While it is true that the passage in Mark 16:15 - 18 gives a clear command to go and evangelize the world, there is also something else equally as important if not more so taking place. It is a transference. A transference of power and authority from Jesus first to the disciples, then to all believers. Jesus was about to ascend to Heaven but wanted those of us left here to be able to do the same works he did, and even greater. In order for this to happen, he had transfer His authority to all of us. He also had to send The Holy Spirit as the source of power to back up this authority. The transference occurred here in this passage and the Holy Spirit burst on the scene in Acts 2.
Mark 16: 17 “In my name they will cast out demons…..”
The first thing that glares out at me from this passage is the fact that casting out demons is not optional; it is mandatory. Note the usage of the word “will”. It doesn’t say they can, or they should, or they may, it says they WILL. We, as believers are commanded to cast out demons at every opportunity.
Does this mean we are supposed to be performing exorcisms on a regular basis?
While we certainly can’t ignore and rule out the possibility that an exorcism might be necessary should we encounter a demon possessed person, this reference is most likely referring to demonic influences we encounter in our daily lives such as impure thoughts, temptations, etc. Make no mistake, as believers we have the same authority as Jesus had to cast out demons and we have the Power of The Holy Spirit to enforce that authority.
Have you ever witnessed an exorcism either in person or TV? What did you think about it?
Can a fully devoted Christ follower be demon possessed?
No. There is a scientific principle that darkness and light cannot occupy the same space. Scientifically darkness is merely the absence of light. The same principle applies spiritually. A heart that contains the light and life of the Spirit of Christ cannot simultaneously contain the darkness and evil of Satan. They cannot co-exist in the same place. We can though be tormented and oppressed by demonic forces.
What demonic forces or influences need to be cast out of your life?
How do we go about casting out these demonic forces?
James 4:7 tells us to “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he WILL flee”. That is one way. When we pray and start to cast out these demonic spirits we MUST do so in Jesus’ Name. Also invoking His shed blood in the process can’t hurt either.
It is the responsibility of every believer to actively be on guard against demonic forces that seek to torment our lives and distract us from our walk. We as average, every day, ordinary believers have through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Name of Jesus, the power and authority to resist and cast out any and all demonic forces and influences that have us in their crosshairs.
Next week we will discuss the second sign; “….in my Name they will speak with new tongues”.
Be thinking about this between now and part 3:
Are the Holy Spirit Baptism and speaking in tongues as referred to in the Acts 2 account of the events of the Upper Room intended by God to be valid experiences in the lives of believers today?
Have you yourself ever or has anyone you know personally ever experienced Holy Spirit Baptism and spoken in tongues?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Great Omission, Part 3:
Mark 16:17; …in my Name, they will speak with new tongues.
Now we get to what has been, is, and probably always will be a source of controversy in mainstream churches for decades. Is this verse talking about the act of speaking in tongues as experienced by those in the Upper Room in Acts 2? Is it talking about the way we speak to and about others we encounter in our daily lives? Could it be referring to both?
Let’s see what else the Bible has to say about it. Lets look at how the tongue plays a role in our day-to-day lives. There is plenty to be said about the subject of the tongue and tongues. Is God interested in how we talk? Psalm 34:13; Psalm 39:1; Proverbs 10:31 & 32 seem to indicate that He is.
Have you spoken evil of anyone lately? Have you sinned with your tongue? How?
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me”. Ever remember hearing that as a kid? I humbly submit that is lie. A fallacy. A falsehood. Words can break the heart and pierce the soul. Words can set or alter the course of our lives and the lives of those around us. They can get us hired, fired, promoted, etc. Those of us who have way with words can even have our words published for others to read. What we say reflects who we are. Words reveal character. (James 1:26; Matthew 12:34; James 3:5-8)
The key to this I think is found in Matthew 12:34, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Some translations say it like this “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” When someone becomes a believer, a Christ-follower their speech should begin to reflect their newly found belief. Where once they engaged in gossip, they will no longer. Where once they used their words as tools of manipulation of others, they will no longer. Where once they used their words as weapons of mass destruction, they will no longer. Why? Because now something other than evil and darkness fills their heart.
Do you use your words as weapons of mass destruction?
Have you ever participated in gossip, lying, cussing?
Have you ever used words to manipulate someone? Have someone ever used their words to manipulate you?
