Rom 8:14 KJV For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 Pro 3:5-6 AMP Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  (6)  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Several years ago God sent me to City Hospital to pray for a woman. He told me what floor and room she was in. When I entered the room I saw a woman partially suspended above the bed in a body cast. Immediately I thought “surely You could have sent me to someone that didn’t have much wrong with them, like a headache.” God spoke to my heart and said “you’re not the healer, you’re the one praying.” So many times we forget that we do the asking and God does the doing. Jesus said whatever you ask in my name I will do in Jn.14:13/14.

The woman couldn’t talk much because of the pain and medication she had been given so I did not know the extent of her situation. I prayed, Lord heal this woman from the top of her head to the soles of her feet and then left.

I returned the next week and talked with this lady. She related to me that she was a prostitute and her pimp had run her down with his Cadillac. Can you imagine God sending me on a mission to pray for a prostitute? That’s our God! He so loved the world that He gave…

Rom 2:4 AMP ….. Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?

 The doctor had told her that the impact was so hard that it had shifted her entire skeleton. They said the broken bones would mend and that they had to install screws in some of her joints. Then they gave her the bad news. Because of the damage to skeletal system, it would take a miracle for her to ever walk again. Well I had already prayed for a miracle so it was now up to God.

Each week I would return to see how this woman was progressing and it looked like God was not doing His part. I have learned that you should never judge whether God has answered your prayer based on what you see or feel. The bible states in Heb. 11:1 that faith is the evidence of things not seen. I have learned that waiting to see before you believe that God has answered your prayer is the “Missouri kind of faith”, called show me faith, which is really unbelief. I have also learned that as believers we should exhibit the “Price is Right” kind of faith. That kind is so confident that it has received that it begins to shout and dance before it sees the results. The bible calls it the “Abraham kind of faith.”

More weeks passed and I began to question God as to why He sent me to this woman to pray for her and then not do anything. Would you like to hear what He spoke to my spirit? (If you want to hear what He said then raise your right hand. If you really want to hear what He said then raise both hands.) He said to my spirit,”Son I am working in her life through your faith and hers. She does not have much, and you’re about to move into doubt and unbelief. Don’t return to this room until I tell you.”  I left and did not return until I heard from God.

Again weeks turned into months and no word from God. Then one morning God spoke to my spirit and said “you can go to see that woman now.” I’m using the phrase,”that woman” because I cannot her name. I went to the hospital and up to her room and it was empty. I checked at the nurses’ station and they informed me that they were releasing her that morning and that she would be leaving a changed woman, drug free. The nurse told me that the hospital had kept her in the body cast long enough to dry her out from the drugs. They directed me to the room that she was in and told me that this woman would fill me in on the remaining details.

As I entered the room, for the first time I saw no body cast, only a bandage covering a small spot on her leg. She sat at a table that had a large brown envelope on it filled with before and after x-rays. She said that the doctor had just left the room. Before he left he told her that she had received the miracle that she so needed. He said that miraculously her skeletal system had moved back in place.

By the way, during those visits I did share the Jesus story with her and she responded by giving her life to Him. She left that hospital saved healed and free from drugs and prostitution. What a mighty God we serve. Thank God I followed His lead!

Eph 3:20-21 AMP Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] — (21) To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

I want us to focus our attention on verse 3 where the Word speaks of a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.  If we interpreting this word multitude with the bible we can conclude that John was speaking of a group numbering 4000 or more. Jesus fed the multitudes on two occasions that are recorded. Once he fed 4000 plus women and children and on another occasion it is reported that He fed 5000 plus women and children. In each report the people were classified as a multitude. Now here in John chapter 5 we read of a great multitude of people at the pool of Bethesda. I believe because John used the term great to describe the size of the multitude, there could have been over 20,000 people surrounding that pool as they waited for the moving of the water by the angle of God.

Here is an excellent example of people waiting for God to move sovereignty. I gather from reading the story that many of these people had been at this pool for years, probably many had died waiting for the angle to come down and stir the waters. We must remember that only the first one in was healed or delivered of their infirmity so the others had to continue their wait.

As I meditate on this story, I am reminded that the majority of this multitude were covenant people; people who had a covenant of healing with God. As descendants of Abraham they had a right to be healed anytime on any day. May I refer you to what Jesus said about the woman who was bent over with a spirit of infirmity recorded in Luke 13:11-16.  Jesus said because she was a descendant of Abraham, she had a covenant right to be healed.

