"if you aren't healed, then don't believe what we have been saying"
In John 10, Jesus hinged his entire message on the miracles He was performing. He even gave those listening to Him the freedom to disbelieve if He did not do "the works of the Father" (Jn. 10:37).
For most of my Christian life, I would have never thought this chapter had anything to do with me. In fact, the Bible I read entitles this section of John as "Jesus Asserts His Deity". In other words, there is no application for me/us personally.
However, I am firmly convinced today that since Jesus sent us "as the Father sent Him", we are fully expected to read passages like John 10:37 and apply them to our lives. Jesus DID NOT do His miracles as God. Although fully God, He laid that aside during His life (Phil. 2:6-8) and living as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit.
This past week, Ravished, Tenacious B and I were out ministering to some Syrian Muslim men. From the moment we sat down, they were expecting us to demonstrate the miraculous. We had ministered healing and prophetically before to one of the men, and so when we came he expected us to begin ministering supernaturally to a colleague of his. Talk about pressure! Definitely a challenge to be prepared "in season and out of season".
We gave him some prophetic words, but he wasn't very convinced. To be honest, he said to me bluntly that the prophetic stuff Ravished and I gave him had little meaning and/or benefit to him. You've got to love the honesty! Keeps us humble.
He also had an eye problem. He had very little sight in one of his eyes. We shared some testimonies and prayed for him - both Ravished and I. We saw no change at that time. More humility lessons! I had also told him that when we prayed for people they would feel God's presence and power. You guessed it - he said he personally felt nothing!
At one point, I got a word of knowledge for the other guy who had a headache. Ravished laid hands on him and he was healed. There was some Kingdom demonstration. Finally!
What followed was about an hour a rather passionate discussion about Christianity and Islam. Tenacious B and I were using every bit of the depth of our Arabic to explain the Gospel to these men. In the end, we were also able to give one of them an Arabic New Testament.
I told him that we had spoken of many things and had absolutely declared that apart from Jesus' death and resurrection and believing in His Deity no one, no muslim would enter heaven. Heavy stuff, but truth almost always is. I felt led again at the end to pray one last time for the eye as was reminded of John 10 again, but this time hinging our message on his healing. I told him that "IF YOU AREN'T HEALED, THEN DON'T BELIEVE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING".
Should I have said that? Jesus would have!
For most of my Christian life, I would have never thought this chapter had anything to do with me. In fact, the Bible I read entitles this section of John as "Jesus Asserts His Deity". In other words, there is no application for me/us personally.
However, I am firmly convinced today that since Jesus sent us "as the Father sent Him", we are fully expected to read passages like John 10:37 and apply them to our lives. Jesus DID NOT do His miracles as God. Although fully God, He laid that aside during His life (Phil. 2:6-8) and living as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit.
This past week, Ravished, Tenacious B and I were out ministering to some Syrian Muslim men. From the moment we sat down, they were expecting us to demonstrate the miraculous. We had ministered healing and prophetically before to one of the men, and so when we came he expected us to begin ministering supernaturally to a colleague of his. Talk about pressure! Definitely a challenge to be prepared "in season and out of season".
We gave him some prophetic words, but he wasn't very convinced. To be honest, he said to me bluntly that the prophetic stuff Ravished and I gave him had little meaning and/or benefit to him. You've got to love the honesty! Keeps us humble.
He also had an eye problem. He had very little sight in one of his eyes. We shared some testimonies and prayed for him - both Ravished and I. We saw no change at that time. More humility lessons! I had also told him that when we prayed for people they would feel God's presence and power. You guessed it - he said he personally felt nothing!
At one point, I got a word of knowledge for the other guy who had a headache. Ravished laid hands on him and he was healed. There was some Kingdom demonstration. Finally!
What followed was about an hour a rather passionate discussion about Christianity and Islam. Tenacious B and I were using every bit of the depth of our Arabic to explain the Gospel to these men. In the end, we were also able to give one of them an Arabic New Testament.
I told him that we had spoken of many things and had absolutely declared that apart from Jesus' death and resurrection and believing in His Deity no one, no muslim would enter heaven. Heavy stuff, but truth almost always is. I felt led again at the end to pray one last time for the eye as was reminded of John 10 again, but this time hinging our message on his healing. I told him that "IF YOU AREN'T HEALED, THEN DON'T BELIEVE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING".
Should I have said that? Jesus would have!
Comments
Post a Comment