I have been a Christian for over thirty years, as a matter of fact if the Lord tarries and I live it will not be too long until I will move into my fourth decade as a born again child of God.

During those years I have bee a prodigious reader of religious material. I have read behind some of the most fundamental and some of the most liberal writers and I can attest to the fact that you can find about anything you wish when it comes to religious writings concerning Christianity.

Some have written that we can demand anything of God. He will be obligated to do that which we desire. Then there are others that see God as a theosophical being that must be considered in the abstract and not a literal living God.

I for one belief that the Holy Word of God the Bible must be the one and only book that we consider as an authority on God, simply because I believe the Holy Bible to be The God Breathed book of God.

I believe God’s Holy Spirit breathed on the men of old and they wrote down that which the Holy Spirit directed. The theological term for what I believe would be, Plenary Verbal Inspiration. (Plenary means absolute)

Now does the Bible teach that the Lord heals even today in what would be considered modern times. To answer the question let us look to the Bible.

First there is spiritual healing of the soul. Every person that is a Christian has experienced this healing.

Psalms 41:4 “I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”

Psalms 147:3 “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

The gift of healing, is it real?

Matthew 10:1 “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Mark 3:15 “And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:”

Mark 16:18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

1Corinthians 12:9 “To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.”

What of physical healing of the body?

Jesus healed.

Matthew 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Matthew 8:3 “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

The Apostles healed.

Acts 5:16

There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Acts 9:34 “And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.”

Acts 28:8 “And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.”

But does God heal today?

The service was started and the congregation was singing and Joe arose with his baby in his arms and walked up to me. I leaned over and he said, Pastor my baby is burning with a fever. I stopped the singing and called the elders to the front and we anointed the child and as I was praying with the elders and my hand was on the child’s forehead his skin cooled to the touch. Praise God we had church then!!

Her name was Marie, she came forward on a Sunday night and asked to be prayed for as her doctors had told her of a dread disease in her body, and we anointed her and prayed. Something unusual happened, I suddenly had the insight that the healing was done and I said as much out loud. Many by their own admission later, did not think much of my saying this. The following Wednesday night she stood with trembling, tears and shouts of glory and related how the doctors could not find the disease. She lived disease free for a number of years before she went to be with her Lord.

My wife had a broken hip and God miraculously instantly healed her and proved himself to an agnostic medical doctor in answer to simple prayer. (The entire account of this can be read on the Answer2Prayer.org web site)

His name was George and he was possessed with a demon and God released him in answer to prayer as I prayed over him.

Another was name Louis and God delivered him from demon possession in answer to prayer.

Three times in my ministry I have dealt with demoniacs and two were saved and one walked away growling like a wild animal.

I have seen many come to Christ as a direct result of intercessory prayer though the years.

There have been many instances of divine healing and direct answers to prayer in these years of my ministry. The stories could go on and on, but I believe I have made my point, God does still heal. He heals souls and He heals bodies and He supplies needs. I believe the only hindrance to what God can and will do in this modern age in which we live, is the hindrances that our lives and lack of faith puts upon Him.

Let me give you one verse to close this and prove my point.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

Live for Him my friend and watch the wonderful things that He can and will perform in your life and the lives of those around you.

James Avery jamesaveryfwb@embarqmail.com