Day 47 (2011)
➡ 5:00 - I am going to try to wrap up this thing on making contact with people in public. I want to go over some practical stuff that I don’t usually seem to get a chance to cover. I really want to try to cover that today.
5:45 - I really want us more released in an everyday way of touching and loving people - and believing to release the kingdom - and encouraging people out in public, wherever you are. It will encourage your life. It will get you outside of yourself more. It will break off the fear of man - what people will think. There are a lot of good things about stepping out beyond yourself and touching people. When you get out there and see someone’s heart really blessed, you’ll wonder why anyone would ever hold back or wait.
Rejection - Don't Take it to Heart
6:20 - Don’t take rejection to heart - it's not about you - I’ve been treated rough in public and it just doesn’t matter. You are not trying to do something for yourself or draw attention to yourself, you are loving them. So it doesn’t matter if they treat you rough.
6:35 - Approaching people stories - 4 in a row - Muslim, gay, native American, another Muslim fellow - they all treated me very poorly - really yelled at me - accused me of soliciting my religion. If you take that to heart and don’t understand what is going on there, you will back off and close the door. You’ll shut yourself in.
7:35 - Talking with the Muslim man. Shut down at the last second.
7:55 - Pray anyway afterward - When people say no when you are trying to address an obvious physical issue, pray about it anyway. If that thing changes, that would probably get their attention. Don’t just let it be the Christian thing to do. You can just pray to be praying or you can really get involved in your heart.
9:00 - Lord you love them so much. Life has touched them in such a way that they can’t even hear my motive or see why I pursued them. It’s just like when you came on the earth Lord. But it didn’t change love. And it didn’t change your power. God thank you… And just get yourself in a place of faith - where your mindset is releasing faith. So Father thank you for touching them right now. As mad as they seemed, as distant as they seemed, you know all things. And your love never fails. God, your mercy can reach through all of that stuff and grab their heart. Father thank you for them being healed today. And you just begin to speak to that situation. That’s actually a form of intercession.
Practical Thoughts on Stepping Out to Love
9:55 - How do you continue to point people to Christ after some kind of change happens? How can we help people connect the dots as to who healed them and why? It’s in the workplace. You are not even sure how you want to come across. It’s love. It’s not even our prayers. It’s what we believe. God is saying, It’s my heart in you for people.
12:40 - Be more forthright - I would encourage us all to be more forthright. Just come right out of the gate. You already have a relationship and he knows you love the Lord. “Listen, I am serious. Look at me. I want to pray for you.”
13:10 - Is it just positive suggestion? - It’s certainly not positive thinking. People say it’s just suggestion. If if is just suggestion then let’s tell people they don’t have cancer and they aren’t really in pain. It’s not just the power of suggestion. People say, “Well, they were in a mood to get healed - they were expecting to get healed - psychologically they feel healed.” If it was that simple, we would just talk them out of it.
14:00 - Be faithful to your job - If you are on the clock, you have to be faithful to your job. You can’t be praying for everybody all the time. Use breaks or pray quickly. I always made sure that I had my work way up to par. The company knew that I was doing my job. But in the midst of doing my job I am loving and encouraging and praying for people. If you ask your employer and they don’t mind you taking the hand of a customer then go for it. People draw to love.
15:25 - Build a resume in your own heart - The more you build experience and testimonies in these things, the next time you see someone like that the first thing that will rise up in your heart will be how God touched them. You’re building resume in your own heart. I’ve prayed for so many people over the years that when I am out in public and bump into a situation, I can usually connect them to an experience in the past.
16:00 - I did that with my granddaughter - when we approached someone with COPD - told them 2 or 3 testimonies.
16:30 - The more you see that stuff the more you are encouraged to step right up.
Can I get Slimed?
16:35 - What kind of power transfers during healing? How is it different from Reiki? Can I get slimed?
17:55 - Can I get slimed? - I don’t want you to ever be afraid of what’s out there. I know that people don’t all agree on this. If you fear, that’s a wide open door. If you honestly understand that you are out there in love, you are not vulnerable. You are called to subdue the earth. You are not vulnerable to the earth. You are called to lord over it in Christ. We are to subdue the works of His hands. We are to govern. We are not to live in fear.
18:40 - A grid for being slimed - believing it is possible to be slimed - I know that certain people have had experiences with people touching them and things coming on them - curses and different things. I have found that those people have a grid for that. They believe that’s possible. When it happens, then they really believe it’s possible.
19:00 - I honestly don’t believe that it has to be possible. I don’t mind people touching me. Everybody thronged around Jesus. He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world. So there is a faith thing there. I want you all to be affirmed in that and settle in your heart that you are not vulnerable to other energies and powers out there.
19:45 - Example of other powers - spirit of infirmity - People moving in power apart from Christ. Just spirit of infirmity moving around and in and out.
20:30 - Woman worried about being slimed at beauty parlor. She is feeling vulnerable. What does that have to do with you?
20:55 - Lady that came and prayed for me with ill intent. Power of God shot out of me and zapped her. She was trying to control me with her prayers and get me to agree with what they were bringing into the church. I don’t have a belief that she can contaminate me.
22:20 - It's hard to pray for the sick when you are afraid of being slimed - How can you pray for the sick when you are afraid of what’s in them getting on you? They thronged around Jesus. There were so many people that when Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” the disciples were like, “What kind of question is that?” They were all touching.
23:00 - Tangible sensations of the power of God flowing - water, current, radiation, fire. You can actually have your hand several inches away and pray and still feel power flowing.
23:30 - Power from Jesus - People get caught up in the tangible sensation - don’t go after that (all energy is God kind of thing) - and it is not coming in the name of the Lord. People get so intrigued with that. Wow I feel that. New Age mixed in with all energy is God.
24:00 - Fear not being slimed - I don’t want you to be afraid to touch people. If the Spirit of God is in you, you want to hold their hand. And it doesn’t matter if they are in witchcraft. It doesn’t matter unless you are afraid. If you are afraid and have to build up courage to take their hand, I’d say just wait until you are totally not afraid. Because it’s not a place to try to find faith. Vulnerability is what opens the door - when you feel fear.
Practical Thoughts on Stepping Out to Love
24:45 - God flows through us - But yes, there is a contact and transmission. That’s why we lay hands on the sick. Who lives in us? The Spirit of God is in us. So we lay our hands on the sick and they what? Recover. God is trying to show us that He made us to live inside of us and flow through us. It is so personal.
➡ 25:20 - So here is the deal. We are approaching people. Remember in the last couple of sessions we saw that if they are sick you have a green light to approach and pray.
