The foundation of Laying on of Hands is another important foundation
We are called to be an extension of Jesus in this physical world. We have a mandate to bring a Living Christ to a dying world. The teaching and reality of Laying on of hands is part of this mandate. We are to become an extension of the hands of Jesus in this world.
This is the mystery of “Christ in us which is the hope of Glory”
The Hope of Glory- The word hope here is the Greek word elpis Which has the meaning of “the expectation of something good”. The word Glory in this verse is the Greek word Doxa .
The meaning of this word is somewhat difficult to describe, however, it has the meaning of, “the true reality of a person’s character on display”. Then from that meaning comes appearance of a person that attracts attention or commands recognition, the glory or shining appearance of the person. The more glory you manifest the more light you emanate.
When Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory, God said this. I will make all my goodness to pass before you.
And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, Exodus 33:19
The Glory of God and the goodness of God are one and the same. What makes God so glorious is His goodness. The more goodness you manifest the more glory you manifest.
The only way the goodness of God will be seen in this earth is through Christ in us.
There was an incident in the New Testament where a group of Greeks came to Philip and said we want to see Jesus. The reply that Jesus gave was very interesting.
And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. (This request was a reasonable one but Jesus gave a reply that was seemingly unexplainable). And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:20-24
Jesus said the time has come for me to be glorified. Unless a corn of wheat fall into the ground and dies it abides alone but if it dies it brings forth much fruit.
Jesus was saying I am about to die but like a seed is planted I will rise again and from this seed will come many just like me, and then these Greek people will see me in my disciples.
Jesus had said if you have seen me you have seen the father (John 14:8-9).
He is saying when you see my disciples you will see me.
Christ in you is the only hope of this generation of seeing Jesus.
The revelation of this mystery is of great importance in gathering the end time harvest.
Becoming the Hands of Jesus.
The Bible gives us a number of examples for the purpose of laying on of hands.
To commission , To impart Blessings, To heal the sick, To receive the Holy Spirit.
To commission- this is referring to our secondary destiny, not our primary destiny which is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
We all have come to this earth with a destiny, a purpose, a calling and knowing what that calling or purpose is critical to being able to fulfill it.
It is never Gods intent that we should just live our life without knowing the reason for being here. We all need to know what we are supposed to be doing and then we need the necessary equipment in order to fulfill that calling or purpose.
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 1 Timothy 4:14
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Timothy 1:6-9
Paul here is saying that before this world was created God had given you a holy calling to fulfill in this earth. Paul is writing to Timothy and admonishing him regarding a gift he received by the Laying on of hands. Through the Laying on of hands and the prophetic word Timothy was commissioned into His calling. The prophetic word was the word of Jesus to him and the Laying on of hands imparted a specific gift to enable him to do it. Impartation and direction is necessary.
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Timothy 1:6-9
Until you know what you are supposed to do you cannot proceed further into the Kingdom. Many Christians continue on aimlessly in the Christian life without knowing why they are here. This often leads to a sense of worthlessness and frustration.
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. Acts 13:1-4
This commissioning is vital to our succeeding in our calling. You need to be in a fellowship or church that is open to and provides the ministry of laying on of hands with prophecy. This also may occur in conferences that you attend.
The life and ministry of Jesus is extended in this earth through the laying on of hands. Christ lives and walks again in this earth through His people.
While this foundation needs to be laid in our lives, we need to be careful regarding who lays hands on us. Laying on of hands has to do with impartation. Commissioning needs to be done through those who are called into the 5 fold ministry and who are living Godly lives and are known for their integrity and purity of heart.
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22
This verse of scripture is a warning; Paul is telling Timothy to be careful who he lays hands on. Laying on of hands enables a spiritual connection and if the person you are laying hands on has demonic problems you will connect with those demons, possibly receiving backlash, it is called being hit.
The word partaker here means “to share with” it has the thought, “to become one with”. We need to make sure that our faith levels and walk with the Lord is greater than those who we minister to in situations like this. Between the call and the commission there is a preparation period.
Many Christians may know their calling or at least have some idea regarding their call. But we need to understand that between the call and the commissioning there is a preparation and qualifying period one must go through.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 2 Peter 1:10 This is talking about your primary calling.
What things?
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall] neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
There is always a preparation between the call and the commissioning into the call.
You have to be diligent and be serious about your call and prepare for it.
The Apostle Peter gives us some qualities that need to be established in us in order to make our calling sure.
Joseph was called by God in a dream.
The mistake Joseph made was that he told his bothers about it. His brothers could not handle it. After all Joseph was the youngest in the family.
In the medical profession doctors go through years of training and before they are let loose on the unsuspecting public, they have to practice first on dead bodies. Graduating from Bible College does not qualify you to be commissioned.
Joseph had to be proven.
He had a word from God regarding his calling but he was unproven. Joseph went through a few years of hard dealings of God until he qualified.
He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: Psalm 105:17-21
Finally, the word that Joseph was given in the dream many years before was about to be realized.
It is not gifts that qualify you it is character; godliness has to be formed within you. This does not have to take a long time but it has to be done. The quicker we surrender and learn to obey God the quicker the work will be done.
Gifts were imparted to Timothy through the Laying on of hands and commissioning.
How do you recognize your call and purpose for being on this earth?
God seeks to alert you to the call on your life by drawing you. God loved Jeremiah before he was born into this world and had a call, a purpose for him in this earth.
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3
That drawing can take many forms.
We can see this drawing with Moses.
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. Exodus 2:11
He saw their afflictions, He had compassion. The desire to do something was aroused within him. God was drawing Moses even though he had a long way to go before he would walk in His calling.
What makes you come alive?
There are certain things in life that make you come alive, things that trigger a feeling. With Moses when he saw certain things that moved him with compassion. You may be reading a book or watching a movie and a trigger is released. You may start to cry or just become alive or be overwhelmed with a feeling you may find hard to define. Something triggers eternity in your heart; it triggers something you knew before you came to this earth. God is drawing you and your spirit reacts to it.
Isaiah was so moved when he heard God say “who will go for Me” he volunteered and God said you can go. Isaiah heard the heartbeat of God.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
It is not gifts that qualify you, it is character; godliness has to be formed within you
God seeks to alert you to the call on your life by drawing you
Joseph’s trigger was a dream.
Not a lot of Christians are called to the fivefold ministry, but you have a calling, a purpose which you need to understand and eventually be commissioned into by the laying on of hands and prophecy.
We are commissioned to function in our calling through the laying on of hands and prophecy. Three aspect of Laying on of Hands
To Impart Blessings
To Heal the Sick
To Impart the Holy Spirit
To Impart Blessing- It is important to understand that through the laying on of hands an impartation can occur.
Through the contact of hands and the spoken words transfer can occur between two people. Human beings have a unique ability to bless or curse. The reason for this firstly it is God given and secondly our spirit has abilities that our natural human body does not have. Words have power and a physical connection can strengthen those words.
His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden. NKJ – Habakkuk 3:4
The brightness was like the sun; rays came forth from his hand, where his power lay hidden. NRSV – Habakkuk 3:4
We in one sense have been made in the image and likenesses of God, we have hands, ears and a mouth like God; we also have those spiritual qualities which God has. We do not have the same level of authority that God has, but we do have power hidden in our mouth and in our hands. We have a limited version of His abilities. The animal kingdom does not have these abilities, we humans do. We have power hidden in our mouth and in our hands.
We are called to bless.
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Romans 12:14
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9
If you want the blessing of God then genuinely bless others.
Through the word we see that one purpose of laying on of hands was to confer a blessing or an inheritance,
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Genesis 48:13-16
Transferring a blessing from one to another is a practice well established in scripture. A spiritual inheritance could be transferred from one to another, as a mantle can be transferred from one ministry to another, especially when that person who holds the mantle is about to die and be taken home. We have to be careful what we transfer and what we receive.
We are called to seek the highest good for all, for both friends and enemies.
We must constantly bless in both word and deed. A lifestyle of generosity should be second nature to us. God has so designed it that we cannot receive from Him unless we have the same heart as He has in lavishly giving to His children. To be blessed we must bless.
The way to keep God’s supply happening in your life is to constantly give away.
I like the analogy of the hose pipe; you cannot have water flowing through the hose unless it is flowing out the other end. This is the circle of supply, if you stop the outflow you stop the inflow. A constant supply requires a constant outflow, bless and you will be blessed.
God has so designed it that we cannot receive from Him unless we have the same heart as He has in lavishly giving to His children
We are to bless and not to judge.
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:37-38
Notice Jesus put these two verses together; He talks about giving and it shall be given to you, the law of sowing and reaping, but He also said don’t judge and you won’t be judged. We are not called to judge, we are called to bless. We are not clever enough to judge anyone. God looks at the intent of the heart we look at the outward act. We are called to bless, to be kind, to be forgiving, and to encourage. Some things are Gods business and we should leave those things to Him.
There are ways to touch people and bless them that are not obtrusive. The shaking of hands is a way to bless people either by speaking silently from the heart and by speaking goodness to them. You can hug a person and bless them either vocally or from your heart. When you hug your friend bless them. When you put a hand on a person’s shoulder bless them. Do not place your hands on a person’s head; the head is very sensitive to spiritual influence, as a rule of thumb it is best not to lay hands on a person’s head unless they are being commissioned.
The basis of witchcraft is that of control of one person over another. One can seek to exercise this control through prayers or by using words that intimidate a person. Asking God to make a person take a certain course or praying in such a way that seeks to control another person’s will is witchcraft. You can pray that a person will find the perfect will of God and walk in it, but you must not seek to cause a person to walk in a way that you think they should. I have come across Christians who are simply control freaks and to be honest they are dabbling in witchcraft. Seek always to bless.
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Mark 10:16
Bless those who curse you.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,
If you stop the outflow you stop the inflow
Asking God to make a person take a certain course or praying in such a way that seeks to control another person’s will is witchcraftthe just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45
Healing the sick They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:18
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. Mark 8:25
We are all called to heal the sick, we all do not have a ministry of healing the sick but we all can lay hands on the sick and pray for their healing.
Healing the sick is a major harvest tool.
One of the major aspects of the coming harvest will be healing the sick, we must all learn to heal the sick. Not all are called to the ministry gift of an evangelist, but all are called to heal the sick. We all need an understanding of God’s will to heal the sick
We need to learn how to Transfer Virtue.
Laying on of hands provides a point of contact for power or healing virtue to pass from one person to another.
This often is felt as a mild sensation of burning in ones hands. At other times you may feel a tingling in the hands as power passes from you to the sick person, at other times you may feel nothing yet the other person is healed.
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? Mark 5:30
And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. Mark 5:34
The word virtue here is the Greek word dunamis which is the Greek word for power. Jesus felt power leave Him and asked who touched Him. It was through a physical connection that power was released.
Jesus is the healer.
It is important to get the person who needs healing to understand that Jesus is the healer. You must also understand this; it is not you who heals, it is Jesus in you. If the person who needs healing looks to you for healing you will have a short circuit in the power. There is a healing move of God’s Spirit coming that will eclipse all that has gone before. Prepare for this by studying healing the sick, build your faith in this, practice praying for the sick; you will be surprised how that the Lord will honor your obedience.
One of the major aspects of the coming harvest will be healing the sick
The need of the hour is Reality.
Many young people can get more reality out of a video game than what the church can give them. Millions are hooked on video games because that is all the reality they have in a confusing world of rhetoric, reality shows, and double standards.
Karl Marx said that religion is the opiate of the masses; this to a degree is true. Religion without reality is like hope that slowly diminishes into a lethargy and mindless acceptance, a deception that this generation is not buying into.
Signs, wonders, miracles and healings tend to get people’s attention. We desperately need continuous manifestation of the supernatural in the church today, and there is no doubt that signs and wonders are a vital evangelistic tool. The Book of Acts clearly shows the need for miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus himself commanded His disciples to heal the sick.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8
We need to learn how to impart the Holy Spirit
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Acts 19:1-6
We see in this passage of scripture how that the Apostle Paul laid hands on these people to receive the Holy Spirit. Again we see the process of impartation, this time an impartation of the Holy Spirit. I have seen thousands of Christians receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. We need to begin to move in this impartation as we see the harvest beginning to come in.
It was through a physical connection that power was released