Holistic Health

Belief plays an essential role in healing.  Having confidence in my doctor when he assures me that I am doing fine encourages a more rapid recovery than if that spiritual factor is absent.

I wasn’t surprised to read an article in BMJ, formerly known as the British Medical Journal, revealing that about half the doctors in the United States, Denmark, Israel, and the United Kingdom dispense placebos.

The great 19th century American psychologist William James wrote of the efficacy of these chemically inert prescriptions.  Placebos are particularly effective in pain management activating the same regions of the brain as opiate-drugs. Brain scan research reveals a common neurological reaction to both placebo-induced pain relief and narcotic-induced analgesia.  Indeed, the body’s health and physical well-being flows from the brain, the mind, and the soul.

Ancient Jewish wisdom assures that our physical bodies and spiritual souls are welded into one.  Bodily realities impact our souls.  More importantly for health purposes, spiritual realities impact our bodies.

Let God Do It His Way

"Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean. But Naaman was angry." (2 Kings 5:10-11, The Amplified Bible)

So often we miss out on what God wants to do for us because He doesn't do it the way we think He should. We work up an idea in our minds about how He's going to heal us, for instance. We think He's going to send some famous preacher to lay hands on us or that He's going to knock us off our feet with a blast of His power. When He doesn't, we let our faith drop and foul up what He had actually planned to do.

That's what Naaman did. He went to Elisha expecting to be healed in a particular way. When it didn't happen that way, the Bible says, he went away in a rage.

What Elisha told him to do was simple. Dip seven times in the Jordan. Naaman could do that. But it didn't fit his idea of how his healing should take place. He thought Elisha would heal him by waving his hands around and calling on the Name of the Lord.

Naaman's Servant Girl

One of my heroes is a child. I hope she made it to heaven because I want to meet her. I don't even know her name.

"Now [raiding] bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy'"(2 Kings 5:2,3).

If I had been captured by raiders, taken from my family, and now forced to work as an unpaid slave for some foreigner, I would hate it. Worse-Naaman was a high-ranking military officer in the dreaded Aramean army, Israel's bitter foes on their troubled northern frontier.

I would work every day in a cold rage, burying my feelings under a bland mask and plotting either escape or revenge. Instead, this little girl showed kindness to her owner. She felt sorry for him because he had leprosy and urged him to see Elisha, Israel's great man of God.

Step out of the Crowd

Written by Brigitte Straub

Do you feel isolated, hurt or afraid and have no one to talk to? Talk to us.

“When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’”. (Mathew 8:1-2, NKJV)

In the ancient world, leprosy was a terrible, destructive disease – and it still is in some parts of the world.  According to Jewish customs, one had to keep six feet from a leper. If the wind was blowing toward a person from a leper, they had to keep 150 feet away. The only thing more defiling than contact with a leper was contact with a dead body.

TOUCHED BY LOVE

Mark 1:41, "And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him.... and he was cleansed."

MATTHEW 8:1-4, MARK 1:40-45, LUKE 5:12-15

Only Mark records this important statement that Jesus was "moved with compassion" in the healing of this leper. 

There are three other instances in the gospels when Jesus was moved with compassion which resulted in healing (Mt. 14:14; 20:34; Lk. 7:13; and once in deliverance - Mk.5:19). The difference between seeing a person healed or not healed many times is this all-important ingredient of love.

All three of the Gospel accounts record Jesus touching this leper. This not only illustrates the doctrine of "laying on of hands", but was probably included because according to Numbers 19:22, this action would have made Jesus unclean. This illustrates the New Testament ministry of the Spirit versus the Old Testament ministry of the letter of the law (2 Cor. 3:6).

Could Jesus Have Healed People by the Power of Suggestion?

Mark 1:29–34

Doctors note that sometimes people can have a psychologically induced illness, and if they get a new purpose or direction for living, they show relief from the symptoms—they don’t need the illness anymore. 

For some others, the “placebo effect” can have visible results. That is, if you think you’re going to get better, you often do get better. And when people came to Jesus, they believed he could heal them, so he did. But the fact remains: Regardless of how he did it, Jesus did heal them.

Of course, even if you hold to this explanation for some cases, that doesn’t explain all of Jesus’ healings. Often a psychosomatic healing takes time; Jesus’ healings were instantaneous. 

Victorious Warfare

Written by Brigitte Straub

If you feel surrounded today, come talk to a mentor.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  (2 Kings 6:16)

You are never alone! One thing is for sure: there is a realm our physical eyes cannot see.  There is a host of angels ministering to us, guarding us, and working for us and on our behalf.  Whatever you may be experiencing remember first that God is for you, and there is much more taking place in the invisible realm.

Elisha lived from that realm.  The things that took place in the natural world did not shake Elisha. Instead, he moved in something beyond what he could see physically.  He was taken and possessed by what he could see with his spiritual eyes.

Where Are the Nine?

"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17)

Ten lepers, hopeless and incurable, had come to Jesus, begging for His help, and He had miraculously healed them. All ten should have fallen down to worship and thank Him, but only one praised God and thanked Jesus for His marvelous deliverance, while the others rushed away.

We are at first amazed at such ingratitude, until we realize that not more than 10 percent of even those people who know about Christ ever stop to give Him thanks for His innumerable blessings--life, freedom, food, shelter, health, family, and especially easy access to the Bible and His gracious offer of salvation--far greater in value than the gift of special healing received by the ten lepers.

God's Timing

"Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone'" (Mark 1:42-45).

Have you ever had a problem keeping a secret? Especially if that secret involves good news. I have certain friends who can't keep a secret like this. They are sure to blurt it out to the wrong person at the wrong time.

There is a timing that is ideal for releasing information or moving forward with a project. Jesus understood the importance of timing. When He performed His first healing miracle He instructed the man he healed with leprosy to not tell anyone. Now that would be difficult - not to share being healed from leprosy with your friends who have known you and your condition. He could not keep the secret.

As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Jesus desired to do more things in that city, but because the man could not keep quiet, He could not do so.

Timing is Critical

Written by Bill Strom

“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Mark 1:40-44

This account of Jesus healing the leper early in his earthy ministry is peculiar. It runs against the grain that anyone new in town with an agenda to make a difference would tell people he helped to stay mum about it. Can you image politicians running for office cautioning people in their riding “Now be careful! Don’t tell others what I’ve done for you to make your life better!” It just doesn’t make sense.

HEALING IS GOD'S WILL

Matthew 8:2, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." MATTHEW 8:1-4

Leprosy was a hated disease and its symptoms are described in detail in Leviticus 13:1-46. This leper believed Jesus could heal him, but doubted His willingness to heal him. Jesus showed him His willingness to heal, and since He is no respecter of persons, He established a precedent for us (Rom. 2:11). This leper did not know God's will concerning healing, but this is not the case with us. The Word of God is the will of God, and it reveals that it is always God's will to heal.

Isaiah 53:5, makes it clear that when Isaiah said "with his stripes we are healed", he was speaking of the physical healing of our bodies. Jesus provided for physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. The very word "save" (Gk.-"sozo") is translated "made whole" in reference to physical healing in Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, and Luke 8:48. James 5:15 says, "the prayer of faith shall save (Gk.-"sozo") the sick." 

Feedback: Why Won’t God Heal Amputees?

Simple Question: Why, if God is omnipotent, never , ever in all Bible was a case of an amputation healed? Except the ear that Jesus put it back. I m talking about a missing limb that Jesus or someone could have make it to grow back?

I m really curios to see how do you TWIST this one too, cause lots of your answer are twisted and NEVER give answer to the question of the article.

So, can u answer this simple question? Why didn't all mighty god make a limb grow up? Don't tell me they weren’t- after all the sword was the main weapon of that time and there has been a lots of wars. And no, even in that time a man didnt just die if he had an arm cut off..

WHAT IS your answer?I m looking forward to it.
Although i m thinking that you will pass this one.
Thank you.

Those Exceptions of Life

2 Kings 5:1–14

Is your life happy . . . except for one thing? Perhaps you enjoy a loving marriage, a beautiful home and financial ease . . . except you suffer from infertility. Maybe you have graduated with a master’s degree, founded a business and are in top physical condition . . . except your parents are getting divorced. If you compiled a list of all the positives in your life, what would you include? I have great friends; I’m an accomplished pianist; I’ve inherited a green thumb. But what disrupts your sense of well-being? All of us possess at least one “except” that gets in the way of our happiness.
An unnamed slave girl experienced some poignant “excepts” in her young life. She was one of God’s chosen people. She had faith in God . . . except she was a captive of war in a foreign land. The good news: She found herself in the household of a commander of the army.

