What’s With This Healing Stuff?
- As a result of a severe head injuries received in a car accident, I suffered progressive blindness over several years. It was determined that brain lesions were the cause. Of course, I prayed and had many other people praying for me. As the blindess progressed to the point where I could no longer work, I felt like a yo-yo regarding faith. One day I just knew that I would be healed, the next I would despair that God would ever answer my prayer. I never let go of Jesus’ promise, even in the darkest time, but the frustration and struggle were overwhelming. After about three years of this progressive affliction and after just having lost a job due to blindness, I woke up one fine morning and could see perfectly, no more blindness. I thanked God for His faithfulness and shared such a wonderful healing with those around me. Even now when I share this particular healing testimony with those who are sick, a real faith connection is made in their lives when we pray for healing.
- I’ve put a lot of thought into what God did in my life. My faith was surely tested, and I learned so much about faith during this affliction. I learned that faith believes what it can’t see. Faith is stubborn. Healing isn’t earned, bought, or deserved, but it is a full expression of Jesus’ unfathomable love. And healing is for everyone who asks, it is truly “the children’s bread”.
- The great struggle is to grasp that God always heals. Hence the reference by Jesus in the Lord’s Prayer “…in earth, as it is in heaven”. I give credit to cousin Bob Friebel for explaining this verse. He states that God has already provided for healing through the stripes of Jesus’ beating, the healing provision is complete. Our end of the healing transaction is to have faith, and that through that faith healing is delivered to this earth as it already is provided for in heaven.
- So, I can state that, for me, healing is real, it is for today, and that I’ve prayed for people who have been healed of diseases ranging from terminal cancer to withered limbs. Scripture indicates that the apostles continued the healing ministry of Jesus. The Great Commission at the end of Mark 16 indicates that we, generally as Christians, are to heal the sick in Jesus name. Healing is not reserved for any particular church office or sacrament. Christians can heal the sick through the prayer of faith any time, anywhere.
- There are those who disagree with the concept of healing in today’s time. To them I would simply state this. The healing I have experienced both personally and in those I have prayed for is a Biblically based concept. No one ever came to Jesus, or any eventual followers of Christ, and asked to be made sick. They always asked for healing, and they were always healed. In the Bible, sickness was never put on anybody to prove their faith. Sickness is not what God gives us. It is not “our cross”. It is an evil perpetrated on our bodies by Satan, who is our enemy. Healing is good and surely from God. Healing reflects God’s nature of restoration, resurrection, and blessing.
- Now, I’m not going to trade in my eyesight to fulfill someone’s idea that “healing is not for today”. I can state, clearly and upon a Biblical basis, that healing is real, that it is for today, and that anyone can pray and ask the Father in Jesus name, with the Holy Spirit accomplishing God’s Word of healing.
- So get ahold of the Scriptural promises for healing. Look up “Jesus healing” on the internet, do a concordance study, stir up your faith with Bible study and prayer. If you’re sick, email me your phone number and we’ll make contact for prayer. Consider a fast to seek God’s face concerning your, or someone else’s, illness.
- Finally, don’t ever let anyone create doubt concerning the healing Jesus PROMISED us in His Word. Healing is for you, today, now. Simply ask the Father in Jesus name to heal you. Hold on to His promise, faith it through, and it will become “…in earth, as it is in heaven”.
(You can email RevRomansky at revromansky@yahoo.com)
©2008 Rev.Wm.J.Romansky
Street Preaching-Yea, Nay, and How?
- What about those crazy street preachers? Well, I must confess to several arrests for street preaching over the years, but moreso to the souls that came to know the unfathomable love of Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior. I’m a ringer in this argument. Why, among all the other ministries one can perform in the kingdom of God, would any person stand on a street corner and shout out to passers by that they can “repent and be saved”?
- This passage from Mark clearly delineates the Great Commission. Is it just to the apostles? Acts indicates that this is not the case, that “preach[ing] the gospel to every creature” is the duty of all Christians. Paul asked, “How shall they…hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14) If those people in our lives do not hear the gospel, guess who God calls in to question? Us, that’s you and me, brothers and sisters. Can I get an “Amen”? (can you hear the pin drop?)
- Street preaching is not a gift of the Spirit, not an Ephesians 4 body ministry, none of that. Rather, it is a practical fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission mandate to all Christians. The man who introduced me to street preaching in 1976 put it like this. The person we’re preaching to on the street awakes in his air conditioned house, gets into his air conditioned car in his air conditioned garage, drives to secured indoor parking at his job, and goes to work in his air conditioned office. He lives in a bubble that he has created, that is void of Jesus. Enters the street preacher who shares the Word of God, preach out in the street, who bursts that bubble for perhaps the first, and maybe the last, time in this person’s life. This might be this person’s only call to the Cross, their one chance. What a wonderful description of what a street preacher does.
- Again in 1976, the pastor of my church told me that “preach” doesn’t mean to go out on street corners, preaching to and talking with people about Jesus. Out came the Strong’s Concordance. The original Greek translates “to proclaim as a town crier”. I shared this with my Spirit filled, gospel preaching pastor, and he really had no reply; he was frankly ashamed but, regretfully, unrepentant of his contrary stand. Of course, my friends and I continued our preaching.
