"NOW when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, AND PERCEIVED THAT THEY WERE UNEDUCATED AND UNTRAINED MEN, they marveled. AND THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS."
Acts 4:13 (NKJV)
• Being educated and trained or learned in whatever field of endeavor could be a plus in the work of ministry. However, being with Jesus is the most important thing If you wanted to walk in the miraculous, that is, perform Signs and Wonders.
- Some have secular education and theological knowledge, they understand the Bible, both in Hebrew and Greek.
- Whatever the knowledge which anyone may have acquired, would be an addition and a help, only when the individual or the person, be or stayed with Jesus:
14 THEN He appointed TWELVE, THAT THEY MIGHT BE WITH HIM [Jesus] and that He might SEND them out to PREACH, 15 AND to have POWER TO HEAL sicknesses and TO CAST OUT DEMONS" (Mark 3:14,15 NKJV). - To be with Jesus means to have fellowship or communion with Him. Of course, being with Jesus in question could not have been in the physical—like the twelve apostles who were with Him in His earthly ministry—since He is not physically present on the earth now. - However, being with Him should be in the Spirit:
23 BUT the hour is coming, AND NOW IS, WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH; FOR the Father is SEEKING such to worship HIM. 24 GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH” (John 4:23,24 NKJV).
• The rulers, elders, scribes, the high Priest, and others; did observe in Peter and John that they were uneducated and untrained theologically, so to speak, but they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
- Being with Jesus will change everything about your life and Ministry: (i) It will change or transform you to another person. Your perspective about life will change.
(ii) Being with Jesus will make you a change agent!
(iii) It will make you an instrument of honour in the hand of God.
(iv) You become a blessing to other people. An answer to their prayers.
(v) Being with Jesus will make whatever education you have acquired productive. You become effective and effectual in whatever you do, because you are being driven by the Aura of His presence in your Life. - As important as formal trainings are, If being with Him is lacking, the ministry work would be unfruitful—without any significant result.
- The place of education or being trained cannot be relegated in any field of endeavour, including the ministry work. However, If fellowship, having communion with God, is not intact; significant or major results would not be gotten in the work.
- Notable miracles or remarkable signs (Acts 4:16) would not accompany the ministry or the work of whoever does not have a good communion or fellowship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Many who had theological trainings, and are boastful of what they had, could not experience or attest to any remarkable signs, notable miracles, in their lives and ministries.
- Some of such people wanted to believe, and such are the proponents of the idea that, the time of signs and wonders, or miracles, has gone or passed away.
THEY claimed that God does not move miraculously again—that signs and wonders are mirages. - GOD still answers prayers. He performs miracles, If you can walk intimately with Him.
- The Word of God is to be lived practically. It is meant to be observed, practiced, and be put to work (Deuteronomy 28:1,2; Joshua 1:8; James 1:22-25).
"THIS Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, THAT YOU MAY OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN IT. For then [the outcome would be that] YOU WILL MAKE YOUR WAY PROSPEROUS, AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE GOOD SUCCESS."
Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)
- When you live by the principles of the Scripture, and you walk in close fellowship with God in prayer, you cannot but have His presence, power, or His anointing on your Life.
- Those who claimed to be working for God and are dried, without results and evidence; not being practical in their walking with Him should be the reason for their dryness.
- In other words, the Word of God is not being observed and practiced by any number of such people.
- A good number of such people do not read their Bible at all, and those who did, did not do it with an open heart—heart to learn.
- And not only that, whatever they did know, in the Bible, are not practiced by them.
BEING with Jesus and God The Father starts with being conversant with the Bible—the Word of God (Joshua 1:8).
YOUR depth in the Word of God strengthens your relationship and fellowship with God. - There is no point in being critical and judgemental of those who are being used for signs and wonders by God. If you do what they did, God will work through you to perform miracles.
- For God is not partial (Romans 2:11), and He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). God works through every willing and available Vessel, who yielded himself or herself, to be used of Him.
• Note: you have a responsibility to strengthen your fellowship with God; and that could be done by:
(i) Studying the Word and the practicing of it. Be practical in your Christian living, in the Word of God you know—do practice It (James 1:22-25).
(ii) Pray regularly and consistently, that is, without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
(iii) Add fasting to your prayers (Acts 9:9; 13:2,3; 14:23: 2 Corinthians 11:27).
(iv) Be prompt in obeying whatever is said to be done by God:
8 BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED when he was CALLED to go out to the place which HE would RECEIVE as an INHERITANCE. AND he went out, NOT KNOWING where he was GOING" (Hebrews 11:8 NKJV).
(v) Acknowledge your emptiness and that you need more of Him in your life. Seek Him for replenishment, and should not be satisfied with your present level—thirst to be FILLED the MORE:
29 NOW, Lord, look on their threats, AND GRANT TO YOUR SERVANTS THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS THEY MAY SPEAK YOUR WORD, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and THAT SIGNS AND WONDERS MAY BE DONE THROUGH THE NAME OF YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS.” [in other words, they asked for boldness to preach and to be used for signs and wonders] 31 AND WHEN THEY HAD PRAYED, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and they spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:29-31 NKJV).
- You also believe God to use you in meeting the needs of others. Using you to minister to them through the power of the Holy Spirit—as He did through Peter and John (Acts 3:12,13,16).
• Signs and wonders are meant to follow or accompany those who believe in Jesus Christ:
17 AND THESE SIGNS WILL FOLLOW THOSE WHO BELIEVE: IN My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover" (Mark 16:17,18 NKJV).
- You will do well to put aside your religious bigotry and walk intimately with God in the light of His Word—that you may be an instrument of honour in His hands (2 Timothy 2:19-21).
- Do not be another Pharisee and the Scribe who stood against the apostles, when miracles were wrought or performed through their hands (Acts 5:15-18).
- Stop being envious, being critical of those who are being used to do exploits in the Kingdom.
- If you humbled yourself, walked with God intimately in the light of His Word, He will equally use you for the miraculous: "HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP" (James 4:10 NKJV).
- For He is not partial and does not respect the person of anyone:
34 "... that God shows no partiality. 35 "But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:34,35 NKJV).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!