Power of the Holy Spirit
a) we need the Holy Spirit at work in all areas of our life, not just healing. One important manifestation of the Spirit is in witnessing. The Spirit empowers us to be bold and proclaim the Kingdom and witness effectively.
b) Glennon differentiates the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer. "Born of the Spirit" is conversion, it is a work of God's Spirit within each of us that begins the new life in Christ. "Filled with the Holy Spirit" refers to receiving the power to do Christ's work as the church. There can be an interval between the two, sometimes long and other times short. I would personally hasten to add that all human talk about the spiritual realm is going to encounter the limits of understanding. The work of God is far too subtle for us to understand the exact machinations. However, in our tradition baptism and confirmation are seen as separate events, the latter conferring the Spirit in an 'adult' decision, while the former is understood to make the baptized (frequently as an infant) a child of God by the gift of the Spirit.)
c) New Testament believers were baptized. Later they had "hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit." He is a divine person active in the life of believers.
d) In Latin America there has been a huge growth in the Pentecostal movement and a booming increase in membership.
e) The need for God's power is evident when you face a cry for healing. The church programs, events and fund raising cannot address that need---only God can. When God does address it, the Holy Spirit should come as power which can be experienced and manifested in ministry. One fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives is an increased desire to pray: a desire for more, deeper and longer prayer! When the Holy Spirit shows truth to be truth, it is like you have never experienced it before--even if you had an idea--its knowing in a new and living way. Progress is continual but so are the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Dark spirits get more active when the Holy Spirit fills you with His light and life. (the reality of spiritual warfare surprises some people. They assume that if God is with us nothing will ever go wrong again...Not so and one reason why the seed of the Word does not prosper every where-namely the path, the shallow soil and the weed infested ground)
f) requirements
1. Be committed to Jesus Christ (repent, believe, obey)
2. Unconditional surrender; you don't tell God which gifts you want and which you don't want
g) How to be filled-through the prayer of faith.
1. Do not rely on "feeling" but on faith. If you ask then trust you have received, how you feel is not
an accurate measure.
2. Our job is to trust. Faith is our responsibility, God supplies the "signs and wonders". Stay
focused.
3. Laying on hands is helpful, appropriate, but not necessary. In the NT it often happened with out
this sacramental act (like Pentecost and Cornelius)
When I was reading this book and writing these notes the section from "God Calling" seemed appropriate. "The last and hardest lesson is learning to wait, wait as one who knows all is well. This seemed to echo his writings on the centrality of faith and healing as a process.
chapter 6 Stretch Out Your Hand and Heal
John 17:18 "[Father] as You sent me into the world, so I send them." [this is something to ponder and pray over; what does it mean that Jesus sent us into the world as He was sent? how many moments of our day look like a day in the life of Jesus?] This apostolic vocation is both a corporate and individual responsibility to be Christ in the world.
a) The church is people who believe in Jesus and live as His. Fellowship is wider than our denomination. The whole church has the ministry; we are part of this body of Christ. However, Glennon believes that what the whole church does has an impact on what individuals can achieve. We are personally limited or expanded by the lack of/presence of faith in the big church. He notes that in Corinthians the gifts of the Spirit are given to individuals, but healings (only) is in the plural. He emphasizes working in unison to provide for total church ministry. James said "call the elders of the church" because they exercise the healing ministry on behalf of all--even if they do not have the particular charism. He raises up The Order of St. Luke because it is important to e in fellowship and not "go it alone." Also important to pray for people to receive the ministry. It is not unusual to for people to pray to themselves and fail to "open up and accept." (opening the door to Jesus)
b) Glennon says praying for other people follows the same rules. Faith: "I believe, Lord, I accept on their behalf"...then immediately and in the days that follow..."Thank you Father, you are healing my brother/sister." This vicarious faith is intercessory in prayer. Glennon compares "thanking God and receiving" on behalf of another to what we do with parents in infant baptism. He invokes the Scripture where Jesus sees the faith of the men carrying the paralytic and tells the man, "your sins are forgiven."
Know the promises of God. Accept His gift. Affirm the gift by faith. Be watchful and give thanks throughout the process.
This works in intecession/vicarious reception for another. Obviously, it works better if they believe too! [However, amazing things have happened in intercession so do not lose hope. We do not understand how spirit and soul connections work. People impact each other in myriad and mysterious ways. there may be pathways about which we are ignorant. Personally, i think this is why sometimes God inspires us to pray for another. Why else would He ask us to pray unless our praying was a means for Him to achieve His ends?]
* More challenging healing may need prayer and fasting because faith is not sufficient to the task.
* The greatest barrier to healing is the lack of faith in the entire congregation/church. The corporate belief is an open or closed door. The lack of expectation and belief is a huge issue.
*Fasting has a value. It increases our awareness of dependence upon God which can help us pray better. this is key: DEPEND ON GOD NOT YOURSELF
The Holy Spirit is present in healing. Even those who "aren't healed" can still have a profound and powerful experience of God's Spirit. [in the end, healing is a sign of and manifestation of salvation. The world is fallen and 'we are made of dust and will return to dust'. Our relationship with God is central and the healing ministry is most successful when it cements that bond.]
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