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We previously noted with dismay the almost gleeful tone displayed by the Doctrinal Police at the failure of Bethel Church to raise a dead little girl to life.
Now another article in the same vein, where the author exhibits a smug self-satisfaction regarding the corona virus. This author appears quite delighted at the prospect that people might not or shouldn't be healed. According to his doctrine, anyway.
And what of the Scriptures that teach healing, like
Ja. 5:14-16 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.Does the author believe the Bible? Well, he doesn't bother to quote it. In fact, he makes no biblically-based statements at all.
And we can throw the author's question back at him. He believes the Gospel saves, so why isn't he in China sharing the Gospel with people?)
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Todd White, Todd Bentley, and now, interestingly but unsurprisingly, Francis Chan have told countless stories about how they’ve healed sick people, cured chronic and mortal diseases, and even raised people from the dead. Interestingly, however, there has never once been any unassailable proof of their claims. (There never will be any "unassailable proof," because a prayer for healing cannot be demonstrated to have been the causal agent of a person's recovery. That is, there is no science, and no empirical evidence, that can demonstrate someone healed someone else. There are no "healing waves" emanating from someone. We cannot cut someone open and observe these waves touching cancer and causing it to shrink.
Nor by that standard can we demonstrate that Jesus healed.
The author calls for a standard of proof so high that he ensures no one will be able to satisfy it. In fact, he operates on the level of an atheist demanding proof of the supernatural. Ironically, he accepts the existence of God, yet he certainly would not demand "unassailable proof" of God's existence. In fact, he would likely reject such a standard as preposterous.
Yet that is the very standard he applies to faith healers.)
Francis Chan — who recently departed the faith to join the faith-healer charismatic cult — recently told a story of how he healed countless people in Myanmar. “Every person I touched was healed. I have never experienced this in 52 years,” he told his audience at Moody Bible Institute. But what he didn’t tell them is that nobody saw it, nobody can attest to it, nobody can vouch for it, and, of course, there was no video or medical documentation of it. That is typical. (The author does not document this claim. His link is to his own article, which has an embedded video of Chan describing his experience. But the author provides no evidence that "nobody saw it, nobody can attest to it..."
Since the author so glibly demands evidence, we shall also demand evidence from him to prove his assertions.)
But what a better way to prove to the world that you’re not just another charismatic crazy quack with false testimonies of faux-healings than to go to China and start healing people of the worst pandemic of a deadly viral disease the world has seen in this generation? (If this should actually happen, the author would not believe it. He would explain it away in the exact same manner, because his doctrine doesn't allow for healing.)
Why are they silent? Why aren’t they there, in China, healing people and ending this outbreak of coronavirus? (Why isn't the author in China, delivering medicine and comforting the afflicted?)
When Jesus healed people, the world saw it. The people witnessed it. (The author is ignorant, or he is flat-out lying to us. Jesus did several healings in secret:
Further, he gave the Apostles and certain others the power to perform miracles not simply for the purpose of lessening suffering in the world but to establish the authority of God’s Word of which they spoke and wrote. (Undocumented statement.)
These miracles were never performed in obscure places but were done in the presence of the world to witness. (The author once again lies to us. Peter healed Tabitha in secret:
This is why it’s prevalent in third-world countries — like Myanmar. (Of course. Those stupid natives are easily fooled. Backwards, unsophisticated, gullible.
Does the author understand how pompously racist he sounds?)
Because people like Francis Chan can come back and say “every person I touched was healed” without worrying about tribal people without any form of technology being able to out him. (Undocumented statement.)
The reason Chan, White, and Bentley — and anyone else who claims to be able to heal people — won’t go to China to heal people of the COVID-19 coronavirus is simple: they can’t. They have no power to heal people. (Undocumented statement.)
These men are liars and deceivers. (The author himself has lied to us twice.)
It’s sad that Francis Chan has taken that path, but Francis Chan has now joined the ranks of liars and deceivers around the world. Some of these men may have slightly different motives than others for doing this, but one thing is clear — they do it for to appease their own appetites.
For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.Romans 16:18 (The author lies to us for a third time. Here's a larger portion of the verse:
The author rips the verse out of context and uses it to lie to us.)
Michael Brown, the world’s most renowned apologist for Satan, has relentlessly defended the heresy these people spread like wildfire throughout third-world countries — where apparently phones don’t have working cameras — and makes excuses for their wicked behavior while labeling those who are skeptical as “hyper critics.” (The author bristles at receiving a bit of his own medicine.)
On a positive note, the medical community — which is a product of Western civilization, an actual gift from God (This is non-biblical claim, where the author gives accolades to a man-made system.)
— is making positive strides to combat the disease. We should be praying for this. (Why? Why should we pray for doctors to heal with medicine, but not for Christians to heal by the power of God? This is twisted.)
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Todd White, Todd Bentley, and now, interestingly but unsurprisingly, Francis Chan have told countless stories about how they’ve healed sick people, cured chronic and mortal diseases, and even raised people from the dead. Interestingly, however, there has never once been any unassailable proof of their claims. (There never will be any "unassailable proof," because a prayer for healing cannot be demonstrated to have been the causal agent of a person's recovery. That is, there is no science, and no empirical evidence, that can demonstrate someone healed someone else. There are no "healing waves" emanating from someone. We cannot cut someone open and observe these waves touching cancer and causing it to shrink.
Nor by that standard can we demonstrate that Jesus healed.
The author calls for a standard of proof so high that he ensures no one will be able to satisfy it. In fact, he operates on the level of an atheist demanding proof of the supernatural. Ironically, he accepts the existence of God, yet he certainly would not demand "unassailable proof" of God's existence. In fact, he would likely reject such a standard as preposterous.
Yet that is the very standard he applies to faith healers.)
Francis Chan — who recently departed the faith to join the faith-healer charismatic cult — recently told a story of how he healed countless people in Myanmar. “Every person I touched was healed. I have never experienced this in 52 years,” he told his audience at Moody Bible Institute. But what he didn’t tell them is that nobody saw it, nobody can attest to it, nobody can vouch for it, and, of course, there was no video or medical documentation of it. That is typical. (The author does not document this claim. His link is to his own article, which has an embedded video of Chan describing his experience. But the author provides no evidence that "nobody saw it, nobody can attest to it..."
Since the author so glibly demands evidence, we shall also demand evidence from him to prove his assertions.)
But what a better way to prove to the world that you’re not just another charismatic crazy quack with false testimonies of faux-healings than to go to China and start healing people of the worst pandemic of a deadly viral disease the world has seen in this generation? (If this should actually happen, the author would not believe it. He would explain it away in the exact same manner, because his doctrine doesn't allow for healing.)
Why are they silent? Why aren’t they there, in China, healing people and ending this outbreak of coronavirus? (Why isn't the author in China, delivering medicine and comforting the afflicted?)
When Jesus healed people, the world saw it. The people witnessed it. (The author is ignorant, or he is flat-out lying to us. Jesus did several healings in secret:
Mt. 9:23-25 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
Mk. 1:42-44 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone..."
Mk. 7:33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” [which means, “Be opened!”[. 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.)And the Scriptures attest to it. Jesus didn’t heal people for the simple purpose of just those he healed knowing about it. Jesus healed people to prove to the world who he was. (Undocumented statement.)
Further, he gave the Apostles and certain others the power to perform miracles not simply for the purpose of lessening suffering in the world but to establish the authority of God’s Word of which they spoke and wrote. (Undocumented statement.)
These miracles were never performed in obscure places but were done in the presence of the world to witness. (The author once again lies to us. Peter healed Tabitha in secret:
Ac. 9:40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning towards the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.)Today, those who claim the power to heal people, cure people of sickness, and even raise people from the dead interestingly only do it places of obscurity without any form of documentation or evidence. (Undocumented statement.)
This is why it’s prevalent in third-world countries — like Myanmar. (Of course. Those stupid natives are easily fooled. Backwards, unsophisticated, gullible.
Does the author understand how pompously racist he sounds?)
Because people like Francis Chan can come back and say “every person I touched was healed” without worrying about tribal people without any form of technology being able to out him. (Undocumented statement.)
The reason Chan, White, and Bentley — and anyone else who claims to be able to heal people — won’t go to China to heal people of the COVID-19 coronavirus is simple: they can’t. They have no power to heal people. (Undocumented statement.)
These men are liars and deceivers. (The author himself has lied to us twice.)
It’s sad that Francis Chan has taken that path, but Francis Chan has now joined the ranks of liars and deceivers around the world. Some of these men may have slightly different motives than others for doing this, but one thing is clear — they do it for to appease their own appetites.
For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.Romans 16:18 (The author lies to us for a third time. Here's a larger portion of the verse:
Ro. 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.Notice that Paul is not talking about healers, he is warning about divisive people in their midst teaching false doctrine. And, Paul is telling his readers to avoid these people.
The author rips the verse out of context and uses it to lie to us.)
Michael Brown, the world’s most renowned apologist for Satan, has relentlessly defended the heresy these people spread like wildfire throughout third-world countries — where apparently phones don’t have working cameras — and makes excuses for their wicked behavior while labeling those who are skeptical as “hyper critics.” (The author bristles at receiving a bit of his own medicine.)
On a positive note, the medical community — which is a product of Western civilization, an actual gift from God (This is non-biblical claim, where the author gives accolades to a man-made system.)
— is making positive strides to combat the disease. We should be praying for this. (Why? Why should we pray for doctors to heal with medicine, but not for Christians to heal by the power of God? This is twisted.)
Greetings Rich.
ReplyDeleteThe claims of these "faith healers" are simply calculated assertions meant to be impossible to prove or disprove. They are but noisy gongs, destorying the very purpose of the miraculous (John 20:30-31 & John 2:23). Miracles were openly and publicaly used to invoke faith (Luke 6:6-11, John 11:1-44, Matthew 14:25-27). The words of Todd White and his ilk are ipse dixit at best and fraud at worst.
You must not have read the part where I pointed out that it is not possible to prove a healing took place.
ReplyDeleteYou also must not have read the place were I quoted the Bible. Those quotes showed several instances of private, closed miracles.
Apparently you did not read my article at all.
Greetings Rich.
ReplyDeleteI most certainly did read your article.
Anyone who would purposely make a claim knowing full well that it cannot be verified is up to no good.
Just as Simon the sorcerer "boasted that he was something great" (Acts 8:9-11), so too are claims such as "every person I touched was healed" but meant to dupe the masses. Regardless of the existence of "private, closed miracles" it is the public claims of miracles that is being used to sway the listener.
First you claim that the NT miracles were public, which is contrary to the evidence I supplied in my commentary. Then you claim that miracles that can't be verified because they are done privately is bad. Then you claim that public announcement of a miracle is bad because it manipulates the listener.
ReplyDeleteYou can't have it both ways. Either private and public miracles are good or they are bad.