St. John Studies

Sometimes a story is the best way to make a point.*

A couple of years ago I had a good friend who was in a pinch. He was a regular volunteer at a mission center in my community. This mission center had a weekly food distribution day. The normal people he depended on to distribute food were going to be gone and he was afraid that he would not have enough people to sort the food, box it up and hand it out, so he asked me to help. I had a free Thursday so I said yes.

This was my first time, so I did not know what to expect. I soon caught on to the fact that this ministry was all about providing basic provisions to the poor and homeless. At 9:00 a.m. a very long line of recipients started showing up for their food boxes. Before they got there I had some time to talk with other volunteers. Many homeless people were already at the mission because they had nowhere else to be. The center served them all around the clock so they were hanging around, talking and many of them smoking cigarettes.

As I began to have several conversations, I noticed one woman who did not seem to be very happy to be there. I talked to her a bit and in the bits and pieces of our conversation she inserted phrases like “handouts to the poor,” “I wish I could get some government cheese like these people” and “can’t they find something to do?” When she worked with the distribution, her body language seemed to fit her commentary. She struggled to do the work and she never had a smile on her face. She seemed to treat the food like it was not valuable and when she interacted with the recipients she worked quickly never exchanging a pleasantry with anyone. It seemed that when she handed them the food, she did it grudgingly. It was clear to me that she was very disturbed to be around this “class” of people.

In contrast, I also conversed with a man who knew so many of the people at the mission by first name. He was a smoker and many of the homeless came over and bummed cigarettes off of him and he took the time to smoke with them and talk with them in a friendly manner. He was not dressed in his best clothing. I knew him and I knew he had an adequate income, but his good clothing was left at home. When he worked with the food, he handled it with respect; I overheard him say to someone else “They sure will appreciate this small canned ham.” When he distributed food he often carried it to their cars if they were elderly. I could hear him address older people as “sir” and “ma’am”. His body language communicated respect; he was not judging these people, he was there to help them and they thanked him. I heard some of those people say “thank you.” The words sounded heartfelt.

After my day was over, I wondered about the woman, thinking the mission center would probably prefer that she would stay home in the future.

The man was a different story. He understood how to help people and he was a good role model for all of us. He belonged at the mission center.

This example provided by these two contrasting people can just be an exercise in stereotypes. Who really knows why people act the way they do, why some people struggle to help others and some people have an ease about helping. It is too easy to come to conclusions based on a few smatterings of conversation and vague observations of a person’s body language, but this little story leads into a discussion of the Holy Spirit gift of “helps”. Some people have the Holy Spirit gift of “helps” while others don’t seem to have that gift at all.

Pastor Graham** refers to this gift that is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12: 28. Helps comes from the Greek word meaning supporting or assisting. Some might think that helping in a ministry of a church or mission center or some other faith-based institution might not be a big deal but it is based on the idea that work needs to be spread around; one person or a small number of people cannot do it all. People with specific skills can do The Lord’s work.

What makes the Holy Spirit gift of helps special is the “attitude” of those who help. In the process of helping others, there can be a powerful witness for the Kingdom of God and it is in the graceful behavior of the helper. Graham writes that when he began his evangelistic ministry, he wanted to be involved in all phases of the ministry and he soon found that he was exhausted. One of his closest friends came to him one night and said “Why can’t we go at this as a team?” Suddenly Graham saw the wisdom of this offer and began to delegate phases of his ministry to very qualified people who could help him with his mission. This type of Holy Spirit “help” is found in churches all over, as lay people step in and do the work of the church. Some prepare meals for the sick, make home visits to first-time visitors, some mow the church yard and others write letters of encouragement to the bereaved. Others serve as leaders of ministries, church council members, or they can chair important committees. God can and does use these people to do His work. Pastors just cannot do it all. They depend on helpers; they depend on people with the Holy Spirit gift of helps who take their skills and use them as they are needed.
One need not think that the only ministry that “counts” is the ministry of the pastor or the ministry of the evangelist. God is heavily involved in the lives of all His sheep and He has given each person special talents. Just because you don’t have a highly visible leadership role does not mean that you cannot help. If you have a cheerful attitude and you give of yourself to others, you can be a powerful witness for God; maybe the strongest witness some people will ever see.

Yes, sometimes little things like treating others with respect, carrying a box of food to someone’s car and saying “sir” and “ma’am” can do the trick.

That may be what someone needs, a little help and some moments with a Godly helper.

*characters in this story are not meant to represent actual persons…
** from his book The Holy Spirit

When someone is witnessing, teaching or preaching on God’s behalf, are they always telling the truth? We hope so but is there a possibility that they could be lying?  Is there a possibility that they are not revealing the whole truth?

As believers, how do we determine truth or lies? How do we decide whether a person is truly representative of God?  Are they representing “dark” forces not related to God at all? Billy Graham* writes that the world has “hundreds of religious leaders who are not servants of God, but they serve the Anti-christ. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing; they are tares instead of wheat.” I don’t know about you but that sounds a bit ominous.

As Christians, we are commanded to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good” [Romans 12:9]. But, unless we have true discernment, how can we determine what is “evil” and what is “good”? In order to maintain the purity of the gospel, the church must distinguish truth from heresy. Wisdom also demands that we properly discriminate between what is “best” and what is merely “good.”

What do we have to do in order to know what to do in situations like this?

Use discernment.

The problem is that not everybody has this Holy Spirit gift.

The word “discern” is translated from the Greek word anakrino in the New Testament. It means “to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine”.** Many think discernment is like wisdom, and one could make an argument that it is related, but discernment is much more than just wisdom. Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is said to discern the thoughts and intentions of one’s heart. It has the ability to “discriminate.” This goes beyond head knowledge; it is spiritual knowledge.

The previous reference gives you a tip about discernment. People who have discernment have a deep familiarity with God’s word. A discerning person acknowledges the power of God’s word and studies The Word. Proverbs 8: 8-9 states “All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. To the discerning, all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.” Naturally, people who want to walk in righteousness have a hunger for the Bible and they can apply their Bible knowledge to situations that call for discernment. They may be able to separate the wheat from the tares.

Graham also says believers need to respect the opinions of those who have this gift. The Apostle John said “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” [1 John 4:1].

This again brings up something that was mentioned in the fourth sentence of this post, that term “dark forces.” Many Christians don’t like that reference. They don’t want to acknowledge that there are people who are actively working against God in our world today. Graham writes “Spiritism, the occult, the worship of Satan and activities of demons have increased rapidly throughout the western world.” In a Chapman University poll conducted in 2017, fifty-five percent of Americans believe that paranormal spirituality is real. Membership numbers for the church of Satan vary greatly due to the fact that many people practice privately and participate mostly online, but these people do exist. It is much easier to say that Satanists are not real rather than admit that they may pose a threat, but probably the “false teacher” does more damage than people who dabble in the paranormal or people who align themselves with Satan. The false teacher is one who appears to be a knowledgeable believer but they are not. They are the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” that Graham refers to above. They direct believers down the wrong path.

The Christian with discernment believes what Jesus said about fruit: “a tree is recognized by its fruit” [Matthew 12: 33]. First of all, what does the Jesus-based teacher say about Jesus? Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, but a false teacher may not acknowledge that clearly. Anyone who denies that Jesus is equal with God, who downplays Jesus’ sacrificial death, or who rejects Jesus’ humanity is suspect. Examine this; does your teacher preach the Gospel? The gospel is defined as the good news concerning Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection; any teaching other than that should be condemned. Does your teacher exhibit character qualities that glorify the Lord? In other words, a false teacher “can be known by his pride (Cain’s rejection of God’s plan), greed (Balaam’s prophesying for money), and rebellion (Korah’s promotion of himself over Moses). Jesus said to beware of such people; that we would know them by their fruit.”***

Certainly God gives some individuals extraordinary abilities to discern the truth. Scripture tells us everywhere that anything religious should be evaluated very carefully; that even the churches where we go to worship must be examined to see if they are sound in truth.

It seems to me that discernment is a useful spiritual gift and maybe we should all desire it. After discussing it, maybe we should use the prayer that is expressed in Psalms 119: 125 as our guide: “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”

The more that we dedicate ourselves to understanding God’s statutes in His word, the more we can separate the wheat from the tares, the wolves from the sheep.

Or maybe we can consult the Jesus believer who has the gift of discernment; they can certainly tell the difference between what is God and what is not…

*from his book The Holy Spirit
**from the “Got Questions” website “Discernment”
***from the “Got Questions” website “How Do I Recognize a False Teacher?”

What is a miracle?

Does God still perform miracles today?

What would be the value of performing miracles for the unbeliever or even the believer?

All of these questions center on something that people debate, believers and unbelievers: the existence of miracles in our modern world.

First of all, performing a miracle is a “sign” of the power of the Holy Spirit and Pastor Graham* calls the ability to perform miracles a “sign” gift of the Spirit. To explain simply, if one can do this, it is a sign of the manifestation of the power of God. “A miracle is an event beyond the power of any known physical law to produce; it is a spiritual occurrence produced by the power of God, a marvel, a wonder [Graham, 215].

