Jonathan Brenneman's Blog, page 18

Prophets And Teachers

[image error]Thank God For Prophecy And Revelation!

‘ve been growing a lot in hearing God’s voice in the last year.

I’ve been giving words of knowledge for healing for a long time. In the last year I’ve been experiencing an increase in visions and other revelation not related specifically to healing. I’ve also continued to see many people healed through words of knowledge for healing. Most of them aren’t just calling out a health concern in a group, but actually going to an individual, describing a condition, and asking them if it’s what they are dealing with. For example, I passed one lady on the street and asked her about her stomach. She was having Chronic stomach issues exactly like what I described, and the Lord healed her! Those encounters are thrilling.

I have some really cool stories. I felt like God might be moving a person to Europe and asked her about it. Sure enough, she was praying about moving to Europe.

I told another person that I saw her in a boat going to tell people about Jesus. She was considering traveling with Mercy Ships!

Another friend asked me to pray and I began to describe a house and property with reeds and wetland, near the ocean. I described the house her family had lost!

Among all the spiritual gifts, scripture encourages us especially to seek to prophesy. We thank God for the encouragement and faith that prophetic revelation can bring.

Testing Prophecy

I’ve been exposed to prophetic words for a long time and I’ve been blessed by prophecy and words of knowledge. I’ve also seen Christian prophets disagree with each other. Even people that I still respect today have failed. Big time. Some of them have made predictions of catastrophic events, within a giving time frame, and with the words “no amount of prayer will change this.” That time frame has passed, and they were wrong.

In fact, history is filled with such failed predictions. Many failed prophesies with timeframes for Christ’s return have come from church fathers and historical Christians that we look up to. Just check out this list of dates predicted for apocalyptic events.

I once read a bestselling book, popular in the Charismatic world, which stated “Anyone who wants to be with the Lord Jesus forever must work hard for his salvation every day for the rest of his life.” Yet my Bible says we are saved by grace, not by works.

I value prophecy and I believe in visions, but I don’t form my doctrine from them. I’ve heard well-known prophets contradict each other.

A certain prophet recently accused a certain teacher of being a “false teacher.” He essentially said “His teaching doesn’t line up with my visions. God told me differently.”

Yet this prophet, by his own admission, is not a scholar and doesn’t have much understanding of the reasoning behind the various theological viewpoints related to the issue, the original language, or the culture. He doesn’t even understand the position or reasoning of the person he has called a “false teacher.” Even scholars, though they disagree on this issue, rarely call each other “false teachers” over this particular issue. They consider it a disagreement within the realms of historical Christianity, not an issue of “heresy.”

I recently wrote two articles presenting a different view than many people have heard on Paul’s Thorn In The Flesh. One person reacted strongly, saying I was giving a false teaching because God told him differently about the passage. I respectfully explained why I see the passage differently.

Does “God told me” end it all?

I’ve been thinking of this for some time. We read about the “fivefold ministry” in Ephesians chapter four. It includes prophets and teachers. Prophecy and good teaching are both expressions of Christ’s grace. They should work together. We need both, and we must not exclude either one of them.

We all know that some teachers have totally dismissed prophets. I’ve also been noticing a tendency for some Charismatics to go to the other extreme of dismissing the relevance of good teaching and reason because of a wrong emphasis on prophecy.

The “Spirit of Truth” isn’t at odds with scholarship and solid exegesis.

Humility Concerning Revelation

I recently purchased and read Shawn Bolz’s book Translating God.  I loved this book on so many levels! Shawn is known for giving people’s phone numbers, addresses, and bank account numbers in words of knowledge. He has a reputation for extreme accuracy.

Yet Shawn also is quite candid about how personal issues or theology can affect even well-known prophets. They can be quite accurate in one area yet tend to miss it frequently when it comes to another area. He shared one story of a prophet who tended to give words of knowledge about “father issues.” The truth was that this prophet struggled with hurts in his relationship with his own father, and he tended to project that on people he ministered to. It wasn’t that he was a “false prophet,” but his hearing tended to be colored in that area.

Another prophet struggled with a fear of death and financial problems. That tended to come through in his prophecies, and he often missed it in that area.

Bob Jones warned Bolz about moving to LA. Jones thought LA was about to disappear off of the map. I loved the fact that Shawn Bolz tested Bob Jones’ prophecy and disagreed with it, yet he continues to honor Bob Jones.

So often we either hear that a person is a “false prophet,” or we fail to test everything when we hear a prophecy from someone we already think highly of. The attitude either tends towards “He’s a false prophet because he missed it” or “Everything he says is from God because he is a prophet from God.”

Neither attitude is healthy. Scripture says to test everything.

Shawn chose to make a general statement that he knew would be controversial. He said “Most of the time, prophets who prophesy catastrophes have missed it.” Hearing somebody like Shawn point this out was refreshing.

I’ve given very specific information by word of knowledge, and I know how subtle receiving this information can be. I’ve named a dozen or so physical problems that a person had, all accurately. But I’ve also missed it at times. My word of knowledge is confirmed when I ask the person and they tell me it’s exactly what they are dealing with. Prophecies often confirm something the Lord is already speaking to our hearts, or else they spark something in them. The healthy perspective on prophecy in Shawn’s book “Translating God” removes so much potential for control and abuse with prophetic gifts.

The Charismatic church sometimes goes to the extreme of embracing scripturally questionable beliefs because of a prophets’ teaching, and then reacting as if questioning those beliefs is “dishonoring” the prophet. We need to divide between questioning a belief and dishonoring a person. Instead of accusing a person who disagrees of “dishonoring the prophet,” let’s hear them out with humility and consider what they have to say. After all, God has set teachers and prophets in the church. This doesn’t have to be about dishonoring and bashing people who have a different viewpoint. Let’s test everything as Scripture exhorts us to do, and humbly recognize that we are all growing in Christ and even good prophets have room to grow in understanding and revelation.

Next week I will continue with a few examples of how even experienced prophets with true visions could come up with different interpretations of what they see according to their theological lens.

 

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Jesus Didn’t Die For Nothing!

[image error]I remember a period of time when I went to a church almost every night of the week. I wanted to experience God’s presence in a greater way, but I often left feeling disappointed and frustrated. Years later God gave me a vision which revealed some of the reasons for that frustration. I had mentally acknowledged gospel truths but denied their implications. I had actually been praying as if Jesus never died for our sins, rose from the dead, or came in the flesh.

Christian culture isn’t always consistent with scriptural truth. Sometimes the prayers and buzzwords that make their way into our Christian culture do a lot more harm than good. They obscure our revelation of the gospel so as to keep us weak, frustrated, and powerless.

I can no longer sing some of the songs I hear in church. They aren’t a confession of truth. They are prayers of doubt and double-mindedness. They don’t glorify God.

Don’t take me wrong. I’m not bashing the church! I eventually realized how my confused belief system had been at the root of that frustration and powerlessness. When my perspective changed and I began to experience God’s power working through me, going to church became more about what I could give than what I could receive. I continued to go to two or three different assemblies on most Sundays. All of them were places where I not only found edification but I also found the opportunity to minister to people. And I had a blast! Sunday was certainly my favorite day of the week.

I love meeting with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Those meetings are so much more edifying when we get a clear vision of gospel truth and cut out the double-mindedness that sometimes makes its way into our prayers and songs. And here is one of those prayers:

In my experience with many different Christian groups, one of the common ways to begin a prayer is often“Oh God, we are nothing, but…” Maybe this kind of prayer is common in your circle of Christian friends. Maybe it isn’t. Even if it isn’t, I hope this article will encourage you to examine other phrases and buzzwords that Christian culture sometimes brings us. Here are two of the questions I ask when a brother or sister in Christ says that “We are nothing.”

Is Jesus’ Blood Worth Nothing?

We measure value by what someone will pay for something. What price did God pay for us?

1 Peter 1:19 (NIV) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

All the silver and gold in the world was not enough to redeem you. Jesus paid the highest price possible for you—his precious blood. What is more valuable than Jesus’ blood? God saw you as worth redeeming at the highest cost possible. God never paid a higher price for anything else in the universe than that which he paid for you.

Is Jesus’  blood worth “nothing?” What would you pay for “nothing?” We may say that we are “nothing,” but God says “you were worth it all!” Jesus suffered for the joy that was before him, and that joy was us! He now rejoices over his people, whom he paid the highest price for. He certainly isn’t saying “I got a bad deal. I should never have redeemed him. He wasn’t worth my blood.”

It may sound humble to say that we are nothing, but to do so is actually devaluing Jesus’ blood. That’s not glorifying God!

Is God’s Inheritance Nothing?

Psalm 33:12 (NIV) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

God’s inheritance is his people! God considers us to be his riches! Is God’inheritance “nothing?” He calls us his “special possession.” We are the “pearl of great price” that he sold everything for!

Calling ourselves “nothing” doesn’t glorify God. God isn’t a fool who gave everything for “nothing.”

The Radiant Bride Of Christ

Ephesians 5:25-32 (NIV) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washingwith water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wivesas their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Jesus is coming for a radiant and spotless bride. A bride becomes radiant with joy as she receives the groom’s love. A bride is radiant when she knows how precious she is to the groom, that he chose her!

A radiant bride doesn’t say “I’m so unworthy of your love. I’m too ugly. You couldn’t really love me. I can’t cook well enough for you. I could never please you.” Yet this is the way we sometimes act with Jesus.

If we think we are nothing, we tend to treat others like nothing. But we love because God first loved us. What would it look like if we as the church started treating others with the value that we know God has for us?

What is a better testimony of Christ to the word: A radiant church, or a depressed and self-depricating church? If you are “nothing,” than what does that make the unbeliever? On the other hand, if we see the price Jesus paid for every man we will show the non-Christian how valuable they are to God We’ll lead a lot more people to Christ that way!

If we think we’re nothing, we’ll probably live as if our lives don’t matter. If we understand how valuable we are to God, we’ll live as if every moment matters.

We aren’t nothing. We are Christ’s bride. We are kings and priests to our God, and we are God’s treasure. We are the body of Christ, whom he loves as he loves himself.

Bill Johnson once asked the rhetorial question “Is Jesus coming for a bride he will be unequally yoked with?”

Dan Mohler says “Pride resists, humility receives.” Saying “I’m nothing” is resisting what God has spoken about you through the blood of his Son.

Let’s humble ourselves before the Lord. God has declared “I’ve loved you with an everlasting love. You are my treasure, my inheritance, my special possession. I paid everything for you, and it was so worth it!” Let’s stop arguing with Him and humbly receive His word!

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What Was Paul’s Thorn In The Flesh?

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Last week we saw why Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” had nothing to do with pride. The “being exalted” here was not a negative thing like pride, but was a positive thing! “Exalted” simply means “lifted up.” The gospel lifts us. The Holy Spirit lifts us. Heavenly revelations such as Paul had can lift us exceedingly high in the knowledge of Jesus and into a heavenly perspective. Scripture teaches in Ephesians 1 and 2 that by Christ’s resurrection we were raised with and seated with him in heavenly places, far above all power and authority. What would it look like if we actually believed this truth so much that we acted according to it?

The effect of the heavenly revelations that were given to Paul was that they would humble him and cause him to be lifted up in influence for the sake of the gospel, and also in exercising of authority over the powers of darkness in heavenly places. Since the passage goes on to talk about Paul’s beatings and persecutions, it is reasonable to assume that this demonic power was probably sent to stir up the crowds to riot against Paul, in order to hinder his effectiveness and influence for the gospel.

Was The “Thorn In The Flesh” A Sickness?

Some have assumed (as I once did) that this “thorn in the flesh” was a physical illness. However, there is nothing in the context to suggest that. It was sent to “buffet” him, which points in context to the beatings and persecutions that Paul endured. The word “buffet” speaks of repeated blows, not a chronic illness.

Some of the translations do seem, at first glance, to support the idea that it was a physical illness. Look, for example, at the KJV translation of verse 9:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 It should be noted that the same exact word, in the same context, is translated two different ways here! Why? The Greek word behind the translation “weakness” and the translation “infirmities” is the same. Many more modern translations do a better job here, translating it consistently as “weakness.”

This word, which means “weakness” or “feebleness,” can sometimes be used in referring to physical ailments, but it is certainly not always used in reference to physical sickness! In fact, a search in the dictionary will show that even the English word “infirmity” is not always used in reference to physical sickness. Immediately after talking about this “thorn in the flesh,” Paul goes on to describe his persecutions and the hardships of his ministry journeys, not sickness.

Why should we imagine that the thorn was anything other than what scripture says it was—an angel of Satan? Even more, how can we attempt to negate a clear promise of scripture by a speculative interpretation which the context doesn’t point to and which contradicts what we read in many other scriptures?

A “Thorn In The Flesh” Was An Old Testament Idiom

You may ask, “If being exalted was a positive thing for the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Satan was trying to hinder this, why did God refuse to remove this ‘thorn in the flesh?”

When Paul talked about this “thorn in the flesh,” he was making a reference to a figure of speech in the Old Testament. When God commanded the Israelites to inhabit the Promised Land, he commanded them to utterly overthrow the inhabitants:

Exodus 23:23-24 (KJV) For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

 These pagan nations whom the Israelites were to drive out are often seen as symbolic of demonic powers that we may face today. Notice that God said he would cut them off, but in the next verse we read that the Israelites were commanded to overthrow them. Throughout scripture we see a partnership with God and man. God does his part, and we also have a responsibility. God promised to cut off these peoples, but the Israelites also had to go to war and drive them out.

Later we read that if Israel did not drive out these peoples, they would become thorns in the sides of the Israelites. When Paul spoke of this “angel of Satan” who was a “thorn in the flesh,” he was alluding to the pagan nations whom the Israelites were commanded to drive out.

Numbers 33:55 (KJV)   But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Learning War

In Judges chapter 3, we read that God did not drive out these nations who were “thorns in the side” from before the Israelites all at once. The reason for this gives us insight about why God refused to remove the “thorn in the flesh” which tormented Paul.

Judges 3:1-3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test all those in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan (it was only that successive generations of Israelites might know war, to teach those who had no experience of it before): the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

 God had commanded the Israelites to utterly drive out these peoples! His refusal to drive them out all at once certainly did not imply that the Israelites were to tolerate or submit to these pagan peoples, which we can see as symbolic of demonic forces today. But God wanted them to learn war. God wanted them to drive out the inhabitants of the land. Let’s look at what The Living Bible says in verses one and two of this passage:

  Judges 3:1-2 (TLB)Here is a list of the nations the Lord left in the land to test the new generation of Israel who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. For God wanted to give opportunity to the youth of Israel to exercise faith and obedience in conquering their enemies.

 God promised the Israelites that he would drive out their enemies from before them, but he also commanded them to drive out their enemies. There was a part that was God’s responsibility and a part that was their responsibility. In the same way, the New Testament teaches that Jesus triumphed over the powers of evil at the cross. However, it also teaches us to fight the good fight and to stand against evil.

Sometimes we may want God to do everything and to pluck us out of whatever situation or trouble we are in. And sometimes he may. But scripture teaches that God desires us to overcome by the power of his Holy Spirit living in us! Colossians says that it is Christ in us who is our hope of glory-not God somewhere up there in the sky. In the same way that God wanted the Israelites to learn warfare, he also wants us to learn how to war in the Spirit! He wants us to learn to overcome evil by the power of his Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

God Always Leads Us In Victory And Empowers Us To Overcome!

God refused to remove the thorn in the flesh from Paul by externally intervening against this “angel of Satan,”, saying “my grace is sufficient for you”. Many people have read this as if it said “my grace is sufficient for you to lie down and suffer patiently as this angel of Satan beats you.” Nothing could be further from the truth, although Satan would like us to believe that! God’s grace was sufficient for what? To overcome! God always has victory in store for us. His grace is sufficient for us to overcome every power of evil that we may face.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

  2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.

 The “angel of Satan” was sent to “buffet” Paul, probably by stirring up the crowds to riot against him. This had nothing to do with keeping him from becoming arrogant, but was to keep him from being exalted by God with influence for the sake of the gospel and the Kingdom of heaven. Joe McIntyre noted that Daniel was given revelations because of his humility, and it was probably because of Paul’s humility that he was given these revelations by which the Lord would exalt him.

God refused to pluck Paul out of this battle or externally deliver him, but promised “My grace is sufficient for you to overcome everything that stands in the way of my Kingdom.” God was saying “This is your part, Paul. I want you to learn war. I want you to overcome this, and I have given you the grace to do so.”

Another Old Testament parallel to this is found in the story of Moses. The Israelites were trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea. Moses cried out to God for deliverance, but God replied:

Exodus 14:15-16 “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground.

 God had promised to deliver the Israelites, but there was a part that was Moses’ responsibility. God gave Moses what he needed to overcome. In the same way, God gave Paul the grace which he needed to overcome this “angel of Satan.” God was saying “Why do you cry out to me to pull you out of this? My grace is enough for you to be victorious!”

If this “angel of Satan” was the demonic force causing the crowds to riot and beat Paul, it seems that Paul did eventually overcome it. The very end of the book of Acts says:

Acts 28:30+31 (AMPC)   After this Paul lived there for two entire years [at his own expense] in his own rented lodging, and he welcomed all who came to him,  Preaching to them the kingdom of God and teaching them about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and quite openly, and without being molested or hindered.

Paul finally got to preach the gospel peacefully, with nobody “buffeting” him! This victory wasn’t due to God’s external intervention, but because Paul continued to move forward and overcome by the grace of God working in him.

Colossians 2:15

Timothy 6:12

Ephesians 6:11

Colossians 1:27

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Paul’s Thorn In The Flesh Was Not Given To Humble Him!

[image error]Lately we’ve been laying some of the foundations for being completely convinced from scripture of God’s will to heal. We started with 13 Solid Biblical Proofs Of God’s Will To Heal. Then we answered the question If Jesus Redeemed Us From Sickness, Why Are So Many Christians Sick? Last week we gave The Answer To Job’s Question. Today we have part 1 of a series on Paul’s thorn in the flesh.

This is one of the scripture passages that has been most abused with terrible exegesis and reading human traditions into scripture. When I got a solid scriptural understanding of this and of the book of Job, my life changed forever! Here’s part 1 of a solid take on Paul’s thorn, which uses scripture to interpret scripture. These two posts are adapted from an excerpt of my book The Power-And-Love Sandwich. If you haven’t already, you can support my work by purchasing a copy here.

Being Exalted Is Never Pride

Often, the fear that powerful spiritual experiences will lead to pride comes from a confused interpretation of what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. When I was at the Healing Fusion conference, a preacher named Joe McIntyre shared about this passage, and it changed the way I saw everything! Most of what I have to say here was inspired by his sermon, although I have added some of my own thoughts as well.

“Being exalted” in 2 Corinthians 12 is not pride, but it is a good thing. A detailed explanation of 2 Corinthians 12 is necessary to make the case that we should not expect supernatural experiences to lead us into pride, but rather that they should humble us. This may be one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible. Let’s look at what it says in the KJV:

2 Corinthians 12: 2-4 (KJV) I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth

“There’s Nothing Good In Me.” Really?

The song, “Se vc olhar em mim, nada encontraras de bom…” (The song continues about needing forgiveness and a new heart) Maybe songs like this in English too, although I’m not so familiar with the latest contemporary Christian music. I mostly listen to Jesus Culture and Hillsong. I like Hillsong especially because many songs focus on what Jesus has done for us.I know there are many similar songs in Spanish.

Really? How about the Holy Spirit. Does He live in you? According to Romans 8, if you don’t have Him, you don’t belong to God. Philemon 1:6 The sharing of your faith become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing you have in Christ.

If we think “Nothing good is in me” is makes the sharing of our faith ineffectual. It also makes it hard to see the good in our brothers

We need to focus on what God has done in us and for us, not on what Satan is doing and on our failures. So many times the church is telling Christians what’s wrong instead of what’s right. But the reason we call it the “gospel” (good news) is because Jesus made it right!

Encouraging correction that edifies, not tears down!

A better song is “Vc e um espelho, que reflete a imagem do Senhor…”

The need to read the Bible and meditate on it for ourselves.

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The Answer To Job’s Question

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I never saw a miracle happen through my hands until I became convinced that healing is always God’s will. I thought God’s will was usually healing, but there must be some exceptions. Job and Paul’s thorn in the flesh were the stumbling blocks for me. When I got these stumbling blocks out of the way, a life of miracles began.

