Saturday, March 26, 2011

Power To Heal

When I read encouraging words from other God-Filled people I like sharing some of the wisdom God has given them which has strengthened my inner man. One person who helps strengthen my inner man with the devotions she shares for people around the world is Germaine Copeland, author of the "Prayers That Avail Much" family book series. Below is an excerpt from one of her devotional prayers, which is a prayer I know everyone will benefit from. 

Do you need physical or emotional healing? Renew your mind to God's Word; He abides in you, in every cell and tissue of your body. Declare that Jesus is Lord over your spirit, soul and body. Let go of all unforgiveness, resentment, anger, and bad feelings toward anyone. God plans to prosper you and not to harm you. He plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). It is God's will to heal you, and when you pray, believe that He will do what He promised. The prayer of faith will heal the sick! 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for sending your word to heal me and deliver me from all my destruction's. Jesus, you are the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. You bore my griefs (pains) and carried my sorrows (sickness). You were pierced through for my transgressions, crushed for my iniquities, the chastening for my well-being fell upon you, and by your scourging I am healed. Amen. The daily prayer is written by Germaine Copeland, author of the Prayers That Avail Much family book series. ©2011 Word Ministries, Inc. ~Deborah Webster Perry

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Pillars to Inner Healing

Position Yourself for Your Healing 
I like how Henry Wright, who is an expert at inner healing, breaks down the three essentials that are necessary to positioning ourselves to receive healing. Much of what Henry was speaking about concerned physical healing, but I believe it also applies to emotional healing as well. Having a right relationship with God, yourself, and others, is vital when positioning yourself to receive inner healing. I would like to break down each one of these here, as they are very important to anybody who is seeking healing from emotional wounds. 

1. Having the right relationship with God - In order to be healed, you must have a relationship with the healer. I'm not talking about being born again, but actively having a relationship with Him. Many Christians have what we call a religion with God, not a relationship. Religion seeks to earn it's favor with God, whereas relationship accepts what God's Word says about their being made the righteousness of God through their faith in Christ (see Romans 3:22).

This doesn't mean that we can live like the world, as that is unacceptable for a member of the royal family in the kingdom of God. But it means that when we're living for Christ, placing our faith in Him, and honoring Him in our life, then we need to stand on what God's Word tells us about how we are justified (made innocent, as if we've never sinned), forgiven our sins, and made right with Him (see Romans 3:24). 

We need to let God's Word sink into our hearts when it tells us about our conscience being purged from dead works to serve the living God (see Hebrews 9:14), and that through the Blood we can have confidence to enter the holy of holies (see Hebrews 10:19). Knowing that your sins are forgiven, and you are made right with God, is absolutely necessary or essential to freely receive emotional healing. The only way that you will reach that place is when you put your total and complete trust in the Blood of Jesus, knowing that it was shed for the remission or removal of your sins (see Matthew 26:28).

Dead religion is a terrible plague that hinders the healing of many emotional wounds. Religion does not connect you with the healer (the Holy Spirit), but actually hinders His work in our lives. Religion promotes fear, pride, and legalism, which is an enemy to the healing process. Dead religion creates an atmosphere where defense mechanisms thrive.

Defense mechanisms such as stubbornness and anger, are there to protect us from further harm, but at the same time, they actively hinder or even block the Holy Spirit's power from healing our wounds. It is important for us to understand and overcome defense mechanisms if a person is going to receive healing to their damaged emotions. I have a teaching just on Defense Mechanisms that I highly recommend reading to learn more about what they are, and what to do about them.

Fear and unforgiveness are the most popular glues that hold together defense mechanisms. Dead religion is fear based, whereas relationship is faith and love based. God's Word tells us that love casts out all fear (see 1 John 4:18). Many today are afraid of God; they are afraid that He is disappointed or even angry with them and may not be eager to forgive them. This is dead religion, and creates fear which brings torment (see 1 John 4:18).

How are you supposed to be healed, if you're in bondage to fear and being tormented? Through a genuine relationship (not religion) with God, our fears will begin to dissolve as we are made perfect in love (see 1 John 4:18). Unforgiveness is selfish (God will forgive us of even the worse offenses, why can't we do the same?), prideful (that person wronged ME), and is the result of not trusting God (to take care of that person for what they've done).

Love is the opposite of these things (see 1 Corinthians 13). As we allow God's deep and overflowing love and forgiveness towards us to sink into our hearts, our unforgiveness towards others begins to also dissolve. We cannot give something that we're not receiving, and we cannot receive God's love into our hearts, if we do not properly perceive it. It is impossible for you to receive love into your heart from somebody that you perceive hates you, and the same is true with our ability to receive God's love into our hearts. It is therefore vital that we have a non-religious relationship with God, in order to dissolve our defense mechanisms so that we can be healed emotionally.

Overcoming the religious mindset is a very important step to position yourself to receive healing to your damaged emotions. Properly perceiving our relationship with God is very important to positioning ourselves to receive healing for our damaged emotions. The Holy Spirit has shown me that a clean conscience is a fundamental pillar to receive inner healing. 

2. Having a Right Relationship With Yourself - When you have a right relationship with yourself, having a right relationship with others comes much more naturally. How can you truly love others, if you don't truly love yourself? I have a teaching titled, It's Vital to Love Yourself, that I highly recommend reading. It is not a loving yourself as in a selfish and prideful manner, but rather a humble acceptance of the person that God has made in you.

Self-hate is one of the most binding emotions that we encounter in the ministry of deliverance. There is no doubt whatsoever that this is one of the most destructive plans of Satan against the children of God. The fact is that when we hate ourselves, we are hating somebody that God made with His own hands, created in His image, and purchased the redemption of with the blood of His dear Son.

I assure you that such hate opens us right up to tormenting evil spirits. It gives them permission to act on our behalf against this person to whom we hate (us). Scores of mental and physical infirmities are rooted in self-hate. Self-hate is when we hate the person in us that God has created and loves dearly. We are hating God's special creation in us, and evil spirits will assuredly team up with us whenever we take on this attitude.

