I have had this reflection before, and it is one that I have had to come to terms with as well. It saddens me that we have all been misled, unintentionaly by those teaching, but very intentional by the devil.
Why is it that we can believe that God, our father, is "out to get us" but yet say we have faith in His Word and His Love. We would rather believe horrible things about God or only look at the punishment He will one day show to those who don't believe or that He showed in the OT, than have doubts in our own faith.
Before grace, God did punish those who lived in sin and denied His power, but it was to them that He showed His anger. We as believers are to trust in his protection and love - just read Psalm 91 or for that matter any scripture in the bible. But since we all have grace through Jesus-who bore all the sin of the world -sanctified us to the Lord, that is no longer His way, because He has given the world a way out of their sins. The devil has deceived the world into believing that God makes bad things happen to teach us lessons or using the term "God's will" to explain things away. No where in the bible does it say that it is God's will to kill, steal or destroy. But that is how the devil is described. Jesus came so that we could have life and have it abundantly.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Ultimately sin. Because the devil has power in this world he will use it. He lies, he steals, he destroys and he kills.
There are so many promises to us in the Bible that are ignored or untaught. But if the word says it, I believe it whether I can explain it or not. If you have faith you can move mountains - change your situation. If you have faith, you shall have whatever you ask. In these and all promises it says that if we do not doubt, if you don't think that it will happen, it won't. If you think "we'll maybe" that is doubt. Jesus told all who were healed that it was their faith that made them whole. Those who did not believe were those who were not healed.
Lazarus died, not by God's hands, but Jesus used his death to show a miracle.
Why do some get healed and some not? Here are some suggestions from the book "Christ the Healer" by FF Bosworth.
1. Insufficient instruction - Ignorance concerning the healing power of the Gospel
You have to know it is God's will for you to be healed to actually have faith in it.
2.Lack of faith within the Church
In James 5, all Christians are commanded to pray for the healing of the sick, and to do it as earnestly as Elijah prayed for rain. Doubters are making it impossible for the Church to be in one accord in prayer and faith for the sick.
3.Community unbelief
The traditions that people today have been taught to believe in place of the plain Word of God on healing have turned the world into a Nazareth of unbelief.
If you can believe what the Word says about salvation, why not believe what it says about healing?
4. Traditions of Men
"God is the author of disease" and that He wills the sickness of some of His worshippers. If it is God's will for you to be sick then it would be a sin to be in the medical field, go to a doctor or even pray for healing and instead pray for sickness.
"we glorify God more by remaining sick and exhibiting patience that we can by being divinely healed" then Jesus robed God of all glory by healing those sick instead of showing God's glory in patience.
"the age of miracles has passed" - the most common
During this age the great promise is that God will pour out the Holy Spirit upon all flesh. Jesus declared that the works which He was doing would be continued and that even "greater works" would be done by the Holy Spirit. There is but one Spirit dispensation, and it lies between the first and second comings of the Lord.
"If it be Thy will"
there is only 1 case in all the NT of one asking for healing that way. This man did not know God's will regarding healing. Jesus did not heal him until Jesus said He could heal him the faith that Jesus would heal him. His "I will" cancelled the "if" of the leper. To have real faith is to be fully persuaded that God will do what He has promised to do and no one is fully persuaded when he adds "if it be Thy will" when praying.
"Paul's thorn in the flesh" was some kind of physical trouble
In all the places in the bible where this expression is used (Num 33:55) the thorns are personalities - constant annoyances. Paul even states that the thorn in his flesh was a messenger of satan that repeatedly attacked him. He lists many kinds of trouble but never disease. Christ did not take away his burden to show him that the grace of God was sufficient to give him strength to bear all things. God's grace and mercy have always been given to enable us to bear our persecutions and temptations; but not to bear our sins and sicknesses, which He bore for us. God has never promised to take away Christians external buffetings, afflictions and temptations; he gives us grace to bear them. But He has always been ready to take away the internal, or bodily, oppressions of the devil, as well as our sins.
"Jesus healed the sick as the Son of God, not as the Son of Man."
The Scriptures teach us that Jesus, the Son of God, emptied Himself and became like unto His brethren in all things except as to sin. As the Son of Man, which he calls himself 80 times, I can of Mine own self do nothing." Jesus did not do one miracle until he received the Holy Spirit.
"Unbelief on the part of the elder or minister who prays for them"
"They regard iniquity in their heart"
"Lukewarmness"
"an Unforgiving spirit or holding a grudge"
"Wrongs unrighted"
"no purpose or diligence when seeking God for healing"
"because of improper instruction by confining God to miracles"
"watching their symptoms"
They make their feelings the basis for faith rather than God's Word, which He has made its only basis.
"do not act their faith"
The full excercise of faith means that we think faith, speak faith and act faith. We have to believe first with our hearts, then our minds will follow, and then our bodies.
"when tested cast away their confidence"
when you get a bad report or hit an obtacle you lose confidence in your prayer - faith
"neglecting to receive the Holy Spirit"
"they substitute their belief in the doctrine of Divine Healing for personal faith to be healed"
"their failure to receive the written promise of God as His direct Word to them"
"some will not believe that their prayer for healing has been heard until they have experienced and seen the answer"
Mark 11:24 says what things soever ye desire, WHEN YOU PRAY, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. We know His will is for healing, or Jesus wouldn't have healed anyone. So we have to believe that our prayer has been heard when we really pray not because we see the answer but because God is faithful.
"some base their faith on their improvement after prayer rather than upon His promise"
They do not realize that there is no other reason for faith as good as the Word of God, and that God wants to train every Christian to believe Him when everything they can see, except His promise, is to the contrary.
I do not care if people do not believe me on any matter, but that they would argue the Word, is what breaks my heart. I only share what the Lord gives me, gives us all. Who can argue with God what His word says He will do. Because we don't believe it? Because we didn't see it? Because we have been dissapointed? I have seen and heard of many miracles and blessings. If you pray for something that would go against someone's will, then you should know that prayer will not be anwered, not because He doesn't answer all our prayers but because God does not promise to change someone else's will, if that were so would not everyone be saved? If you want something find scripture to back up your prayer. If it says it in the Word, if it is a promise of God, then it is so and true and if you deny it then you are calling God a liar.
It is easier to blame God than to look within ourselves for the failing of our faith.
I do not claim or presume to say I know it all. I only know what is revealed to me by the written Word of God and the Holy Spirit that dwells within me. To not share what I know would be to deny what He has given me and that is a sin I cannot bear.
3 comments:
I agree with you in much of this. I do not beleive that God wills bad things to happen either, however I do believe He "allows" them (b/c Satan does have power in our world) as we were discussing last Thursday and as you and I have discussed in the past. I do beleive that prayer is powerful but also that there is sometimes a higher reasoning that we may not understand at the time when we think we have not gotten what we have prayed for. He can make good come from any bad. I also agree that when we don't fully have faith we are not truely handing things over to His control. That is something I struggle with on occassion, unfortunately. Sorry to be so long on my comment.
I thought of the Amish girls who were murdered and I know that God did not will that they be killed, but the Amish community did respond according to God's will with love and forgiveness toward the killer and his family. I believe that it isn't what happens to us in life but rather how we respond that sets us apart as Christians from the rest who suffer similar tragedies.
I thought of the murdered Amish girls and how the Amish community responded. I believe their response was according to God's will, not the murders. It is not what happens to us, but rather how we repond that sets us apart from the rest as Christians.
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