Dear John,
Strange coincidence yesterday. . . as I was sitting here in my chair at my computer, listening on Skype, my eyes glanced to my bookshelves, and i saw a book on my shelf by Oral Roberts: Better Health and Miracle Living (published in 1976).
I don’t recall ever buying that book. I never knew I had it. Don’t remember seeing it on my shelf before. Perhaps I picked it up a while ago at the public library on one of their “free books” shelves.
On the day of his death, I happened to notice this book on my shelf. !?
So, I glanced through it and found that he emphatically states that no sickness comes from God, but from the Devil. He says that sickness is rarely, if ever, a punishment for sins, but an infliction from the Accuser to separate us from our Father.
I immediately thought about the many O.T. instances where God really did inflict the children of Israel with sickness and death, and in Micah, God says “I will make thee sick—and make thee desolate—-because of thy sins.” Not to mention the obvious sicknesses that God plagued the Egyptians with for the sake of Moses. . .(was all that from the devil, Dr Roberts?) . . .And the Bible says that God scourges all those whom He has chosen. . . but Brother Roberts says that Jesus came to heal all that were oppressed of the devil…so that implies that all sickness and oppression is becasue of the work of teh devil. . and Jesus came to bring us good, not evil, and thus destroy those works of the devil.
Oral Roberts also says that it’s a mistake to say that sickness is a blessing . Yet Preacher Clark’s life was turned around because of his “bless-ed cancer,” was it not? And Uncle Joe too.
So, now I am compelled to research all of this, re-reading your book on All Things, putting my concordance to work, searching for the truth about whether or not Brother Roberts, (a prince in the kingdom of God) was right in his interpretation of the Bible, or only partly right, or entirely wrong.
I reflected on several instances of illness in me , since I have received the Spirit. I KNOW for a fact that I have been afflicted with certain conditions of illness because of sinful thoughts and/or deeds, and I have repented and resolved those matters in my heart. My own sinful behavior caused me to “blow a fuse”, so to speak.. . . .from which I learned, through my suffering, what I must not continue to do. On the other hand, if we are to live victoriously in Christ, doesn’t that imply that we ought to be thoroughly healthy—- in our bodies , our minds, our finances . . .and all areas of our life?
Then I thought about Job,and read some chapters, and that makes it clear that God didn’t bring illness and hardship to Job, but allowed Satan to inflict his life. (So, Oral Roberts is right in that case.)
Anyway, I am into this now…. and if you have any comments or corrections, bring ’em on. :^)
Love, Brad
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the next day . . . .
Continuing thoughts. . .
If the holy Ghost spoke to you and said, “It tickles the Devil for God’s people to blame their troubles on him,”. . and by that message you learned that we need to seek God in our afflictions to find His purpose… is Brother Roberts still wrong in blaming the devil for afflicting us? Maybe God is giving Satan the power to afflict us, so that we will seek God more, as He did with Job. . . or. . maybe not. I am confuzzled about this now.
My questions and concerns still remain:
–Why does Token continually get sick?
—Why is dear sister Willie afflicted?
–What has God shown Sheila Durham during her illness?
Is Sheila’s a “punishment,” or a “chastening” from God? (Bro Roberts would say “no.”) Strong’s concrodance doesn’t define chastening as sickness. It merely defines it as correction or “to make weary”….. If so, why does Sheila’s affliction continue, if she has learned her lesson and repented? Why can’t she be healed? And. . . . .Why do we not see more health in our midst, while so many other blessings abound?
I believe your teaching on “All Things,” John, but I must re-read it to be certain. . . for if you honor Oral Roberts so highly, then why did he not preach more of the truth when God empowered him to heal so mightily and so frequently?
And why is there so much “healing” in Xn ministries if they are teaching false doctrine?
Sheesh! A lot of questions are on my heart.
I just want to know and understand the truth, Lord.
Brad
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These are questions many have had, Brad, and it is understandable that you ask them, especially when such godly men of faith such as Oral Roberts seemed to teach differently.
First, let me refer to a comment made by my father, whose healing and miracle services, beginning in the early 1930’s, rivaled some of the miracles in the Bible, according to eye witnesses that I have spoken to in my lifetime. He told me that the greatest miracles God ever performed through him were accomplished while he was teaching false doctrine; that is, while he was still repeating to his congregations what his Church of God elders had told him to teach. Why that is the case, I cannot say. But he said it, and so, the fact that Brother Roberts or anyone else performed miracles while teaching false doctrine does not make me doubt the truth. In fact, I doubt that Brother Roberts, Ernest Angeley, Kathryn Kuhlman, Benny Hinn, and others with the gifts of healing saw/see eye-to-eye concerning the doctrines of Christ. They probably differed in many areas of doctrine.
Brother Roberts was not my servant. He will answer to his own Master concerning his works, including whatever he taught about the devil being responsible for all sickness and disease. I have never considered myself to be on such a spiritual plane as to be able to judge him. He was a prince in the kingdom of God.
I can only confess what the Spirit spoke to me. And I have to say that everything I have ever read in the Bible confirms that it was the voice of the Lord that spoke to me on the evening of August 23, 1981 and said, “It tickles the devil for God’s children to blame their troubles on him.” And more truth followed on the heels of those words. It was actually as if the following was the completion of that previous sentence from Jesus: “…because as long as they are blaming him, they are not searching for God’s purposes.”
As for your questions about the circumstances of specific individuals among us and what God has determined for them, in every case a revelation from God would be needed in order for us to understand God’s reasons. That is something else the Lord taught me. Without hearing from God, nobody anywhere, whether in heaven or on earth, understands why God does anything. One reason for suffering does not fit every occasion of suffering. This is why Jesus did not teach that all sickness was the result of sin, or that all sickness was the result of demon possession, etc. He was alive in the Spirit to what his Father was doing that he discerned different reasons for different people. Paul had friends very close to God who grew deathly sick, such as Epaphaditus, and other very trusted fellow workers who had frequent illnesses, such as young Timonthy.
So, Brad, let not your heart be troubled. If you hear anything from God as to why any one among us is suffering, then you will know. Until then, you can still rest in peace, knowing that God is good and that all His works are done in truth.
Pastor John
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Hi John,
I thank you very much for your thorough response to my questions. I really love it when you explain and discuss issues at length. !!
I am a bit embarrassed that it was sent out to everyone, because I was stumbling and fumbling through my own thoughts at the time I wrote it, and some of my questions sounded naiive and confused, I suppose.
But it really doesn’t matter, as there must be others who have also felt the same feelings, so I think our correspondence might be helpful to all. I have a caring heart for this issue, in particular, and for people who are ill, because I love HEALTH! :^)
Both your letters to me and to Rob Sullivan were masterpieces of kindness and reasonable writing.
YOU ARE THE MOST HONEST and HUMBLE MAN I KNOW.
Thank you again , with all my heart.
Brother Brad