There are only two subjects I've ever discussed which have lead to heated debate; speaking in tongues and healing. Today I want to talk about healing. It seems if you watch any television lately, about every other commercial is for some type of new drug which is going to fix everyone. Of course the myriad of side effects a person has to deal with in order to achieve the healing is amazing, if not comical at times. Case in point, one of the erectile dysfunction drugs could cause blindness; all my life growing up, people said young boys could go blind if they played with it, now it seems it is true.
And what about WebMD.com? Now you can go online and search for what symptoms you are having and self diagnose. And let's not forget the drug stores shall we? Have you noticed one going up on every corner in your home town? Within a mile in my town we have two of them, pharmaceuticals are big business nowadays. I met a young man who was in medical school once, I asked him why he chose it and he replied, "So I can make a butt load of money!" You may have heard it said, if you want to find the source of something, "follow the money". Well there is money in the health industry, at least until the government controls it.
I'm reminded of something Jesus told His disciples when He sent them out into the world, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." In Jesus Kingdom, healing doesn't cost you anything, it is truly free healthcare. If He has given us the ability to be healed for free, then why do we persist in running to doctors? Am I saying I'm opposed to doctors and medicine? Absolutely not! I'm thankful for doctors, and the medicine which helps people to get better. My question is why do we run to doctors and medicine before running to Jesus?
Now this is what I'm really wanting to say, it may make you mad, but if it does, ask yourself why? As I said, I'm not opposed to doctors, but why do so many Christians encourage other Christians to seek medical help first and help them build their faith second? If Jesus promised us healing through His death, burial and resurrection, then why are we so quick to send people to the doctor? Let's look at a passage of Scripture for a minute about a lady Jesus referred to as a dog to see something.
Matthew 15:21-28; Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly." Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to Him and urged Him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him."Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." "Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus said to her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed at that moment.
The first time I read this I was appalled at what Jesus said to the woman; after all He called her a dog. But upon further inspection and reflection of this passage, I see He was really trying to figure out where she was spiritually. She didn't get offended at being called a dog, she immediately continues His analogy to make her case. And in return, He says she has great faith, which caused her daughter to be healed. Obviously greater faith than His disciples, because they just whined to Jesus asking Him to get rid of her.
What I'm going to say next has gotten me into trouble in the past, because I was misunderstood as to what I meant. In Scripture, if you will look closely to the Gospels, you will find Jesus saying numerous times, "Your faith has made you whole." or something similar to this. Jesus has provided the healing, but it is our faith which acquires it for us. Jesus has already provided the answer to any sickness, disease or demonic problem, it is up to us to receive it, by faith.
Healing can be acquired for every sickness or disease through faith in Jesus Christ. Sometimes I think people have a hard time with this because it is so easy. It's like Nahum who was told to go dip in the Jordan River seven times to be healed of his leprosy. He got mad because the prophet didn't come out and tell him what to do himself, and the instructions, though simple, sounded stupid to Nahum. It took his servants convincing him to go do what he was told. And the outcome was new skin for the diseased skin.
It can be like this for us as well, we feel some type of problem coming on, but instead of trusting God at His word, and using it to build our faith, we just run to a doctor, pay money (even a small co-pay) and wait for the medicine to do it's job. Jesus provided the answer for every sickness we would ever encounter; our faith. But here is the kicker, we have to believe His Word over the word of this world. And like I said earlier, every other commercial is for some type of medicine, we are being bombarded with the world's answer to sickness; a pill.
What I am not saying here, is that if you are sick you have little or no faith in God, not at all. I remember once when I was working in my dad's shoe store, this man came in and wanted to sell me cancer insurance. First off, I was irritated this guy had come into our business where we sold shoes to people and was trying to sell me something instead. Never a good idea, but as graciously as I could I told him no thanks. Being a hard sell salesman, he asked my why I wouldn't buy it. My response was I am a Christian, and I don't plan on getting cancer.
His face contorted, and it was obvious I had made him mad, which was never my intent, I was just stating the facts as I believed them. He said, "My mom was the greatest Christian there ever was, and she died from cancer!" To which I responded, "I'm sorry, that's a shame, but she didn't have too." Okay in hindsight, maybe my last comment was a bit brutal, I was a new Christian and lacking a little bit in tact, well he turned around and stormed out. I really wasn't trying to upset the man, I just felt sad she had died of something which Jesus had delivered her from.
I think we should all spend time in God's Word and find out what it says about healing, faith and what we need to do in order to obtain what is already ours as Christians. Whose report will you believe; the world's or God's? Jesus says it time and time again, "YOUR FAITH" has made you whole. And faith is the things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Seems the answer has been here all along, maybe we just need to focus more on what the Word of God says and less on what the world is screaming.
For the Kingdom and the King!!!
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