Mercy: I Desire it From All My Heart

The combination of a book that I finished recently, and some things I have experienced personally in the last few months, have caused me to reflect on the mercy of God.

The book, (10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, © 2006) is a true story of a man diagnosed with a particularly fast-working cancer.  He has a tumor the size of a golf ball that grows to be the size of basketball, in just a few days.  The doctor’s prognosis gives him just ten hours to live.  There’s no known cure for this type of cancer!

The shock of hearing that he probably wouldn’t survive the day, causes him to pray, and to immerse himself in Scripture. By a miracle, he survives the night and he begins to study healing scriptures, print them out and hang them all around his room.  He memorizes them and speaks them out loud to his atheist doctors.

The doctors want to start him on Chemotherapy, so he goes to a specialist, who examines him and sends a report back to his doctors that said simply N.E.D. – No Evidence of Disease,  The doctors convince him to start the chemo treatment anyway.

The book talks about how much damage that it did to his body; how sick he became; how near death he was.  He was in the hospital for six months, but he survived.

"In February 1988, one year from when I’d been admitted, I returned to the NIH for my six-month checkup. After examining me from head to toe, Dr. Rosenberg said, “Brian, there’s something that you need to know. We gave you seven drugs that were experimental and had never been researched or tested. Now that we’ve had time to test them both in the lab and in experimental use, we’ve learned some things. We now know that the drugs which made up the protocol we gave you don’t even treat Burkitt’s lymphoma. But that’s not all. The drugs themselves are so lethal that we’ve discontinued their use. The drugs killed everyone we gave them to…except you."

(10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 59)

Brian Wills is the only known survivor of that type of cancer.  What a powerful story about the mercy of God.

Today, I want to post on the mercy of God, and I want to look at one specific event in the Bible to illustrate my point:

Matthew 8:1-4 (Wuest)
And having come down from the mountain, great crowds followed with Him. And behold, a leper having come, fell upon his knees and touched the ground with his forehead in an expression of profound reverence before Him, saying, Master, in the event that you may be having a heartfelt desire, you are able to cleanse me. And having stretched out His hand He touched him saying, I am desiring it from all my heart. Be cleansed at once. And immediately his leprosy was cured by being cleansed away. And Jesus says to him, See to it, do not tell even one person, but be going away, show yourself at once as evidence to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses enjoined, as a testimony to them.

Jesus’ Desire

Here we see a man who has, no doubt, suffered greatly.  Leprosy, in those days, was a horrible thing to suffer.  It was a death sentence.  Lepers were forbidden to be in contact with other people including their families – No Contact! (Kind of sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) They saw their children raised from a distance.  Their families left food out for them, they would come after they had gone to bed to get and eat the food.  They couldn’t touch them – They couldn’t have a conversation, unless it was shouted from a distance.

This doesn’t even mention what the disease was doing to them, physically; it was debilitating.  There was, no doubt, great suffering.  It was even illegal for this man to even approach this close to Jesus.  He was desperate.

This is one of my favorite scriptures on healing, because of this:

"And having stretched out his hand He touched him saying, I am desiring it from all my heart."

There are two things here that show God’s mercy:

First – He touched him.  This is a man who hasn’t been touched in a long time.  Being touched is a basic human need – we all need the touch of another human being.  It was almost as if he had lost his humanity.  Jesus gave that humanity back to him with this one simple gesture.

The other thing that shows God’s mercy is what Jesus says, “I am desiring it from all my heart.”  He’s not a God who doesn’t care about us.  He’s not an angry or capricious God.  He’s a God who desires from all his heart that we be healed.  There’s a redemptive quality to His mercy.

Think about this – What is the origin of sickness and death?  Sin, rebellion and violation of God’s commands.  The Bible tells us that death is what we deserve from our sin and rebellion, but this scripture tells us that God, in the person of Jesus, desires that we be made whole once again. It tells us that it’s a deep desire – from all of His heart!  That’s mercy.  The punishment is removed!  The sin is forgiven!

