23rd September 2014
In the September 2014 ACCatalyst a number of articles deal with farewelling a beloved companion from this mortal life. Who other than Christians should be able to write boldly yet gently about death? To write with confidence as Don Purdey does about the most important thing—of being saved—even as he faced the effects of his motor neurone disease? Of passing from life to afterlife? Of great confidence in our Saviour? Death and celebration are joined together in this edition of ACCatalyst.
Local news includes Grahame Abrahams reporting on his new ministry of service to congregations without a minister, and information about the ACC response to the UCA discussion on marriage. Peter Bentley reviews the new Christian film Freedom, continuing the John Newton story.
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Does God still heal today ?
I empathise with Dr. Browne’s dilemmas (July 2014 ACCatalyst)in regard to the Healing ministry and why many who are prayed for are not healed. But I wonder in the end if she is still able to affirm that God intervenes to bring miraculous healing today?
Cecil Murphey in a recent book “I believe in Healing”, used a word ‘recrudecence’ to describe our hopes for the demonstrations of healing we long to see more often in the church of this day. The word describes a dormant volcano inexplicably bursting into life..when God so chooses.
Eg. Healings, Revival and Renewal that impacts not just the church but the culture around it. For that day we all hope and pray.
Mr Williams article (July 2013 ACCatalyst ) was an affirmation of that expectation that he obviously has applied to his life over many years.
As someone who has wrestled with questions similar to Dr Browne’s over many years, I have come to the conclusion that our constant questions about the healing ministry, are never going to be resolved in the here and now. Similar questions permeate many of our congregations making it difficult, even for leaders, to maintain a positive expectation for divine intervention in the healing process.
While we praise God for the wonderful things medicine is doing for us, it must always be secondary to the intervention of Gods power for the healing process to be complete. Such a hope has its basis in the Cross of Christ and the compassionate nature of God to rid this world of sickness and disease. Of course we maintain such a hope in a pastorally sensitive way alongside a realistic affirmation of the sovereignty of God over all the circumstances of our lives.
In order to maintain a positive attitude to the Healing ministry in the local church today we need to affirm the positives of Gods intervention medically and spiritually in our lives, instead of nurturing the attitude that constantly tries to rationalise why God heals in some cases yet seems not to in others.
Allan C George (Rev) (SA)
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