Why Christians Fail to Receive Physical Healing

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lesjude

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Arnie Manitoba said:
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here is a case where i agree miraculous healings and transformations can take place .... a lot of that happened in remote africa a few years ago too ... often these are missionaries among savages or people who cannot even read .... and god proves himself to them to bring salvation.

why is it we hear of these claims of the miraculous in the mountains but never any videos or anything. .... if i was there i would bring my cameras .... then if i came across a detractor or sceptic i would bring out the popcorn and turn on the movie for them.

in the meantime all we hear is somebody knows sombody who had a relative who saw a miracle in a far away land some time ago.

Is the Lord camera shy .... or is it the popcorn He doesn't like .... ?
I suggest you do as the Bible says and take your camera with you. It never occured to us to get "proof". We knew, Jesus knew, the people that received knew. Jesus was never interested in publicity and we are not either. It is much easier to remain nameless and faceless which is the way we like it. Some we have prayed for had never met us before nor have we seen them since. We are not looking for a "following" or a big ministry. I am on this forum to tell people what is available to them. You are quite typical of the response. Very, very sad.
 

Rex

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been reading your threads, and I must say you have the genie in a bottle
never a hard time, plenty of healings, money, no sickness, your whole family coming to Christ. Your in paradise.

Sounds to me like your Christian life has been easy street, problem is I don't see that played out or taught in the NT, not by the worlds standard anyway, or Jesus never promised us a rose garden by following him on this earth to my recollection. In fact He taught and warned of the inverse.
But the name it and claim it ministry is doing well, very well, even by the worlds standard's.

I'm skeptical
 

lesjude

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Rex said:
been reading your threads, and I must say you have the genie in a bottle
never a hard time, plenty of healings, money, no sickness, your whole family coming to Christ. Your in paradise.

Sounds to me like your Christian life has been easy street, problem is I don't see that played out or taught in the NT, not by the worlds standard anyway, or Jesus never promised us a rose garden by following him on this earth to my recollection. In fact He taught and warned of the inverse.
But the name it and claim it ministry is doing well, very well, even by the worlds standard's.

I'm skeptical
I understand. We have had serious persecution for our Christian walk including seveal atempts to fire me but God prevented it, as well as trials of our faith for finances. He only prospers after the training in Bible giving which includes giving up all affection for possessions, and learning to trust Him alone to provide material needs. We have not borrowed money for anything in 35 years. My income went from a lot to a little in a job change He directed with frequent "lay offs" and no unemployment insurance. Jesus provided every need for our famiily of 7 children not telling anyone but Jesus of our needs. God does not prosper anyone to live a life style of the "rich and famous" as many ministers do. I suspect it is a different source.
We have had severe life or death trials with one child stillborn who God raised from the dead. One physical trial with my wife continued on and off for 7 years. It was no fun in our flesh at all. I could go on but you get the idea. Right now we are battling for the healing of a family member in a life or death trail. We are winning and things are improved but seeing improvement has NOTHING to do with whether they are healed or not. It is faith and praise toward God for what He has provded BEFORE we see anything and spiritual warfare against the devil all directed by the Holy Spirit. I have prayed for myself and others and actually got worse however healing came. It is all part of Holy Spirit training in Bible faith.
 

KingJ

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Lesjude said:
What was unclear about what I said previously? I have given scripture for all my "opinions" and have lived them for 35 years which is NORMAL Christianity. I am sure I do "disturb" because if how we live is normal Christianity, and it is, what others live is not. When I got saved I changed. When I was pointed to a truth in the word I did not scoff and resist but set my heart to seek God to make it a reality in my life. He did and will continue to. How about you?

Did the devil give scripture to Jesus? Did he completely construe it?

Lesjude, you will offend every sane Christian and lead astray many young ones with your childish / satanic belief. The devil wanted Jesus to tempt God. We don't expect to hear a fellow saint speak to us like the devil. As long as you lack the ability to discern what is tempting God I cannot trust any of your interpretation of scripture. This is Christianity 101 that my kid will learn in sunday school. What is your agenda?

What is sad is that not everyone here reading your posts grasps that you are causing / promoting us to tempt God. JuSt LiKe ThE dEviL.
 

