Prayers for Healing or Profit?

This one is difficult for me to post because I am not sure about whether it is in the interest of prayer and healing or just a sympathy plea to bring in more revenue.

It was story taken up and beautifully written in an article for his blog by a friend of mine from South Africa. He posted it in my group and I usually welcome his readings but this one caught my attention in a negative way. Not because they were asking for prayers for this lady who has been diagnosed with breast cancer but the link that took me to a well-established business. There are so many people suffering with and from cancer that truly deserve all prayers we can give and send but they don't solicit us for money. Maybe they have a charity they might ask you to join and support if you can but they don't give you their PayPal account and ask for money for themselves. In this same group, I have several ladies who suffer from this disease, some in remission, some still taking treatments and they visit the Garden to look at all the beauty we have accumulated there. I asked one of them if I could share her story which I did since this one was posted there.

I was also not real sure what to title this thread, I hope this works.

I had many questions so I went out for a little research and found out quite a bit about this family and their ministry. I will start with this reference:

PRAYER WARRIORS: Lana Elder update. God is on the throne

The very title of the website was enough to draw red flags.

You read and decide as I continue to bring more information.

"October 12, 2012
Lana’s Hope
by lanaelder

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the title of my blog, “I’m Believin’!”

I picked that title because I had so many people praying for me and I would always agree in prayer with them and end by saying “I’m believin’!” I really do believe God can do anything, absolutely anything.

I have believed in God for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until after college that I decided to really get to know Him better. I joined a Bible study and found a great church to join. And through it all I have come to know Jesus as the savior of my sins, my healer, my friend, my everything! My relationship with Him has grown over the years so much so that I trust He is helping me to help me make the best decisions each day.

So being in a situation like this, where death could happen at any time, I have no worries for myself if that happens. I’ve spent so much time with Jesus already that it’ll be like going home to see my friend.

I love to take walks in the country and many times I’ll listen to some worship songs or contemporary Christian music or podcasts. During these times, I’m often overwhelmed with how much God loves me. I’ve been memorizing Scripture and listening to great worship songs for over 25 years. The words to these songs and so many scriptures are embedded deep in my heart. So when cancer came, I didn’t question God’s love for me. I already knew He loved me to pieces, just like I know He loves you to pieces.

But lately I’ve been wondering what people will think if I were to die from this cancer. I wonder if people would lose their faith in God or lose their faith in His ability to heal people miraculously. I would be so sad and disappointed if anyone lost their faith, or part of their faith, if I’m not healed."

Read the rest here: October « 2012 « Lana Elder

I am not making judgements here, I am asking questions. So before you start thinking I am just downright 'hurtful' to post something like this, please see what else I found.

Undoubtedly, Lana sounds like a good Christian lady, mother and wife and probably is all of that and much more. However, is it going too far to use this as a sympathy plea to gain financially through their many 'businesses'??

The Ranch: Board Of Directors

Our board of directors, which consists of the following people, meets regularly to pray, set directions, oversee budgets, and review ministry accomplishments for Eric Elder Ministries in general and The Ranch website in particular.

Eric Elder, President and Chairman of the Board
Creator of The Ranch website and Eric Elder Ministries in Peru, Illinois
Al Lowry, Vice President and Board Member
Founder of the GIG worship ministry at Saddleback Church in Orange County, California
Brent Knapton, Secretary/Treasurer and Board Member
Founder of an international missions organization in Houston, Texas
Dan Mountney, Board Member
Main Campus Pastor at Kensington Community Church in Troy, Michigan
Past board members include:

Steve Knight, Former Secretary and Board Member
Internet Editor for Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, North Carolina
Lana Elder, Former Secretary and Board Member
Co-founder of The Ranch website and Eric Elder Ministries in Peru, Illinois
The Ranch: News From The Ranch

Legitimacy Information
¦ This organization is registered with the IRS.
¦ This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Institutional funders should note that an organization’s inclusion on GuideStar.org does not satisfy IRS Rev. Proc. 2011-33 for identifying supporting organizations.

Learn more about GuideStar Charity Check, the only pre-grant due diligence tool that is 100% compliant with IRS Rev. Proc 2011-33.

