Faith To Raise The Dead By Todd Bentley
FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 1 of 3
Today is the Day
John 11:1 5 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary and Lazarus.
He emphasizes it twice. Jesus loved Martha, loved her sister and loved Lazarus. He was passionately in love with Lazarus. He cared about all the needs of his life. When He heard that he was sick, about the depression, the impossible circumstances, and the impossible needs of Lazarus, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Lazarus was not just sick; He was on his deathbed. He did not need Jesus tomorrow; he needed Jesus yesterday. We are talking about an impossible circumstance.
There are dead ministries God wants to raise. There are dead visions that God wants to raise. There are people who are dead in their bodies with sickness and disease. God wants to raise the dead.
There are those who are giving up in their hearts right now. They are on the verge of financial breakthrough. Some who are called are giving up right now in the area of ministry in the vision of God and are on the verge of one of the most glorious days and releases of the anointing that they would ever walk in. How do we know that today is not the day for our miracle?
How do we know that the sun is not going to rise tomorrow? How do we know that today, for the infirmity that someone has had for thirty-eight years, will not be the day that God says, "Be made whole?"
We need to live every day of our lives with new mercies. We need to live every day of our lives as if today is the day. Today could be the day that He says, "Do you want to be made whole?"
Have you been in that place in your life where just when you thought the light and the breaking of the dawning of a new day was coming, and it could not get darker, it got darker? The car broke down, you lost your job, and you went, "That's ok, I've got some money in the savings account". And you got home and said, "OK Lord, if anything else is going to happen, I'm going to absolutely snap". Then you find out that the other vehicle you had, your son crashed, and the washing machine broke down, and somebody robbed your bank. Your money is gone and they do not know if they are going to be able to get it back. It always seems like it gets darker before the light comes. Just when you think the light is going to come and that it cannot get any darker, all of a sudden it gets more impossible. Another hardship and another trial comes, and you say, "God I'm not going to be able to take any more". The pressures of life mount up even more. Do you know what I am talking about? Are you at that place? Do you need something raised from the dead? Do you need a spiritual breakthrough? Are you ready for the release of resurrection power?
Jesus' Perspective
John 11:7-15 Then after this He said to the disciples,
"Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him."
Do you notice something about the perspective of Jesus? Lazarus was dead, but Jesus said he was sleeping. Was Jesus lying? God does not see our circumstances the way we see them. God does not see cancer and incurable diseases the way that we see them. God does not see the impossibilities of life the way that we see them.
In your heart, you may think your marriage is dead, your finances are dead, your ministry is dead, the anointing is dead, or your reputation is dead. You may have a vision in your heart that has died. There may have been a time when you dreamed about great exploits, and now your hope is dead.
The Lord said, "It is not dead, it is sleeping". The perspective of God sees our present circumstances and needs different than we do. And if it is sleeping, "I go, that I may wake it up." We need to speak to our situation and say it is not dead, it is sleeping. Though we have backslidden sons and daughters, and unsaved family, it does not mean that they are dead. To God, they are sleeping.
There is something about the heart of God that likes to move in the impossible. There is something about the heart of God that likes to move when something is dead. There is something about breakthrough and the dawning of a new day that comes when you are so dead and hopeless that you do not know if anything is going to be able to happen. That is when God is going to come. He said, "Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there." Why am I glad for your sakes? I am glad for your sakes that you might believe.
Every time that you are in a place where you no longer have the strength and the ability in your own giftings and theology, and you have come to the place where you are so empty and broken that you cannot move, say, "God says it is opportunity. That which is dead is opportunity for resurrection." Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." And Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." She said, "I know You are the resurrection and the life. My brother is going to rise. I am going to see him again at the Second Coming. I am going to see my brother again in heaven." And Jesus said, "I AM!". "I AM!" . "I AM!" Today He says, "I AM, right now, I Am the resurrection of that which is dead. I AM. Not, I am tomorrow. I AM the resurrection and the life." And she said, "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
Just like you and me. It is easy whenever we have victory under our belt. We are walking in the victory of God, or we are in the mountain of breakthrough. There is faith and assurance. We are speaking to the mountain and it is moving. Breakthrough is in our life. We are overcoming. We say, "God, whatever You ask, I'll believe it. Lord, I have faith right now for the impossible. I have faith right now to move mountains. I can raise the dead!"
Have you been in the place where just when you have victory under your belt, the phone rings? Lazarus is dead. All hope that you had for your circumstance is dead. And God says, "I am glad". Because it is not dead, it is sleeping. And if it is sleeping, I go that I may wake it up.
Martha said, "I know, even though I know my brother is dead, whatever You ask of God, He will give it to You. " He said, "Your brother will rise again." He said, "Let me see if you really believe what you say you believe. You say that whatever I ask of God, He is going to give it. Let me just test this thing and say, 'Your brother is going to rise again'."
We take the Word of God and put it in the future. " I am going to be healed." "I am going to die and go to heaven. Everything is always tomorrow. I am a "now" kind of a kingdom guy. Today is the day of salvation. If I saw it in the Word of God, it was yesterday, and I should have applied it already. I live in the place that if it is there, I am going to have it now. And that is why we have been able to come to where we are so quickly. We refuse to wait. I believe in the patience of God, and the timing of God, but there are certain things that I refuse to wait on. If I know it is "now", if I know it was "yesterday", I am not going to wait. I am going to have it today. I am going to do everything that I can to lay hold of that which Christ has laid hold of for me, until I see it.
If miracles are now, then I am going to have miracles. I am not going to wait. You are never going to have a healing ministry. You have a healing ministry. You are never going to have an evangelism ministry. You have an evangelism ministry. You are to win souls now. Too many evangelists I know in the body of Christ do not even remember the last time they prayed and led anyone to Jesus. And you are an evangelist? How can an evangelist not win souls? Whether you are an evangelist now or an evangelist in ten years, you were an evangelist when God ordained you in the womb. So start acting like one. I have this "Now, Kingdom" kind of idea. And we need to lay hold of that which God has laid hold of for us.
Jesus reached the tomb. Lazarus was dead for four days in the grave, and his body had begun to smell. "Jesus wept." Do you know why Jesus wept? Some people believe that He wept because He had such a heart of compassion for Lazarus. He saw Martha, He saw Mary. He wept because He was grieving and mourning because Lazarus was dead.
