New Postings are Coming August 1st!
Dear Friends:
As you can obviously see, I have not been very active working and writing on my blog for quite sometime. As one who is in full-time ministry, many other priorities tend to take over my time and effort towards this blog. However, I am making some needed adjustments in my life, and I expect to free up more time to address some of the modern day issues that we face as a Christian community. I love the field of Christian Apologetics and believe that it is greatly needed in this culture that is inundated with a post-modern belief system and philosophy. Stay tuned for my new posting on this Saturday, August 1st. Thanks you for your understanding and patience during my time of absence.
Blessings to All!
A Response to Prop 8
This is a recent response to the contorversial Prop 8 in last Month’s election. This is a resonse to a gentleman who wrote an article concerning his distaste for prop 8, and entitled his article: “Turner’s two cents: troubled by prop 8″. Again, this is my response to that article.
Troubled by Turner’s two cents
After reading the article in last week’s journal newspaper entitled: “Troubled by Prop 8”, I was deeply moved to give a response. While we will have already learned the results of this week’s election on Prop 8 and other issues before the new journal paper is distributed, I simply want to present what I believe to be consistent with the heart of God as it relates to the institution of marriage.
As one who just celebrated on last week, my twenty-eight (28) wedding anniversary, this subject is very near and dear to my heart. While I do not know Mr. Turner personally, I certainly want to give him the benefit of the doubt and conclude that he is sincere in his thinking concerning this controversial issue. That being said, I would like to address some of his points as I believe he is clearly in error as it relates to some of the points he attempted to make.
First, Jesus did not “invalidate” Moses teachings concerning marriage and divorce. He indeed affirmed Moses teachings and brought more clarity to the matter of marriage and divorce. Jesus teaching on divorce was given specifically to refute the rabbinical loopholes. Furthermore, He so rigidly opposed divorce, that when He had completed His teaching, His disciples concluded that it would be better never to get married (Matthew 19:10)!
Nonetheless, there are two extraordinary cases in which Scripture teaches that God does permit divorced people to remarry. First, note that Jesus Himself included this exception clause: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery (Matthew 19:9). He allows an exception in this one case, only “because of the hardness of your hearts” (Matthew 19:8). Clearly, our Lord is treating divorce as a last resort, only to be sought in the case of hard-hearted adultery.
The apostle Paul allows one more reason for divorce: if an unbelieving spouse abandons a believer, the believer is under no obligation in such a case (1 Cor. 7:14). This would free the abandoned spouse to remarry, assuming that the unbelieving spouse initiated the divorce.
Mr. Turner attempted to make a case for legalizing gay marriage by citing the California Constitution as giving everyone equal rights. However, what Mr. Turner failed to say is the California Constitution is not the author of the sacred institution of marriage, God is! From the beginning of time, marriage has always been understood as a union and a covenant between one man and one woman for life!
As “One Nation under God”, we answer to a higher authority than the California Constitution. According to the Bible, God Himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it “not good that man should be alone (Gen. 2:18). Therefore, God created “male and female” and blessed them and told them to be “fruitful and multiply.” By that act, God established the family for all time. The Genesis narrative says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”. Therefore, people of the same gender do not qualify for marriage as Almighty God has defined it!
In fact, the Scriptures give a five-fold purpose for the institution of marriage. Without expounding on these purposes, I will simply list them:
• The first purpose of marriage is to Mirror God’s Image (Gen. 1:26-27)
• The second purpose of marriage is to Multiply a Godly Heritage (Gen. 1:28a)
• The third purpose is to Manage God’s Creation (Gen. 1:28b)
• The fourth purpose is to Mutually Complete One Another (Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor. 11:11)
• The fifth purpose is to Model Christ’s Relationship with His Church (Ephesians 5:31-32)
I submit to you that same sex marriage does not and cannot fulfill any of these purposes for marriage as given to mankind by the author Himself, Almighty God. Finally, I take issue with people who desire to force their beliefs on the people of California by demanding that we redefine the sacred institution of marriage. Interestingly, the very people who are adamant that we recognize gay marriage, and who are quick to label anyone who do not share their convictions as “hate-mongers” and “intolerant”, are themselves intolerant of our Judeo-Christian values and convictions.
While I do not know what the outcome of the November 4th elections will be as it relates to Prop 8, I have an unwavering resolve that I will proudly stand for marriage as God has defined it and vote a resounding YES! I hope you will join me and thousands of others as we make every effort to protect traditional marriage and the God ordained institution of the family. Children need a Mother and a Father. I leave you with these words from the holy Word of God: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
THE BELIEVER’S STANDING AND STATE BEFORE GOD
There are “Three Classes” of professing Christians. There are those who are saved and know it. There are those who are saved and are not sure of it. And there are those who are not saved but think they are. When asked if they are saved, some Christians say, “I hope so,” others say, “I trust so,” while many think it presumptuous or arrogant and say we cannot know until we die.
The reason why so many Christians are not sure that they are saved is because they do not distinguish between their “STANDING”, their “STATE,” and their “EXPERIENCE.” The only place that we can find out as to this is in the Word of God. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, what does the Bible have to say about it?
First, it says that the Christian’s “STANDING” is that of a SON (okay ladies, a daughter too!) The Scripture says” As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the SONS OF GOD.” (John 1:12-13) The Scripture also says of our standing, “Beloved now are we the Sons of God.” (1 John 3:2) And this Sonship makes us HEIRS, “And if Children, then Heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17)
The good news is this Heirship guarantees our PRESERVATION, for we are kept by the “Power of God,” to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that it doesn’t fade away, “Reserved in Heaven” for us. (1 Peter 1:4-5) Our Lord declared with full authority “And no man shall be able to pluck us out of His Hand, nor the FATHER’s HAND” (John 10:27-29), for we are “SEALED” unto the Day of Redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
As a result, our “Spiritual life” is “Hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3) Therefore, if my life is “Hid in Christ” by God for safe keeping, that means that neither you nor I have it and therefore, cannot lose it! These truths have to do with my Standing with God. MY STATE is not the same, and may vary from moment to moment. What exactly do you mean? Our STANDING with God is forever settled and sure for all eternity based on the afore-mentioned truths.
While the above is true, there is another factor that must be considered. While it is true that we are “NOW THE SONS & DAUGHTERS OF GOD”, we STILL have our “Sin Nature” with us! When God redeemed us at Salvation, He DID NOT redeem our “Fleshly Nature” or our “Adamic Nature” as some would call it. Therefore, we can say that based on the reality of the “New Birth” and the reality of the “Sin Nature”, we have “Two Natures.”
Our new nature that we received as a result of the new birth is perfect and CANNOT sin. Why is that so? Because it is the very nature of God Himself! The Scripture says of this truth, “That which is born of God CANNOT sin.” (1 John 3:9) However, on the other hand the Scripture teach that even as born again believers we can and still do commit sin! The apostle John says it like this: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not in us. If we Confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-10)
It is at this point that I must inject another profound truth before I conclude this section. We must learn to distinguish between “SIN” and “SINS.” Sin is that inward disposition to do wrong that we inherited from Adam. Sins are the specific acts of sin that we commit due to the disposition to sin in us. Our Lord Jesus died on the cross to remove the disposition to sin from us, and by accepting Him as Personal Savior we get a New Nature in which there is no disposition to sin. That is why Paul could say later in Romans 6:11, “Reckon Ourselves Dead,” that is, we should consider ourselves “dead to sin” and act and live like a person who had died to their old manner of life. How can we do that?
Paul gives us the answer: “Walk in the Spirit, and You Shall Not fulfill the Lust of the Flesh” (Galatians 5:16). We are told again by the apostle to not let sin “Reign in our Mortal Body, and the promise is “Sin Shall not Have Dominion Over You” (Romans 6:12-14). We see from this that while a Christian’s STANDING is settled and sure, his STATE may vary and he will either be Sinful or he will Sin_ _ _ less depending on whether the “New Man” or the “Old Man” is in control!
