People take it to the extreme. life is suffering at times. There is a season for everything. To say someone called to existence their suffering is cruel and frankly not true in a lot of cases. It can add insult to injury.
When I got severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, I had 2 Word Faith friends. They prayed over me, I was not healed. They told me I did not have enough faith. As the pain got worse, the deformities more damaging, I could not understand why they thought I did not have enough faith. I had known them for 20 years, they knew how much I believed God, and loved him. And served him. I was so broken in my body and spirit, I turned away from God. No more daily Bible reading, no more prayer and no more church for 2 years. Imagine if they had loved me and cared for me, what a different story I could tell.
Well, God had other plans. He told me to read 5 psalms a day. It took a while, but I finally picked up my Bible again. I met all these amazing people in the Psalms, with all kinds of trials and tribulations. Real people who loved God, prayed, and served him. People who suffered, just like me! I read 5 Psalms a day for 2 years. That is 24 read through the Psalms. Then, God called me to a little Baptist Church, where I met honest, loving and kind people who cared for me and ministered to me. And when I was ready, God called me to Seminary, at the same time I finally got on good meds, and got my life back for 10 years. I graduated with honours, but more important, I found my ministry - to the hurting and broken. Especially Christians who didn't get better, when Word Faith people prayed for them. I did chaplain work in long term care, and I was put in charge of some side Christian forums. I was able to do a lot of teaching there, although God moved me away from that.
Now, I have had many med failures, a car accident, and I am very disabled. Just typing kills me, let alone walking. But, I am working on a PhD to intiate some programs, incentives at the academic and grass roots level, to help these hurting people. So hard on me I want to give up, but I am learning so much.
As for the Word Faith people who prayed for me? One got breast cancer, and refused treatment because
God had healed her. She died a year later, when the cancer metastized to her brain, making her go insane. the other friend almost died of an enlarged prostate, but a non Word Faith friend found him on the floor of his house, got an ambulance, and he was operated on. He is healthy today at age 88, serving God in his own way. But, he never misses his yearly check ups with his neurologist, and says, "God uses doctors."
Too much evil coming out of word faith. Too many people deceived, and uneducated charlatans spreading their gospel of hate. It was totally hateful for people to tell me I deserved to be ill and suffering, and I had no faith. I forgave them, the one who is alive may come and live with us, soon. He doesn't have enough money to rent a place, and just got evicted from where he has been living for quite a few years for "renovations." I guess that is not prosperity?
- 3
- Show all