Understanding Ministry and the Holy Spirit

But I believe that there are some specific people, maybe online, that need to hear what I'm going to share today. And maybe some that are here as well. But first of all, what the Lord put in my heart concerning the Holy Spirit, I want to speak something to you guys that are ministers. I might be speaking to the students, I might be speaking to some people in that area that, you know, you've got a purpose, you've got a calling in your life, you've got a direction that God has taken you. And so, first of all... First of all, in that area, I just want to say that concerning the calling, what I was hearing earlier was relax, don't strive, and definitely don't compare yourself with someone else. There's a tendency to look at people like myself and people that you look at them and it seems like they have a title. It seems like they have a position. I want to tell you something. We're all ministers. And one of the things I definitely don't. do is compare myself with others because Jesus uniquely works through each of us with the giftings and the callings through us and that calling and we're not in competition with anyone. We need every single person that Jesus is working through. You can go back in history to the time where the healing ministers like myself, healing evangelists, that travels and ministers and across the United States, across the world When the U.S. during that time, there was over 400 crisscrossing and ministering. And look, they didn't even get the job done, so to speak. There could have been easily more. And so we all have a purpose. But one of the benefits of lying on this to solidify within your heart in this area is that you are a minister. Is that it would just, you'll enter this area of arrest. You'll stop striving, trying to become something that you already are. That's really important because if Jesus says you're something, then do you know what? Even if, as an example, like a family member looks at you and go, you, a minister, I changed your diapers or something of that kind of a judgment or something of that nature. Look, it's just man's opinion, man's perspective. You don't have to defend yourself. And that's their problem. Just don't make their problem your problem, no matter what the issues are. And carry that within your heart because Many people may always have opinions and judgments within their hearts. They might compare. They might become critical or judgmental. But just let it stay their problem. Just rest. Rest in the Lord and just keep going forward. The Lord's going to open doors for you. He's going to make things happen. But there's a place of peace. There's a place where, again, you don't have to strive. You don't have to become something that you already are. That involves the Holy Spirit. And I'll be... talking more about that today because today i'm going to be ministering very very specifically i i believe that for people that have been striving been struggling concerning their healing but concerning receiving from the lord and some for those people that um it just seems like their problems the physical issues of life just have power over them it just seems like they won't go away it just you know their perspective is that you know in relationship to the problem that's like the lord When, you know, and so I'm going to be speaking that today. So you guys that come up with the titles for the teaching, if you can get a title out of that, you're a genius. So very good. Praise God. My, but I'll pick back up on what Daniel was talking about earlier because he ministers overseas as well as like myself and the Healing Now meetings that take place. And, you know, England, Ireland, Scotland is an area that we, my wife and I, we had a, Irish person, prophetic minister, was just flowing in that area and he called us out and this is way back, I can't remember, back in the early 80s or something and anyway he called us out and spoke over us and said come, come to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, come and claim your inheritance was part of the prophetic word that was spoken. But you see when you've got a purpose, when God speaks with a purpose and a direction that he wants you to go then there is things he wants to accomplish through you. And even though we've ministered in 35 different nations, and we'll be ministering more, but, you know, and it's a blessing that the things that God does, but when you go exactly where He wants you to go, it's just like, it's just wonderful. It's like you're right there at that place, and there's always unique experiences and powerful things that happen there. You know, and for myself, this area of traveling, that was my first time overseas was actually before my wife and I were married. And of course later when we were married we began to seek the Lord for the purpose and calling and so in 1986. He released us into ministry and confirmed things with the two of us together. But I began to travel and minister, actually began in 1983, ministering in Lebanon and ministering in Israel. Spent a couple of months there, and it was just powerful the things that happened. In fact, for those of you that are old enough that you can remember the history, it was that very year that I was there that we lost over 200 Marines and the barracks that was blown up and things that happened. happened at that time. So it was a war zone. And I'm saying that one of the reasons because you see in going in to Lebanon from Israel, the person that was supposed to be an interpreter, out of fear, he just refused to go in. But we went in with a team together by ourself. And later the second month I went in, I went in by myself. And it was just wonderful because I knew I was going back in even though it was supposed to be impossible. And God just... supernaturally opened the door and just went right in the day I went back down there. But the fact was this, we went in without an interpreter and I'd had some Arabic and ability to speak Span, but not proficiently to minister in a course and a message from the word. But the first person we ministered to, this other person and myself together, was a school teacher that spoke perfect English and his son was a teacher. was sick, and so prayed for him. And my empire of God, he was healed. And this was very instrumental in this man coming to the Lord. And he ended up becoming our interpreter. And so it was just wonderful because eventually, especially when I went back in to minister, ended up going house to house and just seeing whole households receive salvation, just like you see in the book of Acts and coming to the Lord. And one household, a sergeant. and the army received Jesus and three of his wives got saved. One wife stayed a Muslim, but man, that's just like a, um, wow, instant church when something like that happens. But it was overseas actually that I met Andrew. And so that was for instance, middle and returning to the U S and now coming to work for his ministry, like Daniel was talking about and, and, um, and just the doors and the, for the 10 years that I was there, uh, you know, it was just the direction Lord took me at that time. And. and such. And after 10 years, the person that took over my position, man, he was just perfect. I mean, he was just a God sent person because of Andrew going into television and just the giftings and the things that he had on the inside. And so I came to that place when there was that transition period that I realized that, you know what, I'm not a manager, even though I can manage, but I'm a minister. And it was time for me to trust. trust the Lord and step out. And so it was in that year of 1983 that, well, excuse me, 93 to 2003. So 2003 that I taught with Andrew in Gospel Truth Seminars at that time. And so that was a launching point in going out and ministering and many, many doors opening and all the things that God did at that time. So praise God. In fact, just overseas, I'll share maybe a testimony or two because earlier, I guess it would be at the end of the show, the end of 2004 was over there almost two months but ministering in England Ireland Scotland and the Netherlands and also in Hungary but but one of the one of the things that I saw at that time was and you know a lot happens I just can't remember everything many times people come back and give the testimonies and that's nice when they do because sometimes I don't hear the testimonies it's like it's fresh and brand new because I just simply can't remember everything but but this um little boy that with autism he was in one of the first meetings they're healing now meetings or maybe the second actually I guess it would be the second one because I was in Hungary before that but but I had seen him but one of the things of course when we go into minister we allow it's a time for the students to have their opportunity to minister to people so there's a tendency many times for people to always want to go to the speaker and they're focusing on that person because of you know what they're hearing and let me discourage you, even today, let me encourage you this, that's very, very important for you guys that's gonna be coming for personal ministry today. Make receiving about Jesus. Put your focus on Jesus. And if you don't understand what I'm talking about in that area, then let me just encourage you, if you need to take some time and prepare your heart to receive from the Lord, by taking your focus off of yourself, by looking at a human, a person, person that's going to pray for you where you're wanting them to do something for you. That needs to change. Take some time to make Jesus within your heart your healer and realize with that understanding of heart on the inside that it's Jesus that's working through them. Don't make it about the person to do something for you because that's what we do as humans when we go to doctors because that's the way it's supposed to work when a human is helping you. But you're receiving from Jesus, who is a spirit, not a human. So keep your heart open and prepare your heart to receive so that it's not a person doing something for you. But when you come up there, you may communicate with that individual on why you're coming for prayer. But within your heart, it's like, Lord, this is you. Lord, you're the one. You're the one that's working through them. You're my healer. I'm telling you that. The benefit to your heart in preparing your heart in that way to make it about Jesus and not just look for a person to give you something. The benefit of your heart in that area is that, man, you'll pull the life of Christ out of them. The anointing will just flow. They'll look at you and go, man, you're easy to pray for because you've got your eyes on Jesus. It's not about you anymore. I tell you, that is a real benefit to prepare your heart. Most Christians live for God. They never learned to come into a place where it's like Jesus. This is about you. You're living through me. You're with me as Daniel's daughter was saying today. Look, you've got the Holy Spirit. That's the Spirit of Christ. We're going to be touching on that and talking about that. But this little boy I was telling you about, I stayed back to allow the students to minister to people, but I looked over and saw him is with his mother, and I just made a straight beeline for them because they weren't yet. coming up for personal ministry. But one of the things I did in praying for him is this. He couldn't look at me directly in the face because of the effects of autism. There's varying degrees of autism in people and the effect it's had upon their body. I've ministered to, like one time, to a little boy that, man, you put your hand on his head, he'll push your hand away. He just can't understand why. There's pressure on his head. Why do you put your hand there? It was nothing spiritual. It was just simply the fact that he felt the weight of my hand, that's all, and such. But this little boy, though, he was different. He could communicate. And so with this little boy, I just simply asked his permission and communicated with him gently so that he was willing. And that's the area of the heart and the area of the soul. You know, as ministers, We don't have to force our will on people. It relates, you know, ministry is relationship. It's relational. You're relating to someone. And so to that person and their willingness. And so in that area, you know, I, as I gently communicated with him for, he was willing, you know, see in that, in that context of being willing for me to pray, what that means is this, um, he wasn't opposed to me. Other words, um. I'm not just forcing my will on someone. And there's times, I mean, where powerful things can happen where you just put your hands on people and such. But in this situation, you know, I made sure there was no fear in his little heart. That I was relating in such a gentle way that there was a willingness coming out of the child so that he would let me put my hand on him with understanding of it's Jesus working through me and what he's going to do for him. And he was willing because I reached him with enough understanding. and gentleness that he let me put my hand. And so as I'm releasing the life of Christ with the authority of Christ right into his physical body, you know, at that immediate moment, I didn't see a dramatic change. But there's one of the things you need to understand is that when you release the life of Christ, you need to know as a minister in your heart that something's happening. And let me just, for the benefit of your heart, when you're ministering into a real serious situation like this, then realize this. It's like you're releasing his life and it's just a healing in the brain. That's all it is. Don't make it a big deal. Don't look at autism or look at some serious problem with all of the manifestations, you know, that are happening in that situations or different situations and allow that to move you on the inside because people's words can paint a picture on the inside of you and the imagination of your heart. And when that happens, then. Many times you can become part of the problem as a minister and praying for people because in the imagination of the heart, it's like it paints a picture. It's an image that's there. And if you're not careful, that can become magnified on the inside to the point that Now you're fighting something on the inside of you when it comes to releasing the life of Christ. Look, just come to the place that's just like, uh-uh, it's not bigger than Jesus. His body has blood. Nothing is. And just make it about Jesus within your heart. And if you need to, just mock that problem, laugh at it, make fun of it within your heart because you don't want to put it in a place of prominence on the inside because it's like, no, Jesus, nothing's greater than you. Nothing's greater than you. you and I heard some really challenging problems that you might need to take some time and fast and pray and spend some time in the presence of the Lord experiencing the Holy Spirit for the benefit of your heart and ministering into a really tough situation look we're not in a hurry Ministry isn't about us. And so we just don't want to limit Jesus working through us, that's all. It's a simple thing if we keep it simple and don't make it complicated. But just always make it about Him. But you see, left the boy, later I'm off. ministering to the next place or so wherever I was at and um and the mother after she got home she either went home on a train or a bus we're not really sure but she called our ministry in the U.S. and the mother was sharing the change she saw within the little boy. And the change was just wonderful. In other words, he did something she'd never seen him do. If you understand autism, there's a reluctance, a tendency on the inside to communicate and connect with people many times because of the, whatever severity of the issues with the circumstances of the problem. But that little boy got up from his seat and he went to person. to person to person to person and just I mean person to person all the way through and we're just talking with everyone full conversations she was she said she was just shocked and she didn't say a thing because she was just amazed at what was happening and eventually he came back to his mother and he said mom am I talking too much she said no no it's just like praise God I mean manifestation look the anointing the life of Christ is working his work It's working. Praise God. Look for good. I mean, look for the goodness of God. I mean, it has a benefit when you come to receive that you don't immediately look at yourself and form a judgment within your heart. See, a judgment is always this. It's a human perspective. And you look from a human perspective, not from God's perspective, a human perspective. And you pass a judgment, sometimes very quickly, within your heart. A judgment is when you go beyond the act. factual facts of what you're seeing, but you interpret those facts and, and the area of speculation and the area of the imagination of the heart where you just quickly go, well, I don't see change. Nothing's happening. And sometimes the immediate response is pray again. And again, you're looking at everything from a human perspective. You really haven't prepared your heart to make receiving about Jesus. Instead, you're, you're just got a human perspective. So we have God's perspective, which is about Jesus. Christ one of the things we always experience is the Holy Spirit like our sister was talking about today in the area of worship obviously you just spot on because she said it twice just reinforcing and that's exactly what the Lord's been speaking to me about just a minister today this area of the Holy Spirit and I'll with length of time that I have you know I'll give what examples from the scriptures I have the different perspectives to understand this area of how we establish our hearts when it comes comes to receiving and to give some insight and then to that area. And I'm sure that others can pick up and labor more in that area. But praise God. Hmm. Let me just start out with this. John's Gospel, chapter 14, and verses 16 through 18. In verse 16, it begins here where Jesus is saying, He's saying, I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may abide with you. forever and he's called the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells within you and will be with you that's exactly what our sister was talking about today holy spirit is with you and you need to get that established deep within your heart you're never alone you see in the next scripture said this jesus said i will not leave you orphans i will come to you now you need to realize something about the holy spirit when the holy spirit is so Specifically speaking to you in the areas of life where your heart is being challenged, you need to realize something. And just in life in general, life consistently, daily, with the Holy Spirit, as the scripture says, He is your helper, which means He will help you. If you come to a place where there is a dependency upon Him consistently, all the time, I mean, it's just like you come to a place within your heart, it's like you're a child. It's like, I need you. I value what you're communicating. Look at daily, consistently, our hearing by the Holy Spirit, and that is supposed to be for every believer within the body of Christ. But you see, those that many times that are being challenged in that area of their heart, and the challenge is like it's dominating them through the five senses, through the communication that is coming from... the circumstances and the issues of life and how you touch taste see smell hear wherever that form of communication is coming then it's in it has if it has a dominating influence and a dominating effect upon your heart then it's like it is it'll establish that human perspective on the inside of you and in the emo imagination and that area of the emotions within the heart and your feelings and things and all all these different areas look it'll just paint a picture on the inside and that picture will come become magnified this is where jesus was talking about a mountain in relationship to the circumstances of life which we're going to be touching on today but he said this i will not leave you offerings i will come to you look this is how we're never alone he's always with us he comes to us by the holy spirit look we're not an offering offering we haven't been left here by ourselves to try to live for God in the arm of the flesh within our own ability within our own strength it was just our own human opinions we've got the Holy Spirit but if you've never established relationship with the Holy Spirit then you need to and it's a relationship you need to open up your heart to the point that you don't just want experiences it's an everyday experience every single minute every single hour that there's a dependency upon him You want relationship with him. You value the communication that comes from him. You need his opinion, which is God's opinion. Because when the Holy Spirit speaks to you, look, Jesus said, I will come to you. That's how Jesus comes to us. It's by the Holy Spirit. Because when he speaks, it's the same as the father and the son. They're one. They don't operate independently against each other. You can trust him. You need to value the Holy Spirit and what he's speaking to you. And while I'm on this point, I'll just simply say this as one example. There are believers that, as an example, the gifts of the Spirit flow prophetically in the area where, okay, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and it's a gifting. And it's been manifesting in their life. They've got confidence because I'll give the example of someone that is not necessarily a novice in that area where they're learning. relationship with the Holy Spirit in the area of the gift, but they've come into a place where, man, they know when they're spot on and they've learned the difference between them and him. And so they've got a lot of confidence. We're hearing from God for themselves, hearing from God for other people in that area of the gift. And that's a blessing. But the thing is this, they can have an area of life where their heart is being challenged and it's like God's not speaking. But the reality is this, God's never the problem. If there's a problem receiving, it's always us. And if you don't make that about yourself, then your heart can change so much more easier to where you humble your heart and that area of coming to hear a voice in a tough area of life, a challenging area of life. But I've ministered this area concerning the Holy Spirit speaking and this example that gives, and I had many times, I've had people that flow prophetically come up and go, man, that is spot on. Because it's like, You know, it's an area they've always wanted, like, God, man, I hear from you in so many areas, even other areas of my life, but it's like you're not speaking in this one area, and it's because of the condition of our heart. There's an area where our heart is exalted through unbelief. We've got beliefs established in that area from a human perspective to the point that we don't realize it's so subtle, but when that area of life, then we formed a judgment, we formed an opinion. We've got a particular belief, our beliefs. establish where our self is involved, our self-life is involved. And that has exalted our heart to the point that we're not sensitive to his voice. We know our voice very well. hearing our voice but if you keep your self-worth established in jesus then you can resolve those issues because when our self-worth is established in him then change doesn't become about us and our self-worth where it's like we always have to be right look we live life with the dependency of the holy spirit it's jesus we need jesus we need exactly what he's done in every area of life and we can resolve those issues with the help of the holy spirit you We can learn to humble our heart in those areas of life and not let it bother us because, look, our self-worth is in Jesus. Our righteousness is established in Him. It's who we are in Christ. It's only when we make life about us and our performance that we get into trouble because our self-worth is established in always having to be right. Look, it's a life where Jesus is right, and we're dependent upon Him. And if you'll come to that place with the help of the Holy Spirit, then I'll just say it this way. The Holy Spirit will make you look really good because it's not about us. It's about him. Man, he gets so glory. It's not about us. And he just lets us be a part of what he's doing in the earth. Man, we need the Holy Spirit. Praise God. Oh my. So as John 14, 26 says, he's your helper and he's your teacher. He will teach you all things and brandy remembers all things that I've said. but the holy spirit but the helper the holy spirit whom the father will send in my name you'll see jesus said he will pray and by this time jesus said hey he's being sent and it's just like the father immediately answered and it's like and look he's been here ever since and so establish relationship with the holy spirit then i'm just laboring on that part because you see on this area because of the fact that um you Look, people that are being challenged, this is one of the most common areas when I'm ministering people. In fact, I'll use the example of a person that I just ministered to that, you know, it's not necessarily a novice in the Word of God, but the thing is this, they're experiencing a severe physical problem that's bringing physical limitations into their life and affecting their body to the point that, man, they're just limited because of a stroke, I think it was. And limited them severely and the problem didn't leave quickly and it's when they've been living with it and living with it living with it and they're looking for answers it's like why and the danger of why is if we answer why if we answer why instead of it being hearing from God and getting his perspective and we begin to answer then that's that area of unbelief that's what kept the children of Israel in Hebrews chapter 3 In Hebrews chapter 4, we're talking about the children of Israel entering the promised land. Scripture says that it was unbelief that was the issue within them. Because they couldn't trust God, there was disobedience within their heart. Because of the condition of their heart, they didn't allow the goodness of God. And all that God did for them supernaturally, they didn't take time for the benefit of their heart to establish. truth in Christ. Instead, they were slaves that were set free, but they never changed. They're still slaves, even though they're free from slaveries. And there are Christians that are slaves to the problems. And because we relate to the problems of life, because they're severely challenging, there's no condemnation. Again, it's just a heart change. Don't make it about us. Get out, put our eyes on Jesus because we're worthy. Look, we're in a new covenant. The children of Israel, the example that I'm using at this time, look, it kept them from entering the promised land. Look how graceful God was with them in the sense that he still took care of them. And they died naturally as far as, you know, before they entered the people as a whole, of course, the children entered the promised land. But the fact is this, God is good. They couldn't see his goodness, though. God supernaturally brought them out, set them free. There's times we need to, for the benefit of our heart, specifically magnify the good that has happened within our life that has come from God. We need to come to know his true nature and his true character. And that sometimes takes time when we're challenged in life. Look, there's just some people, as one of the examples we're going to use today, some people that are just born with a problem from birth that is challenging. And there's some people that problems come upon them, like the lady that I'm ministering. are talking about the lady with the stroke that's physically limited. But you see, when I'm talking about this lady, I also want to mention, I've ministered to a lot of people along this line. Ministered personally, one-on-one with them. And the fact is this. One of the most common things that I always see, not necessarily every single time, but almost every single time, always see is that I never hear how the Holy Spirit is speaking to them in a chin the areas of life where they're being challenged I never hear them hearing from God because John 10 27 Jesus said My sheep know my voice. Look, if you're having trouble coming to know his voice, one of the first things you need to do is this. If the word of God says, I know his voice, then I'm going to stop saying, okay, why aren't you speaking to me? You're supposed to speak to me. Your word says, I know your voice. Well, I haven't heard your voice. Stop making it about you. Come to the place. And if you need to get a revelation, this is where... You need the help of the Holy Spirit so that God's word goes beyond the intellect. It goes beyond just something you're reading. You need to change on the inside to the point that, okay, I may not yet experience the Holy Spirit in this area, but I'm going to. And you're going to give it the time to change. And many people in this area, when it comes to hearing his voice, so that what you're reading, what you're hearing becomes yours. Because when the Holy Spirit revisits... reveals it to you. And in the process, sometimes it's a process we're receiving because of the condition of our heart. Hebrews talks about a hardness of heart. When a heart is hard, it just simply means very sensitive to me, very real to me, but I'm not hearing from him. I'm having difficulty in his perspective. It's my perspective that is magnified on the inside of that area of the heart. That's all. But you see, in coming to know his voice, many times it's a process in how you're hearing. Because, you know, a heart becomes hardened, it takes time for humility and to hear. And many times the Holy Spirit in those areas of life gives us the first thing we need to hear. He knows what we need. And many times if we're obedient, instead of being disobedient, if we're obedient to the first thing he speaks. And we'll meditate on that and ponder. And sometimes look at the condition of our heart is this. Holy Spirit, I need your help to speak and to understand the first thing you've said. I mean, you need to come like a child to a place where I'm dependent on you. And if you speak, I'm going to be obedient. I'm going to stay with it until I change because I know, Lord, you're not the problem. I'm the problem. I'm the one that needs to change. If you can do that and keep your self-worth and who you are in Christ. Instead of making it about you, look, that process will come quicker and come easier with the humility and humbleness of heart because of the condition of the heart on the inside. And so I'm going to encourage you in this area that, look, it's going to be a process sometimes. So take the time. In fact, I'll give you kind of a perspective of that change I'm talking about for those that the heart's just become dominated, where it's just so strong, like a stronghold. on the inside and the imagination and the belief that is established with those different perspectives that you have because many times when we're ministering the word of god to people they'll always come back with more perspective of the problem from a human judgment something they think we need to know that goes beyond the very facts of the problem we already know how to minister but no it's because of the condition of their heart and the things that have been written to the table of their heart on the inside of proverbs you that talks about where we write on the table of our heart from a human perspective, and those things become truth to us. And the Holy Spirit, He's the Spirit of truth. He's the one that will open up the Word to the point that we can become that truth and take on the identity of that truth, which is in Christ. And we need His help. We need that process. And so to give you this kind of perspective, those that are being challenged to the severity of what I'm talking about, then think about it in this way. It's like you're going to a doctor and the doctor gives you a prescription and maybe they give you a prescription of saying, OK, here's some medication. I'm going to write it up for you. And that medication is going to be for 21 days and you should be OK within 21 days. But I'll give you a few extra, maybe an extra seven days just in case. And so when you go and you get that prescription, you begin to take that prescription, you know. It's very rare that a person has a response after one or two or three days where they go, well, what's going on? It's not working. It's like nothing's changing. No, that's very rare because they know 21 days and they understand that this is going to be a process. It just takes time to change sometimes because of the hardness of heart, the insensitivity towards the spirit of God. And it requires time and not because of him. It's because of us. The process can come quicker where you don't need those extra seven days, so to speak. It's just a perspective. You need to realize that sometimes it takes time because many Christians, when they begin this process of humbling their heart before the Holy Spirit and Jesus, for Him to give them what they need, look, many times within the first, second, or third day, they're going, well, you know, it's not working. It's like, you know, I'm not hearing His voice. Why isn't He speaking to me? And they just empower the problem because they don't understand. their process they don't understand the condition of their own heart and again they go right back to the self-life they go right back to human perspective and then make change longer and harder and sometimes live with their problems over a period of months and years sometimes unless maybe they go into a meeting and there's the area of the gifts of the spirit like a lady i ministered to one time that was actually a graduate of the college here and very intelligent lady um i mean When I say intelligent, I'm talking about because of the pastor that talked to me and said, will you minister to her? I mean, he was brilliant. I mean, he had a brilliant mind and he was communicating to her on a level of that intelligence and understanding in the area of healing. And, man, it got to be a debate between the two of them. An intellectual debate because, man, I mean, she had a brilliant mind. And she wasn't just a novice in this area. I don't know what other areas, but definitely in this area, she wasn't a novice because... Man, she was communicating intellectually on a different level with her opinions and judgments within her heart on what truth is with her in that area. And boy, it just got to be this intellectual going back and forth with communication taking place. And he became frustrated in his ability to minister effectively to her and asked if I'd minister to her. And look, I only ministered maybe 10 or 15 minutes and it was just spot on because I ministered the heart, not the intellect. It's not bad with the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, but you know the area that she was lacking? Look, two different well-known ministers that if I mentioned them, you would know them, and this has nothing to do with them. This is not contrary or against them in any way, because the gifts, she got healed twice. And this is why she went to the pastor to talk to him. She got healed twice, sitting and receiving through the area of the gifts, and she was supernaturally called out. and with the problems and wham change took place and then later lost the manifestation of healing and then um you know a getting time on another minute well-known minister and and again this is not a reflection against them this is a problem a temperature reading within the body of christ the problem is within our own heart when we don't keep what god gives us and look she had a lot of information she had a lot of knowledge but look This truth, this understanding God's word doesn't become ours until the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. It's a part of our life until we become that truth to the point that in these areas of life, man, we can keep every single thing God gives us because the congenital heart, it's not hard to keep it because we've changed. There's change to the word working within our heart by the work of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us. We've experienced him to the point that it's not an accumulation of All this information, boy, we stay with a process, a daily walk with the Lord throughout our life where, okay, he knows what we need right now for this season of our life. It's like the students. They can sit under many, many different classes, and they're all a blessing. And the ministers that are administering in the college here, look, they're giving revelation truth, the things the Spirit of God has spoken to them. But. You may not be ready that very day for some classes for the truth that you're hearing. It may just be intellectual information that you agree with, and it's like, wow, that's good. But there can be those classes and times that you sit under the teaching. It's like it comes alive. It's like, that's good. It's just like, I needed that. See, we've had that in the prayer center that Daniel was talking about earlier that's here, where the students would come in and minister to people, and there can... I've heard this over and over and over throughout all the years we were there with the students from the time that they were there, where they'd be ministering on the phones. There would be something that the Holy Spirit revealed in them, spoke to them by the Spirit of God on the inside of them. And when it came time to minister on the phones, it was like. Something supernatural took place. It was like almost every single call was a call when they're used to receiving all types of different issues of life where people are calling in. It's like every single call was in that one area of life. They needed to hear what the Holy Spirit revealed to them. Now that's God. That's the Holy Spirit. He'll bring people to you. When your heart changes, he'll bring people to you. When your heart changes, you don't have to strive when it comes to ministering. When your heart changes. He'll just supernaturally