Partial healings frequently occur

Continued from Part 1 –>

We earlier looked at the account of Jesus’ healing in 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. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

What we learn here is that partial healings can occur. Why? Perhaps because we are complex and fragile beings who cannot handle the whole healing at once. Perhaps we must deal with some heart issues like forgiveness that get in the way of receiving.

The “why” is not important, What is important is that it shows us partial healing can and does occur. When it does, what should our approach be? Keep getting after it.

Again I say, be encouraged and continue to get after it. Some have been healed after many sessions of prayer. In Hebrews 6:12, we read;

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

In today’s church, we often have faith but lack patience. If we don’t receive right away, we say God has stopped healing for all time.  We inherit the promises through faith and patience (some translations say ‘perseverance’). We should have faith, but also persevere.

In Luke 11 and Luke 18, Jesus conveyed to us the importance of steadfastness, urging us to “pray and never give up“. We can be too quick to give up, too quick to surrender. He wouldn’t tell us not to give up if everything was going to be easy.

I have prayed up to a year for healing. Nothing happening was followed by nothing happening. But healing finally came. Why so long? Brothers, I honestly don’t know. I have no clue other than we are opposed by the enemy of our souls.

I just knew to be dogged and to persevere. Do the same and the same God who, under no duress, filled His Book, the Bible, with promises of healing, will be there to heal.

Get after it.

Partial healings frequently occur

Partial healing can be a stumbling block for many in the healing ministry. It is a complex subject for many reasons. Some ask, “If God is healing and He has all power, why doesn’t He do it completely?”

Others get discouraged when they see those they pray for receive only partial relief, and in some cases, lose even that which they received.

Now, as usual there are many facets to this. Let’s be clear though, when I talk about partial healing, I mean that which is verifiable in the cold light of day.

There are preachers who ride in for the weekend, pray for the masses and ask for a show of hands for those who have received their healing. They then ask for a show of hands for those who have received partial healing.

Much of the second category and some of the first are just exercises in emotion, exercises in adrenalin. Jesus did not go about with microphone and speakers whipping his flock into a frenzy – His healings were verifiable when the dust has settled and the preacher has left town.

Pity the hopefuls who come expecting healing and don’t want to disappoint the preacher who asks them if they have “partial relief” from their symptoms. Especially when a microphone is poked in their faces.

Ninety nine percent of the time, the answer is; “Yes, the pain is less” or “Yes, I feel a little better”. While in some cases this is true, in most cases, they just want to save the pastor embarassment or avoid “negative confession”.

How do I know? Over two decades spent in healing ministry, many being a follow-up minister after the “big guns” left town.

Here’s the classic account in 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. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Jesus ministered to the blind man in verse 22 and asked him whether he saw anything. He said he saw people, but they looked like trees. In other words, there was an improvement, but he still did not have normal eyesight.

In our day, the one ministered too might have declared “I’m healed, in Jesus Name!!”. Well, obviously, he would not be. Ministry would then be over and you might see moving trees for the rest of your life. We can become so overspiritual, we stop making sense.

After praying for a person, I ask them to tell me exactly what they experienced. If nothing, I tell them to recheck after awhile and if healing still doesn’t show up in a reasonable amount of time, we can have another ministry session.

I tell them to tell me exactly how and what they feel and experience, not what they think I want to hear.

This is one of the reasons I am such a fan of smaller healing settings like Healing Rooms, where you can come back and receive continuing ministry.

continued–>

The woman bowed over 18 years

You may be familiar with the account of the old woman Jesus healed, who had been bowed over for eighteen years. Here’s the account, beginning in Luke 13:

Luke 13:10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Just a few notes here.  This woman had been crippled, not by osteoarthritis or other physical causes, but by a spirit, an evil spirit.  Some believe there are only physical causes for sickness, but the Bible disagrees.  She was crippled by a spirit that had made its home on her for 18 years.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is “discerning of spirits” or the ability to sense if a spirit is present, usually in a ministry situation.  The gifts are rarely taught today, so unfortunately, many who might have otherwise received relief do not receive such.

Does this mean that all sickness has a spirit as a direct cause?  No, that is not supported by scripture.  Many times, Jesus would simply declare healing or lay hands on the sick for healing.  Besides, gifts of healing would not be needed if this was so; we would simply cast a demon out each time and minister healing that way.  (This has not stopped some ministers from doing this though!)

