5 Nov 2014 by Jason Law CM –
What does it mean to truly know Jesus as Savior or Healer? This was the topic tackled during the Revival and Healing Rallies held on the nights of 28th-31st October 2014 at Calvary Convention Center. The event was graced by the sharing of the renowned evangelists Reverend Dr Dag Heward-Mills and Reverend Dr Richard Roberts.
Every Christian knows Jesus as a Saviour and a Redeemer, but what did he really save us from? In one of his sessions, the Reverend Heward-Mills employed his ministry experience to illustrate a central point. He imparted that unless we have seen certain things with our own eyes, we will not fully realize the magnitude of what Jesus did for us at Calvary.
A question was posed; ‘Did Jesus save us for a comfortable life, for mansions, luxurious cars, and so on?’ Reverend Heward-Mills shared that this is the perspective of many Christians. But the Bible did not tell us that Jesus saved us for all these things. The Word of God tells us that Jesus saved us from our sins.
‘Now, in order to know what that means, you will have to visit some of the prisons in the world. In some of these prisons, you’ll see that there is no hope. They’re surrounded by sinners like themselves; many of them are in death row for things like murder. In those settings, the inmates do not care about cars or things like that. They have only one wish; to get out of prison.’
The thing that always amazes Reverend Dag is that even in those places, the Grace of God often breaks through. It is very much like that for many of us. We were all sinners and had fallen short of the Glory of God; in other words, we were in prison, destined for Hell. And from Hell, there is no escape. ‘Those prisoners I have seen could only wish for someone with enough power and authority to say a word and free them. That was the only thing they asked for.’
‘Jesus paid an immense price in order to save us from an immeasurably worse fate. And He is still there with and for us everyday. After all that Christ has done for us, how could we turn our backs on Him, treat our faiths lightly, or settle for a shallow faith?’ Reverend Heward-Mills communicated; ‘The thought of it makes me want to live for Him everyday, to give my life for Him if it leads to that.’
Furthermore, Christ has given us to have authority over the forces of darkness, including illness. This authority is given through our identities in Christ and in His name. Reverend Richard Roberts shared that the Bible is full of examples in which believers and followers of Christ exercised their healing power.
He shared that healing can come in many ways and through many methods. ‘God is not confined to one method or to one man. It is not me that possess the power to heal; every Christian has that power, and the only thing that is now stopping us from exercising that power is the weight of intimidation.’
The Early Christians prayed and laid hands on their sick brethren and many were healed. This was because they had faith in the Holy Spirit that was residing inside them. In certain cultural settings, we need not even lay hands on the people we are praying for. In Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10, the Bible relates an account of the healing of a centurion’s servant because of the faith of his master. Jesus did not even have to be present at the place where the servant was, and even He was amazed at the faith of this centurion.
Sometimes, healing may come through sacraments like holy oil or a piece of cloth. When Saul, and later David, was anointed with oil by Samuel, the presence of God came upon them. When the woman touched the garment of Jesus in Mark 5:25-34, healing flowed through that contact and the woman was healed.
Nevertheless, the principle behind the power of healing remains the same; the power of God that comes through the faith of His believers, and the prayers and petitions that were brought before God and answered by Him.
There was a period given by Reverend Roberts in coaching Christians towards this aspect of ministry, and through all four nights there were a tremendous response to the altar call for salvation and healing of sicknesses.
|Share The Good News|
Leave a Reply