Healing

Does God still heal today?  A common response to this question would be “Yes, God heals”, and that is usually where the discussion ends or gets uncomfortable.  We don't want to get too spiritual.  Healing is a subject that the modern church actually tries avoid because of the abuses of some who lack Christian character which have taken this gift of the Holy Spirit into a ‘circus like’ arena and have brought disrepute upon God and the Church.  Healing is actually a gift (or grace) of the spirit which God freely gives to His church to bring restoration and wholeness to the Body of Christ.  It is not some kind of a weird party trick parlayed by some crafty person who through sleight of hand has power over those who are weak and need healing.

Luke 10:8-9 (ESV)

⁸ Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.

There are some who believe that spiritual gifts stopped with the early church, this belief is called ‘cessation theory’, they believe the early church needed the gifts as evidence of the risen Christ, but are no longer needed because something ‘more perfect’ has come - that ‘more perfect’ thing being the completion of the canon (authorized books) of the bible.

These same spiritual gifts were distributed to the early Church openly and freely to demonstrate the fact that there was a living hope present and at work in the earth bringing salvation to anyone who would hear.  

Yet, in our time we are left with huge discrepancy.  The discrepancy details how the vitality and vibrancy of faith was dynamically demonstrated in the early Church, so why is the present day Church so weak and unable to sustain the message of Christ as effectively without these gifts?  Why are we not ‘turning the world upside down’ as the early church did?  After all, we now have the full canon of scripture as was declared by the cessationists.  Why doesn't that make a difference in 2013?  Why is the Church struggling to survive? 

Why are we unwilling to tackle the hard question about the reality of Spiritual gifts head on, instead of explaining them away as relics of a past dispensation (age)?  Have we thrown out the baby with the bath water?  I am not attempting to pick a fight here, I am only asking the obvious questions, and searching for some relevant answers.

Acts 3:2-10 (NASB)

² And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. ⁴ But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” ⁷ And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. ⁸ With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

The nature of God cannot change, He is holy.  The acts of God (the Holy Spirit) must also be treated as holy.  (Holy means separate, set apart, not common) So, here is my main question, why do we need the gift of healing in this day and age with advent of modern medicine at our disposal?  What was the real reason for the gift of healing?  How do we appropriate the correct meaning of the gift of healing in our day and time?

I believe the reason the gift of healing was given to the early church was so that they could be made whole in their bodies, that they could be made strong in carrying on the mission of Jesus on the earth.  They in turn could bring glory to God by finishing their race well. Now, in our time we are left with the same challenge in regards to our calling in Christ, that is carrying out our mission for Christ and finishing our race well.  Shouldn't we also be asking God for His healing from our sicknesses in our walk with Christ just as the early church did?

3 John 1:2-4 (ESV)

² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ³ For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Not to be a negative Nelly here, but some have taken the gift of healing and have turned it into a side show or a photo op to promote their ministries.  I am not attempting to judge anyone’s motive or reason for what they have done, I am only disputing the methods they employ.  Every gift of healing I have read about and was demonstrated in the New Testament stems from building personal relationship out of wonder of the healing and accountability to the healer (Jesus),

Matthew 7:6-8 (NASB)

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

The poured out life before the Lord is a deeply personal walk, and not to be put on public display or to promote anyone’s ministry, it is about Jesus.  It is a personal walk developing personal dialogue between us and our King.  This personal dialogue is what can take us into the deeper levels of relationship and intimacy with our God, where we can experience His beauty in greater measure.  Jesus tells us to not ‘cast our pearls before swine’ which is how Jesus described taking something precious (or holy) and treating it as something common.  God can promote us in time, and lead us into service, but only as we are pursuing Jesus and His mission in our lives, that comes out of who we are and what we are becoming in Christ.  We hold the ‘pearl of great price’ close to our chest and protect it and to insure it’s safe keeping.

Matthew 13:45-46 (NASB)

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, ⁴⁶ and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

God will give us many pearls in our lifetime, special words or moments with Him which mark us and bring us closer to His heart.  This too is healing, healing which arises from relationship with our King.  Much like the parable, a wise merchant seeking a valuable pearl, he knows who he can share the details of his purchase with, and those who he must avoid for fear of being robbed.  Finding a pearl of great value means that it has great value to us.  We must guard it and treasure it, and give up everything we own to possess it. No one else need know the great cost we have incurred.  But, we are satisfied and content, because of what that pearl means to us.  Jesus is our pearl of great price.

There is great value in small groups meeting in homes, studying together and praying for one another.  It is there among friends building relationship that trust and accountability builds.  This way we can establish a safe place to pray for our brothers and sisters and ask God to impart His healing to restore those sick back to wholeness.  Healing does not always take the form that we would expect, for God's healing encompasses the entire person, not just the immediate sickness.  One aspect of the Church is a hospital for the walking wounded.  We are a place where the broken and needy can come and find peace and restoration, a place where we can demonstrate the healing that God brings from relationship with Him and with His people.  We are one body of Christ, we are much better together!  We are a safe place.

So, does God heal today?  As I was writing this blog I was told by my wife that a friend of my daughter was in the hospital with a very serious leg infection.  I sensed the leading of the Spirit to pray for this young girl in the presence of my daughter and ask God to bring healing to her leg.  I also told my daughter that praying gives God opportunity to show Himself strong. So, we prayed together.  My prayer was not just for healing for this girls infected leg, but also that God would receive glory from this situation.  I also prayed that this young girl and her family would come to Christ, and that Jesus would draw out His purpose for her young life.  

Several hours later, (just before I published the blog) my daughter approached me smiling and told me that she had texted her friend, and that her friend had responded back to her that she was out of surgery and doing much better.  Now is this due to modern medicine?  Or, is this due to the willingness of God to heal?  I believe it is recognizing that God can use both.

In some ways maybe we are not too overly spiritual after all!  Yet, I am sure that there is still much more to learn regarding God's healing.

As for my answer, I would give a resounding YES!  GOD DOES HEAL TODAY!

↓Click Here to listen to the song

Healings

Words and Muisc by: Bob Bennett

Jesus, will you heal me?

I've got a terminal disease

It's hard for me to talk to you,

unless I'm driven to my knees

And I don't mean to make demands on you

But I know that you are kind

You see my eyes are working perfectly

But I feel like I’ve been blind

Jesus, will you heal me? 

I've got blisters on my feet

I've run everywhere but straight to you,

now the circle stands complete

And I've no one else to turn to

And I'm out of breath and scared

For though my legs seemed very able

They couldn't take me anywhere

Oh look, what a glorious thing

The winter has healed and grown into spring

And my heart is mended by the love of the Lamb

The one who heals, the one who says "I Am"

Oh look, his will be done

His children are loving with the love of his son

By the grace of Jesus his words ring true

From the one who heals,

the one who says "I love you"

"I love you"

My eyes were blinded,

I could not see what I had long ignored

My legs were useless

'cause I was running away from the Lord

And patiently he waited as I played my foolish game

And then he made me whole when I called his name

Oh look, behold it is true

To the glory of God my life is made new

The more that I seek him, the more he's revealed

In the name of Jesus, I proclaim that I am healed

I am healed

I am healed

I am healed

Praises be to the healer of my life!

Copyright 1979 Maranatha! Music

The music above is copyrighted by the respective artists, and is demonstrated here for educational purposes only.

Guitar Tabs Click Here