Re-arming The Saints

A few weeks ago I had a dream:

In the dream, people received a six digit numerical code. (No - it wasn't the mark of the Beast) The code specified what type of body parts a person would receive while they were being assembled. The codes that had been assigned to some people were incorrect. I was involved in the assembly process. The people I worked on had received the wrong code and as a result, the wrong type of arms. Based on what I knew about their calling, gifting and the types of arms available, I had to re-arm all of them.

The dream seems to be referring to my calling as one of "arming" the body of Christ. When I think of "arms" I often think of weapons, equipping and training. The usual context of that language is in equipping the body of Christ for ministry. (See Eph. 4:11-12)

In the dream, there was a problem. The code was a six digit code, which probably represents a number given by man. People had been assigned the wrong codes and as a result received the wrong arms. I would interpret that as an error on the part of leaders in arming the saints and misidentifying their calling.  My job was to remove the arms they had and give them the ones they needed.

The dream is a revelation on correcting others - particularly in the area of ministry. This is a strange subject for me, since I gave up on correcting others years ago. While I enjoy teaching those who are willing to learn, I don't enjoy correcting people. But this dream is definitely a call to make corrections in others. And I don't think it's just for me. I believe this is a word for others who are similarly called to train and equip the saints.

I'm not certain about how leaders have misidentified the calling of people, but I have a hunch. It's common for us to want others to walk in the same type of calling that we do. What father doesn't want his son to take up the family business?

The value we place on something is personal, yet we tend to project our values onto others. Pastors desire to train and equip more pastors. The same is true for evangelists and prophets. I suspect that herein lies the problem.

I once knew a man who pastored a small church. In talking with others who knew him, it became obvious that he was called as an evangelist and apostle, but he wasn't walking out that calling. He was miserable in the role of pastor. He got excited and energized every time he traveled outside the US and operated as an evangelist, yet he never fully embraced that calling and instead, accepted the pastoral role he'd been given.

This man's ministry is an example of how we tend to fall into the habit of operating in things we're really not called to. There are many reason why we do it - mostly out of convenience or following the traditions of men.

The solution proposed in the dream was to re-arm people based on what was known about their true calling, their true gifting and what arms were available to them.

It's been my experience that before we can effectively correct others, we must have a relationship of mutual trust and respect. Yes, we can speak correction to anyone we want, and many of us do, but correction from strangers is almost never heeded. That type of correction bears no fruit and often creates bitterness, mistrust and resentment.

Having a relationship of mutual trust and respect with someone allows us to speak words of correction in a way that it can be received. And it's only when correction is received that it bears fruit.

The calling and gifting of others are matters that require God's counsel. Once we've established a relationship of trust, we can ask God what areas of ministry a person is called to and what type of gifts they have that will help them operate in their calling.

Arming them for their calling is a matter of understanding how the weapons of warfare function and how they aide us in operating in our calling.

If a friend is called as a prophet, we would do well to encourage them to spend time developing the ability to see visions, receive words of knowledge and words of wisdom, since prophets are people of revelation. These weapons (arms) help them walk out their calling.

If a person is called as an evangelist, we might help them become trained in healing and miracles, since healing and evangelism make a powerful combination.

Leaders who are able to correctly discern the gifting, calling and weaponry of others and who can successfully correct them are an invaluable resource to the body of Christ.

When God's Kids Grow Up

As I mowed the grass in the sweltering heat, I thought about my spiritual discontent.

Again.

I watched a video last night featuring Greg Hawkins, the executive pastor of  Willow Creek church, who discussed the trend of committed, born-again Christians leaving traditional churches in large numbers. Wanting to know what was behind it all, pollsters like George Barna have been collecting data from studies and have reached several conclusions - one of which I'll discuss in this message.

The most startling fact uncovered is that most of the people who are leaving the church are not lukewarm, marginal Christians, but those who are the most committed to living for Jesus. The sold-out, on- fire children of God are seeking greener pastures in which to rest.

Five years ago - this revelation would have shocked me. But today, it confirms what I've seen happening among my friends and it sheds light on what I've experienced in my own life.

In 2008, when I first began having dreams - many of them took place in church buildings. I'd dream about praying for people to be healed or I'd be prophesying at a church service. At that time, my wife and I attended an AG church regularly. The church dreams didn't last long. The church we attended had a lot of problems and God called us to meet with people in different locations and soon, my dreams took on a different setting.

