You know, it is not enough for us Christians, to just want a healing or anything else from God. God wants to see, that we demonstrate our faith somehow. One thing is to believe, but entirely other thing is to act on your faith.
When we read Matthew 8:6,7, we can see, that there is a questions, which Jesus asked the centurion. Now, did not Jesus know, that all that the centurion wanted, is for Jesus to heal his servant. Of course, he knew, because the centurion has already told him so. But despite the fact, that Jesus knew what is the problem with the servant of the centurion, and what that centurion wanted Jesus to do for him, he still asked the centurion that question 'Shall I come and heal him'? Was that question necessary? Well according to the centurion, probably not, but according to God, yes. You see, God wants us to not only believe his Word and his promises, but to also act on our faith. God wants us to confess our faith in him and his Word, just like the centurion did, by saying to Jesus, to just say the Word, and his servant would be healed, in verses 8, and 9. If Jesus did not ask the centurion that question, if he should go to the place of the centurion, and heal his servant, perhaps the centurion would not make those great statements of faith, before Jesus, which he made in verses 8, and 9. What the centurion said in the verses 8 and 9, was pure faith in what Jesus can do for him, pure faith and a confession of faith in the miraculous from God. That is why Jesus was amazed at his faith, and commented that the faith of the centurion is a great faith. God could ask us a question, to test our faith, before he gives us a miracle, in order to see our response, if it will be a response of a great faith, which will glorify God, and will bring the miraculous, or it would be a lack of faith, which will be like a handbrake for the miracle from heaven. And all that is left, is up to us, how we want to respond to the promises of God.
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Did you know, that you can be around Jesus and still miss the blessing? God has many blessings for us, but he never forces any of his blessing on us, and we can completely miss them, if we are full with doubt and unbelief.
In the Gospel of Mark 6:56, It says that many people were around Jesus and that some people, were touching his clothes. But you have to notice that, although many people were around Jesus, only those who came to him and touched his clothes, were healed. Why? Because they had the touch of faith. All the other people, who were around Jesus, but did not touch his clothes, were just spectators, who completely missed it. There were many people around Jesus, everyday, while he was on earth. Some believed the miracles he did, but others when they saw the miracles, tried to kill him. So, being around Jesus is not enough. You have to do something, some type of action, in order to manifest your faith in him. Touching his clothes with faith, will give you the miracles. They would not touch his clothes, if they did not believe, that he would heal them. The only reason they came to him and touched his clothes, was that they believed, they will be healed, like many other people they have seen before, coming to Jesus, touching his clothes and get healed. Did not Jesus want to heal all the people around him? Yes he does. But he also wants to see faith. That is why in Mark 6:5, 6 it says that Jesus was in one place, where he did not do many miracles, apart from healing a few people, because of their lack of faith. And he marvelled at their unbelief. Knowing about Jesus is not enough to produce a miracle in your life. You have to demonstrate your faith in him and his Word, by some action, by something you do. Your actions manifest and display an unbelief or faith, and so do your words. Jesus is more that happy to see those actions of faith. The power of God was there all the time in Jesus, to heal everyone, but those only standing around him, just like spectators, did not receive it. Only the ones who did something practically, like touching the robe of Jesus because of their faith in him, received his power, and were healed. God does not care, where you come from, what you past has been, or what you have done in the past, in order to heal you! He does not heal you because you are from America, Europe, Asia or any country in the world. He does not heal you, because you are a good or bad person, according to your own estimation! No, He heals you, because of only one and only one reason, because of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross, and by his resurrection which we believe! That is it! Our healing is already provided for us from God the Father, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave!
When we read Luke 7:1-10, we can see that Jesus healed the servant of certain man, the Centurion. Now, that man was not even a Jew himself, but was one of the enemies of the Jews, the Romans who occupied their own country. And yet, Jesus healed his servant. Based on what? Was it because that Centurion build the Jews a Synagogue? I doubt it. There was only one reason, why Jesus decided to heal the servant of that Centurion, and that reason was the faith of the Centurion, about which even the Son of God marvelled and commented about. Faith in the heart of the Centurion about what Jesus said and did, was what caused Jesus to perform the miracle. Jesus could easily say to him that he can not heal his servant, because he was not even a Jew, but a gentile, a Roman pagan, who was a soldier, with the possible background of killing people, on the battle field, and as a Roman soldier, being ready to obey any command from Cesar, his king in Rome, even if that meant, killing or hurting the Jews, in a certain way. And yet, Jesus overlooked all the background of that Roman Centurion, and everything to do with his background, as a Roman soldier, an enemy of the Jews by law, and healed his servant. It is amazing that Jesus was amazed by the faith of a such a man like the Roman Centurion. You maybe thinking, that you do not deserve Jesus to heal you, because of what you have done in the past, or because people have labeled you, as bad person, or because some people said, that you are not worthy or you do not deserve to be healed. Forget about all that crap! Just look at what mercy and how much grace Jesus had for this pagan, a Roman soldier, considering only his faith, and nothing else. Jesus was like 'closing his eyes' to the background of the Roman Centurion, and was interested only in his faith. That is all that Jesus is interested in order to heal you too! Your own faith in him, and his Word! That is it! He will also 'close his eyes' to all your background, where