No Prostheses

Scientists can do some amazing things these days - fake hands and feet that look very realistic.

But I've been thinking.

Many of you have probably heard about the recent (or should I say old?) "outpouring" that's being claimed in Lakeland, Florida. Todd Bentley has been leading it since early spring, and his website and followers abound with tales of fantastic (definitions 1 & 2) miracles and healings. That's the most recent outbreak, but this is not a new occurrence. In fact, I wasn't at all surprised when I did a bit of searching today and found reports of gold fillings coming from this event as well.

"Gold" fillings are old news in this type of meeting - in fact, today I found references to gold dust from as early as 1948. There's nothing new here, yet it continues to capture people and ensnare them today. I want to make it clear here that this post is -not- about Todd Bentley -- rather, it's about the doctrine of devils that's been around for decades, for which he happens to be the current main proponent.

Let's talk about healing. When Jesus healed a cripple, did He give them a wooden leg? Or when He healed the blind, did He give them glass eyes? Or even a high-tech bionic eye? No... He didn't. He gave the real thing - that's why later the people would ask "Is this the same person who [...]?" (I may write an entry about what I believe is the reason for this later.)

Yet today, we're told that He is giving people "gold fillings" in their teeth. Wake up, people! Has G-d lost the ability to create the real thing? Is there any precedent from the "certain times" (Jesus' life or the lives of the prophets) of G-d giving something fake?

Does our G-d deal in counterfeits? Do His healings have to be replaced every 10-15 years? Who do the Scriptures say is the father of lies (falsehoods, fakes, counterfeits)? Why are so many people blind to this, running after "signs and wonders" and following a different Jesus?

When I began to write this, I thought the gold filling/prosthetic connection was new - it turns out a number of people have observed this before I did. Letusreason.org has an excellent article about the gold manifestations (forgive their grammatical errors), and the "Broken Man" has a blog entry about the phenomenon as well.

Let's be thinkers, people - remember the Bereans.

I thought I had it. I've had something since I was 10 or 11 - or earlier.

Ever since I was young I've been "overly" interested in South America. When I was 14, I visited Peru, and fell in love with it.

Less than a week ago I got back from my second visit... and cried to leave.

So why is there this hesitation now, this confused uncertainty about what my Father wants for me?

I don't know.

Thoughts

From my journal today...

It's like the world has gone all dark, Father. Those of us who care feel like we can't see the way - You are the Way. Yet, Father... it's scary to trust You and just go left when You say left and right when You say right - and not being able to see the path. But if we could see the path, we wouldn't need You to guide us, would we? Sometimes I wonder if the reason You often don't show us the path... is because we'd be scared so stiff we wouldn't move.

I'm like that a lot of times, I think... please draw me closer to You. If I can see Your face or feel Your heart, then I can know it'll be okay. But sometimes, when I can't see... it's hard, Father. You know how hard. "You bid me come... You know that I am weary - Your yoke is easy, Your burden is light."