LAKELAND: MIRACLES OR JESUS
By Steve Behlke
May 23, 2008
In spite of what we might see in many a revival, the bible is not merely a book about miracles. It's not a book about healings. It's not a record of spiritual exorcisms. All of these things are recorded in the bible but these are not what the bible is really all about. All Scripture finds it's substance, power, meaning, and fulfillment in Jesus Christ! The bible is the story of God our Creator, and of our relationship with God, dashed in the garden but redeemed in Christ. In the bible, yes, miracles and healings do take place, and they're really cool; but they are not the central focus of Scripture.
Jesus Christ did amazing things, the miraculous, healings, and exorcisms, but He is not merely a miracle worker, healer or exorcist. That's not the best thing about Him.
Jesus Christ is the LORD GOD Almighty, live and in-the-flesh. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Creator and Redeemer, the Restorer of sinful mankind to the gracious, loving and holy God. Jesus Christ is the Savior, come from heaven to save us. Live. In-the-flesh. Real. Seen. Worshiped. Suffering. Crucified. Dead. Buried. Mourned over. Suddenly the body is missing. He is alive, alive from the dead. Visible. Victorious. Seen. Worshiped. Ascended. And coming again.
Every time Jesus healed, every time the true-and-living-God-in-human-flesh did the miraculous, every time this truly beautiful One who is God-incarnate cast out a vile demon, every time this truly Amazing and Glorious One did any of this - Jesus showed and proved that He is who He claimed, who the Scriptures promised: He is the Lord, the Creator, the only true and living God, come to save us, forever to be praised.
In every miracle, healing and exorcism, and with every pronouncement of forgiveness and divine acceptance of "sinners," Jesus demonstrated that Mother Nature itself has to submit to His every word, that each and every demon must run for cover and cower in unwitting but unyielding obedience to his every charge, that every angel will do precisely and gladly what he says, that every illness and disease shall flee at his word, and that every sin - every sin - sexual, religious, political, financial, heterosexual, homosexual, greedy, proud, and idolatrous - every sin that is presented to Him will be immediately and magnificently overwhelmed, overcome by His grace (or judged on it's own merit).
Jesus Christ is the center. Not some pastor. Not prophets. Not worship bands. Not miracles. Not bizarre, hopefully Holy Spirit-induced behavior. Not angels. JESUS CHRIST! He is the Victor, the star of history, the incarnate God, the wounded Savior, the crucified Lord, the King of kings, who shall be honored and worshiped and loved throughout eternity.
Jesus Christ is the focus of Scripture, Old Testament and New. Jesus Christ, not miracles, not awesome healings or powerful excorsisms or angels or miracle workers or prophets or people squawking like chickens under "the power." It's all about JESUS! Fall forward as an act of adoration and humility and faith to worship Jesus, now. Trust Him. Depend on Him alone. Submit to His Word. Live for Him. Proclaim Him.
Healings and miracles and angels are not the big deal. Jesus Christ is!
In Lakeland, godly, God-seeking, desperate, hopeful people, bored with religiosity, bored with lifeless worship services, all want to see a sign, an angel, a miraculous healing, a powerful exorcism, a really big angel that looks like Fabio, or something else entirely different from the mundane that blows them away; something wild, inexplicable, supernatural. Fine. But let's not be distracted from JESUS... in your church... among humble people... on His terms... according to His word... in big things... in little things... in His way... healing or not... miracle or not...
Healings are awesome. Enduring pain is mundane. But God is powerfully present in each. Right?! Seek a miracle, healing, deliverance! But don't blame yourself or doubt God or think your "technique" is wrong or question your faith or put your hope in a healer if, in His wisdom and great plans for you, relational plans, whereby you grow in your trust and humility and love of Christ, He doesn't find it "best" to heal you!
Healings are immediate. Enduring pain is long-term and involves suffering, faith, patience, pain, and lots of unanswered questions, even doubts. But in the process of suffering, seek Jesus and discover a type of humility and strength and a maturing kind of trust that grows right into your relationship with Christ. For it's this tested faith that matures which is more precious to God; your faith is more precious than gold.
