DIVINE HEALING

- A Key To The Growth

Of The Christian Church
By Rodney W. Francis

Printed by Ken Ray Communications Sdn. Bhd.

(Penang, Malaysia)

Published by and for

“The Gospel Faith Messenger” Ministry
P. O. Box 57
Paraparaumu 5254
New Zealand
E-Mail: gfm@gospel.org.nz
Website: www.gospel.org.nz

First Printing: 2004

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever (except for brief
quotations in reviews) without prior written permission from “The Gospel Faith Messenger” Ministry Head
Office in Hamilton, New Zealand.

DIVINE HEALING
- A Key To The Growth
Of The Christian Church
By Rodney W. Francis
Founder/Director: “The Gospel Faith Messenger” Ministry

Our Ministry Motto is:

Equipping for Leadership in the Nations
Through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

“Faith in Jesus’ name put this man,

whose condition you know so well,

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 on his feet –
yes, faith and nothing but faith
put this man healed and whole
right before your eyes”
(Acts 3:16, The Message).

Acknowledgements:
The Scriptural basis of this book is taken from the King James Version ( KJV) of the Bible.

Scriptural quotations marked (AMP.) are taken from The Amplified Bible. Old Testament Copyright 1965,
1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament Copyright 1958, 1987 by The
Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Verses marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version marked ( NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984
by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder and Stoughton Limited, London, England.

Scriptures marked (GNB) are taken from the Good News Bible.

Scriptures marked (NEB) are taken from the New English Bible.

Word meanings marked (Bullinger’s) are taken from “A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English
and Greek New Testament” by E. W. Bullinger. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506,
USA.

Word meanings marked ( Wilson’s) are taken from “Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies.” Published by
Hendrickson Publishers, P O Box 3473, Peabody, MA 01961-3473, USA.

Word meanings marked (Strong’s) are taken from “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the
Bible” by James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D. Copyright 1984. Permission to use granted by Thomas Nelson
Publisher, P O Box 141 000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214-1000, USA.

Word meanings marked (Young’s) are taken from “Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible” by Robert
Young, LL.D (8th Edition). Published by Lutterworth Press, London, England.

Word meanings marked (Collins) are taken from “Collins English Dictionary” Copyright 1979 by William
Collins & Co. Ltd., P O Box 476, GPO Sydney 2001, Australia.

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 Foreword:
In days of high technology and increased advancement in medical science, many who
have been educated in a Greek humanistic philosophy find great scepticism when healing
is mentioned. Yet, this expression of God’s mercy and grace is found throughout the
Scriptures, not as a dispensational doctrine, which has been replaced by the written Word
of God, but as evidence of His power and love for His ultimate creation.

Rodney challenges our comfort zone and provokes us to righteousness. You will
understand by reading this book that healing is an integral part of the Gospel we preach to
a world that we seek to reach.

- Revd. David E Carr

Senior Team Minister
“Free Methodist Church” (Solihull, England).

What Other Leaders Say About This Book:

Rodney W. Francis has made a significant hurt on the forces of darkness and sickness by
writing this book. This book isn’t just history, it is Bible truth ready to rekindle a new
desire in each of us to pray for the sick at every opportunity – Dr. Randy Bozarth, Vice
President, “Christ For The Nations,” (Dallas, Texas, United States of America).

This is a very inspiring, faith-building book. One cannot read all the miraculous healings
recorded in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, wisely collected and commented on by
the Author, without being affected spiritually. I am sure it will stir up the faith of so many
sincere readers who wish to experience a healing touch in their personal bodies, and will
cause Pentecostal ministers and pastors (and others) to dare expecting amazing
miraculous healings in their ministry. God is still today our "Lord Who heals you," and
He will not fail to "stretch out His hand to heal" if we dare ask and believe. “Lord, grant
us to be real Pentecostal preachers and give us great boldness in preaching about Your

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power and willingness to heal, so that we may see thousands of people being healed and
entering in Your kingdom!" - Pastor Giuseppe Piccolo, President of "Chiese Elim in
Italia", (Milan, Italy).

If, as the Bible states, “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God,” then
this book should generate great faith, as it is crammed with Scriptures related to God’s
great desire to heal people. The Church desperately needs this message. Like Israel of
old, we are guilty of “limiting the Holy One of Israel,” especially in the area of healing.
I pray this book will revive a hunger in His people to see a breakthrough in this vital
ministry – David Ravenhill, Author and Teacher (Lindale, Texas, United States of
America).

Rodney Francis sets out to prove the case that the Church’s mission is to bring the
healing ministry of the Christ to our hurting world, and that through the manifestation of
this virtue of the Christ, the resultant effect will be the ingathering of souls and the
numerical growth of the Church of Jesus Christ. A commendable feature is that the book
is a systematic survey of proof in the Word of God - the Bible - that our Lord is not only
Saviour, Baptizer in the Holy Ghost, and our soon coming King, but also THE HEALER
Who still intends to heal today through His Church. Examples of healings through his
own ministry experiences, in particular the miraculous healing of a woman with a
damaged voice box, who the Lord transformed into 'a song bird,' should achieve the
impact of quickening the faith of the reader to believe in DIVINE HEALING as the
Lord's instrument to ignite the fire that will enhance the ingathering of souls in these last
days. This latest book by my dear friend Rodney, is a must read for all Christians
committed to manifesting the healing ministry of the Christ and the harvest of souls -
Edward Abu Maliki, Pastor/Teacher “Highland Church,” (Tooting Broadway, London,
England) and Senior Lecturer in Mental Health, Faculty of Health and Social Care
Sciences, St. George's Hospital Medical School and Kingston University, England.

An excellent training manual for the Church on Divine Healing. The Church is
challenged to re-examine the Word of God on this subject, and to put its faith in God to
see this happen. – Rev. Dr. Nicholas Wu, Senior Pastor “Christian Life Center,”
(Petaling Jaya, Malaysia).

Rodney has written a very timely book on a very controversial subject. It is written in
a clear, simple form, presenting only what the Scriptures say about Divine Healing. The
early Church moved in the supernatural and saw many healings. That same Church is our
pattern Church and God is restoring all things. Let's believe that this book will be a
catalyst in igniting once again the ministry of Divine Healing. Well done my friend! –
Harvey Walker, Founder of “Mission Impart,” (Tauranga, New Zealand).

Rodney Francis has impacted his generation like few living men. In this book he is
admonishing the Church to follow the instructions of Jesus when He instructed in Luke
10:8-9, “ . . . whatever city ye enter . . . heal the sick that are therein . . . ” A timely
message and much needed in our day – Carl E. Conley, MTH, JD, Vice President and

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International Director “Faith Christian Fellowship International, Inc.” (Tulsa,
Oklahoma, United States of America).

We all want to see the Christian Church grow. This book “Divine Healing - A Key To
The Growth Of The Christian Church” challenges the body of Christ with what the Bible
says about healing, and points out that the healing power is available to all followers of
Jesus. This book encourages us to know who we are in God, and that He has ordained us
for the purpose of displaying His power. We are to be people demonstrating God’s power
in action, so that we may see and experience that “Rise and be healed in the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth”!
- Pastor Stuart Hight, “Kumeu Baptist Church,” (West Auckland, New Zealand).

Rodney’s book is a huge reminder that the Gospel is not one of words only, but of
power. Christ’s miraculous healing ministry attracted huge crowds, and is the antidote to
an ever-decreasing church attendance today. Rodney powerfully says, “The message of
the Gospel is incomplete without the message of Divine Healing!” I have been
challenged again through this book to not just talk about the power, but to believe in and
demonstrate it. Healing still demonstrates God’s favour, compassion and power over
Satan’s works. Jesus and His disciples made healing a central part of ministry, and this
book will encourage the Church to courageously do the same in our generation – Gareth
Lewis, Senior Pastor, “Elim Christian Centre,” (Northampton, England).

A very timely book, superbly written, based on Scripture. If ever there is a time for the
power of the Holy Spirit to be made manifest in the Church, it is now! The Gospel is a
message of power, not talk. Let’s expect God to move in healing power as we embrace
His provision of healing! – Pastor Grant Brewster, “Island Church” (Bainbridge Island,
WA, United States of America).

This book, written by a practitioner, encourages the Church today in a convincing,

scholarly and lively manner not to neglect the timeless commission to 'preach the good
news and heal the sick'. It carries a positive message that the healing of the whole person
is the goal of the Gospel, and that miraculous, physical healing confirms the entrance of
God's Kingdom in power – Rev. Phil. Johnston, “Elim Christian Centre,” (Cheltenham,
England).

A timely message of restoration of the fullness of healings that will be a catalyst to the
growth of the body of Christ. A blessing to the end-time Church – Rev. Fredson Fenua,
Senior Pastor of “Rhema Family Church,” (Honiara, Solomon Islands).

This book is a treasure that should be in the hands of every Christian believer. It is not
only an exegesis of Scriptures on the subject of Divine Healing, but a great inspiration for
faith to release the power of Jehovah Rapha – “the God Who heals.” I have been stirred
while reading this book, to not only gain further understanding, but to act upon those
convictions and to see God at work. “Divine Healing” is a revelation of the heart of God
for the sick to be healed. I commend this book to you. It contains revelations that need to

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be shared with every Christian believer - Ropati Amosa, Senior Pastor “Elim Christian
Centre” (Porirua, New Zealand).

I must say the book is very timely and Biblically written. Every pastor and Bible student,
who desires and hungers to see people touched by the love and grace of God, will find the
book extremely helpful and instructive. God bless! – Alfred Ang, Senior Pastor,
“Emmanuel Assembly Of God” (Singapore).

Rodney asks the question that many of us in ministry have asked of God and ourselves:
“Where are the miraculous answers to the many prayers that we have prayed for the sick
and suffering?” The culture that we are a part of is dominated by scientific realism. Even
as Christians we find it easier to believe in what we can see and prove. We have retreated
to rituals and forms of worship that deny the power of God to heal. Rodney methodically
works his way through the Bible and shows us that healing is still on the heart of God.
My prayer is that this book will be used by God to help restore His power to His Church
– Richard Johnstone, Minister of “Kawakawa Bay Presbyterian Church,” (South
Auckland, New Zealand).

I have known Rodney W. Francis since 1991. He encourages pastors, leaders and people
through his powerful spiritual books. I am using them all in my ministry. Many have
been encouraged, taught and Spirit-filled through his writings. It is also my experience.
This book on “Divine Healing” is magnificent. It illumines the Bible like a searchlight,
pointing out the mysteries of God. “Divine Healing – A Key To The Growth Of The
Christian Church” is a useful instrument for all those in evangelism. I am sure the book
will be a great blessing to the people and churches – Pastor P. Joseph Roberts,
President, “Penuel Full Gospel Ministries,” (Madhira, A.P., South India).

A very impressive, convincing, and powerful teaching on healing. An excellent book for
a comprehensive Biblical overview on a vital subject. I highly commend it - Wynne
Lewis,
Former General Superintendent, Elim Pentecostal Churches, U.K. (Cheltenham,
England).

This is an outstanding and thorough treatise of the subject of Divine Healing. So many
people have remained buried in a grave of disappointment and unbelief, resulting in
disenchantment with the truths of divine healing. As you read this book you will
experience the power of the resurrection. God breathing life back into what seems to be
“a handful of ashes” in this regard. Not only has Rodney so masterfully tabled relevant
Scriptures, but he also challenges the reader to consider context, implications and what
this can mean to us today. You cannot read and study this book, and remain apathetic and
unbelieving. It will result in a “God encounter,” where you will experience the power of
God’s Word, as the Holy Spirit gives you revelation. Your convictions and faith
concerning divine healing through the powerful ministry of Jesus Christ, will become a
burning, life-giving passion – Pastor Anne Morrow, Staff – “City New Life Church”
(Christchurch, New Zealand).

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I thoroughly read “Divine Healing” written by Rev. Rodney W. Francis. I have never
come across such a unique book on healing. Myself being a publisher, if ever I publish a
book on healing for the people of Nepal, this will be the one. I encourage every person to
read this book and realize the provision God has for mankind – Gopaljee Adhikari,
Pastor, “The Lord’s Assembly,” and Founder/Publisher of “Good News Publisher,”
(Kathmandu, Nepal).

“Know the truth and the truth will set you free”. This book journeys us through both the
Old and New Testaments bringing enlightenment to the truth of Divine Healing. It is a
book that challenges “Believers to Believe” and to take hold of the tremendous power
available to us all through the Holy Spirit. I recommend this book as an excellent study
resource - Pastor Warren Moar, “Cambridge Elim Church,” (Cambridge, New
Zealand), and “Elim Church of New Zealand” National Leadership Team Member.

This book takes you back to the Scriptures, and, through the Scriptures, to see again this
vital subject of Divine Healing. It directs you to look, and re-examine, what the Bible
says regardless of what your experiences were. Above all, it stirs and puts faith into our
hearts to continue to step out and believe God for Divine Healing – Rev. David Kueh,
Senior Pastor “Emmanuel Baptist Church,” (Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia).

Over many years, my life has been greatly impacted by the ministry of Pastor Rodney
Francis. This book is an example of his ability to discern God’s message for the hour. It
would benefit churches everywhere to use this book to equip its members for the end-
time harvest. His book is well researched and presents a balanced view on the important
subject of Divine Healing. The church that embraces the teaching in this book will see its
borders enlarged and our Saviour lifted up - Pastor Conan Hatch, “Pentecostal
Multiracial Church,” (Nadi, Fiji Islands) and “Berea Bible School,” (Nadi, Fiji Islands).

This book will really challenge the Christian Church of the 21st century as to where it
stands on this very vital issue. The point is – How can one argue with God or one’s
fellow Christian against Divine Healing when the evidence from the mouth of the Lord
Himself is so overwhelming? “Divine Healing – A Key To The Growth Of The Christian
Church,” lays it out so clearly from Scripture that we’d be more than unwise to ignore
these principles, which are just as relevant today as the day they were uttered – Joan K.
Emery, team member, and proof-reader of “The GFM” Ministry, (Hamilton, New
Zealand).

Contents Page:
Foreword
What Other Christian Leaders Are Saying
Introduction
Chapter One: The Subject Of Divine Healing
Chapter Two: Divine Healing In The Old Testament
Chapter Three: Hardness Of Heart

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Chapter Four: Divine Healing In St. Matthew’s Gospel
Chapter Five: Divine Healing In St. Mark’s Gospel
Chapter Six: Divine Healing In St. Luke’s Gospel
Chapter Seven: Divine Healing In St. John’s Gospel
Chapter Eight: Divine Healing In The Book Of Acts
Chapter Nine: Divine Healing In The Book Of Romans
Chapter Ten: Divine Healing In The Book Of Corinthians
Chapter Eleven: Divine Healing In The Book Of Galatians
Chapter Twelve: Divine Healing In The Book Of Ephesians
Chapter Thirteen: Divine Healing In Other Books Of The New Testament

My special thanks goes to my younger sister, Joan Emery (Hamilton, New Zealand) for
her help in proofreading this book.

Introduction

WHEN it comes to the subject of Divine Healing one cannot but be challenged by the
Scriptures, what they declare and teach about it. To think that we somehow can come to
different conclusions than that of the Bible is quite amazing. Furthermore, when one does
a study of the teachings of Jesus it becomes very clear that healing was a vital part of His
ministry, a ministry that was authored and anointed by His Father, God. On top of that, it
is very clearly recorded that Jesus gave to His followers His power and authority to heal
the sick, cast out devils and to cure diseases. He personally delegated that authority, and
those early believers saw miraculous results when they obeyed what Jesus told and taught
them.

I have personally been challenged by the lack of “results” that I have seen in my own
ministry over many years. Yet, on the other hand, I have also been thrilled and amazed at
how God can and does answer prayer when we step out in the authority of the Word of
God. We need to step out more and more – hence this book. It is a sincere and honest
attempt to find out what the Bible does have to say on this important subject, which,
incidentally (as you will see), is a major one when we consider the number of passages
that mention it. It has become much clearer to me that Divine Healing should be right in
the forefront of the Christian’s beliefs and actions, as it was a key in the Bible to “earning
the right” for the Christian voice to be heard. It is a message that, when confirmed by
such convincing, visible evidence as a physical healing – or a definite deliverance –
commands much more respect and attention than merely a spoken message. May
God help us all to “connect” with that which is necessary to see this beautiful, God-
glorifying ministry released in greater ways in this 21st century. My prayer is that this
book will give all who read the “keys” to unlock this ministry to the masses of sick and
diseased people in our societies worldwide.
– Rodney W. Francis.

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 DIVINE HEALING
- A Key To The Growth
Of The Christian Church
The Bible proclaims a whole message for a whole people.

CHAPTER 1

The Subject Of
DIVINE HEALING

- A Key To The Growth

Of The Christian Church
IN LOOKING AT the subject of Divine Healing, we will try to discover its impact from
both the Old and the New Testaments. The two Testaments have a lot to say about
healing, as well as giving us a number of accounts of some quite miraculous recoveries
from various sicknesses, evil spirit curses, and diseases.

The subject is vast! It is also quite controversial, as many Christians are divided over the
place it should have in the life of the Christian Church. From a Scriptural point of view,
one thing is for sure: It is God’s will for His people to be healed. He has clearly
revealed this in His Word. What is not always clear are the reasons why so many good
Christian people do not get healed in our day - people who do seek God and who do
believe in Divine Healing.

This compilation on the subject of “Divine Healing – A Key To The Growth Of The
Christian Church” is an attempt to bring before you what the Bible has to say about this

9
important subject, with the aim of raising the “faith level” to a point where we will see
and hear of many more people being wonderfully healed to the glory of God through
Jesus Christ. Somehow we have to again discover that God means what He says in
His Word – and says what He means! We have to again discover that it is His will to
see His people healthy, well and strong, spiritually, emotionally and physically!

Here are some things to consider:

 It is by faith that we receive healing:

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.
It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete
healing to him, as you all can see” (Acts 3:16, NIV).

 It is by faith that we please God:

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him
must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him”
(Hebrews 11:6, NIV).

 It is by faith that the promises of God become our possessions:

“Therefore [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on
faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favour), to make it
stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants . . . ” (Romans 4:16, AMP.).

 Faith comes by hearing and believing God’s Word:

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you: it is upon your lips and in your heart.’
This means the word of faith which we proclaim. If on your lips is the confession,
‘Jesus is Lord,’ and in your heart the faith that God raised Him from the dead, then
you will find salvation. For the faith that leads to righteousness is in the heart, and
the confession that leads to salvation is upon the lips. Scripture says, ‘Everyone who
has faith in Him will be saved from shame’ - everyone: there is no distinction
between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich enough for
the need of all who invoke Him . . . How could they invoke one in whom they had no
faith? And how could they have faith in one they had never heard of? . . . We
conclude that faith is awakened by the message, and the message that awakens it
comes through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:8-17, NEB).

We have to again seek to raise the standard of the Kingdom of God by demonstrating the
power of that Kingdom to heal. That happens by faith; faith in God’s promise; faith in the
Word of God. Faith is believing God’s Word. Faith is a “now,” present tense word
according to the Bible:

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“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”
(Hebrews 11:1, NKJV).

Faith is the very basis upon which we believe and act. “Substance” here comes from the
Greek word “hupostasis” and means, “What is set or stands under; under layer or
foundation; that which lies at the foundation of a matter; confidence” (Bullinger’s). If we
do not have that NOW, we have no basis or foundation upon which to build and release
faith for healing. Hope is a future thing, whereas faith is a now thing. And it comes in the
now as we hear the (spoken) Word of God. Our actions are determined by what we hear
and know NOW. “Now faith is . . .”

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (the Greek word for “word”
here is “rhema,” a present tense now word) of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV).

It is faith that causes us to know things. That includes:

 Knowing we have power in Jesus’ name over sickness, evil spirits and
disease:

“Then He (Jesus) called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and
authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the
Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:1-2, KJV).

 Knowing that God has already given the “Gifts of healing(s)” to the Church
to be used. Notice the plural usage – “gifts” (the NKJV also uses the word
“healings”) – there are many different ways of bringing healing(s) to people in
Holy Spirit ministry:

“ . . . to another gifts of healing(s) by that one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).

 Knowing we have authority to lay hands on the sick and to see them recover:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover” (Mark 16:17-18, KJV).

 Knowing the sure promises of God’s Word to heal:

Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him, and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits
and to heal every kind of sickness and disease . . . Jesus sent them out with these
instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of
Israel - God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is
near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, and cast out demons. Give as freely
as you have received! (See Matthew 10:1-8, TLB; Luke 10:1-9).

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  Knowing the authority to use the All-powerful Name of JESUS:

“ . . . but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to
get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6, GNB).

Plus,
 Knowing that which releases it all - FAITH!

“Without faith it is impossible to please God . . . ”

“Faith in Jesus’ name - faith given us from God – has caused this perfect healing”
(See Hebrews 11:6; Acts 3:16; Matthew 8:5-13).

We see, therefore, that faith is a vital part of the Christian walk. It is not “trying to
believe,” but rather a listening to the voice of the Lord Jesus and responding to what
He says. Faith is all about relationship – a personal relationship between God and
me, me and God, where I choose to believe that whatever He says is right. If God
cannot be trusted, then the whole basis of faith is defeated! Faith is my response to
that which I hear from God.

As we unite and release our faith (as Bible-believing Christians), we will see an increase
in the numbers of people standing up with a positive, radiant testimony of the healing
power of God having touched their lives. But before we get too far into that, let us look
into this subject, firstly from the Old Testament:

CHAPTER 2

Divine Healing In

THE OLD TESTAMENT

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS we notice about God’s promises with regards Divine
Healing is that it was always given with conditions attached. This is especially so in the
Old Testament. Those conditions had to do with the following (the Scriptures are self-
explanatory):

 Listening (“giving heed”) to the voice of God:

“If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, and will do that
which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His

12
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the
Egyptians: for I am the Lord that heals you” (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 28:1-68).

 Doing that which is right in His (God’s) sight:

“ . . . and will do that which is right in His sight . . . ” (Exodus 15:26).

 Listening to and obeying His (God’s) commandments:

“Because of your obedience, the Lord your God will keep His part of the contract
which, in His tender love, He made with your fathers. And He will love you and bless
you and make you into a great nation. He will make you fertile and give fertility to your
ground and to your animals, so that you will have large crops of grain, grapes, and
olives, and great flocks of cattle, sheep, and goats when you arrive in the land He
promised your fathers to give you.
You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth; not one of you, whether male or
female, shall be barren, not even your cattle. And the Lord will take away all your
sickness and will not let you suffer any of the diseases of Egypt you remember so well;
He will give them all to your enemies!” (Deuteronomy 7:9-15, TLB; Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy
28:1-68; Proverbs 4:20-22).

 Keeping all His (God’s) statutes (“something decreed, prescribed; a statute,

ordinance, law; usually applied to the positive statutes appointed by Moses” -
from God - Wilson’s):

“If you will diligently . . . keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon
you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you”
(Exodus 15:26, KJV).

 Our serving the Lord only (total commitment):

"You shall serve the Lord your God only; then I will bless you with food and with
water, and I will take away sickness from among you” (Exodus 23:25, TLB).

 Our loving the Lord:

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His
covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His
commands . . . If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then
the LORD your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He swore to your
forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers . . . You will be
blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor
any of your livestock without young. The LORD will keep you free from every disease.
He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict
them on all who hate you” (Deuteronomy 7:9-15, NIV).

13
  Keeping His (God’s) judgments (“a verdict pronounced judicially, a sentence or
formal decree; divine law” - Strong’s):

“Wherefore it shall come to pass, if you hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do
them, that the LORD your God shall keep unto you the covenant and the mercy which
He sware unto your fathers . . . And the LORD will take away from you all sickness,
and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, upon you; but will lay
them upon all them that hate you” (Deuteronomy 7:9-15).

 Humbling of self:

Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan,
and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." But Naaman went away
angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on
the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my
leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the
waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off
in a rage. Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told
you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when
he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the
Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and
became clean like that of a young boy” (2 Kings 5:1-14, NIV; 2 Kings 20:1-11 - Hezekiah; 2
Chronicles 7:14).

When Naaman humbled himself, dealt with the pride in his own heart, and obeyed the
word of the prophet, then healing became a blessed reality in his life. Pride stops us from
receiving a number of things from God.

 Preparing our hearts to seek the Lord:

Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the
Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate
[their lambs] to the LORD. Although most of the many people who came from
Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate
the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying,
"May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God -
the LORD, the God of his fathers - even if he is not clean according to the rules of the
sanctuary." And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people (2 Chronicles 30:17-20,
NIV).

The Hebrew word for “healed” here is “rapha” or “raphah” meaning “to mend (by
stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure: cure (cause to) heal, physician, repair thoroughly,
make whole” (Strong’s). The message is that a healing took place as a direct result of
prayer. This would have been more of an inner healing, an emotional healing, and a
forgiveness healing. All are every bit as important as a physical healing. Through the

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preparing of our hearts before God, healing - whether it is emotional, spiritual or
physical - can take place within us.

 Our crying out to God:

“O Lord my God, I pleaded with You, and You gave me my health (“to heal diseases of
all kinds, particularly wounds by outward application, and binding or sewing; to heal in a
moral sense, to cure the mind, to pardon the soul” – Wilson’s) again. You brought me
back from the brink of the grave, from death itself, and here I am alive” (Psalm 30:2,
TLB).

 Our fearing God:

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health
(“a cure” – Strong’s) to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:7-8, NIV).

Another translation puts it even more specifically and interprets “fear” as

being incorporated into an expression of “worship”:

“Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord, and turn
[entirely] away from evil. [Proverbs 8:13.] It shall be health to your nerves and
sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.” (AMP.)

 Our giving attention to God’s Words:

“My son, give attention to My Words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them
depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life (“alive,
living, lively; vigorous, having vital energy; preservation of life” – Wilson’s) to those who
find them, and health (“to heal diseases of all kinds, particularly wounds by outward
application, and binding and sewing; to heal a distressed nation or person by restoring
them to prosperous circumstances; to heal in a moral sense, to cure the mind, to pardon
the soul; healing, medicine” – Wilson’s) to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all
diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:20-23, NKJV).

To “give attention” to something means we must have “concentrated direction of the

mind; consideration, notice, or observation; to give detailed care or special treatment to”
(Collins). For the Christian that is the way we need to focus on God’s Word, seeking to
live according to what it has to say to us – not by way of a legalistic approach, but by a
pure love relationship with the God of Love. When we live to please Him, we are told
His Words are life-giving to us, and health to our total being.

 Our departing from evil (Proverbs 3:7-8, written above).

 Our giving attention to God’s Words:

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  Our speaking good things (Proverbs 16:24, AMP.):

“Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing (“a curative, a
medicine; deliverance, remedy, wholeness” – Strong’s) to the body.”

 Prayer and fasting (Isaiah 58:6-12, NIV):

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie
the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? . . . Then your
light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing (“arukah” meaning “to prolong;
or, to be suitable, convenient, well-tempered . . . health, which is the prolongation of life,
or the fitness of the functions of the body” - Wilson’s) will quickly appear; then your
righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard . . .
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing of the finger and
malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the
needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will
become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in
a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered
garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

We also have two incidents of people being healed after there was a:

 Testing of faith:
1. The widow woman at Zarephath. Her son became sick and died, even though they
were living on a miraculous food supply. He was raised from the dead through
Elijah’s prayers (1 Kings 17:17-24).

2. The Shunammite woman’s son was suddenly overcome by pains in his head. His
condition quickly deteriorated to the point he died. It was Elisha’s faith and prayers
that saw him raised from the dead (2 Kings 4).

IN SOME CASES GOD WOULD AFFLICT THE ENEMIES OF HIS

PEOPLE:

It appears that in the Old Testament God actually used afflictions and sickness against
those who hated His people, to humble them of their pride and rebellion:

 Deuteronomy 7:15-16 (NIV):

“The Lord will protect you from all sickness (“to be worn down in strength, to be weak;
to be sick, diseased” – Wilson’s), and He will not bring on you any of the dreadful
diseases that you experienced in Egypt, but He will bring them on all your enemies.
Destroy every nation that the Lord your God places in your power, and do not show
them any mercy. Do not worship their gods, for that would be fatal.”

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God let it be known that He was so committed to His own people, that any who opposed
and/or hated them, would be afflicted by evil diseases - sent to them by God Himself!
There was to be ongoing separation to God; otherwise the protection of God would be
rendered powerless.

 Deuteronomy 28:

This is a tremendously challenging chapter in the Bible. It clearly shows us the difference
there is between those who listen to God’s voice, and those who don’t. If we do not
diligently follow God and His ways, we are open to curses of all kinds, including
sicknesses and disease. God would allow that to happen (v.20-22, 27-28, 34-35, 59-61). To
be diligent about something means to be “careful and persevering in carrying out tasks or
duties” (Collins). We are told to “observe to do all His commandments” (v.1, 13, 15 and 58).
The word “observe” means:
 “to keep, to watch, to guard; to keep in view, to observe, to mark, to observe, i.e.
not to violate a covenant, a precept, the Sabbath, a promise” (Wilson’s).
 “to see, perceive, notice; to watch carefully; pay attention to . . . to abide by, keep,
or follow” (Collins).
It is a response to our believing that God means what He says. Yes, God does mean what
He says – and He says what He means!

 Deuteronomy 32:39 (KJV):

“See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me: I kill and I make alive; I
wound, and I heal (“rapha”): neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand.”

God said that! Let us not forget that the sovereignty of God is still far greater than
anything man can do. He will always have the final say in the affairs of our life. If not
now, then when we stand before Him to give account of the life we have lived ( 2
Corinthians 5:10).

 Jeremiah 30:12-17 (KJV):

“For thus says the Lord, your bruise (to “break in small pieces; to smite; applied to the
mind, it designates the most severe inward and outward suffering” - Wilson’s) is incurable
(“to be sick unto death; to be in very great distress, in a desperate, incurable condition,
past all relief; mortal; fatal” - Wilson’s), and your wound is grievous (“to be weak, feeble;
to be pained; applied to weakness of mind from great concern and grief” - Wilson’s).
There is none to plead your cause, that you may be bound up: you have no healing
medicines. All your lovers have forgotten you; they seek you no more; for I have
wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the
multitude of your iniquity (“perversity, i.e. moral evil, sin” - Strong’s); because your sins
were increased. Why do you cry for your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable for the
multitude of your iniquity: because your sins were increased, I have done these things

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unto you . . . For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds,
says the Lord . . . ”

The word “wound” is mentioned three times here and means “to smite, to strike, to
wound” (Strong’s). When God’s people either drift away – or wilfully turn away – from
Him, He will take whatever measures He can to woo them back.

 Hosea 6:1-2 (KJV):

“Come and let us return unto the Lord: for He has torn (“to pluck off or pull to pieces”
- Strong’s), and He will heal (Hebrew is “rapha” meaning “to mend by stitching, i.e. to
cure, cause to heal, repair” - Strong’s) us; He has smitten (“to strike, give wounds” -
Strong’s), and He will bind (“the binding up of a wound or a broken limb, in order to its
being healed or restored; to the repairing, restoring and setting to right things that are
wrong or decayed . . . “ - Wilson’s) us up. After two days will He revive (“to live, to
revive:- keep, leave or make alive, give life” - Strong’s): in the third day He will raise us
up, and we shall live in His sight.”

God’s heart is to heal us, to “stitch us up” from all damage of sin and the enemy! This
happens as we come to Him with a full and repentant heart that submits itself to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ. His restoration is then released in our lives to make us whole
again.

 The Demise Of King Joash (2 Chronicles 24):

In 2 Chronicles 24 we have the account of the life of King Joash who began to reign at a
very young age “doing what was right in the sight of the Lord . . .” (v.2). It appears he
relied heavily on Jehoiada, a key, prophetic man in his kingdom, for when he died Joash
began to listen to other men who advised him wrongly. That resulted in Joash hardening
his heart toward God and giving himself over to idolatry. God sent prophets to him to
turn his heart back toward God. But Joash would not listen. He continued in his rebellion.
His life went into decline and, according to verse 25 in the Authorized Version, he battled
with “great diseases” (“sicknesses, diseases” - Young’s). Finally he was slain by his own
servants.

What can we learn from this?

1. It seems that Joash relied more on man than he did on God. Once man advised
him wrongly, he then had no foundation in his life to be able to stand against that
evil counsel. When we rely more on man than on God we open ourselves up to
becoming deceived. The influence of our secular, humanistic society makes it so easy
to rely on man. Christians must guard against that, as it undermines, then destroys faith
in our hearts toward both the spoken and written Word of God.

