Giving Birth To A Miracle

by Jerry Savelle

Contents

1 It's Time For Miracles

2 "And God Said ..."

3 Jesus—The Word Made Flesh

4 The Law of Growth

5 "Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?"

6 Conceiving A Faith Image

1

It's Time For Miracles

Believers today are in the midst of the greatest manifestation of God the earth has ever seen. God's Word is working mightily and God's people are on the move!

We must not allow a spirit of lethargy to creep in. We must remain strong in the Lord and give God's Word first place in every area of our lives. Why? Because it's time for miracles.

The Bible records a prayer that was inspired by the Holy Spirit which the people in the early Church prayed concerning miracles. As a result, there was a move of the Spirit of God like the world had never seen. This was their prayer:

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Acts 4:29,30

Again, verse 30 says, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Do you suppose God heard that prayer?

Did those early Christians get God's attention?

If the answer is yes, then I believe we can get the same results those early Christians did—if we pray like they did.

Someone said, "Well, you never know when God is going to move that way."

The Word says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb. 13:8.) What He did for them then, He is willing to do for us now. The only thing that stops God from working in our behalf is doubt and unbelief.

The more I study God's Word, the more I am convinced that God is more willing to minister to our needs—to heal and do miracles in our midst—than we are willing to allow Him to do it.

You may ask, "If God is so interested, then why doesn't He do something about my condition?"

You evidently don't know what His Word says. You need to get God's Word down in your spirit. Second Chronicles 16:9

says, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

Is your heart perfect toward God? If not, then He is not obligated to show Himself strong in your behalf. Get rid of your doubt and unbelief; then you can watch God move mightily in your life.

Those early Christians prayed. Did God answer their prayer? Let's read Acts 5:12-16 and see:

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

What does this say? He healed every one!

Reader, it's time for miracles! You're no different from that group of Christians.

They had needs just as today's Christians have needs; and, thank God, if He stretched forth His hand to heal then, why wouldn't He do it now?

How Miracles Come

Miracles don't always come just by the laying on of hands. (Mark 16:16-18.) They can also come by your hearing the preaching of the anointed Word of God. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions (Ps. 107:20).

If you need a miracle in your life, you must become miracle-minded. Don't dwell on your problems. Don't be sickness-minded, cancer-minded, heart trouble-minded, lame-minded, blind-minded, or deaf-minded. Be miracle-minded!

You can become miracle-minded only as you get into God's Word. Learn to meditate it day and night. This will cause you to think like God—and He is miracle-minded!

As you read this book, I want you to prepare to receive a miracle. Lift your hands before God and make the following confession:

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I determine in my heart right now to believe You for miracles. I am miracle-minded, healing-minded, and all-my-needs-met-minded.

In the name of Jesus, from this moment forward, I cast all my cares and problems over on You. I am selective about what I think, and I refuse to dwell on my problems. I am going to dwell on the answer to my problem, and the answer is Your Word—the answer is Jesus.

I believe that You are not a respecter of persons. What You did in the days of old, You can do today. Your hand is not shortened. Your ear is not heavy. You will move in my behalf and respond to my faith. My faith will make me whole.

I am off limits to Satan. I belong to God. I am Word-minded and miracle-minded. I will allow You, Father, to move in my behalf in any manner that You desire. I am expecting You, Father, to move with signs and wonders and miracles.

Thank God, I am free! The Son has made me free, and I am free indeed!

2

"And God Said . . . "

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and Jet them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the  sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth . . .

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 1:26-28,31

In the entire first chapter of the Book of Genesis, every time God was involved in creating something—whether it was heavens, earth, sun, moon, stars, or firmament—it was always prefaced with the words, And God said . . . .

When God said something, it was so!

Evidently, He uses His Word to create. You could even say that God gives birth to miracles by saying something.

I'm sure you know the story of how God created Adam and Eve. God told Adam to be His under-ruler in this earth. Adam was to subdue the earth and to replenish it.

Adam had a tremendous job as God's under-ruler. He had dominion over everything in the earth: the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, and everything that crept upon the earth. There was no living thing on earth that was not under Adam's dominion.