put you in places, put you in positions, have you at the right place for the benefit of someone else. That's a servant. That's what a minister is, is a servant. I mean, it's just Jesus working through us where we stop lamenting him for the benefit of another person. Praise God. Maybe he just lets us be a part of what he's doing in the earth. It's not about us. It's about him. My, when you get that revelation, you'll just look at it and go, Lord, that's you. I didn't do that. You did that through me. I mean, if you can ever understand that and get that established within your heart that it's about Jesus, even if you find yourself in an area of life where you're challenged, don't worry about it. Just go back, seek his face, if necessary, fast and pray. And take the time to allow the Holy Spirit to change your heart to the point that that problem is no longer a mountain. It's in the imagination of the heart. It's just like you've got God's perspective. And it's just like on the inside of you. It's like there's a change it has about Jesus on the inside. Man, you see, hmm, let me just move forward and just say this. A few of the examples I've got, and I'll give as much as I've got time for, because today I only have about three more hours. Okay, that was a joke. Okay, but let's look at this one example, starting out with a lame man. And you see, this is the example of the lame man where it's about Peter and John. And if you look at the history of this, and even though I'm going to read it, I just want to cover just some specific truths so I can just kind of consistently move forward here because there's so much here that I can talk about. But it's where, now Peter and John went up together to the temple of our prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's room was carried, whom they laid daily. at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple, who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes with John, Peter said, look at us. So he gave them his attention, expected to receive something from them. Then Peter said, silver and gold, I do not have, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ. And he took him by the right hand. And lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones. Received strength. So he leaping up stood and walked. And entered the temple with them. Walking and leaping. And praising God. And verse 9 says. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat by. Begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder. And amazement. At what had happened. Now John chapter 4. Verse 22 says this. For the man was over 40 years old. On whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Look. In John's gospel chapter 4. I think this is very specific. That that one thing later was said about him. That's very instrumental important in this situation. If you look at the history of this example. What I'm talking about here. In John's gospel chapter 3 chapter 4. Then. in everything that's communicated about this man then one of the common thing that that people that study this area and speak about this situation is the fact that it's obvious that jesus passed this man every you know many times and he jesus never healed him but i'll give you some insight today because you see jesus wasn't the problem the man was and it's about the condition of her heart because You see, many of us establish our hearts and life in the avenue, on the area that we have confidence when it comes to receiving. And sometimes we've just got one way of receiving. And because that receiving is about us, this man never reached out to Jesus. Do you know that every single person that came to Jesus always received? Look, there's never a time Jesus looked at them. and said, gee, I'm not sure about you, every single time. But this man's heart was established one way. And because of the condition of his heart, look, he limited Jesus. Jesus was not the problem, the man was. And let's look at that real quickly. And I've got so many different things I can say here, but for the sake of time, I'm gonna try to move forward very quickly. But you see, the man, when it says here about Peter and John going in the temple and it talks about the man, it says he was lame from his mother's womb. That begins to give us insight. We're talking about a person that from the time that they were a child, they've lived with this problem. And they've established their heart as a person with this type of a physical issue and physical limitations as a person within this particular culture and the way they believe and the way that they think. And he's had to live life consistently from this perspective, from this position within that culture. And he had to establish his way of living when it came to finances as a person that needed to receive. that constantly needed the people that was there to give unto him. And so he established his heart. And look, he was over 40 years old. This is not a novice in this area. But from a child, he needed other people's help. He needed his family. He needed his friends. He had to be carried daily out and put here. And so he was constantly dependent on others to do something for them. There's so much I can say about that area. I just haven't got the time to elaborate on it. But I'll say this real quickly. Look, there's people that have lived with physical problems that they've learned, they've learned to use other people. What I mean by using is that it's become a way of life to them to where they have learned to effectively communicate in relation to the problem to those that hearts are open to constantly help someone in the natural. This man and this culture has had to deal with people's hearts that when they look at him, Because of the judgments of the belief of the teaching of this day in Israel. It's like, man, they look at him. And when they look at him, it's like you're the problem. Obviously, God has judged you. Either your parents have sinned or you've sinned. And sin is the issue. And so there's a constant judgment. I could say a lot about that. Because one of my trips to Israel, I watched this Hasidic Jew watch a blind man. And so I stopped to watch him watch the blind man. And as I sat there and watched the tour, I realized after a few minutes, he's listening to this blind man quote the Torah. And he was judging whether or not he was worthy to give him money, to give him alms. And after several, several minutes, maybe five or ten minutes, because he kept listening, he said, OK, you've performed correctly. And he gave him money. Look, we receive in Christ where it's not about our performance. But the man has learned to relate to life according to the culture. Look, he's a receiver, but it's got one way of receiving. There's many ways that have one way of receiving. The woman in Mark's Gospel, chapter 5, with the issue of blood, look, culturally, she understood the significance of taking a hold of the hem of the garment. That's a part of their culture. That's a part of their belief system because Jesus is a rabbi. And the significance of taking a hold of the hem of the garment. But she said within herself, and I think it was Luke chapter 8, she said within herself. If I touch the hem of the garment, I shall be whole. That was the avenue of receiving. Many times people have an avenue. Their hearts are established only to receive one way when it comes to receiving. That's why this man never received from Jesus because of the condition of his heart. Jesus, if he would just reached out, but he didn't. Because you see, he was a person that was dependent on others to do something for him. And receiving from God is about Jesus. In other words, it's spiritual. In other words, it's not about us. It's about him. It's about his body. It's about his blood. It's not about him. It's about the cross. It's about what he's accomplished for us. It's not about our performance. But when life becomes about us, many times we have one way of receiving, depending upon the condition of our heart, uniquely in who we are and how we relate to life. And so this area of humility and humbleness of heart can be a process to where receiving becomes about Jesus. And we begin to stop limiting him because we got the help of the Holy Spirit that brings change. We become something different. So don't look at people, and before I end, and I'm running out of time here because it says zero, zero. And that must mean, as Forrest Gump said, that's just all I'm going to say about that. But I'll just end with this quick thing and just say, look, it's about Jesus. Don't just judge a person. Look, you don't know their heart unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to you. You don't know who they are. You don't know what the Holy Spirit is speaking to them. So stop judging according to the physical and just look for Jesus. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Let him minister through us. Let him minister through us with a dependency upon him for the benefit of the others and those that are receiving. Man, prepare your heart. You're not in a hurry. Prepare your heart to receive from the Lord. Make it about Jesus so it's not about us. Praise God. Thank you, guys. Thank you so much, Cecil. What a blessing having you here. And again, I want to just encourage you to go to his website and he's got some great material available there that will really help you in your journey. What is the website? All the teaching on the website is free. So just type in Cecil Paxson and you will get there. Amen. Hallelujah. Let's stand, those of you here in the auditorium, if you would. And I want to just pray over you, and as I do, if our healing disciples could come and get ready to minister. There's so much connected to this topic of the heart. and how we condition our hearts either through unbelief or through belief. The heart will believe whatever you put into it. And that's why sometimes we struggle like we do to connect to the realities of who we really are. really are in Christ. And thank God for the word that is able to transform us from the inside out. And that's really what Cecil and his beautiful wife have been about now for so many years and bringing this word to countless hundreds and thousands of people through ministry. So Father, we just want to say thank you for today. Thank you for the word of God. Thank you for the life that comes from the word. Thank you that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And Lord God, now you've given us something that is so supernatural, so eternal, that no weapon formed against us can prosper. And that nothing can... and separate us from the love of God. So Father, we are so thankful for your faithfulness. Thank you that you meet us where we are. And Lord, that you want us to be well. You want us to be prospering. You want us to be in health. You want us to be... be a partaker of the divine nature through every promise that you have given us, we know that that is possible. So Father, we thank you for the word again, and thank you for all that you are, all that you are doing. And God, we just embrace and thank you for your grace in our lives that makes all of this possible. Father, I want to just speak over those joining us on the internet today, those that are watching this live and those that will be watching it in the archives. Father, thank you for meeting every need. You've already supplied every need. The table has already been prepared and it was even prepared in the presence of our enemy. Even the enemy knows that the provision has already been made. So Father, we thank you for the abundance. of healing that's available. Not just I hope I can get healed, but Lord, that that abundance of your grace in this area has already been prepared. It's already been provided. And Lord, all of it is in you. And we just wanna say thank you for that. Those joining us on the internet, we just bless and we thank God for you. Thank you for joining us today. I bless you in Jesus' name. With every need abundant. supplied and I declare that today God sends his word to you where you are right now and says be made whole be healed be blessed and be restored in Jesus name hallelujah amen amen I'm reminded of Psalm 107 verse 20. I quote this a lot, but it just says, he sent his word and healed them. That's what God's done for every one of us. And we can do that today. For those of you on the internet, thank you. We love you. We also wanna remind you that we have prayer ministers standing by right now that wanna take your call. So they'll minister to you. They'll agree with you. They'll pray for you. If you'll call that number on your screen, 719 area code 635-1111, and have somebody. to join you and we're going to see some breakthrough. Amen. Thank you for joining us. God bless you. Those of you here in the auditorium, if you want some further ministry.