There’s another event in the Bible that illustrates this:

Mark 2:2-5 (NKJV)
^2:2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. ³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

These men bring a paralyzed man to Jesus.  They’re looking for him to be healed.  The first thing Jesus does is forgive his sins.  This causes quite a stir among the Pharisees, but look at what happens next:

Mark 2:9-11 (NKJV)
^2:9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

Jesus Himself equates the forgiveness of sins with healing.  Healing is a product of atonement!

The Activator of Mercy

In our text, as the leper approaches Jesus, he makes the statement:

Matthew 8:2 (Wuest)

And behold, a leper having come, fell upon his knees and touched the ground with his forehead in an expression of profound reverence before Him, saying, Master, in the event that you may be having a heartfelt desire, you are able to cleanse me.

The first part of his statement is made in his actions.  He comes to Jesus and falls down before Him and worships Him.  He knows whom Jesus is!  You don’t worship a man!  You worship God!

The second part of the statement is in words, “If you’re willing you can cleanse me!” (Matthew 8:2 NKJV)  He knows that Jesus is able to heal him.  He’s not asking can you heal me, he’s basically saying, “I know that you can heal me, but are you willing to heal me?”  Both of those together are a statement of the faith of the leper.

We see this in the other event, as well.  The four friends of the paralyzed man are convinced that Jesus can heal their friend, if they can just get him to Jesus.  They climb to the top of the roof, carrying this bedridden man, break up the roof, and lower him down in front of Jesus.  You don’t go to that kind of trouble unless you’re convinced Jesus will help.  What does the Scripture say was Jesus’ reaction?

Mark 2:5 (NKJV)
^2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

When He saw their faith, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven!”  Faith is the activator of Mercy.  We see this in other healing events:

The Centurion’s Servant

A centurion has a servant who is sick.  Jesus offers to come and heal the man, but the centurion says, “you only need to say the word and he will be healed!”

Matthew 8:13 (NKJV)
^8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Matthew 9:20-22 (NKJV)
^9:20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹ For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." ²² But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

The Canaanite Woman

This woman, who is not a Jew, comes and cries out to Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter.  At first Jesus ignores her; He’s come for the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:25-28 (NKJV)
^15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" ²⁶ But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." ²⁷ And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

In each case Jesus’ mercy was activated by faith.  These are five examples.  

Do you remember that I said healing comes with the atonement?

1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
^2:24 [Jesus] who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.

When Jesus died the blood that was shed through His stripes purchased our healing.  Look at the wording, “By whose stripes you were healed.”  It is already done.  The healing has already taken place, but now through faith we activate that in our lives.

Activate Healing in Your Life

I really believe that most of us have more faith in the natural than the supernatural.  We do all kinds of things on faith:  Drive our cars, fly in airplanes, even cross the street, but can we believe in Jesus for healing?  Let me illustrate with another event from the Bible:

Mark 9:17-19 (NKJV)
^9:17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸ And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." ¹⁹ He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

This man brings his epileptic son to the Apostles, but they can’t heal him.  Jesus says the problem is faith; they have none.  There’s no shortage of mercy on God’s part, the problem is with our faith.  We’re looking for God to move, but do we have the faith to believe that it can happen?  We want God’s mercy but we’re not quite sure.  Look at what happens after the child is brought to Jesus:

Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)
^9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

I believe that this man is like many of us, he believes but there is still unbelief!

It’s interesting, I can have the faith to pray for people to be healed, and I have seen people healed.  I can have faith for others, but I don’t always have faith enough for myself. 

Mercy is activated by faith.  That’s how we get saved.  That’s how our sin is removed, our faith activates the mercy of God.  That man’s prayer should also be our prayer, “Lord, I believe – Help my unbelief!”  If you need God’s mercy that prayer should also be your prayer!

Dominion: Words Can Move Mountains - Part 2

Dominion is the ability to overcome and defeat the devil, and his plans for you!  This week’s post is basically part 2 of last week’s post. So, today, I want to post about one place that dominion can be found in our lives:  The words that we speak!  What we say and how we say it can affect what happens in our lives.  Let’s start with our text:

Mark 11:22-23 (NKJV)
^11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Agree with God

Even a cursory look at Genesis, chapter 1 will show you the power that words contain.  The entire universe was spoken into existence!  Eight times in Genesis, the Bible says, “And God said…”  You might say, “Well, that’s God, of course His words have power!”  Today, I want to show you that your words, spoken in faith, have power, as well.

