Mental Illness Revisited...

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Luke 7:11-17 speaks about the widow woman whose ONLY son had died, and Jesus healed him of death. There was no prophetic message preached prior to this outcome, but a need of a widow of her only support. You need to cool out on theologians I think they're killing your faith.

Listen... I'm trying to keep my cool here.

Every miracle that Christ performed was in the wake of His entire message. Every miracle performed validated His message and identity. We also see this with the disciples...

Mark 16:20
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

This is why we saw a burst of fantastic miracles in the early 1900's during the Pentecostal outpourings. This is also why more miracles and healings are reported on mission fields.

If you can't see this, so be it.

Please don't respond to me.

Thanks.

[ILG]

Rx: Just gotta walk away.

[Sweet Pea]

EB

God CAN and DOES heal people with mental issues . I know that!!! I'm not doubting your wife's healing; however, I do have a question....

I have seen God miraculously deliver someone from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. However, have you ever worked with someone - got them to the altar and they had a marvelous experience with God - spoke in tongues and they were changed - with the exception that they still battled one or all of the above addictions mentioned? You saw them, you see the change in other parts of the lives, you heard them speak in a heavenly language. What on earth do YOU tell that person? That they didn't really receive the Holy Ghost?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

You really have no clue do you?

Why, because I don't agree with your rhetoric?

Originally Posted by Aquila

My mother had a very serious heart attack six years ago. I prayed and prayed like I had never prayed before. I had faith. Then... I had to make the call and finally disconnect my mother from life support because God chose not to heal. I preached her funeral and conducted the internment. I had come to peace with accepting that it wasn't God's will to heal her. Why do you religious fundamentalists always have a knack for finding old healed wounds, just to rip them open again?

Whoa! You prayed. Brother you prayed.

Brother Lazarus couldn't come forth if Lazarus didn't believe that Jesus was the resurrection and the life. Brother those Judeans in the first century had to have faith even if they were dead, therefore they could be raised to eternal life.

Originally Posted by Aquila

You have no idea how much your words hurt. You see... you're implying that my mother should have been healed... and that evidently I screwed up or just didn't have the faith. My fault she died.

Once a Guru told me this after I said I would pray for him due to his illness, and he replied, "what if I'm praying against your prayers?" he had a point. Not saying that your mother was praying against your prayers, but your prayers alone don't raise, don't heal, those who won't believe. Not saying any of these things about your mother and pretty much reluctant to do so, because I don't know her, you do. So, Jesus said it was according to our faith. He said it, if you would like to talmud around His words feel free.

Originally Posted by Aquila

Thank you for your version of the "good news" there Bro. Benincasa.

Excuse me?

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm done on this thread. And please... don't talk to me for a while. I'm trying to keep my Christianity about this.

I think I'm going to step away from the computer for a few.

Ok.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

EB

God CAN and DOES heal people with mental issues . I know that!!! I'm not doubting your wife's healing; however, I do have a question....

I have seen God miraculously deliver someone from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. However, have you ever worked with someone - got them to the altar and they had a marvelous experience with God - spoke in tongues and they were changed - with the exception that they still battled one or all of the above addictions mentioned? You saw them, you see the change in other parts of the lives, you heard them speak in a heavenly language. What on earth do YOU tell that person? That they didn't really receive the Holy Ghost?

Please please, read my posts carefully, I can speak for myself, I will tell you my experience. I haven't wanted to smoke a cigarette since I was filled with the Holy Ghost. Now, I know others who aren't Christians or Apostolic Pentecostals and they have never touched a cigarette or drank a drink.

No tongues, no altar, just making a decision not to do it anymore.

But, what does your question have to do with what we were discussing?

[Sweet Pea]

EB

It has a lot to do with it. You indicated that you didn't think someone who was full of the Holy Ghost and a real Christian would battle depression, anxiety, etc. That it was all in their heads and they could get over it.

If someone can't "get over" their addiction immediately do you indicate that they didn't really receive the Holy Ghost? Yes, I've known people who quit with no experience with God - I've seen people miraculously delivered and I've seen people struggle and be delivered after a long period of time ....

I guess that we are going to go round and round the merry-go-round - I do believe that God can and does heal mental issues, cancer, asthma, the common cold, MS, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart issues, etc etc - but the bottom line is that he doesn't always heal. Why? I don't know, but don't tell me it is a lack of faith - I just don't buy that. But just as I wouldn't deny medication to any of those with what we consider a "medical / physical" problem, I cannot deny those who need assistance from professionals for their "physical / mental" issues.

Your mind is set - my mind is set - so there is no need for me to be in this conversation any more.

God bless you, EB and the ministry that you are doing. May He give you wisdom and direction for each situation / person you face. (and I mean this sincerely!)

