We close chapter four with the second sign in the ministry of Christ. A word here about divine healing. Many in Charismania and the church believe in performative actions when it comes to healing. Healing hucksters like Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson or David Taylor turn healing into a show. Indeed, much of Charismania is a "look at me" performance. From shouting out incoherent tongues in the middle of services, making a spectacle of clairvoyance disguised as prophecy or healing, it is always about drawing attention to the show instead of the true Healer. Here we see this official asks for the show. He asked for Jesus to come to his sick child and heal him. Jesus responds as He would respond to much of the performative healing displays today - you will not believe unless you see signs and wonders. When the official asks again, Jesus simply speaks the word that his son will live, and the official accepts this and goes back home. No show needed. No signs and wonders. Just faith. Before he even gets home it is confirmed that the healing occurred just as Jesus said it would. The bible says if we are sick to see the elders of the church to have the prayer of faith prayed. It does not say to wave your magical suit coat at swaths of people. It does not say to punch people with pancreatic cancer in the stomach to impart healing as Todd Bentley once did. We have replaced prayer with performance. The spectacle becomes the point instead of faith. I mentioned once the story of a friend of mine who went down for "healing" when a traveling "evangelist" was visiting our church. He had hands laid on him while she screamed in baby babble tongues, and he danced up and down the altar free from the hip pain he had suffered under for a long time. When I saw him limping the follow week, I asked what happened. The pain returned the following morning, and he still needed hip surgery. Do not fall for the charlatans who do silly leg lengthening tricks like Todd White or pretend to heal nebulous back pain. I recently reviewed a video from Kap Chatfield, which was sharing a video from another church where a 10-year-old child was allegedly healed from liver cancer. If true, that would be an incredible story for God's glory. Instead, it was presented with zero proof and was all about the crying and emotionalism. The signs and wonders. I remember after the Asbury faux revival there was a story of a woman claiming her amputated toes were miraculously grown back. Imagine the glory if proven, which should have been easy. Instead, they just made the claim, refused to provide proof, and soon mockers started a website called "show me the toes." Reproach to the name of Christ instead of glory. Make no mistake about it. God can and still does heal. It does require faith, and it does require asking, or prayer. It does not require a spectacle. It does not require grandstanding. It does not require fake signs and lying wonders. God still uses people to lay hands and heal but that person, is not a healer. God is the healer. What is amazing here is the official was not a believer and yet he accepted what Jesus said and had faith, without the show and pretense. The result? His son was healed, and he and his entire family believed.
Divine healing is the worst end of this false theology of modern Charismaniacal healing. Taught by many, including Bill Johnson, who still wears corrective eyeglasses, this claims God MUST heal us. It completely robs God of His sovereignty. Sometimes, many times, the answer for healing is no. Bill Johnson's own wife Beni sadly passed away from cancer. I do not believe that this was because of some lack of faith but simply that they asked, and the answer was no. Realize too the damage they do to people who do not get the mandatory healing they claim. They can blame themselves or they might blame God, shipwrecking their faith. Thankfully my friend was grounded enough in the Lord to blame the huckster. Most are not, however. There are always victims of false teaching. Always.
