FAITH AND HEALING

Here's Pastor Doug Batchelor from www.amazingfacts.org with the Sacramento church



To study the lesson with Dr Derek Norris of the Lake Forest church,
click on the following link:

http://media.forestlakechurch.org/content/media/2010q205-08-faith-and-healing



PLEASE GO TO YOUR SIDE BAR AND CLICK ON VIEW AND ON ZOOM IN + AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED TO ENLARGE THE WHOLE PAGE SO YOU MAY EASILY READ IN THE PDF WHOSE FONTS YOU MAY ENLARGE ALSO DIRECTLY BY RAISING THE PERCENTAGE INCLUDED. LIKE THAT YOU HAVE A BIRD VIEW OF MANY PERSPECTIVES. THANK YOU.

http://www.absg.adventist.org



AND JUST LEAVE YOUR CURSOR ON THE VERSES SO YOU MAY READ THEM
www.cqbiblestudy.org


Faith and Healing
“ ‘You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You’ ” (Isa. 26:3, NKJV).

Great Faith and True Healing
Dwayne Dharma Ricky, Jakarta, Indonesia
Sabbath Introduction
Matt. 15:21–28; John 15:7; 1 John 3:22

Matthew 15:21–28 is a wonderful story about how faith can assist with the healing process:

“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’ But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (NKJV).

“She came with a kind of superstition as she might have come to any magician.”

“This woman had faith. (a) It was a faith which grew in contact with Jesus. She began by calling him Son of David; that was a popular title, a political title. It was a title which looked on Jesus as a great and powerful wonder worker, but which looked on him in terms of earthly power and glory. She came asking a boon [favor] of one whom she took to be a great and powerful man. She came with a kind of superstition as she might have come to any magician. She ended by calling Jesus Lord.” *

True faith rests on the promises contained in the word of God, and only those who obey His Word can claim its glorious promises. Read John 15:7 and 1 John 3:22.

Just as the woman received true healing not only for herself but for her daughter, so we can be healed if we are totally committed to God. This commitment is a deliberate intention not only of the heart but also of the mind. This week, the subject of our lessons will be the powerful influence our minds have on our bodies.

REACT
The quote from Barclay says that the woman’s faith grew as she had contact with Jesus. How could this be, since this was the first time she had met Jesus?
____________ * William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2 (Philadelphia, Penn.: Westminster Press, n.d.), p. 123.



The Bronze Snake
Gustina Waro Lisa Ricky, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Sunday Evidence
Num. 21:4–9; Prov. 17:22; 1 Cor. 13:13

When I was a little child, I wondered why it was important to pray before taking medicine. As an adult, I now realize that praying before taking medicine helps me to focus on the true Healer, Jesus Christ.

“ ‘I’m going to trust Him through all this.’ ”

This world is impure because of sin. Sin has created many diseases. Sin has therefore destroyed and degraded our body’s endurance.1 However, faith in Jesus, our love for Him, and the hope He inspires in us can be powerful medicines when it comes to being healed of these diseases.

The event that we read about in Numbers 21:4–9 is evidence that faith in Jesus can cause healing. The Lord said to Moses, “ ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live’ ” (Num. 21:8, NIV). In this instance, the snake on the pole symbolized Jesus Christ. As the people looked to the snake on the pole, those who had faith in their Savior were healed.

David B. Larson was the president of the International Center for the Integration of Health & Spirituality in Rockville, Maryland, U.S.A. Dr. Larson was a pioneer in scientifically researching the relationship between faith and health. He wrote, “The type of coping that seems to help [when a person is sick] is when a person sees himself in a collaborative venture with God: ‘I’m working on this together with God and I’m learning things through this experience.’ Another type of coping that is helpful is the attitude, ‘God’s will be done. I’m going to trust Him through all this.’ ”2

Mohammad Siahpush is a professor of health promotion at the University of Nebraska (U.S.A.) Medical Center. He states that “everything else being equal, if you are happy and satisfied with your life now, you are more likely to be healthy in the future. Importantly, our results are independent of several factors that impact on health, such as smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and age.”3

REACT
Review the statement above made by Dr. Larson. If you do not currently feel that you are working together with God, what can you do to strenthen your relationship with Him?
___________
1. Healthy, Happy, Holy, 2nd ed. (Bandung, Java, Indonesia: Indonesia Publishing House), p. 25.
2. Stephen Goode, “Larson Explores Role of Faith in Health,” http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_48_15/ai_58361271/?tag=content;col1 (accessed February 23, 2009).
3. “Happiness and Satisfaction Might Lead to Better Health,” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/ 2008/08/080830161436.htm (accessed February 24, 2009).




Nothing to Fear
Jill Manoukian, Avon, Indiana, U.S.A.
Monday Logos
Gen. 3:8−10; Ps. 118:6; Prov. 17:22;
Matt. 6:27−34; Heb. 13:6; 1 John 4:18

Root of All Illness (Gen. 3:8–10)
The fall of Adam and Eve resulted in separation from God, the source of all life. Apart from Him, humankind was left in a state of self-destruction. Perfect bodies that once were clothed with light are now susceptible to sickness and disease. Temperate characters are now inclined to bad habits. The two humans closest to physical perfection on this earth hid themselves in shame from the Creator of the universe.

Some hospitals hire comedians to come and make people laugh.

And yet, the very One they hid from was the only One who could heal the damage wrought by a few moments of sinful indulgence. While God has not promised to remove every illness or wound we may encounter on this earth, He has promised to completely eradicate it one day. God is more concerned with the eternal than with the temporary. Christ’s work here on earth testifies to His desire to heal both physically and spiritually. He died to connect us back to the source of all life—God Himself.

Genesis 3 and Christ’s ministry reveal the close connection between the body and the mind. No sooner had Adam and Eve sinned than their bodies began to suffer the consequences. Death is now an expected part of our existence. Yet the pain we experience when a loved one dies indicates how unnatural death really is. It was never part of God’s original plan. Our spiritual life, the connection that we have with God, is closely tied with our physical well-being. The two cannot really be separated.

Putting Our Trust in God (Ps. 118:6; Matt. 6:27–34; Heb. 13:6)
Psalm 118:6 reassures us that God is on our side. We don’t need to worry. Because we have that assurance of God’s alliance with us when we put our faith in Him, we need not fear. He is listening when we call out to Him. He is there when we face the most challenging circumstances on this earth.

Stress and worry have long been connected with high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety attacks, and a host of other physical ailments. There are many things in this life to worry about: job stability, health, having enough food and clothing, getting our own education and educating our children, relationships with others—the list is seemingly endless.

Yet in Matthew 6:27–30, Christ counsels us to not worry about tomorrow or even about our basic needs. Why? Because God is in control. Putting our trust in the One who knows tomorrow can give us rest and peace today. That peace of mind boosts both our spiritual and our physical health. We can boldly trust in the Lord’s provision and in His wisdom and timing (Heb. 13:6).

Merry Hearts (Prov. 17:22)
Laughter is said to have healing qualities. Thus some hospitals hire comedians to come and make people laugh. We cannot really experience joy without the presence of those we love and who love us. When we have joy through fellowship, we can experience a healing that comes from sharing our faith and being bonded with others. That healing may manifest itself in forms such as lower blood pressure and higher immunity. Even tumors have been known to shrink where joy is present. More important, joy through fellowship heals our emotional and spiritual wounds that cause us so much agony.1

Conversely, without fellowship and the joy that comes with it, our hearts wither, and we are more likely to heal slower, if at all, both physically and spiritually.

Nothing to Fear (1 John 4:18)
Sin results in fear. That is why Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:8–10). As humans we often allow fear to drive our behavior and even give us our values. We fear death, so we try to stay healthy and look as young as we can. We fear failure, so we do everything in our power to be successful. We fear poverty, so we run after monetary security. We fear the dark, so we keep the night light on. We fear losing loved ones, so we stay up late and worry about them. We fear other people, so we arm ourselves with mace and weapons. We fear what people think, so we try to control the image we present to them. All of these fears take us away from the Creator. All of these fears point to death and deception. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:18 that “perfect love casts out fear” (NKJV). We no longer have to be afraid.