Let's say that you walked into a gallery, and pointed at a painting and said, "That sure is ugly! Who painted THAT?" Let me ask you, would that bring glory and honor to the painter of that painting? Do you think it brings honor and glory to God, when we point at His paintings, and consider them ugly, stupid, worthless, and of little value?

One day the Holy Spirit spoke to me very clearly and said, "I want you to love and appreciate the work of my hands, and that includes you, for you were made in my image!" I also heard the words echo in my mind, "When you hate yourself, you are hating somebody that I made." Having a right relationship with yourself is really a matter of seeing yourself as God sees you, and agreeing with His Word about the person that He has made in us.

It is not a prideful or arrogant way of seeing yourself, but rather a humble and thankful expression of the great and wonderful person that God made in you. I cannot tell you how much freedom and healing that I have received once I grasp the concept of how self-hate is a terrible poison that opens many sincere Christians up to terrible mental and physical infirmities. Being released from self-hate has an enormous affect on the healing process for many who bound with various emotional and physical infirmities.

3. Having a Right Relationship With Others - Are you out of relationship with others in your heart? Are you holding a grudge or failing to love others as Christ has loved you? Then you are not in right relationship with God either. Jesus warned us that if we do not forgive others from our hearts, that our own sins stand between us and the Father (see Matthew 6:15), but we are also giving legal grounds to tormenting spirits to operate in our lives (see Matthew 18:34-35). 

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. (Matthew 18:34-35)

Let me ask you this, how can we expect to receive healing for our damaged emotions, when we are separated from God (our sins stand before us), and we are in the territory of tormenting spirits? If you want to position yourself to receive healing, then you'll want to be in right standing before God.

Jesus tells us that if we forgive others, then we ourselves will be forgiven (see Matthew 6:14). That is a promise! Having our hearts clean from any ungodly feelings towards others is vital to receive healing for our damaged emotions. The root of unforgiveness has to do with a lack of trust in God. The reason that a person holds so tightly to unforgiveness is because they feel like they are the only one who is concerned about justice coming to that person who wronged them. They do not believe that God is going to ensure that justice happens.

God's Word tells us to give no place to wrath so that He can do something about what was done against us, but if we take it into our own hands, we fail to give place to wrath, and can actually hinder God from doing something about it. Do we want the person off our hook, or God's? Then we need to handle things the way that God has commanded of us in His Word. One of the keys to living a life of forgiveness, is getting it down into your spirit that God truly cares for you and what is done against you, and will bring justice to those who wrong us as we trust Him with those situations. -Author Unknown-

Bitter Water To Sweet

Bitter Water and Sweet Wood (Exodus 15:22-27) By Steve Rodeheaver Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites have finished singing, and now it is time to journey on. Moses leads the Israelites into the desert and they go for three days without finding water. Imagine traveling on foot from Yuma to Tucson and going for three days without water. This was a life-threatening situation. Finally they came to some water and their hopes skyrocketed - only to be dashed by the bitterness of the water. It was undrinkable. The Israelites named the place "Marah", which means "bitterness". Imagine literally dying of thirst, finding water, then discovering that it was salt water. Not a good life or death.

When the Israelites came to this bitter water they did what you and I would do: they grumbled against their leader Moses. Moses in turn cried out to Yahweh. Yahweh showed Moses a piece of wood which Moses promptly threw into the water. Immediately the water was made sweet and the Israelites were able to drink it. Moses then led them to a place called Elim which had twelve springs and seventy palm trees. This story is about the journey from Marah to Elim, from bitter water to twelve springs and seventy palm trees. The journey takes place externally and internally.

The external journey is the obvious one. Moses and company find themselves in a very bitter situation. They have been three days in the desert without coming upon a source of water. The water they have come to is undrinkable. Death is threatening. Moses cried out to Yahweh and Yahweh made the bitter water sweet. Refreshing themselves, they are revived and journey on to Elim. It is another revelation of the power and trustworthiness of Yahweh.

The message for us is clear: Whatever the bitter obstacles that we encounter in life's journey we can count on God to transform them, to use/redeem them for good, as God leads us to Elim. When we cry our Marahs out to God, God is able to "sweeten" them, that is, to make them drinkable, to turn them into a resource for the next leg of the journey. God is big enough to deal with, redeem, and even transform whatever external problems we might face.

The internal journey is less obvious, but it is the one on which the text focuses. Our English translations obscure this focus because of the difficulty in translating the verb for Yahweh "showing" or "directing" Moses to a tree/piece of wood. The verb used actually means to instruct or teach. Yahweh instructed/taught Moses a tree. That does not make much sense, but it is important to note because this verb is the root verb of the word "Torah". Torah means instruction, and it specifically refers to the instruction/law that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai for how the Israelites were to live in covenant with this God who brought them up out of Egypt.  

We might say that Yahweh "torah-ed" Moses a tree. When Moses cast this torah tree into the bitter water, the water became sweet. Torah is not for water, however, but for people. The bitter waters of Marah revealed the bitterness that lodged in the hearts of the Israelites. Notice that they grumbled against Moses while Moses cried out to Yahweh.

The external obstacle revealed the internal realities of their hearts. Moses trusted Yahweh and cried the problem out to Yahweh. The Israelites, on the other hand, betray a lack of trust as they grumble amongst themselves against Moses. What becomes evident in the face of Marah is that the Israelites needed deliverance from more than just Pharaoh.

They need deliverance from their grumbling, mumbling, bitter selves. And Yahweh is set to bring about that deliverance. Yahweh torahs Moses a tree of transformation. Right then and there, after Moses/Yahweh sweetened the water with the tree, Yahweh "made a decree and a law for them, and there He tested them. He said, 'If you listen carefully to the voice of Yahweh your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am Yahweh your Healer.'"