Specific Leading Not Required
25:35 - You are released to pray for anyone - specific leading not required - You don’t need the direct leading of Holy Spirit. Sometimes God will highlight someone in a crowd. That’s cool. But you really don’t need that leading of the Spirit, you have that already through the word. He says, Go… as you go. He already told us in His word to pray for the sick. In all of the “commissions” we have a release to go and minister to people. So God and His word are one and His Spirit and his word is Spirit and life. So if Jesus said it, the Father is saying it. He has spoken through His Son. You already have the “Go ye therefore…” So we don’t need a specific leading for each individual.
26:10 - I didn’t feel led - A lot of Christians have talked themselves out of loving people because they said they didn’t feel led. It may just be your inhibitions, uncertainties, insecurities - self-consciousness, you are not feeling confident and you are saying I don’t feel led. You are probably just talking yourself out of it. Jesus loves people. And you have the right to approach people and love people. That not feeling led has stopped a lot of moves of God. It sounds spiritual.
27:00 - Fishing sinker - feel lead. Lead in desk. Now that you have felt lead...
27:55 - Occasions when Holy Spirit has said no, not now - 3 times. It’s rare.
Practical Thoughts - Avoidance, Embarrassment, Words of Knowledge
28:40 - Don't live in avoidance - If your latest testimony is four months old you are probably walking by a lot of people that you could love on. Don’t let that be condemning. And don’t be afraid to go to the store because you might see someone I have to pray for. If that is your thinking that shows you that there is something He already wants you to grow beyond. Then you are just in avoidance. I don’t want to do this. It’s not a have to thing. It’s not a ought to thing. It’s a love thing. [Maybe it is not a matter of overcoming fear as much as growing in love - and perfect love dispensing with fear.]
29:10 - So if you are feeling that way - Lord why am I feeling so pulled back from people? Why do I feel so confronted by this. God keep doing a work in my heart where I see freely the privilege of loving people in front of me. This can really touch someone’s life.
29:30 - Give people their space - no touch required - You don't even have to touch people. They can be 2-3 feet away - giving them their space. You can say, “Check it now.” And it changes. We’ve seen that over and over again.
30:05 - Embarrassment - Pray without drawing attention - If they feel embarrassed - in a busy place - Just keep talking to me - keep your eyes open - Jesus is amazing. We don’t have to bow heads and close eyes. They are thinking this guy is off his rocker. I’ve been looked at that way a lot… until they check their body. Then it’s like, Am I losing MY mind? It’s just funny how it works like that. You can see it in their eyes. But you are not out there to care what they think of you.
31:10 - Lady in Walmart - big knee brace - you aren’t right in the head - she couldn’t believe it.
32:20 - Lady selling chances - made a little comment about the Lord - She got really mad - I don’t believe your way. I love people. Jesus is good news. Thyroid - word of knowledge. How can you know? The same Jesus we are talking about lives inside me. Tangible presence of God - I love you Dan.
36:00 - It’s love that changes things. She was touched with a strong arm in Christianity - turn or burn stuff. You are a sinner. That’s why He died because you are a sinner. And you need to straighten up and repent. You are wicked. You just don’t do well walking around telling people that they are wicked.
36:25 - And I don’t think Jesus told me to do that. I think He said in whatever city you are in, heal the sick, even if they seem wicked. This thing isn’t difficult. I’m not here to point out sin in their lives. I’m an ambassador, not imputing their sin. We just studied it. He’s reconciling the world to Himself by not imputing sin. He wants to bring us up and out of that and show us the truth of who we really are. It’s the goodness of God that causes hearts to change. Somewhere along the line we have missed that.
37:00 - Message of God's goodness v. message of seeing our sin - Now that (that we have missed the message of God’s goodness) doesn’t surprise me, there is an enemy on the earth. So for years we have been out trying to get men to see their sin instead of God’s goodness and God’s love. And then when you do that there is a lot of fighting even in the church on that. “Yeah but, brother, you need to show them their need for a Savior.” I think the goodness of God will reveal that to every man.
37:20 - Grace speaks to hearts - When they realize that they have been touched and haven’t done anything to be touched - and we are used to earning everything - we’ve worked for everything we have ever gotten in life - that speaks to human hearts.
37:40 - It's more than just theology - it's about love - So if we are just talking theology and because of how the gospel had been mishandled in her life, that lady selling chances had fire power to debate me. And I’m not there to debate with her. I’m there to love her. And at some point I need to hear Jesus - or get a felt need.
38:00 - Approach even without a word of knowledge - If you don’t have a word of knowledge like I had you could say something like, “Look, I want to demonstrate something to you. Do you have any pain in your body, any sickness anything that could change, if we pray right now you could tell?” They might bring something up. “Well listen, I don’t want to debate you. I came over to love you. I didn't come here to sell you anything. I didn’t come here to tell you how bad you were. I came here to tell you that Jesus loved you enough to put Himself on a cross to get you back to the Father. What do you say we pray about that?”
38:45 - Get into conversations - impressions - You can just simply get into conversation with people. Just get to chatting. If you are getting an impression, that’s simple. You just speak it out. And please don’t talk yourself out of it. I’d rather you ask them and be wrong than be right and walk by them. You are going to get impressions. “Listen, every time I pass by you I get the impression that your blood pressure might be giving you problems. Is your blood pressure ok?
40:00 - Blood pressure low - what do you mean hearing.
40:40 - Give them a genuine encounter with God - It sows seed of a genuine encounter with God, that He is more than a doctrine, that He does live in people and is not out in the clouds somewhere. Objection - But you didn’t lead them to Him. But I gave Him to them. You didn’t get them to pray the prayer. You didn’t get them to go to heaven. That is never my motive. If that happens and grace comes… My motive is to love them genuinely with Jesus - give them Jesus.
41:20 - Some people will say, “What must I do to be saved?” And I don’t just pray a quick prayer with them. I talk to them about water baptism.
41:30 - Baptisms in the St Lawrence River.
41:40 - Emphasize transformation of life - I make sure they know what they are doing. It’s a transformation of life. You are dying to the old and rising to the new. You are becoming something that you never were before because your eye is changing. Your reason for being alive is changing. And the reason Jesus came is to get us back to truth. I share their created value and how God intended man to be from the beginning and that He paid a price to get us back on page. It’s a beautiful message to people.
42:10 - They think they have heard the gospel many times before. But it is usually repent or go to hell. Well how does that transform my life and change my motives and perspectives?
42:40 - Trust the working of Holy Spirit - Let Him lead them to truth - I want to give them Jesus and let Holy Spirit lead them to truth. The Spirit of God is the one that saves men. Only He can transform the heart. But if I give them a clear look at Jesus, Holy Spirit has something to work with.
