The preaching of the gospel and healing the sick from in May 2020 will be with much greater authority and power than ever heard or seen before. This is why:
Jesus said to His ‘New Church’ His evangelistic team, “Behold, I send you out to be sheep in the midst of wolves …” Mt 10:16
Can you imagine sheep running with and not from a pack of wolves? The wolves would be totally confused by the sheep’s behavior. The sheep, however, would change in behavior from flock mentality to pack mentality. If they didn’t they would not survive. From a ‘flock’ of sheep – to a ‘pack’. Sheep are domesticated, cared for, kept in pens and secure. Wolves are wild range animals, not protected. It is not to flee from but run with the wolves. Not to run in fear but to run in faith. The same with the church. In this pandemic we are all are to keep a distance from each other, not to touch each other, wear gloves, cover our mouth with a mask and wash hands etc.
To be clear I am not advocating we are to go public without masks or gloves and promote disease. Masks and gloves are seen and on almost every picture on news media around the world.
Two very visual things are evident: masks and gloves. Could this be what our Lord wants us to notice?
1. Masks. So as not to transmit. The disease wants us silenced. To mute or muffle the sound of speech or proclaim the word of God.
2. Gloves. So as to eliminate direct skin contact with a contaminant. To prevent laying hands on the sick.
These two items used to “cover up” or become “defense practices” and are contrary to the gospel. The preaching of the word and healing the sick are “offensive practices” to the devil. Jesus sent His sheep among wolves to preach and heal as in Mt 10:7-8 “… and as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick …”
Surely this is what is visually evident before us now, but an awakening to what the church will be doing in the future.
We do understand that both masks and gloves are front-line protection for others from us (if we had the disease), and for us from others who may be infected. Gloves and masks are to prevent the spread of a virus by contact and transmission.
The law of contact and transmission was the medium through which the Jesus wrought miracles. Transmission is found in both declaring the word and the laying on of hands.
Masks:
Ps 107:20 says, “He sent His word and healed them”. There is power in word – sound. The word is transmitted in the act of preaching.
His word in itself carries power Ps 119:130 “… the unfolding of your words gives light or revelation”.
It is as if when Gods word is heard it talks to you inside you by revealing itself, unfolding. This builds faith. Faith comes by hearing and then hearing by the word. Angels ‘obeyed the voice of His word’. Ps 103:20
In the very act of preaching Gods word both healing and salvation takes place.
Three examples of Jesus healing through a spoken word:
1. Mark 2:1-10 A man was lowered through a roof. Jesus told the paralytic that both his sin were forgven and then he was healed. Sin forgiven before healing, through the spoken word.
2. Mt 9:32-33 Jesus spoke and the spirit left a deaf & dumb.
3. Mt. 8:5 “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralysed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
His servant was at a distance (in lock-down at home) and His word was sent and it healed. The centurion knew something of the power of the spoken word. Time, distance and condition is not a challenge to what is said in authority. The servant did not audibly hear the word but still got what it has.
The word of God is not limited (masked). It is always uncovered by faith. So even if you are masked up you can speak. The power of preaching the gospel message will be with greater power.
Gloves:
Jesus laid hands on the sick enacting the law of contact and transmission. Contact of His hands with the sick one permitted the Spirit of God in Him to flow from Him into the sick.
The sick woman who touched His clothes knew that the Spirit of God emanated from His person. She touched the hem or fringe of His garment and the Spirit flashed into her. She was made whole. Mk 5:27-29. This is a ‘scientific process’.
As electricity is in the natural, so the power of the Holy Spirit is in the supernatural. Certain elements conduct it. Electricity is conducted best by copper and other metals. Holy Spirit is conducted by clothing, hands and words of faith.
Paul knowing this law, laid his hands upon handkerchiefs and aprons (contact & transmission). When these articles were laid upon the sick, they were healed, and demons went out of them (contact & transmission).
The Spirit of God emanating from from Paul transformed the handkerchiefs into :storage batteries” of Holy Spirit power. When they were laid upon the sick, they surcharged the body, and healing was the result Ac 19:12.
This demonstrates:
1. The Spirit of God is a tangible substance, a heavenly material. The laying on of hands to heal causes the tangible substance of heaven, the anointing, to flow from the believer into the sick thus evicting sickness permanently from the ‘patient’. It is the law of contact and transmission.
2. It is capable of being stored in the substance of a handkerchief, as demonstrated in Ac 19:12.
3. It will transmit power from the article when it is in contact with a sick person of faith.
4. Its action on a sick person was so powerful that disease left.
5. The demonised were relieved. Sick and insane were healed.
Laying on of hands, the 4th doctrine of Heb 6 is ‘covered up. Gloves on or gloves off the truth stands in His word. In the hands of a believer there is a place of power to be demonstrated world-wide: Hab 3:4 “His radiance is like a bright light, He has rays flashing from His hand, and there is the hiding of His power”. In the hand of a believer is the hiding place of His power.
What does masks and gloves show us. I sense God is showing us that what is being covered (coverted) up now will be uncovered (un-coverted) by His power. The world is in fear but the church will rise in faith and be fearless to run with wolves. Masked – but the gospel will be preached. Gloved – but hands will heal the sick like never before.
The greatest hour of the church is yet to come.
I sense God wants us to notice that when everyone becomes uncovered; un-coverted; the church has the opportunity to move into the greatest Healing Awakening or Healing Revival in history.