This document is written to obedient believers, who want to obey God’s will and command to heal the sick.
This list of blockades is not exhaustive. So someone might be sick for a reason that does not appear here. It may be sin, or it might be a non-sin reason like this:
"Neither this man nor his parents
sinned," said Jesus, "but this
happened so that the work of God might be
displayed in his life.
(Whole Chapter: In
context: )
The point is that God’s will was to heal the man, and he did. God was glorified in his HEALING, not his sickness. This HEALING work of God was displayed in his life.
28Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."
30The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. 32Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
In other words, if he was not born blind, then Jesus could not have “healed a man born blind”. So there are some people who are not healed yet, but will be in this life, and that will glorify God. Either way, we should ask God in faith to heal them.
Even though we cannot always know why obedient believers are sick, we can know this: God always wants to heal His children, and he also wants his children to heal in His name. That does not mean that His people always get healed. There can be a lot involved with receiving healing. The purpose of this document is relay biblical warnings of blockades to receiving God’s healing.
I myself am sick with a disorder called hypoglycemia, and I’m not sure why. I’m really not an expert on this topic. However, my experience so far is this: The experts on this topic are too busy healing the sick to write about it. Or, maybe they don’t bother because people get so offended by writings on this topic—and after all, it is almost unknowable. We might not be able to know exactly why we don’t always get healed, but the Bible gives us wisdom on the topic—and therefore we should take heed. We should also take inventory to make sure that we do not have a blockade. Not all of the blockades are as sinful as you might think. Not all of them are damnable sins. Obedient believers may have blockades to healing—like Not asking. Here is the list of blockades that I have found in the Bible so far:
God is obligated
only to answer the prayer of the
righteous. Many who disobey God pray
that God would heal them, but He is not obligated to answer their prayers.
Many who disobey God
pray for other people to be healed, but He is not obligated to answer their
prayers either.
If you disobey God and are unrighteous, or if you are wondering what I mean by this, you can read my online Gospel presentation. It explains how to become/remain righteous before God.
If the unrighteous
try to obey God’s command to engage in healing and deliverance ministry, bad
things can happen to them.
Acts 19
11God did extraordinary
miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that
had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the
evil spirits left them.
13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke
the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say,
"In the name of Jesus, whom Paul
preaches, I command you to come out." 14Seven sons of
Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15One day the evil
spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are
you?" 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and
overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the
house naked and bleeding.
17When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in
It was bad for the Seven sons of Sceva, who took the name of the Lord in vain—or misused the name of the Lord. The Jewish bible forbids this. They knew Paul personally, but did not appear to know Jesus personally.
John
17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
(Whole Chapter: John
17 In context: John
17:2-4)
1
John 5:20
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us
understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him
who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal
life.
(Whole Chapter: 1
John 5 In context: 1
John 5:19-21)
Since this document
is targeted at obedient believers, I hope unrighteousness is not a showstopper
for most of the readers.
However, we should all
take warning to continue to walk as holy as possible, so that God will heal the
sick through us.
Hebrews 12
10Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us
for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline
seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a
harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[2]
so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Less serious sins, like worry or unthankfulness, may not be evidence of a damned soul: They are not what the Bible refers to as “deadly sins”. But we are not told what type of sin can prevent healing in a true believers life.
James 5
14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to
pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And
the prayer offered in faith will make
the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will
be forgiven. 16Therefore confess
your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is
powerful and effective.
A sick person’s sin is not always the cause of sickness, but it can be.
Psalm
38:3
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no
soundness because of my sin.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm
38 In context: Psalm
38:2-4)
Proverbs
14:30
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
(Whole Chapter: Proverbs
14 In context: Proverbs
14:29-31)
Isaiah
64:7
No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have
hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.
Isaiah
64:6-8 (in Context) Isaiah
64 (Whole Chapter)
Then again, some of the worst sinners are very healthy physically. So never look down on sick people. Envious people may not get sick, but they better repent before it is too late.
Galatians
5:21
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did
before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Whole Chapter: Galatians
5 In context: Galatians
5:20-22)
God explained His will to keep His people healthy and heal them is based upon the condition of obedience to His commands.
John 5
The Healing at the Pool
1Some time later, Jesus went up to
7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help
me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in,
someone else goes down ahead of
8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and
walk." 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and
walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jews
said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids
you to carry your mat."
11But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick
up your mat and walk.' "
12So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick
it up and walk?"
