miraculous healing today?

Originally posted on July 07, 2008 – by Andre Piet

QUESTION:
This week I witnessed a truly great miracle of healing. I see it and accept it, but I find it difficult to place because I always thought that miracles and signs were for the people of Israel.

ANSWER:

miracle ministries for Israel

‘Miracle ministries’ are indeed connected with Israel. “The twelve” were sent out to heal the sick and cast out demons as a visible sign for Israel (1). Thus the healing of the paralytic at the Beautiful Gate was a depiction of what GOD would do with Israel in those days (2).

faith that moves mountains

Such miracleministries may by now belong to the past, but that does not mean that miracles have disappeared from the world. Even today, faith is still fully capable of moving mountains. Paul speaks of this in 1 Cor. 13:2. That is remarkable, because in 1 Corinthians 13 the apostle shows that certain signs (“tongues” and “prophecy”) would disappear once the childish phase of the Ecclesia had passed (3). But of faith he says that it would remain, together with expectation (hope) and love (4).
Certainly, faith and expectation will also disappear in due time, that is, when both will be exchanged for perception (5). So that ultimately only love remains, and therefore Paul also calls this the greatest of the three.
What I am concerned with here is that faith is still exactly the same wondrous source of power as in the days of ‘Acts’.

faith in which promise?

Faith is always: trust in God’s promise. Which then raises the logical question: what does God promise to us, in the present ‘administration’ (dispensation) that Paul made known? Does He promise to heal the sick or raise the dead through our hands, as He once promised to “the twelve”? No, that was a specific promise in connection with the proclamation of the restoration of Israel in those days (6).

GOD provides for all our needs

We do not have the promise that God heals us. Or heals through us. We do have the promise that “My GOD shall be filling up ALL your need according to His riches” (7). Take note:

1. It says: “AL your need”: that is, physical, psychological, spiritual, financial, social, and so on!
2. It says: “all our NEED” and not “all our wishes.” GOD determines what we need. In this same Philippians 4, Paul shows that he sometimes had to live with lack, but that GOD then always compensates by giving His power, so that we can be perfectly content and have sufficiency (8). Applied to sickness: either GOD heals miraculously (9) or He gives wondrous power to bear the illness.
3. It says: “according to His RICHES,” thus not sparingly. It also does not say “OUT of His riches” but “ACCORDING TO His riches.” That is a great difference! If the multibillionaire Bill Gates gives away $10, he gives out of his riches, but not exactly according to his riches.

We have a rich GOD to Whom all gold and diamond belong. And He guarantees to everyone who believes (that is, stands on His promise) to give according to His riches—more than enough!

footnotes:
(1) Matt. 10:5–8
(2) Acts 3:15–21
(3) 13:8,9
(4) 1 Cor. 13:13
(5) 2 Cor. 5:7
(6) Acts 1:6
(7) Phil. 4:19
(8) Phil. 4:11–13
(9) as He, for example, did with Epaphroditus; Phil. 2:27

Delen: