Partner Letter

Gary Carpenter Ministries
Monthly Partner Letter

Dear Partner,

In my mind one of the strongest lessons in the bible about how to receive from God is represented by the woman with the issue of blood. Here is the account as recorded in Mark's gospel:

Mark 5:25-34 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

I have often wondered how many other people were sick in that town the same day Jesus was walking through it. He is the very embodiment of all the healing promises of God, yet we have no record that any of the other sick people in town were healed that day [other than Jairus' daughter]. Very often I hear lovely, God-loving, sincere people say things like, "I know the Lord will heal me one day if He wants to." I wonder how many people in that town had that same attitude … and remained sick even though Christ Himself was present to heal.

When people say things like "He will heal me if He wants to" I often ask them, "Is that how He saved you? Did you just wake up one morning and you were saved because He just decided to save you? Didn't you have to hear the gospel, choose to believe the gospel, and take action by asking Him to forgive you and to come into your heart?" The bible definition of faith is vastly different from what most people believe it to be. Notice what the apostle Paul wrote about faith.

Rom 10:8-10 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

"Confess with thy mouth … and believe in thine heart." Scriptural faith has two components, not just one. Most people think just believing is enough. But nowhere does the bible teach that. Notice in verse nine above, even to be saved, a person is required to "confess with the mouth … and believe in the heart." You cannot have scriptural faith without "believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth."

Notice it says about the woman with the issue of blood that "she had heard of Jesus." Somebody told her about Him. And thank God the person who told her about Jesus did it in such a way that it caused this woman to believe in her heart that she could be healed. She is halfway to her miracle … she believed in her heart. And then notice what she began to say, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole." She didn't say she "might" be made whole. She said she SHALL be made whole. That attitude is so different from the passive, nonchalant type of faith most modern believers have. I wonder how many of her sick neighbors believed nothing, said nothing, did nothing, and received nothing from the Lord. She believed in her heart, confessed with her mouth, and took action as a point of contact to release her faith.

Notice what Jesus does NOT say to her. He does NOT say, "My faith has made you whole." Nope. He said to her, "Daughter, THY faith hath made thee whole." That is so important for people who need a miracle to understand. Most people are waiting around because they think God has not yet decided whether to heal them or not. God's mind is already made up! He already sent Jesus to the cross 2,000 years ago to provide salvation, healing, and all that we need. That woman was not passive in her faith. She was aggressive in her faith and she received her miracle from the Lord.

Jesus said to Phillip, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." In other words, if you really want to know whether or not it is the Lord's will to heal you … look at Jesus. Here are a few astounding facts from the four gospels that I seldom hear taught in the churches.

Not one person ever came to Jesus for healing that they did not get what they came for.
Not one time did Jesus ever say, "It is not the Father's will to heal you."
Not one time did Jesus ever say, "He wants to heal you, but not today. It's not His timing for you to be healed. Come back later on a different day and maybe it will be His timing then."
Not one time did Jesus require anybody to repent first before He healed them. He would heal them and then say, "Go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you."

I pray that all of us demonstrate aggressive faith to receive what we need from God for ourselves, and also for our friends and loved ones. No matter how many churches preach a lesser gospel let us hold fast to the gospel given to us by the head of the church, Jesus Christ Himself. He said, "If you have seen ME, you have seen the FATHER."

Sue and I love you and appreciate you. We thank God for your generous and giving heart. God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

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