You do not have to be sick because God wants to
heal you, and if you'll have faith, He will heal you!
Sounds like an incredible statement to make,
but it's true. And if you'll read this article, you will be on
your way to living in divine health.
The key to receive your healing from God is to
have FAITH!
Jesus often said to those he healed, "Your
faith has healed you."
I remember discussing divine healing with,
Ophelia, a fellow employee who was taught in her church that
Jesus does not heal today, and that people who lay hands on the
sick are fakes.
She said to me, "The trouble with you
faith healers is that you claim that people have to have faith if
God is going to heal them, but Jesus healed anyone He wanted at
anytime, with or without faith."
I knew that she had not really read the Bible
much, and was just quoting her pastor. I answered, "That's
not true. Don't you know what Matthew 13:58 says, "And Jesus
did not do many miracles there because of their lack of
faith."?
Her eyes opened. "It doesn't say that,
does it?" she asked. I nodded. She promised to go home and
read that scripture herself.
The next day, she walked quietly to me and
said, "Tom, I read that scripture you quoted, and it does
say that Jesus did not heal because the people lacked faith. I've
changed my mind."
I hope you are teachable like Ophelia. She
learned that lack of faith can stop God's healing power. Well, if
doubt could stop God's healing power, then faith releases God's
healing power. So what we need is FAITH.
And since faith comes from hearing God's Word
(Romans 10:17) it is important that you understand what the Bible
says about divine healing.
If we reject His Word, then we reject His
healing power. Unfortunately, there are many supposedly
Bible-believing Christians that reject what God says about His
healing power.
They reject it basically on two grounds: Either
because some people do not get healed when they pray or because
of tradition. The point is, no one has ever rejected God's
healing power based solely on the Word of God, the Bible. Because
anyone one with an open mind and an open Bible will become a
believer in God's healing power.
JESUS STILL HEALS
It is clear from the Bible that Jesus
healed--and healed often. Jesus main ministry consisted of three
things:
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and
healing every disease and sickness among the people."
(Matthew 4:23) Healing was not a side issue with Christ; it was
one of the main issues with Him.
What about today? Does Jesus still heal? Listen
to Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
today and forever." Jesus still heals. He has not stopped
healing.
Some people are surprised that Jesus still
heals.
A few years ago I conducted a Miracle Rally at
the El Paso Civic Center. During my message, I felt a tingling
sensation come into my right hand. As in times past, I knew this
was the power of God coming into me for someone's healing. So I
asked people on my right side if they had felt any power coming
into them. A young woman named Cynthia Stewart raised her hand
and affirmed that she was feeling the power of God.
Weeks before, Cynthia had been in a car
accident and was injured so badly that she could not walk without
crutches, and even with the crutches it was difficult. When I saw
her raise her hand the terrible thought came to me, "Oh, no!
What if she does not get healed?" Then a wonderful thought
came to me, "Jesus can do anything--even make this cripple
girl to walk!"
So I boldly called her to come forward. And to
everyone's amazement and joy, she arose completely healed. She
began to walk in full view of all the people. She walked without
a limp.
Our church was so excited with this miracle
that we featured it on television. And when we did, I received a
threat from an anonymous
caller: "I am a lawyer representing a
church, and I wanted to let you know that we are going to expose
you as a fraud!"
I asked who he was and which church he was
representing. He refused to tell me. So I said, "Sir, I am
not the healer, Jesus is. So I guess you do not believe in Jesus
or the Bible."
He said, "I sure do."
"Then why are you so upset when Jesus does
such a great miracle? The Bible tells us He did many miracles. It
also shows that He continued to do miracles through the apostles
and through other disciples."
"Yes, I believe He did that back then. But
He CAN'T do that anymore!"
I simply laughed. "Sir, if you want to try
to expose me, then you are very welcomed to try. The first thing
you'll need to do is meet the woman who was healed." Do you
know what? That man refused to meet her or me. I think he was
afraid to find out the truth--that Jesus STILL HEALS! And He he
can heal you! if you'll let Him.
Someone might say, "Yea, I believe Jesus
still heals, but He doesn't want to heal everyone,"
Well then listen to the Word of God.