This text makes it plain that the emphasis is on the transformation of the Israelites rather than the water of Marah. In a word, Israel is to be "Yahweh-centered" in all their living. Remember, down in Egypt life had been Pharaoh centered. So Yahweh "tested" the Israelites there at Marah. This testing was for the purpose of training them, to reveal their hearts in order that their hearts might be changed where needed.

The test revealed that Moses was Yahweh-centered and that Israel was not. The test was a training exercise for Israel, designed to bend their bitter, grumbling hearts toward Yahweh. How did the bitter water become sweet? The tree. How does one become Yahweh-centered? The answer is Torah, God's instruction. It's kind of a circle. By listening to Yahweh one becomes Yahweh-centered which in turn enables one to be a better listener which in turn increases one's Yahweh-centeredness.

How did the bitter water become sweet? Yahweh, the giver of the tree. How does one become Yahweh-centered? The answer is Yahweh, the giver of Torah. "I am Yahweh, the One who heals you." Yahweh is the One who heals the heart, who is able to transform the bitter waters of the heart to waters of renewal. Again, notice that this internal transformation is the main point of the text, for Yahweh does not say "I am Yahweh, the One who heals the water" but "I am Yahweh, the One who heals you." Yahweh transforms the heart by means of Torah, Yahweh's instruction/word for sweet living. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. . .." 

Jesus is our Torah, our transforming Word from Yahweh on and for life. As we receive and follow Jesus, as we become Jesus-centered, we discover a healing transformation being worked within our hearts. It is the internal journey from the bitter waters of Marah to the twelve springs of Elim, from barren desert to seventy palm trees. May the tests of life bend us towards Jesus, that we might open ourselves to Jesus at ever new depths, heeding His word and experiencing His healing.

By the grace of God in Christ, may we make the journey and know His healing, that we might live the Jesus life. If life is bitter, stir in some Torah. Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.[a] 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” TRUTH-IN-ACTION (NSFB)

Devotion to God begins with growth in knowing God. In Exodus, God reveals part of His nature and character. Knowing God in truth will dramatically impact our lives. Exodus gives four keys to make our lives more faithful and fruitful.

1. Ex. 3:14,15 Understand that God is. His name is "I AM WHO I AM." Rest on this foundation. Be grounded and established in Him.

2. Ex. 15:25,26 Receive God as "The LORD Who Heals You." His nature is to heal; His Will and Compassionate desire is to make us whole. OT Divine Healing Covenant. It is called a "covenant," because in it God promises He will keep His people free from diseases and conditions the promise upon their diligent obedience. The covenant is made absolutely certain by the fact that God joins His mighty name to the promise, calling Himself Yahweh-Rapha. To recover to health and to sustain in health. The words used here for "diseases" (makhaleh) and "heals" (rapha) are regularly used for physical sickness and bodily healing. This is not only a spiritual concept, but also an intensely physical one.

3. Ex. 17:15 Rely upon God, who is "The LORD Your Banner." Surrender to Him, for the battle and the victory belong to the Lord.

4. Ex. 31:13 Pursue God, for it is He who sanctifies us. His life in us makes our holiness possible. While sin and disobedience are not always the direct causes of sickness, man's fall into sin is the original and underlying cause of all disease. 

Those who seek healing will benefit by looking to Christ Jesus our sin-bearer, along with pursuing renewed consecration. (James 5:14-16;I Cor. 11:29-32;Numbers 12:1-16). Kingdom Dynamics Numbers 12:1-16 Healing Repentance and Humility, DIVINE HEALING. This passage relates how Moses' sister, Miriam, was healed of leprosy. She received physical healing through the intercession of Moses. However, her healing was delayed seven days because of her sin in defying the God-given leadership of Moses.

Is it possible that delays in receiving answers to our prayer may sometimes be the result of a sinful attitude? Is there instruction in the fact that the progress of the whole camp was delayed until Miriam was restored? Repentance and humility will not earn healing, but they may, as with Miriam, clear the way for God's grace to be revealed more fully. Numbers 21:5-9 The Focus of Divine Healing, DIVINE HEALING.

The plague of fiery serpents sent upon God's people was, in reality, a self-inflicted punishment, resulting from their frequent murmuring. God's judgment was in allowing what their own presumption invited, and many died from the bites of the serpents. But in answer to the repentance of His people, God prescribed the erecting of a bronze serpent to which any might look in faith and be healed.

Jesus referred to this account in John 3:14, 15. He clearly implied that the bronze serpent typified His being raised upon the cross. Our healing both spiritual and physical, comes from looking to the identifying with Christ crucified, "by whose stripes you were healed" (I Peter 2:24) TRUTH-IN-ACTION (NSFB) Growing in Godliness - Building a life characterized by a constantly growing capacity for God is a vital message found in Numbers. Godliness grows as we are intentional in our pursuit of God. From the way we regard the community of God to the way we embrace the truths of redemption, every aspect of godly living is important.

Soaking in Prayer and Receiving Healing


My Personal Testimony

At the end of the Wednesday night service the pastor and the deacons lined up in front of the Sanctuary to pray for people. I went forward for prayer for pain in my back. The person in front of me (a friend) went up also. They were praying for healing of the same symptoms I had, so I came in agreement with them as they prayed. The pastor then asked what I needed prayer for. I told them I agreed and received all the prayers for healing they had prayed for Debbie. The pastor said, no we will pray for you personally. As they began to pray, I was instantly slain in the Spirit. 

I will attempt to describe where I was. The only way I can explain it is that I was now inside what seemed to be water, I was engulfed in it. The picture above of the water is a good description of what it looked like, but it had some teal in it. I remember saying to the Lord, "How am I going to explain this to Debbie?" After that thought I was back in the earthly realm. Debbie Boone shared with me what had happened, saying she grabbed my belt and kept me from hitting the steps, when the men stepped aside. Debbie also said that she didn't want me to get hurt. Now that's a faithful friend! It was an awesome experience!

I have often wondered why Debbie became part of the conversation while I was soaking in the presence of the Lord and it might have been because was connected to me by grabbing my belt. Maybe the Lord wanted me to know that she had done a humble thing, being concerned for another persons welfare. The fact that I knew and remembered what I was had said tells me that we can be speaking through our thoughts while we are slain under the power of the Holy Spirit. GOD is good and takes care of His children. After church, I came home and when I went to bed, I had the sensation I was floating in the air while I prayed and that was awesome, and exciting.

Oh, so much we don't know about the supernatural of the Heavenly Realm where our Savior lives. The Word does say because of the Blood of Christ and through the Holy Spirit we can experience Heaven on Earth, but I am still looking forward to my heavenly home in anticipation. ~Deborah Webster Perry

Prayer and Healing for the Sick 
 By Dan E. Jackson
(James 5:13-18)

The morning message is concluded and the elders come forward during the final hymn. They gather on the chancel steps to pray with those who come forward from the congregation to share specific needs. The elder lays hands on the people and prays for the release of the Lord's healing power in them.

Some people come expressing a need to know Christ, others need assurance of forgiveness, some have concerns for loved ones who are ill or troubled. Many have physical illnesses while others need the Lord's guidance and strength for the challenges they face. The results of these prayers have been astounding. This is not a report from some kooky church on the fringe of reality, but from the very respectable First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.

Many Christians are confused over the issue of prayer and healing. But the questions remain: Is God there when sickness enters our lives? Do miracles of healing still happen or do we just read about them in the Bible? Some insist that miracles and healings should always be the order of the day. They sometimes compound the suffering of those struggling with illness by claiming, "It's never God's will for Christians to suffer." The victim is blamed for his infirmity and accused of sin or a lack of faith. Prayer is the theme uniting verses 13-18 in James 5. This section teaches that vital relationships with God grow out of intimacy with Him in prayer. We are invited to share all life's experiences with Him. Whether glad or grieving, troubled or triumphant, we are to pray.

James speaks to situations like this in verse 14. One source of Christian trouble is sickness. If prayer is appropriate for any context of life, it is certainly relevant in times of physical affliction. We often pray the "why" question: "Why is this happening to me?" "What" is the more appropriate prayer: "Lord, what are you saying to me through these difficulties?" Or, "Father, what do you want me to learn, or what do you wish for me to do?"

I. What Causes Sickness? Violations of God's Natural Laws. Many are sick because they disregard basic health principles. Sanitation, hygiene, diet, exercise, and rest are neglected, with illness the natural result. A well-balanced diet is essential to good health. God was Israel's healer, but He was also their dietitian. We are not bound by all the restrictions of Old Testament law, but God established laws of hygiene and diet then that are still helpful in maintaining health today.  God established a day of rest and a sabbatical year. Proper rest remains an important factor in good health. We violate these laws to our physical detriment. 

Violations of God's Moral Laws. The Bible leaves no doubt that God sometimes uses physical infirmity to punish sin and chasten His children. We are reminded of this at the Communion Table when we consider 1 Corinthians 11:29-32. Paul said, "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 

When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." Some were sick and others died because of sinful attitudes at the table of the Lord. Such sickness was not to be accepted passively; they were expected to stop sinning and be healed. The sickness was a strong encouragement to change their sinful behavior. 

Brought by Satan and Allowed by God. Satan sometimes brings sickness (though it is permitted by God). Job and the apostle Paul are examples. Paul repeatedly asked God to deliver him from his "thorn in the flesh" which he described as "a messenger of Satan." To display His power in Paul's affliction, God allowed the affliction. One writer says, "Let's mark the conclusion in red letters. The disasters of the world do not have their origin in the will of God. The evil one is the author of adversity."

Sickness is sometimes allowed for our growth and for God's glory. The Psalmist knew this when he wrote, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Ps. 119:71). Joni Erickson Tada testifies from her wheelchair that God uses her infirmity to minister His love to many. She says, "Satan schemed that a 17-year-old girl named Joni would break her neck, hoping to ruin her life; God sent the broken neck in answer to her prayer for a closer walk with Him and uses her wheelchair as a platform to display His sustaining grace."

Not all sickness can be blamed on personal sin. Jesus made that very clear in His encounter with the blind man of John 9. In an ultimate sense, all sickness is related to sin, because there was no sickness before the fall. 

II. What Cures Sickness? Healing with Medicine. Some suggest that the use of doctors and medicines indicates a "lack of faith." This claim disregards the testimony of the Bible as well as that of personal experience. Medicine is a gift from God. When King Hezekiah was ill, Isaiah offered a medical prescription and said, "apply it to the boil, and he will recover" (Isa. 38:21).

Because of Timothy's stomach ailment and an impure water supply, Paul prescribed the medicinal use of wine in 1 Timothy 5:23. God is surely not limited in His miraculous power, but He usually chooses to use human agencies. We should praise Him for trained, dedicated medical personnel. Healing through Rest and Change.

We may often experience healing through a change of pace and thorough rest. Even our Lord needed times of withdrawal from people and times of refreshing with the Father. Referring to restful recuperation, evangelist Vance Havner used to say, "If you don't come apart a while, you'll soon come apart." Healing through Divine Intervention.

Christians populate hospital wards, asylums, and cancer hospices just as non-Christians do. They roll in wheelchairs, face silent worlds with unhearing ears, and experience enfeeblement in about the same measure as the rest of the population. They are haunted by the question, "Why doesn't God intervene miraculously and heal my sickness?" Many have prayed for healing or attended healing services where they felt a sudden rush of hope, but they are still unhealed. They desperately need the support of their church, but too often are taunted that they must not measure up spiritually any more than they do physically. Yet the New Testament is full of instances when Jesus and His followers healed men, women, and children. James counsels that healing is still to be expected today.

III. What Brings Healing? The Sick Should Call. "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14). Clearly, the initial step is to be taken by the sick person. Confined to bed, this person or a representative should summon the church leaders. When seriously ill, with a body racked by pain, it is not easy to pray effectively for ourselves; then it is important to remember that we belong to a body and are not alone.

We can call for the prayer support of stronger members. The elders are called because they should be persons of faith who believe that God can heal. The Lord may not heal in every case, but these elders are convinced that He is a healing God and that He can make sick persons whole. The leaders are invited to the sick person's home when he is not well enough to come to the assembly.

Actually, effective prayer can be offered any time the church gathers, but while miserable and lonely, the sick one feels especially loved as Christian friends gather in his or her home to pray. Even so, they come in response to his call. Someone has well said, "It is not the business of the elders of the church to go scouting for the sick."

Elders Should Pray. As the leaders of the local church the elders are called because they should be spiritually mature and experienced in intercessory prayer. Another title describing their function is "overseers." They are responsible for pastoral oversight and spiritual direction. They are "to pray over him." Prayer is their main ministry on behalf of the sick person. 

"Prayer" is the main verb, while "anoint" is a participle. The anointing with oil was completely subsidiary to the praying. The anointing is to be done in the name of the Lord, calling on divine authority for the results. But what is the purpose of this anointing with oil? Oil was a very common medicine in biblical times. James seems to be prescribing prayer along with medicine, suggesting that we should avail ourselves of both spiritual and natural resources. Someone has said, "I have found the best combination for healing is a healthy blend of penicillin and prayer." 

Charismatic leader Jack Hayford says, "We should always be people who know the receiving of medical help is not a rejection of divine healing."4 My wife and I discovered this when our oldest daughter was only eight months old. One day her neck was limp and she was unable to hold up her head. She was admitted to Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was placed in traction and hospitalized for two weeks. Excellent orthopedic surgeons examined Tammy's x-rays and concluded that nothing could be done for her. We took Tammy home with the knowledge that she might remain in a neck-brace the rest of her life. It was then that our impassioned prayers touched the throne of God and our daughter was immediately healed by the power of the Lord.

Some teach that healing power was confined to the apostolic age. God has imposed no such limits upon Himself. James recommends that regular church officers, not apostles, should carry out the practice. This implies that the ministry to the sick is not limited to apostles, or even to those with gifts of healing as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:30. James' counsel has permanent validity in the church. However, this is the only mention of anointing a sick person in the New Testament letters.

Since many were healed without anointing, it is apparent that anointing is not required for healing prayer to be effective. The Lord Will Heal. It is God's power that heals. The prayer, anointing, and the calling on Jesus' name is not a magical rite. It is an opening for God's power to intervene.

Alec Motyer speaks of the advance of medical knowledge, and writes, "the discovery of medicines and the perfecting of surgical techniques are without doubt examples of the providential goodness of God. We must be careful lest we over-value the marvelous and the miraculous at the expense of the mundane and the providential." Acknowledging God's sovereign hand in bad times and good, our eyes should be on the Lord even when we go to the doctor. If an aspirin works, it is God who makes it work. When a broken bone is set and mended, it is the Lord who causes the healing.

Every good gift is from above! Genuine prayer is always a commitment to the will of God, and it is best expressed in patience as we wait to see what He will do. The unqualified statement that the prayer of faith will save the sick stands alongside many similar affirmations regarding prayer. The Bible makes its prayer promises without qualifications.

Jesus said, "I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). He also promised His disciples, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father" (John 14:13). These promises are given to increase our confidence in the place of prayer. They tell of an omnipotent God who can do all things, who is so generous that He will not withhold good from us, and who hears every plea.

The promises do not allow us to come with a stubborn insistence that we've got it right and our will must be done. We are not to try to whip up a believing spirit or pretend to have it when we do not. Prayers for healing are qualified by the recognition that God's will is supreme. In the New Testament, for one reason or another, God did not always heal even great people of faith. Paul's thorn in the flesh and the sickness of some of his friends are examples.

Our faith must always be in the God whose will is supreme and best. To pray "in Jesus' name" is not an incantation but a submission to His will and authority. We should pray for the sick with confidence that God will answer that prayer and bring healing. Such faith cannot be manufactured no matter how gifted, insistent, or righteous we are. Our responsibility is to pray and to leave the results with God. Jesus Christ has placed in the hands of the church the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19).

One of these keys will set men and women free from the power and authority of Satan. We need to use this key wisely but resolutely. It will not fit every lock. But the locks it does fit will spring open at the name of Jesus Christ. The authority Jesus had to deliver people from satanic powers has been bequeathed to the church. It may be used wherever and whenever it is appropriate. 6 Some have abused and sensationalized healing ministries. Others have abandoned them altogether. Our responsibility is to be faithful to the teaching of God's Word.

1. Lloyd John Ogilvie, Praying with Power (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1983), p. 98. 2. Robert L. Wise, When There is No Miracle (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1977), p. 128. 3. Joni Eareckson Tada and Steve Estes, A Step Further (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978), p. 140. 4. Jack Hay ford, "Healing for Today," Charisma (September, 1984), p. 43. 5. Alec Motyer, The Message of James (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), p. 192. 6. Michael Harper, The Healings of Jesus (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), p. 51. 

F.F. Bosworth in his book, "Christ the Healer", says: The healing of Jesus was done as a revelation of God's will for man. Mr. Bosworth further states: "The message everywhere taught in the Gospels is one of COMPLETE HEALING for soul and body, for All who will come to Him.

Soaking in the Scriptures of Jesus' Healing Power

(2 Peter 3:9) Healing was for all in those days, and Christ the healer has never changed. (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus said, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38) Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all. (Matthew 12:15) As many as touched him were made perfectly whole. (Matthew 14:36) “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3) “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” (Matthew 8:5-10,13) ”And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:14-17) “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” (Matthew 9:35) “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:1,7-8) “And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”  (Matthew 15:22-28) “And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:13) “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18) “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he [Jesus] laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.” (Luke 4:40) “And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:” (Acts 28:8-9) “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:14-16) “And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:29-31) “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:18-20) “And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” (Luke 6:6-10) “And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.” (Luke 9:38-42)

THE LORDS PRAYER IN ARAMAIC

O cosmic Birther, from whom the breath of life comes. Who fills all realms of light, sound, and vibration. May Your Light be experienced in my utmost holiest. Your Heavenly domain approaches. Let Your Will come true in the universe (all that vibrates). As on earth (that is material and dense). Give us wisdom (understanding and assistance) for our daily need. Detach the fetters of faults that bind us. Like we let go, the guilt of others. Let us not be lost in the superficial things (materialism and common temptations), but let us be freed from what keeps us from our true purpose. From You comes the all working will, the lively strength to act. The song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age. Sealed in trust, faith and truth (I confirm with my entire being).

