The Key To Answered Prayer
WILL GOD HEAL ALL DISEASES?
Jesus made a
statement that has been unparalleled in the history of time, when He said, "All
things are possible to him that believeth". (Mark
If these words had come
from someone else, there would have been room to question. Since they fell from the lips of the Son of
God, there can be no argument or
hesitance in believing exactly what He said, for He most certainly has the
power to back it up!
After His resurrection,
our Lord Jesus Christ declared: "All
power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth". (Matt.
28:18). No wonder Jesus could say, "All things are possible to him that
believeth", when He has more power than is needed to carry out His
words to the letter.
Now, let us further examine His statement and see what else we can learn from our Master's words. WHAT DOES "ALL THINGS"
MEAN? IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS -
THERE IS NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WHEN YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD!
There is nothing impossible with God. No situation is too difficult, no problem too great, no sickness incurable, no request too staggering for our God to answer and accomplish - providing we believe! Whether we receive an answer or not, revolves or hinges on the fact of our believing. All things are possible to those who believe.
NOT JUST TO ANYONE, BUT TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE!
"But", you ask, "to those who believe what?" First, to those who believe that the
Bible is God's divine, authoritative and infallible Word which will never pass
away!
Secondly, to those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, died on Calvary's cross for the sins of the world, was buried and rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High and one day shall come again to rapture His Church and judge the quick (living) and the dead!
Thirdly, to all who take God's Word at face value and act upon it - in faith -
all things are possible! The key to
receiving a miracle is to appropriate God’s promises for ourselves. WE
MUST RECEIVE GOD’S WORD PERSONALLY, FOR HIS WORD IS HIS WILL FOR HIS CHILDREN!
Some unbelieving, modernistic preachers and laymen emphasize that they do not believe divine healing or miracles are for today. One such preacher said to me, "I do not believe in divine healing. I do not believe it is for us today. It is not for me".
I answered, "You are right, Sir. Divine healing is not for you, but it is for me and all who believe"! God does not cast His pearls before swine (Matt. 7: 6). The unbeliever has no claim on God to do miracles. God grants miracles only in answer to believing prayer!
If you believe with
all your heart that Jesus meant every word He spoke and if you come to Him with
your problems, believing, HE WILL ANSWER
YOUR PRAYER AND MEET YOUR NEED! To
believers, nothing is impossible!!!
IN FACT - ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! No sickness or disease is too hard for God to
heal. The hard cases become simple when you bring them to Jesus. There are no incurable cases when God is in
charge! Hallelujah!
Believe this scripture and act upon it in faith and you cannot remain sick very
long. To sum it all up, GOD
CAN AND WILL HEAL ANY AND ALL SICKNESSES AND DISEASES, PROVIDING WE COME TO HIM
IN BELIEVING PRAYER!
"And Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it
is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (Mark
Often physicians, surgeons and medical personnel leave the operating theatre or
the observation rooms of their patients and shaking their heads, say to a
worried relative: "I'm sorry, there is nothing more we can do. Medical science has done all it can do.Take
your loved one home, feed her well, let her enjoy life to the fullest - it
won't be long now".
With tears in their eyes, parents have taken a little son or daughter home from
the hospital to die, knowing the case is hopeless and the disease will soon
claim their child.
But thanks be to God, there is good news for the believer! There is hope for the hopeless, life for the dying, healing for the sick and deliverance for the oppressed, in the wonderful person of Jesus Christ.
HE IS OUR LIFE! HE IS OUR PEACE! HE IS OUR HOPE! Man's attempts are dwarfed by the enemy of impossibility and we are so limited in doing what we desire, but Christ is the Answer! He will take over where we leave off. He will make everything work out. He will bring meaning and purpose to our disorganized lives, for He is the great "Creator, Organizer, Sustainer and Life Giver".
JESUS: AUTHOR & PERFECTOR
The Bible calls Jesus "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2) In other words - He not only began the work, but He finished it!
Often we begin a project, get only so far, and then because of lack of finances, lack of time or lack of "know-how", we must stop part way through. The work we started so meaningfully comes to an abrupt end and it goes down in the history of our lives as "unfinished - the labours of man".
The original Greek text calls Jesus, "The Leader, Captain or Prince" of our Faith - rather than the "author". He is the chief leader Who is our example. The word "finisher" should be translated "perfector".
Jesus
is the perfect example of Faith. Let us
follow Him in all things! Jesus
said, "I am alpha and omega, the first and the last..." (Rev.
1:11) In the Greek language, alpha is
the first letter of the alphabet and omega is the last.
JESUS CHRIST ENCOMPASSES THE ENTIRE ALPHABET - HE IS EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE AND EXPRESSION, IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT!
He has the last word and the final say, and He alone is the "Master Builder and Finishing Carpenter". Often, a man in the prime of life, with every intention to pay off the house mortgage, improve his property, become financially secure or retire comfortably in the near future, is suddenly caught short, cut off and is gone!
Yes, life is like that - unpredictable, insecure and even merciless and cruel at times - unless we have Jesus with us to guide us on through to total victory. An old gospel song says, "With Jesus in the vessel, we can smile at the storm". Praise God for the peace, rest, assurance and strength which we derive through our intimate relationship and contact with the "Eternal Christ".
It is not unusual to look
into police files and study the shady lives of criminals, to read of atrocities
committed by unnamed characters, to follow murder mysteries so far, only to
find them marked "unsolved". Years
have come and gone, and some never will be solved in this life because of man's
incapability!
But be sure, my friend, that on the great judgment day when we all stand to
face God, either at the "Great White
Throne Judgment" for the lost (Rev. 20: 11-15), or the "Bhema" judgment of the saints
(1 Cor. 3:11-15), God's record of our lives will be complete! God is perfect and can never make a
mistake.
For those who are dying of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, AIDS or some other dreaded disease; you may have been given up to die by the medical profession - but do not give up hope! God is still available and He NEVER fails and with Him all things are possible!
For those whose unsaved loved ones keep breaking your heart, by their wayward and rebellious lives - just keep praying and believing, knowing that "in due time we shall reap, if we faint not". (Gal. 6:9)
WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERS, HONOUR OUR FAITH AND FULFILL HIS WORD! In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus made another staggering statement, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive". (Matt. 21:22)
There is no lack in God's storehouse. There is no incapability so far as being able to produce, and there is no limit to what we can ask. Here it is again – It depends upon our faith or believing. It’s up to us!
Martin Luther was not afraid to let people know that the Christian Life is serious business. He stated: "The only saving faith is that which casts itself on God for life or death". And St. Paul declared: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"! (Phil 1:21) Without doubt, our only hope is Jesus Christ and His finished work for us on Golgotha!
In the New Testament, we often read Jesus saying, "Thy faith hath made thee whole", (Mark
Our Lord challenged others, "Where
is your faith?" (Luke 8:25) "... If ye have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and
it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matt.
17:20) Again He admonished, "Have faith in God (the faith of
God)..." (Mark
There are two things you can depend upon in the Holy Scriptures: (1). God makes definite and concrete statements and (2). His power is unlimited! With people, things are so undependable and uncertain!
Frequently, you notice signs on business enterprises with the word "Ltd." tacked on the end of it. This is man's way! We are so limited, but not so with God. When you read His advertising signs in the Holy Record, you find He is UNLIMITED in love, grace, forgiveness, power, healing, blessing and provision.
The sky is the limit! For Jesus said, "AND ALL THINGS, WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YE SHALL RECEIVE". (Matt. 21:22) And all things; not just some things, but all things...whatsoever, covers anything and everything we could possibly ask for!
But we must ask in believing Prayer. Not just words, but prayer that grasps the Word of God and holds on, without doubting!
WHICH IS EASIER?
