Comments on: The Healer Song http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/ ...in spirit and in truth Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:52:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Brad http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-436 Brad Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:10:33 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-436 I think it is a strange thing to even entertain the thought that the song healer is a "cry for healing" by Mike G. Remember, that ever time he sings this he is engaged in as one said "calculated" intentional lying and even lying for the sake of defrauding the entire Body of Christ of sympathy and God's money. To conclude that there is any genuine "cry" for healing is curious. Why do we have so much trouble concluding that people do purely sinful and bad things with no redeeming value. Sure the song is good but let's not need to redeem the singer with all the evidence to the contrary. I think it is a strange thing to even entertain the thought that the song healer is a “cry for healing” by Mike G. Remember, that ever time he sings this he is engaged in as one said “calculated” intentional lying and even lying for the sake of defrauding the entire Body of Christ of sympathy and God’s money. To conclude that there is any genuine “cry” for healing is curious. Why do we have so much trouble concluding that people do purely sinful and bad things with no redeeming value.
Sure the song is good but let’s not need to redeem the singer with all the evidence to the contrary.

]]> By: Justin Joiner http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-435 Justin Joiner Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:13:03 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-435 Dude, I so believe you should play this song. I am now leading worship and plan to teach this song to my band. When I first heard about the writer lying about his condition, I was disappointed and said I would never sing this song. After having said that, God quickly convicted me of my attitude. Even though the writer lied, the song is powerful, convicting, and moving. The Bible says that God will use an unwilling vessel. God can use this song to impact people's lives. Dude, I so believe you should play this song. I am now leading worship and plan to teach this song to my band. When I first heard about the writer lying about his condition, I was disappointed and said I would never sing this song. After having said that, God quickly convicted me of my attitude. Even though the writer lied, the song is powerful, convicting, and moving. The Bible says that God will use an unwilling vessel. God can use this song to impact people’s lives.

]]> By: willgoodwin http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-424 willgoodwin Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:16:04 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-424 well said Humbled. well said Humbled.

]]> By: Humbled http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-420 Humbled Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:50:14 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-420 I am again reminded that no-one is perfect, but that we consistently strive to be more like Christ. Mike was wrong in what he did - no arguments there - but God is greater than that and I can only think that in writing this awsome song, he genuinely was - and is still - seeking Healing for his sin and deception. The song is true and genuine and even though the sinner may not be, this is a cry from his heart to be made whole. That I believe no-one can take away. I also think that to forgive means that we also encompass and embrace this type of cry to God and use it for the healing of others who may not have words to ask. I do think that this song will go far in helping others see the healing of God. I am again reminded that no-one is perfect, but that we consistently strive to be more like Christ. Mike was wrong in what he did - no arguments there - but God is greater than that and I can only think that in writing this awsome song, he genuinely was - and is still - seeking Healing for his sin and deception. The song is true and genuine and even though the sinner may not be, this is a cry from his heart to be made whole. That I believe no-one can take away. I also think that to forgive means that we also encompass and embrace this type of cry to God and use it for the healing of others who may not have words to ask. I do think that this song will go far in helping others see the healing of God.

]]> By: Perry Ching http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-413 Perry Ching Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:40:18 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-413 Dear brother by His Grace, God loves and redeems all sinners, regardless of magnitude or scope. This is indeed Good News and I stand with you on this ground of mercy. The question I think is: whether worship leaders should use this song, “Healer”, after the current disclosed testimony of lie and deception by brother Mike G. and seeing the negative impact it resulted to many Believers worldwide. In answering this question, I think of tithing or offering to God what He has rightly given me and I think of giving Him the best in full and in total reverence. I want to give Him my best to honor Him. God is worthy of our best. Another thought: If King David was here today, what would he say if we encourage him to build God’s temple with materials used in pagan temples, or things used in acts of sin, or anything involved in conducts that did not please or honor our God Jehovah? One cannot separate the acts of sin and the sanctity of instrument used to accomplish its sinful objective. Or, inversely, would an instrument used to accomplish full sinful objectives, and sung through lying lips by its author, influenced by the Father of Lies, be able to “build yourselves up in your most holy faith” (Jude 24)? Again, I pray we can use Psalms and songs which were results of true repentance, true surrender, and true deliverance written by sinners; and specifically not use songs that were instruments used to accomplish sinful objectives. I concur with your John 4:23 comments. But as worship leaders we need to use instruments (songs, prayers and passages) to promote (1) our spirit be engaged and inter-flowing with God’s Spirit; and (2) truth in full repentance and honest submission to God’s way of worship and life without falsity or pretense. I think the bottom line is: Whether a leader thinks this song, “Healer”, is valuable and meaningful after it was written & used as instrument of deception, is dramatically influenced by one’s view of God’s wholesome Holiness and what He requires in His presence, apart from any congregational emotionalism. This perspective forms the context of an overall worldview of worship. I believe song selection matters intrinsically and critically in our worship to our King, and I only want to let you know I disagree with the comment, “I don't believe it matters what song you are singing...” As human, we find it difficult to forget a face or a voice that hurt us, or the instrument used to hurt us, even after we forgave the offensive person and event. We need to consider if it is reasonable to require the congregation to stay focus on God when they are led to repeatedly sing a lie (lie was its intended purpose, with a “pseudo-spiritual” wrapping). What you determine to use for a worship that honors our Almighty and King, is between you and Him. Indeed, what we use to build our life and ministry, gold, silver costly stones, wood, hay or straw, “his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward” (1 Cor 3:13-14) May God be gracious to us, as we humbly learn from Him in our feeble attempts. I only share my personal thoughts and convictions with you, through His Love, and nothing more. I understand we may have different views and still remain in His Grace & Love. I can only pray with you together that we conscientiously “be perfect” in our service to the Divine King, as we stand before His Glorious Face. I bid you the best of His blessings for your worship leading. Warm Regards in Him, Perry Dear brother by His Grace,

