How Jesus was able to heal.
Have you ever thought about that? A lot of people have and they say that he healed people because he was God in the flesh, the son of God. That is sort of correct and sort of incorrect. Remember healing and miracles took place through the prophets thousands of years before Jesus came and they were not God in the flesh. Remember too that the apostles could heal people and perform miracles and they were not God in the flesh (or were they? more on that later, and that is the key as you will see.) Stephen was not an apostle and yet he too was able to heal and perform miracles. Many others through the centuries also learned to heal and perform miracles. I could tell you of Madam Guyon a french woman who in the 16th century was healing people and of course many others in the 1800's up to this very day. The answer is quite simple, but a lot of people don't want to believe it.
Jesus was able to heal; perform signs, wonders and miracles because he was a man whose spirit was one with God whom God used to send his power through whenever he exercised his faith and authority to do so. In other words God the Father worked through Jesus because Jesus was a physical man completely surrendered to His Father in faith and obedience. That's how Moses did it That's how Elijah and Elisha did it. That's how David did it and other prophets in the Bible. That's how Jesus did it That's how Paul, Peter, Stephen did it. That's how you do it.
It takes a person who has the Holy Spirit living inside them.
A lot of people pray to be healed, but would you be shocked to know that healing does not take place through prayer alone. No one in scripture was healed simply by praying - no one. In every instance in the Bible where healing occurred there was a person involved through whom the healing power of God was ministered to another. That person whom God uses must meet God's qualifications to do so, but anyone can if they are willing. There must be a physical person on the earth through whom God can work. It is the spiritual law of earthly authority. It goes all the way back to Adam and Eve when God gave them authority over everything on earth. God created the Earth placed man on it and said, "You are in charge here." That has not changed, it is still true today. That is also the reason why Jesus had to be born of a woman and enter the world as a physical man. He was not created he was clothed in flesh. The eternal Word of God became a man in the flesh. It was necessary to accomplish his death (blood of a sinless man), burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in those who believe thus making us "sons of God". (John 1:12). Remember in Hebrews Jesus is called the second Adam. He came in the flesh to accomplish what the first Adam failed to do. So in order for healing to take place there must be a physical person involved through whom God can deliver His healing power. The involvement of another person can be done in various ways. People are healed while watching Christian television programs, while holding something the other person prayed over, while reading a book, over the phone or internet, or of course in person. There must be a point of contact with a person whom God will use to bring his power through them to you and of course there must be faith on your part to believe God and receive healing. A lot of you can do this today, but you don't know that you can because you have never believed nor tried.
A boy who was healed on his own.
I read the personal story of a seventeen year old boy who was healed while alone in his room. At first this seems to contradict the teaching above but then I examined his story in detail. He was nearly bedridden with a disease for about two years. He read the Bible and was very interested in the scriptures about healing. He asked for his mom to call a certain minister to come visit him. The minister never came. He asked his mom to call another minister. That minister came. When the boy tried to get him to enter into a serious discussion regarding the scriptures about healing the minister put him off and told him he should just prepare himself for the end. Many times he tried to get someone, a minister, or a church member to talk with him about healing and no one would. When he was so desperate because he was dying he finally took the Bible in his hand and read a verse on healing then called out to God saying that this is either true or not then he said God I believe its true. With that he pulled himself to the edge of the bed, swung his legs out feet hitting the floor. Then he grabbed the bed post and supported himself as he tried to stand, all the while saying to God that he believed what God says. Suddenly he felt a severe pain shooting through his legs. He said it was like thousands of needles piercing him. The pain was unbearable! But then he took a step and dragging his other leg out he took another. He got far enough out that now he had to let go of the bedpost. He did and was able to stand. After some time he was walking and within a few months he was completely healed and out playing with the other boys.
It seems to me that this boy tried to reach out for healing - in fact he did, but no one helped him so when God saw his sincere effort to be healed and his faith in what God says, God rewarded him as he says in Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him."
A Church Transformed
For about a year I visited a church about an hours' drive from my home. It was a spirit filled church where the gifts of the Spirit were believed in and accepted (it's in the Bible right?). Here is how it came to be that way... It was a traditional Southern Baptist church until one day the pastor tired of the traditions started believing God for healing, signs, and miracles. Finally he got up his courage and made an announcement to his congregation. He said that beginning the next Sunday he was going to teach on faith and healing for three Sundays and at the end of the service on the third Sunday he would invite people to be healed. Well God has a sense of humor and God honors faith so on the first Sunday at the end of the service someone was healed! God wasn't going to wait three weeks to honor his truth. If my memory is correct I believe a person simply stood up during the invitation and believed the teaching they heard and received healing by faith and so they were healed. Well that caused quite a stir among the people. They were excited to receive the truth about healing and began believing what God says. Now the sad part...Over the next several months the church began to change being full of faith and the Holy Spirit (sounds Biblical don't it!) One at a time a few families came and met with the pastor and said they were leaving the church because (and I quote), "We don't want to be part of a healing church." Three of those families were deacons.
It is sad that even Christians sometimes reject the truth. But isn't that what Jesus said, "the traditions of men make the power of God of none effect." If you do not believe and submit to the truth then you do not have the benefits of that truth. John 8:32 "If you continue in my word then are you truly disciples of mine and you shall know (experience) the truth and the truth (that truth that you now know) will set you free." Now why is it that before that church never had any healings even though they were a good church, worshiping, preaching, teaching, and praying. It was because they had never heard the truth about healing, so they doubted instead of believed. It was because there was not a man before who would step out in faith to believe and act. But when the pastor stepped out in faith then God could work and so it is with you, God says so!
