The Holy Spirit is leading me back in the direction of healing today.  Many have told me they believe healing went out with the ministry of Jesus and the original disciples, and that’s why we don’t see a lot of healing miracles today. Well, before we come to that conclusion, let’s see what Jesus had to say about it.

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

It’s pretty obvious by the words Jesus spoke, that in order for the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be in evidence, there must also be the POWER of the Holy Spirit at work.   There is a vast difference between those who speak words that are filled with the Holy Spirit that bring forth power and those who just speak but bring forth no fruit.  You see, if healing went out with the original disciples, then salvation no longer is available today, nor is the infilling of the Holy Spirit, for that matter.  So the difference is the “fruit”, because “talk is cheap”.  I remember reading that the Apostle Paul said he came not in word only, but in power and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.

“Demonstration”: I like that word.  It’s saying, “You can TALK about healing, but I will SHOW you healing.”  The ministry of Jesus was “demonstration” of the power of God, and after being empowered by Jesus, the disciples also brought forth fruit of the power of God.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached by the disciples brought forth that same demonstration of power in those who “believed”. Yeah, we have to include “believe” as a qualifier, for one can hear the true gospel and yet not believe. Down through the ages it has come down to the “have and have not”people, when it comes to the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Those who have the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives are bringing forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  And the rest?  They have “words” but no power, for they are not truly sold out to God.  I call them “wannabes”.  They go to church, they go to meetings, they WANT the power of the Holy Spirit, but even more, they want to live like the rest of the world lives, and they aren’t willing to pick up their cross and follow Jesus.

Here we separate the “disciples” from the “wannabes”.  The disciples pick up their cross and follow Jesus and bring forth fruit.  Well the “wannabes” bring forth fruit too, but it isn’t the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  But here’s something you need to understand.  Even a “wannabe” can pray for your healing, and though the Holy Spirit is not dwelling in them, you can be healed if you believe in the healing power of Jesus.  How can that be?  First rule you must understand is this: it is the WORD that heals, not the speaker of the WORD. But even the true believer cannot heal an unbeliever, nor could Jesus himself.  Here; let me give you Biblical evidence of that, don’t just take my word for it.

Mar 6:1  And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
Mar 6:2  And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Mar 6:3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Mar 6:4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

What exactly was going on in Acts chapter 2, that thousands were instantly turned to Christ Jesus and became believers?  The people saw the power of the Holy Spirit in demonstration and they believed upon Jesus and were granted salvation.  Were the sick healed there?  If the Holy Spirit was there, the sick were healed too, because where the Holy Spirit is, there is freedom.  That includes freedom of oppression, depression, sickness, worry, anxiety, demonic possession, and everything else the devil has working in people. My case point is this: if there was no Holy Spirit present, the disciples could have had no power at all to do anything.  And today, in THIS AGE, the same Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached will bring forth the same fruit as it did in Acts chapter 2.  And if not?   Then I’m going to tell you what I’ve said in many churches where I’ve preached, YOU HAVE HAD THE GOSPEL MISREPRESENTED TO YOU!

Boy, let me tell you: that ruffles feathers wherever I go.  But I’m telling you the truth, for God changes not.  If the Gospel that you’ve been taught is not bringing forth the same signs, wonders, and miracles that followed the early disciples, then you’ve been sold a false gospel, PERIOD!!  You say you want proof?  Good!  Let’s read Mark 16:9-20.

Mar 16:9  Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Mar 16:10  And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
Mar 16:11  And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Mar 16:12  After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
Mar 16:13  And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Mar 16:14  Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mar 16:19  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mar 16:20  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

When Jesus was risen from the dead, and Mary Magdalene told the disciples, they didn’t believe her. Later, when Jesus appeared to the disciples, He upbraided them for their hardness of heart and unbelief. That means Jesus was NOT happy with their refusal to believe He was risen.  Of course, they believed when they saw Him for themselves, and Jesus commanded them as per verses 15 through 18.  Note Jesus didn’t tell them to preach any old thing they dreamed up, but to PREACH THE GOSPEL!  So they did, and what happened?  Verse 20 says  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

