Manna for Ministers II

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Why do the instructions given in James 5 for ministering healing to believers rarely work?

James 5:14 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.16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Here James provides us with instructions for ministering to believers. First of all, the elders of the church are called. Ministering to believers can be more complex than ministering to unbelievers. In the gospels, Jesus never required anyone coming to him for healing to first repent of his sins. Most of those who came to him had not yet believed on him as the promised Messiah, but had some degree of faith that he could heal them physically. After their healing, many of them then decided to follow Christ as Lord and Savior. But if a believer asks for healing, there are conditions that may need to be met first. Verse 16 prescribes the confession of one's sins first.

Sin is either directly or indirectly related to disease. And believers should know that their sins have been forgiven by Christ, and that they should no longer live in sin after confessing Christ. We are expected to know that God does not approve of our sins, and that there is a possibility that our sickness is related to our sin. Thus the believer should examine himself, and any sin of which he may be aware or unaware should be confessed. The blood of Jesus cleanses him of any sin, and then any obstacle to his healing is removed. "The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up." This is a very positive statement regarding the Lord's will in the healing of the believer. Before we go on to discuss what is the "prayer of faith," we need to acknowledge the possibility that in some cases it may not be the will of the Lord to heal, or to heal at that moment. The apostle Paul was eventually forced to acknowledge this when the Lord did not remove the "thorn" in his flesh. If we interpret the thorn as a physical infirmity (which most evangelicals do), then here is a case where the Lord clearly willed not to heal a believer. But let us not be tempted to think that every disease that attacks our bodies is a thorn in our flesh that the Lord wills not to heal. We might want to look at the conditions surrounding Paul's infirmity.

2 Corinthians 12: 1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows-such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Lord allowed this infirmity to come upon Paul because the glorious visions and revelations he received had put him in danger in being "exalted beyond measure," referring perhaps to pride. Apparently even repentance from pride would not have brought relief from the infirmity. Such was the lingering power and danger of the temptation to exaltation from the surpassingly glorious revelations given to Paul.

Although even the "lowliest" among us can find something in which to pride ourselves in an unhealthy way, there are things which are particularly able to puff up even the most spiritual in our midst. When God chooses to give someone very special knowledge and revelation, as the apostle Paul was, there is a temptation to think of oneself as being special in God's sight, instead of simply being a vessel chosen to serve God's special purpose. No person is "special" in God's sight, but God's purposes for His people are special. To keep such a vessel humble and usable, the Lord may allow a "thorn" that cannot be removed.

The question is: how many of us have been given such special knowledge as the apostle Paul was? The answer is some, but not many. And so therefore let us be careful lest we attribute Paul's thorn to situations involving sickness where it may not apply. It is reasonable to hold that God wills to heal most believers in light of James' declaration that "the prayer of faith will save the sick." Situations contrary to this include those involving a "thorn" in the flesh, those where it is time for a believer to go home, or those where a minister of healing does not understand what is "the prayer of faith."

James teaches that the elders will "pray over" the sick person "the prayer of faith." The expression "pray over" in verse 14 is especially worthy of note, as it is the unique occurrence throughout the New Testament. In verse 16, James speaks of praying for one another, certainly not a unique concept in the Bible which is so full of exhortations to intercede for others. I believe that the two expressions carry different meanings, and for that purpose James purposely used different expressions regarding prayer. What does "pray over" actually mean?

The word "over" in Greek is epi, a preposition that is almost always found to describe the relative physical position between two objects: "upon, on, at, by, before, of position, over, against, to, over, across." For example, to "lay hands on the sick." Therefore, "pray over" could very well be translated "pray on" or "prayer upon." By themselves, these expressions do not offer much of a clue to their possible meaning. But now let us insert to the other side of the equation the expression "the prayer of faith" that will save the sick person. What is the prayer of faith?

