Believers, Be Used in Healings, Miracles & Gifts of the Spirit

by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Summary: “Jesus BEGAN to do and teach…” (Acts 1:1) — The four Gospels clearly show Jesus healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons, cleansing the lepers, feeding the 5,000 and more. Then in Acts we see the Church continuing to minister with signs, wonders, healings, miracles, prophecies, and the like.

I once studied the first ten great revivals in the Book of Acts. I found that nine of these ten ingatherings of souls were clearly associated with a dramatic healing or miracle or other observable supernatural event. Let’s look at some of them to build our faith for the same in the Lord’s Church in our day.

• 120 Filled with the Spirit and Speaking in Other Tongues

Acts 2:1,4-6,15 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place… [4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken… [15] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

The 120 disciples (Acts 1:15) were baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. A crowd came together and marveled and asked (2:12), “What does this mean?” Peter then preached a Holy Spirit-anointed sermon to the crowd. The result? (2:41) “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” And Peter had assured the crowd that if they turned their hearts to Jesus for salvation, they too could be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues as the evidence of this great gift of God — “…and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off…” (Acts 2:38-39).

• The Healing of a Lame Beggar

Acts 3:2, 6-10; 4:4 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts… [6] Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him… [4:4] But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

Peter and John came upon the lame man at the temple gate. Peter said, “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” And he did! A crowd gathered, and once again Peter preached a Spirit-empowered sermon, and thousands more believed. The preaching/teaching of God’s Word, confirmed with supernatural power, wins souls to Jesus!

• The Apostles Healed Many

Acts 5:12-16 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 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. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

The apostles healed many sick and demonized people. Even Peter’s shadow seemed to heal some! The result? Crowds gathered (16) and “more and more men and women believed in the Lord.” Don’t limit these things to apostles only. Remember Jesus’ promise that “these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons… they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well” (Mark 16:17-18).

• Philip Preached the Gospel with Power Over Demons and Sicknesses

Acts 8:5-8 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there [KJV: ‘preached Christ unto them’]. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city… [12] when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Philip was a deacon in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-6), later an evangelist in Caesarea (Acts 21:8). Scattered by persecution from Jerusalem, Philip went to the city of Samaria, where he preached Jesus Christ and had many conversions, healings, and demonic deliverances. The new converts were soon thereafter baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17).

• A “Disciple” Healed the Blindness of Newly Converted Saul/Paul

Acts 9:9-12, 17-18 For three days [Saul of Tarsus] was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight” … [17] Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord — Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here — has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.

Saul of Tarsus was an enemy of the Church, persecuting many unto imprisonment and even death. He had a visionary encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road and was powerfully converted, but was blinded in the encounter. God sent Ananias, simply known as “a disciple,” to heal Saul’s blindness and to see Saul “filled with the Holy Spirit” in preparation for a great ministry to the Gentiles. As Ananias ministered to him, Saul was healed of the blindness and rose up and was baptized. Saul went on to become the apostle Paul, one of the great apostles of the early Church and writer of about half the books of the New Testament!

• Peter Raised a Paralytic and Two Whole Towns Turned to the Lord

Acts 9:32-35 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The apostle Peter came upon lame, bedridden Aeneas. He simply said to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up.” And he did! The Result? Two entire towns, Lydda and Sharon, “saw him and turned to the Lord.”

• Peter Raised a Dead Woman and “many people believed in the Lord”

Acts 9:36-37, 40-42 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room… [40] Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Generous, godly Tabitha (Dorcas) had died. Peter was summoned. He knelt by her body and prayed, then turned to the woman and said, “Tabitha, get up.” And she did! The result? It became known all over the town of Joppa, and “many people believed in the Lord.”

• A Prophet (Agabus) Accurately Foretold a Widespread Famine

Acts 11:27-28 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)

I include this accurate prophetic event to show that the early Church continued to minister in the supernatural ways that Jesus Himself had done. Recall how Jesus had promised that “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” (John 14:12).

We’ve seen above how great harvests of souls came into the Lord’s early Church as believers continued to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons in Jesus' name, and many other manifestations of the Holy Spirit of God in their lives and ministries, following the pattern shown by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ in His own ministry. Jesus clearly intends those ministries to continue in His Church right up until His glorious Second Coming to earth.

• Two Apostles Were Called through a Prophecy Given to & through Local Church Leadership

Acts 13:1-3 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

A local church in Antioch had five named men who were clearly that church’s spiritual leaders. They were worshiping the Lord and fasting, when the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul [later called Paul] for the work to which I have called them.” After further fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. These two men, Barnabas and Saul/Paul became known as apostles (see Acts 14:3f and 14:14). They went forth in traveling ministry and had great success in evangelism, church planting, and training believers in the things of the Lord.

A note of caution: I do believe in local churches ordaining ministers, as was done in this instance. But notice the great carefulness of the Antioch leaders. Both before and after the prophetic revelation of Paul’s and Barnabas’s calling, the leaders were worshiping, fasting, praying. These things must not be done (as a pastor friend of mine described it) “on twitches and tingles”! Notice that the Holy Spirit said, “…the work to which I have called them.” God will call fivefold ministers, elders, and deacons in the local church. But these things must be done in a prayerful, worshipful attitude and with utmost carefulness to discern the “to which I [God’s Spirit is] calling them.”

• Paul Healed a Lame Man in Lystra

Acts 14:8-11 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

Here we see the Holy Spirit at work through Paul. He clearly spoke a faith-building, Spirit-anointed message. Then by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Paul discerned that the lame man listening “had faith to be healed.” Filled with faith by the same Holy Spirit, Paul cried out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man did! The crowd was shocked and, influenced by their pagan background, believed that “the gods” had come into their midst. Paul and Barnabas immediately tried to correct that error and to point them to the true God.

Many more supernatural scenarios from The Book of Acts could be quoted. But these suffice to show clearly that the Spirit-empowered ministry of signs, wonders, and spiritual gifts that Jesus began in His earthly ministry was continued in the ministry of the early Church — and must continue in us to the very Coming of Christ. Remember again that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ promised: “Whoever believes in me will do the works I [Jesus] have been doing” (John 14:12). May we, His believers, be faithful to that, in Jesus’ Name!

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Check out our related sermon: God Wants to Use You As His Instrument

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