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Hold Fast To Your Profession

Focus On Jesus, Our High Priest Jesus is the High Priest of our confession. (Hebrews 3:1) He will fulfill His priestly responsibilities of seeing that we receive the fulfillment of every one of God's promises that we steadfastly confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16) Because Jesus is our High Priest, we can be assured that God will hear our prayers. Jesus paid the price and is worthy to make intercession for us. He understands our ailments, our illnesses, our pain ——- because he was tempted just like us. Yes, we can come boldly unto the throne of grace and expect to obtain mercy and grace in our time of need. I believe he will hear and answer your prayers for healing. Don’t Let Doubts Creep Into Your Thoughts Jesus spoke the Word when He was confronted with Satan. The Word speaks to us as Jesus would if He were visibly among us. It takes His place. It has the same authority as He would have if He were to appear before you. The Word of God is like its Author-eternal, unchanging, and living. The Word is outbreathings of God, the mind of God, the will of God. The Word is God speaking. It is part of God Himself. It abides forever. God and His Word are one. Jesus was the Word, and He lives in me. I read the Word; I feed on the Word; and the Word lives in me. When I want more of Him, I feed on His Word. If I want to know more of Him, I learn more of His Word. I hold His Word in my hand. I have it in my heart. I have it in my lips. I live it. It lives in me. The Word is my healing and my strength. It is the Bread of Life to me. It is the very ability of God in me. The Word is my confession. It is my light and my salvation. It is my rest and my pillow. The Word gives me quietness in the midst of confusion and gives me victory in the midst of defeat. It gives me joy where desolation reigns. Confess what God says. He sent His Word, and Healed them (Psalm 107:20)is for your individual case. The Word will heal you. Confess this scripture in a personal way: "God sends His Word and Heals me." Then praise Him for your healing. When you confess God's Word, your confession brings healing to you. Always confess God's Word. Confessing God's Word always wins. His Word heals today! When you declare, "By His stripes I am healed," your words bind Satan's hands. He is defeated, and he knows it. The Word of God is the greatest weapon on earth to us against Satan. If God says, I am the Lord that healeth thee, and you dare to believe the power of these wonderful words, you will act on them. By doing the Word, you build your faith. You become a doer of the Word, a practicer of the Word - not a "talker about the Word." You can begin to do the very things you could not do before you took God at his Word, acted on that Word, and were healed. "Faith" is a noun, but "Believe" is a verb. A noun is a name, place, or thing. A verb shows action. To make "Faith" work you have to "Believe". putting "Faith" into action by your "Belief". "Faith" without works is dead (James 2:20) It is possible to have "Faith" and receive nothing from God. If you "Believe", that means you are acting on the promise; and when you couple action with your "Faith", that is "Believing". Your acting of the promise always puts God to work bringing about the fulfillment of that promise. Faith claims it now, believes it, and acts upon it as a statement of fact. According to the Bible, what you say matters. Proverbs 18:21 says “Life and Death is in the power of the tongue”. A verbal declaration feeds your inner person and reminds your mind of what you are believing. God's Word in our mouths and in our hearts is equivalent to His voice and excludes all reason for doubt. The "seed", God's Word, when planted in "good ground," always brings forth fruit. There can never be failure when we get into harmony with God's Word. It is in this way that we prove Christ's words to be "spirit and life" (John 6:63) as He says they are. These words, I am the Lord that healeth thee, in your mouth and in your heart (Romans 10:8) will do away with all sickness. -T.L. Osborn- Once you claim your healing, don’t let “Doubts” creep in. Doubts are like waves upon the sea. They go up and down. Sometimes it feels like you are sinking, then you realize it is just a trough. Be Steadfast. Be Reassured. God is faithful and he keeps his promises. No Word of God is void of power. (Luke 1:37) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)” (Hebrews 10:23) Remain Confident and Patiently Wait On God’s Promises “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35-36) Remain Confident and guard your belief. You will be rewarded if you are patient. Just don’t give up too soon. Keep believing, Keep trusting, Keep praying, and Keep repeating God’s promises. It is so important to keep your hope, even when you don’t feel like it. It is not by “feeling“, it is by “faith.” Meditate on these bible verses and boldly claim your divine healing. The Bible has many examples of healing miracles. You could be the next miracle if you just “Hold Fast to Your Profession.” Do You Want to Get Well? John 5:1-9 By Dennis R. Atwood I suppose we all have our challenges to face. As children we were either too short, too tall, too fat, or too skinny. Someone else was always smarter, or faster, or more popular. As adults we are either too young or too old, too inexperienced or too overqualified, too busy or too alone. Sometimes it's more serious. We carry the baggage of being abused in some unfair way, we worry about how to pay the bills, we grieve over a loss of someone close, we agonize over a rebellious child, or we face an uncertain future of chronic physical problems. We all experience disappointments and failures which are often beyond our own control. We get frustrated, impatient, and angry at the way life has treated us. We may then become resentful and bitter. There are some of us who appear to have it all together while on the inside we wonder why life seems so empty and meaningless. Maybe we can't exactly put our finger on it, we just know that something is missing. But this is usually a temporary state, what with so many distractions around. As Neil Postman says, thanks to our culture, "We can easily amuse ourselves to death." Then for many of us, I suspect, we're so accustomed to our predictable, safe pattern of living that we become unaware there's more to which God is calling us. We get so accustomed to the familiar -- day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year -- that we fail to realize the difference between living and simply existing. Our status is quo, and thus we fail to recognize the abiding sickness which resides within our own souls. 