We All Have a Story Part 5 (deliverance and healing)
Those of you who know me, are aware that I am a very common man. I do have a Bachelor and Masters Degree of Theology. My degrees have been helpful in opening avenues of ministry in the secular world, i.e. doing prison ministry and counseling. However, the education and knowledge which means the most to me has come from studying the Word of God and applying what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me. The Holy Spirit is our greatest teacher. We read in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit (Spirit of truth) will guide us into all truth. Then, 1 John 2:27 tells us, "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." According to the Spirit Filled Life Bible, "the anointing and illuminating power of the Holy Spirit enables us to distinguish truth from error." It adds that, "to receive spiritual knowledge under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is to know truth in a way that human instruction cannot provide."
Today, I am going to share stories that relate to two aspects the Lord Jesus spoke of in Mark 16:17 and 18. Jesus said, "In My name, they (those who believe) will cast out demons" and "they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
In over forty years of ministry, Donna and I have had many opportunities to minister in both of these areas. If I said we were experts in either, it would not be true. We learn continually through studying His Word and moving in obedience to what He directs us to do. There have been times we have seen instant healings or deliverance. At other times, we have not seen immediate results, however, we later received reports of time and tenacity ending in positive results. We also have had cases where, because of a lack of contact or because of distances, we have not heard any reports. Point in case, where just the other day, Donna prayed for a young lady who was in obvious pain at a store in Chillicothe. Our responsibility before the Lord, is to be obedient to go where He leads us to go and to do what He leads us to do. You see, ultimately, God is responsible for the outcome - our part is to move in obedience.
Early in my ministry, God gave me a dream showing a situation which required deliverance or the casting out of a demon. At the time, I had no ministry experience in that area, so I immediately started studying what the scriptures and books, written by men I could trust, on the topic taught. Not long after that, I received a call from a woman I had not met, asking me to go minister to a young patient in the mental ward of our local hospital. She stated that she had called every other pastor in town and not one would even consider seeing the patient. Through the dream the Lord had given me, and the studying I had done, I realized He had been preparing me to be used in the deliverance ministry. Understand though, this was only the beginning of our study, preparation and training. The Lord has brought us into a balanced practical ministry of deliverance. We have learned that the ministries of healing and deliverance can go hand in hand, in cases where the Spirit reveals that a demon is the cause of the malady in a person's life. When that is the case, that is what needs to be dealt with.
One event on my time line, occurred when I was a guest speaker at my home church, with about 450 people in attendance. Prior to my speaking, a man in the congregation began to have an epileptic seizure. The congregation was used to ministry where the pastor would use anointing oil and lay hands on the sick, (James 5:14). At the Pastor's request, the elders carried the gentleman, who was sitting in a chair, to the front of the sanctuary. At this point, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me saying, "I want you to cast that demon out." I knew that most of these people had never seen a deliverance. I was extremely apprehensive and yet, knew I had to obey. I stepped forward and asked the Pastor if I could minister to the man. He responded, "Certainly," and handed the bottle of anointing oil to me. I told him that I would not need it. I then commanded the spirit of epilepsy to leave the man, in the name of Jesus. The spirit immediately left and the man stopped seizing and went limp. Then he stood and ran his hands up and down over his body. He had never come out of a seizure so quickly and completely. At this point, the Holy Spirit spoke to me again and said, "Cast out the spirit of nicotine also. Acting in obedience, I commanded that spirit to also leave. The demon resisted and the gentleman began to yell, "No, no!" I told the spirit that I was not "asking" but standing on my authority through Jesus' name. This spirit also left. Luke 10:17b and 19, ""Lord, even the demons are subject (to submit to one's control) to us in Your name." 19 "Behold, I give you the authority (exousia, the power of authority and of right, delegated authority) to trample (crush with the feet) on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Another event on my time line occurred following my speaking at an AGLOW International meeting. A woman approached me and asked if I would minister to her son, who was having serious mental and emotional problems. She had brought him to the meeting. He came up to me and when I reached out to lay hands on him, he pushed me and said loudly, "Don't touch me!" (This young man looked like a body builder.) At this time, he crouched down, held out clawed hands, and narrowed his eyes, so that he looked like a caged animal. I began to pray in the Spirit and asked the Lord to show me this demon's name. As I prayed, I paced in a half circle around the young man. He remained in the crouched position and pivoted, keeping his focus on me the entire time. When the Spirit revealed the demon's name, I cast it out in Jesus' name. This young very muscular man stood, threw his arms around me, and cried like a baby. Praise God, He set this captive free! Jesus told us to minister as He did and that is what we must do.
The next event I will share took place when our oldest son was about three years old. In the middle of the night, we were awakened by his crying. When we entered his room, he said his head really hurt. We also found that his temperature was high, he was red and extremely hot to the touch. We immediately gave him a fever reducer and put him in a tub of tepid water. His fever came down enough that we put him back to bed with the idea of keeping watch as to whether the fever increased or continued to stay down. Donna went back to lay down, however, the Spirit of the Lord brought the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 to my mind. (I encourage you to read the story in verses 8 to 38). To summarize, a servant brought the woman's son to her from the field. The boy was complaining about a headache. The mother held her son on her lap until he died. The Holy Spirit told me that satan was trying to steal my son and that I was to intercede for him. I went into my study, got on my face before the Lord and prayed in the Spirit until He gave me the release that my son was healed. When our son woke in the morning, he was perfectly fine. No fever, no headache, nothing! Praise God for His intervention!
There was a couple, who visited our church, who had a two year old daughter with extreme clubbed feet. Her condition was so bad that her feet faced totally inward. At the end of the service, when I began a ministry time, her mother brought her forward for prayer. The mother held the little girl on her lap. I placed the heels of her feet on the open palms of my hands. I commanded her ankles and knees to straighten in the name of Jesus. What happened next was a miracle from God! On their own, her feet began to turn on my open hands. The sound was like BBs grinding together inside her ankles and knees. Her feet turned one way, then the other and continued doing so. Eventually, they stopped, right in the position where normal feet would be! The mother set, this little girl, who had never walked before, on her feet on the floor. She took off walking as if she had always been able to walk previously! There are no words to express experiencing and seeing God's awesome manifested power in this way!
It is amazing how the Lord teaches and encourages us. As I have shared these parts of our story, know this, when these kinds of things happen, there is absolutely no doubt that it is God, who performs the miraculous, through us. We are humbled every time the Lord brings these things to our remembrance.
We read in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Then, in John 14:12-14 Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Friends, I understand completely that apart from God, I am nothing and can do nothing. However, I also understand that I am a part of the body of Christ and, as such, I make myself available to Him to do His work here on the planet as He sees fit and directs. For what purpose? That the Father may be glorified!
As one who believes, as we saw in Mark 16:17 and 18, these signs and wonders will follow you!
I pray you will open yourself to His Spirit today and be ready to commit yourself to allowing Him to use you as He desires and directs you! All for His glory and honor!
I would appreciate hearing from you. Feel free to leave a comment, especially if this message has encouraged or inspired you. Walk in His peace and love! Till next time, God bless.