To Heal or not to heal
By Ken Blue
Perhaps nothing has discredited Christianity or deceived more Christians than the “gifts and healing ministry.” These naive and misguided souls believe that the Kingdom ministry, offered to Israel during the transition period, is intended for the church, the body of Christ today.
We live in the dispensation of free grace. The sign ministry was designed to convince unbelieving Israel that Jesus was their Old Testament Messiah. With Israel’s rejection, the signs have been temporally set aside. This is easy to prove from Scripture and experience. When the Lord came to earth, He came to establish His earthly kingdom with the nation of Israel. Signs and wonders were a part of that ministry. However, when it became evident in the Acts period that Israel would not repent, the healing ministry disappeared with them.
Those who believe the miracle sign ministry is still here must be willing to admit that things are as they were in the Gospels and the Acts period. To believe otherwise, would be dishonest and deceitful. We say with assurance and confidence, that no believer has the gifts of healing or any of the miraculous gifts today. If we really believe those gifts are for the church and continue today, it should be easy to prove. Remember, the purpose of signs was to convince the unbelieving Jews that their Messiah had arrived.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…don’t fall for the healing hoax[/perfectpullquote]
Now let me ask you a few simple questions. If the signs are present today, wouldn’t they be an extension of those in the Gospels and Acts? Let’s see. Do you know any miracle worker who can turn water into wine? Do you know any who can feed thousands of people with a little bread and a few fish? Do you know anyone who was dead three days or more and called back to life by a faith healer? Do you know of one who was retarded and made whole in their mind through one with the gift of healing? Can you give us the name and address of any of the above, to whom we may write?
We hear a lot about those who claim to cast out devils and speak in tongues; but why stop there? Don’t you believe the rest of the verses? “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:17-18.
We don’t expect to receive any positive responses to the above. Why? Because no one possesses the miracle ministry gifts today. The above text and others like them were for a different time, people, and purpose. This is the dispensation of Grace, and God’s grace is sufficient for you in your infirmities. So don’t fall for the healing hoax. You don’t have healing authority nor does anyone else.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.