Part 4 – Why Some Are Healed And Others Are Not? [The Difference Between Faith and Presumption]

In the previous articles, I have pointed out that healing miracles may be blocked by the lack of faith – whether it is in the patient or the minister of healing. Therefore, having “mountain-moving faith” is of key importance in receiving healing miracles. I must also clarify that on many occasions, the lack of faith may not be the only reason why a patient is not miraculously healed.

Guilt Through Presumption
Many patients have carried the terrible burden of guilt because of the accusation by well-meaning healing ministers that these sick people lacked the faith to receive their healing miracles. For example, a 16-year old teenager who had both his legs amputated because of bone cancer was devastated by immense guilt. An elderly brother from our church visited him and told this young believer that God would grow his legs back if he had enough faith. The teenager was desperate because he could not muster enough faith to grow back his legs. His guilt was intensified by the presumption of our church member.

The question is asked, “Can God grow back those legs?” I believe that our Creator God can perform any miracles if He wanted to. Growing limbs would be a simple feat as compared with the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus. Imagine, Jesus had to restore the dead brain cells, non-functioning organs, and all the decaying flesh of Lazarus who had died and was buried for four days. (John 11:17-44). And in this case, Jesus raised Lazarus back to life without even requiring Lazarus to activate his faith. The poor fellow was dead, remember? He had no faith at all and 100% of faith was from Jesus.

Difference Between Faith And Presumption
God is sovereign and He knows what is best. When King Herod chopped off the head of John the Baptist (Mark 6:27), Jesus did not perform a miracle to place John’s head back and bring him back to life. Could Jesus raise the dead? Of course! Jesus raised the dead son of a widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17) and also Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:54-55). You may question that wouldn’t it be better to raise John the Baptist as he would be of great benefit to the kingdom of God? You may have your reason and presumption but once again, God is sovereign and He knows best.

In the early church, the disciples were doing great miracles but when James was killed, they did not raise him back to life. (Acts 12:2). In the same chapter, we read about Peter being rescued from prison by an angel (Acts 12:7-10). Why didn’t God save James in the same manner? Wasn’t James a member of Christ’s inner circle of three, along with Peter and John? How about Stephen? Did the early church raise him from the dead after he was being stoned to death? (Acts 7:59). Could they raise the dead? Of course! Peter raised Dorcas from the dead in Acts 9 and Paul raised Eutychus who fell to his death after falling asleep by the window (Acts 20).

Three Basic Guiding Posts
Jesus said that “all things are possible” for those who have faith. James confirmed that without faith, no one would receive anything from God (James 1:7). However, so often, because of presumptuous faith, we move with unwarranted authority, thinking that we are the ultimate determiners of all miracles. That is an erroneous idea and an absolutely misplaced assumption. God has a bigger plan that goes far beyond our little crises, aches, and pains. He may want us to do certain things and not do certain things so as to fulfill His ultimate purpose. We just have to be more attentive and listen to His guidance.

Here are the three basic guiding posts that you would need to follow so as to avoid presumptuous faith and activate real mountain-moving faith. We have to ask whether we have…
1. Precedents, principles, or examples in the Bible that we can apply.
2. Specific instruction by God that clearly delineates our healing ministry.
3. A word of knowledge or the gift of discernment that directs us to do otherwise

Healing A Deaf-Mute
On a mission trip to Solo city, Indonesia, our mission team and I were faced with the request to heal a man who was born deaf and dumb. So, we ministered according to the above guiding posts:

1. Precedents, principles, OR examples in the Bible that we can apply.
In Mark 7:31-37, we learn that Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. The Gospel has identified no fewer than 26 healing miracles during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The apostles followed after the footsteps of Jesus and they performed many miracles (Acts 2:43). Peter and John healed a lame man at the gates of the Temple (Acts 3:7-11). Signs and wonders were a part of the ministry of the apostles (Acts 5:12). Peter healed many from various cities (Acts 5:12-16). Stephen, who was not an apostle, performed great wonders and signs (Acts 6:8). In Samaria, Evangelist Philip who was one of the deacons did great miracles and signs (Acts 8:6,7,13). Ananias healed Saul of his blindness (Acts 9:17-18). Peter healed Aeneas (Acts 9:32-35). In Joppa, Peter raised Dorcus from the dead (Acts 9:39-42). Paul performed healing miracles in Iconium (Acts 14:3,4). At Lystra, Paul healed a crippled man in the mighty name of Jesus (Acts 14:8-18). Paul delivered a woman who was possessed by an evil spirit (Acts 16:18). Paul performed many miracles in Ephesus (Acts 19:11,12). In Troas, Paul raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:8-12). Paul healed the islanders of Malta who were diseased (Acts 28:8-9). So, we have ample examples and precedents for us to proceed with healing this deaf-mute.

2. Specific instruction by God that clearly delineates our healing ministry.
The instruction from Jesus is “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12). What did Jesus do? He preached the Gospel of the kingdom. He healed the sick and cast out demons, and He made disciples. So, that means that we can do what Jesus did. Moreover, the Gospel recorded that Jesus had given power and authority to His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach the Gospel of the kingdom. (Luke 9 & 10), What more do we need? The Lord has spoken!

THE HEALING MIRACLE BEGUN
It was in Gereja Gideon Gumunggung, that we ministered to this man who was born deaf and dumb. In our first few commands, the man’s ears were opened and he could hear. However, since he could not talk, he gestured to that fact. And so I laid my hand upon his mouth and commanded the spirit of dumbness to leave him. And to test him, I indicated for him to repeat after me by saying “Puji Tuhan” (Praise God) and “Hallelujah!” As he repeated those words, the congregation was cheering. Some were in tears. Later, after the service, the sister of this man confirmed that this man who was already in his 50s, was born deaf and dumb and now he had received his healing miracle from the Lord. Praise the Lord.

3. A word of knowledge or the Spirit of discernment that directs us to do otherwise
In general, we do not need a word of knowledge to minister healing. When an infirm asks for healing, we would normally just go ahead and command for the infirmity to go in the mighty name of Jesus. We expect the person to be healed and that he or she should give glory to God after the miracle
However, if we were to discern within our spirit, that we should not proceed with ministering of healing at that particular instance, we should stop. As we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will reveal certain deeper spiritual issues in the patient. We usually cease all healing ministry and address the spiritual issues first. In summary, we do not need a word of knowledge or a Rhema word to minister healing but we do need to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit if He were to give us a word to stop ministering healing.

What have we learned from today’s lesson?
We have to be careful not to give the infirm guilt trip or false accusation that they do not have enough faith to be healed. Wisdom is needed in how to encourage the faith of those who are seeking divine healing. It may very well be the minister of healing who lacks that mountain-moving faith. On the other hand, God may have His reason to delay healing. Just like in my case – I had to wait in God’s waiting room for two years after Pastor William Lau had commanded healing for me. There are many reasons that we may not know until later in the future. Meanwhile, let’s be faithful and continue to minister healing and cast out demons in the mighty name of Jesus.

Here is a video on healing that might be helpful to you.

Part 3 – Why Some Are Healed And Others Are Not?

The question is often asked, “Why some are healed and others are not?” In the previous two articles, I shared the first primary reason for the lack of healing miracles: the patient harbors hatred, bitterness, and grudges. The second reason is when the healing minister does not have enough faith. In this article, I like to share a little about the era or time that we are living in so that we will understand why healing miracles are highly dependent upon faith.

THE PRESENT EVIL AGE
We are living in this “Present Evil Age” (Galatians 1:4) and waiting for the “Age To Come” (Matthew 12:32). The idea of the “Present Evil Age” comes from the “Fall of Mankind” in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The dominion and authority of Adam were transferred to Satan who is now the ruler of the world. Jesus called Satan the ‘ruler of this world’ or “prince of this world” in John 16:11. However, the Word of God confirms that the world still belongs to God even though the devil usurped it. As the psalmist says in Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the LORD’S…“

THE AGE TO COME
The “Age To Come” is in the future and it will entail complete healing and perfect health. There will be no more death too. However, we must not detach the “Age To Come” from this “Present Evil Age” because when Jesus came, He brought the blessings of the future “Age To Come” into the “here and now”.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:28: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The “kingdom of God” here refers to the rule and reign of God rather than a geographical location. Salvation and divine healing are then the redemptive events that are actually happening in the midst of us. A sampling of the “perfection” of the “Age To Come” has entered our present experience. That is where our faith comes into play. Do we trust that the Lord would usher in this “Age To Come” and do we accept the “present blessings” of this future age? Do we believe the concept of the “kingdom of God is in the midst of you”? (Luke 17:21). In short, do we believe that we can receive healing and minister healing in the mighty name of Jesus?