There are two ways to look at everything you face – every circumstance – every problem – every sickness!  Many times, we tend to take ownership of the problem.  “I have Muscular Dystrophy,” as if I own it – I possess it – “It’s my MD.”  There’s a different way to think of it and speak it! If you speak the issues, the symptoms, the disease as belonging to you, you become, what I call “problem conscious.”  You’re thinking about those things; you’re reinforcing them.  Your thought processes are focused on the suffering.  Speak always what you want the end result to be.  In that way you become “God conscious.”

There is the story of the leper that came to Jesus for healing, in Matthew chapter 8: “If you having a desire you can cleanse me.”  Jesus replied, “I am desiring it from all my heart.” (Matt 8:2-3 Weust) God’s desire to bring healing, comes from all His heart.  So, we need to speak as if He’s going to do just that!  We need to come into agreement with God.

God told Abraham that he would be the father of nations; that his descendants would number as the sands on the seashore.  Abraham at that time was almost one hundred years old, and his wife Sarah was barren.

Romans 4:19-21 (NKJV)
^4:19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

He believed God; He came into agreement with God.  All that God needs to move in your life is your agreement.  God will not override your will.  So often we say things like, “I believe God for His promises,” but what do the other words we speak say?  “I’m so deep in debt!”  “I can’t solve this problem!”  “Maybe this is God’s will!”  It’s not His will!  Jesus came to give abundant life.  It’s the devil that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Think about this – Every miracle in the Bible involved words.  Jesus healed with words – He rebuked storms with words.  If we want to come into agreement with God, we need to speak faith-filled words – OUT LOUD - and we need to believe the words we speak!

Abraham was fully convinced that God would perform (notice that I said would, not could), would perform what He said.  Speak of it as if you know that it’ll happen!

Jeremiah 1:12 (AMP)
^1:12 Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

God will perform His word – He’s watching over it so that He can perform it.  God is fully capable and willing to move in our lives.  Usually, we are the roadblock to miracles in our lives.  It’s us that speak words of doubt and unbelief.  It’s us that think our circumstances are unsolvable.  When we can’t see a way for them to be solved, then we’re not in agreement with God.

We forget that God isn’t bound by the limitations that we’re bound by.  The Bible says, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible!”  Do you really believe that?  We have an intellectual belief in that, but are you like Abraham?  Are you fully convinced that God can perform His word?  Do you live and speak as if you’re fully convinced?  Because that’s where the miracles are.  That’s how the mountains move – Living and speaking as if it will be so!  

The Power of Your Words

“Years ago, a famous basketball player had a heart attack and died at thirty-nine years old.  His collapse on a basketball court during a pickup game was a shock to most people!  What most of them didn’t know was that, for years, he’d repeatedly said, “I’ll never live to be forty years old.”  That young man was the prophet of his own life.”

Source:  10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 99

You are the prophet of your life!  Here’s a young man, he made a claim that he would never live to be forty years old.  He said that over and over, and as if it was a prophecy, it came true in his life.  I want to contrast that story with this one:

“As I lay there on what my doctors called my death bed, I began to say with my mouth, ‘I call my body healed.  I call my body whole.  I declare that my body functions according to the way God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name!’  I spoke that way to the tumor that measured nine inches across my abdomen.  I woke up one morning and the tumor was gone!”

Source: 10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 101

Here’s a young man who spoke the exact opposite of the words of the other man.  He spoke words of healing.  He spoke words of promise.  He spoke faith-filled words – He was in agreement with God!

What both of these stories have in common is that these men’s lives were affected by words that they spoke.  You can’t convince me that words don’t have power.  When the words that we speak line up with God’s words, then God “watches over His words to perform them.”

I’m not talking about the words of your thoughts, I’m talking about the words you speak – out loud!  I pray out loud, so I can hear my words spoken.  Why you ask?  Because faith comes by hearing.  If you want to have faith that God will move in your circumstances, the hear the words of faith spoken out loud. 

