Don’t Forsake Regular Church Attendance

This was a Facebook note written by a friend, André van der Merwe. The original note, with comments can be found here .

Yes, I'm writing again. My new book (will keep you posted on the progress) will be called: "I Love JESUS, But I've Stopped Attending Church." Here is one of the chapters. Enjoy!!

DON'T FORSAKE REGULAR CHURCH ATTENDANCE

Nope, actually that’s not what it says, so let’s quickly disarm this bomb. Hebrews 10:25 has to be one of the most abused and warped scriptures in the entire Bible.

"…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb 10:25 MKJV)

We will look at two different interpretations here, the traditional interpretation and the proper interpretation, which takes into account the verses around this verse as well as references to other scriptures in the Bible. As we will see, even the traditional interpretation doesn’t refer to the spectator affair that secular church meetings have evolved into.

The Traditional Interpretation

This verse has been used for centuries to warn believers against the danger of abstaining from attending regular church meetings. It’s not surprising to see why though, since nearly every commentary available on the internet interprets this verse in the sense that it is referring to regular church or worship meeting attendance. Here are some examples:

The Berkely Version of the New Testament says: "... not neglecting our own church meeting."

J.B. Phillips writes in The New Testament in Modern English: "And let us not hold aloof from
our church meetings."

The Living Bible states: "Let us not neglect our church meetings..."

The Ryrie Study Bible writes: “The term "assembling" describes "the gathering of Christians
for worship and edification," and "the Day" describes "the day... of Christ's coming.”

Clarke continues to warn against deserting regular Church attendance, for whatever reason:

"For fear of persecution, it seems as if some had deserted these meetings... They had given up these strengthening and instructive means, and the others were in danger of following their example... Those who relinquish Christian communion are in a backsliding state; those who backslide are in danger of apostasy..."

The main problem with this interpretation is that is completely neglects the part of the verse that says “…exhorting one another…”

In 1 Corinthians 14 we have a wonderful picture of what a first century church meeting looked like. Everybody contributed, bringing prophesy, tongues, songs and teachings to the meeting. In fact, so eager were the people to share what God has shown to each of them that Paul had to lay down some guidelines for them to be able to continue doing it in an edifying manner.

How is it then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. (1 Cor 14:26 KJVA)

The meetings normally brimmed over with excitement, joy, fascinating dialogues, diverse tongues and interpretations thereof, various teachings and the gifts of the Spirit flowing all over the place! It was spontaneous, unpredictable and somewhat offensive to newcomers and outsiders, but the believers themselves knew exactly what they were doing: They were allowing God to be Himself in their midst! It would have been an idea far removed from their minds to have only one single person stand up for an hour and deliver a prepared sermon, let alone pay him for doing it!

So even when interpreting this verse in the traditional manner, as thought it was referring to an actual church meeting, the conventional argument does not hold water.

…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:25 MKJV)

The first clue ought to be that this verse doesn’t start with a capital letter, which means that it has to be read in conjunction with the preceding verses to be able to understand the context, especially if we remember that the original manuscripts didn’t have any verse numbers in them. Let’s take a brief look at the whole chapter.

Hebrews 10 - The Victory of the Cross!

Hebrews 10 is one of the most captivating chapters in the entire Bible. It is a crystal clear depiction of the believer’s absolute, unfaltering right standing with God, based on what Jesus accomplished at the cross. It exemplifies the undisputable superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant Law: a system which was upheld by the ritual slaughtering and blood sprinkling of animals. These sacrifices only managed to postpone the punishment of sins for another year - it never actually cleansed the people from their sins (v. 1-4).

It also debunks the popular “Confess your sins to be forgiven” doctrines by blatantly stating that once forgiven, a believer would have no more consciousness of sin (v. 2).

From verse 10 onwards it portrays how the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ has cleansed all who believe in Him from their sins forever and describes the new and better way of approaching God under the New Covenant, namely with boldness and full assurance of faith, confident that the sacrifice of Christ accomplished everything that God intended it to - to deal a deathblow to sin and present unto Himself a blameless, completely sanctified bride. This confidence comes from faith in what Christ has done, and not from ourselves.

