BY HIS WOUNDS

“IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SICK? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And THE PRAYER OFFERED IN FAITH WILL MAKE THE SICK PERSON WELL; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:14-15) [Thank God for healing and for the forgiveness of sins! Did the Lord suffer “wounds” in vain, NO! So why are we not seeing miraculous healings? We occasionally hear of them, we read about healings in our church paper, but this should be a regular occurrence in our lives! Why…] “…the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.” (Isa. 53:5) [Peter said:] “…by his wounds YOU HAVE BEEN healed.” (1 Pet. 2:24) [Isaiah says “we are”, Peter says “WE HAVE BEEN” HEALED!] “As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least PETER’S SHADOW MIGHT FALL ON SOME OF THEM AS HE PASSED BY. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and ALL OF THEM WERE HEALED.” (Acts 5:15-16) [This is the reason for Peter saying “we have been healed” he was there and ALL of them WERE healed!!] “Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and DO NOT DOUBT…If you believe, YOU WILL RECEIVE whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt. 21:21-22) [Doubt: comes from the word diakrino?: to separate thoroughly, stagger or waver! We have to SEPARATE OUR UNBELIEF FROM OUR FAITH] “Very truly I tell you, WHOEVER BELIEVES IN ME will do the works I have been doing, and they will do EVEN GREATER THINGS than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I WILL DO IT.” (John 14:12-14) [Our thinking NEEDS TO CHANGE, we need to set our hearts and minds ON THINGS ABOVE!] “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, SET YOUR HEARTS ON THINGS ABOVE, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2) [We must KNOW that our Abba Father HAS NOT CHANGED!] “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, DO IT ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17)

Be blessed as you praise The Lord, knowing that WE MUST SET OUR HEARTS AND MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE!
-Bill Stockham