- You don’t have to be ordained to preach. You don’t have to be a particularly good speaker. A young man came out with me last week, got bogged down in an existential philosophical crisis during the middle of his street sermon, and I told him “say the Name”. He stopped philosophizing, shouted out the name of Jesus, people stopped and were positively impacted. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, my friends. You don’t have to have years as a Christian. You just need to know Jesus as your Lord, Savior, and Friend. Share that aspect of Jesus, the Person you know and appreciate, share why you love Him, what He personally did for you. Jesus in your life is the very best sermon you can ever share.
- And that’s all you really need to do. Find a well traveled area in your town or in a neighboring city, stand up and loudly say “Jesus”. Most people know exactly who you’re talking about. For those who don’t, expand on His death in our stead, His resurrection, His ascension, and His justification through the Blood. You might even want to say “Jesus loves you”, which is the best thing to say if you’ve forgotten your pre-prepared ideas which you will, of course, keep short and sweet, always including the Name. Saying the name “Jesus” is as powerful a sermon as you’ll ever hear.
- My best advice is to take a buddy to run interference, to be respectful to the police without letting them to ultimately cause you to stop preaching (submit peacefully to arrest if that’s the case), don’t block the sidewalk or entrances, and don’t grab anybody. Someone might say to you “I’m Jewish”, “I’m gay”, “I’m an atheist”; to these folks I reply,”That doesn’t exclude you from the unfathomable love of Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you, He died for your sins, He rose again from the dead just for you!” Offer to pray with these people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen miracles happen right on the street when praying with folks. For practical tips, there are some great videos on Youtube. Just look up “street preacher” to get an idea of how it’s done. As well, the internet offers sites specific to street preaching.
- Is street preaching radical? You better believe it. But the angels rejoice when that man or woman has their bubble burst, goes home from your street sermon, and gives their life to Jesus Christ.
- And as to this passage found at the end of Mark? Some modern Bible translations discredit it, but not my Textus Receptus KJV. If it’s good enough for Martin Luther, it’s good enough for me.
(You can email RevRomansky at revromansky@yahoo.com)
©2008 Rev.Wm.J.Romansky
“I’m Sorry”-Why Do Women Say It?
“We are not so smart as He is dumb.”
- But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan; because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead. Joshua 17:3-6 KJV
- I’ve worked in predominately female vocations, and can’t tell you how many times a female coworker has said “I’m sorry” for just doing their job. I might’ve been surfing the net for no reason in particular, but if a woman had to bump me from our shared computer for work-related activities, she’d say “I’m sorry”. And I can’t tell you how often my beautiful wife has set a perfect dinner in front of me and apologized for some miniscule imperfection I didn’t even notice. How can she be sorry for such a great Italian meal?
- On the other hand, a man will only say “I’m sorry” as often as he’s determined he’s committed an infraction, and not one single time more. But women often say “I’m sorry” for no apparent reason, and say it in such a way as to portray a deep and personal regret. Is it a generally bad self image among women that begins during their childhood? Is it the result of a world rampant with neglect, abuse, and disregard toward women? As children, many men are neglected and abused as well, but we generally don’t apologize unless we pragmatically judge ourselves as being truly in the wrong. Something a lot deeper than just having a bad day is behind the constant apologizing that women tend to do.
- While reading Joshua’s account of Zelophehad’s daughters, we find no such apology, no “I’m sorry” preceding their demand for the inheritance given to them by the Lord. We can imagine them coming before the council of the priest, Joshua, and the princes of Israel, demanding the land that would normally go to male heirs. We don’t know the background of these bold women, but we know their positive attitude did not come from self-actualization, self-empowerment, or self-realization. All of the “self” centered fixes to women’s deep seated spiritual issues are ineffective. They will not gain any woman the spiritual stature we all desire, but that women seem to struggle with much more than we men.
- The daughters of Zelphehad were truly empowered by the inheritance of the LORD! They had an inheritance among the sons of Israel. What does this mean to the many women who go through life apologizing for the good they do, for the service they provide, for the nurturing and blessing they give to their families, friends, and the rest of the world?
- Here it is, and it’s simple. No need to say “I’m sorry” anymore. No more apologizing. Contrary to the general revisionist belief that Jesus only freed women from the burden of second class citizenry in the New Testament, we find that the Lord’s attitude toward women preceding the New Testament is one of full acceptance as a “son”, that is, one with full rights and responsibilities in His kingdom. Women’s being a joint heir with Christ preceded His arrival here on earth. Under Mosaic Law, which feminists have painted as misogynistic and negatively patriarchal, we find Joshua viewing women as equal to men toward matters of inheritance and promise.
- An interesting caveat here. These women demanded their inheritance. They didn’t apologize, didn’t say “I’m sorry”, didn’t need the representation of their father. They didn’t need to break free from male domination. Their was no glass ceiling. They simply realized that the land was theirs, the blessing was theirs, and they effectively presented their case before the council.
And they didn’t say “I’m sorry”.
(You can email RevRomansky at revromansky@yahoo.com)
©2008 Rev.Wm.J.Romansky
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(You can email RevRomansky at revromansky@yahoo.com)
©2008 Rev.Wm.J.Romansky
September 29, 2008 Posted by revromansky | african american, atheism, atheist, barack, barack obama, black, black liberation theology, christian, christianity, church, Commentary, faith, God, islam, james cone, jesus, jesus christ, john mccain, mccain, obama, philosophy, politics, quran, religion, trinity united church of christ, Uncategorized, wright | 8 Comments