I Wound And I Heal Pt.5

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Pastor Scott

April 9, 2000 Sun AM

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Amen. Let’s turn to Isaiah 53, we'll pick up where we were on Wednesday’s session and just continue to stir ourselves up in the great covenant promise of healing that the Lord’s given us, the price that’s been paid and the privilege that we have not only of receiving the benefits of this covenant promise but in the privilege of proclaiming it as a central part of the gospel message that we’ve been given to go out and herald into all the world. As we’re talking about that, remember to continue to pray for Ron and Tony and the ladies in Africa, there’s still…things are definitely being done on African time. In other words, when they get around to it. So we’re still waiting and have been, on a number of occasions asked to come to Nairobi and Ron would fly over and they would say, ‘uh, we haven’t decided yet.’ So head back to Kakamaga¾ the good news is they’re not some of those that were dug up in Uganda…so those of you that have heard that report. How many of you were aware of what was going on in Uganda? One of the big¾ probably it was bigger than the Jim Jones thing. A cult where they found all of these dead people there in one of the communes in Uganda, and so a lot of interesting things that are going on in that nation and in that society. So continue to pray for the guys and for favor. We’re believing the Lord to open those doors of utterance for us.

Pray also for the Pastor’s Conference starting tomorrow. The guys are coming in and we’re just seeking the Lord on direction. We’re really looking to see what Father would have us to do in the different ministries, and how they’re going to continue to interact, and just some wisdom, some things that are going around in my spirit, and wanting to get some confirmation on those so I ask you to pray so that we’d definitely have that direction also.

Isaiah 53, let’s begin reading down at verse four, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace [salvation] was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Can you say, "Praise God" for that? And it’s just a blessing. It’s, you know, you stop and think that this is a true substitutionary work that was accomplished. If you take some time and read some of the commentators you’ll find that this is one of the great debates between different commentators whether this was truly a substitutionary process that took place here, and how it was actually affected; whether Jesus actually became sin with our sin or whether or not He just legally met the price and ransomed us without His own personal involvement. It’s a great debate among theologians. If language means anything, if justice is to be met, then I think the answer is very clear that Jesus was a substitutionary sacrifice which all of the day of atonement which was a shadow foreshadowed, and Jesus literally took upon Himself the sins of the world, our sins personally. He was made sin with our sin that we might be truly made righteous with His righteousness. Thank God for that miracle. It’s not just a designated, declared righteousness, it’s a literal righteousness that makes us accepted in the beloved and causes us to be able to be reconciled back into fellowship with our heavenly Father.

And so, He then laid on Him the iniquity of us all. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." No self-justification just obedience to the will of the Father. In no way has God ever tried to answer man’s questions or explain Himself. Just as the book of Genesis begins, "In the beginning God...." no explanation, the assumption. So here, God’s great gift to us in the plan of reconciliation He remained mute. He could have in many ways shown himself God and declared His power and purpose, but He allowed himself to be seen as One crucified among thieves, mocked, shamed, and never answered a word. "He was taken from prison and from judgment [verse eight says] and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him." Get hold of verse ten, and it will cause you to see how Father wants you well this morning. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, to make a provision for your healing, it pleased the Lord to reconcile us. It pleased the Lord to lay His own life down for us, ‘for no greater love has any man than this: that he lays his life down for his friends.’ It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. ".... he hath put him to grief, [sickness, weakness, and pain. He put Him in your stead; sick with your sickness, weak with your weakness, and a partaker of pain with your pain. Because He had done, the Scripture says, the will and the purpose of God] when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: ...." God will say enough is enough.

