Posted on 05/05/2006 at 20:55:44  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

Is Worry a Sin?
by Dr. Larry Ollison, Ph.D.

Have you ever met someone who was a worrier? You know the type. When things are going bad, they worry because things are bad. When things are good, they worry because things might get bad. Well, let me ask you this. Did you know that when you worry, you limit God and what He can do for you? According to the Bible, worry is a sin! When we worry, we are not in faith and anything that is not of faith is sin.

Several times in Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount,” He addressed the subject of worry. In Matthew chapter 6, verses 25, 27, 28, 31 and 34, Jesus commands us not to worry. But why should it matter if we worry or not. What’s the big deal anyway? Well, it’s this way.

Worry, which is a type of fear, is the opposite of faith. In the English language we have words that have opposite meanings. If I were to ask you the opposite of hot, you would immediately say cold. If I asked you the opposite of up, you would quickly say down. If I asked you the opposite of east, you would immediately say west. Why? Because they are opposites. They not only are opposed to each other, they can not exist together at the same time.

Sometimes when you translate from one language to another, the meaning can be lost. That’s the case with worry. In the Hebrew language the opposite of worry is faith. Remember worry is a type of fear.

In the same way that you can not be going up and down at the same time because they are opposites, you can not be in worry and be in faith at the same time. When you are in faith, you are not in worry. And when you are in worry, you are not in faith.

When Jesus commanded us over and over again to not worry, He knew that worry would kill our faith. Is that so bad to have dead faith? After all who needs faith anyway?

Well... In Ephesians 2:8 the Bible says we are saved through faith. In James 5:15 the Bible says the prayer of faith will heal the sick. In Hebrews 11:6 the Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. In James 1:6 we are told that if we want wisdom all we have to do is ask, but if we don’t ask in faith, the Bible says in verse 6, we won’t get anything. And in Romans 14:23 it says that anything that is not of faith is sin.

So, who needs faith? According to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, only those who want to be saved, healed, who want wisdom, who want to please God and who want to stay out of sin need faith. To me that makes faith extremely important, and it also explains why Satan hates it.

Worry is a tool of Satan. He knows that if he can get you to worry, you will not be in faith. When you are not in faith, you will be ineffective as a Christian. So today I will tell you the same thing Jesus did. Do not worry. No matter how bad things look, do not worry.

Remember, as Christians we walk by faith and not by what we see anyway. So when things look bad, look through the eyes of faith and worry will flee.

Posted on 04/22/2006 at 12:34:09  |  Reply  |  Report Abuse |  0

Understanding the Source of Sickness
by Dr. Larry Ollison, Ph.D.

Once a man told my wife he was sick and he knew God had made him that way. His reasoning was this. He said God had given him stomach problems so he wouldn’t eat too much and gain weight. He reasoned if he gained weight, he would develop a heart problem and could die. So, in order to keep from dying of a heart problem, he reasoned, God had made him sick so he couldn’t eat and get fat.

This may sound strange, but unfortunately, many Christians believe that God makes them sick for a purpose.

It is true that God can and will cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him and who seek Him by the Spirit. The Bible tells us that in Romans 8:26-28. However, God’s Word does not say that God causes bad things. It simply says He causes them to work together for good for those who love Him and those who are the called according to His purpose.

We must understand the root sources of healing and sickness. The One who heals us does not make us sick and the one who makes us sick does not make us well. We must discern “right thinking” from “wrong thinking.” We must quit blaming God for the works of Satan.

Let’s examine the truth. What does the Bible say about God’s view of sickness?

In Psalm 103:3 it says that He is the One “who heals all our diseases.”

Matthew 4:2 says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”

In Matthew 2:24 it says, “Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.”

Matthew 8:16 says, “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.”

Matthew 9:35 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

Matthew 10:1 “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”

Matthew 12:15 “But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.”

Matthew 19:2 “And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.”

Everywhere Jesus went, He healed people. Let’s look at what He said. In John chapter five Jesus said that He didn’t do anything unless God His Father instructed Him to. So, what does that tell us about God? It tells us that He wants us well and He wants to heal us.

Jesus said He came to earth to destroy the works of the devil. He said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Who is the thief that steals health, kills bodies and destroys life with sickness? The devil. Who gives life? Jesus.