ENGAGING THE AGE TO COME
When Jesus died on the cross, He provided us the privilege of being justified by faith. And so we are now engaging the “Age To Come” as the “righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21) instead of being guilty sinners residing in this “Present Evil Age”. By His death, we have moved from the rule of darkness to the rule of Christ our King (Colossians 1:13). Now, we can do what Jesus did while He was here on earth. We can preach the Gospel; we can make disciples for Christ; we can heal the sick and cast out demons. This is the authority of the kingdom of God here countering this “Present Evil Age”. We, the modern disciples of Christ, have become the “colonizing force” that will take the message of the kingdom of God all over the world, and… we will do it by the power and authority of Christ.

PREVIEWS OF THE AGE TO COME
All healing miracles are therefore previews of what would come later. The raising of the dead points us to the future when death shall be no more. The healing of physical ailments depicts the perfect health of the coming Age. So, why are still some people not healed today? Apart from the patient’s issues with unforgiveness or bitterness, and the lack of faith of the ministers, there are obviously other reasons. Some, we may know and some, we may not.

GOD’S WAITING ROOM
In my experience, about 80 percent of the miracles are instantaneous. However, for whatever reasons, some experienced healing at a much later date. For example, an elderly deaf man was not healed at the meeting but after he went home. While he slept, he felt a cool wind blowing at his head. Then the next day, he was completely healed of deafness. The first thing he heard was the complaining voice of his daughter-in-law.

I was not completely healed of ankylosing spondylitis that caused chronic pain in my body until almost two years after Pastor William had ministered healing to me. Like many who had delayed healing, the experience of pain and suffering drew me very close to God. During those ten years of affliction, I grew spiritually despite the weakness in my physical body. Then when the subsequent miraculous healing happened, it further deepened my relationship with the Person of Christ. The chronic pain and the subsequent miracle gave me a realistic view of my frailty and how much I needed the Lord.

During those two years after Pastor William’s healing command, I had no idea whether I would be healed or not. However, I continued to minister healing to others and had very good results. At one time, there was a man with chronic back pain, almost similar to that of mine, who got healed. In my heart, I was complaining: “Lord, how come you healed him and I am still in pain?” God impressed upon my heart with a question: “Would you still minister healing if you were not healed?” My response was “I would!”

With that, I was placed in God’s waiting room of healing for about two years. Then one day, I got up without pain at all. The Lord had healed me without anyone laying hand on me. That was in December 2007 and since then, I have remained without pain. Now, many people would have given up their faith in the healing power of God because they were put in the waiting room for a long time. I calculated that I actually waited a total of twelve years for my healing miracle. The first ten years were filled with a certain sense of unbelief. After encountering The Elijah Challenge with Pastor William Lau, it became a journey of faith.

God is still the sovereign God. He knows best and I pray that if you are now in the waiting room as I once was, please continue to have faith. Jesus still heals today.
Here is a message on how you can apply the promises of Jesus to do greater things for the kingdom of God. Trust that it will help to boldly activate your faith to become the person whom God wants you to be.

Part 2 -Why Some Are Healed and Some Are Not?

By Albert Kang
“Why are some people healed after we commanded healing and why are some not healed?”

This is a question that is not easy to answer as there is a wide variety of reasons behind it. In the previous article, I identified unforgiveness and bitterness, on the part of the patient, as the primary hindrance to healing. In this article, you will learn that the responsibility for the lack of healing miracles rests upon the shoulders of the healing ministers.

On one occasion, Jesus rebuked his disciples for not being able to heal the demonized boy (Matthew 17:14-22). He was quite upset and reprimanded, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” Why did Jesus expect His disciples to cast out the demon and heal the boy? The reason is quite obvious – because they were empowered to do so. These disciples were trained and empowered to do as Jesus did. The Gospel’s record is clear about this appointment and empowerment:

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2 NIV).

As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:7-8 NIV).

Then why were those disciples not able to drive out the demon and heal the boy? The disciples themselves were puzzled. They asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” The reply of Jesus was “Because you have so little faith.” That tells us that even though we have been given the power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons, we still need to exercise our faith.

WHAT IS FAITH?
Faith is simply the ability to trust. Jesus taught His disciples further about faith in Matthew 17:20 (NLT). “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible”. Didn’t Jesus just chide them for having little faith? Then why did He say that even if their faith was to be as small as a mustard seed, it would still be powerful enough to move mountains?

Faith is not a dead pebble but a living seed. It can grow. And it is not just any seed but a mustard seed that Jesus described as the “least of all seeds” (Matthew 13:32). The difference between a mustard seed and the other seeds is the amount of energy stored in the seedpod. A large seed has more energy and so it can last longer in order to seek nutrients, water, and sunlight. A mustard seed is too tiny to have extra storage of energy. This means that it is completely vulnerable to the environment, and has only one chance to make it right. Without resources to survive, it has to completely rely on God for its survival. In short, mustard seed has no other option except to have “faith” and “trust” in God for its growth.

Faith alone is futile if there is no object of faith. Faith without God is meaningless. You cannot have faith in faith or trust in trust. The power does not reside in your faith or your trust alone but in the Person whom you put your faith and trust in. Paul the Apostle talked about his trust in the Lord in 2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV) – ” …I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

Now, apart from trusting in God, your faith also requires a promise from God. Has God promised you certain things and if so, can you trust Him to perform them? Is there a promise of God you can heal the sick and cast out demons in the mighty name of Jesus? Do you trust that you have been given the power and authority from Jesus? (Luke 9:1-2, 10:17-19). Do you believe in what Jesus said about you having the ability to do what He did while He was here on earth and in fact be able to do far greater work than He did? (John 14:12).

WHOSE FAITH TO DEPEND ON?
In the narrative of the demonized boy, you will notice that even the father of the victim had no faith. Wouldn’t it be fair to say that the responsibility for the lack of miracle, in this case, should fall upon that unbelieving father? Didn’t the father say to Jesus, “Help me, my unbelief”? (Mark 9:24). Jesus, Himself, did not do many miracles in His hometown because of the lack of faith among His town folks. Very few were healed there. (Matthew 13:58). However, when we look at it carefully, there is a difference between the demonized boy’s event and that of Jesus at His hometown. In this instance, the father was seeking healing for his son but lacked the faith to believe for his son’s miracle, while in Jesus’ hometown, the people were unwilling to seek healing because they did not believe in Him and His ability at all.

A PRINCIPLE LEARNED
From this event of the demonised boy, we observe a principle – the faith of the minister is more important than that of the patient. As long as the patient is willing to be ministered to, even he has no faith, we as healing ministers should have faith to heal the person.

Grace and I were ministering in an Orang Asli village. Some of the believers there brought us to a hut to minister to a young man who could not walk. He had a motorcycle accident a couple of days ago. We talked to the man about the healing power of Jesus but he was very shy to the point of avoidance. He just shook his head and said that he was alright. To help him relax, we asked him whether he still had pain and what kind of treatment he was getting. Gradually, he opened up as the rest of the Orang Asli believers encouraged him. We realized that at that point, the healing miracle would have to depend solely upon our faith.

As I laid a hand upon his injured leg, Grace began commanding in the Malay language. (My knowledge of Malay is very limited). At that point, Grace and I were applying the KINGLY AUTHORITY of the Lord Jesus and with determined faith, we commanded all the tissues, nerves, fibers, ligaments, tendons and bones to be healed in the mighty name of Jesus. By faith, I helped the man to stand up and said to him, “Jalan!” That means “walk” in Malay. The poor man was hesitant but looking at our determined gaze, he took the first step. Then the second, third, and subsequently walked to the doorway and back. He was amazed that there was only a “shadow” of pain that was left.

We did not like that little lingering pain to remain and so Grace commanded again. That tiny bit of pain left and the man walked without pain. Everybody in that hut rejoiced. We then shared the Gospel with this healed young man and subsequently assigned him to a local believer to do the follow-up with him. Once again, the two-hand punch of “healing the infirm” and “sharing the Gospel” was applied effectively. And this would not be appropriated without our faith in Jesus Christ and His promise of power and authority to minister.

Here is a video message that will encourage your faith:

Part 1 – Why Some Are Healed And Others Are Not?

The common question in our healing ministry is why are some people healed after we commanded healing and why are some not healed? For example, one deaf man was healed of his deafness while another deaf person next to him was not healed. I had used the same authority of Jesus and the same command approach recommended by The Elijah Challenge. To the first deaf man, it was an amazing miracle. He was able to hear clearly after more than ten years of deafness, but for the second deaf man, it was a great disappointment. Why did God heal one and not the other?

SEEKING FOR THE ANSWER
When I was an itinerant preacher, it was exciting to command healing for a large congregation. People were healed and a long line of them queued night after night on stage to testify of God’s healing miracles. However, now, as a pastor, even though I rejoice with many who have been healed in our church, I have to explain to those members who do not receive their healing miracles or even improve in their health condition.

We know that ultimately, it is the sovereignty of God that is the basis of all healing miracles. We may command healing accordingly, but the miracles come from Jesus. And even those who are not healed, God, in one way or another, ministered to them.

