Believe Big!

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

Lately, my heart has been stirred by the Holy Spirit again. In every season, the Lord will challenge me to stretch my faith. I think about all of the souls I’ve seen come to Jesus, all of the bodies I’ve seen made whole by God’s healing power. While thankful, I am emboldened to ask the Father to do even more.

Dear reader, God wants to widen your reach, stretch your faith, and expand your vision. Believe it! Too often do we sacrifice the miraculous on the altar of practicality. We talk about a big God, yet pray little prayers. But I want to challenge you to believe big.

No more little prayers. We want to be used for the glory of God!

I want to see more souls come into salvation. I want to see more people healed. I want to see more mighty men and women of God raised. I want to see the world changed.

Is this too much to ask?

By no means! We serve a big God.

If this season has discouraged you, drained you, then now is the time to let your faith come alive again. If the enemy has come against you, push back even harder in faith. Lay hold of God’s every promise. Take every Word He has spoken to you and commit your heart to accept it as your only reality.

Nothing is outside of God’s reach. No heart is so hard that it cannot be turned toward Jesus. No sickness is too potent that it cannot be healed. No life is so normal that it cannot be used to touch the world for God’s glory.

Now is the time to believe big. Do you believe it? Do something that won’t work without a miracle!

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Healing, Deliverance, Gifts, and Miracles are for Today: The Problems with Cessationism

It is my prayer that every believer would come to know the fulness of the Holy Spirit’s power. Every believer has the Holy Spirit, but that doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit has every believer. As I see it, those who reject the spiritual gifts are simply choosing to settle; they’re choosing to do things the hard way. 

Though I prefer to avoid labels, traditionally speaking, some- one who believes that the spiritual gifts are no longer in operation is called a “cessationist”; the belief that the spiritual gifts have ceased to be operational is called “cessationism.” 

Ultimately, it’s very difficult to debate a cessationist with Scripture, because they really don’t have anything even closely resembling a scriptural basis for their belief. They simply just assert their belief. 

Now to properly weigh in on the discussion, I would need to write an entire separate book. But I at least want to give you a few very basic thoughts on the matter so that you might be loosed from the intellectual chains that hold you back from speaking in tongues. Whenever you hear a cessationist speak of why they believe the gifts have ceased, I want you to listen very closely. Generally speaking, they will use one of the three following lines of logic: 

#1 Speculation 

The cessationist can offer many points of speculation but never any portion of Scripture that clearly teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased. 

Example 1: Only the early epistles mention the spiritual gifts, but the later ones make no mention of them. So the gifts must have ceased. 

Example 2: Paul the apostle had poor eyesight; because God didn’t heal him, that demonstrates that the gift of healing (and the other gifts along with it) has ceased. 

Here’s the issue with that sort of reasoning: In order to demonstrate biblically that the spiritual gifts have ceased, you have to be able to point to the Bible verse that tells us so. Otherwise, you’re just left with speculation. The biblical evidence is overwhelmingly supportive of the spiritual gifts; it’s not even close. The entire New Testament is fundamentally supernatural. If someone wants you to believe cessationism, they need to do better than offering unfounded inference and wishful speculation. 

#2 Arguments from History 

Another line of logic followed by the cessationist is the historical one. 

Example 1: Some of the early church fathers believed that the gifts had ceased, and, therefore, we should believe the same. 

Though we honor our early church fathers, we get our truth directly from the Scripture. Even if it can be proven (and that’s a key “if”) that most of the early church fathers believed the gifts had ceased, all that proves is that we had cessationists in the early church too. The question is not, “What did the early church fathers believe?” or “What does the history of the church record?” The question is, “What does the Bible teach?” We mustn’t put people on pedestals, not even the early church fathers. They were men, not gods. We have to be humble in our assessment of ourselves; we are only human. We must stick with just the Word of God, period. 

Example 2: Church history records a decline in the use of the spiritual gifts. 

Just because something isn’t properly recorded in history doesn’t mean it didn’t occur. There are several things you do each day that won’t be preserved in history’s record. The cessationist is being pre- sumptuous when he claims that generations of believers didn’t pray in tongues. How on earth could the cessationist know what didn’t happen in the early Church? To know that, one would have to have a complete record of every life of every believer—a record detailing even daily activity. We don’t have that. In fact, to make the claim that a certain Christian figure or group of people certainly didn’t pray in tongues, we would need a record of them telling us just that. So anyone who tells you that the early Church didn’t pray in tongues is making a big assumption. In fact, it’s presumptive to make that claim about any believer in history’s timeline. 

#3 Poor Biblical Interpretation 

Unfortunately for the cessationist, the burden of proof rests on those who claim that the gifts have ceased. From Genesis to Revelation, we see our powerful God performing miracle after miracle, involving Himself in the lives of His children. And we’re supposed to believe that God just suddenly stopped? Out of nowhere, His tangible interaction with mankind just ceased? It’s unreasonable to think that we’re supposed to just insert some imaginary marker on the timeline of all of history and say, “Right here is where God stopped.” 

Here, the cessationist might interject, “We believe that God still moves. God still does miracles. We just don’t believe that God gives power, such as healing the sick, to individuals anymore.” Or they might say, “We believe God still moves; we just don’t believe men can heal the sick by their own will anymore.” But who actually believes that the power to perform the miraculous ever came from human beings in the first place? Who actually believes that men ever healed according to the exercising of their own will or power? Who believes that man on his own ever wielded the power to heal the sick? I sure don’t. 

Going back to even the Old Testament, where cessationists admit that God was moving miraculously, we see Moses, supposedly given power of his own, unable to immediately heal the sick through prayer. 

So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had done nothing more than spit in her face, wouldn’t she be defiled for seven days? So keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back” (Numbers 12:13-14). 

That God left the prayers of Moses unanswered does not mean that He stopped working miraculously through people—the rest of the Bible is proof of that. So why would anyone’s unanswered prayer today indicate that God no longer moves? If cessationists were there with Moses, they might have suggested that God was done moving in Israel. 

King David was likewise unable to heal the sick through prayer: 

Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered (Psalm 35:13). 

But we all know that God continued to do miracles long after King David left the earth. It’s been God all along, and He works through people. 

I don’t believe Peter carried his own power to heal the sick; it was sourced by the Holy Spirit. I don’t believe that Elijah or Moses had any ability, apart from God’s empowering presence, to perform miraculous displays of authority over creation. It was always God. 

It’s simple: just as God moved according to His will through people in the Old and New Testament, so God moves according to His will through people now. There’s never any indication in the teaching of Scripture that states otherwise. 

It’s all semantics, word play. Either you believe God still works among us or you don’t. This middle ground doctrine of “God still moves but not like He used to” is a dodge on the part of the cessationist. Truthfully, the best a cessationist can offer is a misapplication of this portion of Scripture: 

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). 

Obviously, we won’t always need the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I can’t imagine the need for the gift of healing in Heaven where there is no sickness, the need for the gift of prophecy in eternity where there is no time, or the need for the gift of faith in Heaven where God can be seen. The day will come when the gifts of the Holy Spirit will cease. 

So when will the gifts cease? Let’s look at what the Bible says in the very next two verses: 

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely (1 Corinthians 13:11-12). 

We are given two clues. The gifts of the Holy Spirit will cease when we see everything with perfect clarity and when we know everything completely (just as God knows us completely). 

Do we see everything with perfect clarity now? Some sincere cessationists might believe so. Cessationists argue that the time of perfection was fulfilled when the Bible was completed. However, even though we have the Word of God, I don’t know a single living human who knows “everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 

Of course, in my spirit I know God, but only Heaven will fully manifest what is known in my spirit—without the trouble of the flesh. 

So clearly, First Corinthians 13 is describing eternity, not the here and now. So the gifts will cease when we are all face to face with God, as the King James Version puts it. 

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 child- ish 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 (1 Corinthians 13:11-12, KJV). =

Furthermore, it cannot possibly be that the gifts will cease before the end of time, because Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will do greater works. 

I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father (John 14:12). 

He didn’t say that a select few before a certain dispensation would do greater works. He didn’t say that greater works would be accomplished for just another couple of generations. He promised that “anyone” who believed in Him would do greater works. 

So cessationism fails miserably as a biblical doctrine. Yes, when we know “everything completely,” the gifts will cease. Until then, flow in the gifts, especially the gift of tongues. 

Excerpt from “Praying in the Holy Spirit” by David Diga Hernandez.

Faith in Action

Faith is the key to the miraculous. Nothing is impossible when you put your hope in God Himself. That is the reality that ten lepers experienced.

11As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:11-14, NLT)

Jesus spoke it. The lepers believed it. And their confidence in His Word was demonstrated by their actions. The lepers were healed as they went. They simply dared to believe the Lord at His Word.

Dare we believe the Lord at His Word?

