And by His scourging we are healed.

"It is a matter of God's will."

If you're responding to me, I agree. I think God wills people to be sick sometimes and others its a lack of faith on our part.

Originally posted by Michie
Hmmm.

I've seen alot of people lose faith & be overcome with guilt because they were ill.

These comments made by brothers & sisters in Christ.

Yes we are healed by His stripes but does that just mean physical healing?

Could it mean much, much more than just the healing of flesh?

There have been many of Christian that have not been healed & have went on to be with the Lord.

I think there is a very fine line when it comes to dealing with those that are ill.

God does heal & He can heal.

But remember the "Our Father" prayer that Jesus taught?

Not our will but His will be done.

And that is all I'm going to say about that.

Touchy subject.

Click to expand...

Of course it does not mean just physical.  It's physical, spiritual, and mental. 

I have been there and done that.  When I first had someone tell me that it was my lack of faith that kept me sick, I was discouraged.  However, I could not deny that it was truth. 

The depression and discouragement was not brought on by hearing the truth but by my wanting to save face and prove that there was nothing wrong with me.  I took insult where there was none.

I change a lot of ways that I did things.  I prayed using God's words instead of my own.  I got rid of the "if".  I got away from everyone who wanted to tell me "if".  My faith increased and my health improved. 

Unfortionately, it did not go away completely and I finely gave up the fight and was able to take care of the problem via the dr. I do not comdemn myself but I still believe in healing, because God says I am healed by His stripes.

I believe in God healing also.

But I don't believe that because some are not healed that it means they have unconfessed sin or lack of faith.

It all goes according to God's will.

The problem comes in where people pray for the ones that are ill & start seeing no results, it turns into a blame game if their will/prayer is not fulfilled.

That is where I have my problem.

Like I've said before, and I'll say it again;

If anyone's faith here is stronger than anybody else's, then please go into the Prayer Forum and help those that need it.  I haven't seen too many people from this post that have gone over there to pray for those that need it.  Why?  If your faith is so much stronger than everybody else's, why aren't you where it's needed?

It's obvious to some here that I'm lacking in faith, therefore am not capable of praying for healing for our friend Kraig.  Please go there and heal him.

The following is the Christmas letter we received from his wife Diane.  She is the epitomy of the Christian woman.  This husband/wife have more faith than anyone else I've ever come across.  If anyone can say to me that he's not being healed of his cancer because of his lack of faith.......well.....I'm not quite sure how I'm going to react, but I could probably give you a hint.

Go here;

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/29967.html

@ blindfaith.

@Michie

Not all are healed there could be a greater purpose.

 Sometimes some sickness is unto death.

 I believe in some cases death is the ultimate healing.

 If all people were healed then we wouldn't need hospitals or doctors nurses or caregivers.

I believe to really have faith is knowing without an intervention you are going to die, and still have faith.

 Not my will but your will.

 I believe God heals but not always.

 I believe our faith in some cases has nothing to do with a healing.

 I believe God might heal a skeptic to make his faith strong.  Evee

hobart, are you saying all is healed?

 If you are is the people that are not healed do not have enough faith?

 I know the bible says it is done according to your faith?

 Does anyone know where that scripture is?

We all have a measure of faith also.

 Maybe our measures are not the same.

 Maybe he gave us just enough not too waste.

 One person may have a larger measure because he knew it was not going to be wasted.

  Beats me I am open to listen.   Evee

No one, as far as I can see, has said that our faith is greater than anyone else's. No one, as far as I have seen, has said that their faith is so great that they see immediate manefestaion of healing every time they pray. What I do hear being said is that with His stripes we are healed. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I've shared in many posts the many ways that sin is in our lives. I believe unforgiveness to be the biggest. There is also self-hate. Think of how often you say, I hate my hair, my nose, my feet, my teeth, etc., etc., etc.

I have a lot of faith in the area of provision. God has provided for me many things in a variety of ways. Amazing ways. But, when it comes to the physical, I struggle alot with faith. I have had to learn to change my words regarding myself in many ways.

As a child I received the negative words used by a parent as truth and continued to use them on myself well into adulthood. I discovered, that with my own words I was cursing myself.

We look at people with great faith that are ill and think immediately that it could not possibly be something they did/do that brought this on. But do we really know?

Or, could it be that they are just being attacked by the enemy and I need to stand in faith beside them and lift them up in prayer with the Word, instead of bringing their spirits down by negative talk.

When Jesus went in to heal the young girl who had died He ordered all the mourners out before He prayed for her. Does it make you wonder why?

If there are those who are looking down on others in their illness and judging then they are wrong to do so. But to tell someone that Jesus heals and desires for them to manifest in that healing is not judging any more than your doctor giving you an aspiran for a headache is wrong. Would you scream at them and accuse them of judging you for handing you an aspiran? Of course not. But yet that is exactly what happens when one tells you Jesus heals.

