The Greatest Physician
Psalm 103:3
Does God still heal? Is it always God’s will to heal a Christian? Why do Christians get sick? What about the faith healers? These are not simple questions to answer. This is not a simple subject…it’s complicated. It’s impossible to put into one basket all the differing views on this.
The perspectives on “faith healing” today are as varied as the number of faith healers…
Some say, God wants to heal all sickness, it’s not God’s will for you to be sick, if you’re sick, you’re simply not walking in the divine will of God.
Others say, it’s a result of personal sin/or, a lack of faith/or, the devil at work/some claim to have the Biblical gift of healing/others claim they don’t have the gift, but are simply being used of God to lead others to walk in faith/some claim to be able to heal w/ their touch, others with a spoken word, even thru tv and radio/some say that when you are healed as soon as you “claim it”, and that if you still feel sick, those are just “lying symptoms”…if I have the flu, and claim healing, and still have a temperature, it’s just a lying symptom from the devil, trying to convince me I’m still sick, and shake my faith.
1. Healing Defined
Healing is an ability of God which existed before there was anyone to heal. In the NT, healing was a sign gift. God chose to use that ability to make a point. And He gave that gift to some of His own as well, for the same purpose.
Today, God continues to heal, sovereignly, whom He will, but the sign gifts have ceased. Yet, He still chooses to heal oftentimes.
When the body heals, it’s by God’s power…when modern medicine heals, it’s only because of God’s power enabling man to work in that area physically, tho’ it’s still miraculous in appearance, and is to the extent that God is making it possible.
Bkgrnd: When Jesus walked the earth, He claimed to be God, and authenticated that fact w/ many signs and wonders, and even gave gifts unto His disciples…sign gifts…to testify to Who He is. Mt. 10 makes that clear. Acts 2:22, Jn. 2:11, Jn. 5:36
Once the Bible was completed, there was no longer a need for the sign gifts. Peter said, “We now have a more sure word of prophecy than a voice from heaven”…he was talking about the written word of God.
How did Jesus heal?
The Word-Faith movement love to quote Heb. 13:8 “Jesus, the same yesterday, today, forever”
In context, that verse is talking about his essence and attributes, not the methods that He uses throughout history, which do change.
Their “yesterday” only goes back 2000 years. Was Jesus present in the OT, sure He was (fiery furnace/creation, etc.) Were there sign gifts in the OT! No!
For the sake of argument, let’s say Jesus will still give the gift of healing today, to men like these today. If so, the gift will be the same as it was 2,000 years ago, correct?
2. Healing Demonstrated
Six characteristics of Jesus’ healing
1. Jesus went to the sick, He didn’t wait for them to come to Him!
Mt. 9:35
35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Today’s faith healers rarely leave their coliseums/tents/tv studios. They need a controlled environment, staged their way, where an offering plate can be passed, or a toll-free # given!
The same gift would be in hospitals, nursing homes, and sanitariums!
2. Jesus healed instantly
“immediately” the woman w/ issue of blood was healed
ten lepers cleansed “instantaneously”
crippled man at pool of Bethesda “immediately became well”
“that same hour” often used, meaning, right then.
3. Jesus healed totally
No recuperation period needed when Jesus healed. Diseases didn’t go into remission, only to later return…and there were no lying symptoms. When Jesus heals, the disease AND the symptoms depart!
One day Kenneth Hagan proclaimed at a mtg that a pastor was healed of deafness. After the mtg, the pastor still couldn’t hear. Here’s how Hagan rationalized it,
“if you don’t have enough faith in you to hold onto what you have, the devil will steal it away”
Now the pastor is not only deaf, now he’s on a guilt trip!
4. Jesus healed everyone
He didn’t leave long lines of disappointed people who had to go home in wheelchairs. He didn’t end a healing service to catch a plane, or because the TV airtime had expired!
Lk. 4:40
40Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
Nobody went home disappointed!
William Nolan is not a Christian, but he is a MD. “Healing, a doctor in search of a miracle” is his book.
He went to see Cathryn Kuhlman in a faith-healing mtg and tells of watching people leave in their wheelchairs, crying. Parents carrying crippled children in their arms, weeping because they were too far back in line to get on stage.
When Jesus healed, he healed everyone involved!
5. Jesus healed of organic diseases
Not just back aches, heart palpitations, headaches, and other invisible ailments. He healed crippled legs, withered hands, blind eyes, palsy. And all of His healings were undeniably miraculous.
6. Jesus did the ultimate of all healings, raising the dead!
That is the ultimate form of healing…and Jesus always did it in public, w/ large crowds gathered around!
They love to quote, “ the same yesterday, today, forever”, but they don’t spend much time at funeral homes, cemetaries, and not one of them went to ground zero in 2001, when it was a perfect opportunity for big publicity, because they can’t heal the way Jesus did!
