Tuesday 10 August 2021

The Gifts of Healing

 


Scriptures: Isaiah 53 v 4 - 5: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

1 Corinthians 12 v 7 - 11:  "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."


One of the predominant problems troubling human beings is sickness and disease, and also the fear of strange, deadly viruses with no cure in sight, like Covid 19.  However, Jesus has an answer to every kind of illness - the terrible lashes on His back before His Crucifixion.

He received 40 lashes minus one = 39 lashes that ripped His flesh to the bone. Each one of those lashes covers a category of the 39 branches of diseases known today.  And He made healing available for all of them to this very day and beyond. He took ALL types of illness on Himself right through to death to give us healing and life. Why did He do that?

The root of most sickness is our sinfulness. When Jesus healed people He would say, Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you. Or take up your bed and walk, your sins are forgiven. So forgiveness of sin and healing of disease are joined together.  Likewise if we don't forgive others neither does God forgive us and that bitterness in our souls opens us up for various nasty diseases like cancer, alcoholism, drug addiction, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.  It is also a block to receiving one of His gifts of healing.

We do not want a worse thing to come upon us! People do not know about this truth out in the world, which is why epidemics or worse, pandemics, flash through them. And strange viruses hit them. It is because they have never met Jesus Christ and been cleansed by His Blood of ALL SIN FOREVER. 

Intercessors take on the burdens of others and may appear to be ill while they break the power of sin and sickness in others through prayer.  Romans 15 v 1 says the strong must bear the burdens of the weak. The word to "intercede" means to take the place of another. Jesus was our great Intercessor because He took our place on the Cross. The wages of sin is death and He took the sin of the world on Himself to set us free.

Jesus is our Healer! Jesus inside our hearts heals those who need it. We do not have a healing ministry but we have His gifts of healing to deliver to those who believe. He also heals some unbelievers to reveal Himself to them.  Satan is the enemy of God and all mankind. He brought death to the human race and all things that cause death. God is the lifegiver who breathed life into man and made him a living being. John 10 v 10 "The thief comes to kill, maim and destroy, I am come to give you life, and that more abundantly." The words of Jesus explaining that Satan is a thief who wants to kill.

If you are filled with the Holy Spirit you are a new creation not subject to the system of this world. You are in it but not of it. You are not under the law of sin but the blessing of grace. You are counted sinless and therefore free of disease too.

Many are ignorant of this sinlessness and grace. In Hosea 4 v 6 God says, My people perish for lack of knowledge. If you are a believer who is baptized in the Holy Spirit you walk as Jesus walked on this Earth. He is in you reconciling the world to His Father and giving them everlasting life. A life of an overcomer. 

That means you have overcome sin, demons, issues, alcohol, drugs, sickness, religion, fear, and unbelief, and walk in newness of life. What Jesus did on Earth He will continue to do through you because it is "no longer I that liveth but Christ who liveth in me!" 

One man I knew quite well called me from a hospital to say he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.  He was addicted to marijuana and had great interest in shamans and other spiritual healers.  I asked him if he got healed would he give thanks and glory to Jesus Christ alone.  He replied absolutely not.  I told him that meant I would not be praying for him.  He never spoke to me again, but it does not bother me.  I will not disrespect my Saviour and allow others to dismiss His love and mercy in favour of demons.

Mark 16 v 18:  ".....they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."  This is one of the signs that follows a believer.  When we lay hands on the sick we transfer the healing power of Jesus to that sick person, and He or she will recover.  It is often immediate, but sometimes happens over time.  We obey the Word and leave results up to Him.


Prayer: Heavenly Father please renew our minds according to Your holy Word to know who we are in Christ Jesus and to live like overcomers because He overcame the world system to show us how.   Let us not fear to heal the sick.  In Jesus' name. Amen.