Later down in the chapter (v. 26-29) the writer of Hebrews outlines the folly of trying to return to the weak and beggarly elements of the Old Covenant temple and offering system for salvation:

26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He who despised Moses' Law died without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy of punishment, the one who has trampled the Son of God, and who has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Heb 10:26-29 MKJV)

There were Hebrews (Jews) who lived strictly according to the Old Testament law system. Even when they heard the truth about the gospel, they didn’t want to believe it, because verse 26 says they “…received the knowledge of the truth…” and of course simply knowing about something doesn’t mean that we actually believe in it. Faith ≠ knowledge.

So the writer of Hebrews admonishes them by saying that if after hearing the truth of the gospel, they still decide to trample God’s New Covenant underfoot and choose to count the blood of bulls and goats as superior to the blood of Jesus, then there remains for them no further sacrifice for their sins. They are rejecting the only thing that can save them and are choosing to willfully commit the sin of unbelief in Christ!

Now in this context, let’s take a look at the verses surrounding our key verse:

The Proper Interpretation:

19 Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful who promised), 24 and let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:19-25 MKJV emphasis added)

Now in the midst of all this talk about the New Covenant, about having full assurance of our salvation and of not turning back to the Old Testament Law for our salvation, why would the writer throw in a line about church attendance? It simply doesn’t make sense. Let’s tackle these verses one by one…

From verse 19 the writer starts building up to a mighty crescendo, repeatedly emphasizing how we are now to have boldness, full assurance of faith and are to maintain utter confidence in God’s faithfulness to have cleansed us completely from all sin. God who promised us eternal life is faithful to fulfill His promise and grant us an everlasting inheritance. This is the profession faith that we should be holding fast onto (v. 23)

Since we receive the Holy Spirit at salvation, it is His responsibility to manifest His fruit through us and it becomes our privilege to be co-laborers with Christ and walk in the good works that God had prepared in advance for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). It is therefore natural for us to encourage each other to walk in the fullness of the Spirit, not necessarily by telling each other what to do, but by being living, breathing examples of the manifested life of Christ ourselves (v. 24). Actions speak louder than words. And now our key verse:

…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:25 MKJV)

The Greek word for “assembling” (episunagōgē) is only found in two verses in the entire Bible. A closer look at the other scripture that utilizes this word reveals that the context actually doesn’t refer to a church meeting at all:

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (2 Thes 2:1-2 ESV, emphasis added)

Paul here encouraged the believers that because of the wonderful prospect of being gathered together (episunagōgē) unto Christ, they are not to be alarmed or frightened, which by implication means that they are to have boldness and full assurance of faith. This is exactly what the writer of Hebrews wrote. Note the similarities:

…our being gathered together to him… the day of the Lord… (2 Thes 2:1-2)

…the assembling of ourselves together... as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:25)

So the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that Hebrews 10:25 could actually be a magnificent verse about the second coming (like the 2 Thessalonians verse), rather than referring to meeting together in a church building. The reality is however that most people have been so biased by what they’ve been told about this verse, that even in the face of clear evidence they would still doubtLet’s take a look at the three different parts that make up the word epi-sun-agōgē (pronounced in English as “ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay”).

Epi
G1909: A primary preposition properly meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution [with the genitive case], that is, over, upon, etc.

In Greek the prefix epi is often added to words to emphasize them profoundly. Essentially it means the same as “super”, “ultimate” or “hyper”. Paul the apostle used it for example to describe how he would have been exceedingly sorrowful if his brother and fellow worker, Epaphroditus, had died.

For indeed he was sick, coming near death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon [epi] sorrow. (Phil 2:27 MKJV, annotation added)

It is also used in a word that describes Christ’s appearing, epiphaneia, which happens at the end of the age:

…that you keep the commandment without spot and without blame until the appearing [epiphaneia] of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Tim 6:14 MKJV, annotation added)

Our Greek word episunagōgē therefore means “ultimate-sun-agōgē“ or “final-sun-agōgē“ - now we need to find out what the last two parts mean.

Sun
G4962: A primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than G3326 or G3844), that is, by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.: - beside, with. In compounds it has similar applications, including completeness.

So now we have “ultimate-union-agōgē“ or “final-union-agōgē“ - let’s tackle the last part…

Agōgē
Reduplicated from G71; a bringing up, that is, mode of living: - manner of life.