The Acts 2: 2-4 account of the Upper Room experience on the day of Pentecost tell us that “..they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” Imagine the scene if you will. 120 people in a room, many of them from different places with different languages and dialects, all voicing their worship and praise to God, and yet each one able to understand the other even though they were each speaking their own language.
The word “began” in Acts 2:4 in the original language is the same word used in Acts 1:1 when it talks about the church’s continuation of what Jesus “began to both to do and to teach”. In other words, there appears according to Scripture to be no expiration date for the practice of speaking in tongues just as there is no expiration date for the things Jesus “began to do and to teach.” It was a practice that began in the Upper Room and continued in their lives from then on.
My study Bible has wealth of notes on this topic, and in the next few paragraphs I will share some of those notes:
Many contemporary Christians from all denominational backgrounds, believe that the phenomenon of “speaking with tongues” (languages not formerly learned or known by the speaker) may accompany the occasion of a person’s initial surrender to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. In classical Pentecostal tradition, this experience is expected, and is doctrinally expressed in these words “The initial physical evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is speaking with other tongues.” Other Christians and many Charismatics who do not accept this doctrinal terminology still apply its fundamental implications in their practice.
Now, I will interrupt Dr Hayford's notes right here and insert my own belief that the Pentecostal tradition as described above is not in line or in keeping with scripture. I have spent a good deal of time in Pentecostal/Charismatic type churches over the years, and the sad truth is many if not most of them require a person to speak in tongues before they will believe he or she is Spirit-filled or even saved in some cases. The truth is, not being Spirit-filled and not speaking in tongues will not keep a person out of Heaven, despite what your average Pentecostal friend may tell you.
The phrase “..with the evidence of speaking in tongues” is unscriptural. The word evidence only appears twice in the Bible. One reference in the Old Testament talks about “evidence of a purchase”, basically a receipt or invoice in today’s terms. The other is in Hebrews 11:1 where it says “Faith is….the evidence of things not seen”.
Continuing on with the notes; This modified view, which is also accepted by some Pentecostals, places less emphasis on the importance of tongues as the evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, either in terms of one’s initial experience or one’s ongoing life of Spirit fullness. These focus more on all the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12: 4-11), with speaking in tongues seen as but one of them, neither more or less important than the others, since all the gifts are deemed contemporarily operational and any one of them may serve as a sign of one’s Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Further, one’s deepened participation in worship (raising hands, dancing, etc.) is also seen as a fundamental indication of being baptized in the Spirit, with the continual exercise of tongue-speaking as a part of the believer’s private devotional expression (see 1 Cor. 14: 1,2,4,15,39, and 40)
The entire 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians goes into great detail about speaking in tongues. The 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians starting with verse 4 talks about the gifts of the Spirit. I strongly encourage you to read both passages with an open mind and an open Spirit for what God has for you.
In light of what you have read, do you believe the Holy Spirit Baptism as referred to in Acts 2, and the accompanying gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, are intended by God to be valid experiences in the lives of believers today?
Have you yourself ever or has anyone you know personally ever experienced Holy Spirit Baptism and spoken in tongues?
Does the idea of speaking in tongues appeal to you? If so, why? If not, why not?
Do any of the other gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians appeal to you? If so, which one(s) and why? If not, why not?
Do you desire to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit and any and everything that comes with it?
It is my conclusion after exhaustive and intensive study combined with personal experience that the baptism with the Holy Spirit and all of the gifts of the Spirit are real, valid, and applicable to our lives today. That the Holy Spirit can and will impart the gift(s) He desires an individual to have according to His schedule and agenda. That this impartation does not make the one to whom the gift(s) is imparted to any more or any less holy, righteous, or spiritual than anyone else. He won’t force the Baptism with the Holy Spirit on anyone who doesn’t want it and it is not a requirement to get into Heaven.
Based on the study and discussion so far, what conclusion(s) have you reached concerning the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit?
In part four we will discuss the third sign. Mark 16:18 “In my name they will take up serpents”.
Be thinking about this for next time:
Do you believe this verse is to be taken literally and we as believers are to handle snakes on a regular basis?
Have you even known anyone who took this literally and actually handled snakes as part of their religious experience?