"And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think
ye evil in your hearts? For whether
is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? "But that ye may know that the Son of
Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the
palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go
unto thine house. And he arose, and
departed to his house" (Matt. 9:2-7).
WHICH IS EASIER - To heal the sick or to forgive
sins? To Jesus, there was no
difference! He could do both very
easily, because He was the incarnate Son of God. And He had received the Spirit of God without
measure! (John 3:34)
Here is a strange paradox: In Bible times, religious leaders believed Jesus could heal the sick, but that He could not forgive sinners! Today, many religious people believe the opposite; "Yes, He can forgive sinners, but He cannot or will not heal the sick"! The truth is, He can and does both very well! He didn’t say, Which is harder or more difficult?”, but he said “which is easier?”
I don't think any promise of Holy Scripture can be more reassuring than that! Our Father is able to do "exceeding abundantly" above all that we could even desire or ask of Him! We must believe that His promises are for us today. And as we appropriate His Word let us call upon the Lord; asking largely, asking definitely and asking with full assurance that He will answer!
The Psalmist stated, "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass". (Ps. 37:5). When we have prayed in faith believing, God will answer! Then we simply trust in Him and praise Him as we delight ourselves in the Lord!
Jesus stated, "...what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
have received them and ye shall have them". (Mark 11:24) St. John wrote, "Beloved, I wish above all
things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul doth
prosper.” (3 John 2)
It is God's will for us to be healthy and well so that we can have the energy to publish the good news, lead people to Christ, minister to their needs and care for ourselves and our families. It is God’s will to Bless and Heal us all! And it is His will to do it now!
Let us examine the words of St. John, the pastor of the first Pentecostal Church in the world's history! Beloved - this is addressed to the Church. I wish above all things - The pastor's primary desire, wish, prayer or will for God's people is three-fold:
1).
That thou mayest prosper - St. John wrote as he was moved upon by
the Holy Spirit, so his wish or will was the Will of God! The Bible says, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation. For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost". (2 Pet.1:20-21)
It is God's Will that we all prosper in
every area of our lives; spiritually, mentally, physically, domestically,
economically and socially! That
means that God wants us to have enough and some to spare. He desires to bless and prosper us.
This is consistent with His many promises to His people - throughout history - in the Holy Scriptures! His Word states: “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
“And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.” (Exodus 23:24-26
2). And be in health - It is God's Will to heal us all. Jesus called divine healing, "the
children's bread" but sickness and disease He labelled "a
plague". (Mark 5:8) He
rebuked the "spirits of infirmity" (Luke
The Bible calls sickness and disease "a curse". (Deut. 28:15,
22, 27, 28, 35, 45) and Jesus states that
sickness is "bondage" (Luke
God gives us the formula for
divine healing in James 5:14-15: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the
elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise
him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
3). As thy soul doth prosper! - The first two blessings of 3 John 2 are contingent upon the
third. In other words, the closer we
draw to God spiritually - in reading His Word and appropriating His promises
for ourselves and communing with Him in prayer - the more divine healing, prosperity and blessings we will receive from
our Heavenly Father!
Why? The closer we get to God spiritually, the more faith we will receive. AND FAITH GETS THE JOB DONE, BECAUSE ONLY FAITH PLEASES GOD! (Heb . 11:6). In the early seventies I coined the phrase: "We must face the future with faith. For only God knows the future and only faith pleases God"! And now fifty years latrer, I am more convinced than ever of these truths!
A CLOSER LOOK AT A CLASSIC TEXT!
Let's have another look at this scripture: "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them." (Mark
11:22-24)
Jesus promised
emphatically that when we come to God in believing prayer, we are assured of an
answer - WE WILL GET A MIRACLE! There is
no doubt about it!
THE WORD “SHALL” IS MANDATORY AND ABSOLUTE.
IT IS CONCRETE. IT MUST HAPPEN! He didn’t say, “Possibly, maybe or perhaps”.