I can safely conclude that those Jews at the pool of Bethesda had a right to be healed anytime and anywhere because God is no respecter of persons. Do you remember the statement that God made concerning His covenant? He said that He would not break or alter it in Psa.89:34 and He is faithful to keep His word!

So here is my question. Why do we have such a great multitude of people, possessing the greatest health care coverage ever known by man, lying around a smelly pool waiting for a chance that would probably not come for many of them?  Allow me to throw in this bit of information. Jesus had been in this area several times with great healing and miracle campaigns, yet when He visited this pool no one knew who He was. Hosea 4:6 states that people are destroyed for two reason; lack of knowledge and rejection of knowledge.  

The knowledge I am sharing with you, if acted upon in faith will move you from waiting for a sovereign act of God to activating a move of God because of your faith in Him!

The healing and miracles performed by Jesus fall into three categories; Healing and miracles initiated by the Holy Spirit; Healing and miracles initiated by the Holy Spirit with a faith response; Healing and miracles initiated by the faith of individuals with a Holy Spirit response. Why is this information important? The more we know about the operation of God the more we can exercise faith and cooperate with Him to bring to bear His power and grace upon our needs successfully. Jesus said to not know the ways or power of God would cause us to fail. (Matt.22:29) I have failed and I have seen others fail simply because there was something we did not know. Lack of knowledge causes destruction. (Hos.4:6) If we fail to follow the methods Jesus used we will not get the same results that He received. It is the Lord’s will that we receive the same results He received in ministering to the sick and infirmed, even to the raising of the dead! (Jn.14:12-14)    

In this lesson we will look at the detailed accounts of healing and miracles outlined in the four gospels. These accounts give us more insight into the ministry of Jesus and how these miracles and healing took place. The details are given so that we can learn from them.  

In the ministry of Jesus there were 6 healing and miracles initiated by the Holy Spirit: In these 6 accounts there is no mention of faith from the individuals or an implication of faith. The Holy Spirit just moved. These could come under the heading of sovereign acts of God. I am not saying that the only way you can receive from God is to wait for His sovereign move. I remember reading in K.  Kulmann’s ministry, mockers would come to the meetings just to mock because they did not believe in divine healing. It is said that they testified that while they stood in line to get into the meeting they were healed by God. That, my friend, was a sovereign act.  Here are the 6 cases of healing, miracles or deliverance initiated by the Holy Spirit.  

Heals the demoniac; Mar_1:23-26; Luk_4:33-36; Raises the widow’s son to life; Luk_7:11-16; Casts devils out of two men of Gadara; Mat_8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luk_8:26-39; Heals the woman with the spirit of infirmity; Luk_13:10-17; Cures a man with dropsy; Luk_14:1-6; Heals the ear of Malchus; Luk_22:49-51  

In the ministry of Jesus there were 4 healing and miracles initiated by the Holy Spirit with a faith response from those receiving the miracle or healing or deliverance: These people responded to the moving of the Spirit or to what Jesus, by the Spirit, told them to do. Many of us who have had need of healing, deliverance or a miracle misses our opportunity because we failed to respond to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Those who responded in faith received their need met. No matter how impossible it seemed at the time, they obeyed in faith and received. If you study these 4 accounts, you will learn how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit when He is moving. Here as in the first 6 accounts the people had to wait for the Holy Spirit to move.  

Healing of the impotent man; John 5:1-16; Restoring the withered hand; Mat_12:9-13; Mar_3:1-5; Luk_6:6-11; Opens the eyes of a man born blind; John 9:1-7; Raises Lazarus from the dead; John 11:1-46  

Now we come to the 15 healing, miracles and deliverance detailed in the ministry of Jesus initiated by the faith of individuals with a Holy Spirit response. These accounts are unique in that there is no waiting on the moving of the Holy Spirit as in the previous 10 accounts.  These individuals were in need so they used their faith to get the Holy Spirit to move for them and He did! Let’s study these cases and observe how they used their faith to get their needs met. As we follow their examples in faith, we will be able to initiate a moving of the Spirit as they did!

