Biblical Healing - the non-Bentley kind

L

LogoPhilius Jul 26, 2008

I have noticed over the years, often to my chagrine, that nearly 80% of prayer requests I hear are in regards to healing. Maybe another 10% involve the classic "travelling mercies," and another 10% may involve ministry.

Now it once was that I got frustrated over this because that last 10% was where my heart was, until my wife got sick (long story, don't worry about the details for now).

So now I have an interest in healing and how/if it occurs in the modern New Testament church. For you Dispensationalists out there, I would say, "in this dispensation."

Ref James 5 that says 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

That would imply the role of healing in the NT church. In what context do you feel that healing occurs? ARe there requirements that must precede healing? I read a bloke named Wright who, although is in a Pentecostal camp, has a slightly more respectable perspective, and he indicates something along the lines of:

Most disease is a curse resulting from persistent sin in our lives, and the key to healing is in sanctifying ourselves as Paul instructs. (he does allow for other forms of disease, such as generational sin, but he tends to feel most disease falls into the context noted above) Thus if you remove the source of the disease (sin) then the symptoms of it (illness) go away.

I know that folks like Bentley abound, and PLEASE don't mention him in this thread, or post exclusively on what modern day NT Healing ISN'T. We all know that, and it ain't to helpful to dwell on it. I am interested in what it is, and how we may pursue it in an appropriate manner.

Thanks for your help.

J

JoanM Jul 27, 2008

Have you noticed that most who know Biblical healing do not make that the main thing? It happens. God is glorified. There are likely believers in your church who have known healing both following prayer and even apart from prayer. They could share useful personal specifics. I think it is true to say that not all disease is directly related to sin and Divine healing can occur where sin is not dealt with. But why would anyone want to remain in their sin?

Richard Sipley does not make healing a main thing but he did write a short book that could be useful to you and your wife. He is related to the Canadian Revival Fellowship 1-800-273-7273. They are Biblical. You can assess this for yourself on their site: http://www.revivalfellowship.com/index.html. They could probably tell you how to get a copy of that book. I do recommend it. Their office is located the PT zone.

With me God used 2 Cor. 4: 10-11. I had read verse 10 (Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.) and the phrase “life of Jesus… manifest in our bodies”, stood out so strongly that I asked, “Do you mean all the way down into our very flesh!?” I received my answer about Divine healing in verse 11 (For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.) I had always assumed that this was just spiritual and dealing with minisrty. The lessons and growth in Him are priceless in their intimacy.

I am not an expert here or a theologian. Read Romans 8: 11 and tell me what you think about quicken and about life in our mortal bodies. Is this only the case in the resurrection?

If you are led to reach out to more than your local fellowship of believers, there is a forum here, as you probably know. I really appreciate your heart and seriousness in your seeking Truth in this matter. Share what you learn brother.

sermonindex Jul 27, 2008

I may seem like the joyful commanchee to some, concerning ---- ------ , but I'm not . I am weary at the sound of his name, and disdain the fact that it should be associated with God's healing. It should not be.

A scripture comes to me, that has to be foundational in this wonderful blessing of healing, that reverses the curse. "I am the Lord your God, that healeth thee"! The Lord was so enjoined to this redemptive process, that He attached His Name to it. It indeed is one of the Titles of the Lord Jesus. Yahweh Rapha. Christ the Healer.

I have developed a methodology of sorts, over time, as to my ideas and doctrine about healing. One of the ideas centers around the teaching of the infant, and his dependence. Jesus sat the young one[ say, 10 months old...] in the midst of the circle of onlookers, and declared;"Such is the Kingdom of heaven. You must become as this little one, in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!"

This speaks of Faith, in the uttermost boundries of dependence. This baby depended on his mother, and trusted that he would find care, provision and solace in life. He was cared for, yet he was dependent, and trusting in his innocence. He had no ability to provide any of this within himself, yet he trusted. When he needed something, he just let his mother know, in the speech they only babies know, He cried out. He became satisfied. This is my attitude in prayer, and praying for the sick. God is the Father, and holds all power. He heals; I am the petitioner. He acts according to his desire. Some do not get healed. Sometimes everyone gets healed. Unless Jesus decides to heal anyone, they will not be healed. If we humble ourselves as a babe, and cry out; "Oh Son of David, have mercy!..in a real and contrite way, with a child's trust.....perhaps he will hear from Heaven, and heal. We cannot manipulate Him. He is Lord, and Sovereign.

I do not believe that there is a formula in healing. I do not believe that everyone is eligible for healing. "There is a sin unto death; I do not say that you are to pray for such a one." Sometimes God will not heal an unrepentant, uncleansed person, in that the healing may appear to be an endorsement of that person's walk with God. Sometimes that person may be under his chastisement, and discipline, and sometimes God may judge a person unto death. There are many examples of this in scripture.

The communion passage is another one, that speaks of those who have not honored the brothers and sisters in His body, as we would Christ Himself.

Once about 15 years ago, I was given the evening service to minister at a good sized fellowship in Ohio. A woman came up with advanced stages of Crohn's disease....a sometimes fatal deterioration of the intestines. It was very, very, serious. I was the man of God of power for the hour. Right. I felt so helpless as she wept before me uncontrollably. She was recently married, but given little chance for children if she survived the disease.