All too often, we wait for God to move when He’s waiting for us to move by faith. Too many are frozen in fear when they should be progressing in God’s promises. Rest assured, if God promised it, you can believe it. And if you truly believe it, faith will move you to action. 

Some miracles are instant, and sometimes the miracle happens as you go.

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You Are a Miracle

Your life is a sign from God to those who do not yet believe. 

Daniel, along with three other Jewish young men, was taken captive by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. During his time as a captive, Daniel was given food rations by King Nebuchadnezzar. There was an issue there. The food that was presented to Daniel was forbidden. For Daniel, to eat the food of the king was to dishonor God. So Daniel declined.

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. (Daniel 1:8, NLT)

Daniel eventually convinced the Babylonians to honor his request. Here’s what he told them:

12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” (Daniel 1:12-13, NLT)

Note the boldness of Daniel and then ask yourself this pressing question: “Could I say the same?”

Could you tell people to examine your life to prove that God’s ways are better? Does the way you live testify of God’s higher standard? Does the way you behave attract others to the path of truth?

As someone who has been forgiven of sin, as someone who has had their nature transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are a miracle. Your faith is proof of God’s existence. 

Indeed, your life is a sign from God to those who do not yet believe. 

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The Healing Touch of Jesus

The woman with the issue of blood. The blind beggar. The paralyzed man. These are just some of the many Biblical examples of people who experienced the healing touch of Jesus. 

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. (Mark 6:56, KJV)

I love the way the Scripture words that: “…as many as touched him were made whole.”

And the wonderful reality is that Jesus still heals. Nowhere in all of Scripture does it teach that Jesus has stopped working miracles.

Everything Jesus was anointed to do while here on the earth, the Holy Spirit continues to do for and through us.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes - miracles of healing. The blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the paralyzed move, and the afflicted are set free from their pain. Years of suffering, seasons of pain, can all come to an end. 

I recall one instance in particular. A little girl attended one of my services with her mother. The girl had developed crooked legs. Her legs were turned inward. That little girl and her mother came to the service believing for a miracle. They came early but could only find seats in the back of the building. Nevertheless, they persisted in faith, knowing that God’s healing touch could reach them even where they were. 

During the worship, they began to believe for the miracle to take place, for the little girl’s legs to straighten. Though nothing happened immediately, the little girl insisted that Jesus would heal her. After the service had ended, they began to drive home. The miracle had yet to transpire. But sitting there in the car, that little girl held on to hope. Suddenly, the girl began to hear a popping sound. She remarked to her mother, “Mom, do you hear that? Something is popping like popcorn!” 

They didn’t know it until the next morning, but that girl’s legs had become perfectly straight. To their joy and amazement, the miracle had happened. 

A miracle can instantaneously turn any situation around. The lesson to be learned is one of simple faith. Don’t worry; only believe. And keep believing, because any moment can be your miracle moment.

There’s no trick to it. There’s no formula, no method, no special approach - it’s just the healing power of God meeting simple faith.

So reach out in faith and touch Him. All it takes is a single touch from the hand of Jesus to make you whole. That same mighty power which flowed through the very body of Jesus, that same healing virtue, still rushes like a river today. Jump into the river of healing.

Be encouraged. Yesterday, today, and forever, our Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible, is a healing Jesus.

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YOUR MIRACLE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Kathryn Kuhlman used to say, “I believe in miracles, because I believe in God.” The Bible says this: 

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

Whatever you can pray, God can perform - according to His will and Word. Nothing is impossible with God. You might be suffering with sickness, but nothing is impossible with God. You might be facing a financial hardship, but nothing is impossible with God. You might be believing for the salvation of your loved one, fighting to overcome a habitual sin, or contending for a miracle of some sort. Believer, I assure you of this: God is able. 

Your impossible situation, your difficult circumstance, might intensify your anxiety and fear. Perhaps you struggle to find peace. Maybe you are discouraged by the weight of your burden. Whatever you face, just know this: you can trust the Lord. You can rest in Him, knowing that no matter the condition of your today, God has already prepared for you a better tomorrow. For the believer, no matter what it is, it ends in victory.

So let the storm stir. Let the chaos do what it will. For the God of miracles is your refuge. He is your hiding place. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. He opens springs of water in the desert, causes the Sun to stand still, sends fire from Heavenly places, and commands power over the grave. He’s the One Who spoke and brought galaxies into existence. His breath caused the waters of the Red Sea to stand like walls and the walls of Jericho to fall like water. 

