There's great emotion in the air. The organist is playing a sentimental hymn. People are looking upward, waving their arms with tears streaming down their cheeks. A blind man is escorted onto the stage by an attendant. The popular evangelist asks him how long he has been blind and does he believe Jesus will heal him. He answers from birth, and yes, I believe.
The Evangelist then hits the poor man on the forehead while loudly commanding, "Be healed!" He falls backward in some kind of trance into the arms of an attendant, and when he awakes, he blinks a few times and shouts, "I can see! I can see!
Thank you, Jesus!" And the crowd erupts in cries of "Praise the Lord!" Thinking people wonder, "Was this real?" Or, "Was it a show contrived by well-rehearsed actors?" This is an important question, as there is a reason to believe these supposed healings are, more often than not, deceptions played out on ignorant people. However, the Bible proclaims that God does supernaturally heal, and we read of Jesus healing all manner of sickness and infirmities.
Were these real, or was Jesus the first to exploit gullible people seeking relief from desperate physical circumstances? I'll answer these questions on this Tomorrow's World program, and I'll also be offering a free resource that dives deeper into this subject Does God heal today gives real hope to those suffering from serious afflictions.
So be sure to have writing material available to take down our contact information to get your free copy of "Does God Heal Today?" And I'll be back in five seconds. (dramatic music) A warm Welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow's World and the Living Church of God, the sponsor of Tomorrow's World. On today's program I'll address the subject of divine healing. Is it for real? Can you experience it? Are there requirements to obtain it and if so, what are they?
And what does it mean if I go to God and I'm not divinely healed? There are good reasons for asking these questions. Frankly, dear friends, so-called "faith healers" have a checkered reputation, and many have been exposed as frauds. I first heard this subject at an early age from a Sunday school teacher who spoke of one of the most famous faith healers of the last century. He reportedly healed the blind, the deaf, the crippled. There were even reports of raising the dead.
And as a young teenager, this was comforting. If some terrible sickness came upon me, I would go to one of his tent meetings and all would be okay. But at some point he forsook his charismatic past to go more mainstream, and he claimed that God spoke to him to build a research center to find a cure for cancer. I remember wondering at the time, if he could heal by simply laying hands on people, why would he turn to painful radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery?
But by that time I was older and wiser and I knew the answer. The 20th century saw more than its share of traveling faith healers. They would come into town, set up a tent, hand out flyers, and post on billboards. Desperate people would flock to hear the preacher to get in line to be made whole. But somehow, the truly needy locals never made it to the front of the line. Now does this mean that there is no God and that He does not intervene for those who know Know Him and sincerely trust in Him.
Dear friends, God does exist and you can prove it for yourself. Scientists have learned over the last 75 years that precise laws govern the universe and also they've discovered just how complex life truly is. Biologists know that it is mathematically impossible for life to spontaneously occur, but many refuse to accept God as the cause for life. The Apostle Paul called out skeptics such as these, who should know better, in Romans 1, beginning in verses 18 and going through 20.
Long before Paul, an ancient king proclaimed, That has never been truer than it is today for anyone who honestly looks into the marvels of life Therefore, if God created life, does He not have the power to fix what is broken? And if the Bible is the Word of God and Jesus is our Savior, as many of us believe, then we must accept that God does intervene in the lives of people and heals them supernaturally. For, as we read in Matthew 4, verse 23, But did divine healing end with Jesus' ministry?
You may be thinking, "That was then, and that was Jesus. What about today and what about me? In the next portion of this program, I'll show that miraculous healing was not confined to Jesus' three and a half year ministry, but before I do, I want to give you a free copy of "Does God Heal Today?" Dear friends, there is so much dishonesty in our world, and so I understand why you You may be skeptical when we say something is free of charge. You are right to think nothing is free. That is true.
There is a cost for everything, but faithful members of the Living Church of God and our co-workers and donors have already paid for the phone call, the booklet, the postage and handling So it truly is free to you and no one will but everything to gain. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10 and verse 8, Notice it here, We here at Tomorrow's World and the Living Church of God practice that command, so you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.
The day may come, it may already be here in fact, when you desperately desire God's intervention. So pick up the phone and call the toll-free number on your screen, Or go to our website to order your free copy of "Does God Heal Today?" And after this short break, I'll show you that divine healing came through others besides Christ and that it is available to us today. This clear and straightforward resource will help you understand this vital truth straight from the pages of the bible.
