The Great Commission or a Church Resume?

I was recently asked about healing in ministry. Which is a topic I love to share with anyone who asks. In this case there was a definite tone to the  question which struck me odd. "Have you seen any healing miracles?" It was from another Christian and the question was raised after I mentioned I was in a healing ministry. The question didn't come from a person that doubted miracles either. The question was raised by a person who thought only the church they attended saw true miracles. So any miracle outside of the ones observed in this church were of a lesser calibre miracle or weren't true miracles at all. 


Which was interesting and at the same time to me, a bit sad. I have worked in ministry from people at this church and this wasn't their view at all on healing and miracles. 


I have seen this same spirit before in large churches that heaven, miracles and gifts of the spirit are reserved exclusively for these churches or a denomination for that matter. 


Which adds more confusion as to how I should answer the question for this individual. I didn't realize miracles were for a resume or a pedigree to build up a name for a church. I see miracles inside church with prayer sessions, but many times my Father's healing room is outside the church. And many times my Father sets up his MASH tent in areas many Christians refuse to go during the day or night. 


For example, recently, on Night Strike, our team went down a dark alley in San Francisco to a small homeless camp. The alley wreaked of urine and took some getting used to, if one ever did get used to that wretched smell. A homeless woman was in the alley here, she was down and out and battling addiction. She re-injured her toe earlier during the day was in a lot of pain. Our Night Strike team comprised of high schoolers, moms, and a couple of young adults, and the biggest lackey of all , myself, from different churches in the bay area, stood our ground that night with the promise from the Father that we could heal in Jesus name. 


We all prayed differently, some a bit weirder than others. But we stayed focus on the fact that Jesus heals and within minutes this woman's excruciating pain was taken from her. We stayed longer and the Father gave us words of encouragement, only words Jesus and this woman could have known. And she was brought to tears by the God who loves her. 


It was Jesus that healed her, the Holy Spirit that gave us the words to speak into the woman, and it was the Father's love that set the whole encounter in motion. It had nothing to do with the churches we were from or our pedigrees in healing. It was at that moment -JESUS!

And it can happen anywhere and by anyone. Anywhere you call upon the name mighty name of Jesus and believe in his healing power. 

Director's Cut:
As I thought about my original post, God reminded me of another healing session from that same evening on the streets. This one opened my eyes to the topic in discussion.


On this night a young man, named Jesse, with mild down syndrome, was on our team. Night Strike leaders know Jesse, he has been a team member for the past couple of years. On this evening, we were in the Tenderloin on a street corner. Jesse was talking with a man that was a Vietnam war veteran. The man had no fingers on both of his hands, they were blown off in an explosion during the war. There were only knuckle stubs where the fingers used to be.


Jesse held the man's hands and prayed for the fingers in this man's hands to grow out. I stood there in agreement of the miracle and listened earnestly as the words came up from Jesse's spirit. This is completely God and the body of church praying to heal itself. A young man with physical mental disabilities praying for a Vietnam veteran's hands to be restored and the man made whole. This is Jesus in action. The man's fingers didn't grow out, but I wouldn't have been surprised if they did. Jesse was in full expectation of a miracle. We were in agreement with Jesse for the miracle. That's the body of Christ praying for a healing miracle.