Healing: Insights for Christian Elders

Healing and sickness are critical issues for the church. The Bible teaches that gift of salvation includes both forgiveness and healing in the same package. Jesus confirmed this by healing wherever he went. He healed so many sick people that even his enemies had to take him seriously. Healing the sick was crucial for the success of the early church. The modern Christian practice falls far short of their experience. This book provides fifteen keys that will help God's people obtain greater victory over pain and sickness. Here are some of them. - The gift of healing confirms the gospel, so it is primarily for evangelism and not for Christians. - The modern world struggles with sickness, so the best proof of the love of Jesus is seeing sick people being healed. - The gift of healing belongs in the streets and marketplaces, not at the front of a church. - Submission and spiritual protection go together. - Pleading with God to heal a sick friend devalues Jesus work on the cross. - Asking why God allowed a Christian to die of sickness is dangerous, because questions God's character. - Elders and pastors are accountable for dealing with sickness in the church, because Jesus never gave them authority to control the church, but he did give them authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. Many Christians have prayed against sickness for a long time without gaining victory. This book is not for them. Most of the blockages to healing are problems with church leadership, so an individual cannot deal with them on their own. This book provides guidance for Christian Elders who are serious about getting victory for those whom God has entrusted to their oversight. God is looking for elders and shepherds who will press into Jesus' healing and will not give up until their people is experiencing the full promise of his glorious salvation. This book is full of principles, but on their own, principles cannot heal the sick. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit heal the sick, so he is what we need. The only value of the principles outlined in this book is that they may help Christian elders who are walking in the Spirit to understand what he is doing and know how to cooperate with him as he advances the Kingdom of God and brings glory to Jesus. On the other hand, these principles are prophetic. If the church can take hold of Jesus victory over sickness and evil spirits, it will be well on the way to seeing the glory the Kingdom of God.