Does God want the Christian suffering sickness, diseases, or pain? by booksbybrendan

Brendan Mc Crossan

Does God want the Christian suffering diseases, sickness, or pain?

Sad to say many Christians think that it is the will of God for them to suffer from some horrible disease or sickness, because for the Catholics some of the Saints of old suffered terrible diseases and these people were made Saints because the church seen them as suffering some disease that God sent or allowed for some spiritual reason. And that is all rubbish, God never gave anyone sickness, Saint or sinner.

They did not know the word of God the bible, and before you get your knickers in a twist disagreeing; for Catholics the Bible was forbidden for them to read, only special people could read the Bible, this is history; and as Pope Paul said in Vatican Two documents; “Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ Jesus.” So the Saints were kept in ignorance just as much as you and I were before Vatican Two.

If the truth were to be told, sickness and disease comes from Satan the devil. That is where all sickness and diseases and pain come from. If you do not believe this you are opening yourself up to attacks from Satan the devil, because he knows you don’t believe God and so you are at Satan’s mercy, and believe me when I tell you this, he has no mercy in him!

John-10-10- The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). 11I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.

These were the very words that Jesus spoke about the devil, and also about himself, he said the devil was a thief who came only to steal, kill and destroy. But I Jesus came that you may have life and to enjoy it and have it in abundance, sickness and disease is not life in abundance, it cuts your life short. Jesus describes himself as Good, and a Good Shepherd, that lays down his life for his sheep, and we are his sheep. If someone will lay down their life for you does it make sense that they will stick some disease on you or your loved ones? Come on answer the question truthfully, do you really believe that someone who would die for you {and by the way Jesus did just that,} would give you a disease, or pain?

Do you honestly believe that Jesus would give some little innocent child a terrible disease? Is this what you think about God, that he wants to destroy what he created? Did not Jesus heal everyone who came to him? Did Jesus ever refuse to heal anyone? For your information, no he did not! He healed everyone who came to him; why heal everyone, if you were the one giving out sickness like someone giving out lollipops, this does not make sense if you would only look at your bible and read from Matthew to John, you would see Jesus healed “all” who came to him. God sent Jesus to do his perfect will, and Jesus said I come to do the will of my Father, and what did Jesus do, he told everyone the good news and healed the sick and delivered people from demonic power.

Matthew-4-23-And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing “every” disease and “every” weakness and infirmity among the people.

So the report of Him spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him “all” who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, and paralyzed people, and He healed them “all.”

Did you read that scripture for yourself? He healed them “all.” Not just some of them, but “all” of them, and he delivered those under the power of demons. Yes people get under the power of demons and they cause sickness and diseases in people’s bodies. The rubbish you see on TV that there are good demons, and bad demons is a lie. There are only wicked demons; they have the nature of their evil master Satan the Devil. There is no such thing as a good demon, like you see in the TV series Charmed, that is deception that Satan uses to draw kids and adults into thinking demons are ok, and you see this more and more often these days on TV and in games your kids are playing on Play station and other gaming sets. I am not knocking Play stations or other gaming sets just some of the games that are played with demons and monsters, and demons being the good guys, and this is a cleaver deception to draw children into Satan’s kingdom and rejecting the truth of the Bible.

Jesus cast out the demons and treated them as evil beings that tormented human beings.

Matthew-8-1- When Jesus came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. 2And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, “if You are willing,” You are able to cleanse me by curing me.3And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am” “willing;” be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed.

What did Jesus say to this man? He said, “I am willing” to heal you, and in healing this man he showed the will of God, by saying, “I am willing;” It’s my will to heal people, and he healed him instantly.

Matthew-8-14-And when Jesus went into Peter's house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying ill with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her; and she got up and began waiting on Him.

16When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word and restored to health “all” that were sick.

17And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases.

Jesus first healed Peters mother in law, {people jokingly say that’s why Peter denied him three times.} then when evening came people brought him their demon possessed, and the sick, and he healed them “all” both sick and demon possessed. He didn’t say to anyone that it would be better if they remained sick or possessed, that it would draw them closer to God, No!

He treated sickness and demons equally as having no rights in the human body, as an enemy, and to demonstrate the will of God for “all.” He knew demons and sickness was from Satan the great enemy of mankind and he described him accurately in the next scripture; Jesus said of the Devil, he was a murderer from the beginning.

John-8-44- 44You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. “He”{Satan the devil} was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.

