Читать книгу God's Health Plan - André Cronje - Страница 5

1. Jesus Healed Them All

There was a healer in town named Jesus. Yes, he was Jewish, and a carpenter from Nazareth, but when you are sick, you don’t care. Like that Roman officer from Italy, who came to Jesus and said, my servant is sick, he needs healing. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power, and he went to many cities doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil because God was with him. He healed the worst of sinners, and he healed the best of saints alike. He even raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.

He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. Like a man who fixes his house, and a woman her home so is God at work in his creation. But God heals more than just flesh and blood. He heals nations. He heals undrinkable water, and he heals the ground that it may produce fruit. Look at what God did with the barren land of Israel. There is no such thing as incurable diseases with God. To him who believes all things are possible. Nothing is too hard for God. Jesus said, only believe and you will see the glory of God. And so he healed many because they believed.

Jesus went to many places teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom while healing all manner of sickness and all kinds of diseases. His fame even spread throughout Syria. And they brought to him all the sick that had various diseases and torments, and those possessed with devils, lunatics, and those that had the palsy, and he healed them all. For the healthy needs no physician, but they that are sick go to a doctor. And if the sickness gets worse, then people start looking for a specialist that would not only tell you what’s wrong but also offer them a cure. But if they find no cure will they still have hope left to believe that God is able and willing to heal them?

Come to Jesus and he will heal you. God anointed him for this purpose. Sometimes he will find you lying sick in bed or sitting up in your wheelchair, or laying down drop dead in your coffin. Yip, Jesus did find them all, even a demon-possessed man who was always running naked in the hills, scaring businessmen and tourists on their way to Jerusalem. But Jesus kicked out those demons that tormented him into the local pig den and when the town council heard that the pigs committed suicide they came to Jesus begging him to leave. But the crazy man was now found clothed and in his right mind. Unfortunately, the city council was more hung over the loss of their pigs' farm, than feeling joyful over that lunatic’s sweet liberty. His word is medicine to your whole body and nourishment to your bones. He renews your youth like that of an eagle. There is not one word which he has spoken that has fallen to the ground and not bearing results. Because he watches over his word, which he sends out, to do, and to fulfill it. The Lord is able and willing more than what we think.

You may say that Jesus no longer lives among us. Have you not heard, and did you not read, how after his death on the cross and his resurrection three days later, he continued to show himself alive for forty days, before he ascended to heaven in front of over 500 eyewitnesses? And at his final departure and farewell speech, he said: All power in heaven and earth was given to me to give to you that you may go to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching men to observe all things whatever I have commanded you. I am with you always, to the end of the world. And these signs will follow them that believe. In my name they will cast out devils, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick and the sick will recover. And so, after the Lord has spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and now sits on the right hand of God. And so they went forth and preached everywhere, and the Lord working with them, confirming the word with signs and wonders following.

You live in a broken world that needs constant fixing. The land in which you live and work needs healing. That’s why God said: If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, I will hear and heal their land. Look at Israel, how they blossom and bloom. Once, a dessert and deserted land, now covered with fruitful trees and potential. And a booming economy means the fat of the land has returned and the sorrow of famine, war, and natural disasters have departed.

There is also healing for both mind and spirit. A broken spirit before God is precious. But an abused person is like a cracked window. But though the strong may despise the weak and wounded, God says come to me, I will be your strength. Many people are ICU cases in need of a good Samaritan to take care of their wounds and to book them into a place of care and recovery. Scars are a dim reminder of past wounds. Whether it be an injury on the playground as a child, or a battle scar defending the land. Nevertheless, some scars came by the words and deeds of loved ones or total strangers. Words that cut like a knife deeper than flesh and bones to lodge itself in the mental frame of one’s soul. And when these wounds are afflicted daily, the abuse affects the person’s behavior. Some are lucky to escape its effects, but others continue with the abuse mantel put on them. This will affect how you see and perceive things around you. Sexual assault can be physical or mental. It may have absolutely nothing to do with the other person, as much as their mannerism is perceived as a violation of your intimacy or domination of their private space, even though they never even touched you. Again, I hear the Lord says, bring all your cares, and burdens to him for he cares for you. Your circumstances will not have dominion over you and your past will not be your future. The balm of Gilead will bring healing, restoration, and deliverance from the effects of past and present hurts. Your famine for affection and true love ends when you enter into his presence where there is fullness of joy and healing.

There is no scientific formula for healing the sick. Thank God for your healing, because it is so easily taken for granted to credit medicine or doctors for it. God is at work and will use natural and supernatural ways to bring healing to you. Paul advised Timothy, take a little wine for your constant tummy aches. Coke helps for mine. Solomon said: Eat honey, my son, for it is good for you. The apostles also recommended that if you are sick, then go to the elders and let them anoint you with oil and pray for your healing. One time Paul prayed over handkerchiefs and when it was laid on the sick, they recovered. On another occasion, he walked by the sick, and when his shadow fell on them, they were instantly healed. Remember the Roman Officer who had great faith. He told Jesus to only speak a word, and that his servant would be healed. His servant was perhaps too sick to come to Jesus, so he approached Jesus on his behalf. He was a man under authority who also exercised authority. And when Jesus saw his faith, he marveled. Here was a gentile who was not a Jew, but he had Abraham’s faith to received a miracle from God. Still, some died in hope, believing though not receiving. But God remains faithful. He is both willing and able to do what he promised. He will always be the God who heals, even if he has to raise the dead to live again. But in the new earth, the bible says, the leaves of the trees will be for the healing of the nations, where death will no longer be.

Healing may not always be felt or seen immediately. And because of that, it may be wrongly assumed that healing never took place. While skeptics look for signs, believers will receive by faith. Let him ask in prayer, believing that he received, and not doubting. Doubt will rob you of a blessing. Why do I say this? After Jesus healed ten lepers, he instructed them to go to the priest to be examined and to verify that they were clean. That was the law before a leper could come back into a community. And as they went in obedience, they were healed. But only one showed gratitude when he went back to thank Jesus for his healing. Did not all got healed, Jesus replied? Sometimes, it is in the action or going to the doctor for a second opinion that you may discover that you were healed when they prayed and laid hands on you. You might even be lying sick in bed, like the great healing evangelist Kenneth Hagin, reading your bible, when faith suddenly enters into his heart to believe, and he got out of bed and was never sick again until his death. Sure the devil will try to come with symptoms like heart pain or short breath and tell you that you’re going to die. You can believe the devil, or you can believe God's word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by God's word. Then boldly say, devil, it is written, By his stripes, I am healed. So take your sickness and disease of me for this body is God’s temple. You don’t have to live sick for the rest of your life. God's word is a better life companion that will give you joy and peace. Healing comes to those who seek Christ for healing. They may have heard or read how Jesus healed someone else. Then because they believe the report they heard, they develop faith for their healing too.