There
are truths and there is a Truth, and there are priorities as well
as Priorities. The truth that God desires to heal everyone might
be scriptural, but there is a Truth that transcends it---God desires
to save the lost. If the Church is going to accomplish this---the
Great Commission---the Church must be united. Evangelical churches
will not accept the “truth” that God desires to heal
everyone. The moment one presents and insists on that “truth” in
an open meeting of believers, one has lost an element of unity
with evangelical brethren. They will have difficulty ministering
together with those who hold to that truth in preaching the gospel
and ministering to the sick. For the sake of unity, we should consider
an "alternative truth," one that evangelical believers
can accept readily---that God can sovereignly choose not to heal
someone. This truth also has scriptural support.
Yes,
having every sick person healed is indeed a priority, a wonderful
priority at that. But there is also a Priority---that every sinner
hear the gospel of eternal life and see it confirmed through power
encounters and miraculous signs so that they may believe. And I
am convinced that Priority cannot be addressed effectively until
the Church is one. Believers who have this priority should consider
giving it up for the sake of the Priority. We should be willing
to give up a little in order to gain a far greater benefit for
the Kingdom of God, to give up a "peripheral truth" for
the sake of the success of the Truth. We should minor in minors,
and major in majors. It is more important for the Church to be
one than for every sick person to be healed.
Some
may be concerned that if we "compromise" on the word
of God regarding this issue, not only will the Lord be displeased
but our faith will be weakened. As a result we will not witness
the miracles of healing that God desires to perform. I do not believe
this will happen. When we give up a truth for the Truth, there
will be no loss of power and authority to minister healing as we
proclaim the Kingdom of God. The Lord is pleased with unity and
will release His healing power and anointing in even greater measure
than before.
Psalm
133:1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil (anointing) poured on the head,
running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard
(we New Testament believers are also priests), down upon the collar
of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount
Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
The
body of Christ will be able to preach “life forevermore” with
far greater power and anointing when brothers live together in
unity. In these last days, the Father is giving Priority to answering
the prayer of Jesus in John 17.21:
"that
they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in you; that
they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that
You sent Me."
During
these endtimes, the body of Christ must be one in order that the
Great Commission be fulfilled, that the world may believe that
Jesus is sent by the Father. After that, Christ will return. For
this reason we should be willing to give up our priorities for
the Priority.
Having
presented the above, I would add that each person has their own
calling in the body of Christ. Some have been called to a healing
ministry to a certain segment of the body of Christ where they
can reasonably teach the "truth" that God desires to
heal everyone.
The
End Time Model of Evangelism
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