My Bride and I had a very interesting week a few years ago.

My Bride niece and her husband came to visit and he came down sick.

You may have remember him.   

He is a Vietnam veteran and has Agent Orange results, cancer in the neck and his bad hands cause him major problems.   He takes a large amount of morphine for the pain.  Right then he has pneumonia in the lungs and strep in the ICU unit.

He was put into hospital, in the ICU area.  Release about 5 days later.  He died a couple of years later.

We look at our own sickness and illness even among our group. What does this mean.

The Lord Jesus is known as the healer in the Old and New Testament, the Scriptures.

First account in all history of direct divine healing

Exodus 15:26 He said, “If you will carefully obey the LORD your God, do what is right in his eyes, listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I won’t inflict on you all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, because I am the LORD your healer.“

Jesus tells us one of His name is Healer

Psalms 103:2-3 Bless the LORD, My soul, and never forget any of his benefits: (3) He continues to forgive all your sins, he continues to heal all your diseases,

• What would you have to do if we lived during the times of Moses.
• In the Old Testament, individual who are sick were to go see the Priests.
• Priests were the health examiners for the nation.
• The Priests will examine the person.

A swelling, a scab, or a bright spot would often be a minor ailment that healed within a few days and caused no further concern. If a condition persisted, and became like a leprous sore, it required further attention.

Any given sore might or might not be leprous; that was for the priest to determine by examination.

When we have something like this, we go to the doctor, the Israelites went to Priest.

Leviticus 14:2-4 “This is the law concerning those who have infectious skin diseases, after they have been cleansed.  (3)  “The priest is to go outside the camp and examine the infectious skin disease to confirm that the person has been healed.   {go outside the camp}

(4)  If he has been healed, then the priest is to command that two live and clean birds, some cedar wood, some crimson thread, and hyssop be brought for the one cleansed. 

• There are physical laws that regulate our physical health.
• If we break one of these laws, or if they are broken, it is transgression of law, and it exacts a penalty.
• It might be an accident, or something we did not do to ourselves. Like the virus today

• We might not have been guilty of any wrong and yet nature and or man’s law may have been violated.
• As we grow older, we have more problems with our bodies.

• Most sickness and disease today is the result of faulty diet, accidents, wrong eating, disease cause by man, our bodies are breaking down and the way we live our lives.
• The penalty of transgressing the physical laws that regulate the human body is pain, suffering, sometimes it turns out to be physical death.
• Example: fall off a ladder, car wreck, twisted wrong with the back, genes from the family, diabetic, etc.

Jesus forgives physical sins and He heals all that were sick.

Matthew 8:16-17 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND BORE OUR SICKNESSES.”

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  (5)  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

What are we to do today, as a Christian or Believer,

We know that Jesus is our High Priest (we go to him in prayer) and Jesus became our sacrifice.

Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us live our lives consistent with our confession of faith.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you might not sin. Yet if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus, the Messiah, one who is righteous.  (2)  It is he who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world’s.

Jesus healed the lepers and told them to give the proper sacrifice for their sickness.  He sent them to the priests on the ground that Moses had commanded this in such cases.  

Matthew 8:2-4 Suddenly a leper came up to him, fell down before him, and said, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”  (3)  So Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean!” And instantly his leprosy was made clean.  (4)  Then Jesus told him, “See to it that you don’t speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”

Jesus tells those who have leprosy to go show yourself the priest.   Notice, healing the blind and other sickness, Jesus does not say that.

We learn at each Passover why Jesus was beaten, because by the bruises and wounds he received, we are healed. 

1 Peter 2:22-24 “He never sinned, and he never told a lie.”  (23)  When he was insulted, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he did not threaten. It was his habit to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly.  (24)  “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live righteously. “By his wounds you have been healed.“

John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

Matthew 27:31 When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.  

Yes, Jesus suffered this physical pain, actually breaking open His body in great welts, to suffer for our physicals and spiritual sin.

Paul tells us

Ephesians 5:17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Only way for sure we are going to know what Jesus will is by studying His Word.

We know Jesus gave the disciples, 70 disciples, Apostles, Peter shadow,  to heal the sick, Healing by Prayer, Philip, {Luke 9:1-2; 10:1,9; Acts 3:11; Acts 5:15; Acts 5:16; James 5:16; Acts 8:5-7; to be able to heal others.

Faith is very important in healing.  What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.

Think about this, what is faith?  Read Heb 11:1 again.

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.“

Mark 10:51-52 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”  (52)  Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

Notice, Faith has made you well, healed the blind man.

Luke 17:19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Our personal trust and confidence in Jesus, springing from faith in God

Matthew 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

People knew Jesus could heal them by seeing Jesus healing others and this builds up their personal faith.

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Wonder how many individuals were raised from the dead by the disciples.

Probably not many, look at Lazarus,

Luke 9:2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Acts 5:14-16 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, (15) so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. (16) Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

It seems to me that there were more sick then than now, but again, look at all the hospital with the sick.

What are the Lord Jesus instruction for us today? 

When we are sick today, we are to call the elders

James 5:13-16 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.    {we are to pray}

James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 

Call the elders in your church, Prayer of faith, laying on hands – anointing with oil

James 5:15  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Today, it is the prayer of faith, notice, if he has, does not mean he has committed sin to be sick.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  {may be healed}

• Basically saying, Jesus says to call the elders, and let them pray for you, anointing with oil (the type and symbol of the Holy Spirit).
• We are told to pray for each other.
• Then God promise He will HEAL YOU !
• The elder cannot heal you, it is your faith in our High Priest for healing.
• No minister today, can heal you, that is, directly.
• Paul asked 3 times for healing, we are not restricted to one time only asking for healing and anointing

Also noted, v. 16, may be healed, v. 15, Jesus will raise us up if the future.

But God promise that when you call for His ministers, and they pray the prayer of faith (not doubt), and anoint with oil, then God will heal you!

When, we do not know.  But, we have the promise.  It is all about faith in the Lord Jesus and not any elder.  The elder is only an instrument that Jesus used.  Paul tells us faith is:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.

• And He has given His ministers authority to use the POWER contained in the NAME of Jesus  Christ, 
• and in and thru that name, to heal,
• do remember it is always God who actually does the healing, not the elder.
• Remember, we cannot dictate to Jesus when to heal us.
• We need to leave that to him because He promises to heal us and
• we expect and will receive an answer.
• The how and when is up to Jesus, in His way and time.

Notice, being sick does not mean a person committed a spiritual sin but probably some physical sin or physical accident.

Remember the minister who took too many pain killers and gave him a heart attack.  Would call this a physical sin or a physical accident

Anointed cloths:  Paul’s demand on his time became so great, many at a distance, so to honor the requests, Paul anointed and prayed over pieces of handkerchiefs for those requesting prayer for healing, sent to them, and they were healed, by their faith.

Acts 19:11-12 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,  (12)  so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

• We know God has healed individual in ways that defy medical knowledge.
• We are told we are to pray for healing, either for ourselves or others.
• Praying for others, builds our faith up and takes our mind off of ourselves.
• The Bible tells us to pray for whatever we need, and that surely includes freedom from pain.
• We know that healing does not always occur, but we know if we are not healed during in this life, there is something greater awaiting us afterward.

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, LORD, and I’ll be healed; deliver me, and I’ll be delivered, because you are my praise.

Jeremiah 30:17 Indeed, I’ll bring you healing, and I’ll heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast and have said, “It is Zion, no one cares for her!”‘”

The Apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” of some kind of physical problem.  Paul is a man of faith, yet he was not healed of it.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me,  (9)  but he has told me, “My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah’s power may rest on me.  (10)  That is why I take such pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for the Messiah’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Paul thorn in the flesh, what was it.

We know as a fact, every person who has ever been healed has physically died.

• Jesus friend, Lazarus, was raised from the dead, but died again.
• Jesus makes no promise that our present bodies, whatever our condition, will stay healthy or last forever.
• In fact, Jesus gives us a promise that something much more glorious:
• a new body, like our present ones but also different, a spiritual body made for eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:16 That’s why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day.

Oh, so true, our bodies are wearing out and dying, I know I can feel it, but we are being made spiritually stronger each day.   

2 Corinthians 5:1-4 We know that if the earthly tent we live in is torn down, we have a building in heaven that comes from God, an eternal house not built by human hands.  (2)  For in this one we sigh, since we long to put on our heavenly dwelling.  (3)  Of course, if we do put it on, we will not be found without a body.  (4)  So while we are still in this tent, we sigh under our burdens, because we do not want to put it off but to put it on, so that our dying bodies may be swallowed up by life.

We know we have a better place in the future, but we really may not be ready to be change, only Jesus know when it is time for each of us.

The best thing to remember, leave it to Jesus, how and when we will be healed, but we know it is a promise, Jesus will not break it.

Paul is going to tell us a secret, most exciting secret

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 Let me tell you a secret. Not all of us will die, but all of us will be changed (52)  in a moment, faster than an eye can blink, at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will be raised never to decay, and we will be changed.  (53)  For what is decaying must be clothed with what cannot decay, and what is dying must be clothed with what cannot die. 

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 Now, when what is decaying is clothed with what cannot decay, and what is dying is clothed with what cannot die, then the written word will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up by victory!”  (55)  “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  (56)  Now death’s stinger is sin, and sin’s power is the Law.  (57)  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus the Messiah!

We are waiting for our change, to replace our tent, what an unbelievable miracle, we have to look forward too; to be a Spirit Being under our Lord Jesus, Creator and High Priest and King.