WHAT CHANGED?

When you read the Bible, you will read sections where great signs, miracles and wonders are performed.
You will read where Jesus healed hundreds if not thousands of people and how the apostles and
disciples delivered people of all sorts of maladies. Then logically you must ask yourself why then, but,
not now. Why them and not us? What has changed that we are not seeing the great deliverance now?
Did something change with and for the things of God? Did God’s relationship to man change? Did God
change?
John 3:16-17 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.
God said “whosoever!” Are we in that category? Yes! So, God sent His son, not only for the people in the
first century, BUT, for you and for me!
Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
God hasn’t changed nor has Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:1-2 (KJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to
the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s grace and peace to “all the faithful.” Both in the first century and now!
Ephesians 1:3-6 (KJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to
the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Since you have confessed Jesus as your lord and savior and believed in your heart that God raised him
from the dead you ARE a Christian and all of this God has done for you!So, the answers are, God hasn’t changed, Jesus Christ hasn’t changed, God’s relationship with and to
mankind and specifically Christians hasn’t changed! So what is so different now that we don’t see the
miracles? We can start to see the problem in Matthew chapter thirteen.
Matthew 13:53-58 (KJV)
53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch
that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Jesus Christ went back to his hometown, to the place he grew up. The people around there knew
Jesus and his family. They knew he wasn’t from the Levitical priestly line. They were used to
seeing him working or going to the store. They saw him grow up! And, you know what they
said?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and
Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
They said the family and nothing good can come out of that family! After all Jesus was born
illegitimately! That’s what they thought.
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour,
save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Jesus Christ didn’t change. God didn’t change. The thing that changed was the people. Jesus
Christ got in a group of people that refused to believe!
Let’s look at the Gospel of John chapter five.
John 5:2-9 (KJV)
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda,
having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the
water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first
after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him,
Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the
pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was
the sabbath.Think about this for a moment. The was a great multitude of infirmed people and, yet, only one got
delivered. Why? One reason and one reason only. He was the only one that could rise up at that
moment to BELIEVE and claim his deliverance. Do you know how I know he claimed his deliverance?
Because, when Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed and walk the man did just that. He didn’t argue, he
didn’t whine and say “ I can’t Jesus, you know I can’t.” No! He did the impossible by standing up and
walking. That’s how you get deliverance you BELIEVE the promise of God and literally walking out on it.
Let’s look at one more.
Mark 9:14-27 (KJV)
14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes
questioning with them.
15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to
him saluted him.
16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which
hath a dumb spirit;
18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth,
and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long
shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he
fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst
do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help
thou mine unbelief.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto
him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead;
insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
In verse twenty-two the father said “have compassion on us.” A parent is responsible for
believing for the child and this father still had doubts. So, Jesus knew the problem and
confronted the father. Finally the father got to the place that there was no doubt left. He got to
the place where he believed! Because of that Jesus was able to deliver the son.
Let me show you one more example.
Mark 3:1-5 (KJV)
1 And he (Jesus Christ) entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had
a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accusehim.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life,
or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of
their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his
hand was restored whole as the other.
The man with the withered hand had courage and he BELIEVED the promise of God. The Jews
were looking for a way to kill Jesus. Anyone associating with Jesus could get the same thing they
were planning for Jesus. But the man didn’t care. When Jesus said stand forth the man stood
forth. Then Jesus told the man to do the impossible. He told him to stretch forth a hand and arm
that, by the five senses, was impossible to stretch forth. But, the man BELIEVED the promise of
God and stretched forth his hand.
What changed between the first century and now? Men quit believing the truth! The men and
women in the pulpit refuse to believe that the Bible is the word and will of God. Consequently,
they teach the people in unbelief and where the blind lead the blind they both fall into a ditch.
God is still God! God still wants the best for you. But, it is up to each one of us to know the
promises of God and claim them.