THE PURPOSES OF HEALING

[Linda]

The most obvious purpose of healing is making the sick well,but healing and deliverance serve purposes other than making people whole. HEALING DEMONSTRATES THE CHARACTER OF GOD :
Healing demonstrates that GOD is gracious, good, merciful, and compassionate:
THE LORD IS gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. THE LORD IS good to all., and HIs tender mercies are over all His works"'.{ Psalms 145:8-9}
And JESUS moved with compassion put forth HIS hand and touched him, and saith unto him, I WILL., be thou clean." { Mark1:41}
HEALING GLORIFIES GOD:
Healing results in praise and glory to God:
" And great multitudes came unto HIM, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at JESUS' feet., and HE HEALED them:
Inso much that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see., and they glorified the GOD of Israel. { Matthew 15:30-31}
... for all men glorified GOD for that which was done." { Acts 4:21]
HEALING CONFIRMS JESUS AS SAVIOUR AND MESSIAH:
See Matthew 8;14-17 The healings recorded here confirm these words of the prophet about JESUS that HE... " HIMSELF TOOK our infirmities, AND BARE our sicknesses" { Matthew 8:17}
Healing and deliverance confirmed JESUS WAS SAVIOUR as well as HEALER { Luke5:18-26}
" If I do not the WORKS OF MY FATHER, believe ME not. But if I DO, though you believe not ME , believe THE WORKS: that you may KNOW, and BELIEVE, that the FATHER IS IN ME, AND I IN HIM'. { John 10:37-38}
" JESUS disciples saw HIM Do many other miracles besides the ones told about in this book, but these are WRITTEN- RECORDED so that you will BELIEVE that HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, and that BELIEVING IN HIM you WILL HAVE LIFE' { John 20:30_31. The Living Bible}
HEALING VERIFIES THE MESSENGER AND THE MESSAGE:
Read the story of the healing of the young man in 1 Kings 17, When this boy was healed, his Mother said to the prophet Elijah:
"... Now by this I KNOW that thou art a man of GOD, and that the WORD of the LORD in thy mouth IS TRUTH ."
{ 1 Kings 17:24 }
The healing verified both the message and the messenger.

As GOD works with you in signs and wonders of healing and deliverance, THE TRUTH of HIS WORD is verified:
" Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the LORD, which gave testimony unto the WORD of HIS GRACE, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands." { Acts 14:3 }
The Bible records that after one great healing miracle, the spiritual and political leaders ....
{....saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled., and they took KNOWLEDGE of them, that they HAD BEEN WITH JESUS." { Acts 4: 13 }
HEALING ENCOURAGES RECEPTIVITY TO THE GOSPEL:
It is easy to tell people about the Gospel after they have been healed.
There are several examples of this in the book of Acts. Healing opened the door for the message of Salvation, the infilling of the HOLY GHOST , and church growth { see Acts 2: 42 -47 and 5;14 for examples}. Although healing encourages receptivity to the Gospel, always remember that it does not replace the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation. The WORD must be taught along with the demonstration of power IN ORDER TO BRING PEOPLE INTO RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD . IT IS THE WORD THAT CREATES FAITH for SALVATION, healing, and deliverance. Healing is a powerful tool of evangelism. In the recorded healings in the new Testament:
1/ In seventeen instances, healings took place in evangelistic settings:
... Matthew 4:24., 8:16., 9:2-8., 9:32-33
.......Mark 1:23-28., 9:14-27., 10:46-52
.......Luke 8:42.-48.,13:10-13,16., `14:1-4., 17:11-19
.......John 4:28-30., 5:1-9, 14, ., 9:1-7
.......Acts 3:1-10., 8::5-8., 14:8-10

2/ in sixteen instances, the healings had an evangelistic result:
....Matthew 9:2-8., 9:32-33., 12:9-13
.......Mark 1:23-28., 5:1-13, 18-20., 7:32-37., 9:14-27
......Luke 5:12-14., 13:10-13, 16., 17:11-19
......John 4:28-30.,9:1-7
....acts 3:1-8., 8:5-8., 9:32-35., 14:8-10

3/ in 21 out of the 26 healings, there was either an evangelistic setting or result.
HEALING ESTABLISHES THE KINGDOM OF GOD :
The healings and deliverances done by JESUS and HIS disciples were the first phase of establishing the KINGDOM OF GOD :
" And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS COME NIGH UNTO YOU ." { Luke 10:9
But, if I cast out devils BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD , then THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS COME unto you . ' { Matthew 12:28 }
As you minister healing, remember that the KINGDOM is not yet in its fullness.
In the fullness of the KINGDOM there will be COMPLETE ABSENCE of disease and death.
The body as well as the soul, is not redeemed now as IT WILL BE IN THE FULLNESS OF THE KINGDOM.
You are SAVED FROM the penalty of sin in the past and can BE SAVED FROM its power IN THE PRESENT. IN THE FUTURE, you WILL BE SAVED FROM sin's presence.
The same is true of sickness. Sickness is not a penalty for your past sins. You can BE REDEEMED FROM its power in the PRESENT, but not from its presence. YOU WILL BE REDEEMED FROM its presence WHEN YOU COME INTO THE FULLNESS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD .
HEALING RAISES UP SPIRITUAL LEADERS:
Healing has been used to raise up great spiritual leaders. Paul was called to be an apostle of the Gospel at the time of his healing { Acts 9}.
HEALING RESULTS IN GREAT JOY:
Acts 8:5-25 tells how Great Joy came to individuals and communities where healing and deliverance was ministered:
GOD SAYS:
"... FOR IAM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE." { Exodus 16:26 }
IAM " IS PRESENT TENSE. How can we change it to " I was " in the past or " I will be" in the future ? The Bible teaches that GOD does not change:
" Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the FATHER OF LIGHTS, with whom IS NO VARIABLENESS, NEITHER shadow of turning". { James 1:17 }
' FOR IAM THE LORD, I CHANGE NOT...." { Malachi 3:6 }
GOD HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME:
" JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TODAY, AND FOREVER." { Hebrews 13:8 }.
If } the day of miracles is past, as some claim/ then so is the day of Salvation, FOR THERE IS NO GREATER MIRACLE THEN SALVATION :
If/ healing is for the future when JESUS returns to earth, THEN THE MINISTRY OF TEACHERS, PASTORS,AND OTHER LEADERS must be for that future time also
BECAUSE THE GIFT OF HEALING IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT AS ARE THESE MINISTRIES: