Revival Meeting of Healing or Not?

[Major]

Hello Siloam;

What is the significance of laying hands whether entering ministry or healing? You are asking a great question and I feel you're also answering your own question, brother.

I have been laying hands for both purposes and I find myself comfortable and it feels right. I also find it very significant, but more importantly, very serious regarding laying hands on another before God. It gives me a sense of being with my brother or sister, being in concern and accord with them before the Almighty.

When a new believer or spiritual leader is ordained in church ministry, the church leadership including myself will lay hands before God, as a receiving of the Holy Spirit, blessings, and commissioning responsibility of a new spiritual leader as they go forth to shepherd God's people.

When we lay hands on a sick or dying person, we/and I are praying and asking God for blessing and Great healing. Another part is kneeling. To me, laying hands on a brother or sister or kneeling before God is a sign of submission, humbleness and reverence.

This act of laying hands is not a requirement of the believer, but I believe God loves and sees the act of the believer's heart.

I take both laying hands and kneeling very serious before God. I know He will ultimately have His Way, but many times He has worked amazingly in the ministry He has called me.

Brothers and sisters;

I feel we all have expressed our experiences with healing, whether revival meetings, divine healing and unfortunately, "fake healings." Regardless, these are yours, as believers, what you believe. With that said, we should be beyond any room for argument or disagreement.

For example, Cosia's experience of healing and belief belongs to her. Who am I to tell her she's in error?!?

From reading some of your posts, personally, I agree, and also have a real issue with "fake healers and fake preachers." My problem is, they know how to snake around what they do and say, and why, pray tell, would these individuals go out of their way to fabricate themselves to people who love the Lord?

God bless you all and more to come...

Bob, you said...........
"From reading some of your posts, personally, I agree, and also have a real issue with "fake healers and fake preachers." My problem is, they know how to snake around what they do and say, and why, pray tell, would these individuals go out of their way to fabricate themselves to people who love the Lord?"

Well I would say that the 1st thing that comes to my mind in "money".
That is of course exactly what the Bible tells us not to look for.

Then IMHO, there is the act promising the impossible to desperate people.
Offering any form of hope can definitely cause them to overlook rationality, and confirmation bias can be a huge factor here. Disconfirming evidence is also ignored here largely due to retreats to the supernatural. Often, if it doesn’t work, a believer uses the excuse that their faith needs to be stronger or that God has a reason for making them wait.
That is also not what the Bible tells us. Jesus and the Apostles healed completly with NO waiting and some of the time "Faith" was not required at all.

Then there is "Peer" pressure.
We as Believers all come from religious communities which include our churches. These communities/churches are central to our lives, giving us an endless supply of influence. When everyone they are close to holds the belief that faith healing works, it is hard to challenge the notion even if that is wrong, we hold onto it because it gives us comfort and we do not want to harm or cause harm to anyone.

They/We all have a great amount invested in our beliefs themselves: our religion, our concept of how the world works, and our view of ourselves and what our Pastors and teachers and even parents have told us. These beliefs make up who we are, and often we have grown up in this faith. Changing one’s views is a challenge when the world is telling you to, but when you are involved in such a close knit community, even if the thought were to cross your mind, it would quickly be pushed away.....because we like what we know even if what we know is wrong.

THAT is why so many people get angry when "faith healings" are questioned and challenged.

John 17:17......
"Sanctify them with truth, they Word is truth".

John 8:32.......
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

 

[Siloam]

Would one expect that Christians would be statistically longer lived, or healthier during whatever time they had?

There are conflicting studies. Often the results tend to align with the presuppositions of the designers of the studies.

I just came across an interesting article reporting on on a study that found that religious people live over 6 years longer on average.

Medical News article

The underlying study is reported in several news sources. I haven't found the original study, but a looking.

One may speculate whether faith based healing may be part of the answer.

 

[Lanolin]

hard to measure that one, I think there would be a difference, but you could only make a comparison of indviduals who have so many variables.
For example, how would I even know if I was meant to die young and live as long as I have, and how do I even know how long I have left now on this earth?

We do know that Japanese people in Okinawa are incredibly long lived, and it's not because they are Christians. It's been suggested it's the amount of seaweed in their diet or something.

 

[Major]

Would one expect that Christians would be statistically longer lived, or healthier during whatever time they had?

There are conflicting studies. Often the results tend to align with the presuppositions of the designers of the studies.

I just came across an interesting article reporting on on a study that found that religious people live over 6 years longer on average.

Medical News article

The underlying study is reported in several news sources. I haven't found the original study, but a looking.

One may speculate whether faith based healing may be part of the answer.

I have seen that as well. I would offer though that there are other reason behind the numbers.

1.
Christians are taught to be forgiving. Being a forgiving person can help lower your stress levels, while knowing your purpose in life can be very reassuring psychologically.

2.
Another thing is having meaningful and healthy relationships. Being part of a close knit and supportive Christian church community definitely helps relationships.

3.
True Christians, really committed to Christ are far less willing to put up with any sort of drug or alcohol use whatsoever, which hopefully discourages people to cut down on drinking and doing drugs long before they develop serious medical problems such as cirrhosis or brain damage.

4.
Christian people who regularly go to church, pray or study the Bible are less likely to have high blood pressure that than who do not. Having enough faith to put your life into the hands of a higher power can be a freeing experience that allows you to relax and take what God gives you.

These are not so called "faith healings" but IMO are more related to living a good, clean Christian life.

Proverbs 3:1-2..........
"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee."

 

[forgiven61]

there are many things we dont understand healing is one of them yes there is a healing in Jesus name . done by the power of God through faith. Does everyone get the healing they prayed for/ no .. ... i will say this again divine healing not divine healers . i recall a preacher who was taking treatments for cancer. he felt by faith he should stop the treatments . needless to say sometime later he passed away. in our Saturday night service a lady testified of the cancer she had. not treatable in other words ..death sentence .years later she is healthy and still alive. God works through medicine . he also heals out side of medicine . the main thing imo is trust the Good Lord go to the doctor . after all he did use Luke the physician . i think in the words of the apostle paul we all should work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

 

[Lanolin]

I have a book called God's pharmacy, and it's about using common weeds as medicine. Sure! After all God made the weeds.

 

[YeshuaFan]

Hello brothers and sisters;

About 20 years ago my wife and I experienced a spiritual and physical healing session of about 100 people. It was a nice gathering, meeting new people and existing friends, prayer and dinner. But when we got ready to listen to the preacher talk about healing, she shared some Scriptures, then had us form a line and give a word to each person.

When it was our turn I have to be honest, I didn't feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit while she gave me a revelation of my life, marriage or direction of ministry and physical being. But she spoke with a strong confidence in the Lord about what He was going to do.

I'd like to know your thoughts, whether you experienced a meeting of healing, be it in person, TV, or a large convention.

Please keep in mind, I'm not asking you this question, only to come back and correct you. I just want to receive your thoughts about revival healing. What is your conviction and belief?

I'll share more about my own approach to spiritual or physical healing later.

God bless you all and your families.

The Lord still heals today, but none gifted to do such today, and what you described was something to avoid, as it can get quickly into bad theology, more "thus saith me" then the scriptures!