Part 1 -  OUR MISTAKES EMPOWER THE ENEMY TO AFFLICT US

There's always a back story...

A young man in his early 30s (we'll call him Peter) borrowed some money from a guy (we'll call him James) and promised to pay it back under all and any circumstances, no matter what. While he waited for his pay to come in, he borrowed a smaller amount from James under the same conditions.

At the lender's request, Peter paid back the first loan to an unidentified third party. However, when he received the payment receipt and saw who it was he flatly refused to send any more money. It turns out that Peter and John the recipient (not his real name) had done some ministry work together. In the end, John had left town and left Peter to pay a bill.

James the lender could not accept the payment instead - that was part of the original loan agreement - and he had no idea that there was any problem between the two young men.

That was where I came in. I warned Peter that he was setting himself up to be attacked by the enemy. I've encountered it so many times, and God has also taught me through my own mistakes that this is how the system works. 

Even if James didn't want Peter punished for breaking the agreement - an unlikely event anyway because James was not going to benefit directly - Peter would still be in trouble because John probably needed the money for ministry work.

I forgot all about it and was surprised when Peter came back to me six weeks later to say how much trouble he was in.

People generally think that sickness, pain, loss, accidents, destruction and premature death are just a normal part of life. They are not.

Jesus taught that “The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy…” (John 10:10a) and that same John taught that “God is light (good) and there is no darkness (evil) in Him at all.” 1 John 1:5.

Jesus Revealed a Connection Between Sin and Affliction

This same Jesus understood well the relationship between sin and infirmity. After He told the man with a deep-seated, lingering disorder waiting for healing at the pool of Bethesda to pick up his bed and walk, He met him again sometime later in the temple and told him, "Stop sinning, or something worse might happen to you."  John 5:14

Jesus again made the connection between sin and affliction with the paralysed man who was let down through the roof when He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven."  Luke 5:20  

After He rescued the woman caught in adultery Jesus said, "Go on your way and sin no more." John 8:11.  He wasn't concerned for her eternal security but her temporal safety - He knew that when we do the wrong thing we give the enemy power over us to do us harm, as had happened to her already.

"The soul that sins, it shall die..."  Ezekiel 18:20

It’s really quite simple: when we make mistakes, the enemy get power over us to do us harm, up to three times worse than the original offence. Not just sometimes, every time. When we take responsibility and deal with our mistake(s) the penalty applied by the enemy is generally immediately released. We have seen this in ministry time and time again, and dozens and dozens of times in personal ministry. In every case. 

THE PENALTY

From his description of the symptoms, Peter had a serious UTI (urinary tract infection). It had started 4 weeks earlier (2 weeks after we spoke about his loan issue) and was so bad that he had been off work from his new job for 3. He had:

• constant pain (level of 7) in his abdomen (lower belly)

• extreme pain when he urinated (he wanted to cry)

• smelly urine

• hospital visit and medication had not helped.

Part 2 - BUT GOD CAN INSTANTLY REVERSE THE ENEMY’S EXTREME PENALTY

THE SOLUTION

This time Peter was ready to follow advice. 

After making the diagnosis I asked him to hold out his hands before God, palms up and open to receive. I instructed him not to pray with his mind or his lips, since in itself this is a type of prayer, according to Lamentations 3:41. (See Young’s Literal Translation or The Amplified Bible before 1987.) As always I had him place his phone somewhere so that he could still read it while holding out his hands before God.

I texted:

“Here’s the healing part. Are you ready?”

> “Yes Trevor”

“Do you want God to heal you?

> “Yes”

“Are you ready to release John and stop holding resentment towards him?”

> “Yes.” Then, “I promise to send him money immediately I resume back to work.”

That was a bit premature, but when it comes straight from the heart and is followed through, it must work.

Then I asked him to say these words:

”I’m sorry that I held hatred and resentment towards John. I should not have done that, and I won’t do it again.”

Then, “I’m sorry that I wanted John to be punished. I want him to be blessed by You, Lord God.”

THE RESULT

When I then asked him about the pain, which had been constant for weeks, he said it was gone. Overall, with texted instructions, responses and internet delays, it took 18 minutes. In personal ministry it takes 4 or 5 minutes. The pain itself went as soon as he said the words that I gave him. 

“Can you urinate now, can you try?”

> ”Let me walk out and try.”

Four minutes later he was back.

> ”Hallelujah! What kind of power is this that you have??”

”I don’t have any power, anyone can do this. This is doing ministry like Jesus. He said that even He had no power, but that it was the Father who did the miracles through Him.”

> ”Amen.”

”Now, hold out your hands once more, please, and say, “Thank you, Jesus, for setting me free.”

ANYONE CAN DO THIS

It really was that simple. I didn’t have to pray, because Jesus didn’t have to pray and ask the Father for a miracle. He knew that the Father was just waiting for Him to set the process going. Like we did above.

Peter didn’t need a lot of faith to get his miracle - he just had to follow instructions, the instructions in God's Word.

If the person in need needed faith, then Lazarus, and the daughter of Jairus, and others who were brought back to life from the dead would not have made it! It’s the person doing the ministry who needs just a mustard seed amount of faith to start the process off.

You can do it, too!

WHO CAN DO THIS??

In Ephesians 4:7-12 Paul explains that:

1.  each of us (those who are believers) has been given a free gift from God

2.  and that those gifts are for us (known as 'the body of Christ because we have been equipped to work in His place) to be

3. apostles (special messengers opening up new areas of outreach)

4. prophets (bringing a fresh revelation or understanding of God's message, more so than telling the future)

5. evangelists (sharing the good news of salvation and healing)

6. pastors (a heart to care for people and shepherd them in the truth and good things of God)

7. and teachers (who explain/teach a better understanding of God's Word).

The climax of this teaching, according to Paul, comes in verse 12. The purpose of the gifts and the teaching surrounding them is:

"...to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

Say what?

Church was never meant to be a spectator sport, where a crowd of fans/followers watches a team (or a single pastor) up the front. 

Church is not a building, but an assembly of like-minded people with a common purpose, each one using the unique giftings Jesus has given them according to the master list in Ephesians 4.

Because He has gifted you, Jesus has also ordained you to do the job, and equipped you with other, unique abilities according to a list in 1 Corinthians 12.

We don't need a church organisation in which to perform as Jesus intends, nor even a church's approval. Truly, as the early apostles found out, even the 70 that Jesus trained in Luke 10, the whole world is our ministry, our church to work in.

Do it!

(For encouragement in following what Jesus has called you to do, email: info@thechurch.solutions)

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