Of course, examples of miracles abound in the Bible. One of the most well-known is the miracle of the animal sacrifice on Mount Carmel involving Elijah. This miracle was performed by God at the behest of the prophet Elijah. At the time of the miracle, the people of Israel were conflicted by their desire to either worship God or Baal. You may recall in this incident that Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to set up an alter on which they would place an animal sacrifice. Then Elijah told the people of Israel to watch for a confirming sign that God was the true God. Of course he knew that Baal was not the true god. What is so interesting about this sign miracle is that Elijah taunted the priests of Baal, saying that nothing would happen to the sacrifice if their god was asked to respond. The priests cried out to Baal for action, but nothing happened, a “sign” that Baal did not exist? Then Elijah poured barrels of water on the sacrifice and asked for a response from God [talk about confidence].  God sent fire that consumed the sacrifice in spite of the water, a sign that God was all-powerful: indeed, God exists.

New Testament miracles were common in the life of Jesus and in the life of his apostles. They healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead and cast out demons. This was to “prove” they were connected to the true God.  God was the source of their power.  In that day, as today, the idea was if God could perform a miracle, then unbelievers would surely become believers.

However, let’s examine what really happened in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.   In the Old Testament, God performed amazing and powerful miracles for the Israelites but did that cause them to obey Him? I am afraid not. After the miracles, these people disobeyed and rebelled against God. The parting of the Red Sea was not enough; conquering the inhabitants of the Promised Land was not enough. It is interesting but one of the best scriptures to explain this lack of response to miracles is found in the New Testament, in Luke 16: 31. To provide context, a man in hell asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers. Abraham informed the man, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

The question about miracles today is this.  Would there be value in the performing of miracles in today’s world?   Maybe immediately, but as in the days of the Old Testament and the First Century world of the New Testament, for most people the effect would not be long-lasting. Many people of shallow faith would be amazed, but the moment would quickly pass from their consciousness. When the “next big thing” comes along, all attention would be turned toward that. Jesus knew a faith based on miracles is not a mature faith. Acts 2:22 declares “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.” But all the miracles were not enough to win over the Jewish community. Jesus lost his life at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders and Roman oppressors of his time.

God may be performing miracles today but the result of those miracles would probably be like the past. Some may be impressed but many would not, quickly returning to their old ways.

Graham wonders if the spectacular miracles of the past are over. Maybe today our faith is just too small. Maybe those miracles of old were useful in the Old Testament to impress the Israelites [even for a short span]; maybe those miracles in the New Testament were useful to impress a first century audience, to help establish the Christian faith, but would they be useful today?

Graham wonders aloud about the end times.  Maybe that is the time when “signs” will emerge that convince a skeptical world of the power of God.  Maybe that is when we will see more miracles.

Maybe miracles are not necessary because we have the Scriptures, the cornerstone of our faith, the record of the greatest miracle [God coming to earth in the form of Jesus Christ].

Then there is the miracle of a transformed life. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we now have a Gospel that provides a pathway to forgiveness and a cleansed life. Maybe the true miracle is the transformed life of the new believer.   Every time a sinner is “born again”, the miracle of regeneration begins.

Maybe that is the miracle that really counts…

The very significant miracle of personal resurrection…

*from his book  The Holy Spirit…

The phone call came when he was out of town, Atlanta in fact. He was there to visit his son who was in college. Out of the blue, the phone rang and it was an aunt. She said “come to see me as soon as you can; I need your help and you are the only one who can help me!” That message had an ominous tone to it, but he said “Ok, I am in Atlanta but when I get home, I will give you a call.”

Then the imagination was engaged. Telling his wife, they began to speculate about why he was called and what was that call about? Having very little to work on, they really could not begin to come up with plausible scenarios. It was a stimulus for interesting conversation on the way back home from Atlanta.

After a couple of days at home, the phone call to the aunt was made and a time was set to visit. Again, no details were shared and as the time drew near, he experienced some nervousness.

Entering her apartment on the day of the appointment, it was immediately apparent that she was extremely agitated. After a few minutes, it became clear that she was mad at all the members of her family who she felt had taken advantage of her. This is not the forum to discuss that but she was “chapped,” meaning very angry. She provided specific evidence of her grievances as the visit continued; to put it mildly, she was at her wits end. She had reached the point in life where she wanted to make her “final arrangements” and the only one she trusted was about 87 years old and in bad health.  So, I was the only candidate to fulfill her requests.

Some would say, well tell her yes and be done with it.  But with a child in college, a working spouse, a full-time professorship at a local college, and a house and yard to help manage, I had a full life. I had lots to do and I wondered if I could I add this to my load. I told myself, she was in good health so quit worrying. I said yes to her request. I just felt that I needed to help her even though I was not sure what I had just signed up for.

The main thing she asked: could I be her Power of Attorney in the event of poor health and Executor of her estate in the event of her death. In the event of poor health, I was to be the contact person to decide end-of-life issues. At the time of this request, she was in charge of her business, but in hindsight, I think she knew that she would soon be facing serious life changes.

