Why

Did you ever ask these questions: or have you ever questioned them yourself?

Why are so many people that call themselves believers in such

bondage today and why are so many sick?

Why are there so many programs in churches today but so little

power demonstrated?

Where are the signs and wonders that are supposed to accompany

the preaching?

I am not writing this to step on anyone’s toes or to condemn anyone, I am asking questions that I am concerned about and think every believer should also be concerned about.  We can all come up with excuses for why they aren’t happening and just dismiss them or turn a blind eye, so to speak, and pretend everything is normal, but this is not normal Christianity.  

There are some places of worship where the things that I mentioned are taking place almost every week.  People are healed of all kinds of things plus demons are being cast out, people are being set free, not only of demon possession, drugs, alcohol and other bondages, but also of psychological, emotional and mental problems.  I am not saying that I know the answers to these questions but I know there is a good reason, there has to be if the Word of God is true and I know it is.  I believe, from what I know of the Word, that these things should be a normal part of a believer’s life as well as that of the church, when the people of God come together.

John 14:12 says this, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Many of the churches today seem to resemble the synagogues in Jesus’ day having no excitement when the Word is preached.  But when Jesus came on the scene, people were astonished and even excited when they heard the Word that He spoke because Jesus taught with authority, not as the Scribes.  The church of today has heard so much preaching that many seem to have lost interest.  It seems like many want to be tickled and entertained instead of being convicted and changed.

These verses in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 seem to be true for our day, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Having etching ears means hearing only what they want to hear.  It is also talking about correction and change, which are hard to accept.  It doesn’t matter how much the truth hurts, we must listen and allow it to change our lives if we are going to honor the Lord.  Never be afraid of the Spirit’s conviction, but be afraid if you never experience it, because His conviction and your obedience is what will bring real change in your life.  If you only listen to preachers that tell you what you want to hear, to make you feel good, you will miss out on hearing what you need to hear and that is what is important.  I may at times feel that I have been slapped while listening to a convicting message and sometimes it seems like my flesh recoils and I may want to scream, “stop,” but when I am obedient to the conviction, that is when the healing starts.  I guess I feel this way; I want to hear hard messages so that the conviction I feel will help me not to take advantage of the Lord so that I may not sin against Him.

I would have loved to hear Jesus preach, this is what it says about Him in Mark 1:21-28, “Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’ And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.’ And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.”

When Jesus preached, signs and wonders followed, and people were amazed.  That is what should take place in our churches today, and even greater things.  If it did, people would flock to the churches. These things are things we all need to think about and, if we are the problem, we need to get out of the way and let the Lord’s will be done.  May God bless you and yours!  Have a super day!!