True.  Odd, though, that Jesus had to come and do something angels were 
already doing, if it were true, that is, and not made up.

Phil.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris & Doris" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 6:35 PM
Subject: Re: Curses Via Email


> Many Bible manuscripts omnit verses Jn 5:3b and Jn 5:4 that speak of an 
> angel of the Lord being involved and the stirring of the water.
>
> God Bless,
> Doris
>
> At 04:23 PM 5/29/2009 -0600, you wrote:
>>Curses Via Email
>>
>>By Phil Scovell
>>
>>
>>     Now, don't become offended, or take it personally, as you read this 
>> article.  It is something I have been prayerfully considering for a long 
>> time.  Now just seems to be the time to write about it because I believe 
>> it is a spiritually important topic.
>>
>>     I know everyone with an email address has received Christian related 
>> email messages which tell a wonderful story.  I have read these for 
>> years.  These messages are often clones of the secular type which 
>> normally end with a tag line which reads, "If you don't
>>forward this to your 10 best friends within 5 days, you will
>>experience bad luck for a month."  Sometimes it will say just the
>>opposite, that is, you will have amazingly good luck for a week. The 
>>Christian ones, or those that appear Christian in nature,
>>normally have a kinder and gentler suggestion that you won't be a
>>very good Christian if you don't forward the message.  The
>>variables on this theme are endless and I have literally seen hundreds of 
>>them.
>>
>>     The Christian stories have always intrigued me.  I mean, they
>>sound true, they feel good, they are often stories of miracles, or
>>cute innocent reminders of a big God somewhere up in the sky that loves 
>>you, but when you hit the tag line, wham!  You are belted with a threat. 
>>For example, "If you believe in prayer, forward this message to your 
>>friends."  So if you don't, you aren't a
>>believer in prayer?  "If you want to really experience  God's
>>love, forward this message."  Meaning, of course, if you don't,
>>you won't experience God's love?  "Forward this message and don't
>>break the circle,"" Meaning, if you don't send it to others, you,
>>you and you alone, have broken the circle?  Again, they vary
>>limitlessly but  they all sound somehow threatening.  The question
>>is not, "Is the  story real," but what is behind the message tag
>>line.  I do believe it is a curse, of sorts,  which is very
>>likely, in most cases, initiated by someone who  doesn't believe
>>in the salvitic message of the Bible and wants to  see their own
>>message come back a couple of months later to get a  good belly
>>laugh at Christians.  At the very least, it is a passive form of
>>control, or manipulation, and those who participate are engaging
>>in acts of superstitious beliefs.
>>
>>Note.
>>Definition of Superstition.
>>1. An irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance
>>not logically related to a course of events influences its
>>outcome. 2. a. A belief, practice, or rite irrationally maintained by
>>ignorance of the laws of nature or by faith in magic or chance.
>>b. A fearful or abject state of mind resulting from such
>>ignorance or irrationality.
>>c. Idolatry.
>>(The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
>>Edition copyright -2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in
>>2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company).
>>End of note.
>>
>>
>>
>>     More sinister, in my opinion, is the  curse that is delivered
>>with the good old Christian story for  which I have already stated
>>examples.  Is it really a curse?  Good  question.  Those who
>>fiddle around with the unseen world have no  problem believing it
>>is a curse that works.  Christians, on the  other hand, think it
>>is just good Christian works playing itself  out on the global
>>internet and reaching millions of souls for  Christ.  I consider
>>them a story with a curse.  Yes, I have  forwarded them on myself
>>over the years so don't get your tail in  a knot because I am not
>>criticizing anybody.  The question that comes to my mind asks, "Is
>>it wrong to forward the message?"  I believe it is more than
>>possible that the suggestiveness of the tagline is a passive form
>>of executing a curse.  The harsher ones, those that threaten bad
>>luck and the like, may fall into more spiritually harmful
>>categories such as hexes and spells.  Then again, as Christians,
>>we don't believe in such evil things today, so what do we do?  We
>>forward the message right on.
>>
>>     Let's look to the Bible for confirmation of what I am saying.
>>
>>John 5:1-9
>>1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to
>>Jerusalem.
>>2  Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is
>>called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
>>3  In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind,
>>halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
>>4  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and
>>troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of
>>the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
>>5  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and
>>eight years.
>>6  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long
>>time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
>>7  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the
>>water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am
>>coming, another steppeth down before me.
>>8  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
>>9  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed,
>>and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
>>
>>     Many years ago, it was discovered that there was an
>>underground spring which fed this pool of water.  Occasionally,
>>therefore, the water passing beneath the pool released air into
>>the pool and the water appeared to be mysteriously moving by an
>>unseen hand.  A religion developed out of it, a superstition, if
>>you will, that whoever made into the water the second it began to
>>move, would be healed.  There is never any Biblical confirmation
>>that a single person was ever healed at this pool in this manner. Yes, it 
>>is possible, that God Himself did send an angel down to
>>this pool occasionally in order that people could be heal, too, so
>>I am not eliminating that possibility but if God was doing that,
>>then why did Jesus need to come an intervene?  Yes, it says that
>>the man reported, "I have no man to put me into the water," but
>>you will note, Jesus didn't offer to assist him; Jesus healed him
>>outright.  The only question Jesus asked the lame man is if he
>>wished to be made whole.  Likely the man thought, "Finally. Someone to 
>>help me into the water."  He was wrong.  Jesus healed
>>the man by His own spoken Words.  The Biblical truth is clear; it
>>is in the Lord, and in nothing else, we should believe.  If you
>>don't believe the Enemy works consistently in attempting to gain a
>>foothold in your life in any way possible, you have just exposed
>>yourself as a willing target for deceitfulness.
>>
>>     With this in mind, people then ask me what I do.  If I think
>>the story sounds legitimate, or is an encouragement, I may forward
>>the message to someone I think would benefit from it.  First,
>>however, I removed the tagline and refuse to forward that part of
>>the message.  I also pray against, bind and remove, any curses
>>associated with the tagline or message.  So, I'm crazy.  What else
>>is new?  You may do as you like and believe as you wish.
>>
>>     Many years ago, I was running a bulletin board.  This was
>>long before most of us were on the internet.  I received a message
>>sent to me directly, that is, the person was on the east coast
>>and he literally dialed up my computer's telephone number and sent
>>me a message.  It was short, had a nice little story with it, but
>>a very ominous tagline.  The tagline basically said, "If you
>>forward this to 5 or 7 or 10 of your friends, you, and they, will
>>have good luck come to you, lots of extra money that comes into
>>your hands, good health," and several other such things were
>>promised.  "If you don't forward it," so it read, "you will have
>>bad luck come your way."  So, the tone of the tagline sounded
>>evil.  I just laughed it off and deleted it because I in no, way,
>>shape, or form believed in such things.  The next three weeks were
>>hell on earth for me.  You can't believe the things that happened. I was 
>>even notified by the IRS I was being audited.  I did not
>>know how to pray against such curses back then, nor was I even
>>certain I believe in such things.  I do now and I know how to pray
>>against such passive suggestiveness.  I trust you do.
>>
>>4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty
>>through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
>>5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
>>itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
>>every thought to the obedience of Christ;
>>6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when
>>your obedience is fulfilled, (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
>>
>>The Curse That Works Is The One We Believe.
>>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
>