Pastor Steve’s Corner, February 2024

    HEALING

I have anointed with oil and prayed for the healing of people with various physical needs. Many indeed did recover and were healed. But many others were not healed. Why are some healed and others not?

New Testament writers record at least 45 instances of healing by Jesus. He confronted and healed all kinds of maladies from fever, leprosy, blindness, anxiety, deafness, bleeding and more. Did he heal everyone he encountered? Probably not. It does allude to the fact that many more than 45 specific people were healed during his ministry. He probably healed thousands.

Scripture tells us to pray for healing. We are to help others heal. You have a biblical right to ask for healing. Praying for healing is an obedient response to our scriptural guidance.

Some people have the wrong ideas of why people aren’t healed. There is the idea of a person’s lack of faith keeping them from healing. Sometimes healing is simply not the will of God. Sometime God will use a hurting person to communicate to others who are hurting. Another idea is that people will suffer because of sin in their lives. Christians get sick with the same maladies in approximate proportion to non – Christians. In John 9: 1-12 Jesus told his disciples that man’s blindness wasn’t do due to sin. Rather his handicap would display the work of God in his life. Remember also that God assured Job, that despite his persistent illness, he was in spiritual standing with him.

There are no surefire steps to healing but do what scriptures tell you to do. Petition God through prayer. Ask for anointing. Enlist family, friends and your church to pray for you. Stay hopeful and positive. As much as you can, do things that bring you satisfaction, peace and joy. Stay strong spiritually. Your body may fail but your spirit can persevere! 2 Corinthians 5:2 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven not built by human hands.

Here is an article as in Dear Abby many years ago. It was written by a pastor in Port Orchard Washington. I found it very provoking.

Dear church member : Don’t wait until the hearse hauls you to church. If you do:

You will go, regardless of the weather.

You will go regardless of the condition of your body.

There will be beautiful flowers there, but you won’t enjoy them.

You will go, regardless of how your family feels.

The minister may say many good things, but they will do you no good.

There will be beautiful music, but you won’t hear it.

There will be heartfelt prayers, but they will not touch your heart.

There will be friends and relatives there, but you won’t worship with them.

You will go, no matter how much you are needed at home or at work.

You will receive no blessing from the service.

You won’t feel concerned about you clothes.

You will never have to decide about attending church again.

Aren’t you glad to be alive, well and full of zest and able to choose to go to church?

Walter Nuessle, Port Orchard, Washington

Pastor Steve