items of interest

with contributions from Ann Winterholter, Richard Dymond, Tim Rutten

"NO MATTER WHAT A PERSON MAY BELIEVE ABOUT WHO JESUS IS —a good man, moral teacher, prophet, God—the fact remains that he set a high standard for healing in life and death: the miracle. The authors of the Gospels wrote about how Jesus cured everything from leprosy to blindness, demon possession to greed, with a touch or word. While most people today don't claim to have the immortal ability to heal with a touch, many do pray, calling out to Jesus or anything, anyone, higher than humanity to heal a loved one or themselves. They want the power of prayer to defy a scientific age that can use a mere strand of hair to identify people by their DNA. It seems like a tall order; however, 'The lights don't flicker in heaven when [God] heals someone of cancer,' said John Cappetto, senior pastor at Faith Heights in Grand Junction [,Colorado]. Every Wednesday evening at the church, Cappetto teaches on what the Bible says concerning healing. 'Healing can be learned,' he said. 'It's not just something that happens to lucky people.'...

We're not all in the same place spirituality, nor do we believe the same things about healing and prayer. 'I don't tell people to go off their medicine. That's between them and God,' he said. 'Medicine and doctors are from God, too.' However, the Bible is also medicine, he said. 'Get into the Bible, grow in faith in God, pray in faith, and healing results,' Cappetto said."

Ann Winterholter
"Appeal to higher power heals, many believe"
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
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April 19, 2003