When I pray for people, I don’t just put my hand on their heads and pray silently.  Do you know why?  I want them to hear the words that I’m praying, so that they can believe them.  Then they can apply them to their lives..

Receiving a miracle is an active thing.  It’s more than just thinking that God will heal us.  I had a friend that always told me, “I know God is going to deliver me from smoking,” but he just kept on smoking.  He never stopped.  He’d been saved for twenty-five years, and thinking that for twenty-five years.  It never happened.  He didn’t speak like it was something that God was doing.  He didn’t live and act like it was something God was doing.  It was always something God was going to do; never what God was doing!  So, he sat there and smoked and waited – He died of Lung Cancer.

Why didn’t God deliver him?  I think its because he never really thought it was possible.  I wonder what would have happened if he put down the cigarettes and said, “God deliver-ED me from smoking!”  Faith filled words of agreement with God.  My thought is that he would have been delivered.

What problems are you facing in life?  What words are you speaking?  Are you agreeing with God or wallowing in unbelief?  Are you like the basketball player, prophesying your death or like the cancer patient, fully convinced that God will heal?  Are you waiting around for a miracle?  Waiting for God to move in your circumstances, or living like God already did it, and declaring what God has done?

These are important questions that speak to actions of faith.  We can all say, “Yeah, yeah, I know God can do miracles,”  but do you live and speak like God can do a miracle in YOUR life?

The world tries to convince us that these things are fake, or weird.  The world has its own system, but the world’s system is “death oriented”.  It doesn’t take into account a personal, concerned and loving God that can and will change circumstances.  The world’s system is focused on “science” and medicine, or mankind’s intellect.  There’s no room for a supernatural move of God, but that’s where miracles are found…in the supernatural.

Words Move Mountains

I want to close with this:

Matthew 18:18 (NKJV)
^18:18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

What that means is:

Matthew 18:18 (NLT)
^18:18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

This goes back to speaking.  Think about what the cancer patient spoke.

“I call my body healed.  I call my body whole.  I declare that my body functions according to the way God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name!”  

I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name.  What you permit on earth will be permitted in Heaven. What you forbid on earth will be forbidden in Heaven.  If you don’t speak and forbid those things then you’re permitting them.  The young basketball player permitted an early death.  My friend permitted an early death.

Think about that cancer patient. even though the doctors were all convinced that he was going to die – even though the psychologists were warning him to make funeral arrangements while he still, “had time.”  They told him he couldn’t be healed.  They told him it was hopeless.  They told him death was inevitable, but he didn’t believe their report.  He believed the word of God and told them:

Psalms 118:17 (NLT)
^118:17 I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.

Whose report will you believe?

Editor’s note:  If you are sick, please go to the doctor and take advantage of their education and training.  I’m not anti-doctor, but also know that you can influence a supernatural move of God in your life by speaking words of faith, and living like God has already moved.  In my life, I listen to my doctors and also proclaim God’s word over myself.

We Need the Supernatural

What I think we need is the supernatural!  We need God to move beyond our abilities.  God has used the supernatural before, as a way to draw people in to hear the Gospel. 

We want to have an impact on our community.  We want to see the will of God working in the lives of our friends, families, coworkers and neighbors.  If people see the supernatural working in us, then they will be able to believe that God who can have an impact on their lives.  Today, I want to post on God’s use of the supernatural.

Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV)
^8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.

Signs and Wonders

How many know that people are looking for real power?  That’s why there are so many religions.  People are looking for a power that will move them beyond where own abilities can take them.  People need a God who has power, it that right?  Don’t we all want a God who can meet needs that we have struggled to meet?  Everybody is searching for a God that has power.

Well, here is the good news – WE serve a God of miracles.  He opened the Red Sea.  He rained food from Heaven.  He brought water out of a rock.  He held the sun in one place.  God is a God of the supernatural.

Jesus also brought about miracles:

Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
^10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

So we are serving a God of power.  It’s one thing to explain that to people.  We can tell people that Jesus did miracles.  We can tell them what Jesus did and people will accept it.  There’s a difference, though, between accepting what we say and seeing the miracle happen before their eyes.  There’s a difference.  In our text, Philip preaches Jesus and people listened and accepted what he said because of the miracles that Philip did. 