So it appears that the meaning of agōgē can be found by looking at its root word, agō

Agō
G71: A primary verb; properly to lead; by implication to bring, drive, (reflexively) go, (specifically) pass (time), or (figuratively) induce: - be, bring (forth), carry, (let) go, keep, lead away, be open.
Having said all that, it’s clear that episunagōgē can be translated as follows:

Ultimate/Final-Union-Leading/Carrying (away)

Can it therefore be any clearer that Hebrews 10:25 it is not a warning against forsaking regular church meetings, but in fact a reference to our glorious final union and being carried away unto Christ Jesus?

The context becomes even clearer when we then read from verse 26 onwards how those who neglect to receive salvation and by implication are unable to have full assurance of faith, trample God’s grace underfoot and have no more sacrifice remaining for sin.

So with Hebrews 10:25 unarmed, in other words having removed the confusion surrounding this verse, not neglecting the fact that it is still good for believers to meet together, let’s have an open mind for exposing some of the other manmade traditions and practices that are found in today’s secular churches.

Link to original note:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/andré-van-der-merwe/dont-forsake-regular-church-attendance/10150248154351725

Holy Spirit Breaks Out at Football Game

Jason Chin took the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to a football game and 40 people got to know God a little better.

If you are a Christian, you can do this too.

Emergency Room Set Up

We sat outside the ER waiting. We work a day shift, so we don't have a station. We sit in our ambulance in parking lots and on street corners. After hours of waiting, we finally got a call, so we grabbed the gurney and went inside.

As we approached the nurse's station, a respiratory therapist held out his thumb to the ER doc.

"Hey doc, can you have a look at my thumb? It hurts like crazy."

I felt like I was walking onto a stage. The director had rehearsed the script with the actors. And now it was time for the medic to say his lines. Another set up.

God, why do you do this to me?

I walked over and listened to the doc...."Well, it doesn't look broken. What did you do to it?

"Nothing...it just started hurting."

"Well, there's nothing I can do", he mumbled as he walked away.

I walked over to the RT

"So you don't know why it hurts?"

"No, I didn't do anything. It just started hurting."

I checked it out....no deformity, no signs of trauma. "How bad is the pain?"

"About a seven."

"Do you want to be healed?"

"What are you gonna do, some kinda...."(he makes the sign of the cross and sarcastically rolls his eyes)

I smiled....."Well....something like that."

The nurse sitting at the desk piped up..."I wanna see this!"

I invited her to watch. When she could see what I was about do , I asked if he wanted to be healed. He said, "Yeah - go for it."

I placed my index finger on the part of his thumb that was in pain and commanded the pain to leave, in the name of Jesus then asked how he felt.

"A little better." (Now he was smiling)

I told the pain to leave a second time (in Jesus' name) then told the tendons, ligaments, nerves and bones to be healed. I often use this approach when I'm not sure what the exact problem is. "Move it around, how does it feel?"

He was smiling from ear to ear now, amazed at what God was doing. 'Well...that's weird. It feels pretty good.

"Is there any pain at all?"

"Just a little."

I told the pain to leave one more time and had him check it out.

"Well, now there's no pain at all. But my other thumb hurts."

Thinking that maybe a spirit was moving around causing the pain to move, I asked, "Are you serious?"

He began to laugh, "Nope...just messing with you...It feels great."

We both began laughing. (I just love these set ups, by the way) Putting my hand on his shoulder I said, God's pretty cool huh? I gave him a card to the website.

"If you have any questions, you can get a hold of me here. I need to go get my patient."

We talked with the nurse, got report and loaded our patient. He was a Fedex driver who passed out while driving on the freeway. He crossed three lanes of traffic and hit the barrier between East and West bound traffic. The truck eventually came to a stop. No one else was involved or hurt. He suffered glass cuts and a subdural hematoma, but was otherwise fine. We transferred him to a larger hospital for a neuro consult.

On the way, we talked. I told him what had just happened with the respiratory therapist. The Fedex driver felt like God had already given him a miracle by keeping others from being injured in the accident. But he let me pray with him to have the hematoma and the headache healed.

Some days God orchestrates our lives down to the most intricate detail and exact second. Maybe that's what it means when it says "the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord". I don't feel particularly righteous. I just feel blessed to be a part of a divinely written play where the Holy Spirit is the director and Jesus is the real star.

A Discussion About Faith For Healing

This is a discussion on faith for healing the sick. In summary - faith that heals the sick consistently is not generalized, but specific. It isn't merely believing that God heals the sick, but rather it's a confident expectation that the person you are praying with is going to be healed of the condition they have. The issue we struggle with most is not faith, but doubt. Our doubts tend to be about the question of whether God will actually heal the person we are praying with. When doubt about the specific person and condition we're praying about is replaced with confidence, we will see people healed consistently.

