Hebrews 2:4

Hebrews 2:4

Signs, wonders and miracles

How gracious the Lord is (or should it be “was”)! The Word, back in the time of Jesus and the early church, was firstly attested by signs, wonders and various miracles. I grew up at a time when such things were frowned upon in churches, where they were unheard of. There was no expectation that anything extraordinary might take place, so long as we studied and taught the Word of God we were fulfilling our role as the people of God. Miracles, signs and wonders were exclusively for the early church and for the apostles, primarily to give them a kind of spiritual “leg-up” as they began their seemingly impossible mission of taking the Gospel to the world. It’s interesting to note that the church of Jesus Christ is still divided on this issue, there are counterfeits for sure and wildly inaccurate claims made by some, and mind-control techniques used by others, but I have certainly witnessed remarkable acts of God’s grace in my life and of others, for which there are no human or rational explanations. God has not diminished in His power and certainly not withdrawn His life-changing abilities from His people, in truth, every conversion or leap of faith is a miraculous event in itself.

There are two sides to God’s testimony in this verse, the outward exhibition of His power but also “the gifts of His Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” I fear that many of the dear brothers and sisters I knew as a young man had no idea about the Holy Spirit and His gifts to His people, they truly believed that these things belonged to a bygone age and were not for today. Rubbish! There is no Bible text that tells us that God withdraws His power and His gifts from His church or that the Holy Spirit is somehow diminished in our time. He is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. The truth is, that many believers have no expectation or experience of the life-changing power of God’s Spirit and thus do not expect to be granted His gifts in their ministry. We could write a book on this subject! I pray that this powerful verse of Hebrews will become a reality for us all. Hallelujah! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more
Psalm1:5       Our earthly journey will allow us, at times, to stand with the redeemed in holy awe and worship exhilarated by the presence of our Father.  In the Psalmists’ day these “assemblies of the righteous” would have been joyful times of worship at God’s sanctuary where music played, choirs sang and the people joined in the excitement and corporate wonder of being together in God’s presence. If our own church worship is anything, it should be a prelude to the time when we will join with a numberless throng and sing the praises of the Lamb and the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. Many go to events like Spring Harvest, Keswick Convention, New Day and the rest, primarily for this experience of joy and exhilaration.  Our earthly, joyful experiences are but a foretaste of what is to come and we are promised that we will join with heavenly choirs and our song will be “Worthy is the Lamb.”   Such music and exalta...
Read more

Psalm 119:83

Psalm 119:83 Wineskins in the smoke Well, this verse has caught us by surprise! What does it mean? As we will be aware, in ancient times, wine was not stored in purpose-made glass bottles but in animal skins. In order to keep the skin pliable and soft it must not be allowed to dry out for it would soon shrivel and crack. It follows that the last thing you would do with your treasured wineskins is to hang them up over a smoky fire, not only would they quickly wither but the smoke would clearly ruin the flavour and texture of the wine!  What does the author mean when he says that he is like such a wineskin?  It denotes the uncomfortable condition he was in or at least thought himself to be in; being caught in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, and he considered himself to be in darkness with sin and afflictions, like a wineskin in smoke, black and sooty. He felt like an empty wineskin with nothing in him. Maybe he was worn out with cares and old age and had become pale an...
Read more