Not all who were - or are sick now, are suffering as a result of divine punishment for their sins: When asked
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why a particular man was blind from birth - whether it was as a result of him, or his parents sinning - Jesus
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answered, ¶ Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made
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manifest in him.˜ (Joh 9:3, also Joh 11:4) - which illustrates that God places greater emphasis on the eternal
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benefits of spiritual health, rather than the transient benefits of physical health.
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How important is prayer?
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Prayer is a form of spiritual communication with the Holy Trinity for Praise, Worship, Thanksgiving, and
Repentance, and it provides a means of communicating our desire for God to bless and fulfill the needs of
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others, and to bring any concerns we have before the Lord for spiritual guidance. Daily prayer establishes a
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relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, which is a requisite for forgiveness of sins and salvation
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(Joh 14:6, Col 1:14, Ro 10:9), and it provides emotional comfort and spiritual strength to withstand life's trials
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and tribulations, while the Holy Ghost empowers believers to bear fruit of the spirit. Unfortunately, a lot of
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people think of prayer only as a petition to help them achieve a particular goal, or they use prayer only during
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a crisis.
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Before Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he assured them: ¶ ...for your Father knoweth what things ye
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have need of, before ye ask him.˜ (Mat 6:8), and ¶ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteous-
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ness; and all these things shall be added unto you.˜ (Mat 6:33).
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As He was about to be betrayed and crucified, Jesus prayed ¶ O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
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pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as though wilt.˜ (Mat 26:39) - which shows that even under the
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most trying circumstances, Jesus relinquished his power and submitted to his Father's will, that through his
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death and resurrection, salvation was made possible to all those who believe in Him.
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Does God answer prayers?
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Many believers tend to think so, however their "answered prayers" for material things may be more wishful
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thinking than reality. Proverbs 16:33 proclaims: ¶ The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof
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is of the Lord.˜ In other words, events follow the Laws of Physics, as established by God, but - with few
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exceptions - they are not affected by the prayers of believers. In fact, it is impossible to answer most prayers.
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If a hundred believers play the lottery, and they all pray for winning the grand price, obviously 99% will not
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have their prayers answered. If several believers pray to finish first in a competition, does the winner really
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have his or her prayers answered, but not the other competitors? Do Christians, who pray for success, fare
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better in their endeavors than non-believers, who may wish on a Lucky Star, or simply credit themselves
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(instead of God) for their talents and subsequent success? If they did, then obviously all - or at least most -
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successful people would consist of Christians only.
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Some religious people seem to believe that prayers for prosperity are still valid nowadays (1Ch 4:10), how-
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ever just like the receiving of material blessings as a reward for righteousness by Abraham, Job, Solomon,
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and others was made obsolete through the New Covenant of Christ, and became a stumbling block to those
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who believe in Him (Mat 19:23-24), so prayers for material blessings have become a futile endeavor,
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which only hinder the spiritual development of a Christian believer.
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With and without prayer, good and bad things happen to believers; and good and bad things happen to
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unbelievers. Jesus said ¶ ...for he [your Father which is in heaven] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and
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on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust.˜ (Mat 5:45).
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Prayers are most likely answered when directed towards Spiritual Blessings (2Ch 1:7-12, Jas 1:5), and
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they are always answered when in agreement with the will of God (1Joh 5:14-15), although even then he
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may not promise a smooth passage, only a safe landing.
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When praying for God's will to shape our lives through his knowledge of the past, present, and future, (and
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without the worries and anxieties to run our own lives), one begins to see the many blessings and even small
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miracles taking place one would have never thought of asking for in the first place.
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Nevertheless, we can still exercise free will to affect our lives through wise or foolish actions, however it is
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more profitable to pray for guidance to make the right decisions, regardless of whether they are of a physical,
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or spiritual nature (2Ch 16:7-12).
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Do people get healed through prayer?
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There are Biblical accounts where prayers for healing were answered (2Ki 20:1-7, Ac 28:8), and the apostle
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James wrote "let the elders of the church pray over the sick, and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord"
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(Jas 5:14-15), however I am not aware of any Scriptural passages which suggest that prayer alone - in the
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absence of someone anointed with the gift of healing (1Co 12:9) - would heal the sick. In fact, the apostle
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Paul, who had received the gift of healing, was denied to overcome his own infirmities (2Co 12:7-10), as well
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as those of Timothy (1Ti 5:23). And the prophet Jeremiah asked the LORD: ¶ Why is my pain perpetual,
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and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed?˜ (Jer 15:18).
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Compared to praying for spiritual health and blessings (which is encouraged), praying for physical health
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and blessings, is as futile as praying for material things and blessings. If prayers for healings were indeed
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answered, then hospitals would only be filled with non-believers, and no sickness at all would be found among
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the leaders of major religions and churches, or members of their Christian congregations.
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A study published in the Lancet Medical Journal found that "the prayers of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and
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Buddhist groups failed to reduce serious medical complications of patients undergoing heart procedures.
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The patients being [unknowingly] prayed for were as likely as others to develop complications such as
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heart attacks, be readmitted to hospital, or die," the study said.
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When Investigative Reporters followed some of those who initially professed to have been healed by atten-
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ding miracle crusades, it turned out that only days or weeks later, every one was still afflicted with the same
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conditions which were supposed to have been healed, or specific terminal cases, where the entire congrega-
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ion joined in prayer, had died. -- So how many genuine, and divinely-anointed spiritual healers exist today?
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Ultimately, only God knows if they are quite as common as seen when changing TV channels on a Sunday
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morning (Mat 7:21-23).
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This does not mean that being "religious" cannot have a positive impact on one's health. A complete trust in
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God may well relieve, or prevent certain stress and anxiety-related medical symptoms, and the same can be
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true for adopting a virtuous, rather than a destructive lifestyle. Genuine, divine healings (for real medical
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conditions) are more elusive, and should not be confused with the temporary relief of symptoms due to the
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placebo effect, hypnotic tribal chants, or mass hysteria.
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I have a number of patients who confessed to having had miracle healings, but after the initial euphoria had
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worn off, every single one still suffered from the same affliction and needed therapy for it, although in one
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case, blood tests showed that a particular disease-causing organism had disappeared after the laying on of
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hands. One patient even had previously travelled to the Philippines for "psychic surgery," and she showed
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me a picture of huge amounts of what looked like yellow slime oozing from an opening in her chest while
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being "treated." Needlessly to say, she was still looking for a cure for her affliction.
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"With his stripes we are healed." (Is 53:5). "I am the LORD that healeth thee." (Ex 15:26).
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Many people confuse Spiritual Healing with Physical Health or Healing.
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Jesus said ¶ ...Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;...˜ (Mat 6:25), which -
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if applied to physical health - would challenge every facet of medical research that has shown a link between
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good nutrition and better health. The spiritual aspect of the physical healings Jesus performed is further
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demonstrated when He rebuked some of the scribes and said: ¶ Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the
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palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?˜ (Mr 2:9).
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So the forgiveness of sins results in spiritual health (salvation) for all those who accept Jesus Christ as their
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Lord and Savior, with any physical (miracle) healings being a temporary gift for a select few to demonstrate
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the power and glory of God (Joh 11:4).
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There are Biblical verses that are frequently quoted to support the view that prayers for healings have a
Scriptural basis (Mat 10:1-8, Mr 3:14-15, Lu 9:1-2), however, Jesus did not address the crowd, but his
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apostles, who had the power of healing bestowed upon them!
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Likewise, when the apostle Paul was bitten by a venomous snake, and felt no harm (Acts 28:3-5), does that
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mean every Christian believer today enjoys the same protection? A similar misunderstanding is apparent in
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many 'Faith in God Heals the Sick' - types of publications, where the authors blame those who do not
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experience healings, on their lack of faith. How convenient to blame the patient when the "healer" is not
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able to cure the disease...
