Author: kreynolds+
Posted Jul 16 2012 06:41:33am
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When I was a young girl, my mother made a statement to my pediatrician while I was seeing him which I have never, ever forgotten. She mentioned that she believed in divine healing. He looked at her and said, "If someone breaks their arm, I can set it but only God can heal it." He recognized that God has given us amazing bodies with the ability to fight disease and repair itself and he recognized that ability to do so comes from God. Also, you can give two people with identical conditions the identical medication and yet have very different outcomes.
As you know, I've had the experience of having my immune system brought to it's knees when I was being treated for cancer. It is not a pretty sight but I walked away from that experience having a very deep appreciation for the the amazing bodies God created.
I truly appreciate the knowledge and skill God has given to mankind to play a role in the care and healing of those who get sick or injured. Most people seem to forget that the vast majority of drugs are taken from plant-life or are synthetic versions of such drugs. Does it ever occur to us that God may have made these plants with "healing properties" for a reason?
I know there are Christians who believe that my going through cancer treatment demonstrated a lack of faith in God and I shouldn't have done so. It is easy to say what someone should do or not do when the outcome doesn't affect you! In my case God made it very clear to me that I was to go through treatment and here I am nearly five years later. God may tell someone else to take a different course of action. Perhaps, rather than criticizing people for the decisions they make we would do better to support and pray for one another. Hmm... now there's a thought! 
Blessings!
K  |
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Author: greybear
Posted Jul 16 2012 07:01:14am
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K,
I am reminded of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years. Did Christ not declare that it was her faith that healed her. He did, but why then was she only healed on that day? The power went out of Him...I believe that it was at that point God decided to fulfill the healing her faith already knew was possible. Her faith had not been what was lacking, it was just not in the plan until that given day...He is a great God and He can heal all things, but He has a plan and not all will be healed within that plan. It is a hard truth, but it is His plan and we must know that He still loves us through all things. Loved the comment K.
Blessings,
PapaBear |
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Author: kreynolds+
Posted Jul 16 2012 07:40:25am
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I really loved your comment, GB. You know, you are the first to ever mention to me the possibility that this woman who came to Christ on that day had been a woman who had faith in God all along. As soon as I read your comment though, I believe it to be true. Otherwise she would not have dared to do what she did... for she was unclean. That's also a little detail of the story people often ignore. The bleeding made her unclean.
Amen! If God does not answer prayers exactly the way we desire them according to our timeline, will we cease following Him? Is that what our "faith" in God is based upon?
Blessings!
K |
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Author: greybear
Posted Jul 16 2012 06:53:45am
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We live in a fallen world that now is flooded with disease, emotion, and destruction that never was intended. Yet in His own time He, our Creator, grants his children grace through the discoveries that can heal the physical and the Holy Spirit to heal the spiritual. By2, what I love about the blog is that at no time are you claiming that your restoration came by the spirit of the man but through the mind and hands of man. Man can discover healing through medicine because God has designed His creation to respond to it. God has given us life to live it fully and to truly find joy in it. Take what God has given, every 4 hrs with food or milk, and lift your hands and heart to praise him for the day. Super blog By2 and thanks for sharing so personally. We, the church, do not do this often enough.
YBIC,
PapaBear |
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Author: Billy Beard+
Posted Jul 16 2012 02:58:55pm
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Always moderation, just like everything else. The stiffness from arthritis finally got so bad and frequent I have to take ibuprofen everyday, The negative is that all the medicines have side-effects and will over time have some kind of reaction, somewhere.
I have seen people ask before-hand for the strong medicine, whether a tooth or surgery. Before they even know how bad the pain would be. I got a relative that has to have a stock of Lortabs, and will use different doctors and even the internet to get them.
My mom had to take medicine for high blood-pressure, and it would tend to over time cause side-effects like low potassium, bad headaches, stomach pain, etc, and they would have to adjust or change the medication.
Finally and most important, the woman with an issue of blood for twelve years was mentioned. Mark and Lukes gospels tell us that she had spent much on physicians, all that she had, and was no better for it, but rather grew worse. It should be noted that neither Jesus, nor the disciples, made that an issue of warning or condemnation, in regards to her faith. Many within christendom sure would today.
