Preaching To Myself

It has been an interesting day.  I am trying to get into more of a habit of “preaching” to myself instead of “listening” to myself.  My pastor said something to that effect and he was quoting someone else.  I have no idea who that was but I am pretty sure they were talking to me.

I think constantly.  My brain is always on the move and I have an opinion about everything.  Just ask me and I will tell you what you should think.  That habit leads to some serious sin issues.  Jesus said:

Mar 7:20-23  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 All of these things are in me.  Of course it would be really easy to say that this is what is in other people.  Jesus was talking to a multitude after being spoken to by the scribes and Pharisees.  Then we get to this verse and he was explain to them what he had been saying to the multitude.  Sometimes we just don’t get it.  Look at the Apostle Paul’s comment:

Rom 7:18-24  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

With all the evil within us we can easily fall into total despair as Paul describes.  We can be horribly torn between what we see as we reflect on Christ and his perfection – realizing that we are called to the same type of life, and what we see in ourselves.  As believers we are just not there.

How do we get there from here.  Paul had pretty much tried it all.  Look at his spiritual pedigree:

Philippians 3:3-6  For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ , and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Yet we still find him in despair.  This is why he needed preaching.  Look at what we are called to as a Church:

Eph 5:18-21  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Notice how we are to be communicating with each other.  Our hearts are to be making melody and it is to come out in song together.  These songs are to build us up in the faith by giving thanks.  We learn in chapter 2 that these thanks are for the multitude of spiritual blessings that we are to be thinking about.  Of course if we are not preaching these things to ourselves they can’t possibly come out communally.  That is when we look at Psalm 104.  We see the Psalmist praying about the greatness of the creation.  He must have spent an amazing amount of time meditating on God’s works prior to exploding into this amazing doxology of His work.

Psalm 104 shows that David must have been preaching to himself – meditating on God, as opposed to sitting around moping about what was happening to himself. Fast forward to May of 2010.

It has been an interesting day.  I stayed up late and got up earlier than what I wanted to.  I had to hit the road running – there was so much that needed done.  At a time of a particular time crunch I had to go into a store.  I rushed to get my item and arrived at checkout to see a particularly long line.  The people at the head of the line were in deep conversation with the clerk.  My initial thought was one of some frustration but I almost immediately changed to wondering why they were having a problem.  Now this is really unusual for me.  I want to be at the front of the line and I really want things to be done for me in a speedy, pleasant, and professional manner.

You see the universe is supposed to revolve around me and my petty wants and pleasures.  All stoplights - in a “perfect” world would turn green at my approach.  Checkout lines are empty waiting for me.  Most importantly, Starbucks is always open and affordable.

It is simply an amazing work of grace that I was not totally irritated by this couple in front of me.  But wait, there’s more.  As I am standing in line people come to stand behind me.  It is clear that we will be here for a little while so I turned to the people behind to start a conversation.  We were having a good time discussing the mental status of a generation that would be purchasing the “gummy worms” in the rack beside us.  The lady at the register in front of me turned to us and in a loud ugly tone told us to quit talking about her. 

I smiled and replied that we were discussing the gummy worms and not her.  She informed me that I was talking about her and to stop it.  In that moment another work of grace occurred.  I did not get angry, vent, fight, or anything that would normally be my response.

Today I took my wife out for Mother’s Day.  We came out to our car.  Smoke was pouring out the windows.  Inside I found my wife’s coat burned and smoke coming from a smoke bomb that someone had pushed through the open window.  I opened the door and got the coat and the smoke bomb out.  The seat is now yellow and the inside of the vehicle smells like the 4th of July.  The restaurant manager spoke with 911 (after being put on hold long enough for us to get a message 5 times telling us we were to wait for the operators who were dealing with other emergencies).  He specifically told them that we did not need the fire department, just the police to make a report. 

As soon as the phone call was over the fire alarm sounded.  It took another phone call and a police officer calling to stop the fire engine around the corner from loading up and responding.  We made our report.

In all of this my anger, always just beneath the surface, was not unleashed.  I was thankful that we got to the car, that a fire had not started, and that we had a way to get home.  This is amazing – it is grace.

Contrast this with yesterday morning.  I woke with less sleep than I would have liked.  My daughter rose late and I was going to be late for my appointment with my doctor.  I was pretty much boiling – my cup runneth over in a really bad way.  I dropped my daughter off and realized I had neglected to eat.  I am diabetic so missing meals is not a good idea.  No problem here – I pulled into a gas station for a quick bite.  There it was, a breakfast sandwich.  Now I could finally point to something that was going right.  At least that is what I thought.  I arrived at the cash register to find a person taking forever to buy lottery tickets.  I am from Las Vegas and I really hate gambling.  Here was a gambler making me late.  I left my hot sandwich on the counter and stormed out.  I had no time for a gambler to make me late for my doctor appointment.  I broke speed limits all the way to my appointment.

At the doctor’s office we found that my blood pressure was higher than it has ever been.  The heat readings taken along the spine were worse than my first visit.  My Chiropractor was obviously confused by the results because my reflexes and sensation tests had improved tremendously.  I explained that the fault was not hers.  I was seething with anger. 

The difference between these two days was my actions.  The day when I was full of sinful anger was a day where I had not read scripture, meditated, or sang the songs of Zion.  The second day I prepared for by looking forward to worship.  I had prayed.  I had meditated.  I had even heard a sermon before the smoke bomb.

The difference between the two days was what I had been preaching to myself.  The day of the doctor’s visit I had actively told myself how important it was to me for everything to revolve around me.  The second day I preached to myself how great was the God who had saved me.  My emphasis was on how to best prepare myself for worship.  The difference could not be more glaring or profound. 

How does this relate to massage or pain relief?  My sin of anger intensified the physical body in ways that have a tendency to increase those physiological factors that often lead toward pain.  Prolonged anger is a sin that can well have an effect on a person’s pain.  At the end of the book of Deuteronomy there is a description of what will happen to Israel when she turns from God.  God’s people should turn to Him because of who He is and what he has done for them.  He also exhorts them in this passage to consider what will happen to them if they should fail to serve Him as He commands.  It would do us well to consider this as individuals.

As a massage therapist I work with people in pain.  My job is to deal with physical issues by applying techniques to the soft tissues of the body.  It is not unreasonable to think that if a person continues in a pattern of anger that there will be a significant impediment to the response to treatment.  I may well be treating the symptom.  There is never a solution to any problem in life that does not involve our great God and our relationship to him.  I preach to myself about these things.

Energy Healing and the Christian Part 2

I left people hanging after the last post wondering what the possible reasons exist for the effectiveness or lack thereof for energy based massage and bodywork techniques.  Let’s look at that now.

How Can We Know if Energy Based Techniques are Working?

That is a very good question.  I remember reading an article many years ago[i] where the author claimed there was no way of determining if a person had a good massage.  I remember thinking that to be a rather silly at the time and immediately wrote a rebuttal that no one wanted to publish.  It may be better to change the question and ask if it is possible to demonstrate physically that physical changes have happened following an energy based treatment.

I believe it is possible to document many things before and after any type of treatment and see if there has been any change.  I have been doing this for many years.  Here are a few things that I have measured and that I believe could be applied before and after treatment to see if any change has occurred.  I will limit my comments to things massage therapists can do within their scope of practice.  There are a number of other ways to document.  Here are a few that I use:

• ROM testing
• Neurological Testing (reflex, strength, sensation)
• Neurodynamic Testing
• Algometer readings
• Breath Changes
• Percentage of body surface pain
• Foot turn out

 These are simple things that any massage therapist can easily learn and incorporate into their practice.  Things used by others that I do not use are visual analog scales, Oswestry tests, and orthopedic tests.  These are just off the top of my head – you may know of others.

The point is that we have ways of measuring if something is changing after using these techniques.  We are not left to the whim of the therapist or the report of the client.  These are not useless by any means.  I just want to point out that we can measure the physical effects of therapy.

It Works – But How?

If we determine by some of the above tests that people are experiencing a change following therapy we then need to ask a really important question. Why?  Why are they getting better?  I can think of a few possible reasons.  There may well be others.

If the practitioner is doing the centering and attunement practices they are plainly doing occult practices.  If the person is doing this (centering and attunement) as a believer they are doing occult things in the name of Christ in a manner similar to the seven sons of Sceva and the others who performed exorcisms in the name of Jesus (Acts 19).  They are like the people say to Jesus in Mt 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” 

There may indeed be changes that may happen after treating with an occult based therapy.  Scripture is certainly full of instances where spiritual activity resulted in changes in the physical realm.  The entrance of sin in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3) introduced such changes (Rom. 8:19-25). 

If someone who practices this way gets results we know that there is a strong likelihood the possibility that the results can be a result of supernatural activity.  We need to stay clear of these activities.

Other people attempt energy types of healing with no discernible link to occult types of activity.  They too claim results.  Are there other reasons that these techniques may work?  I believe that there are and they may fall into at least one and probably more of the following categories:

1)  Placebo is a very good possibility.  Placebo gets a bad name.  It should not.  It simply means that the person is expecting the intervention to work and so their brain believes it and creates the change.  It is important that our medicine be investigated to make sure that it actually does what we think it does.  How does placebo work in normal massage and possibly in energy work also?  If the client expects to get better it is likely that the expectation alone is enough to trigger the body to deal with the problem.

When I walk into a room with confidence and I assure the client that I have helped people with similar issues before there is an immediate expectation of help.  If I actually demonstrate by my demeanor, intonation, and actions that I care, then that expectation is further raised.  If, in addition, my touch communicates a level of confidence I have already won a good deal of the battle.  Now sprinkle in a small amount of a believable explanation and bake till done.  In the end it will not matter much what I have done.  I have done this many times and used different techniques to get great outcomes.

