This is Part 2 in the
booklet
"The Lord, Your Healer"
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"Sweet, Sweet Spirit" |
Jesus was asked directly if He was willing to heal. This
is His answer.
“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along
who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his
face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are
willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand
and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be
clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.” (Luke
5: 12-13)
Jesus could heal him, but the man wondered if He was
willing to do it. Jesus left no doubt. He said, “I am
willing.” Jesus even healed those who believed who were
not of the house of Israel. Once He said to a Canaanite woman, “It
is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to
their dogs. ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but even the
dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’
Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your
request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that
very hour.” (Matthew 15: 26-28)
The key is faith believing that He will heal. Jesus said,
“All things are possible for him who believes.”
(Mark 9:23)
Some might say it was His will for those people in that
day only, but question whether or not it is always His will to
heal. Jesus came to the earth, not just to give His life for our
sins, but to do the will of His Father. Giving His life was a
part of God’s will.
“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but
to do the will of Him who sent me.” (John 6:38)
“Then I said, ‘Here I am - it is written about me
in the scroll - I have come to do your will, O God.’”
(Hebrews 10:7)
“Jesus gave them this answer, ‘I tell you the
truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he
sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son
also does.’” (John 5:19)
In the Bible, we see Jesus healed all who asked Him. One
hundred percent! ALL!
“When evening came, many who were demon possessed were
brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and
healed all the sick.” (Matthew 8:16)
“...Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him,
and he healed all their sick...” (Matthew 12:15)
If Jesus did the will of God and healed all who asked
Him, then it must be God’s will to heal all who ask Him for
it. Someone might say, “Yes, but that was when Jesus
walked the earth. He is in heaven now and that doesn’t apply
anymore.” But Hebrews 13:8 tells us:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
forever.”
We need to change our way of thinking.
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the
world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every
thought to make it obedient to
Christ.” (II Corinthians 10: 4-5)
“Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is
- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
The war is in our minds. The Lord will never change. If
His will was to do one thing 2,000 years ago, it certainly will
be the same today. We need to believe the Word and act on it,
using the authority the Lord has given to us to overcome the
enemy. We cannot negotiate with the Lord. We must ask in faith
believing, not doubting.
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt,
because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed
by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything
from the Lord...” (James 1: 6, 7)
If we pray doubting, we cannot expect anything from the
Lord, but if we pray believing we receive, it will be ours.
“Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
(Mark 11:24)
Let’s look at the healing ministry of the early
church.
“People brought the sick into the streets and laid them
on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall
on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the
towns around tormented by evil spirits, and all
of them were healed.” (Acts 5: 15, 16)
Everyone was healed. One hundred percent! Look at our
present day fellowship. About 80% of the church are sick. Why is
this when the Lord wants us to be in perfect health? It is
because we cannot receive healing from the Lord without faith in
the Word. We don’t have the faith because it has not been
taught to us. We need scriptural teaching.
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and
the message is heard through the Word of Christ...” (Romans
10:17)
We need to learn what we already have and put it into
practice. The Bible says: “This was to fulfill what was
spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our
infirmities and carried our diseases.’” (Matthew 8:17)
Since this is a fact, why do we think we must carry them?
If you are carrying a heavy piece of luggage and a friend offers
to carry it for you and you let him, would you still have to
carry it? Of course not. It would be very foolish for you to
think and act as if you were carrying it when in fact you weren’t.
It is the same way with sickness. When we know the Lord has taken
the burden, why do we still think and act like we have to carry
it?
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so
that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his
wounds you HAVE BEEN healed.” (I Peter 2:24)
This is something that has already taken place. We
understand the first part of this verse. We have received the
Lord and His righteousness. It is the last part of the verse we
have difficulty with. Consider this: many people have not
received Jesus as their personal Savior. How can this be? Jesus
gave His life for them almost 2,000 years ago. The answer is
simple. They have not believed and received what Jesus did for
them.
The same applies to healing. There are many people who
have not received healing and deliverance. How can this be? Jesus
provided it almost 2,000 years ago. Again, the answer is simple.
They have not believed and received what Jesus did for them. We
cannot be saved until we believe that salvation is ours and
receive it by faith, and we cannot be healed until we believe
that healing is ours and receive it by faith. Health is a part of
the redemptive work. When Jesus gave His life on the cross at
Calvary, He conquered death, sin and sickness. The early church
knew this; however, through the ages, this truth has been diluted.
The old devil, the father of lies, has deceived God’s people
into believing that sickness is something they have to accept.
“You belong to your father the devil, and you want to
carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and
father of lies.” (John 8:44)
“For this people’s heart has become calloused: they
hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them.”
(Acts 28:27)
The word “heal” in this verse comes from the
Greek word “sozo”. We read the same word in Romans 10:9,
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus Christ is
Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.”
The same Greek word “sozo” is translated “saved”
in this Scripture. Healed and saved are the same word! It is all
part of redemption. Don’t mix this with the Old Testament
atonement which means covering. Redemption means completely done
away with.
Some people confess: “Oh, I am so sick today.”
Do you think this is confessing the Lord Jesus and His work? Of
course not. This is confessing the devil and his work. We should
confess the Truth: confess the Word of God. The above verse also
says to believe in your heart. That means to be fully persuaded
and not just to give mental assent to it.
“For it is with the heart that you believe you are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are
saved.” (Romans 10:10)
Part of salvation is healing. This is simply believing
and confessing the Truth, the Word of God. It does not help to
say it if you do not have absolute assurance in your heart that
it is true. That assurance is faith. You cannot confess you are
well and still think you are sick and expect healing. You cannot
try to fool God with your confession. He knows your heart. But
when you are fully persuaded that His Word is true, you can then
confess what your heart knows is true and it will be yours.
