original artwork by David Watson (talent on loan from God). Commentary by The IMPOSSIBLEAPE (mouth engaged, brain in neutral)There is an anti-selection process established in many ‘faith (word) churches’ that is as red in tooth and claw as any Darwinian mechanism ever imagined. The process I am speaking about, weeds out the weak, challenged and sick through disregard and sometimes even humiliation. When the 'halt and the lame' come to such a church and are prayed for, the word of faith congregation is exhorted to believe for a miracle. They have been taught that God honours faith and obedience and that the physical manifestation is an outward sign of inward worthiness. God blesses those who are righteous and faithful. This congregation knows if the suffering individual is right with God and the prayer of Faith is offered up with requisite inner assurance then the healing is guaranteed by God’s powerful, unchangeable word.
But if, God Forbid, that miracle doesn’t come, what then? Who is to blame for the failure of the word to be manifest?
Sometimes the strategy will be one of ‘circle the wagons boys, we might have a fight on our hands. Let's pray harder, believe more and bind the strong man of unbelief who must be hindering God from healing.'
The word church can’t think for a moment that its theology might be wrong. ‘Doubt is the greatest sin of all. What could be clearer, God is love, God is All Powerful therefore HE WILL HEAL ALL who ask. How could His will be anything other than our health, happiness and prosperity?'
Of course the suffering individual must have the faith to receive and keep the healing. The faithful are encouraged to believe that the healing is merely delayed. If after a long period of trusting the miracle has not been delivered, a sense of frustration and internal dissonance can grow.
'Could this be God’s responsibility? Surely He would never have a purpose for an imperfect life. God would never call someone to a ministry of redemptive suffering. Such an idea is almost blasphemous in a word of faith church. 'Jesus did it all on the cross, so name it and claim it and you can be just as healthy, happy and wealthy as we are.'
The afflicted's faith must be weak or perhaps he has unnamed sin in his life or perhaps a family curse has been delivered upon the head of this individual. 'If only the prayer of Faith could be met by the receptive will of faith on the part of the suffering individual, surely they would be delivered.'
Quietly, blame begins to be assigned. If the sick person continues in his ‘rebellious, unhealed state’ the faithful will declare that healing came but it hasn’t been claimed in faith or worse still, the healing was given up because the weak brother loved his sickness more than he loved Jesus 'If only they had been obedient. If only they had been strong and faithful enough. If only they had wanted the healing badly enough, it surely would have been their right to possess it.'
Some well meaning people may begin to exhort the victim to greater faith. 'Surely our hero Benny Hinn can do the deed?' So they pilgrim to some cavernous coliseum.
‘Get out of that chair.’ Screams the miracle worker. Sometimes adrenaline gets the victim out of the chair and everyone is ecstatic as he dances for the gathering’s edification and entertainment. Joyfully the ‘healed’ and the exhorters make their way back home. Next day the condition is no better. Then a new stage begins. If the victim will persist in believing the word doctrines, he may be tolerated, if he is lucky, he will be pitied but eventually one of the parties to this sick relationship will break. The victim may drift away, attending less and less. He may becomes disillusioned and either leave voluntarily or the faithful will tire of the obvious lack of character shown by the victim and begin to ignore the unfaithful person’s presence. The stone cold committee awkwardly, guiltily, unofficially and often sheepishly shuns the unbeliever. They manage to convey a sense that, ‘If the victim can’t become one of us why would he want to stay here and upset our work?’
The victim leaves. The anti-selection process has worked its magic and the herd is able to continue its good work of bringing God’s Power to the world. They can rest assured that their health and comfort is a testimony to their worthiness, their faith and their righteous character. They have excised a danger to the body and all is well until the next victim arrives to create doubts about the validity of the theology.
My mission is to challenge and change that theology. To free the disabled to see themselves as worthy of God’s love as you or I, perhaps more so. I want to tell them that they have a mission and a purpose ordained by God.
If healing comes, and we continue to pray that it does, the healed must never forget that their blessing is no justification for pride and self-congratulations.
When Jesus comes to judge the quick and the dead He will ask how did you treat Him while He was in the body. If you do not recognize Him in the suffering ones around you, then how can you say you love Him whom you do not see?
Please, for all our sakes, recognize the body and respond to it in love, not anti-selection.
And that's about all I have to say about that...........................................
Now you know why, in some circles, I am known as the IMPOSSIBLEAPE....aka Leonard W. Hindle
Good Night and God Bless Us Everyone
LH
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