Nicodemus was a leader of the Jews.  He had a seat on the Sanhedrin.  He was a Pharisee and he said to Jesus, “We know that you have come from God because no one can do the things you have been doing unless God is with him.”  That element of the supernatural is what convinced Nicodemus of who Jesus was.  Look at this scripture:

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)
^16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

In other words, there will be signs that follow us: Demons will be cast out.  We’ll speak with new tongues.  We’ll lay hands on the sick and they’ll recover.  What are those things?  They’re miracles; they’re signs.  Jesus performed those signs and people believed.

John 11:43-45 (NKJV)
^11:43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

They believed because they saw the miracle.  Philip performed those signs and people believed.  We need a visible dimension of the supernatural in our church.  We need to be like Philip and demonstrate the Power of God. 

One of the things that was really exciting as a new convert was seeing the miracles of healing.  This week, as we did communion a couple of people got healed and it was refreshing to hear them just say, “Hey it’s gone.”  It was fun to see them get as excited as I did, when I was a young believer.  People get saved because they can see the Power of God.

John 2:23 (NKJV)
^2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.

Many believed in His name when they saw the signs.  The signs He did persuaded them.  Jesus even sent out His disciples and told them:

Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV)
^10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

He’s telling the “Use the signs.”  Use the supernatural – show them the signs.  In our day and hour we also need to show the Power of God.

The Early Church

The Book of Acts is full of men showing the Power of God.  There is huge growth in the early churches men like Philip were scattered from Jerusalem and ended up in far-flung places, preaching Jesus and performing miracles.  There will always be arguments against logic.  People can counter just about anything that you’ve said, but it’s difficult to argue against a leg growing out when you’ve seen it with your own eyes.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the enemies of God platted to kill Jesus because of that act.  They also plotted to kill Lazarus.

John 12:9-11 (NKJV)
^12:9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

How could they deny Jesus’ power when this man who everyone knew had died is standing right there?

Acts 3:6-7 (NKJV)
^3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Peter and John, at the Gate Beautiful raised a lame man and the Bible says many heard the word and believed; about five thousand of them.

Acts 5:15-16 (NKJV)
^5:15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

People brought out the sick and lame in the hopes that Peter’s shadow would fall across them and they’d be healed.

Acts 19:11-12 (NKJV)
^19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Paul gave people handkerchiefs and articles of clothing and people got healed.

This is how the church was birthed.  This was God’s strategy for reaching men.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  I believe that this same strategy is available to us today.  All of this is the power we were told we would receive through the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8:

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
^1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

God is telling us that when we receive the Holy Spirit we receive power to be witnesses of Him, and we can use that power to do the things that He did.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit.

This is for believers. It’s not just for pastors and evangelists.  It’s for believers like you and I.  Anything pastors and evangelists can do – you can do.  I think we need to use the supernatural on outreaches and in church services.  We can show people that there’s an alternative to the traditional Taiwanese religion.  We can show them the power that God has and that the idols don’t have.

A Plan of Attack

I think there’s a problem in a large part of the church world, today.  I believe that a big part of the problem is that people don’t have faith.  They don’t have faith to give. They don’t have the faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  They don’t have faith to witness and testify, and they don’t have faith to pray for the sick.  Some people I’ve prayed for don’t even have the faith to accept that they’ve been healed.  I pray for them and we see God do something powerful in them and I ask them, “What about the pain?”  They say, “Well, it doesn’t hurt…RIGHT NOW.”  There are even those who don’t even have the faith to be prayed for.

We’re Pentecostals.  We believe that what happened on the day of Pentecost is still happening today.  At least, that’s what we’re supposed to believe.  What did Peter have that we don’t?  He was uneducated.  He was a fisherman, not a theologian.  He was an average guy, not really special in any way, but God did powerful miracles through him.  People thought, “If his shadow falls on me, I can be healed.”  What did Peter have that you don’t?  Maybe it’s the faith that God could use him:  Faith that the promise of the Holy Spirit is real.

