jgil@pacbell.com (Joanne Gilbert) (08/19/89)
I have a very close friend that is very sick. She has been exploring some of the Catholic churches "healing masses" and is hoping to improve her health in this way. Does anyone out there have any experiences that they can share? We know that the Bible says that with just a mustard seed worth of faith that anything is possible but thus far an incredible amount of praying has not yielded any results. We have also been listening to Sister Briege McKenna's cassette tapes "The Healing Love of Jesus" which has been uplifting and hope inspiring. Sometimes we feel very desperate. Any ideas or inspiration would be appreciated.
crowe@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Daniel Crowe) (08/21/89)
In article <Aug.19.03.49.17.1989.17173@athos.rutgers.edu> jgil@pacbell.com (Joanne Gilbert) writes: >I have a very close friend that is very sick. She has been exploring >some of the Catholic churches "healing masses" and is hoping to improve >her health in this way. Does anyone out there have any experiences that >they can share? We know that the Bible says that with just a mustard >seed worth of faith that anything is possible but thus far an incredible >amount of praying has not yielded any results. We have also been >listening to Sister Briege McKenna's cassette tapes "The Healing Love >of Jesus" which has been uplifting and hope inspiring. Sometimes >we feel very desperate. >Any ideas or inspiration would be appreciated. Perhaps the following exhortation from Paul may be of some help: "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7, NIV) If you have faith, God will either remove the illness or supply you with the strength to bear the associated suffering, enough so that you will know the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. -- Daniel (God is my judge) * "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to physics graduate student * speak and slow to become angry, for man's City College of New York * anger does not bring about the righteous crowe@sci.ccny.cuny.edu * life that God desires." (James 1:19-20)
davem@watmath.waterloo.edu (Dave Mielke) (09/01/89)
In article <Aug.19.03.49.17.1989.17173@athos.rutgers.edu> jgil@pacbell.com (Joanne Gilbert) writes: >I have a very close friend that is very sick. She has been exploring >some of the Catholic churches "healing masses" and is hoping to improve >her health in this way. Does anyone out there have any experiences that >they can share? We know that the Bible says that with just a mustard >seed worth of faith that anything is possible but thus far an incredible >amount of praying has not yielded any results. You may not find this response as inspirational (from an earthly point of view) as you were hoping for, but I feel that the best answer to your questions must be one that is based on the Scriptures and not on someone's personal experiences. A person's own experiences could be based on Satan's invervention in his life without him even having been aware of it, and that would provide innumerable, hopelessly misleading answers. The first thing we must decide is who is the master and who is the servant. When Jesus was facing the wrath of God as the payment for our sins, He pleaded with His heavenly Father to please find some other way. Matthew 26:39 tells us "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou {wilt}.". In case this wasn't enough, He praysed yet again. Matthew 26:42 tells us "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.". In case this still wasn't enough, He prayed yet again. Matthew 26:44 tells us "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.". In case we doubt either His fervency or His sincerity, we are told in Luke 22:44 "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.". As we know, God did not answer the second most important thing in these prayers of Jesus. He did, however, fully answer the most important thing, which was that regardless of how Jesus Himself felt, He still wanted His Father's will to be done. This is the model that each and every one of our prayers should follow. We Christians know that we will never have to suffer the wrath of God. Even non-Christians still have the hope of salvation before them. Jesus was the only man to date who knew that He would have to suffer the wrath of God. The temptation to do something to avoid it was far greater than any temptation that any of us has ever been faced with. He, nevertheless, still firmly stated that His Father's will should be done regardless of how He, personally, felt. We would all do well to realize that, although we may ask God for anything, our various petitions are really nothing more than requests which are being made to an infinitely wise God who is exceedingly abundantly able to do above that which we are asking for (Ephesians 3:20), but who may know that it would not be in our best long-term interest to do so. God is the master and we are but lowly servants. We, as His children, do not have the right to command our Father to comply with each and every request that we make of Him. 1 John 5:14 reminds us "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:". You do not indicate if the illness that your friend is suffering is terminal or not, and, if so, if it is to be of a short or a long duration. You also do not indicate if she is a Christian or not. Assuming that she is a Christian, we know that her illness is not just some freak accident; God has permitted it to happen for whatever perfect reason He has. Romans 8:28 promises us "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to {his} purpose.". Even if this illness is causing her tremendous suffering, we are told in Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time {are} not worthy {to be compared} with the glory which shall be revealed in us.". Although the apostle Paul does not mention illness, he does give us a rather ominous list of the various sufferings that he had to endure. He tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:23-31 "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I {am} more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty {stripes} save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; {In} journeyings often, {in} perils of waters, {in} perils of robbers, {in} perils by {mine own} countrymen, {in} perils by the heathen, {in} perils in the city, {in} perils in the wilderness, {in} perils in the sea, {in} perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.". Paul knew that his sufferings were for Christ's sake, and were, therefore, within the permissive will of God. Assuming that your friend is a Christian, God has His reasons for permitting her to suffer whatever illness she has been afflicted with and for not giving her an iminent cure. It may even be that God wishes to use this illness to cause her earthly life to end and her heavenly life to begin. With heaven in front of him, why would any person want to stubbornly hang onto his earthly life, being surrounded with all of this evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.". This would even include our giving God thanks for the illnesses that we become afflicted with from time to time. We may not understand why He has permitted this suffering, but we must start by thanking Him for whatever reason He has and for having used us to accomplish part of His salvation plan, and then continue by trying to figure out exactly what it is that He will gain by it. It may be that He wishes to teach us some kind of lesson, like learning to rely on Him more and on ourselves less. It may be that He wishes to give us an experience which will enable us to empathize with, and thereby encourage, others at some later date who will under-go similar suffering. It may be that He wishes others to observe our patient reliance on Him as we endure what appears to be unendurable agony. 1 Corinthians 10:31 commands us "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.". This, too, would include enduring our various illnesses in such a way that our conduct brings glory to God. It may be that God wishes to bring some of your friend's acquaintances, doctors, and whomever else she associates with to salvation through their observation of her hope, faith and trust in God's spiritual caring for her. While from an earthly point of view this kind of suffering is agonizing both to endure and to watch, we must remember to try to view it from God's perspective and realize that He often accomplishes marvelous long-term goals through what appears to us to be a rather nasty, short-term inconvenience. Let us recall Mary, an obscure young Jewish woman who was a virgin and engaged to be married, and who had to suddenly face the fact that she would have to bear the public shame for having become pregnant outside the confines of a proper marriage, not to speak of the extremely likely, abrupt termination of her engagement to the man whom she loved. Knowing that this suffering would be to accomplish God's divine purposes, we read in Luke 1:38 "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.". Dave Mielke, 613-726-0014 856 Grenon Avenue Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2B 6G3 [For a cautionary note from a medical point of view, you might want to look up a book by Nolan called (I think) Healing. It is based on detailed study of several faith healers. He got a surprising amount of cooperation from them, allowing him to follow up a number of cases. Most of them are obvious frauds, and are not relevant to this discussion. However one is a sincere, Christian healer, whose healings were well attested by witnesses. Unfortunately, it turns out that when Nolan followed up on cases, things proved not to be so rosy. Of course what he says may not be true of all healers. But at the very least it provides a useful warning to people involved in healing. --clh]