It Isn't Always Simply 'In the Mind'!
See Mark 9:38-40
One of my main interests down the decades has been to study in depth
the doctrines and practices of the various Christian persuasions.
Indeed, one has sought to be as fair as possible by reading their own
books rather than simply those written by their protagonists. Healing
ministries are one such consideration and they range from extremes such
as those of Spiritualism to so called Divine Deliverance: with Signs
Following! Indeed, I’m thankful indeed, that Jesus was much more
broadminded in the spiritual sense than are so many who claim to follow
Him, yet castigate others who are not the same in doctrine as
themselves! The Disciples once said: “Lord, we found one casting
out demons but he was not one of us, so we forbid him” Yes, and Jesus
rebuked them for their narrow-minded ness. (
)
Indeed, many who are not of our persuasion have much to teach us and
we must never ‘throw out the baby with the bath water!’ We do well
to keep an open mind, and to ‘be as wise as serpents, yet as harmless as
doves’. Indeed, many animals have been bountifully blest by the ‘laying
on of hands’ from Christian Spiritualists; and their Denomination is
much more convinced that animals have souls, than are their many
opposing Faiths! While - to the other extreme - Christian Science,
in many quarters, seems to attract more than a share of graduates to its
services. Indeed, one of its highly qualified practitioners, on visiting
a member asked: “and how is your husband?” The lady replied sorrowfully:
“He is very ill!” “No! no!” corrected the practitioner: “You
shouldn’t say that – you should say that he is merely under the illusion
that he’s very ill.” “Thanks I’ll remember that!” said the distressed
lady and was joyful for the advice. Well, a few weeks later the
practitioner saw the same lady again. “And how is your dear husband
now?” she asked. Reply: “Oh he’s under the illusion that he’s
dead!” The moral of the story is that though positive thought has
considerable power over the body to heal, pain, nevertheless can be
extremely real for both man and beast. Yes, and to deny this is to imply
that Christ’s anguish and utter agony on the cross was no more than an
illusion. Well, Heaven forbid!
Go on to The Flock That Christendom
Forgot: An Animal's Padre Uphill Pilgrimage - Episode 10
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