CERTIFICATE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL MINISTRY AT THE MARGINS MODULE TWO-THREE THEOLOGY AND PRACTICE OF HOLISTIC LIBERATION & SOCIAL PROPHETIC MISSION BOB & GRACIE EKBLAD www.peoplesseminary.org www.tierra-nueva.org 1 MANUAL FOR MODULE 3 Copyright © 2019 by The People’s Seminary Requests for information should Be addressed to: Tierra Nueva & The People’s Seminary PO Box 410, Burlington, WA 98233-0161 www.tierra-nueva.org www.peoplesseminary.org (360)755-5299 New Earth - Tierra Nueva is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Published by The People’s Seminary Press. All rights reserved. No part of this puBlication may Be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or By any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior permission of the puBlishers. Printed and bound in New Zealand 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Informed from aBove 5 2. Identity and authority in Christ 9 • Holistic barriers to liberation defined and summarized 18 3. Healing of father wounds 22 4. The power of forgiveness 30 5. Unhealthy beliefs: Identifying & replacing false images of God & self 34 6. Healing of mother wounds 40 7. Confession, repentance and receiving forgiveness 46 8. Jesus liberating: case study of Luke 9:37-43 48 9. Biblical cosmology & liberation in the New Testament 55 10. Spiritual warfare & multi-layered, holistic liBeration 61 11. Ministry protocol: praying for healing and liBeration 70 12. John the Baptist: Exemplary prophet 81 13 The powers in Biblical perspective 85 14. Stewarding the Word: discipleship Basics 93 Appendix Steps in interpreting a BiBlical text 95 Freedom from idolatry and animism 97 Praying Psalms against enemies 101 Kingdom Identity—freedom from nationalism/powers 103 Baptismal renunciations & affirmations 110 Discipleship after healing and deliverance 111 Bible studies Luke 2:41-52 115 Luke 6:27-36 127 The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod--Mark 8:11-21 129 Reading the Bible Beside Jesus: The Woman Caught in Adultery 130 Appendix 2 Ekballo in Matthew’s Gospel 132 Bibliographies 138 3 Description of modules eople engaged in ministry encounter spiritual and structural obstacles to personal and social transformation. In this module we deepen our theology of holistic liBeration and practice/learn hands-on approaches to physical and inner healing, personal deliverance and other kinds of prayer ministry. P rophetic ministry in Scripture is Broad, Bringing Jesus’ Kingdom perspective to bear on everything from our personal lives and those not yet reached to current events and the movements of the Spirit throughout the world. P 4 Session 1 INFORMED FROM ABOVE Interpreting current events Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both; but interpret newspapers from your Bible. “Blessed” is the person who “does not walk according to counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.” Walk, stand, sit… “walking in the counsel of the ungodly” “ungodly” or “wicked” = rasha in Hebrew • opposites- “the righteous” and those who pursue justice and righteousness • designates anyone not following the ways of God o the proud and arrogant (Isa 13:11) o rulers (Isa 14:5) o and the rich (Isa 53:9) Counsel The “counsel of the ungodly” • etsah Hebrew “counsel, advice, political consultation, counsel for war” o Israelite kings often followed bad counsel (1 Kings 12:8,13; Isa 36:5; 47:13; Ezek 11:2) o “For they are a nation lacking in counsel, and there is no understanding in them.” (Deut 32:28) • Boule in OT Greek o advice that is not coming from the righteous, or most importantly from God o “For my counsels (boule) are not as your counsels, nor are my ways as your ways, says the Lord. But as the heaven is distant from the earth, so is my way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from my mind.” (Septuagint Version of Isaiah 55:8-9) Wise Counsel The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. (Isa 11:2) Counsel from above Jesus spoke of contrasting sources: • “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth” (John 3:31) 5 • “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23) Wisdom from above Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18) Word of Wisdom • Gift of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:7) • “not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away” (1 Cor 2:6) • God’s wisdom – a mystery, hidden (1 Cor 2:7) • “which none of the rulers of this age has understood”… or they wouldn’t have crucified Jesus (1 Cor 2:8) • “things which eye has not seen, ear has not heard” (1 Cor 2:9) • For to us God revealed them through the Spirit (1 Cor 2:10) • We have received “not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God (1 Cor 2:12) Standing in the path of sinners Agreeing and participating in policies and lifestyles informed by unrighteous counsel- “from the earth” and “speaks of the earth.” The path of sinners derek (path, way) = a literal road or direction but most often refers to choices people make or a particular way of life that may be either foolish/evil or wise/good God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. (Gen 6:12) They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do as their fathers (Judg 2:17) “Sitting in the seat of scoffers” Lits (– scorn, scoff, deride, mock “Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is good will.” (Prov 14:9) The arrogant utterly deride me, yet I do not turn aside from your law. (Ps 119:51) • hate and superiority can be intoxicating • mocking or judging • power and control 6 Walk, stand, sit = Shema “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deut 6:4-9) Alternative source – Torah Delight- chaphets pleasure, desire “I delight to do Your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Ps 40:8) “How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.” (Ps 112:1) Law = Torah – teaching, Pentateuch Meditate haga- “moan, groan, murmur, utter, meditate, muse, imagine” Haga suggests deep engagement. Meditating is less an intellectual activity and more a deep vocal or silent ruminating, (which seems more possible as a continuous activity). “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Josh 1:8) “When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches.” (Ps 63.6) “My tongue also will utter (meditate) your righteousness all day long;” (Ps 71:24) “I will meditate on all your work and muse on your deeds.” (Ps 77:12) “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your doings; I muse on the work of your hands.” (Ps 143:5) “Day & night” = Apostle Paul writes: “pray in the Spirit at all times.” (Eph 6:18) “we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons.’ (Rom 8:23) 7 The term “groan” (stenazo, in Greek) means “to sigh, murmur, pray inaudibly: - with grief, groan, grudge, sigh” In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Rom 8:26-27) Praying in the Spirit then can be associated with a kind of internal groaning that overlaps with meditation. Outcome for those who meditate They will be like a tree, planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season. And its leaf does not wither.