13The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had
slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or
something worse may happen to you." 15The man went away and
told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Exodus 15
26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD , who heals you."
God has always been the healer. I mean, He has been ever since Adam and Eve
brought death and sickness into the world through their sin. So in that sense, you could say that “all
sickness is caused by sin”: Original/Adamic Sin, or personal
sin. However, you can’t blame God for Adam’s mistake, and you can’t just blame the sick person either.
John 9
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His
disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he
was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor
his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the
work of God might be displayed in his life.
I used to think that the disciples asked a stupid question: It’s like they were assuming that either him or his parents sinned. I had no idea where they got this idea because I had yet to read their Bible.
Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
3 "You shall have no other gods before [1]
me.
4 "You shall not make for
yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them
or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6
but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
This generational curse was never an issue of eternal judgment upon death. That has always been an individual issue.
Deuteronomy
24:16
Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put
to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
(Whole Chapter: Deuteronomy
24 In context: Deuteronomy
24:15-17)
However, a generational curse can affect one’s quality of life.
From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great.
Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been
subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of
foreign kings, as it is today.
(Whole Chapter: In
context: )
In at least one case that I know of, these generational curses are known to cause physical sickness:
2 Samuel 3
28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, "I and my
kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son
of Ner. 29 May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his
father's house! May Joab's house never be without someone who has a running
sore or leprosy [1]
or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food."
30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had
killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
Original/Adamic Sin is traced through your ancestors, so it becomes difficult to know exactly whose sin had caused what generational curse. Some might say that a generational curse can come through as a genetic illness or predisposition toward an illness. This may be true. However, 2 Samuel 3 lists leprosy, a bacterial non-congenital (or genetically transferred) disease as a result of a generation curse that David pronounced. 2 Samuel 3 shows a curse taking the shape of poverty, disease, cripple conditions (caused by accidents?), and getting killed. shows that it can manifest itself politically.
The most definitive passage on this issue is perhaps Leviticus 26:
Punishment for
Disobedience
14 " 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, 15 and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
18 " 'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
21 " 'If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. 22 I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.
23 " 'If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, 24 I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. 25 And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. 26 When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
27 " 'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. 31 I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. 32 I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. 34 Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35 All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
36 " 'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. 37 They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. 39 Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away.
40 " 'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers-their
treachery against me and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me
hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies-then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay
for their sin, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and
my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the
land. 43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its
sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins
because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 44 Yet in
spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject
them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with
them. I am the LORD their God. 45 But for their sake I will remember
the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of
46 These are the decrees, the
laws and the regulations that the LORD established on
The two phrases in red (in verse 40 and 41) are God’s conditions for restoring the broken relationship/covenant with Him.
1.
Confess your
sins to God: Verse 40 also says to
confess the sins of your fathers. Let’s
be honest, as we age, we realize that we have many of the same stupid sins that
we saw our parents do. Be aware of these
tendencies so as to guard against future idolatry. One way to do this is to ask others body of Christ to let you know when
they see you going down that familiar path.
James 5 The
Prayer of Faith
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let
him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call
the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name
of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick
person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would
not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again
he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19My
brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring
him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his
way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
2.
Pay for your sins- They owed God Sabbath
time. God exacted it. The land got its rest before it became
fruitful again. They went hungry in the
meanwhile, even after they repented.
James
Some sinners have the idea that they can procrastinate responding to the Gospel. By the time they get saved (if they do), they may have caused more problems for themselves by their extended time of sinning.
Nehemiah 1:5-7 (New International Version) 5 Then I said: "O LORD , God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Confessing your father sin can be important. For example, let’s suppose that your father is greedy. He drives a Ferrari. You may be 15, and not old enough to do the same. But you claim that there is nothing wrong with it and compare him to his rich neighbor who has 3 Ferraris. You are sharing in his sin and are also greedy.
Romans 1
32Although they
know God's righteous decree that those
who do such things deserve death, they not only continue
to do these very things but also approve
of those who practice them.
In approving of wickedness, you are rejecting
the law, and consequently Christ’s fulfillment of it. You are rejecting Christ by believing in lawlessness.
Romans
Isa 5:20
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (NIV)
You need to renew your mind with God’s word, allowing His law to tell you right from wrong. You need to be raised by your heavenly father; reading his words and obeying them. Then the following promise will apply to you:
Psalm 103:2-4
2 Praise the LORD , O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Forgiving your sins, healing your diseases, and redeeming you from the pit are predicated upon your willingness to be redeemed from the pit of your own idolatry.