Now we get to what has been, is, and probably always will be a source of controversy in mainstream churches for decades. Is this verse talking about the act of speaking in tongues as experienced by those in the Upper Room in Acts 2? Is it talking about the way we speak to and about others we encounter in our daily lives? Could it be referring to both?
Let’s see what else the Bible has to say about it. Lets look at how the tongue plays a role in our day-to-day lives. There is plenty to be said about the subject of the tongue and tongues. Is God interested in how we talk? Psalm 34:13; Psalm 39:1; Proverbs 10:31 & 32 seem to indicate that He is.
Have you spoken evil of anyone lately? Have you sinned with your tongue? How?
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me”. Ever remember hearing that as a kid? I humbly submit that is lie. A fallacy. A falsehood. Words can break the heart and pierce the soul. Words can set or alter the course of our lives and the lives of those around us. They can get us hired, fired, promoted, etc. Those of us who have way with words can even have our words published for others to read. What we say reflects who we are. Words reveal character. (James 1:26; Matthew 12:34; James 3:5-8)
The key to this I think is found in Matthew 12:34, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Some translations say it like this “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” When someone becomes a believer, a Christ-follower their speech should begin to reflect their newly found belief. Where once they engaged in gossip, they will no longer. Where once they used their words as tools of manipulation of others, they will no longer. Where once they used their words as weapons of mass destruction, they will no longer. Why? Because now something other than evil and darkness fills their heart.
Do you use your words as weapons of mass destruction?
Have you ever participated in gossip, lying, cussing?
Have you ever used words to manipulate someone? Have someone ever used their words to manipulate you?
The Acts 2: 2-4 account of the Upper Room experience on the day of Pentecost tell us that “..they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” Imagine the scene if you will. 120 people in a room, many of them from different places with different languages and dialects, all voicing their worship and praise to God, and yet each one able to understand the other even though they were each speaking their own language.
The word “began” in Acts 2:4 in the original language is the same word used in Acts 1:1 when it talks about the church’s continuation of what Jesus “began to both to do and to teach”. In other words, there appears according to Scripture to be no expiration date for the practice of speaking in tongues just as there is no expiration date for the things Jesus “began to do and to teach.” It was a practice that began in the Upper Room and continued in their lives from then on.
My study Bible has wealth of notes on this topic, and in the next few paragraphs I will share some of those notes:
Many contemporary Christians from all denominational backgrounds, believe that the phenomenon of “speaking with tongues” (languages not formerly learned or known by the speaker) may accompany the occasion of a person’s initial surrender to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. In classical Pentecostal tradition, this experience is expected, and is doctrinally expressed in these words “The initial physical evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is speaking with other tongues.” Other Christians and many Charismatics who do not accept this doctrinal terminology still apply its fundamental implications in their practice.
Now, I will interrupt Dr Hayford's notes right here and insert my own belief that the Pentecostal tradition as described above is not in line or in keeping with scripture. I have spent a good deal of time in Pentecostal/Charismatic type churches over the years, and the sad truth is many if not most of them require a person to speak in tongues before they will believe he or she is Spirit-filled or even saved in some cases. The truth is, not being Spirit-filled and not speaking in tongues will not keep a person out of Heaven, despite what your average Pentecostal friend may tell you.
The phrase “..with the evidence of speaking in tongues” is unscriptural. The word evidence only appears twice in the Bible. One reference in the Old Testament talks about “evidence of a purchase”, basically a receipt or invoice in today’s terms. The other is in Hebrews 11:1 where it says “Faith is….the evidence of things not seen”.
Continuing on with the notes; This modified view, which is also accepted by some Pentecostals, places less emphasis on the importance of tongues as the evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, either in terms of one’s initial experience or one’s ongoing life of Spirit fullness. These focus more on all the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12: 4-11), with speaking in tongues seen as but one of them, neither more or less important than the others, since all the gifts are deemed contemporarily operational and any one of them may serve as a sign of one’s Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Further, one’s deepened participation in worship (raising hands, dancing, etc.) is also seen as a fundamental indication of being baptized in the Spirit, with the continual exercise of tongue-speaking as a part of the believer’s private devotional expression (see 1 Cor. 14: 1,2,4,15,39, and 40)
The entire 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians goes into great detail about speaking in tongues. The 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians starting with verse 4 talks about the gifts of the Spirit. I strongly encourage you to read both passages with an open mind and an open Spirit for what God has for you.
