Saturday, January 8, 2011

Healing: body, mind, and soul.

Luke 8

It is easy for us to believe that God can heal one of the three. For example, most Christians have no problem believing that Jesus can easily “save” a soul but when in comes to setting a mind free or healing a body, some place limits on what God can do today.

Luke is a doctor and his desire is for us to understand exactly who Jesus is and how much He cares for us. In this chapter he takes us on a healing journey to show us that nothing is too hard for our God.

Luke begins with Jesus parable of the sower. God’s desire is for everyone to receive the “seed” but as the story explains not everyone will. Just as the sower is casting seed everywhere God’s love is not sectarian, nor prejudice and it goes out to all. It is our choice. The “healing” occurs to the soul (spirit) when we accept the gift of the seed. Once again the acceptance of the healing, the seed, salvation, is in our hands God has made a way but we must choose. When you are praying during this time for the salvation of your family and friends realize that it is even more God’s desire than yours that you loved ones come to Christ. When you are praying for their salvation you are praying exactly God’s will (2 Peter 3:9).

Jesus had sent the disciples across the lake. In His physical weariness from ministering He fell asleep in the boat. A storm arose, you know the story, the part we miss is that Jesus said to them, “Where is your faith?” It may seem at first to be a little rough, especially that most of the disciples had grown up on this lake and they new how dangerous these storms could be. The “faith” was simply Jesus, the God who created all things, had shown them many miracles including His power over death; He had given them an instruction to go to the other side. Jesus question about their faith was simply, If I am God and I told you to go to the other side don’t you think I know we will make it? How many times do we allow fear to creep in even though God has given us a clear instruction? How many times have we doubted who He is, because we have doubted His direction for our lives?

Back to the healing!

It is interesting to note that once they made it through their storm the battle was not over their was another who needed to be set free. Did the enemy want Jesus and the disciples to give up and turn back? Has this ever happened to you? You face a struggle you turn around and possibly miss out on what God has next? We are a people called to advance not retreat (except to get rest)!
On the other side, a man with a mind out of control is set free. According to other passages, he had broken many chains and terrorized people. However, in a moment of time Jesus set him free. This impossible mental condition was brought under control in a matter of moments. Into his craziness, manic, out of control state, just like Jesus did to the waves and winds, He spoke, “peace”! There are few in our culture that are this out of control, but many suffer from severe bouts of depression and anxiety. Other fears are rampant and unhappiness is almost epidemic but into this insanity Jesus can still speak, “peace be still”. Do you know someone who is in mental torment and anguish? Jesus is still speaking, “peace”, today! Perhaps you are battling some fear or depression; allow Him to bring peace to your life today.

The last two miracles mentioned here, are physical restoration. Both instances required faith. The woman who had been abused by doctor after doctor until all of her resources where gone. As an act of desperation, she reaches out to Jesus and the power flowing through Him heals! Peter had a similar thing happening, people would sit and wait for his shadow to fall on them in hope that even his passing shadow would bring healing to them. Jairus was a leader in the church. his daughter was ill. No one could help. He came to Jesus. Some times (not always) like these two situations we have to lose all faith in everything else before we grasp the full measure of faith we need to move the mountains in our lives. If our hope and trust are still in the herbs, vitamins, medicines, doctors, or anything other than Jesus we may miss our healing. God certainly can use all of these things and more, but our faith must first be in Him to heal, then whatever way He chooses to heal is totally in His hands and not ours. Our faith is first and foremost in Him.

Jesus has compassion for all people. His ability to heal is not limited. He is still healing in all these ways and more today. I hope this encourages you to trust Him to heal you, your friends or family soul, body, and mind!

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