Mental Illness and Christianity

W2L · Apr 5, 2018

sunlover1 said:
Says who?

Me, its my opinion.

princesstatyanna · Apr 5, 2018

mmbattlestar said:
I was really confused on what section to post this thread in so if it's in the wrong section could you please report it so that a moderator could move it to the correct section? Thank you.

So, I was considering writing a website to help Christians who have a mental illness get through their day to day life and to teach those who have a mental illness that it is not hopeless and that they can still accept Jesus.

I have experience with this because back in 2012 I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder with psychosis. Later on my psychiatrist found my "proper" diagnosis and diagnosed me with Schizo-affective disorder since I was showing symptoms of Schizophrenia as well as Bipolar. I've had my symptoms of my mental illness all of my life but I didn't get my first psychotic episode until I was 26 years old. My first episode lasted for almost a month.

I never really reported my delusions or hallucinations to my parents or doctors so they had no clue what was going on. A little over a year later in 2013 (November I believe) I decided to give my life to Christ. It was the best decision I ever made. But, it also was upsetting. Why? Because ever since I started becoming a Christian slowly I've been getting some really dangerous delusions. It's been a daily struggle just to survive with daily delusions of Jesus being Satan, the Holy Spirit being Satan, my wife being demonic, ...etc. Basically if it exists, I think that It's really Satan in disguise or it's demonic in some way, shape, or form. The last full blown psychotic episode I had almost 2 years ago, I had to be hospitalized for. Because it was my worst one ever.

About a month ago I had a really scary dream that Jesus was Satan. I don't believe it was a dream I believe it was an attack from demons/Satan. Why? Well because first of all, I don't really dream. Let me explain, I haven't had regular dreams since I was about 10 years old because I have had sleep apnea since then. I've been over 200 pounds for most of my life. My sleep has been black for almost 22 years. I get the occasional dream but usually, my sleep is black.

So, if I got a dream It's always been because God or the Devil or things demonic in nature have put them there. It isn't the first time that I've received a dream from God. I won't get into details but when I first came to Christ I saw the Silhouette of Jesus and I saw the holy spirit in a dream. And my spirit ascended to heaven. Basically, I saw my entire born again experience. I know that it wasn't caused by my mental illness and that it was supernatural in nature. A few days later I got a dream from Satan trying to get me to change my decision to following Christ. He disguised himself as Jesus.

Anyway, It's been really hard and It's really hard dealing with these daily attacks from demons. I don't believe that a chemical imbalance is causing these things to happen. I also don't believe the majority view that those who have mental illnesses are possessed by Satan. No, we who have mental illnesses are not possessed by the devil but we are attacked daily by demons.

So why am I telling everyone all of this? Because, I have a question that would be really useful for my website. There wouldn't be a purpose in making my website if this question isn't answered. My question is, can a Christian have a mental illness and still be saved? Can they have daily delusions similar to mine and still be saved? I know that It's scriptural that once a Christian has salvation they cannot lose that salvation. I know for sure that I am born again, since I saw the whole thing. I know that Jesus said that he would not lose a single person given to him by God the Father in John 6:37-6:40. But scripture also says in 3 of the gospels that if you commit blasphemy of the holy spirit than you have no forgiveness. Thinking that they Holy Spirit could be Satan could be along those lines. So am I lost? Are people who have mental illnesses lost? That's my question. I hope some people can answer me and thank you for reading my long and rambling thread XD.

I believe that Christians who say that mental illnesses come from demons really need a reality check. I have Aspergers, depression, and bipolar disorder and I have heard people say that autism is demonic which is very offensive to me. I do believe that Christians with mental illnesses can still be saved.

derpytia · Apr 5, 2018

sunlover1 said:
Did God give Timothy the tummy trouble?
I know there is illness in this world.
My argument is that it's not GOD's will for us,
and also, that if we are sick, we need to pray and we will become well.
It's Biblical.
It's how God set it up.
It's HIS plan.

Of course God doesn't want us to be sick or ill. Our loving Father would never want that for His children!!
Unfortunately we live in a fallen world. Sickness and illnesses will come.
There are many who get cancer and pray with full confidence that they will be healed... and God allows them to pass on.
God encourages us to ask Him for healing but that does not mean that God will always take away our illnesses. God's will for this world will be done whether we are healed or not. Even if illness leads to death.
Even Jesus prayed that God would take the cup of wrath and suffering away from Him but also that His will be done.

sunlover1 · Apr 5, 2018

derpytia said:
Of course God doesn't want us to be sick or ill. Our loving Father would never want that for His children!!

I agree!

Unfortunately we live in a fallen world. Sickness and illnesses will come.

makes sense.

There are many who get cancer and pray with full confidence that they will be healed... and God allows them to pass on.

It's God??
Jesus (God) always said yes when they asked for healing.
Has He changed?
Or is it us?
Full confidence you say, what if it takes something else?
Remember that one kid who had the epileptic seizures...
Jesus said some only come out by prayer and fasting.

God encourages us to ask Him for healing but that does not mean that God will always take away our illnesses.

I don't believe that He'd encourage us to ask Him, only to forsake us.
I believe there's a different reason.

God's will for this world will be done whether we are healed or not.

But He said (so it's HIS will) if we're sick that we are to call for the elders.. and that the prayer of faith WILL heal the sick.. not MIGHT heal the sick.
So I believe there's a different reason so many are sick. And that reminds me of a passage about the Lord's Supper. (For this reason so many are sick and some sleep... because they don't discern the Lord's Body)

Even Jesus prayed that God would take the cup of wrath and suffering away from Him but also that His will be done.

Right, but it IS God's will for us to be healed.
So to pray for healing, we do pray for His will to be done.

sunlover1 · Apr 5, 2018

princesstatyanna said:
I believe that Christians who say that mental illnesses come from demons really need a reality check. I have Aspergers, depression, and bipolar disorder and I have heard people say that autism is demonic which is very offensive to me. I do believe that Christians with mental illnesses can still be saved.

I used to feel that way too.
Until God delivered me from some junk in the blink of an eye, BAM.
Told them to leave in the name of Jesus and suddenly, no more mental illness?
Yeah, there's a lot we don't know.. we're ever growing and ever learning.
Jesus cast a demon out of the epileptic boy btw.

needhugs · Apr 6, 2018

I have been bipolar with psychosis when i go off meds, for 20 years, and the thing is, the demons and the mental illness coincided with each other... i had gone without sleep for a long time and had a psychotic break because of it, and there were all the demons, ready to take advantage of it...

I was promised healing of what God called 'the demonic problem' but He told me that I was like Joseph (the technicolor dream coat one) and I had to wait... but God has been with me the whole time, and the thing about demons is they put thoughts AND FEELINGS into you, and make you feel as if they are your own sin, or something that you believe, when it's not... when i was in hell on earth from the demons, you know what God told me? He said 'ignore them'... which was bizarrely impossible at the time, but i learned a sort of trick from that... i would, while being tortured, put a smile on my face and talk to my husband about cheerful things... and when i look back to the times i did that, i only remember the smile and the cheerful things! this is a good way to have building blocks of memories of a happy life... as CS Lewis once said 'heaven and hell are retroactive... when you die, your life will have been all heaven, or all hell'... now, somehow, someway, God is going to turn my life into all heaven, i just KNOW IT. that's scriptural, don't worry, He makes all things work out for good for those who love Him and are called. In all your torment, you may not feel like you love Him, but you do. You have met Him and now how irresistably tender and sweet Jesus is.

no medication ever helped me (except ativan to calm me down, coz demons want to terrify you) but the medications hurt me if i went off of them, so in that way i wish i had never gone to a doctor, but i don't know what i would have done all these years without ativan

i use glycine powder under my tongue to calm me, and TrueHope vitamins for the bipolar symptoms, they help...

