Post by Cindy on Jul 11, 2016 11:29:56 GMT -5
I'm so tired of the people who want so desperately to believe that God heals everyone all the time. The only way that's true is that everyone who is saved will be totally healed when they get to Heaven. I've heard them say that Jesus healed "everyone", but that too is false.
How about Lazarus? Lazarus was not only sick, he died. Yes, Jesus raised him from the dead, but first Lazarus had to experience a sickness that led to his death. How about this one: “Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.” (John 5:3–5) Let's see some more: “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”” (John 5:6–7) By this we can easily see that there were many ill and disabled people at this area, all of them wanting to get well. So did Jesus in fact, "heal them all?" No! In the next verse, John 5:8, we see that Jesus only healed this one man. Only ONE out of all that were sick and disabled got healed at that time. Not all of them!
In Luke 13:1–5 we're told of a large number of men who had died at two separate times in Jerusalem, none of which were healed by Jesus. The people were asking Him if those men were worse sinners then other men thinking that's why they'd died, and Jesus told them that wasn't true.
Luke 16:19 begins the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar who was sick. Scholars believe this is not a parable, but instead a true story of two individuals that most in the area were very aware of. The Rich man's name was Dives. I'm not going to argue this point, but believe there is more then enough evidence to show that this is indeed a true story of men that our Lord was aware of and knew that the Pharisees would be as well. What's notable about this is that although the beggar, another Lazarus, was quite ill, Jesus did not heal him, and he too died.
Then we have what Jesus Himself says here: “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”” (Luke 4:25–27)
God is the same today, as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow. God does not change. God did not heal everyone in the Old Testament times, and He did not heal everyone during His first advent.
Speaking of the people in His hometown as He was in the above scriptures, we're also told in Mark: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” (Mark 6:5) So He only healed a few of the sick there and not "all" of them!
Let's take a look at Paul too as He too healed many people. But he also did not heal everyone: “But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.” (Philippians 2:25–27) Paul healed those that God told him to heal, but did not heal those who he was not told to heal. Therefore he could not heal this man who he loved a great deal! Instead, the disease ran it's full course and he eventually recovered, because that was God's Will for that man at that time. Here's another friend that Paul did not heal: “Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.” (2 Timothy 4:20) And then there's the man that Paul loved like a son, Timothy: “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” (1 Timothy 5:23) By this we know that Timothy also was not healed by Paul or anyone else, again showing that God does not heal everyone all the time. Because these people were all godly men, and like hero's of the faith, we can also be quite sure that it was not "lack of faith" that prevented them from being healed.
Here is one of the many times that Paul was beaten to within an inch of his life: “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:22–24) God intervened and caused the jail doors to be thrown open and their chains to fall off, but He did NOT HEAL them! We know they were not healed because we're told: “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.” (Acts 16:33) Here's a report of another time he was stoned: “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” (Acts 14:19)
I've heard people say that Paul wasn't ever sick, and I have to wonder which Bible they're reading, because it sure doesn't sound like anything I've ever read about Paul. Just look at what all he went through, remembering that Jesus told him that He would have to go through a lot: “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” (2 Corinthians 11:23–27) “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;” (2 Corinthians 6:4–5)
You don't get up and feel fine after being beaten, whipped or stoned in the ways that Paul had done to him, many times. The fact that Paul could even walk at all by then is simply amazing, and that he was willing to continue to go and teach about Jesus is amazing as well. We can be quite sure that man lived with pain every day. We can also be quite sure that the Lord enabled Him to do all that he continued to do for the Lord until his death. We can also know however that the Lord did not heal Paul from those beatings, etc. other than keeping him alive anyway. We can know that because we know Paul, and we know that Paul would have been telling everyone about it if the Lord had miraculously healed him after any of those beatings. There was nothing Paul loved more than to tell others about how great God was and show off the many miracles the Lord had done for him and others.
God uses sickness, pain, and suffering for many reasons, most of all to bring glory to His Name. See: 25 Reasons Why Christians Suffer. That is not saying that there are only 25 reasons for suffering, but instead simply showing 25 of the many reasons that we may suffer. Jesus never, ever promised an easy life for those who were saved and followed Him. Instead, He told us quite the opposite. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.” (Acts 14:22)
How about Lazarus? Lazarus was not only sick, he died. Yes, Jesus raised him from the dead, but first Lazarus had to experience a sickness that led to his death. How about this one: “Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.” (John 5:3–5) Let's see some more: “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”” (John 5:6–7) By this we can easily see that there were many ill and disabled people at this area, all of them wanting to get well. So did Jesus in fact, "heal them all?" No! In the next verse, John 5:8, we see that Jesus only healed this one man. Only ONE out of all that were sick and disabled got healed at that time. Not all of them!
In Luke 13:1–5 we're told of a large number of men who had died at two separate times in Jerusalem, none of which were healed by Jesus. The people were asking Him if those men were worse sinners then other men thinking that's why they'd died, and Jesus told them that wasn't true.
Luke 16:19 begins the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar who was sick. Scholars believe this is not a parable, but instead a true story of two individuals that most in the area were very aware of. The Rich man's name was Dives. I'm not going to argue this point, but believe there is more then enough evidence to show that this is indeed a true story of men that our Lord was aware of and knew that the Pharisees would be as well. What's notable about this is that although the beggar, another Lazarus, was quite ill, Jesus did not heal him, and he too died.
Then we have what Jesus Himself says here: “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”” (Luke 4:25–27)
God is the same today, as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow. God does not change. God did not heal everyone in the Old Testament times, and He did not heal everyone during His first advent.
Speaking of the people in His hometown as He was in the above scriptures, we're also told in Mark: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” (Mark 6:5) So He only healed a few of the sick there and not "all" of them!
Let's take a look at Paul too as He too healed many people. But he also did not heal everyone: “But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.” (Philippians 2:25–27) Paul healed those that God told him to heal, but did not heal those who he was not told to heal. Therefore he could not heal this man who he loved a great deal! Instead, the disease ran it's full course and he eventually recovered, because that was God's Will for that man at that time. Here's another friend that Paul did not heal: “Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.” (2 Timothy 4:20) And then there's the man that Paul loved like a son, Timothy: “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” (1 Timothy 5:23) By this we know that Timothy also was not healed by Paul or anyone else, again showing that God does not heal everyone all the time. Because these people were all godly men, and like hero's of the faith, we can also be quite sure that it was not "lack of faith" that prevented them from being healed.
Here is one of the many times that Paul was beaten to within an inch of his life: “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:22–24) God intervened and caused the jail doors to be thrown open and their chains to fall off, but He did NOT HEAL them! We know they were not healed because we're told: “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.” (Acts 16:33) Here's a report of another time he was stoned: “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” (Acts 14:19)
I've heard people say that Paul wasn't ever sick, and I have to wonder which Bible they're reading, because it sure doesn't sound like anything I've ever read about Paul. Just look at what all he went through, remembering that Jesus told him that He would have to go through a lot: “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” (2 Corinthians 11:23–27) “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;” (2 Corinthians 6:4–5)
You don't get up and feel fine after being beaten, whipped or stoned in the ways that Paul had done to him, many times. The fact that Paul could even walk at all by then is simply amazing, and that he was willing to continue to go and teach about Jesus is amazing as well. We can be quite sure that man lived with pain every day. We can also be quite sure that the Lord enabled Him to do all that he continued to do for the Lord until his death. We can also know however that the Lord did not heal Paul from those beatings, etc. other than keeping him alive anyway. We can know that because we know Paul, and we know that Paul would have been telling everyone about it if the Lord had miraculously healed him after any of those beatings. There was nothing Paul loved more than to tell others about how great God was and show off the many miracles the Lord had done for him and others.
God uses sickness, pain, and suffering for many reasons, most of all to bring glory to His Name. See: 25 Reasons Why Christians Suffer. That is not saying that there are only 25 reasons for suffering, but instead simply showing 25 of the many reasons that we may suffer. Jesus never, ever promised an easy life for those who were saved and followed Him. Instead, He told us quite the opposite. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.” (Acts 14:22)
!!