Arnie Manitoba

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lesjude said:
I suggest you do as the Bible says and take your camera with you. It never occured to us to get "proof". We knew, Jesus knew, the people that received knew. Jesus was never interested in publicity and we are not either. It is much easier to remain nameless and faceless which is the way we like it. Some we have prayed for had never met us before nor have we seen them since. We are not looking for a "following" or a big ministry. I am on this forum to tell people what is available to them. You are quite typical of the response. Very, very sad.
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Dont be sad or feel rejected because of me ..... i find it puzzling that on one hand you say you are not looking for publicity .... yet you are here in public telling the rest of us we are missing something if we are not seeing miraculous healings on a regular basis.

I would be the happiest christian on earth to know that you were involved with healing by prayer ... I am not against that whatsoever.

What I am against is when christians profess to have a healing anointing .... yet we never get see evidence of it ..... and when questioned they always make some vague claim about somebodie's sister's freind who knew somebody who was healed in a land far away.

I also beleive that miracles can and do happen in modern day and that is wonderful ...... but I also know a lot of christians who have been made to feel like failures because they could not perform miracles like the apostles did.

To me it is clear that the 12 apostles were given a special mandate and anointing that is not automaticaly transmitted to us.

We are not the 12 apostles ..... rather we are the recipients and the results of the teaching of the apostles.

We are also not "Christ-like" .... Christ is the Shepherd .... and we are the sheep..... there is a difference.

Christ may indeed have miracles performed thru some of us today , but it is by his choosing and seemingly random ... it is not anything we sheep can command whenever we want.

As christians we certainly have the Holy Spirit in us which should be manifesting as love , joy , peace, patience, kindness and so forth .... but if we cannot perform the miraculous on demand we should not see it as a failure.

It appears you felt we were missing something if we did not perform like one of the 12 apostles.

At least it read that way to me .

I could be wrong.

Best wishes.
 

KingJ

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Rex you are not wrong. There were times when I felt I was being too harsh on my friends who believed as Lesjude does. In hindsight I think I was too easy on them. The message of Jesus heals everyone and if you are not healed you have not got enough faith or don't know certain scripture. We must get them to pray rather then us as they have more faith and God will hear their prayers over ours when we are both children is PURE satanism! imho. It is the clearest sign to me of satan inside Christianity.

God answers all His childrens prayers. The nervous and dumb most likely first! But in His will! not ours. which may or may not be healing. His grace is supposed to be sufficient for us.

What loving child holds their father at gun point?
 

7angels

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KingJ said:
Rex you are not wrong. There were times when I felt I was being too harsh on my friends who believed as Lesjude does. In hindsight I think I was too easy on them. The message of Jesus heals everyone and if you are not healed you have not got enough faith or don't know certain scripture. We must get them to pray rather then us as they have more faith and God will hear their prayers over ours when we are both children is PURE satanism! imho. It is the clearest sign to me of satan inside Christianity.

God answers all His childrens prayers. The nervous and dumb most likely first! But in His will! not ours. which may or may not be healing. His grace is supposed to be sufficient for us.

What loving child holds their father at gun point?
I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT YOUR LAST SENTENCE AND ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. what father holds their child at gunpoint? eph 5:21-33 tells the wives to submit to their husbands as the church is to submit to Christ. now it is said that not everyone is meant to be healed by God or that God gave us this infirmity to teach us something or God allows bad things to happen to us. when you think about the above statements it sounds good but when it is thought out it makes the statement ludicrous. if God allows us be in car accidents for example to teach us things then i am justified according to the word to do the same thing to my wife. i could push her in front of a car and say i hope you learned your lesson. it sounds stupid when the same circumstance is applied to us. another example is if a child came to school with a broken arm in a sling and when the kid is asked what happened the kid happily replies that my father loved me so much he broke my arm. then the next day the same kid comes to school with the other arm in a sling and happily tells everyone that his father loves him so much that he broke his other arm too. if the next day the kid comes to school with a broken leg and the kid says the same thing everyone is going to start thinking that i don't want to be loved by that kid's father. so why is it we accuse God of doing the same thing? even if God only did it once to it still would give the husbands permission to correct their wives one time so all the husbands need to do is wait for that one perfect opportunity and boom. it still sounds ridiculous even if God only allowed it once.


Arnie Manitoba said:
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Dont be sad or feel rejected because of me ..... i find it puzzling that on one hand you say you are not looking for publicity .... yet you are here in public telling the rest of us we are missing something if we are not seeing miraculous healings on a regular basis.

I would be the happiest christian on earth to know that you were involved with healing by prayer ... I am not against that whatsoever.

What I am against is when christians profess to have a healing anointing .... yet we never get see evidence of it ..... and when questioned they always make some vague claim about somebodie's sister's freind who knew somebody who was healed in a land far away.

I also beleive that miracles can and do happen in modern day and that is wonderful ...... but I also know a lot of christians who have been made to feel like failures because they could not perform miracles like the apostles did.

To me it is clear that the 12 apostles were given a special mandate and anointing that is not automaticaly transmitted to us.

We are not the 12 apostles ..... rather we are the recipients and the results of the teaching of the apostles.

We are also not "Christ-like" .... Christ is the Shepherd .... and we are the sheep..... there is a difference.

Christ may indeed have miracles performed thru some of us today , but it is by his choosing and seemingly random ... it is not anything we sheep can command whenever we want.

As christians we certainly have the Holy Spirit in us which should be manifesting as love , joy , peace, patience, kindness and so forth .... but if we cannot perform the miraculous on demand we should not see it as a failure.

It appears you felt we were missing something if we did not perform like one of the 12 apostles.

At least it read that way to me .

I could be wrong.

Best wishes.
you say that you would love to be a person that can heal. but that healing is not for today. but according to scripture it says all believer will heal the sick. so if it is not happening then there is something amiss between you and God. i have never seen yet where it was God who was at fault. no offense intended but if the bible promises are all true and yet there are promises not being received tells me that something is wrong with my relationship between myself and God. that is when i pray to God to find out where i have missed him.

God bless
 

Arnie Manitoba

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7 angels
you say that you would love to be a person that can heal. but that healing is not for today. but according to scripture it says all believer will heal the sick. so if it is not happening then there is something amiss between you and God. i have never seen yet where it was God who was at fault. no offense intended but if the bible promises are all true and yet there are promises not being received tells me that something is wrong with my relationship between myself and God. that is when i pray to God to find out where i have missed him.
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7angels
you make my point exactly .... you tell me something is amiss between me and god if i cannot heal the sick.
can you heal the sick ?
prove it
otherwise you too are amiss
 

lesjude

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KingJ said:
Did the devil give scripture to Jesus? Did he completely construe it?

Lesjude, you will offend every sane Christian and lead astray many young ones with your childish / satanic belief. The devil wanted Jesus to tempt God. We don't expect to hear a fellow saint speak to us like the devil. As long as you lack the ability to discern what is tempting God I cannot trust any of your interpretation of scripture. This is Christianity 101 that my kid will learn in sunday school. What is your agenda?

What is sad is that not everyone here reading your posts grasps that you are causing / promoting us to tempt God. JuSt LiKe ThE dEviL.
Please read the OP again. It is a serious charge you make. It is never tempting God to ask Him in faith for what He promises in the meaning of the word save. Please look it up in a Bible dictionary like Vine's Dictionary of Bible Words and you will see it includes physical healing. It also gives all the places in the NT it is used to mean that including James 5:14-15.

My agenda is to have Jesus receive everything He purchased in a terrible death on the cross which clearly includes the fact His people can trust Him alone and glorify Him by receiving by grace through faith divine healing. How about yours?

It is a little rude but a family friend that has seen many miracles, healings, and been raised from the dead twice himself has a saying; "I am not out of my mind just out of yours". I suggest Romans 12:1-2
He has been to Africa several times and ministered in remote Muslim villages with Heide Baker. They have see whole villages saved as a result of the miracles done by Jesus there.
 

justaname

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lesjude said:
The Bible clearly gives the reasons and that healing is promised.

Demon possession/oppression can be a cause of sickness. Jesus cast out many demons and the result was healing. See also 2 Corinthians 7:1 for Christians needing deliverance.

Sin is how sickness came into the world so it follows that if a believer sins and refuses all correction from God then He can chasten with sickness. Repentance brings healing.
The healing of the sickness, not the sickness, is for the glory of God. John 9:1-3

Christians can be ill and stay ill from ignorance of the healing Jesus provided in the atonement.

Everyone gets the measure of faith from God but it is the believers responsibility to grow and exercise that faith (Romans 10:17 and Jude 20). If that responsibility is not met healing can be elusive. God can allow it to send that message of our responsibility if all else fails.