43:20 - Step out in words of knowledge - little impressions. Even if you are wrong. It’s not about being wrong. It’s about pursuing love. “Wow, thanks for being honest. I approached you because I’d rather approach you and be wrong as I am learning to hear Him, than be right and walk by you. So that is why I said something. Because I am just learning how to hear and I am sharpening my ear. And it obviously looks like I need to get a little sharper. But now that we are talking. Is your body ok? Are you healthy? Because I really care and I believe there is help in the Lord or I would have never approached you in the first place.”
45:00 - People will be drawn to you and open up - People will sometimes pour out their hearts. They are talking to you. Do you know why? It’s supernatural. There is an answer inside of you. The kingdom is in you. When I first got saved, everybody I talked to started opening up and pouring out their life to me. And I don’t think this ever happened to me in my life like this. People I didn’t even know. A guy in the hardware store taps me on the shoulder and just started talking. It was like fish jumping in the boat. Why is that happening? Because there is an answer inside your spirit. Why wouldn’t the Lord draw them to where He has provided an answer? They don’t just need any old response. They need the kingdom. They need love. This stuff will happen. Don’t think it strange. It happens on airplanes. When it does happen be forthright - don’t wait too long - when you hear those needs - “I believe I have an answer how things can change…”
47:05 - So even if you don’t get a word of knowledge you can ask them how you can pray for them - how to bless them.
Actually Praying - Short Prayers with Authority
47:20 - When you jump on things quickly it shows faith - How do you transition from hearing about the problem to praying for the person? “I hear you have that need and I know it looks bad. I want to do something right now. Please let me pray for you. I believe that can change. Do you have that pain right now? Give me your hand right now. It’s going to be good.” When you jump on stuff immediately it reveals that you have faith in God. I don’t really want to talk about this I want to pray.
48:40 - Let people know who you are quickly - You’ll find that the longer you wait - the more that you develop relationship but don’t come out with God - the harder it is to bring God into the scene. Let people know who you are right up front when they start sharing their need. I’ll listen to their need, but the next thing out of my mouth is about praying for them.
49:25 - This prayer is not just a kind gesture - “I want you to know that this is not just a kind gesture.” A lot of people have turned prayer into a kind gesture. Like the highest form of grace we can receive is that at least somebody cares.
50:20 - Check it out - response - healing - Pain leave the body right now. What’s going on in your body? She is going to respond in one of three ways. 1) Oh my goodness - healing.
50:45 - Pray short prayers with authority - You do not want to pray long prayers. Most of the time they are already uncomfortable that you are praying in public. They are conscious of who’s watching. And there are a lot of people who will be thinking, I want this but I don’t.
51:10 - Some people don’t mind if you pray for them in public. Guy in parking lot. He doesn’t mind. But be sensitive. You are not there to tax them and challenge them. You are there to bless them. So you don’t pray long prayers. You pray short prayers - authority prayers. “Pain you leave them right now in Jesus name.”
51:42 - Thanks God, for your love - A lot of time I open up with, “Father, thank you for your love.” There is just something sweet about that. “Pain you come out of their body and don’t you ever come back in Jesus name.”
Responses & Releasing in Faith
51:55 - Responses - complete healing - What is going on in your body? They will do one of three things. 1) Oh my God. That is pretty simple. Isn’t that amazing? He just happens to be Lord and He is real and He loves you. And you talk as long as grace is on it. Everybody is different and we are all in different places.
52:40 - Some people are shocked and now they have to face that reality. They are taken aback. Sometimes you don’t even need to talk much. There are times to just leave people alone with what God is doing. “Look, I can see that you are really moved by that. Jesus has always been here and He has always loved you. It’s Jesus.” Give them a little something and slide away.
53:00 - There are other people who will have questions and they want to talk and that is awesome. Sometimes they want to talk at a later time.
53:30 - Afterward, don’t overanalyze - What you did wrong - what you could have done better. We seem to be geared that way in life. And the kingdom is different. Rather, “Thank you God for the opportunity to sow. Thank you for what you are doing in them.” And if you feel like you could have done something better, “Thank you for growing me” instead of “Well, I blew it.”
54:00 - Fear that God won’t show up is a big reason we avoid praying - One of the reasons we don’t pray for the sick is that we fear that God won’t show up. What if the pain doesn’t go away. And we don’t even ask for their hand to pray. Faith says let’s do this. Faith says how about if I love you and give God the chance to land on you.
54:35 - Responses - Better but not complete - That’s great, let me see your hand again. Pray. Check it now. Keep going until completely gone. Better is not a loss. “How do you think that thing is 70% better?”
55:55 - Releasing in faith - There comes a point when things are not getting better where I just need to release faith. Because you tend to start trying harder - better prayer.
56:10 - It's not your prayer but your faith in the finished work of Christ - Do you understand that your prayer doesn’t heal anybody. It’s your faith in His finished work. What you say has very little to do with it. We put our faith in our ability to pray a lot of times. And then they don’t feel like they are praying well enough or praying right. So they get real focused on what they are saying. And they get all caught up in what they are saying instead of what they are believing. What you are believing is what heals the sick. Technically, lay your hands on the sick and they shall recover doesn’t even say anything about praying.
57:20 - Wife touching kids on shoulder in class without praying out loud. Watches the Lord change them.
58:20 - You could do that in nursing.
58:45 - Jesus didn’t pray like we pray - stretch forth your hand - get up and walk - see. He commanded stuff.
59:00 - When I pray, I like to get their focus on God so that they know that this is God.
59:20 - Healing prayer is not a technique but faith in the finished work of Christ - I speak to the mountain. John G. Lake prays to God. So it’s kind of a paradox. It’s not a technique - his faith was there. I think we have turned healing into technique and we are more confused than we are in faith half the time. Healing has become a technique - What am I doing wrong? What do I need to change? What am I doing right? Believe in His finished work. They are healed because of what He has already accomplished. My faith is in that.
100:00 - Releasing in faith after repeated prayers - When you pray four times and get partial results - say 70% - and it seems like they are thinking, “Are we going to be doing this all day?” You need to be able to release them in faith and not feel like a failure.
100:20 - Feelings of failure are from the enemy - When you are starting to feel like a failure, that is the devil straight up. You are not a failure when you are loving people. Love never fails.
100:35 - Releasing in faith after partial response - “Listen - 70% - I was going for 100%. But I am excited. It means that God is working. That pain is coming out of you.” I just make that declaration to them. “He’s not a halfway work. He didn’t do 70% just to lead you on. That is coming out of you. The Spirit of God is working in you. It’s not your lot in life. Jesus loves you. Thank you Father for what you are doing.” “Thank you Father that you took this pain. Thank you that the rest of it is going because you love her. In Jesus’ name.”
