The majority of my post above was direct quotations form God’s Word. It is not my opinion. It is not based on someone’s experience. It does not rely on what some denomination preaches or teaches. It is Truth, sometimes directly from the mouth of God Himself.
The Bible can be a Blessing or a curse. If you read it expecting to prove that God is evil, satan will accommodate you. But if you study it and eagerly consume it like the Bread of Life, there is no limit to what you can receive by faith. As God tells His children - I have put before you life and death, Blessing and cursing, and just so they knew what to choose, He told them to choose LIFE! (Deuteronomy 30:19) You have authority over your life. You have to decide if Jesus is your Lord and Savior. You have to receive every promise by faith. God does not force anything on people.
In your next post you quote Job, seemingly taking this for your own confession - “Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” Why would you have hope in someone that would so casually take life? How could that type of a relationship ever blossom and bear any good fruit without any trust? And besides, Job was talking foolishly, and only the Grace of God prevented Satan from stealing his life. God prospered Job IMMENSELY. Satan complained about that and because God had placed a hedge of protection around Job. This is so very plain in Job 1 & 2, Now what brought that hedge down? Fear, worry and unbelief. (Job 3:25-26, see also Ecclesiastes 10:8) Job brought down the hedge and allowed satan to run roughshod over him and only the mercy of God prevented satan from taking his life. (Job 2:6) Even Job’s wife, sounding like some on here, told him to “renounce God and die.” (Job 2:9) Finally, after a couple chapters of foolish talk, unbelief and ignorance, Job has a brief flash of wisdom in Chapter 6:23-24 - Deliver me from the enemy’s hand... teach me to hold my tongue. And then several more chapters until we get towards the end where God calls all Job’s comforters’ words “folly.” (Job 42:8) His friends take offerings to Job and he prays for them. In 42:10 it is said that the Lord turned the captivity of Job. The obvious question is, who had him captive, since it was obviously not God? We then see Job back in a right relationship being not just restored, but receiving twice what he had before.
Paul tells Timothy that - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) You don’t build a theology off of foolish talk or unbelief. You learn from Job and apply the lessons of his life with the wisdom you learn from the rest of the Word and the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that you can avoid or overcome all satanic attacks. That is exactly what Jesus did in the wilderness. He used the Word to overcome satan’s temptation. This is reinforced in Ephesians where we are to put on (and not remove) the Armor of God that includes: the Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Helmet of Salvation, the Gospel of Peace and the shield of faith to stop ALL the fiery darts of the enemy. The only offensive weapon listed - the Sword, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17)
These threads are oozing with anger, frustrations, unbelief and accusations. It is not exactly an environment that is conducive to really hearing and discussing God’s Word in LOVE. If you continually talk unbelief, fear, doubt etc, you will harvest that in abundance. The church I attended in my youth continually told people to not expect anything. And guess what, most people got nothing but sickness, failure and death. But my parents dug into the Word and started catching a glimpse of all that God has given us. I could share with you some of God’s goodness that I have witnessed, but that will not help you. You need to see it in God’s Word. That is how faith comes. Looking at the faith success or failure of someone else will not build your faith. That is one of the reasons Jesus discouraged people from telling others about the miracles. They needed to believe in Him, not in the miraculous. Wonders would attract the curious, but the Word (Jesus) is the Rock that everything is built on, a sure and secure foundation. (Matthew 7:24-27)
If God is willing to heal EVEN ONE person, He is willing to heal all, because he does not play favorites (Acts 10:34). God has been healing folks since Creation. That is His nature. That continues today to those that reach out in faith. In fact the leper (Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-14) asked if Jesus was willing to make him clean. Jesus answered his question and your questions: “I am willing.” That should settle that question in your heart for all of eternity.
People point to birth defects as a sign that God does not heal. Why we are looking at fallen man for signs or proof, when we have God’s WORD? Its a question for another time. Let’s look to the Word to see if we can possibly find God’s will in this matter. There was a man born blind and the disciples asked Jesus, who sinned, the man (in the womb since he was born blind) or his parents? It was a foolish question and one that was not answered completely at this point in Jesus’ ministry. There were three possible answers - the man, the parents, or neither. Neither is exactly what Jesus answered. In fact, the CAUSE did not matter to Jesus. All he cared about was making the man WHOLE. Because Jesus is the light of the world. He came to do ONLY the Father’s will. And he never changes. And the religious leaders had yet another conniption fit over this miracle. (John 9:1-41) I love the man’s confession in front of the religious leaders:
“This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It’s well known that God isn’t at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If this man didn’t come from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”
Everywhere Jesus encountered faith the Centurion, Nobleman, Jairus, bleeding woman, he healed. But he “marveled at their unbelief” in his hometown and could only heal a few sick folks. (Mark 6:6) Do you want to be commended for having great faith like the Centurion who simply took God at his Word, or have Jesus marvel at your unbelief? Unbelief, fear, doubt, anger will stop your faith. They are the things that undermine your ability to receive from God. Faith is what connects to God and what pleases him. Unbelief stops everything. Rather than quote scriptures, here are some references if you are willing.
Faith – The Key to Miracles
Matthew 9:18-25 – Matthew 9:27-31 – Matthew 15:22-28 – Matthew 21:18-22 – Mark 5:22-43 – Mark 9:17-27 – Mark 11:22-26 – Luke 1:37-38 – Luke 17:5-6 – Luke 17:11-19
Unbelief blocks miracles.
Matthew 13:54-58 – Matthew 17:19-20 – Mark 6:4-6
One of the titles of Jesus is Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The English definition for peace falls far short of the Jewish word Shalom which means:
Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. One definition I have heard is nothing missing and nothing broken. Is there a better definition of what God brings into the life of a Believer?
Jesus came to give YOU SHALOM. Will you receive it?
John 5 - The man at the pool. It is curious that Jesus asks him if he wants to be well. What a strange question. Could it be possible that people choose to remain sick? I would hope not. Could it be that desire plays a role in healing. Jesus NEVER used idle words.
Look at what the man says. He doesn’t answer directly, but wallows in self pity, frustration and anger, because nobody will help him into the water, where according to legend, he might get healed. Think about this, he has placed his hope for 38 years on a myth!
Jesus spoke just a few words, “Get up! Take your matt and walk.” - But the man is paralyzed! How could he get up? Who was Jesus addressing when he spoke these faith-filled Words?
He at first does not know it was Jesus who spoke healing Words to him and told him to carry his matt. But when he sees Jesus again, Jesus says something curious “Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.” The man was crippled for 38 years! What sin could he have been committing? Maybe it was...unbelief? The Bible is silent so that falls into speculation. But we know that without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) And whatever is not of faith is a sin. (Romans 14:23)
The man had picked up his matt and WALKED. This was a tremendous miracle that should have brought great glory to God throughout the city. But here comes the religious folks, theologians and unbelieving Pharisees, demanding him not to carry his matt on the Sabbath. When he informs them it was Jesus who healed him and told him to carry his matt, they want to kill Jesus all the more. They have evidence of God in their midst and their reaction is a desire to persecute and kill. Where do you think that desire came from in the religious leaders? The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) He is also the accuser of the brethren. (Revelation 12:10)
The Bible is silent as to if anyone else around the pool was healed. It is LUDICROUS to build a theology over the assumption that Jesus healed only this one fellow. While it is entirely possible, however incredibly unlikely, we simply do NOT know. Wouldn’t it be better to place your faith on what we DO KNOW from the Word?
Matthew 4:23-24 – Jesus preached the Good News, healed EVERY disease, EVERY weakness and infirmity.
Matthew 12:15 – Great crowds followed Jesus and HE HEALED THEM ALL!
Matthew 14:14 – Jesus had compassion on the multitude and HEALED THEIR SICK.
Matthew 15:30-31 – The DUMB SPOKE, the MAIMED WERE MADE WHOLE, the LAME WALKED and the BLIND COULD SEE.
Mark 1:32-34 – Jesus cured various diseases and drove out demons in Capernaum.
Luke 4:40 – Jesus laid his hands on people sick with various diseases and CURED THEM ALL!
Luke 6:17-19 – People came to hear Jesus teach and HE CURED THEM ALL!
Luke 7:21-22 – Blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor hear the Good News.
At the end of John, he adds this reassuring statement: the world does not have room for all that could be written about what Jesus has done. (John 21:25) - For reasons only God knows, the Holy Spirit controlled what was and was not recorded in the Gospels. All the writers had to of known about Paul’s writings and were even ministry partners in the case of Luke. But you will find very little with regard to the revelation of redemption in the Gospels. That is all unveiled in the letters to the Church - the Believers. Jesus was ministering to spiritually dead people, many of which lived under the Old Covenant. Believers are living under a new and much better covenant. (Hebrews 8) You can see most of this throughout Paul’s letters.
Sin, sickness and death entered the world when Adam sinned. Jesus came to reverse this process that is why he is referred to as the last Adam. His sacrifice was complete and addressed every need of humanity. I like how John puts it: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8) You can choose to sin after you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord. And you can choose to be sick and without wisdom as well. But that is NOT God’s will or His best for you. I will never covince you of this Truth. That will only come from the Word, the source of all wisdom.
Selected passages from Psalm 119 AMP - a wonderful Psalm on God’s Word. The author, most likely King David, shows the benefits of LEARNING, MEDITATING, TRUSTING, KNOWING and DOING God’s Word.