Jesus was not weeping because of compassion. Jesus groaned in His Spirit and wept because of the state of unbelief of His people. When it really comes down to where the rubber hits the road and the Lord says to us, "I AM the Resurrection", it is always tomorrow. We cannot lay hold of what God has for us now. But faith lays hold of the promise NOW!
"I hope I get healed." "I hope its coming". "I hope this is it, Todd" "I hope that was the word of knowledge." God wants us to have hope. But do not allow your hope to be defined as "not until tomorrow." Faith lays hold of things now. Faith takes it as if it is yours, even if you do not see it. That is the substance of faith.
He groaned in His Spirit because of the unbelief. They did not recognize the power that Jesus had over that which was dead and impossible. He looked at Martha after He had raised Lazarus from the dead and He said, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would have seen the glory of God?" But you did not believe what you said you believed. So, I am glad that Lazarus is dead. Because now the deadness in Lazarus' body is an opportunity for me to show you that what is impossible with man is not impossible with God.
Levels of Healing Anointing
About three years ago, I started to get real excited about miracles. I had visitations from the Lord that lasted at times up to twelve hours with me on the carpet. I started to have trips in the Spirit. Out of that season, the word of knowledge and healing began to be released.
When I first began to be released in healing, I had faith for backs. I had a little faith for pain in peoples' bodies. So I began to lay hands on the sick and pray for backs to be healed and for pain to come out of peoples' bodies. As people got healed, I gained authority for the backs. I grew in a place of faith and confidence for the back. So you can kind of say that in the beginning of my healing ministry, I had a back-healing ministry.
I said, "God, I am ready to see a few more miracles. I want to see a little bit more of the creative. So the Lord began to give me faith for limbs, legs or arms that were a little bit shorter than others, to grow out a couple of inches. I got excited, and started to pray and believe for stomach conditions. I started to have faith for different categories of sickness and diseases. We like to categorize some things as harder than others. We think it is harder to heal cancer than asthma, and it is harder to heal cancer than backs. It is not true, but that is what we do.
So then, I started to have faith for cancer. I said, "Now I am going to get some authority in the Spirit over cancer, and the devil is going to know and I am going to know. I am going to walk in a new place and be able to get people healed of cancer.
I began to birth these levels of miracles. Then the Lord said, "Todd, I want you to birth the deaf now." I thought, "Oh God, the deaf?" "The deaf?" He said, "Yeah!" So I put my faith out there and began asking all the deaf to come up to the front. I really did not have faith worth a hill of beans that anything was going to happen. But all the deaf would come up, and they began to hear. So, I gained victory. See, He birthed each level. He birthed different levels of authority and power and confidence, and I grew in that anointing. About 90% of the deaf that we pray for are have their hearing restored. Then He said, "Now the wheelchairs." We have had about five cases of people who came out of their wheelchairs. I am still not satisfied. I still want more paralyzed bodies.
Then, I started going for the blind. We have had over ten cases of blindness healed in the last month alone, and it is growing. I am ready to pray for all the blind and deaf. My problem is, I cannot get the blind and the deaf in the meetings. Where are the wheelchairs? Where are the crippled bodies? Where are the deaf and blind? We need to compel them. We need to grab them and pull them off of the street. Then we can have the manifestation and the power of the Lord to heal.
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FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 2 of 3
Warring and Contending for the Miraculous
Mark 5:21-23 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him. And He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."
Here is perfect faith. "Come lay your hands on her and she will live." If I can get a hold of you now, God, she will live. I have perfect faith and confidence.
Why is it that God likes to come through at the last minute? When I get to heaven, I am going to ask God about this. Why is it that God is never early, but He is never late? Before the breakthrough comes, we think He is late. Then we see it come and realize how perfect He was. Then we vow, next time, next time, and next time I am going to have faith. God is never early. Why can He not bring breakthrough early to those who are living by faith? What is it about God and the last hour? What is it about God with the dead? What is it about God with the impossible? What is it about God that He hears about the circumstances of your life and He waits two more days? Why does He bring you to that place? "Because I am glad for your sakes that you might believe because I want you to conquer some things. I want to put some levels in your Spirit."
Mark 5:35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?"
He was still giving the confession of faith. He was still in a place of confidence. He said, "Whatever You ask of God, He will give it." If you will come now, God, I will have my breakthrough. It will happen, Lord. If you lay Your hands on my daughter, she will live. Have you been there? "My breakthrough is coming. I have got hold of God. I can feel it. I have it in the Spirit. The victory is coming. And then all of a suddenWhile He was speaking, one of the rulers came and said, "Your daughter is dead". Pop! There goes the balloon of your faith, enthusiasm, and excitement. When you thought it could not get any more impossible, it got more impossible.
And God says, "I am glad for your sakes." Because, that which is dead is opportunity for My resurrection power. We need to get excited about that which is dead.
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."
This man came to the crossroad of faith. God said if a miracle is going to happen, I must keep this man in faith. I must keep him believing that it is just as easy for Me to heal his daughter now, even though she is dead as it was for Me to heal her when she was alive. I must move My church into the place where they know that it is just as easy for Me to heal a blind eye as it is for Me to heal a back condition. I must bring My church to a revelation that it does not take more sweat to stretch forth My hand and heal somebody in a wheelchair than it does for Me to heal somebody's stomach condition. I must keep him in that place where he is going to believe. Because faith is going to release this miracle.
He said, "Only believe". If you can still believe the way you believed a moment ago, even though it seems even more impossible now when she is dead, I can still release your miracle. But it is so important that you only believe.
Only believe. That is easy to say, isn't it? Only believe. I mean, let me make it simple. Only Believe. You do not have a choice. There is no other choice, friends. Only Believe.
Do you know what the Bible gives you? The Bible gives you these three things; faith, hope and love. You do not even have the right to choose to be discouraged. You do not have the right not to believe. So you might as well just purpose in your heart today that you have faith, hope, and love.
God did not require anything of you except to believe. How long must I believe for my healing God? It has been twelve years. Benny Hinn has prayed for me. Kenneth Copeland has prayed for me. Kenneth Hagan has prayed for me. The church has prayed for me, and I am still not healed.
God did not say ten years, twelve years, or thirty-eight years. He said, "Many died not yet having received the promise". That means that you must war for what God wants to give you. If you do not have it, you war for it until you get it, or until the day that you die. You must war for it until your last breath. There is nothing else but faith, hope and love.