101:20 - Response - No change - The third thing that might happen… I don’t like talking about this because I don’t want the stage to be set for it. God is helping me with it. I’m learning. I want everybody I touch to be healed because that was Jesus’ experience. So I don’t want to create a laxness in us where we just get rhetorical and are out there doing the Christian thing and saying, “Oh well, praise the Lord, you’re going to be healed, praise God.” And where you don’t really believe it - where you are just pushing some language. No, you need to be sincere.
101:50 - I’ve prayed for people where nothing has changed at all. That challenges us. That’s what we are afraid of. And that is why a lot of us aren’t stepping out. Don’t be afraid to love them and step out.
102:10 - Faith is not hit/miss, win/lose - It’s not a point in time. You are not going for it. Faith is a lifestyle. You continue in the faith. What your faith is in, is what you believe. You don’t believe and stop believing. Faith is the position of your heart to receive what He accomplished. It is not a plug that you put in and pull out. It’s not something where you are saying, “I guess we didn’t get it. We’ll try again later.” It is something you are believing for - believe and keep on believing.
102:50 - No change - So when you are praying for people, here is what I do when I don’t see any change. Now I can’t get rhetorical. I’m the steward of my own heart. I’m stressing this point. I have to make sure this doesn’t become Christianese for me. Because it is so easy to get into a language and not be full of heart. “Listen, thanks for your patience - what an honor to believe for you. I know that you said you didn’t see anything change yet. But the Bible says if we believe, laying our hands on the sick they will recover. It says if we pray the prayer of faith, the prayer of faith will save the sick. I am expecting change in your body. Thanks for the time it took. I know that it was uncomfortable in a crowd. But listen, this was for you. If you were important enough for God to send His Son to the earth to die for you, why couldn’t I approach you and pray for you. Thanks for letting me pray.” Then slip away.
104:00 - Stay in faith - paint a picture of healing - And as I slip away… I am believing that God is restoring them. I paint a picture. I picture them going back to work and getting up to get something and going, “What?” Or feeling better as they go. And what are they going to relate it to immediately? The man that stopped them at lunch time.
104:35 - Stay in faith - keep your heart up - When you turn and walk away in that situation, you keep your heart up, God, thank you for the honor of praying for them and being able to release faith. Thank you for the privilege of touching them in Jesus name. God thank you that the kingdom has been released into their life. I’m believing you are moving God. Do that with sincerity when you are walking away.
105:00 - People recognize a no strings attached approach - But when you walk away, it might be the first time this person realizes that everything that you did was strictly for them. You’d be amazed how people have their guard up. They are not sure what you are up to - what you are selling - what the catch is.
105:25 - A lot of times when you do that - and you stay very confident, you stay very confident, and positive in the light - good news.,, “Look, this wasn’t a failure. A lot of people think if we pray and don’t see pain leave right away, that we didn’t get healing. The Bible says you will recover. I’m believing that you will see change even in this day. So bless you. Thanks for the time. Have a good day.” And when you walk away and do that, down in their heart they can’t deny that you sincerely believed what you did. You stepped out and directed it toward them without trying to change them in anything. You are just trying to give them what you believe. That doesn’t go unnoticed. People realize a no strings attached approach and love. Better yet, later on in the day, when the pain is going away, they are really thinking about it. They can’t deny that this is connected. “God must have done this. You mean a man could touch me...” And all of the sudden the presence of God comes on them in their kitchen. Because we sowed seed. He touched them. Now they are toasted.
107:15 - Man saved on bed. God encounter. Drug user for years. Men were sowing, watering, believing, interceding and God brought the increase.
108:00 - One of three scenarios - One of three things. 1) Wow, it’s gone. 2) Somewhat gone. 3) Still there. Every one is a win when it is done in love and faith. Tons of people are made whole after the fact when it looked like nothing happened. I want every one healed now but I believe that when I pray, the kingdom is coming, and coming now. I don’t even put a time-frame on it. I’m believing for aggressive, progressive change.
109:05 - Is it ok to approach someone even if I am afraid? You said don’t approach that person unless you are not afraid. On certain topics I don’t encourage people to try to find faith in certain arenas. It’s not the time to find faith. You find faith through love in your relationship with God. And you build that stronghold of God.
Can I Be Slimed? (cont.)
109:35 - Fear of being slimed - This question is about if you are afraid that something is going to get on you. If you are afraid, I would not encourage you to try to find faith in that situation. The devil will torment you with his tricks and try to freak you out in fear.
110:10 - Do what you need to do, but don’t throw away faith - If you feel like you are dying but you want to have faith - if you are trying to find faith in that crisis, you should probably call 911 and get some help and get on track and don’t put off faith in the process. Those are not the situations to try to find faith.
110:40 - Now, I live a certain way. But I won’t live that way toward someone else. Here I am preaching healing and faith but I understand that it is not one or the other. Putting on a coat, taking off a coat.
111:10 - Vulnerable v. Not vulnerable - you have what you believe - I’m pursuing knowing Him. I’m pursuing faith. But the situation where fear is involved - letting somebody touch you that you are fearful - that is what makes that doctrine powerful - whether or not you believe it. It’s always about believing. Like if you go out into a crowd and you believe that you are subject to what’s in the crowd, now you are going into the crowd vulnerable. And that is what makes you vulnerable - the fact that you believe that. It’s that simple. Or you have already established through relationship and the word that you are not vulnerable - that Christ in you is greater.
111:50 - "Laying hands suddenly" is used to discourage laying on of hands - Even that phrase, “Well you are not to lay you hands on one suddenly brother.” - 1 Tim. 5:22 The church has pulled that so out of context - that if you lay you hands on someone that you partake in their sins. We make it sound like be careful about who you put your hands on. You don’t know what they are into. No, the context of that phrase is the ordination of leadership. Getting men ready for leadership. And they ought to have certain kinds of lives. Qualifications for deacons and elders. Don’t lay hands on them hastily, make sure their lives are approved. If you ordain them prematurely and they fall into sin, you are going to partake of that because you are the one who ordained them and said go for it. Make sure men are approved. It has nothing to do with fear and then people’s sins coming on you.
113:30 - Grow established in your faith through relationship - So I am not encouraging you to use that topic [the situation of being afraid of being slimed] as a place to try to find faith. Where you find faith for that topic is in your relationship with God. That’s why Jesus walked the way He walked, because He was one with the Father. Not because He was walking in a crowd trying to believe to be ok. He was ok.
113:55 - Participant clarifies question - situation where there was satanic person - a fear rose up in me - if I approach that person what are they going to do to me? But yet, I still felt drawn, compelled.
114:10 - Apprehensions - That is something you work out in your own heart. There is a thought of fear but your spirit man rises up and crushes that and says, “That isn’t the reality. God loves them.” You can have little apprehensions pop in all the time. But down inside, what you really believe is there. You know what you believe.
114:30 - I am talking about trying to find faith when you have that encounter - so you are not slimed or something. You are not compelled to do that. I would say grow in relationship with God first then live toward man in that arena.
Let Trials Springboard You Closer to Him
115:00 - Cling to Him through trials of sickness - Sickness in your own body that hasn’t changed. Human tendency is to get weary, identify with the sickness, judge yourself through the sickness, weigh yourself spiritually low. The greatest thing to do is to cling to your relationship with God and His love for you through Christ and let that relationship identify you. That’s how you can walk in victory - by not letting go of relationship. Hold on all the more in trials. Make sure that you don’t change your mind.
115:45 - Trials can be springboards into relationship - Those kinds of trials are a great springboard into relationship and communion. You walk through and build up in God and character through perseverance and grow up into God and then you can pretty much face anything. When something hits you that is that personal, and you can walk through it, and stay in relationship with Jesus and not lose integrity and not lose the value of your life in the midst of the quandary and not be moved by it and not let that define you but let Him define you and let God be in a position to define your circumstance and not your circumstance to determine God and you don’t change your mind, man that’s a place of great growth.
116:30 - Satan comes and does stuff and he is intending to break you. But he is always running the risk of making you, if you just hold on.
116:50 - Hold on - How long? - a dangerous question - Love not your own life - “Yeah but brother, how long?” That kind of phrase is a dangerous phrase because it means that your mind is very active and human wisdom and reasoning is gaining a voice. And your circumstance is being dictated by some of that. You don’t even want to be able to think that way because you love not your own life unto death. You gave yourself, you died to yourself. So it’s not yeah but how long? It’s thank you Jesus, you are Lord in the midst of the adversity.
117:30 - Never give yourself permission for living less than truth - “Yeah but my husband hasn’t been what he should be.” And you start giving allowance for the flesh, allowance for despair, allowance for discouragement. Your language starts giving you permission for being less than the truth. It’s human reasoning - the way that seems right to a man. It’s not God. But it’s a great opportunity to be affirmed and established in Him. That’s where you get rooted and grounded in love. And even if you get that little apprehension, it’s quickly crushed by the truth that is inside of you.
Pain that Worsens or Moves
118:25 - What do you do if the pain gets worse or moves? Pains don’t just move, so that is a spirit of infirmity. “You move you lose.” Bill Johnson says, “If it flushes, you shoot it.” He’s a bird hunter. You want it to flush. If it flushes, you’ve got a clear shot.
119:40 - First experience with infirmity - wife’s headache.
121:00 - Spirits love to frustrate your walk with God - There are things going on in the spirit that we don’t understand. They really do not want to encounter the anointing and the presence of God. They love to miff you - to get you striving - to get you in the flesh. They would love to manifest and get you impressed with them and be afraid and be a phenomenon to you. They would love to impress you because they are withering cut off branches coming to nothing. They love it when you give them the time of day.
121:30 - When pain get’s worse it's a spirit's defiance - When you see something intensify, when a man has shoulder pain, and you pray for him and it gets twice as bad, that’s like a spiritual reaction saying, “I’m not leaving. I’m here to afflict him. You’re not making me go.” It’s like a defiance. It amplifies. It’s impossible for pain to do that. It’s spiritual stuff. So you pray and take authority over that stuff. Don’t get wigged out by it because it must be a spirit. There is a Spirit living in you. “Infirmity you leave right now. Afflicting spirit leave. In the authority of Jesus’ name I command you to go, you come out.
122:50 - Not just a Christian decree. It’s coming out of the truth of who He is in me.
124:00 - Participant’s experience - traveling - conversations - just following Holy Spirit.
125:30 - Make yourself available to Holy Spirit and He will set up encounters. They can be regular things. But if they are months apart, you probably just need to go love somebody. If Jesus did so many miracles that the world couldn’t contain the written record, our encounters should probably be more frequent than 5 months apart. We wouldn’t even fill a page in our life. Don’t hear that with an ear of pressure. What I am saying is, there’s a whole lot more available. There is a whole lot more God wants to do.
126:50 - It seems like when people understand that and say, “Whatever you want. My life is not my own. I’m going to enjoy my meal today. But we are ready for any kind of connection. Our eyes are open. Our hearts are alive.”
127:25 - Participant’s experience - prophetic words over tattoos.
Pain That Returns
128:25 - What do you do if the pain comes back?
130:00 - Don’t wait for specific info before you approach - Did you hear that God was giving her specific information as she ministered. A lot of times we are waiting for info before we approach. As you step out in love you will be amazed how God will increase… It will flow. If you will just step out with the little bit that you have just to talk with them or pray with them or, “Hey you look like you are in pain.” You will be amazed at how once you engage…
130:20 - Be a spontaneous flow of love - He wants you to live by faith. He wants you to be a spontaneous flow of love. He wants you to be a flowing river. If you are holding back until you hear a word… You can love them whether you hear a word or not. As she started in faith, God met her faith and gave her even more intimate information.
130:40 - Step out in faith - prophetic - Bob Hazlett will teach you to just walk up to someone and say, “You know that you are the kind of person that…” believing that God will fill in the rest. It’s amazing how that happens. That takes faith. “You know when I look at you I think you are the kind of person that….”, not pre-planning what you are going to say but you are trusting that the Spirit of God knows them.
131:15 - Back to the question - Satan is so freaked out and afraid of the word. He’s not after you. He’s after the word becoming real in you. He’s trying to quench God and the kingdom of God. Apart from God, he could care less about you. But you are made in the image of God and you are called to be restored to that through Christ.
131:40 - Paradox of staying healed - The unsaved usually stay healed - So here is what I have seen. On the streets, people that aren’t saved - get healed and don’t get saved - just get healed - it’s a vital touch in their lives - they curse afterwards. You bump into them 2 weeks later - “man, ever since you prayed for me I am great.” Then you get to sow back into them more and believe that God is working deeper in them. But it is rare - I don’t have recollection of people getting healed on the streets and the pain coming back.
