Praying Medic's Blog, page 102
October 31, 2015
Transparency: The Painful Truth and How We Must Be Healed
There are many people in the body of Christ who have a need to talk about some ugly things from their past. Not to wallow in self-pity but to receive healing from the terrible things they’ve endured and to receive affirmation from us that they are not outcasts or freaks.
“A despairing person should have kindness from his friend, said Job, “lest he forsake the fear of the Almighty” (Job 6:14 NASB). Job recognized, as only a person in pain can do, that simple answers not only fail to relieve pain, they can literally drive a person further away from God. The hurting person who takes this sort of advice to heart often has two problems instead of one: the pain she originally had, plus the guilt over not being able to apply the answers she was given.”
― Henry Cloud (Changes that Heal)
When a person with a history of abuse or neglect approaches a church leader about their problems they’re sometimes asked to keep quiet about them. “Don’t focus on what the devil has done to you,” they’re told. “You are a new creature. Just focus on God.”
Such platitudes don’t bring healing or comfort to the hurting. They only reinforce what these people have already discovered—that no one wants to help them or hear about their problems. Too many leaders have no desire to discuss the abusive pasts of the people they minister to. Part of that may be because they feel ill-equipped to handle these issues. (This can be fixed through training.) The usual way of dealing with imperfections in the church is to pretend everything is okay. When someone asks how you’re doing, put on a plastic smile and tell them you’re fine. Sweep your pain under the rug and hope no one notices it.
I do wonder how many leaders would discuss their own history of abuse if they knew they would not be judged or condemned for what they disclosed. Sadly, they don’t dare bring these things out in the open, for fear of losing their position in the church or the esteem we’ve given them. I can tell you from personal experience life on a pedestal is a miserable existence.
Two years ago I decided to publicly disclose some of the more ugly parts of my past. Later I began discussing the emotional trauma I experienced as a child and how I was healed of it. I could not have done any of this had it not been for the loving, non-judgmental way in which my friends let me be me. Just as I am. Totally transparent.
I believe God wants to bring a much deeper level of healing to the bride that He loves. The healing that we need will require us to learn how to be transparent about the things we’ve kept hidden. We do no one a favor by hiding our past from our brothers and sisters.
The first step in the healing process is becoming a community of safe people. We must learn to listen with empathy when people share things about their past that makes us uncomfortable. We must learn to accept each other’s brokenness and shortcomings without judgment. And we must learn to hold the secrets others share with us in strict confidence. The second step is learning about the healing process. We must invite Jesus into the mess that’s been made of our soul and ask Him to heal us. The last step is helping others to receive their own healing, just as we’ve receive ours.
If you’re interested in learning more about emotional healing you might check out my book Emotional Healing in 3 Easy Steps.
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October 28, 2015
Handling Unsolicited Advice
Most of us will at one time or another, receive a message from a stranger who feel as though they have a prophetic word for us, a word of correction or some kind of spiritual advice. In the age of social media, it’s much more common to receive this kind of communication than was just a few years ago. Dealing with strangers who want to become involved in our personal lives and in our relationship with God can be frustrating. Part of the process of maturing in Christ is learning how to wisely handle unsolicited attempts from strangers who want to minister their gifting to us.
Sometimes a stranger will have a message from God, but other times the message they bring is not from Him. It’s a personal issue being portrayed as Godly revelation. Some believers accept revelation from just about anyone. They tend to value revelation more than they value relationship. Ministry from a stranger can be difficult to act upon, because we don’t know the heart or motives of a stranger. It’s my experience that the most effective ministry is carried out between people who know one another. Ministry from someone we know and trust is easier to receive and act upon, because we’re more likely to know their heart and their motives.
If you value relationship over revelation, being firm in your convictions about the need for relational ministry can help you avoid being manipulated by a stranger. Being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit will allow you to discern the source of the message. Being patient can keep you from becoming offended by them. (Unity in the body of Christ is largely an issue of learning how to avoid offenses.) Being kind can keep you from unnecessarily offending them.
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October 26, 2015
Podcast 035: Tom Schermitzler
To open in a new window click this link: podcast 035
In this episode my friend Tom Schermitzler shares his testimony of being healed of multiple sclerosis. He also shares a testimony of healing of an infant who drowned in a pool. In the second part of the podcast he shares some amusing stories about the things he’s seen Jesus and angels do in his work as a hospice musician. We close out the program with a discussion of God’s will for healing.