It's God's Will to Heal You

Written by Mark Brazee

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. (Mark 1:40-42)

The average Christian is in the same position as this leper was - not knowing whether it is God's will to heal or not. The believer may think, I know God is able to heal. I just don't know whether or not it's His will to heal me.

The leper knew the ability of Jesus. He came to Jesus and said, "Lord, if You will, You can make me clean." I've heard the same thing from people in prayer lines. They stand there praying, "Oh, Lord, I know You're able to heal me."

It's a Sister Thing

Michelle McKinney Hammond

WOMEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO NURTURE ONE ANOTHER IN A WAY THAT MYSTIFIES MEN. BUT A DESPERATE NEED FOR ATTENTION WILL TURN THAT CARING INTO COMPETITION.

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Whether you call it connecting or bonding, women do it remarkably well. Certainly, this has been my experience. A recent shopping trip overwhelmingly confirmed my theory.

"Oooh, that looks lovely on you. You should get it!" my admirer told me. It was 7:30 a.m., and my favorite store was having a knock-down, drag-out sale. Take 80 percent off everything!

Oooh, Mama, I was in my glory! And so were my sisters--women I had never seen before in my life.

"Mmm, it's pretty, but you looked slimmer in the other outfit."

"That color is very becoming."

Keeping the Faith: Goats and Gratitude

A man went to his rabbi and complained, “There are ten of us living in one room. Life is unbearable! What can I do?” The rabbi answered, “Go home and take your goat into the room with you.” The man was incredulous; but the rabbi was insistent. “Do as I say. Come back in a week.”

A week later the man returned looking even more distraught than before. ”Rabbi, please, we cannot stand it. The goat is so filthy!” The rabbi then told him, “Very well, go home and let the goat out. Come back in a week.”

A radiant man returned to the rabbi a week later. His perspective had been astonishingly altered. “Life is beautiful,” he cried. “We enjoy every minute of living together without the goat – and there’s only the ten of us!”

Jesus once encountered a group of ten, living together, with little for which to be thankful. These ten had more than a stinking goat in the room. They had leprosy. From a distance they shout to the rabbi Jesus to have mercy on them – life was unbearable.

HEALING : One Out of Ten

Luke 17:11-19

Ten men came to Jesus. At first, at a distance, as they would with anyone, so that their skin disease wouldn't scare them off. But then, they made their plea for help. Jesus sees this, and gives them instructions, which they follow: show yourselves to the priests, you'll be clean before you get there. Result: all ten left to do as required, and as they were leaving, all of them were being cured of the disease.


However, one of them turned around (Greek hypostrephô). No little term here: in Acts 22:13-17, the apostle Paul uses it to describe his own change of life direction. The one leper came back to thank Jesus, throwing himself at Jesus' feet. That's not just thanks, it's worship; it's not just that, it's touch. It's a level of closeness that the man hadn't experienced since getting the disease. Jesus then says, "Your faith has made you well".


What did Jesus mean by that? All ten were cured, made clean of the disease. No small act for even a celebrated healer, and no small thing for any of the ten men, a turning point in their lives. But only the one who turned away from everything else and gave full-out praise, only that one was declared "well". By way of his worship of Jesus, he opened up to God's wide panorama of what it means to be made whole. Notice that he's not thanking the other nine lepers, nor was he heaping praise on the strangers around him, not even of the disciples who were with Jesus - the ones Jesus originally was addressing at the start of this scene. No. He went back 'praising God', and 'thanked' Jesus - to him, the two things were pretty much the same. This now ex-leper saw, and understood. He was no longer one among the label 'the sick', no longer one of ten in misery that was company. He was himself - finally! And he knew who he belonged with. The act of returning to Jesus was an act of faith, and that faith made him "well" - wholly a part not only of the society around him, but also the Kingdom of God, which is the very definition of what it means to be "well" and whole. God is not just paying attention, but is hard at work all of human life. The ex-leper now knew this from his own skin. There was no separation of being healed of a medical illness and spiritual healing, to him it was all just healing, and he was joyous over it. He goes, but not just in a self-beneficial obedience like the other nine. He goes as living, breathing evidence of Jesus' ministry and work on earth and beyond.


This sense of being "well" comes in the context of the kingdom. In the immediate case, it means wellness in the context of core matters and acts of faith, such as confession and forgiveness, bearing one's cross, and self-giving to others.

http://www.spirithome.com/healings.html#godtalk