The Spirit
John 1:32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
John 1:33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
John 2:11 This, THE FIRST OF HIS MIRACULOUS SIGNS, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Jesus is the Word of God. We have already established that fact. He was just as much the Word of God before His baptism by John as He was afterward but His first miraculous sign was performed AFTER His baptism. This is because God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit at that time.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luke 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Jesus warned the disciples not to begin their ministry until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The Greek word for power used in Acts 1:8 is "dunamis". It means the power to perform miracles. Look at Peter before and after his experience in the upper room. Jesus named him Peter which means rock. It was God’s word specifically for him. Think about how unstable he was before his Holy Spirit baptism. You hardly would have called him a rock. He was always so impulsive and he eventually denied the Lord. Look at him after the Holy Spirit came on him. He was a mighty man of God. People hoped his shadow would fall on them that they might be healed. He became the leader of the disciples. The next time he faced death there was no denial. The word had come to pass. He had become a rock. How many times do you think he was called Peter before his baptism? Nothing happened because the Word had to be performed by the Spirit.
In Genesis chapter one the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said and there was. The Spirit was performing the Word.
Jesus, the Word, had to be anointed with miracle working power before His first miracle. There are two camps on this point. Some claim that the Word won’t work until it is "quickened" by the Spirit, others say the Word already is anointed. All I can do is to give you the Word and my experience. My main point is that the Spirit and the Word work together to accomplish the will of the father. An illustration will help. I see the Father as the power station in heaven. The Spirit is the power in the wires reaching down to the earth. The Word is the appliance you plug into the power outlet. The appliance you use varies with the need. Faith is the on switch for the appliance. The power station always produces power, there is an endless supply. The wires can be down or no appliance plugged in or the switch can be left in the off position. In these cases nothing will happen. No need will be met. In later chapters I will discuss the switch. Right now I want to talk about the power.
After speaking the Word of God you need miracle working power to effect a cure. Miracle working power from heaven is found in the Spirit of the living God. He is the very life of God. He is a spirit being just as the Father and the Son are spirit beings. He has a personality. He is very sensitive and easily grieved. He will only manifest himself in an atmosphere where Jesus is being glorified. One way to create that atmosphere is through praise and worship.
Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
2 Chr 5:13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud,
2 Chr 5:14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.
The Spirit of God can also be transferred to the sick by touch. He is present as an anointing on someone’s hands. This is the river of living water flowing from the throne of God through the recreated human spirit.
Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and PUTTING HIS HANDS ON HIM said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Luke 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and HE LAID HIS HANDS ON EVERY ONE OF THEM, and healed them.
Luke 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, and they shall recover.
The Holy Spirit also manifests His power through gifts that are distributed according to His will.
1 Cor 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1 Cor 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the GIFTS OF HEALING by the same Spirit;
1 Cor 12:10 To another the WORKING OF MIRACLES; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1 Cor 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
In James the bible speaks of anointing with oil. Oil is an emblem or type representing the Holy Spirit.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, ANOINTING HIM WITH OIL in the name of the Lord:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
I will go into each method of healing in detail later. For now I just want you to grasp the concept of the Holy Spirit working with the spoken Word of God in the healing process.