Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good afternoon, dear people.

If you’ve been on the recipient list long enough, you may have read the composition below. It’s from 2012. But if you are anything like me, my forgetter works so well, that it is like reading something brand new…even though I wrote it. All I have are faint recollections.

We thought Thano’s Ranger pickup was back in good shape…but, alas!...he called me while I was doing my jog routine after he left for his class at Clackamas Community College to report that his truck died again. I had to run do another rescue. The symptoms have been addressed, but now it’s back to investigating further into the causes.

Have a good rest of the day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Question: What if you had and could sustain in yourself the miracle working power of God at a level where EVERYONE you laid your hands on and prayed for was healed or delivered?—that’s EVERYONE EVERY TIME WITHOUT EXCEPTION—none of this questionable nebulous partial intermittent stuff that is so common surrounding ALL divine healing ministries that I have ever been around. By putting forth this question, I am not implying that I disbelieve in or deny God’s power to heal and deliver—or that He still does so in our day—or that praying for the sick should be curtailed. I do, however, draw these general conclusions (opinions) concerning God’s intentions for such displays of His miraculous interventions:

1. Miracles are not normal—that’s why they’re called miracles. They are clear identifiable dramatic interruptions of normal and natural processes.
2. Miracle gifts of physical healing are best viewed as forms of advertising for the Kingdom of God—attention getters—pointing to man’s greatest need for metaphysical healing from the universal sickness of SIN.
3. Miracle gifts of physical healing are always temporary. It doesn’t matter how many times a person has been healed, they will still die. And dying is not healthy.

In the passage before us, Jesus selects a special troop of 72 representatives to spread through the communities in advance of His visit. He gives specific instructions for how they were to prepare, what they would say, what they would do, where they would stay, and even what they were to eat. The campaign was obviously a success because they returned from their assignment with heady excitement and reported to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” How Jesus responds is very significant. Allow me to paraphrase: “Even though I’m sending you out into a hostile environment where you in and of yourselves are like weak little lambs in the presence of wolves (v. 3), you are nevertheless spiritually strong and invincible in My service (even if you are persecuted and killed—Luke 12:28; Romans 8:38-39). So be careful about being intoxicated with your ministry successes as show-off trophies for the legitimacy of your faith (and lifestyle), but rejoice that you have been given the opportunity of faith, with the power to do what you could never do on your own—power to become a child of God by believing and trusting in me (John 1:12)—and having your names entered into God’s database of eternal life” (Revelation 21:27).

Back to my lead question—What if you had and could sustain in yourself the miracle working power of God at a level where EVERYONE you laid your hands on and prayed for was healed or delivered? I wish I could hear your answer. My prediction is that your arrogant ego would swell to the point of an explosion—because I believe mine would—and a lot of people would most likely get hurt in the blast.