Category: Gospel Leadership

May 27 2020

Christian Healing: Authority and Anointing

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts christian healing, deliverance, Salvation 1

Over the course of the last two posts I have discussed how we as believers have the authority from Christ to heal the sick, and looked at how to practice that authority through ‘command’. While there is an indispensable need for the body of Christ to understand that authority as foundational to healing, we will now begin to turn our attention to the multiplied fruit of healing which comes through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In order to understand how the authority of the believer is compounded to accomplish more in the here and now, than we could ever have thought possible, let’s first recap where we have been so far.

Healing was Anticipated in the Promise of Messiah

It could be argued that the promise of healing began in the Old Testament, as soon as sin entered the world. Through the protoevangelion (first gospel) in Genesis 3:16, God promises a redeemer who would undo all of the works of sin and destroy the devil. As sickness was introduced in the fall of man, healing is a necessary part of the restoration God would bring through His coming Savior.

All throughout the Old Testament, then, this promise of healing is repeatedly tied to the Messiah who would save the world from sin, heal their sicknesses and disease, and deliver mankind from bondage to the devil and his kingdom of darkness. In previous posts we have already looked at God’s revealed name of Jehovah Rapha, and the promise of healing in passages like Psalm 103 and Isaiah 53. We won’t take time to do that again here.

Healing Starts in The Atonement

The realization of all of God’s promises came through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus. This is stated explicitly in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you… was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Jesus stood in the synagogue at Nazareth and declared, in Luke 4:16-21, that He was the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecy, and specifically those listed in Isaiah 61. We have looked at those verses already in the previous posts. I won’t dig into them again.

Sozo – Complete Salvation

Even the greek word for “saved” in the New Testament — “sozo” — is an all encompassing term for the fulfillment of the promises found in Jesus’ atonement! (What a great name for a ministry…)

The Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament defines sozo this way:

σῴζω – save (of Christian salvation); save, rescue, deliver; keep safe, preserve; cure, make well.
Newman, B.M., Jr., 1993. A Concise Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament.

To make it as simple as possible: the atonement of Jesus Christ offers ‘complete salvation’ to those who come to Him by faith. That is salvation from sin, healing in their physical bodies, and deliverance from the power of their enemy, the Devil. To remove any one of these fulfilled promises is to remove power from the cross!

Healing Authority is Your Inheritance

Knowing that Jesus purchased our healing, we then turned our attention to the fact that He passed the authority to heal on to His first apostles, other disciples, and then to the whole church.

He did not just talk about healing as something which was available through Him. He commanded believers to put that authority into action by healing the sick. Just as He spoke to diseases to leave and ordered bodies to be restored, He commanded His followers to do the same. This command was clearly one which the New Testament expected to continue throughout the church age (Mark 16:15-18).

All believers have not only been promised healing in our own bodies, but have received the authority to extend Christ’s healing to others who come by faith and receive! It is a universal promise within the body of Christ!

Healing Anointing Multiplies the Fruit

The authority of all believers to heal in Jesus’ name is amazing enough, but that is not the full extent of Christian healing in the New Testament! As my spiritual father, Dr. Randy Clark always says, “there is more!”

As I have sought the Lord to understand the healing gift, the Holy Spirit spoke to me recently and said:

“While all believer’s have the authority to command healing, and all believers carry the inheritance of My atonement – salvation, healing, and deliverance – the ‘charis’ gift of healing, and the anointing to heal is reserved for those who are hungry and pursuing.”

He explained to me that although the authority to heal is there for all people, it is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit that He amplifies everything His blood purchased, “on earth as it is in heaven.” Yet it is up to us to seek Him for the more of His anointing.

Remember, before Jesus left the earth He had already given the disciples authority, yet he told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to empower them before they began to minister:

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:4-5

It is through the empowering of the Holy Spirit which God releases His special grace-gifts into His church. As we seek Him for His anointing to heal, there is a compounding effect on producing fruit.

Simply put, while all can heal the sick, even more people will be healed as we pursue — and receive — the power of God in the Holy Spirit, and receive the “gifts of healing” He distributes to His church!

This is what I discovered early on, in my journey into the healing ministry. There is a common grace for healing in the church (authority), yet the easiest way to see fruit is to partner our authority with His anointing. After the prayer of impartation from Dr. Clark, I received a Holy Spirit anointing to heal the sick and immediately blind eyes were opened, the lame walked, and since then, the healing miracles have continued to increase in my ministry, more and more.

What About You?

As we have laid this foundation for healing already, and have discussed the authority of all believers for healing, in the next post we will dig deeper into this anointing and the Holy Spirit’s “gifts of healing.”

I do hope that through these posts you are already growing in your faith for healing. I believe that as we all come into an understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit to fully empower us in this work, that it will be the first step in launching you into the healing ministry. Stay tuned…

For now, I would love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments below. If you are enjoying what you’re reading, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly newsletter below! You can also join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date what everything the Lord is doing in my ministry. I would love to connect with you there.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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May 22 2020

Christian Healing: Healing By Command

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts Commanding Sickness, Gospel 8

In the last post, we discussed the believer’s authority to heal, and primarily the transferring of that authority from God, through Jesus, to His disciples and the church. We said that the practice of the believer’s authority is linked directly to the believer’s level of belief in God’s desire to heal. In this post, we will now turn our attention to the practical side of the authority to heal, and discuss how it is our privilege to command sickness and disease to leave, in Jesus’ name.

Once again, we look first to Jesus as our example in healing the sick and practicing authority. What stands out to me is that in the gospels, whenever Jesus healed the sick, it was always accomplished in one of two ways. He either healed by physical touch or he healed by commanding the disease to leave.

The act of laying on of hands in scripture is always a physical outworking of the anointing of God on a person, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when Jesus laid hands on someone, I believe it was a practical example of healing through the anointing, which we will discuss in a future post.

For now, I want to focus on Jesus’ practice of commanding or rebuking sickness in people’s bodies, which, instead of demonstrating His anointing, was a manifestation of His authority over the power of sickness and death.

Commanding Sickness is Demonstrated by Jesus

Over and over again in the Bible, when Jesus heals the sick, we see Him do it through a verbal command, either toward the sickness itself, towards a person’s body, or towards a demonic spirit which was causing the disease.

Jesus Commanded Diseases to Go

One of my favorite phrases in the New Testament is “…Jesus rebuked…” This is used in reference to all sorts of earthly phenomenons, such as calming storms, yet most commonly we hear it in regard to sickness. For example, not long into His earthly ministry, Jesus meets Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, who has been sick for some time.

And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
Luke 4:38-39

Jesus doesn’t pray for the woman. He doesn’t implore God to heal her. Instead, He speaks directly to the disease and commands it to leave her body. In His authority from God, He spoke and the disease responded by leaving! Remember, Jesus said that He did nothing, except what God revealed to Him to do (John 5:19). That means that as Jesus healed every sick person around Him, it was God’s will being fulfilled!

Jesus Commanded Bodies to Receive Healing

Not only do we see Jesus speaking to disease to leave people’s body, but we also see Him speaking to people’s bodies, commanding them to recover from their physically broken state. Take, for example, His healing of the blind man, Bartimeus:

And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Luke 18:40-43

As Jesus spoke to bodies, they responded to His authority, and recovered.

Jesus Commanded Demons to Leave

Another demonstration of Jesus’ authority to heal people was in His rebuke of demonic spirits that were causing sicknesses and diseases. Remember, disease and demonic torments are both results of mankind’s fall into sin. Therefore, the sinless Son of Man has authority over all these things. Take the example we discussed in the last post, of Jesus healing the epileptic boy, after His disciples could not:

While (Jesus) was coming, the demon threw (the boy) to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
Luke 9:42

In Jesus’ ministry, we see Him commanding disease to leave in all forms! Jesus commanded invasive sicknesses, like viruses and infections, to get out of people’s bodies. He spoke to people’s bodies to be healed of their own brokenness, like blindness and deafness. He also took authority in the spirit realm, which caused many people’s afflictions, and not only healed them, but also got rid of the tormenting spirits.

Jesus’ Disciples Also Healed by Command

From this discussion, we might well conclude that Jesus’ authority to heal was all-encompassing! However, it did not stop with Jesus. When He gave His authority to His disciples, they responded by practicing their authority in the same ways He did.

Jesus’ Disciples Commanded Diseases to Go

As we have already talked about previously, the Bible records that before Jesus ever gave His Holy Spirit to the disciples, He transferred His God-given authority over sickness and disease to them!

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal… And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Luke 9:12 and 16

Although this verse doesn’t specifically say they “rebuked the sicknesses” verbally, there is no implication in Jesus command or in their practice that says they were praying for the sick and asking God to heal. It was the disciples who were healing, with the authority Jesus gave them. As disciples following a Rabbi, they most likely did this the same way He demonstrated.

Even after Jesus left this earth and gave them the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Bible still records that the Apostles were the ones active in healing people. They weren’t praying and asking God to do it.

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles (not by the hand of God). And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico…The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Acts 5:12 and 16

Jesus’ Disciples Commanded Bodies to Receive Healing

In the same way that Jesus spoke to people’s bodies to recover, the Bible records the disciples doing so as well. One example is the first miracle after Jesus gave the great commission and left. While going to the temple to pray, Peter and John healed the lame beggar, sitting at the gate of the temple courts:

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Acts 3:6

Peter spoke with authority, in Jesus’ name, and commanded the man’s body to function correctly. And it did!

Jesus’ Disciples Commanded Demons to Leave

Not to leave anything out — remember, Jesus promised that all who believe in Him would do the same works that He did (John 14:12) — the bible also records that the disciples, too, cast out demonic spirits that were tormenting and afflicting people. Take the story of Paul, who was being followed around by a demon-possessed girl:

And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
Acts 16:18

The disciples of Jesus demonstrated the same authority as Jesus by commanding sickness, bodily afflictions, and demons, “in Jesus name!”

The Authority to Command “In Jesus’ Name”

This brings us back to the point we made before: Jesus said in John 14:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:13

The authority of a believer, today, does not come from within ourselves, and it cannot be something we claim for ourselves. Our authority is explicitly given by Jesus, the same as it was to His disciples, and therefore we can only accomplish the things He commanded us to do, by doing them “in His name.” It is the name of Jesus that is our ‘badge’ of authority.

When Peter was called to the authorities and had to explain the healing of the lame man mentioned above, he goes out of his way to explain that it was not his own authority, but that of Christ, that the man was healed:

And (Jesus) name—by faith in his name—(God) made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Acts 3:16

One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is when the governing authorities take note and wonder if this authority must have come from Jesus, because these men on their own were nothing:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
John 4:13

Later, as the church prayed for more boldness to continue doing what Jesus had commanded them, it is clear that they understood there was a distinction between the hand of God working sovereignly, and what was being done through them by the authority in His name.

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:29-30

The Authority for Healing Continues in the Church

Now, knowing that Jesus passed His authority to His apostles and the other early disciples, and that His expectation is that His Kingdom and authority would continue to grow in the earth (Isaiah 9:7), it is not surprising that Jesus’ stated intention was that His authority would remain with His people, the church, until His second coming!

Authority is in the Great Commission

Once again, this command to “heal the sick” — complete with His authority to do so — continued in the church after His departure. It is an inseparable part of the Great Commission.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark 16:17-18

Although citations are impossible and I cannot give a full account in this blog post, I can boldly say that Christian history has recorded healing in EVERY branch of the church since Jesus spoke the Great Commission. Even in the most cessationist denominations, room is occasionally given to pray for the sick, and at times healing miracles have been recorded by all of them.

God is Glorified by our practicing Authority “in the name of Jesus”

The Bible is clear of Jesus’ intention that believer’s would use the authority given by Christ to the church. This is not an abuse or a misuse of His power. It is how He gets glory! We need to practice doing what He said, even more.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17

The Great Controversy: Can Man Tell God What to Do?

One of the biggest criticisms I see of those who practice Christian healing is that “these healers command God, telling Him what to do.”

If that were the case, I agree with the critics that it would demonstrate the utmost arrogance by mere men, elevating themselves above God Himself. However, from my own experience in the healing ministry and in my observation of dozens of other healing ministers, both contemporary and historical, this is a major misunderstanding by the critics of the practice of healing.

I have never seen a credible healing minister command God to do anything! Yes, they do make commands, but God is not the target; sickness is, the same as it was for Jesus and the early disciples. Even though this practice is often called a “prayer of command”, the truth is that this is not really a prayer to God, petitioning Him to move. Instead, this is an exhibition of the believer’s authority, which was first demonstrated by Jesus Himself.

When speaking in training conferences and discipling believers to pray for the sick, I am always diligent to make this distinction clear. “As believers, we ask God to heal, and we command sickness to go. Don’t get this confused. We do not ask sickness to go — ‘oh cancer, please, if it be your will, leave this body…’ — nor do we ever command God to do anything — ‘Lord, I command You to remove this cancer…” To do those things would lead to devastating results in the pursuit of healing, and would bring a major level of sin into our relationship with the Lord.

However, as we are careful to point our commands appropriately, it is a practice as old as the New Testament for believer’s to speak to sickness, in the Name of Jesus, and command it to go.

It’s Time to Use Your Authority

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have been given His authority as His representative in the earth. In His name, you have the right to speak to every manner of sickness, affliction, and demonic torment, and command them to go! What is lacking is a motivation among God’s people to do what Jesus told us to do, either due to a lack of belief, or a lack of boldness to operate in our authority.

If you lack belief, then please go back and read my previous posts, dig into scripture, and see what Jesus says you carry. If you lack boldness, then do as the early church did, and pray for God to give you more. However, to be faithful to Jesus’ command to heal the sick, you are eventually going to have to look at the sickness in front of you and command it to go, “in Jesus’ name.”

As John Wimber is often credited with saying, “faith is spelled R-I-S-K.” It is one of those things that you will never know, until you try! I cannot guarantee anything, concerning your efforts. There are often other, unseen realities at work that may prevent healing from coming immediately, yet that is not an excuse to not make the attempt! Jesus wants the sick to be healed, and He wants you to be the one doing it. So go for it! “In Jesus’ name,” tell those diseases to get out and not come back. (Then share your testimony with me, so we can celebrate and give glory to God together)

What Are Your Thoughts?

In our next post we will turn our attention to the Holy Spirit’s role in healing ministry, and how to work under His anointing to see even more power for healing in your life.

Until then, I would love to hear your questions, thoughts and testimonies in the comment section below.

As always, if you are enjoying what you are reading here, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly email below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular updates and ongoing #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership insights!

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Christian Healing: The Believer’s Authority

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts Christian Life, Christianity, Gospel Leadership 6

In the last post, we discussed the issue of whether or not Christian healing is for today. Concluding that there is no biblical expectation that this (or any) spiritual gift would cease in the first century, we must now turn our attention to the practice of Christian healing. As I have studied scripture, I see two major elements continually at play when the Bible discusses the issue: the believer’s authority to heal given by Jesus and the anointing for healing which comes from the Holy Spirit.

Although these two things work in tandem (and are often indistinguishable in Jesus’ ministry), I believe it will be helpful to discuss them separately. Therefore, in this post and the next, we will take on the topic of the believer’s authority to heal, then later we will look at the Holy Spirit’s power for healing.

In laying the foundation for the believer’s authority to heal, there are two areas we must discuss. The first is our own beliefs and expectations concerning our authority to heal, which we will discuss today, and then how we put that authority into practice, which we will tackle in the next post.

The Basis of Our Authority to Heal

Jesus made a very casual statement in the book of John, which has been the topic of much disagreement between Christians for millennia. However, as you know, my general approach is to simply take the Bible at it’s word unless there is something to imply there is more behind what is stated. In this case, there does not seem to be a hidden meaning.

Jesus’ statement was this:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12

This verse follows after an explanation in verse 10 that everything Jesus was doing was not on His own authority, but an extension of the authority of God. He then gives us His radical expectation that if a person would believe in Him, then that person will also do what He does!

We have previously discussed that what He did was to fulfill all the Messianic prophecies he quotes in Luke 4:18-19. One of these Messianic promises which Jesus was doing daily when He made this statement was healing the sick, and now He says he expects that the disciples belief in Him would translate into their doing the same thing!

The Name of Jesus – Our Place of Authority

Looking again at John 14, Jesus goes on to say:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 14:13-14

From this passage of scripture alone, it is easy for the human mind to race with unlimited possibilities. After all, Jesus said “whatever you ask,” I will do. Unfortunately, though, within the passage itself there is a limitation on the scope of this promise. It does not mean we can ask Jesus for a new Land Rover or for a million dollars, and expect it to come.

His statement that He would do “whatever we ask” was directly tied to our accomplishing the same works that He was doing by the Father’s authority! He is implying a chain of command!

Jesus’ Authority Becomes Our Authority

God commanded Jesus to heal the sick, in fulfillment of His promises (see John 5:19). That command carries with it the authority of the One giving it. Then, in the same way, Jesus commands those who would believe in Him to continue doing His work – including healing the sick. This command, therefore, also carries the same authority of God to do so that Jesus had. This is why when we pray for the sick, we pray “in Jesus’ name.”

That phrase — “in Jesus’ name” — means that we are praying as someone who has a right to be heard in the heavenliness, because we have Jesus’ authority backing us up! It is the same as when a police officer shouts, “stop in the name of the law,” or when a judge places his name on a court order. The name of the person in authority is what validates the command, even when someone else enacts it! (We will discuss this topic further in the next post.)

What I want you to understand for now is that Jesus’ gave His own authority to the church, to continue the works He began, and He expects them to continue “in His name!”

Jesus Gave His Authority (Before He Gave His Holy Spirit)

Most people look at healing and think, “Well, I don’t have that gift” or “God can do whatever He wants to do. It’s not up to me.” This isn’t a correct attitude, however. This is why I said we must first fix our belief system, before we can talk about the practice of healing itself!

Do you realize that Jesus’ first commissioning on His disciples was not an impartation of the Holy Spirit — He would not impart the Holy Spirit to them until after the resurrection in John 20:22, and again at Pentecost. His first commissioning was an impartation of His authority:

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
Matthew 10:1

After listing the names of the 12, it goes on:

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
Matthew 10:5-8

Jesus does not tell the disciples to go and “pray for the sick.” He told them to go heal them. The disciples did it through the authority they had been given!

In Luke 10, Jesus “appoints” 72 others with the same authority and the same commissioning!

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Luke 10:8-9

I believe these instructions — proclaim the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons — are primarily what Jesus is referencing in Matthew 28, when He says “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” in the Great Commission. This is also validated by Marks’ rendering of the Great Commission in Mark 16.

…And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark 16:17-18

It is Your Authority to Heal

You may be asking, “why does any of this matter?” After all, haven’t we already laid a foundation and know that healing still happens today from the last posts?

Yes! But the point I want to make today is that not only does healing still happen, but that YOU, as a believer, have been given the authority to heal the sick. It is not someone else’s job.

The bible says that “all may prophesy,” not just the prophets (see 1 Corinthians 14:31). It also instructs all believers are to “do the work of an evangelist,” not just those with the gift of evangelism (see 2 Timothy 4:5). In the same way, the Bible teaches that all believers have authority over sickness and disease in Jesus Christ! However, we MUST believe in this truth, before we can effectively operate in healing.

The Necessity of Faith

The Bible makes it very clear that there is a direct link between our belief and our authority to heal. Before we can get to the “doing” what Jesus did, we must do the harder work of “believing” what Jesus said.

Over and over again, the Bible tells us that it is belief that matters. One example is in the book of James:

Is anyone among you sick?… the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…
James 5:14-15

In another story, Jesus comes out of His private prayer time and finds the disciples unable to heal a child with a demonically-caused epilepsy. After He heals the child, the disciples ask why they weren’t able to do so. Jesus answers:

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20

When Mark shares his version of this same story, the family demands to know if Jesus can heal their child after his disciples had failed. Jesus reassures them:

(The boy’s father said) “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Mark 9:23

The Faith of the Sick Person

From this verse, it seems that not only does Jesus place the onus of faith on the one doing the healing, but He also includes the faith of the sick to be healed, as well as those in the crowd around Him!

It is true that not only the faith of the one praying matters. After all, how many times do we see Jesus, the one who IS God, not base His authority for healing on Himself, but also on those He is ministering to? How often do we hear Him say the words, “Your Faith has made you well”? (See Luke 8:48, 17:19, 18:42, Mark 5:34, 10:52, and Matthew 9:22 for examples).

Still, I would caution putting too much emphasis on the faith of others, though, as you practice your own authority to heal. After all, when Jesus went to Nazareth — the faithless city — the Bible says:

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:5-6

Even when he could do no great miracles due to their lack of faith, Jesus’ authority to heal the sick was still working!

I will add that in my own experience, some of the most radical healings I have seen have been while praying for people who didn’t believer, and/or being surrounded by unbelievers.

You Have The Authority of Christ to Heal

The dynamic of the believer’s authority to heal is undeniably tied to their ability to believe, even more than it is tied to the power of the Holy Spirit working inside us. Again, I believe both are necessary, but you cannot deny that in the examples we have shared today, Jesus and those He personally trained healed people by their authority more than by their anointing!

Yes, there are those who are given a special anointing to heal, but healing in the Bible is not just a gift of the Spirit. It is a part of your inheritance in Christ. It is within your authority as a representative of heaven on earth. All you must do is believe it in order to see it.

In the next post, we will lay the foundation for how to operate in your authority, and actually heal sickness and disease, in Jesus’ name. For now, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comments below!

If you are looking for a good resource on the authority of the believer to heal, I would recommend the book, “Authority to Heal: Restoring the Lost Inheritance of God’s Healing Power” by Randy Clark.

As always, if you are enjoying what you are reading on my blog, I would also be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly email below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular blog updates, and other ongoing #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership insights!

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Christian Healing: Biblical Foundations

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts authority to heal the sick, christian healing, command sickness to leave your body, divine healing, faith healing, Healing, Jehovah Rapha, Salvation, sozo 0

The topic of healing is one I tend to avoid discussing in theological debate settings. I have seen the power of God to heal on thousands of occasions, both in my own body, through my prayers for others, and through the many believers we have equipped to pray for the sick. To say that God still heals today is a foregone conclusion in my mind, and is therefore not a controversy I feel the need to engage in. My mind is settled, so I tend to leave it to more intellectual, “professional” theologians to debate over.

However, as I believe another healing revival is coming and begin discussing the topic on the blog, it is necessary to lay the biblical foundations for God’s healing work and to know from scripture if we can trust that God wants to heal today.

The Theological Divide

The major problem is that the bible holds God’s divine healing of human sicknesses in the tension of the “already but not yet” reality of the Kingdom of God. This is the idea that when Jesus was on earth He initiated God’s Kingdom with all it’s gifts and promises now (the already), and yet there is still more to come in the final consummation of all things at His second coming (the not yet).

This tension has too often created a dividing line between those believers who hold that God’s promise of healing is for today, and those who say that the promise of healing cannot be claimed for now; that we must wait for eternity when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

As each point of view digs in its heels, both sides, then, position themselves to make theological arguments to prove that God heals within their position’s time period. As I see it, the problem with taking sides on “when” God heals – now or in eternity – is that the Bible itself refuses to make either conclusion. The answer, biblically is “yes.”

Yes, God heals now AND Yes, God will heal everyone at His second coming. To lay this foundation, we must go back to the beginning of God’s redemptive work in humanity.

Jehovah Rapha

From the outset of God’s personal revelation of himself to the people of Israel, He has declared Himself to be Jehovah Rapha, meaning “I AM Healer” or “God Your Healer.” The Hebrew word “rapha” and it’s derivatives means “heal, cure, and restore.” It is used 86 times throughout the Old Testament, commonly used to describe God’s restorative work in Israel throughout the Old Testament, whether in directly healing His people from disease and afflictions, or in a larger sense of the rebuilding of the nation and cities at various points in their history.

Although space will not allow me to give a thorough overview of God’s restorative practices in the Old Testament and the surrounding requirements which are often attached (repentance, humility, etc.), the point I want us to grasp is that from the beginning, God has revealed Himself as Healer. It is part of His identity.

It is undeniably part of God’s nature to heal and restore, and history has proven that He is not waiting for the future. He has already been doing so throughout the world, in every generation, and we know that He does not change! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” (See Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8.)

If God has revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha, then to disbelieve that He will heal His people is to break the Third Commandment given to Moses: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…” To do so is to hear His revealed name — God Your Healer — and yet to empty it of it’s power and therefore sin by our disbelief.

Healing in Christ’s Atonement

As the Bible begins to point us to God’s promise of a Savior, who would, both, fully reveal and fully accomplish God’s redemptive plan, we learn that this coming Messiah would not only bring the forgiveness of sins, but would also pay the price to earn our healing. We see this in the prophetic revelation God gives concerning the Messiah, as well as in the expectation of those people who walked in relationship with God throughout the ages. Again, due to space, I will simply give two examples of this here, although many more could be listed:

The Prophetic Revelation from God

In Isaiah 53 we get what is, by many, considered to be the clearest picture of the Gospel in the Old Testament. Though I would encourage you to read the entire passage, I will simply share verse 5 for our purposes here:

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Although many people try to spiritualize this as a metaphor for our brokenness and sinful nature, we will see shortly that this is not how the New Testament writers interpreted it.

The Expectation of God’s Human Friends

Not only did the prophets prophesy that healing would be in the atonement of Christ, but the expectation of those who knew God personally, viewed God’s promise of the healing of sickness and disease to be equal with His promise to forgive sin!

As King David writes in Psalm 103:2-3:

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases…

It is clear from these (and many other passages) that the Messiah would bring about God’s promise of healing, just as He would fulfill God’s promise to forgive sin and restore the creation!

Jesus Claims to Be The Fulfillment of God’s Messianic Promises!

In the New Testament, Jesus is baptized and then goes into the wilderness to fast and pray, and to be tempted by the devil. When He returns from the wilderness, we see the beginning of His public ministry, and in Luke 4:16-21, the first thing Jesus does is stand in the Synagoge in Nazareth and declare Himself to be the long-anticipated Messiah! He read from the prophet Isaiah, where it says,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then, as He finished and people were waiting on Him to teach, He says:

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Included in this fulfillment declaration was the promise of healing, pictured in this passage as “the recovering of sight to the blind.” (This again is something some modern scholars try to spiritualize as being blind in our sin, yet the New Testament points to Jesus’ healing of blind eyes as validation of His Messiahship.)

It should be clear from the most basic reading of the Old Testament prophecies that healing was part of the atonement of the Messiah, because as sin is dealt with, so are its effects.

The Healing Ministry of Jesus

As we move to the New Testament, it is safe to say that Jesus’ healing ministry cannot be contained in a couple of short paragraphs. It spanned the entirety of His earthly ministry, and the gospel writers share many stories of physical healing. However, to give one highlight of His practice, in Matthew 8:16-17, we read this:

That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

It seems that Jesus, in His earthly ministry never left a sick person unhealed. He never prayed, “God if it is Your will, heal this person.” Instead, He took the promise of Isaiah 53 as a literal promise, that He would have authority over all sicknesses, and so he healed everyone who came to Him.

Just as the Old Testament prophesied and hoped that the Messiah would bring healing, Jesus became the fulfillment of that promise. While He was on earth, Jesus did not simply promise healing at the consummation of His Kingdom. He brought healing immediately!

From the beginning of God’s self-revelation as Jehovah Rapha to Jesus’ revelation as Emmanuel the Messiah, God has declared and proven Himself to be a healing God in the present tense! Physical healing was expected to be in the atonement of the Messiah, and Jesus proved the expectation to be true! We must begin to put our faith in who He says He is, and who He has proven Himself to be over and over again!

I believe there is a biblical basis (not just anecdotal) to believe that healing is not limited to the second coming of Jesus. However, there is still the issue of how healing would be carried on from Jesus’ earthly ministry to the modern day, and there are some objections we must face if we are to claim that Jesus is still healing now.

In This Series

In this series on Christian Healing, we will look at:

Continue Reading in Part 2

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

April 25 2020

My Journey Into Healing Ministry (part 2)

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Get to Know The Author, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts Christian, Gospel, healing ministry, Jesus heals 1

…Continued from Part 1

To South Sudan

After Randy Clark prayed for me at Voice of the Apostles in 2012, and the conference ended, I went and saw my family for a few days, before getting on a plane to fly to South Sudan.

This trip was the most extreme and difficult mission I had ever taken part in up to that point. Our host told us that our precious time in Uganda would look like life in America compared to what we would face in the remote, tribal area we were working in.

To get there we flew from the U.S. to Nairobi, Kenya, then took a very small plane to Lokichoggio, Kenya. (Each person was only allowed 15 pounds of luggage!) Arriving at that small airport, we were told it should take an hour to reach the border, and less than 1.5 hours, total, to get to Narus, our final destination. As we waited for a few hours for our drivers to arrive, we quickly figured out that something was wrong.

We soon learned that it had poured rain all night, causing the vehicles to be delayed getting us. Then for the next 6, mud-soaked hours, we crawled to the border in our little hatchbacks. Arriving there, we were forced to leave the cars and wade across the flooding riverbed that marks the Kenya-South Sudan border, then deal with an immigration officer who was angry about having to work so late in the day waiting for our team. This was just the start of a rough trip.

*The Road crossing the Kenya/South Sudan Border*

From there, the next couple of days were marked by team members freaking out over a lack of plumbing, bats circling overhead in the rooms, and rats coming out of mattresses while some of our ladies slept. Finally, after resolving that we are not going home because God had called us there, our team organized ourselves for a morning of prayer and worship. From that moment on, everything changed.

Healing Breakthrough

After praying for the sick regularly for over a year, it was on our third day in South Sudan where my healing breakthrough finally came. As our team ventured out to the mango tree where our host church gathered, most of the team members were talking to some Taposa women who had come around to see the whites.

My attention, on the other hand, was drawn to the old man, sitting alone, at the base of the giant mango tree. When I got close to him, I could see that all the color in his eyes had gone, and that he was completely blind. (I would find out from his family on my return trip the following year that he went blind from alcohol poisoning, after a lifetime of drinking almost a gallon of the local brew each day.)

Suddenly I was overcome by a love for this man (compare to Jesus’ being “moved with compassion in Matthew 14:14). I collapsed in the dirt beside him and laid hands on him and began to pray.

I have no idea exactly what I was saying in this prayer. For the first time, I was being led in healing prayer by the Spirit alone, and prayed in faith, absolutely believing something was going to happen. After a few minutes, one of our Ugandan pastors came and began praying with me. Slowly, over the next 20 minutes or so, we began to watch the color come back to his eyes. As the team gathered around to see what was happening, it was obvious that his sight was getting better.

*The blind man in South Sudan – my first healing.*

When we first began to pray, all he could see was the difference between light and dark – the same way we can see light and dark if we close our eyes. As we prayed, he began to say things like, “I can see the green on the trees.” “I can see the brown from the dirt.” We kept praying. He began to say, “That one is a black man. This one is a white woman.” It was obvious to all that God was working a miracle.

We couldn’t remain there all day. Arrangements had been made for us to make our way to visit a hospital or prison or something. The trip kind of blurs in my mind now. As we left him, however, I knew the man was going to be completely healed.

It didn’t take long to find out. At the end of the day, as our team met for supper back at our base camp, one of the local pastors we were working with came running into the dining room, very excited. “Pastor Scott, the blind man you prayed for is completely healed. He is walking around the village by himself with no one leading him! Everyone is talking about this miracle.”

We found out from there that each morning this man’s children would bring him to the “church” tree, and sit him in the shade with his jug. They would bring him lunch there at some point, then come back in the evening to collect him and take him home. When he was now walking around without being led, it was sure to capture people’s attention!

Healing Evangelism

This whole trip was loosely planned, because you never know how things will go in the bush of Africa. The next morning, very early on, we sent a local pastor to a village just over an hour away, where we were told the gospel had never been preached. We sent him to ask if we could bring our team and share with the people. The response of the village chief left us amazed at God’s goodness.

