WHY CHRISTIANS FALL SICK

I must pay tribute and give dues to great Christians who have taken time to deal with the above topic. Some of them did after encounters with sicknesses and near-death experiences but the Lord had mercy on them and allowed them to put pen on paper for generations to come so we may understand God wants us whole and healthy.

I will first acknowledge the works of Dr. George Makmus, founder of the Hallelujah Acres and the Hallelujah Diet who was diagnosed of colon cancer and went on to find out from the scriptures and science why “he” a Christian should get sick. He later wrote the book “Why Christians Get Sick” (It can be obtained from leading bookshops and online from Amazon.com).

Secondly, I met Rev Tony Akinyemi over a decade ago and I believe strongly that my working with him is nothing but divine arrangement. He it was that first introduced my wife and I to the concept of healthy living. Rev Tony Akinyemi at the age of 36 with a budding ministry in the heart of Lagos was diagnosed of over 30 ailments and was given just 6 months to live. In his quest to know why a believer, anointed pastor and word of faith preacher  would get sick, he came in contact with biblical truths before meeting Dr. George Makmus.

Rev Tony Akinyemi has gone on to live far and beyond the 6 months and has written several publications, (How to Regain and Retain Your Health also available at Amazon.com) spoken at various fora and conferences expounding scientific and spiritual truths on why Christians get sick and how to prevent it. I owe a lot to him and like the Hippocratic Oath sworn to in the medical profession, I owe it to him to also spread the message of health and healthy living.

We have seen from bible days and has continued to our present day how anointed believers are cut short in their prime because of diseases. Examples abound all around us and many are still living lives that make their bodies conducive for diseases to start and thrive. In our counselling sessions, several cases of life-threatening conditions are brought majorly by tongue-talking, fire-branded believers.

This post will highlight two of the several reasons Christians fall sick and will try to address each of the reasons.

IGNORANCE

I will like to define the first of them as ignorance. From the scriptures, people perish when they lack knowledge. So evident in many cases but one case that readily comes to mind is that of the prophets in the company of Elisha in 2 Kings 4: 38- 41. A story about how a prophet had gone into the fields to get herbs for stew for the company.

He did not know what he picked but he picked a wild vine believed to be Citrullus colocynthis, a poisonous gourd. He placed the lives of the whole company of prophets at risk because of his IGNORANCE.

There are many people feeding their families with poisonous substances in the name of food and many Christians are being fed with toxic substances while some think it’s a sign of opulence to live on such meals.

Healing and health are twin rights of every believer but like other blessings, they are largely attached to conditions. Little wonder the Beloved John said it is his wish that believers will appropriate these twin rights on the condition that they will set their hearts on a pilgrimage of sound knowledge (Bible based and evidenced by scientific proofs).

Mighty Elisha died with all his anointing by what the bible called “His sickness”, implying the sickness was self-inflicted largely through poor diet and lifestyle choices. How many believers are groaning today under the heavy-burden of self-inflicted sicknesses and are going about binding demons and fighting other non-existent causes?

The first cause to address is ignorance. One of Rev Tony Akinyemi’s favorite quote is “What we need is not more medication but more education”. We need to get education! There was a time when prosperity was taught in the church as a recluse of the unsaved or canal and that poverty and holiness are the marks of sainthood.

Thank God for light! Thank God for education and revelation but we have lost several believers because of poverty just like we are losing many to self-inflicted diseases.

The American Society for Cancer says tobacco is not even among the first five causes of cancer in incidents recorded (as cancer-causing as tobacco is). We keep seeing believers dying of cancer because of poor diets and ignorant lifestyle choices daily.

Teflon is a substance used in covering the layer of aluminium cooking pots that is commonly called non-stick pots. Teflon is carcinogenic (cancer-causing) but many people don’t know this including Christians. We need knowledge.

What about those pastors who think it’s a sign of opulence to gulp canned and packaged drinks after an energy sapping preaching? Some even indulge in energy drinks not knowing the danger of aspartame used in the sweetening of the energy drinks?

What about days of fasting without water? Making the stomach pH very acidic thereby breeding the grounds for disease causing organisms like the Helicobacter Pylori causing ulcer and other diseases?

Believers in the name of prayers engage in 40 nights of vigil consecutively and won’t find enough time to rest during the day as they must make ends meet. The body’s immunity is distorted, cell repair is not allowed to take place, stress sets in and the blood system is compromised.

Christians get sick by willing submission to the powers of sickness through ignorance. Isaiah 49:24-25 speaks about lawful captives who submitted themselves to be held captive. Apostle Paul also spoke about Epaphroditus in Phillipians 2:26-27 who ignorantly over-laboured himself and was sick, almost died but God had mercy.

There are still Pastors who believe their mobile phones must be answered 24hours daily. They forget the ALMIGHTY himself rested and our perfect example had moments when he took the disciples apart to rest for a while. They have turned themselves to the treasurer, accountant and everything available over the church they pastor.

No wonder many are laid to rest because they will not take out time to rest. There are better people in your congregation who can handle those things better than you. Free your time and experience peace.

ARROGANCE

A dictionary defines arrogance as “making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud”

How often do we see believers make arrogant claims that deliver applause for a moment with irreparable wreckage of a life-time? Pretensions in the name of faith that has made mockery of the teachings of faith which has led to the untimely death and ill-health of many Christians.

The Apostle James admonished in James 5: 14 -15 

¹⁴ Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: ¹⁵And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

This is a first generation Apostle saying “Is any sick…?” It means any can be sick…Sickness is not a sign of inferior spirituality. This is the breeding ground for arrogance on the issue of healthy living as believers stigmatise the sick as inferior Christians.

It explains why many people are pretentious about their health status and would refuse every assistance, education and sometimes prayers when needed in times of ill-health.  Many preachers make lousy claims on the pulpit, yet they have little understanding about the subject of health and longevity, they die early leaving behind unprepared widows and orphans, putting the faith to disrepute over situations that could have been avoided through humility and learning.

How many believers I have met who can condemn an addict of tobacco and alcohol but do not deem it fit to attend to their own addiction to caffeine laden Cola drinks? Many preachers that will be quick to pronounce woe on moral failures but who don’t consider gluttony a failure of morals.

Ignoring the insights on healthy living and expecting to enjoy good health is like someone confessing prosperity and will not lift his finger at any legitimate work. Roberts Liardon’s God’s General is a repository of the accounts of how many faith healers died for lack of good health.

His stripes guarantee your healing, your responsibility strides guarantee your good health. Timothy was almost dying over a stomach condition, he cried to his Spiritual Father who recommended to him what to do for his healing. Don’t die in silence! Many a pastor who do not know their blood group, genotype, BMI, Weight, Height, and Cholesterol level, etc.

They are too anointed to go for medical check-ups, too holy to seek medical attention and too proud to call brethren for prayers until it is too late. Save the brethren the agony and the pains, go for that check-up today. Attend a seminar on healthy living and organize one in your church.

Someone arrogantly said God has approved we eat all things so long we receive them with thanksgiving. I asked the person why he is not feeding on sulfuric acid with thanksgiving? Be humble enough to learn and to expose the body of Christ under you to sound teachings in the area that are not your strength.

Thanks for reading and much more for making the needed change. Every change requires a decision, a determination and ultimately the divine enablement (GRACE). I pray you will experience God’s grace in every area you require change in your diet and lifestyle. AMEN!

Please send your questions and enquiries to alabipd@gmail.com.