Saved Healed and Delivered.

Saved Healed and Delivered.
Jesus commanded his disciples to “go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every creature”Does Jesus give us instruction about how we are to preach the Gospel and does Jesus tell us what will happen when we preach the Gospel?I believe Jesus tells us how to preach and exactly what will happen after we have preached the Gospel. Jesus tells us in John 14:12 “Verily Verily I say unto you. He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”I am amazed that men who I know take the bible seriously do not take these verses seriously and try and rationalise what our Lord and Master is saying. Jesus is saying if we believe in Him we will do the works he did, what is Jesus talking about?Is Jesus talking about handing out gospel tracts?Is Jesus talking about playing in a praise band?Is Jesus talking about driving the Church mini bus?All of the above are commendable and worth doing but they are not what Jesus is telling us to do he is telling us to do the works that he did. What were these works?Preaching the Gospel “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Healing the sick Casting out devils Raising the dead Feeding the poor Setting the captives free. The bible tells us why Jesus did what he did, to glorify the Father and because he had compassion on the people. We should share in this compassion when we preach we must be prepared to pray, when we pray we must preach the two are different sides of the same coin. When the Gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Ghost Jesus is present and my bible tells me he is the same yesterday today and forever. This means we should expect to see Salvation, Healing and Deliverance every time we preach the Gospel. The Gospel is good news to the lost, to the sick and to the oppressed. Jesus tells the disciples, that is us, in Mark 16 “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature”…..these signs shall follow them that believe devils will be cast out, we will speak with new tongues, we shall be delivered from serpents and poisons, we shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover!

Saved Healed and Delivered part 2So we have seen what Jesus did in the Bible we have seen that he healed the sick and cast out devils and did many miracles, we have seen that Jesus commissioned his disciples to do the same. The next question is this who are Jesus disciples?Are they Just the twelve maybe with a few 1st century Church elders thrown in or are they the whole procession of disciples who have lived for the past 2000 years including me and you?Does the bible make a distinction between the first century and the 21st century, does the Bible anywhere tell us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased? The plain answer is no it does not say anything of the sort in fact it says quite the opposite, Jesus says as we have seen that we will do greater works than He did! What an amazing promise to His people.Another objection to the operation of Gifts of the Holy Spirit is the abuse and manipulation employed by some so called evangelists. There is no doubt that there have been some terrible scandals and some very strange doctrines associated with Pentecostal and Charismatic churches and movements, but that said we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater.The devil wants nothing more than to discredit Gods working in the world today and turn people away from our lovely Lord Jesus so he will deceive and slander and tempt any person who is trying to serve God with their whole heart. The Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches must be aware of this and while being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and careful not to quench His work among us also be on guard for error and deception. This does not mean turning away from the miraculous but praying for discernment and wisdom as the Spirit moves. It must be said that it is extremely dangerous to attribute the working of God to the devil, this is what Jesus called the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which is the unpardonable sin, even writing these words fills me with dread. So to claim that the healing movement is filled with charlatans and con men is unfair to say the least and very dangerous at worst.The next objection is this why does God not heal everybody that is prayed for, I would answer this question very simply. Why does God not save every person who hears the gospel? God is sovereign he knows who He is going to heal and who he will not heal, he knows who He will save and who he will not save. It is our job to preach to the lost and pray for the sick and afflicted it is God that gives the increase. We are his messengers He is the message!
I recently had a debate with a good friend of mine regarding healing and prayer for healing particularly relating to ministry on the street does God want us to pray for the sick outside of the confines of the church?I believe the answer is a very definite yes! and here are the biblical reasons why...From the Old Testament and New Testament.....Genesis 20:17So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.Exodus 23:25-26And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.Exodus 15:26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.Deuteronomy 7:15And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee2 Kings 20:1-11 (see Isaiah 38)1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,5Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.7And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.8And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?9And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?10And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.1 Kings 17: 17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
New Testament
Matthew 4:22-2422And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.Matthew 8:5-7And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.Matthew 8:13-15And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.Matthew 8:15-17And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.Matthew 91And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.7And he arose, and departed to his house.8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.Matthew 9:35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.Matthew 10: 1And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.Matthew 10:7-9 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,Matthew 14:13-15When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.I
The book of Acts our only infallible Church History!
If we take the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible seriously we will acknowledge the only perfect Church history to be written is found in the New Testament Primarily in the book of Acts.
Luke reports in great detail how the Church behaved in the first century, many were saved many were healed and many delivered, from the beginning to the end of the book this is the pattern. We will hear many sermons preached on how the gospel should be preached how we are to wait on God in prayer how we should love one another all based on the book of Acts and all perfectly correct but preaching about healing and deliverance are rare in certain Bible believing Churches, this approach is not balanced and not biblical we cannot take a knife to the bible and cut out portions that do not fit our prejudice. We either believe the Bible or we don't there is no middle ground!
Acts 5:15
Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.Acts 5:16There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one Acts 9:32-34 (King James Version)And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.Acts 19:11-13And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
The New Testament letter's also encourage us to pray for the sick these letters are not qualified by saying this will cease when the cannon of scripture is closed as some claim, wrongly interpret ting the word of truth, they back this by imposing a false interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 this is speaking about our meeting with Christ when he returns in Glory and takes us to heaven as a study of the this part of the chapter shows
1 Corinthians 13:8-12
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
So what are we told are the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives we see them listed below.1 Corinthians 12:8-108For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;10To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
We are also commanded in James to pray for the sick
James 5:14-20
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Many people claim that even though this form of prayer for healing is promoted by Gods word it is only ordained leaders that can carry out this prayer the bible does not state this the word used for elder here means, senior or old in other words a mature believer not necessarily one holding church office. (see strongs concordance Greek 4245)
So in summary there is no evidence the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased both contemporary and Biblical witnesses back up the fact that they are a gift to the Church until the Lord Jesus returns. They are sent for two reasons to show Gods compassion and to glorify God. The terrible abuses and error that some pentecostal and Charismatic believers have fallen into do not show that the gifts are a delusion or false quite the opposite with every genuine move of God comes an attack from the enemy. So trust God start seeking the gifts that God the Holy Spirit wishes togive you and keep praying for revival!