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The
Medical
Missionary
Manual
 
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN -
THE TEN STEPS
THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED
IN THE RECOVERY OF HEALTH
The blueprint for divine healing
TEN STEPS IN DIVINE HEALING
Sin and sickness came from the transgression of God’s
laws. If you would gain physical health you must obey God’s eight
health laws. If you would gain spiritual health, you must obey God’s
ten moral laws.
God will not restore to health those who desire it
only that they may continue to sin and dishonor their Creator. To love
obedience is to love health and life. To love sin is to love
degeneration and death. God will not keep us from that which we are
seeking.
This is the big decision, then, that you must make—are
you willing to deny self and obey all of God’s laws? If you are, then
the following ten steps to health are for you.
1 – GO TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN
— FOR ONLY GOD CAN HEAL
"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth
all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth
thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth
with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s."—Psalm
103:1-5.
"I will take sickness away from the midst of
thee."—Exodus 23:25.
"Sickness, suffering, and death are work of an
antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer."—Medical
Ministry, 11.
"Jesus Christ is the Great Healer, but He desires that by living
in conformity with His laws, we may cooperate with Him in the recovery
and the maintenance of health. . . .
"We cannot heal. We cannot change the diseased
conditions of the body. But it is our part, as medical missionaries, as
workers together with God, to use the means that He has provided. Then
we should pray that God will bless these agencies. We do believe in a
God; we believe in a God who hears and answers prayer."—Medical
Ministry, 13.
"God’s healing power runs all through nature.
If a human being cuts his flesh or breaks a bone, nature at once begins
to heal the injury, and thus preserve the man’s life. But man can
place himself in a position where nature is trammeled so that she cannot
do her work. . . If tobacco is used . . . the healing power of nature is
weakened to a greater or less extent. . . . When intoxicating liquor is
used, the system is not able to resist disease in its original God-given
power as a healer. It is God who has made the provision that nature
shall work to restore the exhausted powers. The power is of God. He is
the great Healer."—Medical Ministry, 11-12.
2 – ASK HIM TO HEAL YOU, IF IT BE HIS WILL
"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much."—James 5:15-16.
"Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this
cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done."—Luke
21:42.
"I saw that the reason why God did not hear the
prayers of His servants for the sick among us more fully was that He
could not be glorified in so doing while they were violating the laws of
health . . .
"Let no one obtain the idea that the [Health]
Institute is the place for them to come to be raised up by the prayer of
faith. This is the place to find relief from disease by treatment and
right habits of living, and to learn how to avoid sickness."—Counsels
on Health, 274.
"It is labor lost to teach people to look to God as a healer of
their infirmities, unless they are taught also to lay aside unhealthful
practices. In order to receive His blessing in answer to prayer, they
must cease to do evil and learn to do well. Their surroundings must be sanitary, their habits of life correct.
They must live in harmony with the law of God, both natural and
spiritual.
"To those who desire prayer for their
restoration to health, it should be made plain that the violation of God’s
law, either natural or spiritual, is sin, and that in order for them to
receive His blessing, sin must be confessed and forsaken."—Ministry
of Healing, 227-228.
"In prayer for the sick it should be remembered
that we know not what we should pray for as we ought.’ Romans 8:26. We
do not know whether the blessing we desire will be best or not.
Therefore our prayers should include this thought: ‘Lord, thou knowest
every secret of the soul. Thou art acquainted with these persons. Jesus,
their Advocate, gave His life for them. His love for them is greater
than ours can possibly be. If, therefore, it is for Thy glory and the
good of the afflicted ones, we ask, in the name of Jesus, that they may
be restored to health. If it be not Thy will that they may be restored,
we ask that Thy grace may comfort and Thy presence sustain them in their
suffering."—Ministry of Healing, 229-230.
3 - BELIEVE THAT HE WILL HEAL YOU
IF HE SEES THAT IT IS BEST
"But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw
her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee
whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."—Matthew
9:22.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in
Him; and He shall bring it to pass."—Psalm 37:5.
"If they take the position that in praying for healing they must
not use the simple remedies provided by God to alleviate pain and to aid
nature in her work, lest it be a denial of faith, they are taking an
unwise position. This is not a denial of faith; it is in strict harmony
with the plans of God. When Hezekiah was sick, the prophet of God
brought him the message that he should die. He cried unto the Lord, and
the Lord heard His servant and worked a miracle in his behalf, sending
him a message that fifteen years should be added to his life. Now, one
word from God, one touch of the divine finger, would have cured Hezekiah
instantly, but special directions were given to take a fig and lay it upon the affected part, and Hezekiah
was raised to life. In everything we need to move along the line of God’s
providence.
