Sometimes I hesitate to call myself “blessed.” I wonder, “if I am blessed because I have something, then what about those who don’t have the same thing? Does that mean God has not blessed them?” It makes me feel a little guilty. Furthermore, the idea of being “blessed” is sometimes associated with prosperity gospel teaching, […]
Some people argue that “the New Testament always shows healing and never shows someone asking for healing and leaving still sick.” The Bible, however, includes examples of people who were not healed. Paul himself was not always healed. Paul himself was not always healed. He reminds the Galatians that “it was because of an illness […]
I recognize that Joel Osteen is a great communicator (even Forbes does), and there are numerous things I appreciate about him and his ministry. Nevertheless, there is a repetitive theme in his ministry that I find troubling. And it is particularly troubling given the millions of people who listen to his sermons and assume that […]
“What do I need to do to become a Christian?” I asked my theology class this question today. Thankfully, no one said “invite Jesus into your heart.” Nevertheless, I was struck that their answers largely assumed that Christians have to say something to be saved—for example, say a prayer where you confess your sin, […]
In response to my post “Why are Some People Not Healed?”, someone inquired regarding Jesus’s references to “great faith.” This entry addresses that comment. The Bible only records two instances when Jesus commends people for their “great faith.” In one story, a Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant, who was “suffering terribly” (Matthew 8:6). […]
Why do some people get healed immediately after prayer, but others never get healed, even after praying for a long time? The short answer is, we don’t know why God chooses to heal some, but not others—at least not for each individual case. Hence, I’m hesitant to ever answer the question beyond this. While there […]
The Bible has very little to say about varying degrees of faith. Jesus didn’t seem to be as concerned about the amount of faith a person has as many people are today. He simply says have faith (John 11:25-27). Sure there are a couple of times that Jesus scolds the disciples for having ‘little faith’ but […]