Thanks, OneAccord. I am actually a former atheist (thought I had God all figured out with science and logic. I did a lot of reading (in things like biblical archaeology....Exodus Revealed is a great tape if anyone hasn't seen it) and this has helped me grow in faith. I also pray to God regularly to help me grow in faith. I always thought my wife was full of faith. She is 3rd generation Church of Christ (very legalistic). But she did try to come out. I think we made a mistake when we went to a charismatic church rather than a grounded Spirit-filled church. The attempts at deliverance (without receiving deliverance) has shaken her faith. She also now believes some lies (she now believes at least part of this is mind control).
Good points, Dr. Steve. I agree there is actual mental illness, especially when there has been brain/nervous system damage (car wreck or near drowning). But I think the spiritual realm is the same today as it was 2000 years ago. I can't explain how Satan (or his minions) could cause illness.
Note at the beginning of Matthew 9 when Jesus heals the man of the palsy. Jesus says "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." The man then walked, so I assume the man's sins brought about the illness.
In Matthew 9:33, a dumb man spake when Jesus cast out an unclean spirit. Today, we would probably want to do some kind of surgery on the man and give him speech therapy.
Matthew 11:5 "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
In Matthew 9:20, a woman had an issue of blood. Was this a healing or was a spirit cast out? Scripture does not say. In Luke 13:11, a woman was bowed over with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years. In verse 16, Jesus speaks of the woman being bound by Satan and being loosed from this bond on the sabbath day.
There are other examples. I cannot explain from a medical or scientific perspective how unclean spirits could have caused these infirmities. But I have to believe what scripture says. The New Testament makes reference to Jesus and the Apostles a number of times as they went from town to town stating things like "healed ALL that were sick" (note Matthew 8:16) or "they were healed everyone" (note Acts 5:16). It never says SOME were healed. Jesus never told an Apostle to go dig up a herb (I think he used mud once to heal a blind man). In Revelation 22:15, I think the word sorcerer was translated from the Greek pharmakeia. I may be wrong, but I think that pharmacy was derived from this. Correct me if I'm wrong.
My point is they were ALL healed. If a person is sick now, most run out and get an EEG, EKG, cat scan, MRI, colonoscopy, etc. etc. etc. prior to praying or asking the church elders to pray for them. Does this not show a lack of faith? And there seems to be something(s) today blocking these healings.
Angels, good point, go to the Lord, what else is there a person can do? Can you PM me the ministers Email or address again please? I either didn't get it or my son may have accidentally deleted it. Thanks for your prayers and kind words. :il:
