Luke 23:8 "And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him."
Herod desired to see Jesus perform some kind of miracle, and some of the questions he asked Jesus made this desire obvious. However, Jesus did not use His faith to do any miracles for Herod.
Miracles are God's way of meeting the needs of those who seek Him in faith. Miracles will sometimes be used to demonstrate God's ability so that people may believe (Mk. 2:10-11), but they will not happen to skeptics who are tempting God (Lk. 4:9-12).
A miracle is a supernatural intervention of God's power over natural law.
Healings occur within the boundaries of natural law while miracles are not limited to natural law. A person with a high fever who receives prayer and then begins to recover is experiencing a healing. The Lord intervened but in natural ways. The virus, infection, or whatever was rebuked left the body (Lk. 4:39) and then the natural healing process that the Lord built into all of us took over. When something totally supernatural happens, that's a miracle. When Jesus reattached the servant's ear and it was instantly whole after Peter cut it off (Lk. 22:51), demonstrated a miracle. It was also a healing, but it was a miraculous healing.
Feeding the five thousand (Mt. 14:19-20), walking on the water (Mt. 14:25), translating a ship and all aboard to the other side of the sea (Jn. 6:21) - all these are miracles. Miracles are usually instantaneous whereas healings are sometimes gradual.
The Lord has never had anyone who was qualified working for Him. It's by God's grace that He uses any of us. Anyone who claims to be used of God because of his great holiness is either deceived or a deceiver. It's our faith in the grace of God that allows miracles to flow through us.
What Is In Your Spirit?
Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " Zechariah 4:5-6
Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:12-14
Most people know the expression “Garbage in, garbage out” or “You are what you eat.” As a matter of fact many of us are destroying our bodies by consuming food that is not good for us and then we have to run around looking to be healed and delivered by doctors or God! Well we not only live in a body that is made of flesh but we also have a spirit and a soul. And what we allow to come into our spirit and soul affects us greatly. That is why the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life which is not of the Father but is of the world are very dangerous and harmful because they pervert and corrupt us and ultimately destroy us. We need to be filled with the fullness of God and be under the constant control of the Holy Spirit and by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body so that we might live. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:5:16
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:17-25
Yes, we suffer in our body in the current time of life because of the works of the flesh including adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries,. We open the doors to demonic spirits that cause us sickness and pain. And if we accept them directly or indirectly including spirits of infirmities, we will have trouble sickness and diseases in our bodies.
But we don’t have to accept any of these things because of what Jesus did on Calvary and by His stripes we are healed. So we can rebuke all sickness, diseases and oppressive spirits from our bodies and tell them to go to hell where they belong in Jesus name. Through the avenue of bitterness, unforgiveness, we open the door for demons to enter into our bodies and lives and suffer as a result. God’s word is unchanging:
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:20-26
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." Matthew 8:16-17
But some Christians refuse to accept that afflictions and sickness are oppressions of the devil and they can be healed off them. Yes, there are those Christians who say that only Jesus Christ is important and nothing else and they are suffering for Jesus sake, His suffering. Even though by Jesus stripes they were healed and He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. They literally don’t fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. They don’t know and experience the love of the Father or the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Their faith is composed on solely knowledge of the written Word of God. They forgot that the new birth is not known solely by knowledge but solely by experience. Yes, through the avenue of faith, they believed on Jesus, called on His name and were saved and He gave them an experience call the new birth or being born again. They didn’t go on to being baptized by Jesus Christ, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit with fire and tongues of fire, because it’s an emotional experience which doesn’t make sense to their carnal mind. But being born again is an emotional in body experience and so is the Baptism of the Spirit and operating in the gifts of the Spirit and is not based solely on intellect!
Then there are others who have experienced the Baptism of the Spirit and only relate to the Holy Spirit solely on the basis of power, gifts, shaking, electricity, someone falling down under the power. While others relate to the Holy Spirit in the context of the work He does for us, or the times He gives us a word of wisdom, knowledge or prophecy, we grieve Him. But the Holy Spirit is a person who wants to be loved, accepted and fellowship with us as a unique person just like each one of us wants to do as a unique person and not just some creature or entity. And God is interested in us not only having the gifts of the Spirit but demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. God’s word is unchanging:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Understanding the Person of the Holy Spirit, having an encounter with Him, worshipping, respecting, embracing the Holy Spirit and loving Him in His function are the keys that will bring His power and anointing on our lives. We need to have on going visitations and relationships with the Holy Spirit. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Acts 9:31
Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:20
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:30-32
Yes, when we are full of God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, it will come out of us including love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and not uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy. As God’s word is unchanging:
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:11-17
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
If we have an intimate bond and relationship with the Holy Spirit we will be able to know and do many things that are humanly impossible because it’s what God does through us that matters and not we do in the flesh. We will be surrounded by God’s presence and glory and people will know and experience not only that something is different about us but God Himself. That is why the bible records about healing and Peter’s shadow:
And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Acts 5:14-16
Yes, we must honor and give proper place in our lives to our Wonderful Counselor, the Spirit of Truth and be totally dependent upon Him for everything including guiding us into all truth and delivering us from lies of men and demon! We must consciously acknowledge His presence in everything that we would do and ask Him to possess us and direct us so that we will walk Him in all things. Then we will know the blessing of partnership with the Holy Spirit as we bring the saving, healing, and delivering power of Jesus to the world. We need to present ourselves, all of us to the Holy Spirit and line ourselves up with Him. We have to keep asking Him to help us; we can't accomplish the purposes of God on our own, apart from His guidance. God’s word is unchanging:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments. "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:7-15
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