 Heals the nobleman’s son; Joh_4:46-54; Heals Peter’s mother-in-law; Mat_8:14-17; Mar_1:29-31; Luk_4:38-39; Cleanses the leper; Mat_8:1-4; Mar_1:40-45; Luk_5:12-16; Heals the paralytic; Mat_9:1-8; Mar_2:1-12; Luk_5:17-26; Restores the centurion’s servant; Mat_8:5-13; Luk_7:1-10; Raises from the dead the daughter of Jairus; Mat_9:18-19; Mat_9:23-26; Mar_5:22-24; Mar_5:35-43; Luk_8:41-42; Luk_8:49-56; Cures the woman with the issue of blood; Mat_9:20-22; Mar_5:25-34; Luk_8:43-48; Restores two blind men to sight; Mat_9:27-31; Heals a demoniac; Mat_9:32-33; Heals the daughter of the Syrophenician woman; Mat_15:21-28; Mar_7:24-30; Restores one deaf and dumb; Mar_7:31-37; Restores a blind man; Mar_8:22-26; Restores lunatic child; Mat_17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luk_9:37-43; Restores ten lepers; Luk_17:11-19; Restores two blind men near Jericho; Mat_20:29-34; Mar_10:46-52; Luk_18:35-43  

Heb.13:8 states that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! This means that the method He used to heal and work miracles today will be identical today as they were yesterday. Out of the 20 cases we have observed, more than half were initiated by the faith of the individual or someone close to them. This tells me that the people’s faith moved God more than God moved on His own! Since we have proven this to be true then waiting on God to heal, deliver or work a miracle may be a waste of precious time when you can initiate a move from Him by exercising your faith! God is pleased more when we exercise faith in Him than when we sit and wait for a Divine move. There are times when we are told to wait on the Lord but not when it comes to receiving healing, deliverance or miracles. Therefore we should endeavor to develop our faith and keep it strong and ready to receive as needed. Mar 11:22 AMP. says “and Jesus, replying, said to them, “Have faith in God.” [constantly].

The first miracle I personally experienced was complete restoration of a stroke victim. This man had been paralyzed from head to toe for approximately six months. He was not saved and I had just received the fullness of the Spirit the night before this miracle took place. This man did not ask for prayer yet I heard the voice of God say, “Go lay your hands on him and I will heal him.” So you see this was initiated by the Spirit and not me. I obeyed the voice of God and went to the man’s house and told him what I was instructed to do. With his permission I obeyed God and within two hours the man was completely healed of 80% of his paralysis. The other 20% was gone within 2 weeks. During that time this man received Jesus and the fullness of the Spirit! I believe this falls in the category of healings and miracles initiated by the Spirit followed by a faith response.

Shortly after this incident I came across a member of my church with the same problem. I told her of the man God had healed. As I prayed in fear and she in hope nothing happened. You see we were not operating in faith and the Spirit had not initiated this endeavor. If the Spirit does not initiate a move then to receive, someone must move in faith. It was the will of God for this dear saint to be delivered as the man was but our lack of knowledge and faith stopped the will of God from coming to pass. Some people would say that if it was God’s will for her to be healed then she would have been healed. Wrong! The bible teaches that it is God’s will for all to be saved but all are not. Why? The answer is that we are free moral agents with a will to choose. As free moral agents we have to submit our will to God in order for His will to come to pass!

Since that event I have learned how to resist fear and operate in faith. As a result I began to see many suffering from strokes delivered. There was this miracle that took place early one morning in the 7/11 store. This lady was working behind the counter and when she turned to wait on me I saw that she had suffered a stroke which had affected her face and peripheral vision. I told her what I had learned about her condition and what Jesus could do to deliver her from this problem if we prayed in faith. She agreed and we prayed in faith across the counter at the 7/11 store at 5 o’clock in the morning. As we began to praise God for the answer to our prayer the paralysis disappeared in about 5 minutes. Here we have a miracle taking place initiated by faith with the Spirit responding! In 30 plus years I have seen more healings, miracles and deliverances as a result of people engaging their faith in God than those sovereign acts of God. As a matter of fact God gives us promises in His Word that guarantees a move of the Spirit if we act on these promises in faith. Here are a few to get you started;  

Joh 14:12-14 KJV  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  (13)  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  (14)  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Joh 15:7 CEV  Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered.

Joh.16:23-24 MKJV  And in that day you shall ask Me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give you.  (24)  Before now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Mar 11:24 AMP  For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

Act 1:8 KJV  But ye shall receive power(miraculous ability), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Before I close this article I would like to share another testimony that will help prove my case. Several years ago I was teaching a course on Signs and Wonders. I called it “Keys to Releasing God’s Miracle and Healing Power.” In our third session I was told of a woman whose son had been in a coma for four years. They had prayed and waited and prayed and waited to no avail. That boy was probably on every prayer chain in town and some chains in other towns. They were praying and hoping for a divine move of God. The doctors were convinced that she should take him off all life support and let him die. I met this woman and shared these promises with her. I told her to build her faith on the teaching I had given her.  Then in the power of the Holy Spirit lay her hands on her son and command him to wake up in the name of Jesus! In faith she did and the boy woke up instantly! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!! She initiated the moving of the Spirit by her faith in what she was taught, the WORD of GOD. Let’s welcome those sovereign acts of God. They are awesome!  Yet when it comes to getting our needs met, no matter what they are, we can get the Holy Spirit to move with our faith in Him anywhere and anytime!

These scriptures tell us that we can do things that will allow Satan the upper hand and make us his prisoner. Years ago I found myself in this position. My Pastor promised to do something for our church and then changed his mind. He had the right to change his mind, every person has that right. I know the bible says that a person who promises to do something should stick to his word, but even God wouldn’t make him if he chooses to change. I would not let the matter drop and told the whole church about it. I dishonored the man God had set over me. That act opened the door for Satan to take me prisoner at his will. Things started going wrong in my life and ministry and I never made the connection between my problems and what I had done to my Pastor. Four years later I went to Haiti and held a very successful outreach in that country, but I left there with pain throughout my body. I began to apply the principle I had used for twenty or more years with success but nothing worked. After 29 days of 24 hour constant pain with no relief from the word of God or medicine, I finally asked God what was wrong. After revealing how I had given the devil place, I repented to my Pastor, asking his forgiveness. He did and the pain and problem disappeared. That day I went to the park and played 3 games of volleyball and was the hottest thing on the court at 58 years of age! Six years have passed and I am still enjoying my freedom from the snare of the enemy.  Watch how you think, speak or pray about any leader. They are ordained and anointed of God and He said do not touch them negatively in word, thought or deed.

Let’s follow the disciples through scripture. If this recipe worked for them I believe it will work for us because God is no respecter of persons.

Luk 9:6 KJV And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

Luk 10:17 KJV And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Act 6:8 KJV And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Act 8:5-7 KJV Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. (6) And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. (7) For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed [with them]: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

Act 9:17-18 AMP So Ananias left and went into the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. (18) And instantly something like scales fell from [Saul's] eyes, and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized,

Looks like the recipe worked, when someone puts the ingredients together! It was as easy as baking a cake! The recipe will always work when mixed properly. It was design by God to do so. The only the recipe did not work is revealed in the next scripture and the reason why the recipe did not work.

Mat 17:14-21 AMP And when they approached the multitude, a man came up to Him, kneeling before Him and saying, (15) Lord, do pity and have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy (is moonstruck) and he suffers terribly; for frequently he falls into the fire and many times into the water. (16) And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to cure him. (17) And Jesus answered, O you unbelieving (warped, wayward, rebellious) and thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me. (18) And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. (19) Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked privately, Why could we not drive it out? (20) He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. (21) But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

The disciples attempted to use the recipe but changed the ingredients. They left the faith out and added unbelief and changed the desired results. They failed to deliver the child because they changed the recipe. Do not change the recipe. It was written by God. It is His prescription for deliverance. You have no right to change it. If you do then you will not experience the correct results. Most failures in deliverance are a result of changing the recipe.

According to the Word of God, we have been given the Recipe for Deliverance: Spiritual Authority; Holy Spirit Power; Faith in God; Corresponding Actions.

WITH THE RECIPE FOR DELIVERANCE WE CAN!!
Win over sickness, disease, infirmities and anything else the enemy wants to bring against us!
Have what it takes to walk in victory!
Are more than conquers!
Are over-comers in Christ!

Let me make this statement at this time. You can’t do the works of Jesus until you believe that you can because He said you can!

Joh 14:12 GW “I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father.

Joh 14:12 MSG the person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it.

To do the same works we must use the same recipe! To use the same recipe we must have the same ingredients!

I’ve learned some things about recipes. Recipes are no respecter of persons. They will work for anyone who will use them. A recipe for a cake will work for anyone who will buy the ingredients and take the time to mix and bake the cake according to instructions.
Same recipe + same ingredients = same results!!