132:20 - Christians have pain come back - satan's attempt to pull you out of relationship - It seems to be always Christians who have the pain come back. I believe it’s because satan wants to steal away your heart. He doesn’t want you to believe God. He wants you discouraged. He wants you to say, “Well that wasn’t real." He’s trying to find weakness and vulnerability, to relent and step back. He is attacking, however he can attack to make you grow weary and make you draw back and make you pick up love for your own life, make you frustrated. Somehow these people who don’t have the word in them, it seems like God is somehow protecting them because they would quickly be destroyed. There is almost a sovereignty in that.
132:55 - People who don’t have any understanding of the word, they get healed. And they don’t even know to hold their healing. They are just living every day and they are fine.
133:15 - But people who have the accountability of the word… because here is the deal. Those people who get healed (no word) are not the big threat. God doesn’t allow you to be tempted more than you can bear. But there is an accountability in Christians to hear and do. Wise man / foolish man - same storm - different results.
133:55 - The enemy attacks and is concerned about believers - When the word comes and faith comes, I believe the enemy is right there to stop that. He is trying to get us to violate our conscience, our identity. He is looking for any avenue to attack where you have received the word and have knowledge on that. Because he is trying to keep it from becoming real in your life. So you are in a war.
135:00 - Jesus said to the Pharisees, if you were blind you would have no guilt but because you say we see, your guilt remains. Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
135:25 - So you sow a little seed and it seems like grace preserves them in a birthing process.
136:00 - Using God to get better v. relationship.
136:50 - Satan would love to keep you reduced to doctrine.
We Have Responsibility - Don't be Deterred
137:15 - We have responsibility - We were given the kingdom - Picture of God - arms cross - So what are you going to do Dan? - like don’t even look to me - I have given you the kingdom - Understand, believe and fight well. He settled this when He sent His Son. Now He has put authority in my mouth, a sword, a shield. He’s given me the kingdom and I need to be assertive with that. I’m not going to cry, complain, grow weary, take it personal - I’m going to rise up and fight. I’m going to stand knowing He loves me no matter what. I’m going to stand and know that we win period. And even if it doesn’t seem like we win, I know we win. And I am not going to change that.
138:50 - Moses had responsibility - He was given a staff - He said to Moses, Why are you crying out to me? You take your staff and split that sea. We say to the mountain - pound that mountain. The hammer is able to break that thing. Keep swinging the hammer of truth, word in His love.
140:00 - Swing the hammer of truth - break that mountain of adversity - Father, I thank you. My heart will not fail today. I thank You my life is in Your hands. And You are effectually working in me. Body you be strong. You carry me through this day and we will do the will of God. I will never quit because we have already won... There is a place to know that is true in the face of trial.
140:30 - Lady hit with MS - husband pastor - wouldn’t be shaken
140:50 - Don't elevate your difficulties of the flesh above your priority for faith - “Yeah but brother, you don’t know how tough it has been.” Once you say that you are already trapped. There are people out there who have been through so much more than you have imagined. We can’t do that. That is actually accounting for our flesh. You put people in a position where you are demanding that people be sentimental with you instead of give you truth.
140:55 - Pastor’s wife (continued) - So all of her friends were like, “Bless her heart. She is in denial. If she was going to be healed she would have been healed by now. Especially her, because she believes like nobody we know.” - intellectual - mind running.
141:30 - What if she had actually believed what she said she believed? What if she didn’t let go. What if she affirmed that she really did believe this?
141:50 - Lady with MS (cont.) - If she had said, “I don’t take life personal. Two years is not a timeline that is going to break me - 2 years or 20 - not that I am pushing off and waiting for twenty. There is a point - a principle there. I love God. Healing is for me. And I am going to win.” And her friends said she needs to accept this - face this. Two years go by and the presence of God comes on her and she is completely restored in a moment. Good friends trying to talk her out of her journey.
142:50 - Bartimaeus - the crowds tried to dissuade him from pursuing healing - Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. I am not letting you pass by. The crowd probably tried to talk him out of being loud. Hushing Bartimaeus and his heart cry. He doesn’t take it to heart. Cries out louder. Every reason not to cry out.
145:30 - If you are sick, pray for the sick - that's faith. It’s your statement, I believe He heals. That doesn’t make you a hypocrite. It makes you a believer.
Reactions to Trials
146:00 - Unjust judge relents due to widow's persistence - persistent widow - Matt. 18:1 - And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; -
Perseverance in the face of satan's tests - We tend to faint and lose heart, rebound, and then faint again. Satan adds pressure. Satan keeps coming. He’s saying, “I don’t believe that you believe. You’re just in this for you. You don’t love God. You’re not surrendered. It’s really about you.”
148:00 - Adversity leading to a demand for sensitivity - you don't understand - Then when you say, “Yeah but you don’t understand how hard…” You are forcing others to be sensitive to you. You are forcing them into that mindset. It’s a trap. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s not that we can’t be sensitive, but not at the cost of truth. I try to talk to people, “I know that I haven’t been in your shoes. I know that I haven’t been in the pain you are in. But listen…” And then you start talking about relationship, surrender, getting up every morning and saying, “God, I don’t like feeling this way in my body and I wish that the pain was gone. But it doesn’t change a thing. My life is in You.” You have got to grab onto Him in some way so as you are being squeezed the image of Christ is coming out.
148:50 - Adversity leading into self-absorption - it becomes their world - Even if you begin to intercede for others - pray for people. I’ve learned that the longer people are in things, it becomes their world. People call me oblivious to anything else in the world. What they are going through is the only thing happening in the world in their mind. Like they are the only person in trouble because it is so real. I’m not saying that to criticize. That’s a psychological thing. “I know you’re busy, BUT you have to call me now. Because you don’t understand what we are in the middle of.” Then three hours later, “If you care at all for me, where are you? Why haven’t you called?” And I am in another state. But it is all that they can see.
150:00 - Aggressive attitude in seeking healing is not faith - That is not what gets you healed. That is not faith. That’s not the desperate thing - the woman pressing through the crowd. We think if I get aggressive enough I will be healed. People drive 5 hours to a meeting and they think that that is the faith that will get them healed. “Well I drove 5 hours to the meeting.” That’s works. That’s a zero. It’s the finished work of Christ. It’s God’s love for you. It’s not what you do. It’s who He is and who you are because of Him and never losing sight of that.
150:40 - Never lose heart - We are going to pray and not lose heart or faint. If you have a grid for losing heart it is going to make your life up and down - cycling. And when do you ever arrive to the knowledge of truth? Because as you are on the way to truth, you start thinking in a way that loses heart again. How about you throw away the permission slip to lose heart.
151:30 - BREAK
A Harvest is on the Way
153:40 - Don’t be discouraged by outward results - There have been times if I had weighed results outwardly, I would have been greatly deceived. Because God did a whole lot more than met the eye.
