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Does God Still Heal Today?

by Henry Bechthold
7/26/2012 / Bible Studies

Does Jesus/God still perform healing miracles today? If we want to find the "true" answer to this question, we need to look in God's word, the Bible. Jesus said, "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). He also said, "The truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). So, if you or someone you love needs to be delivered from sickness or disease, the place to begin is with God's word.

The Bible is not like any other book. In Hebrews 4:12, we're told that the word of God is alive and powerful. It is the living word of God; that is why it has the power to set people free. The Scriptures also have healing power. The Psalmist said, "He sent His word and healed them" (Psalm 107:20). And, in Isaiah 55:11, God states, "My word that goes forth from My mouth shall not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire, and will achieve the purpose for which I sent it". In other words, whatever the Scriptures state, will be accomplished. Furthermore, as translated in the NIV version of the Bible, God said, "I am watching to see that My word is fulfilled" (Jeremiah 1:12). So, we have God's personal guarantee of the fulfillment of the promises recorded in the Scriptures.

At this point, some might ask the following questions. How do we know that the Bible's promises are still available for us today? Could they have been meant solely for the people who were living back in biblical times?

In Malachi 3:6, God stated, "I am the Lord, I do not change". The Bible also declares that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, whatever God was willing to do in the past, He is still willing to do today. Furthermore, the Scriptures repeatedly proclaim that God does not practice partiality or favoritism (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Deuteronomy 10:17). Thus, whatever God was willing to do for others, He is also willing to do for us.

One of the first principles we need to understand is that the afflictions of sickness and disease are oppressions of the devil/Satan. In Luke 13:10-17, when Jesus healed a woman who had an infirmity that had caused her to be bowed or bent over for 18 years, He stated that it was Satan who had bound her with this affliction. And, in Acts 10:38, the Bible states that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power, and that He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. This scripture clearly states that "all" whom Jesus healed had been oppressed by the devil. It is true that there are a few texts which say that God brought sickness or disease upon people, but the people whom God afflicted with these sicknesses and diseases were either, the enemies of God and His people, or it was His people when they were living in open rebellion and disobedience. As long as God's people were faithful and obedient to Him, God has never brought disease or sickness upon them. Even in the case of Job, the Bible plainly says that it was Satan who attacked Job and his family in various ways, including afflicting Job with boils over his entire body (Job chapters 1 and 2).

God identifies Himself as being our refuge, our help and our deliverer. As stated in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". When sickness or disease are negatively impacting your life, causing you pain or distress, that is "trouble". Thankfully, God has promised to deliver us out of our troubles (Psalm 50:15; Psalm 34:17). The Bible does not say that we will never have any troubles. Jesus told us that we will have tribulation/trouble in this world (John 16:33). In Psalm 34:19, scripture says that the righteous have many afflictions. However, that same text also states that the Lord delivers him out of them all. And, Jesus stated that He had been sent to release or "set at liberty" those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18). Remember, in Acts 10:38, it said that those whom Jesus healed had been "oppressed" by the devil. Thus, sickness and disease are stated to be an oppression of the enemy. And, therefore, when Jesus says that He was sent to release or "set at liberty" the oppressed in Luke 4:18; this would include those whom Satan has brought sickness and disease upon.

There are numerous scriptures throughout the Bible that promise healing to God's people. In Exodus 15:26, God states, "I am the Lord who heals you". In 3rd John verse 2, the Bible declares, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health". God proclaims, "I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds" in Jeremiah 30:17. The Scriptures state that "the Lord will take away from you all sickness" (Deuteronomy 7:15). The Bible says, "To you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2). Mark 6:12-13 records that the disciples "went out and preached that people should repent. And, they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them". In James 5:14-15 we're told, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And, the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up". The Scriptures proclaim, "These signs will follow those who believe..In My name they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover" (Mark 16:17-18). In the Exodus 15:26 and Deuteronomy 7:15 passages, it referred to God as having put diseases upon Israel's past enemies, such as the Egyptians, just as I previously mentioned. And, the Exodus text also states that God's promise to His people of freedom from these diseases is conditional based upon obedience, which we will discuss later.

