Healing

To understand the manifestation of gifts of healing, and when it's appropriate to use it, there are a number of important points we need to consider. First of all, let's make it absolutely clear that God wants us to enjoy good health. He says so in his word, and God is not a man that he should lie.

3 John 2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

This is God's will for us. God, our father, wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health. He's on our side, he's ready, willing and able to fight for us and help us to overcome anything.

Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Secondly, good health isn't magic. God gave us our bodies and they're our responsibility. If we don't look after them properly, for example by eating and drinking shit, and we never exercise, sooner or later we're going to run into serious health issues. That isn't God's fault, that's our fault. We have a responsibility to look after our bodies. If we don't, we won't get the best out of them. In many cases where people have health issues, a simple change of diet and some exercise is all that's needed. If folks don't look after their bodies and they become ill, there isn't much God can do about it. In those cases, simply confronting the person to sort out their diet and do some exercise will usually fix them if they listen.

Thirdly, even if we are eating properly and exercising adequately, we must understand that none of us are exempt from life. Being a believer and knowing the word and living it doesn't mean we're automatically immune to health problems. Even if we look after our bodies with a perfect diet and a perfect daily exercise schedule, although that lowers the risks considerably and helps us get better much more quickly when we are ill, we may still have to deal with health issues from time to time. The difference is that once we know the word, once we understand how to walk by the spirit and energise manifestations of holy spirit, once we know how to believe and refuse to fear, we have the ability to overcome serious health issues and be victorious. This isn't make-believe, this is the truth. The question is, do we believe it?

Romans 8:35-37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

These verses absolutely do not say that as believers we will not have to face tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword. The verses clearly state that if we do face such challenges we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. As believers we may have to face tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword, but we can be victorious over them. The more abundant life isn't about avoiding challenging situations, it's about having the strength to overcome them and soundly defeat them no matter what life throws at us. Think about that.

Many religious people have the notion that if you're a believer nothing bad should ever happen to you. The rest of them walk around thinking God makes them sick and kills them. They are good people, no doubt about it, but church strips them of common sense when it comes to spiritual matters. Does your church, ministry, or religion teach you how to speak in tongues and manifest the power of God? If not, what's the point in going there? I know people who have gone to church every week for sixty years and still don't speak in tongues. No flowing of living waters indicates a broken cistern.

There are many records in the bible where disciples had bad things happen to them without cause, men and women who were righteous and had done nothing wrong and yet they had serious issues to contend with. Take Job for example. Not only did he lose his children and his business empire, he was probably one of the sickest men the earth has ever seen. Yet he prevailed, he got through it. 

We have to learn to deal with life and not be afraid of it. Believing the word makes us more than conquerors, it gives us the strength to prevail. Instead of being afraid of challenges when they come up or crying our eyes out, we take the challenges on and defeat them. If you're someone who cries your eyes out and feels sorry for yourself when life attacks, man, get some bible into your fucking head.

Dorcas was a disciple who lived during the book of Acts. She was a disciple, full of good works, yet she fell sick and died. She wasn't evil, she hadn't done anything to deserve being sick. She wasn't out of fellowship with God, she hadn't committed any crimes, yet she fell sick and died. The god of this world is just good at what he does, which is stealing, killing and destroying. The disciples got together, discussed it, sent for Peter, and he got the green light to raise her from the dead.

Acts 9:36-40
Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

Peter put them all forth. He did what he'd seen Jesus Christ do a few times, get rid of unbelief by asking people to leave. This is an excellent key to walking by the spirit. If those widows had believed Peter was going to raise her from the dead, they wouldn't have been crying their eyes out. Get rid of any unbelief around you before you minister.

Acts 9:41
And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

Dorcas was a disciple, yet she wasn't magically protected from life's challenges, was she? Neither are we. If we were protected by magic, God wouldn't have had to write Romans 8:35-37 for us, because there would have been no need for us to be super conquerors because we would never face challenges that needed defeating. The promises to us as believers is that if we do get hit by illness or other major challenges, we can get through them, we can defeat them and we can be victorious over them. Was Dorcas victorious? Certainly. Don't you think she would have been thankful when she sat up and saw Peter and realised she'd been raised from the dead?

I've been sick and at the point of death on more than one occasion. In September 2015, while working on this class, I had serious health issues to deal with. During an afternoon in September, I was so breathless I had to call the doctor. When he arrived, he immediately put me on emergency oxygen and called for paramedics. When they arrived, they called for a coastguard helicopter and strapped me into a stretcher. Before I knew it, I was whisked off to intensive care at Raigmore hospital in Inverness. When we arrived, I can remember a doctor leaning over me and telling me I was going to be put on life support for a few days and would be heavily sedated.

When I regained consciousness, I was in a terrible state. I had blood clots on both lungs and couldn't breathe without oxygen. To make matters worse, I also had pneumonia. As if that wasn't enough, I was bleeding internally and over the next few days I required two blood transfusions. Have you ever spewed up a pint of blood? It isn't very pleasant, but I'll tell you something, I was not afraid of it. When I was on the coastguard helicopter, I was not afraid. When I was wheeled into intensive care, I was not afraid. At no time did I ever fear for my life. Not once did I ever fear death. In fact, I had to gently reprimand one or two nurses for looking at me as if I was already a corpse. I learned later, one or two of them didn't think I was going to make it.

That's not the only time I've faced death either, but each time I've been more than a conqueror because I chose to believe the word and I refused to fear. Just because we're believers and God is our father doesn't mean we will never have to face challenges in life. Even men of God are not exempt from life. The prophet Ahijah went blind, but the manifestations still energised for him. Just because he was blind didn't mean he was out of fellowship. God still loved the dude and still spoke to him.

1 Kings 14:1-5
At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.

And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.

And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.

And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.

Even men of God in this administration in the bible were not exempt from life. What about Epaphroditus? He was a man of God, a disciple. He wasn't evil, he hadn't done anything wrong. The word says he was a companion in labour to Paul, a fellowsoldier, and he ministered to Paul's wants, yet he was so sick he was at the point of death. He obviously refused to fear though, claimed the promises of God and fought for his life because he recovered. He was more than a conqueror over his sickness.

Philippians 2:25-27
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Not even Paul was exempt from life. While sitting around a fire warming himself on Malta after being shipwrecked, an extremely poisonous snake latched onto his hand and bit him.

Acts 28:3-6
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

If a poisonous snake bit you suddenly like that, where would your thoughts go? Most christians who go to church would think God was killing them because they were sinners or because their time was up. Most believers who think they know the word would likely think they were out of fellowship, condemn themselves and wait for death. Disciples like Paul however, are afraid of nothing.

Paul wasn't afraid of that snake. He shook it off into the fire and believed God for deliverance. He was a super conqueror who feared nothing. What do you think being a super conqueror means? Nothing bad ever happens to us? If nothing bad ever happened to us, there would be no need to be super conquerors and Romans 8:31 and 39 would be a waste of time memorising.

Romans 8:31,39
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

If you think that just because you're a disciple, you won't ever have to face things like peril, famine, and sword, you're living in a dream world. Life isn't like that. Lucifer is the god of this world and when it comes to the spiritual competition, he's industrious, diligent, and tireless in his efforts to destroy the word. The more abundant life isn't about avoiding spiritual attack, it's about being able to overcome, to be victorious, to be a super conqueror despite any attacks.

I'll tell you something else too, while we're here. For every challenge you face, there are probably dozens of challenges God has saved you from that you don't even know about. When I was a part of Dr Wierwille's ministry there were hundreds of believers in Mexico City. In September 1985, Mexico City was hit by an earthquake that destroyed much property and over 5000 people lost their lives. A week later we heard a report that not one believer had been killed and no believer's property had been damaged. God is doing his job, we just need to learn how to do ours.

There are dozens of records in the bible where men and women of God had to deal with serious life issues. Being a believer is not an escape from life, it's the solution for dealing with it. Even Adam and Eve had to deal with life when one of their sons murdered their other son. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers, the men who gave birth to the tribes of Israel. When David and his men returned to Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30, they found it burned to the ground, their possessions stolen, and their wives and children taken captive. David didn't blame God for his problems, he went to God to find the solutions he needed to deal with it.

1 Samuel 30:1-19
And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

The god of this world is going to attack occasionally, so we have to make our minds up. Are we going to believe the word or not? Are we going to live without fear and believe God for deliverance when we need it? Are we going to be disciples? Are we going to be super conquerors? If so, we must get our heads into the word every day. We must memorise scriptures so we have them in our heads and we don't have to run home for our concordances when we need them. There is no point playing around with the word. God does his job, that's for sure, the question is are we doing ours? This isn't simply a case of going to a stupid religious meeting once a week and sitting through a boring shit ceremony, this is life. If you want to live with this kind of strength, get serious about living the word and believing it.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith [believing] it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

How do we learn to believe? Simple, we keep our heads in the word, in the scriptures. It is something we discipline into our lives. If we don't get serious about living the word and being in it every day, we won't prevail over anything.

Romans 10:17
So then faith [believing] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Next, we must understand the authority we have to use the name of Jesus Christ. Without the authority in the name of Jesus Christ, we would be powerless.

Philippians 2:5
Let this mind [let these thoughts] be in you, which was [were] also in Christ Jesus:

What thoughts did Jesus Christ have? He thought the word. If we're going to think his thoughts, we're going to have to know the word because the word was what he thought. This isn't a game we're playing, this is a matter of the way of life or the way of death. People get serious about environmentalism, their careers, their relationships, politics, their hobbies and their pursuits, but as disciples we must get serious about studying the word, making it our own and believing it.

2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

How are we obedient to Christ? Does Christ come down from heaven and talk to us? No, it's a reference to the Christ in us, the gift of holy spirit. How we're obedient to Christ is to walk by that spirit. Christ is the head of the body, not men.

Philippians 2:6
Who [Christ], being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

This verse does not state that Jesus Christ was God. Being equal with something logically implies that you're not one and the same thing with that something. An object cannot be equal with itself. And that's all I'm going to say about it. If you read this and think Jesus Christ is God, please go to chapter 1 and start this class from the beginning.

Philippians 2:7-9
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Is Jesus Christ's name above every name or not? This is something we must become convinced about. God exalted Jesus Christ when he raised him from the dead, and it is God who gave him a name which is above every name. His name is above the pope's name, it is above Buddha's name, it is above any king or queen's name, it is above Muhammad's name, it is above any politician's name, it is above every name. When Lucifer was the angel of light and was full of wisdom and beauty, and was perfect in all his ways, his name was above every name. Jesus Christ's name is now even above Lucifer's name. That's why we can cast out devil spirits in Jesus Christ's name.

Philippians 2:10,11
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ. That power and authority is of such magnitude that devil spirits have no choice but to respect it when spoken with believing.

Acts 16:16-18
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Just as Paul could use the name of Jesus Christ to cast out devils and deliver people, so can we. As children of the living God we have the authority to use the name of Jesus Christ. Others, however, do not.

Acts 19:13,14
Then certain of the vagabond Jews [Judeans], exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew [Judean], and chief of the priests, which did so.

Just look at who these exorcists were, the sons of the chief priest in Ephesus. You will not find God in temples made with hands, but you will find plenty of religious men operating devil spirits. These exorcists had been so impressed by the power Paul energised in the name of Jesus Christ that they thought they would try to use Jesus Christ's name as well.

Acts 19:15
And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

That devil spirit knew Jesus and it knew Paul, but it didn't recognise those men. The spirit knew they didn't have the authority to use that name.

Acts 19:16
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

That man who was possessed took on those seven sons of Sceva, ripped off their robes, and beat them up so badly they ran away naked and wounded. Unlike those religious exorcists, we have the authority to use the name of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

The first healing recorded in the Grace Administration is when Peter healed the lame man. As this is the first occurrence of healing in this administration, as well as the first recorded miracle, it sets the standard for the Age of Grace, it sets an example for us to follow.

Acts 3:1-6
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Peter used the name of Jesus Christ. Can we use the name of Jesus Christ when we minister healing? Of course we can, that's why God had this recorded in Acts. This is the first recorded miracle and healing in this administration and God had it recorded so we could learn from it. When Peter and John were arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin, look at their response.

Acts 4:6,7
And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

It's intriguing to note that the Sanhedrin recognised that some power or some name was behind the healing. They recognised that. Things like this don't just happen in life unless there is a power or a name behind it. Even in spiritualism this is true, which is why the Sanhedrin understood this. They didn't know which particular power or name Peter had used, which is why they demanded Peter tell them.

Acts 4:8-10,22
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost [holy spirit], said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

The man had been made whole, and this is the scripture that tells us he had bones missing from his feet and ankles, which was why a miracle was required as well as healing. Those bones had to be replaced. Before his healing, he was not whole, there were bits and pieces of him missing. Those missing bits and pieces were put into his feet and ankles when Peter ministered to him, which is why this was a miracle of healing. When the missing bones were replaced, he was made whole. Look at how accurate the word of God is. You just cannot break the word.

One more point we need to understand is that many times just teaching the bible will deliver people without us having to do anything else. The word is that powerful. I was set free and delivered from all sorts of garbage when I was first taught the word, not least of which was being a drunkard. No one ministered to me, in fact no one even confronted me. I heard the word, decided to clean up my life, and I beat the drink. The word healed me because I believed it and took appropriate action. I quit drinking. It didn't happen overnight, but that's all part of being human. God loved me and looked after me while I fought for my life. I was victorious, a super conqueror.

Communion plays a large part in enjoying good health. As you might expect, it isn't a religious ceremony so there is no need for makeshift little alters, robes, candles, or any other ceremonial horseshit. Neither is it a time for boozing and having parties. Some of the believers in Corinth became sick and died for abusing communion. The word says in Peter that we were healed by his stripes. Jesus Christ's death paid for our salvation, but it was his beatings that paid for our health. Communion is simply recognising and appreciating what Jesus Christ went through for us. You do that in your heart, not with any ceremonial garbage. The bread represents his broken body, and the wine represents the blood he shed for us. When you take the bread and sip the wine, do it in recognition of what Christ accomplished for us, and do it as a church as often as you feel it's appropriate.

Playing music and singing from a heart of believing can heal people. I know of people who had been dumb for years suddenly bursting into song while listening to live music and live singing. I know of people who had dementia suddenly recognising people around them while listening to live music and live singing.

1 Samuel 16:23
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Walk by the spirit and this will all make sense. Don't attempt to do God's job for him and try to force manifestations into operation just because you see a need. Our job is to earnestly desire and earnestly pursue opportunities to minister and help people, but we must wait for the green lights. Christ is our head, and the head of Christ is God. We just need to be ready to move when the green lights come on.

There are four distinct and different types of healing mentioned in the bible, so we will quickly look at them now. Understanding them will help us to be more effective ministers.

To be made whole means to have parts replaced. Consider this record of the ten lepers Jesus Christ healed. The details are astonishing.

Luke 17:12-14
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Jesus Christ told the ten lepers what to do, and as they carried out his instruction they were all cleansed of their leprosy, they were all healed. None of them had leprosy any longer, they were clean. All ten of them were clean.

Luke 17:15-19
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith [believing] hath made thee whole.

This leper, this Samaritan leper, had been cleansed, but here he was also made whole. The other nine lepers were cleansed of their leprosy, but were not made whole. What does that mean? Well, leprosy eats away at the human body. This one leper was made whole, his body was restored to its original condition before he caught leprosy. The other nine were healed, cleansed, but they were not made whole, they still had body parts eaten away which they would have had to live with despite being cleansed of their leprosy. They were not made whole. How do you like that for biblical accuracy?

Another type of healing is referred to as a restoration. This is illustrated beautifully in Mark with the man who had the withered hand. It was his arm that was withered, probably up to the elbow or beyond.

Mark 3:1,2
And he [Jesus] entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they [the religious leaders] watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 

Don't you find it intriguing that church leaders don't like their people being healed? Church leaders seem to enjoy having a sick congregation. They even teach that it's God who is making them sick. Full of dead men's bones springs to mind. Indeed, aren't most churches built in the middle of graveyards and don't you have to walk over dead men's bones to get into them? If you've reached this stage of my class and you still go to church, it's time to make your mind up where you stand. If you lie down with dogs, you're going to catch fleas. The word says so.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Be not deceived: evil communications [associations] corrupt good manners [good ethics, good morals, good life habits, good believing].

Look, I don't really give a fuck about all your stupid excuses about why you still go to church meetings and associate yourself with all your old religious mates. Sure, they smile inanely and make nice cups of tea, but you have to look beyond the physical to the spiritual. It all boils down to whether or not you believe God's word. I don't care if they read the bible, claim they are christians, and go to fucking church every week. Muslims do that, Hindus do that. Religious people all over the world do that. It means nothing. Do they speak in tongues and energise the power of God? Do they walk by the spirit with Christ as their head? If not, you had better disassociate yourself from them or you're going to be corrupted, you're going to catch spiritual fleas and be talked out of the word. If you want to be a disciple, you do things God's way. If they won't hear the word from you, leave, separate yourself, that's the word.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The world's churches and religions and ministries worship the god of this world, the devil in their meetings. They are dangerous places, dry broken cisterns with no fountain of living waters, full of dead men's bones, run by scorpions and vipers, so get out of them and quit giving them your money. Back to the man with the withered arm.

Mark 3:3-6
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he [Jesus] saith unto them [the religious leaders], Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

The man had a withered arm and it was restored, so at first glance it would appear to be a miracle. However, this was not a miracle, it was a restoration healing. No parts of his arm were missing and had to be replaced. No bones were missing, no muscles were missing, no nerves were missing, no veins were missing, no skin was missing, no flesh of any kind was missing. His arm had withered up, but it was all still there, like a dried up prune. That's why the manifestation of miracles wasn't needed. This was a restoration healing where his arm was restored to its original state before it withered. No body parts were missing, nothing needed to be replaced, so this was not a miracle. The accuracy of the word is stunning.

A restoration implies that there is no cause to remove and no devil spirit to cast out. If someone has had health at one time but been robbed of it, all they need is a restoration. By the way, this could mean a gradual progression of recovery which may take some time. Not all healings are instantaneous.

When Paul was blinded outside Damascus, he only needed his sight to be restored. He'd had sight and had just been robbed of it, so he needed his sight restored. There was no cause to remove, no parts to replace, no disease to remove, no health issues to cure, no devil spirits to cast out, he just needed his eyesight restored.

Acts 9:17-19
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost [holy spirit].

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

Another healing is referred to as a cure, but a cure requires removing a cause. Sometimes ill health is due to there being something in the body that must be removed, such as cancer. Curing someone sets them free from whatever it was causing the sickness. Remember the epileptic deaf and dumb boy? We met his father earlier in the class. That boy's problems were caused by a devil spirit. All Jesus Christ had to do was remove the cause, which in that situation required casting out the devil spirit. Once the cause was removed, the boy was cured. He wasn't made whole, he wasn't restored, it wasn't a miracle, nothing needed to be replaced, he was cured.

Mark 9:20-23
And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And here we see that believing is always required for healing. We can't manifest gifts of healing to ourselves, but there is another manifestation we can operate for our own profit, right? Sure, the manifestation of believing. It is ours to operate for our own profit. If we are ill and we believe to be healed, the door will open for someone to help us.

Mark 9:24-27
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

If the word says Jesus Christ cured people, then we know causes were removed, which included casting out devils. In order to cure people, he would have needed to energise discerning of spirits, as well as word of knowledge and word of wisdom.

Luke 7:21
And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

The manifestation of word of knowledge gives you information on what you need to do, while the manifestation of word of wisdom tells you how to do it. Discerning of spirits simply gives you information on whether or not someone is possessed with devil spirits, and if you can cast them out. Possession doesn't just mean someone has mental problems, it could be a health issue. Devil spirits can lodge in the body and pump poisons into it. Remove the cause, and that person is cured.

The revelation manifestations are required to put the power manifestations of miracles and healing into operation, and occasionally, if other people are involved, believing. Here is an excellent record which illustrates how the manifestations of holy spirit work together.

John 5:1-6
After this there was a feast of the Jews [Judeans]; 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.

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.

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?

First of all, Jesus Christ had to be walking by the spirit to be in the right place at the right time down by the pool. When he was by the poolside, how do you think he found the one man in that entire multitude who was believing to be healed? Luck? No, revelation manifestations. He walked by the spirit to be at the poolside, and then God showed him by revelation the dude who was believing for healing. Note Jesus Christ's earnest desire to help people and how he earnestly pursued that desire everywhere he went.

John 5:7
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.

Jesus Christ then put the revelation and power manifestations to work. To understand the problem, he needed word of knowledge and word of wisdom. If a cause needed to be removed, he would have required discerning of spirits. Once he had energised the manifestations and knew what to do, he spoke a few words.

John 5:8-11
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. 

The Jews [Judeans] 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.

Here we see that the man was cured, so we know Jesus Christ had to remove a cause. The word also tells us he was made whole so something was put back that was missing. Jesus Christ by way of the revelation manifestations identified a cause that needed to be removed and he also energised manifestations to make the man whole.

When we minister to believers who need healing, we may have to minister to a number of problems before they're completely delivered. There may be a cause to remove, and once it's removed, we may have to minister to the person to replace body parts that may have been destroyed or eaten away by disease. There may even be poisons left behind which need ministering to.

At the other end of the scale, perhaps all someone needs is confrontation to get their diet and exercise sorted out. The key is to walk by the spirit. When we get into a ministering situation, we put the revelation manifestations into operation and God gives us the information we need to deliver that person by way of the Christ in us. Some healings are quite involved and may require several problems to be ministered to, while others can be very simple affairs where we just need to speak a few words and the person is completely delivered.

If a person is ill because of bad personal habits of bad diet and lack of exercise, God may simply tell you to confront them. If they heed the reproof and start eating properly and exercising faithfully, they will gradually get better. That would be a restoration to health which may take some time. The point is, you walked by the spirit, carried out God's instructions, the person heeded the reproof and therefore got the deliverance.

If we remove a cause by revelation, there may not be anymore revelation. In that case, we would leave the person alone so they can recover by themselves. The body will heal itself once a cause has been removed, and that may take some time.

If we walk by the spirit, this will all make sense. You can't mandate how to minister healing because every situation is different. When Jesus Christ spat on the ground and made clay to put on a blind man's eyes, does that mean that's what we do every time we minister to a blind man? No, that's absurd, that's nonsense, we walk by the spirit because every situation is different. You can't legislate this stuff. That's how doctrines of men are born.

