I continue to be surprised at the lack of ministries dedicated to healing and freedom that we find among churches – even charismatic churches who believe in the full ministry of the Holy Spirit and who believe in the concept of spiritual warfare. You would think that Paul’s famous declaration, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12) would be enough to prompt churches to take spiritual warfare seriously. However, the great majority of churches apparently dismiss Paul’s words as simply a call to prayer only or as words meant only for the first century church.

In many of the churches who do take spiritual warfare seriously, you will find one or two veteran couples who will pray with people and minister deliverance to them. I am thankful for those who have ventured into those realms. However, many times these couples or individuals function as “specialists” and do not train others to help people find the freedom and healing that Jesus has purchased for them. Because of that there are still relatively few believers who can minister healing or deliverance or who receive it when they need it.
Over the past 6-8 years, our Free Indeed ministry at Mid-Cities has taken 1500-2000 believers through the fundamentals of healing and freedom and over 90% have reported experiencing a significant level of healing and deliverance through the process. That means that a great number of believers are in need of such ministry. The typical group of participants that go through our eight-week study are adults of all ages with about 30% attending from other churches in our community – mostly Baptist. As a non-denominational community church we have people from all faith backgrounds and from no background at all but the majority have attended church for years. Yet, they come to Free Indeed with a clear sense that there must be more to their faith than just the forgiveness of sins and that something within is broken and keeping them from experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised. They leave having experienced the power of the kingdom of Heaven in ways they have never known before and leave equipped to minister to others the healing and freedom they themselves have received. I believe that every church should have some kind of intentional process through which they minister freedom and deliverance and through which they equip their people to do the same for others.

Some people shy away from deliverance ministries because they think that those involved must have special spiritual gifts or that such ministries ultimately become weird and divisive in churches. Even pastors of charismatic churches tend to shy away from such ministries. They are comfortable with prophetic words, praying for physical healing, and even tongues but show little interest in equipping the saints for spiritual battle in the trenches. As a result, tens of thousands of Christians in American churches continue to try to live for Jesus while walking in tremendous brokenness and bondage. How strong and vibrant could the church be if every believer was set free from his/her past traumas and set free from demonic affliction?

I do not believe those who minister deliverance have to have some specialized gift from the Spirit. There are certain some gifts that facilitate the process like words of knowledge and spiritual discernment, but deliverance is more of an exercise in authority than in giftedness. Not all of us have the gift of evangelism but all of us have the capacity to lead someone to Jesus. Deliverance is much the same. In addition, I do believe that the Spirit will dispense more gifts when we begin to step out in ministries where those gifts are needed. All of that is to say that deliverance ministry should not be reserved for a few specialists but should be taught to the average believer in the same way that we teach evangelism or prayer.

Regarding the concern that deliverance ministries get weird and so create division, I have not seen that to be the case when teams are trained and operate under Biblical principles. Paul’s directive that all things should be done decently and in order pertain to deliverance ministries as well. When believers run into what is undeniably demonic or begin to experience something personally that they believe is demonic, they will eventually turn somewhere for help. If their church has not taught principles and realities of spiritual warfare and if their church does not have someone who can minister in that area with balance and wisdom, they will go outside the church and then may encounter the very weird a pastor fears.

Not teaching on biblical issues and realities in every area of spiritual life will create a situation in which church members are forced to go somewhere else for ministry or training and will either then leave the church or bring those teachings and experiences back to their church. That is what most often creates division. When there is a well thought out theology and process for healing, inner healing, and deliverance that is taught to a team who then ministers to others and teaches those they minister to as well, the church will become a greenhouse of spiritual health and freedom that will bless marriages, families, and the community.

Our ministry consists of eight weeks of study in a small group setting formed around tables in a larger class with two trained table leaders and six to eight participants. The eight-week study of essential discipleship and spiritual warfare principles are followed by an all day event on a Saturday in which we activate inner healing and deliverance. The eight weeks of “table time” and homework builds trust in the leaders and the process and lays foundations for experiencing healing and freedom. It also enables those who have received healing and freedom to maintain that healing and freedom. As the saying goes, The first battle is to get free. The second battle is to stay free.” Shortcuts to healing and deliverance that don’t lay adequate foundations often fall short in the long run as people lose their healing and freedom within a few weeks of receiving them.

