Under the old covenant, the people of Israel were given dietary laws which outlined clean and unclean foods (Genesis 9:2-4; Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 7:23-27, 11:1-47, 17:10-16; Deuteronomy 14:3-21). Not only were these laws protective of their health, but they were also required to be obeyed in order to be in right-standing with God. If they obeyed, they were blessed; if they disobeyed, they came under the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 28).
It is so important to remember that when it comes to God, He deals with everything according to the heart. There are times when unbelievers can receive healing. And there are times when believers don’t.
The miracle-working power of Jesus is always available, but sometimes we have to press in to discover just how to receive or minister healing to another person. Praying in the spirit and listening for the leading of the Lord will help you discern how to minister healing to an individual.
The laying on of hands is when a believer places hands on another person to release the power of God for one of three purposes.
Kellie Copeland Swisher, aka Commander Kellie, reflects on Superkid Academy and the effect it has had on children around the world.
Joseph Pilates developed the Pilates Method (or simply Pilates) as a physical fitness system in the early 20th century. Pilates called his method “Contrology,” because he believed his method uses the mind to control the muscles.
Religious tradition says that healing has passed away. They aren’t exactly sure when it happened, but they seem certain of its demise.
When you start reading the Bible, however, it’s easy to see why tradition is mistaken. God said, “I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26, KJV). He didn’t say, "I was the LORD who healed you," or, "I will be the LORD who heals you in heaven someday." He said, "I am your Healer—right now, today!" “I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6, KJV).
God’s will for you is healing and wholeness. The price has already been paid (Isaiah 53:5). The path to receiving your healing is outlined in the Word of God.
Trying to control the flesh is not something you were meant to do on your own. The Apostle Paul wrote of his frustrations: “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (Romans 7:22-23). Be assured Jesus understands the pressures that you are faced with, and He desires to help you. Hebrews 4:15 says, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”
Praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. If you've never praised God in your life, then get started right now. Praise Him for freedom. Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.
You ought to be shouting your way to work and shouting your way back home! If there's anything the devil can't stand, it's praise.
Did you know that it's not God's will for you or anyone to die young? His will for you is to live the full number of your days. You ought to live 70 or 80 years, and if you are not satisfied, live awhile longer! The Bible says that when Abraham died, he died at a good old age, full of years. That's the way it ought to be with all of us.
No matter how bad the problem is you may be facing today, no matter how far under the circumstances you may be, in 24 hours you can be back on top!
"Oh, Brother Copeland, that would be impossible!"
That's what the Samaritans thought in 2 Kings 7. Their land was being ravaged by famine. Enemy troops had surrounded them and cut off all source of supply. Mothers were eating their own children just to survive.
Are you ready to face a crisis? Don't wait until one hits to find out. Prepare yourself now.
That's what a couple of my Partners did. They faced a situation that would have made many people panic. But when the crisis hit, their hearts were so deeply established on the Word of God that their first response was not one of fear but of faith.
What affected me most when I heard their testimony was one particular phrase they kept using:
No Deposit—No Return
Fear of failure. It's haunted all of us at some time in our lives. Popular psychology tells us to adjust to it. But the Word of God tells us that there is a failure-proof way to live without it. It is the way of love.
If you want to know real success, you must learn to be moved and motivated by love. That's how Jesus was when He was on the earth.
Few people realize just how closely connected faith and forgiveness are. Jesus taught about that connection in His sermon on mountain-moving faith that's recorded in Mark 11:22-26.
He said, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive" (verses 24-25).
Apart from the Word of God itself and prayer, nothing can do more for you than watching and imitating a real man of faith. I found that out in a big way many years ago when I was a student at Oral Roberts University. As co-pilot on the airplane that transported him and his staff to his healing meetings, I had the opportunity to study Oral Roberts up close. I followed him around. I heard him preach. I watched him lay hands on the sick.
There's an old Full Gospel tradition that says God gets glory from the wonderful way His children bear pain and agony and that the world is impressed by that. What a lie! That's simply a tool of the devil to keep God's children in bondage.
People of the world already have all the pain and agony they want. They aren't looking for a way into it. They are looking for a way out. They don't care what you preach. It's the religious people who get worried about that. The world, the sinners, are smarter than that. All they care about are the results.
God is faithful. He's full of compassion. His mercies are new every morning. As a believer, you know all that. But simply knowing it is not enough.
For it to do you any good, you have to recall it. You have to remember it again and again in order to rekindle your hope and stir your faith.
So, make it a point to remind yourself of God's faithfulness every morning. Remind yourself of the benefits that are yours in Jesus.
What are those benefits? Psalm 103 spells them out:
1. He forgives all your sins.
2. He heals all your diseases.
All of us know what it's like to go round in circles. To pray our way through one financial disaster only to be met by another. To receive healing for one illness just in time to be knocked off our feet by the next.
Oh, we try. We pray. We exercise our faith. But we keep getting caught in the same old problems over and over again. Why? Because all too often, we don't actually know what it is we need to be praying for.
Have you ever noticed that those who have the most exciting, faith-inspiring testimonies are those who've been under pressure at some time in their lives? They're the people who stayed faithful when the pressure was on. They're the people who believed God's promises of prosperity in the midst of desperate financial situations or trusted God for healing in the face of a terminal disease.