Can I change reality with my words?

Thanks for sharing your perspective Angela.

Would love to read your perspective on Matthew 8.

So, what is Matthew doing here? Is he giving the prophecy to us, in our day? Of course not! It says clearly that part of the reason Jesus healed, (besides his compassion) was to FULFILL the prophecy in Isaiah which Matthew quotes. Yes, Jesus certainly healed. The prophecy was fulfilled. Matthew certainly saw Isaiah 53:4 as referring to physical healing, but also as a part of the Messiah's ministry, not as a part of the atonement.

Matthew put these lines into his gospel, specifically so people (esp. Jews) would see this fulfillment of prophecy, and know Jesus was the promised Messiah. No, we are not part of fulfilling this prophecy. Only Jesus had the authority to heal. Because he was God, and even with his finite flesh, he had the power and authority of God.

Please take a course in Hermeneutics from a good, Bible believing seminary. You could avoid so many pitfalls, including not clinging to the fact that Matt 8:17, is taken out of context- the people who it was written to, as well as the surrounding verses, when it is point blank obvious that we do not have any such rights to "claim" or "command" healing. You have been terribly deceived! You use the Scriptures incorrectly, and you claim you are a god, because only a god can command healing on demand. Plus, experience shows us over and over that God does NOT heal believers every time. And it is not because of sin, or a lack of faith on their part.


*Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel, pg 25-26.

The God who loves us with a pure heart, allows many things for good, including sickness and health.

And I have to say Gordon Fee is an interesting author to quote from. It was another pastor I heard, who believe in replacement theology, that used Fee's book on the Gospel of the Kingdom, to argue that even Gentile Christians have the task of preaching this particular Gospel, that this Gospel of Kingdom is the relevant Gospel for now.

So when I read your point in bold, which seems to indicate you share a dispensationalist view, I smiled because even Gordon Fee himself does not appear to rightly divide the word into, what was written to the Jews, and what was written specifically to the Gentiles.

I've gotten confused reading through the comments. I pointed that out yesterday.

I wanted to know if by declaring something, it would happen in reality.

Yes that was my simple question.

A "yes" or "no" followed by a scripture to back up the yes or no would have sufficed. Its that simple really.

========================================================
PS. 75:7.
But God is The Judge: He puts down one, and sets up another.

1JOHN 4:17.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.

ROMANS 14:10.
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?
for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

ISA 1:17.
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

1COR. 1-2-3.
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you,
are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

1PETER 4:15-16-17-18-19.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him
in well doing, as unto A Faithful Creator.

By the way, I noticed you never commented on my simple and obvious commentary on Matt. 8. To say nothing of the fact, that you need to read exactly what was written in the book of Job. God not only allowed Job's illness, but he encouraged the devil to seek Job out! And gave the devil definitive instructions the limits on what he was able to do. First, Job was not allowed to be touched in his body. Then, God allowed the devil to touch his body just to not kill him. And those sores or boils, sound like a serious and debilitating staph infection. But, no, you have some alternate explanation for that entire book of the Bible. Also known as rationalizing.

Well, since you are not only twisting the Bible to contort it into your special heresy, but now twisting and reading into my words what I did not say, to say nothing of never commenting on my posts and exegesis of every Scripture you posted, because you can't, there is nothing you can say that has not been disproved, by merely using the fundamental rules of Biblical interpretation. I am out of this discussion.

The answer is yes if what we ask is within God's will and works with His kingdom. The answer is no is what we ask is outside the will of the Lord.

For proof scripture, the Lord's Prayer would be one proof. We ask "thy will be done".

The appeal of having this belief "If the Lord heals, it was his will to heal, if not, then it must not have been his will" is very understandable.

We will never be wrong no matter what happens.

how do you mean wrong in this case?

how is this a question of 'wrong'?

I think I know what you are saying, but I am curious as to your choice of words and what you are indicating

when you belong to the true body of Jesus Christ, it is definitely our 'job' to 'JUDGE' the brethren,
and 'correct, them when they are in error'...
if you belong to the Body of Christ, then Holy Judgment is one of our many jobs', and one that is not pleasing,
but so very necessary...

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I need my Bible study tools, and this is the first time I have been at my computer with access to them.

