Thursday, April 16, 2009

And they were all healed

"How many people came to Jesus for healing and left sick? None. How many came to Him for deliverance and left His Presence still under torment? None. How many life-threatening storms did Jesus bless? None. How many times did Jesus withhold a miracle because the person came to Him had too little faith? Never. He often addressed their small faith or unbelief but He always left them with a miracle as a way to greater faith. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, perfectly illustrated the will of God the Father. To think otherwise is to put the Father and the Son at odds".
Bill Johnson - "Face to Face with God - The Ultimate Quest to Experience His Presence" - Charisma House Publishing (2007) - (pp184-185).

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If we live according to the principles of the Reformation; Christ alone. Faith alone. Scripture alone; then Bill Johnson’s words ring true. Jesus desires to heal all. Too often we have based our beliefs about healing on our experience rather then on the Word of God. Our experience is: Very few people we pray for are completely healed.
Two false conclusions are drawn based on experience:
a) God does not heal all. (or some believe “at all today”)
b) The person we are praying for does not have enough faith, or has unforgiveness or sin in their life etc and that this prevents healing.

Rather then align our “Theology” with our experience, we need to realign our experience with God’s Word. If people are not being healed, it is we, the pray-ers that need to change. Jesus healed all who came to Him whether they had faith or not, or sin in their life or not.

Mark 16:17-18 (New International Version)
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

James 5:13-15 (New Living Translation)

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

According to God’s Word healing is a sign that follows believers in Jesus.


Acts 28:7-9 (New International Version)
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.

Acts 5:14-16 (New Living Translation)

Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

And they were all healed…. That is God’s will for the sick.
Bob Lipsys

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