Keys to Receiving Healing
Reprinted by permission, Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved. https://allnationsmin.org/
It is a common experience for people seeking the Lord on a matter - such as healing - for them to initially experience what seems to be the opposite of what they desire. I believe this to be demonic resistance -spiritual warfare. I believe that the Lord spoke to this issue very specifically.
He said:
7 "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.
9 "Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10 "Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11)
Initially, we may experience what seems like a "stone" or a "snake" instead of a loaf or a fish. This is where a lot of people quit believing and are defeated by the devil. We hold on - by faith in Him - to the fact that a good Father God will give us what is good "much more" than what we would do for our children.
Christians are often unaccustomed to believing without any evidence in their bodies or negative evidence that may actually say to them that things are worse. They quit believing at this critical point thinking that "things are not working" or "we must not be doing this right." They become passive and may settle into a passive waiting for healing rather than continuing to actively believe. I meet lots of people who didn't receive healing because they were unable to continue to believe without outward evidence.
In my own experience with healing, I have found that making a very strong commitment to the truth that Jesus is already my Healer regardless of what I am presently experiencing has resulted in me receiving healing a number of times. Because I preach this, often in meetings people who have been doubleminded about their healing are able to commit themselves strongly to the truth and receive healing.
I think that most people who are struggling with receiving healing are approaching it backward. Instead of making a strong commitment to the truth that Jesus is already their Healer, they are waiting for healing to happen so that they can believe. This is backward of course.
Believing that healing is yours before you have it in your experience is important. Believing that Jesus is already your Healer without evidence in your body is the right way. Keeping your focus on the truth rather than your symptoms is essential.
Not letting symptoms tell you what is true is highly important. They will be "lying symptoms" because the truth is that Jesus is already your Healer even if you have not received healing yet.
Early in my own personal experience with healing, I found myself doing it backward. I wanted a healing to show me that I was doing it correctly. Instead of believing in what Christ had done before I received, I was waiting for healing to happen before I committed myself to the truth of Christ already being my Healer.
Once that I quit waiting for a healing to validate that I was doing it correctly, I committed myself strongly to the truth and it set me free within seconds. I was healed and my symptoms were gone.
I had prayed for my healing seriously and repeatedly for ten days without a positive change. In fact, my symptoms were worse. I was worse because I was not believing the truth even though I wanted it to be true. The moment that I made a strong commitment to the truth without any evidence of healing in my body, I was healed within seconds of that moment.
I said very loudly with a strong commitment to the Lord, "I don't care how long it takes or how it happens. Jesus You ARE my Healer!" Immediately, I was completely well from a condition that had afflicted me since my childhood. That condition has never returned.
I find that a focus on results instead of the truth of the Good News will not work to receive healing. We need to quit looking for a manifestation. We need to focus entirely on the truth and not keep looking away from the truth to see if we are healed. When we look away to see a result, we are continually being exposed to the idea that we have not received.
You can't focus on the truth and results at the same time. Every time that we look away from Christ, it is like unplugging from the power source. Instead, keep the eyes of your heart fixed on Jesus and the truth of what He has done and do not consider symptoms to be significant. Symptoms should not be allowed to tell you a contrary truth.
The truth is that Jesus is already Your Healer. The work is done for you. Symptoms have no message to a person who is believing in Christ as Healer.
Keep your eyes FIXED on Jesus and focus on the truth of what He has accomplished for you and the healing will arrive often without fanfare. At some point, you will become aware that your healing need no longer exists and that you have received.
At that point, it is appropriate to go to the doctor for a checkup and let the doctor tell you that you are no longer sick as a testimony to the doctor.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
"Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:19-20)
Nowhere does the New Testament teach that the devil has authority over a believer. The cross of Christ has completely defeated the devil. Our authority over the devil, fallen angels and demons is not based on our behavior, good works, good character, obedience or fulfilling conditions. Our authority over the devil is not based on us at all.
Our authority over the devil is based on Christ and His work at the cross that defeated the devil. This means that you have authority over the devil on your worst day.
Don't give place to the devil by failing to use your blood-bought authority over the devil in the name of Jesus.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
“How many of you are a special exception? Everyone can get healed but you just can’t.”
When I ask this in churches who have not heard me teach, two-thirds to three-quarters of the congregation will raise their hands. I have them say to each other “You are not that special” and then everyone laughs. There are no special exceptions.
You already qualify for healing because of what Jesus has done. He never turned anyone away. He never declared to someone that they were the special exception who could not be healed. There are no special exceptions but there are thousands of Christians who believe that Christ heals who have believed this lie from the devil that they are a special exception.
If you believe that you are the special exception, you are not believing that Jesus can heal you and will certainly will have difficulties receiving healing.
You ought to reconsider this idea and make a firm decision that you, like everyone else, qualify to be healed because of the cross. Maranatha!
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
Common Doubts About Healing: "Maybe it is not God's will for me to receive healing."
And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and HEALED ALL WHO WERE ILL in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases." (Matthew 8:16-17)
Christ repeatedly healed everyone who came to Him in a multitude. He healed all who came to Him for healing. This is what the disciples knew from observation of Jesus Christ. It is what we should know also.
Christ perfectly obeyed the Father so what He does in the passage above shows us the perfect will of God. Christ's disciples saw the perfect will of God being demonstrated to them over and over again as Christ healed all who came to Him in the multitudes. Christ never rejects or postpones someone's healing. They all qualified for healing.
Jesus Christ demonstrated the will of Father perfectly as He healed everyone who came to Him in a multitude. Nothing has changed. The will of God to heal all who come to Jesus Christ remains the same. The cross is enough for God. It should be enough for you.
Quit doubting the will of God to heal you. If you had been there 2000 years ago, you would have been completely clear that Jesus Christ was healing people just like you in the multitudes.
Believe it.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
Did Jesus Christ have partial healings in His earthly ministry that led to full healings? Yes. Did He pray for healing more than once for some people? Yes.
Here's an example. 22 And they (Jesus and His disciples) came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around." 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25)
In verses 23-24, Christ ministers to the blind man the first time with laying on hands and the formerly blind man receives a partial healing and is able to see unclearly. In verse 25, Christ ministers to the man again and he is healed completely and can see clearly.
Partial healings are good healings and most often lead to full healings. In healing situations, Christ said to many who were receiving healing, "Your faith has healed you" or something very similar. This important phrase is spoken by Jesus Christ in healing situations eighteen times in the Gospels.
There is another important phrase that Christ uses in conjunction with healing. Jesus also says that we receive healing "according to our faith." As Christ healed two blind men, He spoke this highly significant phrase to them. "Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'It shall be done to you according to your faith?'" (Mat 9:29) This means if we believe a little, we might receive a little healing and that will help us believe for more healing.
The idea that Christ did not require a second time of prayer for someone to be completely healed is not true according to the New Testament.
Follow Jesus. Healing is easier than you thought.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
I was doing healing meetings in another country over a few weeks. At one of the meetings, the leader who had invited me and had sponsored these meetings approached me. He said, "Roger, do you see the four people who have just come in the back of the building?" I said, "yes." There were three women and a man.
He said, "They are four well-known witches in our area. The woman on the far left is very well-known for her ability to channel spirits for supernatural guidance to the businessmen in our area. What do you want to do about this?" I said, "Nothing at all. I can't think of a better place for them to be." I am unafraid of witches. They cannot undo what Jesus has done for me. It is finished!
The meeting seemed to go well. I preached the Good New about Christ as Healer. In situations like this, I most often do a "demonstration." I ask for someone who is ready to be healed and has a bad back, a bad shoulder or arm that they cannot raise or perhaps bad knees to come forward and allow me to minister healing to them.
We do a "before and after" with them. We evaluate- before praying for them - how serious their problem is. Then we minister to them and have them do things that they couldn't do before. This provides a very visible change for the audience to see that they are healed. It increases expectation in the audience of them receiving healing as well.
I had reached the point of demonstration. I explained why I wanted someone who was injured to come forward. Without hesitation, the witch who channeled spirits came forward. I interviewed her and she did have a painful back injury. She could not bend very far before she was in serious pain. She said that she took pain medication for it. She said despite the medication, she often had trouble sleeping because of pain.
I put my hands on her lower back and had her say, "This healing belongs to me because of what Jesus has done." She made the confession and very quickly and strongly divine heat came to her back. Within moments, I was sure that she was healed. I got her to bend and test the healing. She went all the way down and touched her toes and came up sobbing and thanking the Lord. She was completely healed. By the end of the week, she and her three friends - witches before - had received Christ as Savior. Thank you, Jesus.
When telling this story, I often ask the audience if she was a believer. The vast majority of the people will say "no." Then I will say to them, "I didn't ask if she was a Christian. I asked if she was a believer. She heard the Good News. She responded in simple faith to the message that Christ would heal her. She demonstrated that faith by coming forward and letting me minister to her. Was she a believer in the same sense that the multitudes that came to Christ for healing?" Then everyone will agree that she was a believer in that sense.
I will then ask, "Who do you think receives healing; believers or Christians? They are not necessarily the same thing. There are many Christians that do not actively believe that Christ is already their Healer. However, there are many unsaved persons - engaged in sin of various types - that will actively believe in Christ as Healer when they hear the Good News.
We should not be afraid to tell a witch that Jesus will heal her. They may be much more open to this than some doubting Christians. Beyond that, converted witches often make great Christians as they will not be satisfied with sitting in the pew. They will want to experience all that God has for them.
Don’t be afraid of witches. Share you faith in Jesus Christ with them. Many will listen, believe in Jesus, be saved and become excellent Christians. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
Does God have a reason not to heal?
There are three common doubts that need resolving in many Christian’s minds. These doubts often prevent them from receiving healing. Once these three areas are dealt with properly many are able to receive healing. These three doubts come from erroneous teaching concerning:
1. Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Is Paul an example of a person that God would not heal for a purpose?
2. Job’s sickness. Does Job’s sickness reveal that God wished Job to be sick for a reason?
3. God’s sovereignty. Does God’s sovereignty mean that God might chose not to heal?
This article will address all three of these teachings that produce doubt about God’s willingness to heal. Here is the first one.