You just might as well make a purpose in your heart today that you are going to have to war. We are going to have to contend. We have to get excited about that which looks dead and say, "It is not dead, it is only sleeping."
The Faith of Abraham
Do you know why Abraham is known as the Father of Faith? The Bible says in Romans 4 that Abraham called forth those things that were not as though they were, and believed that God could give life to the dead.
God told Abraham as He tested him, "I want you to bring your only son and kill him. I want you to give me Isaac." Abraham was like you and I. He probably laid up all night and thought, "How am I going to tell Sarah that I have to take Isaac and kill him? What are the neighbors going to think? How can I justify taking the son of my own flesh? How am I going to take Isaac up there? How am I going to tie him up and take that knife and kill him? What if I have to stab him three times? What if he doesn't die right away? What if it hurts and I miss the fatal organ or something? That cannot be God. God said that in me all of the nations of the earth were going to be blessed. Isaac is the only natural manifestation that can even possibly help me get from point A to point B. If I take him out of the way, then what God promised cannot happen. So, this cannot be God."
He probably started to reason. And you better believe that he was like you and I. I mean, he loved his son. And he may have laid there all night long thinking about that. But, let me show you what happened.
Abraham counted God as a God to give life to the dead. Somewhere along the line, Abraham saw himself kill Isaac and saw God raise him from the dead. He knew that even if he brought Isaac unto that mountain and took his life, God would just raise him from the dead. And when he actually got up on the mountain, God said, "Because you already saw it and you already did it in the Spirit, it is as good as done."
Your miracle begins in your spirit. You need to see it. As you see it as done, it will manifest. You need to see it as finished. Abraham thought, "I already see Isaac killed, dead, and raised up. God gives life to the dead and calls forth those things which are not. If I bring him up there and kill him, God will resurrect him".
We must see it in our Spirit. We must catch a vision and revelation of what Jesus has already done. We must see ourselves healed. When I first started to store up the gifts of miracles in my life, I would lay in bed and fantasize until 2:00 am. I called them "Holy Ghost fantasies". I would see blind people in Africa coming to the altar. I would see myself put my hand on them and say "In the Name of Jesus, blind eye open!" I would see their eyes pop open and I would watch their face and watch the crowd. I would run over and say, "You deaf mute, hear and speak!" Then I would watch them hear. It would be 2:00 am, and I would be entertaining thoughts of preaching to thousands, and of thousands coming to the altar. Have you ever done that?
Some would say it was pride. They might say, "Who am I to ever think such great things? He is not going to do that with me. Lord, I ask you to forgive me. Who am I to think like that, God? " But God wants to move in the imagination of your heart, even above that which you can imagine. He wants to release that place of dreaming in your spirit. That is how I got started in the ministry.
Six years ago, I was in Africa. I was in Africa on my bed every night. I was in Africa last March, but I was there six years ago! My first miracle was in my bedroom. Why did Billy Graham preach to the trees? Why did Rodney Howard-Browne lay hands on his dolls? Why did the men of God preach to walls? What is it about seeing yourself do it before you do it? When you see that you have done it, it is as good as if you have done it, and then you act it out. You must have a dream and a vision of resurrection miracles in your Spirit. It is O.K. I release you to lay in your bed and fantasize about great exploits for God.
There came a place where I got so much confidence and so much excitement about seeing so many people healed in my imagination. Where I gave Him Lordship, God birthed.
There came a time when I said, "God, it is not good enough anymore to see them healed. I want to actually do it. I do not just want to fantasize anymore, I want reality." There comes a place where you get tired of dreaming. You get so stirred up about what you have dreamed that you cannot help but go and do it. You need to dream about healing. You need to dream about miracles. You need to dream about God using "little ol' you". You need to dream about laying hands on the sick and seeing them healed before they come to the altar. Release that confidence in your Spirit.
That is how I began to get released into healing. Then I put my faith out for one level, then another, and the Lord has brought us to the place where we see every kind of sickness and disease healed. And we are saying, "Lord, more!" It is the release of the miraculous. It all started with a seed in my Spirit. It all started on my bed. It all started with me seeing it as done. It all started with fantasy, with thought and imagination in the place in my heart where I allowed Jesus to rule and reign as Lord.
FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 3 of 3
It Begins with a Seed
II Kings 4:14 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. "Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there. And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman". When he had called her, she stood before him.
And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She answered, "I dwell among my own people."
So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old." So, he said, "Call her". When he had called her she stood in the doorway. Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant".
See, there was such hopelessness; such despair in her heart because she had tried for so many years to have a child. So many healing evangelists had already prayed for her that she did not want to hear something that sounded too good to be true. She said, "Lord, I have heard this too many times. Do not lie to your maidservant. You do not understand the woundedness in my heart. God, I am tired. I have been battling this a lot of years."
She did not get excited and say, "God said it and I believe it. Whatever you ask of God, He will do it. Whatever I ask in prayer believing, I receive it, hallelujah. I lay hold of that promise. It is mine. I am talking as if it is mine before I even have it." But something happened. This is what happens to you when God does what He says He is going to do. It releases confidence and faith.
II Kings 4:17 But the woman conceived and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
She had the manifestation of the promise of God. Have you ever had the manifestation of what God promised and the very thing that God gave you was taken away? And you said, "My God, I thought it came from You. I do not understand. I thought you were the One who led me to plant this church and now it is dead. I had the Word of God and saw the manifestation. I walked for a season in that gift, but now it is dead!"
II Kings 4:18-20 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "carry him to his mother." When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
I can see the transformation of the spirit of this woman. "No, Man of God, do not lie to me. Do not tell me things that are too good to be true. I have had so many prophecies. I do not want another prophetic word." But there was a transformation that happened in her heart.
II Kings 4:21-23 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run unto the man of God and come back.
So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well."
Every time you purpose to believe God, every time you purpose to run to the man of God, every time you purpose to lay hold of the promise that God spoke to you, somebody will come to you and say, "Why are you going after the man of God today? It is not God's will. How do you know that God wants to heal you? God does not want to heal all. I have tried to get healed for twelve years. What makes you think that you are going to get healed? You have the same affliction as I. I am more righteous than you. There is more sin in your life. I have not gotten healed. Who gave you the right to expect to get healed? Come on, it's not the new moon, it's not the Sabbath." There is always some voice, some preacher, some family, and some friend that cannot see it the way that you do. See when you have something in your spirit; nobody can have it except you. Nobody can understand where you are going except you.