Freedom Ministries that are intentional, consistent, theologically sound, and that equip leaders can bear tremendous fruit over a period of a few years. A choice not to develop such a ministry leaves a tremendous number of God’s children in brokenness and bondage. If you know anyone who wants to develop such a ministry at his/her church, we are more than glad to help facilitate that effort and to share our resources. Paul declared, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor.3:17). Freedom for every believer is the expectation of heaven. It is not automatic but it is available as part of every believers birthright. I hope that wherever you are, if your spiritual family does not have such a ministry that you will pray for that to happen and , perhaps, share this with your pastor.  Like loaves and fishes, you will be amazed with what God will do when we just step out in faith with the little that we have.

How many of us in a moment of anger or frustration, speak hurtful words and then later brush them aside by declaring that we really didn’t mean what we said? There is something about the spiritual realm that holds us to the words we have spoken…even if we didn’t mean them. Genesis records a moment that illustrates this important principle.

As Isaac was aging and contemplating his own death, he felt it was time to speak “the blessing” over his older son Esau. The blessing was a huge part of the inheritance a father would grant his son. It closely resembled a prophetic word that the father would declare over the son and that God would honor. The things spoken by the father would surely come to pass in the ensuing years so it was counted as inheritance. The younger brother Jacob and the fraternal twin Esau had always competed. Esau was delivered first and was counted as the oldest. The eldest son on Jewish culture was always given a double portion of the inheritance with “the blessing” being part of that. Esau was Isaac’s favorite son because he was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. Jacob was the favorite of his mother Rebekah. When Rebekah overheard Isaac planning to speak “the blessing” over Esau after a meal of wild game, she conspired with Jacob to steal the blessing. While Esau was still in the field hunting, Jacob pretended to be his brother. Isaac was essentially blind in his old age and so the ruse succeeded.

Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.” So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”

After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.” His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!” When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” (Gen. 27:27-37).

The critical point here is that once the words were spoken, something was set in motion that Isaac could not retrieve even though the blessing had been fraudulently obtained. He might have protested that he didn’t mean to speak those words over Jacob, but it didn’t matter. They were spoken with the authority of a father and the words would be fulfilled. In a sense, Isaac was careless with his words. If you read the story he sensed that something wasn’t quite right but declared the blessing anyway. We too are often careless with out words.

Our mistake is that we think the spiritual realm is like the natural realm where words mean little and where we are rarely held accountable for what we say. The spiritual realm, however, holds us accountable for word we speak. We often speak words over others that can constitute curses in the spiritual realm. We say things such as, “I wish you had never been born. You’ll never amount to anything. No one will ever want you. You’re such a loser.” We often speak the same kinds of things over ourselves and, if asked, would probably say we were just upset and didn’t mean those things.

However, our negative words that we spoke intentionally or unintentionally can constitute curses and give the enemy a legal right to enforce the things we have spoken. Our words may be enforced by demonic spirits who delight in afflicting and oppressing individuals, families, churches, or nations to whom they can gain legal access. Our carless words can give them that access. That is especially true if we have spiritual authority over those about whom we spoke the words. That is never more true than when parents speak over their children.

Scripture repeatedly warns us about our words. A quick read of Proverbs will confirm God’s concern about what we speak. As believers, our words have authority. That is why we are instructed to always bless and never to curse. Jesus instructs us to bless even our enemies. One reason is because we are promised that we will reap what we sow. If we sow curses, we too will eventually reap the negative outcomes we have spoken over others. However, if we make blessing the constant flavor of our speech, those blessings will also return to us. We need to be sure to speak them over ourselves as well as others. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit “ (Prov. 18:21).

If careless words are an issue with you, ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of your speech. Ask those closest to you to also make you aware of your words. This is not a little thing in the Kingdom of Heaven. “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Mt. 12:36). Be blessed by speaking a blessing.

Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Satan Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.  Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” …. The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer, “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ” So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.” David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” So the Lord sent a plague on Israel and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 1 Chronicles 21:1-3, 8-14

This is a tremendously instructive account found in both in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21. We don’t know the specific context, but something made David vulnerable to the promptings of Satan to have a census taken of all the fighting men of Israel. It would seem prudent to know what your resources were for war but this census was apparently prompted out of pride and a sense that Israel’s safety was in the hands of the military rather than in the hands of God. Something about the heart behind the census was offensive to God and so when the David overruled Joab and the census was taken, the judgment of God was released against Israel. So what lessons can be drawn from the account?