I am about to shout right now, but let me say a final word about the Believer’s “EXPERIENCE.” As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are currently in Egypt, the Wilderness or, headed for Canaan. Egypt represents the World, the Wilderness represents the fleshly nature, and Canaan represents the peaceful and joyful reality of Heaven and the presence of Almighty God!
In the Christian life, we are sometimes on the Egypt side, still living and thinking like we did when we were in slavery in Pharaoh’s brickyard. There are other times in which we are wondering in the Wilderness due to our sin and rebellion, and consequently, God will allow us to wander aimlessly, going nowhere and doing nothing productive for the kingdom. However, many of us are experiencing the peace, rest, and pure joy that come from walking in Holy Communion with our Savior and Lord. Where are you?
My Response to the Barack Obama – Jeremiah Wright Saga
A Reflective Response to the White Hypocrisy
In the Barack Obama—Jeremiah Wright Saga
April 29, 2008
In recent weeks, we have both seen and heard comments concerning the 2008 Democratic Presidential race between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton. This race is a tightly fought race with the outcome still unclear. In the midst of the race, another figure has come into the picture in the person of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, retired Senior Pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ, in Chicago, Illinois.
Reverend Wright’s comments in a fiery sermon have made their way in the political discussion, and unfortunately, are being used to denigrate and criticize Barack Obama. Without question, this attempt to railroad this very intelligent, gifted, and articulate black man comes from a portion of the White establishment that feels threatened by his ability to get votes from persons from every ethnicity under the sun.
There is an evil attempt by people who simply do not want to see a black man elected to the highest office in the land, and they have decided to use Senator Obama’s association with his former pastor as a means to accomplish that feat. However, let me hasten to say Obama has made it clear that he does not subscribe to many of the positions that Rev. Wright has taken in his sermons. However, that doesn’t seem to be good enough for the persons who are calling for Barack’s head. They still think that due to the fact that he sat under this controversial ministry for twenty (20) years, he must feel the same way, and thus, his “judgment” has been called into question.
After thinking about some of these afore-mentioned items, I’ve come to the conclusion that what we see and hear in the media as it relates to this situation is nothing more than pure White hypocrisy! Why have I come to such a conclusion? I’ve come to this conclusion because most of the critics of Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright have either had bad “associations” (some still do), and have questionable judgment as it relates to their ability to be trusted with the leadership of our Country.
The critics are now saying that despite his qualifications, Senator Obama is no longer fit to be our nation’s first African-American President, simply due to the fact, that he was associated with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. However, when one takes a closer look at this situation, one can see many of the hypocrisy in many of the prominent critics. I want to give a few examples:
First, consider our current President, George W. Bush. Mr. Bush is obviously a Republican; he is conservative, pro-life, against same sex marriage, and against the homosexual lifestyle, and yet, he is a member of what is believed to be the most liberal Church in America, The United Methodist Church. This Church is officially on record as having ordained openly gay ministers, and has a very liberal approach to the Scriptures. My simple question is how does our President reconcile his “Association” with such a Church? By staying in that Church denomination, does it mean that Mr. Bush is for ordaining gay ministers? Would he sit Sunday after Sunday and listen to an openly, practicing gay minister? If he is really as “conservative” as he claims, I don’t believe that he could remain in the UMC. Second, Mrs. Clinton has been a critic of Rev. Jeremiah Wright as well as Barack Obama’s willingness to remain at the Church. In fact, she has stated on national television: “We don’t get to choose our family members, but we do get to choose our Pastors.” I’d like to take issue with Mrs. Clinton’s statement. She was partly correct; however, she failed to say we also get to choose our spouse.
As everyone knows, the Clinton’s marriage has been made into a public spectacle by her husband and our former President, William Jefferson Clinton. It is common knowledge that Bill Clinton has cheated on Hillary going all the way back to their days in the Governor’s mansion in Arkansas. He has cheated on her, publicly humiliated her, lied to the Country, was impeached by the U. S. Congress, and was sued by several women for sex related indiscretions.
With all of these substantiated facts, my question to Mrs. Clinton is why did/do you “choose” to stay with a serial Adulterer? Why did/do you choose to stand by the side of one who has embarrassed our Country? Why do you continue to support a cheat, deceiver, and liar? In my opinion, it appears that you severely lack good “judgment.”