You see, there was literal suffering that Jesus endured, and in all of that, however, God was in charge. He saw the travail. The price was paid. Justice was satisfied, and He said, ‘that’s enough.’ "....by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

This 53rd chapter of Isaiah, beloved, says it all concerning our reconciliation and the love of God for us. It boggles our mind to think how it could please Father to bruise Jesus on our behalf. You can’t read this and understand it. There’s no true comprehension of the satisfaction, the pleasing of the Lord to take the innocent lamb, the righteous Son of God, and exchange Him for you and I. You have to understand it. Can you imagine? Take the worst person that you can think of. Take the worst person that you can imagine, and ask yourself the question -- knowing that whatever it is in that person that causes them to be that kind of a, you know, an abomination in our sight, regardless of what it might be, perverted ness, violence and take that person and then see yourself exchanging your innocent child to deliver them from what is justice. Taking your child, and saying, ‘I don’t want to see that person take that which is rightfully theirs, the punishment that is due them, the application of justice. I offer up my child on behalf of that individual.’ You can’t comprehend that, I can’t comprehend that, and yet God did far more than that for us, didn’t He? That’s the love that Father has. You didn’t deserve it. You are that worthless thief, that liar, that cheat, that murderer, that adulterer, and God bankrupt heaven on our behalf to reconcile us back into fellowship with Him.

Now, in all that same process is this doctrine that we’re talking about in the last sessions, and that’s the healing of our bodies. Now, all that Jesus endured that you and I would look at and say, ‘man, I don’t, I can’t, comprehend how He would be willing to partake of all of that on my behalf.’ He did it to get you healed. Now how then important is healing to you this morning? This doctrine that we’re talking about. Or is it something that we would say, ‘well, praise God, if God wants to heal me I’d sure appreciate that; man, it would really be nice,’ but how many of us are pursuing the healing of our bodies with the same diligence that we’ve pursued the sanctification of our souls and our lifestyles in exhibiting the righteousness of God? Many of us have made great efforts in prayer and intercession, in study to prepare ourselves, in guarding ourselves by who we surround ourselves with, to keep our lives sanctified and holy unto the Lord. And how many of us are pursuing the healing of our bodies with the same diligence that we’ve pursued the doctrine of sanctification and holiness?

I think a lot of times we’d say, ‘well, you know, it seems selfish.’ Maybe it just seems to be self-indulgent. Beloved, we’re seeing here how important you body is to the kingdom, how important it is to our Father. And what we’re trying to do then is to get it, again, that important in our minds and to see that this is part of what God wants. Let me show you. Turn over to-for just a second-we’ll come back to the covenant and the doctrine of this thing in just a moment, but turn over to the Gospel of Mark for just a second and let’s look at just-this morning, a couple of the incidents that we’re all familiar with, but how important this doctrine is to you and I. And in the 16th chapter of Mark, how really the question that we have to ask here is whether or not we are biblically accurate in our believing. "And these signs shall follow them that [what?] believe." If you’re a believer then there ought to be some signs following.

The Scripture tells us then, in Chapter 16 of Mark, verse 14, "After he had appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, God yet into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." The Great Commission. How many thousands of Christians have felt that they were following this admonition, you know, and here we’re talking about many of us wanting to go witness and share and proclaim the goodness of the free gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. Missionaries from many denominations sent around the world, and trying to fulfill this mandate. Yet what He says, here is as you go into all the world you preach this gospel to every creature it says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe in my name." These signs shall. These signs shall. Not might. Not randomly. It’s not an arbitrary thing that God does. "These signs shall follow them that believe." So if we’re believers then there have got to be signs. And we’ve shared in the past, people that emphasize the doctrine of divine healing, and the biblical expectation of the miraculous. And, you know, it’s not real popular actually in Christianity. Those of us that make this something that we say is a biblical right, part of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, we’re looked at as being radical, we’re on the fringe, you know. Because everybody knows that Christians really-real Christianity is just kind of living like everybody else, enduring what life or fate throws at you, and expecting God’s grace to give you the ability to endure. And tragically, that’s what historical Christianity, American Christianity, is based upon. Because of the influences that have come out of the dark ages, because of the philosophy that we’ve shared so often from the Greeks, and understanding then that this is a fate handed, and that there’s something that we then develop character in our ability to endure. God wants to work character in our lives but we can’t negate the promises that are given to us here.

