GospelTruth Feature: God Wants You Well Page 5 Special Feature: Past, Present, and Future Page 31 Spring & Summer 2010 Greetings in the name of Jesus our Lord! In this issue of the magazine, Jamie and I wanted to give you an overview of how your generosity is changing lives around the world, from Colorado Springs to small villages in Thailand. You are helping to reach people in places you may have never imagined, like Chennai, India; Budapest, Hungary; Petropolis, Brazil; and more. People everywhere are hungry for the message of God’s love and grace, and we are doing our best to deliver it. In addition to worldwide television broadcasts, AWM offices, CBC extension schools, and distribution centers are opening their doors, from Canada to South Africa (see map page 26). The response has been tremendous. But with that comes the need to accommodate the growth. Please be sure to read the article Past, Present, and Future on page 31. It will give you a clear picture of where we have been and where we are headed in the future. We love you, Andrew and Jamie Woodland Park Lodge Contents Spring & Summer 2010 FeatureGod Wants You Well by Andrew Wommack Page 5 DiagnosisHealing JourneyCanceled Page 10 It’s the Fruit that Counts Page 17 Charis Bible College Graduates “Heroes of the Faith” Page 25 Special Feature Publisher Past, Present, and Future Andrew Wommack Ministries, Inc. Page 31 Managing Editor Photo Credits Jim Ertel David Hardesty Reaping a Harvest Cover, Pages 4 and 30 Publications Manager Greg Troup Greg Troup in Europe Pages 2 and 3 Page 39 Satoshi Yamamoto Graphic Designer Page 16 Satoshi Yamamoto All Bible references are from King Andrew’sHealth-Care Antidotes Reform, Writers James Version unless otherwise noted. Jim Ertel GospelTruth® is published by God’s Way Renee Gray-Wilburn Andrew Wommack Ministries, Inc. a nonprofit corporation, Colorado Page 48 Christina Grotheer Springs, CO U.S.A. © 2010 Andrew Catherine Baker Wommack Ministries, Inc. and its licensees. All rights reserved. Editorial Assistants The photography of Andrew and Jamie on page 22, 48, and 50 by David Moore II Terry Moore. Melissa Roarty Renee Gray-Wilburn Christina Grotheer Donna Leischner VOLUME IV NUMBER 4 Woodland Park Lodge byWell Andrew Wommack My dad was a man who loved God and was a deacon in the Baptist Church. When I was eleven, he went into the hospital with a serious heart problem. He was there for several months—in a coma. In desperation, I prayed with all my heart. I believed that God could heal him, but I didn’t have any confidence or faith that He actually would. My dad died just after my twelfth birthday. I lot of people hear is, “Repent! Turn or burn!” It’s all didn’t get bitter or mad at God, although many do. future tense, like an insurance policy that guarantees Many Christians who have prayed for loved ones, only the avoidance of hell but does little for them in this to see them die, as I did, blame God. They say, “If life. Second, the misunderstanding of sovereignty has God loves us, if God is a good God, then why did He led people to believe that God controls everything that let this happen?” happens on this earth. If people believe that, then they MFor instance, I read an article on the internet about must conclude that sickness is from God, or is at least how people were coping spiritually with the Haitian allowed by Him. earthquakes. Many were angry at God. There was Both of these doctrines are really damaging to the even a picture of a woman walking by a pile of burning body of Christ. They diminish much of what Jesus human bodies who took her Bible out of her purse and accomplished on the cross, and they bring into question threw it on the fire. That expresses what many feel. the goodness of God. They also cause us to adopt a There are two main reasons for this: First, for the performance mentality, that if we would just pray more, most part, the body of Christ has presented Jesus as go to church more, and give more, then God would heal our Savior but not as our Healer. The only message a us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spring & Summer 2010 5 Healing cannot be separated from the Atonement also used for the healing of your body. Jesus provided of Jesus any more than the forgiveness of sin can be healing for your body at the same time He provided separated from the Atonement. The Lord does not forgiveness for our sins. want people sick any more than He wants them to sin. I prayed for my dad with everything I could I know that is a huge leap for most people. They think, muster because I knew God could heal. But there is Oh, man, I cannot even believe you are putting those things in a big difference between believing that God can heal the same category! Well, you don’t have to believe me— and believing that God wants to heal every person, every look at what the Word of God says. time. You must know and believe that God wants you well. Then, when you pray, it becomes a prayer of faith. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within Mark 11:24 says, me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases” (Ps. that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” 103:1-3). People must also believe that they receive when “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on they pray, not when they see it come to pass. Many the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto pray “O God, please heal me,” but if it doesn’t happen righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 immediately or if they don’t feel completely well, they Pet. 2:24). think, Oh well, I’m only human…after all, everyone gets sick, or maybe God is trying to teach me something through suffering. So, in a sense, they embrace it. What if you approached sin that way? Imagine Healing cannot be separated from feeling tempted to commit adultery. You know it’s the Atonement of Jesus any more wrong, so you pray, “Father, I don’t want this, so please than the forgiveness of sin can be take the desire away from me.” Then, if the desire does not leave immediately, you give in, thinking, I separated from the Atonement. might as well go ahead. I’m only human. If that is the way you respond to temptation, you would be overcome by sin every time. You need to adopt the attitude that The Greek word sozo is used over one hundred you won’t tolerate sickness any more than you would times in the New Testament. It was translated “saved,” tolerate sin. “healed,” and “made whole.” In Mark 5:34, the woman What if you were to view salvation the same way with the issue of blood touched Jesus’ garment and was many people view healing: “Sometimes God saves “made…whole.” That is the word sozo, the same word people and sometimes He doesn’t—you never know— that was also translated “saved.” just pray and see”? The fact is, when you received In the book of James, very specific instructions salvation, you had to believe that it was already done, are given: that Jesus already died for your sins, and that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall (definitely) be saved “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of (Rom. 10:13). You had to know God’s will, and you the church; and let them pray over him, anointing had to believe you received when you prayed. The way him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer you believe for salvation is the same way you believe for of faith shall save the sick” (James 5:14-15). everything, including healing in your body (Col. 2:6). If you believe God can heal but you’re not sure That word save is sozo. The prayer of faith will save He is willing or ready to heal you, then you cannot (sozo), or heal, the sick. Go ahead and study that out. believe that you receive when you pray, as we just read You will find that this very word used for salvation is in Mark. There is only one way you can have boldness 6 GospelTruth resisting? If God were ultimately the one that caused The Greek word sozo is used over or allowed a thing, you would, in a sense, be resisting God’s will. one hundred times in the New If you really believe that God is the one who allows Testament. It is translated “saved,” the sickness or actually puts it on you, then (if you are “healed,” and “made whole.” going to be consistent) it is wrong for you to go to a doctor. It would be wrong for you to take medication to try to get out of God’s will. Why would you resist if God wants it? and assurance (real faith): You must believe it is God’s Likewise, if God causes natural disasters like the will to heal every person, every time.