When I ministered to that woman lying by the side of the road late at night, the guidance was to first get someone who was with me to phone the emergency services. I then knelt down and felt for a pulse. There was no pulse, not in her wrists, not in her arms, and not in her neck. I couldn't find a pulse. While I held her hand, I prayed for her in the name of Jesus Christ. After I'd prayed, I checked for a pulse again and felt a faint clicking in her wrists. It was weak, but it was a pulse. By that time, the person with me had a paramedic on the phone and started relaying instructions. I was to lay her on her back, lift her chin and tilt her head back. I'd been taught coma position and clear airways so I questioned the instruction. The person with me then practically commanded me to carry out the instruction to the letter and I recognised the authority in her voice. God was at work. When I carried out the instruction, the woman convulsed three or four times and then opened her eyes. I checked her pulse again and it was banging away like a bass drum. The key is to walk by the spirit.

If God gives you information on a cause to remove, and you remove it and there is no further revelation, your job is done even if the person still has all the symptoms of illness. Once a cause has been removed, the nature of the human body is to heal itself. Healings are not always instantaneous.

Walking by the spirit is the key to understanding all this. The more you look for open doors to get in and help people, the more you desire and pursue opportunities to energise the gift of holy spirit and help people, the more proficient you will become with the manifestations. It's a learning and growing process. If a child never attempts to walk and never practices it, they will never walk. The key to learning to walk is to fall down a few times. Those who persevere with it and are not afraid of falling down learn to walk.

Another thing, we're not talking about ministering to unbelievers here. The vast majority of healings will occur in our home churches, among people who are doing their best to live the word. Home churches that are growing and thriving and which have new people constantly coming through the doors are where we should be earnestly desiring and pursuing opportunities to help people who are looking for and believing for deliverance.

The fourth and final healing mentioned in the bible is a reconciliation, where parts are stuck back on which have come off. To reconcile simply means to bring back together that which has been severed or cut off.

John 18:10,11
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Luke 22:50,51
And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Jesus Christ picked the ear up off the ground and stuck it back on. That's a reconciliation. Obviously he must have energised the revelation manifestations first to see if it was available. Perhaps he felt compassion inside to help the man and that was his green light. As he put the ear in place, it sewed itself to the man's head perfectly and all the bleeding would have stopped.

So there are the four types of healing illustrated in the bible - to make whole, to restore, to cure, and to reconcile. Not a lot to remember, but it's all important information.

Here are a few other things to consider. When Paul healed Publius after being shipwrecked on his way to Rome, the word says he prayed, then laid his hands on him and healed him. Praying is everything in ministering situations. The first thing Peter did when he was alone with Dorcas was he prayed. The first thing Elijah did when he was alone with the widow woman's dead boy in 1 Kings 17 was he prayed. The first thing I did with that woman by the side of the road was pray for her. In this Age of Grace we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. We have the authority to use the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 28:7,8
In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. 

And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

By the way, don't lay hands on people unless you've had revelation. There are very few healings mentioned in the bible where hands were laid on people. The laying on of hands has become a religious ritual, a mindless ceremony, and it's dangerous. Lay your hands on someone like that possessed man in Ephesus and you may find yourself running out of the house naked and wounded. Always, always walk by the spirit and never do things mindlessly by following men and their stupid fucking doctrines.

One final thing. Just as the manifestations of prophecy, interpretation of tongues, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits and miracles are not for our own use and we can only energise them to help others, so it is with gifts of healing. In other words, we can't manifest healing to ourselves. The manifestations we have for our own use are speaking in tongues and believing. We can't heal ourselves using the manifestation of healing. When I was in intensive care, I asked God for help and the guidance was to ask a believer to come down and minister to me. When she arrived, we pulled the curtain around the bed for privacy and she then prayed and ministered to me in the name of Jesus Christ. When she was done, she told me I would regain my health and that I would walk out of that hospital. And that's exactly what happened. It wasn't instantaneous, but my health was restored.

Now that's what I call a deep peaceful feeling. It was so powerful it brought tears to my eyes. This class is finished.

The Way of Life Today