Resources
God’s Living Room Facebook page
God’s Living Room in Phoenix Facebook page
God’s Living Room website
Power Healing by John Wimber
Listen or Subscribe
Past Episodes
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October 24, 2015
Brain Injury Healed
This woman was wheelchair bound with an injury to her cerebellum from an accident. John Mellor prayed for her and she was miraculously healed.
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October 21, 2015
Building Faith for the Miraculous
I receive messages from friends who are inspired by the testimonies and instruction I share, but many of them have a hard time stepping out and praying for others. The problem for some is that their prayers to receive their own healing haven’t made a difference yet. It’s easy to think that God won’t heal others if He hasn’t healed you. One of the most common obstacles to operating in the miraculous is dwelling on the fact that you’re waiting for your own healing to manifest.
You will never witness the miraculous in your own life as long as your eyes can only see what God hasn’t done for you. That’s what the enemy wants you to dwell on. As long as you’re willing to fix your mind on your own problems, the enemy has you exactly where he wants you.
It doesn’t matter how many ailments you have that haven’t been healed. Looking at your own disappointing circumstances will only weaken what little faith you might have. It creates more doubt and unbelief and that will only make your prayers less effective.
The solution is to get your eyes off of your own circumstances and onto something that will build your faith. A word about faith for the miraculous might be helpful at this point:
Contrary to what is preached from many pulpits today, faith that is as small as a mustard seed does not work miracles. When Jesus told His disciples the parable of the mustard seed, He was not saying faith as small as a mustard seed can work miracles. He said faith that acts the way a mustard seed acts can work miracles. He went on to say that a mustard seed, though small, grew into a massive tree. Faith must grow before it produces healing and miracles.
Hearing the testimonies of what God is doing through others is a good exercise to build greater faith, but the most effective way to strengthen weak faith is to go out and lay hands on people who need healing. Yes, you will pray for people who won’t be healed, but don’t focus on them. Move on and keep laying hands on people and eventually you’ll pray for people who are healed. And those victories, few as they might be, are what you need to focus on.
If you need further help with healing, you might check out my book Divine Healing Made Simple.
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October 19, 2015
Podcast 034: Michael Van Vlymen
To open in a new window click this link: podcast 034
My guest today is my friend Michael Van Vlymen, who is the author of several books on the supernatural. In the first part of our interview we discuss seeing in the spirit. In the second part we discuss angelic visitations and in the third, we discuss traveling in the spirit.
Resources
How to See In the Spirit
Angelic Visitations and Supernatural Encounters
Angels and Demons
Listen or Subscribe
Past Episodes
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October 17, 2015
The Purpose of Prophecy
When we operate in prophecy as a gift of the Holy Spirit, our words are intended to bring comfort and encouragement to the body of Christ.
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men…he who prophesies edifies the church.
1 Cor. 14:3-4
The gift of prophecy may require us to develop our ability to see in the spirit before it will function properly. God can send us messages for others in the form of visions, but if we aren’t able to see them, we can’t give them to the people they’re intended for. The revelation we receive and the power to bring to pass the words we speak are dependent upon God. The ability to see the revelation He sends, and the ability to correctly interpret and deliver it depends upon us.
The danger in receiving inside information from God about others is that the information may be used against them for personal reasons. God may disclose the dark secrets of a person’s life to any of us. A person with a desire to tarnish another’s reputation can easily use prophetic revelation to “correct” them simply to cause them shame and humiliation. Before we consider dragging someone’s dirty laundry out in the open for public scrutiny, we might ask ourselves how we would feel if we were the one in the hot seat. Prophetic revelation, if it is not used wisely has as much potential to do harm as good.
Since there is no condemnation in Christ (Rom 8:1), any activity that leads to condemnation is counter to the character of Christ’s ministry and it should be avoided. The purpose of prophecy is to encourage and exhort. The goal is not to leave a person feeling condemned, but to leave them feeling encouraged. If God reveals a person’s sin, we must find a way to handle that revelation in a way that allows us to give them a word that will encourage them.
When God shows us a person’s sin, He is revealing something about their character. What He reveals in this case is not how He intends for them to live; it is how they happen to be living at the moment. The goal of prophecy is not to expose sin but to inspire righteousness, not to uncover nakedness, but to further clothe with the righteous from the Father. Because the power of the prophetic word is its ability to reveal the future, we must reveal to them the person they will become, and not the person they are today.
If God shows you a vision of a man and his wife, and as the vision progresses a woman appears who seduces the man into having an adulterous affair, we must consider the damage that could be done by accusing him of having an affair, even if the accusation turns out to be true. Prophesying the obvious plans of Satan to destroy his marriage isn’t going help him out of the situation he’s in. When we fail, it is because we have allowed the enemy to lead us from the path God has prepared for us (see Jas 1:13). The prophetic word is intended to shine a light upon that path. Knowing that God has prepared a path and a destiny of righteousness for everyone, we must prophesy from the person’s divinely ordained destiny, and not their failures. If God shows you a man who is having an affair, you must prophesy that God designed him to be a faithful and loving husband who loves his wife as Christ loves the church. When He shows you images portraying addiction, you have a choice: Do you reveal their addiction and warn them that it displeases God (as if they didn’t already know) or do you declare that God’s desire is for them to be a pillar of society and a role model for others? The first option will leave them feeling condemned and hopeless, while the second will leave them feeling encouraged. Prophecy is a powerful gift when we use it the way it is intended to be used.
This is an excerpt from the book Seeing in the Spirit Made Simple.
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October 14, 2015
Finding God Through Art
In my next book on hearing God’s voice, I’ll explore the question of whether God can be found in the arts. In this interview, painter Makoto Fujimura explains how he found Jesus in the arts, and how art can only truly be understood in the light of who God is.
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October 12, 2015
Podcast 033: Shae Bynes – Taking Risks for the Kingdom
To open in a new window click this link: podcast 033
Shae and I always have a blast when we talk and this time was no exception. We cover a lot of subjects in this interview, the most important of which is the fact that taking risks in necessary to advance the kingdom of God.
Topics Covered:
Update on my books
Being slain in the spirit
Traveling in the spirit
The future of my radio show
How does God speak to us?
What are prophetic emotions?
Why I’m mentoring other authors
Unusual ways in which God speaks to us
How to free yourself from fear of failure
Taking risks while lowering your expectations
Being supernatural but not religious at work
The prophetic ministry of the average believer
How taking risks confirms that you’re hearing from God
Distinguishing between your thoughts and God’s thoughts
How I choose the people I minister to personally and coach
How to instruct people who are at different places in their walk with God
Resources
The Time is Write Facebook Group
The Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur
Listen or Subscribe
Past Episodes
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October 10, 2015
It is Finished
What did Jesus mean when He said “It Is Finished?”
God had a plan when Jesus went to the cross. The plan was to remove everything and anything that could ever separate you from the love of God. When Jesus gave up his spirit, that plan was finished and completed forever.
On the cross, Jesus (the second Adam) restored to you the same perfect innocence the first Adam had in the garden. He remained on the cross long enough to receive all the judgment you will ever earn.
There is nothing you can ever do to atone for your sins.
They were taken away and you can never have them back.
There is no longer any separation between you and God.
There is no day of judgment in your future.
There is no day of reckoning coming.
You have been made one with God.
The veil was removed.
It is finished.
God is not disappointed with you.
He is not angry at you.
He is not upset by anything you’ve done.
He is only delighted with you.
He is filled with wonder when He sees you.
You have been made perfect in his eyes.
You are His treasure today and tomorrow.
It is finished.
On the cross, Jesus defeated sickness and death once and for all.
Everything required for you to raise the dead and heal the sick was accomplished.
Everything needed to heal your emotions was done.
He gave sight to the blind and healed the brokenhearted.
He bore your griefs and carried away your sorrows.
By His stripes you were healed.
It is finished.
There is nothing you can do that will ever make you more respected in the eyes of God than you are right now.
There is no need for you to strive to impress Him.
All that was needed to make you a king in His house was done.
All that was required to restore your divine identity was accomplished.
When He died, your old nature died with Him.
When He was raised, you were raised with Him.
When He ascended, you ascended with Him.
He is seated in the heavens at the right hand of God and so are you.
You have already been crowned with glory.
It is finished.
So stop striving.
Don’t be stressed.
Don’t listen to the lies that say you are anything less than a cherished and greatly loved child of the eternal Father.
Rest in His absolute and overwhelming love for you.
It is finished.
(From a dream on 9/21/2015)
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