Session 11 (2017)
9:40 - [Teaching in progress]
Approach boldly - You approach the throne boldly - not arrogantly - not presumptuously but boldly because He wants you in His presence. Why would He pay for you to approach Him if He didn’t want you in His presence?
9:50 - It’s a simple gospel - Keep it simple - It’s just simple. So stay simple with the gospel. Don’t get complex. Paul was concerned for the Christians in Corinth and warned them against being removed from the simplicity of the gospel - 2 Cor. 11:3.
➡ 10:05 - Review - In the first two sessions I stayed on the same themes. Why? Because when we pray for the sick it’s important that we have a righteous identity. It’s important to know that you’re right with God - that you have access to the Father through the Son - that Holy Spirit lives in you because He wants to. Keep it that simple.
10:30 - Simple truths - Foundations for life - As I travel, I see that many people don’t understand these simple, simple things - simple truths that you don’t ever want to be removed from. They are the foundation of your life. It’s where you live from.
Walk by Faith - Not by Feelings
10:35 - Live steady by faith in truth - No need to live “up and down” - Encouraged / discouraged - You live from right standing with God. If you are not sure that you have right standing with God you will live “up and down.” You’ll have seasons where you are not encouraged. If He is really Lord and He is still on the throne and He is speaking better things over you and He says, “Fear not little flock. It’s the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” and He’s for you and not against you and He’ll never leave you or forsake you, why wouldn’t we be encouraged if we are living by faith?
11:10 - Live by faith in truth - Not by how life is going - The only way that we don’t stay encouraged is if we get our eyes on other things - life - circumstances - situations - and let those things speak louder than truth. So it’s really important that we continue to live in faith. That means living by the truth of what He accomplished and who we are now that He came.
11:35 - Live by faith in truth - Not how gifting is flowing through you - There are supernatural schools all over the country. For the last few years they have been springing up. And the main focus is to move in the supernatural. But I would love for us to live with solid joy for a week - straight up be OK for a week. I would love to see us encouraged for a year without any other option - really be OK.
12:20 - I live consistently encouraged because I understand who I am and why I’m here - I’ve been saved for 22 years and I only know how to be OK. I know my life. And I don’t ever try to be OK. It’s not because I am a super-spiritual Christian. It’s because it’s something I see. I understand who I am now that Jesus came. And I understand why I am alive (my purpose). He’s the Lord and He lives in me. And He just wants to live through me. It’s just that simple. I don’t see anything else.
12:50 - When trials come just keep living by faith in truth - Don’t make it all about you - So when trials and challenging circumstances come to me - like they come to everybody… If you don’t understand that trials come to everybody you will just take them to heart - internalize them and make them your whole goal of faith just to smooth things out. Your whole goal of faith will be trying to get through the trouble. But your whole goal of faith should be trying not to lose sight of who He is in you in the trouble - in the challenges - so you always shine. If you do that you’ll always live effectively - always make a statement of who He is - without even trying so hard.
13:30 - Faith is a perspective you live from - Not a tool to get what you want - It’s just really important to live by faith. Faith is not just a tool that we use to get a promotion or a tool that we use to get a prayer answered. Faith is a perspective - a view that you live by every day. The just live by faith - Rom. 1:17. You understand who He is in you and why He’s in you.
14:10 - Become and then do - Not do to become - Because I travel, I know that there are not a lot of people that are super encouraged. And there are a lot of people that are trying to learn to do the stuff (exercise spiritual gifts) without becoming the truth of what He accomplished. I’m not really interested in you praying for the sick without you being free. If you are not free, your identity will rest on what happens when you pray for the sick. And if you don’t see someone healed or someone dies that you prayed for and you are not free, then you are going to really be in trouble. Then you might even draw back for a time. Or you might come up with another theology (with regard to healing). You might start looking for truth through you circumstances instead of through His life lived.
➡ 15:05 - Understand His great love - His mind never changed about you - I want to talk about healing. But this thing that I am talking about right now consumes me. I feel like the Lord is crying out that He wants us to understand His love for us and that He is never changing His mind. While we were yet sinners He sent His Son - Rom. 5:8. We didn’t have a clue. But He knew who we were in Him - who we were created to be in Him. He didn’t change a thing about what He made man to be for generations - even though we were messing up and hurting each other and living in sin. God stayed the same, the whole time.
15:50 - The price was paid for forgiveness - We live in a great time. Christ was crucified. That stone is rolled away. And He’s at the right hand of God and we are justified because He lives. We are right with God - period. You are the only one that can believe that you are not right with God - (i.e. - You are the steward of your heart - what you believe). He made you right. The Bible says that your sins are forgiven and not only yours but the sins of the whole world - 1 John 2:2. Now the whole world still needs to repent. They still need to yield their lives to Jesus. But the price has been paid for forgiveness. God is ready to forgive the whole world if they would just say, “Forgive me.” He’s not mad. He’s love. He doesn’t take you personally, in a bad way. He doesn’t find displeasure in you.
16:40 - God is not mad or disappointed - I believe that God is not ever disappointed in you - not upset with you. He yearns. He longs. He woos. He draws. But He is not sitting there saying, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He’s never like that because He is love. Love take no account of a suffered wrong - 1 Cor. 13:5. So if love doesn’t seek its own and that’s why it doesn’t take wrongs personally (to heart), how could He be ticked at you? He doesn’t take that personally. He longs for you to become more - to become clearer in truth - to grow up into Him in all things. He doesn’t hurt for Himself. He hurts for us.
17:30 - Embrace Him - So we ought to just joyfully accept this. We ought to approach Him and wake up in Him and go to bed and commune with Him freely and talk about everything with Him and get excited about Him loving us. You can be sincerely excited about life in God. You can go to bed at night and say, I so thank you for your love. I so appreciate that you are always for me. And I can walk in total confidence that you are always in me and always will flow through me. I am so ready to shine. And I thank you for teaching me these things and showing me what my life is really all about. I used to try to make it through and get through and get people to like me and feel important. Blah! Man, I’m glad You’re in me.
18:15 - Live steadfast by faith in truth - Not up and down according to how life is going - There’s no “up and down” living in that. When you live like that, nobody even has to treat you right. Things (the circumstances of life) don’t even have to go well for you. We got tricked into praying that everything would go well in life. Then when it doesn’t go well we wonder why - what am I doing wrong - what door did I open? And the whole time our identity is in shambles because of circumstances instead of established in truth.
18:45 - The storm comes to the wise and the foolish - Your faith was never intended so that your circumstances would flow perfectly. The storm comes to the wise and the foolish. The wise man hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s a wise man. The storm doesn’t come to the foolish man because he is foolish. And the storm comes to the wise man the same. So the wise man couldn’t have “opened the door.”
19:15 - Be solid in faith even during the storm - But here is what Christians say, “Why is this happening? What door did I open? Why is God allowing this? What did I do wrong?” When you are talking like that, your identity is scrambled - you’re not solid - you’re not established - you are in question and you are letting the circumstance question your identity instead of letting your identity be established through what took place through the Son. It’s detrimental to our lives.
19:45 - Everything He wants to do in you and through you flows out of intimacy - Why do I camp on this constantly instead of talking about prophecy, words of knowledge, supernatural miracles and things? Because I believe that relationship with God - intimacy with God is the highest priority of our lives. And everything else He wants (what He wants to do in you and through you) flows out of who He is in our lives. It’s so healthy that way.
