Spiritual Gifts Training (Part 2) — Jackie Pullinger

Jesus’ Mission to Bring Good News and Freedom

Okay, back to Luke 4, he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, whatever that good news would be, it should be good news, not a pill to swallow so you go to heaven. He has anointed me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind.

Freedom for the prisoners, in 1 Peter, if I can find it, he says a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him in 2 Peter 2 19 and another scripture says he came to free all those who were held in slavery by their fear of death.

So Jesus came to set prisoners free and to free the oppressed and in another session hopefully we'll get to deal with the ways that people are oppressed these days but it is surely obvious to anyone who reads the newspaper or follows the news, fake or otherwise, that we are living in a time where the inequality between the haves and have-nots is greater and greater and greater and I've met some of them who are slaves, we've got one of my team here who's with me who's been looking after a house of girls who've been rescued from slavery in a certain Asian country and the underage girls to get them set free or rescue them from where they've been enslaved by whoever was complicit in it is not not a simple job but it's much more simple than getting the slavery out of them.

You know it's very much like women who are beaten by their husbands if they ever manage to leave them are likely to find another one. Like the people of Israel were set free from Egypt when Moses took them out with mighty signs in one day but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of them because they took the idols with them.

Yeah so there are more people in slavery today than there ever have been in all of history and this the people trafficking movements are huge. We have a house in a country which is on the border between two countries and you can see women, arms and drugs going both ways, trafficked both ways.

One of the countries there aren't enough women for the men to marry because of a one-child policy or the terrible thing which certain Asian countries do which is to pre-screen their children when they're pregnant and kill off the girls.

So there aren't enough for men to marry now so they have to buy them. Apart from that there's enforced labor. We have we have a strange society in Hong Kong. It's very strange because even relatively middle-class or poor people have servants because both the mother and father need to work.

So they need somebody to send their poor kid to school who has to go to school at two or three in where we live. So they employ somebody from Philippines or Indonesia. And there are guidelines as to how much they should be paid but there's nobody enforces the guidelines.

So all these poor women arrive in Hong Kong with huge debts because they've had to pay for the privilege of learning Chinese and Chinese cooking. They have their passports taken away. They're usually paid between a third and a half of the minimum wage which they're supposed to be paid.

But if they complain they lose their jobs and then they're sent back to the original country and they have to repay tens of thousands of dollars which the recruiting agency took from them. So they're prisoners.

It's called bonded labor. That's how Dubai was built by the way. If you admire their tall buildings. I don't know if it was one a week or one a day fell off. They're Pakistanis or people from other countries in the Indian subcontinent who have their passports taken away and they're put in accommodation hostels like Pigsty's and not paid.

And what can they do? They've got no passport. This is happening all over the world. So God is certainly not pleased. And there they are trying to take boats from Baltic countries and Africa to Europe who is wondering if they will receive any more.

And we guard our little country which is full of green fields. This is always room in God's heart. Always room for one more. I don't have the answer for this country. I just know that the people of God have to be in the answer because nobody else has got a heart.

And Jesus came to set free the prisoners and give liberation to the oppressed. I'm not going to be preachy about this because I thank God I'm not a politician. I don't know how they're gonna fix it. It's just that a huge amount of the world is looking for a home.

And I think God has one. So this is what Jesus was anointed to bring. And if you'll practice in Molesey you might get some clues as to how to help those that are tenting in the Mediterranean. Proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.

Jubilee and the Kingdom of God

This is the year of the Lord's favor. This is Jubilee. If you know about Jubilee, briefly this is what it was. One day in every seven was to be a rest. And this is rest for the animals and rest for the servants.

And this was important. And then one year in every seven was to be a Sabbath year. And the the land was to rest, which I gather makes good farming sense. And miraculously the crops were enough for the next year and the next year because they were not to plant in that year.

And all debts got forgiven. It's amazing. So in Deuteronomy he says be very careful that you don't do mean arithmetic. And if somebody in year five says, please will you lend, a poor poor man, please will you lend me some money, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted it says in Deuteronomy.