What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray - believe that ye have received them, (have already gotten them) and ye shall have them! That settles it! When we have prayed in faith according to God's Word - concerning a matter - we simply believe that the 'Work is Done' and He will deliver what He has promised. We then rest in His promise, knowing that we will receive in His time. This is real faith!
WE HOLD ON TO HIS PROMISE UNTIL THE ANSWER COMES!
In the literal Greek, verse 22 actually states "Have the faith of God". And when we have supernatural faith - given to us by God - it is easy to believe! The writer to the Hebrews (Martin Luther believed it was Appollos. Many believe it was St. Paul) brings out the same truth. "So then, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". (Heb. 11:1)
Faith is the title deed of that which you desire or need - you have it, before
you receive it! It is yours, by faith!
Unfortunately, some people find it difficult to believe all the
teachings of Jesus, so have tried to explain them away!
I am glad that I have no difficulty
believing all that the Master spoke to His followers. I believe the Bible exactly the way it’s
written, because God makes no mistakes and the Bible is His Divine, Infallible
word.
One passage
modernistic preachers find hard to believe is John 14:12-14, where Jesus said, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he
do also; and GREATER WORKS than these
shall he do; because I go unto My Father. "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If
ye shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do it".
HERE JESUS IS SETTING THE
PATTERN FOR ‘NEW TESTAMENT LIVING’. HE
TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS, “AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME, SO SEND I
YOU”. (John 20:21)
In other words, when Jesus went back to Heaven, His work was to go on through His followers. It would be a perpetual ministry. He was vesting His power and authority in His followers so that His work would go on unhindered.
Just before His ascension, Jesus said, "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". (Matt. 28:18-20)
HERE ARE THE MIRACULOUS SIGNS CHRIST PROMISED!
In Mark 16:15-20, He said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 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.
"So then after the
Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right
hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the Word with signs following". (Mark 16:17-19)
Here, we plainly see that Jesus expects us to continue His work in His absence, using His Name, His Word and His Power!
HE DESIRES TO SAVE SINNERS, HEAL THE SICK, FILL BELIEVERS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
AND PERFORM MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
St. John records the meeting where Jesus broke the news of His "leaving them". His disciples became very discouraged and saddened at these words from the Master's lips. (John 16:5-6) They may have felt the bottom dropping out of everything, for them. They had seen Jesus do so many wonderful things - heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils, raise the dead, perform signs and wonders among the people!
They had even been commissioned to go to many cities and villages where Jesus would go at a later date, to preach repentance and proclaim the Kingdom of God. (Luke 9:1-6). He had commanded them to heal the sick and perform miracles as He Himself was doing.
They had obeyed Him and enjoyed great success, as many were healed and liberated. "And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." (Mark 6:12-13). Would He take His power with Him or would He give them authority to continue as they had been doing?
WOULD JESUS LEAVE THEM POWERLESS?
No doubt, these are things they wondered about!
But Jesus calmed their fears.
He said, "Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also
in Me. In My Father's house are many
mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also.” (John 14:1-3)
THE KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER!
Then, Jesus revealed a powerful key for receiving from God: "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself, but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very work's sake." (John 14:10-11)
Some of His Jewish contemporaries did not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, just as many today do not believe that He is divine. How blind they were then and how foolish people are today! Now, they are even worse. Some people who call themselves Christians reject the virgin birth, miracles and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is why they drift away and turn to modernism, materialism, secular humanism and the occultic New Age Movement! How sad to see former born-again, Spirit-filled people grovelling in the pig troughs of occultism and false cults, because they have rejected Jesus Christ, Who is the fountain head of all wisdom and knowledge! It is difficult to understand how anyone can believe in mere men like Mohammed, Lord Maietreya, Joseph Smith, Judge Rutherford or Moon Sun Lung!
In actuality Jesus was saying, "All you've got to do, to receive an answer to your prayer is to believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me". Then He continued, "If you can't believe My words, at least let the works I do convince you that I am the Son of God.”
WHAT DID HE MEAN?
