Angelic Visitation

I was sitting at the desk in the Healing Rooms one day. It was a busy day and the waiting room was full of people who desperately needed God's touch. Because of all the prayer that goes up from the Healing Rooms and the worship music that plays 24x7, there is a real Presence of God.

I can't tell you how many times a person would come in, go in for prayer, open up and share things they have never shared with anyone and then scratch there head and say "I don't know why I shared that." The reason is that God wants them healed more than we do and He will bring everything hidden in the darkness into the light so the person can be set free. They can literally feel the Presence of God and in His Presence every yoke breaks.

The Lord spoke this one day, may it encourage you to praise Him -- for He is enthroned as King, on the praises of His people, and in His Presence all darkness must flee.

For I say to you
the scepter has not
departed from Judah
Your praises still carry the authority
and the presence of the King

Praise Me My children
Worship Me My Children
and watch the very fabric
of your reality change

Allow My Spirit to cause
a new song to rise up in your heart
And with that song My Presence
will invade your reality
The "ites" that have stood against
My plans in your life shall flee

For in My Presence
All darkness shall flee
in My Presence is newness of life
Renewal of strength
And renewal of purpose

Praise!

We were ministering that day to some men from the local Teen Challenge ministry. They were feeling the Presence of God and when I broached the subject of God's Presence, they were skeptical. I carried on a conversation with one of them and I asked him if he had ever had any one lay hands on him so he could experience the power of God. He was hesitant, but decided to give it a go. Well, when hands were laid on him, he was propelled backward and hit the wall. Long story short, they all lined up and wanted the same experience. God met each and every one of them.

One man had a particular heart-wrenching story. His mother had left early in His life and his father was abusive. When he turned 15 or so, he ran away from home. Not having anywhere to go, he dug a hole in the ground and lived in it. He walked, with difficulty, using a cane. He received prayer and the team facilitated the forgiveness of his parents. When he walked out, he was still using the cane, but I was drawn to him and asked if I could lay hands on his back that God might impart His healing anointing. I did, God did, he was completely healed and God gets the Glory. This was team effort. The team sowed and I happened to reap, but we all shared in the reward.

In this case, unforgiveness was the sin root that was blocking this man's blessing from God. We must understand that God always wants to bless, but we can limit the Holy One of Israel (Psa 78:41). Unconfessed sin is serious, it not only limits God, but it can even keep Him from hearing our prayer. (Psa 66:18)

In fact, unforgiveness is one of the major roadblocks hindering a believer from receiving their healing. Yes, there are roadblocks to receiving your healing and God wants them removed.

"Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people." (Isa 57:14b)

You may have been praying for years, but your prayers seem to go unanswered. 1 John 5:15 promises us that if we know that He hears us, then whatever we ask of Him, we know that we will have it. God is not a liar: His Word is true (Romans 3:4). So why do our prayers sometimes seem to go unanswered? The reason is that there can be stumbling blocks on the road of life and they are put there by the enemy to cut us off from the promises of God.

For example, Isaiah 66:18 tells us that our iniquities can separate us from God and that our sins can cause Him to hide His face from us, so that He will not hear our prayer. We're praying up a storm, nothing happens, and we wonder why. The reason is:

God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

These stumbling blocks cannot only separate us from God, but the enemy can sometimes attack us with sickness and disease, stealing our health, because we have sin or generational iniquity (sin passed down from our ancestors -- see Exodus 20:5) in our lives. How can that be, we might ask. We do understand from the Book of Job, that Job was hedged in so the enemy could not get to him.

So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (JOB 1:9-10)

That's good news. We are normally hedged in by God so the enemy cannot touch us. However, the bad news is that "whosoever breaketh the hedge, a serpent shall bite him." (Ecc 10:8)

When we break the hedge of protection, we have opened a door to the enemy and if we are not quick to repent and close the door, the enemy may come through that door and his mission statement is "to kill, steal and destroy." (John 10:10)

You see, sin is a door opener. You must understand, that "sin lies at the door and its desire is for you." (Genesis 4:7)

This is why, for example, we are admonished not to let the sun go down on our anger and give the enemy a foothold in our life. (Eph 4:26-27) That term "foothold", is the Greek word "topos", it means a spot in space, but of limited occupancy. Things, which might seem benign, like playing with a Ouiji board, can open us up to enemy attack. If we do not deal with the foothold and close the door, then enemy will pres his advantage and attempt to set up a stronghold in your life. At this point, deliverance might be required to demoish the stronghold. See: The Healing Syracuse website for information on deliverance

The ministers in the Healing Rooms understand these dynamics and have gotten very effective in facilitating repentance -- thereby removing any legal access the enemy has in a person's life through unconfessed sin.

In John 14:30, Jesus makes a very interesting observation: "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me" He has nothing in Jesus - no open door, no legal ground to afflict him.

In the next verse Jesus talks about the vine and the braches and the necessity to abide in Him so we can bear fruit.

