Mario Murillo: Paying the Price for God’s Miracle-Working Power
When Saint Francis of Assisi visited the pope in Rome, the pope tried to impress him with the wealth of the Vatican. After showing him all the treasures, the pope referred to Acts Chapter 3, saying, “No longer can the church say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.'” To which Francis replied, “And neither can it say, ‘In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk.'”
Do you wish to see the lame walk? The blind regain sight? The deaf hear? In short, would you see these diseases healed by the power of God? I am asking you that question in total honesty.
I will never forget the first time the Holy Spirit asked me that question. My introduction to miracles was different. It was always life and death.
God cast me into the whitewater rapids of campus revolution where words alone were not enough. They had to be confirmed by the power works of God. I soon learned that is the real way to preach the gospel.
Paul did not believe that he had fully preached the gospel unless there were signs and wonders.
“In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:19, NKJV).
The fully-preached gospel is rare today.
It is rare because the church is infected with self-promotion. It is even worse than you know. The church has lost significant cultural battles. Why? Because too many are chasing fantasies.
So much that excites believers today is banal, powerless, even cringy. Entire churches and leaders are swept up in out-of-Bible experiences. And it could not come at a worse time.
I have never seen so many Americans wanting to get right with God. And I have never seen this many Christians playing games instead of winning souls and healing the sick. What a heartbreaking disgrace! We must repent!
But there is something else we must do: We must pay the price. Paying any kind of a price is science fiction to this generation of coddled Christians. Modern preaching protects the people from God’s rightful demands.
Worse yet, we have counterfeited power, miracles and authority. We are in sin—the same sin as King Rehoboam.
“And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; and he took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house” (1 Kings 14:2-27, ASV).
A wise man asked, “And what did Rehoboam do? Replace the shields? Yes, but not with fine gold. He had shields made of brass, and they did not fill the empty place on the walls of the king’s house but were kept in the chamber of the guards.”
In the time of the greatest harvest of souls in American history, we have become the sounding brass and the tinkling cymbal mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:1.
Oh, that we could collapse in sorrow! God is willing to forgive and cleanse and then grant His power.
Learn how Jesus destroyed the works of the devil! The Bible is not vague about this. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38, ESV).
The power lies in these simple words: “God was with Him.” It stings us to hear it, but God is not with our projects. Most of what is passed off as ministry on social media is manmade. It is not the work of God.
What Then Must We Do?
It begins with self-emptying. Oral Roberts despaired of life itself in his hunger to understand miracles. He was pastoring without power when he went to Kansas City to hear William Branham. That encounter with the supernatural was his line in the sand. He went into fasting and prayer. Oral went into the prayer closet and died to himself.
Kathryn Kuhlman visited several healing meetings. She left disgusted and broken-hearted. Her tears and prayers reached critical mass, and she made a holy vow to conduct meetings that were full of power and dignity.
Waiting. “And being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4a, NKJV).
Waiting on God’s timing is the key! Abraham could not wait, and he created an Ishmael. King Saul could not wait, and he lost his kingdom. Esau could not wait, and he lost his birthright.
How long will you have to wait? As long as it takes. All the powers of hell will challenge your decision to wait. Satan has much to lose if true healing power flows. It will not come easily. Your flesh will scream for release from your vigil.
Wait for true miracle power. Do not settle for the life you had before this quest. Your patience will be rewarded beyond measure. God will come in power. There will be no doubt.
This is the price of God’s miracle-working power, but it is more than worth it.
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Mario Murillo rose from poverty in the Mission District of San Francisco. After being revolutionized by Christ, he felt a call to the University of California at Berkeley. His international ministry was launched after a four-day conference in San Jose, California, extended for six months with a total attendance of nearly 250,000 people. Since then, Mario’s voice has been heard by millions around the world, bringing a message that zeroes in on the hurts of society. He presents Christ clearly and intelligently, and openly declares the power of Jesus to totally transform a life. His simple declaration: Come and see. Christ has the power to end addiction, racism, violence and disease.
