Being Sick

First I have to say I am barely sick. BUT I am healthy most of the time so even a little sickness really gets me down. I wonder if a person who is sick a lot deals with being sick better? Does a sick person get used to being sick a lot? I don't know. Well anyway I have caught a cold that has really beat me up and has me down. It comes with some kind of stomach problems too.

I am such a baby when I am sick. I just feel soo weak, it really reminds me I need to thank God when I am healthy. I think we take our health for granted. This is a good reminder to me to thank God when we are all feeling well and able to enjoy life more. I think I am getting a little better (like I said it's not a major illness) so I'll be fine. Here's what I was thinking though.

It's easy for me to get on my spiritual "high horse" and make these bold statements about God healing without any help from man, so He gets all the glory. (My real intention is to confirm the message I have been sharing as true.) Well let me say this....that's easy to say when it's someone else, but even with this little sickness I pray "Lord, I don't care if it's from a medicine, a doctor, rest....I don't care how it happens.....just help me to get better soon!"

Anyway, I want you to know that I don't care HOW Thaddeus' heart is healed, I just want this little boy to be better and to grow and do well. I want this little boy so badly for my little brother and his wife. Life is just so wonderful with a little one around. I can't wait for them to experience all the fun of the many stages of life of a child.

As for the prayer of healing by faith alone, do I believe it can happen? Of course 100%, is that a good prayer to pray....depends on motive I think. If motive is the healing of Thaddeus, then yes...let's all pray often. If that is the goal, then I don't care how God makes Thad better, just heal him please Lord. Obviously that is my desire, but I was praying that the Gospel message I have been proclaiming would be "confirmed" by this "sign". Now is that a good thing? Here I think I am on dangerous ground. Of course as always I fall back on "What does the Bible say?"

Matthew 12:39 says
"But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and {yet} no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;"

Jesus was speaking to the Jews who basically said they would believe the message if Jesus would show them a sign. Well this goes against the Fathers requirement of us coming to Him by faith alone. He asks us to just believe the scriptures concerning being justified in His eyes by faith in the way He has provided. The final and complete one time sacrifice for sins was Christ's death on the cross for sins. This is important. Unlike the repeated Jewish sacrifices of the Old Testament that were a temporary sacrifice until the Lamb Of God would provide the permanent sacrifice for sins, Christ's death was, again, a ONE TIME event. The FINAL and Permanent sacrifice for sins. We are to cling to this by faith.

I have strayed from the subject a bit....as far as the "confirming the message" thing. My mind has been drawn to Lazarus and the Rich man. Long story short, Lazarus the poor beggar went to heaven and the rich man went to hell. The rich man asked if Lazarus could at least dip his finger in water to cool his tongue, the answer was no. So the rich man asks if Lazarus could at least go to his family to warn them so they don't also end up in hell with him. The reply?

Luke 16:27-31"And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' "

My point is this, faith should be enough for us. We have the complete scriptures, we have Christ who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and who has promised to come again to judge the living and the dead. He requires faith, do we ask for more? Fact is, if Thaddeus' heart is healed by a miracle, will we not all soon return to our old ways if God has not taken our heart captive? I think we saw that even with Emma, many drew near to the Father in the times of worry, but then later drifted away. There is a good lesson in this I think. A VERY important lesson. A person does not "decide" to follow Christ. Becoming a Christian is not like a new year's resolution. It's not in our power. God must draw us to Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit. So do You desire to follow Christ? Do you want to be His disciple? Then pray! As Mindy would say, P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens. This is a very biblical concept. "Jer 29:13 'You will seek Me and find {Me} when you search for Me with all your heart." Christ says,

Rev 3:20

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. So let us not seek a "sign" but just ask for the healing of Thaddeus' heart as God sees fit and may we not seek a "sign" but come to Christ by faith in His word. (I still believe God could heal Thad's heart without the touch of a human hand, He has already started....so do not lose faith, but may our hearts be prepared for God to work in any way He pleases, even through people, to heal this wonderful baby boy.)