Call now or go to TWTV.org/Heal. And the last portion of this program I briefly addressed the question of whether there is a God who heals. Our resource, Does God Heal Today?, gives greater detail from the Bible showing that Our new resource, Does God Heal Today, gives greater detail from the Bible showing that God works through human instruments to bring relief to the sick.
This is important as the question most of us have is, "Will God heal me?" As we read in the previous portion of this program, part of Jesus' ministry was that of healing the sick. But it did not stop with our Savior. He sent out twelve disciples with authority to preach the good news of the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Notice it in Luke the ninth chapter. Many are aware of this, but do you realize that Jesus gave this power and authority to seventy others?
We read of that in Luke the 10th chapter, beginning in verse 1. So what about now? Does Christ give that authority to His servants today? Can you therefore be healed? Here's a great commission given by Christ to all who genuinely believe in His name. Mark the 16th chapter. A clarification is needed on this passage as some think it means something entirely different from what was meant. Jesus was not promoting the misguided practice of snake handling or drinking poison.
We read in 2 Kings 4 and verses 38-41, We also read of the Apostle Paul shipwrecked on the island of Malta. The natives of the island started a large fire to warm their wet and weary visitors. And Paul helped gather some fuel for the fire and was bitten by a poisonous snake. Notice in Acts 28, verses 3-5. Any objective reader realizes that in both cases these were not examples of showing off one's faith in a religious service, but accidents for which God intervened.
Jesus' command in Mark 16 to heal the sick was obviously for his servants down through the ages. So the question remains, if God heals today, will he heal me? This is why we are offering our absolutely free resource. "Does God Heal Today." And the next portion of today's program will look at scriptures that apply to you and give you five keys you need to understand God's supernatural healing.
Just because there are religious fraudsters doesn't mean that God does not exist nor that When he lacks the power or the will to heal you, so call the number on your screen or go to our website, TWTV.org/Heal to order your free copy of "Does God Heal Today." And when When I return, we'll look at five keys you need to understand regarding divine healing. For today's free offer, call... Or go to TWTV.org/Heal.
This clear and straightforward resource will help you understand this vital truth straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now, or go to TWTW.org/Heal Before the break I said we'll look at five keys that you need need to understand about divine healing. Do you realize that the Bible gives clear instructions of what to do when you are sick? Write down this passage and look it up for yourself in your own Bible. James 5, verses 14 and 15. Is anyone among you sick?
Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. So our first key to understand God's healing is to obey the instructions found in James 5, verses 14 and 15. Now, this is not the whole story. It's important to know where God is working, as he is not working in everyone who claims to be one of his servants.
This is a large subject in itself, but I encourage you to read and meditate on 2 Corinthians chapter 11. 2 Corinthians 11. There is much contained in the instructions given by James in the 5th chapter and this is why we hope you will avail yourself of our free resource, Does God Heal Today? But for now, key number one is, obey the instructions given in James 5, verses 14 and 15. Two blind men came to Jesus requesting to receive their sight.
And Jesus put this straightforward question before them. Matthew 9, beginning in verse 28. And Jesus said to them, Therefore, key number two is the importance of faith. It may come as a surprise, but even Jesus was limited to what He could do where there was no faith. We learn this from His visit to His hometown in Nazareth, found in Mark the sixth chapter, beginning in verse five.
The author of Hebrews, whom we believe based on the evidence was Paul, had this to say about the importance of faith. You can read it in chapter 11 and verse 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. And this brings me to our third key, the importance of obedience. It's difficult for us to imagine, but not everyone was happy when people were healed.
God worked remarkable miracles through the early apostles as we read in Acts 5, beginning in verse 16. This was not the end of the story. God sent an angel to supernaturally release them and commanded them to go right back to the temple complex in the morning and teach the words of life. This of course landed them once again in the hot seat before the council.
And when the high priest strongly rebuked them for preaching in the name of Jesus, the apostles boldly responded I want to share with you two more keys regarding healing. But what if you follow the instructions in James 5 and you go to God in faith and obedience and you're not healed I'll answer that in the last portion of this program.
