Welcome again to the Quality Christian Living
Podcast. I am your host, David Friend. This week's
podcast is entitled, Holy Spirit and Miracles.
You know, it's so important to understand that
the best way to do a podcast like this is to
use the Word of God and to look for proof of
miracles. You know, we discover a list of Holy
Spirit miracles when we go through the Word of
God, and only the Holy Spirit can give the gift
of miracles. We find that in 2 Corinthians chapter
12. So, do you believe that the Holy Spirit can
use you for miracles? So, before we go any further,
we need to pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you.
for your goodness. I pray you would bless this
podcast, and I ask the Holy Spirit to come in
and take control, take charge of everything that
takes place. Thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you for bringing those in who are listening
today, and I pray that the Holy Spirit would
guide and direct everything that's said and done,
and I'll be careful to give you praise for it.
In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Well, today we're
going to look at a lot of different ways to kind
of analyze what the Word of God says about miracles,
because we need to use the Word of God to prove
that miracles took place and they can still take
place to even this day. Let's start in the book
of Acts. In Acts chapter 19 verses 11 and 12
it says now God working unusual miracles by the
hands of Paul. That's what I was talking about
verse 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons
that had touched him were taken to the sick and
their illnesses were healed and the evil spirits
left them. Now this is a powerful scripture and
one day I was praying over some people and I
ran across this scripture, and they were asking
me to pray for someone who had an incurable cancer.
But they were someone that was overseas. They
weren't here living here in the United States.
And I thought, well, I can't get there. There's
no way I can reach them. And I had no way to
get in contact with them. So I looked at this
scripture, and I thought, Holy Spirit, could
you use that? Would you use that so that we could
pray for people and believe for healing? So the
Holy Spirit helped me to experience in this group,
to experience with a woman who was not able to
come to our church for prayer. because of her
cancer and because of the distance she lived
away. We read this scripture to a group in a
prayer meeting and then we anointed a scarf with
oil and asked the family to lay these on this
person, this individual. We prayed for a miracle.
We asked the Holy Spirit to release the miracle
power that he has for healing in this individual.
A month later the family told me that the lady
with cancer was healed. The healing basically
impacted the entire neighborhood where she lived.
because the neighbors knew the woman was suffering
with cancer and all of a sudden the power of
the Holy Ghost and the healing power of Jesus
flowed through this woman and healed her body.
Now several people in that neighborhood received
Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior after hearing
of these healings, of this healing. So, first
of all, to God be the glory, to God be all praise,
glory, and honor. And I thank God for his scriptures
and I believe this is an example because we experienced
it personally, but this is an example of how
we can apply God's Word to today for situations
that we're dealing with on a daily basis here
in our own communities. So I pray that might
be of help to you and it's something that's very
real that took place and we give God all praise
and glory for it. Now here are a few Bible examples
of miracle healings. I'm going to use the Word
of God all the way through this. I will read
them to you and then we'll make some comments
on some of them. Before I get into the book of
Acts where we're talking about specific healings,
I want to read what John had to say in 1 Corinthians
chapter 12 verse 4. There are different kinds
of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the
source of them all. So that's so important to
understand that before we go any further, that
the Holy Spirit is the source of the gifts of
the Spirit that he manifests in individuals who
are seeking them. And in 1 Corinthians chapter
12 verses 9 and 10, a New Living Translation
again, it says the same Spirit gives great faith
to another and to someone else though One spirit
gives the gift of healing. He gives. one person
the power to perform miracles. Now all of that
is the foundation that we're building from to
talk about how the Holy Spirit can bring miracles
into our life. So now we look in the Word of
God and we look and see what the Apostles did,
what they were doing and how the Holy Spirit
operated in them. There's a wonderful example
found in the book of Acts in chapter three and
verses one through eight in the New Living Translation.
Let me just read this to you. I'm going to read
all eight verses because it's necessary to understand
how the Holy Spirit it worked and how Peter was
used. Peter and John went to the temple one afternoon
to take part in the three o 'clock prayer service.
As they approached the temple, a man lame from
birth was being carried in. Each day he was put
beside the temple gate, the one called the beautiful
gate, so he could be begging from the people
going into the temple. When he saw Peter and
John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
Peter said, John, well in fact they looked at
each other first of all and then first back and
forth each other thinking, you know, what do
we say to him? That would be our natural intent.
And Peter and John looked at him intently and
Peter said, look at us. The lame man looked at
them. eagerly expecting some money. But Peter
said, I don't have any silver or gold for you,
but I'll give you what I have. That's so important
right there. I'll give you what I have. The Holy
Spirit had given this gift to him. He knew it,
and he knew that he could operate in that gift
through the power and the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. In the name of Jesus, he said, Jesus
is the healer, the Nazarene, get up and walk.
Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand
and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet
and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.
He jumped up, he stood on his feet and began
to walk. Then walking, leaping and praising God,
he went into the temple with them. Now, what
a great story that is. You know, some people
look at that story and they say, well, that's
really great. That's nice for them. But you know,
now today is today. And you know, some people,
some churches say that's all stopped now. Those
healings are not taking place. Well, I'm here
to tell you that they do take place to this day.
I gave you an example earlier on in this podcast
where we just looked at the Word of God and saw
what took place and we prayed and we asked the
Holy Spirit to do the same for this woman. And
this woman was halfway around the world. And
all they did was they went with their faith and
trust in God the handkerchief really was nothing
it just simply was something that was anointed
but their faith went with them and as their faith
expanded and increased and they prayed and they
laid hands on this lady she was healed that's
happening today and as a pastor who prays for
a lot of sick people I've seen some amazing miracle
healings take place and I just want to say to
God be all the glory all the honor and all the
praise because we have to give what we have and
what we have is faith if all we have to is faith,
then that's enough. So when you pray for people,
what you have to give is faith. You're not a
doctor. You don't know how to give certain medical
advice. And even if you are a doctor, you don't
know for sure how the treatments are going to
go, and how they make one way in one person,
another way in someone else. But when we're followers
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we've received
the Holy Spirit into our life, then He's there,
available, and ready to use us to do His work.
And so we can claim by faith what we have, what
Peter had. we have his faith and trust in God
and we call forth healings and believe for them
and claim them in Jesus name. Now let's look
at another example of how the Holy Spirit operates
with miracles. In the book of Acts chapter 5
and verses 15 and 16 in the New Living Translation,
it says this, as a result of the Apostles work,
sick people were brought out into the streets
on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might
fall across them. And as he went by verse 16
crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem
bringing their sick and they possessed, those
that were possessed by evil spirits, and they
were all healed. They were all healed. Now look
at that example. That is truly remarkable. Now,
some people say, well, that stopped way back
then. Well, no, it has not. If you look and study
a lot of the powerful revivals that have taken
place, I think of Charles Finney. And in Charles
Finney, when he was a great evangelist and he
traveled the world, it said that when he would
walk through factories to pray with people, they
would be slain in the spirit. They would be overpowered
by the presence of the Holy Spirit that was operating
in him and they would be healed or they would
be saved or they'd be filled with the power of
the Holy Spirit. So those miracles are alive
and well on the planet Earth today. We must believe
for them, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help
us to operate in them and take authority over
evil spirits, take authority over sickness, over
illnesses and disease and pray in the name of
Jesus, not in our name, but in the name of Jesus
that people will be healed or restored and see
miracles come forward. You know recently because
of the number of healings experienced for so
many people over the years I was impressed to
do a series of podcasts entitled Faith for Miracles.
Well that series of podcasts turned into a book
that I just completed recently and at the end
of this podcast I'll tell you how you can get
that book and where it's accessible but I just
want to let you know that that book has gone
out and now I know that literally hundreds and
people of thousands of people now are starting
to experience the power of the Holy Spirit through
the miracles that operate in them. Because of
the Holy Spirit being in them and being their
source of miracles and source of these these
great things taking place Now let me ask you
some very personal direct questions now Do you
believe that this can happen today? Because if
you don't the balance of this podcast probably
isn't going to do a whole lot or even this whole
Podcast might be of any value might not be of
any value if you don't believe that this can
happen today Do you believe that the Holy Spirit
can use you? That's another part Some people
say, well, it's not for me. I know that this
person can be used or that person can be used,
but for me, I don't think so. Well, God can use
anyone as long as we are willing to yield ourselves
and surrender ourselves to Him and be led by
the Spirit of God rather than by our own spirit.
Now, let me just ask this then. Who will step
up and take the place of Peter and Paul and ask
the Holy Spirit for miracles, to believe for
healings? and believe for miracles. Matter of
fact, I'm feeling really touched by the Holy
Spirit now to pray for people, for faith, to
believe this podcast. Heavenly Father, I need
to stop right now. And under the authority of
the Holy Spirit, I ask now that those who are
listening to this will believe that they can
be used, that they can perform miracles of healings
and just various miracles through the power and
the anointing of the Holy Spirit. So I pray now,
Father, that faith will increase because the
Holy Spirit is also the one that gives great
faith. That's one of the gifts, the power gifts
of the Spirit is great faith. So I pray now an
impartation of that great faith would go forth
into these individuals who are listening today
and Father they shall lay hands upon the sick
and they shall rise up they shall pray for those
that need a miracle and the miracle will take
place and we'll thank you for that and give you
praise for it now in Jesus name I pray Amen.
Well, I guess it's important to be obedient to
the Holy Spirit, especially when you're talking
about the Holy Spirit. But I truly felt impressed
that there were people who were having a rough
time with the question I asked, do you believe
that God can use you? Are you willing? And do
you believe that those miracles can take place
today and that he can use you to operate in those
miracles? So I just thank God for that. And I
thank the Holy Spirit for kind of correcting
the direction that we were going in this particular
podcast. Now the Holy Spirit and miracles are
still, absolutely still alive and well today.
So it only takes us to yield. We've got to learn
how to yield to the Holy Spirit, to His power,
so that His power will flow from Him and His
gifts of healings and miracles will... be manifested
in the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. I
believe that with every ounce in me. I know that
I've personally been healed of some amazing diseases.
I've been given terminal diagnosis of cancer
and kidney failure and things that these doctors
have just said. Really not a whole lot of hope,
if any. And so I thank God for that, and I believe
that that's a gift of the Holy Spirit, and I
pray that that gift will pass forth to individuals
listening in today. Now, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians
chapter 12 verse 7 some very important words
in the New Living Translation. It says, a spiritual
gift is given to each of us so we can help each
other. Now, that gift is not just given to us
so that we can just have it and tell people,
I've got it, and kind of boast about it, because
we certainly can't boast about it. something
like that because it's not of us anyways. But
Paul is saying that a spiritual gift is given
to each of us. Now he's talking to all of us
and so we are able to do what? Help other people
to reach out and help others. So I believe we
should seek obviously the giver of the gifts
but we should also ask for those gifts to be
manifested in our lives so that we can pray for
others and that others will be blessed and that
they'll receive the healing that they need. receive
the restoration that they need. They'll receive
the intervention of the Holy Spirit to change
their lives. For me, maybe an addiction on drugs
or an addiction on whatever issue might be in
their life, alcohol, whatever it might be. And
I pray that that will take place and that God
will use each and every one of us to use that
and to pray. Now earlier in the podcast I read
a couple scriptures. and because I read it in
the early part I think it's really important
I go back to that right now and read them now
that we've talked a lot about this and we've
shared about you believing and me believing and
all of us believing that it can take place in
us today and it's still taking place now let
me read these scriptures again to you and see
maybe if there's a little more boost of faith
that will go forth into each individual. Let's
kind of repeat a couple scriptures, 1 Corinthians
chapter 12 verse 4, New Living Translation. There
are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the
same Spirit is the source of them all. Have we
received more of that now to understand where
the source is? It's not us. The source is the
Holy Spirit, and He's the one that can manifest
these gifts. And then in 1 Corinthians chapter
12 verses 9 and 10, in the New Living Translation,
listen to this, the same Spirit. Paul's writing
this now gives great faith. Boy, we could just
stop right there, couldn't we? Just talk about
great faith. Is there anybody out there that
would love to have greater faith? I know I would.
I pray about that and ask the Holy Spirit to
help me with that. But Paul wrote this, the same
spirit gives great faith to another and to someone
else. The one spirit gives the spirit of healing.
He gives one person the power to perform miracles.
I picked those three out. Now, in that reading
of 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 1 through
11, which all of you should read, I just pray
that all of you, I'm not going to go through
and read it again. because I've did a whole series
of podcasts dealing with these gifts, the power
gifts, but they're found in 1 Corinthians chapter
12, verses 1 through 11, where Paul is talking
about all the gifts, and that's the gifts of
tongues and interpretation of tongues, and the
gifts of healings, of course, are in there, and
the power gifts of prophecy and the things that
people love to hear about, but sometimes they
pull back a little bit when it comes time to
receive the gifts of healing and miracles because
they think that that's... maybe from just for
super Christians, where there's no such thing
as a super Christian. The only thing that's super
is the supernatural power of God manifested through
the anointing of the power of the Holy Spirit.