Bill Johnson made a powerful statement when he said “Job was the question. Jesus is the answer.”  It was Bill’s teaching on Job that encouraged me to reconsider my perspective. It changed my life forever. Scripture says Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and nobody can see God except through Jesus. (John 1:18) These scriptures make it clear that we can’t see a perfect picture of God through Job or through anyone else but Christ. Until Jesus, all revelation was partial. John G. Lake said he thought of Jesus’ life as the supreme court of scripture. In other words, if something seems unclear, let’s look to Jesus’ life to settle the question. Jesus healed everyone who came to him, and he never said to anybody “I’m not going to heal you, because God is using this sickness to build your character.”

These are powerful truths. I’d like to add a few more observations which put things in simple terms for me so that I’ve never again thought of the book of Job as confusing. Here they are.

We Have The Means Job Needed To Overcome The Accuser!

We see in Job chapters one and two that Satan attacked Job by accusing him before God. He attacked Job the same way he attacks us—with accusation!

Revelation 12:10-11 (NIV) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

What’s the point? We have what we need to overcome the accuser! We have the blood of the Lamb! Job didn’t have a revelation of the gospel. Job shows us that even the best of men need a savior. Even the best of men were under the power of Satan and in the dominion of darkness until Jesus rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. (Colossians 1:13 NIV) Job was no exception. The Old Testament statement that a man was “blameless” does not mean a person was without sin. The Old Testament also says that King David was blameless, but it records several times when David sinned.

Romans 3:9-12 (NIV) For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Job needed to overcome the accuser just as we do, but he didn’t yet see the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The book of Job shows us why we need Jesus’ blood.

We Have The Mediator Job Needed!

Listen to the words of Job in chapter nine. It brings tears to my eyes when I realize how Jesus is the answer to the cry of Job’s heart.

Job 9:32-35 (NKJV) “For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.  Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both. Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.

Job wanted to meet God face to face, as to a man. God answered Job’s plea by sending Jesus as a man. God became one of us, like us in every way! Because Jesus came in the flesh, we can approach God face to face. God is no longer a mystery. We can see him as is.

Job needed a mediator between himself and God. Jesus is the mediator that Job needed! 

1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus

Jesus came as a man. We have a mediator! Just as in Job’s plea, Jesus removed the rod from us and reconciled us to God so that we might no longer be terrified by the dread of Him and so we can come boldly into His presence. Thank you Jesus!

We Have The Atonement Job Needed!

We see in the book of Job that Job’s three friends didn’t speak what was right, and Job justified himself rather than God. (Job 32:3) But there was a younger man, Elihu, who spoke wisdom. Consider the words of Elihu in Job chapter 33:

Job 33:21-26 (NKJV) His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen. Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners. “If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness, Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.

Elihu says that if there were a mediator and a ransom, the flesh of the sick man would become like that of a child’s, and he would return to the days of his youth. We’ve already seen that we have a mediator in Jesus. The word “ransom” here means atonement, which is how the Young’s Literal version translates it. Not only do we have the mediator that Job needed, but we have the atonement that Job needed. He is Jesus! 

1 John 2:2 (NIV) He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

The book of Job says if there was an atonement, this sick man’s  flesh would become like the flesh of a child and his youth would be restored. We have that atonement in Jesus, who carried not only our sins and iniquity but our pains and sicknessess in his body! (Isaiah 53:3-5, 10-11 YLT) Thank God that because of Jesus’ atonement, the promises of healing and youth renewed are for us!

Psalm 103:2-5 (NIV) Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,  who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,  who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

My friends, how could it be any clearer? We have exactly what Job needed. We can approach God face to face as to a man, we have a mediator, and we have a perfect atonement. May this settle the issue once and for all, and may you never again find yourself confused by the book of Job.

The book of Job contains such a marvelous revelation of Jesus and of redemption! After showing us the need for Jesus and correcting the faulty thinking of Job and his friends, it ends with twice as much being restored to Job than all that he lost. It’s so sad that many wrongly interpret this book of scripture in order to obscure the New Covenant revelation of Jesus that it leads us to!

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If Jesus Redeemed Us From Sickness, Why Are So Many Christians Sick?

[image error]When I posted How To Start Healing The Sick two weeks ago, I got two somewhat negative comments. After weighing the matter, I chose not to approve the second one because of the angry and disrespectful tone. Both comments reminded me of thinking I often encountered when I first started healing the sick, and have continued to encounter in certain circles.

The first of the comments basically said “We tried this for a long time and believed in it, and it didn’t work. It doesn’t always work and it’s not the sick person’s fault.”

The second comment was essentially “How dare you imply that people like Joni Eareckson Tada are less spiritual than you!”

Both of these comments boil down to the common question “If Jesus redeemed us from sickness, why are so many Christians sick?” 

My first response to such comments is that scripture and the revelation of God through Christ must be our standard for truth, not feelings or negative experiences, or what anyone else believes. Last week I shared 13 Solid Scriptural Proofs Of God’s Will To Heal. Scripture is just as clear about God’s will to healing as it is about redemption from sin. This should be good news! Let’s look at why this truth seems painful to some people and why many conclude “It doesn’t work.”

You Are Being Saved

Scripture speaks of salvation as a past fact, a present reality, and a future hope. Without going into a lot of detail, here are two verses that speak of salvation as something that is happening now:

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV) For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

When you called on Jesus’ name, you were saved. You received a new heart and a new nature, and were forgiven of all your sins. So why does scripture also talk about “being saved?” We are “being saved” as the redemption which Jesus accomplished for us continues to bear fruit, and as we continue to apply it.

Most Christians will agree that scripture not only teaches God has delivered us from sin, but he has delivered us from the power of sin. The power of sin was the law. When we die to the law to live to Christ, we will bear the fruit of righteousness because we have received the free gift of righteousness. This sanctification that occurs as we continue to hold to Christ’s righteousness is one aspect of “being saved.”

Applying Redemption

Do we ever ask “If Jesus’ dealt with our sins, why do so many Christians have sin in their lives?” Of course not! We understand that we must continue to apply Christ’s redemptive work to our lives. In fact, this is why we take communion.

When you turned to Jesus, did you immediately stop sinning and never sin again? You may have experienced some sinful habits just disappearing, never to torment you again. But I’m sure there were areas where you had to continue to apply Christ’s redemptive work. And there still are! This isn’t “getting saved again.” It’s just applying to your life that which Jesus has already done for you.

When I was born again I immediately stopped shoplifting. I had tried to stop this sinful habit before, yet was unable to. Then God opened the eyes of my heart and I was free in an instant. There was no longer any struggle to change, and I never went back to shoplifting again!

But what about other areas where I struggled with sin after that? Do we doubt that Jesus has really redeemed us from sin when we see some sin in the church? Do we deny the deliverance we have already experienced if we struggle with another area of sin? No! We understand that we must continue to apply Christ’s redemptive work to our lives. We don’t think for a moment that God is “waiting” to set us free from sin. We don’t say to a brother “God will set you free from pornography in his time.” Rather, we help our brother to apply what Jesus has already done.

