“HEALING & DELIVERANCE MINISTRY IN CHURCH GROWTH: THE CASE OF THE NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCHES OF KATHMANDU”
TABLE OF CONTENT
Topic
Page
Number
Chapter: One
1.
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study………………………………………....1
1.2 Statement of problem…………………………………….……....1
1.3 The limitation of research………………………………..…….....2
1.4 Aim and purpose of research……………..……………...……….2
1.5 Methodology…………………………………………......…….....2
1.6 Significance of research………………………………………….3
1.7 Research Questions……………………………………....…….....3
1.8 Definition of Terms…………………………………………….....3
Chapter: Two
Healing, Deliverance, and Church Growth
2 Healing
& Deliverance from the Biblical Perspective 5
2.1.1
The Post-Apostolic View of Healing and
Deliverance………. 6
2.1.2 Healing & Deliverance in Old Testament & New
Testament...6
2.2
Role
of Faith in Healing & Deliverance
2.2.1 Faith in Old Testament & New Testament……………………7
2.2.2 Healing & Faith in the Gospel………………………………...8
2.3
Healing
& deliverance ministry of Jesus
2.3.1
Aspects of Jesus Ministry………………………………..........8
2.4 The Concept of Church Growth
2.4.1
Dimensions of Church Growth………………………………..10
2.4.2 Factors
of Church Growth………………………………..........11
Chapter: Three
3.1 Practical Guidelines on Ministering
Healing
3.1.1 Through Personal Faith in God……………………………….12
3.1.2 Through the Prayer of Faith…………………………………..12
3.1.3 Through the Gifts of the Spirit………………………………..12
3.1.4 Through Repentance and Renunciation of Sin………………..13
3.2 Practical Guidelines on Ministering
Deliverance
3.2.1
Casting Out Devils…………………………………….13
3.2.2 Through Destroying…………………………………...13
3.2.3 Through
Closing Open Doors and Entry Points………14
3.3 Why is Deliverance not practiced today in
Churches 15
Chapter: 4
4.1 Pastoral Response (Pastors and Leaders)
4.1.1 Interview with Pastor Tim Sullivan……………………….......17
4.1.2 Group Discussion with Pastors and Leaders of Local Church....17
Chapter: 5
Conclusion and Recommendation 19
Suggestions and Recommendations 19
5.2
Conclusion 20
Bibliography
21
Internet Sources
22
Interviews and Group Discussion 22
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1
Background to the study
What
is the most effective way to win souls and make disciples? What instructions
did the Lord Jesus give His disciples when He sent them out to impact the
world? How are we to impact our communities, cities, and nations with the
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? As we look on (Matthew 4:23). When the Lord
Jesus sent the Twelve and then the Seventy, He commissioned them to “preach,
saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
and raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give”
(Matthew 10:7, 8; Luke 10:1, 9). The Great Commission, given after His
resurrection also included the same mandate, to preach, heal, and work signs,
wonders, and miracles (Mark 16:15- 20). The Twelve Apostles followed this, and
so did the apostle Paul and those whom he trained. The Lord Jesus intended for
every person who believed in Him to do the works He did and even greater works
(John 14:12). While God does have specific gifts, calling, and anointing placed
on specific individuals with a ministry function in the Body of Christ, the
power and authority to minister healing and deliverance is given to every
believer.
Kwabena
J. Asamoah-Gyadu explains healing and deliverance from a charismatic point of
view as 'the deployment of divine power and authority in the name or blood of
Jesus perceived in pneumatological terms as the intervention of the Holy Spirit
to provide a release for demon-possessed, demon-oppressed, broken, disturbed
and troubled persons so that victims may be restored to proper functioning
order, that is, to health and wholeness and being thus freed from demonic
influence and curses, they may enjoy God’s fullness of life understood to be
available in Christ.[1]
1.2 Statement of the problem
Healing
and deliverance have become very common and central to the activities of most
of the church of independent churches of Kathmandu. Healing and deliverance are
considered as playing a significant role in the growth of the church. Upon
observation, one gets the impression that those churches that practice healing
and deliverance seem to be growing faster than those that do not practice the
phenomenon, thereby suggesting that there might be a link between the practice
of healing and deliverance and church growth. Congregations within the
independent churches of Kathmandu are not exceptions because this researcher
has observed that those congregations within Kathmandu which combine the
practice with other ministry gifts or whose ministers encourage and promote the
practice, seem to be growing faster, at least numerically. However, there seems
to be a paucity or lack of evidence-based research carried out in Kathmandu
churches to draw the link between this practice and church growth. This study
seeks to explore the practice of healing and deliverance and its relationship
to the growth of Independent churches in Kathmandu.
1.3 The limitation of the
research
The research will be limited to the Independent Churches
inside the Kathmandu Valley only. So this paper needs to specify the
limitations that focus on the topic. This can help to analyze how Different
pastors and leaders are practicing Healing and deliverance ministry in the church.
1.4 Aim and purpose of research
Although
there is no definite record of the extent to which healing and deliverance are
being used by churches of different denominations, the practice is very common
in the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches in Nepal. The researcher has been
observed to be one of the churches that continue to practice healing and
deliverance as part of its activities in its various churches.
This topic should be discussed in the present days to do
ministry in my country Nepal besides other topics such as speaking in tongues,
laying hands, covering heads, etc. The purpose of this
research is to understand the relationship between 'healing and deliverance'
and church growth in independent churches of Kathmandu and also examine the belief and practice of healing and deliverance
in independent churches of Kathmandu.
1.5 Methodology
Some of the methods have been used in this research paper. First of all, The Holy Bible is the great authority on truth. Personal observation, the researcher has therefore used observation as one of his major tools for data collection, where healing and deliverance activities have been recorded as and when the practice unfolds during services. Group discussion, this method has helped to gain a broader perspective on the issues being studied. Interviews were conducted with practitioners and participants of healing and deliverance. Different books, articles, and resources from the internet also.
1.6 Significance of Research
The research can help us to know about the practices of
Healing and Deliverance Ministry among the independent churches of Kathmandu
Valley which can be a reliable decision. This research can play a vital role to
understand the Healing and Deliverance ministry among the independent churches
of Kathmandu Valley. It also can be helpful to pastors and leaders as well
as to lay believers who want to research this topic. This research does not
focus on specific Churches or denominations only but can be included in every church
and denomination that are in Nepal also.
1.7 Research Questions
Given questions will guide the research and give the answers
in a systematic way which helps to know better about it.
1. What is the relationship between healing and
deliverance and church growth?
2. Why
Healing & Deliverance in Church today?
3. What
is the role of faith in Healing & Deliverance?
4. How
can we learn to minister Healing & Deliverance?
5. How
did Jesus minister Healing & Deliverance?
6. Why is Deliverance not practiced today in Churches?
1.8 Definition of Terms
For clarity, consistency, and a better understanding of this
paper, the following terms and concepts are given the following working
definitions and explanations.
The
term “healing” refers to any kind of supernatural healing of the body
from any kind of sickness or disease. The term “deliverance” refers to a
person being set free (or released) from any kind of personal addiction or
demonic bondage, demonic oppression, or demonic possession.
Healing
and deliverance: In this research, Kwabena
Asamoah-Gyadu's, definition of 'healing and deliverance' is adopted. He defines
'healing and deliverance' as the deployment of divine resources, that is, power
and authority in the name or blood of Jesus - perceived in pneumatological
terms as the intervention of the Holy Spirit - to provide a release for
demon-possessed, demon-oppressed; broken-hearted, disturbed and troubled
persons, so that victims may be restored to proper functioning order, that is,
to health and wholeness; and being thus freed from demonic influence and
curses, so they may enjoy God’s fullness of life understood to be available in
Christ.[2]
Although
healing and deliverance are sometimes used as distinctive terms (plural sense),
for this work, it is used to mean one operational term (singular sense). This
is because, in the practical sense, most Charismatic/neo-Pentecostal Churches
consider the two practices (healing and deliverance) inseparable.[3]
Church growth: The term shall be used to mean 'the bringing of people into a personal relationship and fellowship with Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit and into responsible church membership, such that the membership of the local congregation will increase in faith, holiness and other spiritual and material qualities while at the same time increasing in number, and also opening and multiplying other branches.[4]
Chapter Two
Healing, Deliverance, and Church
Growth
Throughout
church history, there seems to be the practice of healing in one way or the
other. Although the processes and approaches to the practice of healing may
take different forms, one can hardly deny the need for the practice in the
church. The practice has since been identified as a key component of the
ministries of Jesus Christ and has continued to make its strong presence in
contemporary Christian practices.[5]
This
research, which examines the relationship between healing and deliverance and
church growth, is loaded with three important and frequently used concepts
healing, deliverance, and church growth.
2.1 Healing & Deliverance from the
Biblical Perspective
This section briefly discusses healing and deliverance from both the Old and new testament perspectives and how the practice fared after the death of the last apostle who had been with Jesus. It is very important to consider healing and deliverance from the biblical point of view since the Bible is believed to be the Christians’ guide to faith and practice.[6]
A survey of the Bible shows several records of healing and deliverance incidences. The earliest trace of healing in the Bible recounts the story of Abraham who was reported to have prayed and Abimelech and his household were healed (Genesis 20:17a).[7] In all these accounts of healing reported in the Old Testament, it is used not only for the healing of humans but also includes natural phenomena from which humans derive their existence and livelihood. For instance 2 Kings 2: 21 states; ‘Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, ‘this is what the Lord says: I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
The account of Matthew chapter four, verses 23 through 25 summarizes Jesus’ ministry practice in Galilee and its environments. A quick look at the verses in question will help drive the point home. Matthew 9: 35 and Mark 1: 34 further strengthen this biblical point and suggest that healing and deliverance were one of the obvious characteristics of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The teaching and preaching of what Jesus describes as the gospel or good news went hand-in-hand with the healing of the sick and the casting out of evil spirits from people suspected to be under demonic control. It is also evident that the Gospels do not only show evidence of Jesus’ practice of healing and deliverance, but they also recorded the fact that Jesus commanded his disciples to do the same.[8] The Gospel according to Mathew, for example, portrays Jesus not only as a teacher and preacher; but also as a healer who was portrayed to have practically demonstrated divine power in his early ministry by casting out devils, healing the sick, and raising the dead.[9]
2.1.1 The
Post-Apostolic View of Healing and Deliverance
In discussing
faith healing, W. E. Warner argues that the post-apostolic church continued the
tradition of first-century believers by teaching and practicing a healing
ministry to the sick.[10]
He maintains that Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian viewed passages such
as Mark 16:15-18 and James 5:14-16 as the church's mandate to pray for the sick
in expectation of their healing. Warner notes that in the third century,
Gregory Thaumaturgus, or "Wonder Worker" (c. 213-c. 270) was credited
with many miracles, among which was healing.[11]
2.1.2
Healing & Deliverance in Old Testament & New Testament
The number of specific healings recorded in the Old Testament
bears no comparison with those recorded in the Gospels and Acts. There are only
twelve recorded in the four millennia of Old Testament history, far less than
Jesus sometimes did in a single day.[12]
There are twelve occurrences of individual healings and three
corporate healings recorded in the Old Testament. (Gen 20:1-18, Numbers 12:1-15, 1 Sam 1:9-20, 1 Kings
13:4-6, 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:8-17, 2 Kings 4:18-37, 2 Kings 5:1-14, 2
Kings 13:21, 2 Kings 20:1-7, 2 Chronicle 32:24-26, Isa 38:1-8 )[13]
There is clear testimony in the Gospels that Jesus practiced healing. Wherever he went he ministered healing to hurting people. Though there are only forty-one distinct instances of physical or mental healing recorded in the four Gospels, the texts record innumerable cures that took place during his 3½ years of ministry. Many of the references summarise the healing of large numbers of people. The Authorised Version repeatedly refers to ‘multitudes’ who followed and observed Jesus' ministry and ‘multitudes’ who were healed by Jesus Mt 12:15, 19:2. The NIV rather inadequately employs ‘many’ or ‘crowds’ which doesn’t do justice to the Greek words used. The 41 more detailed accounts are simply the ones that their writers considered the most appropriate and helpful to their hearers.[14]
2.2 Role of Faith in Healing & Deliverance
Faith is another very important aspect of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Of the twenty-two healing stories in the Synoptic Gospels, nine specifically pertain to faith. The stories about faith are as follows: 1) the centurion's servant healed, 2) Jairus' daughter healed, 3) the Syrophenician's daughter healed, 4) the two blind men cured, 5) the paralyzed man healed, 6) the woman with the issue of blood healed, 7) the devil cast out of the boy, 8) blind Bartimaeus healed, and 9) the ten lepers healed.
2.2.1
Faith in Old Testament & New Testament
In OT,
faith is expressed in three ways. The first is the Hebrew word man, meaning
agreement or firm regulation; in other words, it is agreeing with God and His
Word and saying Amen.[15] Amen
means “to support” or “uphold.” It is usually translated as “believed.” It is
used in the context of the kind of faith used when coming to salvation and
gives the picture of someone leaning on God (Genesis 15:6). Second, yaqal (Job
13:15) men's “to trust in extreme pain; to trust under pressure” is usually
translated as “hope.” The third is qavah, the strongest Hebrew word for faith,
which is translated as “wait.” So In the Old Testament, there are many
miraculous stories of people exercising their faith in God so their acts of
faith were profound that many of these individuals were mentioned in the “Hall
of Faith” found in Hebrew 11.
