Lesson 4 - Spiritual Gifts: Gifts of Healing
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| Healing the sick - photo from the Vatican |
When crowds came bringing
people “with various diseases “ he laid his hands on every one of them” and
healed them” Luke 4:40. Other
passages specifically describe Jesus placing his hands on people to heal them
(Matthew 8:3); More significant is the fact that people who came to Jesus for
healing would come specifically asking him to lay his hands on a sick person:
Matthew 9:18 Mark 5:23.
So what happens when
Jesus touch people that cause them to be healed? The power of the Holy Spirit was conveyed
through Jesus’ physical touch, and came forth and healed people. The power of the Holy Spirit comes to heal you and make you whole through the work of our Lord, Jesus Christ for it is by His stripes we are healed.
These miracles that came
through the laying on of hands were not magic, but God himself was please to
work through the laying on of hands.
It is no surprise that the early church would pray specifically that God
would stretch forth his hand to heal.
Acts 4: 29 - 30.
There were times when Jesus would just speak a word over a person and they would be healed. In John 5:1-9, Jesus said to a
man at the pool of Bethesda “Rise, take up thy bed and walk” and immediately
he was whole and walked. John 11:43,44, Jesus spoke
“Lazarus, come forth.” Lazarus came out of the Tomb.
Today God is calling you to be healed completely in every area of your life. Some of you may not need a physical healing, but you need to be healed from others things, such as finances, broken relationships, lost relationships, emotional brokenness and more. Remember "Every good and perfect gift comes from above" James 1:17. God wants your life to be good. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:8, that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." The blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Gal. 3:14)
The Spirit brings us comfort and peace in every situation if we trust God. We belong to Christ, therefore we are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. God never promise us that we would not have trouble, but he did promise us that he would never leave us or forsake us. Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48; A woman with issue of blood healed by touching Jesus garment had a life broken by sickness and disease that rob her of her finances and ability to go to the Synagogue (Church). She was broken and lost by her family, friends and all the physicians she went to did nothing for her, but take her money. However, she believed that Jesus had the power to heal her and make her whole. She believed that nothing was impossible with God and indeed she was made whole.
Once I was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease that I told my Mom about. Her answer was simply, "Jesus hasn't told me that." Meaning she had understood her inheritance in Christ and her right to have those promises of everything good and perfect in Him passed on to her children. To Mom, the statement, "Jesus hasn't told me that" meant she still had hope in Christ and we do not have to live a broken life full of disease, poverty, illness and despair. She believes, and she passed on to me that same belief, that there is nothing impossible with God.
The gift to believe that healing can come to my brokenness is a gift that has been passed on for 4 generations. I believe that you can be healed of your broken body, your broken relationships, your broken finances, your broken life, your joblessness and your broken dreams. Jesus says to you today, "Go in peace, and be healed!"
Many Blessings,
Rev. Patricia McNair
Riverside Assembly of God
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