So trust God. Love Jesus. Ask, seek, and knock on His gracious heart for healing. In fact, let's make room for such faith and prayers and divine answers to prayer in our church's worship gatherings and small groups and times together.
But in humility, no matter what happens, whatever God rightly decides to do, let us learn to trust Jesus regardless, for His strength to endure, that He is with us in our suffering, that He is good no matter what, that He is working behind the scenes in other ways, that if trust Him we are not to be blamed for not being healed, and that He is good and He is Lord and He is present and loving, even in our suffering... maybe particularly in our suffering. Seek Him through your suffering. And through this faith that clings to Jesus, grow like other's may never understand; grow to know and to trust and to love God and to reflect His Son and His grace in your life.
May 23, 2008
In spite of what we might see in many a revival, the bible is not merely a book about miracles. It's not a book about healings. It's not a record of spiritual exorcisms. All of these things are recorded in the bible but these are not what the bible is really all about. All Scripture finds it's substance, power, meaning, and fulfillment in Jesus Christ! The bible is the story of God our Creator, and of our relationship with God, dashed in the garden but redeemed in Christ. In the bible, yes, miracles and healings do take place, and they're really cool; but they are not the central focus of Scripture.
Jesus Christ did amazing things, the miraculous, healings, and exorcisms, but He is not merely a miracle worker, healer or exorcist. That's not the best thing about Him.
Jesus Christ is the LORD GOD Almighty, live and in-the-flesh. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Creator and Redeemer, the Restorer of sinful mankind to the gracious, loving and holy God. Jesus Christ is the Savior, come from heaven to save us. Live. In-the-flesh. Real. Seen. Worshiped. Suffering. Crucified. Dead. Buried. Mourned over. Suddenly the body is missing. He is alive, alive from the dead. Visible. Victorious. Seen. Worshiped. Ascended. And coming again.
Every time Jesus healed, every time the true-and-living-God-in-human-flesh did the miraculous, every time this truly beautiful One who is God-incarnate cast out a vile demon, every time this truly Amazing and Glorious One did any of this - Jesus showed and proved that He is who He claimed, who the Scriptures promised: He is the Lord, the Creator, the only true and living God, come to save us, forever to be praised.
In every miracle, healing and exorcism, and with every pronouncement of forgiveness and divine acceptance of "sinners," Jesus demonstrated that Mother Nature itself has to submit to His every word, that each and every demon must run for cover and cower in unwitting but unyielding obedience to his every charge, that every angel will do precisely and gladly what he says, that every illness and disease shall flee at his word, and that every sin - every sin - sexual, religious, political, financial, heterosexual, homosexual, greedy, proud, and idolatrous - every sin that is presented to Him will be immediately and magnificently overwhelmed, overcome by His grace (or judged on it's own merit).
Jesus Christ is the center. Not some pastor. Not prophets. Not worship bands. Not miracles. Not bizarre, hopefully Holy Spirit-induced behavior. Not angels. JESUS CHRIST! He is the Victor, the star of history, the incarnate God, the wounded Savior, the crucified Lord, the King of kings, who shall be honored and worshiped and loved throughout eternity.
Jesus Christ is the focus of Scripture, Old Testament and New. Jesus Christ, not miracles, not awesome healings or powerful excorsisms or angels or miracle workers or prophets or people squawking like chickens under "the power." It's all about JESUS! Fall forward as an act of adoration and humility and faith to worship Jesus, now. Trust Him. Depend on Him alone. Submit to His Word. Live for Him. Proclaim Him.
Healings and miracles and angels are not the big deal. Jesus Christ is!