In light of what you have read, do you believe the Holy Spirit Baptism as referred to in Acts 2, and the accompanying gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, are intended by God to be valid experiences in the lives of believers today?
Have you yourself ever or has anyone you know personally ever experienced Holy Spirit Baptism and spoken in tongues?
Does the idea of speaking in tongues appeal to you? If so, why? If not, why not?
Do any of the other gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians appeal to you? If so, which one(s) and why? If not, why not?
Do you desire to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit and any and everything that comes with it?
It is my conclusion after exhaustive and intensive study combined with personal experience that the baptism with the Holy Spirit and all of the gifts of the Spirit are real, valid, and applicable to our lives today. That the Holy Spirit can and will impart the gift(s) He desires an individual to have according to His schedule and agenda. That this impartation does not make the one to whom the gift(s) is imparted to any more or any less holy, righteous, or spiritual than anyone else. He won’t force the Baptism with the Holy Spirit on anyone who doesn’t want it and it is not a requirement to get into Heaven.
Based on the study and discussion so far, what conclusion(s) have you reached concerning the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit?
In part four we will discuss the third sign. Mark 16:18 “In my name they will take up serpents”.
Be thinking about this for next time:
Do you believe this verse is to be taken literally and we as believers are to handle snakes on a regular basis?
Have you even known anyone who took this literally and actually handled snakes as part of their religious experience?
The Great Omission: Part 4
Mark 16:18; they will take up serpents….
We must understand that in this passage Jesus is not advocating or condoning the practice of handling snakes in religious ceremonies as was and probably still is the custom of some churches and religions. He is speaking metaphorically here as He frequently did in His parables. The passage is not talking about being foolish and tempting fate or putting God to the test.
Have you or anyone you know ever been in a church where they engage in the practice of snake handling? What was your/their reaction?
“Take up” in this passage means to “remove”, “take away”, or “cast away”. Think back to Genesis; how did Satan appear in the Garden of Eden? In the form of a serpent. That’s where Jesus was going in this metaphor. The serpent comes to each of us every day in the form of temptation, bad thoughts and attitudes, and tries to deter us from our walk with The Lord.
What Jesus is saying in this metaphor is that once someone becomes a believer they will be able to recognize the serpents in their lives and have His power and authority to cast them away.
In what ways has or does the serpent show up in your life? When he does, do you recognize it and cast him away?
As believers we have the two best tools to possibly help us identify and deal with the serpents that rear their ugly heads in our lives, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit who lives in the heart of each and every believer. He is our guide.
There is one way, and only one way in which this passage can refer to the actual, literal contact with snakes. That is in the context of missionaries or ministry workers in foreign countries who may have travel through wilderness areas and have occasion to run across snakes in their paths. Sometimes they may even be bitten by these snakes if they do not see them. In these instances
Have you or anyone you know been on the mission field and encountered poison snakes that had to be removed from your path? What was that experience like?
God gives these men and women grace and authority to literally remove these snakes from their path, thus taking them out of harms way. This is the ONLY time this passage can be used to justify the literal handling of poisonous snakes, and, as I stated earlier, IS NOT a license for Christians to tempt God. If you play with fire you will get burned and if you play with snakes you will get bitten.
In part 5 we will discuss the fourth sign. Mark 16:18 “and if they drink (or eat) anything deadly it will by no means hurt them.
Be thinking about this between now and part 5:
Does this passage give believers the license to tempt God and fate?
What are some practical applications in which this passage could be taken literally instead of metaphorically?
We must understand that in this passage Jesus is not advocating or condoning the practice of handling snakes in religious ceremonies as was and probably still is the custom of some churches and religions. He is speaking metaphorically here as He frequently did in His parables. The passage is not talking about being foolish and tempting fate or putting God to the test.
Have you or anyone you know ever been in a church where they engage in the practice of snake handling? What was your/their reaction?
“Take up” in this passage means to “remove”, “take away”, or “cast away”. Think back to Genesis; how did Satan appear in the Garden of Eden? In the form of a serpent. That’s where Jesus was going in this metaphor. The serpent comes to each of us every day in the form of temptation, bad thoughts and attitudes, and tries to deter us from our walk with The Lord.
What Jesus is saying in this metaphor is that once someone becomes a believer they will be able to recognize the serpents in their lives and have His power and authority to cast them away.
In what ways has or does the serpent show up in your life? When he does, do you recognize it and cast him away?
As believers we have the two best tools to possibly help us identify and deal with the serpents that rear their ugly heads in our lives, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit who lives in the heart of each and every believer. He is our guide.
There is one way, and only one way in which this passage can refer to the actual, literal contact with snakes. That is in the context of missionaries or ministry workers in foreign countries who may have travel through wilderness areas and have occasion to run across snakes in their paths. Sometimes they may even be bitten by these snakes if they do not see them. In these instances
Have you or anyone you know been on the mission field and encountered poison snakes that had to be removed from your path? What was that experience like?
God gives these men and women grace and authority to literally remove these snakes from their path, thus taking them out of harms way. This is the ONLY time this passage can be used to justify the literal handling of poisonous snakes, and, as I stated earlier, IS NOT a license for Christians to tempt God. If you play with fire you will get burned and if you play with snakes you will get bitten.
In part 5 we will discuss the fourth sign. Mark 16:18 “and if they drink (or eat) anything deadly it will by no means hurt them.
Be thinking about this between now and part 5:
Does this passage give believers the license to tempt God and fate?
What are some practical applications in which this passage could be taken literally instead of metaphorically?
The Great Omission: Part 5
Mark 16:18 “…and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them”
Again, as we learned in Part 4, this does not give believers a license to tempt or test God. As was the passage in Part 4, this is both literal and metaphorical. Clearly, as believers, God will protect from being harmed by anything we drink inadvertently that is harmful too us. Missionaries in foreign lands that don’t have clean water are protected all the time. This is just one example. We may never know what we have ingested unknowingly that could be harmful to us. God protects us.
The metaphorical aspect of this comes into play in one way in regard to teaching we receive. When we “drink in” teaching receive from a book, from a teacher or preacher, if we are not careful, we could be ingesting some very deadly spiritual poison. The Holy Spirit in us quickens our spirit to know right from wrong, to recognize false teaching, and thus not be harmed by it.
Can you think of any time(s) where you might have drank anything deadly (literally or metaphorically) and seen God’s Hand of protection?
This passage used “drink” as the example, but the same principle and concept applies to things we eat as well. There is no telling what is in the things we eat that could be harmful to us and we don’t even know it. And, sometimes our eating habits can be harmful to us as well. So many “experts” saying don’t eat this, and don’t eat that, while others say the exact opposite. It can be very confusing and hard to know who and what to listen to.
We never know about the quality of food we eat at restaurants or that we buy from the grocery store. We also do not know about the conditions under which that food is packaged or prepared. All manner of harmful things could have gotten into it through either process without our knowledge. We may get sick or get food poisoning from it, but God spares our lives. His Grace is always sufficient and on time.
Has God’s Grace protected you from any deadly foods that you know of?
We also never know about the quality, or in some cases the lack there of, of the spiritual food we ingest. There have been numerous occasions where I have sat in on church services where things were being taught that were not right Biblically. They weren’t necessarily advocating a sinful lifestyle, but rather trying to explain away or just completely reject and ignore valid parts of scripture. Either that or they were trying to “adjust” the scripture to fit their particular agenda instead of adjusting their agenda to fit God’s Word.
In Part 6, the final installment, we will discuss the fifth and final sign. Mark 16:18 “the will lay hands on the sick and they will recover”.
Be thinking about this between now and then.
Do YOU believe God still heals miraculously today? I’m not asking what your church teaches, or what your denomination believes and teaches. I am asking when you are alone with God with no one else around to influence your thoughts, what do YOU believe?
Have you or anyone you know ever been healed by God through a believer laying hands on you or them and praying the prayer of faith?
Again, as we learned in Part 4, this does not give believers a license to tempt or test God. As was the passage in Part 4, this is both literal and metaphorical. Clearly, as believers, God will protect from being harmed by anything we drink inadvertently that is harmful too us. Missionaries in foreign lands that don’t have clean water are protected all the time. This is just one example. We may never know what we have ingested unknowingly that could be harmful to us. God protects us.
