Timmy, allow me to try and instill some "reason" to all of the "rhyme" that has been posted in response to your fictional "piece of paper" from God (I'm NOT attempting to make "light" of the words of others, just being candid).
I also had a younger brother (who was also my "best friend") who died from the devastating effect of cancer. Even I prayed for him to be healed, as well as countless others, but it just never happened. However, know this .... I did NOT, nor do I now, blame God because he wasn't healed. Rather, I blame myself. Yes, that's correct, myself! Here is why, and I witness the same thing again and again, in fact, almost every time I attend worship services at the church I attend. It all comes down to an absence of FAITH! No, not on the part of the afflicted one whom I and others pray for their healing, rather it is because of the absence of FAITH on my part!
You see, before He ascended bodily to His throne located in the invisible heavens, the Lord Jesus Christ "commissioned" HIs disciples, empowering them to "lay hands on the sick and they shall recover" (
Mark 16:18). On an earlier occasion He said to them, "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" (
John 14:12). This same apostle (John) would later, in his 1st epistle to the members of the 1st Century churches, wrote to inform them (and this same thing is applicable to every member of the contemporary church) that, "because as he is (referring to the Lord Jesus Christ), so are we in this world" (
I John 4:17). This saying is true, but how many members of the church today practice it? Note that I did NOT ask how many members of the church "believe" it, for I am convinced that most do. The problem is in putting that "belief" (or, faith) into actual practice.
Did the apostles of the 1st Century "believe" they possessed the power to heal the sick, give strength to the lame, or even, yes, raise the dead to life again? Absolutely, and they, in fact, did all of these things, and even more. WHY? Because they put their "faith" into action. You see, it was NOT the "faith" of a dead woman named Tabitha, when Peter entered the room where she lay, and kneeled down and prayed, and said, "Tabitha, arise!" and she opened her eyes and saw Peter and sat up. No, the dead don't have nor are they able to display their "faith." It was Peter's "faith" in the words of our Lord who informed him that He was granting him that ability! That is what enabled Tabitha to be awakened from the "sleep of death." And if I had only known, and understood that as I do at this very moment, when almost six years ago I prayed for my youngest brother's healing, I am persuaded that he would be alive today! And by the same token, I am persuaded to believe that if those who laid hand on or prayed for your brother's healing had truly possessed the "faith" in our Lord's promise as they should have, there would be no discussion such as this for it would not be needed!
In Paul's words to the young evangelist Timothy, we read that he admonished him, saying, "Lay hands suddenly on NO man" (see
I Timothy 5:22). Some, perhaps even many, read this and believe Paul was telling Timothy not to become engaged in a physical confrontation with another. And then there are those, such as I, who interpret Paul's words to imply that when we are preparing to lay our hands upon someone who is afflicted with a sickness or disease of some kind, or perhaps to even lay our hand upon someone who has died for the intent of restoring them to life again, we MUST never do so "suddenly," that is, in a happenstance manner or without FIRST having prayed and receiving assurance from the Spirit that the results which we desire will actually transpire. To do so without possessing such unwavering "faith" that what we are about to undertake to accomplish will actually happen, can only bring despair and a sense of hopelessness in those who observe our actions, but even worse, to the individual to whom we are seeking to heal.
No, I'm not trying to place blame on those who prayed for or laid their hands on your brother and he was not healed. Not at all. God forbid! What I am saying is that they did not FULLY PREPARE themselves before they undertook to do such a thing, just as I failed to do so with my youngest brother. Today, right at this very instance, one of my closes friends has lost all sight in one of his eyes. All of the medical specialists he has visited have given him the same bad news - "Your sight in that eye is gone forever!" I want so much to lay my hands on his eye, and pray for its complete restoration. I believe that can happen. In fact, I have absolutely NO doubts whatsoever that his sight will be restored, completely! So what's preventing me from laying my hands on him and praying for his healing, you many wonder. Well, it is this .... I will continue to pray for that to happen, and I will at some moment in the near future do so and he will be healed, but ONLY "after" I have received assurance from God that it will happen. And I am even now awaiting for that confirmation.
In summary, I beg of you not to feel bitterness or hatred, or any type of harsh feeling because your brother did not receive the healing you and he so desired. Please do NOT allow it to destroy your "faith" in God's ability to heal others, or even yourself should the occasion arise in the future that you are in need of His healing. And above all else, do not allow "unbelief" in the ability of others to whom God has granted the "power" to perform miracles of healings to dampen or diminish your belief that there are those who DO possess and exercise that "power"!
It is my prayerful hope that all of the things I've written here will be beneficial to you in some small way to know that God cares and He is still a miracle working Savior! I assure you that there are those today who do possess the "faith" required to use the "power" that God gives to His saints to perform miracles of healing the lame and the sick and diseased, and yes, even restore the dead to life again.
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