2. When we turn away from doing right in God’s sight, we open ourselves up to
physical weakness and diseases. That action of turning away makes a statement (in

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 our actions) that we believe we know better than God! Without God’s powerful
protection over our lives we become very vulnerable to the physical, emotional and
spiritual attacks of the enemy (Satan) and the diseases of this world (which are many).

3. God in His love and concern for Joash reached out to him, but Joash would not
listen. When we fail to listen to God it is because a hardening of heart has already
taken place. Beware!

4. Joash even forgot the kindness of Jehoiada, to the point of killing Jehoiada’s son
(v.22). Many times in Scripture we are told to remember what has been done for us.
Holy Communion, for example, is to help us to always remember the great sacrifice of
Jesus Christ to obtain our soul’s salvation and wholeness that He gives to those who
trust Him. When we forget the kindness of God (and of others), there is no telling how
far the decline can go in our lives. Joash sunk so far he killed a good man’s son!

5. Joash’s good start in life did not protect him from his “dumb decisions” in later
life; decisions that took him far away from God. It is one thing to start out well; it is
entirely another to finish well. Joash got away from decision-making according to
God’s wisdom and finished up making his own decisions out of a hardened, proud
heart. There is no substitute for God’s wisdom in our decision-making, especially the
major ones we face as we go through life.

6. Joash died under the judgment of God, slain by his own servants, and having a
body full of diseases. What a tragedy! Life turned so sour for Joash. What a tragic
ending for one who started out so well. Rejected by his own . . . diseased and broken!

This illustration suggests there is a definite link between disobedience, rebellion and
bodily diseases. We all need to listen to God and “do that which is right in His sight.”

These Scriptures show us that God used afflictions (that included sickness at times) to get
the attention of His people. They were a very hard-hearted lot and often needed some
“stern measures” from God Himself to get them to turn their hearts and lives around to
being able to live to the glory of God. Whenever they co-operated with Him He was there
for them and they were healed and set free. We need to remember that God’s heart is
always for the good and betterment of His people. He is not a sadistic God, nor does He
enjoy seeing His people suffer through ignorance and rebellion. Joash wilfully refused to
respond to God’s call and suffered the consequences.

GOD HEALED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

We see that God loved to answer the prayers that were made on behalf of those who
were sick and/or in need:

 Genesis 20:17 (TLB):

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Abimelech and his wife were healed of barrenness when Abraham prayed for them. So
were his handmaidens and they also bore children:

“Then Abraham prayed, asking God to cure the king and queen and the other women
of the household, so that they could have children; for God had stricken all the women
with barrenness to punish Abimelech for taking Abraham’s wife” (Genesis 20:17-18).

Wow! Is this self-explanatory or what?

 Numbers 12:

Miriam was healed of leprosy (after a seven day punishment) when Moses prayed. How
did she get leprosy? She was smitten with that disease as a result of her open, verbal
criticism of the woman Moses married! She incited rebellion by trying to turn the people
away from hearing the Word of the Lord through His chosen servant! That aroused the
anger of God and He made a public example of her (Read the chapter to get the context).

 The Healing Of Naaman The Syrian (2 Kings 5):

A wonderful healing took place in the days of Elisha the prophet. As a result of a little
captive Israeli maid’s testimony of the healing power of God, Naaman was sent to the
king of Israel to get healed. The king of Israel certainly was not an ‘Elisha’ and, when he
was confronted with the letter from the king of Syria to heal one of his chief servants, the
king of Israel was indignant, insulted and flew into a rage. However, Elisha got to hear of
what was happening down at the king’s palace and sent word for Naaman to be sent to
him. Naaman duly arrived at Elisha’s house, full of all kinds of false preconceptions
about what was going to happen (he was a proud man, holding an honourable position
back in Syria). Elisha did not even go to the door to meet this noble character; he simply
sent Gehazi his servant with the message to “Go and wash himself seven times in the
River Jordan, and he would be completely cured of his disease” (2 Kings 5:10, GNB).
Naaman was insulted! His pride would not allow him to listen to the Word of the Lord
through His prophet. He stormed off in a rage, saying that there were other rivers better
than the Jordan! Naaman’s servants managed to pacify him before he had gone too far,
and they persuaded him to be obedient to what Elisha had said. So Naaman humbled
himself and dipped seven times in the River Jordan. Amazingly, on the seventh time,
when he came up out of the water, his whole body was cleansed of that cursed leprosy
that had plagued his life. He was clean! He was healed! He was a new man!

There are some lessons we can take from this healing in the Old Testament:

1. Go to the right person (or persons) when seeking healing.

2. Don’t let pride and misconceptions hinder your healing (pride makes us to be
disobedient).
3. Humble yourself.
4. Be obedient to the Word of the Lord (even though the instructions may seem to be
somewhat unusual, ridiculous in fact, like “dipping seven times in the River Jordan”).

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5. Physical healing touched and changed a proud man’s heart, and turned him into
a worshipper of God.

 The Healing Of King Hezekiah:

In 2 Kings 18:1-16; 2 Kings 20:1-21; 2 Chronicles chapters 29-32; Isaiah 38:1-5 and
Isaiah 39:1, we read of a good king by the name of Hezekiah. He did that which was right
in the sight of the Lord. However, there came a time when Shalmaneser the king of
Assyria laid siege against Samaria. Hezekiah was affected by this and was somewhat
subdued. The reason given was “because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their
God, but transgressed (“to cross over, alienate, fail, meddle, turn away” - Strong’s) His
covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear
them, nor do them” (2 Kings 18:12, KJV).

A neglecting of obedience to God caused things to go terribly wrong for Hezekiah. A few
years later he was attacked and had to pay a heavy “fine” to Sennacherib, the current king
of Assyria. Hezekiah was made to pay approximately eleven tons (about 10 metric tons)
of silver and approximately one ton (about one metric ton) of gold (NIV). Those
happenings in the reign of Hezekiah took their toll on him physically. When we get to 2
Kings 20:1, we read that Hezekiah had become “deathly sick” (TLB). The word “sick”
here is from the Hebrew “chalah” meaning “to be worn down in strength, to be weak; to
be sick, diseased” (Wilson’s). He was about to die. The Word came from the Lord through
the Prophet Isaiah that he needed to “Put your house in order, because you are going to
die; you will not recover” (2 Kings 20:1, NIV).

That word jolted Hezekiah into reality! He immediately began to seek God in earnest
prayer, accompanied by weeping. He repented of his pride and disobedience. His prayer
touched the heart of God, Who spoke again to Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that God would
now heal him. The healing would take three days and the restoration of his health would
prolong his life by fifteen years.

What was Hezekiah’s sickness? 2 Kings 20:7 tells us it was a “boil” or an “ulcer.” It must
have been a large one to have been life-threatening. He was being eaten away by it, until
repentance and forgiveness took place. The remedy for the healing was to lay a poultice
of figs upon the boil. Then he “recovered.” In 2 Kings 20:7 and Isaiah 38:9 & 21, the
Hebrew word is “chayah” meaning “to live, revive, make alive, be whole” (Young’s &
Strong’s). In Isaiah 39:1, the Hebrew word used is “chazaq” meaning “to be or become
strong” (Young’s); “to strengthen, cure, help, repair, mend” (Strong’s).

The physical sickness of Hezekiah was a direct result of his spiritual “sickness,” his
disobedience to God’s voice, pride and breaking of covenant. Once that was restored
through the rebuke and word of the prophet - and his own personal repentance in
prayer and weeping - he recovered. The ulcer dried up and he grew back to normal
strength. He also experienced the grace of God in having fifteen extra years to live!

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We must not underestimate the connection between the physical and the spiritual.
Hezekiah suffered physically in his body because somehow he had allowed his
spiritual disciplines to fall away to the point he violated God’s covenant. Outside of
that covenant we have no protection.

Let us all learn from Hezekiah’s sickness and make very sure we listen to God’s voice
and keep covenant relationship with Him.

 Job And His Boils:

The Book of Job gives us some insight into how a righteous, godly person came under
attack from the enemy of our soul, Satan. Job so lived to honour God that Satan very
cheekily presented himself before God with the accusation that Job was only serving Him
because of temporal blessings. Satan contended that if Job lost his possessions he would
actually curse God to His face. Satan was making a statement that Job only served God
for “what he could get out of Him.” God’s response was to put Satan’s word to the test;
“Prove it to Me,” He was saying. God actually gave Satan permission to do what he could
to Job in order to prove his point. Satan immediately set to work “to steal, kill and
destroy” (John 10:10) Job’s family, possessions and then his physical health. Concerning
his health, we read:

“So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with a terrible case of
boils from head to foot” (Job 2:7, TLB).

“Boils” here is translated from “shechin” meaning “a burning sore, ulcer” ( Wilson’s). Not
one or two, but his whole body was covered from head to toe. The pain would have been
excruciating. I have seen the misery of people in the South Pacific Islands, weeping with
the pain from only one large boil. Job’s suffering was infinitely worse! Can you imagine
Job’s situation? The stench must have been revolting as the pus ran from him:

“Job went and sat by the rubbish heap and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his
sores” (Job 2:8, GNB).

His wife could not bear to see what was happening to her husband. Even though she
knew it was a satanic attack (allowed by God) to get Job to “curse God,” she would
rather have her husband in health than retaining his integrity! Obviously Mrs. Job did not
carry the same spiritual convictions her husband did. He rightly rebuked her by bringing
the situation into perspective.

What do we learn from this?

 When given the opportunity, Satan likes to inflict sickness upon people. He
thinks that sickness and pain will cause committed Christians to deny the
faith.
 Satan is a robber. He hates to see us prosper in body, soul and/or spirit.
 Satan’s aim was to get Job to curse God.

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A curse in this instance is to blame God for the devil’s work and “to bid farewell” to
God Himself. Cursing has to do with invoking satanic powers upon others. The devil
knows only too well that God cannot be cursed, but in his trying to do it, it would have
meant all kinds of tragedy for Job. Satan was out to destroy Job’s faith, reliance on
God, and integrity, so Job would no longer walk with Him. He failed. Did you hear me?
Satan failed in his mission!

The testing of Job shows us there is a place in God where He is valued far above our
most loved earthly possessions. Instead of weakening Job’s commitment and dedication
to God, that season of sickness and pain brought about a deeper understanding of God
being there for those who truly trust Him. When we get to the last chapter of Job he
makes this amazing statement to God (not Satan):

“I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear; but now my [spiritual] eye sees
You. Therefore I loathe [my words] and abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes”
(Job 42:5-6, AMP.).

Job came through his ordeal victoriously.

Things turned out exactly the opposite to that which Satan had declared. Instead of
being pushed away from God, Job’s experience only worked to refine him and to
give him a deeper revelation of God Himself! Satan failed, even when he was “calling
the shots!” All praise to our Mighty Lord!

The Bible declares Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10) and “the
father of lies” (John 8:44). His accusations to God about Job were proven false! Job did
not stop serving God, nor did he make any attempts to curse God. He remained faithful
and God restored him with double the blessing and honour.

It is an interesting thought to know that God allowed Satan to have the choice of
strategies (except taking his life) as to how to bring the man of God down. He chose
sickness! He failed miserably.

What was being worked out in the physical realm, i.e. the sickness in Job’s body and the
loss of his children and possessions, was the direct result of that which was happening in
the invisible, spiritual realm (a contending between Satan and God over one of His
faithful followers). The trial of Job raises some very challenging questions for us:

 Are we serving God for His blessings, and what He gives . . . or for Who He
is?
 Will we continue to faithfully love and follow Him in sickness as well as in
health?
 Do we see and understand the spiritual significance of what was happening
in Job’s life as a result of Satan’s accusation of him before God?

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  Are we living close enough to God that we become a threat to Satan? To the
point that he (Satan) wants to test our loyalty and commitment to God?
 How would we endure what Job did?

God turned it to good and caused His servant to prosper more than ever! God does not
keep us from having trials and testings, but He is the Master at delivering us out of them
when the appropriate lessons have been learned (some of these testings are much longer
than others). In Job’s case it included physical attack of sickness upon his body over a
period of time.

 Ezekiel 47:

This chapter is a prophetic illustration of what happens when the waters of the Holy
Spirit are allowed to flow out of the temple of God. (The temple of God represents both
the individual Christian and the Christian Church co-operating with the Holy Spirit - John
7:37-39; Acts 3:6; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). There is salvation, healing,
fruitfulness, abundance and medicine flowing in those waters, and they are there to make
their impact. Those waters produced very fruitful trees along the riverbanks that had
leaves with healing medicines in them (medicine is always taken with the view to
improving and healing one’s physical condition). There was an abundance of fish in those
waters, which speak to us of evangelism, and the ingathering of needy souls. Divine
Healing is a powerful way of meeting the needs of the masses. And when the needs of the
people are being met, they come to Christ and the Christian Church grows as a result.
Yes, Divine Healing is a key to the growth of the Christian Church!

In verses 8, 9 and 11, the word “healed” is translated from the Hebrew word “rapha”
meaning “to mend (by stitching), to cure, cause to heal thoroughly, make whole”
(Strong’s); “to heal diseases of all kinds, particularly wounds by outward application, and
binding and sewing, to heal a distressed nation or person by restoring them to prosperous
circumstances, to heal in a moral sense, to cure the mind, to pardon the soul” (Wilson’s).

What a wealth of meaning that one little word “healed” has! What a challenge to us
to always be in a place where the Holy Spirit water of life can flow out from us!
When we Christians do not allow that water of life to flow out of the temple of God
(us), we are robbing others of experiencing divine health and healing in their lives.

In summary, then, we can see that God’s heart and desire in the Old Testament was to see
His people well and strong, healed and whole. But there were very real conditions placed
upon the Israelites - conditions that demanded a single and holy allegiance to God’s
commands. If they obeyed, they enjoyed Divine Healing and health. If they did not obey,
they suffered sicknesses, negative curses and diseases, some of which God Himself put
on them as a means of turning them back to Himself. When they turned again to Him,
even though He had afflicted them, He would then have mercy and heal them.

We need to remember that although God’s desire is that His people be well and whole in
every way, physical healing is not the “be all and end all” of His over-all intentions for

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us. His heart is that we discover, and then do His will in our lives - in every part and
every way. God wants us to know His ways more, not only His works (healing is part
of His works). He doesn’t bless us with Divine Healing and health to squander it on
selfish and personal gains. He wants us whole so we can be a living testimony of how
great a God we have, and all the world should want to know and serve Him because
of that.

CHAPTER 3

HARDNESS OF HEART
THE ISRAELITES SUFFERED with a problem known as “hardness of heart.” That
hardness often caused them to rebel against God’s Commandments and so God had to
resort to measures that would break that hardness in order to turn them back to Himself.
We should never underestimate the negative power of hardness of heart. It is something
that each of us has to recognize, face, and repent of (See Proverbs 28:14; Proverbs 29:1; Mark
3:5; Mark 6:52; Mark 8:17-18; Mark 16:14; Romans 2:5 and Hebrews 3:13 ). It is very likely that
many do not get healed in our day because of it. In saying this, it does not mean that
every one who is not healed suffers from a hardened heart. There can be a vast number of
reasons why we are not healed. We need to know the Holy Spirit’s voice and hear His
answer as to the reasons why.

Reinhard Bonnke, in his book ‘Evangelism By Fire,’ states: “Many churchmen and
medical doctors have opposed divine healing. They have made much of those who are
‘disappointed’ and who are not immediately healed. They have conveniently forgotten
that doctors disappoint millions. Nearly everyone in the graveyard had been to a doctor
first, yet nobody would be so foolish as to demand the closing of all hospitals! Some
church folk object to divine healing simply because some are not healed, and so do not
minister to the sick at all. This leaves everybody unhealed! Where is compassion, or
obedience to the Scriptures?” (Page170).

When Christians conveniently exclude Divine Healing out of their teachings and
practice, one has to wonder how much unbelief and hardness of heart has
influenced their particular stand? An open study of the Scriptures reveals healing is
very much a part of God’s plan for His people to be healthy, well and strong. Reinhard
Bonnke is right. Why aren’t doctors put under the same scrutiny as those of us who pray
for the sick, believing that God still heals today? The main reason is because we are
dealing with a clash of the spiritual and the natural realms; both are very different. Unless
we are born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand the things of the
spiritual realm. That realm is “spiritually discerned” and the natural mind of man cannot
comprehend it. The Bible goes as far as to state it is foolishness to him. So, genuine

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spiritual things are always brought into question, doubt and ridicule by those who cannot
understand that spiritual realm (see 1 Corinthians 2).

Jesus’ own disciples were afflicted with hardness of heart. They were in that condition
when Jesus gave them the Great Commission to go into all the world to preach the
Gospel and to heal the sick (Mark 16:14-20). The fact they had been with Jesus for three
years on His earthly ministry of mighty signs, wonders and miracles did not make them
immune to unbelief and hardness of heart! Doubt leads to unbelief, and unbelief leads to
hardness of heart. Doubt, unbelief and hardness of heart seem to go together.

Before going back to the Father, Jesus gave them a choice. They could stay in their
unbelief and hardness of heart by just ignoring the Great Commission, or they could
believe what Jesus said, and put it into practice. Fortunately they chose to step out of their
unbelief and hardness of heart and do what Jesus said. Their actions not only delivered
them from their negative condition, but they went on to establish the New Testament
Church accompanied with signs and wonders, which they did! What caused the major
paradigm shift to take place in their lives? The Day of Pentecost! Something dramatic
happened to them between verses 19 and 20 of Mark 16 – they received the baptism in
the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost! Yes, it took the Day of Pentecost experience to
shake those disciples of Jesus out of their apathetic condition (Acts 2:1-4). It will take a
dramatic experience in the Holy Spirit to shake a lot of us out of our apathy and negative
attitudes today toward this subject of “Divine Healing.”

It seems difficult for us to comprehend that Jesus’ disciples could suffer from such doubt,
unbelief and hardness of heart after what they heard and saw Him do. But they did! Even
after the amazing miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples’ hearts were
hardened (“callous”) to the point they could not gain the real benefits of what Jesus was
teaching and doing (Mark 6:34-56).

The fact that Gehazi lived in the same house as the great Prophet Elisha did not make
Gehazi a spiritual and righteous man. He was not! His covetous, lying heart finally
brought about the prophet’s curse and Gehazi was smitten with leprosy! (2 Kings 5). There
was a condition of unbelief and hardness of heart that he never dealt with. It cost him
dearly, physically and spiritually.

The fact that Zacharias was “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s
commandments and regulations blamelessly” (Luke 1:6, NIV) did not stop powerful
doubt, unbelief and hardness of heart from blocking his life. He was struck dumb by the
angel Gabriel because he could not believe God’s Word! (Luke1:18-22). That “being struck
dumb” had to happen in order for God’s will to be done in the birthing of John the
Baptist. How incredible the Scripture is in exposing the heart and motive of even
righteous men and women. One would think that Zacharias could not be so full of
unbelief in the position he occupied. But this is a major problem amongst Christians
today. Too many of us are “unbelieving believers!”

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In the realm of Divine Healing this has cost us dearly. We struggle to believe God’s
Word and, like Zacharias, we’ve been “smitten dumb” through our unbelief. We need to
repent of this and show it by our obedience and acting upon the Word of God. (See my
book, “Unbelief – The Power That Needs To Be Broken”).

Let us look now at Divine Healing in the New Testament . . .

LOOKING AT
DIVINE HEALING
IN THE
NEW TESTAMENT

CHAPTER 4
Divine Healing in
ST. MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
WHEN WE COME INTO the New Testament, starting in St. Matthew’s Gospel, we
see the willingness of Jesus to touch and heal the poor and needy, regardless of their
position in life. His whole ministry represented the real heart of God in extending love,
forgiveness, healing, deliverance, grace and favour to His people. Let us now take a walk
through the four Gospels and the New Testament to see the healing ministry of Jesus and
the Early Church unfold before our very eyes.

 Jesus Healed Every Kind Of Sickness And Disease (Matthew 4:23-

24, TLB):

“Jesus travelled all through Galilee teaching in the Jewish synagogues (“a building for
Jewish religious services and usually also for religious instruction” - Collins), everywhere
preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven. And He healed every kind of
sickness and disease. The report of His miracles spread far beyond the borders of
Galilee so that sick folk were soon coming to be healed from as far away as Syria. And
whatever their illness and pain, or if they were possessed by demons, or were insane, or
paralyzed - He healed them all. Enormous crowds followed Him wherever He

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went . . .”

In this one verse alone we have ample information of what the ministry of Jesus was
all about. “He healed every kind of sickness and disease”! There is no way Jesus
would have been ministering like that if it was not God’s will for the people to be
physically healed of their many ailments. Jesus came to make mankind whole, and
that included deliverance of every kind of sickness, disease, curse and evil spirit
power.

 The Leper Wonderfully Cleansed (Matthew 8:1-3; Mark 1:40-45; Luke

5:12-16):

In the very first individual healing mentioned, the heart and will of Jesus comes through:
A leper came to Jesus with the plea, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean. And
Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; you be clean. And
immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

 Jesus Cast Out Spirits and Healed All That Were Sick:
In Matthew 8:16-17 we read how those tormented by evil spirits and sicknesses came to
Jesus, “and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick: That it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, Himself took our
infirmities (“want of strength, weakness; hence, feebleness, sickness” - Bullinger’s), and
bare our sicknesses.”

The word “bare” in this verse has to do with “removal, to lift or carry” (Strong’s). Healing
is part of the fulfilling of the word of the prophets, in this case the prophet Isaiah.
Through their spiritual insight, the prophets could see that Jesus’ death would make
freely available to man the privilege to be made physically whole, to “remove” our
sicknesses. If this were not meant to be, why did Jesus “restore to health all who were
sick” (Matthew 8:16-17, AMP.)?

Jesus came to fulfil the prophetic Word of God. In Isaiah 53:5, approximately seven
hundred and twelve years (?) before Jesus came, Isaiah prophesied this:

“But He was wounded (“to be pierced”) for our transgressions, He was bruised (“to
crumble, beat to pieces, break in pieces, crush, smite” - Strong’s) for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah was prophetically looking forward to the day when the Lord Jesus Christ would
become the sacrificial Lamb of God to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin and rebellion
against a Holy God. That sacrificing of the body of Jesus included total cleansing and
forgiveness from the power of sin, as well as healing for the physical body. Even way
back there in Isaiah’s day he saw healing as a present tense truth: “and with His stripes
we are healed.”

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The Apostle Peter in the New Testament, when quoting the sacrificial death of Jesus from
Isaiah 53:5, states it as an accomplished fact: “by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter
2:24, KJV). Another translation puts it this way: “It is by His wounds that you have been
healed” (GNB).

The Scripture is very clear - healing is part of the atonement. Jesus came to make us
whole in spirit, soul and body. The onus is now upon us to appropriate that finished
work of Calvary so we can live in the fulfilment of that fact and enjoy the healing He
has provided for us!

In that same chapter of Matthew 8, Jesus ministered to a number of needy people:

 The Centurion’s Servant Healed (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10):

The willingness of Jesus to heal is evident here. The centurion was a man of faith
(a faith that he had learned through his occupation of having to apply the principles of
submission and obedience to authority). His faith was so strong in the authority of Jesus
and His Word, that he told Jesus there was no need for Him to personally go and lay
His hand on the sick servant. Jesus marvelled at the man’s faith, honoured him for it -
and the sick, paralytic servant was made whole.

 Peter’s Mother-in-law Healed (Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke

4:38-39):

Jesus visited Peter’s house and ministered to his mother-in-law who was sick with a
fever (“an abnormally high body temperature, accompanied by a fast pulse rate, dry
skin, etc.” - Collins). The healing was so fast that she “got up and prepared a meal for
them!” (TLB).

 Two Others Controlled By Evil Spirits Delivered (Matthew 8:28-34;

Mark 5:1-20: Luke 8:26-40):

Demonic forces or evil spirits were hindering two men from living healthy, normal
lives. They were very bad cases, to the extent that they were not able to live in the
community, but spent their time wandering the graveyard, so powerful was their
demonic torment. No one had any real answers for them. But then came Jesus! He
rebuked the foul demons, cast them out, and the men were restored to a normal
lifestyle. Their healing created so many problems for other people that they asked
Jesus to leave their region! (One would think they would have wanted exactly
the opposite!). Those with powerful healing and deliverance ministries today are often
treated the same.

We move on to Matthew Chapter 9 and read more of Jesus’ ministry to the sick:

 A Man Sick With Paralysis Healed (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke
5:18-26):

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 This man was so badly crippled that he was confined to a bed. He could not walk of his
own accord. In spite of an unbelieving, sceptical religious fraternity, Jesus rebuked the
sickness, and healed the man. Immediately, he responded to the authority of Jesus, rose
up, and went to his house. How grateful he must have been to have four friends who
“dared to be different” and were willing to take him up on to the roof top, break a hole
through the roof of that house, and then let him down at the feet of Jesus. Jesus did not
rebuke them, He honoured them for their actions. That was quite some demonstration
of their faith!

 A Dead Teenager Raised To Life (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26; Mark 5:21-

24, 35-43; Luke 8:41-42, 49-56):

The twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:42) was very close to death. In
desperation he came pleading for Jesus to come and lay His hand upon her. But before
Jesus made it to the house, news came to them that the girl had died. Jesus still went,
and, in spite of ridicule and contempt, He raised the girl back to life again. What a
miracle of healing!

 A Woman With A Long-term Blood Discharge Healed (Matthew

9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48):

Here is a tragic story of a woman who was sick for twelve long years. She tried
everything to get better, went to every doctor, paid out good money until she was
destitute, broke and still without an answer. Then she heard of Jesus. The very
mention of His name stirred faith in her heart. She knew she had to get to Him, to
touch Him. She confessed faith with her mouth, “If I can only but touch the hem of
His garment I shall be made whole.” There was a crowd in the way (there’s always a
crowd in the way!). But she persisted. She pressed through the crowd and touched the
garment of Jesus! Immediately something happened! Even Jesus knew something had
happened! He said, “Who touched Me?” The disciples didn’t know what He was
talking about. But Jesus did - and so did the woman. She came forward and began to
tell Jesus about her life. That one touch had healed her totally! Notice what Jesus said:
“Your faith has made you whole” (the Greek word is “sozo” meaning “to save, heal,
preserve, make whole” - Young’s). Not “My power” but “your faith!” Faith purchased
for her what a number of doctors (doing their best) and a large amount of money could
not.

 Two Blind Men Healed (Matthew 9:27-31):

Our next healing involved two blind men. They followed Jesus, obviously hearing of the
wonderful things He was doing. Being blind they could not see, so they did the next best
thing. They followed, and then they called out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us.” Once they
were inside a house, Jesus challenged the men: “Do you believe that I am able to do
this?” (NIV). Their answer was a very positive yes! To which Jesus replied, “According
to your faith will it be done to you” (NIV). Wow! Jesus put the challenge right back on

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to those two blind men. But they and their faith were up to it. They immediately
received their sight. How? “According to your faith . . .”

What is your answer to the question of Jesus, “Do you believe that I am able to do
this?”

 How would you respond?

 Would your faith be sufficient to get the answer you desired of Him?

In those healings Jesus did not say it was His faith, or His power, or His
anointing that healed the people . . . but it was according to their faith!

 A Dumb Man Whose Dumbness Was Caused By An Evil Spirit

(Matthew 9:32-34):

Here we read of the traumatic case of a man unable to speak. He was dumb.
We are not told how long he had suffered with this condition, or whether he was born
in that condition. But we are told what caused him to be like he was - an evil spirit.
Somewhere in his life’s journey, something had happened whereby an evil spirit was
able to come into his body, take up residence and render him speechless from that point
on. Jesus rebuked the evil spirit (naming it a dumb spirit), cast it out of the man, and he
began to speak. Notice that Jesus did not speak healing to the dumbness, but addressed
the evil spirit, commanding it to leave. This deliverance shows us that sometimes there
is a direct connection between physical conditions, or impediments, and that of the
spiritual realm; in this case an evil spirit.

When dealing with evil spirits, Jesus took authority over them. Often those who are
afflicted by evil spirits do not have enough faith to deal with them themselves. A
greater authority has to be exercised against them. In our case, it is in knowing how to
use the mighty name of JESUS against our spiritual enemies. This was not a
situation where the dumb man was told, “According to your faith be it done unto
you,” but the one praying taking authority and saying, “I command you to come out!”
(For us today we also do that, adding “in the name of Jesus Christ!”).

The needs were everywhere! Whatever those needs were, Jesus worked to meet them.

JESUS DELEGATED HIS POWER TO HIS DISCIPLES:

In Matthew 10:1-8 Jesus called His twelve disciples together, gave them “power (the
Greek word is “exousia” meaning “delegated authority”) over unclean spirits, to cast
them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and disease” (KJV).

He commissioned them to preach and to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils.
This was His will for their lives. (This still is His will for our lives today.) It is the Gospel
of the Kingdom, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who came to this world to make men and
women whole in every way! Their message could not be complete if they were unable to

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back it up with signs following. Divine Healing is part of the signs following ministry,
the confirmation that the Word of God is far superior to every other message and belief
system!

What Jesus Did, He Wanted His Disciples To Do Also!

 He showed them how.

 He commissioned them to do the same; and
 He sent them forth (to do it without Him taking the lead)!

That is the principle of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and Heaven! It is the message
that Jesus commanded us to preach, teach and demonstrate! Divine Healing and signs
following are one of His major keys for the church to grow. It convinces people mightily
of the fact that Jesus is alive to confirm His Word, to show people His Word works!

 The Healing Ministry Helps To Dispel Doubts:

In Matthew 11:2-6 we read of John the Baptist’s doubts over who Jesus was. He sent
two of his disciples to enquire of Jesus. The answer Jesus gave them for John was to tell
him of the things they heard and saw.

What did they see and hear?

 The blind receiving their sight;

 The lame walking;
 The lepers being cleansed;
 The dead being raised up; and
 The poor having the Gospel preached to them.

That would have left John in no doubt as to Jesus being the Messiah! Notice, Jesus did
not try to convince John’s disciples with a doctrinal exposition. He simply told them to
judge Him by the results of what they saw and heard; by the practical demonstration
rather than just what He said. I wonder how many of us would be prepared to answer
such a question in that way? What would others have to “see and hear” from the
way we live? Jesus knew John would have his doubts dispelled through his disciples
returning to him with a testimony of what they had seen and heard.

 The Man With The Withered Hand (Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-6;
Luke 6:6-11):

Matthew 12 records the account of the man with the withered hand being healed (v.9-13).
The environment in which this took place was one of religious questioning on matters
concerning the lawfulness to heal someone on the Sabbath day. They were out to find
fault with Jesus. Religious “political correctness” was more important to those leaders
than the giving of new life and physical freedom to people. Jesus spoke loudly to the man

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to “Stretch forth your hand.” He did, and was instantly healed of that condition. That
resulted in scores of people flocking to Jesus. The result? “He healed them all” (v.15).

 Blind And Dumb Man Healed (Matthew 12:22-23, with ongoing teaching
and rebuke from Jesus to the Pharisees over their reaction to the healing in v.24-
50):

The next healing is that of a blind and dumb man, possessed by an evil spirit ( v.22). Jesus
took authority over the evil spirit that had taken hold of the man’s life. He rebuked him
(the evil spirit) and cast him out. The man began to see and to speak. What an amazing
transformation took place. The ministry of Jesus really impacted the people. For a better
understanding of how an evil spirit affects a person’s life, please read Matthew 12:22-29,
43-45. Whenever evil spirits are involved in anyone’s life, that person’s quality of
living always degenerates. Evil spirits are always out to take us further away from
God, and to eventually lead us to eternal destruction and damnation. The Christian
message includes our having authority in the name of Jesus to cast out evil spirits
and to set the people free from their influence. This also is part of the Divine
Healing ministry, and the subsequent growth of the Christian Church.

 The Feeding Of The Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-45;

Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15):

The Bible does not record every specific healing Jesus did. It seems He was teaching and
healing all the time, wherever He went. In this next Scripture reference, Jesus had
actually taken His disciples out and away from all the busyness of people and ministry to
spend time alone with Him (and Him with them) in a “solitary place” (NIV). However,
the people heard where He was and soon there were thousands of sick and needy people
converging on them where they were. Their “time out” was short-lived. Jesus did not
chase them away, nor did He rebuke them for their intrusion upon His privacy. His heart
went out to them and “He healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).

“And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion
toward them, and He healed their sick” (KJV).

Another translation says, “His heart went out to them, and He cured those of them who
were sick” (NEB).

 Does our heart go out to the sick?

