Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Art Thomas
Read between
March 1 - March 4, 2020
relax. Jesus already did all the work.
Every believer in Jesus is authorized to heal in His name.
Authorised.
There was no fancy prayer, no begging God, no pleading, no shouting (except from the healed man!), no preaching, no “atmosphere” music, no magic words—nothing.
Healing ministry is actually very simple. Jesus told us how to do it in Mark 16:17-18. All we have to do is lay our hands on the person. He didn’t even say that you’re required to say anything (although you can).
If my problem is trying to "squeeze healing out though my words," perhaps i shoulf try just laying on hands?
Your authority is not based on how loud or forceful you are. It is based on what Jesus has done to transform your life. (See Ephesians 2:4-7.)
I like to say that faith is doing my part—and only my part—while completely trusting God to do the rest. The problem is that we often try to do some of God’s part, or else we don’t actually believe that He’s going to come through unless we “try harder.”
the most sobering realization I had was that all this time, I had been praying to the wrong god. The god I was seeking may have been the right one by name and association with Jesus, but his character was utterly different from the true God.
we take our attention off of how long our loved one has suffered and place it onto how long our God has been faithful.
Earthly compassion shrugs off minor aches and pains. Heavenly compassion goes to the cross for them.
I make my concern for minor issues the high-water-mark for how seriously I take “bigger things.”
God’s nature is not determined by miracles; miracles are determined by His nature.
Jesus’ sacrifice is more powerful than the worst decisions of mankind.
This isn’t about what the person deserves; it’s about what Jesus deserves.
"This" is healing.
Fear assumes the worst about God’s character. Faith rests in the peace of knowing His love.
It is impossible to qualify yourself for a healing, and it is therefore also impossible to disqualify yourself.
Hebrews 12:2 instructs us to focus our attention on Jesus, calling Him the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” The New Living Translation (NLT) renders this portion differently, calling Jesus “the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” In other words, if you don’t have faith, turn your focus to Jesus, and He will initiate it. And if your faith isn’t perfect, look to Jesus; He will perfect it.
Our faith, not our doctrine.
Regardless, God’s prescription was that as soon as a Christian could come to Saul, that person’s job was to minister healing. (See Acts 9:17-18.) Even when God brings the affliction, His desire is to heal.
When healing miracles become normal through your life,
When? When. When!! Wow.
So if someone we know and love isn’t yet healed, the problem is not that Jesus said “no” but that the Church is still in the process of becoming fully like Him.
That pretty well sums up my understanding of this.
Faith-filled Christianity involves learning to think differently than the world thinks. The world studies problems; the Kingdom of God studies the Solution. The world relies on self-will and human effort; the Kingdom of God relies on the Father’s love, the Spirit’s power, and the finished work of Christ.
In the Kingdom, if something doesn’t work, we try less and trust more.
If we will realize who we are in Christ and what we carry, and if we will make opportunities for others to be healed, miracles will become normal.
When we keep our eyes on Jesus in this way, our pursuit of a miracle becomes an act of worship because we are seeking for Jesus to receive what He paid for. Anytime you seek healing—whether for yourself or someone else—it can be an act of worship.
Continue serving Jesus no matter your circumstances and no matter the cost. Love well, and continue placing simple trust in the Lord.
This sounds like something Paul would have written.
every single miracle I have witnessed—roughly four thousand in the last six years—has required no effort from anyone except Jesus. Every miracle has flowed out of simple trust.
Biblically speaking, the only prescription for a sick Christian is to have local mature believers minister to him or her. You don’t need to have perfect faith. You don’t have to eliminate all doubt. You don’t have to confess the right promises or quote the right scriptures. You don’t have to uncover secret sins or figure out spiritual roots. You don’t have to hunt down a faith-healer. You don’t have to perform. And you certainly don’t have to figure out how to minister to yourself (although there’s nothing wrong with trying). All these things are nice if they happen, but none of them are
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Said in a very calm and relived tone of voice: Amen, and hallelujah.