Notice that these generational curses are mentioned in the context of idolatry.
Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
3 "You shall have no other gods before [1]
me.
4 "You shall not make for
yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them
or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6
but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
Deuteronomy 4
11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it
blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12
Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but
saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared to you his
covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote
them on two stone tablets. 14 And the LORD directed me at that time
to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are
crossing the Jordan to possess.
Idolatry Forbidden
15 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at
Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16
so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17
or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, 18 or
like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.
Protestants chastise Catholics for fashioning crucifixes and figurines of Mary. But then they wear crosses, and have fashioned little fish emblems for the luxury cars that they speed in. That seems like hypocrisy to me.
I personally avoid engraven images. I also would ask someone if they do the same before I commit to fasting for their healing. I would hate to lose 30 lbs over something as silly as a little piece of jewelry. Then I would only weight 120, and I could have been praying about something else, instead of pushing real hard on a blockade for a month – to no avail.
(Exo 20:4
GNB) "Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on
earth or in the water under the earth.
1
Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better
than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
(Whole Chapter: 1
Samuel 15 In context: 1
Samuel 15:21-23)
Ezekiel 14
Idolaters Condemned
1 Some of the elders of
6 "Therefore say to the house of
7 " 'When any Israelite or any alien living in Israel separates
himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling
block before his face and then goes to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD
will answer him myself. 8 I will set my face against that man and
make him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from my people. Then you
will know that I am the LORD .
9 " 'And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the
LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and
destroy him from among my people
So, yeah, I would not prophecy or pray much more for their healing until I tell them this: “Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!”
As you continue to read this long passage of scripture, ask yourself this: When God said he “will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry” what did God mean?
[passage continued from above]
Judgment Inescapable
12 The word of the LORD came to me: 13 "Son of man,
if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand
against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men
and their animals, 14 even if these three men-Noah, Daniel [1]
and Job-were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,
declares the Sovereign LORD .
15 "Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they
leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it
because of the beasts, 16 as surely as I live, declares the
Sovereign LORD , even if these three men were in it, they could not save their
own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be
desolate.
17 "Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let
the sword pass throughout the land,' and I kill its men and their animals, 18
as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD , even if these three men were
in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be
saved.
19 "Or if I send a
plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through bloodshed, killing
its men and their animals, 20 as surely as I live, declares the
Sovereign LORD , even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save
neither son nor daughter. They would save
only themselves by their righteousness.
21 "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse
will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments-sword and
famine and wild beasts and plague-to kill its men and their animals! 22
Yet there will be some survivors-sons and daughters who will be brought out of
it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions,
you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem-every
disaster I have brought upon it. 23 You will be consoled when you
see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing
in it without cause, declares the Sovereign LORD ."
He meant that He would, among other things, “send a.. plague-to kill its men”. This seems to throw a wrench in the “Healing is always God’s will” theology that we Pentecostals push. That is why I do not emphasize healing ministry in exclusion to the other 2 main aspects of a word for “healed”: SOZO—to save, heal, and deliver.
You see the word “save” above in verse 19? How can they yet save themselves from the impending curse of sickness that they have brought upon themselves through idolatry?
1
Timothy 4:16
Watch your life and doctrine
closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself
and your hearers.
(Whole Chapter: 1
Timothy 4 In context: 1
Timothy 4:15-17)
Acts 2
39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far
off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them,
"Save yourselves from this
corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were
baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
They can save themselves from the curse of sickness through their righteousness and that is God’s will. This is the main point of this document. Peter made this point well, and perhaps now it is easier to understand in light of all the associated scriptures you have read.
1Peter 2
But if you suffer for doing good
and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you
were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you
should follow in his steps.
22"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his
mouth."[5]
23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when
he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who
judges justly. 24He himself
bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live
for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For
you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and
Overseer of your souls.
Hebrews 12
10Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us
for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline
seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a
harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[2]
so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Yes, God sent a curse in judgment—as He had promised and warned. However, His will is for the people to repent and turn to Him, saving themselves from the curse, or impending judgment. Peter himself explains this elsewhere:
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
What promise is He not slack in fulfilling? His promise to punish disobedience:
2 Peter 3
7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for
fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day
is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness. He is
patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth
and everything in it will be laid bare.[1]
11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of
people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as
you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[2]
That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the
elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we
are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
Obviously, practicing witchcraft or any other deadly sin will damn your soul: This means that God is not obligated to heal you, but you have instead brought yourself under a curse by sinning. Since I am writing to believers, I am warning you to avoid idolatrous objects that are associated with it.