For the Lord will find you guilty of sin. Why would you not lend in the fifth year? Well it's not worth it because in the year seven they all go free, you know, so I'll lend in year one because I might get some interest.

So, you know, God's got a whole other system going. Every seventh, seventh Sabbath year there was a Jubilee year. And the land rested and people who'd lost their homes got their homes back and families were reunited and people who'd been sold or lent into slavery because they'd lost their money, they got set free.

Everything, it's the most wonderful year. And Jubilee was announced with a trumpet. So this is the year of freedom. So actually what Jubilee is, is a picture of the kingdom of God. If everything comes right in this year, unfair things are set free, families get reunited, you get your house back, you get your land back.

And by the way, when you look at this Jubilee system, because every 50 years all debts were set free and every seven years were set free, that meant there was no inherited wealth. So Buffett may have got it right.

It means that no one family was to be the rich family. Every 50 years there was a rearrangement of wealth. And if you look at Leviticus, Number, and Deuteronomy, these are all great, great books. The Lord actually says there is enough for everyone.

And he makes the boundaries. So, you know, that's all good fun stuff. But you actually need to believe that there is enough. God is not out of control and he never meant some people to have and other people not to have.

And then I'll do some praying about this tomorrow for people who, for whatever reason, find it difficult to share what they've got or feel they've got a right to what they've got. Because that has to be broken, otherwise we're not free.

John the Baptist and the Present Kingdom

Okay, so when in Luke 7, John the Baptist, who was Jesus' cousin, sent his disciples to Jesus and said, are you the one or are we waiting for another? John the Baptist, very interesting, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb before birth.

And in the womb he recognized Jesus. When Jesus came towards him before his baptism, John the Baptist says, behold the Lamb of God. He recognizes him. But from time to time he doesn't get it. And it's very strange, isn't it, that Jesus says, amongst men there's no one mightier.

He's sort of like the last prophet. But in the kingdom of God he's the least. He didn't understand the kingdom of God. Just from time to time, by revelation, he recognized who Jesus was. In this passage in Luke 7, 22 and 23, he sent his disciples, he's in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus to say, are you the one?

In other words, he's really saying, get a move on. Because he didn't understand the kingdom of God. Most of the disciples didn't understand the kingdom of God. And we're going to have a look at what the kingdom of God is.

It says in Acts chapter 1, after Jesus rose from the dead, he spent 40 days with his disciples talking about the kingdom of God and they still didn't get it. 40 days and they still didn't get it. Because they said, when, when, when, which day, which day?

And he said that, you know, I'm not telling. That's the father's business. Because they were waiting for the event which had actually already come. You see, when, when Jesus first appeared, he says, the kingdom of God is here.

The kingdom of God is here. The king, and they couldn't see it. Because perhaps John's understanding of the kingdom of God was, Israel's going to get set free from these wretched Romans who are, have stolen our country.

So, there are several places in the scripture. And one of them's in Luke when it says, Jesus was heading for, for Jerusalem. So his disciples thought the kingdom was coming. Because in their understanding, it was, he's going to overthrow the Roman king and restore the kingship of Israel, which is what they were longing for.

So, John didn't understand. Maybe he's saying, come on, Jesus. Isn't it about time you, you, you, you took the kingdom? And this is what Jesus replies on, oops, 22. Okay, let me see if I can do that. Okay.

Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard. The blind receive sight. The lame walk. Those who have leprosy are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised. And the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on this fact. So, he's actually saying, if you could see, I've done it. But they mistook the enemy. They thought the enemy was the Romans and the enemy was the devil.

So, that's why they didn't, because they were looking for something to happen naturally, whereas he was announcing a spiritual rule of God and the return of the king of kings to, to rule Israel. So, this is also what you'll find many times in Luke's gospel, is that the words and the works of Jesus go together.

Words and Works in the Gospel

So, here he says, in the verse before, go back, what you see and hear. So, never imagine that the gospel is a formula. It isn't four by four steps to Christ. It never was. We cannot separate the words from the works.