but it wasn't until about 3 weeks ago, that i heard the word 'magnesium' come out of my heart, so i instantly went to google to see if magnesium affects mental health... and found THIS... i have been downing magnesium by the handfuls ever since and no longer need ativan even...

offer your illness, your pain, your fear, as a sweet smelling offering to God, lay it all at the foot of the cross and asked to be relieved of it.

study the 91st Psalm and ask to be put in the secret place... i can't explain what that is, because it is indeed a secret

and remember, everything outside of the Kingdom of God is an idol, so things that cause bad things OUTSIDE of the Kingdom, might be sweet gifts INSIDE of the kingdom, remember the scripture 'SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added unto you'... for example, your best friend might be a dog, and outside of the Kingdom, that's putting an idol in the place where God belongs, but inside, well it's God's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, and i'm sure He would love to pile puppies on you

outside of the Kingdom... that's not where one wants to be because everything that is not of faith is sin, so go and BANG on the door to the Kingdom, and 'it shall be opened to you' and say that you are tired, tell Jesus how weary you are of being sin conscious, and you want to seek HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS... ask Him for all the faith He can give you, ask Him to make you seek Him with all your heart...

ask Him for perfect love that casts out all fear, for Him to love you, and for you to love others, and for you to love yourself. only God can do these kinds of things, so lean not on your own understanding... lean on God...

ask for the discerning of spirits so that you can tell without doubt that the 'beliefs' that are demonic are NOT YOUR BELIEFS

and take your magnesium

the Holy Spirit points to Christ, the Holy Spirit is blasphemed when you reject Christ, so changing your mind and coming to Christ means you are forgiven of that sin too because you are no longer doing it... ALL sins are forgiven on the cross for the whole world, but who can believe our report and come to Christ?

look up scrupulosity and you may get some insight as to mental illness and Christians... at the heart of scrupulosity is the fear of eternal damnation... i won't say anymore about the cure for that fear.

i look back at my horrific life now, and i am almost grateful for it, because it drove me deeper and deeper into God.

why does God allow us to suffer? i'll even take a stab at that coz right now, an old back injury is acting up, a really BAD one, and i found myself terrified of going back to a life of constantly screaming in the emergency room... i was begging Jesus, HARD begging, and the still small voice said 'it won't be long' and i realized that my twisted spine was being UNtwisted by God, and I was being healed... I realized that because i looked down at my crooked foot, and it was no longer crooked! i am being healed, taken to a good place, by the good and perfect will of God... but I AM IN PAIN!!!

and let's face it, a lot of people would never learn to kneel before Christ, if they weren't SUFFERING!

as far as your original question goes, i once asked God how He can love us when we are such schmucks, and He showed me a vision of a hole going down the centre of my being, it's the place where Christ resides in us, and He showed me that that is what He sees when He looks at us... it's truly like being a vessel, and God doesn't pay attention even, to all the evil flesh of a vessel... When He looks at us, He sees Christ.

now go listen to the song 'have a little faith in me' and pretend God is singing it to you, coz He sang it to me, and i find it a great comfort during dark days.

oh and wix.com is a free website builder, you don't need to code, you don't even have to pay for it unless you want the footer advertising wix gone.

W2L · Apr 6, 2018

sunlover1 said:
I used to feel that way too.
Until God delivered me from some junk in the blink of an eye, BAM.
Told them to leave in the name of Jesus and suddenly, no more mental illness?
Yeah, there's a lot we don't know.. we're ever growing and ever learning.
Jesus cast a demon out of the epileptic boy btw.

Many people will not be healed. Its a fact of life.

W2L · Apr 6, 2018

We can gain a measure of peace and joy however, and that will greatly help us. It takes time for some of us to learn how to find peace and joy in the Lord though. We dont need exorcism or criticism, we need understanding. That would go along way in helping others find peace, Joy and love.

