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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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James 5:12-16
“Above all, my brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No’, no, or you will be condemned. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the Church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the Name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
That is why some Christians don’t like to swear over a Bible in court.
Instead, they usually ‘affirm’ that what they will say will be the truth. However, isn’t it a pity that we have to ‘do’ something to confirm that what we will say is the truth? James reminds us that we should be people of integrity. Don’t say what you don’t mean.
We used to have a great expression in England – it was “My word is my bond.” In other words, whatever I say I am committed to and I will stick by it even if it proves to my detriment. Why can’t people keep appointments? Why do people ‘drop out’ of courses? It seems that our words today mean so little.
Yes, we can’t even keep our vows. These days we make only one – the marriage vow – and yet so many can’t even keep that. Sadly, even Christians don’t seem prepared to or choose not to. We are supposed to be like our Heavenly Father who is a Covenant (vow) keeping God.
James was such a ‘real’ person. He recognised that we all have different circumstances. Yes, some will be in trouble, some will sin, some will be sick and some will be happy. But the troubled and sick should not stop the happy from singing “songs of praise”. Rather the troubled “should pray” – and those who are sick should ask to be anointed for healing.
Often we want to ‘hide away’ when we are sick – but instead we should ask for prayer. One of my happiest memories is when, as a Cell Group Leader, I had a phone call from a lady who was very ill. (She was not attending any church.) She said, “I’m so ill, I’ve got to come to your Cell Group for you to pray for me.” She duly arrived and told her story.
She had been to hospital for the same operation 4 times already and was told she would have to have yet another one. She couldn’t face going through it all once more so she came to see us. We anointed her with oil as described above, quoted this particular Scripture and some others, and then prayed for her. She was completely healed immediately. That is now many years ago, and as far as I am aware, she never had the 5th operation.
Yes, God still has the power to heal, and He has given us the authority to anoint people and pray for their healing. It is not a magical formula, neither do we do the healing. Healing is the Sovereign power and within the Sovereign will of God alone. But we should pray and anoint people as the normal expression of Church Body Ministry. By the Lord’s grace I have had the privilege of praying for many people and seen hundreds of them healed.
I must admit I prefer for people to ask for anointing rather than just doing it, as it tends to release faith in them, which is important but not vital. It’s our faith that is important and our obedience to and trust in the Truth of Scripture and the Power of God, who is still Jehovah Rophe – “I am the Lord, who heals you” – Your Healer (Exodus 15:26).
It is how we bring the Kingdom of God to earth.
Have you done it recently?
If not, why not ask God for you to be able to do so this week?
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