And so we need to pray for that and believe for
that. So I encourage you, read 1 Corinthians
chapter 12, study it, read it over and over again,
and then ask the Holy Spirit for... the blessings
and ask him to come in and make himself known
to each and each one of us to receive the gifts
that he chooses. Now he's going to choose what
he gives and to whom he gives it. That's what
that scripture is telling us. And so we've got
to believe for that and take faith in that and
trust God for that. Now I've asked This question,
this particular question to a lot of Christians
over the years. As a matter of fact, when someone
comes up for prayer and they come up to me and
they say, I need prayer, I've got a diagnosis
of cancer or a heart condition, whatever it might
be, I like to stop them first and say, okay,
now before we pray, do you believe that God is
the healer, that Jesus is the healer and that
the Holy Spirit will move on you and you'll receive
this healing? And sometimes they look at me and
say, I hope so or yeah, maybe well we have to
stop for a moment and talk about that now and
I'll give them this scripture and tell them that
the spiritual gift is given to each of us of
course so that we can help other people and that
the same spirit gives forth great faith and gives
healings and miracles and that's in the Word
of God. Do you believe the Word of God? And they'll
say, well, yeah. Well, then that Word of God
applies to you. Do you believe that? And they'll
say, yeah. I say, okay now, now we're ready.
Now we're ready to pray for your particular need
because I think we need to ground our prayers
in the Word of God so that we get ourselves on
the same page we operate with the same mentality
to believe for faith for these the answers that
we need then after I've talked to them a little
bit now it's not heavy and is you know and in
their face type thing but just simply encouraging
them to believe God's Word then they're ready
and they're open to receive their prayers for
healing so I've asked this question to many Christians
are you willing to yield to the Holy Spirit to
receive power from him to work healings and miracles.
Are you willing? Are you going to set aside your
fear, your doubt, your questions, your anxiety,
and just simply be willing to yield to the Holy
Spirit? So anybody that's out there listening
right now, are you willing to yield to that power?
To yield to the Holy Spirit so that you can receive
power from Him? for the gifts that he's able
to give to those that he chooses. I believe he
chooses those who are ready and willing and able
to operate in those gifts and their doubts have
moved aside and they know that he is able and
that he is able to do exceedingly, abundantly,
above and beyond anything we can imagine or even
think. I believe that. If I didn't believe that,
I wouldn't be doing this podcast. I'm serious.
I wouldn't be into this thing for weeks and weeks
and weeks. We're into our 42nd, I think, or 43rd
podcast. on the Holy Spirit and still have many
many podcasts to do on the Holy Spirit and will
be led by him as he directs me as we go through
this this particular series. So the big question
then is are you willing to yield to the Holy
Spirit so that you then can receive power from
him to work miracles and healings. Now that's
a big question I know that and I and I know that
a lot of people a little bit shaken up a little
bit from that sometimes but I think it's so important
to realize that that Peter and Paul, I believe,
had questions and doubts about could they be
used for that same operation. But when they had
that encounter with the Holy Spirit, when they
had that encounter with the power of the Living
God, they realized that, yes, they can receive
that gift. Because Jesus spoke to Peter and told
him, you'll do great works, you'll do greater
works than I've even done. And so basically,
they were prepared and ready, but they were only
prepared because they yielded to the power of
the Holy Spirit. we need to yield in trust and
believe. Jesus asked those who needed healing
a question. And this is a question, I kind of
switched gears a little bit here, but Jesus asked
people who needed healing just a few words. And
we need to ask people the same words when they
come up to us and ask for prayer. It's so important
that as I get closer to closing out this particular
podcast, I want to be sure that we understand
that Jesus asked people a question that we can
ask people today. What do you want me to do?
It's in the Word of God, and he's asked people
specifically, what is it that you want? What
do you need? What do you want me to do? Now,
he knew what they needed. He knew what they had,
but... but he wanted them to ask him directly
and that way they know they would know that their
source was him and that the power of God was
there. Now some people he asked that for people
that weren't even saved and people had not really
made a commitment to Christ yet and because of
their healing they totally made a commitment
to Christ and their lives were radically changed.
Let me give you a couple examples of when Jesus
was faced with someone that needed healing and
he said, what do you want me to do? It's in Mark
chapter 10 verse 51. Jesus asked a blind man,
what do you want me to do and then the man was
healed and then in Luke 18 41 Jesus asked a blind
man what do you want me to do and he was healed
now some people say that's just a the same healing
just by quoted by Mark and by Luke, and I believe
it most likely is, but I can just picture Jesus
going around through the crowd. They didn't record
every single thing that Jesus ever said. They
didn't record every single words that he said
to people as he went through the crowd. They
couldn't. Our Bible would have a million pages
in it, but the bottom line of it is they recorded
enough and put enough down so that we would have
the confidence in the Word of God to believe
that those... things will be even taking place
to this day. But Jesus went around and went around
and went around and went around asking people,
what do you want me to do? And they were healed.
