Before Christ departed earth he told us that he will send his believers a comforter in ( John 14) which is the Holy Spirit. He does not promise people wealth, but more comfort in their lives freely if you believe in the faith. Christ can also equip you with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help you along your path as a believer and to support the church body to. Many people do not simply believe in Christianity today to receive the Holy Spirit comforter.
The Holy Spirit gifts can have different roles best suited for an individual which will be chosen by Christ what they need, and protection is one that some people may be given to help to cope with life and to help them preserve to the end. This doesn’t mean that it will be easy and it will not, but it will help someone to cope better than you would without it.
Christ can still perform healing today through the Holy Spirit, but that is dependent on God’s timing for someone, and his will for their lives. We all have different paths in life. You also usually need to show some commitment to God to receive this by doing Jesus’ commandments as he asked us to do. Not receiving healing or receiving healing does not mean that God loves you more or less than anybody else. At a point some people may need wisdom to understand that for now they need to manage a condition and that on New Earth they will be free from pain and this is Christ's promise to us.“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall be there any more pain: for the former things are passed" (Revelations 21).
I was given healing for a nervous condition freely in my life without praying for this which I have shared about on this blog. We are all equal before God as (Galatians 3:28) tells us. “ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
There are people in life who consider themselves to be on the fringe on the outside due to one reason or another. They may be in poverty or have a severe illness or condition. Jesus said we should have a space for more uncomely (challenging) members of his body, which he is the head. (1 Corinthians 12:23-24). “And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.”
Psalm 72 tells us that God will support those who are afflicted and those without a mother or father as well it states in other psalms. God has good intentions to us. “ He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. Good has good intentions to us.” God will comfort those who are oppressed to and hates violence as Psalm 11 states- “The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
I will show you some examples how God has comforted people in great need to. Illness does not prove holiness and it also does not disprove holiness. In Pia Matthew's book God's Wildflowers documents 141 Saints, Blessed and Venerable, who experienced health challenges ranging from mental to physical pain whilst serving God in holiness. As the author states in this book. Illness doesn't prove holiness and neither destroys or causes holiness. Furthermore, although illness may make things challenging at times, illness doesn't cause these Saints, Blessed and Venerable, to be abandoned by God.
There have been many Saints who have given their life to Christ in service, who were given comfort-but had afflictions that continued to death. You can live with great afflictions and have a faith. These Christians can show perseverance and be helped by the Holy Spirit. Some of us may have moments where we feel afflicted. Afflictions to and more sorrows in the world is part of end times to due to the great system of sin and corruption in the world. (Matthew 24) in part explains this as well. We need to pray to be supported by the Holy Spirit to endure this. The picture in this post is of two Saints called Saint Felicity and Saint Perpetua.
One case is Saint Catherine of Siena of a Saint who preserved and was given comfort despite her conditions. Catherine would pray to Christ and be comforted by him through the Holy Spirit.
Catherine existed in the 14th century at a time in the world when they was not any consultants and experts in the field of eating disorders. Catherine problems stemmed from her early youth when a forced marriage was almost forced upon her and she didn’t want this and she wanted to dedicate her service to Christ and she started to control her body to ward a suitor which was unwanted. Catherine didn’t have anorexia nervosa in those days and it is questionable if she would receive this diagnosis today or another eating disorder diagnosis.
Today nuns priests and sisters are sent to treatment who have eating disorders. It is Catherine’s great work in conflict resolution and her work for the church that should be well known about her. Catherine died from infirmity and a stroke and was made a Saint.
Saints to like Saint John of the Cross was a holy man who was afflicted at times by mental health and he would roll in mud or sometimes declare himself to be a great sinner and sell all of his possessions. John would be helped by others at times and taken to hospital for nutrition. He died and became a Saint.
For one boy with Epilepsy/Seizures before medication was used to treat this condition in the New Testament the cure for this condition was prayer and fasting to drive out the spirit (Matthew 17:21). A Blessed called Amadeus IX of Savoy suffered from epilepsy and God blessed them and gave them grace. As would be expected they also followed the prescriptive steps in the New Testament to cure this condition. They lived with this condition and miracles have been attributed to them after mortal death. This shows how different two people's paths can be who suffer from the same condition. One person may be called to follow a path of healing and one may be called to serve God and live with their condition with God's blessing and grace and this will be God's will. This will also apply to some other conditions. God can shine light into what is seen as a weakness to show his ability in some people like he did with Paul.
Christ supported Marcel Callo with severe depression which caused by his sister being killed in war by a bomb.
Autumn Miles to was helped by the Holy Spirit recently to escape a life of abuse with her partner.
https://www.premier.plus/the-profile/podcasts/episodes/domestic-abuse-survivor-autumn-miles-on-the-moment-god-broke-in
There are Saints who were born without limbs who still dedicated their lives to God with their condition. Today Joni Eareckson Tada is disability rights speaker who has a strong faith in God and is diagnosed with quadriplegia. Joni gave a heartfelt Podcast on this here-
https://www.premier.plus/the-profile/podcasts/episodes/disability-rights-advocate-joni-eareckson-tada-on-the-sovereignty-of-god
I have felt like in exile at times, but God gave me joy and comfort through my faith and has taught me that I am enough as I am.
Let us do what we can to support others in great need even with signs of end times, keep on trying and pray to promote peace. There are people who are affected in war today by no fault of their own, let us remember them and unite together in good cause. Jesus asked us to support those needing help freely in (Matthew 25:40) and (Matthew 6:2-4)/ Jesus also asked us to support others in times of need if they are unwell with no judgement. God spoke to Job's friends not to judge him when plagued with warts. (Galatians 6:2 ) further speaks to us also about the need to support others. As Christians to we should build each other up and encourage each other as said so clearly in (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
I want to leave you with this quote- "Jesus often started with those who are marginalised and disadvantaged in some way. They are or can be Christ's missionary and can be Christ's missionaries to the world. Think of somebody poor in the spirit and holding the Cross who is dependent on Christ and this is great symbolism of the lamb Christ continuing to be being carried and with us today."
If you have any seen yourself as a bit of an outsider or the plight of these people moves you. You may like this song below from the Hunchback of Notre Dam which is sung by a solo artist. It lightened my heart. Keep the hope alive.
