Who does the healing?
Who does the healing? That seems straightforward at first – it’s God – but what did Jesus say?
Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV) And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Who did he say was to preach the gospel? His disciples.
Who did he say was to heal the sick? His disciples.
Who did he say was to cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons? His disciples.
Did he say to pray for them, that God would heal them? It doesn’t appear so.
Really?
Mark 16:15-18 (NIV) He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Yes, really.
So how did they do this? Did they pray? Yes, sometimes they prayed for God to heal. But other times, they commanded healing to come. Look at the healings in the book of Acts, like this one:
Acts 3:4-8 (NLT) Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”
Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
By using Jesus’ name they healed others the same way Jesus healed others – by giving a command of faith.
How do we practice healing? There are many biblical ways
- anointing with oil
- prayer of agreement
- prayer of faith
- laying on hands
But don’t leave out healing the way Jesus did – by the command of faith. You’re a believer, believe that signs follow you. You do the healing.
Doug
Opposites
What is the opposite of hot? Cold.
What is the opposite of light? Dark.
What is the opposite of God?
That’s a trick question. If you said “the devil”, no, not him.
There is no opposite of God, because opposite implies “equal”.
In Job 1 and 2, satan answers to God.
In Matthew 4, Jesus overcame temptation and satan departed.
In Philippians 2:9-11, EVERY knee will bow to the name of Jesus.
In Revelation 20:10, the devil will be cast into the lake of fire that was prepared for him (Matt 25:41).
That doesn’t sound like an equal to God.
In the song “Great Big God”, Rob Critchley writes that we have a Great Big God and there’s a little bitty devil.
Don’t underestimate him, for he has a great deal of natural wisdom and experience. But remember that he is not equal to God, he never was, and he never will be. He’s simply a created being, and you can resist him, steadfast in faith (1 Peter 5:8-9, James 4:7).
Doug
A vision of four doors
Last Monday (June 15th) about 7am I had this vision, which I want to share. Note that what I write here does not represent my present church (or any particular church). It was a vision so the pictures were symbolic. It was speaking to me, however, and I think to the church as a whole as well.
I was being quiet before the Lord, except for the occasional “Here I am, Lord”, “You are good”, and “You are holy”. All of the sudden I saw myself standing before four doors. I knew somehow what the first three doors were. The fourth door was different, and I knew I wasn’t supposed to try to open that door, nor even ask what it was.
The first door was called “revelation”. I opened the door and went in, and it was dark inside. But I saw a bright light a distance off. I could walk towards the light or back away from it. I didn’t yet go too close to the light, yet I knew I could come back to this place any time. It was the place to learn about God and the Kingdom.
I went in the second door, it was called “outreach”. Behind it were hungry people. They were calling “over here, over here” and reaching for me. They were many races, many of them poor, most of them non-caucasian. They were hungry for the least little thing I would share with them about Jesus and the Kingdom.
I went in the third door, it was called “ministry”. In it was like a big formal church sanctuary, a relatively modern sanctuary, but with large old-fashioned fixed pews. The carpet was red. For the size of the church, however, it was largely empty. The pulpit was vacant, I knew I had a message to deliver there, but the crowd was passive, unresponsive. There was no enthusiasm in the singing.
Then I was standing outside of the four doors. I was told that of the first three doors, I could choose to spend as much time as I wanted behind each door, I would make that decision. I could move from door to door freely.
What I saw, however: I most wanted to spend my time behind the third door (ministry) – ministering to those that are already in the kingdom. I most needed to spend my time behind the first door (revelation). I was most needed by others behind the second door (outreach).
I’m asking the Lord to help me apply what I saw. I need to balance the time I spend at each of these calls on my life. It’s easy to get too involved in any one of these.
Doug
Raising the dead
In a discussion on another board, someone said:
… I do not see where anyone can raise the dead.
I wrote a response on that board, and decided I would share it here as well.
Jesus raised the dead.
Jesus sent his disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:7-8).
Peter and Paul proved it was valid in the church age (Acts 9:36-43, Acts 20:7-11).
I have the same Holy Spirit inside that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11) and that was upon Peter and Paul.
Why not?
Doug
The Spirit and the Letter
John 5:39 (NKJV) You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Search the Scriptures. Diligently study (NIV). Sounds like a lot of effort, doesn’t it? That’s what the Pharisees did their whole life, and what I’ve spent a good portion of my life doing. This isn’t a bad thing at all – it’s very good, in fact.
I was listening to Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. He made this statement: “If knowing the Word was synonymous with knowing God, the Pharisees would have rocked.” He pointed out that demons recognized Jesus (Mark 1:24, 5:7) and that Peter recognized Him (Matthew 16:16).
On the other hand, the Pharisees didn’t recognize Jesus, in spite of their long years of studying the texts that should have pointed Jesus out to them. They had their ideas about exactly what the truth was and exactly how God was going to do things, and Jesus didn’t fit into that mold.
