More than 30 years ago, Chinese believers often heard about miracles of healing, but they rarely happen nowadays. One pastor believes that God's work progresses gradually rather than remain constant.
Pastor Shen, a pastor with over 20 years of pastoral experience, believes that to solve this puzzle, we need to start with the meaning of miracles.
Pastor Shen states that signs and wonders often refer to things that people can’t accomplish but only God can do. Some patients experience improvement in their condition after coming to church, which Pastor Shen believes is related to their emotional state. However, not all illnesses improve due to joy.
In fact, there are very few great miracles happening in the church now. Pastor Shen said, "There are miracles that people think of as miracles, that is, 'trivial' miracles." For instance, a stomach ache disappearing after prayer is considered God's grace, not necessarily a miracle.
In the Bible, there are 66 miracles performed by Jesus, but if you exclude those that are repeated (such as miracle of five loaves and two fish), there are only 33 miracles performed by Jesus. These miracles all took place in the ministry of the gospel, that is, along with the work of evangelism. As Mark records, "And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs."
Over thirty years ago, the gospel began spreading in China, and at that time, evangelism was often accompanied by many miracles. People with incurable diseases, unable to find relief through medical treatments or traditional practices, turned to the church as a last resort. However, many incurable diseases have been cured in the church. At that time, the gospel greatly flourished, and the number of Christians in the church continued to increase.
Pastor Shen himself was one of them. "Miracles were needed to prove the truth of the gospel," he said. "But once you believe, you no longer need a miracle to prove that there is a God."
Pastor Shen said that after the founding of the early church, many people were sick, such as the apostle Paul and his students Timothy and Epaphroditus, but signs and wonders did not happen to them. "Because they no longer need miracles to prove the truth of the gospel." Just like Paul, no matter how poor his health was, he still believed in God even in the face of death, and he could never deny the power of the gospel.
Some believers who testify to the power of the gospel with the miracles that happened to them are discouraged because the people they preach to no longer see the miracles and deny the existence of God. Pastor Shen pointed out that God's work is gradual. For example, the people of Israel began by offering sacrifices on the altar, and now prayer and praise have become Christians' offerings to God.
As for the cause of illness, Pastor Shen said bluntly, “it is because we violate the natural laws created by God. God created two kinds of laws, one is natural, and the other is spiritual." He also reminded God's workers who are serving Him, "God will not give you a long life just because you are His servant. But if you violate the laws of nature, you will be judged."
Regarding prayer for healing, Pastor Shen explained, "Prayer is asking God to give us wisdom and power to do things well and bring glory to His name. Prayer is not asking God to listen to our plans."
As God said through the prophet Isaiah, "Turn, and I will heal them." Pastor Shen said, “We can naturally be healed when we live according to the natural laws created by God.“
At one point, Pastor Shen experienced eye problems. While many prayed for him, Pastor Shen realized in prayer that he had not used them wisely. So he asked God to have mercy on him for being nothing but a sinner, and he repented of his failure to take good care of his eyes before. He then limited his screen time, stopped using electronic devices, and used eye drops. After some time, his eyes improved.
Pastor Shen said from personal experience, "Prayer is asking God to give me wisdom. What is my problem? How can I fix it? That’s the point, instead of praying and saying, 'God, help me out.'"
It is also important to note that prayer is not just asking. "Prayer is not asking," Pastor Shen continued. "Prayer covers a wide range of things. Prayer includes praise, gratefulness, seeking, and so on. Prayer is a deeper communion with God. Communication with God is prayer."
"The highest level of prayer is gratefulness. In fact, our prayer does not require much supplication because, 'For after all these things, the Gentiles seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,'" he added.
If a person is sick, Pastor Shen would recommend praying. "May my illness not bring shame to God's name."
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
三十多年前，中国信徒总能听说病得医治的神迹奇事，而现今却很少发生，一名牧师认为，上帝的工作是循序渐进，而不是一直相同的。
沈牧师是一位有着二十多年牧会经验的牧者了，他认为，解开这一疑惑，需要从神迹奇事的含义谈起。
沈牧师认为，神迹奇事往往指的是那些人做不到的事情，只有上帝来做。有些病人到教会后，疾病好了跟他的心情也是有关系的。有的人到了教会，他的心情就变好了，疾病也自然有了改善，但这并不意味着所有的疾病都会因为喜乐而好起来。
其实，现在教会中几乎没有什么大的神迹奇事发生。沈牧师说：“有也都是被人们认为的神迹，也就是‘鸡毛蒜皮’的神迹。”比如，肚子痛一祷告就好了，但沈牧师指出这只是上帝的恩典。
在圣经中，耶稣所行的神迹有66个，如果排除那些重复记录的神迹（比如五饼二鱼），那么耶稣所行的神迹就只有33个。这些神迹都是发生在福音的事工上，也就是伴随着传福音的工作而进行的。正如马可所记载的那样：“主和他们同工，用神迹随着，证实所传的道。”
三十多年前，福音刚刚在中国开始传播，那时候福音传播的工作往往是有很多神迹奇事伴随的。有人得了什么治不了的绝症，找医生也医治无门，求神拜佛也毫无果效，就只能找到教会来试一试。可没想到，很多绝症却在教会里面得到了医治。那时，福音大大兴旺，教会重生得救的人也不断加增。
沈牧师本人也是其中之一。“因为需要证明所传的道的真实性，”他说：“但是你一旦信了之后，就不再需要神迹来证明有没有神了。”
牧师举例说，像初代教会建立以后，很多人都是有疾病的，比如使徒保罗、以及他的学生提摩太、以巴弗提等人，但是神迹奇事没有发生在他们的身上。“因为他们身上已经不需要神迹来证明福音的真伪了。”就像保罗的身体再怎么不好，哪怕是面对死亡，他也依然相信上帝，也绝无可能会否认福音的大能。
而针对有些信徒以亲身经历的神迹奇事来见证福音的大能，却也因为所传过来的人再也看不到神迹奇事而否认上帝的存在而气馁。他指出，上帝的工作是循序渐进的。就比如，以色列百姓一开始是献祭在祭坛上，而现在祷告和赞美成为了基督徒向着上帝的献祭。
关于生病的原因，他直言，是因为我们违背了上帝所创造的自然规律。沈牧师说：“上帝创造了两种规律，一个是自然规律，一个是属灵规律。”他也提醒正在服事上帝的那些上帝的仆人说：“上帝并不会因为你是祂的仆人，就让你长命百岁了。违背自然规律，照样会受到审判。”
针对祷告得到医治，他解释，“祷告是祈求上帝赐给我们智慧和能力，让我把事情做好，让祂的名得荣耀。祷告不是求上帝听我的安排。”
正如上帝借着以赛亚先知的口说：“回转过来，我就医治他们。”当我们按照上帝所创造的自然规律去生活的时候，自然就可以得着医治了，他说。
有段时间，沈牧师的眼睛出现了一些问题。很多信徒都为他的眼睛祷告了不少，而沈自己却在祷告中认识到，是他没有智慧地用好眼睛。因此，他祈求上帝怜悯他不过是一个罪人，并悔改自己没有照顾好自己的眼睛。之后，他就开始控制自己的用眼时间，手机、电脑等电子设备都停用了，他也去买了眼药水使用起来。过了一段时间，他的眼睛就好了起来。
沈牧师用亲身经历现身说法：“祷告是求上帝给我智慧，我的问题出在哪里？我应该如何来解决？而不是我一祷告就说：‘上帝啊，你帮我解决。’”
还有一点也至关重要，祷告并不只是祈求。“祷告不是求，”沈牧师继续说：“祷告涵盖的内容很广泛。祷告涵盖赞美、感恩、寻求等等。祷告是和上帝更深的交流。我们和人叫交流，和上帝的交流就是祷告。”
祷告最高的境界是感恩。其实我们的祷告并不需要太多的祈求，因为“这都是外邦人所求的。你们需用的这一切东西，你们的天父是知道的” 。“基督徒要求的是上帝的国和上帝的义，这是主耶稣在主祷文中教给我们的祷告。”
若一个人生病了，沈牧师说可以尝试这样来祷告：“愿我的疾病不要让上帝的名受到羞辱。”
访谈| 一北方牧者：为什么现在的教会神迹奇事变少了？
More than 30 years ago, Chinese believers often heard about miracles of healing, but they rarely happen nowadays. One pastor believes that God's work progresses gradually rather than remain constant.