Third, Mr. Newt Ginrich, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives; It is common knowledge that Mr. Ginrich is now divorced largely due to his affair with another woman while he served as a U.S. Congressman from the State of Georgia. To hear Mr. Ginrich give his assessment of Rev. Wright’s statements, and their affects on the campaign of Barack Obama is, in my judgment, a prime example of what I call White hypocrisy. How can a man with no character judge men who’s character have never been an issue in neither their personal nor their professional lives?
Fourth, the next example of White hypocrisy is Mr. Sean Hannity, co-host of “Hannity & Colmes” program on Fox television. Whenever one listens to Mr. Hannity, it becomes quite clear that he is usually angry. He has been a major critic of Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright. However, what most listeners do not know is that Mr. Hannity has obvious ties with the Catholic Church. Since Barack Obama is being criticized by Sean Hannity due to his “association” with Jeremiah Wright, I want to ask Mr. Hannity why does he associate with the Catholic Church?
It is known world wide that the Catholic Church, while purporting to be The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, is in reality a haven for sexual perverts! With thousands of people having been abused and molested, most of whom were little boys, why does Mr. Hannity continue to associate himself with a Church that has shelled out millions of dollars to victims of these servants of Satan who, claim to be men of God? I would ask the same question or Mr. Bill O’Reilly, host of Fox’s “O’Reilly Factor.”
In closing my remarks, I want to be clear about one thing. I am not sure whom I will vote for; therefore, this response is in no way a personal defense of Barack Obama. It is, however, an attempt to expose the blatant hypocrisy of the afore-mentioned persons, and to encourage the American public to draw their own conclusion about Barack Obama on his own merits, not his former Pastor’s words.
Very Sincerely Yours,
Taking a look at the Jeremiah Wright Controversy: Is Barack Obama a Racist?
Dear Friends:
First, I am glad to be back! Due to some pressing ministry needs as well as travel, I haven’t been consistent with my weekly blog. However, I have felt the need to address the Barack Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy. As most of us know by now, presidential candidate, Barack Obama has come under fire due to the inflammatory remarks by his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright.
In a nutshell, Rev. Wright made statements in regard to the attack on America back during the 9/11 attacks. Rev. Wright pretty much concluded that God allowed America to be attacked because of her treatment of minorities, especially African-Americans. As a result, many in the media have suggested that perhaps Mr. Obama subscribes to these sentiments of his former pastor due to the fact that he sat under his leadership and ministry for 20 years.
Many have said that if Mr. Obama does not believe as his former pastor, then why did he continue to sit and listen to such hatred? Therefore, the overall conclusion is Barack Obama must be a racist! The Obama camp quickly responded through a well written speech that was delivered in Philadelphia, while Mr. Obama was campaigning. As I have listened to Rev. Wright’s sermon on several occasions, I have come to the conclusion that while his words can be construed as being anti-America, I’m not sure if it means that he is in fact a hater of America, or that he is a racist.
I don’t want to spend a great deal of time to determine whether this man is Satan incarnate , however, I do wish to raise the question what is really behind the newly formed attacks on Barack Obama? If you have been following the campaign, then you are well aware that Barack has been doing extremely well in bringing people together, both Blacks and Whites, Asians and Latinos. He has won more States than the once favored Senator Hillary Clinton.
He is ahead of Hillary in the delegate count, and still remains very popular by many young people who, have never showed any interest in politics before. Why is there seemingly an attempt to railroad this man’s chance to become president of the United States? Is the problem racism? Is it really the association that Barack has with Rev. Jeremiah Wright? That leads me to make an interesting observation that many of you perhaps have never considered.
Our current president, George W. Bush is a republican, very conservative, is against same-sex marriage, is pro-life, a professing Christian, and yet, he belongs to what amounts to be the most liberal church denomination in America: The United Methodist Church. This church is officially on the record for ordaining openly gay ministers, having a liberal view on human sexuality by affirming the homosexual lifestyle, and they do not subscribe to the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture.
