The 700 Club

[st. Worm]

How can one make a mistake about being healed? I have heard testimonies of people with crippling arthritis being healed after receiving a word of knowledge and prayer during the 700 Club. My wife was instantaneously delivered from cigarrettes after prayer by a "faith healer" as well as being healed of a condition the doctors said would trouble her all her life.

It seems to me that you are so concerned with standing on a doctrinal position, that you cannot rejoice with a person who is healed by the power of God. Then you want to attribute something whereby God should get the glory, to something that occured by chance.

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

The Great Commission from Mark 16:15-18

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER.

St. Worm, it is a painful thing to continually kick against the pricks and it appears to me that is what you are doing.

I have no problem rejoicing with those who by God's grace find comfort and healing. However when they want to say its because they watched the 700 Club that's a different story.

sw

[st. Worm]

Have you actually watched him, Worm? I've heard him do more than generalities of small things that will go away! I've heard him have words of knowledge on cancer and many other things as well.

I've watched him. As I said, most are not related to serious illnesses and please don't tell me about the thousands who have been healed of cancer while watching the 700 Club. If that's true he, like his friend Hinn, should visit every hospital in the world and heal the multitudes.

sw

[RGR]

So God can't heal someone if they're watching the 700 Club? Nice way to limit God!

[st. Worm]

So God can't heal someone if they're watching the 700 Club? Nice way to limit God!

That's not the issue. The issue is Robertson, not God.

sw

[st. Worm]

Thank you for that. I have always respected your opinions, just a side note

Thank you. I enjoy reading your posts as well. It seems like Pat Roberson has been dumped on as long as he has been in the ministry, and usually the charges are baseless. I don't watch the 700 Club very often, but I do respect Pat Roberson and his ministry. He has always promoted Biblical morality and the idea that we do have a right as Christians to participate in shaping our government. As a result, he has ruffled a lot of liberal feathers. If the media can turn the church against it's own, they can discourage us from going forward and trying to make America a better place.

In these religious battles, the issue is one of people who already have pre-conceived ideas that God will only act in a certain way. When something happens that goes against these ideas, they get defensive and start attacking. It is just a shame to me when someone will go so far as to forcefully claim that a person who was healed by the power of God was not really healed. By doing so, they are taking away the glory from God that he deserves.

Way to appear rational and clean while still using misleading language and below the belt tactics. I haven't attacked anyone except the claims of the 700 Club. Further this has nothing to do with conservative vs. liberal politics.

sw

[RGR]

So God can't heal someone if they're watching the 700 Club? Nice way to limit God!

That's not the issue. The issue is Robertson, not God.

sw

You made it an issue with God when you said that you respected healing as long as they didn't say it came from the 700 Club. In effect, you are saying God can't use a man that you've never even met personally to know how he is!

[st. Worm]

So God can't heal someone if they're watching the 700 Club? Nice way to limit God!

That's not the issue. The issue is Robertson, not God.

sw

You made it an issue with God when you said that you respected healing as long as they didn't say it came from the 700 Club. In effect, you are saying God can't use a man that you've never even met personally to know how he is!

What I said was that Robertson makes general and vague claims about his involvement in healing. The prophecies and healings appear true to the gullible because they see themselves in Robertson's vague prayers. Probably several people thought they were the one Robertson was praying for because their rash went away.

sw

[Floatingaxe]

So God can't heal someone if they're watching the 700 Club? Nice way to limit God!

That's not the issue. The issue is Robertson, not God.

sw

You made it an issue with God when you said that you respected healing as long as they didn't say it came from the 700 Club. In effect, you are saying God can't use a man that you've never even met personally to know how he is!

What I said was that Robertson makes general and vague claims about his involvement in healing. The prophecies and healings appear true to the gullible because they see themselves in Robertson's vague prayers. Probably several people thought they were the one Robertson was praying for because their rash went away.

sw

God heals in multiples too!

[cjrose]

Robertson makes a bunch of vague and general comments like this about people with headaches, rashes, back pain and the like. It could fit several thousand of his listeners and they all think its specifically intended for them. If it was real he could at least use first names and locations instead of what he says. I guess its a good fund raiser.

sw

The problem with that answer is that there are testimonies of instantaneous healings from all across the country after these words of knowledge are given. I have no reason to doubt the testomony of cjrose that the healing was genuine.

Perhaps the healing was genuine as a natural function and had nothing to do with Robertson's vague promises. That is more plausible. If he's real, why not do something like heal the blind or the crippled through his show? Headaches and rashes generally go away anyway.

sw

Are you even a Christian sw? because you seem to be defying what we are discerning of the Holy Spirit. And Worm makes me think of C.S. Lewis's book the screwtape letters

Do you question my faith because I disagree with your conclusions about Robertson and other "faith healers"? While I may disagree with you on this I would not question your faith. I note you did not address my points but instead chose to attack my status as a believer. Isn't that what Benny Hinn does claiming those who challenge him are questioning "God's annointed" and the Holy Spirit? Very sad.

sw

I questioned your faith becasue you seem to have shot down my own personal belief which makes me believe that you were questioning my faith in the beginining. And as to addressing our points, I choose to believe that pat was being used as a vessel. You started this by trivializing my genuine experience as if it were nothing but mere chance. I do not believe in coincidences or accidents. And had you not made my post out to sound as if it meant nothing, it meant something to me and put me on the defensive. I have to ask why do people purposely seek out out not to share our uplifting experiences but to again I say trivialize them? Are you so insecure in your status as a believer that you would have to question me questioning you?

I do not believe in chance either. God certainly is in control of everything. As I noted, Robertson makes general and vague healings about "the woman in a red dress and people with back aches". Nearly every ailment he names has a good chance to be healed apart from his participation in it. Its an old snake oil trick. Rather than humor people who believe Robertson I believe I am obligated to bring some reality to the situation. You don't like having your views challenged? So be it but you have no right to question my status as a believer.

sw

I do have a right to challenge anyone's status as a believer but I don't really need the answers as it's personal between God and the person. But you don't have to feel obliged to make light of an experience I believe was meant for me, that's not being uplifting, understanding, caring, loving, encouraging... it has come across as a a put down. I didn't like it. In my opinion as Christians we are to lift each other up not bring doubt. But I do have to thank you for enlightening me on how much more compassionate and understanding I could be through your logicial and unfeeling replies.

[cjrose]

So God can't heal someone if they're watching the 700 Club? Nice way to limit God!

That's not the issue. The issue is Robertson, not God.

sw

You made it an issue with God when you said that you respected healing as long as they didn't say it came from the 700 Club. In effect, you are saying God can't use a man that you've never even met personally to know how he is!

What I said was that Robertson makes general and vague claims about his involvement in healing. The prophecies and healings appear true to the gullible because they see themselves in Robertson's vague prayers. Probably several people thought they were the one Robertson was praying for because their rash went away.

sw

So now I am gullible? Again I have to challenge your faith. It sure seems as if you are attacking me and have been placing doubt since the beginning of what was a "good feeling" post meant to be uplifting to others. There is always somone who'd got to knock it.