First of all, David knew that it was the Lord who saves not personal or even national power and might. Even as a young man he was convinced that it would be God who would deliver Goliath into his hands not his own strength or prowess. He knew by experience that God could guide a single stone and bring down a giant or a nation. We are told in several places that David was a man after God’s own heart. But here is the lesson. We also know that David could operate out of his flesh at times and not out of God’s Spirit. Bathsheba comes to mind and now the census of fighting men. The truth is that the best of us can be overcome by a moment of stupidity and at times the consequences can be overwhelming – especially for leaders. Joab was not a particularly spiritual man but David’s order was even repulsive to him. God often puts people around us to warn us of bad decisions. Because we know that any of us can be vulnerable at times, we should listen to their objections. If we know we are moving ahead by faith and the direction of the Lord we can ignore the objections but we must check our hearts and our motives when those close to us raise concerns. We may be acting our of selfishness, pride or simply ignorance.

Secondly, Satan will attack people and nations through their leaders. Satan didn’t just hate David but the entire nation because God loved Israel. That is why we must pray for leaders on a national scale and a local scale. We must pray for church leaders, business leaders, and parents who are leading families. Decisions made by leaders can bless or even curse those they lead. Leaders often loose sight of the fact that their decisions will greatly impact not only themselves but those they lead and love. Satan has the ability to blind our judgment. People begin to think that what they choose will only touch them and everyone else will be fine. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people justify divorce and declare that their children will be fine and will understand why they are divorcing their spouse for someone who makes them happier. That rarely if ever happens. David listened to Satan’s promptings and seventy thousand men died leaving many more widows and fatherless children. Leaders must guard themselves and their judgment by having people around them who will tell them the truth.

Thirdly, David made a right choice after having made a wrong choice. He placed himself in the hands of God rather that than in the hands of men. If David had maintained that mindset before, he wouldn’t have felt the need to number the fighting men because when they went to war they would entrust themselves to God no matter what the numbers. When we trust men for outcomes more than God, we will also end up with less than we could have had. My wife and I went to an investment broker one time who assured us that we were giving way too much money to the church by tithing and that we needed to stop that if we were ever to reach our financial goals. If we had taken his advice I’m certain it would have cost us blessings from God that will come through our trusting him more with our finances than a investment counselor.

Toward the end of the story, David was allowed to see into the spiritual realm where he saw an angel with his sword drawn over Jerusalem directing the judgment of God. David cried out to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O Lord my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain upon your people” (1 Chr. 21:17).   The fact that David owned up to his sin, took personal responsibility for it, displayed godly sorrow, and showed more concern for the people than himself allowed God to extend mercy and withdraw his judgment. Those are the conditions for mercy in the Kingdom of Heaven. Too many leaders who have sinned never take responsibility for what they have done or find some way to justify or minimize what they have done to deflect their personal responsibility. In that case discipline continues while the penitent leader who is willing to be responsible finds mercy.

As the story continues, the angel of the Lord told the prophet Gad to tell David to offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people. David found a man named Araunah who was threshing wheat and offered to buy the wood he was using for the threshing sled and for the oxen he was using to pull it. Araunah offered to give him whatever he needed for the sacrifice but David responded, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing” (1 Chr. 21:24). David paid the man, offered the sacrifice, and the plague ceased.

Although animal sacrifices are not part of the New Covenant, the concept of sacrifice continues. It is the act of freely giving what you find valuable unto the Lord. Paul tells us that we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices unto the Lord (Rom. 12:1). We are also instructed to offer up a sacrifice of praise continually and that doing good and sharing with others is considered a sacrifice by the Lord (Heb:13:15-16). David established the principle. Our sacrifices of time, service, and even finances are still to be costly. When we give to the Lord it must not come from the leftovers that we care little about or only when it is convenient for that costs us nothing. David was a man who made mistakes but who also got it right in so many ways.   The Father gave us his best so we must give him our best. That is an acceptable sacrifice. Too many of us serve God if we have time after we have done everything we want to do. We give financially as long as our projects are funded first. We do only the things for God that we enjoy and turn down the requests that we don’t find fun or personally fulfilling. In acceptable sacrifice there is always an element of cost and washing feet as Jesus washed the feet of the twelve.