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
^2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

WE are the ones who are afar off – As many as the Lord will call.  He’s not looking for someone who’s special.  If you’re saved – You’re called.  WE are the ones who will prophecy and have visions.  WE are the ones this promise is for.    THESE are the last days.  We need to pray and contend for the supernatural in our churches.  We need to stand in faith and pray for the sick.  We need to contend for more of the Holy Spirit.  We need to pray, read our Bible and come to church to bolster and strengthen our faith, and we need to step out in that faith.

In the Old Testament, there’s a moment when the Ark of the Covenant is captured.  The Ark of the Covenant is proof of the power of God because it contains the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God.  There is also a bowl of the miracle food that God provided to Israel while they were in the desert.  Finally, it also contains Aaron’s rod that, through a miracle budded in the desert. The ark was captured by the Philistines and they put it in a room with their gods, particularly Dagon, who is the fish god.  The next morning Dagon had been thrown down from his shelf and shattered.  Dagon, the idol lay in pieces on the ground, as God showed his power is beyond that of the idols.  God did that supernaturally.  He threw Dagon down supernaturally.  I believe that it’s time that some idols fell in our cities and nations.  Let’s cry out for a supernatural move of God.

Faith is Action

This is part  two of “Praying in Faith.”

A couple of weeks ago I posted on faith.  In that post, I said simple human faith is found in the phrase, “Seeing is believing.”  In other words, I’ll believe it when I see it.  I also said that REAL faith is found in the phrase, “Believing is seeing,” or I see it because I believe it.  But that’s not the whole concept. 

There’s another component that’s also very important, that’s embodied in this phrase, “Faith is action.”  So, what I want to post today, is part two, of that post:  Faith is Action.

Acts 14:7-10 (NKJV)
^14:7 And they were preaching the gospel there. ⁸ And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.

Going Beyond Seeing is Believing

I want to start by refreshing your memory:

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
^11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I talked about this in the context of the woman with the issue of blood.  She’d been afflicted for twelve years.  She’d spent all her money on doctors.  She’d been hoping for a cure, thinking, “I will be cured when the symptoms disappear.”  This is how most of us are – We have to see it in order to believe it. 

Then the woman sought out Jesus and found Him in a multitude.  She KNEW that she would be healed, if she could just touch the hem of His garment and she took the action necessary to see that done.  Jesus then told her, “Your faith has made you well.”  Where was her faith found?  It was found in the action.  That action of faith was the thing that made the healing that she had been hoping for real.  Those things that are hoped for become real when we act as if they are.  That brings us to our text.

Here is a man in Lystra, who has been crippled for his entire life.  Paul comes across him as he’s preaching in that city.  Paul sees the man listening, sees that he has the faith to be healed and says to him, “Stand up straight on your feet!”  The man leaps to his feet and walks!

Let’s look at what happened here.  The man is sitting there; this is what he’s always done.  He’s been like this his whole life.  He hears the Gospel and he believes.  Now, this is where it gets interesting.  Paul tells him to stand up on his feet.  At this moment, from the man’s perspective, nothing has changed.  He hasn’t seen any change take place in his legs.  He hasn’t walked a step, yet.  He’s still the same as when he sat down, except that now he has faith, and in that faith, without seeing – He leaps up!  Suddenly, that healing becomes real.

All of us that are Christians have faith.  We have the faith to be healed – The problem is that we don’t act as if we are already healed.  There was no apparent evidence that the man was healed before he leaped up.  He just believed it and acted as if it was true, and it became real.  Faith is found in action.

The woman with the issue of blood is the same thing:

Mark 5:25-28 (NKJV)
^5:25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."

For twelve years she suffered.  She went to doctors – The Bible says she suffered many things.  She wasn’t getting better, in fact she was getting worse, but she knew that if she could just touch Jesus’ clothes that she would be well.  She believed.  She had faith, and so having faith that this would heal her she did it:

Luke 8:44b (NKJV)
^8:44b And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

She wasn’t getting better as she got closer.  She wasn’t hoping that touching His clothes would heal her.  She believed, and took action in that belief:

Luke 8:48 (NKJV)
^8:48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

Faith is found in action:  Faith IS action

Contrasting Real Faith with Just Believing

I wonder how many of you really believe the promises that are written out for you in the Bible.  Promises like this:

Malachi 3:10 (NKJV)
^3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

God promises blessing when we bring our tithes.  How many of you are willing to put that into action?  The man from Lystra heard the promises in Paul’s preaching and had the faith to leap up, even though there was no visual evidence that anything would change.  Do you have that kind of faith when it comes to tithing?