Enjoyed the blog and the comments. God Bless. |
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Author: justicefin
Posted Jul 16 2012 08:18:22pm
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I think you still can be healed to a certain degree, but much of Christianity is wrong in this notion of seeking medical help. All or most (saving for the disease that God gives to show His glory like the blind man in John) disease or sickness is of the devil. We are just too prideful to accept that we have unclean spirits inside our bodies that cause the sickness or disease.
Proof: The disiples walked with Jesus daily so in the account of John they ask if it was that man's sin or ancesterial sin that caused the blindness. So we have to conclude that sin, normally, causes sickness because we allow the devil to work in our lives by breaking the Law of God.
Deuteronomy 28:60
Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
God's protection for obedience to the Law:
Deuteronomy 7:15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
Healing verses:
Psalm 103:3
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Luke 9:1
Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
See that disease is tied to having a devil? |
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Author: kreynolds+
Posted Jul 16 2012 08:58:18pm
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So are you suggesting that Job had a devil? Wow!
I suggest that you be careful in that assumption and remember what God said about Job's friends when they tried to blame his misfortune, including illness, on unconfessed sins Job had committed.
God Himself said this about Job:
so I would think very carefully before making a statement that disease is tied to having a devil!
I would also suggest that you remember that God was so angry at Job's friends for suggesting such a thing that He would not even accept a sacrifice from them. Job had to do it on their behalf! (see Job 42:7-9)
You wrote:
Have you even bothered to read what Jesus' response was to that statement? Here it is:
Jesus clearly states that this condition was not the result of sin therefore since your statement and Jesus' statement clearly contradict each other, one statement is false. |
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Author: justicefin
Posted Jul 17 2012 06:14:54pm
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Job may have had a devil, for how was he covered with boils? Which was an affliction by the devil. But I do agree it wasn't Job's sin that caused his affliction.
I was using the example of the blind man because the disciples had knowledge of sin, devils, and healings at that point because they were first commanded to preach repentance, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out devils .
I do believe most disease and sickness is from the devil. I didn't mean all. But even Jesus says the scripture cannot be broken and God said he would send the tormentors and plagues if His people continually disobey him. Or our ancestors disobey Him and we are punished for their disobedience, but aside from Job, God's admonishments remainn fixed in heaven.
I wasn't accusing you of sinning, but that the wrong knowledge of sin, sickness, and unclean spirits engulfs much of christianity today. |
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Author: kreynolds+
Posted Jul 17 2012 09:07:39pm
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I will respond to that first statement by quoting from the Word of God.
So how on earth can you possibly suggest that Job may have had a devil? You are either suggesting that a man who is perfect, upright, fears God and shuns evil can also be demon-possessed, for that is what "having a devil" means, or you are saying this verse is false.
I agree whole-heartedly with that. This is a good example that the enemy will attempt, with God's permission, to afflict a child of God. May we respond by setting our eyes on God and clinging to Him... no matter what!
You failed to give scripture references but I am assuming you are referring to scriptures in the Old Testament which primarily were given to the Nation of Israel as a whole rather than individuals.
Really? Aside from Job, I already cited one example where Jesus clearly said the man's disability was not due to sin. Another example is Hezekiah. Did God send disease to punish him? Apparently not because in response to Hezekiah's prayer, God extends his life by 15 years (2 Kings 20:1-6).
Then there is King Asa. He is declared to also be perfect in the sight of the Lord (1 Kings 15:14) but still in his old age, he suffered from foot disease (1 Kings 15:23). Then we have Paul with his thorn in the flesh which most scholars believe to be an illness or disability and of course, Timothy. Paul speaks of Timothy having frequent stomach trouble. Paul also mentions a couple of other faithful friends who were ill.
Of course, we also do have examples of individuals being punished because sin. Some of the people who come to mind are people like Nebuchadnezzar or King Herod. Of course, they weren't exactly godly individuals were they?
Due to the way Jesus admonished the disciples for assuming that the blind man was born blind due to either his sin or the sins of his ancestors, I think we need to be extremely careful before assuming this to be the case with others. Unless the Holy Spirit clearly reveals this to someone, perhaps it would just be best for us to pray for our brothers and sisters who are facing illness or adversity rather than criticize and condemn them.
@blessings2you+ ,
I would like to apologize to you for my lengthy responses as this is not my blog. I'm afraid I may have taken it a bit off topic which was should a Christian take medication.
I think you said it well when you wrote:
I guess that's what it comes down to. We need to individually seek God in every situation we face. When we do that with our whole heart, we can be confident that He will direct us as to what course of action (if any) we should take.