How could I go in just a few years from being a drug addict to doing crusades all over the world? I had something in my spirit. I saw Pat Cocking call me out into the ministry that morning in my bedroom before it happened. The Lord visited me and said, "Tonight I am going to speak to Pat Cocking in the conference and tell her to take up an offering and call you out and ordain you into the ministry."
I went to that meeting having seen that, and nobody knew it except God and me. And it happened. But it was in my spirit first. Nobody will be able to understand what you've seen in your spirit. Nobody will be able to understand the vision or the dream that you have. You need to be careful sometimes with that of which you are fantasizing. Keep it between you and Jesus.
See, something happened to this woman. She believed the Word of God and she went after the man of God. "It is well. He is not dead, he is sleeping. I cannot see it now, but it is well."
II Kings 4:24-27 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; do not slack on the pace for me unless I tell you. And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!" "Please run now to meet her, and say to her, "Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?" And she answered, "It is well." Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me."
Elisha said, "I am a prophet, but the Holy Spirit has shown me nothing about the deadness of her son. I know nothing about the impossibility of her circumstance." He does not know that her son is dead. The Lord has hidden it from him. Yet, the very thing that God tells him to ask that woman is what God heard her say moments ago at her house. See, God is listening to what we say with our mouth. And there is always going to come a place where He is going to challenge us to see if we really believe what we say we believe. Because, Martha said, "Lord, whatever You ask of God, He is going to give it. He said, "Oh yeah? Your brother will rise again." She said, "I know, one day" He said, "No! I am the resurrection and the life!" And until the Word of the Lord comes to pass in your life, the Word of the Lord will test you. When you have a confession of faith, you better get ready for everything in hell to come against what you say and that which you have seen in your spirit. It is on the way.
God heard the woman say to her servant, "It will be well." I believe a miracle is on the way. I purpose in my heart and refuse to allow those discouraging voices to say, "It's not the time, it's not the new moon, it's not the Sabbath. No I have seen it in my spirit and I'm going after the Word of God. The Word of God is my answer. The promise of God is my answer. God is my answer and I'm going to lay hold of God and I'm going to be urgent about it.
Now she is in her trial for a while. She has had time to let it sink in that she is in an impossible circumstance. Her son is dead. So the Lord wanted to say, "Do you still believe the way that you believed moments ago?" He said, "Is it well with you?" It is like He was saying, "Only believe. Do you still believe it? Is it well with you? Is it well with your child? Is it well with your husband?" She said, "It is well." And she lay hold of the feet of the man of God and said, "Did I not tell you not to lie to me?" What she did was lay hold of the man that represented the Word of God and she said, "Have You not said, God? Does not Your Word declare, God? Have You not promised, God? Is this not Your Word to me? I got hold of You and I'm not going to let go, regardless of what I feel or see. I believe if You spoke it, it shall still be. And it will be well, though I don't see it now, though it's dead now, it's only sleeping. And if it's sleeping, I go that I might wake it up. It's not impossible. It just looks impossible for the moment. But I am glad for your sakes, because that which is dead is an opportunity for you to reach the realm of the impossible, the miraculous and the resurrection power of God.
II Kings 4:29-31 Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if he greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.
And the mother of the child said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore, he went back to meet him and told him saying, "The child has not awakened."
There was no voice. There was no hearing. I went to the Benny Hinn crusade and believed God. I got excited months before I got to that crusade, and hands were laid on me. I felt nothing. There was no change. There was no voice. There was nothing. I left the same as I had come. I came four nights to that miracle crusade, and I still left sick. People have prayed for me for ten years. There is still no voice. There is still no hearing.
Elisha sent this man. Think about the expectation, the faith and the excitement of that woman's heart. The prophet gave the word. This is Elisha. The guy went with the staff. She could just about taste her victory. And then he came back and said, "Oh, nothing happened. Might as well go home. Didn't get healed. The best of the best have prayed for me. I'm still sick. I might as well give up."
God gave us faith, hope and love. Many died not yet receiving the promise. There is no other choice in the kingdom but to believe and war until we are dead! So just purpose in your heart now to say "no" to hopelessness and discouragement. Just purpose in your heart that you have no other choice but to hold on to the Word of God and the promise of God or die. Which one is it going to be? Die or believe God?
II Kings 4:32-34 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
The prophet prayed two times. He still did not get raised from the dead. So Elisha jumped up off of his bed and prayed a third time. And he stretched himself out over that boy again and said "life". After the third time, the boy was raised from the dead. It happened to Elijah too. The third time that Elijah prayed for the widow's son, he raised up from the grave.
Miracles did not just happen for me. I had to war, contend, conquer, war, contend, conquer, put my faith out, and I am still not where I am going to be in the miraculous. But I am still contending. I am still saying, "My God, I'm not satisfied. I'm putting my faith out there for more." I am still giving myself to praying for the impossible and I am still warring, contending, and pushing. I have a level, but I am not satisfied.
You may receive in a conference the seed of healing. It is the beginning of the manifestation of your miracle. But it is going to be released. Your flesh might get warm and you still might not be healed. Someone may lay hands on you and there may be no voice, no hearing, and no sign that anything has happened.
My message is a little bit different. It is okay to fight. It is okay to contend. It is okay not to be healed. It is okay not to be fully manifested in your miracle. The prayer of faith is "birthing it".
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He did not have to lay hands on the dead. There was authority in the Word of God. What is dead? Maybe your faith is dead. Maybe your relationship with God is dead. Maybe your marriage is dead. Maybe your body is dead. Maybe your church is dead. Maybe your ministry is dead. Maybe your children are dead. I want you to stretch yourself out in the spirit over them. I want you to see it, and command resurrection power to be released.
Why are you disquieted within me, oh soul? Why are you cast down? I do not have any other choice! I will hope in God! Who are you, soul, to rule me? Rule your soul! Why are you cast down in me, my emotions, my will, and my mind? It is hope or die. So be renewed in faith. Let your faith be resurrected. Let warfare, the release for warring and contending for miracles be released in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let your vision be resurrected, let hopelessness and despair GO in the Name of Jesus! Because, it is well. It is well!
Fresh Fire Ministries
PO Box 2525 Abbotsford, BC . Canada
Web: http://www.freshfire.ca
Email: toddbentley@home.com
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Snail-mail: PO Box 2525, Abbotsford, BritishColumbia, Canada V2T 6R3
By Todd Bentley
Part 1 of 3
Today is the Day
John 11:1 5 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary and Lazarus.