Adam was godlike. God said to him, "Of every tree of the garden you may eat, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." He also told him that if he did eat of the fruit, he would surely die. (Gen. 2:16,17.) In Genesis 3, we learn that Satan came in the form of a serpent and deceived Eve.

Adam stood right there and let it happen.

He didn't have to, but he did. He was standing there, watching and listening to the conversation.

That serpent was under Adam's dominion because God had given him dominion over every thing on the earth.

Adam could have said, "No, we will not eat! God told us we could eat of everything in this garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said if we eat of that tree, we would die, so we are not going to partake of it. Now, serpent, I command you in the name of Almighty God to get out of this garden, and don't you ever come back!"

That serpent would have been required to obey Adam, but Adam did not exercise his authority. Had he exercised his rightful authority over Satan, then you and I today would know nothing about sin, spiritual death, poverty, lack, or want.

But Adam bowed his knee to Satan. He did what God asked him not to do; and when he did, he committed high treason against God. Spiritual death was lodged in his heart. The Bible says in the writings of the Apostle Paul, "Death reigned on all men."

(Rom. 5:17.)

The relationship that God and Adam had once enjoyed was severed because of sin. Adam died a spiritual death. Then, instead of being a man of faith, he became a man of fear.

God came through the garden and said, "Adam, where are you?" (Gen. 3:9.) Adam said, "I hid myself because I was afraid." (v. 10.) Fear vs. Faith

Faith attracts you to God; fear causes you to draw back from God. Adam drew back from God. He hid himself because he was afraid. His faith was perverted to fear.

Remember this: Fear is nothing more than faith in what the devil says. Fear activates the devil just as faith activates God.

Before God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden, He had something to say to the serpent:

The Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Genesis 3:14,15

God was speaking directly to Satan when He said, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it (her seed) shall bruise thy head. In the literal text this means "break your power."

(In Texas talk it means "bust your head!") When God spoke those words to Satan, they were just as powerful as when He said, Let there be light . . . . Whatever God says is so.

The Devil Was Running Scared

The devil had the world as his possession because it was given to him by Adam, but he had God's threat hanging over his head.

Before God left the garden, He said to the serpent, "The earth is yours; Adam gave it to you, and you have dominion over it.

But I will tell you this: You are not going to keep it. I am going to put enmity between her seed and your seed; and her seed is going to 'bust your head!' " (author's paraphrase)

Some religious traditions have painted a story of Satan having a beautiful and glorious time running the earth. Not so!

Satan was running scared—and he ran scared until Jesus came and defeated him.

Satan watched very closely each man that God raised up and used as His vessel.

He wasn't sure which one was the seed God was talking about, so he did his best to destroy all of them.

When Satan saw God establish His covenant with Abraham, he must have thought, "This has to be the seed! Any man 100 years old who keeps saying he and his 90-year-old wife will have a son must be the seed!"

But when Satan found out it wasn't Abraham, he immediately thought, "It must be Isaac!" But it wasn't Isaac.

On and on the devil stalked the earth in fear. "Maybe it's Jacob. I'll keep my eyes on Jacob." But it wasn't Jacob.

Then Satan fastened his eyes on Moses.

God called Moses at 80 years of age to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt. Satan watched the waters of the Red Sea part as Moses stretched out his rod. He watched God's people cross as on dry ground, and he thought, "This has to be the seed that is going to bruise my head." But it wasn't Moses.

It wasn't Joshua or Elijah or Elisha! On and on he searched.

"Could it be Samson?" he thought. "He is a man with supernatural strength. I'll keep my eyes on Samson." But it wasn't Samson.

There was one thing Satan had overlooked concerning who was going to bruise his head. God had said: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed . . . .

He said, her seed, not his seed.

Childbirth is never referred to as "the seed of woman." It is always referred to as "the seed of man."

God had told the devil exactly what was going to happen, but Satan didn't have the wisdom to figure it out. God prophesied the Virgin Birth in the third chapter of Genesis!

