Breaking the Box: Why Healing is the Dinner Bell for the Gospel - Doug Hanson Interview

Healing is the Dinner Bell for Salvation

The air in the Waffle House was thick with the smell of burnt coffee and sizzling bacon. It was one of those quiet mornings where the world feels like it’s holding its breath. Across from me sat my friend Doug Hanson. Most people see just another "regular guy," but I’ve come to know him as something else—a man who carries the fire of the early church right into the mundane places of life. There was nobody in there but us and two employees. One of them, a lady named Mary, was clearly hurting. You could see it in the way she moved, that stiff, guarded posture of someone living with chronic pain.

Doug didn’t make a scene. He didn’t pull out a pulpit or ask for an offering. He just looked at her with the compassion of Jesus and asked if he could pray for her. Within seconds of him commanding that pain to leave, her eyes went wide. The grimace vanished. "Wow," she whispered, moving her arm freely for the first time in goodness knows how long. She didn’t just thank him; she immediately pointed toward the back. "You need to go pray for the cook!"

That right there is the "dinner bell." We’ve spent decades in the Western church trying to convince people that God is real using eloquent arguments and fancy light shows. But when someone who was just limping starts walking normally, you don't need a three-point sermon to convince them the supernatural is at work. They start asking you what just happened. That’s the moment the door swings wide for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The pain point for so many of us is a sense of spiritual stagnation. We sit in the pews, we look at the back of someone’s head for forty-five minutes, we listen to a monologue, and then we head to Luby’s. We feel like there must be more to this walk than just being a spectator in a religious theater. The solution isn't a better "church system"—it's returning to the biblical model of discipleship where every believer is equipped to demonstrate the power of the Spirit. In this post, we're going to dive into how to break out of that passive box and start walking in the authority Jesus actually gave us.

Doug’s journey started much like mine did. For years, he sat in the system. When I talk about the "church system," I’m not attacking the people. I love the people. But the system itself—what some call the Constantine model—is often the biggest hindrance to biblical discipleship. It’s built on a foundation of "pay, pray, and obey the pastor." It disciples people to show up faithfully and keep the lights on, but it rarely disciples them to obey the Great Commission themselves.

Doug told me it took him two years of seeing the manipulation and control before he finally walked out. He realized that the church system as we know it often functions like a business focused on self-preservation. But the moment he left that building was the day his real ministry began. He stopped depending on a weekly sermon and started reading the Bible for himself. He started thinking for himself. And most importantly, he started doing for himself what the Word says we should all be doing.

He started with the "Way of the Master" style of evangelism, popularized by Ray Comfort. He’d go out to biker rallies with a satchel full of gospel tracts, using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24 KJV). It was a great start. He saw people convicted and repenting. But Doug felt there was a missing piece. He noticed that while the message was good, there was no demonstration of power.

Then he found the bridge. He saw Torben Sondergaard and the Last Reformation movement. They were marrying the message of repentance with the demonstration of healing. Within two weeks of wondering if God wanted those two things joined, Doug was being "kick-started" in Las Vegas.

Now, if you haven’t heard that term, "kick-starting" is just a fancy way of saying "on-the-job training." It’s like a motorbike—once you kick it into gear, it keeps running on its own. A seasoned believer takes a newer believer out, shows them how to pray for the sick, lets them see it happen, and then has them do it. It strips away the mystery and the fear.

I remember being at the hospital with Doug recently. He was talking to a nurse, trying to find out who needed prayer, when I spotted a lady limping down the hallway. She looked like every step was a mountain climb. I had to nudge him—"Doug, stop talking to the nurse! This lady right here needs help!" He stepped up, prayed a simple command of authority, and she didn't just walk; she started out-walking us! She was so moved she took us right into her son’s hospital room to pray for him too.

This isn't about having a special "gift of healing." The gift of healing mentioned in the epistles is for the building up of the church, but the command to heal the sick was given to all disciples. When Jesus sent out the seventy in Luke 10, they weren't "specialists." They were regular people. And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you (Luke 10:9 KJV).