He told our pastor that he had been approached by many missionaries over the years, but had never allowed them to come to his village. He didn’t want their stories. However, he then said, “…but I heard about the blind man, and we want those people to come here.”

A couple hours later, we gathered our team into the cars and were on our way. We didn’t have a sound system or any cool media technology. It was just our small group of believers, off to see what God would do.

Once in this unreached village, I was given the privilege of sharing the Gospel with around 40 people who had gathered to hear what we had to say. My first question was, “how many of you are Christian?” All of them put their hand in the air. I was perplexed, but quickly realized my mistake. This was South Sudan. Politically, Northern Sudan was Muslim, but Southern was “Christian” in the Catholic-empire sense of the word.

My question that followed, then, was, “how many of you have ever heard of a man named Jesus.” This time, none of the locals raised their hand.

I began to share from the Bible on who Jesus was, why He came, and how each person can be saved. I told them of how Jesus had worked in his lifetime to get this message to the world, then continued through the early disciples, and now the church. When I gave the invitation, there was quite a bit of excitement as all 40 people raised their hands to get saved by Jesus!

Afterwards, I couldn’t help myself. I began sharing how we had been praying for people all over Narus, our village base of operations, for various issues from wanting to be pregnant, to finding work. Then I shared the story of the blind man, and told them, “we want to pray for you too.”

*One of the Taposa we met on this mission.*

We decided it was wise to have men pray with men and women with women, due to some cultural sensitivities we had discovered the day before. As eager as the men were to be prayed for, none of them came to me at first. They were waiting in respect as one of the old village elders came to receive first.

This old man walked with the help of a stick, and was very slow. A 10 meter walk took 2-3 minutes for him, unassisted. I patiently waited, out of respect, for him to reach me. He told me how his knees had been very damaged in the fight for freedom and other tribal wars in the past, and asked me to pray.

At the time, I was praying with another gentleman – a very devout leader in his cessationist Baptist church. He was already skeptical of the blind man’s healing, wanting to know if we could verify he was actually blind before we met him; ignoring the fact that we personally watched the color return to his eyes.

I placed my hands on the old warrior’s right knee, while my doubting companion grabbed the left. I prayed. As soon as I finished, the old man tested out his legs, and… nothing.

There was no change to his condition, and he thought that I wasn’t understanding the problem correctly. I assured him I understood the need, and explained to him about the passage where even Jesus had to pray for someone twice (see Mark 8:25). I said, “let’s pray again.” (This received an awkward glance from my prayer partner, but he relented and grabbed the knee again.)

This time, as soon as we finished praying, I asked the man to test them out. He took one step, then took off running around the village center completely healed! I was so excited; I was shouting more than he was. My prayer partner, not so much.

More Healings

The next man to come forward was another warrior with the same issues, and the pattern followed the same. We prayed once, nothing happened. We prayed a second time, and he ran around completely healed.

The third man had major back pain and was unable to lift or work easily. After a couple of prayers the pain in his back completely left. At this point, so did my prayer partner. These healings were challenging his faith to the point that he went to pray with someone else.

The fourth man was different. He, too, was walking with a staff due to worn out knees. I prayed for him once, but by this point his faith was high after seeing all the other healings, that he didn’t check himself before taking off running. He wasn’t healed. He reached the edge of the village center and collapsed in more pain.

The thing you need to understand is that these are a warrior tribe. Every man carries an 8-foot spear and can be very aggressive. They also value their elders. Now we had broken one of them. As everyone’s attention turned to the elder who had collapsed, out of fear for what might happen next, I took off running to the man, praying “God, we broke him worse. They’re going to kill us. Please, You have to heal Him now!”

As I reached the man, I immediately began praying for him again. This time, he listened when I asked him to test it out first, and praise God, he was completely healed.

Church Planting Made Simple

About this time, the chief, who had missed our meeting due to other commitments returned and began asking his people what was going on. All of the testimonies of how God was moving in salvation and healing through many members of our team overwhelmed him. He immediately asked us to take up a permanent place in their village. They led us to the edge of town where they donated a large plot of land to build a church and anything else we wanted to do (hospital, orphanage, etc.).

They pleaded with us to stay, so much, that in their limited understanding of what had happened, they thought this power was coming from us, and not God’s Spirit in us. They went as far as to ask if we could leave some of our white women so that they could “mingle the blood” and receive this power. We explained to them that the power was not in us, but in Jesus through God’s Spirit, and that He would do these things through them if they learn to follow and obey him. We promised them that our local pastors would begin coming to work with them regularly in discipleship, then quickly left for the protection and comfort of some of our team.

I can happily report, however, that today, 8 years later, there is still a growing church in that village led by the pastors who took us there in the first place.

Here is the recap video of the entire South Sudan mission. The blind man can be seen at 7:27. Some of the warrior’s knees being healed is at 10:29.

I can also happily say that the senior pastor who hosted us on that first trip, a Ugandan missionary to South Sudan, became a good friend of mine. In fact, he has since began transitioning out of South Sudan (leaving the ministry there in the hands of the other pastors on his team) and is now planting a church in Busia, Uganda, under the covering of Sozo Ministries, the ministry God led me to open in 2015.

Ministering Through Words of Knowledge

It is difficult for me to share how much the healing ministry has shaped my work for the Lord in the years since this first breakthrough.

Upon my return to Haiti, immediately following this trip to South Sudan, healing began happing every week in church services.

As I returned to the U.S. at the end of 2012, I saw that my opportunities to pray for people were becoming less and less. Deciding I needed to grow in my understanding of this gifting and have accountability to press in for more, I signed up for Randy Clark’s online healing school, which pushed me to continue praying for the sick and growing in the gift. (I am now a member of Global Awakening’s Association of Healing Ministers, and last year I was ordained by Global Awaking — Randy’s Ministry in the U.S.)

It was through Randy’s program that I learned how to receive Words of Knowledge for healing, which has become one of the primary ways I minister in healing (and more).

In 2013, I had returned to traveling around the world with Heart of God (HGIM); Haiti, Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, India, Israel. Little by little the gift continued to grow.

On a 9-day trip to India in 2014, the pastors kept me on a crazy preaching schedule. We did 2 half-day pastor’s conferences, one night open air crusade, and preached in 17 churches around the countryside. Not having time to prepare for each meeting, I really began to depend on words of knowledge to be able to minister. I would spend time praying in the car, on our way to each church, asking God to show me what to speak and what He wanted me to do.

Inevitably He would speak to me about scriptures I was supposed to share and show me pictures in my mind of how He wanted me to pray and minister to people. Surprisingly, praying for the sick was becoming a large part of what He was showing me to do. In one church He told me beforehand that every person with back pain would be healed. (They were.)

On that one trip to India, I saw more healings in 9 days than I had seen combined since South Sudan two years prior. As is sadly, often the case, the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit brought in controversy among friends, and unfortunately, this large number of healings led to some challenges within the organization I was working for. As an interdenominational ministry, it was clear that not everyone in leadership believed the same about healing that I did. The Lord began to lead me to check my motives and make sure this calling was from God, and to see where He would take me next.

A New Ministry

The month before my trip to India, I had attended a gathering of the International Society of Deliverance Ministers, invited as a part of Randy’s healing program. There, I received two prophecies which would shape the current era of my life. One prophecy was a confirmation of my calling and concerned a shift in the ministry I was doing coming “very soon,” and the other was about God having “all the funding” ready for my “new ministry.”

At the time, I held those prophecies loosely, until the following March, when in a season of prayer and by mutual agreement with the leadership, I resigned from HGIM. To be clear, this was not a divisive and angry split. Both sides felt like it was God’s timing, and I remain friends with everyone in that organization!

Immediately I began work on registering Sozo Ministries, Inc. with the state of Texas and working on non-profit status. We took the name “Sozo” because it is the Greek word for “saved” or “salvation” in the New Testament. However, if you look it up in a concordance, it means complete salvation – body, soul, and spirit – meaning that in Christ’s atonement are the promises of salvation from sin, physical healing, and spiritual deliverance from the devil.

Since the foundation of Sozo Ministries in 2015, we have seen over 2000 people healed from various physical diseases.

My Healing Ministry Today

As I now live in Uganda with my family, and lead almost 40 churches registered under Sozo Ministries in Uganda and Kenya, it is amazing to look back and see this journey the Lord has brought me on.

Today, I spend my time not only preaching the gospel and praying for the sick, but training other pastors and believers to do the same. If you have time, you can watch some testimonies on our youtube channel:

HEALING TESTIMONIES

Throughout the year I preach in churches around East Africa (and in other countries as God opens the doors), and see healing happen in every single service.

Sozo pastors plan gospel crusades throughout the year, and I have the privilege of preaching to the lost, and again, in every single meeting people are getting saved and healed.

The largest event I am a part of is the annual Global Outreach mission, in partnership with Living Water Ministries, Uganda. It is my privilege to help train the outreach team in healing ministry, then to lead the healing session at each mega crusade. Last year’s team saw over 600 healings during the three-week outreach. Less than 100 were through my prayers. It came through those who had been in the training and walked out equipped and filled with faith!

The Lord has connected me with other ministries operating in healing and equipping the church for the supernatural, which has allowed me to bring ministers like Kimberly Cleveland of EquipNations and Jim Wietner from the Global School of Supernatural Ministry to help take our work in Uganda and Kenya go higher.

All in all, I can say that being a part of what the Lord is doing in saving the lost and healing the sick around the world is one of the greatest privileges of my life. Looking back at the 16 year old me, I could never have imagined things going this direction, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

To be truthful, in many ways I feel like my journey into healing is still just beginning. The blind man’s healing was less than 7.5 years ago! I cannot wait to see what the next few decades hold.

It’s Your Turn

Hopefully sharing my journey into healing ministry has encouraged you in some way, to pursue God for more in your own life. The Bible encourages us to pursue spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1) and seems to imply in many places that you will receive the gifts you ask for. So go after Him for more!

I would also ask you to pray for me. While I am confident that God heals, and see him do so often, I know there is more. I also know the challenges that come from, both, believers and nonbelievers concerning healing, and I need the boldness to remain faithful to God’s calling.

Finally, I will say that if your church or ministry is wanting to learn to operate in the healing gift, or wants to plan a gospel-healing outreach, it would be my pleasure to be invited to speak, or to offer guidance to your team in any way possible.

INVITE ME

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Cover photo by Sozo Ministries, Inc.

April 22 2020

My Journey Into Healing Ministry (part 1)

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Get to Know The Author, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts christian healing, healing ministry 3

Last week I shared a word the Lord has been speaking to me concerning another healing revival that will follow this coronavirus pandemic, and I said I would talk more about the healing ministry in the weeks ahead. Before I start talking about the practicals of healing ministry, I felt like it would be a good idea to give my own background in the healing ministry, to give some credibility to what I am teaching; or at least to show that I wasn’t brainwashed into some psychological mumbo jumbo.

