Christian Healing: Why Do I Share These Things?

I often resist posting about a healing session because I believe that there are those who believe and those who don't...and nothing I say can change those perspectives.  But the occasional email I get from someone who has a testimony about God's healing power motivates me afresh to share.  To those who don't believe God answers prayers in a powerful way, I must say I disagree.  To those who say that if God uses someone for healing then why don't they go to the local hospital and pray away everything that ails the patients...I must say...you don't understand.  God decides who He will heal including when and where.  Those called to provide healing prayer do so as led by God to do.

I don't put up a sign inviting people to come for healing.  I have in the past - on the church sign - and only a few outsiders came.  It's like the Gospel account of the woman with the issue of blood...she sought out Jesus.  When people seek to find healing in the name of Jesus, they are drawn to people who believe that Jesus will heal them...if only they ask with everything that is in them.  Read through this blog to find examples of what I'm talking about.  If that is too time consuming, then let me tell you about this past weekend.

After a Saturday morning of running around to the hardware stores and Walmart, I came home and checked the phone for messages.  I had two messages at my office and one at home all saying that a church member was in need of Christian counseling.  I went to her house with her brother and she was a mess.  She has cancer in her thorax and was for the first time confronted with fear that she won't survive the treatments.  Fear was gripping her every expression.  I said, "I'm here...do you want me to pray for you?"  She said she wanted prayer...and wanted to have faith again that she will make it.  We prayed.   I put my hand on her head and prayed away the agent of Satan: Fear.  I put my hand on her upper chest and prayed that the cancer cells be washed away by the power of the Holy Spirit.  She, her brother and I were all shaking uncontrollably in the presence of the Holy Spirit filling her body with a washing of everything bad inside of her.  When God said stop, we stopped.  Tears of joy were streaming down her face.  Her brother was crying and I was spent.  I could hardly hold my head up, the drain was so intense.  

She had not been able to get out of bed for the past week as a result of the chemo treatments.  We talked more then I anointed her head and chest with oil then prayed for the staying power of the anoitment.  She got up and walked us to the door.  I had to regain my composure before trying to drive the 20 miles home.  That was Saturday.

Sunday morning, who is in church with her non-churchgoing husband?  She was.  I greeted her and she asked if I was ok.  I asked her why she thought I wouldn't be and she said that whatever had a hold of her left and she hoped that it hadn't got a hold of me!  I assured her that I had prayed away anything that may have come from her to me (which I did before driving home).  We both looked into each other's eyes and smiled.  BUT...it doesn't end there.  That night was the church Christmas program.  Again, she and her husband were there!  

I call that God's healing.  I don't know yet if the cancer is gone (but if it is it wouldn't be the first time) but I do know that Satan's grip on her is gone.  I know that she has no room in her life for fear.  And without that fear she has a renewed vigor.  All I can do is praise God.

This past weekend tells the story of Christian healing.  Like the woman with the issue of blood, she sought Christ's comfort and healing.  When the calls were made to me to come pray with her, I believed that I was the hands and heart of Jesus brought to her.  I certainly didn't plan on it as I had already planned a full day with no healing prayer anywhere on the agenda.  But when God calls I dare not refuse.  

I never ask for money.  If we have a healing service at church we never take an offering.  It isn't about money.  It isn't about ego.  It isn't about religion.  It isn't about anything other than learning to love our God with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls AND loving our neighbors as ourselves.  If God gives you the tools to build something...Build It!  If He gives you a gift for singing, then sing.  If he gives you a gift for administration, then administer.  And if he gives you a gift for healing...heal.  

Acts and Upper Rooms

Prayer is so essential to experiencing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The account of the beginning of the church is found in first two chapters of the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit is promised in the first book where Luke tells of the last words Jesus had for the apostles prior to ascending into heaven:

1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

In the second chapter, we find the apostles and other followers in prayer in an upper room. The promised presence of the Holy Spirit is fulfilled.

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And so begins "the rest of the story". God's revelation to us comes in three stages, through the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

First was God, the father, working in the hearts and souls of people in a time and place that was difficult...very difficult. Most of God's commands and laws were rigid and uncompromising. It was as it needed to be for such a culture.

Second, was our savior, Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law and brought ease to the rigidity of the Father's commands. He took all the commandments and created the one commandment that embraced all the intent of the law by saying: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus showed us how by His example.

Third, is the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised would come to the Apostles. It is the Holy Spirit who takes the laws of The Father plus the fulfillment of the law through Jesus Christ, and becomes the very presence of God after the crucifixion and resurrection of The Son.

The Father gave us The Son, so that The Son could give us the Holy Spirit. How can we receive the Holy Spirit? Look to Jesus. Between the Gospel accounts of the miracles and healings Jesus would withdraw to quiet places to pray:

Luke: 5: 15-16
However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

For us to experience God's presence through the Holy Spirit, we must pray. More than a prayer in the morning, a prayer at noon and a prayer at night. We must pray. Pray without ceasing, sometimes more intently, but pray without ceasing. The more we seek God's presence, the more His presence is in us. The Holy Spirit came to the apostles and the other believers when they were in prayer in an upper room. And It comes to us in our prayer, in our upper rooms.

The Catholic Priest Who Heals

I came across this account of a Roman Catholic priest who has the gift of healing recently. I share it because I'm moved by the manner in which he views the gift, as well as the manner in which the church describes the mystery surrounding it.

All glory and honor is given to God...not the person. Enough said.

What Are Your Spiritual Gifts?

If you've never taken the Spiritual Gifts Assessment on the UMC.org site, you may be interested in doing so. It doesn't take long and is designed to help identify the strength's (and weaknesses) that we individually bring to the Body of Christ.

http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=2268

It sure did help me to discover why I lack a flair for certain things LOL!

Do You Have Your "Beer Goggles" On?

Funny how when you're under the influence of something you see the world as others don't. The country song about the man having his "beer goggles" on makes a very profound theological statement, in a back-handed way. You see, he sees everything from the perspective of being under the influence. He thinks things are possible that others don't readily agree with. He thinks he can sing when he can't. He thinks he's on top of the world, when he isn't.

Mark 6:5 tells us that Jesus could do no miracles in his home town. Why is that? These people knew Jesus from when he was a child. They knew his family and knew more about him than any of the people Jesus would encounter in his ministry. You see, the Nazarenes didn't have their "beer goggles" on. They only saw Jesus the man. They didn't see Jesus-God.

In the healing ministry it is necessary to have our "Holy Spirit" goggles on. And when we're fully under the influence, we see things that other people don't. Things happen that otherwise wouldn't. We see miracles happen that others don't. That is, unless the others have their "Holy Spirit" goggles on as well.

Do you have your "Holy Spirit" goggles on? If not....let me tell you a story about when God came to earth...let me tell you about Jesus. You see, it started like this.......