In NT, the word faith appears as the Greek word pistis, meaning faith assurance, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, and faithfulness. We can also find it in action as part of the miracle ministry of Jesus. Everywhere He went, He healed crowds of people from all their diseases and delivered them from many devils. The people’s high level of faith and expectancy caused His healing anointing to flow. Unbelief blocks healing and deliverance. Faith releases the healing anointing. When you have faith that you will be healed, you draw on the healing power of God. Then His power will be released in your life.[16]
2.2.2
Healing & Faith in the Gospel
In
the story of the centurion, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, I have not
found anyone in Israel with such great faith...Go and it will be done just as
you believed" (Matt 8:10, 13). When Jairus brought his daughter to Jesus,
Jesus said, "Don't be afraid; just believe" (Mark. 5: 36. To the
Syrophenician woman who begged him to heal her demon-possessed daughter, Jesus
replied, "Woman you have great faith" (Matt 15:28)! Jesus told the
two blind men who asked for healing, "According to your faith will it be
done to you" (Matt 9:29). When the paralyzed were brought before Jesus,
Mark reported that Jesus "saw their faith" (Mark 2:5). To the woman
with the issue of blood Jesus said, "Daughter, your faith has healed
you" (Mark. 5: 34). Jesus told the father of the boy possessed by the
demon, "Everything is possible to him who believes" (Mark. 9:23). In
the story of blind Bartimaeus Jesus told him, "Your faith has healed
you" (Mark.10:52). And to the leper that returned to thank Jesus for his
healing, Jesus responded, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well"
(Luke 17:19).
These accounts show the importance of the role of faith in Jesus' ministry. Almost half of the healing stories contain an emphasis on faith. These stories suggest that perhaps Jesus used physical healing to teach lessons of faith and the right understanding of faith. Jesus did not have to say anything after he had healed these individuals, and the people were amazed at his healing power. But he kept emphasizing the word faith in all these stories.
2.3
Healing & Deliverance Ministry of Jesus
Healing
the sick was the hallmark of Jesus' ministry. Wherever he went, people brought
the sick to him, and he healed them. The Gospels show us that He did this
throughout his earthly ministry. During His time on earth, Jesus became very
popular. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all
who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the
demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and regions across Jordan followed him.[17]
After John the Baptist was put in
prison, he sent some of his disciples to Jesus to find out whether Jesus was
the Messiah. The reason John did this was that Jesus' ministry differed so much
from his own. Even though the message that Jesus started to preach,
"Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand," (Matt. 3:2, 4:17) was the
same as that of John the Baptist, what Jesus did was different from John. Jesus
summed up his ministry in his answer to John: "Jesus replied, 'Go back and
report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the
good news is preached to the poor (Matt 11:4-5).[18]
2.3.1
Aspects of Jesus' Ministry
There
are three aspects of Jesus' ministry to the sick and dying that should be
noted. First, He recognized the vulnerability of the sick, in their need
for care. Jesus touched those who were sick both physically and spiritually. He
touched the leper (Mark 1:41), laid hands on the blind man (Mark 8:22), and
took the hand of the daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:54). Second, Jesus
brought "outcasts" back into human society through His healing word
and touch. He challenged the notion that sickness is the result of sin. The
diseased were thought of as unclean, punished by God, and cut off from God's
holy people. When his disciples asked, "Lord, who sinned, this man or his
parents, for him to be born blind?" (John 9:2), Jesus replied,
"Neither he nor his parents sinned." Jesus' ministry was holistic and
dealt with the sick and outcast.
Finally, Jesus reaffirmed the need for spiritual healing. The paralytic lowered through the roof is first healed of his sins (Mark 2:5), while the man by the pool at Bethesda is warned, "Give up your sins so that something worse may not overtake you" (John 5:24).[19]
2.4
The Concept of Church Growth
Growth is understood generally to mean an increase in size, number, and significance. According to J. B. Leonard, the Christian church is a community founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ and strove to bear witness to Christ's gospel in its worship and faith, work, and memory.[20] The New Testament, which informs the Christian understanding of the church, speaks of it as a living organism of persons closely related to Christ and one another. It also provides important images by which the church has come to understand its life. As a living organism, the church must grow as is the case with every normal living organism.[21] Paul’s address to the Corinthian church points to the fact that church growth is possible through the combination of human and divine efforts when he writes ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth (1cor. 3: 6).[22] Hence, there is a sense in talking about church growth as well as how people create its nurturing.
2.4.1
Dimensions of Church Growth
The growth of the
church by the addition of new converts is the fundamental dimension of growth,
but there are many other areas of growth that relate to the nature, function,
structure, health, and multiplication of Christian churches. Roy Pointer notes
that church growth embraces more than an interest in numbers and includes a
concern for quality. According to Roy Pointer, Orlando Costa suggests ‘holistic
expansion’ as a suitable term to describe the multidimensional growth of the
body of Christ, and defines four dimensions. According to him, for church
growth to be considered ‘holistic expansion’, it must encompass four major
areas namely the numerical, organic, conceptual, and incarnational.[23]
The numerical
growth has to do with an increase in the number of the membership of the
church. This according to Pointer can occur through biological, transfer,
restoration, and conversion. Firstly, biological growth occurs when the
children of Christian parents come to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord and join the church, usually by a rite that recognizes their status as
responsible members. This may be by confirmation, believers’ baptism, putting
on, and any other means by which converts are identified with the community of
believers.[24]
The second is
transfer growth which Costa identified as the recruitment of members who are
already committed Christians, by transfer from other congregations. This may be
due to the movement of Christians from one area to another but occasionally may
be as a result of social or doctrinal reasons. The third is restoration growth.
This describes the phenomenon where some Christians who have withdrawn their
active participation in religious activities are successfully brought to
fellowship with Jesus Christ and into active church membership. The successful
bringing and restoration of these inactive Christians to active membership are
considered a form of growth.[25]
The
fourth dimension of numerical church growth is conversion growth. Pointer
describes this kind of growth as growing more in number. This takes place when
those outside the church are brought to repentance and faith in Christ and join
a local church as responsible members. Although this dimension of church growth
comes from obedience and commitment to the Great Commission, it only
materializes after the evangelized have become responsible and committed
members of the Christian community- the church of Christ.
2.4.2
Factors for Church Growth
The
researcher restrains himself from any detailed discussions of these factors
since doing so may lead to writing another whole thesis. However, mention is
made of them since that is crucial for the analysis of this research. For
McGavran and Arn, any attempt to achieve the growth of the church must follow
these principles. These growth principles may also be described as factors for
growth or steps to take when considering how to grow a church.
In
their work, McGavran and Arn consider these factors and discuss them under the
heading, ‘Steps for Church Growth. These steps include discovering church
growth principles, respecting biblical principles, yielding to God’s unswerving
purpose, giving priority to effective evangelism, rightly discerning the body,
rightly discerning the community, finding new groups and ways to disciple, and
churches reproducing themselves through Planned Parenthood, structuring for
growth and risking for growth.[26]
However,
to discover a church growth principle, one must observe where the church is
growing, where God is blessing the efforts of his servants with factual, actual
church growth, where the number of members is increasing and new congregations
are being born, and where men and women are introduced to Jesus Christ,
committing their lives to him, and becoming responsible members of his Church.
Thus, to know how to grow a church, one must critically study churches that are
growing to discover the biblical principles which account for the carefully
observed growth.[27]
When one sees where God is blessing the church with growth, one must investigate why and how the growth is occurring.[28] Thus when one observes and studies the various factors, efforts, prayers, witness, passion, teaching, education, biblical base, and outreach from which this growth emerges and then carefully analyzes and truthfully describes the findings, one is bound to find one or more church growth principles.
Chapter
Three
3.1 Practical Guidelines on Ministering
Healing
There
are many ways in which we can minister to a sick person. There is no fixed
method or process that we are required to use each time. What we attempt to do
is to be familiar with the different ways to minister healing as described in
Scripture. Learn how to minister in ways that are already seen in Scripture. Be
ready at any time to minister in any way. Then be sensitive to the Lord and use
whichever method you feel released in your heart to use, in ministering
healing.
Remember,
that healing is not in the method, but in the Person. Jesus is the Healer. Healing
takes place not because we did everything right. Healing happens because of His
power that flows into the sick person making them well.[29]
3.1.1 Through Personal Faith in God
God
has declared that His Word is medicine for our entire body (Proverbs 4:20-22).
So anyone can receive healing by meditating in God’s Word and using the faith
that is birthed out of His Word (Romans 10:17). When faith is mixed with the
Word that we receive, God’s power is released to work a miracle of healing.
3.1.2 Through
the Prayer of Faith
All
believers can pray the prayer of faith for someone to be healed. So we should
not restrict the prayer of faith only to elders. The healing takes place
because we pray the prayer of faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3.1.3 Through the Gifts of the Spirit
God works healing through the gifts of the Spirit. Usually, this would be the operation of the gifts of healing, and words of knowledge, sometimes accompanied by the working of miracles and the gift of faith. The other gifts of the Spirit may also be in operation at the same time. There could be a word of wisdom, discerning of spirit, or prophecy being released as well at the time of ministering healing and deliverance.
3.1.4 Through
Repentance and Renunciation of Sin
When ministering healing, the Lord may direct us to first deal with sin in the life of the individual being ministered to. We then address this lovingly with the individual and lead those through repentance and renouncing things associated with that sin. There could be unforgiveness, hatred, anger, and other wrong heart attitudes that the individual could be harboring, which need to be renounced. Typically we lead that person to renounce lifestyle 173 patterns, sinful habits, dedications to unclean spirits, canceling ties with demonic powers, and closing doors/entry points.
3.2 Practical Guidelines on Ministering
Deliverance
There is no set formula, method, or process on how to cast out demons. There are a variety of ways in which this happens.
3.2.1 Casting Out Devils—How Jesus did it and What He
Taught Us
Jesus ministered with great authority. He commanded the devils and they came out right away. On some occasions, the devils spoke out, but Jesus always told them to remain quiet. He did not always engage in conversation with unclean spirits. He did so in a few recorded cases, although it may be possible that He may have done so in several other instances that are not recorded for us. He revealed that He cast out devils by the Spirit of God (Matthew 12:28). This teaches us to be confident and dependent on the Spirit’s power when ministering deliverance. When we face demonic powers, we know that we are of God and that we “have overcome 229 them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). He also taught us to do it with faith in our hearts (Matthew 17:20).
3.2.2 Through Destroying
The
Greek word translated “destroy” in Hebrews 2:14 means “to render entirely
useless,” “to become of no effect,” “to bring to naught,” and “to make void.”
The word “destroy” in 1 John 3:8 comes from a different Greek word which means
“to loosen,” “break up,” “dissolve,” “melt,” and “put off.” The Lord Jesus
“destroyed” the devil through His work on Calvary’s cross. Today, we the people
of God enforce Christ’s redemptive work by destroying the works, doings, and
schemes of the devil when we exercise our spiritual authority. Isaiah 10:27
teaches us that the yoke of the oppressor will be destroyed because of the
anointing. The operation of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in combination
with the exercise of our spiritual authority enables us to destroy satan’s
oppressive works over people’s lives. So for instance, when we are ministering,
we would say, “In Jesus’ name, I destroy every work of darkness in this
person’s life. I destroy every stronghold, I destroy every yoke of 221 bondage,
every enslaving addiction, and set this person free in the mighty name of
Jesus.”[30]
3.2.3
Through Closing Open Doors and Entry Points
Devils
look for open doors or entry points into an individual’s life. Some open doors
could be because of the person’s - lifestyle.
A)
Dedications and sacrifices: Idolatry, false gods, and the occult (Deuteronomy
27:15). When we worship idols we open our lives to the demonic. If
the individual or previous generations have made dedications or sacrifices to
demonic powers, they have knowingly or unknowingly, given access to demonic
powers in their family and their lives. These evil spirits, therefore, have a
“right” to operate there. The dedications that were made are an invitation
based on which demonic activity is taking place. Hence, if we sense this as a
possibility, it is good to lead the individual(s) in a general prayer of
renunciation, canceling and breaking all dedications made in their life or
ancestry, and pledging allegiance to Jesus Christ alone. Once done, we need to
trust in the redeeming power of the blood of Jesus Christ.
B Wrong Lifestyle: For example, if a person is involved
in sexually immoral lifestyle habits, pornography, or illicit sexual
relationships, it is possible that over time, evil spirits take up residence in
the individual and establish a place of control (“stronghold”). Hence in
ministering deliverance, we do not only have to cast out the unclean spirits but
also ensure that these entry points are permanently closed by the individual
renouncing such wrong lifestyle patterns.
In Scripture, we find several other action verbs: “resist,” “give no place,” “stand against,” “withstand,” “wrestle against,” “quench all fiery darts,” “overcome/prevail,” and “pulling down” when confronting demonic works. We have not included these in the above list, but essentially what has been presented above would in some way cover these other actions as well.
3.3
Why is Deliverance not practiced today in Churches
First of all, just
because the church doesn’t do deliverance on the stage or post a video on
YouTube, it doesn’t mean that deliverances don’t happen there. I believe that
every church has to be a 4x4 church. By 4x4, I refer to four main values that
the church should have:
Passionate prayer:
the church is a house of prayer. Prayer prepares the atmosphere for the
anointing in which demons can’t stay. Churches that don’t see deliverances are
usually churches not praying and fast.
A heart for
evangelism: this is huge because when lost people get
saved, usually deliverance follows. Churches that don’t see deliverances might
be those where no lost people are getting saved.
The expectation of
the miraculous: we create services where miracles are
expected, instead of creating sermons to explain a lack of miracles. We need to
add to our services: praying for the sick, sharing testimonies, and coming with
a mindset that the impossible will happen today.
A confrontation with the demonic causes deliverance to happen. Some are scared of doing spiritual warfare in the church service. I think prayers at church need to have a part where demons are confronted beforehand, and those who are designated to that specific prayer need to be trained and equipped.