I might be speaking to the students, I might be speaking to some people in that area that, you know, you've got a purpose, you've got a calling in your life, you've got a direction that God has taken you. And so, first of all... First of all, in that area, I just want to say that concerning the calling, what I was hearing earlier was relax, don't strive, and definitely don't compare yourself with someone else.

There's a tendency to look at people like myself and people that you look at them and it seems like they have a title. It seems like they have a position. I want to tell you something.

We're all ministers. And one of the things I definitely don't. do is compare myself with others because Jesus uniquely works through each of us with the giftings and the callings through us and that calling and we're not in competition with anyone. We need every single person that Jesus is working through. You can go back in history to the time where the healing ministers like myself, healing evangelists, that travels and ministers and across the United States, across the world When the U.S. during that time, there was over 400 crisscrossing and ministering.

And look, they didn't even get the job done, so to speak. There could have been easily more. And so we all have a purpose.

But one of the benefits of lying on this to solidify within your heart in this area is that you are a minister. Is that it would just, you'll enter this area of arrest. You'll stop striving, trying to become something that you already are. That's really important because if Jesus says you're something, then do you know what? Even if, as an example, like a family member looks at you and go, you, a minister, I changed your diapers or something of that kind of a judgment or something of that nature.

Look, it's just man's opinion, man's perspective. You don't have to defend yourself. And that's their problem. Just don't make their problem your problem, no matter what the issues are.

And carry that within your heart because Many people may always have opinions and judgments within their hearts. They might compare. They might become critical or judgmental.

But just let it stay their problem. Just rest. Rest in the Lord and just keep going forward.

The Lord's going to open doors for you. He's going to make things happen. But there's a place of peace. There's a place where, again, you don't have to strive. You don't have to become something that you already are.

That involves the Holy Spirit. And I'll be... talking more about that today because today i'm going to be ministering very very specifically i i believe that for people that have been striving been struggling concerning their healing but concerning receiving from the lord and some for those people that um it just seems like their problems the physical issues of life just have power over them it just seems like they won't go away it just you know their perspective is that you know in relationship to the problem that's like the lord When, you know, and so I'm going to be speaking that today.

So you guys that come up with the titles for the teaching, if you can get a title out of that, you're a genius. So very good. Praise God.

My, but I'll pick back up on what Daniel was talking about earlier because he ministers overseas as well as like myself and the Healing Now meetings that take place. And, you know, England, Ireland, Scotland is an area that we, my wife and I, we had a, Irish person, prophetic minister, was just flowing in that area and he called us out and this is way back, I can't remember, back in the early 80s or something and anyway he called us out and spoke over us and said come, come to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, come and claim your inheritance was part of the prophetic word that was spoken. But you see when you've got a purpose, when God speaks with a purpose and a direction that he wants you to go then there is things he wants to accomplish through you. And even though we've ministered in 35 different nations, and we'll be ministering more, but, you know, and it's a blessing that the things that God does, but when you go exactly where He wants you to go, it's just like, it's just wonderful. It's like you're right there at that place, and there's always unique experiences and powerful things that happen there.

You know, and for myself, this area of traveling, that was my first time overseas was actually before my wife and I were married. And of course later when we were married we began to seek the Lord for the purpose and calling and so in 1986. He released us into ministry and confirmed things with the two of us together. But I began to travel and minister, actually began in 1983, ministering in Lebanon and ministering in Israel. Spent a couple of months there, and it was just powerful the things that happened.

In fact, for those of you that are old enough that you can remember the history, it was that very year that I was there that we lost over 200 Marines and the barracks that was blown up and things that happened. happened at that time. So it was a war zone. And I'm saying that one of the reasons because you see in going in to Lebanon from Israel, the person that was supposed to be an interpreter, out of fear, he just refused to go in. But we went in with a team together by ourself.

And later the second month I went in, I went in by myself. And it was just wonderful because I knew I was going back in even though it was supposed to be impossible. And God just...

supernaturally opened the door and just went right in the day I went back down there. But the fact was this, we went in without an interpreter and I'd had some Arabic and ability to speak Span, but not proficiently to minister in a course and a message from the word. But the first person we ministered to, this other person and myself together, was a school teacher that spoke perfect English and his son was a teacher.

was sick, and so prayed for him. And my empire of God, he was healed. And this was very instrumental in this man coming to the Lord.

And he ended up becoming our interpreter. And so it was just wonderful because eventually, especially when I went back in to minister, ended up going house to house and just seeing whole households receive salvation, just like you see in the book of Acts and coming to the Lord. And one household, a sergeant. and the army received Jesus and three of his wives got saved. One wife stayed a Muslim, but man, that's just like a, um, wow, instant church when something like that happens.

But it was overseas actually that I met Andrew. And so that was for instance, middle and returning to the U S and now coming to work for his ministry, like Daniel was talking about and, and, um, and just the doors and the, for the 10 years that I was there, uh, you know, it was just the direction Lord took me at that time. And. and such. And after 10 years, the person that took over my position, man, he was just perfect.

I mean, he was just a God sent person because of Andrew going into television and just the giftings and the things that he had on the inside. And so I came to that place when there was that transition period that I realized that, you know what, I'm not a manager, even though I can manage, but I'm a minister. And it was time for me to trust.

trust the Lord and step out. And so it was in that year of 1983 that, well, excuse me, 93 to 2003. So 2003 that I taught with Andrew in Gospel Truth Seminars at that time. And so that was a launching point in going out and ministering and many, many doors opening and all the things that God did at that time. So praise God.

In fact, just overseas, I'll share maybe a testimony or two because earlier, I guess it would be at the end of the show, the end of 2004 was over there almost two months but ministering in England Ireland Scotland and the Netherlands and also in Hungary but but one of the one of the things that I saw at that time was and you know a lot happens I just can't remember everything many times people come back and give the testimonies and that's nice when they do because sometimes I don't hear the testimonies it's like it's fresh and brand new because I just simply can't remember everything but but this um little boy that with autism he was in one of the first meetings they're healing now meetings or maybe the second actually I guess it would be the second one because I was in Hungary before that but but I had seen him but one of the things of course when we go into minister we allow it's a time for the students to have their opportunity to minister to people so there's a tendency many times for people to always want to go to the speaker and they're focusing on that person because of you know what they're hearing and let me discourage you, even today, let me encourage you this, that's very, very important for you guys that's gonna be coming for personal ministry today. Make receiving about Jesus. Put your focus on Jesus. And if you don't understand what I'm talking about in that area, then let me just encourage you, if you need to take some time and prepare your heart to receive from the Lord, by taking your focus off of yourself, by looking at a human, a person, person that's going to pray for you where you're wanting them to do something for you. That needs to change.

Take some time to make Jesus within your heart your healer and realize with that understanding of heart on the inside that it's Jesus that's working through them. Don't make it about the person to do something for you because that's what we do as humans when we go to doctors because that's the way it's supposed to work when a human is helping you. But you're receiving from Jesus, who is a spirit, not a human. So keep your heart open and prepare your heart to receive so that it's not a person doing something for you.

But when you come up there, you may communicate with that individual on why you're coming for prayer. But within your heart, it's like, Lord, this is you. Lord, you're the one.

You're the one that's working through them. You're my healer. I'm telling you that.

The benefit to your heart in preparing your heart in that way to make it about Jesus and not just look for a person to give you something. The benefit of your heart in that area is that, man, you'll pull the life of Christ out of them. The anointing will just flow.

They'll look at you and go, man, you're easy to pray for because you've got your eyes on Jesus. It's not about you anymore. I tell you, that is a real benefit to prepare your heart. Most Christians live for God. They never learned to come into a place where it's like Jesus.

This is about you. You're living through me. You're with me as Daniel's daughter was saying today. Look, you've got the Holy Spirit. That's the Spirit of Christ.

We're going to be touching on that and talking about that. But this little boy I was telling you about, I stayed back to allow the students to minister to people, but I looked over and saw him is with his mother, and I just made a straight beeline for them because they weren't yet. coming up for personal ministry. But one of the things I did in praying for him is this. He couldn't look at me directly in the face because of the effects of autism.

There's varying degrees of autism in people and the effect it's had upon their body. I've ministered to, like one time, to a little boy that, man, you put your hand on his head, he'll push your hand away. He just can't understand why.

There's pressure on his head. Why do you put your hand there? It was nothing spiritual.

It was just simply the fact that he felt the weight of my hand, that's all, and such. But this little boy, though, he was different. He could communicate.

And so with this little boy, I just simply asked his permission and communicated with him gently so that he was willing. And that's the area of the heart and the area of the soul. You know, as ministers, We don't have to force our will on people.

It relates, you know, ministry is relationship. It's relational. You're relating to someone.

And so to that person and their willingness. And so in that area, you know, I, as I gently communicated with him for, he was willing, you know, see in that, in that context of being willing for me to pray, what that means is this, um, he wasn't opposed to me. Other words, um. I'm not just forcing my will on someone.

And there's times, I mean, where powerful things can happen where you just put your hands on people and such. But in this situation, you know, I made sure there was no fear in his little heart. That I was relating in such a gentle way that there was a willingness coming out of the child so that he would let me put my hand on him with understanding of it's Jesus working through me and what he's going to do for him.

And he was willing because I reached him with enough understanding. and gentleness that he let me put my hand. And so as I'm releasing the life of Christ with the authority of Christ right into his physical body, you know, at that immediate moment, I didn't see a dramatic change. But there's one of the things you need to understand is that when you release the life of Christ, you need to know as a minister in your heart that something's happening. And let me just, for the benefit of your heart, when you're ministering into a real serious situation like this, then realize this.

It's like you're releasing his life and it's just a healing in the brain. That's all it is. Don't make it a big deal. Don't look at autism or look at some serious problem with all of the manifestations, you know, that are happening in that situations or different situations and allow that to move you on the inside because people's words can paint a picture on the inside of you and the imagination of your heart. And when that happens, then.

Many times you can become part of the problem as a minister and praying for people because in the imagination of the heart, it's like it paints a picture. It's an image that's there. And if you're not careful, that can become magnified on the inside to the point that Now you're fighting something on the inside of you when it comes to releasing the life of Christ.

Look, just come to the place that's just like, uh-uh, it's not bigger than Jesus. His body has blood. Nothing is. And just make it about Jesus within your heart.

And if you need to, just mock that problem, laugh at it, make fun of it within your heart because you don't want to put it in a place of prominence on the inside because it's like, no, Jesus, nothing's greater than you. Nothing's greater than you. you and I heard some really challenging problems that you might need to take some time and fast and pray and spend some time in the presence of the Lord experiencing the Holy Spirit for the benefit of your heart and ministering into a really tough situation look we're not in a hurry Ministry isn't about us.

And so we just don't want to limit Jesus working through us, that's all. It's a simple thing if we keep it simple and don't make it complicated. But just always make it about Him.

But you see, left the boy, later I'm off. ministering to the next place or so wherever I was at and um and the mother after she got home she either went home on a train or a bus we're not really sure but she called our ministry in the U.S. and the mother was sharing the change she saw within the little boy. And the change was just wonderful.

In other words, he did something she'd never seen him do. If you understand autism, there's a reluctance, a tendency on the inside to communicate and connect with people many times because of the, whatever severity of the issues with the circumstances of the problem. But that little boy got up from his seat and he went to person. to person to person to person and just I mean person to person all the way through and we're just talking with everyone full conversations she was she said she was just shocked and she didn't say a thing because she was just amazed at what was happening and eventually he came back to his mother and he said mom am I talking too much she said no no it's just like praise God I mean manifestation look the anointing the life of Christ is working his work It's working.

Praise God. Look for good. I mean, look for the goodness of God. I mean, it has a benefit when you come to receive that you don't immediately look at yourself and form a judgment within your heart. See, a judgment is always this.

It's a human perspective. And you look from a human perspective, not from God's perspective, a human perspective. And you pass a judgment, sometimes very quickly, within your heart. A judgment is when you go beyond the act.

factual facts of what you're seeing, but you interpret those facts and, and the area of speculation and the area of the imagination of the heart where you just quickly go, well, I don't see change. Nothing's happening. And sometimes the immediate response is pray again.

And again, you're looking at everything from a human perspective. You really haven't prepared your heart to make receiving about Jesus. Instead, you're, you're just got a human perspective. So we have God's perspective, which is about Jesus. Christ one of the things we always experience is the Holy Spirit like our sister was talking about today in the area of worship obviously you just spot on because she said it twice just reinforcing and that's exactly what the Lord's been speaking to me about just a minister today this area of the Holy Spirit and I'll with length of time that I have you know I'll give what examples from the scriptures I have the different perspectives to understand this area of how we establish our hearts when it comes comes to receiving and to give some insight and then to that area.

And I'm sure that others can pick up and labor more in that area. But praise God. Hmm.

Let me just start out with this. John's Gospel, chapter 14, and verses 16 through 18. In verse 16, it begins here where Jesus is saying, He's saying, I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may abide with you. forever and he's called the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells within you and will be with you that's exactly what our sister was talking about today holy spirit is with you and you need to get that established deep within your heart you're never alone you see in the next scripture said this jesus said i will not leave you orphans i will come to you now you need to realize something about the holy spirit when the holy spirit is so Specifically speaking to you in the areas of life where your heart is being challenged, you need to realize something.

And just in life in general, life consistently, daily, with the Holy Spirit, as the scripture says, He is your helper, which means He will help you. If you come to a place where there is a dependency upon Him consistently, all the time, I mean, it's just like you come to a place within your heart, it's like you're a child. It's like, I need you. I value what you're communicating. Look at daily, consistently, our hearing by the Holy Spirit, and that is supposed to be for every believer within the body of Christ.

But you see, those that many times that are being challenged in that area of their heart, and the challenge is like it's dominating them through the five senses, through the communication that is coming from... the circumstances and the issues of life and how you touch taste see smell hear wherever that form of communication is coming then it's in it has if it has a dominating influence and a dominating effect upon your heart then it's like it is it'll establish that human perspective on the inside of you and in the emo imagination and that area of the emotions within the heart and your feelings and things and all all these different areas look it'll just paint a picture on the inside and that picture will come become magnified this is where jesus was talking about a mountain in relationship to the circumstances of life which we're going to be touching on today but he said this i will not leave you offerings i will come to you look this is how we're never alone he's always with us he comes to us by the holy spirit look we're not an offering offering we haven't been left here by ourselves to try to live for God in the arm of the flesh within our own ability within our own strength it was just our own human opinions we've got the Holy Spirit but if you've never established relationship with the Holy Spirit then you need to and it's a relationship you need to open up your heart to the point that you don't just want experiences it's an everyday experience every single minute every single hour that there's a dependency upon him You want relationship with him. You value the communication that comes from him. You need his opinion, which is God's opinion. Because when the Holy Spirit speaks to you, look, Jesus said, I will come to you.

That's how Jesus comes to us. It's by the Holy Spirit. Because when he speaks, it's the same as the father and the son.

They're one. They don't operate independently against each other. You can trust him. You need to value the Holy Spirit and what he's speaking to you. And while I'm on this point, I'll just simply say this as one example.

There are believers that, as an example, the gifts of the Spirit flow prophetically in the area where, okay, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and it's a gifting. And it's been manifesting in their life. They've got confidence because I'll give the example of someone that is not necessarily a novice in that area where they're learning. relationship with the Holy Spirit in the area of the gift, but they've come into a place where, man, they know when they're spot on and they've learned the difference between them and him.

And so they've got a lot of confidence. We're hearing from God for themselves, hearing from God for other people in that area of the gift. And that's a blessing.

But the thing is this, they can have an area of life where their heart is being challenged and it's like God's not speaking. But the reality is this, God's never the problem. If there's a problem receiving, it's always us. And if you don't make that about yourself, then your heart can change so much more easier to where you humble your heart and that area of coming to hear a voice in a tough area of life, a challenging area of life. But I've ministered this area concerning the Holy Spirit speaking and this example that gives, and I had many times, I've had people that flow prophetically come up and go, man, that is spot on.

Because it's like, You know, it's an area they've always wanted, like, God, man, I hear from you in so many areas, even other areas of my life, but it's like you're not speaking in this one area, and it's because of the condition of our heart. There's an area where our heart is exalted through unbelief. We've got beliefs established in that area from a human perspective to the point that we don't realize it's so subtle, but when that area of life, then we formed a judgment, we formed an opinion. We've got a particular belief, our beliefs. establish where our self is involved, our self-life is involved.

And that has exalted our heart to the point that we're not sensitive to his voice. We know our voice very well. hearing our voice but if you keep your self-worth established in jesus then you can resolve those issues because when our self-worth is established in him then change doesn't become about us and our self-worth where it's like we always have to be right look we live life with the dependency of the holy spirit it's jesus we need jesus we need exactly what he's done in every area of life and we can resolve those issues with the help of the holy spirit you We can learn to humble our heart in those areas of life and not let it bother us because, look, our self-worth is in Jesus. Our righteousness is established in Him. It's who we are in Christ.

It's only when we make life about us and our performance that we get into trouble because our self-worth is established in always having to be right. Look, it's a life where Jesus is right, and we're dependent upon Him. And if you'll come to that place with the help of the Holy Spirit, then I'll just say it this way.

The Holy Spirit will make you look really good because it's not about us. It's about him. Man, he gets so glory. It's not about us.

And he just lets us be a part of what he's doing in the earth. Man, we need the Holy Spirit. Praise God.

Oh my. So as John 14, 26 says, he's your helper and he's your teacher. He will teach you all things and brandy remembers all things that I've said. but the holy spirit but the helper the holy spirit whom the father will send in my name you'll see jesus said he will pray and by this time jesus said hey he's being sent and it's just like the father immediately answered and it's like and look he's been here ever since and so establish relationship with the holy spirit then i'm just laboring on that part because you see on this area because of the fact that um you Look, people that are being challenged, this is one of the most common areas when I'm ministering people. In fact, I'll use the example of a person that I just ministered to that, you know, it's not necessarily a novice in the Word of God, but the thing is this, they're experiencing a severe physical problem that's bringing physical limitations into their life and affecting their body to the point that, man, they're just limited because of a stroke, I think it was.

