I still believe that people with illness can get healing in this
day and age but it's all up to God who is Souvereign. Do note that
it is 100% healing and not today well, tomorrow sick again.
Saying this, i can understand how people feel when their loved ones
are terminally ill, or suddently struck down with critically ill
situations (cos i work with people in these situations). They would
put all their hopes on these miracle healers. In the end if their
love one dies, all they get in respond from the miracle healers
will be "you don't have enough faith"
I've included an article written from my pastor on this issue for
sharing purpose.
Apologize if it is a bit lengthy.
Miracle Healing Ministry Examined
Rev. Prabhudas Koshy
Sickness has long been a disturbing and difficult problem to every
man. It is only natural that we desire and search for cures. When
normal methods of cure do not bring quick relief or bring no relief
at all, Christians pray and hope for God's miraculous healing. The
Bible does not prohibit us from praying for God's mercy and healing
to come upon a sick person. In fact, we are encouraged to pray for
the healing of brethren who have fallen ill. "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; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him"
(James 5:14,15). The search for healing and the desire to pray for
healing were indeed the experience of the early church.
We also know that the Apostle Paul besought the Lord thrice, that
the thorn in the flesh, which he had been afflicted with, might
depart from him (Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-
. However,
the Lord did not remove it, but granted him His "sufficient grace"
to bear it and continue with his ministry (Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:
9). From this instance and other such events in the Scriptures, we
can correctly conclude that though we are encouraged to pray for
healing of the sick, we must pray with a readiness to submit to
God's will even if it means to continue to be sick.
However, we have been hearing and seeing many "miracle workers" or
"faith healers" going about claiming that they are gifted to heal.
They hold miracle services, claiming that they can heal the sick.
In their meetings they command the sick to be healed in Jesus'
name, but many people are not healed at all. Many of their claims
are proven to be false. Many, who claimed to be healed from certain
sicknesses, later, were found to be suffering from the same
sicknesses, or died because of the same sickness.
Some, in the present day, have desired and even claimed to
duplicate the experience of the early church as recorded in the New
Testament. The New Testament records abound with miraculous events,
not the least of which are the miraculous healings of people who
were diseased.
The following observations on healing incidents in the Bible will
show how the modern miracle healings do not follow the biblical
pattern; and thus proving to us that these are spiritually
dangerous phenomena, which we should not seek after.
1. The healings were instantaneous. Further treatment was not
necessary (Acts 3:1-11).
2. The healings were complete. Those who were healed could
immediately resume their normal activities unhindered by the
sickness in any way (Acts 9:32-34).
3. The healings were permanent. This is not to say that the ones
healed were never sick again, but it is to say that the next day
when the "healer" was gone, the sickness was not returned (Acts
4:22).
4. Those with the gift of healings had the ability to heal organic
illnesses as well. They did not heal mere psychosomatic illness
(Acts 3:1-11; 5:14-16).
5. Those with the gift of healings were not selective in whom they
would heal. They could heal anyone (Acts 5:14-16; 28:8-9).
6. Those with the gift of healings could heal at will. There were
no conditions placed on the ones being healed (Acts 3:1-11). The
same was true of other miracles (Acts 13:11-12).
7. Faith on the part of the one healed was not a requirement or
condition. Faith was often rewarded, but it was never stated to be
a condition of a person's healing, nor was it ever used as an
excuse for a failed attempt to heal (Acts 3:1-11; 9:40).
8. The attempts at healing were always successful. (The only
exception to this is the one occasion recorded in Matthew 17:20
when the disciples lacked faith.)
9. The healings were usually performed for unbelievers (Acts
3:1-11; 5:14-16).
10. The healings were usually unsolicited (Acts 3:1-11).
11. The healings were secondary to preaching (Luke 9:6). This is
also seen in Acts 20:17-38 where Paul reviews his ministry in
Ephesus and makes no mention of his great miracles performed there
(cf. 19:11-12), only his faithfulness in ministering the Word. No
man was ever given a "healing ministry."
12. Those with the gift of healings could also raise the dead upon
request (Acts 9:40).
13. Although the healings were not at all hidden, they were
generally performed in relative privacy and never in a public
healing service. "Healing services" were never a part of the early
church (Acts 3:1-11).
14. Miracles and healings were performed by the apostles and their
close associates. Philip and Stephen were the only non-apostolic
healers, however, they were close associates of the apostolic
band.
15. The healings were never performed by a supposed "slaying in the
Spirit" or the like.
16. The healings were performed free of any financial charge.
Neither were any souvenirs sold or offerings taken.
17. The healings and miracles could not be denied. They were
indisputable feats of power (Acts 4:14-17).
18. The powers associated with the gifts of miracles and healings
did not extend beyond healing, casting out demons, and raising the
dead. These powers did not include the ability to perform tricks,
heal animals or raise them from the dead, or the like.
19. Healings were performed in various ways: by touching (Acts 3:6,
7); usually without physical contact of any kind (Acts 5:14-16;
9:32-34); by speaking (Acts 14:10); with the use of handkerchiefs
and aprons (Acts 19:11-12); with prayer (Acts 9:38-41; 28:8-9);
usually without prayer (Acts 3:1-11); and sometimes even in absence
(Acts 19:11-12).
20. Healings were described as the sign gifts of the apostles. In
other words, they were unique to the apostles and their time (2
Corinthians 12:12; Romans 15:19). The writer of the book of
Hebrews, writing as a second generation Christian, speaks of the
miraculous gifts, which God gave to the apostles as a sign of
confirmation of the Word of God which they revealed, in the past
tense (Hebrews 2:3-4).
These observations are most revealing, especially in comparison
with present-day claims to the gift. If there are similarities,
they fade quickly in comparison with differences which are much
greater and more obvious. The gift of miracles, enjoyed by the
early church at the hands of the apostolic company, appears to have
been a unique experience which served its purpose and then faded
away.
The history of the church after the Apostolic era also shows that
miraculous healing did not continue as an individual gift. This is
not to say there were no miraculous healing at all. We believe that
God is still able to heal the sick miraculously, according to His
will. So we should pray for the sick. Nonetheless, in the light of
the above observations of Scriptural data on healing, claims by
people that they are specially gifted, like the Apostles, to heal
miraculously, must be rejected as unbiblical as they do not match
up to the pattern and doctrine of the Apostles.
(Scriptural data on healing is adapted with some editing from Fred
G. Zaspel's article, "The Gifts of Miracles and Healings today?"
)
