Today I received a lengthy text message from one of my friends questioning why people have to wait for healing, and why isn’t there someone out there with the power to heal like the disciples did? Sooooooo, let’s look into that one today.

You know, we can shout and do our victory dances and prophesy to people, and have all faith, and understand all mysteries, but the Apostle Paul hit it right on the nose with this simple thing in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there beknowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

I especially like that which it says in verse 9, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” Now, I know a lot about healing, therefore teaching what I do know to be fact and truth, but I DON’T KNOW IT ALL! There are several things that come to mind when I teach about healing, and faith is real high on that list, for without faith it is impossible to please God. But what good is faith if your heart is full of bitterness toward God for making you wait for your healing, or bitterness toward another person? Forgiveness toward others AND yourself tells God that you are thankful He has forgiven your sins, so you in turn forgive others freely, even as Christ Jesus has forgiven YOUR sins. Yes, and that includes forgiving yourself as well, because many people carry guilt around like a millstone chained around their neck, and Jesus wants you free of ALL guilt, not only from what you’ve done against God, but what you’ve done against yourself. If you have regret, then you have guilt, and if you have guilt, then you’re not understanding that you’re FORGIVEN!!

But here’s something else: in Matthew 17:14-21 Jesus had this to say;
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

I think it’s very notable that Jesus gave authority to the disciples to cast out devils and heal all manner of sickness and diseases, yet they couldn’t heal this boy, and Jesus didn’t blame the boy or his father, but put the responsibility for the failure squarely on the DISCIPLES! Where did the disciples fail? Either THEY didn’t believe the scope of the amount of authority they carried, or else perhaps they looked at the problem and it was bigger than their ability to overcome it. Like Paul said, we know in part, so we prophesy in part. There’s obviously something we don’t know here, because the problem persists yet TODAY!

Unbelief is a big cause of failure when it comes to healing, and it can be on the minister’s part, the receiver’s part, but NEVER on the Holy Spirit’s part. Unbelief is a human fault, but when we receive the Holy Spirit, shouldn’t that unbelief depart? You would think so, but there’s a human spirit in you that often conflicts with what the Holy Spirit wants to do THROUGH you. And what blocks the Holy Spirit from working? Unbelief, lack of love (charity), lack of forgiveness, DISOBEDIENCE, now THAT’S a biggie.

Another, believe it or not, is a minister trying to glorify himself or herself by reason of the miracles God does through them. I remember reading about Smith Wigglesworth, how he said God broke him a thousand times before he could be greatly used. Maybe we’re so very set on being “whole”, that we won’t let God “break” us so we become usable in His hands.

Over the years, I’ve read about many “great ministers” who did many mighty works for the LORD, only to fall to pride and self-exaltation. Listen people, if God doesn’t get ALL the glory, He won’t use you, I don’t care how “anointed” you think you are. The LORD told me in the beginning of my ministry that He would heal people through me as long as HE got all the glory for it. That’s a warning not to think YOU or I have anything to do with the finished work of Christ Jesus. Healing comes from what JESUS did, not what you or I do, although what you or I do can HINDER the work of the Holy Spirit. EVERY believer is “anointed” to heal the sick, but how many of them actually do that? As I said, I don’t know everything about healing, but my observation is, only those who are willing to be broken and humble servants of God, wanting no glory for themselves, but only wanting HIM to work so as to relieve the suffering of others, will be used of Him.

I’ve looked into the eyes of the sick and suffering and tormented, and have suffered with them, feeling their despair and hopelessness and pain. When I tell them about how Christ Jesus bore all their sins and all their diseases upon Himself, in order that they might be set free, I see hope in their eyes. That is the time to love them, even as Christ Jesus loved them, and have compassion on them, not to judge them for their sins or unbelief or whatever. Compassion moves mountains! I used to go fishing, and one day the LORD told me something, “Jerry, you catch them, I’ll clean them!” My job is to preach the good news of the Gospel, and to reel them in. God’s job is to clean them up.

Friends, that isn’t our job to clean them up, nor is it our job to “qualify” which are worthy of God’s mercy. NONE of us are “worthy”! Just lay hands on the sick and HEAL them! Why? Because first of all, Christ Jesus commanded His disciples (that’s you and me if we are His believers) in Matthew 10:8, “HEAL THE SICK, CLEANSE THE LEPERS, RAISE THE DEAD, CAST OUT DEVILS; FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE.”

Secondly, you must remember, it isn’t YOU or “Your anointing” that is doing the healing; it’s Christ Jesus Himself doing it through you, showing that person His compassion, so that person being healed knows the love of God toward him or her firsthand. That means also, no matter how bad the situation looks, it NEVER can overcome the healing power of Jesus, period. So go ahead, be the compassion of Christ Jesus to the sick and suffering, lay hands on the sick and heal them, giving God ALL the glory, and rejoice that God has called you to do His work on earth! There are people out there all over waiting for healing. As the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20;

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.