08/23/2025
When Jesus showed up in the flesh, He healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, and proclaimed the kingdom of heaven was breaking in. And believe it or not—not everyone was thrilled. A group of religious elites called the Pharisees were actually upset because people were getting healed. Imagine that. Their hang-up wasn’t compassion; it was theology. They believed after Malachi, Haggai, and Zechariah—the so-called “last prophets”—the Spirit of prophecy had dried up and the Holy Spirit had packed up and left hundreds of years earlier. To them, the prophetic era was over. So when Jesus and John came along, full of Spirit and fire, they were suspicious and hostile. But Jesus nailed them in John 5:39–40: You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Fast forward two thousand years. Jesus’ promise in the Great Commission still stands: signs and wonders follow those who believe. From Azusa Street in the early 1900s to healings and revivals breaking out around the globe today, the Spirit hasn’t slowed down one bit. But—just like back then—not everyone’s happy. You’d think the warnings about those uptight, anti-supernatural Pharisees would have sunk in. But here we are. Some folks, operating under that same religious spirit, still insist the Holy Spirit’s gifts checked out the moment the last apostle died. Their go-to proof text? 1 Corinthians 13:8–10. They claim “the perfect” means the Bible, so once Scripture was complete, the Spirit’s gifts expired. By that logic, knowledge itself should’ve ceased too (if only that were true before I had to take high school algebra!).
But let’s be real—that’s absurd. Saying we don’t need the Spirit’s gifts anymore because we have a book full of Spirit-filled miracles is like a couple celebrating twenty years of a thriving marriage, then divorcing because they bought the perfect marriage book. The book was meant to fuel the relationship, not replace it.
Here’s the kicker: supernatural, Spirit-filled Christianity isn’t fading—it’s spreading like wildfire. Yes, there are abuses and counterfeits. But the real thing is here to stay. And as the final day draws nearer, it won’t be the powerless, paper-only church that overcomes the gates of hell. It’ll be the church ablaze with the Spirit of the living God—moving in grace, truth, power, and glory. That’s the church Jesus promised would prevail.
If you want to learn more, I'll be teaching on this at 11am at Bethel this Sunday, 2100 Bridge Street, Paducah KY. See you there!
