Published by admin on 03 Jun 2003 at 11:43 pm
OUT ON A LIMB
By the grace of GOD, I will have been in the healing ministry for ten years as of July 2003, and I meet lots of people who need healing. Lots and lots of them. And many ask why they haven’t received their healing yet, or when they’ll get it. They sometimes ask in tears, ” Why won’t GOD heal me?? I’ve prayed every prayer, I’ve confessed every healing scripture, over and over. Nothing seems to work. Doesn’t HE love me?” Maybe you are one of them. So, if you want an answer, I’ll tell you. I know why you have not yet received your healing. While this may be a difficult thing for you to grasp, if you will receive it and deal with it, you WILL receive your healing. Having been a Pastor and now also on the road ministering, I recognize your very situation from past experience, the answer is really so simple, you will wonder why you didn’t see it earlier. It’s as plain as the nose on your face. You’re afraid to go out on a limb.
There is something you have to settle within your heart, once and for all. And I don’t mean, settle it today, and if it doesn’t look like it works, rethink it. I mean SETTLE IT TODAY FOR ALL TIME! And that is, GOD CANNOT LIE!! Why am I saying that, when obviously you believe it, or think you believe it? Because you DON’T believe it. You are mentally agreeing to it, in fact, you believe it is true for others, but not necessarily true for you. I’ve seen it a hundred times if I’ve seen it once.
When someone is prayed over for healing, and they don’t manifest that healing, then they start saying, When, God? like you are probably are right now. If a person truly believes, they don’t have to ask when, because they know it’s already done. It’s when a person is throwing out a prayer to see if it works, and asking about a thousand people to pray, that it becomes obvious that you are relying on someone else’s faith, instead of your own. That’s not a put down, many do it. More than you’d think. But there’s a better way. You don’t have to rely on my prayer or anyone else’s. JESUS PRAYED FOR US ALREADY.
Though GOD has healed literally thousands for me, and has given me a powerful ministry in healing, we all know it isn’t me doing it at all, it’s the LORD JESUS, just using me as a “conduit”, if you will, like a wire. But no matter how powerful the gift is I have, it is absolutely useless among people who won’t believe. JESUS himself could do no mighty works in his own village, save he laid his hands on a few sick folk and healed them. And HE marveled at their unbelief. (Mark 6:5-6). Note the scripture says he COULD not do any mighty works there, not that he WOULD not. Unbelief stops faith cold in it’s tracks. If it can stop JESUS, it will surely stop you.
Take a moment out to read the story of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48. Read each account of this same healing, all have different viewpoint of the same incident. What got her healed? Was it Jesus’ anointing? She had heard JESUS was able to heal. But what did JESUS say? Daughter, THY FAITH has made thee whole. You will notice JESUS didn’t pray for her, in fact, she sneaked up behind HIM and TOOK HER HEALING!
How could she do that? She had it settled once and for all that GOD CANNOT LIE! That’s all it took for her. She knew JESUS was healing people by the hand of GOD, and she knew HE was healing all who came to HIM, so she came. She didn’t need an appointment. She didn’t need a prayer, she said within herself, “If I can but touch the hem of HIS garment, I shall be made whole.” Nothing real profound about that statement. That wasn’t such a hard thing to do, lots of people touched JESUS. Many touched HIM just to see what would happen, but nothing did, because a “let’s see what happens” touch requires no faith. Therefore, it makes no demand on GOD. It’s just like a light switch that isn’t turned on. It makes no demand on the electricity to do it’s work.
Her touch was different though, it reached into the heavenlies and DEMANDED HEALING! Hers was a touch that said “I will not be denied!” That kind of faith gets GOD’s attention. GOD is not a respecter of persons, but HE is a respecter of faith. It is written in Hebrews 11:6,“But without faith it is impossible to please HIM: for he that cometh to GOD must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM.”
Now, did you ever stop to think that faith pleases GOD? It must, for without faith, you cannot please HIM. GOD actually is pleased when you make a demand upon HIS power with your faith! Did you get that? GOD loves it when you come to HIM with faith. HE is our loving FATHER GOD, and HE loves to do things for us. Every word in the HOLY BIBLE is true. There are thousands of promises in it of good things for us. How do we get them? By faith!
You know, without faith, you can’t even believe GOD exists. Without faith, you cannot ask JESUS to forgive your sins and be your LORD and SAVIOR. Without faith, you cannot have eternal life with JESUS. And without faith, you cannot be healed. Why not? Isn’t GOD merciful? Yes, HE is merciful, but HE won’t save or heal anyone against their will. HE gives everyone, that includes you, a choice. HE gives to every person the measure of faith. It’s the only one you need. It’s the same size as mine and everyone else’s, and it’s the same size as that which JESUS has. How do I know that? Because JESUS came to earth as a man. And all mankind has the same measure of faith. JESUS didn’t get a bigger portion. HE just used his more than you and I do. But the measure we have will do what HIS did, if we will put it to use. But to do that, we must be absolutely convinced that GOD cannot lie.
Again, why do I say that? Because JESUS told HIS disciples to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils; freely ye have received, freely give”. Get this: we are JESUS’ present-day disciples, if JESUS is our LORD and SAVIOR. Are you with me? Good. Now, most people can handle the “heal the sick” part. Maybe even the “cleanse the lepers” part. But “raise the dead” ? Well, now you’re taking it a little far out there, Jerry! Or am I? Not if you believe GOD cannot lie. I didn’t say those words, JESUS DID!
