Should Churches Have Healing and Deliverance Ministries?

Should churches have healing and deliverance ministries best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi Abdul Meyer, along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

We can open our phone lines right now for the next 25 minutes or so.

If you have a question here's the number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter account. You can watch a drill live in the studio right now on YouTube and you can send us a message that that way through the YouTube channel.

Plus, you can always email us your question. Here's our email address its questions at court, Christianity.com and first updater we do have an email from one of our listeners named Jolene she says, who are the branches that are cut off for not producing fruit in John 15 two through six are those that Jesus described as in me the same as those who are like the seed that grows along the rocks and appears to be followers before withering away.

What an excellent question.

I love it that we'd open up the broadcast today by looking at Jesus's words in John chapter 15 I just want to want to read this text to give us some context verse one Jesus said I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit already. You are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you is the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.

Okay so up, but I think part of the answer to this question is important to just figure out what is me to abide in Jesus, and this is language that John uses throughout his gospel actually back in chapter 6 Jesus himself talked about abiding in him and listless. Now EP. He defined it there in John chapter 6 verse 56. He says whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him, this is sort of a theme in John chapter 6 and verse 47 is a truly, truly, I say to you whoever believes has eternal life, and then in verse 54. He says whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and so there there's this idea of believing in Jesus feeding upon him resting in and receiving his grace for us and bent and being at home and that if you will, abiding in that reality that truth and that leads to fruitfulness in the Christian life and so I think I think key to abiding in Jesus is faith in him. Faith in the gospel and so those who are cut off are those who are faithless those who maybe have a sort of a formal relationship to Jesus and the church, but don't truly believe these things and I think that that's confirmed by a parallel text actually in the book of Romans where Paul picks up this this analogy or this illustration of branches being cut off any says in in the book of Romans. In Romans chapter 11. Here he's talking about unbelieving Israelites, listen to what what the apostle Paul says there in will start in verse 17 says if some branches were broken off, and you all the wild olive shoot speaking of the Gentiles were grafted in, among others, and now share in the nourishment of the root of the olive tree.

Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you remember it is not you who support the route but the route that supports you and you will say branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.

That is true, they were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear as is so geez Jesus right here and in John 15. Are there in John 15 and Paul here in Romans chapter 11 seems to indicate that that abiding in Jesus will click faith in Christ. There were grafted into the vine if you will, and those were broken off are are those who have maybe a formal relationship to Christ and the things of the church, but that with this vital relationship of faith in him. His life is not flowing in and through them.

It's only it's only you know, insofar as Christ is in us working by the power of his Holy Spirit that we bear fruit, and sources it is unbelief that that I think is being spoken of their in in John 15 and confirmed by Paul there in Romans chapter 11 brothers and sisters we can have a formal relationship to the people who go to church and have have you know the name Christian if you will refer to themselves as Christian and yet not have a vital relationship with Jesus through faith whereby there there filled with the Holy Spirit mimicking we've we've seen this before and so Jesus is talking about that that vital union now that were called to have with him that organic vital union that were called out by faith.

And it's only through that union that we are fruitful in the Christian life is the grace of Jesus is flowing in us in and through us. But those who are unbelieving, who reject the gospel there there cut off and so really thank you for that question, Jolene. May the Lord bless you Jolene thanks so much for being a regular listener to core Christianity.

We really do appreciate you. Let's go to Eric on the line from Iowa Falls, Iowa. Eric what is your question for pastor. Israel hired I nearly hey Eric, I can hear you. I already reiterated the question to cover water.

My realtor Chris Sherman will know our cheers and art) for credit) on my realtor Chris Sherman, nor are not told told trust in Jesus, they got Bruce and I know you're really Christian out what you do on days you don't feel like a Christian and I have doubts here. I just wonder no but you say or what you recommend. Yeah well Eric, I appreciate your question, I know that you're not alone that many, many people struggle with this. How can I know that I truly belong to the Lord. It's one of the questions we get. I think mode most frequently here on this broadcast and I think if if you're basing it off of it for basing it off of our feelings. I feel like a Christian today it and you and usually you know when when the feelings are good, it's because you know we've been faithful to the Lord and were going to church and were you know reading our Bibles and you know they haven't haven't struggled with with the other sins that I tend to struggle with whatever you have me feel like you're doing well and and you have confidence that your cursor then all of a sudden you know what Whidden when you don't feel that maybe when you're struggling with some send you what it will. Maybe I'm not even really a believer in the for the feelings can come and go as we don't want to put our confidence in our feelings, your confidence, Eric has to be in the objective word and promise of God is less about how you feel and more about what God has said in his word and and so I go to passages of Scripture promises like the one that we find in first John chapter 5 verse 13 where John says I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. On the basis of what on the basis of of faith what is faith. Faith is an empty hand that receives Christ in all of his benefits. It's not the strength of your faith that saves you. It's not that you have a perfect faith. I think each of us can pray like that man in the Gospels. I believe Lord help my unbelief.

It's the strong Savior Jesus who saves you who makes you his and even over a week faith. The mustard seed sized faith and lay hold of the strong Savior and so your confidence brother has to be nodding in how you feel, not in the strength even of your faith, but in the strength of Christ and what God has said in his word that promise that when we go to him confessing our sins. He forgives us and so I would encourage you as you as you have these these doubts to dig into the Scriptures, and especially to focus on the sweet promises of the gospel that we see throughout the you know the pages of the Bible. The promises of the forgiveness of of sins the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, knowing that when you pray for those things you asked for. That mean Jesus and the Gospel of Luke says if you being evil, know how to give good gifts. How much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to those who asked these are things that God wants to give you. God is gracious and good and merciful and so we we go to him turning away from ourselves and confident in his goodness and mercy, and clinging to those promises, brother, and if if you've done that then Ben I can say to you your your Christian to let me ask you another question Eric, have you been baptized out okay.

Later on okay in adult and are you a part of the are you part of the church right now you go to church on Sunday mornings doing are going to church tomorrow. Yeah even even right there I think is having church community and fellowship with with brothers and sisters being under the ministry of the word. You know, in one sense I think that should also also be a comfort to you write the you know when work when were you know in open sin and were under the discipline of the church and and the people around us are together.

There's a real issue here.

Right then I think I think there can be some some questions before you being a part of the churchgoing being under the ministry of the word receiving the promises of God serving, presumably there is a part of the community that there are gonna be days where you feel really confident in the grace of Jesus. When you feel confident, even in how you're doing in your spiritual walk and there to be other days we are struggling, especially if you look within and again I would just say fix your eyes and in those moments on the promises that God is given to you in the gospel to forgive all of your sins solely on the basis of what his son is done not on the basis of your own righteousness. Eric and so may God bless you and be with you and comfort you and strengthen you in that great truth of forgiveness topless Eric we want to point you to our website for a great resource. It's actually a core guide is called nine ways to know you are really a Christian.

You can find that by going to core Christianity for.com/guides again. Core, Christianity.com/guides to look for nine ways to know you are really a Christian. Our phone lines are open right now.

If you have a question for atrial and here is the phone number it's 833-843-2673 will be taking calls for the next 10 minutes or so 833 the core. We also have a very unique resource that we want to offer you today.

It's including some of our very best content that we have an offer that combines some of the best questions and answers we've received on the show about faith and family. I think it's fair to say that kids ask some of the best questions tough questions and if were honest were not always prepared to answer those questions what our families can be a training ground. Whether your parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt or sibling.

We can help each other face the difficult questions involve our faith and families. And that's what your core Christianity. We created a new resource on faith and family. It's available on our website for a gift of any amount, and this collection includes questions and answers from the show articles and bonus materials about marriage, parenting, sexuality and dating relationships how to answer kids questions even in how to care for aging parents core Christianity exist to help answer tough questions about the Bible and the Christian faith, and when you get these important resources you support us to continue to produce and broadcast the show create more Bible studies and distribute free Christ centered resources to many people that need them.

And so get a hold of that resource. Your support is so pivotal in keeping core Christianity on the air and your donations help us add to our Bible study collection create even more resources for those who are looking for answers to the tough questions about the faith to find out more about this particular research go to core Christianity.com/family again. Core, Christianity.com/family to look for the faith and family election.

It's great stuff. Well, let's get back to the phones. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners. This is Julia. I wanted no errors church in Kentucky that though I like yelling, delivering our laying hands on people and they fall out on the floor and I just want to know applicable think that the hospital bed in the past I question I don't know what is right, church and I don't know.

I do something that I would like to get involved and not right thank you very much. Have a wonderful day.

Hey Julia, thank you for your question. Of course this is something that characterize the ministry of our Lord Jesus was an exorcism, exorcisms, casting out demons.

It seems like it was also part of the apostolic ministry and in the first century and clearly what you have there in the Gospels. In particular, something definitive that was taking place. Jesus talked about binding Satan the strongman so that he might plunder his house and we know according to Paul in the book of collate Colossians that that the principalities and powers have been disarmed. That is the deep demonic forces have been disarmed by the cross of Jesus Christ.

So there has there's there's been this definitive victory over the evil one through what Jesus Christ has done. We have victory over over Satan. We weakly conquer the evil one by faith if you will and in Christ. Now, I don't believe that were called to replicate the ministry of Jesus and the apostles. I think that was that was a distinct ministry for a particular time exemplifying you the fact that Jesus had come to bind Satan it we have to be careful that were were not trying to to be new apostles, if you will, or bring about a brand-new Pentecost that was a distinct event in the history of redemption and actually there were people even in the times of the New Testament who got themselves in a lot of trouble trying to have deliverance ministry something of that, the book of acts in acts chapter 19. It talks about that the sons of Siva group of itinerant Jewish exorcists who were going around trying to cast out demons in the name of Jesus. They were saying. I adjure you by the same Jesus who brought about Paul proclaims trying to cast out demons and what ended up happening is they were overtaken by an individual who is demon possessed. The evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded which this kind of a crazy story there and in acts chapter 19 but this is this is serious stuff. I don't think this is where Gore churches should be focusing I think you want to be in a church that's focused on the simple teaching of the Scriptures, helping you to grow in your understanding of what God has revealed in his Word. Doing the things that Jesus said the church should be doing in terms of worship, the ordinances baptism and the Lord's supper it in anyone since these things are all very ordinary. I think people are attracted to you on a few of the signs and wonders.

I want to see the exorcisms that kind of thing but friends that the ordinary Christian life is supported by faithful Bible teaching faithful administration of the ordinances or sacraments that Jesus gave to the church growing together in a community of love and faith and fellowship, and that's not easy. I know that's not easy being being a good member of a local church rate. It requires time and effort and care in you nose and stepson of sacrificing comforts, but it's there that we really grow in the Christian life and so I would encourage Julie to get into a church that's focused on those things, not churches that are that are overly consumed with trying to have deliverance ministries and and replicate that the ministry of Jesus of the apostles. We are not new apostles today and I'm not Jesus Christ were were trying to point people to the doctrine of the apostles and to the Savior Jesus Christ through his word.

God bless great counsel.

Thank you for that later.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Christian calling in from Springfield, Missouri? Christian what your question for pastor.

Israel so my question is for the best thing with other believers. Maybe the way how things ought to be. How do we make sure gift of a personal check that we are staying biblically based on those ought to discussions versus drifting too far and like a different political or philosophical tradition. Yeah this image is a good question right, and I think fundamentally we just want to make sure that that the primary thing that's informing us shaping us Christian in our in our lives is the word of God. There are so many voices that are no vying for attention, especially with with the news and media and social media and and with political tension things.

We know there's there's a lot of discussions that are happening and information that we can take it out.

I thought I would just say that fundamentally what you're gonna want to make sure you do. We all want to make sure that we do is is that you're grounded in God's word. First and foremost as you hear these discussions you're able to apply wisdom and discernment from the word of God to the things that are happening is a okay you know this is good. I think that this is this is how were called to love our neighbors were thinking about you know a broader issue in society political question.

Those kinds of things were were applying the truth of Scripture. The truth of God's word to the situations where where it's applicable.

And so I think you not one of the things I see is are so many people that are can consumed by some of these debates and there there so focused on them through social media and you know the different sort of back-and-forth it's out there on twitter on the news or whatever it is, and we can become so consumed with those things that were were not drinking deeply from the stream of God's word is out.

St. make sure that that you're doing that and as you do that you pray for wisdom you pray for humility you pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that you could with wisdom apply the word of God and the teachings of Scripture to the broader Beano issues of our of our day and I think that's what you want to do and you want to be able to to do that from the Bible but again you're going, you're going to have to let the Scriptures be that the guiding principle with the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives and so I know that that the sort of broad sort of big, big picture, but I think that that's that's key because I think so often we can sort of let the Bible go by the wayside and were were caught up in all of these discussions and there's a lot of heat. There's a lot of argumentation now. There's a lot of debate what we need is humility and we need and we need the wisdom that comes from God spirit and and that grounding in Scripture to be able to actually speak something that's worthwhile into this world and into these discussions and so may God bless you in that and may God fill you with his spirit and and give you wisdom and insight in his word eyes you have this these kinds of discussions with with the people around you and you say what an opportunity right is something that a lot of people want to talk about on and on different sides of the aisle.

If you will. You people want to get into debates about politics and and whatnot. Christians and non-Christians alike. It can be an opportunity to bring the gospel to bear to identify okay you know people. People can see these these real problems in society, whatever they might be. Maybe we can say that we we agree that this is a problem, but then able to being able to bring the truth of Scripture to bear, and ultimately the promises of the gospel to bear. It could be an open door for us to share Christ and his love with people who who Gordon ordinarily wouldn't get to hear about it and so use it as an opportunity also to talk about Jesus, I would say jobless great question from Christian and I appreciate his discernment.

We had a similar situation. 11. A small group I was in work drifted very political. We had bring it back to the truth of cups word so thanks for the Christian.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we have time for one more call.

Mary is on the line from Tennessee Mary what your question for atrial all my heart question when he died on the crop discussion in my final when Jesus died on the cry and this century and all of the earthquake that curtain being rent from top to bottom on and all the people, not a great holiday wonders that happen when he actually died on this century.

Instead, Shirley. That's why right and ended question in the Bible study was you know how did this century and know that with the Pentagon.

And I think the Holy Spirit will now get the Holy Spirit didn't come around until the day of Pentecost in my question. If it wasn't the Holy Spirit. I am not sure I understand this. Coeternal, and co-equal triangle guy. Great question.

So we would you're absolutely right in the Holy Spirit is the third person of the holy Trinity eternal you know in it and so is not of the Holy Spirit began to exist at the day of Pentecost, or something like that is that now, through Pentecost the church is unique, which is a world of this unique relationship to the Holy Spirit. They didn't have prior to Pentecost the spirit of God was still working people's lives, even in the Old Testament coming upon people and so so it it would be incorrect as it is. I was not working prior to Pentecost. Certainly, the spirit was at work and if the centurion in in Matthew chapter 27 verse 54 is confessing Christ as Lord. Truly this was the son of God would only be by the power of the Holy Spirit. Seems like there with what's being highlighted by by Matthew was just that he's overwhelmed the sintering is overwhelmed by the things he saying you know that the earthquake in these wonders associated with the crucifixion of Jesus that he just is that this was the son of God and and I would say yet, this is if this is a genuine profession of faith if you will, recognizing who this is. It only by the Holy Spirit in the spirit of God is working there is been working throughout the history of redemption is working today as well. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together