“WHAT TODAY IS THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER BLESSING OF GOD WITHIN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ? THE ANSWER IS – THE POWER TO HEAL SICKNESS.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the wonderful power of God to heal our sicknesses and our sins…

… Miracle workers and their healing have been in the news these days with outlandish claims of miracles and healing performed through them on behalf of God. In addition, their opulent lifestyles have been brought into question by the secular media as well. In particular is the most popular faith healer today, a man named Benny Hinn. Hinn is becoming one of the most popular and notorious of all the “Word of Faith” leaders, despite his many known false and demonic prophecies and questionable practices. Today he is known as Pastor Benny, who without doubt is one of the best known and possibly richest televangelists in the world. Each year he travels the world in splendor and opulence conducting so-called miracle healing crusades that are very closely patterned like secular rock concert tours.

Recently in March 2005, the popular television program, DATELINE, chose to examine the lifestyle and ministry of Benny Hinn, and found him to be a man who clearly used his supposed gift of healing from God, to further his own financial kingdom.

On top of the financial issues examined, Dateline also examined the healing’s of Mr. Hinn and sought qualified medical evidence that his miraculous healings did occur. One case that Dateline focused extensively on, was a young boy whose vision was “healed” during a Hinn revival. This young boy’s case had been used extensively to raise funds for the Hinn ministry. However, through medical examination, it was reported that the child’s eyes had not been healed and he now wore special glasses to help with his failed eyesight. The long and short is that there seemed to be no medical proof of any healing, be it this boy, or any number of other cases. Even the cases that the ministry provided as proof seemed to all come down to a single thing – the people said they were healed, but no medical doctors confirmed it.

After another musical pause, I want to examine the bible on this popular issue of healing and those who claim God’s power to dispense it today. So don’t go away, I’ll be right back with my message: MIRACLE WORKERS & HEALING…

… Is there such a thing as divine healing today? Thousands of people are asking this, and even skeptics are looking into the vast claims presented these days of miracle healings being done by those who follow the Christian charismatic “Word of Faith” movement. For instance, some of our Charismatic brethren today go to extremes in presenting to the public the power of God to heal in and through their faith ministry. Men like Benny Hinn. I accidentally tuned in on the television one day and watched one of his miracle crusades, as he cried out to individuals, “Be healed,” and people fell over backwards as a sign they received the healing power of God through His cry. In it he got so carried away, he cried out to one section of the entire audience in the stadium and all there fell over in their seats, I presumed healed of something! Then Benny Hinn look at another section and cried, “be healed,” and they fell over in droves. I tell you this is charlatanism at its worst! Yet so many Christians are silent about it and the non-Christian public looks at us with disbelief and disgust knowing it is nonsense.

However, let me tell you that the true divine healing of power God is not nonsense! The problem is sinful man’s interpretation of the Bible’s teachings on healing.  So, what does the Bible say? Well here in the shortness of time let me give you some guidelines on miracle workers and healing. First of all it is without a doubt that…

1.  GOD CAN AND DOES HEAL ALL KINDS OF SICKNESS, EVEN TODAY, EXCEPT RAISING THE DEAD -  

(Exo 4:11 ; 15:26 ; Psa. 103:2-3; 147:3; 1 Cor. 12:9).

Psa 103:2-3 (NIV)  Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

Psa 147:3 (NIV)  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

The truth is, there are many legitimate cases of divine healing, where apart from medical science, people have miraculously recovered from serious and terminal cases of illness and disease. Furthermore, doctors are fully unable to explain these healings apart from a divine miracle. Indeed, I believe without a doubt, although rare, God does perform miracle healings of people in His sovereign will and choice. Secondly, the Bible teaches us that…

2. GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS HEAL IN ANSWER TO PRAYER OR FAITH – 

(1 Tim. 5:23 ; 2 Tim. 4:20 ; Phil. 2:25 -27; Gal. 4:13 -15; 2 Cor 12:7-9). 

Paul the apostles said,

2 Cor 12:7-9 (NIV)  To keep me from becoming conceited…there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

1 Tim 5:23 (NIV)  Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

2 Tim 4:20 (NIV)  Erastus stayed in Corinth , and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus .

Yes, sickness and disease are a part of the “curse” upon the human race and the world we live in. Thus, until God removes the “curse,” sickness is a part of it for all, Christians or non-Christians alike. Thus, even if we pray, God may not choose to remove the illness, disease or results of injuries. Moreover the Bible teaches us that…

3. SICKNESS, ILLNESS AND INJURY SOMETIMES ARE GOD’S WILL FOR US TO BEAR, FOR HIS GLORY AND OUR ETERNAL GOOD – 

(John 9:2; 11:4; 2 Cor. 12:7-9; Gal 4:13-15). 

