He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. -- 1Peter 2:24-25 (ESV)
https://charismamag.com/life/women/42554-when-you-re-sick-cling-to-these-4-truths-about-healing
https://www.charismanews.com/culture/77804-2-word-of-faith-prayers-that-will-get-you-a-miracle
I read a short article this morning at the second link above from a Pastor named Jim Kibler. He claims miracles are easy. He actually has the arrogance to state that a word of faith prayer for healing is always answered affirmatively and quickly. I say arrogance because that is what it takes to belong to the tribe of healing on demand theologians. To have literally no fear in God that you would speak so presumptively on His behalf. The first link above is to an article by someone named Karen Salisbury, whose bio claims she is a former pastor and bible school instructor. Perhaps if she had followed the word regarding proper roles for women her theology might not be so far gone. Let us reason again together through this article where she tries to present four truths about healing.
"Being sick is so horrible on so many levels. And sometimes it seems even worse for Christians who believe in healing, because we know our covenant rights: We know Jesus Himself took our infirmities and bore our sickness (Matt. 8:17), and we know that by His stripes we are healed (2 Pet. 2:24), but we're still sick! If that's you, I want to encourage you today and remind you of these four things:" -- Karen Salisbury
Being sick is horrible on so many levels; this is true. That is why we must be even more diligent regarding what God says, lest we give false hope where He has not. The Matthew verse she cites is citing a prophecy from Isaiah about Jesus. Now the healing referenced is spiritual healing, not healing from physical ailments in our bodies. Read the entire prophecy beloved. Now there is healing in the covenant but we do not rob God of His sovereignty in any matter. Her reference here to 2Peter 2:24 is obviously a typo. She means 1Peter and I have made them the key verses for today. These verses make it even clearer that we are speaking about spiritual healing. Dying to sin and living for righteousness. We were straying but now have returned to the overseer of our souls. Amen, what a glorious picture of salvation!
"1. God is, and always has been, a healing God. Under the Old Covenant, your Heavenly Father said, "I am your healer" (Ex.15:26). Under our new and better covenant, Jesus bore all sickness for you and healed you on the cross 2000 years ago. You could say God sealed His promise of healing in Jesus. Healing is His nature--it's always His will for you. You are not "the sick trying to get well"--your covenant, bought by the blood of Jesus, says you are the healed, just the same are you are the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). You're not waiting to be healed. To God it's a done deal, already bought and paid for." -- Karen Salisbury
Once again, Karen is confusing spiritual healing of salvation with physical healing in our bodies. This is the common error word faith preachers make as they try to usurp the power of God. This is the same old Luciferin sin of trying to be God. You could say that Jesus sealed His promise of healing on the cross but the bible does not actually say that. Wanting to heal you of the oppression of sin? Yes, that is always His nature. When it comes to physical ailments however, that remains in His sovereign nature. Sometimes ailments are used to deepen our faith or reliance upon Him. Many speculate the thorn in Paul's flesh was a physical ailment of some sort and he pleaded with God to take it away only to hear that His grace was sufficient for him. The staggering arrogance Karen displays here is unfortunately all too common among the word faith crowd.
"2. It's easy for God to heal you, whether from a cold or cancer. What's hopeless or incurable to humans is never hopeless or incurable to Him; He knows exactly how to heal, and He always wants to do it. Settle this in your spirit once and for all." -- Karen Salisbury
I will settle in my spirit once and for all that Karen Salisbury is a false teacher. A clever one, but false nonetheless. Clever because she presents a lot of truths here. God can easily heal anything because -- He is God. There is nothing incurable or hopeless when it comes to God and yes He knows exactly how to heal. Like the devil always mixes in a little error with a little truth, she then jumps the shark by declaring that because of these things He also always wants to heal. The story of the healing of the man at the Bethesda Pool shows there was a multitude of invalids there yet Jesus only healed the one. If He wanted to, He could snap His fingers and heal everyone, but He does not. Beloved, settle this in your spirit once and for all. He is God -- not you. Not me. Not Karen Salisbury.
3. He just wants you to believe Him. Healing is appropriated by faith (by believing what He has said in His Word). That's the fight of faith: to believe what He has said more than what you see or feel. It's not hard, but it requires more Word than circumstances. Symptoms don't change the Word of God or your covenant of healing. -- Karen Salisbury
Let's not muddy the waters here. God CAN heal. God DOES heal. The point of argument is in He chooses when, not us. Yes, faith is integral, as we see throughout the gospel accounts. While faith is required, it is not the only thing required. We pray because God can, not because He must. Think about the logical end of Karen Salisbury's teaching here. One day Karen will die. Of that we can be sure. When she does, what will have happened? Will she have run out of this magnificent faith she speaks about today? No, God will decide her life is required that day. Prayer? Absolutely because God is merciful. Demand? Nothing but sheer arrogance.
4. You have the power! It's so easy to "talk sick" when you feel horrible or you're facing a scary diagnosis. But you can choose your words, right here, right now! The Bible says your tongue is a mighty force (Prov. 18:21, James 3:5-6), that you can have what you say (Mark 11:23), and that you can call for what God has promised (Romans 4:17). Start saying what you want, not what you have! This is how to release your faith for healing--you must agree with God by saying what God says. I have written a new Declaration Series book to help you do just that: Speaking God's Word Over Your Health & Healing. Be encouraged today--you are not even close to being defeated! In all these things you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you and paid for your healing (Rom. 8:37). Greater is He that's in you than all the symptoms in the world! (1 John 4:4). Today's situation is temporary--keep believing God. Do everything you can in the natural to rest and fortify your body, but that's not the only arsenal you have. You have a healing covenant, and you have faith in God. Today I called you healed, in Jesus' name! -- Karen Salisbury
No beloved. We do not have the power of God. I agree that sick talk is not productive but I refuse to claim that God's power of creation also resides in my spoken words. I view that as pure blasphemy. I am the created, not the Creator. The Proverbs verse is in reference to building people up or tearing them down and has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. The James verses as well have nothing to do with healing. They are quite powerful in that the opening of the discourse is a statement that not everyone is supposed to teach. Perhaps a prophetic word for Ms. Salisbury. The word in Mark is in relation to the will of God, not that anything we want we can magically get just by believing. What Karen Salisbury does to scripture and to faith is criminal. You see people want to believe that the healing is coming either for themselves or their loved ones and when it does not come, they will now either blame God or themselves if they follow Karen Salisbury's teaching. Can God heal you? Absolutely and you should pray and have the elders of the church pray and you should have faith that He can. What you should never do is usurp the power of God and tell Him that he must heal you. That is not biblical beloved. It is just arrogant.
Rev. Anthony.