Science testifies to the connection between faith and physical healing.2 But more than that, we can experience healing in our spiritual lives that will overflow into every other aspect of our lives. That kind of love can come only from our Creator. It takes faith to believe, but the power is undeniable in a heart that is receptive to God’s perfect love. Ultimate healing is ours for the taking if we will allow Him to work in our broken lives. We can stop hiding our sin-ridden selves and start living in the power of His love.

REACT
1. What fears do you need to give to God today?
2. How have you experienced faith and healing?
____________
1. James G. Friesen et al., The Life Model: Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You (Pasadena, Calif.: Shepherd’s House, 2004), p. 23.
2. Jeffery Kluger, “The Biology of Belief,” Time, February 23, 2009, pp. 62–72.



Forever Faith
David Dane Ricky, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Tuesday Testimony
Prov. 17:22

“Faith, saving faith, is to be taught. The definition of this faith in Jesus Christ may be described in few words: It is the act of the soul by which the whole man is given over to the guardianship and control of Jesus Christ. He abides in Christ and Christ abides in the soul by faith as supreme. The believer commits his soul and body to God and with assurance may say, Christ is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. All who will do this will be saved unto life eternal. There will be an assurance that the soul is washed in the blood of Christ and clothed with His righteousness and precious in the sight of Jesus. Our thoughts and our hopes are on the second advent of our Lord. That is the day when the Judge of all the earth will reward the trust of His people.”1

“Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health
and prolong life.”

“Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. ‘A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth good like a medicine’ (Proverbs 17:22).

“A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health.

“Health, life, and happiness are the result of obedience to physical laws governing our bodies. If our will and way are in accordance with God’s will and way; if we do the pleasure of our Creator, He will keep the human organism in good condition and restore the moral, mental, and physical powers in order that He may work through us to His glory. Constantly His restoring power is manifested in our bodies. If we cooperate with Him in this work, health and happiness, peace and usefulness, are the sure results.”2

“Our desires and interests should be lost in His will. These experiences that test faith are for our benefit. By them it is made manifest whether our faith is true and sincere, resting on the word of God alone, or whether depending on circumstances, it is uncertain and changeable. Faith is strengthened by exercise. We must let patience have its perfect work, remembering that there are precious promises in the Scriptures for those who wait upon the Lord.”3
____________
1. Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, p. 531.
2. Ibid., pp. 647, 648.
3. The Ministry of Healing, p. 231.
Prov. 17:22



The Garden of Faith
Eko Tulistyawati Ricky, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Wednesday How-to
Gen. 12:6, 7; 13:3, 4; 2 Kings 5:1–27; Matt. 9:20–22

If we want to have true healing, we must grow a faith garden. This is important, because faith in God can enhance healing. To grow our faith garden, we need to plant four rows of Lilies, and finally in the center, plant one row of Edelweiss:

Faith and action go hand in hand.

Row 1—Lead us to have a relationship with God. Abraham was the father of the Israelites. Everywhere he went, he built an altar and offered sacrifices to show his faith in God. His supreme test involved the sacrifice of his son Isaac. Abraham passed this test. Abraham’s altars symbolize the special faith relationship he had with God. If we worship God as devotedly as Abraham did, our faith will also grow.

Row 2—Lead us to have a burning desire for Jesus. In Matthew 9:20–22, Jesus healed a woman who had been sick for 12 years. He told her that her faith in Him had made her whole. To get to Jesus, she forced herself through a huge crowd, despite knowing that her illness made her unclean and therefore banned from being in public. That is faith!

Row 3—Lead us to be strong like Jesus. Every time we fall, we must get up and keep going. Our problems make us weak only when we don’t depend on Jesus to help us.

Row 4—Lead us to obey all of God’s commandments. The experience of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:1–27 teaches us that for our faith to be genuine, it must be accompanied by action. If Naaman had not washed in the Jordan seven times, he would not have been cured. Faith and action go hand in hand.