20:05 - Miracles alone are not the answer - It’s all about knowing Him - We don’t need to see miracles if two years later we are still riding that wave and maybe not doing that well spiritually. We don’t need to be used mightily but then months later your countenance isn’t shining. That’s probably not cool. That’s probably not the will of God. It’s the will of God to shine.
➡ 20:40 - It's a simple gospel - Keep it simple - I intended to talk about healing… but I sense the longing of the Lord. This thing is simple. Don’t make it complex. Don’t get analytical.
21:00 - Intelligence is not necessarily an impediment - An analytical mind is - I don’t believe the human intellect is a problem. Having a high IQ isn’t a problem. But being analytical isn’t good. “Well, I am very analytical.” That’s not something to boast in. I’d rather you be childlike and go, “Yes, Lord!” Intelligence is awesome - a gift. “Analytical” is probably what Eve did when the serpent was talking. Right before the serpent spoke, the only thing they knew was God and what He said. And when that voice spoke, now they had another voice to contend with. And when they yielded to that voice they became subservient to that voice. And for generations we’ve been hearing a lot of things from that voice.
22:05 - We're back in the garden before sin - So positionally, we are back in the garden before sin. The tree is still there and the serpent is still speaking but we obey God and we follow Him. God took care of the tree and the serpent. He took care of everything. Just follow Jesus. My sheep hear and obey my voice - a stranger’s they won’t follow - John 10:4-5. Why? When you know that you are His, that voice is strange. It just takes a childlike heart.
22:40 - The gospel is simple - Education not required to understand - I’m a simple guy. Not highly educated. City schools - no college. I didn’t put any effort forth in high school and still made decent grades. I’m not against education. But when the gospel comes, it’s just simple. It doesn’t take education to believe God.
23:40 - The simple gospel - He became a man to redeem man. He put on flesh to set men free. He paid the price. He became what I was so that I could become what He is (a son). He’s really for me. While I was yet a sinner - I didn't even ask Him to do this. I just found this out along the way.
24:00 - You have access to the Father - So stay simple please. I want everybody in this school to be encouraged that they have total access to God. And if you don’t believe that you can approach Him freely… you’re wrong. You can. I would encourage everyone to seek Him more when nobody is looking - more than you do in corporate settings. Please don’t just lead worship, worship Him when you are alone.
➡ 24:50 - Let’s talk about healing for a little bit…
Living Steady Even in the Storm
25:00 - The mandate on Dan's heart - We don't have to live "up and down" - [The mandate that is on Dan’s heart when he stands to preach] It’s all that I can see when I am standing there. God is just crying something out from the rooftops. He doesn’t want us living “up and down.” Don’t believe that it’s the norm. “How are you doing brother?” “I’m hanging in there.” That’s not cool.
26:00 - He changes our perspective - Our language gives us away (that we are living “up and down”). We are doing only as good as life is going. And we are trying to get closer to God somehow, thinking that that is going to change the way that life is going. No, getting closer to God changes who I am in the midst of how it’s going. (God changes the way that I see and then in the storm I will see the storm differently.)
26:20 - The storms of life - Remember the storm that comes to the wise man? Do you understand that the storm in (Mt. 7:24-27) has no intention of destroying the occupant of the home? The storm is trying to break down the house. It’s not trying to hurt the person inside, it’s trying to destroy what’s built.
26:40 - Satan is trying to stop the kingdom of God - He doesn’t want you established in the word - In Mark 4:15 satan comes for the word’s sake. He’s not coming to hurt us. Satan is coming so that the word never gets established in you - becomes mighty in you. He’s not after you. He’s after the kingdom of God on the earth. He’s trying to stop the kingdom of God. The storm that is coming to the wise man is beating on the house that was built. It beat vehemently but the house stood. What’s it trying to do?
27:20 - The seed sown comes under testing - [Description of a situation where you know that God is talking to you.] It was a word in due season. It’s just what I need to hear right now. And you go out with joy. And then Mark 4 says the heat comes - circumstances - something comes directly involving that word to steal the zeal, the zip, the joy and the faith - out from your heart concerning that word. It tries to slap it right out of you. He doesn’t want you established in the word. That’s when you are a problem to him. He could care less if you go to church. He cares when you believe the word and start becoming the word and you won’t let your mind be changed no matter what. He cares when you love not your own life unto death and you don’t know how to complain any more. He cares when you don’t take life personal anymore because you took the gospel personally. He cares when you no longer take what people say personally - their words - because you have taken God’s word personally. And there is this thing built around you and it’s not going to fall. He wants that to fall.
Shine - Be Patient, People need Time to See Your Life
29:05 - Shine Him in your sphere of influence - Altogether we have a wide sphere of influence - We all have a sphere of influence - work - family - we pass by people. If you would add our spheres of influence together, it’s a sea of people that we all have contact with - that we have the ability to influence without even trying because we are already in position. What if we started living super consistently? - with a crystal clear purpose, motive, reason for being and just understand Christ in me? What if we stayed steadfast in that and always had something to give because you’re always filled - you are thinking clear - your eye is clear and your body is flooded with light?
30:10 - Not evangelism but just shining who He is through the way we live - It doesn’t mean that everything is going the way that you hoped. It just means that He’s alive in you and you see your life clearly. Wouldn’t it be amazing if all Christians just went to work like that? Just go to work and not be dreading the day - the boss - not be praying for people to treat us differently - just going to work to shine - just being thankful that we had a job - just doing our work unto the Lord - just living in a way that people can’t help but to see - and not trying to be evangelistic... Wouldn’t that be amazing?
30:45 - Working in a secular setting after being saved - two and a half years. Before that 13 years not saved. Left to pastor. And then went to another secular job just to get around people again. Struggling with ministry - everything was “Christian.”
31:25 - It’s just fun for me to be around people who don’t know Jesus. God put me in the darkest place that I have ever worked. Another warehouse. HR lady had been praying for Jesus to come to the warehouse. When she met me she started to cry. “You are the answer to my prayer.”
32:45 - In the beginning fellow workers were really bothered by me. You can’t be bothered by that. They just don’t understand. They’ve heard all of the bad stuff about church.
33:20 - Pay cut & financial gap bridged - Took pay cut. Didn’t realize until first paycheck. “I guess you knew that when you brought me here, Lord.” Sometimes we pray because we are freaked out. It’s better to chuckle and have fellowship and communion with God. Our prayer life can give away (reveal) our unbelief. Communion looks different than freaking out. You look at your first paycheck and you go, Wow, I never even thought about the financial impact of changing jobs. I sure appreciate you loving me. Thanks. He already knows. I don’t have to pray something specific (about Him helping me bridge the financial gap).
35:05 - Financial gap was bridged. Checks in the mail - roughly a thousand a month for three months. Then I went on incentive pay and made more than I had ever made. Never prayed about money.
36:00 - People need to see that you are consistent - that you are for real - that you don’t just have a confession.
36:15 - Stealing at prior warehouse - Repenting after being saved - At prior warehouse job, before saved I was stealing from the company. Stealing strawberry shipments - whip cream stashed and waiting under the racks. When the lights would go off we would get stuffed on crab meat. When I got saved, I wrote a check to repay - $700. Confessed and repented to boss. I understand if you need to fire me. If you keep me here, I will be an amazing employee and I’ll never do that again. Boss was a Christian and was totally rocked by what I said. I’m excited for you. Keep the check. Just go be that good employee. And I was.
38:40 - When I first got saved my coworkers wanted to know what trauma I was going through. The world thinks that people only turn to God when they can’t get through on their own - using God as a crutch.
39:30 - People are watching your life - Let God decide how amazing you can live - Guy handing out tracts at work. He used to live wild. Marriage fell apart. But when his wife came home and his marriage was restored he fell away. Coworkers saw this and said, “See…” If your coworkers know that you’re a Christian, they are going to watch you. They are going to look for a way to justify their conscience in you. They are going to look for weakness in you. People say, “I can’t be perfect.” I wish we would believe that we could live in grace and grow closer to living pure as we can. I wish we would let God decide how good we can live. I think we sell ourselves short because of our past experiences. We’re too busy following each other when we ought to be following Him. It might be amazing how God can empower us to live - to where they see who He is in you.
41:00 - They told me that in months I would be back to the old me. I would remind them later of this. After about two years, they were asking me a lot of questions. 11 guys born again and coming to a prayer meeting. A bunch got healed. Supervisor came to my house and got saved. I went to another guy’s house and he got saved - baptized him in his bathtub. We just had fun living Jesus. After 2 and ½ years I left to be a pastor. After I left 4 more got born again. It’s just fun. But it took time. They needed to see consistency. They needed to see something (real).
42:15 - Not under evangelistic pressure - Be in love with Jesus - I wasn’t under pressure. I didn’t feel like their salvation depended on my consistency. I was just in love with Jesus. I went to work in love. And He changes everything. He makes you new. So I wasn’t trying to be evangelistic on my job.
42:45 - Sometimes I think we are trying too hard - trying beyond our transformation. Let your transformation be your evangelism. We’re just trying to do the work of the Lord without becoming what He paid for. I don’t ever try to be evangelistic. I’m just in love with Jesus.
Demonstrate the Gospel - Preach & Heal / Heal & Preach
43:20 - Demonstrate the gospel - Praying for a guy right away - Conversation with a guy. Didn’t say I was a Christian. He told of physical problem. “Now you did it. You can’t tell me that and not let me pray for that. Jesus changes things.” OK.
44:35 - Show and tell gospel - It was a Luke 10 kind of situation. Mt. 10:7-8 - is preach then heal. Luke 10:9 - is heal then preach. Either way - show them and tell them. It’s a show and tell gospel or a tell and show gospel. It’s never just a show.
45:05 - Luke 10 is where He added the seventy - sent them out. And I really feel like that is you and me. He’s saying that this ministry isn’t reserved for these guys that I hand picked. He added 70 more to go do the same thing.
45:25 - In Mt. 28:17-20, He told them to go make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe everything that I taught you. So if He is talking to Peter, James and John guess who else He is talking to? (He’s saying those things to us too! So, if He says things to the disciples in the gospel accounts, He is saying them to us too.)
45:35 - Demonstrate the gospel - Oh, I feel something - So I prayed for this guy and it was one of those tangible moments. I prayed something very simple but I felt the love of God for this man. And the presence of Jesus just came on him and on his friend. His friend was funny. “Oh, man, I am feeling something.” He got excited about what he was feeling. And I got to explain.
46:30 - For today’s culture - Tend towards Luke 10 - Pray then explain - So in that situation, I prayed and then told him a little something about the kingdom. In today’s society, I think we ought to stick with Luke 10 - heal and then explain - a little more than Mt. 10. People have enough church background so that if you explain first, they might start telling you why it’s God's will that they are sick - why you don’t need to lay hands on them - they come up with something. I’d rather sneak attack people - without being manipulative. I’d rather not say much. That’s why Todd says, “Just let me see your hands.”
47:20 - Todd’s MO - Slip in and pray without getting into a debate - Todd is so wise out around people. He doesn’t give Jesus away until Jesus comes. Once Jesus comes, Jesus gives Himself away. He’s pretty good about slipping in and praying without getting into a debate. I would encourage you as a school to stick more with show and tell more than tell and show - unless Holy Spirit tells you otherwise, of course.
➡ 48:05 - Let’s do this. Let’s go to John 5. We’re going to talk about healing a little bit. I’m done with all of that other stuff. In my first 2 sessions of this school and almost half of this session I camped in the same things. I shared some of that workplace stuff so that you would understand that people don’t just respond immediately when they know you’re a Christian. They need to see your life.
Shine - Be Patient, People Need Time to See Your Life (cont.)
48:40 - Your family needs to see Him in you - Your family needs to see your life. Don’t Bible-thump them and preach at them. Just live Jesus. Let your life be the scripture preached.
49:00 - Spouses - [Counselling those who preach to their families] Sometimes people keep preaching to their spouse because they are insecure and are not OK until they see their spouse change. Just live Jesus. Don’t just preach His love. Become His love.
49:35 - I see a lot of people pushing their spouses towards what they want them to be. And they end up antagonizing their spouse. “I know that they have demons because when I talk about Jesus they get really mad at me.” No… you’re probably talking too much. You’re probably preaching at them. Take their hand and just go for a walk. I think we are just trying to change stuff that bothers us. We do that to our kids too.
50:30 - Todd says, “Why would they want what you say that you have if they can’t see Him in you?” Why would they want what you say that you have if they can’t see what you say in you?
Paul & Silas in Prison - Living with Impact
50:45 - You don’t have to preach it all the time - Live it - In the Bible, most of the examples of when people got saved, they approached a believer and wanted to know how to be saved. When Peter preached, the crowd cried out “What must we do to be saved?” - Acts 2:37. The jailer said, “What must I do to be saved?” - Acts 16:30. They weren’t having altar calls. They were just preaching truth.
51:35 - Paul and Silas freed from prison - Paul was living truth. He wasn’t trying to escape from the jail. He was worshiping despite the wounds on his back. It was probably a dingy, nasty, damp place. He was chained to the wall. And yet he and Silas were singing. The whole place shakes and all of the doors fly open. The whole place was a yoke of bondage and Jesus came to open prison doors.
<Video / audio skips on multiple occasions>
52:20 - Called to a life of impact and multiplication - That story is so prophetic. Your life is called to have impact and multiply. It’s never just about you having a good day. They are worshiping Jesus but it wasn’t their cell door that was opened.
53:10 - The jailer was ready to kill himself because he was ultimately responsible. “I’m toast. I might as well get it over with.” Paul says, “Don’t harm yourself. We’re all here.” So something was going on - that all of the other prisoners weren’t behaving like most men would. They didn’t take off. (Or harm the jailer.) They were all there.
53:35 - Paul and Silas' door didn’t just open, everybody’s door opened. Their life flowed over and everybody found grace in the sight of the Lord. And they didn’t just run for their lives. The jailer got saved. It sounds like a pretty good evening.
54:10 - Living in love with Jesus - He didn’t even have an altar call. He wasn’t even preaching. He was living Jesus. Everybody knew that he had 39 stripes and yet he was singing to the Lord. They are like, “This dude is either totally nuts or he knows something.” And when that earthquake came and those doors opened many must have thought, “I think he knows something.” But the prisoners didn’t run away. They must have been influenced by something that was going on. Thinking selfishly, they should have run away. But they were all there. That kind of stuff impresses me.
