I Don't Get It
This is a probing question to me. Has anyone ever read the Bible? It is cleary stated that the "Word of God is Truth". Is that right? Then why don't christians go by "the Word"? Do we have to follow in the steps of rebellious Israel? They had prophets speak forth the "word of God", and were chased about as liars, and false teachers. Today is no different.
If someone is sick, instead of the truth "with His stripes you were healed", people want me to pray that God gives the doctors wisdom, or the right medication. What happened to "the word of God is life, and health to all your flesh". My prayer would be that the eyes of there blind heart be enlighten, that they might know the exceeding greatness of the power of God to-ward them, to loose them from the viles of the devil. The "Word" is the right medicine. Not what some man put together in a laboratory. Do you realize that all man's medicine is "poison"? It's a poison that is supposed to kill some things (what ever is ailing you), and not at the same time end your life!
Then again we lament the lack of power to witness and be better disciples of the Lord. To have more success and influence in the affairs of our city's and world. But we won't accept the gift of the Spirit, because "what is this foolishness, are they drunk". It doesn't appear to have any purpose. It doesn't fit into "let all things we done decently and in order". First you have to "let all things be done"! Then worry about order.
First you have to have the power of the Spirit to get the witness of God with power. Then you'll have the success He brings. He added 5000 in His first message, can you do that? It says "they were pricked in there hearts". This is the work of God, not men. Man can't touch the heart, only God the Spirit.
Then there is the intimate relation we want with the Lord. This too is by the "gift of the Spirit". We are not capible of grasping the Awesomeness of God through the faculty's of the mind or body. But only as the Spirit reveals Him to us. Didn't Jesus say, "He will take of mine and make it known unto you"?
And another thing is the lack of faith. How can you recieve with-out faith? I was in a service where there was a good message. Sincere and with pure motives. But it was to no avail. Why. There was no faith that God was there to move and prove and do the word that came forth. If a preacher said to me; "the Lord bless you". I will stand there and praise and rejoice in God until that blessing comes. I will thank God for sending me His blessing, with my whole heart, I will magnify God until I see the manifestation, or until I have the witness in my spirit that it is NOW MINE.
This is the way to treat the "Word of God", either in the Bible or by the voice of one of His servants. "The word of God is alive, and powerful." God watches over His word to PERFORM it. What-ever is preached to me is to be food for me, to be life in me, to strengthen and equip me, for the work of the Lord. So if God said it, then I'll expect it, NOW.
If someone is sick, instead of the truth "with His stripes you were healed", people want me to pray that God gives the doctors wisdom, or the right medication. What happened to "the word of God is life, and health to all your flesh". My prayer would be that the eyes of there blind heart be enlighten, that they might know the exceeding greatness of the power of God to-ward them, to loose them from the viles of the devil. The "Word" is the right medicine. Not what some man put together in a laboratory. Do you realize that all man's medicine is "poison"? It's a poison that is supposed to kill some things (what ever is ailing you), and not at the same time end your life!
Then again we lament the lack of power to witness and be better disciples of the Lord. To have more success and influence in the affairs of our city's and world. But we won't accept the gift of the Spirit, because "what is this foolishness, are they drunk". It doesn't appear to have any purpose. It doesn't fit into "let all things we done decently and in order". First you have to "let all things be done"! Then worry about order.
First you have to have the power of the Spirit to get the witness of God with power. Then you'll have the success He brings. He added 5000 in His first message, can you do that? It says "they were pricked in there hearts". This is the work of God, not men. Man can't touch the heart, only God the Spirit.
Then there is the intimate relation we want with the Lord. This too is by the "gift of the Spirit". We are not capible of grasping the Awesomeness of God through the faculty's of the mind or body. But only as the Spirit reveals Him to us. Didn't Jesus say, "He will take of mine and make it known unto you"?
And another thing is the lack of faith. How can you recieve with-out faith? I was in a service where there was a good message. Sincere and with pure motives. But it was to no avail. Why. There was no faith that God was there to move and prove and do the word that came forth. If a preacher said to me; "the Lord bless you". I will stand there and praise and rejoice in God until that blessing comes. I will thank God for sending me His blessing, with my whole heart, I will magnify God until I see the manifestation, or until I have the witness in my spirit that it is NOW MINE.
This is the way to treat the "Word of God", either in the Bible or by the voice of one of His servants. "The word of God is alive, and powerful." God watches over His word to PERFORM it. What-ever is preached to me is to be food for me, to be life in me, to strengthen and equip me, for the work of the Lord. So if God said it, then I'll expect it, NOW.
posted by pete porter | 9:03 PM
12 Comments:
The first part of your post reminds me of the story about the guy hanging on the side of a cliff. He prays to God to save him from his sure death. A man repels down the side of the mountain to help him out. The man says, "no, God will save me." Then a fire engine comes from below and tells the man to get on the ladder. The man says, "no, God will save me." Then a helicopter comes overhead and drops down a rope to help the man out. The man responds with, "no, God will save me." Then the man falls to his death. The man sees God in Heaven and asks Him why He didn't save him. God said, "you foolish man, I tried to help you three times and you denied me."
You seem to want people to not accept the abilites and talents God has given doctors to help save their lives. God has given these people to us to help us, and you are denying Him.
PJ,
Your's is the view I am talking about. That God is using something other than what He has said in the word. In the word we have Jesus the way, the truth, and the LIFE. Then in Acts we have the record of the LIFE by the Spirit. As in the shadow of Peter healing the sick. The same LIFE through the presence of the Spirit of Christ.
