1. The Good News of Salvation Is Not the Same As The Good News of The Kingdom
Most of the church focuses on the "Good News of Salvation", rather than following the instructions of Jesus and preaching the "Good news of the Kingdom", (to which salvation is the door.) Does it make any difference what we preach? Think about the approach Paul takes when he says he is an ambassador.
Therefore, we serve as ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were appealing through us:
we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20
we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20
Ambassadors talk about their kingdoms or nations. For example, if I was an ambassador from Canada, I would talk about the good news of Canada. I would say "you can live anywhere you like, near the ocean or the mountains." I would invite people to taste the apples and maple syrup and see that Canada is good! This is telling them good news of Canada. It is explaining why people would like to come here.
In the church, however, we are like ambassadors who talk about immigration policy and think that is good news! But news about immigration is of little interest unless you are already convinced you should immigrate. It's the tasting of the fat of the land that makes people want to come. Then they can be told about immigration!
What about the cross and repentance?
The word repentance does not mean the conviction of deep and horrible sins, and sobbing ones way to the altar. (though it could be) Repentance simply means a person changing their mind. When they hear about the Kingdom of God they change their mind. They want to be in Gods Kingdom, and out of where they are! They believe the cross, the love, the presence of God , His rule and reign in life, and want to be a part of it! Their heart embraces Jesus! He forgives and comes in! The change may be huge and emotional, or frank and true. Both are valid repentance.
2. Preaching the Kingdom of God Carries a Specific Authorization to Heal the Sick!
This is amazing. No other message, besides the good news of the Kingdom of God, has a mandate to heal the sick along with it. WOW! We should pay attention to this! One reason we have such a low level of healing in our churches is because the focus is on other things as well. Doctrine, instruction, and training in righteousness are all good subjects to teach the saints, but Lord never said anything about healing along with those words. But preaching the Kingdom is specifically accompanied by healing!
3. Depend On Kingdom Reality, Not On Feelings
My charismatic roots told me the anointing of the Holy Spirit was everything. We still think, "the most effective ministry is the most anointed". Then a few years ago the Lord confronted me. He said "Terry, do you believe I will do miracles and heal in your ministry even if you feel no anointing at all? " This was a major struggle for me. I was paralyzed without the anointing, how could I minister? I love the gifts of the Spirit. But I had to admit, I was depending on my feelings.
So, I stepped out more boldly when I felt nothing at all. I declared the Kingdom. Announced "Jesus is here, He loves you, He wants to heal you now" It happened! People were being healed even when I didn't feel anointing, even if the gifts weren't in operation! I sometimes would feel stone cold and God would work!
"Whats going on?" I wondered. More remarkable was the fact that many of the ones being healed didn't believe yet! Some were skeptics or even Hindus if we were in India! God just loved them and healed them when I declared His Kingdom and was bold enough to act! It wasn't anything to do with feeling the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It was the fact that His Kingdom WAS PRESENT and I told them. I did what Jesus said "preach the Kingdom and heal" He did what He said He would and gave the miracles.
4.Authority to Heal or Anointing to Heal?
This is an amazing fact. Jesus taught His twelve disciples, and later the seventy, to minister healing and miracles before the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit even came! They were very effective, (perhaps more than most of us have been with the Holy Spirit!) Why? The Key is in Luke 9:1
"Now having called the twelve together, He gave to them power and authority over all the demons and to be healing diseases. And He sent them out to be proclaiming the kingdom of God and to be healing the sick.
Luke 9:1,2
Luke 9:1,2
This is how they ministered before Jesus sent the Holy Spirit! With Kingdom authority and power. After Jesus ascended, they had the power of the Holy Spirit as well! In Acts 4:30 and 31 you see anointed boldness to speak and the healing activity of God.
The full ministry of a Christian is not just the gifts of the Spirit, it's Kingdom authority and power as well!
while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Act 4:30 ,31
Act 4:30 ,31
This is the sort of ministry we have seen coast to coast! The presence of God and His Kingdom can be declared over a person, then after a simple command for the healing, they test it out! Most often they're healed! This is also why we can take a child, unfamiliar with ministry, tell him to pray for Gods love to fall on a deaf woman, command her ears to be open, and they're open!
5. Anointing and Authority are Confused Unless We Think in Terms of The Kingdom
The ministry I am describing isn't just by gifts of the Holy Spirit, but also the authority which accompanies the word of the Kingdom! Yes the gifts are there, such as words of knowledge, and discernment of spirits. But more often it's confident commands of Kingdom authority. So we need to distinguish Kingdom Authority from the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Some Definitions:
Anointing:
The power of the Holy Spirit on the natural man. This enables us to do what we cannot naturally do. It is the Spirit of the Lord Himself at work in us. The anointing made Saul into another man. The anointing brings gifts of the Holy Spirit. The anointing reveals hidden things, gives super faith, causes God inspired speech, does miracles through our body. We need the anointing, but the Kingdom of God works regardless of this.
Authority:
This word means the legal right to act. Jesus gave the disciples (and us) specific authority to heal the sick when the Kingdom of God was being preached! This is important to grasp. Our authority always operates under the orders of a higher authority. In the gospels the authority to heal accompanies the order to preach the Kingdom of God. Healing can happen in other situations too, praise God! But we have a mandate to heal when preaching the Kingdom of God.
An Evangelistic Conclusion
-We can't convince people to Christ by logical arguments.
-We won't win them by competing with slick entertainment in church.
-They aren't going to come to our churches!
-We can't worship in the marketplace until we have enough anointing to minister.
-But the Lord has given us a simple instruction...
1.Preach the good news of the Kingdom
2. Heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the leper, raise the dead.
3. Tell them to repent and enter in
www.totalchange.org
You made a big point about healing, but there were TWO things mentioned in Luke 9:1,2, as in Mark 16:17 when Jesus commissioned His disciples. To cast out demons. Yes, healing is of great importance, but EQUALLY is casting out demons, cleansing lepers (physical and spiritual), and raising the dead. ALL are of equal importance and all have been mostly ignored in the church today. I believe because our faith has been SO far LESS than that grain of mustard seed. Religion and doctrine does not replace or compensate for faith and obedience.
ReplyDeleteMay the LORD INCREASE our faith by hearing and by us DOING!
Agreed, raise the dead and cast out demons is all part of his work that He has commissioned for us. I have found that most things that people call demons are just lack of disciplined and obedient lifestyles... But when someone truly is demonized, the authority we have in His name, makes quick work.
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