So let’s look at this: "These signs shall follow them that believe" If we’re a believer then we take that name of Jesus. He says, "In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents and if you drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they [say it with me] shall recover." Okay. Now, these are signs that are going to follow believers in the lordship of Jesus Christ. Those of us that believe in Jesus’ lordship will take His name and we will do these things. So the question we have to ask this morning is: are we doing this? And is this something that in our minds is paramount? Do we see this doctrine for what the Bible declares it to be: a major part of the expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Again traditionally, whether it’s our Presbyterian brothers or sisters, or our Baptist brothers and sisters, they’re very, very ready to go out and proclaim the redemptive work of Jesus as it pertains to the spirit and the soul of man, what we would call salvation; but there is no salvation that doesn’t include the body because the bodily resurrection is a great part of the gospel message, and not only the resurrection but the healing right now.

So when we start analyzing these things-and we’re not analyzing them for the purpose of going out and arguing with people. It’s not a thing of trying to sit down with a bunch of Baptists, Nazarenes, Presbyterians-good brothers and sisters, people who love Jesus-and trying to sit down and convince them of our doctrinal position. That’s not what it’s all about. We’ll see as we go on in the study, it’s about God being glorified through our healing and through the healing of those that we minister to. That’s why these ministry gifts function, to bring glory to God. In other words, Christianity is more then rhetoric, it’s more than words. Christianity is more than ‘pie in the sky, in the sweet by and by’ as people have said. Christianity is where we’re living today with God actively involved in our lives, concerned with our every day actions, and thoughts, and needs. Does the Scripture or doesn’t it say that your heavenly Father knows what you have need of? And if you would seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness then all of these other things [and healing is part of that] will be added unto you. How obedient are we in proclaiming the gospel if we’re not laying hands on the sick, if we’re not casting out devils? Are we then being biblically accurate in our belief? So when I talk about the term of unbelief [back to verse 14] what did Jesus do? He upbraided them. He rebuked them for their unbelief.

They were having trouble comprehending the bodily resurrection, that Jesus had truly been raised from the dead, even though He had proclaimed it. These verses then that are here in red ink, Jesus is saying, ‘will be the indicator that I have in fact risen.’ If the question is being asked, ‘by what power this notable miracle has been done’ you need to understand that you, in all of your hatred, and in all of your guile, you, with wicked hands have taken and slain the innocent lamb of glory. You, who have slain Him¾ I want you to understand this¾ God has raised Him up, and it’s by His name and faith in His name that this man is whole today, praise God. And that’s how we approach people out in society today. I want to tell you something, man you start going through the office, and you start being known as someone who believes God and lays hands on the sick and sees them recover, I want you to understand something-your stock goes up, man. When they begin to see that you can lay hands on folks at work and they begin to be healed, when you start talking about the reality of Jesus Christ, not the myth of Jesus Christ, not the historical figure of Jesus Christ, but the resurrected Lord of glory, who through faith in His name causes things to happen today, you’re going to be able to carry out an effective witness. Now what are we doing to prepare ourselves for that?

The whole purpose of this study that we’re doing beloved is to get us to stir up the gift that is in us and to begin again to see the power of God and the expectation of God confirming His word with signs following. "So then after this [verse 19] the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God." Jesus is alive today. He’s at God’s right hand. He’s ever living to make intercession for us; and in obedience to the mandate, " .... they went forth [verse 20] and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Are you a believer this morning? Because these signs follow them that believe. Are we being diligent about the mandate that’s been given us? Now beloved, remember, we’ve taken great pains over the last number of years to establish the vessel through which these gifts should function-the preparation of the conduit. Tragically, historically, among spirit-filled believers, there’s been a lot of people, man who have believed this section of the Scriptures and have seen miracles, and seen them confirmed with signs following, who had some of the most nasty lives that you could imagine. And people recognized the miracle of healing, but questioned then, ‘where’s the miracle of a disciplined life?’ We don’t have to choose one or the other, it’s all for us, amen? And so as we’re looking at these passages we understand that the trust, the reliance in the Lord’s presence is what it all comes down to, because the Scripture says, ‘they went and preached, the Lord confirmed the word with signs following.’ Our job is to preach, His job is to heal, to confirm. I want to tell you something: God will heal in spite of you if we’ll give Him opportunity; if we’ll proclaim His name, if we’ll be a people that are faithful in keeping His commandments.

