Part 2 (2/2)

It seems that medical people are the hardest people of all to see healed. That's because they were only told one side in medical school. For example, they were told that when you see a tumor that appears a certain way, the next step is death. They don't counter it with, ”This is the way the natural natural says it is, but G.o.d can intervene and change all that.” They weren't taught that. Their minds are so geared to the natural world that even now, after they're born again, they have a hard time receiving a miracle because they relate more easily to the natural than to the Word of G.o.d. says it is, but G.o.d can intervene and change all that.” They weren't taught that. Their minds are so geared to the natural world that even now, after they're born again, they have a hard time receiving a miracle because they relate more easily to the natural than to the Word of G.o.d.

Smith Wigglesworth: A Separated Life

What we're taught, what the world instills in us, has a major effect on our faith, or lack of it. The reason it gets into us is because we don't separate ourselves from it.

Do you know what made Smith Wigglesworth and others like him such miracle workers? A separated separated life. Now people have misinterpreted that. They say it was their holiness-that if you have any sin in your life, G.o.d won't use you, and if you're totally pure, He will. That's foolish, because you can never be good enough. It was not their holiness that earned them anything from G.o.d. But their separation sensitized them to what they life. Now people have misinterpreted that. They say it was their holiness-that if you have any sin in your life, G.o.d won't use you, and if you're totally pure, He will. That's foolish, because you can never be good enough. It was not their holiness that earned them anything from G.o.d. But their separation sensitized them to what they already already had from G.o.d. They focused all of their attention on it. They didn't allow temptation to enter. had from G.o.d. They focused all of their attention on it. They didn't allow temptation to enter.

One of the criticisms spoken against Smith Wigglesworth was that he was cold, insensitive, unfeeling, and unyielding (that's the definition of hardened). He was cold, insensitive, unfeeling, and unyielding to anything but G.o.d! He did not pity people with disease and sickness. That sounds extreme, but never in over 40 years of ministry did he lay his hands on a person who wasn't healed.

A Tumor Vanishes

A woman in one of Smith's meetings had a huge tumor. In his meetings, Smith would often say, ”The first person to stand up will be healed of whatever problem he has.” He said that and this lady, with two other ladies holding her up, stood up. She was in terrible pain and her legs were so thin she could not stand by herself. They took her up on the platform and Smith said, ”Let her go.” The two ladies with her answered, ”She can't stand if we let her go-she'll fall.” So he said again, ”Let her go.”

They let her go, and she fell over with a thud. You could imagine what the crowd thought. Smith said, ”Pick her up.” So they picked her up, and again he said, ”Let her go.” They said, ”We can't let her go, she'll fall,” so he raised his voice and said, ”Let her go!” They let her go, and she fell again, crying out in pain. So they picked her up, and for the third time he said, ”Let her go.” They answered, ”We will not let her go-that's cruel,” so he raised his voice again and said, ”Let her go!” They answered, ”No!”

Just then, a man stood up in the audience and yelled, ”You callous brute-leave her alone!” Smith yelled back at him, ”You mind your own business. 1 know mine.” He yelled again and said, ”Let her go!” They let her go, and that tumor just fell off on the floor. She walked right out of there healed.

Do you know why it worked for him? Because whenever he saw something contrary to what G.o.d had told him, he hardened himself to it. He was hardened to his senses, even his good, natural senses, so that he was not moved by anything except what G.o.d had told him. That's why it worked.

My Own Attempt

Now consider what I did once. I was ministering to a man in Sioux City, Iowa, who was in a wheelchair. I had faith- this was after after I'd I'd seen two people raised from the dead. I seen two people raised from the dead. I knew G.o.d had told me to minister to him. I went up to him, prayed, grabbed him by the hands and lifted him out of that chair. He fell right to the floor. I picked him up, and immediately thought, knew G.o.d had told me to minister to him. I went up to him, prayed, grabbed him by the hands and lifted him out of that chair. He fell right to the floor. I picked him up, and immediately thought, Oh G.o.d, look what I've done. I've caused him pain. I've embarra.s.sed him. Oh G.o.d, look what I've done. I've caused him pain. I've embarra.s.sed him. So So I began to consider him and his situation. I began to consider what people thought. I began to consider him and his situation. I began to consider what people thought. I I began to consider everything but what G.o.d had told me to do. Eventually, I ended up putting him back in the wheelchair, and he stayed there. I didn't give him what he needed. 1 didn't do what Wigglesworth did. began to consider everything but what G.o.d had told me to do. Eventually, I ended up putting him back in the wheelchair, and he stayed there. I didn't give him what he needed. 1 didn't do what Wigglesworth did.

Later, I went back to the motel room thinking, G.o.d, what's wrong? G.o.d, what's wrong? It was years before I learned that the same thing had happened to Smith Wigglesworth, but Smith just kept at it, while I was moved away from my faith by the hardness of my heart. I was still more sensitive to the natural realm than to the supernatural. It was a lifestyle that I'd been developing all my life; the unbelief started years and years before. As I said, it was not overt sin, but a matter of my habits and where I put my attention. It was years before I learned that the same thing had happened to Smith Wigglesworth, but Smith just kept at it, while I was moved away from my faith by the hardness of my heart. I was still more sensitive to the natural realm than to the supernatural. It was a lifestyle that I'd been developing all my life; the unbelief started years and years before. As I said, it was not overt sin, but a matter of my habits and where I put my attention.

