My oh my... how quick Christians (and Apostolic Pentecostals in particular) are to claim any sort of recovery as a "miraculous healing". I have heard Sis. Mcgruder's story of how she was "healed" of breast cancer. She speaks of how the doctor went in to do the surgery and the cancer was extremely hard and difficult to cut with the scalpel. This part I do believe due to the fact that breast cancer is notorious for being extremely hard and fibrous; when the body has cancer it forms a protective barrier of fibrous tissue around the cancer to isolate the toxins inside. Also, with calcification, it isn't any wonder that her cancer was "hard as a rock". This is actually a very common thing with breast cancer (and other cancers as well).
The fact is, Sis. Mcgruder was never "healed". Her breast cancer "went away" because she had surgery to have it removed and chemotherapy to ensure that it was completely removed and wouldn't immediately come back. Furthermore, no one can claim that they were "miraculously healed" of a condition if they had surgery or medication to remove or dissipate said condition. Her breast cancer went away because she had surgery; there is no miracle involved in surgery, only good medical practices and a good surgeon.
I've heard it said that if god does something he does it right. If that were the case then why is she now cancerous again? The answer is very simple: if you have cancer once you can get it again.
My oh my... how quick Christians (and Apostolic Pentecostals in particular) are to claim any sort of recovery as a "miraculous healing". I have heard Sis. Mcgruder's story of how she was "healed" of breast cancer. She speaks of how the doctor went in to do the surgery and the cancer was extremely hard and difficult to cut with the scalpel. This part I do believe due to the fact that breast cancer is notorious for being extremely hard and fibrous; when the body has cancer it forms a protective barrier of fibrous tissue around the cancer to isolate the toxins inside. Also, with calcification, it isn't any wonder that her cancer was "hard as a rock". This is actually a very common thing with breast cancer (and other cancers as well).
The fact is, Sis. Mcgruder was never "healed". Her breast cancer "went away" because she had surgery to have it removed and chemotherapy to ensure that it was completely removed and wouldn't immediately come back. Furthermore, no one can claim that they were "miraculously healed" of a condition if they had surgery or medication to remove or dissipate said condition. Her breast cancer went away because she had surgery; there is no miracle involved in surgery, only good medical practices and a good surgeon.
I've heard it said that if god does something he does it right. If that were the case then why is she now cancerous again? The answer is very simple: if you have cancer once you can get it again.
I am a believer in miracles, but I am also a believer in honesty and integrity, and find it interesting that this subject has been raised, as I have never heard anyone else make such a statement. But I have had such thoughts myself, and have spoken of them to one person.
I don't want to discuss Sister McGruder, who I believe to be a precious woman of God, and I have not personally heard her complete testimony.
I do agree, though, that when we have surgery for a condition, to then say we are miraculously healed, we are lacking in honesty. God does all healing, of course, and without Him, no surgeon--or any other kind of doctor-- could effect a cure. But to have surgery and chemo for cancer, and then to say we are miraculously healed, is just not right. By that thinking, everyone who conquers cancer--saint, sinner, reprobate, unbeliever-- is miraculously healed. (And again, I give credit to God for all healing.)
God does not need our help to perform miracles, nor does He need surgeons or those who administer chemotherapy. I certainly don't understand healing--why we don't see more of it than we do, why some are healed and some are not, why there are more miracles of healing on foreign fields than in the United States. Just don't know. But our trying to help out God--no matter how well intentioned--clouds and demeans the real thing.
Sister McGruder attributes her healing/health to God no matter who has a hand in the process. If you knew her personally, you would know there is not a single measure of dishonesty in that, coming from her.
Also, the first time the cancer went away, she obviously felt that it was for good. We see now that that isn't the case, but that doesn't mean her intentions were off when she gave her testimony.
I completely disagree that when we are involved in the process of healing it "clouds and demeans the real thing." I was in the hospital, unconscious, when I was about 2, and had been lying there for a couple of days while doctors tried to figure out what was making me so sick. When my pastor walked in to pray for me (he had been out of town), I opened my eyes and sat up in bed before he ever got to the bed. The doctor was upset when my parents wanted to remove me from the hospital, but since I had no symptoms, there was no reason to keep me--even for evaluation. So was it the prayer that healed me, the medical treatment prior to me waking, or God walking into the room with my pastor? I don't know--I don't care what particular event it was. I believe GOD was the healer in that instance, and my family has given Him total thanks for that event.
My Dad wondered why God didn't heal me when HE prayed, but rather when our pastor arrived at the hospital. At the time, my Dad didn't believe in going to doctors, and was trying to trust God for my healing. It ended up being my Grandpa who scooped me up and rushed me to the hospital against my Dad's wishes. My Dad surmised later that maybe God was trying to tell him that He can work with and through doctors--there's no need to leave them out of the process in order for God to work. I tend to agree--I believe we do everything we can do, and then we trust God to do the rest. Regardless of your personal views on healing, all healing of the human body is miraculous, even when modern medicine assists it. Doctors can't force tissue and cells to restore or respond to medication. And their efforts aren't 100% effective--that much is obvious. The "practice" of medicine is precisely that.
Personally, I think Sister McGruder's intentions are pure, and there is absolutely no benefit in critiquing her way of handling her illness. Discussing this issue generically is one thing, but I don't believe we should apply it to this [a] specific situation. JMO!!!!
__________________
"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
Sister McGruder attributes her healing/health to God no matter who has a hand in the process. If you knew her personally, you would know there is not a single measure of dishonesty in that, coming from her.
Also, the first time the cancer went away, she obviously felt that it was for good. We see now that that isn't the case, but that doesn't mean her intentions were off when she gave her testimony.
I completely disagree that when we are involved in the process of healing it "clouds and demeans the real thing." I was in the hospital, unconscious, when I was about 2, and had been lying there for a couple of days while doctors tried to figure out what was making me so sick. When my pastor walked in to pray for me (he had been out of town), I opened my eyes and sat up in bed before he ever got to the bed. The doctor was upset when my parents wanted to remove me from the hospital, but since I had no symptoms, there was no reason to keep me--even for evaluation. So was it the prayer that healed me, the medical treatment prior to me waking, or God walking into the room with my pastor? I don't know--I don't care what particular event it was. I believe GOD was the healer in that instance, and my family has given Him total thanks for that event.
My Dad wondered why God didn't heal me when HE prayed, but rather when our pastor arrived at the hospital. At the time, my Dad didn't believe in going to doctors, and was trying to trust God for my healing. It ended up being my Grandpa who scooped me up and rushed me to the hospital against my Dad's wishes. My Dad surmised later that maybe God was trying to tell him that He can work with and through doctors--there's no need to leave them out of the process in order for God to work. I tend to agree--I believe we do everything we can do, and then we trust God to do the rest. Regardless of your personal views on healing, all healing of the human body is miraculous, even when modern medicine assists it. Doctors can't force tissue and cells to restore or respond to medication. And their efforts aren't 100% effective--that much is obvious. The "practice" of medicine is precisely that.
Personally, I think Sister McGruder's intentions are pure, and there is absolutely no benefit in critiquing her way of handling her illness. Discussing this issue generically is one thing, but I don't believe we should apply it to this [a] specific situation. JMO!!!!
I appreciate your response here, and as I pointed out on my post, I am not at all referring to Sister McGruder, who is a dear and precious woman of God. My remarks are not about her and her situation, nor about anyone in particular. I too respect each person's way of handling their illness and how give their testimonies. I agree that her intentions are pure.
Also, I pointed out in my first post that ALL healing come from God. Absolutely, without question, without exception. Doctors can do nothing without God--even when they deny Him.
My point, though, is in agreement with Joe who has a problem in our proclaiming a miraculous healing, although we have had--in the case of cancer--surgery and chemotherapy.
I did not say, nor mean to imply, that when we are involved in the process of healing, it clouds and demeans the real thing. Perhaps I did not make myself clear. I believe in going to doctors, go myself, take my children, and believe doctors provide a wonderful service for mankind. What I do think, though, is when we have surgery and chemotherapy that seems to be effective--as it is for many people, both Christian and unchristian--and then call our recovery a miraculous healing, we are clouding and demeaning the truly miraculous healing.
I appreciate your response here, and as I pointed out on my post, I am not at all referring to Sister McGruder, who is a dear and precious woman of God. My remarks are not about her and her situation, nor about anyone in particular. I too respect each person's way of handling their illness and how give their testimonies. I agree that her intentions are pure.
Also, I pointed out in my first post that ALL healing come from God. Absolutely, without question, without exception. Doctors can do nothing without God--even when they deny Him.
My point, though, is in agreement with Joe who has a problem in our proclaiming a miraculous healing, although we have had--in the case of cancer--surgery and chemotherapy.
I did not say, nor mean to imply, that when we are involved in the process of healing, it clouds and demeans the real thing. Perhaps I did not make myself clear. I believe in going to doctors, go myself, take my children, and believe doctors provide a wonderful service for mankind. What I do think, though, is when we have surgery and chemotherapy that seems to be effective--as it is for many people, both Christian and unchristian--and then call our recovery a miraculous healing, we are clouding and demeaning the truly miraculous healing.
Okay, I understand your point a little better. Thanks for clarifying.
__________________
"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
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