing. People have woken up from comas when they received prayer. So many miracles.

At the same time, there are many people still contending for healing. Or, they might receive healing in one area but not in another. This is where it is easy to become confused. To our human mind it just doesn’t make sense. Someone might try to say the whole thing is just a hoax but what cannot be explained is that both the students and the teachers experience these things and they are from all over the globe, different backgrounds, different upbringings, just a shared love of Jesus. People sharing life together across a zoom screen.

Then, there are the things I’ve witnessed myself. I have seen people radically encounter God, shaking, speaking in tongues, weeping or laughing uncontrollably - people who were perfectly composed moments before. Then afterword, they have the most beautiful stories of encountering their Heavenly Father. Add to that the fact that Scripture is absolutely loaded with promises that the Church will see miracles, signs, and wonders.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Obviously we have not attained the whole measure of the fullness of Christ so we should still have all these things.) Ephesians 4:11-12

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Corinthians 12:28

And the verses go on and on…

So what if we want more? What if we want the sweet intimacy of walking with our Father in the cool of the day? What if we want the wholeness that only comes from fully experiencing all that He has for us, His bride, the Church?

This might be a place to start…

1) Pursue the presence of God. In church we love God. We sing about God. We pray to God. And, all of these things are good but how much time do we spend really pursuing the presence of God? Do we sing three or four worship songs to get ready for the sermon or do we spend an hour on our face before the Lord asking Him to make us aware of His presence, soaking in His goodness. Yet You are holy, You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 NIV

When we earnestly pursue His presence as the focus of our church services or devotional time we will see a change. The natural manifestation of being in His presence is to experience healing, wholeness, wisdom, peace - The Kingdom of God upon this Earth.

2) Structure our worship services and our lives to give room for miracles. If we will take time during a church service and in our daily lives to lay hands on the sick and pray for them, then ask them if they feel a difference we will see more people healed.

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14 NIV

If we embrace giving and receiving prophetic words we might find this is an amazing way to build up one another and reveal the heart of our loving Heavenly Father to those who haven’t yet experienced His Grace.

But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. 1 Corinthians 14:3-5

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 1 Corinthians 14:26

3) Celebrate and utilize one another.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers…Ephesians 4:11

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 1 Corinthians 12:13

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

First of all, God clearly gave us gifts like healing, working miracles, speaking in tongues and prophesy. And, He clearly intended for us to use them - even in church. But also clearly expected us to work together as one body to seek help from one another. When someone is sick we ask our good friend to pray for us. Why not seek out someone with a God-given anointing for healing?

This is not to say that we shouldn’t all “earnestly desire” all of the gifts, seeking the Holy Spirit and stepping out in faith. But, this can be done while still acknowledging that some people in the Body of Christ may have a gift that we do not yet posses. Not only are there gifts we, as individuals, do not yet have, but there are positions in the church that we must honor if we are to experience the full manifestation of the Lord’s presence.

Jesus, gave the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. This does not mean that they merely have the ability to operate in that gift but that, that is their title. Their job is to equip the church, to oversee that particular ministry within the church body.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

Now, I’ve seen a fair number of pastors, teachers, and evangelists in our Western churches but why are there not apostles and prophets in every denomination? Could this be the enemy’s way of trying to extinguish or quench the Holy Spirit in our generation as 1 Thessalonians 5:19 warns against?

4. Relinquish our need to understand. In 99% of things related to the Christian faith I believe God wants us to use our brain. Both apologetics (over 300 prophesies fulfilled in Christ and substantial historical documentation) and science (astrophysics in particular) point to a relational, loving Creator God providing salvation through Jesus the Christ. Then, there is that 1%. And, I believe that it is in the 1% that we go from milk to meat, my dear Christians.

That night when I felt so sick I continued to seek the Lord for healing as I took a shower before bed. The Lord healed me. Truly healed me so quickly and so completely that even though I had taken medicine I was certain it was Him. I even prematurely discontinued the medicine I was taking. But my kids, although I also prayed for them, rode out their virus on Robotussin and Ibuprophin. Does this mean that the Lord isn’t good or that He doesn’t love them? Of course not. What does it mean? I don’t have any idea.

I think sometimes churches hesitate to embrace the full ministry of healing, prophesies and miracles because it can take a long time and a lot stepping out in faith, only to be disappointed, before they see their first miracle. Then, the miracles are sporadic, without pattern or explanation. That’s ok. It has to be.

Jesus wanted to see every person healed on this Earth but He didn’t heal every single person inhabiting the Earth. It is absolutely God’s will that every person be healed. The word for salvation, SOZO, in the original language means saved, healed, delivered and set free. It is absolutely the will of God that every single person be healed. Why don’t we see that manifested? I don’t know.

What I do know is that God is absolutely pouring out His Spirit on all those who are willing to take a chance and embrace the goodness that He wants to pour out on them. I do know that the churches who are embracing the idea that we must, first, pursue the presence of God, second, leave room for the Holy Spirit to move, and, third, honor and give voice to all of the authoritative positions Jesus, Himself, gave us, are seeing far more miracles than those who don’t. And finally, I know that I earnestly want whatever they have. The simple, sweet healing I experienced is only a taste and I want to drink from the Well of Living Water.