Is the gift of faith healing available today? And if so, how can we test them to know if they are truly from Christ?

My current stand point is that I don't believe people today have the gift to heal. I believe the Lord still heals people today only through prayer and request. Regardless, I went for the very first time to observe a person who claims to be a faith healer. I'm really confused and searching for answers.

Here is what happened.... The faith healer I observed is a man who dresses very unusual. He wears really tight jeans, and he wears what seems to be womans jewelry: flashy rings with large pink and white diamonds, fat pearl bracelets, earings and a pink belt. He said he wears these kind of garments so that we can have an image of what we will look like in the kingdom of heaven. I don't understand that at all.

He played about twelve songs recorded from a CD and at the same time he played along with his guitar. I found that odd because at first I actually thought he was singing until I noticed his mouth didn't always move. He read many passages from the Bible, all which had to do with forgiving others their sins. This entire meeting lasted 4 hours and I was almost falling asleep because his speaking really bored me. He would whisper a lot.

At the end, (3 hours and 45 minutes later), he asked people to come up who needed healing or wanted to be released of their unforgiveness toward others. Only three people went to him and he put his hand over them and said prayer. I really don't even know if they were healed because I was on my way out the door. However, as I was leaving he asked me if I needed anything healed. When I said no he asked if I had back pain, stomach ache or headaches. I actually had a bad headache but I said "no thank you". Praise the Lord I am in very good health. I do get headaches now and then but it has nothing to do with any type of disease.

I have to say that I went to that meeting with the full armour of God and not an open mind. I admit I'm a big-time skeptic but I also don't want my lack of faith to get in the way.

Since this is my first experience with faith healers I would appreciate any help you could offer. My first thought was to come to talkjesus. Thanks!

i would have to say yes. healing is still used to today through God. My sister does it to animals all the time and they are healed as new

My approach to such 'faith healers' is not condemnation, but an open mind. My first question would be "Are they preaching the Message of the Cross, the message of Jesus"

If they are I withhold judgement, because like me they are 'preaching Jesus'

You mention the dress of the Evangelist....I also would question.

I recall my nephew (Pastor) going to hear a well known Evangelist preach, now based in Florida, dressed similar, shirt cuffs engraved hand sewn etc........and after the service my nephew responding for prayer.

My nephew was unable to drive home....such was the power of the Holy Spirit upon his person.

Only Jesus can heal, bless, save to the "uttermost"

I have to say that I went to that meeting with the full armour of God and not an open mind. I admit I'm a big-time skeptic but I also don't want my lack of faith to get in the way.

Since this is my first experience with faith healers I would appreciate any help you could offer. My first thought was to come to talkjesus. Thanks!

I'm a big-time skeptic

Thanks for coming to T.J.

Jesus said " He that believeth on me....out of his belly, (innermost being) shall flow rivers of living water"

Yes, he was preaching Jesus and the message of the cross. That was ultimately the main thing I was looking for for discernment. He also told us that he can do nothing of himself, that it's only through Jesus that he can heal. I also know a woman who had been to this same faith healer and she was brought to Christ. I knew her before that time and I see the remarkable difference when she accepted Christ. So there is more evidence that this man is genuine.

I don't want to condemn and I hope that isn't what I'm doing. But I can't leave and open mind because I feel I have to continually be on the defensive. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, we have to be alert because satan is prowling like a roaring lion.

That's amazing about the power of the Holy Spirit's effect on your nephew. I didn't get that feeling.

Funny thing that you mention healing of animals because there was a toy poodle at the meeting that had a lame leg and was limping around all evening in the room. It was owned by a woman who came with the faith healer who spoke and I don't know if she was his wife. But I felt sad for this cute little limping dog and wondered why his dog was in that condition. Is there any mention in the Bible of Jesus healing an animal?

Here is what I've learned so far on the topic and please add to it if you can. I plan on doing more research today.

-The three reasons Jesus heals:
1) For the benefit of the person, out of compasion and love which Jesus has for all people.
2) For the purpose of bringing sinful men to Jesus.
3) To authenticate the messangers of God. It was given to the apostles and those commisioned by the apostles like Stephen and Philip.

-The types of diseases Jesus healed were organic diseases such as palsy, leprosy, blindness, lameness, birth defects and death.

