Jesus Ministry.

[Carl Emerson]

Dear Friends,

I am really puzzled about the almost complete absence of a central aspect of Jesus ministry in the Christian world today.

When Jesus broke into the world He immediately demonstrated spiritual authority over powers and principalities that were binding peoples lives with sickness, disease, mental illness, physical deformity, etc. in fact He made a point of sending a message to John the Baptist that these things were happening as evidence that the Kingdom of God was being manifest with Him the awaited Messiah.

These signs were also present in the early church and believers were expectant to see even greater things than those evidenced in the ministry of Jesus.

Today the prevailing world view is that these conditions should not be considered to have a spiritual aspect, a clear denial of the Word of Jesus.

This is not only a position held outside Christian circles, but inside as well.

Some folks have even invented a theology to account of the absence of the ministry of Jesus in their midst.

My journey has been quite different. Jesus was my 'childhood hero' and I longed to do what he did. This led to a radical wilderness walk and He allowed me to go down - down - into depravity, in order that I might see first hand His saving power and authority in my own life.

Being a rebuilt prodigal son, captive for a time by the demonic, I can now clearly see the true nature of the battle.

After seven years of prayer and restoration, and more than five years of constantly reading Scripture I was finally ready to step out with His presence and simply obey His Word to pray for others.

My testimony is to Honour Him alone as without Him there is nothing.

I prayed for a complete stranger in a park who had been in the RCMP drug squad was shot in the legs 11 years back and couldn't walk flat on his feet. Jesus healed this man in a few moments and as he walked up and down praising God and trying out his new walk. I was literally jumping for joy.

I prayed for a boy at a Church meeting who was having grand mal seizures. His parents met me 18 years later to confirm he was fully delivered and healed from that day.

I made a cold call on a Pastor who I had never met - as a complete stranger. As we prayed he slipped to the floor holding his throat pleading for prayer. Jesus showed me how to pray and deal with the spiritual root of his problem. His ministry was transformed as a result.

His spirit urged me to drive urgently to a house in Jerusalem, where I prayed for a lady having a heart attack, her auntie had died of the same symptoms at the same age. She was crying out not to be taken as her children were still young. She was healed in about two minutes. Again her condition had a spiritual root. We followed her progress for some years and there was no relapse.

These are a few of many wonderful incidents of being called to partner with Him that His Glory be seen.

These events do not happen every day - reading Paul one might think he was experiencing such things regularly when in fact his story spans many years.

So I simply want to say that His intent is that our lives have the excitement of seeing Him move. It starts with being completely sold out to Him - not fearing total commitment - but through obedience seeing His order established in our lives. Simply obeying His word, praying for the sick and leaving the results up to Him.

I don't see it as being a special gift - He is the special gift. Where He is, the Kingdom signs are manifest.

With me, these wonderful experiences are generally happening in the world, not in the church.

I am largely unknown but at 76, I need to encourage others that we can partake in His work, it is more than a dream.

Lastly, I am not a flake, my last day job was associated with the aerospace industry, I am happily married with 5 children, my wife is special partner with deep faith in Him.

 

[lforrest]

Amazing Testimony Carl!

Thank you for posting it, and thank God for giving it to you.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Amazing Testimony Carl!

Thank you for posting it, and thank God for giving it to you.

Yes, more to come...

God is good...

 

[Hidden In Him]

I made a cold call on a Pastor who I had never met - as a complete stranger. As we prayed he slipped to the floor holding his throat pleading for prayer. Jesus showed me how to pray and deal with the spiritual root of his problem. His ministry was transformed as a result.

His spirit urged me to drive urgently to a house in Jerusalem, where I prayed for a lady having a heart attack, her auntie had died of the same symptoms at the same age. She was crying out not to be taken as her children were still young. She was healed in about two minutes. Again her condition had a spiritual root. We followed her progress for some years and there was no relapse.

Wonderful instances of being led by the Spirit!

I don't see it as being a special gift - He is the special gift. Where He is, the Kingdom signs are manifest.

My prayer has been that He will fully manifest Himself within me, but then, as you know, this is not a given simply because we are Christians. One can be led of the Spirit or led by carnality; one can walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh.

Maybe later I will share a recent dream I had that strongly suggested He is calling me to manifest more of Himself and less of me, i.e. on a supernatural level. But it's personal, so I think I'll wait on that before simply throwing it out there.

God bless, and thank you for sharing your testimonies. They are a blessing to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Dear Friends,

Thanks for the responses.

I guess I am not needing to debate the matter of whether He is at work in this way in this age - I have seen too much to doubt that.

