Listen girl read the Bible. Luke, one of Jesus' disciples was a physician. Also sin and death was brought on by disobedient adam and eve. God put everlasting life within in all of us. So of course you want to LIVE death is not natural. God created us with free will, but some of us abuse it and dont use common sense. God gave us all special abilities, and that includes Doctors. Until they can do no more, then you leave it in God's hands!

BANKS' RESPONSE: Excellent points, Nita. Thank God for your bible

knowledge and soundness of doctrine. You use the Word well. And that's one of the

reasons the Word is there for us. In essence, It defends Itself. And when we come

under attack, It defends us. Remember Jesus in His smackdown against the devil

in the wilderness. Jesus had fasted 40 days and 40 nights. He was dog-tired,

dog-hungry and dog-dazed. So the devil came at Him with all the temptation blows

he thought he could land. But each time the devil threw a punch, Jesus ducked

and responding by landing solid counter-punches with the Word of God. When

the dust had settled, Jesus emerged still champ and the devil was submerged

as still tramp.

AMEN!!!

BANKS' RESPONSE: And praise the Lord, too!!!

Elizabeth GOD's word says in Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

We can't out think GOD or figure out HIS mysteries, because His word also says... Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

I thank God that there are people that understand this is all about HIM (GOD)& HIS GLORY!! It's not about us! God's word says that NO FLESH shall glory in HIS sight and even so, we have doctors & others who see miracles and want to say it's because of something scientific. However, if we really understand... we must admit where did the scientist or doctors come from? GOD!! John 1:3 states... All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Our God the Almighty El Shaddai; the Sovereign God is in control of all of the affairs of this earth. Nothing happens without HIS allowing it to happen. Even when we deal with hurt, pain, illness that we bring upon ourselves or that satan may bring; none of these things are possible without GOD. Satan cannot make us sin; but will put thoughts and situations to us & will bring trouble and discomfort into our lives in order to tempt us to pull away from GOD. Satan can do nothing without GOD's approval. REMEMBER Job? Satan told GOD, I can't touch him because he has GOD's hedge of protection about him, & GOD gave satan permission to go against Job, with one condition, that satan could not kill Job. When these times come upon us these are the specific instances when we should draw even closer to the LORD our GOD.

We must stand in FAITH BELIEVING, not in fear doubting!

BANKS' RESPONSE: Thanks, Jai, for your timely and articulate input. There

are so many answers and responses in the bible for Elizabeth's questions and

criticisms. God has not left us speechless in any situation where we are attacked

by inquirers and critics. There is a method to our metaphysical madness. And it's

spelled out in His Word. All we have to do is read and heed His Word. And when

we absorb it, we stockpile abundant resources to explain why and how we do what

we do.

My Dear Elizabeth,

Doctors are just instruments to help us in need. Only the most ill informed would refuse their services. There is no equation with faith and seeing a doctor. My prayer is to be directed to the correct persons whenever I need them, regardless of their profession.

BANKS' RESPONSE: I appreciate the way you addressed Elizabeth with

tenderness. Every soul who is sincerely hungering and thirsting for God's

righteousnes and truth "shall be fed." And much of that feeding process is

incumbent upon the redeemed. We are God's apostles and ambassadors, charged

to spread His word to those who don't know it and who unknowingly challenge

He who is omniscient and omnipotent. For, to paraphrase Paul, brethren, our

heart's desires for the Elizabeths of the world is that they be saved and that they

come into the knowledge of the Truth in His entirety.

Here is a more light hearted story to illustrate the point....(No doubt Mr. Banks has heard this before:

A state trooper in a Jeep knocks on a man's door and tells him to evacuate due to a pending flood; the man says "God will save me."

A few hours later the water is running through the man's first floor, and the coast guard pulls up to his second story window in a boat, but he sends them away, saying "God will save me."

A little later, the man is on his roof, with floodwaters ravaging his house. A helicopter flies over and dangles a ladder, but the man waves it off.

The man is swept away and drowns, and when he gets to heaven, he angrily confronts God with "why didn't you do anything to save me."

God says "I didn't do anything ? I sent a jeep, a boat and a helicopter."

All throughout many of the earth's sacred texts are stories of God using ordinary folks to help each other. Because the interdependence of mankind is one of the true gifts of the creator, and the created too. How good does it feel to be helped, or to help. It usually feels good to both folks.

