healing

Know the Difference

And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. — Matthew 17:18

Men, an epileptic boy is brought to Jesus. Jesus rebukes a demon and immediately it came out of him and the boy was healed. Today, 2000 years or so later, there is still no real cure for epilepsy. It can be “managed” with rest, medication, avoiding flashing lights and abstaining from drugs and alcohol, but can’t be cured with any known medical treatment.

What happened here was not a prescription for managing symptoms. I wouldn’t dare say all epileptic cases are of demonic origin, but this particular case was in fact demonic indwelling which manifested in symptoms of epilepsy. I’m no doctor, but seeing a case of healing like this should have us standing up to take notice. The ability of Jesus to recognize a health matter in truth as a spiritual matter is something we should all take note of.

While history is filled with bad cases of overzealous spiritual healers condemning citizens of all forms of evil, neither is popping a pill down our throats the blanket solution for all matters of health. How can we know the difference between a legitimate health issue and an influence of evil? We can test the spirits, but please, do not allow Hollywood to be your guide into this subject. Jesus could “see” the difference.

The miracles that Jesus performed are giftings available to us as well, in the right context, with faith in Christ Jesus who overcame. Please, do not try to extract a demon from someone choking on a chicken bone next Sunday at the diner. But hope is not lost if you’ve exhausted all normal means of treatment as this man and boy had. Jesus can see, and He is the answer regardless of the issue. The Lord Jesus has authority on earth, water, air and the heavens. He has authority over all sickness and evil. Jesus is our answer.

Move forward men, in decisive faith in Jesus. Listen for His voice in your heart guiding us to clarity on matters of health and the heart. Allow His Spirit to aid us in discernment. Take all matters to Jesus who heals.

Vance Durrance

Jesus Our Healer

26. Jesus answered them and said, Truly, truly I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God has set His seal. — John 6:26,27

Over the last several weeks I’ve been dealing with some physical challenges. Challenges that my Savior could have easily healed or prevented. In the process many have prayed for that healing, myself included, and the prayer has seemly gone unanswered, or has it? Does my loving Savior have a greater purpose in mind than my physical comfort? The people in John 6 had had their physical desires met and wanted more. Jesus calls them out on it. As the chapter continues, Jesus continues to try to point them to eternal life, but sadly many stayed focused on their physical desires, not on the true purpose of the miracle and left.

Before I go on, I need to clarify that I do believe that miraculous healings are for the present day (James 5:14,15). I have seen them. The thing that needs to be remembered though, as in the days of Jesus the physical healing was never intended to be an end unto itself. The purpose of the healing was to point the person or crowd to a relation with Jesus. The same is true today. No physical healing on this earth lasts long, we are all in the process of dying, unless their is eternal healing. (Salvation)

As the days and weeks have been passing the words of two songs have been going through my head. 1. Do I want the Healer more than I want the healing? 2. Even though I know that all my Savior has to do is speak the words and I will be healed, but if He doesn’t will I trust him any way? Do I trust my Savior that there are greater purposes going on than my physical healing and or comfort, that of making me more like Him. Paul said in Phil. 4:11 that he had LEARNED to be content (trust) while he sat in a Roman jail, which God could have freed him from. Heb. 11:6 tells us that, “without faith (trust) it is impossible to please God.” As I am going through (learning) this process I can not count the times the Holy Spirit has whispered in my ear “do or will you trust me?” Do I, do you, want the healing that prepares me, you for eternal life more than the comfort of this life? Do we want the Healer more than the healing???

Tim Smith

Tag: healing

Know the Difference

Healing or Healer