I. JESUS HEALS

Jesus heals! We may not know how many miraculous healings Jesus performed during His earthly ministry, as what the apostle John said, “If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (21:25), but we know that 17x in the Gospels it says that Jesus “healed all their sicknesses”!

Some are specifically recorded in the Bible: He healed a man’s son (John 4:46-54), a Canaanite girl (Matthew 15:21-28), a Roman soldier (Luke 22:50-51), a centurion’s slave (Luke 7:1-10), Peter’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39), and women (Luke 8:43-48; Luke 13:11-13).

Such healings were miraculous as He healed a man with swollen arms and legs (Luke 14:1-4), a sick man (John 5:1-9), a paralyzed man (Luke 5:18-25), a deaf man (Mark 7:31-37),

mute men (Luke 4:33-35; Luke 11:14), blind men (Matthew 9:27-31; Mark 8:22-26; Luke 18:35-43; Matthew 9:27-31), and lepers (Luke 5:12-13; Luke 17:11-19).

He simply healed them sometimes by touch (Mark 6:56; Luke 4:40) and sometimes by word (Matthew 8:3; 9:22; Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13; John 5:8). And when He heals, they are healed instantly and totally (Matthew 8:3,13; 9:22; 15:28; 17:18; 20:34; Mark 1:42; 7:35; 10:52; Luke 5:13; 13:13; 18:43; John 5:9)!

All of these affirms not only the deity of Jesus but also the words of the apostle Paul that "the Lord cares about our bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:13).

II. COMMISSIONED TO HEAL

Many are aware that the Great Commission verse is Matthew 28:19-20 but only few are aware that it has a parallel passage.

* Parallel passages occur when a single event or major concept is given in two or more places in the various scriptural accounts.

And Mark 16:15-18 is its parallel passage.

In v. 18 (of Mark 16) is a promise, "... [You] will be able to place [your] hands on the sick, and they will be healed."

Note: the command and the promise in Mark 16:15-18 is not restricted only to a special category of Christians, but to ALL Christians. Yes! We are all commissioned not only to make disciples, but also to "place our hands on the sick"!

Jesus healed and He commissioned us before He ascended to heal the sick too in His name.

Pressured? You and I shouldn't be. It is vital to remember that IT IS GOD who heals (Exodus 15:26), not us. Our role is to believe and obey Mark 16:15-18, and let God be God.

In the book of Acts we see how the apostles

believed and obeyed it:

| Acts 3:6-8 [to a man who is lame since birth]; "...’in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!' Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them."

| Acts 9:34 [to a man who is paralyzed and bedridden for eight years]; "Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll over your sleeping mat!' And he was healed instantly."

| Acts 14:10 [to a man who is crippled feet since birth]; "So Paul called to him in a loud voice, ''Stand up!' And the man jumped to his feet and started walking."

| Acts 28:8-9 [Ill with fever and dysentery]; "…Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed."

III. GIFTED TO HEAL

It is clear in 1 Corinthians 12:9 that the Holy Spirit graciously bestows the gift of healing to "whom He wills" (v.11). This does not mean though that the gifted is the Healer! We know it is God who heals (Psalm 103:3).

Here are 5 questions to assess whether you are graciously bestowed by God with this gift:

1. Do you have a deep compassion for people who are sick?

2. Do you have a deep conviction that God can heal anyone He chooses?

3. Do you enjoy praying for people who are

sick, and have you seen people healed when you do so?

4. When God heals someone, are you excited because it helps reveal His power to others?

5. Do you long for the coming of God’s Kingdom (mentioned by Jesus 82 times), when there will be an end to all sickness?

Today, around the world, we find examples of those who were gifted with this extraordinary gift. This does not mean that we can leave it all to them. The commission to heal is for all of us. Just as we do not all have the gift of evangelism, but we are all called to tell others about Jesus, so we do not all have the gift of healing, but we are all called to pray for the sick.

IV. SOME SAY: DIVINE HEALING HAS CEASED

In other words, they say that God no longer miraculously heal people today. They also say that the supernatural gifts, such as healing, ceased to operate at the end of 1st century (this is popularly known as cessationism).

But theologians, biblical scholars, and writers from the 2nd and 3rd century like Augustine, Origen, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Theophilus, Quadratus and Justin Martyr report that such things as healing continued and formed a normal part of the activity of the early church. It is also clear from 1 Corinthians 12-14 that Paul did not believe that such ability was confined to the apostles.

Jesus is “the same” yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

John Dela Victoria adds: “I find no evidence that the ‘charisma’ gifts or the so-called gifts of the Spirits ceased after the canonization of the New Testament Scriptures. In fact, there

is no exegetical evidence that the charismatic gifts are not for today.

When I began to read John MacArthur’s Charismatic Chaos and articles on Strange Fire conference, I always go back to the point that what I need to follow is the Scripture data that points to the continuation of these gifts. Get this; most of the arguments of those authors are not exegetical and hermeneutical in nature, but rather experiential, emotional and bad backgrounds in the Charismatic movement.

You see, you cannot dismiss the gifts of the Spirit by appealing to experience. You cannot say that just because you were not healed during prayer doesn’t mean you must reject the ‘charisma’ gifts. Because experientially, there were many who were healed through prayer and many who were not. So experience is not a good standard or grounds for a belief. As the famed Christian apologist

and philosopher Ravi Zacharias has pointed out, “You can never build a theology on a basis of a second hand experience. As a matter of fact, it is also dangerous to build a theology on your own personal experience un-sustained by the theoretical written Word of God.”

I wouldn’t add to the arguments Neo gave above, those are quite strong, even if his intention was to point to the authority of Scripture, not to prove the continuation of the gifts of the Spirit. I would recommend though being very careful of charismania, the position that says every spiritual experience must came from God, no matter how strange, unusual and unbiblical it might be. Also be discerning if one phenomena is from God or not. The only way for you to know if that kind of experience would not contradict the principles God gave in His revealed Scripture.”

V. SOME SAY: ALL SICKNESS IS DUE TO SINNING

In other words, they say that by not sinning, no Christian needs to ever be sick.

Although the Bible is clear that we can bring sickness upon ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:27-32), this is not always the case. We know that because Job (2:7), Daniel (5:27), Paul (Galatians 4:13), Timothy (1 Timothy 4:23), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:27), and Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20) experienced sickness despite the fact that they deeply loved God and walked with Him faithfully. Satan also has the power to make us physically sick (2 Corinthians 12:7), but regardless of why we are sick, we need to pray.

VI. SOME SAY: SEEKING MEDICATION IS WRONG

In other words, they say that since God can heal, Christians should not go to a doctor nor seek for any medicine.

But ponder 2 Chronicles 16:12-13 with me, "…Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians. So he died..."

Now the text doesn't say that Asa died because he turned to his physicians, but that he died because he has placed his faith on his physicians for his condition and not on the Lord. Otherwise he should have sought not only his physicians BUT ALSO the Lord's help.

The idea that faith is some type of magic cure that makes all doctors and all medicine unnecessary is a major misunderstanding. Those who say that if you go to the doctor for a medical problem, you lack faith, fail to understand that the same God who can heal

directly also guides the skilled medical professionals to accomplish it.

The apostle James mentioned in the 5th

chapter of his letter to “anoint the sick with oil” (verse 14).

Quoting Daniel Owens’ commentary of the verse, he says: “Anointing with oil is used in the Bible to symbolically show the belief that God is present. The act of anointing or pouring oil on the forehead of someone serves as a physical symbol and reminder that God was there. In Bible times, oil certainly had a medicinal use as well. Thus, the knowledge of medicine combined with the power of God can bring healing to a person’s life.”

Some approve that Christians may partake medicine but only those that are herbal. They go to the original Greek word of pharmacy which is pharmakeia which can be translated

into the English word “sorcery” and apply all passages in the Bible that speak against sorcery and the practice of it as passages against pharmaceutical medicine and the use of it. It may sound unconvincing but if this is a personal conviction of a brother or sister in Christ, I will respect.

But what I see plainly in the pages of the sacred Scripture is that: All healing comes ultimately from God. But how He heals and whom He uses to accomplish the healing process is up to Him.

VII. FINAL PLEA (TRUST GOD)

If you are sick and disturbed with your illness right now, please hold on and trust God. Please allow me to pray for you:

“Dear Lord, You know my friend (the one reading this) so much better than I do. You know his/her sickness and the burden he/she

carries. You also know his/her heart. Lord, I ask You to be with my friend now as You work in his/her life.

Lord, let Your will be done in his/her life. If there is a sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, please help him/her to see his/her need and confess.

Lord, I pray for my friend just as Your Word tells me to pray, for healing. I believe You hear this earnest prayer from my heart and that it is powerful because of Your promise. I have faith in You, Lord, to heal my friend, but I also trust in the plan You have for his/her life.

Lord, I don't always understand Your ways. I don't know why my friend has to suffer, but I trust You. I ask that You look with mercy and grace toward my friend. Nourish his/her spirit and soul in this time of suffering and comfort him/her with Your presence.

Let my friend know that You are there with him/her through this difficulty. Give him/her strength. And may You, through this difficulty, be glorified in his/her life and mine, Amen.”

Personally, I would like you to visit this page: http://hopefaithprayer.com/scriptures/100-god-healing-david-emigh/ and for further study, John Dela Victoria recommends: Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire and Whatever Happens to the Power of God and numerous articles on the topic in askdrbrown.org website by Dr. Michael L. Brown; Pouring Holy Water On Strange Fire: A Critique of John MacArthur’s Strange Fire & Charismatic Chaos by Frank Viola; and Miracles, a two dense tome volume and Gift and Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today by Craig S. Keener.

Cherishing Truth with you,