I know it looks impossible now. I know that sometimes it’s easier to just quit. I also know that the enemy lies to you. The enemy uses your circumstances to tell you, “If it was going to happen, it would’ve happened by now.” The enemy uses your emotions to tell you, “You are being overlooked by God.” The enemy uses religious people to tell you, “God isn’t concerned with your health, wealth, or happiness. It’s a shame to even ask.” 

Exchange the lies of the enemy for the faith-producing truth of the Word. Don’t quit. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Go after the promises of God, and trust Him with the results. You don’t know what the next 24 hours hold. At any moment, a miracle can happen, and then, suddenly, everything is different. God can make a way where there seems to be no way. Something good is going to happen to you.

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Only Believe

A man approached Jesus’ disciples. The man was distraught, scared. His son, who was possessed by a demonic spirit, was tormented. The father was desperate for his son’s deliverance. He explained to Jesus:

One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” (Mark 9:17-18, NLT)

Imagine how disappointed the man had become once he realized that the demon wasn’t going to obey the commands of the disciples. I speculate that the disciples were, in his mind, the very last hope of his son ever living a normal life. 

He had likely, up until that point, visited numerous physicians, spiritualists, and so-called experts. However, his son remained bound by chains of darkness. He had been disappointed time and time again. With every failed attempt to make his son well, his faith diminished just a bit more. 

He must have heard the stories about how the disciples were able to work miracles and cast out demons. Yet what little hope he could have mustered was suffocated under the weight of yet another disappointment. The disciples, the man learned, were not able to free his beloved son.

But that’s when Jesus approached him. When you read the narrative in the gospel of Mark, you’ll notice that the man did not approach Jesus - Jesus approached him.

Possibly still glowing with Heavenly glory from his transfiguration, Jesus asked about the boy’s suffering:

“How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 9:21-23, NLT)

I love the Master’s straight-forward approach. With an almost indignant tone, Jesus asked, “What do you mean if I can?” I believe the emphasis was on the “if”. Jesus certainly knew His own identity. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

All things are possible; Only believe. 

The man had tried all that he knew to try. He had gone to every expert. He had tried every remedy. He had looked at every potential solution. But, when it came down to it, all he needed to do was believe. And I love his honest response.

The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, NLT)

After the man’s candid prayer, the Lord delivered his son completely. The boy was freed from the demonic spirit that tormented him.

What do you do when you’ve done all there is to do? What can be attempted when all of your ideas have already failed? What do you do when you need a miracle?

It’s that place of frustration and waiting. Though beneficial to your character, it can be painful. Truly, a miracle is only needed when all other ways have proved to be ineffective. When you’ve come to the end of yourself - talent, intellect, resources, emotion, energy - that’s when the miracle can happen. 

Like that father, perhaps you too face a situation that cannot be overcome with human effort alone. Don’t worry; this is when Jesus steps in. You may have doubt, but He can help your doubt. You may be weary of having your hopes crushed. He won’t disappoint you. You can trust Him. 

Leave it to Him. When you’ve done what you can, rest and trust. Relax. Only believe. He’ll take it from here.

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The Touch of Healing

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. (Mark 6:56)

I love that portion of scripture - as many as touched Him were made whole! When it comes to miraculous healing, there really is nothing more to it. It really is simply the touch of God.

There's no natural way to manufacture such power. There's no set of rules to follow, no system to apply. It's just the healing power of God. With just one touch, in a single moment of time, Jesus can make you whole. All you need is one touch.

How does one touch Jesus? It's by faith. You reach out and touch the hem of His garment by faith. You receive of His healing virtue by faith. Be confident in His promises, and be calm in your approach.

They begged for a touch, but you don't have to. You don't need to beg or plead. You just need to receive. Faith is confidence in what God has promised, and confidence is calm. It's difficult to receive from the Lord when we're all worked up with emotion, pleading, and doubtful desperation.

Whenever I minister to the sick, I try to bring people to the posture of faith. Rarely have I ever seen someone, who was so worked up with the fear of not receiving, actually receive. Many times, people are too panicked to receive.

The key to calm and confident faith is focusing on Jesus. His gentle and loving countenance will bring peace to your troubled mind and emotions. The sense of His power brings reassurance. Kathryn Kuhlman put it this way: "When Jesus becomes more real to you than your sickness, you'll be healed."

Trust the Lord. Trust His willingness. Trust His ability. Trust His timing. And know that it takes just one touch to change everything, to make you whole.