The church dreams ended and instead I was praying with people in ambulances, stores, streets and hospitals. Literally anywhere but in a church building. I knew God was calling us out of that setting, and into the community at large, but we had a hard time giving up our church life.

Over the years, my wife and I have tried to find a church to attend, but haven't been successful. We don't have an ax to grind against the institutional church. Yes, we see a number of problems with the traditional church scene, but we also see some positive things that a traditional church setting can provide. We just can't find one that meets our  particular needs. One of the problems is that we seem to have outgrown most churches and the things they teach.

Most churches are great at helping new believers become rooted and grounded in the truth of scripture. While some folks may be content to study the bible their entire lives, others require a bit more diversity. Some churches have nothing to offer beyond basic bible teaching. So when a church successfully nurtures it's members into maturity and they require training and equipping beyond the basics, where do they go?

Many believers today have discovered their identity in Christ and are fully capable of teaching with authority and operating in the power of God. They're not beginners any more. They're seasoned veterans. As their numbers have grown - it's become apparent (to me at least) that the manifestation of the sons and daughters of God spoken of in Scripture may finally be here. God's kids have grown up. And unfortunately for church leaders -  they've nearly worked themselves out of a job.

The body of Christ now needs advanced training and equipping and leaders are late in responding to that need. A few (Bill Johnson for example) have seen the need and developed advanced curricula. To their credit, Bethel has made their school of supernatural ministry curriculum available to others, but a better approach would be for local fellowships to develop and implement their own.

The need for more challenging instruction might explain the boom in conference attendance. Many people find that two or three days of immersion in worship and advanced teaching is more helpful than digesting weekly sermons.

The present challenge to leaders is to recognize the need for advanced training and equipping and ask God for the resources and insights on how those needs can be met. If the needs of the sheep are not met, they'll continue to head for the exit sign.

Here's the interview with Greg Hawkins:

Street Healing

For those who have been following my messages on healing, this is where all the concepts mentioned previously are applied in real life. Reading about healing is good, but if we never step out and touch a stranger with the power of God - all we have is vain knowledge that profits nothing.

Jesus was the original street healer. He traveled the streets of Israel on foot, staying wherever he found lodging. During his travels he told people the secrets of their hearts, shared the mysteries of the kingdom of God and healed all who were sick and demon - possessed. This was his style of ministry and it could become yours.

After modeling this lifestyle, he chose 12 disciples, commissioning them to follow his example. He gave them power, authority and some guidelines, which are detailed in Matt. 10, verses 5- 14. In those ten verses, he told them to visit the cities of Israel, inquire who in those cities was worthy, speak peace to the homes that received them, preach on the kingdom of God, deal with sickness and demonic oppression and not to worry about paying for their ministry trip. Things went well. So well, that a short time later he sent out seventy disciples to do the same thing, with a few changes to the plan. (See Luke 10: 1-10)

An important aspect of street healing is geographic; being in the right place is critical. The disciples were given specific instructions where to minister and where not to. While it's true that we could minister just about anywhere, there are good reasons to inquire of God where we ought to minister.

In Matthew 13, we're told that Jesus faced opposition when ministering in his home town. When the skeptics questioned him, he replied,

“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

Many of us have experienced the disappointment involved in ministering to our families and friends in our home town. Those who know our past are likely to doubt that God would use us.

Jesus set the stage for the disciples so their ministry would bear fruit. The work of God in the hearts of those we visit should precede our ministry to bring the desired outcomes. In Acts 16:7, it was recorded that God opposed the apostles' ministry trip to Bithynia. We don't know why, but it's likely that region wasn't prepared yet, while a different region was. I'm not suggesting that we need three dreams and a vision about a certain city, before we begin healing. But as our ministry grows, it would be a good idea to periodically ask God for detailed information on where we can be used most effectively. "If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask."

Another aspect of street healing is relational; Jesus instructed his disciples to inquire who in these cities was worthy. Have you every considered what he meant by this?

Not only did Jesus tell them there were certain places to go, he told them there were certain people who would receive them and others who wouldn't. How many of us have been frustrated by an experience where we poured all we had into a group of people and it seemed all our labor was for nothing? God has certain people in mind whose hearts have been prepared. They're ready for us to to reveal God's love and grace to them, but we must find out who and where they are.