Neostarwcc · Apr 6, 2018

Thank you for all the replies. I'm so far behind on this thread that I cannot respond to them all. So I'll just say, thank you for your replies.

I think I'll make the website. I think It's a really good idea to have a website out there that people with Mental Illnesses can use to find Christ. And to help those who are Christians already get information on their mental illnesses and treat them.

ScumYetServant · Apr 6, 2018

needhugs said:
I have been bipolar with psychosis when i go off meds, for 20 years, and the thing is, the demons and the mental illness coincided with each other... i had gone without sleep for a long time and had a psychotic break because of it, and there were all the demons, ready to take advantage of it...

I was promised healing of what God called 'the demonic problem' but He told me that I was like Joseph (the technicolor dream coat one) and I had to wait... but God has been with me the whole time, and the thing about demons is they put thoughts AND FEELINGS into you, and make you feel as if they are your own sin, or something that you believe, when it's not... when i was in hell on earth from the demons, you know what God told me? He said 'ignore them'... which was bizarrely impossible at the time, but i learned a sort of trick from that... i would, while being tortured, put a smile on my face and talk to my husband about cheerful things... and when i look back to the times i did that, i only remember the smile and the cheerful things! this is a good way to have building blocks of memories of a happy life... as CS Lewis once said 'heaven and hell are retroactive... when you die, your life will have been all heaven, or all hell'... now, somehow, someway, God is going to turn my life into all heaven, i just KNOW IT. that's scriptural, don't worry, He makes all things work out for good for those who love Him and are called. In all your torment, you may not feel like you love Him, but you do. You have met Him and now how irresistably tender and sweet Jesus is.

no medication ever helped me (except ativan to calm me down, coz demons want to terrify you) but the medications hurt me if i went off of them, so in that way i wish i had never gone to a doctor, but i don't know what i would have done all these years without ativan

i use glycine powder under my tongue to calm me, and TrueHope vitamins for the bipolar symptoms, they help...

but it wasn't until about 3 weeks ago, that i heard the word 'magnesium' come out of my heart, so i instantly went to google to see if magnesium affects mental health... and found THIS... i have been downing magnesium by the handfuls ever since and no longer need ativan even...

offer your illness, your pain, your fear, as a sweet smelling offering to God, lay it all at the foot of the cross and asked to be relieved of it.

study the 91st Psalm and ask to be put in the secret place... i can't explain what that is, because it is indeed a secret

and remember, everything outside of the Kingdom of God is an idol, so things that cause bad things OUTSIDE of the Kingdom, might be sweet gifts INSIDE of the kingdom, remember the scripture 'SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added unto you'... for example, your best friend might be a dog, and outside of the Kingdom, that's putting an idol in the place where God belongs, but inside, well it's God's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, and i'm sure He would love to pile puppies on you

outside of the Kingdom... that's not where one wants to be because everything that is not of faith is sin, so go and BANG on the door to the Kingdom, and 'it shall be opened to you' and say that you are tired, tell Jesus how weary you are of being sin conscious, and you want to seek HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS... ask Him for all the faith He can give you, ask Him to make you seek Him with all your heart...

ask Him for perfect love that casts out all fear, for Him to love you, and for you to love others, and for you to love yourself. only God can do these kinds of things, so lean not on your own understanding... lean on God...

ask for the discerning of spirits so that you can tell without doubt that the 'beliefs' that are demonic are NOT YOUR BELIEFS

and take your magnesium

the Holy Spirit points to Christ, the Holy Spirit is blasphemed when you reject Christ, so changing your mind and coming to Christ means you are forgiven of that sin too because you are no longer doing it... ALL sins are forgiven on the cross for the whole world, but who can believe our report and come to Christ?

look up scrupulosity and you may get some insight as to mental illness and Christians... at the heart of scrupulosity is the fear of eternal damnation... i won't say anymore about the cure for that fear.