Some would say it feels heavenly.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Yes, Chris, this is a fitting modern-day parable to

explain our earthly situations. Jesus, our Saviour, so often used them to explain

the things that make up the Kingdom of God and how it operates. A parable is

an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. And Jesus makes it clear in such

teachings that heavenly help is every so present in practical, functional things

in our very midst. Woeful is he who says he can't see the forest because the trees

are blocking his view.

Thank you Elizabeth! Sometimes US CHRISTIANS need our beliefs reaffirmed and to be reminded of GOD's goodness and mercy and how the study of HIS WORD makes it all very real to us. Soooo, the Preacher's response to you was our wish for you to embrace the Holy Spirit and allow it to do the same for you and a reaffirmation of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Yes, Gwen, you and I and the rest of us redeemed are

appalled by people denying their children and other loved ones medical care in the

name of Jesus. What a miscarriage of providence. It almost amounts to murder.

It's not enough for man to have faith. But we must have faith in the right god and

the right doctrine for our souls' and bodies' sakes. Jesus came that we might have

life and that more abundant. The life He first came for us to have is the physical

life and the tools heaven places at our disposals for that life is food, shelter,

education, science, doctors, energy, medicine, etc. As for the abundant life that

is our soul's salvation and eternal life, Jesus made that possible through His shed

blood on Calvary for the remission of our sins, through His crucifixion and death

as payment for the penalty of our sins and through His resurrection as supreme,

and absolute victory over sin and its penalty. Thank God that the ol' ship of Zion

yet lies anchored in port picking up passengers for our victorious voyage to glory.

Thanks God that, through the agency of His gospel and our faith in it, the

Elizabeths of the world are still getting on board one by one and two by two. For

once upon a time, we all were unsaved doubters and disbelievers, sinking in the

sea of sin until God's love lifted and rescued us.

lifted and saved us

Good Morning Rev.

Nothing like facing an unbeliever to get 'us Christians' riled up! I like how you responded to Elizabeth. But might I add that all of 'us Christians' who follow your blog will be lifting her up in prayer?

Blessings,

Donna

BANKS' RESPONSE: Of course, Donna. So very well put. Thou sayest well.

For it is our charge from Jesus in His great commission of us. We are to go into

all the world, every nook and cranny of it and try our very best to seek and the

save that which is lost. Even in and with our physical suffering, we can help save

others more desperate in spiritual need. Yes, we all embrace our dear Elizabeth

in prayer. For she really represents a very popular position as we mortals often

struggle to reconcile that which is born of the flesh and that which is born of the

spirit. All that is in the physical world, both the negative and the positive things,

owe their origins to the spiritual world. Let it be known, again, that the devil wants

us sick and Jesus, the Great physician, wants us well. The devil wants us dead

and Jesus wants us to have eternal life as His gift to be received rather than a

work to be achieved. I recently preached a sermon at Community Covenant

Church a couple of weeks ago, Donna, that addressed this issue generally. My

subject was: "Salvation Is So Easy, A Caveman Can Do It." Yes, it's so easy to

have life and that more abundant through Christ Jesus. He Himself took the grime

the grit and the grief out of it. He took the blood, the sweat and the tears out of

it. All we have to do is confess with our mouths Jesus as Lord and believe with

our hearts that He died for our sins and arose from the grave with victory over

sin and death ad whosoever does these things shall be saved. I am so happy

that when somebody attacks me in this blog, I am in good company with you and

other redeemed of the household of faith, who have my back covered. But so are

the Elizabeths of the world in good company because we, through God's love and

grace, have their fronts covered.

Dear Lacy,

It's great to see you back at the keyboard! Can we assume that your back surgery went well?

I've said several times that the way you and I believe differs. I can understand the nature of Elizabeth's comment. And I believe that she is moving toward an understanding of the integration of God in life.

It has fascinated me that, as much as we can apply scientific and linear knowledge to any situation, it always comes down, in the very end, to a leap of faith. The trick, I think, is to recognize the sacred in everything in life. If we look hard enough and long enough at that person or situation we encounter, we can see the face of God.

God's there in the clerk at the store, in the bus driver, in the newspaper writer, and in that doctor that is working hard to find a way to keep your heart pumping. God's in the crackhead and the felon and the grave-robber, too, although that might be harder to see. God's in us, as well. We have so much violence and hatred in the world, not because we think there is no God, but because we fear we can somehow be separate from God, that we are lost. And that scares us. The good news is that it's not possible to separate from God. We can try to hide it, we can deny it, but we can't change the fact that God is in each of us.