Nonprofit Report for ERIC ELDER MINISTRIES

https://www.facebook.com/lana.elder.9#!/lana.elder.9

Eric Elder Ministries Update.m4v - YouTube

Eric's Hope - YouTube

Eric's Hope - YouTube

Amazon.com: lana elder


Lana Elder
lanaelder.com/Share
So far, it looks like the tumors in her breast, liver and lungs have stayed relatively stable, but it looks like the cancer in her bones has progressed significantly.
Lana's Health « Lana Elder
lanaelder.com/2012/02/19/lanas-health/
Feb 19, 2012 – Lana asked me to post a message here on her blog that I wrote last ... my wife and I received the surprising news that she has breast cancer.
Throne of Grace « Lana Elder
lanaelder.com/2012/03/27/throne-of-grace/
Mar 27, 2012 – by lanaelder on March 27, 2012. Hi all, ... I guess the common places for breast cancer to metastasize is to the lungs, liver, bone and the brain.

February « 2012 « Lana Elder
lanaelder.com/2012/02/page/2/
So last week when I received the call from the doctor that I had breast cancer, my first thought was “Okay God, you must be up to something!” and my second ...

The Ranch: Welcome To The Ranch!
The Ranch: Welcome To The Ranch!
Today we share a special update from Lana Elder, wife of Eric Elder, founder of The Ranch. Lana has been battling Stage 4 breast cancer and shares her ...
Bone Biopsy Result - Lana Elder
lanaelder.wordpress.com/page/3/
by lanaelder. Well, the results are in. My bone biopsy confirms that the cancer in my bones seems to be similar to the cancer in my breast. So it most likely started ...
lana elder | Tumblr
lana elder | Tumblr
This Week's Sermon From The Ranch – Update on Lana's Cancer – Praise God!!!! Source: terri0729.wordpress.com · #The Ranch Ministries #Eric Elder ...
Good Morning God! « atwlifethoughtsandfitness
atwlifethoughtsandfitness.wordpress.com/.../good-morning-go...
Jul 16, 2012 – I pray for strength for Lana Elder as she battles for her life against breast cancer. I ask for a new heart for Norwen, a complete healing in the ...
PRAYER WARRIORS: Lana Elder update. God is on the throne
investorshub.advfn.com › ... › Coffee Shop › PRAYER WARRIORS
Jul 24, 2012 – PRAYER WARRIORS Message Board: Lana Elder update. ... recently about some research on a possible cure for triple negative breast cancer.
This Day's Thought from The Ranch- Monday - My Opera
my.opera.com/.../this-days-thought-from-the-ranch-monday

18 hours ago – Elder, founder of The Ranch. Lana has been battling Stage 4 breast cancer and shares her thoughts on healing and her continual faith in God.

Friends, you decide...

From the Nonprofit link:

Legitimacy Information

This organization is registered with the IRS.
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Institutional funders should note that an organization’s inclusion on GuideStar.org does not satisfy IRS Rev. Proc. 2011-33 for identifying supporting organizations.

Learn more about GuideStar Charity Check, the only pre-grant due diligence tool that is 100% compliant with IRS Rev. Proc 2011-33.

California, Here I Come! « Lana Elder

California, Here I Come!
by lanaelder on September 3, 2012

Quote:

---

Hi from Montana! We’ve just arrived at Eric’s sister’s house tonight on our way to California. We’re taking our daughter Makari to start school there next week. We’ve had a great trip so far seeing a horse auction and Mount Rushmore and of course, Wall Drug, where everyone seems to stop on their way out west.

Thanks for praying for me. My hemoglobin came up enough on its own that I didn’t have to have a blood transfusion before we left. But it was still low enough that they recommended I take a shot of aranesp to increase the red blood cells. I’ve also recently been having a lot of bone pain, so I’ve been taking some stronger pain medication, which causes nausea, so I was taking anti-nausea medicine (which causes… just kidding… actually I’m not just kidding but you know how that goes.). All to say, please send up some prayers for healing in my bones. The last three days have actually been a lot better. But during this painful episode I really had to fight the battle in my mind, thinking “Is this going to get worse? Should I really be going on this trip to California? Are my bones going to break? Is the pain from the cancer or from the bone treatment, which also causes pain? If I keep taking the pain medication, will I become addicted to it?”

---

You can see an updated picture of her & children here.

I will point out there are no ads associated with Lana's Blog that I have noticed. I pray that she will be healed and I have also noticed a lot of responses from women saying her story has helped them have more courage. That is a good thing!

Why the cross-country trip?

These stories are always troubling. While we want to know about those in need so we can reach out and help, there is always the fear that the story is a ruse to get money based on untruths or exaggerations. Sadly, there have been cases of folks lying to get cash. Who could forget the wench that claimed she had cancer in order to fund her breast implants?