Letter about Hypocrisy, Resolution and Forgiveness

Dear Aunty Betty,

I thank you for your sharing and your frank openness about what is a sensitive issue, both inside and outside the church. However, I would like to steer away at the issue of hypocrisy and come back to the fundamentals of our faith and as Christian brothers and sisters.

However, to answer your question, Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, lest you be judged” was Jesus warning us not to be hypocritical. The passage continues:

“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it would be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye2 when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:2-5)

Jesus was warning against hypocritical and self-righteous judgement of other people. Likewise, Aunty Betty, we also should not be quick to place judgement on those whom we consider hypocrites. We do not label others as hypocrites otherwise our Father in heaven shall measure us by the same standard (Matthew 7:2).

The bible teaches us as to how to deal with a brother and sister who is sinning. Matthew 18:15-17 is clear:

“If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault between you two alone. If he listens to you, you have gained a brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses even to listen to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Jesus had already established a process of a peaceful conflict resolution as to how to deal with our fellow brethren in the church. However, we do not confront them to humiliate, embarrass or chastise them based on our own self-righteousness or ideology, but along the guidelines of the word of God. We do this in the hope that they should repent and be welcomed again into the body of Christ. “let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

In what manner do we approach this person? The bible is clear that “Owe nothing to anyone – except your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbour, you will fulfil the requirements of God’s law” (Romans 13:8). Paul wrote to the Ephesians saying “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15). Loving one another does not mean to hide the offence in order to keep the peace. This would lead to greater problems, including bitterness. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal unforgiveness or bitterness as offences against a brother would form a barrier between us and God. When we pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12) note that if there is unforgiveness in our hearts against another, our Father in heaven would not forgive us of sins against us. “For if you forgive others of their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

I will conclude with three passages as to how we are to be in right standing with the Lord, while dealing with a brother or sister who sins in the church. First Paul said to Timothy, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2) and to the Ephesians “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32).

Finally, Jesus has shown us how to deal with offences and to avoid falling back to unforgiveness. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). By God’s grace, healing shall take place and the body of Christ shall be strengthened. Do not fall into the same trap by criticising or condemning others, but rather seek to edify the church by serving the Lord with your whole heart. Do not rely on your own wisdom, but ask God to provide His wisdom. I pray that the Lord shall guide you to understand His perfect plan but earnestly “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things will be added onto you” (Matthew 6:33).

I pray that the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen

Blessings,

Douglas

-----Original Message-----
From: Betty Elledge [mailto:bettyelledge@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:06 AM
To: Alicia Chew; drcj lim; Tan Hoe Pin; Irene Lim; Nancy Tan; Richard Tok; Pastor John Roxborogh; SC YONG; Chin chin; Steven Fung; Beatrice Rodriguez; Christian GIRSANG; Lisa Ho; Ann Cheah; Andrew Hwang; David Lai; Robert Weniger; Ron Woodward; douglast86@hotmail.co.uk; Cynthia JONAS; George Elledge
Subject: Hypocrisy

I mentioned the hypocrisy of our church but was told not to say this. I do not want to avoid the truth and would dearly like to seek out as much clarity in my search for the truth.  I therefore take the liberty to do some research on my usage and application of the word "hypocrisy". I am sorry to have to say I discover hypocrisy is quite common among Christians (sorry for so unchristianly judging others?) and worst still some Christians have fine-tuned hypocrisy to such an act that it is hard to detect, and some manage to use it to their advantage.  I love the book "to Kill a Mocking Bird", and the movie "A Few Good Men" that have played a part in enriching my character building as an ordinary human being. Certainly I am still discovering the truth from the Bible.

Matthew 7:1 "do not judge or you'll be judged". What kind of judgement was Jesus forbidding? My understanding is that God is the sole judge of our salvation. Some judgements are unavoidable. Many people lump all judging together as if it is bad when they themselves make judgement everyday, e.g. who dressed better, which boy is better looking, her social background is upper class.... We do them all the time without even thinking about it.  We even choose our friends on such judgement, without even realizing it. Therefore judge not cannot apply to all kinds of judging.

John 7:24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly". Did Jesus contradict himself? I don't think so, Jesus is saying judge right. How to judge right is another deep searching knowledge of the truth.

Roman 2:1 Paul criticized some of his Christian readers for judging others when they were doing the same things. Paul criticized HYPOCRISY.