God loves and redeems all sinners, regardless of magnitude or scope. This is indeed Good News and I stand with you on this ground of mercy.

The question I think is: whether worship leaders should use this song, “Healer”, after the current disclosed testimony of lie and deception by brother Mike G. and seeing the negative impact it resulted to many Believers worldwide.

In answering this question, I think of tithing or offering to God what He has rightly given me and I think of giving Him the best in full and in total reverence. I want to give Him my best to honor Him. God is worthy of our best. Another thought: If King David was here today, what would he say if we encourage him to build God’s temple with materials used in pagan temples, or things used in acts of sin, or anything involved in conducts that did not please or honor our God Jehovah? One cannot separate the acts of sin and the sanctity of instrument used to accomplish its sinful objective. Or, inversely, would an instrument used to accomplish full sinful objectives, and sung through lying lips by its author, influenced by the Father of Lies, be able to “build yourselves up in your most holy faith” (Jude 24)? Again, I pray we can use Psalms and songs which were results of true repentance, true surrender, and true deliverance written by sinners; and specifically not use songs that were instruments used to accomplish sinful objectives.

I concur with your John 4:23 comments. But as worship leaders we need to use instruments (songs, prayers and passages) to promote (1) our spirit be engaged and inter-flowing with God’s Spirit; and (2) truth in full repentance and honest submission to God’s way of worship and life without falsity or pretense.

I think the bottom line is: Whether a leader thinks this song, “Healer”, is valuable and meaningful after it was written & used as instrument of deception, is dramatically influenced by one’s view of God’s wholesome Holiness and what He requires in His presence, apart from any congregational emotionalism. This perspective forms the context of an overall worldview of worship. I believe song selection matters intrinsically and critically in our worship to our King, and I only want to let you know I disagree with the comment, “I don’t believe it matters what song you are singing…” As human, we find it difficult to forget a face or a voice that hurt us, or the instrument used to hurt us, even after we forgave the offensive person and event. We need to consider if it is reasonable to require the congregation to stay focus on God when they are led to repeatedly sing a lie (lie was its intended purpose, with a “pseudo-spiritual” wrapping).

What you determine to use for a worship that honors our Almighty and King, is between you and Him. Indeed, what we use to build our life and ministry, gold, silver costly stones, wood, hay or straw, “his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward” (1 Cor 3:13-14) May God be gracious to us, as we humbly learn from Him in our feeble attempts. I only share my personal thoughts and convictions with you, through His Love, and nothing more.

I understand we may have different views and still remain in His Grace & Love. I can only pray with you together that we conscientiously “be perfect” in our service to the Divine King, as we stand before His Glorious Face.

I bid you the best of His blessings for your worship leading.

