Word of Faith - a Look at what the Bible says!

[joaniemarie]

God can use anything evil to bring about His goodness and love to us. He doesn't break our arms or make us sick to show His goodness to us. We would throw parents in jail for that kind of behavior to their children.

Where do we get that sense of morality from? From God of course. The heart and mind of man is not designed to trust in a being that would inflict harm in order to show his good to them afterward. It's diabolic.

Thank God that no matter what comes at us in life - that it can't touch who we are in Christ and all that He is to us. I wish you well my brother. It is God's will for you to be well.

God is not seeing our lives the way "we" see our lives. God sees our lives in the proper light of the complete truth. We can't see all that He sees., so when we go through stuff in life that to US is overwhelming..., like say a car wreck., God has not changed nor is His heart racing or His body hurting the way ours is.

Our minds are on overdrive at this point (no pun intended) and while we are being driven to the hospital we are totally engulfed in our thoughts about this situation. God is not. He is calm., loving., benevolent., graceful as usual.

He can take that car wreck and make something good come from it. He didn't cause it but He can calmly make it beautiful even. On our side of the situation., we've been taught something all together different in our fevered pitch way of seeing tragedy. We are human and very self aware. It takes us a life time to see life the way God does.

 

[joaniemarie]

I chose to drive my truck that day and made a split second decision that saved my life but still was slammed by a suv. I know God can heal and in fact he has healed and helped me in so many ways but i know in this fallen world God works in different ways and I still have pain. This pain has made me humble, made me more considerate of others, my reliance on God. Obviously God has a reason to keep me this way.

There is no answer anyone can give you on this side of heaven except personally found by you in personal relation to Jesus. I know that is true for me too. No one can answer for me the questions i have in life that make no sense. It would be fool hearty for someone to say they know what God is doing in your life. We can't see the whole picture even when we are living out our own lives. I do know however that the Word heals us and the devil always steals the Word if he can. his goal is to steal the Word from us.

I hope you don't stop your pursuit of healing as it's obvious God has healed you thus far. Why not expect Him to heal you the rest of the way? I've discovered as with many things in life that the Holy Spirit doesn't tell me all I want to know at the time I want to know it. Nor does He do all I want when I want it. But He allows me to wait with certain expectations and joy. I can be sure He will do well in my life even as I wait for the answers to come.

But the enemy would have me lose heart and faint. he would have me stop believing and be complacent. I often find my self fighting that most often. So when another believer says to "keep the faith" it means a lot because the enemy of our souls seeks to steal it from us as soon as it starts to grow. Paul prayed for his brothers and sisters that they would prosper even as their soul prospers. I believe that applies here as well.

 

[joaniemarie]

She wasn't a Christian. I had told her about Jesus. What she was doing is going by her senses - in this case her unrenewed mind to the truth.

Whenever we elevate our experiences over what the word of God says on a subject - we will never experience what the word says.

The truth is - that her sins were dealt with 2,000 years ago and now she needs to believe that her sins are forgiven as the gospel of God in Christ says. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

Acts 10:43 (NASB)
[SUP]43 [/SUP] "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."

But if she refuses to believe it - then she will never have that manifested in her life. It is one of the ways of God and the way the kingdom of God operates.

The answer is always to preach Christ and Him crucified.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Rom. 10:17

Bruce, you are ALWAYS a great encouragement to me when I come to CC. Healing is another way God blesses us in our salvation. We all have so much to learn about what this great salvation is about. There is so much more to learn than what we first heard. We will need to be healed in so many ways all through our lives here on earth. It takes such a change of our old way of thinking to accept this new and living way.

Thank you dear brother for always being faithful to do this here. It has helped me so much in my times coming here to CC. I'm actually moving into my new house this week as we had the closing yesterday afternoon and I got the keys to my house out in the county.

But even now I'm shocked at how much Jesus has been doing in my mind and heart to change it from seeing Him as One who only gives what He gets. I've given very little and had very little opportunity to do so over the last years. But He has been teaching me what giving is. I'm still so needy to learn how to do this even now. Yet because for Jesus sake, He is kind and gracious to me.

It is not about us and what we do. It is all about Jesus and what He has done. How that will be lived out in each of our lives is an individual thing. To expect all of us to be the same is just childish. There is no pat answer for everyone's life. We each are called to live our lives with the Holy Spirit leading us. That does not happen exactly the same way because we are each different people in different places in the world, different ages, different countries., different personalities.

But the Holy Spirit is the same and so is Jesus and the Word. He makes it work out to the truth in His way not ours. We have to individually follow Him and not what other people say to us. He is gracious and kind and loving to us who do not deserve it but for reasons only known to Him., we are loved so much that our souls are saved and our lives are made into something good.

Thank you so much Bruce for encouraging me when I come here on CC. You are one of the very rare ones who do this. In the face of all "NOOOO's" here on CC., I appreciate how you talk about all the promises of God being YES AND AMEN!!

 

[Ariel82]

Scriptures for that?

John 3:8 ►
New International Version
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

The Holy Spirit moves as God pleases, not a magical force commanded by fake "holey" men.

 

[Ariel82]

It is just in me to ask of God if I am in pain. I remember being 5 years old and trying to sleep and I had this tooth ach, and I said, God please stop my tooth from hurting and instantly it stopped hurting. Not content with that I said, God let my tooth hurt again, and my tooth resumed hurting, and then I said again, God please stop my tooth from hurting and instantly my tooth stopped hurting. I was not even a Christian at the time. I realize that many times with myself and others, people just do not really get healed(though some pretend), yet there is something in me that screams...God wants us well.

Pain is a way to tell our bodies that there is something wrong that needs to be fixed. For you,removal of that tooth

Some people have a disease that doesn't allow them to feel pain and they have to be extra careful not to ignore injuries.

Temporary afflictions can be used for God's glory..

God does heal.

However any healing of these bodies is temporary because these bodies are destined to die and return to dust.

God wants our souls to be whole and for us to see this world as He does and not be trapped by the lies of this world and the false doctrines of men.

God gave us spiritual armor and told us to learn discernment.

If you had allowed that rotting tooth to stay in your mouth,it might have lead to blood poisoning,which could kill you. Sometimes pain is your body's way of getting help and attention.

Sepsis and Dental Health - Sepsis Alliance

A dental infection, within or below a tooth, can be caused by tooth decay or a broken tooth that causes the pulp to become infected. The pulp is the part of the tooth that contains blood vessels, connective tissue, and large nerves. When an infection occurs, bacteria can move out of the tooth to the bone or tissue below, forming a dental abscess. A dental infection can lead to sepsis.

Sometimes called blood poisoning by members of the general public, sepsis is the body’s often deadly response to infection or injury. Sepsis kills and disables millions and requires early suspicion and treatment for survival.

 

[sevenseas]

Two things...Am I word of faith.....I have a covenant with God through Jesus....I claim covenant when I have need. I worship and praise Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

And the second....Where did you answer the question

shame

you play games to avoid what you cannot answer

absolutely NOTHING from scripture, you tell us you have a bad memory

and now, you say yet again I didn't answer you

have some coffee and go back. I answered you (as if you didn't know)

go claim a better memory. you need one

 

[sevenseas]

Some people have a different view of scripture on healing. If others think differently - then that is their opinion and their own choice and they are entitled to it.

Under the Old Covenant God said in Deut. that no diseases would be upon them if they followed the law of Moses. The writer of Hebrews says that we have New Covenant built upon better promises - that the blood of Jesus speaks of better things.

Is the Old Covenant really better now then the New one? O
f course not.

Here is David speaking of healing.

Psalm 103:2-3 (NASB)
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

[SUP]3 [/SUP] Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;

Healing is definitely in the true gospel message.....as can be seen when Paul preached the gospel in Lystra. in Acts 14.

Acts 14:7-10 (NASB)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] and there they continued to preach the gospel.

[SUP]8 [/SUP] At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.

[SUP]9 [/SUP] This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well,

[SUP]10 [/SUP] said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk.

Paul was preaching the GOSPEL.... the man lame was listening to Paul and then he had faith to be made whole...where did this man get faith to be made whole in his body?

Romans 10:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

The man that was lame from birth heard in the preaching of the gospel of the grace of Christ that he could be made whole. He believed...Paul saw it in him and encouraged him to act on his faith.

Healing is a part of the gospel of the grace of Christ as the forgiveness of sins is.

Here Jesus relates healing to forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 9:5-6 (NASB)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?

[SUP]6 [/SUP] "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—then He *said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home."

David is one bad example

why didn't God just forget about his sin with Bathsheba?

David suffered the rest of his life for what he did

and we do too when we commit sin with ginormous repercussions

how bout the guy or woman who is an alcoholic and then becomes a Christian?

and yet they still die of cirrhosis of the liver. oopsie doopsie

and on and on and on and on and on

is ignorance a product of ignoring?

you aren't an ignorant person. why do you hold on to this nonsense?

 

[sevenseas]

One could possibly say that those demons casted out and those sicknesses that Jesus healed are all "metaphorical" of something else.

Jesus even said that healing is the "children's bread" when the Gentile woman came for healing for her child. She still accessed the healing that is in Christ by exhibiting great faith.

Jesus said that He had not seen such faith in all of Israel in this woman. Same goes for the Gentile Roman Centurion officer that said to speak the word only and my servant will be healed. These two Gentiles exhibited great faith in Jesus and none of the Jews had this kind of faith.

How do we get true biblical faith? By hearing of Christ Himself. Romans 10:17

We see a picture of this in the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. When she heard of Jesus....

Mark 5:27-28 (KJV)
[SUP]27 [/SUP] When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

[SUP]28 [/SUP] For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

I believe the Jews had little to no faith because they were constantly taught the Law of Moses. Paul said the Law is NOT of faith. The number one barrier to faith can sometimes be the type of church we go to and the messages we hear.

what???

are you even talking about

everyone is not healed and you all quote scriptures up one side and down the other

and REFUSE to use the God given intelligence you have (by you I mean collective you) to see and understand what is going on

first of all, the bunch of you are as staunch in your refusal to see that we ALL agree God heals, as the ones who accuse you of being a sloppy gracer or whatever it's called

you say the sky is blue

well, the sky is blue with a lovely sunrise over here and you don't acknowledge it

get what I'm saying?

you and others consistently say we don't believe in healing yet we consistently deny that and say we do. however everyone is not healed while you and others ignore that fact and keep rinsing and repeating

you say you do not continue in sin yet you get called a greasy easy hyper gracer (remembered it haha)

do you not see this? I see where you say you do not continue in sin. I acknowlege it but those who try to argue with you deny you say it. the sky is blue

WE say we believe in healing, God heals but not on demand and not because we use the right words. and you REFUSE to see this! you are doing exactly what those who accuse you of being free to sin say!

I really do try to be fair. might be nice of you people returned the favor. very hard to discuss when on side blindly or purposefully says things about the other side that are not true

the sky is blue but many other colors as well

 

[sevenseas]

Notice they praised Jesus in the beginning and then after Jesus told them not everyone gets healed,they were filled with wrath.

Many word of Faith people are the same way,when Jesus tells them He isn't going to heal their physical afflictions because he would rather heal their spiritual sickness and mend their relationship with God.

Luke 4
. 21And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And there were many lepersa in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.

I have to spread reputation but in thought, you got a big one here!

so true and so handily ignored

 

[sevenseas]

The interesting thing about the lame man at the pool is that all the others were rushing to the waters to be the first to get in..but this man couldn't move.

Completely helpless to help himself.

Medicines, doctors, herbs..what are we trusting in?

right

never go to a doctor again then

sheesh

 

[Grace777x70]

I'm not saying "God did this to me", I live in a fallen world and anything can happen anytime, we are never promised the next minute, but my point is that God used this hardship to show His glory. Just like He did with that man in the video. Please understand me God doesn't cause the hardship, but He CAN and DOES use it for His glory and thank goodness, because we are all weak.