I would however like to ask comment on the spiritual nature of common conditions that Jesus dealt with by addressing the spiritual root of the condition directly as an entity.

In the physical and mental health area for example we have well documented instances of Jesus telling the spirit involved to depart from the sick individual. Such instances are recorded in Mark 1,5 and 9 and with Paul in Acts.

Yet somehow the Christian world has largely bought into the lie that either such spiritual entities do not exist or we don't have the authority to deal with them.

If we believe that He has watched over the process of bringing to us dependable scripture then the end of Mark 16 clearly instructs us to do just this.

Lastly one more testimonial.

My wife prayed for a close friend that fell off a roof and had broken bones in his foot. He went to hospital and they did X-rays, confirmed the breakage and he was sent home with crutches.

Then my young children and my wife prayed for him and he was instantly healed.

The next day he went to church and gave thanks to God for the healing. To his surprise the Hospital Registrar who happened to be in the congregation and stood up and confirmed that his bones had been broken and gave thanks to Jesus for the obvious healing.

 

[marks]

I would however like to ask comment on the spiritual nature of common conditions that Jesus dealt with by addressing the spiritual root of the condition directly as an entity.

In the physical and mental health area for example we have well documented instances of Jesus telling the spirit involved to depart from the sick individual. Such instances are recorded in Mark 1,5 and 9 and with Paul in Acts.

I've thought that the woman bound by Satan, that there may well have been a "medical diagnosis" for her condition, that someone today would try to treat.

Personally I think that a gift of discernment of spirits is needed in these cases, as I think many times there is in fact a biological reason. There may be a psychological reason, and there may be a spiritual reason. The spiritual reason could relate to the person themself, and God's working in them, or could relate to evil spirits.

There are a lot of people who try to "cast demons of lust, or the flu" from Christians, but I don't think that's what's happening if someone is born of the Spirit.

Much love!

 

[marks]

He is calling me to manifest more of Himself and less of me, i.e. on a supernatural level.

I believe He absolutely is, and that you can trust Him to make it happen in your life.

Much love!

 

[Cassandra]

Dear Friends,

Thanks for the responses.

I guess I am not needing to debate the matter of whether He is at work in this way in this age - I have seen too much to doubt that.

I would however like to ask comment on the spiritual nature of common conditions that Jesus dealt with by addressing the spiritual root of the condition directly as an entity.

In the physical and mental health area for example we have well documented instances of Jesus telling the spirit involved to depart from the sick individual. Such instances are recorded in Mark 1,5 and 9 and with Paul in Acts.

Yet somehow the Christian world has largely bought into the lie that either such spiritual entities do not exist or we don't have the authority to deal with them.

If we believe that He has watched over the process of bringing to us dependable scripture then the end of Mark 16 clearly instructs us to do just this.

Lastly one more testimonial.

My wife prayed for a close friend that fell off a roof and had broken bones in his foot. He went to hospital and they did X-rays, confirmed the breakage and he was sent home with crutches.

Then my young children and my wife prayed for him and he was instantly healed.

The next day he went to church and gave thanks to God for the healing. To his surprise the Hospital Registrar who happened to be in the congregation and stood up and confirmed that his bones had been broken and gave thanks to Jesus for the obvious healing.

This is a serious post from me. Maybe you should take your gift and head to the nearest children's hospital.

 

[Hidden In Him]

This is a serious post from me. Maybe you should take your gift and head to the nearest children's hospital.

The problem here, Cassandra, is that it doesn't take into account the specific will of God for each person.

Jesus could have healed everyone in Judea and Samaria, but He was not called of God to do so. In fact, scripture says that He didn't do many healings even in His own hometown because of their lack of faith there, which means that there are conditions involved on both God's end and where the infirm themselves are concerned. God does not heal those who place no faith in Him to do so, and most of the planet discounts and dismisses Christianity as a lie these days.

 

[Cassandra]

The problem here, Cassandra, is that it doesn't take into account the specific will of God for each person.

Jesus could have healed everyone in Judea and Samaria, but He was not called of God to do so. In fact, scripture says that He didn't do many healings even in His own hometown because of their lack of faith there, which means that there are conditions involved on both God's end and where the infirm themselves are concerned. God does not heal those who place no faith in Him to do so, and most of the planet discounts and dismisses Christianity as a lie these days.

That's ok. but if I had the gift of healing, I would go use it. I'm talking about a man who says he can heal, and sick children. He could at least try.

 

[Hidden In Him]

That's ok. but if I had the gift of healing, I would go use it. I'm talking about a man who says he can heal, and sick children. He could at least try.

It is only according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If one tries to follow his own leading, it will be by his own power, and it won't accomplish anything. Only Christ heals. Just because we have been given a gift doesn't mean that we can use it autonomously. All things are in Christ, so even those with a gift cannot use it unless it is by His leading.

I do understand what you are saying, I'm just trying to give you a better perspective on what Carl Emerson is saying. I know him from another forum, and his theology of the spiritual gifts is pretty solid, IMO.

 

[Goldie75]

Personally I think that a gift of discernment of spirits is needed in these cases, as I think many times there is in fact a biological reason. There may be a psychological reason, and there may be a spiritual reason. The spiritual reason could relate to the person themself, and God's working in them, or could relate to evil spirits.

I believe this to be a very important point.
I’ve seen cases of extreme abuse in deliverance ministry where a serious problem has been treated as having a spiritual/demonic root when in fact it was biological.

 

[Carl Emerson]

I've thought that the woman bound by Satan, that there may well have been a "medical diagnosis" for her condition, that someone today would try to treat.

Personally I think that a gift of discernment of spirits is needed in these cases, as I think many times there is in fact a biological reason. There may be a psychological reason, and there may be a spiritual reason. The spiritual reason could relate to the person themself, and God's working in them, or could relate to evil spirits.

There are a lot of people who try to "cast demons of lust, or the flu" from Christians, but I don't think that's what's happening if someone is born of the Spirit.

Much love!

Yes we do try to treat conditions that at times can be spiritual, but Jesus healed all three realms - spiritual, physical and mental.

Jesus has authority over all realms so the condition has to respond to His authority as did the waves.

I was in rebellion for 11 years and picked up several demonic bondages as a Christian (not referring to posession)

It took 7 years to get back on track and be cleaned up and feel some return to 'normality'.

So yet totally agree discernment is needed - Jesus could only do what He saw the Father doing and for us the same applies, or should.

Learning to hear the Father is a first step.

 

[Carl Emerson]

This is a serious post from me. Maybe you should take your gift and head to the nearest children's hospital.

Yes, however anyone seriously being used in this way can only go where directed. So that is an issue you will have to take up with Him.

My partner in ministry was led specifically into a hospital waiting room and prayed for a gang member with a broken nose who was healed on the spot.

I can give more detail if interested.

 

[Carl Emerson]

I believe this to be a very important point.
I’ve seen cases of extreme abuse in deliverance ministry where a serious problem has been treated as having a spiritual/demonic root when in fact it was biological.

If you first see the Father healing, then all you do is declare it and it is...

The issue of what realm or cause is at that point insignificant.

But you must learn to hear Him first.

 

[amigo de christo]

That's ok. but if I had the gift of healing, I would go use it. I'm talking about a man who says he can heal, and sick children. He could at least try.

I think a good example would be these folks like the bennys and the kennys who claim to be able to heal ,
yet never seem to do so lest a big crowd is present and lots of money was involved . If ya know what i mean .
Dont never seem to see them go to hospitals where the sick are ................just a reminder .
But then they simply put on a show and do as they do for money . I have watched them criticize and accuse
a person who dont get healed either . yeah , its not a good show to have to watch . Many will be held accountable
for their dangerous doctrines . The GIFT of GOD cannot be purchased with money
YET they seem to imply ever so cunningly , IF YA GIVE to US you can expect a healing . Yeah , peter would
told them exactly what he told simeon , Ya money perish with ya , and you fleecing the flocks .

 

[amigo de christo]

I just aint a fan of the prosperity name it and cliam it , blab it and grab it crowd . I see much fleecing of the flocks
and sadly i see many who seem to love to have it so . Cause they just keep on sitting right under them .
I suppose if they think if they sit under them long enough and give lots of money
THEY WILL BE RICH like these fleecers are . Its very sad to see it my friends .
OH the gifts are real all right , but as hidden in Him said above , most folks have cast GOD off
JESUS could not do many mighty miracles due to their unbelief .
And now a word , AND Paul SEEIN THE MAN HAD FAITH TO BE HEALED said ...........
exactly . WHERE IS OUR FAITH , is it in HIM or not . That is not to say christains wont suffer imfirmites
or get sick either . WE read in quite a few places where timothy had OFTEN infirmites
we see also where ephradotius was so sick and nearly died for the doing the WORK of CHRIST
we see also where paul leaves ephrpras sick in miletum . But my beef is with them Nar false prophets
and the false prosperity preachers who are hung on money and well with this false all inclusve move
that THEY all seem to be going under . LIKE a massive delusoin . I say STICK TO CHRIST and LEARN THOSE BIBLES WELL .

 

[Carl Emerson]

OK... let's consider another testimony concerning a dear brother now with Jesus.

This man left for Colombia with his wife and family from New Zealand in the early eighties. I have never forgotten this message that I heard from him first hand.

His ministry was substantial, working in districts where the police would not venture in a country with a higher murder rate than anywhere on the globe at the time - he established hospitals and schools - his influence was said to have resulted in more than a million folks coming to faith in Jesus. He is largely unknown and he wouldn't want it any other way.

This was his message...

He spoke of his daughter who I will call 'Elizabeth' who at the age of about 12 ran away from home quite un-expectantly. This is not a good call in that part of the world and is unlikely to end well...

The parents were shocked, but had a very close relationship with other pastors in the area who immediately committed to fasting and prayer. It was not just that the child had disappeared, but he Christian leaders there took the scripture very seriously and would not allow a brother to continue in Christian leadership with a child in rebellion.

I need to mention also that the pastors had been getting the same dream - of angels leaning on their swords. When they discovered this was happening to them all and prayed about it, the Lord spoke and simply said that the angels were doing this because you were not giving them anything to do...

After three days of constant prayer and fasting a particular scripture kept coming to mind from Hosea 2:6/7 which records how the Lord dealt with Hosea's unfaithful wife.
'Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths... then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now."

The Pastors agreed that this was an important message from God for the circumstance and so the father prayed and proclaimed a proverbial hedge of thorns to come into immediate effect in Elizabeth's situation.
I no time flat - Elizabeth was back home with little more than a few proverbial scratches and bruises. The family embraced her with loving acceptance and the matter was resolved.

But the story did not end there...

A year or two later, Elizabeth flew to New Zealand for her high school education. The rest of the family stayed in Colombia. After the four years of study was completed, mother flew to NZ to bring daughter home. She was surprised to be greeted by a radical feminist with no evident Christian faith. They flew back together and on the way through Singapore airport Elizabeth had a conversation with a man and nothing more was thought of it.

Back in Colombia the family embraced the daughter, insisted that she attend church, and in a few months things seemed to be settling down. Then a letter arrived from a bible school in the U.S. - they had been praying and felt to offer Elizabeth a placement. The parents were delighted and even more so when Elizabeth expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity. So it happened that she flew North for Christian study.

After just a day or two, she completely disappeared.

Everyone was shocked.

Back to prayer and fasting for several days... Then eventually different pastors were getting the same Word - Soul Tied...

Well the Pastors were in agreement that some strong soulish force was blinding Elizabeth, so the father knew what had to be done. He stood up in the prayer room and even though he was a naturally conservative and quiet man, he felt to act out a prayer/proclaimation. Having some clear space he started praying along these lines "Lord, thank you for your love for Elizabeth and for showing us what we need to deal with. (then he holds up his hands as if grasping a pair of invisible scissors.) ...and in Jesus name I cut this soul tie and bind Elizabeth to the pillar of opportunity you Lord created for her..."

Well this prayer had a radical effect in Elizabeths world.

The man she met in Singapore was extremely wealthy with his own private aircraft. They had been communicating and planned to elope. He had flown her to a city she did not know, lavished gifts on her and was going out to buy her a car when the scissors snipped.

In that instant she suddenly realised she had made a serious mistake - she ran out of the apartment - down strange streets - running, running until a man jumped out of an alleyway in front of her, loudly and firmly saying - pointing to her - "You have got to go back..."

Not surprisingly she was back in bible school very soon, and last I heard she was strong in the faith serving on the mission field.

The Pastors back in Colombia, when told of her experience, remembered the dreams of the angels with nothing to do.

God is Good.

In summary, the father pulled a piece of grass out of his bible. He said something like this...

"I don't understand how it all works but this I know... - and he blew the piece of grass - the world and the enemy try to blow our children in a wrong direction and the prayers of the parents combined with God's Spirit and His angels - and he blew the grass back the other way - are more powerful and enduring..."

 

[Carl Emerson]

I trust that there are some who need the word I bring.

When Jesus sent out the 12 and the 72 he particularly selected untrained folk who followed Him in simple obedience.

In His name they saw Satans strongholds broken over folk - they has no formal training. They had no theological bias to get in the way of His Word.

Among the Apostles there was only Paul who was a teacher and he had to have such an encounter with Him including blindness for a period - to break down the structures in his mind planted by the traditional Pharisaical teachers. After a period he was also able to walk in the Power of His Word.

