I missed the last part of the show where Dr. Brown shares the part about how you would know when something miraculous happened. I think it was the last two minutes of the show.
Hey thank you.
Thank you Dr. Brown. Yes, God met the need in my life, but I should say that He did that for me many times. God bless your ministry. Thank God for His Word and Truth that convicts our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.
A related question I’d value being addressed on the show is the significance of “healing in the atonement.” If (as I believe) Jesus died to redeem us from sickness as well as sin, how is that realised in practice? Sickness is a foretaste of death, whereas healing is a foretaste of resurrection. Why do I and many other children of God suffer from incurable disease when the price has been paid for our healing? This is not a theoretical issue, but one that has radical daily implications for many of us!
Mike ~ That’s a very insightful observation!
One of the most healing times for us should be holy communion. It often is. A pastor once told of how that is the time he has seen the most healings is during and after holy communion. Let’s expect healing. Thank God for healing expecially when we feel our health get worse. It’s then that it is time to claim the promises and thank God for the healing. Watch it come. I love to heal. I love it when God heals me. I’ve broken bones. It’s not fun, but it’s fun to be healed. It’s fun to get better and stronger each day. It’s fun to thank God for it. It is good to be healed.
Satan seems to be acting more subtle than we read about in the gospels. It’s been said that the secret to his success is the secrecy of his moves. It might be a tactic of his to remain more hidden today, even though we see some of his moves more boldly. (such as declaring the month of June to be something other than it should be) We don’t often see the demonic manifestations that have read about in the gospels, yet Satan is still at work in this world among the people.
Somebody is not well spiritually if they declare a month in “honor” of anything that is a dishonor to God. Let’s do remember to pray for such a one.
When I was a young boy, June was dairy month, and our town had dairy days when local farmers came into town. They had their meetings in the streets, talked of this referendum or this or that. They met each other and talked to each other.
I remember one of those days in June when I caught a fish in the river that ran through town and walked past one of those meethings in the street. People looked at me as if I was something out of a Norman Rockwell portrait or something. I looked at them as if they too came right out of one of his paintings.
June is also known for marriages. I remember riding motorcycle through the countryside looking for a bar to have a single beer. It seemed that one that June evening that every place I stopped at had a wedding party. I finaly did have my beer but it was at someone’s wedding party. I had told of my dilemma and was invited to join those who had rented an establishment for a wedding party. They gladly received me. I had my beer and left. They all were having fun. I suppose the man told the groom my predicament. I sure enjoyed riding that motorcycle. I still do after 146,000 miles. I believe that God wanted me to keep it up and keep it. Today as I was looking for a can of starting fluid to test for air leaks in the intake system, I was having some trouble finding it. (just because you have trouble doesn’t mean you are not doing what God wants you to do, look at all the people in the Bible that had trouble) When I saw the man who worked at the parts store walk by I asked him “Do you have any starting fluid?” He grunted and reached for a can and handed it to a man who was closely following him, and then gave me the other can.
If we believe God we should be seeing signs and wonders. I knew the bike had a faulty fuel pressure regulator only because after much time and not knowing what was wrong, while I was reading a service manual (again), #7 appeared as if I had never seen it before. It talked about the fuel pressure regulator. (Ask God to quicken something in his word for you. Then wait, see what happens, and tell us about it. Maybe he wants to show you something as if you had never seen it before. Maybe he wants to ignite something in you.)
God confirms things to help us out and encourage us (Praise the Lord). Let’s praise him often.
Ray posted:
“We don’t often see the demonic manifestations that have read about in the gospels, yet Satan is still at work in this world among the people.”
Yes, this is a tragic failure on the part of today’s church. Those afflicted with demonic spirits are most often conveniently hidden behind the secular walls of mental institutions which are largely devoid of Christian influence. The church seems to have ceded this ground to Satan, with very few Christian resources committed to bringing a Biblical perspective in responding in love and compassion to the mentally ill.
God bless,
Larry
Larry, can you answer this question? If a person is mentally ill and lives in a mental institution, how does that mean that he or she is afllicted with demonic spirits?
Thanks, Robert
Dr. Brown, if you were a “cessationist” I know I would not tune in to your broadcasts.
By a little background, one of my parents became a Jehovah’s Witness when I was fairly young. The doctrine I heard expressed (and which I’ve since seen in print by the Watchtower Society) is cessationist in viewpoint. What impressed me so much about this position is that “unusual phenomenon” is always ascribed to Satan, but never to God. So I once asked why, in this belief, did the Devil wind up with all the power? Personally, I feel that cessationism is a denial of the power of the Holy Spirit, really making it one of the more dangerous and deadening doctrines in the Body. You hit the nail on the head when you said, “God is alive (or living) and active.” Exactly, and Amen!
Also, regarding demons… I knew someone who committed suicide. And I remember him crying out to his father, shortly before he died, “You don’t know the demons that torture me!” It was so sad that all the methods his family tried (psychotherapy, New Age churches) could not seem to help him. I reflect that he could identify his problem as demon possession, but no one around him believed in that as a possibility, and no one knew what to do to minister to his needs. At the time I knew him, some thirty plus years ago, I was not reading the Bible, I was lost, and I was just another person who felt bad about the situation, but had no real light to offer, either. Nonetheless, I remember that situation well, and I reflect that it is ironic that Jesus mentions demons, but to this day, this is regarded as superstition by many Christians, and yet this man, who also didn’t read the Bible, was able to identify the source of his oppression. I have actually seen verses in the Bible changed to reflect a medical diagnosis given for demon possession — that is changing the word due to unbelief!
Yes, God is powerful and Satan has his realm of influence also. Both are alive and working today, and we are still presented with a choice to obey one or the other. Without a doubt, God is greater, Satan is defeated but allowed to still be active until the final day. And if you ask demoniacs, they can accurately attest to the power of the Evil One. So why is it so hard for some Christians to believe in the opposite kind of power –the power of Good, the power of God?
I have noticed, however, that people whose faith is strong, usually do have a story of an incident, or some experience which is either miraculous, whether in a dramatic or relatively small way, or which defies logical explanation, and which served to build their faith. Maybe there’s a correlation between people who are open to the possibility of supernatural intervention and having this confirmed, and people who have closed their minds to it also having no experience in this. I have observed that one’s level of faith does seem to produce fruit in that way.
I’m glad you affirm the power of God!
Does miraculous confirmation=operation of mentioned scriptural gifts, or normal signs following the preaching of what is Biblical (i.e., the divine plan of the Gospel being preached), or special revelation confirming the general revelation and written Word given us all? If so, it will follow on the heels of sharing the truth and grace of scripture. But a requirement for validation, likely not. Truth is truth is truth.
Jabez, I think all those things you mentioned may be seen, sometimes all at once, and yet there may be times people minister the truth and we don’t see signs or wonders at all…except not right away, anyway, but the truth is still ministering wherever it is received.
If we receive a word about healing for us and we don’t see anything right away, it doesn’t mean that we are not being healed, or that our healing may not soon become apparent.
It seems to me that a man that keeps expecting, hoping, walking in thanksgiving for what he hasn’t yet seen, being truly expectant, has more going for him than a man who gets despaired if he doesn’t see some immediate result.
A man who deeply considers the process Jesus went through for our healing, keeping that often in mind, seems to have more going for him than a man that forgets.
Larry, I too have thought about what you are saying about the mentally ill. Sometimes I have wondered if in those hospitals is where some of the greatest gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc.) might be found.
I think of Saul who had evil spirits affecting him. Today we might call that depression, bi-polar, or whatever.
Even when we are “healthy” we may have many evil spirits affecting us, but we get through our days. Some sick people may be affected by them also. I don’t think they are specially immune simply because they are “ill”, nor does being ill mean that what they need is some kind of exorcism as immediate ministry. We all need Jesus for our healing. We all are in need of the word of God for our salvation. We are in need of it every day.
Robert wrote:
“Larry, If a person is mentally ill and lives in a mental institution, how does that mean that he or she is afllicted with demonic spirits?”
Yes, I’m happy to clarify. I don’t believe every institutionalized person is by definition afflicted by demonic spirits. I do believe that based on the behavior exhibited by the demoniac in the tombs that many people who are afflicted by demonic spirits would be committed to an institution and thus treated by secular psychiatry.
My point is that when it comes to severe mental illness, the church universal has few resources dedicated to treating such people.
