DESTINY IMAGE BOOKS BY KYNAN BRIDGES

Possessing Your Healing

Supernatural Favor

90 Days to Possessing Your Healing

The Power of Unlimited Faith

© Copyright 2015—Kynan Bridges All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 The Garden of Eden: God’s Blueprint

CHAPTER 2 Healing Defined

CHAPTER 3 Healing in Redemption

CHAPTER 4 The Power to Heal

CHAPTER 5 Christ’s Authority in Us

CHAPTER 6 Three Dimensions of Healing

CHAPTER 7 Gift versus Responsibility

CHAPTER 8 Healing Practicum

CHAPTER 9 Praying for the Sick

CHAPTER 10 Healing and Confession

CHAPTER 11 Healing and Deliverance

CHAPTER 12 Breaking Barriers to Healing

CHAPTER 13 Faith and Healing

CHAPTER 14 Healing Myths

CHAPTER 15 Signs, Wonders, and Miracles

CHAPTER 1

THE GARDEN OF EDEN: GOD’S BLUEPRINT

Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (Genesis 1:26).

On October 1, 1908, Ford Motor Company released their famous Ford Model T. This was one of the first and most popular gasoline automobiles of its kind. Prior to this time, cars were not affordable for the average consumer. Beyond affordability was the issue of availability. In fact, the whole goal for building the Model T was to make cars readily available for the masses. In the words of Henry Ford himself:

I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one—and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.[1]

In many ways, Ford was a pioneering engineer—an architect. Henry Ford’s design became a blueprint or model for American cars. The Model T would set forth the outline of all Ford vehicles thereafter, which would be mass-produced on an assembly line (another method pioneered by Ford). This was a design that many manufacturers would follow even until today.

GOD’S ORIGINAL BLUEPRINT

In the book of Genesis, God revealed His original blueprint for us as His creation; He called them Adam and Eve. By blueprint we are referring to a design plan or model. Like the Model T, Adam and Eve served as the original design for all of humanity. God took the best materials and created man in His very own image. The Bible says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion” (Gen. 1:26). What does this dominion look like and what does the issue of dominion have to do with divine healing?

The word dominion comes from the Hebrew word radah, which means to rule, dominate, or subjugate. The purpose of God was to be carried out in the earth by humankind. We were commissioned to expand the dominion of God throughout the entire planet. Adam and Eve were never sick, lonely, impoverished, afraid, or insecure. Everything on the earth was to be subject to them. In fact, they were in perfect fellowship with God. They walked in the Garden of God in the cool of the day without the slightest sense of guilt or shame. The Bible says:

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth (Genesis 1:28).

The word fruitful comes from the Hebrew word parah which means to “branch off.” God intended for the people He created to grow, multiply, and expand across the earth. Through this process of dominion and multiplication, the entire earth would have been populated with a perfect homogeneous race of men and women, created in the flawless image of God Himself. This spiritual blueprint would serve as the design standard for all of creation.

However, there was a problem. This problem was called sin. In Genesis chapter 3, Eve was tempted by the serpent (Satan) and seduced into partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She ate from the tree and gave to Adam, and he also ate (see Gen. 3:6). The moment they ate from this tree, they fell from perfect fellowship and communion with God. The moment they rebelled against God in such a way, they died. In other words, they were separated from God in spirit, soul, and body. This is how sin and sickness came into the world as we know it. This sin corrupted God’s blueprint for humankind.

Prior to this fall, Adam and Eve were destined to live a life of divine health, soundness of mind, never-ending joy, and everlasting life. Now, as a result of the death ushered in through Adam and Eve, we live in a fallen world. People get sick, experience chronic ailments, and ultimately die prematurely as a result of the curse of sin. What was the solution to this fallen state? The efficacious sacrifice of Jesus on the cross became the only means by which the curse of sin could be broken. Contrary to popular belief, sickness was never in God’s original design. He never intended for us to be sick. It was never God’s agenda for people to be bound with cancer, diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic conditions. We were destined to reign on the earth and live forever. Isn’t that an amazing reality?

DIVINE HEALTH: MAN’S INHERITANCE

Like any blueprint, the creation account found in Genesis gives us a deeper understanding of the way things should be. Every manufacturer has a blueprint that they follow in order to ensure efficiency and consistency in process. In this regard, God is no different. If we want to understand God’s will for mankind (especially as it relates to healing), we need to look to creation. This was the spiritual precedent or blueprint. He had a specific purpose in mind when He created Adam and Eve; this purpose was to take dominion in the earth. What was the implication of man’s creation? One aspect that we can’t ignore is the reality that Adam was never sick. He was in perfect health. This is what we call divine health (which we will discuss in much detail later).

Adam and Eve never had to visit a doctor or have surgery, or take prescription medication—there were no doctors or hospitals anyway, of course. They were completely oblivious to the notion of cancer, heart disease, infirmity, or even death for that matter. This was God’s gift to His new creation. It was not just a haphazard quality, but it was an intentional expression of God’s goodness toward humankind. Just as God Himself was never sick, man was ordained to enjoy the same quality of life that God has in Himself. Man was actually made in the divine image of God, which implies that the very DNA of God was in Adam. The Bible says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). The word breath comes from the Hebrew neshamah, which means “spirit.” God literally breathed His very Spirit into man. Through this divine process man became a “living soul” or “living and active being.” As a result of the indwelling of God’s spirit, man possessed eternal life.

Earlier we introduced the concept of sin and its effects on humanity as a whole. Sin perverted humankind’s inheritance of perfection into an inheritance of dysfunction and corruption. In fact, sickness is simply the dysfunction of the body as a result of original sin. That which was designed to be a blessing became a curse. Through man’s transgression, he came out from God’s canopy of blessing and protection and became subject to the very elements that God gave him dominion over. Remember, Adam and Eve were to exercise dominion in the earth. Once they sinned, this divine order was reversed—the earth began to exercise dominion over them. This truth is illustrated in Genesis 3:17:

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

Notice that God told Adam that the ground was cursed for his sake, and that he would eat from it in sorrow all the days of his life. The word sorrow comes from the Hebrew word `itstsabown, which means pain, labor, hardship, sorrow, or toil (Strong’s, H6087). The very ground that God commanded to yield forth its fruit to Adam became a source of pain, hardship, and toil. Also, we see that now Adam had a definitive life span. That is to say, he had an expiration date. All of these factors were brought into being through the curse.