In Matthew 20 verse 32, Jesus said, what do you
want me to do? And once again, healing came forth.
So I hope that you understand what I'm trying
to say. What I'm really trying to explain is
that we've got to remember that Jesus walked
this earth and he walked and faced thousands
of people. And how many did he heal? We only
have a certain number. I don't know the exact
number in the Bible where showed where Jesus
healed people, but there were far more than that.
I mean great crowds gathered and And they were
all healed. When people came and just got near
him, they were healed. The one woman just touched
the hem of his garment, just simply the edge
of his clothing that he had on. And because of
her faith and because Jesus said that something
has gone from me, healing power went from him
into her and she was healed of an issue of blood
that she had had, bleeding that she had had,
that she had done everything she could to get
it cared for. But when she touched the hem of
his garment, She was instantly healed. And so
we've got to believe that those things can happen
and will happen to this day. And so I'm just
going to, I think I kind of like want to commission
all of you out there who are listening to this
podcast today, that you can go forth. So let
me just do that. Father in the name of Jesus.
I just commission. That means I sign them up.
For people, Lord, who will step out in faith
and believe that they can yield to the Holy Spirit
and they can experience healings and miracles,
they'll understand that the Word of God applies
to them in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and that
those gifts are being manifested by the Holy
Spirit today. And Lord, so Father, as we make
this assignment to those who want to step out
and believe that, first of all, that the Holy
Spirit would give them greater faith, greater
faith than they have now. We all need that. including
myself, that we'll have greater faith to believe
and to trust God no matter how difficult the
situation is, no matter how negative it looks,
we can believe for divine healing and an intervention
of the Holy Spirit. So Father, I believe for
that and I ask it in Jesus' name. So I'm gonna
have to wrap this up and close it up. I'm running
out of time, but I just pray in Jesus' name for
an outpouring of the Spirit of God and that the
anointing of the Holy Spirit would come upon
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. And they'll
be those who are Excited and on fire to believe
for this to take place in their lives and father
that you'll bless them Thank you, Lord, for that
in Jesus' name again. Well, I got to close. So
if you'd like to know more, I hope this has been
a blessing to you. I just ran out of time. There's
just so much to go. Well, we're going to continue
on. And our next podcast is going to be about,
as the Holy Spirit leads us, blessed by the Holy
Spirit. The blessings of the Holy Spirit, something
in that realm we're going to be talking about.
So we'll continue this teaching on the Holy Spirit.
But if you'd like to know more about Quality
Christian Living, the podcast, I'd encourage
you to go to my web page at davidcfriendauthor
.com. and when you get there the first page that
pops up there there'll be a link to my podcast
now that's a very important link because it connects
you with the 350 some podcasts that have been
done and you know series on finances series on
on having good married series on for veterans
to help them how to deal with the issues they
face series dealing with faith and and on having
greater faith and understanding that the miracles
are available to us and just just talking and
also series on finances and how our finances
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and then we can understand what generosity is
and how we will be blessed if we're generous
not just with our finances but just simply with
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listen to those podcasts or as many as you can
and if you want to scroll down that page a little
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you, and I would appreciate it, If you would
give a rating to this podcast or a little review
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be blessed by it Well, I hope that you'll tune
in again for the next podcast We're going to
address the issues of the blessings of the Holy
Spirit So there's just a continuation of how
he wants to help us bless us and help us through
the challenges that we face each and every day
in our lives. So I hope that you'll be a part
of that. I would encourage you to let your friends
and family members know about the Quality Christian
Living podcast and especially this series we're
having on the Holy Spirit. I was thinking about
reviewing the titles of all of them right now,
but I don't have time to do that because there's
about 40, I think 42. Lessons so far or teachings
if you will on the Holy Spirit so you can go
and pull them up doesn't cost a thing for you
to do that and just Receive that and I pray that
you would would do that at your at your best
opportunity So let me just close here with a
blessing. I do this at the end of each podcast
May the Lord bless you and keep you may his face
shine upon you. May he be gracious to you and
give you peace. May you prosper and be in good
health, even as your soul prospers. So, until
next time, I pray that God would bless you. I
pray that the Holy Spirit would pour out his
blessings upon you, that he would distribute
his gifts of healing and of miracles and the
power gifts and the fruit of the Spirit, love,
joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness,
faithfulness and self -control, that the fruit
of the Spirit would operate in each and every
one of us. Once again, I want to thank you for
tuning into our podcast. My name is David Friend.
I'm the host of Quality Christian Living, and
today's podcast was entitled, Holy Spirit and
Miracles. Thank you for listening in. May God
richly bless you.