"The human agent should have faith and should
cooperate with the divine power, using every facility, taking advantage
of everything that, according to his intelligence, is beneficial,
working in harmony with natural laws; and in doing this he neither
denies nor hinders faith."—Counsels on Health, 381-382.
"We have united in earnest prayer around the
sickbed of men, women, and children, and have felt that they were given
back to us from the dead in answer to our earnest prayers. In these
prayers we thought we must be positive, and if we exercised faith, that
we must ask for nothing less than life. We dared not say, ‘If it will
glorify God,’ fearing it would admit a semblance of doubt. We have
anxiously watched those who have been given back, as it were, from the
dead. We have seen some of these, especially youth, raised to health,
and they have forgotten God, become dissolute in life, causing sorrow
and anguish to parents and friends, and have become a shame to those who
feared to pray. They lived not to honor and glorify God, but to curse
Him with their lives of vice.
"We no longer mark out a way, nor seek to bring
the Lord to our wishes. If the life of the sick can glorify Him, we pray
that they may live, nevertheless, not as we will but as He will. Our
faith can be just as firm, and more reliable, by committing the desire
to the all-wise God and, without feverish anxiety, in perfect confidence
trusting all to Him. We have the promise. We know that He hears us if we
ask according to His will."—Counsels on Health, 378-379.
4 - CHANGE WRONG HABITS,
AND OBEY THE LAWS OF GOD
"If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of
the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt
give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none
of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians:
for I am the LORD that healeth thee."—Exodus 15:26.
"And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and He shall bless thy
bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."—Exodus 23:25.
"Health does not depend on chance. It is the
result of obedience to law."—Ministry of Healing, 128.
"A failure to care for the living machinery is
an insult to the Creator. There are divinely appointed rules which if
observed will keep human beings from disease and premature death."—Counsels
on Diet and Foods, 16.
"God is as truly the author of physical laws as
He is author of the moral law. His law is written with His own finger
upon every nerve, every muscle, every faculty, which has been entrusted
to man.
"The Creator of man has arranged the living
machinery of our bodies. Every function is wonderfully and wisely made.
And God pledged Himself to keep this human machinery in healthful action
if the human agent will obey His laws and cooperate with God. Every law
governing the human machinery is to be considered just as truly divine
in origin, in character, and in importance as the Word of God. Every
careless, inattentive action, any abuse put upon the Lord's wonderful
mechanism, by disregarding His specified laws in the human habitation,
is a violation of God’s law. We may behold and admire the work of God
in the natural world, but the human habitation is the most wonderful.
"It is as truly a sin to violate the laws of our
being as it is to break the ten commandments. To do either is to break
God’s laws. Those who transgress the law of God in their physical
organism will be inclined to violate the law of God spoken from
Sinai."—Counsels on Diet and Foods, 16-17.
"There are many ways of practicing the healing art, but there is
only one way that Heaven approves. God's remedies are the simple
agencies of nature, that will not tax or debilitate the system through
their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper
diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God, are remedies for the want
of which thousands are dying, yet these remedies are going out of date
because their skillful use requires work that the people do not
appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet premises,
are within the reach of all with but little expense; but drugs are
expensive, both in the outlay of means and the effect produced upon the system."—Counsels
on Health, 323.
"The only hope of better things is in the
education of the people in right principles. Let physicians teach the
people that restorative power is not in drugs, but in nature. Disease is
an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from
a violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should
be ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits
corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel
impurities and to reestablish right conditions in the system.
"Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest,
exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power,—these
are the true remedies. Every person should have a knowledge of nature’s
remedial agencies and how to apply them. It is essential both to
understand the principles involved in the treatment of the sick and to
have a practical training that will enable one rightly to use this
knowledge.
"The use of natural remedies requires an amount
of care and effort that many are not willing to give. Nature’s process
of healing and upbuilding is gradual, and to the impatient it seems
slow. The surrender of hurtful indulgences requires sacrifice. But in
the end it will be found that nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely
and well. Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the
reward in health of body and health of mind."—Ministry of
Healing, 127.
5 – CLEANSE THE BODY
"Purge me with hyssop; and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."—Psalm 51:7.
"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of
your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil."—Isaiah
1:16.
"In case of sickness, the cause should be
ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits
corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel
impurities and to reestablish right conditions in the system."—Ministry
of Healing, 127.
"Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues."—Healthful
Living 90.
"Nature, to relieve herself of poisonous
impurities, makes an effort to free the system, which effort produces
fevers, and what is termed disease. But even then, if those who are
afflicted would assist nature in her efforts, by the use of pure, soft
water, much suffering would be prevented. But many instead of doing
this, and seeking to remove the poisonous matter from the system, take a
more deadly poison into the system, to remove a poison already
there."—2 Selected Messages, 460.
