I've been reading a helpful book by Pastor Hugh F. Pyle exposing the
fake Charismatic healing frauds; such as Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson,
Benny Hinn and thousands of others. The title of the book is: The
TRUTH about TONGUES and the CHARISMATIC movement. The book is
available from the
Sword of the
Lord.
The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 15, titled, “Charismatics and Healing” . . .
How genuine is the healing of the healers?
I am now looking at a letter written by Oral Roberts who says:
As I write these words, wave after wave of God's healing power is flooding through me. My hands feel as if there is a supernatural heat in them; my right hand is especially hot right now.
Oral goes on to describe his conversation with God—actually quoting the words God says to him out loud. He declares that God told him to send each prayer partner a swatch of new cloth with the imprint of Oral's hot hand upon it, and they could place their hand on the imprint of Robert's hand and actually feel his healing touch.
He then goes on to say that God told him to ask his prayer partners for more money to finish his “City of Faith.” Then he goes on to feel great sorrow for the finances of his “hurting” prayer partners who need a new miracle; so it seems God told him to have his prayer partners each send him $38 for one square foot of the project as a blessing pact covenant with God. Oral assures his partners that he is “so anointed by God, I can hardly write. Your swatch of new cloth is now ready.”
I'm sure great numbers of people got together the $38 to send in to get the imprint of the hot hand of Oral Roberts.
Another time Roberts got his followers to donate more than $5 million for cancer research since the evangelist told them he “had God's promise to cure the disease.” This was well over five years ago. Oral got his $5 million, but we have not seen any more evidence of his promised cure for cancer. Yet he told his gullible audience, “This is not Oral Roberts talking, but the Spirit of God through him.”
One year earlier, Oral Roberts went to the Alhambra Community Hospital in California for eye surgery. After building his multi-million dollar hospital in Tulsa, one wonders why he went to California for his surgery. Also why did a healer like Roberts, who trains and associates with other healers, need surgery anyway?
The Bible says there were (and are) just “twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14). Yet Richard Roberts refers to his dad as an apostle, as do others of his followers.
This can give rise to the divine “prophecies” he makes like the one stating that God would “call him home” if he did not raise $8 million from his subjects in 1987.
Mike Randall, writing in the Baptist Bible Tribune, stated that, if he did not get the $8 million, it would be the first time ever recorded that God killed one of His servants for not raising enough money!
Truly the “signs of an apostle” were done by the apostles (2nd Cor. 12:12), not by the cheap imitations of the twentieth century.
Some years back “healing evangelist” A.A. Allen told his radio audience, “If you are sick, if you have a cancer, it's because there is a sin in your life. Get rid of your sin and you get rid of your cancer.” That same man died in San Francisco, having gone there to be treated for an arthritic knee. Yet the coroner reported that Allen died of acute alcoholism!
...The ecumenical Pentecostal David duPlessis, who was called “Mr. Pentecost,” died of cancer of February of 1987. If the Charismatic healers have the “hot hand” power they claim to have, why would they let “Mr. Pentecost” die of cancer?
...Healers like Kuhlman, Coe, Allen, and duPlessis sicken and die. Bakker and Roberts have to wear glasses. Tammy has her warts and hernia. Oral goes to California for surgery. It would certainly appear that the best thing to do is to obey the laws of good health, eat properly, have a check-up yearly and trust the Lord.
Meanwhile, a return to Bible evangelism is in order. One day our “vile body” will experience perfect healing when it is “fashioned like unto his glorious body” for all those who are truly saved by His grace.
SOURCE: The TRUTH about TONGUES and the CHARISMATIC movement, by High F. Pyle, pg. 127-130; Sword of the Lord Publishers; PO Box 1099, Murfreesboro, TN, 37133; copyright 1989; ISBN: 0-87398-846-9
I also highly recommend Dr. John R. Rice's great book, THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT. The Charismatic Movement can easily be proven fraudulent. I'm so sick of hearing Charismatic cocky ministers (many who deny being Charismatic, go figure), claim to have witnessed miraculous healings in some remote location on earth, with no video cameras recording the event, and you are expected to simply take them at their word. Well, I don't. They are liars inspired by “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
ALL faith healers get sick eventually and die (Romans 6:23). They need surgery like everybody else who needs surgery. They wear glasses and have hearing-aids like everybody else who needs them. Who's kidding who?
The Bible DOES teach divine healing; but it is the exception and not the norm. Also, healing is never at the whim of some greedy televangelist who sports healing as a cheap form of entertainment. God works in a still and quiet manner, not in the spotlights by charlatans who exploit gullible people out of their money.