The question now is do we have the ingredients call for in the Recipe for Deliverance? If we do, then we are going to prepare some miracles and healings and deliverances! If we have the ingredients, then we can do the works of Jesus whenever and wherever they need to be done. I know its Gods will because He wrote the recipe and gave us the ingredients.

Remember the four ingredients: Spiritual Authority, Holy Spirit Power, Faith in God and Corresponding Actions.

The bible reveals that we have been given every ingredient listed in this Recipe for Deliverance to use as Jesus did.

The Father gives us His Faith: the Son gives His Authority and the Holy Spirit outfits us with His burden removing, yoke destroying Power! The only thing we add is Corresponding Actions. As we act out our faith in God, Jesus develops or brings it to maturity. He is the author and finisher of our faith.(Heb.12:2)

Spiritual Authority: These scriptures reveal the authority that has been given to the believer.

Mat 18:18 AMP Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.

Luk 9:1-2 KJV Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. (2) And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Luk 10:19 KJV Behold, I give unto you power (authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Eph 1:20-23 MSG All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, (21) in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. (22) He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. (23) The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

Php 2:9-11 KJVR Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Mat 28:18 KJV And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying All, power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Joh 14:13-14 KJV And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].

Joh 16:23-24 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. (24) Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Holy Spirit Power: These scriptures reveal the promise and fulfillment of God’s power to the believer.

Luk 24:49 KJV And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Joh 7:37-39 MKJV And in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (39) (But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Act 1:8 KJV But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Act 2:4 BBE And they were all full of the Holy Spirit, and were talking in different languages, as the Spirit gave them power.

Act 2:16-21 KJV But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; (17) And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (18) And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (19) And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: (20) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: (21) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Faith in God: The bible states that you have the God kind of faith. It came from God, Himself!

1Jn 5:4 WNT For every child of God overcomes the world; and the victorious principle which has overcome the world is our faith.

Rom 12:3 KJV For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Mar 11:22-23 KJV And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. (23) For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Corresponding Actions:

Jas 1:22-25 AMP But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. (23) For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; (24) For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. (25) But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

Jas 2:17 AMP So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

Jas 2:20 AMP Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?

We see that the recipe was delivered to the disciples along with all of the ingredients. We will now follow scripture to see if they applied what they received.

You Know it is one thing to receive something but another to use what you have receive. People see commercials on how this person used a certain piece of exercise equipment and lost x- amount of pounds. In the heat of the moment they rush out and buy the same equipment. Many times from that point on they never use it. So I say it is one thing to receive something and another to use what you have received!

Joh 5:43 KJVR I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Joh 10:25 KJVR Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

The phrase “in My Father’s name” means in my Father’s authority or in His stead. Jesus was saying “The Father gave me the authority to act on His behalf; to represent Him on the earth; to do what he would do if He was physically present.” Jesus was God’s Ambassador from heaven to earth.

Mat 9:6-8 KJV But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. (7) And he arose, and departed to his house. (8) But when the multitudes saw [it], they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

This word power in the Greek means authority. Jesus said “I will demonstrate that I have authority to forgive sin by healing this man because of his faith in me.”

Let me interject this statement: Although Jesus was a man of faith; the people he ministered to had to exercise faith in His ability. In the case of children or servants, those who had the authority over the child or servant had to exercise faith in Jesus.

The authority that Jesus operated under was recognized by those around Him. Even demons knew and understood the authority of Jesus.

Luk 7:8 KJV For I also am a man set under authority,……..

Mar 11:28 AMP And they kept saying to Him, By what [sort of] authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do them?

Luk 4:36 BBE And wonder came on them all and they said to one another, What are these words? for with authority and power he gives orders to the evil spirits and they come out.

Now we will take a look at the second ingredient in our Recipe for Deliverance operating in the life of Jesus which is the Holy Spirit’s power.
Remember Jesus is our example; not Job, not Peter and not Paul; JESUS! We’re commanded to grow up into Him who is the head. God predestined that we conform to the image of Christ. (Eph.4:15; Rom.8:29)

Luk 4:14, 18-19 KJV And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

This word power is different from the one we looked at earlier. This word is defined as miraculous ability or force. It is the ability given by the Holy Spirit as He comes upon you for service.

It is God’s miraculous ability given to correct creation and any thing that gets out of order. We subdue and have dominion in the earth with this power!!

(18) The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Act 10:38 KJV How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

We see from scripture that Jesus did not do miracles and heal the sick because He was the Son of God. He healed and did miracles because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. His rights as a Son gave Him the authority, but the Holy Spirit gave Him the power. This is not all that is needed to fulfill the will of God. We must have the other two ingredients.

Our third ingredient in our Recipe for Deliverance is Faith in God. This would include faith in His word. You can’t say you have faith in God and not believe His word because God and His word are one. (See Jn.1:1)

Here is the definition again of Faith in God: Trust and reliance upon the truthfulness of God and His word. Faith is being fully persuaded that God can and will perform what He said.

Heb 11:6 MSG It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Mat 3:17 KJVR And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Several times it’s recorded that Jesus pleases the Father. The book of Hebrews states that the only way to please God is by exercising faith in God.

If it takes faith to please God and Jesus pleased God, then we must conclude that Jesus had faith.

To say I know God is able is not faith. This is just assenting to a historical fact. To say I believe God can and will for me is faith. Faith believes it before it sees it.

Faith calls the thing done before there is any physical proof. (1Jn 5:14-15; Mar 11:24)
Joh 11:41-42 KJV Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up [his] eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (42) And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said [it], that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

These words revealed the faith Jesus possessed in His Father. Your words spoken from your heart will always reveal your faith or lack of faith. Not only do your words reveal your faith but your actions also. He knew that because He was in the will of God and doing the will of God, God would grant Him whatever He requested! (2Chron.16:9; Ps.34:15; 1Pet.3:12)

Now we come to the forth ingredient in our Recipe for Deliverance which we called Corresponding Actions. Again let us refresh our memory with the definition of corresponding actions. We said that corresponding actions were words, thoughts and deeds that are in agreement with God and His word: actions and words that are in line with your faith.

Jesus corresponding actions here was speaking in faith what He believed in His heart. Jesus didn’t just mentally assent to Mark 11:23; he put it into action. The recipe was mixed, the prescription was taken and a man that had been dead for four days, who had began to decay, came forth alive and whole! Glory to God!!

Joh 11:43-44 KJV And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. (44) And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Whenever I teach, I like to start with defining key words. I believe by doing so, I put the listener or reader on the same mental wave length as I.

So let’s start with the two key words in the title of the message. We will define recipe as a list of ingredients and instructions for making something, especially a food dish. Also a recipe is a method of doing something or a combination of circumstances likely to bring something about. In medicine a recipe is a prescription for a therapeutic preparation.

Here is an interesting fact; the English word heal in our King James Bible is from the Greek word therapeuo from which we derive the word therapeutic.

Now when it comes to deliverance we’re speaking of rescuing from captivity, hardship, sickness, disease, infirmities or domination in any way or form by evil.

There are four ingredients to this Recipe for Deliverance. They are Spiritual Authority; Holy Spirit Power; Faith in God and Corresponding Actions. Let me define each one, so that we will again be on the same mental wave length, so to speak.

#1 Spiritual Authority: The right to govern and control all that is put under man’s rule by God. This is the authority God gave to man in order to subdue and exercise dominion over the works of His hands. (Ps.8:6, Gen.1:26-28, Heb.2:8)

#2 Holy Spirit Power: Burden removing, yoke destroying, supernatural, miraculous ability given by the Holy Spirit. Power that is limitless, immeasurable and that surpasses great! Power that created all things: Power that sustains all things. Power that was used in raising Jesus from the dead! (Isa.10:27; Eph.1:19-23; Rom.8:11)

#3 Faith in God: Trust and reliance upon the truthfulness of God and His word. Faith is being fully persuaded that God can and will perform what He said. (Heb. 11:1; Rom.4:21; Dan.3:17)

#4 Corresponding Actions: Thoughts, words and deeds that are in agreement with God and His word: thoughts, words and actions that are in line with your faith. (Jas.1:22-25; 2:14, 17, 20, 26)

When these four ingredients are mixed properly the results will always be miracles, healings and deliverances from danger or any evil or work of Satan!

This recipe will produce any kind of deliverance needed, anywhere, anytime! This recipe is the foundation for a fruitful prayer life! This prescription is the key to winning in life.

