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When we read the Word of God, the powerful demonstrations of power, healings, signs and wonders through the life and ministry of Jesus, and the book of Acts, there is a frustration that we can experience when we realize there is a lack of these same realities in our lives. Why doesn’t my life look like that? Should my life look like that? As a young youth minister, Art Thomas experienced the same realities and set out to experience a life that Jesus spoke of in Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
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God Wants to Heal and He Wants You to Do it in Jesus’ Name, Art Thomas
When we read the Word of God, the powerful demonstrations of power, healings, signs and wonders through the life and ministry of Jesus, and the book of Acts, there is a frustration that we can experience when we realize there is a lack of these same realities in our lives. Why doesn’t my life look like that? Should my life look like that? As a young youth minister, Art Thomas experienced the same realities and set out to experience a life that Jesus spoke of in Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
In a powerful interview with Art Thomas, he shares the journey of his own realities of how he “grew up in church”, how he had been healed of a heart murmur as a young boy, relatives were healed, but now that he was an adult, as a minister, he wasn’t seeing the healings that Jesus said “all who believed” would do. As a self-described “logical thinker” Art set out to put every one of his arguments and questions down on paper regarding healing. He had resolved to read no book, no text or resource, other than the 4 Gospels, the Book of Acts, and only those who were moving in the ministry of healing. After a 40 page outline, Art resolved that what Jesus said was true and he was set on it. Art Thomas went from zero miracles to over 3,000 miracles in five years. Sometimes 100% of the people are healed in his meetings. He even has others do the praying. What is God up to?
In the very beginning steps, after preaching his first message about healing, Art encountered difficulty. He had instructed his audience to break up into small groups and pray for one another. One man had hearing difficulties and after repeated prayers, nothing. They prayed harder; nothing. When the man was brought to Art again, he jokingly responded, sticking his finger in the man’s ear, “Did you try this? Ear open”. The man’s jaw dropped. Hearing had come. What did Art learn? It wasn’t about what he believed. It was about Who he believed. “In the Kingdom, if it doesn’t work, try less and trust more.” Art describes faith in his words by saying, “Faith is doing everything that I’m supposed to do and nothing what God is supposed to do.”
Often times, we encounter the mindset that the individual speaking is the one who ministers and the one who prays for others. Art encourages and teaches that everyone can pray for everyone. This is not only experienced in the United States but also in Africa. As Art followed the leading the Holy Spirit, he found himself in a remote village. After sharing this very truth with the body of Christ, he began praying for the blind and the deaf. Not only were blind eyes opened and deaf ears able to hear, but the very video testimony of the encounter captures a miraculous move of God confirming what God was doing.
It is realities such as these that dramatically stir and lift our faith to believe that Jesus has the power to heal us of our infirmities, sicknesses, and diseases, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” These were the very thoughts of the woman who was healed of bleeding in Mark 5:21-34. The powerful reality and revelation that Art encourages all of us in the Body of Christ to understand, is that WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST. Do we have the same faith, the same expectation of healing to see healings when we touch our brothers and sisters or when our brothers and sisters lay hands on us? They are the Body of Christ. We are the Body of Christ. If we try less and simply trust more to do what God says that He will do, just as Jesus did, just as He said we would do, it is just the beginning. Be greatly encouraged and activated in your faith to be the continuation of the Book of Acts in your home, school, office, neighborhood, state and so much more. Also shared in this segment: cancer, epilepsy, Africa, deaf, blind, sight, miracles, prayer, desperation, death, angels, the Presence of God, Todd White, the blood of Jesus, power, and authority. Greg and Art shared in this segment. See more, related content and articles for this article.
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