Peace is another aspect of redemption. The punishment for our peace was upon Jesus. Do you remember the peace that flooded your soul when you met Christ? Yet do we always walk fully in that peace? If not, we understand that we need to continue to apply Christ’s redemption to our lives. We don’t say “God will give me peace in his time and not mine.” Rather, we apply truth to our lives.

Healing is the same. Yet many people question healing being part of Christ’s work because they see sick Christians. That’s like questioning if Jesus redeemed us from sin, because we see Christians who sin. Likewise, saying “God will heal, in his time” is like saying “God will forgive you, in his time.” He has already done it, and we need to apply his work by faith!

Why Are So Many Christians Sick?

What if we treated forgiveness as something that we could only hope God would will to grant us in his time? Christians would struggle even more with guilt and condemnation! What if the gospel we preached was “Turn to God, and he will forgive you in his time?” The reason Psalm 103 tells us not to forget God’s benefits is because we must apply them. As we saw last week, the first two benefits Psalm 103 names are that God forgives all our sins and heals our diseases. Communion reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice and reminds us of what we have because of Jesus’ blood.

Most Christians I know do not have the same assurance of God’s will for them to be free of disease as they do of God’s will for them to be free from sin. It’s no wonder they haven’t experienced much healing! But what about Christians who believe in God’s will to heal and yet have physical issues? Some people might mock me because I believe healing is always God’s will yet I wear contact lenses.

The fact is, I’ve been healed multiple times by God. I regularly see people healed as I minister to them. I have as much (or more) fruit to show for applying Christ’s redemption to the body as the fruit other Christians can show for applying God’s redemption to the spirit. 

Do you know somebody who God delivered from an ugly past? What do you do if you hear them gossiping or you see them screw up? I’d hope that you’d remind them of the work that the Holy Spirit has already done in their life, and remind them that God started a good work in them and will be faithful to complete it! I hope that if you blow it in some way you remind yourself of what the Holy Spirit has done in your life. None of this negates the power of Christ’s sacrifice to set people free from sin, or causes us to question it. If we don’t apply that logic to deliverance from sin, why do we apply it to the deliverance of the body?

Don’t misunderstand me. By no means am I implying that all sickness is a result of a person’s personal sin. Jesus himself made it clear that’s not the case. I’m pointing out that we are growing in Christ and we must apply God’s redemption to our lives. If we don’t doubt Christ’s sacrifice for sin because there’s sin in the church, neither should we doubt his sacrifice for our healing.

This Isn’t About Condemnation! It’s Good News!

Unfortunately, some people have taking the doctrine of healing and used it to condemn and blame people for their sicknesses. Satan has used this to twist truth so that people perceive the good news of Christ’s redemption as something painful. Jesus never did that! He never said “I can’t heal you because you don’t have enough faith.” I will never do that, because I have no right to tell someone they couldn’t get healed because of their unbelief if I myself didn’t believe and get them healed regardless of their faith. In fact, I know it’s initially much easier for most people to minister healing to others than to have faith for themselves.

Teaching that healing is absolutely God’s will is no more condemnation than teaching that living a life without sin is God’s will. It’s the goal! Although we may not have experienced that 100% percent yet, what we have experienced is amazing! And we are going forward as we grow in the knowledge of Jesus and continue to apply his redemptive work to our lives. 

I’ve encountered people who get really upset when I share about God’s will to heal, because they assume I will condemn them and blame them for not having enough faith. Yet I don’t even ask people to have faith when I minister to them. I take the responsibility of having faith for them.

Believing that healing is always God’s will doesn’t amount to bashing Joni Eareckson Tada for not being healed. It doesn’t amount to bashing anybody! I admire Joni’s joy, overcoming spirit, and ministry of compassion. Yet my standard of truth is Jesus, not Joni Eareckson Tada. 

The idea that God’s will for some people is sickness or disability is harmful, not helpful. I particularly remember a lady I met who was suffering from severe Fibromyalgia pain. I didn’t know her condition, but she heard me talking to her friends about what God had done in my life. She had been riddled with guilt and condemnation, felt that her suffering was somehow her fault, but was convinced the pain was her “thorn in the flesh.”

As she heard me talking with her friends, she became convinced that her pain really wasn’t from God. She asked me to pray.

She felt nothing happening as I put my hand on her shoulder and rebuked the pain. But a month later I heard the news. She had been pain-free ever since! I have encountered too many others, like this lady, who were sick and suffering until they became convinced that their pain wasn’t from God. Can I compromise the truth that set these people free at the risk of offending someone?

I have some friends who are dealing with pain and physical issues. I never blame them. I minister to them, and if they are still dealing with issues, I will minister again. I have seen people totally healed of issues after ministering to them the first few times with no results. I persevere because I know who Jesus is. I know that if I ever started doubting God’s will to heal by looking at God through experience and circumstances instead of through Jesus, the miracles happening all around me would stop.

If anybody is still offended at me saying God’s will is always healing, I ask “Isn’t it much worse to tell people that pain and disease are God’s will for them?” 

The post If Jesus Redeemed Us From Sickness, Why Are So Many Christians Sick? appeared first on Go to Heaven Now!.

13 Solid Scriptural Proofs Of God’s Will To Heal

[image error]Scripture speaks just as clearly about God’s will to heal as it speaks about the forgiveness of sins! Many may think this is a shocking statement, but it is true. Sometimes we don’t see this as clearly in modern translations, but an understanding of the original languages makes it even more clear. Here is an overview of several strong proofs that healing is part and parcel of salvation.

1. What Are God’s Benefits?

Psalm 103 says to bless the Lord and not forget any of his benefits. The first two benefits it names are that God forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. Could it be any clearer?

2. Christ Redeemed Us From The Curse Of The Law

Deuteronomy 28 gives the blessing of the law under the Old Covenant for obedience, and the curse of the law for disobedience. The curse names many diseases specifically, and then it goes on to include “every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this book of the law.”

Galatians 3:31 says that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. The curse of the law included every sickness and disease imaginable, and Jesus redeemed us from these. Pretty simple, huh?

3. We Have A Better Covenant With Better Promises

The Old Covenant included healing. We see that in verses such as Exodus 15:26, where God promised that if the Israelites obeyed him he would not bring on them any of the diseases he brought on the Egyptians. In fact the record of scripture tells us that the Israelites enjoyed health for their 40 years in the desert, except for when they disobeyed God. Psalm 105:37 says there was not one feeble person among their tribes.  Yet scripture tells us that we have a superior covenant with better promises. It’s not based on our obedience which often falls short, but on Christ’s sacrifice.

Moses beheld God’s glory so that when he died at the age of 120 he had perfect eyesight and was strong like a young man. Yet the glory Moses beheld pales in comparison to the surpassing glory we have in Jesus. 

4. Old Testament Types Of Jesus’ Atonement Provided Physical Healing

One example of this is found in Numbers 21, where the Israelites sinned and were bitten by snakes. God told Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten would be healed and live if they looked at it.