There are sicknesses caused by or rooted solely in physical reasons, but it is clear from the Word that there are also sicknesses caused solely by evil spirits. And there are likely to be combinations also.

When Jesus put his hands on her, the spirit had to leave, it could not remain in the presence of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Some think that casting out devils is the only way to deal with them.  This is not the case.  Jesus did not cast it out, he ministered by the laying on of hands.

A word of caution – please be trained and mentored in deliverance before you do deliverance this way.  Also, if you go around laying hands on folk with unsavory secrets in your own life, it may be risky for you.  You clearly should not be involved in deliverance if you are bound in sin.  Let the wise reader understand.

I love the fact that Jesus interrupted his sermon to minister to this old woman.  He did not let programs interfere with compassion.  He called her forward right away and ministered healing to her and she was healed.  Don’t let programs interfere with compassion.  Jesus did not.

The old woman was immediately healed and praised God for it.  Can you see that God gets glory when people are healed, not by people being sick?  After she was healed, what did she do?  I love it.   She straightened up and praised God!!

When was she praising God, before or after her healing? Afterwards, Glory to God!  Yes, you might say, but we should praise God all the time.  Agreed.  However, praise is for something done.  She could not and did not praise God for healing her before she got healed.  She praised God AFTER she got healed.

Some praise God for their sickness.  Sorry, I’m not in that select group.  The Bible says in James: “Is anyone sick?  Let him call the elders to anoint him with oil….”  Not let him praise God. God receives praise when you are well, so get healed and praise Him for healing you.

To be continued..

“He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6)

When people read this, self doubt often arises, based on a self-appraisal of their faith. Many feel their faith is not sufficient to receive from God. I’m not sure how to break this to you, but there’s truth to the fact that faith is important. James declares,

1:6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

This lets us know that faith is important. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:5). Sadly, as I mentioned earlier, most churches do little to teach or preach healing, so it can be an uphill battle for congregations and congregants alike in the area of faith for healing.

However, here is the good news. Remember Jesus’ response to the disciples after they failed to drive out a demon from a boy?

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small 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.”

The fact is you don’t need a huge amount of faith to move mountains, or to increase healings for that matter. A mustard seed-sized faith will do. Besides, faith doesn’t come from willpower, it comes from hearing. So the more I feed myself with the Word on healing, the more faith automatically grows in my heart. People with strong faith for healing are not mystics – they have simply embraced the Word on healing over and over again.

The second encouraging fact is that my healing is not always dependent on my faith. Sometimes it can be partly or almost wholly dependent on the faith of another. We can enter the Prayer of Agreement with another believer for healing or we can receive healing primarily through another’s spiritual gifts and faith.

Remember also when Jesus healed the blind man who didn’t even know who He was? Clearly, the blind man’s faith was not a factor, nor was the cripple’s faith at the Gate Beautiful. Isn’t it great that in the Body of Christ, we can minister to each other?

So feed your faith constantly with God’s Word, to be able to minister to yourself and to others. However, don’t be reticent or prideful about being healed through the faith and gifts of others. God can, and will work through others to bless you.

(Mat 9:2-7 NIV)  Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” {3} At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” {4} Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? {5} Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? {6} But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” {7} And the man got up and went home.

You know the context, the four friends of the paralytic had lowered him through the roof, after trying unsuccessfully to forge a way through the crowds.  Anyhow, Jesus saw their faith and said to him “…your sins are forgiven” Of course, this offended the Pharisees (what didn’t?)  To them, forgiveness of sins was the hard thing, they had already seen Jesus heal before, to them, that was easier.

Jesus showed them they had it in reverse order.  Which is easier?  He says in effect (paraphrased):  “I’ve just done the less challenging task and you’re offended.  I’ll do the more challenging task, so you’ll know beyond a doubt I can do the lesser task”.

OK, before I get a ton of mail, let me clarify this.  Healing won’t get you to heaven, the forgiveness of sins will. Forgiveness of your sins via the New Birth is the greatest work that the Holy Spirit will do in you. That was the major thing that Christ died for.  Absolutely.  However, it is exactly because this was the major focus of His death and resurrection i.e., for our status in eternity that it is easier for us to minister effectively.

Note that I said for us to minister effectively, not for God to do.  Actually, God does not break a sweat either saving you or healing you.  However, in ministering to others, healing is harder to minister effectively than the forgiveness of sins.  Remember that Jesus did not minister as the Son of God, He ministered as a man anointed by the Spirit of God. That’s the same way we minister.

Here’s a test for you.  I’ll give you 100 people who want to be saved but don’t know how.  After a half hour with you, 90+% will be born again.  You’ll explain salvation thoroughly and pray with them.

Switch it around.  I’ll give you 100 sick people-cancer, deafness, heart problems, diabetes.  What would your percentage of healings be?  See what I mean?  Healing is also harder because it involves the physical.  Since you do not depend on seeing physical changes for salvation, it is easier for us.  What do you think?

(Mark 1:40-41 NIV) A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” {41} Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

For me, God’s willingness seems quite clear, as in the other 25 instances of individual healings in the New Testament. Jesus said “I am willing…” and proceeded to heal the leper. Someone might say, ‘but that was Jesus, not God’. However to this, we say:

(John 4:34 NIV) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

Jesus is the will of God in action, ergo, you need look no closer than Jesus to see God’s will. That’s why He said to Philip:

(John 14:9 NIV) …”Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

So is healing the will of God? I suggest the Word is a better witness of this than the folks I prayed for who stayed sick, or the folks you prayed for who didn’t recover. We seem to have gotten ourselves to a place where anecdote and experiences determine theology. Do you agree?

1. The Nobleman’s Son (Jn 4:46).
2. The Man with an Unclean Spirit ( Mk 1:21, Lu 4:31).
3. Simon Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Matt 8:14, Mk 1:29, Lu 4:38).
4. The Healing of the Leper (Matt 8:1, Mk 1:40, Lu 5:12).
5. The Healing of the Paralytic (Matt 9:1, Mk 2:1, Lu 5:17).
6. The Man at Bethesda pool (Jn. 5:2).
7. The Man with the Withered Hand (Matt 12:9, Mk 3:1, Lu 6:6).
8. The Centurion’s Servant (Matt 8:5; Lu 7:2)
9. Widow’s Deceased Son (Lu 7:11)
10. Demoniacs at Gadara (Matt 8:28; Mk 5:1; Lu 8:26)
11. Woman with the Issue of Blood (Matt 9:20; Mk 5:25; Lu 8:43)
12. Jairus’s Deceased Daughter (Matt 9:18; Mk 5:21; Lu 8:40)
13. Two Blind Men (Matt 9:27)
14. Mute, Possessed Man (Matt 9:32)
15. Daughter of Canaanite (Matt 15:21; Mk 4:24)
16. Deaf Man with Impediment (Mk 7:32)
17. Blind Man at Bethsaida (Mk 8:22)
18. Epileptic Boy (Matt 17:14; Mk 9:14; Lu 9:37)
19. Man Born Blind (Jn 9:1)
20. Man, Blind, Dumb, Possessed (Matt 12:22; Lu 11:14)
21. Woman Bent Double (Lu 13:10)
22. Man with Dropsy (Lu 14:1)
23. Lazarus (Jn 11:11)
24. Ten Lepers (Lu 17:11)
25. Blind Bartimaeus (Matt 20:29; Mk 10:45; Lu 18:35)
26. Malchus (Lu 22:50)

(Acts 10:38 NIV) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Someone also forgot to tell the apostles, because they just continued doing what Jesus did. One interesting thing is that I count 26 times where Jesus healed individuals in the gospels. These are individual healings, as many other times, he healed the ‘multitude’. I’ll provide that list in my next post, it’s fascinating.

If Jesus is the will of God in action (which He is!), then you would suppose that if God didn’t want to heal all the time, Jesus would have turned at least one of these unfortunates away. He might have said to the guy with the withered hand: “Sorry mate, you’re out of luck, it’s not God’s will to heal you”. Bartimaeus likewise might have been impetuous, but deferred. He might have instead said: “I appreciate the fact that you’re blind, but God wants you so for some mysterious purpose”.

Instead, he healed ALL 26, every single one. He wasn’t rioting against God’s will, was He? No, He was the fulfillment of God’s perfect will. Therefore, if we look at Jesus, the inescapable conclusion is that it is always God’s will to heal. Obviously folks are not always healed, but that’s another story, for another day. I know that the former statement may grate against much of the evangelical “orthodoxy”, but hey, that’s OK. As long as we follow the Word, we’re on good ground. I’ll continue along these lines next time.