 How do we react when we see them suffering in that way?
(Even when they intrude on “our” time?)
 Do we know we have power to do something about it?
 What kind of Gospel do we really believe?
 Does it have the answers, or does it not?

We Can Do What Jesus Taught Us To!

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In that same setting, Jesus was endeavouring to get His disciples to see, understand and
release the same power through their lives: “You give them to eat” (v.16). Jesus was
saying, “Even though you do not have the natural means to feed the people, you do have
supernatural ability to feed and provide for them!” That day Jesus not only healed the
people, He also miraculously fed them from that little boy’s lunch of five loaves and two
fish. Notice that each of the four Gospels records the feeding of the five thousand. The
way Jesus taught and demonstrated that supernatural ability was amazing. It did
incredible things for, and to, the people:

“ . . . they came into the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place had
knowledge of Him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto
Him all that were diseased; And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of
His garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole” (Matthew 14:34-36,
KJV).

What an exciting verse of Scripture! Read it again. Look what happened when people
had knowledge of Jesus, when they knew what He could do. It motivated them to get
the message out to many people. They focused on the sick, knowing Jesus was able
to heal them. Their faith was rewarded, as many came to Jesus, touched His
garment and were made perfectly whole. Completely cured! What a great testimony
to the Christian message and ministry.

 The Healing Of The Syrophenician Woman’s Daughter (Matthew

15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30).

In Matthew 15 we read of the healing of the Syrophenician woman’s daughter, another

case of evil spirits troubling a young life (v.21-28). It is an account of a desperate mother
seeking answers for her troubled daughter. No natural means, medicines or cures can
deliver a person from evil spirits (but medicine may keep behavioural habits in check).
That is the domain of the Christian Church and/or an individual Christian believer
ministering in the power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ! When the
daughter was brought to Jesus she was wonderfully set free. It happened as a direct result
of the persistent faith of her mother who, in spite of a seeming knock-back from Jesus,
kept pressing in until He responded. It is important that we take note of the fact that Jesus
believed that people were bound, hindered and indwelt by evil spirits. He not only
believed in their existence and presence within human beings, but He took authority over
them and cast them out of the people.

In modern Christendom today this challenges many belief systems. The practical
exercising of the deliverance ministry over evil spirits is not all that common any more.
Then, when and where it does exist, there is a lot of confusion and opposition to it
because there are sometimes manifestations by those evil spirits that can “upset” the
fearful and ignorant. There does need to be much wisdom shown with deliverance
ministry, and those involved need to guard against it becoming a “performance” that
brings about a bad testimony, and/or leaving the one with the need not set free of their
condition.

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The healings and deliverances generated large gatherings of people unto Jesus:

“And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind,
dumb, maimed (“bent, crooked, crippled” - Bullinger’s), and many others, and cast them
down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them: insomuch that the multitude wondered, when
they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be made whole, the lame to walk, and the
blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:30-31, KJV).

Jesus had compassion on the multitudes. That compassion led Him to heal the sick!
The healing of the sick caused great crowds of people to flock to Jesus. The healing
of the sick earned Jesus the right to be heard. This same principle still applies today.
When positive, powerful healings and deliverances are being done, it causes people
to come from all walks of life to seek answers to their many problems. It is God’s
way of bringing people to Jesus Christ, and when people come to Christ, the Church
grows! Divine Healing is a key to the growth of the Christian Church!

 The Healing Of A Boy With An Evil Spirit (Matthew 17:14-21; Mark

9:14-29):

The next recorded healing in St. Matthew’s Gospel appears in Chapter 17:14-21. This is
yet another case of evil spirits wrecking someone’s life. Those evil spirits caused a young
man to be thrown into the fire, and at other times, into the water. How exasperating for
his parents! The sad part of this story is that the disciples found themselves powerless to
provide an answer to the young man’s need. Jesus gave the reason as, “Because of your
unbelief!” (v.20). The disciples of Jesus were limited in their ability to help people
because of their unbelief! They needed to learn some very important lessons as to the
reasons for their inability to provide the answer. They had to believe the will of God!
They had to know there were some evil spirits that needed more authority exercised over
them than others; that some evil spirits are not as easy to get the victory over as some
others. They needed to learn the powerful benefits of prayer and fasting in certain cases.

Fortunately JESUS set him free! That young man would never be the same again! What
a great deliverance he received at the hands of Jesus, Whose heart was always toward the
people. He wanted them to know God was for them, just as He is for us today. Divine
Healing is one of the ways Jesus shows us God’s favour toward us.

Matthew 19:2:

“And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them there.”

 The Blind Receive Their Sight (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke
18:35-43):

We move on to Matthew 20:29-34 where Jesus is confronted by two blind men crying out
for healing mercies. The compassion of Jesus flows again, and both men have their eyes

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opened physically. Jesus loved to meet the needs of the people. The great healing of the
street beggar, Bartimaeus, is included here.

Matthew 21:14-15:

“And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them. And
when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the
children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna (“save, we pray You”) to the Son of
David; they were sore displeased.”

When Jesus ministered to the sick and needy, those gathered around “saw the wonderful
things He did.” It was more than a nice teaching or prayer. It was a visible demonstration
of the power of God against the destructive works of the enemy of the human race –
Satan and his sicknesses, diseases and evil spirits! But the educated, learned religious
leaders could not accept what He did.

Religious Opposition:

It is an amazing thing, but sadly true, that the biggest opposition to the healing ministry
of Jesus in the Scriptures were the religious leaders. The very persons who should have
been teaching and healing the people themselves, were the ones most critical. Has it
changed much today? I don’t think so. The ministry of physical healing challenges the
mindsets and spiritual understanding of numbers of church-going people. They are good
people, but through ignorance of spiritual truth, actually work against the advancement of
the Gospel message. When they challenged Jesus on His authority to do the things He
did, He wisely knew how to handle them (see Matthew 21:23-27). Beware of the
“unbelieving believers” whose negative talk so easily destroys faith in the hearts of those
who want to obey the Word of God.

Matthew 26:51: This is the account of Peter cutting off the ear of the servant of the high
priest. While (in this verse) we are not told that Jesus healed him, we are told in Luke
22:50-51 that He did.

 Numbers Of The Dead Raised Out Of Their Graves!

Matthew 27:50-54: Here we have an interesting description of the power of the
resurrection of Jesus. It was so mighty and magnificent that we need to read it:

“Then Jesus shouted out again, dismissed His spirit, and died. And look! The curtain
secluding the Holiest Place in the Temple was split apart from top to bottom; and the
earth shook, and rocks broke, and tombs opened, and many godly men and women who
had died came back to life again. After Jesus’ resurrection, they left the cemetery and
went into Jerusalem, and appeared to many people there” (TLB).

Can you imagine what that would have been like? The utter shock on the faces of the
people when they saw those whose funerals they had attended, walking through the

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streets of Jerusalem! I wonder what those raised from the dead talked about?? The raising
of the dead surely is a demonstration of the power of God to touch and heal a dead
person, and bring them back to life again!

It is worth our printing here the last words of Jesus as recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel,
as they surely include the commission to teach and preach the things that Jesus
commanded us:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”(Matthew 28:18-20, NIV).

Clearly this tells us that Jesus is with us unto the very end of the age. He will never leave
us, nor forsake us! What He did when He walked this earth He wants to continue doing
through those of us who truly believe His teachings! It is His commandment to us! The
King James Version Bible uses the word “observe” instead of obey, which means “to
keep an eye upon, to watch, to guard, observe attentively” (Bullinger’s).

 Has the Christian Church “forgotten” to observe and obey the

teachings of Jesus on the subject of Divine Healing?
 Do we no longer see Divine Healing as part of His command to us?
 Can we afford to leave out and/or neglect Divine Healing in our
efforts to win the unsaved of this world to the heart of a loving
Heavenly Father Who longs to see them made whole in every way?
 How can we ignore so much of the healing ministry of Jesus, and still
feel unconvicted about it?
 Worse still, is this a major reason why so many churches are in
decline today?
 There is only one way to demonstrate power and that is to
demonstrate it. Talking about it is not enough. Divine Healing is one
of those demonstrations!
 And Divine Healing is a key to the growth of the Christian Church!

CHAPTER 5

Divine Healing in

ST. MARK’S GOSPEL

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WE NOW MOVE INTO St. Mark’s Gospel to look at the healing ministry of Jesus as
Mark saw and recorded it.

 A Man With An Unclean Spirit Is Healed (Mark 1:23-28; Luke 4:33-

37):

This is the account of a church-going man who had an unclean spirit. That unclean spirit
tried to detract Jesus by answering in the plural, “Let us alone; what have we to do with
You?” But Jesus would not be distracted and spoke directly to that unclean spirit to come
out. He did come out, with violence and noise, amazing those who were watching. What
a shock that would have been for those church-going people to have their service
interrupted by Jesus doing that to one of their “good citizens.”

What do we see from this healing?

 The man’s problem was spiritual (v.23).

 The unclean spirit caused the man to cry out, to be disruptive (especially in
the presence of Jesus, which evil spirits cannot stand!) (v.23-24).
 The spirit could talk (v.24, 26).
 The spirit knew Who Jesus was, and is! (v.24).
 The spirit was afraid of Jesus (v.24).
 The spirit tried to feign multiplicity, when it was only one (v.24).
 The spirit was male (in this case): “he came out of him” (v.26).
 The man was delivered (set free) of the unclean spirit (v.26).
 Those looking on saw that something had happened to the man (v.27).
 The people knew that a powerful authority was at work, so much so that evil
spirits had to obey the Word of Jesus (v.27).
 The deliverance caused people to testify of Jesus and His power (v.28).

The afore-mentioned six little verses give us tremendous insight into the ministry of Jesus
over the works of the devil! What an awesome God!

 Peter’s Mother-in-law Healed (Mark 1:29-31; Matthew 8:14-15):

Peter’s mother-in-law was healed of a fever. Through the touch of the hand of Jesus she
was immediately healed. She got straight up and began to wait upon them! That kind of
instantaneous change certainly makes an impact upon those who witness such events!

 A Whole Town is Impacted by the Healing Ministry (Mark 1:32-34):

“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon
possessed (“to be exercised by a demon:- have a, or be vexed with, or possessed with a
devil(s)” - Strong’s). The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who
had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons
speak because they knew Who He was” (NIV).

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When people are being healed the crowds gather. In this case the whole town was
impacted! Notice the Word of God clearly tells us that many in the community were
inhabited or inflicted by various kinds of evil spirits. Is it any different today? Keep on
reading, because there’s more:

 Synagogue Sinners! (Mark 1:39):

Here’s an interesting Scripture. Jesus “preached in their synagogues throughout all

Galilee, and cast out devils” (KJV).

Jesus made a point of preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. A “synagogue” is

“1. a building for Jewish religious services and usually also for religious instruction.
2. a congregation of Jews who assemble for worship or religious study” (Collins).

When Jesus went to preach to church people, He found many of them had demons
afflicting their lives in a variety of different ways! Just because we attend church, and go
there to worship God, does not mean we are free people. In fact evil spirits like to “hide”
inside churches and religious people, so they won’t be discerned and found out! That’s
why we need the presence of Jesus among us more than anything else. His presence
causes any hold the devil may have over us to react to it. The Gifts of The Holy
Spirit, especially wisdom, discerning of spirits and the word of knowledge (1
Corinthians 12), all help us to discern the spirit (or spirits) that may be active in the life
of a person. We can be set free when the presence of Jesus is present.

 A Leper Healed (Mark1:40-45; Matthew 8:1-4):

A leper humbled himself in the presence of Jesus. Jesus was moved with compassion and
healed him immediately! This record of healing shows us the willingness of Jesus to
respond to people in need. He clearly identified His heart’s desire to make the man clean!
The healed man became a mighty evangelist, so much so that Jesus was surrounded and
mobbed by the people because of that man’s testimony. Many lives can be impacted for
God and good as a direct result of a physical healing in answer to prayer in the name of
Jesus! It is the power of God in action!

 A Man Is Healed By The Faith Actions Of His Friends (Mark 2:1-

12; Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 5:18-26):

The man with paralysis, who, because of the crowd, was let down through the roof of the
house to Jesus by his four faith-inspired friends, was marvellously healed by Jesus. Those
friends were not put off by the fact they could not get inside the house by the normal
means. Their faith was so strong that they knew if they could get their sick friend to
Jesus, He would heal him. The fact they did an outlandish thing did not prevent Jesus
from honouring them and their faith! In this healing Jesus gave us some teaching on the
link between the body and the soul. He told the people He had two choices of what to say
in the healing of that man. He could have said:

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1. “Your sins be forgiven you,” or
2. “Rise, take up your bed, and walk!”

Whichever way He chose, it would have the effect of demonstrating to the people that He
had power (“exousia” - “delegated authority”) on earth to forgive sins. Jesus chose to
command him to rise up and walk. He did! The physical healing so impacted him, his
soul was also healed. From that point on he followed Jesus. Here we have ample
evidence of the importance of the Divine Healing ministry to be actively operating in our
lives and ministries. The impact of a physical healing through the power of Jesus affects
the very soul and spirit of a person as well. If this is not so, then Jesus would have
ignored the man’s physical need and concentrated entirely upon his need to be set free
from sin. The man’s healing also brought forgiveness of sin to his soul!

 The Great Physician Came For The Sick (Mark 2:17):

Here again Jesus links the healing of the body and the calling of sinners to repentance as
part of the same thing:

“Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak
and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners - the erring
ones and those not free from sin” (AMP.).

 The Man With The Withered Hand - Healed In Spite Of Some

Prevailing Attitudes (Mark 3:1-6; Matthew 12:10-21; Luke 6:6-11):
This healing took place in the Jewish synagogue. Jesus was being watched by a group of
sceptical religious people. Their hardness of heart made Jesus angry! But He still reached
out to the man in need. He was healed.

 The healing ministry of Jesus drew huge crowds. They flocked to see the
power of God in action. What did they see?
 They saw many healed!
 Their faith was such that they just wanted to touch Jesus.
 When they did, their plagues (“a whip, a scourge; then, a scourge from God” -
Bullinger’s; “a whip, literally the Roman flagellation for criminals; figuratively, a
disease” - Strong’s; this appears to include emotional scars caused by the
domination of the Roman tactics against them) were healed and the evil spirits
departed (see Mark 3:7-12).

JESUS DELEGATED HIS HEALING POWER (Mark 3:13-19; Matthew

10:1-8):

Jesus demonstrated His power over sickness, disease and demonic oppression. He then
delegated that power to His disciples:

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“He ordained (“to make, bring about, cause” - Bullinger’s) them to be with Him, to
preach, to have power to heal, and cast out devils.”

Jesus gave them that ability! It was now theirs to use! They were:

 Ordained to be with Him!

 Ordained to go forth to preach!
 Ordained to have power to heal sicknesses and diseases!
 Ordained to cast out evil spirits!

Jesus gave them the ability to do what He did! That ability given by Jesus Himself
has never been withdrawn! The message of the Gospel is incomplete without the
message of Divine Healing! Our proclaiming of the message of the Gospel is also
incomplete without the inclusion of Divine Healing! Without Divine Healing
mankind cannot be made completely whole. It is a key to the growth of the Christian
Church!

There is a “Price to Pay” in the Healing Ministry:

We see in Mark 3:20-30 some of the pressures involved in a public healing ministry:

 Crowds of people coming for healing encroached on their meal times (v.20).
 Friends began to criticize and say things were going too far (v.21).
They said, “He is beside Himself,” the word “beside” meaning “become
astounded, insane” (Strong’s), or “to rage, be furious; used of prophetic frenzy; to
be mad” (Bullinger’s). Jesus’ own friends thought He was crazy in allowing all
those needy people to keep coming to Him continually.
 The religious Scribes accused Jesus of having Beelzebub, the prince of the
devils, in Him! (v.22-30).

When spiritual authority is being exercised, it stirs up all sorts of opposition. It can be
very hurtful when it comes from your friends and those in the church (who should
know better). Mindsets and strong holds are challenged when the sick are healed
and demons are cast out of church people!

 The Wonderful Deliverance Of “Legion” (Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-

34; Luke 8:26-36):

The next recorded healing in St. Mark’s Gospel is found in Mark 5:1-20. It is yet another
case of evil spirit intrusion into the life of a man, whom we have come to know as
Legion. He had an unclean spirit.

 What is an “unclean spirit”?

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The word “unclean” is translated from the Greek word “akathartos” meaning “unclean,
impure” (Young’s); “impure, certainly in a moral sense, lewd or specifically demonic:-
foul, unclean” (Strong’s); “unpurified; in a Levitical sense, unatoned; then, as transferred
to the moral sphere, impure, embracing impurity of all kinds” (Bullinger’s). An unclean
spirit, therefore, causes the one having it to do a variety of impure and immoral things.

In this particular case the man was bound up and controlled by a very strong unclean
spirit. He (the man) exhibited a strength greater than natural strength. No one could
control him, not even by binding him up with chains. The reason for this was because, in
fact, this man was filled with many evil spirits. Not just one unclean spirit, but many
different evil spirits. How many evil spirits were in him? We don’t know exactly, but we
do know Jesus asked the man his name and it was the demons that answered, saying, “My
name is Legion, for we are many” (v.9). A legion represents “the largest division of
troops in the Roman army, varying at different periods from 3,000 to 6,600. Used for an
indefinitely great number” (Bullinger’s). The Bible uses the term “about two thousand”
(v.13). That man was literally “loaded” with devils! No wonder he behaved in the way he
did.

How did those filthy things affect that man’s life?

 He did impure and immoral things (v.2).

 He was isolated to living in a cemetery (most likely tormented by a spirit of
death) (v.3).
 He had destructive power that made him a huge problem in the community,
as well as to himself. That power could break strong chains (not string, cord or
rope, but chains!) (v.3-4).
 He was violent (v.4).
 He was very unhappy, always crying (v.5).
 He was into self-mutilation, always cutting himself with stones (v.5) (see also 1
Kings 18:28). This is something that is affecting numbers in modern society today.
At one time I had four people in my church with that affliction – and who were
delivered from it in Jesus’ name.

But Jesus came . . . and the outcome was amazing:

 When he saw Jesus, he had an ability to worship Him (v.6).

 The very presence of Jesus tormented the evil spirits (v.7).
- They knew Who Jesus was (and is) (v.7).
- The demons could talk (v.7-12).
- They answered Jesus truthfully in telling Him they were Legion (v.9).
- Those spirits begged Jesus not to send them away out of the country (v.10).

The demons were afraid of His authority and what He might do to them. Demons
know who has authority, and who does not. This is very evident by the account of the
seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:11-20. They tried to exorcise demons out of a man
without the authority of Jesus’ name to do so! And the demons knew it, and beat them

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up. In fact they (the sons of Sceva) were personally humiliated, as their clothes were
ripped off them and they were chased down the street naked! (Streaking is nothing
new)! It is interesting to note that Sceva was a “professional exorcist,” yet he knew
nothing of the power and authority of Jesus Christ. The sons obviously recognised
something in the Apostle Paul that their father did not have, but when they tried to
emulate him, they were right “out of their depth” in the spirit realm and got beaten up
as a result.
 All the devils pleaded to be sent into a herd of pigs (v.10-13).
They obviously knew they were about to be evicted from the man.
 Jesus granted the devils their request! (v.13).
At His command they all came out of the man, flew through the air (unseen) and
entered into the pigs.
Why did they want to go into the pigs?
One possible answer is because the types of evil spirits they were, gave them an
identification with the “pig nature” more than anything else around. But not even
the pigs could stand having them come in all at once!! They were such a nasty
horde of evil spirits that even the whole herd of pigs could not live with them.
They ran downhill furiously into the sea. They committed suicide! No wonder the
poor man had previously manifested violence, restlessness, crying and the cutting
of himself. He had been tormented in an extreme manner. But once the demonic
spirits were out of him, he was free to make a new life.
 Once Jesus dealt to the devils, a great change for the better came into the
man’s life.
 He was no longer running, crying and cutting himself. He was sitting, at
peace (v.15).
 He put clothes on (v.15). He was restored to respectability.
 His thinking was different. He was now “in his right mind” (v.15). What a
healing!
 The man wanted to join Jesus’ party of followers. But Jesus told him to go
back home and tell others of the great things the Lord had done for him (v.18-
20).
 The man was obedient to the Word of Jesus (v.20).

How did it affect the local people?

 Prior to this the people were afraid of his strength and violence. Now they
were afraid of his total change of life! (v.15).
 The miracle deliverance and healing caused people to talk about it
everywhere, and about the pigs (v.16).
 The people could not handle the ministry of Jesus! Instead of them being
greatly relieved and glad for such a ministry to be around, they began to
pressure Him to leave! (v.17).
Think about this for a moment – what were the people afraid of? Were they afraid
that Jesus might discover their lifestyles as being bound by evil spirits too? Did
they not want to face the truth of their sinful ways? Did they not want to be free?

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How amazing! When Someone comes along with answers for life’s problems, the people
want to get rid of Him! The thanks they gave Jesus were, “Go away!” Does this not tell
us something of the evil and fears that prevail in the heart of humanity, even today?

WHERE DO EVIL SPIRITS GO AFTER THEY ARE CAST OUT?

Whenever we get into serious study on deliverance from evil spirits, this question is
often asked, “Where do they go? We know the pigs drowned, but what about the evil
spirits?” The domain of Satan and his evil hordes is the world. Three times Jesus called
Satan “the prince (“one first in power, authority, or dominion; hence, a ruler, lord,
prince, chief person” - Bullinger’s) of this world” (John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11). 2
Corinthians 4:4 calls him “the god of this world.” In 1 Peter 5:8-9 we are told:

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you
know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of
sufferings” (NIV).

This Scripture tells us that the devil roams the world looking to take advantage of
people. He wants people to remain locked into worldly ways, worldly things, worldly
thinking, which are all the opposite to the ways of God. The world blinds us from seeing
clearly the spiritual truth of Jesus that sets us free.

When Satan tested Jesus in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of this
world. Jesus rebuked him, and simply and firmly said, “Go away! It is written . . .!”
(Matthew 4:10). Satan is arrogant, crafty, subtle and bold. If we look at Job 1:7 and Job 2:
1-2, we see that he would try and present himself to God as one of His sons! That was the
heavenly realm he moved into as well. Of course he could not fool God, but he did try.
When the Lord asked him where he came from, his reply was:

 “From patrolling the earth” (TLB);

 “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it” (NIV);
 “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it”
(AMP.).

These all show us that Satan’s domain is the world. He moves freely about it, unless
there are Bible-believing Christians to withstand him.

Having given you this background, we will now look at answering the question, “Where
do evil spirits go after they are cast out of a person?” The only Scripture references (that I
know of) are Matthew 12:43-45, repeated in Luke 11:21-26:

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he (the unclean spirit) goes through dry
places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says ‘I will return to my house from
which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then
he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they

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enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So it also
will be with this wicked generation” (NKJV).

The answer to the question is that they roam the world looking for another body (or
home) to enter into, where they can again “rest” undisturbed. If they cannot quickly find
another body to inhabit, they will then return to the person that they were cast out of, to
see if they can enter back into that familiar territory and place again. If they can,
then there is bigger trouble ahead for that person, as the evil spirit will get more spirits
(who have not as yet found another body) to join him, so the control is greater than ever.
They re-enforce themselves in that body re-inhabited (they believe it is “their home”
anyway, so arrogant are they!). Evil spirits like to have a body to live in - a human body.
Sometimes they will also enter into animals. And in some realms of witchcraft and
Satanism, people receive “animal spirits” into their lives (I have seen several
manifestations of dog, cat, snake, wolf, goat spirits, etc. within human beings). Once an
evil spirit is in a human body, the only way they are going to leave is when a Holy
Spirit-filled, Bible-believing Christian believer exercises the authority of Jesus
Christ over them.

The person who has been delivered of an unclean evil spirit needs to know that he/she
cannot stay in the place of being cleansed, and remain “empty.” That emptiness has to be
filled with the Word of God, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the mighty Holy Spirit, so
that person can withstand and resist the devil when he comes back at them. A personal
and loving relationship needs to be formed with Jesus Christ. There can be no “standing
still” in life. We are either going forward or going backward, especially when it
comes to things spiritual. The Holy Spirit - living and active within us - is the sure
cure to resist any unholy demonic spirits from entering our lives and robbing us of
the peace and blessing of a personal walk with God through Jesus Christ and His
powerful, cleansing blood.

We know the final state of Satan and all his hordes of evil spirits is the pit of Hell, the
everlasting fire of God (Matthew 25:41). But until that time, this world’s population will be
harassed, tormented and subjected to attacks from Satan and his evil demons, trying to
find a “home” in which to live. Unless humanity knows how to resist Satan in the All-
powerful, Almighty Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who gave His
blood to redeem us from all the works of sin and Satan, then sadly we do not have
power over him in our human strength. The only answer to Satan and his evil spirits
is JESUS and His mighty Holy Spirit - alive and active - within us!

The lesson here is: Whatever you do, don’t let evil spirits gain an advantage over
you! Know that Jesus is for you, with you and in you!

“Greater is He (Jesus) Who is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world” (1 John 4:4,
KJV).

Stand upon that truth! Do not let any fear tactics of the enemy tell you otherwise!
We have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

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  The Woman With the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-34; Matthew 9:20-22;
Luke 8:43-48):

Here we have the sad case of a sick lady who spent everything she had trying to find a
cure for her sickness. For twelve long years she had suffered. For twelve long years she
had not seen (or experienced) any improvement in her health. Here she was, still sick and
financially broken. All hope seemed to be gone. Until . . . she heard of Jesus! When she
heard that Name, something stirred deep within her. Hope began to revive, faith began to
arise. Something within her told her that if she could only get close enough to Jesus to
touch even His clothes, something good would happen to her. She believed the answer to
her great need was in touching Jesus. Even though Jesus was surrounded by great
numbers of milling people, her determination was such that she kept pressing through.

 Her focus was clear - Jesus!

 Her mission - to touch Him!
 Her reason - to be made whole!

She pressed through, often being pushed back by others. But she would not be put off.
The moment finally came! There He was, just in front of her. The people were still there,
everywhere in fact. She made a last determined effort and pushed past the remaining
people. Then it happened!

 She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment!

 A surge of supernatural power came flooding into her weak, sickly body.
 The issue of blood dried up!
 She could feel the changes taking place inside of her.

While she was marvelling at what was happening to her, suddenly Jesus’ voice broke in
on her, “Who touched Me?” The “insensitive” disciples didn’t know what was
happening in the faith and spirit realm at that point, and gave a natural, logical answer.
When Jesus looked around He made eye contact with the woman. She could hide no
longer. She stepped forward, shaking and quite frightened. She told Jesus what she had
done. Jesus commended the woman, saying that it was her faith that had made her whole
(v.34). The moment her faith had touched Jesus, He also knew it, for the healing anointing
power of God began flowing out of Jesus’ body into the woman’s body! (v.30).

I want you to notice something here about the woman’s actions. When she pressed
through that crowd and touched the garment of Jesus, she (not Jesus) released the
“dunamis” out of Him. If Jesus Himself had released the “dunamis” He would not have
asked, “Who touched Me?” It was the woman’s determined touch! That “touch” was an
act of faith and Jesus declared that it was her faith that had made her whole (“sound,
healthy, well, in good health” - Bullinger’s). The King James Version Bible uses the word
“virtue” and the New International Version Bible uses the word “power”; both are
translated from the Greek word “dunamis.” She touched the anointing in the Anointed
One (Jesus Christ) - and her life was powerfully and beautifully changed.

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  What stops us from touching Jesus?
 What stops us from releasing that “dunamis” anointing from Jesus to us?
 What stops us from releasing that “dunamis” power of the Holy Spirit out of
our lives to impact and heal others?

People, that’s what!

People!
The fear of man!
“Lord, help us to be delivered from the fear of people!”

What Can We Learn From This Healing?

 The woman had nothing to lose in coming to Jesus (she had already “lost it”
seeking help through the medical profession; no disrespect to them, for they do
their very best) (v.26-27).
 When she heard of Jesus she responded (v.27).
 She decided and then determined to touch His clothing (v.27).
 She spoke to herself, encouraged herself that she could do it (v.28).
 Her faith was strong because she was desperate (v.26-29).
 She pushed through the crowd (v.27). She refused to let other people get in the
way of her faith and need.
 Jesus knew when she touched Him (v.30).
 Jesus responded personally to her faith (v.30).
 The disciples seemed unaware of what was happening (v.31).
 The woman could not hide once the healing happened (v.33).
 Jesus honoured her faith (v.34).
 Jesus said it was her faith that made it happen (v.34).
 She went away with the blessings of healing, wholeness and peace (v.34).

May this help to fuel our faith with the determination to press through and touch Jesus for
our needs. He said, “Your faith has made you whole.” The Greek word for “whole” is
“sozo” meaning “to save, i.e. deliver or protect:- heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be
(make) whole” (Strong’s).

 Jairus’ Daughter: A 12-Year-Old Is Raised From The Dead (Mark

5:21-24, 35-43; Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26; Luke 8:41-42, 49-56):

Jesus had hardly “gone away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee” when He was met
by Jairus, a well-known man from the synagogue. He was “a ruler or moderator of the
synagogue, the presiding elder of the synagogue, whose duty it was to preserve order and
select and invite persons to read or speak in the assembly” (Bullinger’s). Jairus’ only child,
a 12-year-old daughter, was dying. In desperation he came to Jesus.

 He humbled himself, falling at His feet (v.22).

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  His faith in Jesus was such that if Jesus touched his daughter she would be
healed (v.23).
 Jesus responded to that individual’s cry for help, even though many people
were all around Him (v.24).

As Jesus was going to Jairus’ house, He was “interrupted” by another sick person (the
previous illustration of the woman with the issue of blood) who had faith to believe that if
she could “touch even Jesus’ clothes” she would be healed (v.27-28). During that
“delay,” news came from Jairus’ house that his daughter had died. What a shock for him.
Maybe his first thoughts were anger at that other lady touching Jesus and delaying Him?
Jesus immediately spoke comfort and hope to Jairus, and still went to his house. When
they got there a number of folks had already gathered. They were crying and grieving
deeply at the death of the girl. Jesus virtually rebuked them for the way they were
carrying on (doing what was natural at such a time) and told them the girl was not dead,
only sleeping. That brought a real reaction from them, and they laughed and scoffed at
Him. They changed from crying to laughing scornfully very quickly! Jesus put them all
out and away from the dead girl’s body, only allowing the father and mother, and those
Jesus brought with Him, to be present. He then reached out, took the dead girl’s hand and
spoke to her dead body to “Arise!” Immediately the girl awoke, sat up, got up and
walked! Everyone was totally amazed - even the cynical unbelieving grievers! It
became a time of celebration, a time to eat and rejoice. Jairus’ daughter had the meal of
her life! Wouldn’t you, if you had just been raised from the dead?

 Mighty Works Are Performed By His Hands:

Then He (Jesus) went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples
followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.
And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these
things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works
(“dunamis”) are performed by His hands! . . . ” (Mark 6:1-2, NKJV).

This Scripture gives us an interesting connection between wisdom and mighty works.
“Wisdom” in this verse is “sophia” and means “wisdom, skill” ( Young’s) or “wisdom,
cleverness, skill, etc., a right application of knowledge” (Bullinger’s). Wisdom, therefore,
is the knowing how to skilfully apply the things we know. In Jesus’ ministry He was
continually applying the knowledge of God into people’s lives through signs, wonders
and miracles, which, of course, includes Divine Healing. Jesus performed the wisdom of
God in healing the sick! There was a practical outworking of His wisdom, and so should
there be with us in the meeting of the needs around us. His wisdom knows how to make
the people whole in every way. But notice how quickly the mood of the people changed
there in “His own country.” Their astonishment at “His mighty works” was quickly
dispelled because they saw Jesus merely as a “local” and their astonishment turned to
offence! It was so strong that the Bible records, “Now He could do no mighty work
there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed (“to cure, heal,
relieve of disease”) them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief . . . ” (Mark 6:5-6,
NKJV). The people got distracted by “other issues” and allowed their unbelief to take over

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the evidence of what they had seen Jesus do. If unbelief stopped Jesus from doing many
mighty works there, then unbelief must be a major hindrance in our days as to quench the
“mighty works” amongst us.

It is very likely that it was because of unbelief that Jesus at that point gathered His
disciples around Him to teach and instruct them to be focussed on what Jesus says, rather
than what the people say. (These principles are still the same today. So much of man’s
opinion has crept into the teachings of the Christian Church and has resulted in crippling
it – the Church’s power - preventing it from practically applying the wisdom of God
amongst the people). When Jesus taught His disciples He also gave them power to carry
out what He commissioned them. In spite of the prevailing unbelief amongst the people,
Jesus still went ahead with His teachings and gave His disciples “power over unclean
spirits.” Those disciples heeded what Jesus taught and applied it in their ministry: “And
they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed
them” (See Mark 6:6-13, NKJV).

