HEALING

The 8^th and 9^th Chapter of Matthew, are full of the miracles of healing, and there are indeed other passages of Scripture in which we are told of acts

performed by our Lord, and prove he was the Son of God.  A leper was healed by a touch from Jesus; a child of a Roman soldier whom Jesus praised for his faith, was healed by Jesus without him being seen; a woman healed of fever; a man dispossessed of a demon; a paralyzed man made whole;  blind man’s sight was restored; a daughter brought back from death, and many more were healed.

Such healings show the power of Jesus. Leprosy is a fearful and transmitting disease which affects the entire body, regarded as uncurable yet by a simple word healed. Healing from a distance is truly miraculous, a word used too freely these days.

We are told in the gospels to come to Jesus and live in his faith, and lean on him in his everlasting arms with all our cares.  He is Almighty, and a strong rock, with who nothing is impossible.

We have to see the compassion and mercifulness of Jesus.  All his healings were different, and in each case the heart of Jesus had pity with the victim.

Learn how precious is the grace of faith.  The Roman centurion who believed Jesus had only to say a word; the woman who was bleeding and felt all she needed to do was touch his gown; the mother who accepted Jesus came for the Jews, but still believed he could heal her daughter.  In all cases Jesus rejoiced at their faith.

In Mark 16 Jesus told his Apostles to go out, preach the gospel, make disciples and heal the sick, laying hands on when necessary.  The early Church obeyed Jesus, and we find instances in Acts Chapters 3 and 5.

There are  many other examples of God healing.

In 1 Kings 13, God restored a man’s hand; 2 Kings Elisha healed a woman’s desperately ill son; 2 King’s 5 Naaman was healed of his leprosy by bathing in the river Jordan; how much more can we now expect with Jesus in the New Testament?

An early bishop Irenaeus, told disciples that receiving grace from the Lord would  help many.  In those days, devoid of any of the means of medication we now have, records reveal many serious ills were healed.

Edward Gibbon, who wrote the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, was a primary cause of the spread of Christianity so widely in the first century. He was inspired by the Apostles, who claimed a whole succession of power, vision, prophecy, expelling of demons and general healing.  

To believe in the power and willingness of Jesus to help is essential, be thankful if you have it.  Such faith is of higher value than some other gifts. Jesus will sit in heaven with a poor people’s problem, whilst many learned scholars who debate and challenge Scripture, will be rejected.  Your learning may be small, but the question is, do you believe?  

Two years ago some of my readers will remember I asked for prayer for my wife, who had two vital organs not operating. I had a dear friend in Birmingham, who asked numerous pastors to assist in praying for my wife, for if the organs were not restored she would have died. In addition, some of you my ‘friends’ also answered and said you were kindly going to pray for her. Three days later she was fully made well. When proudly and gladly I told two clergymen how God had responded and healed in answer to the prayers, they smiled benevolently at me. There was no other way she could have been healed for no treatment was given. We were given another two years together before God called her home.

Faith in Christ may appear too simple for some people, but such is most precious in God’s sight; without faith no one can be saved.  Most people will not preach, nor write, but the important thing is to believe and act on your belief. 

I had a lady in my Church who became a lay preacher, and was a Church Secretary.  She was active in all spiritual and social activities, but what stood out was her care for fellow Christians. When a member of the Church fell ill and was restricted in activity, she would be the first to offer help in any domestic way, and do shopping.  There was a lady who really was a practicing Christian who God will really bless.

So how should we go about healing?  With simplicity, there is no technique. When we pray God will hear, and he is the One who will heal. There is no need for shouting in dramatic tones, just speak to God in simple words.

 I knew a Minister who stated he could not pray without a prayer book, but we speak to a loving (heavenly) Father, as a child pleads with its faither. No funny voice or leaping up and down, we just tell God and leave him to answer. But we do it with love and care.

The whole ministry of Jesus was full of compassion as he prayed for people, and they were healed.  We may not have the success of Jesus, but God will hear.  A simple pattern is to ask people what is troubling them, and how it affects them.  It may be helpful to ask if there is a reason for the problem, it may be very obvious, for a person may have chest problems and you find the answer is to stop smoking perhaps.

Many years ago I first became involved in services of healing, when of a mid-week evening service we would have a time of prayer for healing, and would lay hands on those who wanted to be prayed for individually.  I never knew if  healing was granted to .anyone, as we all move on and God can answer in his own time. But we did bear in mind the words of James (CH.1)who said, ’ask your generous God and he will give to you, but when you ask, be sure your faith is with God’. In fact, if your faith is not present, there is no point in asking.

At that time there was a well-known American evangelist (now deceased) visiting this country who many people disliked, as much because he was an American more than any other reason, but as I am an admirer of the American religious scene, I was prepared to listen to and about him.

