"HEALING In The Name of JESUS!"

          “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.”   

                                                                        (Isaiah 53:4-5)

          This may be the most misquoted scripture in the Bible. I know this is going to upset some folks and make a whole lotta pastors mad at me, but people have got to slow down and read the Word. This is the “go to” scripture to get church folks shoutin’ and screamin’ and rollin’ on the floor and barkin’ at the moon right before passin’ the plate, but the “healing” Brother Isaiah is talking about here is “spiritual healing” NOT sickness and disease. I can hear you saying, “Brother Nick, you done loss your mine!”

          Check this out. From the end of Isaiah 52 through Isaiah 53:4-5, the Prophet is giving us the revelation that “…He was wounded for our transgressions (manifestation of our sin); He was crushed for our iniquities (our inclination toward sin).” These are both sins that are conceived in the heart and mind and subsequently executed through the carnal body.

          Every man born of a woman is a sinner and none are righteous (Romans 3:10). But it is the Name of Jesus that makes us (gives us access to becoming) righteous (that is, right with God and man). Therefore, the greatest healing that transpires for mankind is not in the body (which is temporal) but in the spirit (which is eternal) through faith in God by the shedding of the Blood of Jesus on Calvary.

          We now have peace with God because Jesus became sin (took upon Himself the weight of both our inclination toward sin and our manifestation of sin) at the Cross thus tearing the veil (barrier between man and God because of sin) in two and giving us direct access to the Throne of Grace.

          Healing is the prerogative of God. He heals whom he wills. Healing (the power to heal) does not come from any man; but only from God and only for His Glory.

          “Modern Day Healing ITNOJ”

          Healing ITNOJ is a very volatile subject in the Body of Christ because a lot of preachers claim to have the power (gift) of healing (on demand). Now, I am not one to doubt God; all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26). But with man, there is a great deal of skepticism.

These trumped up “Healing Services” and the “Laying on of Hands” lines at the end of every service for every affliction is a bit much. Slappin’ people in the head, punchin’ folks in the stomach, blowin’ on people, throwin’ your coat on folks, sprayin’ water bottles on the congregation and pushin’ folks on the floor like they are actually being slain in the spirit is all a bunch of foolishness. My personal favorites are the televangelists that claim to heal people over the airways through their televisions. What a mockery!

          When you think about it, how can a pastor plan a healing service for Tuesday, March 25 (I’m just picking a random date in the future for illustration purposes here) as a special occurrence in his ministry? How many people do you know have ever been truly healed at any of these events? The only man who ever lived with the ability to heal at will was Jesus Christ and the Apostles received the gift of true healing (the ability to heal others through the power of the Holy Spirit NOT of their own accord) from God through the Lord God in the Name of Jesus.

          When was the last time your Pastor formed a line at your church service for deliverance from “sin?” I rest my case! Selah...

          “…We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

                                                                          (Isaiah 53:6)