In Lakeland, godly, God-seeking, desperate, hopeful people, bored with religiosity, bored with lifeless worship services, all want to see a sign, an angel, a miraculous healing, a powerful exorcism, a really big angel that looks like Fabio, or something else entirely different from the mundane that blows them away; something wild, inexplicable, supernatural. Fine. But let's not be distracted from JESUS... in your church... among humble people... on His terms... according to His word... in big things... in little things... in His way... healing or not... miracle or not...
Healings are awesome. Enduring pain is mundane. But God is powerfully present in each. Right?! Seek a miracle, healing, deliverance! But don't blame yourself or doubt God or think your "technique" is wrong or question your faith or put your hope in a healer if, in His wisdom and great plans for you, relational plans, whereby you grow in your trust and humility and love of Christ, He doesn't find it "best" to heal you!
Healings are immediate. Enduring pain is long-term and involves suffering, faith, patience, pain, and lots of unanswered questions, even doubts. But in the process of suffering, seek Jesus and discover a type of humility and strength and a maturing kind of trust that grows right into your relationship with Christ. For it's this tested faith that matures which is more precious to God; your faith is more precious than gold.
So trust God. Love Jesus. Ask, seek, and knock on His gracious heart for healing. In fact, let's make room for such faith and prayers and divine answers to prayer in our church's worship gatherings and small groups and times together.
But in humility, no matter what happens, whatever God rightly decides to do, let us learn to trust Jesus regardless, for His strength to endure, that He is with us in our suffering, that He is good no matter what, that He is working behind the scenes in other ways, that if trust Him we are not to be blamed for not being healed, and that He is good and He is Lord and He is present and loving, even in our suffering... maybe particularly in our suffering. Seek Him through your suffering. And through this faith that clings to Jesus, grow like other's may never understand; grow to know and to trust and to love God and to reflect His Son and His grace in your life.
You seem to forget that God is a SUPERNATURAL God! Miracles do not distract us from Jesus, they POINT to Jesus! When John the Baptist, himself, began to doubt Jesus, while in prison, he sent a messenger to Jesus. Jesus told the messenger to let John know that the sick were healed, the lame could walk, and He was casting out demons! Wow! We SHOULD seek God for a manifestation of his presence! The fact is, when He is present in our churches, homes, lives, there WILL be the presence of the supernatural! How many times do you read in your Bible that while the crowds followed Jesus for their healing that Jesus replied, "It is My Father's will for you to be sick and lame, for His 'greater purpose'." You won't find it. Instead, you will find the gospels FILLED with the miracles of Jesus-- because he was "filled with compassion" You even see Lazurus resurrect from the dead. People followed Jesus to SEEK their miracle. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. When a little girl, given only months to live is suddenly healed of a brain tumor, does that cause you do be distracted from Jesus? No! Certainly Not! Only the contrary! And when people don't get healed, you are right--still BELIEVE! I would rather believe that it is God's will to heal me, than to die thinking it is God's will that I am sick!
Yes, in this world, we will have tribulations, BUT, "Be of good cheer, I have OVERCOME the world" (sickness, disease, sin). Have you forgotten the WHOLE gospel? "By His stripes, we are healed!", Isaiah is FULL of prophecy proclaiming that Jesus' death and resurrection is not only for our iniquities (sin), but for our healing as well! Sin, sickness and death entered this world way back when Adam and Eve caved to temptation. It was NEVER God's will for us to be sick, diseased, and to experience death. That is why he sent his Son, Jesus. I encourage you to ask yourself why you are so critical of the Lakeland outpouring and other "revivals" where God is pouring out His Spirit. Is it because you have not experienced a much needed healing, or miracle yourself? Remember, Jesus said, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God". Sometimes it is easier to say "It is God's will for me to be sick" than to believe for healing, but which response pleases God? Think about it.
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I agree with you and actually have no doubt but truly believe that God is a supernatural God who still performs miracles. I never said He didn't. I also agree that God's miracles are intended to point to Jesus. In fact, that is my whole point; that these miracles should point to JESUS and that JESUS ALONE should get the glory. That's all.