For those who struggle to accept Divine Healing as being the will of God for the
Christian message and Church today, the last Scripture quoted clearly tells us the
disciples went out, taking authority over unclean spirits and sicknesses, and THEY
HEALED THEM! They walked the talk! That is, they demonstrated the message of Jesus
with their actions! He backed them up. They obeyed what Jesus taught them and
accomplished the results He accomplished. There is no way that Jesus would have spent
so much of His time healing the sick, doing signs, wonders, miracles and delivering the
demon-possessed, if it was not the will of God. And He certainly would not have taken
the time to instruct, then impart that power and authority into His followers to extend that
ministry if it was not the Father’s will. So, in the light of the many Scriptural examples
on this subject, why is it that Christians struggle to accept what the Bible says? It comes
right down to the same thing that hindered Jesus in His ministry – unbelief! That unbelief
is in us, not Jesus, and we need to deal with it.

 What Revelation Knowledge Causes People To Do:

The last four verses of Mark Six are very challenging if we are to believe the content of
what they are saying:

“When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon
as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole
region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. And wherever He
went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed the sick in the marketplaces.
They begged Him to let them touch even the edge of His cloak, and all who touched
Him were healed” (Mark 6:53-56, NIV).

Read it carefully and slowly. Something stirred deep within the people once they
recognized Who He was (is). Their knowledge of Jesus told them that He was able to
meet the physical needs of their sick friends. Their knowledge was such that it inspired
them to act upon it. Their knowledge of Jesus became faith in Jesus to bring about

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answers to hopeless situations. The people instigated the gathering of the sick together
unto Jesus. They knew if they could get them to Jesus the miracle of healing would
happen. They did, and Jesus did, and the people, “as many as touched Him were made
whole.” That same knowledge has to somehow captivate the Christians and their message
again. The knowledge of Who Jesus is has to so impact us that we know what He can and
will do when we respond to – and apply - the knowledge we have of Him. That is
revelation knowledge, because no one can know Who Jesus is unless it be given us from
our Father in Heaven (see Matthew 16:13-19). It is revelation knowledge that activates faith
to know that Jesus can do it. Do you know Who Jesus is and what He wants to do
today?

 An Unclean Spirit Dealt With (Mark 7:24-30):

Our next illustration is yet another case of an evil spirit, an unclean evil spirit that was
creating havoc in the life of a young girl. Her mother brought her to Jesus. They were
Greeks from Phoenicia in Syria. The account shows us there was an urgency, a desperate
cry in the heart of the mother to see her daughter set free – “she came and fell at His
feet.” The mother knew she was dealing with something in her daughter that was much
bigger than she could handle. The daughter would have been unmanageable and quite
embarrassing at times because of the things that unclean spirit would have caused her to
do. It appears that Jesus initially did not respond to the need, even calling her “a dog”
(because of her not being a Jew), strongly intimating His ministry was not for people like
her. However, the woman was not to be put off, and replied to Jesus with, “Even the
dogs under the table eat the crumbs of the children.” Jesus loved that woman’s reply
and immediately responded, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your
daughter.” Amazing! That woman was not going to be put off. She continued to press
through to Jesus (like the woman with the issue of blood). She got the attention of Jesus
and the daughter was delivered of that filthy unclean spirit. Again the healing power of
God was demonstrated!

 A Deaf And Speech-Deficient Man Healed (Mark 7:31-37):

“They brought to Him (Jesus) a man who was deaf and unable to speak intelligibly,
and they implored Him to put His hand upon him. Jesus took him away from the crowd
by himself. He put His fingers in the man’s ears and touched his tongue with His own
saliva. Then, looking up to Heaven, He gave a deep sigh and said to him in Aramaic,
‘Open!’ And his ears were opened and immediately whatever had tied his tongue came
loose and he spoke quite plainly . . . People were absolutely amazed, and kept saying,
‘How wonderfully He has done everything! He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb
speak’” (J.B. Phillips Translation).

The ministry of Jesus was unique! It still is! He never worked according to any set
formula or pattern. Each time He did something different. He did not live by a book of
“Do’s and Don’ts,” but by what He heard from His Father in Heaven (John 5:17-24).

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In this healing He used His own saliva to touch the tied-up tongue of the man, an action
(or a method) that would bring (or arouse) some strong opposition today. He worked this
miracle away from the gathering crowds. But the results were immediate and the people
were spreading the testimony all around the region. What a testimony for the power of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 Blind Man Healed (Mark 8:22-26):

Here we have another more unusual method of healing by the hands of Jesus. A blind
man was brought to Him to be healed, so Jesus led him out of the town, where “He spat
on his eyes and put His hands upon him” (v.23). He then asked the man if he could see
anything. To that question Jesus got this answer, “I see men as trees walking!” He could
see but it was somewhat fuzzy, blurry, hazy. Jesus again laid His hands on the man and
he was able to see everything clearly. This healing demonstrates to us that it can be a
progressive improvement, that everything does not have to be instantaneous or automatic.

 Boy Healed Of A Dumb Spirit (Mark 9:14-29):

We now turn our attention to a very sad situation, that of a very young man whose quality
of life was constantly being intruded upon and damaged, even ruined, by a dumb spirit.
That dumb spirit often manifested itself by throwing the boy either into the fire or water,
trying to destroy him. While it was named as a dumb spirit, it also manifested something
like epileptic fits, causing all kinds of problems for his parents. When that spirit
manifested in the boy he would foam at the mouth and gnash his teeth (a bit like an
angered dog), and pine and whimper with strange noises (v.18). Can you imagine what it
must have been like to have responsibility for such a son? His parents loved him dearly
and it was heart-rending for them to see what the demonic power within him was doing to
him. They knew they were powerless against the thing within their boy.

This healing account also reveals that there are levels of power in the spirit realm. There
are some evil spirits that are more powerful than others. There are some evil spirits that
have to be handled differently to others. There are some that will not leave a person’s
body without first there is some kind of special spiritual preparation, i.e. as in prayer and
fasting before starting or tackling the time of deliverance. The disciples of Jesus were
somewhat embarrassed by that particular evil spirit because when they tried to cast it out,
it would not budge (obey). They also had lessons to learn and Jesus used this “failure” to
teach them something about the evil spirit realm. Failure was attributed to “being
faithless”! (v.19), which is from the Greek word “apistos” meaning “not worthy of
confidence, untrustworthy. In New Testament Greek, faithless, of one who refuses to
receive God’s revelation of grace” (Bullinger’s). For those who struggle with the subject
of Divine Healing, maybe they should start to consider it in the light of God’s revelation
of grace. Healing is part of God’s grace to a needy, fallen race. It is because of the grace
of God that Divine Healing is part of His message to humanity. It is a demonstration of
His great love toward us, in spite of ourselves.

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The moment Jesus came on the scene, the spirit inside that boy recognized Him and
began to manifest. That evil spirit threw him on the ground and generally tried to put fear
in the hearts of those watching, as well as trying to distract the attention off himself. We
are not told how the boy got inhabited or taken over by that spirit, except that it had
happened when he was very young. In desperation the father cried out to Jesus for help.
At that moment Jesus gave us that famous statement, “If you can believe, all things are
possible to him that believes” (v.23). If who can believe? If we – you and I – can believe,
all things are possible unto us! That’s the word of Jesus, and all we are asked to do is to
believe what He says. That then gives us power and authority to say and do things to set
others free of all kinds of torments, sicknesses and diseases.

My NIV Bible has some interesting comments to make on the subject of Demon
Possession: “There is considerable Biblical evidence for the existence of evil
supernatural beings (demons) who are subservient to Satan and who can possess and
oppress human beings. In the Gospels and in the Book of Acts there are many examples
of demon possession. Demons controlled an individual’s total being, expressing their
influence in various physical or mental illnesses; they also recognized who Jesus was and
feared Him as the Holy One of God. But whenever they were ordered to come out, either
by Jesus or in the name of Jesus, they did so. This demonstrated the presence of the
Kingdom of God and the complete power of Jesus over the world of evil.
Some consider demon possession to be the Biblical terminology for epilepsy and mental
illness and psychological maladies not known by the first-century mind. Others, however,
maintain that demon possession is different from these conditions and that it still exists
today.”

If we do accept that demon possession is the Biblical terminology for epilepsy and mental
illness and psychological maladies not known by the first-century mind, then we will also
need to accept that those things are spirits that can be cast out. We would need to be
consistent and accept the rest of what Jesus taught in those Bible passages. Medication is
no answer for evil spirits. It may suppress them for a while, but it never causes them to
leave a person’s body. It seems we humans have problems in accepting the truth as Jesus
taught and demonstrated it. In ministering to that evil spirit, Jesus called it a “foul
(unclean) spirit.” He rebuked it and commanded it to leave the boy’s body and never
enter him again. The spirit manifested loudly with shrieking and convulsions before
coming out, leaving the boy slumped on the ground as though he was dead. Jesus then
took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet. The boy had been delivered. No more
would he do unusual and embarrassing things. No more would he attempt to commit
suicide in the fire or by drowning. Life would now be very different for that young man.
The boy had been set free by the mighty power of Jesus Christ! And a family would have
had their lives restored to normal living! What a relief that miracle was for the parents of
that boy!

 The Healing Of Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52):

Here we have quite a well-known section of Scripture about a blind beggar, Bartimaeus.
His blindness had reduced his living to that of a street beggar. One day Jesus passed

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along the same road that Bartimaeus was begging on. As soon as Bartimaeus heard that it
was Jesus Who was coming, something inside of him leapt with hope and expectation.
There was something about that name JESUS! It stirred something deep inside of his
heart – deep enough to cause him to cry out aloud in front of the crowd, “Jesus, You Son
of David, have mercy on me” (v.47). On hearing his cry, many of those who heard it tried
to shut him up (they would have been part of those following along with Jesus). But
something about Jesus had sufficiently stirred in Bartimaeus that he would not be put off
by anyone! How wonderful it is when someone has that kind of conviction and is willing
to stand for it, regardless of what others might think or say. Bartimaeus was now more
determined than ever, and cried out even louder, “Jesus, You Son of David, have mercy
on me!” That louder cry reached the ears and heart of Jesus. It stopped Him. It got His
attention! His personal attention! He commanded Bartimaeus to be brought to Him.
Bartimaeus threw away his beggar’s garment (his faith told him he would not need it
again)! He acted on his faith and came to Jesus. Jesus then turned to Bartimaeus and said,
“What will you have Me to do for you?” (v.51). What a question! Jesus was right there
“at his service.” That question made Bartimaeus “prioritize his priorities” (even though
he already knew what he wanted more than anything else – his sight)! Whether he was
born blind, went blind after birth, or was blinded through an accident, we are not told.
But one thing Bartimaeus wanted was to be able to physically see. His faith was such that
Jesus could give him the answer to his cry. And He did! Jesus said to him, “Go, your
faith has healed you.” And then the Bible goes on to say, “Immediately he received his
sight and followed Jesus along the road” (v.52, NIV). Right there, in the same place he
had sat at for years, his miracle happened for him. Jesus ignited faith in the man and the
result was a wonderful miracle of healing. (I wonder how those who tried to shut him up
felt at that point?).

Again and again, Jesus told sick people they were healed as a result of their faith –
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). That
“hearing” happens when we hear (and receive) the spoken word of God from the lips of
Jesus! The ministry of the Holy Spirit within us is to enable us to hear the spoken word of
Jesus to us - right into our “listening hearts.” It is “Spirit to spirit” more than “written
page to head knowledge.” That’s why we must listen to Jesus more than anyone else
when it comes to the subject of Divine Healing. What does He say about it? The Bible
always confirms that which is of the truth, and the Bible again and again confirms what
Jesus had to say on Divine Healing. Even further to that which He said, He also
demonstrated what He said by actioning it and healing the sick of all kinds of diseases.
Just consider for a moment: if Divine Healing is not the will of God, then there is a huge
lot of space taken up in the Bible that is against the will of God! It means the Bible is not
the infallible Word of God. If we were to remove it all out we would have a very thin
Bible to carry around! Divine Healing is all about faith, and faith is all about believing
what Jesus says. When we believe what Jesus says enough to action or obey it, then
things start to change for the better. Remember, in our earlier chapters, we saw that there
are really only three things that hinder God’s promises from flowing – doubt, unbelief
and hardness of heart. If we continue on from Bartimaeus’ healing, we see in Mark 11
Jesus took time to teach His disciples the power of His spoken word in the cursing of the

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fig tree (which withered up and died at His word! – v.12-21). He then gave a discourse on
faith, that those who believe can have whatever they say:

“Have faith in God (constantly). Truly, I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be
lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart, but believes
that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling
you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe – trust and be confident – that it is granted
to you, and you will [get it]” (Mark 11:22-24, AMP.).

As far as Jesus is concerned it is how the word is received and believed in our own
hearts. Faith then determines the way we respond to what He has said.

If we continue to read on in Mark 11 we see that Jesus then spoke about our not forgiving
our brothers and sisters. Unforgiveness leads to unbelief (opposite to faith) and
degenerates on into hardness of heart. What Jesus is warning us about here is that it is
hard to believe what He says if we do not do what He tells us. If we continue to “carry
baggage” of unforgiveness, doubt, fear, unbelief, etc., then it is very unlikely that we will
see miraculous answers to our own prayers. Forgiving others releases the hand of God to
do things within our own lives, and that gives us a freedom we cannot get from anyone or
anywhere else.

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you,
whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not
doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand
praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven
may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:22-26, NKJV).

Whether we like to admit it or not, there is a huge amount of unforgiveness in the

Christian Church today. Is unforgiveness linked to Divine Healing? Not long ago my
wife Jean felt that God spoke to her to go back to a place where she believed she had
been unjustly treated by fellow Christians a few years previously. Even though she had
forgiven from her heart, she struggled with doing that. She had been suffering from a bad
knee complaint. It was bad enough to make us think that maybe we would have to change
houses to make it easier for her to get about. The action (obedience) of going back to that
place released something within her spirit and the knee condition disappeared. She has
had no problems with it since. No one prayed – it just happened. Obedience to the voice
of Jesus is the key to life! God knows more about these issues than we do, that’s why our
obedience to Him is so important. Yes, obedience is the key.

THE GREAT COMMISSION GIVEN BY JESUS (Mark 16:9-20):

As we come to the final chapter of Mark we see the teaching of Jesus was for His
followers to take the Divine Healing and deliverance message to all the nations on the
earth. The healings and miracles were to continue. I am including a few extra verses from

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Mark 16 here, as they show us a lot of what Jesus taught and warned about when it comes
to the supernatural Gospel He brought us:

It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus came back to life, and the first person who
saw Him was Mary Magdalene – the woman from whom He had cast out seven
demons. She found the disciples wet-eyed with grief and exclaimed that she had seen
Jesus, and He was alive! But they didn’t believe her! Later that day He appeared to two
who were walking from Jerusalem into the country (Luke 24), but they didn’t recognize
Him at first because He had changed His appearance. When they finally realized Who
He was, they rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still
later He appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them
for their unbelief – their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him alive from
the dead.
And then He told them, “You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to
everyone, everywhere. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. But those who
refuse to believe will be condemned. And those who believe shall use My authority to
cast out demons, and they shall speak new languages. They will be able even to handle
snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them; and they
will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.”
When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, He was taken up into heaven and
sat down at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere preaching, and the
Lord was with them and confirmed what they said by the miracles that followed their
messages (Mark 16:9-20, TLB).

This passage of Scripture starts with our being reminded that Mary Magdalene had seven
evil spirits cast out of her life by Jesus. Evil spirits can be single or many in a person’s
life. They can be numbered – in Mary’s case she had had seven. She had been bound up
with seven different evil personalities all robbing her of a healthy and wholesome life-
style. Jesus changed her life when He cast them all out of her.

The second thing that strikes me about the above Scriptures is the powerful hold that
unbelief and hardness of heart has on Christians when it comes to things “outside the
realm of natural logic.” The Gospel is supernatural and outside the realm of natural
logic. The followers of Jesus struggled with unbelief back there (and they had seen and
followed Him in the flesh for over three years!) – and the followers of Jesus still battle
today with the curse of unbelief that continually tries to make us settle for something far
less than Jesus has planned for us. They could not comprehend the fact of the
resurrection. It is no different today. Many struggle to accept the virgin birth, the life,
death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So each of us is called upon by God to
decide for ourselves. Are we going to believe what He says, or are we going to believe
what logic, men’s opinions and modernistic sceptics try to tell us about Jesus? You have
to decide for you, and I have to decide for me.

The third thing that strikes me is that, in spite of the doubts, unbelief and hardness of
heart in the disciples of Jesus, Jesus still gave them the responsibility of the Great
Commission. Jesus did not hold back, or change His mind because His followers were a

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failure at that point. He had utmost confidence that they would change, especially once
they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (which happened between verses 19 and 20
of Mark 16, and on the Day of Pentecost – Acts 2:1-4). Doubts, unbelief and hardness of
heart do not change God’s will – they just determine how much we will be a part of what
He is doing today.

The fourth thing that we see in Mark 16 is that Jesus very clearly included the ministry of
Divine Healing as part of the Christians’ mandate to take the Gospel into all the world.

The Great Commission is to:

1. Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world – every nation.
And when we believe, we have the assurance that supernatural signs will follow
those who believe. The preaching of the Gospel gives people a clear choice of
believing or not believing what Jesus says. The Gospel reveals there is a price to
pay for refusing to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Baptize (by full immersion) those who choose to believe.
3. Lay hands on the sick and they will recover.
4. Cast out devils in the name of Jesus.
5. Speak with new tongues (the language of the Holy Spirit and, at times,
earthly languages to assist with the preaching of the Gospel).

But there’s more yet that Jesus promises the believers in the Great Commission and that
is our personal protection. He gives us the assurance that poisonous snakes will have no
harmful affect upon the believers and that if we drink any deadly poison (by accident or
by force), it will have no detrimental effect upon us.

Jesus then left them and returned to the Father in Heaven before they had made their
decision about responding to the Great Commission. That’s faith on His part! Once those
disciples had been filled with the Holy Spirit (sent by Jesus), they were endued with (or
“clothed upon and indwelt by”) a supernatural power sent right from Heaven into their
lives. He would now live inside them forever!

They made the decision to obey the command of Jesus, and they went forth in His name,
preaching everywhere. The Lord went with them. He followed along and confirmed
their words of preaching with signs, wonders and miracles of healing following them
(the disciples). The power of Jesus Christ had been transferred to the Early Church
disciples, and they rose up to continue what Jesus had begun.

Divine Healing was a major part of the Great Commission. And it continued on in
the Book of Acts, which is a record of how the Early Church functioned after Jesus
left them.

So, it is all a matter of what you and I choose to believe. Have you made your choice
for Jesus and the truth of His words, or are you being hindered by the opinions of
others, the natural doubtful thoughts of your own mind, and the scepticism that prevails

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amongst a religious following that has lost its conviction that what Jesus says is true? No
one else can believe for you. On this matter, it is directly between you and Jesus, you and
God. Choose to believe what He says to you today!

One of the tragedies of this 21st century is that we have many people who are willing to
lay down their lives for the Bible (The Word of God), yet they either don’t know or don’t
believe, what is written in it! Make very sure you know what God is saying today.

CHAPTER 6

Divine Healing In

ST. LUKE’S GOSPEL

The miracles and healings continue.

 Barrenness Healed! (Luke 1:5-25, 39-80):

THE FIRST CHAPTER of St. Luke tells us of the healing of the barren womb of
Elisabeth, wife of Zacharias the temple priest. For many years they had prayed for
children but their prayers had gone unanswered. Then, one day, Zacharias was visited by
an angel and told how Elisabeth would have a son. Because they had lived with
unanswered prayer for years, Zacharias had become full of unbelief. Therefore he was
struck dumb (by God) until the miracle was accomplished. Yet here is an interesting
thing: in verse six we are told that both Zacharias and Elisabeth “were righteous before
God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” We
would naturally ask, “How can someone who is walking righteous and blameless before
God (like Zacharias the minister of God), at the same time be so full of unbelief?” A
good question. Yet the Bible says that was so. There was an area of his life that was so
full of unbelief that God had to strike him dumb for a season until He could answer
Zacharias’ own prayers! He had been praying prayers that he did not believe would
be answered! (Doesn’t that sound like a lot of us?) It was not until Zacharias got filled
with the Holy Spirit and obeyed God that he was able to speak again! The baptism in the
Holy Spirit and our obedience to Him is a definite key to combat unbelief in our own life
today. The baby born was none other than John the Baptist, the mighty forerunner of
Jesus! Let us take a few minutes to ponder this “key” called the Holy Spirit, Who anoints
us to do things in Jesus’ name through faith:

WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTING IS FOR (Luke 4):

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The Fourth Chapter of Luke’s Gospel sets before us some wonderful, yet challenging
truth concerning the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus - the same Holy Spirit Who now lives in
all those who “have been endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

From the first verse we see Jesus being led of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted of the devil. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit before He was led into a head-on
encounter with His (and mankind’s) archrival. How interesting that it was the Holy Spirit
Who led Jesus into a confrontation with Satan! But that confrontation was vital to what
was to follow. That encounter with the devil was all about the power of God’s written
Word versus the present, personal, kingdom-building power and desire of the enemy. The
winner of that combat would determine the future of Jesus, His power and authority, His
ministry and the destiny of humanity.

How grateful we should be that Jesus did not succumb to the temptations of Satan.
Instead He defeated him by declaring the written Word of God. Verse 14 tells us, “Jesus
returned in the power (“dunamis” meaning “natural capability, inherent power;
capability of anything, ability to perform anything; then, absolutely, not merely power
capable of action but, power in action” - Bullinger’s) of the Spirit.” Something very
definite happened in Jesus as a result of the wilderness experience. The “dunamis” was
released to operate! – that “inherent power” (meaning “existing as an inseparable part;
intrinsic” - Collins), poured out of Him in greater measure and authority. Jesus the Word
and the Holy Spirit were working together as one with increased power! The wilderness
experience - and the devil - helped to “sharpen” Jesus more to do the powerful will and
works of God!

 He went in full of the Holy Spirit; He returned power-full in the Holy Spirit!
 He went in having His authority questioned; He came out having His
authority proven!

Jesus came back from the wilderness victorious! Satan - his temptations and his tactics -
were foiled by our LORD JESUS CHRIST!

 Have we come out of our wilderness yet, or are we still “being tempted of the
devil”??

Jesus now taught with an authority that was not evident before. After the wilderness,
Jesus returned to His home town of Nazareth and, on the Sabbath day He went to the
local synagogue. There He was handed the book of the Prophet Isaiah. He stood up to
read, and spoke out some very profound words. He spoke of the fulfilling of the words of
Isaiah 61:1-4, and gave the people the essence of what the Gospel, the Word of God, the
will of God, the heart of God, the commission of God is all about!

 Jesus Was Anointed to Heal!

This is what He said: Luke 4:18-21:

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“The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One,
the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to
announce release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to send forth
delivered those who are oppressed - who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed and
broken down by calamity; To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord -
the day when salvation and the free favours of God profusely abound. Then He rolled
up the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the
synagogue were gazing (attentively) at Him. And He began to speak to them: Today
this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing” (AMP.).

Jesus made it very clear that the Holy Spirit had anointed His life for a specific purpose.
That specific purpose can be divided into seven areas of outworking:

1. Anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor.

2. Anointed to heal the broken-hearted.
3. Anointed to preach deliverance to the captives.
4. Anointed to bring recovery of sight to the blind.
5. Anointed to give freedom to those who are bruised.
6. Anointed to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
7. Anointed to fulfil the Scriptures.

Take a good look at these seven points. The Spirit of the Lord anointed Jesus to
effectively minister healing to people: spiritually, emotionally and physically.

1. To “preach the Gospel to the poor” is a proclamation that the Gospel carries
privileges, advantages and answers to those who are poor. “Poor” in this verse means
“crouching, cringing in the manner of beggars; hence, begging, beggarly, poor . . . living
on the alms (“charitable donations” - Collins) of others, having nothing at all” (Bullinger’s).
The Holy Spirit anointing provides answers to those who are needy. Those answers come
as the Gospel (God’s Good News) is proclaimed to the people. Outside of the benefits of
the Gospel and the born-again experience in Jesus Christ, all humanity is “poor”! The
Gospel preached gives hope and answers for the healing of humanity: spirit, soul and
body. It is the message of wholeness. And wholeness includes Divine Healing!

2. To “heal the broken-hearted” means to minister effectively to those whose lives have
been “shattered; rubbed together as to the heart” (Bullinger’s). To be “shattered” means to
be “1. broken into many small pieces. 2. impaired or destroyed: i.e. his nerves were
shattered by the torture. 3. to be dumbfounded or thoroughly upset” (Collins). We tend to
use the word “shattered” when referring to broken windscreens on motor vehicles. It
speaks of a major splintering and breaking. The anointing of the Holy Spirit enables
people to be tenderly and marvellously put back together again; sufficiently healed so as
to be able to put the brokenness behind us and get on to fulfil the purposes of God for our
lives. Nothing else can do that.

3. To “preach deliverance to the captives” is all about taking authority over powers,
circumstances, habits, and situations that prevent people from being free. The word

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“deliverance” means “a letting go, a sending forth; dismission, a setting free as from
captivity, or as from sins, hence, remission, pardon” (Bullinger’s). “Captives” is a word
that is linked with war: “being taken captive by the spear and being held as a prisoner of
war” (Bullinger’s & Strong’s). Clearly the ministry of the Gospel (through the anointing of
the Holy Spirit) is to capture the captives and set them free from the enemy, bondage,
habits, whatever that has made them a prisoner. They need to be recovered, set free and
healed to get on with life to the glory of God!

4. To bring “recovery of sight to the blind” is self-explanatory. Whether you apply it

physically or spiritually, it is still a great healing. Jesus demonstrated that the Gospel is
very much for the healing of the physically blind just as it is for the spiritually blind.
“Recovery” is “restoration” (Strong’s); it is “1. the act or process of recovering, especially
from sickness, a shock, or a setback; recuperation. 2. restoration to a former or better
condition. 3. the regaining of something lost” (Collins). In the context of the usage of the
word it is clearly speaking of the restoration of one’s eyesight back to its original
condition (or even better). The word “blind” in this verse is translated from the Greek
word “tuphlos” meaning “blind, naturally or spiritually (strictly smoky, misty, darkened)”
(Bullinger’s). I think this helps us to know that we cannot merely spiritualize the healing
Scriptures; healing is for the recovering of the physical condition of our bodies. “By His
stripes we are healed”!

5. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is also “to set at liberty them that are bruised.” It is
speaking of freedom for those who have been “crushed, broken down or into pieces”
(Bullinger’s & Strong’s). One translation quotes it: “that the downtrodden shall be freed
from their oppressors” (TLB). It represents the bringing forth of new freedoms, no
longer bound by oppressors of any kind. Jesus came to set us free! Sin, sickness, disease
and evil spirits are all oppressors of the human race! We are failing the anointing if we
are not giving freedom to others. That is what He is for.

6. Jesus preached these truths as “the acceptable year of the Lord.” This is the day of
God’s favour! It is the time of God’s release to those who are sick (physically and
spiritually). The same Holy Spirit anointing is available today for the believers in the
Word of God to take a hold of, and minister to others, those who are desperately in need
of being set free. The Gospel according to Luke 4:18-21 did not pass away after Jesus left
this earth. He sent the Holy Spirit anointing to those who would wait until they were
“endued with that power from on high” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8).

We either accept the truth of God’s Word, or we deny it (through our unbelief of it
and the hardness of our own heart). May the Holy Spirit grant us more revelation of the
truth that is in Jesus the Living Word!

7. “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears” (KJV). Jesus was anointed to fulfil
the Scriptures.

 How did He fulfil the Scriptures?

 How could Jesus make such a statement?

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  Who was this Man Who could publicly read Scriptures over seven hundred
years old and say, “This day (today!) this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears”?

Jesus could say that because He had won the right in the wilderness when He defeated
Satan with the Word. The power of the Holy Spirit in a person was greater than the
temptations of the devil!

 Jesus had power and authority - and He knew it!

 Jesus had power and authority - and He exercised it!
 Jesus had power and authority – and the devil knew it, and bowed to it!

We, too, in the Holy Spirit anointing, have power and authority - but we don’t
always know it! Nor do we act upon it like we should. The promises and power of
the Word of God are not mere theories. They are the authority in Heaven and on
earth! Herein lies the challenge we Christians have. This is what the anointing is for!
This is the day when “the free favours of God abound!”

The Church of the 21st century will not survive without the “dunamis” power of
God alive in - and working through - the believers of the Word of God. There is no
substitute. We do God’s Word and the people a disservice when we fail to proclaim
the Gospel according to Luke Four.

Jesus preached forgiveness of sins and healed the sick. Divine Healing is a fulfilment
of the Scriptures, the will of God. Every time the sick, diseased, lame, blind, or evil-
possessed are healed, the Scriptures are being fulfilled! Divine Healing is one of
God’s major keys to church growth, the growing of the Kingdom of God.

Do we know Who lives inside of us? It is the Holy Spirit anointing Who is longing to
fulfil Luke Four through ordinary people like you and me!

 How can we claim to be filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit if we do
not believe and do what He comes to us for?
 How can we say we are anointed of God the Holy Spirit if there is no
accompanying evidence of His power?
 The Old Testament prophets saw miraculous healings.
 Jesus came healing the sick.
 The Early Church healed the sick.
 Jesus taught that believers would lay hands on the sick and they would
recover (Mark 16:17-18).
 So, what’s our problem today?
 Do we no longer believe the Bible, the Word of God?
 Are we still battling it out with the devil in the wilderness?
 Has he got us bluffed? Blinded?
 Are his temptations still tempting?

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Until we settle the issue of who we are, and what we have through the Holy Spirit
anointing, we’ll not rise to use the authority of that anointing in the seven areas He has
been sent to us for.

 If we don’t believe the Divine Healing truth of the Word of God, then what
do we believe?
 If we can “pick and choose” what to believe and what not to believe, what kind of
belief system is that?
 On whose authority do we choose what we do and do not believe?
 The Scriptures have to be believed in their entirety, or they cannot be
believed at all. From the Biblical perspective, Divine Healing has always been
a part of the Bible, the Gospels and the New Testament Church.
 Who are we to change the “Rule Book”?

Christians are called and commanded to live to please God. To please God means we
have to exercise faith in God, Who is The Word (John 1:1).

 Faith has everything to do with what we believe!

 Faith has everything to do with hearing the voice of God over and above the
voice of man, the voice of negativity, the voice of doubt, the voice of logic, or
the voice of unbelief.
 We are what our believing is!
 We believe according to whose (or what) voice we are hearing, or listening to!

What we believe affects the way we talk, the way we live, the attitudes we adopt, the
standards we set for ourselves, the goals we set, the challenges we face, and what we do
for God in the name of Jesus. Ask yourself:

 When a believer prays for the sick and they get well, does that bring glory or
offence to God?

The answer is obvious. The believer is doing what God told him to do. He is fulfilling
the Scripture! He is demonstrating God’s love and power toward those who are
suffering and needy. It opens the way for the message of Jesus Christ to be heard
and the Kingdom of God to be revealed. Therefore Divine Healing is a key to the
growth of the Christian Church! To ignore it is to miss some of the purposes of God.

This is the day for the believers to arise . . . to declare the Gospel . . . the only Gospel that
works . . . and demonstrate to an unbelieving, humanistic generation that the God of the
Bible is alive and well in the 21st century! The choice is ours! Through the Word of
God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit we can exercise a power and authority that
no other can demonstrate nor compete with. God has called us and anointed us for
that purpose. What will it be?

 Man With A Spirit Of An Unclean Devil (Luke 4:33-37; Mark 1:23-

28):

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Here we have a very interesting case of a man “manifesting” wrongly in church. He
obviously went there to worship God. At some time in his life he had either been
subjected to a generational curse, opened himself up to an evil spirit, or he involved
himself in something impure (or morally wrong). This resulted in him being taken over
by an evil spirit. The word “unclean” here means “impure, embracing impurity of all
kinds” (Bullinger’s). The man was most likely quite unaware of the extent, nature and
reality of his own spiritual condition (apart from the inward desires driving him) until
Jesus came into that Jewish synagogue. Immediately the unclean spirit within him sensed
the presence of Jesus, it would have started reacting against that presence, the holiness of
the Son of God. The man was unable to control his emotions. He began speaking out
loudly right within the service:

He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of
Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You are - the Holy One of
God!” (Luke 4:33-34, NIV).

Another translation says: “He shrieked at the top of his voice” (NEB).

Now, let’s be very frank here. People do not normally behave like that in a church
service! The man was unable to control himself. He was making “a right fool of himself”
by what he was saying - and how he was saying it. The congregation would have been
greatly startled. Can you imagine the reactions, the looks, and the expressions of disgust
as that “worshipful atmosphere” was rudely interrupted? In actual fact, what was
happening was the clashing of two opposing kingdoms – the kingdom of light and
the kingdom of darkness; the holy versus the unholy; the clean versus the unclean;
purity versus impurity; Jesus versus Satan. All in church! The unclean realm had to
react the way it did. It simply could not stand the pure, holy presence of Jesus. Jesus was
quick to respond to the evil spirit speaking out of that man. He rebuked that evil spirit,
exercising the authority that is available through the anointing of the Holy Spirit:

Jesus ordered the spirit, “Be quiet and come out of the man!” The demon threw the
man down in front of them and went out of him without doing him any harm (Luke 4:35,
GNB).

When Jesus commanded that unclean spirit to come out, it threw that fully-grown man
down on to the floor of the synagogue. Evil spirits do have power that is stronger than
natural strength or man’s will-power, but they have no power when compared to the
“dunamis” power of God that is ours through the Holy Spirit anointing and the exercised
authority of the Mighty Name of Jesus!

The people were left in no doubt that the man’s problem was “of the devil,” and saw and
heard what an evil spirit could do. However, they also witnessed the greater power of
God to deliver and set free. That was what caused them to be amazed at the authority of
the Word of Jesus and made them talk about Jesus all around their region.

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Jesus addressed the unclean spirit (not the man) with words of authority. He did not even
touch him. The people could not have accused Jesus of knocking him down with His
hands; they knew there was some space/distance between the two of them. When Jesus
spoke the word (which is “spirit and life” - John 6:63), the spirit world had to come into
submission and obedience. So when Jesus said, “Be quiet and come out of the man!” the
unclean spirit did exactly that! The people, of course, were absolutely amazed at what
they had seen in church that day. With their own eyes they saw a demonstration of a real
preacher with real authority! The result of that was complete change in the man who had
caused the disturbance. That evil spirit came out of his life, leaving the man feeling
cleaner and holier than he had ever been (or experienced) in his life before! That, also, is
Divine Healing! It is a key to the growth of the Christian Church! (I wonder how
many would have turned up at the synagogue the following week? If Jesus came again to
that place, they would not be sure that they too would not react like that man did!)

 Peter’s Mother-in-law Is Healed (Luke 4:38-39; Matthew 8:14-15; Mark

1:29-31):

Peter’s wife’s mother was sick with a fever. Luke’s account is that she was “in the grip
of a high fever” (NEB). Jesus addressed the fever and commanded it to leave her body. It
did - immediately! So much so, she got up at once and waited on them (with food most
likely).

 The Masses Flock To Jesus (Luke 4:40-41; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 1:32-
34):

The news of the previous healings and deliverances by Jesus spread far and wide.
Everywhere people were talking of Jesus! The healings caused faith to rise in the hearts
of the people, faith to believe that if they could get their sick friends to Him, they would
be healed. Masses of them came to Jesus, a convention of the sick if ever there was one.
Jesus moved amongst them, “and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed
them” (KJV). Numbers within that multitude “manifested” in the presence of Jesus as the
evil, unclean spirits within them were commanded to leave their sin-stricken bodies. The
Gospel Jesus represented - and represents - is the Gospel that takes authority over
sin, sicknesses, diseases and evil spirits! There is nowhere in the Scriptures that
teach us this Gospel has in any way changed from the way Jesus ministered it.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)!

 He has never changed!

 His Gospel has never changed!
 Divine Healing remains a vital part of the presentation of the Kingdom of
God and the power of God!
 Do we believe that?

THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS PRESENT TO HEAL!

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In Luke 5:17 we have recorded a very powerful statement to do with the healing
ministry:

“One day as He (Jesus) was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come
from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And
the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick” (NIV).

Whether or not this was a delegation of civic leaders gathered specifically to find out
more of Who this Jesus was, or to contend with Him over His “methods” that were
outside the “accepted standards,” we don’t know. But Jesus had quite an impressive
group of people listening to Him that day. Whatever the reason, God turned up in
convincing manner.

 The power of the Lord was present to heal the sick.

 It was not a doctrine of man (or a church) trying to persuade people to
believe for healing.
 It was not mind over matter.
 It was not auto-suggestion.
 It was not mankind “begging” God to help and heal them.
 It was the power of the Lord!
 It was God Himself taking the initiative to heal needy people from their
sicknesses.
 “The power of the Lord was present to heal.”

The word “power” used in this verse is translated from the Greek “dunamis.” “Dunamis”
is a key New Testament word and it means “natural capability, inherent power; capability
of anything, ability to perform anything; then, absolutely, not merely power capable of
action, but power in action” (Bullinger’s). Don’t rush on reading. Stop a minute or two and
meditate upon what this word really means. It is a very important word in the healing
ministry and, according to the Bible, it is within every Spirit-filled believer right now!
“Dunamis”! “Dunamis” is used one hundred and twenty one times in the New Testament
and is one of the major “keys” to Christian ministry, and church growth. Jesus taught it
and demonstrated it. He imparted it into His disciples so they could do the works of God,
and it also comes through the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8). It was
this “dunamis” power present that brought healing to the people. The “dunamis”
comes from God to us. It is God’s power in action through us! But we have to
release it from within us! “Dunamis” lies dormant within us until we release it!

Jesus was teaching educated and learned men through the anointing of the “dunamis,”
and God was there to demonstrate the teaching by healing those who were sick. The fact
they were educated did not stop them from getting sick! The power of God was there to
heal (“cure, cause to live, revive or recover from illness” - Bullinger’s) them.

Surely this verse shows us the heart of God is to heal people. His desire is to see us well
and whole. Our challenge is to co-operate with Him in such a way that He can heal in our
midst. Let us not doubt the heart of God to heal us.

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  The Paralytic Healed (Luke 5:18-26; Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12):

The very next verse of Luke Five tells us of the faith of four men who brought their sick
friend to Jesus. There were so many people gathered to listen to Jesus teaching. So many
in fact, that there was no way they could get the sick man – on a stretcher – close enough
to Jesus for Him to lay hands on him. What they did next has to be one of the most
outlandish acts of faith I’ve ever heard of. They somehow carried their sick friend up on
to the roof of the house, lifting the roofing and making a hole large enough to let him
through. They then lowered him down to the feet of Jesus. One would expect there to be
an uproar at this point, an uproar of utter disgust at the actions of those men! At the
damage those men had caused to someone else’s property! At their audacity to disrupt a
meeting where JESUS was the speaker! But Jesus didn’t appear to mind one little bit. He
was actually pleased that there were those who believed Him enough to actually
demonstrate the lengths they would go to, to see their friend healed. Jesus honoured their
faith, and the man was healed! No wonder the Scripture records what the people said:
“We have seen strange things today!”(v.26, KJV).

 Those Who are Sick Need a Physician (Luke 5:31):

We read next of the religious Scribes and Pharisees criticizing Jesus for His mixing with
the tax collectors and sinners. His answer to them carries a powerful message for all those
who doubt – or don’t believe – the Biblical teaching of Divine Healing. He made this
statement:

 “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick” (v. 31, KJV).
 “It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick” (NEB & NIV).
 “It is the sick who need a doctor, not those in good health” (TLB).

The world we live in today is not a “whole” society, nor are the people in it. In spite of
the billions of dollars being poured into research and the curing of all kinds of sicknesses
and diseases, we still cannot keep up with all the sicknesses and diseases that plague
sinful mankind. To say or believe that the Christian Church should not be a major,
positive answer to these needs through the healing ministry (in the light of numbers of
Scripture verses) shows a lack of understanding of the will of God for mankind. Jesus
very clearly was referring to Himself as the Physician and the Healer of the sinful and
physically sick when giving this answer to those unbelieving, religious leaders. Divine
Healing should only be a non-issue when we have no need of healing.

 The Withered Hand Healed (Luke 6:6-11; Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-6):

The healing ministry of Jesus had become such a concern to the Scribes and Pharisees,
that they were out to find fault with His actions – whether He would heal on the Sabbath
day, or not. Even though Jesus taught in the synagogue, they obviously did not “hear” His
teachings. His teachings would have been on the purpose of God for their lives, that His
heart was to make them whole in every way. It is sad when people become more religious

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than real. To think that those religious leaders were so side-tracked into seeking to find
fault, rather than listening to hear what Jesus was saying - and then be able to accept the
things He did – shows that their hearts were not “listening,” nor were they “teachable.”
They were pre-occupied with finding fault! They were more concerned to “condemn” the
Son of God than to hear Him out! They rejected the truth in order to uphold faithless
traditions that kept them locked into unbelief. It is sad! But the reality is, we still
live in that kind of world today as well!

When I was in Rome in 2002, in the catacombs I saw some of the written prayers that the
people had prayed to Paul, Peter, and Mary. Millions have prayed to those wonderful
people, but it is all a waste of time because the Bible clearly tells us we must come to
God in the name of Jesus. If only religious people would take the time to listen to the
voices of the people (from the past) they pray to, as, for example the Apostle Paul, the
Apostle Peter, and Mary the mother of Jesus, they would very quickly discover that those
same three people were very specific at pointing people to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The very fact that millions around the world today still pray to dead saints tells us they
have not “heard” what they stood for, or what Jesus taught. Jesus is the only Name we
can pray through to God and to approach Him. Let us make sure we are “hearing” God
today and not someone else’s idea or concept of who they think He is (see Acts 3:16-26; Acts
4:10-12; Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus was very mindful of their religious thoughts, and unbelieving and hardened hearts.
He focused in on the need of the man who had the withered hand, a hand that was more
of a hindrance than a help to him. Jesus saw his need. He asked him to stand up in the
midst of those religious people, and challenged them all with this question:

 “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping
people or leaving them helpless?”(Luke 6:9, The Message).

In Verse Five He had already told them, “The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath;
He’s in charge.” Jesus then demonstrated His power and authority by telling the man to
stretch out his withered hand. As he did so (in obedience to the word of Jesus), his hand
was immediately restored to normality, to wholeness, to be just like his other one. A
miracle took place before the very eyes of those who were there to find fault. That
wonderful healing made those religious leaders mad! Can you believe it? They should
have been rejoicing with the man who had just been healed. A marvellous demonstration
of the power, grace, love and mercy of God had just been demonstrated before all
present, and all the “religious-spirited” people could do was to get very angry. Even in
Jesus’ day the healing ministry got numbers of religious church people very upset. Things
haven’t changed very much in that department at all. It seems the most persecuted
ministries today are the healing ministries. Perhaps it would be a wise thing right now to
ask ourself the following questions:

 In all honesty, how do I react to the ministry of healing?

 Is my attitude positive or negative toward Divine Healing?
 Why do I react in the way I do?

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  Does my reaction restrict or release God more in my life?
 Does my belief or non-belief in Divine Healing line-up with the Scriptures?
 How much of a heart do I have toward those who are sick?
 How big is God in my life?
 Is He (God) able to do what He says in the Bible?
 Is He (God) able to heal the sick (through me)?

Some honest answers here could really help us to know exactly where we stand with
regards this major Biblical teaching.

The next mention of healing in Luke Six is found in Verses 17-19:

“And Jesus came down with them and took His stand on a level spot, with a great
crowd of His disciples and a vast throng of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem
and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to listen to Him and to be cured of their
diseases; Even those who were disturbed and troubled with unclean spirits, and they
were being healed [also]. And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him, for healing
power was all the while going forth from Him and cured them all [that is, saving them
from severe illnesses or calamities]” (AMP.).

Jesus had just concluded a night of prayer up a mountain. It was a time of hearing the
Father’s will. Coming down from that mountain He was met by a large number of people.
They were hungry to hear His teachings and to be healed. Yes, healed! If it was not the
Father’s will for people to receive physical healings in their bodies, and deliverance from
tormenting evil spirits, then Jesus would have ignored those kinds of needs. But He
didn’t! The Bible specifically records that all those people were healed! Every one!
Jesus was ministering right in the Father’s will and showing forth the heart of the loving
Heavenly Father, Who desires His people to be made whole – in spirit, soul and body!

 The Healing Of The Centurion’s Servant (Luke 7:1-10; Matthew 8:5-

13):

The account of the centurion’s understanding of faith - and how it worked like the
authority structure of his secular work – is a powerful message to all Christian believers
everywhere. The centurion knew how those of higher authority could give orders to those
of lower ranking, fully expecting them to carry out those orders. It was a matter of total
belief in the authority over you. He saw Jesus as the Highest Authority and therefore
did not doubt His ability to heal his sick friend’s body. It was not a matter of Jesus
having to lay His hands on his friend, nor was it a matter of needing to go through any
particular form or ceremony to bring about a healing. It was all a matter of his hearing
Jesus give the word that He would heal him. Once the centurion had that, he told Jesus
there was no need for Him to go personally. His Word was enough! The centurion
understood that kind of spoken authority. Jesus marvelled at the centurion’s faith. His
faith was not on circumstances, but on the spoken word of Jesus. If Jesus willed it,
that was sufficient. Jesus co-operated with the centurion’s faith, and the sick friend was
raised up from his sickness. Jesus was so impressed with the centurion’s faith, that He

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said He had not found anyone, anywhere, in all Israel who had faith as great as he! What
a compliment! What a lesson! Jesus was saying that He desired that kind of faith to be
expressed in people. The centurion never doubted the authority of the word of Jesus.
He believed that what Jesus said would happen. I wonder if our faith is that simple? –
and that powerful?

 Young Man Raised From the Dead (Luke 7:11-17):

This amazing happening lends itself to some spectacular headline possibilities, i.e.
“Funeral Stopped In Its Tracks!” or “Funeral With a Difference,” or “Undertaker
Robbed of His Pay!” or “Young Man Sits Up Inside Coffin!” or “Mourners Stunned
When Corpse Raised Back to Life.” The story is the account of a widow who had lost
her only son – still a young man. Jesus had compassion on the plight of that woman.
Jesus Himself activated this miracle. It seems that as the pallbearers were taking the
body of the young man along the road for burial, Jesus walked up to the coffin and
touched it. The procession came to a stop. Jesus then spoke out, “Young man, I say
to you, get up!” (NIV). The Bible says the dead man sat up and began to talk!

If you were one of the family, a relative, or friend of that dead man, how would you
react to that? How do you think it would affect you? To the man or woman of faith,
nothing that Jesus did (or does) should “surprise” us. We know He is the Resurrection
and the Life! We know He has all power over all the power of the enemy! The people
that day concluded that God had visited His people and Jesus was a Great Prophet
risen up among them!

 Healings and Miracles Answered John the Baptist’s Doubts (Luke

7:18-23; Matthew 11:2-6):

There was a time in John the Baptist’s life and ministry when he doubted Who Jesus was.
It was so strong in him that he actually sent two of his disciples to Jesus to seek more
proof. Jesus’ answer to them was not in word alone, but with a demonstration of the
mighty power of God to totally conquer the power of sickness, demons and disease:

“There and then He cured many sufferers from diseases, plagues, and evil spirits; and
on many blind people He bestowed sight. Then He gave them His answer: ‘Go,’ He
said, ‘and tell John what you have seen and heard: how the blind recover their sight,
the lame walk, the lepers are clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor
are hearing the good news – and happy is the man who does not find Me a stumbling-
block’” (NEB).

Jesus was very clearly showing the evidence that He was doing the works of His Father.
The Gospel message is all about making people whole - whole in every way. If Divine
Healing was not a major part of the Christian message, why, then, did Jesus make it
a major part of His earthly ministry? And why did it continue throughout the Book
of Acts in the Early Church? The need today amongst every culture of people is to
be healed of their plagues and infirmities. So many are desperately sick! When

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people receive healings and miracles in the name of Jesus, it causes them (the sick
and others) to ask the questions as to what, why and how it happened. That earns the
Christian the right to be heard and to share his message. That also convinces people
of their need of Christ. The healing, plus the convincing evidence of the Scriptures,
is what brings people to a place of repentance before God. And when that is
happening, the Church has to grow! Don’t let Jesus and His healing ministry today
become a stumbling block in your walk with Him. Don’t doubt Him! Don’t doubt
His power to heal. It is His will today!

 The Good News Includes Deliverance From Evil Spirits And

Infirmities (Luke 8:1-2):
“After this He (Jesus) went journeying from town to town and village to village,
proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. With Him were the Twelve and a
number of women who had been set free from evil spirits and infirmities” (NEB).

One might ask, “Why did Jesus take a group of ladies who once were filled with evil
spirits and sicknesses?” My answer is that they were wonderful and powerful testimonies
of what the Lord had done! They were living examples of the power of the good news of
the Kingdom of God! Anyone who has known the power of evil spirits in their life, and
then known the joy of being free of them, has a very powerful testimony to share! Those
women were living examples of what Jesus was talking about! There is no way they
would have been on His Team if it was not God’s will for people to be made free and
whole of evil spirit domination and weakness in their bodies. The word “infirmities” here
means “feebleness, sickness” (Bullinger’s). “The glad tidings of the Kingdom of God”
(Luke 8:1, KJV) involves a whole lot more than the proclaiming of “nice theories.” In
Christianity, theories have to be applied – they have to work! What’s the use of theories
that don’t work?

“For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (“dunamis”)” (1 Corinthians 4:20,
KJV).
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (NIV).

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a
demonstration of the Spirit’s power (“dunamis”), so that your faith might not rest on
men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (“dunamis”)” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5, NIV).

The message of Christianity has to be demonstrated with the “dunamis” power.

That is a power that is capable of anything! It is over to us to release it out of our
innermost being, because the Holy Spirit now lives within the believer. One of the
tragedies of modern day Christianity is that we have the right message, but don’t know
how to exercise the authority of it in and through our lives to demonstrate it. That has to
change! If there is no power, there is no conviction – nor convincing! If the occult world
can demonstrate their kind of power, why don’t the Christians demonstrate the

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greater power we have in Jesus’ name, to convince an unbelieving world of the
reality of Jesus? We have to be honest enough to ask ourselves, “What results do my
preaching and message produce?”

In 2002 I was in Nausori, Fiji Islands. A very sick man was brought into the meeting. He
had been on his way to the hospital in a taxi, but he requested that they bring him to the
church for prayer first. Assisted by several big Fijian men, he was placed on a chair in the
front row of the large church. His face was very pale and he slumped all over the chair; it
was obvious he was at that point a very sick man. The Senior Pastor handed me the
microphone to pray the prayer of healing. As he handed me the microphone, the Holy
Spirit said to me to give it back to him and that he should pray; that while he prayed, I
was to impart healing out of my innermost being. The pastor and all the congregation
prayed and I released impartation healing out of my spirit. Instantly the man’s colour
came back into his face. He sat up and suddenly became aware of his surroundings, then
stood up to test himself, whether in fact he could stand up. Yes, he could! So he
proceeded to walk right across the front of that big building, then turned around and
walked all the way back to his seat. The whole place erupted into loud shouts of praise
and adoration unto Jesus for the healing of that man. It was real; it was instant, and
everyone present saw it with their own eyes. That brought glory to God and lifted the
people’s faith onto a higher level. The excitement was powerful!

 The Healing Of A Demon-possessed Man (Luke 8:26-40; Matthew

8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20):

This is an amazing illustration of the mighty power of God. The man lived in the
graveyard and would have been known to all in that area because of his unusual “life-
style” and the things he did. He was literally (to the natural mind) a dangerous mental
case. He was tormented day and night; but there was a cry in his heart to be set free from
his terrible plight. The Bible tells us he was full of many devils, or evil spirits. The local
civil authorities had tried to control the man’s actions by wrapping him up in chains to
restrict his movements but the evil powers in him enabled him to break even them! Fear
filled the community, as they had no answers as to what to do with him. Then came
Jesus! The evil spirits in the man recognized Who Jesus was (and is). They exclaimed,
“Jesus, You Son of God most high!” They knew they had to bow to the authority of that
Man and that Name!

Jesus ministered to the demoniac and set him gloriously free. The demons were then
expelled out of his body and given permission to go into a herd of pigs, which were so
tormented by their presence that they quickly rushed downhill at top speed, over the cliff
and perished in the lake of water! Even the pigs could not live with evil spirits!

 The Healing of Jairus’ Daughter (Luke 8:41-42, 49-56; Matthew 9:18-

19, 23-26; Mark 5:21-24, 35-43).

Jairus had a beautiful 12-year-old daughter – his only one. Even though her physical
condition was very serious we are not told what it was. Before Jesus reached her she

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died; in the natural, an absolute tragedy and loss of one so young. When the news came
to Jairus he was shattered. But Jesus spoke out an amazing statement - He said, “Don’t be
afraid! Just trust Me, and she’ll be alright” (Luke 8:50, TLB). He then went to the house
where the young girl’s body was. Only Peter, James, John, and the girl’s parents were
allowed to accompany Jesus inside the house. The atmosphere was charged with weeping
and wailing. Unbelief in the words Jesus spoke was strong. So strong that the Bible says,
“They laughed Him to scorn (“to deride” – Bullinger’s, which when broken down further
means “to speak of or treat with contempt, mockery, or ridicule; scoff or jeer at; to laugh
to scorn” - Collins).” It was not a very nice atmosphere to be in. No one at that point
believed what Jesus had declared. To them He was heartless and unsympathetic. They
were all so negative that He had to put them all out. He then went in to the dead girl, took
her hand and spoke the words, “My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54, NIV). Immediately she
awoke and was given food to eat. Her parents were astonished – and wouldn’t we all be?
Can you put yourself into that scene, feel the environment, the mixed emotions that were
happening at that point when Jesus walked out of that room followed by the girl – very
much alive! Instead of a funeral there was a celebration!

How interesting Jesus is. His ways and methods are so different to ours. Today He still
evokes a whole array of widely varying emotions amongst people. His power of truth
confronts the doubts, unbelief and lies that seem to dictate to our minds and make us
reject what He is all about. Today people still laugh Him to scorn. Unbelief and hardness
of heart are still two of the most sinister traits that cause us to work against the truth of
the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s guard ourselves against that
spiritual cancer!

 That Touch of Faith! (Luke 8:43-48):

This healing took place almost as an interference to the previous one. Jairus had come
pleading for Jesus’ help, when suddenly one woman’s touch of Jesus’ garment brought a
slight halt to the proceedings. “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked His disciples. Sadly they
didn’t know. They did not know when someone else got so close to Jesus as to actually
touch Him! Jesus knew someone had touched Him, for there was an impartation of
healing power released from Him. The woman came forward and her prophetic act of
faith became known. Faith in her heart had said, “If I may but touch the hem of His
garment, I shall be made whole” (Matthew 9:21,KJV). She did - and she was! The moment
she touched, that moment she was totally healed of a twelve-year affliction that had cost
her her health, livelihood and savings. Faith in Jesus gave her the answers she had been
desperately seeking for so many years. Like her, we need to reach out in faith and touch
Jesus. To do that we have to get past every obstacle and person that would seek to hinder
us because of their doubts and unbelief. There is no substitute to actually touching Jesus!
How close are you?

 Jesus Commissions The Twelve (Luke 9:1-10; Matthew 10; Mark 3:13-
19; Mark 6:7-13):

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“He now called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority to overcome
all the devils and to cure diseases, and sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and
to heal . . . So they set out and travelled from village to village, and everywhere they
told the good news and healed the sick” (NEB).

Here we have very clear evidence of the teachings and heartbeat of Jesus regarding the
healing of the sick. Not only did Jesus come and demonstrate His Father’s will and use
the power given Him to heal, but He also gave His followers the power and authority
to do the same! As far as Jesus and the teaching of the Bible are concerned, Divine
Healing is very much a part of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. We lose so much of
the impact of Christianity and the Gospel it represents when we fail to heal the sick.

The power of God is greater than the power of the devil and evil spirits. So many
diseases, sicknesses and “problems” encountered by humanity today are the result of
demonic, evil spirit bondages, curses, soul ties, etc. Instead of being afraid of this realm,
we should be boldly exercising our authority in Jesus’ name and seeing lives set free to
the glory of God. There is enough evidence of this in the Bible to convince any sincere
believer in Jesus that these things are real and exist throughout the earth today. Ignoring
evil spirit activity does not make it go away! During the time of penning some of this
book, the 2002 World Soccer Cup was being held in Japan and South Korea. Millions
follow that major sports event. Tragically, most do not realize nor understand that
numbers of countries have on their national teams witchdoctors whose job it is to secure
(by spiritual means) a win for their country. People do not “register” as to what is going
on when at midnight those witchdoctors are out in the stadiums sacrificing the blood of
roosters or chickens to their gods. It is blatant, evil spirit activity, but it is “all nicely
covered over” in the name of sport. The fact it is even allowed to happen (i.e. using
spiritual powers to “curse” the opposition) shows us how far from true, spiritual reality
this generation has fallen. Witchcraft and the entertaining, calling up and the seeking to
appease evil spirits to gain favour for the sake of a sports win, demonstrate that people do
believe in the spirit realm. (Let me mention here that not all soccer players are subject to
these evil practices – many are born-again Christians who really love the Lord, and live
in victory over these spiritual powers.)

Why, then, do people struggle to accept the true, Holy Spirit realm, where we all can
find release and reality in Jesus Christ? It is spiritual blindness and the devil doesn’t
mind at all that Christians argue back and forth as to the very existence of evil spirits in
the 21st century. Let me tell you they are exactly the same kind of evil spirits that Jesus
delivered from people’s lives – in many cases today they are just hiding under different
names; names that make them very acceptable to a gullible society. Jesus commanded us
to “cast out devils” (Mark 16:17; Acts 8:5-8). He would never waste His time telling us to do
such things if they never existed! We do need to think again about the reality of the
teachings of Jesus with regards to evil spirits and their works in the lives of ordinary
human beings, many of who are faithful churchgoers week after week (Luke 4:33-37).

The word “power” in the first verse of Luke Nine is the Greek word “dunamis,” a very
important New Testament word. It means, “natural capability, inherent power; capability

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of anything, ability to perform anything; then, absolutely, not merely power capable of
action, but, power in action” (Bullinger’s).

The word “authority” in that same verse is the Greek word “exousia,” which means,
“power (delegated) authority to do anything; permission, license” (Bullinger’s).

Jesus gave “dunamis” and “exousia” to His disciples. He still gives them to us today!
“Dunamis” is unlimited power that is capable of accomplishing anything and everything,
yet it only works as we – the believer – release it. It lies dormant within us until we
activate it. When released in the mighty name of Jesus, it carries power to heal sicknesses
and diseases - and to release people from evil spirits. This is one of the key areas that we
need to learn today, that of releasing the “dunamis” out of us.

“Exousia” is God’s permission to exercise His authority in His name, on His behalf.
He has given us the license to do things as He did things! Do we know that? If we
choose not to use that delegated authority, then whose fault is that? It certainly is not
Jesus’ fault. He gave us power and authority because that is His will that we use it
against sickness, disease and the forces of evil. Likewise it is no use we Christians
continually praying and asking God to give us things He has already given! That is
absurd. But we do it all the time. We keep asking Him for “more power, more anointing,
more this and that,” yet God’s Word clearly teaches He has already given us those things.
We seem to be willing to do everything except what Jesus has commanded us! This is
especially so when it comes to the realm of Divine Healing and the Holy Spirit
supernatural ministry.

The Twelve went out and did what He commissioned them to do. Jesus did not go with
them. He stayed back. They ministered in their newfound power and authority, and the
Bible declares, “they healed everywhere” (v.6, KJV). The Amplified Bible says, “And
departing they went about from village to village, preaching the Gospel and restoring
the afflicted to health everywhere.” To every sick and afflicted person, their Gospel
indeed brought glad tidings of great joy! It was a Gospel that worked! It was a Gospel
that demonstrated power over the elements that robbed people of abundant life! It was a
message that brought answers to people in the physical realm, as well as the spiritual.
They then returned back to where Jesus was and “told Him all they had done” (v.10)!
Jesus would never have taught His disciples to do things that were not right in the centre
of God’s will for them. Jesus taught them the principles of the Kingdom of God that were
to be used by the generations to come. After they returned, Jesus took them for a break,
but the people found out where they were and turned up there as well. Again we see the
heart of Jesus toward the sick and needy people:

“And He welcomed them, teaching them again about the Kingdom of God and curing
those who were ill” (TLB).

A powerless Gospel is a useless Gospel! People today do not need a set of theories or
religious ordinances – they need LIFE! They need answers! They need wholeness! They
need wellness! They need a demonstration that the Gospel of Jesus Christ stands alone,

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and high above every other teaching on the face of the earth! Maybe we Christians today
have need to be taught again about the truth of the Kingdom of God? So much has been
“watered down” by tradition and powerless people that the Gospel has become the
laughing stock and ridicule of many. It should rather be revered and held in awesome
respect because of the power demonstrated by those committed to it. The Book of Acts
bears this out.

 The Boy With The Evil Spirit (Luke 9:37-43; Mark 9:14-29).

Here we have the record of a desperate father struggling to find answers for his son who
was doing some most unusual things – embarrassing things like frothing at the mouth and
squealing or shrieking (such cries are often difficult to put into words). His body too
would have been covered in bruises. The father knew it was a spirit that was tormenting
his son. In desperation he brought the boy to the disciples, but the disciples were
powerless to do anything about it. Jesus then stepped in, rebuked the evil, unclean spirit
in the boy and set him free. Jesus called it an “unclean spirit.” That unclean spirit caused
that young boy to do some unclean, embarrassing things that would have, on many
occasions, humiliated the parents. Jesus healed the boy by delivering him from that filthy,
unclean spirit. The Scriptures tell us “all the people were amazed at the mighty power
(“greatness, majesty, magnificence”) of God” (v.43, KJV). The deliverance of a boy from
evil spirit domination brought out the greatness, the majesty, the magnificence of God’s
power and willingness to minister healing to those who were sick and suffering and
bound by evil spirits.

 Jesus Corrected Those Who Tried To Stop Someone Casting Out

Devils (Luke 9:49-50):

John stopped someone who was casting out evil spirits in Jesus’ name because he was not
of “their company” (sectarianism was alive and well way back there too). When Jesus
was informed of it, He told John he was not right in doing that. Jesus implied that anyone
who casts out spirits in Jesus’ name is working for the Kingdom of God.

 Jesus Said, “Heal The Sick!” (Luke 10:1-9; Matthew 10:1-8; Mark 6:7-
13):

Here again in the Gospels we have the clear teaching and command of Jesus to His
disciples that they had been empowered to go out to preach the Gospel and to heal the
sick. It was the healing of the sick that would demonstrate to the people that the Kingdom
of God had come to them. True Christianity is the Gospel of evidence. It is the Gospel
that demonstrates the power of God is still available today and works in the lives of Holy
Spirit-filled believers on Jesus Christ, Who is alive from the dead, living and working
through His disciples, His followers. We cannot legitimately say we are believing the
Word of God and its teachings when we fail to heal the sick and cast out devils.
 It is the command of Jesus Himself!
 Do we believe Him? Do we believe what He taught?

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  Is Jesus no longer “the same yesterday and today and forever”? (Hebrews 13:8).

CHAPTER 7
Divine Healing In

ST. JOHN’S GOSPEL

JOHN’S INTRODUCTION TO DIVINE HEALING in his Gospel was given by means
of this statement:

“Now when He (Jesus) was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many
believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did” (John 2:23, KJV).

The word “miracles” here is from the Greek word “semeion” meaning “a supernatural
miracle, sign, token, wonder” (Strong’s), or “a sign, signal; an ensign, a standard, a sign by
which any thing is designated, distinguished, or known; hence, used of the miracles of
Christ, as being the signs by which it might be known that He was the Christ of God; a
sign authenticating Christ’s mission; a sign with reference to what it demonstrates”
(Bullinger’s). This does not focus only on divine healing, but it certainly would include the
many miracles of healing that are recorded in the Bible. The impact of Jesus’ first miracle
– that of turning water into wine (John 2:1-11) – made a tremendous impression on the
people. Jesus amazed the people continually with His varied acts and working of miracles
throughout His time of public ministry here on earth.

Likewise, Divine Healing is a public declaration that God’s power is active and present in
the lives of the individual Holy Spirit-filled Christians, as well as the Christian Church
generally. The purpose of healings and miracles is to show mankind that God is alive and
real, and that He is still wanting to be personally involved in making us whole and
complete in Him. The result of healings and miracles should be the very same as that
recorded in John 2:23: “many believing in Jesus’ name, when they witness firsthand the
evidence of His works.” Healings and miracles, therefore, are a vital part of the
presentation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. They back up what is being preached by
men and women of faith – faith in the Word of God.

 The Nobleman’s Son Is Healed (John 4:46-54):

This is recorded as the second miracle that Jesus did (v.54). It is a healing miracle. The
news of the turning the water into wine had stirred numbers of people, and the nobleman
seems to be no exception. When he heard that Jesus was “back in town,” he sought Him

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out for help, as his son was close to death. The Bible simply says he was “sick . . . at the
point of death” (v.46-47). The word “sick” is translated from the Greek word “astheneo”
meaning “to be infirm, without strength” (Young’s), or “to be feeble (in any sense): be
diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak” (Strong’s). Whatever the
sickness was it was actually killing him – he was at the point of death. Here Jesus was
confronted by a desperate man on behalf of his sick son for a miracle of healing. If
healing were not a major part of the ministry of Jesus He would not have healed
that man. Jesus would not have worked against the will of His Father. He would
have made it known right there and then that healing was not what He came to do. He
challenged the nobleman about his smallness of faith, saying, “Except you see signs and
wonders, you will not believe.” The nobleman’s pleading cry went out to Jesus. Jesus
responded immediately with “Go your way; your son lives”(v.50). Hanging on to that
word from Jesus, the nobleman believed it to be true, went home and found his son alive
and well! Later, as they talked together, they discovered the boy was healed in the very
same hour that Jesus declared him to be well. What a miracle! And what was the result of
that miracle? The nobleman and his whole household became believers in Jesus
Christ! (v.53). That probably included all his servants too.

 Healing of the Impotent Man (John 5:1-23):

This section of the Scripture is very interesting in that it reveals the heart of God to bring
healing and wholeness to people, yet only one man was healed. The Pool of Bethesda
(meaning “house of mercy”) had become a gathering place for many sick and diseased
people – all were there waiting for the waters to be troubled (or stirred) by an angel (KJV
& NKJV). There were five porches at that pool, and the Bible says, “hundreds of sick
people – blind, crippled, paralysed – were in these alcoves” (v.3, The Message). The story
focuses on one man who had been there for thirty-eight years! That is a long time to be
waiting for your personal miracle to happen! He is described as having an “infirmity.”
The Greek word is “astheneia” and is translated into the English words “feebleness (of
body or mind); malady; frailty:- disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness” (Strong’s). The
word “malady” means “1. any disease or illness. 2. any unhealthy, morbid, or desperate
condition” (Collins). It is obvious his condition was such that he had to rely on others to
move him about – on his own he was far too slow to get to the water whenever the waters
were stirred up. That meant he missed out every time. How frustrating that must have
been for him.

When Jesus turned up at that pool, He discerned the man had been there a long time. He
probably had prayed, desired, yearned and even cried to be made whole many times over
all those years. Jesus stepped up to him with the question, “Do you want to become well?
[Are you really in earnest about getting well?]” (v.6, AMP.). He responded to Jesus that
he was reliant on someone else getting him into the pool; each time he had tried in his
own strength and efforts to get there - but he was always too slow. Jesus then
commanded him to “Get up; pick up your bed (sleeping pad) and walk!” (v.8, AMP.).
Immediately something happened to him, and in him. A surge of power went through his
physical body. He rose up, picked up his bed and walked! Thirty-eight years of suffering
were over! All because of Jesus! Yet at the time of his healing, the man did not know

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who Jesus was, because when he was challenged and cross-examined by the religious
Jews as to what had happened to him, he could not tell them His name. Later, when Jesus
met the man again, He told him to live right (“sin no more”), otherwise he would finish
up worse than he started (v.10-14). To maintain our healing we have to learn to live right
and to glorify God in our daily living habits.

Once the news was out that it was Jesus Who had healed the man, the Jews persecuted
and sought to discredit Him, using all kinds of religious excuses to justify their
accusations. One of the answers Jesus gave them (and which relates to the message of
Divine Healing) was, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can
do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also
does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, to your amazement
He will show Him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead
and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it” (John
5:19-21, NIV).

What is Jesus saying here? He is answering the religious objectors and doubters in the
power of God that what He was doing in healing the impotent man was because His
Father had shown Him to do that. It was obviously God the Father’s will to heal
that helpless man. I am simple enough to believe that means it is God’s will to heal the
sick, diseased and impotent of this world! Again I ask, If Divine Healing is not God’s
will, then why does the Bible take up so much space in recording many different
healings? It is because Jesus came to make us “whole” – a word used many times in the
Scripture and which means (from the Greek “holos”) “all, the whole, entire”; or (from
the Greek “hugiaino”) “to be sound, well, in health”; or (from the Greek “iaomai”) “to
heal, cure”; or (from the Greek “sozo”) “to make sound” (Young’s). Strong’s expands a
little bit more on “sozo” as meaning “to save, i.e. to deliver or protect (literally or
figuratively):- heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.”

This passage of Scripture reveals the conflict between the power of God (as demonstrated
through Jesus healing that impotent man) and the religious spirits that lodge within the
hearts of religious people. The man who received the healing would have been eternally
grateful to God for sending Jesus personally to him and making him whole. What a
tragedy it is that often those who should know better actually become the biggest
hindrances to what God wants to do in our midst.

The next reference to healing is found in John 6:1-2:

“After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And
a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them
that were diseased” (KJV). The Amplified Bible says, “And a great crowd was following
Him because they had seen the signs (miracles) which He [continually] performed
upon those who were sick.”

The healing of the sick was a common occurrence in the ministry of Jesus.
Multitudes were healed, delivered and set free through His ministry. And that
ministry should be carried on by His Holy Spirit-filled and anointed followers!

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  The Blind Man’s Sight Restored (John 9:1-41):

This chapter is about the healing of a physically blind man – a man that God chose to
work His works in. It is interesting that the belief system of the people of that day was
one of “cause and effect.” As far as the people were concerned, there had to be a sin at
the root of his blindness; if not in his life, then that of his parents. Jesus told them the
blindness had nothing to do with that at all. God was going to reveal His glory through
the healing of the man’s blindness. Jesus did an unusual thing in that He spat on the
ground and made clay of His own spittle, and then used it to anoint the eyes of the blind
man. The man was then told to go and wash himself in the pool of Siloam. It was a
“prophetic act” on Jesus’ part, and an act of the blind man to obey what Jesus told him.
When He did what Jesus told him, the scales fell off his eyes and his sight was released
for the first time in his life – he had been born blind so did not know what it was to have
the blessing of sight before that moment. A miracle was experienced, and that miracle
was evidenced before all who were there.

I wonder how we would respond if someone rubbed clay in our eyes – clay that had been
knowingly made by someone else’s spittle? No wonder the religious-spirited people were
upset with Jesus. They had no way of containing Him, so they always worked to silence
Him. But they failed on both counts. Nothing has changed today. The negative voice of
religion and unbelief always seeks to silence those who seek to obey the Great
Commission of Jesus – which includes the healing of the sick (Mark 16:15-20) – but never
come up with any helpful, positive answers to improve the living conditions of the
suffering and poor of this world. To be a witness of a miracle of healing is a wonderful
privilege indeed. The joy, the ecstasy, the reactions are all so wonderful to observe. I
have watched the faces. One night I was inspired to dance with a lady who had just been
set free from walking in a bent-over position (with the aid of a stick). When the power of
God “hit” her, she straightened up, threw her walking stick away, threw her hands into
the air and rejoiced mightily in God. They are such precious moments in our lives, and I
long to see many more such happenings. Yes, Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, and the Word
of God, are all glorified when people are healed and set free in Jesus’ name!

 Lazarus Is Raised From The Dead! (John 11):

This surely must rate as one of Jesus’ greatest miracles? Lazarus became sick. We are not
told exactly what the sickness was; the word “sick” is translated from the Greek
“asthenio” meaning “to be infirm, without strength” (Young’s); “to be feeble, diseased,
impotent, to be made weak” (Strong’s); very similar to the impotent man at the pool,
except Lazarus’ condition was life-threatening, whereas the other man’s was not. When
Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick (for He was not in the same town when He received the
news), He made this statement: “The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the
glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation” (v.4, TLB). Jesus
then remained where He was for another two days. It was there He instructed His
disciples about Lazarus “sleeping,” which the disciples interpreted as Lazarus being
asleep. Finally Jesus told them directly that Lazarus was dead! ( v.11-14). At that point

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Jesus made another amazing statement: “For your sake I am glad I was not there, so
that you may believe. But let us go to him” (v.15).

Jesus knew that His disciples had difficulty in believing Who Jesus was (is).
Therefore the way He handled this situation with Lazarus – who was His friend – was
much more than merely displaying His power over sickness and death. He was working
in such a way as to help His disciples to believe in Him and Who He IS, the Son of the
Living God sent from Heaven! In seeking to impact His own followers through a
demonstration of His authority over sickness and death, Jesus actually received a lot of
criticism from those who should have known better. But like so many today, we struggle
to know and accept Who Jesus really IS! So much of Christendom has reduced
Jesus to a mere mortal man - or to the pages of history! The reason is because our
natural minds cannot comprehend divinity, or the supernatural realm either. We’re
always trying to understand Him in a human way. But no one can know Jesus by
the flesh. He is Spirit and He is Supernatural and He is Eternal – the Son of God,
but even more than that, GOD HIMSELF MANIFEST IN THE FLESH! That is
why the Bible describes Him in the following way:

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the
flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on
in the world, Received up into glory” (1 Timothy 316, NKJV). That “manifested in the
flesh” is JESUS. God revealed Himself to the world in the Person of JESUS CHRIST!
J.B. Phillips Translation puts it this way: “No one can deny that this religion of ours is a
tremendous mystery, resting as it does on the One Who showed Himself as a human
being, and met, as such, every demand of the Spirit in the sight of angels as well as of
men. Then, after His restoration to the Heaven from whence He came, He has been
proclaimed among men of different nationalities and believed in in all parts of the
world.”

The word “mystery” is a very important word to understand. It comes from the Greek
word “musterion” and means “what is only known to the initiated” (Young’s). It is used
twenty-seven times in the New Testament and always is translated from that one Greek
word. The true understanding of Jesus and Christianity is a mystery. Unless Jesus and His
Message is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, we will never comprehend or understand it.
That is why we must be born again and also filled with the Holy Spirit ( John 3:1-8; Luke
24:49; Acts 2:1-4). True Christianity is a revelation from Heaven to us!

Any teaching that denies the truth that Jesus is God is false! And false teaching does
not fulfil the requirements of God for us even to approach Him. There is only one way
to God, and that is through JESUS CHRIST (John 14:6).

The healings and miracles of Jesus were (and are) part of God’s will to reveal that the
truth is so much more positively powerful than any other belief system, or personality.
Jesus Christ is far above every (and all) other religions and religious beliefs! He
demonstrated that in the life of Lazarus. He chose not to raise him from the dead until

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four days later! Lazarus’ body was decomposing! There was no possibility that he was
merely unconscious. The Bible says he was dead! Stone-cold dead!

Martha was not very impressed that Jesus turned up four days later. She told Him that
was why Lazarus died, “If You had been here he would not have died!” (v.21), which is
“a very heavy accusation” to make against someone. Jesus told her that her brother would
rise again. She, being a typical futuristic Christian, said, “I know he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last day” (v.23-24). But Jesus was not a futurist! He was a realist, a
present tense “NOW” Man! That is when He made His All-powerful statement, “I am
the resurrection and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live: And whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
(v.25-26). It is a very difficult thing to change one’s thinking from that of receiving things
from God in the future to the very present “NOW.” Most of us find it reasonably easy to
believe in what Jesus did yesterday, and what we believe He will do in the future, but to
bring Him into the “now” of our living is quite a different challenge. If ever the power
of Jesus was needed to heal the sick and do miracles, it is in the now of this present
generation. We are not taught to receive NOW. We are taught to patiently wait - in some
cases (we are told) our answers will come beyond the grave. But should we have to wait
until beyond the grave to be healed? We need healing today to be able to glorify God
with a lifestyle that now carries a testimony of what the Lord has done. People need
to see and know that Jesus is alive for them today!

As we read through the verses of John 11, we are struck with the power of unbelief and
mindsets that Jesus had to encounter before He demonstrated the power of God and the
power of truth over the decomposing body of Lazarus. Even when He called for the stone
to be rolled away from his grave, the complaint went out from Martha’s lips, “Lord, by
this time he is stinking!” (v.39). Once the stone was rolled away, Jesus prayed and
thanked His Heavenly Father for always hearing Him. Even His prayer was put in such a
way so the people could again grasp the fact of Who Jesus IS, and believe HIM! He then
called out to the body of Lazarus with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (v.43).
Immediately and supernaturally, that dead corpse of Lazarus responded to the command
of Truth, the voice of Jesus, and came out of that tomb. Even though he was bound hand
and foot with graveclothes – which would make it impossible to walk – he still came
forth! At that point Jesus commanded that he be unwound and set free. This miracle of
Jesus in raising Lazarus from the dead had an immediate and immense impact upon many
of the Jews. When they saw they believed! To be able to believe in a supernatural
Gospel one has to see supernatural things – healings and miracles are some of those
supernatural things. The power of the supernatural certainly stirred up the religious
chief priests and the Pharisees. They did not like Jesus usurping their religious control
over the people by His freedom and His miracles. In exasperation they discussed what
they should, or could, do. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “For this
Man certainly does miracles. If we let Him alone the whole nation will follow Him –
and then the Roman army will come and kill us and take over the Jewish
government”(v.47-48). They were motivated by fear, by their circumstances, by their own
insecurities, by their own inability to perceive Who Jesus was (is), their inability to
comprehend the miraculous, as well as their hard-hearted religious background. It was

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the miracles that got their attention, and which challenged their beliefs and their
position. The word “miracles” is from the Greek word “semeion” and is interpreted into
English as, “a sign, a signal; an ensign, a standard, a sign by which any thing is
designated, distinguished, or known; hence, used of the miracles of Christ, as being the
signs by which it might be known that He was the Christ of God; a sign authenticating
Christ’s mission; a sign with reference to what it demonstrates” (Bullinger’s). Those
miracles of Christ clearly included both the healing of the physical, emotionally and
spiritually sick, the raising of the dead, casting out evil spirits, and the doing of wonders
like the turning of water into wine, cursing a fig tree, feeding the multitudes
supernaturally, etc.

The wonderful thing is that the opponents of Jesus were unable to stop Him from His
ministry. Even when they thought they had successfully done away with Jesus by
crucifying Him on the Cross, they only succeeded in ignorantly fulfilling the purposes of
God! The Early Church believers – after Pentecost – continued to display the very same
ministry that Jesus had taught and imparted into them. They carried it on. They knew
that Divine Healing was a key to the growth of the Christian Church, and the best
way for a church to grow is to have conversions of people who have been powerfully
impacted by the supernatural presence of God touching their physical bodies.

According to John 12:19, Lazarus became a tremendous witness to many people of the
reality of the power of God. He was living evidence of it! Anyone who is raised from the
dead has a powerful testimony. People did not go to listen to Jesus alone, they also went
because they wanted to see Lazarus! If we want to make our Gospel “attractive,” then we
need to have some signs, wonders and miracles!

 Cut-off Ear Restored (John 18:1-12; Matthew 26:51-56; Luke 22:50-53):

While John’s Gospel does not tell us that Malchus’ ear was healed by Jesus, Luke’s
account does. At a very tense time in the life of the disciples of Jesus, Peter pulled out his
sword and swiped off the ear of one of the company that had been sent by the chief
priests and Pharisees to take Jesus. Knowing Peter’s temperament, Malchus could have
felt somewhat relieved that he lost only his ear! However, Jesus stepped in, and in a
moment of grace, love and mercy, He touched the man’s ear and healed him. The Bible
does not say whether or not he used the cut-off ear again, or left it lying on the ground.
Whatever He did it was a supernatural healing that saw Malchus restored to having two
good ears. Jesus does all things well!

In drawing this chapter to a close, let me make brief mention of the resurrection of Jesus
in John 20 and 21. Jesus sealed His deity by being raised from the dead. The Holy Spirit
powerfully surged through His dead body and raised Him up on the third day after being
crucified by the religious leaders. After His resurrection, and His appearance unto
doubting Thomas, the Scriptures record these wonderful verses:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not
recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the

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Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John
20:30-31, NIV).

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose
that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written
(John 21:25, NIV).

In laymen’s language we are told that Jesus was so full of doing signs, wonders and
miracles, healing the sick, etc., that if everything was written down, the world would
have trouble holding the books. But we do have sufficient evidence within the pages of
the Scriptures with the things that have been recorded for us to believe the truth
that Jesus taught and demonstrated. What He said and did was the Gospel of the
Kingdom of God. That has never changed. What has changed is man’s decision to
believe his own logical mindset rather than believe God for what He says. Too often we
have reduced the Gospel to that which happened yesterday, or to that which will (might)
happen in the future, and somehow we have left Jesus out of our “today.” The Bible again
is clear when it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”
(Hebrews 13:8, NIV). Another translation adds one word to that: “Jesus Christ is always the
same, yesterday, today and for ever” (J.B. Phillips). This is all in keeping with the canon of
Scripture that God is never changing. He is always the same. He can be completely relied
upon. He is not bound to dispensational beliefs that change from generation to
generation. He is totally trustworthy – He is GOD! He is a GOD WHO SAVES,
HEALS, DELIVERS AND SETS US FREE! How thankful we should all be to have
the privilege to know and serve a God such as He. Believe Him!

CHAPTER 8

Divine Healing In

THE BOOK OF ACTS –

Of The Apostles.

HEALING IN THE EARLY CHURCH AFTER

PENTECOST:

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WE NOW MOVE BEYOND the Gospels and into the Book of Acts – the acts of the
Apostles. By the time the actions of the Early Church began to take place, the healing
ministry of Jesus was well established. He had demonstrated the fact that His healing
ministry was a fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah
53:5; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 8:16-17).

The message Jesus spoke and acted out was the message of the Kingdom of God. Healing
and deliverance from demonic forces was very much a part of His ministry. Not only had
Jesus powerfully demonstrated Who He was, but He also had anointed and ordained His
disciples to do the same! (Matthew 10:1-8; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 10:1-20). In short: they were to
do the same things He did!

I remind you again of Mark’s Gospel’s last recorded words of Jesus that bring out the
importance of the disciples carrying on teaching and doing the things Jesus did. This
is what Jesus said:

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs
will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak
with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it shall
not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat
down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
(Mark 16:15-20, NKJV).

 What was Jesus telling His disciples to do?

 What was their divine commission?

1. To go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (v.15). The
message was no longer restricted to the Jews. It belonged to the whole world.
2. They were to baptize in water those who believed their preaching (v.16).
Believing had to be followed by action.
3. They were to be aware that they needed to be convincing in their preaching of
the Gospel, because the stakes were extremely high for those who refused to
believe their word (v.16).
4. Their preaching had to have the signs following. The “signs following” were
evidence that they were believers in Jesus Christ (v.16-18).
5. They were to use the name of Jesus to cast out demons (to set the captives free)
(v.17).
6. They (believers) would speak with new tongues. This is a spiritual, as well as a
supernatural gift for those who believed the teachings of Jesus. We know this
experience accompanies and/or follows the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; Acts
10:44-46; Acts 19:4-7; 1 Corinthians 14:2,4,5,18,39) (v.17).
7. They (believers) would be protected from the affects of deadly poisons (v.18).
8. They (believers) would lay hands on the sick. The Bible states, “and they shall

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 recover” (v.18).

That was the commission of Jesus to His followers. When Jesus gave those last words the
disciples were not in a very good spiritual condition. They were gripped by “unbelief”
and “hardness of heart” (v.11-14). In that condition of heart, Jesus gave them the
challenge to “Get out and do it!”(There was – and is – no “Plan B”).

 They listened to Jesus (v.19)!

 They rose to the challenge!
 They obeyed His word (v.20)!
 “They went forth” (v.20)!
 They began preaching everywhere!

And, guess what?

The Bible says, “The Lord went with THEM (v.20)!
Prior to this they always went with the Lord. He was their Teacher, they the disciples.
Now they are putting the teachings of the Teacher into practice and taking the lead,
making the decisions, doing what He said and did!
And, guess what again?
Jesus went along with their decisions, because they were working in obedience to Him.
He confirmed THEIR word, which really was their obedience to His Word!
How did He confirm their word?
By signs following!
The word “confirm,” means, “to make firm, strong or sure” (Young’s).
The word “signs,” means, “a sign; an ensign, a standard; a sign by which any thing is
designated, distinguished, or known; hence, used of the miracles of Christ, as being the
signs by which He might be known as the Christ of God: a sign with reference to what it
demonstrates” (Bullinger’s); “supernatural miracle, sign, token, wonder” (Strong’s).

Signs and wonders are to make the Christ of God known in the hearts and minds of
humanity! They testify to the fact that Jesus is alive and active on Planet Earth in
these days!

So, what happened between verses 19 and 20 of Mark 16 to radically change the heart
condition of those “unbelieving, hard-hearted disciples”? The Day of Pentecost came!
Yes, they were mightily impacted by the Holy Spirit sent down from Heaven (Acts
2:1-4)! The baptism in the Holy Spirit brought heaven into their hearts, love into their
souls, power into their lives to rise above the natural fears and negativities they were
battling with when Jesus ascended back to the Father!
After the ascension of Jesus, those early disciples began to put their teachings received
into practice. And it worked!
They discovered Jesus meant what He said!
They discovered they DID have the power and authority over the forces of sin,
darkness and diseases!
Pentecost!
Pentecost ushered in the New Testament Church of the Holy Spirit-filled believers!

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SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS:

Peter prophesied about signs and wonders being a fulfilment of the Prophet Joel’s
prophecies given over eight hundred years previously (Acts 2:14-22). When the Apostles
came to the fore they did “many wonders and signs” (Acts 2:43).
What is a “wonder”?
It is “a supernatural prodigy, a wonder, with reference to the excitement of surprise,
especially as portending something future rather than as arising from anything in the past.
As used of Christ’s miracles it has special reference to their supernatural character”
(Bullinger’s).

 The Healing Of The Lame Man (Acts 3 and 4):

On the way to a prayer meeting, Peter and John passed a crippled beggar. He had been
that way all his life; had never walked in more than forty years. The setting of this
healing was not in an evangelistic or healing meeting. It was outside the church, out on
the street. The cripple was crying out for money, and had no prior knowledge of what
was about to happen to him. To him, Peter and John were just another possibility of a few
coins for food. By habit he called to them for help. Peter looked at him with a reply that
was different to anything he had ever encountered before:

“Money I don’t have. But what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:1-6).

Peter so believed in the power that was working in his life that he reached out, took the
crippled man’s hand, and lifted him up. The power of God surged out of Peter’s body
(imparted through his eyes and hand) and into the crippled man’s body. Instantly his
body responded to that power. He rose up on to his feet (for the first time in his whole
life) and started walking . . . leaping . . . and praising God. He made such a commotion
that a crowd quickly gathered to see what had happened. The change in the man was so
radical, that it says, “they were all filled with wonder and amazement at that which had
happened unto him . . . greatly wondering” (v.6-11).

An undeniable evidence and demonstration of the power of God was clear for all to see.
It enabled Peter and John to speak of Jesus and His power. The miracle did not happen
because of Peter and John’s personal ability or holiness. It did not happen because they
had attended a prayer meeting. The fact was they did not even get to the prayer meeting,
as that miracle happened on the way there! It (the miracle healing) was because of a
release of faith:

“And His name through faith in His name has made this man strong, whom you see
and know: Yes, the faith which is by Him has given him this perfect soundness in the
presence of you all” (v.16, KJV).

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“The Message” puts it this way: “Faith in Jesus’ name put this man, whose condition
you know so well, on his feet - yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and
whole right before your eyes.”

That miracle of healing opened the door for Peter and John to preach (it seems they never
did get to the prayer meeting?). The crowds gathered to look and listen. In fact Acts 4:4
reveals that something like five thousand men “heard the Word and believed.”

One miracle of healing – five thousand decisions for Christ! What a response!

It was too much for the religious leaders. Just as they had opposed Jesus and thought they
had put an end to His ministry by crucifying Him, now it had all erupted again - through
His followers! Peter and John were thrown into prison.

Those religious leaders could not deny the miracle of healing ( Acts 4:16). They decided to
threaten Peter and John and command them never to speak nor teach in the name of Jesus
again (v.17-18). Peter and John could not do that. They knew they had a divine
commission to preach and teach Jesus, of which healings and miracles were a key
part of it.

On being released from prison they returned back to their base and a prayer meeting was
held there (v.23-24).
They prayed that the healing power of God would not cease (v.30).
They prayed that signs and wonders would continue (v.30).
God answered and confirmed their prayers by shaking the place!
Power was released and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus continued.

That first recorded healing in the Book of Acts revealed the confidence, authority and
power that the commission of Jesus, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, had
impacted those early apostles in such a mighty way. There was no asking God, “If it be
Thy will,” or hesitancy in what they were doing.
They knew they had received power - and they were using it.
They spoke and acted like they knew it would happen for them! And it did!
They did not even ask God to heal the sick man. The commission was to heal the sick
(themselves) and so they did it “in the name of Jesus Christ.” They knew who they
were, what they were called and authorized to do, so they did it! There were no
doubts in their minds as to the place of Divine Healing in the fulfilling of the Great
Commission of Jesus Christ. They lived in a world that desperately needed healing,
and God had given them power and authority to heal the sick!

 Do we know who we are?

 Do we know that we have already been authorized by God to do it?
 So why don’t we do it? (more than we do)?

As long as we are in doubt, double-minded and unsure as to the truth of the commands of
Jesus – as revealed in the Scriptures – then we will (generally speaking) continue to

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present an anaemic Gospel message through preaching/teaching alone that will not meet
the needs of our present generation – a generation that needs healing and deliverance
more than ever! In our being Holy Spirit-filled believers in Jesus Christ we are part of the
answers – not part of the problems! And we must know that truth deep within our spirit,
and act accordingly.

 The Judgment On Ananias And Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11):

Our next example is more that of God dealing with lying to the Holy Ghost, but it leads
into some of the most outstanding “happenings” regarding the healing of the sick.
Ananias and Sapphira had agreed together about certain matters of their possessions.
Somehow they had knowingly and willingly tempted God by telling deliberate lies to
God. Peter discerned what was happening and challenged Ananias first about it. The
power of God struck him dead. He was carried out and buried before his wife turned up.
When she did, Peter also challenged her and she, too, was struck down by the power of
God and died.

This created a huge fear in the area. The authority of the Living God within the lives of
those Holy Spirit-filled Christians was being publicly demonstrated. People realized they
could not “play around” dishonestly with God – or lie, deceive and try to cheat their
Christian leaders. The Christians were “sobered up” with the right kind of Godly fear,
and that released a great opportunity for the Gospel.

“And a great awe fell upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these events;
and many remarkable and wonderful things took place among the people at the hands
of the apostles. They used to meet by common consent in Solomon’s Cloister, no one
from outside their numbers venturing to join with them. But people in general spoke
highly of them, and more than that, numbers of men and women were added to their
ranks as believers in the Lord. In the end the sick were actually carried out into the
streets and laid there on beds and stretchers, so that even the shadow of Peter might
fall on one or another as he passed by; and the people from the towns round Jerusalem
flocked in, bringing those who were ill or harassed by unclean spirits, and all of them
were cured” (NEB).

Again, we see the process:

 A healing, sign, wonder or miracle takes place.
 This draws a crowd.
 The Gospel is preached.
 Lives (souls) yield to Jesus Christ.
 The Christian Church grows.

In Acts 5:1-16 there was phenomenal power released for the healing of the sick. God’s
presence was so real and present in the lives of the apostles that “many signs and
wonders” were done among the people. Even the shadow of Peter’s body became “a
point of contact” for the healing power of God to be released into their weak, sickly and
needy bodies (v.15).

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The ministry was not confined to the church buildings. It was right out there on the
streets, all “up front” with nothing to hide. People came from everywhere to have their
needs met, and the Bible records, “they were healed every one” (v.16). Surely that was
where God wanted His Church to be - out where everybody could see what it was all
about! Multiplied thousands were impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we Christians are not healing the sick and having signs follow us as believers,
we are robbing the Kingdom of God of its greatest soul-winning weapon. We must
rediscover the ministry of Divine Healing if we are going to impact our generation
for Jesus Christ! It is a very vital key to the growth of the Christian Church!

 The Seven Deacons Appointed (Acts 6):

When we move on into Acts 6 we see there was a requirement for the appointing of extra
men for some of the practical needs arising from church growth. Seven were chosen, set
aside and prayed for by the apostles (v.1-6). That delegating of responsibilities helped to
release the ministry further. The apostles laid hands on those seven young men and
imparted some divine Holy Spirit authority into them that they had not experienced
before. Something happened at that point in their lives when hands were laid upon them
and believing prayer was prayed! They in turn released that newfound faith, power and
authority and began to see instant results. We read that “the Word of God now spread
more and more widely; the numbers of disciples in Jerusalem went on increasing
rapidly, and very many of the priests adhered to the Faith. Stephen, who was full of
grace and power, began to work great miracles and signs among the people . . . ” (v.7-8,
NEB).

Not only did the Christian Church grow at that time, but we see that the healing, wonders
and miracles ministry moved out from the dominion of the apostles only, down into the
realm of the church helpers (v.8). Healing was not limited to a select few to exercise. It
was and is a ministry for all believers, according to the Word of God. Believers “shall lay
hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” What a lot we still have to learn about the
ministry of impartation.

 Philip Goes To Samaria (Acts 8:5-13):

Philip was another of those seven deacons who had been chosen “to wait on tables” (Acts
6:5). The rapid growth in the Christian Church and the persecution it stirred up forced
many to flee out of Jerusalem to other parts. Philip was one. But instead of it being a time
of “defence” he turned it into an opportunity for Jesus. Everywhere he went he
“preached the Word” (Acts 8:4).

What did “preaching the Word” involve?

 Upholding Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation (v.5).

 Preaching that gripped the people (v.6).

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 It certainly would not have been apologetic or boring!
 Demonstrating what he (Philip) preached. People “heard and saw the miracles
which he did” (v.6). Notice the Bible says, “which he (Philip) did,” not what God
did!
 Casting evil, unclean spirits out of many of the people (v.7)!
 Healing paralysis (v.7)!
 Healing the lame so they could walk freely (v.7)!

This all happened in an environment of “great persecution” (v.1-4).

Yet, in spite of it, great joy was released among the people in that place (v.8)!

Once again, we clearly see that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the
Book of Acts included the healing of the sick and lame, as well as the setting free of
those under the control of evil spirits. It is all part of the Christian message. The
way Philip presented it impacted the whole city!

Even though Samaria had been under the domination of sorcery (“to practice magic” -
Strong’s; “to be a magus or skilled in Marian lore; to use incantations; to enchant” -
Bullinger’s) and especially, a sorcerer by the name of Simon, that wicked spirit had to bow
to the mighty power of the Holy Spirit ministry. Simon had so deceived the people:

“A man called Simon had formerly been a sorcerer there for many years; he was a very
influential, proud man because of the amazing things he could do - in fact, the
Samaritan people often spoke of him as the Messiah. But now they believed Philip’s
message that Jesus was the Messiah, and his words concerning the Kingdom of God;
and many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was
baptized and began following Philip wherever he went, and was amazed by the
miracles he did” (Acts 8:9-13, TLB).

The miracles of Philip - the man who waited on tables - far surpassed the magic of the
impostor, Simon! The cheek of the man allowing the people to think he was the Messiah!
For too long the Christians have been fearful of sorcery, witchcraft and the occult. The
power of the Gospel is far greater than anything the devil can produce! We just
have to prove it. Christianity has to be proven by each believer individually. There
are far too many Christians trying to live on unproven theories!! If it doesn’t work, throw
it out!

How can we rely on the power of God if we have never proven it?

Simon was so convinced by the miracle ministry of Philip that he also believed. He even
got baptized in water! But there was a wrong motive. He wanted to buy the power of God
so he could get the people looking to him again (through the witchcraft traits of
manipulation and control) rather than to Jesus. His evil heart was discerned and the last
we read of him is being told by the Apostle Peter:

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“May you come to a bad end, for thinking God’s gift is for sale! You have no part nor
lot in this, for you are dishonest with God. Repent of this wickedness and pray the Lord
to forgive you for imagining such a thing. I can see that you are doomed to taste the
bitter fruit and wear the fetters of sin” (v.21-23, NEB).

