Mario Murillo, a seasoned evangelist who has always argued for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power in all aspects of Kingdom work, had a few words of caution and reassurance for believers desiring such power.
"The reason for our lack of power and miracles is plain-we are just not willing to pay the price," he wrote in his blog on December 26.
Nonetheless, he stated that this divine power is not for self-promotion.
"God is giving you power to do one special work," he said. "You cannot deviate from that divine intention. It will be a true work of God."
He illustrated his point by citing the experiences of faith giants such as Smith Wigglesworth, E. M. Bounds, A.W. Tozer, Oral Roberts, and Kathryn Kuhlman. These were among the few men and women whom God used mightily in mass evangelization, using healing and wonders to confirm the Gospel message they were preaching.
While they became vessels of God's power, they were humbled to the point of having no room in their hearts for pride, only for compassion for those they ministered to.
"Oral Roberts, T.L. Osborn, Charles S. Price, and Aimee Semple McPherson all reported being overcome by compassion for the sick. Their level of caring rose to divine heights-they agonized for the lost, the sick, and the dying," Murillo observed.
However, while they all possessed compassion for the sick and broken, they also possessed an unexplained hatred for disease and evil.
"Few understand how the anointing is a product of hatred," Murillo explained citing Hebrews 1:9 which states, "You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
He cited Alexander Dowie and John G. Lake as examples. Dowie witnessed miracles after a plague struck his church in Sydney, Australia, killing 40 of his members. He was transformed by an inner rage until he cried out to God with a pure heart and was rewarded with such strength that he was able to cleanse his entire congregation of plague.
On the other hand, Lake witnessed his wife's death, which sparked a fury against evil that swept the world in healing.
However, Murillo notes, this anointing will come at a cost and will begin with the "emptying of self" through fasting and prayer.
For example, E.M. Bounds stated that the preacher must throw himself into God's work for the salvation of men with all the abandonment of a perfect, self-emptying faith and a self-consuming zeal.
"The men who take hold of and shape a generation for God must be hearty, heroic, compassionate, and fearless martyrs," Bounds said.
Tozer on the other hand, insisted on serving God from a high motive so that religious people who crave fame, fortune, and rank would be shamed.
Murillo also mentioned that Kuhlman and Roberts were notable examples of this.
While this magnificent gift must be handled with care, it is critical for the Church of Christ. For Murillo, the threat to the United States is the greatest she has ever seen.
"Now it is you who are the vessels of God who must die to self in order to get out of God's way and confront this threat head on. Not with words alone but with undeniable signs and wonders so notable as to invoke both unbridled joy and the fear of the Lord. In view of the state of our nation, nothing less will do," he proclaimed.