And the disciples had the same gift, and exercised it in exactly the same way as Jesus did…
In Acts, Barnabas, Philip, Stephen, and others, healed instantly in
Acts 2:3-8
Totally Acts 9:34
Everyone 5:16
Organic diseases, not just symptomatic
Raised the dead 9:36-42
Ladies and Gentlemen, if this gift were still around today, I would rejoice and so would you. But no one is exhibiting the gift Jesus had!
I say to these people who claim to be healers, go ahead…but if you blatantly disregard and dispose of the characteristics that typify Biblical healing, then I ask you not to call yourself “full gospel”.
Even toward the end of the apostle Paul’s ministry, even as he approaches finishing his last written works to the church, you can see his gift of healing begin to wane, and eventually, cease.
Phil. 2:25-27
Epaphroditus was Paul’s friend, became very sick, and there’s no mention of healing.
II Tim. 4:20 Paul left Trophimus in Miletus, sick
2 questions:
Can God still heal today? Does He still heal today?
The answer is an emphatic YES to both!
But God heals whom He will, when He will, and it’s not up to us to second guess God. He heals in His own time, by His own means, for His own glory, and acc’d to His sovreign will.
And, God also helps those who help themselves. God expects us to use conventional wisdom, and to go to the Doctor, or the hospital, for help!
Jesus said, “they that are whole don’t need a physician but they that are sick”
Part 2: Understanding the other side
Right up front tonite, I want to mention that I will name some names in this message of nationally known people whose teachings conflict with sound Biblical doctrine. I want to make it clear that there’s no malice in my heart, no anger toward them…I don’t even question their character or integrity.
But if you’re bold enough to make some dogmatic statements on national tv and radio, then I will be bold enough to point out Biblical conflicts with those I’ve been called to shepherd.
Hobart Freeman, in the ‘60’s, was a Baptist pastor being greatly used of God, he wrote an orthodox book that was doctrinally sound, titled: “an introduction to the OT prophets” published by Moody press in ’69. In the mid ‘60’s, he became fascinated by faith healing…he suffered from polio…and, by the way, that is usually what drives people to this theology…desperation…grasping for anything that can help!
Freeman had a leg that would hardly work, damaged from polio, it was shorter than the other leg, it was very painful for him to even walk…but he claimed his healing. His theology wouldn’t allow him to accept his situation. If you even mentioned his leg, he would say, I have my healing, it’s just a lying symptom! He refused treatment, and died, when treatment would have prolonged his life. He became a victim of his own teaching.
Have a cold? Claim your healing! What about that persistent cough? It’s just a lying symptom!
A.A. Allen, one of the most famous tent evangelists of last century, was a faith healer, died of sclerosis of the liver…all the while claiming to heal people, he battled alcoholism himself, and died from it.
Cathryn Kuhlman, another faith healer, suffered w/ heart disease for 20 years before dying in 1976.
Ruth Carter Stapleton, the faith-healing sister of Jimmy Carter, died of cancer in ’83, refusing medical treatment.
The faith healing movement has a term for this…they call it a positive confession. But psychologists have another word for it: “denial”. And people who persist in living in denial, have obvious problems. Ex.:
Bruce Baron wrote the book, “the health and wealth gospel”…in it he tells of one church that ran into a rather sensitive situation.
“the pastor rose sheepishly to instruct his congregation on a ticklish concern. Some of the church members, he had heard, were spreading contagious diseases around the church, as they brought their sick babies into the church nursery, against the protest of the nursery workers. They made their positive confession that their children were healed, and that since they had claimed their healing, there was nothing to worry about. They dismissed the children’s persistent coughs as lying symptoms. But those lying symptoms proved to be contagious. And only an announcement from the pulpit could succeed at putting an end to the problem.”
They became entrapped by their own theology.
Kenneth Hagan in “Understanding the Anointing”, tells of one faith healer’s method. (He’s commending him, not disapproving) “He’d always spit on them, every single one of them. He’d spit on his hand, and rub it on them, that’s the way he ministered…if there was something wrong with your head, he’d spit in his hand and rub it on your head. If you had stomach trouble, he’d spit in his hand, and rub in on your clothes, and on your stomach. If you had something wrong with your knee, he’d spit in his hand and rub it on your knee, and all the people would get healed.”
There is no end to the parade of outlandish methods faith healers use…and if you’ve ever watched christian TV, you know what I’m talking about.
Oral Roberts asked for a “seed faith offering” which he explained was just a down-payment on your healing.
Robert Tilton, before being exposed as a fraud, used to send out handkerchiefs he’d prayed over. Of course, the larger the donation, the greater the miracle you could expect.