I missed the last part of the show where Dr. Brown shares the part about how you would know when something miraculous happened. I think it was the last two minutes of the show.
Hey thank you.
Thank you Dr. Brown. Yes, God met the need in my life, but I should say that He did that for me many times. God bless your ministry. Thank God for His Word and Truth that convicts our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.
A related question I’d value being addressed on the show is the significance of “healing in the atonement.” If (as I believe) Jesus died to redeem us from sickness as well as sin, how is that realised in practice? Sickness is a foretaste of death, whereas healing is a foretaste of resurrection. Why do I and many other children of God suffer from incurable disease when the price has been paid for our healing? This is not a theoretical issue, but one that has radical daily implications for many of us!
Mike ~ That’s a very insightful observation!
One of the most healing times for us should be holy communion. It often is. A pastor once told of how that is the time he has seen the most healings is during and after holy communion. Let’s expect healing. Thank God for healing expecially when we feel our health get worse. It’s then that it is time to claim the promises and thank God for the healing. Watch it come. I love to heal. I love it when God heals me. I’ve broken bones. It’s not fun, but it’s fun to be healed. It’s fun to get better and stronger each day. It’s fun to thank God for it. It is good to be healed.
Satan seems to be acting more subtle than we read about in the gospels. It’s been said that the secret to his success is the secrecy of his moves.
It might be a tactic of his to remain more hidden today, even though we see some of his moves more boldly. (such as declaring the month of June to be something other than it should be) We don’t often see the demonic manifestations that have read about in the gospels, yet Satan is still at work in this world among the people.
Somebody is not well spiritually if they declare a month in “honor” of anything that is a dishonor to God. Let’s do remember to pray for such a one.
When I was a young boy, June was dairy month, and our town had dairy days when local farmers came into town. They had their meetings in the streets,
talked of this referendum or this or that. They met each other and talked to each other.
I remember one of those days in June when I caught a fish in the river that ran through town
and walked past one of those meethings in the street. People looked at me as if I was something out of a Norman Rockwell portrait or something. I looked at them as if they too came right out of one of his paintings.
June is also known for marriages. I remember riding motorcycle through the countryside looking for a bar to have a single beer. It seemed that one that June evening that every place I stopped at had a wedding party. I finaly did have my beer but it was at someone’s wedding party. I had told of my dilemma and was invited to join those who had rented an establishment for a wedding party.
They gladly received me. I had my beer and left.
They all were having fun. I suppose the man told the groom my predicament. I sure enjoyed riding that motorcycle. I still do after 146,000 miles.
I believe that God wanted me to keep it up and keep it. Today as I was looking for a can of starting fluid to test for air leaks in the intake system, I was having some trouble finding it. (just because you have trouble doesn’t mean you are not doing what God wants you to do, look at all the people in the Bible that had trouble)
When I saw the man who worked at the parts store walk by I asked him “Do you have any starting fluid?” He grunted and reached for a can and handed it to a man who was closely following him, and then gave me the other can.
If we believe God we should be seeing signs and wonders. I knew the bike had a faulty fuel pressure regulator only because after much time and not knowing what was wrong, while I was reading a service manual (again), #7 appeared as if I had never seen it before. It talked about the fuel pressure regulator. (Ask God to quicken something in his word for you. Then wait, see what happens, and tell us about it. Maybe he wants to show you something as if you had never seen it before. Maybe he wants to ignite something in you.)
God confirms things to help us out and encourage us (Praise the Lord). Let’s praise him often.
Ray posted:
“We don’t often see the demonic manifestations that have read about in the gospels, yet Satan is still at work in this world among the people.”
Yes, this is a tragic failure on the part of today’s church. Those afflicted with demonic spirits are most often conveniently hidden behind the secular walls of mental institutions which are largely devoid of Christian influence. The church seems to have ceded this ground to Satan, with very few Christian resources committed to bringing a Biblical perspective in responding in love and compassion to the mentally ill.
God bless,
Larry
Larry, can you answer this question? If a person is mentally ill and lives in a mental institution, how does that mean that he or she is afllicted with demonic spirits?
Thanks,
Robert
Dr. Brown, if you were a “cessationist” I know I would not tune in to your broadcasts.
By a little background, one of my parents became a Jehovah’s Witness when I was fairly young. The doctrine I heard expressed (and which I’ve since seen in print by the Watchtower Society) is cessationist in viewpoint. What impressed me so much about this position is that “unusual phenomenon” is always ascribed to Satan, but never to God. So I once asked why, in this belief, did the Devil wind up with all the power? Personally, I feel that cessationism is a denial of the power of the Holy Spirit, really making it one of the more dangerous and deadening doctrines in the Body. You hit the nail on the head when you said, “God is alive (or living) and active.” Exactly, and Amen!
Also, regarding demons… I knew someone who committed suicide. And I remember him crying out to his father, shortly before he died, “You don’t know the demons that torture me!” It was so sad that all the methods his family tried (psychotherapy, New Age churches) could not seem to help him. I reflect that he could identify his problem as demon possession, but no one around him believed in that as a possibility, and no one knew what to do to minister to his needs. At the time I knew him, some thirty plus years ago, I was not reading the Bible, I was lost, and I was just another person who felt bad about the situation, but had no real light to offer, either. Nonetheless, I remember that situation well, and I reflect that it is ironic that Jesus mentions demons, but to this day, this is regarded as superstition by many Christians, and yet this man, who also didn’t read the Bible, was able to identify the source of his oppression. I have actually seen verses in the Bible changed to reflect a medical diagnosis given for demon possession — that is changing the word due to unbelief!
Yes, God is powerful and Satan has his realm of influence also. Both are alive and working today, and we are still presented with a choice to obey one or the other. Without a doubt, God is greater, Satan is defeated but allowed to still be active until the final day. And if you ask demoniacs, they can accurately attest to the power of the Evil One. So why is it so hard for some Christians to believe in the opposite kind of power –the power of Good, the power of God?
I have noticed, however, that people whose faith is strong, usually do have a story of an incident, or some experience which is either miraculous, whether in a dramatic or relatively small way, or which defies logical explanation, and which served to build their faith. Maybe there’s a correlation between people who are open to the possibility of supernatural intervention and having this confirmed, and people who have closed their minds to it also having no experience in this. I have observed that one’s level of faith does seem to produce fruit in that way.
I’m glad you affirm the power of God!
Does miraculous confirmation=operation of mentioned scriptural gifts, or normal signs following the preaching of what is Biblical (i.e., the divine plan of the Gospel being preached), or special revelation confirming the general revelation and written Word given us all?
If so, it will follow on the heels of sharing the truth and grace of scripture. But a requirement for validation, likely not. Truth is truth is truth.
Jabez, I think all those things you mentioned may be seen, sometimes all at once, and yet there may be times people minister the truth and we don’t see signs or wonders at all…except not right away, anyway, but the truth is still ministering wherever it is received.
If we receive a word about healing for us and we don’t see anything right away, it doesn’t mean that we are not being healed, or that our healing may not soon become apparent.
It seems to me that a man that keeps expecting, hoping, walking in thanksgiving for what he hasn’t yet seen, being truly expectant, has more going for him than a man who gets despaired if he
doesn’t see some immediate result.
A man who deeply considers the process Jesus went through for our healing, keeping that often in mind, seems to have more going for him than a man that forgets.
Larry, I too have thought about what you are saying about the mentally ill. Sometimes I have wondered if in those hospitals is where some of the greatest gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc.) might be found.
I think of Saul who had evil spirits affecting him. Today we might call that depression, bi-polar, or whatever.
Even when we are “healthy” we may have many evil spirits affecting us, but we get through our days.
Some sick people may be affected by them also. I don’t think they are specially immune simply because they are “ill”, nor does being ill mean that what they need is some kind of exorcism as immediate ministry. We all need Jesus for our healing. We all are in need of the word of God for our salvation. We are in need of it every day.
Robert wrote:
“Larry, If a person is mentally ill and lives in a mental institution, how does that mean that he or she is afllicted with demonic spirits?”
Yes, I’m happy to clarify. I don’t believe every institutionalized person is by definition afflicted by demonic spirits. I do believe that based on the behavior exhibited by the demoniac in the tombs that many people who are afflicted by demonic spirits would be committed to an institution and thus treated by secular psychiatry.
My point is that when it comes to severe mental illness, the church universal has few resources dedicated to treating such people.
God bless,
Larry
Larry, I agree. Thank you for clarifying.