What about a neighbor or church member John???
ALL medicare plans now include rides to and from such procedures.
What is faith?
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What about a neighbor or church member John???
ALL medicare plans now include rides to and from such procedures.
They are supposed to but in reality they don't. Furthermore, some of those plans provide rides for people in some counties but not others. So it's not even a state by state thing, it varies by which county you're in. From what I'm told Florida has much more services for their seniors than NY does. As for family, I never had much family, no siblings and both parents are dead a long time. I live in an area where very few people own a car because you can survive without one around here. Since I have both Medicare & Medicaid I'm supposed to get rides through Medicaid. But that's very iffy. They were doing it 5 yrs ago and then stopped giving me a ride because I have a license. Even when they were giving me a ride they left me stranded once. Luckily it was in an area where there were buses. I had to use 3 different buses but eventually I got home. When this coronavirus lock down is over I have to go to a neurologist that's not close by and there's no way I can use buses, so I have to figure something out.
If I were you.....I would go though the internet and find a church that is close to you. Call and ask to speak with the pastor and explain all of this to him.
We have this happen 2 or 3 times a month here and we have several people who are retired and do this kind of thing all the time for our church.
In fact, my wife and I took a woman who was one of our members to Gainesville (100 miles) for some test at Shands Hospital and we were glad to do it.
The pastor should be willing to help you. If not......then call someone else. They should be able to go with you on a train/bus or even a taxi.
Just do not give up!!!
God bless you my brother.
I'm not giving up, everything is just now on HOLD due to this covid thing. I will say this, I had no idea the cataracts in my left eye would get so severe in 3 yrs.
I might be able to get some rides through Medicaid. There's no point in making phone calls and asking right now because right now no one knows what's going to happen.
But there are still a few preachers around who are saying divine healing still happens and I believe it does. I think of divine healing as getting a favor from God. I truly hope that someday I can make a post saying God did this favor for me but it hasn't manifested yet. But I expect it to happen. We have to remember how the Bible defines faith: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of which has not yet been seen.(manifested)
I do know that if we want to see results by faith we must be people of our word. That means we have to always speak the truth. I first heard that 30 yrs ago and I just heard another preacher say it a few days ago. I have a hunch that if we want favors from God we have to do favors for Him. In my mind that means being obedient to God as is possible.
I have faith in prayer when I asked for the healing of my own eyes. Our Father in heaven will use doctors as his tools to repair all the problems in my eyes.
As a believer, it is my spiritual philosophy that God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. I will pray that our Father in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, will use the hands of these surgeons to repair my eyes. I pray for success knowing it will be, and for the spiritual welfare of the staff involved. I have faith that God will intervein on my behalf, where and when he needs to do so.
Do I believe healing miracles happen? YES!!! Everyday!!! However with modern medicine I also believe God does use doctors to do a lot of modern healing. The scope of what is not in their hands belongs to the glory of our Father. I just wonder to myself how many doctors get saved, knowing true miracles happen. Im sure they get to see medical miracles there is no explanation for (( other than divine intervention )) JMO~
As a believer, it is my spiritual philosophy that God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. I will pray that our Father in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, will use the hands of these surgeons to repair my eyes. I pray for success knowing it will be, and for the spiritual welfare of the staff involved. I have faith that God will intervein on my behalf, where and when he needs to do so.
Do I believe healing miracles happen? YES!!! Everyday!!! However with modern medicine I also believe God does use doctors to do a lot of modern healing. The scope of what is not in their hands belongs to the glory of our Father. I just wonder to myself how many doctors get saved, knowing true miracles happen. Im sure they get to see medical miracles there is no explanation for (( other than divine intervention )) JMO~
My dear friend thenami in post #25 is giving you the correct answer my brother.
It is always the same. Men and women run around day after day claiming that they have the gift of physical healing. They fill stadiums and go on TV and people "think" they see sick people healed.
My point is this. Why in the middle of this Coronas virus do we not see these people doing what they claim to be able to do?????????
