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Many people have wondered why divine healing is not so common and powerful now, as seen in the Bible. Healing
power is still available, the Healer has not changed (Heb 13:8 -"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever").
Then why is there no healing today as we see it in the Bible?
It is happening, but people are not aware of it. How many of God’s people have made a
genuine attempt to sit under a ministry of healing and to investigate occurrences of healing? Jesus said, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall He do also and greater works than these
shall he do, because I go unto my Father". If Jesus said that believers would do the same acts of healing which
He did and greater ones, it must be true. Miraculous healings are taking place, some are known, many are not
known. The works of the devil are usually freely magnified and reported, while the works of God are hardly ever
reported. The good is often buried while evil is gloated over. Please read the
Testimonies section for more on this.
Lack of Unity
There is a severe lack of unity in the Church today. This lack of unity is causing dysfunctioning in the
body, curtailing the healing power of Christ. Eph 2:22 says, "In Him ye also are builded together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit". We are built together, and are meant to be strong together. Power within the Church usually
flows in greater measure if there is more bonding. The life of God flows from one member to another, for we are
members one of another. It is the lack of unity among believers, lack of compacting in the Body of Christ and loose
joinings, that is hindering God's power from working. But glory be to God, for this will change, and is changing.
Jesus' prayer - "neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that
they all may be one even as Thou Father art in me and I in Thee that they may also be one in us; that the world
may believe that Thou Lord hast sent Me" (John 17: 20, 21) will be answered. The true world-wide Church of the
Lord Jesus Christ is unifying and this alone is causing many to believe in the Resurrected Saviour.
Unbelief
This is a major limiting factor that curbs divine healing. Mathew 17: 19, 20 -Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said,
Why could not we cast him out ? And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith
as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain,
'Remove hence to yonder place'; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Here we see Jesus pointing
out the disciples' unbelief as the primary reason for their inability to heal the lunatic boy.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “… without faith it is impossible to please him….” .Faith is a fight and as the battle of faith
rages on, many Christians have tended to have more faith in sickness than in healing.
Dependence on human effort
Jeremiah 17:5 says, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh
his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." Today we have more faith in the arm of flesh than in the
Omnipotent God. This distinction toward God is a curse that nullifies divine healing in many cases. If we have
trusted more in men than in God, let us repent today. Then, the curse will be lifted and God's healing power will flow.
Great healings can bring unrest and persecution
This happened to Jesus also. In Luke 8:37, we see how Jesus
was asked to leave when He healed the mad man of Gadarea. John 5:16 - "And therefore did the Jews persecute
Jesus and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things (healing the cripple at Bethesda) on the Sabbath
day." The religious leaders of Jesus' days sought to kill Him because of His healing acts. The same is true today for
Jesus said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you" - (John 15:18). Many great healings
do not happen (or are subdued) because of the invariable unrest and persecution which will be stirred up in their wake.
Miracles won't take place in areas where they won't have any effect
Mathew 11:20 - "Then He began to upbraid
the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done because they repented not: Woe unto Thee, Chorazin!
Woe unto thee Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Siddon,
they would have repented long ago in sack cloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for
Tyre and Siddon at the day of judgement than for you." Inspite of many works by Jesus we find the people of
Judea unrepentant.
Similarly, in the study of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man pleads from hell for a man risen from the dead
to be sent to preach to his five brothers on earth. But Luke 16: 31 says, " If they hear not Moses and the prophets
neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” Great miracles are rendered useless and
unnecessary, in places of pride that lack repentance.
Ignored Warnings
Miraculous healing acts may not take place as a result of ignored warnings. God says, "When I cried, you did not
hear Me, therefore when you cry, I will not hear" ( Zech 7:13). Ignoring God's warnings is dangerous, for it will shut out
God's favor and deliverance in times of need.
Divine Order
In the Church, the Kingdom of God has to be preached before healing. This is the divine order. This is clearly
stated in Mathew 10: 6 - 8, "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have
received, freely give.
In the Church, among believers, preaching has to precede healing, but the order is reversed outside the Church. There, it is healing first
and then
the preaching of the Kingdom of God. Luke 10:9 asserts, "And heal the sick that are therein and say unto him, the Kingdom of God is
come nigh
unto you". God's power works only within His pattern.
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Antioch House Email : wecare@antiochhouse.org
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