154:00 - Jesus was not discouraged but saw bigger picture - the fruit was coming - If we had weighed Jesus’ ministry at the point of the cross, it doesn’t look too fruitful - handful of followers - not committed enough to stand with Him - He had ministered to thousands - healed and healed and on the day He was crucified, the masses of people cried out for a murderer to be released and said crucify Him. His blood be on us and our descendants. If you assessed Jesus’ ministry at that point, it’s a bust. He’s got a couple of women crying over Him when He is on the cross. The rest of His guys are scattered and crying. But He has healed thousands. He’s preached to tremendous numbers. But if you look at His life and don’t have faith - don’t understand sowing and watering and God bringing increase, you can introspect your ministry, debrief and make changes. You can always be shifting and never be established in a position of faith. The best was yet to come. The fruit was yet to be seen on the tree.
156:10 - Fruit emerges from what looks like failure - Jesus rises from the dead. Reassembles His guys. Re-commissions His guys. Gets them back on track - sends them out. And a month and a week later, Holy Spirit comes. And Peter starts preaching under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And now there are thousands cut to the heart coming into the kingdom. By Acts 5 great things are happening - the name of Jesus is exalted. A couple of months before that it looked like He failed.
157:10 - Misreading your usefulness - if you love somebody, you've made a difference - If you don’t have faith and sincere love in your heart when you are touching these people, you are going to read things at face value and be deceived and feel like God doesn’t use you much and say what’s the use. Do you know insignificant people are driven to feel in the body, like they don’t make a difference? If you love somebody you have made an amazing difference.157:25 - No limits to the significance of sowing love - How do you measure a seed, placed in the hand of God, sown in love? How do you measure it when a mustard seed turns into the greatest of plants? It’s immeasurable. We ought to be so moved to love by faith. I’m talking about going back to people who rejected you. And not giving up on people who treat you roughly. <Hypothetical interaction>
159:00 - You may be first in a line of three talking to someone and getting shot down. But by the third time they are wondering what is going on and let someone pray. But you were all part of the process. You sowed. You just have to get the bigger vision of faith for loving people.
159:45 - Don’t cut people off by judging outward responses - When you judge by outward appearances - “If he hasn’t gotten saved by now he will never get saved” - we are determining his fate instead of the working of Holy Spirit. Maybe he has been crying himself to sleep for a week because he feels lost and doesn’t know what to do. You never know what is going on in people. You are just looking at his outward anger and frustration. It’s just because he is struggling to find truth and he is not a people person. Yet God is working in him. And you are assessing him at face value - trapped in human wisdom - while Holy Spirit is trying to graft him in. Don’t you ever cut off or let go.
200:30 - Jesus didn’t give up on us - Father forgive them - Can you imaging if Jesus thought that way when they were yelling for Barabus after all the good He had done? That’s it beam me up. I’m done. These people had every reason to change and they didn’t. They are never going to change. Instead He hung on the cross for us. Forgive them Father, they don’t know what they are doing.
201:15 - Forgiving when treated roughly - Father forgive them - Why is it so hard, when people treat you roughly, to say, “Forgive them Father. They just don’t know.” If they knew the sincerity I approached them with… If they knew the good news I was trying to give them… If they knew the pure pleasure of your heart… they wouldn’t be treating me this way.
Persistence
201:50 - Persistent faith - Unjust judge - persistent widow - Matt. 18 - v.1-5 - And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. -
203:20 - Contrast parable - Your going to God does not weary Him.
203:35 - v.6-7 - And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
203:40 - Faith and timelines - What does "speedily" mean? - You can be in a situation and have questions about what speedily means. When you start drawing timelines.... I wonder if you are not stretching out the timeline because you are not established. I wonder if it is not possible to let two weeks turn into two years because what we don’t understand. And then it is even more entrenched after 2 years. And then 2 years becomes 12 years. And there is no way to find faith in that place.
205:20 - v.8 - Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? -
Will He really find faith or will we be driven by our circumstances - Will He really find faith or will he find this: “Don’t tell me, I stood for a year and didn’t see anything happen.” Will He see that all of our natural circumstances control our hearts and eventually our mouths? Will He just find our reasons for being in the position we are in - justifications - flesh? Will we be saying, “Where have you been?” Why would this be in here if there were not a possibility that we would not be in a good position?
206:30 - So He talks about what God will do for His children, then He says, “Nevertheless…” He just gave you a promise, however when I come will I really find you believing? Or will your circumstances be driving you? Will your mind be constrained by what you are going through?
Equipping the Body
207:30 - Ephesians 4
208:20 - v.4-6 - There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. -
The body of Christ is diverse but unified - That’s pretty narrow - one finished sacrifice. Yet we have a diversity of giftings, callings, heartbeats - youth, missions, elderly, walk the street and love everybody you see. That’s diversity. In the midst of all of that diversity, we have one hope of our calling - the image of God - walking in love.
209:35 - We have one faith - the finished work of Christ. Who we are is because of Him. That’s the faith - who you are as a result of Him. That’s what the faith is all about, holding on to what He gave - righteousness. Your whole armor is about who you are because of Him dying and rising from the dead.
209:55 - We have diverse giftings and callings - So we have this one faith and one hope and yet this great diversity of giftings and callings. In that diversity we don’t lord it over one another. We don’t make one more powerful than the other and one insignificant. We honor one another. We actually are to consider one another more highly than ourselves.
210:50 - v.9-10 - So he died, went into the grave, defeated the grave and rose from the dead. So it’s affirming that He is the Christ.
211:20 - v.11 - And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; - Some say that prophets and teachers are the same thing. Others say that it is a different gift. It makes no difference to me one way or the other.
211:25 - The operation of gifts should lead to a change of perspective - transformation of life - Why did He give us these? So that we could recognize the anointing on their lives? Build a conference around them so that they minister to us? No, but that is what we do all the time. There is more to it than just meeting men’s needs - changing of his perspective - his life. Getting him out of the world and into Christ so that He can live from a place of truth. The healing of the sick is intended to initially lead (draw) somebody into that place. To lead them into a transformation of life and perspective.
212:30 - v.12 - For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: -
Gifts are for equipping the body for the work of ministry - Here is why the gifts are given - for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying or building up of the body of Christ. That’s why we get everybody involved and encourage you to pray for the sick.
213:00 - 100% healed - Jesus' experience - our birthright - Not everybody I am praying for is being healed. None of us has arrived. I tell people, “I haven’t seen enough, but I have seen way too much to change my mind.”
213:50 - Four churches in the last year where 100% healed. Hearing, vision.