God was saying, "This seed that will bruise your head (break your power) is going to be born of a virgin." God said it, and it was so!

When God said, He will bruise your head, His words were just as powerful as when He said, Let there be light!

God was giving birth to a miracle by the words of His mouth.

The Seed Manifested

It was not until Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan that Satan learned the  truth. At that moment God said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3:17).

Here was the seed that was going to bruise his head! Here was the One God had told him about in the Garden of Eden!

Three and a half years after Jesus was baptized, that prophecy was fulfilled—Satan got his head busted!

The Bible says Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8.) Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for His Word! He said it, and it was so!

3

Jesus—The Word Made Flesh

When Isaiah prophesied the Virgin Birth, he was confirming what God had said hundreds of years before in the Garden of Eden. He was speaking God's Word.

Every time God raised up a prophet, that prophet would go throughout the land prophesying of the Messiah—the mighty One Who was to come, the Christ, the Anointed One, the Deliverer. God kept saying it, and saying it, and saying it; and each time He said it, His Word became more and more descriptive of the Seed.

First, God said in Genesis: "Her seed will bruise your head." Then in Isaiah 9:6, the Seed is described more explicitly:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

God was using words to give birth to this miracle.

The Virgin Birth—How Could It Be?

Many people have a problem understanding the Virgin Birth. They know that in the natural realm a woman cannot conceive without the sperm cell of a man; so to them it is impossible for Jesus to have been born of a virgin.

I once questioned the Lord about this. I didn't doubt that it happened, but I wanted to know how it happened. He told me how He did it, and I want to share it with you.

God gave birth to a miracle by speaking His Word.

God's Representative

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin . . . and the virgin's name was Mary.

Luke 1:26,27

Gabriel was sent by God. He was God's representative; therefore, he didn't speak for himself. He spoke what God instructed him to say.

Regardless of who is speaking—whether it is an angel or a human being—if God instructs him to speak His Word, those words carry the same strength, power, and creative ability that they would carry if God Himself were speaking them.

God's Message To Mary

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:28-33

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said, "God has sent me to tell you something" (author's paraphrase). What he said to her was no different from what God had said in the Garden of Eden, or from what Isaiah or any of the other prophets had said.

All the others had prophesied of Jesus'

coming. Gabriel spoke directly to Mary and said, Thou shalt conceive in thy womb . . . .

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Luke 1:34

The first thought to enter Mary's mind was, "How can this be? How can I give birth to a child without a man? How can conception take place in my womb without the aid of a man?" (author's paraphrase).

She was actually saying, "Listen, Gabriel, I'm no dummie! I wasn't born yesterday. I realize that conception can't take place in my womb without the sperm that comes from a man. How is all this going to come to pass if I don't have a man?"

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall he called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Greek: No word from God is void of power.)

Luke 1:35-37

Gabriel said to Mary, Thou shalt conceive.

Mary asked, "How?"

He explained, "The Word of God has been spoken over you and no word from God is void of power. For thousands of years, you have been destined by God for this very hour. Ever since the Garden of Eden, God's words have been going out concerning you and the Messiah.

"Mary, no word that God speaks is void of power. When God says it, it's so! God told me to tell you that you shall conceive.

You will not need the sperm cell of a man.

The sperm is going to be the spoken Word of God."

This is scriptural. The Apostle Peter said, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever (1 Pet. 1:23).

God's Word is the seed. Jesus said, . . .

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

In God's Word there is life. God spoke the Word that said, Thou shalt conceive . . .

and bring forth a son. The life-giving substance was the Word of God.

Notice how Mary responded: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38). Even though it was beyond her understanding, she accepted it.

Mary received God's Word. The Holy Spirit hovered over her, and conception took place. The Word of God was made flesh within her. John 1:14 says, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

Jesus was the Word made flesh!

God Confirms His Word

God confirms His Word with signs following. (Mark 16:20.) God hastens His Word to perform it. (Jer. 1:12.) No Word from God shall return to Him void, but it shall accomplish that which He desires. (Is. 55:11.)

