"Why doesn't God heal amputees?"

[JimfromOhio]

While I agree with some but disagree with much... debating someone who is not here is a fruitless endeavor.

[FONT=arial, Helvetica] Amputees really do seem to be getting the short end of Word of Faith's healing doctrine. If God answers prayers as promised in the Bible, and if God is performing all of the medical miracles that we read about in inspirational literature, then God should also be restoring amputated limbs. [/FONT]

We all know that when a part of the body is amputated; there is no way that it can regenerate.

Healing was used to verify and establish the fact that the Messiah had come to Israel. Healing was not used to alleviate suffering, but to present the Messiah. Jesus performed acts of healing to focus attention on Himself as the God-Man, the Messiah, and the God of Israel.

 

[~RENEE~]

Wow.. all that yelling. I am not that deaf.

Only two of those words are yelling. the rest is a slightly different tone to get your attention.

 

[Faulty]

I've seen an amputee healed and the arm grow from the stub. Witnessing such a thing really takes this stuff out of the realm of the hypothetical.

 

[Jpark]

I have seen people lose their arms and legs from sharks and alligators on I Was Bitten and When Animals Strike.

 

[Jpark]

Now concerning the question,

Jesus says it is more profitable for one of your members to perish than for your whole being to be cast into hell. This shows that Jesus knows about amputation.

Matthew 5:29-30 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and castit from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Paul says to use your members for God. This means worship God in our whole being, physical and spiritual.

Romans 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
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Luke 22:51 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched His ear and HEALED him.

Jeremiah 32:27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of ALL flesh. Is there ANYTHING too hard for Me?

God can heal amputees.
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You know , I think the only reason why He doesn't heal a person is either because it is a healing mystery that we do not know... (2 Kings 13:14-21 ;2 Timothy 4:20) or because His grace is sufficient for us and through Christ we are made strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10; Philippians 4:13)

 

[JimB]

I've seen an amputee healed and the arm grow from the stub. Witnessing such a thing really takes this stuff out of the realm of the hypothetical.

I believe you. But it would be helpful if you could cite a reference. Something like this would have to have been reported somewhere.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

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[Faulty]

I believe you. But it would be helpful if you could cite a reference. Something like this would have to have been reported somewhere.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

I was 13 years old as it happened nearly 25 years ago. I really wasn't thinking about that at the time, but yes, documentation would be nice.

Most don't believe me and it really don't matter. I was there, I saw it. If others believe it or not make no difference in the matter.

 

[Jpark]

I believe you. But it would be helpful if you could cite a reference. Something like this would have to have been reported somewhere.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

Only God can heal amputees.

We have received the spiritual gifts of healing and it is God who supplies us with the gift of the Spirit and the spiritual gifts of the Spirit, but the gifts of heaing relates to sickness and disease and disorders.

Definition for amputate:

cut off part of body: to cut off a limb or other appendage of the body, especially in a surgical operation
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On the other hand, Jesus demonstrated authority over death, sickness, demons, and nature. (Matthew 81-9:34)

And He gave us the authority to perform these miracles. (Matthew 16:19; Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:19)

 

[JimB]

I was 13 years old as it happened nearly 25 years ago. I really wasn't thinking about that at the time, but yes, documentation would be nice.

Most don't believe me and it really don't matter. I was there, I saw it. If others believe it or not make no difference in the matter.

Well, okay, I believe you, but if anyone can document an amputee being healed and especially if their limb restored, it would be helpful and could be used to stop the mouths of such critics.

A sign or wonder for an unbeliever is of little value if it can’t be documented.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

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[Yekcidmij]

And just simply believe God for everything.

That doesn't even make sense.

 

[JimB]

And just simply believe God for everything.

That doesn't even make sense.

It might have been better stated to have said, “Trust God in (i.e., through) everything.” That would put God and not our wants as the focus of our faith.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

 

[~RENEE~]

God is my focus in all things.

 

[JimB]

God is my focus in all things.

But can you lay down your personal wants and desires and completely surrender yourself, your will, desires and all, into the hands of God no matter how He chooses to work things out in your life?

Actually, this is a rhetorical question because I know how we would all answer it. But it is worthy of deeper consideration, IMO.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

 

[mom 2 one]

Really? Then remove all doubt from your heart. And just simply believe God for everything. No matter what your eyes see just believe him.

Yes have faith in God for everything.