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Since it is easy for those who are enjoying the gift of good health to accuse the less fortunate of not exhibiting
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enough faith, I would like to invite these same people to demonstrate their faith by meeting the Scriptural
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challenges as presented in Mark 11:23:
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¶ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou
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cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall
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come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.˜ I am sure once this happens, it will be a notable news
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item!
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Of course, the apostle Paul also teaches that ¶ For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that
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is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as
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God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.˜ (Ro 12:3).
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There are Scriptural accounts of people having made a Vow to God by promising to fulfill a particular deed
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in exchange for God granting a specific request, although - with the exception of fertility, which was granted -
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I am not aware of any Scriptural documentation where a vow had been made to restore somebody's health.
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However, vows are not to be taken lightly (which includes marriage vows):
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¶ When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God
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will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.˜ (De 23:21).
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When prayers are answered for any particular problem, God seems to change circumstances, or opens
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doors, but he rarely takes away the afflictions or problems themselves. Sick people still have to go through
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any possible ordeal the hard way trying to get better, or prayers may be answered if they happen to coincide
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with God's particular purpose or timetable: ¶ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask
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any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know
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that we have the petitions that we desired of him.˜ (1Joh 5:14-15). Of course, mortality eventually catches up
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with any type of healing!
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Does God like to see people suffer or die?
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When Jesus encountered the sick, and those who had just lost a loved one, he displayed great sorrow (Joh
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11:33-35), but despite healing some of the sick, and raising some of the dead at that time, billions of people
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have suffered since, and are continuing to suffer, with God being seemingly oblivious to their plight. When
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"good" people are murdered, or innocent children slaughtered, or when thousands are injured or perish as a
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result of natural disasters, the question is frequently asked: "Why does a loving God allow these things to
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happen?"
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In some cases, people clearly invite these calamities by populating parts of this world that are regularly
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pounded by storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or other furies of nature. Other times, the hand
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of God may well be at work to call for a spiritual reawakening when mankind increasingly forsakes God and
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disregards his commandments (Ne 13:15-18, Zec 7:12, Lu 21:25-26, Ro 1:18), or worships the "gods" of this
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world instead: Money (1Ti 6:9-10, Mat 6:19-21), lust / envy (Prov 6:25-35, 1Joh 2:15-17), worldly pleassures
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(Ec 2:1-11), seeking approval of men rather than God (Joh 12:42-43), and contributing to spiritual and moral
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decay (Ro 1:21-32).
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Although natural disasters may foreshadow those to come during the 'Great Tribulation' as described in the
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Book of Revelation, these are certainly predicted to be of a much more cataclysmic scope, compared to
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the ones presently experienced.
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In the end, all reasons can be attributed to the fall of mankind (sin), through which Satan became the god or
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prince of this present world (2Co 4:4, Joh 15:30), whose dominion and control will only come to an end when
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Jesus Christ returns to permanently reign over the kingdoms of this world (Rev 11:15).
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Are God's ways the same as man's ways?
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Mankind has come a long way to abolish slavery (De 20:10-14), genocide (De 20:16-17), and the death
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penalty for offenses which, under God's Mosaic Law, were worthy of death, such as doing any work on
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Sundays (Nu 15:32-36), cursing one's parents (Ex 21:17), rebellion by children (De 21:18-21), adultery
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(Le 20:10), homosexuality (Le 20:13), psychic and occult activities (Le 20:27), and others.