Todd White - Words of Knowledge & Timing

Todd White teaches on words of knowledge and how to wait on the Lord for the right time.

The Guitar Player

Tom (not his real name) was a guitar player. Whether or not he'll play again remains to be seen. I found him in the emergency room screaming in pain. My new friend is a guitar picker by night and works a manufacturing job by day. He was helping to move a large sheet of Plexiglas several inches thick, weighing close to 500 pounds, when it crashed to the ground on top of his fingers.

The report I got from the nurse said the index and middle fingers on his right hand were completely crushed. I think the term she used was 'filleted'. They wrapped his hand, started IV antibiotics, gave him some Dilaudid and called us. He was being transferred to a trauma center for surgery to repair what was left of his picking fingers. Pain control was the only thing on his mind.

"Well, at least it's not my fretting hand," he joked. I told him he could learn to use the other fingers to hold the pick. He agreed, but then he said, "Hey...I'm 30 years old, maybe my best playing days are behind me." I said I was 20 years older than him and I was just beginning. And besides, if he didn't get healed of something, this would just be another depressing, forgettable story.

I reviewed his medical information and asked what medications he took. He gave me the names of three blood pressure pills then added, "...and I take Vicodin and Soma."

Vicodin is a narcotic pain reliever and Soma is a muscle relaxer. This combination is frequently used to treat chronic back pain. And as you know, chronic pain is something I have a lot of faith to see healed. This information was almost as good as a word of knowledge. So I asked what he took them for.

"I have back pain all the time."

It was the answer I was looking for. I wasn't glad that he had back pain. I was glad he had something I had a lot of faith to see healed. Smashed fingers are something I've never seen healed yet, but I've seen a lot of back injuries healed. I knew if we could get that healed, we had a shot at getting his fingers healed.

With people who have multiple problems, consider starting with the one you have the most experience with. I often ask if people have a headache and if they say yes, I command it to leave, doing this repeatedly until it's gone. Obtaining victory over one thing demonstrates to you and them that God is willing to heal them. After one thing is healed, move to the next and then the next, getting one thing healed at a time starting with the one you have the most faith for.

Tom told me he has back pain all the time, due to bulging L5 and L4 discs. He knew surgery was needed, but he's been putting it off. As I talked with him, I decided to try a slightly different approach. I usually command back pain to leave, but this time I was curious to know if he could be healed just by God's presence and a testimony.

I invited the Holy Spirit to bring His presence near and talked with Tom about people I've seen healed in the past. I placed my hand on his hip then shared the dream about the man with severe crushing injuries who was healed by the presence of God, without me praying for him. He said that would be cool. I asked how his back felt now.

"Now you're creeping me out....I can't feel any pain in my back." I asked him to move around a little to make sure. There was no pain.

So I asked how bad the pain was in his hand. It was still severe. I placed my hand so that I was barely touching the gauze bandages and commanded the spirit of pain to leave and for the blood vessels, nerves, bones, tendons and muscles to be healed and asked how he felt.

"There was a really bad, burning pain going all the way through my hand, but now it's gone. "

I smiled and prayed again and asked how bad the pain was. He said it was much less and he felt like he could sleep. I said, "That's cool, because I don't have anything else I need to ask you. I believe that when the surgeon takes these bandages off, your fingers are going to be as good as new. Why don't you sleep for the rest of the trip?"

Tom was in excruciating pain when we picked him up, anxious about never playing guitar again, wondering when he'd have to go under the knife for back surgery and the rehab afterward. Twenty minutes later he was ready for a nap, resting in the peaceful presence of God.

I have the coolest job in the world.

The Chaplain and The Medic

Early in the morning, a middle aged man walks a deserted hospital corridor. Another man sees him and smiles, noting that his arm is in a sling.

Walking over, he stretches out his hand. "I see I might be too late."

They shake hands awkwardly as the one with the sling is unable to extend his right hand, and his left hand is carrying a small pile of books. The sling is a result having surgery to repair his shoulder.

The procedure didn't go well. Already plagued with low back pain from bulging discs and chronic knee pain from mountain biking, the less than successful surgery had the potential to force some unwanted changes on him.

