Unclean Spirits, Divine Healing, and Modern Medicine

Minister Monardo · Aug 10, 2023

Matthew 12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute;
and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

Modern medicine has had many breakthroughs that the world considers miraculous, including blind and deaf ailments.
but in the New Testament, there was always a spiritual element involved.
What modern medicine cannot deal with is the spiritual component of healing, miraculous or otherwise,
because we know this from scripture.

Matthew 12:
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty,
swept, and put in order.
45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself,
and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

A modern secular humanist might conclude this is something arthritic, or a congenital
disease and see hope for a cure. Unless the spirit of infirmity is dealt with, the healing
will leave the person vulnerable to other forms of attack, including mental health.

FireDragon76 · Aug 16, 2023

The seem quite convinced that epilepsy was due to demons or spirits, which was the case for many ancient cultures.

Interestingly enough, some forms of epilepsy are known to be due to psychogenic causes, similar to a somatoform or hysteric/conversion disorder (mental in origin). I know about epilepsy first hard because my S.O. has nocturnal epilepsy due to microgyria.

Presbyterian Continuist · Aug 19, 2023

FireDragon76 said:
The seem quite convinced that epilepsy was due to demons or spirits, which was the case for many ancient cultures.

Interestingly enough, some forms of epilepsy are known to be due to psychogenic causes, similar to a somatoform or hysteric/conversion disorder (mental in origin). I know about epilepsy first hard because my S.O. has nocturnal epilepsy due to microgyria.

I agree that many medical conditions can be treated and cured through modern medicine. Many of the medical discoveries were made through the work of the Holy Spirit giving inspiration to medical researchers. It is an important way that God is involved in the healing process today.

But terminal diseases, cerebral palsy, Parkinsons disease, blindness, deafness, and other conditions not easily treated by medical means, need a miracle of healing. God's Word promises it. But in spite of many prayers for healing, people don't get healed, and they die or remain chronically ill. All sorts of excuses are made concerning God's will or not His will. lack of faith, sin in the person's life etc. But the bottom line is that God refuses to answer the prayers. If God was involved in the prayer, then the person would be healed, immediately, on the spot, and the healing would be plainly observable. For example, the blind person would immediately be able to see clearly, and palsied person would immediately gain full control of his body.

The main reasons why God doesn't heal terminal or chronic cases are misunderstanding of HIs will, by teaching guaranteed on-demand healing, motivation by the person praying or ministering, or a church or organisation wanting to increase their reputation and financial income. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

So if a blind person is still unable to say after prayer, then instead of making excuses or blaming God, we must ask, "What are we doing wrong, that God is refusing to honour our prayers for healing?"

Carl Emerson · Aug 26, 2023

Watchman1 said:
But in spite of many prayers for healing, people don't get healed, and they die or remain chronically ill. All sorts of excuses are made concerning God's will or not His will. lack of faith, sin in the person's life etc. But the bottom line is that God refuses to answer the prayers.

Do you mean in every case ???

Or are you referring to the hype that goes on in Megachurches?

Presbyterian Continuist · Aug 26, 2023

Carl Emerson said:
Do you mean in every case ???

Or are you referring to the hype that goes on in Megachurches?

God heals people through His grace, and not from anything we can do to make it happen. He decides whom He decides to heal or not to heal. It is upon the principle of what He said in His word, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will harden whom I will harden." When Job lost everything including his health he said, "The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

It is not critical for a believer in Christ to be healed, and if he or she dies of the medical condition, they go to be with the Lord. Healing is certainly in the atonement, which is not yet complete. It will be complete when we are resurrected in our glorified bodies which will be totally free of disability or disease.

But healing is critical for those who are unconverted, and the bulk of miraculous healing, when it does happen, happens with unconverted people, and the result is that they get converted to Christ, plus their family and friends. This is what happened in the First Century, to show that Jesus Christ was more powerful than the pagan gods that people worshipped, When pagans saw the miracles, healing, and casting out of demons, multitudes turned from their paganism, to Christ.

The mass meetings of self-indulgent "Christians" demanding healing from God never existed in the First Century. The most notable healing through Peter and John was for an unconverted lame man, who got converted pretty quickly afterward and went walking, leaping and praising God, and as a result over 5000 people were added to the Christian church. The majority of healing that came through Paul was to pagans who afterward turned to Christ. Gregory the Wonder Worker cast a demon out of a temple statue to the point where the pagan high priest couldn't fulfill his ministry. When he implored Gregory to allow the demon back into the statue, it was too late, because the pagans saw that Christ was more powerful, and the whole community turned to Christ, and that high priest became the first Christian bishop of the region.

The only ministry of healing in the church is by the elders, whom the sick person calls upon, and it is their prayers that causes the person to be restored to health. Of course, James assumes that it will happen when the church is in the right place with God, which is rare in our day and age, and that is the reason why it doesn't happen very often.

Otherwise, healing is a sign occurrence for the express purpose of showing that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive and has sent the Holy Spirit to represent Him on earth. The comment, "Why haven't I got my healing" shows selfish indulgence, implying that a person has a right to be healed, and that there is an obligation for God to heal him. I think that God's reaction to that would be, "Yeah...right!"

But if a person comes to God with humility, and acknowledges His sovereignty and is willing to remain sick if that is what God's will for him or her at present, and presents his or her request according to Philippians 4:4-6, and receives the peace of God, then that is all he or she needs, because he or she can then be content in whatever state they find themselves in, whether sick or well.

To say that a person is not healed because of a lack of faith is a total lie. This is because there are no direct promises that anyone has to be healed on demand, whether they have faith or not. True faith and trust in God is to respect His sovereignty and to be peaceful and content in whatever state one finds him or herself in, whether sick or well. True faith says, "Even if He slays me, I will trust Him, and one day I, in my flesh, will stand before my Redeemer."

Minister Monardo · Aug 26, 2023

Watchman1 said:
But terminal diseases, cerebral palsy, Parkinsons disease, blindness, deafness, and other conditions not easily treated by medical means, need a miracle of healing. God's Word promises it. But in spite of many prayers for healing, people don't get healed, and they die or remain chronically ill. All sorts of excuses are made concerning God's will or not His will. lack of faith, sin in the person's life etc. But the bottom line is that God refuses to answer the prayers. If God was involved in the prayer, then the person would be healed, immediately, on the spot, and the healing would be plainly observable.

The answer has been clearly stated. Sunday services are not fellowship by NT standards without the proper breaking bread of true fellowship. This is why the early church met house to house, and the modern church must do the same, regardless of what they do on Sunday morning.

1 Co 11:
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner
will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself,
not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord,
that we may not be condemned with the world.*

James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Call on elders FIRST, and there is a good chance you won't need a doctor, unless you are unsure of a diagnosis and want to speak directly to the spirit of infirmity. Can the church ignore the instruction to anoint with oil and expect a healing?
*The Ecclesia must receive correction by the Spirit.

Carl Emerson · Aug 26, 2023

Watchman1 said:
God heals people through His grace, and not from anything we can do to make it happen. He decides whom He decides to heal or not to heal. It is upon the principle of what He said in His word, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will harden whom I will harden." When Job lost everything including his health he said, "The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

It is not critical for a believer in Christ to be healed, and if he or she dies of the medical condition, they go to be with the Lord. Healing is certainly in the atonement, which is not yet complete. It will be complete when we are resurrected in our glorified bodies which will be totally free of disability or disease.

But healing is critical for those who are unconverted, and the bulk of miraculous healing, when it does happen, happens with unconverted people, and the result is that they get converted to Christ, plus their family and friends. This is what happened in the First Century, to show that Jesus Christ was more powerful than the pagan gods that people worshipped, When pagans saw the miracles, healing, and casting out of demons, multitudes turned from their paganism, to Christ.

