Man has continued to seek cures for sickness and disease by attempting to discover and understand the design of the human body independent of FATHER’S perfect Divine Intent for healing. I believe this avenue that man has taken falls under the category of FATHER’S “acceptable” Will rather than HIS perfect will. Mankind can achieve positive results but they will not obtain 100% success in the acceptable category whereas if we pursue FATHER’S perfect Will, we should expect 100% success when the recipients’ attitude is right.
It is written by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 5:
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.
16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
When Peter flowed in FATHER’S perfect will, all were healed in the above passage, not just a few. Why? Because the multitudes had seen that through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people (v 12) and their attitudes and expectations lined up with FATHER’S perfect Will to the point where they gather from surrounding cities with their sick to receive healing. What was the result? All were healed of sickness, disease, and demonic possession/oppression. There was no technology, drugs, or any other current means available to them.
Yet when Jesus was ministering in Nazareth, it is written by Mark in chapter 6:
1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
In the above passages, Peter had greater success than Jesus! I believe it is critical for us to embrace this contrast because of its impact concerning our expectations as we mature. Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:
12 “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.
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
We must not limit ourselves by thinking we are unworthy to walk in a greater manner than Our Elder Brother as far as tangible results are concerned. Peter had greater success in Jerusalem than Jesus did in Nazareth because the attitude of the people was right in Jerusalem. They had seen the many indisputable signs and wonders done by the hands of the apostles. Those signs and wonders could not be challenged or denied thus the expectation of success was exceedingly high among the people.
The disciples were all in one accord on Solomon’s Porch… they were in total unity. This is critical for us today as well for our unity has its basis on the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament exact Truths contained therein. Placing our focus anywhere else will only serve to move us away from FATHER’S perfect Will back to HIS acceptable Will. Let us not diminish FATHER’S Divine Intent that we are to do greater works than Our Elder Brother.