So when we look back at Isaiah 53 and we see this finished work and the covenant that was done, we see that it has to be then, for this purpose. And the power of God expressing itself through you and I as epistles that are read of men, is the gospel message. The power of God is the gospel message. He said, ‘I’ve come to declare this gospel.’ He said I don’t declare it in word, but in what? Power-and in deed. And so here is Isaiah 53-look back there for just a second, and you’ll see the prophet’s declaration that this work that Jesus had effected, being made sin with our sin, the Scripture says in verse five that "the chastisement of our peace was upon him." Now you see that word peace? It’s an interesting word. If you look at it in the Greek Septuagint, you take this passage in Isaiah, and from the Hebrew to the Greek-the Greek Septuagint -it’s an interesting word. The word being used here to represent peace is the Greek work soteria. Now we know that the study of salvation¾ if you’ve ever taken a systematic theology class¾ the study of salvation is called Soteriology. It’s the study of biblical salvation. The word "soteria"¾ when we talk about salvation, it’s interesting-the word salvation literally means wholeness. Salvation doesn’t just deal with your spirit. The word in and of itself means wholeness, to be made whole or complete. It parallels perfection, completion. Soteria, of course, a little different than perfection as we know it in the completion of a situation. It has to do with the all inclusiveness. Salvation then, or wholeness, is really rectifying all that went wrong when sin came into man and caused this separation from God. So salvation isn’t limited to just our own personal well being-whether we feel at peace in our minds-whether our bodies are healed. Salvation is based upon whether we are whole in our relationship to Father. You’re not whole when you’re separated from Father. There is no salvation when there’s that breach. And so salvation then, is a reconciling, or a bringing us back into union with God which makes us whole. There is no salvation without reconciliation to acceptance in the beloved, to sonship, to all of these benefits. And so it’s interesting as we look at this particular word. It says that ".... he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our [salvation] peace was upon him; and with his stripes [then] we are healed."

So many people try to have us believe that this healing that’s being spoken of here is the well being our spirit. You talk to a bunch of, again, people that are brothers and sisters, love God, you talk to some Presbyterians, Baptists, Nazarenes, whoever it might be-read some of the commentaries, not all of them by any means-you’ll see that they just kind of parrot one another and say, ‘well, this healing that’s being spoken of here is spiritual healing. It has to do with whether or not we have the well being of our minds and our spirit man.’

Well, there’s a problem here and to answer that we can turn to Matthew 9. Turn over to Matthew 9 and let’s answer that question. Is this healing talking about spiritual healing, or is this a healing that is talking also about the whole man? In Chapter 9 of Matthew we begin to see a miracle that’s taking place in the raising of Jarius’ daughter, and then followed up with the woman being healed of her infirmities. So we see Jesus moving in the power of God. Just to answer a couple of quick questions in our minds, the Scripture says that "for this purpose was the Son of Man manifest [I John tells us, to do what?] to destroy the works of the devil [the evil one]." So he was manifest to destroy the works of the devil. He was anointed to go about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with him. And part of his ministry seen here in the 9th chapter of Matthew, and in verse 18 it says, "While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, my daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hands upon her and she shall live." Now this is interesting, that even the world began to see that it was God’s will to provide for humanity in the area of their physical needs, and that Jesus is God’s representative in the natural, God becoming flesh and dwelling among us, could be accessed by faith in His mercy, and in His justice. And I want you to see that. God has to be approached both ways. You just can’t hold God to some legal form of justice and say, ‘God, you are just, you must do this.’ We have to approach God in faith in His justice and His mercy.