We are not told whether or not Simon was able to truly repent and start a new life with
Jesus. (This verse is a stern warning to all those churchgoers who believe that, because
they have been christened, baptized into a church, or baptized in water, they will
automatically get to heaven. Not so! Simon had been baptized, but his heart was not right
with God – he still longed to be “the centre of attention.” Baptism is useless unless we
live a God-fearing, God-honouring life. Beware!)

 The Conversion Of Saul (Acts 9:1-22; Acts 22:6-21; Acts 26:12-23):

This great testimony of Jesus intervening in the life of an evil, religious “man on a
mission of hate and destruction,” shows us the power of Jesus to change a life. It is
included in this collection of healings because Saul had been physically blinded by the
heavenly light that hit him. For three days he groped about, having to rely on others to
help and lead him.

A disciple of Jesus by the name of Ananias (not the Ananias of Acts 5) was told by the
Lord to go to a certain street and a certain house, and there he would find a man praying.
He was to go into the house, lay his hands on the man and give him his sight back (v.10-
12). In spite of “who” Ananias was to go and pray for, he was assured by God’s
revelation and voice that all was okay. He went in obedience and found it exactly as he
had been told. There he met Saul, the one who had actually wanted to persecute, bind and
take the likes of Ananias to Jerusalem to be thrown into jail. But Jesus had intervened and
taken “the sting” out of Saul’s mission. He had met Jesus and everything was changing.
Instead of Ananias facing an enemy of his Jesus - the Jesus Ananias loved - he was facing
a newborn brother in Christ.
What a difference!
Ananias called him, “Brother Saul” (v.17). No other Christian knew at that time that Saul
of Tarsus had been converted. Most would not have believed it anyway! But Ananias was
moving by divine revelation and believed what the Lord said to him more than what his
own mind said to him. Ananias also knew that Saul had had a vision of a man named
Ananias coming to pray for him to heal him of his blindness (v.12,17).

When Ananias and Saul met, it was one of those “Holy Ghost happenings.” The will of
God was being fulfilled. Ananias prayed for Saul and immediately “something like fish
scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he was able to see again” (v.18, GNB). So marked the
beginning of the ministry of the great Apostle Paul.

 Peter Heals A Paralyzed Man (Acts 9:32-35):

“Peter was making a general tour, in the course of which he went down to visit God’s
people at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bed-ridden with

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paralysis for eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you; get up and
make your bed,’ and immediately he stood up. All who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw
him; and they turned to the Lord” (NEB).

What Can We Learn From This Healing?

 Peter (the Christian) took the initiative (v.34).

 He gave the command to be whole (v.34).
 That command was in the name of Jesus (v.34).
 Peter commanded him to get up and make his bed (v.34).
 In that command the power of God was released, for immediately Aeneas got
up - totally healed! (v.34).
 Those who saw that Aeneas was healed turned to the Lord! (v.35).

All those who lived in the town of Lydda and the Plain of Sharon came to believe on
Jesus Christ! One miracle of healing impacted a whole area! Divine Healing in the
name of Jesus does not affect only those who are sick; it affects the lives of all those who
see and hear about it. In this particular case Lydda and the surrounding Plain of Sharon
became believers! That is impressive.

It reminds me of the time when I first began to minister the Gospel. There was a meeting
at a Maori marae out from Foxton, New Zealand. A two-year-old child with a badly
deformed clubfoot was brought for prayer. My pastor (Jean’s Dad, Clarence Hunt) prayed
for him. After prayer, the boy’s foot was miraculously whole like his other one. The
result was that many sick people came from miles around, with all kinds of ailments and
diseases to be prayed for. We saw many wonderful healings at that time. Numbers gave
their lives to Jesus.

 Peter Raises A Dead Lady (Acts 9:36-43):

This is the record of a good Christian woman who got sick and died. She was known for
spending “all her time doing good and helping the poor” (v.36, GNB). As they were
preparing her body for burial, someone suggested they send for Peter. Obviously the
news and the testimonies of the healings, signs, wonders and miracles had travelled far.
Faith was high! Peter responded and went to the seaside town of Joppa. When he arrived
he was taken upstairs to where Dorcas’ body lay. All around her were weeping, grieving
mourners (not a good environment for raising the dead). Peter asked them to leave while
he prayed (v.39-40). Alone with the body, he spoke to it:

“Tabitha (Dorcas), get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took
her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows
and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people
believed in the Lord” (v.40-41, NIV).

Divine healing, miracles, deliverances, etc., are a key to the growth of the Christian
Church. When they saw Dorcas alive from the dead, many people believed in the Lord!

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  Healing is part of the Gospel message.
 It demonstrates the power of the Word of God.
 It gives convincing evidence that God is in His Word.
 It makes the Christian message and Christianity alive, real, right up-to-date.
 It is the outworking of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which is life-giving:

“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ -
He is Lord of all - that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea,
and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, Who went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:36-38,
NKJV).

“Power” in verse 38 is translated from the Greek word “dunamis” meaning “force,
specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): ability,
abundance, mighty deed, worker of miracles, power; strength, mighty (wonderful) work”
(Strong’s); “natural capability, inherent power; capability of anything, ability to perform
anything; then, absolutely, not merely power capable of action, but power in action”
(Bullinger’s).

 Power in action!

It is clear that the Gospel is “the power (“dunamis”) of God unto salvation to every one
that believes” (Romans 1:16). For some reason Christians have generally lost sight of what
the power of the Gospel is.

 It is to do with having an ability to function in the working of miracles, an

ability to release God into the lives of the people through the meeting of their
needs.
 It is power in action! “Dunamis” power is not power unless it is released
from within and used.

We have been anointed with Holy Spirit power! Our effectiveness as a Christian is
according to how that “dunamis” power is used. The “hold-up” is not on God’s side.
Consider this challenging verse:

“Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power that is at work within us . . . ” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV).

This verse is such a key verse to understanding how the “dunamis” power of God works
that I need to share it from some other translations as well:

“Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us . . .” (NKJV).

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“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work
within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and
above all that we [dare] ask or think - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires,
thoughts, hopes or dreams - ” (AMP.).

“The Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (“dunamis”)” (1 Corinthians 4:20, KJV).

We can talk, even preach all we like, but the question is: “Where is the evidence of the
power?” The power has to be working within us! More than just “in us,” but working in
us.

The Early Church never got asked that question! They were always demonstrating the
power of God.

Let’s recap:
 Peter and John healed the cripple (Acts 3 and 4).
 Ananias and Sapphira judged – many healings followed (Acts 5:1-10).
 Peter’s shadow healed great numbers of people (Acts 5:15).
 Stephen, full of faith and power (“dunamis”) did great wonders and miracles
among the people (Acts 6:8).
 Philip in Samaria had a citywide revival (Acts 8:5-8).
 Ananias healed Saul’s blindness (Acts 9:17-18).
 Peter healed Aeneas (Acts 10:32-35).
 Peter raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 10:36-43).

These were all demonstrations of the power of God. They all caused numbers of sinners
to turn to Jesus and believe the Gospel of the power of God. The anointing in us is there
so we can release the power. The power is already in us, but is it working? If it is not
working, then we have to ask ourselves, “Why?”

Without it working, we are about as effective as “a slow punch”; “a fish out of water”; a
weight lifter using plastic foam for weights. In short, Christianity and Christians are quite
useless when we try to present the Gospel of power without the power. The power in
action makes the Bible real, alive, convincing! The power in action puts the devil and his
demons in their place - in subjection to us! (1 John 4:4). The power in action meets the
needs of the lost, hopeless, helpless, faith-starved, sick, diseased, demon-possessed
generation we live in. God’s answer to those needs is the born-again, Holy Spirit-
filled Christian, who knows he has the power of God within him, and knows how to
release that power to impact those who desperately need its touch!

Divine Healing is all about releasing the power of God! It generates belief and faith
in the Word of God and helps people to follow Jesus. It is a key to the growth of the
Christian Church today!

 The Power Demonstrated In Reverse (Acts 13:4-12):

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After Paul and Barnabas were sent out from Antioch they came to a place called Paphos.
There they encountered “a certain Jewish wizard or sorcerer, a false prophet named
Bar-Jesus” (Acts 13:6, AMP.). That fellow had close associations with the deputy of the
country - “an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus” (v.7, NIV). Sergius wanted to
hear and know more about the Word of God, but Bar-Jesus (also known as Elymas) kept
interfering, trying to stop him from embracing the Christian faith.

Paul took only so much of his nonsense, then stepped in with the power of God, telling
Elymas a few “home truths” about himself. Paul then spoke blindness on the man “for a
season.” Immediately that occultist was struck with physical blindness! Now, instead of
him manipulating and controlling people and situations, he is humbled to the extent he
had to rely on others to lead him around (v.11).

And the deputy became a believer!

What Can We Learn From This?

 God will not be “fooled around with” by anyone, especially the occultists.
 The Word of God showed its supremacy and power.
 People in high positions of office can be open to God’s Word.
 Occultists like to get into places of influence and power. This enables them to
manipulate, control and deceive people.
 The Spirit-filled believer can discern and “see through” the tactics of the
enemy.
 The Spirit-filled believer knows what is in the heart of those given over to the
devil.
 The Spirit-filled believer knows that occultists are actively working against
the advancement of the Gospel. They have an anti-Christ spirit.
 Paul knew he could use the power of God to “inflict punishment” on certain
opposers. (If Paul had no power, Elymas would not have gone blind).
 The power to “inflict” worked straight away.
 This “blinding” greatly impacted the deputy, who quickly believed the
teaching of the Lord (v.12). It says he was “astonished” (“amazed, shocked”).

This is all part of the Gospel message contained in the Book we call the Bible.

 The Power Continues (Acts 14:1-4):

Paul and Barnabas spent some time in Iconium, where they preached in the synagogue.
Their messages were very convincing, because we read “a great multitude of Jews and
Greeks believed” (v.1). Those who didn’t believe stirred up trouble. Let’s read it:

“ . . . Paul and Barnabas went together to the synagogue and preached with such
power that many - both Jews and Gentiles - believed. But the Jews who spurned God’s
message stirred up distrust among the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas, saying all
sorts of evil things about them. Nevertheless, they stayed there a long time, preaching

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boldly, and the Lord proved their message was from Him by giving them power to do
great miracles” (TLB).

The J.B. Phillips Translation makes an interesting statement:

“So they remained there for a long time and spoke fearlessly for the Lord, Who made it
plain that they were proclaiming the Word of His grace, by allowing them to perform
signs and miracles.”

The confirmation that they were proclaiming the Word of His grace was signs and
miracles. Meeting the people’s needs. Those things were “done by their hands” (v.3,
KJV).

Once more we see that the preaching of the Word, and the accompanying signs and
miracles, bring about the salvation of the people. Divine Healing produces growth of
(and in) the Christian Church!

 Another Cripple Healed (Acts 14:8-11):

Because the persecution became so bad at Iconium, Paul and Barnabas had to escape
before they were stoned to death. They went to Lystra, where they again preached the
Gospel of the Kingdom of God. A cripple sat listening to Paul preach. That man had
never walked in his whole life. As he was preaching, Paul perceived the cripple was
opening his heart in faith to the message:

“Paul, looking him in the eye, saw that he was ripe for God’s work, ready to believe. So
he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, ‘Up on your feet!’ The man was up in a
flash - jumped up and walked around as if he’d been walking all his life. When the
crowd saw what Paul had done, they went wild . . .” (The Message).

What Do We Learn From This Healing?

1. No one’s condition is ever too hopeless or impossible for the power of God.
2. The preaching of the Gospel generates faith.
3. Paul was a perceptive preacher, sensitive to what God was doing in the man’s
life.
4. Paul could minister at the same time to all his listeners, and yet focus on one.
5. Paul knew when faith was in operation. He knew it was faith that released the
healings and miracles.
6. Paul was willing to “interrupt” or stop during the course of his message to let
faith meet the needs of an individual.
7. The man’s faith needed “a moment of release.” That moment was when Paul said,
“Up on your feet!”
8. Paul’s command released the power of God, which instantly “hit” the man and
healed and changed his mortal body forever.
9. The cripple was totally healed.

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10. The onlookers “saw what Paul had done” (v.11, KJV).

This section of Scripture is a good example of Holy Spirit ministry. Paul was sensitive to
what the Holy Spirit was doing while he preached. He was not “so bound up in his
sermons” that he could not be flexible to the Holy Spirit. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
were working as well, i.e. discerning of spirits, faith, wisdom, knowledge, gifts of healing
and working of miracles. All worked together to produce an end result to the glory of
God. They were all working in Paul.

God has given these beautiful gifts to the Christian believer to be used to bless and
build the Body of Christ. The Body is built when we release them to benefit others.

Paul not only preached faith, he could perceive or see it working in others. Faith is
generated “by the hearing of the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

In today’s world, unless we have a strong faith in the truth and power of God’s Word, we
will not rise above the general “unbelief” and “hardness of heart” that prevails amongst
us. Our faith must convince us that it is God’s Word and will to heal the sick, doing
signs, wonders and miracles TODAY. If we don’t believe it ourselves, then we’ll never
step out and expect anybody to be healed when we lay hands on them. We must know
the power is in us to do it! We must know it works through us!

When Paul and Barnabas returned to the Church in Antioch they were able to tell them of
all the miracles and wonders God had done through them (Acts 15:12).

 The Girl With The Spirit Of Divination (Acts 16:16-40):

The confronting of evil spirits was a regular part of Jesus’ and the Early Church Leaders’
ministries. These evil spirits had entered into the lives of many and were wrecking them.

As Paul was on his way to a prayer meeting, he was met by a young lady under the
control of a spirit of divination. “Divination” is “the art, practice, or gift of discerning or
discovering future events or unknown things, as though by supernatural powers” ( Collins).
The symbol of divination is “Python, out of Greek mythology, which is the name of a
serpent or dragon slain by Apollo . . . later spoken of diviners and soothsayers”
(Bullinger’s).

The spirit in the young lady kept talking (butting in), interrupting Paul for several days,
talking in reaction to the power of God. Finally Paul had had enough. Having discerned
the spirit, he knew what he was dealing with. He spoke out and said, “I command you in
the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (v.18, NKJV). The spirit came out.
There are some interesting things we can learn from this deliverance:

1. Paul knew the young lady had a spirit of divination in her (v.16).
2. He must have had some idea that she had some “masters,” other people who

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 used her for their own gains (v.16). (Unless one is “top dog” in the occult scene,
there is always a master or masters over them.)
3. The lady followed Paul, obviously desiring freedom from her evil spirit.
4. The spirit of divination spoke out the truth. Paul and Silas were “servants of God
. . . showing the way of salvation” (v.17). That is why discernment of spirits is so
important. We can be fooled by what people say, rather than discerning the spirit
behind the “sayings.”
5. Paul did not deal with the spirit of divination right away. In fact he waited many
days (v.18). The word of wisdom was being applied. That does not mean that every
case has to wait for many days.
6. When deliverance time came, Paul spoke to the spirit, not the lady (v.18).
7. Paul’s authority to defeat the spirit was “the name of Jesus Christ” (v.18).
8. The evil spirit in the lady was male: “he came out . . .” (v.18, KJV).
9. The evil spirit came out straight away:
“And instantly it left her” (TLB).
“At that moment the spirit left her” (NIV).
“It went out there and then” (NEB).
10. The deliverance stirred up great opposition, so much so that Paul and Silas were
physically assaulted and thrown into jail (v.19-24).

Yes, the devil roars when he is losing ground, but the Christian has to know God’s
greater victory in all these situations. In this example God sent an earthquake that literally
shook the prison doors open, which in turn led to their release (v.25-28).
The jailer’s household got saved (v.29-33)!
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God triumphed yet again!

 Special Miracles (Acts 19:10-12):

Paul spent some time at Ephesus (two years in fact) witnessing and preaching Christ. The
power of God was evident in his life and ministry, for we read:

“And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, So that
handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and
put upon the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them”
(AMP.).

Here we see Divine Healing and deliverance taking on a new dimension. The Christian
believer did not always need to go personally to the sick and needy. Here was a special
demonstration of what faith and the anointing working together could do.

What Can We Learn From This Scripture?

1. It was God Who led Paul into these “special miracles.”

2. God showed His power through a human body.
3. God showed Paul He could even do miracles through garments that had touched
Paul’s body.

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4. There was an impartation of Divine life and power from Paul’s body, into the
garments, into the sick.
5. The garments became “a point of contact” for the releasing of faith.
6. Sickness, diseases and evil spirits all recognized the power of God in those cloths
and yielded to that power.
7. The people were healed!

We learn from those things that the power of God is not limited to working in and
through mortal flesh. It is recorded here for us so we can know that “prayer cloths” (as
we have come to know them) are a valid method of ministry. We should use them more
than we do!

God’s heart is to make people whole. His desire is to heal humanity. He uses whatever
method the Christian Church is prepared to glorify Him in, whether we personally lay
hands on the sick, anoint with oil in the name of the Lord, or we pray over garments and
someone else takes them to those who need the Lord’s touch. It is according to that which
we have faith for.

 The Seven Sons Of Sceva (Acts 19:13-20):

Some Jews who travelled round and drove out evil spirits also tried to use the name of
the Lord Jesus to do this. They said to the evil spirits, “I command you in the name of
Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” Seven brothers, who were the sons of a Jewish High
Priest named Sceva, were doing this. But the evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus,
and I know about Paul; but you - who are you?”
The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he
overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes
torn off. All the Jews and Gentiles who lived in Ephesus heard about this; they were all
filled with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was given greater honour. Many of the
believers came, publicly admitting and revealing what they had done. Many of those
who had practised magic brought their books together and burnt them in public. They
added up the price of the books, and the total came to fifty thousand silver coins (a
silver coin was equal to the daily wage of a rural worker). In this powerful way the Word
of the Lord kept spreading and growing stronger” (GNB).

Here is a very interesting account of seven young men who already had some sort of
ministry exorcising spirits. They were “itinerant Jewish exorcists” (Acts 19:13, NKJV).
However, they were not operating in the power of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Paul’s
ministry had come to their attention and they obviously were able to observe him in the
casting out of evil spirits. What they saw obviously impressed them, and they thought
they could do what Paul did also. Whatever realm they had been functioning in before,
they were now about to step right outside their realm of authority - getting right “over
their heads” into trouble. They thought that because they heard Paul casting out spirits in
the name of Jesus, they could use Jesus’ name and do the same. But one thing was
desperately missing. Jesus was not Lord of their lives, so all they really had was a
formula, a theory.

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They commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man (at least they were able to discern
the man did have an evil spirit). The spirit in the man was stirred up, which in turn
released super-human strength. One man against seven is not good odds. But the evil
spirit in that one man was more than a match; he was stronger than those seven exorcists!
The man rose up, grabbed all those seven brothers, tore their clothes off, beat them up
violently (they sure had the cuts and bruises to prove it!) and sent them running out of the
house naked (see, even in the Bible there were streakers!).

News spread quickly. It did not do much for the seven brothers’ ministry of exorcism, but
it had the effect of being turned into a wonderful testimony of the power of God. It made
people realize that the Christians were operating in a greater power and authority that
actually delivered people from evil spirits. That power and authority was the mighty
name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

These few verses show us that there are different realms of evil spirits and of authority
required to deal with them. Whatever realm the seven sons of Sceva had been operating
in, it was not very deep. They obviously had had some success for them to be known as
exorcists. But like a lot of the occult realm, those dealing with evil spirits in people often
only exchange one lot of evil spirits for another. They do not allow people to come
under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. That’s the one thing the devil does not allow of
those who serve him! He does not want anyone to come under the Lordship of Jesus
Christ. Those exorcists - whatever they did - did not bring people under the Lordship of
Jesus. How could they? They didn’t know it themselves! Evil spirits do not all have the
same degree of strength. Some are weaker, some are stronger. But the mighty name of
Jesus is far above them all!

Paul didn’t accommodate evil spirits; he cast them out! The seven sons of Sceva thought
it looked simple enough. But they were not used to ministering in the name of Jesus and
did not know that name provoked the devil in the way it did. The evil spirit in that man
knew they had no authority over it. It actually said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but
you - who are you?” (v.15). This demonstrates to us that it is one thing to say the name of
Jesus; it is entirely another to know the authority of the name of Jesus! And the devil
knows those who have authority over him, and those who don’t! Does he know your
name? Or does he say, “Who are you?”

What happened gave the people of Ephesus a firsthand demonstration of the difference
between Paul’s anointed ministry and the seven brothers’ counterfeit ministry. That
resulted in many coming to the Kingdom of God confessing and getting right with God.

Their Father Was a Jewish High Priest!

It is also interesting to note the father of those seven boys was a Jewish High Priest! How
he could allow his sons to be involved in such a ministry without knowing the salvation,
anointing and authority of Jesus’ name shows they had a religion without reality; “a form

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of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5, NKJV). Obviously Sceva did not know
the salvation of Jesus himself.

What is the office of a high priest? According to “Unger’s Bible Dictionary” it is (and I
quote): “The high priest formed the culminating point in the Israelite hierarchy. The first
to fill this high position was Aaron, who was succeeded by his eldest (surviving) son,
Eleazar . . . The high priest was required to satisfy all the necessary conditions of
admission to the sacred office . . . The functions peculiar to the high priest consisted
partly in presenting the sin offering for himself and the congregation (Leviticus 4), as
occasion required, and the atoning sacrifice and the burnt offering on the great Day of
Atonement (Leviticus 16). He also consulted the Lord by means of the Urim and Thummim,
in regard to important matters affecting the theocracy, and informing the people thereon
(Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 30). The high priest had the supervision of the rest of the priests
and of the entire worship, and was at liberty to exercise all the other sacerdotal (“of,
relating to, or characteristic of priests” - Collins) functions as well. According to Josephus
he officiated, as a rule, every Sabbath, and on new moons or other festivals in the course
of the year. In addition to his strictly religious duties, the high priest was the supreme
civil head of the people, the supreme head of the state, in so far, that is, as the state was
not under the sway of foreign rulers . . . at a later period again, the high priests were - at
least the presidents of the Sanhedrin (“the supreme judicial, ecclesiastical, and
administrative council of the Jews in New Testament times, having 71 members” -
Collins), and even in all political matters - the supreme representatives of the people in
their relations with the Romans.”

Sceva would have had years and years of preparation for his role as a high priest. He held
a very important position of authority, supposedly leading his people to a closer walk and
relationship with God, but it was all dead, religious tradition. It was only “a form of
godliness” without any power. No power means it is dead!

There are far too many Sceva’s around today!

Listen, my dear friend, the devil doesn’t mind us being religious. We can attend
meetings, study, rise to the top in church life/organizations, even be trusted to teach
others, and so on, but if we do not know Jesus as our own personal Saviour, Friend
and Lord, and the power of His name, we are powerless against Satan and his evil
spirits. Satan just loves to hide in the religious scene because it is there that people are
reluctant to acknowledge him! (Much of Jesus’ delivering evil spirits out of people was
done in the Jewish Temples!) Sceva, in his position, should have known better. It would
have been a day of humiliation for him when the evil spirit beat up his supposedly “do
good” boys, sending them running through the streets in the same “pink suits” they were
born in! In their shame the power of God was demonstrated. Many believers in Jesus who
were not living right, got themselves right, confessing their sins. A large number of the
people, who were dabbling or involved in the practice of magic, were soundly convicted
of their wrong doings. They brought their occultic study books out, piled them all
together and had a great bonfire! Multiplied thousands of dollars worth went up in

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smoke! The power of God prevailed and the Kingdom of God grew further. Healing and
deliverance is a key to the growth of the Christian Church!
What a lesson!

Reader, do you know your authority in Jesus Christ, or are you relying on someone
else to see you through? As a born-again, Holy Spirit-filled Christian, you have been
given power and authority to exorcise the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ! It is
yours now! Rise up and live in the power of who you really are . . . a son or daughter
of the King of kings and Lord of lords, JESUS!

 Don’t Go To Sleep In The Meeting! (Acts 20:7-12):

When it comes to long-winded speakers the Apostle Paul must take the prize. However,
in saying this, let us not forget that he also “had the goods.” The power of God flowed
out of his ministry. In this section of the Bible the scene is an upstairs Holy Communion
Service on the first day of the week. We are not told what time Paul started speaking but
we do know he continued until midnight (well past most people’s bed-time). In that
meeting was a young man sitting on the window ledge. The longer Paul preached, the
more tired he became. Finally he lapsed into a deep sleep and literally fell out the
window! From three storeys up! That interrupted the preaching! Rushing downstairs, they
found the young man (Eutychus) seemingly dead. What a tragedy! In a breaking of bread
service too! Shock would have gripped the hearts of the people. One moment Eutychus
was alive among them, the next he is a crumpled heap on the ground three-storeys below.
But they had not reckoned on the preacher’s faith. Paul went down, saw what had
happened, then knelt down and embraced the young man’s motionless body. Healing and
life was imparted into Eutychus. Then Paul spoke to them that he was still alive:

“What an awesome joy swept through the crowd! They all went back upstairs and ate
the Lord’s Supper together; then Paul preached another long sermon - so it was dawn
when he finally left them” (Acts 20:11-12, TLB).

What a character! Paul seemed totally unperturbed by what had happened. They went
back upstairs and carried on from where they had left off. Paul gave them another long
sermon that lasted until daybreak! What a preacher! (Would you have liked the Apostle
Paul as your pastor?) I wonder if Eutychus was tempted to go to sleep again? What’s the
guess he did not sit near a window after that! He would have paid attention to everything
Paul said. How glad he was that Paul was there that night to bring healing to his injured
body.

 Healings At Malta (Melita) (Acts 28:1-10):

Our final example of healing from the Book of Acts is that of Paul ministering after he
had been through a horrendous experience of being shipwrecked. God had protected all
on board greatly, yet they still went through the ordeal of it. They found themselves on
the island of Malta. The weather was wet and cold. They were also wet and cold from
being in the sea. The locals lit a fire to warm up their new visitors. Paul gathered some

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wood for the fire, but as he came back with his arms full, a very poisonous snake came
out of the firewood and bit him on the hand. He shook it off into the fire. The locals
immediately thought Paul was a criminal of some kind and that he was being punished
“by the goddess of Justice” (v.4, AMP.). They waited for the poison to take effect and for
Paul to die. Paul, however, carried on as though nothing was wrong, and when the time
limit for the poison to take its effect was well past, the locals changed their minds and
said he was “a god” (v.6). That opened the door for Paul to have the opportunity to share
his faith with them. How opportune also when the chief man’s father was sick.

“And it happened that the father of Publius was sick in bed with recurring attacks of
fever and dysentery; and Paul went to see him, and after praying and laying his hands
on him he healed him. After this had occurred, the other people on the island who had
diseases also kept coming and were cured” (v.8-9, AMP.).

What are some helpful pointers we can pick up from this?

 Paul was not “consumed” by his own experience of being shipwrecked (did
not suffer from self-pity).
 He showed a servant heart in his gathering of firewood.
 He did not panic when bitten by a poisonous snake, revealing he carried real
peace and confidence in God.
 He proved the promise of Jesus in Mark 16:18 - “They shall take up serpents .
. . it shall not harm them” (KJV).
 The power of God in Paul (keeping him alive) challenged the superstitious
beliefs in the people. They believed the goddess of Justice was punishing
Paul!
 The power of God in Paul caused them to change their minds! He lived when,
naturally, he should have died!
 That testimony gave an opportunity for Paul to minister the Kingdom of God
and healing to a highly respected man on the island.
 The healing of Publius’ father opened the door for a number of other people
to come for healing.
 Healing touched the hearts of the islanders to give whatever provisions they
could to the shipwrecked men. They were very generous.

Paul went to Malta as a shipwrecked prisoner, a total stranger. But very quickly he
demonstrated he was different to everyone else. He carried something - Someone! - in his
life that not only gave him victory in adverse circumstances, but brought victory into the
lives of sick, suffering, poor and needy people. He knew he had a message that they
desperately needed. He knew how to take the initiative and turn situations into advantage
for the Kingdom of God. His own testimony of not being affected by the snake bite and
his ability to heal the sick opened the hearts and the doors to further the cause of Christ.
While the Bible does not specifically mention Jesus in this account, we do know from
Paul’s life that he would have clearly preached to the people the power he had was in
Jesus Christ. Hearts and attitudes were changed in a short time because of Paul’s stay on
that island.

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The Book of Acts has clearly demonstrated the tremendous impact of the healing
ministry in extending the Kingdom of God.

 Healing was (and is) a powerful means of causing people to have faith in a
living God and to believing the Gospel message.
 Healing turned their lives around and gave them a better quality of lifestyle.
 Healing did not only impact them physically, but affected them spiritually
and brought thousands to the Lord.

It was the “confirming of the Word” that arrested the people’s attention and opened the
door for the Gospel to be preached unto them.

Surely the Christian Church worldwide needs to be ministering in the same

impacting power of demonstrating to an unbelieving and needy world that God’s
heart is for every one of them! We cannot afford to be caught-up in a preaching of
the Gospel without the accompanying signs and wonders Jesus promised:

 The message is still the same today.

 The needs are still the same today.
 The answers for humanity are still to be found in Jesus Christ today.

But the world must see, hear and know that JESUS IS ALIVE to meet their needs.
Healings, signs, wonders and miracles done in Jesus’ name all testify to His truth,
power and reality. This generation will remain unconvinced as long as Christians are
presenting an unconvincing message. Healings, signs, wonders and miracles really do
help to convince the Christians of the power of the Gospel (and the unbelievers too).
They cause our faith to rise to new heights where we can believe God for so many more
positive things to happen. Strong faith is contagious. It inspires others to rise and believe
like never before. May we all know the certainty and joy of being able to say to others,
“Rise and be healed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! ” Then we will see more
and more unbelievers impacted for Christ! Yes, Divine Healing is a key to the growth of
the Christian Church today!

CHAPTER 9

Divine Healing In The Book Of

ROMANS
 Healing References In The Book Of Romans:

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ROMANS FOUR TEACHES US of the power of faith in the promises of God and
reminds us of the triumph of Abraham and Sarah at being able to produce a son at 100
and 90 years of age respectively. We are told that Abraham’s body was “dead” (when it
came to procreating) and Sarah’s womb was also “dead” (v.19). Yet Abraham knew God
had spoken and promised that he and Sarah would have a son in their old age. He
believed God for twenty-five years! The longer he believed the more impossible it
became, and the more God would have to supernaturally come through for them. He did!
God visited them and miraculously Isaac was born.

For some years, prior to that “touch” or “visit” from God, Abraham was unable to father
a child. Yet after God’s touch at 99 years of age, Abraham retained the strength and
ability to father children. How do we know this? Well, after Sarah’s death, Abraham
married again. A lady by the name of Keturah (meaning “incense” or “fragrance”)
became his wife and she bore him six more children! (Genesis 25:1-8). Abraham lived to
the age of 175.

Whichever way you look at Abraham’s life, he sure got a major healing in his physical
body! He conquered by his faith (Hebrews 11:11-12).

 Paul’s Testimony Was Of That Which God Did Through Him,

Not Others (Romans 15:18-21):

“I will be bold and speak only about what Christ has done through me to lead the
Gentiles to obey God. He has done this by means of words and deeds, by the power of
miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in travelling all
the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about
Christ. My ambition has always been to proclaim the Good News in places where
Christ has not been heard of, so as not to build on a foundation laid by someone else.
As the Scripture says, ‘Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who
have not heard will understand” (GNB).

Paul’s method of bringing the Gentile unbelievers to obey God was through “words and
deeds, by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God.”
He did not believe in testifying about what God was doing through other Christians; he
needed to have first-hand experience of God working through his life. That makes for a
far more convincing testimony than that of repeating someone else’s!

Let me share another translation:

“I will venture to speak of those things alone in which I have been Christ’s instrument
to bring the Gentiles into His allegiance, by word and deed, by the force of miraculous
signs and by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result I have completed the preaching of
the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem as far round as Illyricum. It is my ambition to
bring the Gospel to places where the very name of Christ has not been heard, for I do

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not want to build on another man’s foundation; but, as Scripture says, ‘They who had
no news of Him shall see, And they who never heard of Him shall understand’” (NEB).

