|
Chapter 6 “Whatever It Takes”
You Want Me to do WHAT???
I Cor. 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power God… 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men…. 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”
Preconceived Ideas of Healing
II Kings 5:1-14 “ 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan , according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
Naaman became angry when Elisha gave him the word through a messenger – not the way he envisioned it!
Unconventional Modalities of Healing
Exodus 15:22-27 “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.”
The bitter waters made sweet by Moses casting a tree into the water. Some theologians will remark that the tree is the cross of Jesus.
Interesting that the Lord responded to their murmuring and complaining at the place of “Bitterness” and followed with the promise of healing. From there the Israelites went to Elim and there was an abundance of fresh water.
I Kings 2:19-22 “And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.”
Elisha healed “bad, spoiled” water by throwing salt into it. The land also was barren – to miscarry, suffer abortion.
II Kings 20:1-11 Hezekiah and the figs
God answered his prayer and gave him an additional 15 years and he still wanted proof that the Lord was going to heal him. That tells me the healing did not immediately manifest.
II Kings 20:1-3 “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.”
In this account it was the Lord who said that Hezekiah would die. Even the Lord changed his mind.
Matthew 20:29-34 Luke 18:35-43 Mark 10:46-52
Blind Bartimaeus – pressed in – shouted all the louder! “Son of David, Have mercy on me!”
What is it YOU want???
John 9 Mud pies in the eyes! Are you willing to get dirt in
your eyes???
The man born blind – excommunicated as a result of his testimony of his healing! Healing manifested when he obeyed and washed.
The Sin & Sick Question –
Is There a Connection between Sickness and Sin?
In this case – no. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water! It was the mindset of the day that sickness and sin were entwined. Why is that?
Mark 2:3-12 Man brought by friend through the roof. Jesus' first words to him were, your sins are forgiven.
John 5:5-14 Man healed after 38 years and was told to sin no more, unless a worse thing come unto him! (7 times worse???)
The First Sin Brought Death to the Spirit and to the Body.
Genesis 3:19 “ In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Isaiah 33:22-24 “ For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.”
“In time of trouble”
Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28
Trouble: 6862 narrow, a tight place; an opponent (as crowding);- adversary, afflicted, anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble
Psalm 41 Healing Psalm
Considereth : 7919 sakal; to be circumspect (Attentive to all the circumstances of a case or the probable consequences of an action); hence intelligent; paraphrase: “intelligent knowledge of the reason”
Poor : Heb. sick or weak
In time of trouble : Heb. In the day of evil
Languishing : 1741 Sickness, loathing
Sickness : 2483; malady, anxiety, malady
Psalm 41:4 “I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”
In the case of sin bringing sickness, healing first takes place in the soul then it manifests in the body.
I Corinthians 11:28-31
Weak, sick and premature death for taking communion not discerning the Lord's body!
James 5:14-16 “ 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins , they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous wo- man availeth much.”
For further consideration
- Are you willing to examine (test, approve) yourself?
- Are you willing to confess your faults to one another? It is two-sided…
- Are you willing to do whatever it takes to beat the devil?
|
