Titus 2 Men And Women

I have spent much time considering something I don’t understand: The response of unbelief often spoken when Christians are told God performed a miracle. God performed unending miracles in the Old Testament…starting with our creation, then the creation of the world we live in. In the New Testament the Lord Jesus and His disciples performed countless miracles including healing from all manner of disease and raising the dead. Yet when miracles are reported today why do many of God’s children respond in doubt or unbelief…often stammering and obviously hesitant to even speak the word miracle?

Deuteronomy 29:2-3 “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye
have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto
Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations
which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:”

John 6:1-2 “After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the
sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him , because they saw his
miracles which he did on them that were diseased.”

John 12:37 “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they
believed not on him:”

My heart is heavy. It has been both interesting and very sad to see the reaction of many Christians when I’ve shared with them the glorious news that God healed my friend from stage 4 cancer. I began sharing this good news with others to glorify my matchless and merciful Saviour…and soon realized Satan was using many of their reactions to discourage me.

As I sat with the Lord one morning to address my discouragement over this matter I sensed in my spirit that one problem with unbelief for miracles is caused because in too many churches miracles are not being experienced by God’s people. Add to this too often little is being said about miracles from many Bible-believing pulpits…or the Scriptures concerning healing are not taught as valid for today. So, it is a sad fact that it is ‘foreign’ to many Christians when they hear God performed a miracle in someone’s life.
I know that some of you reading this will say, “Huh?” “This can’t be true.”

Twenty years ago I was teaching a women’s Sunday School class on Biblical healing. Five of the twelve women—each with a prestigious Christian University degree and teaching at a local Baptist Bible College—told the class that miracles were for Bible time and not for today. I was in shock! I was also astounded that only one woman in the class (who had no Bible College degree) was sure enough that the Bible is true on this matter that she boldly rebutted the women. 
Does not the Bible say that God changes not? Is not one of God’s names Jehovah-rapha which means the God Who heals His children? Can God lie?

Luke 9:56 “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them….” (save in the Strong’s Concordance: G4982 to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.)

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

I have never had a problem of unbelief concerning miraculous healings because I first experienced this kind of healing when I was seven years old. After recovering from Polio my swallowing muscles stopped working and I couldn’t eat, drink or even swallow my saliva. For many weeks I had been only able to sip a mixture of raw egg and orange juice beaten together and I had to let it run down my throat. (55 years ago people weren’t hospitalized for feeding tubes, etc.)

Very unexpectedly my aunt came for a visit and while she was watching a revival meeting on television I responded with the simple faith of a child to an invitation given by the evangelist to believe God could heal me. He asked those attending the revival by television to show they believed by touching the television set as he prayed. I remember getting up off of the couch, walking to the television set and when I put my hands on it God healed me instantly and swallowing was never again a problem. All glory to God!

I sadly have come to believe that more often than not we as Christians have embraced or accepted sickness as being normal. By doing so we quickly do what King Asa did and seek only the physicians and not God. May we also remember the outcome of his actions: “and he died.” II Chronicles 16:12-13 I am NOT saying medical professionals are never needed. I AM saying God should be consulted first and His will sought in every matter…including all of our illnesses and even the prescription drugs we are told we need to take. 
Some may ask how I can write this when I have some chronic illnesses? I write this not proclaiming I have all of the answers to health and healing for the Christian. Rather, I write this hoping to provoke your thoughts concerning health and healing as taught in Scripture. In this seeking and learning process God has dispelled many untruths I was taught from Scripture while He has miraculously healed me from one more health issue. For my other health issues I will continue to seek Him as Jehovah-Rapha.

Following are some verses of Scripture that God has used to speak to my heart as I seek Him in His blessed book; seek Him for His interpretation of His Words given to His children in the Bible:

Psalm 107:19-21 “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth
them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered
them from their destructions. (healed in the Strong’s Concordance: G4982 to save,
that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be
(make) whole.) Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children of men!” 

Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For
they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” (health in the
Strong’s Concordance: H4832 properly curative, that is, literally (concretely) a
medicine, or (abstractly) a cure; figuratively (concretely) deliverance, or (abstractly)
placidity: - ([in-]) cure (-able), healing (-lth), remedy, sound, wholesome, yielding.)

Matthew 9:27-30a “ And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed
him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was
come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them,
Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched
he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were
opened;….”

Luke 6:17-19 “And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.” (healed in the Strong’s Concordance: G2390 cure, heal, make whole)

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (healed in the Strong’s Concordance: H7495 rapha properly to mend (by stitching), that is, (figuratively) to cure: - cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole. )

1Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (were healed…healed in the Strong’s Concordance: G2390 cure, heal, make whole.)

Proverbs 3:1-8 “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my
commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to
thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them
upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in
the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from
evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” (health in the
Strong’s Concordance: H7495; a cure: - health.)

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