North Bay Fellowship

06/01/2026

Don’t Pull Against the Strings

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday evening, we discussed a concept that has been at the forefront of my mind for a long time now. It’s something that I believe God made clear to me several years ago, and it keeps getting clearer and clearer that it’s something I’m meant to share with you! It’s exploring the idea that wholehearted obedience to God is the key to living the life that God has for us to live!

It’s the thought that our free will, just like every other good gift that God has given us, is only properly used and expressed when we freely give it back to God, with no reservations! It’s the idea that we should just “go limp” and allow God to use us as He wills. We are merely the tools he chooses to use. We are not the craftsmen!

I want to be very clear. This doesn’t mean that we just sit on our couch all day and simply wait for God to somehow magically use us. This means we rest or wait when He says to rest or wait, and only in the manner he chooses for us to wait or rest in, and we only act when he says to act, and only in the manner he says to act in! In other words, our actions and our rest should be His idea, and not our own! Christians should not live according to self-will, but according to God’s revealed will and leadership.

Let’s look at some scripture that points us to this concept. In Galatians chapter 2, Paul is explaining to the Galatian church that the old law no longer has any control or authority over him. Since Christ has fulfilled the requirements, Paul and all who trust in Jesus are truly free from the law! In fact, it would be a sin to abandon Jesus and go back to the constraints of the law…

Galatians 2:19-20 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul explains that his death to the law, was necessary for him to receive the true salvation from God. That when Christ was crucified, Paul was also crucified; or, at least, the old Paul who was subject to, and condemned by, the Law. So, his old life is no longer in control, and he has willingly submitted his new eternal life in Christ to the lordship of Jesus! He no longer trusts in his own effort!

Even though his life is still being lived in the flesh, Paul’s earthly life is truly lived by complete abiding faith in the God who sacrificed Himself and paid the true price for Paul’s sins. Paul’s life is not his own anymore. He has surrendered body and soul to the will of God for his life, and that’s where his immense peace and joy actually come from!

Paul’s focus now is not on serving his own needs; it’s on obediently serving the desires of God for his life. His whole life! And he’s pretty adamant about it!

Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul is urging the Roman Church to present their bodies as a living sacrifice! He’s basically exhorting them to volunteer for the fire! The sacrifice’s only job is to die. Give yourself wholly and completely to God without regard for the consequences that may arise! This is true spiritual worship! Don’t be guilty of doing what the rest of the unbelieving world is doing! Instead, by faith and trusting in God’s plan, discern and do God’s perfect will for your life! Your own effort isn’t, and never will be, enough!

How could we ever be wise enough to know God’s will without His guidance? It would be impossible. Therefore, we should avoid acting on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) and allow God to not only reveal to us what His will is, but to use our bodies to complete His perfect will! Our will should be totally subjected to His will; our lives, completely lived for His purposes.

Consider this account from the gospel of Luke. Jesus had just finished teaching the people from Simon Peter’s boat out on the lake, and he was still in the boat. Take note that this is before Peter had been called to be a disciple:

Luke 5:4-11 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Notice, Jesus asks Simon Peter to put out his nets to catch fish. Simon Peter tells him that they have been working all night and have not caught anything so far. Remember, these are not weekend warriors; these are professional fishermen! They know the water! They know where the fish are! It would have been very tempting to politely explain to Jesus that, in their professional opinion, there are no fish to be caught today. But Simon Peter decides to grant Jesus’ request out of respect.

I think it’s safe to say that Simon Peter was not expecting to catch anything this time either. However, they actually caught so many fish that the nets were in danger of breaking! They called over another boat, and the weight of the fish was so great that it nearly sank both boats!

In all the excitement, hustle, and bustle of this amazing catch, there comes a moment in this story when reality hits Peter upside the head. He realizes that he is in the presence of a higher power, and his sinfulness convicts him and fills him with shame! He falls at Jesus’ knees and begs Jesus to depart from him.

He reasons that Jesus knows just how bad his sins really are, and he fears the just judgment and punishment that he deserves. But Jesus simply tells Peter that he has nothing to be afraid of. The past is the past. And from now on, Peter’s life will take on a whole new, and much higher meaning! He will become a fisher of men! Peter was being called into the service of the most-high God of the universe!

Simon Peter, James, and John, who were also there, immediately, without hesitation, abandoned their careers and the expensive tools of their livelihood and followed Jesus! Notice that a whole night's effort, from very skilled, professional fishermen, had gained them nothing? However, just one act of obedience to Jesus led to incredible results.

Human effort, even very knowledgeable and skilled human effort, will NOT produce spiritual fruit OUTSIDE the will of God. But, following the commands of Jesus, even though you think you “know better”, results in tremendous gain, whether or not you immediately, or ever in this lifetime, see the results! You can trust Him completely! He knows you’re human. He sees your weakness and bids you to abandon it! Turn your back on your old life, and follow Him into a new, powerful, meaningful, productive life!

In a way, we’re a lot like marionettes, except for the fact that we’re actually alive and have our own free will. How frustrating would it be for a puppeteer who is trying to do a puppet show, but his living marionettes think they know better than him and decide to do their own thing? Believer, God wants to use you in a mighty way, through His power, in His plan, in His way, in His timing! Follow His script!

Because of our God-given free will, we can fight against God’s direction. We can pull against the strings! But, don’t do it! Just go limp! Allow God to direct you and use you! Let your effort be God’s effort! Let your plans be God’s plans! Let your labor and productivity be God’s labor and productivity! Don’t try to do it on your own!

And you don’t even have to wait for Him to reveal new directions for you! You can simply obey what He’s already revealed to you! It’s all written down and accessible to all of us! If you don’t know what He has already revealed to you, it’s because you haven’t read your Bible! Read it! Obey it!

While it’s true that there’s already a huge list of things you can do to be obedient to God in your everyday life, there are future plans and purposes that, by God’s wisdom and understanding, are still hidden from you. In the case of those things that He hasn’t already revealed to you, you must learn to pray for His guidance, wait for His response, and then act on it! He’s trustworthy and will never forsake you! We (or should I say “I”) often get impatient as we wait on the Lord, but let’s read these words from the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Christian, don’t pull against the strings! Go limp today! Don’t fight against God’s will and desire for your life. Instead, surrender control! Complete control! You trusted Him to save your soul! Hasn’t He proven to you by now that He loves you and wants what’s best for you? Serve Him in complete obedience! Live the life that He has planned for you!

If you have not yet trusted him to save your soul, you should! He’s the only one who can! He wants you to be a part of His kingdom work here on Earth! You must realize your sins have condemned you and turn away from them. Turn your eyes upon Jesus! He lived a perfect life, and died for your sins. If you come to Him in faith, trusting that He will forgive you and save your soul, then you will be saved! He rose from the dead three days later, securing eternal life for all who believe in Him! Have you surrendered your life to Him?

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! Everyone is welcome! If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!

05/31/2026

https://youtube.com/live/9KVxeoCAtQI?feature=share
05/31/2026 Pastor Jeremy Eden

North Bay Fellowship 05/31/2026 Pastor Jeremy Eden

05/27/2026

Students in 6th - 12th grade, join us tonight at 7pm for the first night of our new 7-session Bible study, "Don't Believe Your Eyes"!

05/26/2026

Hey youth, we’re starting an exciting new 7-session Bible study! Sixth through twelfth graders, join us this Wednesday at 7 pm for the first session!

05/25/2026

No Greater Love

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday evening, we had our finger food fellowship, so we did not have our regular Bible study. However, we will continue with our regular Bible Study this Wednesday at 7:00 pm, and I hope to see you there!

As I’m writing this, it’s Memorial Day, and I can’t help but turn my mind to the fact that there have been many brave men and women serving in our armed forces throughout the years, who have risked their lives, and even given their lives, so that my family and I can live in freedom and safety in our country. What an amazing sacrifice! What an incredible act of valor! And, biblically speaking, it’s the greatest demonstration of love a human being can give.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

These are the words of Jesus, right after he had given the commandment to the disciples to love one another. Our Lord says that there is no greater act of love than to lay your life down for someone else! Why is that? Because our life is valuable! We cherish our lives! To freely give it up for someone else is a huge ask!

Romans 5:7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—

Imagine the difference between giving your life for a person who is thankful for it and giving your life for a person who hates you. The difference is extreme. This passage in Romans illustrates that even giving your life for a righteous person is rare and difficult, but for just the right person, especially your children, spouse, and family members, some would.

I’ve heard it said many times that soldiers in wartime don’t often think about the nation they serve, or about the concepts of freedom, patriotism, heroism, or any of that. In fact, there are, sadly, plenty of examples where there are a vast number of people who live in the country the soldiers are fighting for, who hate the soldiers who are risking their lives. Many times, a soldier on the front lines doesn’t even fully grasp why he’s there. Most of the time, in the heat of battle, the soldiers are simply fighting for their brothers in the trenches right beside them! This doesn’t, in any way, cheapen the sacrifice that they are giving. In fact, it helps us to understand it. An amazing bond forms between people during wartime, and it is obviously a bond of love! It’s obviously from God.

The word “hero” is rightly bestowed upon anyone who gives their life in the service of their country! And, as the benefactors of their sacrifice, we should be grateful and honor them! That kind of love is, and always has been, rare and beautiful.

It’s a powerful, but still small-scale, picture of the love that Jesus had for us that drove Him to give His life on the cross of Calvary. You see, there is a war going on for the souls of mankind. The enemy dropped a “nuke” on mankind in the Garden of Eden. Or, perhaps more accurately, the enemy gave us a nuke, and we dropped it on ourselves when Adam and Eve became the first humans to disobey God. Mankind was hopelessly lost, but not forever! God created us, and in His love for us, He had already devised a rescue operation!

The big problem was this. The only punishment fit for disobeying God is the death penalty (Romans 6:23). However, after death, there is no more opportunity to repent (Hebrews 9:27). So, without God’s intervention, humans were powerless to save themselves! No lasting forgiveness could be found for the terrible crimes we’ve committed; that is, until Jesus came!

Jesus is God, but also the only human to live a completely sinless life. He was guilty of nothing! Yet, he was still executed like a criminal! And the Bible tells us that, while He was on the cross, he took the sins of the whole world upon His own shoulders! The punishment that he endured was actually the punishment meant for us! He willingly and joyfully gave His life to rescue mankind from the terrible cost of our sins! He paid our debt in full! And now, because three days later He rose from the dead victorious over sin and death, we can live in service to Him with joy in our hearts and hope for the future! We were facing eternal punishment, but we can now share in His eternal life!

You see, when Jesus told his disciples about the greatest act of love, he was foreshadowing his own death! But Jesus went even a step further than that!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

See, Jesus didn’t just give His life for his friends. He gave His life for the world! Now, whoever puts their trust in Him for salvation will not face eternal death!

Let’s revisit the passage we looked at earlier in Romans, chapter 5:

Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

See? Christ died for the ungodly! He died for the sinners! For those who despise Him, mock Him, and reject Him! His love is unimaginable! And here’s the good news in all of this… He died for you! It doesn’t matter what you have done or what you haven’t done. If you’re a sinner (and you are), Jesus died for you. Why? Only because of his great love for you! He died to rescue you. To give you hope. To make it possible for us, who were helplessly lost, to be redeemed and restored. He died for the ones who whipped Him and spat on Him. And He rose again to new, eternal life!

Have you given your heart to Jesus? Have you trusted Him to forgive your sins? Are you ready to let Jesus take your place on the throne of your own heart? If you do, you will never regret it! This kind of love is beautiful and unmistakably life-changing. Don’t turn away from it just because you love your sins. Turn your back on your sin and love Jesus! Do it today!

