Ordination Module 6 - Christ the Healer

Module Six: Christ Our Healer

Introduction

  • Speaker: Joel Koenigsberg, Director for Leadership Development

  • Guest: Reverend Doctor Charles Galbraith

  • Purpose: Emphasizing the role of Jesus as a healer in ministry and personal experiences of healing.

  • Context: Before recording, prayer was offered for viewers to receive healing.

Personal Testimony of Healing by Rev. Dr. Charles Galbraith

  • Early Life Experience:

    • At age 10, Charles experienced a major injury

    • Background: Parents stepped into full-time ministry without health insurance.

    • Incident: While playing with his dog, he collided with a tree, leading to significant injury and unconsciousness.

    • Description: Half of his face was said to be mangled.

    • Family's Response: Parents prayed for healing instead of seeking medical attention.

    • Result: Immediate healing occurred, leaving only a scar.

Understanding Jesus as Healer

  • Core Principle: Jesus is the healer; the church does not heal on its own.

  • Importance of Dependence on Jesus:

    • Emphasizes radical dependence on Jesus as the true healer.

    • Examples from congregation experiences of healing through prayer.

    • Congregation's proximity to hospitals, recognizing the role of medical professionals.

  • Integration of Medicine and Faith:

    • Charles states that healing can also occur through medical means, encouraging reliance on both prayer and medicine.

    • Quote: "We worship the one whose name is medicine" - balancing faith and medical intervention.

Examples of Healing within the Congregation

  • Case 1: A 5-year-old boy's medical emergency:

    • Rushed to hospital; condition unknown and life-threatening.

    • Church community engaged in prayer with a 24-hour prayer connection.

    • Result: Child healed after church's prayers and anointing.

  • Case 2: Gunshot victim near the church:

    • Church congregation prayed for a young man shot nearby.

    • Community gathered to pray in the hospital; anointing took place despite no prior acquaintance with the victim.

    • Result: The young man experienced healing against medical expectations.

Theology of Healing

  • Healing and Dependence:

    • Charles asserts healing can be intimidating only if individuals mistakenly believe they are the healers.

    • The church's role is to pray and allow God to perform the healing.

  • Beliefs Supported by Scripture:

    • Healing reflects God's kingdom breaking into the present world.

    • James 5: Anointing with oil and praying for the sick as an act of faith.

  • Understanding of Healing:

    • Healing is viewed not just as a miraculous event but as a holistic restoration—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Complexities of Healing

  • Acknowledgment of Unhealed Individuals:

    • Discussed the reality of not witnessing healing as expected.

    • Reflection on personal struggle with unanswered prayers for healing.

    • Contrast between earthly experiences and ultimate divine healing in the afterlife.

    • Key Scripture: Apostle Paul’s plight with his 'thorn' in the flesh and God’s response that His grace is sufficient.

  • The Presence of Suffering:

    • Suffering is often necessary for spiritual growth and reliance on God's strength.

    • The relationship between suffering, God’s guidance, and preparation for ministry.

Healing as a Holistic Experience

  • Historical and Scriptural Context:

    • Healing is depicted throughout the Bible as a key aspect of Jesus' ministry.

    • Reaffirmation found in Psalm 103: "He heals all your diseases".

  • Misuse of Healing Theology:

    • Recognition that some have manipulated the concept of healing for personal gain.

    • Warns against the belief that Christians should not experience suffering.

    • Reality: The Biblical narrative often reflects the struggle of believers throughout history.

Community and Corporate Healing

  • The role of the Church:

    • Proposes that the church must engage in prayer and action for healing at both individual and systemic levels.

    • Community's responsibility includes confronting societal challenges, such as violence and poverty.

  • Case of Indigenous Tribe:

    • Missionary account of a tribal family experiencing healing in the hospital after praying to Jesus for help.

    • Not only did their daughter heal, but it apparently caused healings across the hospital floor.

Concluding Thoughts on Healing and Ministry

  • The importance of maintaining faith amid struggles and suffering.

  • Encouragement to recognize God's hand in both healing and personal development.

  • Assurance that pastoral roles and challenges are God’s process for shaping and strengthening leaders.

  • Final encouragement: Trust in God’s healing power in all circumstances, fostering boldness in prayer and action.

  • The interplay of reliance on God while serving individuals and communities facing brokenness.

Implications for Leadership in Ministry

  • Encouragement for church leaders to remain steadfast in faith and to promote healing.

  • Recognition that true community involves collective faith and practice in healing.

  • Emphasis on being compassionate witnesses of Christ's healing, both within the Church and in society at large.