Healing is one of the most important things you can learn about in life. Why? At some point in your life, you or someone very close to you is going to need it. You or someone very close to you will be sick, and the options given you by the medical community will not be good ones. They may have nothing for you but means to prolong your life without giving you quality of life. You may have to take medications that have side effects as bad as the original condition.

I have learned that you don’t want to wait until you are diagnosed with something serious before you learn about this. That would be like going off to war without ever having gone to boot camp.

Healing for some people is like winning the lottery, but for most people it is like fighting off somebody who is trying to break into your house.

But beyond all this, healing will teach you more about God than you will probably ever learn otherwise. When you pray for other people and other things, you are not the only person who is involved in the outcome. So the first mountains you want to move are the ones in your own life and body. As you see these move, you will gain confidence to move others.

Healing might be the first place in which you will see miracles from God. God will seem more real to you, and you will become more aware of His love when you see Him work on your behalf.

In 1996, I was diagnosed with stage 3, mixed cell, non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I refused all medical treatment and have not received any medical treatment since then for that. It was quite an experience, and I have written a book, called The Importance of Healing, that tells about it as well as just about everything else I have learned about healing from the Bible and life.

I am not trying to sell you a book here. I am trying to save your life. Or least give you an understanding of God and the Bible which is usually sadly missing today. I have started posting chapters from the book and will continue to do so.

You can get the book at amazon.com or other book sites on the internet.

I also have two other websites where I have posted my writings: poligion1.blogspot.com has my articles on politics, culture, and public life and LarrysBibleStudies.blogspot.com has my other articles on the Bible. And I have started to make videos on youtube.

If you want to contact me, email is best: lacraig1@sbcglobal.net

Thank you.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (1)



Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (1)  Matthew 26:38
Matthew 26:38 Then Jesus said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with Me."  26:39 And going a little farther, He threw himself on the ground  and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup  pass from Me; yet not what I want but what You want."  26:40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and He said to Peter, "So, could you not stay awake with Me one hour?  26:41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  26:42 Again He went away for the second time and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done."  26:43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  26:44 So leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 

            In conversations about healing, two passages in the Bible are talked about more than all the others put together.  One is Paul’s thorn in the flesh, and the other is Jesus’ prayer in the garden.  And the two passages are related in more ways than just this.  When we look at them together, we will understand them both better.

            Jesus, the Son of God, came to die for our sins.  He was not surprised by the events that happened.  He came to Jerusalem at that time for that very reason.  He knew what the will of God was, but it was hard even for Him.  He asked if there might be another way.  Yet He never wavered in His commitment to doing the will of God.

            What is remembered most about this story of Jesus praying in the garden before his arrest and crucifixion are the words: Not My will but Thine be done.  Good words of advice. 

            The problem is that we think we can’t know what God’s will is in regard to  healing, so we just leave it up in the air, and whatever happens is God’s will.  Jesus knew what God’s will was, and it was not what He wanted at the time.  But He was willing to accept that will.

            When we are praying for healing, we don’t need to wonder what God’s will is nor will we find it so disagreeable that we might pray for something else.  When we don’t know what God’s will is in a matter, we want to pray for His will to be done.  When we do know what His will is, we pray for that to be done as well.  It is just our contention that God has revealed His will in regard to healing.  If you are in a hurry to find that out, order the book.  Otherwise, stay tuned.


            
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