How is this different from what I believe? I agree with everything you have written here.
I am only a sinful fallen human in need of a Savior, the only thing in me besides Sin is the Holy Spirit. You have doctrine as well, you hold fast to what you have written here so that is your religious doctrine.
What could be greater than passing over the sins that we have committed and giving us full pardon so that we might live with Him in paradise? God is not a genie that is all I'm saying, if you're not healed, or you didn't get that promotion you wanted, or you don't have enough money to make ends meet even though you prayed about it, the answer isn't because you didn't have enough Faith. It is because God has something better in mind so that by this trial you might give courage to others and unbelievers can see your Faith through your trial and see how God gave you the strength to carry on.
Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV, James 5:11 ESV, (with James in mind, the entire book of Job), Revelation 2:10 ESV, Hebrews 11:17 ESV, Deuteronomy 13:3 ESV.
Go back and read my first post here Mike, I believe God can heal any disease but God is not a genie you whip out whenever you want so He'll grant your wish, that's moralistic therapeutic deism, God is not limited in his answers to prayers he can say "Yes", "No", and "Wait". God does do all the things you've said and he's done them in my life as well, I nearly died when I was 14 and caught a strange neurological condition, I lost my ability to hear for a month and lost 40 lbs. when I was too skinny to begin with, God saved me though, he guided my doctors to the cause and directed them to treat me, I was bedridden for 6 months and if I had gone on another week I would have died. Not as mystical as some healing experiences but God was the cause of my healing regardless. If I had died it would've meant my race was run and I would've been accepted into God's arms because at the time I had the same amount of Faith in Him as I do now, but my Faith was not hinged upon my being healed because I knew I would with Him if I had died.
"I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." - Philippians 1:23-24 ESV
I thank the Lord He spared you as a child, amazing testimony and Never say it was not as "Mystical" How many times God spare us despite the plans of the enemy, and we don't even know about it? All it would take is for your doctors to make one small mistake, and you would be gone. Who keeps their hands steady, gives them wisdom, brings thoughts to do this and that for you? Just last week, a teen having her wisdom teeth taken out just died. That is what it looks like without God.
You agree with what I said, but something is in there way still. Let's chop through the differences with scripture. See where we end up.
Sola Scriptura, Let's see. I am more concerned about your future ministry, than trying to prove something here. I believe if you get a hold of some things, your going to do some amazing things with God. That just keeps coming to me, I don't know why, God see's lots of things I don't.
We will grab a scripture. Your a Minister, and you conduct services, you teach and preach. Now I'll add in something that happened to me, preaching at a church I was asked to preach at. The folks there believe like you do. God answers prayer, yes, no, maybe, who knows. They teach that as if there is a scripture that backs that up. There are none even close.
I promise the head Pastor not to do any hard faith things, speak in tongues, just fill in and teach God is amazing and good. That's it.
I will work with anyone, and respect them, and respect their belief.
I don't even remember what I spoke on that night. Must have sounded like Joel Osteen, God is good, and God is amazing. All true of course, as long as you don't make God to good or to amazing. You can't cross that line with these folks. Nobody there liked me much anyway, So i just taught as if they were not there staring at me with this dull look on their face.
The worse thing to do as a teacher is to be moved by facial expressions, or reaction. We don't know who received, and who is just shouting with everyone else. We follow the Holy Spirit, unchanging, not charging the crowd up if they start to get happy. We also never ask anyone how they liked the service. It can effect our pride, or get us down. That is a rookie mistake. If we preached what God said, threw away the notes if the Holy Spirit directs different, then we did as asked.
I never one time got through all my notes and it was off to something different. We are suppose to study though and prepare, but I questioned why sometimes. Come to find out things you prepare and don't use, come in hand later, sometimes much later.
Anyway.
So I try to keep in just under an hour. Them folks are use to exact times of coming to church and leaving church. You don't want to upset folks like that. I finish my amazing sermon on how great God is, whatever that was and you make a alter call at the end with this church. So i made the alter call.
I had a landslide of 1 young girl walk up to me. I guess everyone else was saved. Best to get folk saved that don't go to church anyway, more pickings that way.
I do the "you accept Jesus as Lord of your life" bit, not sure how I said it, she said yes, she started to cry and I am done!!! time to get the heck out of there.
However.....................................
She stood there in front of all those people glaring at me, and asked me real loud like. "
Will God heal my Stomach?"
For me, it was like time stood still, you could hear a pin drop.
This girl just heard how good God was, she never been to church, she don't know a bunch of religious stuff that would make her question God's goodness. She did not even have enough sense to know you don't ask questions like that in the church I was at. It's not done that way, but nobody bothered to mention that to her.
My first thought was to say, I'll pray for you. "
Lord, bless this child that just received you as Lord. We ask you Father that your will be done in her life concerning her stomach." bla, bla, bla, and bla. Then get the heck up out of there.
Mar 16:17
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
(Mar 16:18)
As soon as I thought to take the easy way out, this scripture came to mind blaring at me. It's only for folks that believe, and I happen to be one of them.
Will God heal my Stomach? As a minister, how ware we suppose to answer that?