Paul ministered by the “force of miraculous signs and by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The questions have to be asked:

 What kind of Gospel are we presenting and representing if there are no

miraculous signs and wonders?
 What do the people “see” when we speak?
 What kind of faith do we impart if there is nothing demonstrated?
 Is this the reason why so many do not respond to the Gospel in our Western
civilization today?
 Are we not convincing them?
 Why are we not convincing them?
 Is there no impact?
 Why is there no impact?
 What kind of Jesus are we showing them?
 Are we convinced ourselves?
 Are we impacted ourselves by the Gospel that Jesus and Paul preached?

Paul so impacted the heathen (non-believers) that they changed to become obedient in
word and deeds, obedient to the Gospel. How did he achieve that?

“Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God” (KJV).

He was so effective he completed the preaching of the Gospel from Jerusalem to as far as
Illyricum. If you look at a Bible map you will see that Illyricum was a very long way
from Jerusalem (especially when you consider Paul did not have transport like we do
today). It was across the sea from Italy, now known as Dalmatia in the Croatia area.

A lot of Paul’s success can be attributed to the fact that the people could see things
happening when he preached. That has to be very convincing! He was so confident in
who he was in Jesus Christ - and Who Jesus was in him - that he could say:

“I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of
the Gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:29, KJV).

That “fulness of blessing” included healing the sick, casting out evil spirits, and
miraculous signs and wonders. We need that same fulness working in and through our
lives too! Yes, Divine Healing is a key to the growth of the Christian Church. Let us
rediscover it in a powerful way.

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 CHAPTER 10

Divine Healing In The Book Of

CORINTHIANS
 Healing References In The Book Of Corinthians:

IN PAUL’S OPENING STATEMENTS to this book he tells us the following:

“I can never stop thanking God for all the wonderful gifts He has given you, now that
you are Christ’s: He has enriched your whole life. He has helped you speak out for
Him and has given you a full understanding of the truth; what I told you Christ could
do for you has happened! Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift
and power for doing His will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our
Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4-7, TLB).

When we interpret this in the light of the Bible, and Jesus’ and Paul’s ministries, we can
see that we have been given every spiritual gift! What Christ could do has happened!
That surely is a visible demonstration of His power of healing, deliverance, signs,
wonders and miracles. Some of the gifts we have been given are the gifts (notice it is in
the plural) of healing, the gift of the working of miracles, the gift of faith, the gift of
discerning of spirits (both good and evil, true and false), the word of wisdom and the
word of knowledge (see 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). We cannot say that any of those gifts are
not necessary today. They certainly are, and all have an important part to play in
the healing and deliverance ministry. The NKJV says: “so that you come short in no
gift” (1 Corinthians 1:7). As far as I can understand, all the gifts of God are meant to be
functioning in the Body of Christ until Jesus returns. My personal observation (after
travelling in a number of nations) is that there is an appalling ignorance and lack of the
exercising of the true spiritual gifts of God in the churches today. I suggest you make
time to study more on the importance of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit working in and
through your life to benefit others (see my manual “School Of The Holy Spirit”). Spiritual Gifts,
which also include the gifts of healing(s), are great keys to the growth of the Christian
Church in the 21st century. We will fail without them.

Paul’s testimony was:

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I
proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was
with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear,
and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and

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persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith
might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, NIV).

Paul here is trying to get through to us that the Gospel is more than persuasive
words. It must carry “a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” That is the “dunamis”
power, capable of doing anything! Included in the “demonstrations” were healings,
signs, wonders and miracles. Those demonstrations fuel faith in the power of God,
which far supersedes anything that man’s wisdom can give us.

“For the kingdom of God is not in word (“logos” meaning “the spoken word”), but in
power (“dunamis”)” (1 Corinthians 4:20, KJV).

“The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power” (NEB).

There’s a lot of talking goes on in Christian circles about God and the Gospel, but not so
much power. To be balanced we need a greater demonstration of the power! For that to
happen we have to know who we are in God, and that He has ordained us for the
purpose of displaying His power.

“ . . . our sufficiency is from God, Who also has made us sufficient as ministers of the
new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives
life” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, NKJV).

 This book is all about New Covenant Christianity - making men and women
whole in the mighty name of Jesus!
 God has made us efficient!
 Able ministers!
 Through the Holy Spirit!
 Through the outworking of the gifts of the Holy Spirit from our own lives.

Paul was an apostle in the truest sense of the Biblical meaning. His credentials were:

“The things that mark an apostle - signs, wonders and miracles - were done among you
with great perseverance” (2 Corinthians 12:12, NIV).

The KJV puts it this way:

“Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience (“cheerful or
hopeful endurance, constancy”- Strong’s), in signs (“used of the miracles of Christ as
being the signs by which He might be known as the Christ of God: a sign authenticating
His mission; a sign with reference to what it demonstrates” - Bullinger’s), and wonders (“a
supernatural prodigy . . . supernatural character” - Bullinger’s; “to do miracles”), and
mighty deeds (“dunamis” - “power in action”).”

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All the way through the ministries of the Early Church Leaders we read of them
functioning in that “dunamis,” the power of God in action. They did not only talk about
it, but they actioned it!
 It was working!
 It was working in and through them!
 It confirmed the truth of the Gospel!

 God’s Order Of Ministries (1 Corinthians 12:28-31):

Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 12:28-31.

“And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help
others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of
tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do
all have the gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly
desire the greater gifts” (NIV).

In these few verses we have a listing of the order of priorities that God has set in the
Church:

1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Teachers
4. Miracle Workers
5. Gifts of Healing(s) (see 1 Corinthians 12:9, 30 - NKJV).
6. Helps
7. Governments
8. Varieties of Tongues
9. Interpreters of Tongues Messages.

Then the questions are asked:

 Are we all apostles?

 Are we all prophets?
 Are we all workers of miracles?
 Do we all have the gifts of healing(s)? (Note: the NKJV uses plural wordings).
 Do we all speak with tongues? (Referring to the gift of tongues spoken out in
public meetings as recorded in verse 10).
 Do we all interpret? (Speaking of those tongues in verse 10).

1 Corinthians 12 teaches us that each individual Christian is part of a larger body. We are
not all the same and we do not all function exactly alike. Just as there are hands, feet,
eyes, legs, etc., in a physical body, so are there a variety of giftings or functionings in the
Body of Christ.

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With regard to our subject of Divine Healing, if we look more closely at those nine
priorities, we see that most of them carried “healing anointings,” i.e. apostles, prophets,
miracles, gifts of healings, helps, and possibly teachers, could all be involved in healing
ministries. That’s seventy-five percent! The “governments” gifting is for the setting up
and ongoing running of the church to give it the structure it needs to sustain it, as well as
to keep growing. The varieties of tongues gifting is to keep the Body lifted in praise,
exaltation and adoration to God! “He that speaks in unknown tongues speaks not to
men, but to God” (1 Corinthians 14:2).

All giftings and callings are not the same, but in God’s order of priorities the
healings, signs, wonders, miracles and deliverance ministries feature prominently.

Those priorities are then followed up with the instructions of 1 Corinthians 13. That
chapter deals with the motivation for ministry, the reason why we want to help and heal
people like we do. That reason and motivation is the love of God working in and
through us. The power of the Gospel without love is useless. The demonstrating of
“dunamis” in healing the sick will be short-lived without love activating that desire to
heal.

 Love releases compassion!

 Compassion sees needs.
 Compassion moves us to do something about those needs.

A Christian filled with God’s love and Holy Spirit cannot help but be moved with
compassion when we move amongst the sick, the needy and the demonically bound.
The “dunamis” power, working together with the love of God, is the most potent
force in the Christian Church today! And when it moves beyond the borders of the
Church it becomes the most potent force in the universe (see Acts 5:14-15). Yes, we
have the keys and the answers for our present generation, but do we know how to
administer them?

CHAPTER 11

Divine Healing In The Book Of

GALATIANS
 Miracle Reference In The Book Of Galatians:

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IN GALATIANS CHAPTER THREE, Paul is contending with those believers who were
“falling back” to the works of the Law. The Law would put them in direct conflict to the
“hearing of faith” which Paul had taught and demonstrated among them.

“Answer me one question: did you receive the Spirit by keeping the law or by believing
the Gospel message? Can it be that you are so stupid? You started with the spiritual; do
you now look to the material to make you perfect? Have all your great experiences
been in vain - if vain indeed they should be? I ask then: when God gives you the Spirit
and works miracles among you, why is this? Is it because you keep the law, or is it
because you have faith in the Gospel message?” (Galatians 3:2-5, NEB).

Paul is telling the people that the works of the Law and the hearing of faith cannot work
together. It is amazing how we Christians can start off in the simplicity of faith in Jesus,
and then lose the power of it through subjecting ourselves to either the old Law, or
through getting “bogged down” with the “do’s and don’ts,” rules and regulations. Biblical
Christianity uses the working of miracles to break the mindset of relying upon the Law.
The word “miracles” here is “dunamis,” the power in action that produces the evidence of
the truth of the Gospel. I like what another translation has to say on these verses:

“O you dear idiots of Galatia, who saw Jesus Christ the crucified so plainly, who has
been casting a spell over you? I will ask you one simple question: did you receive the
Spirit of God by trying to keep the Law or by believing the message of the Gospel?
Surely you can’t be so idiotic as to think that a man begins his spiritual life in the
Spirit and then completes it by reverting to outward observances? Has all your painful
experience brought you nowhere? I simply cannot believe it of you! Does God, Who
gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you, do these things because you have
obeyed the Law or because you have believed the Gospel? Ask yourselves that” (J.B.
Phillips).

These verses clearly show us how Christians lose the power of the Holy Spirit. We let
ourselves drift back under the Law. It didn’t work fully and successfully in the beginning
(that’s why Jesus had to bring us the New Covenant) and it certainly doesn’t work now.
The Law gives us religious traditions that lead to religious bondage and spiritual death.
The first to suffer is the “dunamis,” that supernatural manifestation of the power of God.
It “disappears” out of our lives! (See also Galatians 4:1-11, 21-31; Galatians 5:1-6, 25). Legalism,
laws, legislation and traditions are all very poor substitutes to the “dunamis” power of
God at work through the Holy Spirit-filled Christian believer! Yet they all creep in once
the power of God starts to weaken. Then follows doubt, unbelief and hardness of heart,
after which comes passive observance, spiritual decay and death. Let us beware and be
awake to what is happening around us, and “stir up the gifts of God that are within us”
to bless and build the Body of Christ (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit help to challenge and shatter the religious
mindset, and bring us to experiencing the reality of the Gospel in Jesus Christ.
Christianity without healings and miracles is not very convincing in today’s world.

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 CHAPTER 12

Divine Healing In The Book Of

EPHESIANS
 The Book Of Ephesians Tells Us Of The Need For “Dunamis” To
Be Working In Us:

WHILE EPHESIANS DOESN’T MAKE direct reference to healings, signs, wonders

and miracles, it does emphasize the truth of who we are in Christ Jesus and what we can
be through knowing that. It is the “Christ in you” book and, when we look at Christ in
the Gospels fulfilling His public ministry, we clearly see that He majored on meeting the
physical needs of the people - and demonstrating the power (“dunamis”) of the Kingdom
of God message. Ephesians tells us who we are in Christ, what Christ has done for us
and how we now carry the Spirit of God within us. The Spirit of God anoints us
with power to display the life-changing message of Jesus. But the power has to be
working in us!

Listen to the Apostle Paul’s prayer for us:

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power (“dunamis”)
through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power
together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of
Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the
measure of all the fulness of God.
Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power (“dunamis”) that is at work within us . . . ” (Ephesians 3:16-20,
NIV).

God has given every Holy Spirit-filled Christian His “dunamis” anointing. It is given to
be used. Obviously most of us never seem to know how to use it. We struggle with
fearing what others may say or think. We doubt that “God wants to use me to do great
things,” or we back off because of the misunderstanding and persecution that will arise.
But God does want to use us!

 The power is within us!

The big question we need to ask ourselves is: “Is it working?” If it is not, then why not?

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The above verses show us that the power of God is limitless, and only limited by us. It is
all “according to the power that is working in us.”

Somehow we have to discover the key that unlocks this knowledge of God that has
already been placed within us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When we unlock the
“dunamis” of God, others are going to be healed, blessed, saved, etc., in a beautiful way.

For too long we’ve left the “dunamis” side of the Gospel to the Pastors and Leaders, or
the “great name” evangelists. The truth is that God is waiting for ordinary Holy
Spirit-filled Christians like you and me to unleash this power out of our own lives to
demonstrate the Gospel. That Gospel which is “the power (“dunamis”) of God unto
salvation (Greek word is “soteria” meaning “to deliver, health, salvation, save, saving” -
Strong’s) to every one that believes” (Romans 1:16, KJV)!

Somehow we find ourselves with the greatest message to benefit every one in the
whole world . . . and we don’t know how to use it!

God can do anything, “more than we can ask or think,” but it is restricted to how it
works in us. Maybe we need a greater revelation of who we are in Jesus Christ? No
wonder Ephesians Four tells us of the need to be “renewed in the spirit of our mind”
(v.23).

CHAPTER 13

Divine Healing In Other Books Of

THE NEW TESTAMENT

 A Lesson From Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30):

“I feel also I must send our brother Epaphroditus, my fellow-worker and comrade,
whom you commissioned to minister to my needs. He has been missing all of you sadly,
and has been distressed that you heard he was ill. (He was indeed dangerously ill, but
God was merciful to him, and merciful no less to me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.)
For this reason I am all the more eager to send him, to give the happiness of seeing
him again, and to relieve my sorrow. Welcome him then in the fellowship of the Lord
with whole-hearted delight. You should honour men like him; in Christ’s cause he
came near to death, risking his life to render me the service you could not give” (NEB).

HERE WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE of a Christian worker who got sick and almost died
because of over-working. Other Christians had failed to follow through on their
commitment (because they lived so far away) and Epaphroditus kept picking up the

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responsibility of it. He was so desirous of helping Paul - and the furtherance of the
Gospel - that he neglected to look after himself. Over a period of time he became more
and more “run down” and “stressed” out. Finally he became sick, and almost died.
Fortunately he recovered to continue being a blessing in the ministry.

It is very easy for willing-hearted Christians to carry more pressures and loads than they
should. If we’re not wise, it can lead us into the very opposite of God’s desire for us -
sickness instead of health.

Here’s something to think about: If Christians can become sick because other
Christians are not “pulling their weight,” neglecting to help share the load of
responsibility, how much more does this apply when the Five-fold Ministries and the
Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not functioning in the Church as they should? The
answer is a sick Body of Christ.

 Giving Earnest Heed (Hebrews 2:1-4):

In this passage of Scripture we are given an exhortation to “give the more earnest heed
to the things which we have heard” (v.1). That means “to turn one’s mind, thought or
attention to a thing, be intent upon it; not relaxing in effort, but acting in a right spirit,” or
to be “earnest” means to be “serious in mind or attention; showing or characterized by
sincerity of intention; demanding or receiving serious attention” (Collins). We are dealing
with serious matters!

The hearing of the Gospel is very important. Faith comes by hearing the Word
(“rhema” is the Greek word and it means the present, “now word” from God) (Romans
10:17). Faith is a prophetic word. Faith releases the promises or prophetic of God.
If we do not continue to give earnest heed to the things heard, then we are in danger of
letting them slip. We will drop down into a realm of mediocrity, apathy, mental assent,
and then forgetfulness.

“Taking heed” is part of our salvation! “Taking heed” to the word spoken includes
recognizing that the Word of God is confirmed “with signs and wonders, and with many
miracles (“dunamis”), and gifts of the Holy Ghost!” (v.4). It is the signs, wonders,
miracles and Gifts of the Holy Spirit that give impact to the Gospel. They bring evidence
that God is at work through His Word! They were a normal part of Christianity in the
Early Church and they should be a normal part of Christianity today. Let’s not settle for
anything less!

If God needed to “bear them witness” then with signs and wonders, surely He needs to
today? We cannot afford to let the ministry of Divine Healing be outside of our reach. It
is part of the salvation message Jesus died to obtain for us. The people of our
generation need it, and the Church’s mandate is to administer it! But we’ve let it
slip! (In some cases we’ve hidden behind a “sovereignty of God” mentality that says the
responsibility is God’s more than ours. But that is not the teaching of the New Covenant.)

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Now we have to recapture that which has been lost. We have to see healing restored to
the Christian Church as the norm, not the exception!

We sing the song, “I went to the enemy’s camp, and I took back what he stole from me . .
. ” It’s a good song. The question is, “Do we really know what he has stolen from us?”
Until we do, we won’t know how to take it back! May I suggest to you that Divine
Healing, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Five-fold Ministry Gifts and the “dunamis” of
God are some of the things Satan has robbed us of? It’s time for us to get them back, to
reclaim what is rightfully ours!

Jesus said, “Signs would follow those who believe,” not believers following the signs!
We must give earnest heed to hearing the will of God (in His Word) and to taking back
everything we have let slip into the enemy’s grasp. This book is full of evidence that God
wants us to be using His key to the growth of the Christian Church - Divine Healing - to
impact our generation for Jesus Christ.

 Through Faith!

Hebrews 11:35 tells us there were “women who received their dead raised back to life
again”! They saw the raising up of their loved ones from death as their right, and as
being part of their inheritance as followers of the true and living God! To that end they
released their faith, and they were rewarded with tremendous reunions! It is recorded for
our encouragement and benefit, and to let us know what can be accomplished “through
faith.”

Hebrews 12:1 tells us we are surrounded “by a great number of witnesses” who are an
example to us, encouraging us to know that things can really happen when we move in
faith. Those witnesses are the men and women of faith who have demonstrated to us
already what can be accomplished through believing God’s promises. Today we are to
“look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith” (v.2). He’s also everything in
between!

 Look to Him!
 Consider Him!
 Give earnest heed unto His Word!
 Don’t let it slip!
 Don’t settle for less!
 Run with patience!
 Listen to those witnesses cheering us on!
 Release your faith!
 You’re a winner!

 The Prayer Of Faith (James 5:13-16):

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We now come to a well known, but often little practiced instruction to Christians
regarding three areas of life’s experiences. It is teaching on what we do when we are:

1. Persecuted for our faith.

2. Happy and in good heart, and
3. When we are sick.

“Is any among you afflicted (“to suffer evil, to endure or sustain afflictions” - Bullinger’s;
“to undergo hardship: be afflicted . . . suffer trouble” - Strong’s)? let him pray. Is any
merry (“to be of a cheerful mind, be of good cheer” - Bullinger’s; “to be of good courage” -
Young’s)? let him sing psalms (“a sacred song, sung to musical accompaniment”).
Is any sick (“to be infirm, without strength” - Young’s) among you? let him call (“to bid
to come”) for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord”: (James 5:13-14, KJV).

Three different instructions for three different experiences. Notice what we are told to do.

1. When we are suffering opposition, persecutions and hardships as a result

of our Christian witness and faith, WE PRAY FOR OURSELVES. We do not
call out to others to pray for us. This teaches us to draw on God’s strength. He
wants us to prove the reality of His help and strength when we are suffering these
attacks from the enemy.

 When being persecuted - pray for yourself!

2. When we are merry, things are going great and we’re “on top of things,”
that is the time to be full of singing, rejoicing and praising the Lord. It is not
necessary for us to be engaged in the type of prayer as in Point No. 1.

 When you’re happy and “on top” - sing your praises!

3. When we are physically sick, we are told to call for the elders of the
church. Who? The elders of the church where you belong. Every Christian
should have a local church “home” where you can be catered for, or are mature
enough to cater for others. When Christians get sick (and we do from time to
time), we are to call out for the elders to come and pray. We are not to try to battle
through on our own. It is very hard to have faith for your own healing when you
are sick. So we are instructed to call for the elders. Why? One reason is that they
have more faith than we do in those times. Another reason is our calling for help
allows the elders to know you are sick! Too many Christians expect their church
leaders to know their problems, even though they have not told them! Don’t let
pride stop you from calling for help!

The Scripture says:

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“Is 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: And the prayer of faith (of
the elders) shall save (“to make sound, preserve safe from danger, loss or destruction” -
Bullinger’s) the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him.

Confess your faults (“a falling aside, mishaps, unintentional error or going astray due to
the weakness of the person” - Bullinger’s) one to another, and pray for one another, that
you may be healed (“made whole”). The effectual fervent (“intensely passionate”)
prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:14-16, KJV).

In times of physical sickness Christians are not called to “battle through” alone, but to be
a part of a fellowship of believers where there is care and attention available. Make sure
you call! (Very few do).

 “By Whose Stripes You Were Healed” (1 Peter 2:24):

When we get to 1 Peter 2:24 it speaks of healing as “a finished fact” of Calvary:

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins,
might live for righteousness - by Whose stripes you were healed (“to heal, to cure; to
cause to live, revive, or recover from illness” – Bullinger’s)” (NKJV).

“It is by His wounds that you have been healed” (GNB).

The fact that Divine Healing was “paid” for at Calvary, when Jesus bore our sins and
sicknesses in His own body on the tree (“cross”), we can know with real assurance that it
is God’s will to heal people. It is His will that we live healthy lives:

“He personally bore our sins in His [own] body to the tree [as to an altar and offered
Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His
wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24, AMP.).

 “That You May Prosper And Be In Health” (3 John 2):

My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in
good health - as I know you are well in spirit” (3 John 2, GNB).

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper (“succeed in reaching” - Strong’s; “be led in a
good way” - Bullinger’s) in all things and be in health (“to be sound, healthy, or in health”
– Bullinger’s), just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2, NKJV).

“All things” must include our physical wellbeing and, in case there is any doubt, it is
specifically mentioned “and be in health.”

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Every Christian has been called to live according to God’s Word, God’s life, and God’s
desire for us. He is for us! Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension were all for
us! For our good! That is so we can experience the very best of God’s heart for us! He’s
given us “a tree of life” to live by. That tree has leaves, and those leaves are for the
healing of the nations - everyone!

“Then He showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from
the throne of God and of the Lamb (Jesus) down the middle of the city’s street. On
either side of the river stood a tree of life, which yields twelve crops of fruit, one for
each month of the year. The leaves of the trees serve for the healing (“care of the sick,
and then, by implication, relief, healing” - Bullinger’s) of the nations (Greek is “ethnos”
meaning “a race, a tribe; specifically a foreign - non-Jewish - one: Gentiles, nations,
peoples” - Strong’s), and every accursed thing shall disappear. The throne of God and of
the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him; they shall see Him face to
face . . . ” (Revelation 22:1-4, NEB).

For a similar Old Testament parallel see Ezekiel 47:1-12.

Throughout this book we have seen the importance of the place of the Divine Healing
ministry in the life of the Christian Church. God has made it possible for the Christian
Church to be a very powerful influence in the lives of the peoples of all nations. One of
the most effective influences we can have is that of demonstrating the Gospel has power
to work in every part of our lives - body, soul and spirit. Most people in modern society
need healing of some sort. The Word of God carries the Good News to all peoples
everywhere that God has the answer for their whole life! It is released through people like
you and me, people who know they have the “dunamis” of God dwelling within!

 Testimony of the “Song Bird”:

On one of my ministry trips to the U.S.A., I remember receiving a word of knowledge for
a lady in Columbus, Georgia. The word was that God had called her “to be a song bird
and she was to sing the song of the Lord.” When I spoke those words out to the lady, I
immediately sensed a “negative” response from those in the meeting. It was so noticeable
that I asked the people why they had responded that way. A man stood and asked me “Do
you know this lady?” To which I replied, “No, I don’t.” He then went on to explain to me
that the lady used to sing for the Lord, but was no longer able to do so. She had caught
some kind of throat disease that had necessitated an operation. During the operation
something had happened that left her voice box damaged to the extent that, according to
the experts, she would never be able to sing again.

There I was standing before a public gathering, having just publicly announced to the
lady concerned that she was called of God to be a song bird for Him. Then . . . being told
by someone else (also publicly) that that was a medical impossibility (which every one
there seemed to know about). No wonder there was that “negative” response. I told the
people that if what I said was of God, then they would see and hear what the Lord could
do - and the lady would sing to the glory of God.

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In the very next meeting (the next day), I saw the “song bird” lady rise to her feet and
walk to the front of the meeting. She selected a microphone that was one of six lying on
the platform, then turned and stood facing the congregation. The place went absolutely
silent. She stood there for a few minutes, then raised the microphone to her mouth - and
began to SING! What a victory! How the people rejoiced! Medically it was impossible.
But God had spoken to me otherwise and, in my ignorance of what had happened
physically to her voice, I had spoken out the word of the Lord to her. Because the spirit
realm is more powerful than the physical realm, faith, hope and God’s will were released
into that lady and she rose up to conquer the impossibility.

Can you imagine how I felt? It was such a grand, joyous occasion for me to see the power
of God confirmed before those people, to see the power of God is greater than the
knowledge of men. That miracle also enabled me to leave that place “honoured” instead
of being labelled a “false prophet.” To God be all the praise!

Fourteen months after that event, I was reading an American story received via e-mail. In
it mention was made of a “song bird.” Quickly I was reminded of the miracle of healing
of that lady in Columbus and how God used me to tell her she was “a song bird to sing
the song of the Lord.” I wondered about that word “song bird.” Does it have more
relevance than what I had originally thought? Do the people of America understand that
terminology more than we here in New Zealand? So I got my dictionary out to see if it is
mentioned there. Sure enough it is, and refers especially to its vocal organs. “Song bird”
includes the larks, finches, crows, thrushes, starlings, etc., “having highly developed
vocal organs and, in most, a musical call” (Collins). The Holy Spirit knows the exact word
and terminology required when we are ministering to others through the gifts of the Holy
Spirit.

That miracle of healing has been a tremendous encouragement to me. We can (and do)
minister life and healing to others. And when we will listen to - and recognize - the Holy
Spirit’s voice in this ministry, He has exactly and specifically the right word for the right
person in the right place at the right time. Something good and for God’s glory has to
happen when all those things line up together! Only the Holy Spirit can arrange that. But
we must be willing to co-operate with Him! I have had the privilege of ministering
prophetically to other “song birds” since then. It is so wonderful to see them released to
function very quickly to the glory of God.

In Conclusion:

I have endeavoured to honestly share the Scriptures with you in this book. It has been the
most difficult of all my books to write, and to get completed. It seemed that there was
“opposition” all the way - that the enemy did not want this message published. But we
have prevailed!

May this book help to build your faith to see and experience more of the power of Divine
Healing in your life. Faith can only come from “hearing and hearing by the Word of

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God” (Romans 10:17). Therefore, as we take heed to what God has said about this
subject, let us believe Him. Let us “hear” His heart on this matter and see His desire
to touch and make the peoples of this world completely whole.

I know some will have questions with regards to those godly people who have not been
healed. There are many “whys” out there. It has not been my intention to place any “guilt
trips” on anyone who has not as yet been healed.

The reasons are not all to do with any lack of faith on the part of those who are sick
(although lack of faith is one big reason many are not healed).

The Christian Church, in general, has to realize that it has lost much truth in the area of
Divine Healing. The devil has robbed us! Logic, doubts, unbelief and hardness of heart
have all worked to strip Her of Her power. The Church has been reduced to a state of
weakness. The “dunamis” has to be recaptured!

There has to be a greater restoration and release of the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 12) and of the Five-fold Ministries as recorded in Ephesians 4. They carry the
healing power of God, and God will not bypass or substitute His Gifts and Ministries just
because the Christian Church has neglected them.

Some people, like Epaphroditus, get sick because of over-work, of taking on too much
responsibility, and not living healthy, balanced lifestyles.

Other people pick up sicknesses and disease as a result of poor quality food, or from food
that has been prepared in unhygienic utensils or surroundings.

Some pick up tropical diseases as a result of travelling in foreign lands, or from drinking
contaminated water. Some pick up viruses, of which there are many.

Yet other people, according to Jesus, suffer illnesses because there is a time for the glory
of God to be revealed (John 9).

And, yes, others are sick because of sin and disobedience to what God has asked of them.

We could go on . . . the results of cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, substance
abuse, medical prescription abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, sexual
immorality and abuse, spiritual abuse, demonic abuse . . . so many things are rampant
today in our societies that have the end result of destroying a good quality of life rather
than helping it.

Let me finish by saying to any who are struggling with sickness, disease or disabilities of
any kind. God is totally for you. His love for you is no less because of what condition
you are in. It is His desire to do you good, to reveal Himself to you, to cause you to
know more of the power of His love for you. I believe He wants to see you living life
to the full, and to the glory of His name. Please do not become angry or bitter

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toward God for any condition you carry in your life. It is not His fault. He wants to
help you, to heal you, to make you well and whole. That’s why Jesus came to this
world in the first place. We so need Him! Only He can bring the changes, touch our
problems, save our souls and heal our bodies. Reach out to Him right now . . . He’s
waiting to hear from you.

If you’re sick and hurting, please open your heart and pray this prayer with me, then
seriously consider calling for the elders of your church (if you have a “church home”):

“Dear Father in Heaven, I come to You in the name of Your only Son, Jesus. I ask You to
touch my heart and my life in a special way. Please forgive me for any anger, resentment
or bitterness I’ve held toward You. I’m sorry, Lord Jesus. I now know I need Your help,
love, grace and healing in my life. Heal me in Jesus’ name! Touch me now, I pray. Help
me to know more of Your love. Help me to yield my whole life to You, so I will know Your
love, peace, presence and power in my life. I love You and want to know You more.

In Jesus’ name I speak healing and wholeness into my whole body, soul and spirit. My
life is God’s property and I declare victory over every part of it! In Jesus’ name I pray
these things, Amen.”

If you didn’t need to pray that prayer, then why not take a few moments to give praise
and thanks to God for all that He is, and for all He has provided for you in Jesus Christ?
I’m sure you won’t regret doing that.
God bless you.
It has been a real privilege to spend this time with you.

Other books, booklets and manuals by Rodney W. Francis:

 You Can Measure Your Love For God (English & Italian)
 The Prophetic In The Exodus
 School Of The Holy Spirit (English & Italian)
 God’s Call Can Be Fulfilled!
 Unbelief – The Power That Needs To Be Broken
 An Encounter With God (English & Telugu)
 Counselling And Deliverance
 Do You Know And Understand The Prophetic Foundation Of Your Life And Your Church?
 The Power Of The Prophetic
 Flowing In The Holy Spirit
 The Book Of James
 Are You Called To The Ministry?
 Blessed Are . . .
 The Evil Powers Of Canaan
 Discovering The God-Factor
 Spiritual Warfare
 Those Two Trees!
 How To Handle Criticism
 Kingdom Living (Matthew chapters 5 to 7)
 Bible Basics

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“The Gospel Faith Messenger” Ministry also is involved with Prophetic Conferences,
International Training Schools, Schools Of The Holy Spirit, Releasing Spiritual Gifts,
Preaching, Prophetic Teams, three Bible Correspondence Courses, Magazine, Gospel
Tracts, Audios & Videos, Internet and E-Mail Ministries (monthly “Prayer Support
Letter,” “Barnabas Bulletin” and “Faith Messages”).

If you would like to contact us further, or to be placed on our E-Mailing and Postal
Mailing lists, please send your name, address and E-Mail address (clearly written)
(Please state whether or not you wish to receive by Plain Text) to:

“The Gospel Faith Messenger” Ministry

P.O. Box 57
Paraparaumu 5254
New Zealand.

Telephone: (00 64) 4 904 0727

E-mails: gfm@gospel.org.nz
Visit our Website: www.gospel.org.nz

(Back Cover – with photo)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rodney W. Francis was converted in 1959 at 17 years of age into an Independent

Pentecostal Church (“The Open Door Mission” in Palmerston North, New Zealand). He is the
Founder/Director of “The Gospel Faith Messenger,” a literature teaching Ministry that
commenced in April, 1964, and has been developed to bring individuals to personal faith
in Jesus Christ, instruct them in the foundations of the Christian faith, and to equip them
to repeat the process. The Ministry has grown to impact many lives in more than 70
nations.

In 1995 Rodney believed God spoke to him to further expand “The GFM” Ministry to
incorporate the Prophetic Ministry. The Prophetic Ministry is built around the
recognizing of the voice of God to us (in its many variations) in such a way that we will
be willing to step out in obedience to that voice and word. This principle has released
Rodney into a worldwide preaching, teaching, releasing the Spiritual Gifts, and
impartation of the Holy Spirit ministry in such a way that scores of people have been
given confidence to function in them as well. God loves to fulfil His promise to those
who believe what He tells us.

Since the year 2000, after many years of involvement in pastoring, and local and national
church leadership positions, Rodney and Jean obeyed the voice of God to live totally by
faith. From the day of their obedience they have been launched into a multiple ministry
that sees them travel the world sharing the word of the Lord. As often as possible he leads
Prophetic Teams to other places to bless and release God’s people into their prophetic
destiny. That destiny includes the ministry of Divine Healing.

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