Pat Robertson seems to be able to glare thru a TV camera, right into living rooms, and tell who’s being healed, and what of! Have you seen his eyes when he does that. When I first saw it, I decided to start watching how I dressed when I watched the 700 club! Kimberly, your robe!
Paul and Jan Crouch, on TBN, are into it now…look out! And if you throw Benny Hinn into the mix, wow! How wild can it get!
Mesmerism! (from a former staff member of Hinn)
Do you believe that evangelist Benny Hinn is anointed of God? In reality, he uses mesmerism! This technique was formulated by Franz Anton Mesmer, a physician and healer who achieved remarkable cures comparable to cases presented in today’s Miracle Crusades, although Mesmer never used God’s name in his practice. This German physician successfully developed a method to relieve the pain of his patients, believing in an invisible, curative fluid pervading the universe that could influence the human body. Some kind of an "anointing" if you will that acts on the mind of the person. This was the foundation of hypnotism.
Therefore, he spent a great deal of effort in trying to master that "invisible fluid." He developed the method, which is defined as follows: The capacity of raising the emotional state of an individual, or a crowd, to an abnormal, but controllable intensity. How is this accomplished? Mainly through music. Yes, emotional, repetitive music plays a role in the control of the mind and nervous system of the followers. The verb to mesmerize means: to hypnotize, to spellbind. It entered the language of the West as a synonym for "to throw into a trance" because the subjects would fall into a state of semi-consciousness. The technique is now being used in religious circles but disguised in different terms.
FRANZ MESMER put together ideas like suggestion and auto-suggestion in a scientific, systematic method, then popularized his concept for anyone to use. Considered the early pioneer of modern hypnotism, he performed his healing practice in the same manner faith healers operate their ministries today, achieving similar results perhaps even more extraordinary. Though this method has its benefits, please keep in mind that it is far from being inoffensive and harmless. Once people are mesmerized, they can no longer analyze.
He also exercised the laying on of hands. In his view, cures were induced through "magnetic passes" of the operator’s hands. Yes, the pain would go away and people believed they were cured. At times he would point at a patient standing many feet away from him; the next instant, the patient’s body would lie on the floor in convulsions. He also had a peculiar ability to throw his subjects into a state between sleep and wakefulness, and became a master of it.
MESMER and his disciples achieved remarkable cures of functional disorders. Thousands believed that such treatments were responsible for the recovery from back troubles, arthritis, paralysis, liver or stomach problems, epilepsy, stuttering, and even blindness. Followers also reported prickly sensations or tingling going through them as the operator exercised the ritual. These phenomena also occur in today’s crusades.
HINN often tells his followers that they can lose their miracle. For instance, he recommends that they should read verses and confess their healing to remain "healed." If they get sick again, well...it’s not his fault. I suggest to you that they’ve never been healed in the first place. When God heals, He heals instantly, completely, and permanently. I believe in miracles. I also believe that God acts regardless of the environment and He hears the cry of His children. But while some want to give God the glory when blessed, Benny Hinn walks away with the credit when a person gets better.
James Randi, who exposed Peter Popov (wife fed info thru ear piece)
(Randi) Well first of all they don’t do any faith healing, I think I can say that from a point of view of authority. I investigated for my book ’The Faith Healers’ 104 cases of people who said they had been healed by faith healers or about whom it was said they were healed. And I found out those 104 people belonged to three classes: first class is people who never had the disease that they thought they did. A quick example of that is a woman who said she’d been healed of throat cancer where the faith healer admitted he touched her on the forehead. So I questioned her further, and eventually got to talk to her doctor. And her doctor sort of shook his head and he said, ’I have examined her for throat cancer at least 15 times in the past few years. Her mother died of it some years ago and every time she gets a sore throat of any kind, or a frog in her voice or whatever, she swears she has throat cancer. She comes to me and I examine her, and say, "No, no trace of any abnormality there" but she still wants to believe she has throat cancer.’
The second class of people that I examined in those 104 people, were people who still had the diseases of which they said they’d been healed. One gentleman, he said he’d been healed of diabetes. W.P. Grant, who had apparently treated this man by again hitting him on the forehead with his palm. There has never been a recorded case of diabetes being healed but it can be treated effectively either with insulin or other drugs that simulate the effect of insulin. He said, ’I’m aware of that, but I want to testify to my healing.’ I said, ’OK, can I talk to your doctor?’ and he said, ’Yes’. There was a pause and he said, ’By the way, my doctor won’t agree that I’ve been healed.’ I said, ’Wait now, either you are healed or you’re not healed.’ He said, ’Yes, but my doctor’s not a Christian you see.’ And he said, ’Oh I see, you’re one of those sceptical people?’ I said, ’Yes indeed I am, Sir, I admit that.’ And he said, ’Well, I don’t think I want any more of this conversation.’ I said, ’One question more: are you still taking insulin?’ He said, ’I thought you’d ask that.’ He said, ’Yes, the Devil makes me take the insulin.’
The third class of people was even sadder. They were people who were already dead by the time I got around to interview them. And one case was in St Louis, Missouri, we went up to the front door and we were just knocking on the front door and they opened the front door and the gentleman was being wheeled out in the body bag on a gurney. He had died of the disease he said he’d been healed of, just the night before.
I can’t say that faith healing has never worked or that it doesn’t ever work. All I can say is my experience is 100% failure.
(Paul Willis) You’ve managed to show a number of them to be fakes, but since I’ve been here I’ve turned on the telly and there’s still plenty of them out there. Do you feel you’re fighting a losing battle?
(Randi) It’s a losing battle. One fellow once said to me "Mr Randi, I assume you will realise that you’re shovelling water uphill". (trying to convince a desperate person it’s a hoax) It takes a certain amount of bravery to face up to the fact that you’re not going to be rescued by an angel, or that you have to get rid of the Devil or some such thing who is cursing you. No, you’ve got a bacterial infection, take some penicillin.
In 1999, 20/20 did their expose on the faith-healing group whose children were dying of simple infections and disorders…sadly, they were supported by our constitution under “freedom of religion!”
Revisit main points from part 1…
As a pastor, I have prayed for people to get better, and they have remained the same/died/been healed! I have anointed w/ oil as James 5 says,
14Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up
In context, that verse says that when you’ve done all you can do medically, it’s alright to ask God for a miracle, and to ask in faith, believing, and if it’s God’s will, He will work the miracle and answer that prayer. I’ve seen it happen on several occasions, and I’ve seen it not be God’s will.
But, the word-faith movement looks at that verse alone, not in context, and says, if you’re not healed, it’s a lack of faith.
Listen to Kenneth Hagan on the death of his own sister, who died a lingering death w/ cancer, “my sister got down to 79 pounds…the Lord kept telling me she was going to die. I kept asking the Lord why I couldn’t change the outcome, and He told me that she had 5 yrs in which she could have studied the word and built up her faith, but she hadn’t done it. God told me she was gonna die, and she did. This is a sad example, but it’s true.”
That kind of thinking makes the faith-healer the healer, receiving all the glory, the hero if the seeker gets well, and yet if not, it’s the seekers’ fault…no faith! How convenient! It’s a no-lose situation!
Hagan tells in his own words of an encounter w/ an arthritic lady of 80 yrs age. He says he was frustrated w/ her because after he healed her, she wouldn’t let go of the wheelchair and try to stand. He said, “you don’t have an ounce of faith, do you?” “No, I don’t, help me! I think I’ll go to the grave from this wheelchair!” She cried. I couldn’t help her. She said it, and she did it, and we weren’t to blame!
Now we have a woman who will not only spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, but w/ a major guilt trip as well!
Folks, that’s not kind or accurate!
So, why do Christians sometimes get sick? Listen to one of the faith healers’ favorite scriptures…
Is. 53
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
They say, acc’d to those verses, it’s never God’s will for you to be sick, because “by His stripes ye are healed.”
Excuse me, but I’ve got a nagging problem of always wanting to interpret scripture in it’s proper context! I’m sorry, it’s just a hangup of mine!
Let’s go back to Is. 1
4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more:
(spiritual problems…now he gives an analogy to physical problems, to illustrate…)
the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
And in ch. 53, our spiritual healing is found!
They don’t go on to v. 6 in ch. 53
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
It’s a spiritual sickness!
So, again, why do christians sometimes get sick?
Sometimes it’s a matter of…
1. dissapation
We squander our health away when we don’t take care of it, and treat it like the temple of God that it is. Christians are subject to the same kinds of abuse as everyone else. We shouldn’t squander our health away on cigarettes, overeating, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, and then when we get cancer or heart disease at a young age, blame the devil that we got sick…it doesn’t work that way!
I love to eat, and I will confess, I’ve eaten myself sick on a couple of occasions. I enjoyed every bite, and then suffered all night!
May I remind you that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit! And we should treat it as such.
2. discipline
clearly the case w/ the Corinthian christians. They were desecrating the Lord’s table…getting drunk at the Lord’s supper. What did Paul say,
“for this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep”
He’s talking to Christians here…and they got sick because of a problem of spiritual discipline.
3. development
That was Paul’s case.
II Cor. 12
of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Paul knew the reason for his physical sickness was to keep him humble, and to teach him more about the grace of God.
The Bible tells us 3 things to do when sick:
1. pray (acc’d to God’s will)
2. seek medical help (dr’s and nurses are gifts from God)
3. wholeheartedly rest in the perfect will of God
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