Have you ever thought about that? A lot of people have and they say that he healed people because he was God in the flesh, the son of God. That is sort of correct and sort of incorrect. Remember healing and miracles took place through the prophets thousands of years before Jesus came and they were not God in the flesh. Remember too that the apostles could heal people and perform miracles and they were not God in the flesh (or were they? more on that later, and that is the key as you will see.) Stephen was not an apostle and yet he too was able to heal and perform miracles. Many others through the centuries also learned to heal and perform miracles. I could tell you of Madam Guyon a french woman who in the 16th century was healing people and of course many others in the 1800's up to this very day. The answer is quite simple, but a lot of people don't want to believe it.
Jesus was able to heal; perform signs, wonders and miracles because he was a man whose spirit was one with God whom God used to send his power through whenever he exercised his faith and authority to do so. In other words God the Father worked through Jesus because Jesus was a physical man completely surrendered to His Father in faith and obedience. That's how Moses did it That's how Elijah and Elisha did it. That's how David did it and other prophets in the Bible. That's how Jesus did it That's how Paul, Peter, Stephen did it. That's how you do it.
It takes a person who has the Holy Spirit living inside them.
A lot of people pray to be healed, but would you be shocked to know that healing does not take place through prayer alone. No one in scripture was healed simply by praying - no one. In every instance in the Bible where healing occurred there was a person involved through whom the healing power of God was ministered to another. That person whom God uses must meet God's qualifications to do so, but anyone can if they are willing. There must be a physical person on the earth through whom God can work. It is the spiritual law of earthly authority. It goes all the way back to Adam and Eve when God gave them authority over everything on earth. God created the Earth placed man on it and said, "You are in charge here." That has not changed, it is still true today. That is also the reason why Jesus had to be born of a woman and enter the world as a physical man. He was not created he was clothed in flesh. The eternal Word of God became a man in the flesh. It was necessary to accomplish his death (blood of a sinless man), burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in those who believe thus making us "sons of God". (John 1:12). Remember in Hebrews Jesus is called the second Adam. He came in the flesh to accomplish what the first Adam failed to do. So in order for healing to take place there must be a physical person involved through whom God can deliver His healing power. The involvement of another person can be done in various ways. People are healed while watching Christian television programs, while holding something the other person prayed over, while reading a book, over the phone or internet, or of course in person. There must be a point of contact with a person whom God will use to bring his power through them to you and of course there must be faith on your part to believe God and receive healing. A lot of you can do this today, but you don't know that you can because you have never believed nor tried.
A boy who was healed on his own.
I read the personal story of a seventeen year old boy who was healed while alone in his room. At first this seems to contradict the teaching above but then I examined his story in detail. He was nearly bedridden with a disease for about two years. He read the Bible and was very interested in the scriptures about healing. He asked for his mom to call a certain minister to come visit him. The minister never came. He asked his mom to call another minister. That minister came. When the boy tried to get him to enter into a serious discussion regarding the scriptures about healing the minister put him off and told him he should just prepare himself for the end. Many times he tried to get someone, a minister, or a church member to talk with him about healing and no one would. When he was so desperate because he was dying he finally took the Bible in his hand and read a verse on healing then called out to God saying that this is either true or not then he said God I believe its true. With that he pulled himself to the edge of the bed, swung his legs out feet hitting the floor. Then he grabbed the bed post and supported himself as he tried to stand, all the while saying to God that he believed what God says. Suddenly he felt a severe pain shooting through his legs. He said it was like thousands of needles piercing him. The pain was unbearable! But then he took a step and dragging his other leg out he took another. He got far enough out that now he had to let go of the bedpost. He did and was able to stand. After some time he was walking and within a few months he was completely healed and out playing with the other boys.
It seems to me that this boy tried to reach out for healing - in fact he did, but no one helped him so when God saw his sincere effort to be healed and his faith in what God says, God rewarded him as he says in Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him."
A Church Transformed
For about a year I visited a church about an hours' drive from my home. It was a spirit filled church where the gifts of the Spirit were believed in and accepted (it's in the Bible right?). Here is how it came to be that way... It was a traditional Southern Baptist church until one day the pastor tired of the traditions started believing God for healing, signs, and miracles. Finally he got up his courage and made an announcement to his congregation. He said that beginning the next Sunday he was going to teach on faith and healing for three Sundays and at the end of the service on the third Sunday he would invite people to be healed. Well God has a sense of humor and God honors faith so on the first Sunday at the end of the service someone was healed! God wasn't going to wait three weeks to honor his truth. If my memory is correct I believe a person simply stood up during the invitation and believed the teaching they heard and received healing by faith and so they were healed. Well that caused quite a stir among the people. They were excited to receive the truth about healing and began believing what God says. Now the sad part...Over the next several months the church began to change being full of faith and the Holy Spirit (sounds Biblical don't it!) One at a time a few families came and met with the pastor and said they were leaving the church because (and I quote), "We don't want to be part of a healing church." Three of those families were deacons.
It is sad that even Christians sometimes reject the truth. But isn't that what Jesus said, "the traditions of men make the power of God of none effect." If you do not believe and submit to the truth then you do not have the benefits of that truth. John 8:32 "If you continue in my word then are you truly disciples of mine and you shall know (experience) the truth and the truth (that truth that you now know) will set you free." Now why is it that before that church never had any healings even though they were a good church, worshiping, preaching, teaching, and praying. It was because they had never heard the truth about healing, so they doubted instead of believed. It was because there was not a man before who would step out in faith to believe and act. But when the pastor stepped out in faith then God could work and so it is with you, God says so!