Row 5 (the middle row)—Educate your mind to believe with all your heart that Christ is the answer. “Many are suffering from maladies of the soul far more than from diseases of the body, and they will find no relief until they shall come to Christ, the wellspring of life. Complaints of weariness, loneliness, and dissatisfaction will then cease. Satisfying joys will give vigor to the mind, and health and vital energy to the body.”*

REACT
1. How are the sacrifices we make today and our general, overall behavior better indications of our faith than just our words?
2. What is the significance of having the middle row be that of educating our mind? What is the role of education in faith building? Is faith only education, or is it more?
_____________
*Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, p. 403.
The Garden of Faith
Gen. 12:6, 7; 13:3, 4; 2 Kings 5:1–27;
Matt. 9:20–22



The Combo Healing
Falvo Fowler, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.
Thursday Opinion
Ps. 27:11–13; 116:1–10

A large part of my growing-up years was in India. And many of those years were spent fighting off something that couldn’t be explained medically. At her wit’s end, the doctor diagnosed me as a drug addict even though I had never touched the stuff. Then she told others that it was the only logical (not medical) reason. (So much for patient confidentiality and the Hippocratic Oath.) The local ministerial director wanted to bring a faith healer from his home state. And when the local busybody met me on the road, she urged me to confess my sins, because they were what was making me sick.

All of this was just way too much for me to endure.

In the middle of all this “reasoning,” I began to believe the many rumors spread by the doctor, the ministerial director, and the busybodies. What if God is punishing me? What if I have done something wrong? What if my faith isn’t good enough?

I remember asking God to let me go, because the medicine they were giving me was sending me into convulsions, and the doctor was prescribing Valium to put me under so I could take that medicine. All of this was just way too much for me to endure.

One night when the convulsions began and my mom ran to get my dad, I prayed that God would hold me till they could get me to the hospital to sedate me. I grabbed my Bible and began reading. Miraculously the convulsions diminished. My parents came back and were amazed that I was just twitching. But the moment we stepped into the hospital, the convulsions resumed, and I went down like a bowl of jelly. And yes, the doctor sedated me.

Years later, an intern discovered that the doctor was prescribing medication that my body was allergic to. It wasn’t my sins. It wasn’t a drug habit. It wasn’t a lack of faith. It was just a wrong medicine.

When I told a pastor friend of mine this story, he said the prayer and Bible reading was just a coincidence.

Really?

How often we brush miracles away as coincidences. Yet miracles do happen. Yes, we have to do our part. And, yes, we have to pray through it all. But somehow there is a combination that builds power. When God’s grace, our faith, and the love and care of the people around us combine, we tap into the power beyond our understanding. Then healing begins in earnest.




The Whole in the Center
Sharon E. Wright, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.
Friday Exploration
Num. 21:4–9

CONCLUDE
Jesus’ ministry is full of stories of people who experienced healing through faith in Him. Even the Old Testament story of the bronze snake on a pole symbolized healing by faith in Jesus. Our bodies—and our environment—have been corrupted by sin. Only the One who created us in the first place can help us find healing. When we rest in His power and promises, we can avoid many of the health problems associated with stress and worry. God wants us to live joyful lives, free from fear. He wants to be the center of our existence.

CONSIDER
•Making a collage of Scriptures about health and healing.
•Writing a psalm from the viewpoint of one who has asked for—and not received—physical healing from a specific malady.
•Singing the hymn “The Great Physician Now Is Near.”
•Journaling your prayers for healing in your own life or someone else’s.
•Creating a short skit or role-play that illustrates several people coming to Jesus for healing. •Make sure that at least one of your characters does not experience the healing he or she desires, and show how this situation could still demonstrate God’s grace.
•Listing contrasts between a holistic Christian view of health/wellness and traditional modern medicine.
Interviewing a health professional about some of the concepts in this • week’s lesson.

CONNECT
The Ministry of Healing.
Jan W. Kuzma, Kay Kuzma, and DeWitt S. Williams, compilers, 60 Ways to Energize Your Life; Hans Diehl and Aileen Ludington, Dynamic Living or Health Power; S. I. McMillen and David E. Stern, None of These Diseases: The Bible’s Health Secrets for the 21st Century; George H. Malkmus, Why Christians Get Sick.