And limited them severely and the problem didn't leave quickly and it's when they've been living with it and living with it living with it and they're looking for answers it's like why and the danger of why is if we answer why if we answer why instead of it being hearing from God and getting his perspective and we begin to answer then that's that area of unbelief that's what kept the children of Israel in Hebrews chapter 3 In Hebrews chapter 4, we're talking about the children of Israel entering the promised land. Scripture says that it was unbelief that was the issue within them. Because they couldn't trust God, there was disobedience within their heart. Because of the condition of their heart, they didn't allow the goodness of God. And all that God did for them supernaturally, they didn't take time for the benefit of their heart to establish.

truth in Christ. Instead, they were slaves that were set free, but they never changed. They're still slaves, even though they're free from slaveries.

And there are Christians that are slaves to the problems. And because we relate to the problems of life, because they're severely challenging, there's no condemnation. Again, it's just a heart change.

Don't make it about us. Get out, put our eyes on Jesus because we're worthy. Look, we're in a new covenant.

The children of Israel, the example that I'm using at this time, look, it kept them from entering the promised land. Look how graceful God was with them in the sense that he still took care of them. And they died naturally as far as, you know, before they entered the people as a whole, of course, the children entered the promised land.

But the fact is this, God is good. They couldn't see his goodness, though. God supernaturally brought them out, set them free.

There's times we need to, for the benefit of our heart, specifically magnify the good that has happened within our life that has come from God. We need to come to know his true nature and his true character. And that sometimes takes time when we're challenged in life.

Look, there's just some people, as one of the examples we're going to use today, some people that are just born with a problem from birth that is challenging. And there's some people that problems come upon them, like the lady that I'm ministering. are talking about the lady with the stroke that's physically limited. But you see, when I'm talking about this lady, I also want to mention, I've ministered to a lot of people along this line. Ministered personally, one-on-one with them.

And the fact is this. One of the most common things that I always see, not necessarily every single time, but almost every single time, always see is that I never hear how the Holy Spirit is speaking to them in a chin the areas of life where they're being challenged I never hear them hearing from God because John 10 27 Jesus said My sheep know my voice. Look, if you're having trouble coming to know his voice, one of the first things you need to do is this. If the word of God says, I know his voice, then I'm going to stop saying, okay, why aren't you speaking to me? You're supposed to speak to me.

Your word says, I know your voice. Well, I haven't heard your voice. Stop making it about you. Come to the place. And if you need to get a revelation, this is where...

You need the help of the Holy Spirit so that God's word goes beyond the intellect. It goes beyond just something you're reading. You need to change on the inside to the point that, okay, I may not yet experience the Holy Spirit in this area, but I'm going to. And you're going to give it the time to change. And many people in this area, when it comes to hearing his voice, so that what you're reading, what you're hearing becomes yours.

Because when the Holy Spirit revisits... reveals it to you. And in the process, sometimes it's a process we're receiving because of the condition of our heart. Hebrews talks about a hardness of heart.

When a heart is hard, it just simply means very sensitive to me, very real to me, but I'm not hearing from him. I'm having difficulty in his perspective. It's my perspective that is magnified on the inside of that area of the heart.

That's all. But you see, in coming to know his voice, many times it's a process in how you're hearing. Because, you know, a heart becomes hardened, it takes time for humility and to hear.

And many times the Holy Spirit in those areas of life gives us the first thing we need to hear. He knows what we need. And many times if we're obedient, instead of being disobedient, if we're obedient to the first thing he speaks.

And we'll meditate on that and ponder. And sometimes look at the condition of our heart is this. Holy Spirit, I need your help to speak and to understand the first thing you've said.

I mean, you need to come like a child to a place where I'm dependent on you. And if you speak, I'm going to be obedient. I'm going to stay with it until I change because I know, Lord, you're not the problem. I'm the problem.

I'm the one that needs to change. If you can do that and keep your self-worth and who you are in Christ. Instead of making it about you, look, that process will come quicker and come easier with the humility and humbleness of heart because of the condition of the heart on the inside.

And so I'm going to encourage you in this area that, look, it's going to be a process sometimes. So take the time. In fact, I'll give you kind of a perspective of that change I'm talking about for those that the heart's just become dominated, where it's just so strong, like a stronghold. on the inside and the imagination and the belief that is established with those different perspectives that you have because many times when we're ministering the word of god to people they'll always come back with more perspective of the problem from a human judgment something they think we need to know that goes beyond the very facts of the problem we already know how to minister but no it's because of the condition of their heart and the things that have been written to the table of their heart on the inside of proverbs you that talks about where we write on the table of our heart from a human perspective, and those things become truth to us.

And the Holy Spirit, He's the Spirit of truth. He's the one that will open up the Word to the point that we can become that truth and take on the identity of that truth, which is in Christ. And we need His help.

We need that process. And so to give you this kind of perspective, those that are being challenged to the severity of what I'm talking about, then think about it in this way. It's like you're going to a doctor and the doctor gives you a prescription and maybe they give you a prescription of saying, OK, here's some medication. I'm going to write it up for you.

And that medication is going to be for 21 days and you should be OK within 21 days. But I'll give you a few extra, maybe an extra seven days just in case. And so when you go and you get that prescription, you begin to take that prescription, you know.

It's very rare that a person has a response after one or two or three days where they go, well, what's going on? It's not working. It's like nothing's changing.

No, that's very rare because they know 21 days and they understand that this is going to be a process. It just takes time to change sometimes because of the hardness of heart, the insensitivity towards the spirit of God. And it requires time and not because of him.

It's because of us. The process can come quicker where you don't need those extra seven days, so to speak. It's just a perspective.

You need to realize that sometimes it takes time because many Christians, when they begin this process of humbling their heart before the Holy Spirit and Jesus, for Him to give them what they need, look, many times within the first, second, or third day, they're going, well, you know, it's not working. It's like, you know, I'm not hearing His voice. Why isn't He speaking to me? And they just empower the problem because they don't understand. their process they don't understand the condition of their own heart and again they go right back to the self-life they go right back to human perspective and then make change longer and harder and sometimes live with their problems over a period of months and years sometimes unless maybe they go into a meeting and there's the area of the gifts of the spirit like a lady i ministered to one time that was actually a graduate of the college here and very intelligent lady um i mean When I say intelligent, I'm talking about because of the pastor that talked to me and said, will you minister to her?

I mean, he was brilliant. I mean, he had a brilliant mind and he was communicating to her on a level of that intelligence and understanding in the area of healing. And, man, it got to be a debate between the two of them. An intellectual debate because, man, I mean, she had a brilliant mind.

And she wasn't just a novice in this area. I don't know what other areas, but definitely in this area, she wasn't a novice because... Man, she was communicating intellectually on a different level with her opinions and judgments within her heart on what truth is with her in that area.

And boy, it just got to be this intellectual going back and forth with communication taking place. And he became frustrated in his ability to minister effectively to her and asked if I'd minister to her. And look, I only ministered maybe 10 or 15 minutes and it was just spot on because I ministered the heart, not the intellect.

It's not bad with the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, but you know the area that she was lacking? Look, two different well-known ministers that if I mentioned them, you would know them, and this has nothing to do with them. This is not contrary or against them in any way, because the gifts, she got healed twice. And this is why she went to the pastor to talk to him. She got healed twice, sitting and receiving through the area of the gifts, and she was supernaturally called out.

and with the problems and wham change took place and then later lost the manifestation of healing and then um you know a getting time on another minute well-known minister and and again this is not a reflection against them this is a problem a temperature reading within the body of christ the problem is within our own heart when we don't keep what god gives us and look she had a lot of information she had a lot of knowledge but look This truth, this understanding God's word doesn't become ours until the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. It's a part of our life until we become that truth to the point that in these areas of life, man, we can keep every single thing God gives us because the congenital heart, it's not hard to keep it because we've changed. There's change to the word working within our heart by the work of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us. We've experienced him to the point that it's not an accumulation of All this information, boy, we stay with a process, a daily walk with the Lord throughout our life where, okay, he knows what we need right now for this season of our life.

It's like the students. They can sit under many, many different classes, and they're all a blessing. And the ministers that are administering in the college here, look, they're giving revelation truth, the things the Spirit of God has spoken to them.

But. You may not be ready that very day for some classes for the truth that you're hearing. It may just be intellectual information that you agree with, and it's like, wow, that's good. But there can be those classes and times that you sit under the teaching.

It's like it comes alive. It's like, that's good. It's just like, I needed that.

See, we've had that in the prayer center that Daniel was talking about earlier that's here, where the students would come in and minister to people, and there can... I've heard this over and over and over throughout all the years we were there with the students from the time that they were there, where they'd be ministering on the phones. There would be something that the Holy Spirit revealed in them, spoke to them by the Spirit of God on the inside of them.

And when it came time to minister on the phones, it was like. Something supernatural took place. It was like almost every single call was a call when they're used to receiving all types of different issues of life where people are calling in.

It's like every single call was in that one area of life. They needed to hear what the Holy Spirit revealed to them. Now that's God. That's the Holy Spirit. He'll bring people to you.

When your heart changes, he'll bring people to you. When your heart changes, you don't have to strive when it comes to ministering. When your heart changes. He'll just supernaturally put you in places, put you in positions, have you at the right place for the benefit of someone else. That's a servant.

That's what a minister is, is a servant. I mean, it's just Jesus working through us where we stop lamenting him for the benefit of another person. Praise God. Maybe he just lets us be a part of what he's doing in the earth. It's not about us.

