The Great Doctrines of Healing, Miracles, Signs And Wonders - Part I
July 2022 |
I was born into a large old-fashioned Pentecostal family in northeast Oklahoma that truly believed in divine healing. My dad was the pastor of our little Pentecostal church for most of my childhood and teen years.
Very often, the elders would take time in the church service to anoint sick people and intercede for them to be healed. I never questioned this practice and thought that all Christian denominations believed in divine healing. Dad and Mom would go to the hospital or do a home visit and pray for someone.
All of the children were born at home with the help of a midwife. When one of us kids got the measles, chicken pox, or whatever, Mom and Dad would simply pray for us, and then we waited for God to heal.
Our family always believed in divine healing through faith and fervent prayer. We believed that the miraculous healings described in the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the book of Acts were able to be repeated today.
In this article, I want to present to you Scriptures that encourage and strongly support the doctrine of divine healing, miracles, and signs and wonders.
Matthew 8:16-17: “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
Exodus 15:26: “for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
Psalm 34:18-19: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Psalm 103:2-3: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”
Psalm 107:20: “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
Psalm 147:3: “He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds.”
Isaiah 38:5: “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.”
Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
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.”
Matthew 10:8: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”
Matthew 11:4-5: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Mark 1:32, 34: “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils …. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils: and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.”
Mark 5:34: “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
Mark 16:17-18: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They 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.”
Mark 16:20: “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”
John 11:4: “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
Acts 3:6-7: “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”
Acts 4:30: “By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”
Acts 6:8: “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”
Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
Acts 16:18: “And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”
I Corinthians 12:4, 8-10: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit …. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”
II Corinthians 12:12: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”
James 5:14-16: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pay over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
I Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Friends, I have presented these verses of Scripture to show beyond a doubt that our God healed and did miracles throughout the Old Testament era and throughout the New Testament era. There are recorded events of healings by Christ in the Gospels and stories of deliverance of demonic possession.
Several verses I have presented strongly encouraged His disciples to be active in the ministry of healing and deliverance. This call and anointing is available to the church today. Study Mark 16:15-20. The possibility of a ministry of healing, deliverance, and miracles is based on having real faith in the Word, in the power of the blood, in the power of the Spirit, and in the power of the name of Jesus. Be fully persuaded, God still heals today (Heb. 13:8). God’s Word strongly declares this truth.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Surely this applies to anyone who is struggling with cancer, a broken heart, or in need of a miracle.
Our merciful Savior still heals sick bodies. He heals broken marriages. He heals broken lives. And God will hear the cry of a broken preacher who feels that his ministry is over. Start by coming back to the cross. The old hymn says:
Kneel at the cross,
Christ will meet you there,
Come while He waits for you;
List to His voice,
Leave with Him your care
And begin life anew.
Part II of this article series will address the controversy over the continuation or the cessation of healings and miracles.
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