I am a fairly average Christian. Yes, I am a pastor and missionary and all of that, but when I compare myself to the great heroes of the faith, I am usually left feeling un-remarkable. (I don’t recommend you compare yourself to anyone but Jesus, by the way. It works out better for you in the long-run.) Never in my life could I have imagined that God would one day use me in the healing ministry. Now, however, it is one of the greatest joys of my life.

Coming to Faith

Growing up and finding my own faith in Jesus was a journey in itself. My parents had left the Baptist church when I was four, and when I had questions, all the different denominational beliefs from my extended family left me feeling more confused than before I asked. By the age of 16, I knew that my faith in Jesus was real and that I was saved. I had rejoined the church from my childhood. Beyond that, I had no intention of anything in ministry. My life’s trajectory was Texas Christian University’s “Ranch Management” program. I was going to be a full-time cowboy.

Although this is not the place for my full life story, it will suffice to say that around the age of 18, my course changed as I felt God redirecting my priorities and leading me into the ministry. Instead of TCU, I enrolled in the fundamentalist Baptist college recommended by my pastor. It also happened to be the same school where many of my family members in ministry had gone since the 1920’s. Frankly, it was also the only Bible college I knew of, which made the decision fairly easy to make.

Unbelieving Bible College

While in that Bible college, my faith really began to be tested and challenged as my hopeful outlook of God’s big plan for the world, was turned upside down by legalist rules and a lot of hypocritical, self-righteous attitudes by some of the students and faculty. Not to mention their belief that the supernatural gifts of God ceased after the 12 apostles died.

As I have discussed many times before, it was during this time that I began reading the book of Acts, not only as a historical record of the early church, but as a book that must either validate Christianity as real, or which would force me to consider that this whole thing was a myth. I began to pray for God to expand my experience to fit my convictions about the Bible, and after a few months of praying, the Holy Spirit of God filled me, just as the Bible promised.

Surprisingly to me, not everything in my life changed at once. Although there was a new, revitalized spirit within me and my optimism of the Christian faith had been renewed; and there was definitely fruit being produced in my life from this change, I was also faced with a lot of controversy and hostility from my peers and the college faculty. Nevertheless, my hunger for the things of God continued to grow.

Healing Enters The Picture

Along with my pursuit of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I also became hungry to see the power of God at work. It was around this time in my journey that divine healing entered the picture.

First, it came through stories from both my grandmothers. On my mom’s side, my grandma has always been the charismatic believer. She has always prayed in tongues and believed God for miracles. Yet for most of my life, I ignored her stories and moved along with my life. (In the worst times, I argued with her from my Baptist education, and hurt our relationship in many ways.) However, over a holiday break in college, she began recounting to me, again, all of the many miracles of healing she had seen over the years. Not only in her own body and in our family, but through former pastors and other believers she used to know. Though these stories were not new to me, I did pay more attention to them now.

It was my other grandma who surprised me with stories of healing. She had been raised in the Church of Christ her whole life, until she married my granddad and moved over to the fundamental Baptist church where I had also attended as a child and again from the age of 16.

This grandma began to tell me of different things she had seen in her own Christian life that her (our) church would not validate, yet she knew them to be true.

The craziest story she told me was about how when she was young, she was diagnosed with a severe case of appendicitis which was nearing a rupture. The doctors told the family that there was nothing they could do, medically, and sent her home. It was her older sister, however, who refused to accept that answer. This older sister, who was a faithful member of the Church of Christ until the day she died just a couple years ago, took my grandmother out to the barn, laid her down in some hay, laid hands on her and prayed a prayer of faith. My grandma’s pain instantly left, and soon everyone saw that she had been completely healed.

These stories from my own family – people I loved and trusted more than anyone – began to sink into me and stir up that hunger to see God move in these ways again.

I Got Healed

A few months went by, and as I have shared in other places, Bobby got us invited to a “revival” meeting at the church of a Nigerian missionary to the U.S. We couldn’t wait to go, based on the pastor’s presentation of the revival as being full of “healings, miracles, deliverances, and more!”

On the first day of the revival meeting, however, I woke up in the morning in terrible pain. My stomach felt like something had broken inside, and I couldn’t deal with it. I skipped class that day to go to the E.R; where I received x-rays and an MRI of my stomach, all to no avail. The diagnosis I left with was the same as I had written on my intake form: “extreme abdominal pain.”

Discouraged and still hurting, I did manage to go to the revival service that night, where we did, in fact, see many incredible things we had only imagined up to then. Demons were being cast out. People were falling under God’s power (although we still struggled to accept that as really from God).

It was at the end of the night that the pastor said something like, “I know some of you came for healing, but we are not praying for the sick one-by-one tonight. We are doing that tomorrow. However, if you are sick, God can still heal you, now,” and he prayed a general prayer over the congregation.

To my surprise, as he prayed this prayer, all of the pain in my stomach instantly left. No trace. And it never came back.

As people were leaving, I went to greet the pastor and told him of my healing. He quickly put me on the mic to share with the dispersing crowd what God had just done, to help raise their expectations for the next night. Needless to say, we made sure to go back!

Years of Charismatic Stagnation

From this time on, my Christian walk remained rather stale. I was still in Bible college, and struggling with the pessimistic Christian culture and the little bits of ongoing backlash I faced there. Nevertheless, I did graduate in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Bible.

Two years before, I had also began interning in the summers with a missionary group in Mexico, and I spent June of ’07 with them. Then, I took my first trip to Uganda with my friend, Micah, in July.

On that trip, we again saw things that piqued our interest in spiritual things: deliverances taking place, healing evangelism at work, etc. Still, it didn’t have any effect on actually bringing me into doing those things myself.

From there I returned to the Texas and joined the staff of Grace Baptist Church as Associate Pastor. I was also invited to minister with another international missionary organization, Heart of God International Ministries (HGIM), on a volunteer basis, which took me back to East Africa multiple times, as well as India and eventually Israel and Haiti.

Again, I believed whole-heartedly in healing, and at times would try my hand at praying for the sick, but never saw healing take place. Despite my desire, I began to think this gift was not for me.

In 2012, the HGIM’s work in Haiti required the long-term presence of the U.S. Team, and I resigned from the church, became a full-time missionary-evangelist, and moved to Haiti for almost a year. It was during this time that I got serious about praying for the sick.

Continual Failure

While living in Haiti, I primarily oversaw the orphanage work of HGIM. However, I was also preaching in church services every Sunday, and often on other days as well. Within the church culture there, it is standard for people to approach the pastor for prayer following every service. As these poor people do not have the financial ability to go see doctors for general health issues, the majority of my praying each week centered on physical healing.

Sunday after Sunday I was praying for neck pain, back problems, recurring headaches, cold and flu-like symptoms (common to the people in the mountains where I was staying), and more. These weren’t “major” healing issues like cancer or AIDS, so for some reason, my mind thought these things should be easier to see healed. They weren’t.

It didn’t matter what I did. Week after week, no one was getting healed. Not once, from March to October, did a single person claim to be healed through my prayers. I didn’t know what was happening. I had been reading every scripture about prayer. I believed that, as James says, that the prayer of faith would heal the sick (see James 5:15). I was praying with all the faith I could manage, yet was met with a continual failure to see healing manifest. I had no idea what was wrong.

My Introduction to Randy Clark

It was at this time that I began looking for mature Christian leaders who had a verifiable healing ministry from whom I could learn.

I read a few biographies of different ministers in the past who had great healing ministries. They were encouraging, but they didn’t teach me how to pray for the sick. I watched some YouTube videos of modern street-evangelists who practiced healing, and I got a few insights from them. However, the turning point was when I found a book on the Apple Bookstore, by two men named Randy Clark and Bill Johnson. The book was called, “The Essential Guide to Healing.”

Despite the fact that these men were quite famous in charismatic circles already, I have to admit I did not know much about them. In fact, had I known beforehand that Randy was involved with that “Toronto Blessing” some Baptist pastors had warned us about, I probably wouldn’t have read the book at all.

As I began the book and read their biographical stories in the first two chapters, much of the spiritual life of Randy resonated with my own upbringing – charismatic grandparents, faith-filled youth, Baptist education that challenged it all, and a lot more. I immediately knew this was someone I would learn from.

As I continued the book, I learned Randy’s “five-step prayer model” for healing, and I began using it in my post-church service prayers. Still nothing happened…

I also read in the book about “impartation,” or the transferring of anointing through the laying on of hands. (I shared about impartation on my podcast recently, and don’t want to dig into it here.) Suffice it to say, I began to think that perhaps this is what I needed. After all, I had never been part of a charismatic church. Nor had I ever really been mentored by anyone in the ministry, beyond what Bible college tries to teach.

I began to question my own assumptions, which I had for years, that you either have a gift or you don’t, and that they would simply appear one day, and just work. While that may be true at times, what I found is that most of the time, spiritual gifts are not instant.

It began to make more sense to me that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit would likely be learned, built and passed on through the Christian community, from one generation to another, just as it did in the Bible. They are developed in a person as part of their life in the body of Christ.

Promise of Impartation

One night, as I was sitting on the balcony of the house where I lived in Haiti, I was praying and asking God to speak to me about healing and growing in the gift. I very clearly heard Him speaking to me, saying that “in October, Randy will be doing a conference. If you will go to the conference, he will lay hands on you and you will receive and impartation for healing.”

I got so excited. I didn’t even know Randy Clark would consider coming to Haiti, so I quickly began to look at his website to find out when he would visit! Unfortunately, I discovered that he was not coming anywhere near Haiti.

Instead, what I learned was that at the end of October, Randy would be hosting his biggest conference of the year in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, called “The Voice of the Apostles.” This just happened to be taking place a few days before I was supposed to go to South Sudan with my organization, so I immediately began making arrangements to go.

Confronting My Doubts

During the conference, once again coming into a major charismatic event as an outsider, I began to see and experience things I could never imagine. I questioned many things happening around me, and thankfully, was given quick validation from the Lord almost every time, that what I was seeing was from Him.

There was holy laughter taking place through Rolland Baker, which I strongly doubted, until it was me on the floor laughing.

There were angelic encounters! I had been feeling a slight tickle on the top of my head for three days, when finally a woman came to me and asked, “Do you know you have an angel messing with your head? I have seen him from across the room for three days, but was never close enough to you to tell you.” Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure what he was doing. (I can tell you that the whole event did mess with my mindset about God and His work, though…)

There were words of knowledge (another gift of the Spirit listed in the Bible) coming from many of the speakers. Again I was skeptical, until Georgian Banov called out “old knee injuries from basketball accidents.” Up to that point, I had very bad knees from middle school basketball. I actually had to quit sports in 9^th grade because of it. As I went forward for prayer, I was instantly healed, again!