The mass meetings of self-indulgent "Christians" demanding healing from God never existed in the First Century. The most notable healing through Peter and John was for an unconverted lame man, who got converted pretty quickly afterward and went walking, leaping and praising God, and as a result over 5000 people were added to the Christian church. The majority of healing that came through Paul was to pagans who afterward turned to Christ. Gregory the Wonder Worker cast a demon out of a temple statue to the point where the pagan high priest couldn't fulfill his ministry. When he implored Gregory to allow the demon back into the statue, it was too late, because the pagans saw that Christ was more powerful, and the whole community turned to Christ, and that high priest became the first Christian bishop of the region.

The only ministry of healing in the church is by the elders, whom the sick person calls upon, and it is their prayers that causes the person to be restored to health. Of course, James assumes that it will happen when the church is in the right place with God, which is rare in our day and age, and that is the reason why it doesn't happen very often.

Otherwise, healing is a sign occurrence for the express purpose of showing that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive and has sent the Holy Spirit to represent Him on earth. The comment, "Why haven't I got my healing" shows selfish indulgence, implying that a person has a right to be healed, and that there is an obligation for God to heal him. I think that God's reaction to that would be, "Yeah...right!"

But if a person comes to God with humility, and acknowledges His sovereignty and is willing to remain sick if that is what God's will for him or her at present, and presents his or her request according to Philippians 4:4-6, and receives the peace of God, then that is all he or she needs, because he or she can then be content in whatever state they find themselves in, whether sick or well.

To say that a person is not healed because of a lack of faith is a total lie. This is because there are no direct promises that anyone has to be healed on demand, whether they have faith or not. True faith and trust in God is to respect His sovereignty and to be peaceful and content in whatever state one finds him or herself in, whether sick or well. True faith says, "Even if He slays me, I will trust Him, and one day I, in my flesh, will stand before my Redeemer."

Can you answer my question on one sentence ???

Presbyterian Continuist · Aug 26, 2023

Carl Emerson said:
Can you answer my question on one sentence ???

If you think I could do that, you don't know me as well as you could.
It is too difficult to answer your question with just one sentence, except that the mega church hype will not produce anything from God let alone healing.

There are no easy answers as to why only one or two among the multitudes who receive prayer, are actually healed on the spot. It is not like a vending machine when one presses the correct buttons and out comes a healing. Doesn't work like that.

Carl Emerson · Aug 27, 2023

Four sentences - well done....

While your concerns are very valid, folks could feel they include seeing healing in the 'marketplace' where some of us are seeing such things occurring.

Very few of the beautiful things I have seen have been in a church setting.

Presbyterian Continuist · Aug 27, 2023

Carl Emerson said:
Four sentences - well done....

While your concerns are very valid, folks could feel they include seeing healing in the 'marketplace' where some of us are seeing such things occurring.

Very few of the beautiful things I have seen have been in a church setting.

Philippians 4:5-6 supports prayer for the sick under the provision that we can make our requests known to God. What God promises as the result of making our request is contentment, whether we get what we requested or not.

The problem that people have after prayer for healing and it doesn't happen is that they think there is something wrong with them - that they have sin in their life, or that they don't have enough faith. The truth is that it has nothing to do with them, and it all has to do with the sovereignty of God and His right to bestow healing or not. But what He does promise is peace with passes understanding even though the person remains sick. It is a tragedy that people become confused and upset because of the heretical teaching that healing should be guaranteed on demand, and it is the sick person's fault if they are not healed. Hell will be a very hot place for heretical teachers who teach that lie.

I have come to realise that Healing Technician teaching, that involves if we learn some procedures according to the way Jesus healed people, that one can be trained to guarantee healing as a trained healing technician. The fact is that it doesn't work. These "technicians" can't heal anyone. They can't get beyond the instructional and speechmaking stage. So the instruction: "Do it this way and the sick person will be healed" is a lie, because God is not a vending machine that if we press the right button, healing will emerge from the slot.

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Unclean Spirits, Divine Healing, and Modern Medicine

Minister Monardo

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FireDragon76

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Carl Emerson

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