Therefore, the obvious question of the hour is why would a “Christian” man be a part of a church that goes against the clear teaching of Scripture? Perhaps a better question is how can he reconcile his staunch conservative position with the liberalism that is in the United Methodist Church? What is the point? The point is if we’re going to indict Barack Obama as a racist because of his association with his former pastor, then why do we not indict George W. Bush as a hypocrite for being a member of a church that goes against his personal and political leanings?
To get more to the point, I do not believe for one moment that Barack Obama is a racist! Anyone with a basic level of discernment can both see and sense that this man is genuine in what he believes….even if some of his views are misguided.To hear Barack speak and share his heart, one comes away feeling refreshed and filled with hope that tomorrow will be a brighter day. Is if fair for the media and political adversaries to mislead the Country by designating Barack Obama as a racist pig? I think not. However, Mr. Obama must expect to be attacked by those who fear his popularity and his ability to win the hearts of all people.
Let us remain prayerful that God will give us a president that will uphold the principles and truths that is found in the Scriptures. For the record, I am an evangelical Christian, and I will never support any candidate, black or white who do not share my values and convictions as I see them through the lens of Scripture. What is really behind the attacks on Barack Obama? What say you?
Serving Christ Joyfully,
Why Jesus Christ Came Into the World!
Dear Friends:
I greet all of you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ! As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Savior, I felt compelled to remind us of why Jesus Christ came into the world. While the secular sector of society celebrate in a way that is inconsistent with the true meaning of Christmas, Christians need to focus on and appreciate the real reason for the season! Therefore, I submit the following reasons as to why our loving Lord came into the world:
- To Save Sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-16)
- To Fulfill Old Testament Prophecy (Isaiah 53:1-12)
- To Reveal the Unseen God (John 1:18)
- To Destroy the Works of the Devil ( 1 John 3:8)
- To Bear Witness to the Truth ( John 18:37-38)
These verses serve to help us understand the purpose for which the Savior came into the world. As you and I celebrate Christmas, my prayer is that we will be reminded of the awesome gift that God has given to the world in the person of His dear Son and our Savior, Jesus the Christ!
Merry Christmas to All!
IS JESUS CHRIST THE “ONLY WAY” TO GOD?
Dear Friends:
This past weekend I was reading a Men’s Vogue Magazine, and came across an article about the well known actor, Will Smith. The article made mention of Will’s success as an A-1 actor in Hollywood, but also, it spoke about his new found spiritual interest, Scientology. Most of us are aware of several major Hollywood actors who claim Scientology as their religion of choice; Tom Cruise and John Travolta are perhaps the most famous. Will, says that he has been studying with Tom Cruise and feel that he is on the right track. He makes what I believe to be a very interesting and controversial statement as it relates to equating major religions as one and the same. He says,
“I studied Islam for Ali, I grew up in a Baptist household, I went to Catholic school, he reasons. I’ve studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I’ve studied Scientology through Tom. And nobody is saying anything different! Look, I use the Bible to explain the ideas of God, and life, and love, and relationships, and the life of Jesus Christ to teach my children how to defend their spirit. But in all of the experiences I’ve had with Tom and Scientology, like 98 percent of the principles are identical to the principles of the Bible.” (Men’s Vogue Magazine, page 188, Dec/Jan 08)
Wow! That is amazing to read isn’t it? From these words, it seems clear to me that Mr. Smith is advocating that there are more ways than one to get to God and to have a relationship with Him. Therefore, I wanted to put this question to you, the readers, and see what you think: Is Jesus Christ the only way to God? I realize that this is a hot topic in America, and that there are strong feelings on all sides of the matter. However, the bible alone has the answer to this all important question.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ made several statements that speaks to the exclusivity of Him being the only way to God! In John 14:6, He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Also, in John 10:1-2, He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who dos not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep.” Jesus later explained to His disciples what these words meant. In verses 7 -9, He expounds: “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
From these verses Jesus is making very exclusive statements concerning himself being the only way to God. He makes no apology for these and other statements concerning His identity and the role He plays in the lives of Believers. As for me, I am absolutely convinced that Jesus is indeed the only way to God. I make this judgment for several significant reasons:
- The Claims of Jesus
- The Death of Jesus
- The Resurrection of Jesus
- The Post-Resurrection Ministries of the Apostles
- The Written Word of God
- The Christian Church
Unfortunately, time and space will not allow me to expound upon these six items that I have identified. However, I do want to briefly say a few words about the claims of our Lord as I believe that everything begins and ends with His claims. What did He claim while He was on earth?
- He claimed to be the Son of God (John 3:16)
- He claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6)
- He claimed to be God Himself! (John 8:58; 10:30) Also, John says He was God (John 1:1-6, 14)
- He claimed to have the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10)
- He claimed that He would die and be resurrected (John 2:19-22)
These are just a few of our Lord’s claims about Himself and His mission on earth. In closing, I want to share the words of a great scholar and philosopher as it relates specifically to the significance of Jesus’ claims. In the book Mere Christianity, This scholar criticized the idea that Jesus was merely a human being, albeit a great moral teacher:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952, pg. 43)
I am staking my eternal destiny on the the irrefutable evidence of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, the only way to Almighty God, and my personal Savior and Lord! How about you?
Blessings to All!
Does the Atonement Guarantee Physical Healing?
Dear Friends:
One of the most controversial teachings from the Word of Faith and some Charismatic Churches is that supposedly when Jesus died on the cross, the stripes he received guaranteed our physical healing. The proof texts that these churches used are found in Isaiah 53:4 & 1 Peter 2:24. As always, we encourage everyone who reads these passages to read them in their proper context to get a full understanding.
Do these Scriptures teach that when Jesus died on the cross for our sins that the stripes He received was for the purpose of securing our healing from all physical ailments? After reading and studying these two passages of Scripture I have come to the conclusion that our Lord’s death in no way guarantee our healing in this life! Why?
When you read the historical and immediate context of Isaiah 53, it becomes quite clear that the prophet has “Spiritual” salvation in mind and not physical healing when he said: “By His stripes we were healed.” A careful reading of the entire chapter will reveal that the subject of physical healing is not mentioned! The entire theme of that chapter has to do with the atonement and redemption that the Messiah would provide for His people .
The emphasis is on the Messiah (Jesus Christ) being taken as a “Lamb to the slaughter” in order to redeem sinful humanity by becoming a “sin offering” and thus, make reconciliation possible to everyone who believes. The passage in First Peter is even more telling. When one reads 1 Peter 2:24, you will see these words in the NIV: “He Himself bore our Sins in His body on the Tree.”
Notice what Jesus bored in His body: Our Sins, not our Sickness. Proponents of this doctrine try to evade this passage because it goes against what they teach. However, let’s be clear: Did Jesus die in order to Save us? Or, did He die in order to physically heal us? However, a better question is did He have to die in order to heal us?
Why would it be necessary for Jesus to die in order to heal our ailments? While He was on earth, did He not heal many sick and impotent folk? Did He not raise the dead? Did He not cast out demons? Did He not give sight to the blind? Did He not demonstrate His Sovereignty over nature, sickness, disease, and even the Spirit world while He was on earth?
Why did He need to die in order to physically heal us? I have no doubt that His death on the cross was for the express purpose of redeeming us and reconciling us back to God! Does God and can God heal today? Absolutely! I am a recipient of God’s healing. I believe that God heals in accordance with His purpose for our lives. Some people will never be healed of their maladies and ailments in life, while some will experience the miraculous power of God to heal.
One such example is the well-known and beloved Christian writer, Joni Erickson Tada. Joni had a life threatening accident nearly forty years ago in which she broke her neck in a diving accident. This left her in a wheel chair for life! Joni says “I believed God for healing and I prayed for that healing, but God, in His divine wisdom chose to not heal me.”
Today, Joni has a National Ministry entitled: “Joni & Friends”. This ministry exist for the sole purpose of bringing hope to those who have suffered and who, need to know the saving power of Jesus Christ! Yes, God can heal without a doubt, but sometimes He chooses not to heal for His own divine purposes. What say the rest of you?
Blessings to All!