The metaphorical aspect of this comes into play in one way in regard to teaching we receive. When we “drink in” teaching receive from a book, from a teacher or preacher, if we are not careful, we could be ingesting some very deadly spiritual poison. The Holy Spirit in us quickens our spirit to know right from wrong, to recognize false teaching, and thus not be harmed by it.
Can you think of any time(s) where you might have drank anything deadly (literally or metaphorically) and seen God’s Hand of protection?
This passage used “drink” as the example, but the same principle and concept applies to things we eat as well. There is no telling what is in the things we eat that could be harmful to us and we don’t even know it. And, sometimes our eating habits can be harmful to us as well. So many “experts” saying don’t eat this, and don’t eat that, while others say the exact opposite. It can be very confusing and hard to know who and what to listen to.
We never know about the quality of food we eat at restaurants or that we buy from the grocery store. We also do not know about the conditions under which that food is packaged or prepared. All manner of harmful things could have gotten into it through either process without our knowledge. We may get sick or get food poisoning from it, but God spares our lives. His Grace is always sufficient and on time.
Has God’s Grace protected you from any deadly foods that you know of?
We also never know about the quality, or in some cases the lack there of, of the spiritual food we ingest. There have been numerous occasions where I have sat in on church services where things were being taught that were not right Biblically. They weren’t necessarily advocating a sinful lifestyle, but rather trying to explain away or just completely reject and ignore valid parts of scripture. Either that or they were trying to “adjust” the scripture to fit their particular agenda instead of adjusting their agenda to fit God’s Word.
In Part 6, the final installment, we will discuss the fifth and final sign. Mark 16:18 “the will lay hands on the sick and they will recover”.
Be thinking about this between now and then.
Do YOU believe God still heals miraculously today? I’m not asking what your church teaches, or what your denomination believes and teaches. I am asking when you are alone with God with no one else around to influence your thoughts, what do YOU believe?
Have you or anyone you know ever been healed by God through a believer laying hands on you or them and praying the prayer of faith?
The Great Omission, Part 6:
Mark 16:18; “..they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”.
Now we get to the final, and arguably most debated and controversial part of this entire study. And, once again, we run headlong into a passage that gives us as believers a command with a promise attached to it. This is not a suggestion, not merely a good idea, but a mandate.
Let’s take a closer look. They WILL lay hands on the sick. “They” speaks not of the apostles of that day and age, but of ALL subsequent believers, up to and including you and I. Use of the word “will” clearly indicates a command or a mandate and not merely a passing suggestion. It goes on to offer both us and those we lay hands on a promise for our obedience to God’s command; and they WILL recover.
So, to get a clearer picture, lets restate that passage the following way. They (the believers) will (obedience to God’s command and not an option) lay hands on the sick, and they (the sick) will (the promise in exchange for the obedience) recover. Pretty amazing and powerful stuff.
Have you ever obeyed God’s command to “lay hands on the sick”? What was the result?
Flamboyant TV preachers, often dubbed “faith healers” have gotten a bad rep over the years and this has also caused the whole notion and concept of divine, miraculous healing to take a hit as well. Undeservedly so.
I can’t speak for any others, but back in the 70’s, my dad had an encounter with probably the most famous of all “faith healers”, Oral Roberts. My dad told him he admired his ministry and what he did. Bro. Roberts said this “Jim, thank you for that, but you must know, I have NEVER healed anyone in and of myself or my own strength. I can’t. I am not capable. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me and trusted me enough to be a channel of His healing power to this generation.” All healing comes from God, not men.
Oral Roberts was a man of God whose heart was in the right place. How dare agenda driven individuals, even some so-called Christian ministers, make fun of him and others who believe accordingly and thus make a mockery of God in the process. Just because someone may not agree with his style or that of Benny Hinn or anyone else with a healing ministry, this does in no way invalidate their ministry nor the concept of divine healing. In fact, depending upon who it is that so vehemently disagrees with it, may in fact lend more credibility to them. We are known by those who support us, but we are defined by those who oppose us.
Have opinions about TV faith healers shaped or affected in any way, your belief or disbelief in miraculous, divine healing?
The undeserved bad rap healing gets from the media and society at large because of the TV preachers is not its biggest or even most pervasive obstacle. It is resistance and opposition from others who also call themselves believers. I have often wondered how someone can honestly and sincerely call him or herself a believer when they willingly choose to reject or disbelieve certain parts God’s Word just because it doesn’t fit in their comfort zone. They are partial believers at best.
