Here is my latest article that for sure will get me into big time trouble
with lots of people.  It is also long, about 8 pages, but whose counting.

Phil.

So It's My Fault Again?


By Phil Scovell



     Yes, I did it again!  I turned on the radio and dialed up a
Christian broadcast.  I couldn't help it.  It was late, about
midnight, I wasn't sleepy yet, and besides, it was my favorite
preacher's voice coming through the speaker.  His program was
just coming on the air so I settled back to listen to his daily 15
minute broadcast.  Within five minutes, I was spitting, rending my
clothes, and casting dust into the air.  "Why me, God?  Why do you
let me hear this stuff?  I don't even have my own radio or TV
program to expose the false teaching, Lord.  What gives?"

     He was preaching at a Bible conference at his own ministry
facilities so I have no idea how old this sermon was but it
couldn't be too old because he commented on his thirty years plus
of ministry, and I know how old he is because he is my age.
Plus, I have many of his tapes and I have heard him hundreds of
times.  Like I said, he is, still is, my favorite preacher because
I agree with his interpretation and application of the Scriptures
so often.

     His basic theme of the message was healing.  He was trying to
explain why some people don't keep, the key word here is keep,
their healing.  This, for me, even as a tongue talking, weirded
out Charismatic, has always bothered me.  I mean, everything God
ever has done, up until now apparently, has been permanent.  For
example, the creation of all things, people he raised from the
dead didn't lose there healing but later died natural deaths, the
blind never went back to being blind, Lepers stayed healed, the
woman with an issue of blood did not have to return for more help
from Jesus, the lame continued walking, Lepers remained whole, the
deaf kept hearing, and need I continue by listing all our Lord's
miracles?  So what is this Charismatic thing that you can lose
your healing?  Of course, the only answer that can be used is that
it is our fault.  Right?  I mean, we done lost our faith.  Right?
come on, now, you know the routine.  It doesn't sound like God to
me no matter how you explain it.

     In this message, as is the case with so many messages by
"Holy Spirit filled" Charismatics, if a healing doesn't work,
especially one in which they have prayed, laid hands on, and
those whom they have just chased demons out of, then your faith is
the problem; not theirs.  I mean, there faith is obviously working
and yours ain't.  Next time you are told that, ask for your money
back and walk out of the place because you just been lied to.  I
mean, somebody is short changing the true nature and character of
Jesus so get away from them.  Now!

     In this particular sermon, the preacher told the story about
a woman who had been miraculously healed of whatever she had.  I
can't recall now if it was cancer or just what but it was bad,
inoperable, and something she would likely die of, again, as I
recall the story that he told.  Regardless of what it was, it was
very serious; that much I remember.  However, as is the case with
so many who are healed, she lost it.  Dad gum it.  Can't God do
anything right?

     He said that he asked the lady what she did the next morning
when she realized, whatever the disease or malady was that had
returned, and she said, "Well, I made an appointment and went in
to see the doctor."  He informed her that this was her first
mistake, that is, she went to the doctor.  He further said that
she wasn't using her faith, as she once had, when she had been
healed and thus she lost her healing.  In other words, you are on
your own even if you are a born again Christian.  What happen to
the preacher's prayer of faith over you anyway?  Why is it all of
the sudden, your fault, and not his?  Where is his responsibility
as "A Man Of God?"  Did he lose his faith when you lost your
healing?  Come on!  What's up here?

     My personal problem with this felonious theology is that I
can't find any Scripture to confirm it.  When I look at Jesus, or
even His own disciples, I find that people got healed and it was
permanent.  Never once is there any record that anybody lost their
healing because of a lack of faith.  You will, of course, find
passages where Jesus said, "Your faith hath made you whole," but
you won't find them losing their healing later or did the Holy
Spirit, the author of the Bible, just leave those negative things
out?  He sure didn't leave out the negative things in the Old
Testament record.  I can also point out many places where the Holy
Spirit reports through the inspired writers of the New Testament,
the times Believers were accused of failure due to their unbelief.
Did you hear it?  Due to their unbelief!  The Lord's own disciples
of our Lord were horribly guilty of this.  (See Matthew 13:58,
Mark 6:6, Mark 16:14 and especially examine very carefully, the
story of the demon possessed son found in Matthew 17:14-21).  If
you are too lazy to look up the passages on your own, then skip
reading now and just go back to listening to the dumb butt
preacher who still is leading you around by the nose.  That's
easier than checking the bible out anyhow.

     These same people who believe you can lose your physical
"healing," normally likewise believe that one can lose their
salvation in exactly the same way.  This is even in spite of the
fact the Bible clearly states that "every man is given the
measure of faith," but apparently, that faith can be lost and you
can be lost again.  Does this mean Jesus takes that faith away or
just that it is our job to hold on to it so we don't lose our
salvation?  Which is it?  Unfortunately, if losing your salvation
is true, I must inform you that you can never ever be born again,
or saved, a second, third, or fourth time.  In short, you be up a
shallow creek without a boat or a paddle.  Why?  Because Hebrews
10:12 through 26 says the following, and read the whole lengthy
passage for context, please.  Why?  Because it is how you
interpret Scripture and thus learn to apply what you read.

#12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
#13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool.
#14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified.
#15  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after
that he had said before,
#16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in
their minds will I write them;
#17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
#18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering
for sin.
#19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus,
#20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
#21  And having an high priest over the house of God;
#22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water.
#23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering; for he is faithful that promised;
#24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to
good works:
#25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as ye see the day approaching.
#26  For if we sin willfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for
sins."

     Let me point out what should be the obvious in this passage.

First, verse 12 says, "But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God."
It is pretty clear to me that this verse identifies the person of
Jesus Christ as being our supreme sacrifice for sin.  The
terminology used of, "this man, after he had 'offered one
sacrifice' for sins 'for ever,' makes it absolutely clear that His
sacrifice for sin was once and for all; for ever.  "Once" and "for
ever" is pretty final; wouldn't you say?  Oh, I'm sorry.  I
forgot.  Unless, of course, you can lose your salvation.  Some
God.  He can't even save his own without man's help, apparently.

     Secondly, verse 14 repeats the absolute truth of the prior
theological statement by saying, #14  "For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified."  My!  What's this?
How many offerings did Jesus offer?  (He is the offering, in case
you missed It.  It says, "For by one offering."  Just one, not two
or three or more.  This clearly means, if you lose your salvation
for being a dumb bell and not watching your step, you cannot go
back for seconds because only "one" offering has been given.

     It doesn't stop there.  The same verse says the following:
"he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."  Perfected?
What in the world is He talking about?  It can't mean really
perfect, can it? Yes, it literally means, in the Greek, to be made
perfect or complete.  If it really means perfected, you can't lose
it, or can you?  It sounds like perfect means perfect to me but
then what do I know; I just read the Bible and take it for what it
says in plain English and forego trying to read something else
into it to fit my personal theology.  Besides, if we are
"sanctified," since when does God remove that state of
sanctification once it is given?  Oh, I see.  We can lose our
sanctification as well?  Too bad the Greek word for "sanctify," in
this passage means (to be made holy, complete, purified, and
guiltless).  In short, there is no room to interpret
sanctification in terms of that which is temporarily given to some
one until they screw up, sin, or stop acting like a child of the
King.  Boy, you almost had me worried there for a second.

     Thirdly, and I'm sorry but it would be wise to quote all
three verses collectively in order to see it more clearly, this
passage again says:  #15  "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a
witness to us: for after that he had said before,
#16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in
their minds will I write them;
#17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

     The "Holy Ghost" is our witness that these things are true.
That's good.  So that means we cannot claim we lost the Holy
Spirit in the process, unless, of course, you simply don't know
how to read.  I suppose, if the Holy Spirit is less than God, He
could, in fact, stop witnessing, stop sealing our salvation, and
just move on to do something else but that isn't in the Bible
either.  Honestly.  We are having a terrible time getting away
from that bible stuff, aren't we?

     Next, in verse #16, we are flatly told, this is a covenant.
What?  Well, shoot, if you can lose your salvation, then a man can
be uncircumcised after being circumcised.  ouch!  Right?  That's
the covenant of God given to Abraham, whose seed we are, (See
Romans 4:11-13), and if you have the time, read all of Romans
Chapter 2 concerning who is a Jew and who is circumcised and who
is of faith.  That will clear up any confusion you might have.  Of
course, if you don't take time to read those passages, you likely
are still going to believe a lie.  Unless, of course, you are
unawares of what circumcision is physically and what it means
Biblically.  In that case, physically, I mean, check a good
medical book out of your local library.  Your Bible explains the
theological aspect of circumcision but then again, you'll have to
read it to find out about it.  If you won't do that, read your
Bible, I mean, you likely won't go to the library either so just
forget what I suggested.

