Suffering Question

[eazyduzit]

Jesus healed everyone? Really?

Mark 6:5-7
5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Sorry for the late response. But yes Randy, Jesus always healed everyone. Often great multitudes. It is always His will. Why? Because illness is from the devil. It is never good. God doesn’t use it to teach us a lesson. The bible says healing is the bread of the children(of God). True, there was one time when peoples unbelief prevented Jesus from doing what he wanted, but that certainly doesn’t change what is always God’s will, any more than saying that it is not always His will to save because every one is not saved.God is good all the time. I hope that answers the question.

 

[eazyduzit]

Please be more specific, if you can. What exactly did I post that “is not what Jesus thought or wanted”? Where did I write that illness and malformation is from God? And expound on Jesus healing everyone and what excuses I may have suggested he made.

Hey I don’t remember what I was thinking. Maybe I hit the wrong button. If I posted from my phone I can’t see the post I’m trying to respond to at the same time. Sounds like it was another post I was thinking of.

 

[eazyduzit]

Can you explain what you mean by this? It seems to me that the more one promotes the Gospel of Christ, the more Satan is going to meddle with them, causing them suffering.

I have no interest in “impressing” an atheist. If one asks me about suffering, my goal is to preach Christ, and Him crucified.

You think Christ dying on the cross to give meaning to suffering is an excuse?

What I was trying to say is that we can’t blame most suffering on God. In Lk.13 Jesus healed a woman of whom He said Satan had bound for eighteen years.Then there is suffering that we cause through our own stupidity.Then lastly there is the rare times that we suffer discrimination because of our witness to the Gospel.

When the atheist brings up the “problem” of suffering, I want to demonstrate that God cares about it and that He is not responsible for it and show him God’s mercy perhaps through healing or a word of knowledge. To make an explanation that the cross gives meaning to human suffering without doing anything for it seems like an excuse.

 

[guanophore]

Sorry for the late response. But yes Randy, Jesus always healed everyone. Often great multitudes. It is always His will. Why? Because illness is from the devil. It is never good. God doesn’t use it to teach us a lesson. The bible says healing is the bread of the children(of God). True, there was one time when peoples unbelief prevented Jesus from doing what he wanted, but that certainly doesn’t change what is always God’s will, any more than saying that it is not always His will to save because every one is not saved.God is good all the time. I hope that answers the question.

Eazy, you have been misled. You have to ignore a great deal of scripture to cling to this errant view, including the one in the post to which you replied with this post.:bigyikes:

I am continually amazed at how far from the Apostolic faith people can wander.

What I was trying to say is that we can’t blame most suffering on God.

Personally I find nothing life giving in blame of any kind.

That being said, God is the author of life, and there is no suffering that touches us without His permission. He can prevent it or alleviate it if He wants. This understanding of suffering is one of the doctrines of the faith that came through Judiasm. In the Hebrew Scriptures, reference is made to afflictions and demons being sent by God.

In Lk.13 Jesus healed a woman of whom He said Satan had bound for eighteen years.Then there is suffering that we cause through our own stupidity.Then lastly there is the rare times that we suffer discrimination because of our witness to the Gospel.

He promised we would suffer.

When the atheist brings up the “problem” of suffering, I want to demonstrate that God cares about it and that He is not responsible for it and show him God’s mercy perhaps through healing or a word of knowledge. To make an explanation that the cross gives meaning to human suffering without doing anything for it seems like an excuse.

Well, how you dialogue with atheists about suffering is your own affair, and I do agree that God is with us in our suffering, but to say that He does not allow it is false.

I do not understand the last part of your post at all. “the cross gives meaning to human suffering without doing anything for it seems like an excuse”

The cross is the most pure revelation from God of how suffering is made meaningful.

 

[Cathoholic]

Eazyduzit.

You made some good points in your postings here (I don’t agree with them all, but many I think you are partially correct about).

You said:

There is a difference from suffering as a result of our witness to the Gospel and suffering that is a result of Satan’s meddling. God always desires to counter it. The Bible says healing is the bread of the children. It is our right.

You also (earlier in the thread) said:

John G. Lake, was a man of extraordinary determination. . . . . he instructed believers in healing and wuold then send them out to whoever called. . . . He would never accept that faith would fail. He instructed his ministers not to return until the sick were well. No one ever took longer than two days. He was so successful that one of the two hospitals eventually closed down due to lack of business.

Wikipedia states . . . .

In 1935, Lake suffered a serious stroke [citation needed] and died on September 16, 1935,[3] at age 65.

Is Wikipedia correct here? WHY did Mr. Lake suffer this stroke and NOT recover? Why did he suffer death? WHY did Mr. Lakes first wife die after only six months in Africa (here)? Does this show that Mr. Lakes faith or his wife’s faith was “weak”?

What about the Gospel of “participation” in the Life of Christ (and He in us)? How does that fit into your theological points you are making here?

ROMANS 8:17 (NIV here) Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

ROMANS 8:17 (RSV here) and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

GeordieJosh

The problem of evil is a mystery.

We CAN know some things about suffering and WHY we are called in some cases, to suffer. We CAN go deeper into this mystery of suffering.

But we will not (in this life), know the whole answer to the problem of evil.

I would recommend a five minute video with William Lane Craig (here) or a somewhat longer video (here).

Does this help regarding what you are asking?

God bless.

Cathoholic

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

… When the atheist brings up the “problem” of suffering, I want to demonstrate that God cares about it and that He is not responsible for it and show him God’s mercy perhaps through healing or a word of knowledge. To make an explanation that the cross gives meaning to human suffering without doing anything for it seems like an excuse.

If your church is in the revelation of that gift, “if it works, work it”.

If ours by and large isn’t, our Scriptures still have plenty of meaning to be getting on with.

Please pray for us Eazyduzit that all Christians including us will come into a balanced revelation of this gift and all the other Holy Spirit gifts together because I think God intends that they should meet needs in this day and age.

This has to be done as a church. There is a Catholic Charismatic movement. If that is God’s gift please pray for our whole Church (as an ensemble of dioceses) that it harnesses this gift properly. There is no point in trying to persuade unconnected individuals like those of us posting at this forum. Thank you.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Sorry for the late response. But yes Randy, Jesus always healed everyone. Often great multitudes. It is always His will. Why? Because illness is from the devil. It is never good. God doesn’t use it to teach us a lesson. The bible says healing is the bread of the children(of God). True, there was one time when peoples unbelief prevented Jesus from doing what he wanted, but that certainly doesn’t change what is always God’s will, any more than saying that it is not always His will to save because every one is not saved.God is good all the time. I hope that answers the question.

Then what has changed?

Why doesn’t Jesus heal everyone today when it is certainly within His power to do so?

Illness is not “from the devil”…it is a result of the fall. Not quite the same thing.

And although God does not desire that any of us should be sick or die, He is able to use these things to teach us and to strengthen us spiritually.