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The point was that sickness is not always because of particular sins but that God is over all and when he allows sickness, he has a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is to not take it away, to not heal it, and that seems to be what "faith-healers" and those that promote their works often miss. As to whether or not there are specific people who have the first-century "gift" of healing, I say look at what they do, how they do it, who they use to demonstrate this supposed power, who gets the glory, and how they deal with people who do not respond to their actions. In most cases, the sick person is blamed for the failure of the faith healer. If people were honest about it, they would understand that God no longer uses men with this power, that his Word is the standard by which to measure the source of the power and that it is God, alone, who heals or does not heal - all for HIS glory.

Why do you feel the NEED to tell me this? Let's be honest - YOU are the one that went to a faith healer - NOT ME.

I was healed by MY FAITH. And I don't serve a 'sometimes' God.

Why do you feel the NEED to tell me this? Let's be honest - YOU are the one that went to a faith healer - NOT ME. I was healed by MY FAITH. And I don't serve a 'sometimes' God.

I wasn't making my comments TO you, but as an answer to what you were saying. You implied that physical healing is part of the atonement and that God WILL always heal anyone who asks him in faith. I disagree with you though I agree that no one can tell you anything as it seems your mind is already set.

For the record, I did not go to a faith healer, but followed Scriptural guidelines for the pastor and elder of my church coming to my home and praying for my healing. I was not healed and I accept that God has his purpose in allowing this suffering in my life as he has done in others lives, as well. That was the point of my comment lest anyone reading yours would go away thinking they had to add a failure of their faith to the pain they were already experiencing.

This does not in any way imply that God is a "sometimes" God, quite the contrary. Almighty God is sovereign over all, nothing is outside of his power to do, He ALONE is to be glorified even when it appears His answer to prayers for healing is "not now" or, even, "no". The TRUE test of faith is how we accept his will when it goes against our own "druthers". Again, I repeat, God is not Santa God. He does not perform on command. He does not bring into our lives anything - even healing - if it does not conform to His perfect will and a mature faith grows as it realizes He never stops loving us.

I was healed by MY FAITH. And I don't serve a 'sometimes' God.

Back when I first became a Christian, some 30+ years ago, late 70's, there was an incident of a woman who went to a faith healer. She had epilepsy and diabetes. He prayed for her and told her she was healed.

He believed it. She believed it. She believed it enough that she went OFF her medication, BELIEVING that she had been and was healed.

She died from her UNHEALED after all, conditions.

I remember it so clearly because of the response of all the non-Christians to the incident. I heard *That's what you get for following the Bible*.

Now, what she did is perfectly in line with the current teaching of the charismatic/pentecostal movement today.

He believed she was healed and told her she was. She believed it to the point of going off her medications, which I have heard people advocate to *prove* that they (I) had enough faith to be healed. She was *walking out* her *healing*. (And I've been told the same thing by plenty of well meaning but misguided Christians)

I have actually heard and been told that when I am prayed for I am healed and that if I continue to have symptoms, that they are just lies of the enemy, his deceit to make me think that I haven't been healed. I should not accept that, but *pray it through*. What I need to do in that case is rebuke the lie and deny the reality of the symptoms because they really aren't real, and walk out the reality of my healing, claiming it for it to be so, acting as if it is so and it WILL BE so.

Now, likely this is what this lady was also told, although I do not know for sure, but what I do know is that according to the theology of the current charismatic/pentecostal movement today, she was doing everything *right*. And yet she died.

OK, pnsn, what went wrong? Did he not have enough faith? Did she not have enough faith? Where was God in that?

Someone with enough faith in their healing to go off their meds has more *faith* than I have because if I'm still having symptoms, I am not presuming that I have been healed yet.

I have no doubt that when the time comes that God should heal me of this health issue, that I will KNOW it. I KNOW I will feel it in my body and I am sure that there will be a concurrent healing in my mind that will allow me to accept that and eat without fear. I am not more powerful than God's healing that I can block what He's going to do.