ARE ANY SICK AMONG YOU?

I hope not, however, Scripture gives us a directive telling us exactly what to do if/when we BECOME sick - whether from the Swine Flu or anything else.

It’s found in James 5:14-15: “Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up...”

I recently heard about a man whose family was asking for prayer for a beloved relative who was diagnosed with cancer. I mentioned to a woman in his family that the Scripture shows us what to do in James 5. The woman’s response startled me. She replied, “Well, we don’t have elders in our church…”

Notice that the initiation of this action described in this verse appears to be done by the sick person, however, we see other examples in Scripture where it’s the loved ones who initiated such action because their beloved was either too ill or perhaps even dead.

The term “elders” represents those who are not only spiritually-minded and know the Scriptures, but are also filled with the Spirit of God. These are people who understand their own righteousness before God and have been placed in a position of spiritual authority in the life of the sick person. By the way, like Timothy, to whom Paul wrote, “despise not your youth...,” an elder need not always be physically old so much as spiritually mature.

While anointing (rubbing) with oil and laying on of hands can have physically therapeutic value, these also give the symbolic communication (especially to any evil spirits at work) that the elders - through the Holy Spirit - have discerned God’s direction for the afflicted to be healed.

An elder should NOT participate in the ministry of healing without full conviction that healing is God’s will. I’ll always remember hearing a report on the 700 Club where an elderly Baptist woman was dying and, after watching that program, opted to call the elders of her church and have them come and pray over her in the hospital. She laughed when she recalled how one elder asked, “Well, what kind of oil should we use?” After they prayed, she bounded from her sick bed and left the hospital that very day. As Jesus said several times to afflicted people, “Your faith has healed you.” So, it’s not always the faith of the elders that has anything to do with healing.

PICK AN ELDER, ANY ELDER

“We don’t have elders IN OUR CHURCH??”

Hmmmm. What a strange comment that was to my ears, especially when a loved one was at death’s door. At such a time, the attitude should be “Quick! Pick an elder, any elder.”

A few years ago, as I was returning from a time of ministry several hours from home, a man I’d never met called me on my cell phone. Seems he had read an article of mine on the internet and was pleased to read that I believed in anointing with oil and the laying on of hands.

He went on to say that he was a Member of a denomination that teaches that miracles died off with the last apostle. He described to me how, when his mom was dying in the hospital - her doctor having told the family she would not last the night - three women came by to ask if they could anoint his mother with oil and pray a prayer of faith. He turned to his father who, perhaps out of desperation, agreed.

The next morning, he was met by his mom’s physician who, with tears in his eyes, “hugged me like a long-lost brother,” he said, exclaiming, “She’s alive! She’s alive!”

He added, “That was ten years ago and she’s doing great!”

Not only were the “elders” NOT from this man’s denomination, they were female.

I’ve heard the term “elder” defined as “One who understands righteousness.” The more I encounter Christians who haven’t wrapped their minds around their own right-standing with the Father, the more I am inclined to agree with that definition.

CHRISTIANITY 101: The Church

The Church is not a denomination, nor is it a steepled building. No, regardless of what we say we believe, The Church simply is God’s people, all denominations, all countries, all variations including even that with which one might happen to be most familiar. Personally, I contend that grasping this concept is imperative if a Christian is to begin growing in his knowledge of what the Kingdom of Heaven is REALLY all about. That’s another issue entirely.

At age 28, I started suffering from what I learned was an incurable spinal disease. In the late ’90’s, I was in so much pain I was walking with a cane and sleeping upright in a chair while spending lots of money trying to find a physician who could help. As my mind was renewed to Divine Healing, I began to covet the prayers of God’s people and attended church services and cell group meetings every time anyone invited me. Though I believe every one of those prayers mattered, the ones that had the most impact actually came when my boss invited me to a Christmas party where a group of complete strangers wound up praying and prophesying over me while holding a tape recorder. It was incredible as one person after another “read my mail.” As Paul told Timothy (I Tim 1:18), I did warfare with those prophetic utterances as a means of encouragement in the years ahead as my complete healing manifested itself.

I will always thank God for that group of “elders” - Christians without a church building, meeting in a living room - people who were mature in the Lord and fully equipped to bless my socks off!

SWINE FLU? LET’S CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE!

My wife, a Registered Nurse, and myself, have agreed NOT to take the H1N1 vaccine. You can do what brings YOU the most peace. Personally, I’ve NEVER had a flu shot anyway and can’t recall the last time I got really sick from a cold, thank God. With child-like faith, we have chosen to stand fearlessly on the promises of God as we have found them in Scripture. Yes, we’re trusting in “Doctor Jesus,” the same Great Physician who healed me from that “incurable” spinal disease years ago.

Personally, I believe the day is coming when placing all our trust in the methods of this world will completely come to an end, among them the world’s systems we’ve grown so comfortable and familiar with, including modern medicine. I have read and heard about so many incredible miracles taking place in third world nations where people REALLY have NO CHOICE but to trust in God - places where there are no physicians, no HMO’s, no fine hospitals, no vitamins - I cannot help but believe we will eventually return to this high-level of faith based on the promises found in God’s Word. To do so, we’ll have to change our minds; in the original Greek, the word for that is metanoia which means “repent.”

Are any sick among you? Are any of you AFRAID of becoming sick? Be anxious for nothing. Fear not, for God is with you. He hasn’t given you a Spirit of fear. I believe the day is coming when the world will begin to see more miracles and more Divine Healings than we could have ever imagined. As a result, faith will rise when people begin to hear about and see more miracles taking place, thereby causing even more, even greater miracles to take place.

Remember I said that, OK?

Regarding H1N1 in the workplace, use wisdom. Sneeze into your arm, take Vitamin C, stop shaking hands, and keep your hands clean! Though negative reports regarding ANYTHING will strike fear as the media talks it to death, the reports are everywhere regarding football teams, college students and workforces nationwide being reduced as a result of Swine flu. Many healthy employees are calling in “well,” based upon their fear of getting that way for real if they go in to work. Even those who are actually GETTING sick, or those who come in while they’re sick, will not be operating at maximum efficiency. That effects production, quality and morale.

Pandemic? I’m not so sure, but doesn’t this seem like a great time to trust in God? Isn’t ANY time a great time, even if fear IS the motivation for many?

Mark 16:17-18 (Young's Literal Translation)

`And signs shall accompany those believing these things; in My Name demons they shall cast out; with new tongues they shall speak; serpents they shall take up; and if any deadly thing they may drink, it shall not hurt them; on the ailing they shall lay hands, and they shall be well.'

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