i look back at my horrific life now, and i am almost grateful for it, because it drove me deeper and deeper into God.

why does God allow us to suffer? i'll even take a stab at that coz right now, an old back injury is acting up, a really BAD one, and i found myself terrified of going back to a life of constantly screaming in the emergency room... i was begging Jesus, HARD begging, and the still small voice said 'it won't be long' and i realized that my twisted spine was being UNtwisted by God, and I was being healed... I realized that because i looked down at my crooked foot, and it was no longer crooked! i am being healed, taken to a good place, by the good and perfect will of God... but I AM IN PAIN!!!

and let's face it, a lot of people would never learn to kneel before Christ, if they weren't SUFFERING!

as far as your original question goes, i once asked God how He can love us when we are such schmucks, and He showed me a vision of a hole going down the centre of my being, it's the place where Christ resides in us, and He showed me that that is what He sees when He looks at us... it's truly like being a vessel, and God doesn't pay attention even, to all the evil flesh of a vessel... When He looks at us, He sees Christ.

now go listen to the song 'have a little faith in me' and pretend God is singing it to you, coz He sang it to me, and i find it a great comfort during dark days.

oh and wix.com is a free website builder, you don't need to code, you don't even have to pay for it unless you want the footer advertising wix gone.

Thank you however God showed me six though Google yesterday midday before this post, but we also do not desire ads on the site to distract from the message and slow down the bandwidth, however I can relate se it as a template and pull the code from it to the site. In any event I do agree, our bodies are are broken and need either meds or what is lost. I have tried natural stuff like magnesium and http 5, and other things they just don't work for me, they help some tho. The meds I am on are old and they are being updated though z christian nurse practitioner. So I have less side effects. I to have prayed on my knees and prostrate before the lord to take this ailment from me. God told me his grace is sufficient for me and that his strength is made perfect in my weakness, he told that to me in his word and in dreams. I have had many dreams over the course of my life but good ones about evangilizeing and reaching out to the sick such as we are. He plans to use that witness, inside the mental hospitals when I am trained and well. He had used it also when I was sick becuse I always take a bible with me to the psych ward and I grow close to jesus as if I were a brother or best friend. I have been stable for over 5 years now, however I was hospitalized 10 times for my illness. I never was violent, I always grew closer to God. We all need aaz Jesus we are all broken, we all get healed totally with new bodies when we are in heavin. I look forward to that and hearing well done though good and faithful servant enter into my rest. You have been faithful with a few things, now I make you faithful over many. Amen. There is a tidbit of my testimony, there is much more to it, at the site I plan to tell the rest of the story. God bless you all, even those who disagree with scriptures. I love you all. May God be with you wherever you go.

sunlover1 · Apr 6, 2018

W2L said:
Many people will not be healed. Its a fact of life.

It is indeed.
But not because He's unwilling.

Neostarwcc · Apr 6, 2018

sunlover1 said:
It is indeed.
But not because He's unwilling.

I believe that God will heal me and all of us when we die. We have our mental illnesses for the rest of our life but in the next life, we will be fully healed and perfect.

LadyCrosstalk · Apr 6, 2018

mmbattlestar said:
I was really confused on what section to post this thread in so if it's in the wrong section could you please report it so that a moderator could move it to the correct section? Thank you.

So, I was considering writing a website to help Christians who have a mental illness get through their day to day life and to teach those who have a mental illness that it is not hopeless and that they can still accept Jesus.

I have experience with this because back in 2012 I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder with psychosis. Later on my psychiatrist found my "proper" diagnosis and diagnosed me with Schizo-affective disorder since I was showing symptoms of Schizophrenia as well as Bipolar. I've had my symptoms of my mental illness all of my life but I didn't get my first psychotic episode until I was 26 years old. My first episode lasted for almost a month.