-There are no cases of Him healing people who had headaches, back aches or stomach aches (these are functional diseases). In fact, 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul did not cure Timothy's stomach ache.

I feel I have to continually be on the defensive. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, we have to be alert because satan is prowling like a roaring lion.

Indeed. We have to discern, and Jesus gives the ability to do that, according to scripture

-The three reasons Jesus heals:
1) For the benefit of the person, out of compasion and love which Jesus has for all people.
2) For the purpose of bringing sinful men to Jesus.
3) To authenticate the messangers of God. It was given to the apostles and those commisioned by the apostles like Stephen and Philip.

I would agree

Hi Mouse,

Yes, the gift of healing is still for today. We can debate that later on if you wish.

In Scripture, it says, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them." (Mat 4:23-24). This would include headaches, stomach aches and the like.

The disciples did the same.

I'm not sure quite what you mean by organic and functional diseases, but from your list, it seems like fever would fall into the functional diseases. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law of fever.

As for the flashy faith healer, judge his message, not necessarily whether or not he gets people healed.

One other thought is that any one of us can be used to healed the sick. One does not need a gift of healing.

oboy

Originally Posted by oboy

One other thought is that anyone of us can be used to healed the sick. One does not need a gift of healing.

I don't think that's true. Can you back this up with Scripture?

Originally Posted by Chad

I don't think that's true. Can you back this up with Scripture?

It can be backed up with both Scripture and history.

Mark 16:15-18 says, He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

Who is it that will lay hands on the sick? Is it the apostles? No, it is those who believe the message of the apostles. That's you and me.

Any believer can lay their hands on the sick and see people healed.

In James 5, it's the elders that are used to pray the prayer of faith.

In Acts 6, we have Stephen, one of the seven (called to wait on tables), "a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people." It doesn't say what kind of wonders and signs, but these usually refer to healing.

In Acts 8, Phillip, another of the seven and an evangelist, did many "miraculous signs...With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed."

If any Christian can preach the Gospel and cast out demons, then any Christian can heal the sick.

In history, we don't just see healing evangelists healing the sick, but all kinds of people healing the sick.

Pastor Blumhardt of Germany, Andrew Murray, Rees Howells, Martin Luther are some famous folk that saw the sick healed. When C.T. Studd was heading out to Africa, he got sick and his 20-year old fellow missionary laid hands on him and anointed him with lamp oil. Studd woke up the next morning healed.

The Baptist, John R. Rice, was used in healing.

When I was in college, I had a friend that prayed for a guy that had fallen and been cut. The cut instantly healed.

I prayed for my cousin-in-law who was bed-ridden. The next day she was up and moving with no problem. (BTW, when I say pray, I mean that I command the sickness to leave...not just ask God to heal a person).

A 60-something old guy in my men's group got saved a few months ago, and was delivered from alcohol and smoking, and God is using him to heal the sick.

I have friends all over the world, from many different denominations, who have testimonies of how they prayed for someone and that person was instantly healed.

The only reason more people don't get healed is because we, the believers, don't have faith to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. The fault lies totally with us.

oboy

my Pastor's wife says she has the gift of healing as people get healed when she lays hands on them and prays for them. I know God can use us as His vessels to bring healing to whoever He chooses to heal.
We also need to have faith to believe we have received it as well.

God bless

LLJ

Originally Posted by oboy

Hi Mouse,

Yes, the gift of healing is still for today. We can debate that later on if you wish.

In Scripture, it says, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them." (Mat 4:23-24). This would include headaches, stomach aches and the like.

The disciples did the same.

I'm not sure quite what you mean by organic and functional diseases, but from your list, it seems like fever would fall into the functional diseases. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law of fever.

As for the flashy faith healer, judge his message, not necessarily whether or not he gets people healed.

One other thought is that any one of us can be used to healed the sick. One does not need a gift of healing.

oboy

I read those scriptures, thank you. But now I wonder why Timothy's stomach ache wasn't cured in 1 Timothy 5:23?

Here is another thing I'm investigating. The way we test people today is by seeing if they line up with the scriptures. But back when the apostles were spreading the message of Christ they didn't have this method, so they needed signs such as healing to authenticate themselves. So the gifts of healing and all the other gifts would be in effect to authenticate. But today we have scriptures so we don't need to use the signs.