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 Paul says "what business is it of mind to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  I can see Paul condemns bad judging but commands another kind of judging? 

Throughout the bible, I note Jesus judged the legalism and judgmentalism of the Pharisees;  Paul often criticized other apostles and his own converts for falling out with the true gospel of grace and truth.

The right judging discipline the church. It is obvious without some form of church discipline, which inevitably involves some form of right judging, the church is merely a gathering place for so called Christians with their own set of values and beliefs.  I believe I can only renew my spirit by judging without the judgmentalism. I believe church discipline depends on appropriate judging, and that church discipline means holding Christians accountable for their lives.

Pardon me if I have offended anyone, but this is merely for me to seek out the utmost truth of God's word, Jesus my real word in picture. I send to you, dear friends in Christ whom I respect with a view that we all can share and learn together the real truth.  It will be a blessing on my part to hear from you all, hallelujah!

In Christ,

Betty

Prosperity…Is It Biblical?

By Pastor Benny Hinn

The term “prosperity teaching” or “prosperity Gospel” is one of the most misunderstood and misused terms in today’s language.

I believe biblical prosperity is scriptural, and it is taught throughout the Bible. Giving to the Lord is so important that God has promised that those who give for the work of the Gospel will be blessed and protected.

Today I want to share with you what the Scriptures have to say about biblical prosperity, because I believe we are coming into a time of great abundance for the sake of the Gospel. The Gospel is being preached around the world, and a great harvest of blessings is coming to those who are supporting the cause of Christ around the world.

Prosperity Results from Righteousness and Faithfulness

The Word of God declares: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2). Prosperity is not an accident but the result of the Word of God being in our life.

Righteousness puts us in line to receive great blessings from the Lord: “In the house of the righteous is much treasure” (Proverbs 15:6), and “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

Faithfulness to God is the key to prosperity, and only faithfulness brings us into that place where God can begin to bless us financially: “A faithful man shall abound with blessings” (Proverbs 28:20).

The Lord has given each person certain abilities and gifts, and He expects us to be faithful with them. He expects us to tend to and nurture these abilities and gifts so we might produce fruit for His glory and kingdom!

The Word of the Lord tells us clearly that only as we keep and nurture our gifts will we be able to reap their benefits: “Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured” (Proverbs 27:18). As we stay faithful with the gifts God has given us, we will receive fruit in abundance.

Prosperity Results from Obedience

To receive God’s blessings and abundance, we must obey Him!

The Word of God tells us, “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do” (Deuteronomy 29:9).

The Scriptures clearly say that it is not God’s will for any to perish, nor is it His will for any to live in sickness or poverty.

Poverty comes when we refuse the Word of God. Proverbs 13:18 declares, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.”

But when we obey the Lord’s Word, prosperity will be ours immediately, and for all of our days: “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (Job 36:11).

The Word of God says clearly in Proverbs 15:6 that in the house of the righteous is much treasure, not much poverty! Poverty does not belong to the righteous. It belongs to those who disobey God. Abundance and blessings belong to God’s children.

Debt is not God’s will. In fact, it is bondage: “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).

The Lord wants to deliver His people from all bondage and all debt, and only as God’s people seek Him and obey Him will liberty from bondage come our way: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.… That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures” (Proverbs 8:17-18, 21).

God’s Word is clear that He takes pleasure in our prosperity! He rejoices when we prosper: “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (Psalm 35:27).

Prosperity Results from Diligence

Look at what God has given you in the way of abilities, physical assets, and spiritual blessings. Care for them and cause them to increase. God will surely bless you:

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens. (Proverbs 27:23-27) 

As we are diligent before the Lord to nurture what He has given us, only then will we have abundant supply, for the Word of God tells us that He delights in the one who is not lagging behind in diligence: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” (Proverbs 22:29).

Look at Joseph. He was sold as a servant then became a prisoner. But because he was diligent before God, the Lord promoted him not only to stand before a king but to be second in command.

We have another great example in the prophet Daniel. He was a prisoner of war in a heathen land, but he was diligent in serving a heathen king. Daniel, too, was promoted and ended up counseling kings.

Nehemiah, another example of diligence, was promoted from his job as cup-bearer.

God’s promotional hand is upon the diligent! Jesus told us to be faithful in little things and He will make us ruler over many things (Matthew 25:21-23). The Word of the Lord also tells us, “The hand of the diligent maketh rich” (Proverbs 10:4), and “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness” (Proverbs 21:5).

The Lord warns that we will be blessed and prosper only as we are faithful and diligent!

Stewards must be found faithful. As you give to His work again this month, remember that it is your faithfulness to the Lord that will reap abundance.

The Word of God declares, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever)” (2 Corinthians 9:8-9).

It is the Lord who gives you seed to sow, and it is the Lord who will multiply that seed and increase the fruits of your righteousness!

The Lord will enrich you in everything to all bountifulness, which will bring Him great honor and glory in these last days around the world.

And as you give, you are declaring the Gospel to the nations of the world. You are bringing the message of salvation to multitudes throughout the earth!

The Reason for Biblical Prosperity

The reason for biblical prosperity is clear: the Gospel must be preached! This is why a wealth transfer is coming.

From Genesis to Revelation, the principles are taught.

The Lord said to Abraham, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).

God surely wants to bless you and make you a blessing to others. To finance the coming harvest, God is looking for a people whom He will bless, for the coming harvest is the winning of the lost around the world. Surely, it is on the way, and God is preparing all of us for that glorious day.

I know that the most glorious harvest of God is just around the corner, and He is preparing you and me for a glorious move! I also know that the Lord is preparing us for the most incredible move of the Holy Spirit!

Remember, everything you do today for the Lord will affect what God will do with you when that day of wealth transfer begins: “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11). I believe that God Almighty is watching everything we do for Him today to see if He can trust us when that blessed move begins!

For truly how can God trust those who are not faithful with His glorious power and anointing—the invisible—unless He can trust them first with the visible?

The Lord is watching everything we do for Him today. He is looking for a people He can trust, for the day will come when true riches will be committed to believers who are faithful. These true riches not only are the invisible power of God but also the coming wealth transfer on earth that will finance the end-time harvest!

That is why our Lord Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38). Not only will it will be given now, but I believe He also means that it will be given on that day, and “it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”

What You Do Today Will Count Toward Tomorrow

Paul the apostle declared, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6), not only presently, but also on that day when the wealth transfer begins!

God Almighty will give us accordingly to the measure we sow today. That is why Jesus said, “For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

What we do today will count toward what happens tomorrow, in the future, and on that day when that wealth transfer starts!

So give today faithfully. Give today with obedience. Give today with all your heart, with a cheerful heart. And God has promised not only to take care of you today and tomorrow, but also to trust you one day with the wealth of the sinner.

Remember as you sow your seed, God’s promise: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). You will never lack—no, not for one minute—because you have been giving and continue to give to the work of the Gospel.

The glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached because of faithfulness of God’s people.

Biblical Prosperity and You

Divine prosperity is God’s will for every believer!

Now it is time that we as believers obey the Lord, and even ask Him for prosperity. Like David we, too, can pray: “Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity” (Psalm 118:25).

It also is time that we sow for prosperity: “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).

God wants us to prosper because the nations are calling and God continues opening doors. We must respond now before it is too late! As God orchestrates our steps with divine perfection and sends a powerful financial outpouring, we must go forward as a mighty army, obeying the Lord’s command to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Now, more than ever, we must preach the Gospel to all the world, for Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). That time is now!

May God bless you and the seed you plant in obedience to His Word, for He promises, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

Prosperity is biblical. Prosperity is God’s will. Most of all, prosperity is given to take the life-saving, miracle-working Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations!

Protection for Pastors, Prayer Warriors and their Families

PUT ON ALL THE ARMOR THAT GOD SUPPLIES
EPHESIANS 6:10-18

A message from the founder of Blood of Jesus.com to all fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who intercede in the spiritual battlefield through deliverance & healing prayers.

Not too long ago (2006-2007), in my life, I had the opportunity to witness & experience the evil spiritual powers of this world & how they devise plans to systematically destroy human life & families.

On the verge of destruction our Lord, God Jesus Christ saved me and my family. Since then I gave my life to Christ and began growing in the Word and ministry.

Today, I see similar situations of clutches, troubles and tribulations amidst pastors, prayer warriors and their families. The devourer is at work while one would expect "automatic protection" for families that are involved in God's work. However spiritual world works differently and it is a heart ache to see sufferings amidst faithful Christian families who uphold Christ & serve His Kingdom.

However this can be prevented!

Through understanding of the spiritual world (the battle field) and by using God's armor one can prevent attacks from the enemy.

This message is intended to shed some light on the spiritual warfare and to help you equip and protect yourself, your family and the congregation.

Understanding the battlefield:

Prayer is powerful. Prayer brings results and it also draws "reaction from the enemy"side. This is no different or actually worse than picking up a fight on the street where the opponent knows where you live. This opponent is also a lawless, powerful destroyer with countless number of soldiers who hate God and His children with a passion.

Often pastors and prayer warriors go into the battlefield barefooted, without proper training and or armor.

Armor needs to be worn every time before entering the battlefield and relax the armor upon completion of the daily prayer or ministry activities, just like how a real soldier goes to duty. In this message I would like to highlight the reason and the 2 step procedure that needs to be put in place every day of ministry work.

Understanding Kingdom of God:

The Word indicates that things of this world is a shadow of the real things in Heaven and such one can understand the workings of Kingdom of God by comparing it to worldly government and armed forces.

Like how army soldiers on earth gets appointed, undergo training and receive armor, every man of God needs these three before entering the battlefield.

Appointment: One should not consider as soldier in God's Kingdom without invitation of appointment. When a person desires to join the army of God, submit in prayer and wait upon the Lord. The Lord through dreams, visions or through an anointed pastor will reveal the appointment.

This appointment is IMPORTANT because, with this appointment also comes a very important gift through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This gift is called "Authority Over Evil Spirits". God gives this very important gift to every soldier when appointed. With this gift one can cast out demons and evil spirits in the name of Jesus. It is true that any believer can cast out demons and evil spirits in the name of Jesus but the level of authority required to do ministry is different from personal & intercession prayers.  

Refer Luke 10 Verse 1 & 17 (God's Word Translation)

1 After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples to go ahead of him to every city and place that he intended to go. They were to travel in pairs.
17 The 70 disciples came back very happy. They said, “Lord, even demons obey us when we use the power and authority of your name!”

When I got started with my ministry, before going to the first ministry call (it was a deliverance call) Lord anointed me through my pastor who operates all the 12 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Lord anointed me with the following gifts: "Authority Over Evil Spirits" and"Gift of Healing". I still do not talk in tongues, I feel the same in every way but now when I pray, deliverance takes place just like how it is mentioned in Luke 10 verse 17.

Make every attempt to obtain, confirm and verify your appointment or else the spiritual problems that will follow home will soon make a believer bitter at heart and eventually cause backsliding, a common situation which is actually worse than being saved in the first place.

Training: We need training to handle any responsible job, how much more training we will require to do God's work? It is a misunderstanding if someone would consider this work easy or take it for granted. Consider this, when someone takes the Good News without proper training and understanding of the Word and Ways of the Lord, they can easily create confusion and damage to ones existing faith. Instead a soldier should first dedicate lot of time to study the Word, pray, fellowship and understand the ways of the Lord and by applying the Word and all the commandments into ones own life first. A new Christian should allow considerable growth before seeking appointment.

God's Armor: Out of the three the most important is putting on God's armor in an appropriate way. This applies to pastors, prayer warriors and to everyone who will go up in prayer to rebuke and bind evil powers during ministry or personal prayers. This also applies for healing prayers.

Let's read EPHESIANS 6:10-18 (God's Word Translation)

10 Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.
11 Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies.
12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.
13 For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.
14 So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate.
15 Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace.
16 In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Also take salvation as your helmet and the Word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies.
18 Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people.

The Word is very precise and it prepares a soldier for the battlefield. With a deep understanding of the above verses and its meaning one shall prepare for the battlefield.

There is one more very powerful armor that we need. Which is "Blood Of Jesus". No armor can substitute the protection provided by Blood of Jesus. Every Christian should have a deep understanding about Blood of Jesus and its power & authority.

When the prayer warrior claims the protection and victory of Blood of Jesus, powers of darkness will be shaken and thrown away because nothing can stand against the power of Blood of Jesus. Blood of Jesus is THE highest & greatest power / defense from every device of evil.

Two Step Protection Process for prayer warriors, pastors & ministers.

Entering the battlefield:

Every day before beginning the ministry or prayers for others, the soldier needs to wear all the armor. This is done through a prayer. You can do this prayer in private, this prayer is for you, your family, job, business etc.

