preachalways!
Discussions about Healing index
About opponents of divine healing

Awesome Christian Sites

Click Here for God's Counter

 


Plenty of people out there will fight vigorously for your right to stay sick. Who are these people, and why do they do it?

In general, you will find that opponents of healing love God just as much as you do. They are just as consecrated to God as you are. They want the will of God to be done just as much as you do. They are as zealous for truth as you are, and they honestly believe that they are doing God service by attacking the teaching of divine healing. They think that they are saving you from some hideous, harmful doctrine that will hurt you and others, possibly leading you to an early grave. They think that by lowering your expectations concerning healing, they are saving you disappointment in the future when you (supposedly!) find out that it doesn't really work.


Those who have lost loved ones and friends to illnesses may have an ego stake in believing that nothing could have been done. Unfortunately, they set the stage for others to die prematurely and perpetuate the cycle by embracing unscriptural ideas about God's sovereignty and will in the matter. They don't mean to do this. If these people really knew the truth about divine healing, they surely would be proclaiming it themselves. Hardly anyone would knowingly be used by the devil to promote his works on the earth.

Unfortunately, some opponents of healing make baseless accusations against those of us who believe in it, and accuse us of saying things we have never even heard anyone say. This is the basic "build a straw man and knock it down yourself" approach. The kind of church they describe I would never want to attend either! After describing a nonexistent "church from hell," they go to ranting and raving. The more reputable authors don't do these things, but the more sensational books seem to sell more copies. Here is the sort of thing I mean:



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEWARE OF DISGUSTING WORD OF FAITH CHURCHES by Horendo Brilchild


Pity the poor sick person who attends a "faith church." First, he will be told that his sickness is due to some sin in his life. Then he will be told to deny that the sickness, or the "symptoms" even exist, and that they are lies of Satan. Then he will be made to feel personally guilty about anyone he knows who has died of an illness. He will be told, "You just didn't have enough faith!" He will be made to feel responsible for his own sickness. He will be told that Jesus took his sicknesses, so therefore there is something wrong with him if he can't believe that and be healed. He will hear dozens of Scriptures quoted out of context without any balance, all based on personal visions of revelations of a Word of Faith Prophet. He will be told to put such a Prophet's words before Scripture itself, which is the basis for all cults.


Now, besides being sick, the man now carries a burden of guilt and self-condemnation for "being in the devil's unbelief." If anything, this will make him sicker. He loses the joy of his salvation and subscribes to a gospel of works based on his ability to "believe and receive." Eventually, he becomes so disappointed that he leaves the church and mostly gives up on his walk with God. He thought he could trust God, but to him God is now unreliable because he did not keep an artificial and man-made promise of universal healing. He ends up on the scrap heap, spiritually bankrupt, and all because of an ear-scratching but unscriptural doctrine.

Can you see, dear reader, why we must oppose this disgusting, Christ-insulting message of "divine healing" for all? It wreaks havoc in the church, and is "another gospel" from the one delivered to the saints. Why do these churches preach it? Because they are big moneymaking operations, and the "faith preachers" would stand to lose big if the truth were known. They don't care about the sheep; they just want to promote their private prophets and profits at the expense of the torn lives they leave behind.


Church, we must speak up against this damaging doctrine of devils, this hedonistic heresy, which is being promoted by spiritual con men around the world. These scam artists are destroying the very lives of their victims, twisting Scripture to line their own greedy pockets. Let us boldly contend for the faith as it was once delivered and expose these apostles of apostasy for what they are.

["Ad hominem" attacks against selected prominent faith preachers follow here.]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


If you've ever read some of the popular anti-healing books, you will probably agree that this fictitious article is no exaggeration. Mr. Brilchild has probably never set foot in a "faith church" but thinks he knows all about their practices. Thus, he misrepresents the real doctrines taught by reputable ministers. His heart may be right toward God, but his approach is unscholarly.

No one in his right mind would want to attend the church that Mr. Brilchild described in his article. If such a church exists, I haven't been there. Real healing preachers will not tell you to deny your sickness, and they present the message as good news, not a guilt trip. They realize that sickness is a result of sin in the earth, and you are not necessarily morally responsible for your illness. (Of course, some illnesses are a direct result of sin, but we don't need to belabor that.) Contrary to what Mr. Brilchild says, people can and do get healed as a direct result of hearing the Word concerning healing. Of course, we all hate the idea of Scripture being taken out of context, so this article's accusations should stir up your righteous indignation against it. It is easy to line up people behind you with such a generality, but notice that this article does not even attempt to refute any of the arguments for divine healing on a Scriptural basis! As far as taking some man's word or vision over the Bible, you have to be stupid to do that. Any reputable healing minister preaches healing from the Bible and does not ask you to believe anything because he had some vision or visitation. The gospel of healing is clear enough from Scripture that there is no need to reinforce it with unusual personal experiences!


The author imputes false motives where none exist. Face it, any author would lose financially if his teachings started to be considered false. This is a simple fact and does not prove that the author just wrote it for the money. There may be some pro-healing authors well as anti-healing authors who are in it for the money, but I don't believe most of them are. How could you prove such an accusation, anyway?

While it is annoying to see healing ministers' motives ridiculed and their characters assassinated, bear in mind that it is not fair to do the same to those who object to healing. You cannot assume that an anti-healing preacher loves tradition more than God do, is not really right with God, or never listens to the Holy Spirit. You should never speak of an anti-healing preacher in those terms. He may live a more morally pure life before God than you do! Some outspoken opponents of healing have powerful ministries along unrelated lines and are genuinely, obviously anointed by God. They just got into an area other than the one they are called to minister in, and they lack insight in this area. That does not make them bad Christians.


If most anti-healing preachers would take the time to study everything the Bible says about healing and sickness, and not just Job's trial, Timothy's stomach and Trophimus who was left at Miletum sick, I am convinced that many of them would change their minds. Others, being bound by traditions such as "Paul's thorn was sickness," will never see it because they will believe the tradition more than the Word. Please understand that they never consciously decided to believe tradition instead of the Word of God. Do you know anyone who would knowingly choose an unsupported tradition over Scripture? I don't.

Some of these preachers would truly rejoice with you if you got healed. They are in favor of healing in that sense. They would love to see as many people healed as possible. Unfortunately, they stand against the very doctrine that you must believe to be assured of receiving healing, that is, that Jesus Christ bore your sicknesses in your place.


Finally, if people want to contend for the right to stay sick, let them stay sick and find someone who is open to divine healing. You can waste a lot of time arguing with people whose minds are already made up, and your time and theirs would be better spent actually furthering the gospel on the earth. Arguing about divine healing, as opposed to preaching it, can become just another trap and diversion of the enemy to stop real progress.

| | | | | | |