I agree. I have always said that God can use anything the devil, the world or our own stupidity has brought about to show His love and grace to all of us.

Jesus' life on this earth is the manifestation of the will of God and the kingdom of God in action. We need to be looking at Jesus to see the Father's will for people - not our personal experiences.

I believe we are to bear each other's burdens in the place that we are at.

This verse below as I have said a few times even though it is discussing having faith for meats and drinks - the principle of it still remains. True faith in God remains the same.

Romans 14:22 (NASB)
[SUP]22 [/SUP] The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

How would I help to bear the burdens of others by applying the above verse?

This means - if someone believes God's word where it says that God is their Healer - then I will stand with them in that belief.

If someone has the faith that God will help them as they take their medicine - then I will stand with them in that.

If someone says that God has shown them that they make themselves sick by their own things and that they need to start walking in love and not in bitterness towards people - I would encourage them in the Lord to walk in this.


I would encourage people wherever they are at in their faith before God without insulting them and de-meaning them because of their faith that they do have before God.

 

[sevenseas]

Stonefire, you know nothing of my mind.


I would have been dead years ago and only stay alive because God tells me He has a purpose for me.

If I died tomorrow, I would feel sorrow that my loved ones would be in pain, but I would be rejoicing becaue I would be with God.

Every thing in my life I give thanks for I know they are gifts from God to treasure and care for and give freely to others to bring His love and joy into their lives.

I am not double minded. I know solely upon whom my trust and faith rest.

Before seeking help from others, I pray and ask God.

He blessed us with other members of the Body of Christ to help us. I know many Christians who have been placed in the medical field. They pray with their patients if asked and care lovingly for all who come in contact with them.

God's blessings are so abundant if people stop being spoiled brats and just step back and thanked Him for what He has ALREADY GIVEN us.

I'm really falling behind on the rep points here

when people are focused on what they get or want, they actually loose sight of the One who gives it

now let's hear the shrieks of denial on that

 

[sevenseas]

well, I REALLY would love to stay and discuss (I use the word loosely as do we all)

but, hittin the road with my man and our pups so may or not post in the coming week

if not, well, don't loose hope

I'll be back (said in my best Arnie voice)

enjoy the day and love each other

 

[Grace777x70]

There is also a vast difference between suffering from being a Christian in this world and being rejected by others and being persecuted in it's many forms and suffering because of a sickness or disease that this corrupt world has brought, we have brought upon ourselves, or the devil has put on us.

These are 2 completely different kinds of sufferings or tribulations or pressures.

Actually the word in Romans 5:3 is "tribulations".

Romans 5:1-5 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

[SUP]2 [/SUP] through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

[SUP]3 [/SUP] And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

[SUP]4 [/SUP] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

[SUP]5 [/SUP] and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Here is how the Greek word for "tribulations" which some translation use "sufferings" has been used by Jesus Himself.

Matthew 24:9 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

Here Jesus use of the Greek word was translated "afflictions"

Matthew 13:21 (NASB)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

Matthew 24:21 (NASB)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Here is Luke using the same Greek word and it is translated as "persecution".

Acts 11:19 (NASB)
[SUP]19 [/SUP] So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.


Here is Paul ( Luke still writing it ) using the same Greek word and it is translated as "afflictions".

Acts 20:23 (NASB)
[SUP]23 [/SUP] except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.

Here Paul uses the word to show that we can comfort others with the same comfort God brings to us when they are in tribulation, afflictions, persecutions for the word of God and the gospel's sake.

2 Corinthians 1:4 (NASB)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Here is really good news for all of us - no matter what the world, the devil or by our own stupidity and circumstances are thrown at us in this world - it will never separate us from the love of God for us. Romans 8:35

So, as we can see - the word for "tribulations" or some translations have as "sufferings" have no connection to diseases at all.