He was holding a healing service at a main London Church, and during the service he told the congregation there were people present who had named health problems, and asked them to stand up, and in a variety of symptoms mentioned there was a response every time.  It was reported that all were subsequently healed. Some people do have God given gifts of healing, see(1 Corinthians 12 v9 and 27). There are those who are just make believers without any credibility.

We have to accept that not everybody is healed, and I have met quite a number of people who were suffering badly. Non-believers seize on such cases, and ask why God allowed them to suffer.  If we are honest, we should say we just don’t know, but we do know it will be answered one day.

 Healing is a subject which interests most people, living as we do now in the midst of a constant atmosphere of viruses. We also have the concern that the Health Service is far from satisfactory in the case of attending to people.  There are literally thousands of people in need of attention and operations, which it is estimated will take at least three 

years to clear. Medical experts consider that a very optimistic period.

The National Health Service is a treasured body, and it is almost a crime to suggest there any faults, but that is just failing to face reality. The Nursing side is beyond praise, so hard and committed are doctors and nurses. There is however another administrative side.

Gone are the days of a hospital where there were dreaded but wonderfully efficient Matrons, who ruled their property with dedication. With doctors who were committed to patients, rather than advancing their financial position. 

Now we are overcrowded by managers, and assistant mangers, all with secretaries and reams of paper, full of statistics which no one pays serious

attention to, although it can point to how badly things are, and how money is spent as if going out of fashion, as the Health service never has enough.  The Service is a haven for some people to earn vast sums of money. We have this myth perpetuated that bigger is better, when usually, the opposite is proved the better.

The National Health Service is also a political issue, as political Parties argue as to which Party is more capable of being in charge. Whilst everyone should acknowledge with total agreement that the dedication of doctors and nurses in the hospitals merited unlimited praise during the time of pandemic, putting their own selves at risk without holding back.  The fact remains those lions and lionesses are being led by donkeys.                                                                                         

There is the appalling case of a hospital advertising for a diversity and

  inclusive post, which will be based in an office, talking about race and gender, and will pay a rate of between £47, 126 and £52,219per year, and contribute nothing to make the patient well, yet the poor nurses who work tirelessly doing messy and hard lifting of patients, for just £33,000, and aid people to recover.  This is stating it is more important in some odd world, to have someone performing woke work ideas than a qualified nurse.

Such is the bias and bigotry by politicians of one Party, the expertise and service of the private sector could be used to assist.  Anyone who has been a patient in public and private hospitals, will surely state there is a notable difference.  I found there was little comparison.

A central theme of the teaching of Jesus was the Kingdom of God, of which he spoke 82 times in the Gospels.  Jesus meant God’s rule and reign on earth.

The Jews believed the time would come when the world would end and they were looking for a golden age with healing and all the promises of the Old Testament would be fulfilled with the end of history.

We live in the period between the first and second coming of Jesus, and the Kingdom of God is here now, but not yet fully. When the end comes there will be judgement, and those who have rejected Jesus will be rejected by him. The Apostle Paul stated, we will have new imperishable bodies and be totally healed. John, the writer of Revelation book of the Bible stated, there will be no more pain or suffering, it will be a time of happiness and rejoicing. Every person who puts their rust and faith in Jesus, will be in that Kingdom when he reigns.

We must also recognize that Jesus also heals us of sin, of which we all are guilty of. Sin is by far too many people as relating to sex alone, but it also includes malice, hate, lying, greed, envy, jealousy. Higher classes of society are wounded when it is suggested they can be called sinners, but their Bible will tell that we all fall short of the glory of God. Some of us know that and repent, and by virtue of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross, God forgives us.

There also needs healing when preachers ignore the teaching of the Bible, where God laid down how he directed how we should live, and how he expected us to obey. Now in this country the main line Churches are flagrantly disobeying God’s teaching on marriage, a most stabling part of society, in order to carry out same sex marriage. There is also teaching that alternative forms of sexuality are permissible to those laid down by God, which is a total misinterpretation of Scripture.

The Bible tells us to pray for healing from God and we will be blessed with health and strength to overcome whatever pain we face. May we seek comfort from God whenever sick or depressed and know that He will console our mind, body, and spirit. Learn more about how we can pray for the cleansing of physical, mental, and spiritual ailments.

                                                 PRAYER

Almighty God, you are the only source of health and healing. In you there is calm, and the only true peace in the universe. Grant to each one of us your children an awareness of your presence, and give us perfect confidence in you. In all pain and weariness teach us to yield ourselves to your never-failing care, knowing that your love and power surround us, trusting in your wisdom and providence to give us health and strength and peace when your time is best; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen