Faith Healers
Posted by James MacDonald on February 2, 2007 09:54 PM | Comments (7)Man, have you seen all the stuff on YouTube about faith healing and divine healers? Those videos do a lot to expose the circus of faith healing for what it is. It's so very sad to see the way people are being duped and taken advantage of. The videos are very compelling evidence that faith healing is a farce that leaves sincere people heartbroken and disillusioned. I'm still trying to figure out why my prayer hankie won't work unless I send the guy $25???
It's easy to be angry with the phonies themselves because they know they are cranking people into a frenzy. Don't they? Or are some of them sincerely deluded too? I doubt it; they know they don't have medical records to back up most of their claims, but they probably rationalize that they are doing 'no harm.' I could not disagree more. The sad reality is that people who discover that the faith healer was a faith faker, don't seem so much to be turned off on the man as upon God Himself, as though He has let them down. Turning people off about God--that is a lot to answer for. "Better to have a millstone hung around your neck and be thrown into the depths of the see, than to offend one of Jesus' little ones." That's what our Lord says. Ouch!
It's hard though not to be angry at the people themselves. I understand how desperation can lead people to turn from the truth, but any reading of healing in the N.T. indicates, that 1) not all were healed 2) some sickness was caused by sin James 5:14-16 3) some sickness was to remind us of our weakness 2 Cor 12:9 4) the apostolic gift of healing was not permanent Eph 2:20 etc. I am preaching on Acts 9:32-42 this weekend at church.
It's easy to see why some ministers shy away from the subject of healing entirely. Yes God heals, according to His own will, in answer to prayers of faith, and in His own time. I want to keep trusting Him for that in my ministry and offer an alternative to the circus of faith healing. I've got to stay away from those YouTube videos of phony faith healers. They really make me angry.
Comments
Posted by: Matthew Westerholm | February 13, 2007 06:24 PM
You hit the ball out of the park this wknd, preacher.
>
westy.
Posted by: Sonya | February 14, 2007 09:20 AM
I agree about the fakes but I know that you know that God still heals and I wanted to testify of my own healing because you encourage me so much, I wanted to return the favor.
I struggled with fibromyalgia for 2 years and was getting rapidly worse. I was on 3 meds for sleep and others during the day and had just gotten a prescription for pain pills that I was taking 2 to 3 times a day.
A lady came to our church and spoke on healing and faith and "holding onto the promises of God" and not letting go. I am happy to say that God met me in that place that day and healed me then. He also answered all my unspoken questions about lingering symptoms that could have knocked my off track, like what if I need pain pills now and then? He said, take them WHEN you need them. I have and the incidences of needed them have been few and far between.
I was to a place where the fatigue was so bad I was barely making it through work, let alone any activities after whether at home or away from home. I would go home and get on the sofa or in the bed right away.
Praise God, I am now able to go to the store, out to dinner, go home and fix dinner and be with my family. Do I get tired sometimes? Yes. I rest when I need to and trust in my God. God also told me to keep the lessons from this time of stuggle, which was to take care of me and that it was not necessary to be on the go 24/7. Rest is Holy and rest I do!!!
I love you in the Lord,
Sonya
Posted by: Sheila | February 15, 2007 01:49 PM
Thanks for the sermon on healing and the fake faith healers. At one point in my life, I'm sad to say, those fake healers and false doctrinal teachings were a hindrance to me in my walk with the Lord. It was a very confusing and difficult time in my life when I realized that so much of what I had been taught coming up in the church was false doctrine. Praise God!! I found my way back to Him. This is such an important subject to people in the body. Thank you for your courage in speaking out and claiming the truth so boldly.
Posted by: Cynthia (Gracie) | February 16, 2007 11:40 PM
I was in church when you preached this sermon and I can tell you that I couldnt help but think that this sermon was hugely significant.
I have known people who where so entangled in the "faith movement" who because of it were able to tell a woman dying of cancer that it was her fault and that there must be a reason for it as if it were her punishment. This woman died devasted and alone, betrayed by even her very own husband.
The damage of this theology is unmeasureable. I want to pass it out to every single person who is confused about healing being apart of the atonement.
Thank you!
Posted by: Jonathan | February 20, 2007 02:54 AM
Pastor James,
First of all let me say that you're one of my favorite preachers and a man I greatly respect.
I was confused about your statement that said the apostolic gift of healing was not permenant. You said Ephesians 2:20 backs that up, but I looked it up and it says "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (NIV)
That doesn't seem to say anything about the gift of healing, so I'm not sure how we can take that to mean that the gift of healing ended with the apostles.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending faith healers one bit. I'm just asking you to clarify how Eph 2:20 backs up your point on that.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Posted by: frank | February 20, 2007 05:04 PM
"Yes God heals, according to His own will, in answer to prayers of faith, and in His own time."
I have a little bit of cancer and anemia. I don't know if God will heal me. All I know is (1) We live in a fallen world, (2) in many ways this has been God's gift to me, and (3) I am indestructible until the will of God is fulfilled in my life. Hallelujah.
Posted by: Mikki Kornegay | March 8, 2008 09:45 AM
You are one of my fav preachers of all time!
On Healing: There are isolated incidents in my life from a child as my Dad prayed for the tumor on my wrist and sent me to bed. In the morning it was gone! There are other times where God has healed me, and each time He was teaching me to trust Him. To believe in His Word No I haven't been healed everytime I've prayed but I'm in His hands. He loves me so according to my faith in Him I'll never limit Him to a period or an age in time. He Is God