WHY has one single person died of this virus if a man can heal the sick???
IF a person has the gift of physical healing, WHY in the world are all hospitals full of sick people all over the world?????
THINK ABOUT THAT!!!
Does God heal today? Yes He does, but when He chooses to heal, for He has complete sovereignty in the matter. Neither should we expect to see the huge 'cluster' of healing miracles which followed Jesus or the apostles around. God expects us to petition Him for the healing of ourselves or others and then - if it is in the eternal best interests of the sick person - He will heal. But if He has allowed the sickness as a trial to spiritually develop the sick person or those close to the sick person, He probably will not heal. Understanding this point can make our prayers more efficaceous, since we may ask God to at least reduce the painful burden of the illness, or even to change the trial. I have noticed that where God says 'No,' He often does reduce the pain/stress factor of the illness.
But let us never lose sight of the fact that the form of healing which God is most concerned about is spiritual healing, which is the ultimate healing which Jesus' healing miracles foreshadowed. We are healed in this way by turning from our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour. Ultimately, in Heaven and in the final resurrected state, this does of course indeed include complete healing from every disease of the mind and body.
Robin A. Brace
2002, slight re-edit in 2008.
http://www.ukapologetics.net/healingsacrifice.htm
Let me ask you folks if you ever heard of this, last Nov. I went to a group of eye docs known as OCLI (ophthalmic consulatants of Long Island). They have over 30 surgeons working there. Last Nov. I could still see clearly a little with my left eye but it's definitely worse than the right eye. So at first the doc said he wanted to do my right eye first but then he quickly changed his mind and said he wants to do my left eye first. But then he said a strange thing and I froze because I should have questioned him but I didn't. So concerning my left eye he said: I'm going to try and do it all with 1 surgery but it may take 2 or 3 surgeries to get them all. What does that mean??? I thought cataract surgery was 1 of the easiest and most simple surgeries there is. I've heard that often the actual surgery only takes 15 to 30 minutes. I never heard of needing 2 or 3 separate surgeries on the same eye. ... Well, I never saw that doc again because I couldn't get medical clearance. The routine EKG showed I have a RBBB which meant I had to go for an echo cardiogram. The echo was normal so I was scheduled for surgery the week before Christmas. But then I developed these 3 black & blue marks for no apparent reason. The surgery was canceled again. Many blood tests were done and the docs don't know why the black & blue marks happened. So I have medical clearance but now I have to start all over. I think I want a doc not affiliated with OCLI.
I just wish I knew what he meant by 2 or 3 surgeries on one eye? No one has heard of this.
Btw, I can't afford Lasik nor the better lens, so I have to be done the old style way.
I just wish I knew what he meant by 2 or 3 surgeries on one eye? No one has heard of this.
Btw, I can't afford Lasik nor the better lens, so I have to be done the old style way.
We do not know your medical history, nor what else could be wrong with your eye(s). All this is private information anyway, and site rules prevent posting medical advice. However after living in 11 states, I can honestly say fantastic medical care is available in the NY area. The combined services provided to those of a lower income are the best Ive ever experienced.
I myself may require more than one surgery; that is not uncommon. However you are in charge of your care. Ask questions, and request copies of their diagnosis if that helps you.
I myself may require more than one surgery; that is not uncommon. However you are in charge of your care. Ask questions, and request copies of their diagnosis if that helps you.
Sorry, I didn't know I'm not allowed to discuss this. I am still very new to this board.
I guess it's ironic that in the past whenever I used to accompany someone else to a doctor I'd ask the best and most pertinent questions imaginable, but when I'm the patient I tend to freeze up. That's what happened to me last year. When this covid lock down finally ends I'm going to have to start this whole process all over again. Hopefully it will be soon.
John. T. You can discuss it, just not receive medical advice. All is well sweetness, especially here 
If I was still living in NY I would help you as a Christian woman. That's why I suggested finding a church. Im sure once you get back "normal" living, you will find the help you need. I have to reschedule quite a few procedures myself, I have been awaiting patiently for. No one likes to have their life on hold when they have health issues.
It will get better, and until then we have a great site praying for us!!! Ah the peace and power of prayer! Hugs John, better days are coming soon...
If I was still living in NY I would help you as a Christian woman. That's why I suggested finding a church. Im sure once you get back "normal" living, you will find the help you need. I have to reschedule quite a few procedures myself, I have been awaiting patiently for. No one likes to have their life on hold when they have health issues. It will get better, and until then we have a great site praying for us!!! Ah the peace and power of prayer! Hugs John, better days are coming soon...
Hi Major, well yes, why is the question and I don't know all of the answer yet. I do think that a lot of the people who claim they have the gift for healing really don't. This is true. But even if a person has seen real healing occur a few times that doesn't mean he can always make it happen. This is why I mentioned Kenneth E. Hagin. I never saw anyone receive a dramatic type of healing at one of his crusades but I experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit at his crusades so I consider him to have been the real deal, and yet even he didn't know why healing doesn't always happen.
One of the confusing scriptures which also may answer the question is in the gospel that says Jesus could do very little in certain areas or towns. From what I remember that gospel blamed it on the unbelief of the people in those areas. But what did their unbelief concern, that it doesn't say. What I mean is did they doubt that God could heal them, I think that's unlikely. Maybe they doubted that God would heal them through this man Jesus, that's more likely. Or maybe they just doubted that God would heal them, for whatever reason. The point is they had some kind of doubt and that doubt was enough to prevent even Jesus Himself from doing very much in their areas. So we have to be careful.
Another issue with a man who claims he has the healing gift is he may sincerely think he has it so he might be saying he has it as an act of faith. This is a huge grey area. For the most part, if you say you can't do a thing you probably won't be able to do it. However, that doesn't mean that just because you say you can do that thing that you will be able to do it. And this is very confusing to us poor humans.
I also find it significant that even among people who claim to have seen miracles occur they claim most of them occurred in other countries where the people know little to nothing about our God. This makes me recall when Jesus said that the more a man knows then the more will be expected of him.
I feel like these are all loose ends of a rope we're trying to tie together but everytime we connect a few loose ends we find a few more. I know this much, that having a doubtful attitude is not the answer. I want to see miracles occur, I expect to see them, I believe I will before I die. I even think I started to see one while I was praying for a sick cousin 15 yrs ago. I laid hands on him and I felt like something was flowing from me into him. He was passed out so he knew nothing. But just as this happened some other people came walking into his room and I doubted what I was doing was real and I stopped. I never got the chance to do that again. But I learned that if you're going to pray for healing you have to really believe you can do it.
I think doubts are our biggest stumbling blocks.
John...…….may I say to you with all respect as a fellow believer, maybe you have ignored the obvious. Again, I do not want to harm your belief.
I have been involved in Christian ministry now for a long time.
I have been to Africa, Central America and the Middle East as well as Taiwan. I have seen more goofy stuff than I can remember but in the middle of all of it is one glaring problem that must be addressed. People in these places will accept anything anyone says so as to get something from those men such as food or cloths or shoes or dental work.
MEN want to fool people so as to look HOLY and make money and obtain power. They have found out thousands of years ago that RELIGION is one of the best ways to do that.
MEN will do anything to make money instead of working for it. We hear men say "religious" sounding words and then we allow our desires and imagination to take over our common sense and the next thing you know we have allowed ourselves to believe the lie.
That my friend is where the confusion comes from. Confusion does not come from God. HEALING does come from God but it does not come from MEN who say that they have the ability to heal. Those are charlatans who want one thing from you...…...your money.
Again, THINK! If any person could heal anyone, why do thay not go to every hospital in the world and empty them???
If any man has the ability to heal anyone.....why has there been the Corona Virus that has killed a million people???
Until those questions are answered correctly there can not be any man who can heal anyone.
AND the answer can not be.....there was not enough faith or a doubtful spirit.
Hello Major;
I blue highlighted your quote and agree, this is definitely "What is not Faith!"
I'm reading a book by Nate Sweeney titled, "The Abiding Church." In it Nate writes, "Jesus accused the religious leaders of His day of creating a follower who looked like them but was not pleasing to God. This pupil was worse off than the scribes and Pharisees themselves. Much like the teacher, this pupil worked within the system that looked religious and godly on the outside."
"This duplication happens in a lot of seminaries and Christian colleges in America. People go there in hopes of becoming a minister of the gospel and they come out less like Christ than when they began. They, in turn, take this methodology into their churches and the cycle continues." Quote Nate Sweeney
"I think that education is important, but many times we educate our minds at the expense of our hearts." Quote Nate Sweeney
Major, you and I serve as Pastors. I'm still serving full time today. But I'm sorry to say, the church (not all, mind us) has become confusing because the gospel has become diluted.
Therefore, "What is faith?" is a reminder and important for all of us to discuss because when we do, God will honor our search and provide us the TRUTH, revealing what is faith in our hearts.
Personally, I'm grateful for attending seminary but I still need to be me, a man of God seeking for answers everyday in my life. I have to be able to get the answers wrong, make my knucklehead mistakes and ask for forgiveness. I feel this is God's way of working within me with the answer, "what is faith?"
If I get everything right, no matter what education, then how can God work in me?
Thank you, Major, and everyone, for your posts. It gives me much to think about in my daily "what is faith?"
Sorry no you are wrong we all prayed it wasn't just one person, he and his wife and I prayed together. When you say amen to someone's spoken prayer, that is also counted as praying.
I was healed of bipolar disorder or what they used to call manic depression, which many doctors did not think was curable. And I suffered over 15 years of it. Things like broken bones and stuff are actually easily healed. But this was inner healing in my soul.
This elder also would pray for all ailments under the sun, and probably includes all the things you suffer from, and many testimonies came over the years. Another thing God showed me was how to recover and live a healthy lifestyle so I wouldn't be prone to falling sick again. And I haven't been back to a doctor/psychiatrist since...the only thing I need to go to the doctor for is the tests they say everyone needs to have.
Just going back to OP
Yes, I often wondered why people sue each other and go through stuff like that especially with things like divorce. And why countries go to war and fight and claim other countries are their enemies when they really aren't. So silly. If they are that upset over it, why not just play a game of rugby or paper scissors rock if they have to settle a dispute.
When people ought to use love to solve their problems, not hate. Just as Jesus did.
John who is suffering from cataracts
What you need to do is call the local church you belong to and ask if there is someone, maybe an elder or someone on the pastoral team, who can give you a ride to the hospital or clinic, and just explain that its difficult to get the shuttle, or if they can arrange some kind of transport.
If you can't pay anyone for gas (I don't know far away it is) just say sorry but when you get better you can pay them back somehow.
What you need to do is call the local church you belong to and ask if there is someone, maybe an elder or someone on the pastoral team, who can give you a ride to the hospital or clinic, and just explain that its difficult to get the shuttle, or if they can arrange some kind of transport.
If you can't pay anyone for gas (I don't know far away it is) just say sorry but when you get better you can pay them back somehow.
My dear brother.....Thank you for the kind words and I can not express to you how blessed I am to be age that I now am. I am at the end of my calling and because of my health I really should be retired. Every time I say I am going to retire, the church throws more money at me. I do not need it or want it so I give it to my grandchildren's college funds.
However, I grew up sitting at the feet of men like Dr. John Walvrood at DTS, Dr. Magee, Dr. Oliver Green as well as Dwight Pentecost. If they were alive today, there brains would no doubt explode. They did not compromise the Word of God as we see taking place today. To those men.....Hell was real, death was certain and the only way to miss it was to be saved through Jesus Christ...….PEROID!
I have never forgotten the words spoken to me by an evangelist named "E. J. Daniels." I was very young and even then I was concerned about what truth was and how would I be able to make people happy and not be angry when I gave a sermon from the Word of God.
He said this...…."Never apologize for the Word of God son! My dear son...….IS HELL REAL?"
I said ...Yes sir, according to the Bible it is!
Then he said these words...……"Then preach like YOUR life depends on it. What people think of you is not important. The only thing that matters is what God thinks of you when YOU stand in front of Him". That is exactly what I have done for my whole career.
Brother......allow me to say to you that you will never "get everything right". NO ONE does that. And That is NOT the concern to focus on. What is important is to try to be your best by allowing Christ to BE SEEN IN YOU!!! That way you will never have anything to apologize for.
I can not tell you how many men I have seen go to a Christian seminary and while there be temped by the "LIBERALISM' we see in todays teachings.
Remember..........Jesus did not come to make it possible for men to heal other men.
He did not come to make men millionaires!
He did not come to allow people to have 75" TV's and drive new cars and own airplanes.
Jesus came to save the lost from going to hell!
MEN have perverted the gospel to make it say what they want it to say so as to place money in their pockets and humanity has bought into it.
WHY IS THAT??? Because most people want something for nothing. Give me....give me....give me!!! That is the call of the human heart.
There have always been false healers who prey on the suffering and the desperate in order to pad their bank accounts. Such behavior is the worst kind of blasphemy because many whose money is wasted on false promises reject Christ outright because He does not do what the healer has promised.
AGAIN the question must be asked and answered which is......Why, if faith healers have the power to heal, do they not walk the halls of the hospitals healing everyone and releasing them all? Why do they not go to clinics and cure all the AIDS patients?
They do not because they cannot. They do not have the power of healing that Jesus possessed.
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Hi Lanolin,
I didn't mean only 1 person has to pray for the sick person at a time. Actually, the more stories I hear I keep knowing it's God who does the healing, not us. And from what I see He does it in many ways. It is probably impossible to boil it down to a formula, but we keep trying to.
I heard an interesting healing account from a man who used to be a Bible teacher and a pastor. He said one evening he went along with several other pastors to pray for a 10 - 12 yr old girl who had a stomach ailment that left her unable to eat most foods. The girl was healed and when this man last heard from her, she was 24, she was still healed. The interesting part was the Bible teacher/pastor said he thought the girl was healed mostly on her own faith, more than the faith of the men who prayed for her. That raises the question of why the pastors needed to pray for her at all. I don't know. Maybe the girl needed to see pastors pray for her in order to activate her own faith. Or maybe God was doing something concerning all the people involved, that only God knows. I guess I'd vote for this answer.
You probably wonder why I even ask? It's because I'm in an area where there isn't any churches I know of that I want to go to. I tried 3 local churches back between 2005 - 2009 and I had to leave all of them, some after only a couple of weeks.
So I look for stories of people who were healed by praying for themselves. This should be quite possible since it's God doing the healing.
Healing is one of those gifts that God gives to people to administer through others, often via laying on of hands and speaking the Word.
Jesus said when two or three are gathered in His name, He is there.
I think its because He requires witnesses or it's not really a miracle.
If there aren't any churches nearby maybe its an issue with you that you need to find out where there is one, or gatherings of believers in homes in your neighbourhood. You can always ring a prayer line or post prayers on this forum. When I sought healing, I was on all forums and sent prayer requests online. People from all over the world prayed for me, even when they didn't even know me and never met me.
Jesus said when two or three are gathered in His name, He is there.
I think its because He requires witnesses or it's not really a miracle.
If there aren't any churches nearby maybe its an issue with you that you need to find out where there is one, or gatherings of believers in homes in your neighbourhood. You can always ring a prayer line or post prayers on this forum. When I sought healing, I was on all forums and sent prayer requests online. People from all over the world prayed for me, even when they didn't even know me and never met me.
,
..... Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above. Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach. Christ in us the hope of glory.