by George Runyan | May 27, 2017 | Devotional, George Runyan
Exodus 15:26 – If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.
Jehovah God established His Healing Covenant with His Covenant people after turning the bitter waters sweet. He said, “For I, the Lord, am your healer.” Throughout the Old and New Testament, healing was part of the covenant which the Lord provided for His people. In the New Testament, we see healing extended to unbelievers as a gift to draw them to God’s mercy and grace.
Many Scriptures speak to this tremendous truth of God’s grace of healing. Consider some of those healed in the Old Testament. Abimelech was healed when Abraham prayed (Genesis 20). God healed Israel while in the wilderness (Psalm 107:20). Naaman was healed when he followed Elisha’s instructions (2 Kings 5). Jeroboam, Hezekiah, and David experienced God’s healing power (Psalm 103:1-5).
In the Gospel of Luke, we find twenty-four cases of healing recorded. We read of Jesus healing the sick and sending His disciples to do the same (Luke 10:8-9). In verse 9, Jesus directly connects healing to the message of the kingdom of God. He healed some and the result was apparent later (Luke 17:14). He healed others and they recovered instantly (Matthew 8:13). He healed all manner of sickness and disease: lunacy, palsy, epilepsy, fever, paralysis, blindness, lameness, deafness, withered limbs and, He raised the dead as with Lazarus (John 11:38-44). He healed those that were far away (John 4:46-54). He healed chronic cases, such as the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years (Luke 8:43); the man lame for 38 years (Luke 5:5-9) and, the woman bent over for 18 years (Luke 13:18).
God still heals today. He uses willing people who will just simply believe God’s Word and obey as the Holy Spirit prompts them to pray for those in need. Today, rooms of healing are being raised up all over the world. God’s people come together in a building or house to take time to pray for the sick. Not only are many healed, but many are coming to know Christ as a result of God’s divine touch.
Ask the Father in Jesus’ name for the “gifts of healing” to operate in your life. There are so many people that need to be healed. There are many that need to be touched by the power of God. It has been said that “healing is the dinner bell to salvation.”
by George Runyan | May 26, 2017 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Corinthians 14:31 – You can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.
The subject of prophecy is at the heart of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14. Earlier, Paul told these believers, “You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols” (1 Corinthians 12:2). Paul goes on to share about those who speak by the Spirit of God. God the Father always intended His people to be a voice for Him. Moses said, “I would that all God’s people were Prophets” (Numbers 11:29). Revelation 19:10 states that “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Let’s review what Paul teaches concerning prophecy. In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul commands us to “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” In verse 3 he writes, “But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification, and exhortation, and consolation.” He goes on in verse 4, “One who prophesies edifies the church.” In verse 5, Paul shares a deep desire, “Now I wish that you all speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.”
Remember, Paul is dealing with these gifts in the corporate gathering of the church. The instruction applies to the church as a whole being edified not just ministering to one person. Paul writes in verse 6, “What will it profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?” These are four clear spoken ways of building up the body of Christ! In verses 7 through 33, Paul illustrates his point using musical instruments, the natural way of speaking, and the call to war. Paul states, “I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:19). In verses 31-33 Paul teaches us that “you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets; for God is not the God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Paul is not dealing with the private use of tongues in these passages. He is concerned for the church when she gathers together. There, the focus must be “edification of one another.” In the corporate gathering, there is no place for being self-focused or drawing attention to oneself. The concern is always to be toward building up others in Christ.
Pray with me for the Holy Spirit to make us an instrument for Him to speak through Him to others. Lord, cause me to both hear You clearly and to speak clearly Your word to others that they may be edified. Release the “gift of prophecy” in my life as You please. I am listening Lord, use me.
by George Runyan | May 25, 2017 | Devotional, George Runyan
Mark 16:17 – These signs will accompany those who have believed.
What a wonderful promise our Lord has given us. The word miracle denotes a non-natural, beyond natural, supernatural order of things. A miracle is a work contrary to nature, the accomplishments of which we are unaccustomed to experiencing. The gift of the working of miracles operates by the energy or dynamic force of the Spirit of God. It is a sovereign act of the Spirit of God, irrespective of laws or systems that we understand.
Some of the operations of this gift are found both in the Old and New Testament. They are seen when God delivered His people from bondage, Exodus 14:16. God provided for those in need while in the wilderness, Exodus 17:5-6. In the New Testament, miracles confirm the preached Word, Acts 8:6. Miracles deliver people at times of unavoidable situations of danger, Acts 19:11-12. Miracles display God’s power and magnificence, Psalm 150:2. Miracles show forth His excellent greatness!
Miracles are explosions of God’s almighty signs and wonders. Miracles are an expression of the divine, walking among men. Miracles are tokens of His invisible power. Miracles fall into the realm of recreation, not just mere healing. There are miraculous occasions we find mentioned in the Scriptures and recorded in history. Some examples are the deliverance ministry, when evil spirits come out of people. There are occasions when new limbs are given, blind eyes are opened, deaf ears are unstopped, a new organ given, and unexplainable events taking place. The most powerful miracle is the resurrection of the dead.
God’s people, who have been saved by the power of God, need to give time to meditating on the “miraculous.” The miraculous should be a part of our walk with Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. A lifestyle of the miraculous should not be foreign or strange. As a believer in the Lord, we should come to expect the Holy Spirit to break into our natural world and perform “signs and wonders.” Those that want to argue against the miraculous will be those that seldom see God’s miraculous hand. I choose to live a life of expectation resulting in many experiences of God’s intervention into my natural world with supernatural occurrences.