I don't know why someone is sick. I know some of what made me sick and what kept me sick. I don't proclaim to know why each person who is sick is sick. I don't believe it's any of my business. But I do believe that at the root of that sickness is our enemy and it is not God's will that anyone be sick.

When I pray for those who are sick I do so with great compassion and mercy. I know what they're going through. It is very discouraging. But none the less, Jesus is The Healer.

Having faith is standing, and believing what God says, no matter how long it may take to manifest. If I die due to illness, I don't believe that would be God's will but I will be in His presence and that's a good thing. I cannot change what God says just because my circumstances do not match up.

I know this is a hard thing to hear. There is anger, frustration, self-condemnation, depression. Emotions. Emotions that can be changed by looking into the face of Jesus and adoring Him.

His word says it all. With His stripes we are healed (IS 53:5). By His stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24)

Whatever it is, and however long it takes, stand on His Word. Standing on His Word does not make anyone more sick but giving up, and self-condemnation does.

Be blessed,

Quaffer

That's interesting Quaffer,

 I do know faith is the key.

 I have just learned to accept things that I  can't seem to change.

 I just considered it a thorn.

You people of little faith that seem to transform the word to there beliefs, instead of transfering there beliefs to the word, are in for a very hard life.

The word says if anyone is sick....the prayer offered in faith, will restore him, thats in James.

I wish I had time to write everything down, but I have 5 minutes left.

You people should for your sakes, your family and friends sakes, and for your fellow bretheren, change your beliefs.
Change your beliefs!
Change your beliefs!
Change your beliefs!
Get rid of those sorry whiney little poor me excuses, that you come up with everytime you fail in "any" area, and CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS!.

The bible says, "faith without works is dead". So if your prayer life isn't working like the bible says it should, then its time to take a look at "yourselves".

If the bible says for you to do something, and it doesn't work, don't blame God. He said in proverbs, "Since I called out and you didn't listen, neither will I listen to you when troubles come upon you" (something like that).
In Romans 3 it says "Let EVERYMAN be found a LIAR, and God to be found TRUE".

Change your beliefs, before its to late.

I am absolutely astounded at your lack of compassion Sunstone.  Amazing.  I hope you don't come across too many people with phase 4 cancer.

I'm not coming back in here to this thread.  I'll ask one of the other moderator's to keep an eye on it.

It's making me sick to be in this thread.

Originally posted by Evee
That's interesting Quaffer,

 I do know faith is the key.

 I have just learned to accept things that I  can't seem to change.

 I just considered it a thorn.

Click to expand...

Hey Evee

We don't have to just accept things that happen to us.  God makes a lot of promises to those who walk in righteousness.  We do not make the demands on God though. We make the demand on the enemy.  

Remember that parable where Jesus talks about the unrighteous judge?  The woman keeps making demands (pestering) the unrighteous judge.  She keeps it up until finely, because she is pestering him so much he just gives her back everything that's been taken from her.

God is not the unrighteous judge is He?  Of course not.  Satan is though.  If we are living righteous, he has no claim on us, our families, or our belongings.  Under the authority of God we have the right to go after the thief.  This is called spiritual warfare.

We are called to walk in obedience to Him and His Word and allow Him to change us.  We can speak His Words ("it is written"), Jesus did that in the desert and we can put a watch over our mouths and stop speaking things that are the opposite of what His Word says.  His words bring life, but ours, left unchecked, bring death.  In Proverbs it says "death and life are in the power of the tongue".

I do not believe that Paul's thorn was a sickness as some say.  And when he asked God to take it away and God answered, God did not say "No!"*. He said, "My grace is sufficient".  Meaning that the grace of God was everything that Paul needed to get through this difficult situation he was in.

*note:in the original Living Bible they translated the word into No, but when they revised they changed it because God did not say "No".  They realized their error in translation and fixed it.

God's grace is extremely powerful.  His grace is there.  It's all we need.  Just like if you ask me for $10.  I take the $10 out and reach out my hand to you but you don't take it.  But you keep asking for me to give you $10.  It's in my hand for you to take, but you don't take it, but you keep asking.  Just take it.  His grace is there.  Just take it. 

His grace gives us authority to trample on the devil and take back what he's stolen.  It's high time we learn to do and then do it.

I don't know that I said everything well enough for you to understand.  Please feel free to ask questions.  I don't claim to know everything nor do I claim to have it all together.  But I'm learning.  

Bye for now,

Quaffer 

Since the direction of this thread has lead to more bickering and disharmony, it has been closed. Moreover, a previous warning went unheeded which was posted hoping members could discuss the topic respecting each other's opinions. Let's agree to disagree and move on.