Let's say a doctor examines a woman and tells her she is pregnant. If his diagnosis is correct, his word will be confirmed with signs following. The woman and her husband will even change their life-style because they believe what was spoken.

Many people will believe what a doctor tells them, but will not believe what God says in His Word. The Word says, "By Jesus' stripes, you are healed," but they will not believe they can walk in health. They will refuse to change their life-style and act as though God is telling the truth.

We need to learn to respond to God's Word just as Mary did—even if we don't  understand it. Mary said, Be it unto me according to thy word. With those words, she received from God and gave birth to a miracle!

4

The Law of Growth

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Mark 4:28

This scripture refers to a principle which I like to call the law of growth. Many times God's laws work in steps just as many natural laws do: First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

The Bible says, The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way (Ps. 37:23). God orders our lives in steps, but many times we refuse to listen and try to do things the quickest way possible. This is not always wise.

I once asked the Lord, "Why don't You lay out the whole plan for me and let me get on with it?"

He answered, "Because you wouldn't understand it fully. I want you to be obedient and perceptive to My voice. I will order each step; then you will accomplish My will for your life. I am going to deal with you just like I deal with the corn—in steps."

This is the law of growth.

That is exactly what took place when the angel Gabriel came to talk to Mary. She received the Word of God when she said, Be it done unto me according to thy word. That Word was planted as a seed and conception took place. Jesus was not born instantly.

The Word became flesh because of the law of growth.

Don't Stop the Birth of Your Miracle

The Lord once shared something with me that was so powerful it nearly knocked me to the floor. He said:

"Son, I want you to realize that the Word can be lodged in the womb of your spirit. Once it enters, conception takes place and you become pregnant with the image of My Word. If you will hold fast to it, a miracle will be born."

Many of God's people are expecting some kind of outward manifestation before conception has taken place on the inside.

Conception always starts on the inside.

Before you can walk in divine health, the conception of it must first become a reality inside you. You can't walk in health first, then see yourself that way. You must allow the Word to lodge in the womb of your spirit before that Word can give birth to a miracle in your life.

About this, the Lord said to me, "Son, once you plant the Word in the womb of your spirit, you should never allow anything to remove it."

Jesus said that Satan will try to steal the Word out of your heart. (Mark 4:15.) Don't let him do it!

Then God said, "The devil will attack you with a symptom. If you yield to the symptom instead of holding fast to the seed (God's Word), then you allow him to perform spiritual abortion."

Around most Christians, talk about abortion is fighting words; yet abortion occurs in the spirit realm all the time.

Christians allow the devil to steal the seed of God's Word out of their hearts. When the seed is removed from the womb, life is destroyed.

Another problem occurs when people hear the Word, but don't act on it. They don't allow conception to take place. They believe the Word until trouble comes.

When you hear the Word of God, it must become more real to you than the circumstances around you. You should become pregnant with a vision, carrying that miracle inside you.

Even when you are in the middle of a crisis situation, you will not be moved, because you have conceived in your heart the image of God supplying all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

That vision inside you will be so real that you feel as if you are swelling up. You will be ready at any moment to give birth.

When Delivery Time Comes

You can always tell when the manifestation is close because of the birth pangs.

When my first child was born, I was away in the Armed Forces; so I didn't see her until she was three months old.

But during the birth of our second child, I was right there by my wife.

There was no doubt when it was time for delivery. Nature has a way of letting you know. The signs were there. In just a few minutes my wife gave birth to a pretty little redheaded baby girl.

There have been times that I have carried the Word of God inside me about a particular situation for weeks or months.

Then suddenly I have awakened during the night just knowing that the manifestation was about to come—that I was about to give birth to the thing I had been believing for all those months.

One morning as I was shaving and getting ready to go to the office, I somehow just knew that day would be delivery time.

I was needing some finances in the ministry and had been holding fast to the Word of God, standing on the fact that God meets our needs, refusing to be moved from it.

Suddenly, that morning I just knew that I knew that I knew— it was delivery time!

When I walked into the office, the secretary who opened the mail said, "Look at this." She handed me a check for $2,500—exactly the amount I needed! Delivery time had come!