This is what I said to her. "What will happen to you if God does not heal you?" She could not answer, but weep. Again I spoke, and again..."What will happen to you if God does not heal you. " She was crushed...the large church silent. Then I cried...."You will die, won't you...If God does not heal you, you will die. She nodded her head up and down amid a torrent of tears.

I did not know what I was doing, but I was doing. I felt so sorry for her. She was so helpless, and so desperate. Then I asked the church...all of them, to come forward, and lay hands on her...for healing. They came, and we howled...in a reality of desperation. It was real. We were like the child...helpless, but believing in the Helper. We lifted our voices like a trumpet.

We literally cried out for five or ten minutes...then, we were through. She felt better, at least emotionally. The next day I heard a shout of Praise at the home I was staying at. The young sick woman went to a very large Ohio hospital for testing. There was no sign whatsoever of Crohn's disease, and her intestines were absolutely normal. She was healed. You can imagine the faith and joy generated in that Church.

Who is the healer? Christ is. Jesus the Lord of Creation. He looks for one to make Himself known as the Faithful One. Do we really want Him? He honors a broken and contrite heart, that depends and trusts in Him. Christ the Healer.

S

sojourner7 Jul 27, 2008

Healing is a matter of mercy, God's mercy.
Be mindful of His care, His grace, and the
many mercies He has shown you. Dwell in the
sacred, secret place with Him where He longs
to reach you, touch you, and restore you!!

L

LogoPhilius Jul 27, 2008

(Qoting Joan - sorry guys, I haven't discerned the proper way to post/quote in this format yet) Richard Sipley does not make healing a main thing but he did write a short book that could be useful to you and your wife. He is related to the Canadian Revival Fellowship 1-800-273-7273. They are Biblical. You can assess this for yourself on their site: http://www.revivalfellowship.com/index.html. They could probably tell you how to get a copy of that book. I do recommend it. Their office is located the PT zone.

Thanks, I'll give them a looksee soon.

I like the concepts you mentioned in 2 Corinthians, Joan. The idea of Christ dwelling in us does create in me a certain expectation that he would make the vessel suitable for his purposes. I'm not sure I can bank my hope in healing on this, but I can bank my hope that our current situation can be used to glorify God, and if it cannot, then he will make it so that it can.

Romans 8:11. Here it is for clarity sake in the NET Bible: Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive (quicken in the kjv) through his Spirit who lives in you.

Hmm... Neither am I an expert theologian. The word used for quicken in the minority text (and I assume the majority text, although I don't have access to it) is zoopoieo, which I think is a great word, no matter how you pronounce it (LogoPhilius stops for a minute to flounder over the proper pronunciation) :-( .

it is written in future tense, and the word can be translated as "restore to life," which would imply resurrection body v. present body if that is the intended meaning, as how can He restore life to someone that was conceived in sin, and sinful from the time he was conceived? It can also be translated simply as cause to live or make alive, which would negate my thoughts in the previous sentence. Hmmmf.

Contextually, the passage speaks of how we should be living by the spirit, not by the flesh. So I think I would throw my opinion behind the concept of "quicken" being present bodies, and not resurrected bodies.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. That is, until someone smarter than me corrects me...

I appreciate the verses. If God would then quicken my mortal body (or my wife's in this place) that would imply a promise of healing instead of a body that was bound for premature death. The trouble I have with building a conviction on that verse is that it is not speaking specifically to healing, per se. it would be supportive of the idea of God bringing healing so that we could live by the spirit, but if her present illness does not prevent her from living by the spirit? I'm just thinking out loud, or on page, I suppose.

Nonetheless, the concept of praying that God would be glorified in my wife's body, and that he would give life to her body is a request that is consistent with the scriptures and with the promise that Paul gives us in Romans 8, and I thank you for the thought. We will definitely include 2 Co 4 and Romans 8 in our prayers.

D

dohzman Jul 27, 2008

I think there are specialists in the church who seem to be more gifted in one area or another, thats not to say that thier ministry should just stay fixed in that area. Like Healing. I believe that as they study to show themselves approved unto God and strive for excellence that thier message starts to take on more spiritual depth. Reguardless it should become more dimensional.

As to your personal situation and the need for healing, I trust that the Lord will show Himself merciful always toward you and yours.

As to sicknesses and illnesses always being from sin? That's not scriptural. AB Simpson has some good teachings on healing that you may want to read(he's the father of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church---AW Tozer's fellowship). That's for all you non-penecostal christians who want healing from a different source.

Little testamony, my wife of 20 plus years has been sick for 15 years and we were preparing to make the finial arrangements should her heart fail by reason of her condition. A woman preacher we know came to Canton (Dr. Sue) and spoke at a near by church. My wife and I were in attendance and she called her up for prayer and the Lord healed her! She just went to the Doctors last week to finish getting the confirmations(tests---etc...) so that we have full medical proof. Praise God. I haven't known a full nights sleep for almost 15 plus years. Healing! What a gift! I think that if one looks at Jesus' ministry they will see that He was always bringing healing of some sort, sometimes through knowledge and understanding and sometimes through miracles and touch but always different.....He sent His Word and He Healed them all....What a Loving creator God!