YOU CAN'T TAKE ANYONE

Part Two of Two: The Laying on of Hands

About four or five years ago, I can’t remember, I sat in church waiting for the worship session to begin. I loved their format and it is one reason why I attended. It was a little unorthodox but I didn’t care, I loved the format and the church.

Most churches that I’ve attended have 30 minutes to an hour of worship, praise, and singing. The pastor then gives his hour message after which we’d all go home. Church was over in an hour and a half to two hours. There is nothing wrong with that service format. . .nothing.

However, I was lucky enough to find a church here in Albany, Oregon where the pastor gave the hour message first and then we’d all go into worshiping the Lord. Sometimes we wouldn’t get out of church until 1:30 or better. Wow! Not many of the 1500 believers left during worship.

Anyway, while sitting there waiting for worship to begin, the women who sat next to me turned to me and asked if she could lay hands on me and pray. I respectfully declined her offer. To me, this was wrong on so many levels, not the least of which was the laying on of hands itself. The Bible says. . .well, here’s what the Bible says exactly:

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partakers of other man’s sins: keep thyself pure [1 Timothy 5:22 KJV].

Although Timothy directed the context of the passage toward the ordination of Elders, aren’t we all supposed to be ambassadors to Christ [2 Corinthians 5:20], fishers of men [Matthew 4:19], and followers of Christ [1 Thessalonians 1:6]? Since the word “followers” in the Thessalonians passage means “imitators,” Paul exhorts them that they should emulate the Apostles and Christ. We should do the same today as “followers” of Christ.

The word “suddenly” in Timothy’s exhortation refers to the amount of time that we know the person giving the impartation. A person should not give an impartation unless they know the recipient well. In addition, if the recipient does not know the imparter, he or she should gracefully and with love, decline the offer.

Last week I coined the phrase, “You can’t take anyone where you haven’t been.” I based that premise on 2 Corinthians 1:4 and my almost disastrous mistake of destroying my first book, The Final Cup. However, the opposite is true as well. Those who lay hands on you CAN take you EVERYWHERE they’ve been through impartation.

It is improper for a stranger or for someone you barely know to lay hands on you and speak into your life. Where have they been, and what have they done, notwithstanding that we are all sinners. Remember now how Timothy exhorted us that we would take on another man’s sins. Everything they are, they’ll impart to you. This was his message.

So, unless the one imparting is Kim Klement, Morris Cerullo, Billy Graham, or someone you know and trust to be Godly, don’t allow it, lest you receive another man’s sins as Timothy exhorted us 2000 years ago.

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See you in a couple weeks. Am heavy into my next book, but don't want to drop my readers off of the cliff. GBY all and thanks SO much for following me and my writing.

It blesses me.

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