Where I imagine we tend to make a mistake is to think of our earthly lives as removed from our spiritual lives. It's all just a wonderful, sacred work, isn't it? It's my belief that we are going through this thing we call life in order to understand that.

A long time ago, when I was trying to figure out why God would allow disease and disaster, it occurred to me that those our opportunities for us to reflect the real love of God in our world. When the towers fell, there was no concern over color or religion, people just reached out to one another; when the hurricane swept away most of New Orleans, people from all regions reached out; and when your heart started to falter, men and women used their specialized knowledge or the strength of their faith to try and heal you. If that isn't God in action, I don't know what is.

Now, if we can just act like that ALL the time, it could be called "Heaven."

Sorry to be so wordy. Be well.

BANKS' RESPONSE: To the Powers that be, you are never wordy but always

so welcomely worthy. We need and bleed for your poignant perspectives. You

have a way of tying things together. Each of us redeemed have that gift, really.

But our anointings differ in tone, texture, content and intent. It's in divine order

that Elizabeth came unto us. And she came unto us in a manner that most of us

came unto, and even against, the Kingdom once upon a time. That's who oh so

amazing is God's grace, how sweet its sound, that saved wretches like you and

me. We once were lost, but now we're found. Were lost, but now we see. Looking at

life from outside the covenant with the Cosmic Commander of time and eternity,

and of space and infinity, it is almost impossible for us to understand His workings.

But once we are positioned into the radius of His righteousness, our blindness

evaporates into a sublimeness of understanding and comfort, knowing that God is

our all in all. By Him do all things consist. You speak well, my brother, of how the

terrors, the tempests and the torments of the terrestrial are often our toughest

teachers. But if we heed them and see them in the context of the Cosmic, or the

heavenly, then all chaos becomes crystalized into cosmos. Even we the redeemed

don't yet know it all or can see it all. We still peer and squint through a glass darkly.

But as we grow in grace, in wisdom and in knowledge, and in favor with God and

man, our personal dimensions expand and we are better able to understand

everything and anything to our soul's content. As for all the negatives of this

world? Thank God for them. How else can we best appreciate the positives for

which he originally designed and pined for us to enjoy?

I see both sides, Elizabeth is no trying to discredit you belief nor is she trying to say you are not saved she is just statung how she feels, But the word of God says that people will perish for lack of knowledge. The word pharmecy comes form the greek word pharmakeia, the symbol see used at pharmecies is a occult symbol. Medication is a form of black magic. In actuality these people are actualy making potions, which is in direct violation of God's word. Drugs do not heal they simply mask the problems and cause relief and many people wind up addicted and dependent to these prescribed medicines. Truth of the matter is we have EVIL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES who pervert the word of God and make it fit into their agenda because they know the sheep will do whatever they must to please the true God YHWH, whom Yahshua "Jesus" followed many of our Pastor and teachers are Masons and Illuminists, I know many will think I am evil and misinformed but this is a warning from the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob I do not do this for money or noteriety just to help save my loved ones, please come out from under them. They do not praise the God you praise. They serve a God who they praise without superstition. Study to show thyself approved a workman need not be ashamed right dividing the word of truth. If you think Im wrong prove me wrong. In the name of YHWH I claim this will be posted. Selah

BANKS' RESPONSE: And posted, you certainly are. You understand

Elizabeth because you share pretty much her perspectives, which we redeemed

know not to be true. You can understand something that is wrong without

embracing it or agreeing with it. For you to call medication a "black magic" or

some form of diabolic voodoo is, in the Kingdom's conclusion, obscenely

incorrect. These are examples of the goodness or God and I believe you yourself

at some time or another have been a beneficiary. Or do you refuse to go to a

dentist, a doctor, a plumber or a carpenter? If craftsmen of the medical profession

are practitioners of "black magic," as you contend, then what about all the other

craftsmen of all other professions? Are you proposing that all culture and any

attempt to progress beyond the original prehistoric and stone age time is some

form of "black magic"? Well, neither we redeemed, nor even most atheists, agree.

Do you want to give God credit for any element of human progress to include

electricity, nuclear energy, architecture, artistic accomplishments, running water,

airplanes, submarines, ships, cars, hammers, saws, nails, baked cakes, pies,

biscuits, fried chicken, broiled steaks, mashed potatoes and gravy, etc? Are

these also examples of "black magic"? We don't think so, Yahod12. Neither do

I think you do. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above.

