The Defeat of Disease and Death

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.' Matthew 8:16-17

My friend Skip and I are the same age, plus he broke his neck the same day I did. What's more, his diving accident also occurred in the Chesapeake Bay! I dove into the Maryland side of the bay; he, the Virginia side. You can see why I've always felt a special kinship with Skip. And my heart broke when I learned he died from complications connected with his quadriplegia. It made me angry at death and disease!

At the same time, I felt a sense of joy. Christ defeated death and disease by taking them with Him to the grave. God's judgment on the sin which ushered disease into the world was endured by Jesus when He died. The prophet Isaiah explained, "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5). The horrible blows on Jesus' back purchased a world without disease - that world is still in the future, but it's coming soon (Romans 8:23-24). And Skip and I can't wait!

                         

He Is Able

Often when people define disability, they speak on what a personn cannot do. And although what they say may be true, we must remember the ‘ability’ in disability, because we are ‘able’ in He who is more than able. 

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Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada; thanks for joining me for "Joni and Friends.”

You often hear me talk about my wheelchair, but hopefully every time I do, you hear a lot of “ability” whenever I say that word “disability.” Always look for what you are able to do; I like that word “able.” And there is no one more “able” than our wonderful God, right? In fact, the apostle Paul stated it best: "I know I have believed and am persuaded that He is able!"

I was curious about what the Bible has to say about God being able, and you’re going to be surprised at what I found. I discovered more than a few wonderful little verses that focus on God being able. They encouraged me so much and I just know these “able verses” will bolster your faith, too. 

JONI EARECKSON TADA

Joni Eareckson Tada, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joni and Friends, is an international advocate for people with disabilities.

A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, unable to use her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations.

During her rehabilitation, Joni spent long months learning how to paint with a brush between her teeth. Her high-detail fine art paintings and prints are sought-after and collected.

Joni Eareckson Tada Not Shaken by Breast Cancer

(Photo: Joni and Friends)

In this undated photo, Joni Eareckson Tada smiles as she sees a little boy in Ghana with cerebral palsy walk for the first time with his new walker.

By Lillian Kwon , Christian Post Reporter

After 43 years of living paralyzed from the neck down and recently learning that she now has breast cancer, Joni Eareckson Tada remains all smiles.

"I want to assure you that I am genuinely content to receive from God whatever He deems fit for me even if it is from His left hand because better something from His left hand than no hand at all, right?" the beloved disability advocate and quadriplegic said in a video message to supporters.

Joni Eareckson Tada Dismayed by Robertson's Alzheimer's Remarks

By Joseph Perkins , Christian Post Contributor

A widely recognized disability advocate is criticizing Pat Robertson for his remarks.

Robertson, chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, is now embroiled in a firestorm he unwittingly created when he advised viewers of “The 700 Club” that they would be justified in divorcing a spouse afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

On Thursday, Joni Eareckson Tada, founder and chief executive officer of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, a Christian-based organization based in Agoura Hills, Calif., issued a statement condemning Robertson's remarks.

Tada was “dismayed,” she said, that the host of CBN's most popular program suggested "Alzheimer's disease is a kind of death" that makes it morally acceptable to dispose of an afflicted husband or wife. “When a Christian leader views marriage on a sliding scale, what does this say to the millions of couples who must deal daily with catastrophic injuries and illnesses?” Tada asked.

'Joni and Friends' Celebrates Three Decades of Radio Ministry

Photo: Joni and Friends/A. Larry Ross Communications)

Joni Eareckson Tada is a radio host and the founder of the Joni and Friends International Disability Center.

By Jeff Schapiro , Christian Post Reporter

The month of May marked the 30th anniversary of Joni Eareckson Tada's award-winning radio program, "Joni and Friends Radio," which has inspired listeners around the world and educated them about people with disabilities.

The five-minute long radio program has aired over 7,800 times during the last three decades, but at one time it didn't even seem like a possibility. Tada laughed when she was first approached by the Ambassador Advertising Agency about hosting the program in 1982, because at the time she was bedridden.