God CAN heal - So what...
By
September 22, 2009My dear brothers and sisters... Last week I began to share with you what amounts to a sea change in the way I view many things. Many of you posted comments of support and anticipation of my upcoming blogs and others took exception to what I had to share.Ê No worries. I see through a glass darkly and use this blog to share with you what I see with the hope that it will help you on your journey. I see more today than I did yesterday as I continue to grow in my understanding of His Word. I have no interest in arguing with anyone about any point of doctrine, nor do I wish to convince anyone of a particular perspective. However when an honest question or misunderstanding arises that cries out for more information, I will on occasion respond if I feel it will help the larger body of people reading this blog. Here's one example... One of the brothers posting a comment said he believes that God can heal, but that we cannot demand healing from God. I would agree with those statements. However, believing God CAN do something is quite different from believing He WILL do something. And that is quite different from believing that God has already DONE something. Demanding healing or anything from God is folly. It's right up there with not believing what He says is true. That brother made the point that his wife's health problem was not a result of a lack of faith on her part. I do not doubt that his wife has faith either. Does her condition invalidate the word of God? Do we adjust the clear meaning of so many passages of Scripture on this topic? When we reconcile Scripture to adjust to what we see with our eyes, we are reconciling the wrong thing. My wife argued for years that she had plenty of faith and took issue with those who said her physical ailments were because of her lack of faith. Since then we have both come to realize two other things. First of all, you can have faith AND unbelief or doubt at the same time. Unbelief will quench faith. Jesus could do no mighty works in his home town because of their unbelief. Imagine that. Limiting the Son of God through unbelief... yet they did. The man with the demonized son being cast into the water or fire often, told Jesus he believed (had faith) but acknowledged having unbelief at the same time. Mark 11:23 tells us to believe without doubting. So, while my wife had faith, she has become aware of the unbelief and doubt in her heart as well. The same is true for me. Secondly, you can have faith in the wrong thing. Believing God CAN heal you will never get you healed. That's the wrong thing. Nowhere does God indicate just that He can heal. In Psalms 103:2-3 we read, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;" It does not say that He CAN heal all your diseases. It says He does heal all your diseases. Our problem comes because that does not match our physical reality, so we assume God must mean something else. We have no problem believing the first part of the verse, that He forgives all our iniquities, perhaps because that doesn't show up in the physical realm the same way that being healed of a disease would. And listen, the Scripture says that God is willing that none should perish, yet many do. That's like so many of His promises and provisions. He has made eternal life available to all, but folks don't believe it. He has made healing available to all, but doubt, unbelief or wrong belief causes us to miss it. The same is true for natural provision. Our unbelief or wrong belief does not invalidate the truth of His Word - just its effectiveness in our life. Our loss. With love and respect to you all.
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Comments (12) - Post a Comment
Thank you for taking this direction in your posts, and please don't compromise what you are saying. We all need to hear this so much. I know you'll get some negative comments (I've read the earlier ones) from those who don't understand, but don't back down from the truth. Someone - can't recall where I read it - said the truth sounds like heresy to those steeped in religious ideas, church tradition, etc.
Margaret Mills at 2:03pm EDT - September 15, 2009
So Powerful! Would you share the source of your screen saver, I also need to be reminded, sometimes minute by minute. Blessings
Patricia Hicks at 2:09pm EDT - September 15, 2009
From my own lilfe I sometimes dont see or believe that He will is because as the Word states, Hope deferred makes the heart sick. The life lived in faith can be scary but it is also one of most powerful and God opening lives one can live. As one Pastor related a story about being confronted with believing that God will do what He said He would, Preacher he was told! You're out of your mind! His response to that was no I'm outta your mind!
Paul Martinez at 4:18pm EDT - September 15, 2009
Michael, I've been getting your e-mails for several years now, and have ordered many of your books and cd's but have never made any comments. But I would like to say that God is AWESOME and He does love us so very much. My husband and I have been in business since 1983. We are originally from Cincinnati, OH but two years ago, by faith, we moved to Spring Hill, FL. You see I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 7-8 years ago, and there's a lot of detail on how I've gotten better which I won't go into here, but even though I was feeling much better than when first diagnosed I couldn't stand the cold weather, it bothered me terribly and so my doctor said move west or south. We chose to move south....and started praying for God's wisdom and direction. We sold our business, sold our house, we had one week to come to FL to figure out what area of FL we were going to move to, and then once we decided that we had one other week to come down to find a house to buy. We knew God was in the whole plan because things went absolutely wonderful...it could only have been God. No one sells a "service" business like ours in the time we did, nor the house, nor to find a home within the week of looking, have it under contract and the whole house inspection done on the day we left to go back home to Cincinnati. We moved down here in 8/07, trusting in God to start over in our business. In a new place, knowing no one, and no one knowing us, getting all new equipment, setting up and going out and hitting the pavements to network and let others know we're here to be of service to them. God again was awesome, He started providing us with customers to serve as if serving Him, letting our light shine so that these new people in our lives could see Jesus Christ in the flesh. As times got tougher, business continued to come in little by little. We, of course, were depending on the income of the sale of our business in Cincinnati to see us through over a three year period to give us time to get this new business (same business in new area) to get on it's feet. Being a service business, the only way we could sell it was by financing the new buyers. And we had sold our house on land contract, allowing the investor to have a couple of years before having to refinance and pay off our loan. Well, on a Saturday, not even a year from when we sold the business we were told by the buyers that they were not going to pay us any longer. That following Monday we got a letter from the investor who bought our house that he was giving it back and would no longer be making our mortgage payments. We were in absolute dismay. I won't go into all of the details of the ups and downs, and roller coaster ride of emotions we felt and were going through, but what came of this was that I KNOW GOD LOVES US!!!!! You see, through this time of testing, my husband and I drew closer to God in prayer and to one another, which if we didn't cry out to God and truly depend and trust in Him, this situation could have caused he and I personal chaos, trouble and turmoil. I remember yelling out to satan and rebuking him and telling him that I may lose my house, my cars, everything materially, but one thing he was NOT going to get was my soul. God had it and I was going to trust in Him to see us through this very dark, scary time. By surrendering our will to God's daily, by marinating in His word daily, crying out to him regularly and obeying and trusting in His word, stop trying to control the situation in our time, but trust in Him and what He WILL do for us.....He absolutely provided. My husband had to go up to Cincinnati to take care of the business for the month of June. We actually sold the business again in one month's time (absolutely unheard of in this economy and the type of business we had to sell) and we had our mortgage with a small private bank we had built a relationship with over the years, and I decided the only proper thing to do was to call them and let them know what has happened and that we would not be able to continue to pay our mortgage. Well, the vice-president of the bank suggested that they take back the home and forgive the debt. No foreclosure would be on our credit. Again, God provided. What looked like a nightmare, God turned into blessings. I believe because we surrendered to Him, we trusted in Him completely and believed He would provide, and we took things one day at a time, rejoicing that on that day we could pay our bills, on that day we had a roof over our head, on that day we had our stomachs filled, and we did not allow our minds to go into the fear and "what if" zone, but trusted that Our Almighty God who created us, who is Alive and well, who desires what's best for us, who KNOWS what's best for us, if we will just surrender our wills to His and trust in Him and pray His will be done in all that we do, no matter how big or small, and if we go forth praising His name, and letting others know our joy is because of Him.....He will do GREAT and AWESOME things. I have no idea, what God has planned for our lives, but I have surrendered my life to Him to be used by Him, that each morning when I arise, that He will use me to love others, care for others and serve others as He did here on this earth, and I trust that He will take care of my needs as He promised in His word. Through this dark difficult nightmare, I realized I could ALWAYS trust His word. Through all of the unstable things in this world, He is my FIRM FOUNDATION, MY SOLID ROCK. When things in this life seem so up and down, He IS my constant, the same yesterday, today and forever. There is not a shadow of a doubt, that our God loves us and wants what's best for us always. We get ourselves into trouble when we try to take the reigns of our lives and control it. I was such a control freak, and when all of this happened I realized how little control I really had, and I now have a peace and contentment that only He can give, by surrendering my will daily to His. It's an awesome place to be and I desire for everyone to be there. It's AMAZING!!!
Jackie at 4:27pm EDT - September 15, 2009
LIke you, Michael, I've known for years that God loves me, but now I'm learning the finished work on the cross. Jesus Finished the Work, and we are New Creations. Now in a crisis, I look to Him for the answer. He is the Way and the Truth. Repentance toward God and Faith in Jesus (Acts 20), not looking to my own ways. Its about not looking at me for the answer, but to Jesus, who loved me enough to die for me and now is alive and lives to help me. He is the Way, not my own efforts.
Gerry T at 5:30pm EDT - September 15, 2009
Thank you! I recently attended a leadership conference at our church broadcast from Willowbrook. Surprise! They began with praise & worship...yea! And that was the first great treat. I am continually wiped out by Christians who verbalize that God is good and then finish by saying, but "it's so hard". Thanks for your honesty. The last year or so has been one onslaught or another of betrayal, scurrilous gossip, and then, as i sought the Lord, more and more, utter joy. I will continue to say out loud, that God is good, and He provides it all! I do believe, now, that it was completed, and i am the one who hasn't asked enough and believed that He is capable. Small gods are easy to dismiss, aren't they?
Cherie Hartline at 10:24pm EDT - September 15, 2009
When searching the schriptures for answers we sometimes do it using our own reasoning and memory and often find it very frustrating as well as confusing. The Holy Spirit is discribed by Jesus in part as our teacher and guide and that He will bring all things to our rememberance but I think in order for this to happen we must acknowledge Him and ask Him to do that for us. Especially since He is the one that brings the resources of heaven to us which allows Gods will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. All of us except the Trinity but few understand it. I recently heard my wife say that she is a daughter, she is a wife and she is a mother. All different yet the same. If I tried to relate to my wife as a daughter that would not be appropriate. Sometimes we have to be very conscious of how we are relating to God. As Father, as Son or as Holy Spirit. Blessings
Jeff at 11:36pm EDT - September 15, 2009
Your message was good. I need God. I am a believer. God has been showing me I have some wrong doctrine. I am a person that fill I have to help myself and God out. I know (He God) got this and me. I need to know God love more. For certain. I know He love me but sometime I think He is mad at me. I know that is not God. Please pray for me. To truely know. I know what the words says about love. Jesus loves me.
Betty b at 11:29am EDT - September 16, 2009
It's so good to hear the Lord speaking the same thing to so many at the same time! IF GOD REPEATS HIMSELF, THAT MEANS IT MUST BE IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO HEAR IT! Tuesday night at prayer, a brother told me he had a word for me from the Lord. He simply said, "The Lord says, 'I love you and am pleased with you.' " Simple, yet eternally profound and life changing... SELAH! (Pause and meditate on that!)
Beth Dippo at 12:07pm EDT - September 16, 2009
I am a realtor and had a client who was distraught over not being able to afford to buy a home, yet she has to move from her current residence. I have prayed with her and helped to the best of my ability. My heart went out to her. I was troubled by her situation. I didn't know what else I could do for her. I cried out to the Lord. He gave me peace, instantly. He reminded me that everything is in His hands and nothing catches Him by surprise. He has already prepared a place for her. I prayed for Him to reveal His plan to her and I released her to Him. (Imagine that!) I'm sure glad that HE IS GOD and I'm not!
Beth Dippo at 12:12pm EDT - September 16, 2009
I've never had trouble believing God COULD do ANYTHING, but believing He WILL do it for ME is a big issue in my life. Right now He is also teaching me to leave my battles to Him, so imagine how difficult that is for someone who is so bothered by injustice (especially when it happens to my family and I! ha!) to believe that God WILL take care of it all. It's been one thing after another for over 2 years now, (sometimes all at the same time and not after another at all!) Anyway, I'm looking forward to your next post on this subject!
Patience at 1:49am EDT - September 17, 2009
Thanks for your article about Gods amazing love that he has for us. Indeed he loves us more than we can ever imagine.May God bless you and continue to demonstrate his awesome love towards you and your family.
Enim at 8:38pm EDT - September 18, 2009