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! Everyone is welcome! If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!

05/24/2026

Good morning! Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, this morning’s worship service will not be live-streamed. We hope to see you next week!

05/24/2026

Due to technical difficulties we will not be streaming this morning. We apologize for the inconvenience.

05/18/2026

Miracles and Discernment

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday, we concluded our series on the spiritual gifts given to the New Testament Church. Let’s take another look at the list in Scripture that we are getting these from:

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

This week, we discussed the working of miracles and distinguishing between spirits. If you remember, we have already discussed prophecy and tongues earlier in the series.

I want to remind everyone one last time that it should be clearly understood and acknowledged that all spiritual gifts come directly from the Holy Spirit of God Himself, and are given at His pleasure. These gifts are not earned or manufactured by human effort or imparted according to someone else’s will through prayer. Secondly, the purpose of the spiritual gifts (ALL of them!) is to bring glory to God and build up and edify the Church. If someone ever brings glory to themselves and not God through so-called spiritual gifts, then be very suspicious of them! God’s gifts bring glory to God alone!

MIRACLES

That being said, let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about the working of miracles. If you remember, last week we talked about the gift of healing. And, we were clear that this means a miraculous, non-natural, non-replicable healing. So, to answer the first question that someone may have about this, yes, miraculous healing is a miracle! However, not all miracles are healings.

When we read the Bible, we see Jesus as the only example of someone who could do miracles whenever he desired to, and under His own power. However, we also see the apostles, and even a few men who weren’t apostles, also performing miracles, such as casting out demons and other signs and wonders. Let’s read about one of these in Acts chapter 13:

Acts 13:8-12 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Of course, this was the apostle Paul, and many of the apostles were recorded as working miracles in the early days of the Church. However, it’s also true that non-apostles Stephen and Philip were also recorded working miracles. Let’s set that aside for the time being and note a few things about this particular interaction.

First of all, the Bible is very clear that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. There’s no question whose power is at work in this account. Secondly, Paul verbally gives full credit to God for what is about to happen. He never implies that it is he who is able to blind Elymas. He says, “The hand of the Lord is upon you.” Thirdly, it was done to build up the church! To remove an obstacle of disbelief.

At this time in the discussion, I want to point out something very important about signs and wonders. The scribes and Pharisees demanded that Jesus show them a sign to prove that he was the Son of God. Let’s look at how he answered them.

Matthew 12:38-40 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Notice, the scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus to test him. They were confrontational. They had already made up their mind that they didn’t believe. Miracles are not a magic show for skeptics. They will always have a purpose. Like all of the other gifts of the Spirit, they are given to edify and build up the Church.

Admittedly, there are very few examples of verifiable miracles being worked in our world today. God hears our prayers and sometimes answers in miraculous ways, but is that the same thing? Dr. Wayne Grudem teaches that the gift of miracles may be manifest in someone whose prayers God tends to frequently answer in miraculous ways. Or their actions frequently result in miraculous things.

To be honest, I’m not sure what this gift would, or should look like in the church. I know that God has miraculously provided for my family and me many times in my life. Including causing only 100 gallons of propane to last all throughout a cold Missouri winter, and even stopping the rain when my windshield wipers broke, so I could get home safely.

However, there was not a person gifted with working miracles who came and spoke authoritatively on behalf of God that this would come to pass. These events seemed like gracious, merciful answers to my prayers. That doesn’t seem like the same thing to me.

However, from everything I have read and studied, the Bible does not explicitly say that this gift will not be given to the church after all of the apostles have died. I think a gift of this magnitude would be necessarily rare, but it would be awesome to witness! I would love to see it!

DISCERNMENT

Let’s shift our focus over to distinguishing between spirits, or what is more commonly referred to as “discernment”. This one is a great one to end on! Because it is so vital for this gift to manifest in the Church in order for us not to be deceived! Discernment is basically the ability to determine whether someone is genuine or not. In a spiritual sense, it works as a tool to determine the true source of the message or power that we have witnessed. Whether the message or work is from God or is from the Devil. That’s a pretty important distinction!

