Getting attacked for healing the sick

Post by **_Rae** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:52 pm

A good friend of ours who lives in a different city calls us to tell us about all of the miracles and healings and deliverances and raising the dead which seem to happen on a (the way he tells it) daily basis down where he lives. We're excited for him and what's going on, but a few things that he says/believes troubles me...

1) That you gain power in the spiritual realm through fasting, and that you will not see God move in these ways apart from fasting very regularly.

2) That once you start operating in these things, Satan comes after you like crazy with all kinds of attacks. And if you aren't experiencing these attacks then you are not doing all that God wants you to be doing.

He really likes David Hogan, for those of you that have heard of him, and probably tries to emulate his life and ministry style to a good degree.

Anyway, just curious about you guys' thoughts. Thanks!

Post by **_TK** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:22 am

rae-

can you tell us where he lives?

TK

P.S. i am aware of david hogan and have listened to several of his "sermons." i am not exactly sure what to make of him.

Post by **_djeaton** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:45 am

I don't think that Satan wastes much time on ineffective Christians. As such, if people are doing a lot for God, I'd expect attacks. Yet many people claim attacks are from Satan when it may be more of a judgment than and attack. In other words, just because you are under attack doesn't mean that you are right. My last thought on this is that miraculous healings and raising people from the dead are, in my opinion, something certainly worthy of being called a "sign gift". They are something that believers and doubters alike see. They convince the unconvinced. Yet if someone is truly doing things like bringing the dead back to life on a daily basis, why are we only hearing about it on a fairly obscure corner of the web? Color me skeptical.
D.

Post by **_Rae** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:15 am

He lives down in the valley (in Texas). I'm not sure what city... close to the Mexico border. A lot of Catholicism mixed with witchcraft stuff.

So I'm not surprised that they see more manifestations of stuff down there (because of all the witchcraft).

One example of how he says he was attacked is that he heard his almost 3 year old boy screaming one night and went into his room and he was levitating off his bed and then was thrown on the floor (his little boy was). In his mind, this is an attack on his family for him doing the miracles that he is doing.

Post by **_TK** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:20 pm

have you read "megashift" by jim rutz? he documents a bunch of rather amazing miracles, mostly in 3rd world countries and places like india. i am not sure what to make of that, either.

TK

Post by **_Rae** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:24 pm

It's not the miracles that I am doubting, but the two conclusions that he makes that I mentioned in my first post.

I haven't read the book, but it sounds like I would enjoy it!

Post by **_TK** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:55 pm

I believe that fasting does indeed "assist" the power of the HS to flow through us. fasting seems to be a regular event in the NT and as a discipline i think it has been somewhat lost today, as is "watching"(giving up sleep to pray). something about fasting helps release God's power. that's just the way it is. i need to fast more often that i do, which is hardly ever.

TK

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:09 pm

I believe that fasting does indeed "assist" the power of the HS to flow through us. fasting seems to be a regular event in the NT and as a discipline i think it has been somewhat lost today, as is "watching"(giving up sleep to pray). something about fasting helps release God's power. that's just the way it is. i need to fast more often that i do, which is hardly ever.

I agree that the greater our sacrifice the greater the liklehood that God will move in our lives. And yes i would think Satan would target believers who can call forth extraordinary supernatural power. That's why his name means "adversary."

Post by **_Rae** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:49 pm

I understand where you are coming from, I just have a difficult time seeing these things in Scripture.

I don't see fasting in Scripture as a means of gaining power (except the one verse about "this kind only comes out through prayer and fasting -- which I'm not sure that can be a proof text for this concept). And I don't see demonic "attacks" as repercussions of healing the sick/etc...

I see persecutions, so I guess those could be demonic attacks. But in my mind that is very different from the "attacks" that I have heard about that supposedly come from obeying Jesus. (Like the example above about my friend's son being thrown off his bed by a demon because of the miracles his dad is performing).

Just trying to work though this issue -- thanks for the thoughts so far! I would love to hear more!!

Post by **_PAULESPINO** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:37 pm

I would like to give my thoughts regarding fasting.

-I don't believe that you can gain spiritual power through fasting.
-I don't believe that you can become closer to God through fasting because if we can become closer to God through fasting then the muslims must be closer to God also for they do fast regularly.

But I think fasting has a significant effect in our mind. I believe that when we fast the thinking of our mind becomes clearer which means that our judgement becomes better and when our judgement becomes better then through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are able to fight temptations.

I also believe that fasting is a form of self discipline when we learn to discipline ourselves by fasting then we will also learn to dicipline ourselves not to fall into temptations.