LESSON 9

      THE LAYING ON OF HANDS

    BUILD YOUR LIFE ON THE FOUNDATION

              OF THE PURE WORD OF GOD.

                THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD.

INTRODUCTION

The most important way in which Christ healed during his earthly ministry was by

touching people or by laying hands on them. " At sunset they brought all those

who were sick and who were suffering from all kinds of diseases to Jesus.

And he laid hands on them all and healed them." Luke 4:40.

He touched the leper - Mark 1:41;

He took hold of Simon's mother-in-law by the hand - Mark 1:31;

Jesus has given those who believe power and authority to do the same.

Mark 16:17,18. The ministry of LAYING ON OF HANDS BELONGS TO THE

BASIS FOR CHRISTIAN FAITH for EACH Christian.

WHAT IS LAYING ON OF HANDS

The laying on of hands is the Biblical method of passing on divine blessing.

By laying your hands on a person you identify yourself with the person for whom

you are praying. You act as a bridge or channel through which God's blessing,

power, anointing and healing can be communicated to another person.

(In all this it is important that the "channel" who lays hands on another is really a

pure, clean child of God, living in accord with God's Word.)

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF LAYING ON OF HANDS?

Laying on of hands is not an end in itself, but a means to an end.

We find reference in both Old and New Testaments of laying on of hands.

Study the following scriptures:

1.  Old Testament

a.  Offering  Lev 1:4,8:14  

b.  Blessing  Gen 48:14,15

c.  Dedication  Num 8:10,11

d.  Conferring authority  Num 27:18-20

e.  Imparting spiritual gifts  Deut 34:9

2.  New Testament

a.  Healing  Acts 5:12

b.  Blessing  Mark 10:13-16

c.  Receiving the Holy Spirit  Acts 8:18, 9:17

d.  Setting free  Luke 13;11-13

e.  Imparting spiritual gifts  1 Tim 4:14

f.  Separating for special ministry  Acts 13:1-4

g.  Establishing in office  Acts 6:1-6

CONDITIONS

1.  Not in your own power, but from the assurance and faith of being a child of

     God invested with authority and redeemed through the precious blood of Jesus.

     Only then can you lay hands on someone "in Jesus' name" Acts 3:6, 19:13-16

2.  " Lay hands on no-one hastily " 1 Tim 5:22

-  thoughtlessly/without good reason

-  seek the leading of the Holy Spirit.

FOR EVERYBODY

LAYING ON OF HANDS has fallen into disuse as a result of lack of spiritual insight.

We must understand that it is AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE BASIS FOR FAITH

for every believer and not just for officials in the church.

Every born again Christian has the privilege of laying hands on others.

So use the privilege. It is for ALL believers!! Mark 16:17,16.

HEALING - INTRODUCTION

As a result of Man's disobedience towards God, God's blessings could no longer

reach him (Eph 2:1-3).  Mankind was under a curse and in the grip of the devil.

The consequence of this is that man has always been plagued by all kinds of

pain weakness and disease.

Through His grace God wants man to be blessed and freed from disease.

" Was it not right that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has had

in bondage for eighteen years, should be released from her bondage..." Luke 13:16.

Read also: Acts 10:38; 13:38; Heb 13:8. On the cross Christ bore not only our

sins, but also our diseases.

By faith we can receive not only forgiveness but also healing. Read :

Isa 53:4-6; Matt 8:16-17; 1 Pet 2:24.

HEALING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The rule under the old covenant was that the obedient could expect health,

while those who sinned could expect disease. Almost all the diseases described

in the Old Testament were the consequence of sin and disobedience

( with the exception of Job).

"...If you pay attention to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in

His eyes, and you tune your ear to all His commands and keep all His laws,

I shall not inflict you with the plagues that I laid on the Egyptians;

for I the Lord am your Healer." Ex 15:26, Lev 26:1-42, Deut 28:1-68

EXAMPLES:

The brass serpent in the wilderness         Num 21:4-9

Elijah and the widow's son              1 Kings 17:17-24

The healing of Naaman                  2 Kings 5:1-27

The healing of King Hezekiah                   2 Kings 20:1-11

HEALING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the New Testament we see in the coming of the Lord Jesus a great stream of

God's grace and mercy, which becomes evident in healing.

Wherever Jesus came healings took place. Jesus, in His grace gave people

forgiveness and healing. " And when Jesus had disembarked he saw a great

crowd, and He was moved with compassion and healed their sick." Matt 14:14;

Mark 6:53-56.

In the New Testament disease is seen as an extension and a result of sin and

therefore as an expression of the kingdom of Satan.

 Disease came after the first sin - both belong to the kingdom of darkness.

Now there is forgiveness and healing through Jesus Christ!

"...therefore confess your sins to one another ( put your life in

order with God and with every other person you have sinned against) and pray for

one another, that you may receive healing..." see James 5:14-16. Sometimes there

are, for the people around you, "hidden sins" in a person. God clearly says in His

word that whoever comes to Him in sincere repentance "He will forgive AND HEAL"!

This is a promise of God to all creation. "Whoever sins is of the devil, for the devil has

been sinning from the beginnig. FOR THIS THE SON OF GOD HAS BEEN

REVEALED, SO THAT HE COULD DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.

" 1 Jn 3:8 ( see also: Jer 30:17, Matt 10:8; Mark 16:17-18; Luke 13:16; Heb 13:8.

EXAMPLES:

There are too many examples of healings to quote here. In the gospels there are 41

instances to be found. In nine of these cases there is mention of

a crowd, many or all. John writes that much more took place than he has recorded,

and that if they were all to be recorded, evn all the books in the world could not

contain the record of them! Jn 21:25; 20:30; Matt 19:2, 15:30.

Throughout the whole book of Acts we see the disciples healing the sick.

Many wonders and signs occurred through the laying on of the apostles' hands.

Acts 5:12-16.

Whenever Philip (a deacon, see Acts 6:1-5) preached the gospel many

who were lame and crippled were healed. Acts 8:6-8.

Healings are signs of the presence and the power of God's kingdom.

"... what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk,

lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor receive

the gospel; blessed is he who is not offended in Me." Luke 7:22,23.

(A modern translation of the last part could read: Blessed is he who is not harshly

critical of Me, but who with Me believes in the power of my heavenly Father.)

HOW TO HEAL

Jesus healed in a wide variety of different ways. Jn 9:6; Luke 17:11-15.

The most important thing was His complete dependence on God the Father.

"... I tell you the Son can do nothing of Himself, but only what He sees the

Father doing, for whatever He does, that the Son does likewise." Jn 5:19.

The Father gives us in His Word a number of important facts about healing.

1.  LAYING ON OF HANDS: Jesus layed hands on many who were sick, and He

    gave us the promise that whenever we do the same the sick will be healed.

     Luke 4:40; Acts 5:12; Mark 16:17,18.

2.  SPEAK:    a. to the sick: "Stretch out your hand", "stand up and walk", etc.

                         Matt 12:13, Acts 3:6

   b. to the demons: "In power He commanded the impure spirits and

       they departed" Luke 4:36,37.

3.  PREACH THE WORD. Ps 107:20; Acts 8:4-8

4.  ANOINT WITH OIL. James 5:14-15

5.  VARIOUS. In response to fasting, spontaneously (through the Holy Spirit) during

     the preaching of God's word, a joyful heart, etc. Matt 17:16-21; prov 17:22

FAITH AND HEALING

Faith plays an important role in healing. Faith is the channel through which God

releases His healing power. Even Jesus could not do much in a climate of unbelief!

Matt 13:58. A lovely example is the healing of the army officer's slave: "Go",

said Jesus, " may it be done for you, as you have believed." Matt 8:5-13.

Paul realised that the lame man in Lystra had faith to be healed. Acts 14:9,10.

It is not always the case that the sick person himself has to have faith! Jesus saw

the faith that the lame man's friends had Mark 2:5. It is not so important who

believes, but that there is faith for healing.

EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES

The New Testament teaches us that healing concerns more than just physical

healing: it touches EVERY ASPECT of our human life that has come under the

power and influence of Satan. (Total healing has to do with a spiritual battle which

became manifest to man at the time of the first sin in paradise.)

DIVINE HEALING means forgiveness and restoration in spirit, soul and body.

It also includes freedom from bondage and healing of wounds and painful memories

from the past. God wants us to be COM-PLETELY WHOLE.

"May the God of Peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit,

soul and body be kept IN ALL PARTS SOUND AND BLAMELESS at the

coming of our Lord Jesus. He who calls you is faithful and HE WILL DO IT."

1 Thess 5:23,24; 3 Jn 2.

IN CONCLUSION

If Jesus is our example for our faith and living, then we cannot ignore

HIS MINISTRY OF HEALING. Jesus never saw good aspects of disease -

wherever He came He healed the sick. "... how God annointed Jesus of

Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. How He went about doing good

and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."

Acts 10:38

God is also with us! He still wants to heal everyone.

Of course there are many things we do not under­stand.

There are still sick people who are not healed. The apostle Paul was also

confronted with this situation. But even though we do not understand everything,

we must hold fast to God's promise that we will in the end

RECEIVE THE PROMISES, THROUGH FAITH AND PATIENCE. Heb 6:11-15