Distance is Not An Issue
“For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” (Colossians 2:5 WEB)
At that time, there was no Internet technology. There was no way to hop on a Zoom online conference call to speak to the churches. Instead, the apostle Paul saw visions of the churches in his spirit, and that is how he could see their order and steadfastness of faith. Having the Holy Spirit in us is like being connected to the Internet. We are connected to all the knowledge and power that God has.
Nowadays, the local church that I attend is not allowed to hold in-person church services due to government regulations. As a result, all services are held through online broadcast instead.
Although I miss sitting in the physical services, worshipping the Lord together with other believers, I believe that online services are no less powerful than in-person ones.
Many people are more comfortable with ‘the human touch’, such as receiving prayer in person, having a pastor to place his hand upon them while praying, but this physical contact is actually not absolutely necessary.
In His second miracle, Jesus demonstrated that the power of the Holy Spirit is not limited by distance.
“Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.” The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!” So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house. This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.” (John 4:46-54 WEB)
Jesus was in Cana, while the sick boy was in Capernaum. Just by speaking the words “your son lives” in faith, the power of the Holy Spirit healed the boy from a long distance away. Jesus did not have to lay hands on the child in order for him to be healed.
The nobleman initially thought that Jesus had to go to his house before the son could be healed. However, when Jesus released the words, “Go your way, your son lives,” the nobleman believed, and that was enough to receive the healing in proxy for his son.
We know that the nobleman believed because he met Jesus at the seventh hour (between 1 - 2pm). Cana and Capernaum are about 25 miles apart (about 6 - 8 hours walking distance) so if the nobleman set off immediately, he could be back home the same day at night to check on his son.
However, we see that the nobleman only spoke to his servant the next day. This means that the nobleman stayed at an inn or something for a night, and trusted that his son had been healed. If he had been unbelieving, he would have rushed home right away so as not to miss his son’s last moments, since he was “at the point of death”.
There are other long-distance healing miracles like this one, such as Jesus healing the Roman centurion’s servant, and Jesus healing the Syrophoenician woman’s demon-possessed daughter.
Continue to feed on the rhema word that God is releasing in season. Whether online or in-person, God’s power is still fully effective, and is not limited by the distance or channel.
As long as you hear or read, believing it, you shall experience the manifestation of the rhema word.
In the nobleman’s son’s case, the word in season was “your son lives”.
Earlier this year, I felt like I was coming down with a flu. I was sneezing repeatedly and my nose was dripping. I felt weak and irritable.
As I was praying in tongues and also asking Jesus to heal me and make me well, suddenly I heard these words in my spirit: “he grew strong through faith”.
Instantly, I knew that the Holy Spirit was talking about the apostle Paul’s description of Abraham in “Romans”.
“Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.” (Romans 4:21 WEB)
This was a rhema word for me to be healed. I grabbed it and repeatedly confessed and meditated on this, that I was growing strong through faith.
Abraham grew physically stronger through faith. He was already old and weak, but because he believed in the rhema word which God spoke to him, he and his wife Sarah experienced drastic youth renewal.
Their saggy skin, old internal organs, weak muscles, and dry bones were all renewed miraculously, allowing them to be fit for childbearing and even raising a child.
As I kept confessing “he didn’t consider the deadness of his own body, but he grew strong through faith,” I felt physically better and I did not sneeze or have runny nose anymore.
It was just a few words, but I emphasized on the “grew” and “strong”. Suddenly, each word was pregnant with life-giving power for my situation.
Faith comes through hearing the rhema word of Christ. What is He saying to you? As you are listening to a sermon video online, what is the key message or statement that jumps out at you and makes a strong impression in you heart? Sometimes the Lord whispers a verse or passage to you from within. Grab it and declare it for yourself because it carries the miracle-working power of God to turn your situation around!
Actionable Steps:
1. Get yourself plugged in to a ministry that preaches the Gospel. Listen to the new messages released by the pastor or preacher. If the Holy Spirit led you there, then you will benefit from believing the rhema words that is released through that ministry.
2. Train your mind to believe in the limitless reach of prayer. Pray for people who are far away from you, knowing that God will answer your prayers of faith, regardless of the distance between you and them.
3. When you receive a word in season (rhema word), write it down in your notebook or somewhere so that you do not forget. Revisit these words often and declare them, so long as you are still waiting for the manifestation.
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This teaching is the 5th issue in my new Patreon Bible Study series called “The Way Forward: How to Thrive Amidst Change”. If you want to learn how you can still reign in life amidst lockdowns, strict regulations, and lots of bad news, join us as a “God Every Morning (GEM)” tier or above patron to receive it.
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