So, that brings me back again to the “FRUIT”, which is, God confirmed the Gospel being preached with signs following.  The short version of this is, NO TRUE GOSPEL, NO FRUIT, AND NO SIGNS FOLLOWING.  If YOU are being preached the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ, and if YOU believe it, then Jesus will be in YOU, and  signs, wonders, and miracles of Jesus will be in evidence in YOUR life.  Don’t worry about if John or Joe or Jane you go to church with can do miracles.  YOU must give account in the judgment what YOU did with the Gospel.  Knowing YOU are going to give account, don’t you want to make sure the TRUE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ is what you have built your life upon?

It says here in verse 18, assuming you are a BELIEVER, that YOU shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.  Jesus didn’t stutter when He said that.  He wanted to make sure His ministry continued through every believer until He returned.  Every fruit of the Holy Spirit is available for every believer, and every believer should EXPECT to do miracles in the name of Christ Jesus.  That’s just part of your salvation, to have Jesus IN you, and working THROUGH you.  We’ve all heard the saying “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?”   Jesus had compassion on the sick, and there is not anyplace in the Bible you can show me where Jesus just left someone sick who wanted to be healed.  Well, the next time you’re faced with a situation that needs the power of Jesus, do what Jesus would do!

If someone is sick, tell them about how Jesus loves them died and rose again to save them, and if they want to be healed, then heal them.  Notice I didn’t say, PRAY FOR THEM.  Jesus never taught the disciples to pray for the sick.  He taught them to HEAL THE SICK. The Holy Spirit had a little talk with me about that some years ago: He told me to stop “praying for the sick” and start “healing the sick”.  You see, that’s the difference between “then and now”. Back then, the believers just healed the sick because that’s what Jesus told them to do. And they could, because Jesus had empowered them to do so.  But “NOW”?  We have been sold a “watered-down Gospel”, where people pray for the sick, and of course, not much happens because that’s not what Jesus told us to do.  Churches today are preaching their own version of the Gospel, and then blame God because the sick are not healed?  THAT IS BLASPHEMY!

Only the true Gospel of Jesus Christ will bring forth the fruits that were evident in the lives of the disciples and in the early church.  If you really want to see the demonstration of power of the Holy Spirit, then take time to study Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and pay close attention to what Jesus did and said.  Also, pay close attention to what He did NOT say and what He did NOT do.  Eh, what do you mean about THAT?
Well, for example, let’s take the situation of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52:

Mar 10:46  And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Mar 10:47  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mar 10:48  And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mar 10:49  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
Mar 10:51  And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mar 10:52  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

One evening I was at my Pastor’s church and he read the above verses, and the Holy Spirit asked me, Jerry, what DIDN’T I say to Bartimaeus? Well, LORD, I wasn’t there, and I don’t have a clue what you didn’t say to him. He said, Did I say to him, Have you repented of your sins? No, LORD, I can’t see that you did. He said, Did I say to him, Have you paid your tithes? No, LORD, you didn’t. He said, Did I say to him, Have you forgiven all those who have sinned against you? No, LORD. He said, Don’t make people jump through hoops to be healed.  I heal because I’m merciful.  You do the same, preach my Gospel and heal the sick.  I will confirm my WORD being preached with signs following.  I only confirm MY WORDS.

So, If we preach the words of Jesus, we can expect the same results the disciples saw.  The people believed because they saw demonstration of the Holy Spirit.  It’s really that simple, but today churches and people try to muddy up the Gospel with a lot of “doctrines of men”.  Let’s get back to what Jesus taught and stop trying to bring in OUR views, and OUR doctrines,  for all they add is division, and the Holy Spirit does not work among division, we all know that, or should.  There is only ONE church that Jesus is coming back for, and sadly, He said that FEW would enter the strait gate, for narrow is the way that leads to eternal life.  Every “denomination” is born of “division”.  We must become ONE BODY of Christ Jesus if we have hope of seeing the power of the Holy Spirit in demonstration.  It starts with YOU believing the words of Jesus and acting accordingly!