"I was going to ask if I could pray with you, but if you already had surgery, maybe you don't need to be healed. I've been praying with a lot of my patients and a lot of them are healed."

The chaplain said, "Really? Well, God must have given you a gift."

The medic smiled and explained that it's not really a gift. "Although there is a gift of healing mentioned in the bible, healing miracles are available to every disciple of Jesus. He gave His disciples authority and power to heal. I've just learned how to operate in it, but anyone can do it."

The medic and the chaplain discussed healing and the medic shared a lot of testimonies. In the end, they both wanted the same thing. The medic wanted someone to pray with and the chaplain wanted to be healed. Neither one knew what the other was looking for.

"If you don't mind, would you pray for my knee?"

"I'd love to."

A fire department crew walk quickly through the hallway with a patient on a gurney. A young woman with them looks at the medic, smiles and says, "I know what you're doing."

The medic looks at the chaplain. "That's my partner."

He invites the presence of God to come and feels the atmosphere change then placing his hand on the chaplain's knee he commands the spirit of pain to leave. Next he commands cartilage, ligaments, bone, nerves, tendons, blood vessels and muscles to be healed. "All things brand new, because God doesn't recycle, He makes all things new."

The chaplain said he didn't really feel any different. He bent down but there was still pain and no real change. The medic told him sometimes the healing can take 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes an hour or two and sometimes even a day or two. He repeated the process two more times.

With a smile, the chaplain said, "I'm feeling something happening in there now. Would you mind praying for my back?"

Placing his hand on the chaplain's lower back he repeated the same process as with the knee. After the third time, the chaplain reported a lot of heat in his back.

"That's the power of God healing you."

The chaplain told the medic that the surgery on his shoulder didn't go well. "The doc said it's bone on bone. I'm eventually going to need another surgery to replace the joint."

"Why don't we have God replace it right now?" Placing his hand on the injured shoulder, the medic said, "I command the spirit of pain to leave and for the bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels and all the structures of the shoulder to be healed in Jesus name." How does it feel?"

"It's getting warm."

The medic repeated the process two more times and asked what was happening now.

"I feel a lot of heat now."

They talked some more. The medic gave the chaplain some cards to the website and told him to drop by and check out the testimonies and teaching on healing.

The chaplain said, "You know, if you took this far enough, you might put the hospital out of business."

The medic chuckled and mumbled to himself as he walked away....."Put the hospital out of business....that's a good one."

Charles, it was a real pleasure meeting you. Let us know how you're feeling?

Greater Works - Brian Fenimore

Brian Fenimore teaches on the passage where Jesus said we would do greater works than He did.



Untitled from Praying Medic on Vimeo.

The Kirby Salesman

At 19 years old, Jonathon was living out his dream of being a professional goalie. That dream came to a screeching halt when a slap shot broke his collar bone. Thinking it was just bruised, he stayed in the game.

When the bone finally broke completely in two, it severed both muscle and tendon and left his shoulder a surgical mess.

In the operating room the surgeons retrieved and re-attach the severed sinew but Jonathon's career as a goalie was over.

He pursued a career as an electrician and did well for himself until the housing market crashed.

As a child, his mother told him, "Be whatever you want, just don't grow up to be a Kirby salesman."

One day she received a phone call. Jonathon gently broke the news to her, "Mom, I'm selling Kirbys."

Ten years after the career ending slap - shot, Jonathon came to our door. He's training new salesmen for Kirby. We did the introductions and Jonathon left. Our young salesman, Ryan was excited and full of energy.

He did his thing and asked if I had a hobby.

There was a long pause.

I had to think for a minute....

"What is my hobby?"

I decided to tell him about healing.

We shared some of our more interesting testimonies and our history with God. He seemed interested and asked a lot of questions. At one point he became so engrossed in the stories, he forgot where he was in his sales presentation and had to check with the outline to get back on track.

An hour later the doorbell rang. It was Jonathon. He came in and asked how Ryan was doing. We told him Ryan was doing great, but we couldn't buy the Kirby. He was very understanding.

We talked with Jonathon for a while. He shared his life story with us, including the broken collar bone story. Putting his arm up, he showed us the limited range of motion he still had ten years later.

I looked at Ryan....

He looked at me and yelled, "Do it....You gotta do it!!!"

Ryan had been listening to healing stories for the last hour and now he wanted to see one for himself. Fortunately, Jonathon is a believer. We explained what we'd been talking about and he agreed to let us pray. I asked my daughter, "You want to do it or should I?"

I didn't give her a choice. I walked to the other side of the living room to watch. She went to his left side and my wife went to his right and they began. After 30 seconds we asked if he felt anything.

"It feels warm inside and I don't know....there's like this feeling of weightlessness."

"Raise your arm up."

As he did, we heard popping noises. He had almost full range of motion. He was stunned and almost speechless. We talked about How much God loves to heal people and he shared his wonder at how easily the healing came.

Ryan was just as shocked, because he knew Jonathon couldn't move his arm like that just a few minutes ago.

Jonathon said he had degenerative joint disease in his neck and back so we prayed over that and the heat increased. He got a major overhaul.

We talked some more and he asked if we'd help with his wife who has health problems. We told him we'd be glad to and exchanged phone numbers. I gave him some cards to the website. One of the things we stressed a number of times is that healing isn't a gift for just a few special people. It's something anyone can do, if they only believe.

Jonathan - if you read this, please leave a comment below and let us know how your shoulder is doing and give me a call so we can get your wife healed.

2 For 1 Night at Chili's

My wife and I have a tradition that we enjoy. After four years of marriage, we still go on a dates. Last night we drove to Saguaro Lake. On the drive out to the lake we talked. Afterward, we went to Chili's restaurant for an appetizer.

The food was good, the conversation was light and the company was beautiful.

As we made our way to the exit, I noticed that the hostess was limping slightly. So guess what I did?

Good guess. I asked if she wanted to be healed. Guess what her reply was.

Right again.

Her name was Jill. I introduced myself and my wife and explained that we see people healed at stores and restaurants and asked if we could pray for her. She was delighted that we offered.

One waitress was fascinated with this and looked on eagerly. Her name was Stephanie. I asked Jill and Stephanie if they'd ever seen a miracle. They both said no. I told them they were about to.

If you've been following this blog, you know that I've been more bold in declaring what God will do, before He does it. My boldness comes from knowing Him. I know He wants people healed and seeing Him do it consistently allows me to approach them and declare what He will do. I can't recall a time that someone wasn't healed when I declared that they would be healed in advance. Perhaps that's worth looking into.

Jill said she had just pulled her hamstring muscle about 15 minutes earlier and that's why she was limping. I asked how bad the pain was. She rated it 7 out of 10. I placed my hand on her leg and asked the Holy Spirit to bring His presence and power.

I've never felt His presence show up so quickly. As soon as the words left my mouth we felt the atmosphere change. I began to sway back and forth. "Wow....can you feel that?"

I thought about this for a moment....."Why did He show up so quickly?" It's like He was just waiting, anxious and excited. Waiting eagerly for me to say the words so that He could bring His presence into the atmosphere.

I truly believe God is more exited about healing than we are.

Standing in the entrance to the restaurant, becoming slightly intoxicated in His glory, I commanded her hamstring to be healed in Jesus name. It took about 5 seconds for her mouth to drop open in complete shock.

"Oh my God....who are you? How did you do that?" She was healed immediately and began walking around checking it out. She couldn't believe it happened that fast. She demanded to know how I did it.

I explained:

"You know that Jesus went through the cities of Israel healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons and proclaiming the kingdom of God don't you? Well if you look in Matthew chapter 10, you'll see that he gave that same authority to his disciples. And I'm one of his disciples. Every one of his disciples has this same authority."

Some Christians wonder what the best way is to bring up Jesus to strangers so that they can 'witness' to them. If you heal the sick, it allows you to talk about Jesus the rest of the night. And that's exactly what we did.

Jill and Stephanie fired questions at us and we discussed how it all works. They'd seen faith healers on TV, but had never heard of anyone doing it in public. We told them it's become a lifestyle for us and we explained that anyone can do these things.

We asked Stephanie if she had anything she needed healed. She told us she had a bone spur on her heel that said maybe we could pray for her some other time.

I told her to sit down and we'd get her healed right now.

She protested slightly.

"Sit down."

She took a seat. I asked her to put her foot on my knee, asked how bad the pain was and commanded it to be healed, then asked if she felt anything.

"It feels weird, like there's a kind of buzzing going on."

Jill chimed in, "That's what I felt, too!" It's like this buzzing thing starts and then all the pain is gone!"

"That's the power of God healing you." I asked Stephanie if there was any pain and there was so I commended it to leave and had her stand and check it out.

She got up and stomped her foot repeatedly in amazement. She tried to make the pain come back, but she couldn't. It was gone.

We talked some more about Jesus and shared a few testimonies. I told them how to keep their healing and gave them information about this website.

As we left, we invited them to contact us if they had friends or relatives who needed healing. Three men walked in the front door and overheard what I said. I told them to ask Jill and Stephanie what just happened to them.

I would imagine they shared their testimonies about Jesus the rest of the night. That's the kingdom of God. It appears in their lives and they tell everyone they know about the great things He has done.

It's not about us. It's about Him.

Giving Thanks

On the way home from work yesterday, I stopped at the store to pick up marshmallows and chocolate bars to make s'mores. The warm weather has drawn us outside around the fire pit in the evenings.

On the day before Thanksgiving, the store was crowded. A few moments after I got there, I saw a woman in front of me reaching for a gallon of milk. She had an immobilizer on her right wrist

"Excuse me....are you in a hurry?"

"Yes, I am", came the reply.

"Do you have carpal tunnel syndrome?"

Looking at her wrist, she said, "I haven't had it diagnosed yet. My thumb hurts constantly and I have this weird buzzing sensation in my wrist when I move it."

I introduced myself, told her I was a paramedic and that I prayed with a lot of my patients who have been healed and asked if she wanted to be healed. She said she'd love to be.

I asked her to hold out her hand and as she did, I gently placed my fingertips on her hand and commanded the pain and inflammation to leave then asked if she felt anything.

Her first response was 'no,' but then she said, "It feels warm". I told her it was the power of God healing her. She asked, "Is this a Christian thing?"

I said, "You know that Jesus went around healing a lot of people....well he gave authority to his disciples to do the same thing and that's what I'm doing. Jesus is healing you."

She said, "Oh,thank you!"

Some people are offended when you tell them you're a Christian, but some are grateful.

I asked her to hold out her hand again and when she did, I commanded the spirit of pain to leave and for the muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and bones to be made whole then asked how she felt.

Looking at her hand with a smile she said. "It doesn't hurt anymore." I asked if there was any pain at all and she said there wasn't. Her hand and wrist were completely healed.

She looked at me and said, "You know...this is so weird. This is the third time in a year that a complete stranger has walked up to me in a store and told me about God.

I smiled. "I guess God has you on his radar. He's going to some amazing things with you."

I gave her a card to this website and explained what I do. She asked if I thought she could be healed of multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia. I told her a story about a woman I prayed with at Walmart who has MS and was ready to get out of her wheelchair when we were done.

Her hope began to soar.

I asked where she lived. It turns out she lives a few miles from us, so I wrote my phone number on the back of the card and told her to give us a call and my wife and I would be happy to have her come to our house and get her healed of everything.

A stranger might tell you they're in a hurry. But when a hungry soul sees that the meal you're serving is the power and love of God, they'll make room for it. And when they receive it, they'll have one more reason to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meatloaf and Healing Your Neighbor

I stopped at Costco on the way home from work to get some things for dinner. I ran into an engine company from the Gilbert Fire department. All four firefighters were wearing shorts. It's mid-November. And they're wearing shorts. One guy said he wears shorts year round. I guess I'm still getting used to the climate here.

As I entered the store, walking briskly and looking for people showing signs of disability, I heard a woman behind me say to her husband, "I wish I could walk like that".

I stopped and turned around to see her hunched over the shopping cart, walking slowly. I held out my hand, introduced myself and asked if she really wanted to walk like me. She said she did and I asked if she wanted to be healed. She said, "I'd love it."

We chatted for a few minutes. She told me she suffers from arthritis. Betty told me she didn't expect an 86 year old woman to walk like a young person. I shared a few stories of people older than her who had been healed and asked if I could pray with her and she agreed.

I asked the Holy Spirit to bring His presence and touch her and commanded arthritis and the spirit of pain to leave then asked what she felt. She reported feeling tingling in her hands. I placed my hands over hers and told the pain to leave. The only thing she ever felt was tingling in her hands. I told her I believed she was healed and that it might take anywhere from 10 minutes to a few days for her to feel the full effects.

I was hoping for more immediate confirmation, but I've learned that many people feel nothing at all and they're still healed, only realizing it days later.

