I have been sick off & on for the last few months... it has been awful!
first a cold. then a vicious stomach flu. then random colds. then a sinus infection. now strep throat.
Are you kidding me?
& to make matters worse, my daughters (& other roommates) have been sick too! (but still, not as much as me; fortunately for them).
I have decided that the ONLY thing worse than sick kids is being sick yourself WITH sick kids... this has been the story of my life the past few months.
just when we think we are better, we see the first sign of sickness in one of us-- runny nose, fussiness, sore throat, cough. or, we hear of someone we have been close to recently being sick.
at which point I feel a holy dread overtake me. I begin to disinfect the house, remind my roommates to wash their hands like fiends, & make sure to not let my girls around any other kids.
to be honest, I've realized that I'm operating out of fear.
not good.
since all of this sickness has hit my home, I've been asking the Lord a lot of questions about sickness & healing & what His heart is in it all. You see, I've gone back & forth on the healing thing. Is it always God's will to heal? At one point in my journey, I would have said yes, & if you don't see healing, you don't have enough faith. At another point in my journey, I would say that all sickness is just an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord as it is simply a trial & a way for you to lean on Him as your strength.
today, to be honest, I don't know where I'm at on the subject.
What I do know is that I want to believe God at His word, not by my experiences.
experience does not over-rule the Word of God. I want the Word to dictate my experiences; in other words, I want to have such belief in my heart (by the Holy Spirit) that what the Word says truly stands as the authority & truth in my life experiences.
does that make sense?
I'm on a journey of seeking out what the Lord's heart TRULY IS on the subject of healing.
here's a video my brother did for his church--it's challenging me. you always know it's the Lord prompting you when it pushes you to go back to the Word & weigh things to see what is right & true.
would love to hear your thoughts...
kK
here is another link to more info on this same train of thought.. http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Healing/JGL/JGL_Ministries.htm
Thanks for sharing, Katie! Have been praying for you and the girls.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the video, I just don't think it's that simple. If your brother sees 100% healing 100% of the time for everyone he prays for I would like to talk with him. And I'd wonder why he's not spending the majority of his time in hospitals, getting everyone miraculously healed and saved?
Of course I think we need to stand on those biblical truths and believe and contend for full healing and breakthrough, at all times. Absolutely. But for whatever reason (maybe to help us lean into Him in dependency and humility, out of His love)... sometimes the healing, or breakthrough, tarries.
It just does. I know many people who have been sick, or have even died, despite faith, prayer, and fasting. I think it's the Lord's will to heal... but I also think that the full fulfillment of our healing will ultimately be at the Resurrection, that glorious Day.
Regarding "is it God's will to heal??"...
ReplyDeleteJesus is the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3) and He only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19).
Jesus was extremely black and white / cut and dry about the topic, and therefore, so am I. Every single person that asked for healing or asked if it was Jesus' will to heal, the answer was yes... 100% of the time! Which is an awfully high percentage.
Not once did Jesus say "I'm sorry, I cannot heal you because that sickness is something my Father is allowing to make you a better person"... or "sorry, this just isn't my timing yet" ... or "sorry, I'm sovereign and I have a purpose for sickness to remain". etc etc etc Yet, we are sick or pray/claim healing for others and don't see a result, so we explain it away with doctrines from demons (lying spirits).
If God wasn't joking that "anything the destroys God's temple, God will destroy them"... and sickness/pain/disease destroy God's temple... it's no wonder that THE reason Jesus was manifest, was to DESTROY the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8). Think about it... His primary ministry activities involved traveling from city to city healing the sick, preaching, and casting out demons. If Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, and Jesus destroyed sickness/pain/disease/oppression/etc... then guess what... Sickness/pain/disease/oppression are clearly "works of the devil".
Jesus brought deliverance, freedom, and "life to the full"... while Satan only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Where do ya think sickness comes from? Sickness is clearly oppression from the devil... Acts 10:38 confirms it: Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were OPPRESSED BY THE DEVIL.
Let's not be confused if it's God's will to heal. If He didn't want to heal, it wouldn't have been included in the atonement and at the scourging post.
It's also crazy how Believers are like, "I'm so thankful for my cancer, because it brought me closer to God." Satan is rolling on the floor laughing at this, because he literally gets God's glory. When in reality, God's goodness is so mind-blowing that He can actually take something as perverted and demonic as sickness/pain/disease and still work it together for your good! And we ignore that and say we're thankful for the sickness. Tell me that isn't demonic!
If the lies demons tell us were actually true... Meaning, if it's God's will, or (what some Christian say to soften it) if God "allows" sickness to teach us something, become more like Jesus, or any other number of lies we believe... then we get sick, we should never take vitamins, drink fluids, or get rest. We should absolutely suffer to the max to learn EVERYTHING possible and to become more like Jesus. Because if God's allowing or willing this, then fighting sickness would be fighting against the will and purposes of God in your life. PURE sillyness!
