Whenever I visit a church, one of the first things
I look at in the church bulletin are the number of
people on the sick list requesting prayer. Often
the list is quite long. This is very troubling to me,
because over the years I know many of my brothers
and sisters in Christ have died from sickness. Others
remain sick and unhealed even after much prayer.
Why is that? Why is it so many Christians remain
unhealed after so much prayer and anointing with
oil. It's not only frustrating to everyone involved,
it challenges whether spiritual healing is real or
not...even ones faith in God.
Like in so many other things in life, it all comes
down to what's really going on within our heart and
soul. I mean people are really good at playing games
with themselves and others. This includes our
relationship with God.
I'll never forget what one of my Bible Professors
mentioned one day in class on the subject of loving
God. He said:
"We love Jesus only as much
as we love the least of men."
What he said, of course, is very true. Here's a
sampling of verses you may want to review on the
subject.
Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39
I John 3:10, 3:23, 4:19-20
This is a hard teaching for some people who claim to love
God. For they may still carry deep-seated hatred and
unforgiveness in their hearts toward others who have
wronged them. Sometimes this hatred lies so deep within
their soul, it is overlooked in their daily lives. I mean
their hatred lies so deep within it is part of who they
are as human beings. They don't give it thought unless
they are personally confronted in a way they must deal
with it. Otherwise the subject is unconsciously dismissed.
I have no doubt this is one reason why many Christians
remain unhealed and wonder why. God is not a respecter
of persons, nor will He be mocked or fooled (Galatians 6:7)
We simply cannot be right with God and harbor hatred
toward those who wrong us (Those God loves as much as
He does us) if there is to be healing.
But there's another side of this truth which teaches we
must love one another. That other side is self!!!
As much as the roots of hatred toward others can run
deep within hearts and souls, hatred toward self
can run as deep and be even more complex.
This is why forgiveness lies at the root of healing.
For unless our heart and soul is free of the sin of
hatred, there can be no healing, physically or
spiritually. This applies as much to hatred of
self as it does toward hatred of others.
We need to understand Godly love is the opposite of
hatred. We need to understand love is only made possible
through Jesus Christ. For without God's love for us,
there can be no love in this world. This is why the
Bible says...
"We love because God first loved us. If anyone says,
"I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.
For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has
seen, cannot love God. Whom he has not seen."
- I John 4:19-20
Again, this is a hard teaching for some to accept
and live by. However, without forgiveness, there is
no salvation, no healing, no eternal dwelling with
God. All of us know John 3:16. But it is John 3:19-21
that explains why. I hope you read those verses.
The process of healing involves cleansing. Hatred is
an evil. It is a sin of the heart and soul, be it
toward others or self. No man can walk in the light
of God's truth and hate others or him or herself.
Neither can he or she be spiritually healed of
physical sickness.
Deep-seated hatred destroys the body as much as it
does the soul. Hatred (an emotion) interrupts the body's
ability to maintain homeostasis. This, in turn, creates
conditions within the body for disease to take hold.
Our body is very complex and works in ways doctors
even to this day can only marvel about.
God, however, is our creator. He knows you and your
body like no one else can or ever will. The Psalmist
wrote:
"...You created my inmost being; you knit me together
in my mother's womb...My frame was not hidden from you
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."
-Psalm 139:13-16
Only God can heal and restore our once innocent souls
on such deep levels. Why then should we dismiss Him
or His ability to spiritually heal us physically?
Satan knows our every weakness and propensity. He
works full time to corrupt them for our eternal
destruction...even to the point of self-deceit.
Folks...I'm not saying unforgiveness and hatred explains
every case why someone remains unhealed. There are numerous
causes that must be examined. But what I am saying is
it is our worldly nature to be the master of our souls.
Giving ourselves over to God and letting go of controlling
our lives will not happen unless we are completely broken
of that selfish spirit. That is the crux of the matter.
That is what lies at the center of the great spiritual
battle for our souls.
God mends broken spirits. He cannot mend self-centered
spirits bent on hatred and deceit of self or hatred
toward others. Before you come to the Lord of life
for healing and salvation, know yourself and where
you stand.
A woman who suffered with breast cancer sought spiritual
counseling. The disease was in stage III and she was
scared to death. She said she and her church had prayed
for her healing many times, but that she had never
received spiritual counseling. It wasn't until then
when she received counseling that she realized and
confessed hated toward her now dead mother. She said
she had done so for the way her mother had treated her.
She said she knew hatred is a sin, but had never
reflected upon it in her own life. She never realized
that she was leading a self-centered life, even
though she had long ago obeyed the Gospel of Christ.
Neither had she connected her hatred with the cancer
in her breast.
In prayer she repented asking God for forgiveness, and
renewed her commitment to Christ (to live for Him
and not for herself). She did so, first and foremost
not to be healed physically but to be healed spiritually.
It was an emotional time and she cried. Tears poured
forth amidst her sobs.
Her emotional release signaled healing had begun. God
was healing her both spiritually and physically in that
moment of release. With hatred gone from her heart and
soul, her body could heal and it did. The very next
test she took showed no sign of the cancer previously
documented. May God be praised! Amen!
I'm not saying healing will happen for someone else
like it did with this woman. But, this is the power
of God to save (heal). If we as a people of God are
ever to reach others outside of Christ, we must first
know who we are and how God's power will only work
with broken spirits to heal the sick. For the proud
and haunty He will not.
All men must die. Death is God's judgment for sin
(Ezekiel 18:4). But those of us in Christ should
die from old age (free of sickness), not from a
disease supported by sin in our life.
May the God of healing fill your life with
blessings, and Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Jim Lynn
Director
God's Healing Word
I look at in the church bulletin are the number of
people on the sick list requesting prayer. Often
the list is quite long. This is very troubling to me,
because over the years I know many of my brothers
and sisters in Christ have died from sickness. Others
remain sick and unhealed even after much prayer.
Why is that? Why is it so many Christians remain
unhealed after so much prayer and anointing with
oil. It's not only frustrating to everyone involved,
it challenges whether spiritual healing is real or
not...even ones faith in God.
Like in so many other things in life, it all comes
down to what's really going on within our heart and
soul. I mean people are really good at playing games
with themselves and others. This includes our
relationship with God.
I'll never forget what one of my Bible Professors
mentioned one day in class on the subject of loving
God. He said:
"We love Jesus only as much
as we love the least of men."
What he said, of course, is very true. Here's a
sampling of verses you may want to review on the
subject.
Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39
I John 3:10, 3:23, 4:19-20
This is a hard teaching for some people who claim to love
God. For they may still carry deep-seated hatred and
unforgiveness in their hearts toward others who have
wronged them. Sometimes this hatred lies so deep within
their soul, it is overlooked in their daily lives. I mean
their hatred lies so deep within it is part of who they
are as human beings. They don't give it thought unless
they are personally confronted in a way they must deal
with it. Otherwise the subject is unconsciously dismissed.
I have no doubt this is one reason why many Christians
remain unhealed and wonder why. God is not a respecter
of persons, nor will He be mocked or fooled (Galatians 6:7)
We simply cannot be right with God and harbor hatred
toward those who wrong us (Those God loves as much as
He does us) if there is to be healing.
But there's another side of this truth which teaches we
must love one another. That other side is self!!!
As much as the roots of hatred toward others can run
deep within hearts and souls, hatred toward self
can run as deep and be even more complex.
This is why forgiveness lies at the root of healing.
For unless our heart and soul is free of the sin of
hatred, there can be no healing, physically or
spiritually. This applies as much to hatred of
self as it does toward hatred of others.
We need to understand Godly love is the opposite of
hatred. We need to understand love is only made possible
through Jesus Christ. For without God's love for us,
there can be no love in this world. This is why the
Bible says...
"We love because God first loved us. If anyone says,
"I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.
For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has
seen, cannot love God. Whom he has not seen."
- I John 4:19-20
Again, this is a hard teaching for some to accept
and live by. However, without forgiveness, there is
no salvation, no healing, no eternal dwelling with
God. All of us know John 3:16. But it is John 3:19-21
that explains why. I hope you read those verses.
The process of healing involves cleansing. Hatred is
an evil. It is a sin of the heart and soul, be it
toward others or self. No man can walk in the light
of God's truth and hate others or him or herself.
Neither can he or she be spiritually healed of
physical sickness.
Deep-seated hatred destroys the body as much as it
does the soul. Hatred (an emotion) interrupts the body's
ability to maintain homeostasis. This, in turn, creates
conditions within the body for disease to take hold.
Our body is very complex and works in ways doctors
even to this day can only marvel about.
God, however, is our creator. He knows you and your
body like no one else can or ever will. The Psalmist
wrote:
"...You created my inmost being; you knit me together
in my mother's womb...My frame was not hidden from you
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."
-Psalm 139:13-16
Only God can heal and restore our once innocent souls
on such deep levels. Why then should we dismiss Him
or His ability to spiritually heal us physically?
Satan knows our every weakness and propensity. He
works full time to corrupt them for our eternal
destruction...even to the point of self-deceit.
Folks...I'm not saying unforgiveness and hatred explains
every case why someone remains unhealed. There are numerous
causes that must be examined. But what I am saying is
it is our worldly nature to be the master of our souls.
Giving ourselves over to God and letting go of controlling
our lives will not happen unless we are completely broken
of that selfish spirit. That is the crux of the matter.
That is what lies at the center of the great spiritual
battle for our souls.
God mends broken spirits. He cannot mend self-centered
spirits bent on hatred and deceit of self or hatred
toward others. Before you come to the Lord of life
for healing and salvation, know yourself and where
you stand.
A woman who suffered with breast cancer sought spiritual
counseling. The disease was in stage III and she was
scared to death. She said she and her church had prayed
for her healing many times, but that she had never
received spiritual counseling. It wasn't until then
when she received counseling that she realized and
confessed hated toward her now dead mother. She said
she had done so for the way her mother had treated her.
She said she knew hatred is a sin, but had never
reflected upon it in her own life. She never realized
that she was leading a self-centered life, even
though she had long ago obeyed the Gospel of Christ.
Neither had she connected her hatred with the cancer
in her breast.
In prayer she repented asking God for forgiveness, and
renewed her commitment to Christ (to live for Him
and not for herself). She did so, first and foremost
not to be healed physically but to be healed spiritually.
It was an emotional time and she cried. Tears poured
forth amidst her sobs.
Her emotional release signaled healing had begun. God
was healing her both spiritually and physically in that
moment of release. With hatred gone from her heart and
soul, her body could heal and it did. The very next
test she took showed no sign of the cancer previously
documented. May God be praised! Amen!
I'm not saying healing will happen for someone else
like it did with this woman. But, this is the power
of God to save (heal). If we as a people of God are
ever to reach others outside of Christ, we must first
know who we are and how God's power will only work
with broken spirits to heal the sick. For the proud
and haunty He will not.
All men must die. Death is God's judgment for sin
(Ezekiel 18:4). But those of us in Christ should
die from old age (free of sickness), not from a
disease supported by sin in our life.
May the God of healing fill your life with
blessings, and Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Jim Lynn
Director
God's Healing Word