55:10 - It doesn’t sound like Paul was being evangelistic. He was just being a Christian. He was just in love with Jesus and had the right attitude in a terrible circumstantial situation. He didn't know how to be discouraged. He didn’t know how to have a heart of fear. He didn’t know how to love His own life.
55:30 - The stoning of Paul - Persecutions didn't stop him - When Paul got stoned (Acts 14:19) and he got raised back up, he went right back into the city. You would think that he would go the other direction. Read his resume of suffering and persecution (2 Cor. 11:16-33) and then realize that he is still going into the cities and preaching. That impresses me.
56:00 - I think that’s why he was fruitful. We attribute it to gifting. “Well, he has the gift of evangelism.” The gift of evangelism is all wrapped up in becoming more like Jesus and living in relationship with Jesus and having the same steadfast vision / view in everyday life. It’s priceless.
56:25 - Secular work - In love with Jesus - I just know from the two stints of secular work that I did… I could talk for hours just on testimonies just from work. Forklift operators reduced to tears. I didn’t go to work trying to evangelize. I was just in love with Jesus.
57:00 - I went to work with a great attitude. I used to hate going to work. I was miserable. I would hunt and fish and be happy but when I got into the work parking lot, this thing would come over me and I would “grey out” When I’d go through the door… ugh.
57:35 - Once I got saved, I loved going to work. Everything was an opportunity to shine. I had a whole different view of my life. And as this is a “Kingdom School” I would think that this would be part of a kingdom mindset - having a really good view of your life. Really being happy about your life in Jesus.
58:00 - Even if you are believing for a new job. Shine in the one that you are in. See it as a season and make the most of the moment. Be faithful in a little so that He can make you a ruler over more. Do what you are doing really well. He gave you a talent. Turn it into two.
Pool of Bethesda - Jesus is the Stirred Water
➡ 58:20 - [Back to healing] - OK, John 5… We’ve got a whole hour to talk about healing. I think it will be helpful. Reading John 5 - Pool of Bethesda.
59:00 - v.1-3 - God keeps healing before His people - After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. - You have to understand that they are still in the Old Testament. Jesus hasn’t yet brought the new covenant through His blood. But God is Jehovah Rapha. The people know Him as Jehovah Rapha (Healer). The way that I understand this when I read it… I just see this as God keeping healing covenant - the fact that He is Jehovah Rapha - in front of the people.
59:40 - v.4 - For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. - So what is God doing? He’s just keeping Jehovah Rapha in front of the people. He’s the Lord that healeth thee. Jesus has raised from the dead yet. Jesus didn’t shed His blood yet. God is still Jehovah Rapha. There wasn’t anyone feeble among the people as they left Egypt. We see healing, even through the Old Testament.
1:00:10 - The whoever / whatever pool - Whoever was healed of whatever - Watch this. I get excited about this language… whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. - Whoever was made well of whatever. You’ve got to catch that. We live in a new covenant through His blood. And under an old covenant, under Jehovah Rapha when the water was stirred it didn’t matter what they had or who they were. If they got in the water first, whoever was healed of whatever. Whoever / whatever…
1:00:45 - v.5-6 - He had no one to help him - And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? - Did this story ever make you wonder? This is one of those stories where I am so impressed with the sick man. Jesus knew that he had been there a long time and He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” It fascinates me that the guy didn’t say, “What are you - some kind of wise guy. I’ve been laying here forever! What do you think I’m here for?” What kind of question is that? But Jesus knows what He is doing. But people get touchy when you ask them the wrong question. His problem was: when the water stirred he was unable to get into the water. Somebody would always beat him into the water.
1:02:00 - Pharisees could have helped him - These Pharisee guys flip me out. This guy got healed and he is carrying his mat and they said, “Hey it unlawful for you to be carrying your mat. It’s the wrong day to do that.” But he said to them, “The man who healed me told me to carry my mat.” They said, “Who is the man that healed you?” - meaning who healed you on the Sabbath?
1:03:00 - If these guys had the heart of love in them, if they were manifesting God - the guy had been there a long time - and he can’t get in the water... What did Jesus do? He singled this man out because He knows that he needs help. He has no one to help him. The Pharisees could have helped him and gotten agreement and cooperation that this man would be the next man into the pool. “When the water stirs, don’t anybody else get in. We need to lift him in. He needs help.” That should have been easy.
1:03:55 - Please don’t ever become a Pharisee. When the man was healed they would say stuff like, “There are six days for men to be healed…” And I think, well where were you on those six days?
1:04:45 - v.7 - I am alone and every man is for himself - The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. - He’s saying, “I’m alone. I have no one to help me. I want to get in. I would if I could.” Every man is for himself. Some would almost kill to get in first. They just want their situation to change. They don’t have the capacity to think for somebody else. They are just thinking selfishly. That’s the blight of humanity (after the fall) - thinking selfishly.
1:05:45 - It's time to deny yourSELF - Without selfishness the devil has little to work with - That’s why Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself… - Mt.16:24. The devil is not the problem on the earth. It’s men living for themselves. If you leave the devil on the earth but no man is living for himself then the devil has nothing to work with. We empower the devil by living certain ways. We give him platforms and landing strips. The ruler of this world cometh and has nothing in me - John 14:30. That’s Jesus talking and He said, “Follow me.”
1:07:25 - v.8 - I am here - Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. - When the man says that he has no one to help him, what is Jesus saying? “Oh yes you do. I’m here. You’ve got me.”
1:07:45 - So right there you see the will of God to heal. Everything that comes out of Jesus is “Yes and amen.” Jesus didn’t give him a theological line, like: “Be patient. Your time is coming.”
1:08:05 - Continuing sickness - Don't give up - If you have continuing sickness in your life and you haven’t yet seen healing, don’t change your beliefs. Be encouraged. Don’t turn faith into a point in time. Don’t let go. Keep believing. And at the same time don’t say, “Well, God will heal me when He is ready.” It’s not like that. It’s the kingdom of God. We proclaim. We preach that the kingdom of God is here. We lay hands on the sick. We’re believers. We have faith and say to the mountain, “Move!”
1:08:35 - We have to believe that it’s the will of God to heal. If we are going to pray for the sick, we’ve got to settle on the will of God to heal. You have to believe, in your own heart, that it’s the will of God to heal. Jesus obviously believes that it’s the will of God to heal.
1:09:00 - v.9-13 - Faith not require on the man's part - He didn't even know who healed him - And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. - There is a belief in the church that you have to have faith to be healed. No, the person representing the kingdom is supposed to have faith. Faith is not required on the part of the sick person. Your goal is to build faith in every man.
1:10:00 - If the guy doesn’t even know who healed him - 38 years of infirmity - and he doesn’t even know who Jesus is. He hasn’t been around to hear who he is. He’s been at the pool trying to get in. Jesus came to him - singled him out from 5 porches. Why? Because he had no one to help him.