Jesus made it clear that this story foreshadowed his death. In John 3:14 Jesus said that he would be lifted up (on the cross) just like Moses lifted up the snake, so that everyone who believes would have eternal life in him.

Another notable example is found in 2 Chronicles 30, where God healed the people as the celebrated the Passover. The Passover is clearly another type of Jesus and his atonement. These are not the only types of the atonement where we see physical healing, but are just two examples.

5. Jesus Considered Disease The Work Of The Devil

We see this in , which has Jesus went about healing all who were under the power of the devil. We also see it in Luke 13, where Jesus said a crippled woman had been “bound by Satan for 18 long years.” 1 John 3:8 tells us that the reason Jesus appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

6. Jesus Considered Physical Healing Proof Of His Authority To Forgive Sins

This is found in Mark chapter 2. A paralyzed man’s four friends lowered into the house through the roof so they could get him to Jesus. Jesus told him “Your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees got mad and started whispering “who is this to forgive sins?” Jesus told them “Watch, and you’ll see my authority to forgive sins,” and then said to the paralytic “Pick up your bed and walk.” Jesus considered physical healing a demonstration of his authority to forgive sins.

Not only that, but Jesus passed on the authority to forgive sins to his disciples. See John 20:23.

7. Jesus Commanded All His Followers To Heal The Sick And Do The Works He Did

In the end of Matthew 9, we see Jesus traveling throughout all the towns and healing every sickness and disease. In Matthew 10, Jesus gave his disciples the authority to do the same and sent them to heal every sickness and disease. In Luke 10, we see Jesus sending out 72 others to do the same.

Then in the great commission, Jesus told these same disciples to teach all future disciples the same things he had taught them. Matthew 28:18-20 extends the commission to heal the sick to all Jesus followers. In the parallel passage in Mark 16, Jesus said the signs that would follow his disciples included “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Jesus said in John 14:12 that those who believed in him would do the same works and greater. Anything we have a scriptural mandate to do is surely God’s will.

8. Healing Is Part Of God’s Unchanging Nature

A name in Hebrew is quite significant. It is a revelation of character. One of God’s names, which he spoke directly in Exodus 15:26, is “The Lord Who Heals You.” Healing is an integral part of God’s nature. Scripture repeatedly says that Jesus healed because he had compassion on the people. Jesus healed because it was his nature to do so. The primary motive that scripture gives us for Jesus’ healing miracles is not to prove his divinity, but his compassion. If Jesus only healed to prove his divinity, why would he have commissioned his disciples to heal the sick?

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God’s nature does not change. Jesus has the same compassion today as the compassion that motivated him to heal everyone who touched him 200o years ago. He is the head, and we are his body, growing up in all things into Jesus until we reach the “full measure of the stature of Christ.” When we feel compassion, we are feeling God’s heart and it should motivate us to do the works of Christ.

9. A False Dichotomy Between The Spiritual And Physical Is Both Heretical And Unscientific

The Gnostics were an early religious group which denied that Jesus had come in the flesh. The basic reason they denied this fundamental Christian doctrine was that their belief system entailed a false dichotomy between the body and the spirit. They believed the physical world was evil and the spiritual was good. If the physical was evil, a holy God could not have come in a human body.

The apostle John called such teaching “antichrist.” A person is not just a spirit. A person is a body, soul, and a spirit, and Jesus came to save people. Scripture reflects this. God cares about your body just as he cares about your spirit. He cares for the whole person and is able to “save completely” those who come to God through him.

Such a false dichotomy is also unscientific. The body, soul, and spirit affect each other closely. Science confirms this. Peace in the soul has a powerful effect on the body. On the other hand, many scientists believe that the primary causes of physical sickness are things like fear and anxiety. Scientists such as Dr. Carolyn Leaf have identified mechanisms in the neurological and endocrine systems by which soulish and spiritual issues cause a whole host of physical diseases.

Denying the scriptural doctrine of redemption for the body undermines the scriptural doctrines of redemption for the soul and the forgiveness of sins. It leads to a theoretical gospel that lacks power. Scripture warns against the doctrine of those who hold to a form of godliness but deny its power.

10. Jesus Carried Our Pains And Sicknesses Just As He Carried Our Sins

A literal translation of Isaiah 53  says that Jesus carried our pains and our sicknesses. It uses the very same language to say that Jesus carried our pains and sicknesses as it uses to say that Jesus carried our sins and bore our iniquities. It says that God bruised Jesus and made him sick for our redemption, and there is healing for us in Jesus’ bruises. Is this figurative language?

Look at where these words are used earlier in scripture. The Hebrew word “pain” is used many times earlier in Old Testament and nearly always refers to physical pain. The book of Job uses the other word to talk about physical sickness, although it is sometimes used more figuratively.

But what makes the physical nature of these sicknesses and pains indisputable is Matthew 8:16-17. Jesus was healing masses of people. Mathew 8:16 says he healed them all. Then Matthew 8:17 says this was to fulfill to words of Isaiah that Jesus carried our sicknesses and diseases. It is directly quoting Isaiah.

There’s no getting around it. Even translations that translate Isaiah 53 figuratively translate the quotation of Isaiah 53 in Matthew 8 literally. The context of physical healing is undeniable. Any attempts to get around this point are feeble and irrational. 1 Peter 2:24 also directly quotes Isaiah 53 saying “by his wounds you have been healed.” Again, even translations which treat Isaiah 53 figuratively translate the quotation of it in 1 Peter literally.

Why did some translators translate Isaiah 53 figuratively and not literally? The implications of a literal translation blew their minds and destroyed their religious traditions rooted in Gnosticism!

11. Jesus Is The Exact Revelation Of God’s Will And Nature

Jesus told his disciples that he didn’t withhold anything from them, but revealed to them everything the Father had made known to him. God has made known to us the mystery of his will by setting it forth in Christ. He has spoken to us through his Son Jesus. God’s will is not a mystery. If you want to know it, look at Jesus.

The perfect reflection of God’s character and nature can only be seen in Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God. To see Jesus is to see God and to know his will. And Jesus healed every single person who came to him or touched him. No exceptions. He went through ALL the towns and villages, healing EVERY sickness and disease. A great deal of what scripture tells us about Jesus is his healing ministry. Jesus revealed God’s nature and God’s will by what he said and did.

12. The Language Scripture Uses For Salvation Applies Equally To Physical Healing As It Does To Regeneration Of The Spirit

One of the two most common words translated “saved” in the New Testament is “sozo.” Scripture uses it in classic salvation verses, like Ephesians 2:8, which says that we are saved by grace through faith, and John 3:17, which says that Jesus came into the world not to condemn it but that the world might have eternal life through him.

You can see all the scriptural uses of “sozo“ at this link. Notice how many of them, especially in the book of Mark, refer to physical healing. For example, Mark 6:56 says they laid sick people on the street, and all who even touched Jesus’ cloak were healed. The word “healed” here is actually the same word translated “saved” in many classic salvation verses like Ephesians 2:8. Why? This word is practical, not spiritualized. The scriptural view of salvation includes the whole being. You are not only a spirit. Hebrews says Jesus is able to “save completely” those who come to God through him. Not save them partially. The spiritualized view of salvation came through the Gnostic heresy and Greek philosophy, not from scripture.

When is the time of salvation? It’s always now. Now is the time of salvation and the day of God’s favor. God isn’t waiting to heal anybody any more than He’s waiting to forgive sins.

13. Any Cessation Of Healing Would Imply That God Failed In His Purposes

Scripture shows God continually revealing himself until that revelation culminated when Jesus came as a man. Daniel prophesied that Jesus would be a stone not cut by human hands which destroys the nations of the earth and then grows to become a mountain that fills the earth? Scripture says that the world will surely be filled with the knowledge of God’s glory as the waters cover the sea.

How does Jesus grow to become a mountain that fills the earth? Through the church, which is his body. The works of Jesus increase through his body. To deny that the Spirit of Christ dwells in the church is another way of denying the incarnation. For healing to cease God would have to fail in his purpose of placing his Spirit in men. For healing to cease, the rock would have to shrink and disappear instead of growing to become a mountain that filled the earth. If healing ceased, Jesus words “It’s better for you that I leave because I’m sending you the Holy Spirit” don’t make any sense at all. If healing ceased, it would be worse for us that Jesus ascended, not better.

Conclusion

I don’t see how anybody can believe that the Bible is God’s word and reject these clear statements and teachings in scripture. Scripture is so clear, so why do we question it? One of the reasons is that some Christians who believe in healing have abusively blamed sick people for their lack of faith in not being healed. Satan twists truth that is really good news in order to make it painful for some people.

And if God’s will is really healing, why are so many people sick? Even people who believe in healing. We’ll deal with these questions in next week’s blog post.

The post 13 Solid Scriptural Proofs Of God’s Will To Heal appeared first on Go to Heaven Now!.

How To Start Healing The Sick

[image error]Friends, as you know, I share many testimonies in my articles and I write a lot about growing in faith. Yet my writing is reaching some people who want to start ministering healing but have never done it. Many Christians have prayed for healing but seen very few results. There are two simple shifts in thinking that are important to begin to grow in healing ministry and seeing miracles.

Actually, we would summarize both of these in the truth that Jesus came as a man in a human body. The truth that Jesus, being God, came in a human body,  is called the “incarnation.” It’s one of the non-negotiable foundations of the Christian faith. I’ll link to some other articles that explain that and deal with other questions. Meanwhile, here is my advice for anybody who wants to start ministering healing.

Get Convinced That Healing Is Always God’s Will

God healed my back when I was nine years old. I knew that God could heal. Anybody who believes in God knows that he can do miracles. What so many people don’t know is how much God wants to!

I knew God heals, but for many years I never saw it happen when I prayed for people. I thought healing was probably usually God’s will, but I wasn’t convinced that it was always his will. I though God allowed some people to be sick like Job or the Apostle Paul. When I became convinced that healing is always God’s will because Jesus healed everyone who came to him, a life of miracles began. We know God’s will is healing because Jesus revealed his Father’s will to us.

Do you have questions? There are answers! There’s nothing wrong with asking questions. I needed to ask questions to become fully convinced.

I’ve answered some questions in other blog posts. In the next few weeks I will publish an article about Job and another one about Paul. You can also e-mail me questions at jonathan@gotoheavennow.com

If you are going to be convinced that healing is always God’s will, you need to stop looking at natural circumstances. You must know that it is God’s will to heal no matter what you experience and no matter what you see with natural eyes.

The only way you can see exactly what God is like and be sure of his will is by looking at Jesus. You can’t see God through your experiences. Take the time to read the gospels and start to think about the people Jesus healed. Focus on the compassion that Jesus showed.

Colossians 1:15 (NIV) The Son (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God

John 1:18 (NIV) No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Get Convinced That Jesus Lives In You

The Bible says that Christ in you is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) The incarnation shows us that God has chosen to do his will by putting his Spirit in men. Your hope of glory isn’t God somewhere up the sky, but it is God’s spirit working through you.

Jesus said that those who believed in him would do the same works as he did, and even greater works. He didn’t say that those who believed in him would ask the Father to do the same works for them.

Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to pray for the sick. The Bible doesn’t tell us that they prayed for sick people. Jesus told his disciples to heal the sick, and that’s what they did. He passed this command on to all future disciples. It is basic Christianity.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Jesus had to rely on the Holy Spirit to do everything he did. If you are a Christian, you have the same Holy Spirit he did. With the Holy Spirit’s help, you can do everything Jesus did and you can do it as simply as Jesus did it. You don’t have to do anything that Jesus didn’t have to do.

Understanding this means that we change our approach to healing. We see that we have a responsibility, and we stop asking God to heal people. God has already done his part.

Act On These Truths!

Instead of asking God to heal people, we act! There are different ways we can act. The most common are laying hands on people, telling the pain or sickness to leave, and telling the person’s body to be healed. The important thing is that we act or speak in faith. Jesus is the head, and we are his body. Healing ministry is a partnership between God and us. God has already done his part. Now we move as his body.

When you encounter pain or sickness, don’t treat it as normal! When I became convinced that healing is always God’s will, I heard that some very famous healing ministers laid hands on many people before anything happened. I decided that I would minister to everybody I could, even if I had to minister to a thousand people before anybody was healed.

When I encountered sickness or injuries, I started telling people “I believe Jesus wants to heal you. Can I pray for you?” Even though we often use the word “pray” because people understand it, what we are really talking about is not asking God to heal them. We are acting and speaking with authority in Jesus’ name. To start, we can use simple phrases like “be healed now” and “pain go in Jesus’ name.”

Miracles began happening much sooner than I expected! When you have testimonies of what happened when you ministered healing to someone else, you can share them with other people you encounter.

It helps to ask the person what they feel or what their pain level is before you minister to them. (Some problems can be measured at the time you minister to someone. Others, like an internal tumor, can’t be tested until a person goes to the doctor.)

Then you can command healing and put your hand on the injured body part if it is appropriate. Then ask them again. They may feel completely better after the first time. If they feel some improvement, you can thank God for the improvement and minister again. Even if they don’t feel any difference, you can quickly minister to them again and interview them again. Sometimes you may minister healing to a person five times and each time they feel a little less pain until all the pain is gone.

This is a simple way to start acting on the truths that God wants to heal people and he wants to do it through you. You will learn more ways to approach people and minister to them as you act.

It’s important that your desire to see Jesus’ touch people is bigger than your fear of embarrassment or failure. The way that we grow is by taking risks! Keep acting and don’t be discouraged by what you see naturally. It helps to watch some videos of other people ministering healing. Focus on Jesus’ goodness and compassion as you think about the things you see God do. Growing in faith is about getting to know Jesus better.

Here’s a video of Todd White to help get you started. Check out the Youtube channels in the links section of this site for more.

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Faith And Focus

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The Lord Of The Flies Wants The “Worth-ship” that only God deserves. Don’t magnify him with your undue attention. Be so impressed with Jesus’ victory that everything else looks puny!

Last week we talked about one way to evaluate if we’re walking in faith. Faith is revealed when our joy is rooted in invisible heavenly realities. Today I share more thoughts about what has helped me to walk in faith.

Faith And Worship

Faith is revealed by what we give attention to. The modern English word “worship” is derived from the old English word “worth-ship.” Whatever you attribute the greatest worth to is what will capture your attention. When we worship God, his power and his goodness capture our attention. We live a life of worship when God continually captures our attention.

What you have faith in is what you are impressed with. If you’re impressed with anything more than you are impressed with God, something is dimming your view of reality. If you see God as he truly is, everything else will look puny in comparison. When are absolutely impressed with God, we attribute the proper worth to him, thus we “worship” him.

This should make it clear that worship is much more than singing songs. Certainly, singing is a way to express worship. It is a powerful tool to focus our attention on the Lord. The tongue is like a rudder, and we can use it to steer our whole being where we want to go. But worship goes far beyond singing. It’s a position where God constantly captures our attention. It’s a position where we attribute the proper worth to God as we learn to see him as he is.

We choose to take that position of worship by directing the focus of our thoughts and words. We also can ask God to open the eyes of our hearts so that we can see him as he is and be properly impressed with him.

Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV) And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Being in that position of worship is being in a position of faith. The more I focus my attention on the Lord, the more happens all around. It might start with healing and deliverance, but the more you continue to focus on God and what he is doing, the more happens. As I continued to minister healing to people, soon unexpected miracles also started to happen around me and I began to experience lots of angelic activity.

Worship changes your whole perspective. When you live a life of worship, you begin to walk in a heavenly wisdom which others cannot comprehend. It seems like foolishness to them. But you will see the foolishness of God confound the wisdom of the wise!

Faith For Difficult People

If you read part two of “Supernatural Rain,” you’re already seen this principle in relation to healing. Elijah told the king to the rain was coming as soon as he saw a small cloud the size of a man’s hand. When we minister healing, we focus on what God is doing and bless it, and it increases. We can apply the same principle to personal relationships, gifts of miracles, faith for cities, and many other things.

Do you have a difficult person in your life? It may someone you work with or somebody in your family. When we have a history with people and have experienced the same problems again and again for years, it’s very easy to focus on their faults. The faults of those who are closest to us often stand out the most. Frustration and personal offense can create a negative dynamic in a relationship.

As Christians who have received a new nature created after the likeness of Jesus, we feel bad if we lose our tempers or react out of hurt and not out of love. But again and again, the same issues come up and we fail. It seems the harder we try to be Christlike in these situations, the more impossible they seem.

Here’s what happens. We get sucked into fighting something. The more we fight, the more our focus turns on it. The more we focus on something, the bigger it becomes in our perception. We end up giving “worth-ship” to something that’s really not worthy of it!

Let me ask you something. Do you believe the Holy Spirit is working in your life to demonstrate Jesus’ love through you? Do you believe the Holy Spirit is working in the life of that difficult person you are having conflict with?

Yes, of course he is! And shouldn’t you be much more impressed with what the Holy Spirit is doing than your own failures or the failures of others? Is the work of the devil really worthy of more attention than the work of God?

Stop fighting the problem and start focusing on what God is doing. If you’re struggling with a difficult relationship, remind yourself that the Holy Spirit is working in their life and whatever the Holy Spirit is doing certainly worthy of far more attention than anything that’s wrong with them. Stop attributing more “worth” to the work of the devil in that person’s life than you do to the work of the Holy Spirit. Be impressed by God!

Faith For The Church To Grow Up In All Things Into Christ

This also applies to the body of Christ. There is so much that the church needs to grow in. There’s so much injustice and tradition that’s commonly accepted yet is contrary to God’s work. There was a time in my life where I began to realize how much of what I learned in church had hurt and hindered me.

At first, I continued to focus on what God was doing in the church. God helped me to confront lies, but from a healthy perspective of focusing on what He was doing. Then I encountered such injustice that my focus shifted to fighting and denouncing what was wrong.

I was right about what was wrong. But I began to give undue attention to it. It hurt my life. The miracles manifesting through me decreased for a period of time. We do need to speak up where there is injustice and we need to present truth. But please don’t fall into the trap of focusing more on what’s wrong with the church than on what the Holy Spirit is doing in the church. That’s a trap, and be careful about those who would lead you into it. What the Holy Spirit is doing in the church is far more impressive than all the problems we can find, and it is what deserves our attention. Give your “worth-ship” to the Holy Spirit and learn to be properly impressed and in awe of what he is doing. It’s so much bigger and so much greater!

I’ve had contact with many churches. I often see things that are wrong, but in every place I go, I choose to focus on “What is the Holy Spirit doing here?” As long as I continue to focus on that, no matter how bad things may seem, miracles happen.

Faith To Walk In Freedom Personally

Do you love Jesus but you’ve stumbled and struggled with a sin or addiction? Stop struggling with it. The more you struggle with something, the more you will focus on it. Reminding yourself of how many times you’re failed will never help you to get free.

Stay in a “gospel position.” The Bible teaches that Jesus won the victory by his death and resurrection. We receive it. The power is in the gospel. Let Jesus’ victory impress you! Isn’t God’s power more than enough to “save you completely” and to transform you into the image of Jesus? Never attribute more worth to your failures than you do to the power of the Holy Spirit within you to overcome!

Focus on what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life. He is working in you! The very reason that you’re so bothered by something in your life that doesn’t look like Jesus is because the Holy Spirit is working in your life. Don’t attribute more “worth” to your failures and weaknesses than you do to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Faith For Cities And Nations

I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. People have become so frustrated with the violence and corruption in Brazil. I often hear Christians say “Brazil is never going to change. It’s never going to get better. It’s going to self-destruct.”

Whatever city or country you live in, do you believe the Holy Spirit is working there? Don’t you think that whatever the Holy Spirit is doing is so much greater than any puny little scheme of the devil? Are you giving the proper attention to what God is doing? Or is your perception of reality distorted because you are giving the devil undue attention?

As Christians, all of us say we worship God. But how many of us are more focused on what the devil is doing than on what God is doing? How many of us talk more about what’s wrong than we talk about what the Holy Spirit is doing? Doesn’t God sit in the heavens, laughing and scoffing at the devil’s schemes? Do you think your God is impressed with the devil? Is your God worried about him? If not, why should you be?

My friends, I hope this post has challenged you. Being challenged in a healthy way is good! Let’s turn our attention to Jesus and stop giving undue attention to other things. Let’s become properly impressed with God, and may our words and actions reflect it!

If you’d like to read more on praise, faith, and miracles, check out my book I Will Awaken The Dawn.

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