David is a great example of how to live and, at times, how not to live. I’m grateful for the transparency of David and the scriptures. My greatest take away from David is always that men can make huge mistakes but then turn back to God with all their hearts and be counted by God in the end as great men of faith. So often the proof of a man or woman is not whether they avoid mistakes but how they respond after they have totally blown it. Great lessons for us.

When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. (Matt.8:1-4)

I know many people who read through the entire Bible every year. That is a great way to grasp the amazing scope of God’s story but when we read huge sections of scripture we often miss the depth of truths that the Holy Spirit can pack into just a few verses when we take time to read and reflect. A few years ago, John Ortberg wrote a book and recorded a DVD series entitled Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. In the section on the discipline of reading the word he made a very strong argument that real transformation comes not so much from reading huge sections of scripture each day but from reading only a few verses and meditating thoroughly on the truths embedded in those verses throughout the day.

The little section above is a prime example of the many levels of God’s truth that can be mined from just a little sample from God’s storehouse. In the context of Matthew’s story, Jesus has just completed his “Sermon on the Mount.” In that sermon he spoke of many things including humility, caring for the needy, laying up treasures in heaven, and refraining from judging others.

As he descended the mountain, he encountered a leper. Leprosy could include any number of skin disorders bur each one rendered the person “unclean” and contact with any leper was forbidden and would make the person who touched the leper “unclean.” Those with the leprosy we think of were forbidden to enter any city and were usually confined to a hermit’s life or a life with other lepers. Jews believed that leprosy was a judgment by God against the sinner and lepers were to be avoided by a distance of no less than twelve feet and, if the wind were blowing and a person was down wind from the leper, they were to maintain a distance of at least one hundred feet. Lepers who came too close were often driven away by stones. Lepers were considered to be “dead” and were treated as such – first of all because of the possibility of contagion but also because they were seen as gross sinners bearing the judgment of God. They were “cut off” from the people.

Lepers lived with the possibility of being healed but only directly by God for no physician or priest could touch them. Their plight was to “repent” of whatever sin had brought on the “judgment of God” and then to desperately pray to God for healing. If they were healed, they were to find their way to a priest who would verify the healing and then apply cleansing rituals before they could return to the community. It seems that this healing was a theological possibility but rarely, if ever, seen in the worse cases.

In this scene in the gospel of Matthew both the leper and Jesus violate the Law of Moses in the sight of the crowds. In the mind of Christ, the needs of men were always greater than the demands of ritual law. Like healing on the Sabbath, the needs of this desperate man superseded even the Law of Moses. In the Kingdom of God, love and mercy always trump the rules of religion. The man himself risked the panicked response of a crowd and, perhaps, stiff rejection from the Teacher who might have reminded him that he was afflicted because of the depth of his sin and who might has sent him away.

As in many other settings, we are reminded that Jesus never turns away the desperate. Not only that, but the leper came to a man for healing when everyone knew that God was his only alternative. Perhaps, he sensed somehow that he was coming to God for healing. In the first seconds of this brief and hurried encounter he expressed his faith by declaring, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus then expressed the heart of God toward even lepers when he said, “I am willing.” No judgment. No rehearsal of the past. Only grace and love for a desperate man asking for that grace. When Jesus responded with “Be clean,” he was not only announcing the healing of the man’s skin but also the forgiveness of sin and the cleansing of his soul. Once again we are reminded that healing is available to all whose sins have been forgiven. “Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” (Ps.103:3).

Then the moment that shocked the faithful occurred. The young rabbi Jesus not only spoke to the leper but actually touched him. By every measure of Jewish Law, Jesus had just become unclean and should have been cut off from the people himself. But something else happened that no one in the crowd had ever seen. The leper was spontaneously healed by the touch of another man. Bill Johnson says that the Old Testament reveals the power of sin while the New Testament reveals the power of righteousness. Under the Law, any man touching a leper would become unclean. Under the mantle of God’s grace, the man touching the leper made the leper clean. The cross changed everything. Here is the equation. A helpless and hopeless man risks coming to Jesus to plead for grace on the basis of a little faith. Jesus responds with a huge “Yes” and the man becomes a new creation cleansed of every vestige of his past. In essence, the crowd witnesses the gospel in all of its fullness.