1:10:50 - Objection to God’s will is to heal all - Only one healed - I’ve heard a lot of mixed up preaching out of this passage. I’ve heard some say that it’s not God’s will to heal because there were 5 porches of sick and Jesus only healed one person. “See? God sovereignly chose the one and healed the one and let the 5 porches stay infirmed.” But read the next couple of lines here…
1:11:20 - A ruckus starts - And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. - What happened? Jesus heals this guy and a ruckus starts. The healing doesn’t go unnoticed. The multitudes are wanting to make Jesus king to free them from Rome. Jesus withdraws because of the multitude. You can’t preach that God sovereignly wanted Him to heal the one and leave all the others. He left because of the multitude.
1:12:05 - What would have happened if the sick folks had cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on us.” That would have been interesting. You show me one place in scripture where men cried out and Jesus didn’t respond. Show me one place in scripture where Jesus said, “Sorry, I can’t. It’s not the timing of God."
Faith Not Required on the Part of the Sick
1:12:20 - Syrophoenician woman - Jesus commends faith - He commended the woman telling her that she had more faith than His own people. In two instances Jesus marveled at a Gentile’s faith because it was more than He found in His own people. And the other time He marveled was when His own people didn’t believe.
1:13:15 - It wasn’t a timing thing with the Syrophoenician woman. She made a draw on Him. He had actually positioned her. And her answer was phenomenal.
1:13:30 - [Description of the Syrophoenician woman’s scene in the Matthew - Visual Bible]
1:14:30 - God loves people. There’s no one who cried out to Jesus, that He didn’t respond to. If those 5 porches had cried out, that would have been interesting.
1:14:45 - Jesus slipped out of there because there was going to be trouble. It wasn’t because He just wanted to heal one guy. It was because of the multitude.
➡ 1:15:00 - Pool of Bethesda - The man didn’t know who healed him - How could he be the one with faith in that situation? - But here’s what I wanted to show you. The man didn’t even know who healed him. How can a man have faith for anything, if he has no idea what’s going on? Jesus didn’t preach to him beforehand. Jesus just said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And the man still doesn’t know who Jesus is. When the Pharisees asked, he could not answer. So don’t limit healing to the faith of the person being prayed for.
1:16:00 - The believer lays hands on the sick - People say, “The person being prayed for needs to have faith.” The Bible doesn’t teach that. The Bible teaches that the ones praying are supposed to have faith and understand that the kingdom of God is in us. The believer lays hands on the sick. Why? He’s a believer.
1:16:30 - Believe His word - Not your experience - So much of our teaching originates from the things that haven’t happened (our experience). And our biggest challenge is not writing theology based on all of our experiences and stories because the book (the Bible) is already written. We find truth through Jesus’ life, not your experience. If you pray for somebody and they don’t get healed, don’t make that into any kind of doctrine. Don’t define God through what happens when we pray.
1:17:00 - Epileptic Boy - Men prayed and it didn't happen & Jesus explains - Mt 17 is one of the clearest reasons of why we can’t define God by what didn’t happen. Camp there and get that chapter into your heart. It’s the only place in the NT where men prayed concerning healing and it didn’t happen.
1:17:30 - Pool of Bethesda - No faith required of the sick - But in John 5 you see that this man couldn’t have had faith because he didn’t even know who Jesus was.
1:17:35 - Blind man healed - John 9 - Unsure of who Jesus was - How about the blind man who went and washed in the pool of Siloam (John 9). Jesus put mud on his eyes and He told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. When the man did that, what happened? He received his sight. And the Pharisees grilled that guy big time. The man said to the Pharisees, “Sinner or not I can't tell you. But I know this. I was blind and now I see.” “What do you say about him?” “He’s a prophet.” “How can He be a prophet? He heals on the Sabbath.” They were still hung up on the day of the week but they weren’t doing anything about his condition on those other six days. But they had problems with the day that Jesus was working.
1:18:30 - Woman bowed over - What about the woman who was bowed over with infirmity for 18 years (Luke 13:10-17)... 18 years! And they were so upset with Jesus because He healed her on the Sabbath. They had six days a week for 18 years to help her. Somebody finally helps her and they are mad because it’s the wrong day. They couldn’t do anything to help her. Don’t ever become a Pharisee.
1:19:10 - They were doing temple week after week but that day Jesus was there. Some people do church and sometimes Jesus shows up. But Jesus came that day and asked a question, “Ought not this woman be loosed being a daughter of Abraham?” (Luke 13:15-16) “Shouldn’t she be changed? Shouldn’t she be healed? Shouldn’t this be fixed?” That is challenging and inspiring at the same time. That’s something to grow into and go after.
We're Growing in Healing
1:20:00 - Grow up in healing - Just like you are growing into His image - Don’t get frustrated with healing because we haven’t seen the things that we’ve been praying for in a lot of cases. Healing is so throughout our Bible. Just like you are growing up into Him in emotions, attitudes, etc. - it’s the same with healing. It’s not just knowing the principles of healing. It’s knowing Him. It’s revelation. It’s continuing in truth. It’s growing up in this thing.
1:20:30 - We have all of the language of healing down pat. And we think that because we have all of the language we should have all of the results. No, we are growing in healing just like we are growing in consistency of disposition - daily attitude - living consistently.
1:21:10 - We are still growing - Growing in healing too - We should be able to raise the dead. We should also be able to live consistently. We should be able to walk in love. I don’t think that we should be struggling with unforgiveness. We should be so overwhelmed with His forgiveness and mercy that we should just be forgiving and merciful. But we are growing in this stuff. We are still coming to the knowledge of truth in this stuff. And it’s the same way with healing.
1:21:45 - Look to Jesus’ life to see God’s will on healing - Don’t grow weary in well doing. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t settle for some other doctrine because of what your experiences are suggesting. You have to humble your heart. Look back to the life of Jesus because the life of Jesus is the will of God concerning healing. You find the truth about healing through Jesus, not your track record of unanswered prayers.
1:22:05 - Unanswered prayers? - No, we’re just growing - That’s what we call them - “unanswered prayers”. I don’t really think they are unanswered prayers. I think sometimes we get caught in technicalities - we turn Jesus’ name into abracadabra - we get driven by the problem and not the promise - I think there are a lot of things that we are growing in if we will stay humble and teachable. Don’t just back off because of your experience - people not getting healed. What about Jesus’ word. Let’s not be deceived concerning healing.
1:23:10 - Don’t give up concerning healing - If you take the stand that it’s not God’s will to heal everyone then we are really going to get run over. We will have the attitude, “Whatever will be, will be.” We will put our swords away and we won’t use the authority of His name. You may take off your armor.
1:23:40 - Participants’ song: Jesus is the stirred water. When the angel shows up the water gets stirred. When Jesus shows up He is the stirred water. He gets the guy up. The guy doesn’t even know what is going on.
Healing Follows the Believer - Not the Sick Person
1:24:00 - Other examples where the one healed had no faith - Woman bowed over [recap of the story - see 1:18:30]. Of Jesus’ miracles in about ⅓ of the instances Jesus acknowledges someone's faith. For all of the other instances, whose faith did He heal them through? He’s the revelation. They didn’t need faith. He acknowledges faith because faith is a good thing. And our goal is to all grow in faith. But let’s not limit (His touch to the sick person’s faith).
1:26:00 - Don’t let a sick person’s lack of faith determine what can happen - [Ministry at the altar - when a person comes for prayer with fear and not much faith] The altar worker must be careful that they don’t look down on that person - judging them for not having faith. And you will come up with 3 reasons why they won’t be healed in your heart and mind because of all of the teaching we’ve had. You pray but in your heart you have reasons why they won’t be healed. And you let where they are not determine where you are. You make it all about their revelation rather than the kingdom of God is at hand.
1:27:00 - First sign of a believer? - Hands on the sick - You’ve got to be settled in the will of God to heal and that you are growing in healing. And even if I don’t see everybody I pray for healed, it’s still the will of God to heal. That’s why I am laying hands on the sick. The first sign of a believer is that he lays his hands on the sick - Mark 16:17-18. Forget the healing for a second. The first step is to get your hands on folks. A lot of us have pulled our hands back and it’s an expression that we don’t know what to believe. If you believe, you will have your hands on the sick. The Bible says they will… they will… they will lay their hands on the sick.
1:27:40 - I know He heals - Will He heal through ME? - If you are not laying your hands on the sick - there is a reason - it’s not that you don’t believe that God heals the sick - but you are struggling to believe that God will heal through you. There is self consciousness - a tendency towards works - being able to pray right - being qualified. There are a lot of reasons that we might be struggling to believe. It creates a spiritual insecurity. And we draw our hand back. We are not sure that we believe.
1:28:00 - The enemy attacks what we believe - Here’s the paradox - these signs follow those that believe - so if it follows the believer, if you were the enemy what would you attack? What men believe - the belief system. That’s why there is such a big debate over healing. And our experience is the enemy’s fire power. We should be sticking to Jesus’ life.
1:28:45 - The promise is to the believer - Know what you believe - Humility accepts that the Father sent Jesus. And as the Father sent me, so I send you - John 20:21. And the things that I do, you will do, if you believe - John 14:12. The promise is always to the believer. So it’s important to know what we believe. And knowing what we are pursuing to believe.
1:29:10 - We’re growing in belief - Because we’re growing in a belief. Not everybody that I touch is standing up shouting, “Hallelujah! I’m healed!” I’ve seen a lot of good things in my life - healings. I’ve seen way too much to change my mind. But I haven’t seen enough. There are too many things (sicknesses) that don’t change. But every time I read this book (the Bible), it’s the same. And I’ve got to lock in to what I believe truth is so that I continue in it and know it. And truth makes me free.
1:29:55 - Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word - Rom. 10:17. Unbelief comes assessing your own story - situation - circumstance - and getting analytical.
Lazarus’ Tomb - No One Believed
1:30:20 - Nobody had faith - Trapped in the fear of death - In preaching about Lazarus preachers say, “We know he didn’t have faith because he was dead.” But the truth is nobody around Lazarus had faith either. Death was a finality. They were in the fear - the bondage of death. Like when Jesus told his disciples that on the third day He would rise, the disciples couldn't hear that. All they could hear was that He was going to die. Death was so powerful and final. They were under the dominion and power of death.
1:30:45 - Jesus broke that bondage - That’s why when He rose from the dead, He thumped death and had the keys of death, hell and the grave - Rev. 1:18. In Hebrews 2 He set us free. He’s the captain of our salvation and He has broken the bondage of the fear of death, whom we all our life have been held captive by - Heb. 2:15.
1:31:10 - All they could hear was death - Jesus tells His disciples that He was going to die but that He would rise again. And the very next line is - “And they were all filled with sorrow” - Mt. 17:23. Nobody said, “Wait a minute. What?” Nobody caught it because they were too busy thinking about Him dying.
1:31:40 - [Story of John 11 retold and explained]
1:32:35 - Death consciousness of man - Let’s go die with Him - "Let’s go, that I might get Lazarus up." And Thomas says, “Let’s go too, that we might die with Him.” That’s the next line. Nobody said, “What? You’re, going to get him up?” No, they were all thinking Lazarus is dead and now we’re all going to die. At least we’ll die with Him. Let’s go. Let’s just go die.” He’s not going there to die. He’s going to get Lazarus up. [Story continues...]
1:33:20 - Martha greets Jesus - With a biting observation - The sisters run out to meet Jesus one at a time. Martha comes out. “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” Do you hear the bite to that?
1:33:45 - Resentment towards God at the loss of loved ones - You ought to be thankful that Jesus shed His blood and opened up the door for everlasting life and righteousness before God for all eternity. We miss that part. Instead we have all of these questions towards God.
1:34:30 - Overcome the enemy by not coveting your life - The only way that you are going to overcome the enemy is to not love your life unto death. The enemy is going to have a field day if you are going to take some of these circumstances of life personally.
Dan's Mom
1:34:40 - Dan's mom passes - Four years ago - two days after Christmas. When I lose my mom, I better understand what I have been preaching to all of you guys for years. And not fall into all kinds of questions that take me away from the truth that sets and keeps me free. “Why did this disease have to hurt her? I’ve seen others healed of that. Why not her? How come?” No, unless you love less your mother, your father, your spouse, your children, your houses, your lands and yes, your own life - and understand who He is and why you are here - you will by no means be my disciple and walk out and live what I have created you for - Luke 14:26.
1:35:40 - I understand a lot about going through stuff - Don’t use that as an excuse to not believe what I preach - I don’t have all of the answers with my mother. It’s so close to me personally. Her illness was in my face for 40 years. I had some wrong beliefs. My mom said some things that I took to heart. I saw her left side coming alive and then she pulled back. I cried and cried. It’s emotional. It’s my mom. This thing is eating her up. But I have hope in my heart and feel like God can change it. I understand how frustrating your situations can be. Don’t think I don’t know. “Well, you don’t know what I have been through.” Don’t use that as your alibi not to believe. It’s not fair to yourself. I understand a lot about going through stuff.
1:36:40 - Dan’s mom’s condition.
1:37:00 - Honor the truth over your experience - But I am honoring a truth that is higher than my experience with my mother. Five months after she passed I saw a lady healed of the same disease that killed my mom. Why? Because I won’t change my mind and I am not a bruised Christian. I’m not going to covet my mother above the Lord. If it wasn’t for the Lord, we wouldn’t have life. And if it wasn’t for His blood, we wouldn’t have eternal life. I should be a pretty thankful person. I have no reason to be upset. I can grow more. I can get a better revelation.
1:37:50 - If Jesus walked in - She would be healed - If Jesus had walked into the room and touched her, what would have happened? No denomination on the earth would hesitate and all would answer the same - she’d be healed. So we better understand us - Christ in us - the hope of glory - body of Christ - as He is, so are we in the world - as the Father sent me, I send you - first born among many brethren. You better not take your mother passing personally - no matter sweet she was or how close you were. You better not grieve as if you don’t have hope.
1:38:30 - Forgetting that she had died - Two weeks later thought, “Cool, I’ve got time. I can swing in and see mom.” Turned onto her road and everything. When it hit me, I didn’t pull over and cry in despair. I began to worship Jesus for eternal life and thank Him for the blood and treasure the sweet memories of mom’s disposition. She wasn’t a complainer.
1:38:55 - Memorial service - Doctors and nurses come to service because of her disposition. She didn’t complain. She was a Christian and understood that she was supposed to shine. MS is not her identity. Christ in her was the hope of glory and she knew it.
1:39:40 - Her disposition - Sweetest lady. She never let her condition decide who she was to be.