But here's one more opportunity to take down our contact information to receive your free copy of "Does God Heal Today?" Now I would be dishonest if I told you that everyone who goes to God is divinely healed in this life. However, I do know of many people who have been supernaturally healed, some for whom doctors gave up hope.
"Does God Heal Today" gives a thorough explanation of what divine healing is, what may be required of us to receive it, and why some go to God in sincerity but succumb to their ailment. Does God Heal Today can be yours absolutely free of charge by simply picking up the phone and calling the number on your screen or going to TWTV.org/Heal. Do it today and when I return I'll give you two more keys and explain why some are not healed in this life.
This clear and straightforward resource will help you understand this vital truth straight from the pages of the bible. Call now, or go to TWTV.org/Heal. All of us experience injury and sickness causing discomfort, pain and suffering. A trip to a doctor often involves jabbing, cutting and administering chemicals that add more pain. This Tomorrow's World program is about divine healing, and the question on many minds is does God heal today, and if so, can I be healed?
Now nothing that I say on this program should be taken as advice not to go to a doctor. Most doctors are well-meaning and knowledgeable about the human body, and they can certainly be helpful, but they mostly deal with the effects rather than the causes of our afflictions. And that brings me to another key regarding God's healing. Number four, divine healing involves forgiveness of sin.
Jesus kept the Passover with his disciples on the night in which he was betrayed, and in doing so he instituted symbols of a new covenant. Those symbols of unleavened bread and wine were part of the traditional Passover, but he gave them new meaning. Notice it in Matthew 26, and beginning in verse 26. The wine symbolized His shed blood. We've all sinned and the penalty for breaking God's law, which is the definition of sin, is death.
The life is in the blood and Jesus' blood was shed to pay for our lives. But what is the purpose of the broken bread? The prophet Isaiah reveals this significant truth. Isaiah 53, verses 4 and 5. Surely He has borne our griefs. Now the original in the Hebrew is literally sicknesses, and carried our sorrows. And again, the literal is pains. The pain and suffering Jesus went through was for our healing, both spiritually and physically.
He paid the consequences of our sins, not only the death penalty, but sin's physical penalty, which is pain and suffering. There's a direct connection between sin and disease. Why is this not generally understood? Sexual promiscuity brings many afflictions such as HPV, syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV and AIDS just to name a few. Gluttony and overindulgence in food and drink take a toll on our bodies. Smoking, vaping and the use of recreational drugs lead to many known afflictions.
Envy, uncontrolled anger and other harmful thought patterns negatively affect the mind and the body. And this is why James added this comment when calling for the elders to pray for our healing. James 5, beginning in verse 15, Jesus upset the scribes of His day when He connected healing of a paralyzed man with His authority to forgive sin.
Let's notice in Matthew 9, beginning in verse 2, what it says there, The connection between sin and sickness was so strong that on another occasion the Pharisees assumed that any sick person or his parents must have sinned. But Jesus showed that this is not the case. Notice it in John 9 and in verse 3. However, most afflictions are caused by our sins or that of others. The drunk driver that plows into you is guilty, not you. But more often than not, we are the cause of our afflictions.
And this brings me to my fifth key. Number 5, The Need for Repentance. Why would God heal you if you continue to do the things that brought painful penalties upon you in the first place? Forgiveness doesn't require perfection, but it does require an attitude of repentance, A sincere desire to change. We may not always know specifically what we have done or what has been done to us to cause sickness, but we ought to repent if we do know.
And finally, why does God not heal everyone every time He goes to Him in sincere faith and repentance? For the same reason that a good parent does not give his child every request. That would not be good for the child. A prime example is that of the Apostle Paul. God used him as an instrument of healing on many occasions, but God did not heal Paul of some unknown affliction. We read of this in 2 Corinthians 12, beginning in verse 7. God heals according to His will, not our own.
I've only scratched the surface on this important subject, So I hope you will take advantage of our free offer, "Does God Heal Today?" I know that He does. I've seen it in others, and I've experienced it in my own life.
So do yourself a favor and request your free copy of "Does God Heal Today?" And join us again next week when Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I And if you like, share with you the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, exciting end-time prophecies and the comfort and encouragement that come through our Savior, Jesus Christ. See you next time. For today's free offer, call...
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to tomorrow's world for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God.