You can’t just live by the Bible words printed on the page. “Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” is not just what’s written in the Bible. Jesus said His sheep hear his voice (John 10:27). The Spirit speaks to our hearts, through our ministers, and through the divine encounters He gives us.
If it is the Spirit speaking, He won’t contradict the word, even if what He says doesn’t always fit our understanding of it. He wants to enlarge our understanding of God and His ways.
In my early years as a believer, I spent significant time around the Word of Faith movement. Because of this, I knew the importance of knowing the Bible thoroughly. But it wasn’t until ten years or so ago that I made more effort to know the Spirit that inspired the word, and not just know the word for its own value. This is when I started hearing God’s voice more, started to see visions, starting to operate again in the gift of prophecy (something I’d not done regularly since the early 80′s), and starting to operate from compassion and relationship, and not just from rules.
I still study the scripture, but I’m spending time with the Spirit as well. We need to know the Spirit that the apostles did have, as well as the Bible they didn’t have (paraphrasing Bill Johnson of Bethel Church).
Don’t let the word without the Spirit give you a rigid, dogmatic faith. Let the Spirit bring the word to life.
Doug
Are you hungry?
Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
I’m currently reading Expecting Miracles: True Stories of God’s Supernatural Power and How You Can Experience It
Our teacher spoke this afternoon about hungering after righteousness, the Kingdom of God. She commented on how differently these Mozambican pastors look at the Scriptures, because the word hunger has a whole other meaning to them. They know that hunger unfulfilled leads to death. These pastors have experienced that hunger. They have a desperation for this righteousness with the same yearning that they have for food. These men and women view the whole Gospel in a different light than we do in the West – the words of Jesus take on different meaning and depth in the eyes of the poor.
The pastors then came and laid hands upon us to pray that we would experience a deep hunger for the Spirit of God. When they prayed, we did not understand all the words, but we could hear the desperation in their voices. We wept. We stood there as the rain poured forth from our souls onto the dry desert of apathy and complacency that cripples us from truly seeking God. Language, culture, skin color, gender, class – all of these are illusory boundaries within the human race. But the Spirit of God can unify any people group who truly call on His name. These Mozambican pastors, though poor in material wealth, possess a wealth we long to draw from and a heart we are constantly learning from.
I can’t really add anything more that would mean much. I’m hungry, are you?
Doug
Bigger than you can think
This verse closes one of the prayers Paul prays for the churches in Ephesians:
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Exceedingly abundantly. Immeasurably (NIV). Infinitely more (NLT). Superabundantly, far over and above (Amplified). What’s it mean?
If you can think about God doing something, if you can imagine God doing something, then you’re still thinking too small, compared to what He is able to do. Oral Roberts used to have a sign on his desk that read “Make no little plans here.”
But the second thought here is HOW God will accomplish it: through His mighty power at work within us (NLT). God wants to partner with us, just as He partnered with man in the garden. God brought the animals and man named them (Genesis 2:18-20). He wants to show us by His word and by the ways He leads us what our potential can be, and He wants to partner with us to accomplish it.
Doug
Pastor Debbie’s blog and CD
I follow @PsalmsoftheSoul on Twitter, Pastor Debbie George of Everett (Seattle area), WA. Today I just discovered the blog she started, http://coffeewgod.blogspot.com
In addition, she has a new CD coming out on June 17th, Shining Through. There are sample songs online. My friend Apostle Dale Jarrett of Believers Covenant Fellowship in DC area did some of the keyboard work.
Congratulations Pastor Debbie!
Doug
Jehoshaphat
In my last post I wrote about God showing up when we worship. Compare that with Psalm 22:3 (NLT): Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
I suggest you read all of 2 Chronicles 20, as I won’t quote it all here, but here is a synopsis:
- Three kingdoms – Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites – came out against Jehoshaphat and Israel.
- Jehoshaphat and Israel fasted and called on the Lord. His prayer ended “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (verse 6, NIV)
- Via a prophet, the Lord responded that they were not to be afraid, not to be discouraged, and face the enemy, God would be with them.
- Jehoshaphat sent singers out before the Lord, who were singing “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love (NKJV mercy) endures forever”.
Here’s the result:
2 Chronicles 20:22-23 (NIV) As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
Israel only saw dead bodies on the battlefield. They went out to take the spoil, and there was so much there – from swords to jewelry – that it took three days to haul it all away.
The lesson: worship, don’t worry. Seek God in humility, but do not fear your enemies. God can make something good out of what appears to be bad.
Doug
God shows up
Two of my favorite passages in the Old Testament are both out of 2 Chronicles:
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (NKJV) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
They sang about God’s goodness and mercy, and He showed up in His glory. This fits the pattern we see in Exodus 33:18-19 when Moses asked “Show me Your glory” and God responded “I will cause my goodness to pass before you…”
The second passage where they sing about God’s mercy and He shows up is in 2 Chronicles 20. I’ll write about that next time.
Doug