Impartation

Finally the time came for Randy’s impartation session. Over 8,000 people prayed for the touch of God on their life, and I was beginning to get discouraged that my impartation might not actually come as the Lord had told me.

As Randy led us into this time, he said “there is no way I can pray for all of you, but I have a team who have travelled with me around the world. If you begin to sense God touching you – you feel electricity in your body, or heat, or you get cold, or you begin to shake – then put your hand in the air and my team will come pray for you.”

As Randy prayed over the room, I told the Lord, “You said Randy would pray for me, but if it comes through his team, I will take whatever You have for me here.” Then my right hand began to shake uncontrollably.

After his prayer, Randy left the platform, and I began to put my hand in the air to receive prayer from the team. Quickly, however, Randy turned back to the microphone and said, “I forgot to say it, but if you are a full-time missionary or evangelist, come up here on stage. I want to pray for you.”

As quickly as I could get there, I climbed onto the stage. I was the second person in line when Randy began to pray for us. All I remember was him putting his finger on my open hands and saying, “Lord, I bless Anthony…” (which he read on my nametag) and I fell to the floor under God’s presence.

Two hours later, Randy’s stage crew came to clear bodies from the stage for the next session’s sound check. I stumbled back to my chair, still feeling the weightiness of God’s presence, where I sat with an electric pulse occasionally hitting my body and causing me to jerk. (This lasted for the next week, causing my dad, a long-time paramedic, to wonder what was wrong with his son. He thought I might have had a stroke, or was having micro-seizures.)

Something had definitely happened in Randy’s prayer, though. Could this be what I had been seeking for years? Could this actually be an impartation for healing? I supposed time would tell….

I do not usually write about myself in this way, and would love to hear your feedback in the comments section below.

Continue to Part 2…

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Photo by Sozo Ministries, Inc.

April 19 2020

Another Healing Revival is Coming

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Prophecy, Spiritual Gifts healing revival, Jesus, Prayer 3

I hear the Lord saying, “There will be a new wave of healing revival coming around the world through the church, because I am moving the church out of apathy to global events.”

Hold, on. Let me take a step back before we get there, though.

I am not a prophet, nor have I ever claimed to be a prophet. What I am is a Christian who can do what Jesus says all believers can do, which is to hear His voice when He speaks to me personally (see John 10:4). Hearing Him is an automatic result of receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit, coming to dwell inside of us. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit would bring everything Jesus has already spoken into our remembrance, as well as teach us new things the Lord wants us to know (John 14:26).

With that clearly stated, I want to share something today that is a bit unusual for my blog. My common practice is to share practical tips for living the Christian life or ideas on how to be a better leader in the gospel. Included in the topics I have shared many times are how you can hear God’s voice for yourself, and practical ways to grow in hearing Him. However, today, I want to share with you a prophetic word from the Lord that He has been pressing into me deeper and deeper over the last few weeks.

This word comes in light of the fact that this coronavirus’ spread has continued to bring fear to the whole world. It has given the spiritual authorities at work behind governments and leaders the ability to creep further and further into the realm of ‘church,’ even taking away some religious freedoms.

Why Has God Allowed This Virus?

Before I get to the prophetic word, let me begin by saying that all of the things going on in the world concerning this disease are not without a cause. What I want to point out, however, is that God is not the cause of this thing. It actually goes all the way back to Eden.

When mankind sinned, in the beginning of our existence on earth, there were penalties that came upon the world as a result. The earth would, from that point on, war against humanity and give hardships as we tried to live our lives. Sickness and disease — forerunners to the ultimate curse of death — were a part of those consequences for our sin. This virus taking over the world now, is a fruit of our sin; not a plague sent by God.

Later in history, at the Tower of Babel, when God divided the nations of men, another action happened in the heavenly realm — one which the Bible talks about clearly, but humans want to ignore. With the dividing of nations, the bible also makes clear that God placed each new nation under the control of other heavenly beings, known as “the divine counsel” (see Deuteronomy 32:7-8 and Psalm 82:1-4). These beings are the “authorities and rulers” the Bible talks about in Ephesians 6:2, which are at work in the world and fighting against the Church. (If you want more information about the divine counsel and the spiritual realm, I cannot more highly recommend the book “The Unseen Realm” by Michael S. Heisner.)

These rulers in heavenly places still have control over the human nations of the world until those nations are brought into submission to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They, aligned with Satan, control the kingdom of darkness, and have control in the world through the sin of the people. When we talk about the coronavirus that is sweeping across the world and causing so much fear and panic, we must understand that whether it is natural, or if it turns out that the disease began in a lab somewhere deep in China through manipulations by men, the real reason that this disease has spread and been causing so much devastation in the world is because the spiritual authorities in heavenly places have desired to use a global pandemic to stand against Christ.

The results of this pandemic are obvious, and I have mentioned some of them before: there is a Spirit of fear that is taking hold, which is stronger than the disease itself, causing people to live in great anxiety, depression, loneliness and more. Suicide rates are up in some of the most developed nations. Even in some of our isolated villages in Africa, there are people afraid to go into their own gardens and plant. That is not the result of the love of God. Those are fruits of the enemy and His schemes!

Looking at my home country, the U.S., I am so burdened every time I read the newspaper about more unnecessary government overreach in the church. Drive-in Easter services, where members did not even get out of their cars, led to arrests and fines from anywhere between $500 and $1,000. One county in California banned singing worship songs on Facebook Live broadcasts. The craziness of this whole mess, and the unreasonable attacks it is bringing against the church continue to be the greatest burden to my mind in this pandemic.

Submission To Authority.

I want to be very clear here. I am not against the government mandated protocols which have been put in place to try to prevent the spread of the disease. I think there is wisdom in washing your hands, covering your mouth and nose with a mask, limiting human contact, and not going out of your house if you do not absolutely have to. This disease is deadly, it is spreading rapidly, and human governments are given by God for our protection (see Romans 13:1-4).

What I am saying is that as a Christian I am not blind to the fact that when a sickness is taking over the world, it is not just a natural phenomenon that we should expect every once in a while. It is absolutely the work of the devil as a result of his authority in the world through sin.

More than that, I believe that as Christians — as those who have been brought out of his Kingdom of Darkness, and serve the Lord in His Kingdom of light — although we do not (yet) have authority over human government, we do currently have authority over this disease in the heavenly, to see it healed by the power of Jesus. This is the promise of Jesus because of His atonement: by His stripes we are healed (see Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24).

It’s Time for the Church to Rise Up

As Christians, we cannot just sit back and ignore this disease; ignore the power of the enemy; and allow the overreach by spiritual authorities working through governments, to suppress the church in any way. We must rise up!

So what does that look like? Well, I believe there are two keys we must understand biblically and historically. They are summarized for us very clearly in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (emphasis mine):

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The First Key is Prayer.

We must become a people who stop living like the world and simply waiting on scientists and world leaders to tell us what to do. They do not have the answer. We do. Jesus is still the answer.

We must learn to pray. To shut ourselves in our prayer closets once again and believe Him to overcome every scheme of the enemy at work in the world, so that God’s Kingdom can continue to be established and grow, just as the Bible said it would (see Isaiah 9:7).

The Second Key is Holiness.

The church must come out of living like the world and repent! Holiness is a prerequisite for overcoming the power of the devil. His authority is sin. Yet we have a generation of believers who think that because Christ has forgiven them, they can do whatever they want and it will be ok. That is NOT true! Even if you believe in eternal security and know that you are forgiven in Christ, there are still consequences for your sin in this life on earth.

Every time we willingly sin, we are empowering the devil in our lives and in the world around us. We are showing that we are not living submitted to the rule of Jesus, but we are still willing to play the devil’s games.

I believe that when the church rises up in prayer and holiness, once again, it will lead to a greater revival than the world has ever seen!

Another Great Awakening

Can you just imagine, with all of today’s technology and the ability to take a message around the world instantly through things like YouTube and Facebook Live, just how quickly would another Great Awakening go around the globe? Just how quickly would a revival spread from house to house, city to city, and nation to nation?

I believe the greatest revival in human history is yet to come! In this season of the devil’s work causing a global pandemic, I am becoming more and more hopeful that the time for this revival is knocking on our door! Whether it is the big one or just another foretaste of that revival, I believe the season is upon us, now!

With all that in mind, let me tell you what the Lord has been speaking to me, repeatedly, over the past few weeks.

The Word the Lord Spoke to Me

I believe the Lord said to me, “I hate this sickness, and I hate that the enemy has used it to bring fear to the whole world. The heavenly forces and demons have used it for a major power grab. They are even overreaching by attacking the church, well beyond just a simple shutdown of in-person services. The devil and his demons think that this disease will expand their grasp in the world for another season. However, in response to this disease, I AM about to release a healing revival in the earth greater than the world has ever seen.

I have already told you that this disease is going to disappear just as fast as it came, not through doctors and medical intervention, but by My power. I will confound the wise. Yet in the wake of this disease, when the world is still feeling the anxiety and fear because of what the devil has done, and wondering if it is really gone, I AM going to show Myself even more powerful than all sickness in the earth.

This is not just going to be a healing revival among those churches who believe in healing already. I AM going to bring healing through My people who have only nominally believed in healing in the past, like those who only know how to pray, ‘Lord, if it is Your will…’ I AM going to show them that it is My will to heal. This will be a move of My power, not limited by the faithlessness of men.

I AM going to bring great increase to the healing anointing on My people, so that in homes and coffee shops, and in grocery stores, and small meetings among friends, simple prayers for healing will be effective. In the most insignificant moments I AM going to wipe out major cases of cancer and heart disease and Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease and polio and Ebola and tuberculosis and others. This will not be done in a major show from pulpits and platforms. I Am going to do it in simple, house fellowships and family prayers. I Am increasing not only the gift on My healing evangelists, but I Am increasing the healing gift in the Body of Christ for My glory! Testimonies will arise from every corner of the earth, in the places you least expect them.

In the wake of this coronavirus, which the devil has used to make his name great in the earth, I AM going to release My healing through My people in such a way that My Name is lifted up for the world to see, and the devil will think twice before using a disease like this for his purposes again.

You have seen this disease bring death and fear. The healing revival that is about to come is going to bring life and peace and joy and is going to lead many thousands more into My Kingdom than this disease has been able to take out.”

Let’s Get Ready

Again, I have never shared a prophetic word like this on my blog before. Right now, however, I am so convinced that the Lord is going to do this, that I believe the church must get ready. We must pray. We must repent, where necessary. And we must become the voice for what the Lord wants to do in the earth.

Most importantly, we must take this word from Him as an opportunity to see Him working through each one of us. Many of you have never laid hands on the sick to pray for them. I believe this is the greatest season of opportunity to learn. God is about to make healing the sick easier than every before, through simple prayer in His name. Let’s be ready to step out and pray at every opportunity, as we see this new healing revival come!