Healings are awesome. I agree. And you're right, a little girl healed from a brain tumor brings praise to God and love for Jesus and a new reason to sing of His glory. That's awesome. I believe God heals. In fact, I want our own church to trust God for healing more than we currently, and to make "more room" for God to do the miraculous in our own worship gatherings, small groups, etc. Do not mistake me as arguing against divine healings or miracles.
I do not intend to be critical of this revival. What I am critical of is the false teaching of it's leader. His false teaching and some bizarre (getting on all fours and roaring like a lion and squawking like a chicken) behavior is what I question and red-flag, not the miracles. False teaching? Yes, lots. The following quote is from Todd Bentley himself from his the freshfire website:
"Scripture also speaks of another angel that releases finances. I understand that God will supply all my need according to His riches in glory (Phil. ). Do you know what that means? There are riches in glory because the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. He is the God who supplies our needs according to His riches in glory. The bible even tells us that the silver and gold are His. So when I need a financial breakthrough I don’t just pray and ask God for my financial breakthrough. I go into intercession and become a partner with the angels by petitioning the Father for the angels that are assigned to getting me money: “Father, give me the angels in heaven right now that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those angels be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of the earth and gather me money. Let them gather my partners.” You know why it’s important to pray like this? Because the Devil wants to cut off your cash flow. He wants to hinder and block your finances. He wants to do whatever he can to hinder you from receiving the blessing and provision that God has for you. Sometimes praying about it isn’t good enough because you need to prevail in heaven where the angels and demons are actually fighting. We want to push back the demonic forces, so sometimes we need to say, “Father, let those legions of angels assigned to release financial breakthrough, come into the earth right now and loose the Devil from the money assigned to me. I call in that money in the name of Jesus.” Sometimes when I pray this way, bam! … I’ve got the money I need within a few days. Yes, I get financial breakthrough because God is my source. If man doesn’t have it for me, God does. Yet the Devil is trying to keep it from getting to me. Even though God heard me on the first day, the Devil wants to delay it 21 days or as long as he can. But I’ve got to get the angels involved with my incense and say, “C’mon God, let those angels come and help fulfill your word—you promised me the blessing of the Lord that makes one rich and You add no sorrow with it."
Finally, God is not just the God of miracles as if His presence is only "manifest" when He performs a miracle. God is also involved, present, and powerful when healings do not take place! I believe that the Holy Spirit is equally, powerfully present in a church that proclaims the Gospel, and lives each day for Jesus, and endures persecution, and loves its enemies, and shares it's possessions, to the glory of God.
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Pastor Steve,
In a true revival I would expect the person at the center doing the healing to use the stage to proclaim: These acts are not due to anything in my control. This is the Lord Jesus Christ working thru me. You are seeing the glory of Jesus Christ and it's his revival not mine. Or something like that that. I'm sorry but I just don't hear it. It just seems odd to me that these types are in so much control of the situation.
It would be nice to witness a revival thats not on TV or a Web site. Someone traveling alone letting the glory and power of Jesus Christ flo out of them. Trusting that God will provide!
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I have been thinking about all of this and the New Testament and Jesus' miracles the past couple of days. Jesus Himself must have been a very charismatic speaker. Just think, there were times when He went somewhere, and thousands of people showed up. He would perform miracles, and, heal people. Yet, when I study His crucifiction, I don't find those people-or few of those people. Even His disciples, who "ministred" with Him during these "crusades" or " Revival Meetings" struggled.
Then I see a time in some of their lives, when He personally meets with them, usually during a time of physical or spiritual struggle, and I see Him change their lives.
I see Peter, who believed, and served, yet still, denied Him three times, and Jesus met him there in his denial, and his life was changed.
I see Thomas, the same as Peter, with Him during His ministry, yet doubting. And Jesus met him there in his doubt, and his life was changed.
They were there for the miracles, for the healings, for the "emotional" meetings. Why didn't it happen then?
I even think Paul, who, I know, was a Pharisee, was at some of these meetings. The Pharisees always knew what He had said, they must have been watching and listening, so he had to have heard and seen some of it. Yet, it took a moment of total darkness for him to let God meet with him, and change his life.