First, I have NEVER said that Jesus didn't heal on earth, and that he doesn't heal today. That is a straw man you keep propping up. What I object to, is the bad, out of context use of that verse. First, it must go with verse 16.

"When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfillwhat was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”" Matt. 8:16-17

So, what is Matthew doing here? Is he giving the prophecy to us, in our day? Of course not! It says clearly that part of the reason Jesus healed, (besides his compassion) was to FULFILL the prophecy in Isaiah which Matthew quotes. Yes, Jesus certainly healed. The prophecy was fulfilled. Matthew certainly saw Isaiah 53:4 as referring to physical healing, but also as a part of the Messiah's ministry, not as a part of the atonement.

Matthew put these lines into his gospel, specifically so people (esp. Jews) would see this fulfillment of prophecy, and know Jesus was the promised Messiah. No, we are not part of fulfilling this prophecy. Only Jesus had the authority to heal. Because he was God, and even with his finite flesh, he had the power and authority of God.

Because we are completely finite, and our bodies have NOT been redeemed, we are not living in in glorified bodies, according to Paul:

"For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies." Romans 8:22-23

So, we are not Jesus, not God, and we are not able to command healing. Plus, again the over-realized eschatology of Word Faith which would have every believer living in a glorified and perfect body from the minute of salvation, although there is no such promise. Instead, even Paul says WE EAGERLY AWAIT. Await what? The redemption of our bodies, when Jesus returns.

As Dr. Gordon Fee, a Pentecostal Biblical Greek scholar says:

"The Bible therefore, does not explicitly teach that healing is provided for in the atonement. The 2 NT passages, 1 Peter 2:24 and Matt 8:16-17 are the crucial ones for the total 'Health' part of Word Faith. The argument for perfect health, or healing on demand, lies in the joining of healing as a part of the atonement. (the basis of the demand: God has provided for it, therefore he must heal when asked) with all the texts on faith (since it is fully provided for by God, Word Faith people reason that it may be secured by the correct formula of faith.) Thus the emphasis in this movement is on 'raising people's faith'...And worse, there is a way of interpreting these texts that can make a mockery of the divine will. 'God promises us whatever we ask'. Fortunately, God does not grant everything we ask. For our asking is based on our own limited and finite knowledge, and all too often it is coloured by our self interest. A case in point is Hezekiah. Hezekiah had his prayer for healing answered,, and he was granted 15 more years of life. But, it was during those 15 years the evil Manasseh was born and ruled the land for 55 years, bringing down the nation of Judah in only a few generations" *

Healing is real. I don't deny that. But it is so childish and lacking Christian maturity to think there is a formula we can believe that gives us the right to claim everything Jesus had!

Please take a course in Hermeneutics from a good, Bible believing seminary. You could avoid so many pitfalls, including not clinging to the fact that Matt 8:17, is taken out of context- the people who it was written to, as well as the surrounding verses, when it is point blank obvious that we do not have any such rights to "claim" or "command" healing. You have been terribly deceived! You use the Scriptures incorrectly, and you claim you are a god, because only a god can command healing on demand. Plus, experience shows us over and over that God does NOT heal believers every time. And it is not because of sin, or a lack of faith on their part.


*Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel, pg 25-26.

The idea that at least some blessings and curses have power is implied throughout the Old Testament. Noah's curse had power. Wouldn't we expect David's curse on Joab to have power.

Isaac and Jacob's blessings had power, and Abraham having powerful blessings was something God bestowed on him.

Cursing a deaf manwas forbidden. Why would it be in any way comparable to putting a stumbling block before a blind man ifxurses could have no power?
The idea behind saying "May it it be unto me and more" may be the idea that e ly bthe curses could be harmful.

You can contrast it to having the belief "It IS the Lord's will to heal you because of Jesus's finished work on the cross", and then proceed to pray for healing for either yourself or others.

I understand God is judge but to be judgemental is different. Judgemental means someone who is negative, critical of others, and it can describe someone who puts others down but are full of pride. A judgemental person sees the faults of others but walks around with an inflated ego. God is not negative nor is he prideful , but rather he is loving. Yes, God does pronounce judgement on the wicked. He is holy and righteous and what he does is just. At the same time God desires that none should perish but all come to repentance and faith in Christ.