Jesus heals. Or Does He? pdf copywrite 28 8 18 31
Jesus Heals. Or does he? A medical look at Christian healing practices and conversely, a Christian look into medical practices. Free Book on Yumpu.
Jesus Heals. Or does he? A medical look at Christian healing practices and conversely, a Christian look into medical practices. Free Book on Yumpu.
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Jos van den Hoek, B.App.Sci., Dip. Ac, M.A., D.R.S.<br />
This book is taken from and produced following requirements set by Trinity<br />
Bible College and Theological Seminary for the Doctor Of Religious Studies<br />
program major writing project. (RW 827 Doctor of Religious Studies Major<br />
Writing Project)<br />
The major writing project subject is individually chosen by the Trinity<br />
student. In this case I have decided to write on this subject following years of<br />
searching, and earnest contemplation on this subject. The content of this book<br />
also reflect and continue the previously published titles, Something’s On The<br />
Boil; A Discovery Of Prayer And <strong>He</strong>aling, and Don’t Be Afraid Just Believe.<br />
©Copyright 2016 Josephus L. van den Hoek. All rights reserved. No part of<br />
this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or<br />
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,<br />
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission<br />
of the author.<br />
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy<br />
Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011<br />
by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved<br />
worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International<br />
Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark<br />
Office by Biblica, Inc.<br />
Disclaimer: The content of this book neither constitutes, nor substitutes for<br />
medical advice or treatment for any form of disease or any form of illness.<br />
Please consult a licensed physician for medical related conditions or<br />
problems.<br />
Editing by: Jasmine van den Hoek; Jasmine Jade Editing and writing,<br />
http://www.jasminejadeediting.com<br />
1
Special thanks,<br />
To Jennifer, my wife. Thank you for your love, tolerance, patience and<br />
encouragement.<br />
To Trinity Bible College and Theological Seminary. Your requirements in<br />
training Christians to think is exemplary.<br />
To my daughter, Jasmine van den Hoek for taking so much time to discuss the<br />
much needed editing and formatting in preparing this material.<br />
A note to the reader:<br />
You may find that what you have expected to read including many of the<br />
‘usual’ texts on healing used by many modern authors are absent from this<br />
work. This is done purposefully. This work is different in that it examines<br />
modern medical research as a tool by which to gauge Christian healing claims.<br />
That is to both validate and to refute them. Modern research is beginning to<br />
show evidence that religion and or spirituality has some health benefits. This<br />
is surprising from the point of view that medicine has distanced itself from<br />
religion in favor of scientific evidence and practice.<br />
Research cannot replace theology but it can perhaps validate theology in<br />
terms of healing. Theological ideas or interpretations may be bent to suit a<br />
listener’s ears and yet prove to be incorrect. This work is not an attempt to<br />
amplify or validate a Christian theology of healing but rather to hold it<br />
accountable in order to prevent the pain, despair and disappointments, often<br />
associated with enthusiastic claims of healing. This is not something to be<br />
afraid of but rather embrace. <strong>Jesus</strong> Himself instructed validation of healing.<br />
Then <strong>Jesus</strong> said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the<br />
priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” i<br />
2
Table of Contents:<br />
Trinity Doctor of Religious Studies (DRS) introduction<br />
Definitions of Terms<br />
Chapter 1: <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>He</strong>als. <strong>Or</strong> <strong>Does</strong> <strong>He</strong>?<br />
Chapter 2: <strong>He</strong>alth<br />
Chapter 3: The Mind<br />
Chapter 4; The <strong>He</strong>art<br />
Chapter 5: Prayer<br />
Chapter 6: Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc<br />
Chapter 7: The Bride of Christ<br />
Chapter 8: Rest<br />
Chapter 9: Primum Non Nocere<br />
Chapter 10: Whole Person <strong>He</strong>althcare<br />
Chapter 11: Science and Faith<br />
Chapter 12: <strong>He</strong>aling and Canonization<br />
Chapter 13: Results Are What Counts<br />
Chapter 14: Final Thoughts<br />
Appendix<br />
Bibliography<br />
3
Introduction:<br />
“<strong>Jesus</strong> went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming<br />
the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among<br />
the people.” (Matthew 4:23)<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>. <strong>Or</strong> does <strong>He</strong>?<br />
In a religious or spiritual context, news that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> is good news.<br />
However, the context of physical healing in the Christian church, or body of<br />
Christ, is so diverse that instead of healing, the news that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> can also<br />
be devastating. There are innumerable people who claim to have been healed<br />
in <strong>Jesus</strong> name.<br />
2<br />
There are also many false and unsubstantiated claims. 3 There are even legal<br />
cases where Christians with good intent have caused bodily harm and even<br />
death by instigating inappropriate healing methods. 4 Radical faith in <strong>Jesus</strong> has<br />
also caused preventable deaths when Christians have refused readily available<br />
medical care or purposely neglected common safety precautions5, 3.<br />
“Nevertheless, we know that during the imprisonment when Paul<br />
wrote Philippians, some Christians preached in such a way as to make<br />
things harder for him (Phil. 1:15). They probably did so by emphasizing<br />
the radical, revolutionary dimension to his preaching, the kinds of<br />
things that got him into trouble with political authorities.” 6<br />
4
There is no standard of care for healing in the Christian church as a<br />
whole. 7 “Guidelines are needed to set recognizable and acceptable standards<br />
of conduct and to develop a common understanding of good practice; therefore,<br />
they should be written for all people, lay and ordained, who are involved.” 8<br />
“Across the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the<br />
Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, the Baptist Union and the<br />
<strong>Or</strong>thodox Churches, there is no overall coordinating body or formal linking of<br />
networks for advisors, clergy and laity involved in the healing ministry.” 9 This<br />
is only a shortlist or an insight into how diverse the healing ministry can be<br />
within the church as a whole.<br />
Within the body of Christ today there exists two extremes or opposite<br />
poles. One that assumes the spiritual gifts have ceased, thus, there is no 'gift of<br />
healing'. At the same end of the spectrum are Christians who simply do not<br />
believe that God is active in healing in any beneficial way. How many of us<br />
have also encountered angry Christians who hold God responsible for not<br />
saving their loved ones who have died, or who have suffered extreme and<br />
insufferable circumstances of poor health?<br />
“Cessationism is the position within Christianity that the Charismatic<br />
Spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues, word of knowledge, word of<br />
5
wisdom, interpretation of tongues, etc.) ceased with the closing of<br />
the Canon of scripture and/or the death of the last apostle.” 10<br />
The opposite pole, or extreme, also exists. There are Christians who<br />
may be regarded as healing 'crusaders'. Those who promote <strong>Jesus</strong> as healer<br />
with supremacy over all diseases. Unfortunately, this end of the spectrum also<br />
leaves many returning home in pain and unhealed, sometimes feeling rejected<br />
by God, unloved by <strong>Jesus</strong>, or angry enough to give up on faith. They may give<br />
up on faith for healing but also faith in <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ because they may have<br />
prayed, fasted, been anointed, confessed their sins and studied their Bibles only<br />
to continue suffering and perhaps even more so than before.<br />
“From time to time evangelistic rallies are organized by Christian groups with<br />
publicity about ‘healing miracles’. Some Christian doctors have interviewed<br />
those who were told when they attended such rallies they had been healed and<br />
failed to discover medical evidence for it. From this and other evidence we have<br />
seen, we seem to be moving towards the view that, whatever happened in the<br />
past, today God does not normally work through that which can be defines as<br />
miraculous,” 11 says the Church of England’s Archbishops Church Council.<br />
Thus, although there are Biblical guidelines of healing based on Scripture and<br />
precedent, there is no agreeable doctrine that all Christians adhere to. 12<br />
6
"<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>" is a statement of faith. Is it the same to say "<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>" is<br />
a statement of fact? Although similar, they are quite different. To support the<br />
argument that "<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>" is a statement of fact, there must be evidence of that<br />
fact. Where can this evidence be found? Is it found in the convinced Christian’s<br />
heart? Is it found in the mind of the healed Christian? Is it found in Scripture?<br />
Is it found in the personality or character of <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ? Is it found in a medical<br />
blood test, an M.R.I. scan, a neurological test, or in a petri dish? Is it found by<br />
witness to that fact? All of these parameters are examples Christians may<br />
overlook, ignore or cast aside as insignificant evidence against the premise that<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today.<br />
Against the folly of the apparent unfounded Christian beliefs are the<br />
medical facts, patient records, and natural progression or attributes of diseases<br />
or other medical conditions. A simple example is whooping cough (Pertussis).<br />
If an affected child were infected with Pertussis and became progressively ill, a<br />
parent might be desperate enough to call on God for help. Once infected, the<br />
disease has to run its course. If a parent were to take their child to the church or<br />
sacred site for healing what could one expect?<br />
Secondly, if that child was to respond positively to a cry out for God to<br />
help and be instantly healed, would we be reasonable in attributing that healing<br />
7
to God? Within reasonable boundaries, "yes" would be a fair answer 13 . What if<br />
information later came to hand that the child was brought to God on the ninetyninth<br />
day of his illness. Of course we may answer somewhat differently and<br />
philosophize about the circumstances, to be fair, but why is day ninety-nine<br />
important? It is important because the Chinese call Pertussis the "one-hundredday<br />
cough" 14,15 . Did God heal the child? Is there reasonable doubt?<br />
Even though we have two opposing views about the question whether<br />
or not <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today, we have to allow for both views within the Christian<br />
faith. Both cases could be considered, to some extent, to be correct. What's more<br />
is that the church has to be more responsible in its claims because it has, in some<br />
cases, brought severe damage to the faith and the image of Christ through the<br />
eyes of those with unfulfilled promises and declarations of healing. 16 , 17<br />
“<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>” is indeed a wonderful statement. The church as a whole<br />
should embrace and celebrate the entirety of what it means to say “<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>”.<br />
In doing so, it should also accept that there comes a responsibility to lift up that<br />
claim to the glory of God, defend it and respect it, but also to guard it from<br />
abuse. When healing comes from God, it is a beautiful thing. When we<br />
misconstrue what belongs to God and his sovereignty, we deface the beauty of<br />
8
God's works. Imagine the house of God as a beautiful palace. Who would allow<br />
others to defile its beauty with graffiti? The church should know better.<br />
How then is church to defend the healing faith? Faith is not like<br />
standardized medical care. The medical model claims to be a scientific model,<br />
although the science is not necessarily complete. The starting point of<br />
defending the statement, “<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>” has traditionally been to refer to Biblical<br />
texts to support a spiritual premise or truth. However, another starting point<br />
may be to agree with the Statement that <strong>Jesus</strong> does not heal and work<br />
backwards from there. If we can agree that reasonable doubt exists against the<br />
view that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>, then we can also agree that there can be reasonable doubt<br />
against the point of view that <strong>He</strong> does not. In this way what is admitted or<br />
'confessed' first is what we do not know about certain things. From there we<br />
have a better starting point to examine the facts and then gather evidence which<br />
may appear credible rather than the reverse.<br />
Christians all over the world may be encouraged by saying “<strong>Jesus</strong><br />
<strong>heals</strong>”. This gives them hope when there may otherwise be none. This gives<br />
them strength when they are exhausted. This gives them rest and peace in the<br />
full sense of the words. This gives the assurance that God’s will be done. This<br />
binds them together, to care for each other and to take pride in being active in<br />
9
the process of acting upon God’s word and being involved in healing the sick.<br />
‘<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>’ is not only good news for Christians, it is a validation of the<br />
Christian premise that <strong>Jesus</strong> is alive and <strong>He</strong>, by way of The Holy Spirit, is<br />
actively engaged in the daily events of every believer’s life. The following<br />
pages search for a balance between reason and doubt in search of reasonable<br />
evidence to the fact that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today.<br />
10
Definition of terms:<br />
Christian:<br />
Christian or Christianity refers to the Christian faith with the confession of <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
Christ as the son of God. Christianity includes all the denominations.<br />
Christianity includes the acceptance and understanding of the Father, Son and<br />
Holy Spirit.<br />
Church:<br />
The church refers to the body of Christ as a whole in the broadest sense of the<br />
word including all the formal denominations and independent churches who<br />
proclaim <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ as the son of God.<br />
<strong>He</strong>aling:<br />
<strong>He</strong>aling in the terms of this paper generally refers to physical healing. That is<br />
to say that objective pathologies are reversed to normal. It does not mean to<br />
simply feel better, to think one is better or to claim healing where it has not<br />
objectively occurred. <strong>He</strong>aling may include the expectation that some illnesses<br />
may regress in time in accordance with the normal progression of disease.<br />
Medical:<br />
Medical refers to both the medical profession as a whole but may also include<br />
a wider definition to include alternative therapies or allied health professions.<br />
The medical profession is more specific to limit the definition to medical<br />
11
professionals. In some instances, medical may also refer to some degree of<br />
professional training. Although modern medical treatment is the most<br />
prominent form of healthcare available in the western world it has its limits,<br />
risks and mistakes. Medical care is far from perfect and yet it is essential.<br />
Religion:<br />
Religion refers primarily to the larger world religions as being an organized<br />
faith.<br />
Spirituality:<br />
Spirituality is a loose term with no specific focus. In terms used by Dr. H.<br />
Koenig, Spirituality, in terms of research, can mean ‘almost anything’.<br />
Spirituality would thus include many of todays ‘new age’ concepts and<br />
philosophies.<br />
Research:<br />
When using research to validate a taken position on something it should be<br />
remembered that research is not infallible. Research may be manipulated or<br />
even withheld from publication particularly when it demonstrates negative<br />
outcomes. In broad terms, research claims and conclusions in this study are<br />
used to demonstrate a wider scope of thinking. Christians sometimes need to<br />
reconcile hard facts with their theology or doctrine. Medicine also need to<br />
12
understand that research may never prove to be conclusive in spiritual or<br />
religious realms. God is not limited to the research findings of man.<br />
13
Chapter 1: <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>. <strong>Or</strong> does <strong>He</strong>?<br />
“In NT times Greek medicine had a dominant influence in the<br />
Mediterranean world. Although the practice of medicine was still in a<br />
primitive state, Hippocrates and other Greek physicians of this day laid<br />
the basis for modern medicine by rejecting magical explanations of<br />
diseases and through careful observation attempted to give a rational<br />
basis for medical treatment.” <strong>18</strong><br />
Most Christians agree that <strong>Jesus</strong> of Nazareth healed the sick. In fact, we<br />
believe that God has healed the sick in the Old Testament as well as in The New<br />
Testament. Why do we believe it? The most obvious answer is because it is in<br />
the Bible as scripture and as such we can trust God and His word. Even though<br />
we do not have all the details, we have learned to trust God’s word. We are not<br />
necessarily medical scholars, nor do we have to be to believe that <strong>Jesus</strong> healed<br />
the sick. We believe that God has a sovereignty beyond what we can<br />
understand, beyond medical and scientific knowledge, and beyond any of our<br />
own comprehensions.<br />
“Though man is made in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), yet the nature of God<br />
in every way infinitely transcends that of man. Both the thoughts and the acts<br />
14
of God surpass man’s understanding. Men find it hard to pardon those who<br />
have offended them; God can pardon, and ‘pardon abundantly.’” 19<br />
In the current, predominantly secular, medical model, God plays no<br />
role nor is the person considered to have a spiritual part. The person is only<br />
considered to be a physical being with a mental component.<br />
“The present clinical, psycho/social model used in medicine typically<br />
does not acknowledge spirituality as a factor in the etiology and<br />
symptomatology of illness, sickness, and disease. The patient is seen<br />
primarily as a secular human being and not as a spiritual human<br />
being.” 20<br />
Historically, however, medical treatment has not always ignored the spiritual.<br />
“Following her martyrdom, Apollonia was made a saint by the Catholic,<br />
Eastern <strong>Or</strong>thodox and Coptic Christian churches. She was made the patron<br />
saint of tooth problems by the Catholic church, and medieval sufferers of<br />
toothache were often advised to address a well-known prayer to her.<br />
Importantly, historical research has shown that this advice was dispensed by<br />
physicians—showing that medical practice in this period involved a<br />
combination of natural remedies and spiritual advice.” 21<br />
15
Again, if God plays no role in medicine today, and the spiritual<br />
component is absent, how then can God play any role within the medical model<br />
of healthcare? How can God be credited with healing the sick? How can a<br />
person appeal to God if the patient himself is not considered to have a spiritual<br />
component? What is a Christian doctor to do?<br />
“While the supernatural or spiritual origin of disease may no longer be<br />
widely accepted, medicine is always part of the belief systems of<br />
specific cultures and time periods, and is only one of many linked ways<br />
in which people encounter and explain disease.” 22<br />
It follows then that, from a Christian point of view, the medical model is guilty<br />
of neglecting the whole person that is defined as a combination of both the<br />
physical and the spiritual aspects of the person. The following pages will<br />
demonstrate that by ignoring the spiritual aspect of man, medicine fails to<br />
address the whole person and as such may be neglecting important aspects of<br />
healing. How then have many Christians come so far to accept the medical<br />
model of healing as God’s method of healing today? 23 , 24<br />
In an attempt to demonstrate that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>, Christians have to move<br />
away from a blind faith model where it is considered incorrect to, at the very<br />
least, have questions. Questions do not necessarily attack faith, rather they<br />
16
strengthen it. Apologetics is a Christian attempt to defend the faith with both<br />
reason and theology. Anyone who has spent any time pondering the question<br />
of God’s involvement in healing today will have encountered the question of<br />
faith. Christian extremism has been guilty of claiming that God’s healing has<br />
on occasions not occurred because of one’s lack of faith.<br />
“Recently I had knee-replacement surgery. I was surprised that my<br />
brothers and sisters in Christ rebuked me for having this operation<br />
because I didn’t rely solely on prayer and intercession for my healing.”<br />
25<br />
----------------------------------------------------<br />
“Apologists. The name given to the Christian writers who (c. 120–220)<br />
first addressed themselves to the task of making a reasoned defence<br />
and recommendation of their faith to outsiders. They include Aristides,<br />
Justin Martyr, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Minucius Felix, and<br />
Tertullian. They belonged to the period when Christianity was first<br />
making converts among the educated classes, and was also in conflict<br />
with the State over its very right to exist. Their objective was to gain a<br />
fair hearing for Christianity, to dispel popular slanders and<br />
misunderstandings, and sometimes to show that Christians were loyal<br />
17
subjects, and to provide for this purpose some account of Christian<br />
belief and practice.” 26<br />
How does one research the physical or medical model to find evidence<br />
that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>? Firstly, one has to consider the possibility that medicine does<br />
not have all the answers. One also has to consider that medicine has its own<br />
limits in research. Even though modern medicine is far more advanced than it<br />
was a decade or even a century ago, one would think that it will also have its<br />
limits in the future. Even while developing a slightly more tolerant approach to<br />
spiritual issues, medicine cannot control all of what we can call ‘man’. Secondly,<br />
one has to accept that there may be no satisfying answers, and thirdly, one has<br />
to be aware that one of the most common research findings is that often more<br />
research is needed to support their claims. 27 Fourthly, one must understand that<br />
when research into faith and spiritual matters is conducted with public or<br />
government funds it cannot exclude other religions. Thus, modern research<br />
may fall under labels such as “religious” or “spiritual”, where God may be any<br />
God, and faith may be any faith.<br />
How does Christianity or the church find evidence that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>?<br />
Although the church has a historical record in the Bible coupled with a spiritual<br />
witness <strong>28</strong> , the individual is left to weigh its truths.<br />
<strong>18</strong>
“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God<br />
has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:32)<br />
Evidence extrinsic to the Bible commonly incudes testimony of people<br />
claiming to have experienced divine healing, beatification in the Catholic<br />
church, spontaneous reports of healings through the ages but also medical<br />
reports or declarations of miraculous recoveries by certain individuals.<br />
“When a patient is extremely ill and/or dying, and the family expects<br />
a miraculous recovery, this situation can be very challenging to<br />
physicians, particularly when there is certainty that the miracle will<br />
occur (from the patient’s point of view) through divine intervention. A<br />
practical approach is therefore provided to clinicians for engaging<br />
families that anticipate the miraculous healing of a sick patient. This<br />
strategy involves exploring the meaning and significance of a miracle,<br />
providing a balanced, non-argumentative response and negotiation of<br />
patient-centered compromises, while conveying respect for patient’s<br />
spirituality and practicing good medicine. Such an approach, tailored<br />
to the specifics of each family, can be effective in helping a family come<br />
to a place of acceptance about the impending death of their loved one.”<br />
29<br />
19
The following chapters will attempt to show that there exists a realm of<br />
knowledge and an aspect of faith that may contribute, and possibly be<br />
responsible for, a part of health and healing which we as yet do not fully<br />
understand.<br />
20
Chapter 2: <strong>He</strong>alth<br />
Who are the sick? The obvious answer is, those who are suffering<br />
from ill health. Contrary to the medical aspect of health which ignores the<br />
spiritual, medicine does consider mental health. Christianity has many<br />
Biblical examples of ill health including the physical and mental but also<br />
spiritual, which is often characterized as the demonic.<br />
<strong>He</strong>alth is defined by the Dictionary of Bible Themes as “a state of physical<br />
and spiritual well-being, which Scripture declares to be possible only through<br />
faith in <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ.” 30<br />
“<br />
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness<br />
in my bones because of my sin.” <strong>31</strong><br />
The World <strong>He</strong>alth <strong>Or</strong>ganization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete<br />
physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or<br />
infirmity.” 32 Interestingly, the WHO recognizes mental and social wellbeing<br />
but it does not state the ‘spiritual’. The Christian definition of health includes<br />
the spiritual and it also recognizes the essential care of the physical body.<br />
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the<br />
body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not<br />
know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you<br />
21
have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.<br />
Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 33<br />
Although both definitions of health include the body and mind, only the<br />
Christian definition includes the spiritual aspect of health because it is essential<br />
to our being. In John’s letter, he opens with a rather friendly and familiar<br />
statement linking the whole person including the soul with health. <strong>He</strong> writes:<br />
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may<br />
go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 34<br />
Secondly, the apostle Paul also says:<br />
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and<br />
through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the<br />
coming of our Lord <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and<br />
he will do it.” 35<br />
Again, the essential spirit, soul and body are logically and inseparably linked<br />
as components of the whole person.<br />
While medicine’s absence of a spiritual component is obvious, it is not<br />
essentially intolerant of the spiritual. Many hospitals have chapels where<br />
patients, staff, friends and relatives may seek peace, rest, silence, and their own<br />
God or deity. Yet it is often difficult, even for faithful doctors to pray. The<br />
22
majority of medical schools have some aspect of religious or spiritual training<br />
available, all be it limited, but are seemingly unwilling to expand the training<br />
even when sufficient funds become available. 36<br />
“Rule No. 1 when it comes to the question of prayer with/for a patient or<br />
family: Clinicians should never proselytize or initiate the prayer. This<br />
can constitute a serious breach of professional boundaries.” 37<br />
__________________________________________________<br />
“As physicians, we interact with patients during some of the most<br />
important moments of their lives — at their births and at their deathbeds,<br />
at events bursting with spiritual significance. And yet most of us are<br />
afraid to talk about spirituality with our patients, much less discuss<br />
religion, out of fear that such conversations would be inappropriate. We<br />
are afraid even though many patients want to discuss these matters with<br />
their doctor.” 38<br />
___________________________________________________<br />
“Occasionally, as a trainee, I would spot a hospital chaplain, but at the<br />
medical school where I was trained and others, nothing about religion<br />
or spirituality is ever taught. Science is supposed to be logical, rational<br />
and objective, while spiritual beliefs are irrational, subjective, elusive<br />
23
and hard to describe. Not surprisingly, research suggests that doctors<br />
tend to be less religious than their patients.” 39<br />
__________________________________________________________<br />
Apart from inside the hospital chapel, severely ill patients needing<br />
palliative care come into another realm of medical care where spirituality is<br />
addressed under another WHO definition.<br />
“Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of<br />
patients and their families facing the problem associated with lifethreatening<br />
illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by<br />
means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment<br />
of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.” 40<br />
When a patient is beyond the reach of medicine then he or she is seen as being<br />
within the reach of God.<br />
One has to ask if our medical views of the healthcare do not fall far<br />
short of a spiritual reality that would be better served by considering spiritual<br />
issues far sooner, perhaps even at the onset of healthcare.<br />
“Researchers concluded that physician training should focus on<br />
“teaching residents how to be sensitive to the R/S (religious/spiritual)<br />
24
context of their patients and to recognize their own intuitive reactions<br />
to patient communication in that context.”<br />
“Physicians tend to get defensive when patients ask anything<br />
regarding the physician’s R/S (religious/spiritual) beliefs, opinions, or<br />
activities.”<br />
“Defensiveness is a natural reaction that needs to be recognized by the<br />
physician since this could impede their ability to provide supportive<br />
patient-centered responses.” 41<br />
<strong>Does</strong> the church have any responsibility with regard to its teachings on<br />
health and healing? The church has a responsibility to itself as a steward of the<br />
word of God. Obviously wanton claims of healing that have in fact not occurred<br />
only damage the church. The church has a responsibility to the suffering as<br />
well. Although the church has some rights to aid believers through a spiritual<br />
means it cannot simply ignore good healthcare practices as it pleases. Even<br />
when the church is acting as a good steward of God’s word, the suffering<br />
believer may not be seeking God’s help exclusively but seeking help from God<br />
as well as from mainstream medical professionals or alternative health<br />
professionals.<br />
25
When the Bible speaks about health it is generally not a primary focus<br />
to teach medical knowledge but rather to teach spiritual or theological<br />
knowledge even when adequate medical knowledge may have been available.<br />
The main medical conditions were loosely descriptive around symptoms or<br />
conditions with which the reader could relate. Fever, for example, may have<br />
many causes, bacterial, viral and other infections, however the Bible may only<br />
mention a fever.<br />
“<br />
When <strong>Jesus</strong> came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law<br />
lying in bed with a fever. <strong>He</strong> touched her hand and the fever left her,<br />
and she got up and began to wait on him.” 42<br />
“In the Bible there has also been a distinction made between a mild or<br />
a high fever. “FEVER—(Deut. <strong>28</strong>:22; Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:30; John 4:52;<br />
Acts <strong>28</strong>:8), a burning heat, as the word so rendered denotes, which<br />
attends all febrile attacks. In all Eastern countries such diseases are very<br />
common. Peter’s wife’s mother is said to have suffered from a “great<br />
fever” (Luke 4:38), an instance of Luke’s professional exactitude in<br />
describing disease. <strong>He</strong> adopts here the technical medical distinction, as<br />
in those times fevers were divided into the “great” and the “less.”” 43<br />
26
Similarly, convulsions also haves many causes including fever, epilepsy and<br />
tumors. Biblically, what was observed was noted, such as in Mathew 17:15:<br />
“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “<strong>He</strong> has seizures and is suffering greatly. <strong>He</strong><br />
often falls into the fire or into the water.” There is no diagnosis of epilepsy or other<br />
conditions in the Bible, but the symptoms and, in the above case, the<br />
consequences are described. The son has “seizures” and he “falls” are the<br />
essential elements of the description of illness. That the son falls into a fire or<br />
into water are not necessarily important. However, by falling the son would<br />
further hurt himself. This would attach an emotional cry to <strong>Jesus</strong> for help, as<br />
any parent would while caring for a child.<br />
<strong>He</strong>alth is not only related to diseases. <strong>He</strong>alth includes our attitude, our<br />
mind, our heart, our behavior, our emotions, our relationships, our diet,<br />
including both bread and water but especially our “daily bread” and our<br />
“living water”. “Daily bread” and “living water” are not as fitting in the<br />
medical model of healthcare as they are in the Biblical sense. In today’s low<br />
carbohydrate dietary trends, especially for weight loss, our daily bread has, in<br />
a sense, almost become evil. 44 American radio personality R. P. L. Clark<br />
announced over a Chicago radio station in 19<strong>28</strong>: “The whiter the bread, the<br />
sooner you’re dead; The whiter the flour, the sooner the flowers.” 45<br />
27
“Anyone who needs to lose weight, has digestive issues or is somehow<br />
affected by the western diet should eliminate bread and other sources<br />
of gluten grains. If a damaged intestinal wall, blood sugar roller<br />
coaster, bloating, tiredness and a 60% increase in small, dense LDL isn’t<br />
a good enough reasons to quit eating bread, then I don’t know what<br />
is.” 46<br />
Bread has many references in the Bible pertaining to our sustenance. It<br />
has been a staple part of our diet for centuries. If <strong>Jesus</strong> is the “bread of life” 47 ,<br />
how is it that Christians get sick? <strong>Jesus</strong> is a Christian’s ‘everything’. 48 <strong>He</strong> is a<br />
Christian's hope, savior, provider, comforter and healer. Catholics consume<br />
bread and wine, believing it to transubstantiate it into the actual body and<br />
blood of Christ 49 . Many Christians agree with the teaching that holy<br />
communion is to remember Christ because of the apostle Paul’s words:<br />
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord <strong>Jesus</strong>, on<br />
the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke<br />
it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of<br />
me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the<br />
new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in<br />
<strong>28</strong>
emembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,<br />
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (Emphasis added) 50<br />
Is this all there is to this sacrament? Is there no power in the bread ingested as<br />
the body of Christ?<br />
Could it be that we have simply not captured the true essence of the<br />
Lord’s supper and have weakened it by tradition? “Yet, communion holds the<br />
key to walking in supernatural health and deliverance for the body, mind and<br />
spirit.” 51 How can any of this be true? How can we not know the full power of<br />
Christ as our “daily bread”? <strong>Jesus</strong> broke bread, that is to say that he literally<br />
broke bread, or ate with His disciples before His death. This is how we have<br />
come to know of the last supper. However, we often forget that <strong>Jesus</strong> also broke<br />
bread with His followers after his resurrection. The power of breaking bread<br />
opened the hearts and minds of His own followers who were so in the dark that<br />
they could not even recognize <strong>Jesus</strong> for who <strong>He</strong> was.<br />
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it<br />
and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they<br />
recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” (Emphasis added) 52<br />
<strong>Does</strong> the Lord’s supper have more value or contain more spiritual<br />
truths than most Christians are aware of? In the Old Testament, God provided<br />
29
daily bread through manna. If we combine the “daily bread” of the Lord’s<br />
Prayer with the bread of the Lord’s supper, we may find more understanding.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> said:<br />
“Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink<br />
his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood<br />
has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real<br />
food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood<br />
remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live<br />
because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This<br />
is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died,<br />
but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 53<br />
The blood of the lamb protected the Israelites during the Old Testament<br />
Passover. And, eating the body of the lamb provided healing in preparation for<br />
the exodus. In Psalms 105:37 (KJV) we read that the next day when the Israelites<br />
left Egypt that “there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” 54<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong>, the lamb of God, was our final sacrifice. <strong>He</strong> died for our sins. <strong>He</strong><br />
was called “the lamb of God” by John the Baptist. “The next day John saw <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the<br />
world!”” 55 There are those who believe that <strong>Jesus</strong>’s blood has saved us. That is<br />
30
agreed upon by Christians universally. There are also those who argue that we<br />
are also saved physically by the body of Christ as included in His atonement.<br />
This takes place through our walking through life with God and recognizing<br />
and accepting His actions on our part and Christ being our diet of “daily<br />
bread”. We walk with God. We talk with God and we are in close relationship<br />
with God. “Daily bread” is also the communion with Christ through taking the<br />
bread and the wine. It is for each individual Christian to seek out truths, within<br />
the confines of sound Biblical doctrine, that are important to them. To seek and<br />
find, earnestly, answers to what God has put in their heart.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>. <strong>Or</strong> does he? <strong>Jesus</strong> is also the hope of the world. Surely, he<br />
has provided for our health. Answers from God may not always be obvious.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong>, similarly is not a savior to everyone. <strong>He</strong> is available to be their savior, but<br />
not all are saved even after having heard the Gospel. We need to ‘seek’ Him.<br />
Even then he is not someone who just pops in anytime he is called upon. We<br />
are biblically instructed to seek Him with all our heart, with all our minds and<br />
with all our soul. Even then, when we find Him we yet have to discover all of<br />
His benefits such as grace, forgiveness, peace, rest, love, caring, strength,<br />
wisdom, prosperity and even healing. God gave the Israelites manna which<br />
was to be collected daily. It was a wonderful provision. And yet the people<br />
complained! Even if we could fully understand that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today and we<br />
<strong>31</strong>
could have all the tangible, reproducible, medical or scientific evidence that<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>, many would still complain and dismiss His provisions for us.<br />
Perhaps that is why it is that only those who seek Him daily and relentlessly<br />
shall find Him.<br />
“God miraculously gave food to the Israelites in the Exodus after the<br />
food they had brought with them from Egypt had run out. “When the<br />
dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the<br />
desert floor” (Exodus 16:14). Not knowing what it was, they called it<br />
“manna,” which means “What is it?” In the centuries since then, the<br />
expression “manna from heaven” has been used to mean any<br />
unexpected good fortune.”” 56<br />
32
Chapter 3: The Mind<br />
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your<br />
mind.” 57 Although we have a body that may be in need of healing, it has been<br />
said that many of our ailments begin in our minds. 58, 59 It is important for the<br />
Christian church to be aware of, and actively be involved in mental health,<br />
because mental health plays a major role in healthcare, not only from a medical<br />
point of view but also from a social point of view.<br />
Who are the mentally ill? According to statistics they are about one<br />
quarter of the church members sitting in the pews on Sunday mornings. “An<br />
estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages <strong>18</strong> years and older—about one in four<br />
adults (or 57.7 million people)—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a<br />
given year.” 60 It follows then that as shepherds for the flock, the church cannot<br />
simply ignore a quarter of its own congregations who are suffering. Mental<br />
health disorders include anxieties, depression, eating disorders and suicidal<br />
thoughts but also more serious illnesses such as bi-polar disorders,<br />
schizophrenia, and psychosis.<br />
One can quickly begin to understand that our minds play a great role<br />
in our health but also in our faith, worship and relationship with God. Our<br />
minds are much more than our thoughts. In ancient Greece, the mind was<br />
33
exceptionally important in understanding the complete man. Paradoxically, to<br />
the ancient <strong>He</strong>brews and Old Testament writers “there was no distinctive<br />
terminology for the conception of mind.” 61 “ Love the Lord your God with all<br />
your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” 62 says<br />
Deuteronomy 6:5, but it was <strong>Jesus</strong> who added the words “with all your mind.” 63<br />
Although the mind can be thought of as including our soul, spirit, or heart, it is<br />
vitally important to understand the weight of the mind of man. It is in our<br />
minds where decisions are made and it is in our minds where we make the<br />
decisions to do either good or do evil. When the word “mind” “is used in a<br />
broader sense that includes the entire mental and moral process or state of<br />
being of a man,” 64 a fuller sense of the definition can be understood.<br />
Man’s behavior can be determined by the state of the mind. When one<br />
is said to be controlled by the spirit, one’s behavior leads to good but when led<br />
by the mind, as the flesh, one is understood to be evil.<br />
“<br />
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit<br />
is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not<br />
submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh<br />
cannot please God.” 65<br />
34
Reading this verse, one has to think that in a medical model of health,<br />
one can almost certainly never understand life, because the mind is not led by<br />
The Spirit. When <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> there is evidence of a “renewing of the mind.”<br />
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the<br />
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s<br />
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 66<br />
The church understands the importance of the mind and the spirit in<br />
relationship to man. By preaching the Gospel, man can respond to God’s calling<br />
and be renewed with a new mind. Although this sounds great and is good<br />
news, we also have to understand that the mentally ill are not necessarily<br />
spontaneously healed, despite that having happened in Biblical references.<br />
“When they came to <strong>Jesus</strong>, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of<br />
demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” 67 It is not<br />
the intension of this verse here to show that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> the mentally ill. 68 The<br />
intention is to show that Christians should have an awareness of the mind,<br />
spirit and soul relationship that is absent in medical care.<br />
“Since many physicians are not aware of the full significance of<br />
psychosocial factors, they are not highly motivated to consider and<br />
evaluate them. Since the importance to the patient of empathy, support<br />
35
and hope is not fully appreciated, physicians may fail to adequately<br />
provide these essential qualities.” 69<br />
Mental illness is an important but often overlooked component of<br />
health. Once again we can see that the church, as the body of Christ, considers<br />
the mind, soul and spirit to be very important in any relationship with Christ.<br />
While the advocates of <strong>Jesus</strong>’s healings may often embrace the physical<br />
healings, the rightful place of mental, emotional and spiritual healing are<br />
paramount to Christianity.<br />
With an ageing population on the increase, it is also likely that illnesses<br />
such as Alzheimer disease will become much more commonplace than it is<br />
today. Although there is some debate as to the defining Alzheimer’s as a mental<br />
illness it is a well-documented illness affecting the brain and behavior. Consider<br />
the following definitions:<br />
“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is not a mental illness, but it can cause<br />
symptoms related to mental health, such as depression, anxiety,<br />
agitation, and hallucinations. If your loved one is having any of these<br />
symptoms, it may be helpful to have a psychiatric evaluation.”<br />
(Emphasis added) 70<br />
36
“Alzheimer’s disease is formally recognized as a mental illness.<br />
The disease and its symptoms are outlined in the Diagnostic and<br />
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), which is the main<br />
tool used to diagnose mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia and<br />
Borderline Personality Disorder. However, there is danger in viewing<br />
Alzheimer’s disease as a mental illness in regards to societal stigma and<br />
treatment approaches.” (Emphasis added) 71<br />
From the two separate quotations we see that the exact classification of<br />
Alzheimer’s disease is not uncontested but more importantly we read that<br />
symptoms may be related to mental health, including depression, and<br />
secondly, it is associated with a stigma of mental health. The latter has some<br />
Biblical precedent as we know that in the Jewish culture there are certain<br />
illnesses such as leprosy and “issues of blood” that stigmatized sufferers,<br />
caused them to be shunned, ostracized and humiliated.<br />
“Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be<br />
unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’<br />
As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone;<br />
they must live outside the camp.” 72<br />
This was in real terms a double burden.<br />
37
Today someone who is ill can be cared for. Although some diseases are<br />
contagious and some form of quarantine is needed, this does not humiliate the<br />
patient as perhaps they may have been in Biblical times. Of course, as recent<br />
history has shown, HIV Aids has had its stigma predominantly because it was<br />
an unknown disease. 73 Even more recently, Ebola has had a similar stigma and<br />
fears of contamination in some countries, despite the method of infection being<br />
different. 74<br />
“There is no government system to even identify these traumatized<br />
and hugely vulnerable<br />
children and certainly no way to provide care<br />
for them. Worse still, the West African culture of taking in your fallen<br />
brother or sister’s children has been eroded. Fear and<br />
misunderstanding of how ebola is passed on has caused this usually<br />
welcoming society to slam its doors on those most in need – the<br />
children.” 75<br />
________________________________________________________<br />
“Providing empathy, hope and support, treating depression and<br />
initiating behavioral medicine interventions are all relatively simple to<br />
administer, brief, inexpensive and safe. Above all, they have proven<br />
efficacy and power to improve patient’s health.” 76<br />
38
The above statement is suggestive of the fundamentals of Christianity.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> demonstrated His empathy towards others. Mark 1:41- 42 demonstrates<br />
the empathy and compassion of <strong>Jesus</strong>: “ And a leper came to <strong>Jesus</strong>, beseeching Him<br />
and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me<br />
clean.”<br />
Moved with compassion, <strong>Jesus</strong> stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to<br />
him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”” 77<br />
Verse 41 says our Lord was “filled with compassion,” which describes a visceral<br />
reaction on <strong>Jesus</strong>’ part. <strong>He</strong> felt it in his stomach. <strong>Jesus</strong>’ reaction went beyond<br />
pity and sympathy or even empathy. It was “not just mind for mind, hand for<br />
hand, or even heart for heart, but stomach for stomach, blood for blood, gut for<br />
gut, <strong>Jesus</strong> feels His way into the leper’s needs.” 78 When Christians feel empathy<br />
and compassion do they not have the power to improve a patient’s health?<br />
The mind plays an important role in health and healing. Medically<br />
speaking, the mind is not ignored but may have a lower priority of investigation<br />
than more readily available medical tests.<br />
“Almost all of the physician’s education is biologically-oriented,<br />
perhaps more so in the current era of spectacular advances in medical<br />
technology and capabilities. Indeed, the recent edition of the popular<br />
39
Harrison’s ‘Principles of Internal Medicine’ devotes much less than 1<br />
of its 2960 pages to non-biological effects of medical illness, and hardly<br />
anything at all is said on the possible effects of emotions on disease<br />
outcomes. When genes can be identified and studied, when almost<br />
every nook and cranny of the human body can be visualized by varied<br />
imaging techniques and accessed, when minute alterations in<br />
biochemical and immunological markers can be exposed and followed,<br />
and complex haemodynamic variables easily and accurately<br />
monitored, it is hardly surprising, perhaps, that the patient’s feelings,<br />
values and beliefs may be downgraded to the bottom of the problem<br />
list, or even omitted altogether.” 79<br />
“<br />
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh<br />
desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set<br />
on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the<br />
mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh<br />
is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” 80<br />
From a Christian point of view, the mind plays a very important role in the<br />
choices we make. Choices about the foods we eat, the priorities we set, and the<br />
choices we make about how we will live. Many of these choices affect our<br />
health. One would think that Christians follow a common sense approach to<br />
40
health but many are guilty of indulgence affecting their health. We often talk<br />
about our attitudes as having an effect on our health and our diet, of course.<br />
One recent study even showed that our gut bacteria affects our mood and<br />
rumination lessening the frequency of sad thoughts. 81 Surprisingly, even the<br />
Pope (Francis) has been advised by Vatican doctors to stop eating pasta because<br />
of his significant weight gain which is affecting his other health issues. 82 The<br />
choice to smoke or not, drink or not, do drugs or not, sleep or not, exercise or<br />
not and to ‘party’ or not all stem from the mind. The choice to follow God’s<br />
recommendations and instructions are in our best interest. Regardless of our<br />
faith, or lack of it, the right choice instructions are available to all who seek<br />
them. The conscious decision to move away from God’s mindset leads man into<br />
his own destruction. “Wilt thou be made whole?” Is a great question because<br />
to be made whole implies that one’s mind is turned towards Christ and that the<br />
‘flesh’ then follows.<br />
There is evidence Biblical evidence that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> in mental health..<br />
Although many may want to see healing as spontaneous recovery of the sick or<br />
mentally ill, good health practices also benefit health outcomes. Taiwanese<br />
researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease found that in their research study<br />
group, Christian women had a significantly lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease<br />
than those of other or non-religious groups. This was even more significant<br />
41
when the women also exercised regularly. 83 Other researchers conclude: “There<br />
is good evidence that religious involvement is correlated with better mental<br />
health in the areas of depression, substance abuse, and suicide; some evidence<br />
in stress-related disorders and dementia; insufficient evidence in bipolar<br />
disorder and schizophrenia, and no data in many other mental disorders.” 84<br />
What is important to realize is not that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> necessarily<br />
spontaneously, but that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> in relationship. The process may be slow. In<br />
mental health issues care and time are essential. <strong>Jesus</strong> has provided through<br />
His body, the church, a path of social interaction, worship, praise, community,<br />
caring, support that should not be underestimated by policy makers in today’s<br />
healthcare model. <strong>Jesus</strong> said the following words;<br />
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you<br />
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble<br />
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my<br />
burden is light.” 85<br />
The church, unlike the medical profession, is not regarded as the authority<br />
in healing the sick. The medical profession has, over the centuries, taken on that<br />
role and authority. Perhaps it is time for the Church to re-engage in what it has<br />
lost.<br />
42
Why are the situations such as mental illness and infectious diseases<br />
important to us? They are important to the church because Christ has<br />
demonstrated a compassion, willingness, capability and the authority to heal<br />
sufferers of the like in Biblical times. Christians have a model to follow in<br />
compassion and willingness, though we may lack a full understanding of the<br />
authority to heal as <strong>Jesus</strong> did. The church, unlike the medical profession, is not<br />
regarded as the authority in healing the sick. The medical profession has, over<br />
the centuries, taken on that role and authority. Through proper medical care,<br />
many stigmas of disease have also been lost and sufferers once stigmatized may<br />
enjoy normal family and work relations.<br />
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Chapter 4: The <strong>He</strong>art<br />
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own<br />
understanding.” 86<br />
Having considered some of the mental health issues, it is time to also<br />
to consider ‘cardiac’ issues, more commonly known as matters of the heart.<br />
Strangely enough, when the heart of man is so closely related to his spirit and<br />
his soul, and all the medical evidence that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today has been weighed,<br />
the one area of research that stands out is that of heart patients. Why does this<br />
research stand out? It is because the evidence that we have has shown that heart<br />
patients actually worsen with prayer. 87 In the study those who knew they were<br />
being prayed for fared less well than those who were not aware of being prayed<br />
for. “Being aware of the strangers' prayers also may have caused some of the<br />
patients a kind of performance anxiety” 88 said one the authors of the study. One<br />
would think that prayers are prayed with good intent, asking God for help. The<br />
last news Christians would want to hear is that <strong>Jesus</strong> does not heal but he<br />
actually makes you sick.<br />
Indeed, God can make you sick 89 but for now let us concentrate on a<br />
more proper cardiac examination. The physician’s cardiac examination<br />
includes auscultation. Auscultation is listening to the sounds of the beating<br />
heart. The physician listens to the beat and rhythm but also searches for<br />
44
anomalies such as skipped beats, bruits and soufflés. These abnormal sounds<br />
are evidence of abnormalities and provide the physician with clues about how<br />
to treat the patient’s heart condition. <strong>Jesus</strong> also examines the heart but <strong>He</strong> does<br />
so somewhat differently. <strong>He</strong> ‘auscultates’ the human heart but <strong>He</strong> listens to<br />
what is said exiting the mouth. This is His own diagnostic criteria:<br />
“<br />
Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then<br />
out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from<br />
the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—<br />
murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” 90<br />
What sinner would consent to a cardiac examination performed by <strong>Jesus</strong>?<br />
December 3, 1967 was a special day. On that day something happened<br />
that was so extraordinary, that how we look at the person’s heart has changed<br />
forever. On that day, Dr. Christiaan Barnard placed a new heart into a man<br />
named Lewis Washkansky. The donor heart came from a young woman named<br />
Denise Darvall. 91 Although the new heart functioned well Washkansky died of<br />
pneumonia eighteen days later. Man has made progress in maintaining the<br />
functional performance of the human heart including the use of stents, blood<br />
pressure medications and surgical interventions.<br />
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Can a man enter a church and be healed of his heart condition?<br />
Secondly, can man enter a hospital and be healed of his heart condition? Most<br />
commonly we see the second as a reality. Cardiac patients enter hospital,<br />
recover after treatment and go home. A study in Denmark has even shown that<br />
of 376 patients entering a hospital for acute coronary care 74 % said that they<br />
obtained “no comfort at all” from religious or spiritual beliefs and only 5%<br />
responded favorably. Denmark is predominately secular. Research authors also<br />
offer a most remarkable insight. Religious involvement has become a marker<br />
for desperate patients, identifying them as those in “psychological distress.” 92<br />
One has to ask, has man fallen so far away from ‘Yahweh Rapha’ that he is<br />
considered to be at serious psychological risk if he even considers God in the<br />
healing process?<br />
On the one hand we have an example of man’s ability to heal himself<br />
without any need for God. On the other hand, we have a God who claims to be<br />
our healer, who is rejected by many to the extent that it is considered a marker<br />
of psychological distress to trust in Him. How will the church defend itself<br />
against such phenomena? Under these circumstances, the last thing the church<br />
needs to do is claim victory over coronary illness in the name of <strong>Jesus</strong> and<br />
declare members healed. The church must start by defending spiritual<br />
statements in a spiritual light and show how a relationship in Christ may affect<br />
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our hearts spiritually first, and physically second. From one research study in<br />
Brazil there may be a slight hint that this may actually be the case. Of fourteen<br />
different factors studied known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,<br />
religious or spiritual persons fared better than non-religious or spiritual<br />
persons on twelve factors. These factors included “less cigarette smoking, lower<br />
serum cholesterol, lower pro-inflammatory markers, lower blood pressure, less<br />
sedentary activity, less alcohol use/abuse, better diet, lower stress level, less<br />
social isolation, lower hostility, lower pessimism, less hopelessness, lower<br />
anxiety, less depression, and less unhappiness.”<br />
93,94<br />
Before the church can leap for joy, however, it should be noted that the<br />
definition of ‘religious’ used was: “beliefs, practices, and rituals related to the<br />
transcendent, where the transcendent is God, Allah, HaShem, or a Higher<br />
Power in Western religious traditions, or Brahman, manifestations of Brahman,<br />
Buddha, Dao, or ultimate truth/reality in Eastern traditions. This often involves<br />
the mystical or supernatural. Religions usually have specific beliefs about life<br />
after death and rules about conduct within a social group. Religion is a multidimensional<br />
construct that includes beliefs, behaviors, rituals, and ceremonies<br />
that may be held or practiced in private or public settings, but are in some way<br />
derived from established traditions that developed over time within a<br />
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community. Religion is also an organized system of beliefs, practices, and<br />
symbols designed (a) to facilitate closeness to the transcendent, and (b) to foster<br />
an understanding of one's relationship and responsibility to others when living<br />
together in a community." (76)<br />
Spirituality for purposes of the above research has been defined as<br />
being “distinguished from all other things — humanism, values, morals, and<br />
mental health — by its connection to that which is sacred, the transcendent. The<br />
transcendent is that which is outside of the self, and yet also within the self —<br />
and in Western traditions is called God, Allah, HaShem, or a Higher Power,<br />
and in Eastern traditions may be called Brahman, manifestations of Brahman,<br />
Buddha, Dao, or ultimate truth/reality. Spirituality is intimately connected to<br />
the supernatural, the mystical, and to organized religion, although also extends<br />
beyond organized religion (and begins before it). Spirituality includes both a<br />
search for the transcendent and the discovery of the transcendent, and so<br />
involves traveling along the path that leads from non-consideration to<br />
questioning to either staunch non-belief or belief, and if belief, then ultimately<br />
to devotion and finally, surrender." (76)<br />
The Christian God is a jealous one. “ Do not worship any other god, for the<br />
LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” 95 Although there is an ever<br />
increasing amount of research into health, religion and spirituality, the<br />
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Christian church does not yet seem to have any clear cut advantage over other<br />
religions or spiritual beliefs when it comes to health as indicated by research.<br />
Yet the Christian mindset is that other Gods are inferior or subordinate to<br />
Christ. <strong>Jesus</strong> is the name above all names such “that at the name of <strong>Jesus</strong> every<br />
knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” 96 This leaves the<br />
church with quite a conundrum to resolve its own view in advocating Yahweh<br />
Rapha as healer to His own people.<br />
Medicine has come a long way since the Lewis Washkansky obtained<br />
his new heart in 1967. The Christian God has on the other hand been in the ‘new<br />
heart’ business for generations.<br />
“I’ll give you a new heart. I’ll put a new spirit in you. I’ll cut out your stone<br />
heart and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart. Then you’ll obey<br />
my statutes and be careful to obey my commands. You’ll be my people! I’ll be<br />
your God!” 97<br />
A new heart is apparently more than just a heart transplant as it is coupled with<br />
a new spirit. A new spirit is by medical definition impossible, as medicine pays<br />
no heed to the spirit of man.<br />
What is this new spirit and how does this it affect our hearts spiritually,<br />
and ultimately our hearts physically? When God speaks of a new spirit <strong>He</strong><br />
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speaks of his own Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is an actual spirit which guides<br />
and instructs the heart of man. Unlike a donor physical heart of man, the Holy<br />
Spirit also changes the spiritual heart of man. The heart of man becomes more<br />
inclined towards the heart of God. Paul says:<br />
“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is<br />
from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is<br />
what we speak, not in words taught to us by human wisdom but in words<br />
taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught<br />
words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from<br />
the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them<br />
because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” 98<br />
Why is this important to health? Be one faithful to Christ or not, the Bible<br />
teaches that God created man. Although not all agree about creation, by<br />
assuming it to be true, for sake of argument, one can look beyond the creation<br />
argument to obtain further ramifications for living a healthy life. God has<br />
provided a spiritual, but also a physical example of healthy living. <strong>He</strong> provides<br />
instruction on healthy eating habits, healthy foods and also rest. All of these are<br />
important in health. To walk in relationship with Him is far more that attending<br />
church on Sundays. A relationship with God brings peace of mind and a<br />
disciplined lifestyle and associated health benefits because it is indeed a better<br />
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way. Profoundly though, <strong>He</strong> also provides choice to follow His way or to reject<br />
it. It seems that the latter is becoming the more modern trend. Research<br />
conducted in Europe demonstrates that it may be possible that secularization<br />
may be related to increased chronic health problems associated with being<br />
overweight, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and excess alcohol consumption. 99,100<br />
Wisdom may indeed be to follow the plan God has outlined for man,<br />
to give him a new heart. To then also “not lean on our own understanding”.<br />
<strong>He</strong>rein lies the crux of the matter. Man thinks he knows better and it is making<br />
him sick.<br />
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”<br />
(Proverbs 3:5)<br />
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Chapter 5: Prayer<br />
Just think about it for a moment. Is it really ridiculous to take a few<br />
minutes of our day to talk with God? If we believe, then it is as normal as having<br />
breakfast. If we don’t believe, then it’s either a complete waste of time or we<br />
tolerate it as some means of clearing our minds for the day. We ask God for His<br />
help with all kinds of things and we can talk about our illnesses. ‘Why? Why?<br />
Why?’ We cry out when we simply cannot understand why an omnipotent God<br />
would allow such suffering on earth that is exactly the opposite to how His will<br />
is described in the Lord’s prayer: “as it is in heaven.”<br />
At some point a medical professional will surrender all his knowledge<br />
and training to admit that we do not have all the answers. 101 At some point we<br />
will hear a priest confess the same. And yet both professions can understand<br />
the human tenant that we are finite human beings. When is it, regarding illness,<br />
that we should begin to pray? Is at the onset of a headache? After the headache?<br />
Perhaps long before the headache. Why pray when we are feeling no pain or<br />
even feeling great? Indeed, why do we even consult God about our health? Are<br />
we actually so desperate that we need to consult God about our health or<br />
anything else for that matter?<br />
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Although Christians recognize much healing comes through the works of<br />
the medical profession, including nursing, even when the medical professionals<br />
may not even acknowledge God, Christians also realize that the Christian<br />
ministry of healing is rooted in prayer. Secular agencies are rather rooted in<br />
human achievements. “It is Christian prayer— with all that implies in terms of<br />
relationships with God and with each other—that marks the difference.” 102<br />
God promised us eternal life. <strong>Jesus</strong> came to give us the abundant 103,104,<br />
105<br />
life. Somewhere in the mix of those two is the essence of a physical life full of<br />
vigor in every sense of the word. Somewhere is also the spiritual life full of<br />
“shalom”, in every sense of the word. Why is the word “shalom” important?<br />
Shalom is important because when understood, it encompasses a vast array of<br />
meanings which, when taken to encompass the full range of meanings,<br />
summarizes God’s blessings into one word. Shalom means peace. Peace with<br />
God brings the blessings of God. The blessings of God are not only future<br />
blessings, in an everlasting life with God but are also for this present kingdom<br />
“on earth as it is in heaven.”<br />
“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for<br />
they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” 106<br />
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From the verse above we read that God’s commands and teachings<br />
“prolong your life many years”. This is vital information to any Christian<br />
thinker who is somehow involved in healthcare. This verse demonstrates that<br />
keeping God’s commands in one’s heart has a health benefit of prolonging one’s<br />
years. If <strong>Jesus</strong> has come to give us an abundant life which includes forgiveness<br />
of sin through repentance, <strong>He</strong> also encompasses the “shalom”, or peace, with<br />
God in the full meaning of the word.<br />
When we talk to God we usually use words or thoughts and call it<br />
prayer. 107 How is it that prayer helps us in health? What are the dynamics<br />
involved? When two people talk between themselves in a conversation there is<br />
some kind of dynamic in play. That is to say that they may agree as<br />
demonstrated by nodding of the heads. They may disagree as demonstrated by<br />
shaking of the heads. One may have a very strong point to make as<br />
demonstrated by banging one’s fist upon the table. All the while each party in<br />
the conversation is thinking and creating impressions in their own minds. What<br />
dynamics are at play when we converse with God about in our prayers? What<br />
can we learn about ourselves and our health when we study the dynamics of<br />
prayer?<br />
At some time, we have all probably had discussions on how to pray.<br />
What to pray is also something we need to learn. If we take a further step<br />
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ackward and understand what prayer is, that is to say, how prayer is put<br />
together, then we can input our prayer into an already prayer-primed freeway.<br />
God is separated from man, as illustrated by the horizontal arrow in<br />
the diagram below, and prayer is our pathway between the two. 108<br />
God<br />
Man<br />
This is really quite a simple diagram, but when we think about it, there is more.<br />
We know that prayer is a pathway between God and man. We also know that<br />
prayer, in a Christian sense, requires a listener who is able to access our prayers<br />
and respond. If we look at the simple diagram of prayer, we see that we are<br />
separated from God physically, but we are able to communicate through prayer.<br />
This pathway usually seems unilateral. That is to say, we often find ourselves<br />
doing all the talking.<br />
If we expand this diagram to include deeper thoughts and then also<br />
expanded those thoughts, we could end up with arrows pointing in all<br />
directions. For simplicity’s sake, we can view the anatomy of prayer to expand<br />
our minds about what we actually think is going on.<br />
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We have to allow for the words of Soren Kierkegaard who said, “Prayer<br />
does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” 109 This would mean that<br />
when we ask God something, <strong>He</strong> may respond to us within a thought. That<br />
thought may be a solution to our problems. By acting on that thought, we come<br />
to realize that our attitudes may play some role in prayer. A short example<br />
might be to forgive someone for insulting us.<br />
Part of a prayer response may simply be in the form of clear thinking. When<br />
we pray, we may find a solution to a problem that appears to come from<br />
within us. Even though we are praying toward God, whom we generally see<br />
as being outside of us and usually very far away, an idea or thought from<br />
Him may suddenly pop into our head. 110 Whether prayer is directed to a God<br />
or not, some aspects of the benefits of prayer must come from clear thinking.<br />
This would describe why so many people take time to pray. The following<br />
diagram illustrates this concept.<br />
God<br />
Invisible boundary between God and man<br />
During prayer,<br />
God may<br />
enlighten us<br />
During prayer, we may<br />
enlighten ourselves<br />
(clear thinking,<br />
meditation)<br />
Man<br />
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The returning arrow above indicates that some prayers are a way of<br />
enlightening ourselves through clear thinking. We could argue that this is one<br />
method by which God responds to us. We know from Biblical reference that <strong>He</strong><br />
knows what we will ask even before we ask.<br />
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.<br />
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my<br />
ways.<br />
Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely (Emphasis<br />
added) 111<br />
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,<br />
who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward<br />
you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think<br />
they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your<br />
Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Emphasis added) 112<br />
We might ask if the speed of response is so fast that we don’t think it<br />
actually came from God or if the clear thinking process is at work. The<br />
supersonic speed of thoughts coming into our minds does not exclude them as<br />
originating from God.<br />
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We also have examples of the speed of prayer responses which show<br />
that responses to prayer may be experienced in a real way. These two practical<br />
examples show us that clear thinking is not the only response to prayer and that<br />
God is already at work even before we ask.<br />
“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham,<br />
if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I<br />
am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water<br />
and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’ and if she<br />
says to me, ‘Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,’ let her be the one<br />
the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.”<br />
“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar<br />
on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to<br />
her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder<br />
and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered<br />
the camels also.”(Emphasis added) 113<br />
In Acts, we find a second example of the response to prayer in a fast and<br />
practical way.<br />
“Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to<br />
him in a vision, calling, ‘Ananias!’<br />
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‘Yes, Lord!’ he replied.<br />
The Lord said, ‘Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get<br />
there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. <strong>He</strong> is praying to me right<br />
now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and<br />
laying hands on him so he can see again.’” (Emphasis added) 114<br />
As Christians, we give God the glory for everything. 115 However, if we<br />
compare notes with the secular world, many would argue that we are not in<br />
contact with God through prayer, but rather more in contact with a higher level<br />
or method of communication. They may still call it a spiritual plane, but it is by<br />
definition a plane evidently expressing the absence of the concept of an intimate<br />
Christian God.<br />
When we look at the secular world’s concept of prayer, we find that<br />
many refer to prayers for healing as some kind of telepathy 116 . This would mean<br />
that we can communicate with or influence each other from a distance. This is<br />
often coupled with an explanation that we are all connected somehow. That is<br />
to say, we pray, concentrate, chant, and meditate on a level by which our minds<br />
influence each other. I have to point out that this is not within the traditional<br />
paradigm of Christian prayer.<br />
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God<br />
Invisible boundary between God and man.<br />
Man 1 telepathy Man 2<br />
One man’s mind<br />
to another man’s mind<br />
In this context, I suggest that as Christians, when we pray for another<br />
person’s healing through intercessory prayer, we should be praying from our<br />
hearts, not our minds. Our hearts are much stronger than our minds. 117 When<br />
we pray with our hearts, we direct our prayers to God. We ask God to influence<br />
the life of another person positively. This concept is expressed as a satellite<br />
prayer.<br />
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I call this a satellite prayer because we pray for another person through God.<br />
That is, we pray to God first and usually in the name of <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ. If God<br />
chooses to respond, <strong>He</strong> can do so by blessing the prayer subject (man 2).<br />
Therefore, any effects of prayer are by God’s influence and not by any power<br />
that we may have. This is how we all should be praying on a Christian and<br />
Biblical basis. We are not, nor have we ever been, gods but we were made to be<br />
in relationship with one God. We have been given authority in Christ under the<br />
umbrella of relationship within God’s set parameters for our lives, and we must<br />
exercise that authority to demonstrate both our relationship with Him and His<br />
authority over darkness in the spiritual realm.<br />
There are times when we may lose satellite communications and<br />
experience silence or no answer to prayer. 1<strong>18</strong> I remember as a child that we had<br />
to wait to hear from astronauts in space because they were on the dark side of<br />
the moon. There were many hours of radio silence. Such silence is not unusual<br />
in prayer. Spiritually speaking, God is always within reach; however, on a<br />
practical level, <strong>He</strong> may not always be answering His telephone. God remains<br />
invisible to us.<br />
We also need to remember that in its application, prayer is often<br />
opposed. If we apply five points of resistance to the simple prayer model above,<br />
then we can see how satellite communications may be interrupted.<br />
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For the example of one person praying for another’s health, (man 1 and<br />
man 2), I have identified five points of resistance. A point of resistance is simply<br />
anything that may impede prayer at a given point. We know from the Biblical<br />
story of Daniel that an angel was delayed for three weeks while responding to<br />
Daniel’s prayer.<br />
“A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. <strong>He</strong> said,<br />
“Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about<br />
to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he<br />
said this to me, I stood up trembling.<br />
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set<br />
your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God,<br />
your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince<br />
of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one<br />
of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the<br />
king of Persia.”” (Emphasis added) 119<br />
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It is therefore Biblically founded to realize that God’s response to prayer<br />
may be resisted. On the following diagram, I have labeled this point R1<br />
.<br />
There are other points of resistance. One of the last places we want to<br />
look is within ourselves. So perhaps that is a good place to start. Right where it<br />
hurts the most. There will come a time when God asks us to look at ourselves.<br />
<strong>He</strong> may press on our sore spots and ask, “<strong>Does</strong> it hurt here?” When <strong>He</strong> asks the<br />
question, <strong>He</strong> is really preparing our hearts and minds for some major<br />
renovations.<br />
We have at least two points of resistance within us. The first is within<br />
our mind. There are battles going on in our minds all the time 120 . These are<br />
battles of good and evil but also battles against us. The mind is where we try to<br />
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figure things out. We have a free will against which we struggle to choose for<br />
our own egos, satisfaction and pleasures, biblically known as the flesh 121 ,<br />
One’s will, for the purposes of this example, is found within the mind. We<br />
therefore must label a second point of resistance within our own minds as R2.<br />
Even when we have overcome the resistance in our minds, we may yet<br />
oppose ourselves. We do this by hardening our hearts. We may choose not to<br />
pray out of bitterness, jealousy, hatred, fear, or a host of other factors which<br />
prevent us from fully extending our hearts in prayer. This puts the point of<br />
resistance within us, and it is deeply seated within our hearts (R3). From Psalms<br />
we see that the attitudes of our hearts may hamper our communication with<br />
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God. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm<br />
66:<strong>18</strong>)<br />
Secondly, we read in Revelations 2, that when <strong>Jesus</strong> warns the church<br />
in Thyatira, <strong>He</strong> is searching both their hearts and their minds, and <strong>He</strong> is judging<br />
the church according to what <strong>He</strong> finds in their hearts and minds: “Then all the<br />
churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each<br />
of you according to your deeds.” (Revelation 2: 23) (Emphasis added)<br />
Our hearts and minds are intensely valuable and critically important<br />
when dealing with each other and with God.<br />
This is probably grossly<br />
underestimated in our material world. Yet we should be encouraged by<br />
knowing that although we carry sin in our hearts and minds, the sincerity of<br />
our hearts is monitored by God. We should cherish the thought that it may not<br />
be our prayer that causes God to move but His mercy and grace which is given<br />
freely on His initiative that may bring results to prayer. When God presses on<br />
our aching or hardened hearts or our deceitful minds asking if it hurts, we<br />
should take steps to correct our ways.<br />
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It is vitally important to recognize that we may harbor points of<br />
resistance to prayer within our own hearts, but it is equally important to know<br />
that God is willing to help us when our hearts are right with Him. King Asa of<br />
Judah learned this the hard way when he relied on another king to help him<br />
rather than relying on the Lord. <strong>He</strong> could have received the benefits of God’s<br />
strength but chose the strength of another man instead, and it cost him dearly:<br />
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen<br />
those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish<br />
thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) (Emphasis<br />
added).<br />
You would hope that we learn from our mistakes, especially when we<br />
have been clearly warned. Yet in Asa’s case, he failed to heed His warning.<br />
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“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his<br />
feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek<br />
help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.” (2 Chronicles 16:12)<br />
(Emphasis added)<br />
If we as humans have two points of resistance to prayers within us, then the<br />
recipient of our prayer must also have the ability to resist incoming prayers and<br />
blessings. If we want to receive blessings from God, we have to actively choose<br />
to accept them. Remember that the word “accept” in its original Greek122 form<br />
requires some aspect of us to be active; hence we have the need not only to<br />
accept (receive) but also to “take”. If we want to take care of a situation<br />
ourselves, then we may act in the absence of God. Even if God wanted to bless<br />
us, we may resist Him in our hearts or minds. Therefore, these points of<br />
resistance are labeled R4 (prayer subject’s mind) and R5 (prayer subject’s heart).<br />
Again, biblically we can see how our hearts and minds can work to resist God.<br />
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Daniel explains this concept to the king:<br />
“O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty<br />
and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position he gave<br />
him, all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared<br />
him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted<br />
to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he<br />
wanted to humble, he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and<br />
hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and<br />
stripped of his glory. <strong>He</strong> was driven away from people and given the mind<br />
of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his<br />
body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the<br />
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Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them<br />
anyone he wishes.” (Daniel 5:<strong>18</strong>-21). (Emphasis added)<br />
Is it any wonder that prayers for healing don’t always work? If we don’t<br />
recognize at least these five points of resistance, then we cannot bypass the first<br />
five obvious barriers to achieving improved health through prayer. Do<br />
Christians have any health benefits from faith as compared to the secular world?<br />
Is the medical approach not a more rational methodical approach to healthcare?<br />
What model of living has the world accepted? It is clear that as Christians we<br />
continually fail in living up to Gods’ standards but that is exactly why he has<br />
given us <strong>Jesus</strong>.<br />
There is a great groundswell of awareness within the Christian healing<br />
ministries that we need to be healed spiritually and emotionally. We are<br />
becoming aware that there may be many areas within us that need healing. We<br />
need to realize that decisions we make within our hearts and minds may hurt<br />
another person. That is, we may use the very points of resistance within<br />
ourselves as an offensive weapon against another person.<br />
Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words really do hurt us. 123<br />
Oh yes, words can cause inner wounds. Words can scar us on the inside for life.<br />
Insults may wound us so deeply that we spend a lifetime hiding, licking, or<br />
denying them.<br />
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I doubt any of us can deny having ever been insulted. If we are honest<br />
with ourselves, we will all remember something in our childhood that has hurt<br />
us. A school teacher may have called us stupid. Parents may have said<br />
something out of frustration or even worse, intentionally, that shook us to the<br />
core. We may even remember a childhood heartthrob who rejected us in some<br />
way. We all understand the pain.<br />
If we take our Christian savior, <strong>Jesus</strong>, as a model, then we can see that<br />
<strong>He</strong> understands our pain. <strong>He</strong> was abandoned by His closest friends, (Peter). <strong>He</strong><br />
was betrayed with a kiss from within His own ranks, (Judas). <strong>He</strong> was also put<br />
to death by us as the human race. We were the very ones <strong>He</strong> was trying to save.<br />
What an insult!<br />
Yet <strong>He</strong> asks His father to forgive us. What a response! If we consider<br />
His earlier words about forgiveness, “seventy times seven,” then we can begin<br />
to comprehend how deeply we insulted Him and how graciously <strong>He</strong> forgives<br />
us. The next time we are insulted, we would do well to remember that our best<br />
response to being insulted is to forgive.<br />
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against<br />
me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? <strong>Jesus</strong> saith unto him, I say not unto<br />
thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.” (Matthew <strong>18</strong>:21-<br />
23). (King James Version)<br />
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In prayer, we can all express our pains to God. We can complain about<br />
feeling the pains we feel or we can ask God how to handle the pain or even to<br />
remove the cause of our pain. During prayer, many things may be revealed to<br />
us about ourselves. Trying to remember Biblical examples of forgiveness during<br />
prayer may help us to forgive ourselves and others. Forgiveness has often<br />
proved to be a major healing tool. When we pray, we don’t need to see big bolts<br />
of lightning crossing the sky or hear a booming voice in answer to our prayers.<br />
Many answers or responses to prayer are silent. Answers in this form come to<br />
us from the inside.<br />
Think about insults, curses, and accusations that have been said against<br />
you. No doubt you have at times felt hurt. We would all do well to remember<br />
that we sometimes also hurt others. Those offensive weapons are within us. We<br />
need to learn to “hold our fire.”<br />
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not<br />
be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (James<br />
3:10-11)<br />
When we use our offensive weapons against each other, we fire<br />
horizontally and no longer aim vertically toward our satellite, God.<br />
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God<br />
R2 R3 R4<br />
R5<br />
Man 1 Man 2 (Target)<br />
We see that our satellite prayer has ceased to exist and that we have<br />
changed our prayer subject into a target. We are now firing our hearts and<br />
minds horizontally at each other. This is clearly an ungodly situation as we have<br />
sidelined God.<br />
Thankfully, there are several godly ways by which we can influence<br />
each other’s health. We have the primary weapon of prayer. We also can be<br />
carriers of the truth, which can set others free from bondage. We may also<br />
provide shelter or a place to rediscover God. We do this by inviting hurting or<br />
sick friends into our homes or by visiting them in theirs. We may sometimes<br />
present God’s peace by being neutral and not being dragged into arguments.<br />
We should recognize that we can more often help by listening rather than<br />
talking. Sadly, we often learn this concept by way of our well-intended but<br />
costly mistakes.<br />
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We may bring health by encouraging the weary and helping to restore<br />
and strengthen them. We may allow God to speak through us and bring His<br />
words of love, restoration, and healing. Of course, we can do the obvious and<br />
take our sick loved ones to a doctor or hospital for medical care.<br />
Even though there are several actions on our part that may supplement<br />
or aid the physical healing process, God may also act independently of us by<br />
initiating healing in His own way. We see an example of this at the pool of<br />
Bethesda where the sick waited for an angel to “stir the waters” 124 so that the<br />
first to enter into the pool would be healed. In this example, we see that God<br />
was credited with taking the initiative to stir the waters, and then we see <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
taking the initiative by approaching a man with the intention of helping him.<br />
“One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long<br />
time, he asked him, “Do you want<br />
to get well?” (John 5:5-6)<br />
Although there are many ways we can help our fellow man to recover<br />
from illness, spiritually speaking, we are left with one other alternative. The<br />
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only other way to influence a second person is to use a command in <strong>Jesus</strong>’ name,<br />
on His authority, which will be discussed in coming chapters.<br />
When we study the anatomy of prayer, we need to consider all the<br />
different components of prayer. We also need to understand the construction<br />
of the prayer. A man or woman must surely be projecting more than just words<br />
into space. We have seen that our minds are involved in prayer. We need to<br />
think while praying. Without utilizing our minds in prayer, our prayers would<br />
best be described as “mindless”.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> must have been aware of the battles that take place within our<br />
minds. Therefore, our minds must be a major target for opposition attacks. We<br />
cannot underestimate that major battles are won and lost between our ears. We<br />
are warned specifically to guard our hearts for the same reason. Above all else,<br />
guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).<br />
So long as you live, your heart is beating. Your heart is a vital organ.<br />
This simply means that you cannot live without it. Your heart pumps blood,<br />
reaching every cell in your body. Your heart is also, metaphorically speaking,<br />
the most intricate aspect of who you are. While your mind thinks, your heart<br />
knows when your mind is lying. Your heart is so essential that it is what God<br />
uses to determine who you really are. 125 Your sincerity is measured by your<br />
heart. Spiritually speaking, heavenly battles are fought over your heart.<br />
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We see from several Biblical references that our hearts are a target. In<br />
the following passage, we see an element of greed creeping into the heart of<br />
Ananias which costs him dearly.<br />
“With his wife's full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but<br />
brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it<br />
that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept<br />
for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you<br />
before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What<br />
made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts<br />
5:2-4) (Emphasis added).<br />
Peter rightly points out that Ananias’s heart had been targeted and<br />
subsequently struck. Then Peter goes further by stating that the damage done<br />
is to God, not to men. Once again we see how we, through our actions, are<br />
continually impeding God’s work. Our hearts are weak, so it is imperative that<br />
we fortify and guard our hearts and minds. God has, however, provided for<br />
our weak hearts. Just as we encounter battles for our hearts, <strong>He</strong> also is able to<br />
reinforce our hearts with His love. From the following passage we see that His<br />
timing for reinforcing our hearts is perfect:<br />
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“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering<br />
produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does<br />
not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy<br />
Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still<br />
powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:3-6) (Emphasis added).<br />
“Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time<br />
God had promised him.” (Genesis21:2)<br />
The rise and fall of our faith and our actions are determined from<br />
battles won within us. Perhaps this awareness appears too simple when we<br />
look for more complex reasons for the workings of prayer. However, I think<br />
that our battles are won on very simple terms. They are won by the decisions<br />
we make, within our hearts and minds, to move ahead in faith. We seem to be<br />
looking to complicate matters by dwelling on adding ingredients of doubt<br />
when it is not necessary. This puts our hearts at great risk. The heart is a vital<br />
organ. It is the birthplace of our faith. It is vital for Christians’ involved in the<br />
healing ministry to be self-aware of spiritual battles taking place within their<br />
hearts and minds which may impeded the Spirit of God within them. Thereby<br />
weakening a Christians effectiveness in a prayerful healing ministry.<br />
“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand<br />
it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This<br />
is the seed sown along the path.” (Matthew 13:<strong>18</strong>-20) (Emphasis added).<br />
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From this passage we see that God does not target our minds primarily<br />
but sows His seed in our hearts. The heart is to be nurtured and loved. It is the<br />
place where our relationship with God grows. It is so vital, in fact, that God<br />
has chosen to communicate with us in this place rather than between our ears.<br />
Perhaps our hearts are the true measure of who we are. Our minds allow us to<br />
act out or reflect the intent of our hearts. However, our minds can override the<br />
accent of our hearts. We therefore need to exercise control over our minds.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> gives us instructions for prayer that may help keep our minds<br />
focused and help to make concise decisions. <strong>Jesus</strong> also asks us to keep our<br />
prayers concise so that our minds don’t wander:<br />
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,<br />
who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward<br />
you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think<br />
they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your<br />
Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:6-8)<br />
Surely a babbling prayer only broadens the target of doubt and gives an<br />
enemy more to shoot at. Even when thinking about prayer and our<br />
communication pathway with God, we need to continually remind ourselves<br />
that we do not have to dwell on the construction of our prayers and all the<br />
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different parameters of prayer. God understands us whichever way we pray.<br />
<strong>He</strong> understands us because <strong>He</strong> is constantly listening to our hearts. If we are<br />
praying for someone else’s healing, you can be assured that <strong>He</strong> is also<br />
listening to their hearts. God may not only be listening to our hearts, but <strong>He</strong><br />
may be actively searching for a way in.<br />
“<strong>He</strong>re I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the<br />
door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20).<br />
Submission to Him may remove the constraints that we place upon<br />
Him and allow Him to work unimpeded 126,127 . If <strong>He</strong> is waiting for us to let Him<br />
in, then we could argue that <strong>He</strong> waits for us to turn to Him rather than trying<br />
to do things ourselves like King Asa did. Remembering that God is sovereign<br />
takes much of the burden from us, especially when we pray in <strong>Jesus</strong>’ name.<br />
We should know that if there are points of resistance to our prayers,<br />
then there are two forces active, one pushing outward from within us and<br />
another pushing back against us. If we stop and think about it, we could be<br />
saving time and energy by allowing God to do the pushing for us. After all, <strong>He</strong><br />
is stronger than the opposing forces. God can push for us because, biblically<br />
speaking, His spirit resides within us. Therefore, we must allow that part of<br />
Him that dwells within us to work for us.<br />
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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.<br />
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,<br />
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is<br />
light” (Matthew 11:<strong>28</strong>-30).<br />
When <strong>Jesus</strong> carries our cares and burdens, <strong>He</strong> helps us in our physical<br />
world, but <strong>He</strong> is also active in the spiritual world.<br />
How much of what we have written in this chapter does the medical<br />
profession acknowledge? I would have to argue that it would be very little.<br />
<strong>Does</strong> the church have to convince the medical profession that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>? Is the<br />
church accountable to anyone other than <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ? Has the church not even<br />
deliberately referred its own members towards the medical model? 1<strong>28</strong> Of course<br />
it has.<br />
Conversely, is the Medical profession in any way seeking answers from<br />
God? I would think that that is certainly not the case. How then will the two<br />
groups ever reconcile? Perhaps the answer lies in the healthcare model that<br />
most of the western world has adopted as we know it presently. Christians go<br />
to a medical doctor for help just as readily as secular patients. Christians can<br />
expect help for medical conditions, regardless of their faith, but should not<br />
expect medical professionals to reflect the patient’s faith or beliefs. Of course<br />
this is a universal statement as there are many individual faithful medical<br />
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practitioners of all faiths, as well as agnostics and atheists, equally set on<br />
helping their patients recover from illness.<br />
If <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> <strong>He</strong> must have left a pathway to follow which is faithful,<br />
sensible, rational and reproducible. Prayer draws us closer to Him and the<br />
closer our walk, the more the spiritual life in Christ (shalom) will spill over into<br />
our physical life so that we may indeed live an abundant life. The priority of<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> is for your soul not your body even though sometimes healing first, may<br />
lead to faith later.<br />
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May<br />
your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 129<br />
Shalom is a peaceful and abundant blessing. As a greeting Shalom is an<br />
expression of goodwill. As a prayer Shalom is an imparted expression of<br />
goodwill. Shalom as a gift from God is to experience the fullness of His<br />
salvation.<br />
“To experience healing isn’t just to experience freedom from sickness<br />
and illness, or problems of suffering. <strong>He</strong>aling is a sign of what the Old<br />
Testament calls ‘Shalom’ (peace, salvation) as the establishment or<br />
restoration of right and reconciled relationships, now and at the end of<br />
time.” (Jacques Mattey) 130<br />
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Chapter 6: Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc<br />
Post hoc, ergo propter hoc is a Latin label used to describe cause and effect.<br />
In the context of prayer and healing and whether or not <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>, Christians<br />
love to celebrate and give glory to God when they see, or experience, friends<br />
being healed after prayer takes place. “If event B follows event A, then B was<br />
caused by A.” 1<strong>31</strong><br />
We seem predisposed to faulty reasoning. Why is credit so often (and<br />
erroneously) awarded to direct effect of a treatment, when it may often be the<br />
disease's natural progression to regress in time, or perhaps also when a placebo<br />
effect has brought real recovery?<br />
Is this something that Christians are guilty of? I would have to argue<br />
that as a collective we most certainly are. If we restate the statement above this<br />
way: in a Christian context, because real improvements often follow even an<br />
ineffective prayer, the prayer (thus God) often is awarded credit even when it<br />
is logically not necessarily directly deserved. <strong>Or</strong> more simply put; it does not<br />
mean God was acting directly upon the situation but that other factors may also<br />
be involved. When Christians and prayer subjects assume that improvements<br />
following prayer resulted directly from prayer, they often are being victimized<br />
by this cognitive fallacy. This argument is summarized well by the lyrics of<br />
Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer: “A man hears what he wants to hear and<br />
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disregards the rest.” 132 How many of our healing testimonies exactly fit this<br />
model? 133<br />
Global Awakening, (GA), an evangelical group have claimed<br />
thousands of healing testimonies during their international crusades. “Global<br />
Awakenings does not bring any diagnostic equipment or medical personnel to<br />
conferences, nor is there any systematic effort to track whether people continue<br />
to claim healings the next day, let alone the next year. Internet-published trip<br />
“statistics”—the term used by GA for an unsystematic tally based upon a show<br />
of team members’ fingers for how many people were saved, healed and<br />
delivered each night through their prayers—are inherently unreliable for<br />
multiple reasons, including inconsistent standards for what counts as healing<br />
and an implicit pressure to inflate the number and severity of conditions<br />
healed.” 134 <strong>Does</strong> this information come as any surprise? Not really because the<br />
church sees itself as not being responsible to the medical or scientific<br />
community but rather only to God. However, by continuing to promote<br />
healing, it may inadvertently be at risk of promoting what is be seen by many<br />
as a very great fallacy.<br />
“When faith healings have been diligently investigated by qualified doctors,<br />
they have found no evidence that the patients were actually helped in any<br />
objective sense. Even at Lourdes, the Catholic Church has only recognized 4<br />
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cures since 1978, out of 5 million people who seek healing there every year.<br />
There simply is no evidence that faith healing <strong>heals</strong>. Not what science considers<br />
evidence. And the true believers don’t value evidence or the scientific method:<br />
for them, belief is enough.” 135<br />
Christians who pray for the sick might find the statement regarding<br />
lack of evidence in faith healing quite confronting. Is there no evidence<br />
anywhere to be found? On the one hand we have a sceptics claim that there is<br />
“simply no evidence” and on the other hand we have many churches and<br />
countless testimonies within the church. Author J.P. Moreland responds to this<br />
and other statements about the Christian faith. <strong>He</strong> says: “I cannot in good<br />
conscience before the lord remain quiet about what I am seeing and thinking<br />
about regarding the health and future of our community.” 136 <strong>He</strong> continues his<br />
passionate narrative by adding “the crisis of our age requires nothing less than<br />
a revolution of those who live in, proclaim, and seek to advance the Kingdom<br />
that was not made with hands.” 137 Moreland’s blood begins to boil at the<br />
profound conviction that the Christian faith is being battered by post-modernist<br />
thinking and how it has dwindled the Christian faith to a mere “hobby”. 138 <strong>He</strong><br />
says “first, it is simply not true that there is no medical evidence for miracles.” 139<br />
Then he goes on to say that “the standard of evidence is too high to guide the<br />
belief selection of a rational person because it would justify rejecting beliefs that<br />
have enough rational support to make them intellectually obligatory to<br />
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elieve.” 140 What does this all mean? Simply, that Moreland cannot in good<br />
faith keep quiet while his faith and his God are reconciled to be meaningless<br />
and even powerless. <strong>He</strong> continues on to say, “In my experience, when people<br />
are healed, folks related to the event usually don’t take the time to gather<br />
scientific evidence for healing even though it is available. By way of application,<br />
if there is credible eyewitness testimony for an event, including a miracle, then<br />
all things being equal, one ought to believe the event even if there is no “medical<br />
proof.” And there is widespread credible evidence for miracles today, which is<br />
what you would expect if they were taking place in the lives of busy people<br />
who were not interested in medical documentation.” 141 <strong>He</strong> further explains<br />
“you would probably be shocked at how many people in your church have seen<br />
but are either reluctant to share or are not given a natural occasion to do so.” 142<br />
If Christians place all of their faith on the medical burden of proof for<br />
healing, they may be making a big mistake. Why? According to Craig Keener,<br />
a New Testament scholar and author of Miracles—The Credibility of New<br />
Testament Accounts, “if one applied to the medical profession the criteria that<br />
critics apply to supernatural claims—that is discounting any cures or<br />
remissions that conceivably could occur without intervention—we might have<br />
few medical cures.” 143 Keener goes on to say, “some critics of supernatural<br />
healing curiously exclude the significance of any healing claims if medical<br />
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technology could reproduce the same result.” 144 In line with these criteria, no<br />
healing claims can be claimed even in cases where medical technology was not<br />
used.<br />
Where then are Christians to put their faith in, if that which they have seen<br />
as a result of prayer is indeed true? It is not by chance that the Bible tells us that<br />
“faith comes by hearing.” 145<br />
“When faith healings have been diligently investigated by qualified<br />
doctors, they have found no evidence that the patients were actually helped in<br />
any objective sense.” 146 This attitude has J.P. Moreland bursting to defend the<br />
faith. Craig Keener has presented a very large ranged body of evidence in his<br />
books of over two thousand pages of the many witness testimonies attesting to<br />
the fact that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today. Importantly, however, is his attitude to how the<br />
world has seemingly turned its eyes away from God on health issues rather<br />
than to cast its eyes upon Him. 147 Keener says “I believe that antisupernaturalism<br />
has reigned as an inflexible Western academic premise long<br />
enough and that significant evidence now exists to challenge it.” 148 Although<br />
Keener has no medical training 149 , he is aptly qualified to present both academic<br />
philosophical arguments, and testimony to the Biblical healing accounts, as<br />
well as his vast collection of healing witness testimonies from around the world.<br />
The issue of Christian healing has all the hallmarks of controversy both<br />
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amongst believers and non-believers. Theologians such a Rudolph Bultmann<br />
contend that “modern people do not believe in miracles” and he further says<br />
that “no one can or does seriously maintain such early Christian<br />
perspectives.” 150 What is most interesting is to see Pope Benedict XVI shed his<br />
own perspective on such a closed view. Carl Ratzinger pointed out that<br />
Bultmann’s view was not as a result of Biblical scholarship but rather more a<br />
philosophic study. 151 I have to add Ratzinger’s name to the list of those who<br />
“cannot in good conscience before the Lord remain quiet” about how modern<br />
thinking has relegated believers to be ‘blinded’ in seeing God’s mighty works<br />
in all of the ages.<br />
Global Pentecostal and Charismatic <strong>He</strong>aling is a collection of collaborated<br />
works edited by Candy Gunther Brown. 152 This collection of works is authored<br />
by highly credential authors reporting on the progression of Pentecostal healing<br />
on various continents over a significant period of time. She presents two types<br />
of Pentecostalism. Firstly, Pentecostalism spelled with a capital ‘P’ referring to<br />
classical Pentecostal denominations, such as the Assemblies of God. Secondly<br />
pentacostalism without a capital ‘P’ referring to both Pentacostals and<br />
Charasmatics, either Protestant or Catholic, who emphasize the ongoing<br />
activity of the Holy Spirit including healing as described in the New Testament<br />
book of Acts. 153 Interestingly, she highlights fact that it is the object of faith, not<br />
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the degree of faith, which matters in receiving healing. 154 Christians pray to God<br />
in the name of <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ. This in the name above all names and the name to<br />
which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess as Lord. 155<br />
Candy Gunther Brown drops a bombshell with the following<br />
astounding statement in her books introduction. She says her book, “does not<br />
seek to answer the question of whether individuals are “really” healed or<br />
whether a divine agent is actually responsible.” 156 She continues on to say “the<br />
questions that compel are how people’s perceptions of seeking, experiencing,<br />
or witnessing divine healing affect their self-understandings, religious<br />
affiliations, or cultural practices.” However, in her extrapolation of her point<br />
she writes “the tendency of many observers to dismiss divine healing claims as<br />
trivial or preposterous without investigating them has the unfortunate effect of<br />
increasing the suffering of those who have already suffered from illness, pain,<br />
and, in many instances, social and economic marginalization.” 157<br />
Are people “really” healed? What an astounding question that she<br />
makes no attempt to answer. All that her work can present is a report of what<br />
has been claimed, experienced or witnessed and how that may affect a person’s<br />
life. To be sure her work has provided a great example, summary and overview<br />
of what the pentecostal movement has been up to, and the methodology used<br />
to promote Christ as a healer. <strong>Jesus</strong> appears to be the “characterization of the<br />
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Christian God as the most powerful healer, coupled with demonstrations of<br />
apparently supernatural healing power, [which] draw[s] people who feel<br />
overwhelmed by natural and spiritual forces that seem too powerful to<br />
overcome by other means. In cultures of desperation, people are willing even<br />
to forsake their former gods, as pentecostalism demands, and to pay the high<br />
price of lifelong, exclusive allegiance in order to gain access to a source of<br />
spiritual power that promises to help them on a regular basis.” 158,159 Candy<br />
Gunther Brown goes on to make several points about how pentecostal healing<br />
practices gained momentum. She says that “pentecostal Christianity gains<br />
adherents as people evaluate it as a more effective religion than competitors in<br />
meeting practical, everyday needs.” 160 Its seems a common theme throughout<br />
the collection of professional writings that the poor are particularly attracted to<br />
a God who cares about them and is ready to impart His anointing to help those<br />
suffering in a practical way.<br />
It is encouraging to read this statement “healing had always been a part<br />
of the Christian tradition, but many believers had “lost faith in Christ as healer.”<br />
For individuals raised within the Calvinist tradition, in particular, the idea that<br />
God actively intervened in the everyday events of individual lives jarred<br />
discordantly with one of the key teachings of Reformed theology: that <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
performed miracles such as healing the sick in order to demonstrate His<br />
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divinity, but once the Christian church had been established, miraculous signs<br />
were no longer necessary. The age of miracles had ceased with the apostles, and<br />
although it was still permissible to pray for the relief from suffering, Christians<br />
should expect God to heal them through natural agencies, or “secondary<br />
causes,” rather than through a supernatural act of divine power”.<br />
161, 162<br />
I have to ask: have we been blinded? Have we been blinded to such an<br />
extent that we have come to agree with the premise that <strong>Jesus</strong> no longer <strong>heals</strong><br />
today? Is this not also the modern medical view? Have we been blinded by our<br />
own Christian leaders, traditions, and influential theologians?<br />
Of course we have. However, we can choose to seek a path towards<br />
fullness of Christs love for us physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.<br />
It would be inappropriate to think that Christ cares for our spirit but not our<br />
emotions, or that <strong>He</strong> cares for our emotions but not enough about or bodies. 163<br />
It appears that Christians are equally guilty of destroying the tenant that <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
<strong>heals</strong> as they are of promoting it.<br />
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Chapter 7: The Bride of Christ<br />
“I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a<br />
pure virgin to him.” 164<br />
The words of Paul to the to the Corinthians strikes up a myriad of thoughts<br />
about the Bride of Christ. The Bride of Christ is the body of believers collectively<br />
known as the church. Paul wanted to present a perfect unblemished church to<br />
Christ. Alas this has not been the case. If the church is the Bride of Christ, then<br />
the church still has some work to do before Christ returns. This simply means<br />
that the church can continually strive towards perfection is all areas of growth.<br />
Understanding and developing a healthy methodology, perhaps also a doctrine<br />
by definition, of Christ’s healing will advance the church towards Paul’s<br />
ultimate perfection of the Bride of Christ. The Old Testament portrays Israel as<br />
the bride of God:<br />
“This is what the LORD says: “I remember the devotion of your youth, how<br />
as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a<br />
land not sown.”” 165<br />
The church is not perfect. In fact, it has fallen far short of perfection and even<br />
faithfulness.<br />
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The reality of the situation could not be clearer when we read from Bakers<br />
Encyclopedia which<br />
says “Israel had been faithless; by going after other gods, she had actually<br />
prostituted herself and become an adulteress.” 166 This would be an appropriate<br />
moment to lament and call out “oh my God! What have we done?” When it<br />
comes to matters of physical healing the church in general has made some very<br />
big mistakes. Like all people, the church has fallen short of the glory of God and<br />
needs a savior who can forgive and reconcile.<br />
The church is in desperate need of a better understanding of Yahweh<br />
Rapha, the Lord who <strong>heals</strong>. 167 The church has many facets and for the purpose<br />
of this research, we are studying both the beauty and the flaws within one of its<br />
many facets. Using a beautifully cut diamond as a metaphor, we see that the<br />
many facets reflect light. Saying “<strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>” in a church reflects His light,<br />
hope, sovereignty, caring, intimacy, mercy, grace, and understanding of our<br />
sickly human condition. To create a diamond one needs an enormous amount<br />
of pressure. According to one reference, 725,000 pounds per square inch to be<br />
exact. 168 If one considers all of our mistakes in trying to heal the sick through<br />
prayer, false claims and lost opportunities, then we could argue that Christians<br />
undergo great pressure, including ridicule, and legal confrontation, to get it<br />
right. If <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> then the results should be evident. If <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> then the<br />
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church has an utmost responsibility to support that claim, not with hype,<br />
rhetoric and misleading claims but with results that demonstrate responsibly<br />
that this may indeed be the case. The church, as the bride of Christ, can strive<br />
towards perfection, and undergo great pressure to develop into a beautiful and<br />
pure bride worthy of her groom. How beautiful the facet of healing would be<br />
in the mature church.<br />
The Bible says “Seek me and you shall find me” 169 , but it also says so<br />
conditionally. <strong>He</strong>aling is not the only work of <strong>Jesus</strong>. It is but one facet, but<br />
indeed an historical and very important one. When God says to seek Him, it<br />
may be inferred that we need to take action. Searching out answers, day after<br />
day after day. Seeking answers is no easy task. To seek <strong>Jesus</strong> with all of our<br />
hearts requires effort or pressure.<br />
It is not that we expect God to provide everlasting youthfulness, but<br />
rather that we expect God to show His hand in our frailty. In his book Medicine<br />
and Religion, Gary Ferngren discusses how medicine and religion were closely<br />
interrelated from the earliest of times. <strong>He</strong> says the Egyptians and<br />
Mesopotamians viewed disease “etiologically rather than symptomatically.” 170<br />
<strong>He</strong> explains that the etiology or cause was searched out amongst ‘beings’ who<br />
had brought about such illness. “In both Mesopotamia and Egypt the<br />
supernatural authors of disease were the gods, the dead or demons.” What is<br />
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most interesting is that he also shows how over the course of centuries the<br />
viewpoint of these etiologies were subservient to “personal gods” and later also<br />
that confession of sin was deemed to counter illness. Interestingly, he shows a<br />
development of medicine from a naturalistic view based on experience, and<br />
empirical observations that accomplished healing of certain illnesses.<br />
What we see from Ferngren’s work is a progression from recognizing<br />
causes and treatments of illnesses over time by trial and error, to developing<br />
ideas based on observation, trial and error and evaluation. The church as a<br />
whole could benefit from a radical review of its own ideas and understanding<br />
of illness, and the church’s role, including teachings on dealing with illness.<br />
Ferngren says we should “consider the differing views throughout history of<br />
how the body operates…we have in common with previous generations<br />
biological similarities that all humans share in birth, death, sickness and<br />
pain.” 171 What he also says is “we interpret those events through the lens of our<br />
cultural and medical understanding. ”171 Then he goes on to say that although we<br />
are separated culturally, as time has gone on, we have a commonality by which<br />
we can better understand the past’s culture and worldview, bringing us closer<br />
together than what we may first attest to. “People in earlier centuries held very<br />
different views of health and disease than we do in the twenty first century. But<br />
by emphasizing their differences to the neglect of their similarities, we create<br />
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an unnecessarily restrictive lens through which to view past medical cultures.”<br />
171<br />
Theodicies are the defenses of God’s goodness and omnipotence in<br />
view of the existence of evil. 172 Out of all the cultures and worldviews over<br />
illness, compassion still rates as the primary human response to the sick.<br />
Ferngren says that in compassion we “bear the image of God.” 173 “In scriptural<br />
usage compassion is always both a feeling and the appropriate action based on<br />
that feeling.” 174 Interestingly Ferngren notes that compassion “is not a quality<br />
that can be called up at will. It can be desired. It can be encouraged. It can be<br />
cultivated. But without a transcendent and spiritual basis, it lacks the<br />
sustenance necessary to nurture and perfect it.” 175<br />
“I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and<br />
followed me<br />
through the wilderness, through a land not sown.” 176<br />
What is God saying to us today? Is he longing see us demonstrate the<br />
devotion of our youth? Being devoted to Him means to be full of enthusiasm,<br />
eagerness, loyalty, dedication, zealousness, commitment and even fanatic<br />
energy. In healing, is that who we are? <strong>Does</strong> this describe the church today? Do<br />
we follow Him through the wilderness of illness, sickness and even death<br />
without question as a loyal bride does her groom? Can we even ask that of<br />
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ourselves in terms of a culture living with abundant healthcare and modern<br />
scientific advancement? How quick are we to abandon our groom? If we knew<br />
God was going to heal all our diseases this would be no challenge for us. The<br />
point is that we don’t know. Pray as we will, fast as we may, we succumb to the<br />
modern culture of medicine to heal us. When medicine has lost its shine and<br />
we begin to falter, we turn back to God for healing. It is by God’s compassion<br />
for us, as wandering unfaithful brides, that we have any hope at all of His grace<br />
and compassion healing the sick. Should our prayer not be “Lord, remember<br />
the devotion of our youth, when we as children followed you. Restore our<br />
hearts to our youth so that we may follow you.”<br />
If only it were so simple.<br />
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you<br />
may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” 177<br />
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Chapter 8: Rest<br />
In his book Christian <strong>He</strong>aling, Mark Pearson makes a statement that<br />
jumps off the page and engages his readers. <strong>He</strong> discusses how to develop a<br />
healing team: “Some “jobs” around the church can be done by people with<br />
relatively low commitment or sluggish spiritual lives. <strong>He</strong>aling is not one of<br />
them”. 178 This implies that the healing ministry in the local church is uniquely<br />
distinct from other ministries. <strong>He</strong> explains how “much experience has shown<br />
the damage that can ensue harm to those who ask for healing and to the<br />
reputation of the healing ministry.” Christians need training for healing<br />
ministries that are agreeable and accountable to the church as a whole.<br />
While it is true that any Christian can pray for healing, it may also be<br />
said that most Christians who would do so may have absolutely no clue as to<br />
what they are doing, despite good intentions. Pearson, a clergyman, qualifies<br />
his statement by showing that <strong>Jesus</strong> hand-selected His disciples, and trained<br />
them for three years for the work they would do. Three years training today<br />
will often produce not much more than a bachelor study. Teaching today in a<br />
university setting generally would require a doctorate. Teaching today in a<br />
church may sometimes require almost no study at all other than to be a follower<br />
of Christ who is willing to volunteer his time. A healing ministry requires a<br />
great deal of spiritual commitment to study and work towards a spiritual<br />
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maturity. To also have a genuine love and concern for people and also to be<br />
humble and obey church authority without “getting hurt or angry.” 179 Most<br />
importantly, what Pearson is discussing is that the healing ministry is difficult,<br />
complicated, stressful, challenging, scary, accountable, and spiritually<br />
engaging. These are things that when read by an experienced Christian<br />
engaged in healing, causes him or her to nod their heads in agreement. The<br />
experienced pastor may also add the words “agony and despair” when<br />
describing the healing ministry of the church. <strong>18</strong>0<br />
The agony of wrestling with God about the unfairness of seeing a child<br />
die due to illness is often unbearable. This is especially so when we are<br />
confronted with the despair of having lost our loved ones, often prematurely,<br />
while in the hands of Yahweh Rapha, our God who <strong>heals</strong>. Every doctor will<br />
have experienced the reality of having lost a patient under his or her care. Any<br />
doctor can relate to the genuine despair experienced that while under their best<br />
intended efforts to heal the sick, patients may not respond to care and suffer or<br />
pass away. Christians are not unique in having a solution to helping the sick,<br />
because medicine also <strong>heals</strong> the sick. Of the two groups, medicine has most<br />
certainly won the role of helping the sick in our western culture. Today when<br />
someone drops to the floor from a heart attack we do not immediately reach for<br />
our cell phone to dial ‘God’ but rather a more reliable 911, 112, or 000 depending<br />
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on the country you are in. <strong>18</strong>1 That is how we act directly in a practical way, as<br />
well as perhaps performing CPR to help our neighbours. <strong>18</strong>2 The Mayo Clinic,<br />
one of the largest medical facilities in the United States says on its website “It's<br />
far better to do something than to do nothing at all if you're fearful that your<br />
knowledge or abilities aren't 100 percent complete. Remember, the difference<br />
between your doing something and doing nothing could be someone's life.”<br />
This does not mean that a Christian cannot pray while calling 911. Has God not<br />
provided for a crisis in the Christian life? Can we call out to God in a 911-crisis<br />
and seek His help?<br />
By His design we can surely trust Him. The book of Psalms is the easiest<br />
book in the Bible to find because it is right in the middle of the modern printed<br />
Bible. We can find it in haste. Has God provided for our 911 situations in life?<br />
Yes, <strong>He</strong> has. The Bible provides evidence Psalms 91:1: “Whoever dwells in the<br />
shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” <strong>18</strong>3<br />
The first thing we hear from God is not “what is the nature of your emergency”<br />
but rather “relax, you are safe in My hands.” <strong>18</strong>4 In fact, God reassures His<br />
faithful caller by also saying:<br />
“If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your<br />
dwelling,<br />
no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.<br />
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For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;<br />
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against<br />
a stone.” <strong>18</strong>5<br />
What makes this all the more pleasing to the ear of the person reaching out to<br />
God or the spiritual ‘911-caller’ is the gentleness with which God says this,<br />
because <strong>He</strong> says it in poetry. How beautiful His reassurance!<br />
How interesting it is that at the time of writing about Psalms 91:1, the<br />
following research article came across my desk: Spiritual Peace and Mortality in<br />
Patients with Congestive <strong>He</strong>art Failure: “Researchers concluded that,<br />
“Experiencing spiritual peace, along with adherence to a healthy lifestyle, were<br />
better predictors of mortality risk in this sample of CHF patients than were<br />
physical health indicators such as functional status and comorbidity.” <strong>18</strong>6 In fact,<br />
what the results showed was that “spiritual peace decreased the risk of<br />
mortality by 20%.” Quite a significant finding when we consider that as<br />
Christians we “rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” <strong>18</strong>7 If God has a healthcare<br />
plan, then we can be assured that the peace and rest that <strong>He</strong> provides for our<br />
souls is a vital component.<br />
.“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. <strong>He</strong> makes me lie down in green<br />
pastures. <strong>He</strong> leads me beside still waters. <strong>He</strong> restores my soul.” <strong>18</strong>8<br />
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The primary message of the Bible is not about living a physically<br />
healthy life. However, the Bible does contain treasures about healthy living<br />
which includes dietary advice. Gid hannasheh is the <strong>He</strong>brew word for what<br />
today is called the sciatic nerve. It has relevant dietary prominence amongst the<br />
Jews because it was a dietary norm not to eat it. This dietary tidbit is found in<br />
Genesis saying: “Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to<br />
the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.” <strong>18</strong>9<br />
The eating of the sciatic nerve was not particularly forbidden, but was<br />
uncustomary. Today it may seem strange to us, but the Israelites and the Jews<br />
were set apart culturally by their eating habits. 190 Their diet separated them<br />
from others but also knitted them together within their own communities.<br />
Community was indeed good for the wellbeing of the early church believers.<br />
In Acts we read: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,<br />
to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” 191 And further:<br />
“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere<br />
hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord<br />
added to their number daily those who were being saved.” 192<br />
Sincerity is important to our health because it stems from pure motives.<br />
Sincerity is simply a good thing. It is contrasted by words which also<br />
demonstrate a lesser beneficial image of health, “it is also contrasted with words<br />
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like hypocrisy, deceit, and wickedness.” 193 Peter says: “Therefore, rid yourselves<br />
of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” 194 Community<br />
is good for the wellbeing of believers, but one’s own wellbeing is also good for<br />
the community.<br />
If God has given us instructions as to how we should live with the intent of<br />
caring for us then why abandon that system in favor of another, more<br />
worldly, model? As much as the medical profession is held in high esteem by<br />
many, it is far from perfect. Although a Christian may view the medical<br />
profession as God’s means of healing today, it should be remembered that<br />
iatrogenic (doctor induced) diseases are rampant. 195 “Today more people in<br />
the United States are dying from the adverse effects of medical diagnosis and<br />
treatment than are dying from heart disease or cancer. The number of people<br />
dying from iatrogenic disease is the equivalent of seven fully loaded jumbo<br />
jets crashing every day of the year.”196 Has God abandoned His care for us<br />
into the hands of something less perfect? I doubt it. Even medical doctors are<br />
aware of their own limitations. One group of medical students were told; “If<br />
you learn nothing else during your years at this institution remember this:<br />
Eighty-five percent of the people who come to you over the course of your<br />
careers will get better no matter what you do. Your job is never lower that<br />
percentage”. 197 Although, we may discuss this type of argument ad nauseam,<br />
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it simply demonstrates that medicine is far from infallible. We could<br />
extrapolate the quote above and argue that this means that regardless of<br />
medical treatment, the majority of patients will recover from their complaints<br />
by means other than medical intervention. One has to think if God is not<br />
responsible for putting a system in place, such as our immune systems, that<br />
remedies eighty percent of our health complaints, given that <strong>He</strong> is the creator,<br />
regardless of our faithfulness towards Him.<br />
The Christian, religious or spiritual view of health is based on Biblical<br />
scriptures relating to sin, and God’s involvement is our shalom. Shalom<br />
includes good health. Medicine is regaining an awareness that the spirituality<br />
of the patient is essential in attending to patient needs. “In 1992, three medical<br />
schools offered courses on spirituality and health. In 2001, 75 of the 125<br />
schools offer courses. Many of those courses are required. At The George<br />
Washington University School of Medicine, spirituality is interwoven with the<br />
rest of the curriculum throughout the four years of medical school so that the<br />
students learn to integrate it into all of their care.” 198<br />
If the quote, “some ‘jobs’ around the church can be done by people<br />
with relatively low commitment or sluggish spiritual lives. <strong>He</strong>aling is not one<br />
of them” is true, then the church should be perusing due diligence in<br />
understanding as much as it can about healing. Perhaps with the same, if not<br />
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more, zeal as that of the medical profession which is showing signs that they<br />
are returning to a consciousness that they must allow for a patients religious<br />
and spiritual beliefs to engage the ‘whole person’ in healthcare.<br />
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Chapter 9: Primum Non Nocere<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> healed the sick. People who followed Him knew it and so too did<br />
his persecutors. 199<br />
Although <strong>Jesus</strong> said that there would be those after Him who would do “even<br />
greater things as these” 200 I suggest that no one in history has matched the<br />
healing standard that has been attributed to <strong>Jesus</strong>. “<strong>He</strong> healed all the sick and<br />
all variety of sickness” 201 says the Bible. The only way we argue any match<br />
would be to somehow compare great medical breakthroughs, such as the<br />
discovery of penicillin, to the works of <strong>Jesus</strong> in terms of quantities of peoples<br />
healed. <strong>Jesus</strong> healed hundreds if not thousands of people. Penicillin has healed<br />
an estimated two hundred million people since it was introduced in 1942. 202<br />
Which is greater?<br />
If <strong>Jesus</strong> healed 100,000 people during His three-year ministry, for<br />
argument’s sake, and continues to heal today that would mean that at a rate of<br />
33,333 per year <strong>He</strong> has healed<br />
33,333 x 2016 years = 67,199,3<strong>28</strong> people. Of course this calculation is absurd for<br />
a myriad of reasons. Firstly, because <strong>Jesus</strong> was limited in His reach as <strong>He</strong> was<br />
just one man and also because the Holy Spirit has no such limits. Theoretically,<br />
the Holy Spirit who is with us today could heal millions, or even hundreds of<br />
millions and continue to do so indefinitely if this were indeed the plan of God.<br />
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More likely, other factors are also in play. If there is no sickness in <strong>He</strong>aven, then<br />
more likely the absence of sickness is not the current earthly model that God<br />
has planned for us.<br />
“<strong>He</strong> will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or<br />
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”<br />
(Revelation 21:4)<br />
In his book, The Biblical Pattern for Divine <strong>He</strong>aling, Richard Mayhue<br />
makes quite an interesting, if not startling, statement. <strong>He</strong> says “God physically<br />
afflicted more people, more often than <strong>He</strong> physically healed.” 203 That is quite<br />
revealing if not a little upsetting to find that out about the same Yahweh Rapha,<br />
the God who <strong>heals</strong>. Deuteronomy, is God’s own testimony to this fact.<br />
“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I<br />
bring to life,<br />
I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” 204<br />
Mayhue concludes saying “The testimony rings clear: God shoulders ultimate<br />
responsibility for life or death and health or sickness.” 205 In contrast we have a<br />
medical profession that has an existing principle “primum non nocere” meaning<br />
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“first, do no harm.” 206 Although the medical profession lacks the sovereignty of<br />
God, it does seemingly make a statement showing some level of self-restraint.<br />
Interestingly, even though <strong>Jesus</strong> said that those coming after Him<br />
would do “even greater things as these,” Mayhue concludes that healing has<br />
died out over time. 207 <strong>He</strong> firstly shows that although the apostle Paul’s<br />
frequency of healing declined with time, citing, for example, that in Galatians,<br />
Paul was ill and that in Philippians and Timothy, Epaphroditus, Timothy and<br />
Trophimus were ill as well. <strong>He</strong> also mentions that Peter and John make no<br />
mention of healing in their first century writings. Mayhue concludes saying:<br />
“<strong>He</strong>aling is noticeable in the Old Testament (over 4,000 years), overwhelming<br />
in the Gospels (about three years), occasional in Acts (about thirty years), and<br />
negligible in the epistles (about forty years). The apostolic age ended, and<br />
miraculous healing by direct human intervention ceased. The subsequent<br />
alleged healings recorded by early church historians do not match the biblical<br />
record in regard to the miraculous quality of instant, total, and undeniable<br />
healing.” 208 If this were true, then there is no purpose behind any evangelical<br />
healing crusade and we may as well all call for the doctor. The only other hope<br />
to experience divine healing is through God’s response to prayer. David<br />
Atkinson in his book Pastoral Ethics says:<br />
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“Some Christians, particularly within the medical profession, would<br />
endorse the perspective of Peter May 209 that the restoration of the image<br />
of God through the work of Christ is in this world spiritual and not<br />
physical, as death is inevitable. The priorities of Gospel evangelism are<br />
concerned with eternal salvation, not temporary respite for ailing<br />
bodies. This is not to say that partial healing through medical aid is not<br />
to be sought, but that ‘health’ ultimately belongs to another world, and<br />
neither Scripture nor medical experience encourage us to believe in<br />
miraculous healing as normative for the church. Indeed, such a view<br />
detracts from the positive value of suffering, neurotically focuses on<br />
the outward, the visible and the temporal, and raises false<br />
expectations.” 210<br />
This quote may be enough to subvert the many hopes for healing in this world<br />
and this age.<br />
Therefore, on the one hand we read about those of the<br />
Christian faith attempting to demonstrate a weakened or ceased doctrine of<br />
healing over time yet, at the same time, preserving a physical context of healing<br />
for the life hereafter. That is to say that the God prioritizes our spiritual health<br />
as essential for today but keeps our physical health, or healing, for heaven. This<br />
is then in contrast to what we have seen from the medical profession over the<br />
years. It seems as if the medical profession has moved away from a physical<br />
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and spiritual relationship in health and wellbeing towards a separate state of<br />
health, primarily viewed as being physical. It appears that medicine has<br />
abandoned its spiritual health consciousness in favor of a physical health<br />
consciousness while some in Christianity have abandoned the physical health<br />
component for a spiritual health priority thus keeping a delayed, ‘not yet’,<br />
mindset for physical health and wellbeing. Probably for obvious reasons. That<br />
is Christians score poorly in physical healthcare delivery but better in spiritual<br />
care. Also, that medicine scores poorly in spiritual care delivery but better in<br />
physical healthcare. For those in the medical profession there is no dilemma<br />
because they develop what works by trial and error. Christians are faced with<br />
a dilemma because of the Biblical Scripture’s instructions on spiritual health,<br />
but also the overwhelming emphasis on physical healing in relationship with<br />
God. More so, Christians are so diverse in their attempts to demonstrate<br />
physical healing that a myriad of interpretations exist. Many of which do not<br />
adequately fulfil modern criteria of healing.<br />
There is no modern, final word as to whether or not <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today.<br />
There is only the Scriptural word. Catholics may run to the pope for answers.<br />
Protestants have no pope. While an independent pastor may declare <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
<strong>heals</strong>, another will remain silent on the subject. While a parishioner prays<br />
feverishly for the healing of a friend even God may remain silent. Such is the<br />
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diversity amongst Christians. How then? How can this dilemma ever be<br />
answered?<br />
Christians have only one path, one methodology, one Scripture and<br />
one person they can believe, in the person of <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ. The answers must lie<br />
between Genesis and Revelation and within the Alpha and Omega. While<br />
Christians thirst for answers they can only drink from one river. How desperate<br />
are we to call on God for healing? How great is our thirst for but one drop of<br />
water from His holy river to save us? How desperately do we seek Him?<br />
Although, when suffering from a physical illness God’s healing may<br />
seem far away, there is indeed hope. Just as our bodies thirst for water our souls<br />
thirst for Him. The psalmist says “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” 211<br />
Further we read:<br />
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being<br />
longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” 212<br />
Matthew answers, saying: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for<br />
righteousness, for they will be filled.” 213 <strong>Jesus</strong> said: “Everyone who drinks this water<br />
will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed,<br />
the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 214<br />
Revelation confirms the final thirst quenching yearning:<br />
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“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not<br />
beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the<br />
throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And<br />
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 215<br />
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Chapter 10: Whole person healthcare<br />
Interestingly enough, medicine has its origins in religion and has<br />
separated itself from religion to become more secular, but the religious/spiritual<br />
aspect of the human being is not totally lost. There is some evidence that a<br />
“whole person’s” wellbeing is once again finding its way back into the medical<br />
model of healthcare.<br />
“It seems that in our desire to find new treatments and diagnostic tools<br />
we may have overlooked a basic need of all patients—that of being seen,<br />
diagnosed and treated not as a leg, a kidney or a brain, but as a whole<br />
person” says the Prime International website. 216<br />
Treating the whole person should firstly be considered a logical if not obvious<br />
approach to approaching any patient or person. This should be true for a<br />
medical doctor or any professional health practitioner but this is just as true for<br />
the Christian counselor. A Christian counselor cannot simply ignore the fact<br />
that the counselee may have mild if not severe brain neurotransmitter<br />
imbalances affecting rational thought or behavior. A wakeup call to how<br />
significant clinical depression might be is best expressed by Elizabeth Wurtzel:<br />
“for all intents and purposes, the deeply depressed are just the walking,<br />
walking dead.” 217 Sometimes medications are essential so that a Christian<br />
counsellor can indeed counsel on equal footing.<br />
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Harold Koenig, a medical researcher, describes the need for physicians<br />
to be aware of the whole person. His own research and his gathering of<br />
evidence into the relationship between health, spirituality, religion and<br />
medicine have led him to develop a spiritual assessment as part of a healthcare<br />
model integration. <strong>He</strong> says: “there are five categories of patients where a<br />
spiritual assessment is indicated. These are patients with serious lifethreatening<br />
conditions, patients with chronic disabling medical illness, patients<br />
with depression or significant anxiety, patients newly admitted to the hospital<br />
or a nursing home; and patients seen for a well-patient exam, when time is<br />
available to address social issues.” 2<strong>18</strong> A doctor’s spiritual assessment is simply<br />
defined as “asking a few simple questions such as: Do you have a religious or<br />
spiritual support system to help you in times of need? Do you have any<br />
religious beliefs that might influence your medical decisions? Do you have any<br />
other spiritual concerns that you would like someone to address?” <strong>18</strong>0 These<br />
questions are asked for the purpose of becoming aware of the patient’s religious<br />
background and to determine if the patient has any spiritual or religious based<br />
support systems. The patient may in fact have some spiritual beliefs that are<br />
important in patient care. Asking these questions creates an atmosphere of<br />
caring which is essential to patient compliance and wellbeing. Most<br />
importantly, says Koenig, these questions assess the need for implementing a<br />
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“spiritual care team.” A spiritual care team is a team of people, led by the<br />
doctor, who follow up with the patient in the areas where care is needed. This<br />
is indeed a fascinating progression into an area of care perhaps unprecedented<br />
in medical history. Doctors, nurses, social workers, receptionists, chaplains or<br />
pastoral counselors can work together with a chaplain or religious care giver to<br />
address needs as they arise. This team also functions within professional<br />
boundaries and ethics and with patient consent be it yea or nay. The spiritual<br />
assessment is primarily for patients with serious life-threatening conditions,<br />
those suffering from depression or significant anxieties, those with chronic<br />
disabling medical illness, those newly admitted to the hospital or a nursing<br />
home and those patients seen for a well-patient exam, when time is available to<br />
address social issues. (<strong>18</strong>0)<br />
Just as a spiritual assessment is indicated for some people it is also<br />
contraindicated for others. Those unlikely to have a spiritual assessment<br />
include patients with acute problems without long term complications, those<br />
with short term follow up of short term conditions, children or young adults<br />
without chronic illness or life threatening illness and finally, those who are not<br />
spiritually or religiously inclined.<br />
Christians may have Bible verses ringing in their ears after reading the<br />
list of those needing a spiritual assessment above. “My sheep hear my voice” 219 ,<br />
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indeed. It is not that Koenig is selecting inclusion or exclusion from a spiritual<br />
assessment of certain patients on the basis of who needs God as such, but rather<br />
limiting his advice on the basis of research. Secondly he has to limit his advice<br />
on the basis of law. <strong>He</strong> says “Don’t pray with a patient before doing a spiritual<br />
assessment and unless the patient asks, or be ready for a lawsuit.” 220 <strong>Jesus</strong> on<br />
the other hand sends an open invitation to all of humanity based on free will.<br />
<strong>He</strong> said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 221<br />
In reference to not doing a spiritual assessment on children, Christians may<br />
have a slightly different view. Matthew <strong>He</strong>nry, in reference to Luke <strong>18</strong>:15, says<br />
about the children “suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not; let<br />
nothing be done to hinder them, for they shall be as welcome as any.” 222 The<br />
church has open doors and cannot in good consciousness be selective in saving<br />
lives but the church is also limited by the free will of those who are not<br />
spiritually or religiously inclined. Obviously when one walks, or is rolled,<br />
through the hospital doors, it is most likely they are seeking a doctor’s help.<br />
However, his name may not be Dr. Y. Rapha.<br />
While Koenig has to respect given laws concerning patient privacy and<br />
respect a patients’ wishes he also must comply with regulations. In his<br />
explanation of why doing a spiritual assessment is good use of a physician’s<br />
time, he lists seven reasons:<br />
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“(1) Many patients have spiritual needs related to illness that influence<br />
satisfaction with care and healthcare costs.<br />
(2) Religious beliefs influence coping with illness and may affect the<br />
patient’s emotional state and motivation towards recovery.<br />
(3) Religion affects important health-related behaviors and likely<br />
influences medical outcomes.<br />
(4) Religious beliefs of patients influence their medical decisions, and<br />
religious beliefs of physicians influence the medical decisions they<br />
make as well.<br />
(5) The “standards of care” established by JCAHO require that<br />
providers respect patients’ cultural and spiritual beliefs, and<br />
assessment is the only way to know what those beliefs are.<br />
(6) Involvement in a religious community may affect health by<br />
increasing patient monitoring and thereby improving compliance with<br />
treatment.<br />
(7) Finally, addressing spiritual issues may also benefit the physician.<br />
By this I mean, the intrinsic rewards experienced when practicing<br />
“whole person” health care.” 223<br />
Number five (5) above actually makes use of a requirement that “providers<br />
respect patients cultural and spiritual beliefs.” 224 Most interestingly is the<br />
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added comment that “assessment is the only way to know what those beliefs<br />
are.” This clause seems to open the door to a spiritual assessment and<br />
compulsory integration of spirituality or religion, of sort, into the healthcare<br />
model.<br />
Religion and spirituality have different definitions. Religion or<br />
religiosity is deemed by researchers as easier to quantify, because it has more<br />
rigid parameters as compared to the term spirituality. Religion is basically<br />
defined as believing in God, together with some form of doctrine, but<br />
spirituality can be reduced to “mean almost anything, depending on what the<br />
person means by it.” 225 Concluding remarks made by Koenig based on recent<br />
research include that religion is used as a coping mechanism and is associated<br />
with a better wellbeing, lesser emotional disorders, substance abuse, better<br />
health behavior, and social support. 226 Further findings include that religion or<br />
specifically “religiosity” does have a relationship with less physical illness,<br />
better medical outcomes and even an increased life span.<br />
This research is generally in line with what Christians intrinsically<br />
believe because of the many benefits of the blessings of a closer relationship<br />
with God. What differs between the church in general and the medical setting<br />
is that in the medical setting the doctor is responsible for treatment within the<br />
bounds of the patient’s faith. 227 Whatever that may be. Within the church there<br />
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is generally only one teaching of <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ, as found in the Biblical word of<br />
God. Conversion or agreement with the Christian faith also requires repentance<br />
or a turning away from other faiths. Christians also have guidelines for those<br />
of other faiths. That is that we are to love them. The book of Romans says:<br />
“The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not<br />
murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other<br />
command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your<br />
neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the<br />
fulfillment of the law.” 2<strong>28</strong><br />
While there exists a model for some attention to a patient’s spiritual<br />
needs, as described above, within the medical realm it is not the only model.<br />
From a recent study in Belgium it was concluded that there was “no<br />
demonstrable effect of spiritual history taking on patient scores for spiritual<br />
well-being, quality of life, health-care relationship, trust, or pain.” 229 Within the<br />
Christian church there are numerous models where individual churches<br />
attempt to cope with the demands for the sick including, home visitations,<br />
prayer teams and anointing by elders. 230 A lack of research results from an<br />
attempt to meet a need within the church as best they can primarily with the<br />
use of volunteers.<br />
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While there have been numerous attempts to study health benefits<br />
from religion and also spirituality, one has to wonder why it is that we need<br />
research to convince us of what probably comes down to common sense. The<br />
most compelling reason is that research directs where funding for certain<br />
programs go. In Koenig’s presentations he takes the time to demonstrate that<br />
research into spirituality, religion, and health can almost half the end-of-life<br />
cost of patient care. Koenig says that “researchers took a look at the actual costs<br />
involved. Among patients who reported their spiritual needs were inadequately<br />
supported, medical costs during the last 7 days of life were $4,947 compared to<br />
$2,833 for those who said spiritual needs were addressed. Cost differences were<br />
especially large in minorities, where the difference was $6,533 compared to<br />
$2,276—nearly three times higher in those whose spiritual needs were not being<br />
met. Harvard investigators concluded that “The integration of spiritual care<br />
into the care of dying patients holds promise to improve patients’ and bereaved<br />
caregivers’ well-being, while also avoiding healthcare costs because of futile,<br />
aggressive care at the end of life.”” 2<strong>31</strong><br />
In modern healthcare the dollar may be the bottom line, and it may well<br />
be research that determines how our medical care is provided. For the Christian<br />
it is not the dollar that we serve, but the God that we serve. Nor is it the dollar<br />
that serves us, but rather God who provides for us. Christ said “Whoever has<br />
1<strong>18</strong>
ears, let them hear” 232 for a reason. If God has set a methodology in place for us<br />
to follow, then it would only seem reasonable to take notice of it. Yes, faith, in<br />
Christ, gives peace but it is His peace, not the world’s peace, which gives rest.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> said:<br />
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you<br />
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble<br />
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my<br />
burden is light.” 233<br />
These are deeply, deeply profound words understood by not only by every<br />
Christian ear but particularly by every Christian heart. Once again this is<br />
because His sheep hear His voice. If Christians are at rest at the end of life and<br />
are passing away in peace as well as saving healthcare costs, then should we<br />
not be researching what methodologies God has in place and be searching with<br />
all of our hearts and with all of our minds to also experience this?<br />
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Chapter 11: Science and Faith<br />
The first assumption that most Christians make is that the church is a<br />
place of worship, but it is also a community. The church is not regarded as the<br />
‘go to’ place for healthcare advice. One could argue that that is why we have<br />
hospitals. However, this is simply not altogether true. On the forefront of<br />
church based organizations, offering healthcare services on a large scale<br />
internationally is the Salvation Army.<br />
“Many people have accepted the secularist approach which prioritizes<br />
science over faith particularly in matters of medicine and health. The integrated<br />
model to preaching, teaching and healing that <strong>Jesus</strong> practiced is viewed with<br />
suspicion in 21st-century medical practice. However, the church, and the<br />
Salvation Army in particular must resist being squeezed out by the forces of<br />
health specialization and commercialism. <strong>He</strong>alth and healing is much more<br />
than the business of doctors, nurses and health professionals and ever<br />
increasing technology. The health ministry offers 21st-century Salvationists an<br />
opportunity to witness to ‘wholeness’—the healing ministry offers a visible,<br />
practical and necessary witness to our faith to a world scrambling around for<br />
solutions to ever-spiraling health care costs.” 234<br />
Under the heading ‘the role of the church’, the Salvation Army website says<br />
“When Christians get past the idea that only trained health professionals can<br />
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e involved in health services, it is possible to see the many opportunities for<br />
‘ordinary’ people—and particularly people of faith—to respond to God’s call<br />
to be involved in the work of healing the world. This work of healing the world<br />
is a key task for Christians working together in corps and churches around the<br />
world.” 235 <strong>He</strong>aling the world is an amazing concept.<br />
Yes, it is possible for the church, to play some role in healthcare. A<br />
relatively new phenomenon is the Church Based <strong>He</strong>alth Promotion (CBHP).<br />
Research has shown that church based health promotions can significantly<br />
impact church members’ health choices and behavior by promoting and<br />
providing information regarding dietary advice, substance abuse support,<br />
cancer screenings, weight loss, and smoking. 236 Researchers have studied<br />
different models of church based healthcare integration models to see what<br />
models work, where and why. Of course researchers use big words such as the<br />
descriptive “biopsychosocial-spiritual” model. 237 The biopsychosocial-spiritual<br />
model recognizes that different providers have different strengths and<br />
weaknesses. A Chaplain is considered more of an expert in spiritual care as<br />
compared to psychosocial care, and a doctor obviously has a stronger<br />
knowledge in the area of physical care, though weaker in social or spiritual care.<br />
Balboni says “identifying spiritual distress is as deserving the same intensity of<br />
attention as physical pain makes spirituality a recognized domain of care.” 238<br />
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Thus, this model of care is an integrated team approach to a ‘whole person’ care<br />
model. However, it is not the doctor who is only responsible to the physical<br />
aspect of patient care. <strong>He</strong> is just as responsible for physical care as he is for<br />
spiritual care. The difference is that he may not personally give spiritual care.<br />
The chaplain then is also responsible for physical care but then refers to the<br />
doctor for help.<br />
Balboni makes an important point. <strong>He</strong> says: “a critical concept in<br />
whole-person clinical care is the notion of healing as distinct from cure.<br />
Whereas cure has mostly a disease based focus, healing refers to the whole<br />
person and how that person finds peace, a sense of coherence, solace, and<br />
meaning especially when dealing with serious of life threatening loss or<br />
disease.” 239 <strong>He</strong>aring statements such as “I hate God. How could he let<br />
something like this happen?” or, “God must be punishing me” or “God said it<br />
was OK to do it” are all indications that some aspect of the person saying them<br />