38 Years and Counting Whatever pain we carry, it seems rather insignificant compared to the man in this morning's story. He had been an invalid for 38 years. We don't know the cause of his suffering. We just know that for a very long time he had been unable to do the things most of us take for granted. But, apparently he still had a sliver of hope. This man took his place with many others who shared a similar plight. After all, misery does love company. They gathered at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem where some said that every now and again an angel would disturb the waters, and the first one in would be healed. But that's a mighty tall order if you can't get up. It was the kind of atmosphere that TV preachers dream about. Then, one day, someone better than an angel, or a televangelist, comes along -- though no one really knows this at the time. His name is Jesus -- the friend of sinners, the compassionate man, the divine healer. Surely Jesus will tell them to forget about their superstitions and throw a healing party for them all. But something strange happens next. The compassionate Jesus takes a look at the man lying on the ground and asks a very insensitive question: 'Do you want to be made well?" Talk about "politically incorrect" speech! What was he thinking? This poor sick man could have rightfully come back with some sarcastic response like, "Sir, I really enjoy being here completely unable to move!" Yet there was something about the way Jesus looked at him, something about the way he asked the question, that made it not so foolish a question after all. The answer was not as obvious as it must have seemed. Jesus wanted to know. Did the man really want to be made well or not? He had waited in this condition for 38 years and it might have been that all hope had died. The man might have been content to remain an invalid. After all, if he was cured he would have to bear all the responsibilities of making a living for himself. There are people who find a sense of security in sickness, and for them, suffering isn't that unpleasant because someone else does the work and worry for them. "Do you want to be made well?" Maybe it wasn't such a dumb question after all. The man failed to give a direct answer. Why not a simple "yes"? 38 years is a long time to be able to settle into a kind of comfort and safety even in misery. Being well holds more responsibilities. Being well holds more accountability. But the man did respond quickly. He wanted to be healed, but he didn't see how since he had no one to help him up when the waters stirred within the pool. Besides, someone else always managed beat him to the punch when he did try to make his way down to those magical waters. Still, Jesus had to know if the man really wanted to receive the gift of healing. So he quickly cut right to the heart of the matter: "Stand up, take your mat and walk." The Question Behind the Question Jesus spoke the word, but God's healing power could not be let loose until the man assumed the responsibility of choosing life and risking the possibility of transformation! What's true then is still true for us. The deeper question Jesus asks is, "Do you really want to be changed?" If we are content to stay as we are -- no matter how miserable that may be -- there can be no change, no possibility of healing for us. It is almost as if Jesus said to the man: "Bend your will to it and you and I will do this thing together!" (William Barclay, The Gospel of John: 178-79) The gospel truth is that we all must recognize our own utter helplessness apart from God. That is our shared human condition. But then we must realize it is also true that miracles can happen when our will cooperates with God's power to make them possible. (Barclay, 180) The question Jesus asks is the ultimate question each of us must answer, "Do you really want to be made well?" Even God himself can do little for us if we are comfortable with our place in life. Too often we plod along in our debilitating condition, craving to be healed, yet resisting any change whatsoever. Carl Sandburg once said: "There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud." A part of me wants to fly like an eagle, but I get too accustomed to wallowing in the mud. We all have our dreams and visions, but then as we get older, life's realities convince us to settle for less -- or to forget them altogether. We get the message, "This is just the way the system works," and eventually we get sucked into the system while our dreams fade away. An article in the Bergen (NJ) Record illustrated just how complacent we can become to our immediate circumstances. It told of a zoo in Copenhagen, Denmark that put a human couple on display. Henrik Lehman and Malene Botoft lived in a see-through cage, in the primate display, next to the baboons and monkeys. Their 320-square-foot habitat had a living room with furniture, a computer, a television and stereo. The kitchen and bedroom were also a part of the display. Only the bathroom was hidden from public view. Unlike their neighbors, who weren't allowed out, the two humans occasionally left their fishbowl existence to shop and water the flowers on their porch back at home. "We don't notice the visitors anymore," said Lehman. "If I want to pick my nose or my toes now, I do it." (Parade, Dec. 29, 1996) Yes, we humans have an innate ability to adjust to just about any kind of circumstance in order to survive. Sometimes survival is the best we can hope for. Our problem, however, is that we too often settle for surviving rather than authentic living. Jesus' question to the man was about physical healing, but the man's physical condition was not the main point. The question behind the question is about life itself: "Just what do you want from life? What is it you really need with God?" I'm afraid that many of us really don't know what it is we need. Then Healing Doesn't Come Most of what we come to expect out of life comes straight from the television or movie screen. We buy into the false reality that our culture hands to us. We sell our souls for an illusion of life -- not the real thing. We also buy into the false reality peddled of a God who can be manipulated in order to make us healthier, wealthier, and wiser. With this god, everything happens by cause and effect. If you are suffering, then you have sinned. If you aren't being healed, then you don't yet have enough faith. Did you notice in today's scripture there was a crowd of sick people surrounding that pool? There were many invalids -- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. And as far as we know, Jesus asked only one of them if he would like to be healed. What about the others? What became of them? Surely Jesus cared about them too, but he offers no explanation as to why grace came on that day to this particular man. There is a mystery about God's healing and grace that we cannot fathom or predict. Sometimes, though we want it desperately, healing does not come -- at least in the way we want it. What Will It Be? The well being Christ offers to all of us is greater than our physical world. It has to do with the sickness of our souls. St. Augustine said, "We are all restless until we find our rest in Thee." This is what God offers to us in Christ -- rest for our souls. But maybe we have something different in mind -- something more material. If so, then maybe we don't really want to be made well after all. Jesus asks us the question today, and He deserves an honest answer. Healing will come on God's terms, not ours. It is really a question of faith. Can you trust God to change you without manipulating the results? Can you let go of your own fear of change and allow God to make all things new? A new life, a new way of living, that is the Good News of God in Christ.

