Thursday, March 22, 2007

The Big Stick Called Faith

I want to tell you about a great mystery that has perplexed Christians of this generation. This mystery has stirred fear and created unrest within the Church. What mystery am I speaking of? It is the mystery of the power of faith to heal the sick.

The mystery of the power of faith to heal the sick is not ours alone. For despite given the power and authority to drive out demons and heal the sick, the twelve disciples, themselves, struggled to administer that power and authority to the sick

In other words, the twelve handpicked men of Christ struggled with the issue of faith to heal the sick just as we do today!

Let's review some known facts:

We know Jesus sent His disciples out, two by two, to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. But before doing so, He gave them each a huge stick to carry. That huge stick is God's authority and power (Matthew 10:1).

Armed with this big stick, the disciples were able to drive out demons and heal the sick of every known disease. Without the stick, these ordinary men were powerless.

But as we shall soon learn, just because these twelve were given God's power and authority to heal didn't mean they would always be successful. That's because Jesus required the twelve to possess one thing more, which only they themselves could supply.

What was that one thing you ask? Faith!

In spite of having God's power and authority to heal the sick, the disciples were powerless without their personal belief and faith that God would do as they asked of Him.

Mark 6:13 tells us when the disciples went out, they drove out many demons and healed the sick (Mark 6:13). Praise God! Imagine their joy and and the great enthusiasm which must have followed. They must have had many great stories to tell as a result.

But wait:

On at least on one occasion, things didn't go so well. Not everyone was healed. The disciples had tried unsuccessfully to drive a lunatic demon from a boy
(Matthew 17:16).

When the boy's father related this information to Jesus, he replied, "O faithless and perverse generation...How long shall I put up with you?" (Matthew 17:17) Obviously, Jesus statement was not intended to be directed directly toward the disciples, although it most certainly included them.

When the disciples later came to Jesus in private to ask Him why they couldn't heal the boy, He answered them by saying, "because you have so little faith"
(Matthew 17:19-20).

That's the mystery, the great mystery called faith, which the world fears yet today and has created division and strife within the Church.

Faith is the keystone that empowers God's authority and power to heal the sick. How much faith? Jesus said with just a little faith nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20-21).

Many years later, the Apostle James would admonish Church elders to pray over their sick in faith, and to anoint the sick with oil for healing (James 5:14-16). James had obviously learned the lesson of faith well from his own failure while in training with Jesus years before. For he was with Jesus the day the father of the lunatic boy approached Jesus.

Faith in God's promise to heal is what separates men of faith in God, from carnal men who cower in fear or disbelief. This kind of faith is not intellectual or born of doctrine. It is a soul searching conviction (born of God's Word) which touches the very heart of God.

Church elders today, who dismiss James 5:14ff, of course do not practice James' admonition. To make themselves feel comfortable about their dismissal (and to be accepted by the world) they have Church doctrines which effectively puts God out of the healing business, and healing out of the Body of Christ (The Church).

The real question we should be asking ourselves is not whether God heals. The real question should be are we willing to believe and put our faith in God's promise to exercise His power and authority on our behalf?

That's a big question because faith to heal places God squarely into our midst, not far off in some unseen world. It puts Him right into our lives and world, much like our mother, father and children are part of our lives.

I have to tell you, many Christians are not comfortable with that thought. They fear God. They are more comfortable with a God that is somewhere over there, not here.

You see, faith for many Christians consists of believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior. That's good, but think about it. Faith to save one's soul is a far cry from faith that falls upon Jesus Christ for healing.

The former is benign and requires little beyond intellectual acceptance, kinda like acceptance that the earth spins one revolution every 24 hours on its axis. People accept the earth spins and go on with their lives. No biggy. We regulate our lives by this spinning, and that's about it. Likewise, many people willingly conform their lives as Christians to live a moral existence with a hope for the resurrection. They count themselves faithful if they attend Church regularly. That's the extent of faith for most Christians. Unless they are forced to renounce their faith or be killed, there is little to challenge their faith.