I am uncertain if this assumption above is correct. We are His workmanship. What you speak of is not faith if it is something we muster on our own, you speak of determination. One may plant the seed (of faith), another may water, but it is God who gives the increase.

They can stay ill because they do not know what Bible faith is Hebrews 11, or how to put it to work James 2:18-26, Mark 11:24, 1 John 5:14-15 to receive healing. No one gets ANYTHING from God unless they exercise Bible faith praying according to His revealed will not "if it be thy will"
If what you are asking for is not in accordance with His will it will not happen. We are here for His purposes not our own. It is only by the Holy Spirt that anything we pray for can be answered for we do not even know what to pray for. Romans 8:26
lesjude said:
Sickness can simply be a trial to defeat the devil, glorify God, and refine the believer's faithfulness and character (see James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7) which is why there is often a period of time between asking and receiving by faith and the manifestation of the healing (Mark 11:24).
Christians get sick and stay sick for abusing their bodies. Praying over ones food is VERY important for obvious reasons. It keeps us safe from all the "stuff" in it.
Disobedience, unforgiveness, the negative things we say about ourselves, wanting to be sick to use it for control, sympathy, a hobby, ect.; involvement in the occult by Christians i.e. horoscope, ouija board, "white" witchcraft, fortunetelling, magic practices, water witching (water divining), Eastern religion like yoga all can and do result in getting sick and staying sick.
There is a culture or climate of unbelief that is in the churches which hinders those who want to trust Jesus for healing by faith from doing so and hinders the work of healing miracles by the Holy Spirit.
I do believe Jesus answers prayers for healing still to this day!
 
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KingJ

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7angels said:
I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT YOUR LAST SENTENCE AND ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. what father holds their child at gunpoint? eph 5:21-33 tells the wives to submit to their husbands as the church is to submit to Christ. now it is said that not everyone is meant to be healed by God or that God gave us this infirmity to teach us something or God allows bad things to happen to us. when you think about the above statements it sounds good but when it is thought out it makes the statement ludicrous. if God allows us be in car accidents for example to teach us things then i am justified according to the word to do the same thing to my wife. i could push her in front of a car and say i hope you learned your lesson. it sounds stupid when the same circumstance is applied to us. another example is if a child came to school with a broken arm in a sling and when the kid is asked what happened the kid happily replies that my father loved me so much he broke my arm. then the next day the same kid comes to school with the other arm in a sling and happily tells everyone that his father loves him so much that he broke his other arm too. if the next day the kid comes to school with a broken leg and the kid says the same thing everyone is going to start thinking that i don't want to be loved by that kid's father. so why is it we accuse God of doing the same thing? even if God only did it once to it still would give the husbands permission to correct their wives one time so all the husbands need to do is wait for that one perfect opportunity and boom. it still sounds ridiculous even if God only allowed it once.


you say that you would love to be a person that can heal. but that healing is not for today. but according to scripture it says all believer will heal the sick. so if it is not happening then there is something amiss between you and God. i have never seen yet where it was God who was at fault. no offense intended but if the bible promises are all true and yet there are promises not being received tells me that something is wrong with my relationship between myself and God. that is when i pray to God to find out where i have missed him.

God bless
No offence but you lack a serious understanding of Christianity. ''what Father holds their children at gunpoint?''...... :rolleyes:. We are here on earth to serve God, to submit to God, to be tried and tested by God in whatever manner He deems fit!!! NOT vice versa!!!! This silly teaching by you all can ONLY be expected and applied in HEAVEN!!!!!! Is that really so difficult to grasp???????! Unless we submit 100% to God and His will for our lives we are simply not walking as we ought to! Sounds more like we are living for OURSELVES. Anyone who twists God's arm on any matter needs to judge their heart!!!!

A Christian WALKS IN HEALING AND ALL PROVISION, they have all their needs met! Which means that IF something should happen and they are not healed it IS God's will. Unless we are in unrepentant sin or not a Christian. There are a MILLION sicknesses the devil would love to put on me, but God protects me everyday from them!! It is A MIRACLE that you and I are not blind! It is a miracle that you and I are not handicapped etc etc. If I were to go blind I would say it is a MIRACLE that I am not in a wheel chair...........

Like I said this is Christianity 101. It is rather embarrassing for ALL of us that there are still mature Christians that cannot grasp this. I do not blame the world for laughing at us on this.

I have prayed for a number of people. I have seen healing but I have also not. In my own life, my son had a serious condition. We prayed, He was not ''miraculously healed'' but God did help us with good doctors and finances. If we were to ignore God's provision we would be TEMPTING HIM!!!!

If you are drowning in the ocean and pray for a boat. Will you ignore the 'unimpressive' log that God sends? If you are mountain climbing and slip. I pass you my parachute. You reject and tell me that 'It is written that God will send His angels to catch me'' and you fall.You claim that scripture for God is bound to scripture...but yet you will die because you did NOT grasp scripture on tempting God.

I am sorry if I get to upset on this subject, it is a very personal one for me because of my son. I am better off leaving this thread. God bless and praying for you and Lesjude! I do love the both of you!
 

7angels

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Arnie Manitoba said:
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7angels
you make my point exactly .... you tell me something is amiss between me and god if i cannot heal the sick.
can you heal the sick ?
prove it
otherwise you too are amiss
how would you like what is said to to proven to you? are you ill, sick or what? what kind of confirmation would you like?


KingJ said:
No offence but you lack a serious understanding of Christianity. ''what Father holds their children at gunpoint?''...... :rolleyes:. We are here on earth to serve God, to submit to God, to be tried and tested by God in whatever manner He deems fit!!! NOT vice versa!!!! This silly teaching by you all can ONLY be expected and applied in HEAVEN!!!!!! Is that really so difficult to grasp???????! Unless we submit 100% to God and His will for our lives we are simply not walking as we ought to! Sounds more like we are living for OURSELVES. Anyone who twists God's arm on any matter needs to judge their heart!!!!

A Christian WALKS IN HEALING AND ALL PROVISION, they have all their needs met! Which means that IF something should happen and they are not healed it IS God's will. Unless we are in unrepentant sin or not a Christian. There are a MILLION sicknesses the devil would love to put on me, but God protects me everyday from them!! It is A MIRACLE that you and I are not blind! It is a miracle that you and I are not handicapped etc etc. If I were to go blind I would say it is a MIRACLE that I am not in a wheel chair...........

Like I said this is Christianity 101. It is rather embarrassing for ALL of us that there are still mature Christians that cannot grasp this. I do not blame the world for laughing at us on this.

I have prayed for a number of people. I have seen healing but I have also not. In my own life, my son had a serious condition. We prayed, He was not ''miraculously healed'' but God did help us with good doctors and finances. If we were to ignore God's provision we would be TEMPTING HIM!!!!

If you are drowning in the ocean and pray for a boat. Will you ignore the 'unimpressive' log that God sends? If you are mountain climbing and slip. I pass you my parachute. You reject and tell me that 'It is written that God will send His angels to catch me'' and you fall.You claim that scripture for God is bound to scripture...but yet you will die because you did NOT grasp scripture on tempting God.

I am sorry if I get to upset on this subject, it is a very personal one for me because of my son. I am better off leaving this thread. God bless and praying for you and Lesjude! I do love the both of you!
i like your conviction and if we can just get you to see the truth i know the change that will take part in your life.

you say
We are here on earth to serve God, to submit to God, to be tried and tested by God in whatever manner He deems fit!!!

i agree with you 100%

you say
This silly teaching by you all can ONLY be expected and applied in HEAVEN!!!!!

why would we need a teaching on healing in heaven when there is no sickness, disease, and ect in heaven? the healing teaching can only be of use for us while we are on the earth.

you say
A Christian WALKS IN HEALING AND ALL PROVISION, they have all their needs met! Which means that IF something should happen and they are not healed it IS God's will.

the word teaches that God is good and only gives good and perfect gifts. if being sick or hit with a car or killed then why don't we all rejoice and thank God for the cancer, or for putting us in a wheelchair for life or even for killing a loved one? it sounds ridiculous that we would rejoice over something like that but that is what you are saying.

you say
There are a MILLION sicknesses the devil would love to put on me, but God protects me everyday from them!! It is A MIRACLE that you and I are not blind! It is a miracle that you and I are not handicapped etc etc. If I were to go blind I would say it is a MIRACLE that I am not in a wheel chair...........

this is what i am trying to get across to you. these are good things and being blind, in a wheelchair, and sick are bad things and the word teaches us that God only gives us good things.

you say
I have prayed for a number of people. I have seen healing but I have also not. In my own life, my son had a serious condition. We prayed, He was not ''miraculously healed'' but God did help us with good doctors and finances. If we were to ignore God's provision we would be TEMPTING HIM!!!!

God will deal with us in where we are in Christ. some people are able to do and see more of God then others. why is that do you think? are they better then anyone else? could it because of their trust and relationship with God?

you say
If you are drowning in the ocean and pray for a boat. Will you ignore the 'unimpressive' log that God sends? If you are mountain climbing and slip. I pass you my parachute. You reject and tell me that 'It is written that God will send His angels to catch me'' and you fall.You claim that scripture for God is bound to scripture...but yet you will die because you did NOT grasp scripture on tempting God.

first we need to ask ourselves can we hear God clearly? God is always talking to us but most times we are so caught up in the world that we can't hear God. i have found to my amazement that the more time i spend with God the better i am able to hear him. i have seen God warn of us things that we have ignored and thus we paid the price and other times we have paid attention to what God said and have avoided many serious dangers. but in answer to your question if God sent me a log then it was there for a reason and to ignore it is foolishness. as to your parachute example if it was an accident that you slipped and you believe what scripture teaches then yes what is written there will protect you. knowing scripture and believing scripture are 2 totally different things. i believe in healing but walking off the roof of my house to walk on air is not yet within my possibility of belief.

you say
I am sorry if I get to upset on this subject, it is a very personal one for me because of my son. I am better off leaving this thread. God bless and praying for you and Lesjude! I do love the both of you!

i am sorry too if i got you angry but this issue is very dear to my heart. i have been searching for this truth on healing for a long time now and within the last couple of years is when i have been coming to the realization that healing is for today. the hardest part i have found was getting out of my head the traditions of what people have always told me and what the word of God says about it. just because you don't believe like i do won't keep you from heaven but it will keep you from what God has provided for us. every promise of God comes with a condition and if we don't fulfill the condition we will never receive the promise.

God bless
 

justaname

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2 cor 12:7-10
Job 2:10

God only gives good gifts no matter how we interpret them. Faith is not the same as determination. I think you may want to re-read my first post.
 

Comm.Arnold

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Lack of forgiveness definitely I have felt this in an amazing way lately. About ten years ago I was a pretty gifted athlete one year during a playoff run which I always took extremely seriously some unfair play fell upon me. Another weaker player was put in place of me even though I had us on a winning streak and he did a poorer job than I was doing. I wont get into the specifics but I had never really let this go. A couple weeks ago I had felt that he was in pain maybe even ashamed for this event. I thought this is ridiculous I'm almost thirty this happened at 17 I gotta let this go, almost instantly this pain and weakness that I had feeling in the back of my legs went right out of my body it was wonderful. Anyways I went scouring for people who I had yet to forgive and have really been trying to let this go have been feeling in better spirits and physically stronger since praise Jesus.
 

JB_Reformed Baptist

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lesjude said:
Exactly. Jesus knew God's will perfectly on this issue. Jesus was wrestling in the flesh with the agony of going to the cross, not a positive promise for healing or deliverance as God clearly gives. The only promise Jesus had was He was going and that was not easy for His flesh to take.
The death of the self life is the similar experience for disciples and that is also quite painful in the execution and acceptance.
No one is required to die as Jesus did. Yes, while a believer is going through a trial of sickness or persecution God will strengthen him, but healing/deliverance will come as God promises IF the conditions are met. Please give scripture for anything else.
I do not think I mentioned the sin of unforgiveness as a blockage. It is a one way ticket to hell and God does not ever hear the person's prayers.
Actually the healing of Job was the removal of Satan's attack. Job was personally refined by God because there were a couple of issues that needed to be dealt with in his life. Job's friends demonstrated a religious tenor to their lives but had not the knowledge of his deep counsel. They were in-fact guilty of false accusation coupled with the sin of presumption.

So two things were addressed specifically to Job. 1. The Sovereignty of God in his life 2. His residual self-righteousness.

keep in mind this is a man that God himself said: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Job 1:1

Notice he was not found to be practising sin. Nor did he lack faith.

I've been going through a massive trial for the last two years and this scripture about Job was what God the Holy spirit directed me to. In the case of Job and now myself in was corrective and not retributive or anything else for that matter.

You read to much into the scripture. Rather the Holy Spirit and the scripture directing your thoughts and enlightening your understanding.







Rach said:
Preach it...!
For your encouragement and whoever else might benefit. :)

Comfort for Christians by Arthur Pink
Divine Chastisement​
"Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,
nor faint when thou are rebuked of him"

Hebrews 12:5

It is of first importance that we learn to draw a sharp distinction between Divine punishment and Divine chastisement: important for maintaining the honour and glory of God, and for the peace of mind of the Christian. The distinction is very simple, yet is it often lost sight of. God’s people can never by any possibility be punished for their sins, for God has already punished them at the Cross. The Lord Jesus, our Blessed Substitute, suffered the full penalty of all our guilt, hence it is written "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Neither the justice nor the love of God will permit Him to again exact payment of what Christ discharged to the full. The difference between punishment and chastisement lies not in the nature of the sufferings of the afflicted: it is most important to bear this in mind. There is a threefold distinction between the two. First, the character in which God acts. In the former God acts as Judge, in the latter as Father. Sentence of punishment is the act of a judge, a penal sentence passed on those charged with guilt. Punishment can never fall upon the child of God in this judicial sense because his guilt was all transferred to Christ: "Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24)

But while the believer’s sins cannot be punished, while the Christian cannot be condemned (Rom. 8:3), yet he may be chastised. The Christian occupies an entirely different position from the non-Christian: he is a member of the Family of God. The relationship which now exists between him and God is that of parent and child; and as a son he must be disciplined for wrongdoing. Folly is bound up in the hearts of all God’s children, and the rod is necessary to rebuke, to subdue, to humble.

The second distinction between Divine punishment and Divine chastisement lies in the recipients of each. The objects of the former are His enemies. The subjects of the latter are His children. As the Judge of all the earth, God will yet take vengeance on all His foes. As the Father of His family, God maintains discipline over all His children. The one is judicial, the other parental.
A third distinction is seen in The design of each: the one is retributive, the other remedial. The one flows from His anger, the other from His love. Divine punishment is never sent for the good of sinners, but for the honoring of God’s law and the vindicating of His government. But Divine chastisement is sent for the well-being of His children: "We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Heb. 12:9-10).

The above distinction should at once rebuke the thoughts which are so generally entertained among Christians. When the believer is smarting under the rod let him not say, God is now punishing me for my sins. That can never be. That is most dishonoring to the blood of Christ. God is correcting thee in love, not smiting in wrath. Nor should the Christian regard the chastening of the Lord as a sort of necessary evil to which he must bow as submissively as possible. No, it proceeds from God’s goodness and faithfulness, and is one of the greatest blessings for which we have to thank Him. Chastisement evidences our Divine son-ship: the father of a family does not concern himself with those on the outside: but those within he guides and disciplines to make them conform to his will. Chastisement is designed for our good, to promote our highest interests. Look beyond the rod to the All-wise hand that wields it!

The Hebrew Christians to whom this Epistle was first addressed were passing through a great fight of afflictions, and miserably were they conducting themselves. They were the little remnant out of the Jewish nation who had believed on their Messiah during the days of His public ministry, plus those Jews who had been converted under the preaching of the apostles. It is highly probable that they had expected the Messianic Kingdom would at once be set up on earth and that they would be allotted the chief places of honour in it. But the Millennium had not begun, and their own lot became increasingly bitter. They were not only hated by the Gentiles, but ostracized by their unbelieving brethren, and it became a hard matter for them to make even a bare living. Providence held a frowning face. Many who had made a profession of Christianity had gone back to Judaism and were prospering temporally. As the afflictions of the believing Jews increased, they too were sorely tempted to turn their back upon the new Faith. Had they been wrong in embracing Christianity? Was high Heaven displeased because they had identified themselves with Jesus of Nazareth? Did not their suffering go to show that God no longer regarded them with favour?

Now it is most instructive and blessed to see how the Apostle met the unbelieving reasoning of their hearts. He appealed to their own Scriptures! He reminded them of an exhortation Found in Proverbs 3:11-12, and applied it to their case. Notice, first, the words we place in italics: "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you." This shows that the exhortations of the Old Testament were not restricted to those who lived under the old covenant: they apply with equal force and directness to those of us living under the new covenant. Let us not forget that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable" (2 Tim. 3:16) The Old Testament equally as much as the New Testament was written for our learning and admonition. Second, mark the tense of the verb in our opening text: "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh." The Apostle quoted a sentence of the Word written one thousand years previously, yet he does not say "which hath spoken," but "which speaketh." The same principle is illustrated in that sevenfold "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith (not "said") unto the churches" of Rev. 2 and 3. The Holy Scriptures are a living Word in which God is speaking today!
Consider now the words "Ye have forgotten." It was not that these Hebrew Christians were unacquainted with Proverbs 3:11 and 12, but they had let them slip. They had forgotten the Fatherhood of God and their relation of Him as His dear children. In consequence they misinterpreted both the manner and design of God’s present dealings with them, they viewed His dispensation not in the light of His Love, but regarded them as signs of His displeasure or as proofs of His forgetfulness. Consequently, instead of cheerful submission, there was despondency and despair. Here is a most important lesson for us: we must interpret the mysterious providences of God not by reason or observation, but by the Word. How often we "forget" the exhortation which speaketh unto us as unto children: "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him."

"Unhappily there is no word in the English language which is capable of doing justice to the Greek term here. "Paideia" which is rendered "chastening" is only another form of "paidion" which signifies "young children," being the tender word that was employed by the Saviour in John 21:5 and Hebrews 2:13. One can see at a glance the direct connection which exists between the words "disciple" and "discipline": equally close in the Greek is the relation between "children" and "chastening." Son-training would be better. It has reference to God’s education, nurture and discipline of His children. It is the Father’s wise and loving correction.

Much chastisement comes by the rod in the hand of the Father correcting His erring child. But it is a serious mistake to confine our thoughts to this one aspect of the subject. Chastisement is by no means always the scourging of His refractive sons. Some of the saintliest of God’s people, some of the most obedient of His children, have been and are the greatest sufferers. Oftentimes God’s chastenings instead of being retributive are corrective. They are sent to empty us of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness: they are given to discover to us hidden transgressions, and to teach us the plague of our own hearts. Or again, chastisements are sent to strengthen our faith, to raise us to higher levels of experience, to bring us into a condition of usefulness. Still again, Divine chastisement is sent as a preventative, to keep under pride, to save us from being unduly elated over success in God’s service. Let us consider, briefly, four entirely different examples.

David. In his case the rod was laid upon him for grievous sins, for open wickedness. His fall was occasioned by self-confidence and self-righteousness. If the reader will diligently compare the two Songs of David recorded in 2 Samuel 22 and 23, the one written near the beginning of his life, the other near the end, he will be struck by the great difference of spirit manifested by the writer in each. Read 2 Samuel 22:22-25 and you will not be surprised that God suffered him to have such a fall. Then turn to chapter 23, and mark the blessed change. At the beginning of v. 5 there is a heart-broken confession of failure. In verses 10-12 there is a God-glorifying confession, attributing victory unto the Lord. The severe scourging of David was not in vain.

Job. Probably he tasted of every kind of suffering which falls to man’s lot: family bereavements, loss of property, grievous bodily afflictions came fast, one on top of another. But God’s end in it all was that Job should benefit therefrom and be a greater partaker of His holiness. There was not a little of self-satisfaction and self-righteousness in Job at the beginning. But at the end, when He was brought face to face with the thrice Holy One, he "abhorred himself" (42:6). In David’s case the chastisement was retributive, in Job’s corrective.

Abraham. In him we see an illustration of an entirely different aspect of chastening. Most of the trials to which he was subjected were neither because of open sins nor for the correction of inward faults. Rather were they sent for the development of spiritual graces. Abraham was sorely tried in various ways, but it was in order that faith might be strengthened and that patience might have its perfect work in him. Abraham was weaned from the things of this world, that he might enjoy closer fellowship with Jehovah and become the "friend" of God.
Paul. "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure (2 Cor. 12:7). This "thorn" was sent not because of failure and sin, but as a preventative against pride. Note the "lest" both at the beginning and end of the verse. The result of this "thorn" was that the beloved apostle was made more conscious of his weakness. Thus, chastisement has for one of its main objects the breaking down of self-sufficiency, the bringing us to the end of our selves.

Now in view of these widely different aspects chastenings (retributive, corrective, educative, and preventative), how incompetent are we to diagnose, and how great is the folly of pronouncing a judgment concerning others! Let us not conclude when we see a fellow-Christian under the rod of God that he is necessarily being taken to task for his sins. In our next meditation we shall consider the spirit in which Divine chastisements are to be received