I never really reported my delusions or hallucinations to my parents or doctors so they had no clue what was going on. A little over a year later in 2013 (November I believe) I decided to give my life to Christ. It was the best decision I ever made. But, it also was upsetting. Why? Because ever since I started becoming a Christian slowly I've been getting some really dangerous delusions. It's been a daily struggle just to survive with daily delusions of Jesus being Satan, the Holy Spirit being Satan, my wife being demonic, ...etc. Basically if it exists, I think that It's really Satan in disguise or it's demonic in some way, shape, or form. The last full blown psychotic episode I had almost 2 years ago, I had to be hospitalized for. Because it was my worst one ever.

About a month ago I had a really scary dream that Jesus was Satan. I don't believe it was a dream I believe it was an attack from demons/Satan. Why? Well because first of all, I don't really dream. Let me explain, I haven't had regular dreams since I was about 10 years old because I have had sleep apnea since then. I've been over 200 pounds for most of my life. My sleep has been black for almost 22 years. I get the occasional dream but usually, my sleep is black.

So, if I got a dream It's always been because God or the Devil or things demonic in nature have put them there. It isn't the first time that I've received a dream from God. I won't get into details but when I first came to Christ I saw the Silhouette of Jesus and I saw the holy spirit in a dream. And my spirit ascended to heaven. Basically, I saw my entire born again experience. I know that it wasn't caused by my mental illness and that it was supernatural in nature. A few days later I got a dream from Satan trying to get me to change my decision to following Christ. He disguised himself as Jesus.

Anyway, It's been really hard and It's really hard dealing with these daily attacks from demons. I don't believe that a chemical imbalance is causing these things to happen. I also don't believe the majority view that those who have mental illnesses are possessed by Satan. No, we who have mental illnesses are not possessed by the devil but we are attacked daily by demons.

So why am I telling everyone all of this? Because, I have a question that would be really useful for my website. There wouldn't be a purpose in making my website if this question isn't answered. My question is, can a Christian have a mental illness and still be saved? Can they have daily delusions similar to mine and still be saved? I know that It's scriptural that once a Christian has salvation they cannot lose that salvation. I know for sure that I am born again, since I saw the whole thing. I know that Jesus said that he would not lose a single person given to him by God the Father in John 6:37-6:40. But scripture also says in 3 of the gospels that if you commit blasphemy of the holy spirit than you have no forgiveness. Thinking that they Holy Spirit could be Satan could be along those lines. So am I lost? Are people who have mental illnesses lost? That's my question. I hope some people can answer me and thank you for reading my long and rambling thread XD.

First of all, I must tell you my firm belief that Jesus only recognized two forms of illness--physical and spiritual. When I consider those who have been called "mentally ill" I would say that there really is no such thing. The problem is not one of the "mind" (and many, many professionals argue over what the "mind" actually is). Again I say, the affliction is either in the brain itself or one of the spirit.

The problem that many have is a physical illness of their brain--you have already said that you have had sleep apnea since you were ten-years-old. Sleep apnea is a serious disease and it leads to problems in the brain of those who go untreated. It has been observed, for many years, that those deprived of proper sleep can suffer delusions and hallucinations. Neuroscientists who study sleep know that a type of "psychosis" develops in those who are severely sleep-deprived and that R.E.M. sleep is vital to brain functioning. They believe that it is likely due to a build-up of toxic material in the brain that is normally disposed of during deep sleep. As another example, the hallucinations and delusions which present in senile dementia are thought to be due to the same kind of process--brain disease. It is not clear whether sleep problems that those with the affliction often experience, precede or follow the first manifestations of the dementia. Is there a reason why your sleep apnea is not being effectively treated?

The second category of spiritual illness is one that faith and prayer (often with fasting) can and will be treated by the Great Physician--the Lord Jesus Himself. He definitely healed people physically while He was here, but the miracle of healing faith and love was His primary mission. Do you have a group of spiritual mentors, friends and family who are praying for you? Did you have the laying on of hands (normative in early Christianity) to receive the Holy Spirit?

All of this having been said, it is my firm belief that "mental illness" is either physical--having to do with the brain itself (or what has been called, the "second brain" in the intestines which are responsible for manufacturing many brain chemicals). Because of this, it is extremely important that digestive issues be addressed. Or it is spiritual. Or it is a combination of both. Hope this helps.

W2L · Apr 6, 2018

sunlover1 said:
It is indeed.
But not because He's unwilling.

I would recommend not judging those with mental illness. It only causes them harm. Would you judge others over Gods commands? I think you would not, so why judge them over mental illness?

W2L · Apr 6, 2018

mmbattlestar said:
I believe that God will heal me and all of us when we die. We have our mental illnesses for the rest of our life but in the next life, we will be fully healed and perfect.

I see mental illness as a weakness, just as Paul said that his distress is weakness. Paul gloried in His weaknesses, because He knew that Gods grace was enough for him, and that Gods power is made perfect in our weaknesses. My mental health issues have brought me closer to the Lord. So it's a blessing in my opinion. Also, when others judge me for my illnesses, i' will be greatly blessed as i Give it to the Lord in prayer. This took me along time to learn, and im only now beginning to find blessing in it.

sunlover1 · Apr 6, 2018

W2L said:
We can gain a measure of peace and joy however, and that will greatly help us. It takes time for some of us to learn how to find peace and joy in the Lord though. We dont need exorcism or criticism, we need understanding. That would go along way in helping others find peace, Joy and love.

God says we need truth and that the truth will set us free.
Jesus suffered in our stead. Truth
God says if you're sick to what?
Go to the church and we "will" be healed
it's not 'comforting', to me, to be told that God wants me to learn to live with some excruciating back ( or shoulder, or head or etc) pain, when I know better.
And it's not 'criticism" to tell people the truth.
In fact, if we have the Spirit of truth IN us, we walk in truth and cannot abide in the lies that are from the pit.
God wouldn't tell us to go to the elders and we will be made well,... if it weren't so.
So if i go to the elders, and i'm not made whole, the problem is somewhere else.
His kingdom works on certain principles and laws.
I once had discovered a breast lump. Went to doctors (because my family insisted) They saw the lump and measured it.
Went to the church following week and had them lay hands on me.
By by lump.
Another time I wasn't able to move my arm above my waist.. shoulder was frozen and the pain was almost unbearable.
This suffering didn't make me more patient or kinder or stronger or anything else like that. It kept me focused on the pain, it kept me from being effective in the kingdom and from using my gift of faith to intercede for all my loved ones etc. as is my assignment right now.
Nothing mysterious about it, God is good, and does all good things.
Devil is bad and does all bad things.
If something doesn't seem "good" then it's not from God and needs to be withstood.
(Exception is discipline from our Father, so if you're hurting, it's always important to ask God if this is a spanking or an attack to be fought against)
IMO ONLY
Edit to say.. i prayed for healing in my shoulder and yet suffered on for a year, then another year, then working on another year, when suddenly BAM, One night i was studying about healing, listening to a video and laying in my bed. I wasn't paying close attention when a woman began singing about "I am the God that healeth thee" .. suddenly out of the blue, heat in my shoulder. I "knew" it was God. It had to be, it was nothing I'd experienced before. I jumped out of bed and raised BOTH arms straight above me. It was right as rain.
Why so long? Why almost 3 years?
NOT because God is slack or slow!
I found the answer to that in the book of Daniel, Chapter 10 I believe.
We have to fight for all these things God has for us.
We need to find out how the Kingdom of God works.. it's not like this physical realm.
It's GOOD to want GODs will for our lives, in every area.
That glorifies Him, and it blesses Him to see His children walk in truth.
Again,,, IMO

Neostarwcc · Apr 6, 2018

W2L said:
I see mental illness as a weakness, just as Paul said that his distress is weakness. Paul gloried in His weaknesses, because He knew that Gods grace was enough for him, and that Gods power is made perfect in our weaknesses. My mental health issues have brought me closer to the Lord. So it's a blessing in my opinion. Also, when others judge me for my illnesses, i' will be greatly blessed as i Give it to the Lord in prayer. This took me along time to learn, and im only now beginning to find blessing in it.