214:10 - 100% is our birthright. Until that is our experience we haven’t arrived because that was Jesus’ experience.
214:45 - When healing is not immediate - pressure, questions - Randy Clark - When you are healed just begin to clap for a minute. Builds momentum. We’ll see what God is doing all over the room. But in the circle where there is no clapping yet, you get the questions, “What are we doing wrong? Maybe we need to get some of those clappers over here in our circle.” And the person in the circle is starting to take it personal if they don’t have a strong foundation in understanding. “How come everybody is getting healed but me?” And not for the people being prayed for, it’s all about them. And for the ministers, it’s all about them.
215:20 - Pressure of no clapping. Everybody else is clapping and we don't have any clapping yet. “What’s wrong with our little group? How did I get in your group anyway? What’s wrong with me?” I go around and protect people from that.
215:50 - Grid for disappointment - You are striving to achieve healing - When you have a grid for feeling “What’s wrong with me when are you ever going to receive God’s love and really walk in faith? You won’t because there is something underlying - you are striving to achieve something - there is something wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with me. Something was wrong with me, I was separated from God. Now, everything has been made right with me.
216:30 - Confidence from being established in His finished work - it's already done - This is in me. One of the reasons I come across confident is because you can’t talk me out of it. I am not working to do anything. It’s already been done. I’m His boy and He loves me. So in my deepest trials, that’s already affirmed in me. And if I, in the heat of that battle question what’s wrong with me then I am really subverted. No, it’s the proclamation of what has been made right - that’s my battle plan - not introspecting what’s wrong.
Avoid the Line Them Up & Heal Them Approach
217:20 - "Line them up and heal them" approach sends the wrong message - healing is ministered by the few gifted ones - If I just line people up and heal them what message would I be sending. That is the way it was done when I was growing up. Ministers were brought in and they would pray for the whole group. That one man would pray for everybody. We would bring in certain people hoping that they would be able to heal certain people. I think it is Jesus who we are looking for.
217:45 - I ministered that way for years. I got invited to churches because of the way I would minister. I was aggressive. And I believed that God was going to rock you. And I believed you were going to be healed. I still believe that stuff.
218:00 - Equipping the body - But 6 years ago the Lord talked to me in prayer and said, “You understand my gifting on your life - your anointing - but how are you using it to increase the body and multiply my heart.” And I said, “I’m not.” He said, “Why not?” So that is the mission I have been on for six years.
218:20 - It's not about exalting the gifted individual - Jesus is the answer and He is in us all - If I had come to your church six years ago I would have prayed for everybody - and prophetic stuff and words of knowledge and all of that stuff. And everybody would go, "Wow!" Now I undercover that stuff because of the weird effects that stuff has. People are attracted to that stuff. Now if I see something prophetic for you, I just pray in agreement with what I see. And people say, wow he just prayed out my life. He prayed what I was thinking. But I am not going for “thus says the Lord.” I camouflage it all the time. If I don’t I’ll have a long line of people in front of me and they just want words. If you leave people with the impression that you are the answer, I believe that we have misguided them. Jesus is the answer and He is in US.
219:25 - So if I can build up the Christ that is in us - who is the hope of glory then the Christ that is flowing through you now is the manifestation of that glory. Now we are headed somewhere.
219:40 - Now I go to churches and we see some awesome stuff and I really have not prayed for anyone in the service. And I like that. It’s actually fun. Why? Because the gifts are for the equipping.
We're Growing
219:55 - v.13 - Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: -
Till we all come to the unity of faith - not there yet - Do you know why that is there? Because we are not there yet. We are not in the unity of faith. There are so many questions and discrepancies that go on in our minds. And some of us ask the same questions over and over even though they have been answered 50 times because we are not finding peace and rest in our belief system.
And the knowledge of the Son of God - So are we trying to find God through our circumstances or through the knowledge of the Son of God? Through the knowledge of the Son of God is how we find truth. You don’t find truth through your circumstances. You have to look to Jesus.
To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ - That is our destiny right there. That is the reason I teach. We are not there. Who is walking like Jesus walked? Nobody. But can we? Is it in the word? Then that is our goal. Let’s not change our mind, but just keep growing.
224:20 - v.14 - That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; -
Opposition from theologies based in loss - protecting their testimony - Sometimes the people who have the greatest objection to what I am preaching are people with great loss. And they are protecting their testimony. They have built a theology around that loss and why it happened. And that is where the big mistake is.
225:00 - Heretic - mother died of cancer - hates anyone who thinks it is the will of God to heal everyone.
226:25 - Healing is for everyone - Did Jesus heal everyone? This understanding should not be difficult. The only reason it is difficult is because it is not our experience. You need to see that and grow up in Him in all things and not be tossed to and fro.
226:40 - v.15 - But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: -
Speak the truth from love not the need to be right. I’m the steward of my own heart and I will answer for every word I have spoken. If I have missed something, it was not intentional.
227:25 - Don't speak from the need to be right - Not because you want the strong amen from congregations. You can say anything that sounds spiritual in the right atmosphere and get a strong amen. But teachers go through a stricter judgement. Don’t let many of you be teachers. A whole lot of people writing a whole lot of stuff.
228:20 - Dan’s calling to be pastor / preacher.
230:00 - Grow up into Him in all things - Enjoy the growth - Why? Because we are not there yet. Enjoy the growth. Enjoy the process. Don’t get frustrated. Don’t say, “But when I get there” or “I’ll never get there.” Stay in the sun, stay in the rain and grow.
Pain that Returns
231:15 - How do we keep Christians from anger / hardness if pain comes back? It’s almost like their hearts are getting harder. If I see something in your life that is not healthy, I will address that directly. “Where is the right to be so angry coming from? God doesn’t owe you. He loves you. He’s not your busboy. So you were healed and now your response is to get angry. I think your response is to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. It’s to fight and contend and not misunderstand what is going on here.” So you bring them understanding.
236:00 - It’s amazing how our minds work sometimes. It goes awry when relationship with God is not strong and it is left to think for itself. And your mind without Christ is a bummer. Your mind with Christ is a blessing.
236:25 - Keeping the healing - Father, absolutely not, I thank You. Your love is amazing. And You healed me two weeks ago and healed I am. Nothing is standing in the way of Your love for me. You have to leave pain. Pain I resist you. I am not second guessing or questioning. I am a child of God. And Your love for me is sure God. Pain get out of my body now. I absolutely command you to leave. You are not ever coming back... Attack that thing without "What's going on?", "Why me?"
237:00 - Guy who came to service and got healed and came back - my healing was probably my imagination. Never sought Him just got angry and complained.
240:00 - Closing prayer