Saturday, July 28, 2007

Dissing the Faith Healers' Crusuades

I hope that readers will come to understand that I'm not one of those crusading faith healers. Quite the contrary. My ministry is all about the love of Christ and His healing, but not about following in the footsteps of those who make a living off of it. Nothing of the sort. I'm so offset when reading about the preying upon the innocents...the capitalizing off the ignorant...it upsets me deeply.

There are those who have the gift of healing. It is unmistakable. There are people that God chooses to work through, and I marvel at their annointing. I thank God that He chooses to put them in our path's. But to make a buck off of it is repugnant.

Today I read of someone caught up in such a situation. He stopped his dialysis seeking a healing from a rich, famed healing televangelist. His family put up lots of money in the hope he would be healed at a massive healing service. Apparently, his donation wasn't enough. He went back to Canada to resume dialysis.

My heart is troubled by these capitalistic faith healers. It is troubled deeply. But I can testify that when someone genuinely comes to Christ with a desire to be healed...He heals. Such is the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. No dollars and cents involved. It is the pure love that Jesus taught us and that pure love is the source for a true healing ministry. I pray that others, touched by the love of Christ, and blessed with the gift of healing, will serve in that ministry. With no "huckstering".

5 comments:

Flyawaynet said...

Can I ask a question?

If "when someone genuinely comes to Christ with a desire to be healed...He heals." why isn't the guy healed then?

Is it just because the guy technically came to B. Hinn and not Christ for healing?

Brother Marty said...

Flyawaynet,
I would refer you to some of the writings of Francis McNutt for a deeper insight as to the differences between individuals finding healing at big "stadium-type" venues versus personal, small group or one-on-one healing services. Below is a link to a Charisma Magazine article about Francis McNutt. In the article he states that in the big crusades about 1 percent find true healing and in personal healing prayer sessions about 20% find immediate healing.

http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=9231

I would also share the observation that people don't always ask for the right healing. Take someone suffering from stomach ulcers. If they ask for a healing for the ulcer without asking for a healing of their attitude towards the world or their personality (probably the root cause for the ulcer), without someone praying for discernment as to what truly ails them, the prayer for healing is misdirected, and usually ineffective.

Then there are those who have a need for a lot of different dis-eases to be healed, over time, with soaking prayer. There is some "undoing" to be done before any healing can be experienced.

These are some of the things I've learned as it relates to the how's and why's of Christ's healing. I hope there is an answer somewhere in this response to your question.

Brother Marty said...

Here is that link so that it can be adequately copied and pasted.

http://www.charismamag.com/
display.php?id=9231

Flyawaynet said...

I haven't read the article yet, but I will read it through tomorrow. I read your response and it seems my answer probably was there.

It sounds much like going to a doctor. It's not going in to make the symptoms go away. But discerning the root of the disease and removing that instead. Which defines the difference between a snake oil salesman and a real physician. And why real physicians always got so angry at the snake oil salesmen.

Flyawaynet said...

heh... thank you by the way. :)