Its one thing if a person is a new Christian and has not grown in their faith enough to know what to believe beyond salvation, but for those who have been believers for years, even decades, to reject and ignore parts of the scripture and claim to be believers makes no sense to me. Either ALL of the Bible is true, relevant, and applicable to our lives today in some form or fashion, or none of it is. We don’t get to pick and choose or cherry pick the parts we like and discard the rest.
And, healing in today’s time cannot be explained away. There is no expiration date in the Bible for any of God’s miraculous wonders and if anyone tells you there is scripture that says so, they are lying to prop up their own misguided agenda. Demand that they give you chapter and verse. They will no doubt, instead of pointing you to the Bible, point you to some obscure book somewhere written by someone no one has ever heard of or who has zero credibility. This begs the question, who is more trustworthy, God, or some random guy?
Have you or anyone you know been victimized by false teaching that claims God no longer heals people today?
Many of today’s mainstream churches have adopted or embraced what is called cessationist theology. In other words, they believe that ALL miraculous signs and wonders ceased to occur with the involvement of human beings, at the death of the last apostle. They ceased. This is wrong on so many levels and we will look at some of them in the next few paragraphs.
There may be a tiny bit of wiggle room given one’s definition of what is and is not a miracle. These people can readily accept the “miracle” of birth, but not of divine healing. Maybe they don’t consider the birth of a child a miracle.
They can also wholeheartedly acknowledge and embrace a doctor’s role in someone’s healing, but not the role of a believer who believes God and obeys His Word. Sounds like selective belief to me.
Do you believe there is still in this day and age a human component to God’s miraculous works? Why or why not?
Think carefully about your answer to the previous question. If you said no, then what about salvation? Is salvation not a miracle? There has to be a human component there. Someone (a human) has to share the gospel with a lost person (another human). That is how God chooses to operate in EVERYTHING He does, through us. You would not be saved today if someone, whether a friend, family member, church staff, whoever had not shared the gospel with you at some time in your life. You may have been alone when you actually prayed the prayer to accept Christ, but there was human involvement before that. Ready to rethink your answer now?
You may be asking, other than the assertion that both healing and salvation are miracles of God, what does one have to do with the other? I’m glad you asked. Let’s look at Isaiah 53:5 for a bit.
As you will see, this passage, a prophecy from the prophet Isaiah, inexplicably links salvation and healing to Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. There is no way around it. The same selfless act that bought and paid for our salvation, covered our sins in the Blood of Christ, also bought and paid for our healing. The work is already done! All we have to do to be saved is accept the work He did and the salvation it purchased, and claim it as our own. All we have to do to be healed is acknowledge that the same act that gave us eternal life, also provided for our healing, and claim the healing as our own.
It really is that simple. It ain’t rocket science. Yet for decades, preachers, teachers, and so-called theologians have tried to pass it off as one the great mysteries of the faith that we can’t possibly understand. It actually takes more effort, energy, and dare I say even more faith to NOT believe in healing than it does to believe. And that is the mystery to me. How someone can accept salvation, but reject healing when both were paid for by Jesus’ blood at His crucifixion.
Do you find it easier to believe, or to disbelieve in healing through what we have covered so far?
God is a kind, caring, and compassionate God, and has made a way for those who, for whatever reason don’t believe in miraculous healing, to be healed anyway. That’s why we have doctors, medicine, and medical procedures. As I stated way back, no human being can EVER heal another human being. Any doctor worthy of his lab coat and Hippocratic oath will acknowledge God’s hand in every thing they do. There are always going to be the egocentric, self-centered types who believe, and in some cases even assert that THEY ARE GOD. These clowns though are irrelevant. Just as no TV faith healer has ever healed anyone in and of himself by his own power or capability, neither has any doctor. All healing comes from God, He just sometimes chooses to use different methods of delivery.
One final way God sometimes chooses to heal people is through what I call the ultimate healing. That is when a born again believer dies and goes to spend eternity in Heaven and gets his glorified body. A body that will never again ever experience pain, sickness of any kind, or even minor discomfort. These things are not allowed in Heaven. My friends, you cannot get any more healed than that.
Do you believe God still heals miraculously today, with or without the component of human involvement?
Have you or anyone you know ever been miraculously healed through the laying on of hands?
To reject God’s healing power in this day and time is an ill-fated attempt by feeble-minded, narrow-minded people to put God in a box and limit His power. As soon you find a box big enough and strong enough to contain God and hold Him back, you let me know. Okay Sport?
Don’t waste your time. There is no such thing. Who are we as mere mortals, as created beings, to try to tell our Creator what He can and cannot do? Are people really that arrogant? Sadly yes. And many of them are behind our nation’s pulpits week in and week out. Others are indoctrinating students in denominational theological cemeteries across the world. And yes, I said cemeteries on purpose.
I will close with this story. When I was a young teen, maybe even a pre-teen, my dad ended up in the hospital after he was overcome by chlorine gas on his job. The gas filled his lungs. That coupled with the fact that he had smoked since he was a teen made the x-ray of his lungs not a very pleasant or encouraging thing to look at. It looked bad. Our pastor was called immediately and he rushed to the hospital as did my mom and I. The three of us laid our hands on him prayed the prayer of faith over him as scripture commands.
Later that same day, doctors were perplexed and confuzzled as a subsequent x-ray showed his lungs were crystal clear. As one doctor put it “he has the lungs of a teenager, not of a man who has smoked for thirty plus years and just inhaled a large amount of chlorine gas”.
They were at a loss. We weren’t. We knew just exactly what had happened. God honored our faith and obedience to His Word and kept His promise. It was not because I have some supernatural power in and of myself, nor does my mom, nor did Pastor Marshall Williams. God did the healing. The next day, my dad got up and walked out of that hospital and went back to work. So spare me the “God doesn’t heal today stuff”, okay? You have come just a bit too late to convince me of it. And, I have something even stronger and more powerful than my own personal experience to base my steadfast belief in healing on, God’s Holy Word.
Next time a friend or family member is in need of healing, based on this discussion, will you obey God’s command to lay hands on them and watch Him keep His promise to heal them?
MEMO. (From our email)
Memo:
From: Retired U.S Navy Personnel
To: The American Public
Subj: Position Statement on the U.S. Economy:
We in retirement take exception to everyone saying that Bernanke, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi are spending like drunken sailors. When we were drunken sailors, we quit spending when we ran out of money.
From: Retired U.S Navy Personnel
To: The American Public
Subj: Position Statement on the U.S. Economy:
We in retirement take exception to everyone saying that Bernanke, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi are spending like drunken sailors. When we were drunken sailors, we quit spending when we ran out of money.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
US Commends President Goodluck Jonathan
*Says he has consolidated grip on power
*Believes Yar’Adua’s men won’t engineer political come back
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s consolidation of his grip on power is drawing applause from the United States of America which says his efforts are easing a political crisis that once fanned fears of instability in the country.
Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson said Washington was encouraged that Jonathan was moving on electoral reforms, anti-corruption efforts and peace outreach in the restive Niger Delta, the centre of Nigeria’s largest energy industry.
“I think he’s done a very good job of consolidating his authority and reassuring all segments of the community,” Carson, the Obama administration’s top diplomat for Africa, told Reuters in an interview.
Jonathan assumed power in early February to try to end government paralysis in the absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who had been in Saudi Arabia receiving treatment for a heart condition for more than two months.
Yar’Adua subsequently returned but remains too sick to govern and is essentially incommunicado – a situation that led U.S. officials to express concern over a potential power struggle among different leadership factions.
Carson said those fears had receded as Jonathan cemented his authority, including taking steps to name a new Cabinet, and that it was unlikely those who back Yar’Adua would try to engineer a political comeback.
“We don’t know whether he will come back. But I think the country is in fact moving on,” Carson said. “We believe those in power in senior positions have clearly opted to support a stable democracy during this period of uncertainty.”
U.S. officials have urged Jonathan to speed preparations for elections due in 2011, saying a repeat of the vote-rigging and intimidation that marred the 2007 vote that brought Yar’Adua to power would be disastrous.
Nigeria’s ruling party has said it wants the next president to be a northerner, in line with a principle that power rotates around the country, effectively ruling Jonathan out of another term.
Carson said the United States supported the rotation principle as a guarantor of stability in Nigeria.“We hope that the political balance which has given Nigeria its political stability will prevail,” he said
Source: Vanguardngr.com
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