We will have tribulation in this world and that is a part of the sharing of the sufferings/tribulations/persecutions of Christ in the flesh as Paul talks about it. Col. 1:24

There are brethren in other countries right now suffering in many ways because of Christ being in them.

Some lose their heads and these are standing before their loving Father full of life and complete and whole and one day they will have a redeemed natural body again just like the rest of us. Thank you Jesus!

 

[limey410]

Bruce, you are ALWAYS a great encouragement to me when I come to CC. Healing is another way God blesses us in our salvation. We all have so much to learn about what this great salvation is about. There is so much more to learn than what we first heard. We will need to be healed in so many ways all through our lives here on earth. It takes such a change of our old way of thinking to accept this new and living way.

Thank you dear brother for always being faithful to do this here. It has helped me so much in my times coming here to CC. I'm actually moving into my new house this week as we had the closing yesterday afternoon and I got the keys to my house out in the county.

But even now I'm shocked at how much Jesus has been doing in my mind and heart to change it from seeing Him as One who only gives what He gets. I've given very little and had very little opportunity to do so over the last years. But He has been teaching me what giving is. I'm still so needy to learn how to do this even now. Yet because for Jesus sake, He is kind and gracious to me.

It is not about us and what we do. It is all about Jesus and what He has done. How that will be lived out in each of our lives is an individual thing. To expect all of us to be the same is just childish. There is no pat answer for everyone's life. We each are called to live our lives with the Holy Spirit leading us. That does not happen exactly the same way because we are each different people in different places in the world, different ages, different countries., different personalities.

But the Holy Spirit is the same and so is Jesus and the Word. He makes it work out to the truth in His way not ours. We have to individually follow Him and not what other people say to us. He is gracious and kind and loving to us who do not deserve it but for reasons only known to Him., we are loved so much that our souls are saved and our lives are made into something good.

Thank you so much Bruce for encouraging me when I come here on CC. You are one of the very rare ones who do this. In the face of all "NOOOO's" here on CC., I appreciate how you talk about all the promises of God being YES AND AMEN!!

I don't always agree with you Joanie, but you sound kind and obviously have a heart for God, I enjoyed reading what you just wrote, it made me smile. Thank you.

 

[Issachar92]

The fact that there is any argument on if the WoF movement is legit or not tells me that the 'christians' lack discernment, have absolutely none. This is so clear there is none needed.
I bet you could drag an unbeliever in there and even they would instantly notice something is going on. Its so plain and obvious that its a scam, on one hand I feel bad for people who are stuck in that wicked religion, but on the other hand I feel like if you're dumb enough to fall for that, thats on you buddy.

These are the last days indeed, major falling away apostasy its going down folks.
THE LORD is returning soon thats what that tells me.

 

[Rockrz]

These are the last days indeed, major falling away apostasy its going down folks.

Yep, satan has many deceived in to attacking promises from God's Word and attacking those that believe and walk in promises from God's Word.

The sad part is these religious people think they are doing good by denying God's promises from His Word... calling God a bald face liar!

It will not end well for these religious nuts... carnal, man-made religion inspired by the devil to reject legitimate promises in God's Word... sad.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

There is no answer anyone can give you on this side of heaven except personally found by you in personal relation to Jesus. I know that is true for me too. No one can answer for me the questions i have in life that make no sense. It would be fool hearty for someone to say they know what God is doing in your life. We can't see the whole picture even when we are living out our own lives. I do know however that the Word heals us and the devil always steals the Word if he can. his goal is to steal the Word from us.

I hope you don't stop your pursuit of healing as it's obvious God has healed you thus far. Why not expect Him to heal you the rest of the way? I've discovered as with many things in life that the Holy Spirit doesn't tell me all I want to know at the time I want to know it. Nor does He do all I want when I want it. But He allows me to wait with certain expectations and joy. I can be sure He will do well in my life even as I wait for the answers to come.