The following or similar protection prayer can be used.

- Holy Father I come into your presence in Jesus name.
- As I come, sprinkle me with your Blood, wash my sins, inequities & disgust and sanctify me.

- Lord I come to submit my day of ministry at your feet and into your throne of mercy & fortress of your Blood.
- Lord I submit myself, my wife, son, daughter.... (name all the members in your house)
- Lord I also submit every aspect of our life including my job, business, happiness, peace, marriage, health.... (name all that matters)
- INTO THE FORTRESS OF YOUR BLOOD AND FIRE
- Mark us all with your Blood, fence us with your Blood and Fire and appoint your angels to look after us.
- Guard us, guide us and lead us during and after ministry prayers.
- I rebuke every hindrances in the name of Jesus.

- I pray and ask in the most precious name JESUS. Amen!

- Thank you Father for hearing my prayers & blessing me with your mighty protection during and after my ministry prayers. With thanks giving I proceed in the name of Jesus. Amen!

With this prayer you can begin your day of ministry and prayer. Protection prayer is required even if you are going to pray for just one person (or the whole day). Once the ministry day or prayer session is completed, a thanks giving prayer is required to fulfill the above protection prayer.

This actually applies to everything. When we receive something from the Lord, we have to give thanks to the Lord. Without thanksgiving, what we received cannot be fulfilled as a true blessing. Thanks giving and thanks offerings are as important as the prayer itself.

Thanks Giving Prayer:

- Holy Father I come into your presence in Jesus name.
- As I come, sprinkle me with your blood, wash my sins, inequities & disgust and sanctify me.

- Lord I thank you for listening to all my prayers.
- Lord I thank you for the deliverance and fulfillment of all my prayers.
- Lord I thank you for giving me the privilege to pray, minister and support your children.
- Lord I thank you for protecting myself, my family and every aspect of our lives during and after my ministry.
- Lord I submit the rest of the day at your feet, guard me, guide me and lead me.

- I pray and thank in the most precious name JESUS. Amen!

This prayer seals the day and now you are free and protected.

Common Mistakes and Pitfalls

Sub: Laying of Hands & Praying

Often I come across evangelists who lay their hands on another person and pray for their needs and sickness. The first thing I was told by my pastor is NEVER lay your hands on someone. Instead ask them to keep their hand on their chest or if it is a prayer for healing, have them keep their hand on the part that needs healing.

The reasons behind this instructions are shocking. Spiritual world is bigger than this physical world. We need a lifetime to learn and get around this world that we can see with our own eyes. How much more learning we need to understand the world that we cannot see?

Basics: Our body is like a vessel that can contain spirit(s). A body can either contain The Holy Spirit or it can contain evil spirit(s). In general NO "human body" is empty. Evil spirits are in such large numbers & in far greater ratio compared to the population of this world. Often multitude of evil spirits are found in one body. 

A person might look absolutely normal from the out side. They can be well dressed with full of manners, attitude etc. but what they contain is beyond one's guess. The only people that can touch and pray are those who are gifted with the Holy Spirit, those who can see into the spiritual world, understand what they are dealing with and have the power & authority to tie up demons.

All others who are still growing in faith & the gifts of the Holy Spirit should keep their hands with themselves. Because the moment you keep your hands on the other (during intercession & deliverance prayer), evil spirits & demons can flow freely from one body to another.

Scriptural Warnings & Evidence

1 Timothy 5:22

Don’t be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone to ordain him.

Don’t participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.(God's Word Translation) 

Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure
(New King James Version)

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
(King James Version)

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
(New American Standard Bible)

With the help of my Pastor, the following underlying practical problems has been explained with scriptural evidence.

Basically, laying of hands on someone (during prayer) can bring many problems in an instant. In the above verse, Paul orders not to lay hands while referring to an important subject associated with laying of the hands, which is "Transfer of SIN" referred as "share in other people’s sins".

1. Do not lay hands
2. Take no part in the SIN of other
3. Keep yourself pure

Let's First Understand Curses and Disease (because SIN is behind it):

Mostly a man of God, a prayer warrior is called upon to pray for one's diseases or problems (clutches & curses).

Diseases in a human body can arise from the following main areas.

• Age & gender related
• Physical weaknesses & immunity
• Viruses and epidemics
• Accidents & Genetically inherited (can also be spiritual in nature)
• Evil spirit invasion

Today, many prayer warriors & pastors do not realize that diseases in a human life can be caused by invasion of evil spirits & that they are dealing with something which isspiritual in nature (rather than being physical in nature).

Modern medicine & technology are true blessings of the Merciful God, Lord Jesus Christ. You can verify this statement by taking into account of what the world had before Christ (BC) and what the world received after death and resurrection of the Lord (AD). I mention this, to illustrate that special caution must be exercised when dealing with health problems that could not be accurately identified and or the prescribed medication could not effectively control, treat & heal the condition.

"special caution" refers to various other ailments and diseases that do not fall under the above category which can also be due to the result of evil spirit invasion. Only a gifted / anointed pastor through the revelation of the Holy Spirit can understand the true condition.

There are many references in the Holy Bible where people get cured when evil spirits / demons leave the body.

Mark 1:34

He cured many who were sick with various diseases and forced many demons out of people. However, he would not allow the demons to speak. After all, they knew who he was.

Luke 8:2

Also, some women were with him. They had been cured from evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out

Acts 19:12

People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.

Similar to diseases, most of the problems people face that require prayer and deliverance can also be spiritual in nature.

When someone has problems or diseases that require prayer... It is important for a prayer warrior to look at it from a spiritual point of view. When you look at the problems from spiritual world's point of view, each of the issues will have a point of origination. A gifted pastor can trace it back to its origination; sometime curses & clutches lead back several generations.

Most importantly one should know & understand that evil spirit invasion that bring diseases & problems enter through SIN. This evil spirit entry could be the result of the SINS of the effected person or the family curses or inflicted through mediums such as witchcraft.

Unless you are an anointed pastor who operate the Gift of Revelation, it is not possible to understand or know what kind of spirits/demons that you are dealing with.

In Matthew 17:21 Jesus said; “However, this kind of demon goes away only by prayer and fasting.” 

Gifts of the Holy Spirit enables a pastor to understand and have the authority to deal appropriately with different kinds of demons, since every deliverance and situations are different. Please read 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11 to learn about all the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit.

Spirits Can be Transferred Through Laying of Hands

When prayer warriors lay the hand on someone and pray for their problems & diseases,without proper protection and authority, spirits responsible for these curses escape that body & often get transferred into the lives and families of the prayer warrior.

To bring clarity, I'll recall Paul's warnings in 1 Timothy 5:22

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

The above verse clearly identifies the spiritual transfer of sins from one body to another or from one life to another through laying of the hand.

What is SIN in the above reference? As explained earlier SIN is through which evil spirits invade a human life to cause sickness and problems.

Thus SIN is the underlying reason for the problem that you, the prayer warrior is praying for deliverance. However the result of SIN is invasion of evil spirits. Now when you lay your hands, such evil spirits / demons that has been brought through SIN, the ones responsible for the sickness & problems that you are praying for; gets agitated during prayer & thus gets transferred from one body to another; now who is paying the price for the sin of the other man?

This is the reason Paul warns not to lay your hands hastily. If done, the evil spirits responsible for the problems transfer the sin's curses from one body to the other thereby sharing responsibility for the sins of others which inevitably brings new problems to the lives & families of prayer warriors. Now these prayer warriors will need deliverance themselves.

There are many evidence in the Holy Bible, to support spiritual transfer between two bodies.

Luke 8:43-46

A woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years was in the crowd. No one could cure her. She came up behind Jesus, touched the edge of his clothes, and her bleeding stopped at once. Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” After everyone denied touching him, Peter said, “Teacher, the people are crowding you and pressing against you.”

Jesus said, “Someone touched me. I know power has gone out of me.”

Acts 19:11 –12

God worked unusual miracles through Paul. People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.

Human Body is like a Vessel that contain spirit(s):

In Luke 8:43-46 & Acts 19:11 –12 we see that the power of God is delivering sicknesses and evil spirits are fleeing human body. This is because our bodies are spiritual vessels.

We also must know & understand the three types of spirits that are present.

Three Types of Spirit:

1) Spirit of God (God is Spirit; Referred as Holy Spirit)
2) Spirit of Human
3) Evil Spirit

God is Spirit in form, we have hundreds of references in the Bible starting from GENESIS 1:2. When God created the first man from dust of the earth; God blew the breath of life into his nostrils, giving humans their own spirit. So God gave spirit to human body & each of us have our own spirit. Here is a nice reference from

1 CORINTHIANS 2:11

After all, who knows everything about a person except that person’s own spirit? In the same way, no one has known everything about God except God’s Spirit.

The third type of spirit is the evil spirit. Evil spirit is an angel who originally served God, but was casted out from Heaven with all his associated angels who rebelled against God. Today these evil spirit dominate the world by deceiving the World in order to make the World ignore the True Living God and the spiritual truth.

Out of the three types of spirit; Spirit of God is most powerful, followed by the spirit of man and the least powerful spirit is the evil spirit. A man who is with God can command and cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus, because God gives more power to humans who are His children.

However, we should understand that the human spirit has the ability to decide which spirit it wants to join. In other words, human spirit can either collaborate with evil spirit or with Holy Spirit. Characteristics of the human spirit will be based on the type of spirit it joins with.

There are many references from the Bible, I'll quote a few;

ROMANS 8: 14-15

Certainly, all who are guided by God’s Spirit are God’s children. You haven’t received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the spirit of God’s adopted children by which we call out, “Abba!  Father!”

ROMANS 8: 9

But if God’s Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature.Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him.

As pastors and prayer warriors (who do not operate the Gifts of the Holy Spirit), cannot see nor understand the condition of the human spirit and its association. The human body is a vessel and the fact is that a body can contain multiple spirits responsible for various curses and sins.

This fact, that multitude of evil spirits can dominate a human body is clearly stated inMatthew 12:43-45.

“When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”

Then Who Can Lay Hands?

Bible refers to laying of the hand in multiple verses. Even my pastor lays his hand while praying for sick and the cursed just like how it has been mentioned in the Bible. But the same pastor warns me not to do it. So what is the catch?

Let's refer Matthew 12:29

How can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property?
First he must tie up the strong man. Then he can go through his house and steal his property.

In the above verse Jesus refers to demons as strong man.

The meaning of the above scripture is that; First the prayer warrior must tie up the demon before stepping into a human body occupied by demons (strong man’s house) so that the man of God can destroy the plans of the demon & take victory (go through his house and steal his property).

The above is possible only by an anointed pastor, who has been entrusted with the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

We have scriptural evidence of Jesus anointing Peter this way in Matthew 16:18-19

You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free.”

Even today Jesus anoints and gives pastors such authority (my pastor is one of them). The question to ask before laying your hands is whether or not you have received this type of authority and anointing? If you do you will know that you have received it, there are no guess work with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit because in Luke 8:46, we can see how Jesus was able to feel the anointed Power of the Holy Spirit suddenly leave his body.

Jesus said, “Someone touched me. I know power has gone out of me.”

Similarly, my pastor explained that the anointed pastors will feel and know when the Power of the Holy Spirit has been released from their hands onto the other person and that, only the Power of the Holy Spirit CAN CAST OUT ANY EVIL SPIRIT or sickness / diseases completely (without bouncing it back into their lives).

...Now these are the pastors that can lay their hands and pray.

Please read 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11 to learn about all the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit. Pastors who operate all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are equipped and have the authority to deal with the situation. They can SEE into the spiritual world, they can command evil spirits by looking at them. In fact most evil spirits will run away even before such pastors having to do anything. The Holy power and Holy authority is completely in a different standard. These are the results of the Holy Gifts that has been entrust by the Lord.

Today, pastors who operate these gifts are rare. Simply because the spiritual standards of today's people do not fulfill God's requirements. This also includes myself. However those who seek God and His standards will eventually be blessed with spiritual growth and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. We who pursue must submit ourself and pray for the Lord to mould us into useful vessels. Grow in the Word and take training at the feet of the Lord. The Lord is actually waiting to bless & bring forth such faithful men to lead nations to the light of the Good News.

Through the help of my pastor, I will try to provide detailed explanation about the spiritual standards that are required to receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This will help myself and other men of God who is seeking growth.

If you should require further clarification on this subject, please write to me and I will do my best to reply back with relevant and useful information. Together, let's fight the good fight more effectively & efficiently.

Lord says that the harvest is great and the workers are few. If we do not take appropriate measures to protect ourselves then the workers are going to be further reduced. Because no man can work effectively while carrying large burdens himself. Therefore, we shall always remember to wear the Lord’s amour at all times.

With Love, In Christ

Founder Blood of Jesus Charitable Trust