Many people come up in the prayer lines for healing without an understanding of how healing comes. Healing does not come from the outside in; it comes from the inside out. It starts in the spirit.

You have to conceive a faith image in your spirit by the Word of God. The Word acts as a sperm that enters the womb of your spirit, and conception takes place inside you. God confirms His Word with signs following—healing comes!

Some people have asked, "But what if I'm not healed instantly?"

Then you must remember the law of growth: First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.

You must allow the Word to take its full cycle within you. Don't give up just because it looks impossible or because you feel worse.

Hold fast to the Word, and you will see signs of the "blade" coming up.

Continue to hold to the Word, and you will see the "ear."

Finally, because you are faithful, you will see the "full corn in the ear." That  simply means, You are healed!

5

"Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?"

God expressed His will at Calvary nearly 2,000 years ago. The Word says it was the will of God that Jesus be bruised for us, that by His stripes we are healed.

(See Is. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24.) The will of God concerning healing has already been expressed, but it is your responsibility to receive it.

John 5:1-9 gives an account of a man who had been sick and diseased for so long that he had a hard time seeing himself any other way:

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Perhaps you have read this scripture passage and had the idea that, even though the man was operating in unbelief, God healed him anyway. No, God responds to faith, not unbelief.

Jesus said, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. He spoke the Word. That Word lodged in the womb of that man's spirit, and conception took place. That man was then able to see himself walking. When his image of himself changed, he began to recover and was totally healed.

There are two important points to consider about Jesus' question to the man, Wilt thou be made whole?

1. Wholeness is available.

2. It is the person's responsibility of whom the question was asked to receive wholeness.

Jesus didn't say, "I am going to do this for you, whether you want it or not." He was saying, "Wholeness is available. Do you want it?"

Many Christians have done exactly what this man did. They have said, "I would like to be made whole, but you don't understand my problem."

Jesus knew that man's problem, and He was offering the answer; but the man had been sick and diseased for so long, it was hard for him to see himself any other way.

You may say, "If I had been sick for thirty-eight years, I too would probably have a hard time seeing myself well."

Yes, but some people have been faced with a problem for only thirty-eight seconds, and already the devil has convinced them that they are going to stay in that condition for the rest of their lives.

If you let the devil get into your thought life, he will paint all kinds of pictures in your mind. You may have just a simple bruise; but by the time he gets through with your mind, you will be seeing yourself in the hospital, undergoing all kinds of operations! Satan can paint some of the most "beautiful" pictures of failure you have ever seen!

There are many people who suffered diseases for years; but when they took hold of the Word, they were able to see themselves healed and delivered. Others who heard the Word were immediately convinced by the devil that they were going to have their problem for the rest of their lives.

This man had a hard time seeing himself well and whole. The Bible says that when Jesus saw him lying there, He knew the man had been in that place for a long time; so He said to him, Wilt thou be made whole?

Man is made up of three parts—spirit, soul, and body. When one part of the whole man is weak or diseased, the other two parts are affected.

A mental problem can affect you spiritually and physically. A physical problem can affect you mentally and spiritually. A spiritual problem can affect you physically and mentally.

Medical science tells us that most people in the hospital with physical problems are there because of worry, tension, and fear.

The Bible says, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? (Prov. 18:14), and A sound heart (spirit) is the life of the flesh . . . (Prov. 14:30).

Once you "get it together" on the inside, you won't have any problem with the outside.

When Jesus spoke to the impotent man, conception took place inside him and he gave birth to a miracle. You can be sure this man didn't get his healing in unbelief.

The Bible doesn't record everything that happened, but Jesus took the time to minister to the whole man. He saw that the man had a physical problem, but He looked beyond his physical problem and saw that he had spiritual and mental problems as well.

Jesus knew Proverbs 12:25 which says, Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop. . . .

Not only was that man lying down physically, he was lying down mentally and spiritually, too. After being diseased for thirty-eight years, his heart was heavy—he had a defeat image. He didn't expect to recover—he had a failure image. He said,

"Every time I try to get into that pool, somebody else gets in first."