In Pastor Max D. Younce's excellent book, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!, he states:
God has allowed mankind to learn much about science and medicine. He has given doctors for our benefit. God expects us to use the blessings of medical knowledge He has given us. In James 5:14-16 we find the elders anointed with oil (medicine) and prayed. That is what God wants us to do today. Use the medicine and knowledge available, and bathe it with prayer.
God can and does step in, at His will; but it is not through the phony “faith-healer” procedures that are so prevalent today. When God heals, He heals completely and without charge! It is always right to appeal to the “Great Physician.” He is always in!
“And the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, and THE LORD (if it is His will) shall raise him up...”
SOURCE: Dr. Max D. Younce, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!, Volume 2, pg. 225; ISBN-13-978-0-9815225-8-6; Morris Publishing.
Sickness and physical suffering are a part of
the sin-cursed world in which we live. Our flesh is frail, weak and
prone to all sorts of diseases and problems as we age. Taking care of
one's health is no guarantee of a long and happy life. Health-crazed
people drop dead all the time at the same age as others who abuse their
health with alcohol, lack of exercise and cigarettes. Everything born is
born dying.
Isaiah 53:5 Doesn't Guarantee Healing
Some false prophets pervert the Biblical meaning of Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Some dreamers claim that the phrase “with His stripes we are healed” is a promise of physical healing in this earthly life. However, that is NOT what this Scripture means at all. The Lord's work of redemption made reconciliation with God possible by His blood (Ephesians 2:13).
We are made right with God by faith in
the literal blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are healed from the
curse of sin and the Law. There is NO Biblical promise of divine
physical healing while we are still in our present fleshly bodies. Death
and sickness are a part of life, and there's nothing we can do about it
except pray to God for healing and go to the doctor. God gave us
doctors, just as He gave us dentists and firemen and automobile
mechanics.
The Apostle Paul Left Trophimus Sick
Paul left his friend, Trophimus at Miletum... SICK!!! 2nd Timothy 4:20, “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum SICK.” The mighty missionary, preacher, evangelist, and Christian man of God, the Apostle Paul, left Trophimus SICK!!! There was no divine healing! It wasn't God's will to heal Trophimus. Don't forget that. There has never been one Charismatic preacher, who are nearly all arrogant and highminded, that has emptied out a hospital of sick and ailing patients.
The following Scriptures teach us that only Jesus can do certain miracles. John 15:24,25, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” Jesus proved His deity by performing miracles, like healing amputees, that no other man could do. If anyone could heal amputees today, the world would follow that person as if God Himself.
Only Jesus, Who was God in the flesh upon the earth (1st Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-3, 10-14), had the power to do such miracles; and for a short time His apostles to validate the Gospel message to the world of Jesus Christ crucified and RISEN (John 16:33). By the completion of the Word of God with the book of Revelation, all Apostolic powers had stopped. Again, Paul couldn't even heal Trophimus, nor remove his own thorn in the flesh (2nd Corinthians 12:8). In 2nd Timothy 4:11, Paul said that Luke, a medical physician, was profitable for his ministry. Thank God for honest and legitimate doctors.
The one big common denominator in the modern Charismatic Movement, including TBN and The 700 Club is greed for more money. Legitimate Biblical healing NEVER, and I mean never, pressures anyone for money, nor even asks. God's power is not for sale as Simon the former Sorcerer learned the hard way. Acts 8:20, “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” That's exactly the wickedness that Pat Robertson, his son, Gordon and Terry Meeuwsen are committing when they ask for donations in return for promises of financial prosperity and improved health.
They are selling the power of God, so-to-speak. The truth is that they have no power of God. What they are doing is of the Devil, as greedy dogs, exploiting people who are wearied, sick and emotionally hurting. 2nd Peter 2:3, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” Their day is coming, just as everyone's day of reckoning is coming, when they shall stand before God as their Judge (Romans 12:19; Romans 14:12; 1st Thessalonians 4:6; 1st Corinthians 3:11-15; 2nd Corinthians 5:10-11; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).
Demonic entertainers today, like Criss Angel, have openly admitted that they perform certain magicians tricks in a sinful attempt to disprove and discredit the deity of Jesus Christ. Criss Angel has walked on water using gimmicks, which many unbelievers have used to claim that Jesus was a fraud. They had better hope they're correct, because life is short and Judgment Day is coming if they're wrong.
Isaiah 56:11, “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.”
