Healing For a Purpose
HEALING FOR A PURPOSE
The headline read, “Runaway Mom Agrees to Son’s Chemo Treatment”. A Minnesota boy and his mother had vanished for more than a week following a court order for the boy to undergo treatment for his cancer disease. It was reported that “The family is Roman Catholic and believes in the do no harm philosophy of a Missouri-based religious group called the Nemenhah Band, which believes in natural healing.” I don’t know much about this native Indian religious group but it is obvious that this family’s belief is unique and not universal to all Roman Catholics. Our theology on healing will affect our behavior and response to any sickness whether major or minor.
In Acts 3, Dr. Luke (a physician who still believes in healing) presents the healing of the lame in the overall strategy of documenting the spread of the gospel. We have already learned (Acts 2:43) that “many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles”. So, the healing of the lame was one of those. Why the healing of the lame? Who does the healing – the apostles or God? Is there still genuine healing in our day? Do you believe in healing and if so is there any room for modern medicine?
Acts 3: 1-10
1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Please read the entire chapters of Acts 3 and 4 to fully understand the whole account. There were many things happening in this passage that are similar to the healing done by Jesus (Mathew 21) and by Paul (Acts 14). The man was crippled (lame) from birth for no fault of his own as we can all agree. It may surprise you that God himself said I made the lame, the deaf and the blind (Exodus 4:11) for His purpose. This is not to say that we cannot bring sickness to ourselves through bad eating habits and other harmful lifestyle behaviors. A child could also be deformed through use of drugs such as cocaine by the mother during pregnancy.
2. Peter and John were living out their normal life “they were going up to the temple at the time of prayer”. They were not holding a “healing crusade”. They did not go to show how much healing they can do. We read later in Acts that people brought their sick to the apostles for healing because the “signs” were following them as Jesus had promised them (Mark 16:17).
3. The healed man was “jumping and praising God”. Would you not jump and praise God especially if you have been lame for forty years (Acts 4:22)? He knew that he was not the only lame in the vicinity of the temple, so he must be shouting why me?
4. The people rather were “filled with wonder and amazement”. Translated, some of them could not believe what has just happened that a lame could be healed by ordinary men like apostles Peter and John. In fact, Peter says to them, “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (v.12). Clearly Peter is not taking credit for the healing. Run from any man or woman who takes credit for any healing whatsoever.
5. Who did the healing then? “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It was Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can see.” (v.16). Jesus is the healer and all healing come from God. The faith to be healed is a gift given by God. Yes, we should have faith to believe in healing but even the faith to believe is a gift and not of self lest we boast.
6. All God’s healing is for a purpose. The lame man was healed so that God could reveal himself to his people. Healing in this chapter (and all of Acts), like speaking in “other tongues” (Acts 2) were signs that pointed people to God for salvation. The healing opened a wide door of audience for Peter to preach the gospel. Peter charged the people “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (v.19). God and God alone is the one who establishes His purpose and chooses who is and is not healed. We are all crippled in our “hearts” by sin. We all need God’s salvation today. Will you call on him?
7. Can you and I be healed today? Absolutely yes. Is God still healing today? Absolutely yes. Are there people who pray and believe for healing and are still not healed today? Yes. I don’t know why they are not but God knows. Is it still okay to pray knowing that all may not be healed? Yes. Not praying for healing is taking life into our own hands. The power to live belongs to God alone so we must cry unto him for healing. “Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.” James 5: 14 and15.
8. Is there room for modern medicine while believing God for healing? It is foolishness not to seek medical treatment. Who made medicine or the knowledge that improves medical treatment anyway? All knowledge comes from God, so praying and believing God for healing is compatible with modern medicine. They are not mutually exclusive. I once believed that they were mutually exclusive. Wrong theology can lead us astray. For sometime of our infertility, I resisted going to the doctors because I believed that God can and “should” heal us to have a child without the help of a doctor. I guess it came from the gospel of the “name and claim it” that was sold all over and I had bought into it. God heals but He does not owe us healing.
Are you sick today or you know someone who is sick? I do. Please join me for a family member who desperately needs God’s intervention for healing. Lord, you are the giver of all life. Please heal my family member and all others who need healing today. Lord, may your purposes be established in these lives and in all of our lives as we seek your face today. Have mercy on the sick and on all of us who may be lame and crippled by life’s circumstances. Give us the faith that comes from your son Jesus Christ that we may believe and be made whole. Amen.Please join us in room C112 @ 11:45 AM as we continue our study of the Book of Acts.
