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Originally Posted by Sgt. Pepper
Now obviously I can't heal and I don't have multitudes following me but I do my best to help those in need when I can and spread the gospel to those who need even if they're nonbelievers who reject Jesus. Just like Jesus did in Matthew 9:9-15
9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Is my understanding of this passage wrong?
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Hello. I never intrude opinion or instruction and none is needed here. You seem concerned that you do not have magic powers, such as spontaneous healing. And that is right: no-one does. Jesus is the great physician. But Jesus is absent from the world. He says so here:
JOHN [Jesus speaking]
15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
KJV
The passage covers both your points.
It is through prayer that God, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, heals the sick.
If someone doesn't recover, either the prayer was not addressed to God, or it was not made in faith.
James 5 - LINK to earlier post
Similarly, it is The Holy Spirit who convinces the sinner of sin, see
verse 8 above. You mentioned that you
“spread the gospel to those who need even if they're nonbelievers” which is puzzling me. Why would you spread The Gospel to people who were already believers? It is only nonbelievers who need to hear The Good News of Salvation. Everyone else is already saved. What would be the point of that? OK, most people
do reject Jesus. Satan offers them a value free lifestyle with wall-to-wall booze, pimps, sex orgies, random murder, psychedelic toads, Frenchwomen, witchdoctors, heathenism and communists and they jump at the opportunity. As we know these fools do accept
that there is a God but pretend to be atheists, Zoroastrians, animists, Presbyterians, psychotic delusionals, new age sex gurus and other demoniacs of the type
so that they may sin. If they had never heard, that would be one thing. Having heard—but rejected Jesus—is another.
So we have an obligation to witness to those wretches. That doesn't mean we should associate with them. We must not, as has been explained in the posts you will have read concerning shunning, with full supporting Scripture.
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..Jesus came to save those were unsaved. He ate with sinners and spent time with them. Was that just something special Jesus did that we are not suppose to?
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I always feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and explain The Truth to them in accordance with their understanding. I don't expect to see outcomes as such, my simple words are like a seed and they will hear others, I know. Perhaps that seed will sprout. I neglect no opportunity: that is called Faith.
But when invited into their lair, or to sit in with their coven, or gross out at one of their séances or whatever other plans they might have the Christian always declines.
That is the difference between association and witnessing.
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Is my understanding of this passage wrong?
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Taken in context, God's Word is always clear. Taking passages out of context is obfuscational at best. Feel free to contact The Pastors for sound teaching or to arrange a tithing plan.