 

[Silentnight]

All boils down to faith, there were times that Jesus could not do greater miracles, when the faith of the people wanting healing was not there, they had doubt, and that is the one word that prevents healing, Doubt. In countries other than the U.S., cripples are walking from being healed in only listening to the gospel, anyone who is ill. It is not impossible for God, only hindered by each person's personal belief. God does not help those who help themselves, he is much more likely to help those who cannot help themselves. For instance, the cripple who had no one to toss him in the pool when the angel stirred the water, and Jesus said "Do you wish to be healed?", "Arise, take up your bed and walk". Don't limit God because of the year we are living in, just trust in God and humble yourself before him, don't seek help from anyone other than God, remember he is jealous, and if he is the only one you will recieve aid from, he will aid you.

 

[Yekcidmij]

All boils down to faith, there were times that Jesus could not do greater miracles, when the faith of the people wanting healing was not there, they had doubt, and that is the one word that prevents healing, Doubt.

Does it say that He could not do miracles because of doubt (and by "doubt" I assume you mean "lack of belief")? Or does it say that he he did not do miracles because of lack of faith?

 

[Faulty]

Well, okay, I believe you, but if anyone can document an amputee being healed and especially if their limb restored, it would be helpful and could be used to stop the mouths of such critics.

A sign or wonder for an unbeliever is of little value if it can’t be documented.

I understand that. Maybe it was documented in the paper back then, I don't know. If it had it would have shown up in the South Bend Tribune but I checked their website to see if I could find anything and their archives only go back to 1991.

 

[Silentnight]

Ahh, found it, last verse in Matthew ch. 13, said And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

I suppose you're right, however, still the basis for not being healed remains, unbelief. you read all in Matthew Ch. 13 about how faith affects power.

 

[Silentnight]

I understand that. Maybe it was documented in the paper back then, I don't know. If it had it would have shown up in the South Bend Tribune but I checked their website to see if I could find anything and their archives only go back to 1991.

Would not matter to unbelievers, Satan's Deceit runs rampant within them, and they would just "Theorize" something new to disprove you, even when you have the same scripture to disprove them.

 

[Yekcidmij]

Ahh, found it, last verse in Matthew ch. 13, said And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

I suppose you're right, however, still the basis for not being healed remains, unbelief. you read all in Matthew Ch. 13 about how faith affects power.

I believe it is a mistake to equate "faith" (pistos) to mere belief. I think faith is best understood as "faithfulness" or "loyalty" or "trustworthiness". It wasn't that Jesus didn't do miracles because of lack of an amount of belief it was because of lack of loyalty to Him. This reverses the emphasis because in the interpretation I'm trying to give, it's not something within the people that is hindering Jesus' ability to do miracles (ie. not enough belief), it's that Jesus did not want to do miracles because they would not give Him their loyalty. This also means that it is not always God's will to do miracles, but it doesn't mean that if you are loyal to Jesus you get a healing or a miracle anytime you so desire.

This also solves the question on how much belief is enough to get Jesus to heal you or do a miracle. It's not an amount of belief that mattered in Matthew 13. Jesus didn't do mircales on the basis of some quantity of belief. Jesus didn't do miracles because they wouldn't be loyal to Him. It's about quality not quantity. No amount of correct beliefs would have helped them; only loyalty to Jesus would have helped them.

The people in Nazareth probably believed in the God of Israel just like all good Jews did. They probably even believed the God of Israel was perfectly capable of doing miracles as He had done many times in the past.

See, Renee understands the relationship between us and God in some strange sense. In Renee's world God does what Renee wants when Renee breaches a certain quantity of belief. When Renee has enough belief God does what Renee is believing really hard for. Jiminy Cricket best sums up her view of our relationship between us and God:

"When you believe upon God
it makes no difference who you are
anything your hearts
desire will come to you.

When your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you believe upon God
As dreamers do.

Like a bolt out of the blue
God steps in and sees you through
When you believe upon God
Your dreams come true"


As you may be able to see, I substitued "God" for "star" and "Fate" and I substituted "believe" for "wish". Just "believe God for everything". In Renee's view, God seems the equivalent of Santa Claus. You just sit on His lap and tell Him what you want.

In think it's much better to see God as a Patron, King, Master, Shepherd, or Father and see us as clients, subjects, servants, sheep, or sons. Here, the view on the relationship between us and God is very different.