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Setting the Atmosphere

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. - Luke 5:17, KJV

Notice the key wording: “the power of the Lord was present to heal them...”

The atmosphere was set.

While I believe that God’s healing power can be taken anywhere at any time, I also know that setting the atmosphere for the Lord to move is key.

Jesus, though He traveled through villages and towns, traveled to synagogues.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. - Matthew 9:35, NLT

Jesus’s ministry is commonly misunderstood in this regard: people imagine Him as some wanderer with no structure, who just hung out in the streets and performed miracles.

In fact, Jesus was organized and intentional. He focused on teaching in the synagogues.

Why?

There, He would set the atmosphere of faith. He would teach the Word and then perform miracles.

There’s nothing wrong with taking our message “outside the four walls of the church”, as long as we recognize that those “four walls” aren’t wrong - they can, at times, be useful.

It is important and spiritual to set aside a place for the purposes of God. It is effective to minister in an atmosphere that is set.

In a set atmosphere, distraction is removed and the people become focused on the Word. And when they are focused on the Word, their faith rises. And when their faith rises, miracles happen.

To set the atmosphere, simply remove distraction and then build faith with the Word. That’s what Jesus did. The healing anointing is intensified in an atmosphere set aside for and dominated by the Holy Spirit.

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Doubt: An Unwelcome Enemy of Healing

The spirit of doubt targets those who stir faith. As someone who ministers healing, you will be confronted by spiritual resistance, because you operate in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When learning to defeat doubt, the best example we can look to is Jesus, the greatest healing evangelist of all time.

38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” 40The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.
Mark 5:38-42 (NLT)

Before raising the little girl from the dead, Jesus removed the doubt from the room. And that, dear reader, is the simple and effective way to deal with doubt. Simply remove it.

It’s good to study and know the Word. It’s good to be prepared to answer difficult questions about healing and miracles. It’s good to avoid ignorance. But we must learn to simply put doubt out. Put it out of the room. Put it out of your heart and mind. Don’t tolerate it. Refuse to give it undeserved time and attention. Boldly deny its access into your life.

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Your Healing: Just a Matter of Time

If Jesus wanted you to be sick, He would not have paid such a high price for your healing. Healing is God’s will. Your healing is God’s will. Healing is a blessing of the cross, a gift of the covenant. The shed blood of Jesus was the purchase price for your total well-being. As surely as God is in control, your healing is on its way.

I believe that. Every word of it with all of my heart.

But what about those who aren’t healed? What about those who live righteous lives and are still sick? Sin causes sickness, but not all sickness is caused by sin. Demonic power causes sickness, but not all sickness is caused by demonic power. Doubt prevents healing, but not all delayed healing is because of doubt.

(Watch Video: Why Some Aren’t Healed)

Sometimes, the righteous and the faith-filled succumb to sickness. So how does one reconcile the truth that it is God’s will to heal with the reality that some aren’t yet healed?

The answer is logically consistent with scripture but not emotionally persuasive. I mean that it’s difficult for some to accept. Quite simply, the reconciliation for this apparent contradiction is God’s timing. Trust in the sovereign timing of God is the key to perfect faith.

We see an example of God’s timing for healing in Acts chapter three.

As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. - Acts 3:2, NLT

The man is later healed by God’s power through Peter and John.

But let’s examine that scripture for a moment. The scripture tells us that “a man lame from birth was being carried in.” Now think about that. He’s referred to as a “man”, not a boy. So he’s been there for several years. The scripture also tells us that he was brought to the temple “each day”. So for several years, this man was begging at the gate of the temple.

Do you know who else frequented the temple and often passed by that gate where the man begged? Jesus.

Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns. - Luke 22:53, NLT

So here’s my question: if Jesus passed by that man so often, why wasn’t the man healed? Why did the man have to wait until Peter and John arrived in order to be healed? The answer is simply God’s timing.

There will be, for every sick believer, a glorious moment of healing. Even if one has to wait until this vapor of a life has dissipated, healing will come in eternity.

Knowing that God is sovereign and faithful to His Word, I pray for every sick person to be healed “now” but trust the Lord if He decides to heal them ”then” – on either side of eternity.

So have hope. Whether now in this moment, whether later upon this earth, or whether sometime in eternity, you will be made whole. Any moment can be your miracle moment. Trust in God’s timing, but never lose hope that today could be your day!