Receive Your Healing

God wants to heal you. His Word says, "I am the Lord that healeth thee."(Exodus 15:26) If you are sick God wants to heal you.

God Wants to Make You a Whole Person
(2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, Mark 1:40-55)

If Jesus was primarily interested in proclaiming the good news about the Kingdom of God and teaching us a new way of life that is appropriate for it, why did he spend so much of his time healing the sick? Jesus is not the only one in the Bible who has something to say about God's healing work. We have heard an Old Testament story about the prophet Elijah healing a man with leprosy. And we have heard a psalm in which the poet lifts up a song of praise to God for healing him of a life threatening illness. Yet, many of our churches don't say or do much about healing. Are we missing something here? Jesus used his healing work to teach us something important about the Kingdom of God and about what God wants for us. Through his healing work, Jesus taught us that God wants us to be whole persons.

I. What does it mean to be sick?

Have you ever had to cope with a really serious of prolonged illness? If you have, you know that it has to do with more than just your physical condition. It can involve your whole life and keep you from living up to your highest possibilities.

The several different kinds of healing works that Jesus did give us some insight into the different things that can go wrong in a person's life.

Jesus healed some of disabling conditions like lameness or blindness that kept people from functioning as happy and productive people.

Jesus also healed some, like the person in our scripture lesson, of leprosy. Leprosy was a much dreaded, multifaceted illness. Not only was it a physical illness that could be terminal, it had an additional stigma attached to it. There was a widely held belief that it was probably a punishment for some sin. It could make people look down on you. It could destroy your self respect. And, because of ritual laws of uncleanness, it could cause you to be quarantined away from human relationships in the community and prevented from worshiping in the temple. It could alienate you from yourself, from family and community, and from God.

Still another kind of healing was the casting out of unclean spirits. This had to do with people who were physically well but were afflicted with some invisible condition like epilepsy or mental illness. We can imagine that some might be possessed by evil spirits like greed or hate or bitterness.

In the Bible, people were thought of as unified souls. The mind, the body, the emotions, the spirit and the relationships were all interrelated aspects of the one person. If there was a serious problem that prevented a person from functioning fully in all of those aspects, there was sickness. Can you see how the different kinds of physical sicknesses that Jesus healed represented different kinds of spiritual sicknesses that can overtake us? Can you see how the different kinds of healing works that Jesus did related to more than just a person's physical health?

II. What does it mean to be whole?

The Bible often speaks of being healed in terms of being made whole. That is a good way of thinking of it. To be a whole person is to be able to live life fully and happily and productively like a person should be able to live. That is really what we want for ourselves, isn't it?

That involves every aspect of our being. The Bible talks about wholeness as something that starts in the center of our being and organizes our lives rightly from the inside out. It works through our basic relatedness to self, to life, to others, and to God. In fact, it begins with coming into a right relationship with God. (Can you see how this has to do with the good news about the Kingdom of God coming near?)

Wholeness in that center of our being can have a lot to do with physical health. Bernie Siegel, a surgeon who treats many cancer patients, has written several books sharing the belief that it is often something wrong in our way of relating to ourselves and to life that causes physical illnesses like cancer and that emotional health can contribute to physical healing (See Love Medicine and Miracles, Harper and Rowe, 1986).

Sometimes a person may be a whole person even though there is a physical illness or disability. A woman with crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis came to her pastor very disturbed. She had met a person who, with the best of intentions, had told her that if she just had faith, God would heal her physical condition. The pastor responded that he knew that she did have faith, lots of it. And as a result of her faith she had been able to rise above her physical condition and live a full and productive life in spite of it. She was an outstanding wife and parent and teacher and citizen and person. Even though the arthritis was still there, her faith had made her whole.

Sometimes the thing that needs to be healed is not a physical condition but a relationship. That kind of healing can sometimes save a person's selfhood and sometimes a family.

The field of holistic medicine is exploring the dynamics of wholeness.

This is really close to the essence of the Christian faith. We know that the Christian Faith has a lot to do with being saved. But being saved in not just something that has to do with the hereafter. The Greek word sozein which is often translated "to be saved" can also mean to be healed or to be made whole. To be saved is to be made a whole person.

III. What can all of that mean to you?

The answer to that question begins with our asking, "In what ways may I need to be healed?" Don't focus just on physical illnesses. Search deeply for any unwholeness there may be.

Know that God wants you to be a whole person. If you can get physical health, do it. But if you can't, remember that God can make you a whole person in spite of a physical illness. An amputee has to discover that he or she can be a whole person without the limb that has been lost. A divorcee must discover that he or she can be a whole person without the former partner. An unemployed person must discover that he or she can be a whole person even though unemployed. God wants you to be a whole person and God is working to help you become one.

If there is a physical illness, by all means go to the doctor and practice the disciplines required for good health. These things are all parts of God's plan. But also be intentional about growing in your relationship with God. Spiritual health facilitates physical healing.

Look around to see what things God is doing in your life that can contribute to your healing. Are there friendships and loving relationships through which God can work to heal your hurts? Is there beauty or goodness around you that can restore your hope? Are there support groups or church groups that can help you cope with your unique problems? Are there harsh experiences that God may be trying to use to wake you up to the need for change? Are there challenges through which God may be calling you to venture out? Learn to recognize what God is doing in your life to make you whole and work with God. Reach for wholeness. God wants you to be a whole person.

Scripture on Healing in the Word

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26)

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)

“Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” (Psalm 91: 9-10)

“A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5)

“Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:19-20)

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17)

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14)

“Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:18-20)

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:22-24)

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

“And there they preached the gospel. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” (Acts 14:7-10)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:14-16)

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1)

“ 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.” (Acts 5:14-15)

“O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.” (Psalm 30:2)

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” (Psalm 34:19-20)

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” (Psalm 41:1-3)

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13-14)

“Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:19-20)

“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” (Psalm 118:17)

~Bits and Pieces from sermon God Wants to Make You a Whole Person By Jim Killen