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh. Poor teaching about Paul's thorn in the flesh has created doubts in the minds of many people. These doubts have been sufficient to block healing for many people. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly analyze this passage. The primary verse in question is found in Paul's Second letter to the Corinthians. This verse reads:
"And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself!" 2 Corinthians 12:7
To understand this verse, we must ask::
What is the context of the verse?
What does the verse actually say that the thorn is?
What does the Greek word that is translated "thorn" reveal?
After these questions are answered honestly, a good interpretation of this verse will be apparent. Let’s consider the context of the verse.
The context of these verses is revealing. At the end of the previous chapter in 2 Corinthians, Paul is relating all the suffering, dangers, beatings, and imprisonment that he endured for the sake of the Gospel. He does not mention sickness anywhere in that passage. In that context in chapter 11, Paul speaks of being weak but certainly not as a reference to sickness but as a reference to the difficulties that he endured.
At the beginning of chapter 12, Paul explains that he had special revelations of Paradise, of the third heaven. Then he begins to speak of a thorn in the flesh given to keep him from exalting himself as a result of the surpassing revelations of the third heaven, paradise. Therefore, a thorn in the flesh is given when someone has special surpassing revelation from God. A truth emerges that should help most people's faith:
Most people would not qualify for a thorn in the flesh no matter what the thorn may be simply because they are not having surpassing revelations of paradise like Paul describes.
Paul writes that he asked the Lord three times to remove the thorn but the Lord answered that His grace was sufficient for Paul and that "power was made perfect in weakness." The Greek word translated "weakness" is used again here.
Sometimes the King James Version of the Bible has confused people about this. It uses the word "infirmity" to translate this Greek word. In the time of King James (the 17th Century) this word simply meant "weakness." "Infirmity" has changed its meaning in the 400 years that have passed. To us, it means "sickness." To them, it meant "weakness." That is why modern translators don’t use "infirmity" any longer to translate this word since it implies sickness. They use "weakness" which better conveys the meaning of the Greek word to the modern reader.
There are a number of Greek words used in the New Testament used exclusively for sickness. This Greek word is not one of them. This Greek word was also used a few verses earlier in the previous passage in a context that has to do with persecution. Paul is probably using "weakness" again in this way. A verse in the next chapter also seems to indicate this strongly. Both words, "power" and "weakness," are also used in this verse also. In this verse, Paul writes:
"For indeed He (Christ) was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you." 2 Corinthians 13:4
Here the word above translated "weakness" is the same word that Paul uses to describe what Christ said to him when he asked Him to remove the thorn. Paul is not saying that "weakness" is sickness. In fact, Paul says that "Christ was crucified because of weakness." It puts the term "weakness" into the context of what unbelieving people were able to do to Christ.
Christ’s enemies were able to persecute Him and injure him physically through torture and crucifixion. Paul uses this word "weakness" in the same way. Paul's "weakness" was the suffering that he had to endure at the hands of enemies. Christ’s "weakness" was not sickness and Paul’s "weakness" was not sickness either. Both experienced persecution.
The ordinary Greek words exclusively used for sickness in other passages in the New Testament do not appear anywhere in this passage. Additionally, just a few verses after writing about the thorn Paul writes that "the signs of the apostle" were present in his ministry. He mentions "signs, wonders and miracles." This makes it highly unlikely that Paul would tell his readers about his own sickness and then a few verses later reveal his ability to do miracles.
The context reveals that this weakness, "the thorn in the flesh," must be something other than a sickness or a medical condition of some type. The context says that it was persecution rather than sickness.
What does the verse actually say that the thorn is? The verse does clearly reveal what the thorn is. People that say that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was sickness often ignore what Paul wrote that the thorn actually was. Paul writes that the thorn is "a messenger of Satan." The Greek word that is translated "messenger" is the same Greek word that is often transliterated as "angel" elsewhere in the New Testament. Literally, Paul tells us that "the thorn in the flesh" is "an angel of Satan."
It is a poor leap-of-logic to say that this thorn is sickness when the actual passage says the thorn is a satanic angel. Since Paul tells us through this context of all the persecutions he endured, a much more reasonable interpretation would be that Paul was asking the Lord to stop the actions of a fallen angel who stirred up persecution against him wherever he went.
In the same way that the devil stirred up trouble around Christ leading to HIs crucifixion, Paul was suffering trouble caused by this fallen angel in the same way. This seems to be validated by further study of the words used in this context.
What does the Greek word that is translated "thorn" reveal? The use of this particular Greek word reveals a great deal. The Greek word that is translated thorn in this passage is "skolop." This Greek word only appears in the New Testament in this verse. However, this Greek word appears three times in the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.
A great deal of evidence exists that suggests that Paul and other First Century preachers used the Septuagint to preach from in their ministries to the ancient world. The apostle Paul was probably very familiar with how "skolop" was used in this ancient version of the Old Testament. "Skolop" is found in three passages in the Septuagint; Numbers 33:55, Ezekiel 28:24 and Hosea 2:6. In Numbers, this word is used in reference to the enemies of Israel. It reads:
"But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns (skolop) in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land in which you live." Numbers 33:55
This use of "skolop" above supports the interpretation that Paul's thorn in the flesh had to do with persecution from enemies stirred up by a fallen angel. The passage above does not support the idea that sickness was in some way involved.
The second place where "skolop" is used is found in the Book of Ezekiel. In that context, God declares that Sidon and other enemies will no longer be a thorn in Israel's side. This usage supports the idea that the thorn has to do with enemies rather than sickness. Ezekiel writes:
"And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn (skolop) from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 28:24
Their enemies had been a thorn in their side according to the prophet. Again, this does not point to sickness but rather to the thorn being a reference to persecution from enemies.
In Hosea, the use of this word is not as clear as the previous two uses. The verse simply says that God will prevent His people from going after false lovers by a wall of thorns.
"Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, (skolop) And I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths." Hosea 2:6
This particular use does not reveal anything else to help except that the verse does not reveal "skolop" as having a connection to sickness. None of the three uses of this word in the Greek Old Testament relate to sickness and two are related to difficulties with enemies. It is more reasonable to conclude that Paul was describing difficulties caused by persecution.
In summary, a close analysis of this verse does not reveal that Paul had a sickness or injury. The verse itself reveals that an angel of Satan was the problem and the context reveals that difficulties from enemies is the weakness that Paul asks the Lord to remove. Suggestions from other verses that Paul had eye problems, or other conditions such as speech difficulties, are often built upon the assumptions that Paul's thorn in the flesh was a medical condition. However, the biblical foundation for these speculations and theological doubts is very weak. It is unlikely that Paul's thorn in the flesh was a medical condition.
We are not saying that Paul never had a medical condition to deal with. We know that he could get sick like any other person. What we can conclude is that Paul could receive healing like any other believer. Paul does not provide an example of someone that God was not willing to heal.
Considering the Example of Job
When considering an Old Testament story such as Job, it is important to remember that the Old Testament will never reveal as much and as clearly about the purposes of God for Christians as Christ Himself. The book of Job reveals nothing about the New Covenant that God has made with us through Christ. This book doesn’t teach us about Christian healing at all. Christ does not quote from the Book of Job about healing, sickness or anything about the purpose of God. However, we will consider Job because misinterpretation of his experience has been the cause of many doubts about the purpose of God.
Some have seen Job as an example of a righteous person who God made sick for a purpose. However, when the actual story is examined, we find that the devil made Job sick and God healed him. It is amazing that some actually think that God wanted him sick when the devil made him sick and God healed him. What God wanted is what He did in the situation. God wanted Job well. God certainly did not want what the devil wanted!
Often this story is presented as a reason for someone remaining sick for a long period, however Job did not remain sick for long. Most of the 42 chapters in the Book of Job was a single, uninterrupted conversation with his friends followed by a conversation with God. The entire conversation could have happened in a matter of hours.
The conversation begins in the first verses of Chapter 3 and ends half way through Chapter 42 which is the last chapter. There are only 8 verses at the end of the chapter that are not connected with the long conversation. In other words, nearly 39 and a half chapters of this book occurs in one long uninterrupted conversation which could have happened on a single day. At the end of the conversation with his friends and with God, God heals Job. He lived to be 140 years old and was greatly blessed and increased by God.
If someone remains sick without divine healing, then Job cannot be used as an example for him or her. If someone dies without divine healing, they did not have a Job’s Experience because they were not healed.
Sometimes the logic is presented that if God allowed Job to be sick, then God must have wanted him sick. However, this is extremely bad logic and it conflicts with Scripture. God is allowing a multitude of evil, wicked, destructive things to go on in the world that are clearly not His will. God is allowing murder, rape, incest, fornication, adultery, theft and a multitude of other evil things. Because God is allowing these things, are we to believe that this is what God wants? No! God is not schizophrenic. Just because God allows something doesn’t mean He wishes it to be so.
How then are Christians to evaluate the will of God? It is rather simple. Jesus Christ shows us the perfect will of the Father by never sinning and always doing what the Father wished. Christ reveals the will of the Father in saving, healing and delivering people. It is the devil that kills, robs and destroys the lives of people not God. Let’s not be double-minded and confuse these simple biblical facts with complex, demonically inspired logic and shadowy theology that transforms the work of the devil into God’s work. Christ is saving, healing and delivering people. The devil is killing, robbing and destroying people. It is just that simple.
Spiritualizing Sickness and Injury
Often these days we see Christian people spiritualizing their sickness or their injuries and thereby creating doubts for themselves. They imagine a purpose and a spiritual reason for their sickness. For example, a person with an injured or painful neck might think that the root cause is stubbornness. They would be drawing this idea from the Old Testament where God describes the stubbornness of His people Israel as being “stiff-necked”. They might believe that they must deal with this character problem in their life before receiving healing. This belief keeps them from coming to Christ as Healer in child-like faith.
Another example is someone who is physically deaf who has been told that if their deafness is a result of not listening to God. A blind person might be told that their blindness is a result of being spiritually blind. Of course, Jesus never resolved a spiritual problem first of all to get someone healed physically.
A pastor once told Roger Sapp that his cancer was a reflection of the disunity of his church. When his church had unity, he would be healed of his cancer. Dr. Sapp told him with a grin that he would probably die then since he had no control over the unity of the church. He kindly disputed this pastor’s spiritual interpretation of his sickness. Once he saw that healing was not based on unity but faith in Christ, he was healed of his cancer.
These kinds of interpretations of sickness are out-of-control spirituality. Not once did Christ indicate that someone must solve a problem of character or anything else before receiving healing. These ideas create serious doubts in people. They create problems, some impossible to resolve, that must be fixed before someone can come to Christ for healing. They prevent reception of Christ as Healer with child-like faith.
Doubt about the Sovereignty of God
Occasionally someone will assert that the sovereignty of God means that God does not heal if He chooses not to heal. Often they are relying upon Old Testament passages to support this doubt-producing idea. There are several very wrong ideas in this theology. First of all, this would have God the Father acting in a very different way than His Son Jesus demonstrates. When we see Christ, we see the Father. The Father’s will and purpose are exactly as Christ reveals them. These matters remain the same yesterday, today and in the future because Christ remains the same.
Christ reveals the sovereignty of God perfectly. He shows us exactly how sovereignty works out in practice. He heals all who come to Him in child-like faith. He does not heal those who respond to Him in unbelief as they did in Nazareth. Why? They simply did not come to Him for healing. He never demonstrates that the Father is making arbitrary or mysterious decisions about who will be healed and who will not be healed. Instead, Christ demonstrates that all can receive if they come to Him.
Doubt prevents many from coming to Christ in child-like faith. Doubt is element in our thoughts that causes us to disqualify ourselves from healing or other blessings from God. We doubt God’s will and purpose. “Maybe God won’t heal me.” “Maybe God is trying to teach me something through this sickness”. “Maybe its not time to be healed.” While these are all very popular ideas, they are simply not the truth.
All these ideas are not validated in the ministry of Christ. He heals all who come. He never reveals a purpose for anyone remaining sick. He never postponed a healing because of timing. Jesus healed people just like you in the multitudes. He healed the good, the bad and everyone in between. The only qualification for healing was to believe that He would help and come to Him. The very same Jesus is seated at the right of God today. Nothing has changed. We receive healing exactly the same way that the multitudes received by coming to Him in faith and not disqualifying ourselves.
Doubt about Death and Dying
Another doubt that is related to the idea that God might be using sickness and injury in the life of a believer is the idea that God might want to bring a person to Heaven by sickness. Sick born again Christians who die go to Heaven but in no way does this mean that God wished them to die in this way. We must remember that perfectly well people die also.
Sickness is not the only road to death. Everyone eventually will die if Christ tarries. Some will be sick and some will be well. It is quite possible to put your head on a pillow completely well and wake up in Heaven. Sickness is not necessary to produce death. Some die who are completely well. Therefore, healing is available to all who believe right up to the moment of their death.
After death, after we sleep in Christ, a complete reception of what Christ accomplished at the cross will occur. Death and all that the Fall in the Garden, the curse and the devil have afflicted upon humanity will all be swallowed up in resurrection victory. In the meantime, healing is available to believers that they may live in abundant life until they die and then fully experience eternal life. Healing belongs to you now because of what Jesus has done!
A portion of this article was taken from Dr. Roger Sapp’s book Performing Miracles and Healing.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
Practical Things About Fasting:
If you are new to fasting, you ought to know a few things before you begin so you can avoid problems. There are various kinds of fasting but I recommend for those new to fasting to do a "normal fast." A normal fast is water only.
1. If you have a serious medical condition, you ought to talk to your doctor or research further if fasting will help or hurt. (Please don't post your opinion about this if you are not a doctor.)
2. Don't try a long fast at first. Work up to it. Start with fasting a single meal and then a week later, two meals, a full day and so on. Use that time that you are not eating to pray and study the Scriptures. The first three or four days of fasting are generally the most difficult and then fasting becomes relatively easy.
3. You should know that your body has a habit of eating regularly. This is appetite and not really hunger. Your appetite generally disappears on the third or fourth day of fasting. True hunger occurs when your body has no more carbohydrates or fats to burn as fuel. It is a warning that your body is now consuming muscle (protein) as fuel. This is the beginning of starvation and is a strong sign that the fast should end soon. Many people can fast for a month or more without problems simply because they have enough fuel - fat to burn - to allow for that.
4. Be aware that fasting has a purifying effect on the body. Toxins are released and removed by the body in the normal ways of elimination but can cause you to have very bad breath so you should use breath mints to avoid offending people and to keep your fast secret. The skin also eliminates toxins, so you should bathe more often. You should drink a lot of water. The elimination of toxins is greatly reduced after three or four days and you will feel much better and even very good as you fast. (People who fast regularly don't have difficulties with this at the beginning of a fast.)
5. If you normally drink beverages that have caffeine in them, be aware that caffeine is mildly addictive and when you cease consuming it, you are likely to have a caffeine withdrawal headache. Fasting seems to increase the headache. I recommend that you take a few days to get off the caffeine before you start fasting. It will make your experience less difficult during that three or four days that a lot of toxins are being eliminated.