Interestingly, Jesus then instructed the healed leper to tell no one. On several other occasions he said the same thing to those he had just healed. If the miracles of Jesus testified that he was the Messiah, the Son of God, then it would seem he would want them to tell everyone what he had done for them. Why the silence? One interesting thought suggests that he was keeping them from facing the doubts and questions of others that might undermine their faith in the healing they had just received. After a few days of walking in healing, they might be confident that what Jesus had done was not just a fleeting taste of healing or a 24-hour miracle that faded away.

There is wisdom in that for us. Sometimes when individuals have just received healing or deliverance from the Lord they should surround themselves with people of faith until their faith in what God has just done for them is established. Surrounding ourselves with doubters and cynics right after a work of God in our lives is a circumstance Satan uses to steal our faith so that we lose what we have been given. The doubt of others can erode our faith.

After healing the man and telling him not to disclose the source of his healing, Jesus sent him to the priests so that his healing would be confirmed. That confirmation would solidify the faith of man that he had indeed been healed but also opened the door for the man to return to his family and his community. The only thing worse than leprosy was the complete isolation it imposed on the carrier. How many people in our society still feel isolated because something in their past has convinced them that they are unacceptable and unlovable (unclean)?   Forgiveness of their past and the open arms of Christ’s community is also where these will find healing and life again. In many places the church fears contamination by sinners. Instead of sending them off to live in colonies, we isolate ourselves and live in colonies. Remember, under this new covenant, we are not made unclean by our contact with unbelievers but they are healed by the touch of Jesus through his people. May we be open to the “lepers” around us be willing to touch them as Jesus did.

Deliverance is a powerful tool for setting people free from the grip of the enemy. Not only is it powerful but it is essential. However, at times we may tend to overemphasize deliverance in the process of spiritual transformation. That is understandable because many of us have seen radical and dramatic transformation in believers in a very short time as a result of deliverance. It becomes problematic, however, when we begin to see deliverance as the cure-all for every issue. In some ways we begin to think of it as the quick-fix for people who are stuck or loosing ground in their spiritual progress, but demonization is only one barrier in an array of barriers that can stall out the process of discipleship and transformation.

Deliverance will not make a person spiritually mature but will remove the resistance so that individuals can then begin to grow spiritually as they should. At the end of Free Indeed, our ministry for healing and freedom, we always remind our participants that completing the eight weeks of study and the weekend of activation is not the end but rather the beginning of their growth and maturity.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus. It is a lifelong endeavor that can be punctuated by significant events where huge growth spurts occur but then we must always settle back into the process. In transformation, there is always a price to be paid by the individual who wants to be changed. That price is a consistent lifestyle of coming into the presence of God through multiple expressions of ancient spiritual disciplines: daily time in the word, prayer, meditation, confession, repentance, thanksgiving, worship, service, listening to God, solitude, memorization, journaling, authenticity, and so forth. We often say that getting free is the first battle. Staying free is the second. The implementation of these spiritual disciplines is what keeps us free.

We are such an instant society that we have come to expect instant spiritual maturity through a weekend conference, an impartation, deliverance, a prophetic word, and so forth. I think all of those things are amazing and I will be the first in line for an impartation, but they can’t replace the work of partnering with God on a daily basis in the change we desire.

Too often we pray for inner healing or cast out a demon without making sure the person we have ministered to is pursuing the Lord on a daily basis and filling themselves with the things of the Spirit. Sometimes we don’t even make sure that the person has repented of the very sin the demon was attached to or has forgiven hurtful people in his/her past. In our hurry to help, we may be setting them up for a worse condition because we haven’t helped them lay the foundation that they will need to maintain their freedom and grow in the Lord.

Paul commands us, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:17-18). The verb tense of the word translated as “filled” is progressive which means to be continually filled with the Spirit. When you are filled with the Spirit there is not much room for the devil. A great deal of being Spirit-filled is about being filled with the things of the Spirit which are to be found in spiritual disciplines. It is by “doing the work” that we get in spiritual shape. The work brings us into the presence of God and the transforming power of the Spirit. The work lays new neural pathways that are in agreement with God and diminish the old pathways that agreed with Satan so that our brains are renewed while our minds are being renewed spiritually.