In my next post, I will share more on the healing gift of God, and how you can pray for the sick with confidence. However, I didn’t learn these things on my own. If you want to learn about healing and grow in the gifting yourself, there are many great books and trainings available to you, that will take you deeper than a simple blog post can. Let me recommend just a few to you here:

What About You?

Is God stirring something inside you, during this pandemic, that says “I Am still in control! Look and see what I Am about to do!” Maybe you have already seen an increase in healing happening around you!

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

September 19 2019

Presence or Power: What do you seek?

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Leadership Character, Personal Discipleship Power of God, presence of god 0

I love encounters with the Lord. I love to see people getting filled with the Holy Spirit or receiving new impartations of gifts and callings. It is an exciting thing to see people encounter their Father in such a real way. After wrapping up a series of blog posts on encounters with God (part 1, part 2, part 3), and spending a week preaching at our ministry’s annual Pastors’ Conference, where so many of our leaders were touched by the Holy Spirit, I am stirred up with a passion for the presence and the power of God to work in people’s lives.

Nevertheless, I am also reminded that too often those seeking an encounter with the Lord get their priorities wrong. Too many people desire the power of God, and all of His benefits, yet reject His abiding presence in their lives. So the question for us today is, “what are you seeking: presence or power?”

The Presence and Power of God on Display

As you read through the Old Testament, the people of Israel had some very tangible signs of God’s presence with them. They also saw His power at work, daily. Through the plagues in Egypt, God delivered His people from Pharaoh. After Moses led the people out of captivity, God’s presence manifested as the pillar of cloud and fire. He powerfully provided for them with manna from heaven and water from the rock. After the tabernacle was built in the wilderness, the whole place was filled with smoke – what we might call today, “the glory cloud.” Then, God commanded Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant, which would represent God’s physical presence wherever it was carried. Their lives were full of both God’s presence and His power.

For the life of an Israelite in those early days, you could not escape from the public demonstrations of both the power and the presence of God. However, as much as they enjoyed the powerful provision God gave to them, they began to distance themselves from His presence.

Rejecting the Presence

In Exodus 19, God tells Moses that He will descend on Mount Sinai and speak to the people. When the day came, there was fire and smoke covering the mountain. God warned Moses to set boundaries around the mountain so that people could not touch the glory and die. He then issued to Moses the ten commandments. Yet, the people’s response was not to rush close. The Bible tells us

“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.”
Exodus 20:18-21

Although the people believed in God, and had benefitted from His power. His presence was terrifying. They were face to face with a God who was beyond their control, and so they fled.

They sought a God they could control.

As the story continues, we know that Moses returned up the mountain into God’s presence, to receive the law from God. Meanwhile, the people of Israel decided to build the golden calf – a god they could control – and bowed down to worship it, instead (see Exodus 32).

Replacing God with man.

Unfortunately, this rejection of God’s presence marked the people of Israel for generations to come. A culmination point came after the time of the Judges when the people called on Samuel to appoint for them a King.

“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”
1 Samuel 8:6-7

Desiring the Power

Although the people did not want God’s presence – they rejected Him personally – it didn’t change the fact that they wanted His power to work on their behalf.

Over and over again, when the people were defeated by enemies or had troubles in the nation, there was a cry to God to rescue them. We find another story, along these lines, when the nation was utterly defeated by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 4.

“Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?”
1 Samuel 4:1-3

Their answer to the defeat is what makes the story interesting. Their response is, “Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” They called for the ark, which symbolized God’s presence, but they were only interested in the power.

Losing the Power?

As the Ark comes into their camp, the people cheer, and even the Philistines are disheartened, because they know the testimonies of God’s power in the past. However, they encouraged themselves that they should not become slaves to Israel and they rose up to fight.

“So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured…”
1 Samuel 4:10-11

Israel (symbolically at least) was left without both the presence and the power of God. And the Philistines rejoiced!

Capturing God’s Power?

“When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.”
1 Samuel 5:1-2

Dagon was the main god worshipped by the Philistines. He was a false idol, erected in statue form, in a large temple built for him. Now notice what the Philistines do. They bring the Ark of the Covenant – the thing that symbolized God’s presence – and they try to use it simply as a source of power. They bring it into Dagon’s temple, and try to set the God of Israel in the shadow of their false idol. Just like Israel, they wanted His power, but not His presence.

God, however, will not sit subservient to any human idol, and on the first morning Dagon’s statue is laid facedown before the Ark of the Covenant. After the Philistines return the idol to its place, God destroys it.

“When they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.”
1 Samuel 5:4

Plagues then begin to come upon the Philistines, until they put the Ark on a cart and send it on its way back to Israel.

Still Rejecting the Presence

If we follow the story along, the people of Israel are happy for the Ark’s return, yet they still reject the presence of God which it represents. They do not bring it back to the tent of meeting as God had commanded Moses. It is moved from house to house, bringing both blessings and death, until King David brings it to a place of honor in Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, this isn’t simply a story about an ancient people and their God. It is the same story for too many in the church today! Many people who call themselves Christian, want nothing to do with God. They simply want His power and blessings in their lives.

I have a friend who is an active homosexual, and lives a lifestyle of hedonism. He wants nothing to do with God, does not like Jesus, and hates the Bible. Yet if you have a conversation with him about faith, he will tell you, “I was saved at 6 years old at First Baptist Church, and ‘once saved always saved.’” You cannot convince him that his rejection of God’s presence in his life nullifies the power of salvation. He will not accept that to have God’s power, he must also accept God’s presence (and authority).

False teachings abound

My friend’s story is an extreme example, but it is not unique. If we look at major theologies being promoted, you don’t have to search very far before you find Christians peddling the blessings and power of God, without needing His presence.

Take the prosperity gospel for instance. While I believe God promises to bless and prosper His people, it is always tied to their relationship and submission to Him. Not so with this theology. For them, if you give something to God financially, then you tie His hands, and He has to return that money to you with interest. Plant your seed of faith, and God has to grow you a tree.

Example after example could be given, where we seek to control God, rejecting His presence but receiving His power.

No King but King Jesus

I believe it is time for a new generation of believers to rise up, and stop playing games with God. We have to stop seeking His power for our own benefit, and start seeking His presence to guide our lives.

The cry of the early church was, “no King but King Jesus.” This was an absolute rejection of Caesar and the worldly ways of power and prestige. They traded everything to know Him.

The payoff? They received Him! They were filled with the Holy Spirit, guided by Him daily, and through Him, changed the world! When they sought His presence, and allowed Him to be God, they found that His power comes along, as well.

He is not a God to be controlled. We cannot manipulate Him in some way to make His power work for us. We must return to the place of wanting Him. When we do that, we will find our blessings are not just from Him. They are Him.

He is the reward of our salvation. He is our hope. He is our joy. He is our blessing. Even heaven is not heaven, if He is not there.

What about you?

I don’t know about you, but I just want Him. I am tired of wasting time, going after a blessing. There has to be more than simply pressing in for a breakthrough. Why do we need another conference that promises a method or program to get God’s power to work in our lives.

I just want Him. I want His presence. I want His love, and His touch on my life.

How about you? Have you traded His presence to pursue His power? Is your goal to submit to Him and let Him be God, or are you trying to control Him for your own benefit?

Truly, it is time for the people of God to stop going after His power, and instead become a people marked by His presence!

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you want to read more about personal encounters with the Lord, and how they can shape your life, I would like to recommend the book, “Hosting the Presence” by Bill Johnson.

Photo by Igor Rodrigues on Unsplash

June 19 2019

Speaking in Tongues FAQ

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Gifts Bapticostal, Charismatic, Speaking in Tongues, Spiritual Gifts, Tongues, What about speaking in tongues? 7

Due to my Baptist upbringing and education, many people get confused when they discover that I both believe in and practice the charismatic or sensational gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e. prophecy, healing, tongues, casting out of demons, etc.). Because things like ‘speaking in tongues’ are seldom practiced or taught about, even in Baptist churches that profess a belief in the gifts, there are many questions that arise when people find out about my beliefs and practices.

On the other hand, when I discuss spiritual gifts with my more charismatic friends — Pentecostals, or Assembly of God friends for instance — they are often confused by my ‘restraint’ put on the gifts and my inability to agree on some of the finer points of their respective denominations doctrinal teachings about the gifts, specifically the gift of tongues.

Over a decade ago, a girl in my church began asking me a ton of questions about the gifts and tongues, and I took the opportunity to write an answer to some of the more frequently asked questions that come up in discussions concerning this gift.

When I shared the FAQ to my blog, it quickly became the most read blog post I have ever written. I have revised the post a little from the original, but the information is still true and relevant today! I attempt to ground every answer with solid biblical support, so make sure to have your bible open and read the scriptures I refrence. If at the end of this post you still have more questions about the issue, please feel free to ask in the comments.

Is the gift of tongues an earthly language that you never studied but God teaches you, or is it an unknown (non-earthly) language altogether?

Both versions of ‘tongues’ are represented in the scriptures (Earthly tongues in Acts 2, Non-earthly tongues in 1 Corinthians 14). However, when most people talk about the gift of tongues they are referencing a non-earthly language that cannot be learned, taught, or even translated without the Holy Spirit giving the interpretation. If it were an earthly language, then the spiritual gift of interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:10) would not be necessary (1 Cor. 14:5, 27).

What is the primary purpose of the gift of tongues?

The primary purpose of all of the spiritual gifts are twofold. First to build up and edify the church (1 Cor. 12), and secondly, as a sign to non-believers. Tongues can fulfill both roles by personally edifying the one who speaks it (1 Cor. 14:4) or edifying the whole church when an interpreter is present (1 Cor. 14:26-27), and as a demonstration to non-believers (1 Cor. 14:22)

Is speaking in tongues a sign of salvation? Do I have to speak in tongues to be saved?

Speaking in tongues is never shown in scripture to be a sign of salvation. On one hand you may can argue that if someone speaks by the Holy Spirit’s power, then he or she must be saved. At the same time we know of non-believers and even animals in the Old Testament who God used to speak truth, but no one argues that animals can be saved. And we also know that there will be people at judgement time who try to use their prophesying and casting out demons in Jesus name as a sign of salvation, but Christ will deny them (Matthew 7:21-23).

Is tongues a sign that a person has the Holy Spirit? If I don’t speak in tongues does it mean I don’t have the Holy Spirit inside me?

No and No.

First off, we know that Satan can imitate all of the power and signs that God demonstrates among men. Therefore, just because someone claims to be speaking in tongues, it does not mean that they are truly filled with the Spirit of God. The Bible says we will know them by the fruits of the gift (Matthew 7:15-20), not simply by the demonstrations of power.

Secondly, we know from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that not all Christians will speak in tongues, just as not all will be able to prophesy or lay hands on the sick and see them healed (1 Cor. 12:27-31).** The Spirit alone will determine how He manifests His gifts through a person (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

Is tongues the primary gift of the Holy Spirit?

