Sometimes the Lord uses our sickness and even our death to minister to others in how we face them by faith in Him.
1 Corinthians 9:[SUP]22 [/SUP]To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.[SUP]23 [/SUP]And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
It's easy to believe when you are healthy and preaching to teh sick & dying, but to the sick & dying, that faith in Him would mean more coming from christians that are sick & dying.
1 Peter 3:[SUP]15 [/SUP]But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Still, we are called to pray for the sick. It does not mean we are not to.
James 5:[SUP]13 [/SUP]Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.[SUP]14 [/SUP]Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:[SUP]15 [/SUP]And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
As for performing miracles, one could get a swell head and forget his or her place in the ministry. Remember Samson?
Even Paul was given a thorn in the flesh so that others would not exalt him higher than they should, because of all the revelations he has been given from the Lord. Indeed, Paul would rather glory in his infirmary where God's grace is sufficient for him.
2 Corinthians 12:[SUP]5 [/SUP]Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.[SUP]6 [/SUP]For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.[SUP]7 [/SUP]And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.[SUP]8 [/SUP]For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.[SUP]9 [/SUP]And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.[SUP]10 [/SUP]Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.[SUP]11 [/SUP]I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
Then there is that witness from John the Baptist's as the prophetic voice in the wilderness by the scripture in preparing the way of the Lord. He could have stayed in the spotlight with Jesus, but he did not for this reason.
John 3:[SUP]28 [/SUP]Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.[SUP]29 [/SUP]He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.[SUP]30 [/SUP]He must increase, but I must decrease.
Paul & the other disciples had that same mentality.
2 Corinthians 4:[SUP]5 [/SUP]For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.[SUP]6 [/SUP]For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.[SUP]7 [/SUP]But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
In Acts 8th chapter where Philip was casting our unclean spirits and healing the lame, the Samaritans in that area were being afflicted by Simon the sorceror with unclean spirits and Simon was an infamous highly regarded man in the area.
Acts 8:[SUP]9 [/SUP]But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:[SUP]10 [/SUP]To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.[SUP]11 [/SUP]And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.[SUP]12 [/SUP]But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.[SUP]13 [/SUP]Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
So when Philip came in and did those wonderful things, the people were bewildered into following Philip as Simon was doing, believing in the "things" Philip was preaching about, thus becoming fans of Philip instead of Simon now; hence the gall of bitterness that was in Simon for taking the spotlight of the people away from him. That was why Peter & John had to come. The promise of the Holy Spirit could not come from Philip because of this "fan mentality" he got going. So even when Simon saw that Peter & John were laying hands for the people to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit to be saved, he was still looking at the people doing these miracles as the Samaritans were, only Simon thought he could buy that power which goes to show the necessity for God to lift the people's sights higher to the Lord and not to Philip nor Peter & John.
So that can be another reason why miracles do not comes in continuous droves thru a believer. People need their sights on the Lord to give thanks to the Father in Jesus's name and not the servants that are serving Him.
Philip and we, ourselves, can preach all about Jesus and the kingdom, but when miracles happen by droves, God would need to lift the people's sights higher which is why He is not likely to do that again in these days where modern fanfare is high, and the foot of pride would cause His servants to fall. God loves His servants to not let his happen.
In the case of all of these movements of the Spirit where the credit and thanks go to the coming and going of these spirits that saved believers are assuming it is the Holy Spirit, God is not the author of that nor any of those confusions within. Indeed, the "spirit" is glorified by these signs & lying wonders which is why it is not of Him at all. Indeed, tongue speakers that seek a receiving of the Holy Spirit separate from salvation are excluding themselves by that "second blessing" from other believers and so how can they avid the foot of pride? They can't.
That is why some "miracles" are not of the Lord at all, no matter if they cast out devils in His name, prophesied in His name, or do wonderful works in His name for they do all those things by iniquity of seeking to receive the Holy Spirit separate from salvation... which is not the real indwelling Holy Spirit at all but the spirit of the antichrist.
So there are reasons why miracles do not happen a lot thru a believer and there is a danger for looking for signs and miracles in a movement of the "spirit" in seeking another drink of the One Spirit which is not of Him at all, but drinking from another fountain which is why many have the foot of pride by that phenomenon and they fall by it.
Proverbs 25:[SUP]26 [/SUP]A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.[SUP]27 [/SUP]It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.[SUP]28 [/SUP]He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
1 Corinthians 14:[SUP]32 [/SUP]And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.[SUP]33 [/SUP]For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.