15/03/14

Physical manifestation of spiritual power

Acts 4:31 - And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.


If we read in Mark 5:22-23 Jairus who is in-charge of a Jewish synagogue pleads Jesus to come and lay His hand over his dying daughter to heal her. On the other hand in Matthew 8:5-10 we read about the Roman centurion who approached Jesus to heal his maid who was very sick, when Jesus told him that He would come to his place, he insisted that Jesus just command the sickness to leave from the very place He stood and she would be healed. Both Jairus' daughter and the Roman centurion's maid got healed but scripture says Jesus was very impressed with the faith of the centurion. He went to the extent of commenting that they stood no man in whole of Israel who had faith like the centurion.

When God instructed Moses to split the Red Sea to make way for His people or to make water available from the rocks for His people, the Lord had told Moses to make use or take hold of his staff. But when we see the Lord spoke to Joshua, Joshua impressed God with his faith by causing even the Sun and Moon to stand still, and he did not even told any staff in his hand when he did them.

Laying of hands (touching a person) helps to encourage the people to have faith, same as holding on to symbolic objects. Lack of faith can caused Jesus to fail in healing people, even God cannot work in the life of the person. But a person of strong faith does not need someone to touch them to be healed, nor to hold on to symbolic objects, the Word does the job.

In today's scripture we read there was physical manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit by the shaking of the place. Personally I have experienced this shaking of a place during prayer wherein the people in the room and even adjusting rooms of a house experience shaking like that of an earthquake but the neighbouring houses in the building having common walls or houses above or below in the building did not feel anything. This was not just a feeling for objects in the house moved and some fell by the shaking. But this happen long time back when I was just growing in the Lord like it happened in the book of Acts to the just growing Church.

We need to understand physical manifestation is not a necessity to show the power of God, but as we grow in faith there is less of physical and more direct working in the spirit.

In today's scripture the shaking of the place when praying helped those in the room to surrender to the presence of the Holy Spirit, thus were filled with the Holy Spirit. God is everywhere, even before we start worship in a place, God is already there. It is only when we try to connect to Him that we feel His presence or by the manifestation of His working do we feel His presence. We should not be running after manifestation, instead should grow in spirit and see directly things happening in spirit. Let us be the man of whom Jesus said blessed is the man who has no seen, yet believed.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, people run after physical manifestation for they lack faith. They dwell in the flesh and their thoughts as fleshy. Lord we pray your people walk more in the spirit and less in the flesh. That their spiritual sense be more in control of them than their natural senses...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Mark 5:22,23
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

Matthew 8:5-10
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

John 20:29 - Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)