Mar 9:23 KJV Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

I once had a bible instructor who shared this story with me. He had a doctor friend who received salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit at a Full Gospel Businessmen meeting. In his practice he was volunteering time at an institution that dealt with chronic mental cases. One particular case was a child that had autism. They had to keep his hands and head padded because he would attempt to hurt himself. There were several doctors on this case using different methods to treat this problem but none was working. The spirit filled doctor said that God began to speak to him about this child. He said that God told him to stop all natural attempts to deliver the child and just lay his hands on the child’s head and pray in the spirit when the child was in his care. The doctor obeyed God and in three weeks all the doctors began to see a change in the child’s behavior. They came together to compare notes to see what treatment each doctor was using. They concluded that all the natural methods had not produced any favorable results but this laying on of hands and prayer had made the difference. They encouraged this doctor to continue his prayer treatment and within months the child was totally healed of autism. WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!!

Years later I received a report that a high school friend of mine had a mental breakdown and was put in a mental institution. When I got the news, six weeks had past. My wife and I went to the institution and prayed for him, believing God would deliver. Three weeks later the report came back that he was still institutionalized. I will never forget this. It was on a Thursday and I was working on a job near the institution. I fasted lunch and told the Lord that after work, I would go to that mental institution, lay my hands on him and pray in the Spirit for one hour. After prayer I called his wife and told her what I had done. I told her that I had not seen any change in him but that I believed that God was working. Four days later he called me from home. His wife said that when she saw him that Thursday, his condition had changed and by Sunday he was completely healed. WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!! 

One of the things that help your faith to grow is experiencing victories as you act on the Word of God. When David faced the giant in battle, he reflected back on his past victories with God. These ignited his faith to take this new challenge. The results we know from reading the bible was a greater victory. There is a principle involved here! Here is the principle. Faith in God will always produce favorable results when you act on His Word. Your faith grows stronger as you exercise it. Stronger faith enables you to win greater victories. Knowing this principle, I began to apply it to people who had suffered strokes and other brain or mental problems and received miraculous results. I share this with you because I believe that God is preparing you for future ministry in this area. Don’t forget, we’re all called to minister to the sick and afflicted. As I learned from my instructors, applied what I had learned with favorable results, so will you. WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!! 

A man came for ministry who had suffered a stroke which paralyzed his left side from his head to his feet. I had prepared him to receive, by preaching faith in the God that heals and faith in the name of Jesus. He came forward ready to receive. I laid my hands on his head to release the creative power of the Holy Spirit. I then cast out the spirit of death that had lodged himself in the man’s brain, in the name of Jesus. I then commanded the blood clot to disappear and the damaged brain cells and circuits to be made whole in the name of Jesus. I told the brain to begin to function properly and to send the correct signals to the different parts of the body, in the name of Jesus. I finally commanded the paralysis to leave the man’s body. I did all this as a representative of Jesus under the unction and ability of the Holy Spirit! Everything I said happened then and there and the man began to move and do everything he could do before the stroke, proving he was healed. WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!! 

Joh 14:13 BBE  And whatever request you make in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may have glory in the Son.

Act 1:8 AMP  But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

Let me say that it wasn’t my faith that healed the man. I played a part by knowing how to minister to him. I had faith in my prayers and faith in God but it was his faith that released God to move on his behalf. 90% of the stroke victims that I have ministered to this way are instantly healed, to God be the glory!! One lady who was paralyzed down her left side was instantly healed and got up, dropped her cane and started doing the twist, proving she was free from the paralysis. I used the same method of ministry to her as I did the stroke victim I mention above. No matter what kind of problem the person has, faith in God’ creative ability and knowing how to minister will always produce the desired results. Let me add this phrase to my last statement, “When all personal hindrances are removed!” The following is an example of what I mean. A professing Christian came for ministry. He had not heard the word of faith concerning God’s willingness and ability to heal. He was involved in open adultery and was a drunkard. On top of this he was living in a backslidden condition and seldom attended any church and yet he came wanting to be healed to continue to live the same lifestyle. One preacher ministered to him for approximately 20 minutes with no favorable results, then called for me. I told the man to repent and God would heal him. He didn’t and God didn’t.  You may say, “Brother Spann, I know of sinners who have been healed of God.” You are right, but God has called His people to live a higher standard of life. There are things we can do to stop or permit the will of God for our lives.