There are three additional Bible texts that we need to research. These scriptures convey an important, powerful and encouraging message regarding the connection of spiritual healing and physical healing, and regarding how Jesus paid the price for both by His sacrifice and suffering on the cross. Psalm 103:2-3 declares, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgives all your iniquities, and who heals all your diseases". In this text David chooses to present both of these subjects together, spiritual healing (forgiving our iniquities) and physical healing (healing our diseases). Is this just a coincidence? There are no "coincidences" in the Bible. God divinely inspired the Bible writers to say exactly what He wanted, and to say it exactly where He wanted. David presented the two subjects of spiritual healing and physical healing together, because that is what God inspired Him to do. We know that the Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus paid the price for our spiritual healing (forgiving our iniquities/sins) on the cross. He took our sins upon Himself and bore them, so that we don't have to. Is it possible that Jesus also took our diseases upon Himself and bore them, so that we don't have to as well?

In Isaiah 53:4-5 we're told that He (Jesus) has borne, took up or carried (depending on your translation) our "choliy", which is the English spelling of the original Hebrew word used by Isaiah. This word is used 24 times in the Old Testament. The vast majority of the times where this word, "choliy", is used, it is translated as sickness, disease, illness, injuries or wounds, depending on which translation of the Bible you have. For some reason the translators of the King James version of the Bible chose to translate "choliy" as "griefs" in Isaiah 53:4-5, although their translation translates this word as either sickness, sick or disease 20 out of the 24 times it appears in the Old Testament. In view of the fact that this word is translated as sickness/sick/disease more than 80 percent of the time, and in view of the fact that this passage in Isaiah ends by saying, "with His (Jesus') stripes/wounds we are healed", I believe that it is probable that "choliy" should once again have been translated as sickness or disease in Isaiah 53:4-5. And, because this word is used in its plural form in this text, it would be sicknesses or diseases. Thus translated, this passage states that Jesus bore our sicknesses/diseases, and that by His stripes/wounds we are healed. It becomes obvious that this is the correct translation of Isaiah 53:4-5 when we consider a New Testament scripture that refers to this passage in Isaiah. In Matthew 8:16-17, after stating that Jesus had healed all who were sick, Matthew declared, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore/carried our sicknesses." When quoting the passage from Isaiah 53, Matthew said that Jesus bore our "sicknesses", not our "griefs". So, Jesus bore our sins so that we don't have to, and He also bore our sicknesses/diseases so that we don't have to.

Historians have always been amazed that, according to the Bible, Jesus died after only being on the cross for six hours. People who were crucified lived for much longer than that according to historical records. In fact, people frequently lived for a few days on the cross. Is it possible that, just as Jesus was bearing our sins as He hung on the cross, He was also truly and literally physically bearing the various diseases of humanity in His body on the cross? Could this be what caused Him to perish in just six hours? Was our precious Savior not only bearing the spiritual pain of carrying our sins and the physical pain of the nails in His hands and feet, but did He also have the various diseases of humanity (cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc) occupying His body, and causing Him additional unimaginable pain for our sake. We know that we can be delivered from our sins because Jesus bore them on the cross. Is this also why the Bible can promise us deliverance from all sickness and disease; because, likewise, Jesus bore them on the cross as well? And, is that why Psalm 103:2-3 put the two subjects of the forgiveness of our iniquities/sins and the healing of our diseases together, because they were both paid for and accomplished by the same event when Jesus bore them both on the cross? Moreover, is that why Isaiah 53:4-5, after beginning by stating that He (Jesus) has borne our "choliy" (sicknesses and diseases), then ends by stating that "by His stripes/wounds we are healed"? Once again, the Bible does not deal in "coincidences". I believe that these things are stated as they are stated and where they are stated because this is the truth. Our blessed Savior can and does offer us both spiritual and physical healing because of what He accomplished for us on the cross. And, as declared in Psalm 103:2-3, He heals "all" of our diseases.

You probably noticed that I emphasized the word "all" in Psalm 103:2-3. This scripture clearly states that God heals "all" of our diseases. Likewise, in Matthew 4:23-24, we're told that Jesus healed "all" kinds of sickness and "all" kinds of disease among "all" the sick people who were brought to Him. In Luke 6:17-19, the Bible states that a great multitude of people came to Jesus to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and it says that they were healed. Furthermore, this passage declares that power went out from Jesus and healed them "all". And, in Acts 10:38, we're told that Jesus went about doing good and healing "all" who were oppressed by the devil. Do you get the picture? Jesus healed "all" the people who came to Him from "all" the various sicknesses and diseases they had.