The Jews were expecting the Messiah to come and bring redemption. When Jesus came, they rejected Him, because they judged Him according to their own standards and not according to the Scriptures. Jesus said, "If you can believe that I am the Messiah, that I am the Christ, the Son of God, you can ask My Father for whatever you need in My Name and He will grant it"!
It’s not difficult for me to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And hopefully everyone reading these words believe the same! If that be the case, accept His Word and receive your miracle!
THE HOLY SPIRIT PERFORMS THESE GREATER WORKS IN CHRIST’S NAME!
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall ye do also; And greater works than these shall ye do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)
Jesus reassured His disciples, who were troubled because He was leaving them: "The works that I do shall ye do also and greater works than these shall ye do". Why? - "Because I go unto My Father.” He then made a final, staggering statement. "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it".
Isn't that exciting? Jesus said, "IF
YE SHALL ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME, I WILL DO IT". Why would greater
works be done by His followers after His ascension? Because Jesus promised to send the Holy
Spirit to empower, lead, guide, teach and comfort us. (John 14:15-16; Acts 1:8)
It is not possible for
a human being however, to do greater works than Jesus Christ did. There are no greater works than raising the
dead! To say otherwise is pure nonsense! St. Paul stated unequivocally that: "the last enemy shall be destroyed is
death". (1 Cor. 15:26)
When Jesus was on the earth, He limited Himself as a man to be in one place at one time (even though He was true God and true man). But, when He sent the Holy Spirit who is omnipresent, miracles of every kind happened all over the earth simultaneously, wherever the Gospel was preached!
Example # 1 - Jesus did not heal the sick by using His shadow, but St. Peter did! How? By the power of the Holy Spirit!
"Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." (Acts 5:15-16)
Example # 2 - Jesus did not send out
handkerchiefs or aprons to heal the sick and demon possessed, but St. Paul
did! How did that happen? By the power and presence of the Holy Spirit
Who accompanied the articles sent.
"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of
Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and
the evil spirits went out of them". (Acts 19:11-12)
Example # 3 - In our 1966 Guntur, A.P. India crusade God performed such a notable miracle, by the power of the Holy Spirit!
During the final
service, it was impossible to fully control the large crowd. Thousands of people wanted to get near me for
personal prayer, but there was only room for about one hundred on the platform.
Many miracles had been performed by our
blessed Lord Jesus and thousands had professed their faith in Him as their
Saviour.
After praying several mass
prayers for their salvation and healing, we closed the service and left. As we drove away, Thomas Tutyko and Lawson Barbour were rejoicing at the great results we had experienced; 15 days of
an outstanding awakening and visitation from God, with supernatural miracles,
signs and wonders!
My heart was saddened, however, over the fact that I had to leave without laying my hands personally on several thousand more sick people. I lay on the back seat of that 1946 Chevrolet, sobbing. I said, "Lord, I wanted to help more of them, but they wouldn't let me!"
Then the blessed Holy Spirit spoke to my heart: "My son - you are leaving them, but I am not leaving them. I will do My work in them"!
When we returned to
Canada several weeks later, I learned that a notable miracle had happened. Lawson Barbour had mailed me a tape recording of what he had seen and heard after we had
departed! During that last night we had
given out many thousands of leaflets with a photo of myself and Pastor Vandanam, as well
as literature with the name and address of the local Church!
We had prayed that the Lord would use these little leaflets for His glory! A lady who lived in a village more than 20 km away - dying of an incurable disease (possibly cancer) - had been in Guntur to see a doctor, when she heard of our crusade. She attended 3 days of services, sleeping in the park each night, hoping to receive a miracle.
SHE LEFT THE CRUSADE WITHOUT A MIRACLE!
Following the final service she headed home to
die. Arriving in her village at about
Suddenly she sat up, pulled away her clothes and laid the crumpled piece of paper (our leaflet) upon the open running sore while crying out to God with the words she had heard my interpreter and me say hundreds of times, "O God, heal in Jesus' Name!"