But the enemy would have me lose heart and faint. he would have me stop believing and be complacent. I often find my self fighting that most often. So when another believer says to "keep the faith" it means a lot because the enemy of our souls seeks to steal it from us as soon as it starts to grow. Paul prayed for his brothers and sisters that they would prosper even as their soul prospers. I believe that applies here as well.

I see life on earth as here one second gone the next. God called me in the midst of my pain and by God I'll complete that calling till death. If God heals me tomorrow great but if not ill except joy in finding my pain to make me a better person. To me, that's faith taking the good and the bad and saying ok God let it be your will. Pain paints death into a different light knowing in Heaven I will be with Jesus, new body, no pain, and tears of joy. I know through scripture as a believer I will face trials and tribulations and potentially death for my faith.

This new age movement that tries to make the full gospel all sunshine and daisies is sowing people in the wrong soil and not preparing them for hard times that all will face on earth. Eventually, we all will face trials and pray it's not the death at the hands of evil. We have evil killing Christians to gain access to their so called heaven. Bombings are happening more often than not.


I answered the call, this is all God asks of us to do. Answer and every second from then on proclaim that grace to the ends of the world. From childhood, I never could find my so-called calling in life but felt I had a purpose for life. The journey to finding that purpose led me into my early twenties. Searching, seeking and knocking on all the wrong doors. I had put the very purpose for living in the background somewhere. It took God to speak directly to me in a way that's different than all other times. I felt Gods strong stern correcting tone of voice but also the abundance of love flowing through Gods words. Immediately I had a choice to respond to Gods question. I knew I only had two options to remain lukewarm or commit fully to God.


That decision to finally let God be number one has boosted my faith from weak and immature to constant reliance on God. My pain has led me to rely on God, cry with God, love God, and share his love and mercy with people in my life. I truly believe God uses the bad in life to bring about the good for those who believe. I only can wonder if it wasn't for that car accident if I ever would have repented from my falling. Maybe the accident was the result of my free will to try and do life knowing God but pushing God away. Maybe it happened because that's what a life without God brings is destruction filled with sin. I don't know but I do know my pain has had a significant part in my path back to God from my youth.


I ignored one near-death experience as a teenager saving my brother from drowning. Looking back I was so blessed but at the time just said thank God and moved on in my lukewarm life. My brother was drowning stuck in the riptide of the ocean. No one around but him and me. The riptide pulled us off of the ground where we could not stand. I was in better shape then and my brother was already tired trying to swim back. He chokingly said these words," I don't think I can make it." So I chose to swim under him and push off the ocean floor holding my breath as long as I could to let him rest above water. I did this twice and finally, he had enough energy to swim back.


Unfortunately now I was tired from holding him up. I remember praying to God please help me. And I with my last ounce of strength felt my toe touch sand. And I pushed my last bit of energy to dig into that sand. God saved me somehow because I know I was failing that day. I was dumb to go swimming in red flag high riptide conditions.


Countless times God tried calling me back. But it took years of pain physically and mentally to finally wake my stubborn self up. Thank God!

 

[Rockrz]

If God heals me tomorrow great but if not ill except joy in finding my pain to make me a better person.

Common misconception... pain and suffering does not make one a better person.

If it did, then why are we not all beating each other with hammers??? That would certainly lead to some pain and suffering!

Besides. God's Word teaches that He has already healed you:

1 Peter 2:24
Jesus carried our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.

Matthew 8:17
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Isaiah 53:4, 5
Jesus has carried our grief (pain, anxiety, calamity, disease, sickness), and carried our sorrows (anguish, affliction, feelings of pain, sadness and sorrow): yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted....but He was wounded (to wound, to break, be slain or killed) for our transgressions, He was bruised (crush, destroy, oppress, to collapse) for our iniquities: the punishment (violence, rebuke) of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. (He took our wounds, so we could take his wholeness & health in every area of life)

I always find it odd that people claim to be saved... even though they are not in Heaven yet, but the claim to believe what God's Word says about salvation and they stake their claim... "I am born again!" which is using the word of faith paul spoke of in Romans 10:9-10

But, if we look at what the Lord said thru Paul (and in Mark 11:23,24) we see that confession is made unto deliverance (salvation)

So, seeing Jesus has taken our physical pain and suffering upon Himself... why not agree with the work He did on the Cross and say / believe / act (with thanksgiving that God watches over His Word to perform it cause He's not a liar - Jeremiah 1:12) like you don't have to have pain and suffering in your body cause Jesus already paid for that and the pain and suffering must go!