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The Healing Touch of Jesus

It takes but one touch from the Master’s hand to bring forth a miraculous healing. To heal the sick, Jesus neither toils nor fails. Healing virtue flows mightily from Him and in great abundance. Whether you are in need of a healing yourself or desire to minister God’s healing power to the sick, you need to learn one thing and one thing only: it is the touch of Jesus that heals the sick.

Healing is not found in the touch of a man or a woman. Healing is not found in a gimmick, a technique, or a methodology. Healing is not found in a special prayer or a special message. Healing is found in the touch of Jesus.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. - Luke 4:40, NLT

I love that scripture. Its power is in its simplicity.

Often, ministers will ask me, “What is the secret to God’s healing power?” They’ll say things to me like, “The way you minister to the sick makes it looks so easy.”

So what is the “secret”? I’ll be totally honest with you. There is no secret. If there was a secret to it, then that would mean healing is in man’s power to give. And why does healing seem to flow so easily? It’s because I’m doing nothing but surrendering to the Holy Spirit. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve just learned how to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Really, that’s all there is to it.

There is no healing power in me except for that which belongs completely to Jesus. And the same goes for you.

It’s only His touch, and it takes just one touch. It truly is simply the healing power of God.

So how does one receive or minister healing power? It’s simple. To minister healing, just point to the Healer. Tell the people about His wonderful healing power, and tell them that they can receive healing from Him. To receive healing, just go to Jesus in faith. Ask for His healing touch and leave the rest to the sovereignty of God.

We ask and then leave it to God. Don’t fret or worry about the results or the timing of the results. Just be at peace knowing that He is a healing Jesus. You don’t have to give money to receive a healing. You simply have to ask in faith. Then trust Him from there.

I encourage you now. Reach back to the Lord. Touch Him by faith. Declare the promises of the Word. Focus totally on the Lord Himself. Forget your sickness. Forget your pain. Love His presence. Focus on Him. In the spirit, look upon the face of Jesus. When His presence becomes more real to you than your sickness, you will be healed. You will receive the healing touch of Jesus.

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He Healed Them All!

Meditate upon this simple verse:

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. – Luke 4:40

The touch of the Lord’s hand healed each and every person who approached Him for healing. (See also: Acts 10:38; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 12:15; Luke 6:19)
He healed them no matter what their diseases were. Both serious and minor illnesses alike were completely healed. Jesus never rejected a single person who approached Him in child-like faith. He has not changed.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. – Hebrews 13:8

Healing is still in His nature. He is still both able and willing to heal all who touch Him, no matter their sickness, no matter their disease.

He heals the major sicknesses like cancer, AIDS, and heart disease. But, dear reader, if you have faith, He will also heal those sicknesses that are considered minor. He will heal hair loss, acne, and the flu. And why not? For He concerns Himself with every detail of your life.

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” – Psalm 37:23

You are His own. The sickness that troubles you, the ailment that brings you pain or embarrassment, can be healed with one healing touch of Jesus. Even those problems which we have accepted as a normal part of life can be healed. He wants to heal you. He wants to make you whole.  Big or small, your miracle is yours to claim by faith, for He heals all!

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The Potential of a Moment

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!” “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” - Mark 6:34-38

In later verses you’ll read about how Jesus miraculously fed the masses of people who were present. The story is quite famous. But what stood out to me upon this time reading was what the disciples said about their own ability to feed the thousands who were gathered.

When told by Jesus to feed the people, the disciples defensively quipped, “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!”

Before you judge them for having “little faith”, it’s important to note that they weren’t exactly wrong for thinking so. In fact, it’s true that the disciples would have to had worked for months to feed the people. In their own effort, within the limitations of their own ability, time needed to pass in order for the disciples to meet the need.

But what Jesus famously did was miraculous! Not only did He multiply the small amount of food that was provided; He also provided that food in supernatural timing. What should have taken man months to earn took Jesus only moments to create.

Yes, the Lord allows for time to pass for the processing of our character. There is no substitute for long periods of waiting. That’s the only way we can be processed. And, no, there are no shortcuts in life or ministry. God will not do a “quick work” by raising a novice minister to places he or she is not ready to occupy. But God will, when His timing is right, supernaturally accelerate certain events and situations.

The takeaway? You’re closer to your miracle, your breakthrough, than you might think. God’s promise is coming sooner than you believe. The destination is closer than it looks.

Jesus can do more in a moment than we can accomplish in a lifetime.

Lock yourself away in His presence. Abandon the selfishness of the flesh, and let God perform His supernaturally efficient work in you.

