Some
months back I was reading the biography of Smith Wigglesworth of
blessed memory and I noticed something about his healing methods. I
learnt if one was suffering from any ailment he hit that affected area
really hard. In his time he had a few doubting thomases and bablers who
would do everything to malign his ministry. If Wigglesworth had lived in
this era he would have had many critics as well. He would have many
naive believers on facebook posting nonsense stories about him. Some
would have gone by captions like "a kick boxing faith healer, he is not
from God,Jesus never hit anyone before healing and others." You would
get a few who would have examined his ministry in the light of
scriptures. You would get a few who would go on their knees day and
night asking The Lord if he was from him. Many will join the accusation
train, post and share stories they themselves have not witnessed. The
bible will always be our reference point but we should understand when
we read the bible we should grasp the spirit of the word and not just
the letter. Today many Christians make reference to the Bereans in Acts
17 but sadly many go out of the way and commit presumptuous sins. Some
grieve The Holy Spirit through gossip and slander.
Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word in all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find
out whether these were so.
The Bereans had a hunger for the Word. They were deligent. They wouldn't wait for another to circulate a report. They searched the scriptures for themselves. They didn't have the luxury we have today. The epistles had not been fully written then. They caught the spirit of the Word not just what the prophets had written about Christ.
If there be healing, deliverance on any thing we perceive to be spiritual we should check the fruit of the person involved and not the methods alone. The Holy Spirit is not dogmatic. During the ministry of Jesus on earth His healing techniques varied. There were times He just spoke,another time He spat, another time He interviewed a legion. He operated as The Father willed and not by human wisdom or traditions of men. Scripture also mentioned an instance where Paul used his aprons and handkerchiefs for miracles and healing. That was the method The Holy Spirit employed then but today we have believers who speak against the use of mediums.
Acts 19:11
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Was it the mediums that healed people? Was it the mediums that cast out demons? Certainly not! The Holy Spirit chose to flow in that direction. There are other fake miracles as well but like The Lord taught us we should test their fruit.
Who are the false apostles?
1. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted you may well put up with it.
The Apostle mentions 4 things hear.
I. The simplicity in Christ
II. Another Jesus;
III. Another spirit
IV. Another gospel
2. Acts 8:9-11
But there was a certain man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery in the city claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying, This man is the greater power of God and they heeeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.
Note Simon looked like he was from God but the bible mentions something "he claimed he was great". Jesus mentioned in John 5:44 about receiving honour from men. He was self styled. Even after his salvation he was accustomed to self exaltation. A false apostle may perform
signs and wonders but will take the eyes of people from a true walk of salvation to himself.
Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word in all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find
out whether these were so.
The Bereans had a hunger for the Word. They were deligent. They wouldn't wait for another to circulate a report. They searched the scriptures for themselves. They didn't have the luxury we have today. The epistles had not been fully written then. They caught the spirit of the Word not just what the prophets had written about Christ.
If there be healing, deliverance on any thing we perceive to be spiritual we should check the fruit of the person involved and not the methods alone. The Holy Spirit is not dogmatic. During the ministry of Jesus on earth His healing techniques varied. There were times He just spoke,another time He spat, another time He interviewed a legion. He operated as The Father willed and not by human wisdom or traditions of men. Scripture also mentioned an instance where Paul used his aprons and handkerchiefs for miracles and healing. That was the method The Holy Spirit employed then but today we have believers who speak against the use of mediums.
Acts 19:11
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Was it the mediums that healed people? Was it the mediums that cast out demons? Certainly not! The Holy Spirit chose to flow in that direction. There are other fake miracles as well but like The Lord taught us we should test their fruit.
Who are the false apostles?
1. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted you may well put up with it.
The Apostle mentions 4 things hear.
I. The simplicity in Christ
II. Another Jesus;
III. Another spirit
IV. Another gospel
2. Acts 8:9-11
But there was a certain man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery in the city claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying, This man is the greater power of God and they heeeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.
Note Simon looked like he was from God but the bible mentions something "he claimed he was great". Jesus mentioned in John 5:44 about receiving honour from men. He was self styled. Even after his salvation he was accustomed to self exaltation. A false apostle may perform
signs and wonders but will take the eyes of people from a true walk of salvation to himself.
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