Now, I’m going to hit you with the big one….If you don’t believe the authority is there for the present day disciples to raise the dead, then you don’t believe it is impossible for GOD to lie. Because one day GOD may back you into the corner and tell YOU to raise the dead.
Then you’ll see if you believe it is impossible for GOD to lie! JESUS said in John 14:12-14, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works that these shall he do; because I go unto my FATHER. And whatsoever ye shall ask in MY name, that will I do, that the FATHER may be glorified in the SON. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Are you still with me? Do you believe it is impossible for GOD to lie? Do you dare to take the words of JESUS literally? I do! That’s why GOD heals so many people for me! I’m not afraid to yank a paralyzed person out of a wheelchair and walk them, because it isn’t my power I’m making a demand on. It’s GOD’s power! And it’s real!
And it’s available to those who dare to take GOD at HIS word!
Hey, let me say it like this, suppose you are my friend, and I know you have lots and lots of money, like my Pastor, and you give me your checkbook and tell me to buy whatsoever my heart desires. I’m going to spend your money, my friend, because you gave me the authority to do so, and I know the checks are good, and there’s money in the bank to back them up. Am I going to be afraid to use that check book? Not on your life! I’m going on a spending spree!!! Well, when I got saved and found out what JESUS said I can have and what I can do through HIS name, I put my faith in HIS words, because I settled it forever in my heart, GOD CANNOT LIE! Let me add this, I didn’t make the promises in the HOLY BIBLE, GOD did. So I don’t have to back them up. GOD does! If I do my part, that is I supply the faith, which, by the way, GOD gave me in the first place, GOD will supply HIS end of the deal. Every time! Is that being presumptuous? No, that’s being wise.
Before I buy anything, I find out how good the word is of the company is that made it. If it’s good, I know I won’t have any problems later on if I have a warranty problem. I know GOD’s word is good, so I know HE will stand behind HIS word, and I won’t be left standing there with egg on my face.
Do you read of any account of JESUS not receiving what HE asked of HIS FATHER? When JESUS was at the tomb of Lazarus, about to raise him from the dead, it is written in John 11:41-45 “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And JESUS lifted up his eyes, and said, FATHER, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they mayest believe that thou hast sent me. And when HE thus had spoken, HE cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, COME FORTH! And He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. JESUS saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which JESUS did, believed on HIM.”
GOD still does signs and wonders and miracles today, by the name of JESUS, that people might believe and be saved. Why? For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life. For GOD sent not HIS SON into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through HIM might be saved! (John 3:16-17). It is still the desire of the FATHER that all might be saved. So HE makes sure HIS word is good to one and all. It is impossible for GOD to lie. Period. Settle that now and forever. And don’t ever go back and “reconsider”, no matter what.
Another thing; you don’t have to have 10,000 people pray for your healing. Actually, your healing was already done by JESUS over 2000 years ago. WAY over 2000 years ago, in fact, by the “lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. So therefore, you could have had it either by the first prayer of healing that was prayed over you, or you could have received it by your own faith without even being prayed for, like the lady who had the issue of blood for twelve years.
But it isn’t going to happen until you believe. I don’t care WHO prays for you. Even if JESUS himself prayed for you, it would not happen unless you believe, and there is scriptural evidence in Mark 6:5-6 and Matthew 9:27-30 to back that up! Let every word be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses, the HOLY BIBLE says in Matthew 18:16.
Now, there are people who will argue the point with me that it isn’t always GOD’s will to heal. And I respect their opinion. But that’s all it is: it’s their opinion. It isn’t GOD’s opinion. HE already gave HIS, and it’s the only one that matters. Not mine, not yours, not anyone else’s, either. You can take my opinion, and $1.29 and go to your local cafe and buy a cup of coffee with it. It’s worth that much. Unless you are in New York. Then it’ll cost you $2.29. But GOD’s opinion is worth all there is in the whole creation! Stick with God’s opinion. You won’t lose any arguments that way. I mean, who’s dumb enough to argue with God? (I’ll let you think on that one for a few minutes before reading on.)
Experience tells me that the more people that someone asks to pray for their healing, the less likely they are to ever receive it. Now, I know the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much“. But it doesn’t “availeth over unbelief”. Not even JESUS’ prayers could do that. And if HIS can’t, yours can’t. That’s a word for someone out there. Receive it and be made wiser still. Prayers of faith of multitudes of others are no substitute for your faith. You may get healed on someone else’s prayer of faith, like mine, but you won’t keep it without your own faith. GOD isn’t moved by needs. HE is moved by faith. If HE were moved by needs, there would be no starving children in India or anywhere else. Yes, one man praying in faith can feed thousands of hungry people if that is what GOD moves him to pray for. By the way, the HOLY SPIRIT moves people what to pray for, but that’s another story for another time.
So line your faith up with what GOD says, and you will have your healing. I can go out on a limb and boldly say that, because I know the limb I stand on is firmly attached to the trunk of the tree, which is GOD! What’s it going to be? Take GOD at HIS word and be healed, or, continue to let the devil talk you out of it? It’s your decision. Go out on a limb with GOD!
There’s fruit out there, I say!