Sons and Daughters of the Living God
Title: God’s Will in Healing
Subject Matter: Looking at what the Bible says about God’s will concerning physical healing
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded April 16, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: God’s Will in Healing
Title: Healing Principles
Subject Matter: Some of the basic principles that affect the way we minister healing
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded April 9, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: Healing Principles
Title: Paul’s Thorn
Subject Matter: What was Paul’s thorn?
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded April 2, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: Paul’s Thorn
Title: Angels and Demons 1
Subject Matter: In this class we discuss different ways that demons attempt to affect people. We also share some practical ways that believers can exercise authority over demons.
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded March 19, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: Angels and Demons
The Bible presents a timeline of the human experience. It begins before we were created, and it goes beyond our time on earth into the infinite future.
When we look at the timeline, we can see some places where God’s will towards mankind is on full display. These are the times where there are no opposing forces or corrupting influences in the picture. As we examine the details about these points in time, we learn interesting things about God’s will. In this post, we are going to use these to look at God’s will in healing.
The first point on the timeline we will look at is the Garden of Eden.
Beginning on the day where Adam was created. and extending to the point where he and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, we have a very good view of what God’s will for mankind looks like. This is the time where man lived on earth prior to what we call “the fall of man.”
During this time before “the fall” we are told that Adam and Eve lived in an environment where everything was “good.” From the context, we see that their bodies were free from disease and decay, and they would apparently live forever if they were to continue in the state they were in. There was no sickness, depression, anxiety, fear, greed, crime, or poverty. They had been given dominion over the earth and over all of the other living things on the earth.
This is a time in the Bible where God’s will was in full effect, on full display and this is what God’s will for mankind looks like: healthy bodies, healthy minds, healthy emotions, abundant supply for every need, and a perfect unhindered relationship with God.
That was the state of our environment before Adam and Eve chose to allow the influence of Satan and sin to enter.
When Adam and Eve believed the lie from Satan and rebelled against God, they chose to lay aside God’s will for themselves. They chose to obey the temptation of Satan, allowing his will to come into the picture. They introduced a corrupting influence into their environment by their own choice.
Beginning at this point in our history, we start to see a change. There begins to be increasing amounts of things like murder, rape, robbery, sickness and disease, mental and emotional problems, and so on. None of these things were God’s will for mankind. They came as a direct result of rejecting the will of God and accepting the influence of sin and Satan. Sickness and disease did not come into the human experience because of God’s will. God told them not to do it. He didn’t want them to experience sickness and sin and death. Man wasn’t designed to deal with the knowledge of good and evil. Man was designed for relationship with God,
(Please note that I am not implying that every sickness is a result of the sin of the individual, nor am I saying that every sickness is caused by the devil. What I am saying is that without sin and the devil, we would not see any sickness in our world).
To summarize:
And now, we will fast forward to a time in the future.
At some point in the future, our present world will be replaced with a new one (Revelation 21:1). This new creation is called the “new heaven and new earth.” It comes into existence after the final judgment, where Satan and all of the fallen angels (along with all people that rejected the offer of eternal life from Jesus) are removed from our environment. Notice some of the characteristics of this new environment from Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
As you read the various descriptions of the new creation, you will find that it is very similar to the Garden of Eden in many ways. For example, there is no death and no pain. There is no sin or crime. There is no depression, worry, or anxiety. Instead there is health, eternal life, joy, abundant provision, and many other wonderful things.
To summarize once again…
Let us now proceed to the third example that I want to share…the life of our Lord.
Jesus came to do the will of God the Father. Jesus always said what the Father wanted to be said, and He always did what the Father wanted to be done. This fact is talked about repeatedly throughout the New Testament. John 5:19 provides a nice summary for us:
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
Jesus showed us what God’s will looks like when someone chooses to obey it perfectly. He put the will of God on display for all of us to see. We can look at Him to learn about the will of God.
If we examine the attitude of Jesus towards sickness and disease, we can see what God’s will is on the matter. Based on the information we have in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we have a clear and consistent picture. What we see over and over again is Jesus healing people that are sick.
Jesus healed all that came to Him. There is not a single example in the life of Jesus where a sick person comes to Him for healing and does not get healed. Conversely, there is not a single example of Jesus afflicting someone with a disease or sickness.