He emphasizes it twice. Jesus loved Martha, loved her sister and loved Lazarus. He was passionately in love with Lazarus. He cared about all the needs of his life. When He heard that he was sick, about the depression, the impossible circumstances, and the impossible needs of Lazarus, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Lazarus was not just sick; He was on his deathbed. He did not need Jesus tomorrow; he needed Jesus yesterday. We are talking about an impossible circumstance.
There are dead ministries God wants to raise. There are dead visions that God wants to raise. There are people who are dead in their bodies with sickness and disease. God wants to raise the dead.
There are those who are giving up in their hearts right now. They are on the verge of financial breakthrough. Some who are called are giving up right now in the area of ministry in the vision of God and are on the verge of one of the most glorious days and releases of the anointing that they would ever walk in. How do we know that today is not the day for our miracle?
How do we know that the sun is not going to rise tomorrow? How do we know that today, for the infirmity that someone has had for thirty-eight years, will not be the day that God says, "Be made whole?"
We need to live every day of our lives with new mercies. We need to live every day of our lives as if today is the day. Today could be the day that He says, "Do you want to be made whole?"
Have you been in that place in your life where just when you thought the light and the breaking of the dawning of a new day was coming, and it could not get darker, it got darker? The car broke down, you lost your job, and you went, "That's ok, I've got some money in the savings account". And you got home and said, "OK Lord, if anything else is going to happen, I'm going to absolutely snap". Then you find out that the other vehicle you had, your son crashed, and the washing machine broke down, and somebody robbed your bank. Your money is gone and they do not know if they are going to be able to get it back. It always seems like it gets darker before the light comes. Just when you think the light is going to come and that it cannot get any darker, all of a sudden it gets more impossible. Another hardship and another trial comes, and you say, "God I'm not going to be able to take any more". The pressures of life mount up even more. Do you know what I am talking about? Are you at that place? Do you need something raised from the dead? Do you need a spiritual breakthrough? Are you ready for the release of resurrection power?
Jesus' Perspective
John 11:7-15 Then after this He said to the disciples,
"Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him."
Do you notice something about the perspective of Jesus? Lazarus was dead, but Jesus said he was sleeping. Was Jesus lying? God does not see our circumstances the way we see them. God does not see cancer and incurable diseases the way that we see them. God does not see the impossibilities of life the way that we see them.
In your heart, you may think your marriage is dead, your finances are dead, your ministry is dead, the anointing is dead, or your reputation is dead. You may have a vision in your heart that has died. There may have been a time when you dreamed about great exploits, and now your hope is dead.
The Lord said, "It is not dead, it is sleeping". The perspective of God sees our present circumstances and needs different than we do. And if it is sleeping, "I go, that I may wake it up." We need to speak to our situation and say it is not dead, it is sleeping. Though we have backslidden sons and daughters, and unsaved family, it does not mean that they are dead. To God, they are sleeping.
There is something about the heart of God that likes to move in the impossible. There is something about the heart of God that likes to move when something is dead. There is something about breakthrough and the dawning of a new day that comes when you are so dead and hopeless that you do not know if anything is going to be able to happen. That is when God is going to come. He said, "Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there." Why am I glad for your sakes? I am glad for your sakes that you might believe.
Every time that you are in a place where you no longer have the strength and the ability in your own giftings and theology, and you have come to the place where you are so empty and broken that you cannot move, say, "God says it is opportunity. That which is dead is opportunity for resurrection." Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." And Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." She said, "I know You are the resurrection and the life. My brother is going to rise. I am going to see him again at the Second Coming. I am going to see my brother again in heaven." And Jesus said, "I AM!". "I AM!" . "I AM!" Today He says, "I AM, right now, I Am the resurrection of that which is dead. I AM. Not, I am tomorrow. I AM the resurrection and the life." And she said, "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
Just like you and me. It is easy whenever we have victory under our belt. We are walking in the victory of God, or we are in the mountain of breakthrough. There is faith and assurance. We are speaking to the mountain and it is moving. Breakthrough is in our life. We are overcoming. We say, "God, whatever You ask, I'll believe it. Lord, I have faith right now for the impossible. I have faith right now to move mountains. I can raise the dead!"
Have you been in the place where just when you have victory under your belt, the phone rings? Lazarus is dead. All hope that you had for your circumstance is dead. And God says, "I am glad". Because it is not dead, it is sleeping. And if it is sleeping, I go that I may wake it up.
Martha said, "I know, even though I know my brother is dead, whatever You ask of God, He will give it to You. " He said, "Your brother will rise again." He said, "Let me see if you really believe what you say you believe. You say that whatever I ask of God, He is going to give it. Let me just test this thing and say, 'Your brother is going to rise again'."
We take the Word of God and put it in the future. " I am going to be healed." "I am going to die and go to heaven. Everything is always tomorrow. I am a "now" kind of a kingdom guy. Today is the day of salvation. If I saw it in the Word of God, it was yesterday, and I should have applied it already. I live in the place that if it is there, I am going to have it now. And that is why we have been able to come to where we are so quickly. We refuse to wait. I believe in the patience of God, and the timing of God, but there are certain things that I refuse to wait on. If I know it is "now", if I know it was "yesterday", I am not going to wait. I am going to have it today. I am going to do everything that I can to lay hold of that which Christ has laid hold of for me, until I see it.
If miracles are now, then I am going to have miracles. I am not going to wait. You are never going to have a healing ministry. You have a healing ministry. You are never going to have an evangelism ministry. You have an evangelism ministry. You are to win souls now. Too many evangelists I know in the body of Christ do not even remember the last time they prayed and led anyone to Jesus. And you are an evangelist? How can an evangelist not win souls? Whether you are an evangelist now or an evangelist in ten years, you were an evangelist when God ordained you in the womb. So start acting like one. I have this "Now, Kingdom" kind of idea. And we need to lay hold of that which God has laid hold of for us.
Jesus reached the tomb. Lazarus was dead for four days in the grave, and his body had begun to smell. "Jesus wept." Do you know why Jesus wept? Some people believe that He wept because He had such a heart of compassion for Lazarus. He saw Martha, He saw Mary. He wept because He was grieving and mourning because Lazarus was dead.