Warm Regards in Him,
Perry

]]> By: willgoodwin http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-411 willgoodwin Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:20:40 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-411 Perry, I agree with so much of what you are saying but I think you are missing my point. I am unconcerned about where the song came from. I am only concerned with how or if it can be used to glorify God. I can't say for sure what he did and did not say. I don't know the guy. Maybe you do. However, I'm pretty sure there is not a song in existence that is not in some way a distraction for somebody. The only way for any form of worship to be free from distraction is for the worshipper to be undistracted. That takes discipline and I believe divine intervention. When that happens, I don't believe it matters what song you are singing, or what passage you are reading, or what message you are listening to, or prayer you are praying. Jesus is specifically telling the woman at the well that she must worship God authentically and fervently in every aspect of her life. I can either focus on the fact that the song I am singing was written by a sinner or I can focus on what I am offering to God. Do you not believe God can redeem the absolute most treacherous of sins for His glory? Perry, I agree with so much of what you are saying but I think you are missing my point. I am unconcerned about where the song came from. I am only concerned with how or if it can be used to glorify God. I can’t say for sure what he did and did not say. I don’t know the guy. Maybe you do. However, I’m pretty sure there is not a song in existence that is not in some way a distraction for somebody. The only way for any form of worship to be free from distraction is for the worshipper to be undistracted. That takes discipline and I believe divine intervention. When that happens, I don’t believe it matters what song you are singing, or what passage you are reading, or what message you are listening to, or prayer you are praying. Jesus is specifically telling the woman at the well that she must worship God authentically and fervently in every aspect of her life. I can either focus on the fact that the song I am singing was written by a sinner or I can focus on what I am offering to God. Do you not believe God can redeem the absolute most treacherous of sins for His glory?

]]> By: Perry Ching http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-410 Perry Ching Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:07:15 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-410 Dear brother by His Grace, I cannot stand in judgment of another brother, because I am a sinner saved by God’s Grace. My Lord knows my heart and His Spirit searches all things. I have one desire is to serve Him wholeheartedly and to honor Him with my daily life and every conversation. What brother Mike G. did was intentional, calculated and executed in raw fleshly efforts to achieve an objective to promote himself. Instead of waiting upon God’s sovereign act to establish him, he did otherwise. His heart was not aligned with His Word or His Will. His song, “Healer”, however profound or musically engaging, was an instrument to achieve full deception, over a period of time. He needs to see sin and its ramifications clearly in order to get well. We need to love our brother for whom Christ died, who sinned with global exposure, and pray for his deliverance, healing and restoration. And we also need to see sin as a set of actions, from perception, architecture, through performance, that did not please God and has no redeeming value. Your response: “I heard today the author wrote it as an internal pleading for God to heal his sickness and addiction” is unbelievable, any more than a sinner sings in “worship” in midst of his engaged sinful acts and for the purpose of achieving his full sinful objective. If this statement was true, then he needed not his oxygen-tubes, lies and deception. This statement is oxymoronic. It would be better and wiser if he said, “I was totally wrong. I need God’s forgiveness now, I want to change my ways. Please forgive me for the disgrace and pain I have brought. Please pray for my complete healing.” King Saul was appointed and anointed as the first King of Israel by God, a very front-stage position with lots of media. Yet, King Saul failed because (1) his pride and ego got in the way in his governance, and (2) he pursued self-significance repeatedly without true repentance. As we lead the congregation to worship the Holy and Almighty Father who requires worship be in spirit and truth (John 4:23) in all possible ways with content and heart, we have a responsibility to the fellow sheep that God has entrusted to us to shepherd and care, to use songs that will not cause them to stumble or in any way distract them in their pursuit of God and His holiness. May the songs that we select to sing will bring about healing, reinforcement and faith, and help the congregation to stand closer to God, in surrender to His Majesty in God-fearing, true reverent worship. I pray we can use Psalms and songs which were results of true repentance, true surrender, and true deliverance from sinners; and not use songs that were instruments of intended deception. I think brother Mike G can sing his song again, after he is recovered from his sickness, as a confirmed testimony of God’s healing. But I think, by then, he will have another better and more powerful composition. Let’s pray for that victory and celebration. Warm Regards in Him, Perry Dear brother by His Grace,

I cannot stand in judgment of another brother, because I am a sinner saved by God’s Grace. My Lord knows my heart and His Spirit searches all things. I have one desire is to serve Him wholeheartedly and to honor Him with my daily life and every conversation.

What brother Mike G. did was intentional, calculated and executed in raw fleshly efforts to achieve an objective to promote himself. Instead of waiting upon God’s sovereign act to establish him, he did otherwise. His heart was not aligned with His Word or His Will. His song, “Healer”, however profound or musically engaging, was an instrument to achieve full deception, over a period of time. He needs to see sin and its ramifications clearly in order to get well. We need to love our brother for whom Christ died, who sinned with global exposure, and pray for his deliverance, healing and restoration. And we also need to see sin as a set of actions, from perception, architecture, through performance, that did not please God and has no redeeming value.