What about this promise:

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)
^16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

God promises that when hands are laid on the sick they will recover.  How many believe that’s true?  So, who has the faith to lay hands on the sick?  Who has the faith to be well when hands are laid on you?  The man in Lystra and the woman with the issue of blood did.

I want to show you the difference between believing wholeheartedly and Faith:

Mark 4:36-38 (NKJV)
^4:36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"

So, here we have the disciples riding with Jesus across the sea.  A storm comes up.  The boat starts taking on water.  These men are experienced fisherman – They have seen storms before.  This is nothing new for them. 

They know Jesus.  They’ve seen the miracles and the power.  They know who He is.  They’ve followed Him.  They believe in Him, wholeheartedly.  They had to know that is wasn’t His destiny to drown in the sea.  So, why was there so much fear?  Jesus even asks them, “How is it that you have no faith?”  We know that they believe, but we don’t see the actions of faith.  If they had faith they wouldn’t have woken him up.

Now, I want to show you someone who has faith:

1 Samuel 14:6 (NKJV)
^14:6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few."

Here’s the story:  Israel is facing the Philistines, once again.  Only Jonathan and Saul have real weapons – swords and armor.  Jonathan believes the statement, “Nothing can restrain God from saving by many or saving by few.”  He believes that, wholeheartedly.  He speaks that to his armor bearer.  Remember, in my last post, “The Rabshakeh” I wrote that words have power.  The Rabshakeh used them to deceive, discourage and demoralize.  In this case, Jonathan uses them to incite faith in his armor bearer. 

Jonathan put that belief into action – Faith is action.  Right then, he went from believing to faith:

1 Samuel 14:15-16 (NKJV)
^14:15 And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling. ¹⁶ Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there.

God moved.  Jonathan’s action of faith activated a move of God.  The man from Lystra was healed as he leaped.  The woman with the issue of blood was healed as she touched Jesus’ clothes.  The Philistines were defeated as Jonathan moved up.  God will move as YOU take an action of faith.

Most of us are like the disciples in the storm.  We believe – but in the storms of life we allow unbelief to creep in.  Not completely; we don’t stop believing in God:  We just forget that a move of God is activated by our own movement; the movement of our faith.

How to Put Faith into Action

So, how can you turn faith like Jonathan’s loose in your life?  Jesus tells us how to put faith into action in Mark 11:

Mark 11:22-23 (NKJV)
^11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

So, there it is – “Whoever says…”  Stop and listen to yourself sometime.  How many times do you speak in unbelief?  When we get healed we act as if it’s temporary.  “It doesn’t hurt right now… at this moment; I believe that it’ll be back later, though.    Stand up straight on your feet!  How many times have I heard that? – “I would if I could.”  Here I sit, in this wheelchair.

The point here is that you have to begin by changing the way that you think about faith.  You have to begin by speaking I faith.  We say things like “God WILL help us.”  “God WILL change our circumstances.”  That’s not speaking in faith, though.  It’s speaking in hope.  Faith says, “I’ll receive it right now.”

1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
^2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.

This is a really interesting scripture.  It doesn’t say by His stripes you WILL get healed.  It’s not future tense.  It says by His stripes you WERE healed.  This is Past Tense, as if it has already happened.  So, we are already healed – Why aren’t we living that?  Why aren’t we speaking that?  Faith is right now!  It’s already happened.  If we think and act like that then it will be so.  Jonathan says, “He can heal by many or by few.”  He didn’t say maybe He can.  He said nothing restrains Him.  There is no roadblock to a move of God if you have faith.  Often, we are the roadblock.

Begin to speak and think in faith.  The actions will follow.  God blesses when we give.  God heals when we lay hands.  It doesn’t matter what we see… It matters what we do!

Editor’s note:  I preached this sermon in my church, recently.  At the conclusion of the sermon, I stood up out of my wheelchair.”