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All My Nothing

When it comes to surrendering self to God’s masterful use, many believers become anxious. The stubborn believer is another topic for another time. I’m writing about the believer who wants to be used for the glory of God but can’t seem to break through to the next phase of ministry. Perhaps the greatest fear, the biggest hindrance to being used by God, is this nagging idea: I’m not fit for God’s use.

It is that negative thought which causes the aforementioned anxiety.

When I was eleven years old, I used to read of how God used people like Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, and Smith Wigglesworth. You don’t need to know who they are. I can tell you that they were people who were used mightily of God. Millions of people have been impacted by their lives in either a direct or indirect way.

Specifically, I used to watch Miss Kuhlman. She had such a divine energy about her demeanor, such a profound and genuine spirituality. I wanted that for my life and ministry. But, deep within, there was this thought: I’m not fit for God’s use.

I would read of Bible characters – Moses, King David, John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle. Everything within me would cry out for God to do in our modern day what He did in the Old and New testaments. I would think, “Why can’t God move now as He did in the book of Acts?” I would become stirred at that radical notion. My passion would become stirred, but then it would be immediately stifled into despair the very moment that I recalled the intrusive and discouraging thought, “I’m not fit for God’s use.”

I would check off a list of things I lacked: no notoriety, no charisma, no strong gift, no powerful sermons, and no idea how to start in the ministry.

But, dear reader, I would soon learn the source of these things I lacked. Everything – from the charisma about your person to the power that backs your preaching – is not given in a single moment. Sure, all of it is deposited at salvation. But a great anointing is like a seed. When it is planted in you, it lacks nothing, but you must tend to it in order for it to take on a useful form.

And nothing can tend the anointing like this one key – this one key that is found in the following portion of scripture:

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough moneya to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.  – John 6:5-13

In the natural, what was offered by the young boy wasn’t enough to finish the job. It was, by all natural accounts, lacking, unfit, and useless. As an eleven year old boy, I used to look at that young boy in the scripture and think, “If Jesus can take his nothing and use it, then Jesus can take my nothing and use it too!”

I use the word “nothing”, because, compared to what the world needs, we have nothing to offer. It isn’t enough – it’s relatively nothing. But that’s what Jesus does: He uses nothing. God spoke to nothingness and caused all of time, matter, and space to come forth into existence. It’s in the nothing that God moves. The “not” in “I’m not fit for God’s use” is where the “I AM” finds a place. Thus, you can say, “I AM fit for God’s use.”

God uses broken vessels. When it comes being used by God, it’s not about how gifted you are, it’s only about how surrendered you are. The key to the anointing is surrender. Put your nothing in the hands of Jesus, and it will soon become all that you need.

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Divine Rescue

Perhaps you are now in a situation that seems to be more than you are able to bear. Maybe there is a God-given vision in your mind, an inspired dream within your heart, that doesn’t seem to be possible. Or maybe you are just living under the frustration of a stubborn situation.

You trust the promises of God, but until the promises come to pass, it can be a challenge to press through.

Peter, on several occasions, found himself in impossible situations. With confidence, he could tell you this: an impossible situation is the perfect setting for a miracle. Peter was divinely rescued from a prison cell:

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. ~ Acts 12:6-10

I want to focus on certain peculiar words of scripture. The Bible says, “But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.”

Think about that.

Peter, while experiencing the divine rescue of God, was not aware that He was being rescued.

During the difficult times, it can seem as though the divine rescue of God is just a vision, a hope, or a dream. But God’s divine rescue is happening now! Whether you see it or not, God is getting you out of this situation. God is bringing the vision to pass.

You may not know how the dream is going to come to pass. You may not know from where your breakthrough will come. But God has dispatched Heavenly help – your miracle is coming. Hold on. Have hope. Don’t surrender to doubt.

He makes a way where there seems to be no way. He shows Himself strongest in the times that seem to be the most challenging. And when the miracle has finally come to pass, you’ll know that it was God and God alone Who performed it.

Divine rescue is coming.

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A Shadow of Healing

Years ago, I traveled to the State of Indiana to conduct a 3 night Healing Service. Those meetings were filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit in a very special way. The services in Indiana had a unique and divine “feel” to them. I celebrate the reality that God puts His creative signature on each gathering.

Yet as wonderful as the services were, what happened after the meetings were over was probably most memorable.

The last service had ended. The people had mostly disbursed. And the pastor and I were talking in the sanctuary. I finished the conversation, turned away and began heading to the parking lot when I heard a commotion in the sanctuary.