HUMANKIND’S THREE-PART DEATH

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve’s transgression didn’t only affect their individual condition, but their sin affected all of humanity. This is one of the reasons why men and women are in a state of rebellion against God this very day. Adam and Eve possessed a tripartite nature. In other words, we as human beings consist of spirit, soul, and body. Man’s sin affected all three aspects of his existence. When God told Adam, “You shall surely die,” He wasn’t just talking about physical death, but He was referring to the death of the spirit and soul as well. As a result of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the entire human race was separated from intimate fellowship with God. This was the first aspect of man’s death. This is what we call the death of the spirit or spiritual death. Through the sin of our original grandparents, shame, guilt, and condemnation were ushered in, as well as the consciousness of good and evil. Before sin, Adam was completely ignorant of evil and the need to cover his sin through self-effort. The moment he bit from the fruit, his spirit man died, and he was aware of his own insufficiency and incompleteness. In this very moment, man became enslaved to a sinful nature.

DEATH OF THE SOUL

The second aspect of man’s death was that of the soul. The soul is the seat of the mind, will, and emotions. Adam and Eve not only lost their spiritual connection with God, but they also lost their peace. Through their rebellion, Adam and Eve opened their mind to sin consciousness. By sin consciousness, I am referring to the preoccupation with sin as a barrier between God and man. This barrier causes man to perform for God’s love and acceptance. It also causes man to be subjected to fear, worry, shame, guilt, doubt, and bitterness. Adam and Eve were brought into bondage to the spirit and the emotion of fear. For the first time in humankind’s existence, they felt a sense of anxiety.

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8).

Adam and Eve were terrified of God. They were afraid of the consequences of their sin; this is the manifestation of the death of the soul. In fact, the word for “hid” is the Hebrew word chaba’ and it means to “withdraw oneself” or “to be forced into hiding” (Strong’s, H2245). Humankind was withdrawn from God’s presence and thrust into a mental and emotional state of chaos. Talk about serious consequences to sin!

PHYSICAL DEATH

As a result of the fall, humankind was ultimately subjected to physical death. Adam and Eve would no longer live forever. This death also includes the proliferation of sickness, because man would eventually undergo the failure of vital organs in his body, causing death. Although, living for nearly a thousand years wasn’t too bad! This dimension of man’s death is the primary reason why we must war against sickness and disease in this generation.

We will deal with all three aspects of man’s fall, but the bulk of our discussion will be on physical and emotional healing in this book. God wants to restore humanity to His original design for us. He wants us to experience the blessings and benefits of fellowship with Him—namely, divine health and healing. Though we cannot completely eradicate sickness in this fallen world as a whole (sickness will ultimately be done away with in heaven), we can be healthy and whole while we are here on planet earth so that we can fulfill the great commission (see Matt. 28:19). Jesus Christ came and died on the cross to reverse the curse brought upon humankind through Adam’s transgression. Through His blood (which we will talk about in a later chapter) we have been released from the bondage of sin and its effects—sickness, poverty, and death.

Through the pages of this book you will learn the practical yet powerful keys to healing the sick and walking in divine health. It doesn’t matter whether you are a pastor, layman, or businessperson; you can heal the sick. The reason I know this is because Jesus said you could!

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

1. What was God’s original design for His creation?

2. What is meant by the term dominion?

3. What does humankind’s call to dominion have to do with divine healing?

4. What were the three areas of man’s death?

NOTE

1. Henry Ford and Samuel Crowther, My Life and Work (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page &, 1922), 73.

CHAPTER 2

HEALING DEFINED

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee (Exodus 15:26).

God desires for you to be healed. He desires for you to heal the sick! The question remains: what is divine healing? Simply put, divine healing is the manifestation of health and wholeness in the spirit, soul, and/or body of a person. The Bible uses the Hebrew word rapha which means “to heal” or “to make healthful” (Strong’s, H7495). The word also means “Physician.” In Exodus 15, the children of Israel came to the waters of Marah. These waters were extremely “bitter” or contaminated. As the people cried out to Moses, God showed him a tree to throw into the waters. Once he obeyed God’s instruction, the waters became sweet. In this scenario God revealed Himself to the Israelites as “Jehovah Rapha” or “Jehovah Ropheka” which means “The Great Physician.” This was God’s first personal revelation to the Israelites after their captivity in Egypt for 430 years.

We see, then, that healing is not just something God does, but healing is God’s nature. God is the Healer! This is the basis for our approach to the subject of healing. In fact, God longs to heal you! He deeply desires to manifest Himself to the people you care about. Notice that God did not reveal Himself to the Israelites as a God of destruction or death. Before they ever received the Ten Commandments, God show them that He is the Healer. Hallelujah!

WHY HEALING?

Why is the subject of healing so important? Simply put, healing is the divine inheritance of every born-again believer. Jesus Christ paid a tremendous price for our healing (which we will discuss in further detail in a later chapter). Furthermore, there is an epidemic of sickness in the body of Christ. Satan is afflicting the people of God with so much sickness and disease that many in the church have lost hope in the prospect of ever being healed. Others have blamed God as unfair and unfaithful. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is faithful and just! Sickness was never a part of His original plan in the earth.

Before we can experience divine healing or minister healing to others, we must realize the true nature of God as revealed in His Word. We must also realize the necessity for healing in the earth today. In my years of ministry, I have seen God perform miraculous healings in people’s lives including terminal cancer being healed, multiple sclerosis being healed, limbs growing out, tumors dissolving instantly, lame people walking, and metal turning into bone (just to name a few examples). The question is: are these haphazard or random occurrences, or can we all tap in to God’s healing power on a regular basis? I want to submit to you (based on the authority of Scripture) that divine healing belongs to you. Through the authority of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, you can heal the sick. Healing can become a consistent reality in your life.

Healing is the divine inheritance of every believer, bought with the precious blood of Jesus.

There is an intrinsic desire for people to be healthy and whole. In fact, there has been a resurgence of New Age healing practices in the Western world. People are choosing to seek healing outside of the traditional confines of modern medicine. Instead, many are opting for acupuncture, energy healing, shamanic healing, and other occult practices. Why? I believe people are desperate for solutions to the problem of sickness and disease, which are not found in our current healthcare system. Instead of coming to Christ for healing, people are relying on their own fallen humanity to produce healing in their lives. This is very unfortunate, because the church holds the answer to the problem of sickness in the world—Jesus Christ. Even more tragic is the reality that a large percentage of the church does not believe in divine healing at all. In my opinion, any pastor who doesn’t teach his flock about God’s promise of healing and wholeness needs to find another vocation. Due to the lack of healing power available in most churches, the world is unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly) going to Satan to heal them. How ironic is this? People are consulting demonic power—the same demonic power that made them sick in the first place—to experience healing. This is not the will of God, beloved! He wants all of us to experience healing in our total person.

THE CHILDREN’S BREAD

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs (Mark 7:27).

Contrary to popular belief, divine healing is not just something that God “might do” if it is His will. That is, healing is not an occasional or spontaneously occurring act that takes place without our knowledge, faith, or participation. I am not saying that God can’t heal any way He wants; He definitely can! I am simply saying that the plan of God to heal the sick is a clear biblical reality. It is the will of God to heal the sick, plain and simple!

In Mark 7, a Syrophoenician woman requesting that He cast an unclean spirit out of her daughter approached Jesus. This woman was in a very desperate situation. Instead of responding with compassion and understanding, Jesus said this: “Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs” (Mark 7:27).

This was definitely not a “politically correct” statement. The use of the word dog was a cultural misnomer alluding to the fact that she was a Gentile. Not only was she Gentile, she was a Syrophoenician. The Jews of that era had a special hatred for Syrophoenicians. Instead of walking away despondent or rejected, the woman responded by saying: “Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28). Jesus marveled at her words! “And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter” (Mark 7:29).

This woman received her miracle. Notice that she never refuted any of Jesus’s statements. She never once became offended. All she did was believe, and as a result she tapped in to the covenant of healing. Why do I use the term “covenant of healing”? Jesus referred to something called “the children’s bread.” What was He talking about? He used the Greek word teknon (Strong’s, G5043), meaning “offspring” or “my child.” This was a term of affection or endearment. It was a term God used exclusively to describe the people of Israel as the “apple of His eye.” In other words, it is the responsibility of the father to supply the needs of His children, especially those closest to His heart. It is a covenant right. Simply put, healing is a divine right or covenant that God has made with His children. Even though this woman was not an Israelite, she still partook of “the children’s bread” by faith. How much more do those of us who have a relationship with God have a right to divine healing?

A DIVINE RIGHT

When you think of something that is a right, what comes to mind? A right is defined as a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way. Based on this definition and the reference made to healing being “the children’s bread,” we know that healing is something we are entitled to. Many people do not know (or do not believe) they are entitled to healing. The moment you became born again (i.e. accept Jesus Christ as Lord by faith) you became a child of God entitled to all the rights and privileges as a naturally born son or daughter. Do you realize that God is your Father? Have you considered the enormous implications of such a profound truth? In fact, Jesus said:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:8-11)

Notice that Jesus makes a stark comparison between earthly parents and the Father. If fallible man, being evil, knows how to give good gifts to his physical children, how much more will God give good gifts to His spiritual children? This is a rhetorical question designed to cause us to consider the good nature of God. I don’t know any parent who wouldn’t do everything in their power to make their child well if they were sick. Why then do we think that God doesn’t want us to be healed and whole? God absolutely wants us to be in health. In fact, He paid a tremendous price for our healing (which we will talk about later). Healing is more than just a favor God extends; it is the right of us, His children.

You may be reading this book thinking, “I didn’t know I had a right to be healed!” Well, now you do! You don’t have to beg and plead for healing; all you need to do is know your rights! Not only do you have a right to be healed, but you have been given the right to heal others. Once you embrace your identity as a child of God, you will soon realize that healing is much easier than you think! Receive “the children’s bread” today!

HEALING TESTIMONY

There was a young lady in our church who came to the altar for healing. She was dealing with some chromosomal anomalies since her birth. While praying for her, I prophesied that she would heal the sick. She believed the word that I spoke over her life with all her heart.

Shortly after, this same young lady walked into a cancer ward and prayed for a man who was diagnosed with endstage cancer. The doctors gave him three to six months to live. She commanded the man to receive his miracle. Four days later, the same doctors reported that his cancer was in remission. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ. Why was she able to pray for a dying man with such confidence? She recognized by faith that healing was her divine right. She believed with all of her heart that healing is truly “the children’s bread.”

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

1. How would you define healing?

2. What is meant by the term “the children’s bread”?

3. Why is healing such an important reality to understand and embrace?

4. What is the difference between a right and a privilege?

HEALING PRAYER

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for all that You have done. I thank You that healing is “the children’s bread.” From this day forward, I will see healing as a divine right rather than something I need to beg and plead to receive. I declare that I am the healed of the Lord, and through Your Holy Spirit I will take Your healing power to the nations. I embrace the reality of divine healing in my life! In Jesus’s name. Amen!

CHAPTER 3

HEALING IN REDEMPTION

Healing is the manifestation of God’s supernatural power and promises in the lives of believers, particularly the spiritual, emotional, and physical being. We discovered earlier that healing is the children’s bread; it is a divine right. What is the basis for divine healing? What gives us the right to be healed? The redemptive work of Christ on the cross is what gives us that right. The Bible says that Jesus “bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” What does this mean? To understand this concept let us look to the Old Testament. In Numbers, the Bible says this:

And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6-9).

In this passage of Scripture, we see that the children of Israel were under God’s wrath and judgment for speaking against God and Moses. The result of this judgment was fiery serpents that began biting the Israelites to the point of death. The word used for fiery serpent is the Hebrew word saraph, which means “poison or burning.” It also means “seraph or seraphim.” A seraphim was an angel or messenger. I believe that this is symbolic of the spiritual nature of this particular judgment, and sin as a whole. Once the Israelites realized their sin, they immediately repented and asked Moses to pray to God on their behalf. God told Moses to make a brass serpent and place it on a pole (see Num. 21:8). Whenever a fiery serpent bit someone, they would look upon the serpent of brass and live.

This is a very powerful type and shadow of the redemptive work of Christ. Jesus said in John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus became the “serpent of brass” that took away judgment from the people of God. He was lifted up on the cross, so that whoever places their faith and trust in Him would have eternal life. Notice, the Bible didn’t just say that we would be saved; it said that we would have “eternal life.” This is the Greek word zoe, which literally means the same life God has in Himself. This is a life of completeness and wholeness. Jesus took death and judgment upon Himself so that you and I could receive eternal life—which includes health, wholeness, and victory. The Israelites were instantly healed the moment they looked upon the serpent. Why? The brass serpent represented substitution—it took the place of their death and judgment in order to give them life. In the same way, Jesus became a curse for us so that we would no longer have to live under the curse.

HE BECAME A CURSE FOR US

The Bible says in Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” The cross represents the curse. In fact, during the time of the Roman Empire, crucifixion was the most severe and shameful of all deaths. Jesus Christ became the curse of sin, death, poverty, and sickness so that we might receive the blessing of righteousness, eternal life, abundance, and divine health. We received the opposite of the curse as the result of Christ’s sacrifice. He took upon Himself the bite of the “fiery serpent” of sin and death for us. Those of us who believe in Jesus were redeemed.

What does it mean to be redeemed? The word redeemed (as found in Galatians 3:13) comes from the Greek word exagorazō, which means “the payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, or buy off” (Strong’s, G1805). Simply put, you and I have a right to divine healing through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that with His stripes we were healed (see 1 Pet. 2:24). The word stripes comes from the Greek word mōlōps, which means “a wound trickling with blood” (Strong’s, G3468). The stripes mentioned in First Peter are referencing the Roman punishment of scourging. This was a very horrible method of interrogating criminals. During scourging, the flesh was viciously torn from the back and legs. Every stripe upon the body of Jesus Christ brought about our healing and deliverance.

When you look at sickness from this vantage point, it dramatically changes the way you approach infirmity in your life and the lives of your loved ones. God allowing His own Son to be scourged and subsequently crucified is proof positive that He wants you and I well. The next time you think of a physical sickness, I want you to remember the price that Jesus paid. You don’t have the right to be oppressed by sickness considering the depth of Christ’s sacrifice for you. Did you know that the moment you became born again you stepped into an inheritance of health and healing?

YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE!

Not only are we healed in redemption, but the moment we became born again (accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior) our body became the temple of the Holy Spirit. According to First Corinthians 6:19, our bodies are the temple of God’s Spirit and we were bought with a price. This means that Jesus owns every part of your being. What if every Christian began to live their lives as if they were not their own? This is what the Bible says:

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20).

The word bought (agorazō) means “to purchase something in the market.” Jesus bought us back from the devil. Before we were saved, we were Satan’s property. The moment we accepted Christ, we became God’s property. As His property, He chooses what He wants to do with us. Interestingly enough, God chooses to live on the inside of us. Our body becomes His dwelling place. Not only does He make our body His dwelling, but He also refers to us as “the temple.” The word temple comes from the Greek word naos, meaning “sacred edifice.” God calls us His sacred tabernacle, His holy place. Imagine, then, how God feels when sickness comes into our body and desecrates the temple

When I was growing up, we were not allowed to eat food or chew gum in church, especially not in the sanctuary. Many people would end up placing gum under their seat or spilling food on the floor. How disrespectful of them! Why would they operate with such deep disregard and inconsideration in the house of God? Jesus shared a similar zeal for the house of God. The Bible records:

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:12-13).

YOU ARE A HOUSE OF PRAYER

Jesus became furious when He saw the physical abuse of the temple. Why? He understood the true sanctity of the temple, and He recognized that this sanctity was being violated. The truth is that the physical church building is nothing compared to your physical body. You, not the physical church building, are His dwelling place. How much more vigilant should you be in stewarding over God’s house of prayer?

This is the reason why healing is so vitally important in the world today. Divine healing enables the people of God to fulfill their divine purpose in the earth as individual “houses of prayer.” Imagine a brother coming to you and saying that he was involved in sexual sin. You would probably instantly correct him and tell him to repent. Why? His body is the temple of God. This is why the Bible says that you are to “glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). You are a courier of the glory of God.

In the same way that God doesn’t want sexual sin in the temple, He is equally zealous against sickness in the temple. When was the last time you told someone that God was allowing them to commit adultery to teach them a lesson? That seems pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? Why? Adultery defiles a person from the inside out—this is explicitly stated in First Corinthians 6:18. God would never desecrate His own temple to prove a point. Why then do people believe that God desires that their bodies be desecrated with sickness and disease, especially to prove a point?

Now, I want to take a moment and clarify something. I am in no way suggesting that if you are sick you are somehow “dirty” or “defiled”; I am saying that you should be as zealous concerning sickness as you are concerning sin. Stop tolerating sickness in your life! It is not from God! Too many in the church have taken a passive stance when it comes to the temple of the Holy Ghost. Now is the time for us to rise up in zeal and passion and drive out sickness and disease. It is time for us to tell the devil, “My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, I am a house of prayer, and therefore I give you no place!”

THE POWER OF PASSOVER

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord (Exodus 12:11-12).

God is and has always been jealous over His children, even from the very beginning. We can see this truth expressed throughout the Old Testament. Time and time again, we see the Lord fighting for Israel. In the book of Exodus, God delivered the Israelites out of captivity after 430 years of Egyptian bondage. He raised up Moses as a prophet and deliverer to His people (which is a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus Christ the Messiah). Through a series of plagues, God released judgment upon Egypt and its pharaoh for refusing to let God’s people go. The last plague (which is the one we will concentrate on the most) has profound spiritual significance for us today, especially as it relates to divine healing. In Exodus, we see that God issued one last plague:

And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts (Exodus 11:5).

God told Moses that this plague would cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. You must understand that the firstborn was very significant. The firstborn was heir to the kingdom; therefore, by killing the firstborn, God was in essence cutting off the inheritance of Egypt. However, God made provision for His people—the Passover. The Israelites were to take a lamb and roast it and place the blood of that lamb on the doorpost (see Exod. 12:13). By doing this, the spirit of death would pass over them. In other words, they were exonerated from judgment through the covenant of Passover. This is amazing! God also told them to eat the Passover with unleavened bread (yeast or leaven was symbolic of the sin of Egypt). They were to eat the Passover in haste and flee from Egypt immediately the next morning. This was the first day of the month for Israel and a new year for them as a nation. God was establishing an ordinance that the Israelites were to observe forever.

