David Diga Hernandez - How to Heal the Sick - Part V: Setting the Atmosphere

Well, I want to give you one of the most powerful keys to the healing ministry that I have ever learned. When this key to the healing ministry was taught to me, it completely transformed the way that I ministered God’s healing power to the sick. It intensified the miracles and heightened the healing anointing like nothing else I’ve ever seen. That key is simply setting the atmosphere for healing. Now, I’m bringing this series, «How to Heal the Sick,» to a conclusion. There’s a lot more I could talk about concerning the healing ministry, but I do sense in my spirit that it’s time to change directions. As we conclude this series, I want you to truly receive the word that’s being ministered today, because this key, I believe, is a powerful one. First, Steve Ibaka soon will be here with me; he’s going to lead you in some anointed worship, and then we’re going to get right into this lesson. I know it’s going to bless you.

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So, right off the bat, I want to address a very common misconception concerning the healing ministry of Jesus. Now, I understand that there is a great deal of importance that needs to be placed on taking ministry outside the four walls of the church. I believe in evangelism; I believe in ministering to the sick; I believe in prophesying outside the four walls of the church, and by that, I mean going out into the streets, going out into public places. That is an important part of ministry. However, what I think is becoming neglected is setting the atmosphere for miracles. Now, Jesus actually did this, and one of the biggest misconceptions concerning Jesus' healing ministry is that he had this very loose, aimless, wandering type of ministry where he just walked around the streets and hung out outside, basically wandering as he did his ministry. But that is not the truth. The truth is that Jesus traveled from town to town and very specifically, very intentionally would visit the synagogue, would visit the temple, and go there to minister the Word. The people would come to him; he would minister the Word and then perform the miracles.

Now, I’m going to show you a couple of examples of this in the scripture. The first scripture I’m going to read to you is Matthew chapter 9, verse 35. Look at what the scripture says here, and let’s read this very carefully: Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom. He healed every kind of disease and illness. Where did he preach the gospel? In the synagogue. Where did he minister to the sick? In the synagogue. Sure, he healed people many times in the streets and taught on grassy hills—we know this—but the scripture makes it clear that Jesus traveled. Look at the scripture again: Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area. In other words, he was on his way to the temple, and it was while he was on his way to the synagogue that he stopped to minister to the people in the streets.

So, we have to break from this mentality that says that if it’s inside the church, if it’s structured, if it’s organized, then it can’t be spiritual. The fact of the matter is that often God breathes upon systems and structures that were constructed or put in place in obedience to Him. He moves through His church; God organized His church; He moves through His leadership. The Holy Spirit anointed His leadership. Jesus had a very specific, very structured style of ministry. He discipled twelve; outside of that, he had a larger group of disciples. Outside of that, he ministered to the masses, but he was very specific, very organized, very on point, and very appointment-driven. He was always on time; he walked in accordance with the will of the Father, and you and I must do the same. We cannot approach ministry as if we can be aimless, just wandering and doing this or that from day to day. Some people even read the Bible like that; they just jump from verse to verse, never really understanding the fullness of the context of any portion of Scripture, never going through an entire book. In this, we find lazy Christianity.

I remember growing up in church; we would often have evangelists come through, and I would often see our guest speakers grab their notes and throw them aside, saying, «I had a sermon, but I believe God wants to take over, and we’re just going to flow tonight.» While I do believe that there are times you need to set your sermon aside, I think there is a mindset that has to be addressed: the mindset that again says something to the effect of «structure is negative» or «organization is bad.» These preachers would throw their notes aside and act as if the more they studied, the less spiritual they were, but the opposite is true. In our generation, we look at structure, or, for example, big government or people in charge, as the evil ones, as things that need to be done away with. But God is a God of order. God is a God of structure. God is a God of intention and purpose. Jesus did not wander aimlessly in the streets and minister to the sick; Jesus, on his way to the synagogue, would minister to the sick. Jesus, on his way to people’s homes, would minister to the sick; he would preach the good news.

But he primarily purposed in his heart that he would go to the synagogues, go to the temples, go to the places where the people gathered. Then he would preach the Word and minister to the sick. We see in Matthew chapter 26, verse 55, the scripture says this: «Then Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I some dangerous revolutionary that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the temple? I was there teaching every day.’» So, Jesus himself tells us that he frequented the temple; he frequented the synagogue. He was there, ministering the Word of God. He was again not out wandering and just being aimless; he was very intentional, very structured, and very systematic, and we must minister to the sick in the same way. You cannot argue with results; I’ve seen the results that come.