JESUS: UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERY AND POWER OF HIS NAME 4 Understanding The Healing Ministry Of Jesus

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today for ever

Heb 13: 8

Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is so are we in this world"

l John.4:17

If the name of Jesus is an investment of G.o.d in the church with the main purpose of accomplis.h.i.+ng what our lord accomplished in his earth ministry then it is expedient for us to understand the healing ministry of Jesus.

The first thing you need to know is that Jesus healed on two platforms. One by the anointing and other on the basis of the individual faith of the sick. The one by the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the manifestation of the spiritual gifts as the Holy Ghost wills. Let us see an instance out of more than nineteen individual healings recorded in the four gospels.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda having five porches.

In these lay a great mult.i.tude of impotent folk, of blind, Balt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water

And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years

When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, wilt thou be made whole?

The important man answered him, sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Jesus said unto him, Rise, takes up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole.

John 5:2-9.

I. Through the operation of one or more spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit must have shown Jesus the will of the lord for that day. This included the issue of this man.

II. There were many folks who were sick in the porches and none other was given the benefit of this miracle.

III. We may not be able to say what prompted this divinely-ordained encounter with this man but it will certainly not be far from compa.s.sion and mercy of the lord in the face of his helplessness.

IV. This man was not expecting healing from Jesus as he did not even know him. He was neither exercising any faith nor aware of anything like that. In fact his focus was on the pool of water and the unpredictable visit of healing angels. Do you know the world is full of men like that who still keep on trying to be healed through medicine when the best of doctors have giving up on their cases. They ought to turn to the greatest physician who manufactured the human body.

V. Since Jesus was acting on divine instruction the power of the Holy Spirit must have surged through the body of the sick without his having a control over it. Noting could have brought up this man except the supernatural.

VI. You will see further in the pa.s.sage that sin opened the man to those afflicting demons. Jesus searched out for him to warn him.

Going further with the story you will observe that the man never bothered to inquire of the name of the healer. He later joined the Pharisees. It shows the depth of his moral degradation.

The scriptures portray G.o.d as a very positive G.o.d – positive in words and action. I am sure a man like this would possibly have lost his healing. But the bible has no time to monitor men who are so foolish as to lose their healing.

We also know that Jesus healed the sick on the platform of their individual faith. Since faith is an action based on G.o.d's word, faith is a priority to him.

So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of G.o.d

Roman. 10:17

Even the captives were delivered as he preached deliverance to them.

The spirit of the lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives.

Luke 4:18

It may surprise you to know that Jesus did not allow anything, even miracles, testimonies, praises, evil reports, and calamities to hinder his preaching and teaching ministry. Great mult.i.tudes were attracted to his healing ministry.

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with the devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them

Matthew 4:24

In the midst of this great success, fame and honor see the response of the perfect son of man.

"And seeing the mult.i.tudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying...."

Mathew 5:1-2

The natural world is ruled by their five senses but the sixth sense of faith is given to you as a supernatural power to reach a supernatural G.o.d. Jesus is the author and the finisher of your faith and since it is born of G.o.d, it gives you automatic victory when sown like a seed.

"For whatsoever is born of G.o.d overcomenth the word: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith"

l John 5:4.

Faith is a spirit and a law of his kingdom. It is not an option but the life-style of the kingdom. No wonder, faith was honored and rewarded in the ministry of Jesus even in those who were not part of the commonwealth of Israel.

"But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to G.o.d must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"

Hebrews 11:6

You can see faith demonstrated in a certain n.o.ble-man whose son was sick at Cper-num. With a deluding feeling of independence, his contemporaries saw Jesus and what he represented as a danger but he maintained a hunger and thirst for the supernatural during his hour of crisis.

When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

The n.o.bleman saith unto him, come down are my child die

John. 4:47-49.

What desperation! What an expectancy and antic.i.p.ation!! The intensity of the desire of this n.o.bleman was too high to be ignored by the perfect author of faith, the lord Jesus.

Hear this:

"Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth"

And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, thy son liveth.

Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.

And they said unto him, yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. so the father knew that it was at the same hour, in which Jesus said unto him "thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house" – John. 4:50-53

I. The n.o.bleman refused to be affected by any other voice apart from the voice of Jesus. He could have allowed his mind to be ruled by his senses since Jesus did not meet his demand to come down and heal.

Your door of liberty opens when you dare to confront the things that scare you.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved"

Romans 10:13

II. The n.o.bleman knew that Jesus was as good as his word. What a child-like acceptance of a promise! The n.o.bleman believed. He agrees to go home convinced in his earth that all was well. The spiritual stability of his heart brought him great reward.

III. There is no way of knowing in the outside that the n.o.bleman believes until he acted on the instruction of Jesus, the healer. He went home believing. Action is the natural fruit of direction. Faith is dead without work (which in this case is an action). As he followed the instruction attached to the promise 'Go thy way, thy son liveth' his persistency paid off in form of a miracle.

iv. The healing manifested that same hour. The bible calls this gradual healing, a miracle.

"this is again the second miracle that Jesus did when he come out of Judea into Galilee"

John 4:54.

People who recover gradually gain extra knowledge about G.o.d which brings them spiritual stability and confidence in G.o.d's way of doing thing. We often desire instantaneous manifestation but since we can see our miracle with the eye of faith it is as good as seeing it by the natural eye.

v. once the n.o.bleman was convinced of the miracle, the act of G.o.d made believers out of his whole house. The essence of miracles is to make believers out of you.

G.o.d is not interested in curiosity seekers; for curiosity does not draw Divine virtue but simple faith in his ability and willingness. We know this from the story of the woman with the issue of blood.

"And a certain woman which had an issue of blood twelve years. And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grow worse when she had heard of Jesus came in the press behind and touched his garment. For she said, if I may touch but his cloth, I shall be whole. And straightaway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him…..

Mark 5:25-30.

The disciples did not know that heaven must account for the anointing of that day. Jesus was mindful of where the anointing had gone.

"And his disciples said unto him, thou seest the mult.i.tude thronging thee, and sayest thou, who touched me? And he looked round about to see her who had done this thing"

Mark 5:31-32.

Jesus did not heal and does not heal to prove a point that he is a healer but he heals in response to faith and as expressions of his love. The lord once spoke the following words to my human spirit. He said;

"The reason for giving you the Holy Spirit is to tell you what you need and give you timing for it".

That shocked me! I started to meditate on those words. It helps me not only to understand the earthly ministry of Jesus but also to walk closely with the Holy Spirit until a point that the miraculous becomes a common occurrence in our ministry. I now know why Jesus was not surprised when his words come to pa.s.s. When the lord said those statements to me; I believe "what you need" will mean "what you need to do and what you need to say". I then remember a scripture.

"The former treatise have I made O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach"

Acts 1:1.

Luke the author of the book of acts was therefore saying to Theophilus that the main trust of Jesus ministry was doing and teaching. No wonder the book of acts of apostles is actually the action of the early church as they taught the word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and within the timing of G.o.d.

"And they went forth and preached everywhere, the lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen "

Mark 16:20

The spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit confirmed their preaching as the Holy Spirit worked with them as their lord. Sad to say that there are many today who do not exert themselves to know the written word; not to talk of obeying it. Of course, you will only obey what you know.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy G.o.d, I will also forget thy children

Hosea 4:6.

Priests were intermediaries, intercessors and teachers in the Old Testament and though you are New Testament priests if you are born again;

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"

l pet 2:9

Nevertheless you stand rejected if knowledge- the basis of your acceptable service is rejected. Some others spend much trying to believe the written word they do not relate to the Holy Ghost on a daily basis. The Holy Spirit seeks your communion.

"And I will pray the father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you ever; even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. But the comforter, which is the holy ghost ,whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I said unto you"

John 14:16, 17, 26.

Jesus attributed his work including his healing ministry to the Holy Spirit. He worked in the strength of Holy Spirit. He was so dependent on the Holy Spirit that he claimed he could do nothing without him.

"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you the son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the father do: for what things so ever he doeth, these also doeth the son likewise"

John 5:19

"but if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe that the father in me, and I in him"
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John 10:38.

"Believeth thou not that I am in the father and the father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak unto you I speak not for myself: but the father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works".

John 14:10.

Many years ago when I was in the secular job, I was urgently called upon to teach some masters of Science (Msc.) student at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria). They needed me to help teach two courses that were related to petroleum Geology. As there was little time to pray, I had many materials to read for my use for the lectures. I kept on writing out facts I wanted to use and got so exhausted. I wanted to pray before I would enter another marathon lectures when the Holy Spirit said.

"Why don't you photocopy those papers? Then bring them together for your use at the lectures"

I was shocked that I asked him why he had left me to do it my own way instead of telling me what he was now saying. The Holy Spirit answered

"Did you ask me about this to begins with"?

Many times you behave like me, doing things your own way. The cost of running your life becomes expensive if you build your life on your own strength.

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the lord keep the city, the watchman watch but in vain"

Psalm 127:1

Few others are being deceived as they are following voices exclusive of the written word. The written word is your safety belt as you drive through the world of evil.

Paul said

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed"

Galatians 1:8

Peter in another light also said—

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye take heed, as unto a light that s.h.i.+neth in a dark place until the day down, and the day star arise in your hearts"

Peter 1:19

Another reason why some do not know the communion of the Spirit is as a result of their unwillingness to obey the revealed will of G.o.d. G.o.d will not give you a further light when you have not obeyed his previous instruction on the same issue.

But the path of the just is as the s.h.i.+ning light, that s.h.i.+neth more and more unto the perfect day

Proverb 4:18

You should know that the voice that inspired the written word is the same voice that speaks to your recreated human spirit

"The spirit of man is the candle of the lord, searching all the inward part of the belly"

Proverbs 20:27

Obedience is so vital to your spirit walk. There is no alternative to obedience if you will walk like Jesus with the Holy Spirit. You want sustained anointing! The one that takes its abode upon you and only increase by renewal? Then it comes by appointment and obedience.