Down from the Lord of lights, in whom there is no variableness, neither shadow

of turning.

I only know what I have learned from my faith and the experiences God has helped me through. About 5 years ago I was in the hospital with a deadly illness. Almost daily, I felt as though I was sliding uncontrollably down a steep hill, just barely avoiding the sharp boulders that would eventually claim me. During one of the long, fever-racked nights, I simply asked God to take over the decision making for me. I was just too tired, confused and frustrated to be in control. I no longer wanted to be a control freak, I wanted God to be in control. Things changed rapidly. Much to the surprise of my doctors, I was released from the hospital in just a few days, though my recovery was slow and continues. Yes, I go to doctors, and they help. Many are strong Christians who regard themselves as servants, or ministers of the Lord's work. But I also go to God and I do look forward to the day I will feel His hand in mine.

BANKS' RESPONSE: In the meantime and in between time, John, make sure

that you keep your hand in His hand. Thanks for sharing your heart-warming,

encouraging testimony. God did not bring, and is not bringing, you through your

health struggles just for your personal good. He wants you to make known His

works among the people just as you are doing here. Rest assured that you are

helping others to turn it over to Jehovah, too, when we feel we've done our best

and our best is not good enough. It is said that man's extremities are God's

opportunities. He steps right in when we need Him most and He never fails. God

bless in your continued recovery.

Mr. Banks: please consider using the spell check and re-taking some basic grammer courses before posting blogs in which "FULNESS" and "Us Christians so contradictory" can be read. How can you expect people to take you seriously in your writing if you don't even know how to spell simple words or produce grammatically correct sentences? Lord. (No pun intended)

BANKS' RESPONSE: Dani, thanks for reading this blog and for taking enough

interest to e-mail your criticism. Let me explain why you may see more errors in

spelling or grammar than you would like to see so that you may take seriously my

health struggles. My paper's policy on blogs is not to correct the spelling and

grammatical errors submitted by our respondents like you. That's why I did not

correct your misspelling of the word "grammar" when you wrote "grammer." Even

if we did not have such a policy and we were allowed to edict for misspellings and

grammar, there would still be an error now and then just as you will find in

newspapers and magazines everyday. Let me also say I think it's a shame that

you will not take seriously somebody writing about his life-threatening health

issues unless he and his respondents are perfect in their spelling and grammar

when even you yourself aren't. Be careful that when you criticize somebody else

for an imperfection that you are guilty of yourself. Moreover, if you are reading

blogs only to make sure the spelling and grammar are correct, you are

ignoring the more important matter, which is content. I find it rather incredible that

you won't take my end-stage congestive heart failure, prostate cancer and brain

tumor "seriously" unless the spelling and grammar in my blogging my struggle are

absolutely correct. What a prioritizing shame!

I find it interesting that, save for one exception of an apparently Orthodox Jewish reader, all these comments have been from other Christians affirming your statements and praising the Lord. While I don't agree with the dismissive and ill-informed tone of Elizabeth's comments, I do find it troubling that there don't seem to be any comments from atheist or agnostic readers. Were there really no other non-believers that commented on this story? I find that hard to believe.

Having been raised with the teachings of Jesus, I can easily see that Elizabeth's statement is misguided--but so is all the other archaic, superstitious nonsense you spewed out in response to it. Religion is so fundamentally ridiculous that it boggles my mind how rational, thoughtful people can continue to participate in it and force upon themselves a cognitive dissonance that even thinking about gives me a migraine. Do you believe in the gods of Greek or Rome? Do you believe that Ra, the sun god, controls the orb that beats down on the Nile? Do you believe in Thor, or any of the less famous, non-commerical Norse gods? Religions have taken so many forms throughout history, but the common denominator is that eventually, people stop believing in them when they realize how silly they are. Unfortunately, they often move on to another religion, but perhaps America is finally getting smart enough where we can realize how childish our obsession with a non-existent God is. But reading your column and the comments that follow it don't give me much hope.

