A couple of years ago, I read a question that someone asked a Christian site. She asked “Why don’t y’all believe in healing ministries?” For some reason, this question stuck with. I would like to answer that question here on this blog.
The scripture that most healing ministries refer to as their authority for their ministry is James 5:14-15. This scripture states:
- (14) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (15) And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
When I first decided to look at healing ministries, I went to online healing ministries sites to get an understanding of what they believe. I looked at James 5:14-15 carefully. Initially, it appears pretty straightforward. It does say that if anyone is sick (verse 14), let the elders pray over him and that the prayer of the faith (verse 15) will save the one who is sick. The scripture is abundantly clear. I can’t make it say something else just because I want it to. I looked a little closer by looking at the Greek. The next couple of paragraphs are a bit technical but please bear with me for it will become clear why I am discussing the two Greek words that we translate into English as “sick.”
The word “sick” in verse 14 is the Greek word asthenéō.1 This Greek word means “specifically, to be infirm in the body, i.e., to be sick, to suffer from disease or the consequences thereof. However, in verse 15, a different Greek word is used, kámnō, which is translated as “sick” as well. However, it has a different meaning. This Greek work means “When used in connection with asthenéō, to be sick, it suggests the common accompaniment of sickness, weariness of mind which may hinder physical recovery.”2 read more…
Prosperity gospel and a unicorn have something in common - Both are a myth
After my last post on Shocking Christian Books, I just happened to listen to a Joel Osteen video on YouTube. The guy is really good. He is personable and engaging. Problem is he’s not a preacher but a motivational speaker. He motivates people on how to feel good about themselves. I looked up motivational speaker on Wikipedia.1 and the site made a distinction between a motivational speaker and an inspirational speaker. A motivational speaker “A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate to and/or inspire an audience”2 while an inspirational speaker “delivers a “warm, encouraging message.”3. He is both and he’s quite good. The goods that he is selling is how to feel good about yourself, have a happy and wealthy life. He even has a book out titled “How to be happier 7 days a week.”
I’m not isolating Joel Osteen as opposed to the many other prosperity “preachers” out there. I just happened to listen to one of his clips and realized why people are drawn to these inspirational speakers. They are all the same, selling the same goods and they are good at what they do. And the goods they are selling folks is what the majority of people desire. Who doesn’t want a happy life filled with comfort, health and wealth?
The general teaching goes something like this: When believers give to the “anointed” teacher, there is some kind of spiritual law that is enacted. This “spiritual law” that God must abide by guarantees a return in the investment. In other words, the contributor will receive more than he contributed. This is called “seed” offerings. What a scam. read more…
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Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats? 1
Sermon by Charles Spurgeon (edited) 2
An evil is in the ‘professed’ camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years this evil has developed at an alarming rate. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments!
The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their 
mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses!
My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak of it? ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel’.
No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him. Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people, or because they confronted them? The ‘concert’ has no martyr roll.