We gotta get the basics down. Sickness is oppression from the devil and Jehova Rapha (the God who heals) is the healer and destroyer of sickness. Of course it's God's will to heal every time!
It's time for Christians to get our heads out of the sand, let the revelation of the New Covenant and who we actually are in Christ hit our hearts... and look the devil in the eye and draw a line in the sand. Listen up... You've come this far Devil... but it will be no further! I now know who I am, and I know who you are! I'm not your punching bag anymore! He that is in me is greater than you, and God is for me! I got the keys... and you don't! I trample on your little snakes and scorpions (demons) for a living! My Father always causes me to triumph... which means, YOU LOSE! I'm seated with Jesus in heavenly places... which puts you directly UNDER my feet! I'm now HIDDEN in God with Christ, and you couldn't even find me if you wanted to! Me and my brothers and sisters got Jesus' power, authority, Word, mind, armor, and Spirit... which means all the hordes of hell cannot withstand our attack as we plunder your gates! Get your hands off my body, mind, and emotions! Jesus bought my body and Holy Spirit lives in it now! The law of the spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death! I'm dead to sin and alive to righteousness because I am now the righteousness of God in Christ! Jesus took all my sickness and pain... it's already been carried, so I WILL NOT ALLOW IT IN MY BODY!! I'm free, because whom the Son sets free, IS free and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom! I know you have thousands in prison cells, but guess what... these keys that Jesus gave work on every one of those chains and locks! We're taking back the ground!
ReplyDeleteSigned: "Sons Of God"
I love all of the enthusiasm that the comments have, but I have to agree with post #1 that I do not believe it is that simple and, as much as I would love to see 100% healing 100% of the time... what happens when that is not the case? I think it is really dangerous to flaunt that phrase around because it can really hurt people and their faith when sickness does come. It is such an easy topic to discuss and debate back in forth... but when your own spouse or child or parent or friend dies in spite of fasting and prayer, it really complicates the issue. I agree that healing does not necessarily refer to earthly healing but rather when we are finally with God. I know it's a rough issue and I am not trying to stir the pot or raise protest to the comments above, I just think it is important to be really honest about what we think should happen/what we think the Bible is proclaiming and what actually happens. I don't think it is God's will for us to be broken and confused over 'not having enough faith.'
ReplyDeleteAlso, in one of my theology classes at school we discussed how although the Bible may make it sound as if Jesus healed everyone who came to him with sickness, it is very brief and select about the healing that took place in accordance with how many people came to him with sickness. I would encourage you in your study of healing to pair the Bible with historical books as well... it really has helped me to read scripture in context. I think Jesus' main concern was where our soul was going... and if healing is supposed to happen 100% of the time if we have enough faith than does that mean no one should actually die of sickness if they are a believer? And how does it relate to babies born with disabilities? How does death take place if not through sickness or injury or 'natural causes'? Just some interesting questions.
Signed: Honest Child of God
RE: "Not as simple"
DeleteBe careful to not be "that christian" who shapes the word of God to your experience. We must shape our experiences to the Word of God.
You say your experiences "complicate the issue". What you are manifesting is the definition of being "carnally minded". 2 Cor 4:18 says to fix our eyes on things UNSEEN. What you are doing is fixing your eyes on your circumstances and experience, and thus explain away the scriptures.
What's written is what's written, and we don't use "historical books" side by side with the word to shape our doctrine.
Smith Wigglesworth one of the greatest healing evangelists our world has seen always said "I'm not moved by what I see, and I'm not moved by what I hear... I'm only moved by the mighty word of God!" That must be our posture as we dive into the deep things of God.
You asked how death can happen without sickness? Ask FF Bosworth... he did it. At a ripe old age after finishing a mission, he felt that his time was up, called his family together, crawled in bed, and gave up his spirit.
1. I am not fixing my eyes on my circumstances and experiences and explaining away scripture, but rather applying scripture to my circumstances without discounting the fact that people DO die of sickness and my response to someone who just lost a loved one is not going to be, "you must not have had real faith or prayed hard enough." Experience is important because without it we are robots who just believe a bunch of words without actually having a relationship with God or other people. God created us with hearts and minds for a reason, not so we could follow Him as a dictator but rather have a relationship with Him as creator, lover, and friend (to name a few.)
Delete2. One of the problems with Christianity is not looking at the Bible in context. Its important to understand the time frame of the Bible and when Jesus lived. I am not saying it takes away from scripture and truth but rather ADDS to it because we can understand what he way saying and the apostles were doing better by understanding who their audience was, time frame, etc.
Honestly, this is why I stay away from this stuff in the first place because there is always a spirit of hostility in these posts and a desire by every person to be right. I usually just read and get frustrated but felt compelled to actually get my voice out there this time. The important matters are whether or not a person knows Jesus as savior and lives in that love and freedom. But thank you for your concern that I would not be "that christian," since you do not know me or where I come from I will allow God to decide whether that is me or not.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI have spent some time wrestling with this topic myself. I do not think that I am an expert by any means, but I think that God has given me some clarity on the issue. I think that it is always God's will to heal. Because we know that all good things come from God. We cannot say that God made a certain person sick or wants them to continue under a disease. He only allows them to continue.
And I don't think that it is an issue of how much faith we have or don't have. I think that that gives us a lot of credit that belongs to God. We see various examples in scripture where people are healed because of their great faith, but there are also those who are healed without that great faith (maybe it is the faith of others).
So, since it is always God's will to heal I think that the manifestation of that healing is what we do not always see immediately. Its possible that we will not see that healing until we are in Heaven with our glorified bodies. Maybe it is because of the enemy stealing and destroying. I don't think that it is healthy to say that when God does not heal it is not His will or someone was lacking in faith. It is always God's will to heal, but the timing may not be what we think it should be. Its also another way for us to continue in prayer because God wants us to be consistent and persistent in seeking Him in prayer.
I think that this is one of those issues that is hard for us to understand because we simply do not think like God. However, I don't think that should stop us from trusting God and praying for healing for people. And we also need to trust God when we pray for healing and don't see it happen. It should not cause us to doubt God or question our relationship with Him. He is above all things and we often cannot understand perfectly why things happen the way they do.
What about the other gifts? Are 100% of your prophecies right on? Are 100% of your evangelistic efforts successful? Are 100% of your teachings right on? No! But we don't stop aggressively pursuing and growing in the gift because of not having the same winning percentage Jesus did. But that's what the church does with healing.
ReplyDeleteThe overwhelming majority of the body of Christ gives up on praying for the sick because at the beginning they did not succeed. They failed (not God) and thus they comfort themselves with lies like mentioned in post #2 (God's will, God's timing, etc), to explain away what happened and remove the burden from them. Yes it's God's power that heals, but God's power is activated through faith/belief. It doesn't matter if it's the person who is doing the praying or the person being prayed for... but faith/belief has to be present. There's a divine partnership... Our part... and God's part. God won't do our part, and we can't do God's part. Faith/belief MUST be present.
It's like if I gave you a 100% perfect flawless sniper rifle. Most powerful on the planet... could kill any enemy, from any distance, with perfect aim, and had perfect sights. You'd take a couple shots with it and miss your target... it's not the weapons fault, it yours! Yet, you start making up doctrines on the weapon and the owner of the weapon so you don't feel as bad.
Keep in mind... you don't have to have much faith... a mustard seed is plenty! But that faith/belief must be pure. Unbelief and doubt are demonic tranquilizers for faith. That's pretty much the only thing you'd see Jesus get mad at the disciples for. He wanted THEM to feed the 5 thousand... he wanted THEM to calm the storm... he wanted THEM to cast the demon out of that guy's son and Jesus turns to the disciples and says "You unbelieving generation, how long do I have to put up with you?!?"
That's why James says "the prayer of FAITH with save the sick" James 5:15
And what does Mark 11:20-24 say? It teaches us 4 steps... (1) Have faith in God... (2) don't doubt in your heart... (3) believe you've already received it... (4) and it will be yours.
Most of us (1) have faith in God... (2) we DO doubt in our heart... (3) we HOPE it will be ours... and (4) never see results. Faith is KNOWING not hoping!
If we were all on the same page on this topic, hospitals would empty... kids born with disorders would be healed/restored the day they were born... and Believers would all still die of old age, but not die sick and diseased.
But the problem is that there is a very small percentage of Believers that believe what your brother believes, and actually step out and do anything about it. The rest of the church sits in their lazy boy recliners comforted by lying spirits and never set any captives free.
This is why all of creation is waiting with eager expectation for the Sons of God to show up!!! (Rom 8:19)
You know what, my Dad is very sick, has been for about 7 years. I have prayed, and know he will be healed completely someday, in this earthly body. This has just given me more hope. I do believe Jesus' name will heal anything and everything. There is a key to it though, and that is our faith. Jesus asked many of the sick that he healed if they believed he could heal them. I believe it has to do with our faith. We must ask in faith, nothing wavering. Jesus said in John 14:14, "If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." I believe it with all my heart. It's as simple as that.
ReplyDeleteThere's alot of other points that could be made, like when we ask amiss and therefore do not receive because of our motives (James 4:3-4), but I need to stick to the main point! About the video: With all my heart, I KNOW it's true. It's God's Word. It's Him speaking.
Thank you Katie! You have no idea how much of a blessing this has been to me! I read it about 2 weeks ago and have come back to it quite often and studied it myself. Thanks so much :)