The headline read, “Runaway Mom Agrees to Son’s Chemo Treatment”. A Minnesota boy and his mother had vanished for more than a week following a court order for the boy to undergo treatment for his cancer disease. It was reported that “The family is Roman Catholic and believes in the do no harm philosophy of a Missouri-based religious group called the Nemenhah Band, which believes in natural healing.” I don’t know much about this native Indian religious group but it is obvious that this family’s belief is unique and not universal to all Roman Catholics. Our theology on healing will affect our behavior and response to any sickness whether major or minor.
In Acts 3, Dr. Luke (a physician who still believes in healing) presents the healing of the lame in the overall strategy of documenting the spread of the gospel. We have already learned (Acts 2:43) that “many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles”. So, the healing of the lame was one of those. Why the healing of the lame? Who does the healing – the apostles or God? Is there still genuine healing in our day? Do you believe in healing and if so is there any room for modern medicine?
Acts 3: 1-10
1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Please read the entire chapters of Acts 3 and 4 to fully understand the whole account. There were many things happening in this passage that are similar to the healing done by Jesus (Mathew 21) and by Paul (Acts 14). The man was crippled (lame) from birth for no fault of his own as we can all agree. It may surprise you that God himself said I made the lame, the deaf and the blind (Exodus 4:11) for His purpose. This is not to say that we cannot bring sickness to ourselves through bad eating habits and other harmful lifestyle behaviors. A child could also be deformed through use of drugs such as cocaine by the mother during pregnancy.
2. Peter and John were living out their normal life “they were going up to the temple at the time of prayer”. They were not holding a “healing crusade”. They did not go to show how much healing they can do. We read later in Acts that people brought their sick to the apostles for healing because the “signs” were following them as Jesus had promised them (Mark 16:17).
3. The healed man was “jumping and praising God”. Would you not jump and praise God especially if you have been lame for forty years (Acts 4:22)? He knew that he was not the only lame in the vicinity of the temple, so he must be shouting why me?
4. The people rather were “filled with wonder and amazement”. Translated, some of them could not believe what has just happened that a lame could be healed by ordinary men like apostles Peter and John. In fact, Peter says to them, “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (v.12). Clearly Peter is not taking credit for the healing. Run from any man or woman who takes credit for any healing whatsoever.
5. Who did the healing then? “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It was Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can see.” (v.16). Jesus is the healer and all healing come from God. The faith to be healed is a gift given by God. Yes, we should have faith to believe in healing but even the faith to believe is a gift and not of self lest we boast.
6. All God’s healing is for a purpose. The lame man was healed so that God could reveal himself to his people. Healing in this chapter (and all of Acts), like speaking in “other tongues” (Acts 2) were signs that pointed people to God for salvation. The healing opened a wide door of audience for Peter to preach the gospel. Peter charged the people “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (v.19). God and God alone is the one who establishes His purpose and chooses who is and is not healed. We are all crippled in our “hearts” by sin. We all need God’s salvation today. Will you call on him?
7. Can you and I be healed today? Absolutely yes. Is God still healing today? Absolutely yes. Are there people who pray and believe for healing and are still not healed today? Yes. I don’t know why they are not but God knows. Is it still okay to pray knowing that all may not be healed? Yes. Not praying for healing is taking life into our own hands. The power to live belongs to God alone so we must cry unto him for healing. “Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.” James 5: 14 and15.
8. Is there room for modern medicine while believing God for healing? It is foolishness not to seek medical treatment. Who made medicine or the knowledge that improves medical treatment anyway? All knowledge comes from God, so praying and believing God for healing is compatible with modern medicine. They are not mutually exclusive. I once believed that they were mutually exclusive. Wrong theology can lead us astray. For sometime of our infertility, I resisted going to the doctors because I believed that God can and “should” heal us to have a child without the help of a doctor. I guess it came from the gospel of the “name and claim it” that was sold all over and I had bought into it. God heals but He does not owe us healing.
Are you sick today or you know someone who is sick? I do. Please join me for a family member who desperately needs God’s intervention for healing. Lord, you are the giver of all life. Please heal my family member and all others who need healing today. Lord, may your purposes be established in these lives and in all of our lives as we seek your face today. Have mercy on the sick and on all of us who may be lame and crippled by life’s circumstances. Give us the faith that comes from your son Jesus Christ that we may believe and be made whole. Amen.Please join us in room C112 @ 11:45 AM as we continue our study of the Book of Acts.
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