Jesus was not weeping because of compassion. Jesus groaned in His Spirit and wept because of the state of unbelief of His people. When it really comes down to where the rubber hits the road and the Lord says to us, "I AM the Resurrection", it is always tomorrow. We cannot lay hold of what God has for us now. But faith lays hold of the promise NOW!
"I hope I get healed." "I hope its coming". "I hope this is it, Todd" "I hope that was the word of knowledge." God wants us to have hope. But do not allow your hope to be defined as "not until tomorrow." Faith lays hold of things now. Faith takes it as if it is yours, even if you do not see it. That is the substance of faith.
He groaned in His Spirit because of the unbelief. They did not recognize the power that Jesus had over that which was dead and impossible. He looked at Martha after He had raised Lazarus from the dead and He said, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would have seen the glory of God?" But you did not believe what you said you believed. So, I am glad that Lazarus is dead. Because now the deadness in Lazarus' body is an opportunity for me to show you that what is impossible with man is not impossible with God.
Levels of Healing Anointing
About three years ago, I started to get real excited about miracles. I had visitations from the Lord that lasted at times up to twelve hours with me on the carpet. I started to have trips in the Spirit. Out of that season, the word of knowledge and healing began to be released.
When I first began to be released in healing, I had faith for backs. I had a little faith for pain in peoples' bodies. So I began to lay hands on the sick and pray for backs to be healed and for pain to come out of peoples' bodies. As people got healed, I gained authority for the backs. I grew in a place of faith and confidence for the back. So you can kind of say that in the beginning of my healing ministry, I had a back-healing ministry.
I said, "God, I am ready to see a few more miracles. I want to see a little bit more of the creative. So the Lord began to give me faith for limbs, legs or arms that were a little bit shorter than others, to grow out a couple of inches. I got excited, and started to pray and believe for stomach conditions. I started to have faith for different categories of sickness and diseases. We like to categorize some things as harder than others. We think it is harder to heal cancer than asthma, and it is harder to heal cancer than backs. It is not true, but that is what we do.
So then, I started to have faith for cancer. I said, "Now I am going to get some authority in the Spirit over cancer, and the devil is going to know and I am going to know. I am going to walk in a new place and be able to get people healed of cancer.
I began to birth these levels of miracles. Then the Lord said, "Todd, I want you to birth the deaf now." I thought, "Oh God, the deaf?" "The deaf?" He said, "Yeah!" So I put my faith out there and began asking all the deaf to come up to the front. I really did not have faith worth a hill of beans that anything was going to happen. But all the deaf would come up, and they began to hear. So, I gained victory. See, He birthed each level. He birthed different levels of authority and power and confidence, and I grew in that anointing. About 90% of the deaf that we pray for are have their hearing restored. Then He said, "Now the wheelchairs." We have had about five cases of people who came out of their wheelchairs. I am still not satisfied. I still want more paralyzed bodies.
Then, I started going for the blind. We have had over ten cases of blindness healed in the last month alone, and it is growing. I am ready to pray for all the blind and deaf. My problem is, I cannot get the blind and the deaf in the meetings. Where are the wheelchairs? Where are the crippled bodies? Where are the deaf and blind? We need to compel them. We need to grab them and pull them off of the street. Then we can have the manifestation and the power of the Lord to heal.
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FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 2 of 3
Warring and Contending for the Miraculous
Mark 5:21-23 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him. And He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."
Here is perfect faith. "Come lay your hands on her and she will live." If I can get a hold of you now, God, she will live. I have perfect faith and confidence.
Why is it that God likes to come through at the last minute? When I get to heaven, I am going to ask God about this. Why is it that God is never early, but He is never late? Before the breakthrough comes, we think He is late. Then we see it come and realize how perfect He was. Then we vow, next time, next time, and next time I am going to have faith. God is never early. Why can He not bring breakthrough early to those who are living by faith? What is it about God and the last hour? What is it about God with the dead? What is it about God with the impossible? What is it about God that He hears about the circumstances of your life and He waits two more days? Why does He bring you to that place? "Because I am glad for your sakes that you might believe because I want you to conquer some things. I want to put some levels in your Spirit."
Mark 5:35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?"
He was still giving the confession of faith. He was still in a place of confidence. He said, "Whatever You ask of God, He will give it." If you will come now, God, I will have my breakthrough. It will happen, Lord. If you lay Your hands on my daughter, she will live. Have you been there? "My breakthrough is coming. I have got hold of God. I can feel it. I have it in the Spirit. The victory is coming. And then all of a suddenWhile He was speaking, one of the rulers came and said, "Your daughter is dead". Pop! There goes the balloon of your faith, enthusiasm, and excitement. When you thought it could not get any more impossible, it got more impossible.
And God says, "I am glad for your sakes." Because, that which is dead is opportunity for My resurrection power. We need to get excited about that which is dead.
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."
This man came to the crossroad of faith. God said if a miracle is going to happen, I must keep this man in faith. I must keep him believing that it is just as easy for Me to heal his daughter now, even though she is dead as it was for Me to heal her when she was alive. I must move My church into the place where they know that it is just as easy for Me to heal a blind eye as it is for Me to heal a back condition. I must bring My church to a revelation that it does not take more sweat to stretch forth My hand and heal somebody in a wheelchair than it does for Me to heal somebody's stomach condition. I must keep him in that place where he is going to believe. Because faith is going to release this miracle.
He said, "Only believe". If you can still believe the way you believed a moment ago, even though it seems even more impossible now when she is dead, I can still release your miracle. But it is so important that you only believe.
Only believe. That is easy to say, isn't it? Only believe. I mean, let me make it simple. Only Believe. You do not have a choice. There is no other choice, friends. Only Believe.
Do you know what the Bible gives you? The Bible gives you these three things; faith, hope and love. You do not even have the right to choose to be discouraged. You do not have the right not to believe. So you might as well just purpose in your heart today that you have faith, hope, and love.
God did not require anything of you except to believe. How long must I believe for my healing God? It has been twelve years. Benny Hinn has prayed for me. Kenneth Copeland has prayed for me. Kenneth Hagan has prayed for me. The church has prayed for me, and I am still not healed.
God did not say ten years, twelve years, or thirty-eight years. He said, "Many died not yet having received the promise". That means that you must war for what God wants to give you. If you do not have it, you war for it until you get it, or until the day that you die. You must war for it until your last breath. There is nothing else but faith, hope and love.
You just might as well make a purpose in your heart today that you are going to have to war. We are going to have to contend. We have to get excited about that which looks dead and say, "It is not dead, it is only sleeping."
