How many of you have known a specific time when God healed you of some
ailment or disease? I know there are several in our congregation! One
of the cornerstone teachings of a Charismatic church is the ministry
of healing. In Jesus’ ministry and in the ministry of the apostles there
was always an emphasis on healing wherever the Gospel of Christ was preached.
I want to take a look in the Gospels at where and how the ministry
of healing took place in the life of Jesus, and encourage you to believe
for your healing, too!
Luke 5:17
Now it happened on a certain day as He was teaching that there were
Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come out of every
town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was
present to heal them.
This is the beginning the story of four men who let a paralytic friend
down through the roof in order for Jesus to heal him. And He did. What
is significant to me in this passage are the words, “And the power (dunamis)
of the Lord (Jehovah) was present to heal them.”
Wherever Jesus was, the power of the Lord was with Him, but perhaps
there is something more to this. This seems to indicate that this was
not a moment for singing, nor was this a moment for teaching, but it
was a time when the Father was ministering healing to those who had need
of it. While every time believers are gathered we can sing, we can teach,
and we can pray for the sick … there seems to be a unique anointing at
some times for a particular type of ministry. At this time it was for
a time of healing.
If you recall, the story of when a demon possessed child was brought
to the disciples and they could not cast out the evil spirit. When Jesus
came upon the scene, He cast out the spirit and then rebuked the disciples
for not be able to do it! When they asked why they had not been able
to produce a cure Jesus said it was because of their lack of faith, and
He adds,
Matt 17:21 This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
This indicates to me there is a need for continued prayer and intercession
on the part of the believers to be in prayer on a continual basis. One
of the great revivals in the world today is being led by Nigerian missionaries
who have been building churches in Europe and now in the United States.
Their emphasis is on worship and prayer, with church spending at least
two weeks each year in fasting and prayer for the power of God to be
manifest in their ministry. They often begin their church services with
worship and prayer – with services lasting for a couple of hours as God
heals and delivers! Then they preach the Word. The power of God is still
found in prayer and fasting!
The anointing is not in a preacher or a church. The anointing is in
you! You are the place where God is present to heal!
Did you hear that? YOU ARE THE PLACE WHERE GOD IS PRESENT TO HEAL!
Last week we had a prayer emphasis with a number of people coming together
to pray. We have had some who have been fasting and praying. There are those
who meet each week for a time of prayer together and those who pray daily
for this church and the people of our congregation. For today, I want to
ask you to be praying for the healing service we are having this evening.
Pray for the presence of God to be present to heal this evening! I’m expecting
your healing!
But you might ask, what kind of illnesses does Jesus heal?
Matt 4
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all
kinds of disease among the people.
24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all
sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and
those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed
them.
Jesus healed them all. Sickness, diseases, torments, possession, epileptics,
paralysis, and any other ailment! Just as the angel told Mary, “With
God all things are possible.” It isn’t any more difficult for God to
heal a cancer than it is for Him to heal a headache. Regardless of how
long you’ve been sick or how long you’ve hurt. Jesus heals! He created
us and He knows how to repair us! So don’t hesitate in asking Jesus for
a healing for your body!
But how does He do it?
Matt 8:13
5 … a centurion came to Jesus, pleading with Him,
6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully
tormented."
7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."
8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You
should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will
be healed .
9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And
I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he
comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly,
I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness.
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have
believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed
that same hour.
Jesus admired the centurion’s faith! When we come to Jesus for healing
our first need is to recognize the authority which He has over us, our
lives, and over all sicknesses and diseases. We must believe He has all
authority and then submit to His authority!
But notice this: Jesus said (v.13) As you have believed, so let it
be done for you. The servant was present for Jesus to touch him or speak
to him, yet he was healed. God’s power is not limited to time or space!
God works in our lives according to what we believe about Him, about
His power and authority, and about we have available from Him! So … are
you a believer?
In another story, a Gentile woman came asking for Jesus to heal her
demon-possessed daughter. After Jesus told her that His message was for
the Jews, she persisted, knowing that the power of God was evident in
Jesus!
Matt 15
27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs
which fall from their masters' table."
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your
faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed
from that very hour.
Did you hear those words? “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as
you desire.” There is something significant about what you believe! Not
just something you would like to have. Not just something you say you
have. But faith is something you believe God is doing! “Let it be as
you desire!”
Wow! That opens the door to a lot of possibilities! What do you desire?
Have you spent time praying and fasting? Have you sought the place of
God’s anointing in your life? Is God present to heal you?
Let’s look in Mark for another story of Jesus’ healing.
Mark 5
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all
that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched
His garment.
28 For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made
well."
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in
her body that she was healed of the affliction.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out
of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"
31 But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging
You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to
her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.
Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."
Jesus told the Roman Centurion, “as you have believed, so let
it be done for you." He told the Gentile mother, “Let it be to you as
you desire." And now He says to the woman with a twelve year old
ailment, “your faith has made you well.”
Is there something in this we need to hear? This isn’t “name it and
claim it.” This is spending time in prayer until you know Jesus well
enough to believe that He has all authority over all things … and believing
that He is at work in your life for healing and deliverance! It isn’t
telling God what to do or how to do it … it is believing that He is taking
care of the problem according to His wisdom! He is the healer! What He
wants us to do is believe Him!
What happens when we don’t believe? The evidence of that is in Mark
6 when Jesus went to His own home town to preach.
Mark 6
4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except
in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5
Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on
a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their
unbelief.
Jesus marveled at the faith of the Centurion. Now He marvels at the
lack of faith in those of His hometown. Jesus was hampered in His ministry
by the lack of faith among those to whom He was preaching! To them He
was just one of the kids that grew up down the street … there wasn’t
anything special about Him. There was no faith in their hearts and Jesus
marveled because of their unbelief.
It is faith in the power of God to heal through Jesus that enables
us to receive our healing! When the Lord is present to heal, when we
have been in His presence in prayer, and we submit to His authority in
our lives and believe He is at work. That is the place where miracles
begin!
I desire that for you and for Emmanuel Church and I would like to ask
you to be praying for God to touch those who need healing in the special
healing service this evening! I’m expecting God to do great and mighty
things.
One last Scripture:
Heb 11
6 … He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of those who diligently seek Him.
He wants us to believe that He is …and that He heals. Are you ready
to believe?
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