Why do these miracle outbreaks happen in underdeveloped countries?

Published by 1c15 on 14th March 202014th March 2020

In countries where documentation is particularly different it may seem “coincidental” miracles happen there. A few points:

1. We have sophisticated medical technology in the West, if God is to act more medically, it is far more likely in underdeveloped countries than those with all the medical technologies at their mercy
2. God is the only hope for many in these scenarios and prayer is fervent, in the west, the reliance on technology is very much a forefront for many, prior to prayer.
3. Philosopher J. P. Moreland explained that outbreakings of the supernatural tend to occur in areas where there’s leading-edge evangelism into new cultures. In his book Kingdom Triangle, Moreland writes, “A major factor in the current revival in the Third World—by some estimates, up to 70 percent of it—is intimately connected to signs and wonders as expressions of the love of the Christian Father-God, the lordship of his Son, and the power of his Spirit and his Kingdom.” Craig Keener tells us that “We’ve got lots of instances like this, some estimate that 90 percent of the growth of the church in China is being fueled by healings. Edmond Tang at the University of Birmingham said, ‘This is especially true in the countryside, where medical facilities are often inadequate or non-existent.’”

Why did Jesus heal the sick, boss around nature, and cast out demons? Obviously, he wasn’t merely trying to prove his divinity, because his disciples later performed miracles—and they certainly weren’t deities. What was Jesus’ motive? Well his miracles were a sign of the inbreaking of the kingdom—or the rule—of God. They were a taste of the future, when healing will be complete. 

Jesus said, ‘But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.’ These signs were a prelude to the entire restoration, when God will make a new heaven and a new earth. They remind us that a day is coming when there will be no more suffering or pain.

Miracles often come in places where the Gospel is not prevalent, where medical healing is not often accessible and for many, is their only hope. 

Sources

• J. P. Moreland, Kingdom Triangle: Recover the Christian Mind, Renovate the Soul, Restore the Spirit’s Power (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 168.
• Allan Anderson and Edmond Tang, eds., Asian and Pentecostal: The Charismatic Face of Christianity in Asia, rev. ed. (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2011), 391.