The Faith of Abraham
Do you know why Abraham is known as the Father of Faith? The Bible says in Romans 4 that Abraham called forth those things that were not as though they were, and believed that God could give life to the dead.
God told Abraham as He tested him, "I want you to bring your only son and kill him. I want you to give me Isaac." Abraham was like you and I. He probably laid up all night and thought, "How am I going to tell Sarah that I have to take Isaac and kill him? What are the neighbors going to think? How can I justify taking the son of my own flesh? How am I going to take Isaac up there? How am I going to tie him up and take that knife and kill him? What if I have to stab him three times? What if he doesn't die right away? What if it hurts and I miss the fatal organ or something? That cannot be God. God said that in me all of the nations of the earth were going to be blessed. Isaac is the only natural manifestation that can even possibly help me get from point A to point B. If I take him out of the way, then what God promised cannot happen. So, this cannot be God."
He probably started to reason. And you better believe that he was like you and I. I mean, he loved his son. And he may have laid there all night long thinking about that. But, let me show you what happened.
Abraham counted God as a God to give life to the dead. Somewhere along the line, Abraham saw himself kill Isaac and saw God raise him from the dead. He knew that even if he brought Isaac unto that mountain and took his life, God would just raise him from the dead. And when he actually got up on the mountain, God said, "Because you already saw it and you already did it in the Spirit, it is as good as done."
Your miracle begins in your spirit. You need to see it. As you see it as done, it will manifest. You need to see it as finished. Abraham thought, "I already see Isaac killed, dead, and raised up. God gives life to the dead and calls forth those things which are not. If I bring him up there and kill him, God will resurrect him".
We must see it in our Spirit. We must catch a vision and revelation of what Jesus has already done. We must see ourselves healed. When I first started to store up the gifts of miracles in my life, I would lay in bed and fantasize until 2:00 am. I called them "Holy Ghost fantasies". I would see blind people in Africa coming to the altar. I would see myself put my hand on them and say "In the Name of Jesus, blind eye open!" I would see their eyes pop open and I would watch their face and watch the crowd. I would run over and say, "You deaf mute, hear and speak!" Then I would watch them hear. It would be 2:00 am, and I would be entertaining thoughts of preaching to thousands, and of thousands coming to the altar. Have you ever done that?
Some would say it was pride. They might say, "Who am I to ever think such great things? He is not going to do that with me. Lord, I ask you to forgive me. Who am I to think like that, God? " But God wants to move in the imagination of your heart, even above that which you can imagine. He wants to release that place of dreaming in your spirit. That is how I got started in the ministry.
Six years ago, I was in Africa. I was in Africa on my bed every night. I was in Africa last March, but I was there six years ago! My first miracle was in my bedroom. Why did Billy Graham preach to the trees? Why did Rodney Howard-Browne lay hands on his dolls? Why did the men of God preach to walls? What is it about seeing yourself do it before you do it? When you see that you have done it, it is as good as if you have done it, and then you act it out. You must have a dream and a vision of resurrection miracles in your Spirit. It is O.K. I release you to lay in your bed and fantasize about great exploits for God.
There came a place where I got so much confidence and so much excitement about seeing so many people healed in my imagination. Where I gave Him Lordship, God birthed.
There came a time when I said, "God, it is not good enough anymore to see them healed. I want to actually do it. I do not just want to fantasize anymore, I want reality." There comes a place where you get tired of dreaming. You get so stirred up about what you have dreamed that you cannot help but go and do it. You need to dream about healing. You need to dream about miracles. You need to dream about God using "little ol' you". You need to dream about laying hands on the sick and seeing them healed before they come to the altar. Release that confidence in your Spirit.
That is how I began to get released into healing. Then I put my faith out for one level, then another, and the Lord has brought us to the place where we see every kind of sickness and disease healed. And we are saying, "Lord, more!" It is the release of the miraculous. It all started with a seed in my Spirit. It all started on my bed. It all started with me seeing it as done. It all started with fantasy, with thought and imagination in the place in my heart where I allowed Jesus to rule and reign as Lord.
FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 3 of 3
It Begins with a Seed
II Kings 4:14 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. "Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there. And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman". When he had called her, she stood before him.
And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She answered, "I dwell among my own people."
So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old." So, he said, "Call her". When he had called her she stood in the doorway. Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant".
See, there was such hopelessness; such despair in her heart because she had tried for so many years to have a child. So many healing evangelists had already prayed for her that she did not want to hear something that sounded too good to be true. She said, "Lord, I have heard this too many times. Do not lie to your maidservant. You do not understand the woundedness in my heart. God, I am tired. I have been battling this a lot of years."
She did not get excited and say, "God said it and I believe it. Whatever you ask of God, He will do it. Whatever I ask in prayer believing, I receive it, hallelujah. I lay hold of that promise. It is mine. I am talking as if it is mine before I even have it." But something happened. This is what happens to you when God does what He says He is going to do. It releases confidence and faith.
II Kings 4:17 But the woman conceived and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
She had the manifestation of the promise of God. Have you ever had the manifestation of what God promised and the very thing that God gave you was taken away? And you said, "My God, I thought it came from You. I do not understand. I thought you were the One who led me to plant this church and now it is dead. I had the Word of God and saw the manifestation. I walked for a season in that gift, but now it is dead!"
II Kings 4:18-20 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "carry him to his mother." When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
I can see the transformation of the spirit of this woman. "No, Man of God, do not lie to me. Do not tell me things that are too good to be true. I have had so many prophecies. I do not want another prophetic word." But there was a transformation that happened in her heart.
II Kings 4:21-23 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run unto the man of God and come back.
So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well."
Every time you purpose to believe God, every time you purpose to run to the man of God, every time you purpose to lay hold of the promise that God spoke to you, somebody will come to you and say, "Why are you going after the man of God today? It is not God's will. How do you know that God wants to heal you? God does not want to heal all. I have tried to get healed for twelve years. What makes you think that you are going to get healed? You have the same affliction as I. I am more righteous than you. There is more sin in your life. I have not gotten healed. Who gave you the right to expect to get healed? Come on, it's not the new moon, it's not the Sabbath." There is always some voice, some preacher, some family, and some friend that cannot see it the way that you do. See when you have something in your spirit; nobody can have it except you. Nobody can understand where you are going except you.
