Miracle Healing

[farouk]

On 10/5/2024 at 8:01 AM, Cyoder said:

What do you all think of Healing services at a church?  I attended a local church for the first time about two months ago and they said they have a healing service once a week.  Several people gave testimony about being healed.  Only one I felt was legitimate.  I have no doubt Jesus can heal through others, but I am very skeptical of this.  I also have no doubt that people coming together to pray for healing works, but putting hands on people and screaming "YOU ARE HEALED" and they flop around on the ground like a fish?  I'm not buying it.  I guess it could happen through your own faith, but not through the snake oil salesman preacher. Some of these are so bad that I wonder if the evil one is involved.  I think these things make Christianity look bad.

Hi @Cyoder I share your misgivings.

Has your wife gotten any impressions as well? My wife and I have similar misgivings about it; we tend to see that in Acts the signs and wonders were relative to a special transitional period in the early church when the Scriptures were not yet complete.

[TheBlade]

On 10/3/2024 at 10:10 AM, Biblican said:

Recently I had what is called an “eye stroke” in my left eye. I had a dream about this happening to me years earlier. In the dream I said to the Lord, “Turn this into a testimony.” The eye was photographed on the 15th of April and the doctor scheduled me to come back in a week to begin the first in a series of shots into my eyeball. I was experiencing a great deal of peace from the Lord, even though I was not looking forward to the experience and the possible side effects. I had recently met someone who had the same condition I did and he had to have 27 monthly injections.

I returned to the doctor for my shot and before the procedure my eye was photographed again. The retina specialist and his assistant were studying the photos from the previous week and the new ones that had just been taken as I was sitting there waiting. Then he turned to me and said, “This is a miracle.” The new photo revealed that my eye had been healed and he showed me the pictures. “I’m not going to give you the shot,” he said with a grin. I bubbled as I told him how I had gotten so much prayer and about the dream I had where I had asked the Lord to turn an eye affliction into a testimony. I was beside myself as I tried to absorb the fact that God had answered my prayer. The doctor shook my hand and I danced out of the office and shouted with joy “Jesus heals!” in the parking lot.

From the onset of my affliction I had been praying that God would use it and heal it to be a witness to others. He answered that prayer. Whenever anyone was healed in the New Testament, it wasn’t just for the person who needed the healing, it was also intended to be a witness of God’s power to others and to validate the gospel message. In other words, any healing serves more than one purpose. Whenever we pray for healing it should never be just for ourselves, but for others who need to see the reality of our miracle working God. I hope that this testimony will do that for you.

What a great and awesome God we serve. Thank you Father for this.. to be a witness in Jesus name. Only because I read what you said. Our friend she got a new 8 week kitten that had a fever 107 was on liquids in hospital. Prayed the same thing. She needs Jesus so I prayed make a witness.. the people Christ healed were not Christians.  Oh the kitten? Not in hospital any more and doing great.. as if it was never sick. Thank you so much for sharing this.. 

[Cyoder]

4 hours ago, farouk said:

Hi @Cyoder I share your misgivings.

Has your wife gotten any impressions as well? My wife and I have similar misgivings about it; we tend to see that in Acts the signs and wonders were relative to a special transitional period in the early church when the Scriptures were not yet complete.

She is even more skeptical than I am. It's a weird thing since I truly believe people are healed by prayer and it's even possible someone going to a complete fake could be healed if it was God's will. So I don't completely deny it's possible for that reason.  I just won't go to a church like that.

 

[Biblican]

21 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

Who are you to Judge? 

 

It's not a matter of judging. If someone falls away because of circumstances, then according to scripture they fit the description of those as Jesus described in His parable; the ones who have no depth of root. These are people who abandon the faith completely and will not return. This is not the same spiritual condition as a prodigal who has not denied that Jesus is the Messiah, but simply stop serving Him for some reason, and can return at some later time. We can observe and discern spiritual conditions and that is not judging.

[Your closest friendnt]

1 hour ago, Biblican said:

It's not a matter of judging. If someone falls away because of circumstances, then according to scripture they fit the description of those as Jesus described in His parable; the ones who have no depth of root. These are people who abandon the faith completely and will not return. This is not the same spiritual condition as a prodigal who has not denied that Jesus is the Messiah, but simply stop serving Him for some reason, and can return at some later time. We can observe and discern spiritual conditions and that is not judging.

I have to think about it, but as it is there a premature judgment because we need to have a lot more information about those people. 

Jesus left the door open for another and another visitation. The seed did not bloom the first time but so it is for many people and the words always remain in their memory and we also have the Holy Spirit to bring it up to them in the right time.

[Marathoner]

Peter denied the Lord three times, which He told him that he would do before it came to pass. Was Peter therefore stony ground? Did he lack depth of root? Was he forsaken by the Lord?

The Lord referred to affliction or persecution because of the word in the parable... what does this mean? That one becomes angry with the Lord out of blindness and ignorance? Or, does this refer to one who falls away due to persecution and affliction on account of the word of the kingdom? It's the latter. It's clearly stated in scripture:

The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:20-21 NASB)

@Your closest friendnt judges rightly, urging caution because we do not know of what soil one who receives the word is, and is not. This is also why I urge caution as well, because it is all too easy for men to twist scripture to suit their own purpose when it pleases them. 

Edited October 8, 2024 by Marathoner

[Marathoner]

Just as well, we do not know the end of a matter by any means, for only the Lord knows. Who knows the measure of a life, and who knows the depths of a heart? None of us do. 

[Mr. M]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

Just as well, we do not know the end of a matter by any means, for only the Lord knows. Who knows the measure of a life, and who knows the depths of a heart? None of us do. 

The soils are hearts, and the heart of someone can be changed, or the world would be in big trouble. I always felt from that parable that the sower was careless in tossing seeds on the path and among rocks in the first place. So many think they can toss out a pitch, and move on.

I knew a brother who, whenever he approached someone would use the same line by rote: "Have you had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" A bit of a conversation starter, like a tattoo. And if they show indifference or worse? Walk away with a shrug?

I know about "shaking off dust", but this isn't first century Israel, and Jesus isn't coming to the village behind us. Get to know someone, take the measure of the heart, and you can find a vast list of reasons why they are hardened, mad at God, and "don't love Jesus". The Spirit can "tenderize".

Proverbs 24:27 Prepare thy work without, 

and make it fit for thyself in the field; 

and afterwards build thine house.

Edited October 8, 2024 by Mr. M

[Michael37]

1 hour ago, Mr. M said:

The Spirit can "tenderize".

Interesting word choice. Yes, soil can be conditioned to become fertile.

[Mr. M]

23 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Interesting word choice. Yes, soil can be conditioned to become fertile.

Si Senor. But the reference is to "hardened hearts", 

not depleted soil. LOL