His love and care is also available to us in the form of healing, so let us lift each other up and stand on His Word in this area also, let us remember that He is for us and not against us and that all things are possible with Him.
He is the One who lifts us up when we need emotional or physical healing, our Great Physician.
He is first revealed to us in Exodus 15.26 and comes with a conditional promise.
“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
He is Yehovah Rapha, also pronounced Rophe or Ropheka.
He restores, heals, makes healthful, cures and repairs, sickness does not come from Him, but healing flows from Him. (Matthew 9.20-22)
Who has believed our message?
To whom has Yehovah’s (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) power been revealed?
He was an Ish Makoboth (Man of Sorrows), familiar with suffering.
He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces,
and we didn’t consider him to be worth anything.
4 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering
and carried our sorrows,
but we thought that Elohim (The Living Word the Many Powered) had wounded him, beaten him, and punished him.
5 He was wounded for our rebellious acts.
He was crushed for our sins.
He was punished so that we could have peace,
and we received healing from his wounds.
The cross is powerful enough to heal all your diseases.
He chooses to heal us.
By His wounds, He has borne, lifted off and carried away our sorrows.
Our sickness and pain are carried away, because He has borne them for us.
We no longer have to live in sickness, pain, sorrow and disease, because Jesus has borne it.
Healing is Part of Our Inheritance
As believers in Jesus and children of God, healing is part of our inheritance, purchased for us by Jesus on the cross.
Healing cannot be earned, our right to healing comes through the blood of Jesus.
Healing is a legal right for His children, because we have accepted His authority, power and government in our lives, when we accepted Him.
The government is on His shoulders and as part of this He governs health and sickness.
The cross has sealed and released the government of God in the earth.
The cross of Christ and the empty tomb makes sickness an illegal affliction in the body of a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
1 Peter 2.24 says that “We were healed.”
Healing has always been God’s choice for us.
It should be “on earth as it is in heaven,” there is no sickness in heaven.
As believers we bring God’s kingdom on earth, through and in our lives.
As we have assurance in our confession of faith, His word is life and produces life in us and through us.
As we spend time with Him in the secret place, in His promises, in His presence, worshipping Him, we can expect help from Him as we fix our eyes on Him in fellowship.
Faith comes by hearing the word of God.
Healing is not a negotiable issue, it’s an eternal finished work, it’s settled.
Forever your word is settled in heaven.
He has already healed us but, our faith needs to mature.
In Matthew 15.21-28 Jesus is approached by a gentile woman from Tyre and Sidon, asking Him to heal her daughter who was possessed by a demon.
Jesus tells her, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
But seeing her persistence, He answers her, “Oh woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”
And we see that her daughter was healed.
We may say to ourselves, “But we are gentiles,” but since the cross, God’s offer of healing and salvation is for all the families of the peoples of the earth, His gates are open wide.
The children’s bread becomes our portion as we receive His salvation through faith.
We are redeemed from the curse of sin and receive healing and deliverance.
Healing Present or Future
We may receive healing now, or in the life to come our new and perfect resurrection bodies.
One day we will have new, perfect and whole bodies, without disease or sickness.
Physical healing will not be needed in heaven because there is no sickness there.
We once had a friend, who was a preacher, our friend and pastor from the Isle of Wight.
He was such a gentle and humble man, he was blind in one eye and had a glass eye in its place.
Towards the end of his life, he had a bad knee also, and felt that God had promised to give him a new eye and a new knee.
He eventually passed away, he may not have received his new body on earth, but he will surely receive one in heaven.
God is the healer of everything and makes everything new.
Psalm 107.20 says that He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions and snatched them from the doors of death when they cried out to Him.
Our spirit is housed in our physical body and when we die our spirit will go to whichever father we have chosen to belong to.
Which father do we belong to?
Our Heavenly Father, or the Father of Lies?
Whose Report are we Going to Believe?
Are we going to believe the Word of God, or the world, or the Devil’s?
We must believe God and His word and stand in faith and not doubt and to speak faith over the situation of ourself and our family and friends.
We need to make a stand regardless of circumstances and bad reports.
Fear must go as faith arises in us, and doubt must be dismissed.
Don’t accept the lies of the devil.
I remember when I first became a Christian, it was like being on a roller coaster of highs and lows, and batting away doubts, fears and lies about God’s work in us.
Children of God
This may be difficult to believe, but when we were in Pattaya, an Australian lady at the church told us that she had gone to the doctor and been told that she had cancer.
She told us that she outright refused to believe the report of the doctor and when her husband asked her what he had said, she told him that it was lies.
She believed that as a child of God she was not going to believe a lie from the enemy which told her that she might die.
She stood on her identity as a child of God and literally saw the spirit behind the cancer leave, trembling, as she denied it’s power over her.
She told us that the spirit reacted in disarray because it was so used to being feared and that no-one ever had stood against it.
She received her healing.
Don’t forget that our Father is a Gardener, He helps us uproot everything in our lives that spoils His shaping of you into His image.
Don’t accept weeds in your life, take authority over them and uproot them!
When the doctor said that our nephew in law had cancer, we made a decision to pray, every day until he was healed.
Our family shared scriptures and stood in the gap for him.
He is an unbeliever and he had been married to my niece just 3 months, there was no way we were going to let him go without a fight and so we dug in for a long-haul fight of prayer which lasted a year until he was healed.
The choice to believe or not is his choice, and he certainly got hospital treatment, but we were definitely fighting on his side.
Dose God Still Heal Now?
Some people say that now we trust in doctors to heal and that they have the “gift of healing.”
Modern medicine does have its part to play, but are we really to believe that unbelieving doctors (though some do believe) have replaced faith in God’s healing?!
Is He not still the same yesterday, today and forever?! (Hebrews 13.8)
Or has His will and power somehow changed?!
Does He not say, “I am the Lord, I change not!” (Malachi 3.6)
Psalm 119.89 says that, “His word is settled in heaven.”
God’s medicine comes from obedience to Him.
He is able and willing to make us whole in our mind, will body and emotions, if we are willing to believe and let Him into our lives.
Will He Find Faith On Earth?
Jesus healed all those that were sick and delivered all who came to Him.
God doesn’t want us to be sick, He wants us to be well.
In Matthew 8.1-4 when Jesus cleanses the leper, he says to Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
And Jesus reply to him was, “I am willing, be clean.”
The only place where He could not heal many, was in His own hometown of Nazareth, because they did not believe in Him.
They could not believe that this boy, this whippersnapper, now a man, from their hometown, could be what He was claiming to be, the Messiah and so they could or would not receive anything from Him!
When Jesus healed the Roman centurion’s servant in Luke 7.2-10, when the centurion responded, “Say the word and he will be healed,”
Jesus said, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”
This begs us to ask ourselves the question, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on earth?”
Will He find the faith in us, which knocks and keeps on knocking and receives something from God?
Where do we stand on this?
And I have to ask myself the same question, where does my own faith lie?
Am I standing on the solid rock of His Word, on His firm foundation?
Or am I in sinking sand in this area, in a mire of unbelief?
Am I happy to call Him Redeemer, Lord and Shepherd, but do I have confidence in Him as my Healer?
It is not a lack of willingness on His part, but our faith.
Our faith does not control God’s response, but we are invited to partner with Him in bringing our prayers in faith to Him and laying them on the altar.
These Signs Will Follow Those Who Believe
And can we not only believe Him for own healing, but also for others?
Sometimes, it is easier to believe for healing for others, than for ourselves.
I have struggled with this personally, seeing myself as unworthy, or my issues as too small to bother God with.
Just like anyone, when I am sick, I am miserable, but should I not stir my faith then all the more to believe?
How do we appropriate God’s promise of healing?
By faith!
I must call out to Him, “Oh God, increase my faith!”
Healed from Post Covid Chest Pain
After the COVID travel restrictions were lifted, we went to England for my niece’s wedding.
When we got back to Thailand we went back to church, as usual.
Of course, we greeted everyone warmly, with hugs, having just come back after about 6 weeks away.
Bingo! The very next day we were told that someone at the church had just found out they got Covid!
Such an easy thing to happen at that time.
This time it was me (Rebecca) who got Covid, more severely than before, but not life-threatening.
I recovered, but long Covid persisted in my lungs for quite a few months afterwards, giving me a tightness in my chest and pains which worried me.
I started praying to God to heal me and seeking to build-up my faith in the area of healing, an area where I have never felt particularly strong.
On Wednesday, I prayed, placing my hand on my chest and prayed for God to heal me.
After 2 days, on Friday, I noticed the pain had gone away and had not returned.
On Saturday, we went to Baan Reum Jai church, where I shared that since Wednesday the chest pain had disappeared.
It has not returned to this day, so I thank God for healing me.
In Mark 16.15-18 Jesus says, “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 pick up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them;
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Does this still apply to us, or no longer?
Are we still followers of Jesus?
Are we still “those who believe?”
“Go into all the world preach the gospel,” No problem!
“Believe and be baptized,” okay, let’s go!
“Cast out demons,” how do we stand here?
The name of Jesus still carries power to do that, if we believe in and carry His authority.
“Speak in new tongues,” yes, but controversial for some.
“Pick up serpents,” well, Paul did it, but I’m not sure about me, I wouldn’t go looking for them!
“If they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them,” again, not been tested.
“Lay hands on the sick and they will recover.”
What do we say then?
“Well now, go to the doctor”
Or do we believe that if we lay hands on the sick they will recover, because God is our healer?
He is Yehovah who heals.
He is The Great Physician (Jesus) – (Mark 2.17)
He has purchased complete healing for us.
Do we really believe that “Nothing is too difficult for thee.”
Nothing is impossible for God!
He hasn’t finished with healing, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!
He is still the Lord, who does not change!
Now some of us have become wary of the use of some of the spiritual gifts, because of misuse.
But fake preachers and sensationalism should not put us off following God’s word and instructions in obedience to Him, for His glory, not for ours.
He is the Healer of the Nations
He is a healer and physician of men, of hurts of nations restoring favour when we turn to Him, of national defects & hurts and oh, how much we need that!
Revelation 22.2 says that the “the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations.”
One day all strife will cease, be put an end to by God’s Kingdom coming and reigning on earth.
In the turmoil that we see in nations all around us at any time, how much do we need this healing?!
In the conflicts and hurts that we see inflicted on each other, how much we need peace and healing, a decision to live together in peace.
We all hope for peace and that others also want it, but oh, it is so hard to do!
Let’s be careful that all the strife we see and sometimes experience does not make us bitter and cynical!
God calls us to repentance.
In 2 Chronicles 7.14, God says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
There is something we can do, we can humble ourselves and pray and turn from our wicked ways.
Turn from evil and seek the Lord, the He can do His part.
He Heals Barrenness and Bitterness
In Genesis 20.17 Abimilech’s wife is healed of barrenness.
In 2 Kings 2.19-21 Elisha heals the water of death and barrenness.
He brings the barren land into fruitfulness and the bitter water into sweet.
He answers their prayer to “hear our prayer and heal our land.”
He makes the barren fruitful.
3 Victories in Numbers 33
In Numbers 33.8 the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are delivered from slavery in Egypt.
Out of slavery to Satan and into God’s care and freedom.
In Numbers 33.9 The Israelites were delivered from doubt, bitterness and complaining at Marah (Bitterness).
At Elim, where there were 12 springs of water, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, providing abundant water and seventy palm trees, providing shade, they were brought into abundance, rejoicing in His presence, rejoicing and resting in His promises.
God gives us abundantly more than we can ask or think, sitting in His shade.
How many years have we spent in the desert?
Are we sure of God’s salvation?
That God is good and that He will provide?
Let us not live by our feelings, but walk by faith.
Bitterness comes out in dry times, in times of abundance praise comes out.
Cry out to the Lord in times of pain, He is there to help and give us a solution.
Give your cares to the Lord.
Sometimes healing takes time, especially emotional healing, but it will happen in time.
Sometimes we need to stay and rest at Elim, before moving on in our journey to the Promised Land, but it does not mean that we need to camp there permanently.
God knows where we need help and He wants us to improve and move on.
We need to bring our bitterness to the cross and lay it down, to be made sweet.
Don’t stay comfortable, don’t camp at Elim, but take the rest God offers to the world.
Don’t retreat from the world, but go to it, God’s blessing and rest is available to all.
In Matthew 20.22 Jesus says to His disciples, “Can you drink the cup of bitterness which I will drink?”
At Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “If it is possible for this cup to pass from me, but not my will but yours be done.”
Jesus dealt with our bitterness by drinking the bitter cup for us, of crucifixion, bringing us spiritual healing and forgiveness.
He gives us living waters, not bitter, springing up to eternal life.
There have been certain points in my life where I have edged close to bitterness, and there has been an opportunity to make a choice.
Eventually, we have the choice to choose healing and to re-engage with those around us.
He heals the emotional and physical needs of His people.
He needs to heal us of the things preventing us from entering into His promises.
Give your cares to the Lord.
Sometimes healing takes time, especially emotional healing, but it will happen in time.
Sometimes we need to stay and rest at Elim, before moving on in our journey to the Promised Land, but it does not mean that we need to camp there permanently.
God knows where we need help and He wants us to improve and move on.
We need to bring our bitterness to the cross and lay it down, to be made sweet.
Don’t stay comfortable, don’t camp at Elim, but take the rest God offers to the world.
Don’t retreat from the world, but go to it, God’s blessing and rest is available to all.
In Matthew 20.22 Jesus says to His disciples, “Can you drink the cup of bitterness which I will drink?”
At Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “If it is possible for this cup to pass from me, but not my will but yours be done.”
Jesus dealt with our bitterness by drinking the bitter cup for us, of crucifixion, bringing us spiritual healing and forgiveness.
He gives us living waters, not bitter, springing up to eternal life.
There have been certain points in my life where I have edged close to bitterness, and there has been an opportunity to make a choice.
Eventually, we have the choice to choose healing and to re-engage with those around us.
He heals the emotional and physical needs of His people.
He needs to heal us of the things preventing us from entering into His promises.
Everything we need is in Him.
He is referred to as Rofeh Cholim, the Healer of the Sick, in the Amidah, part of the Jewish Prayer Book.
Let us agree with Psalm 103. 2-4 in declaring, “Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases.”