In my thirty plus years in Christian service, I have heard many testimonies concerning healing. Some were good and some not so good. The first person I ever prayed for in a hospital died that same night. Some stories ended with miraculous results, while others ended tragically.
Do you want to know the truth? Testimonies have absolutely nothing to do with the truth, integrity and power of God’s Word. The Bible does not say that we live and move by the tales we hear or tell. The Bible says “…the just shall live by faith...” Heb 10:38
The stories either positive or negative, may stir up our emotions, but the emotions produce no power. It is our childlike Faith on the Promises of God that produces results. 2Peter 1:4 states that by these “…exceeding great and precious promises…ye might be partakers of the divine nature… and you will have “…escaped the corruption that is in the world…”
I want to issue you a challenge today…
FIRST: Understand that everything that Jesus did was a perfect manifestation of the will of God. (If He had done anything against Gods’ will, He would have sinned) read the Scriptures below to confirm this fact…
Jesus said “…I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will…” O God. Heb 10:7
John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me…”
John 6:38 “…I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
John 5:30 I can of my own self do nothing…because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
He said to Phillip when he wanted to see the Character and Nature of God… “…he that has seen Me has seen the Father; and how then can you say then, Show us the Father?” John 14:9
“If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father!”
HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: IT WILL TAKE SOME EFFORT (Remember God rewards those who “diligently seek Him…Hebrews 11:6) IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME! IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
I WANT YOU TO READ THE GOSPELS, WHICH CONTAIN THE LIFE ACTIONS AND WORDS OF JESUS. EVERYTHING HE DID AND EVERY WORD HE SPOKE WAS THE PERFECT MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S WILL.
I WANT YOU TO MEDIATE ON EVERY WORD AND STORY CONCERNING HEALING. I WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME HE HEALED, HE WAS MANIFESTING THE WILL OF GOD.
NOTICE THE DIFFERENT WAYS PEOPLE GOT HEALED.
LOOK FOR COMMON DENOMINATORS.
OBSERVE THE PART FAITH PLAYED IN EACH HEALING.
WAS HE SELECTIVE ON WHOM HE HEALED?
CONSIDER THE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
WHAT WAS THE PEOPLE’S ROLE? WHAT WAS JESUS’ ROLE?
DID HE EVER SAY NO TO ANYONE WHO ASKED HIM FOR HEALING?
WERE THERE TIMES WHEN HE COULDN’T HEAL? (MARK 6) WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE?
WHAT STIRRED HIS HEART TO HEAL?
HOW MANY SICK OR DISEASED PEOPLE DID HE HEAL?
READ LUKE CHAPTER 5 AND SEE WHERE THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS PRESENT TO HEAL EVERYONE IN THE ROOM (PHARISEES, SADUCEES & SCRIBES) BUT ONLY ONE CAME TO GET HEALED. (HE GOT WHAT HE CAME FOR)
WHAT IS YOUR CONCLUSION ON DIVINE HEALING FOR EVERYONE? YEA OR NAY?
Jesus healing Ministry in this earth was to fulfill the will of God (Hebrews 10:7) He, Himself is a revelation of the Will of God. He did the Will of God on earth in everything He did! He moved in the Love of God. Matthew 14:14 “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”
Allow me to sum up His ministry using the Word of God. Acts 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
During His earthly ministry Jesus always manifested the perfect and complete will of God when He healed all those who were in need.
Now here’s the real good news as stated in Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.”
IS YOUR FAITH COMING ALIVE? WILL YOU ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE?
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5 comments:
Before accepting your challenge, do you mind explaining what you believe is the reason why some people are not healed. I suspect that you might say it is because the individual who is ill lacks faith or struggles with unbelief...or something to that effect. Are my suspicions correct, or is there some other reason why some believers do not experience divine healing?
Thanks,
Dan
Dan...I appreciate your question. There are many reasons why people don't receive from God. One of the major reasons we do not receive from God is a lack of knowledge concerning His will.
1 John 5:14 states the following "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
Jesus said " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7
Ask yourself the same question concerning salvation. Isn't it God's will that all men should be saved and that none should perish?
Then why aren't all men saved?
Isn't it God's will that His people should walk in peace and be free from fear. We are commanded in the Bible over 350 times "Do not fear!" Why then don't many receive peace from God?
The issue here is not one of a preconceived religious notion that suspects one would lack faith or struggle with unbelief. The real issue is to determine what God's will really is.
Once you know what His will is, then you can pursue His will in prayer and believing God to do what He says He will do!
I am simply challenging all those who subscribe to this web site to view the manifested will of God as displayed in the Life of Jesus. It's the best place to start! Find out for yourself what His will is and walk in it!
Please go back and read all the postings under the healing series and prayerfully consider their content.
I would also encourage you to get into your Bible and discover the many reasons why we aren't able to receive from God such as :
James 1:5-8 Doubt
James 4:3 wrong motives
1 Peter 3:7 Inconsideration to wives
1 Peter 3:12 doing evil
1 Peter 4:7 Flippant attitude toward holy things.
Matthew 6:5,6 Hypocritical attention seeking.