First of all, we know there are two directions of faith, faith in God and the faith of God, more well-known as mountain-moving faith. Which of these directions of faith is most directly involved in ministering healing to the sick? We have seen through our study of relevant Scriptures that it is the faith of God at work in believers that results in miraculous healings. It would appear that "the prayer of faith" through which the Lord raises up the sick is "the prayer of mountain-moving faith," not merely "the prayer of faith in God." Thus the "prayer of faith" may not technically be prayer to God as we understand it in the traditional sense, but actually what Jesus and the early disciples practiced as they healed the sick. This was the spoken word, the command for healing uttered with power and authority in the name of Jesus.

This makes sense. There is no reason why the ministry of healing as performed by Jesus and the early disciples should be so different from that taught in James 5 and practiced by church elders in the church of Jesus Christ today. Whether the healing is directed more for evangelistic purposes as in the gospels or more for showing Christ's compassion to a sick believer, the principles behind the healing ministry should be the same. In fact, inasmuch as these two kinds of healings will obviously overlap---the healing of a believer leads to the salvation of unbelievers---the distinction between the two is not necessarily robust and can break down. When the two kinds of healings are no longer distinct, then logically the principles behind the two will be the same as well.

If the "prayer of faith" is the word spoken with authority over the sick, then we have a strong clue to the meaning of "praying over." This may simply mean speaking healing over the sick in the name of Jesus, or laying hands upon the sick.

James also teaches "praying for one another." He means this in the general sense, as in Chapter 6 of Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

Included in these prayers of course is prayer for God to heal our brethren in Christ who are sick. So in James Chapter 5 we see both stages of the healing ministry: prayer to the Lord to heal, as well as the spoken word of authority in the name of Jesus.

If James' instructions to elders with regard to ministering to the sick were understood in this light, there would be far more miraculous healings witnessed in the church of Jesus Christ. Where there is a lack of practical understanding about the healing ministry, the sick are sometimes not healed not because of God's will, but rather because church elders have not been trained to minister healing scripturally.



 

Rhema vs. Logos

"The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," Eph. 6:17; here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture." (Vine's Expository Dictionary)

According Vine's, logos can include the whole Bible, the written word, while rhema can refer to an individual scripture quickened to us by the Holy Spirit for a specific need. The rhema need not necessarily be a quote from the Bible, but a word spoken to a believer by the Spirit.

Traditionally, evangelicals have put much emphasis on the written word, devoting much time and effort to Bible study. They purpose to lead their lives in accordance with the counsel found in God's written word. While charismatics believe in the importance of the written word as well, they also believe that God will give a specific rhema to them to address a specific need. Each approach has its strengths and potential weaknesses. Evangelicals are indeed justified in centering their lives around the correct interpretation of the Holy Bible. At the same time, it is certainly advantageous when a believer receives specific instruction or information from the Lord regarding some particular matter. When the rhema concerns the course of action the believer is to take, he can expect God's blessing or God's will to be accomplished in the matter when he acts upon the information. But each approach has its weaknesses when taken to an extreme.

When an evangelical believer puts all emphasis on the logos to the exclusion of the rhema, he may rarely sense the leading of the Holy Spirit. There will be relatively less opportunity for the Spirit to speak to or direct him about a certain matter if he is not waiting and inclining his ear to listen. Thus although the believer is most certainly living a righteous Christian life according to the written word, incursions of God's miraculous grace into that life may be rare. The believer might not be experiencing all the victories that God intends for him.

Similarly, charismatics who choose to place excessive dependence on receiving a rhema from the Holy Spirit might also find themselves falling short of walking in the victory that God has for them. For example, if as a rule a believer will not act until she receives a word from the Lord, she might eventually find herself in a fruitless state of semi-paralysis. Of course, when we do receive a rhema from the Lord, we act upon it with confidence and may see God's supernatural intervention. However, does God will to give us a word for every matter or decision that we must make in life? For example, do we share the gospel to someone only when we feel led to, or may we share the gospel to others simply because the logos, the written word, commands us to? I believe it was John Wesley who said, "when I share the gospel, people get saved; when I don't share the gospel, they don't get saved."

In my own ministry as a preacher, the Holy Spirit will sometimes give me a word of knowledge concerning particular infirmities He wants to heal in a meeting. For example, I may receive a rhema about back problems. When I speak forth these words in the meeting, those people who respond and come forward for healing prayer are almost always healed of their back pain. It is indeed very exciting when that happens. But what if I don't hear anything from the Holy Spirit? Does that mean I cannot minister to the sick in that meeting? By no means.

I may not always have a rhema from the Spirit, but the written word of God, the logos, does tell me I have a measure of authority over disease in the name of Jesus for the sake of the gospel.

Luke 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 9 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

Even when I do not have specific leading from the Holy Spirit to minister healing to someone, I still do by virtue of the authority the Lord has given me. With this measure of authority I can get things done. The logos tells me to preach the gospel to every creature, and that when I do so, miraculous signs will accompany the preaching to confirm the gospel. This is sufficient for me. To take an everyday example, let's say my boss gives me a job to do along with the authority to successfully complete it. Do I need to go back to her several times each day and ask her for her permission to work on the job she's already told me to do? Although the parallel is not exact, the same principle holds to a large extent in each case.

Charismatic believers who place very heavy emphasis on receiving a rhema or the direct leading of the Holy Spirit on every matter before taking action might be robbing themselves of the power of the logos. Because of this they might find themselves in a state of timidity and indecision which can lead to paralysis in life or in ministry.

We should remember that "In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God." Could the logos in some sense have come before the rhema? Could the logos be the foundation of the rhema?



 

Christ commanded his disciples to heal the sick, not just to pray for the sick



It is evident in light of Scripture and current world events that we are in the endtimes. But before Christ returns, the gospel will have been preached to all the world as a witness to all nations. This means that the Lord will restore holiness and power to His Church for us to complete His Great Commission, especially to those who categorically reject Jesus as the Son of God. Evangelism to them is much more effective when accompanied by miraculous healings which prove that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. The restoration of power has already begun. The Lord is now teaching us no longer to be fearful of obeying His command to heal the sick.

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them… 'Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'the kingdom of God is near you.’'” (Luke 10:1,9)

We would rather just pray for the sick because to heal the sick it takes the kind of faith---mountain-moving faith---that most believers have never been taught. (Matthew 17.14-21)

Matthew 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

But today God is restoring the knowledge and practice of mountain-moving faith to His people to heal the sick as confirmation that the gospel is true: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way to the Father.

 

 

Pray as a Priest and Heal as a King

Jesus was both a priest and a king
Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.37 When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."38 But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

When Jesus prayed to the Father, he worshipped Him and made intercession on behalf of himself and his disciples---this was his role as priest. (Of course, his greatest priestly act was offering himself as a sin offering for us on the cross.) In contrast, he exercised his authority and office as king when he cast out demons and healed the sick by speaking forth commands. From the above Scriptures, the two functions are clearly separate and distinguishable. Jesus did not do both at the same time, but at different times.

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Revelation 19:16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Disciples of Christ are also kings and priests
Revelation 1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)

Like Christ, we also minister in both contrasting ways---as priests, we offer sacrifices of praise and good works, and we intercede before the Father. As kings, we exercise our authority in part by healing the sick and casting out demons for the sake of the gospel.

Kings command with authority, while priests offer sacrifices and intercede between God and man. In his ministry Jesus spoke with authority to diseases and demons and at other times he interceded humbly before his Father. These were separate and distinguishable offices. Let us not confuse these two functions in our ministry. When pray to the Lord as priests, we go humbly into His presence like a helpless lamb to ask for His grace in time of need. But when we minister healing to the sick and oppressed during the preaching of the gospel, we go forth as kings with authority from our Commander-in-Chief. Like a lion we speak forth with authority to destroy the works of the enemy. The sick are healed and sinners accept Christ as Savior.

We should not attempt to perform both functions simultaneously. On earth one cannot be a lamb and a lion at the same time; there is no such creature. Praying and ministering healing/deliverance are mutually exclusive activities. Attempting to pray to the Lord when ministering healing or casting out demons simply decreases our authority over these things, and the results will be less than satisfactory.

When ministering healing, believers often say, "Father, in the name of Jesus, I command this disease (or demon) to leave." This is unscriptural and is an example of mixing together our ministries of priest and king. Nowhere does Jesus or Scripture teach us to tell the Father what we want disease or demons to do. Rather, we ourselves are commanded to heal the sick and cast out demons directly in Jesus' name.

Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons…18…they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

When ministering healing to the sick, if when desire to pray first, do so. But after prayer, open your eyes and with authority command healing to the disease in the name of Jesus. First you are a priest, then you can speak as a king in the name of Jesus.


 

Rejoice not that the demons submit to you

Although I am an unworthy servant, the Lord has graciously given me a ministry that since the year 2000 has taken me to some of the spiritually darkest nations on the face of the earth. Last August I led a team of 16 believers to Egypt where with Campus Crusade we held the largest evangelistic Campaign in its history. The following November, with World Vision, I held the very first mass evangelistic Campaign in the history of Niger, West Africa, where over 99% of the population is Muslim. In these Campaigns, the blind see, the deaf hear, and the poor hear the good news. Amazingly large numbers of Muslims have come to Christ.

The fruit of this ministry has given me much reason to rejoice, especially in the meetings when we witness God’s miraculous power to heal and deliver. However, Scripture tells us….

Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. …9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” …20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Excessive rejoicing in earthly accomplishments and giftings, even ministry giftings, is a prelude to pride and idolatry. A preoccupation with miracles and the attention that they can draw from people can gradually lead to pride and the "worship" of miracles instead of the One who does the miracles. To avoid this pitfall, Jesus reminds us to rejoice that our “names are written in heaven.” It is our salvation through our relationship with Jesus that should be our primary focus. Nothing can bring us experiential peace in this life except for peace with God through a living relationship with His Son.

Although a believer does indeed have continual peace with God through Jesus Christ, I have found that my most delicious moments of peace are when I am alone with Him. Different believers have different venues for this; mine are experienced at night walking along the deserted bayous of my community in Houston, Texas. As I gaze upward at the nighttime sky or at a stark, leafless tree outlined in front of me against the horizon, my heart overflows with adoration to the Lord. He’s the Creator of all this, He made me, and He’s given me the pure pleasure of enjoying His creation and Him at such times.

Yes, we are busy with the activities God has given us to do. And there are times when we are blessed enough to enjoy our accomplishments. Yes, God has indeed given a measure of authority to every witness of Christ to heal the sick. These miraculous healings are for the purpose of confirming the gospel to watching and listening unbelievers. Yes, glorious miracles can and do take place through ordinary believers as they preach the gospel (Mark 16:15-20). Souls will be saved!

But we know all these things will eventually pass away when we have completed our time on earth. The only thing we can take with us to the next life will be our relationship with Jesus Christ. Spending time alone with Him here on earth is going into the eye of the storm where we find such sweet peace. But it also builds the foundation for us to inherit the life that is truly life!

 

 


U.S. military superiority over Iraq demonstrates parallel firepower of the Church in evangelism

The war against Iraq appears imminent. What is even more certain in the eyes of America, Britain, and their allies, is the outcome of this war. No one doubts who will win. Already U.S. leaders are looking ahead to the more difficult issue of what to do after the war is over and Saddam has been defeated. One newspaper reports that "debate rages over who will pay to rebuild Iraq." Some have suggested that Iraqi soldiers who choose not to fight in the upcoming war will go on the U.S. payroll in the new post-Saddam Iraqi army. These simply reflect the absolute confidence that the U.S. has in its military superiority over Saddam's forces.

In contrast, how does the enemy feel? Newspaper columnist Austin Bay wrote:

A recent report in Britain's Sunday Mirror, filed from Camp Coyote in Kuwait, smacks of slapstick comedy... As British paratroops test fired their rifles near the border, "Terrified Iraqi soldiers... crossed the border and tried to surrender," the Mirror reported on March 9, "because they thought the war had already started." The paras ordered the Iraqis, who came waving white flags, to go back to Iraq because "it was too early to surrender."

The United States knows it can and will win the war, and the enemy knows that it will lose. The United States, simply put, has overwhelmingly superior military power and thus will win.

The situation is analogous with the Great Commission that Christ has given to the Church. We are to go out to proclaim the gospel of Christ. And He gives us weapons with which to destroy the works of the enemy such that those who hear the gospel will be set free from darkness and accept Christ.

Luke 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Jesus gave to the Twelve a measure of His authority to heal the sick and cast out demons in order to confirm the gospel to those to whom they would be proclaiming it. He gave them weapons to destroy two works of the devil: disease and demon oppression. In other words, Jesus gave them greater authority and firepower than that which was resident in the diseases and demons they were sent to oppose. When the listeners saw the miraculous healings and deliverance, many would believe on Jesus Christ. Verse 6 tells us that they went out and were successful in their mission:

…6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

Some of this authority over disease and demons was also given to seventy unknown disciples, whom Jesus sent out on a similar mission to proclaim the kingdom of God:

Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy[-two] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. …9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

These seventy obscure disciples were also successful as evidenced by the joy they had as they returned from their mission.

We must understand that every disciple whom Christ sends out to proclaim the kingdom of God is given a measure authority over disease and demons with which they will confirm to the listeners Christ's abililty to save from sin. Christ equips His witnesses with firepower sufficient to defeat the enemy and win the war; to bring the lost into the kingdom of God. The sick will be healed, demons will be cast out, the poor will hear the good news. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

As the U.S. armed forces go into battle with great confidence and assured of victory, we as witnesses of Jesus Christ should also go out to preach the gospel with similar confidence based on the overwhelmingly superior authority and weaponry Christ has given to us. We are ordered into battle not by the United States, by the Kingdom of the Most High God, the God of God and the King of Kings. While it is true that not all will be healed because our authority is not unlimited---only Christ our Commander-in-Chief has all authority---many will be healed and delivered, and many will be saved.

What happens after the war against Saddam is over is of equal importance and is far more complex. Similarly what happens after souls accept Christ is far more complex. It's called follow-up and discipleship. But we must know that we have been given superior firepower to win the war to which all of us have been called: the war of winning souls.

Satan's forces---specifically, the power behind demons and disease---like Saddam's, know that they must submit to us during this present age of the preaching of the gospel of grace. They trembled and fled before Jesus when He ministered on earth two thousand years ago. They will do the same before us who are Christ's soldiers sent to complete the work He began. Sadly, when they come before us to surrender, like the Iraqi soldiers seeking to surrender to the British paratroops, most believers have little idea what to do. They either forget or are unaware that the Lord has put a lethal weapon in their hands. Some will just stand there and call on the name of the Lord. They do not know that if they simply fire their weapons, disease will be healed and demons cast out. But this need not be the case.


 

Saddam's stubbornness to surrender to Allies illustrates behavior of sickness & disease



The war in Iraq will not be as quick as some military leaders had hoped. Although the military superiority of the Allied forces is indisputable, Saddam's forces do not quickly give up. Iraqi irregulars and Saddam fedayeen have attacked armored Bradley fighting vehicles and M1A1 tanks with nothing more than AK-47s and pickup trucks. When ordered to halt by Allied soldiers as they charge---suicidally---they do not. They keep coming...and coming...until they are eventually wiped out by superior firepower.

Allied forces are winning the battles, but in general the victories have been neither easy nor quick. The same is generally true in the arena of proclaiming the gospel which is accompanied by healing the sick and casting out demons. In this type of warfare, the enemy to be destroyed is sin, disease, and demonic oppression. Our weapons are the preaching of the gospel and authority to heal diseases and drive out demons.

Luke 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Like Saddam's forces, sin, disease, and demons do not surrender easily as the gospel is being proclaimed. Let us focus this discussion on the enemy called disease. When a minister of the gospel uses his authority---his weapon---to minister healing to the sick as a sign to confirm the gospel, the infirmity does not necessarily vanish instantly. It is a determined enemy, and will resist defeat as long as possible. The minister may need to use his authority repeatedly before the infirmity is healed. Even the Lord Jesus himself experienced this.

Mark 8:22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

The point is that when ministering healing, the minister of the gospel should continue to exercise his authority---whenever possible---until the disease has left. He or she should continue to fire his weapon until the enemy is destroyed. When the miraculous healing is finally complete, there will be a testimony that will draw souls to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A chapter of Dancing on the Edge of the Earth relates a prolonged, hair-raising battle over a dying infant that was eventually won by Kingdom forces.

 


 

The role of God’s will to heal in miraculous healing

God’s will to heal is not constant. On our recent mission trip to Pakistan, Dubai, and India, we saw a wide spectrum of this factor. At times, the Lord would say “no.” This was His answer to the mighty man of faith the apostle Paul when asked to remove the thorn from his flesh (the original Greek allows the thorn to be a physical infirmity). Despite Paul’s great faith to move mountains, no healing took place. At the other end of the spectrum---in different circumstances---His sovereign will to heal would be so strong that little effort on our part was needed. In between the two extremes, where God's will to heal may in fact be "neutral" and the results are instead "according to our faith," exercising our authority over disease by commanding healing in the name of Jesus may be required.

There is another factor which can influence physical healing in the name of Jesus. Different infirmities require different measures of authority to minister the healing. Light infirmities such as ordinary headaches are relatively simple to dispatch in the name of Jesus. In contrast, to minister healing to someone lame or blind from birth under ordinary circumstances will require a measure of authority beyond what most believers have been given by the Lord. Extraordinary circumstances where these miracles are more likely to take place are found in mass evangelistic meetings where the gospel is proclaimed very boldly.

These two factors---God’s will to heal and the specific measure of authority given to the believer---can vary independently in each situation. In light of our recent mission trip, let’s examine the role of the first of these two factors in miraculous healing: God's will to heal.

Quetta is a town close to the border that Third-World Pakistan shares with Afghanistan. In evangelistic meetings there an elderly woman blind in one eye and a young boy blind in one eye since birth were healed as believers laid hands on them. Of particular interest was the case of the boy whose eye was quickly opened when a young man only one year in Christ ministered to him. God's will to heal in Pakistan during the proclamation of the gospel was found to be strong.

In India, many healings took place in the evangelistic Crusade meetings. In New Delhi, a blind man saw as a local pastor laid hands on him. Hindus were healed of various infirmities through trained believers and came to Christ. There were so many testimonies of healing that we had difficulty hearing all of them. In Orissa, the poorest state in all India, a little boy lame in one leg began to walk on that leg after Houston Pastor John Thomas ministered to him. A deaf-mute teenage boy could hear and speak after the ministry of mass healing, in which no one laid hands on him. It was very evident that God's will to heal in India as the gospel was being presented was strong.

Standing in contrast to the meetings in Pakistan and India, both considered poor countries, were those conducted in Dubai, a wealthy state of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. The design and architecture of some of the buildings in modern Dubai equal if not surpass anything seen in the West. Dubai even boasts of a seven-star hotel, reputedly the only such hotel of its kind in the world. This year its national airline enjoyed record profits as most other airlines in the world went through catastrophic decline. Interestingly, the miracles witnessed in the Dubai meetings were fewer and less powerful than those in the poorer countries. A young deaf-mute girl, the child of a devoted Christian doctor, experienced no improvement in her hearing despite repeated ministry by different believers, including myself. But the wonderful believers in the Dubai meetings (many of them originally from India) ministered with authority and mountain-moving faith equal to that of the believers in Pakistan and India. What might explain the difference in the miracles between Dubai on the one hand, and India and Pakistan on the other?

In terms of spiritual darkness, all three are comparable. India counts three-quarters of a billion Hindus worshipping countless false gods. Pakistan has been known as a haven for Islamic terrorists and discriminates heavily against Christians. Dubai is an Islamic state where evangelism is forbidden except inside a few designated church complexes, and even there to non-Arabs only.

Economically, however, Dubai is relatively wealthy while India and Pakistan are poor. This may go far in explaining the difference in the miracles. Other things being equal, God wills to heal more powerfully in poorer countries than He does in richer countries. “Where darkness abounds, the grace of God abounds all the more.” To the poor the Lord may give greater grace in the realm of miraculous healing than to those who have far more access to quality medical care. There may possibly be an additional factor as well. "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith [for healing (my addition)]...?" James 2:5