Mental Illness Revisited...

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by MarieA27

You mean, stop asking God to deliver you, let Him heal you if He wants, don't heal you if He doesn't want to? That...sounds like giving up to me, losing your patience and not truly believing He'll deliver you, like you did in the beginning. And when you lose your patience, you'll end up losing your confidence and then your faith... The bible says that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Also that He'll avenge His own elect who cry unto Him day and night. You might not pray as earnestly in the latter time of your sickness, as you did in the beginning, but you still keep praying till something is revealed to you one way or the other...

Is there anything that you have ever prayed for that God didn't say yes, didn't say no, didn't say anything at all, but to date, the thing you have prayed for remains un-delivered, un-healed, simply not done?

Anyone can answer this, but want Marie to answer this for sure-- in light of her post.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I am also reminded of Paul and his prayers to be set free from his “thorn in the flesh”. This thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan that challenged Paul significantly. Many believe that it might have been an eye disease. Or perhaps some other disability incurred as a result of the beatings he had taken for preaching the Gospel. Many have postulated that perhaps it was a spirit or infirmity that tempted Paul to sin against God. Others have said that perhaps it was a discouraging spirit reminding Paul how so many slandered his name and were refusing to hear the Gospel entrusted to him. The truth is… we don’t know what it was. It may have been one of these things or perhaps a combination of all of these things. Nevertheless we know that Paul tells us that he prayed three times to be set free… to be delivered… to be healed. And God’s answer was…

“7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. ~ II Corinthians 12:7-10

Brother Chris, if you read what Paul is talking about in the 11th chapter he explains who the messenger of Satan was, it was those were tearing up his churches in Asia Minor. Paul goes into explaining that there were false apostles who were seeking occasion among his churches, and that he shows how since Satan transforms himself into an angel of illumination, then it is easy for his ministers to transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.
Nothing eluding to Paul being a pygmy with a club foot, withered hand, toothless, near sighted, or having a bad case of acne. Allow the scripture to tell its own story.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Perhaps you’re in the prison of disease, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or some other infirmity. Perhaps you’re in the prison of some situation or circumstance that you can’t change. Maybe someone you dearly love is facing any of these things and you've been praying and believing and you're not seeing God's hand move in their circumstance. You see so many around you being delivered… yet your prayers have gone unanswered for weeks, months, or even years. Perhaps as a result of this…you, like John, are wondering… “Is this Jesus and His delivering power for real? Why isn’t God setting me free???”

Or maybe it is because the individual believes that God should be moving the way HE believes that God should?

It sounds like the Buddhist who says that life is suffering and that through stages you must ascend the suffering. Why does God forgo answering prayers? Because we pray a miss of God's will, but Jesus praying in the garden prayed not His will but thine will be done. We need to stop making excuses for ourselves and trying to make God out like He is a Greek pagan deity, who rolls the dice whether to help the individual or not. Does Jesus want to help us? We are not Buddhists or Hindus who are stuck in a wheel of suffering fate waiting for nirvana. Jesus promises peace to those who want it. That is what I was promised by the Apostolics who came to me, and I received what they promised. In 2nd Corinthians 11 Paul warns of another gospel, another Jesus, and another spirit, and it seems that people always want the other, instead of what God has for us through Jesus Christ. You can be set free, and who the Son makes free is free indeed!

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Please note, Paul only prayed three times and then committed the situation to the Lord. Release yourself from the notion that you need to “build up enough faith”.

Well, Jude was encouraging to those he had written to during the first century A.D. when he said "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." They were told to εποικοδομουντες which means to build up what they already had. The minister isn't telling them that they have to struggle and play with the hand they are dealt (even though there are times we get a bad hand, we can come out of it). Jude tells the church that they are able to pray in the Holy Ghost which is building upon their faith. Brother Chris, you are telling people that they don't have to seek and pray for the optimum? A need to build their faith through God leading them in the Holy Ghost?

Originally Posted by Aquila

Some are telling you that you just don’t have enough faith. That isn’t true.