Hear what wisdom says:

"For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this things commanded I them, saying, obey my voice, and I will be your G.o.d, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you"

Jeremiah 7:22-23

See what obedience brought to our model – our lord Jesus Christ.

"Thou hast love righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore G.o.d, even thy G.o.d, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows"

Hebrews 1:9.

And if you will have results like him as you use his exalted name you will submit to changes initiated by the Spirit of G.o.d.

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a gla.s.s the glory of the lord are changed into the same image from glory, even as by the Spirit of the lord"

ll Corinthians 3:18.

Then you can arise and s.h.i.+ne even in the midst of thick darkness as a result of his glory, upon you. The word says

"Arise, s.h.i.+ne; for thy light is come, and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee"

Isaiah 60:1-2

Apart from obedience, Jesus in earthly ministry also moves in the timing of the Holy Spirit.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. He hath made everything beautiful in his time…."

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11a

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus of Bethany the town of Mary and her sister Martha

"Now Jesus love Martha, and her sister and Lazarus"

John 11:5

But see what LOVE did and said

"Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus hears that, he said this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of G.o.d, that the son of G.o.d might be glorified thereby. When he heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was"

John 11:3-4, 6

We cannot truly say we love, until we wait constantly for the marching order of the Holy Spirit, doing only what his word and his Spirit command. The scripture on love in the thirteenth chapter of the book to the Corinthians used to trouble me knowing that the epistle was written not for us but to us. I later learnt that what men call love today is compromise, emotion and sympathy. True love is rooted in the Holy Spirit as you obey the commands of the master.

"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing"

l Corinthians 13:3

Many years ago in the ministry I had to give counsels to some of our brethren to avoid the path of some of the disorderly brethren in accordance to the written word.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple"

Romans 16:17-18.

Your feeling has nothing to do with G.o.d's instruction. Your love for G.o.d is seen in your obedience. As a senior pastor of a ministry, I would be giving place to the devil if I had allowed human feeling or natural love to over-ride the word of G.o.d. Innocent brethren would have been exposed to wrong flow. G.o.d's words are not suggestions, but they are his commands and his commandments are not grievous.

I have shown you this example to let you know how you should define the love of G.o.d in the context of his written word. You also should define the love of G.o.d in the context of the leading of the Holy Spirit in your daily work with him. in the year 1997, I was in a prayer session with some of our covenant friends. They are ministers of high integrity. At the end of the prayer, prophecies came rolling out. The witness of a prophet is the word of G.o.d and the unction upon him at the period of the prophecy. That is one way the anointing you have teaches you.

Those words said-

"I will expose the evil ministers who have corrupted themselves with covetousness. I will spread my wrath against them. Behold I am coming with my wrath. I am coming to judge the evil ones. Many have gone from the true part. I will come and judge them. My children! Never you go by this road. Many are like clouds without rain. Many are like cloud without water...."

Another one said

"Be bold in my spirit. For people who will be bold to walk in my Spirit will preserve my true move. You receive strength to be bold and walk in my Spirit in the face of all opposition. I send you forth to work in my Spirit for this is not the time to withdraw to your tent. I will open doors in places where I intend to preserve the truth and you shall go forth. The only things that will preserve my move are the true men who will be bold in my Spirit. The magnet of G.o.d is hovering over the earth – learn this move and be wise..."

Those prophecies talk about judgment especially as they came in the midst of an effective intercessor for Nigeria Christians and ministries. You don't have to believe those prophecies but I believed them for the anointing upon me taught me that it was truly his Spirit. I will therefore be walking outside of love if I should ignore what the Spirit was saying at the spur of the moment. That is the primary way to walk in love and in Spirit. G.o.d has programmed his plans and purpose with timing. The scripture speaks of age past, present age and the ages which is to come. This is the day of Divine visitation of the gentiles. The church (the body of Christ) is being formed and perfected to demonstrate the power and wisdom of G.o.d to the devils and the world through his exalted name.

Don't allow anything to stand against the purpose of G.o.d on any issue. G.o.d values his purpose, for is purpose is his wisdom. You must learn to be led by his Spirit. I am still learning. Have you arrived? Life in Christ is not a destination but a journey.

The people of Israel were tempted by the sinfulness of the sons of Samuel to make a choice that would determine their destiny and those of their children. They asked for a king untimely and so walked in G.o.d's permissiveness (l Sam 8:18). When we decide to gamble with our life by walking in G.o.d's permissive will because of impatience, we expose ourselves to the a.s.sault of the enemy of our souls.

Your prayer everyday should be:

Oh G.o.d! Give me an understanding of the time am living. Let me know what is on your mind. Open my eyes to know what the time is saying and I will walk in your will.