6. After the first three or four days, you will enter into what some have called "the fast proper." You feel good. Time seems to slow down. Focus is sharpened. God is near. His written Word speaks to you and is full of revelation. Personal divine guidance is very clear. The Holy Spirit reveals truth that sets you free from bad habits and bondage. You will continue to experience increased blessing after the fast as well. (I experience more sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and therefore more manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit after I fast.)
7. Fasting is spiritual warfare that accomplishes good things rapidly in a believer's life. The enemy will resist it. The enemy will try to make you feel that you are failing God if you break a fast before you intended. This is not failure. You fasted even if you didn't fast as long as you intended. God is pleased. We recommend that particularly at first that you be flexible in the length of a fast so you don't give the enemy room to condemn you. If you have felt condemnation over fasting, join the club. You must be doing something so right that the enemy feels that he must stop it.
8. Remember that Christ taught His disciples that fasting should be in secret if you want a reward from the Father. Avoid revealing that you are fasting to everyone but perhaps your spouse does need to know. Go about your business in an ordinary way if you can.
9. If you end up fasting for a few days, be aware that your stomach will shrink. You should be very careful in breaking a fast. Go slow. The longer the fast, the slower that you should break the fast and start eating again. Soup is always appropriate at first. Going to an "All You Can Eat" buffet to break a fast is inappropriate and possibly harmful. Be careful.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
A Christian leader from a city that was a full day’s drive from me called me and asked if I would meet with a man in his church who had environmental disease - chemical sensitivity - and minister healing to him. While I think that doing healing ministry by appointment is not the best way to do it, I agreed to meet with this man.
In a meeting, there is an expectation of hearing the Good News and we show that will of God is to heal by doing a demonstration. A demonstration is getting someone up who has some sort of problem such as a bad back, difficulties walking or something that is visibly wrong with them. We minister to them and they receive a healing and are able to do things that they could not do before. This creates a stronger atmosphere of faith in Christ to help everyone receive.
Doing healing ministry by appointment doesn't allow me to build an atmosphere of faith in Christ by using the Good News and demonstrations. Nevertheless, I had made the appointment anyway acknowledging that Jesus did heal a minority of people outside of the mass meetings where He preached the Good News and ministered to the multitudes.
So later in the week according to the time of the appointment, this man arrived at my home. He was in his mid-thirties but did look pale and seemed to be carrying a lot of stress. My initial impression of him beyond his appearance was that he was in a hurry. He seemed to want to get this over with and go about his business.
I sat him down at the kitchen table and offered him something to drink which he declined with a grimace as if the idea disgusted him. Because he asked me later about the water, I think that he was concerned about the purity of our water supply.
He was also highly agitated - with his eyes flitting around the room - and never making eye contact with me. As I tried to share some of the basics of the Good News with him, he kept interrupting me with questions about the house, such as "What soap do you use to clean the kitchen?" "What fabric is the table cloth made from?"
At one point, he asked to use the toilet and came back concerned about the toilet paper. Now all these questions did point to his real concern about exposure to chemicals. There was no doubt in my mind about this. I thought maybe that my impression of him being in a hurry was due to his fear of exposure to chemicals in my house.
After I determined that I had sufficiently shared the Good News with him. I asked him if he had any questions before he received healing from this condition. He said "no." Because he was so distracted, I asked him to repeat back to me what I had told him.
What I heard from him was pretty good. He did seem to understand the basics of the Good News. This was not too hard to understand since I knew that he attended a pretty good church with a good leader who was Christ centered and kept the Good News at the center of his message every week.
I don't have any doubt that God does heal people of environmental disease without difficulties. I have seen people who are seriously ill from exposure to something receive healing. I have seen people with serious chemical sensitivity be completely healing in our meetings. It really doesn't matter how they developed the problem for them to receive a healing by faith in Jesus Christ.
So then, I was ready to minister healing to him. I had him do the ordinary confession that I use..."This healing belongs to me because of what Jesus has done." When I laid my hands on him, I had the "empty" feeling in my hands. This is one way that God guides people in healing ministry. This is different than just not feeling anything change in the hands. This "empty" feeling in my hands always means that someone is double-minded and wants to remain sick for some reason. It also means that there is no point praying until there is a change in the person. The Lord will not override the will of someone who doesn't want to be healed. However, just to make sure that I was getting it right, I went through the whole thing with him again and the "empty" feeling was strongly present again.
So with this information coming from revelation, I decided that I needed more information in this situation in order to help him. So I shifted back to talking with him to acquire facts. I asked him how long he had the problem with chemical sensitivity. If I remember correctly that he was 25 years old when he developed the problem and had been disabled by it for a decade. I asked him had anything in particular happened to him to expose him to chemicals or make him sensitive to them before he developed the problem. He didn't have anything particular to tell me.
I then asked him if anything tragic had happen to him just before he started developing chemical sensitivity. He reacted strongly to this question and wanted to leave immediately. I saw that this was a demonic reaction. He was much more agitated than I had seen him before. I convinced him to stay and in the next few minutes, a number of manipulative statements came out of him including the very common one that I have heard many times. "If you really knew how sick I am, you would not say this to me." When you hear this statement from someone who is ill, you can be fairly sure that they are using sickness to manipulate other people.