Sometimes the message that someone shares may sound great! It may even have biblical truth in it. However, if it is from anyone other than God, it is not to be trusted! Let’s look at a biblical example:

Acts 16:16-18 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

So, from this example, we can see that an evil spirit has possessed this girl, who is actually speaking the truth, but for nefarious motives. The Bible tells us that the slave girl’s owners were making lots of money from this girl. They had a partnership with the demon, at the expense of the girl.

Scripture does not tell us the demon’s motive, but its proclamation may have attempted to create confusion, gain credibility through association, or delay confrontation. It may have even been trying to avoid being cast out by the power of the Holy Spirit that was so evident in these men. However, Paul was supernaturally able to discern the motives of this evil spirit and cast the demon out of the girl. Don’t automatically trust someone just because some of what they say is the truth. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to help us discern!

Many believe that this gift overlaps with wisdom, but is different than the wisdom that comes through studying scripture. The gift of discernment may be a momentary, intuitive perception given by the Spirit in a specific situation. Someone, empowered by the Spirit, for the good of the Church, might "feel" or "know" that something is spiritually wrong before he or she can even pinpoint a specific verse of scripture that is being violated.

It’s pretty evident why this gift would be of great use to the Church today. Especially when there are so many people willing to mislead the church and falsify the gifts like prophecy, tongues, and healing. Let’s pray for this gifting in our church so we won’t easily be led astray!

And always remember this, the one Holy Spirit that gives all of these gifts is Himself, the greatest gift of all! The Bible teaches that if we turn away from our sins and trust Jesus to forgive us and lead our lives, then we will be forgiven!

Not only that, we are remade! We are transformed into a new creature in Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell in our hearts, empowering us to serve Him in spite of our human weakness! Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you forgiven?

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! The adults will be continuing in the series on spiritual gifts in the church. Everyone is welcome! If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!

05/13/2026

Gifts of Faith and Healing

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday, we continued in our series on the spiritual gifts given to the New Testament Church. Let’s take another look at the list in Scripture that we are getting these from:

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

This week, we discussed the gifts of faith and healing. However, before we get started, I want to offer the same reminder I have for the rest of this series. It should be clearly understood and acknowledged that all spiritual gifts come directly from the Holy Spirit of God Himself and are given at His pleasure. These gifts are not earned or manufactured by human effort or imparted by someone else through prayer. Secondly, the purpose of the spiritual gifts (ALL of them!) is to bring glory to God and build up and edify the Church. If someone ever brings glory to themselves and not God through so-called spiritual gifts, then be very suspicious of them! God’s gifts bring glory to God alone!

That being said, let’s continue on our list with the gift of faith. This one is a little harder to understand, and I want to caution you that it can be misunderstood if you look at it the wrong way! The gift of faith is the gift of extraordinary faith, not saving faith. All believers are saved by faith,

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

However, not all believers will receive the gift of faith. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, there is a list of people and their accomplishments in what has come to be known as the “Hall of Faith”. Noah trusted God so much that he spent decades building a boat on dry land for an upcoming flood, and the Earth had not even experienced rain yet! Abraham trusted God to give him a son through his barren wife, even when he was 100 years old, and the promise had not been kept yet! Here’s where the issue comes up. Aren’t we all commanded to trust God fully? Isn’t faith just an act of obedience? And the answer to that is: Yes!

Consider the following scripture:

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Jesus is talking to us all in this passage! Not just those with the spiritual gift of faith! To make sense of this, think about it this way: Remember, God gives spiritual gifts to build up and edify the Church. This one is no different! Let’s look at it this way. Everyone is commanded to trust God fully. Some are uniquely empowered by the Spirit to trust God extraordinarily. The latter exists to strengthen the former, not replace it.