Once we've found an opportunity to minister healing, I've found that it's a good investment of time to spend a few minutes (at least) getting to know the one God wants to touch. In previous messages we've discussed how ministry flows through relationships. Many people have been burned by religion at some point in their past. Many of those wounds came at the hands of believers who cared more about being right than being loving, or their goal at the start was merely to win another convert to increase their score.

Shallow Christianity hurts people more than it helps them. If we take a few minutes and listen to the one we want to see healed, we demonstrate compassion, which was the fuel that propelled Jesus in everything he did. As we get to know them, they begin to trust us. As they trust us, we have a better chance of being able to minister to them and perhaps disciple them. Remember, Jesus didn't ask us to make converts or merely heal. He asked us to make disciples and discipleship requires relationships.

Revelation and Observation
There are basically two ways we can find people who need healing. The first is the most obvious; as you travel during your day, look around and see if you notice anyone wearing a cast, a splint, an immobilizer, wearing dark sunglasses inside (possible blindness), wearing hearing aids, walking with a cane - particularly a white cane with red on it (indicating total blindness) or sitting in a wheelchair. Simple observation will reveal hundreds of people a week that you could provide healing to. Now consider all the people you'll meet in a week who talk openly about migraine headaches, back pain, fibromyalgia, cancer treatments and other medical conditions. If you added them to the list, the number of people you could minister to would be rather large.

A number of times in the last few years, I woke from a dream in which I was praying with someone for a certain condition. Later in the day, I would usually find them and pray with them. There have also been times when I suddenly felt the presence of God come over me out of nowhere. Sometimes it happens when I'm at the grocery store, other times I've been in line at a coffee shop. Usually, when I close my eyes, I see the word 'headache' or some other condition and I frequently see an image of the person. The goal here is to find them and ask if they want to be healed.

God will heal people that you find, regardless of how you find them. Private revelation through words of knowledge is a great way to locate people with conditions that aren't obvious by looking at them. If you're sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, you'll find it easy to hear, see or 'just know' what God wants to do. Receiving a word of knowledge for someone isn't a guarantee they'll be healed. I once had an accurate word for a woman at Starbuck's who had migraines, but when I approached her, she wouldn't let me pray for her. If you're wondering why God would give a word of knowledge, knowing it wouldn't be received, consider that it might have planted a seed in their heart. Maybe that woman went home and had a dream about a stranger approaching her with a word of knowledge and that stranger happen to look exactly like Jesus. (Don't underestimate the craftiness of Jehovah sneaky)

Two By Two
Jesus sent out the seventy in groups of two. Have you ever wondered why? I didn't, until I began this journey into healing and not long after, it became obvious.

Success and humility don't always walk hand in hand, though they do make a handsome couple. One of the problems we encounter in healing is the tendency for pride to sneak into our lives when miracles happen - and miracles will happen, you can be assured of it; if you don't give up when the first ten people you pray with aren't healed.

If there are two pairs of hands resting on someone when they're healed of cancer, who gets the credit? One reason for doing ministry in tandem is to prevent us from getting a swollen ego. The honor and glory belongs to the Lord. Having several people involved can act as a buffer between us and pride, preventing opportunities for it to take root.

Another reason is that we all struggle at times with obedience or consistency. Having a ministry partner can minimize the effect of those days when your faith is weak or you're in rebellion. Your partner should be praying for you and you should be praying for them. Healing is warfare, whether we know it or not. Once you begin to heal the sick, the enemy is likely to take notice and bring some trouble your way. Don't be afraid, it's mostly a fear campaign to get you frightened enough to quit.

I have a few trusted friends who are gifted with discernment. Our time together is always beneficial. They're attentive to the small details of my spiritual life. They usually detect the 'gunk' the enemy has tried to hang on me since the last time we met. They clean up my armor and I clean up theirs. When you're in battle, you're doing to take a few firey darts from the enemy. Don't go into battle alone. Having a partner can and should be a great benefit to all of us.

My primary partner for ministry is my wife. There are a lot of good reasons to consider involving your spouse in your ministry. The enemy would like to ruin as many of us as possible. How many ministries have crashed and burned after a scandalous affair? I don't want to give the enemy an opportunity to destroy me or my marriage, so whenever possible, my wife and I minister together. She has the password to my e-mail accounts and all my social networking profiles. When I'm on Facebook, she's usually a few feet away on her computer or she's looking over my shoulder. Not because she doesn't trust me, she's just interested in what I do and she wants to protect me from potential dangers.