People who are using sickness for achieve something that they want, desire strongly to control what you think about them. If they cannot manipulate you, then they will shift to accusing you of being unkind or judgmental to control you. He did this to me and had a demonic manifestation happening as well. He clinched his jaw and ground his teeth as he was talking to me. I kept asking him what had happen to him just before developing chemical sensitivity. I reaffirmed to him that I believed that he was sensitive to chemicals but in order to get him healed, he had to want it completely and not want to remain sick for any reason.
Now since he had come to me for help at least in appearance, I felt that I had complete permission to do what was necessary to help him. I waited for him to calm down and excused myself for a few minutes. I called the senior leader of his church who had made the original appointment with me. I told him what I suspected about this man. He told me that he was fairly sure that I was right but didn't know what had happen to him before he started developing this sensitivity.
I asked the senior leader to call the man's wife and tell her what we both suspected and ask her if she knew of any tragedy that had occurred before he started developing this chemical sensitivity. I went back in to where he was sitting at the table and had the phone with me. I told him that I was asking for some help to get him healed from people that knew him. He became agitated again and would not speak to me but didn't try to leave.
I fixed a cup of tea for him and for me to kill some time and waited for a call back. (I didn't believe that he would drink it.) The senior leader called me back less than 15 minutes from the time that I had talked with him. He told me that the wife had told him of an event in his work situation that had completely devastated him. The wife also suspected that it was a key element in his illness. He had never tried to go back to work since then. In other words, he developed the chemical sensitivity after he had chosen not to work and it had given him something to point to as the reason that he could not work. Despite the fact that he did have chemical sensitivity, it was not the real reason why he didn't want to work.
I told him that I knew that there was a painful event that made him chose not to work and that he needed to face this issue and determine that he could not spend the rest of his life avoiding this. I also told him that the chemical sensitivity could be healed by the Lord and the Lord could take away this emotional pain but he had to no longer excuse himself from working. He was no longer aggressive with me and no longer agitated and made what appeared to me to be a weak commitment to getting well and doing the right thing. It was apparently enough for the Lord. When I laid hands on him this time, lots of deliverance from demons occurred and divine heat flowed in healing to him. He walked out of the house a new man.
I talked with the senior leader of his church several weeks later and things were going pretty well with this man. He had no trace of chemical sensitivity and was publicly declaring himself healed. He had also applied for several jobs.
This was somewhat short-lived however. In a few more weeks, the senior leader called me with him on the phone line. He complained to me that the chemical sensitivity had returned. I asked him about how his job hunt was going. When I brought this up, he tried to manipulate me by saying "If you only knew how bad I feel, you wouldn't ask me about having a job."
When he didn't get jobs at the first two places that he applied, he had quit applying. This minor disappointment caused him to go back to being double-minded and that in-turn allowed the symptoms of chemical sensitivity to return. He wanted an excuse not to work and the devil was willing to give him one.
The senior leader and I reaffirmed to him that the will of God was for him to be well and to be employed. I talked with him about being careful about wanting not to work, and not to try escape this responsibility through illness. I had this same conversation with him at least four times in the next year. He would slide back into wanting to excuse himself though illness when he was discouraged.
I found out that before he had met me, his wife had told him the truth about why he was sick and wouldn't let it go. The reason that he had come to my house originally was to prove her wrong. He would have me pray for him to prove to her that he wanted to be healed but he had no intentions or expectations of being healed.
In other words, his trip to see me was entirely for the purpose of manipulating her. (The Lord had a much better plan for him.)
He did finally get a job and struggled with working at first but the senior leader set up a group of men to keep him on track. Successfully working through difficulties on the job seemed to rebuild his self-esteem and the positive reactions of his wife to him being employed all seemed to help him not become double-minded again.
I hope that everyone remembers that the great majority of people who receive healing do not have these kinds of things going on. It is only 1% of unhealed Christians that may be double-minded about sickness and healing. The Apostle James writes:
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6-8)
Doubting is disqualifying yourself from being healed. Most of the time, we do this unintentionally but a small percentage of Christians make a decision to remain sick. They often are not 100% committed to this decision but are not 100% committed to receiving a healing either. They have mixed motives. They are double-minded. While in that condition, they will not receive anything from the Lord. Thankfully, the Lord does not reject them. They will need you to tell them the truth so that they can be set free and healed.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for helping this man.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
There are three natural and supernatural sources of dreams. (not discussing dreams manipulated by human effort.)
One is human and is affected by many things such as the events of the day and even by what we are eating. Some have referred to this kind of dream as a "Pizza Dream."
The second is a divine dream, meaning God is the source of the dream. In fact, while people often forget their dreams immediately on waking. A divine dream is not forgotten immediately. Divine dreams are often very simple and easily understood immediately upon waking.
A complex dream that is hard to understand is more likely to be a "Pizza Dream." Among other characteristics of a divine dream is that peace always accompanies the dream even if the dream is a warning about future events.
