Spark Notes 7/15 - Healing

Healing

"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."
 - Mark 9:23

On Sunday we heard from Evan Kraayenbrink about healing, then spent the remainder of the service praying for healing. 


Starting with Matthew 18:19, "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Evan shared the he had this scripture underlined in his Bible with the date from two years ago written. He shared a testimony from that time when he was struggling after a brain infection. In recovery, he struggled with speech, reading, and clarity of mind. But this verse influenced him greatly to meet with others, spending time in prayer. Evan shared how in his time working with people at HOME, he has seen the power of God at work as two or three are gathered. 

Evan then shared from Mark 9, 

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:14-24)

When we look at this scene, Jesus was coming down from a mountain with some disciples. As he approached, there was a crowd arguing; religious leaders and disciples. It was chaos. The disciples were frustrated about not being able to cast our the spirit, but Jesus walks in through the chaos and casts it out. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit walks among us, bringing peace to our chaos and heals, no matter what. 

Going back to Genesis, before the Earth was formed, the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters, waiting to be called. The Creator spoke a word and made order out of chaos. 

The Holy Spirit makes order out of our chaos. 

To watch the full service, click here.

To listen to the full recording, click here. 

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Spark Notes 7/8

Pray Reading the Word

Worship with the Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh.

What is worship? To bow down; to lay prostrate.

After Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness, the devil tried to tempt Jesus. The tempter told Jesus that if he would bow down to him, he would be given all the kingdoms of the world. (Matthew 4). Isn't it interesting that the devil desired Jesus to bow down before him.

Worship also means to serve, to adore, to minister to, to give reverence, love and devotion.

Something that jumps out is that all of these things are actions. You cannot worship the Lord without doing something whether it is something coming from your mouth or a physical movement from your body.

In John 4, Jesus meets the woman at the well. The woman asks Jesus where she should worship? What is the right place? But Jesus responds that worship is in your heart. It's not about a place, but the posture of your heart.

The Word of God (Bible) should lead us to encounter the Word of God (Jesus). What is written leads us to encounter the person of God.

Lyle shared a personal testimony about his past where his personal time with the Lord and in the Word was out of duty, ritual, or responsibility. The Holy Spirit used it and breathed on it, but not very often did he read the Word and expect an encounter or interaction with the Lord.

Reading the Bible can be a dialogue with God; a conversation with our Heavenly Father.  Lyle then gave an example of how to pray - read the Word. Starting with Psalm 139, Lyle would read a portion, then pray a response of what is on his heart from reading that. To listen how Lyle pray - read through Psalm 139, click here (begin at 30:30).

To watch the entire service, click here. 

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Prayer Strategy for the Sphere of the Arts

Prayer Strategy for the Sphere of the Arts

Prayers for Art and Entertainment

Prayer for Artists

Bless the creators, O God of creation, who by their gifts make the world a more joyful and beautiful realm.
Through their labors they teach us to see more clearly the truth around us.
In their inspiration they call forth wonder and awe in our own living.
In their hope and vision they remind us that life is holy.
Bless all who create in your image,
O God of creation.
Pour your Spirit upon them that their hearts may sing and their works be fulfilling.
Amen.

Pray against Evil that has entered into the Arts

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa 5:29)

From the Lausanne Movement (lausanne.org) focus on The Arts; Truth and the arts in mission:

“We possess the gift of creativity because we bear the image of God. Art in its many forms is an integral part of what we do as humans and can reflect something of the beauty and truth of God. Artists at their best are truth-tellers and so the arts constitute one important way in which we can speak the truth of the gospel.
Drama, dance, story, music and visual image can be expressions both of the reality of our brokenness, and of the hope that is centred in the gospel that all things will be made new. In the world of mission, the arts are an untapped resource. We actively encourage greater Christian involvement in the arts.”

Do a little research and find some local Christian Arts movements and/or organisations close to you – dedicate a day of prayer for them.

Reclaiming God’s Power over the sphere of Arts

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Destroying Satan’s Strongholds in the Arts

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor 10:4-6)

Defeating Satan and his cohorts in the Arts

Read Psalm 94 and Meditate on it

Jesus is glorified in the Domain of Arts

Hallelujah! “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Declare The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
The third day he rose again from the dead:
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
I believe in the Holy Ghost:
I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
The forgiveness of sins:
The resurrection of the body:
And the life everlasting. Amen.

Please pray for the International Arts and Entertainment Alliance

The International Arts and Entertainment Alliance (IAEA) is a global union federation of trade unions. Read more at www.iaea-globalunion.org

Pray for Hollywood

Hollywood (/ˈhɑːliwʊd/ HOL-ee-wuud) is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. This densely populated neighborhood is notable as the home of the U.S. film industry, including several of its historic studios, and its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the industry and the people associated with it. Hollywood was a small community in 1870 and was incorporated as a municipality in 1903. It was consolidated with the city of Los Angeles in 1910, and soon thereafter a prominent film industry emerged, eventually becoming the most recognizable film industry in the world. (From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood

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We are encouraging you our brothers and sisters everywhere to join with two others and form a ‘prayer triplet’ to pray for each other and for the spiritual needs of your community under the will of God ‘on earth as it is in heaven’.

What are Prayer Triplets?

The idea of Prayer triplets is of course not new, but a well-established way for Christians to impact the world in prayer.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” [Matthew 18:19-20]

Read more here prayerstrategy.org/prayer-triplets/

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prayerstrategy.org

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