Isn't it strange that we receive many reports from Christians that they or someone
they
know received a healing at a Benny Hinn convention (or equal),
but the authentication of such healings is not available to us?
We are not privy to the medical history, mental or otherwise, of
these people. If we stop and think about it, those who give
reports of healings are quite ill or dysfunctional.Yes, we do get evidence from medical records that doctors and hospitals cure all sorts of maladies. Many people (including non-Christians) have seen phenomenal results not totally explainable by modern medicine, but nonetheless effected using modern medicine under controlled conditions. As an example, a person has cancer. They are treated using x-rays, chemotherapy and surgery. Miraculously, they survive the treatment and are rid of their cancer. But this does not qualify for a miraculous healing, because it wouldn't have happened unless two thousand scientific discoveries and methodologies were employed to effect the cure.
Faith healers supposedly operate on the level of true miracles, ones that have no explanation whatsoever but the direct, overriding intervention by a spiritual force. However, there exists only spurious documentation of these healings. Unless a person uses selective reporting and selective listening, there is really no hard evidence that anyone has been miraculously healed. That seems unusual, in a world of information technology that can keep track of a patient's heartbeat via satellite.
We all have heard that so-and-so received a healing, but this person dies of the very disease or disability of which they were supposedly healed. Or, we cannot find so-and-so because they either don't exist or there is no real record whatsoever of their miracle. It seems we are dealing with hoaxes and hucksters. It seems their authentication is of a private interpretation.
However, I personally believe in miracles. God uses them to authenticate his servants. Jesus said to the cleansed lepers, "Go and show yourself to the priests". By doing so, they received a clean bill of health and proved that a miracle had occurred. Similar things happened to the apostles. I believe this totally, even though it hasn't been aired on Oprah. Whether this still happens, I don't know. There aren't that many committed servants of God out there, and the need for miraculous signs is long past.
But in our post-Christian society with our medical science close at hand to transplant hearts and livers, what's the use for an overriding, direct intervention by a spiritual force? And yet, the Christian (and non-Christian) will go to a healing ceremony to get a new heart or liver on the off-chance God does such things.
Those who recover from illness or other bodily dysfunctions want this to qualify as miraculous. But natural healing is a common experience, not a miracle. Some recover; some don't. Even when we recover, some other sickness will overtake us later. "What's the last disease you will ever get?", is the question. The answer: "The one you die from." We should always praise God for healing us of things, which He does, but we shouldn't claim miracles for a couple of reasons.
First of all, we all get colds and headaches. We get joint problems, muscle problems, skin problems, etc. Many of these go away even without a doctor's care. We know this from personal experiences as well as the history of millions of people. We are not dealing with subjective interpretation but with hard facts. Secondly, miracles are not natural recoveries from disease or accident, but they are phenomenal, unexplainable, usually instantaneous cures. There are no props or hospital equipment. Physical force or medicine is not employed.
Miracles are contrary to what science usually observes, but the are scientifically observable. This proves them miracles.
Science says that in order for something to be a fact, if one person observes something, so another person can (and must) observe it, without intervention of the first person. A miracle may not be reproducible, but this does not disqualify it from being measured and documented. Smoke and mirrors are not accepted. Contrary to this, faith healers must use special theatrical techniques to accomplish their miracles. They pump up the audience with stories, music, lights, shouting, chanting, etc., under specially controlled conditions, then they bring on the so-called miracles. The followers are taught this is "faith". Jesus and his followers did not do this. This is not faith, but gullibility mixed with fear and fleshly longing.
We are dealing with the phenomenon of mass-hypnosis. This is a scientifically observed phenomenon and is reproducible throughout the world. Under controlled conditions, a crowd can be manipulated into almost anything. Using sensory conditioning, isolation from conflicting views, peer reinforcement, and dozens of other sly techniques, the faith healer or magician can perform miracles, but
they are only good within the bounds of the controlled environment. In real life, it just doesn't spend.
The term "mass-hypnosis" is not
Biblical, so it should find some Biblical counterpart. It does.
We should understand that the word hypnosis is what we used to
call "putting a spell" on someone. Hypnosis sounds scientific
and we have cataloged the techniques, so it must not be sorcery,
right? The KJV calls it "bewitched". In Acts, we read about a
man who "used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria"
(Acts 8:9) Later, Paul says to the Galatians, "Who has bewitched
you, that you should not obey the truth?" (Gal. 3:1).
Mass-hypnosis would be simply mass deception. And masses are so
easily deluded. The same people who go to faith healers go to
modern medical doctors, witch doctors, herbalists and exorcists,
hoping they will cure them of their problems. If we look at
their lives, do we see healing? What do we see? We see
symptom-obsessed, paranoid Christians running around from cure
to cure, driven and tossed by every wind of opinion, useless to
themselves and to their fellow man. Paul tells us to "be no
longer children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph 4:14).
Do we see the love that helps other people? These claim great
love, but we must remember these are the same ones who claim to
be healers or healed. They are the Robert Tilton's of the earth.
The Bible warns of this type of fake spirituality. Paul warns
us: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our
Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and
fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans
16:17-18).
It seems that we moderns, with our modern medicine, do not need
God's healing. So he does not heal us. We need his chastening.
We love our doctors and their medicines. We find our cures amid
pharmacies and physicians. We come to God when all else fails,
not really believing anything, but just giving him a try to see
if it works.
Faith healers drive people away from the true faith that heals.
We do not need physical healing so much as we need spiritual
healing. Christ came to save us from our sins. We need to be
healed of this horrible disease. The smug Christian will say
he's been saved and then turn around and hate those who preach
the everlasting gospel. He is not saved, but in jeopardy every
moment. Repentance is the sure way to be healed. It's good not
only for eternal life, but it also keeps us very much healthier
than we would be if we kept on in our sins.
Throw out the faith healers with the rest of the leaven and come
to Christ, the unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth. Then you
will be healed. This may not be measurable by scientific
methods, but it will be effective in this life and observable to
all.
- Chris Simonson
We encourage you to email the author to prove or disprove, from the Scriptures, the intent, meaning, purpose or doctrine of this piece. email Chris