Wednesday, July 16, 2008

HEALING IS POSSIBLE

I know that I said the next entry would be about love and sin, but I need to write about healing right now.
Balm in Gilead

There is a Balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul
Lord I believe, help my unbelief.

This morning I could hear the voice of the Lord so strongly that it almost was audible. I had awakened in a state of panic because of my job situation. I needed that voice that directed me to sit and to listen for a brief moment to Randy Gilbert from Faith Landmark on the 7 AM program.

His message was about healing, which I so desperately needed to hear.
Jesus died to heal us from our sins, but He also demonstrated through His ministry that He wanted to heal us from disease, abuse, and failure.

With His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 and I Peter 2:24
These references refer to being healed from our sins.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18 referring to Isaiah 61:1-4

When Jesus read this passage in the Temple He was telling the people that He was and is the promised Messiah. He came to heal, not only your sins, but whatever ails you. Read all of Isaiah 61:1-4 for assurance.

The problem is that we do no seek, nor accept healing when it is offered. How often have you heard the Holy Spirit ask you, “What do you need, My Child?” And we fail to listen, fail to believe, fail to respond.

There was a father who brought his deaf and mentally ill son to Jesus. Jesus told him that all things are possible to him who believes. Then Jesus asked the man if he believed. The man cried from the depth of his spirit, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Jesus was able to heal that son on such a desire. Mark 9:17-27. I have many, many times prayed this prayer and have each time been rescued and healed. Praise the Great Physician!

So the seed of healing is faith, even the size of a mustard seed. Often we don’t even have that. So the remedy is to search the scriptures to acquire the faith that is needed.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17

Now listen to this! I told the Lord this morning that I had no intention of just opening my Bible and believing from whatever. No, my intention was to read a book or a familiar passage. The Bible opened by itself to Jeremiah 8 when I sat down to read. Yes, really it did, and here is the proof: Inside that passage were thoughts on healing and why Israel was not being healed, and the only passage that has the phrase Balm in Gilead. Keep in mind that I had just listened to a message on healing, and last night, my beloved son, Victor, talked about the Balm in Gilead.

What are the chances of all those things happening? Sometimes faith isn’t so difficult. If it is for you, start reading your Bible and ask for the blessing. Admit out loud your lack of faith and ask our loving Father to give it to you.

Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her, take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country: for her judgment reaches unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. Jeremiah 51:8-9

We often think we can’t be healed. But it is because we do not believe, because we want to continue to wallow in our sins. Even Babylon, the evil city, could have been healed. But Babylon would not change.

Do you want healing?
This is such a dangerous topic because people die from disease everyday. Healing, true healing, is having a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
There is a healing balm in Gilead. He will heal you and make the path straight in front of you. You will always be challenged by your faith, or lack thereof.

9 comments:

jeleasure said...

Good post hun.
We've experienced this before. I'm glad that you now have a way to record these thoughts.
Love from your husband.

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

Do you want healing?
This is such a dangerous topic because people die from disease everyday. Healing, true healing, is having a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.


Hi Vicki,

I would love to be healed of physical and spiritual problems today. No amount of money would be worth the value of this healing. But, as you mention true (lasting) healing is through Christ, as since we all die, everlasting healing is of primarily importance. God promises a restored Kingdom where suffering will not exist as Revelation 21 explains.

In regard to the naturalistic critics, if there is only death, this life has limited meaning as our suffering here ultimately culminates in death and nothingness. If life continues after death in some way it may have meaning, and definitely has meaning in the presence of the triune God.

Russ:)

jeleasure said...

Good comment, Russ.
It is exciting to be able to talk to people about what God really wants for us.
Vicki and I have been discussing sin, and how Jesus was perfect. Where we see Jesus wanting to avoid the pain he was about to have forced on Him and His prayer to The Lord to take it from Him, if possible, is where everything could have changed had He used His will.

Vicki, I posted this on my page in reply to you. But, I think it is applicable here.

"Vicki,
This is a real problem for people. When they speak of the eternal Son, they see Jesus. Even though we have not seen Jesus, per say, they are speaking of the physical person.
This becomes a problem for them, when we attempt to discuss the potential to sin. Because people first understand that Jesus was perfect and sinless. What they fail to see is that He, to be a perfect atoning element had to have the potential to sin. Meaning it was within his psyche to will for himself and not God's will.
People further mistake sin, for something bad. Or sins for a list of bad things people do. But even thogh there are many bad things people do that are described as sins, we ought to be able to ask ourselves, 'by what standards are these things bad?' When we have boild it down to the bottom line, we come to the conclusion that those 'bad things' we do are in fact our willingness to live outside of God's will. That is the sin. And Jesus could have chosen that for himself. But, He did not, Praise God! That is why He, Jesus the man was perfect".

jeleasure said...

Hi Hun,
I'm just leaving this message for an opportunity to give you a blog to read.
I think you will find something endearing in this. My message to her will tell you how I felt. I know you have been there, and this is why I want to share this person's blog with you. It is the second one from the top. Here is the address: http://momof4savedbygrace.blogspot.com/
I'm going to give you a call now.
Love your husband

jeleasure said...

Good morning Dear.
Here is a link to my new post. Satan's Relationship With God
Have a good day. I'll talk to you this evening.

jeleasure said...

Sorry,
I think it will work like this. It just is not as neat. I will have to work on it.
Love you.
http://deityquest-jeleasure.blogspot.com/2008/07/satans-relationship-with-god.html

jeleasure said...

O.k. Hun, I think this is the link code that will work. Satan's Relationship With God

Vicki said...

Thanks, Dear One,
the last message has the link that works. i think you already know this. Must get back to studying.

Jeff said...

Hi Vicki,

I decided I would drop by and leave a comment after seeing your link in Russ' article.

Healing, true healing, is having a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Well said.

Your article addresses a very pertinent subject today.

I read somewhere that most of the people in mental hospitals, as well as many in regular hospitals, would be released and healthy if only they could find a way to get rid of the guilt that plagued them. Well, they can, if they will only come to Jesus and allow Him to forgive them of their sins. Sin is the worst disease there is, and Jesus will heal a person of that disease if they will repent and surrender to Him.

Healing is a topic that, I believe, is so misused and abused in the Church today. The idea is being used by televangelists to bring huge financial profit to their ministry, leeching off their faithful viewers.

I have been in Charismatic churches for years, and I have seen many so-called 'healings' take place. Yet, not once did I see any proof of any healing. And, more often than not, I saw proof that the person was NOT healed.

In addition, I have never, at any healing service I have ever been to or watched on TV, seen limbs grow back, or a person suffering from cerebral palsy being healed, or anything at all that was physically obvious and could provide foolproof evidence that the person was actually healed. It is always something internal that cannot be seen. Even people getting out of wheelchairs or tossing aside crutches can easily be faked.

Do I believe God heals today? Yes. In fact, I believe I was miraculously healed by God of acute appendicitis. But not by someone pushing me down or touching me. It was through desperate prayer, after a doctor told me how serious it was, and realizing that I had no insurance and could not afford to pay any hospital bills.

However, I also believe that there are many in the Church who are being deceived in this area.

One of my brothers is heavily into Charismatic teachings. I was visiting him the other week, and a friend of his was there, who has supposedly healed many, and even raised people from the dead. Well, he was cursing and using God's Name in vain over and over while I was there. I was shocked. He claimed that he "knew the technique" to heal people. Technique? I didn't know it was a learned skill that could be manipulated by man. I thought it was God doing it through His power. The guy said that he doesn't 'push' people, because he said that too many others push people down. Instead, he said he just takes their hands in his. That all sounds good and well, except that, as I said, he was cursing and using God's Name in vain the whole time he was telling me all this. A person who is truly walking close to God would not be doing that.

At a church I used to attend, a couple's teen son was supposedly healed from cancer in a church service. The father was ecstatic and began praising God in front of the congregation, and, as the weeks went by, he became the Pastor's favorite, and would often speak of how great God is, in front of the church. Well, not too long after that, their son died. As soon as that happened, the family quit the church. Apparently, their faith was in the healing, not in God.

Even during Jesus' earthly ministry, many followed Him for the free meals and the miraculous healings. When Jesus became more serious in His message, those who had been following Him only for what they could get out of it (i.e., healing and food), left Him.

Joni Earekson Tada had many "faith healers" pray over her, but she was never healed. If she had never become a paraplegic, or if she had been healed, she would not have the amazing and wide-reaching ministry that she has today.

In Heaven, all of the redeemed will be healed. On earth, any healing is temporary anyway, because we are going to die some day, no matter what. Too many Christians focus on getting health, wealth and happiness during this lifetime, instead of focusing on glorifying and obeying God, including warning the unsaved about Hell.

Great Grandfather Humes

Great Grandfather Humes
Great Grandfather, Charles Humes, started the family interest in trucks. He is in the center of the picture and Great Grandmother, Eva Humes, is to the left of him.