is amiss. Is a patient experiencing depression or delusion therefore needing<br />
mental healthcare or are they traumatized spiritually needing a chaplain? A<br />
team approach may help identify some of these issues.<br />
A church based health program is but one model of care. As with any<br />
program it may work better in one area than another and may meet different<br />
needs in one location or another simply because people differ in different<br />
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locations. What works in predominantly black communities in the U.S.A may<br />
be quite different from a rural Indian village, for example. What works under<br />
the American healthcare regulations will undoubtedly be vastly different in<br />
other countries. What is important is that models exist for the church to claim a<br />
place in healthcare. “Hope, change and a healthier life will not be achieved in<br />
corps, churches, and communities until the lives of individual people are<br />
transformed. Christians believe this best happens through an encounter with<br />
God and this is the basis for the impact that faith-based organizations have<br />
around the world. Even people with a more humanistic worldview can see the<br />
tremendous capacity, resilience and power that is unleashed when people of<br />
faith work together.” 240<br />
Christian care for the sick can be so much more effective when action<br />
is taken. Although a biblical model of prayer exists for healing, as well as<br />
commands in the name of <strong>Jesus</strong>, predominantly for deliverance, practical help<br />
by taking action in the real world also exists.<br />
<strong>He</strong>zekiah was dying from a boil on his neck. Isiah advised to prepare a poultice<br />
of figs. They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered 241 . This was a<br />
practical course of action. The good Samaritan also a made a practical<br />
intervention. <strong>Jesus</strong> tells in His parable:<br />
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“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw<br />
him, he took pity on him. <strong>He</strong> went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring<br />
on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an<br />
inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them<br />
to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse<br />
you for any extra expense you may have.’” 242<br />
This parable is about loving our neighbors, but it also demonstrates practical<br />
help. <strong>He</strong> bandaged the wounds. <strong>He</strong> cleaned him using oil and wine. <strong>He</strong> put the<br />
man on his donkey and took him to an inn and finally he paid for his neighbor’s<br />
healthcare.<br />
Science is not exclusively responsible for practical healthcare. Nor is faith<br />
exclusively responsible for healthcare. Ideally both should co-exist with mutual<br />
respect for each other. The church, as we have seen, can provide adequate<br />
healthcare of faith-based healthcare programs.<br />
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Chapter 12: <strong>He</strong>aling and Canonization<br />
Medically speaking, it is true to say that there is no such thing as a<br />
miraculous healing in the sense that it is attributed to a divine interaction by<br />
God. 243 One would think that such a statement or approach would put the<br />
churches vehemently at odds with one another. Of course, there is the ever<br />
present single word, however, that changes everything.<br />
In the course of studying the proclaimed healings that have been claimed<br />
to have taken place over the centuries, one church has done its own diligent<br />
research to ensure that the church has a good and substantiated record in<br />
making claims of divine healings. That church is, by no surprise, the Catholic<br />
church. The Catholic church has been keeping records of miracles by<br />
investigation since the mid fifteen hundreds. 244 The Catholic church have not<br />
only been keeping records of miracles but because of an overwhelming<br />
majority of miracles involving healings, they have gone to extra measures to<br />
ensure those healings can be validated by including medical experts. In<br />
essence what the Catholic church has done is gone to its most stringent<br />
opponent in declaring miracles, the medical profession, and has sought its<br />
help in determining if a miracle has taken place. Thus, even those whose<br />
pretext is that miracles do not exist must concede defeat when they<br />
themselves are unable to provide reasonable evidence to other causes.<br />
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Medical professionals during every age of medical progression have given<br />
evidence to help concede or deny that something unexplainable had occurred<br />
in situations where miracles have been claimed.<br />
Should the Christian Church as a whole, including Catholics and<br />
Protestants, consider Catholic testimony of miraculous healings? Of course,<br />
because Christian evangelicals can learn something from Catholic claims even<br />
when there may be theological, dogmatic, traditional or ritualistic imbalances<br />
between the two branches of faith, and probably vice versa. When considering<br />
the prayer model presented earlier, it is quite noticeable in many miracle<br />
declarations found in the Vatican archives that Catholics include prayers<br />
invocated to saints, deemed to be in heaven and being close to God, who may<br />
plead with God on behalf of the person praying. 245 While not a criticism of<br />
theological differences, one biblical verse may ring true in the ears of<br />
Protestants “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the<br />
Father except through me.” 246 Nevertheless many have researched the Vatican<br />
records of miracles. Jacalyn Duffin a trained medical hematologist and<br />
historian has personally investigated sources reporting 1400 miracles over a<br />
period of almost 400 years. Dating from 1588 up to a more recent 1999 to be<br />
exact. 247 In her research of ‘causes’ or canonization of saints, she was surprised<br />
that the majority of miracles are in fact “healings from physical illness, and for<br />
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most, doctors provided the testimony.” 248 Somehow, there exists a paradox<br />
between a medical profession who are for the most part unable or unwilling<br />
to accept divine intervention into the circumstances of a human life,<br />
notwithstanding the human heart, and the Catholic church whom are<br />
unwilling to concede a miracle of divine intervention into circumstances of a<br />
human life less it be sanctioned by surrender of the medical profession. This is<br />
in itself astounding. The Catholic church will not concede its own beliefs be<br />
true unless the scrutiny of the medical profession has surrendered.<br />
For the church it may be good news to see a tactic of passive sovereignty.<br />
That is to give man every opportunity to deny God’s very existence. Man can<br />
deny His existence in being, but also deny His involvement in the human life<br />
experience. This is good news for the church because, on a small scale, this<br />
manner of sovereign approach demonstrates the sovereign reality of the<br />
words “that at the name of <strong>Jesus</strong> every knee should bow, in heaven and on<br />
earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ is<br />
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 249<br />
The origin of the need for scrutiny into miracles are already found in the<br />
works of Paulo Zacchia, who came to be known as the spiritual father of<br />
forensic medicine in the 1600s. <strong>He</strong> was “archiater”, meaning chief doctor, of<br />
the Papal States and thus personal doctor to the pope at that time. In essence<br />
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his works were to find answers to certain questions using medical evidence.<br />
Examples are “How could one determine whether an infant was stillborn or<br />
the victim of infanticide? Whether a woman was a virgin? Whether a body<br />
found in water was someone who had drowned or the victim of a disguised<br />
homicide?” 250 Needless to say he would have been a sought after witness used<br />
in researching miraculous claims of healing. Zacchia summarized the<br />
elements needed for a miracle to be considered. A sick person would have to<br />
recover from an incurable illness quickly and instantaneously without the<br />
possibility or suggestion that recovery may have occurred by medical<br />
treatment or natural causes. With the passage of time Prospero Lambertini,<br />
became Pope Benedict XIV. Zacchia continued scrutinizing miracle claims and<br />
perhaps took the routine process one step further, during which time the<br />
number of miraculous claims were greatly reduced. 251<br />
Over the course of centuries different illnesses have prevailed at<br />
different times. Other illnesses such as cancer have been present in all<br />
centuries. Tuberculosis by description of the disease not by name of the<br />
disease has also been consistent over time until its eradication in more<br />
modern times. Tuberculosis was known to present with spontaneous healing<br />
in the natural course of the disease. This also led to a decline in miraculous<br />
healing citations of this disease or symptomology. 252 Similarly, as previously<br />
1<strong>28</strong>
mentioned, fever as an illness diagnosis waned because of its diverse<br />
interpretations. On its own, fever is not a diagnosis but rather a symptom but<br />
was used in many cases to name an illness. Concomitantly, resurrection<br />
miracles also lessened because of the medical appreciation of a comatose state<br />
and prolonged periods of unconsciousness perhaps previously interpreted as<br />
death. What became clear over the course of time, particularly into the<br />
twentieth century, was that miraculous healings had to be determined to be<br />
“instantaneous” or as an unusually fast recovery as compared to the normal<br />
trajectory of a disease. Jacalyn Duffin writes “for the canonization process,<br />
miracles occur when the patient recovers from certain death or permanent<br />
disability following excellent, up to date medical care, which the doctor claims<br />
had nothing to do with the cure. To turn a familiar phrase on its head, the<br />
doctor must say, “The operation was a failure but the patient lived.” And only<br />
the doctor can say it. Therefore, the Vatican prepares to define and “diagnose”<br />
a miracle when the doctor is surprised.” 253<br />
Thus far it has been shown that the Vatican archives (Archivio Segreto<br />
Vaticano), have records of claimed miracles over the centuries. Miracles are<br />
essential in the canonization process leading to sainthood. The Catholic<br />
Church has many saints. Thus through arduous process the Catholic church is<br />
able confirm a great many miracles after meeting stringent criteria only after<br />
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significant medical scrutiny. Reported miracles did not simply overcome<br />
subjects (miraculés) but occurred after invocation, in prayer, by a believer.<br />
Prayer “had to be especially sincere and given with value added devotion.”<br />
“Not just any prayer would do: quality counted too, as if the hoped for favor<br />
relies on the prior miracle of faith.” 254 The term value added devotion is<br />
interesting, is it not? The Bible tells us to pray but it qualifies what may be<br />
interpreted as value added devotion.<br />
Luke says: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray<br />
standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell<br />
you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room,<br />
close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees<br />
what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling<br />
like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be<br />
like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him”. 255 In contrast,<br />
in order to prove invocations of saints Duffin reports that “the canonization<br />
process itself encouraged the extension of private prayers into public and<br />
participatory acts. Since the mid-seventeenth century, the process seems to<br />
have preferred invocations that are fleshy, sensual, and tangible: gestures that<br />
are visible to others.” 256 Surprisingly, Duffin writes: “prayer alone is one of the<br />
least frequently reported forms of appeal in the files for canonizations.” 257 For<br />
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this reason, gestures of appeal, such as holding relics, leaving wax model<br />
body parts on the graves of saints, or even pilgrimages were introduced,<br />
although without defining values, for determining evidence of an appeal to a<br />
saint.<br />
Three consistent patterns emerge from the study of miracles as studied<br />
from the Vatican archives. A person had to have had severe enough<br />
symptoms to warrant desperation. Medicine in all its attempts to help the<br />
person must be shown to have failed. Finally, the recovery of the person must<br />
be unusually rapid or instantaneous. With the disclaimer of declaring miracles<br />
having occurred being limited to the best available methods of scrutiny<br />
available at the time, it can be said that they did indeed occur and were<br />
miracles to those who experienced them. Even when advanced knowledge<br />
with the passage of time may bring further knowledge to light.<br />
The Christian God is a God of wonders. 258 Miracles of healing are one of the<br />
many traits by which the world pays attention to His deeds. <strong>He</strong>alings draw<br />
crowds.<br />
“<strong>Jesus</strong> went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming<br />
the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among<br />
the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him<br />
all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-<br />
1<strong>31</strong>
possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed<br />
them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the<br />
region across the Jordan followed him. 259<br />
There can be no doubt that healing is part of the Christian faith. Attempts to<br />
reproduce the same level of miracles as <strong>Jesus</strong>, by disciples today, in general<br />
fall far short of the miraculous reports of biblical times although large crowds<br />
still gather today for evangelical type healing crusades. Skepticism by medical<br />
professionals has not answered all the questions of today’s healings but has<br />
rather provided a rather firm foundation upon which today’s miracles can be<br />
investigated rationally in the absence of adequate medical testimonial<br />
explanation, as we have seen through the research of Jacalyn Duffin. The issue<br />
for this purpose is not to investigate theological argument into Protestant-<br />
Catholic diversity, but simply to demonstrate by body of evidence that at<br />
times miracles of healing do occur. Certainly, in the eye of the beholder. As<br />
such, medicine cannot fully argue the miraculous as ‘folly’ without doubt due<br />
to their own explanatory limits as shown.<br />
A miracle is a wonder of God. Miraculous, spontaneous, recoveries from<br />
illness can and sometimes do occur beyond our explanation. That is the<br />
Christian tenet. We, as Christians, ask, appeal, plead, bargain and sometimes<br />
even taunt God to get His attention and appeal to His favor. That is what we<br />
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may do but it is not always what God has asked of us. <strong>He</strong> simply said to bring<br />
everything to Him in prayer.<br />
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and<br />
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 260<br />
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Chapter 13: Results are what count<br />
No amount of evidence will please a sceptic except for consistent<br />
reproducible results. Until, or unless, Christians are the ‘go to’ people for<br />
healing of the same or greater scale than modern western medicine, with at least<br />
the same results the question of whether or not <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>, at least from the<br />
medical side, Christian healing will be considered redundant. No amount of<br />
evidence will please a believer that <strong>Jesus</strong> does not heal today. The argument is<br />
as stark as that. The answers are not found in The Bible. The answers are not<br />
found in the laboratory. The answers are found in the results. It really is that<br />
simple. Christians need a spiritual foundation upon which to build their faith.<br />
A foundation which they can rely on. The Bible is sufficient for this. The Bible<br />
is reliable for this and the Bible is reproducible for this.<br />
Some Christians have abandoned the thought that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today. 261<br />
Some Christians promote that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today. Some Christians are prominent<br />
within the medical healthcare system. And some Christians have lost their faith<br />
because of the healthcare system. 262 For every situation there is a counter<br />
situation. Which is it that you believe?<br />
The body of Christ has healing promises. At the very least they have<br />
biblical healing incidents from which they gain hope and upon which they<br />
can build their faith. Prayer helps. A Christian knows the intimate<br />
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elationship between the power God and prayer. <strong>Jesus</strong>, in answer to the<br />
disciples about why they could not cast out a particular demon (or heal the<br />
man) says: “this kind can come out only by prayer” while some manuscripts<br />
add “and fasting.”263 , 264<br />
Why is prayer so important? Prayer suggests a relationship with God.<br />
Christians pray and God responds, all be it in His own way or in His own time.<br />
Prayer is an everlasting method of relationship. In terms of healing, prayer is,<br />
today, a Christian’s primary resource. From the writings of Kent Hughes we<br />
read that the disciples had the gift of exorcism. (212) Even with such gifts, the<br />
disciples still needed prayer to be in constant relationship with God.<br />
By its very nature, prayer is mysterious. By its very nature it is not<br />
possible to quantify or qualify prayer and healing together sufficiently as a<br />
scientific methodology in research for healing. It is almost as if God planned it<br />
that way. His sovereignty cannot be challenged by the minds of men. This<br />
means that faith becomes the issue. <strong>Jesus</strong> did not say, let me prove it to you,<br />
when asked if <strong>He</strong> was the messiah. What <strong>He</strong> did say on one occasion<br />
was, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them<br />
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” 265<br />
To who’s voice do we listen? Do we listen to His voice selectively? That is, we<br />
believe Him when <strong>He</strong> says we are saved. 266 But do we not believe Him on<br />
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other issues? Once again, “a man hears what he wants to hear and he<br />
disregards the rest.” 267 Today the issue of healing falls perhaps on both the<br />
true and the false side of reality, such that we have the two poles of believing<br />
within the Christian faith.<br />
“<br />
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.<br />
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number<br />
of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their<br />
ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 268<br />
Within the healing crusades of the last of the last century there has been<br />
an incredible resurgence of preaching the healing powers of Christ. It appears<br />
that much of this has occurred without accountability and has been allowed to<br />
run rampant in accordance with the warning given in Timothy.<br />
<strong>He</strong>aling is not simply an interpretation of theology which can be bent<br />
to suit our eager ears. <strong>He</strong>aling manifests in the result of a human body<br />
recovering from sickness, or ailment. This aspect makes the discussion not<br />
philosophical or emotional but tangible. That is to say that there is a difference<br />
between feeling better, as if God has touched you, and recovering from illness,<br />
as if God has healed you. Feeling better does not always equate with being<br />
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healed. A blood test will not show that you feel better but it will show if blood<br />
values of certain markers have changed. A theology misinterpreted may be<br />
interpreted as ‘good news’ and yet be incorrect. That is to demonstrate that the<br />
teaching that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> can be claimed but it may also be countered as untrue<br />
if medical evidence is not also sufficient, especially regarding more serious<br />
illnesses and pathologies.<br />
Is it counterintuitive to the spirit of the Gospel to prey on the poor in<br />
order to establish church growth? Is the truth of the Gospel not sufficient of its<br />
own accord? Why are claims of Christ’s healings so popular in underdeveloped<br />
countries? Is it because the claims cannot be countered by medical evidence,<br />
simply because those countries lack the medical facilities for providing<br />
evidence? Although the gospel goes hand in hand with the many stories of<br />
healing, the gospels also went hand in hand with the evidence of healings. <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
said “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the<br />
gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 269,270 The priests were the very<br />
ones who wanted to catch <strong>Jesus</strong> out if <strong>He</strong> had made a false claim and yet <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
said “show yourself to the priest” because there was no question as to the<br />
validity of the healing claim. Priests could declare one clean or unclean.<br />
Therefore, they could confirm this man’s healing claim. If <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today, in<br />
the Biblical model, one is either healed or is not, even if there may be a short<br />
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delay. <strong>Jesus</strong> said “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and<br />
came home seeing. 271 How much more obvious can His healing be? In modern<br />
terms even the medical profession would today be satisfied with <strong>Jesus</strong>’ healing<br />
results.<br />
Therein lies a significant clue to the real question for today. The clue<br />
lies in the word ‘satisfied’. The message translation of Luke 11:29 has <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
responding to an unsatisfied crowd demanding miracles of Him. <strong>Jesus</strong> said,<br />
“The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody’s looking for proof, but you’re looking<br />
for the wrong kind. All you’re looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy<br />
your lust for miracles.” 272 In <strong>Jesus</strong>’s opinion enough had already been done. His<br />
message is not “yes, I heal all the time. Isn’t it great?” His message is “you<br />
should be satisfied by what you have seen and heard by now. Go and make the<br />
world a better place.” This is echoed in James:<br />
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.<br />
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone<br />
who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and<br />
immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the<br />
perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they<br />
have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” 273<br />
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In fact, two words are important. Firstly, the word “satisfied” because<br />
we can chase signs, wonders, and evidence forever and never be satisfied. <strong>Or</strong><br />
we can be satisfied that enough has been said. We may make a choice to believe<br />
and be satisfied that what we know is reliable. What we don’t know we can also<br />
trust because of that which we do know, having The Bible and experience in<br />
Christ and having found both to be reliable. The second word that gives us a<br />
clue as to how we should respond to what we know is the word “go”. How<br />
often have we heard the words “go and” in the Bible? Astoundingly, <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
rebukes His own disciples for not believing testimony of His resurrection from<br />
Mary Magdalene, a reliable witness, nor the other witnesses.<br />
“When <strong>Jesus</strong> rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary<br />
Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those<br />
who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they<br />
heard that <strong>Jesus</strong> was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.”<br />
274<br />
“Afterward <strong>Jesus</strong> appeared in a different form to two of them while they were<br />
walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did<br />
not believe them either.” 275<br />
139
And they still had trouble believing <strong>Jesus</strong> as <strong>He</strong> stood in their presence.<br />
But rather than continue with evidence <strong>He</strong> said a word which in itself was<br />
indicative of what to do next. That word was simply “go.” The word “go” is a<br />
verb, an action word. <strong>Jesus</strong> said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all<br />
creation.” 276 <strong>He</strong> did not follow their doubts with more evidence, but expected<br />
them to act on the sufficient evidence they had, both in the few years they had<br />
spent with <strong>Jesus</strong>, and in the few testimonies they had heard of the resurrection.<br />
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let<br />
them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders<br />
of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the<br />
Lord.” 277<br />
Why is this verse important? It is important, amongst other reasons, to<br />
respond to a situation with action. In this case “let them pray” can also be read<br />
as “go and pray.” <strong>Or</strong> more generally, “go and do something about it.” Are your<br />
friends sick? Go over there and see what you can do to help. Do they need warm<br />
blankets? Go get some. Do they need a doctor? Go call one. Do they need food?<br />
Go get some. The average Christian does not need to have overwhelming<br />
evidence that <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong> today. What the average Christian needs is to be<br />
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faithful and respond in any way that may be helpful, least of which is to pray.<br />
To pray is to continue to be in relationship with Christ and further, to take<br />
appropriate action.<br />
To be satisfied means to rest in faith. To be satisfied is the full embodiment<br />
of shalom. 278 The Psalmist writes: “because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to<br />
do everything you say.” 279 There is no stress in the action of this promised verse.<br />
Action is taken in peace and assurance.<br />
Research demonstrates that religion and spirituality play a beneficial<br />
role in our health. The Bible contains a foundation of principles, or laws that<br />
culminate in a reliable set of guidelines that benefit ourselves in our<br />
relationship with God but also in our health. For example, scripture says; “Do<br />
not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring<br />
health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” <strong>28</strong>0 Although we are told<br />
otherwise, throughout the history of man, we absolutely do seem to want to<br />
be wise in our own eyes.<strong>28</strong>1 <strong>Does</strong> man fear the Lord in order to shun evil?<br />
Again the history of man demonstrates the contrary. Although we are told<br />
how we should live so that we achieve a better outcome, we refuse to<br />
relinquish our zest to be wise in our own eyes. We are told “Honor the Lord<br />
with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be<br />
filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” <strong>28</strong>2 Is this<br />
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what man does? Collectively, man could eliminate hunger and perhaps even<br />
poverty following these instructions.<strong>28</strong>3 Yet we covet what we have as our<br />
own.<br />
Although we have been given reliable and sound instruction we also<br />
have been given free will. The diversity that we see in the results of healing<br />
may simply be due to the diversity of man, in his sinful nature.<br />
Is research the answer to finding out if <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>heals</strong>? Hardly. Research<br />
is man’s attempt to know and to satisfy his own condition and to control or<br />
expand it. However, research may point us in the right direction. We will end<br />
up learning from research even if it may not finally prove all of what we are<br />
seeking to find out. Whole person health care as described earlier is a more<br />
holistic approach to health, which has come about as a result of research. If<br />
research leads to knowing, it must also lead away from faith. Is it a bad thing<br />
that medicine cares about aspects of patients’ lives that seem to play some role<br />
in their health and wellbeing? Is it a bad thing if a Christian believes his or her<br />
prayers may help another suffering human being? For the most part these are<br />
good things. Christians may give glory to God in both situations. Faith is not<br />
knowing and yet being satisfied in God’s sovereignty rather than our own.<br />
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“There is a mystery in the way God deals with us which<br />
cannot be expounded through scientific testing. And in any case, the<br />
real evidence of a healing is a change in the individual as a result of<br />
knowing the risen Christ’s saving and healing grace within<br />
themselves. For them, that can be a miracle indeed.” <strong>28</strong>4<br />
Perhaps the single most revealing statement that has been made<br />
during this study is by an unnamed Christian surgeon quoted in a report for<br />
the House of Bishops on the <strong>He</strong>aling Ministry in response to the following<br />
question: “Are you expecting the same sort of cures as sick people did in<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong>’ day and can such cures be shown to be miraculous after being subject to<br />
medical criteria?” <strong>He</strong> responded, “I have learned that when the Spirit of God<br />
touches and penetrates the human spirit, there is no limit to the responses the<br />
body can make.” <strong>28</strong>5<br />
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Chapter 14: Final thoughts<br />
In the several decades perusing my interests in the healings of <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
Christ, both in His times and ours, I have both engaged in healing ministry<br />
and abandoned it. I have experienced <strong>Jesus</strong> standing next to me showing me<br />
His works and encouraging me to pursue His ministry in faith. I have also<br />
distanced myself because, like His unbelieving disciples, I have at times had<br />
real doubts. <strong>He</strong>aling is not always a miracle. Nor is it always a result of a<br />
spiritual gift. <strong>He</strong>aling is often a result of walking with Christ.<br />
If we were to walk with Christ today from one house to the next,<br />
regardless of where we live, we would encounter people with real life issues.<br />
Sickness is but one of them. Poverty, depression, hunger, jealousy,<br />
unemployment, restlessness, frustration, addiction and others to name just a<br />
few. Everybody has something they need, want, or are lacking. When <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
encounters the sick <strong>He</strong> talks with them about it. <strong>28</strong>6 When <strong>He</strong> encounters the<br />
depressed <strong>He</strong> talks with them about it. <strong>28</strong>7 When <strong>He</strong> encounters the needy <strong>He</strong><br />
talks with them also. <strong>28</strong>8 His trait is to engage in the human life and become<br />
involved.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> simply spoke to the lady at the well. <strong>28</strong>9 <strong>He</strong> engaged her in<br />
conversation and then something remarkable happened. <strong>Jesus</strong> simply walked<br />
down the road and a man shouted out to Him from a tree. They ended up<br />
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sharing dinner. 290 <strong>Jesus</strong> passed by a fisherman and said “Follow me” and the<br />
fisherman received the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 291 <strong>Jesus</strong> was walking<br />
from one place to the next when a soldier came up to Him and asked for<br />
healing for his servant. <strong>Jesus</strong> didn’t even have to go to the house and the<br />
servant was healed. 292 <strong>Jesus</strong> sat in a field of hungry people and <strong>He</strong> fed them. 293<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> went to a wedding and the wine ran out and <strong>He</strong> replenished the wine. 294<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> was away for a few days when <strong>He</strong> heard His friend was sick and dying.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong>, in His own time, resurrected him. 295 <strong>Jesus</strong> retreated up a mountain for<br />