And because we've inherited a doctrine which felt so strongly that we didn't want to confuse people by thinking they had to earn salvation, there's been a practice of preaching a word gospel when it was always supposed to be works with the words.

So, what is it that they'd seen and heard? They'd, the blind received sight. That would be easy. If you saw, if you knew a man had been blind two minutes before and two minutes after, he's rubbing mud from his eyes and running around saying, I can see, I can see.

You lame walk, that would be easy too. If you knew the man who'd been born and lived and sat by beautiful gate and then he's leaping and jumping and praising God, you would know there was a before and after.

Those who have leprosy are cleansed. It's interesting that leprosy is always cleansed. That's the word that's used in instead of healed, just to note that. Because, well, tonight we'll pray for some skin diseases.

The dead are raised. The deaf here, that would be easy too. That would be the man who hadn't heard. And Jesus put his fingers in his ears and spat on his tongue. I prayed for a deaf man once. The first thing he did after he began to hear was to sing, which is lovely, isn't it?

So sweet. The dead are raised. This would be pretty easy. What would the dead man look like? So he probably would look something like this, until Jesus says, cut off his grave clothes. So just to let you know, some dead people, when they're raised, they need a bit of help.

That's why they live in our house for a year. They're born again, accepted by the Lord, and extremely bound up. So the disciples, that's us, to do a bit of snipping. Okay, what do the poor look like after they've heard good news?

Well, it could be something like, on a Sunday, after a really good talk, you go up and you say, oh Vicar, that was really good talk today. I feel really fed. But certainly on one occasion, 5 ,000 people were really clutching their stomachs and saying, thanks very much, I couldn't eat another mouthful, I'm completely full.

They actually had eaten real food. So this is what Jesus was anointed for, and I believe what we are anointed for. And then the last one, the favorable year of the Lord. Now if you go back to the Luke passage, after Jesus has announced good news, says he's anointed, he then goes out and he starts to do exactly what he's talked about.

So it's, he's speaking and he's doing. He's speaking and he's doing. And that's, if you read the book of Acts, which is written by Luke, he goes on to say all that Jesus said and did. So that's what you and I are to be about.

Do as I. And just a little hint to you. Most people are watching what you're doing, not listening to what you're saying. So you don't speak too much. People ask me how I managed before I spoke Chinese.

And I said it was really a good thing I couldn't speak, because I'd have said too much, you know, I'd have got even preacher. So I found out, after what, I was there six years, when the number two gang leader in the walled city said to me, you know, we're not listening to what you say.

We're watching. After you'd been here six years, we thought maybe you meant what you said. So that was Jesus. Okay, so now I want to, after Jesus, the disciples in the Acts of the Apostles did the same things that Jesus did.

Salvation as Holistic Rescue and Transformation

But I just want to take a quick look at the kingdom of God now. The kingdom of God and healing. Looking at the word sozo, there's one group of believers in the world that do a sozo course. Some of you may have been on it.

But the word is in Greek, meaning to be saved completely. And the scripture that will help is Colossians 1 .13. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So to be saved is not just to be forgiven our sins and therefore fit for heaven, though that may be the most important part. It's to be saved in every way from where we have by birth or by habit or what we've inherited, where we have expected or used to a darkness.

And this is to bring somebody out of every place where the enemy has brought sickness or oppression or injustice or unhappiness or fear or ADAH or whatever it is. So we can be out of the kingdom of oppression, of darkness, translated into the kingdom of light.

And this is where some people have had a problem. Because they look at 2 Corinthians 5 .17. This is where I had a problem. Because I was reading an old Bible and in 2 Corinthians 5 .17 it says when anyone is in Christ he's a new man.

Of course I was reading the wrong Bible. So 2 Corinthians 5 .17 really should read when anyone is in Christ he's a new creation, meaning he's a new baby. But he might look like an old man. In fact he might look like a very old man.

And old men have got a lot of old men habits. So of course, you know, being I'm an evangelist at heart, what I really like is for people to believe in Jesus and then somebody to shoot them. And then they could go to heaven instantly and you know they wouldn't have time to get baptized or say sorry to their mother-in-law or you know or repay the loans or you know or all those.

