Divine Healing
What the Bible says to do if you are Sick?
So, what to do if you are Sick?
Jesus healed physically many people:
- He healed 26 specific persons of leper, blindness,
deafness, deaf and dumb, paralysis... some of the healings are mentioned in three Gospels,
so, the Gospels are full of physical healings (Matt.8,9,12,20, Mr.1,2,3,5,7,8,10,
Lk.4,5,6,7,8,13,14,1718,22, Jn.4,5,9).
- He delivered 7 persons from the demons of spinal bent for 18 year,
epilepsy, blindness, madness ... (Lk.4,8,9,11,13, Matt.12,15,17, Mr.1,5,7,9).
- He resurrected three persons (Matt.9, Mr.5, Lc.7,8, Jn.11).
- On top of it He healed an delivered many others as reported in Lk
6,4, Mk 6, Matt.4,9,15,19, : "A large crowd of his disciples was there and a
great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and
Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil
spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from
him and healing them all." (Lk.6:17-19)... Healing them all!,
is the button line of the 7 quotations mentioned above.
Jesus told us to de the same: You... Me... every Christian!.
- "And these signs will accompany those who
believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will
pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay
their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mr.16:17-18). Do you
believe?... See For You
- "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do
what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these" (Jn.14:12)...
Have you done what Jesus did?... greater things?...
- "He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them
authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness... Heal the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have
received, freely give." (Matt.10:1,8).
- "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and
authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the
kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Lk.9:1-2).
- "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord,
even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and
to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Lk.10:17-19).
The Disciples did as Jesus did:
Peter:
- The man lame from birth healed. (Act.3)
- "And more than ever believers were added to the Lord,
multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets,
and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on
some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick
and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed."
(Act.5:14-16).
- Healed Aeneas, a paralytic for 8years (Act.9:33-35).
- Resurrected Tabitha (Dorcas) (Act.9:36-42).
- Liberated from prison by an angel (Act.12:1-19)
Stephen:
- "And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great
wonders and signs among the people" (Act.6:8).
Philip:
- "Philip went down to a city of Sama'ria, and proclaimed
to them the Christ. And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by
Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out
of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed or lame
were healed." (Act.8:5-7).
Paul:
- He blinded Bar-Jesus (the Elymas, the magician) in front of Governor
Sergius Paulus, who believed in Jesus after seeing that (Act.136-12).
- He healed a crippled man from birth (Act.14:8-9).
- He delivered a slave girl who had a divining spirit: "...
But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of
Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour."
(Act.16:16:24).
- Paul and Silas delivered from the jail miraculously (Act.16:25-34).
- "And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so
that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases
left them and the evil spirits came out of them" (Act.19:11-12).
- Resurrection of the young Eutychius (Act.20:8-12).
- Paul healed from a poisonous viper's bite (Act.28:3-6).
- Paul heals the father of Publius, the head of the Island of Malta,
and the rest of the sick people of the Island (Act.28:7-9).
Judaism and Christianity are the religions of Miracles, Islam does not have Miracles...
However, it is not all miracles... by definition, "miracle" is something extra-ordinary, out of the ordinary, the 1% of the events?... and , in fact, all persons healed by Jesus eventually died!.
The normal way, the ordinary, is that God heals using other persons and institutions, in the times of Christ and now... using hospitals, doctors, nurses, relatives, friends... but it is always God the one who heals!...
- "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39).
- "Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty.
- For he wounds, but he binds up; he smites, but his hands heal.
- He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven there shall no evil touch you" (Job 5:17-19).
Are You Sick?... What the Bible says to do?
This is what the Bible says you have to do if you are sick in Ecclesiastics 38 and James 5 (Ecclesiasticus or Sirach is a practical book, like Proverbs, but larger, 51 chapters, and it is usually not in the Protestant Bibles
1- Ecclesiasticus or Sirach 38:9-15:
9- My son, in thy sickness do not get
impatient, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee.
10- Turn away from sin and order thy hands
aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.
11- Give a sweet sacrifice, and a memorial of
fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.
12- For the Lord created him: and let him not
depart from thee, for his works are necessary.
13- For there is a time when thou must fall
into their hands:
14- And they shall beseech the Lord, that he
would prosper what they give for ease and remedy, for their conversation.
15- He that sinneth in the sight of his Maker,
shall fall into the hands of the physician.
2- James 5:14-16:
14- Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church
to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15- And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the
Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other
so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
So, what to do if you are Sick?:
1- Do not get impatient, trust in the Lord... always trust in God, in Jesus (Ecc.38:9).
2- Pray to the Lord, and He shall heal you! (Ecc.38:8)... that's a
great promise!... and the first prayer should be of thanks-giving, giving thanks for the
sickness!... because we have to give thanks to God for every thing and in all
circumstances (Eph.5:20, 1Thes.5:16-18).
And, of course, you ultimately are going to die!... and your death may
be the best healing of God for you at that time, to bring you to the eternal happiness in
Heaven, praise the Lord!.
3- Call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over you, and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord...and the prayer of faith will make you well, and will rise you up!... that's a big promise of Jam.5:15, alleluia!
4- Make a good Confession of Sins: "Turn away from sin and
order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence." (Ecc.38:10)...
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be
healed." (Jam.5:16)...
Confess all your sins, but most specially the sins of rancor,
resentment, hatred, grudge... because if we don't forgive others, we can't even pray the
Our Father where we ask God to forgive us the way we forgive others (Mat.6:12-15).
5- Offer the Holy Mass, "Give a sweet sacrifice, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering" (Ecc.38:11)... the memorial we have in Christianity is the Holy Mass, to offer the Father the Lamb of God, Jesus crucified an risen, praise the Lord!.
6- Call the Physician, go to the Hospital (in Ecc.38:11-15)... it is usually the first thing we do, but it should be the last!... and in the quotation of James it is not even mentioned!... by the time you go to the Doctor you may be already healed!, praise the Lord!.
Most of the times the sickness will not be healed by a miracle, that will be the extra-ordinary, the ordinary, the usual way is to be healed by God but using the skills, good care and compassion of a doctor and nurse, and the care and compassion of relatives, friends, neighbors...
I am a Doctor in Medicine and Surgery, practicing Internal Medicine since 1959, most of the time in New York City, where I have taken care of over 100,000 patients... I really do my best to practice Medicine according to the American Medical Association standards, but I acknowledge that it is God the one who really heals, using me some times... I believe it is true the statement of the Bible, "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39)...
When I started my Private Practice in New York in 1966, I got an ink pen, with an ink bottle, because the Death Certificates had to be done with ink in New York State... and I still have not used it in my 35th anniversary, praise the Lord!... and I know well it is not due to my skills, but thanks to Jesus and my Mother Mary who take care of me, thank you Lord!.