Your response: “I heard today the author wrote it as an internal pleading for God to heal his sickness and addiction” is unbelievable, any more than a sinner sings in “worship” in midst of his engaged sinful acts and for the purpose of achieving his full sinful objective. If this statement was true, then he needed not his oxygen-tubes, lies and deception. This statement is oxymoronic. It would be better and wiser if he said, “I was totally wrong. I need God’s forgiveness now, I want to change my ways. Please forgive me for the disgrace and pain I have brought. Please pray for my complete healing.”

King Saul was appointed and anointed as the first King of Israel by God, a very front-stage position with lots of media. Yet, King Saul failed because (1) his pride and ego got in the way in his governance, and (2) he pursued self-significance repeatedly without true repentance.

As we lead the congregation to worship the Holy and Almighty Father who requires worship be in spirit and truth (John 4:23) in all possible ways with content and heart, we have a responsibility to the fellow sheep that God has entrusted to us to shepherd and care, to use songs that will not cause them to stumble or in any way distract them in their pursuit of God and His holiness. May the songs that we select to sing will bring about healing, reinforcement and faith, and help the congregation to stand closer to God, in surrender to His Majesty in God-fearing, true reverent worship. I pray we can use Psalms and songs which were results of true repentance, true surrender, and true deliverance from sinners; and not use songs that were instruments of intended deception.

I think brother Mike G can sing his song again, after he is recovered from his sickness, as a confirmed testimony of God’s healing. But I think, by then, he will have another better and more powerful composition. Let’s pray for that victory and celebration.

Warm Regards in Him,
Perry

]]> By: willgoodwin http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-404 willgoodwin Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:33:03 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-404 interesting Perry Ching...so your saying we should not sing this song because it is not one of our best selection? Why? because the person who wrote the song had improper intentions? I heard today the author wrote it as an internal pleading for God to heal his sickness and addiction. Regardless, there has not nor will there ever be a song written that can truly encapsulate the majesty and wonder of God. And yet we have the Psalms and 1000s of songs written out of divine inspiration. Would you say this song was not inspired by the Holy Spirit? interesting Perry Ching…so your saying we should not sing this song because it is not one of our best selection? Why? because the person who wrote the song had improper intentions? I heard today the author wrote it as an internal pleading for God to heal his sickness and addiction. Regardless, there has not nor will there ever be a song written that can truly encapsulate the majesty and wonder of God. And yet we have the Psalms and 1000s of songs written out of divine inspiration. Would you say this song was not inspired by the Holy Spirit?

]]> By: Perry Ching http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-403 Perry Ching Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:21:10 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-403 Jehovah-Rapha, God the Healer is greater than the song, "Healer". His credentials shine beyond the lyrics will hold, and His power is beyond what this song can sustain. Our Lord is Holy and True. Even the utmost sincere, true and powerful song is inadequate to match His character and ability, let alone a song motivated by an untrue heart. God does not need a false testimony and its expressions in any form, to prove He is able. There are and will be other great songs, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in humility and truth, to proclaim God the Healer. Let us wait upon the Lord, and let go of what we think will exalt Him, but seek to set forth worship of the Almighty with our utmost best selections according to His Word and His Will. Jehovah-Rapha, God the Healer is greater than the song, “Healer”. His credentials shine beyond the lyrics will hold, and His power is beyond what this song can sustain. Our Lord is Holy and True. Even the utmost sincere, true and powerful song is inadequate to match His character and ability, let alone a song motivated by an untrue heart. God does not need a false testimony and its expressions in any form, to prove He is able. There are and will be other great songs, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in humility and truth, to proclaim God the Healer. Let us wait upon the Lord, and let go of what we think will exalt Him, but seek to set forth worship of the Almighty with our utmost best selections according to His Word and His Will.

]]> By: nikki http://blog.willgoodwin.com/2008/08/the-healer-song/#comment-402 nikki Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:43:18 +0000 http://blog.willgoodwin.com/?p=555#comment-402 I was thinking about this when the song first started in the service this morning. I thought that I wouldn't want to hear the song...I didn't think that I would like it anymore. I was so wrong. This song is amazing, even if the guy who wrote it isn't dying. I think that lives will definitely be changed by the way God is going to use this song. I was thinking about this when the song first started in the service this morning. I thought that I wouldn’t want to hear the song…I didn’t think that I would like it anymore. I was so wrong. This song is amazing, even if the guy who wrote it isn’t dying. I think that lives will definitely be changed by the way God is going to use this song.

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