Where sickness is concerned, the attitude is very consistent. Jesus always healed people. And since Jesus only did the will of God the Father, then it was always God’s will in action when Jesus was healing the sick people.
This is spelled out very clearly for us by Peter in Acts 10:38:
…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Notice that Jesus brings healing, while the devil brings oppression in the form of sickness. Jesus doesn’t make people sick. Jesus heals sick people. Sickness is oppression from the devil. It is so clear and plain that you almost need help to misunderstand this.
To summarize:
In the Bible, whenever we see God’s will in full effect, free from the influence of sin and Satan, the resulting environment includes healing and health.
The period of time where sickness is present is when sin and Satan have influence.
Healing is God’s will for mankind, and it is His will for you.
Next in Series: God’s Will in Healing Part 3 – The Atonement
During his time on earth in a human body, Jesus always did the will of God the Father. Part of His mission was to demonstrate the true character and nature of God, and He completed His mission successfully on all points.
Because of this, we can look at His life to get a picture of what God’s will looks like when someone is obeying it perfectly.
Consider the following scriptures that bring out this idea:
Colossians 1:15
(NLT) – Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.
Hebrews 3:1
(NLT) – The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
(NIV) – The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
(NASV) – And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
John 14:9
(NKJV) – Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
From the verses above, and many others, we see the following principles:
Jesus is the only “person” that ever demonstrated God’s will perfectly. He is the only one that was without sin…he never missed the mark. He was perfectly obedient to the will and the instructions of God the Father. Through His words and actions, God’s will was put on display for all to see.
With that in mind, read the following verse:
Acts 10:38
(NKJV) – God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
In the life of Jesus, specifically when it comes to dealing with people that are suffering from sickness or disease, there is a very definite pattern that is easy to see. If a sick person came to Him for healing, then healing is what happened. Jesus healed people. According to the record we have in the Bible, Jesus healed everyone that came to Him. There is not a single exception.
And since Jesus demonstrates the will of God perfectly, then the only conclusion we can come to is that healing is God’s will.
Jesus shows us perfectly how God wants things to be done. He is the best example we have of a “human” that is doing the will of God. Every other man or woman of God that we could look to will only have a measure of God’s will on display. People make mistakes, and people don’t always obey and demonstrate God’s will perfectly.
But Jesus did not make mistakes. He demonstrated God’s will perfectly.
So when we look through the Gospels and see how Jesus treated sickness, we can see what God’s will is when it comes to sickness.
We can’t look at Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Peter, Paul, Timothy, Augustine, Martin Luther, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Graham, your grandpa, your pastor, or any other person to see it perfectly.
Only Jesus demonstrated God’s will perfectly every time. He is our example. Only through Him can we get a completely accurate view of the will of God. He is the better example. He is the best example. He trumps all others. And He healed everyone that came to Him. He healed “all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38)
If Jesus truly and accurately represented the Father (which He did), then we have to come to the conclusion that our God wants to heal people. Healing is God’s will.
Once you begin to understand and believe this, then you are probably going to have a lot of new questions about healing. Depending on your different life experiences, some of the new questions may be very difficult and uncomfortable. That would not surprise me because that has been my experience as well. This is a part of the process of being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).
However, regardless of the other questions that come up, we can safely eliminate God’s will as a variable in healing. There are many factors in healing, and there are many variables that affect what we see and experience as we minister. But God’s will in healing is not variable. It is constant. This is one reason we never see anyone in the New Testament minister healing by praying “God please heal the person if it be Your will.”
Neither Jesus nor His disciples seemed to have any question about whether or not healing was God’s will. If you read what they said, and how they said it, then you will see that they were all operating on the belief that God wanted to heal people.
If we are trying to represent Jesus and do the will of God, then we need to operate on that same belief. Otherwise, we are believing something that is not biblical, and we are misrepresenting our Father and our Savior.
Next in Series: God’s Will in Healing Part 2 – Timeline
I believe that the material you are about to read contains information about our Lord Jesus that will completely transform the way you look at our Creator. These truths are among the most precious and sacred treasures I have ever come across. I hope this blesses you.
Acts 10:38 – God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
This passage of Scripture is Peter’s summary of the life of Jesus. He tells us what Jesus did, and how He did it.
It is just one sentence, but I believe it is one of the most important sentences that a human being can ever spend time thinking about. I want to divide it into two parts, and examine each part individually.
Jesus is God. He was God throughout eternity past, He is God right now, and He is God throughout eternity in the future. Whatever it means to be God, that’s what Jesus is.
He is…
Those are three words we use to try describe some of God’s “attributes.” They all apply to Jesus, because Jesus is God.
However, 2000 years ago Jesus “came to earth” on a mission. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a finger-pointing mission, but rather a rescue mission (John 3:17). Part of the rescue mission involves Him subjecting Himself to the limitations of a mere human being. He became a man. Or, another way of saying it…He came to earth as a man in a physical body with self-imposed limits on His abilities. Here are some scriptures that bring out this point:
Philippians 2:5-8 – Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Hebrews 2:17-18 – Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Jesus chose to become a man, and to subject himself to the same limits you and I have. For example, while He was on the earth in a human body…
So, even though He is God, He put himself in our shoes and made Himself subject to our limitations. He was born as a human infant with a human brain and body, and grew up having to learn how to talk and how to walk like any other human.
We don’t really know much of the first 30 years of His life, other than the fact that He worked as a carpenter, and He had a remarkable grasp of the Scriptures. But that is about it. He was not performing any miracles or healings or anything very far out of the ordinary.
Then, something happened. He came to be baptized by John in the Jordan river. When He came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended on Him (Luke 3:21-22). At this point in His life, things changed dramatically. He began to do things that ordinary people can’t do.
Before this day in His life, He had done zero miracles. In the three years that followed this day, He did so many miracles that one eyewitness made this statement:
John 21:25 – And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen
Something changed when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and it was noticeable immediately to people around him. Look at the way the people in His hometown reacted:
Mark 6:1-3 – Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Their reaction shows that something was VERY different now. They were not used to Him teaching like this and doing miracles.
We are told in Luke 4:14 and Luke 4:18 that Jesus is now walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the reason for the sudden change. When the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, Jesus went from living within the limits of a “regular person” (and I say that reverently) to living as a “regular person” who has the Spirit of God working through Him to demonstrate miraculous power.
The miracles and healings were a result of a human being (Jesus) cooperating with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit provided the power and the ability for Jesus to do miracles, heal people, cast out demons, calm storms, raise the dead, multiply food, teach with authority, walk on water, know people’s thoughts, and so on.
This is exciting news for us, because the same Holy Spirit that enabled Jesus to do miracles is the same Holy Spirit that lives in every single believer. Jesus explicitly tells us in John 14:12 that anyone that believes in Him will do the same things (and even greater things) that He was doing. More on this later….
Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (and that’s what He wants us to do too). Healing is good. It is good to heal people. Oppression and sickness are bad. That should be obvious to anyone that has any kind of ability to read and comprehend simple statements.
Jesus didn’t go around telling the sick people that God made them sick to teach them patience or to deepen their piety. That is not considered “doing good.” He didn’t tell them that their diseases were part of some mysterious plan, and that they needed to remain sick because it wasn’t God’s will to heal them right now. Jesus didn’t do that, and He doesn’t want us doing that either. That is the opposite of “doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.”
Jesus demonstrated the power of God with authority. He commanded sickness to leave. He commanded people’s bodies to be healed. He commanded demons to go. That is good.
Jesus healed sick people, and he cast demons out of people that were under demonic influence. This is called “healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” Again, that is called “doing good.”
Notice that sickness is not from God. Sickness is oppression from the devil. In the beginning, God made earth and mankind without sickness. There was no disease in the Garden of Eden. Sickness became a part of our life on earth when Adam sinned and gave his dominion away to the devil. Sickness is not part of God’s plan for your life. It is a part of the devil’s plan for your life. God’s plan is that we imitate Jesus and do what He would do…drive out sickness by the power of the same Holy Spirit that worked in Him….the same Holy Spirit that lives in each of us who believe.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and He gave us the authority to do the same. He said that we would do the same works that he did, and even greater works because He was returning to His Father (John 14:12). When Jesus returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, He poured out the Holy Spirit on the church (Acts 2:33), and then they starting doing the same things Jesus had been doing.
The great commission includes instructions to heal the sick and cast out demons (Mark 16). It also includes instructions to make disciples and teach them to do what Jesus taught the original disciples to do: heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach the gospel.
Somewhere through history, it seems like a lot of the church has forgotten about this. In the days of the early church, the news about Jesus spread because His followers were doing miracles, healing sick people, and and setting people free from demonic oppression. They were not relying on clever marketing gimmicks, good music, or attempts to be culturally relevant. They were demonstrating the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit that lives in every Christian, and He is no less powerful today than He was 2000 years ago.
Do you want to represent Jesus through miracles and healing the sick? Study the life of Jesus, take a leap of faith, and begin to imitate Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Learn as you go. Do not be afraid to look stupid or be embarrassed. The Holy Spirit is not only your teacher, but He is also your comforter, your counselor, and your friend. He will help you.
Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. He did this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
That same Holy Spirit (and that same power) lives inside of every Christian. And every Christian has been commissioned to do good and heal the sick. We have been given the same mission that Jesus demonstrated, and we have been given the same supernatural equipment to accomplish the mission.
In the fall of 2002, my wife Teresa started experiencing some pain symptoms in her back that we could not find an explanation for. Over the next few years, it spread over her whole body. After going to many different doctors, she was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. The diagnosis was confirmed by more than one doctor.
Fibromyalgia has different levels of severity in different people. My wife’s condition was particularly severe, and her health deteriorated to the point where she was only able to walk about 50 feet or so, and she could only be on her feet for about 90 seconds. The pain was getting worse and worse.
Three years later, in December of 2005, she was struck with another condition in her arms that was eventually diagnosed as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (also known as RSD). Because of the intense pain, she lost use of both arms and hands, and was no longer able to care for herself at all. Her arms hurt so badly that it was painful even for air to blow on her skin sometimes. Over time, not using her arms, and not being able to walk very well, she became weaker and weaker, and her hands actually started to close up into a fist.
It was a very bad situation, and that is putting it lightly. And, it was getting worse day by day, month by month.
The next year, in August of 2006, I found out about a prayer email list at the company I work for. I joined the list, and sent out this email:
—–Original Message—–
From: Neal
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 11:07 AM
To: *****
Subject: Prayer Request
Hi everyone. I have a prayer request.
Over the past four years, my wife Teresa has developed some chronic pain conditions that have baffled many doctors. The pain has become increasingly debilitating, and has left her very limited in what she is able to do physically.
God has faithfully brought us through it this far, and sent many people to help us along the way. He has blessed us in many ways, and we are very thankful. He has also led us to some good physicians, and we hope and pray that she is on the road to recovery.
I would like to ask you all to pray for her complete healing, and that God would use our testimony to bless others.
Thank you
Neal
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Someone replied to that email inviting me to a lunchtime study in one of the conference rooms at work. It was a study on divine healing. It was being led by a man named Bill Alsop. I came to the study. After it was over, I spoke to Bill briefly. He didn’t know me, but I asked him about praying for my wife. He invited me to his home that Friday night, August 25.
So, that Friday after work I picked up Teresa and we drove to his home. On the way there I remember that I was somewhat excited, and I was expecting that we would receive encouragement and strength to go on. There had been many people praying for us over the years. We had a few times where people came by to pray with us, and there were other times when we had gone to different places for prayer. I know there were lots more praying for us that we were not always aware of. It always helped us to keep going, and that was pretty much what I was expecting.
When we arrived, we talked with Bill and his wife Cathy for a short while, and then we started praying. Teresa was actually lying down on the floor at this point, and we were all praying in the name of the Lord Jesus. Some of the time they were praying in tongues, some of the time they were praying in English.
After a few minutes, he told my wife to stand up. He took her to the front door, and he told her to walk to the end of his street, turn the corner, walk up the hill to the mailboxes, touch one of them, then walk back. He told her to talk to God while she walked. (Bill later shared with us that the Holy Spirit had instructed him to do all of that in a vision he received while they were praying).
