Yesterday I taught from Isaiah 53:1 , who has believed the report of the LORD. We have an issue in the church today that people no longer believe. Do miracles exist today? Does God heal today? Are the gifts of the Spirit in operation today? Of course they are working today, but there are whole denominations that no longer believe. Jesus said:
Mark 16:16 -18 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Jesus said that signs would follow those that believe! Those that believe will cast out demons. We are living in a time when only the foolish refuse to believe in demons. Open your eyes, demonic powers are in the world everywhere around us. We don't have to live with demons. Those who believe in Jesus will cast out demons, they aren't going to live oppressed by a demon! They shall speak in new tongues. Do you realize that every apostle of Jesus including the apostle Paul spoke in an unknown tongue? Not only have churches failed to believe in speaking in tongues, but there are those in the church that are ignorant enough to say that tongues are of the devil. These don't know the Scriptures, nor do they know the power of God. There are others who would say that tongues should be done in private, not in front of unbelievers because they won't understand, or it might frighten them. These also do not know the Scriptures, neither do they know or understand the power of God. Tongues are for the unbeliever!
1 Corinthians 14: 20-22 Brethren, be not children in understanding: but in malice be children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, says the Lord. Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serves not for them that believe not, but for them that believe.
Their are also those who claim that tongues are no longer necessary for today. They don't know or understand the power of God, nor the Scriptures! I was raised Methodist, and I doubted the existence of God. Why did I doubt? My parents were both graduates of Asbury College, students of religion. I asked my mom one day, "Why doesn't God do the miracles like he did in the bible." Her reply was that though God could do these things, he usually does not. I asked my Sunday School teacher the same question. She said, "We don't need miracles of healing and things because now we have medicine and science. God's power is no longer necessary for today." None of that made since to me. I thought, "If God has the power to heal, and does not use it, that is not very smart on his part to quit doing these wonderful miracles." I ultimately came to the conclusion that the miracles were never real...the Bible was never real...I asked my mother why she bothered to pray if God usually does not do anything these days. She was very annoyed that I had asked!
Then I attended a Pentecostal church. They began to say that God does do miracles, he does cast out demons, he does raise the dead, his power is still working today just like it did in the Bible. I wanted to do more than hear it, I wanted to SEE IT. The day I first came to believe was the first time I heard a message in tongues. Hearing an unknown tongue convinced me that God was truly real. Yes, it scared me to death, but, I walked out of that Assembly of God church that day believing in God! I knew it was God's power. I felt his presence, I was under conviction, I saw and heard his power displayed. I had never felt, heard or seen anything like it before and I had been raised in a Pastor's home!
Many times since that day I have prayed for people who have received healing instantaneously in their body. And many times God has super naturally healed my body. Now I KNOW God is real because I have experienced his power. Why do we not see many churches operating in the supernatural today? It is simply because they do NOT believe! They will very plainly tell you that they do NOT believe, and will persecute those who do! Why are churches today so arrogant to dismiss the power of God? There is a whole generation of youth today that are becoming atheist. They are just like I used to be. They refuse to believe in a God that is no longer displaying his power to this generation. Those of you in nonbelieving churches that think yourself so smart to dismiss the power of God ponder this question. If God's POWER is no longer necessary for this day, than why is God himself any more necessary. You can fool yourself into thinking that God's power is void, but, your kids know a phony religious belief when they see one! God's power IS real, miracles are for today, God is still working signs, wonders and miracles in THIS generation!
What about taking up serpents, or drinking anything deadly. Jesus said those signs would follow those who believe. Were the apostles snake handlers or did they purposely drink poison. OF COURSE NOT. But there was a time when a deadly viper bit the apostle Paul as he was gathering wood for a fire. Everyone thought he would die, but he did not even have one symptom of the venom! God never meant for us to handle snakes or drink poison on purpose, but accidents happen. If you are bitten by a snake, or accidentally get poisoned, these things will not harm you if you believe! There have been many people through the centuries that had power over death because of their faith in God. Many times people have tried to kill the Godly for their faith only to find out that they were unable to kill them. An example of this is when the KING threw the three Hebrew children into the furnace and had it heated up hotter than usual. They were alive walking around in the flames! They did not die!
Jesus said that those who believed would lay hands on the sick, and they would recover. There are very few churches that practice the laying on of hands. Yet, Paul mentioned it as one of the elementary foundational doctrines of the faith.
Hebrews 6: 1-2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto maturity; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
If churches are not practicing or preaching the elementary foundational doctrines than what exactly are they doing when they meet together? Giving a good speech, tickling the ears? Can we abandon the foundational teachings and expect a church that can stand? A church that does not preach repentance, faith, doctrines of baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection, and hell has left the foundation of God and are building some other type of congregation other than what the apostles built!
Isaiah said "Who has believed our report?" and "to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"
God wants to reveal himself to you. What is your responsibility? You must believe. As long as you believe that the power of God is not for today, you are not a believer! Do you believe in Jesus? Or, do you merely believe in what he did 2000 years ago. Do you know that he is not dead! He is still alive. Miracles and wonders were done by God in the old testament before the time of Jesus. Miracles and wonders were done in the New Testament during the days of Jesus. Miracles and wonders were done after the death and resurrection of Jesus all throughout history EVEN to this very DAY. You will see it, and experience it, when you believe!