I am also intensely irritated by the constant obsession that people of any religion have with praying for non-believers. If we wanted your prayers or intercessions, we would be next to you in the pew on Sundays. Save them for people with your own nonsensical superstitions. I'LL be praying that YOU stop believing in God.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Rest assured, Nick, that you are neither the first nor

the only "atheist or agnostic" person to read this blog and e-mail me a critical

comment. We have already had several. But thanks for representing your segment

of society. By the way, how was it apparent that Elizabeth is an "orthodox Jew", as

you suggest? Do you know her personally? Are you suggesting that orthodox Jews

don't go to doctors or any other professional to address their cares and to help

solve their problems? As for this blog being largely affirmed by Christian

respondents, that should come as no surprise to anybody. That's what we

Christians do. And criticizing and opposing us is what you atheists and agnostics

do. And if you blogged and identified yourself as an atheist or agnostic, and the

content of your blog was in step with atheism and agnosticism, then I assure you

that most of your respondents would be atheists and agnostics. Welcome to

America, Nick. Or what's left of it as the core Christian ethics that once made us

the wealthiest, the most promising and the most orderly-run nation in the world

are dissolving with the rising onslaught of greed, leadership corruption, drug

abuse, poverty, unemployment, intolerance, atheism and agnosticism, among

other things.

"When one person suffers from a delusion, it's called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion, it's called Religion."

BANKS' RESPONSE: Ming, please don't be so hard on yourself. Just

because you have a delusion, whatever your single or multiple delusion is, does not

mean that you are insane. Nor is every religion a case of mass insanity. Welcome

to America, where people can pick and choose their own praying ground or choose

not to pray at all or worship any god or choose to criticize those who do. Yes, that's

right, Ming. Thank God that just as we Christians have a right to trust, worship,

thank and praise God, you atheists and agnostics have a right to criticize and even

make fun of Him and us. And right now, God's sun is shining on both of us and

His grace is allowing us to even exist.

Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow! Again, Pastor Banks, my hat goes off to you for your sticking to the word of God and for your outstanding non-judgemental responses to the non-believers. It is my opinion that they are not as vengeful as they come off but to me they are seeking something bigger than they. Why else would they read a blog where the majority of the posts are from Us Christians? Keep on doing what you doing and may God continue to richly bless you and keep you in Jesus Name!

BANKS' RESPONSE: Thanks, T. Benson. And of course you know that the

"somebody bigger than they" whom they are seeking is the same somebody bigger

us, whom we have already been blessed to find. His name is Jesus. Others may

call their gods Allah, Buddha, money, power, sex, politics, business, knowledge,

the sun, moon or other stars. But we call Him Jesus Christ, the only begotten son

of God. This is our faith, which He authored and finished. And He is our hope, our

hope, our refuge and our sustaining Savior.

Sorry, it took me so long to get back to you I do not know if this forum is still open. I just to point out I was not saying that all medications are that way natural medication is of God. I was speaking of the medications that companies like lily and others make that make people more sick in the long run, which are not created by doctors but corporations. Also, I am a believer. Quit, taking peoples words and twisting them. As far as my salvation you have no heaven or hell to put me in so you have no right to judge my salvation. As for as the origin of the word pharmecy that was correct origin, you never said that was'nt the origin of the word.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Thanks Yahod12 for your added comments and

explanation. I don't think I ever said that you are not a "believer." Everybody

believes in somebody or something even if they state that something as nothing.

Obviously, there is some misunderstanding or disagreement or both here. Thanks

again for your comments. I do not condemn you or anybody else for their

beliefs. I either agree or disagree with them.

I hear you all. I love the way that one of the comments elaborated on the story of the man who said God will save him, But i want to know we have faith as christians and, know that Jesus died for us and, that by His stripes we are healed. So why should i have a doctor if i know that God can heal me? and to add on that we have faith right, as well as the spirit of God in us so why do we need a lawyer in court when the holy spirit can speak through us? in so speaking their are christians i believe who believe we don't need doctors or lawyers. What do you think children of God?

BANKS' RESPONSE: You should have a doctor, my friend, because God not only gives us faith, He gives us common sense, which we put to good use most of the time. Jesus is bread. But we know we still have to work to get money to go to the store and buy it or buy the ingredients to bake it ourselves. We trust God, but the sensible don't do so to the extent that they refuse to try to help themselves with the many remedies and aids God has already given us. I never said Christians don't need doctors. We need doctors just like we need electricians, plumbers, chemists, engineers, bus drivers, airline pilots, the police and the firemen and other specialists who have been trained and have developed the skills and knowledge to do for us what we can't do for ourselves.