"...Many followed [Jesus], and he healed
ALL their sick." (Matthew 12:15)
How many sick people did Jesus heal? ALL! Not
some or most, but all! It is God's will to heal every believer.
No where do we find in the scriptures that Jesus refused to heal
anyone who came to Him in faith. He healed everyone who
believed--without exception!
HEALING PAID FOR
Not only did Jesus heal everyone while He was
on earth, but to ensure our healing for today, He paid for it:
"Surely [Jesus] took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows..." (Isaiah 53:4)
There you have it: Jesus took up your
infirmities, sicknesses and diseases. Since He took them, you
don't have to have them. This scripture should once-and-for-all
settle the issue of divine healing. But some people are simply
stubborn; they want to argue with God and fight for the right to
keep their sicknesses.
Some people try to find reasons why this
scripture does not mean what it says. People seem to fight for
the right to be sick. One person told me, "This scripture is
speaking about spiritual healing not physical healing."
I answered, "I don't see the word
'spiritual' in this verse. You are adding to the Bible."
"But it is understood to mean that because
of the context," he continued to argue.
I suggested, "Let Matthew tell you what
God meant in Isaiah." He agreed to read Matthew.
"When evening came, many who were
demon-possessed were brought to [Jesus], and he drove out the
spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill
what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our
infirmities and carried our diseases.'" (Matthew 8:16-17)
I explained, "It is clear from Matthew
that he interpreted the words from Isaiah to mean physical
healing, since he quoted it in reference to the healing ministry
of Christ."
He paused for a moment, then conceded the
point.
SICKNESS IS OF THE DEVIL
Another good reason that we should have faith
for healing is this: Sickness is of the devil. And whatever is of
the devil, we don't want anything to do with it.
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and
healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God
was with him." (Acts 10:38)
And after healing a woman who was crippled by a
spirit, Jesus said, "Should not his woman, a daughter of
Abraham, who SATAN HAS KEPT BOUND for eighteen long years, be set
free" (Luke 13:16).
From these Scriptures and many others, we see
that sickness is not caused by God but by Satan. And God tells
us, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James
4:7). We do not have to put up with anything that comes from the
devil, and that includes sickness.
I remember sitting down with a lady who was in
a wheelchair. I was asked by Brother John to speak to her about
God's healing power, and maybe, pray for her. So I agreed.
Before I could get started, she said,
"Don't bother to tell me that God can heal me, because God
was the one who crippled me."
Surprised at such a remark, I asked her,
"Do you believe in the Bible?"
She nodded, "Of course I do!"
Then I told her, "Mam, I'm not going to
tell you anything, but I do ask that read this scripture, and
then tell me what it means to you."
A let her read the scripture in Acts 10:38
about Jesus healing all who were oppressed of the devil. When she
read that part, she threw the Bible across the table at me and
yelled, "So you think I'm demon possessed, don't you!?"
I never made a single comment on this verse,
but she understood what it meant. She understood that this
scripture clearly shows that the devil is the cause of the
physical misery in this world. The only thing she misunderstood
was that this scripture was NOT saying that anyone who is sick is
demon-possessed. It is saying that Satan is like a thief trying
to steal health and healing from us.
I don't blame people for being sick, just like
I don't blame people for getting robbed. I never thought that
this lady was demon-possessed. But I knew who was the thief, and
I was trying to show her that God was not the thief, but that the
devil was. Unfortunately, because of her firm-held tradition, I
was not able to help her. But maybe I could help you to see who
is making you or your loved ones sick--THE DEVIL!
ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH
So the issue with you is this: What will you
believe?
"...the blind men came to Jesus and asked
Him to heal them. Jesus 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 9:28-29)
God will do for you "according to your
belief." If you believe Jesus still heals and that He wills
to heal everyone including you...If you believe that He paid the
price for your healing...If you believe that sickness is of the
devil, and that you have authority over him...
Then you have begun your faith journey to walk
in health.
You do not have to be sick because God wants to
heal you, and if you'll have faith, He will heal you!