Blessings!
K |
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Author: justicefin
Posted Jul 19 2012 04:58:46pm
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Actually you proved my point of not always seeking physicians because Asa was looked at poorly for not seeking God, but seeking physicians. Who is our great Healer?
2 Chronicles 16:10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians |
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Author: kreynolds+
Posted Jul 19 2012 07:31:41pm
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Please go back and look at it 2 Chronicles 16:9.
The disease was not a result of Asa's sin. It clearly states that as a result of Asa's sin, he would continuously be at war.
There is no indication that his affliction was due to sin. That is an assumption and you cannot make assumptions when it comes to the Word of God.
Whether or not a person seeks a physician is between them and God. The way things worked out for me to get the oncologist I did as well as the particular neuroradiologist I got when I needed one is nothing short of a miracle. The point you seemed to be making however was that having an illness was a result of having a devil.
You wrote:
Perhaps you did not mean to sound like that for sometimes things do not come out quite the way we intend them to come out. However, you should know that I am not the only person here at CB who interpreted it that way. There are others here who did as well.
If that was not your intent, I apologize for I need to remember that in cyberspace, things do not always quite sound the way we intended them to sound. This is why we must be extra careful and proof-read things before publishing blogs and comments. |
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Author: Marsha Tyler Ronquist+
Posted Jul 17 2012 09:45:33am
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I did enjoy your personally story here but I am going to add just a bit of my own experience. Having rheumatoid arthritis I have had lots of experience with medications sense 1979. I witnessed many people that were taking 4 or 5 different medication for their RA. When a side effect would happen, their doctor would add something that would counteract that effect. I made it clear to my doctor I was not going to do that. I am willing to take medication as prescribed, but not blindly.
In 2005, I developed a very bad case of a nasty virus called Shingles. The doctor said it was the worst he had ever seen. First, the pain medication made me feel worse not better, leaving me light headed and dizzy most of the time. I could not concentrate on anything. Than I fell and broke my arm. The side effect of the shingles can be nerve damage, the nerves that feel pain. I went from cold and wet to hat and dry. The doctor wanted to add a medication used for controlling epileptic seizures. I felt very uneasy about this medication and decided not to take it but rather learn to live with the extreme feelings of cold/wet and hot/dry. I also asked him to change that pain medication to a milder one. That did not completely remove the pain, but at least it was to a level that allowed me to think.
When I was talking with the orthopedic doctor that set my arm, he asked what medications I was on. I told him and also told him about the anti-seizure medication that I decided not to take. He said he though it might have been the best decision as people taking that medication have a much slower healing process for broken bones, as long as I could deal with the hot/cold and wet/burning feelings.
We need to be informed as patients. I always use caution with medications as some doctors do seem to over medicate.
Let me end by saying the nerve damage was not permanent. I had trouble for several months but it finally stopped. Now I have only an occasional discomfort, usually when I am tired or stressed.
Everything in moderation as BillyB said above.
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Author: Marsha Tyler Ronquist+
Posted Jul 18 2012 04:46:10am
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That is what I was trying to say in my comment above this. It is not a lack of faith to take medicine. It is not a lack of trust to not take everything offered. I did not make my decision lightly but with prayer, thought and research.
KraftyKatz
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Author: christianjeff
Posted Jul 18 2012 10:54:24pm
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Hi,
Really enjoyed reading your view about medication. I also suffered with depression, and pain due to some severe injuries I sustained while working. My view of taking medications is this. I believe that God places doctors on this earth to be his angels of healing. Therefore if you follow the direction and treatment, you are doing so with God's approval. I could not function without my daily medication. I also believe that God can heal us of any ailment or disease. He saved my wife just a few months ago. Medication is just another tool that doctors use to make our lives better, and as long as you follow your prescription therapy and do not abuse those medicines, then I think that God would certainly give his approval. |
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Author: dpinnell5+
Posted Jul 21 2012 08:44:41am
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Our family owns a Pharmacy, but i don't take medicine much. I enjoyed this blog. I have struggled with my son taking medication. He was diagnosed with depression. I thought he just needed JESUS and didn't follow through with the meds, and long story short, he started to medicate him self with street drugs. The past two years have been a nightmare. I have realized that some people do need medication and the medicine does help him. Thanks for sharing. |
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