1:40:10 - Preaching her memorial service - Crowded even though she was shut in for so many years. Doctors, nurses - all impacted by her disposition. They never saw her complain. [Preaching - message.]
1:42:10 - Don't complain - Be thankful - We think that we have things to complain about. The Bible says - In everything give thanks - 1 Thes. 5:18. Not FOR everything - but IN everything. When you lose your thankfulness you have taken the situation personally and you are only weighing how it is affecting you. It’s a tough thing to lose your family.
* * *
➡ 1:42:50 - So what are we learning here? It’s the will of God to heal. Faith doesn’t fall on the shoulders of the one being prayed for.
1:43:00 - Let’s look at Mt. 17 quickly...
1:43:20 - Assignment: Step out to pray for the sick - get your hands on someone who is not in a church setting - somebody that you bump into and hear that they are hurting. Do that before the next time that I am teaching. Just speak up. Ask to pray for them and keep it short and sweet. Just step out. Randy Clark, “Guys if we stop debating over it - if we would just get our hands on people - just lay your hands on the sick, we’re going to have a lot of testimonies. Just go lay your hands on people.” If you are in the debate, you are not believing and your hands aren’t going out.
1:44:25 - Norvel Hayes book - Soon after I was saved I saw a little book that was going around YCF - the church I was going to at the time. Like a Dick and Jane book. “Are you a believer? Hmm. Do you lay hands on the sick? Hmm. If not, I guess you aren’t a believer.” That is so convicting.
1:45:20 - Your life reveals what you believe - Regardless of what you say - Your life lived reveals what you believe - not your language. Just because I learn the Spanish language it doesn’t make me Spanish. I could speak Spanish but that doesn’t make me Spanish. We’ve got to make sure that we learn more than just the Christian language. We need to be in fellowship with God and in communion with Holy Spirit. The life you live reveals the faith that you live by. Let that sober you, not condemn you. Your life lived is your faith revealed.
➡ 1:46:40 - Recap on healing so far - Ok, we’ve got unbelief can’t stop the power of God - except of course, in the one who is praying.
Lazarus’ Tomb (cont.)
1:47:00 - Martha & Mary greet Jesus - Martha says, “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” Mary comes and says the same thing. Mary says some amazing things in that conversation. Jesus says that He is the resurrection and the life. It’s a powerful conversation. But she wasn’t totally getting it.
1:47:30 - Jesus groans - Face to face with the fall of man - Jesus groans - weeps. But it was because of what they were saying. Peachers will say that He was crying because Lazarus was dead. Are you kidding me? Jesus was there to get Lazarus up. He’s not crying because Lazarus died. Jesus is face to face with the fall of man. He is the resurrection and life and yet all that the people can see - those same people that were made through Him - all they can see is death. And Life is standing right in front of them. They were saying things like, “He opened the eyes of the blind. Couldn’t He have kept this man from dying?” And the sisters were saying, “If you had been here, he wouldn’t have died.”
1:48:35 - He groaned - Here’s what it means - to be vexed, to murmur against, to be indignant towards. That doesn’t mean that Jesus was sinning and having a bad day. He was grieving because the people that were made in His image could only see death in the presence of Life. There was not one believer in the crowd.
1:49:20 - Take me to the tomb - “Let’s just get this done. Take me to where you laid him. This is painful.” Roll away the stone - It’s going to stink. “Didn’t I tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” He wasn’t asking for Mary’s agreement so that this healing could work. He’s saying to her personally, “What you are about to experience, you can live - you can become - the same thing can flow through your life too. I made you in my image and you are going to be the body of Christ. Pay attention because what you are about to see, you can be, if you believe.” So Jesus was already believing. He was the revelation. He’s trying to teach her what that means.
1:50:25 - Come forth - He said, “Lazarus, come forth.” It’s not because He got Mary’s agreement and now they had synergism enough to raise Lazarus - two touching anything on earth. He was talking to her personally. “If you believe, you will see the glory of God.” So here it goes back again to belief. And what is the biggest fight in the body of Christ concerning healing? Belief. The enemy loves that. He keeps us stalemated - offended - hurt - taking our own circumstances personally - going to church and singing songs - (but lacking the expression of who He is Lord of all).
Man with the Withered Hand
1:51:15 - The Pharisees were using the man - [Retelling of the story] “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Did they care about the man? They said this that they might trap Him in front of the people. Get Him to heal on the Sabbath and trap Him in front of all of the people. They knew that He was a push over for healing.
1:51:50 - This guy is being exploited for his situation. They are using him as a tool to trap Jesus. They ask Him a question. Whenever they ask Him a question from an impure motive, Jesus always answers with a question. He didn’t answer questions that were coming from an impure place. He said, “Who of you, having a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath wouldn’t reach down and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep? Sir, stretch forth your hand.”
1:52:40 - Probably not much faith in the sick man - Was there any faith in the man? They used him. They staged this. They exploited him in the moment, trying to trap Jesus. And what did Jesus say by healing the man? “I’m not healing him in spite of you guys or to set you straight. There is one reason that this man’s hand is going straight - because he is valuable in the sight of my Father. I’m not healing him because he is believing. I’m not healing him because it’s time. He just has great value in the sight of my Father.”
1:53:20 - Faith - Faith works through love. Faith doesn’t work because we have a need. Faith works because we have a covenant through love.
1:53:35 - Faith not required of the sick - Recap - So do you see how many situations there were where faith was not required - where people didn’t even know what was coming? A lot of them.
Jarius' Daughter
1:53:45 - (Luke 8:40-56) - Professional mourners were hired. You would hear the sounds that signified that there was a death. [Retelling of the story] Follow the sound to see who died and pay your respects. Jesus quiets the mourners. She’s not dead - only sleeping. They mocked Him. And He put them all out. “We don’t need your services. We don’t want you playing that song any more. There is not going to be a funeral.”
1:55:20 - It's not necessary to get unbelief out of the room - We’ve turned that into - make sure you get the unbelief out of the room. If that had been the case, then He would have had to make everybody leave Lazarus’ tomb (because no one believed). Everybody He healed - He would have had to clear practically everyone out. We take stories and turn them into doctrines that are very limiting.
1:55:40 - The belief of others doesn't matter to healing - It doesn’t matter what anyone else believes, Lazarus is coming up if He speaks. It doesn’t matter what they are believing. If He says, “Little girl rise,” she is rising.
1:55:55 - We preach it as if He said, “Little girl rise… Little girl? Rise! OK, you, you and you go out... Little girl rise! Yes!” That is not what happened. He put away the mourners because she is coming up. There’s not going to be a funeral. Stop playing the dirge. Was there any faith there? The daddy that came and got Jesus. But in the meantime she died.
1:57:00 - Just as they were going, “Master, your daughter died.” That is finality. What did Jesus say, “Don’t be afraid, only believe. Let’s go.” You’ve got to take this stuff to heart. And we’ve got to grow in this. Is it my reality all of the time? No. Have I tasted it? Absolutely. Can we live it? I believe so. I don’t think we’re on a wild goose chase. I think it’s pleasing to God if we go after this because it’s all through the Bible.
1:57:40 - Fear of death motivates our prayers - What’s more final than death in their culture? Even in NT culture, death is pretty final to us. Some of us fear death. Some of us only pray because we are afraid of death. We get moved by the doctor’s report rather than the covenant. It’s the number one prayer request, “I’m going for a check up. Pray that I get a good report.” Why? Because anything else will move me. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? - Is. 53:1.