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In a perfect world, all crime and acts of violence would be 100% wrong. In an imperfect world, they become
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relative to circumstances and are not black and white any longer:
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Killing a person against his or her will is murder, but this no longer applies to killing an individual in self
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defense, or during a justified war. On the other hand, the leaders of invading countries, and their supporters
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(voters) responsible for causing the bloodshed of innocent people during an unprovoked, or "pre-emptive"
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invasion will be held accountable for on Judgement Day:
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¶ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying
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tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood...˜ (Pr 6:16-17). ¶ Wisdom is better than weapons of war:˜
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(Ec 9:18), (Ps 68:30).
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Capital punishment is sanctioned by God in the Old and New Testament (Ex 21:12, 1Pe 2:13-14).
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Killing an unborn baby (abortion) is murder, but the decision to terminate a pregnancy which would otherwise
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endanger the mother, or which resulted from a sexual assault, must be left up to the individual (although giving
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up the baby for adoption - circumstances allowing - would be the better option).
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Likewise, giving false witness in a perfect world would be sin, but not necessarily in an imperfect world,
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if circumstances dictate that revealing the truth would harm innocent victims, or interfere with God's plan
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(Josh 2:3-4).
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There is no need to commit suicide in a perfect world, but conditions in an imperfect world, such as chronic,
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severe, and unrelenting pain can justify the decision to terminate one's life, as is the rationale to legislate
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physician-assisted suicide, since there are no safe, effective drugs to relieve chronic pain.
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(see also: "A Biblical perspective of Suicide, Physician-assisted Suicide, and Euthanasia").
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Why is praying for Spiritual Health more profitable than praying for Physical Health?
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Spiritual health is expressed in the believer by bearing the 'fruit of the Spirit' which is love, joy, peace, long-
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suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Ga 5:22-23), righteousness and truth (Eph
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5:9). It exemplifies the spiritual growth of believers, and gives them an understanding and awareness that all
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earthly endeavors and accomplishments are for a season only, including all effort spent on achieving optimal
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physical health:
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¶ Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go in such a city, and continue there a year, and buy
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and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is life? It is even a
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vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away.˜ (Jas 4:13-14).
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God is silent on the subject of achieving good (physical) health, and only the apostle John wished that
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someone ¶...mayest prosper and be in health...˜ (3Joh 2). There is no spiritual benefit in maintaining a
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healthy, trained, and physically disciplined body; neither are there Olympic competitions "on the other side,"
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which value physical training and perfection.
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For the same reason, God allows violence against the helpless, innocent, or the unborn..., as in the end, an
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aborted baby is no different from a stillborn baby: Both have not sinned, and are therefore not judged, while
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individuals born into this world will be judged for their actions, and as a result have less of a chance of being
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saved since they have to make a decision for God through Jesus Christ first, and gain approval to not being
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condemned for their sins.
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I have never seen a spontaneous improvement in their physical health taking place, after atheists, agnostics,
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or followers of various cults or false religions had found God through faith in Jesus Christ. On the contrary, it
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is not unusual for born-again Christians to actually encounter the wrath of the devil (for losing another soul),
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and experience a decline of their physical health, or they may all of a sudden have to endure all sorts of new
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trials and adversities (1Pe 4:12-13).
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On the other hand, as new believers begin to overcome their earthly vices, there is always a change of their
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heart, which allows them to increasingly enjoy the benefits of spiritual health that comes from being empow-
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ered by the Holy Ghost, and bearing fruit thereof (Joh 4:36, Prov 11:30, 1Ti 4:8).
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Is there a God?
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Without intelligent intervention, does anything create itself? Would an explosion in a print shop - repeated
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endlessly into eternity - ever result in a coherent arrangement of letters to create a novel? Did our planet just
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by chance have the right size, and the right density of air to support life? Does it just by chance spin at the
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right speed to give us day and night in a 24 hour cycle, to coincide with a natural human sleep pattern? Did
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our planet tilt just by chance to give us seasons? Who put it just near enough the sun to help maintain life, but
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not too far and too cold, or too close and too hot to kill us?
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¶ The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...˜ (Ps 14:1), (also Ro 1:19-20).
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