How could I go in just a few years from being a drug addict to doing crusades all over the world? I had something in my spirit. I saw Pat Cocking call me out into the ministry that morning in my bedroom before it happened. The Lord visited me and said, "Tonight I am going to speak to Pat Cocking in the conference and tell her to take up an offering and call you out and ordain you into the ministry."
I went to that meeting having seen that, and nobody knew it except God and me. And it happened. But it was in my spirit first. Nobody will be able to understand what you've seen in your spirit. Nobody will be able to understand the vision or the dream that you have. You need to be careful sometimes with that of which you are fantasizing. Keep it between you and Jesus.
See, something happened to this woman. She believed the Word of God and she went after the man of God. "It is well. He is not dead, he is sleeping. I cannot see it now, but it is well."
II Kings 4:24-27 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; do not slack on the pace for me unless I tell you. And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!" "Please run now to meet her, and say to her, "Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?" And she answered, "It is well." Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me."
Elisha said, "I am a prophet, but the Holy Spirit has shown me nothing about the deadness of her son. I know nothing about the impossibility of her circumstance." He does not know that her son is dead. The Lord has hidden it from him. Yet, the very thing that God tells him to ask that woman is what God heard her say moments ago at her house. See, God is listening to what we say with our mouth. And there is always going to come a place where He is going to challenge us to see if we really believe what we say we believe. Because, Martha said, "Lord, whatever You ask of God, He is going to give it. He said, "Oh yeah? Your brother will rise again." She said, "I know, one day" He said, "No! I am the resurrection and the life!" And until the Word of the Lord comes to pass in your life, the Word of the Lord will test you. When you have a confession of faith, you better get ready for everything in hell to come against what you say and that which you have seen in your spirit. It is on the way.
God heard the woman say to her servant, "It will be well." I believe a miracle is on the way. I purpose in my heart and refuse to allow those discouraging voices to say, "It's not the time, it's not the new moon, it's not the Sabbath. No I have seen it in my spirit and I'm going after the Word of God. The Word of God is my answer. The promise of God is my answer. God is my answer and I'm going to lay hold of God and I'm going to be urgent about it.
Now she is in her trial for a while. She has had time to let it sink in that she is in an impossible circumstance. Her son is dead. So the Lord wanted to say, "Do you still believe the way that you believed moments ago?" He said, "Is it well with you?" It is like He was saying, "Only believe. Do you still believe it? Is it well with you? Is it well with your child? Is it well with your husband?" She said, "It is well." And she lay hold of the feet of the man of God and said, "Did I not tell you not to lie to me?" What she did was lay hold of the man that represented the Word of God and she said, "Have You not said, God? Does not Your Word declare, God? Have You not promised, God? Is this not Your Word to me? I got hold of You and I'm not going to let go, regardless of what I feel or see. I believe if You spoke it, it shall still be. And it will be well, though I don't see it now, though it's dead now, it's only sleeping. And if it's sleeping, I go that I might wake it up. It's not impossible. It just looks impossible for the moment. But I am glad for your sakes, because that which is dead is an opportunity for you to reach the realm of the impossible, the miraculous and the resurrection power of God.
II Kings 4:29-31 Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if he greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.
And the mother of the child said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore, he went back to meet him and told him saying, "The child has not awakened."
There was no voice. There was no hearing. I went to the Benny Hinn crusade and believed God. I got excited months before I got to that crusade, and hands were laid on me. I felt nothing. There was no change. There was no voice. There was nothing. I left the same as I had come. I came four nights to that miracle crusade, and I still left sick. People have prayed for me for ten years. There is still no voice. There is still no hearing.
Elisha sent this man. Think about the expectation, the faith and the excitement of that woman's heart. The prophet gave the word. This is Elisha. The guy went with the staff. She could just about taste her victory. And then he came back and said, "Oh, nothing happened. Might as well go home. Didn't get healed. The best of the best have prayed for me. I'm still sick. I might as well give up."
God gave us faith, hope and love. Many died not yet receiving the promise. There is no other choice in the kingdom but to believe and war until we are dead! So just purpose in your heart now to say "no" to hopelessness and discouragement. Just purpose in your heart that you have no other choice but to hold on to the Word of God and the promise of God or die. Which one is it going to be? Die or believe God?
II Kings 4:32-34 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
The prophet prayed two times. He still did not get raised from the dead. So Elisha jumped up off of his bed and prayed a third time. And he stretched himself out over that boy again and said "life". After the third time, the boy was raised from the dead. It happened to Elijah too. The third time that Elijah prayed for the widow's son, he raised up from the grave.
Miracles did not just happen for me. I had to war, contend, conquer, war, contend, conquer, put my faith out, and I am still not where I am going to be in the miraculous. But I am still contending. I am still saying, "My God, I'm not satisfied. I'm putting my faith out there for more." I am still giving myself to praying for the impossible and I am still warring, contending, and pushing. I have a level, but I am not satisfied.
You may receive in a conference the seed of healing. It is the beginning of the manifestation of your miracle. But it is going to be released. Your flesh might get warm and you still might not be healed. Someone may lay hands on you and there may be no voice, no hearing, and no sign that anything has happened.
My message is a little bit different. It is okay to fight. It is okay to contend. It is okay not to be healed. It is okay not to be fully manifested in your miracle. The prayer of faith is "birthing it".
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He did not have to lay hands on the dead. There was authority in the Word of God. What is dead? Maybe your faith is dead. Maybe your relationship with God is dead. Maybe your marriage is dead. Maybe your body is dead. Maybe your church is dead. Maybe your ministry is dead. Maybe your children are dead. I want you to stretch yourself out in the spirit over them. I want you to see it, and command resurrection power to be released.
Why are you disquieted within me, oh soul? Why are you cast down? I do not have any other choice! I will hope in God! Who are you, soul, to rule me? Rule your soul! Why are you cast down in me, my emotions, my will, and my mind? It is hope or die. So be renewed in faith. Let your faith be resurrected. Let warfare, the release for warring and contending for miracles be released in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let your vision be resurrected, let hopelessness and despair GO in the Name of Jesus! Because, it is well. It is well!
Fresh Fire Ministries
PO Box 2525 Abbotsford, BC . Canada
Web: http://www.freshfire.ca
Email: toddbentley@home.com
Tollfree: 1-866-853-9041
Snail-mail: PO Box 2525, Abbotsford, BritishColumbia, Canada V2T 6R3
posted by KFF at 2:46 AM
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