When Apostle Paul put the bundles of sticks together to start a bonfire on the island, a viper came out. When we build a fire, snakes come out. Our goal is to build a fire, not to look for snakes. Fire exposes and expels snakes. Also, the fear of God must be stronger in our hearts than the fear of people. Many times ministers are afraid to teach deliverance because of the opinions of people. For those ministers, I have to remind you that King Saul lost his crown because he refused to destroy God’s enemy. Walking in the Holy Spirit causes us to walk in the fear of God. Without the anointing, we live in the fear of men. Hollywood is not afraid of what the culture will think of them when producing all kinds of junk to put in our theatres that 46 highlight witchcraft and the supernatural. People are hungry for the supernatural, but the church is scared of what people will think. We should obey Jesus to cast out demons, not live to please people. One more thing is that if we are always quick to criticize deliverance ministries, we will not walk in the deliverance anointing. If you attack anointing, you will not attract anointing. You may not agree with or understand some ministers who do deliverance, but please refrain from attacking and criticizing them. Instead, find those who do it right and learn from them.[31]
Chapter: 4
4.1 Pastoral Response (Pastors and
Leaders)
The
purpose of the questionnaire interview is
to answer some of the questions, from local church pastors, leaders, and one of
the pastors from America. The researcher
had a questionnaire interview with some pastors & Leaders.
Questions:
7. What
is the relationship between healing and deliverance and church growth?
8. Why
Healing & Deliverance in Church today?
9. Why is Healing & Deliverance not practiced today in Churches?
4.1.1 Interview with
Pastor Tim Sullivan
According to the pastor Tim, The ministry of Jesus during the Gospel times, and the testimony of the Book of Acts, we see that it is through the healing and deliverance ministry that people have a personal encounter with God. Everybody wants to see God, and through the deliverance ministry, He shows Himself to the world, and that He is almighty, merciful, and loving.
The problems we face as human beings have not changed since the times of Peter and Paul. Devils did not go away after the apostles died, and people continue to get sick and die before their time. Modern medicine and psychologists can sometimes be a help to people, but they can also do much harm. There is a problem in life that only God can solve.
Hosea
4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” and in 1 Corinthians
12:1, the Word of God says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would
not have you ignorant.” But the sad truth is that most of the church knows
nothing about the spiritual gifts and much of what they think they know is
wrong. To make matters worse, many people who claim to have spiritual gifts
in fact sorcerers, bewitching the people with false signs and wonders, and
bringing much confusion into the church. For this reason, many pastors are not
interested in having such things in their churches.
4.1.2
Group Discussion with Pastors and Leaders of Local Church
The
phrase ‘church growth’ is used to describe and emphasize the development of the
church of Christ. The church as a social institution has been affected
severally by the activities of healing and deliverance. The effect of the
practice of healing and deliverance since its incorporation into the church has
brought about different dimensions of growth in the Local Church.
In
the first place, healing and deliverance practice leads to the numerical growth
of the church. For instance, in local churches, most of the leaders interviewed
confirmed that many people came and added to their number at every miracle
service.
A
pastor, for instance, cited the situation where most people who received
healing and deliverance through the church have become permanent and committed
members of the congregation.
Secondly, the deliverance practice has been employed as an evangelistic tool for winning people. Healing and deliverance have been used in converting many people to the church. This is the situation where many non-Christians who come to the church with problems become converted to the Christian faith after their problems have been solved through the deliverance practice.
Chapter Five
Conclusion
and Recommendation
5.1
Suggestions and Recommendations
This study provides many recommendations for both practitioners and the public who desire to receive such services from churches and researchers in mission studies. Firstly, healing and deliverance in this study are identified as evangelism tools meant for winning people to faith in Christ. As a result, the research highly recommends that the practitioners employ biblical principles and ensure that activities constituting the practice do not defeat the purpose of its incorporation into the church. It is against this background that it is recommended that any initiative of such nature takes into consideration the tendencies for excesses and irregularities involving human rights abuses. This will enable many people to seek the truth about Christianity and finally long to be part of it.
Secondly, healing and deliverance in this research are seen as a program of activities that serve as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. The many activities that constitute healing and deliverance are meant to help transform Christians and non-Christians to become people who are committed to the Christian faith. It is against this background that ministers of the gospel who intend to use healing and deliverance and any other means of responding to the needs of people do so not only for its sake but with the ultimate goal of leading them to Christ.
Also, it must be borne in mind that the practice of healing and deliverance is a process and not a one-day wonder. It was discovered in the study that apart from the varying stages that ministers lead their client through, total healing and deliverance is said to be attained only through continuous devotion to Christ. Based on this, the study recommends that healing and deliverance ministers make their clients aware of the need to continue in their established good relationship with God by walking in biblical principles to make their healing or deliverance permanent. This recommendation is made because observation of many people who patronize healing and deliverance services confirmed that their attendance at the service was not because they have identified any problem of ill health. For them, it is important to attend deliverance services because so long as one is alive there is the need to be in a close relationship with God to achieve total well-being. This study discovered that the practice of healing and deliverance must consider the centrality of these elements to help position the client for effective healing and deliverance. It is believed that when these measures are put in place, the Christian mission will be most prepared to effectively respond to the needs of people. This will then translate into the growth of the church. And also we need to know some of the practical guidelines on ministering healing and deliverance ministry in the church.