"Christ’s remedies cleanse the system. But
Satan has tempted man to introduce into the system that which weakens
the human machinery, clogging and destroying the fine, beautiful
arrangements of God. The drugs administered to the sick do not restore,
but destroy. Drugs never cure. Instead, they place in the system seeds
which bear a very bitter harvest."—2 Selected Messages, 289.
6 – USE THE SIMPLE WATER TREATMENTS
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy
loving kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot
out my transgressions. . . . Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."—Psalm 51:1, 7.
"Experimenting in drugs is a very expensive
business. Paralysis of the brain and tongue is often the result, and the
victims die an unnatural death, when, if they had been treated
perseveringly, with unwearied, unrelaxed diligence with hot and cold
water, hot compresses, packs, and dripping sheet, they would be alive
today."—Medical Ministry, 228.
"In health and in sickness, pure water is one of
heaven’s choicest blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the
beverage which God provided to quench the thirst of animals and man.
Drunk freely, it helps to supply the necessities of the system and
assists nature to resist disease. The external application of water is
one of the easiest and most satisfactory ways of regulating the
circulation of the blood. A cold or cool bath is an excellent tonic.
Warm baths open the pores, and thus aid in the elimination of
impurities. Both warm and neutral baths soothe the nerves and equalize
the circulation.
"But many have never learned by experience the beneficial
effects of the proper use of water, and they are afraid of it.
Water treatments are not appreciated as they should be, and
to apply them skillfully requires work that many are unwilling to
perform. But none should feel excused for ignorance or indifference on
this subject. There are many ways in which water can be applied to
relieve pain and check disease. All should become intelligent in its use
in simple home treatments. Mothers, especially, should know how to care
for their families in both health and sickness."—Ministry of
Healing 237.
"Water treatments, wisely and skillfully given,
may be the means of saving many lives."—Medical Ministry, 227.
"The Lord has taught us that great efficacy for
healing lies in a proper use of water. These treatments should be given
skillfully. We have been instructed that in our treatment of the sick we
should discard the use of drugs. There are simple herbs that can be used
for the recovery of the sick, whose effect upon the system is very
different from that of those drugs that poison the blood and endanger
life."—2 Selected Messages, 288.
"The things of nature are God’s blessings,
provided to give health to body, mind and soul. They are given to the
well to keep them well, and to the sick to make them well. Connected
with water treatment, they are more effective in restoring health than
all the drug medication in the world."—Counsels on Health, 169.
7 – USE THE SIMPLE HERBS OF THE FIELD
"The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the
leaf thereof for medicine."—Ezekiel 47:12.
"And the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations."—Revelation 22:2.
"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
and herb for the service of man."—Psalm 104:14.
"The Lord has provided antidotes for disease in simple plants,
and these can be used by faith, with no denial of faith; for by using
the blessings provided by God for our benefit we are cooperating with
Him. He can use water and sunshine and the herbs which He has caused to
grow, in healing maladies brought on by indiscretion or accident. We do
not manifest a lack of faith when we ask God to bless His remedies. True
faith will thank God for the knowledge of how to use these precious
blessings in a way which will restore mental and physical vigor."— 2 Selected Messages, 289.
"God has caused to grow out of the ground, herbs
for the use of man, and if we understand the nature of those roots and
herbs, and make a right use of them, there would not be a necessity of
running for the doctor so frequently, and people would be in much better
health than they are today. I believe in calling upon the Great
Physician when we have used the remedies I have mentioned."—2
Selected Messages, 297-298.
"Light was given that there is health in the
fragrance of the pine, the cedar, and the fir. And there are several
other kinds of trees that have medical properties that are health
promoting. Let not such trees be ruthlessly cut down."—2 Selected
Messages, 301.
8 – THANK GOD FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE, WHATEVER
MAY BE THE OUTCOME
"In everything give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."—1 Thess. 5:18 (Ps.
103:1-5; Luke 19:37; 17:12-19).
"When someone asks how you are feeling, do not
try to think of something mournful to tell in order to gain sympathy. Do
no talk of your lack of faith and you sorrows and sufferings. The
tempter delights to hear such words. When talking on gloomy subjects,
you are glorifying him. We are not to dwell on the great power of Satan
to overcome us. Often we give ourselves into his hands by talking of his
power. Let us talk instead of the great power of God to bind up all our
interests with His own. Tell of the matchless power of Christ, and speak
of His glory."—Ministry of Healing, 253.