Pastor Shen, a pastor with over 20 years of pastoral experience, believes that to solve this puzzle, we need to start with the meaning of miracles.
Pastor Shen states that signs and wonders often refer to things that people can’t accomplish but only God can do. Some patients experience improvement in their condition after coming to church, which Pastor Shen believes is related to their emotional state. However, not all illnesses improve due to joy.
In fact, there are very few great miracles happening in the church now. Pastor Shen said, "There are miracles that people think of as miracles, that is, 'trivial' miracles." For instance, a stomach ache disappearing after prayer is considered God's grace, not necessarily a miracle.
In the Bible, there are 66 miracles performed by Jesus, but if you exclude those that are repeated (such as miracle of five loaves and two fish), there are only 33 miracles performed by Jesus. These miracles all took place in the ministry of the gospel, that is, along with the work of evangelism. As Mark records, "And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs."
Over thirty years ago, the gospel began spreading in China, and at that time, evangelism was often accompanied by many miracles. People with incurable diseases, unable to find relief through medical treatments or traditional practices, turned to the church as a last resort. However, many incurable diseases have been cured in the church. At that time, the gospel greatly flourished, and the number of Christians in the church continued to increase.
Pastor Shen himself was one of them. "Miracles were needed to prove the truth of the gospel," he said. "But once you believe, you no longer need a miracle to prove that there is a God."
Pastor Shen said that after the founding of the early church, many people were sick, such as the apostle Paul and his students Timothy and Epaphroditus, but signs and wonders did not happen to them. "Because they no longer need miracles to prove the truth of the gospel." Just like Paul, no matter how poor his health was, he still believed in God even in the face of death, and he could never deny the power of the gospel.
Some believers who testify to the power of the gospel with the miracles that happened to them are discouraged because the people they preach to no longer see the miracles and deny the existence of God. Pastor Shen pointed out that God's work is gradual. For example, the people of Israel began by offering sacrifices on the altar, and now prayer and praise have become Christians' offerings to God.
As for the cause of illness, Pastor Shen said bluntly, “it is because we violate the natural laws created by God. God created two kinds of laws, one is natural, and the other is spiritual." He also reminded God's workers who are serving Him, "God will not give you a long life just because you are His servant. But if you violate the laws of nature, you will be judged."
Regarding prayer for healing, Pastor Shen explained, "Prayer is asking God to give us wisdom and power to do things well and bring glory to His name. Prayer is not asking God to listen to our plans."
As God said through the prophet Isaiah, "Turn, and I will heal them." Pastor Shen said, “We can naturally be healed when we live according to the natural laws created by God.“
At one point, Pastor Shen experienced eye problems. While many prayed for him, Pastor Shen realized in prayer that he had not used them wisely. So he asked God to have mercy on him for being nothing but a sinner, and he repented of his failure to take good care of his eyes before. He then limited his screen time, stopped using electronic devices, and used eye drops. After some time, his eyes improved.
Pastor Shen said from personal experience, "Prayer is asking God to give me wisdom. What is my problem? How can I fix it? That’s the point, instead of praying and saying, 'God, help me out.'"
It is also important to note that prayer is not just asking. "Prayer is not asking," Pastor Shen continued. "Prayer covers a wide range of things. Prayer includes praise, gratefulness, seeking, and so on. Prayer is a deeper communion with God. Communication with God is prayer."
"The highest level of prayer is gratefulness. In fact, our prayer does not require much supplication because, 'For after all these things, the Gentiles seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,'" he added.
If a person is sick, Pastor Shen would recommend praying. "May my illness not bring shame to God's name."
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Why Are There Fewer Signs and Wonders in the Church Now?