We need these people in the Church! This is an amazingly useful gift! These people may help to stabilize others in crisis and encourage bold obedience. They may be instrumental in calling the church to trust God for big things and acting as a catalyst for ministry initiatives when it is tempting to just stay safe and inactive. That has to be at least one of the reasons why these amazing stories of very imperfect men having extraordinary faith in God were included in the Bible!

Now let’s move on to one of the more controversial gifts, the gift of healing.

Studying about the gift of healing is very interesting. Nothing in the Bible tells us that the gift of healing will stop being given to the Church. However, the Bible itself instructs sick people what to do if they are seeking healing from the Lord, and it doesn’t involve seeking a “healer”. Let’s begin by looking at a pure example of a miraculous healing in the New Testament:

Acts 3:1-8 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

This is the apostle Peter and the apostle John. The healing is real and attested by all of the people who knew this man sat at that same gate for years begging for alms. So those who argue that the miraculous “sign gifts” have ceased will point out that these are apostles. They were the ones with these types of gifts. However, in Acts chapter 8, we read of a faithful servant of God named Philip, who was a deacon and evangelist, but not an apostle, and he demonstrates the gift of healing:

Acts 8:5-7 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.

Of course, the argument is that Philip was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles to serve the Church. However, the Bible teaches that he was one of the first deacons. Not an apostle. The Bible never teaches that the Apostles imparted unto him any kind of special abilities from God. He was simply a faithful servant, full of the Holy Spirit!

I would like to point out something very important before we move forward… look at the nature of these reported healings. While there were people who were healed of internal, non-visible conditions, like fevers, we also see dramatically visible healings! A lame man rises up and even jumps around for all to see. We see biblical accounts of blind people regaining their sight, and leprous skin and a shriveled hand being restored. These are very visible and obvious healings.

Compare that to the “healings” we see today on popular Christian television. They tend to be invisible and unverifiable. Modern claims of healing vary widely in credibility and should be tested carefully. Remember the purpose of all of the spiritual gifts. To build up and edify the church!

If we see the true gift of healing in the church, it may not be as dramatic as some of the New Testament accounts, but it will be evident and obvious to the observers! Otherwise, it will do more to cause doubt and skepticism than it does to build up and edify! Unfortunately, there is so much counterfeit of this gift in the Church that it occludes any real healing that may be happening!

Interestingly, true visible healing is more widely reported in the Church in third-world countries, though these claims still require careful biblical discernment. Perhaps we don’t see it as much in our churches because we have abandoned the supernatural? Remember, the spiritual gift of healing is different than when we pray for healing.

Let’s read in James:

James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Does this mean that all of the elders of the church will have the spiritual gift of healing? Not necessarily. These are simply instructions for those who are sick and wish to be healed. The “elders” should gather, pray over the person, anoint him with oil, and call on the name of Jesus!

Notice verse 15 says “the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick”. That is very true. The prayer of faith in Jesus is the only thing that can save anyone. However, this word in this context can also mean “heal”. Look at the parallels between healing and salvation. Be raised up, forgiven of sins (remember, sickness is the result of the destructive work of the original sin in the Garden of Eden).

God doesn’t always heal our bodies, even when we have a tremendous amount of faith! Paul left his friend Trophimus behind in 2 Timothy 4:20 because he was ill. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, starting in verse 7, we read that Paul himself had a physical ailment or disability that he prayed that God would take away, but God did not take it away. Instead, he told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

Regardless of whether or not God decides to heal someone physically, his ultimate healing is assured through the prayer of true, abiding faith! Have you received the spiritual healing from the Lord? Did you know that the Bible describes those who have not given their lives to Jesus as spiritually dead in their sin? But God can raise and restore you! He desires that for you! He sent his Only begotten Son to die in your place so that you could be forgiven! And he was raised from the dead in victory so that we could experience eternal life with Him! Do you believe it?

The prayer of faith in Jesus will heal your soul! Do it today!

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! The adults will be continuing in the series on spiritual gifts in the church. Everyone is welcome!. If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!