No. Paul makes clear that there are gifts more desirable than others (1 Cor. 12:31), then spends all of 1 Corinthians 14 arguing that, although he wishes all of them could speak in tongues (v. 5), he would rather them seek the gift of prophecy (vv. 5, 39) because it has more benefit to the full body of believers.

Can anyone speak in tongues? Should all Christians speak in tongues?

The only people who can legitimately speak in tongues from the Holy Spirit and not some counterfeit version are those believer’s who have sought the gift (1 Cor. 14:1) and whom God has chosen to give the gift to (1 Cor. 12:11).**

If I don’t speak in tongues does it mean that I am not as spiritual as someone who does?

No, nowhere in scripture is it indicated that the gift of tongues is any special mark on the character or spirituality of that person, or and indicator of a higher level of affection received from God.

What does it sound like when you speak in tongues? How do I know it’s tongues and not just gibberish?

Since I have not found a biblical answer to the question of what it sounds like, my cessationist friends will have to cringe a little as I answer from personal experience and the similar experience of others. Speaking in tongues does sound like gibberish, in the same way listening to someone speak in any language you don’t understand sounds like gibberish. However, when you listen intently to someone speaking in tongues, there is clearly a structure to the language, and as time goes on, you will hear certain ‘words’ or ‘phrases’ being repeated.

The only way we can know someone is really speaking in the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit is to test the Spirit and see if it is really from God (1 John 4:1-3) and as mentioned earlier, to judge from the fruits produced by the gift.

Do you know what you are saying?

Speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues are two different things. Paul says that when a person speaks in tongues, he is speaking to God, and that no man understands (1 Cor. 14:2). It is a form of prayer in which even the mind of the one praying does not understand what is being said (1 Cor. 14:14).

How do I pursue tongues (or other charismatic gifts)?

1 Corinthians 14:12 says, “since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.” If you want to pursue the spiritual gifts, it begins by realizing that they are for the purpose of building up the church, and then seeking to serve. You become an extension of God’s love to the world (1 Corinthians 13). They aren’t for show, and they aren’t for you to have to feel you have attained a higher Christian status.

Now Christian Healing: Pentecostal Powerif you really want to pursue the gifts, I don’t know that there is a standard way to do so, but I feel like the following suggestions are a good place to start.

First of all, express the desire to God. He is a loving Father who wants to give gifts to His children if they will ask (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13).

Second, we know that God delights in the obedience of His children. The Holy Spirit is drawn to the person who is pursuing holy living. So strive to live a life pleasing to Him, rather than one at odds with Him (Galatians 5:16-24). As your life becomes attractive to His presence, He will begin to manifest more often.

And finally, live a life that evidences your desire to see God’s Kingdom built, and God’s people to grow in maturity. Love and serve others (1 Cor. 13). Oftentimes it is when we run out of the ability to love and serve on our own power, that the power of God is made known (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

** Though it is true that not all people will practice every gift,, I do not discount the fact that Paul tells us to desire the spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:1), and that God gives good gifts to His children when we ask Him (Matt. 7:11). It is my personal theological conviction that God can give many or all gifts to the person who devotes themselves to pursuing Him and serving the church. However, we must remember that the gifts are for that reason – service – and not for making a name for ourselves. Seeing people healed will only come when we seek every opportunity to pray for the sick. Giving a prophecy will only come when we seek to edify, exhort, and comfort others often (1 Cor. 14:3). And speaking in tongues will come to the one who is most hungry to spend time with the Lord in prayer, and to be built up in Him.

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Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

June 7 2019

5 Ways to Practice Hearing God’s Voice

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Gospel Leadership, Make Disciples, Spiritual Disciplines Hearing God's Voice, Holy Spirit, Jesus, prayer team, revelation, treasure hunting 0

Before you can hear God’s voice on behalf of others, you must develop a personal, intimate relationship with Him, in which you have learned to hear His voice for yourself. We do this by studying scripture, praying and asking the Lord for revelation, and taking time to wait on Him to speak to us. We must learn to practice hearing God’s voice!

As He speaks, it will take time for you to learn discernment between what is His voice, and what are your own thoughts and imaginations, as well as attempted distractions and lies from the enemy.

For the Christian, learning to hear the voice of God in your life is absolutely the most important and beneficial thing you can do. Here are five activities you can do to position yourself to begin hearing God’s voice.

Keep a Listening Journal

When I was new to hearing God’s voice regularly — not only on rare or “special” occasions — keeping a listening journal was one of the most helpful things I was taught to do. As it takes time dedicated to learning to hear, the journaling process helps you track your journey along the way. It also allows you to let other, more mature believers read things you are unsure of, to help you discern whether it was God you heard or not. The truth is, we all miss it sometimes.

Now that I have been hearing God’s voice regularly for many years, spending time praying and writing in my listening journal is still the most intimate time I have with the Lord, where I am able to press into Him more and to hear Him speak about issues of life, leadership, and ministry. Anytime I have one of those “I wonder…” questions, it usually goes into my listening journal, and it is always time well spent.

To keep a listening journal, get something to write on and something to write with, then simply ask God questions. I write my questions to God at the top of the page and use parentheses or “//” to mark when it is my words and thoughts, and then use the rest of the page to write down every impression or thought or vision I feel like God is using to answer that question. Sometimes the answer “bubbles up” immediately. Other times I will wait for a long time, but eventually an answer will come. As one question answered leads to another, I continue writing down my conversation with God until I am out of time or have exhausted that topic of conversation.

What I have found is that God is eager to speak to us and help us live the Christian life, so this is a great way to let the Holy Spirit disciple you and lead your own Christian walk. In fact, many times when I am just craving some intimacy with God, but don’t have a pressing question to ask, I will just start my journal with, “Lord, what do you want to talk to me about today?” These are often some of the most profound things He speaks to me.

A listening journal is also a great way to keep a record of your journey with the Holy Spirit, to look back on and see your personal growth in Him.

The Name Game

For many people, a listening journal may sound like an exercise in futility. I have discipled various people in the practice, and it is always a long process to get started with an activity like that as it takes time to train yourself to hear God’s voice clearly and consistently, without your own thoughts and preconceptions getting in the way. Some people have sat for long periods of time with a blank page in front of them, not actually knowing what to do.

The name game is a little bit easier, and is a good starter exercise to begin hearing the voice of God. Here’s what you do: get into a setting where you can spend time in silent prayer, a place without distraction, then simply ask the Lord to tell you what He calls you or how He sees you. Then wait on Him to answer.

As people I know have walked through this simple process, God has always been faithful to tell them something very personal and uplifting. For one person who did not have a good relationship with his dad, God simply called him “My son.” For another who dealt with rejection and not sure how people saw her, God said, “Beloved.” God not only spoke clearly to them, but touched them deeply with His love in what He said. Since God wants to be our biggest encourager, we can actually go back to Him again and again asking Him how He sees us or what He wants to say about us, and He will always have something sweet to say.

Again, this is a very simple process, but it can still take some time to hear what God speaks. Though everyone I know who has engaged in this activity have heard God answer, it has not always been immediate, and in some cases have taken weeks before they were sure it was God. Just remember, God’s promise is that we can hear His voice. However, just like tuning an old radio with the manual tuning knob, it can sometimes take a lot of work to get clearly on the desired station. Once you can hear God answer this simple question pretty easily, it can always become a good starting point for deeper question and answer times with God.

One neat story I can share about this activity is one time, when I was on staff at a local church in Texas, our Senior Pastor took all of our community group leaders through this activity. For some the answer came quickly, and for others took time, as is always the case. In that group was a husband and wife team who began praying together for this answer. The wife heard what God called her almost immediately. She then began praying for her husband, and she heard the answer for what God called her husband as well, and wrote it down secretly. It was, however, another two weeks before he heard the answer for himself. Yet when he did finally hear it, it was the same thing their spouse had heard on their behalf two weeks before. How’s that for confirmation?

Treasure Hunting

Treasure hunting has become a world-wide “game” in many charismatic circles of Christianity, especially young adults who have come to learn that they can hear God’s voice and He will lead them into plenty of opportunity to minister to people and see God do awesome things. Another word for treasure hunting in this case would be, “Prophetic Evangelism.”

This can be an individual practice, but is a lot more fun when you do it in small groups of 2-4 people. The premise is this: You (and your friends) sit down in a room with a notepad and pray. You ask God to show you a place you should go to and other clues such as tattoos, clothing, jewelry, or other things that would lead to a specific person. You write down the “clues” He gives you, then you set out looking for God’s treasure.

For example, God may give you a picture of a Starbucks sign in your mind’s eye. As you pray about who you should meet at Starbucks, He then tells you “red dress, black necklace.” You would then write those things down and head to Starbucks, to find God’s treasure. (Don’t forget to pray for words of knowledge, as to what God wants to say or do when you find them, too!)

It may be awkward at first, telling them, “God told me to come find you,” but as the Lord reveals further how you should minister to them, you will get past that quickly.

I have been on various treasure hunts, both in the U.S. and abroad, looking to see if I heard God speak clearly. Sometimes I miss it and try again. Other times, I have had some good times of sharing the love of Christ and prayer with people who need it.

Ask God About The Person Next to You

How much of your day is spent near people you don’t know very well? It may in a check out line at the grocery store, waiting to order food for lunch, sitting in a waiting area of the hospital or car wash, talking to a sales person, or sitting on an airplane.

Why not make some spiritual use of that time and ask God for a word of knowledge for that person. They may be shocked when you look at them and ask, “Is your daughter sick?” If the answer is yes, then you have a perfect opportunity to tell them how you knew that, and then pray with them for their child. If the answer is no, you can still use it to share your faith but saying, “oh, sorry. It’s just that I’m a Christian and I’m trying to learn to hear how God speaks to us. I guess I missed it this time. Are you a Christian?”

Serve on a Ministry Team

I know to include this may sound a bit out of place, but if I’m honest, one of the best places to learn to hear God speak is when you are actively engaged in loving on other people and seeking to serve them in one-on-one ministry. Unless you are one of those few people who are happy and loving twenty-four hours a day, serving on a ministry team will require you to hear God’s voice, and find your love, strength and abilities in His leading.

This may be serving long-term, on the ministry team in your church, or by serving on a short-term mission trip. My own ministry in Uganda and Keny a hosts various teams throughout the year for teaching and training in Spirit-led ministry.

I believe that serving on a ministry team can also offer one of the safest place to practice hearing without fear of rejection or intimidation. Though it isn’t always the case, it should be that as believers in the body together we encourage one another to keep trying to hear God more clearly, rather than bring one another down when someone misses it.

Do you have any other practical ways you have grown to hear God’s voice? I would love to hear them in the comments.

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Category: Gospel Leadership

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