Instantly, the power of God fell upon her and made her well. Strength filled her body and upon removing the piece of paper, she noticed that the large sore was gone!
She ran out into the village shouting at the top of her lungs, "Jesus has healed me. Jesus has healed me!" Word was sent to Pastor Vandanam: "Please come to our village". And when they arrived - to their surprise - they found that the entire village of several hundred Hindus had already responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Who did the miracle? Certainly not I nor the leaflet. The Blessed Holy Spirit had worked a sovereign miracle of God in her life! Praise the Name of Jesus Christ!
Example # 4 - During our 1984 crusade in Whitehorse, Yukon, I met Glen Burkquist. He was working in the area as a commercial traveller and had seen our advertisement in the newspaper. Although scheduled to return to Vancouver, he delayed his departure - when he realized I was coming to Whitehorse - in order to attend the meeting!
When I made the altar call, he came forward, knelt and prayed the sinner's
prayer. Here is the testimony he shared
with me privately, as well as publicly at the service:
Glen was docking his
big boat when he missed his footing and fell 20 feet, making impact with a log; smashing his two knee caps! He had to use two crutches in order to
walk. All his customers had witnessed
him walking with the aid of two crutches for about two years.
In 1982, Glen was on a business trip to Calgary and was staying at the Four
Seasons Hotel. The miracle happened on a
Sunday morning while he was watching our telecast, FAITH & MIRACLES! The
program airing over CFCN TV that morning carried preaching and miracle
testimonies from our 1978 Cordova,
Argentina Crusade. Staggering
miracles of salvation and healing had happened in that crusade and four years
later they were being re-shown on Canadian T.V.
Glen was lying in bed watching the telecast, with tears streaming down his
face. As I was praying for the people,
he blurted out, "If these things really happen, do something for me Brother Max,
in Jesus' Name. I need a miracle
too!"
After the telecast ended,
he arose, shaved and got dressed. And as
he was walking out the door, he realized that he was walking without his
crutches. His knee caps were healed and he was well!
Two years later (1984) he gave a public testimony to God's glory in Whitehorse.
Who did that notable miracle? Not me! The blessed Holy Spirit had
performed the GREATER WORKS as I prayed over the TV in Jesus'
Name!
He is the one who draws sinners to Christ and convicts them of their sins. He is the one who heals the sick and performs miracles – as we pray in the name of Jesus!
Jesus explains this in John
And also in John 16:7,
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go
away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I
depart, I will send Him unto you".
In other words, Jesus was saying: "It is better for you that I go away,
for if I go not away, the Comforter (Holy Spirit) cannot come unto you, but if I
go away, I will send Him to you and you will receive great power (Acts 1:8) and do many wonderful works in My
Name"!
The greek word that Jesus used for the Holy Spirit - translated Comforter in the KJV - is parakletos, which means "The One sent alongside to help; The Divine Helper"! If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and have accepted Hiim as your Lord and Saviour – then you are in a position to ask what you will in His name – and He will do it!
In verse 13, Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do" and in verse 14, "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it". Then Jesus adds, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments".
CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING
When you do business in the market place or with an individual, there are always conditions involved in making the business deal. If you are willing to pay the amount of money the merchant is asking for his product, he is ready to do business! When the conditions are met, the transaction is made. You give him the money and he gives you the article.
IN RECEIVING FROM GOD, THERE ARE ALSO CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHICH MUST BE MET
BEFORE THE TRANSACTION CAN BE MADE.
In John 15:7 we find the conditions. Jesus said, "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you". There are two conditions that must be met before we can receive an answer to our prayers: If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you!
WHAT DID THE MASTER MEAN?
No. 1 - "If ye abide in Me." - If we have received Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, trusting in Him as our only Lord and hope for Eternal Life, and if we are living for Him to the best of our ability according to the light we have received, we are abiding in Him!
No.2 - "If My words abide in you" - If we receive His Word and live by it, we have His Word in our hearts. Then we can ask what we will and it shall be done unto us. Praise the Lord!