What is the significance of this Passover and what does it have to do with healing? I am glad you asked! The Passover represents the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb who caused death to pass over us forever. Passover also represents the establishment of a new system, separate from that of Egypt. God was setting Israel apart as a holy nation to Himself. This was amazing in and of itself, but God didn’t stop there. Through the Passover, the Israelites received divine healing and supernatural restoration. The Bible says, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes” (Ps. 105:37). The word for “feeble” is the Hebrew word kashal (Strong’s, H3782), “to totter, stumble, or stagger.” It is the walk of those who are physically sick or weak from dehydration, disease, or other physical infirmity.

It would be reasonable to assume that after 430 years of slavery almost all the Israelites would be tottering. Why were none of them weak? The key was the Passover. I believe that the Passover feast, as a prophetic act, released the supernatural power of God into their physical bodies. They were miraculously healed in an instant. Hallelujah! If the Israelites were supernaturally healed and restored by observing Passover, how much more are you and I healed and restored in Christ, our Passover Lamb? They were healed under the shadow; we are healed under the substance! The next time you are wondering whether or not it is God’s will for you to be healed, remember the Passover—Jesus Christ.

HEALING TESTIMONY

Communion is something that we regularly observe in our church. In fact, we take it every Sunday. One particular Sunday, I was teaching on the communion and its connection to Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us and the blessing of healing as a result of that sacrifice. After communion, a lady expressed that someone close to her had been suspected of having testicular cancer. The doctors set up another visit to do a further biopsy. We declared that the blood of Jesus paid the penalty for that cancer, and we released the healing power of God over this person. A few days later, the doctors reported that there was nothing on his testicles. The cancer had completely vanished. Hallelujah!

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

1. What is the relationship between healing and redemption?

2. How did Jesus become a curse for us?

3. What does the Bible mean when it says, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost”?

4. What does the term house of prayer mean? How does it apply to you?

5. What was the power and result of the Passover?

CHAPTER 4

THE POWER TO HEAL

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils (Mark 3:14-15).

There is a very disturbing myth in the church today (we will deal with healing myths in more detail in a later chapter) which suggests that healing is no longer relevant for the times in which we live. Not only does Scripture not support this, but also it is downright ridiculous. Healing is more relevant now than it has ever been before. However, there is something even more insidious and malevolent at work in the church today; that is the notion that healing is reserved for a particular healing minister, television personality, or “special person.” As a result of this wrong philosophy, people are ignorant of the power that Jesus gave all of us to heal the sick. That’s right! You have been given supernatural power by God to heal the sick.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus equipped His disciples with the power to heal. The Bible records: “That He might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” (Mark 3:14-15). Why did Jesus give them power to heal the sick? First of all, we must define what is meant by the term power. The word power written in this passage is the Greek word exousia (Strong’s, G1849), “the right or authority to act” or “physical and mental power.” In other words, Jesus gave them the authority to heal the sick. This authority was not just manifested in spiritual terms, but in pragmatic terms as well. They were endued with the divine right and ability to heal the sick spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

By heal we are referring to the service of curing or restoring people to health. Notice that this power was given the moment they were commissioned by Christ to preach the gospel. Why? If you preach a gospel that says that Jesus is Lord and the Kingdom of God is supreme, it must include the manifestation of supernatural power. Why would someone believe in a God who is powerless against sickness and disease?

For years the church has neglected one of the most fundamental aspects of preaching the gospel—healing. What if I told you that you have just as much authority to heal the sick as the apostles of the first century church? Well, guess what? You do! The point is that they were given power to heal the sick in order to confirm the gospel of the Kingdom of God. They were also given power to heal the sick in order to release people from satanic oppression. After all, the gospel is the “good news.” Jesus came to set the captives free according to Luke 4:18.

THE GREAT OMISSION

When I was coming up in church, we were taught to believe that Jesus was the Healer. I was raised in a Spirit-filled church, so everyone I knew embraced the gifts of the Spirit, at least in theory. The problem was, I did not regularly see church members healing the sick. In fact, I can’t recall a single time where a group of young people in the church went out to pray for the sick. Now that I think about it, this is very disturbing. To be honest, I saw more sickness than I saw people healing the sick. I often refer to this as cognitive dissonance. This is when a belief that a person holds is inconsistent with their behavior. So, we were saying that Jesus was the Healer, but we weren’t walking in this reality.

Many people have experienced this problem. In fact, there are entire denominations built on the gifts of the Spirit, yet if you were to attend their services you would see little if any gifts operating at all. We have somehow replaced “The Great Commission” with “The Great Omission.” We have subconsciously omitted the power of the resurrection from Christianity. I remember sitting in church as a young person scratching my head. Why were so many Christians being ravaged by sickness and disease? Why weren’t we doing anything about it?

There are many reasons, but the main one, I believe, is the fact that we have embraced a passive form of spirituality. It seems we have been taught (either through explicit teaching or lack thereof) to be spiritual spectators. Even our churches have been designed architecturally to mimic theaters or auditoriums, thus encouraging an “entertainment” or “spectator” culture. It is almost like we are attending a movie or theatrical play. People are encouraged to come to a “comfortable” atmosphere and “receive”—maybe even have a cup of coffee while they’re at it. I am not against innovation or megachurches or being progressive in our approach to ministry, but I am concerned that we have departed from the New Testament model of active and engaged Christianity. The Christian life is to be filled with consistent displays of God’s supernatural power—especially healing.