Even more at times, God chooses to use the illnesses and sicknesses of Christians to glorify Himself in and through that person’s right attitude and response to it. We must be careful to accept the outcomes of medical treatments and our prayers, as God’s will for our lives, without seeking miracle cures through individuals claiming to be of God. Fourthly,

4. IT IS WRONG AND UNBIBLICAL TO DENY ONESELF OR OTHERS QUALIFIED MEDICAL CARE, WITH THE DEMAND THAT GOD HEAL US DIVINELY -  

(Mat. 9:12 ; Luke 5:31 ). 

Many faith healers today tend to rebuke people for seeking qualified medical help. They claim such action is a lack of faith, or worse disobedience to God. This cannot be true, for even Jesus recommended people seek the help of doctors and other medical practitioners for their sicknesses, injuries or disease. In the Bible we are told,

Mat 9:12 (NIV)  On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Fifthly we need to remember,

5. SOMETIMES SICKNESS, AND OR ILLNESS ARE A RESULT OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD AND ARE THEREFORE A RENDERED JUDGMENT – 

(Num. 12:10-16; 1 Cor. 11:27-30; James 3:13-16).

1 Cor 11:27-30 (NIV)  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord... 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

There are many instances in the Bible where God brought illness upon a person for some direct and serious sin. Yet, God also was willing to heal them, if they confessed their sins and turned to back to God. Indiscriminate attempts to heal such a person without this “repentance” would be disobedience to God. Lastly I see in the Bible…

6.  ANY HEALING DIVINE OR NOT, MUST BE SOUGHT FIRST FROM GOD THROUGH PRAYER, SELF-EXAMINATION OF ONE’S SPIRITUAL LIFE, BY THE PRAYERS OF CHURCH LEADERS, AND SEEKING ALL THE MEDICAL CARE AVAILABLE THESE DAYS -  

(James 3:13-16)

Surely no person who believes in God who created all things, believes that He cannot and will not in His sovereign will, heal any and all illness, sicknesses and injuries of His children whom He created. This is not the issue. The issue is -- does God heal through prayer only, by-passing medical doctors and their care today, and or individually called faith healers?

Today, some teach that one can tap this miraculous power of God, through prayer, by mustering up enough faith to believe. Charismatic healers often say, “If you have faith, God will heal you, you must only believe and pray.” But my friend, this teaching is unbiblical, for it says it is ALWAYS God’s will to heal by prayer and faith. 

Yet, if one examines the New Testament times of divine healing they will, find “faith” was not necessarily a condition for it. Will anyone accuse the great apostle Paul of being faithless? Scripture says Paul couldn’t heal even Timothy’s stomach problem (1 Tim. 5:23 ), nor could he heal Trophemus or Epaphroditus his faithful friends and co-laborers for Christ (2 Tim. 4:20 ; Phil. 2:25 -27). Why even Paul himself, suffered an apparently debilitating eye illness which He sought God’s divine healing for, but was unable to obtain (Gal. 4:13 -15; 2 Cor 12:7-9). 

The point of the matter is divine healing, although God can do it, is not tied to any faith we must “muster,” or pray through for. Anyone who teaches this is goes beyond Scripture and teaches error. Those who follow this and reject medical care depending solely on an act of divine healing are disobeying God, and as a result may suffer the awful and sorrowful consequences of the full effects of disease or injury.

So, the fact is -- true Christianity teaches today that God no longer works healing through individuals such as the apostles. Why did He do it then and not now? The answer is the purpose of healing went beyond helping sick people get well. The Lord Jesus and the apostles performed miracles and healing (1) to identify them as genuine representatives of God and the official establishment of the church (2 Cor. 12:12 ; Act 2:43 ; 4:33 ; 5:12 ,15; 19:12 ).

Secondly, God’s divine healing through individuals waned as the first century closed because the second reason for granting such power to human beings was (2) to authenticate the NEW REVELATION they were bringing. But after the New Testament was completed and the apostles died off the scene, and God clearly established the ongoing recognized plan for healing the sick. What is it??   It is found only in James 5:13-16 where we read,

James 5:13-16  “ Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And their “prayer of faith,” will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.”.

Right here in the New Testament, God gives the only prescription for healing. Let’s examine it.

1. If you are sick, you should first seek the help of God. This should be sought through your personal prayers and your local church. Yes, by contacting the pastor(s) or elders of the church, ask them to come and pray with you for God to reveal His will concerning your illness, sickness or injury. This is NOT a call for the elders to perform faith healing, or to pray only, rather, it is a call for the church to rally around you in prayer! Following this we discover in the text,

2. The Pastors or church leaders are to “anoint the sick with oil.” Now unfortunately, this is a much-confused passage. The Greek word for anoint here is a word that refers not to a spiritual ceremony (aleipho), rather a physical workout! In other words, the medicinal oil was to be actually “rubbed” on and into the body of the ill person. It was in effect, a medicinal action to relieve the soreness, or injured part of many who suffered. This indicates after we pray, we should seek all the medicinal and therapeutic care available to us for doctors are a part of God’s healing process. Remember, they can sew up a gaping wound, they can cut away disease, but they cannot cause the body to grow together and heal ¾ that is GOD’S work, and He does work through doctors and medicine today. Why even Jesus recommended the doctors of His day, as crude as their medicine and work was (Mark 2:17 ). Thirdly,

3. In the process of praying and seeking all forms of THERAPEUTIC and medicinal care, the sick one is to examine their own heart, life and actions, to see if their sickness is not the result of sin. Yes, by asking the elders to come and pray also is a request for them to “examine” your life and tell them if they see anything in it that might have caused your illness. It could be something simple such as gluttony that brought on an overweight condition that weakened the body and brought illness. Or, it could be sinful indulgences such as tobacco, alcohol, or recreational drugs that can bring liver, brain, and multiple body damage; or it could be sexual sins that brought some type of sexually transmitted disease; or simply, it could be NONE OF THESE THINGS! But, after careful personal examination, one can conclude that there is no sin in your life that seems to have caused the illness or sickness. This then brings us to one last conclusion,

4. IF THE SICKNESS OR ILLNESS IS NOT CURED OR HEALED, THEN IT IS TO BE ENDURED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. In other words, God has sovereignty ordained that you experience this illness and through it, God will meet your needs and enable you to bear it. Moreover, through bearing it in a fashion to glorify God, He will one day reward you for what it will bring in your life, in others and for God’s glory for eternity. A wonderful case in point is the well known, Joni Erikson, and others who bear their injuries and illness and use them for God’s glory.

Now apart from these biblical truths, there is no other call or teaching concerning illness, injury, or sickness in this life. Thus, don’t seek faith-healers, or divine healing apart from personal prayer, and of course using what God has given us through the modern medical technology available to us today. Yes trust God, pray, acknowledge God is Lord of your sickness and He can choose to heal you, but after all these things are considered and done, then allow God to be God in your life and know He will meet every need. Paul the apostle after doing this said,

2 Cor 12:9-10 (NIV)  “But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Yes, God can heal and does even miraculously at times. So, it is not wrong to seek His divine healing through prayer, but we must not demand it, and refuse His general means of healing which is through qualified medical doctors and technology. Nor, should we seek healing through those today who supposedly claim to represent Him for healing and miracles. We must also not re-invent the Bible and begin to bring in all sorts of our own ideas and desire concerning healing. Remember, God is not obligated to answer prayers of people who command and demand Him to work miraculously when He has made available to us, other means for healing.

However in all this is the greatest promise of all. God is in the healing business right now, and His greatest desire is to heal all human beings of their greatest sickness ¾ sin sickness. Yes, the Bible says,

Isa 1:5-6 (NIV)  … Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.”

Rom 3:23 (NIV)  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Rom 6:23 (NIV)  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sin sickness is suffered by the entire human race because we are born spiritually ill, and until we seek God’s only cure, Jesus Christ, we shall one day succumb to this disease and suffer the worst result -- banishment to a place called Hell.

Friend are you suffering from the greatest sickness of all – sin sickness? You are, unless you have come to the great Physician, Jesus Christ and asked Him to save you from your sins. Indeed, God alone is the only doctor who can help us here. What has He promised to do or us? He has promised to give us a NEW heart, and life that begins with a brand new sinless spirit. This new spirit and heart resides within the fallen sinful bodies we have, but one day it will shed this body of decay and be given a brand new body that matches its sinlessness, and we shall be whole forever and ever. Today my friend “the doctor is in,” and He is willing to see you now. All you have to do to get in and experience His healing -- is pray a prayer of confession and faith something like this,

“Dear Lord Jesus, I confess I am sick, sin sick, and my life has testified to my failure to love and seek you. Come into my life and heart and cleanse me of my sickness and sin, forgive me all my sins on the only account which is, you died in my place on a cross. Lord Jesus I believe you are my God and my Savior, I confess this now and ask for your free gift of eternal life that you’ve promised to give upon confession of my faith in You as my God. I pray this prayer in Jesus, Name. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, my friend, and you meant it with all your heart, God promises you His cleansing from sin-sickness and the promise of eternal life. Please write to me for helpful literature that explains more about this. Meanwhile it will be my prayer that the truth about divine healing and so-called miracle workers will help you to be rightly related to Jesus Christ. If you are a non-Christian listening, it is my prayer you will better understand what true Christianity is all about. May God add His blessing to these words for Jesus sake, Amen.