Tag: heal

Who Needs a Doctor?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 30, 2012

In the accounts of Jesus’ life, there’s a curious exchange he has with the religious leaders. Although he has many such interactions, this is perhaps the most perplexing.

He tells them healthy people don’t need a doctor. True. Then he makes a parallel assertion that his purpose isn’t to help good people (the “righteous”) but bad people (the “sinners”).

What does this mean?

Is he implying the religious leaders are healthy and in no need of his help, that they’re doing fine by adhering to their traditions?

While it’s true that following their laws could be sufficient, they would need to do so perfectly. This is humanly impossible.

This could be a sarcastic statement, calling them good (righteous) when everyone—including themselves—knew it wasn’t true, that they fell short of God’s standard as well.

Jesus could have meant, that since the religious leaders considered themselves to be healthy, there was nothing he could do for them. Although they were really sick, he couldn’t be their doctor until they admitted they were ill.

We all need a doctor, but are we willing to admit it?

[Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31-32]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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Tags heal, Jesus, righteous, sin

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 7, 2012

The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit: Encountering The Power of Signs and Wonders

By C. Peter Wagner (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

C. Peter Wagner begins The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit by identifying the first two waves: the Pentecostal movement that opened the twentieth century and the wider Charismatic movement that followed it some 50 years later.

The third wave is a moving of the Holy Spirit among evangelical circles in which divine power is used to enhance and speed the spread of the Gospel—succinctly stated, “Miracles help people believe,” (p 92).

The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit: Encountering The Power of Signs and Wonders

Wagner notes that the general lack of supernatural power in many churches, circa 1988, is “due to the pervasive influences of secular humanism through all levels of contemporary American culture” (p 21).

Indeed, the worldview of most non-Westerners’ contains three tiers of thought, with the middle level freely embracing supernatural phenomenon—be it good or bad.

The Western worldview lacks this awareness, persisting in a two-tiered perspective, effectively denying the signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit.

The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit addresses four levels of faith, with the fourth being signs and wonders. This opens the door for “power evangelism,” with performing miracles as a means of attracting people to Jesus.

Wagner goes on to warn that those who experience the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit need to guard against esteeming themselves as super spiritual or viewing others as lower-level Christians.

Wagner continues by teaching on the real and tangible power of the enemy, but confirms that the power of God is greater; followers of Jesus can—and should—cast out evil spirits.

He also addresses specific moves of the Holy Spirit, which are denied by some Christians: healing, deliverance, language, prophecy, and even raising the dead.

Aside from their use to facilitate the spread of the Gospel, these signs and wonders are not an end to themselves, but a means for a deeper walk with God.

Towards this end, Wagner teaches on our response to the three types of death, ministry to the poor, dealing with suffering, and bearing fruit and cultivating intimacy with God.

Although The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit was written in 1988, its truth is timeless and its message is still relevant today.

[The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit: Encountering The Power of Signs and Wonders, by C. Peter Wagner. Published by Servant Books, 1988, ISBN: 0-89283-601-1, 133 pages.]

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Tags evangelism, heal, Holy Spirit, supernatural

Bible Insights

Jesus Often Did the Unexpected

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 14, 2012

Jesus seems to specialize in doing the unexpected.

For instance, consider when the rich young ruler asks Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus side-steps the question about eternal life. Instead, he goes into teaching about good. That was unexpected.

Another time, four men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. Jesus shocks everyone by forgiving the man’s sins. That was really unexpected.

However, later on Jesus does heal the paralyzed man and he does answer the young ruler’s question (although it’s not what the man wanted to hear—that was unexpected, too).

Jesus often does the unexpected. Perhaps that’s one reason the crowds were drawn to him two thousand years ago and why we are drawn to him today.

Unexpected Jesus may surprise us and at times perplex us, but he is still our healer and savior.

[Luke 18:18-22, Luke 5:18-25]

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Tags eternal life, heal, Jesus

Bible Insights

Do You Need a Doctor?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date June 7, 2012

Jesus said, “It is not healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus came for the sick. (Since he came to heal and to save, we may be able to comprehend this both literally and figuratively, that is, the physically sick and the spiritually sick.)

Jesus came for sinners—those who miss the mark.

Conversely, Jesus did not come for the healthy, the righteous. What exactly does that mean? Perhaps:

People who are righteous (good and law-abiding) don’t need Jesus. (Is Jesus implying their path is through the Old Testament covenant and following the Law of Moses?)
People who think they are on the right track will never know they need Jesus, so he is dismissing them.
Everyone needs Jesus, but some people delude themselves, thinking they are the exception.

None of these ideas is an adequate explanation for me of what this text means. Although the first one seems heretical, it is also the most direct understanding of Jesus’ actual words.

The other two responses require an interjection of ideas, some assumptions to be made—of basically reading the text through our own theological glasses.

Fortunately, I don’t need to understand this text completely. What I do know is I need a doctor—and his name is Jesus.

[Mark 2:17, Matthew 9:12-13, and Luke 5:31-32]

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Tags heal, Jesus, righteous, salvation, sin

Bible Insights

What’s the Deal with Evil Spirits?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 1, 2010

When reading the gospels (the stories about Jesus) in the Bible, it doesn’t take long to run across the phrase “evil spirit.” (Some translations use “unclean spirit” or a “corrupting spirit.”)

What is an “evil spirit” anyway?

As a teenager, I thought that an evil spirit was merely ancient man’s way of understanding mental illness.
As a young adult, my perspective flipped and I thought that mental illness was merely modern man’s way of explaining evil spirits.
Later on, I began to consider that both mental illness and evil spirits existed, but as separate, disparate phenomena.
More recently, I’ve been thinking that they may just be two different ways of looking at the same thing, two sides of the same coin.

Although contemplating the meaning of an evil spirit may be intellectually inviting, the central point is to remember that regardless of what it was, Jesus healed people who had evil spirits—and he gave his followers the authority to do the same!

Now, that’s something to think about.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 8-10, and today’s post is on Matthew 10:1.]

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Tags evil spirits, heal, Jesus

Bible Insights

Jesus’ Mission

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 15, 2009

To Heal and to Save

Jesus came to heal and to save; that was his mission and his purpose.

At that time, the people largely accepted Jesus’ healing ministry, but not so much his saving ministry.

Today, it is the opposite, with his followers accepting his saving ministry, but not so much his healing ministry.

There is a wonderful story that covers both of his ministries in one account:

A paralyzed man is carried to Jesus. His need seems self-evident—to walk. Yet, Jesus’ first response is to forgive the man of his sins. (Forgiving his sins, made him right with God, thereby saving him.)

The religious elite are aghast at Jesus’ audacity.

Then to prove his authority to forgive sins, Jesus also heals the man—who then gets up and walks home.

Yes, Jesus came to heal and to save. He did it then; he does it today.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 8-10, and today’s post is on Matthew 9:2-7.]

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Tags heal, Jesus

Bible Insights

Naaman Overcomes his Pride

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 19, 2009

The Bible includes the story of Naaman, an Aramean army commander, who has leprosy (at the time, a contagious skin disease). His Jewish servant girl suggests that he go and see Elisha, in Israel, to be healed.

Naaman eagerly goes, but feels slighted by Elisha, who doesn’t even bother to greet his powerful visitor, instead sending a servant with the simple message to wash seven times in the river to be healed.

Naaman is not used to being treated that way; he storms off in a huff. He wanted attention. Instead he expected that a grand and glorious display of power would be given to bring about his healing.

Fortunately, the cooler head of another of his servants prevails, essentially saying, “Don’t be proud; you have nothing to lose.”

Naaman agrees. He performs the humble task of washing himself in the river—and God heals him!

Sometimes when we ask for God’s help, we expect one thing, but he provides an unexpected response. What do we do then, stomp off in a huff or dutifully follow God’s instructions?

In Naaman’s case, he had to humble himself before receiving God’s reward. We should not be surprised when we must do the same.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 2 Kings 5-7, and today’s post is on 2 Kings 5.]

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Tags heal, Naaman, pride

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Diary of God’s General

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 30, 2009

Excerpts from the Miracle Ministry of John G. Lake

By John G. Lake (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

This small book is a quick read, yet filled with amazing stories and accounts of God at work through his servant, John G. Lake. This work was compiled by Lake’s son-in-law and takes the form of a first-person narrative.

Trained to be a minister, Lake instead opted to start a newspaper. When his wife was miraculously healed from a prolonged illness by John Dowie, Lake was forever changed and went into the ministry.

This book chronicles his life’s works as a minister, revivalist, and healer, as well as providing the biographical framework in which these events took place.

Though the accounts may seem incredible to the modern thinker, many have been documented and verified by others.

For the post-modern spiritually inclined, however, these descriptions of the supernatural give cause for excitement and the realization that there is so much more available to those who diligently follow Jesus.

[Diary of God’s General: Excerpts from the Miracle Ministry of John G. Lake, by John G. Lake. Published by Harrison House, 2004; ISBN: 978-1577945284; 96 pages.]

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Tags heal, miracle, supernatural

Bible Insights

Is it Easier to Forgive or to Heal Someone?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 12, 2008

There is an account of Jesus, when a paralyzed man seeks to be healed. In a surprise move, Jesus confounds everybody by forgiving the man’s sins!

Jesus had realized that this man’s greatest need was not physical, but spiritual, so he addressed that first.

Knowing that it is much easier to say “your sins are forgiven” then to make a lame man walk, Jesus than healed the man (thereby proving he had the power to forgive sins) and addressed the man’s second greatest need.

In doing so, Jesus shows that he came not only to save (forgive our sins), but also to heal.

[Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:2-12, and Luke 5:18-26]

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Tags forgiveness, heal, Jesus