Again, Proverbs 12:25 says, Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop . . . ; then it goes on to say, ... but a good word maketh it glad.

Jesus knew that the impotent man would first have to rise up on the inside before he could rise up on the outside.

What would be a good word to you if you had been flat on your back for thirty-eight years?

Rise!

Jesus ministered to the whole man—spirit, soul, and body—in that order. He was actually saying to the man: Rise, spirit man! Change your image. Get rid of that defeat. Allow some faith to rise up inside you.

Take up thy bed, soulish man! Get a right mental attitude. Stop seeing that bed carrying you. Start seeing yourself carrying that bed!

And, body, walk!

When Jesus said, Rise, that Word entered the womb of the man's spirit, and conception took place. He could then begin to see himself rising. It was the same as when Jesus came walking across the water to His disciples. When He said to Peter, Come (Matt. 14:29), conception took place in Peter's spirit, and he could see himself getting out of that boat and walking on the water.

When Jesus said to the impotent man, Rise, conception took place. It was the same as when the Word entered the womb of Mary—she conceived!

God's Word Paints Images

The Word of God is designed by God to act as oil. Just as an artist uses oil paints to create a beautiful picture on canvas, the Holy Spirit will take the oil of God's Word and paint an image on the canvas of your heart.

I like what one well-known evangelist said: "Don't ever confine the word disease to physical ailments. Take the word apart, into two syllables: dis-ease, which would mean "not at ease."

You can be made whole by anything you are "dis-eased" about—whether it is financial dis-ease, mental dis-ease, or social dis-ease—but it has to start down inside you.

As you allow the Word by the Holy Spirit to conceive a faith image inside you, then you will become pregnant with that image. There will come a time in your life when you will give delivery. Who cares whether it is tomorrow, next week, or next month, just as long as the miracle comes?

And it will come. You will give birth to a miracle by the Word of God.

6

Conceiving A Faith Image

From the time I was about twelve years old, the ministry of Oral Roberts has had a tremendous impact upon my life. I shall never forget something that happened then as I was visiting relatives in Oklahoma City for a family reunion.

Some members of the family were in the den; others were scattered throughout the house. I walked into the den and one of Oral Roberts' first television productions was on. I stood there and watched as people got out of wheelchairs, as the blind received their sight and the deaf, their hearing. I saw him walk down a street among all kinds of people in wheelchairs or on stretchers. Those people had some of the most tragic diseases known to mankind.

As Oral Roberts laid his hands on each person, I saw people get out of wheelchairs and off stretchers. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen!

Some of my relatives began to talk about him, saying, "He's a fake. That's a trick. He paid those people to do that!"

Although I was just a young boy and knew nothing about God, somehow I knew that the healings were real. I heard the Spirit of God for the first time in my life say to me, "I'm calling you to a ministry like that." It scared me because I knew nothing about healing or about God. But I heard that inside me. In fact, it was so loud I thought it was one of my cousins talking to me.

God said, "That kind of anointing will be in your ministry."

Because I didn't know what to do, I didn't dare tell anybody, and I ran from God for years. But all that time, I couldn't get away from the call of God. It frightened me.

One time my wife took me into a William Branham meeting which I shall never forget as long as I live. I sat there and watched miracles happen right there on the platform.

When I heard God's call again, it scared me so badly that as soon as the meeting was over, I jumped into my car and drove to an all-night bar. I stayed there and drank myself to sleep, trying to forget what I had seen and heard.

It was not until 1969 that I made Jesus Christ the Lord of my life and accepted His call to the ministry. God sent Brother Kenneth Copeland to my home town, and the message he preached from God's Word revolutionized my life!

When I accepted the call to the ministry, God said to me: "Son, I am going to give you the compassion of Jesus for people."

That changed my life. There is a compassion for people inside me, and I want to see their needs met. I hate the works of the devil, and I hate what he does to people.

Miracles have happened throughout my ministry, but they seem to be happening more and more frequently now.

One Sunday morning in the church where I am pastor, we had only sung about three songs of worship and praise when an anointing for miracles came. The power of the Lord was there to heal, and miracles started happening.