For example, you watch the television reports about people dying of cancer, or you attend a reunion where somebody talks about cancer, or people at work talk about their aunt who died of cancer. Soon, you are totally dominated by cancer and the fear of cancer. Then, years later, when the doctor says ”cancer” to you, all of that fear suddenly rises up on the inside of you. That's where your doubt and unbelief come from.

Why does it happen? Because you considered something other than Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. As Hebrews 12:3 says, ”For consider him that endureth such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ” ”For consider him that endureth such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ” There's that word ”consider” again-it's everywhere! There's that word ”consider” again-it's everywhere!

The Curse of the Tube

What do we consider most most in our society? It's probably television. in our society? It's probably television.

My mother is an educator who taught school for 42 years. She has seen surveys showing that children who watch television are something like 10 times 10 times less creative than children who don't watch it. A child who doesn't watch television on a consistent basis can take a bolt and a nut and entertain himself for hours, but a child who has had television used as a babysitting tool can have a whole room full of toys and not have a thing to do! It destroys their creativity. Television is a powerful medium. Praise G.o.d that the gospel is finally making an impact on TV, but up until now, Satan has largely ruled it. less creative than children who don't watch it. A child who doesn't watch television on a consistent basis can take a bolt and a nut and entertain himself for hours, but a child who has had television used as a babysitting tool can have a whole room full of toys and not have a thing to do! It destroys their creativity. Television is a powerful medium. Praise G.o.d that the gospel is finally making an impact on TV, but up until now, Satan has largely ruled it.

Television is so captivating that you don't even have to think to watch it. For example, you come home from work and you're dead tired. You turn on the b.o.o.b tube so you can totally relax-it takes no effort on your part. There is no mental exercise; the producers can put your mind in the gutter whenever they want to. Even if there was nothing but gospel on television 24 hours a day, it would damage you to watch it, because you would be sitting there like a zombie letting someone else feed your mind.

Why are we tempted with so many things? It's because of the junk we consider.

Dr. Jesus

When my son, Joshua, was five or six years old, he asked me, ”Daddy, what are doctors for?” He didn't know what a doctor was for! He didn't know there was any other option for healing than prayer. He had never healing than prayer. He had never considered considered it, because he'd never been taught it. I'm not against doctors, but G.o.d can heal you without a doctor-if you know how to tap into the healing power of G.o.d. Leave the doctors for people who believe they're sick! I it, because he'd never been taught it. I'm not against doctors, but G.o.d can heal you without a doctor-if you know how to tap into the healing power of G.o.d. Leave the doctors for people who believe they're sick! I don't don't believe I'm sick, even when it looks like I'm sick. I just don't relate to sickness. And so I've always been healed. I have doctors' reports to show I was healed of an incurable disease. I never have sickness, because I don't believe in it. believe I'm sick, even when it looks like I'm sick. I just don't relate to sickness. And so I've always been healed. I have doctors' reports to show I was healed of an incurable disease. I never have sickness, because I don't believe in it.

No Plan B

One of the reasons we get into trouble is because we entertain alternatives.

I don't have a Plan B or Plan C-it's only the gospel. Because of that, it works for me. One of the biggest hindrances to your faith is when you are considering considering something else (we can't seem to get away from that word). Satan will always push you to make a decision one way or the other. You can't have another plan in the wings and see it work. You must be single-minded on the Word of G.o.d. something else (we can't seem to get away from that word). Satan will always push you to make a decision one way or the other. You can't have another plan in the wings and see it work. You must be single-minded on the Word of G.o.d.

I prayed for a lady once who had bad teeth. When I prayed for her, she told me that she already had made a dental appointment. Later, the Lord asked her, ”Which way are you going to go? Are you going to believe me, or are you going to go to the dentist?” She thought about it and said, ”G.o.d, I'm going to believe You. I don't care if my teeth rot out of my head.” She called up and canceled the appointment, and by the time she hung up the phone, her teeth were completely healed!

Several days later, she came to me and asked, ”Why did it happen at that time?” I said, ”Because that's the first time you made a decision to believe G.o.d. Before, you still had a Plan B and C.” She had considered something else.

Sadu Sundar Singh Sundar Singh

We don't see nearly as many miracles in this country as they do in others. Let me give you an ill.u.s.tration of this.

A man named Sadu Sundar Singh was a legend in India in the early 1900s. If you mention his name there, people begin talking about all the miracles that happened. This man was a Moslem who was converted to Christ. He saw many people healed; in Bombay, for example, he saw as many as 100,000 people healed in a single day. He would go into a city and empty all the morgues, raising dozens of people from the dead. It was phenomenal. Singh finally had to stop praying for people because n.o.body would listen to him preach-they just thronged him to get at the healing power of G.o.d.

Singh saw tremendous things happen in India, but in the United States, it was a totally different story. Because of the expense of travel, Singh had planned a year-and-a-half tour of the U.S. After sailing over by s.h.i.+p in 1910, he got off the boat in New York City and spent 30 minutes walking around the city. Then he promptly canceled his speaking engagements, got back on the s.h.i.+p, and said, ”I'll never preach to these people. They're so hard-hearted, they're so busy, they'll never hear it.” And he went back to India.

He knew that where people are as preoccupied as we are with other things, the gospel would never penetrate. That was in 1910!

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