The reality is that we live in a fallen world that desperately needs Jesus and all that He has to offer. How do we accomplish this mandate? The first thing that we need to do is recognize what we have been given in Christ. We must realize that it is the will of God to heal the sick and to restore the broken. Once we realize that this is God’s plan, the next thing that we need to do is come to the realization that He wants to use us to do it. You may be saying, “I am not ready or prepared!” The disciples were not prepared either. In fact, they were a band of misfits who barely understood anything that Jesus had to say, yet He still used them. God is no respecter of persons. If He can use publicans, tax collectors, and uneducated fisherman, then surely He can use you!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Several years ago, my wife and I were attending a John G. Lake seminar in Florida. The minister came from out of town to teach on divine healing. Scores of people lined up to receive their healing. There were all kinds of infirmities represented in the room, including arthritis, gout, cancer, diabetes, mental retardation, lupus, heart disease, and many more. I must admit that, though I wasn’t sick, I too was looking forward to seeing some sort of miraculous display. You can imagine my surprise when the minister stood up in front of the room and said that he wasn’t going to heal anybody. This was not what I expected at all! He looked around the room and asked people to raise their hand if they were sick. After many people raised their hands, he paused for a moment and said, “Well, what are you waiting for? Go pray for the sick!”

I was shocked by the audacity of his statement. Did he expect us to actually go and heal our brothers and sisters? Apparently he did! The interesting thing about all of this was that people began to run around the room praying for the sick. They were actually doing as they were instructed. As I began to join others in praying for the sick, an amazing thing happened—the power of God began to manifest. People started to grab me asking me to pray for them. I don’t have medical reports to prove it, but I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that many were healed. I also know that something inside me changed. I realized that God was waiting on us to do what He has empowered us to do.

What are you waiting for today? Are you waiting for a title or an ordination certificate? Those things have no relevance to the power already resident in you. Furthermore, God has already ordained you. You were ordained the moment you became born again to do as Jesus did. I know it may seem a bit strange, but God is waiting for you! I can imagine the reaction of the disciples when Jesus told them to go. They were probably terrified by the thought of facing the leprous, blind, crippled, were demon possessed. Talk about on-the-job training! Yet Jesus knew that their success was not predicated on them, but on Him. The Bible says:

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17-18).

Notice that the Bible says, “These signs shall follow them that believe,” which means that the only requirement to heal the sick is faith and confidence in Jesus Christ. The burden to manifest healing is on Him. Why? Because He was the one who told us to go! The Bible says that we shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. The phrase “shall recover” is the combination of two Greek words—echō and kalōs. These words are written in the imperative and when used together mean “to hold or possess excellent and complete restoration to health” (Strong’s, G2192, G2573). It’s a guarantee—those whom we pray for will be restored to health. Period!

This is a promise that we are to possess by faith. Notice that this recovery has nothing to do with the acclaim or ability of the person ministering the healing. It has everything to do with God who promised that these “signs” or “marks” would follow those of us who believe. The word signs (semeion in Greek) means miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God’s. Have you considered that you have been called to plead God’s cause in the earth? This is what it means to preach or proclaim the gospel. We are declaring the message of God’s Kingdom throughout the earth, and God has given the gift of healing to His church in order to authenticate this message.

COMMISSIONED WITH POWER

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20).

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commissioned His disciples (not just the twelve) to go into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Notice that in the previous verse, Jesus declares: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” What does this mean? It means that Jesus Christ has inherited all power from the Father. Not only did He inherit all power from the Father, but He has the authority to execute that power in both heaven and earth. Many people believe that Jesus has authority in heaven, but they fail to acknowledge His authority in the earth. That’s saying He can save your soul but not heal your body; this is unscriptural. The word all suggests that every power or authority that exists is subject to His power and authority. There is nothing more powerful than Jesus Christ, including sickness and disease.

With that said, it is important to understand the way a kingdom operates. In ancient kingdoms, a king was the person who possessed the authority in the land. He was literally the law. He determined who lived and who died, who paid taxes and who didn’t. Whenever a king delegated authority to someone, that person was vested with the same authority that the king himself possessed. When Jesus Christ rose from the grave, He possessed all the power resident within the Kingdom of God; by telling us to “go,” we were endued with that same power. He delegated His authority to us! We are His vice regents in the earth. Jesus used the Greek word poreuō, which means “to transfer” (Strong’s, G4198). The moment Jesus said “go,” you and I were commissioned with supernatural power and authority to carry out His mandate in heaven and in earth. The authority is the legal right to operate in a particular domain and the power is the ability to carry out that authority. Where is our jurisdiction? Heaven and earth! When it comes to sickness, we have the right and the ability to make sickness bow to us, just like it bowed before Jesus Himself.

What does this authority look like? For one, it means that you and I no longer need to be intimidated by sickness anymore. It means that there is no such thing as big sicknesses and small sicknesses anymore; any and all sickness must bow to the power we possess. You must realize that this power was part of a package deal. It is part and parcel with the new birth. (We realize that we must be filled with the Spirit of God as well.) Remember, this is not a commission from man but of Christ Himself, the Supreme Ruler of the universe. Take a few moments and process what I just said! What are you waiting for? Go and heal the sick today!

HEALING PRAYER

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank You that You have empowered me to heal the sick. Thank You, Lord, that we are no longer subjected to sickness and disease, but sickness and disease are subjected to us. I stand in bold confidence knowing that my ability to heal the sick is not based on my ability at all, but on Your power and Great Commission. Thank You for commissioning me to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God and to penetrate the kingdom of darkness for Your glory. Use me to heal the sick, to raise the dead, and to deliver the captives from this day forward. I lay aside all fear and insecurity and I go! In Jesus’s name, amen!

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

1. What is the power to heal?

2. Why has the church at large neglected their commission to heal the sick?

3. What did Jesus tell His disciples before His ascension (according to Matthew 28:18-20)?

4. Why do we believe that something has to “happen” before we can pray for the sick?

CHAPTER 5

CHRIST’S AUTHORITY IN US

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

Earlier, we mentioned the profound implications of delegated authority. We discovered that Christ has in fact delegated authority to His body, the Church. By authority we mean the lawful right to execute the plan and purposes of God in the earth, including healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons. Just as military generals are given military authority to war on behalf of a kingdom, so you and I have been given the right to wage war on the powers of darkness. However, you and I have not simply received delegated authority. Our authority goes even deeper—we possess Christ’s authority inside of us by the Spirit. This authority is encapsulated within the resurrected Christ resident inside us as believers. This means that it is more than just following the orders and commands of an external King, but it means that the King of kings is actually manifesting His power and authority in and through us. In John 15, the Bible says:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

The word abide in this passage of Scripture means “to remain” or “sojourn.” The word picture is that of a traveler taking rest in a particular residence. In this case, we are to rest in His authority. Just like a branch is inextricably connected to the vine, so are we connected to Christ by virtue of the new birth. Through this connection, you and I are able to manifest fruit that remains. In other words, we are able to display the power and authority of Christ Himself. This is why the Bible says, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). When you really internalize this powerful truth, you will realize that it is not you doing anything, but His authority working through you.

