By Reinhard Bonnke.....Evangelist to Africa over 50 years. Over 1 million recorded decisions for Jesus.......Hallelujah
When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into the world it was a cosmic event, which could not be undone. It created a new order of possibilities beyond all that had been known since the days of Adam. A new form of life—resurrection life—was on tap.
The apostles held the secret of this new life and they stepped out to demonstrate it—the first people in the world to do so. I think the Church is discovering their secret once again, as we are seeing the book of Acts extended into another century. Twice as many people have been converted during my lifetime than lived in the whole world at the time of the apostles.
Peter and John’s first post-Resurrection miracle was the healing of a cripple, indicating the dimension of the resources available to them. That miracle was only a sign of greater things to come, as Jesus promised. The Holy Spirit had been sent to do much more than heal. I think that needs to be said. Healing is only one of the nine worship gifts named in 1 Corinthians 12. It is a very important blessing that we are to carry to a suffering world, but it is not the peak of the Holy Spirit’s power.
The sensational is not an accurate measure of the greatness of divine manifestation. The most spectacular occurrence may not be the greatest act of God. Nevertheless, when God heals, it is evidence of His power, which has been made available to us.
When electricity was first discovered, it was considered by most observers to be an amusing novelty. Two hundred years ago, few people could conceive of the potential of the power of electricity to drive industry and light whole cities. When people speak with other tongues it is a sign of the potential of the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Christ cast out demons by the finger of God, He said it demonstrated something greater, that the kingdom of God had come among them (see Luke 11:20). We can derive our confidence for what God can really do from any manifestation of the Spirit. The Spirit of God will not be limited to isolated incidents but will permeate our entire ministry, if we let Him.
When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into the world it was a cosmic event, which could not be undone. It created a new order of possibilities beyond all that had been known since the days of Adam. A new form of life—resurrection life—was on tap.
The apostles held the secret of this new life and they stepped out to demonstrate it—the first people in the world to do so. I think the Church is discovering their secret once again, as we are seeing the book of Acts extended into another century. Twice as many people have been converted during my lifetime than lived in the whole world at the time of the apostles.
Peter and John’s first post-Resurrection miracle was the healing of a cripple, indicating the dimension of the resources available to them. That miracle was only a sign of greater things to come, as Jesus promised. The Holy Spirit had been sent to do much more than heal. I think that needs to be said. Healing is only one of the nine worship gifts named in 1 Corinthians 12. It is a very important blessing that we are to carry to a suffering world, but it is not the peak of the Holy Spirit’s power.
The sensational is not an accurate measure of the greatness of divine manifestation. The most spectacular occurrence may not be the greatest act of God. Nevertheless, when God heals, it is evidence of His power, which has been made available to us.
When electricity was first discovered, it was considered by most observers to be an amusing novelty. Two hundred years ago, few people could conceive of the potential of the power of electricity to drive industry and light whole cities. When people speak with other tongues it is a sign of the potential of the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Christ cast out demons by the finger of God, He said it demonstrated something greater, that the kingdom of God had come among them (see Luke 11:20). We can derive our confidence for what God can really do from any manifestation of the Spirit. The Spirit of God will not be limited to isolated incidents but will permeate our entire ministry, if we let Him.