Verse #16 continues by saying "saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."  He,
Jesus, the Holy Spirit bearing witness, puts His law into our
hearts?"  Furthermore, He, Jesus, the Holy Spirit bearing witness,
writes it in our minds?"  Wow!  I guess, if one can lose their
salvation, God has a big huge rubber eraser some place in the
universe He must have to use occasionally.  No, I'm not trying to
be funny.  He writes it what Revelation calls "The Lamb's Book Of
Life,"  or just "The Book Of Life."  Get it?  "Life?"  Not death?
(See Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27, and 22:29).
That last reference is the only one I am aware of whereby one can
lose their eternal salvation and this is committed by adding, or
changing, or altering, God's Word.  So be careful.  Oh, yes.
Philippians 4:3 also mentioned "The Book Of Life," but if all the
other references don't apply, that one won't either so it is up to
you and what you believe, I guess.

     So, what in the Sam Hill are we then going to do with Hebrews
Chapter 12 and verse #17 that says, "their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more."  If you lose your salvation, you know,
the thing the Holy Ghost bears witness of, and comes to dwell,
literally, inside of our newly recreated spirit, (See 2
Corinthians 5:17 and John 14:14-20), which even says that Jesus
dwells within us, but I digress, repeating myself, what are we
going to have to do to explain this promise away?  You can use, of
course, if your agenda is to make your theology fit what you say
you believe, that God has a failing memory relating to salvation,
or some lame thing like that, but no matter what you say, you
can't make God remember something He says He can't remember
concerning your sin he has totally forgotten about.  Well, unless
you don't believe the Bible but I thought you claimed you were a
Bible Believer.  If you have further doubt, explain to me what
Psalm 103:12 is talking about.  "As far "as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."  That's
right; you can't explain it any other way than truthfully.  You
either take God at His Word or you don't.  Yes, we are getting
dangerously close to why people "lose their healing," so hold on a
minute.

     It is actually verse #18 that really rattles the, (you can
lose your salvation), or (healing), outfit.  Let me quote verse
#17 with it, though, so you'll get the contextual feel for the
full meaning and impact of the verse.  Here we go.  Strap yourself
in.

#17  "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
#18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering
for sin."

     Woe horse!  But don't stop here.  Let's jump all the way down
to verse #26 to finish the thought of the theology being depicted
within the complete text.

#26  "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for
sins."

     Bingo, Brother!  Do you see it?  No more offering for sins if
you lose your salvation.  Step lightly, young man, or you might
end up in hell even if you once were on your way to Heaven.  Man,
is this weird theology or what?  And people say I'm crazy.

     Let me say it one more time so you don't overlook it.
According to these verses, if you are born again, and sin
willfully again, you cannot ever be born again a second time
because Jesus cannot go back to the cross and die for you and your
sins all over again and then be bodily resurrected on the third
day.  You are done stuck going to hell period; it is final.  Yes,
some people believe you can get saved, born again, every day, if
that's what it takes, but they must be reading a different Bible.
In that case, run!

     Let me cut to the chase, therefore, and ask you this
question.  Is our salvation a covenant we have with God, the Holy
Spirit bearing witness of such, or is our salvation something we
can change once it is God applied?  If you can read, you already
know the answer.  If healing, therefore, is also a covenant
relationship with God, and it is, can we then lose that, too,
just like our salvation?  Do you see why I started with the true
interpretation of the doctrine of our eternal salvitic
relationship with God?  They go together;  they cannot be
separated.

     Yes, yes, I know.  You have one very important question to
ask so go ahead, right now, and get it off your chest.  I'm
listening.

     "Well, if we can't lose our salvation and we shouldn't be
able to lose our physical miraculous healing, what about this
woman who went to the doctor that the preacher talked about on the
radio?"