A little girl came up with her mother.

The mother said, "I want you to pray that God will deliver her from stuttering."

The Spirit of God told me to have the little girl stick out her tongue. Then I placed my finger on her tongue and rebuked the spirit that had her bound.

Just before I placed my finger on her tongue, I said, "Sweetheart, have you ever heard of a man called Oral Roberts?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you know he used to stutter so badly that he couldn't even say his name?"

"Yes, sir."

I said, "If God would heal a young man named 'Oral,' He will heal you."

She said, "I believe that."

I laid my finger on her tongue and rebuked that spirit. Then I had her confess the Word with me. She confessed the Word with no stuttering whatsoever. Her healing was instant.

That Sunday morning when I touched that little girl's tongue, the Spirit of God spoke to me and said, "Son, the anointing that you desire is a reality right now."

Some people who had heard me on the radio brought a man to the service from a hospital. The man had a cyst on his brain and was not expected to live. They told me the doctors were to perform an operation on his brain to remove the cyst. He couldn't live without the operation, but there was a chance that he wouldn't live through the operation.

After I prayed for the man, they took him back to the hospital. The next week they brought him to the service, and he told the congregation: "They couldn't find anything! I'm healed!"

That Sunday morning when God told me the anointing I desired had now arrived, I fell on my knees and wept. Just to think that my heavenly Father trusted me with that kind of anointing caused me to weep. Since then, many times I have gotten up in the middle of the night and just wept in His presence.

I asked Him to teach me how to prepare myself and what to do with my life, so that everything I do is conducive to flowing with the anointing of God.

The Image Became A Reality

Since the day I entered the ministry, an image was conceived in my heart concerning miracles. All these years I have been walking around "pregnant" with that image. It kept getting bigger and bigger.

I used to sit in my study for hours and see in my spirit the most tragic cases of humanity coming before me in prayer lines.

I saw myself laying hands on them and my Father doing the work. I saw them rise, and walk, and be made whole. Now, the image has become a reality!

You Can Do It, Too

You can conceive in your heart the faith image of the plan that God has for your life, and no devil in hell can stop it. Only you can stop it by allowing Satan to perform spiritual abortion—by yielding to the circumstances and letting the Word be taken from your heart.

If you need healing in your body, conceive the image of that miracle in your heart by the Word of God.

As you finish this chapter, I want you to do the following:

Close your eyes and visualize Jesus hanging on the cross.

Look at His face. I want you to get a vivid picture of Jesus' face: see His agony; see the pain.

Look at His body as the Bible describes it in Isaiah 52:14, . . . his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

It may be difficult for you at first to conceive in your heart how a human body would look in such a case. His body had been stricken with every sickness and every disease known to man—all at one time!

Jesus bore them all for you and me.

After you take a good look at the pain and the agony He suffered for us, I want you to see yourself walking around to the back side of that cross. Position yourself so that you can see those stripes that He bore for you. I want you to see the blood running from His back.

Now I want you to see Him with the pain or sickness you are experiencing right now. See it on Him. See that headache on Him; see that malfunction in your body on 58

Conceiving A Faith Image Him. See His kidneys not functioning properly or His heart not functioning properly. See all the pain you have been going through placed upon Him. See Him going through it right now.

Do you see those stripes? By His stripes you are healed. By His stripes you were healed!

If you see Him with it, then you can't see yourself with it anymore. He's got it!

Now, I want you to see yourself well.

As an evangelist and Bible teacher, Jerry Savelle teaches the Word of God with a power and authority that is exciting, and with a love that delivers the message directly to the heart.

At the age of twelve, God spoke to Jerry as he watched the healing ministry of Oral Roberts on television. At that moment Jerry was called into the same kind of ministry, but it was several years before he surrendered his life to the Lord.

Today, there is a powerful anointing on his life. The greatest desire of Jerry's heart is to see people set free from the yoke of bondage.

The outreach of Jerry's ministry is extensive. With headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, Jerry conducts crusades throughout the country, serves as pastor of Overcoming Faith Center, and directs a Christian school and Bible training center.

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