Should we be relating to God differently than the early Church did?

So much of the Church today thinks that God does things differently now than He did in the beginning of the Church era.  Many believe God had a specific agenda by performing the miracles, healings, and power He demonstrated through Jesus, and then continuing into the early church, as we see in the book of Acts.  But now, He doesn’t work that way in the lives of believers anymore.  Now, He only displays His power in a tangible, interactive way with humanity according to His will which is different for each person and in ways in which we can’t always know or understand.

It is true that much of the Church has not experienced the tangible, manifest presence of God as we see in the bible; corporately, and individually.  But our experiences don’t dictate who God is or what He is willing to do.  The Word of God declares who God is and Jesus demonstrated His will for humanity.

Jesus came to show us, “all of us” regardless of what generation you were born, or what country you are from, the true nature, character and will of our Father!  It isn’t God who relates to us differently, it is the Church.

James 1:17 says: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

I love this verse.  It makes it clear that God is and always will be in the likeness of what we see in Jesus!

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. John 14:7

There is no mistaking that if Jesus said this, then it is true forever!  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)

This is something the believers in the early church believed, and expected!  This wasn’t just true of the original 12 disciples!  You can read the book of Acts, and see that the believers followed the model given to them through those who intimately knew Jesus, while He was here during His earthly ministry.

They expected the manifestation of God’s glory to follow them wherever they went.  The people of the first century weren’t any different than you and I are.  Jesus had already gone to the cross. They had to relate to the Father through the finished works of the cross, just as we do.  Yet, they operated in the supernatural power of God!  Churches were formed, with thousands of people becoming born-again, spirit filled, and demonstrating the kingdom of God through miracles, signs and wonders!

We are still living under the New Covenant, and in the Church age so, should we be relating to God differently, or expecting God to relate to us differently than they did in the early Church?  The Gospel hasn’t changed, so why has the church?

Jesus said, “…Because you have seen Me, do you now believe?  Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].”John 20:29

And  John 17:20 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.”

The difference isn’t how God relates to us; it’s how we are relating to Him.  We should be having the same purpose, blessing, protection, health and authority over the darkness in our world as the believers during the disciples’ day.  But we must believe it.

Mark 16:17-20 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”