     Excellent question.  The woman, in this story, was told she
lost her healing because she lost her faith.  Sorry, Charlie.
Ain't in the Bible, no how.  No, she didn't stop believing either.
No, it wasn't a big lack of trust in God either.  "Then what was
it?"  In whom was this woman believing when she "received her
healing?"  Take a wild guess.  The preacher who told her about
this miracle she could have if she just believed?  You are getting
warmer.  In whose words did she believe, do you suppose, when she
"got her miraculous healing which she later lost?"  In this story,
the preacher, my favorite preacher, told her to go back to doing
what she did when she got healed.  No!  No! No!  That's what got
her to losing her healing in the first place.  Why in God's name
would you instruct her to do what she did before?  Healing isn't
of you or me or any hair brained theologically screwed up radio
preach or pastor.  Salvation, and healing, is of the Lord, stupid.
Come on.  In whom do you believe?  The preacher?  The pastor?  Me?
Some dumb Christian book called the Purple Propelled Life?
Promise Holders?  Some men's organization called the Advanced
Christian Porno Problem Solvers who meet on the internet, charging
thirty dollars a month for membership dues, and meets once a week?
Give me a break.  For crying out loud, to whom are you listening
to in the first place?  What happened to believing God and His
eternal, unchanging, eternal, Holy Word just like it reads?  I
swear, if the government band all Christian broadcasting
tomorrow, I think I'd shout, "Glory.  Back to church we go."  At
least then, foolish theology will only be spread by word of mouth,
or, God forbid, by New York Times best selling books.

     Let me suggest something at this point.  From now on, anybody
who is going to lay hands on you for a physical healing, ask them
if they, the key word here is they, will give you a 100 percent
guaranteed promise that you will, first, be healed, and second, it
will be permanent.  I guarantee, and promise you, that they will
refuse to lay hands on you for healing if you ask that question
first.  What if preachers and pastors suddenly started taking
responsibility for those with whom they pray?  What if they blamed
themselves for a person "losing their healing," instead of blaming
the person they prayed for?  Let me prove something to you right
here and now.

     Let's use this same favorite preacher of mine as an example.
My young son has his third degree black belt in Karate.  He is a
judge at tournaments, he has been an instructor at a Karate
school, he has trophies, a broken foot with a steel plate and six
screws in it, he has been hospitalized with concussions, and he
has, for that matter, done a little bleeding along the way, too.
So, during one of these healing services, following the message of
course, few ever get healed miraculously before the preaching, and
especially before the offering, what if I went forward to be
prayed for and healed.  I am totally blind with two artificial
eyes.  I can take them out to prove it.  Let's say I bring along
my son with the black belts in Karate.  Ok?  So far; so good.
Now, when the preacher comes up to lay hands on me for a for real
recreative miracle, you know, the ones like Jesus often did, let's
say that I ask him if he, the preacher, believes I am going to be
receiving my sight with brand new eyeballs.  You know, just like
the blind man in John Chapter 9 who let Jesus spit in the dirt,
make clay, and slap the gooey mess right in his empty eye sockets.
How weird is that.  Sort of like when Jesus stuck his fingers in
the deaf man's ears, spit and touched his tongue, of all things,
and the old boy started hearing.  That's in Mark Chapter 7 if you
are worried about what I said.  But, then, maybe he lost his
hearing again later.  That Jesus!  I tell you what.  Sometimes I
wonder if He knows what He is doing without all these preachers
telling Him first what to be doing and saying.  Now back to my
story.

     I already know I believe so I want to know if the preacher
truly believes and will stake his ministerial reputation on what
he says he believes and what he is about to pray.  Ok?  I mean,
the disciples did so why not those of us who preach and teach that
we know what the Bible says.  By the way, I tell the people with
whom I pray that I promise they will experience healing and that I
guarantee it will be permanent, so what's the big deal here?  No
guts?  No glory: personal glory?  I'm confused at your
reluctance.

     So, now.  If, by chance, I can get him to go this far, I will
then lift his leg so my son can, with one hand, or one foot, break
his leg.  Then I will ask him to show me his faith or does he wish
me to call an ambulance just before my son breaks his other leg.
"Not fair," you say?  Why not?  Faith is faith, or are you now
going to tell me there are degrees, or levels, of faith that work
only under certain situations?  Get a life and call me back when
you have something worth saying, or when they remove your cast.
For now, your teaching is not just weak, it isn't even Biblical
and stop asking for my offering on your radio program until you
teach the truth about who God really is.  While you are at it,
return all the money you've receive thus far from people who
believe you were telling them the truth, too.  Otherwise, get a
job.


It Sounds Like God To Me.
www.SafePlaceFellowship.com