And then I think of myself and my life. I was, for a short period of time, involved in this movement. Always looking for a "supernatural" meeting with God. Always looking for a miracle, a "Word from the Lord". And yet, the moment I remember the most, the one I felt the closest to Him, the one that He used to change me in so many ways, was the time I met Him in my bedroom, when I was angry, heartbroken, scared, and totally broken. ...
So, do I believe He heals, I DO!!!! Do I believe He performs miracles, I DO!!!! Do I believe He is supernatural, I DO!!! Do I believe that those kind of meetings are His ulterior motives and movings here on earth, I don't. He wants to build His kingdom, with relationships with us, His children. He wants our hearts revived, not just our emotions.
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You're being very gracious to make up a wish list. It probably calls for something stronger, but who is going to come alongside this guy and point out this stuff? To whom is he accountable? Sadly, probably no one.
Makes me think about some of Paul's comments . . ."Shall I come with a whip, or shall I come in love?" "Although I could order you to do as you ought, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love . . ." If making a wish list isn't making an appeal on the basis of love, I don't know what is.
I've struggled with health issues for years, and I believe that God can and does often intervene in powerful ways. So I have no problem asking people to pray for me. But I'm careful about whom I let lay hands on me in prayer. Just last week some guy was talking ... about how so&so gave him an "impartation" to pray for healing, (not Jesus) and how so&so had healed his brother. When I pointed out that it was Jesus who healed his brother and not so&so, he became irritated. Someone else told me I should have this gentleman pray for me because he could heal me, and when I pointed out that Jesus was the healer, she also became irritated. Whenever Christians respond with annoyance when you point to Jesus, PAY ATTENTION. It's a serious red flad. I don't allow people like that to lay hands on me.
The charismatic gifts are real and for today, but when people refuse to exercise discernment and follow Biblical instruction, you have a mess like in Florida. Orderliness is very important to God; testing the spirits is important to God. We're being foolish in a dangerous way if we act like all supernatural activities are okay, since something good might possibly happen in the mix. Satan is a counterfeiter, and his ways thrive in an environment of chaos and unsound doctrine. If you haven't read The Beautiful Side of Evil, you might want to check it out . . .
Thanks for providing excellent, gracious commentary on this event . . .
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I want to let folks know that I believe Jesus heals, owns all, and I owe my life to him. Although my actions don't always reflect that.
[But] it seems like the "modern day healers" always have a contract with a TV affiliate or some other money sucking organization, and I cant even begin to accept it as legitimate. I'm not trying to judge these folks, but it kind of scares me when a person shoves the bible and Jesus aside and basically says "ok now watch me".
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It's worth contemplating the problems that wouldn't have come up if healing in its many forms had stayed in the church, so to speak. It became the stuff of individual ministries, both for good and for bad.
When it stays in the church, the Biblical structure of the body can provide a check and balance to the outrages that can happen. When a sick person reads James and can actually call the elders and they're willing to annoint and pray for healing, it's amazing. But it should be commonplace in the body of Christ, not particularly amazing. Too often there isn't enough training or experience in the body in praying for one another for different types of healing.
It's interesting to me that the charimastic healing ministry in the Roman Catholic Church hasn't had as much scandal as with the Protestants. The scandal of pedophilia became apparent when it was revealed that leadership was enabling the behavior, rather than providing accountability and directing the offenders to step down and get help. But thus far priests involved in the healing ministry haven't gone into the error you often find with Protestant ministries, and I have to wonder how much that is due to church oversight.
A few weeks ago I went to a healing service run by Father DiOrio, and he mentioned that he had recently met with his Bishop to go over again what happens in these services. The man's in his seventies and has been ministering like this for decades, but there's still oversight and accountability for him.
Francis MacNutt recently wrote a book on healing, and how it left the church, and the damage that caused. It's moving back into the church, which is only a good thing.
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