The changes came quickly. A short while later I got another phone call about a routine surgery for her shoulder and she expressed her fear that things would go wrong. They did, but not in the way she suspected. After a thorough pre-surgical exam the doctor told her that her heart was too weak for surgery. Then the phone call about the cancer. My aunt had smoked for years and now the doctors found esophageal cancer in her body and it was aggressive.

Within months, she transitioned from an assisted living facility to a nursing home and she lost all interest in paying her bills. Actually it seemed she was a bit obsessed with her death [probably depression]. It was now my job to work with her on her finances. It was my job to downsize her belongings and place them in a storage facility. As she spiraled toward death, it became apparent that I needed to contact her estranged family members so they could have the option of a visit. I did that even though the calls were difficult.

Things quickly got more complex…late night calls from doctors asking permission for treatment, specific requests from her about particular possession that should be appraised and distributed, frequent visits for business consultations. I got to the point when I just said “God I don’t know what to do. This woman is dying on me and I have never had an experience like this before. Please help me.”

I felt down deep in my heart that I could get through this and I did.  God answered my prayers by providing help from so many people.  I could not see a way forward at times but God provided a way forward. I had already said yes to my aunt; now God said yes to me.

Billy Graham calls this the spiritual gift of faith. “Many things come into our lives concerning which there are no specific promises from the Word…sometimes the Holy Spirit give us the gift of faith to believe for things about which the Bible is silent” [193-94] In my case, I worked though the situation on faith, Holy Spirit faith that God provided.

Credit needs to be given where it is due. Her doctors were very caring; her church members stepped forward to assist in ways that were necessary. One very good friend of hers [I will call him JW] was my initial line of defense. When she had to go to the emergency room, he was there for her quickly because I was living seventy-two miles away. I owed him so much; he was my angel as well as hers.

Too often when we think of faith, we really think of what Graham calls the grace of faith, meaning we can believe what God is going to do because He said He is going to do it in His Word. All Christians can have this type of faith. In fact, Graham states “if we do not have faith in what the Bible promises, we sin” [193].

Holy Spirit faith is when we can’t see any way forward and we give it over to God and we indeed go forward despite the circumstances. That is what happened with my aunt. I took care of her needs all the way to the end, with help from others and with help from God. It took a long time because she placed so many demands on me; she wanted particular things done in particular ways. At times I did not think I would ever get to the end of it all, but I did and I was happy that I carried out her wishes the best that I could. I really think she would have been pleased.

From my perspective, the whole episode resulted in a closer relationship with God. I was given faith by the Holy Spirit to do what God had laid on my heart. At times the consequences were dire, but I made it all the way to the end. Her last arrangements were made as per her request and when the last check from her estate was mailed to the last recipient and the court declared her estate settled, I knew I did not do all the work on my own power.

I said yes to my aunt.

God said yes to my prayers.

Together, we took care of her, all the way to the end.

The gift of wisdom…

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him—these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.”

One of those “things” [spiritual gifts] is the gift of wisdom…

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.*

It sounds like wisdom is a mystery and something that the rulers of the age did not have, but stated simply, wisdom is the believer’s ability to sort through opinions, facts and thoughts in order to determine what solution would be best for the individual believer or community of believers. The “sorting” and the resulting solution is from our God, our Father.

Pastor Billy Graham says there are three kinds of wisdom, one comes to us naturally, another comes to us from learning, but the highest kind of wisdom comes directly from God and is associated with the particular work of the Holy Spirit.

Before I go any further, I want to be honest with you about my attitude toward knowledge, learning and wisdom. I have always held intelligent people in high regard, but as I have gotten older, I wonder if I have made mistakes about my respect for intelligence. Graham cites a friend who has a head “crammed full of biblical knowledge” yet his utter disregard for the practical application of his knowledge has almost lead to the destruction of his ministry.

I have a good friend who thought he was being led into ministry and he enrolled in seminary. After several semesters of coursework, he came to the conclusion that the Spirit of God was not in the place where he was studying. The further he went in his studies, the more he felt distant from God. Seeking knowledge was not giving him what he wanted.

In my past experience, I have emphasized knowledge of The Bible and God to the point that I thought what I knew set me apart from others. The more I knew, the more I could draw attention to myself and therefore diminish others who knew less [wow, that sounds horrible doesn’t it?].

Let’s stop and examine all three of these situations. In the first case, why have a head “crammed” with Bible knowledge if you cannot apply the information in a positive, helpful way? Why seek Bible knowledge if you feel that the Spirit of God is not in the knowledge, in fact the quest for information leads you away from God? Why have a desire for knowledge about God if you are misusing it for your own ego needs?

Graham says that the spiritual gift of wisdom and knowledge need to work together. Without a doubt, the Apostle Paul had situations in his life when he had to defend his faith before mobs, governors, princes and kings. Certainly Paul spent hours of disciplined study, but was the study done under his own power or did God bathe the study with His Holy Spirit? Too often we think we learn by our own willpower but I am not sure. Now, I often pray before I read my Bible. When I open an explanatory book about grace, prayer or any other spiritual topics, I may have a desire to enrich my knowledge base but my motivation now is to find a way to draw closer to God. Maybe even the process of learning can be closely connected to reverence for God.

Graham says the real spiritual gift of wisdom occurs when we take what we know and apply it to actual situations. “Wisdom is the gift from the Spirit which shows us how to use knowledge.” It is through our communion with God where we gain a higher knowledge and a higher wisdom than the world has. Indeed it is a gift when we have both knowledge and the ability to apply it in practical situations. Graham says “every fellowship of believers needs at least one person with the gift of wisdom to aid in practical decisions.”

I have collected prayers over the years and one prayer that has always helped me is about knowledge, learning and wisdom. “God, I have knowledge but I need you to show me how to use it wisely. Show me how to serve you with my education, my knowledge and my skill. Make me aware that my knowledge comes from learning, but wisdom comes from You.”

Knowledge may come from my learning but the mystery of wisdom that has been hidden, the mystery of wisdom that God has destined for His glory…

That mystery, that spiritual gift of how to use knowledge…

That comes from You…
*quotations from 1 Corinthians 2: 6-13

On this Christmas Eve, it is probably right to pause and think about the gift that all Christians have received.  Christmas time is a time to celebrate the miraculous incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Since June 15, I have been commenting on Billy Graham’s book The Holy Spirit.  When I began the book, I had no idea that it would be so content-rich, but it has been.  Since June, we have discussed who the Holy Spirit is, when the Holy Spirit has come, the Holy Spirit and the Bible, the Holy Spirit and salvation.  We have delved into the Christian’s inner struggle with the Holy Spirit, the filling with the Holy Spirit and sins against the Holy Spirit.  If anyone reads this blog I hope I have passed along information that has been helpful;  I know I have learned a lot.

Here lately I have commented on gifts of the spirit: preaching, evangelizing, teaching etc.  I have begun discussing “sign” gifts like healing.

Now it is time to pause and think about the nature of another type of gift.  The gift that believers have received from God, the gift of His only begotten Son.

Too often in our world today, we do not spend any time alone.  We are always in a rush to accomplish more and more.   As Christians you might say that the world can be too much a part of us.

On Christmas Eve, maybe it is time to pause, thank God for His Gift, and just quietly meditate.  As I get older and quick work is a thing of the past, strong response to work is getting harder and harder, I am left with time to look to heaven and talk to God.  In the last few days I have had some hard lessons because I have slowed down due to a sickness.   I have not felt like doing much, even reading or praying.  My medication is slowly ridding my body of the illness but it is taking some time and I am left to sit around and do almost nothing.  I don’t “do nothing” very well, but maybe there is a lesson in all of this.  We all go through times when we have to slow down and think about next steps.  It is just hard to value this down time, realizing that is not really lost time.

Yesterday, I was a part of a choir worship service where I had to sing and read a few lines.  I prayed to God to make me well enough to do my part.   I got closer and closer to the time of performance and my prayer changed.   I prayed “In my weakness God, show Your strength.”  I turned the whole experience over to God.  I believe I did well enough in the worship service to say that  I “did my part.”  It was a gift from God that I was capable of going to church and performing.

But God is a giving God.  He gave me the strength to sing and speak, He gives me the gift of forgiveness when I sin,  He gives me the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct me, to comfort me in times of distress.

God is a giving God.  Tomorrow on Christmas we should pause and reflect on the  wonderful Gift of Jesus Christ.   We had a church member yesterday who portrayed the character of “shepherd” as part of the performance.  Sarah Young* comments on the view of the shepherds, who were keeping watch over their flocks at night.  “They witnessed first one angel and then a multitude of them lighting up the sky, proclaiming ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, Peace among those whom He is pleased!’  Gaze at the glory of My birth, just as the shepherds did and respond with childlike wonder.”

Yes, on Christmas Eve pause, gaze at the glory, meditate on The Gift and the same thing that happened to the shepherds may happen to you, child of God.

You will respond with childlike wonder.

*from Jesus Always

Why does Reverend Billy Graham refer to the spiritual gift of healing as a “sign” gift?
Because the ability to heal people is an outward sign that a person has this gift. Believers can see the sign.

Why do people react to this gift so much?

One reason is that many are skeptical, thinking that this may have occurred in the Old Testament, certainly Jesus and His Disciples had this ability and throughout church history there have been countless instances of recorded physical healing, but their response is today? Does this type of thing happen today?

Some believers do put their faith in healers, thinking that the healer can perform miracles like those performed in the Old Testament and the days of Christ. Graham cites an example of how people can be drawn to faith healers. “One Christian leader said that if he heard a clergyman down the street was preaching the gospel, he would just turn on his T.V and go back to watching his favorite program. But if he was told that someone down the street was performing miracles, he would drop everything to see what was happening” [204].

Certainly these types of healings do catch attention but with medicine having so many tools and doctors with so much specialized knowledge, how do we handle the spiritual sign gift of healing?

Graham writes that there are times when medicine is not available, instances when doctors have pronounced a case incurable. If God directs us to people who have spiritual powers of healing, we should go see them. However, if medication and doctors are available, “to ignore them in favor of asking God to heal seems to me to border on presumption.” To ignore people with the skills and means to cure you is to “test” God, daring Him to behave as you want him to do.

I don’t believe it works like that at all.

We should never be in the business of telling God what we want Him to do and expecting him to do exactly what we ask.

Over the years, I have taken on the role of being one of several intercessors at my church. Every Tuesday we meet at 9:30 and we pray for all kinds of situations that we know of. Most of the situations are church members who are battling ill health or are getting ready to have surgery or are recovering from surgery. The list we are given by the church secretary every Tuesday is long, almost two 8 ½ by 11 pages from top to bottom. In the early days of me doing this, I have to admit I got discouraged. So many were suffering and our prayers did not seem to call down healing for so many people that we loved. They continued to suffer and some passed away. Very selfishly I got discouraged. I wanted better results.

I wanted to control God’s will.

I took Matthew 7:7 literally “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Naively I felt that fervent prayers meant that our humble requests would be granted.

Graham says “I can find no evidence in scripture that it is the will of God to heal all people of all illnesses. If the Holy Spirit gives a sick person or someone who is praying for a sick person the gift of faith that the person will be healed, then we can be sure the person will be healed. But God does not always give the gift of faith” [Graham, 210-11].

Why?

In my thinking, healing is not in God’s plan as much as we want it to be.   We may be very disturbed that healing does not occur but we must accept His will. Three times, the Apostle Paul asked God to remove a thorn from his side, a thorn that gave him great difficulty. But God said no. Paul responded that “I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” [2nd Cor. 12:9]. Most of us would not be strong enough to say that, essentially stating that in our weakness, God manifest’s His strength. But think about the miracles of God and Jesus Christ; many times they occur to the weakest people, people who are suffering. In their ability to do His work despite their infirmity, His strength is revealed. “Paul, even while being filled with the Holy Spirit, bore a sickness in his body, a sickness that God allowed him to suffer for His glory.”

And then there is the recent news story of an eleven-year-old Texas girl who had people praying for her inoperable brain tumor. According to doctors, her disease was “very rare” and causing a “decreased ability to swallow, sometimes vision loss, decreased ability to talk, eventually difficulty with breathing.” The girl underwent weeks of radiation, and her parents prayed hard every day for her recovery.

Then it happened…

When I first saw Roxli’s MRI scan, it was actually unbelievable,” said the little girl’s doctor. “The tumor is undetectable on the MRI scan, which is really unusual.”
“[Doctors] at Dell Children’s hospital, Texas Children’s hospital, at Dana-Farber, at John Hopkins, and MD Anderson, all agreed it was DIPG.” A DIPG is a form or brain cancer that is inoperable and aggressive.

And now with no trace of the tumor, the family is thanking God.

I have to leave it there…

Is God still in the healing business?

There is a certain family in Texas that feel He is…

Nobody wants to be sick.

However, other than going to the medical doctor, what can we do?

Tens of thousands of sick people go to someone who claims to have the spiritual gift of healing.* I have wondered about this. Do spiritual healers really do the work of healing? Go to YouTube and type Kathryn Kuhlman, Earnest Angley, Bennie Hinn and Oral Roberts into the browser and add the words “healing”. You will see video evidence that this is real [at least video evidence that some believers believe it is real].

But is it?

Certainly The New Testament is full of instances when Jesus and His disciples healed the sick. Throughout the history of the Christian Church, many instances of healing have been recorded.

Truly in First Corinthians it says that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of healing.

Pastor Graham has a lot of say on this subject.

The role of faith…

He seems to have concerns about people who claim that healing of the sick will only occur if the afflicted has enough faith. He states “this has nothing to do with the gift of healing as such.” Some cite the death of Christ on the cross as not only for the forgiveness of our sins but also for the physical healing of the body. They point to 1 Peter 2: 24 where it says “And He Himself bore our sins in His body the cross, that we might die to sin and live in righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” The last phrase “for by His wounds you were healed” is enough evidence for many that physical healing is one of the gifts that man can have. Graham says that he believes this phrase means spiritual healing and not physical healing.

Going to the doctor…

Some Christians believe that we can have the gift of healing and there is no need to consult a physician. They take their faith as the only necessary healing element or instead of going to the doctor, they go to a faith healer. As with Jesus, the power that the healer has is enough to make the sick well immediately and permanently. Graham writes “a broken arm is mended instantly, a cancer disappears, the process of pneumonia stops and the lungs become well.” Grahams refuses to discount the role of faith or the spiritual gift of healing but he says [citing James] that all good gifts come from above, including the gifts that a physician possesses. Graham mentions Luke the physician who travelled with Paul and probably gave Paul his medical help from time to time.

Outlook is a major factor in working with physical infirmity. I believe that a positive outlook may have a beneficial effect on healing. Do physicians know everything? Of course they don’t. Sometimes medicine seems more art than science as doctors are asked questions they cannot answer. Sometimes they provide cures that even they cannot explain. Personally, I try to cooperate with my physicians as we [the doctors and me the patient] try to keep me healthy. I think of good physicians as having gifts that God has provided, just like all of us have certain skills and gifts. I try to have a positive outlook, combined with my faith in God. I think it imprudent to discount the skills of physicians totally, thinking that God gives them the ability to help me in a natural way [rather than a supernatural way].

What should we say about this topic? Is faith healing today a real spiritual gift? Should Christians emphasize their faith and the power of faith healers over the natural skills of the physician? Right now in my life I have two friends who are battling cancer. Some readers may think this whole post is a bit strange but when someone is facing a terminal illness like my friends, it is not strange at all. The correct decision about what to do about treatment is very, very important. To ignore medications and doctors and asking God to heal may not be the best decision. However, Graham writes that if doctors hold out no hope for the patient and the afflicted person can call for help from someone gifted with healing, why not do it?

Can God heal a person?

Yes God can.

Will God heal a person?

Maybe He will; maybe He won’t. Healing depends on God’s will and people who pray for healing don’t direct God. God directs us. “His will be done.”

A person who appears to have healing powers may have real spiritual healing gifts. But maybe the gifts are not real. As believers we have to use common sense mixed with faith and discernment about what to do in regards to healing.

Graham has much more to say on the topic of healing and I will comment on those thoughts in future posts, but Christians should not presume that they know what God will do when it comes to healing.

God is in control.

Doctors are not always in control.

We certainly are not in control.

He is… “His will be done…”

*one of the “sign” gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians along with miracles and tongues…

Pastor Billy Graham* has had a lot to say about the five spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians 4. Many would say about those gifts: I am not an evangelist and I have never felt like I could pastor a church. Certainly I can’t evangelize. I am not sure apostle should be attached to my name. I have had some good teachers in Bible studies and Sunday school but I can’t do that.

What is my spiritual gift?

Before I turn to the next chapter entitled “Further Spiritual Gifts”, let’s discuss that question because it is very important. Remember, if you are a child of God, you have been given gifts. Gifts that were selected by God just for you. God intends for you to use your gifts for the furthering of His Kingdom here on earth, for His glory. When we choose to ignore our gifts, God is “grieved.” Ephesians 4: 30 states “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break His heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.”

First of all, when we ignore God’s spiritual gifts we may be ignoring the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Maybe you are too busy to even pay attention to God’s urging. Maybe you are too fearful; you don’t have enough faith that you can accomplish God’s tasks. Maybe you have tried to perform a task or two and you have met failure; now you are hesitant. The bottom line may be that you are not discerning His will in your life. Too often we try to force ourselves to do things that we think we can do, but we can’t. We don’t really have the skills and our efforts are not bearing fruit. Look at the evidence. Look at how you are performing your work. Are your efforts helping others? Is the work hard for you to do? Are you struggling?

People who follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance when it comes to spiritual gifts produce good results. The work is easy because God is leading them every step of the way and they are responding to His leading. They know they are utilizing their gift because it is so surprisingly easy.

Examine your motives. Is your work for God a product of your desire? Some people just want to be better than everyone else. Some want power and they take on high profile jobs just to shine before others. Others assume that just because they are good in one job, they will be good in a related job. A teacher in public school may think they would naturally be good in the Sunday school classroom but that is not necessarily so. A mom may love her kids, so naturally she would be an excellent nursery work. That is not necessarily so. Someone who manages a business may be perfectly awful managing a ministry in a church.

We should not overemphasize this but listen to feedback from others. Are people saying things to you like, “You are a wonderful missions team leader.” Maybe someone says that your Scripture reading skills are inspiring. Maybe the choir has grown and is sounding better under your tutelage, so maybe church music is really your gift. We can be confused by comments from others. Sometimes people say things to flatter us. Some people really attend to positive comments because they need some ego inflation. Some confirmation is not helpful; it can be hurtful if the reality is that you are not doing well in your work and you just believe flattery.

Too often we think of spiritual gifts as ways to serve others and of course they are, but we never need to forget that they are also for our own development. God wants us to grow in our faith and what better way to do that than for us to take a chance and do His will. Maybe we are ill at ease, maybe we don’t see how we are going to handle the financial commitment required. Maybe we are only seeing barriers and not seeing pathways. At times like these, God shows up.

God loves for us to work for Him. If what you think you can do is before you, you will soon know you are doing His work as you produce fruit. You will know you are doing His work if you are surprised at the ease of the work. You will know you are doing His work if you are happy doing it.

Yes, not all of us are going to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers. Those gifts may not be your gift but that does not mean that God has not placed a gift in your life, a special way to do His work.

I recently heard someone say “If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.” I truly feel that applies when we consider working for God. God put all of us here for a reason.

It is up to us to utilize our spiritual gifts.

It is up to us to do His work…
*Graham’s book The Holy Spirit

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them . . .the one who teaches, in his teaching.” Romans 12: 6-8.

“And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28

“He who descended is the One who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4: 10-12

The last spiritual gift listed in Ephesians 4 is teaching; the Greek word for teacher is didaskalos or instructor. The Great Commission in Matthew 28: 18-20 is followed by the phrase “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Go and make disciples, baptize them and “teach” them.

Pastor Billy Graham* writes that “one of the greatest needs in the Church at the present is for more teachers of the Bible” [186].

Why would he make such a statement? Clearly a Christian can read the Bible on their own but can that person explain the Bible like a spirit-led teacher can? No. The spiritual gift of teaching can be developed but it is not something that can be acquired or learned with a college degree.

In my life, I can think of two people who have taught me so much about the Bible; neither of them have a seminary degree. Although one can strive to improve their teaching, a person with a Ph.D. but without the gift of teaching will not be able to instruct about the Bible as one without a degree but who has the spiritual gift of teaching.
Ok, what are the characteristics of a Christian with this spiritual gift; what makes them special? One thing is the ability to make complex concepts simple and understandable. Another characteristic is compassion for God’s Word and compassion for the student who thirsts for God’s Word. Too often, teachers get “inflated” self-perceptions and they expound on their subject matter, with the attitude that their words are so important that students should cherish every crumb they offer. People with the spiritual gift of teaching cherish their knowledge of God’s Word and cherish anyone who hungers for more knowledge about His Word. The person with the spiritual gift of teaching has an inquisitive mind, always trying to learn more about our Lord. The new information is for their growth and for sharing with others. They learn in order to share. The person with the gift for teaching takes teaching seriously, asking God to lead them through the Holy Spirit and they respond to His leading, knowing that God will give them what they need to instruct when the time comes.

Guess what?

He does give them what they need when the time comes…

Not all Christians are concerned with their spiritual growth but all Christians should be. I am going to refer to John Wesley** and his concept of “sanctifying grace.” Wesley felt that too many Christians focus on salvation as the peak event of their lives. After salvation it is over, their faith is static. Wesley explains that salvation is only the beginning as we begin our Christian lives and experience God’s gracious presence in transforming us into the people He intends us to be. It is through God’s sanctifying grace that we grow and mature in our ability to try to live the life Jesus lived.
This is where the teacher can enter into the picture as so many Christians have questions that teachers can address. Teachers have teaching methods that can reach out to hungry Christians and teachers can utilize inspiring explanations that can take a young, immature Christian to a deeper, more mature relationship with Jesus Christ.
Wesley said we’re to press on, with God’s help, along the path of sanctification toward perfection, not being satisfied with salvation alone. By perfection, Wesley did not mean that we would not make mistakes or have weaknesses. He understood sanctifying grace as the continual process of being made more perfect in our love of God and each other and of removing our desire to sin.***

Billy Graham refers to 2 Timothy 2:2 as a way to explain the impact of the gifted Bible teacher. “The things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” This is the basic formula for building up the Church. Paul taught Timothy, Timothy shared what he knew with faithful men, and these faithful men would then teach others. The process goes on and on with the spreading of more knowledge until the Church is spread to the entire world. Graham is so humble when he says my “Mass crusades, in which I believe and to which I have committed my life, will never finish the Great Commission, but one-by-one ministry will.”

If Christians could develop the desire for God, turn to His Word [the Bible], and feel emboldened to share His Word through spirit-led teaching, that could do the job.
Let’s revise Graham’s statement. “[I] will never finish the Great Commission but [teachers with the spiritual gift of teaching] will.”

I think Pastor Graham would approve of the revision…

*from his book The Holy Spirit
**founder of the United Methodist Church
***based on the UMC.org website