Are there any conditions for receiving healing? The first condition we need to consider regarding anything we are praying for is whether or not our request is in accordance with God's will. The Apostle John states, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him (Jesus), that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And, if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1st John 5:14-15). Therefore, as long as what we are praying for is in accordance with God's will, we can be confident that we will receive what we prayed for.

This naturally raises the following question. Is it God's and Jesus' will to heal us? Mark 1:40-42 states, "Now a leper came to Him (Jesus), imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed". So, the one time that Jesus was asked if He was willing to perform a miracle of healing, Jesus said that He was willing. And, remember, scriptures we've already examined stated that God identifies Himself as the Lord who "heals" us, who wants us to be in health, who restores our health, who takes away all sickness and who heals all of our diseases. Therefore, we know that healing is God's will, and that we can confidently claim and trust His promises about healing. Furthermore, other texts we've read stated that God and Jesus have not changed, and that They do not practice partiality or favoritism, which means that the blessings and promises regarding healing that were available for others in the days of Jesus and the apostles, are also available for us today.

A second condition for divine healing is, "Is it necessary?" Does your healing truly require divine intervention, or are there other natural or medicinal remedies that are readily available? In 1st Timothy 5:23, Paul tells Timothy, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities". Paul could have told Timothy to ask Jesus to heal his stomach and infirmities. Or, he could have told Timothy to have other believers lay hands on him and ask the Lord for divine intervention for these problems. However, Paul instead recommends the use of wine as a medicinal agent to provide healing for Timothy's stomach. Obviously, whatever Timothy's specific health issue regarding his stomach was, it could be resolved by simply drinking a "little" wine. There was a natural, medicinal agent (in this case wine) readily available, so divine intervention was not necessary. This was the great Apostle Paul who was used to perform great miracles, even to the extent that Acts 19:11-12 records, "Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them". Yet, he told Timothy to simply make use of a medicinal agent to cure his illness, because that was all that was needed in Timothy's case. Likewise, when there are natural or medicinal agents that will cure our illnesses, we too should make use of them, just as Paul advised Timothy. There is nothing wrong with going to a doctor when you're sick. Jesus Himself stated, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Luke 5:31; Mark 2:17; Matthew 9:12). So, even Jesus said that people who are sick need a physician. In fact, one of the four gospels was written by Luke, who was a physician (Colossians 4:14).

A third condition for healing is that we need to "ask". Jesus said, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:14). He also said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). And, in James 4:2 we're told, "You have not because you ask not". Therefore, if you or someone you love is in need of healing, ask the Lord to divinely intervene and perform the desired healing.

A fourth condition for healing involves obedience. Psalm 66:18 states, "If I regard iniquity/sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear". If you are living in open, willful disobedience to God; if you are holding onto known cherished sin in your life, don't expect God to answer your prayer for healing. Remember the text we looked at earlier, in Exodus 15:26, where God told His people that they would be free from disease if they kept His commandments and did what was right in His sight. Also, in James 4:3 we're told, "You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss (with wrong motives), that you may consume it upon your lusts/pleasures". What is your reason, motivation and purpose for asking for your healing? How will you live your life after you receive your healing? Will your top priority be to faithfully and obediently serve God, and to tell everyone the wonderful things that the Lord has done for you? Or, will your newfound health be squandered on selfish and worldly pursuits? You need to do some "self-examination", confess and repent of any know sin in your life, and make sure that you are asking for your healing with righteous motivation.

Furthermore, you must eliminate things that you know are making you sick. You must "take away the stone". What do I mean by that? In John chapter eleven, when Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the tomb after he had been dead for four days, Jesus first commanded the people to "take away the stone" (John 11:39). Certainly, the "hard" part of the miracle was resurrecting a man who had been dead for four days. By comparison, taking away the stone from the tomb was an "easy" part that the people could do themselves. However, Jesus could have miraculously moved the stone at the same time that He raised Lazarus, but He didn't. Instead, He required the people to also do "their part". And, their part was still an important part, without which Lazarus would still have been locked in the tomb. Jesus required them to first do their necessary part, to "take away the stone", before He performed the resurrection miracle. Have you "taken away the stone" in your life to prepare the way for your miracle? If your doctor has told you that you are having severe health problems because you are greatly overweight, and yet you still are eating a bag of Oreos or a quart of ice cream every night, don't expect a miraculous healing from God while you're still eating the Oreos and ice cream. You need to also do your part and "take away the stone"; you must cease gorging yourself on the junk food before expecting a divine, healing miracle. The same principle would apply to the use of tobacco and excessive consumption of alcohol. The Bible clearly states that we will reap what we sow in Galatians 6:7. If we insist on ingesting harmful substances into our bodies, and the routine practice of gluttony, we are likely to reap a harvest of poor health and disease. Moreover, until we make the commitment to do "our part" by stopping the abuse of our bodies, we should not be expecting God's divine intervention to heal us. I would even go so far as to say that, if you insist on smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, although you are fully aware that hundreds of thousands of people die each year from various kinds of cancer caused by smoking, you should not be confidently expecting a miraculous, divine healing even after you've quit smoking, if you didn't quit until "after" the doctor had already told you that you had terminal cancer caused by the same smoking habit that you refused to give up in spite of all the warnings you received throughout your life. Of course, this would also apply to the various diseases caused by alcohol abuse. As the scripture in Galatians states, we will "reap what we sow".

A fifth condition for healing is "faith". The Bible says, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2nd Corinthians 5:7). The biblical definition for faith is given in Hebrews 11:1. The NIV translation of this text states, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see". Therefore, when we see the word "faith" used in a scripture, we can insert this biblical definition to help clarify the meaning of the passage we are reading.

In Hebrews 11:6 we're told, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a "rewarder" of those who diligently seek Him". If we insert our biblical definition of faith into this text, this scripture is saying, "Without being sure of what we're hoping for in God, and without being certain of what we do not physically see concerning God, it is impossible to please Him. God does not want us to be doubters, but to be believers; He wants us to be sure of His promises, and to be certain of their fulfillment. You probably noticed that I emphasized the word "rewarder" when I quoted this passage. God is on our side. He is willing and desiring to "reward" our faith in His promises by fulfilling them. However, He does require us to have "biblical" faith. In other words, He does require us to be "sure of what we're hoping for, and to be certain of what we do not see".

In Mark 10:51-52, when Jesus restored sight to a blind man, He said, "Your faith has made you well". Likewise, in Mark 5:24-34, when Jesus healed a woman of an "issue of blood" or hemorrhage, He again stated, "Your faith has made you well". Once again, when we insert our biblical definition for "faith", Jesus was telling both of these people that they were made well because they were sure of what they were hoping for regarding their healing from Jesus, and because they were certain that they would receive their healing from Him even before it had happened. We find a similar passage in Acts 14:8-10. This text states, "And, in Lystra, a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked". Once again, we see that "faith" was the key ingredient in this healing. And, in Matthew 9:29-30, regarding the healing of two blind men, the Apostle Matthew states, "Then He (Jesus) touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith, be it onto you." And, their eyes were opened". In other words, they were rewarded with their healing based upon their faith. When inserting the biblical definition of faith into this passage, these men were rewarded based upon their being sure of what they were hoping for concerning their healing, and based upon their being certain of their healing even while they were still blind. This text explains why we see so few miraculous healings today in America. The vast majority of the American Church has degenerated into a materialistic, worldly, selfish organization that is entrenched in compromise and disobedience to God's word, and whose faith is not even worthy to be compared to the first century Christian Church revealed in the book of Acts. We too, in the contemporary Christian Church in America, are being rewarded "according to our faith". Our faith is extremely weak, and thus we are seeing very few miraculous healings compared to the Church in the days of Jesus and the apostles.

In Mark 11:24, Jesus clearly stated, "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them". Of course, we have to remember the biblical conditions we've discussed; that we're asking something that is in accordance with God's will; that we are living in obedience to God's word; and, that we are asking in "faith", being sure of what we are hoping for, and being certain of what we do not see. However, regarding healing, we already know the Bible states it is in accordance with God's will. So, as long as we are willing to live an obedient life, and as long as we ask Jesus/God for our healing with "biblical faith", we can and should be confident that we will receive the healing we've requested.