Experiments noted that EP can’t detect an energy field under test conditions.[ii]  Researchers specifically ruled our radiant heat, air movement, noise from clothing, and on some occasions actually miscued the therapist.  This may well relate to the patient as well.  In the presence of these sensory cues coupled with expectation a potent placebo effect is certainly possible.

I do not believe that placebo is a reason to justify utilizing techniques that are indefensible.  We should always have an understanding of what we are doing and why it should work.  We should be able to communicate that.  We should also understand the importance of the placebo effect and realize that pretty much everything in the presentation of the dish called therapy is important and that any element can change the outcome.

2.  Neurology may very well explain aspects of energy based therapy. A good deal of the preceding argument in this as well as in the preceding post, have been in regard to Therapeutic Touch and Reiki.  They have been evaluated on the basis of biblical considerations and in light of the detection of an energy field.  There are a number of other therapies that also claim to work energetically. A number of these approaches incorporate eastern meridian based systems.  These energy based treatment modalities actually touch the body and are performed by massage therapists.

In the massage profession these come in the form of Polarity Therapy, Qua Sha, and Shiatsu to name a few.  Skeptics dismiss these modalities as quackery and assume that they work simply due to placebo.  I have no doubt that placebo is part of the explanation but it is highly likely that there are neurological mechanisms at work here also.  (I critique the theological foundations of these systems in a previous post [iii] regarding the Creator Creature Distinction.)

Meridians are said to be channels where the energy travels through the body.  They are named for organ systems that they are believed to be connected with.  These systems use touch and because of this they must of necessity activate the cutaneous receptors of the nervous system.  The acupuncture points along these meridians are generally located in the intramuscular septums where the peripheral nerves travel.  Activation of the receptors of these nerves make for a much more reasonable explanation for the supposed energetic effects of meridian based therapies.

3.  Ideomotor Activity is movement that is secondary to thought.  When a peripheral nerve is not getting enough blood a sense of discomfort or even pain is felt.  It is natural to move into a position where the blood returns and the discomfort is relieved.  This is an example of ideomotor movement.  A very through explanation is available at: http://barrettdorko.com/articles/analgesia_of_movement.htm.

Myofascial Release[iv] and CranioSacral Therapy[v] are two very prominent systems that purport to be energy based systems.  Network Spinal Analysis[vi]  is yet another.  In the absence of any documentation of a human energy field that can be identified under controlled conditions it is more plausible to view ideomotor activity as the origin of the therapeutic effects of these modalities when they are practiced in the absence of occult ideology.  The problem is that MFR and CST are described by their chief proponents in conjunction with occult practices.  This is aptly demonstrated by the books referenced above. 

I watched a demonstration of Network Spinal Analysis.  I had an immediate sense of evil when I walked into the room.  I had no idea of what I would be experiencing before I arrived.  I am not aware of any preconceptions that I might have had.  There was a brief lecture before the demonstration.

In the first phase the doctor did a neck manipulation.  The 3 models began to twitch on the tiny chiropractic adjusting tables.  The DC explained that they were self adjusting.  I have seen a number of seizures and that was what it looked like to me.  The doctor explained that the patients were in full control and could stop this activity at will, if they so desired.  This continued for 15-20 minutes.

The second phase began with the doctor reaching toward the navel and lifting his hand high.  He then opened his hand and explained that he was lifting the aura.  The patients began moving into spontaneous yoga positions (the doctor said this).  None of them fell off of the table.  This too lasted 15 -20 minutes.

Finally we came to phase 3.  The doctor once again reached down and dramatically lifted the aura.  I could not believe that I was watching what appeared to be an orgasm.  The pelvis began to move and the patients began to moan in apparent ecstasy.  The doctor explained that the patients were having an emotional release.

At the end the 3 patients came before us as a group.  We were allowed to ask questions about what we had seen.  I had none.  I was in a state of shock and in prayer for protection.  One of the participants did explain to us that she was thankful for the doctor.  She usually had to travel to India to see her guru to get this type of help.

I have seen each of these therapies practiced in an occult manner.  I have also seen them practiced apart from these occult foundations.  These other instances appeared to me to be examples of ideomotor activity that resulted in pain relief.  They were given by practitioners who had no occult foundation and do not deserve to be labeled as such.  We need to be very clear that just because a doctor or therapist practices one of these techniques that we do not paint them all with the same brush.  We may be talking about our brother or sister in Christ.  On the other hand, if the practitioner holds to these occult teachings we need to take them at their word.

4.  There is the possibility that there is a possible energy field (EF) that we have as yet been unable to detect with our current science but which our hands can sense and manipulate for purposes of healing.  Given the sophistication of our current science I have my doubts as to this one – but I can’t demonstrate that this is wrong.  I do not have all of the facts and history demonstrates many instances of new information being discovered.  We can’t dismiss this as a possibility.  This is important.  We need to have a creaturely humility here.  If a practice does not fall into an occult category we need to hold open this possibility. 

There is more that could be said.  These 2 posts have dealt with a number of issues that both massage therapists and their clients need to be aware of.  It is of primary importance that we pay attention to what the scriptures teach regarding the reality of the spiritual world. I hope these posts have helped you to evaluate energy medicine in a biblical manner.

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[i] http://www.healingandlaw.com/Massage_Law_Newsletter/MLN_Vol.14/MLN_Vol.14__No.4/mln_vol.14__no.4.html

[ii] Long et al. Perception of Conventional Sensory Cues as an alternative to the Postulated “Human Energy Field” of Therapeutic Touch.  Review of Alternative Medicine 3, no. 2 (fall/winter) 1999 © Prometheus Books

[iii] http://christianpainmanagement.blogspot.com/2014/02/massage-therapy-and-creatorcreature.html

[iv] http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Ancient-Wounds-Renegades-Wisdom/dp/1929894058/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399149282&sr=1-5&keywords=John+Barnes

[v] http://www.amazon.com/Your-Inner-Physician-You-Somatoemotional/dp/1556432461/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399149435&sr=1-1&keywords=john+upledger+your+inner+physician

[vi] http://www.donaldepstein.com/nsa/articles/networkwaveofhealing.shtml

Energy Healing and the Christian Part 1

Energy Medicine is a really important topic for both massage therapists and their clients.  Mention the subject in a room of therapists and you will observe people taking pro and con sides immediately.  The same thing happens in church.  This subject is important for at least a couple of reasons:

1. If Energy based approaches are quackery then the public is being deceived and/or ripped off and therapists are deceived or lying and stealing.  

2. If Energy based approaches are of the occult the public is being subjected to demonic influence and this is being done through their therapists.

Part of delving into this subject is to determine what is meant by the term “energy medicine.”  We need to do this because if we do not define our terms at the beginning we will fail to communicate.  We will be talking past each other without even knowing it.  The definition is all important. 

One attack against the use of energy medicine is that no such thing is possible since energy is simply the ability to do work.  The energy practitioner does not describe or define energy in this way.  The critic has set up a concept that the energy practitioner does not hold and dismisses the concept as untenable simply on the basis of the use of language.  I find this type of argument unsatisfying.

The belief of the energy practitioner (EP) is that there is some type of force or “energy field” that the EP can feel in another body.  They believe that they are able to manipulate this “energy” in such a way as to have a positive influence on the health of the person they are treating.  This is frequently described in terms of heat.

What are we to say to this as Christians?  How are we to evaluate such claims?  I have some ideas that I want to share but I think it is imperative that before I give any such information I do so with an important caveat.  We need to evaluate each person in terms of what they actually believe.  If a person tells us that they do not use power symbols, spirit guides, or other occult practices it is important that we accept that claim.  We may need to ask a few more questions to actually clarify and be sure.  If the person maintains that they are not participating in the occult and our only evidence is the name of their method – we should treat this person charitably and not attribute to them what they actively say that they are not doing.

One of the biggest issues that I have with the concept of treating an energy field is that in at least 2 studies I have read the participants were not able to identify one under controlled conditions.  [i],[ii] A 1,000,000 challenge by the James Randi Educational Foundation has been offered to anyone who will demonstrate the existence of a human energy field under controlled conditions.  This has not been done. 

It is not as if I have not had exposure to people who do this type of work.  I have on a number of occasions.  It is not that I am ignorant of the science behind the ideas – I have read some of the best books on the subject.[iii] [iv] [v] [vi]

It is certainly of concern that it has not been shown that the energy field exists.  The books and web sites that try to lay a foundation for the practice often begin with occult or pseudoscientific explanations of the topic. Spiritually, the occult foundations and practices are of much greater importance than the lack of proof for the energy field.  The first raises spiritual concerns and the second intellectual issues.

Deu 18:9-15  "When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.  "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear…”

This passage alerts us to the spiritual issues.  We find here a veritable grocery list of occult practices.  The magicians and sorcerers of old are the precursors of many of our “modern” energy healers.  They too had rituals to prepare them to intervene in the health of others.  We need to be as wary as the original hearers of this passage were to be.  The contrast could not be more clear.  The final section about the prophet is referring to Jesus.  There is a contrast between those using occult/spiritual methods of healing and Christ.

The practice of Reiki requires an attunement.  This is a spiritual happening.  The following is an explanation of why one needs this as an initiation into Reiki:

“I am sure that there are those who worked with energy work much longer than I had when they took their first Reiki class. They may question why it is necessary to be initiated into something that they believed already existed within them. I would have two responses to them. Would the neophyte believe in this natural gift from Spirit of healing self and others without the ritual? Secondly, as the “Oxford Dictionary” indicates, initiation is also “admission to the knowledge or instruction in the elements of any subject or practice.” Is this not the process that Dr. Usui went through when he received the Reiki keys to healing from Spirit?