Let the proud be put to shame, for they dealt perversely with me without a cause; but I will meditate on Your precepts. v. 78
All Your commandments are faithful and sure. [The godless] pursue and persecute me with falsehood; help me [Lord]! v. 86
According to Your steadfast love give life to me; then I will keep the testimony of Your mouth [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]. Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [stands firm as the heavens]. v. 88-89
Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, [how can I?] for it is by them You have quickened me (granted me life). v. 92-93
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me. I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation. v. 98-99
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. v. 103-105
I hate the thoughts of undecided [in religion], double-minded people, but Your law do I love. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. v. 113-114
Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple. v. 129-130
Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not nor hunger for Your statutes. v 155
The sum of Your word is truth [the total of the full meaning of all Your individual precepts]; and every one of Your righteous decrees endures forever. v 160
Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble. v 165
My lips shall pour forth praise [with thanksgiving and renewed trust] when You teach me Your statutes. My tongue shall sing [praise for the fulfillment] of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous v 171-172
God’s Word WORKS. IT IS TRUTH. And He is most definitely NOT a liar. Your debate should be with Him, not me. My faith rests on God’s Word, which is His power, not men’s wisdom. (1 Corinthians 2, Hebrews 1)
Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. Romans 3:4
For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37
Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19
Why didn’t people like Joni get healed when they went with faith that they would?
Why are not all Christians without illness or disabilities?
And certain posts are oozing judgment and condemnation.
You have stated this several times now that those who do not believe Scripture the way you do are calling God a liar. No one here believes God is a liar and we all agree that the Bible IS God's divinely inspired word. What appears to be happening is that you have an interpretation of the doctrine of "healing" but not everyone reads those verses you post and "gets" the same interpretation as you. This does NOT mean we are calling God a liar, just disagreeing with how you and a few others interpret those verses.
For example, if someone claims that all those who are filled with the Holy Spirit WILL speak in "tongues" and that anyone who does not speak in tongues is not saved because they do not have the proof of the Holy Spirit in them. They will ALSO say that if you don't believe all saved people speak in tongues, then you are calling God a liar. But it is instead their false "interpretation" of Scripture that we reject and it is not the same thing as calling God a liar.
There are several places in your comment where you have taken "liberties" with what is written and built an argument based upon your own viewpoint. For example, you say Job "foolishly" stated, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust (hope) in Him." You say, "Why would you have hope in someone that would so casually take life? How could that type of a relationship ever blossom and bear any good fruit without any trust?", yet that was NOT the way Job saw his situation. He said that in the midst of defending God to his friends who were speaking wrongly about God. In Job 13, he says:
Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom. Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay. Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
So here Job was telling off his so-called friends for their false beliefs about God. Job then continues:
Job knew that God was righteous and that he had been faithful to him. Though he did not understand why God had allowed such calamity, he STILL trusted in his goodness and mercy, so that was why he could say that even if he died, he would not stop trusting God. When you said that "Job brought down the hedge and allowed satan to run roughshod over him and that it was because of Job's "Fear, worry and unbelief", you falsely stated it was Job's fault that satan could have at him. But it was God who let down the hedge of protection around Job and it was God that permitted Satan to do anything he wanted to do to Job - with the exception of killing him. Job was "upright", "blameless" and "righteous" before God and his troubles were NOT because of his own fear, worry OR unbelief. Though he despaired the longer and more grievous his suffering, he did not "curse God and die" like his wife advised. He did not understand the "why" but he knew the "Who".
This, then, is another example of someone taking parts of Scripture, formulating a doctrine and then accusing people who disagreed with that doctrine of calling God a liar. It just doesn't cut it. No matter how many examples you give of Jesus healing people while he was here on earth you cannot conclude that he continues in that manner when he is no longer physically present here. Too many other Scripture passages would have to be eliminated for your idea to be true. By claiming that "If you continually talk unbelief, fear, doubt etc, you will harvest that in abundance.", you are essentially stating what all the other "name it/claim it" preachers do that God MUST do as you believe him to do. And no matter how many times you insist that is always the case, it is unavoidable that deeply faithful and believing Christians STILL are not always healed, and your only explanation for that is "they didn't receive it by faith". You said:
If God is willing to heal EVEN ONE person, He is willing to heal all, because he does not play favorites (Acts 10:34). God has been healing folks since Creation. That is His nature. That continues today to those that reach out in faith.
That is another example of a false interpretation of Scripture because there are other Scripture passages that dispute it. One case in point was the Apostle Paul who prayed three times for God to remove his "thorn in the flesh". Whatever this ailment was, God did not remove it. Did Paul lack enough faith? The right kind of faith? Did he fail to believe God? Did he fail to "claim it" from God?
There are other examples as well but the greatest one, the simplest and most easily missed one is: they ALL died. At some point in time, God stopped healing their bodies and their mortality (subject to death) took over. So why then do people not always receive physical healing? Your answer points to the person's unbelief, or their fear, or their worry, but God's answer for people like Joni and Paul is "trust me". We may not ever understand the purposes for our suffering this side of Heaven, but we KNOW whom we have believed and he is ever faithful. He is able to do all things and so we are able to bear all things according to the grace God gives us. Saying, "though he kills me, I will still trust in Him", is NOT foolish talk, it is a heart that truly trusts in God's plan and surrenders to whatever his will is - even if it may mean death. It is believing that not one thing can happen that God did not permit for HIS plan, HIS purpose, HIS will.
I'm sure you are not blessed by some comments while you took YOUR time to compose a worthy post.
"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"