Does God Still Heal?

When it comes to healing, there are 3 ways to be healed

· Physical

· Spiritual/Emotional

· Death

Physically

We see many examples in scripture of physical healing.

Have you ever seen physical healing?

**Mexico testimony** women with bed sores and hand

· “Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” -James 5:14-17

o James isn’t saying that whoever prays for healing will see healing if you have faith. Praying prayers of healing helps build faith. The Lord can easily heal, but sometimes He is trying to use it to build our faith and turn to Him in our times of need.

o We often expect healing to happen in our time. We are expecting immediate results. Then, we it doesn’t happen, we get upset. Elijah prayed intently for 3 ½ years before he saw results.

o Are you willing to be consistent in your prayer even if it doesn’t happen in your timing?

· “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” -Acts 4:29-30

o Notice that they didn’t ask to do miracles themselves. They understood that Jesus heals by His hand and that He does it from heaven through His people.

o In this prayer, they weren’t asking for protection from the persecution that was to come; they asked for power. Not power for their enemies to be destroyed, but to have the boldness to preach the Word and heal the sick. The big emphasis is on the hand of God to do the work, not the hand of man.

· “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” -Hebrews 13:8

o When we say that certain gifts cease to happen or are no longer around, because it was only meant for the early church, and only the apostles could do it, we challenge who the Lord is. What it is saying is that the Jesus who said, “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these…” -John 14:2 What is being said is that Jesus, who said that about all believers, isn’t the same Jesus we serve today.

Spiritually/Emotionally

· “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” -Psalms 147:3

o This is one of the clearest verses showing that God heals emotional and inner pain—healing the "brokenhearted" is not about physical wounds, but the emotional and spiritual.

o “Hearts are broken through disappointment. Hearts are broken through bereavement. Hearts are broken in ten thousand ways, for this is a heart-breaking world; and Christ is good at healing all manner of heartbreaks.” -Charles Spurgeon

§ Jesus is educated for this work, having His own heart broken.

§ Jesus is experienced in this work, having healed broken hearts for 2000 years.

§ Jesus is willing to take the worst patients and has never lost a patient.

§ Jesus heals broken hearts with medicine that He Himself provides.

· “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” -Matthew 11:28-30

o Jesus promises soul-level rest---spiritual and emotional peace.

o Jesus directed this call to those who were burdened. All those who sensed they must come to Him to relieve their need, instead of taking it all on themselves.

o When Jesus says to take His yoke, He is going to labor with you.

· “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” -1 Peter 5:7

o If anyone knew that Jesus cares for you, it’s Peter.

o Peter experienced some amazing miracles

§ The healing of his mother-in-law

§ The biggest catch he’d ever seen

§ Walked on water with Jesus

§ Saw Jesus repair an ear he cut off

§ And many more

Death

· “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet, which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” -Philippians 1:21-23

o Paul longed to be with Christ and knew death was only a doorway to heaven.

o Paul knew that death was not a defeat to believers, it’s just a graduation to glory.

o We can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like in the presence of the Lord.

· “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” – 2 Corinthians 5:1

o Paul tells us that our bodies are just earth suits, temporary that we have a perfect body in heaven.

· “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” -Revelation 21:4

o This points to the eternal healing believers receive in the presence of the Lord—no more pain, suffering, or grief.

o A place of perfection. A place where there is no more sin. No more pain. Just the presence of Jesus.

o Earth is the closest to hell that believers will experience, and the closest to heaven that nonbelievers will experience. That is why we want to make heaven crowded.

Does God still heal? I truly believe He does.