It's about him. My, when you get that revelation, you'll just look at it and go, Lord, that's you. I didn't do that.

You did that through me. I mean, if you can ever understand that and get that established within your heart that it's about Jesus, even if you find yourself in an area of life where you're challenged, don't worry about it. Just go back, seek his face, if necessary, fast and pray.

And take the time to allow the Holy Spirit to change your heart to the point that that problem is no longer a mountain. It's in the imagination of the heart. It's just like you've got God's perspective. And it's just like on the inside of you. It's like there's a change it has about Jesus on the inside.

Man, you see, hmm, let me just move forward and just say this. A few of the examples I've got, and I'll give as much as I've got time for, because today I only have about three more hours. Okay, that was a joke. Okay, but let's look at this one example, starting out with a lame man.

And you see, this is the example of the lame man where it's about Peter and John. And if you look at the history of this, and even though I'm going to read it, I just want to cover just some specific truths so I can just kind of consistently move forward here because there's so much here that I can talk about. But it's where, now Peter and John went up together to the temple of our prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's room was carried, whom they laid daily.

at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple, who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes with John, Peter said, look at us. So he gave them his attention, expected to receive something from them.

Then Peter said, silver and gold, I do not have, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ. And he took him by the right hand.

And lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones. Received strength. So he leaping up stood and walked. And entered the temple with them.

Walking and leaping. And praising God. And verse 9 says. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat by.

Begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder. And amazement. At what had happened.

Now John chapter 4. Verse 22 says this. For the man was over 40 years old. On whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

Look. In John's gospel chapter 4. I think this is very specific. That that one thing later was said about him.

That's very instrumental important in this situation. If you look at the history of this example. What I'm talking about here. In John's gospel chapter 3 chapter 4. Then. in everything that's communicated about this man then one of the common thing that that people that study this area and speak about this situation is the fact that it's obvious that jesus passed this man every you know many times and he jesus never healed him but i'll give you some insight today because you see jesus wasn't the problem the man was and it's about the condition of her heart because You see, many of us establish our hearts and life in the avenue, on the area that we have confidence when it comes to receiving.

And sometimes we've just got one way of receiving. And because that receiving is about us, this man never reached out to Jesus. Do you know that every single person that came to Jesus always received?

Look, there's never a time Jesus looked at them. and said, gee, I'm not sure about you, every single time. But this man's heart was established one way.

And because of the condition of his heart, look, he limited Jesus. Jesus was not the problem, the man was. And let's look at that real quickly.

And I've got so many different things I can say here, but for the sake of time, I'm gonna try to move forward very quickly. But you see, the man, when it says here about Peter and John going in the temple and it talks about the man, it says he was lame from his mother's womb. That begins to give us insight. We're talking about a person that from the time that they were a child, they've lived with this problem. And they've established their heart as a person with this type of a physical issue and physical limitations as a person within this particular culture and the way they believe and the way that they think.

And he's had to live life consistently from this perspective, from this position within that culture. And he had to establish his way of living when it came to finances as a person that needed to receive. that constantly needed the people that was there to give unto him. And so he established his heart. And look, he was over 40 years old.

This is not a novice in this area. But from a child, he needed other people's help. He needed his family. He needed his friends. He had to be carried daily out and put here.

And so he was constantly dependent on others to do something for them. There's so much I can say about that area. I just haven't got the time to elaborate on it.

But I'll say this real quickly. Look, there's people that have lived with physical problems that they've learned, they've learned to use other people. What I mean by using is that it's become a way of life to them to where they have learned to effectively communicate in relation to the problem to those that hearts are open to constantly help someone in the natural. This man and this culture has had to deal with people's hearts that when they look at him, Because of the judgments of the belief of the teaching of this day in Israel.

It's like, man, they look at him. And when they look at him, it's like you're the problem. Obviously, God has judged you. Either your parents have sinned or you've sinned. And sin is the issue.

And so there's a constant judgment. I could say a lot about that. Because one of my trips to Israel, I watched this Hasidic Jew watch a blind man.

And so I stopped to watch him watch the blind man. And as I sat there and watched the tour, I realized after a few minutes, he's listening to this blind man quote the Torah. And he was judging whether or not he was worthy to give him money, to give him alms. And after several, several minutes, maybe five or ten minutes, because he kept listening, he said, OK, you've performed correctly. And he gave him money.

Look, we receive in Christ where it's not about our performance. But the man has learned to relate to life according to the culture. Look, he's a receiver, but it's got one way of receiving. There's many ways that have one way of receiving. The woman in Mark's Gospel, chapter 5, with the issue of blood, look, culturally, she understood the significance of taking a hold of the hem of the garment.

That's a part of their culture. That's a part of their belief system because Jesus is a rabbi. And the significance of taking a hold of the hem of the garment.

But she said within herself, and I think it was Luke chapter 8, she said within herself. If I touch the hem of the garment, I shall be whole. That was the avenue of receiving. Many times people have an avenue.

Their hearts are established only to receive one way when it comes to receiving. That's why this man never received from Jesus because of the condition of his heart. Jesus, if he would just reached out, but he didn't.

Because you see, he was a person that was dependent on others to do something for him. And receiving from God is about Jesus. In other words, it's spiritual.

In other words, it's not about us. It's about him. It's about his body. It's about his blood.

It's not about him. It's about the cross. It's about what he's accomplished for us.

It's not about our performance. But when life becomes about us, many times we have one way of receiving, depending upon the condition of our heart, uniquely in who we are and how we relate to life. And so this area of humility and humbleness of heart can be a process to where receiving becomes about Jesus. And we begin to stop limiting him because we got the help of the Holy Spirit that brings change. We become something different.

So don't look at people, and before I end, and I'm running out of time here because it says zero, zero. And that must mean, as Forrest Gump said, that's just all I'm going to say about that. But I'll just end with this quick thing and just say, look, it's about Jesus.

Don't just judge a person. Look, you don't know their heart unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to you. You don't know who they are. You don't know what the Holy Spirit is speaking to them. So stop judging according to the physical and just look for Jesus.

Listen to the Holy Spirit. Let him minister through us. Let him minister through us with a dependency upon him for the benefit of the others and those that are receiving. Man, prepare your heart. You're not in a hurry.

Prepare your heart to receive from the Lord. Make it about Jesus so it's not about us. Praise God.

Thank you, guys. Thank you so much, Cecil. What a blessing having you here. And again, I want to just encourage you to go to his website and he's got some great material available there that will really help you in your journey. What is the website?

All the teaching on the website is free. So just type in Cecil Paxson and you will get there. Amen.

Hallelujah. Let's stand, those of you here in the auditorium, if you would. And I want to just pray over you, and as I do, if our healing disciples could come and get ready to minister. There's so much connected to this topic of the heart.

and how we condition our hearts either through unbelief or through belief. The heart will believe whatever you put into it. And that's why sometimes we struggle like we do to connect to the realities of who we really are. really are in Christ.

And thank God for the word that is able to transform us from the inside out. And that's really what Cecil and his beautiful wife have been about now for so many years and bringing this word to countless hundreds and thousands of people through ministry. So Father, we just want to say thank you for today. Thank you for the word of God.

Thank you for the life that comes from the word. Thank you that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And Lord God, now you've given us something that is so supernatural, so eternal, that no weapon formed against us can prosper.

And that nothing can... and separate us from the love of God. So Father, we are so thankful for your faithfulness.

Thank you that you meet us where we are. And Lord, that you want us to be well. You want us to be prospering. You want us to be in health. You want us to be...

be a partaker of the divine nature through every promise that you have given us, we know that that is possible. So Father, we thank you for the word again, and thank you for all that you are, all that you are doing. And God, we just embrace and thank you for your grace in our lives that makes all of this possible. Father, I want to just speak over those joining us on the internet today, those that are watching this live and those that will be watching it in the archives.

Father, thank you for meeting every need. You've already supplied every need. The table has already been prepared and it was even prepared in the presence of our enemy.

Even the enemy knows that the provision has already been made. So Father, we thank you for the abundance. of healing that's available. Not just I hope I can get healed, but Lord, that that abundance of your grace in this area has already been prepared.

It's already been provided. And Lord, all of it is in you. And we just wanna say thank you for that. Those joining us on the internet, we just bless and we thank God for you.

Thank you for joining us today. I bless you in Jesus' name. With every need abundant.

supplied and I declare that today God sends his word to you where you are right now and says be made whole be healed be blessed and be restored in Jesus name hallelujah amen amen I'm reminded of Psalm 107 verse 20. I quote this a lot, but it just says, he sent his word and healed them. That's what God's done for every one of us. And we can do that today.

For those of you on the internet, thank you. We love you. We also wanna remind you that we have prayer ministers standing by right now that wanna take your call. So they'll minister to you.

They'll agree with you. They'll pray for you. If you'll call that number on your screen, 719 area code 635-1111, and have somebody.

to join you and we're going to see some breakthrough. Amen. Thank you for joining us. God bless you. Those of you here in the auditorium, if you want some further ministry.

Transcript for:Understanding Ministry and the Holy Spirit

Transcript for:
Understanding Ministry and the Holy Spirit