We do this same thing with salvation... even at times when we don't feel saved, act saved, or talk like one that is saved... we keep saying we are saved, and yet refuse to do this concerning other promises of God.

Maybe we should do what the Lord said in this verse:

Colossians 2:6
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him

I know it works when we start believing what God says over and above our feelings and circumstances and continue waiting upon the Lord for understanding standing on James 1:5

 

[Ariel82]

I see life on earth as here one second gone the next. God called me in the midst of my pain and by God I'll complete that calling till death. If God heals me tomorrow great but if not ill except joy in finding my pain to make me a better person. To me, that's faith taking the good and the bad and saying ok God let it be your will. Pain paints death into a different light knowing in Heaven I will be with Jesus, new body, no pain, and tears of joy. I know through scripture as a believer I will face trials and tribulations and potentially death for my faith.

This new age movement that tries to make the full gospel all sunshine and daisies is sowing people in the wrong soil and not preparing them for hard times that all will face on earth. Eventually, we all will face trials and pray it's not the death at the hands of evil. We have evil killing Christians to gain access to their so called heaven. Bombings are happening more often than not.


I answered the call, this is all God asks of us to do. Answer and every second from then on proclaim that grace to the ends of the world. From childhood, I never could find my so-called calling in life but felt I had a purpose for life. The journey to finding that purpose led me into my early twenties. Searching, seeking and knocking on all the wrong doors. I had put the very purpose for living in the background somewhere. It took God to speak directly to me in a way that's different than all other times. I felt Gods strong stern correcting tone of voice but also the abundance of love flowing through Gods words. Immediately I had a choice to respond to Gods question. I knew I only had two options to remain lukewarm or commit fully to God.


That decision to finally let God be number one has boosted my faith from weak and immature to constant reliance on God. My pain has led me to rely on God, cry with God, love God, and share his love and mercy with people in my life. I truly believe God uses the bad in life to bring about the good for those who believe. I only can wonder if it wasn't for that car accident if I ever would have repented from my falling. Maybe the accident was the result of my free will to try and do life knowing God but pushing God away. Maybe it happened because that's what a life without God brings is destruction filled with sin. I don't know but I do know my pain has had a significant part in my path back to God from my youth.


I ignored one near-death experience as a teenager saving my brother from drowning. Looking back I was so blessed but at the time just said thank God and moved on in my lukewarm life. My brother was drowning stuck in the riptide of the ocean. No one around but him and me. The riptide pulled us off of the ground where we could not stand. I was in better shape then and my brother was already tired trying to swim back. He chokingly said these words," I don't think I can make it." So I chose to swim under him and push off the ocean floor holding my breath as long as I could to let him rest above water. I did this twice and finally, he had enough energy to swim back.


Unfortunately now I was tired from holding him up. I remember praying to God please help me. And I with my last ounce of strength felt my toe touch sand. And I pushed my last bit of energy to dig into that sand. God saved me somehow because I know I was failing that day. I was dumb to go swimming in red flag high riptide conditions.


Countless times God tried calling me back. But it took years of pain physically and mentally to finally wake my stubborn self up. Thank God!

I was driving to my in laws this morning and it struck me to pray for you.

I can't remember it all, but I remember part of it and reading a few scriptures posted by ForthAngel reminds me of it.

You know how Daniel's friends was tossed in the fire and the world did not see 3 men but 4?

I believe our trials are like a refining fire that burns up the hay and stubble on our hearts, takes away the thorns and melts the rocks.

We have controlled burns in our area because some seeds never open if not exposed to fire.

I do believe that God uses His refining fire to shape our lives and heart. However we are never alone in that fire.