WORKSHOP: Healing Ministry: Reclaiming the Ministry of Jesus in Our Lives & Churches Today Jack Moraine & Terry Tarleton

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1 WORKSHOP: Healing Ministry: Reclaiming the Ministry of Jesus in Our Lives & Churches Today Jack Moraine & Terry Tarleton MINISTRY TEAM TRAINING INTRODUCTION The ministry team training you will receive today focuses in a few areas primarily: 1. Healing. 2. Ministering with the authority of Jesus. 3. Hearing from God (receiving and giving words of knowledge and prophetic words and insights). When you re serving on the ministry team, however, you ll find yourselves praying for all kinds of people with all kinds of needs (i.e., not just healing). Besides physical healing, here are some of the more common kinds of things people request prayer for: Relationships their marriage, their children, etc. Addictions Wisdom & Guidance Provision financial need, a job, etc. Even though much of what I ll be talking with you about today relates to the ministry of healing, many of the principles we ll be discussing also apply in praying for these other kinds of things as well. So, let me begin by just describing our philosophy of ministry as it relates to praying for people as part of the ministry team. We treat other people the way we would like to be treated. We listen to them and we ask questions for clarification. We also try to listen to God for any insight/direction He would give us. We pray for what the person asks us to pray for. But we also pray for anything else the Lord shows us needs prayer (e.g., weariness, stress, fear, anger, rejection, etc.). o Example 1: A person who is going through a divorce asks for prayer for the healing of their marriage. Besides praying for their marriage to be restored, it would be wise to pray that God would heal their heart from the pain of rejection and possibly, betrayal. o Example 2: A person acknowledges an addiction to drugs and asks for prayer to be delivered. In addition to asking God to set them free we would speak to the addiction and any demonic power attached to it with the authority of Jesus to break the power of that addiction over their life. And in the post prayer directions I would encourage the person to come to the New Wine Group that meets at the church on Tuesday nights. We bless people with the presence of the Lord, with His love and peace, and often ask God to fill them with His Spirit.

2 AUTHORITY TO HEAL Given to the Twelve Matthew 10:1 ( NIV ) 1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Matthew 10:7 8 ( NIV ) 7 As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Given to Seventy two Others (Not apostles) Philip Luke 10:1 ( NIV ) 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Luke 10:9 ( NIV ) 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The kingdom of God is near you. Luke 10:17 20 ( NIV ) 17 The seventy two returned with joy and said, Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name. 18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Acts 8:4 8 ( NIV ) 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. The Great Commission Mark 16:15 18 ( NIV ) 15 He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. (This passage comes from the disputed ending of Mark s gospel. These verses are not found in the earliest manuscripts). Matthew 28:18 20 ( NIV ) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Emphasis Added).

3 All Believers John 14:12 ( NIV ) 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Authority to Heal: Joining Jesus in His Work Matthew 10:1 ( NIV ) He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Power has to do with the to do something while authority has to do with the to do it. Authority is. Authority is an. The fact you've been given authority is no you'll use it. Some people are of the authority they ve been given. Some people themselves. John 14:12 ( NIV ) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Some people are unwilling to take the. What feels risky to us is really to God. Authority releases power only when we. His power comes when we risk doing what He has us to do. Matthew 10:7 8 ( NIV ) As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Jesus doesn t tell the disciples to for the sick, He tells them to the sick. In praying for the sick we need to begin to the authority of Jesus. When we look at Jesus prayers for healing three things stand out: Their (they were ).

4 They weren t really in the sense that Jesus was the Father to do anything. Jesus to the person or the condition, exercising and releasing the authority of the kingdom.

5 HEALING MINISTRY BEST PRACTICES Things to Do 1. DO minister naturally. Pray in a normal tone of voice at a conversational volume level. If you pray in the spirit, pray quietly. 2. DO ask for God's presence and the release of His power. 3. DO learn to pray with your eyes open. 4. DO lay your hands lightly hands on the person when you pray. Don't push. Don't caress. 5. DO speak to the condition. 6. DO check out words of knowledge tentatively. 7. DO ask the person what is happening and if they feel anything. 8. DO continue to lay hands on the person when God's healing presence is being manifested in their life even if you don't have anything more to say in prayer. Wait for God (or the person you're praying for) to tell you to stop. 9. DO be sensitive to issues of confidentiality. Things to Avoid 1. DON'T call anything a spirit unless you've seen it or talked to it. 2. DON'T tell people when they're healed. They'll tell you. 3. DON'T suggest to a person that the reason they are not healed is because of a lack of faith on their part or unspecified sin in their life. 4. DON'T lay your hands on someone if your hands are shaking. Some Final Thoughts: Treat people you are praying for with compassion, sensitivity, and dignity. Treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were the one being prayed for. Remember, if you can't minister healing, you can always minister love.

6 AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SERVING ON THE MINISTRY TEAM AT VCC One of the problems the church has faced throughout its history is the problem of syncretism. Syncretism refers to the combining of non Christian beliefs and practices with Christian beliefs and practices (e.g., combining prayer for the sick in Jesus name with other forms of spiritual healing, or believing in the power of Jesus and the power of positive thinking or the law of attraction. ). To be sure, there are other sources of spiritual power in the world besides the power of Jesus and His kingdom, but they are not a part of Christian ministry. Our approach to ministry at VCC comes out of the biblical framework that: Jesus is God s One and Only Son by nature, co equal, and co eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and salvation is found in Christ alone (i.e., He alone is Lord and Savior by virtue of His sinless life, His atoning death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Jesus not only made atonement for our sins at the cross, but He also defeated Satan and the powers of hell there. Jesus has authority to forgive sins, heal disease, and drive out demons and He delegates this authority to His followers. This is what it means to pray and act in His name. We ask that everyone serving on the ministry team at VCC be a committed Christian who is able to affirm the above and pray and minister to people in a thoroughly Christian way through the power of Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

7 PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO THE HOLY SPIRIT S PRESENCE It is very important to remember that most phenomenological responses are only generalizations and that one should never assume that a certain response always means the same thing. We must always rely on God to inform us about what is really going on. Appearances are NOT enough. Be careful about deducing categories that are exclusive. Each time you think you have seen it all, you will learn something else! God likes to blow up our man made boxes so that we must trust in Him. A. Shaking B. Stiffening C. Respiration D. Falling E. Laughing/Weeping F. Glistening G. Eyelids fluttering H. Hot and Cold Spots I. Drunkenness J. Tingling and Electricity K. Lightheaded L. Deep Peace M. Ripples on or under the skin N. Moaning and Groaning O. Loud Shouts P. Swelling