The key is understanding the New Covenant. In the old days, a blood covenant was the strongest agreement known to man. It was a "representative" agreement. Jesus acted as the representative for both God and man. Everything He accomplished—His death, burial, and resurrection—legally became our history. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Think of it like a Property Owners Association. If you live there, you are in covenant with that association. If they secure a right for you to build a certain fence, you don't have to beg them for it—you already have the right. You just have to enforce it. The Kingdom of Heaven works similarly. We aren't begging God to heal people; He told us to go heal them. We are enforcing the victory Jesus already won on the cross.

Personal Reflections

I’ve had to go through this same "un-learning" process. I remember sitting in the pews as a kid, reading the Book of Acts and then looking around at the service and thinking, "Wait a minute. Something is missing. Where is the stuff I’m reading about?" It felt like we were practicing a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.

Leaving the comfort of the system was scary. It’s like jumping off the high dive. If you walk to the edge and let fear drive you back down the ladder, it’s twice as hard to go back up the next time. But when you finally jump—when you finally put your hand on a stranger’s shoulder and command pain to leave in Jesus' name—your world changes.

I’ve realized that my faith shouldn't stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 KJV).

There have been times I missed it. Times I was too shy or too "polite" to step out. But Jesus corrected me through the testimonies of men like Doug. He showed me that the harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few. We often pray for God to send laborers, but we forget that we are the ones He’s sending. If we are in Christ, we are already equipped. We don't do these works to be accepted; we do them because we are accepted.

Biblical References

The foundation for everything we do must be the Word of God. When we look at the ministry of Jesus, he didn't just talk about the Kingdom; he demonstrated it. He told us, Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8 KJV). This wasn't a suggestion for a few elites; it was the marching orders for His followers.

In the Book of Acts, we see this continued. It wasn't just the "big name" apostles. And there also came together a multitude from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing the sick, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were all healed every one (Acts 5:16 KJV). Note that word: all. There is no record of Jesus or the early disciples telling someone, "Maybe it’s not God's will to heal you today." They operated in the authority of the Risen Christ.

We are ministers of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV). Healing is a massive part of that reconciliation. It shows a broken world that their Father is not distant or angry, but actively reaching out to restore them.

Key Takeaways

• The "church system" can often foster passivity; true discipleship happens when we obey the Great Commission outside the building.
• Healing is the "dinner bell" that captures people's attention and prepares their hearts for the Gospel message.
• Every believer is "in Christ" and carries the legal authority of the New Covenant to enforce the victory of the cross.
• "Kick-starting" is a vital biblical principle—learning to walk in the Spirit by doing it alongside others.
• The Law brings the knowledge of sin, but the demonstration of power proves that Jesus is alive and the resurrection is real.

Conclusion and Call to Action

God is raising up an army outside the corporate structures. He’s looking for people who are willing to get off the pew and into the streets. Whether it's a Waffle House, a hospital hallway, or your own neighborhood, there are people hurting who need to know that Jesus is real and that He loves them.

If you’ve been feeling that "fire shut up in your bones," don't let the system quench it. Start reading the Word for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a divine appointment today. You don't need a title or a degree; you just need to be a branch connected to the Vine.

If you want to dig deeper into these supernatural experiences, I highly recommend checking out my book, OPEN YOUR EYES: MY SUPERNATURAL JOURNEY. It’s full of stories about what happens when you decide to actually believe what the Bible says. And if you’re struggling with fear or spiritual attacks that keep you from stepping out, take a look at Overcoming Night Terror: Making the Demons Leave.

Visit me over at ConradRocks.net for more podcasts and articles. Let’s stop just talking about the Book of Acts and start living it.

What’s holding you back from praying for someone today? Leave a comment below and let’s talk about it.

Action Items

• Identify the "Dinner Bell" opportunities: This week, pay attention to people around you who are in physical pain or distress. Instead of just thinking "I should pray for them," actually ask them if you can.
• Study the New Covenant: Read through the book of Hebrews and pay close attention to the legal language of the covenant. Understand your identity "in Christ."
• Practice Authoritative Prayer: Instead of asking God to heal someone, practice commanding the sickness or pain to leave in the name of Jesus, just as the disciples did in Acts.
• Find a Partner: Find another believer who is hungry for the move of God and go out together. It’s much easier to overcome the "high dive" fear when you have someone with you.
• Share the Gospel after the Miracle: When you see someone touched by the power of God, immediately share the message of repentance and the resurrection. Don't leave them with just a physical touch; give them the eternal Truth.

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