The third source of dreams is demonic. Demonic dreams are a reality and temptations to fear, to feel condemned or threatened are common through demonic dreams. Throughout my youth, I had a reoccurring, lying dream, that I had killed someone. I would wake up feeling a lingering condemnation. Sometimes I was affected negatively all day despite knowing that I had not killed anyone.
Clearly, the enemy wanted me to be weighed down with false guilt. On one occasion, I had a demonic dream that indicated that my best friend and my wife were having an affair. I woke up angry and it took some effort to shake off the feelings. It was completely untrue and I knew it to be untrue immediately after waking yet it stuck to me like glue.
I wasn't a Christian and didn't know what to do about this negative thing happening to me. I learned about demonic dreams after becoming a Christian. As a result, I took authority over the dream and the demon behind it in the name of Jesus and I never had that reoccurring dream again.
If you are having demonic dreams, use your authority in Christ to stop it from happening. Use your authority in the name of Jesus to protect your children and other loved ones from demonic dreams.
MORE ON DREAMS BY DR. ROGER SAPP:
The first five Divine Dreams in the New Testament were very literal instruction. They were not symbolic divine dreams.
The first references to divine dreams in the New Testament are very literal. The first dream instructs Joseph that Mary has not been unfaithful to him but she has become supernaturally pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The angel gives Christ the name "Jesus" and tells Joseph of His primary mission to save us from our sins. This information all comes in a dream to Joseph. This is the first dream.
"Joseph her (Mary's) husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:19-21)
The Three Wise Men, Magi, are also warned in a dream not to return to King Herod, who wants to kill the infant Christ. This is the second dream.
"Having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way." (Matthew 2:12)
Joseph gets another warning and direction about what to do from an angel through another divine dream. This is the third dream.
"Now when they (the Magi) had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." (Matthew 2:13-15)
The Jews were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire due to God's judgment on them. Historians say that more than a million Jews were living in Egypt at this time. Joseph took Mary and Jesus to hide there among the Jews until Herod was dead. Then Joseph received a divine dream to return to Israel. This is the fourth divine dream.
"When Herod died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel."(Matthew 2:19-21)
They return to Israel but are warned in a dream not to remain in Judea. They go to Nazareth. This is the fifth dream.
"But when he (Joseph) heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:22-23)
These five dreams were all very literal and were important divine guidance. God can speak very literally to you in dreams. Ask the Lord to speak to you, to guide you, through dreams.
Permission by Dr. Roger Sapp of All Nations Ministries, all rights reserved.
New Testament Greek Words You Should Know: “Sozo”
This Greek word is translated “to save," "to heal," "to set free," "to make whole." It is Strong's #4982 ”sozo” (σῴζω) meaning: “saved,” “healed,” “cured,” “delivered,” “set free,” “made whole,” and “preserved.”
(Some of what is below is from my book "Performing Miracles and Healing.")
The Greek words that are translated “salvation” and “saved” in most English versions of the Bible are forms of the common Greek word “sozo.” Forms of this word are used more than 100 times in the New Testament.
This word is pregnant with meaning. It is impossible to express this Greek word's full meaning in a single English word. Most translators will use several different English words to express the same forms of “sozo” in various passages.
When some churches and ministries use the word “saved” or “salvation,” they mean the initial evidences of a relationship with God such as the forgiveness of sins and regeneration. This is sometimes expressed as being “born again.” This is a biblically correct meaning but it narrowly limits the biblical meaning of this Greek word. These churches under-emphasize or totally ignore the rest of the meaning of this word.
The rest of the meaning of the word has to do with the earthly aspects of salvation. In fact, the earthly experience of salvation that includes deliverance from evil spirits and physical healing is how the Greek word “sozo” is often used in the New Testament.
Deliverance is Christ saving the believer from demonic activity. Healing is Christ saving the believer from sickness and injury.
Because some churches under-emphasize or ignore these earthly aspects of salvation, these churches make it difficult for those exposed to their teaching to see salvation as being anything unrelated to going to Heaven when they die. It is much more.
The full meaning of this Greek word includes so much more than just being born again and going to Heaven. The full meaning of “sozo” includes physical healing and deliverance from evil spirits.
Often when Jesus would heal persons, He would say to them, “your faith has healed you.” In this case, the word “healed” would translated from a form of the same Greek word “sozo.” Jesus after casting out a demon would sometimes say, “your faith has delivered you” or “your faith has set you free.” In all these cases, a form of “sozo” would be translated “delivered” or “set free.” The basic truth about this word is this:
The Greek word “sozo” that is often translated “saved” means much more than just going to Heaven. It is sometimes translated as “healed,” “cured,” “delivered,” “set free,” “made whole,” “preserved,” and a host of other related things. Salvation is for the here and now, and for eternity. It includes God’s provision for all human needs.
There are eighteen places in the Greek New Testament where a form of the Greek word “sozo” is used in direct reference to some sort of physical healing. While “sozo” is not the only Greek word that is used to describe healing, it is highly significant that forms of “sozo” are used so many times.
No teaching on healing can properly ignore the repeated usage of “sozo” in passages describing healing. Healing is part of our salvation. It is being “saved” by Jesus Christ from sickness, injury and disability. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
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