Won’t you join me in expectation of God’s promises to those who believe? Ask the Holy Spirit to perform mighty signs and wonders through you on behalf of those in need of the power of God. Father, raise my expectation of Your mighty power working with me and through me on a daily basis for Your glory.
by George Runyan | May 24, 2017 | Devotional, George Runyan
Mark 16:18 – . . . they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover
In the early church, the gifts of healing were displayed many years after the resurrection of Christ. Paul had power to heal through special miracles. “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits went out” (Acts 19:11-12). It is recorded that Paul prayed for Publius’ father and then “laid his hands on him and healed him” (Acts 28:8).
Twenty-six years after the resurrection of Jesus, ordinary believers were still operating in the gifts of healing. Paul speaks of healing gifts in the plural in I Corinthians 12:9. In Galatians, Paul asked a question concerning the Spirit and miracles. “So then, does he who provides you with the Spirit, and work miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law or by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5)? James, many years after the earthly ministry of Jesus, gave direction for the Elders to pray for the sick, with a promise of healing and forgiveness (James 5:l4-16).
The Scriptures are filled with many divers operations of the gift of healing. I have listed a number of references which speak about this wonderful gift. Take time to study the Scriptures for yourself. Ask the Father to reveal His will to you concerning healing. Trust Him in faith that the Holy Spirit would give gifts of healing to you. Ask Him to use you to bring healing to those in need. Father, supply my life with Your gifts of healing as You would direct. There are many in need of God’s healing power. There is a great need for God’s people to allow the Holy Spirit to minister His gifts through their life.
Here are a few examples of the diversity of the healing gifts: Touch of a hand – Matthew 9:21; Sending the Word – Psalm 107:20; Peter’s shadow – Acts 5:15; Aprons and garments – Acts 19:12; Anointing with oil. – James 5:14; Laying on of hands – Mark 16:18; Prayer in Jesus’ Name – Acts 3:6; The Word of Knowledge – Acts 9:11.18 and 14:8.10; Through the means of special directions to the sick one: Mark 7:31-37 – Fingers in his ears and touching the tongue; Mark 8:22-26 – Saliva placed on the blind man’s eyes; Acts 20:9-10 – Paul embracing a dead man who revived; Action taken by the sick one to show faith. In John 5:1-9 is the example of the man at the pool of Bethesda picking up his bed and walking. Another time in Matthew 9:1-7, Jesus told the man to “pick up his bed and go home.” And he got up and went home. It was in Jesus’ healing ministry that, “the crowds were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (Matthew 9:8).
God has always been the healer of His people. He heals today as well. Won’t you receive His healing grace in your life and allow Him to use you to bring His healing power to others? Remember what Jesus said about those who believe on Him, “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:18).
by George Runyan | May 23, 2017 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 4:18 – You have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband.
The woman at the well is an excellent example of how powerful this New Testament gift of knowledge can be. As Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman, He tells her life history with men. As we continue to read on in John 4:19 – 29, we learn how the whole city came to hear Jesus as a result of this one word of knowledge spoken to the women. That word helped to convince a sinner of her need of the Savior; she in turn was used to reach others by pointing them to Christ.
Acts 9:10-11 speaks of how the word of knowledge came through a vision and pointed out to Ananias a man in need. That man happened to be Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle to the Gentiles. Notice how this word came in a vision to Ananias. He responded, “Here I am Lord”.
Peter received a word of knowledge about corruption in the church (Acts 5:3). The result was fatal for a man and his wife because they purposed in their heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. Today, it seems like many get away with lies and deception, but let me assure you, when this gift of knowledge begins to operate in the Lord’s Church at this level, judgment will also follow as it did in the days of the early apostles.
Please do not confuse this gift of knowledge with learning. The word of knowledge is a special supernatural revelation of facts given by the Holy Spirit. The examples are too numerous for all of them to be included. The “foretelling” of events to come is an operation of this blessed gift. To treat this gift as a vocal gift by suggesting that it is about preaching and teaching that came through studies, is to rob it entirely of its supernatural and miraculous character.
Holy Spirit, I am limited in what I know. I invite You to use me as often as it is pleasing to You through the gift of knowledge. Reveal to me what I need to know to encourage a child of God or help one to come to know the Savior. If You will, use me to point out sin that the one in bondage may be set free to experience Your love.
by George Runyan | May 21, 2017 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Corinthians 1:31 – Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.
Today, I want us to look further into this subject of wisdom. Throughout the Scriptures, wisdom is highlighted as a gift given by God. In Matthew 2:13, we read of a word of wisdom given to Joseph through a dream which instructed Joseph to take Mary and the babe to Egypt. Compare this with Matthew 2:20 when the angel instructed Joseph to return to Israel. In Acts 13:2, the command by the Spirit to separate Barnabas and Saul was a word of wisdom as to the timing of God’s will to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. This word of wisdom had a bearing upon their walk and experience. In Acts 15:5-27, a word of wisdom is given through James as to what commands should be placed on the converted Gentiles. In Acts 26, Paul is defending himself before King Agrippa and Festus. Festus thought Paul to be insane. Paul testifies of the wisdom from the Lord given to him at his conversion which directed his life in the message he carried as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
The above Scriptures are but a few examples of this wonderful gift the Spirit of God has made available to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:31, Paul warns us not to boast in ourselves, but in the Lord. In wisdom, he is quoting from the prophet Jeremiah. “Thus says the Lord, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises loving-kindness, justice and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
I believe Jeremiah gives to us the sum total of the subject of wisdom. Paul establishes the need for us to pursue wisdom in our personal and corporate life. Today, receive God’s wonderful grace of wisdom. If you can identify times this grace has been released in your life, rejoice and thank the Lord continuously. Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice!
Today, ask the Holy Spirit to give you this gift as needed. Open up yourself to receive a deposit of supernatural wisdom from God by asking for the gift of wisdom, especially when you are at the end of your own sufficiency. If you are anything like me, that would be quite often.