Learning to apply these principles in our lives is not
always easy. We must learn to live (work) by faith and not by
circumstances.
“We live by faith not be sight.” (II
Corinthians 5:7)
“For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is
revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,
just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
(Romans 1:17)
“...for everyone born of God has overcome the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
(I John 5:4)
Here we see the power, the means by which God heals.
Doctors use medicine; God uses faith. Faith comes from knowledge
of the Word of God. Faith is active.
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action is dead.” (James 2:17)
Faith is not confession without action. We must act on
that knowledge, live by it moment by moment. Faith without action
is not faith, just as love without action is not love. Jesus said:
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. If anyone
loves me he will obey my teaching...” (John 14: 15, 23)
Jesus says we are not only to know His words but also to
do them. This is obedience. This is practical. We don’t have
to cry in prayer or wait for a feeling. We just need to obey His
word, then He will know that we love Him. It is so simple. Our
faith will be expressed through practical actions. When we truly
believe and are fully persuaded that we are well, we will not act
like a sick person. We have had enough religion. Now we need some
action. Live by faith as Jesus taught us and has shown us. Our
faith is the active force. Remember what Jesus said: “Everything
is possible for him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed
him, calling out ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ When
he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him and he asked them,
‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes,
Lord,’ they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said,
‘ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH will it be done to you.’”
(Matthew 9:27-29)
“Woman, YOU HAVE great faith! Your request is granted.
And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew
15:28)
“Daughter, YOUR FAITH has healed you. Go in peace and be
freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34)
“Go, YOUR FAITH has healed you. Immediately he received
his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” (Mark 10:52)
Jesus says again and again that it is faith that heals.
Many people say, “I have faith, but I am not healed.”
Well, either the Bible is true or it isn’t. The Bible says, “Therefore,
I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have
received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)
In each of the above verses, we saw that they believed,
then they received. A friend of mine spent a couple of weeks in a
Christian Youth Camp. These young people would travel around to
different fellowships to conduct services and teach the Word
including healing. One day, one of the young men was sick and
couldn’t help with the chores. My friend suggested that they
all go over and pray for him so he would be healed and could help
them. They said they had already prayed for him but that he was
still sick. My friend asked him if he believed the Word was true.
He said that he did. He then asked if he was aware of Mark 16:18 “...they
will place their hands on the sick people, and they will get well.”
The young man said that he had heard of this verse and
that he believed it. They laid hands on him and prayed for
healing in the Name of Jesus. My friend then suggested that he
get up, get dressed and help them with the chores. But the man
said he really didn’t feel well. My friend then asked him if
he was going to believe his feelings or the Word of God. He
understood. With shaky legs he got up and began to work. Ten
minutes later he was completely well! He did not feel any
different when he first got up, but the Word says when we lay
hands on the sick they will be healed. If the Lord said so, it is
true. We cannot trust our feeling. We must believe the Word and
act on it.
Let’s look at the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
The people said that if Jesus had been there before Lazarus died
that he would not have died because Jesus would have healed him.
They thought Jesus was limited only to healing. But He can just
as easily raise the dead. Jesus told the people: “Did I
not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
(John 11:40)
People often say, “If I see a miracle, I will
believe.” When we see, we know. We don’t have to
use our faith to believe. It is when we don’t see that we
need to use our faith and believe.
“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me,
you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have believed.’” (John 20:29)
“Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’
THE MAN TOOK JESUS AT HIS WORD and departed. While he was still
on the way his servants met him with the news that his boy was
living.” (John 4: 50- 51)
This is the key. It is the Word of God we believe, not
our circumstances or symptoms.
This is a problem for us. We are programmed to believe
our senses, but when they conflict with the Word of God, we
should believe the Word, not the senses. Are your senses more
true than the Word of God?
In Acts 14: 9-10 we read: “He listened to Paul
as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had
faith to be healed and called out, ’Stand up on your feet!’
At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.”
What did this man believe? He believed the Word of God.
Faith in the Word is the only way. If you have no faith, there is
no need to pray.
Someone might say, “I have seen someone healed
who had no faith.” Yes, sometimes God performs miracles.
But we are talking about healing, the children’s bread.
There is a difference between healing and miracles.
Once I was at a Kathryn Kuhlman service when a man was
healed and declared before he was healed that he did not believe
in God; however, he was still healed. When God heals people who
have no faith and do not believe, it is a gift, a miracle.
Healing is the children’s bread. There is a difference.
Matthew 15:26-28 tells us, “He (Jesus) replied,
‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss
it to their dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but
even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s
table.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great
faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed
from that very hour.”
What I am talking about here is Divine health which the
Lord has provided for all His children. We must accept it and
believe it.
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt,
because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed
by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything
from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
(James 1:6-8)
It is very important to keep all doubt out of our minds
and heart. Some people seem to enjoy dwelling on doubt. Since
they do not believe the Word, they will excuse their unbelief by
using their intellect. The intellect is on a soulish or mental
level and is not to be compared with the mind of the Lord. All
that medical science knows was learned on the human or soulish
level through the five senses.
There is, however, another way to receive information and
that is through the Word of God as it is revealed by the Holy
Spirit. This knowledge is not intellectual but spiritual. If we
live only by our five senses, we are limited indeed. Many people
are deceived in this and think that the senses are the only
source of information, but revelation of the Word of God by the
Holy Spirit is much more valuable.
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