When we abide in Jesus Christ and His Word abides in us, faith rises within our hearts to believe for whatever we ask! If we know Him we will have the confidence
Because of our close and endearing fellowship, there
is no doubt or fear to clog the flow of communion between us and Christ! St. John declared, "Beloved, if our
heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God. And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,
because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His
sight". (1 John 3:21-22)
And St. Paul stated, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by God's
Word", which is abiding in us! (Rom.
"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
His benefits: “Who forgiveth all thine
iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from
destruction; “Who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's". (Psalms 103:1-5)
King David declared, "Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." (Ps. 34:19)
Fact No.2 has now been established: God will heal all our diseases and deliver
us out of all our afflictions, if we believe Him and trust Him with all our
hearts!
NO!
A THOUSAND TIMES NO! Listen
to what God says: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool”. (Isaiah 1:18)
God is saying to you, "If you are the most wicked person in the world, I will save you. Come, let us reason together, let us talk it over. Let us discuss the subject of sin, salvation and forgiveness".
Thank God, He desires to reconcile sinful man unto Himself. The Bible says, "And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ". (2 Cor. 5:18). Jesus said, "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matt. 9:13) "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
Christ invites everyone, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light". (Matt. 11:28-30)
Jesus guaranteed, "Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out". (John
6:37) The Bible makes the gospel so
clear and easy to understand. God loves
us all and wants to draw sinful humanity to Himself.
THAT IS WHY JESUS DIED FOR US ON CALVARY'S CROSS!
The Scriptures
abound with examples of Christ forgiving evil and wicked persons; the adulterous woman (John 8:3-11), the publican (Luke
YES,
MY FRIEND, CHRIST WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL AND FORGIVE EVERY SIN YOU’VE
COMMITTED. BUT, YOU MUST REPENT, FORSAKE
YOUR SINS AND RECEIVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR!
Your lifestyle will change as you receive God's peace and joy in your entire being. (Rom. 5:1) Guilt and condemnation will leave, as Jesus Christ takes up residence in your life! (Rom. 8:1)
God promises to remove our transgressions and remember them no more. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." (Ps. 103: 12)
HE REASSURES US OF TOTAL FORGIVENESS. WHAT GOD FORGIVES HE FORGETS!
"Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness: but Thou hast in love to my
soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins
behind Thy back." (Isaiah 38:17)
The hebrew word for 'back' is very specific.
It means "behind thy back
between thy shoulder blades". The
truth that God's Word communicates to us is that since it is impossible to see
something which is directly behind our back between our shoulder blades, God
cannot see our sins after He has forgiven them.
The same truth is brought forth in Micah 7:19: "He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea".
Under the Old Testament sacrificial system, sin was atoned for by shedding "the blood of bulls and goats", which only covered them, because the blood of animal sacrifices was only a type pointing to the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God which was yet to come!
The Bible says,
"Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins".
(Heb.
The blood of sacrificial lambs, bulls or goats only covered the sins of the petitioners - That is why we find so much condemnation in the life of David. The Blood of Jesus does not only cover sins, but cleanses and washes them all away!
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:12-14)
Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse and purge the conscience & give us peace! No amount of therapeutic counselling, psychological evaluation or psychoanalysis can do that!
"Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
“And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight:" (Col. 1:13-14, 20-22)
The Bible proclaims freedom for sinners: "If we walk in the light as He is in
the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth us from all sins". (1 John 1:7)
For those who have sinned, the Word of God states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". (1 John 1:9) And finally, Jesus Himself invites: "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest". (Matt. 11:28)
My dear friend, will you not do as multitudes of others do constantly - bring all of our cares, burdens, failings
and needs before the throne of mercy to receive forgiveness, renewal and
healing from His hand!
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside, Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Blog: MSWM; Youtube; Facebook; Donations can be made by e-Transfer. Make your donation to: [email protected].. Thank you so much and the Lord bless you. Amen.