One of the church members, who had yet to leave the building, had gone to pick up their child from the church nursery. Upon picking up the child, the parent had noticed something amazing. The baby, who had crossed eyes when dropped off at the nursery, now had eyes that were perfectly straight.

The commotion I heard was the celebration of that miracle.

Nobody had laid hands on that baby. In fact, that baby was in the nursery the entire time I was ministering. So what happened?

The healing presence of Jesus had so filled the atmosphere of that church that miracles simply occurred – all throughout the property.

When thinking back on that interesting event, I am reminded of this peculiar verse found in the book of Acts:

“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 5:15

Now many often quote that verse and assert that “Peter’s shadow healed people!” But that’s not exactly what the scripture says. The scripture tells us that the people were the ones who brought out the sick. Peter didn’t tell them to do this; this is something they did on their own. And why would they do this? What odd occurrences might have led these people to believe that Peter’s shadow could heal?

It’s because the healing presence of Jesus was so intense on Peter that people were healed just by being around him!

Miracles followed him wherever he walked.

And, dear reader, you too can see miracles wherever you walk. You are God’s habitation, the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are an atmosphere, a dominion, a little walking piece of Heaven on earth. You are a carrier of the Glory of God. Know that wherever you go, the Holy Spirit goes with you – healing, freeing and touching people.

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Your Jordan River

The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. - 2 Kings 5:1

A mighty warrior, Naman, was made vulnerable by his sickness, a leprosy which ate away at his body. Though strong, Naman was becoming weaker by the day, and he needed a miracle. He sought the help of God’s prophet.

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy." - 2 Kings 5:9-10

A simple task, the easy command to go and wash in the Jordan proved to be insulting to such a mighty man. And it was insulting for two reasons. 1. Naman expected a challenging command, one that would leave him responsible, not dependent, for his miracle. He wanted to get himself out of his plight. 2. The Jordan river was a dirty one, at least by comparison to the other rivers.

But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! - 2 Kings 5:11-14

Despite his offense, Naman was persuaded to obey the words of the prophet. And Naman was healed.

Isn’t that just like us sometimes? We find ourselves in difficult circumstances. But, instead of obeying the wisdom of Heaven, we opt to try to fix things ourselves.

We find it difficult to obey God – to wash in the Jordan.

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about the people who come to my services and are skeptical of me. Often, people, who think I’m a fake or too “showy”, will come to my services as skeptics but leave as believers. Their doubts range – “I didn’t believe in being slain in the Spirit” or “I thought healing was fake.”

I wondered about that, and I asked the Lord why He made my ministry so, to some, bizarre and difficult to believe. The answer was simple. God spoke to my heart, “To some men and women, you are my Jordan river, and they are forced to humble themselves by receiving from me, through you.”

I was amazed! But then I realized that I too had my Jordan Rivers, commands from God, strategies on escaping a difficult place. And I was convicted.

A Jordan River can be a person, a decision, an action or a mindset – it’s the thing that is difficult to do even if it will result in your miracle, the thing that will humble you.

When we are financially struggling, we don’t want to give. When we are angry, we don’t want to apologize. When we are prideful, we don’t want to humble ourselves. When we are offended, we don’t want to forgive. When we need a miracle, we don’t want to get our hopes up.

But for every circumstance, God has given you a Jordan River. Have faith, dive in, wash up and receive your miracle!

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Impossible Places

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid.’ Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter got out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'” - Matthew 14:27-31

Only Jesus could have invited Peter to walk upon the water.

Only Jesus was able to bring you to the place in life that you are now.

When you follow after Jesus, when you walk with Him in life through obedience, He’ll cause you to stand in impossible places. Sometimes those places may scare you. Sometimes you may feel inadequate to stand where you are standing. You may say, “Lord, I don’t know if I can do this.” Be encouraged: He stands with you.

Only God can cause you to stand in impossible places, and only God can keep you there. Just keep your eyes on Jesus, and you’ll walk in places where others sink. Only God could have brought you here, and only God can keep you here. Stay dependent upon Him. Don’t look around – keep your eyes upon Him.

Why does God take us to places that would have otherwise been impossible? It’s so that no flesh can glory in His presence.

The destiny He has for you is impossible to fulfill without Him. It may be intimidating, frightening. It may feel as though you cannot handle where you stand, as though you’re going to sink. Wherever God intends for you to walk will always take faith to walk there. Faith stands in impossible places. Follow the voice of Jesus, keep your eyes fixed upon His lovely countenance and you’ll walk upon the waters of your destiny, impossible places.

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