prayer and on His way down <strong>He</strong> was called to help out a boy with serious<br />
health issues. <strong>Jesus</strong> healed the boy. 296 Do you get the picture? When you<br />
follow <strong>Jesus</strong> all kinds of things happen. The lame walk, the blind see and the<br />
deaf hear. This is true both physically and in a spiritual sense.<br />
Let us not forget that although <strong>Jesus</strong> is sovereign <strong>He</strong> now wants to<br />
walk with you. If <strong>Jesus</strong> says “go” it means, “go without me. Walk in faith.” <strong>He</strong><br />
sent His disciples out into the world. 297 If you are a Christian then you are<br />
now one of them. No matter how far you walk, <strong>He</strong> will be there. No matter<br />
how far you sail, <strong>He</strong> will be there. No matter how deep you dig. <strong>He</strong> will be<br />
there. No matter how high you fly. <strong>He</strong> will be there. And no matter how ‘deaf’<br />
you may become, if you believe in Him, you will still always hear His voice.<br />
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When I think of the words “seek and you shall find” I have to think of<br />
the depth that is built into these words. 298 Seek: “what is it that consumes<br />
you?” What aspect of <strong>Jesus</strong> are you yearning for? “Seek” means search.<br />
Sometimes it can also mean ‘research’. I have spent years seeking Him in a<br />
pursuit to better understanding His healing. I have found that <strong>He</strong> <strong>heals</strong>. What<br />
I have found is that the more I seek the more <strong>He</strong> reveals but it has taken<br />
decades, and I know there is much more to discover. I can only assume this is<br />
true for all aspects of God. Seek and you shall find. Embrace the fullness of the<br />
words. To take time to research, think, ponder, read, question, engage, and<br />
learn, is the process of seeking. That is why we are given a lifetime to discover<br />
Him.<br />
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Appendix:<br />
God Afflicted<br />
God physically afflicted more people, more often than <strong>He</strong> physically<br />
healed. For example:<br />
Genesis 12:17—The household of Pharaoh<br />
Genesis 16:2—Sarah<br />
Genesis 20:<strong>18</strong>—The household of Abimelech<br />
Genesis 30:2—Rachel<br />
Genesis 32:22–32—Jacob<br />
Exodus 4:6–7—Moses<br />
Exodus 12:29–30—Firstborn of Egypt<br />
Leviticus 10:1–2—nd Nadab<br />
Numbers 12:1–15—Miriam<br />
Numbers 16:41–50—Israel<br />
Numbers 21:4–9—Israel<br />
Numbers 25:1–9—Israel<br />
1 Samuel 1:5–6—Hannah<br />
1 Samuel 5:6, 9, 12—Philistines<br />
2 Samuel 12:1–23—Infant son of David<br />
2 Samuel 24:1–17—Israel<br />
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1 Kings 13:4—Jeroboam<br />
1 Kings 14:12, 17—Jeroboam’s son<br />
2 Kings 5:20–27—Gehazi<br />
2 Kings 19:35—Sennacherib’s army<br />
2 Chronicles 21:16–20—Jehoram<br />
2 Chronicles 26:16–21—Uzziah<br />
Ezekiel 24:16—Ezekiel’s wife<br />
Daniel 4:<strong>28</strong>–37—Nebuchadnezzar 299<br />
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Chapter 14 related texts:<br />
<strong>28</strong>9 When <strong>Jesus</strong> saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this<br />
condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John5:6<br />
290 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you<br />
rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and<br />
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy<br />
and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:<strong>28</strong>-30<br />
291 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or<br />
drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and<br />
the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or<br />
reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are<br />
you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25-27<br />
292 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, <strong>Jesus</strong> said to her, “Will<br />
you give me a drink?” John 4:7<br />
293 <strong>Jesus</strong> entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the<br />
name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. <strong>He</strong> wanted to<br />
see who <strong>Jesus</strong> was, but because he was short he could not see over the<br />
crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since <strong>Jesus</strong><br />
was coming that way.<br />
When <strong>Jesus</strong> reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come<br />
down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Luke 19:1-5<br />
294 Then <strong>Jesus</strong> said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish<br />
for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and<br />
followed him. Luke 5:6<br />
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on<br />
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed<br />
in heaven.” Matthew 16:19<br />
295 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and<br />
about to die. The centurion heard of <strong>Jesus</strong> and sent some elders of the Jews to<br />
149
him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to <strong>Jesus</strong>, they<br />
pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because<br />
he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So <strong>Jesus</strong> went with them.<br />
<strong>He</strong> was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to<br />
him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under<br />
my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.<br />
But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under<br />
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that<br />
one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”<br />
When <strong>Jesus</strong> heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd<br />
following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in<br />
Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the<br />
servant well. Luke 7:2-10<br />
296 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a<br />
remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can<br />
go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to<br />
eat.”<br />
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.<br />
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down<br />
on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,<br />
he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and<br />
the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the<br />
disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The<br />
number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and<br />
children. Matthew 14:15-21<br />
297 <strong>Jesus</strong> said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them<br />
to the brim.<br />
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the<br />
banquet.”<br />
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been<br />
turned into wine. John 2:7-9<br />
298 So they took away the stone. Then <strong>Jesus</strong> looked up and said, “Father, I<br />
thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said<br />
150
this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you<br />
sent me.”<br />
When he had said this, <strong>Jesus</strong> called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come<br />
out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,<br />
and a cloth around his face. John 11:41-43<br />
299 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in<br />
a convulsion. But <strong>Jesus</strong> rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave<br />
him back to his father. Luke 9:42<br />
300 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore,<br />
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father<br />
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I<br />
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of<br />
the age.” Matthew <strong>28</strong>:16-20<br />
301 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.<br />
Jeremiah 29:13<br />
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Bibliography:<br />
Abdullahi, A. A., Trends and Challenges of Traditional Medicine in<br />
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Endnotes:<br />
i<br />
The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 8:4). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
2 Examples of healing testimonies:<br />
http://www.miraclesforyou.org/testimonies-miracle-2.php,<br />
http://www1.cbn.com/700club/episodes/all/amazing-stories<br />
https://www.cai.org/testimonies/healing<br />
http://www.ubm1.org/?page=testimonies , <strong>28</strong>/03/2016, 10:57<br />
3 Examples:<br />
ASA Adjudicates "God can <strong>He</strong>al" Claims Are Unsubstantiated,<br />
http://www.politicsforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=40956,<br />
<strong>28</strong>/03/2016<br />
'<strong>He</strong>aling' church faces ASA wrath, 2010-07-20 16:27,<br />
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/<strong>He</strong>aling-church-faces-ASAwrath-20100720<br />
New skeptical society in New Zealand succeeds in advertising complaint,<br />
June 27, 2014<br />
“Your belief that God <strong>heals</strong> has no evidence to back it up, so you cannot<br />
actually make that health claim.”<br />
http://doubtfulnews.com/2014/06/new-skeptical-society-in-new-zealandsucceeds-in-advertising-complaint/<br />
A Time to <strong>He</strong>al: A Contribution Towards the Ministry of <strong>He</strong>aling, A report from<br />
the Church of England on the ministry of healing, Church House Publishing, 2008<br />
pg.213-214.<br />
4 Weber, Kathrine, Wis. Supreme Court Justices Uphold Murder Charges<br />
for Faith-<strong>He</strong>aling Couple. http://www.christianpost.com/news/wis-supreme-<br />
court-justices-uphold-murder-charges-for-faith-healing-couple-<br />
99346/#P7OovZXWB7DBYPpL.99, 1/03/2016.<br />
169
5 http://listverse.com/2013/07/30/top-ten-cases-of-children-failed-faithhealings/<br />
6 Schenck, K. (2006). 1 & 2 Corinthians: a commentary for Bible students (p.<br />
<strong>31</strong>5). Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.<br />
7 The Archbishops Council, A Time to <strong>He</strong>al, London, Church House<br />
Publishing, 2000, pg 42, 50,51,54, 74<br />
“For the Church of England, there is no nationally recognized minimum<br />
standard of training for clergy or clear agreement about how this ministry or<br />
related guidelines for good conduct should be carried out in the parishes.<br />
Consequently, there is no consensus on what exactly, or even broadly,<br />
diocesan advisors should advise or what that advice should be, in relation to<br />
this ministry.”<br />
8 Ibid. pg 44.<br />
9 Ibid. pg74.<br />
10 Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry,<br />
https://carm.org/dictionary-cessationism, 13/05/2016<br />
11 The Archbishops Council, A Time to <strong>He</strong>al, 2000, London, Church House<br />
Publishing, pg. 208.<br />
12 Draper, Jimmy, DOCTRINE: <strong>Does</strong> God heal today? Baptist Press, April<br />
2007, http://www.bpnews.net/25471/doctrine-does-god-heal-today, 1-03-2016<br />
12:48<br />
13<br />
“In1990 werd Nefthys Brandsma op miraculeuze wijze van kinkhoest genezen<br />
bij de<br />
Bonifatiusbron. Volgens de gemeente Dongeradeel komen er elk jaar tussen d<br />
e 25 en 40<br />
duizend pelgrims naar Dokkum; nieuwe wonderen zijn nog niet gemeld”.<br />
(http://www.frieslanddigitaal.eu/Dongeradeel/Dokkum/beeldbonifatius.html)<br />
170
14 The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is one of the major operating<br />
components of the Department of <strong>He</strong>alth and Human<br />
Services http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/signs-symptoms.html<br />
15 Mayo Clinic, "Whooping cough used to be called the "100-day cough"<br />
because it can last for weeks to months." http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/whooping-cough/basics/definition/con-20023295,<br />
13/05/2016<br />
16 Bullis R., Sacred Calling, Secular Accountability: Law and Ethics in<br />
Complementary and Spiritual Counseling, Pasadena, Brunner Routelege, , 2001,<br />
pg 49<br />
17 Coleman, Lance, Sevierville man claims assault as part of exorcism,<br />
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/sevierville-man-claims-assault-as-partof-exorcism-ep-358846445-356121041.html,<br />
13/05/2016<br />
<strong>18</strong> Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (p.<br />
1430). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.<br />
19 Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.).. Isaiah (Vol. 2, p. 330). London; New York:<br />
Funk & Wagnalls Company, (1910)<br />
20 Schoeninger D., Fung K., Lussier L, Lay B., Caccese R., Christian<br />
Anthropology,The Nature Of The Human Person Human Brokenness and <strong>He</strong>aling, ,<br />
Association of Christian Therapists, 2009 pg. 16<br />
21 Science Museum, Brought to Life, Exploring the History of Medicine, 22-<br />
03-2015 19:00<br />
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/~/link.aspx?_id=4DF<br />
D6DAAAC544F75BB5F843D2A894BA5&_z=z<br />
22 Belief and Medicine,<br />
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/belief.aspx<br />
23 Johnson, Philip, Energy <strong>He</strong>aling: A Christian Theological Appraisal,<br />
http://mattstone.blogs.com/christian/2009/08/energy-healing-a-christian-theologicalappraisal.htm<br />
, 15/05/2016<br />
171
24 Messer, N, Flourishing, <strong>He</strong>alth, Disease, and Bioethics in Theological<br />
Perspective, Wm.B. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing, 2013, Chap. 3.<br />
25 Phillips, Ron, Ten ways to release God’s <strong>He</strong>aling Power, What the Bible says<br />
about stirring up the supernatural gift of healing. CharismaDigital, March 2012,<br />
pg 49. http://www.charismamag.com/magazine<br />
26 Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (Eds.)., The Oxford Dictionary of the<br />
Christian Church (3rd ed. rev.,). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.<br />
(2005) pg. 88<br />
27 British Journal of Sports Medicine, Instruction for Authors, Guidelines,<br />
“We are looking for experts to synthesise the literature and to comment on the<br />
outcomes of the review in a meaningful and clinically relevant way. The<br />
conclusion that "more research is needed" is uninformative.”<br />
http://bjsm.bmj.com/site/about/guidelines.xhtml, 04/10/2016, 13:25<br />
<strong>28</strong> We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God<br />
has given to those who obey him.” The New International Version. (2011). (Ac<br />
5:32). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.<br />
29 Chest [Chest] 2009 Jun; Vol. 135 (6), pp. 1643-7. Delliser H.M.<br />
30 Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and<br />
Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.<br />
<strong>31</strong> The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 38:3). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
32 Preamble to the Constitution of the World <strong>He</strong>alth <strong>Or</strong>ganization as<br />
adopted by the International <strong>He</strong>alth Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946;<br />
signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of<br />
the World <strong>He</strong>alth <strong>Or</strong>ganization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April<br />
1948.<br />
33 The New International Version. (2011). (1 Co 6:<strong>18</strong>–20). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
34 Ibid, (3 Jn 2).<br />
35 Ibid, (1 Th 5:23–24).<br />
172
36 Koenig HG, Hooten EG, Lindsay-Calkins E, Meador KG (2010).<br />
Spirituality in medical school curricula: Findings from a national survey.<br />
International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 40 (4): 391-398.<br />
37 <strong>He</strong>nkel, Gretchen, Pray With Me, The Hospitalist, July 1, 2007,<br />
http://www.the-hospitalist.org/article/pray-with-me/3/<br />
38 Ubel, Peter, Should your doctor pray with you? The Atlantic, <strong>18</strong>-03-2013,<br />
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/should-your-doctor-praywith-you/273991/<br />
39 Klitzman R. M.D., Prayer, Faith and Doctors, Well, March 2008, New York<br />
Times. (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/prayer-faith-anddoctors/?_r=0)<br />
40 World <strong>He</strong>alth organization: palliative care definition,<br />
(http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/)<br />
41 Ledford CJW, Canzona MR, Seehusen DA, Cafferty LA, Schmit ME,<br />
Huang JC, Villagran MM (2015). Differences in physician communication when<br />
patients as versus tell about religion/spirituality. Family Medicine 47 (2):138-142,<br />
Crossroads, Newsletter of the Center for spirituality, theology and health<br />
(Duke university), Vol. 4 issue 9 march 2015<br />
42 When <strong>Jesus</strong> came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying<br />
in bed with a fever. <strong>He</strong> touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got<br />
up and began to wait on him. Matthew 8: 14-15 (NIV)<br />
43 Easton, M. G. Easton’s Bible dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.<br />
<strong>18</strong>93.<br />
44 Bauer <strong>He</strong>ather, R.D., C.D.N., K. Matthews, Bread is the Devil, Win the<br />
Weight Loss Battle by Taking Control of Your Diet Demons, , St. Martin's Griffin<br />
2012<br />
44<br />
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/the_whiter_your<br />
_bread_the_sooner_youre_dead, 13/06/2016, 15:32<br />
173
46 Kris Gunnars, Why is Bread Bad For You? The Shocking Truth, , http://<br />
authoritynutrition.com/why-is-bread-bad-for-you/ March <strong>18</strong> ,2015 12:33<br />
47 Then <strong>Jesus</strong> declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will<br />
never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty . (John 6:35)<br />
48 “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,<br />
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all<br />
things have been created through him and for him. <strong>He</strong> is before all things, and<br />
in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he<br />
is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything<br />
he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness<br />
dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether<br />
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed<br />
on the cross.” Colossians 1:16-20.<br />
49 Oxford Dictionary Of The Christian Church, F.L. Cross, Oxford<br />
University Press, 2005<br />
Transubstantiation. In the theology of the *Eucharist, the conversion of the<br />
whole substance of the bread and wine into the whole substance of the Body<br />
and Blood of Christ, only the *accidents (i.e. the appearances of the bread and<br />
wine) remaining.<br />
50 The New International Version. (2011). (1 Co 11:23–26). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
51 Stone P. jr., The Meal That <strong>He</strong>als, Pressworks 2002, pg. 38.<br />
52 The New International Version. (2011). (Lk 24:30–<strong>31</strong>). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
53 Ibid, Jn 6:53–58<br />
54 Strong, J.. A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The<br />
<strong>He</strong>brew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 57). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software. (2009)<br />
55 The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 1:29). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
174
56 Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. Manners & Customs of the Bible North<br />
Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers. (1998). (pp. 116–117).<br />
57 The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 22:37). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
58 Belialov, F I. 2007. "[Psycosomatic associations in internal diseases. Part<br />
I]." Klinicheskaia Meditsina 85, no. 3: 21-24. MEDLINE, EBSCOhost (accessed<br />
March <strong>28</strong>, 2016<br />
59 Petrie, K. J., & Weinman, J. (2012). Patients’ Perceptions of Their Illness:<br />
The Dynamo of Volition in <strong>He</strong>alth Care. Current Directions in<br />
Psychological Science. http://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411429456<br />
60 From Discovery to Cure, Report of The National Advisory Mental<br />
<strong>He</strong>alth Council’s Workgroup, August 2010,<br />
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/advisory-boards-andgroups/namhc/reports/fromdiscoverytocure_103739.<strong>pdf</strong><br />
61 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (p.<br />
1461). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.<br />
62 The New International Version. (2011). (Dt 6:5). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
63 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (p.<br />
1461). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.<br />
64 Ibid<br />
65 The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 8:6–8). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
66 Ibid, Ro 12:2<br />
67 Ibid Mk 5:15<br />
68 In the NT madness is thought to come from demon possession (Luke<br />
8:2–3, 30; 11:14). People who have such disorders may strip themselves, live in<br />
tombs, and behave violently (Mark 5:2–13; Matt. 8:<strong>28</strong>–33). Spencer, R. A.<br />
(2000). Madness. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A. B. Beck (Eds.),<br />
Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 843). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.<br />
175
69 Schattner A, The Emotional Dimension And The Biological Paradigm Of<br />
Illness: Time For A Change. , August 2003 QJM International Journal of<br />
Medicine, Volume 96, Issue 9, 01 September 2003, PMID: 12925716 [PubMed -<br />
indexed for MEDLINE]<br />
70 Alzheimer’s Association, St. Louis Chapter, Visiting the Psychiatrist, Page<br />
1-3, ©2011.<br />
http://www.alz.org/documents/stl/Visiting_the_Psychiatrist.<strong>pdf</strong><br />
71 Chicago Bridge, Emerging professionals in the field of ageing, Alzheimer’s<br />
disease and related dementias, Alzheimer’s disease, is it a mental illness? June <strong>28</strong><br />
2011, http://www.thechicagobridge.org/alzheimers-disease-is-it-a-mentalillness/<br />
,3 April 2015: 17:17<br />
72 The New International Version. (2011). (Le 13:45–46). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
73 HIV Aware, What everyone should know about HIV, Princess Dianna,<br />
http://www.hivaware.org.uk/about/princess-diana.php, 3-04 2015, 21:58<br />
“Princess Diana's commitment and dedication to raising the profile of HIV<br />
helped challenge the stigma of the virus. She often publically wore a red<br />
ribbon and was the first prominent public figure in the UK to be pictured<br />
holding the hand of a person with AIDS in his hospital bed. This iconic image<br />
was seen by millions all over the world and had an amazing effect in<br />
challenging attitudes towards people living with HIV and breaking down<br />
stigma and misconceptions.”<br />
74 Wagner Meg, New York daily News, Published: Wednesday, August 6,<br />
2014, 7:42 AM “Amid a trend of Liberian families dumping their Ebolainfected<br />
loved ones into the open, the government of Liberia is urging families<br />
to keep those suffering inside and they will be picked up.”<br />
176
75 Chloe Brett, The forgotten victims of Ebola: The desperate plight of the children<br />
who have been orphaned by the virus, Published 00:03 GMT, 7 December<br />
2014 | updated: 00:03 GMT, 7 December 2014,<br />
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-<strong>28</strong>62063/The-forgotten-victims-<br />
Ebola-desperate-plight-children-orphaned-virus.html#ixzz3WKBzbwQv<br />
76 Schattner ,A. The emotional dimension and the biological paradigm of illness:<br />
time for a change. ,DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcg116 617-621 First<br />
published online: <strong>18</strong> August 2003<br />
77 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update.. (Mk 1:40–41). LaHabra, CA:<br />
The Lockman Foundation. (1995)<br />
78 Hughes, R. K., Mark: <strong>Jesus</strong>, servant and savior (Vol. 1, p. 57). Westchester,<br />
IL: Crossway Books. (1989)<br />
79 Schattner, A., The emotional dimension and the biological paradigm of illness:<br />
time for a change.,DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcg116 617-621 First<br />
published online: <strong>18</strong> August 2003<br />
80 The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 8:5–7). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
81 Laura Steenbergen, Roberta Sellaro, Saskia van <strong>He</strong>mert, Jos A. Bosch,<br />
Lorenza S. Colzato. A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies<br />
probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2015;<br />
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.003,<br />
Multispecies probiotic may have a significant effect on mood,Posted on Fri, Apr 17,<br />
2015 @ 10:04 AM, http://blog.designsforhealth.com/si-42214/multispeciesprobiotic-may-have-a-significant-effect-on-mood<br />
177
82 Roberts, Hannah,Rome, The Daily Mail, Doctors tell Pope to eat less pasta<br />
and take a daily walk like his predecessor amid fears about his weight gain since he<br />
took office.<br />
Pope's sedentary lifestyle said to be aggravating nerve condition<br />
Francis is said to have piled weight on since taking papacy<br />
<strong>He</strong> has suggested he does not expect to live to a very old age<br />
PUBLISHED: 21:05 GMT, 1 April 2015 | UPDATED: 21:19 GMT, 1 April 2015<br />
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3022143/Doctors-tell-Pope-eat-pastadaily-walk-like-predecessor-amid-fears-weight-gain-tookoffice.html#ixzz3Wkb9Xfpt<br />
83 Lin KP, Chou YC, Chen JH, Chen CD, Yang SY, Chen TF, Sun Y, Wen LL,<br />
Yip PK, Chu YM, Chen YC (2015). Religious affiliation and the risk of dementia in<br />
Taiwanese elderly. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, E-pub ahead of<br />
print, Crossroads, Newsletter of the Center for spirituality, theology and<br />
health (Duke university), Vol. 4 issue 9 march 2015<br />
Christians were 59% less likely than those with no religious affiliation to have<br />
AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) and 58% less likely to have VD (Vascular disease)<br />
84 Bonelli RM 1 , Koenig Mental disorders, religion and spirituality 1990 to 2010:<br />
a systematic evidence-based review, HGJ Relig <strong>He</strong>alth. 2013 Jun; 52(2):657-73. doi:<br />
10.1007/s10943-013-9691-4.<br />
85 The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 11:<strong>28</strong>–30). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
86 Ibid, Pr 3:5<br />
87 Benson H 1 , Dusek JA, Sherwood JB, Lam P, Bethea CF, Carpenter<br />
W, Levitsky S, Hill PC, Clem DW Jr, Jain MK, Drumel D, Kopecky SL, Mueller<br />
PS, Marek D, Rollins S, Hibberd PL. Study of the Therapeutic Effects of<br />
Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: a multicenter randomized trial<br />
of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer. Am <strong>He</strong>art J. 2006<br />
Apr;151(4):934-42.<br />
178
“Intercessory prayer itself had no effect on complication-free recovery from<br />
CABG, but certainty of receiving intercessory prayer was associated with a<br />
higher incidence of complications.”<br />
88 Benedict, Carey, Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of<br />
Prayer, New York Times, <strong>He</strong>alth March <strong>31</strong> 2006,<br />
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/<strong>31</strong>/health/<strong>31</strong>pray.html?pagewanted=all&_r=<br />
0<br />
89 Micah 6:13, Holy Bible, New Century version, Thomas Nelson, 2005<br />
“As for me, I will make you sick. I will attack you, ruining you because of your sins.”<br />
90 The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 15:17–19). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
91 History.com staff, First human heart transplant, A+E Networks, 2010<br />
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-human-heart-transplant<br />
92 Bekke-Hansen S, Pedersen CG, Thygesen K, Christensen S, Waelde LC,<br />
Zacharie R (2014). The role of religious faith, spirituality and existential<br />
considerations among heart patients in a secular society: Relation to depressive<br />
symptoms 6 months post-acute coronary syndrome. Journal of <strong>He</strong>alth Psychology<br />
19:740-753, Crossroads, Newsletter of the Center of Spirituality, Theology and<br />
<strong>He</strong>alth, Vol 4 issue 2 August 2014.<br />
93 Luchesse FA, Koenig HG, Religion, spirituality and cardiovascular disease:<br />
research, clinical implications, and opportunities in Brazil. Brazilian Journal of<br />
Cardiovascular Surgery, Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc vol.<strong>28</strong> no.1 São José do Rio<br />
Preto Jan./Mar. 2013<br />
http://dx.doi.org/10.5935/1678-9741.20130015, (2013). <strong>28</strong>(1):103-1<strong>28</strong>.<br />
94 Luchesse FA, Koenig HG (2013). Religion, spirituality and<br />
cardiovascular disease: research, clinical implications, and opportunities in<br />
Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery <strong>28</strong>(1):103-1<strong>28</strong>.<br />
95 The New International Version. (2011). (Ex 34:14). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
96 Ibid, Php 2:10<br />
179
97 Peterson, E. H. The Message: The Bible in contemporary language (Eze<br />
11:19–20). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress. (2005).<br />
98 The New International Version. (2011). (1 Co 2:12–14). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
99 Lyon, D. (1984). Secularization: The Fate of Faith in Modern Society.<br />
Themelios: Volume 10, No. 1, September 1984, 17.<br />
“The strong secularization thesis is that the modern world pushes traditional<br />
religion to the margins of society, leaving it no role to play at the centre of<br />
social life.”<br />
100 Linardakis, M., Papadaki, A., Smpokos, E., Sarri, K., Vozikaki, M., &<br />
Philalithis, A. (2015). Are religiosity and prayer use related with multiple<br />
behavioural risk factors for chronic diseases in European adults aged 50+ years?<br />
Public <strong>He</strong>alth, March 10 [Epub ahead of print], Newsletter of the Center for<br />
Spirituality, Theology & <strong>He</strong>alth Volume 4 Issue 11 May 2015<br />
“as Europeans continue on the path towards complete secularization, rates of<br />
chronic disease will likely continue to increase in this rapidly aging<br />
population”<br />
101 Stempsey, W. E. (2002). Miracles and the limits of medical knowledge.<br />
Medicine, <strong>He</strong>alth Care, and Philosophy, 5, 1–9.<br />
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11954989<br />
“Physicians have no epistemological grounds for declaring any cure to be<br />
miraculous. Miracles are theological (or philosophical) entities, and not<br />
medical entities. All physicians can do is to determine whether or not a<br />
cure is scientifically inexplicable according to the current epistemological<br />
standards of medical science. As these standards change, what is<br />
currently unexplainable may become explainable. However, we can also<br />
come to realize that our current explanations are in fact unsatisfactory.”<br />
102 The Archbishops Council, A Time to <strong>He</strong>al, London, Church House<br />
Publishing, 2000, pg. 14<br />
103 Abundance: A state of plenty. Since Israel was often restricted in<br />
resources, abundance was an important feature of her future hope, and<br />
became a symbol of spiritual well-being. (Dictionary Of Bible Themes)<br />
<strong>18</strong>0
104 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I<br />
came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. John 10:10<br />
(American Standard Version)<br />
105 Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible.<br />
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988.<br />
“<strong>Jesus</strong> came for his “sheep” to have life, and to have it abundantly. “Have<br />
life” means “to have eternal life,” that is, “to be saved” (see 10:9). Importantly,<br />
however, this does not merely entail participation in the age to come (as was<br />
the general view among Jews); according to John, <strong>Jesus</strong> gives a full life already<br />
in the here and now (which does not imply the absence of persecution [cf.<br />
15:<strong>18</strong>–25]). In the OT, it is especially the prophet Ezekiel who envisions<br />
pasture and abundant life for God’s people (cf. 34:12–15, 25–<strong>31</strong>). As the good<br />
shepherd, <strong>Jesus</strong> gives his sheep not merely enough but more than plenty (cf.<br />
Ps. 23; Ezek. 34; see Ridderbos 1997: 359). Andreas J. Köstenberger.”<br />
106 The New International Version. (2011). (Pr 3:1–2). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
107 Myers, Allen C. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Eerdmans, 1987.<br />
Prayer: “Any form of communication with God on the part of believing<br />
people in response to situations that may arise in life.”<br />
108 “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have<br />
hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2<br />
109 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/soren_kierkegaard<br />
07/08/2015, 14:38<br />
110 Manser, Martin H. Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and<br />
Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser, 2009.<br />
Thought: The human ability to reason and reflect. Believers are called to<br />
reflect upon the words and works of God as they are made known through<br />