I had a desire to make meatloaf tonight and for some reason I wanted to make a lot if it. I picked up a 5 pound package of ground beef and a three pound package of Jimmy Dean sausage. I got a few other things and headed home.

At home, I made quick work of the meatloaf. Here's the recipe: One finely chopped large yellow onion, 3 eggs, lots of minced garlic, salt, pepper and sage, five pounds of ground beef and three pounds of sausage. I shaped two massive loaves and put them in the oven at 350. My daughter and wife were curious to know why I on earth I decided to make enough meatloaf to feed an army. I really didn't know why. But it didn't matter, because it was time for a walk. We walked to a nearby park where a 5K run was in progress. We found a quiet spot at the edge of the lake and watched a glorious sunset. Then we walked home.

When we got home, the aroma of the meatloaf was amazing. It filled the house with a spicy, savory smell. But the oven was making the house a bit warm, so we open the front door to cool the house down.

Suddenly, we heard a voice at the door. It was the woman who lived a few houses down. We greeted her and asked what we could do. She told us she'd been having problems with a neighbor and wanted to talk about it. She was upset at how her neighbor had been treating her. She hadn't slept the last two nights. We chatted at the front door. As we talked she kept looking toward her house, expecting her husband to come over and commented on how wonderful the meatloaf smelled.

Her husband finally arrived and said he couldn't resist the smell coming from our house, so he came over to find out what it was. Once I told him what it was, he said he loved meatloaf. We told them they were welcome to stay for dinner since we had plenty.

We ate and chatted and Chona told us she had degenerative joint disease which affected her knees and ankles. I told her she wouldn't have it when she left.

So let me explain that.

When I began this journey in healing a few years ago, I never would have said something like that. I wouldn't even ask people what they felt after praying. I was afraid that nothing would happen and I didn't want to hear about it. I had no faith. Since then, I've seen God heal people over and over and over and while not everyone is healed yet, my confidence in God is so much greater that it once was. At times I think it's appropriate to say that out loud.

When I declare that a person will be healed, I'm really doing a couple of things: First, I'm putting the enemy on notice. I'm letting him know I plan to evict him and the sickness or pain he's causing. Second, I'm letting God know that I'm trusting Him to do what He said He would do. Third, I'm letting the person who needs healing know that I don't see their condition as something that's hard to heal. And lastly, I'm building my own faith in preparation for the battle.

After dinner we moved to the living room and put Chona between my daughter and I on the couch. She was gracious and allowed me time to teach her about the authority we have in healing. She's a believer. I taught from Luke chapter 10 then asked if she knew what God's presence felt like. She said she did. I shared some of the dreams I've had about God's presence and told her I would ask Him to touch her with His presence.

While I asked God to bring His presence to touch her, my daughter and wife prayed over her knees and ankles. As we prayed, my wife got the impression that God wanted to heal her emotions. After a few minutes, we asked how she felt.

"Wow....I came here so angry and now all the anger is gone. I feel nothing but peace. And there's no pain in my legs."

We had her stand up and walk around the living room. Her husband said that normally, someone would have to help her get up off the couch. But now she could do it by herself and all the pain was gone. She was overcome with joy.

The presence of God healed her emotions and the authority of believers healed her joints. That's the complete healing God wants to do - body, spirit and soul. After she was healed, we spent a few minutes teaching her about the battle with the enemy over her healing. We told her that the symptoms might return, but if they did, it doesn't mean she lost her healing. It would be spirits of pain trying to convince her she wasn't healed. We told her that if the symptoms returned, all she needed to do was command the spirits to leave in the name of Jesus.The bible says "Submit yourself to God - resist the devil and he will flee. Now that you're healed, you need to put up some resistance against the plans of the enemy." They went home praising God and we were blown away by God's goodness.

If you're willing to be used by God, He'll use you in the same way He uses us. If you open your door to your neighbors and desire that God would bless them, they will show up and so will God. As you host them, you'll host God's presence. Power encounters will happen and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. People will be healed and set free. Word will get out and they'll come to meet the people whose home will be called the house of God.

Open your doors and invite God's presence into your home. Then expect great things to happen.

It's been two days since Chona was healed. She stopped by today to give us a report. She was hiking a trail on the mountains near Phoenix this weekend. Every time the pain in her legs tried to return, she commanded it to leave. She's still doing great and ever since her visit, she's been telling strangers and friends about Jesus.