Please understand, that we have to be careful who we are connected with. Sin is rebellion to the Word of God and brings us into the enemy's camp.

Romans 6:16: "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

There you have it. Do you want to be yoked to the one who came to kill, steak and destroy, or to the lover of your soul who came to being life and life more abundantly.

So let's deal with our stumbling blocks. God commands us to not be ignorant of the devil's device. ( 2 Cor 2:11) One of his most effective wiles, is to facilitate offense in us -- Instead of forgiving and blessing those who curse us and pray for those who spitefully use us (Luke 6:28)

These stumbling blocks can prevent God from hearing our prayers and fulfilling His promise in 1John 5:15. Here are a few of the stumbling blocks that can hinder healing:

Unconfessed Sin
Unforgiveness
Bitterness
Self Hatred
Fear
Occult/New Age
Anger
Resentment
Guilt
Rejection
Pride
Unbelief

Not every health challenge is the result of sin. Certainly there can be accidents, environmental issues, etc. but if you have areas in your life that are stumbling blocks to the healing promises of God, right now would be a good time to deal with them.

The Angels?

I was sitting at the desk and I saw what looked like stars that came spiraling into the room. When they hit the floor, the room was full of Angels. They were going around and ministering to the clients who were waiting for ministry. One came up to the desk and I heard the angel state: "We like to come here."

God is awesome!

I'm going to tell you a story that will help you see how offense can lead to unforgiveness and how unforgiveness, if it is not dealt with, can destroy your destiny in God. It is called the Parable of the Goblet and it is subtitled: A Passover Tale.

May it bless you.

The Parable of the Goblet
A Passover Tale
By: Vincent and Deborah Aquilino
(C) 2011, 2012

It was a hot afternoon. The searing sun beat down on an already-scorched earth. The waves of heat reached upward toward the heavens, pleading for water. The desert was dry and barren, but hidden beneath the sun-baked surface were seeds, waiting to be transformed. The outer covering of the seeds was like the desert itself -- dry, hardened, seemingly lifeless; but inside, they were full of life-giving potential.

The next day, the heavens opened, and the rain came down. It began to soak into the dry, hardened ground and, slowly, the seeds softened as they absorbed the life-giving water. The transformation began. In time, the seeds burst forth into a panoramic array of colors and shapes, transforming the barren wasteland.

Some of the seeds became large trees which gave shade and respite to the weary travelers that passed by during the day, but the smaller trees were cut down and used to make fires which warmed the travelers at night. The smallest of the trees, observing the fate of its companions, began to question the meaning of life. Had it been raised up only to be burned in the fire? Was this all the meaning the tree's life would have? It yearned to have more purpose, to make a difference. It spread out its branches and leaves as far as it could, thankful it was no longer a dry, hardened seed -- but it yearned for something more.

Then one day the little tree was cut down, hauled away and put in a pile to dry. The scorching sun once again beat down and brought dryness to the wood. Through long, hot days and cold evenings, the little tree waited to learn its fate. Despair set in, as its hopes for greater purpose began to fade. It once again became dry and hardened.

Sounds could be heard coming from a nearby carpenter's shop. The master carpenter came out and took the piece of dry wood into his hands and examined it. The wood appeared lifeless, yet he knew that locked within was the energy of the sun, ready to be released by fire that brings the blessing of warmth during the cold desert evenings. The wood waited in anticipation. Was the dreaded fire still to be its destiny?

The master carpenter carefully measured and examined the wood. It was such a fine piece. Could it be used for something more than just bringing forth heat? His hands glided across its surface. He could feel the rough spots that needed to be made smooth, the high spots which needed to be laid low, and the hardened knots that would resist as he applied the tools of his trade to transform the wood.

The carpenter did not see just dead wood. How could this particular piece best be used? Would it be part of a plow that could be used to break up the hard earth so more life-giving seeds could be planted? Would it be a chair that would hold and carry the burdens of weary passengers as they sojourned down the road of life? Would it be a table that would present a bountiful feast to those who would come and partake as they journeyed? Would it be a goblet crafted to hold life-giving water and satisfy many a thirst?

The master carpenter evaluated the raw stock in his hand and then, with a vision only his eyes could see, determined its life-giving potential. He began to fashion this rough, raw stock into a finely-crafted goblet. In every detail, the loving care of its maker could be seen. It was as if the goblet reflected the character and personality of the craftsman himself.

The goblet was completed, then purchased by the keeper of a local inn, where it settled into its new life's work. In that inn, the goblet discovered many other beautiful works created by the master carpenter. They became close friends. The goblet was thrilled to be of use and poured itself into fulfilling its destiny. It was wonderful to be able to bring relief and comfort to the thirsty, weary travelers that somehow found their way to this place along the highway. It was exhilarating to have meaning and purpose. It was a joy to be a blessing to so many.

Then one day an angry traveler threw the goblet into the fire. The goblet was terrified. Although the innkeeper quickly retrieved it, one side of its finely-chiseled exterior was badly charred. It turned to the carpenter's other works for sympathy and help, but all they offered was ridicule. The handsome goblet, once full of life-giving water, was no longer perfect. And now, in a time of need, its friends had rejected it. It was deeply wounded.

At first, there was just disbelief that such a thing could have happened, but it did not take long before the disbelief turned into feelings of rejection and betrayal, causing the wounds to fester. Joy was no longer the goblets life-expression; because of its wounding, the goblet could no longer be a blessing. The sense of fulfillment quickly turned to despair. The goblet's purpose, given by its creator, had been destroyed. The goblet became obsessed with telling everyone how hurt it was and what an awful thing its friends had done. The life-giving waters became bitter, and the bitterness infected everyone that the goblet came in contact with.

The goblet began to withdraw from life. All it could think about was the betrayal and the wounding. The bitterness turned to anger and then to hatred. Its joy had been stolen through the thoughtless act of an angry traveler, and so the goblet became tormented with thoughts of vengeance.

The goblet was miserable for a long time, but then one day it started to yearn for the way things once were. A life of bitterness and isolation was no life at all. It tried to forget the hurt and wounding but was helpless to overcome the negative thoughts that tormented it. It could not figure out how to get rid of these feelings. Then one evening, the goblet recognized its creator, sitting at a table eating supper with his companions. In pain, shame, and disgrace, it cried out to its creator--and because of the carpenter's great love for his creation, he willingly answered:

"Your well has been poisoned by bitterness and unforgiveness, but if you forgive your tormenters, I will heal your wounds, recreate you and restore you to a greater purpose. Because you have turned toward me, I will again fill you with live-giving waters."

The goblet was obedient to the creator and was suddenly able to forgive its friends. The carpenter took the goblet to his shop, chiseled away the charred portion, reshaped it, and etched it with exquisite carvings. Its time of torment and despair was over.

The master carpenter was so pleased with how the goblet turned out that he kept it as his own. The goblet became the master's favorite vessel. The master packed the goblet into a sack and used it everywhere he went. The goblet no longer had to fear the fire, because it was safe in the master's hand.

In due time, the goblet was placed before the master at a banquet table in an upper room. He was thoroughly cleansed and prepared for this very special supper. At one point during the meal, the master raised the goblet, and when he had given thanks, passed it to his companions, and they all drank from it. The master declared that the goblet contained his own precious blood, the blood of a new covenant, which was to be shed for many for the remission of sin.

The goblet had become the third cup in the Passover supper, the cup of redemption that represented the forgiveness of sin for all mankind. Its final destiny was fulfilled. It had become a blessing to all who partook of the living waters. And its joy was exceedingly great.

"And someone will say to him, 'What are these wounds in your hands?' Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.' (Zec 13:6)

Jesus was also wounded in the house of his friends and yet, when He hung from the cross in pain, shame and disgrace, he said Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

Can we, who are his vessels, do any less?

There can be no bigger stumbling block to receiving healing than unforgiveness caused by rejection and betrayal--but we must forgive, so He can forgive us. Are you ready to forgive from your heart and be healed and restored by the Master?

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38)

If Jesus was standing right in front of you right now, what would He say? Perhaps it would be something like this: Come to Me. Draw near to Me and I will give you life. Too long have you drawn back and failed to receive the gift of life. Come to Me and drink deeply from the well of the water of Reconciliation -- the water of life. But you have drunk deeply from a different well -- you have drunk of the bitter waters of Meribah, -- It has poisoned your soul. The enemy has stolen from you because you have not forgiven those who have hurt you and spitefully used you. You have been turned over to the tormentors in the hope you will cry out to Me.

Cry out to Me, My children! Give to Me the hurts of your past and I will make you new. Confess your sin of unforgiveness and I will forgive you. Rise up My children, forgive, and be healed.

I have moved among you and there are many bruised reeds. Because of offense and wounding, that area of your life has been callused over as you seek to protect yourself from further hurt. As I blow on My reeds they sway in concert with My Spirit, but you cannot bend because of your scars and calluses.

But I say to you this day, if you will forgive those who hurt you and spitefully used you, I will heal you and restore you to the position I created for you from before the foundation of the earth.

When I was bruised for your iniquity, I did not hold it against them -- but prayed that the Father would forgive them for they knew not what they do -- Can you do any less?

At the Healing Rooms of Greater Syracuse, we encounter many wounded vessels in need of a healing touch from the Master. But whatever the stumbling block to healing, as we agree in prayer and seek the Lord's presence, we are seeing Jesus touch and heal people from physical, emotional and spiritual problems. Are you ready to be healed and restored by the Master? Forgive!

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38)

If this post or any of the previous posts has changed your life, please let us know, by emailing us at:

healing@healingsyracuse.com >p> Be Blessed, Vince