"Open your heart to His love, and let it flow
out to others. Remember that all have trials hard to bear, temptations
hard to resist, and you may do something to lighten these burdens.
Express gratitude for the blessings you have; show appreciation of the
attentions you receive. Keep the heart full of the precious promises of
God, that you may bring forth from this treasure, words that will be a
comfort and strength to others. This will surround you with an
atmosphere that will be helpful and uplifting."—Ministry of
Healing, 257.
"No tongue can express, no finite mind can conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness
and love of God. Even on earth we may have joy as a wellspring, never
failing, because fed by the streams that flow from the throne of God.
"Then let us educate our hearts and lips to
speak the praise of God for His matchless love. Let us educate our souls
to be hopeful, and to abide in the light shining from the cross of
Calvary. Never should we forget that we are children of the heavenly
King, sons and daughters of the Lord of hosts. It is our privilege to
maintain a calm repose in God."—Ministry of Healing, 253.
9 – CONTINUE TO TRUST HIM AND OBEY HIS LAWS
"And Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed
and walk. . . . Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto
him, Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come
upon thee."—John 5:8, 14 (Ex. 15:26).
"When we have prayed for the recovery of the
sick, whatever the outcome of the case, let us not lose faith in God. If
we are called upon to meet bereavement, let us accept the bitter cup,
remembering that a Father’s hand holds it to our lips. But should
health be restored, it should not be forgotten that the recipient of
healing mercy is placed under renewed obligation to the
Creator."—Ministry of Healing, 233.
"God requires of His people continual
advancements. We need to learn that indulged appetite is the greatest
hindrance to mental improvement and soul sanctification. With all our
profession of health reform many of us eat improperly. Indulgence of
appetite is the greatest cause of physical and mental debility, and lies
largely at the foundation of feebleness and premature death. Let the
individual who is seeking to possess purity of spirit bear in mind that
in Christ there is power to control the appetite."—Counsels on
Diet and Foods, 127.
10 – HELP OTHERS TO RECOVER HEALTH
OF BODY AND SOUL
THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAWS.
GOD PROMISES ABUNDANT HEALTH
TO ALL WHO DO THIS.
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring
the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the
naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not
thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the
morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy
righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy
rereward."—Isaiah 58:7-8.
"And when He had called unto Him His twelve
disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal all manner of disease. . . . These twelve Jesus sent forth,
and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and
into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not . . . And as ye go, preach,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely
give."—Matt. 10:1, 5; 7-8.
"The fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah is a
prescription for maladies of the body and of the soul. If we desire
health and the true joy of life, we must put into practice the rules
given in this Scripture."—Ministry of Healing, 256.
"Good deeds are twice a blessing, benefiting
both the giver and the receiver of the kindness. The consciousness of
right-doing is one of the best medicines for diseased bodies and minds.
When the mind is free and happy from a sense of duty well done and the
satisfaction of giving happiness to others, the cheering, uplifting
influence brings new life to the whole being."—Ministry of
Healing, 257.
"Our confession of His faithfulness is
Heaven’s chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to
acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but
that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience
. . . as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is
divine."—Ministry of Healing, 100.
"True sympathy between man and his fellow man is to be the sign
distinguishing those who love and fear God from those who are unmindful
of His law. How great the sympathy that Christ expressed in coming to
this world to give His life a sacrifice for a dying world! His religion
led to the doing of genuine medical missionary work. He was a healing
power. ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,’ He said. This is the
test that the great Author of truth used to distinguish between true
religion and false. God wants His medical missionaries to act with the
tenderness and compassion that Christ would show were He in our
world."—Medical Ministry, 251.
"If they take the position that in praying for healing they must
not use the simple remedies provided by God to alleviate pain and to aid
nature in her work, lest it be a denial of faith, they are taking an
unwise position. This is not a denial of faith; it is in strict harmony
with the plans of God . . . In everything we need to move along the line
of God’s providence. The human agent should have faith and should
cooperate with the divine power, using every facility, taking advantage
of everything that, according to his intelligence, is beneficial,
working in harmony with natural laws; and in doing this he neither
denies nor hinders faith." —Counsels
on Health, 381-382
"There are many ways of practicing the healing art, but there is
only one way that Heaven approves. God’s remedies are the simple
agencies of nature, that will not tax or debilitate the system through
their powerful properties." —Counsels on Health, 323
"In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained.
Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then
nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to
reestablish right conditions in the system." —Ministry of
Healing, 127
"When we have prayed for the recovery of the sick, whatever the
outcome of the case, let us not lose faith in God . . . But should
health be restored, it should not be forgotten that the recipient of
healing mercy is placed under renewed obligation to the Creator." —Ministry
of Healing, 233
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