Scripture and to avoid speculation based purely upon human reason.<br />
111 The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 139:2–4). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
<strong>18</strong>1
112 Ibid, Mt 6:6–8<br />
113 Ibid, Ge 24:42–46.<br />
114 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac<br />
9:10–12). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.<br />
115 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all<br />
peoples. Psalms 96:3<br />
116 “Using telepathy is not about intruding into someone's head. Our<br />
thoughts are private and cannot be stolen by others. But, your thought<br />
patterns can be tapped into if you are transmitting signals (consciously or<br />
unconsciously) to be intuitively heard.<br />
For telepathy to work there needs to be two participants, a receiver and a<br />
sender. Some people are better receivers, while others are better at sending<br />
messages.” http://healing.about.com/od/telepathy/fl/Telepathy-Takes-<br />
Two.htm, 07/08/2015, 14:<strong>28</strong><br />
117 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.<br />
Proverbs 4:23.<br />
1<strong>18</strong> Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with<br />
fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered. Psalm 35:13.<br />
119 The New International Version. (2011). (Da 10:10–13). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
120 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the<br />
flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their<br />
minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death,<br />
but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by<br />
the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.<br />
(Romans 5:8-7)<br />
121 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the<br />
flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is<br />
<strong>18</strong>2
contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not<br />
to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:16-17)<br />
122<br />
123 McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. S.v. "sticks<br />
and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Retrieved<br />
April 5 2016 from<br />
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/sticks+and+stones+may+break+my+bones<br />
%2c+but+words+will+never+hurt+me<br />
124 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in<br />
<strong>He</strong>brew Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a multitude of them that<br />
were sick, blind, halt, withered. for an angel of the Lord went down at certain<br />
seasons into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling<br />
of the waters stepped in was made whole, with whatsoever disease he was holden.<br />
American Standard Version. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.,<br />
1995.)<br />
125<br />
Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand<br />
Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988.<br />
“The heart is especially important in biblical religion. The mystery of the<br />
hidden self is fully known to God and to Christ (Jer 17:10; Lk 9:47; Rom 8:27;<br />
and throughout), and the heart is the seat of our knowledge of God (2 Cor<br />
4:6). The state of heart governs the vision of God (Mt 5:8); from the heart one<br />
speaks to God (Ps 27:8); the heart is the locus of divine indwelling (2 Cor 1:22;<br />
Gal 4:6; Eph 3:17). ”<br />
<strong>18</strong>3
126 Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible.<br />
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988.<br />
Obedience. Act or instance of submitting to the restraint or command of an<br />
authority; compliance with the demands or requests of someone or something<br />
over us. The general words for obedience in both <strong>He</strong>brew and Greek refer to<br />
hearing or hearkening to a superior authority. Another major Greek word<br />
includes the idea of submission to authority in the sense of arranging or<br />
ordering oneself under someone in a place of command. A third Greek word<br />
suggests obedience that is a result more of persuasion than of submission.<br />
127 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may<br />
lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:6)<br />
1<strong>28</strong> Candy Gunther Brown, Cephas N. Omenyo, Global Pentacostal and<br />
Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling, Oxford University Press 2011, pg. 238-239<br />
“The Presbyterian Church Of Ghana organized a special consultation 9-12<br />
August 1963, at Abetifi Kwahu”: The Presbyterian meeting recommended the<br />
following: A: The consultation wishes to see the New testament ministry of<br />
healing through prayer restored within the congregations of the Church. B:<br />
The ministry of healing through prayer should never be isolated from other<br />
healing ministries, especially medical treatment, but also the visits and care of<br />
other Christians. God can use all these means to give healing”<br />
129 The New International Version. (2011). (1 Th 5:23–24). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
130 Candy Gunther Brown, Cephas N. Omenyo,Global Pentacostal and<br />
Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling, Oxford, Oxford University Press 2011, pg.236<br />
1<strong>31</strong> Hartman, Steve E, Why do ineffective treatments seem helpful? A brief<br />
review. Chiropractic &Osteopathy 2009,17:10, pg. 3.<br />
132 http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/paul+simon/the+boxer_20105976.html,<br />
21/03/2016, 20:24<br />
Simon, Paul, The boxer, lyrics<br />
133 Bomann, Rebecca pierce, The Salve of Divine <strong>He</strong>aling: Essential Rituals<br />
For Surviving among Working –Class Penticostals in Bogata, Colombia,Global<br />
<strong>18</strong>4
and Penticostal <strong>He</strong>aling, Candy Gunther Brown, Oxford University Press,2011<br />
pg. 197.<br />
“No matter who administered the healing or who received it, two things<br />
seemed very clear to participant: the power came from God, and it was<br />
available to whomever needed it whenever and wherever it was required.”<br />
134 Candy Gunther Brown, Global Awakenings: Divine <strong>He</strong>aling Networks<br />
and Global Community in North America, Brazil, Mozambique, and Beyond. Global<br />
Pentacostal and Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling, Oxford, Oxford University Press 2011,<br />
pg.363<br />
135 https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/faith-healing, Harriet Hall, 1<br />
sept, 2015, 12:21 Pm.<br />
136 Moreland J.P., Kingdom Triangle, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2007 pgs.,<br />
14. <strong>18</strong>5-<strong>18</strong>6<br />
137 Ibid<br />
138 Ibid<br />
139 Ibid<br />
140 Ibid<br />
141 Ibid<br />
142 Ibid<br />
143 Keener Craig, Miracles – The Credibility Of The New Testament<br />
Accounts, Volume 1 2011 pg. 573<br />
144 Ibid<br />
145 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message<br />
is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17<br />
146 Hall, Harriet, Faith <strong>He</strong>aling, January 26, 2010, Science Based Medicine,<br />
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/faith-healing, , 1 sept, 2015, 12:21 Pm.<br />
147 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone<br />
who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put<br />
it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the<br />
bronze snake, they lived. (Numbers 21: 8-9.)<br />
148 Keener Craig, Miracles – The Credibility Of The New Testament Accounts,<br />
Volume 1 2011, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic Press, pg. 37<br />
149 Ibid pg. 39<br />
<strong>18</strong>5
150 Ibid pg. 42<br />
151 Ibid<br />
152 Candy Gunther Brown, Global Pentacostal and Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling,<br />
Oxford University Press 2011,<br />
153 Ibid pg. 4.<br />
154 Ibid pg. 5.<br />
155 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by<br />
becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted<br />
him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that<br />
at the name of <strong>Jesus</strong> every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and<br />
under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ is Lord, to<br />
the glory of God the Father. (Philipians 2:8-11)<br />
156 Candy Gunther Brown, Global Pentecostal and Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling,<br />
Oxford University Press 2011, pg. 5.<br />
157 Ibid pg. 6.<br />
158 Ibid pg. 5.<br />
159 Chesnut Andrew, Born Again in Brazil: The Pentacostal Boom And The<br />
pathogens Of poverty (NewBrunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1997),82<br />
160 Candy Gunther Brown, Global Pentecostal and Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling,<br />
Oxford University Press 2011, pg. <strong>18</strong>.<br />
161 Curtis <strong>He</strong>ather D., The Global Character Of Nineteenth-Century Divine<br />
<strong>He</strong>aling, Candy Gunther Brown, Global Pentecostal and Charasmatic <strong>He</strong>aling,<br />
Oxford University Press 2011, pg. <strong>31</strong>.<br />
162 Mullin R.B., Miracles and the modern religious imagination (New Haven,<br />
Conn.: Yale University Press, 1996), 9-30.<br />
<strong>18</strong>6
163 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.<br />
May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our<br />
Lord <strong>Jesus</strong> Christ<br />
164 The New International Version. (2011). (2 Co 11:2–3). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
165 Ibid Je 2:2<br />
166 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (p.<br />
381). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.<br />
167 “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in<br />
his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will<br />
not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the<br />
LORD, who <strong>heals</strong> you.” Exodus 15:25 NIV.<br />
168 http://www.livescience.com/32266-how-are-diamonds-made.html, 11-<br />
10-2015 16:35<br />
169 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him<br />
if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul ”<br />
(Deuteronomy 4:29),<br />
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get<br />
serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make<br />
sure you won’t be disappointed.” (Jer.29:13-14)<br />
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and<br />
with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37)<br />
170 Fergren Gary R., Medicine and Religion: A Historical Introduction,<br />
John Hopkins University Press 2014 pgs.16-17.<br />
171 Ibid pg. 201.<br />
172 Barry, John D., David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein,<br />
Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and<br />
Wendy Widder, eds. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham<br />
Press, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.<br />
<strong>18</strong>7
THEODICY From the Greek words θεός (theos) (God) and δικέ (dike) (justice),<br />
translating to “divine justice.” The attempt to defend God’s omnipotence and<br />
goodness in the face of the problem of evil in the world.<br />
173 Fergren Gary R., Medicine and Religion: A Historical Introduction,<br />
John Hopkins University pg. 213.<br />
174 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (p.<br />
504). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.<br />
“The apostle Paul listed a number of qualities that the Colossian church “as<br />
God’s chosen ones” was to incorporate; the first was compassion (Col 3:12). It<br />
was to be an integral part of the concept of Christian community. The Greek<br />
word means literally “to be moved in one’s bowels.” The term thus pointed to<br />
the very core of one’s inner feelings, much as the term “heart” does today.<br />
One’s intense inner feelings should always lead to outward compassionate<br />
acts of mercy and kindness.”<br />
175 Fergren Gary R., Medicine and Religion: A Historical Introduction,<br />
John Hopkins University Press 2014 pg. 213.<br />
176 The New International Version. (2011). (Je 2:2). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
177 Ibid Jas 5:16<br />
178 Pearson Mark, 2004, Christian <strong>He</strong>aling, Florida, Charisma House, pg.<br />
2<strong>18</strong>.<br />
179 Ibid<br />
<strong>18</strong>0 Van den Hoek Jos, 2005, Something’s On The Boil; A Discovery Of Prayer<br />
And <strong>He</strong>aling, Victoria Canada, Trafford Publishing, pg. 13<br />
<strong>18</strong>1 911 means: Emergency Services Phone Number, (USA/ Canada)<br />
http://acronymsandslang.com/definition/25<strong>28</strong>01/911-meaning.html<br />
Australia’s primary emergency call service number is Triple Zero (000), which<br />
can be dialled from any fixed or mobile phone, pay phones and certain Voice<br />
over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.<br />
http://www.triplezero.gov.au/Pages/Usingotheremergencynumbers.aspx, 29-<br />
11-2015, 13:35<br />
<strong>18</strong>8
The Netherlands - <strong>He</strong>t alarmnummer 112 is er voor spoedeisende hulp. Dus<br />
wanneer uw leven in direct gevaar is. Bijvoorbeeld als u of iemand anders<br />
zwaargewond is en dringend medische hulp nodig heeft. Of wanneer u<br />
getuige bent van een misdrijf. Bijvoorbeeld geweld, moord, een inbraak of<br />
diefstal.<br />
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/alarmnummer-112/vraag-enantwoord/wanneer-112-bellen,<br />
29-11-2015 13:49<br />
<strong>18</strong>2 . http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600, 29-<br />
11-2015, 13:55<br />
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many<br />
emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone's<br />
breathing or heartbeat has stopped.<br />
<strong>18</strong>3 The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 91:1). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
<strong>18</strong>4 Bratcher, R. G., & Reyburn, W. D. (1991). A translator’s handbook on the<br />
book of Psalms (p. 801). New York: United Bible Societies<br />
The psalm opens with a statement of assurance of God’s protection, which he<br />
provides for all who avail themselves of it. The two lines of verse 1 are<br />
synonymous: dwells and abides; shelter and shadow; the Most High (see 7:17) and<br />
the Almighty (see 68:14). The verb in verse 1b translated abides means “spend<br />
the night” (see 55:7b). In verse 1b shadow is probably an allusion to “the<br />
wings” of Yahweh.<br />
.<br />
<strong>18</strong>5 The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 91:9–12). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
<strong>18</strong>6 Park CL, Aldwin CM, Soyoung C, George L, Suresh DP, Bliss D (2015).<br />
Spiritual peace predicts 5-year mortality in congestive heart failure patients. <strong>He</strong>alth<br />
Psychology, E-pub ahead of press.<br />
http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/index.php/publications/crossroad<br />
s<br />
<strong>18</strong>7 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow<br />
of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1<br />
<strong>18</strong>9
<strong>18</strong>8 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ps 23:1–3). Wheaton:<br />
Standard Bible Society.<br />
<strong>18</strong>9 The New International Version. (2011). (Ge 32:32). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
190 Barry J.D, The Lexham Biblical Dictionary, 2015, WA, Lexham Press.<br />
Dietary Law – Sciatic Nerve.<br />
Unlike the prior prohibitions, the exclusion from eating the sciatic nerve is a<br />
custom, not a regulation. Genesis 32:32 links the avoidance of the sciatic nerve<br />
with the laming of Jacob. Modern kosher dietary laws prohibit the eating of<br />
the hind quarters of any mammal or domesticated animal from which the<br />
sciatic nerve has not been excised.<br />
191 The New International Version. (2011). (Ac 2:42). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
192 Ibid Ac 2:46–47.<br />
193 Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., & Butler,<br />
T. C. (Eds.). (2003). Sincerity. In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 1509).<br />
Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.<br />
Sincerity- Personal quality of living life from a pure motive without deceit.<br />
Associated with words or ideas like “truth” (1 Cor. 5:8), “genuineness” (2 Cor.<br />
8:8), “godliness” (2 Cor. 1:12), and preaching the gospel sincerely (2 Cor. 2:17).<br />
194 The New International Version. (2011). (1 Pe 2:1). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
190
195 Knight Steel, M.D., Paul M. Gertman, M.D., Caroline Crescenzi, B.S.,<br />
and Jennifer Anderson, Ph.D., Iatrogenic Illness on a General Medical Service at a<br />
University Hospital, N. Engl J Med 1981; 304:638-642,March 12, 1981,<br />
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM19810<strong>31</strong>23041104, 13-03-2016,<br />
14:50<br />
“We found that 36 per cent of 815 consecutive patients on a general medical<br />
service of a university hospital had an iatrogenic illness. In 9 per cent of all<br />
persons admitted, the incident was considered major in that it threatened life<br />
or produced considerable disability. In 2 per cent of the 815 patients, the<br />
iatrogenic illness was believed to contribute to the death of the patient.<br />
Exposure to drugs was a particularly important factor in determining which<br />
patients had complications.”<br />
196 Petersen, Dale, Iatrogenic Illness; A Growing threat,<br />
http://www.drdalepeterson.com/Iatrogenic-Illness_3.html, 13/03/2016 12:00<br />
197 Ibid.<br />
198 Puchalski CM. The role of spirituality in health care. Proceedings (Baylor<br />
University Medical Center). 2001;14(4):352-357.<br />
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305900/<br />
199 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen<br />
what <strong>Jesus</strong> did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and<br />
told them what <strong>Jesus</strong> had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called<br />
a meeting of the Sanhedrin.<br />
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “<strong>He</strong>re is this man performing<br />
many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then<br />
the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” (John<br />
11:45-48)<br />
200 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have<br />
been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am<br />
going to the Father. John 14:12-13<br />
201 <strong>Jesus</strong> went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,<br />
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and<br />
sickness among the people. (Mathew 4:23)<br />
202 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Alexander_Fleming , 8-<br />
12-2015, 20:33<br />
191
203 Mayhue, R. L. (2001). The Biblical Pattern for Divine <strong>He</strong>aling (p. 4). The<br />
Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications. (See appendix for full list)<br />
204 The New International Version. (2011). (Dt 32:39). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
205 Mayhue, R. L. (2001). The Biblical Pattern for Divine <strong>He</strong>aling (p. 4). The<br />
Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications.<br />
206 McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. 2002 First, do no<br />
harm. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19 2015.<br />
From http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/First%2c+do+no+harm<br />
207 Mayhue, R. L. (2001). The Biblical Pattern for Divine <strong>He</strong>aling (p. 4). The<br />
Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, pg. <strong>18</strong>.<br />
Galatians 4:13–15—Paul was ill, Philippians 2:25–30—Epaphroditus was ill, 1<br />
Timothy 5:23—Timothy was ill, 2 Timothy 4:20—Trophimus was ill. Neither<br />
John nor Peter mention historical instances of first century healing in their<br />
canonical writings<br />
208 Ibid<br />
209 Higginson, R. (1994). The world of business. In Pastoral ethics (p. <strong>18</strong>4).<br />
London: Lynx Communications.<br />
“Dr May denies that miraculous healings which closely resemble those of<br />
Christ occur more than extremely rarely today, and argues that though God<br />
could give supernatural healing today, it is not part of his normal provision.”<br />
210 Higginson, R. (1994). The world of business. In Pastoral ethics (p. <strong>18</strong>4).<br />
London: Lynx Communications.<br />
211 The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 42:2). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
212 Ibid Ps 63:1<br />
213 Ibid Mt 5:6<br />
214 Ibid Jn 4:13–14.<br />
192
215 Ibid Re 7:16–17.<br />
216 http://www.prime-international.org/whatiswholepersonmedicine.htm,<br />
20/12/2015 13:<strong>18</strong><br />
PRIME grew from a UK initiative in postgraduate medical education during<br />
the 1990s, which was recognized by an award for services to medical<br />
education from the British Postgraduate Medical Foundation and received the<br />
accolade "The Best Course Ever" in a faculty newsletter of the Royal College of<br />
GPs.<br />
217 Wurtzel Elizabeth, 1994, Prozac Nation, New York New York, The<br />
Berkley Publishing Group, p 22.<br />
2<strong>18</strong> Koenig Harold,<br />
http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/index.php/cme-videos, transcript<br />
30/12/2015 p.13<br />
219 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” John<br />
10:27, American Standard Version. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems,<br />
Inc., 1995.<br />
220 Koenig Harold,<br />
http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/index.php/cme-videos, transcript<br />
30/12/2015 p.17<br />
221 The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 11:<strong>28</strong>). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
222 <strong>He</strong>nry, M. (1994). Matthew <strong>He</strong>nry’s commentary on the whole Bible:<br />
complete and unabridged in one volume (p. <strong>18</strong>91). Peabody: <strong>He</strong>ndrickson.<br />
223 Koenig Harold,<br />
http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/images/<strong>pdf</strong>s/CME2%20Guide.<strong>pdf</strong><br />
, pg 3, <strong>31</strong>-12-2015, 10:<strong>28</strong><br />
224 Ibid<br />
225 Ibid<br />
226 Ibid pg. 21<br />
193
227 Koenig Harold,<br />
http://continuingeducation.dcri.duke.edu/moodle/file.php/962/Integrating_Sp<br />
irituality/CME3_Guide.<strong>pdf</strong> pg: 16<br />
2<strong>28</strong> The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 13:9–10). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
229 Vermandere M 1 , Warmenhoven F 2 , Van Severen E 2 , De Lepeleire<br />
J 2 , Aertgeerts B 2 .<br />
2015 Sep 16. Spiritual history taking in palliative home care: A cluster<br />
randomized controlled trial. Palliat Med. pii: 0269216<strong>31</strong>5601953. [Epub ahead<br />
of print]<br />
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26376936?dopt=Abstract<br />
230 Mack-Tatum, Donna Robinson, "Developing a Congregational Care<br />
Model: Mount Olive Baptist Church" (2013). Doctoral Dissertations and<br />
Projects. Paper 721.<br />
http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/721<br />
2<strong>31</strong> Koenig Harold, (Phelps et al. (2009). Religious coping and use of intensive<br />
life-prolonging care near death in patients with advanced cancer. Journal of the<br />
American Medical Association, 301 (11), 1140-1147)<br />
http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/images/<strong>pdf</strong>s/CME2%20Guide.<strong>pdf</strong><br />
, pg 19, <strong>31</strong>-12-2015, 11:22<br />
232 The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 11:15). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
233 Ibid Mt 11:<strong>28</strong>–30<br />
234 http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/healthprinciples, 2-01-2016, 11:55<br />
“The role of the institution in Salvation Army ministry is not limited to<br />
hospitals and clinics. Across the world The Salvation Army has significant<br />
institutional presence. In addition to 20 general hospitals, 45 maternity<br />
hospitals and 123 health centres/clinics, The Salvation Army, working in 116<br />
countries, has many other ‘institutional’ programmes. For example, 440<br />
hostels for homeless people, 2<strong>28</strong> children’s homes, 116 homes for elderly<br />
194
people, 60 homes for disabled people, 12 homes for blind people, 57 remand<br />
and probation homes, 41 homes for street children, 41 mother and baby<br />
homes, 77 care homes for vulnerable people, 104 centres for people seeking<br />
refuge and 204 residential programmes for people with addiction<br />
dependency. The Salvation Army has 2,<strong>28</strong>6 education institutions which offer<br />
similar opportunities for ministry.”<br />
235 Ibid<br />
236 Balboni, M.J.,2014, The relationship between Medicine, Spirituality and<br />
Religion: Three Models for Integration, J. Relig. <strong>He</strong>alth, 53: 1586 -1598<br />
237 Sulmasy, D.P., 2002, A Biopsycosocial-spiritual model for the care of patients<br />
at the end of life. Gerontologist, 42-3,24-33.<br />
238 Balboni, M.J.,2014, The relationship between Medicine, Spirituality and<br />
Religion: Three Models for Integration, J. Relig. <strong>He</strong>alth, 53: 1586 -1598<br />
239 Ibid. pg 1589.<br />
240 http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/healthprinciples, 2-01-2016, 13:49<br />
241 The New International Version. (2011). (2 Ki 20:7). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
242 Ibid Lk 10:33–35<br />
243 Duffin,Jacalyn, 2009, Medical Miracles, Doctors, Saints and <strong>He</strong>aling In the<br />
Modern World, New York, oxford University press, pg. <strong>18</strong>9<br />
244 Ibid, pg 215<br />
245 Swete, <strong>He</strong>nry Barckley, 1915, The Holy Catholic Church, A Study In The<br />
Apostles Creed,London, macmillan and Co,pg. 241.<br />
246 The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 14:6). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
247 Duffin,Jacalyn, 2009, Medical Miracles, Doctors, Saints and <strong>He</strong>aling In the<br />
Modern World, New York, oxford University press, pg. 7<br />
248 Ibid pg. 8<br />
249 The New International Version. (2011). (Php 2:10–11). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
195
250 https://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/exhibition/rise.html, 10-01-2016<br />
14:29<br />
251 Duffin, Jacalyn, 2009, Medical Miracles, Doctors, Saints and <strong>He</strong>aling In the<br />
Modern World, New York, oxford University press, pg. <strong>31</strong><br />
252 Ibid, pg 75<br />
253 Ibid pg 143<br />
254 Ibid, pg. 147<br />
255 The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 6:5–8). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
256 Duffin, Jacalyn, 2009, Medical Miracles, Doctors, Saints and <strong>He</strong>aling In the<br />
Modern World, New York, oxford University press, pg. 150<br />
257 Ibid.<br />
258 The New International Version. (2011). (Dt 11:2–7). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
259 Ibid Mt 4:23–25<br />
260 Ibid Php 4:6<br />
261 Craig, Ron, The Once And For All Truth About Sickness And <strong>He</strong>aling,<br />
Xlibris Corporation, 2009, chap. 2 pg. 5<br />
262 Wright, Bradley, Why Do Christians Leave the Faith? Breaking-up With A<br />
God Who Failed Them, Patheos, November 22, 201,<br />
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/blackwhiteandgray/2011/11/why-dochristians-leave-the-faith-breaking-up-with-a-god-who-failed-them/<br />
263 Hughes Kent R.,1989, Mark; <strong>Jesus</strong> Servant and Savior, Westchester<br />
Illinois, Crossway Books, Chapter 2- Unbelieving faith.<br />
POWER COMES THROUGH PRAYER (vv. <strong>28</strong>, 29)<br />
196
“Mark tells us: “After <strong>Jesus</strong> had gone indoors, his disciples asked him<br />
privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ <strong>He</strong> replied, ‘This kind can come out<br />
only by prayer’” (vv. <strong>28</strong>, 29).<br />
“During those six days that <strong>Jesus</strong> was gone, the disciples had gone about<br />
their work, preaching and casting out evil spirits as usual. When they came to<br />
the particularly stubborn demon in the boy, they tried and failed. Then<br />
another tried. Then several tried, and they tried again, but nothing worked.<br />
Why? The answer is, they were self-deceived in somehow thinking that the<br />
gift they had received for exorcism was under their own control and could be<br />
exercised at will. Thus, they did not think to pray! They forgot that there had<br />
to be radical dependence if God’s power was to course through their lives.<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> was teaching them that the faith which brings power is a faith that prays. The<br />
demon would have long been history if the disciples had given themselves to<br />
believing prayer!”<br />
264 Robertson, A.T. Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN:<br />
Broadman Press, 1933.<br />
Save by prayer (εἰ μη ἐν προσευχῃ [ei mē en proseuchēi]). The addition of “and<br />
of fasting” does not appear in the two best Greek manuscripts (Aleph and B).<br />
It is clearly a late addition to help explain the failure. But it is needless and<br />
also untrue. Prayer is what the nine had failed to use. They were powerless<br />
because they were prayerless. Their self-complacency spelled defeat. Matt.<br />
17:20 has “because of your little faith” (ὀλιγοπιστιαν [oligopistian]). That is<br />
true also. They had too much faith in themselves, too little in Christ. “They<br />
had trusted to the semi-magical power with which they thought themselves<br />
invested” (Swete). “Spirits of such malignity were quick to discern the lack of<br />
moral power and would yield to no other” (ibid.).<br />
265 The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 10:27–<strong>28</strong>). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
266 The New International Version. (2011). (John 3:16-17). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever<br />
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his<br />
Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through<br />
him.”<br />
197
267 http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/paul+simon/the+boxer_20105976.html<br />
21/03/2016 20:26 Simon, Paul. The Boxer, lyrics.<br />
268 The New International Version. (2011). (2 Ti 4:3–4). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
269 Ibid Mt 8:4<br />
270 When <strong>Jesus</strong> came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed<br />
him. 2 A man with leprosy l came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you<br />
are willing, you can make me clean.”<br />
3<br />
<strong>Jesus</strong> reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said.<br />
“Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then <strong>Jesus</strong> said to<br />
him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and<br />
offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”<br />
271 The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 9:7). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
272 Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: The Bible in contemporary language<br />
(Lk 11:29). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.<br />
273 The New International Version. (2011). (Jas 1:22–25). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
274 Ibid Mk 16:9–11<br />
275 Ibid Mk 16:12–13<br />
276 Ibid Mk 16:15<br />
277 Ibid Jas 5:13–14<br />
278 Martens, E. A. Jeremiah. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale,<br />
PA: <strong>He</strong>rald Press, 1986.<br />
SHALOM - A <strong>He</strong>brew term for peace which describes comprehensive wellbeing<br />
279 Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: The Bible in contemporary language<br />
(Ps 119:57). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.<br />
198
<strong>28</strong>0 The New International Version. (2011). (Pr 3:7–8). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
<strong>28</strong>1 Newheiser, Jim. Opening up Proverbs. Opening Up Commentary.<br />
Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008.<br />
The opposite of fearing the LORD is to ‘be wise in your own eyes’. Those who<br />
fear God are humble. They realize that their own reasoning is tainted by sin:<br />
they have been wrong before, and they will probably be wrong again.<br />
Therefore, they are eager to gain wisdom from God so that they won’t keep<br />
falling on their faces. Modern education is failing because it encourages<br />
students to be wise in their own eyes. It excludes God, who is the source of all<br />
truth, and teaches students to look solely to man for knowledge.<br />
<strong>28</strong>2 The New International Version. (2011). (Pr 3:9–10). Grand Rapids, MI:<br />
Zondervan.<br />
<strong>28</strong>3 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.<br />
Proverbs 10:4<br />
<strong>28</strong>4 The Archbishops Council, A Time to <strong>He</strong>al, 2000, London, Church House<br />
Publishing, pg. 208.<br />
<strong>28</strong>5 Ibid. pg 221<br />
<strong>28</strong>6 John5:6<br />
<strong>28</strong>7 Matthew 11:<strong>28</strong>-30<br />
<strong>28</strong>8 Matthew 6: 25-27<br />
<strong>28</strong>9 John 4:7<br />
290 Luke 19:1-5<br />
291 Luke 5:6, Matthew 16:19<br />
292 Luke 7:2-10<br />
293 Matthew 14:15-21<br />
199
294 John 2:7-9<br />
295 John 11:41-43<br />
296 Luke 9:42<br />
297 Matthew <strong>28</strong>:16-20<br />
298 Jeremiah 29:13<br />
299 Mayhue, R. L. (2001). The Biblical Pattern for Divine <strong>He</strong>aling (p. 4). The<br />
Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications.<br />
200