I am not advocating zen meditation... I am advocating not throwing away all the resources God left us in this world and considering that the bible and meditation in the scripture the only thing we are allowed to do.
I prayed over my knee for years with little change... I got a personal trainer, I asked God to give me success and my knee pain went away in about a month. I can run again.
Prayer alone = almost no change for years, Personal trainer and prayer = complete recovery in about a month.
That Satan is the ruler of this world does not indicate that everything in this world except the bible and prayer is cursed and without goodness.
Paul recommended that Timothy drink some wine for his stomach. Some Christians forbid their children medication and they only pray, and those children die... (that's actually happened) and those Christians should go to prison for murder.
I am not advocating eastern religions, there is no door open or closed... I am not denying devils... I am denying that everything in this world except the bible is evil.
This sort of idea is driven by passion and sometimes fear and prejudice, but it simply isn't true.
That seems to be a response to my post, though this does not at all accurately reflect my viewpoints and is taking what I am saying off into directions I am most definitely not saying.
These sorts of extremes to use as arguments is exactly the same kind of fear and prejudice (in this case against me) which you are arguing against.
I am
not a witchdoctor. We might as well throw that out there.
I am
not one of the really very rare "Christian Scientists" who have been known to let their children die where there is not enough faith but simple medical procedures that could have aided them.
I am
not a "Jehovah's Witness" who would advise people not to get blood transfusion because "it is cannibalism" as they ludicrously believe.
I am
not stating everything in the world is incarnately evil and has no tie whatsoever to the Most High.
I am stating the door to faith has to be left open.
This individual was not stating they were found with cancer or a health problem that required surgery so they were debating whether to get treatment. They were contemplating that maybe they had a
permanent case of depression and might turn to "mindfulness" and zen meditation for the cure.
A placebo could cure them in many instances, as even modern medicine admits. But a placebo would itself require the person has confidence in it. This poster was stating they had no confidence or a strong lack of confidence in zen meditation.
There is such a thing as teaching a man how to fish, as opposed to giving him a fish in these instances.
And there very much is such a thing as either entering into medical aid with faith and keeping the door of possibility open -- or entering into it and closing key doors.
I will simply end pointing out that however people wish to see it the world is suffering from a case of chronic unbelief. That same world we all grew up in and live in. That effects people. Unbelief itself is not something to condemn as if it were not an illness.
It itself is the mother of all illnesses. And we all suffer from it from some degree or another while this world and this age remains.
Doing any manner of action one deeply and truly has confidence in, such as medical procedures (which are constantly bombarded to us with a message of trustworthiness) can help faith that is failing. True faith which opens such doors lays deep in the core of the heart which is hard to reach.
People tend to have a hard time believing something they did not have to work for. If they have to work for it, it is easier for them to believe.
I can guarantee you all of the people healed by Jesus did not just go from sinful state to going, "Oh, this guy has the power to heal me". But, behind their faith which had them healed was much long work by God in their souls.
Work they themselves participated in by believing.
Just as someone who has a hard time walking in traction may have someone else aid them to walk.