The latter, however, goes much farther. It actively calls upon God's power and authority with unwavering certainty to restore the human body to wholeness free of disease. That's not something the world likes or accepts.

The implications of this kind of faith goes far beyond intellectual faith and being faithful to attend Church. This kind of faith stands squarely against the world and medical tests that says a person has cancer and has two months to live. It defies Church doctrine which does not believe in divine healing. It falls with conviction and certainty upon an unseen all powerful God that He will fulfill His Word to us. That, friends, is the kind of faith Jesus had in mind when he lamented, "O faithless and perverse generation."

One of America's Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, had a saying concerning America's role in the world. He said America should walk softly and carry a big stick. Of course, that big stick was America's military might.

As Christians, we are to walk softly and also carry a big stick, the big stick of faith that believes God's Word. That many Christians have entrusted the world to the care of their bodies at the expense of forsaking God's power and authority to heal speaks volumes about the size of the stick they carry.

Jim Lynn
God's Healing Word
http://godshealingword.org

7 Comments:

At Thursday, March 22, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Amen Jim! Sadly, the Body of Christ (the church) has become "luke warm." As such, many do not "walk by faith." Instead, they take the 'safe' path and only believe in what they can see which is not faith.

Yes! God is still in the business of performing miracles of divine healing. We need to pray, believing in His power to heal. Of course, it is His will do do as He pleases. Just because we pray in faith and a person is not healed or perhaps might even die does not mean we stop praying.

Yours in Christ,

Margie P.

 
At Thursday, March 22, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Jim,

It's A Struggle. Although there are those people who swear God heals it is a real struggle to see it. Many would like to pass beyond the limits of faith but are somehow always pulled back.

Within most churches , which is where we generally look for confirmation of our beliefs, there is little or no confirmation of what we seek on this subject matter. That means its every man for himself. Each person searching for the truth on this subject has to search for it.

My expierience has been that the words "seek and you shall find" are very revealing. Not because of the seeking but rather because of the longing that causes us to seek all the more.

That mat be why the qualifier to seek and you shall find is : "when you seek me with all your heart"

Jeremiah 29:12-13

keep searching for the truth.

Jos van den Hoek

 
At Thursday, March 22, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Jim.
In 1976 my wife and I was baptized into the Church of Christ where later I became a minister. As you know healings is not taught there. For years I did not believe nor did I teach that healings was for today. Then I ran onto your book (The miracle of healing in your Church today). On your suggestion I purchased Henry Wright’s book (A more excellent Way). I then got the book by the Hunters, (How to heal the sick.) These books really got me excited about healing. The next step to my learning adventure was, I took Randy Clarks Coarse called (Randy Clarks School of Healing and Impartation). Mahesh Chavda was also there. Things really started happening after that. A friend with arthritis ask me to pray for him. When I did the pain went. A lady I met for the first time had arthritis so bad her wrist was swollen and lots of pain. After prayer the swelling and pain went instantly. Another lady had Heart Arrhythmia for years. After prayer she has been symptom free for two months. Just a few of many. If any of your readers are interested in developing their faith in healing, the first thing to do is get YOUR book, then they can get the other peoples material at www.sidroth.org. You are right.(Speak softly and carry a big stick.)That big stick is faith.In Christ and good health Ed.B

 
At Thursday, March 22, 2007, Blogger PDW said...

The point is well taken!

The book of Romans tells us that Abraham was justified by faith, because he believed God's promise!

It is amazing that so many claim to believe that promise from God, and yet not others. There are great treasures promised in God's Word, when, if believed, can open resources we do not even dream about!

Thank you!

P.

 
At Friday, March 23, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for updating.
This was a very faith building message, one that was needed.
blessings to you.

 
At Thursday, April 26, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wanted to ask this question here as opposed to many other websites, simply because I wanted a response from believers. Why do you think there is a lack (or rare occurrence) of amputated limbs regrown in comparison with many other types of healings?

 
At Thursday, March 14, 2013, Blogger Unknown said...

It is a fantastic blog. You have done a good work. I will come here again to see new updates.HEALING

 

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