As a teacher I have seen my students many reactions to the process of receiving an initiation. In varying degrees each student has been touched in some special way by Spirit. Initiations are a part of the process of reconnection to Spirit and a beginning of a new or renewed walk down the path of life. Many doors are opened in this sacred ritual.” [vii]

Notice the description refers to the “Spirit.”  Dr Usui is said to have received the “Reiki keys to healing from Spirit.”  This certainly sounds like occult practice.  It is certainly not the God of the Bible giving out this information.  These ideas of an energy field are wedded to a view of the world that view “energy” as a manifestation that all that exists is one.  This is a view that is inconsistent with the biblical concept of the creator creature distinction in my previous post (http://christianpainmanagement.blogspot.com/2014/02/massage-therapy-and-creatorcreature.html).  If you are not familiar with this concept you should read that post before continuing.

We see the same thing in Therapeutic Touch.  The practice was developed by a medium and each visit the practitioner is to “center” themself in ways that mirror that background.  Look at this description of the process: 

“From this extemporaneous account one realizes that the importance of sustained centering throughout the healing act is that it becomes an act of interiority, an act of self-exploration. This shift in consciousness sets up conditions that attract the TT therapist’s inner self to take an intimate part in the therapist’s life activities. We have profiled the changes in the TT therapist that are characteristic of this shift:

There is a rapid psychomotor quieting of the physical body,

A significant lessening of usually uncontrollable verbalizations (“monkey chatter”) in the brain,

A sense of timelessness pervades,

A profound stillness and a sense of peace,

A diminution or shift of egocentric focus

* There is greater clarity in recognition of compassion as power,

An increase in self-confidence,

A strong grasp of intuitive insights and access to deep inquiry,

A tacit understanding of the power of effortless effort when, for instance, working from the crown chakra, and

The amazing realization that the deeper one goes within oneself, the easier it is to heal.  It becomes apparent that this is increasingly so as the inner self becomes the secret ally on this healing path, the Guide, the Teacher who helps the TT therapist become self-aware, an attainment that is the stated goal of this Newer Age quest into who we really are.

Experientially, at least, we now realize that Therapeutic Touch is an opportunity to touch another level of consciousness, a new path of self-realization of our ability to compassionately help those in need, an inner journey to what we are in the depths of our consciousness. This understanding comes with the conscious liason of the individual’s inner self. If the TT therapist is doing Therapeutic Touch correctly, she will not be personally attached to the outcome of the TT interaction, for she is calling upon a source other than her self-willed persona. From this more impersonal stance she can reflect and, as a model, perhaps open up for the healee a glimpse or an impression of the healee’s own inner experiences with his own inner self. He then may find out that the very act of believing that the inner self is accessible lends courage and decisive purpose to one’s life. Life itself then becomes more meaningful, more interesting, and … more fun !  [viii]

Here we see the therapist reaching into themselves but this time to somehow make it easier to manipulate the patient’s energy field.  Of interest is the other source, “the secret ally on this healing path, the Guide, the Teacher who helps the TT therapist become self-aware” – the one other than her self willed persona.  How would one know that they were in contact with some deeper level of themselves as opposed to say – a spirit guide?  How would knowing oneself better make them better equipped to manipulate another person’s energy field.  Therapeutic Touch is certainly dealing with spiritualistic practices here.

Training to do Reiki and Therapeutic Touch both cause the learner to involve themselves in occult activities.  This is something that a believer should not be doing.  This leads to another problem.

Believers have told me that they have taken these trainings and do these techniques but instead of calling on spirit guides or channeling energy they instead rely upon the Holy Spirit.  It is certainly commendable that they immediately see the issue and seek a solution.  The problem is with the solution they have chosen.

We as Massage Therapists like to help people.  We like to see them get better.  This sometimes makes us think of ourselves as healers and when we do that we sometimes think that we have the biblical gift of healing.  Once we take that step it is not difficult to turn to these energy medicine techniques, baptize them by throwing in a dash of Christian terminology, and poof – we are Christian healers who use energy techniques by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We need to stop doing this.  Only the Holy Spirit speaking through the Bible can disavow us of this notion.

There are a number of ways of going about this.  I like to look at what actually happened in biblical healings and contrast that with what happens in treatment rooms of EP.

We see Jesus and the apostles doing a number of healings.  Take the man born blind in John 9.  He receives his sight.  What happened?  Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, and applied the clay to his eyes.  The blind man was then given directions to go wash the clay away in the pool of Siloam.  The man returned as a man with sight.  Notice that Jesus did not need to spend time centering himself.  He did not move his hands over the man in any particular order.  The healing was complete.  This man did not require booster healings.

Look at Lazarus in John 11. He was dead.  He had been in there for four days.  Jesus orders the stone away even though “there is a stench.” Jesus spoke and out came Lazarus.  Again, He did not move his hands over the man in any particular order.  He was not even near the body, nevertheless, the dead was raised to life. 

In Luke 6 a man with a withered hand is at the synagogue.  Jesus tells him to stretch out his hand.  He did not move his hands over the man in any particular order.  The man stretched out his hand as commanded and the healing was complete.  Notice that as with the other 2 that this man did not require booster healings.

There is a pattern here.  I am not aware of any case in scripture where anything similar to the attunement ceremony or the centering process was done before a biblical healing occurred.  Whatever is happening today in energetic healing bears no real resemblance to what was done by Jesus and the apostles.  There is no resemblance because biblical healing is qualitatively different from what is passing for healing in these energy based healing disciplines of today.

But we have believers who do energy work.  How do we explain their effectiveness?  We especially need to consider that these practitioners deny that they use occult methods.  We have already seen that what they do does not approximate what was done by Jesus and the apostles but they say that what they are doing is in the name of Christ.

If what they are doing is of Christ it will look like what he did.  What they do does not look like what Christ and the apostles did.  Therefore what they are doing is not of Christ.  This leaves us with a few alternatives.  We will look at those in my next post.

---

[i] Rosa et al. A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch, JAMA April 1, 1998 Vol  279, No. 13 pg. 1005-1010

[ii] R. Glickman and E. Gracely.  Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine 2 , No 1 (spring/summer 1998)

[iii] J. Oshman, Energy Medicine in Therapeutics and Human Performance, 2003 Elsevier Science

[iv] J. Oshman, Energy Medicine the Scientific Basis, 2000 Elsevier Science

[v] R. Becker and G. Selden, The Body Electric, 1985 Quill

[vi] Y. Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Chi Kung:  The Secrets of Chi Kung Training, 1995 Yang’s Martial Arts Association

[vii] http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/whyattunementnecessary.htm

[viii] http://www.sma-us.org/content/therapeutic-touch-bridge-inner-self

The Fruit of the Spirit in the Life of Christ - an Introduction

I‘ve been contemplating a project for 25 years now.  I have been intrigued by the idea of studying the life of Christ with an eye toward how he models the fruit of the Spirit for us.  I wonder what I can learn from such a study.  I hope you will come along with me and see where it goes.  This blog is specific to pain management in the context of my practice of massage therapy.  I think it will be an interesting perspective on the subject.

The Fruit of the Spirit is listed in Gal. 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

This in an interesting list in many ways.  One thing that catches my eye is that it occurs in a context.  A few verses earlier there is the concern of fighting in the church.  This is followed by a listing of the “Works of the Flesh” listed in verses 19-21:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit are contrasted.  The idea is that the life of a believer is very different from the non-believer.

Another point of interest is that this is but one of many such lists.  Another one is found in Eph. 4:20-32.  In that passage we are told that we are to take off certain behaviors and put on other ones.  There is actual work we are to do. 

Therefore, putting away lying, "LET EACH ONE OF YOU SPEAK TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOR," for we are members of one another. "BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.  Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

As you can see the lists are different.  I just want to point out that the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians is not all that is said about growth in the Christian life.  It is important but it is not everything.

Another issue in this study will be watching out for moralism.  There is often a tendency to just read sections like this and turn scripture into a collection of good character traits – with Jesus as an example.  So far, so good.  The issue is that while Jesus is an example par excellence as to how we are to live and a perfect model of such behavior – he is so much more than that.

It would be easy to see and portray Jesus as our example and miss so much more about him.  Jesus executes the office of Prophet, Priest, and King.  We do not want to miss that in this series.  To do so would to miss the gospel.

We also need to remember that Jesus is the second person of the trinity.  He is Deity.  When we are looking at WWJD we will need to remember that Jesus as the God man might do something different from what we would. 

Theologians talk about God’s communicable and incommunicable attributes.  We will never be as God is in omnipotence or omnipresence.  We are to be like him in holiness. 

What does the Fruit of the Spirit have to do with pain management? We will be looking at that.  I am expecting it to be very appropriate to tie in with our topic.

This is a start.  More to follow.  I am looking forward to seeing Jesus model the Fruit of the Spirit.

E-Sword.net A Great Resource

My 73 year old mother called me last week.  She was very excited because a couple from her church had asked her to accompany them to a nursing home ministry.  They arrived at the home and the people came or were brought into the area where the preaching was to happen.  About 7 of them said at the end that they wanted to make a profession of faith.  Mom went to speak to a man who the leaders had not been able to get to.  She made sure he understood the gospel.   She was elated by the experience.  She had never done anything like this before.

But there was a fly in the ointment.  The group left and the man she had spoken with did not have a Bible.  She said there was no planned follow up.  This man did not know what he had.  She has taken steps to remedy that.

Many of us have a similar issue.  We have the Bible in our hands.  We have it but we don’t read it.  For some, it is because they do not have the discipline.  Others are not believers and do not have the work of the Holy Spirit to give them the understanding.    Then there are those I want to help with this post.  There are those who do not understand as much as they could because they lact the tools to help them understand.  If this is you – get ready to be blessed.

There is an amazing free resource that I have been using and telling people about for many years.  It is a downloadable Bible program with some amazing FREE resources.  It is the E-Sword program and it is FREE at www.e-sword.net.

The most important thing available in the program of course is the Bible.  Not just any Bible dozens of translations in many languages.  If you don’t see the one you like you can usually pay a small free for the one you want.  I did this to get the New King James and the NIV.  Free volumes included the KJV and the ESV.  I have downloaded the Bible in Greek and Hebrew.  I have the original Geneva Bible.  You will probably find something you like as well!

I love the commentary selection.  There are a good number of these – most are free.  Among my free downloads were Matthew Henry, John Gill, and Vincent’s Word Studies.They have a link on the site where I was able to download other free modules created by other uses.  I got John Calvin and Matthew Poole this way.

There is a section where you can keep your own Journal.  Journaling is a time honored way of keeping the benefits of one’s devotions.  Keeping it electronically is a great way for those of us with less than perfect handwriting to read what we have written at a later date.

I especially like the Study Notes feature.  It allows me to leave notes on a particular text so I can come back to that text.  I can even take quotes from the other resources and paste them there!  This keeps me from marking up my Bible even worse than I already do!

There are daily devotionals available as well.  If that is something you like – there is gold in this here program!  I have Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening.  Extra free add-ons go on for several pages on the links page.

Next to my Bible I use the prayer list feature the most.  I break it up by day.  I also break it up by topic.  It helps me work on what many find to be a difficult discipline.  This helps me.

There is also a Scripture memory feature.  This is an amazing thing.  It has a number of ways to help retain the word.  It can give the first word.  It can leave a few words in.  It has other ways as well.  If you have difficulty with memory this is a great resource.

I also have a Bible Encyclopedia and several Bible dictionaries.  Did I mention that they are FREE.  I have Vine’s OT and NT words as well as an Webster’s dictionary.

If you have a Bible and you need help in understanding it – this is the best tool that I know of.  This is information that I do not want to keep to myself.  This program is one of the best things that has happened in my life as a Christian.  If you decide to download and use – It may be that for you as well.  www.E-sword.net.  This is a ministry and they like but do not require support.  I hope you check it out!

Healing and Healers Part 2

The series of posts is part of a discussion I am having with some other Christians.  It is a very important question for those who seek to help those in pain as well as those who hurt.  Those of us in the healing professions are often here because we ant to help those who suffer.  You see us briefly for treatment and go on your way. 

What you miss is our inner struggle.  We actually care about what we are doing.  We don’t just apply a procedure, perform a service, or prescribe a pill.  We leave the treatment room and think long and hard about what worked and what did not.  We think about those we have tried to help.  On my own part I can say that I go home and scour medical journals and books looking for ways to improve what I do and for answers to why a particular person may not be responding as I like.

The last post focused on Biblical reasons that people suffer.  In this post I want to look at what the Bible says about healing and healers.  I am going to do it in a way to answer a question that a friend has.  We will give this person a nice unisex name.  How about Alex?  You supply the gender.

Alex is a massage therapist like me.  These are 2 related comments that I will be responding to.  Please keep in mind that the purpose of this post is instruction.  I am not making a personal attack.  I am trying to build up and help another who professes faith.  Alex said:

“I want to see MS be cured, the paralyzed to walk, and bodies be redeemed. I know God can do that through me as a vessel, but what's blocking it. How can we remove ourselves out of the picture from doing tangible acts like massage & allow God to supersede our limited thinking with His limitless power?”

“However, John 14:12 keeps nagging at me, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

Human rationalizations or even Biblical interpretations don't seem to suffice this hunger in me to see those red letter words fulfilled. If that's what HE said isn't that what we should be doing or expecting instead of trying to explain it away? The power of sin could never overcome the power of salvation.”

Alex wants to know why the people he/she touches are not responding in an even greater way than what happened for Jesus.  It’s a valid question.  A bible verse has been quoted. It appears according to the theology of the first glance that we should be out performing Jesus.  It looks like that is what he clearly said.  Why ARE we explaining away what God the Son, the second person of the Trinity said?  What are we to do?

If you are suffering from chronic pain you might well have the same sentiment.  Where are these healers?  You would even be satisfied with what Jesus did!

It would probably be a good idea to go the passage mentioned by Alex. I will go a little before and after:

John 14:11- 14 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 

In the context Jesus states that his works in and of themselves should cause those who see them to believe in him.  There is no local context that tells us what these works are.  This chapter is silent but we do learn something about the purpose of the works of Jesus that are recorded in the book of John.  He says here that these works should lead us to faith.  John 20:30 - 31  “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” So we see twice that the purpose of the works was to drive us to faith.  Another interesting thing is that these works were not few in number.  John says again chapter 21: 25  “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”

So Jesus came and did many great works to cause people to have faith in him.  Why on earth would they do that?  Why don’t we just record them in Ripley’s Believe it or Not and chalk it up to an interesting story that has no effect on our lives?  Why is it that according to 1Co 1:22  “Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom…”  Why in fact did Nicodemous say in John 3:2  "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  What is this about signs and faith?

It began with Moses:

Exodus 4:1-9  Then Moses answered and said, "But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.' " So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."  And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), "that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." Furthermore the LORD said to him, "Now put your hand in your bosom." And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, "Put your hand in your bosom again." So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. "Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land."

Moses needed to speak to the leaders of Israel.  God gave him signs to show that he was indeed bringing a message from God.  They knew the time was near because God had told Abram in Gen 15:13  “Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.”  So the signs and wonders were used to authenticate that the messenger was in fact from God.

There was also the promise of the Messiah.  We read of the amazing things that he was to do through then entire Old Testament.  The Old Testament scriptures describe the offices he was to fulfill as Prophet (Dt. 18:18-22), Priest (Ps 110 ) , and King (2 Sam 7).  In the discharge of his Kingly office he was to heal: Isa 35:5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. “

So, the Jews were waiting for a Messiah who was a healer.  When John the Baptist was having a crisis of faith in prison he sent messengers to Jesus.  Look at Jesus’ reply in Luke 7:19-22:

  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' " And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

The healings of Jesus were presented to John the Baptist to demonstrate that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.  The healings were additional proof to the Jewish people that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  The Apostles continued this ministry.

So Jesus tells his disciples, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do…”  Did the Apostles do anything more fantastic than Jesus did when raising the dead or making the lame to walk?  If they did it is not recorded in scripture.  This would be a great place for a non believer to cast aspersions on the truth of scripture.  Jesus said it and it did not happen. 

That is a pretty scary thought.  The Jews would have made good use of such an argument.  We read in the passage where the coming of the Prophet is announced exactly how to tell a true from a false prophet.  Deut. 18:20 - 22  But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”  The Jews would certainly have made use of this argument when bring the Apostles to trial – yet it is never mentioned.  Why?

There was a common type of argument used by the Jews at this time.  It was called an argument from the lesser to the greater.  We see Jesus using this when he talked about the unjust judge. Luk 18:1-7 “  Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” The argument was that if an unjust judge would hear an entreaty he cared nothing about and would deal righteously – hom much more would the Father?

Another instance is displayed in Matt. 7:9-11 “ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  If these natural arguments are true, how much more will God bless us!

My favorite is Mat 9:2-8  “Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. "And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.” This is really amazing – is it more difficult to do the spiritual or the physical healing.  This is really pertinent.

This statement of Jesus regarding greater works is another example of this type of argument.  Which is more difficult or spectacular.  I think John Gill says it well in his commentary on this verse: 

“John 14:12

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me,.... Having mentioned his miracles as proofs of his deity, he assures his disciples, in order to comfort them under the loss of his bodily presence, that they should do the same, and greater works; for we are not to understand these words of everyone that believes in Christ, of every private believer in him, but only of the apostles, and each of them, that were true believers in him: to whom he says,

the works that I do shall he do also; he shall raise the dead, heal all manner of diseases, and cast out devils; things which Christ gave his apostles power to do, when he first gave them a commission to preach the Gospel, and when he renewed and enlarged it: and which they did perform, not in their own name, and by their own power, but in the name, and by the power of Christ: and greater works than these shall he do; meaning, not greater in nature and kind, but more in number; for the apostles, in a long series of time, and course of years, went about preaching the Gospel, not in Judea only, but in all the world; "God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost", Heb_2:4, wherever they went: though perhaps by these greater works may be meant the many instances of conversion, which the apostles were instrumental in, and which were more in number than those which were under our Lord's personal ministry: besides, the conversion of a sinner is a greater work than any of the miracles of raising the dead, &c. for this includes in it all miracles: here we may see a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, quickened; one born blind made to see; one who was deaf to the threatenings of the law, and to the charming voice of the Gospel, made to hear, so as to live; and one that had the spreading leprosy of sin all over him, cleansed from it by the blood of the Lamb yea, though a miracle in nature is an instance and proof of divine power, yet the conversion of a sinner, which is a miracle in grace, is not only an instance of the power of God, and of the greatness of it, but of the exceeding greatness of it: and the rather one may be induced to give in to this sense of the passage, since it is added, as a reason, because I go to my Father; and upon my ascension the Spirit will be given, to you, which shall not only enable you to perform miracles, as proofs of your apostleship, and the doctrine you preach, but which shall powerfully attend the Gospel to the conversion of multitudes of souls.”

Far from “explaining this verse away” this post illustrates how these words would have been understood by those who heard them.  The greater works had more to do with the progress of the gospel going from Jerusalem and Judea unto the uttermost parts of the earth.  There is still much to be said.  Lord willing – more to come!