House Church Talk - Re: Healing Communities

[Keith Smith]

Robert Moseley from the hills of Texas, wrote of list: I'm truly interested in more information concerning just what the content of a "healing community" is.  Is there any particular scriptural mandate or reference for such meetings?

I hope that he doesn't mind my sharing my answer to him in this forum, as I guess it will answer the questions of more than one.

let me try to answer your questions. I define a healing community as a community of God's people, dedicated to Him and one another in love, that express that love by bringing healing of body, soul and spirit to their communities. 

This of course should be a description of all churches, but sadly it isn't. Nowadays, healing is so often seen as an adjunct to the gospel, rather than an integral part. Jesus mandated us to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, liberate the demonized and more. This is all part of the good news. The problem is the vast majority of churches aren't as open as they should be to that idea. Thus healing and deliverance have been sectioned off by by folk on the fringe. The response of the majority of churches, when they see this fringe activity, is to run a mile. They don't want to get painted as the "lunatic fringe" (and it has to be said that some of what is out there is pretty loony). So they give credence to healing by having an occasional healing meeting or crusade (for whichI find no Biblical support). Other churches try to bring healing back into the centre ground, but become a sausage machine.... you can't get healed unless we have a word of knowledge.... You have to fall over just when we shout loudly.... you have to submit to embarasing and inacurate proofs that you do have one leg shorter than theother.... etc etc. the needs of the individual is lost to the needs of the sausage machine to produce results. The level of abuse towards those that are suffering in these churches is increadible. I have more than once been called to hospital emergency rooms tohelp the victims of these faith factories. Once I remember in England being asked by a hospital psychiatrist to visit his ward. There were three women, all recovering from suicide attempts, all doubting their faith and I'm afraid all from the same church! I spent an hour a day with them for two weeks, before they were all discharged with a clean bill of health. They all went on to other churches (following my advice), and all became usefull members of their new churches, without reocurance of the depression. What did I do, very little, prayed deliverance over two, demonstarted the love of God to them, and put them in communities (churches) where they would be trully accepted for who they were, and not for some idea of a clonned saint.

I must stress that when I talk of Healing Communities, I am not talking about "communes". The Communities that I speak of perhaps have a deeper commitment to one another than in most churches, and have begun to put that commitment into practice in their localities. This "one another" love naturaly spills out in healing, meeting both spiritual needs and physical needs to those round about. the first is spiritual healing, anouncing the gospel of reconciliation, this then moves on to physical and emotional healing, and then into healing within th local community, with community projects, soup kitchens etc. The commitment to those in need who come to us is total... we will lay down our lives if nesecary to see folk come to salvation and then wholeness. This is a words and deeds gospel, and is not for the faint hearted. it is a message for those who like me are fed-up seeing folk cast off by "nice" churches because they don't wear the right sort of clothes or sometimes they don't feel like happy clappy worship. It's a message for those who have cried so much over pains in their lives that the need a touch form the Lord that will bring tears of healing and joy. It's a message that says we are prepared to give our all, that another may experience the blessings that we have. It's a message that we'd all like to go along with, but............

There are always buts. I don't try to be radical, but a little while ago, I decided that I'd cast the buts out of my life. It works! God blesses us with miracles every day. We see healings. But best of all the Lord takes us deeper into himself, and together we are healed.

I hope allof that doesn't sound too airy fairy. I am very realistic, and I assure you that I have my feet firmly planted on the ground. If you have any more questions please get in touch either with myself or Jeanne.

wishing you every blessing in Christ,

 
Keith Smith
castillofuerte at msn.com
keithsmith at castillofuerte.org
http://www.castillofuerte.org
Spain