Believe

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BELIEVE

Acts 5:12-16

12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.

NIV

What happened through all the years that we don’t see the same thing in the church today? Was this just for the Apostles and that was it? When they all died or were killed everything miraculous just stopped. Then we would have to say that God has changed, but we know that he does not change. Then it must be that man has changed. We still meet together although we don’t know how often they met, at least we meet once a week as a group of believers. Although again, we are not really meeting together, as we usually sit in rows and listen to a preacher. Not sure it is the same as meeting together in the same manner they did in Solomon’s Colonnade. Of course, we do not have anyone performing many, or any, miraculous signs and wonders among the people. Nor do we have more and more men and women believing in the Lord and being added to our numbers. There is one more thing that seems to have gone by the wayside as well. Of course, we do not have the shadow of Peter either, but he is not, or his shadow the source of any healing for that comes from the powerful almighty hand of God. Nevertheless, people came to the place the Apostles were, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. What has happened over the years to the believers, to us? Do we not have the same power almighty hand of God available to us? Of course, we do, then why are we not seeing and experiencing the same things that were happening then? The answer must be that we have changed, we must not have the same kind or amount of faith they did. But, again, maybe it was just for the Apostles. Maybe God only gave them that power. However, we see instructions given to the New Testament church, including those churches made up of gentiles throughout the lands around Israel by Paul, telling them of the gifts of the Spirit, which include all that we see here of His working through the Apostles. Those gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation are all from the same Spirit although different and all from God who works all of them in all men. So, then we would have to agree that we are part of those all men, and therefore we should be seeing the same events happening in the church today. But we do not, and it must be that we simply are not believing in the same manner the people did in those days. How do we rectify that? God has not changed or stopped working unless he has and is just waiting for us to believe.