So, as you minister healing and deliverance or give impartations and prophetic words, remember that the person you are ministering to will need to pay a price for continued freedom and spiritual growth. If they are not willing to pay the price of drawing close to God daily, they will most likely lose the ground they have gained and maybe end up worse than they were before their freedom. As those who minister in this arena it is essential that we too pay the cost of freedom in our lives each day.

Philip Yancey once said that the real temptation presented to Jesus in the wilderness by Satan, was the temptation of gaining a crown without the cross. Satan offered Jesus shortcuts without suffering to establish his kingdom on the earth once more. Ultimately, there are no shortcuts. It was true for Jesus and it is true for his people. Crucifying the flesh is a daily demand if we are to be consistent with our spiritual disciplines. Neither the flesh nor the enemy want us spending time with God. But for those who reject the “shortcuts” there is certainly a crown after the cross.

I’m continuing to review some of the ideas that were presented at a recent conference I attended in Raleigh-Durham, N.C, on the subject of healing the human soul. Much of the conference related to the science behind the directives that God has given his people for thousands of years. One of the big ideas that is coming out of recent brain research is neuroplasticity. The research now suggests that our brain can grow and be reconfigured throughout life. Up until a few decades ago, the “science” was that our brains and, thus, we ourselves, were fairly fixed by the time we reached elementary school and that we would essentially be that person for the rest of our lives. That notion has now been discarded.

This is a reality that believers always have always known. Scripture has made the possibility of personal transformation a hallmark of our relationship with God. The New Testament tells us that anyone in Christ is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Paul calls on every believer to no longer conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of his or her mind (Rom.12:2). Even the Old Testament records God’s declarations that he would replace our hardened hearts of stone and replace them with new hearts containing the capacity to grow toward God’s will. “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them. I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19).

The basis of all sin is a mind or heart that stands in opposition to the will of God and that has over time conformed to the thinking patterns and attitudes of the world. Let me quote Jim Laffoon on this issue. “The power of sin cannot be broken without the flow of God’s resurrection power and life. If we are to experience the change God desires for us in the face of such opposition we must activate both our conscience and the release of God’s power through our new nature. In Ephesians 4:17-19, Paul describes the internal darkness, ignorance, hardness, and lack of spiritual sensitivity that make the process of transformation so challenging. ‘So I tell you, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer lives as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding are separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity they have given themselves over to sensuality….’

As I mentioned in my last blog, thoughts or experienced that are repeated begin to form neural pathways that become stronger and more resistant to change as they are repeated. We have a phrase that we repeat often in our Free Indeed ministry: Whatever we agree with, we empower. Whatever belief we repeat, act on, speak, imagine, etc. deepens the rut of these neural pathways. At some point, these pathways will be so strong that we will become inflexible in our beliefs and attitudes which scripture calls hardness of heart. These deeply embedded belief systems are called strongholds in 2 Corinthians 10 and they may be such a part of us that we cannot even entertain other perspectives or values. At that point we may cease to be truth seekers because we believe we already have all the truth. That can be true for the religious as well. Our best arguments will not sway that person. At that point, it will take a supernatural intervention by God to blast them out of their mindset. Saul of Tarsus had that kind of mindset as he arrested and organized the stoning of Christ- followers. It took a powerful encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus to generate some plasticity in his thinking that eventually generated a transformed mind and a new identity as the apostle Paul.

As we come to Christ, unless we have been raised and spiritually nurtured in the home of believers, we must weaken, prune, or erase our worldly ways of thinking and develop new neural pathways that will contain the truths of God and the perspectives, values, and even emotions of Christ. The Holy Spirit will empower what we do but will hold us responsible for doing the things through which his power can be applied to our minds as we work to bring every thought captive to Jesus Christ.

Here are some helpful principles.

1. In order for a neural pathway to be pruned or erased, it is not enough to simply stop doing, thinking, or speaking something. We must do and speak something else consistently that establishes a new pathway. The more we reinforce that pathway, the more it becomes our default setting for life. That is where repentance, confession, and becoming doers of the Word come in. We must begin to speak the word of God over our circumstances. Our confession of God’s truth on a regular basis begins to develop the new neural pathway and diminish the old ones.

Meditation, memorization, reading the Word, writing the Word, hearing the Word, and speaking            out loud all accelerate the process and strengthen our new ways of thinking. Unless we do the work of storing up God’s Word in our    hearts, the old pathways will retain their strength and will still be our default  settings under stress. God told Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do   everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Josh. 1:8).  To mediate means to chew on it, process it, discuss it, memorize it, etc. We must do the work to write God’s word on our hearts and to diminish the power of the old man or the old mind in our lives. Continuing to dabble in our old ways will  keep those worldly pathways alive and we will be live as double-minded  believers. Following Jesus has always been all or nothing.

2. We must monitor our environment to see what things in the environment reinforce our old pathways or reinforce our new neural pathways. One of the really interesting new concepts in brain research is the idea of epigenetics. This concept states that our environment affects our genetic makeup and switches on or switches off genetic predispositions that have come down to us through our family line. Again let me quote from the conference. “Through an understanding of epigenetics, we have discovered that the genetic template we inherit from our parents is radically affected in its expression by our life experiences.” That means that genetic predispositions toward addictions, homosexuality, obesity, etc. can be turned off by elements in our physical, social and spiritual environments including our internal environment where the Holy Spirit lives. Positive predispositions toward righteousness, spiritual gifts, mercy, compassion, music, etc. can also be turned on or suppressed by our environments. That is one reason that God warns us about the people we hang out with and where we hang out.Righteousness or unrighteousness can be genetically encoded and passed on to children which explains much about generational sin, curses, and even  generations of righteousness.

3. Another interesting confirmation that has arisen from new research is that our brain has more plasticity in the presence of God. Every act of worship activates the flow of the Spirit within us which apparently has an extraordinary effect on our physical minds. Practicing spiritual disciplines opens us up to the flow of God in our lives which powerfully facilitates even physical changes in our brains. Being in the presence of God also releases the neurochemicals that create a sense of peace, pleasure and well-being which serve to draw us back to God. Research confirms that even raising our hands above our heads (worship) releases these positive chemicals. I believe that speaking in tongues has the same positive effects.

In summary, the God who created us body, soul and spirit has accurately instructed us in the process of spiritual, emotional, and physical transformation by the power of his Spirit. Science is simply confirming the power that God has invested in our choices and in his Word and Spirit. We cannot take shortcuts. Consistent worship, mediation, confession, fasting, and the other spiritual disciplines over time are essential to our growth and change. We must also understand that once a week is not enough. God empowers the process but we must participate. Those who neglect these transformative disciplines will not experience all that God has for them.

Certainly there are moments when God changes us in a second – like the apostle Paul. I know people who have been sovereignly delivered by God from addictions and emotional brokenness but the continuing transformation of their souls and character has been a process. If we partner with God, he will change us even in the deepest recesses of our heart and mind. Science once again is finally catching up with the Bible.

In the past 20 years or so, brain research has made remarkable strides and has debunked what was once accepted science. In a conference I just attended on healing the human soul, Jim Laffoon stated, “Until the end of the 20^th century, neurologists believed no new neurons (specialized cells that communicate and store memories in the brain) were created after the first 3-5 years of life. With the discovery of neurogenesis, we know that humans retain the ability to create new neurons and neural patterns throughout their lives. Surprisingly, the only area in the brain that creates new neurons is the same area that controls and stores our memories. We also have discovered neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change throughout life). This new neural growth is also stimulated through environmental neurogenesis; neuroplasticity has revolutionized modern psychology and psychiatry” (Healing the Human Soul, Jim Laffoon, p.6).

I’m still trying to get my head around all the scientific terminology but let me try to summarize what has just been said. First of all, lets agree with the Psalmist that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Science knows that we think but has yet to fully understand the processes. Let me share a quote from a blog called Quantum’s Blog regarding the mind. The writer says, “Our brain is made up of billions of nerve cells known as neurons. Neurons connect together through their branch-like tentacles called dendrites, (signal receivers) and axon terminals. (transmitters) These neurons transmit and receive electrically charged nerve signals to and from the brain at speeds of over 300 km ph! This is why our thoughts and body reflexes are lightning quick and so well coordinated.

When neurons come together to form thought patterns, they look like an intricate net called a neuronet. The ends of each tentacle of one dendrite and axon terminal connect to other tentacle endings of other dendrites and axon terminals, but do not really touch. The gap is called a synapse and this is where the thunderstorms of electrical signals occur. Electrical impulses are sent from one neuron to the next through the synapses of their dendrites and axon terminals.

