Heaven Meets Earth

Acts 2:2: Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

One of the most striking aspects of the Pentecost story is the way the supernatural breaks into the prayer meeting of the disciples. When God created, he made the heavens (spiritual, the dwelling place of God) and the Earth (physical, the dwelling place of people). This physical world in which we live is not all that there is, and the sense that many people have that there is “more” is affirmed by the Biblical teaching.

The supernatural and the natural: Not only is it true that there is a supernatural, spiritual realm, but it also true that this realm can break into our world. In the Scripture, we see this happen in certain places – such as the Garden of Eden, the Mountain where Moses met with God and the Tabernacle/Temple. It also happens at certain moments, where there are clear manifestations of supernatural power in the physical world. Pentecost is one of these moments, as an ordinary prayer meeting is interrupted by the heavenly phenomenon of a violent wind blowing through the house. Christians today, particularly charismatics and pentecostals, believe that the spiritual realm is not totally separate from the physical realm, and just as he did at Pentecost and other times in Scripture, God may break into our world and act in supernatural ways.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit: A big part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is causing heaven to break into our world. The book of Revelation shows a picture of how things are when heaven has descended to earth, and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev. 21:4). These are exactly the same things brought about by the miracles of Jesus, as he raised the dead, healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind and set those under demonic oppression free. The spiritual gift of miracles was not limited to the ministry of Jesus, and is part of how the in-breaking of the supernatural into our world comes today. Miracles are seen in Scripture to include a wide range of different supernatural phenomena, including healing, casting out evil spirits, multiplying food, walking on water, opening prison gates and more. They are signs of the victory of God over the devil and the establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth. We believe that God works in these same ways today, and expect to see signs and wonders happen in our midst. 

Faith and Prayer: Healing and other miracles seem closely connected in Scripture with faith. When Jesus came to his home town in Mark 6:6, he could perform few miracles, and we are told that this was due to the lack of faith in that place. By contrast, in Mark 11:22-23, he urged his followers to have faith and claimed that if they did so they could tell a mountain to move into the sea and see it happen. Faith is believing in both the power and desire of God to break in and act in a supernatural way. Sometimes when faith is a struggle, we need God’s help and can pray like the man in Mark 9:24, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Healing and other miracles is also connected with prayer. In Mark 9:29, when the disciples had failed to drive out the evil Spirit, Jesus explained to them that “this kind can come out only by prayer.” Jesus also taught his disciples to pray for his kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven”. The contemporary settings where we see most healings and miracles happen are often the ones where there is faith to go after these breakthroughs in prayer rather than passively settling for the status quo.

Response: Invite people who would like healing to make themselves known and have others gather around them and pray for them.