I don’t know about you, but I do not want from God what I deserve. I want mercy. I want grace. I want His favor through Jesus Christ to be manifested. But these were a people that so readily sought the Lord. Look at this: a certain ruler came. If strangers can come and access Him like this what about us? How do you think it makes Father feel when strangers will come and access Him and you and I either think that we don’t need Him, that we don’t deserve it, or that somehow He’s failed us, we’ve sought Him before and He didn’t come through? When even those who don’t profess to have faith in Him come, what should be our position in accessing the free gifts of God? Just come and lay your hands on her and she’ll live. Oh beloved, the need for you and I to be seen and known again as a people who believe that we can lay hands on the sick and see them recover, and that people will come to us and say, ‘if you’ll just come please and lay your hands on my baby.’ Do you believe that there’s a tangible anointing that’s within us that can actually, by God’s presence manifest itself through us? Where is our faith today and our belief? This story goes on and says, as this was occurring, "And behold a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him and touched the hem of his garment; for she had said within herself, If I may but touch h is garment I’ll be made whole. But Jesus turned him about when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith has made the whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour." Very interesting.

Now turn over to Mark chapter five, and let’s read about it in that account and learn a little bit more of what’s taking place here. Verse 25 says, "A certain woman, which had an issue of blood for twelve years, who had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing better, but rather grew worse, [now we don’t say this to demean well meaning physicians, and there are some. I think that there are those in the medical field who really have compassion. Tragically, I think that much of medical science today is operating like everything else in our country, and it’s for the money. It’s kind of hard to find people that really care anymore. The competence level is so huge. Beloved, let me tell you something man: not everybody that has M.D. after their name knows what they’re doing. And you have to understand that. How many of you realize that not everybody that’s called a mechanic can fix your car? There are varying degrees of ability in every field. I was shocked this last time as Janet was going through this surgery. I was absolutely shocked at how huge, especially with the nurses, the difference was between the ability of these individuals. Phenomenal. Scary. And so we have to understand that things haven’t changed.

Two thousand years ago this woman had gone to all that were available, the physicians. Didn’t get any better but in fact, worse. They tried everything they knew and she was still suffering. And then look at verse 27-I love this: [and] "When she had heard of Jesus." There’s a lot of people out there suffering beloved who haven’t heard of Jesus. Oh, they’ve heard of Christianity, but they haven’t heard that Jesus is alive and will heal their bodies. There’s a lot of people out there suffering today that don’t know that people still believe that they can lay hands on the sick and see them recover. I’ll tell you what, man, there’s a whole lot more being said today about ‘Psychics Network,’ about all of these new alternative medicines that are out there. Herb therapy. And tragically a number of people in this room. There’s more time spent studying about herbs than we have stirring up the gift in us to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. And we need to begin to see again what is being contrasted here in the Scriptures in this passage. All that man could offer availed nothing, but when she had heard of Jesus.... How quick are we to tell somebody this morning about Jesus than some new herb, some new doctor, some new drug, some new magnetic bracelet. ‘Now I’m well.’ If that will cure it then everybody ought to be living up at the North Pole. It doesn’t work, that’s not where out hope is, or our trust. And oh that we again would be touched in our hearts with a desire to point people to Jesus. When she had heard of Jesus she came in the press behind and touched His garment. For she said, if I may but touch his clothes I shall be whole.

We’ve talked before, but I’ll mention it again, we have a number of new folks here since we’ve taught on this doctrine, where did this woman get this faith, where did this come from? She didn’t just make this up and say, ‘if I can touch his garment I’ll be healed, if He’s drinking Pepsi instead of coke I’ll know it’s a sign from God that I’ll be healed.’ She didn’t fabricate this thing, she got this from Malachi the fourth chapter, verse two, that says, "But unto you that fear my name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." And that word wings in the Hebrew literally rendered the border or hem of a garment. She had the Word of God on it. She believed that this was the Messiah, the Son of Righteousness. She said, ‘this is the Christ.’ When she had heard about Jesus-people said, ‘this is Him, He’s the Messiah, there’s healing there,’ she said, ‘if I can just touch him I’ll be made whole.’ And she presses her way through that crowd. See it again for what it is beloved, here’s a woman with an issue of blood. This is a woman that according to the Levitical ordinances should have been crying ‘unclean.’ She was not different than someone with leprosy, she was someone that had to be without the camp for her cleansing. But she didn’t care what society said. She didn’t care what the religious taboos of the day were or what the current doctrine was. She said, ‘this is Jesus, and whatever I have to do I’m going to do I’m going to touch Him.’ And how many of us are making that kind of an effort today to press in? Tragically, maybe we’re going to have to exhaust every doctor known and every dollar we have. But I think it would be good to press in before we come to that place. Why should Jesus become the last alternative instead of the first? Why would we wait to seek Him with all of our hearts only when man has failed? I think we need to stir up our hearts again beloved, and what the priorities are, and accessing this great doctrine of healing. This woman had a reason, because she hadn’t heard of Him yet, but when she heard, she pressed in. When she heard and believed she pressed in. When she really believed, "these signs shall follow them that believe in my name." "And straightway [verse 29 says] the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. [interesting] And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned about in the press and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto to him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace and be whole of thy plague." And they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.

What is this laying on of hands? Read some of the commentators, they’ll tell you that it has to do with taking oil and some of the balm of that day and massaging them into people’s bodies, because the term for anoint means the rubbing in of oils. Jesus did not open a massage parlor, this is not massage therapy. There’s a power that went out of His hands. When is the last time you knew that virtue to leave your body? I know in this study as I’ve been studying again and seeking and asking Father, ‘Father, it’s been way too long, too long between knowing that unction. It was so familiar and so common, and now it’s so unique. If it be your will Father, if we’re in an hour that we might be able to see Your name glorified then here am I, send me. Stir it up again, Father, that your name might be glorified.

I think we’ve come through a period nationally, I think we’ve come through a period where God has in many ways allowed His manifest presence to be withdrawn. But I think it’s a time that we’re living in when God is wanting us to stir up again these gifts for His glory and that we need to see here, beloved, when it says lay hands on the sick, and that we’re to go in obedience and fulfill that mandate. If we’re moving in faith we should be expecting virtue to come out of us just like it did in the life of Jesus. You say, ‘but that’s Jesus.’ Well, it wasn’t limited to Him. The Scripture makes it very clear, and we’ll look at it in just a moment, if you read concerning the sending forth of the apostles, Luke 9, and chapter 10, Luke chapters 9 and 10, and you see the 12 sent out in 9 and the 70 in chapter 10. And they both went out with this unction and proclaimed the gospel, the kingdom of God. They laid hands on the sick and they recovered. And they came back rejoicing that the devils were subject to them in His name. And He said, don’t rejoice in that alone, but rather rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven. Understand that the key is not that you’re getting to experience My power and that other people are benefiting, but that they can ultimately see that it has to do with reconciliation, sonship, bringing us back into right standing with God.

There’s a reason for all of this; but as they went out God confirmed [in their obedience] His power. As He gave them the mandate that we read of in Mark 16 He said, He then confirmed the word that they spoke with signs following, to the place where even Peter himself, the Scripture says-people became so aware of the anointing that was within them that they would lay people in the streets hoping that Peter’s shadow would touch them. What a testimony! How many of you would like to be known as a conduit of God’s glory to that magnitude? ‘Yeah, I’d love to be famous.’ No, I’m not talking about you being famous, I’m not talking about people following you, I’m talking about people believing that you are a child of God and that God’s power and presence resides in you and that their needs can be met because you’ve taken time to commune with God. And the more time I spend in the presence of God and the more expectation I have of Him manifesting His presence through me, the more I’m able to minister to those that are around me-many times, even unconsciously, my very shadow. Could that happen for you and I today, do you think? Are these fairy tales, or is Jesus the same yesterday, today, and forever? Is God a respecter of persons or can the anointing flow through you as good as it did through some old crude fisherman? I’m here to tell you that God can and wants to use you and that there’s no qualification only availability, ‘here am I Lord, send me.’

Is this for us today? Yes. As I think back over all of these years, how many people have I laid my hands on in the name of Jesus? I can’t count the thousands of people. Is this virtue a reality and transferable? Yes, we see it here. It’s transferable by word and touch and as we speak in the name of Jesus, the power of God manifesting in the spirit realm will drive out devils, will drive out sicknesses. There’s no massage going on here, she touched His robe and power went into her body. What do you expect when someone prays for you? Beloved, I want you to understand that by faith we draw on the power of God. It’s our expectation. Do you believe that I can do this, Jesus asked. Yes, Lord, I believe was the response. You see Jesus couldn’t do very many mighty works in Nazareth because of their what? Unbelief. They thought they knew Him well. I want to tell you one of the biggest problems we have in this room right now: many of us think we know Jesus well, too well. We’ve become familiar with Him. He’s just the carpenter’s son. ‘He’s someone who I’ve prayed to thousands of times and nothing has ever happened, so what’s different this time?’ He could do nothing because of their unbelief. I’m here to tell you that He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the balm of Gilead, and by His stripes we are healed, praise God and it doesn’t have anything to do with what you’ve experienced in the past, it has to do with what God has promised and beloved, the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up. He is here to be accessed today, and by faith in His name you can rise and walk. By faith in His name the issue of blood will cease. But I think too many have become too familiar, and have allowed this doctrine to become in word, not in power.

Let’s finish with this for this morning. Hopefully tonight we’re going to look at the Day of Atonement a little bit and that- that’s the literal substitution that Jesus provided for us. But as we go back to Mark 16, "Go ye into all the world, and preach [verse 15] the gospel to every creature." What do we have to bring a lost and dying world? What are you going to present in this communication crazed nation that we live in? The information glut society, who knows something about everything by the push of a button on their mouse. What are we going to bring them in this last day that causes them to understand that Jesus is alive and is at the right hand of God the Father? It’s going to have to be a gospel message of power, not just words. It’s going to have to be in a vessel that’s holy and separate and that isn’t taken up with the gods of this world system that will not bow to their idols and will not draw upon their gods or their methods, that will not look to the king’s dainties to survive, but to partake of the anointing of God and come out ten times what the world can produce. And it’s going to have to be in our bodies, in our minds, as well as in our spirit man being refreshed. We’re living in a world that’s a whirlwind today. We talked about all of the bragging of men finding the aging gene and the genetic engineering; the boasting now of cloning and organ transplanting.

I shared with you last session this article I was reading on this on this fellow that’s working where they’ve successfully done head transplants. That’s interesting. Can you imagine somebody getting a head transplant? Man, putting somebody’s head on some athlete’s body, and that dude just lays it on the couch all day. That would be terrible. Either that, or if the body was in control, he’s take that head for a ride, man. Think about it. Where is man today in his pursuit of God? What’s the great rise today in the religious circles? Again a rise towards Eastern religions and we have a message to bring: He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. All that holds man in bondage today: lust, pride, sickness, has been paid for, it’s power broken by faith in His name. How simply are we going to proclaim that, and how real will it be in our daily application and our expectation? How free are we today from sin; how free are we today from depression and fear; and how free are we today from disease? These signs shall follow them that believe.

Father, make it real to us. Stir our hearts to go forth as messengers, ambassadors to proclaim this message. Bring the expectation into our hearts that we see in the gospels. Lord, that we would begin to have the same expectancy of the twelve, and know that in that name we can cast out devils and heal the sick and to where when the miracles don’t occur, we respond in a surprised manner and say, ‘Lord, why couldn’t we cast that out?’ And He says, ‘because of your unbelief, you’ve gotten too caught up in your own reputations, and in your own pride and ambition. You’ve gotten caught up in the things of the world. My power doesn’t flow through those kinds of vessel. Bring him to Me. Oh that man had heard that if he would bring his child to those disciples they could free him, and they couldn’t because they’d gotten into unbelief, and we’ve gotten into unbelief, and it’s time to stir up the gift and let God move through us again to reach our world. Our world is not the whole world, it’s the world that we come in contact with, our world for Jesus. God’s not calling us to reach the whole world He’s calling us to reach our world. What’s your reputation in your world? Are you a man that they would bring their child to believing that you could cast out the devil, lay hands on the sick, bring a word of comfort, and peace, and truth?