If you'd like to try healing but don't like the idea of going alone, treasure hunts are a good option. They're a great way to help newbies get started. You spend a little time as a group praying and receiving information (words of knowledge) then go out and find the people who match the clues. Sometimes it's healing, sometimes an encouraging prophetic word. One benefit is that through these experiences, believers quickly realize after finding people who closely match the things on their list, they know they're hearing from God accurately. This is very similar in concept to the command Jesus gave to "inquire who is worthy".

Faith, Authority and Presence
In previous messages, we discussed the process of how we actually heal the sick. If you want a refresher, Healing 101 is a good overview.

Jesus healed in many different ways. Sometimes he commanded it, sometimes he healed with a touch and other times he declared a person was healed. I'd encourage you not to rely too much on one method of healing. Jesus didn't and his flexibility was used powerfully.

Healing can happen as we operate out of faith, which releases God's power to heal. Some of us operate primarily out of faith, and a lack of doubt or unbelief. But faith isn't the only factor to be considered. Some healers have great faith, but lack an understanding of their authority.

I have a lot of friends on Facebook who, largely due to the teaching of Andrew Wommack and Curry Blake, have come to a powerful understanding of the authority the believer has over sickness. These folks are a pretty amazing group. They have a confidence and tenacity you don't see elsewhere in healing. They know their authority and operate well in it, commanding sickness to leave. They tend to operate as a kind of spiritual police, arresting sickness and disease and enforcing the principles of God's kingdom here in the earth. But faith and authority aren't the only ways to heal.

There is a third way in which healing can happen. Some of us carry the presence of God with us in a way that releases healing on a regular basis, often without our awareness and without a single word being said. I became aware of this phenomenon a few years ago, when some of my patients 'mysteriously' began getting better during transports in the ambulance. Some of these transports were nothing short of miraculous. I remember one call, where a comatose patient with almost no blood pressure who was expected to die soon, had an unexpected increase in blood pressure and came out of his coma before we got to the destination. I was so busy providing medical care, I didn't have time to pray for him.

At first, I shrugged it off as wishful thinking, until I had a dream that revealed something I wasn't aware of. In the dream I transported a man who was severely injured in a car accident. I didn't provide any medical treatment or pray for him. When we arrived at the hospital, the doctor asked what I did during the transport. I told him I didn't do anything and said I thought the patient was healed. And in fact, he was healed. I knew that the presence of God in the ambulance had healed all his injuries, without my direct involvement. This dream was God's way of letting me know that He was in fact healing people, even though I wasn't aware of it.

I can't explain why God would heal people we haven't prayed for and not others, except perhaps that it may be an answer to their own prayers or the prayers of others and the meeting with us is just a point of contact with God's presence. But I'm open to other suggestions. The subject of God's presence which comes and goes is an issue of some confusion in healing circles. Perhaps I'll write on that subject in the future.

In practice, we can lay hands on people or stand a few feet away, and we'll likely see the same results. We can command healing silently, or out loud and we'll probably see the same results. I love Pete Cabrera's illustration of this principle, when he commanded a plastic spoon to heal and two people were healed, by holding onto the spoon. Lisa Fitzgerald-Adams released healing bubbles on someone who had an injury from skateboarding. I've heard testimonies of healing that came by speaking the word of God over the sick. I see no reason why we should limit healing to a certain method. Be creative and let God amaze you.

The streets and shops you visit are full of people who desperately need to know God cares about them. All around you, crippled people struggle to cope. Blind people are robbed of fully experiencing the abundant life Jesus died for. You are the one who can release the power of God that changes those circumstances. Street healing is easy, it just takes a little compassion, a little faith, a little boldness and a desire to see God's love in action. This is the model Jesus gave us. Anyone can do it.

Healing the Whole Man - Session 1 part 3, with Joan Hunter

This is part 3 of an instructional session on healing taught by Joan Hunter. In this video Joan demonstrates healing for back pain. Four people are healed.

Healing the Whole Man - Session 1 part 2, with Joan Hunter

This is part 2 of an instructional session on healing taught by Joan Hunter. In this video Joan explains her step by step method of healing.

Healing the Whole Man - Session 1 part 1, with Joan Hunter

This is part 1 of an instructional session on healing taught by Joan Hunter. In this video Joan demonstrates then teaches the basic methods and theory behind the practice of divine healing. Parts 2 and 3 of this series will be posted in the next few days.