NO MORE INTIMIDATION

My wife and I teach and train people to walk in divine healing through various healing schools and supernatural schools of ministry. One night at our healing school, a young man brought a friend of his down to the altar who had been viciously attacked. Her ex-boyfriend kicked this young lady in the eye; her eyeball had exploded in the socket. The doctors said that she would never see out of that eye again nor would there be any activity. In fact, they were preparing to give her a glass eye.

The moment I saw her condition, I became very intimidated. I was looking at things from the natural perspective. As we prayed for her, there was no outward manifestation of healing. We asked if she had forgiven everyone, if she desired to be healed, and so on. Even though I had seen God perform very extravagant healings in the past, something about her scenario gave me pause. As we prayed for her, the tear ducts began to loosen and she started to cry out of the dead eye. However, we did not see the full manifestation of her healing that night. Later that night during my devotion time, I asked God why the young lady didn’t get healed completely. Was it her lack of faith? God said to me, “It was not her lack of faith; it was yours!” I realized in that moment that I had allowed myself to become intimidated by her condition. Why? I was relying on my own ability instead of abiding in the authority of Christ.

Fear neutralizes faith and hinders the manifestation of healing and miracles.

From that day on, I decided that I would never be afraid or intimidated by any form of sickness, disease, or ailment again. At the next healing school, a young lady came down who had a stroke recently and lost the use of her right arm and her vocal cords. She could not say a single intelligible word. I decided that I was going to give the devil a black eye that night. I asked her to tell me what was wrong with her; she laughed while her friend gently explained to me, “She can’t speak!”

I asked her again, “What is going on with you?” She struggled to get out a single word. I commanded the vocal cords to be loosed and the nervous system to be restored in the name of Jesus.

All of a sudden, the lady screamed, “Hallelujah!” As I continued to tell her to repeat after me she said, “J-j-j-eeesus, Jee-sus, Jesus!” The entire congregation exploded with praise and thanksgiving. The more she shouted, the more faith arose in the atmosphere.

Afterward, I asked her to use her hand; her friend explained, “She can’t use her hand!”

I told her to take the microphone out of my hand, and she grabbed it and shouted “Hallelujah!”

Praise the Lord! In a matter of minutes, God healed her vocal chords and restored the use of her arm. This is what happens when you and I no longer look to our own ability and righteousness, but instead choose to step into the very authority of Christ in us. Unlike the previous scenario, I endeavored to see the condition the way Jesus saw it. He has all authority and there is no sickness or disease that can stand before Him; therefore, there is no sickness that can stand before me. Refuse to be intimidated!

WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12).

It is extremely important for us to know our identity if we are going to successfully flow in the power of God, particularly healing the sick. We must understand that we are not simply followers of Jesus, but we are children of God. The Bible says those of us who have received Him have been given the right or authority to become sons of God (see John 1:12). The word received is a very important word. It comes from the Greek word lambano, “to take with the hand.” It means to grab hold of something with a sense of entitlement.

We must embrace our sonship. Why? It belongs to us! Jesus paid a tremendous price to make you and me sons and daughters of God. Only those who accept and receive their sonship by faith will walk in their true identity. It is important to note that the concept of spiritual sonship is gender neutral. Both male and female are sons of God in Christ Jesus, in an ontological sense. When we come into the consciousness of our sonship, it will cause us to experience a supernatural mega thrust in our spiritual lives. With sonship comes spiritual authority. Jesus never negotiated with demons or rationalized sickness. Instead, He saw sickness and disease as enemies of the Kingdom of God and dealt with them accordingly. He was able to function this way because He was absolutely secure in His relationship with God the Father. What an amazing God we serve! He so longed to save and deliver us that He wrapped Himself in frail humanity just to redeem us. The amazing thing is that you and I are incarnated with the same risen Christ who overcame sin, sickness, death, and hell.

We possess the DNA of the Father inside our very being and therefore carry the same authority to heal the sick that Christ possessed on the earth.

Can you imagine this? You are not simply using a bunch of complex formulas to conjure supernatural manifestations, but you are a son or daughter of God releasing His divine power in the earth. You are inextricably connected to the Vine (Jesus), and through this connection you are empowered to operate in His authority.

I want you to take a moment and think about what it means to be a child of God. When I was younger, I can remember my father picking me up from school. I was always excited to see him. I enjoyed spending time with him. Ultimately, I wanted to be my father. To me, he represented strength, authority, masculinity, and power. Everywhere I went, people who knew my father would automatically know that I was his son. This is what it means to be a child of God. All that He embodies is manifested in us. We should look, think, act, and speak like our Father. When people see us they should see Him and vice versa. What will your spiritual and physical life look like once you realize that God is truly your Father? From this day forward you no longer need to fear or be intimidated by the power of the devil. We are children of the Most High God!

AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

Now that you realize that God has given you authority, you need to know how this authority works. In Luke 10:19, Jesus gave the disciples authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. What does this mean? Well, it means that you and I have been given the authority to dominate over all demonic forces. I love the way this is articulated in the Greek: “Behold, I bestow the gift of power of rule and government to trample under foot serpents and poisonous scorpions and over all the strength, power, and ability of the hideous, hated, and hostile one, and nothing shall cause you damage or harm” (my adaptation from Greek definitions). Notice that we have authority but the devil has power. What is the difference? Authority is the legal right to act on behalf of someone else—in this case Jesus Christ.

This means that all of heaven will enforce what we do or say according to the Word of God. Satan, on the other hand, is a fallen rogue angel, who has been rejected by God and the Kingdom of heaven at large. He has no support system for what he does, other than his demons. He has no authority! In this sense, you and I are much more powerful than the devil. Why is this so important? Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Jesus went about healing, curing, and releasing those who were under the devil’s oppression. What did this oppression look like? Sickness and disease! We also have been given authority by God to tread over Satan’s power by healing the sick. This is exactly what Jesus did. Later we will talk about the relationship between healing and deliverance, but for now I want you to understand that sickness is essentially the oppression of the devil. By healing the sick we are expanding God’s Kingdom agenda in the earth. We are revealing His heart of goodness to the world. We are setting the captives free!