Peter sank because he had NO FAITH. Brother Chris, Jesus didn't commend Peter for Peter's lack of faith. As a minister you are to build faith, not to tell people that faith doesn't matter so they struggle like a gasping fish out of water.

Originally Posted by Aquila

It only takes a little faith to receive a miracle. Faith the size of a mustard seed, according to Jesus.

Go read the scripture again, Jesus is telling them IF they had. Brother Chris Jesus isn't telling them microscopic faith was the optimum, or even the goal, but that if they even had that little.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

And if you're suffering from some infirmity, sickness, disease, or condition and God hasn't delivered yet... just give it to Him and move forward in your faith and serve Him. He will demonstrate how His strength is made perfect in your weakness. Through you, God can demonstrate how He can make people whole... through a broken vessel.

I can agree with this.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

I am really having a difficult time rationalizing how a person who is filled with the Holy Ghost AND living a life of holiness can be diagnosed with Major Depression, have suicidal thoughts, sadness that seems to re-occur repeatedly... how can I be witnessing this in a person who I KNOW is saved?

Really-- how is it possible?
Is this person maybe not even saved?

How do you reach someone seemingly trapped in this cycle?

chemical

[Amanah]

I know a woman who God uses often to minister in the gifts of the Spirit, and yet she suffers from anxiety attacks and takes meds for anxiety. When I was younger I was judgemental towards the weaknesses of others. I have since learned to be compassionate and to realize that we are becoming and have not yet arrived.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I know a woman who God uses often to minister in the gifts of the Spirit, and yet she suffers from anxiety attacks and takes meds for anxiety. When I was younger I was judgemental towards the weaknesses of others. I have since learned to be compassionate and to realize that we are becoming and have not yet arrived.

Now, before I say anything I want you to know I'm not coming against your friend, or making a comparison with what I'm going to say and your friend.

What I find interesting is that in ancient cultures shamans, gurus, sadhus, and in voodoo, drugs were used to predict the future, present, and tell people of their past. Oracle of Delphi sat on top of a natural gas spring of ethylene gas, some scholars believe this is what induced her into a trance. Marie Sabina also know as the Saint Mother of the Sacred Mushrooms. She was visited by the CIA because they wanted to learn more about how she extracted her knowledge. Adulos Huxley had written a book which he titled "Doors of Perception" this book would have its name borrowed for a rock band called the "Doors." What is interesting is that men like Huxley, Leary, and Richard Alpert (now known as Ram Dass) first looked at the religious aspects of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Huxley was on to something when he presented the idea of opening doors of perception. Opening up doors to allow spirits to enter in, whether you like it or not.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Now, before I say anything I want you to know I'm not coming against your friend, or making a comparison with what I'm going to say and your friend.

What I find interesting is that in ancient cultures shamans, gurus, sadhus, and in voodoo, drugs were used to predict the future, present, and tell people of their past. Oracle of Delphi sat on top of a natural gas spring of ethylene gas, some scholars believe this is what induced her into a trance. Marie Sabina also know as the Saint Mother of the Sacred Mushrooms. She was visited by the CIA because they wanted to learn more about how she extracted her knowledge. Adulos Huxley had written a book which he titled "Doors of Perception" this book would have its name borrowed for a rock band called the "Doors." What is interesting is that men like Huxley, Leary, and Richard Alpert (now known as Ram Dass) first looked at the religious aspects of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Huxley was on to something when he presented the idea of opening doors of perception. Opening up doors to allow spirits to enter in, whether you like it or not.

I believe this is true with hallucinogens, not sure it applies to all meds

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I believe this is true with hallucinogens, not sure it applies to all meds

Digoxin is used to treat certain heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation). Also used to treat heart failure. Yet, Digoxin can cause delirium and other psychotropic side effects (eg, depression, visual hallucinations) even at therapeutic levels in older persons. This is just one medication which isn't a psychotropic medication, but has psychotropic side effects. If you research all the side effects of these powerful medications, and add them all up if the patient is talking three to nine different ones, you could just imagine what these people are having to live through who are under the bondage to take these meds.