Jesus told the Pharisees that they were of their father the devil, and were not children of God, and that their father, the devil, was a murderer and a liar, and in another scripture, as a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, he identifies Satan the devil as the one who kills little babies and children and adults, but Satan the devil lies to us and says God did it or God gave it, or allowed it to happen and sat there in heaven oblivious to all we suffer, not caring, but what he didn’t tell you is that he is the God of this world, and he has freedom to do what he wills because our ancestor Adam and Eve sold out to the devil giving him freedom to do things to us on earth. If you don’t know these things then you are ignorant of the scriptures and as Pope Paul said ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ and his plans. Adam and Eve sinned and through that sin they opened the door for Satan to come in; then God sent his son into the world to take away mans sins, and that is commonly known, but not taught fully in the Catholic churches even to date, or indeed the protestant ones either, they know faintly that Jesus died for them and died on the cross on Calvary,{ most people seen the movies} but they don’t really understand the truth that Jesus actually did die for us and suffer terribly at the scourging at the pillar and on the cross, but he was suffering for us so that we would not have to suffer pain or sickness or sin in our bodies, did you understand that he suffered for “us,” so that we would not have to suffer, sickness or pain or disease, or to pay the price ourselves for our multitude of sins we commit.

Scripture tells us that Jesus went to Calvary and on that cross he took our sickness and bore our disease and by his stripes {lashes} we were healed. But the truth is we don’t believe this, it seems to be too far fetched, to out there to be true.

If someone took your sickness and took your disease, it would be hardly likely that they gave them in the first place wouldn’t it? Common sense should answer this question. Would God give you something he sent Jesus to take on his body on Calvary, of course not?

1-Peter-2-24-He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

By his wounds you have been healed, healed from what? Sickness and disease and pain, that’s what; What kind of suffering are we supposed to suffer, if it is not sickness or disease?

2 Suffering God’s way

The suffering we are supposed to suffer is when someone does us wrong, we are supposed to praise God through it, not go looking for revenge, when you do something that’s right and people make you suffer because of it and you say nothing, but bring it to God, that is pleasing to God, that is the kind of suffering he wants you to suffer, in other words, say nothing evil about the person; just like Jesus never said a word when he was lashed at the pillar, like a lamb he was silent during suffering.

1-Peter-2-19-For one is regarded favourably (is approved, acceptable, and thankworthy) if, as in the sight of God, he endures the pain of “unjust suffering.” 20[After all] what kind of glory [is there in it] if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you take it patiently?

But if you bear patiently with suffering [which results] when you do right and that is undeserved, it is acceptable and pleasing to God. 21For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you; leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.

Jesus never complained when he suffered wrong from others, he in fact forgave them even to his death on the cross.

Suffering and sickness are opposites.

Look at the following scripture it tells us that suffering is separate from sickness and should be treated differently.

James-5-13- 13Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray.

Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God].

14Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's name.

15And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

16Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest, (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available; [dynamic in its working].

Look at this scripture carefully, is anyone among you suffering, being {ill treated} he should pray, {for strength} is anyone glad of heart? He should sing praise to God, and notice that the praise separates the suffering from sickness.

Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the church elders, and they should pray over him, and the lord “will restore him.” And if his sickness was caused by some sin, he will be forgiven.

Did you see that the sick person should call for the church elders, {those involved in the healing ministry} and what is supposed to happen when the elders pray over the sick person? The lord will restore him: it does not say that about those suffering, it says they should pray. {For grace to forgive those who persecute them for Christ’s sake}

The only kind of suffering the lord wants you to accept is the suffering of change, because change is painful; if you want to become a better husband, then it takes a lot of effort, and suffering the pain of silence, and not answering your wife back, giving way to her out of love for her.

In the same way God wants us to suffer the change in becoming more and more like Christ Jesus within us, he wants us growing into his own perfect image and that is not easy it means suffering change to our personalities, it means giving way to others even if you are right, especially if you are right, by taking on the nature of Christ Jesus, he never argued his point with others he told them the truth and if they didn’t accept it that was it.

Suffering is giving up our own selfish ways, reaching out to others even when it interferes with our plans and schedules, putting others first. Change is not easy it hurts, and we suffer in changing our old nature to the new nature of Christ Jesus within us, it is painful dying to ones self, and this is the change that pleases God, this is real suffering as God wants from us, he does not want us suffering sickness or disease because he healed us already, so why would sickness be the suffering the scripture talks about. Suffering and sickness do not go together in the bible. Every selfish Christian knows how much they have to give way to, to take on the nature of Christ and it is painful giving in always to others for their good and betterment and not to our own needs. Suffering God’s way is putting aside our desires and needs and wants for the benefit of others for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

2-Corinthians-7-9- Now I am glad I sent it; not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of suffering God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of suffering God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of suffering. But worldly suffering, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

11 Just see what this godly suffering produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

Paul sent the Corinthians a letter about a man living in sin with his fathers wife and told them it was wrong to allow this to happen, and that it was going to hurt by casting that man out of the church fellowship. In this letter he explains that the suffering God wants from us is the suffering of change, the suffering that does not allow sin to remain in the midst of us but worldly suffering, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death and serves no good purpose.

Suffering God’s way leads to repentance and brings with it change in us, and this is the only suffering God wants’ from us. Sickness keeps our thoughts on us, not on God where they should be on, when you’re sick; you can only think of your pain, nothing else, or sometimes nothing else.

2 Timothy-2-3- Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labour. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

8 Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal.

Paul was encouraging Timothy to endure his suffering for Christ Jesus just like he himself was suffering for the gospel. Paul suffered beatings, stoning, shipwrecked, all for the sake of the gospel, {telling about Jesus and what he done for us} he endured suffering of hardship, having no clothes, cold sleepless nights, worrying about the new converts, threats to his life and imprisonment, all for Jesus and God was pleased by the suffering he endured and he helped Paul get through all these things, he didn’t take them away but gave him grace to endure that suffering, and he used Paul to write the Epistles that have borne Gods word down through the centuries to this present day with many revelations of God through Pauls writings. Pauls suffering brought change to Paul, because he was a religious nut case, and changed to become a follower of Christ, the road he travelled was not easy and it will not be easy for you, or I either.

I know for myself that I desire to suffer the changes necessary for me to become more and more like Jesus and that is going to take a lot of breaking down of Brendan’s kingdom, to allow only one kingdom in me, The kingdom of God and I am willing to suffer whatever change is necessary, I wish I didn’t have to suffer dying to myself but I am willing no matter what it costs me personally in my life, no matter what I have to give up for the sake of the kingdom of God within me so that Jesus can live in me to a greater degree. And thank God that does not include sickness or diseases, as Jesus already healed me. Glory to God!

The kingdom of God is within and I desire to live that kingdom life no matter what it costs me, and no matter how much suffering of persecution that I have to endure. I have suffered rejection for years and years, and it wasn’t rejection from my parents like you might think, no, it was rejection from Christian people, who rejected me because I am different

than them. I have dared to step out and venture into God’s kingdom living, I dare to lay hands on the sick and expect to see them healed. I dare to correct those preaching wrong scripture; I dare to be different, I am not a soft spoken person and sometimes I was just ignorant, but that was my old nature showing through. But I believed the word of God in regard to what it says about everything, and others didn’t like me for these things. It meant they themselves were being challenged, in their beliefs.

On healing retreats I prayed for all the sick and God healed them, and note I said “God healed them,” and I was told not to come back unless I did nothing and just sat there silently, no one else offered to pray for these hurting and suffering people and so God had me pray with them and he healed every one including some husbands who came to collect their wives and wanted nothing to do with the retreat or God and those men saw God healing people through me and they asked could it work for them, and they all got saved, baptised in the spirit, spoke in tongues and got healed and went home with their astounded wives, different men who became believers. Rejection hurts, for a while until you realise that all those people got healed and saved and you realise that it was God working in the first place and it was not me they were rejecting but Jesus in me.

These things have happened to me many times over the last thirty years in the healing ministry, because people get jealous and don’t think that it is God healing someone, not Brendan. I couldn’t heal a pair of shoes, never mind heal a human being, but Christ Jesus lives in me and he can do everything through me because I am a believer.

It is worth every rejection and suffering and tears and embarrassment to suffer change to my personality and nature, and it is going to be the same for you if you desire to serve Jesus with all of your entire being. But it is all worth it, because the more like Jesus we become the more people can receive healing and a new life and experience the joy of the lord that he promised. Suffering God’s way is worth the changing I need, to make me more like my love and Lord and saviour Jesus Christ who lives in me and lives in you the Christian.

Changing is suffering and is the only change that truly glorifies God; sickness is evil and comes from its source, the devil, Satan himself. Suffering is the opposite of sickness and disease, because God desires change in us, he heals sickness in us because its root source is Satan, the devil and he desires that we be freed from Satan’s snares, his lies and deceits. Satan hates the children of God and will do everything in his power to destroy them, because he is a thief and the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus came so that we could have life and have life to the full to enjoy.

Amen