Epileptic Boy - Mt. 17
1:58:40 - Mt. 17 - v.14-16 - And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. - Why did the father bring the boy to the disciples? Seven chapters earlier, Jesus sent them out two by two and they did mighty things. Word spreads. Everybody was talking. If you can’t find Jesus, who do you bring him to? Those boys that were hanging out with Him. "Disciple" - whole-hearted follower, disciplined learner. Peter, James and John were with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. So there were nine disciples hanging out.
1:59:30 - Visual condition - But they could not cure him. They are seeing the seizure. He is violently falling into the fire or the water. It’s a demonic thing and it’s trying to kill the boy. The reason that they are saying that the disciples could not cure the boy is because the seizure never stopped.
1:59:50 - Faith is not a point in time thing - I want to encourage you. Faith is not a point in time. Faith is the position of your heart to believe what He accomplished and paid for. So even if you don’t see something happen, you have to understand to release faith in that situation and speak life. And it’s not a “plan B” thing that we do. It’s something that we sincerely believe.
2:00:15 - Testimonies of those who do not give up praying even when things seem not to be changing - spending hours praying. I’m not like that. I just speak life. Speak the kingdom and pray. If their body changes, great.
2:00:50 - Praying for Dan's wife when she was on a respirator and in coma - [Description of physical appearance] Praying a 20 second kingdom prayer.
2:01:20 - Stay in faith - Even when it doesn't look like there is change - If you pray and she doesn’t open her eyes, that’s your biggest challenge. Now you feel like you’ve got to pray again because you are believing that until she opens her eyes, you didn’t get anything. That’s the biggest challenge of the church - just believing God. In most cases your next prayer is the result of what didn’t happen in the first prayer. And then your next prayer is on even shakier ground. And now you are trying really hard and after a while you are bewildered. When do you just believe God? In cases where there is a strong visual component, I believe it’s healthy just to speak life and believe God.
2:02:30 - v.17 - Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. - I know what happened with the disciples because of what Jesus said. Faithless and perverse generation - You corrupted minded, twisted thinking people - perverted, twisted - it doesn’t have anything to do with sexuality. The word "perverse" means twisted. You are failing to see who you are now that I am here. You’ve gotten your eyes off of what I showed you.
2:03:00 - They already had authority to heal - If the disciples didn’t already have authority to heal the boy, would Jesus have spoken to them like that? No. Some people say that it's just not God’s will to heal. But we have promises and every promise is “yes and amen.”
2:03:20 - Paul’s thorn - Sickness? No, persecution - People teach that Paul’s thorn was sickness. Or that we can never know what it really was - a waste of time to even discuss. But we know that it can’t be sickness because of the word of God. Did God promise Paul persecution for the gospel? Does God give Paul promises for healing through the gospel? Paul was asking God to remove something from him (persecution) that God promised Paul that he would experience - suffering for His name’s sake.
2:04:00 - God’s promises won’t be broken - If Paul was sick, then God was saying, “My grace is sufficient. Forget my promises” - when every promise is “yes and amen.” “But, Lord, You promised.” “Don’t mouth me boy. I’m God. You’re not.” That’s not the Lord.
2:04:30 - Broken promises - [Analogy - Broken promises to children teach children to take you at your word.] And we preach in the church that God is doing that. It’s a devil doctrine. The devil doesn’t want you to take God at His word. So we say Paul’s thorn was sickness - ophthalmological problems. There’s no way that it could be sickness because every promise is “yes and amen.” And God would be refusing to remove something that He promised and saying that My grace is greater than my promise.
2:06:40 - v.18 - And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. -
2:06:50 - v.19 - Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? - I love this verse. It’s a straight up question. Jesus didn’t say, “I appreciate your zeal but you were supposed to wait for me.” Here’s what He said…
2:07:10 - v.20 - Unbelief - And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. - Because of your unbelief. He didn’t say because you don’t have any faith. He said because of the way that your minds turn and spin and twist - it creates unbelief. You get self-conscious - you look at the problem - you get into works…
2:07:30 - What happened to these boys was this... They were walking with Jesus daily. They saw all of these amazing miracles - more than the books of the world could contain if they were written one by one. And now they are praying for one epileptic boy and he hasn’t stopped seizing. What goes on in their minds? “Wonder why he’s still seizing? If Jesus were here he would be healed by now. I wonder what we’re doing wrong?” And everything they are praying is being motivated by what is not happening. And what they are thinking. Jesus called it perverse and unbelief.
2:08:10 - Nothing impossible for YOU - Watch what Jesus says… You better take Jesus at His word here… It’s red letters. Because of your unbelief but then He gives us an amazing promise… for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. -
2:08:45 - If you see what I see, you will do what I do - Because of your unbelief - means because of what you fail to see. In other words, “You couldn’t do it because of what you are failing to see but truly I tell you this, if you see what I see, you will do what I do. And nothing will be impossible for you. However…”
2:09:00 - This kind of thinking - Comes out through prayer and fasting - Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. - “This kind of lack of seeing - self-consciousness - analytical thinking… It will never come out… He is not talking about the (spirit of) epilepsy. He just gave them the promise that nothing will be impossible for them. Jesus is not backpedaling on that promise, “Oh yeah, well this demon is a tough one.” They are talking about the problem and the problem is unbelief. “This kind of thinking and unbelief will not come out of your life unless you continue in seasons of prayer and fasting.” Why? Staying in the Father so that who the Father is overtakes you. We are growing in truth. Don’t grow weary in well-doing.
2:09:45 - Let’s stop changing our minds because of circumstances. Let’s look through Jesus. We have too much evidence that we are on the right track.
Stepping Out to Pray for the Sick
2:10:00 - Assignment: Step out. Lay hands on the sick this week.
2:10:15 - Stepping out - Praying for the sick - Don’t pray long prayers. Pray for six seconds. You can’t get into trouble in six seconds. You won’t get self-conscious or try hard. We get more focused on what we are saying and how we are going to pray than God’s will to heal them. And it becomes more about you and your prayer than God. So when you pray, find out what is going on. Arthritis you leave in Jesus name - no more pain. God I thank you for your amazing love. Then have them check their body.
2:10:50 - Short and sweet. If you are out in public, don’t pray long prayers. They are already probably freaked out that you are praying. Just pray short and sweet. Be to the point.
2:11:00 - They don’t have to believe. Many say, “Well, I don’t believe in healing.” You can say, “That’s OK, we do. Let’s pray.”
2:11:15 - Manager at Rite-Aid - Man healed as he walked away not believing. Numb hand. “Now you are making me very afraid.” I yelled the gospel back to him. Talked to area pastor who said that that testimony is still the talk of the town because the people of the town know the man.
2:12:00 - Mt. 10:7-8 - And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. - OR - Luke 10:8-9 - And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. - Amen.
2:12:15 - Closing prayer - Father I thank you for this group. We are going to lay hands on the sick this week. We are going to continue to believe your word. We have way too much evidence that it’s Your will to heal. God, we thank you that you are growing us in this truth. And we are not going to weigh our results. We are going to keep our hearts before you and be believers. And we will see the fruit of belief in our lives. I declare it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.