In my mind, I was thinking “What? She can’t even make it to the end of the driveway”…but before I could say anything, she took off walking out the door and down the street. I knew that unless something supernatural happened, she would collapse within two minutes of walking out the door.
However, before I had time to object, Bill turned to me and said this: “You have been praying to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.” That shocked me because I had not mentioned anything about that, even though it was absolutely true. God was getting my attention…to help me believe. He succeeded. I stood up, Bill put his hand on my chest, and I began speaking in tongues for the first time…just like they did in the Bible. I received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit right there in his living room, while at the same time my wife was walking down the street receiving a miraculous healing from God.
For a few minutes as I was speaking, I was somewhat overwhelmed in a flood of God’s presence, and I forgot that Teresa had gone out walking without me and without her wheelchair. Before long, I looked towards the door and she was standing there talking to Bill.
She made it! She walked all the way to the mailboxes and back. That is about four blocks. She was healed as she walked, and it was a miracle!
Bill told us to go buy her some walking shoes, and to go walking every day. We talked a little while longer, and then drove home. On the way home, I remember feeling like I just came out of a whirlwind, and wondering to myself “what just happened to us…” The pain was gone from Teresa’s body. She made the comment in the car that she was able to “feel her skin again.”
We got home and went for our first walk together in years. We walked halfway to the end of our street and back, and she made it with no pain. The next day we walked farther and still no pain. No more need for the prescription pain medications for Fibromyalgia…and she has not taken one of those since then.
We continued walking farther and farther each day, and she was regaining her strength now that all of the terrible pain and fatigue were gone. After about a week, she was able to walk for a mile. Not long after that, it became two miles. We donated her wheelchair to charity. She was able to use her arms again, and feed herself and dress herself and everything else you do with your arms and hands.
She had a previously scheduled appointment coming up with the main Fibromyalgia doctor, and we decided to keep the appointment and tell him the good news. After that appointment, I sent this message to the prayer email list:
—————————————————————
From: Neal
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 3:06 PM
To: *******
Subject: Testimony Update
Hi everyone.
I am the person who sent out the testimony back in August about Christ healing my wife Teresa from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (FM/CFS).
I just wanted to send out a little story that I hope will build your faith. This is a story about what it is like to tell a doctor that Jesus healed you.
Last Wednesday, I took Teresa back the specialist she has been seeing for FM/CFS. His name is Dr. Charles Lapp, and he’s in Charlotte, NC. He is one of the top experts on for that condition in America, and he is absolutely the finest medical professional I have ever dealt with.
Teresa hasn’t been back to seen him since God healed her on August 25, so we were very excited to tell him what happened. The last time he saw her she was in constant severe pain. She was only able to stand up for about two minutes before feeling like she was going to collapse, and even sitting up was difficult.
This time was a completely different story, because now she walks about a mile or two for exercise every day, and all the pain and suffering is gone
Here’s how the appointment started:
Dr. Lapp: “You look great! How are you doing?”
Teresa: “Have you ever heard of someone getting healed from Fibromyalgia?”
Dr. Lapp: “No I haven’t. (he looked surprised and excited).”
Teresa: “Well, I have a story to tell you. On August 25, God healed me…”
Then she told him the story of what happened. He looked to be both amazed and excited at the same time.
He did all of his tests on her, and he just kept laughing because everything was negative. He said he had never seen anything like this before. We said “we haven’t either, but it sure is awesome!”
Then, he gave her a hug, told her how happy he was for her, and wrote up his report. Here’s what he wrote at the end of the report…and I quote:
“Assessment: CFS/FM – miraculously resolved!”
There’s nobody like Jesus.
I hope this will help you to believe that God is still doing miracles, and healing people.
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And now, years later, Teresa is an athlete. She is at the gym every day doing some extreme workouts that would would put most men in the world to shame. She is one of the most physically fit people that I know, and that is not an exaggeration.
The experience we had the night she was healed started us on a journey. We began learning more about the Holy Spirit and how He wants to work through natural people to do supernatural things…and set people free from whatever conditions are holding them back.
The rest of the writings on this blog are mostly a collection of things that we have learned over the last few years as we began stepping out in faith and ministering to others. I hope this blesses you and brings encouragement. God loves you!
Neal