They wouldn't have to work anything out. But there's only one man I knew that got there that quick and that was the thief on the cross who you know he didn't have time to get baptized. He was he was today in paradise.

It was marvelous. You know personally that's what I go for. You know if I and you know most evangelists really hope that. Let me tell you about Africa where I have friends that live in a country where there are huge crusades.

And you know nobody, there's never less than 50 ,000 people saved. I think they may have been the same people that were saved before. But you know it's always huge. Everything's big and nobody's changed.

Nobody's changed. What was that? They may have, and I've no idea if they may have, gladly received the news of the love of God and the forgiveness of God and the grace of God. But they walk around in the old man which isn't attractive.

And we'll try to address some of what that is. But if you understand the 2 Corinthians 5 17 people, this is what I did. When I led people to Jesus and they received the power of the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues and we prayed them off drugs, miraculously they got off drugs without pain.

I thought, oh good! You know so after after five days I sent them out to work, you know, or school. And that's what most normal people think should happen. They always say to us, are they working? You know, are they working?

As if that's the sign of new birth. But you know they're in fact about six weeks old, you know, they can't cross the road yet. Their old man could cross the road and and accost quite a few people on the way.

So, but their new man has not, needs a bit of time to grow up and practice practice walking. So this does not mean to say when you accept the forgiveness and the love and the grace of God, it doesn't mean to say you're half saved, you know.

I used to have some friends years ago who subscribed to the black and white dog doctrine, you know. We've all got a black dog in us and a white dog. It's, you know, Romans 6, 7 and 8, you know. We've got to starve the black dog and feed the white dog with Bible study and prayer, you know.

So the black dog doesn't win, you know. It's really not that. It really isn't. But it's not simple. It's not as clear as to say, once I receive Jesus as my Savior all my problems are over. I am saved and should I die, which, you know, I'm going to be with him, which is great.

But if you notice, the average Christian does start to grow older, you know. And we, even the saved ones, get wrinkles and may need glasses. We aren't, because Jesus has died on the cross for us, totally free from the effects of the fall, which he never meant.

I have no idea how the aging process would have worked had man not sinned. I'm not at all sure. I don't know. It's different, isn't it? But our aim of salvation is to be equipped and try to listen to the Holy Spirit to find out where is it that in this person's life they are still by habit in the dominion of darkness, whereas they have been purchased with the blood of Jesus, and this is not their inheritance at all.

So we want to lay hold of every kind of freedom and healing that Jesus purchased for us on the cross. So right now we're going to do a little practice in how to pray for people. Okay, so I'd like you all just to stand and for a minute we do the alternative laying on of hands, and Yvonne and I will, and Bob will demonstrate this.

Practicing Words of Knowledge and Healing Prayer

I would have others do it to me. Okay, fine. Right. Stay standing. Okay. Now, could you just put your hand up if you were here two years ago? Good. Okay, so you all know how to get words of knowledge.

Is that right? Do you remember? Okay, so you're going to ask the Lord to reveal to you problems that may be here or sicknesses, and this is you may, let's say if it's an eye problem, you may feel a pain in your eye, and then you say, Lord is this me or is it someone else?

Or you may have the medical term for the eye problem. In America this works well. They're intimately acquainted with the diagnosis there. In Hong Kong, you know, people just have achy arm, achy eye, achy ear, you know, it's achy everything.

Or you may see a shadow over somebody's eye, or you may just say eye problem. So that's it. Those are just some ways. So let's invite the Holy Spirit, and then I'll ask five or six of you to come and offer your words.

Okay, we'll have the musicians on hand. Please, Lord, give me words of knowledge, you're supposed to be saying, that will help someone else to get healed. This is for them, not for you, so please be a good spot.

Best to close your eyes instead of looking at who's got it. Okay, second row, would you just, one in every two or three, pack up so we can walk through the rows. Okay, now what's gonna happen is, I don't want you to move too quickly, we are going to, you will either receive prayer or pray for someone.

Okay, now remember, you haven't got to say anything. So if you've never done this before, join a group that looks as if they know what they're doing, and because you're going to work as a team. I always prefer to pray for people with about three others, because the chances of between us getting more gifts of the Spirit are higher.

So one person doesn't get everything. So I'm going to ask anybody who is responding to the words we've just had, if you would just close your eyes and open your hands. Okay, so any of those conditions that were called out.

It doesn't mean to say other sick people aren't going to get prayed for, but it may be later. Okay, if you'd keep your eyes closed. Now this is what to do when you're deciding who to pray for. Okay, we are going to invite the Holy Spirit to come, and it's just like one of the prophecies we had earlier.

The Lord's going to give you eyes, and you will decide who shall I pray for. Don't pray for your friend, don't pray for the person you feel sorry for, but ask the Holy Spirit. And walk around, and you'll see some people there's a shine on them.

Other people you see they're beginning to breathe quite deeply, and you can see that the Spirit is obviously touching something. And the fun thing about this whole ministry is Jesus told us to heal the sick, but we can't.

But he told us to. So in fact, how it works is he heals the sick, and we get our hand out. That's all. So you know, if he doesn't, we can't. And Jesus said, I'll show you the scriptures later, I only do what I see my father doing.

If my father isn't working, I can't do anything. That's Jesus. So why would we think we can do anything? So you're off the hook. And just invite the Spirit, will you, yourself, to fill you. Prepare you to go and pray for someone.

And then walk around. Don't put your hand on them yet, Joe. Don't put your hand on them yet, because I want to go step by step for the sake of people who've not done this before. If you've got two people standing side by side, just move one of them so that you can get a little group by each person.

Okay, now if you're standing by someone and no one else is there, would you put your hand up, because we need more people. Go join them. Who's with you? How come you've got four people and other people haven't got any?

Oh, come and work it out a bit, will you? We need more. Okay, so what's happening over here? Okay, so there's a whole lot of you. Has anybody else only got one or two? You all got about three? You're all okay now.

That's a better distribution. Okay, so we welcome you, Holy Spirit. This is what to do. Don't put your hands on them yet. Number one, please ask them, and they can open their eyes now, what's your name and how can we pray for you?

Please do not pray behind somebody's back. We're not going to catch them if they fall. If it is the Holy Spirit, they won't hurt themselves. Okay, so you two guys over there, put your hand up if you've only got two or three in your group, and we'll see if we can redistribute some people.

Okay, if you end up with five in your group, it's fine. Okay, now I want you to look at the other people in your group and decide that you guys are going to make some kind of eye contact. Why are you standing there?

Is it a back problem? Okay, only stand behind their back if you're praying for their back, because it is a back problem. Okay, but I want you to practice looking at her face. Okay, we don't need you, so you can come out and pray for people.

Yeah, so don't hide behind your PA machine. So, right, good, good, that we need spiritful PA people, really good. You found out their name, and how can I pray for you? Some people want to tell you their full medical history.

It's not necessary, you know, just, I've seen all the Chinese doctors there are, and all the medical doctors, and I'm still bleeding, you know, that would do. If they, if they, you might get a sense if it's an accident, just ask them when did the accident happen.

Sometimes, in fact quite often, it may be that they were on their way to do, to serve the Lord somewhere. They were on their way to a foreign country, or, or, and the enemy stopped them. So, I always prayed the Joseph prayer for them.

What the enemy meant for harm, Lord turn to good, and because that's what Joseph said, you know, after, after imprisonment, false rape accusations, and all of that, he said, you meant it for harm, the enemy meant it for harm, but God meant it for good.

You have to believe that through the cross, God can turn it all around. Okay, so have you asked them their name? You've asked them how long they've had it, what the sickness is, was it an accident? Okay, okay, fine.

Ministering Through the Holy Spirit

Right now, if you're receiving prayer, now close your eyes. Okay, you ready? You close your eyes and open your hands. If they need to have a seat, make sure there's one available. We're going to be practical.

Now, the Holy Spirit's on her. Keep your eyes closed. Immediately you closed your eyes, you could see it. So, if you see the Spirit on someone, and I could see it on that person's eyes, they were just fluttering, under your breath or out loud, say, Holy Spirit, we bless what you're doing.

Holy Spirit, we bless what you're doing. Okay, now you, you've no idea what he's doing yet, doesn't matter. Right, thank you, Lord. Now, between you, you guys who are doing the praying, expect to get pictures or some words that will give you a clue as to the cause of the condition.

Most physical conditions, or many, have an emotional cause. It doesn't mean they're not real, it means they are real, but many have an emotional cause. So, Anne, you guys, work between you. If you pray in tongues, pray silently.

Dear Lord, I've no idea how to pray for this person, please give me a clue. Okay, in the meantime, don't say too much. Okay, if you may now put your hands on them, ask them if it's okay. It's better men on men or women on women.

If you get into a muddle with someone in the opposite sex, get them to lay hands on themselves. And if you're praying for someone, try and keep your eyes open. It's not a rule, it just means that you'll get sensitive to working with the Father.

If it's a knee problem, don't immediately pray for the knee. It may be you need to pray for the marriage. Okay, so you're not necessarily praying for the sickness. And if you pray for the marriage and you bless God's purpose in their life, the knee will get better all by itself.

Okay, so words of knowledge give us the excuse to pray for someone, and maybe the Lord wants to touch something else. Okay, you are all quietly saying, Holy Spirit, please come. Holy Spirit, please come.

Okay, now are you praying for anyone over there? No? No? We probably need you to. Now look at the other people in your group. If you've got anything, communicate with the people in your group. And if they say no, no, no, you don't need to say anything.

Just go on praying in the Spirit silently. Please face her. Please face her. If you can't think of anything to say, just start to bless them. And you do it directly, and because we have the power and the authority to bless.

In Jesus' name, I bless you. I bless you to know you're loved. I bless you to know you're special. Most people don't believe that. And you know, she is. She wants to use her life blessing other people, and the enemy wanted to knock her off a bike.

So bless God's calling on her life. Affirm that more, Holy Spirit. If you see the Holy Spirit moving more, you can cooperate with the Father. We'd love to see more. If somebody's in distress, please don't rub their shoulder or hold their hand.

You can do that at lunch, and you can do that tomorrow. It's just that when you're ministering in the Spirit, we want it to be the Spirit, so don't get in the way, okay? Don't try and give human comfort or massage at this point.

We did that before. Okay, so that's all. They may grab your hand instead of receiving from the Lord. At some point, you can say to the person, how are you feeling? I learned this in California. They love that question.

How are you feeling? When Jesus prayed for the blind man, he said, how are you doing? And the blind man said, well, I can see people, but they are fuzzy, like trees walking. So if you ask the person, they keep their eyes closed.

You say, how are you feeling? They might say, oh, it was hot on my back where you touched me, in which case you say, Holy Spirit, we bless what you're doing. Any reason why you're not touching him? Okay.

And if he says, you know, when you prayed that prayer, it was helpful, or when you put your hand there, it was helpful, you say, Holy Spirit, we bless what you're doing. More, more, more. How long do you go on praying?

We go on praying until lunch comes, or until you've had enough. When Jesus healed the blind man, after he said trees were fuzzy, he prayed for him some more, and then he could see perfectly. So even Jesus, when he was healing, it was a gradual process.

If it happens immediately, it's a miracle. Most healings are step by step. So have you blessed the person you're praying for? Bless you to know how special you are. And by the way, you can tell how special people are by looking at their face.

Do you feel any better, Barbara? Do you feel any better? Yes, I do. Well, my.

Hips have stopped hurting. I still have a bit of a twinge in the bottom of my spine, but nothing like it's been all morning. Well, good. We'll pray some more.

Tonight. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you. I think your lunch is ready. And we do have another shot, so we can go on praying some more tonight. Remember, one word from the Holy Spirit is better than your long good idea prayer.