We have a similar situation today that we read in Matt 23, that the Scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. This applies today in most traditional Christian institutions - we are told what to believe and what we cant believe.

Brothers and sisters, the Word should be coming from Him. The bible was given to be understood with His help by the simple. If this were not so He would favour the intellectually gifted which is clearly not so. He has chosen the foolish things of this world and the weak to show up the humanly wise and strong.

John on Patmos understood this and wrote in his first letter chapter 2 that we should be careful to be taught only by His anointing.

So I appeal to those who simply Love Jesus to step out into the realm that I have enjoyed with Him. As we let His word through our personal, prayerful, devotional reading of the scriptures, be a searchlight into our soul - as we are honest with Him and accept His gentle correction, He will, in time, lift us up to walk in His glorious ways in this age and confirm His word with evidence of His glorious power to heal and set free - with the same anointing He received, mentioned in Luke 4.

And to those who think I am looking for a following - you are dead right - a company of folks simply walking in obedience to His word - proclaiming His Glory and truth in this dark late hour at a time when His word is largely muted by traditional thinking.

Lastly another testimony - my late mother was riddled with arthritis - I held her hand - she had lumps on her fingers the size of peas. I said do you want to serve Him to the fullest in these remaining years? Do you think this condition is a hinderance to serving Him to the full? She was unable to lift her arms above shoulder height.
Having said 'yes' to these questions I prayed for her and next time I visited she was cutting the hedge above head height with hedge clippers. All the arthritis was gone and a blood test confirmed this as well. She was a strong light for Jesus for many years, departing at 98 having touched many lives for Him.

So arise common folk...

Dry bones - hear the Word of the Lord.

He wants to use you.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Another testimony...

About 37 years ago I was engaged to my Wife Sandi and we attended church one evening together. At the end of the service I got a call from a friend - he sounded excited and invited us to share in fellowship with him and a few friends at his home. immediately I felt uneasy for a reason I did not understand. So I mentioned to one of the elders that I was going into a situation that may be problematic and could he pray...

As we drove towards the house I heard the words repeatedly in my mind 'controlling spirit'.
Then I had a clear 'word of knowledge' and said to Sandi - "if we arrive at the house and someone says 'I'm so glad you came... I would really love to pray for you' you will know by this, that the fellowship in the house is under the control of a controlling spirit.

Sure enough we parked the car and we could hear the worship and praise going on inside. So we knocked on the door, the door opened the greeting was 'I'm so glad you came... I would really love to pray for you' By this we knew what was going on - there were brothers and sisters worshiping and falling down - they had 'discerned' that the baby's crib was spiritually unclean and has burned it - all manner of 'ministry' was happening.

So I watched what was happening for a while until the lady who opened the door wanted to 'lay hands' on me. So I gently declined and decided it was time to let the host of the house know what was going on.

I had lent him the book called 'War on the Saints' by Roberts and Penn-Lewis in which they looked back on the Welsh Revival and recorded the ways in which false spirits tried to infiltrate God's work. In the book they mentioned there was a young lady who was a false prophet but no one knew at the time.

So I said to the host - "remember in the book the young lady who was prophetic? I am giving you a choice - come out to the car now and pray with us off the property or I will leave."

So the host came out and sat in the car with us and I said to him that everything happening in there is under the control of a false controlling spirit... To my astonishment the Holy Spirit came upon him and he broke down into weeping repentance.

He was distraught and asked me what shall we do?

Well the Spirit was showing me how to unravel the situation by dealing with the authority structure so I said that he must ask his wife to come out to the car. His wife came out and I said exactly the same words about the controlling spirit. Amazingly she also was strongly touched by the Holy Spirit and was reduced to repentant weeping. What shall we do they asked again and the Lord showed me we needed to ask the husband of the woman who greeted us at the door to come out also.

Well exactly the same result - as I explained the problem - deep weeping repentance.

At this point the next step was to deal with the problem direct and pray for the mans wife. I remember thinking whether or not I should do this but the Lord indicated that the Host and the Husband should simply ask her permission to be prayed for. So they went back inside and prayed and the whole atmosphere changed immediately and peace and order was restored.

Subsequently we learned that the lady had just attended a meeting run by a well known Christian Celebrity in which the attendees were asked to practice deliverance on each-other.

I was very disturbed about this and I am sorry to say it took me two years to have the courage to inform His eldership about what had happened.

Bear in mind I am an unknown entity with no standing in Christian circles.

Thanks for you patience in reading about this. What we know is that He sees all, and cares deeply about our lives. He gives us insight and the gifts to deal with the infiltrations that occur within our fellowship.