Matthew 6:5 vain repetitions
Matthew 18:19 lack of unity or agreement
Mark 9:29 lack of fasting
Mark 11:25,26 Unforgiveness
Luke 18:1 ff Lack of persistence
Luke 18:10 ff Spiritual pride
1 Tim 2:8 wrath or anger
1 John 5:14 Not praying according to God's will.
John 15:7 Erratic living...seldom abiding in God.
John 14:13,14 Not asking in the name (authority) of Jesus
God's timing etc....and the list goes on!
I'm sure that you have some additional Biblical favorites to add to this list too.
Don't miss out...search for yourself...go over the Gospels again, determined to know His will regarding healing. See what He will show you.
What have you got to lose regardless of what I believe?
God's Blessings to you!
Ken
Thanks for your response, Ken. Your list of potential reasons why some believers do not experience divine healing is quite thorough (thank you) and I think I would agree with everything you have said...including the "additional Biblical favorites to add to this list" part. So in response, I would like to offer Hebrews 11:35-40 to your list. In this passage, some people are commended for their faith yet, clearly, none of them received what had been promised. "Some were stoned, some were sawed in two, some were put to death by the sword," etc.
Your list includes many reasons which would necessitate one to repent and confess those sins to God, and rightly so. In fact, I think it is fair to say that your list includes "only" reasons which necessitate repentance/confession. The reason for my submission of the Hebrews passage is to gently suggest that you also leave room in your theology for reasons other than ones which result in blame or condemnation of the unhealed person in question.
From surveying your other posts, I get the impression that the fault or blame always, and exclusively, lies on the unhealed individual. You do not say that directly, but the perception seems clear. Perhaps I have not fully understood all of the details of your perspective, and if I am incorrect, please excuse me for I do not mean for this to come across as an accusation. (Please remember, I am in agreement with you on the potential reasons on your list.) But the inclusion of reasons for which there is no blame on the unhealed person alleviates the dangerous risk of "loading people down with burdens they can hardly carry" as Jesus says in Luke 11:46. I am hopeful that you will agree.
Respectfully,
Dan
Dan sorry for the slow response! Things are quite hectic around here…we have an incredible wedding coming up this weekend… our number three son.
I appreciate your heart and your patience. Dan…you are right in adding Hebrews 11:35-40 to the list of reasons why we don’t receive from God those things which He has promised. Please note that I said reasons why we don’t receive from God those things which are promised; not just healing. These are universal principles.
I would also point out that these people in question in Hebrews 11 were described as “not accepting their deliverance.” The New Living Testament adds “They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life.”
People who are not willing to accept the provisions of God into their lives are not forced to receive or walk in the provision of God.
The key factor we need to determine here (Which is the reason that I issued the challenge in the first place) is that we need to discover the will of God concerning any need we may have in this life. The Bible says that there is a way that we can know that God hears and answers our Prayer. 1John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us…” If God “hears” our prayer, then we know that we have what we’ve prayed for. 1 John 5:15 “And if we know that he hear us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
See Part two following.
If, in fact, you determine after meditating first on the Gospels, and then the whole of Scripture, that God wills healing for all, then we need to determine what is blocking the manifestation of the healing in our lives. Is it God? Does He need to make adjustments?
Does God wish that “all men should be saved and that none should perish?” Does God “so love the world that whosover believes in Him would not perish…?” Certainly He does.
Well then why aren’t all men saved? Is that God’s fault?
It could be a matter of timing. In Mark 4:26-29 Jesus said it takes time for the seed to turn into a full harvest.
Other than timing, the responsibility for positioning oneself for receiving from God falls on us. However the good news is also that “…God worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. When we come to the end of ourselves and realize that we are too weak to do what He desires, then we become “strong in the Lord and the power of His might.”
There are principles for receiving from God. I am not trying to blame or condemn anyone for not receiving from God. I am trying to share with others the hope to be free, by helping them discover the truth of God’s Word. Hope comes alive again, which has been destroyed by the traditions of men (Mark 15:6) when it encounters the liberating truths of God’s Word! If others wish to place their “hope in the resurrection to a better life,” like those in Hebrews 11 and do not accept their deliverance here and now, then so be it! I am placing my hope in the fullness of God’s provision for all of “life and Godliness” as portrayed in His Word and in the Life of Jesus.
In Psalm 91 the Psalm of God’s blessings..these blessings are given to those “who dwell in the secret place of the most High” and “abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” In John 15:7 Jesus states that the ones who get what they ask for are those who abide in Him! “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” The person who abides or dwells with God is the one who walks Holy, keeps His commandments and directives.
To walk with Him continually is to fellowship with him and 1 John 1:6 says “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie…”
Dan…I appreciate your heart, but if after accepting the challenge, you still find it impossible for God’s will to be seen as for all…then you will still be my brother in the Lord and we’ll both keep sharing the truths of God’s Word and doing His will the best we know how. I am doing what I believe that the Lord has told me to do, and that is to share the fullness of His great love (including healing for all) with all I meet.
In closing I would also ask you, if it isn’t God’s Will to heal me(all) in dealing with some cold like symptoms that are attacking my body right now as I write this response to you, that I were to take some medications or visit the Doctor’s for some relief would I be sinning against His will? If, in fact it wasn’t His will to heal me, how could I dare to act against His will and seek medical assistance?
1 Corinthians 6:20 20 “For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which both belong to God.”
Keeping the faith in Christ alone!
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