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 (New International Version)
25 The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Micah 5
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.
13 I will destroy your carved images
and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.
One time a chiropractor rubbed healing stones on my Mom’s belly—Scary.
Magic charms, or good luck charms like Rabbits feet, or fortune cookies, are associated with the occult and false prophecy. The Lord is against them.
Ezekiel 13
13 " 'Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent
wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with
destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with
whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid
bare. When it [2]
falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD . 15
So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with
whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who
whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to
Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares
the Sovereign LORD ." '
17 "Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of
your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18
and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists
and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people.
Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19
You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of
bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who
should not have died and have spared those who should not live.
20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with
which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you
ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people
from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will
know that I am the LORD . 22 Because you disheartened the righteous
with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged
the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23
therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will
save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD .'
"
So if the charms did not work, then why would to Lord have to set free the people that were ensnared by them? The Lord acknowledges the small power of witchcraft over people ensnared by it. However, He promises to set the ensnared people free directly—Demonstrating that his power is greater than the power of the devil in the occult magic arts. He gave that same authority to Jesus, and then Jesus gave it to us.
Matthew 28
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where
Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him;
but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in[1]
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew
10:1
He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to
drive out evil[ 10:1 Greek unclean] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew
10 In context: Matthew
10:1-2)
Mark 16
15He said to them,
"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my
name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they
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."
19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into
heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples
went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed
his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Ephesians
3:10
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should
be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
(Whole Chapter: Ephesians
3 In context: Ephesians
3:9-11)
Ephesians
6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Whole Chapter: Ephesians
6 In context: Ephesians
6:11-13)
Colossians
1:16
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all
things were created by him and for him.
(Whole Chapter: Colossians
1 In context: Colossians
1:15-17)
Colossians
2:15
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public
spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[
(Whole Chapter: Colossians
2 In context: Colossians
2:14-16)
Biblical submission prevents an attitude of rebellion:
1
Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin
of
divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have
rejected the word of the LORD , he has rejected you as king."
(Whole Chapter: 1
Samuel 15 In context: 1
Samuel 15:22-24)
Joshua
22:22
"The Mighty One, God, the LORD ! The Mighty One, God, the LORD ! He knows!
And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to
the LORD , do not spare us this day.
(Whole Chapter: Joshua
22 In context: Joshua
22:21-23)
Joshua
24:19
Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD . He is a
holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and
your sins.
(Whole Chapter: Joshua
24 In context: Joshua
24:18-20)
1
Samuel 24:11
See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the
corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I
am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but
you are hunting me down to take my life.
(Whole Chapter: 1
Samuel 24 In context: 1
Samuel 24:10-12)
Titus
3:1
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,
(Whole Chapter: Titus
3 In context: Titus
3:1-2)
There are too many to list.
Some manuscripts render 9:29
as “prayer and fasting”. These are
two ways of walking individually in the presence of God’s power.
Luke
5:17
One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had
come from every
(Whole Chapter: Luke
5 In context: Luke
5:16-18)
Acts 19
8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months,
arguing persuasively about the
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that
even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and
their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Acts 5
14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and
were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick
into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow
might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also from
the towns around
If you review the all of the above scriptures, you will notice the correlation between the presence of God’s power and teaching/preaching the “full message” of the gospel.
Mark 6
12They went out and preached that people should repent. 13They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Acts
5:20
"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people
the full message of this new life."
(Whole Chapter: Acts
5 In context: Acts
5:19-21)
Romans 15
18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has
accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done-- 19by the power of signs and miracles, through the power
of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Churchy people tend to
expect the “power of the Lord” to be “present” only in a church service. Here Paul is abandon by all other believers
and still walking in it.
2 Timothy 4
16At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted
me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side
and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed
and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The
Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his
heavenly kingdom.
Jesus demonstrated that much sickness is caused by demons.
Mark
9:25
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[
(Whole Chapter: Mark
9 In context: Mark
9:24-26)
Luke records a case where a child's demon possession caused what we would call epilepsy today. In Luke 9:39, the boy's father describes his son's symptoms:
"'A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.'"
Jesus provides the solution in verse 42:
"Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father."
Luke also documents the case of a person who had his speech restored when he was delivered from demon possession. Luke 11:14:
"Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been dumb spoke, and the crowd was amazed."
