THE GENUINE GIFT OF HEALING - THE REAL THING Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama) June 18, 2011 They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. Mark 16:18 To another is given the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:9 The gift of healing is the supernatural gift that God gave to certain men to heal people of any kind of sickness or disease instantly without the use of medicine or doctors. The gift of healing included such miracles as: The instant re growth of missing hands, arms and legs. (Mark 3) Giving sight to people who were blind and could not see and giving sight to people who were born blind. Causing the deaf who had never heard, to hear clearly. Causing the dumb who never spoke, to speak clearly. Cleansing people of leprosy immediately. Restoring sanity to the insane, giving them a sound mind. Causing the crippled that had never walked, to walk, run, and even leap. Casting devils out of people which also resulting in healing. Healing incurable diseases. Raising people from the dead. No one was ever charged money to get healed. No special offerings were taken up when people were healed for healing was a gift of God. The sick were healed by a touch or a word from the healer. Every sick person who came to be healed was healed. Everyone was healed and no one went away still sick. All healings could be easily verified beyond a doubt. Healing was instant. There was no such thing as progressive healing. Healing was done everywhere in all kinds of environments and settings such as: streets, the sea side, and open fields. True healers did not erect stages, lights, or play special music in controlled environments to heal people. All healings were visible and physical. True healers didn't go up and down the country side healing lower back pain, headaches, heart palpitations, hot flashes, depression, or other invisible aliments. They healed crippled legs, withered hands, blind eyes, deaf ears, leprosy, missing limbs and insanity. Dead people who had been dead for days were raised from the dead. Some were healed who had no faith at all. (John 9) Some were healed by the shadow of the one who had the gift of healing. (Acts 5) Some were healed by touching the garment of the one who had the gift of healing. (Matt. 14) Some were healed by handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched the body of the one who had the gift of healing. (Acts 19) Some were healed without coming near the one who did the healing. (Luke 7) These are the miracles wrought by those who had the real gift of healing. One of many reasons we know that God does not give this gift today is simply because there is not a man or woman today who can perform any of these miracles that true healers did in time past. ALL SO CALLED HEALERS TODAY ARE LIARS, FAKES, AND FRAUDS! The Healing Ministry of Christ! How did Christ heal and what were his techniques? ----Christ Healed By Word Or Touch Matthew 8:5-13 Matthew 8:14-15 Matthew 8:16 Mark 5:25-34 There were no theatrics, no special environment, no special music, no building to go to, no choir singing, no special lighting, no offerings taken up, not even prayer. ----Christ Healed Instantly Matthew 8:13 Mark 5:29 Luke 5:13 People often say I have been healed and now I am getting better. Jesus never did progressive healing. It was always instantly so that everyone would see and know that a miracle had taken place. ----Christ Healed Totally Luke 4:39 She was immediately and totally healed and in fact got up and began to wait on them. There was no recuperation period. The Lord did not tell her to take it easy for a few weeks. She did not undergo weeks of therapy or place herself under a doctors care for a long period of time. Her healing was instantly and totally and she knew it. ----Christ Healed Everyone Luke 4:40 Anyone who came to Jesus to be healed went away healed. No one was left behind sick. He healed them all. He didn’t leave long lines of people sick because he couldn’t reach them. ----Christ Healed Physical Organic Disease He healed crippled legs, withered hands, blind eyes, palsy, missing limbs ect. All healings were undeniably miraculous. Why is it that the only miracles ever done on TV are the kind that involve no visible evidence? ----Christ Restored Missing Limbs Mark 3:1-5 When did you ever see a man with a missing hand have it restored whole again by Benny Hinn or Copeland? ----Christ Healed People Who Had No Faith John 9:1-11, 35-38 These fake healers today say people are not healed because they don’t have faith. This man did not have faith or believe in Jesus when he was healed of blindness. He did not know who Jesus was until after he was healed. ----Christ Raised The Dead Luke 7:11-16 John 11:38-45 (4 days after he died) People who promote the gift of healing today do not spend much time in funeral homes, funeral possessions or cemeteries. The reason is obvious. The gift of healing included raising the dead. I have to confess that I have no patience with or tolerance for the fake healers of today. If you made the claims they make in the business world they will lock you up in jail for fraud. But these lying fake healers are protected by the law as they lie, defraud, and deceive people.