Healing of the Bride

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!  Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” I Corinthians 12:14-21 (New Living Translation, NLT)

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. Ephesians 5:25-27 (New Living Translation, NLT)

The body of Christ, His bride, has been walking around this earth crippled, maimed, and sickly. She has been unable to function properly and is need of serious healing for her ailments. The Apostle Paul described the church as the body of Christ and shared that we are all members of that body- parts that are needed for it to be fully functional and effective. But, something has been seriously wrong with the Lord’s bride.

The eyes have refused to see because they wanted to be the mouth. The liver was upset that it could not be seen like the outer members so it did not do its its job like it was supposed to. And some members refused to communicate with each other because of division and disagreement and so the communication system of the body, the nervous system, malfunctioned. Her feet refused to submit to the authority of the mind and would not go where her mind told them to go because they had other ideas about the best destination for the body. In other words, the bride’s health has been in serious trouble because the members have not embraced their roles, have not done their parts, and have not worked together in unity.

Division, strife, jealousy, and carnal thinking has plagued the Bride for years. She has been so ill and weak that she has allowed the world to be taken over by the enemy. She has not been salt and light to the world. She has been an example of a body that is riddled with disease and does not have the strength to stand.

But there is good news for the bride. Healing is available in Jesus’ name. She can be made whole and strong. And the Lord is in the process of healing her right now. But, we must cooperate with the healing process in the same way that a patient must take the prescribed medicine to be made well. We must get in the Word and in prayer and learn of the role God has for each of us to play. And instead of resenting other members for their part in the body, we must work together to function as one, healthy and free of defects. The blood-bought children of God must partner together to take the Gospel to the world. Pastors and other leaders must forget their petty differences with other churches and unify under the banner of Christ. The body must be one.

For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NKJV)

The great outpouring is upon us and the Lord needs His Bride to be all that she can be for Him. Let’s cooperate with the Lord and with each other for the complete healing and restoration of His Bride. And then, let’s bring in this great harvest of souls!