Healing Ministry
I don't know about you, but when i think of healing ministry, i think of certain television ministries that claim to heal the sick and cast out spirits from captive audience members, but whose ministers live in multi-million dollar mansions and drive uber-luxury cars. Due to their lavish lifestyles and extra-biblical theology, many on-lookers have decided that present day healing ministries are nothing more than religious freak shows. But, although i agree that many of these television ministries are nothing more than religious money making machines...I do believe that God is still in the business of healing the sick and delivering the spiritually oppressed. For not only was this a large part of the ministry of Jesus Christ Himself, but this was also part of the ministry of the early church, as well. In fact, in the beginning of Acts 1, Luke writes that the former account that he had written (The Gospel of Luke) was an account that contained all that Jesus BEGAN both to do and to teach...meaning that although Jesus had ascended to Heaven and was now with the Father, His ministry was still very much continuing through the work of the Holy Spirit through His Body (the Church). So, what Jesus desired was that His ministry (all of it) would be handed to his disciples who were to continue it until His return. Guess what? Jesus has not yet returned, so His ministry must continue...and, that includes us! So, I'm convinced that Jesus' ministry of preaching, teaching, love, service and HEALING is to be still continuing until His return! So, what does it look like? Here in the close of Acts 9 we have 2 examples through the life of Peter...and, both are very dramatic and both produce results greater than just the deliverance of the individual. And maybe it's this result that is the greater point of healings in the first place...let's see.
Healing #1 - Peter travels through Lydda and comes across a guy named Aeneas who was paralyzed and bedridden for 8 years! What a tough deal this guy had, huh? Stuck in bed for 8 years! How did he do it? Well, Peter comes over to his house and simply says, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Immediately, Aeneas is healed! Wow! What a day for this man! Truly the Kingdom of God had come to his home that day!
Healing #2 - In Joppa there was a Godly woman named Tabitha. She was full of good works and charitable deeds, but she got sick and died! Well, since Lydda was near Joppa, her family sent a couple of guys to fetch Peter to come. Why? She was dead. I guess they had hope that if Peter was nearby, even resurrection was possible. What a statement about what God was doing through Peter. Well, Peter comes and prays, and then he turns to her body and says, "Tabitha, arise." She opens her eyes and arises, and then Peter presents her to saints and widows alive! Wow, Wow! Double Wow! Truly, the ministry of Jesus was continuing through the ministry of the apostles. Amazing!
But, what was the result of both of these miraculous healings? We know that the immediate result was the healing and resurrection of a paralytic and a dead woman! Hello! But, we also find that the secondary result of these miracles was even more profound and far reaching. V. 35 and 42 reveal it..."And ALL in Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord...and, in Joppa many turned to the Lord!" So, maybe the greater miracle was what the healings themselves produced...salvation among whole communities.
Does God still want to see whole communities come to faith in His Son? Does God still desire to set the captives free? Does He still desire to bring life to things that are dead? YES~! And, the amazing thing that we learn from His Word is that He did, and still desires to do this through the hands and mouths of his simple people! So God, would you fill us with Your Holy Spirit and create us to be a people in whom You could continue Your ministry today? I know that this has more to do with my role in making myself an instrument of righteousness than it does Your desire to continue bringing Your Kingdom to this lost and broken world in which i live. So, work in me so that You are free to work through me.
Healing #1 - Peter travels through Lydda and comes across a guy named Aeneas who was paralyzed and bedridden for 8 years! What a tough deal this guy had, huh? Stuck in bed for 8 years! How did he do it? Well, Peter comes over to his house and simply says, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Immediately, Aeneas is healed! Wow! What a day for this man! Truly the Kingdom of God had come to his home that day!
Healing #2 - In Joppa there was a Godly woman named Tabitha. She was full of good works and charitable deeds, but she got sick and died! Well, since Lydda was near Joppa, her family sent a couple of guys to fetch Peter to come. Why? She was dead. I guess they had hope that if Peter was nearby, even resurrection was possible. What a statement about what God was doing through Peter. Well, Peter comes and prays, and then he turns to her body and says, "Tabitha, arise." She opens her eyes and arises, and then Peter presents her to saints and widows alive! Wow, Wow! Double Wow! Truly, the ministry of Jesus was continuing through the ministry of the apostles. Amazing!
But, what was the result of both of these miraculous healings? We know that the immediate result was the healing and resurrection of a paralytic and a dead woman! Hello! But, we also find that the secondary result of these miracles was even more profound and far reaching. V. 35 and 42 reveal it..."And ALL in Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord...and, in Joppa many turned to the Lord!" So, maybe the greater miracle was what the healings themselves produced...salvation among whole communities.
Does God still want to see whole communities come to faith in His Son? Does God still desire to set the captives free? Does He still desire to bring life to things that are dead? YES~! And, the amazing thing that we learn from His Word is that He did, and still desires to do this through the hands and mouths of his simple people! So God, would you fill us with Your Holy Spirit and create us to be a people in whom You could continue Your ministry today? I know that this has more to do with my role in making myself an instrument of righteousness than it does Your desire to continue bringing Your Kingdom to this lost and broken world in which i live. So, work in me so that You are free to work through me.