Show me one place in the word of God where He used a doctor, and I will accept your analysis. You can't. There are two refferences to doctors. One to the woman with the issue of blood, who spent all her money on the physicans and was nothing better, but worse. The second is King Asa of Isreal. "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers." 2 Chronicles 16:12. These show me that the help of man is useless. Regardless of the motive and good intentions.
God has made His own way; "not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit sayeth the Lord." I will not re-write the word of the Lord, but will believe it. "I am the Lord that healeth thee".
Be Blessed,
Pete
Did Jesus not send His apostles out to heal and do works in His name? Does He not ask us to go out and spread His Word? These are things God asks us to do, should we not because you think its God's job?
Matthew 9:
12)On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
Jesus, himself, says the sick need doctors. What about Luke? He was a doctor.
Are we also not supposed to listen to teachers?
PJ,
I see we agree that it's Jesus name that is healing, I have no problem with doing the works through His church. By all means go out and do these works, and may the power of God be with you, and anyone else who has been taught of the authority of the name of Jesus.
Be Blessed,
Pete
Good questions, Pete. I linked to your post today. Peace.
Milton,
Great to hear from you again. Thank you for your continuing encouragement.
Be Blessed,
Pete
Pete, you know I appreciate you as a brother in the Lord. And being how I just read your post while receiving word that someone I know has died, it behooves me to add a few thoughts here. Hope you don't mind, and I hope I don't get too emotional:-)
It's true, we should always turn to God and His Word FIRST when we seek healing. I agree! Too many Christians wait until it's the last resort before they seek God.
But God has also provided healing in different ways--sometimes instantaneous, sometimes gradual, and "always" once we get to heaven. Sometimes the healing doesn't come at all, and like many, I ask "why?"
How are you gonna approach parents who have lost a child to cancer--that they didn't trust God enough?--that they didn't believe "by His stripes we are healed?" That they should have refused chemo because you say it's poison?
What about the so-called poison that has saved lives?? Can we not praise God for such things?
You know what? I was very much like the woman in the bible with the issue of blood for years. I prayed, believed, and trusted God for my healing. I ignored what my physician said, believing that my God knew better. I ended up hemorrhaging at work one day and nearly died. So did God decide not to answer my prayer for healing? Or was the problem that I didn't have enough faith? Hmmm...maybe my healing came via emergency healing while I trusted Him with my very life and relinquish my fear.
I've also been in situations where I've been healed from certain ailments, with no further need of medication.
Who can say what brings God the most glory?--living quietly by faith through divine grace for each day when you suffer with chronic illness that He doesn't seem to want to heal? Or is His glory only evident when we can profess a miraculous healing?
But to answer your original question, YES, I've read my bible. Yes, God's Word is truth. And I definitely want to be loosed from any viles of the devil. But we continue to live in a fallen world, Pete, and are wasting away, day by day, in our earhly bodies. Even the Bible tells us that.
Your zeal for the Lord is duely noted and appreciated. And God's Word IS life and health--let's believe it! But God's healing is not limited to our human ideas.
Blessings to you, my friend.
I made a typo in the above which should have read:
"maybe my healing came via emergency SURGERY (I meant to say) while I trusted Him with my very life and relinquished my fears."
Hi Vicki,
First it's nice to hear from you. And I am sorry about the loss of your friends life.
We know that the word of God is always contested and twisted by the devil. We see that in Adam and Eve. And the situation to this day has not changed.
God is good, and nothing else, it's the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Not sickness, not disease, not trials, not lack. If that is clear then we see that all of these things are NOT GOD. There are three spirits in the world, Christ, Man, and the anti-christ. We are to be able to discern what is of God, what is of man, and what is of the evil one.
In Jude we see the heart of the Spirit; "I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was ONCE for ALL entrusted to the saints." So we see this is the battle ground, "contend for the faith". Which is the salvation of God through Jesus. This salvation is complete and entire lacking nothing of life and godliness. Jude then goes on to speak of men with-out the Spirit who distort the ways of God.
Next this is "ONCE for ALL", there are no two gospels, one for the first church and one for the last. But "ONE for All". What-ever had it's start in the first, is continued to the last.
Jesus is the same today as he was yesterday and forever. The same word has the same power and authority. Jesus himself healed "according to your faith".
I don't think we differ in our thinking on any of this. We know (intellentually) that the word is truth. I think the problem is not understanding what "is faith". Also the authority of the believer over the natural.
It seems that it's confusing, but that is the enemy who would have us to distrust the word of God.
I'll write a post on these two: "what is faith"? And "the authority of the believer."
I'll leave you a comment on your site when I write.
Be Blessed,
Pete
Hi Pete,
A good topic to chew on, but space doesn't allow me to address each point you made. We may be getting off track:-)
I believe the Word of God is true, and like you said, "Jesus is the same today as he was yesterday and forever." Amen!
But one day, Pete, we're all gonna die. And so I guess I interpret "by His stripes, we all were healed" as definite spiritual/emotional healing for every believer right now on earth, but it begs the question (in my mind), why aren't ALL Spirit-filled believers healed? It's not just about the amount of faith we have, although we need to have faith (and that comes from God Himself). Remember, God is glorified through suffering. Satan may intend it for harm, but God uses it for our good.
Anyway, thanks for the chat!
Hi Vicki,
Blogging isn't very good for discussions. There is a lot to say and questions that need to be asked. I always enjoy your comments, and as time goes by I'm sure we'll have more to share.
Be Blessed,
Pete
Post a Comment
<< Home