In Luke 13:10-13, he documents the case of a woman who had a physical disability for eighteen years because of a demon:
"...and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her he called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.' Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God."
Again, we see a causal correlation between demons and sickness. In this case, deafness was caused by a demon. In other places, we see a hint at a causal correlation:
Matt 8:16-17
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." (NIV)
Acts
10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing
good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
(Whole Chapter: Acts
10 In context: Acts
10:37-39)
However, here is a passage where Christ mentions healing without mentioning deliverance from demons.
Luke
7:22
So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have
seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[
(Whole Chapter: Luke
7 In context: Luke
7:21-23)
He does mention preaching the good news in conjunction with healing, however. This makes sense, since the word for “saved” (SOZO) refers to salvation (the good news), physical healing, and deliverance from evil (demons).
So how do we know what causes which sickness? We don’t. However, since we are called to “cast out demons” we should know when they are there and when they are not.
1 Corinthians 12
4There are different
kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of
service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working,
but the same God works all of them in all men.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the
common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message
of wisdom, to another the message of
knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the
same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another
miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different
kinds of tongues,[1]
and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[2]
11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives
them to each one, just as he determines
Hebrews
5:14
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves
to distinguish good from evil.
(Whole Chapter: Hebrews
5 In context: Hebrews
5:13-15)
Even if we sense a demon by “distinguishing between spirits”, we often need a “message of knowledge” to know how to help the person. Here are some loose examples of this below.
I don’t really understand this passage, but I’ve heard that the paralytic may have been encouraged to have faith for his healing after hearing Jesus’ “word of knowledge”, or “message of knowledge” as the NIV version translates it.
Matthew 9
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some
men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he
said to the paralytic, "Take heart,
son; your sins are forgiven."
3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves,
"This fellow is blaspheming!"
4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil
thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6But so that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he
said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7And
the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were
filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
So the paralytic might have thought,
“Oh my sins are forgiven? Well I know sin caused my paralysis. If it is forgiven then maybe I can get up and walk now.”
Then again, maybe Jesus just wanted to demonstrate that he had the power to forgive sin. Maybe both theories are correct and He was killing two birds with one stone. I don’t really know to be honest with you.
However, it makes sense that Jesus forgiving the man’s sins would cause him to take heart and believe for his own healing.
Psalm 38
2 For your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down upon me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
Individual issues are often best handled with a word of knowledge as above—to expose and confront them. This is because the Holy Spirit wants to deal with people on a case-by-case basis.
John
16:8
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt[ 16:8 Or will expose
the guilt of the world] in regard to sin
and righteousness and judgment:
(Whole Chapter: John
16 In context: John
16:7-9)
John 4
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more
disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized,
but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and
went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town
in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son
Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the
journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her,
"Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into
the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a
Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not
associate with Samaritans.[1]
)
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it
is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given
you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw
with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are
you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it
himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be
thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never
thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I
won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied.
18Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no
husband. The fact is, you have had five
husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just
said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a
prophet.
So how did Jesus
know her history?
Philippians 2
5Your attitude should be
the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[1]
God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[2]
of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a
cross!
The same way that Peter knew that Ananias was lying to the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5
Ananias and Sapphira
1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold
a piece of property. 2With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part
of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles'
feet.
3Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled
your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself
some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn't it belong to
you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your
disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men
but to God."
5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear
seized all who heard what had happened.
Since the Holy Spirit is inside of me, I can often tell how other people are reacting/have reacted to Him. If you have no idea what I am talking about then you should desire and pursue the spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12
31But eagerly desire[5] the greater gifts.
So even if you already have many of them, you should desire them in increasing measure. Not for your own glory or magic show, but so the “lame may not be disabled, but healed”. Here Jesus offers another individual remedy.
John
9:11
He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on
my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed,
and then I could see."
(Whole Chapter: John
9 In context: John
9:10-12)
I personally have no idea what He was doing here. Should we always make mud and put on blind eyes? I hope not.
John 5
19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Hearing God’s voice is often crucial to know when to do and/or say what—when ministering SOZO: salvation, healing, and deliverance. This is why I personally recommend first pursuing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
Acts 1
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
"Do not leave
How did they wait
for the gift? Notice how in the
context of the passage:
Acts 1
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began
to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after
giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After
his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs
that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke
about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with
them, he gave them this command: "Do
not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have
heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[1]
water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at
this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates
the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a
cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of
Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12Then they returned to