5.2
Conclusion
This research is about the relationship between Healing and deliverance and church growth and investigates the role of healing and deliverance practice in the growth of the Non-denominational churches of Kathmandu. Some of the churches explore the Healing and deliverance practice as an evangelistic tool in winning many covnerts and strengthening the faith and commitment of existing members also the Healing and deliverance practice is discovered as one of the major contributing factors to the rapid growth of the church. This is indicated in several impacts the practice had on the growth of the church. Thus through the various activities constituting the Healing and deliverance practice, (counseling, discussing the word of God, sharing the gospel, singing, and praying for deliverance) numerical, Physical, and spiritual progress has been made in the church in addition to Non-denominational churches of Kathmandu.
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Company, 2001).
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Gbordzoe, E. K., Prayer, and Church Growth:
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Phillips James M., (eds), Mission Legacies: Biographical Studies of Leaders
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Interviews
and Group Discussion
Pastor
Tim Sullivan, 25th May 2022.
Pastors
and Youths of Holy Vision Church and Bishwash Asha Maya Church, 20th
May 2022.
[1]
Kwabena, J. Asamoah-Gyadu, African Charismatics: Current Developments within
Independent Indigenous Pentecostalism
in Ghana (Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2005), 165.
[2]
Asamoah-Gyadu, African Charismatics, 164-200.
[3]
Asamoah-Gyadu, ‘Of Sour Grapes and Children’s Teeth’, 340.
[4] E.
K. Gbordzoe, Prayer and Church Growth: A Practical Model (Accra: GEC
Press, 2010), 61.
[5]
Morton T. Kelsey, Healing
and Christianity: in
Ancient Thought and Modern Times
(New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1973), 6.
[6]
J., Wilkinson, Health and Healing: Studies in New Testament Principles and
Practice, (Edinburgh: Handsel, 1980).
[7]
The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version.
[8]
Matthew 10:1 of the Holy Bible for instance records: ‘And he called to him his
twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them
out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. Mark 3:13- 14; 6:7; and
Luke 9:1 give further support
[9]
P. J., Achtemeier, et al., Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and
Theology (Michigan: Eerdmans Publication Company, 2001), 99.
[10]
W. E. Warner, ‘Faith Healing’, in Daniel G. Reid, et al.(eds), Dictionary of
Christianity in America, (Town: InterVarsity Press, 1990), from
Discovering Collection Database, PC Study Bible V5.
[11] Ibid.
[12] http://voiceofhealing.info/01_history/old_testament.html
(accessed on May 23, 2022).
[13] The
Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version.
[14] http://voiceofhealing.info/01_history/gospels.html
(accessed on May 23, 2022).
[15]John
Eckhardt. Scriptures For Faith, Deliverance, and Healing, (Florida:
Charisma House) 1982, Page 3.
[16]John
Eckhardt. Scriptures For Faith, Deliverance, and Healing, (Florida:
Charisma House) 1982, Page 13.
[17] https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1450&context=etd
(accessed on May 23, 2022).
[18] The
Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version.
[19] https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1450&context=etd
(accessed on May 23, 2022).
[20]
J. B. Leonard, Church in Dictionary of Christianity in America,
(Intervarsity Press, 1990), Electronic Copy.
[21]
E. K. Gbordzoe, Prayer and Church Growth: A Practical Model, (Accra: GEC
Press, 2010), 63.
[22]
The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Online Publishing
Inc., 2002),http://www.powerbible.com.
[23]
Roy Pointer, How Do Churches Grow? (Basingstoke, Hants: Marshall Morgan
& Scott, 1984), 25-29.
[24]
Pointer, How do Churches Grow? 26.
[25]
Pointer, How do Churches Grow? 27.
[26]
McGavran and Arn, Ten Steps for Church Growth, 15. (McGavran and Arn in
this book discuss what they termed as Ten Steps for Church Growth.)
[27]
McGavran identified four questions that should preoccupy a generation of
church scholars. These are What are the causes of church growth? What are the
barriers to church growth?, what are the factors which can make the Christian
faith a movement among some populations? And what principles of church growth
are reproducible?
[28]
Norman A. Horner & James M. Phillips (eds), Mission Legacies:
Biographical Studies of Leaders of the Modern Missionary Movement
(Maryknoll, Orbis Books, 1994), 516.
[29]
Morton T., Kelsey, Healing and Christianity, Healing and Christianity: in
Ancient Thought and Modern Times (New York: Harper & Row Publishers,
1973), 97.
[30]
https://apcwo.org/apc/resources/sermons/notes/MinisteringHealingAndDeliverance.pdf
(accessed on May 23, 2022).
[31]
Vladimir Savchuk, Frequently Asked Questions about Deliverance (Ebook).
2020, 45.