Another interesting text regarding faith is found in Mark 9:20-24. In this passage, a father says to Jesus, "If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us". Then, Jesus responds, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes". The father then responds, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Here again, Jesus teaches that, if we believe (with biblical faith), all things, and thus all healings, are possible. Moreover, this scripture reveals that the "if" does not apply to Jesus, but rather to us. In this passage the father asked Jesus if He could do anything; he asked Jesus if He was "able". In an earlier passage we looked at, in Mark 1:40-42, Jesus was asked if He was "willing" to heal a leper. In both cases the answer was "yes". Jesus told the leper that He was willing. And, in Mark 9:20-24, Jesus told the father that the "if" applied to the father, not to Jesus; He said, "If you can believe", it is possible. Therefore, when we are praying for healing, we should not be saying "if" to Jesus, such as, "if" the healing is in accordance with His will. He has already told us that it is His will to heal, and we have numerous scriptures throughout the Bible that promise healing. When we say if, it implies doubt; we are not being sure of what we are hoping for; we are not being certain of the healing that we have not yet seen take place. Once again, the question or "if" is not if Jesus is willing or able to heal us. The question or "if" is if we can believe with "biblical faith". The Scriptures are clear that, if we have any doubt whatsoever, we will not receive what we've requested. In James 1:6-7, the Bible plainly states, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord". In fact, Mark 6:1-6 reveals that even Jesus Himself could not do any mighty works because of the "unbelief" of the people in His hometown. This passage states that only a "few" sick people were healed there; apparently only a few people in His entire hometown had biblical faith.

At this point, an important question to ask is, "Is it possible to have our faith increased?" It is significant that, in some scriptures, Jesus refers to people as having "great" faith (Matthew 8:10; Matthew 15:28; Luke 7:9). However, in other scriptures, Jesus declared to people that they had "little" faith (Matthew 6:30; Matthew 8:26; Matthew 14:31; Matthew 16:8; Luke 12:28). Two of these texts (Matthew 8:26 and Matthew 16:8) were referring specifically to His twelve disciples, who later were used to work great miracles of healing. And, the passage in Matthew 14:31, referred to Peter, who later was filled with such great faith and power that he was used to raise the dead in Acts 9:36-42, and so that even the passing of his shadow apparently had the power to heal people (Acts 5:14-16). How did Peter and the other disciples go from having "little" faith, to having such great faith that mighty miracles were worked through them? Obviously their faith had increased greatly. So, how can our faith also be increased?

In Luke 17:5 the apostles said to Jesus, "Increase our faith". In other words, they "asked" Jesus for their faith to be increased. And, remember Mark 9:20-24, where the father said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" This father was basically acknowledging that his faith was weak, and was "asking" Jesus to increase his faith, just as the disciples did in Luke 17:5. Therefore, we too should ask Jesus to increase our faith.

We should also spend much time communing with Jesus and our Heavenly Father in "prayer". Jude verse 20 states, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit". So, praying also builds our faith.

Another very important part of "faith building" is spending much time reading and listening to God's word. The Bible declares, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Finally, we need to "speak" the "word of faith". Proverbs 18:21 states, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue". The words we speak are powerful. They can have a positive "life-giving" influence, or they can have a negative "deathly" influence. Psalm 45:1 proclaims, "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer". As we speak we are "writing on our hearts", so to speak. Our words are either writing positive words of faith in our hearts, or they are writing negative words of doubt in our hearts. So, we must choose to speak "words of faith" into our hearts. In Mark 11:22-23 the Bible says, "Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." In this text we see that Jesus clearly believed and taught that our words are important and powerful. He stated that we will have what we say or speak. Thus, if we keep speaking that we have faith in Jesus/God, and that we believe His promises will be fulfilled, we will "have what we say"; our faith will be increased; the promises will be fulfilled.

When praying for healing, we must keep one other thing in mind. The "timing" is in God's hands. Jesus told His disciples, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7). In Hebrews 6:12 we're told, "Do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises". As we've learned, one of God's promises is healing. And, as this passage in Hebrews 6:12 states, the fulfillment of God's promises, not only require faith, but also "patience". And, patience implies "waiting". Your healing may not happen immediately; you may have to patiently wait for God's perfect timing for your miracle, but you must keep being sure of what you're hoping for, and being certain of what you have not yet seen, as you patiently wait. Mark 8:23-26 records, "So He (Jesus) took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And, when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And, he looked up and said, "I see men like trees walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly". This is a miracle of healing that happened in "stages" or "gradually". Perhaps this "unique healing" is recorded in Scripture to let us know that not all healings occur immediately. There is another interesting passage in 2nd Timothy 4:20. This scripture states, "Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick". Trophimus must have been quite sick, to the extent that it prohibited him from traveling further with Paul. And, the fact that this text says that Paul "left" Trophimus in Miletus, certainly does indicate that Paul had been with Trophimus there. So, if Trophimus, who had been Paul's associate and traveling partner on other occasions (Acts 20:4; Acts 21:29), and therefore would have been "close" to Paul; if he was so ill that it was preventing him from continuing on with Paul, wouldn't Paul surely have prayed for his healing? I think most people would agree that it is a strong probability, if not a near certainty, that Paul indeed would have prayed for God's healing touch upon his friend. And, if he did, then we have another example of a healing that did not happen immediately, because this text states that Paul "left" him while he was still "sick". As stated at the beginning of this paragraph, the timing is in God's hands. And, as quoted from Hebrews 6:12, it may take both faith and patience to inherit your "promise" of healing. But, if you are required to patiently wait for your healing, you must maintain "biblical faith" while you wait; you must remain sure of what you are hoping for, and certain of the healing you have not yet physically seen.

Jesus/God is powerful; His word is powerful; and He wants us to live and conduct His ministry in His power. 1st Corinthians 4:20 declares, "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power". In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said that all power/authority has been given onto Him in heaven and in earth, and that He is with us always, even onto the end of the world. In Luke 10:19 Jesus states, "I give you power/authority..over all the power/authority of the enemy". And, in Ephesians 1:18-20, the Bible says, "That you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His "power" toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead". That's resurrection power that God has made available to us! It is no wonder that the Scriptures state that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26); that "with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37); and, as Jesus said, that "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there", and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).

When reading through the Gospels it is obvious that Jesus conducted a "three-part" ministry. One part of His ministry was preaching and teaching. Another part of His ministry was casting out demons and setting people free from the bondages of Satan. And, a third part of His ministry was "healing". Jesus is our example in all things. 1st John 2:6 tells us, "He who says he abides in Him (Jesus) ought himself also to walk just as He walked". In John 20:21 Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you". We are to conduct the same kind of ministry as Jesus did. We too, if we have "biblical faith" and are obedient to God's word, should be conducting a "three-part" ministry of preaching/teaching, of deliverance from satanic oppressions and possession, and of healing in Jesus' name. Jesus made an amazing statement in John 14:12. He said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. This text clearly states that Jesus' followers should be doing the same works that were performed by Him. You probably noticed that this scripture also stated that those who believe in Jesus will even do "greater" works than Jesus had done. I believe this probably means greater in "quantity", rather than greater in "quality". It is highly unlikely that any finite, corruptible human being would surpass the "quality" of the miracles performed by the divine Son of God, Jesus Christ. However, the "quantity" of the miracles done by Jesus' followers should certainly be greater than the quantity done by Jesus, because Jesus was just one Man (the "God-Man"), whereas His followers number in the millions.

You have read the biblical evidence. We have answered the question: "Does God still heal today?" The answer is a resounding and emphatic "yes". As we discovered, God has not changed. Unfortunately, we, the contemporary Christian Church, have changed. We have not been living our lives with "biblical faith", as the Christians did in the first century Church in the days of the apostles. And, by and large, we have not been living in obedience to God's word as these early Christians did either. It is time to stop the excuses and to bring our lives into obedience to the Scriptures. Likewise, it is also time to begin living our lives with "biblical faith", being sure of what we are hoping for, and being certain of what we do not see. There are multitudes of people held captive by the bondages of Satan, and oppressed by sicknesses and diseases from the enemy. A suffering world is crying out for deliverance and healing. It is time for Christians to arise and follow the model of ministry conducted by Jesus and the first century Christian Church described in the New Testament book of "Acts". As God asked in Isaiah 6:8, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" May we answer as Isaiah did, "Here am I! Send me."

I am an evangelical, non-denominational, Christian pastor. You can research other interesting and provocative topics at my website: http://www.godormen.com.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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