Luk 12:48 KJV…….For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Hos 7:1 KJV When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

In a recent meeting a mother in faith brought her daughter forward in a wheelchair. The child, now 13 years of age was born with cerebral palsy. Her right eye would not move. It just sat in the lower left corner near her nose. To see out of that eye she had to move her entire head to get the eye to see what she wanted to see. In addition to the eyes, her ankles would roll outward when she tried to walk, causing her to fall. The doctors fitted her with special braces to keep the ankles straight and to support her weight when she walked but she had to use a walker along with the braces. We commanded a new brain into her head and commanded it to send the proper signals to the eyes so that they would track correctly and proper signals throughout the whole body causing the body to function the way God originally intended for it to function, in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit went to work on that little girl, fixed her brain, eyes, ankles and everything else that needed fixing. Her eyes started tracking properly, her ankles received strength and she got up out of that wheel chair and started walking without braces or walker. We have a video of that miracle for the unbeliever. WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!! 

I believe that we hold the answer to the deliverance of millions who suffer from brain injuries and mental disorders. With the Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the Spirit of God, the possibilities are limitless!!

Eph 3:20 Murdock  Now to him who is able, by his almighty power, to do for us  even more than we ask or think, according to his power that worketh in us;

Eph 1:16-20 AMP  I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.  (17)  [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,  (18)  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),  (19)  And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,  (20)  Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],

WE SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!! 

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Different translations of Jas.5:15

(CEV)  If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will get well. The Lord will heal them, and if they have sinned, he will forgive them.

(GW)  (Prayers offered in faith will save those who are sick, and the Lord will cure them.) If you have sinned, you will be forgiven.

(MSG)  Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven–healed inside and out.

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,….

That is, the prayer of the Elders, being put up to God in faith by them, and in which the sick person joins their faith to  the prayer of faith; such a prayer is a means of bringing down from God a blessing on the sick man, and of restoring him to his former health. Let say it this way; the Elder must be a person of faith and must know how to prayer the prayer of faith. The sick must add their faith to the Elders prayer of faith. When this is done the Lord promises to raise up the sick. What we have here is the prayer of agreement, which is stated in Matt.18:19-20.  Jesus, our High Priest is in our midst to see that our prayer of faith is carried out.

Mat 18:19-20 KJVA Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.  (20)  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

As I research the word prayer I find the definition uses the word vow to define prayer. This is very important and reveals why many times why we do not receive the results promised. Study of the bible reveals much about making vows. Once an adult makes a vow, he or she is penalized for breaking it. By using this word vow, this scripture actually says that as an elder, I promise to see you healed, whole and raised up according to scripture, no matter what I am seeing in the natural. I promise that when I pray the prayer of faith I will stay in faith until you’re raised up. Even if things get worst after we agree in prayer, I vow to stay in faith and see you whole until you are whole. I will not throw away my faith when I hear bad reports about you. I will hold fast to the promise of God and He will bring it to pass. I will not speak what I see; only what I believe and I believe that God will do exactly what He said He will do. This friend is the vow of faith. When children are involved then the Elder and the legal guardian must hold this attitude of faith over that child.

1Jn 5:14-15 KJVA  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  (15)  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Understand that God’s word and His will are identical. You don’t say one thing and will another. God’s word is His will; His will is His word; they are one and the same and they cannot be changed.

I once received a call about one of the members of the church who had a stroke while preparing for work. They ask if I could meet them at the hospital and pray. Well I started praying immediately. I took authority over death and commanded healing in the name of Jesus. We arrived at the hospital at the same time. Mrs. D looked up at me with her twisted face; the effects of the stroke, and said “Pastor I’m healed.” I looked at that twisted face and said “yes you are, from your head to your feet, in Jesus name. Based on the word of God and the principles of faith we took our stand and vowed to stay with the word of God no matter what. Members of the church would go to see Mrs. D, see the paralysis and return with a report based on what they could see in the natural. I announced to the church that if they could not see Mrs. healed then stay away from the hospital. I know that sounded harsh but Mrs. D didn’t need pity at that time. She needed people to stand in faith with her. She needed someone to vow to see her whole until the manifestation of her prayer appeared. Well things got worse but we continued to stay with our vow. Those who couldn’t stay in faith stayed away from the hospital. Well the Lord fulfilled His part of the promise. He raised her up completely healed and whole. This ordeal lasted about 3-4 week but we won the victory because we were under the principles of the Vow of Faith.

Rev 12:11 GNB They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.