Jesus has given us the rule of government to dominate over sickness, disease, and infirmity. The shed blood of Jesus Christ ratified this authority.

IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK!

During one of our services, we were teaching on spiritual authority. After I taught for a while, I decided that people needed to see what we were talking about. I told them to stand up if they were facing any physical challenges or symptoms in their bodies. Several people stood up. One young man had been suffering from severe back pain and leg pain. As he stood, I called another young lady, who happened to be very new in her walk with Christ. I told her to place her hand on his back and command the pain to leave in Jesus’s name. She asked if that was all she had to do. “Yep, that’s all!” I exclaimed.

So she said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command this back pain to leave now!”

I asked the young man if he felt any pain, and he said, “No! Not at all!” The young lady was amazed by how easy it seemed to be.

You may be thinking, “It can’t be that easy!” You’re right, if you are relying on yourself. However, if you are relying on Him, that is another story. You must realize that Christ already conquered sickness. He already did the hard work. Furthermore, He has given us His authority to dominate over the power of the enemy. Once you realize that you have authority and that sickness is from the devil, you can easily address it.

You may be saying, “Well that was only back pain!” Remember, there are no degrees of sickness from God’s perspective. He is eternal and all powerful. He doesn’t exert any more energy on cancer than He does on a common cold. To prove my point even further, I will share with you another healing testimony.

HEALING TESTIMONY

We were holding a healing meeting one night. During this meeting, I taught on the power of expectation. The Lord told me to build expectation in the people so that they could receive the manifestation of their healing. I talked about the widow woman of Zarephath in First Kings 17. I said that the containers of oil represented expectation.

As I was teaching, the Holy Spirit gave me a word of knowledge about a young woman who had been physically abused by her significant other and was dealing with anxiety. I asked this person to come forward and no one moved at all. I knew that I had heard from God so I continued to insist. Thank God I did, because the moment I was about to move on, a young lady came down to the altar with a shameful face and tears in her eyes. She said that she did not want to come forward because she was too embarrassed. Then she revealed that she had three lumps on her breast. All of the things she underwent had caused a tremendous amount of anxiety inside her mind and physical body. Before I laid hands on her, I felt impressed to speak the Word of God over her. I told her that she would not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord according to Psalm 118:17. I cursed the cancer and spoke life over her body. She immediately fell to the ground weeping.

Afterward, she approached me and told me that when she checked her breast, every lump had disappeared. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. I didn’t sweat, jump, moan, or growl to manifest her healing. I didn’t say a series of prepackaged prayers; all I did was agree with God that it was His will for her to be healed. I simply released my faith and rested in the authority of Jesus. It is just that easy! You may have a loved one or member of your church who needs healing; don’t wait for someone else to pray. You have the authority in you to heal the sick. Place a demand on it by faith!

WE ARE AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

In John 20:21, the Bible says, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” This is one of the most powerful statements in the Bible. In this we see that after His resurrection, Jesus sent His disciples to accomplish a specific assignment on His behalf—to preach the gospel of the Kingdom. Just as the Father sent Jesus to fulfill His assignment, so Christ has sent us to fulfill His Kingdom mandate. What does it mean to be sent? The word sent comes from the Greek word apostellō and means “to be sent with orders.” This is the verb form to the Greek noun apostolos, which means “one who is sent” or “delegate.” This concept comes from an ancient Roman and Phoenician governmental title. In those days, an “apostle” was a person sent out by the king with specific instructions or orders.

Jesus has sent us and given us ambassadorial authority to represent Him in the earth.

This instruction included the apostolic power and authority to carry out the assignment for which they were sent. Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (see Heb. 3:1). He was sent by God the Father on a redemptive assignment to deliver you and me from the power of darkness. As the Apostle of our faith, He has sent us and endued us with the same authority that He possesses. In other words, we are His ambassadors. An ambassador is an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign land. We are Christ’s ambassadors in the earth. With ambassadorship comes the authority to represent Jesus in word and action. Whatever God intends in the earth, He has given us the legislative authority to facilitate. God intends for people to be healed and delivered; therefore, He has empowered us to heal the sick. When we command the sick to be healed, He is commanding the sick to be healed. There is no difference in authority! We are carriers of His power and authority, and when we speak all the powers of darkness must take heed. So instead of cowering before sickness, tell that disease where to sit; all of heaven will support you! This understanding will transform your life.

HEALING PRAYER

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I thank You that I am an ambassador of Jesus. Through You I have been given the power and authority to carry out Your redemptive plan in the earth. Right now, in Jesus’s name, I take authority over every sickness, disease, and infirmity, and I command them to leave me now. I declare that I will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. I recognize today that the authority that I carry within is the same as Jesus Christ Himself. Today, I confidently apply Your Word and I walk in the faith and boldness to heal the sick. In Jesus’s name. Amen!

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

1. What type of authority has Christ given us?

2. What does this authority imply?

3. What are the spiritual and physical implications of sonship?

4. What does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ?

CHAPTER 6

THREE DIMENSIONS OF HEALING

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 brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19).

When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, they fell totally. This means that they were affected by their fall from God’s grace in every area of their lives. In fact, Adam and Eve underwent three dimensions of death (which we will address in a moment). If the redemptive purpose of God was to be effective, it had to address all three areas.

Jesus’s earthly ministry addressed the tripartite nature of man in its entirety and the need to experience total healing and deliverance, thus reflecting God’s redemptive will in relation to humankind. In Luke 4:18-19, the Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus and anointed Him to minister in the following categories: preaching the gospel to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, preaching deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, setting at liberty them that are bruised, proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord. God had to manifest His healing power in all three of the areas in which man fell. In the same manner, if you and I are going to minister healing and reconciliation, we must confront these areas as well. There are three significant dimensions to healing.

1. SPIRITUAL HEALING

The first area of healing that Jesus addressed was spiritual healing. What is meant by the term spiritual healing? Well, if man is essentially a spiritual being, then the foundation of his sickness is spiritual in s e