[ILG]

For those who may be interested, when I was in the throes of deep depression, I heard a story. It was about a person in a deep hole. This person prayed for God to help them and whenever he prayed, someone from above would throw a pile of dirt on him. He would get mad and stomp his feet sometimes feeling God wasn't helping at all. He heard the criticism of those who would look down and make fun. Those who made fun often threw more dirt. After years of this, one day, he realized he was able to step out of the hole, using the very dirt thrown upon him to step out.

Faith doesn't mean you will be able to take a flying leap from 50 ft down out of a hole. It just means that you keep on stamping your feet day after day.

One day, I stepped out.

[llambert]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

EB

God CAN and DOES heal people with mental issues . I know that!!! I'm not doubting your wife's healing; however, I do have a question....

I have seen God miraculously deliver someone from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. However, have you ever worked with someone - got them to the altar and they had a marvelous experience with God - spoke in tongues and they were changed - with the exception that they still battled one or all of the above addictions mentioned? You saw them, you see the change in other parts of the lives, you heard them speak in a heavenly language. What on earth do YOU tell that person? That they didn't really receive the Holy Ghost?

I know a bunch of people who got the real Holy Spirit baptism and still had addictions and manifest mental health issues.

Everyone isn't willing or able to be delivered of everything right away. I'm not a big fan of psychotropic drugs, but I've never had any severe mental or emotional health issues that have impaired my ability to function, so I don't want to type anything on here that's not going to be edifying.

As for cigarettes:

- practically every person I know who battled smoking and got delivered from it had at some level a deep rooted self-hatred or some sort of vengeance/wanting to get back at someone for something that was done to them. Usually it was subconscious (its not that they said, "Oh, I was abused, so I'm going to go out and smoke).

- people have told me that sucking on the cigarette has a soothing effect (similar to thumb sucking). Plus all the chemicals in the cigarettes are addictive to the brain.

-from what I've seen, this cigarette addiction, its root causes and brain chemistry disorientation are very similar to addiction to high sugar foods, foods with heavy chemical preservatives, alcohol, street drugs and pornography. Different substance, but the root causes and the effects to me are generally all the same.

What do you say to them? Sometimes its best to say nothing at first. Just show up and show that the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to listen through you.

Job's 3 friends sat with him a whole 7 days and 7 nights and didn't say a word. I'd say we should do a step more, though (be prayerful while we're showing up- watch and pray, learn from history and speak when God moves us to.
Job's 3 friends ultimately didn't get it, and essentially ignored his pain and just told him to repent without giving a proper answer for any of Job's questions about his unexplained sufferings.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by ILG

For those who may be interested, when I was in the throes of deep depression, I heard a story. It was about a person in a deep hole. This person prayed for God to help them and whenever he prayed, someone from above would throw a pile of dirt on him. He would get mad and stomp his feet sometimes feeling God wasn't helping at all. He heard the criticism of those who would look down and make fun. Those who made fun often threw more dirt. After years of this, one day, he realized he was able to step out of the hole, using the very dirt thrown upon him to step out.

Faith doesn't mean you will be able to take a flying leap from 50 ft down out of a hole. It just means that you keep on stamping your feet day after day.

One day, I stepped out.

One day you stepped out?

Praise Jesus!

Now I'm going to ask you a question, not accusing you, do you think I am throwing dirt?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by llambert

I know a bunch of people who got the real Holy Spirit baptism and still had addictions and manifest mental health issues.

Everyone isn't willing or able to be delivered of everything right away. I'm not a big fan of psychotropic drugs, but I've never had any severe mental or emotional health issues that have impaired my ability to function, so I don't want to type anything on here that's not going to be edifying.

As for cigarettes:

- practically every person I know who battled smoking and got delivered from it had at some level a deep rooted self-hatred or some sort of vengeance/wanting to get back at someone for something that was done to them. Usually it was subconscious (its not that they said, "Oh, I was abused, so I'm going to go out and smoke).

- people have told me that sucking on the cigarette has a soothing effect (similar to thumb sucking). Plus all the chemicals in the cigarettes are addictive to the brain.

-from what I've seen, this cigarette addiction, its root causes and brain chemistry disorientation are very similar to addiction to high sugar foods, foods with heavy chemical preservatives, alcohol, street drugs and pornography. Different substance, but the root causes and the effects to me are generally all the same.

What do you say to them? Sometimes its best to say nothing at first. Just show up and show that the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to listen through you.

Job's 3 friends sat with him a whole 7 days and 7 nights and didn't say a word. I'd say we should do a step more, though (be prayerful while we're showing up- watch and pray, learn from history and speak when God moves us to.
Job's 3 friends ultimately didn't get it, and essentially ignored his pain and just told him to repent without giving a proper answer for any of Job's questions about his unexplained sufferings.

Job's friends were accusing Job of something he wasn't guilty of doing.

Job had faith yes?