When I peruse old volumes of the Pentecostal Evangel, I am
struck by the fact that there used to be far more testimonies of healing
than we have today. There seems to have been a gradual attrition of
such miracles. I especially note the paucity of testimonies that have
no mention of the role of medical professionals.
Now I am quick to add a disclaimer. God can use the wonderful men
and women who are in the healing profession. After all, none of them,
whether a believer or not, can heal even a cut or a scratch without
God’s help.
I also recognize that the things that medicine can do today seem
like miracles compared to the less enlightened days of the past. Heart
bypasses, hip and knee replacements, for example, seem surprisingly
routine and are overwhelmingly successful. We should certainly make
room for the instrumentation of men, women and medicine when we pray
for healing.
But I also know that God is still the Lord who heals (Exodus 15:26)
and that He can cure a leper or raise the dead more easily than an
aspirin stops a mild headache. The ministry record of Jesus is replete
with physical healings. I believe it is still important to Him.
Pastor David Yonggi Cho recently shared this testimony at Yoido Full
Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea:
A young lady was diagnosed with cancer in her neck. She underwent
two operations, during which nerves were severed, leaving her paralyzed.
But God spoke to her. She heard Him say, "Do you believe I can
heal you?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Get up and walk," He said. And she did.
While not every healing occurs the same way, the most important aspect
of the divine healing issue is embodied by this question: Do you believe
God can heal you?
Are you sick? Do you have a physical need? Does someone close to
you have such a need? If so, do you believe God can heal? This is
the most important consideration. Do you have faith in God’s
power to heal?
While there have been excesses in the way faith and healing have
been preached, I believe some have swung too far in the other direction.
I believe it is God’s will that once again His people stretch
their faith and believe Him for a great outpouring of healing miracles.
It is time to believe God.
— Ken Horn