you come from, what you have done in the past, and will heal you, grabbing the little faith you have in him, in order to grant you healing, which was provided for you on the cross, long time ago anyway. Just grab it by faith and thank him, and give him glory! You can break free, from anxiety and worry about, how you will pay your next bill, where to find a job, or to be healed from disease! That is what God promises in so many places in his Word for his children! Do you find yourself, in a situation where you are stuck with an incurable condition, or you wonder how you can pay your bills, or you worry about how to find an employment, and more money for your needs? Well, all this situation in the world, with this Covid 19 stuff, is really making the world wonder and worry, what will happen next. But, if you are a Christian, read on, because the one who created the world, has put his attention on you, and your situation. God either cares for us, or he does not. What matters is that he has said that he cares. He cares for your bill to be paid, he cares to restore you to health, and he cares to provide what you need! That is a fact established in heaven, and in his Word. The Bible says that no word from God will fail! Your illness, your lack of money or lack of employment will fail to accomplish its own purpose, but the Word of God will never fail to accomplish its own purpose, but will fulfil the reason, why God sent it on the first place! If you look at Psalm 9:9, you can clearly see that is says that God is our stronghold, in a time of trouble. Well, living in a Covid 19 is a time of trouble, but God is our stronghold, and we can surely run into the protection and the provision from God, in that time of trouble. When we are in a time of trouble, it is the time to run to God and come close to him for help, and not run away from God. In Psalm 9:10, God says that he will never forsake us. That is about God not forsaking us, or forgetting about us, especially when we are in a time of trouble! That is what it says, because it says so, in verse 9, of Psalm 9. That means God will not forsake you, or forget about your illness which is waiting to be healed from him, and he will not forsake or forget about your need of money or employment. That is what God is concerned about not forsaking you! He just says that you will be helped, provided and healed from him, only if you do one thing, and that is to trust in him and his Word. If you can do that one thing, as it says in Psalm 9:10, to know God's name, seek him, and trust in him, then the rest will be done for you by God himself! If you seek first your employer, or your doctor for your disease, very often you can be disappointed with the trust you have in them, because that trust can often crumble. But God is saying 'Trust me, because I am trustworthy'. How many times you can trust God? Any time, without limit, just as he is not limited. That is all he asks, that we trust him, and his Word. God has a good solid reason, to ask us to trust in him and his Word, and that reason is, that he knows that his Word is true! That is why Jesus said so many times in the Gospels, 'truly, truly I say to you'. Your hope in God, to help you in your illness, find a job, or money, will never perish, if you continue to trust him! That is what Psalm 9:18 says, meaning that if you are afflicted by unemployment, illness or a lack of money, your hope to be helped by God, will never perish, but what you hope to get from God, will be accomplished, because he has promised so! God's will for you is to heal you! No question about it!
Old Testament or New Testament, the Bible is full with examples of healing from God, for everyone who believes, from all sorts of diseases. Being sick does not bring glory to God, but being healed by God, does! Let us start with our salvation first! Did you know, that the original Greek word for 'save' also means 'heal'? In other words, when Jesus died on the cross for us, he provided not only salvation for us and forgiveness of sins, but also a healing for us. God does not care what it is called, if it is called Covid 19, Covid 20 or 2000! God who created the heaven and earth is not only willing to heal from Covid 19, but is also able to do so! The question if God wants to heal or not, simply evaporates, when we read the Bible and especially the New Testament and all the healing which Jesus performed all the time. How can we wonder if God wants to heal us, when Jesus was healing all the time, wherever he went. All the four Gospels are full with healing examples from Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever! So God does not change and he does not change his mind about healing neither. When we read the 3 John verse 2, we can very clearly see, that John prayed for a brother called Gaius. It says that Gaius was prospering spiritually in his soul. What that does mean? Well, it means that he was doing what God requires of him, and was living a devoted Christian life, and that is what made him prosper spiritually. But John wanted Gaius to know, that God wanted Gaius to prosper physically, in his body too. John actually prayed for Gaius to be healthy in his body. That is healing, that is the will of God for us his children, to be healed and healthy! Perhaps Gaius was thinking that all that God has for him, is to be spiritually blessed, but not materially. John wanted Gaius to know, that God cares that we are healed and prosper materially as well as spiritually. God does not want us to be well spiritually and suffer materially, either by sickness or lack of what we need. Why should God want us to prosper only spiritually? That is why John had to pray for the physical health of Gaius, that God will keep Gaius in a good health, not only in his soul or spirit, but in his body too! It is 100 % for God to want to heal us! Otherwise, why would John pray that Gaius be healthy if it was not God's will for us to be healed? How many earthly father are there, who want their children sick? A normal father wants his children to be healthy! That is much more with us Christians, who are his children. We Christians are called blessed by God. How can you be blessed and sick at the same time? Part of the expressing the Kingdom of God in our life, is about healing from God. When Jesus was manifesting the Kingdom of God on earth, one part of that was healing. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is in us. So, if it is in us, then we can also express that Kingdom of God in us by praying for healing either for us or others. God heals today, just as was healing thousands of years ago, because he does not change his mind, and he remains the same forever. |
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