JOEL 2 GENERATION

For some this may be a bit of technical theological question, but it has been a question that has divided many Christians. No Christian disputes the fact that Jesus' atoning work provided for the forgiveness of sin for all who put their faith in Him, but did his suffering (his whippings, beatings and death) also provide for our physical healing? On a day when Jesus healed ALL who were sick, and cast out demons with a word (Matt. 8:16), Matthew quotes Isaiah 53 to explain what happened on that day - "He (Jesus) Himself took our infirmities AND bore our sicknesses". This passage has been neglected and others have attempted to explain it away limiting its fulfillment and application only for those healed on that particular day. However, the Isaiah 53 passage cannot be applied partially when it comes to the physical healing aspects and then applied generally when it comes to the forgiveness of sins. This is poor Biblical hermeneutics. The bottom line remains the same - t...

Sometimes we DO NOT see the results we are praying for. I am sharing this story to illustrate the fact that things don't always go the way we would like. I approached a Gulf Arab muslim man today with a cane. I asked him about what the problem was and it he explained he had a rare infection in his heal that caused tremendous pain. I shared the testimony of another Gulf Arab man who had a similar situation - extreme pain in his foot (related to a tumor, not an infection). I told him how I had prayed and that God had taken away all the pain. He asked if I did "black magic"? I assured him that I was asking God to bring healing. I had already explained that I was a Christian but they often ask. I put my hand on his foot and while praying I felt there was something happening. I asked him how it was - if the pain was any less, or if he had felt anything. Nothing he said and went on his way. With all the healings we are seeing and sharing about, sometimes it is important...

this past week Acts 19:1-7 caught my attention again. It is considered to be a controversial passage because of an argument between an Evangelical and Charismatic interpretation about what kind of "disciples" these guys were - were they not-yet-saved as the Evangelicals contend, or followers of Christ as the Charismatics would argue? Since Luke ONLY uses the term "disciple" to describe Christians (every other time he uses that term), I believe the Charismatic interpretation to be the stronger one. (this whole debate continues because Paul and Luke use the term Baptism in the Holy Spirit in different ways and the problem comes because certain scholars have sought to read Luke through the lens of Paul's writings). In short, Paul uses the term Baptism in the Spirit to refer to the Holy Spirit's work in salvation, whereas Luke uses the term to refer to the Holy Spirit's work in empowering us for service. With that background, the Acts 19 passage caught my...

continued - I had gotten a word of knowledge for this couple standing next to me in line (to get food) and who were now sitting at a table near us. The others who were with us were a bit discouraged about the lack of what they had seen happen (they had gotten a number of accurate words of knowledge for people, but no one would let them pray for them). I asked the others, "who wants to follow up a word I got for those over there sitting at that table"? Two of them jumped up wanting to go for it. (when people get hooked on "power spilling" they get hooked!!!). The word of knowledge had been for a spiritual problem wherein one of them had been (or was being) attacked by demonic forces. They went to check it out and sure enough it wasn't just for one of them - but for two of the 3 at the table (another had joined the couple) and also for one of the girl's sisters' who lived in Lebanon. I went over at one point to meet the man who was there and got anoth...

A few days ago a group of us headed out together wanting to "spill" His Kingdom on people. It was a bit of a slow start - however, a Gulf Arab muslim with MS let us lay hands on him and pray. He wanted to debate a bit about islam vs. Christianity at one point, but I deflected that and said, "let's see what happens with your condition in the wake of this prayer and THEN we'll talk". Jesus said that if He didn't do the Father's works, people were free not to believe His words. (Jn 10:37 - see for yourselves) A while later I got a word of knowledge for a knee problem - asked the only 2 people in one shop who had the problem. One woman did - my son laid hands on her and God healed her knee (she wanted to know where we went to Church, so she could attend). That's the kind of response we always want to see in the wake of a healing! In the next shop we went into, the Lord gave me a word of knowledge for this muslim man's back. He let us pray...

the other night I was visiting a Gulf Arab muslim friend who had been touched through healing prayer. He had had a major surgery and was in excruciating pain. After we prayed for him, the pain just left. His brother had also been healed when we prayed for him. A family friend (another Gulf Arab muslim) had also been healed after we prayed for him. So we are sitting there and I learn that the brother's girlfriend (a Gulf Arab muslim too) had been in a bad car accident and had had surgery on her knee. I asked how it was and she said it was painful when she did certain things. I asked her to come sit in the chair next to mine as I wanted to pray for her. At that moment, ALL THREE GUYS BEGAN TESTIFYING how God had healed them when we had prayed for them. Talk about a cheering section!!! Anyway, I got to pray for her and the Lord began to move on her knee. She could feel the presence of God. She got up and began to test it out and testified to there been a marked difference. ...

this morning while praying for several cancer patients in a local hospital, I asked a group of nurses if anybody needed a miracle. as I walked into the room, I got a word of knowledge for a right shoulder problem. The head nurse had that problem and so we prayed for her. I felt like one of the nurses was going to unlock some prophetic word. An Indian name came to my mind (all the nurses were Indian). They told me that the name was for another nurse who wasn't on duty at that time. However, the one who the Lord used to trigger the word agreed to 'carry a gift of healing' to this other nurse for me. I laid hands on her hands and she felt God's presence. I can't wait to hear what happens after she prays for the other nurse. Also, the presence of the Lord was so strong on the different patients we prayed for. Of course, we will need some time to see what has happened, but they all felt His power coming into their bodies. Basically, when Holy Spirit-filled beli...