Lord, help us to become those epistles that You might be glorified. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Let’s stand before the Lord this morning.

Hallelujah! As Gary plays and we just rest in the presence of the Lord. How common it should be-we were talking the other day, I can’t remember for sure, I think it was with some of the guys when we were driving back out from the country property, and we were talking about the need to have that daily walk in the presence and the power of God. We were sharing about just some of the things when we were living down at the parsonage in Herndon. Had a little trailer in the back and the kids would play on it and these three boys were standing on the back of the trailer and it was raised all the way up, and Kimberly was standing there-she was probably only four years old or five at the time and the boys all jumped off and the trailer came down and the tongue hit right on top of her foot. We took her to the-there was a clinic there in Herndon and we took her there to look at it. We had prayed for her and we took her down there and they said, ‘we can’t do anything, the foot is broken, you’ve got to take her to the hospital.’ So we just continued to pray as we went up the road, and we walked in and had the foot x-rayed and they said, ‘there’s nothing wrong with it.’ As God healed her as we went in the way.

There at the parsonage Star stepped on a broken coke bottle and it just took about an inch and a half gash in the bottom of his foot maybe an inch or more deep. The blood began to spurt out of that foot like crazy and I can remember just reaching over and grabbing his foot and closing it and saying, ‘In the name of Jesus.’ And removed my hand it was no longer-never bled again. Just daily living. Star fell down broke-killed the nerve in his tooth, his tooth was totally black, prayed and believed God and saw it come back to life again, white. Just daily living. Just little things around the house. Not the miracle rallies to where masses are watching, just around the house, that God would be glorified; that your children would know that there’s a balm in Gilead. I‘ve shared with my children just recently, I said, ‘don’t think it’s so easy when it’s your children. Don’t let this gospel be stolen from your child, don’t let it die in your children’s generation. Don’t just rush them to the aspirins and to the Tylenol and everything else. Pray, lay your hands on them, believe God. You may have some sleepless nights. They may be in pain for a while but let them understand that God is our healer. It’s not easy when it’s your child with the fever, when it’s your child with the pain but beloved when they can then see Him confirm His word with signs following then we’ve brought this message to another generation, and God receives His glory. Let me ask you a question this morning: What do your children believe? Where is their hope? Where have you pointed them as it pertains to the gospel of healing? Are they being trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? It’s more than holiness. Ah beloved, don’t let it be stolen from your house. It’s too precious to let go for our ease. It is the gospel. Let’s sing this together this morning, and worship the Lord, and receive His care.

"Lord you are, so precious to me." Oh Jesus, Sing it again, just worship Him. Hallelujah! Oh Jesus, be glorified among your people. Father, receive the glory that is due your name. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory to God! Just worship Him this morning. Thank Him for the great privilege this morning of walking in that covenant and the promises that belong to us. Thank him that there’s no prerequisites, that as a believer you can go out and lay your hands on the sick as God brings that opportunity.

Now, we’ve shared with you, that doesn’t mean that you randomly go around trying to empty hospitals. We’re talking about being sensitive to hear the Holy Spirit, to know when to bring this gospel message. You don’t cast your pearls before swine. But we’re conscious of this part of the gospel and the need to proclaim it and administer it. Are you jealous for this gospel? Is it something that burns in the hearts of your children? These signs shall follow them that believe: they shall and they shall. Father, we thank you for that opportunity in Jesus name. Amen, amen. Before you go turn to somebody and say, ‘lay your hands on the sick.’ Amen. Go in peace, God’s love go with you.