For example, for about ten years, I suffered from chronic pain caused by ankylosing spondylitis. During every attack, the presence of the Lord was there to comfort me. The benefit was the intense presence and love of God right there in my room. Amidst the pain and tears, He told me to wait for that miracle.

In 2005, Pastor William Lau, the founder of Elijah Challenge had commanded healing for me. I did feel better but the back pain was still lingering. Then in 2007, I received my complete healing miracle. One day, I woke up with no pain at all. Nobody laid hands on me, there was no evidence of someone praying for me… it was just the mercy of God at work in my body.

At some level, the people who are not healed, have received a touch or an answer from the Lord. But, though this is true, the patients who are still suffering from diseases, are not satisfied with just this blessing. They want to be healed – they want their healing miracles.

In this and the next few articles, I hope to explain why some people do not receive their healing miracles. My fundamental belief is that God wants to heal us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In short, He wants His people to be holistic in their health. That is the reason why Jesus is coming back again. This is still an imperfect world and Jesus will bring us the perfect world…where there will be no more diseases and death.

In this article, I like to share the first most important reason why some people are not receiving their healing miracles.

Sins and Offences
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (Proverb 28:13 NLT)

In a healing service held in a small Malaysian church, among the ten people who came out for healing, one woman was not healed. All nine received their healing miracles and there was much joy among the congregation except for that woman.

At that time, I was still new to the healing ministry, and I was curious why only that woman was not healed. After the service, I caught up with her and interviewed her. In the process, this woman confessed that she had harbored bitterness against her pastor’s wife. I led her into confession and repentance of her bitterness. While she was confessing and repenting, her arthritic knees were miraculously healed. She felt the pain and tension depart from those knees. She stood up and walked to test her healed knees. I told her to try climbing the staircase and she did. This woman came back beaming with joy because she was not only healed but relieved of that terrible bitterness. It seemed that the devil had used her unhappiness and misunderstanding against her pastor’s wife to bind her physically.

Divine healing is an act of God’s grace and mercy. Therefore, if a person is in the kingdom of God, she has to move with this grace and mercy within. Forgiveness and graciousness are an integral part of a believer’s lifestyle.

FORGIVENESS IS AN ACT OF MERCY
You will remember that at one time, the Apostle Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” And our Lord answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22 BLB). Of course, Jesus did not mean that we should stop forgiving after 490 times or even 77 times – He meant that there should be no limits to our forgiveness.

Then Jesus went on to emphasize this important principle of forgiveness through the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23-35). The parable was about a king who had canceled the debt of ten thousand bags of gold that the servant owed him. However, when the servant went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. The fellow servant begged for mercy, but this forgiven servant refused to forgive the debt. Instead, he threw the servant into prison until the poor man could pay the debt.

What did the king do when he heard about this? He called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger, the king handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. Then Jesus concluded by saying, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35 NIV).

Now after all these years of healing ministry, I realize that it is unreasonable to expect the healing miracles of God to come upon a person who is willfully holding unto unforgiveness. Divine healing is an act of mercy and it does not seem to work upon a child of God who is not merciful. As long as he wants to hold onto grudges of the offense done by others upon him, he is creating a barrier to his own healing miracle. King David had so wisely said, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18 NLT).

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TRULY FORGIVEN?
1. When you think about the person, do you still think about the hurt that he had caused you? If so, you have not really forgiven. You may say you did, but this little indication reveals the deep struggle inside.

2. Are you still hoping that God will teach the person a lesson for hurting you? If so, the sense of revenge is still keeping you in bondage. There may be consequences from God upon that person but your heart still wants to hurt the person.

3. Would you be willing to help the person if he or she asked for help? I believe you know your answer.

Forgiveness is a choice that you make to release yourself from the bondage of bitterness, hatred, unresolved anger, and grudges. Medical science has revealed that all these negative emotions will build up toxins in your body and also cause you stress. And that is how bitter people are usually very unhealthy. In my encounter with some of these people, I find many of them have restlessness, insomnia, constant migraine headaches, and even developed ulcers in the stomach. Now, I am not saying that all such infirmities are the result of bitterness. Some have other reasons and only their doctors will be able to tell them.

When you are bitter, angry, and resentful towards someone, you are giving him the power to control your healing miracles. Only by forgiveness, you will be able to take that power back. I trust that you will be wise to make the right choice and be healed in the mighty name of Jesus.

In the next few articles, I will share what other ways are preventing people from receiving their healing miracles. Keep track of this blog by subscribing to it.

Here is a video about how to receive healing in the mighty name of Jesus. Be sure to give thanks to God for your healing and testify of His goodness to others.