Some studies say a neuron has as many as 1,000 to 10,000 synapses, (some argue much more) meaning it can communicate with as many as 10,000 other neurons, muscle cells, glands etc. We can see why the brain’s potential for biochemical pattern forming is massive. Considering the presence of billions of neurons with this degree of association connectivity, the brain has an infinite capacity for storing information, associating concepts and triggering instructions to the body because it can create endless new neuron pathways.”

As thoughts or experiences are repeated, neurons link together in identifiable chains called neural pathways. These become like ruts in a road so that the thoughts or perspectives wired into these pathways become our automatic or default settings for how we think, feel, or view life. In addition to thoughts, these neurons can release chemicals in our body. The strength of these neural pathways is reinforced by the brain’s reward circuits. One of the most important of these circuits is the mesolimbic dopamine system. When certain thoughts and behaviors are activated, these neurochemicals are released which rewards the individual with feelings of comfort and well-being.

When the individual is in distress or emotional pain, the brain will prompt the individual to repeat behaviors that release the chemicals that comfort the individual or, in the case of drug and alcohol abuse, introduce chemicals into the body that create positive feelings. This process is the basis of addictions and can be very powerful even when the behaviors have long term destructive consequences. That is why when we are stressed, lonely, depressed, etc. we are often drawn to food, sex, pornography, shopping, drugs, or alcohol to “medicate” our pain. We “remember” the activities that released the neurochemicals that made us feel better – at least for a while. These sin patterns can be very strong because they become our automatic or default thoughts and actions that carry short-term rewards and the release of powerful neurochemicals. In short, we can become addicted to sin.

Pornography is a powerful example of how this works. This summary was taken from an internet article produced by Covenant Eyes.

• “When having sex or watching porn, dopamineis released into a region of the brain responsible for emotion and learning, giving the viewer a sense of sharp focus and a sense of craving: “I have got to have this thing; this is what I need right now.” It supplies a great sense of pleasure. The next time the viewer gets the “itch” for more sexual pleasure, small packets of dopamine are released in the brain telling the user: “Remember where you got your fix last time. Go there to get it.”

• Norepinephrine is also released, creating alertness and focus. It is the brain’s version of adrenaline. It tells the brain, “Something is about to happen, and we need to get ready for it.”

• Sex or porn also trigger the release of oxytocin and vasopressin. These hormones help to lay down the long-term memories for the cells. They “bind” a person’s memories to the object that gave him or her the sexual pleasure.

• The body releases endorphins, natural opiates that create a “high,” a wave of pleasure over the whole body.

• After sexual release serotonin levels also change, bringing a sense of calm and relaxation.

This system works the way it is supposed to work when you’re having sex with your spouse and only your spouse. Together you can experience a high, an alertness of sexual pleasure, and the deep calm afterwards (norepinephrine, endorphins, and serotonin). With each sexual embrace you are emotionally bonding to this person (oxytocin and vasopressin). Over time a craving for sex is transformed into a desire for one another (dopamine).”

When used as God intended, this is a powerful tool for pleasure, intimacy, and even faithfulness. When misused, it becomes destructive. Paul put it this way in the book of Galatians – a man reaps what he sows. If he sows to the flesh, he reaps destruction. If he sows to the Spirit, he reaps life. When we pursue righteousness, God’s design works with us to reinforce righteousness. When we pursue sin or the flesh, those same processes can empower sin.

These chemical rewards can also be released as you encounter the presence of God in worship, prayer, meditation and so forth so that you emotionally bond with God, experience peace and comfort and long to be in his presence again. David wrote, ‘As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.” David was a man who often needed comfort because of the immense stresses in his life. He often sought the presence of God for that comfort. The one time he sought that comfort from another source, Bathsheba, the consequences were disastrous.

As science begins to understand these processes, we can begin to understand the power of sin in a person’s life and why it takes the supernatural work of God in conjunction with our choices to set us free and bond us to God. In my next blog, I will talk about the processes that prune or diminish existing pathways and establish new ones. These processes are part of “renewing the mind” as Paul commanded in Romans 12. The good news is that by our own choices and the power of the Spirit we can hunger and thirst after righteousness even more than the chocolate cake you may have been imagining earlier.