I don't know if I'd call my mental illness a blessing. It's more like a curse to me. If I had a choice whether or not I was mentally ill I would choose to be freed from it. Which is why sometimes I ask God why he has forsaken me by not healing me. But, God has a reason why he won't. My mental illness is a part of who I am. I hate that part of me, I wish I could be healed and it sucks that I have to wait until death to finally be freed from it. But, It's a part of me. It's part of why God loves me and took mercy on me when he made the plan of salvation for all before the foundation of the world. God knew that I would struggle with my mental illness and that I would consider myself worthless. But, other people do not consider me worthless including God. I am special to God. After all, he chose me and all who come to believe in his son for salvation. So, we all are special and dear to God the Father.

sunlover1 · Apr 6, 2018

W2L said:
I would recommend not judging those with mental illness. It only causes them harm. Would you judge others over Gods commands? I think you would not, so why judge them over mental illness?

Who's judging anyone?
Certainly not me.
If someone who's mentally or physically ill comes to me for comfort, I comfort them. I pray for them and I'm there for them.
I always share stories of what I've seen God do in myself and others and if they want that I'm happy to pray with them, if they don't have faith for that I offer them some platitudes and leave it at that.
I would never shame anyone for their beliefs!
And certainly who am I to judge?
Not sure where you got that idea about me, but it's not correct

ScumYetServant · Apr 6, 2018

sunlover1 said:
Who's judging anyone?
Certainly not me.
If someone who's mentally or physically ill comes to me for comfort, I comfort them. I pray for them and I'm there for them.
I always share stories of what I've seen God do in myself and others and if they want that I'm happy to pray with them, if they don't have faith for that I offer them some platitudes and leave it at that.
I would never shame anyone for their beliefs!
And certainly who am I to judge?
Not sure where you got that idea about me, but it's not correct

We certainly though your selected words here hurt others becuse they responded as such, and you sent me arrows my way, however my armor is good and can easily deflect that kid of stuff now, however there was a time it would not. Remember we are accountable for every spoken and typed word. Not to me, but unto the Lord Amen.

sunlover1 · Apr 6, 2018

ScumYetServant said:
Well you certainly though your selected words here hurt others becuse they responded as such, and you sent me arrows mu way, however my armor is good and can easily deflect that kid of stuff now, however there was a time it would not. Remember we are accountable for every spoken and typed word. Not to me, but unto the Lord Amen.

Perhaps you're offended by the Scriptures?
Because I have no criticized anyone at all.
I've merely shared my understanding of the Kingdom of God.
If that isn't a blessing to you, then maybe don't read my posts.
My intention is only to share truth of God's word and be a blessing.
God calls people drunkards, and perverts and all manner of things and
even though we're to be like our Father, I don't really call ppl that stuff.
He calls sickness "bad" and heals it.
In fact, when His disciples COULDN"T heal it, what did He call them?
Check Matthew 17:17
He called them perverted and faithless.
One version put it like this:
And Jesus answered, O you unbelieving (warped, wayward, rebellious) and thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me.

Yes we are indeed responsible for every word. And Scripture tells us to speak,
as the very oracles of God.
So we say what Jesus would say... so our answers should always be
prefaced with "It is written"
We should always speak the truth (in love)
I equate truth with love.

Mental Illness and Christianity

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Compassion.

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Beloved, Let us love one another

Flibbertyjibbet

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We are saved purely by the work and grace of God.

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Beloved, Let us love one another

We are saved purely by the work and grace of God.

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Beloved, Let us love one another

We are saved purely by the work and grace of God.

Beloved, Let us love one another

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Beloved, Let us love one another

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