I was in my late teens when in my church’s bookstore there was a book that many where buying, but I can’t remember if I bought or not. If I did, I know for sure that I didn’t read it. It was written by the General Superintendent of my church’s denomination which I left in my late thirties. The title of the book was “My Friend Cancer”. It happened that he died of cancer. As I said, I know for sure that I never read the book. The title really didn’t impress me enough (this was in the late seventies). In those days many believers had this poor mentality nourished by the ignorant “theological doctrine” that God would give diseases to punish, correct, discipline, teach, humble, etc. etc.
I receive, probably once a week, an email from Godtube. It announces the most watched videos. A couple of days ago I got another one, and the video just dragged me thirty something years into the past. It was like a recap of some event that was lost in my memory. I just couldn’t believe that this “hell’s doctrine”, was taking control of a Christian’s life to the point of (like in the past) being part of his testimony as a believer.
I watched the video and it hurt so much the words of a thirty-two year old man from South Carolina, son of missionaries, met Jesus when he was five, went to Bible Seminary, working at a local church in the information technology field, married with three kids and life was going good till the moment that he was diagnosed with cancer. On May 16, 2010 he went home to be with the Lord. Before he passed away he made this video and here are some of his words:
"God has a plan for my life. I know that God is in control. The Bible says in Matthew 7:11 that God gives good things to those who ask. God cannot give me a bad gift. And it is through that lens, I can say that cancer is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am a better husband and a better dad. A better boss and a better employee. A better friend and a better follower of Jesus. And through cancer, God has shown me some amazing things about himself. Those are indeed good gifts…
I am praying for God to heal me. That is my desire. I want to walk my daughter down the aisle. I want to watch my sons become men. I want to grow old with [my wife]. And I want to live my life with my friends at work. But I may not be able to work much longer. And I may have just celebrated my last Christmas with my family. This I do know, if God chooses to heal me, then God is God and God is good. If God chooses to not heal me and allows me to die, then God is still God and God is still good. To God be the glory".
From a very young age I’ve been concerned with people that don’t know God. The lost. But lately… like never before, I have this anguished feeling concerning the ones that know God, the ones that are saved, but are living as if… they were lost. And by this believer’s words we can see that in perspective. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of so many out there that know about God, but they don’t know God.
If God would want to correct, discipline, teach, punish us by sending, or even by allowing us to be sick, in that case, many of us, many many, would be sick from a very young age and many many, that are alive and in good health, would already be dead. One day a lady that was in the prayer line told the man of God that God had given her that infirmity to teach her something. The man of God asked her (in a very natural way) “are you taking any medicine?”. She answered, yes. He then replied to her… “naughty, naughty, naughty”, “if God wants you sick, why are you trying to get well”? Contrast, isn’t?
I receive, probably once a week, an email from Godtube. It announces the most watched videos. A couple of days ago I got another one, and the video just dragged me thirty something years into the past. It was like a recap of some event that was lost in my memory. I just couldn’t believe that this “hell’s doctrine”, was taking control of a Christian’s life to the point of (like in the past) being part of his testimony as a believer.
I watched the video and it hurt so much the words of a thirty-two year old man from South Carolina, son of missionaries, met Jesus when he was five, went to Bible Seminary, working at a local church in the information technology field, married with three kids and life was going good till the moment that he was diagnosed with cancer. On May 16, 2010 he went home to be with the Lord. Before he passed away he made this video and here are some of his words:
"God has a plan for my life. I know that God is in control. The Bible says in Matthew 7:11 that God gives good things to those who ask. God cannot give me a bad gift. And it is through that lens, I can say that cancer is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am a better husband and a better dad. A better boss and a better employee. A better friend and a better follower of Jesus. And through cancer, God has shown me some amazing things about himself. Those are indeed good gifts…
I am praying for God to heal me. That is my desire. I want to walk my daughter down the aisle. I want to watch my sons become men. I want to grow old with [my wife]. And I want to live my life with my friends at work. But I may not be able to work much longer. And I may have just celebrated my last Christmas with my family. This I do know, if God chooses to heal me, then God is God and God is good. If God chooses to not heal me and allows me to die, then God is still God and God is still good. To God be the glory".
From a very young age I’ve been concerned with people that don’t know God. The lost. But lately… like never before, I have this anguished feeling concerning the ones that know God, the ones that are saved, but are living as if… they were lost. And by this believer’s words we can see that in perspective. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of so many out there that know about God, but they don’t know God.
If God would want to correct, discipline, teach, punish us by sending, or even by allowing us to be sick, in that case, many of us, many many, would be sick from a very young age and many many, that are alive and in good health, would already be dead. One day a lady that was in the prayer line told the man of God that God had given her that infirmity to teach her something. The man of God asked her (in a very natural way) “are you taking any medicine?”. She answered, yes. He then replied to her… “naughty, naughty, naughty”, “if God wants you sick, why are you trying to get well”? Contrast, isn’t?
This young man said that God had a plan for him and that God was in control.
No question that God has a plan for our lives. How do we know this? In Jeremiah 29:11 God said: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Can’t be clearer, more specific. Notice that here God doesn’t mention any diseases inside His plans. And the plans that He has for us, He says that they are to prosper and NOT to HARM. Plans with a hope and a future. Is there any room here for diseases? NO!
One day, from the pulpit, a preacher was saying; “God is in control”! People got very excited and lifted up with such an astonishing message. At the end, a minister that listened to him, approached him and asked; “So… God is in control”? “Oh, yeah! God is in control” replied the preacher. “What is God in control of”? Asked the minister. “EVERYTHING”! Said the preacher. Then he continued saying; “Everything that happens was planned by God. The will of God is done on earth”. For a moment the minister talked to himself; “What a fabulous belief. So comforting. It removes the burden of decision making and God get’s blamed for everything that happens”. Then he looked the preacher in the eyes and asked him; “so… when a man rapes a girl, we cannot prosecute him because God is in control”. The preacher stared at him. He continued saying; “If someone breaks into your house… I’m sure you don’t use locks since God is in control… if someone breaks into your house, ‘God was in control’, so you don’t prosecute him, right”? The preacher’s response was… “I hadn’t thought about that”. The minister again talked to himself… ‘if you’d think twice, you would be the genius in your family’.
Is God really in control of everything? NO. God gave Adam the control (dominion) over all the earth. Adam lost it. He inadvertently gave Satan the keys. This is why Jesus in Revelation 1:18 said that; “I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death”. This is why he said to Peter; “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven” (NLT). We, believers have the control through the resurrection power of Jesus. Other versions say that; “whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven".
When Jesus died on the cross, a big percentage of Christians have the knowledge that he died to redeem us from sin. Which is correct. But what many forget or don’t even acknowledge, is that He also died so that we may have the health of God, and we can be free from all curses. Through Isaiah 53:4 and Matthew 8:17 we come to the understanding and the belief that Jesus took Upon Himself Our Infirmities. Here a question comes on the surface (and many times I ask it when I have to pray for the sick). If Jesus took them, why do we have them? If I take something away from someone (whatever it might be) that person no longer has it... because I took it. Makes sense? One thing we know for sure. The Word says that He took them upon himself. This is why Isaiah (53:5) says that; “by His stripes we are healed”.
Here’s how different versions have translated it:
